19871016 Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 7.22-25

The following is the class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on October 16th 1987 in Murāri Sevak Farm, Tennessee. The class begins with a reading from Caitanya-caritāmṛta Adi Līlā chapte 7, text 22—25.

 

vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca

sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam

sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam

sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

 

punaḥ punaḥ piyāiyā haya mahāmatta

nāce, kānde, hāse, gāya, yaiche mada-matta

 

Translation:

Śrī Pañca-tattva themselves danced again and again and thus made it easier to drink Nectarian love of Godhead. They danced, cried, laughed and chanted like madmen, and in this way they distributed love of Godhead.

Purport by His Divine Grace Śrīla AC Bhaktivedantha Swami Prabhupad of text 22 chapter 7 of Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta:

People generally cannot understand the actual meaning of chanting and dancing. Describing the Gosvāmīs, Śrī Śrīnivāsa Ācārya stated, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau: not only did Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates demonstrate this chanting and dancing, but the six Gosvāmīs also followed in the next generation. The present Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement follows the same principle, and therefore simply by chanting and dancing we have received good responses all over the world. It is to be understood, however, that this chanting and dancing do not belong to this material world. They are actually transcendental activities, for the more one engages in chanting and dancing, the more he can taste the nectar of transcendental love of Godhead.

Thus, end the Bhaktivedantha Swami Purport.

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: The Pancha Tattva practiced what they preached, they said to sing and dance in ecstasy and they used to sing and dance in ecstasy and drink nectarine  love of Godhead  they were not the only ones but their followers, the six Goswamis, even to the present day, the ISKCON Devotees engage in this Harinām Snakirtan, this enables one to taste the special nectar of love of Godhead.

pātrāpātra-vicāra nāhi, nāhi sthānāsthāna

yei yāṅhā pāya, tāṅhā kare prema-dāna

Translation:

In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the Pañca-tattva distributed love of Godhead.

Purport:

There are some rascals who dare to speak against the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu by criticizing the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for accepting Europeans and Americans as brāhmaṇas and offering them sannyāsa. But here is an authoritative statement that in distributing love of Godhead one should not consider whether the recipients are Europeans, Americans, Hindus, Muslims, etc. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be spread wherever possible, and one should accept those who thus become Vaiṣṇavas as being greater than brāhmaṇas, Hindus or Indians. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that His name be spread in each and every town and village on the surface of the globe. Therefore, when the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is spread all over the world, should those who embrace it not be accepted as Vaiṣṇavas, brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs? These foolish arguments are sometimes raised by envious rascals, but Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees do not care about them. We strictly follow the principles set down by the Pañca-tattva.

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: So in India there was for a long time, amongst the smārtas, smārtas were very caste consciousness ritualistic brahamanas their idea that if you cross the ocean, you would lose your Vedic culture, so anyone who would cross the ocean, they were considered outcaste. None of the sanyasis dared to cross the ocean, it was a big thing in 1980, 1800 or something the first sanyasi came to the West then again when Prabhupad came in 1965, because the idea was that no one should leave India even this idea had penetrated into the Vaishnava community of the Gauḍīya Mattha, when Śrīla Prabhupad presented that he wanted to carry out the instruction of his Divine Grace Bhakthisiddantha Saraswathi Thakur then some of his followers they told Prabhupad why do you want to go preach in other countries? Because Lord Caitanya predicted that this movement will spread all over the world, they said oh! That prediction everyone know, that prediction means all over India, the civilized world. No he said prithivithe that means the globe whole Earth. how is it possible people in the mlecha county they are gonna take to this how is it possible?

 

Prabhupad he was determined no! Lord Caitanya said it is possible so they kind of wrote to (not Clear 7:01) it was not possible to preach Kṛṣṇa Consciousness outside of India, no one will accept it so what's the use of trying but Śrīla Prabhupad was so filled with faith in the words of Lord Caitanya that he personally took it up after also being ordered by dream again by his Spiritual Master. He took up the mission and he tried, he went of course oversees and spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness so this is kind of spiritual revolution. Even some famous Indologist like professor Bhakshana from Cambridge university mentioned that of all since the time of Jesus Christ, there so no bigger historical event of eastern religion coming to the West then the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement.

