20200708 Entrance of Śrīvāsa in the Role of Nārada

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 8^th July 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: So, we heard this evening the last day of the smṛti-sabhā of His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami and hearing his disciples speak was very ecstatic and now past three days we were having the passing of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and now we are going back to the drama at Candraśekhara’s house. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was the director of the drama, the heroine of the drama was Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Entrance of Śrīvāsa in the Role of Nārada

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.50

śrīvāsera nārada-kāce praveśa o rāmāi paṇḍitera tatpaścāt āgamana—

kṣaṇeke nārada-kāca kāciyāśrīvāsa
praveśilā sabhā-mājhe kariyā ullāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: Shortly thereafter Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura joyfully came on the stage dressed as Nārada, there in the middle of the assembly, with great jubilation, Śrīvāsa entered.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.51

mahā-dīrgha pākā dāḍi, phoṅṭā sarva gāya
vīṇā-kāndhe, kuśa-haste cāri-dike cāya

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura he came in as Nārada muni, with a long white beard, with dots all over his body. With a vīṇā, string instrument on his shoulder, with kuśa grass in his hand, he looked in all directions. This describes the costume of Śrīvāsa appearing as Nārada muni.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.81

prema-bhaktiḥ: vatse maitri
paśya paśya—

aṁse nidhāya mahatīṁ raṇayan prakoṣṭhe
vāmetare valayavat kalitākṣa-mālaḥ
vidyud-vikasvara-vikīrṇa-jaṭā-kalāpaḥ
kailāsa-kāntir ayam eti surarṣir agre

Translation: Prema Bhakti: Child Maitrī, look! Look!

Playing the great vīṇā on his shoulder, japa-beads like a bracelet on his right wrist, and his matted hair like lightning, splendid as Mount Kailāsa, the sage among the demigods, Nārada comes before us.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.52

rāmāi paṇḍita kakṣe kariyā āsana
hāte kamaṇḍulu, pāche karilā gamana

Jayapatākā Swami: Ramāi Paṇḍita followed behind Nārada, carrying a water pot in his hand, a straw mat seat under his arm.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.53

vasite dilena rāma paṇḍita āsana
sākṣāt nārada yena dila daraśana

Jayapatākā Swami: Ramāi Paṇḍita, he gave the seat mat for Nārada muni to sit down, and it appeared as if Nārada muni had personally appeared there, to give his darśana.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.82

vatse! praṇamainam | mahā-bhāgavatottamo'yaṁ muni-varaḥ | yasya khalv iyaṁ gāthā—

Translation: Prema Bhakti: Child, offer obeisances to him. He is the best of the topmost devotees and best of the sages. There is a verse about him (in Bhāgavatam 1.6.38):

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.83

aho devarṣir dhanyo 'yaṁ
yat-kīrtiṁ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ

gāyan mādyann idaṁ tantryā

ramayaty āturaṁ jagat
[SB 1.6.38]

“All glory and success to Śrīla Nārada Muni because he glorifies the activities of the Personality of Godhead, and so doing he himself takes pleasure and also enlivens all the distressed souls of the universe.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Since the pastimes of the Lord are non-different from the Lord, simply by hearing these pastimes, hearing of the transcendental qualities of the Lord, the conditioned souls experience transcendental bliss, and naturally get awakened in their spiritual life. Nārada muni is distributing this mercy wherever he goes.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.84

maitrī (praṇamya): dei! tue bhaṇidaṁ sirabāso ṇārao hubissadi, kahaṁ dāṇīṁ saaṁ jebba ṇārao āao? [devi! tvayā bhaṇitaṁ śrīvāso nārado bhaviṣyati, kathaṁ idānīṁ svayam eva nārada āgataḥ?]

Maitrī: (offering obeisances) Goddess, you said, “Śrīvāsa will become Nārada.” How is that, just now Nārada himself has come?

