20201105 Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha Drops Flowers on the Head of Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 5th November 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 Mahāprabhu class, todays chapter entitled is: 

Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha Drops Flowers on the Head of Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram
—by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura

Translation: He journeyed with Nityānanda, intelligent Jagadānanda, Dāmodara, and Mukunda Datta, who was expert in singing about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, all devoted bumblebees drinking the honey of the Lord's feet. I meditate on Lord Gaurāṅga, whose form is most dear to the devotees. Haribol!

Leaving the Ganges shore and the water form of Lord Maheśa, in the beautiful gardens of Orissa He saw Kśīra-cora Gopīnātha, and in the village of Kaṭaka He saw His own form of Lord Sākṣī-Gopāla. I meditate on Lord Gaurāṅga, who become absorbed in His own devotional service.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.4

mahāpurī-remuṇāte āchaye gopāla
dekhibāre dhāya prabhu ānanda apāra

Jayapatākā Swami: In the great village of Remuṇa there was a Deity of Gopāla, Lord Caitanya being in unlimited bliss ran to see the Deity.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.5

pūrve vārāṇasī tīrthe uddhava-sthāpita
brāhmaṇere kṛpā-chale ethā ācambita

Jayapatākā Swami: In ancient times Uddhava established this Deity in Varaṇasī. On the pretext of showing mercy to a certain brahmaṇa, that Deity unexpectedly came to Remuṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.6

ihā bali’ punaḥ punaḥ kare namaskāra
‘uddhavera prabhu bali’ kare huhuṅkāra

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya offered obeisances again and again, “O master of Uddhava!”, He loudly called out.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.7

nayana saphala āji–dekhila ṭhākura
uddhava-sambandhe premā bāḍhila pracura

Jayapatākā Swami: Today My eyes have become their fruitful. Now I seen the Deity that Uddhava so dearly loved, therefore my pure love is increased unlimitedly."

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.8

‘uddhava uddhava’ bali, ḍāke ārttanāde
premāya vihvala kṣaṇe bhume paḍi kāṁde

Jayapatākā Swami: “Udhava! Uddhava!”, said Lord Caitanya loudly. Overcome with ecstatic spiritual love, He fell to the ground and wept in ecstasy.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.9

aruṇa-nayāne nīra jhare anibāra
pulake pūrila aṅga kampa bāre bāra

Jayapatākā Swami: From His reddish eyes, tears flowed without stop. The hairs of His body stood erect. His body trembled again and again.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.10

‘uddhavera prabhu’ bali’ pradakṣiṇa kari
nijajana-saṅge nāce bole hari hari

Jayapatākā Swami: “My dear Lord of Uddhava!”, He cried out and circumambulated the Deity with His own associates, He was chanting and dancing “Hari!Har!” “Hari bol! Hari bol!”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.11

uthalila premānanda–bāḍhila ullāsa
premāya chāila saba e bhūmi-ākāśa

Jayapatākā Swami: The ecstasy of spiritual love increased, and the bliss increased. The spiritual love filled the land and sky.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.12

ānande devatā saba dhāya antarīkṣe
animikha-āṁkhi-tārā prabhuke nirīkhe

Jayapatākā Swami: With great spiritual bliss the demigods joyfully flew there from outer space. With unblinking eyes, they gazed at Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.13

sahasra-nayāne indra cāhe ekadiṭhe
amṛta-adhika gaurā-aṅga lāge miṭhe

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Indra with a thousand eyes, he gazed at body of Lord Gaura there was immense nectar coming from that sweet form.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.6.5: Certain people gave that ocean of mercy the name Gopīnātha, and for the sake of His devotee, Mādhavendra Purī, He enacted many pastimes such as stealing kṣīra and so forth.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.13

remuṇāte gopīnātha parama-mohana
bhakti kari’ kaila prabhu tāṅra daraśana

Translation: The Deity of Gopīnātha in the temple at Remuṇā was supremely attractive. Lord Caitanya visited the temple and offered His obeisances seeing the Deity with great devotion. Lord Caitanya visited the temple and offered His obeisances seeing the Deity with great devotion.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.6.6: Everything related to that place and the Deity of Gopīnātha shows how Lord Hari always fulfills the word of His devotee. Acting like an ordinary man, Gaura Hari went to that temple, and took darśana of the Deity.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.6.7: Gaura Prabhu, whose moon-like face is moistened with tears of mercy and whose eyes are wide-spread like the petals of a lotus, fell flat like a rod before that Lord of all gods and godly beings. Then He performed kīrtana and danced in the company of His associates. 