 

So even the modern Indologist, historians they are also accepting this is a great historical movement. This is all based on the fact that Prabhupad had the faith in the words of Guru and the words of Lord Caitanya.

 

So, after the movement spread to the West then there were those especially the impersonalist, they didn’t want to accept that the followers of the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement were in fact Hindus or brāhmaṇas or sannyāsīs of course in one sense the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement is not Hindu.

 

Since the idea of Hindu was more recent name that’s been coined from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

 

Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is sanātana dharma or eternal religious principles not some sectarian religion but sanātana dharma is also achronym you know synonym for what's popularly known as Hindu dharma.

 

In India but the meaning is much clearer and more accurate, any case. I remember I was sent, different sannyāsīs were sent to different temples to get recognized so now in all the temples of India, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness devotees are recognized as followers of Vedic culture and they are admitted into the Temple if the exception of Jagannath Purī Temple.

 

So I was sent there to inquire, what would be required to go into the Jagannath Purī Temple because Prabhupāda wanted  his followers to be able to go there, so I went to the temple administrators and authorities and they told me to go to see the Shankaracharya of Purī so that time I was new in India, I just spent 6 months or something, it was a big thing so I went to the Shankaracharya in Purī.

 

I went to the Shankaracharya and he had a little ashram and, in his room,, he was sitting on his cot and he had a deity of Rādhā Kṛṣṇa maybe 60 years old so I asked him that whether we will be able to go to the Jagannath Purī Temple now that we follow all these principles.

 

So, then he told the story about 1 famous person, he used to play the flute for Jagannath and look at the deity of Jagannath called the…. It’s the deity in the front gate, you can see but not allowed go in, you can see Jagannath there and he told this story how this person came and stood every day and one day he died and next life he took birth as a Hindu.

 

So the purport was, you know, he was given in this temple while taking his birth, so he was quite caste conscious kind of person anyway we started to discuss and of course being a Shankaracharya he was born again māyāvādī.

 

Then I asked him that why do you worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa?

 

He said why I worship Rādhā Kṛṣṇa because I am worshiping myself, I am Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, I am God, I am Narayan, I am brhaman.

 

Then I got really angry as soon as I said well Rādhā Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful but you hold a wrinkle so why is it the difference he said that’s my līlā [devotees- laugh]

it’s my līlā I said well that līlā everyone is playing [Gurumaharaj and devotees laugh]

So, if you could keep yourself young, that will be the different līlā, Kṛṣṇa was always young.

 

So Prabhupad actually informed us one time that there are some Shankaracharyas they worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa later because they were… māyāvādī philosophy is just word jugglery that everything is one, everybody is God, it sounds good, but in practicality its very dry and so to get some juice; they worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa;

 

So Prabhupad, one time actually said how he had challenged one māyāvādī that actually in private quarters you worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa this proves that your impersonal process is not satisfying; you have to follow the Bhakti process this is the actual… impersonal process is very dry they may think that they are God or they may think that this is their pastimes, they are growing old. But this is like another form of illusion, their pastime everyone is performing, everyone is growing old. Someone could show themselves very young and that would be another thing but growing old is just an illusion to think that you are God.

 

In this way they are illusion by Māyā and they think they are in some big-big position they missed the point that they are not this material body, they may know that but they think that actually they are God, that’s the illusion.

 

Some of these māyāvādīs, they meditate in the morning in front of the sun and they think that they are now let the sun come up, and now rise in sky this way they are thinking that they are making the sun rise and set but even if they fall asleep, it still rises and sets [Gurumaharaj and devotees laugh] and this way they sometimes they will have whole groups of people meditating on sun to come, [Not Clear – 00:13:52] Of course somebody said that they watched and said Sun coming on time [devotes laugh].

