20200731 The Lord Decides to Take Sannyāsa to Deliver The Offenders

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 31^st 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: Today is the second day of our Jhulan-yātrā, also the disappearance day of Rupa Gosvāmī and Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita.

Rūpa Gosvāmī was the younger brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī. He was the finance minister, under the emperor Hussain Shah. Actually, he was the most prominent of all the six Gosvāmīs. So, vande rūpa sanātanau raghu jugo śrī jīva gopāla kau, so we offer our obeisances to Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and the other five Gosvāmīs. Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita was one of the gopās of Vṛndāvana, and he was a friend of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda. So, his temple is there at Kalna, and his disciples was Hṛdayānanda dāsa. But Hṛdayānanda had organized a Gaura Pūrṇimā festival. But he had not taken permission from Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita and Gaurīdāsa told him not to do that. But people were arriving with donations. And then Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita said, “Alright!” When they were having a kīrtana, and Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityānanda left the altar and They entered into the kīrtana, Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita could see Them, but others could not. So Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita came up with the offering for the lunch and found the deities had gone. He saw that They were chanting in the kīrtana. He ran with a stick, and said, “Don’t cheat me, don’t go away!” Lord Caitanya then hid in the heart of Hṛdayānanda. Since then he was known as Hṛdaya Caitanya. He ran out and Nitāi-Gaura went back to the altar.

So since then, whenever you go to see the Deity, they close the curtain frequently, since they say that the Lord may get attached to some devotee and leave. So, they close the curtain, many other pastimes. Anyway, tonight we will read the chapter:

The Lord Decides to Take Sannyāsa to Deliver The Offenders

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17. 247

eka-dina gopī-bhāve gṛhete vasiyā
‘gopī’ ’gopī’ nāma laya viṣaṇṇa hañā

Translation: One day the Lord, in the ecstasy of the gopīs, was sitting in His house. Very morose in separation, He was calling, “Gopī! Gopī!”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17. 248

marmānabhijña pāṣaṇḍa chātrera prabhuke nivāraṇa :—

eka paḍuyā āila prabhuke dekhite
gopī’ ’gopī’ nāma śuni’ lāgila balite

Translation: A student who came to see the Lord was astonished that the Lord was chanting “Gopī! Gopī!” Thus he spoke as follows.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.087

prabhura ‘gopī’-nāmocāraṇe paḍuyāra durbuddhivaśe prabhuke upadeśa dāna ceṣṭā o prabhura paḍuyā-niryātanodyoga—

eka dina gopī-bhāve jagata-īśvara
‘vṛndāvana’, ‘gopī gopī’ bale nirantara

Jayapatākā Swami: One day the Lord of the Universe, Lord Gaurāṅga, absorbed in the mood of the gopīs, He chanted Vṛndāvana, “Gopī, Gopī,” and He chanted incessantly.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.088

kona yoge tahiṅ eka paḍuyā āila
bhāva-marma nā jāniyā se uttara dila

Jayapatākā Swami: At that time a student came there for some purpose. He didn’t understand the mood of the Lord and he spoke as follows.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.089

‘gopī gopī’ kena bala nimāñi paṇḍita!
‘gopī gopī’ chāḍi’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ balaha tvarita

Jayapatākā Swami: O Nimāi Paṇḍita, why are You chanting ‘Gopī! Gopī!” Stop chanting “Gopī! Gopī!” and chant the name of “Kṛṣṇa”.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17. 249

kṛṣṇa-nāma nā lao kene, kṛṣṇa-nāma—dhanya
’gopī’ ’gopī’ balile vā kibā haya puṇya

Translation: “Why are You chanting the names “Gopī! Gopī!’ instead of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which is so glorious? What pious result will You achieve by such chanting?”

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: It is said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā-mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya: no one can understand the activities of a pure devotee. A student or neophyte devotee could not possibly understand why Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting the name of the gopīs, nor should the student have asked the Lord about the potency of chanting gopī gopī. The neophyte student was certainly convinced of the piety in the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, but this sort of attitude is also offensive. Dharma-vrata-tyāga-hutādi-sarva-śubha-kriyā-sāmyam api pramādaḥ: to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in exchange for the achievement of piety is an offense. This, of course, was unknown to the student. Thus he innocently asked, “What piety is there in the chanting of the name gopī?” He did not know that there is no question of piety or impiety. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa or the holy name gopī is on the transcendental platform of loving affairs. Since he was not expert in understanding such transcendental activities, his question was merely impudent. Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, apparently greatly angry at him, reacted as follows.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.090

ki puṇya janmibe ‘gopī gopī’ nāma laile
‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’ laile se puṇya, vede bale”

Jayapatākā Swami: What good karma would You get by chanting “gopī, gopī?” By taking the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Vedas say, one achieves great good karma. So, the point is that in the ten offences to the holy name, one of the offences, the 8^th, is to consider the holy name as another pious activity. And that the name of Kṛṣṇa is not different from Kṛṣṇa, not to be related to pious activities like giving charity or doing some austerity, is very offensive. Kṛṣṇa’s holy name is transcendental to all of that. It is not puṇya karma, but this neophyte student knew that the name of Kṛṣṇa was puṇya karma or pious activity, but he didn’t know the value of chanting gopī.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.091

bhinna-bhāva prabhura se, ajñe nāhi bujhe
prabhu bale,—“dasyu kṛṣṇa, kon jane bhaje?

