20181117 Śrī Gaurāṅga's display of Prema-bhakti

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurun dina tāriṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: So today we are continuing with Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. Different historians have written about His different līlās and some of the historians gave different details. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta Mahā-kāvya verses and Caitanya-caritāmṛta verses Ādi-līlā 17.9, so the verses from Caitanya-caritāmṛta with translation and purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. I won’t. . . just have the translation and purports read out.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 17.9

dīkṣā-anantare haila, premera prakāśa
deśe āgamana punaḥ premera vilāsa

Translation: In Gayā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was initiated by Īśvara Purī, and immediately afterwards He exhibited signs of love of Godhead. He again displayed such symptoms after returning home.

Purport: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Gayā, accompanied by many of His disciples, He became sick on the way. He had such a high fever that He asked His students to bring water that had washed the feet of brāhmaṇas, and when they brought it the Lord drank it and was cured. Therefore everyone should respect the position of a brāhmaṇa, as indicated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Neither the Lord nor His followers displayed any disrespect to brāhmaṇas.

The followers of the Lord must be prepared to offer brāhmaṇas all due respect. But preachers of Lord Caitanya’s cult object if someone presents himself as a brāhmaṇa without having the necessary qualifications. The followers of Lord Caitanya cannot blindly accept that everyone born in a brāhmaṇa family is a brāhmaṇa. Therefore one should not indiscriminately follow the Lord’s example of showing respect to brāhmaṇas by drinking water that has washed their feet. Gradually the brāhmaṇa families have become degraded because of the contamination of Kali-yuga. Thus they misguide people by exploiting their sentiments.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.10

gayā haite prabhura pratyāgamana, sakalera harṣa o kuśala sambhāṣaṇa—

gayā kari’ āilena śrī-gaurasundara
paripūrṇa dhvani haila nadīyā-nagara

Jayapatākā Swami: As soon as Śrī Gaurasundara returned from Gayā, the entire city of Navadvīpa was filled with the news.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.11

gaura-darśane navadvīpera ullāsa evaṁ prabhura sakalera prati harṣa-sambhāṣaṇa o svīya tīrtha-yātrā-varṇana—

dhāilena yata saba āpta-varga āche
keha āge, keha mājhe, keha ati pāche

Jayapatākā Swami: So the Lord’s relatives and friends came running to see the Lord. Someone was ahead, someone in the middle and someone . . . [A-side: what is that ati pāche?] some way behind.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.12

yathā-yogya kailā prabhu sabāre sambhāṣa
viśvambhare dekhi’ sabe hailā ullāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord, He spoke to everyone in a befitting manner and to see Viśvambhara everyone became very happy, very jubilant.

So this shows how people in Navadvīpa had so much natural affection and devotion for Lord Gaurasundara. Although they didn’t consider Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead – but they loved Him in any case.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.13

āguvāḍi’ sabe ānilena nija-ghare
tīrtha-kathā sabāre kahena viśvambhare

Jayapatākā Swami: So the Lord was accompanied by all these friends and relatives who had greeted the Lord and took Him to His own house. There Viśvambhara told everyone the topics of His pilgrimage.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.14

sakalake prabhura savinaye nija pratyāgamana-kathana—

prabhu bale,—“tomā sabākāra āśīrvāde
gayā-bhūmi dekhiyā āinu nirvirodhe”

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord said because of all your blessings on Me, I visited the sacred bhūmi of Gayā and seen this abode of the Lord and the whole journey was without any difficulty.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.15

sakalera santoṣa o āśīrvāda-jñāpana—

parama sunamra hai’ prabhu kathā kaya
sabe tuṣṭa hailā dekhi’ prabhura vinaya

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord spoke with a supremely humble tone and everybody was very satisfied to see the Lord and His great humility.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.16

śire hasta diyā keha ’cirajīvī kare
sarva-aṅge hasta diyā keha mantra paḍe

Jayapatākā Swami: Some touched the Lord’s head and gave Him blessing that, “You may live forever”. Some touched different limbs of the Lord with their hands while chanting different mantras.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.17

keha vakṣe hasta diyā kare āśīrvāda
“govinda śītalānanda karuna prasāda”

Jayapatākā Swami: Some put their hands on the Lord’s chest and gave Him the following blessing: “May Govinda give You very soothing, blissful mercy on You.”

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.18

prabhu-darśane mātāra o śbaśurakulera mahānanda—

hailā ānanda-mayīśacī bhāgyavatī
putra dekhi’ hariṣe nā jāne āche kati

Jayapatākā Swami: Mother Śacī, who is most fortunate was filled with joy, seeing her divine son. She forgot herself while in the bliss of seeing her son.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.19

lakṣmīra janaka kule ānanda uṭhila
pati-mukha dekhiyā lakṣmīra duḥkha gela

Jayapatākā Swami: The family of Viṣṇupriyā, the father became most happy and Viṣṇupriyā’s distress was vanquished as soon as she looked at the face of her husband.

