20200329 The Result of Hearing the Prayers offered by Mukunda Datta and the Benediction He Received (Part 1)
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book
mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat
Chapter entitled as The Result of Hearing (Phalaśruti) the Prayers offered by Mukunda Datta and the Benediction He Received
Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.242
mukundera mahimā—
sahaje ekānta bhakta,—ki kahiba sīmā?
caitanya-priyera mājhe yāhāra gaṇanā
Translation: Mukunda was by nature an unalloyed devotee. How can I describe the extent of his glories? He is counted amongst the dear associates of Lord Caitanya.
Jayapatākā Swami: Mukunda was by nature an unalloyed devotee. How can I describe the glories of his devotion? He is counted amongst the dear most associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 10.40
Translation and Purport by Prabhupāda
śrī-mukunda-datta śākhā — prabhura samādhyāyī
yāṅhāra kīrtane nāce caitanya-gosāñi
Translation: Mukunda Datta, a class friend of Lord Caitanya’s, was another branch of the Caitanya tree. Lord Caitanya danced while he sang.
Purport: Śrī Mukunda Datta was born in the Caṭṭagrāma district, in the village of Chanharā, which is under the jurisdiction of the police station named Paṭiyā. This village is situated ten krośas, or about twenty miles, from the home of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (140) it is said:
vraje sthitau gāyakau yau
madhukaṇṭha-madhuvratau
mukunda-vāsudevau tau
dattau gaurāṅga-gāyakau
“In Vraja there were two very nice singers named Madhukaṇṭha and Madhuvrata. They appeared in Caitanya-līlā as Mukunda and Vāsudeva Datta, who were singers in the society of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” When Lord Caitanya was a student, Mukunda Datta was His class friend, and they frequently engaged in logical arguments. Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu would fight with Mukunda Datta, using tricks of logic. This is described in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa, chapters eleven and twelve. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned from Gayā, Mukunda Datta gave Him pleasure by reciting verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about kṛṣṇa-līlā. It was by his endeavor that Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī became a disciple of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, as stated in Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter seven. When Mukunda Datta sang in the courtyard of Śrīvāsa Prabhu, Mahāprabhu danced with His singing, and when Lord Caitanya for twenty-one hours exhibited an ecstatic manifestation known as sāta-prahariyā, Mukunda Datta inaugurated the function by singing.
Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu chastised Mukunda Datta by calling him khaḍajāṭhiyā beṭā because he attended many functions held by different classes of nondevotees. This is stated in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter ten. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu dressed Himself as the goddess of fortune to dance in the house of Candraśekhara, Mukunda Datta began the first song.
Before disclosing His desire to take the renounced order of life, Lord Caitanya first went to the house of Mukunda Datta, but at that time Mukunda Datta requested Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to continue His saṅkīrtana movement for a few days more before taking sannyāsa. This is stated in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter twenty-six. The information of Lord Caitanya’s accepting the renounced order was made known to Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Candraśekhara Ācārya and Mukunda Datta by Nityānanda Prabhu, and therefore all of them went to Katwa and arranged for kīrtana and all the paraphernalia for Lord Caitanya’s acceptance of sannyāsa. After the Lord took sannyāsa, they all followed Him, especially Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu and Mukunda Datta, who followed Him all the way to Puruṣottama-kṣetra. In this connection one may refer to Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, chapter two. In the place known as Jaleśvara, Nityānanda Prabhu broke the sannyāsa rod of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mukunda Datta was also present at that time. He went every year from Bengal to see Lord Caitanya at Jagannātha Purī.
Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Mukunda Datta was born in the Caṭṭagrāma district, in the village of Chanharā, which is under the jurisdiction of the police station named Paṭiyā. This village is situated ten krośas, or about twenty miles, from the home of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (140) it is said:
vraje sthitau gāyakau yau
madhukaṇṭha-madhuvratau
mukunda-vāsudevau tau
dattau gaurāṅga-gāyakau
“In Vraja there were two very nice singers named Madhukaṇṭha and Madhuvrata. They appeared in caitanya-līlā as Mukunda and Vāsudeva Datta, who were singers in the society of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” When Lord Caitanya was a student, Mukunda Datta was His class friend, and they frequently engaged in logical arguments. Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu would fight with Mukunda Datta, using tricks of logic. This is described in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa, chapters eleven and twelve. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned from Gayā, Mukunda Datta gave Him pleasure by reciting verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about kṛṣṇa-līlā. It was by his endeavor that Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī became a disciple of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, as stated in Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter seven. When Mukunda Datta sang in the courtyard of Śrīvāsa Prabhu, Mahāprabhu danced with His singing, and when Lord Caitanya for twenty-one hours exhibited an ecstatic manifestation known as sāta-prahariyā, Mukunda Datta inaugurated the function by singing.
Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu chastised Mukunda Datta by calling him khaḍajāṭhiyā beṭā because he attended many functions held by different classes of nondevotees. This is stated in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter ten. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu dressed Himself as the goddess of fortune to dance in the house of Candraśekhara, Mukunda Datta began the first song.
