20200909 Although Being in a Predicament, the Barber Receives a Boon of Residence in Goloka (Part 2)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 9th September 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 are continuing the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book part two, of the chapter entitled:

Although Being in a Predicament, the Barber Receives a Boon of Residence in Goloka (Part 2)

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.144

keha bale,—“kon vidhi sṛjila sannyāsa?”
eta bali' nārī-gaṇa chāḍe mahā-śvāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: One woman said, who has invented this system of taking sannyāsa? Speaking like this, the ladies present, sighed deeply.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.145

agocare thāki' saba kānde deva-gaṇa
ananta brahmāṇḍa-maya haila krandana

Jayapatākā Swami: Although hidden from view, all the demigods were also crying. In this way, the entire universe all over, was filled with the sound of crying.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.146

hena se kāruṇya-rasa gauracandra kare
śuṣka-kāṣṭha-pāṣāṇādi dravaye antare

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gauracandra, He showed such mood of compassion, that even dry wood and stone other things would melt.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.148

prabhura premavihvala bhāva o kṣaura-kārye nāpitera asāmarthya—
prema-rase parama caṣcala gauracandra
sthira nahe niravadhi bhāva aśru kampa

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gauracandra was greatly agitated by the mellows of ecstatic love. He was not steady, He was constantly ecstatic and shedding tears, and His body trembled.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.149

`bola' `bola' kari' prabhu uṭhe viśvambhara
gāyena mukunda, prabhu nāce nirantara

Jayapatākā Swami: Chant! Chant! Said Lord Viśvambhara, getting up. As Mukunda Datta was singing, the Lord danced continuously.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.150

vasile o prabhu sthira haite nā pāre
prema-rase mahā-kampa, vahe aśrudhāre

Jayapatākā Swami: Even when Lord Gaurāṅga sat, He was unable to remain steady. He trembled greatly in ecstasy of love; tears flowed from His eyes.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.151

`bola bola' kari' prabhu karaye huṅkāra
kṣaura-karma nāpita nā pāre karibāra

Jayapatākā Swami: “Chant! Chant! Haribol! Haribol!” Lord Gaurāṅga said. And He was roaring constantly. In this way, the barber was therefore unable to perform his shaving task.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 11.53: The Lord then called a very fortunate barber and instructed him to shave off His hair. The barter, overwhelmed with prema, constantly wept and trembled. Out of fear he could not do it.”

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 11.54: In great joy, beautiful Gaurāṅga said, “Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly at all times!” When He said this, the barber, torn apart with sorrow, performed his task while crying, his hairs standing on end.”

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 11.55: Those who were present there said in piteous voices repeatedly, “O mother! O father! They beat their hands on their heads constantly and, criticizing themselves for maintaining their lives, lamented.”
Jayapatākā Swami: People were very frustrated and lamenting, that the Lord was shaving off His beautiful hair, taking this austerity of being a sannyāsī.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.127

nāpita kahaye–prabhu nivedi caraṇe
tora śire hātha diba kāhāra parāṇe

Jayapatākā Swami: The barber said, “Oh Lord Gaurāṅga, I place my humble prayer at Your lotus feet. Who has the right to place his hands on Your head?”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.128

āmāra śakati nāhi karite muṇḍana
sundara kuṣcita keśa trailokya-mohana

Jayapatākā Swami: I have no power to shave Your beautiful, graceful, curly hair. Hair that charms the three worlds!

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.129

dekhite śītala haya hṛdaya-nayana
ye kara se kara prabhu nā kara muṇḍana

Jayapatākā Swami: Gazing at Your hair, every eye and heart becomes filled with cooling bliss. Oh Lord, whatever You wish You do, but please do not shave Your transcendental hair!

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.130

erūpa mānuṣa nāi jagata-bhitara
tumi sarvalokanātha – jānila antara

Jayapatākā Swami: No other person is in this universe like You. You are the master of all the worlds! I know this from within.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.131

e bola śuniṣā prabhu asantoṣa pāya
bujhiyā nāpita kāja antare ḍarāya

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words, Lord Gaurāṅga, He was displeased, He was dissatisfied. Understanding this, the barber was afraid at heart.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.132

punaḥ nivedana kare antare kātara
kemane vā hātha dira e śira-upara

Jayapatākā Swami: Again, he begged from the Lord, his heart filled with sorrow. How will I place my hand on Your head?