 

So Panchatatva, they didn’t come to just give people some kind of cheap thing they came actually to purify the entire worlds, to distribute Love of Godhead to everyone so they didn’t consider that this person is fit or this person is unfit, if you have a little desire, take it; you have a desire you can have it, even you may be very unfit for it but you want it, alright Lord Caitanya will give it that’s the special mercy.

 

Even Vidura was present when Kṛṣṇa was on the planet but he didn’t go to Kṛṣṇa and ask Kṛṣṇa directly for Love of Godhead, he was feeling unfit so although we may be unfit, may feel I am not worthy of getting such a benediction from Lord Caitanya but Lord Caitanya being the most merciful and being the one who is giving to the most fallen souls therefore being unfit itself is a type of qualification.

 

Narotham Das Thakur used to pray “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Doyā Karo More Thoma Biuna Ke Doyālu Jagatha Saṁsāre’

 

My dear Caitanya Mahāprabhu please have your mercy upon me because you are the most merciful of all and who is there more merciful than you, there is no one more fallen than I am therefore I should get your mercy first

 

Pathita Pavana Hethu Thavā Avathara Mosama Pathita Prabhu Nāpa Ibe Ara

 

you have come to deliver the fallen souls, my dear Lord Caitanya and there is no one more fallen than I therefore I need your mercy first so actually if someone is unfit, he can make a claim that there is no one more unfit than I am therefore I need your mercy more, because being so unfit no one will else would give me mercy but you therefore I need your mercy first.

 

Just like Nityānanda Prabhu he gave the mercy to Jagai-Madai as they were the most unfit, they thought let me demonstrate to the people that even the most unfit can get therefore others would take to heart in the mercy of Lord Caitanya.

 

The more the Pancha-tattva were tasting the nectar the more their thirst grew this is way they are drinking more and more, taste better, normally material the more you take, the more you get tired finally because there is saturation point but the spiritual the more you take the more you want but there is also no material obstacle for getting so you can just go on chanting your ecstasy increases more and more.

 

luṭiyā, khāiyā, diyā, bhāṇḍāra ujāḍe

āścarya bhāṇḍāra, prema śata-guṇa bāḍe

Translation:

Although the members of the Pañca-tattva plundered the storehouse of love of Godhead and ate and distributed its contents, there was no scarcity, for this wonderful storehouse is so complete that as the love is distributed, the supply increases hundreds of times.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: That's what you call automatic inventory restocking, maintaining inventory is very difficult in that business but you see here because of the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu there is no problem for inventory. As soon as they take and not only they are taking in the ordinary sense but they are plundering; they are going in and taking as much as they can, so you think that in no time the inventory will be exhausted but as soon as they come back its 100 times more, going in like anything.

So, we are giving special franchises for the store house of love of Godhead, special wholesale bargain; you take and give it as much as you can and don’t worry about the supply and... Sometimes they make these businesses you pay 100$, you can make unlimited phone calls they never go bankrupt because people make so much phone calls, they do so much that they whole thing collapses right?

Always happens, try to get some cheap flights to London or something it’s so can happen in the end it goes bankrupt, its cutting the corners. Bbut in this regard Prabhupad has explained in his purport

Purport:

A pseudo incarnation of Kṛṣṇa once told his disciple that he had emptied himself by giving him all knowledge and was thus spiritually bankrupt. Such bluffers speak in this way to cheat the public, but actual spiritual consciousness is so perfect that the more it is distributed, the more it increases. Bankruptcy is a term which applies in the material world, but the storehouse of love of Godhead in the spiritual world can never be depleted. Kṛṣṇa is providing for millions and trillions of living entities by supplying all their necessities, and even if all the innumerable living entities wanted to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there would be no scarcity of love of Godhead, nor would there be insufficiency in providing for their maintenance. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started single-handedly, and no one provided for our livelihood, but at present we are spending hundreds and thousands of dollars all over the world, and the movement is increasing more and more. Thus, there is no question of scarcity. Although jealous persons may be envious, if we stick to our principles and follow in the footsteps of the Pañca-tattva, this movement will go on unchecked by imitation svāmīs, sannyāsīs, religionists, philosophers or scientists, for it is transcendental to all material considerations. Therefore, those who propagate the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should not be afraid of such rascals and fools.