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga was absorbed in a different mood, but the ignorant student could not understand. The Lord said, “Kṛṣṇa is a thief, who will worship Him?”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.092

kṛtaghna haiyā ‘vāli’ māre doṣa vine
strī-jita haiyā kāṭe strīra nāka-kāne

Jayapatākā Swami: He mercilessly killed Vāli, for no fault of his. Being controlled by His wife, He cut off another lady’s nose and ears.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.093

sarvasva laiyā ‘bali’ pāṭhāya pātāle
ki haibe āmāra tāhāra nāma laile?”

Jayapatākā Swami: He took everything from Bali, and He sent him to the lower planets, Pātāla-loka. What will I achieve by taking His name, by chanting His name?

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.094

eta bali’ mahāprabhu stambha hāte laiyāpa
ḍuyā mārite yāya bhāvāviṣṭa haiyā

Translation: Saying these words, Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu took a stick in His hand, absorbed in ecstasy, He rushed towards the student to beat him.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Considering Himself a resident of Vṛndāvana as the son of a cowherd, Śrī Gaurasundara addressed the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu. On hearing Him, a young brāhmaṇa student who could not understand the internal mood of Lord Gaurāṅga said, “Chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa is the only way to be delivered from material existence. How have You been misguided to give up chanting such names and take to chanting the name of a gopī?” The young student did not know that one cannot attain the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa without taking shelter of the gopīs, who are Kṛṣṇa's āśraya-vigrahas, or the Lord's manifestations of whom one must take shelter. In particular, since that foolish student did not study the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam verse, ahus ca te nalina-nabha. [āhuś ca te nalina-nābha padāravindaṁyogeśvarair hṛdi vicintyam agādha-bodhaiḥsaṁsāra-kūpa-patitottaraṇāvalambaṁgehaṁ juṣām api manasy udiyāt sadā naḥ, “Dear Lord, whose navel is just like a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who have fallen into the deep well of material existence. Your feet are worshiped and meditated upon by great mystic yogīs and highly learned philosophers. We wish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, although we are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs.” (SB 10.82.48)], he tried to induce Gaurasundara to chant the name of Kṛṣṇa like an abominable atonement prescribed by a smārta supervisor in a way that clashed with the internal mood of Gaurasundara, who therefore attempted to show that student the same treatment Śrī Mādhavendra Purī showed to his misguided disciple Rāmacandra Purī. “What will I gain by taking shelter of that ‘rogue’ Kṛṣṇa, who cut off the nose and ears of the lusty Śūrpaṇakhā, who killed Vāli, and who sent Bali to Pātāla after taking everything away from him?” After speaking such loving quarrelsome words, Mahāprabhu chased after that student.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, these words of Lord Caitanya, are actually in a loving mood, and it’s very difficult, for this student to understand. He was at a much more neophyte level. Lord Caitanya was in the mood of internal ecstasy. The student created some offence to Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17. 250

prahārārtha prabhura paścāddhāvana; chātrera palāyana:—

śuni’ prabhu krodhe kaila kṛṣṇe doṣodgāra
ṭheṅgā lañā uṭhilā prabhu paḍuyā māribāra

Translation: Hearing the foolish student, the Lord became greatly angry and rebuked Lord Kṛṣṇa in various ways. Taking up a stick, He rose to strike the student.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: It is mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that when Uddhava came from Lord Kṛṣṇa with a message for the gopīs, all the gopīs, especially Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, denounced Kṛṣṇa in various ways. Such denunciations, however, reflect an exuberant loving attitude that an ordinary man cannot understand. When the foolish student questioned Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Caitanya similarly rebuked Lord Kṛṣṇa in loving exuberance. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in the mood of the gopīs and the student advocated the cause of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya was greatly angry. Seeing His anger, the foolish student, who was an ordinary atheistic smārta-brāhmaṇa, foolishly misjudged Him. Thus he and a party of students were ready to strike the Lord in retaliation. After this incident, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu decided to take sannyāsa so that people would not commit offenses against Him, considering Him an ordinary householder, for in India even now a sannyāsī is naturally offered respect.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back, this was the turning point. Finally, Lord Caitanya, who was already inclined to take sannyāsa, now He considered that by taking sannyāsa, people would not commit offences to Him, by not understanding His internal moods, because they would have natural respect for a sannyāsī.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.095

