20141026 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book work 26^th October 2014 in New Delhi, India
By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Guru Mahārāja

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Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 14.94

kata dine miśra putrera hāte khaḍi dila
alpa dine dvādaśa-phalā akṣara śikhila

After some days Jagannātha Miśra inaugurated the primary education of his son by performing the hāte khaḍi ceremony. Within a very few days the Lord learned all the letters and combinations of letters.

PURPORT: The twelve phalā, or combinations of letters, are called repha; mūrdhanya (cerebral), ṇa; dāntavya (dental), na; ma; ya; ra; la; va; ṛ; ṝ; ḷ; and ḷ. Hāte khaḍi is the primary educational beginning. At the age of four or five years, on an auspicious day called vidyārambha marking the beginning of primary education, there is a ceremony worshiping Lord Viṣṇu, and after that the teacher gives the child a long chalk pencil. Then, guiding the hand of the student, he instructs him how to write the letters of the alphabet (a, ā, i, etc.) by writing big letters on the floor. When the child is a little advanced in writing, he is given a slate for his primary education, which ends when he learns the two-letter combinations, which are called phalā, as mentioned above.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya’s pre-līlā…

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: His previous pastimes?

Jayapatākā Swami: But… Nārada Muni went here and there…

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: But, all of that you have already put into your previous recordings. We are going to put that in chronological sequence incorporate other ācāryas and bring it back to you. You had stopped until certain point and we are now resuming from that point Lord Caitanya’s vidyārambha. So, that we are parallelly working on and this also we are working on, because we want to save your time. So, that one we are separately working on and we will get back to you on that.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, readout… Chapter by chapter.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: What we have done is… We have taken the sequence from Tāraka Brahma. The sequence, only the sequence that you have approved it in Māyāpur.

Jayapatākā Swami: No! I said the sequence to follow from Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Yes, yes, yes! In case the sequence is not in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, we are adjusting it. But otherwise, he had broken up the pastimes into smaller units. So, there is Lord Caitanya’s vidyārambha and we have material from Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Caitanya-bhāgavata and Caitanya-maṅgala. So, I will read out to you now.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 15.3

Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī had given a heading

paugaṇḍa-līlā-madhye adhyayana-līlāi pradhāna —

within the paugaṇḍa pastimes…

Jayapatākā Swami: This is Caitanya what?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: This is Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Jayapatākā Swami: Why are you reading in Bengali?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Why am I reading the Bengali? Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī sometimes gives headings and the headings are in Bengali. That the verses in Bengali, but for almost every verse he gives just like, śīrṣaka – heading – which is like a summarized comment. And then there is a verse, and then there is Prabhupāda and then for almost every verse Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī gives a heading, so I thought we can use that… I mean, I will read out to you and you can decide whether to incorporate or not. It is just a half a line usually.

paugaṇḍa-līlāra sūtra kariye gaṇana
paugaṇḍa-vayase prabhura mukhya adhyayana

Let me now enumerate the activities of the Lord between the ages of five and ten. His chief occupation during this period was to engage Himself in study.

That is Prabhupāda’s translation.

Then 15.4

prabhura subistṛta paugaṇḍa-līlā –

Jayapatākā Swami: Su…

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: vistṛta – elaborate. Then there is a verse in Sanskrit.

paugaṇḍa-līlā caitanya-
kṛṣṇasyāti-suvistṛtā
vidyārambha-mukhā pāṇi-
grahaṇāntā mano-harā

The pastimes of the Lord during His paugaṇḍa age were very extensive. His education was His chief occupation, and after that His very beautiful marriage took place.

Jayapatākā Swami: You are reading from what? You are reading from what?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: These two are verses from Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Jayapatākā Swami: Say that.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Okay. Then Caitanya-bhāgavata.

Jayapatākā Swami: All these verses are introduction.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Yes! All these verses are introductory. And now there will be description. Caitanya-bhāgavata describes the event.

Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.6.1

Ādi-līlā (Khaṇḍa) 6^th Chapter Text 1

nimāira vidyārambha-kāla

hena-mate krīḍā kare gaurāṅga-gopāla
hāte khaḍi divāra haila āsi’ kāla

Jayapatākā Swami: Hāte khaḍi?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Hāte khaḍi. I will read it again.

hena-mate krīḍā kare gaurāṅga-gopāla
hāte khaḍi divāra haila āsi’ kāla

Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.6.2

śubhadine vidyārambha saṁskāra-sampādana

śubha-dine śubha-kṣaṇe miśra-purandara
hāte-khaḍi putrera dilena vipra-vara

Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.6.3

kiyaddibasānte nimāira…

Jayapatākā Swami: Hāte khaḍi – what is?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Hāte khaḍi is learning to write the Sanskrit alphabet that is same as Vidyārambha.

kiyaddivasānte nimāira karṇavedha vā cauḍa…-saṁskāra-vidhāna

Jayapatākā Swami: Louder!

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa:

kiyaddivasānte nimāira karṇavedha vā cauḍa-saṁskāra-vidhāna

kichu śeṣe miliyā sakala bandhu-gaṇa
karṇa-vedha karilena śrī-cūḍākaraṇa

Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.6.4

likhana paṭhana-viṣaye nimāira adbhuta medhāra paricaya

dṛṣṭi-mātra sakala akṣara likhi’ yāya
parama vismita haiyā sarva-jane cāya

Jayapatākā Swami: Read again.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa:

dṛṣṭi-mātra sakala akṣara likhi’ yāya
parama vismita haiyā sarva-jane cāya

sarvakṣaṇa…

Jayapatākā Swami: Just by seeing the letter He could write it.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Yes!

Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.6.5

sarvakṣaṇa akṣarasamūhe kṛṣṇanāma-sūrti, kṛṣṇanāma-likhana-paṭhana

this is the verse now.

dina dui-tinete paḍhilā sarva ’phalā’
nirantara likhena kṛṣṇera nāma-mālā

Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.6.6

rāma, kṛṣṇa, murāri, mukunda, vanamālī
ahar-niśa likhena, paḍhena kutūhalī

Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.6.7

sukṛti janagaṇerai sahapāṭhi-śiśugaṇa…

Jayapatākā Swami: How many scriptures have this līlā?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: This is got Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Caitanya-bhāgavata, and Caitanya-maṅgala. Caitanya-maṅgala got a longer description.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is…

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Caitanya-bhāgavata.

Jayapatākā Swami: Caitanya-caritāmṛta is just…

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Introductory. It just says it happened, that's all. Caitanya-bhāgavata is longer, and Caitanya-maṅgala is even longer.

sukṛti janagaṇerai sahapāṭhi-śiśugaṇa-saha bhagavānera adhyayana-līlā-darśana

śiśu-gaṇa-saṅge paḍe vaikuṇṭhera-rāya
parama-sukṛti dekhe sarva-nadīyāya

Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.6.8

Deva Gaurāṅga dāsa:

madhura-svare prabhura pāṭhe sakalera māeha

ki mādhurī kari’ prabhu “ka, kha, ga, gha” bole
tāhā śunitei mātra sarva-jīva bhole

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.457

eimate āra dine miśra purandara
cintite lāgilā mane dekhi viśvambhara

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.458

śubhadina śubhakṣaṇa tithi sunakṣatra
hāthe khaḍi dila tāra samaya vicitra

Jayapatākā Swami: samaya vicitra mane?

Deva Gaurāṅga dāsa: samaya vicitra samaya. Viśeṣa samaya Guru Mahārāja. Special samaya.

Jayapatākā Swami: Auspicious moment.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Yes! At an auspicious moment.