Before disclosing His desire to take the renounced order of life, Lord Caitanya first went to the house of Mukunda Datta, but at that time Mukunda Datta requested Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to continue His saṅkīrtana movement for a few days more before taking sannyāsa. This is stated in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter twenty-six. The information of Lord Caitanya’s accepting the renounced order was made known to Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Candraśekhara Ācārya and Mukunda Datta by Nityānanda Prabhu, and therefore all of them went to Katwa and arranged for kīrtana and all the paraphernalia for Lord Caitanya’s acceptance of sannyāsa. After the Lord took sannyāsa, they all followed Him, especially Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu and Mukunda Datta, who followed Him all the way to Puruṣottama-kṣetra. In this connection one may refer to Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, chapter two. In the place known as Jaleśvara, Nityānanda Prabhu broke the sannyāsa rod of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mukunda Datta was also present at that time. He went every year from Bengal to see Lord Caitanya at Jagannātha Purī.
Now you can see how Mukunda Datta was a constant associate of Lord Caitanya. And actually, his position was very special. So, he resented his going to the other sampradāyas, in the previous chapter. He showed that nothing was important to him, more than the association of Lord Caitanya.
Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.243
mukundera kheda dekhi' prabhu viśvambhara
lajjita haiyā kichu karilā uttara
Translation: On seeing Mukunda's lamentation, Lord Viśvambhara became somewhat embarrassed and spoke to him as follows.
Mukunda was a natural devotee. Factually he was a servant of unalloyed devotional service. Therefore, it is impossible for a person to find the limit of his glories. Śrī Mukunda is counted among the dear devotees of Śrī Caitanyadeva.
Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Viśvambhara on seeing the lamentation of Mukunda Datta, He became somewhat embarrassed, and He spoke something in reply as follows. So Mukunda Datta was actually an unalloyed devotee, and he was a servant of unalloyed devotional service. Therefore, it is not possible to find the limit of his glories. Śrī Mukunda is considered the dear most amongst followers of Śrī Caitanyadeva.
Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.244
“mukundera bhakti mora baḍa priyaṅkarī
yathā gāo tumi, tathā āmi avatari
Translation: “Mukunda, your devotional service is very pleasing to Me. I personally manifest wherever you sing.
Wherever the holy names of the Lord are chanted with devotion, the Lord personally incarnates there in the form of His holy names. The bhajanānandī Mukunda is extremely dear to the Lord, therefore Lord Gaurasundara always incarnates wherever Mukunda sings.
Jayapatākā Swami: Mukunda’s devotional service is greatly dear most to Me. Whenever you sing, I personally manifest. Whenever the holy names are chanted with devotion, because the holy names are non- different from Kṛṣṇa, He personally manifests, He incarnates, in the form of the holy names. Mukunda is extremely dear to Lord Gaurāṅga. So, whenever Mukunda sings, Lord Gaurasundara always incarnates there.
Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.245
tumi yata kahile, sakala satya haya
bhakti vinā āmā' dekhile o kichu naya
Translation: “Whatever you have said is indeed true, for one cannot achieve perfection without devotional service, even if he sees Me face to face.
Śrī Gaurasundara said, “O Mukunda, it is the supreme truth that if one wants to see Me without devotional service, he will not see Me.” As stated:
ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-namadi,
na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau,
svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
“No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.”
If one is not inclined towards the service of the Lord, then instead of serving the object of service one ends up serving unservable objects.
nāmākṣara bāhirāya baṭe,
tabu nāma kabhu naya
“One may vibrate the sound of the holy names, but it may not actually be the holy names.” The holy names and the Supreme Lord are nondifferent. Those who lack knowledge of the relationship between the servant and the object of service cannot cross the four objectives of life—religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation—and reach the platform of love of Kṛṣṇa.
As stated in the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, Chapter Fifty:
cakṣur vinā yathā dīpaṁ
yathā darpaṇam eva ca
samīpasthaṁ na paśyanti
tathā viṣṇuṁ bahir mukhāḥ
“As a blind person cannot see anything, even with the help of a lamp or a mirror, persons who are averse to Lord Viṣṇu cannot see Him even if He stands before them.”
Jayapatākā Swami: Whatever you have said is certainly true. One cannot achieve perfection, even seeing Me face to face, without devotional service. So, the Lord was praising Mukunda, that one cannot really see Me, if they don’t have devotion, even if they otherwise see Me.
ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-namadi,
na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau,
svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
“No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.”
In order to see, realize the name and form of the Lord, one needs to have devotion. Otherwise, they cannot see the Lord and they will serve undesirable objects.
As stated in the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, Chapter Fifty:
cakṣur vinā yathā dīpaṁ
yathā darpaṇam eva ca
samīpasthaṁ na paśyanti
tathā viṣṇuṁ bahir mukhāḥ
“As a blind person cannot see anything, even with the help of a lamp or a mirror, persons who are averse to Lord Viṣṇu cannot see Him even if He stands before them.”
