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19900605 Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā.6.154-193

5 Jun 1990|English|Caitanya-caritāmṛta|Atlanta, USA

 

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lecture chapter 6, verse 154 through 193 by

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja

In New Panihatti Dham, Atlanta Georgia

 

 

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

 

 

6.154

tāṅra pada-dhūli lañā svagṛhe āilā

nityānanda-kṛpā pāñā kṛtārtha mānilā

 

After taking dust from the feet of Rāghava Paṇḍita, Raghunātha dāsa returned to his home, feeling greatly obligated to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu because of having received His merciful benediction.

 

Its very important how Raghunath Das got the mercy of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, is also very-very significant, how he felt greatly obligated to Lord Nityananda, this is actually the characteristic of the civilized person, just like in human society if someone was given some, amongst the pious people, someone were given some mercy, given something then they feel obligated it is the demons or those who are uncivilized, in spite of receiving so much mercy they don't feel any obligation; its called lack of compassion & mercy; krupana- miser, people they get mercy, they don't care, they don't take it very seriously, we have seen Srila Prabhupad give out so much mercy, yet there are some who are not at all appreciative even after getting Prabhupad's mercy they have neglected & just don't feel (not clear)any endurance to Srila Prabhupad in any practical sense, so this symptom of lack of civilization, lack of piety, lack of Godliness. It makes very difficult to preach in western countries, in modern world because in spite of taking vows, people don't take their vows very serious sometimes they take it very lightly, we should understand it is very difficult... Prabhupad gave a lecture once on shameless, so the devotees are shameless, they take vows & they don't follow & they don't care it is shameless the initiation vows, voting vows & they don't... Afterward they just drop them they don't care for their sense gratification they can sacrifice anything, here Raghunath Das, he didn't take any vows but he is life long indebted to Nityananda Prabhu for the mercy he gave him, eternally indebted, that's actually the system of Vedic culture that if one gets even one syllable from the Guru, that one syllable of spiritual instruction, that syllable of spiritual instruction will give one eternally  benefit therefore one can never fully repay that for any amount of material service or gifts or reciprocation, it is simply a token that one gives knowing that one remains always indebted, that's the actual consciousness of the devotee to always be feeling obligated to the spiritual master for the mercy so we see this quality in Raghunath Das that's another reason why he his glorified, he got the mercy from Lord Nityananda & he justifiably felt obligated & accordingly he acted to serve Lord Nityananda & his devotees.

 

6.155

sei haite abhyantare nā karena gamana

bāhire durgā-maṇḍape yāñā karena śayana

 

From that day on, he did not go into the interior section of the house. Instead, he would sleep on the Durgā-maṇḍapa [the place where mother Durgā was worshiped].

Srila Prabhupad explained in one class how in the Bengali cultured houses there was an exterior part of the house & an interior part of the house, in fact in all parts of India still in the rural place in many of the city place, there is the so called living room or the... Like a reception room for the public nobody goes into the interior part of the house, people would sit out there even sometimes they have guest rooms outside totally separated from the inside & Prabhupad explained that in initially the interior part if the house was where the woman & children would stay even the husbands, some with joint family maybe his father & 5 sons, all the woman would live inside, inside of the house & men would live in the exterior part of the house they will only go in the interior side just to see the children or something like when children are come out they only sleep inside for purpose of procreation they don't sleep in the same room or something all the time so that way they will be quite regulated quite easily practice ghrbahdhan smaskara & wife was respected as highly & not used for sense gratification but for procreation. So there is an interior he would not go anywhere he would go in & out interior, he won't even go in the interior section of the house, even at night he didn't sleep in the exterior part of the house  but he slept in the Durga Madap, in Bengal Durga Mandap means that Krishna is worshiped everyday so there but Durga may not be worshiped everyday but especially the big landlords so they have to do so many, like Ambrisha also did so many types of worships for different devas so being a big landlord in Bengal do various pujas especially on Vijay Dashami, before that the up till Ekadashi, up till Navami, in Bengal they do a special Durga Puja where i think its 4 days which is the.,.. So that time they have a little stage they build it so they don't have to make every year, it will be like an open stage like for drama that's where they actually put the deity in there its called Durga Mandap & then they decorate it at the time of... They make a Durga Deity out of clay they place mother Durga there & worship once a year so that's (not clear) is also a pastime where Lord Nityananda where he went to visit the village of Ramchandra Khan, who had offended Haridas Thakur by trying to offering a reward if any prostitute who could make him fall down so Ramchandra Khan he was very offensive to the Vaishnavas so he told Nityananda he wouldn't let him stay in the guest facility, stay out when Lord Nityanandarabhu sat in Durga Mada Ramchandra Khan thought that Durga Mandap has been polluted by Nityananda & one applied cow dung he was so offensive to the Vaishnavas, then after that the mahamudans people that supervised whether the taxes were being paid, Ramchandra Khan was much smaller Landlord but he also had some powers, so they came & found out that he was cheating his taxes & they arrested him & looted his whole village & burned it down & completely destroyed his place & then he said if one offends the a Vaishnava not only the person who offend the Vaishnava suffers, nut the whole place, the whole village, the whole family, everyone has to suffer for the offense for the one because its such a great offense that it contaminates everywhere, when there is some offense, of course Vaishnavas aparadh is very rare but even in the temple, if somebody breaks the... If one the Brahamnis or priests, one of the servants of the deity or someone in the community breaks the regulative principle, they find they had some illicit sex or something, they would be customerised some kind of un-Vaishnava activity & they would bathe the deities with milk to purify & beg forgiveness for their offense & by bathing with milk is one of the ways of (not clear) even Prabhupad had the deities with milk (not clear) Now in Mayapur we bathe the deities everyday with panchamritha milk.

 

6.156

tāṅhā jāgi’ rahe saba rakṣaka-gaṇa

palāite karena nānā upāya cintana

 

There, however, the watchmen alertly kept guard. Raghunātha dāsa was thinking of various means by which to escape their vigilance.