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.459

dine-dine paḍe sei jagatera guru
dekhi śacī-jagannātha āpanā paśiru

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: The next section is about cūḍākaraṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: This section… What is the different between Caitanya-maṅgala and Caitanya-bhāgavata?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: In this section? In Caitanya-bhāgavata there are some details, it says that He wrote Kṛṣṇa’s names, the other books simply say that He did vidyārambha like the standard ka, kha, ga, gha – but in Caitanya-bhāgavata it clearly says… first of all it says that as soon as He saw the akṣaras the syllables, immediately He learnt it, people are astonished and within two, three days He learnt the letters and He was constantly writing Kṛṣṇa’s names. He was not just writing anything. Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Murāri, Mukunda, Vanamāli. Day and night He was writing Kṛṣṇa’s names, so these are noted in Caitanya-bhāgavata. In Caitanya-maṅgala it just says.

Jayapatākā Swami: Caitanya-bhāgavata doesn’t say ka, kha, ga, gha?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Caitanya-maṅgala, it says that at the right time, Purandara Miśra – Jagannātha Miśra, he decided to do Hāte khaḍi for Viśvambhara, he chose an auspicious date, at a special auspicious moment and jagat-guru Lord Caitanya everyday He studied. And Śacī and Jagannātha they forgot themselves in happiness, that’s all. But Caitanya-bhāgavata gives more information. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, paugaṇḍa-līlā began with vidyārambha and ended with His marriage, so it defines the period of paugaṇḍa here. His primary activity was study.

Jayapatākā Swami: Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s paugaṇḍa pastimes are mainly taken up by His studies. But they continued with the piercing of the ears?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa:  Oh! Yes, yes! Piercing of the ears – cūḍākaraṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Included piercing of the ears and also the cutting of the hair and ended with the wedding. New paragraph.

So, one day Jagannātha Miśra, he looked at his son and he thought to himself that, and he fixed an auspicious day to start His vidyārambha – starting of the studies. And he thought it is time to start His studies. So he picked an auspicious moment where he did a ceremony known as Hāte khaḍi or vidyārambha – starting the studies. Then Lord Caitanya, He amazed everyone how the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, He had come down and He was playing like an ordinary child. But He was studying the Sanskrit alphabets and Bengali alphabets, He would see them and immediately memorize them. And His sweet voice would say the sounds of the alphabets- ka, kha, ga, gha [and you can add]. Mother Śacī, she was so happy to hear her son say the mantras of the alphabets. Because He was so beautiful. After just a few days, He learnt all the alphabets. And then in Bengali He learnt the… Bengali letters and the Sanskrit letters are the same letters but slightly in different shapes. Same alphabets but different shapes. The Bengali are a little round and Sanskrit a little square. It’s a way of writing. And in the next few days, He learned, what is known as yukta-akṣara - joint letters, because in Sanskrit some of the letters are single and some are joint. So, the joint letters are more complicated. Lord Caitanya learnt it just by seeing it and learnt it. And then after that, He would just spontaneously write the names of Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Kṛsṇa, Murāri, Mukunda Vanamāli. He would write different names of Kṛṣṇa. Not everybody was noticing what He was writing, but those who saw, He was writing the names of Lord Kṛṣṇa continuously.

Does that cover all the līlās?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: People were happy to hear His sweet voice.

Jayapatākā Swami: How fortunate were the residents of Navadvīpa! They could go and hear the sweet voice of Lord Gaurāṅga saying those alphabets and names.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: That is over. Next.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, is that enough for one chapter?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: No, I think it should be just a section. This is vidyārambha. What you said will cover one or one and half pages. So we should keep it as a section – part of a chapter.

Jayapatākā Swami: How it is in Kṛṣṇa Book? How many pages is one chapter?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: There is one chapter “Wonderful Kṛṣṇa” which is just two pages, then there is “Prayers by Personified Vedas” which is hundred pages. So, from two pages to hundred pages we can choose. You can always decide to regroup them and split them whenever you want later, because we will bring it back to you and show you. So right now just deal with the content and later on you can decide.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since it is a different title, maybe it is a new chapter.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: New chapter.

Piercing Lord’s Ears

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.461

viśvambhara-cūḍākaraṇa kari mane mane
iṣṭa-kuṭumba yata anila takhane

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.462

caccila se śubhakṣaṇa tithi śubhadine
kariba ta cūḍākarma daḍhāila mane

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.463

nadīyānagare ghare ghare ānandita
brāhmaṇa-sajjana āni lāeke ye pūjita

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.464

brāhmaṇete veda paḍhe gāyane gāya gīta
karila se yajñavidhi ye chila ucita

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.465

jaya jaya dei yata kulavadhū-jana
sabhākāre dila gandha, gubāka, candana

Jayapatākā Swami: Gubāka mane ki?

Deva Gaurāṅga dāsa: Gubāka mane, oh pāne dei na…

Jayapatākā Swami: Kula… Kula mane family. Kula… what?

Śyāma Rasika dāsa: Kulavadhu.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Family women, chaste woman

Jayapatākā Swami: That means lady, right?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Noble woman, dignified woman.

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.466

nānā vādyabhāṇḍa bāje ānanda apāra
śaṅkha, dundubhi bāje bheula kāhāla

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.467

mṛdaṅga, paṭāha bāje kāṁsya, karatāla
sānāi śabda śuni baḍai rasāla

Jayapatākā Swami: Kāṁsya?

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Kāṁsya – Prabhupāda translated as bell-metal.

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.468

caturdike hari-dhvani jhāpaye gagana
cūḍākarma, karṇavedha karila takhana

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.469

ānandita haila saba nadīyānagarī
viśvambhara-mukha dekhi āpanā pāśari

Jayapatākā Swami: This is what? Is Caitanya-maṅgala?

Devotees: Caitanya-maṅgala Guru Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: I want… They are each section. They should tell me what śāstras are…

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: For every section you want to hear?

Jayapatākā Swami: Yeah! Okay, this section… This is Caitanya-maṅgala.

Vidvān Gaurāṅga dāsa: Yes! This section is only Caitanya-maṅgala. Because, it is only covered in Caitanya-maṅgala. Cūdākaraṇa and Karṇa-beda has been described only Caitanya-maṅgala the others just say it just happened. But, only in Caitanya-maṅgala says how it happened.

Deva Gaurāṅga dāsa:

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.470

hāṭe bāṭe ghāṭe yei yathā tathā yāya
dehe dohā meli gaurācaṅdera guṇa gāya

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.471

para-putra dekhi hena karaye hṛdaya
śacī-jagannātha bhāgye e hena tanaya

Caitanya-maṅgala 1.3.472

navadvīpera bhāgya āra saṁsārera bhāgya
o rūpa dekhile haya nayanera ślāghya

Chapter śeṣa Guru Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: Jagannātha Miśra, finding an auspicious day and the auspicious time, to do the hair cutting ceremony and the ear piercing, he invited all his family members and relatives, the senior citizens, brahmins of the Navadvīpa Dhāma and also he brought brāhmaṇas to chant Vedas, to chant the various yajñas which are appropriate for the ceremonies, and also kīrtana party playing mṛdaṅga, khol, karatālas, bell metal gongs, and variety of such an instruments, creating a very auspicious situation. The house was filled with all the senior members of the family and all the auspicious members of the brahmanical community of Navadvīpa. So then they cut the hair of Lord Caitanya, Viśvambhara. And the people, just seeing this, somehow it touched their hearts. They were thinking, “How glorious is Jagannātha Miśra and Śacīmātā to have such a son. They are truly blessed.” And then various mantras and yajñas were done and the ear was newly pierced to hold the special brahminical earrings. So, all this was done according to the correct ceremonies and all the people were completely affected. All the people were glorifying Lord Nimāi. How wonderful, what a wonderful child, how beautiful child. So, everywhere, all the sides were just talking about Lord Caitanya. Those who saw this ceremony with their eyes were blessed. Those who heard about it, they were blessed. Those who were able to participate, they were blessed. Such a transcendental situation was created. Everybody who came, they became glorified, just by participating. And they thought, or said, that Jagannātha Miśra and Śacīmātā, in the whole Navadvīpa, there is no one as fortunate as they are.