20200610 Ecstasy of Devotees and Demigods

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 10^th June 2020 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Introduction: Today is Vakreśvara Paṇḍita’s appearance day. He could dance nonstop for 72 hours, and he said to Lord Caitanya, give me some Gandharva to sing the holy name and I can go on dancing, and Lord Caitanya said, you are My wing. If I had two like you, I could fly. Haribol! So today, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita’s appearance day, we pray that we may have his blessings.

Lord Caitanya had taken His kīrtana procession to the Chand Kazi. The Chand Kazi was made into a devotee and then the kīrtana went to the conchshell businessmen area, and then to the weaver area, and finally ended up at Kolaveca Śrīdhara’s house, where Lord Caitanya took the water from the old iron pot of Kolaveca Śrīdhara, who felt very embarrassed that Lord Caitanya had been drinking from his old pot. But Lord Caitanya said that after taking the devotee’s water, now My devotional service has been awakened. Lord Caitanya was teaching us how we should take the remnants of the devotees, of the water of the devotees.

Today the chapter is entitled:

Ecstasy of Devotees and Demigods

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.448

prabhura bhakta –vātsalya-darśane bhaktaganera ānanda-krandana—

bhakata-vātsalya dekhi' sarva bhakta-gaṇa
sabāra uṭhila mahā-ānanda-krandana

Jayapatākā Swami: When the devotees witnessed the Lord’s affection for His devotee, all the devotees present began to cry in great ecstasy, and their emotions rose up. So, by Lord Caitanya taking the water of this poor devotee, who had only (a kind) repaired, iron water pot, and He expressed so much affection and devotion to His devotee. So, everyone started to cry in great bliss, being so happy at seeing the mercy of the Lord.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.449

nityānanda-gadādhara paḍilā kāndiyā
advaita-śrīvāsa kānde bhūmite paḍiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: Nityānanda Prabhu, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Advaita Prabhu and Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, all started to cry at this and fell to the ground in loving ecstasy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.450

kānde haridāsa, gaṅgādāsa, vakreśvara
murāri, mukunda kānde, śrī-candraśekhara

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing the mercy and the affection of the Lord for His devotees, Haridāsa, Gaṅgādāsa, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, Murāri, Mukunda and Śrī Candraśekhara, all cried in great loving ecstasy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.451

govinda, govindānanda, śrīgarbha, śrīmān
kānde kāśīśvara, śrī-jagadānanda, rāma

Jayapatākā Swami: Govinda dāsa, Govindānanda, Śrīgarbha, Śrīmān Paṇḍita, Kāśīśvara, Śrī-Jagadānanda and Rāma Paṇḍita, also began to cry.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.452

jagadīśa, gopīnātha kāndena nandana
śuklāmbara, garuḍa, kāndaye sarva-jana

Jayapatākā Swami: Jagadīśa Paṇḍita, Gopīnātha Ācārya, Nandana Ācārya, Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī, Garuḍa dāsa, and many others, all began to cry.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.453

lakṣa koṭi loka kānde śire diyā hāta
“kṛṣṇa re ṭhākura mora anāthera nātha”

Jayapatākā Swami: Millions of people held their heads with their hands and cried and exclaimed, “Oh dear Kṛṣṇa! Oh my Lord! Oh Lord of the helpless!” So, people who don’t have a guru, who don’t have the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, they are considered as anātha. Anātha means like orphans, but Kṛṣṇa is merciful to His devotees, that one of His names is bhakta-vatsala, one who has mercy on His devotees, affection for His devotees. Everyone was appreciating how the Lord was so merciful for His devotee, and everybody started to cry in ecstasy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.454

ki haila balite nāri śrīdharera vāse
sarva-bhāve prema-bhakti haila prakāśe

Jayapatākā Swami: What happened at Śrīdhara’s house, I am not able to describe. There manifested the loving devotional service, in a most magnificent way.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.455

‘kṛṣṇa’ bali’ kānde sarva-jagata hariṣe
saṅkalpa haila siddhi, gauracandra hāse

Jayapatākā Swami: The whole world chanted Kṛṣṇa in ecstasy and cried in love. The Lord Gauracandra was smiling because His mission had been fulfilled. Lord Caitanya wanted to establish pure, loving devotional service through the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. So that was achieved when He went to the house of Śrīdhara, so He was very happy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.456

jīrṇa jalapātre jalapāna kariyā prabhu vaiṣṇavake aprākṛta vicāre darśana karite śikṣādāna—

dekha saba bhāi, ei bhaktera mahimā
bhakta-vātsalyera prabhu karilena sīmā

Jayapatākā Swami: Oh brothers, just see this devotee’s glories, how the Lord, He had so much affection for His devotee that He displayed the fullest limit of His affection for His devotee.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.457

lauha-jalapātra, tā’te bāhirera jala
parama-ādare pāna kailena sakala

Jayapatākā Swami: The iron water pot which was water that was used for external use, the Lord drank it with great affection.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Iron is the cheapest metal. Such an iron pot had become worn out after prolonged use. Moreover, it was meant for external use. To demonstrate that through spiritual vision from the transcendental point of view the material conception of poverty and destitution is an impediment in the devotional service of the Lord, the Lord drank water from the broken iron water pot of the poor Śrīdhara and thus taught the entire world how to respect and honor devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally one would not use this water for drinking, maybe washing the feet or some other washing the hands. But Lord Caitanya drank the water to show that He did not consider any caste, creed, He simply considered Śrīdhara being His devotee, and that he was poor or destitute that was not to be noted, that he was a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that was what was important.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.458

paramārthe pāna-icchā haila yakhane
sudhāmṛta bhakta-jala haila takhane

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord Gaurāṅga had developed a transcendental desire to drink water. At that time, the water of the devotee was like nectar, purest nectar. So, this is one of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, that He was teaching how devotees should not be considered by their financial status, the devotion for the Lord is what is important.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 23.459

‘bhakti’ bujhāite se e-mata pātre jala
paramārthe vaiṣṇavera sakala nirmala

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Gaurāṅga wanted to establish the importance of pure devotional service. So, He drank from such a pot to reveal that everything a Vaiṣṇava has, from a spiritual point of view is pure.

Thus, ends the chapter entitled, Ecstasy of Devotees and Demigods.

The demigods are like angels like the heavenly planets. So this is one pastime of the Lord that His devotee, Śrīdhara, who was very poor and he lived in single room house which was in ill-repair, he had an iron, used repaired pot, which was holding some water, and Lord Caitanya drank from that, to show that the devotee’s position is transcendental.

What time is it? One or two questions, then we will end here. Any questions from China?

This is an important pastime because you don’t have to be rich or have any facility to worship Lord Caitanya. Anyone, even the poorest person, if they have devotion, they can be accepted by Lord Caitanya. There is no material qualification, whether man, or woman or child or old, rich, poor, if they have devotion, that is all that counts. Haribol! What is the question?

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Gurudeva! Please accept my respectful obeisances, We come to Kṛṣṇa out of love and sometimes out of grief and sorrow. I heard that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, once said to the Lord that He can do as He pleases, whether push him away or embrace him. My question is, if we go with sorrow to Kṛṣṇa, will He embrace me or push me away as He likes? How to understand the mood of the Lord?

Your spiritual daughter,
Harita Mādhavā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: The point was that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura expressed his surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa could do whatever He wants. That won’t affect Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s position, that he is a servitor of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But you seem to be giving some kind of condition, If I have sorrow, will the Lord push me away? What would He do? Why you are worried? If you follow Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, whatever the Lord does, we accept, that’s our love for Him. But if you say that if I have some sorrow, I want Him to fulfill my desire that is conditional devotion. I love you, if you give me what I want, it sounds like a business deal. I wouldn’t worry, whatever Kṛṣṇa does, is for the good. Not what you think, your idea may or may not be for your good. So, we depend on Kṛṣṇa, He is suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ, He is the well-wisher of all the living entities. So, if you depend on Him, He will not let you down. But not that necessarily He will give you what you want, at this time. Because if giving you the gift will destroy you, then He will wait till you get strong enough to take the gift. Lord Śiva, some demon asked, “Give me the power that anybody’s head I touch, he will disappear”. Śiva said, “Alright!” He said, “Let me try on your head first.” So, Lord Kṛṣṇa told Lord Śiva, “Why do You give such blessings?” He went to the person and said, “Why do you believe in Śiva?” He took the form of a small boy. “You touch your own head, you will see, nothing will happen.” So, like that, he touched his own head and boom.

Last question.

Question: Dear Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. (Jayapatākā Swami: Accepted! Accepted!) My question is based on yesterday’s lecture. What does it mean to listen with full faith?

Anantaśrī Nitāi dāsa,
Saratov, Russia.

Jayapatākā Swami: If we believe in the pastime, that is listening with full faith. But if we doubt, how can this be? This is an exaggeration or something like that, that means we are not listening with full faith. Whatever was explained in this pastime of Lord Caitanya, is not an exaggeration, in fact, the writer he excused that he wasn’t able to explain everything, because things were so wonderful, that it was beyond his ability to express. So just to explain the auspicious sounds of the ladies, would take him a hundred thousand years. Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!

Thank you very much! Hare Kṛṣṇa!