 

6.157

hena-kāle gauḍa-deśera saba bhakta-gaṇa

prabhure dekhite nīlācale karilā gamana

 

At that time, all the devotees of Bengal were going to Jagannātha Purī to see Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

 

6.158

tāṅ-sabāra saṅge raghunātha yāite nā pāre

prasiddha prakaṭa saṅga, tabahiṅ dharā paḍe

Raghunātha dāsa could not accompany them, for they were so famous that he would have been caught immediately

 

6.159-160

ei-mata cintite daive eka-dine

bāhire devī-maṇḍape kariyāchena śayane

daṇḍa-cāri rātri yabe āche avaśeṣa

yadunandana-ācārya tabe karilā praveśa

 

Thus Raghunātha dāsa thought deeply about how to escape, and one night while he was sleeping on the Durgā-maṇḍapa, the priest Yadunandana Ācārya entered the house when only four daṇḍas remained until the end of the night.

 

6.161

vāsudeva-dattera teṅha haya ‘anugṛhīta’

raghunāthera ‘guru’ teṅho haya ‘purohita’

Yadunandana Ācārya was the priest and spiritual master of Raghunātha dāsa. Although born in a brāhmaṇa family, he had accepted the mercy of Vāsudeva Datta.

Purport

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments that although the atheists who have deviated from the order of Śrī Advaita Ācārya introduce themselves as followers of Advaita Ācārya, they do not accept Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Yadunandana Ācārya, one of the most confidential followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, was the initiated disciple of Advaita Ācārya. He was not polluted by sentimental distinctions classifying Vaiṣṇavas according to birth. Therefore, although Vāsudeva Datta had not been born in a brāhmaṇa family, Yadunandana Ācārya also accepted him as his spiritual master.

It must be that Vasudev Datta was like a shiksha Guru, it mentions Diksha Guru was Advaita Acharya, purohit like a family Guru because all the brhamins who does all the rites on behalf of the... His disciple sometimes maybe for the family or maybe for a yagya, say that someone has a private temple & they want a brahmin to worship there so the arrange a brhamin to give him some 13.24(not clear) some dakshina & he worships the deity on behalf of the family & he is acting on behalf of someone else, he is serving the deities but the deities are not his personal deities, a... In Bangladesh there is a temple that they have offered us, this temple was established 100 years ago sold by one rich vaisyh he made a military system of Sevai that the property put in the name of the deity & the trustee who manages the deity, property on behalf of the deity his descendants is called a sevai, & then they being Vaishyas, they are busy doing business & other things, they have one brhaman who does the deity worship, he is called the purohit thats one of the meanings of purohit, maybe different applications, but here it says not only was Yadunandana Acharya was the priest but he was accepted as a Guru by Raghunath Das, during that time the brhaman, the caste consciousness was very strong, so much so that if someone was, muslim sipped in a glass of water & threw the water on someone then they were considered converted to muslim, they are outcaste so... That's why today there is about 20% muslims in India but their real problem was because the brahmins, they were saying that once this happens you are out, you have lost your hinduism, you have lost your caste forever that was 15.34the caste considered one of budhimanth khan, he approached the brahins & asked how can I get back, he said you just take some hot ghee, you take some ghee & you boil it, you drink 2 kilos, [devotees:- laughter] he said but I will die, yeah but next birth you will take birth as a brahmin. So this way so many... They were not prepared to take the ghee treatment so they remained a outcaste, ok now I am Muslim, now what to do, it was a most amazing kind of conversion so they went to.. Nothing to do with reality, just because of this caste consciousness. Of course when same person when approached Lord Chaitanya, how can I get purified, I am an outcaste, he said you chant Hare Krishna 3 times & you will be alright. So here Vasudev Datta although he was not born in a brahmin family but because he was a pure vaishnava Yadunandana Acharya, he was obviously a pure devotee, he didn't have this any kind of jati budhi in puranas it stated that if someone thinks that a Vaishnava is coming from some particular jath, or particular caste that's actually hellish mentality, jathi bhuddi, vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ śrī-viṣṇor guruṣu nara-matir if thinks Guru as an ordinary human being, if one thinks deities to be an idol stone, if one thinks that once all these things are... These are hellish mentalities, so Vasudev Dattha was very broad minded vaishnava , Yadunanadan Acharya because when he found that Vasudev Datta was a pure devotee, vaishnava he did'nt care what people would think or what the caste was, a vaishnava was transcendental to all these things, he accepted Vasudev Datta as his Guru.

 

6.162

advaita-ācāryera teṅha ‘śiṣya antaraṅga’

ācārya-ājñāte māne — caitanya ‘prāṇa-dhana’

Yadunandana Ācārya had been officially initiated by Advaita Ācārya. Thus he considered Lord Caitanya his life and soul.

 

6.163

aṅgane āsiyā teṅho yabe dāṇḍāilā

raghunātha āsi’ tabe daṇḍavat kailā

When Yadunandana Ācārya entered the house of Raghunātha dāsa and stood in the courtyard, Raghunātha dāsa went there and fell down to offer his obeisances.

 

6.164

tāṅra eka śiṣya tāṅra ṭhākurera sevā kare

sevā chāḍiyāche, tāre sādhibāra tare

One of Yadunandana Ācārya’s disciples had been worshiping the Deity but had left that service. Yadunandana Ācārya wanted Raghunātha dāsa to induce the disciple to take up that service again.

 

6.165

raghunāthe kahe, — “tāre karaha sādhana

sevā yena kare, āra nāhika brāhmaṇa”

Yadunandana Ācārya requested Raghunātha dāsa, “Please induce the brāhmaṇa to resume the service, for there is no other brāhmaṇa to do it.”

So even at the time of Lord Chaitanya there were devotees, devotees were giving up their responsibility thinking that Guru into hardship, sometime he had to see the deity worship but the disciple gave up the worship of the deity, left that service so then its natural that one of the other Godbrothers of the fallen disciple irresponsible should go & also preach to that  disciple to get him on the right track, so Yadunandan Acharya was requesting Raghunath Das to find devotee to take up his devotional service again. [Aside 9:30, by 9:30 we have to take grain otherwise we all, 9:13, by 9:13,.] after saying this Yadunandan Acharya took Raghunath Das with him & went out by that time all the watchman were deeply asleep because it was the end of the night.

