20181209 Gaurāṅga Manifests Ecstatic Symptoms

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book work 9^th December 2018 in Chennai, India by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Guru Mahārāja. Reading from Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.271-294.

Under the section: Gaurāṅga Manifests Ecstatic Symptoms

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Jayapatākā Swami: Today we will continue with the compilation of the Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today is Sunday so our physiotherapist he gets off on Sundays. We usually have voice therapy, but our voice therapist came on Friday, and he went to Amritsar today. So this morning we had our TOVP exhibits meeting and that lasted about three hours with people from Australia, India, England and America. For some people it was very early in the morning and for some people it was late at night. Otherwise, I spent the rest of the day with physical therapies and chanting and little rest. So now we will continue with the reading.

Lord Caitanya was Nimāi Paṇḍita when He left Navadvīpa. When He came back from Gayā He was fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. His students were bewildered and thought He had some disease and had some displaced airs in His body. So now Lord Caitanya is meeting His Sanskrit teacher, we consider teacher, a kind of guru. His dīkṣā-guru was Īśvara Purī, His Sanskrit guru was Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita. So how He went to visit Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita and His students had also come to see what would happen.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.271

prabhu o gaṅgādāsa paṇḍitera paraspara vyavahāra—

gurura caraṇa-dhūli prabhu laya śire
“vidyā-lābha hau”guru āśīrvāda kare

Translation: The Lord took the dust from the feet of His guru, and His guru blessed Him, saying, “May You attain knowledge.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Viśvambhara took the dust from the lotus feet of His Sanskrit guru and He placed it on His head. The guru gave Him a blessing that “may You achieve transcendental knowledge.”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.272

gaṅgādāsa-kartṛka prabhura vaṁśa o vyaktigata pāṇḍityera praśaṁsā—

guru bale,—“bāpa viśvambhara! śuna vākya
brāhmaṇera adhyayana nahe alpa bhāgya

Translation: The Lord’s teacher said, “My dear Viśvambhara, please hear my words. The studying of a brāhmaṇa is not the result of being less fortunate.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord’s teacher said, my dear Son, Viśvambhara, listen to my words, “The brāhmaṇa’s study of the scriptures is not because of some small fortune.”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.273

mātāmaha yāṅra—cakravartī nīlāmbara
bāpa yāṅra—jagannātha-miśra-purandara

Translation: “Your maternal grandfather is Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, and Your father is Jagannātha Miśra Purandara.

Jayapatākā Swami: “Your maternal grandfather is Nīlāmbara Cakravartī and You are the student and You are the son of Jagannātha Miśra Purandhara.”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.274

ubhaya-kulete mūrkha nāhika tomāra
tumi o parama-yogya vyākhāne ṭīkāra

Translation: “There are no fools in either Your maternal or paternal families, and You Yourself are most qualified to explain the commentaries.

Jayapatākā Swami: “Both of Your forefathers’ dynasties do not have any fools in them and You are supremely qualified to explain all the commentaries of the scriptures.”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.275

brāhmaṇera sarvottama o ekamātra kṛtya adhyayana-praśasti-mukhe prabhuke upadeśa—

adhyayana chāḍile se yadi bhakti haya
bāpa-mātāmaha ki tomāra ’bhakta’ naya?

Translation: “If by giving up studies one becomes a devotee, then were Your father and grandfather not devotees?

Jayapatākā Swami: “If by giving up studies one becomes a devotee, my dear child, were Your grandfather… not devotees?... Your father and grandfather not devotees?”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.276

ihā jāni’ bhāla-mate kara’ adhyayana
adhyayana haile se vaiṣṇava-brāhmaṇa

Translation: “Remembering all this, practice Your lessons properly. Only through proper study can one become a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa.

Commentary: “According to my instructions, for now You should leave aside Your explanations of devotional service to the Lord and concentrate on studying and teaching the śāstras. As a result of studying the śāstras, You and Your students will actually become Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas. Simply by studying the Vedas and literatures in pursuance of the Vedas one can become a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa. If one does not undergo the purificatory processes under the guidance of an ācārya and becomes indifferent to the study of the Vedas, then he will face disturbances in realizing the devotional service of Viṣṇu.”

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.65) it is stated:

śāstra-yuktye sunipuṇa, dṛḍha-śraddhā yāṅra
’uttama-adhikārī sei tāraye saṁsāra

“One who is expert in logic, argument and the revealed scriptures and who has firm faith in Kṛṣṇa is classified as a topmost devotee. He can deliver the whole world.”

In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.17) it is said:

śāstre yuktau ca nipuṇaḥ
sarvathā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
prauḍha-śraddho ’dhikārī yaḥ
sa bhaktāv uttamo mataḥ

“One who is expert in logic and understanding of revealed scriptures, and who always has firm conviction and deep faith that is not blind, is to be considered a topmost devotee in devotional service.”