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.133

aparādha lāgi’ mora ḍare hāle gā
tora śire hātha diā choba kāra pā

Jayapatākā Swami: Fearing the offence, my whole body is shivering. By placing my hand on Your head, whose feet can I touch? So, the barber was afraid, that if he touches Lord Caitanya’s head, he will be guilty of a great offence, and that without touching His head, he cannot shave the head so he was in a dilemma.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.134

kāra pāya hātha diyā kariba nija vṛtti
adhama nāpita muṣi jāti ei mora vṛtti

Jayapatākā Swami: By placing my hand on whose feet, will I do my profession? I am a lowly fallen barber by caste, and this is my profession.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.135

e bola śuniṣā prabhu sadaya-hṛdaya
nā kariha vṛtti tumi – ṭhākura kahaya

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words, Lord Gaurāṅga became merciful in His heart. The Lord said, “You do not do your profession”.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.136

kṛṣṇera prasāde janma sukhe goṅāibe
antakāle vāsa tora mora loke habe

Jayapatākā Swami: By Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, you will happily pass this lifetime. At the end of your life, you will go to reside in My abode.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 13.137

muṇḍanera kāle se nāpite vara pāya
kātara-hṛdaye e locana dāsa gāya

Jayapatākā Swami: At the time of shaving the Lord, the barber received this benediction. With an agitated heart, Locana dāsa sings this song.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.152

dibāvasāne kṣaura-karma samāpana o snānānte bhāratī-samīpe upaveśana—
kathaṁ-katham api sarva-dina-avaśeṣe
kṣaura-karma nirbāha haila prema-rase

Jayapatākā Swami: Somehow or another, in the mellows of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa, Lord Gaurāṅga’s head was finally shaved, by the end of the day. The hands of the barber did not move as he prepared to shave the beautiful hair and śikhā of Śrī Gaurasundara. The entire day passed as various thoughts delayed the act of shaving. Eventually the act of shaving required for a sannyāsī was completed.

So, the barber got the benediction of achieving Goloka Vṛndāvana at the end of his life. Lord Caitanya was telling him not to be afraid. He was very afraid that he would be committing an offence to Lord Gaurāṅga. After Lord Gaurāṅga was shaved, He went and took His bath in the Ganges.

Thus ends the chapter, Although Being in a Predicament, the Barber Receives a Boon of Residence in Goloka (Part 2).

Any questions?

Everybody was lamenting that Lord Caitanya was taking sannyāsa, and shaving His beautiful hair. But the barber was afraid to do this service. But Lord Caitanya told him that this is your profession, you do it. By My blessing, you will be happy in this life, and at the end of life, you will go back to My abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana. So, this barber was a very special soul. And we heard that after cutting Lord Gaurāṅga’s hair, he fell on the Lord’s hair and was crying. After that, he didn’t cut anyone’s hair for the rest of his life! Any questions?

Question: Dear Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances, All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda, How should we protect ourselves to not compare our services with other devotees’ services and get into subconscious envy and spiritual jealousy?

—Your sheltered spiritual daughter,
Pūjā, Bengaluru.

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, in the material world, people, they are competing with others in a race, thinking I will be the first. But in service to Kṛṣṇa, it is not that we are competing with others. Rather, Kṛṣṇa is more pleased if they help others. We shouldn’t be thinking that by somehow by impeding others, or somehow if someone else excels, somehow that is detrimental to us - it is not the case. Everyone has a personal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, rather the envy of others is a great impediment - you will never be the number one! When I said to Śrīla Prabhupāda, I am the most fallen, he said you are not the most anything! So that should be our mood. There will always be some devotee who is better than us, but we should not envy that person. Rather we should associate and try to improve our own service.

Question: Please accept my respectful obeisances! Gurudeva, how can we meditate on our Gaura-Nitāi Deities in our temple for improving our service to Them?

—Īśapriya Rādhā devī dāsī, Colombia.

Jayapatākā Swami: How can you meditate on Gaura Nitāi? With your mind. Think how merciful They are! They want to give mercy to you. As Locana dāsa Ṭhākura sings, “parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana nitāi gauracandra”

My dear supremely merciful Lords, Nitāi Gauracandra, if you are meditating on Them that they are supremely merciful, even so merciful, They will come to Colombia, to deliver you!

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. In Bhakti-vṛkṣa preaching, everyone in the Bhakti-vṛkṣa is progressing at a different pace, based on circumstances, family and faith. If someone is struggling but faith has been established, how do I help? Many times, they don’t open-up?

– Amāni Gauracandra dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: The more one has faith, the more they can obtain devotional service. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that the coins, money, to purchase the holy name, is faith. So, how to increase someone’s faith? The so-called obstacles of family, friends, they can’t actually stop one from having faith. But if one’s faith is weak, then they would create disturbance. So, you should try to help people obtain more faith in Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya, to glorify the Lord, how He is so merciful and then try to increase their faith. Haribol!