āthe-vyathe paḍuyā uṭhiyā dila raḍa
pāche dhāya mahāprabhu, bale `dhara dhara'

Jayapatākā Swami: The student quickly rose up and ran away, and Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu ran after him, exclaiming, “Catch him, catch him!”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17. 251

bhaye palāya paḍuyā, prabhu pāche pāche dhāya
āste vyaste bhakta-gaṇa prabhure rahāya

Translation: The student ran away in fear, and the Lord followed him. But somehow or other the devotees checked the Lord.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.96

dekhiyā prabhura krodha ṭheṅgā hāte dhāya
satvare saṁśaya māni' paḍuyā palāya

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing Lord Gaurāṅga in an angry mood, with a stick in His hand, running, the student quickly panicked and ran away.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Not understanding the intention of Śrīla Gaurasundara, that student became extremely anxious and fearful and ran away to escape being beaten by His stick.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17.252

prabhura sāntvanā –

prabhure śānta kari’ ānila nija ghare
paḍuyā palāyā gela paḍuyā-sabhāre

Translation: The devotees pacified the Lord and brought Him home, and the student ran away to an assembly of other students.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.97

bhinna-bhāve yāya prabhu, nā jāne paḍuyā
prāṇa laiyā mahā-trāse yāya palāiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: The student did not understand the separate mood of Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, by whom he was being chased. He was afraid for his life and frightened and he ran.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.98

bhaktagaṇa-kartṛka prabhuke nivāraṇa—

āthe-vyathe dhāiyā prabhura bhakta-gaṇa
ānilena dhariyā prabhure tata-kṣaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga’s devotees quickly ran after the Lord and caught Him and brought Him back.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.099

sabe meli’ sthira karāilena prabhure
mahābhaye paḍuyā palāñā gela dūre

Jayapatākā Swami: All the devotees together pacified Lord Gaurāṅga, while the student in great fear, he ran far away.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17. 253

chātrasamāje prabhura prati kaṭukti o krodha:—

paḍuyā sahasra yāhāṅ paḍe eka-ṭhāñi
prabhura vṛttānta dvija kahe tāhāṅ yāi

Translation: The brāhmaṇa student ran to a place where a thousand students were studying together. There he described the incident to them.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: In this verse, we find the word dvija, indicating that the student was a brāhmaṇa. Actually, in those days, only members of the brāhmaṇa class became students of Vedic literature. Schooling is meant especially for brāhmaṇas; previously there was no question of schooling for kṣatriyas, vaiśyas or śūdras. Kṣatriyas used to learn the technology of warfare, and vaiśyas learned business from their fathers or other businessmen; they were not meant to study the Vedas. At present, however, everyone goes to school, and everyone is given the same type of education, although no one knows what the result will be. The result, however, is most unsatisfactory, as we have seen in the Western countries especially. The United States has vast educational institutions where everyone is allowed to receive an education, but the result is that most students become like hippies.

Higher education is not meant for everyone. Only selected individuals trained in brahminical culture should be allowed to pursue a higher education. Educational institutions should not aim to teach technology, for a technologist cannot properly be called educated. A technologist is a śūdra; only one who studies the Vedas may properly be called a learned man (paṇḍita). The duty of a brāhmaṇa is to become learned in the Vedic literature and teach the Vedic knowledge to other brāhmaṇas. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are simply teaching our students to become fit brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. In our school at Dallas, the students are learning English and Sanskrit, and through these two languages they are studying all our books, such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and The Nectar of Devotion. It is a mistake to educate every student as a technologist. There must be a group of students who become brāhmaṇas. Without brāhmaṇas who study the Vedic literature, human society will be entirely chaotic.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the higher education whereby everyone learns about devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that aspect of education is actually lacking in the modern education. The Golden Age that is predicted in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa that for ten thousand years of a Golden Age, where it is said that people will be one caste – devotees of Hari. So that is what is needed today. By giving education to everyone, without actually having a purpose, to serve the Lord, is creating confusion. So, the perfection of education is to teach the people to be devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada said: “There must be a group of students who become brāhmaṇas. Without brāhmaṇas who study the Vedic literature, human society will be entirely chaotic.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.100

paḍuyāra palāyana o nija-saṅgīdigera nikaṭa samyak varṇana—

satvare calilā yathā paḍuyāra gaṇa
sarva-aṅge gharma, śvāsa vahe ghane ghana

Jayapatākā Swami: Quickly he ran and went to the place of his fellow students. His body was heavily perspiring, and he was breathing heavily.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.101

