19850503 Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 8.19-20

The following is a class given by H.H. Jayapataka Swami Maharaja on May 3rd , 1985 at New Talavan farm in --(00:25). The class begins with a reading from the Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi lila, Chapter 8, Text 19 and 20.

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami (Leads translation with devotees repeat) (Reads purport)

rājan patir gurur alaṁ bhavatāṁ yadūnāṁ daivaṁ priyaḥ kula-patiḥ kva ca kiṅkaro vaḥ astv evam aṅga bhagavān bhajatāṁ mukundo muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam

Translation by HDG A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Translation: [The great sage Śukadeva said:] “My dear Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help you. He is your master, guru, God, and very dear friend, and also the head of your family. Yet sometimes He agrees to act as your servant or order-carrier. You are greatly fortunate because this relationship is possible only by bhakti-yoga. The Lord can give liberation [mukti] very easily, but He does not very easily give one bhakti-yoga, because by that process He is bound to the devotee.”

Purport: This passage is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.6.18). While Śukadeva Gosvāmī was describing the character of Ṛṣabhadeva, he distinguished between bhakti-yoga and liberation by reciting this verse. In relationship with the Yadus and Pāṇḍavas, the Lord acted sometimes as their master, sometimes as their advisor, sometimes as their friend, sometimes as the head of their family and sometimes even as their servant. Kṛṣṇa once had to carry out an order of Yudhiṣṭhira’s by carrying a letter Yudhiṣṭhira had written to Duryodhana regarding peace negotiations. Similarly, He also became the chariot driver of Arjuna. This illustrates that in bhakti-yoga there is a relationship established between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the devotee. Such a relationship is established in the transcendental mellows known as dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya. If a devotee wants simple liberation, he gets it very easily from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. Muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate ’smān: for a devotee, mukti is not very important because mukti is always standing on his doorstep waiting to serve him in some way. A devotee, therefore, must be attracted by the behavior of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, who live in a relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The land, water, cows, trees and flowers serve Kṛṣṇa in śānta-rasa, His servants serve Him in dāsya-rasa, and His cowherd friends serve Him in sakhya-rasa. Similarly, the elder gopīs and gopas serve Kṛṣṇa as father and mother, uncle and other relatives, and the young gopīs, the cowherd girls, serve Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love.

While executing devotional service, one must be naturally inclined to serve Kṛṣṇa in one of these transcendental relationships. That is the actual success of life. For a devotee, to get liberation is not very difficult. Even one who is unable to establish a relationship with Kṛṣṇa can achieve liberation by merging into the Brahman effulgence. This is called sāyujya-mukti. Vaiṣṇavas never accept sāyujya-mukti, although sometimes they accept the other forms of liberation, namely sārūpya, sālokya, sāmīpya and sārṣṭi. A pure devotee, however, does not accept any kind of mukti. He wants only to serve Kṛṣṇa in a transcendental relationship. This is the perfectional stage of spiritual life. Māyāvādī philosophers desire to merge into the existence of the Brahman effulgence, although this aspect of liberation is always neglected by devotees. Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, describing this kind of mukti, which is called kaivalya, or becoming one with the Supreme, has said, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate: “Becoming one with the Supreme is as good as going to hell.” Therefore the ideal of Māyāvāda philosophy, becoming one with the Supreme, is hellish for a devotee; he never accepts it. Māyāvādī philosophers do not know that even if they merge into the effulgence of the Supreme, this will not give them ultimate rest. An individual soul cannot live in the Brahman effulgence in a state of inactivity; after some time, he must desire to be active. However, since he is not aware of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and therefore has no spiritual activity, he must come down for further activities in this material world. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32):

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho ’nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

Because Māyāvādī philosophers have no information regarding the transcendental service of the Lord, even after attaining liberation from material activities and merging into the Brahman effulgence, they must come down again to this material world to open hospitals or schools or perform similar philanthropic activities.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta translation and purport of the Chaitanya Charitamrita verse Adi Lila Chapter 8 Text 19, quoted from the Srimad Bhagavatam 5.6.18

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami: So, actually what's being explained here summarized in the previous verse also;

kṛṣṇa yadi chuṭe bhakte bhukti mukti diyā kabhu prema-bhakti nā dena rākhena lukāiyā (CC Ādi 8.18)

Translation: If a devotee wants liberation or material sense gratification from the Lord, Kṛṣṇa immediately delivers it, but pure devotional service He keeps hidden. (end of translation)

We are discussing the qualities of Krsna and later will describe the qualities of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. We should understand that just as any person, even any  material person in this world has got different moods, different ways of dealing.

