20141205 Śrī Gaurāṅga's Studies Under Śrī Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita

Śrī Gaurāṅga's Studies Under Śrī Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita

Study of Sanskrit Grammar

A synopsis of the Fifteenth Chapter is as follows. The Lord took lessons in grammar from Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita and became very expert in commenting upon grammar. He forbade His mother to take grains on the Ekādaśī day. He narrated a story that Viśvarūpa, after accepting the sannyāsa order, invited Him in a dream to accept sannyāsa also, but the Lord refused and was therefore sent back home. When Jagannātha Miśra passed away, the Lord married the daughter of Vallabhācārya, whose name was Lakṣmī. All these events are summarized in this chapter.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 15.1

gaurera pūjāya durbbuddhirao subuddhi śrī-hari-bhakti-vilāsa (7.1):—
ku-manāḥ su-manastvaṁ hi
yāti yasya padābjayoḥ
su-mano-’rpaṇa-mātreṇa
taṁ caitanya-prabhuṁ bhaje

Translation: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya because simply by offering a flower at His lotus feet even the most ardent materialist becomes a devotee.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: Yāṅhāra pādapadme sumanaḥ jātipuṣpa arpaṇa karibāmātra kumanāḥ puruṣao sumanastva lābha kare, sei caitanyaprabhuke āmi bhajanā kari.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Kumanāḥ (kṛṣṇetaraviṣayāviṣṭaṁ mano yasya saḥ) yasya. (caitanyadevasya) padāvjayoḥ (caraṇa-kamalayoḥ) sumano'rpaṇa-mātreṇa (sumanasāṁ puṣpaṇāṁ su śubhaṁ kṛṣṇa-sevāparaṁ manastasya vā arpaṇa-mātreṇa) sumanastvam (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñānakarmādyanāvṛtaṁ kṛṣṇānuśīlana-para-svabhāvaṁ) hi (niścitaṁ) yāti (prāpnoti) taṁ caitanya-prabhum ahaṁ vande.

@ 3.36 Jayapatākā Swami is ecstatic telling that the other day they have offered puṣpāṣjali during the Rādhā-Mādhava pūjārī can go and let other offer flowers to Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 15.2

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaitacandra, jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Translation: All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Ācārya! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 15.3

paugaṇḍa-līlā-madhye adhyayana-līlāi pradhāna:—
paugaṇḍa-līlāra sūtra kariye gaṇana
paugaṇḍa-vayase prabhura mukhya adhyayana

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: mukhye adhyana—mukhyakāryai adhyayana-līlā

Translation: 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.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Mukhya adhyayana —mukhyakāryai adhyayana-līlā.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 15.4

prabhura suvistṛta paugaṇḍa-līlā :—
paugaṇḍa-līlā caitanya-
kṛṣṇasyāti-suvistṛtā
vidyārambha-mukhā pāṇi-
grahaṇāntā mano-harā

Translation: 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.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanyera vidyārambha haite pāṇigrahaṇa paryanta manohara paugaṇḍa-līlā atyanta vistṛta.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Caitanya-kṛṣṇasya (bhagavate rādhā-kṛṣābhinna-vigrahasya viśvambharasya) vidyārambha-mukhā (vidyābhyāsārambhaḥ mukhe ādau yasyāḥ sā) pāṇigrahaṇāstā (pāṇigrahaṇaṁ ca antaḥ samāpteau yasyāṁ sā) manoharā (sakalahṛdaẏākarṣiṇī) paugaṇḍa-līlā (pañcama-hāyanārabhya daśa-paryantavyāpaka- kāla paugaṇḍaṁ tatra yā līlā) ati suvistṛtā (subahulā).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 15.5

paṇḍita gaṅgādāsera nikaṭa vyākaraṇa-adhyayana :—

gaṅgādāsa paṇḍita-sthāne paḍena vyākaraṇa
śravaṇa-mātre kaṇṭhe kaila sūtra-vṛtti-gaṇa

Translation: When the Lord was studying grammar at the place of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, He would immediately learn grammatical rules and definitions by heart simply by hearing them once.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: prathame viṣṇu o sudarśanera nikaṭa sāmānya vidyā upārjana kariyā gaṅgādāsa paṇḍitera nikaṭa vyākaraṇa paḍena.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that the Lord was given lessons by a teacher named Viṣṇu and another teacher named Sudarśana. Later on, when He was a little grown up, He was under the care of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, who taught Him grammar of a higher standard. Anyone serious about studying the Sanskrit language should first learn grammar. It is said that simply to finish studying Sanskrit grammar takes at least twelve years, but once one learns the grammatical rules and regulations very nicely, all other scriptures or subject matters in Sanskrit are extremely easy to understand, for Sanskrit grammar is the gateway to education.