Lakṣmīpriyā, Viṣṇupriyā, they are all different Lakṣmīs from the spiritual world. Lakṣmīpriyā is Śrī Devī. Viṣṇupriyā is Bhū Devī and Navadvīpa dhāma is Nīlā Devī. So these are the three consorts of Lord Nārāyaṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.20

sakala vaiṣṇava-gaṇa hariṣa hailādekhite
o sei-kṣaṇe keha keha gelā

Jayapatākā Swami: So all the Vaiṣṇavas became very pleased, some to see the Lord. At that time, they immediately went to see the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.21

yathāyogya sambhāṣaṇānte sakalake bidāẏa-dāna—

sabākāre kari’ prabhu vinaya-sambhāṣa
vidāya dilena sabe gelā nija-vāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: Now the Lord speaking very humbly, He spoke with everyone, and He gave everyone a farewell and they went home to their own houses.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.22

 

nirjane katipaya antaraṅga bhakta-samīpe gayā-dhāma rahasya-varṇana—

viṣṇu-bhakta guṭi-dui-cāri-jana
laiyārahaḥ-kathā kahibāre vasilena giyā

Jayapatākā Swami: Kichu (some) viṣṇu-bhaktas, some two or four people, were taken to tell them some confidential topics. So He sat them down to reveal His mind.

So this verse indicates that the Lord took a small number of Viṣṇu devotees. In the world, there are two kinds of people – those who want to be masters of the material energy and enjoy their senses, and those who worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the minority engage in the service of the Supreme Lord, these are called as Vaiṣṇavas or viṣṇu-bhaktas. So Śrī Gaurasundara, He began to discuss confidential topics about Lord Hari with such Vaiṣṇavas, a few of such Vaiṣṇavas.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.23

prabhu bale,—“bandhu-saba śuna,
kahi kathākṛṣṇera apūrva ye dekhiluṅ yathā yathā

Jayapatākā Swami: So the Lord said, “O friends, please listen, I will tell you a confidential topic. I have never seen such wonders of Kṛṣṇa. Please hear about them.”

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.24

gayāra bhitara mātra hailāṅa praveśa
prathamei śunilāṅa maṅgala viśeṣa

Jayapatākā Swami: As soon as I entered into Gayā dhāma I heard some auspicious sounds.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.25

sahasra sahasra vipra paḍe veda-dhvani
’dekha dekha viṣṇu pādodaka tīrtha-khāni’

Jayapatākā Swami: Thousands and thousands of brāhmaṇas were reciting the prayers from the Vedas. They said, “Look at, come and see Lord Viṣṇu’s footprints. The holy place where He washed His lotus feet.”

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.26

gaura-kṛṣṇera devadurlabha pāda-tīrtha-pūta tīrtha-sthāna

pūrve kṛṣṇa yabe kailā gayā-agamana
sei-sthāne rahi’ prabhu dhuilā caraṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: When Kṛṣṇa previously went to the Gayā dhāma, at that place He stayed and washed His lotus feet there.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.27–28

yāṅra pādodaka lāgi’ gaṅgāra mahattva
śire dhari’ śiva jāne pādodaka-tattva

se caraṇa-udaka-prabhāve sei sthāna
jagate haila ‘pādodaka-tīrtha’ nāma”

Jayapatākā Swami: So the Ganges became sacred by touching the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu and that was caught by Lord Śiva on his head. So the place where the lotus feet of the Lord Kṛṣṇa were bathed, that place in the world is known as ‘Pādodaka-tīrtha’, a holy place of the Lord’s foot bathing.

So there are some Sanskrit verses here which say that, who else is worthy of the name Supreme Personality of Godhead other than Kṛṣṇa? And the water emanating from the nails of His lotus feet were collected by Lord Brahmā and provided to Lord Śiva as a worshipable thing. This very water, the Ganges is purifying the whole universe, including Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva is blessed, and he becomes more blessed by wearing on his head the holy waters of the Ganges, who is sacred because she has bathed the lotus feet of the Lord. The Lord’s feet act like thunderbolts, which smashes mountains of sins, smashes, smashes by the Ganges. Therefore, one should meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.29

kṛṣṇapāda-tīrtha-smaraṇe prabhura apūrva premavikāra-prakāśa-varṇana—
pāda-padma-tīrthera laite prabhu nāma
ajhare jharaye dui kamala-nayana

Jayapatākā Swami: As soon as the Lord mentioned the Pāda-padma-tīrtha, and when He was chanting the names of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, His two lotus eyes poured down tears incessantly.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.30