Just like someone who is a judge when he is in his office chamber, he has one way of dealing. When he is on the dais and the, and the, what is it called,  the stand or in the courtroom on his, whatever it is, elevated seat, then he has another very formal demeanor. When he is at home with his family has one way of dealing, when he is with his old, old friends from the moose club, whatever there you know,   he has a particular way of dealing. And each particular circumstance, he has a different way of dealing and you will see him in a different mood and in a different attitude, although he is one person.

So Lord being unlimited, He has unlimited qualities in unlimited aspects. And for each aspect He also has unlimited form, He has another form. So that, of course in each, in each form He has so many qualities. But then for one particular type of activity He manifest often a different form, specifically which embodies more that particular type of activity. In Narayana He is in a very majestic form of aspect. Krsna is a very intimate aspect. Lord Rama is a type of more intimate yet kingly aspect. And like that there are so many different forms - Narasimha, Varaha, Kurma, Matsya and so on. There are literally unlimited expansions of the Lord in different forms and shapes and so slightly  different mood and flavour is also there. Of all those, Krsna of course is the fountainhead of all the forms of the Lord.

Yet compared to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, there is a difference in terms of giving His mercy. We shall understand that just as a person in the material world there is a reflection, just like considered to be dim reflection of the Lord because we are a part. Just like if you take a part of the ocean, that also will be salty. The whole ocean is salty. Of course within the ocean there are whales and so many other types of sharks and fishes and things like that. Where you won't find many whales in one drop of the ocean. So the ocean has got few more characteristics than a drop. But whatever characteristics a drop has, the ocean also has. So what other qualities we have, Krsna has those qualities. He is not less than we are, but he has even some more than we do. That is the basic understanding.

There was once a person, a great devotee or sage, I forget exactly his name. And he was in difficulty, some kind of trouble and so then he called out God, Lord. And so there are many Lords, not just one. And then, at that time Brahma, Shiva and Lord Vishnu, all three of them came because well all three are Lords of the universe in different aspects.

 And they said, 'You called? Which one did you call. (Guru Maharaj giggles) All three?'

He didn't know exactly what to say. So then, anyway he got out of the difficulty. Like Gajendra when he called, he said the Supreme God, the Param Lord, the Supreme Lord. So then Vishnu Himself came, because of the three Lords He is the Supreme. So like that there are different names. If we just use a different name, each has a certain meaning. Like in english the word 'GOD'. Exactly if we look in the dictionary what does GOD mean, kind of a vague term. It’s like say someone Mister; to call the Supreme Personality of Godhead as God is kind of very vague. It's like saying Mister to a person. It is kind of just a vague term, doesn't really indicate too much. God says the creator and even Lord Brahma was a creator, but he is a secondary creator. They have the Supreme creator. It is kind of a vague term, but generally speaking it is probably would direct energy appears  towards Lord Vishnu because He is the Supreme Controller. But it addresses primarily Vishnu in the material universe because it is kind of a term which is relating with the Lord of the material universe. But the original personality of Godhead existed before the creation, and He exists after the annihilation. He is not depended upon the material world for His existence, rather the material world is a temporary manifestation of His internal potency.

So in Sanskrit they also have a world like God that is called 'Ishvar'. It means the controller. So then they have 'Parameshwar' means Supreme Controller. Just like they have Brahman means transcendental. When they say parabrahman means the Supreme Transcendental. Cetanas means consciousness, and Cetananam means the Supreme Conscious entity. So in the Vedas you find that there are different names for different personalities of the Absolute Truth. So when you come to the Summon Bonum then there are names which cannot identify anyone else. There is no vaguery about it. There is no discrepancy. So such terms such as 'Govinda' or 'Krsna' 'Rama'. These are names which directly address the Supreme Personality of Godhead in one of His more intimate aspects.

