20181217 Śrī Krishna Caitanya Book

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book work 17^th December 2018 in Chennai

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Guru Mahārāja

Reading from Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.392

Under the section: The beginning of Mahāprabhu’s manifestations

* * *

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

Introduction: So today we will continue with the compilation of the Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book. Lord Caitanya has returned from Gayā where He was initiated by Īśvara Purī Mahārāja. Then He became totally absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He was constantly chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa and He was in great ecstasy of separation. So He had informed the Vaiṣṇavas about His state of mind. He had informed His mother and instructed her. Now He is telling the students His situation. He told them that He will not teach them anymore because all He can think of is Kṛṣṇa. They also said we cannot go anywhere else, if You have taken the decision to not study, then we also take the same decision of not studying. So that is where we are now.

So then today is Monday. We had the physical therapy in the morning and voice therapy and then some exercises in the afternoon. And also answered some emails. That’s about how the whole day went. The cyclone that was in the Chennai and Andhra coast has moved to the north. Today we got sun. So we will continue now.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.392

niravadhi śravaṇe śunaha kṛṣṇa-nāma
kṛṣṇa hau tomā sabākāra dhana prāṇa

Translation: “Constantly hear the names of Kṛṣṇa. May Lord Kṛṣṇa be your life and wealth.

Jayapatākā Swami: “Constantly hear the names of Kṛṣṇa. May Kṛṣṇa be your… all of your life and wealth.”

Lord Nimāi Paṇḍita is giving His blessings to His students. He had embraced them and He was crying and the students were crying hearing that they will be separated from their guru, from their teacher. So then Lord Nimāi Paṇḍita is giving them blessings.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.393

ye paḍilā, se-i bhāla, āra kārya nāi
sabe meli ’kṛṣṇa’ balibāṇa eka ṭhāṅi

Translation: “Whatever you have learned is enough. There is no need for further studies. Now let us chant the names of Kṛṣṇa together.

Commentary: The word kārya means “requirement” or “necessity.”

Jayapatākā Swami: “Whatever you have studied and learnt, that is good, that’s enough… that is good enough. There is no more need for further studies. Everyone now let us come together and chant the names of Kṛṣṇa, in unison.”

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.394

kṛṣṇera kṛpāya śāstra sphuruka sabāra
tumi-saba—janma-janma bāndhava āmāra”

Translation: “By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, let the purport of the scriptures be revealed to you. You are all My friends, birth after birth.”

Jayapatākā Swami: “By the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa may the purport of the scriptures manifest in everyone’s consciousness. All of you are My friends, birth after birth.”

Vṛndāvanadāsa Ṭhākura had said that these students were certainly Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates. That is confirmed in this verse where Lord Nimāi Paṇḍita says, you are My friends, birth after birth.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.395

prabhura amṛta-vākya śuni’ śiṣya-gaṇa
parama-ānanda-mana haila tata-kṣaṇa

Translation: On hearing the Lord’s nectarean words, the students became filled with ecstasy.

Jayapatākā Swami: On hearing the nectarean words of the Lord, the students became filled with transcendental ecstasy, at that time.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.396

se-saba śiṣyera pāya mora namaskāra
caitanyera śiṣyatve haila bhāgya yāṅra

Translation: I offer my humble obeisances at the feet of those students, who were sufficiently fortunate to become Lord Caitanya’s students.

Commentary: The author offers his humble obeisances at the feet of those most fortunate students, who as a result of heaps of pious activities accumulated from many births achieved the rare, incomparable fortune of becoming Śrī Viśvambhara’s students.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Vṛndāvanadāsa Ṭhākura he offers his humble obeisances at the lotus… feet of those who are the students of Lord Caitanya. They were sufficiently fortunate to become Lord Caitanya’s students.

So Vṛndāvanadāsa Ṭhākura offers his humble obeisances at the feet of the most fortunate students, who as a result of incalculable pious activities, accumulated for many births, achieved the rare incomparable fortune of becoming Śrī Viśvambhara’s students. This is the ultimate goal of human life, to be part of the Lord’s transcendental pastimes. The ecstasy, the bliss, that they have achieved by association of Lord Caitanya is not of this material world and the fortune that they had, to be the students of Lord Caitanya, Śrī Viśvambhara is incomparable.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.397

se-saba kṛṣṇera dāsa,—jāniha niścaya
kṛṣṇa yāre paḍāyena, se ki anya haya?

Translation: Know for certain that they are all eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa Himself is teaching them, can they be anyone else?

Commentary: See the previous verse 346.