Jayapatākā Swami: “Knowing this You should study properly. Only by study can one become a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa.”

So Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita is instructing Viśvambhara that He should stop His detailed explanation of devotional service and take to the study of the Vedas and Vedic literature. “As a result of studying the śāstras, even Your students will actually become Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas. Simply by studying the Vedas and Vedic literatures one can become a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa. If one does not undergo the purificatory processes under the guidance of an ācārya and becomes indifferent to study of the Vedic literatures, then he will realize disturbances in the devotional service of Lord Viṣṇu.”

The Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 22.65 describes that “one who is expert in logic argument and revealing scriptures, and one who has firm faith in Lord Kṛṣṇa is classified as a uttama-adhikārī or topmost devotee. He can deliver the whole world.”

Similar quote is found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.277

bhadrābhadra mūrkha dvija jānibe kemane?
ihā jāni’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ bala, kara, adhyayane

Translation: “How will an ignorant twice-born know what is proper and what is not? Knowing this, You should chant the name of Kṛṣṇa and concentrate on Your studies.

Commentary: The word bhadrābhadra is a combination of the words bhadra (śreyaḥ, or ultimate benefit) and abhadra (preyaḥ, or temporary gratification) and means “good and bad,” “beneficial and nonbeneficial,” “auspicious and inauspicious,” or “proper and improper.”

“Although a foolish person devoid of Vedic study may be a so-called brāhmaṇa, he is not qualified to discriminate between good and bad. Therefore, if by Your instructions Your students become neglectful in their study of the scriptures and simply chant, ’Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa,’ then they will not be able to understand what is right and what is wrong.”

Jayapatākā Swami: “How will an uneducated brāhmaṇa or a twice born know what is proper and what is improper? Knowing this, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and continue with Your studies.”

So Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita was requesting Lord Caitanya that if He did not have His students study, then they will not be able to distinguish what was to be done and what was not to be done. So they have to study the Vedas and Vedic literature and chant, both. Otherwise they will create some disturbance.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.278

bhāla-mate giyāśāstra vasiyā paḍāo
vyatirikta artha kara’,—mora māthā khāo”

Translation: “Go now, but promise me that You will teach the scriptures properly without any different meanings.”

Commentary: The word vyatirikta means “opposite,” “contradictory,” “independent,” “separate,” or “different.”

The words māthā khāo refers to the imposition of a vow on someone or the criteria for one’s ruination.

Jayapatākā Swami: “So You should go and You should teach the meaning of the scriptures properly. And promise me You will do this. Don’t give any different meanings.”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.279-281

paravidyāpati prabhura nirbhīka ahaṅkārokti o ātmasamarthaṇa—

prabhu bale,—“tomāra dui-caraṇa-prasāde
navadvīpe keha more nā pāre vivāde

āmi ye vākhāni sūtra kariyā khaṇḍana
navadvīpe tāhā sthāpibeka kon jana?

nagare vasiyā ei paḍāimu giyādekhi,—
kāra śakti āche, dūṣuka āsiyā?”

Translation: The Lord said, “By the mercy of your feet, no one in Navadvīpa can stand before Me in debate. Who in Navadvīpa can refute My explanations of the sūtras? I will teach publicly in the middle of city. Let Me see who has the power to challenge Me.”

Commentary: For an elaboration on these verses, one should see Ādi-khaṇḍa, Chapter Ten, verses 16-18.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord said “by the mercy of your lotus feet, nobody can stand before Me in debate in Navadvīpa.”

“Whatever I defeat… Whatever I refute by the commentaries, who in Navadvīpa is a person who can establish a conclusion different from Mine?”

“Who in Navadvīpa can refute My explanations of the commentaries? I will sit in the middle of the city and will teach publicly. Let Me see. Who has the power to challenge Me?”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.282

tacchrabaṇe gaṅgādāsera harṣa, prabhura vidāyagrahaṇa—
hariṣa hailā guru śuniyā vacana
calilā gurura kari’ caraṇa-vandana

Translation: Gaṅgādāsa became pleased on hearing these words of the Lord, who then offered respects at His guru’s feet and departed.

Jayapatākā Swami: Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita became pleased hearing the words of Lord Caitanya. So Viśvambhara, He left that place, touching the lotus feet of His teacher.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.283

granthakāra kartṛka gaṅgādāsa paṇḍitera mahā-saubhāgya-praśaṁsā—

gaṅgādāsa-paṇḍita-caraṇe namaskāra
veda-pati sarasvatī-pati—śiṣya yāṅra

Translation: I offer my humble obeisances at the feet of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, whose disciple is Lord of the Vedas and master of the goddess of learning.

Commentary: For a description of the phrase veda-pati sarasvatī-pati, one should refer to the statements of Lord Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava found in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.21.26-43).