Thus, end the Bhaktivedantha Swami purport of text 24.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: So Prabhupad, he had faith in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message, he took that message all over the World, when he came back to India, at first he was found that he was welcomed, he was welcomed by the public, welcomed by the political leaders, he was welcomed by the educationalist except so called swamis, sanyasis, religionists, philosophers that they had some apprehension.

Few scientists may be that they even actively politics against because they saw that this is a very big threat so many people around the World getting love of Godhead, they are chanting and dancing in the street if this continues to spread, this is very bad for the type of humanitarian monopolies and so called hindu Dharma but nothing can check the Caitanya Mahāprabhu movement, the movement goes on uninterrupted by external forces, in fact we find that way ;

This is Prabhupad's said, that externally there is nothing that can stop Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement but we have to remain united and cooperated internally we can by...hamper our process, you see even in some third world countries the dictatorship something where the society has or some country where there is totalitarian culture, they come down very heavy on the devotees, may be arresting them hardly anyone gives up Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, they go on enthusiastically propagating the one easy going is more prominent when its more easy going then they have time to get into the troubles and by internal misunderstanding someone may leave Kṛṣṇa Conscious movement. So we should avoid this type of internal bickering which are very rare nowadays but sometimes they do happen, they should avoid it and we should follow the footsteps of the six Goswamis tackling the external obstacles that come up while preaching and this way one can achieve very quickly the platform of pure devotional service.

Prabhupad said we shouldn't be afraid of such rascals and fools, actually even in India sometimes we went and preached to some very big pandits who were very learned they could quote whole chapters of Caitanya Caritamrita, chapters of the Bhagavad Gītā by heart but they couldn't answer the basic questions that Prabhupad gave, they couldn't... even though they knew so much but they could not give a relative point they would answer that question this is the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa so text 25 is Text 25

uchalila prema-vanyā caudike veḍāya

strī, vṛddha, bālaka, yuvā, sabāre ḍubāya

Translation:

The flood of Godhead swelled in all directions, and thus young men, old men, women and children were all immersed in that condition.

 

Purport:

When the contents of the storehouse of love of Godhead is thus distributed, there is a powerful inundation that covers the entire land. In Śrīdhāma Māyāpur there is sometimes a great flood after the rainy season. This is an indication that from the birthplace of Lord Caitanya the inundation of love of Godhead should be spread all over the world, for this will help everyone, including old men, young men, women and children. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so powerful that it can inundate the entire world and interest all classes of men in the subject of love of Godhead.

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: So, this year since Māyāpur was flooded, Prabhupad mentioned this is an indication from the birth place of Lord Caitanya, the Sankirtan movement, preaching should be...  inundation of love of Godhead should be spread all over the world.

Here in Murāri, the valleys get filled up with love of Godhead we need to have it overflowing just like the morning frost goes from one valley to next, overflowing, cover the whole Tennessee and so on. The Love of Godhead is unlimited supply, you don’t have to build the ware house, its already stored in Kṛṣṇa’s where house.

Nityānanda, he used to give mercy everyone he met, he didn’t distinguish that this person is fallen someone came up and ask for the mercy, you can have it.

Just like say you want to get a visa for someone normally they want to see how much money you have, where is your ticket, what's your stock balance they want to see whether you are fit to get a visa some countries, specially foreigners when they want to come to America, they have to demonstrate lot of different things. But this way there is some red tape or some qualification one has to meet normally to get a visa but to get a visa back to home back to Godhead to get the pure love for Godhead there is no such restriction, simply... Do you have a desire?