6.167

ācāryera ghara ihāra pūrva-diśāte

kahite śunite duṅhe cale sei pathe

East of the house of Raghunātha dāsa was the house of Yadunandana Ācārya. Yadunandana Ācārya and Raghunātha dāsa talked together as they went toward that house.

 

6.168

ardha-pathe raghunātha kahe gurura caraṇe

“āmi sei vipre sādhi’ pāṭhāimu tomā sthāne

Halfway along the path, Raghunātha dāsa submitted at the lotus feet of his spiritual master, “I shall go to the home of that brāhmaṇa, induce him to return, and send him to your home.

 

6.169

tumi sukhe ghare yāha — more ājñā haya”

ei chale ājñā māgi’ karilā niścaya

“You may go home without anxiety. Following your order, I shall persuade the brāhmaṇa.” On this plea, after asking permission, Raghunātha dāsa decided to go away.

 

6.170

“sevaka rakṣaka āra keha nāhi saṅge

palāite āmāra bhāla eita prasaṅge”

Raghunātha dāsa thought, “This is the greatest opportunity to go away because this time there are no servants or watchmen with me.”

 

6.171

eta cinti’ pūrva-mukhe karilā gamana

ulaṭiyā cāhe pāche, — nāhi kona jana

Thinking in this way, he quickly proceeded toward the east. Sometimes he turned around and looked back, but no one was following him.

 

6.172

śrī-caitanya-nityānanda-caraṇa cintiyā

patha chāḍi’ upapathe yāyena dhāñā

Thinking of the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, he left the general path and proceeded with great haste on the one not generally used.

6.173

grāme-grāmera patha chāḍi’ yāya vane vane

kāya-mano-vākye cinte caitanya-caraṇe

Giving up the general path from village to village, he passed through the jungles, thinking with heart and soul about the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

 

 

6.174

pañca-daśa-krośa-patha cali’ gelā eka-dine

sandhyā-kāle rahilā eka gopera bāthāne

He walked about thirty miles in one day, and in the evening he took rest in the cowshed of a milkman.

Our Padayatra walks 10-15km which is about 5 - 10 miles, he walked 30 miles, he is very enthusiastic to get to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, this time he knew how he had to stay, he had eagerness to see, here Lord Chaitanya was in Jagannath Puri, which is south-west of where adi-sapthagram is, Raghunath Das's house, Raghunath Das goes the complete opposite direction East 30 miles towards Bangladesh otherwise he is completely different way so they cant figure out where he is going, diversionary tactive.

 

6.175

upavāsī dekhi’ gopa dugdha āni’ dilā

sei dugdha pāna kari’ paḍiyā rahilā

When the milkman saw that Raghunātha dāsa was fasting, he gave him some milk. Raghunātha dāsa drank the milk and lay down to rest there for the night.

6.176

ethā tāṅra sevaka rakṣaka tāṅre nā dekhiyā

tāṅra guru-pāśe vārtā puchilena giyā

At the house of Raghunātha dāsa, the servant and watchman, not seeing him there, immediately went to inquire about him from his spiritual master, Yadunandana Ācārya.

6.177

teṅha kahe, ‘ājñā māgi’ gelā nija-ghara’

‘palāila raghunātha’ — uṭhila kolāhala

Yadunandana Ācārya said, “He has already asked my permission and returned home.” Thus there arose a tumultuous sound, as everyone cried, “Now Raghunātha has gone away!”

 

6.178

tāṅra pitā kahe, — “gauḍera saba bhakta-gaṇa

prabhu-sthāne nīlācale karilā gamana

Raghunātha dāsa’s father said, “Now all the devotees from Bengal have gone to Jagannātha Purī to see Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

6.179

sei-saṅge raghunātha gela palāñā

daśa jana yāha, tāre ānaha dhariyā”

“Raghunātha dāsa has fled with them. Ten men should immediately go catch him and bring him back.”

6.180

śivānande patrī dila vinaya kariyā

‘āmāra putrere tumi dibā bāhuḍiyā’

 

Raghunātha dāsa’s father wrote a letter to Śivānanda Sena, asking him with great humility, “Please return my son.”

6.181

jhāṅkarā paryanta gela sei daśa jane

jhāṅkarāte pāila giyā vaiṣṇavera gaṇe

In Jhāṅkarā, the ten men caught up with the group of Vaiṣṇavas going to Nīlācala.

6.182

patrī diyā śivānande vārtā puchila

śivānanda kahe, — ‘teṅha ethā nā āila’

After delivering the letter, the men inquired from Śivānanda Sena about Raghunātha dāsa, but Śivānanda Sena replied, “He did not come here.”

6.183

bāhuḍiyā sei daśa jana āila ghara

tāṅra mātā-pitā ha-ila cintita antara

The ten men returned home, and Raghunātha dāsa’s father and mother were filled with anxiety.

6.184

ethā raghunātha-dāsa prabhāte uṭhiyā

pūrva-mukha chāḍi’ cale dakṣiṇa-mukha hañā

Raghunātha dāsa, who had been resting at the milkman’s house, got up early in the morning. Instead of going to the east, he turned his face south and proceeded.

He had a young wife, his wife was there, he was young, he is not old, young by 35, I don't know, if he had children I dont know, but he was already married because it is said that he had a wife like an apsara in the previous verse. He was a grihastha for many years & then he wanted to just join Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he went east for 30 miles, now he is going direct south, direct path, he is going straight south he is 30 miles up the path.

6.185

chatrabhoga pāra hañā chāḍiyā sarāṇa

kugrāma diyā diyā karila prayāṇa

He crossed Chatrabhoga, but instead of going on the general path, he proceeded on the path that went from village to village.

