SRI SITA THAKURANI

Sri Sita Thakurani, like Sri Sacimata is the eternally worshippable mother of
the universe. She was always intensely absorbed in parental affection for Sri
Gaurasundara, and she used to give friendly advice to Sacimata and Jagannath
Misra as to how they should raise their son, Nimai.

Sri Sita Thakurani is the incarnation of yoga-maya, Bhagavati Paurnamasi. Her
other expansion (prakash murti) is her sister, Sri. [Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika]

Sita Thakurani gave the name "Nimai" to the child with the idea in mind that
witches and female sorcerers would not be able to harm Him. The neem tree is
highly antiseptic and evil spirits cannot go near it, so also, with the name
"Nimai", evil spirits will not be able to go near such a person with this name.
In this connection Sitadevi was completely absorbed in parental affection. In
comparison to the mellows of devotional love, the opulences, strength, etc. of
Bhagavan have to admit defeat. In fact, by this affection, in which one forgets
the supreme position of the Lord and considers Him to be an ordinary human, the
Lord obtains great satisfaction. [C. C. Adi 13.111]

At this time Sita Thakurani spent a few days at Mayapur and gave various
instructions to Jagannath Misra and Sacidevi regarding the upbringing of the
child. Jagannath Misra and Sacimata in turn presented valuable cloths and other
fineries to Sita devi during the birth festival of their son.

Besides his house at Santipur, Advaita Acarya also had another house at Sridham
Mayapur. After the birth of Sri Gaurasundara he and Sita Thakurani began to
spend most of their time at Mayapur. Sri Saci devi always remained very
reverential towards Sitadevi. They were extremely close friends and Sita
Thakurani would come everyday to Jagannath Misra's house to check on the child.
As Nimai began to grow up, He increased the pleasure of the devotees, like the
waxing moon in the sky increases our happiness by its cooling effect.

A few years later when Jagannath Misra's oldest son (Visvarupa) suddenly took
sannyasa and left home, Jagannath and Sacidevi, as well as Nimai, were very
aggreived. At that time Sri Advaita Acarya and Sita devi would especially try
to console them and look after Nimai.

When Sri Gaurasundara returned from Gaya-dhama in a god-intoxicated state and
began to reveal his true self, Advaita Acarya and Sita Thakurani came from
Santipur and were the first ones to offer worship at His lotus feet.

One day, Saci-kumar, smiling very sweetly, entered the courtyard of Advaita's
temple and sat down. Nityananda was present with Him and Advaita Acarya also
sat down to join them. Then the three of them very happily decided to hold a
sankirtan festival. Hearing their conversation Sita Thakurani felt great bliss
and coming out of the house she very enthusiastically suggested to Sacinandana
how she could assist in the preparations. Seeing her enthusiasm, the ecstatic
bliss of Sri Gaurasundara increased that much more and He told her, "Thakurani,
please invite many Vaisnavas to your house. Those who are singers and those who
can expertly play the mrdanga and other instruments; each one should be
respectfully invited to come here for a sankirtan festival."

Then when Sri Gaurasundara started in the direction of Vrindavan, after taking
sannyasa, Sita Thakurani, like Sacimata herself, was extremely afflicted and
having fallen down on the earth, remained there for four days as though almost
dead. Bhakti-vatsala, Sri Gaurasundara, being bound by his devotees' love, was
not able to go to Vrindavan, and instead came to Santipur. Sita Thakurani and
Advaita Acarya having gotten to see him again also got back their life. Then
Sita devi cooked for and fed Mahaprabhu who had also been fasting for a few
days.

Having spoken to her about this, Sri Gaura Ray instructed everyone to extend
invitations to all the Vaisnavas. Then he told them to bring mrdanga and
kartals and with the oil of aguru and sandalwood paste, to establish a sacred
water pot. [This is a process whereby; performing some puja, the presence of a
sacred divinity is invoked and established within the water pot.] He instructed
how the place where the kirtan would be held, should be carefully cleansed and
decorated with banana trees and flower garlands. He then explained how, in the
evening, with flower garlands, sandalwood paste, betel nuts, ghee, honey and
yoghurt, the invocation ceremony should be performed.

Hearing these nectarean instructions of Mahaprabhu, everyone felt great joy and
they immediately began to bring the auspicious articles by which the whole area
became perfumed with a pleasant fragrance and sweet scent. Then, the heavens
resounding with the transcendental sound vibration of "Hari! Hari!" the kirtan
began. Paramesvar thus concludes his description of the sankirtan festival
performed at the house of Advaita Acarya; himself floating in the bliss of
those ecstatic mellows. [Sri Pada-kalpataru]

Three sons took birth from the womb of Sita Thakurani - Acyutananda, Krsna
Misra and Gopala Misra. They were all followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sita Thakurani's father's name was Nrsimha Bhaduri. She had a sister, Sri, who
was also married to Advaita Acarya. [B. R. 12.1785]

She cooked many preparations for Mahaprabhu, and when all the devotees were in
Puri for Rathayatra, Mahaprabhu would be invited to accept His lunch. He
accepted their loving offerings as though one charmed by mantra. She was always
very affectionate to Mahaprabhu and treated Him like her own son. Mahaprabhu as
well saw her as non-different than his own mother and treated her with the same
devotion.