sambhrame jijñāse sabe bhayere kāraṇa
“ki jijñāsa āji bhāgye rahila jīvana

Jayapatākā Swami: So all his fellow students anxiously inquired, what is the cause of your fear. And he replied, “Don’t ask, today I am lucky that I am still alive.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17. 254

chātrasamāje prabhura prati kaṭukti o krodha :—

śuni’ krodha kaila saba paḍuyāra gaṇa
sabe meli’ kare tabe prabhura nindana

Translation: Hearing of the incident, all the students became greatly angry and joined together in criticizing the Lord.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.102

sabe bale ‘baḍa sādhu nimāñi paṇḍita’
dekhite gelāṅa āmi tāhāra bāḍīta

Jayapatākā Swami: Everyone says that Nimāi Paṇḍita is a big sādhu, a great saint. So, I went to His house to see Him.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.103

dekhilāṅa vasiyā japena ei nāma
aharniśi `gopī gopī' nā balaye āna

Jayapatākā Swami: “I saw He was sitting and chanting this name, day and night, He was chanting Gopī! Gopī, not chanting other names.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.104

tāhe āmi balilāṅa—‘ki kara’ paṇḍita
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa bala—yena śāstrera vihita'

Jayapatākā Swami: I said to Him, “What are You doing? O Paṇḍita, chant ‘Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa,’ as the scriptures have prescribed.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.105

ei vākya śuni’ mahā-krodha agni haiyā
ṭheṅgā hāte āmāre āila khedāḍiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: On hearing these words, He burned with great anger, and taking a stick in His hand, He came after me.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.106

kṛṣṇere o haila yateka gālāgāli
tāhā āra mukhe āmi ānite nā pāri

Jayapatākā Swami: He also criticized Kṛṣṇa with such words, that I cannot repeat them.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.107

rakṣā pāilāṅa āji paramāyu-guṇe
kahilāṅa ei ājikāra vivaraṇe”

Jayapatākā Swami: Today I was saved by the will of providence. This is what happened to me today, I am telling you.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.108

mūrkha paḍuyāgaṇera akṣaja-vicāre caitanya-nindā—

śuniyā hāsaye saba mahā-mūrkha-gaṇe
balite lāgilā yāra yena laya mane

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words of the student, his greatly foolish friends laughed, and started to say all the things, whatever is on their minds.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17. 255

saba deśa bhraṣṭa kaila ekalā nimāñi
brāhmaṇa mārite cāhe, dharma-bhaya nāi

Translation: “Nimāi Paṇḍita alone has spoiled the entire country,” they accused. “He wants to strike a caste brāhmaṇa. He has no fear of religious principles.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: In those days also, the caste brāhmaṇas were very proud. They were not prepared to accept chastisement even from a teacher or spiritual master.

Jayapatākā Swami: So rather than accepting the instructions from Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, the students were very proud, how could they be taught anything, they thought they knew better. So, they were saying all kinds of criticisms against Lord Gaurāṅga.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.109

keha bale,—“bhāla ta’ ‘vaiṣṇava’ bale loke
brāhmaṇa laṅghite āisena mahā-kope”

Jayapatākā Swami: One of them said, “Well, people call Him a Vaiṣṇava, but then why does He try to angrily beat a brāhmaṇa?”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 26.110

keha bale,—“‘vaiṣṇava’ vā baliba kemane
‘kṛṣṇa’ hena nāma yadi nā bale vadane?”

Jayapatākā Swami: Another said, “How do they call Him a Vaiṣṇava? When He does not chant the name of ‘Kṛṣṇa’ from His mouth?”

Alright, are there any questions?

Don’t forget to call up and register for your swinging of the Rādha Govinda Deities. Have you booked? Repeat the what’s app number *+9199323 28446*. +91 is for India, what’s the next? *99323 28446*. What happens if we call that number? You give your name, your city and your country. I heard last night, they called out the name and pulled the deities for you.

Question: Dear most Guru Mahārāja, please accept my respectful obeisances at your merciful lotus feet. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda (Jayapatākā Swami: ki jaya!) In the Harināma Cintāmaṇi it is mentioned that before giving the name to general people, we should create faith in the person first. Which is the best way to create that faith in the holy name, in the hearts of people?

Your insignificant daughter,
Ojasvinī Rādhikā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Well, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, you can give the holy name freely, and there are no hard and fast rules. If you say too many glories of the holy name, they may commit some offence. They may say, oh, how is that possible? Just like, Gopāla Cakravartī, he offended Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and so, we generally just say, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy. But if we say too many glories of the holy name, people may doubt it, and thus they may commit an offence. So indirectly we enthuse people to chant, by giving some practical example. But not giving too many glories. Because, if we tell too many things, then people may commit offence. Hare Kṛṣṇa!