Purport Chatrabhoga, known now as Chāḍa-khāḍi, is in the district of Twenty-four Parganas in West Bengal. It is situated near the celebrated village Jayanagara-majilapura. Formerly the Ganges or some of its branches flowed through this region. Sometimes Chatrabhoga is misunderstood to have been a village on the river Kāṅsāi-nadī in Benāpola.

He went to see this Chatrabhoga, also Lord Chaitanya went Chatrabhoga crossing, it was the main place of crossing the river from Bengal to (not clear 29:05) ypu have to cross the Ganges which is now (not clear) which at that time was. So Rupnarayan was part of Orissa actually there is a river Rupnarayan that has confluence with the Ganges & from that it explains how Lord Chaitanya went up to that river  & he was still within the Orissan kingdom of Prathaprudra crossing over that, he entered into the mahamuddan kingdom of the emperor hussain shah, today Orissa is still a bit further probably in the voice, they had pushed back, they had captured some of the area from the Orissan king but they never got even up to Yamuna, but this time this was the crossover point Chatrabhoga, in this Chatrabhoga even today there is a lotus footprint of Lord Chaitanya established, he also crossed Chatrabhoga then this Chatrabhoga & Chatrathirtha nearby. Chatrabhoga also there are many temples of different. Jayanagar is also famous because they make poped rice sweet balls, Jayanagara poha, its not pop corn, but its poped rice, then they make put that in nice clay pots & they served all over bengal, they are famous, Jayanagara poha. Famous, very old village celebrated & Lord he went & around there were 24 parganas  this way just by going over the side sundarvan, there are tigers, even today famous Indian tiger reserve is there in 24 parganas, in the south, hundreds of tigers they royal Bengal tiger, the biggest cat in the world, 12 feet long, over half a ton weight. Thats a maximum pound, 10-12 feet. Thats an old (not clear31:50) you can find 7, 8 feet is a common, they are really big, they are bigger than lions, Shivagi he went really went  (32:06not clear) all kinds of little, then he circled arround & ended up Ganges, Jayanagar crossed over so then he was out of the arab range from his father, his father couldn't go into the other kingdom, there was no passports in those days, you could go from one place to the next but of course when you cross over from one kingdom to the next, then the king's people, the government people, they require some special pass otherwise if they got caught they will be apprehended with spies, ordinary brhamins they could go freely anywhere, they didnt have to worry.

 

6.187

kabhu carvaṇa, kabhu randhana, kabhu dugdha-pāna

yabe yei mile, tāhe rākhe nija prāṇa

Sometimes he chewed fried grains, sometimes he cooked, and sometimes he drank milk. In this way he kept his life and soul together with whatever was available wherever he went.

6.188

bāra dine cali’ gelā śrī-puruṣottama

pathe tina-dina mātra karilā bhojana

He reached Jagannātha Purī in twelve days but could eat only for three days on the way.

Its about 500 miles from Jagannath Puri that means averaging almost 30 miles a day, everyday walking running to go to Chaitanya Mahāprabhu

6.189

svarūpādi-saha gosāñi āchena vasiyā

hena-kāle raghunātha milila āsiyā

When Raghunātha dāsa met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord was sitting with His companions, headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara.

6.190

aṅganete dūre rahi’ karena praṇipāta

mukunda-datta kahe, — ‘ei āila raghunātha’

Staying at a distant place in the courtyard, he fell down to offer obeisances. Then Mukunda Datta said, “Here is Raghunātha.”

6.191

prabhu kahena, — ‘āisa’, teṅho dharilā caraṇa

uṭhi’ prabhu kṛpāya tāṅre kailā āliṅgana

As soon as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these words, He immediately welcomed Raghunātha dāsa. “Come here,” He said. Raghunātha dāsa then clasped the lotus feet of the Lord, but the Lord stood up and embraced him out of His causeless mercy.

6.192

svarūpādi saba bhaktera caraṇa vandilā

prabhu-kṛpā dekhi’ sabe āliṅgana kailā

Raghunātha dāsa offered prayers at the lotus feet of all the devotees, headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. Seeing the special mercy Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had bestowed upon Raghunātha dāsa, they embraced him also.

6.193

prabhu kahe, — “kṛṣṇa-kṛpā baliṣṭha sabā haite

tomāre kāḍila viṣaya-viṣṭhā-garta haite”

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “The mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa is stronger than anything else. Therefore the Lord has delivered you from the ditch of materialistic life, which is like a hole into which people pass stool.”

Purport

According to the law of karma, everyone is destined to suffer or enjoy according to a certain material standard, but the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that the Lord can change all the reactions of one’s past karma, or fruitive activities. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically drew attention to the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That mercy is more powerful than anything else, for it had saved Raghunātha dāsa from the strong bondage of materialistic life, which the Lord compared to a hole where people pass stool. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave His verdict that those addicted to the materialistic way of life are like worms that are living in stool but cannot give it up. A gṛha-vrata, one who has decided to live in a comfortable home although it is actually miserable, is in a condemned position. Only the mercy of Kṛṣṇa can save one from such misery. Without Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, one cannot get out of the filthy entanglement of materialistic life. The poor living entity cannot give up his materialistic position on his own; only when granted the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa can he give it up. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew very well that Raghunātha dāsa was already liberated. Nevertheless He emphasized that Raghunātha dāsa’s life of material comfort as a very rich man’s son with a very beautiful wife and many servants to attend him was like a ditch of stool. The Lord thus specifically indicated that ordinary men who are very happy with material comforts and family life are in no better position than worms in stool.