So Krsna is even more compassionate when He is directly addressed. His original form is more compassionate than to the other forms who are supervising the material world. He gives liberation very easily. He gives material benediction also very easily. But even Krsna is bit reluctant to give His own pure devotional service. If we totally surrender to Him, then He may give you His pure devotional service. If you get the special mercy of some devotee or something. So this is something to know. I mean often, of course  everyone generally in this world prays to the Supreme Lord for material sense gratification, or if they are little more spiritual they ask for salvation. Yousee, right? ( inaudible 15:03-15:07).

But here we find that what is considered to be the highest even in most contemporary religions "to be saved" is described here as good as going to hell. If to a pure devotee, if he is not able to serve the Lord... If they are able to continue serving the Lord, they in other words, they achieve such a nectarine taste for devotional service that they would rather, you see, that they would consider achieving some kind of salvation without devotional service as good as going to hell. They don't want any kind of liberation which would interfere with their devotional service. If salvation on its own comes and it doesn't interfere, if it is one of the types of liberation which doesn't interfere, well then they might tolerate it. But they don't have any separate desire except for serving the Lord in loving devotion.

 So that type of relationship with the Lord is described here that why the Lord is very reserved, why Krsna is very reserved in giving that type of benediction? It is because if he gives, just like someone comes to the boss and say, "Give me a bonus". He gave him a bonus then that’s  finished. If he says, "Come and give me retirement". All right, he gives him retirement with a pension. He is finished. He is set up.

But if he comes and says, "Adopt me as your son.”

“ Wow! Wow! Wow! Wait a minute!!”

You know. Then he would have to give him the whole inheritance. There is relations… There is a, you know,  it is a whole different.

 You come to Krsna and you actually become His pure devotee. You become connected and related with Him in pure loving devotion then He becomes personally involved with that devotee. And that means that He becomes obliged in so many ways. Of course He is always independent, and you can't hold Him to any obligation. But out of His own unlimited causeless qualities He often agrees to just accept that type of position as if He were obliged. Just out of some relationship of love He reciprocates. Because a devotee depends on Him like that He also puts Himself in the hands of His devotees. So He is very conservative when it comes to giving that kind of benediction. That is the nature of Lord Krsna.

Now in regard to Lord Chaitanya, Krishnadas Kaviraj explains,

CC Adi 9.20 hena prema śrī-caitanya dilā yathā tathā jagāi mādhāi paryanta — anyera kā kathā

Translation: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has freely given this love of Kṛṣṇa everywhere and anywhere, even to the most fallen, such as Jagāi and Mādhāi. What then to speak of those who are already pious and elevated?

(aside: That’s not me. That’s not me)

Purport: The distinction between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s gift to human society and the gifts of others is that whereas so-called philanthropic and humanitarian workers have given some relief to human society as far as the body is concerned, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offers the best facilities for going back home, back to Godhead, with love of Godhead. If one seriously makes a comparative study of the two gifts, certainly if he is at all sober he will give the greatest credit to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It was with this purpose that Kavirāja Gosvāmī said:

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-dayā karaha vicāra vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra

(aside: Give to His Grace. Page 173)

“If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful.” (Cc. Ādi 8.15)

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says:

dīna-hīna yata chila, hari-nāme uddhārila, tāra sākṣī jagāi mādhāi

The two brothers Jagāi and Mādhāi epitomize the sinful population of this Age of Kali. They were most disturbing elements in society because they were meat-eaters, drunkards, woman-hunters, rogues and thieves. Yet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered them, to say nothing of others who were sober, pious, devoted and conscientious. The Bhagavad-gītā confirms that to say nothing of the brahminically qualified devotees and rājarṣis (kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā), anyone who by the association of a pure devotee comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā (9.32) the Lord thus declares:

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim

“O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth — women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] — can attain the supreme destination.”