Jayapatākā Swami: So personified friendship thought that Nārada muni had personally come. That Prema Bhakti personified had said Śrīvāsa would play the part of Nārada. But personified friendship was saying that it seems that Nārada muni himself has come.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.85

prema-bhaktiḥ: asya sahaja-nāradāveśatvān nārada-rūpatā vyaktaiva | adviatādes tu tat-tad-āropaḥ | tat tvayā yathādṛṣṭam eva pratīyatām |

Prema Bhakti: Because Śrīvāsa is naturally absorbed as Nārada, Śrīvāsa manifested Nārada's actual form. But, Advaita and the others are superimposition of their respective roles. Just observe them as is seen by you.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is such an incredible drama, normally in a drama different actors play the roles. But here the actors played the role in such a way that the people thought that the real person was there.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.86

nāradaḥ: bho bhoḥ snātaka! katham atra ko’pi na dṛśyate ?

Nārada: Snātaka, why is no one to be seen?

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.87

snātakaḥ: surarṣe! gandharva-rājas tu vṛndāvana eva nartitavyam iti tatraiva sa-sāmagrīko gatavān asti | ehi tatraiva gacchāvaḥ |

Snātaka: Devarṣi, the king of actors has taken his troupe to Vṛndāvana to do his play there. Come, let us go there

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.88

nāradaḥ: idaṁ vṛndāvanaṁ na bhavati ?

Nārada: Isn't this Vṛndāvana?

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.89

snātakaḥ: bho mahātman! atiśaya-harṣotkarṣeṇa svātmāpi vismṛto bhavatā, yac ca tathā vṛndāvana-paricaya-cāturya-dhūryo’pi vṛndāvanaṁ na paricinoṣi |

Snātaka: O great soul, overcome with bliss, you have forgotten yourself. Even though you are famed as skillfully wandering throughout Vṛndāvana, now you do not recognize Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.90

nāradaḥ: bho bhoḥ snātaka! satyam evoktaṁ bhavatā |

Nārada: Snātaka, you say the truth.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.91

ānandonmāda-luptāntar-bahiḥ-karaṇa-vṛttayaḥ
paricinvantu ke samyag ātmānaṁ kim utāparam
tad ādiśa tasya panthānam |

Translation: The actions of whose internal and external senses are stopped by the madness of spiritual bliss, who is able even to recognize his own self, what to speak of other things? Please show me the path.

Jayapatākā Swami: Nārada muni is instructing that the super excellence of spiritual bliss, that one is absorbed in the madness of spiritual bliss, loses consciousness of himself and where he is, and other things.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.92

snātakaḥ: bho bho ita itaḥ | (ity ubhau nāṭyena parikrāmataḥ |)

Snātaka: This way. This way.

(Both of them wander around the stage).

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.54

śrīvāsera veśa-darśane advaitācāryera praśna o śrīvāsera nija paricaya-pradāna-mukhe gauratattva vijñāpana—

śrīvāsera veśa dekhi' sarva-gaṇa hāse
kariyā gabhīra nāda advaita jijñāse

Jayapatākā Swami: Everyone laughed when they saw Śrīvāsa’s dress, and Advaita Gosāñi, He questioned him in a deep voice.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.55

“ke tumi āilā ethā, kon vā kāraṇe?”
śrīvāsa balena,—“śuna kahi ye vacane

Jayapatākā Swami: “Who are you? Why have you come here?” Śrīvāsa replied, “Please hear my words.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.56

‘nārada’ āmāra nāma kṛṣṇera gāyana
ananta brahmāṇḍe āmi kariye bhramaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: My name is Nārada, I sing the glories of Kṛṣṇa, I travel throughout the innumerable universes.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.57

vaikunṭhe gelāṅa kṛṣṇa dekhibāra tare
śunilāma kṛṣṇa gelā nadīyā-nagare

Jayapatākā Swami: I went to Vṛndāvana to see Lord Kṛṣṇa, but I heard that Kṛṣṇa had gone to Nadia town, to Navadvīpa.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.58