 

I dont in the West, here in America, maybe many of you don't have experience of worms in stool or what a open hole like is like with worms in stool, but in Mayapur we had personal experience because initially when we lived in grass hut for 2 years, our bathroom was by digging a hole in the ground about 10 feet deep & 2 & half feet wide & then next to that there was a bathroom built with the slide for the (37:56not clear ladder) to go down to the hole, where it would accumulate, it was not a septic arraignment, it was a natural, what can call dark well stool house; so sometime we had to inspect that the hole wasn't overflooding or anything, we would find that after sometime in that well which had accumulated, filled with stools that white mega type lice, mega type worms they would be crawling there & the place would be filled, you wouldn't see any stool, you would just see the worms, crawling over one another & then these worms would be crawling up the side of the thing they wanna get out & when they crawl up & it will be so slippery, moist & dark there, they crawl out a little bit, half way & they fall back down, in other words the worm it couldn't crawl out of that hole, they try to get always to the top; crawling on one worm over the other's body over the others over the others & get it to the top for a second but then the whole thing is slimy worm & again it falls down, so it said can’t compare this worm in the stool have been used many times for explaining how even coming up to political posts sometimes is that, someone gets to the top a little bit I am in the  world in the top...…!!!! [devotees laugh] back down into the pit. Material life from the transcendental point of view, even some little comfort is just a background because so much suffering is there that one is the...think happy even the worm may be happy they are living in stool for them its a ocean of edibles but from any objective point of view its the most hellish existence, its disgusting but for the worm that's their life, think this is great but even if some worm decides I want to get out of this hellish place, he tried to crawl out he cant out, there is no way to get out on your own, you want to get out someone can stick down & you can crawl out, he can lift you out otherwise on your own, its hopeless, you are jus crawling on top of the other worms & there is no way to get out. So this whole material world is temporary this is a place for sense gratification. whether its a worm or whether its Indra, sense gratification is not the basis of happiness, of transcendental happiness, its sense gratification you are trying to enjoy through the senses so someone thinks that by senses I am going to be happy, that person is living in the darkness, you should understand that real happiness is in Krishna Consciousness we should be completely disgusted, hopeless, there is no happiness in this material world, the material world is a dark well, with that determination then one nothing unnescearily  try to increase the material comforts & opulence  whatever the  bare minimum, Chanakya pandit was the prime minister of the emperor Chandragupta, he is even mentioned in the Bhagavatam 12th canto, prediction is there, I think 12, & when he was offered a prime ministership of the biggest emperor who practically conquered the whole of India, he said I don't want any, he is offered a palace, so I don't want a palace, I wont accept any salary, I am a brahmin, I will live in a grass hut, I will advise you for the welfare of the whole kingdom for the people's upliftment but I don't want to dine from you, I eat some chapatis, some vegetables, some fruit , I will offer to my deity, my shaligram shila & eat, live in a grass hut, what I need your palace for, I don't need anything, I wear one cloth I am brhamin, I don't need all these servants & opulence's simply illusion, so that was Chanakya was a grihastha, he lived in a grass hut with his wife, his children, he went & he was the most powerful person, he was the real brain behind the king, he was the one, the king was the arms, he was the brain, he was the one who was controlling the whole city by his intelligence the whole kingdom was running so this was the brahminical culture, that actually the brahimins, they were detached, they were situated in the mode of goodness, & the Vaishnavas, were transcendentally situated, they even were detached from the in the mode of goodness, they wanted everything to be used for Krishna so this brhaminical culture was considered the most worshipable thing in the Vedic culture but today in the modern world brhamnical culture no one considers, if you dont have a big house then they consider you are bum, someone lives in a grass hut that they think they are poor people when our namahatta preachers when they go on a tour they were amazed how 20 devotees came actually they were there in the Gurukul form [aimzon43:44not clear] they were surprised in the grass hut they were feeding the devotees 20 preparations feast there are so many vegetables, they have rice, they have dal, they have the wheat, they cooked the huge feast for the devotees  [not clear] when will they get 20 devotees from all over the world to come in their remote village so the gave everything they had you know, put a wonderful feast they were all initiated devotee, they couldn't believe they live in a grass hut & one after another, it was like a janmashtami feast or something, 8-10, 12 vegetables, 2-3 dal, 8-10 sweets, they have opulence but their opulence is in the mode of goodness so this man understood, I actually know a multimillionaire, he has a very big grass hut, grass & mud, he preferred he said this is much better to brick house when the sun radiates it becomes hot, thick mud wall, this is a very good insulation, inside its very cool, in the hot whether in the summer, in the winter, its very warm, the thick grass roof is also a very good insulation so especially for that climate, of course in a cold climate it may be different but for that climate its more comfortable, whatever the housing, if a person thinks that this house is going to be my enjoyment, then that's a dark well so the whole culture of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu is vairagya vidya, nija Bhakthi yoga, perform devotional service & be detached due to transcendental knowledge & understanding but a devotee, a preacher they know that people  are living in the dark well , they may think that they may have a bog house, a big car or whatever but actually their suffering so many inconveniences due to material existence, you cannot avoid it, so many anxieties & their happiness is based on sense gratification, they are not having any transcendental bliss, actually they are like a worm in a well. Sometimes even devotees who are no better, they know all these things but due to imitating the karmis, due trying to keep up with the gorgeous whatever they think that yes, this the type of life we should have, try to imitate these things, they are not very careful about daily attending temple programmes, daily chanting Hare Krishna & doing everything in devotional service, they start to become Pre-Vaishnavas, almost Vaishnava, they do some devotional service but their happiness what they actually think that is needed to make them happy is some material comforts & that becomes the primary endeavour is how to get money, how to get comfortable thing how to... That becomes the; not for sustenance, its like some people say do you live to eat or eat to live, are you living to be comfortable or are you just working so that you can exist. Actually the purpose in Krishna  Consciousness is you take whatever you need & do your devotional service but sometimes the whole environment we are in the ocean of worms here, big well like an ocean, everyone has got their dark well, they are all trying to be happy in material sense gratification & only through Krishna Consciousness that we can see as openly preaching that this material existence is not the goal of life, although its there in all the scripture but wo is educating the people in that; so then when one gets washed in this well, when they get into that type of rat race when they get into that type of situation, they can't get out, even rat race that concept is there here in the world, once you are in it you can't get out, like a little rat its running in the cage, he goes, he tries to run & run to get out but the wheel just keeps spinning around  I had a pet