Jayapatākā Swami: All these students are certainly the eternal servants of Lord Kṛṣṇa. You should know this for certain. Kṛṣṇa, whoever is taught personally by Lord Kṛṣṇa, can they be anyone else? They are the eternal servants of the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.398-399

se vidyā-vilāsa dekhilena ye ye jana
tāṅre o dekhile haya bandha-vimocana

hailuṅ pāpiṣṭha,—janma nā haila takhane
hailāṅa vañcita se sukha-daraśane

Translation: Just by seeing those who saw the Lord’s scholastic pastimes, one is freed from material bondage. I am such a sinner that I did not take birth at that time, therefore I was deprived of the sight of those blissful pastimes.

Commentary: If one sees the pure liberated devotees who were fortunate enough to see the scholastic pastimes of Gaurasundara, who is the life of all transcendental knowledge, the husband of the transcendental goddess of learning, and the personification of transcendental sound, then such a person becomes forever freed from the propensity of enjoyment, which is born of ignorance. Later on, Śrīla Ṭhākura Narottama also wrote in his Prārthanā:

se-saba saṅgīra saṅge ye koilo vilāsa
se-saṅga nā pāiyā kānde narottama dāsa

“Being unable to obtain the association of Lord Gaurāṅga accompanied by all of these devotees in whose association He performed His pastimes, Narottama dāsa simply weeps.”

yakhana gaura-nityānanda, advaitādi bhakta-vṛnda,
nadīyā-nagare avatāra
takhana nā haila janma, ebe dehe kibā karma,
michā-mātra vahi phiri bhāra

“I did not take birth at that time when Gaura, Nityānanda, Advaita, and other devotees appeared in Nadia. What is the use of my birth now? I am uselessly carrying the burden of this body.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Those who saw the transcendental pastimes of the Lord in His scholastic pastime, those people, in fact even those who saw those people, they all were freed from material bondage.

Jayapatākā Swami: I was such a sinner; I did not take birth at that time. I was deprived from seeing those blissful pastimes. So not only those who participated in those scholastic pastimes of the Lord, not only those pure devotees who witnessed those scholastic pastimes of Gaurasundara, but those who saw, those who were fortunate enough to see, those fortunate devotees were also liberated, that Gaurasundara is the life of all transcendental knowledge, the husband of the goddess of learning and the personification of the transcendental sound. So to see the Lord or His pastimes frees one from the propensity of materialism or trying to enjoy the mundane senses which is born of ignorance. Rather being inspired to serve the Lord in transcendental senses. Narottamadāsa Ṭhākura wrote in his Prārthana how those persons who associate with the Lord and participate in His pastimes, do not get their association, Narottamadāsa Ṭhākura cries. Here is also the translation of one more song of Narottamadāsa Ṭhākura: “I did not take birth at that time when Gaura, Nityānanda, Advaita, and other devotees appeared in Nadia. What is the use of my birth now? I am uselessly carrying the burden of this body.”

So now we are more than 500 years from the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. But by the mercy of His Divine Grace Abhay Charaṇ Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, we can realize the transcendental nature of the Lord’s pastimes. By feeling separation from those pastimes and separation from the Lord, we can also experience a drop of their ecstasy.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.400

tathāpiha ei kṛpā kara’ mahāśaya!
se vidyā-vilāsa mora rahuka hṛdaya

Translation: Still, O Lord, grant me this one favor! May Your scholastic pastimes always remain in my heart.

Jayapatākā Swami: Still Oh Lord, give me this mercy that those scholastic pastimes of Your Lordship always remain in my heart.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.401

paḍāilā navadvīpe vaikuṇṭhera rāya
adyāpiha cihna āche sarva-nadīyāya

Translation: Evidence of the scholastic pastimes of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha is still seen throughout Nadia.

Commentary: The word cihna refers to the place or abode where those scholastic pastimes took place.

Jayapatākā Swami: Evidence of the scholastic pastimes of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha in Navadvīpa, the signs of those, can still be seen throughout Nadia district.

So chinha means that the places where Lord Caitanya, Lord Viśvambhara, taught the students, can still be seen throughout Nadia.

Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 1.402

caitanya-līlāra ādi-avadhi nā haya
’āvirbhāva’ ’tirobhāva’ ei vede kaya

Translation: Although the Vedas describe the “appearance” and “disappearance” of Lord Caitanya, there is actually no beginning or end to His pastimes.

Commentary: The word avadhi means “end,” “finish,” or “limit.” For an explanation of this verse one should refer to the Ādi-khaṇḍa, Chapter Three, verse 52.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although the Vedas talk about the appearance and disappearance of the Lord, Lord Caitanya’s pastimes have no beginning and no end.

