20200417 Mahāprabhu's Statement Upon Hearing Advaita Ācārya's Speech (Part 2)

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Today is the disappearance day of Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. He was born in Māyāpur in Modadruma-dvīpa. He wrote the Caitanya Bhāgavata, in a village near Navadvīpa in Bardhaman district. He was considered to be the Vyāsadeva of Caitanya-līlā. And his mother was Nārāyaṇī, she was four or five or six years when Lord Caitanya told her. He was demonstrating how He can make all the people to cry in kṛṣṇa-prema. He told the mullahs to read the Quran and see if everybody cried when they were reading it. But nobody cried. He said, but I can make them cry! And he demonstrated, when Nārāyaṇī was a little girl, He said, cry in ecstasy! And immediately she cried! Śrīla Vṛndāvana dās Ṭhākura’s mother was a great devotee. She was reading the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and cried in bhāva. Today we are blessed we are reading the appreciation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu of the prayers of Advaita Gosāñi. I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura!

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Chapter entitled as Mahāprabhu's Statement Upon Hearing Advaita Ācārya's Speech – Continued…

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.212

phalakāmarahita sannyāsīrao nindārahita vaiṣṇavera nindāphale adhaḥpatana-lābha—

sannyāsī o yadi anindaka nindā kare
adhaḥ-pāte yāya, sarva dharma ghuce tāre”

Translation: “If even a sannyāsī blasphemes an innocent person, he goes to hell and all his religious principles are destroyed.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Even if a sannyāsī blasphemes an innocent person, he goes to hell, then all his religious principles are destroyed. So innocent people, the Vaiṣṇavas, are not to be criticized. They are not worth of any criticism. Even a sannyāsī who is the in highest order of the varṇāśrama, if he blasphemes an innocent person or a Vaiṣṇava, then he destroys his religious principles, and he descends down to the lowest regions.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.213

amandodaya-dayākārī mahāprabhura māyāvādī, karmī o anyābhilāṣīke vaiṣṇavanindārahita haoyāra upadeśa pradāna

bāhu tuli' jagatere bale gaura-dhāma
“anindaka hai' sabe bala kṛṣṇa-nāma

Translation: Raising His arms, Lord Gaurāṅga declared to the world, “Avoid offenses and chant the names of Kṛṣṇa!

To attribute faults when faults are not present is called nindā, or “blasphemy.” It is most necessary to remain aloof from blasphemy while chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa. Persons who are free from blasphemy are the best of all. One who is devoid of desires to enjoy the fruits of his karma is called a sannyāsī. If even such a sannyāsī who is free from blasphemy happens to blaspheme a Vaiṣṇava, then all his principles of renunciation and abstinence from talking about others are destroyed and he falls down.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord, Gaurasundara, raised His arms, and told all the people of the world to not blaspheme or criticize those Vaiṣṇavas, those who are not worthy of any criticism. Please all chant the names of Lord Kṛṣṇa.  You see, if someone attributes a fault, when the fault is not present, it is called blasphemy. So, it is important to stay aloof from such blasphemy of devotees, or one who chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. So, persons who are free from this tendency to criticize or blaspheme others, are the best of all. So, someone who doesn’t want to enjoy the fruits of his work, is called a sannyāsī. But even if such a sannyāsī blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava, then all his principles of renunciation, abstinence, are destroyed, and he falls down. So here, the description of a sannyāsī can mean someone who is a detached householder, someone who is very detached. So, even such a person, if he criticizes a fault free person or a Vaiṣṇava, then he will fall down.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.214

anindaka hai' ye sakṛt `kṛṣṇa' bale
satya satya muñi tāre uddhāriba hele”

Translation: “If one who is free from blasphemy chants the name of Kṛṣṇa even once, I will certainly deliver him.”

One who chants the names of Kṛṣṇa while remaining aloof from attributing false faults in the course of talking about others becomes free from the bondage of material existence. Blaspheming the devotees of Kṛṣṇa earns one the qualification to enjoy the threefold miseries of material existence. When a living entity becomes free from blasphemy of Vaiṣṇavas he attains liberation. The three classes of materialistic people—Māyāvādīs, karmis, and gross materialists—are blasphemers of Vaiṣṇavas. It is impossible for them to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya stated that if someone is free from the tendency to blaspheme, and even if he chants the name of Kṛṣṇa once, it is true, it is true, I will deliver him, CERTAINLY I WILL DELIVER HIM! So, Lord Caitanya describes, one who chants the name of Kṛṣṇa, while remaining aloof from attributing faults, in the course of his talking about others, he becomes free from the bondage of material life. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda says that if you blaspheme the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, you earn the qualification, to enjoy the threefold miseries of material existence! Ha! Ha! Do you want this qualification? Ha! Ha! Then just offend Vaiṣṇavas! If one is free from this tendency to blaspheme Vaiṣṇavas, he attains liberation. There are four kinds of Vaiṣṇava liberation. Generally, the three kinds of materialistic people are blasphemers of Vaiṣṇavas. Māyāvādīs, karmīs and gross materialists. It is practically impossible for them to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa. So, we want to not be in these categories, and we want to chant the holy names and get Lord Caitanya’s mercy.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.215

mahāprabhura vākye bhaktagaṇera jayadhvani evaṃ advaitera premakrandana—

ei yadi mahāprabhu balilā vacana
`jaya jaya jaya' bale sarva-bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: When Mahāprabhu spoke these words, all the devotees chanted, “Jaya! Jaya!”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke these words, all the devotees chanted “Jaya! Jaya! Jaya! all glories!”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.216

advaita kāndaye dui caraṇe dhariyā
prabhu kānde advaitere kolete kariyā

Translation: Advaita cried and grabbed the Lord's two lotus feet. The Lord also began to cry as He embraced Advaita.