hamster when I was a little boy you would see running on the wheel, you would see but it just keeps spinning, it doesn't get anywhere but he runs fast & fast & fast I think he going to get out any minute, doesn't realize the whole wheel is spinning so people get locked up into that..... There was one grihastha couple & the wife had ran off with some other man & the husband was very upset & went to Srila Prabhupad, said I want to take sanyas, I understood that material life is frustration so Prabhupad accepted actually I know 2 cases like this  & nearly had the yagya made in Mayapur next thing we know they were standing with the danda, they were sanyasis of course they had really prepared themselves, they had thoroughly detached themselves although they should have but unfortunately  after some time these sanyasis couldn't make it all the way because they didn't stay strictly, they again tried to have a comfortable situation then they say whatever Krishna gives, sometimes you are in comfort, sometimes you are in hardship whatever Krishna provides for a sanyasi, of course in previous times sanyasis live a forest now they live in the temples sometime the temple has facility sometimes no facility, sometimes you are in the travelling Sankirtan, taking shower by taking a bucket & a lota, sometimes you got a hot & cold running water but only the renunciants they always take cool shower, so take whatever comes, don't endeavour unnecessarily for comfort actually Prabhupad accepted this is was a reasonable reason if someone is totally virakthi, virakthi means actually the sanyasis are total virakthi, virakthi means a little disgusted, fed-up, detached vairagya but that has to be properly applied in devotional service actually one should realize that this material life is not the source of happiness, if somehow a person got into that mentality we can be happy due to material life & then they realize oh this is not the source of happiness many can take that impetus opportunity; Krishna is giving us mercy that they can fully again get absorbed whether he is a sanyasi or whether as a properly  situated devotee that knows the whatever I shouldn't compromise; actually Prabhupad said that if someone is fully Krishna Conscious that there is no doubt that they will go back to godhead & that one can stay in renounced status for their whole life, there is no doubt; but if one thinks the grihastha life, there is 50% chance they won't make it because of this thing they get tied up Maya is such thing that the griha, vitaya, sutapta, they just start getting into this thing, goal of life, have a bigger house, have a better car, have more money after this, after that, never ends, they have a license to have all these things, renunciants doesn't have license for even goes one inch, everyone will fall, the grihastha has the license, they have to control themselves how much to work for, what is the limit, what is the necessity, of course that's why Prabhupad was merciful, he said that no other Guru in our sampradaya allowed grihasthas to live in Temple community like this he said that, all of them are matt, only renounced people, grihasthas are living outside, living outside in India is one thing with a grass hut you can live, but i the western world as soon as you live outside, you have to work so hard just to; both people having jobs, working day  & night, you see, so often once a devotee work out if they are lucky they can come once for the Sunday feast, you live in the community is opportunity to come everyday people don't take that opportunity its great misfortune for them what is the use of living in the temple community where you can have daily sadhana bhakti if one doesn't take it. So Prabhupad said he is giving us special mercy, like in Mayapur he said this the Mayapur Chandrodoya Mandir, all other Gaudiya Matt, Chaitanya Matt, Matt means only the renounced people; sanyasis, bramacharis & maybe some widows, matt no couples can live, this is mandir, mandir, temple you can also have, like so many temples are there in India, the priest husband & wife are living but this is... Everyone should be careful for the purpose of serving Radha Madhav, Lord Chaitanya in Mayapur, that was his standard. So Prabhupad wanted some brahmanas, wanted some Vaishnavas who were dedicated to cultivating their God Consciousness that's the biggest problem, especially the American system is mean everyone should work hard & enjoy more so somehow Raghunath Das he was already born in that, he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, he had everything but his parents they thought this was the goal of life, they could'nt understand why his son  would run away to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu & be chanting with Lord Chaitanya & all the other associated in Jagannath Puri when he had such a nice house with so many servants & everything he wanted, they couldn't understand why he would want to go & join Lord Chaitanya, you worship in your house its alright, one day you can do a little kirtan at night that was their understanding they were devotees but they were not... They were.. Lord Chaitanya called them as Vaishnava prayi, although they have were devotees, they were having tilak, they were having daily Bhagavatam call in the evening they were walking around with their bead bag but actually they were not thinking this was the real happiness, they were very attached to their material things, there is a total  difference from Pundarik Vidyanidhi, who had all things, he was a landlord, he had all the; he was completely detached from all these material things, he just put a shawl to do his japa but he was completely absorbed in Krishna Consciousness, he had no attachment for these things Mazumdhar family, they were considered Vaishnava by Lord Chaitanya, they were almost Vaishnava, they were pre-vaishnava but not fixed up in pure devotional service they were too attached to other things, they were holding on that's why they thought without these things we wont be happy for other devotee like Pundarik Vidyanidhi, the thing came so he used them in Krishna's service without these things it wouldn't make any difference to him & he showed that in many occasion not that he misused since Krishna gave him, why throw it, he used it, he was also born a son of a great landlord, brhamn family but he didn't... He wasn't attached to it, he would spend his time going to Lord Chaitanya, going to Navadwip, he will always be hearing discourses on Krishna Consciousness that’s how he was affecting, he was already in the transcendental. So Pundarik Vidyanidhi was of course a Nithya siddha devotee, he was a... Someone may not be Nithya siddha, his lifestyle may also affect one so one has to very careful to strictly follow regular  the sadhana & everything & sometime a devotee may realize is it really useful for devotional service & that's why some are using that what is the use of staying, just for having a comfortable life, there is no use what is this comfort, so much suffering is here you have to suffer so much to get comfort you have to strive & work endeavour to get so called comfort, its not the highest understanding actually, if someone is really intelligent & Krishna gives mercy they can see that I should simplify my whole existence, & engage fully in devotional service that's what he nectar that's when one feels peace, that's when one feels ecstasy that's what actually is having real transcendental bliss is when we are fully absorbed in devotional service otherwise material life is so delicate, its like a lotus leaf on the water that like be the water on it like  one minute it seem that everything is all right, next minute that everything is like in a hurricane, you are just tosed around, you don't know what's gonna happen from one second to the next, this is the material life so how we can build a permanent foundation on such a quick sand base but this is the illusion maya give, yes you can be happy; you just have to have this, that, you make this arrangement, make that arrangement, illusion its maya, there is no such arrangement you can make to be happy in this material world & the real devotee whatever ashram he may be in he knows that there is zero possibility of being happy simply by material arrangement, the only happiness that actually one can hold on to permanently which is the real happiness is Krishna Consciousness.               Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. [devotees- Jai]

