20181220 The Inauguration of Saṅkīrtana Movement

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book work 20^th December 2018 in Chennai

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Guru Mahārāja

Reading from Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.420

Under the section: The inauguration of saṅkīrtana-movement

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Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.420

bāhya haile o bāhya-kathā nāhi kaya
sarva-vaiṣṇavera galā dhariyā kāndaya

Translation: Although the Lord regained His external consciousness, He did not talk of external subjects. Rather, He cried while holding the necks of all the Vaiṣṇavas.

Jayapatākā Swami: When the Lord regained His external consciousness, He did not talk any mundane topics. Rather, He grabbed all the Vaiṣṇavas by their necks and holding them He was crying in ecstasy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.421

sabe mili’ ṭhākurere sthira karāiyācalilā
vaiṣṇava-saba mahānanda haiyā

Translation: Thereafter, all the Vaiṣṇavas pacified the Lord and departed in great delight.

Jayapatākā Swami: Together all the Vaiṣṇavas pacified the Lord and then all the Vaiṣṇavas left in great happiness.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.422

kona kona paḍuyā-sakala prabhu-saṅge
udāsīna-patha lailena prema-raṅge

Translation: Some of the students happily took the path of renunciation by following in the footsteps of the Lord.

Commentary: Some of the students accepted the orders of vānaprastha or sannyāsa to follow the Lord’s most ideal example of renunciation from the material world. They did not accept vānaprastha or sannyāsa with the mentality of fruitive workers, nor did they accept vānaprastha or sannyāsa with the mentality of mental speculators. They were inspired by the intense ecstasy of Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service to accept proper Vaiṣṇava vānaprastha or proper Vaiṣṇava sannyāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Some of the students went with the Lord and followed a detached path and they were absorbed in the ecstasy of kṛṣṇa-prema.

So some of the students of Lord Caitanya were inspired to follow Lord Caitanya and accept vānaprastha or sannyāsa. They didn’t accept vānaprastha or sannyāsa in the same way that a materialist does. They didn’t accept vānaprastha or sannyāsa like the materialist, mundane, mental, speculator. They were inspired by the intense ecstasy of Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service, to accept proper Vaiṣṇava vānaprastha or Vaiṣṇava sannyāsa. In other words, Lord Caitanya is the example of total absorption in Kṛṣṇa and inspired many people around Him to also follow the path of pure devotional service.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 1.423

ārambhilā mahāprabhu āpana-prakāśa
sakala-bhaktera duùkha haila vināśa

Translation: In this way Mahāprabhu began to manifest Himself, and the miseries of all the devotees were vanquished.

Jayapatākā Swami: So in this way Gaurasundara Mahāprabhu started to manifest His own glories. All the devotees’ sadness was vanquished or destroyed.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.3

ṭhākurera prema dekhi’ sarva-bhakta-gaṇa
parama-vismita haila sabākāra mana

Translation: When all the devotees observed the Lord’s love, they were all struck with wonder.

Jayapatākā Swami: When all the devotees saw the Lord’s wonderful love, they were all greatly amazed. All the devotees, their minds were overwhelmed in great wonder.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.4

parama-santoṣe sabe advaitera sthāne
sabe kahilena yata haila daraśane

Translation: In great satisfaction they went to Advaita and informed Him of what they had seen.

Jayapatākā Swami: In great satisfaction the Vaiṣṇavas went to Advaita Ācārya and they informed him what they had seen.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.5

bhakti-yoga-prabhāve advaita mahābala
‘avatariyāche prabhu’—jānena sakala

Translation: The most powerful Advaita immediately understood through the influence of His devotional service, “The Lord has incarnated.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The most powerful Advaita Gosāñi, by the strength of His bhakti-yoga immediately understood “the Lord has incarnated.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.6

tathāpi advaita-tattva bujhana nā yāya
sei-kṣaṇe prakāśiyā takhane lukāya

Translation: Yet the truth of Advaita Ācārya is difficult to understand, because He sometimes reveals Himself and sometimes conceals Himself.

Commentary: In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 6.26-30, 33-37, 42-43, 113-115) it is stated: “Śrī Advaita, who is a reservoir of virtues, is the main limb of Mahā-Viṣṇu. His full name is Advaita, for He is identical in all respects with that Lord. As He had formerly created all the universes, now He descended to introduce the path of bhakti. He delivered all living beings by offering the gift of kṛṣṇa-bhakti. He explained the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the light of devotional service. Since He has no other occupation than to teach devotional service, His name is Advaita Ācārya. He is the spiritual master of all devotees and is the most revered personality in the world. By a combination of these two names, His name is Advaita Ācārya. Śrī Advaita Ācārya is the principal limb of the Supreme Lord. His truths, names, and attributes are all wonderful. He worshiped Kṛṣṇa with tulasī leaves and water of the Ganges and called for Him in a loud voice. Thus Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared on earth, accompanied by His personal associates. It is through Him [Advaita Ācārya] that Lord Caitanya spread the saṅkīrtana movement and through Him that He delivered the world. The glory and attributes of Advaita Ācārya are unlimited. How can the insignificant living entities fathom them? Śrī Advaita Ācārya is a principal limb of Lord Caitanya. Another limb of the Lord is Nityānanda Prabhu. Śrī Advaita Ācārya considers Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu His master, and He thinks of Himself as a servant of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He forgets Himself in the joy of that conception and teaches all living entities, ‘You are servants of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.’ The glories of Śrī Advaita Ācārya are boundless, for His sincere vibrations brought about Lord Caitanya’s descent upon this earth. He liberated the universe by preaching saṅkīrtana. Thus the people of the world received the treasure of love of Godhead through the mercy of Śrī Advaita. Who can describe the unlimited glories of Advaita Ācārya? I write here as much as I have known from great authorities.”