Jayapatākā Swami: When Lord Caitanya was small, He started His informal education under the guidance of a pandita named Viṣṇu and then a little later another teacher named Sudarśana. It normally takes twelve years to study the Sanskrit language grammar effectively. If one knows the Sanskrit grammar very well, then all the meanings of the Vedic scriptures and other Sanskrit scriptures are easily understood. When it was time for Lord Caitanya’s formal education, Jagannātha Miśra approached Gaṅgadāsa Paṇḍita to teach Lord Caitanya grammar of high level.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.30

gaṅgādāsa-kare putrake adhyayanārtha aparṇa—
miśra bole,—“putra āmi diluṅ tomā’ sthāne
paḍāibā śunāibā sakala āpane”

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita was the reincarnation of Sāndīpani Muni from the pastime of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Sāndīpani Muni was the teacher for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and he is glorified in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this pastime of the Lord, he has appeared as Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita and he was known as in Sanskrit grammar and language. Jagannātha Miśra said to Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, “I am giving my son Viśvambhara to study under you. You should teach Him and guide Him, everything under your charge.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.31

gaṅgādāsera yathāśakti adhyāpanārtha-sammati pradāna —
gaṅgādāsa bole,—“baḍa bhāgya se āmāra
paḍāimu yata śakti āchaye āmāra”

Jayapatākā Swami: Gaṅgādāsa said, “It is a great good fortune for me. I will teach Him to my full capacity whatever I have.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.32

śiṣyarūpī viśvambharake gaṅgadāsera putra-nirbiśeṣe nija-sānnidhye rakṣaṇābekṣaṇa —
śiṣya dekhi’ parama-ānande gaṅgādāsa
putra-prāya kariyā rākhilā nija-pāśa

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: prāya,—tulya. pāśa— ‘pārśba’ śabdajāta, nikaṭa..

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing the child Viśvambhara, Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita was feeling great transcendental bliss. Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita kept Nimāi like his own son and he kept Him always by his side.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.33

gaṅgādāsa kṛta artha ekabāra śravaṇa-mātrei viśvambharera alaukika medhā-bale anudhābana —
yata vyākhyā gaṅgādāsa paṇḍita karena
sakṛt śunile mātra ṭhākura dharena

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Sakṛt,—ekabāra. dharena,—upalabdhi vā anudhābanadvārā āyattībhūta karena.

Jayapatākā Swami: Whatever explanation was given Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, it was immediately memorized by Viśvambhara

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.34

sarasvatī-patira kartumakartumanyathā”-śakti; “haya vyākhyā naya o naya vyākhyā haya” karaṇa—
gurura yateka vyākhyā karena khaṇḍana
punar-bāra sei vyākhyā karena sthāpana

Jayapatākā Swami: So Viśvambhara who is actually the husband of Sarasvatī, the Goddess of learning, would establish whatever His guru said and then defeat it and then later on He would reestablish it.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.35

nimāira vyākhyā-khaṇḍane samagra sahādhyāyīra asāmarthya—
sahasra sahasra śiṣya paḍe yata jana
hena kāro śakti nāhi divāre dūṣaṇa

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Dibāre dūṣaṇa,—doṣāropa vā khaṇḍana karite..

Jayapatākā Swami: Thousands of thousands of disciples that were studying under different gurus could not defeat the statements of Viśvambhara, but he could defeat and then reestablish it through reason and logic.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.36

nimāira alaukika medhā-darśane harṣabhare gaṅgādāsera sarvaśreṣṭha śiṣya-jñāna—
dekhiyā adbhuta buddhi guru haraṣita
sarva-śiṣya-śreṣṭha kari’ karilā pūjita

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Pūjita,—pūjā, sammāna.