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered the two fallen brothers Jagāi and Mādhāi, but the entire world is presently full of Jagāis and Mādhāis, or, in other words, woman-hunters, meat-eaters, gamblers, thieves and other rogues, who create all kinds of disturbances in society. The activities of such persons have now become common practices. It is no longer considered abominable to be a drunkard, woman-hunter, meat-eater, thief or rogue, for these elements have been assimilated by human society. That does not mean, however, that the abominable qualities of such persons will help free human society from the clutches of māyā. Rather, they will entangle humanity more and more in the reactions of the stringent laws of material nature. One’s activities are all performed under the influence of the modes of material nature (prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ). Because people are now associating with the modes of ignorance (tamo-guṇa) and, to some extent, passion (rajo-guṇa), with no trace of goodness (sattva-guṇa), they are becoming increasingly greedy and lusty, for that is the effect of associating with these modes. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhavāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye: “By associating with the two lower qualities of material nature, one becomes lusty and greedy.” (Bhāg. 1.2.19) Actually, in modern human society, everyone is greedy and lusty, and therefore the only means for deliverance is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtana movement, which can promote all the Jagāis and Mādhāis to the topmost position of sattva-guṇa, or brahminical culture.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.18-19) states:

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

Considering the chaotic condition of human society, if one actually wants peace and tranquillity, one must take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and engage always in bhāgavata-dharma. Engagement in bhāgavata-dharma dissipates all ignorance and passion, and when ignorance and passion are dissipated one is freed from greed and lust. When freed from greed and lust, one becomes brahminically qualified, and when a brahminically qualified person makes further advancement, he becomes situated on the Vaiṣṇava platform. It is only on this Vaiṣṇava platform that it is possible to awaken one’s dormant love of Godhead, and as soon as one does so, his life is successful.

At present, human society is specifically cultivating the mode of ignorance (tamo-guṇa), although there may also be some symptoms of passion (rajo-guṇa). Full of kāma and lobha, lust and greed, the entire population of the world consists mostly of śūdras and a few vaiśyas, and gradually it is coming about that there are śūdras only. Communism is a movement of śūdras, and capitalism is meant for vaiśyas. In the fighting between these two factions, the śūdras and vaiśyas, gradually, due to the abominable condition of society, the communists will emerge triumphant, and as soon as this takes place, whatever is left of society will be ruined. The only possible remedy that can counteract the tendency toward communism is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, which can give even communists the real idea of communist society. According to the doctrine of communism, the state should be the proprietor of everything. But the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, expanding this same idea, accepts God as the proprietor of everything. People cannot understand this because they have no sense of God, but the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can help them to understand God and to understand that everything belongs to God. Since everything is the property of God, and all living entities — not only human beings but even animals, birds, plants and so on — are children of God, everyone has the right to live at the cost of God with God consciousness. This is the sum and substance of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. (end of purport)

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami ( comments): Srila Prabhupada in Mayapur Dham, once he was addressing, and he said, especially,  he was looking towards his western, specifically his American followers to stamp the advancement of materialism or rather godlessness and thus to counteract the type of atheistic communism in the world. He pointed out that actually the atheistic communist is hundred percent atheistic, but even the capitalist…(Break)

 So there, by that definition (atheistic communism) according to the Vedas, anyone who doesn't believe in Vishnu or God, the Supreme Lord,is an asura or demon. He said of course that even in the capitalistic society, you got about eighty or maybe ninety or some very high percentage of people who in a real in depth way, they also do not believe deeply in existence of Personality of Godhead. Therefore also are acting practically as demons. But still there is resemblance or a basic acceptance of godliness, and so they actually...If the fight is not made, fight between two different political systems of communism or capitalism, because both of them have got their innate defects, but if it is rather made, if it is polarised on the basis of godliness and atheism, then by that the world would be actually benefited. And then the capitalist or whoever is on the side of god consciousness, they would naturally, they would be able to become victorious.

I have seen in the third world, for instance like in South America or other places, because capitalist are painted as very big demons in those poor countries, and you find that even some of these priests they take up the position of the so called 'liberation' in the material platform, even though they are decried by the pope and others. But because the whole situation is very confused, they are able to convince the common people to go on side of this type of communism but actually the common people are very godly. In their own way they have a lot of faith for the Lord, but because the whole issue is very confused they are misled and eventually they also become Godless. They become, you know, totally converted to that ideology.

So, the actual necessity is not to push a different ideologies, but to actually push God consciousness and automatically, of course, those automatically this godless communism will have to go, either for a more godly form of capitalism or for a type of transcendental varnasrama situation. (inaudible 29:21) But in any case, Godless society wouldn't be able to stand and that is the biggest danger. When the people become totally godless then naturally they lose all their good qualities and everything becomes a mess.

