20201028 The Toll Collectors Receive Mercy (Part 2)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 28th October 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 we are continuing with Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book compilation, todays chapter entitled is:

The Toll Collectors Receive Mercy (Part 2)

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.173

nityānanda sabā' prabodhena—“cintā nāi
āmā'-sabā' chāḍiyā nā yāyena gosāñi”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Nityānanda, however, solaced them, “Do not worry. The Lord Caitanya will not leave us and go anywhere without us.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.174

dānī bale,—“tomarā ta' sannyāsīra naha
eteke āmāre se ucita dāna deha'”

Jayapatākā Swami: The toll collector said, “You are not with the sannyāsī, so you should pay whatever tax is proper.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.175

mahāprabhura krandana-līlā—

kata-dūre prabhu saba pārṣada chāḍiyā
heṇṭa mathā kari' mātra kāndena vasiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: In some distance Lord Caitanya leaving His associates behind, He hung His head down and simply began to cry sitting down.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.176

kāṣṭha-pāṣāṇādi drave śuni' se krandana
adbhuta dekhiyā dānī bhāve mane mana

Jayapatākā Swami: Even wood, stone and other things would melt on hearing that crying. When the toll collector saw that wonderful sight, he began to consider.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.177

dānīra vismaya o prabhura paricaya-jijñāsā—

dānī bale,—“e puruṣa nara kabhu nahe
manuṣyera nayane ki eta dhārā vahe”

Jayapatākā Swami: The tax collector said, “This person is certainly not an ordinary human being. Can a human being eyes shed such tears?”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.178

sabāre jijñāse dānī praṇati kariyā
“ke tomarā, kāra loka, kaha ta' bhāṅgiyā?”

Jayapatākā Swami: Enquiring on everyone, the toll collector then respectfully asked the devotees, “Who are you? Who is your leader? Tell me the truth.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.179

bhaktagaṇa-kartṛka paricaya-pradāna—

sabe balilena,—“ai ṭhākura sabāra
`śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya' nāma śuniyācha yāṅra

Jayapatākā Swami: They all replied, “He is the Lord of all of us. You must have heard His name, `Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.'”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.180

sabei uṅhāra bhṛtya āmarā sakala”
kahite sabāra āṅkhi vāhi' paḍe jala

Jayapatākā Swami: “All of us are His servants.” As they replied tears flowed from their eyes.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.181

dānīra nayane premāśru—

dekhiyā sabāra prema mugdha haila dānīdānīra
nayana dui vahi' paḍe pānī

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing everyone’s pure spiritual love, the toll collector became amazed. From the toll collector’s two eyes tears started to flow.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.182

prabhura nikaṭa śaraṇāgata dānī—

āthe-vyathe dānī giyā prabhura caraṇe
daṇḍavat hai' bale vinaya vacane

Jayapatākā Swami: The toll collector hurriedly went to Lord Caitanya and fell at His lotus feet, offering prostrated obeisances, and he spoke the following humble words.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.183

“koṭi koṭi janme yata āchila maṅgala
tomā' dekhi' āji pūrṇa haila sakala

Jayapatākā Swami: “In millions and million of lifetimes whatever I have done pious activities now by seeing You I have fulfilled all of these.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.184

aparādha kṣamā kara karuṇā-sāgara!
cala nīlācala giyā dekhaha satvara”

Jayapatākā Swami: “O ocean of mercy, please forgive my offenses! Go quickly to Nīlācala and see Your Lord.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.185

dānīra prati prabhura kṛpā o sthāna-tyāga—

dānī-prati kari' prabhu śubha dṛṣṭi-pāta
`hari' bali' calilena sarva-jīva-nātha

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya gave His merciful glance on the toll collector, chanting the holy names of Hari, Haribol! the Lord of all individual souls departed. Lord Caitanya he gave His mercy to the toll-collector. Somehow the toll collector realised that Lord Caitanya is not an ordinary human being and he offered his prostrated obeisances to the Lord and in this way he begged for mercy. The toll collector got the mercy of Lord Caitanya and His associates proceeded to Jagannātha Purī.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.112

henai samaye kathodūre āra dānī
ḍākite ḍākite āise ubha kari’ pāni

Jayapatākā Swami: At that moment, after some distance there was another toll-collector, calling out to Lord Caitanya he came raising his two arms.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.113

dekhiyā ṭhākura tāhe ubha kaila bāi
hāthasāne sei dānī rahe sei ṭhāñi

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing this, Lord Caitanya raised His two arms. Moving his hands in the air, the toll-collector stayed still at that spot (unable to walk further).

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.5.9

Translation: The Lord gestured with a wave of His hand, saying to that man, “Go far away from here!” At that, the toll collector left them, and the illustrious Gaura went blissfully on His way.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.114

jharajhara nayana–pulaka kalevara
hare-kṛṣṇa-nāma sei bole nirantara

Jayapatākā Swami: The toll collector had torrents of tears flowing from His eyes and the hairs of His body stood erecṭ He chanted the holy mahā-mantra Hare Kṛṣna, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, he repeated it incessantly.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.115

dekhi’ nityānanda-gadādharera ullāsa
gaurāṅga-caritra kahe e locanadāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing this, Lord Nityānanda and Gadādhara Paṇḍita became blissful. Thus Locana dasa describes Lord Gauraṅga's transcendental character.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.186

sabāra karibe gaurasundara uddhāra
vinā pāpī vaiṣṇava-nindaka-durācāra

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurasundara will deliver everyone except the sinful, ill-behaved offenders of Vaiṣṇavas.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Some non-Vaiṣṇavas think that Vaiṣṇavas are capable of becoming implicated in sinful activities like themselves. Since Gaurasundara accepted sinners, why shouldn't Vaiṣṇavas indulge in sinful activities? And why shouldn't sinners be allowed to act as Vaiṣṇava gurus? The point that the author is making here is that Gaurasundara will deliver everyone, but He will never deliver those who blaspheme Vaiṣṇavas or those who commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy names. No matter how nicely the atheists who approve of sinful activities may imitate the dress of devotees and advertise themselves as “Vaiṣṇavas” or “gurus,” there is no possibility for ill-behaved atheists who blaspheme Vaiṣṇavas to attain any perfection other than self-deceit. Even inimical demons have attained Śrī Caitanyadeva's mercy, yet the envious, sinful atheists will never depend on Śrī Gaurasundara's mercy, will expose themselves as proud, pseudo devotees of Gaura, and will become travelers on the path to hell.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya gives His mercy freely to everyone. Those who criticize or blaspheme the vaiṣṇavas or think that, “I can do sin and also chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and get freed of the sin”, that means sinning on the strength of chanting. Such people will not get the mercy of Lord Caitanya. A person may be actually fallen and get the mercy of the Lord and then reform themselves but someone who wants to cheat the Lord and sin and think that they will be forgiven by the sin just by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. that is the great offense to the holy name. such people cannot get the mercy.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.187

asura dravila caitanyera guṇa-nāme
atyanta duṣkṛti pāpī se-i nāhi māne

Jayapatākā Swami: Even demons were transformed by hearing the qualities and names of Lord Caitanya. Only the most sinful miscreants do not accept Lord Caitanya. So someone who is atheists or demons they may get the mercy of Lord Caitanya and He will deliver the most fallen but those who are especially sinful and want to cheat the Lord they don’t get his mercy.

Thus ends the chapter, The Toll Collectors Receive Mercy