Jayapatākā Swami: Advaita cried and grabbed the Lord’s two lotus feet. The Lord cried and embraced Advaita Gosāñi.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.217

īśvarābhinna advaitera nityānanda-saha acintya-līlā bujhite samartha vyakti paramānandera adhikārī—

advaitera preme bhāse sakala medinī
ei mata mahācintya advaita-kāhinī

Translation: The entire world floated in Advaita's ecstatic love. Such are the inconceivable topics of Advaita.

Jayapatākā Swami: The whole world was floating in the ecstasy of Advaita Prabhu’s ecstatic love. Such were the inconceivable topics of Advaita Gosāñi.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.218

advaitera vākya bujhibāra śakti kāra
jāniha īśvara-sane bheda nāhi yāra

Translation: Who has the power to understand Advaita's words? One should know that there is no difference between Him and the Supreme Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: Who has the power to understand the deep words of Advaita Gosāñi? One should understand that there is no difference between Him and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.219

nityānanda-advaite ye gālāgāli bāje
sei se paramānanda yadi jane bujhe

Translation: If one understands the superficial quarrels between Nityānanda and Advaita, he will attain supreme happiness.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes Nityānanda and Advaita had quarrels. But that was superficial. And who can understand that, he can achieve transcendental ecstasy!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.220

indriyajñānātīta viṣṇu-vaiṣṇavera karma—tāmhādera kṛpāyai adhigamya—

durvijñeya viṣṇu-vaiṣṇavera vākya-karma
tāna anugrahe se bujhiye tāra marma

Translation: The words and activities of Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas are incomprehensible. Only by their mercy can one understand them.

All words current in the world are indicative of material objects. Material activities are aimed at providing fruits to the performer. But the words of Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas are not like that. Their activities are not similar to the activities of those who are not Viṣṇu and who are not Vaiṣṇavas. The difference between the words and activities of Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas and the words and activities of others is that the latter are under the control of sensual knowledge whereas the former are beyond the control of sensual knowledge. Only by the mercy of Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas can one attain the qualification to enter that difficult-to-comprehend kingdom.

Jayapatākā Swami: The words and activities of Lord Viṣṇu and His Vaiṣṇavas, are very difficult to understand. One can understand if they have Their mercy. So, in this material world, all the words describe material objects. But the words of Lord Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas are not like that. So those other than Viṣṇu, and the Vaiṣṇavas, their activities are not similar. See, the materialists, their knowledge is based on their sensual perception. But the words of Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas are transcendental, beyond the sensual knowledge. Only by the mercy of Lord Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas, can one attain the qualification to enter that difficult to comprehend kingdom. In other words, the activities of the Lord and His devotees are incomprehensible to the non-devotees. We need to have the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa, the Vaiṣṇavas and Kṛṣṇa to understand. Otherwise, it remains incomprehensible to us. We see how superficially, sometimes Advaita and Nityānanda seem to have quarrels, but actually that was their ecstasy. Devotees, they enjoy supreme bliss to hear about these activities, but the non-devotees, they don’t understand. Like, when Nityānanda He came to the house of Advaita with Lord Caitanya, then Lord Caitanya said, I am a sannyāsī, I eat very austere, give Me little bit! But Nityānanda Prabhu said, I am hungry I have not eaten for three days!  Give me prasādam! Good prasādam! Give me big prasādam! So, it seemed like Lord Nityānanda was arguing with Advaita. And then later on Nityānanda threw some prasādam on Advaita, and said that You are not giving Me enough! Ha! Advaita said, You are destroying my religious principles. I am a brāhmaṇa, why are You throwing prasādam on Me? Like this, They were having some discussions. But actually, Ha! Ha! it was very ecstatic! This type of exchange, the Vaiṣṇavas will appreciate, but the materialists, they don’t understand.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.221-222

nityānandādvaitādira vākya anantadevai bujhite samartha

ei mata yata āra hai kathana
nityānandādvaita prabhu āra yata gaṇa

ihā bujhibāra śakti prabhu balarāma
sahasra vadane gāya ei guṇa-grāma

Translation: Only Lord Balarāma has the power to understand the pastimes that took place between Nityānanda, Advaita, and Their associates. In His form as Ananta, He sings their glories with His thousand mouths.

