Shri Sita Thakurani;

 

Shri Sita Thakurani, like Shri Sacimata is the eternally worshipful Mother of the universe. She was always intensely absorbed in parental affection for Shri Gaursundor. She also used to give friendly advice to Sacimata and Jagannath Misra as to how they should raise their son, Nimai.

Shri Sita Thakurani is the incarnation of yogmaya, Bhagavati Paurnamasi. Her other expansion (prakash murti) is her sister, Shridebi.

[Gaur ganoddesh dipika]

Sita Thakurani gave the name Nimai to Sacidebi's child with the idea in mind that witches and female sorcerers would then be unable 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 Sitadebi was completely absorbed in parental affection. In comparison to the mellows of devotional love, the opulences, strength, etc. of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, 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 Sacidebi regarding the upbringing of the child. Jagannath Misra and Sacimata in turn presented valuable cloths and other fineries to Sita debi during the birth festival of their son.

 

In addition to his house at Santipur, Adwaita Acarja also had another house at Shridham Mayapur. After the birth of Shri Gaursundor he and Sita Thakurani began to spend most of their time at Mayapur. Shri Saci debi always remained very reverential towards Sitadebi. 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, 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 (Biswarup) suddenly took sannyas and left home, Jagannath and Sacidebi, as well as Nimai, were very aggrieved. At that time Shri Adwaita Acarja and Sita debi would especially try to console them and look after Nimai.

 

When Shri Gaursundor returned from Gaya dham in a God-intoxicated state, and began to reveal his True Self, Adwaita Acarja and Sita Thakurani were called from Santipur to be the first ones to offer worship at His lotus feet.

 

One day, Sacikumar, smiling very sweetly, entered the courtyard of Adwaita's temple and sat down. Nityananda was present with Him and Adwaita Acarja also sat down to join them. Then the three of them very delightfully decided to hold a sankirtan festival. Hearing their conversation Sita Thakurani felt unlimited bliss and came out of the house.

She very enthusiastically suggested to Sacinandan how she could assist in the preparations. Seeing her enthusiasm, the ecstatic bliss of Shri Gaursundor increased that much more and so He told her, "Thakurani, please invite many Baisnabs 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."

After having explained to her about her duties, Shri Gaura Ray instructed everyone else there to extend invitations to all the Baisnabs. He told them to bring mrdangas and kartals. He then explained that with the oil of aguru and sandalwood paste they should establish a sacred 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. With flower garlands, sandalwood paste, betel nuts, ghee, honey and yoghurt, an invocation ceremony was to be performed in the evening.

Everyone felt great joy to hear these nectarean instructions of Mahaprabhu and so they immediately began to bring the auspicious articles. When the courtyard began to fill up with these articles 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.

Parameswar thus concludes his description of the sankirtan festival performed at the house of Adwaita Acarja; himself floating in the bliss of those ecstatic mellows.                                                               [Shri Padakalpa taru]

 

When Shri Gaursundor started in the direction of Brindaban, after taking sannyas, Sita Thakurani, like Sacimata herself, was extremely afflicted. Having fallen down on the earth, she remained there for four days as though almost dead. Bhaktabatsal, Shri Gaursundor, being bound by his devotees' love, was therefore not able to go to Brindaban, and instead came to Santipur.

In getting to see Mahaprabhu again, Sita Thakurani and Adwaita Acarja also got back their life. Then Sita debi cooked for and fed Mahaprabhu, Who had also been fasting for a few days.

She cooked many preparations for Mahaprabhu, and when all the devotees were in Puri for Rathjatra, Mahaprabhu would also then 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 nondifferent than his own mother and treated her with the same devotion.

 

Three sons took birth from the womb of Sita Thakurani: Acyutananda, Krishna Misra and Gopal Misra. They were all followers of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sita Thakurani's father's name was Nrsimha Bhaduri. She had a sister, Shridebi, who was also married to Adwaita Acarja.                    [Bhakti Ratna 12]

 

Sita Thakurani had two very uncommon disciples in the persons of Nandini and Jangili, who were previously males, but became females after accepting initiation. They are mentioned in Gaur ganoddesh Dipika as having previously been know as Joyoa and Vijoyoa, before their present births as Nandini and Jangali. Before initiation their names were Nandaram and Jagyeshwar Cakravarti.

Jangili's Shripat is at Jangali Tota, six miles from the town of Maldah, in the North of West Bengal. She used to worship Lord Gopinath there. Nandini also worshipped a Deity of Gopinath at Gopinathpur, within the district of Bogra, which is in present day Bangladesh. Later on she came to live at Puri, where worship of her Deities is still being performed. The name of her Shripat there is Nandini Matha, located on the western side of Lord Jagannath's temple.