Any question, yes, pardon, you like the class, we will continue tomorrow. Any other question??       Prabhupad said it, he was actually more like a brahmana, brahmanas would also worship Shaligram but he was not considered specifically like a pure Vaishnava as such he was just a very ethical brahmana, but as brahmana, he was also worshiping Vishnu [devotee- said something] he was a, just like Drona acharya was a brahmana but he was teaching military art so Chanakya was a brahmana but here he was a teacher brahmana's function is a teacher, but he was an expert form political science, in fact he wrote many books on economy, on how to run a kingdom, economically how the people can be prosperous, everything he wrote [59:54not clear] he is very great moralist, he would give many moral instructions, very ethical, very moral person, Chanakya's sayings are still quoted all over India famous & his book on governmental administration or the artha shastra, how to choose who should be a minister or the king, how to set up a kingdom, what should be the administration, how many ministries you require, how many departments you require, what to do if someone... Even he is like a running commentory on manu samitha & Vishwanatha’s teachings in shanty parva in Mahabharat, its like kind of condensense he put that into one thing, even gave how a king should judge, if somebody steals money from someone else then if he gets caught, he should either suffer in jail or he should pay the person 8 times what he stole from, 8 times fine or above, if he had the capacity pay it or jail.. 8 time the fine.. it said that... All different martial problem, if something happened what was the kingship is decide, its all, codes are given you don't have to take it to the supreme court every time they change for this amendment next time that way, according to the shastras, if this thing happens like this, then you should decide like that the supreme court is already there the decision from the scriptures & great sages, the king didn't have to tax their brain too much because already the codes were well defined, they simply had to apply it, they have to see which circumstance actually does this fit what should be the decision that every one knows so he gave so many things like that. He also said if a person is not a Vaishnava, you cannot depend him; if he is not believing in God then its hopeless.