So this was a very touching scene when Lord Caitanya said that He would not be teaching any more and His students could go anywhere to continue their education but they said that we don’t want to go anywhere else. What we learned from You, that is enough. What will anyone else tell us? As they were crying and weeping that they wouldn’t have the benefit of Lord Caitanya, Lord Nimāi’s association. Then Lord Nimāi, Lord Viśvambhara embraced each of the students, He was weeping, they were weeping and the whole scene of Him embracing all the students and everyone crying – so, my heart is like a steel frame but seeing this pastime or hearing about it, is something that is overwhelming. Even it melts the steel frame, so this is the nature of Kṛṣṇa consciousness!!

While in the spiritual world there is actual love, in the material world many times all that is there is lust. It is said that a mother’s affection for the child is the closest thing that you have to love. We read how one Chinese parents, they were lamenting that their son died in an airplane crash and they were saying that we had spent so much money sending our son to university, and we thought he will work and maintain us in our old age but now he is dead and we are most misfortunate. Instead of lamenting that their son died, they are lamenting for who will maintain us? Not every parent is like that but that gives an example of the material world.

So Lord Caitanya, Lord Gaurāṅga, He blessed all His students with the śāstric knowledge and told them that they were His friends birth after birth. So someone was asking why does Lord Caitanya have these scholastic pastimes? I can’t say that I know all of the reasons because the Lord has unlimited facets. But you can see that He gave blessings to many students, He delivered Keśava Kāśmīrī, also the students became His ardent followers in the saṅkīrtan movement. So He got the cream of the youth. So there are many reasons we can see, Lord Nārāyaṇa, He is the source of all knowledge, Lord Kṛṣṇa. So the Lord He shows His unlimited scholastic abilities, why not? He is the best, and anything He does. So why should there be a subject that He does not do? Which is a positive thing. So knowing all the śāstras and being able to explain them unlimitedly, in the Bhagavad-Gītā Kṛṣṇa says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo - that I am the knower of the Vedas, I am the writer of the Vedas and Nimāi Paṇḍita showed that practically that He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, He came as a devotee, He showed His ability as a scholar.

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Any questions?

So one could say that Lord Caitanya started youth preaching!! He was thinking about Keśava Kāśmīrī. He would like to defeat him publicly but that would crush his ego, then people would criticize him and steal his properties, so I should humble him but in a very discrete way. So this He did by the side of the Ganges. And then Keśava Kāśmīrī prayed to his goddess Sarasvatī, “Why is that you let me down? This young teacher of grammar defeated me.” Sarasvatī said, “He is my husband, I cannot defend you against Him!!” So then he went to the house of Viśvambhara and paid his obeisances. Then Lord Viśvambhara revealed who He was. After that Keśava Kāśmīrī became an ācārya in the Nimbārka sampradāya and he became fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.

(Names of devotees who are listening online were read by the repeater

Question: Sānta Gopī Devī Dāsī: Guru Mahārāja once you said Lord Caitanya’s beauty is a weapon. How can beauty be a weapon?

Jayapatākā Swami: Some people are attracted by physical beauty and personal beauty. So Lord Caitanya’s chanting, dancing, knowledge and His personal beauty, different people were defeated by different aspects. Someone may be very proud of their beauty but when they saw Lord Caitanya they were defeated. So in that sense it could be a weapon.

Question: Lalitāṅgī Rādhā Devī Dāsī: How a sādhana-bhakta, one who has not developed love for the Lord understand these pastimes of separation and tears? How is His incarnation kevala-ānanda-kanda?

Jayapatākā Swami: Well, if they hear the pastimes enough, eventually it touches your heart. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a gradual process. So some people awaken earlier and some people take more time. Prabhupāda said that it took him 20years. So it may take some people 50 years or several births. It depends how much you want. It is like baby crying for his mother. If the baby is halfheartedly crying aaaa then mother knows nothing important but if the baby really cries. AAAAAAAHHH MUMMYYYYY, mother drops everything and runs. So how much do you want to have love for Kṛṣṇa? You see the process that Lord Caitanya gave, singing the names of Kṛṣṇa, dancing, feasting on kṛṣṇa-prasāda, listening to amazing, wonderful stories of the Lord. Someone came back from vacation and a friend asked what did you do on your vacation? Oh I sang, I dance, I feasted, I heard amazing wonderful things! Oh, wow what a wonderful vacation you had, awesome! Awesome! That is our process of self-realization. In the Satya-yuga you had to meditation for 10 thousand years. To get a good wife Garga Muni meditated for 10 thousand years. All the other processes in the other yugas were very tough. But this process which was given by Lord Caitanya is simply blissful. If you don’t sign the names of Kṛṣṇa, if you don’t dance in kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, if you don’t feast on prasāda, if you don’t listen to Bhāgavatam, then what is the value of your life? So this is the process that Lord Caitanya gave us is not difficult to perform, and if you perform it, you will feel trans bliss.

Alright. So thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa!