20190217 The Lord Recounts the Past Events of the Devotees

mūkhaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī gurum dina tarinam
paramānanda mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya īśvaram
hari oṁ tat sat

Introduction: Today is Varāha Dvādaśī. Lord Varāha appeared on this tithi, millions of years ago and He liberated the demon, Hiraṇyākṣa, who had cast the earth to the bottom of the universe, to the bottom of the Garbhodaka ocean. Since boars, pigs are expert at lifting things up from a dirty place, so Lord took His appearance as Lord Boar, He came from the nostril of Lord Brahmā who sneezed, and there was like a microscopic little insect, but it was a microscopic boar and it kept going around in circles and got bigger and bigger, big as a rat, big as a cat, big as a dog, big as an elephant and it became bigger and bigger, until He was big enough to lift the whole earth planet in His tusk! How big is that!! What is the diameter of the earth? Outside there is, Viṣṇupriyā, student, what is the diameter of the earth? Look it up in Google. Anyway, that is how big Lord Varāhadeva was, that the hole earth planet fit in His tusk. Did you find out? It is 12,742 km. So the Lord Boar may be He at least 10,000 km between His tusks, figure out how big He was, how long, how wide! He was immense! And He came from a microscopic form! Haribol! Haribol! Lord Varāhadeva kī jaya! So He put His foot on the earth planet, and kicked with His forefoot the demon Hiraṇyākṣa, and the demon was killed instantly. Where did His foot touch the earth? Where? Where? Who knows? Someone raised their hand. It is in Navadvīpa. Which place? It is a place called Koladvīpa. Kola is the name of Varāhadeva. That is where He touched the earth! In His holy dhāma. Śrī Koladvīpa kī jaya! So there are 9 islands in Navadvīpa – Sīmantadvīpa, Godrumadvīpa, Madhyadvīpa, Koladvīpa, Ṛtudvīpa, Jahnudvīpa, Modadruma-dvīpa and Rudradvīpa. and Antardvīpa. Who can repeat all these nine islands? Haribol! They repeated! So Varāhadeva after coming from the Garbhodaka ocean in the outer space, He shook the water from His back and all the higher celestial beings, the ṛṣis the yogis took the water as a blessing. But there wasn’t so much personal association you could have with Lord Boar. But Lord Caitanya, He personally was with all the devotees for His whole 40 years of pastimes.

“The Lord recounts the past events of His devotees” – that is the new chapter we are starting today.

I just wanted to tell you that yesterday I broke my record, yesterday and I did 1350 cycles and today 1385!! Haribol! A new world record!! And today we fed the brothers, some of the male nurses that were taking care of me. We also had our voice therapy at midday, and he was telling us the meaning of the Karnataka prep – bisi-bela-bhāth. Bisi was warm, bela is pulse and bhāth means rice, bisi-bela-bhāth. Haribol!

Today we had Rādhikā and the Guru-sevīnī prepare us āpam. I want to take maximum south Indian preparations before I have to separate myself. (Guru Mahārāja put his hand to his heart!) You won’t miss me, but I will miss you!!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.89

prabhu-mukhe sa-sa-janma-karma vṛttānta-śravaṇe bhaktagaṇera ānandavikāra

tata-kṣaṇe se bhaktera haya ye smaraṇa
santoṣe āchāḍa khāya, karaye krandana

Jayapatākā Swami: At that time, each devotee remembered his previous activities. They were very joyful, very satisfied to see their previous devotional service and they fell to the ground, crying.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.90

mahāprabhu kartṛka devānanda-samīpe śrīvāsera bhāgabata śravaṇa-ākhyāẏikā varṇana o tacchravaṇe śrīvāsera premavikāra

śrīvāsere bale,—“āre paḍe tora mane
bhāgavata śunili ye devānanda-sthāne

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord said to Śrīvāsa, Oh, Śrīvāsa! Do you remember, you once heard the Śrīmad-bhāgavatam from Devānanda Paṇḍita at his place?