The truth and characteristics of Śrī Advaita Prabhu are incomprehensible to ordinary mundane living entities. Although by His own sweet will He sometimes reveals His own transcendental glories, He sometimes conceals His transcendental glories.

Ālbandāru Yāmunācārya has written in his Stotra-ratna (13) as follows: “O my Lord, everything within material nature is limited by time, space, and thought. Your characteristics, however, being unequaled and unsurpassed, are always transcendental to such limitations. You sometimes cover such characteristics by Your own energy, but nevertheless Your unalloyed devotees are always able to see You under all circumstances.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Again, the truth of Advaita Gosāñi is difficult to understand. Sometimes He manifests Himself, sometimes He hides Himself.

You can read more about Advaita Ācārya from the Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā, chapter 6, verses 26 – 30, 33 – 37, 42 and 43, 113 to 115. So Advaita Ācārya is an expansion of the Mahā Viṣṇu. His name Śrī Advaita means He is non-different from the Lord. So Mahā Viṣṇu is the one who creates all the universes. Now He has descended to give bhakti to deliver all the living beings. He would explain Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the light of devotional service.

Yāmunācārya, he offers a prayer in his Stotra-ratna (13) as follows: “O my Lord, everything within material nature is limited by time, space, and thought. Your characteristics, however, being unequaled and unsurpassed, are always transcendental to such limitations. You sometimes cover such characteristics by Your own energy, but nevertheless Your unalloyed devotees are always able to see You under all circumstances.”

So Advaita Ācārya is also a Viṣṇu-tattva but the original personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa and He has descended as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So He is essentially gifted to give out pure devotional service, to give out kṛṣṇa-prema, pure love of Godhead. So Advaita, He could give salvation, but to give pure love required His original form. So He prayed to Kṛṣṇa, please come down. So Kṛṣṇa came as Caitanya Mahāprabhu and He manifested His mercy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.7

śuniyā advaita baḍa hariṣa
hailāparama-āviṣṭa hai’ kahite lāgilā

Translation: When Advaita Ācārya heard this news, He became fully absorbed and began to speak as follows.

Jayapatākā Swami: When Advaita Ācārya heard this news He became fully absorbed and He was very happy. And then He began to speak as follows.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.8

“mora ājikāra kathāśuna, bhāi-saba!
niśite dekhiluṅāmi kichu anubhava

Translation: “O brothers! Please hear Me. Last night I saw something in a dream.

Jayapatākā Swami: “Hear my confidential subject matter. My brothers, certainly I saw last night, something in a dream.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.9

gītāra pāṭhera artha bhāla nā bujhiyā
thākilāṅa duùkha bhāvi’ upāsa kariyā

Translation: “I was not understanding well the meaning of a passage I had read in Bhagavad-gītā, so I was unhappy and took rest without eating.

Jayapatākā Swami: “Reading a passage from Bhagavad-gītā, one verse I didn’t understand very well. So I was unhappy. And took rest without eating.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.10

katho rātrye āsi’ more bale eka-jana
‘uṭhaha ācārya! jhāṭa karaha bhojana

Translation: “In the dead of night someone came to Me in a dream and said, ‘Rise, Ācārya! Go and take Your meal.

Jayapatākā Swami: “In the dead of the night someone came and told me and spoke to me in a dream, rise Ācārya, go and take your meal.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.11

ei pāṭha, ei artha kahiluṅ tomāre
uṭhiyā bhojana kara’, püjaha āmāre

Translation: “I am telling You the meaning of the text that You read. Now get up, eat, and worship Me.

Jayapatākā Swami: “What you read, I am telling you the meaning. Rise up and take your meal and worship Me.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.12-14

āra kena duùkha bhāva’ pāilā sakala
ye lāgi’ saṅkalpa kailā, se haila saphala

yata upavāsa kailā, yata ārādhana
yateka karilā’kṛṣṇa’ baliyā krandana

yā ānite bhuja tuli’ pratijïā karilāse-
prabhu tomāre ebe vidita hailā

Translation: “Why are You feeling sad? You have obtained everything. Your resolution has been fulfilled. Your fasting, Your worship, Your tears while crying out the name Kṛṣṇa, and Your vow with raised arms—all to induce the Lord’s advent—have now become successful.