śeṣe prabhu hailena baḍa asambara
‘kṛṣṇa’ bali’ kāndite lāgilā bahutara

Jayapatākā Swami: In the end the Lord, He lost His complete composure, and He was chanting the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and profusely He was crying, calling out on the names of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Now remember, that when He left, He was Nimāi Paṇḍita and He was not particularly devotional. He would defeat other paṇḍitas by argumentation by His learning. Now just saying the name of Kṛṣṇa, He lost His composure and He started to cry profusely crying out loudly on the name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So He could not conceal His true nature. So Vaiṣṇavas present, they must have been very surprised at His change and also very happy.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.31

bharila puṣpera vana mahāprema-jale
mahāśvāsa chāḍi’ prabhu ’kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa’ bale

Jayapatākā Swami: So this flower garden became filled with the water of His great love of Kṛṣṇa. The tears from His eyes inundated His flower garden. The Lord sighed heavily as He chanted, ‘Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa’, the name of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.32

pulake pūrṇita haila sarva-kalevara
sthira nahe prabhu kampa-bhare thara-thara

Jayapatākā Swami: So hairs all over His body were standing on end and the Lord could not remain still and the Lord, His body was filled with quivering.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.33

śrīmān paṇḍitādi-bhaktagaṇera prabhura apūrva prema-vikāra-darśana

śrīmān paṇḍita-ādi yata bhakta-gaṇa
dekhena apūrva kṛṣṇa-premera krandana

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīmān Paṇḍita and all the other devotees saw the wonderful crying of Lord in pure love of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.34

prabhura premāśrudhārāra sahita gaṅgāra upamā

catur-dike nayane bahaye prema-dhāra
gaṅgā yena āsiyā karilā avatāra

Jayapatākā Swami: Tears were flowing from His eyes in all the four directions as if the Ganges had descended and come there!

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.35

taddarśane bhaktagaṇera bismaẏa, prabhura prati kṛṣṇaprasādānumāna

mane mane sabei cintena camatkāra
“e-mata ihāne kabhu nāhi dekhi āra

Jayapatākā Swami: Everybody was thinking in their minds and were struck with wonder. They thought they had never seen him in this way before.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.36

śrī-kṛṣṇera anugraha haila ihāne
ki vaibhava pathe vā haila daraśane”

Jayapatākā Swami: He must have got the special mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa or perhaps He has seen something on the path.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.37

prabhura bāhyadaśā-lābha o ālāpa
bāhya-dṛṣṭi prabhura haila kata-kṣaṇe
śeṣe prabhu sambhāṣā karilā sabā sane

Jayapatākā Swami: So after a while the Lord got His external vision back and He began to speak to everybody who was present there in a very humble way.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.38

prabhu kahe,—“bandhu saba! āji ghare yāha
kāli yathā bali’ tathā āsibāre cāha

Jayapatākā Swami: So the Lord said, “Friends, today go to your homes, tomorrow I will tell you where to come so that we may talk tomorrow.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.39

tomā sabā sahita nibhṛta eka sthāne
mora duḥkha sakala kariba nivedane

Jayapatākā Swami: I would like to tell all of you in some solitary place. I will reveal all the sadness, all the miseries, I will reveal all this to you tomorrow.

So Lord Caitanya wanted to reveal to the Vaiṣṇavas His feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa. The love of Kṛṣṇa that He was experiencing but He did not want any materialistic people, because they would misunderstand His suffering for separation from Kṛṣṇa. I can open My heart and reveal the pain I feel for separation from Kṛṣṇa to intimate devotees like yourselves.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya 1.40

paradina duijanake śuklāmbara gṛhe āgamanārtha anurodha

kali sabe śuklāmbara-brahmacārī ghare
tumi āra sadāśiva āsiha satvare”

Jayapatākā Swami: You can come to the house of Suklāmbara Brahmacārī. You and Sadāśiva should come early tomorrow. So He may have been addressing Śrīmān Paṇḍita, the brother of Śrīvāsa and Sadāśiva. Some say that He was referring to Murāri Paṇḍita and Sadāśiva.

This was the first day of Lord Gaurasundara’s reaching in Navadvīpa dhāma. So He came back with a totally different mood, a mood of love of Kṛṣṇa. So the Vaiṣṇavas were very jubilant to see these changes in Nimāi Paṇḍita. They had been blessing Him that He may have devotion for Kṛṣṇa. This reminds me by talking about the Ganges that I think today or tomorrow, Monday or Tuesday, is the final Ekādaśī of the Dāmodara month and from the Ekādaśī to the full moon day is the time also one can observe the Bhīṣma-Pañcaka. In Māyāpur we have the Ganges there so we can directly bathe in the Ganges. But within the 80,000 yojanas over outer space if one chants the name of Ganges three times loudly, then the Ganges comes. So one can offer this Bhīṣma-Pañcaka even here in Chennai or anywhere in the world. So I have given my video on Facebook which should explain something of the glories of Bhīṣma-Pañcaka. As far as the diet is considered, one has three options: Pañcagavya, fruits and roots or haviṣanna. So this is a five-day vrata. Many people go on some fast for the five days. And why not do it when you get some special mercy from Kṛṣṇa? So we will print other details and hopefully tomorrow. Hare Kṛṣṇa!