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.91

pade pade bhāgavata—prema-rasa-māyā
śuniyā dravila ati tomāra hṛdaya

Jayapatākā Swami: Every verse of the Śrīmad-bhāgavatam is full of loving, devotional mellows. As you heard those verses, your heart melted!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.92

uccaiḥsvara kari' tumi lāgilā kandite
vihvala haiyā tumi paḍilā bhūmite

Jayapatākā Swami: You began crying loudly, you became overwhelmed in ecstasy and you fell to the ground!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.93

abodha paḍuyā bhakti-yoga nā bujhiyā
balgiyā kāndaye kene,—nā bujhila ihā

Jayapatākā Swami: The ignorant or foolish students, not understanding the devotional service, questioned, why is he crying? The foolish students couldn’t understand.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.94

bāhya nāhi jāna tumi premera vikāre
paḍuyā tomāre nila bāhira duyāre

Jayapatākā Swami: You lost your external consciousness while experiencing different changes due to the pure love. The students took you and carried you outside the door.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.95

devānanda ithe nā karila nivāraṇa
guru yathā ajña, sei-mata śiṣya-gaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: Devānanda Paṇḍita did not stop them, as the guru was ignorant - similarly were his disciples. Just as the students under the shelter of Devānanda Paṇḍita, could not understand the ecstatic transformations of Śrīvāsa due to the fruits of his devotional service, they committed an offensive act at the feet of Śrīvāsa, because they were controlled by their material perception. Because the teacher Devānanda did not check the actions of his ignorant students, he was also guilty of the offence! Devānanda was also ignorant of devotional service. He gave no information about the exalted position of devotional service, in his teachings to his students. Therefore, since the guru had no understanding and no qualification in devotional service, his disciples were devoid of devotional service. How one is affected by offence, if he doesn’t understand the greatness of devotional service! Sometimes devotees go out and chant on the streets Harināma saṅkīrtana and they distribute books. Materialists say, it is better to worship in your house. Why do you disturb people by your public chanting and book distribution? But this world is having a scarcity of devotional service. Every activity of the material world shows scarcity of devotional service. So, a person like Devānanda Paṇḍita remains ignorant of devotional service, does not preach the glories of serving the Supreme Lord, so therefore he commits an offence. This is the lesson of this pastime. That there is scarcity of devotional service in every aspect of this material world. When one does not engage in glorifying the Lord to remove that scarcity, he is touched by that offence! Therefore, we need all of you to remove this scarcity of devotional service! Go out and spread the message, spread the love of the Supreme Personality of Godhead! Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.96

bāhira duyāre tomā eḍila ṭāniyā
tabe tumi āilā parama duḥkha pāñā

Jayapatākā Swami: When they took you and dragged you outside the door, tomāke ṭāniyā, you returned to your house, your home, greatly distressed, greatly sad! Lord Gaurāṅga is telling this pastime to Śrīvāsa that happened in Śrīvāsa’s life not too long ago!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.97

duḥkha pāi' mane tumi virale vasilā
āra-bāra bhāgavata cāhite lāgilā

Jayapatākā Swami: Feeling unhappy at heart, you went and sat in a solitary place and you began to look at the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam again.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.98

dekhiyā tomāra duḥkha śrī-vaikuṇṭha haite
āvirbhāva hailāma tomāra dehete

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing your sadness, I came from Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world, and I appeared in your body. So it is also interesting that the school of Devānanda Paṇḍita was in Koladvīpa! which we have already told you about that Varāhadeva touched Koladvīpa. At that time, it was known as Kuliyā. And that place was known as aparādha bhañjana kuliyāra-pāṭa, the place where offences are forgiven. So at the time Navadvīpa was on the eastern side of the Ganges, where Māyāpur is today and the western bank of the Ganges was known as Kuliyā. So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda Ṭhākura, he said that there is evidence that Kuliyā was on the western side of the Ganges. Not on the eastern side. So he gave various evidences: how the ancient Navadvīpa was on the eastern side of the Ganges and how Lord Caitanya had appeared on the eastern side of the Ganges.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.99

tabe āmi ei tora hṛdaye vasiyākāṅdāiluṅ
se āmāra prema-yoga diyā

Jayapatākā Swami: I sat in your heart and made you cry by giving you My loving devotion!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.100