[1:02:34 --- 1:03:05 devotee asks question] well Prabhupad explained that it doesn't mean we can sit there & Krishna will bring everything the point is you should do your duty for Krishna, you do what you duty is & then Krishna will do, he will fulfil his obligation to you whatever his promise is to you not obligation but its his promise. Devotee does their duties, just like the Guru Prabhupad is instructed, can you do this service, you preach Krishna Consciousness, you give in this way, well people will say how will I survive, how can I do & Krishna is saying I will give you what you need you have to work not that we don't work, we work according to what Prabhupad has said, someone may try to calculate by working that way I will never make ahead that's where the question of depending on Krishna & Prabhupad.

[1:04:13 -- 1:05:10 devotee asks question] the first point is that if one artificially leaves the house that is also against the regulative principles that also is said a kind of disturbance, Lord Chaitanya's teaching is the vairagya vidya, one should use everything in the service of Krishan so in this one sense; Raghunath Das is running away; many times people their actual intention might be I want to be happy; they are having some material anxiety so they want to renounce the family, too much headache, paying the bills, maintain the family, this that, kids crying night but just by artificial... That's the only impetus, a negative impetus they have not developed a strong attachment to Krishna then what happens is that once things cool down then again they start forgetting the suffering of material life & they think that's gonna be unclear its gonna be great again when I go back, then at home material world starts a bit better due to our forgetful nature so that's considered a type of negative or dry renunciation, Lord Chaitanya didn't want people just to renounce artificially if someone is really realized on one hand the material life is a dark well  & on the other hand they have developed positive attraction for Krishna Consciousness then its quite natural they leave the dark well & just fully engage in devotional service, they don't look back, if they are gonna continue thinking back, I was happy at that moment, that second I really liked it, may be I can be happy again, it did'nt work out because this thing wasn't right, that thing wasn't right again in the future I can make some arrangement it will be right dont worry that means one mind is not fixed yet in real vairagya vidya so therefore its not appropriate for that person to enter into the renounced order of life. Some people might they may have been disgusted that moment they took sanyas but they were not prepared later they weren't able to maintain that virakthi bhav, the renounced mood because of not fully realizing all these, not having a positive attraction to Krishna Consciousness that strong. So Lord Chaitanya he knew that not there is contradiction not a real contradiction but unless you come to the point of actually realizing that this is a dark well then you shouldn't leave it, if you are still thinking that this is a 4 story nice house, if you are not seeing as a dark well then don't leave it  & just seeing it as a dark well if you are not actually attracted to Krishna Consciousness then leaving it you will fall back in anyway so both the way; of course if one has a very strong renounced feeling then he can get out, better than that is simultaneously a very strong attachment for the Lord so Lord Chaitanya did not accept someone just running say I want to join you, he said you stay practise in your house, you use everything for Krishna practically he couldn't use everything to Krisha why because its not his own property, its his father's property, his uncle's property they are not 100% Krishna Consciousness  they had so many other they were more or less Krishna Consciousness, they were Vaishnava, but they were ready to use everything; they had little bit other interests, they used something for Krishna it was 90%, 80 % some percent, don't know what percent some percent. Raghunath Das he used in big festival he fed hundreds of thousands of people, he gave donations, he supported Vaishnavas, he used everything by serving the Vaishnavas, he got the blessings you don't need to do this.... So much other things he had to do, he had to use his energy to get his uncle stealing tax money from the emperor, he had to get him safe, he had to do so many other things not that just he could do devotional  service to run that business of being a landlord he had to other politics & different things so he wanted to fully devotional service, he was'nt able to do it fully the way he would like to, first he wanted directly take the association of Lord Chaitanya so when he was very ripped, he could take it as a test, he proved he passed all the tests, then Lord Chaitanya accepted him then he gave in comment that it was a dark well, transcendentalists. Lord Chaitanya didn't tell the people you have to leave the family, when they would leave & they had a full realization  Lord Chaitanya then made this commentary, actulaly this, actually a realized grihastha that in spite of material situation we are playing the role, but actually this is not... This is happiness, give me a break, I never heard that Krishna Conscious grihasthas say that material life is happiness, they are doing it & they are doing their service, they are playing the game, they are playing the role but their, they always give the commentary that the only, you know, devotional service is the real happiness as far as even not that only sanyasi has this idea, its only the materialistic people they think that's happiness but any realized devotee whether he be a grihastha or whether he be bramchari or sanyasi, they understand that this is not the source of ultimate happiness they cannot be, there can be something better that this, sanyasi knows it theoretically, the grihastha knows practically, realized knowledge that's the difference. If they are matured in their devotional service, someone is mature, they have all the facility they may stay that depend, the situation that Raghunath Das is in; everyone wasn't pure devotee, they are devotee they are Vaishnava, Lord Chaitanya said that they are not.... How much more they could have supported the Krishna Consciousness movement; what they were doing, they were supporting some what, they are favourable, even after that Raghunath Das he kept connection with the family for sometime they sent him some servant, he didn't accept the servant but he took the money, he was for 1 or 2 years he was feeding Lord Chaitanya then he realized why am I taking money from them I am supposed to be renounced so let me just; the whole history is there he went through so many different stages, wasn't that he cut off connection he kept communication with them he did his devotion he just wanted to fully, wanted an opportunity to be the personal servant of Lord Chaitanya or personal assistant of his servant compared to that opportunity what he was doing before managing the kingdom but Lord Chaitanya wanted to make sure that he was matured not that artificially someone leaves everything but even if someone is in the family; Yadunandan was in the family life, he saw Jagannath achari was grihastha but he is managing temple, he was the temple president, he was still worrying about how to get the head pujari back, the head pujari ran off.  So Yadunandan was considered a great Vaishnava associate of Lord Chaitanya but Hiranya and Govardhan mazumdhar, they were not considered like nitya siddhas or great acharyas or some great associates of Lord Chaitanya, they were blessed, they were good people they were good they were Vaishnavas they were pious they are almost; Lord Chaitanya didn't wanted, he said they are almost Vaishnavas, in one sense they are Vaishnava but they were not like pure-pure devotees, they still had some conditions, those conditions were holding them back. So Lord Chaitanya would call his famous people depending on how much he would reveal what the nature of the thing was depending on who he is talking to, so at this particular moment of course he let he was very open about it. But if a person is not ready he can't artificially renounce that he explained in great depth in the teachings; madya lila with Ramananda Rai it created a disturbance but in here Krishna Bhakta continually just try to renounce artificially. So this renunciation is not so we can just do on ourselves, this is something comes by the mercy of Krishna, that's the whole point of the last teaching its by Krishna's mercy that Raghunath Das could be detached, even by own endeavour we can't get out, if we do our devotional service, if we get so attached to Krishna, we actually become detached that's the natural thing, not that simply artificially ok now my wife, my husband, they are all maya; I remember one time one grihastha had a little girl & then said because this maya I should detach from my child, Prabhupad said what is this?, you should love your daughter, you should love your daughter, because you love your daughter you want to give your daughter the best thing which is Krishna Consciousness therefore you teach her Krishna Consciousness there is no artificial thing, you have children you love your children, these are natural but because you are devotee of Krishna you know Krishna Consciousness is the best thing you want to give Krishna Consciousness to your children its not some artificial mental thing so if the thing ha to evolve, it is natural how does it evolve through sadana Bhakthi, through kripa theses are the two ways, not that artificially someone can get out of maya even artificially try to get out they will fall back but its something that Krishna by is ,mercy he shows us what is the illusion & if we take the opportunity we can then fully fix our self in the service, somehow this door was open for Ragunath, he could see clearly what was the illusion its not easy, normally its very difficult but somehow by Krishna's mercy, Lord Chaitanya's mercy is the strongest, if he wants even Prabhupad in his Bhajan, Vrindavane Bhajan he said actually I had so many things but Krishna took everything away from me, then I could dee the naked form of maya, I could se the naked form then I could realize what maya really was & so now I am just laughing, I am just laughing here in Vrindavan & I am so happy that I am here. What is the meaning of all; then he goes you read the Vrindavane Bhajan very nicely Prabhupad explains so its not that one can get away easily by their own endeavour. We should [not clear 1:16:39] that's our duty & if Krishna removes us completely from all type of maya that's his special mercy. As far as your question on gharbadan smaskara, I don't have any, what's I cannot give an opinion I dont know anywhere from the scripture strictly which gives the commentary on that point, if someone does garbhadan smaksara, then they do properly everything then their children should not be varna sankara, if they don't do obviously the risk is greater, what degree risk I can't comment because devotees, it depends on their consciousness at that moment garbhadan smskara is also preparation of the consciousness, what consciousness they were in, also sometimes by Krishna's mercy even; just because in the family of devotee he also sends very good children even I saw recently one children may be very good even better than the parents but who is there to comment & to know, only the super soul can know what consciousness they had at that moment & who is he sending. But for security sake one should do the garbhadan samskara, its also some rituals, if you don't do it you can do some jati karmas, you can do some yajnas on the 9th month on the 7th month to bless that child, there are different ceremonies on can do. Even a person does everything you can't 100% guarantee the child will be a devotee, some risk is there but the point is you follow the instruction, you are doing you duty that's your duty everyone has to follow their own duty, their dharma then by following, Krishna's mercy will be, you can hope for Krishna's mercy, we are doing everything for Krishna's pleasure ultimately, you shouldn't get into; if you want to follow different method,  the bhakti method is different from other methods, bhakti method we do everything in bhakti method, if you want to do other method is there, more mechanical method depending on the rituals little bit this way, that way they you.   So devotees try to do everything and depends on Krishna.We have the right to do everything, but the fruit which Krishna decides. That is how the devotees take it.

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Transcribed by Krishna Chaitanya
Verifyed by Amrita Padma DD
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