Just like because there is semblance of some moral, ethical, religious standards in the West, so  we can  still practice Krsna Consciousness openly.  That freedom is there. But we don't have that freedom in the Eastern bloc, to practice openly because their state ideology is atheism. That previous premiers have stated that they were against Krsna Conscious movement because they said that it was non sectarian. They said that Krsna Conscious movement is not meant simply for the Christians, or for the Moslems or for the Jews or for the Hindus.That it is for everyone and that they say that everything is the property of God and not the property of the state. Therefore they are the number one enemy of our class struggle. They said that these people have to be stopped at all cost.

 So, they didn't say that the number one problem is capitalism. They are gonna wipe of the capitalist  if things go on the way they are. They are losing their propaganda work in America. Anyone who neutrally sees how things are going, one by one, countries are falling because people, they don't have what they need in their heart and so it is very easy to get people to be envious. "Look at those people they have; but they are not able to do anything for you.Therefore they are the fall.”

 And someone else is cutting their profile. Look at "We follow the system that all people are equal, everybody gets the same..."

 Although that is not their way in practice, but in terms of propaganda. Naturally someone who is really in a very difficult situation, it is very easy to instil enviousness in them if they are not very godly. But when you break it down to believe in principles which are based on God consciousness, then people immediately, the pious people in the world they become polarised and they can say 'Yes'. So, that actually we prefer  Godly,  rather than atheistic principles.The atheism is pushed in the background in their propaganda. Later on it is brought up as they get absolute control. Just like in -

 (to a devotee) Where’s that country? In… The president just died a few days ago. Albany? Albania? Is  Albania? European. Albania?

Devotee: Albania

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami: Albania.  They just, they just bulldozed  down all the churches and mosques. They made religion totally illegal. That sense, if you could say you profess in God (inaudible 32:26), and they just took all those people anyone who have their name like 'Peter' or 'Allah' or 'Mohammed'. They just changed their name and made it all some kind of neutral name. No name that would remind anyone of anything religious. That is ultimately what will happen if God Consciousness is not preserved. The only reason that it is allowed at all even the name in some of these countries is just for the PR. That if they totally banned it like Albania; Albania is not worried about outside PR. But if Russia were to do that, then naturally lot of these Latin American, other countries where the people are still basically pious, and they believe in God then naturally they would polarise things, and people would become inimical. So they have to keep on the facade and say that freedom of religion where actually all the priests are members of the party, and there is hardly any mention of God.

 So anyway, the need for the Krsna Conscious movement  of course is to preserve consciousness on real levels of transcendental science of God, of the Supreme Personality. People, they need to have scientific knowledge. So Lord Caitanya, He is actually giving not only knowledge of God, but He is giving love for God. He is giving that which is very difficult to achieve, He is giving it very easily without even any restriction. Whether the person is very pious, even if the person has all type of bad habits.

 Somehow or  other if we take up chanting of Sri Krsna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Adwaita Gadadhara Srivasadi Gaura Bhakta Vrinda, we participate in Lord Chaitanya's authorized activities, then spontaneously people become lovers of God. It’s natural. Because it is natural, we were always were, but it has been covered up by these material contaminations. And by Lord Caitanya’s benediction,  those coverings are removed by the chanting of these holy names and by practicing of Krsna Consciousness, so as a result that which normally may take births and births, what to speak of years and years. It can take forever; you may not achieve that kind of a benediction. It is something that is very special. Even the Lord Himself tends to give salvation and shies away from giving.

When  He came,  the Lord when He came as a devotee, the devotees naturally they are representatives of the Lord's mercy... So when the Lord took the mood of a devotee, then also He took on that kind of mercy. But because He is the Lord Himself, He giving mercy is different. Of course the devotee prays to Lord, “Please have mercy on these people.” Then the Lord heeds their prayers. But when the Lord Himself is taking the part of a devotee, there is no question about hearing anyone's prayer. When He gives His mercy, it is immediate. He has got the absolute power to do that. Doesn't have to go through any red tape. If He wants to give someone love for Krsna, being Krsna Himself in that particular mood, well He stops distinguishing who is qualified, who is unqualified, what would be the consequences what would be the obligations. He is just giving that mercy in a very liberal mood.