ānanda haila deha śuni' bhagavata
saba titi' sthāna haila variṣāra mata”

Jayapatākā Swami: You became ecstatic by hearing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. As if by rain, as if by monsoon rain, the whole place became wet from your tears! So either the place got wet or drenched or soaked.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.101

anubhava pāiya vihvala śrīnivāsa
gaḍāgaḍi yāya, kānde, bahe ghana-śvāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: By realizing the words of the Lord, Śrīvāsa became overwhelmed, he rolled on the ground, he cried, he deeply sighed.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, “The Lord recounts the past events of the devotees”, under the section, “The 21-hour ecstasy”.

Are there any questions on this topic? Just as you feel transcendental bliss in glorifying the Lord, you see here, the Lord also experiences bliss in glorifying His devotee! Haribol! Haribol! Tomorrow is Lord Nityānanda’s appearance day, Nityānanda Trayodaśī Nitāi Gaurāṅga! Nitāi Gaurāṅga! Nitāi Gaurāṅga! Jaya Nitāi Gaurāṅga! Nitāi Gaura Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! So any questions today? If there are any words you had difficulty in under, if you are here, tell to Ekarāṇī devī dāsī, she is raising her hand in the back. If you are online, send the words in.

Oh, so many questions today!

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Jayapatākā Swami! How do we develop love to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta like you? – Your insignificant daughter, Śrīguru Sevānandinī devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: I am waiting for that day when I have love! Lord Caitanya is so wonderful, He is so WONDERFUL! I am very fortunate to be able to read His pastimes!! Prabhupāda has given us the mercy of living in the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, and so when I read His pastimes, I just realize how wonderful He is and how blessed are the devotees who are able to participate and see those pastimes. But we also have mercy that we are able to engage in devotional service, thanks to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Many devotees are sending their personal questions. Personal questions should be written to me, personally. I won’t answer personal questions in public. Gurudeva, I want to marry this person, what do you thing? Why should I answer this question publicly? Would you like to have your answer public, broadcasted? So please ask questions which will be useful for everybody, not personal things.

Question: This is your most fallen disciple offering humble obeisances, gurudeva. Please never leave us, please accept me as your disciple. Please bless me to do a lot of Kṛṣṇa seva. I don’t know to serve Prabhupāda and Lord, so please instruct me so that I can carry out your orders. Please bless me to be successful in my life. – Kāvya M. Class 12.

Jayapatākā Swami: Blessings. No questions there. I give you my blessings!

Question: As tomorrow is Nityānanda Trayodaśī. To receive the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu we need to first receive Lord Nityānanda’s mercy, so to receive Nityānanda’s mercy what should we do? In what mood do we need to serve Lord Nityānanda so that we get blessed of the mercy as Jagāi and Mādhāi. – Gītagamya Gāyatrī devī dāsī

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes Lord Nityānanda is known as the mercy avatāra. Lord Caitanya was absorbed in the love of Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes He also was very merciful. But He empowered Lord Nityānanda to give out His mercy. So you can pray to Lord Nityānanda that you can serve Him tomorrow and the guru is considered to be dear to Lord Nityānanda. He is Lord Nityānanda’s representative, so you can also serve your spiritual master. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Are there any online questions? People are asking unrelated questions.

Question: Lord Nityānanda was an avadūta. Can you tell us more? – Lalita Kartikeyan

Jayapatākā Swami: Avadūta means He did things very spontaneously, like He would swim across the Ganges and back. Sometimes He went from Katwa to Navadvīpa by river and told Mother Śacī to immediately go to Śāntipur and He jumped in the river and swam down to Śāntipur. So like that He did things very spontaneously. Haribol!