Jayapatākā Swami: The guru was very happy to see the great learning capacity of Viśvambhara. He established Him as His best disciple.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.37

gaṅgādāsera anyānya antevāsī sakalakei nimāira parājaya —
yata paḍe gaṅgādāsa-paṇḍitera sthāne
sabārei ṭhākura cālena anukṣaṇe

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Cālena, cālaye,—(cal-dhātura nijanta-prayoga), ‘nācāya’; sañcālita, āndolita, mohita, apratibha, parājaya vā khaṇḍana karena.

Jayapatākā Swami: Viśvambhara has defeated all those who were studying under Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.38

nimāira katipaya mukhya sahādhyāyī—
murāri gupta, śrī-kamalākānta-nāma
kṛṣṇānanda-ādi yata goṣṭhīra pradhāna

Jayapatākā Swami: There were a number of groups who were teaching the students in Navadvīpa. Some of those groups were headed by Murāri Gupta, Kamalā-kanta, Kṛṣṇānanda and many others.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Ādi 8.39

vayojyeṣṭha sakala sahādhyāyīra parājaya-sādhana—
sabāre cālaye prabhu phāṅki jijñāsiyā
śiśu-jñāne keha kichu nā bole hāsiyā

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: murāri-gupta—‘caitanya-carita’-nāmaka saṁskṛta mahākāvyera racayitā; śrīhaṭṭe vaidyakule prakaṭita, pare navadvīpa-pravāsī, gaṅgā dāsa-paṇḍitera chātra (ādi 8ma aḥ) vayojyeṣṭha murārira sahita nimāira kakṣā-dāna (ādi 10ma aḥ), gayā haite phiriyā prabhura kṛṣṇa-virahottha bhaktimudrā darśane murārira harṣa, (madhya 1ma aḥ), murāri-gṛhe prabhura varāharūpa pradarśana (madhya 3ya aḥ, caitanya-caritāmṛta ādi 17 paḥ, nityānanda-gaurera paraspara stuti-śravaṇe murāri sahāsye rahasyokti (madhya 4rtha aḥ), pratirātrite śrīvāsāṅgane prabhura kīrtana saṅgī (madhya 8ma aḥ), prabhura mahāprakāśakāle murārira mūrchā o tatpara premakrandana o prabhustuti evaṁ prabhurao svabhṛtya murāri stuti (madhya 10ma aḥ); murāri prabhṛti bhaktagaṇera paraspara jalakrīḍā (madhya 13śa aḥ); mahālakṣmīveśe prabhura nṛtya, rātrite haridāsa-saha murārira ‘koṭāla’-veśe prabhura abhinaya-ghoṣaṇā (madhya 18śa aḥ); ekadina murāri śrīvāsa gṛhe upaviṣṭa gaura nityānanda-darśane prathame gaurake, pare nityānandake praṇāma karile ‘tumi vyavahāra atikramapūrvaka praṇāma kariyācha’ baliyā murārira prati prabhura asantoṣokti evaṁ rātrite svapnayoge nityānanda-tattva kīrtana, paradivasa prāte murārira prathame nityānandake, pare gaurake praṇāma, taddarśane santuṣṭa haiyā prabhura murārike svīya carvita tāmbula-prasāda pradāna, prabhūcchiṣṭa tāmbula-prasāde murārira prema o aprākṛta-buddhi, prabhura īśvarāveśe murārira nikaṭa kāśīvāsī nirviśeṣavādī ekadaṇḍī prakāśānandera prati krodhokti o tatprasaṅge svīya vāstava nāma-rūpa-guṇa-līlādira nityasatyatva kīrtana, murārike varadāna, prabhura uddeśye murārira ghṛta-sikta anna nivedana, paradina prāteḥ gurubhojana-phale prabhura ajīrṇa-līlābhinaya dekhāiyā murāri-samīpe cikitsārtha āgamana o murārira jalapātrasthita