Jayapatākā Swami: All the other discussions which happened between Nityānanda and Advaita Prabhus, all the other people, all the other Vaiṣṇavas, Lord Balarāma had the power to understand this. As Anantadeva, with His thousands of heads, He glorified these transcendental qualities.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.223

viśvambharera advaitake nijalīlā-viṣaye praśna o advaitera uttara—

kṣaṇekei bāhya-dṛṣṭi diyā viśvambhara
hāsiyā advaita-prati balaye uttara

Translation: Viśvambhara then glanced at Advaita and smiled as He spoke to Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: The moment Viśvambhara glanced at Advaita Gosāñi, and He smiled as He spoke to Him.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.224

“kichu ni cāñcalya muñi kariyā

choṅśiśu?” advaita balaye,—“upādhika nahe kichu”

Translation: “Have I been mischievous like a child?” Advaita replied, “Not particularly.”

Viśvambhara said to Advaita, “With childish restlessness I came to punish You.” In reply, Śrī Advaita Prabhu said, “Your activities like these are never real. They are simply temporary incidents situated near reality. Therefore, they are actually superficial rather than factual. A spirit soul's absorption in mental activities and gross bodily activities is only temporary; that is, it is not full of eternal knowledge or uninterrupted bliss, and it is simply a temporary conception.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So Viśvambhara Prabhu spoke to Advaita, I might have been a little mischievous like a child. Advaita replied, ‘not particularly!’  So Viśvambhara said to Advaita, with childlike restlessness, I came to punish You. In reply Advaita Prabhu said, Your activities are all transcendental. And Your pastimes are not what they appear to be. In that Advaita Gosāñi wanted to be treated as an inferior by Lord Caitanya.  So, He achieved this, and Lord Caitanya punished Him for preaching non-Vaiṣṇava tattvas. So, the superficial showing of anger of Lord Caitanya was actually not to be considered at face value. He was expressing His transcendental pastimes.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.225

mahāprabhura nityānanda-samīpe kṣamā-bhikṣā o sakalera hāsya

prabhu bale,—“śuna nityānanda mahāśaya
kṣamibā cāñcalya yadi mora kichu haya”

Translation: The Lord said, “Listen, Nityānanda Mahāśaya, if I have been restless, please forgive Me.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu said, listen Nityānanda Prabhu Mahāśaya, If I have been naughty or restless, please forgive Me.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.226

nityānanda, caitanya, advaita, haridāsa
paraspara sabā' cāhi sabe haila hāsa

Translation: Then Nityānanda, Caitanya, Advaita, and Haridāsa looked at one another and began to laugh.

Jayapatākā Swami: Nityānanda, Caitanya, Advaita and Haridāsa, They looked at each other and began to laugh.

Thus ends the Chapter -
Mahāprabhu's Statement Upon Hearing Advaita Ācārya's Speech

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So, seven minutes of questions.

Question – Bengali:  We should definitely respect and honor all the Vaiṣṇavas. But if some Vaisṇava offends some guru in ISKCON, as a result I do not agree with him, am I committing a vaiṣṇava-aparādha? Even though he is offending (nindā) my Gurudeva?

Jayapatākā Swami: Here the actual words were, if you blaspheme someone or nindā. Someone who is not worthy of criticizing. If someone is critical of Śrīla Prabhupāda, Kṛṣṇa or the guru, you can defend Kṛṣṇa, you can defend Śrīla Prabhupāda, or guru, or you cannot  - if someone is worthy of respect and you don’t offer him respect that is called laṅgia, neglect, and so, we generally offer respect to those who are worthy of it. If Śrīla Prabhupāda said as a brahmacārī, I should offer respect even to the māyāvādī-sannyāsīs, but not to engage in discussion with them. So, when one is not on that level that they are worthy of respect, then one can just avoid them. No harm to say Hare Krsna and then don’t discuss, if you know such a person is a vaiṣṇava-aparādhī.

Submission: Tomorrow is Ekādaśī. Saṅkīrtana devotees have pledged to chant 1 crore japa and Gītā course devotees 2 crores of japa. Names of Kṛṣṇa. For the good of all humanity. Praying for Gurudeva’s blessings!

Jayapatākā Swami: 16 rounds is equal to 25,000. A crore is 100 lacs. Two crores is 200 lacs.

Question: Hare Krsna Guru Mahārāja, PAMRO. How to stop reacting to any provoking situation and respond to that situation?  Dīpapriyā Vrajesvarī dd

Jayapatākā Swami: Think before you do. Don’t respond to situations mechanically. What they call as knee jerk response. They hit the knee; at one point it goes click. Thus, we would rather think, and see how you want to respond. Like Bṛghu he kicked Viṣṇu on the chest but He didn’t react. That way Bṛghu thought. Viṣṇu said, are you alright? He started to rub his foot. My chest is very hard! Ha! Ha! So on, in this way He did not respond by some provoking situation. He rather acted in a transcendental way.  How you could do that? Gradually we want to be more and more transcendental. And if someone criticizes or does something provoking, and if they do it to us, we tolerate it. If they do to the guru or Kṛṣṇa, then we respond.

Okay. Thank you all very much! Haribol!