5.158
danda-bhanga-lila ei--parama gambhira
sei bujhe, dunhara pade yanra bhakti dhira
SYNONYMS
danda-bhanga-lila—the pastime of breaking the staff; ei—this; parama—very; gambhira—grave; sei bujhe—one can understand; dunhara—of both of Them; pade—to the lotus feet; yanra—whose; bhakti—devotional service; dhira—fixed.
The pastime of the breaking of the staff is very deep.
Only one whose devotion is fixed upon the lotus feet of the two Lords can understand it.
PURPORT
One who understands Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu in reality can understand Their identity as well as the breaking of the staff.
All the previous acaryas, being induced to engage themselves fully in the service of the Lord, gave up attachment for material life and thus accepted the staff, which signifies full engagement of the mind, speech and body in the service of the Lord.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the regulative principles of the renounced order of life.
That is completely clear.
However, in the paramahamsa stage there is no need to accept a danda (staff), and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was certainly in the paramahamsa stage.
Nonetheless, to indicate that everyone should take sannyasa at the end of life in order to engage fully in the service of the Lord, even paramahamsas like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His confidential devotees follow the regulative principles unfailingly.
Indeed, that was His purpose.
Nityananda Prabhu, who was His eternal servitor, believed that there was no need for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to carry the staff, and to declare to the world that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was above all regulations, He broke it into three pieces.
The pastime known as danda-bhanga-lila is thus explained by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.