jala-pāna o ārogyalābha-līlābhinaya; anya ekadina śrīvāsagṛhe prabhura caturbhujarūpa-dhāraṇa, murārira garuḍabhāva o prabhura tatskandhe ārohaṇa, prabhura aprakaṭe tadīya viraha asahya haibe, bhāviyā prabhura prakaṭakālei murārira dehatyāga-saṅkalpa evaṁ antaryāmi-prabhurao tāṅhāra saṅkalpa-nivāraṇaityādi prasaṅga (madhya 20śa adhaḥ, murāri prabhṛti bhaktagaṇa-saha prabhura niśāya nagara-kīrtana, śrīdhara-gṛhe jalapāna darśane murāri prabhṛti bhaktagaṇera ānanda krandana (madhya 23śa aḥ), prabhura sannyāsānte advaita-gṛhe āgamana śravaṇe śacīsaha murāri

prabhṛti bhāra tathāya gamana (caitanya-caritāmṛta madhya 3ya paḥ 153) prativarṣe prabhu-darśanārtha murāri prabhṛti bhaktagaṇera pūrī gamana

caitanya-caritāmṛta madhya 11śa paḥ 86, madhya 16śa paḥ 16, antya 10 ma paḥ 9, 121, 140, 12śa paḥ 13), ekadina prabhura ādeśe murārira rāghavastuti-sūcaka aṣṭa-śloka pāṭha, prabhura vara dāna (antya 4rtha aḥ), narendra-sarovare jalakeli (antya 9ma aḥ); murārira dainyokti o prabhukapā lābha (caitanya-caritāmṛta āḥ 17śa paḥ 77-78, madhya 11śa paḥ 152-158), murārira śrī-rāma-niṣṭhā-darśane tāṅhāra yathārtha ‘rāma-dāsa’-ākhyā-prāpti (caitanya-caritāmṛta ādi 17śa paḥ 69, madhya 15śa paḥ 219), prabhura dākṣiṇātya-saṅgī kālā-kṛṣṇa-dāsera navadvīpe āgamana śravaṇe tatsaha sākṣātkāra (caitanya-caritāmṛta madhya 10 ma paḥ 81), rathāgre kīrtana (caitanya-caritāmṛta 13śa paḥ 40) sanātana-saha milana (caitanya-caritāmṛta antya 4rtha paḥ 108, 7ma paḥ 47), navadvīpe jagadānanda-saha milana (caitanya-caritāmṛta anta 12śa paḥ 98 saṁkhyā) prabhṛti vṛttānta draṣṭavya.

Jayapatākā Swami: Nimāi would pose questions to each of these groups and His questions could be replied to because if someone answers the questions, he would expose himself as having incomplete knowledge, because Lord Caitanya would defeat the person and then establish the person’s point. Hearing Viśvambhara’s questions, the other teachers and paṇḍitas would just smile and thinking Nimāi was a neophyte student, and someone need not answer such questions.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 15.6

alpakālei pāradarśitā—
alpa-kāle hailā paṣjī-ṭīkāte pravīṇa
cira-kālera paḍuyā jine ha-iyā navīna

Translation: He soon became so expert in commenting on the Pañjī-ṭīkā that He could win victory over all the other students, although He was a neophyte.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: Pañjī-ṭīkā vyākaraṇera ‘pañjī-ṭīkā’ nāme ekaṭī prasiddha ṭīkā chila, mahāprabhu tāhāra ṭippanī prastuta karena.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says there was a commentary on grammar named Pañjī-ṭīkā that was later explained very lucidly by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya known Viśvambhara became expert discussing the work on grammar known as Pañjī-ṭīkā and He could defeat all the other students and professors although He was considered a neophyte student Himself.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 15.7

adhyayana-līlā prabhura dāsa-vṛndāvana
‘caitanya-maṅgale’ kaila vistāri varṇana

Translation: In his book Caitanya-maṅgala [which later became Caitanya-bhāgavata], Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has very elaborately described the Lord’s pastimes of study.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Caitanya-Bhāgavata ādi, 4rtha, 6ṣṭha, 7ma, 8ma, 9ma o 10ma aḥ draṣṭavya.

Purport: The Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa, chapters four, six, seven, eight, nine and ten, are a good reference for the studious pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Note for editors by Jayapatākā Swami: All books: One book says that one pastime, other books says the pastime… We don’t have to repeat that. We are combining them together, because every pastime. Sometime pastime is explained in one book, some in two books, some in three, some four. We are just highlighting the pastime combining all the version, different renditions, thus more or less we have total pastime.