Jayapatākā Swami: I offer my obeisances at the lotus feet of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita who’s disciple is the Lord of the Vedas and the Master of the Goddess Sarasvatī, Goddess of learning.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.284

āra kibā gaṅgādāsa-paṇḍitera sādhya?
yāṅra śiṣya—catur-daśa-bhuvana-ārādhya

Translation: What else is there to be attained by Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, whose student is worshiped throughout the fourteen worlds?

Commentary: The phrase āra kibā sādhya means “what other superior desired result is there?”

Jayapatākā Swami: What more can be achieved by Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, his student is worshipped throughout the 14 planetary systems?

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.285

calilā paḍuyā-saṅge prabhu viśvambhara
tārakā veṣṭita yena pūrṇa-śaśadhara

Translation: As Lord Viśvambhara walked along with His students, He appeared like the full moon surrounded by the stars.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Viśvambhara, He went along with His students; He was like a moon surrounded by many stars.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.286

gaṅgātaṭe janaika paurajana-gṛhe basiyā prabhura svakṛta vyākhyāya garvokti o ātmaślāghā—
vasilā āsiyā nagariyāra duyāre
yāṅhāra caraṇa—lakṣmī-hṛdaya-upare

Translation: He whose lotus feet are kept on the heart of Lakṣmī came and sat at the doorstep of a local resident’s house.

Jayapatākā Swami: Viśvambhara whose lotus feet are kept on the heart of Lakṣmī Devī, He came and sat at the doorway of the residence of Navadvīpa.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.287

yogapaṭṭa-chānde vastra kariyā bandhana
sūtrera karaye prabhu khaṇḍana sthāpana

Translation: Wearing His cloth like a sannyāsī, the Lord repeatedly established and refuted sūtras.

Commentary: For an explanation of the phrase yogapaṭṭa-chānde, one should refer to Ādi-khaṇḍa, Chapter Ten, verse 12.

Jayapatākā Swami: He tied His cloth in the way a sannyāsī ties His cloth. He emplained… Viśvambhara explained the commentaries or sūtras and refuted others with His arguments.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.288-290

prabhu bale,—“sandhi-kārya-jñāna nāhi yāra
kali-yuge ’bhaṭṭācārya’-padavī tāhāra

śabda-jñāna nāhi yāra, se tarka vākhāne
āmāre ta’ prabodhite nāre kona-jane

ye āmi khaṇḍana kari, ye kari sthāpana
dekhi,—tāhā anyathā karuka kon jana?”

Translation: The Lord said, “In Kali-yuga, one who does not have any knowledge about the conjunction of words is awarded the title Bhaṭṭācārya.

Commentary: one who has no knowledge of grammar is engaged in explaining logic. But none of them can defeat Me. Who can challenge the way I refute and reestablish a sūtra?”

For an elaboration on these verses, one should refer to Ādi-khaṇḍa, Chapter Ten, verses 42-45, and Chapter Twelve, verses 271-275.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Viśvambhara said, “a combination of the Sanskrit words, who does not know this science, in Kali-yuga, he is given the title Bhaṭṭācārya.”

“Those who have no knowledge of grammar, they are explaining logic, but nobody can defeat… but none of them are able to defeat Me.”

“When I refute, who can challenge? Let Me see! So that was I refute and that was what I established, let Me see anyone who can prove anything wrong that I am saying!”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.291

prabhu-kṛta vyākhyā-khaṇḍane sakala paṇḍiterai asāmarthya—

ei-mata bale viśvambhara viśvanātha
pratyuttara karibeka, hena śakti kāta?

Translation: In this way, Viśvambhara, the Lord of the universe, spoke. Who has the power to answer His challenge?

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Viśvambhara Viśvanātha spoke. Viśvanātha means the Lord of the Universe. Who has the power to answer His challenge?

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.292

gaṅgā dekhibāre yata adhyāpaka yāya
śuniyā, sabāra ahaṅkāra cūrṇa haya

Translation: The pride of those teachers who heard such words as they passed by on their way to take bath in the Ganges was smashed to pieces.

Jayapatākā Swami: Those teachers who went on their path to the Ganges, when they heard this challenge, their pride was smashed.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.293

kār śakti āche viśvambharera samīpe
siddhānta dibeka,—hena āche navadvīpe?

Translation: Who in Navadvīpa had the power to establish a conclusion before Viśvambhara?

Jayapatākā Swami: Who in Navadvīpa has the power to establish a conclusion before Viśvambhara?

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.294

rātrite bahukṣaṇa yābat prabhura nijānurūpa-vyākhyā—

ei-mata āveśe vākhāne’ viśvambhara
cāri-daṇḍa rātri, tabu nāhi avasara

Translation: In this way, Viśvambhara was absorbed in ecstasy as He continued to give His explanations well into the night.

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Viśvambhara, He was absorbed in giving His explanations. He continued to give His explanations well into the night. Still there was no end.

Alright, we stop here. We will continue tomorrow night.