So, people say, show me God. But even if He is standing in front of them, they have no devotion. They cannot understand His greatness.
Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.246
ei tore satya kahoṅ, baḍa priya tumi
veda-mukhe baliyāchi yata kichu āmi
Translation: “You are very dear to Me. I am telling you the truth.
Jayapatākā Swami: “You are very dear to Me; I am telling you the truth. Through the Vedas, I have said everything.”
Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.247
ye-ye-karma kaile haya, ye-ye-divya-gati
tāhā ghucāite pāre kāhāra śakati?
Translation: Who has the power to nullify the various duties and their concomitant results I have prescribed in the Vedas?
Jayapatākā Swami: Who has the power to nullify the various duties mentioned in the Vedas? And their transcendental results?
Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.248
muñi pāroṅ sakala anyathā karibāre
sarva-vidhi-upare mohāra adhikāre
Translation: It is I alone who can change these, for My authority is beyond all rules and regulations.
“It is certainly true that you are very dear to Me, for you are always engaged in singing My holy names. The topics in the Vedic literatures that are prescribed according to the qualification of the karmis who desire the fruits of their activities and the topics of the Upaniṣads, which are the head of the Vedas, that are prescribed according to the qualification of the jñānīs who desire liberation are prescriptions that apply only to the respective karmis and jñānīs. But My order is more powerful than all those rules and regulations.” In the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa it is stated:
daivādhīnaṁ jagat sarvaṁ
janma-karma śubhāśubham
saṁyogaś ca viyogaś ca
na ca daivāt paraṁ balam
kṛṣṇāyattaṁ ca tad daivaṁ
sa daivāt paratas tataḥ
bhajanti satataṁ santaḥ
paramātmānam īśvaram
daivaṁ vardhayituṁśaktaḥ
kṣayaṁ kartuṁ svalīlayāna
daiva-baddhas tad bhaktaś
cāvināśī ca nirguṇaḥ
“All activities of a human being are under the control of providence. What to speak of this, the entire world is under the control of providence. Birth, activities, the results of pious and impious actions, and the meeting and separation of all living entities are under the control of providence. Therefore, there is no force superior to providence. Yet Lord Kṛṣṇa is greater than providence. Since providence is under the control of Lord Kṛṣṇa, saintly persons worship Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supersoul and Supreme Personality of Godhead. Through His pastimes, Śrī Kṛṣṇa can diminish or expand this providence. Therefore, the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are not bound by providence. They are imperishable and transcendental.”
Jayapatākā Swami: I alone can change these, for My authority is beyond the rules and regulations. So, karma-kāṇḍa, is for those who want the result of their fruitive activities, or the Upaniṣads, in which the jñānīs want to merge into the impersonal Brahman. My order is more powerful than all these Vedic injunctions.
In the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa it is stated:
daivādhīnaṁ jagat sarvaṁ
janma-karma śubhāśubham
saṁyogaś ca viyogaś ca
na ca daivāt paraṁ balam
kṛṣṇāyattaṁ ca tad daivaṁ
sa daivāt paratas tataḥ
bhajanti satataṁ santaḥ
paramātmānam īśvaram
daivaṁ vardhayituṁśaktaḥ
kṣayaṁ kartuṁ svalīlayāna
daiva-baddhas tad bhaktaś
cāvināśī ca nirguṇaḥ
“All activities of a human being are under the control of providence. What to speak of this, the entire world is under the control of providence. Birth, activities, the results of pious and impious actions, and the meeting and separation of all living entities are under the control of providence. Therefore, there is no force superior to providence. Yet Lord Kṛṣṇa is greater than providence. Since providence is under the control of Lord Kṛṣṇa, saintly persons worship Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supersoul and Supreme Personality of Godhead. Through His pastimes, Śrī Kṛṣṇa can diminish or expand this providence. Therefore, the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are not bound by providence. They are imperishable and transcendental.”
So, today in the world we are suffering from this corona virus pandemic. And this is due to the will of Providence. People in general have committed various vikarmic activities. But Kṛṣṇa is more powerful than Providence. That is why we are recommending, everybody should chant the holy names of Kṛṣṇa. If the whole world would do that, very soon this pandemic would be over. The President of the United States said that if we are lucky, we will find a vaccine. Laki, in Bengali is the name of Lakṣmī. So Lakṣmī Nārāyaṇa, Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, Their mercy is needed! It is not just a coincidence. Everyone should chant the holy names of God, and repent for their misdeeds. Mukunda has shown how to repent. Although he didn’t do anything wrong really, he was very committed to serving Kṛṣṇa. So, this should be the mood of all the people.
* * *
I end my class here. My voice is sore.
Mahā Varāha dāsa: The speech therapist of Guru Mahārāja said that he has to take complete voice rest, for the next four to five days. How many of you are supporting that? (Guru Mahārāja gestured with a thumbs down!) Only then he can recover his voice back to normal.
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