Yes! Ok take it;

Is someone is eager they can get it but even if the opportunity is there but if one is not eagerly trying to get it then they miss this great opportunity so we should not miss the chance we should be very eager, very anxious to get the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this lifetime by getting his mercy now while he offering at such a discounted price and after achieving we won’t have any other... Anything left to desire apart from doing more devotional service.

Any question?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Yes.

Devotee: [Not Clear - 26:00]

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami:

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

[ 3 times]

 

Yes

Devotee: [Not Clear - 26:42]

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: you see Hindu Dharma doesn't indicate really what it is, no just like I have seen that out of thousands of karmīs, one is better than when he situated in perfect Vedic knowledge, out of many such learned scholars and philosophers one who is actually  liberated from material bondage is better and out many such persons one who is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is said to be the best, among the many such transcendental lovers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Gopīs  are the best and so on. That where within the Vedic culture there are different levels, karma, jñāna, yoga, Bhakti so whether  which doesn't indicate it’s a Hindu Dharam that doesn't indicate that what level is that person at someone  may be born as a Hindu but may be actually atheist and not be following that culture so these things are to differentiate therefore the actual... The point is that according to the brooder vision everyone is a member of sanātana dharma, everyone is actually a member of the culture because everyone has a relationship or potential relationship or dormant relationship with God so the question is that those who are awaken to that or those who are unawake just because someone born in a family doesn't mean that he is Kṛṣṇa Conscious that actually the process of Vaishanvism or process of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is not hereditary, it can be of course heeded by having Kṛṣṇa Conscious parents, they give the instruction, they give the association, ultimately it is up to the individual to accept and to want to practice because it’s a totally voluntary process not just a rubber stamp so the modern sectarian idea;

If you are born in America, you are an American, if you are born a Hindu, Muslim or Christian then you are a Hindu Muslim or Christian. This is another form of racism, it’s another form of sectarian view point that divides the World and causes conflict so the actual understanding of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is sanātana dharma is that it’s the eternal relationship with the individual soul to the supreme soul the service relationship  everyone has that but some its dormant and others its active so for those who are active, they are considered as active workers active participants those who's is dormant they are still materially entangled so sometime in this description about the Hinduism there is misunderstanding, some people say that Oh the Hare Kṛṣṇas they don't consider themselves to be Hindus, so we shouldn't  cooperate but its not exactly like that the point is that basic concept of it we believe in Vedic culture, we practice sanātana dharma we practice the worship of Kṛṣṇa we respect all the different aspects or the differences or the kind of perversions or simply the birth right aspect of it the idea that there are many Gods and they are all equal these  concepts are very much important to the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness outlook, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness means that we accept only one supreme Godhead and that there may be other powerful forces in the universe but these are not equal or comparable or above the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So of course its all a easy way out to say that one is Hindu but actually it would not adequately describe, it rather replace the word Hindu which is a kind of a nickname or something more descriptive word like sanātana dharma which means the eternal religious principles which have no beginning and no end.

Yes

Devotee: [Not Clear - 31:21]

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: well somebody has to believe in the truth whoever believe in the truth, it’s not sectarian, if somebody believes in something which is basically incorrect or incomplete then that's a problem since either himself he is supreme comes from Brahmā, it comes from Viṣṇu Brahmā is his father by Līlā, he was asked by Parvathi what's the greatest type of worship he said:- ārādhanaṁ sarvesham Vishnu Ārādhanaṁ Param.... That Viṣṇu worship is the Supreme and worship of Vishnu's devotees and beloved objects even more beneficial than worshiping Vishnu. There are many other points like where he himself is engaged in meditating on Kṛṣṇa and Rāma so if one puts a false promise forward then naturally that's gonna create a type of a sectarian bias.

Transcribed by: Krsna Caitanya

Transcription start date - 08/12/2019 end date- 13/12/2019

 

Proof Reading By: Amrita Padma Devi Dasi

On 02/10/2020