śūnya dekhilāma vaikuṇṭhera ghara-dvāra
gṛhiṇī-gṛhastha nāhi, nāhi parivāra

Jayapatākā Swami: I saw all the house in Vaikuṇṭha were empty, there were no men, women or families there.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.59

nā pāri rahite śūnya-vaikunṭha dekhiyā
āilāma āpana ṭhākura saṅariyā

Jayapatākā Swami: I, seeing Vaikuṇṭha as a desert, I could not remain there, I came here remembering the Lord.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 18.60

prabhu āji nācibena dhari' lakṣmī-veśa
ataeva e sabhāya āmāra praveśa”

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord will act today, taking the dress of Lakṣmī-devī, therefore I came, I entered this assembly.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.93

prema-bhaktiḥ (nirūpya) aho mahā-bhāgavatasya naisargikī vṛndāvana-ratiḥ |

Prema Bhakti: (looking) Ah! The best of the topmost devotees (Nārada) naturally loves Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.94

nāradaḥ (nāṭyena kiyad-dūre gatvā): hanta bhoḥ!

yat-pāre virajaṁ virāji parama-vyometi
yad gīyate nityaṁ cinmaya-bhūmi-cinmaya-latā-kuñjādibhir mañjulam
sāndrānanda-maho-mayaiḥ
khaga-mṛga-vrātair vṛtaṁ sarvatas
tad-vṛndāvanam īkṣate kim aparaṁ sambhāvyam akṣṇoḥ phalam

Nārada: (walking a short distance from the stage) Oh! That which is sung as being the spiritual sky beyond the Virajā River, the eternal spiritual land, pleasing with the spiritual vines and bushes, resplendent with spiritual happiness, surrounded everywhere by birds and animals, Vṛndāvana is seen. What can be better for the eyes to see?

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.95

yatra svayambhūr apy asmat-pitā yat kiñcid eva janmābhilaṣitavān |

tathā ca paurāṇikī gāthā—

tad bhūri-bhāgyam
iha janma kim apy
aṭavyāṁ yad gokule’pi
katamāṅghri-rajo’bhiṣekam

Translation: Even my father, Lord Brahmā, wished to take any sort of birth here. Thus there is a song in this connection in the Purāṇa (Bhāgavatam 10.14.34): “My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents.”

(ity etad eva padyam upavīṇayan naṭati)

(He plays the vīṇā and dances as he recites the verse)

Jayapatākā Swami: Nārada is glorifying the holy dhāma of Vṛndāvana, that even Lord Brahmā has desired to take any birth in Vṛndāvana, to have the dust from the lotus feet of the vraja-vāsis. So, in this way, the glories of the holy land of Vṛndāvana is being established, Nārada muni’s assistant speaks.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.96

snātakaḥ: evaṁ cet pratipadam eva bhavatā premānanda-vihvalena bhūyate, tadā kathaṁ gamyatām?

Snātaka: If at every step you are overcome with the ecstasy of love, how will you go anywhere?

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.97

nāradaḥ (dhairyam avaṣṭabhya): ādiśa mārgam |

Nārada: (controlling himself by being calm) Show the way.

snātakaḥ: ita itaḥ |

Snātaka: This way. This way.

(ity ubhau punar nāṭyena parikrāmataḥ)

(They both walk around the stage).

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.98

(nepathye muralī-dhvaniḥ)

(From behind the scenes sound of flute).

snātakaḥ: devarṣe! idam eva vṛndāvanam| yad eṣa bhagavato muralī-kala ākarṇyate |

Snātaka: Devarṣi, this is Vṛndāvana, since a low and sweet tone of Lord's flute is being heard.

nāradaḥ (śrutim abhinīya): aye satyam evāttha | tathā hi—

Nārada: (listening to the flute sound) You have spoken the truth.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, they have walked around the stage and entered into Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.99

madhurima-rasa-vāpī-matta-haṁsī prajalpaḥ
praṇaya-kusuma-vāṭī-bhṛṅga-saṅgīta-ghoṣaḥ
surata-samara-bherī-bhāṅkṛtiḥ pūtanārer
jayati hṛdaya-daṁśī ko'pi vaṁśī-ninādaḥ

Translation: Glory to Pūtanāri’s (Kṛṣṇa’s) flute-music that attracts the heart, which is the chatter of the maddened swans in a lake of sweet nectar, which is the song of bees in a flower-garden of love, and which is the roll of drums announcing a battle of transcendental amorous pastimes.