That is just like everyone has a mood. So that the mood of the Lord when He is just in that is called adorjan [1] (inaudible 36:12). When He is just in that mood, that “Let Me just give freely charity to everyone without distinguishing  who should get it and who shouldn't get it.”  Just like some time there was a 'Mr. Millionaire' or something; he used to go and deliver cheques. He would walk up and hand people a million dollar cheque and see what happens. Even he probably...I don’t know, it was like a tv show. When i was a child, i don't know what.  Surely they don't have those things anymore. But anyway, that mood is there, and sometimes people just wanted to give charity to everyone without any restrictions. Everyone invited; come and get it, type of thing.

Well that's because Krsna also has that quality and the personification of that quality is Lord Chaitanya. That He is giving the most valuable thing, just come and take it. Of course most people are so proud, that even they hear  they can't believe it. They don't. Just like if somebody advertises that everyone come, “I am giving away  a million dollar diamonds to everyone.” Probably a lot of people won't even bother to come figuring this is just a joke. Nobody gives away such a valuable thing. If a person actually shows up,maybe only a few people would come just to see. You know,  we are not gonna lose. And So although Lord Caitanya is giving the most valuable thing, people they are not, they are not, generally not even aware of the value of what He is giving. They generally think that... They don't really understand what is the value of love for Godhead, or even what it is. Just a name. Just something that they have heard about but nobody has really seen it much and practiced so, nor had it explained very clearly and what to speak of get it or think about getting it.

So what actually is offered and of course people, only very few rare people are able to get it. Therefore those who do get it, then naturally they think how can I somehow or other we give this to others. This is like, you know, actually, if there is a big sale going on, you tell all your friends that “This is a good opportunity, come and buy the things,” you know if you have an insight on something. So here is an insight. Somehow or other the devotees get it, and they just want to inform the others. But it is so confidential that if we just go and tell people, they won't even comprehend what you are talking about. So even just to bring them to the point where they can understand what's actually in  (inaudible 38:41) what's valuable, that  may take gradual cultivation for the person to understand what is valuable.

Somehow or other usually we just get people to chant Hare Krsna. Even without telling them, they themselves say, "Well this is fantastic. I Never felt so wonderful. What is this all about? What does this mean? Why am I feeling so peaceful? Why am I becoming relief from all my...." Then we start to explain, and they… Prabhupada explains  sometime we give the kids the desert first because they are not sober enough to take the whole meal. They just want to first dig into the apple pie with ice cream and everything than at the end. To go through the spinach and other preparations, they are not that patient.

So practically the people in kali yuga, they are not so patient to go through and understand all the points first. Once they get the sweet taste then they become little bit interested in finding out what it is all about. It's the kind of a mentality that people have. So and these of course are very long purports. But I was going to shorten them but they are so nectarean. Prabhupada explained these various points in such great detail that didn’t seem appropriate at all to edit anything out. Even just for the sake of maybe we would have covered more verses and more pastimes. But these are so important points to understand. They are so esoteric that ,well even if we spend a little more time on this, there is no loss, rather we have everything to gain.

If we understand how fortunate we are to get the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be able to chant His name, and to practice the teachings which He has given, that this is a very rare coming. There are many many predictions how the Lord would come in a disguised way and that His purpose would be multifold. Externally would be to deliver the people and to give this process of devotional service and chanting the holy names, and internally there are some other purposes also. One of which is His own curiosity that all the time He is the Lord and everyone serving Him. That some of His devotees when they serve Him, they become so ecstatic in love for Him and of course from His point of view He doesn't really exactly understand what they are experiencing. He can see that they are very ecstatic. Sometimes His devotees appear more ecstatic to Him, than even He is to accept their service.

So, as type of transcendental experiment,  you can say, He wanted to see things from the point of view of being a devotee. And to do that, He had to change His attitude and His whole frame of reference and so then He expand. He joined together with His greatest devotee and He took on this form of Lord Caitanya to be able to experience what was it like to be a devotee of Himself. So that is a pretty esoteric understanding and generally speaking people don't even understand anything about God, what to speak about something as intimate as that.

So these things are discussed in the Caitanya Caritamrta. That is why this book is considered to be post graduate study. Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita which tells about: What is the material world? What are the three modes of nature? What is the individual soul? What is the... Like that. Then the Srimad Bhagavatam discusses a little bit  about what is  Krsna. Bhagavad-gita also tells us. But then the Srimad Bhagavatam in detail tells us about Krsna and the soul and the relationship between the individual soul and Krsna, devotional service, and of course relatively what is the material world in a much higher level. And  this tells us even, this Caitanya Caritamrita is a post graduate. This is already going into some very intimate understanding of the Lord's personality and especially of course about His coming as Caitanya Mahaprabhu and how we can achieve the highest benediction by His mercy.