Commentary: An elaboration of these three verses is found in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 3.92, 96-110) as follows: “Advaita Ācārya Gosvāmī is an incarnation of the Lord as a devotee. His loud calling was the cause for Kṛṣṇa’s incarnation. Advaita Ācārya having appeared, He found the world devoid of devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa because people were engrossed in material affairs. Everyone was engaged in material enjoyment, whether sinfully or virtuously. No one was interested in the transcendental service of the Lord, which can give total relief from the repetition of birth and death. Seeing the activities of the world, the Ācārya felt compassion and began to ponder how He could act for the people’s benefit. [Advaita Ācārya thought:] ‘If Śrī Kṛṣṇa were to appear as an incarnation, He Himself could preach devotion by His personal example. In this Age of Kali there is no religion other than the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, but how in this age will the Lord appear as an incarnation? I shall worship Kṛṣṇa in a purified state of mind. I shall constantly petition Him in humbleness. My name, “Advaita,” will be fitting if I am able to induce Kṛṣṇa to inaugurate the movement of the chanting of the holy name.’ While He was thinking about how to propitiate Kṛṣṇa by worship, the following verse [spoken by Nārada Muni in the Gautamīya-tantra] came to His mind.

tulasī-dala-mātreṇa
jalasya culukena vā
vikrīṇīte svam ātmānaà
bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalaù

‘Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is very affectionate toward His devotees, sells Himself to a devotee who offers Him merely a tulasī leaf and a palmful of water.’ Advaita Ācārya considered the meaning of the verse in this way: Not finding any way to repay the debt He owes to one who offers Him a tulasī leaf and water, Lord Kṛṣṇa thinks, ‘There is no wealth in My possession that is equal to a tulasī leaf and water.’ Thus the Lord liquidates the debt by offering Himself to the devotee. Considering this, the Ācārya began worshiping the Lord. Thinking of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He constantly offered tulasī buds in water from the Ganges. He appealed to Śrī Kṛṣṇa with loud calls and thus made it possible for Kṛṣṇa to appear. Therefore the principal reason for Śrī Caitanya’s descent is this appeal by Advaita Ācārya. The Lord, the protector of religion, appears by the desire of His devotee.”

Jayapatākā Swami: “Why are you feeling sad? You have gotten whatever you have performed your resolution for. You have got everything you wanted.”

Jayapatākā Swami: “The fasting you did, the worship you did, the way you cried and called the name of Kṛṣṇa, that thing for which you raised your hands and made your promises, that Prabhu, that Lord, that you wanted has now manifested.”

So elaboration of these verses is found in the Caitanya Caritāmṛta, in the Ādi Līlā 3^rd Chapter verses 92 and 96 – 110. Advaita Gosvāmī is the incarnation of the Lord as a devotee. His calling the Lord was the reason of Kṛṣṇa’s incarnation. When Advaita descended, He found the world was devoid of devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa because, the people were engrossed in material affairs. So He thought if Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself came, then He could preach by His example. In this age of Kali there is no other religion than chanting of the name of Kṛṣṇa. He is thinking how can I get Kṛṣṇa to appear and He remembered that there was a verse in the Gautamīya- tantra. So it gave the process of offering tulasī and special water and that the Lord is very much favorably inclined to His devotees. So in this way one can worship the Lord. So Advaita thought, “I will use this process.” So Kṛṣṇa cannot think how He will repay the debt to someone who offers tulasī and Ganges water. So the Lord nullifies the debt by giving Himself to the devotees. So Advaita, considering this, He started worshipping the Lord with tulasī leaves, tulasī mañjarīs and Ganges water. He appealed to the Lord, with loud calls and made possible Kṛṣṇa to appear. So therefore this was the principle reason for the Lord’s descent, it was the appeal by Advaita Ācārya. The Lord, the protector of all religions appears by the desire of His devotees. So the Lord Viśvambhara, He came down to this world on the request of some devotees like Advaita Ācārya and He came to show how one can love Kṛṣṇa. How you can love God. In many holy scriptures of different religions, they say that one should love thy God but how to do that? There is no hint on how to do that. Lord Caitanya came to show us how to love God. He came to show us how to love Himself!! So although He is the Lord, He came as a devotee. And He did not reveal who He was except to a very small circle. So Advaita could understand that He had prayed for Kṛṣṇa to come down and that now He was fulfilling that.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.15

sarva-deśe haibeka kṛṣṇera kīrtana
ghare-ghare nagare-nagare anukṣaṇa

Translation: “The chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s names will be spread to all countries, all towns, and all houses.

Jayapatākā Swami: All countries will have the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s kīrtana from house to house, town to town eventually.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 2.16

brahmāra durlabha bhakti āchaye yateka
tomāra prasāde ebe sabe dekhibeka

Translation: “Devotional service that is rare for even Lord Brahmā will now be available to everyone by Your mercy.

Jayapatākā Swami: That pure devotional service that is rare even for Lord Brahmā, will be available to everyone by Your mercy.

So it goes down. I will continue tomorrow. Are there any questions?