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Nārada is glorifying the holy land of Vṛndāvana and Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 3.100

prema-bhaktiḥ: vatse ! bhagavataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-candrasya praveśo bhavitā | tad idānīṁ vismaryatām ājanma-duḥkhaṁ saphalī-kriyetāṁ ca nayane |

Prema Bhakti: Child, now Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra will enter. Now we will forget all we have suffered since birth, and the purpose of our eyes will be fulfilled.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Kṛṣṇa will enter.

We will stop here, because we will start tomorrow with Kṛṣṇa entering. Are you ready?

We are feeling the separation from His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami. But actually, this separation is the thing that Lord Caitanya taught, He worshipped Kṛṣṇa in separation, that’s the highest ecstasy of love. So, you will find in His Sīkṣāṣṭakam, the separation from Kṛṣṇa is the principle thing, and so indirectly, Bhakti Cāru Swami taught us separation, by suddenly leaving before us! Anyway, are there any questions?

Question: Dear Gurudeva, please accept my respectful obeisances, all glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! Here Nārada muni told that he found Vaikuṇṭha empty as Kṛṣṇa is here. So, my question is how it happened so, as Kṛṣṇa can manifest innumerable features, how can Vaikuṇṭha be empty? - Tany Datta

Jayapatākā Swami: Tany, this is a figurative description, that the residents of Vaikuṇṭha want to be with the Lord. And Lord Kṛṣṇa is present in Navadvīpa as Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. So, all the residents from Vaikuṇṭha are coming down here to participate in Lord Gaurāṅga’s pastimes. That is the message Nārada muni is giving. Actually, we know that is not possible, that Vaikuṇṭha would be empty. But anyway, he is saying like that just to focus our attention how blessed is, Navadvīpa, and many of the devotees of the Lord have left the spiritual world to come down and participate in Lord Gaurāṅga’s pastimes.

Is there any other questions?

Take my blessings! kṛṣṇe matir astu!

It means since Lord Caitanya is having His pastimes here, why be in Vaikuṇṭha? Why be there? You can as well be here and participate in the Lord’s pastimes!

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. Being in gṛhastha life, is it ok not to plan our future if we have no interest to do so? Or is it an act of irresponsibility? I am not interested to take anxiety on that matter. Kindly advise. - Prīti Rūpiṇī Rādhāpriyā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was in Agradvīpa and His brahmacārī assistant had kept some digestive spices from the previous day. So, when he did that, Lord Caitanya said, that you are not taking the vairāgī path, you are taking the gṛhastha path, for they keep savings for rainy days, emergency So you should become a gṛhastha. So, he was shocked because he wasn’t planning that, but the Lord had given him that instruction. I don’t know why you are asking the duties of a gṛhastha to a sannyāsī? What I can see is that gṛhasthas think ahead for difficult times, and in that way making some plan for the future seems to be alright for the gṛhastha, But the sannyāsīs, we have to depend on Kṛṣṇa more.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! Please guide us how can I help my parents to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa so that I can at least do something for them for they have given me this life. Thank you.

Your sheltered spiritual daughter,
Vijayalakṣmī Madusu, East London.

Jayapatākā Swami: First I would like to wish a happy birthday, happy appearance day to Vijayalakṣmī Madusu. Maybe since you know your parents, I don’t know them as such, how much would they be willing to take the advice of their daughter. Sometimes parents are very proud, sometimes you have to get someone of their age group to approach them and preach to them, since they don’t want to hear from their daughter. Otherwise, if possible, give them a book like Bhagavad-gītā, or someday, cook prasāda for them, and in various ways try to encourage them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. At least if they can chant one or two rounds a day, that would be a good start, 2 rounds is 1.25 million a year names of Kṛṣṇa.