Even many saints, many great prophets and comings of the Lord in different times and places and some of them have offered great benedictions and showed miracles and even given salvation from the material world. But all of them say that of course the highest perfection is to have love for Godhead. But how to get love for Godhead, that is no easy way given. If any ways given at all, there is no easy way, a very clear way explained. But here Chaitanya mahaprabhu without any ado, He just gives. He is just giving it away for those who chant this Hare Krsna Mahamantra in His footsteps. That is the miracle of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy.

So we are trying to encourage people to study the Bhagavad-gita, to chant hare Krsna. Knowing that all these processes are recommended by Lord Caitanya, the devotees have this inner understanding of Lord Chaitanya's actual position. Immediately` it is difficult to tell people Lord Caitanya's position because for them to get a proper grasp of it they have to know what is Krishna's position, what is their position as an individually eternal spirit soul, what is the position of the material world. I mean, these things are not understood by modern man. They don't have a clear spiritual conception of life. Therefore it is necessary to read the Bhagavad -gita, to study the Srimad Bhagavatam, and gradually they could come up to the level of understanding Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because it is Lord Caitanya's 500th anniversary this year, coming up in 1986 March… So just to focus on Lord Caitanya's advent and  His spiritual position during this time. So we are discussing in a more detail this year about Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If somebody can understand even a fraction of what Lord Caitanya is giving, as it says here, “That then one will be filled with wonder…”  What was the exact?

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-dayā karaha vicāra vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra

“If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful.” (Cc. Ādi 8.15)

In other words, he tried to give the award -  Who is the most munificent person in the history of mankind? Then he start to analyze - Well  this person, he gave everything for his family, or  this person gave everything for his country, or this person gave everything for humanity, or this one gave different types of benediction. Like this you can analyze. But then if you start to analyze what Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives, what He has given, then if someone really analyses it and starts to understand what are the relative implications of one thing or the next, then it becomes strikingly wonderful that what He is giving is beyond any comparison.

If somebody is going to (inaudible) what is the best deal available? Somebody really took the time and went into it.  Who was the most munificent person? You see, well, the guinness book of records wouldn't have had that spiritual vision. But if they can have the patience, by  (inaudible 47:38) then they probably have to give the record to Lord Caitanya. That would be their, we don’t need it from them but be their benediction. The point is, that somehow or  other, somebody is able to get that mercy or understand, well they are very fortunate. So those who have understood, actually they like to introduce this to as many people as they can by whatever means is possible. So that people can take advantage of the opportunity because it is not going to be here forever. And specifically is more available to human beings. Lot of the people in this world may take birth and then innext life even as animals the way  they are headed.

They took a gallop or some sort of poll in Europe or would you like to be in your next life. Most of the people want to be one form or other of animal. I think in France most of the women wanted to be cats, and most of the men wanted to be dogs. Where was it? In Italy or somewhere, some other women wanted to become snakes. I don't know why! And some other men wanted to become horses.Same Mother Nature can fulfil their needs, they can take reincarnation in those forms. People because they think, well to be an animal is free. In Japan at the world's fair, I just visited, to get some ideas for our Caitanya world that we want to construct at Mayapur, the oriental people, especially the Japanese they really worship kind of a, they admire birds. And pond of theirs[2]  birds are very elite nature. They are really nature lovers. So they worship the birds and how the birds are free and they can fly and eventually men would be like that. This is, of course, we see that actual birds are like, they have to work so hard to fly. And after all, if that's their desire of course they could become birds. But actually being a bird and having to go around all the time looking, mean, the geese have to fly all the way from Canada just to get a good fish dinner. They have to fly all the way down to New Orleans and Florida to go to the (inaudible) and everglades. I mean if that's supposed to be the freedom, doesn’t sound very free. It’s  pretty much under the modes. But that's the kind of very sentimental allure [3] people take when they don't really have understanding. Once they take birth as a bird, of course if they have the recollection of what it was like to be human, they would probably consider that being a human being is a lot better than being a bird.