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was always engaged in kīrtana in every temple He visited especially when He visited a Viṣṇu temple, He would also chant. So when he went to see the Gopīnātha Deity he was chanting and dancing in that temple.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.6.8: At that moment, the resplendent son of Śacī received the ornamental crown of flowers that had fallen from the head of Murāri. He gazed at it and then took the crown into His lotus hands. 

Jayapatākā Swami: So the Deity dropped His flower when the Lord was dancing and the pūjārī gave the flowers fallen from the deity to Lord Caitanya, that’s the special mercy of the Deity shows that Lord Kṛṣṇa was reciprocating with Lord Caitanya who was in the mood of Rādhārāṇī. Haribol!

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.14

henai samaye sei mūrati gopāla
mastaka-upare puṣpa-mukuṭa tāṅhāra

Jayapatākā Swami: At that moment a flower suddenly from the head of Deity Gopala, the flower crown from the Deity of Gopāla's Head. So the Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca is in Sanskrit and the Caitanya-maṅgala is in Bengali. Usually what’s given in Caitanya-maṅgala is Bengali version of what’s given in Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca but sometimes there is some additional details.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.15

ācambite mastakera mukuṭa khasite
bhūmite paḍibāmātra tuli’ laila hāte

Jayapatākā Swami: From the Deity’s crown the flower fell to the ground. Lord Caitanya picked up that flower with His hand.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.14

tāṅra pāda-padma nikaṭa praṇāma karite
tāṅra puṣpa-cūḍā paḍila prabhura māthāte

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His obeisances at the lotus feet of the Gopīnātha Deity, the helmet of flowers on the head of Gopīnātha fell down and landed on the head of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is gives more details, Lord Caitanya offered His obeisances, the flower crown fell on Lord Caitanya’s head. Haribol!

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 11.78: He then saw powerful Gopīnātha shining in his residence called Remuṇa and offered respects by placing his head on the ground. Everyone saw the flowers from Gopīnātha’s head fall on Gaurāṅga’s head. 

Jayapatākā Swami: So this confirms the version of Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.44: Gaṅgā: (In Sanskrit) Falling as a stick to the ground, Lord Caitanya offered obeisances to the Deity. The Deity also eminently worshiped Lord Caitanya by suddenly and dropping the crown situated on the Deity’s head, perfectly on to the head of Lord Caitanya. Haribol.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.45: Ratnākara: Then? Then?

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.15

prabhura nṛtya-kīrtana o vigraha-sevakagaṇera prabhu-pūjā
cūḍā pāṣā mahāprabhura ānandita mana
bahu nṛtya-gīta kaila laṣā bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: When the Deity’s helmet fell upon His head, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very pleased, and thus He chanted and danced in various ways with His devotees. 

Jayapatākā Swami: So after getting the mercy of Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha, Lord Caitanya began to dance and chant blissfully with His devotees.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.46: Gaṅgā: (In Sanskrit) Then with great love the Lord recited some verses. He said:

Decorated with splendid bracelets and armlets, its elbow down, away from His slanted shoulder, its forepart resting on His broad chest, and its wrist up, the left arm of the one who has the flute in His mouth (Gopīnātha), manifests indescribable handsomeness. 

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.48: “A stream of the nectar of sweetness flowing down from its bent elbow and flooding the earth, the right arm of the one who has the flute in His mouth (Gopīnātha), manifests special handsomeness.”

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.49: Ratnākara: Then? Then?

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.16

caudike vaiṣṇavagaṇa hari hari bole
ākāśa paraśe hena premāra hillole

Jayapatākā Swami: On all sides the Vaiṣnavas called out, “Hari! Hari bol!” Waves of ecstatic love touched even the sky.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.6.9: Having received this sign of Gopīnātha's grace, He fixed that prasādam crown nicely on His head, and His countenance shone in rapture. Gazing upon the Lord of the gods, He bowed His head in humility and rejoiced in that holy place. 

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He was a combined form of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and came down to experience what is the special ecstasy of the love of Rādhārāṇī so When He got the mercy from Lord Gopīnātha, He became filled with rapture spiritual bliss. He was chanting and dancing with great happiness in that special place of pilgrimage.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.17

dekhilena devarāja prabhu viśvambhara
adbhuta dekhiyā kānde praṇatakandhara

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing Lord Viśvambhara, the Lord of the demigods it could be that Lord Indra, king of the devas, saw Lord Visvambhara or it could be Lord Visvambhara, Lord of the devas seeing the wonderful mercy bestowed on Him He cried and bowed His shoulders in respect. (Note: Here in this verse devarāja, could be king of the devas, or could be Lord Viśvambhara is also Lord of the devas.)

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.6.10: Then the munificent and incomparably lovely Lord Hari, whose effulgence resembles nectarean moonbeams, who had accepted the role of the paramount sannyāsī, danced and sang with the Vaiṣṇavas from dawn until dusk.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.18

dinānte nācaye prabhu–nāhika virāma
sandhyāra samaye bhela nṛtya-avasāna

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Caitanya danced continuously without stop. At the time of sunset, His dancing came to a stop. So the Lord was dancing the whole day from morning to night, chanting the holy names.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.277

remuṇāya dekhi’ nija-mūrti gopīnātha
vistara karilā nṛtya bhakta-varga sātha

Jayapatākā Swami: When the Lord saw of Gopīnātha at Remuṇā, His own transcendental form of Gopīnātha at Remuṇā, He expanded his dancing in ecstasy along with the devotees. 

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Mahāprabhu personally danced before the Deity of Gopīnātha to teach the etiquette of worship to the devotees. Since Śrī Gopīnātha is the arcā-vigraha of Gaurasundara, the phrase nija-mūrti gopīnātha—“His own form of Gopīnātha,” has been used.

Śrī Caitanyadeva is directly Gopīnātha, the son of Nanda Mahārāja. Gauḍīya-nātha and Gopīnātha are the same. Both are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although they respectively display magnanimous and sweet pastimes, they are one. The form of Gaurasundara cannot be called a separate manifestation of Śrī Gopīnātha.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.278

āpanāra preme prabhu pāsari’ āpanā’
rodana karena ati kariyā karuṇā

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord Caitanya forgot Himself in His own ecstatic love. He began to cry very mercifully.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.279

se karuṇāśunite pāṣāṇa-kāṣṭha drave
ebe nā dravila dharmadhvaji-gaṇa sabe

Jayapatākā Swami: That even stone and wood would melt on hearing such compassionate crying. Only the hearts of hypocrites did not melt.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.16

prabhura prabhāva dekhi’ prema-rūpa-guṇa
vismita ha-ilā gopīnāthera dāsa-gaṇa

Translation: All the servants of the Deity were struck with wonder due to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s intense love, His exquisite beauty and His transcendental qualities.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.17

nānā-rūpe prītye kaila prabhura sevana
sei rātri tāhāṅ prabhu karilā vaṣcana

Translation: Because of their love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they served Him in many ways, and that night the Lord stayed at the temple of Gopīnātha.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.18

gurumukhe śruta kṛṣṇera bhakta-vātsalyoddīpaka kṣīra-prasāda sammānārthe prabhura tathāya apekṣā :—mahāprasāda-kṣīra-lobhe rahilā prabhu tathā
pūrve īśvara-purī tāṅre kahiyāchena kathā

Translation: The Lord remained there because He was very eager to receive the remnants of sweet rice offered to the Gopīnātha Deity, having heard a narration from His spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, of what had once happened there.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the Deity is famous for the offering ksīra, a preparation of condensed milk. Even today the devotees get small pots of ksīra.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.6.11: Crowds of people came there and avidly gazed at Him. Repeatedly they extolled His qualities and offered Him prayers. Then, as night came the Lord of sages ate some suitable foods.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.19

nānā upahāradravya kṛṣṇe nivedita
prabhura sammukhe vipra kaila upanīta

Jayapatākā Swami: Different kinds of foods were offered to the Deity of Lord Kṛṣna. Then a brāhmaṇa offered the remnants before Lord Gaura.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.20

ānandita mahāprabhu laṣā nijajana
santoṣe karila mahāprasāda-bhojana

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His companions happily ate that maha-prasāda with great satisfaction.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.19

bhaktagaṇera nikaṭa prabhukartṛka bhakta-mādhavendrapurīra janya gopīnāthera ‘kṣīracorā’-ākhyāna varṇana :—
‘kṣīra-corā gopīnātha’ prasiddha tāṅra nāma
bhakta-gaṇe kahe prabhu sei ta’ ākhyāna

Jayapatākā Swami: That Deity was known widely as Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu told His devotees the story of how the Deity became so famous.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 4.20

pūrve mādhava-purīra lāgi’ kṣīra kaila curi
ataeva nāma haila ’kṣīra-corā hari’

Translation: Formerly the Deity had stolen a pot of sweet rice for Mādhavendra Purī; therefore He became very famous as the Lord who stole the sweet rice.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Mādhavendra Purī was worshipping His deity of Gopāla which was discovered near Govardhana which had been buried in jungle hid in the forest for a long time, so His body was very hot so He wanted some sandalwood pulp and Mādhavendra Purī then went to speak to King of Purī to get some sandalwood pulp so in this way He came to Remuṇā and saw how they were offering the bhoga Ksīra to the Deity and He wondered how did it taste so that He can prepare the same kind of offering to Gopāla. Then he thought, oh I lusted after the food before it was offered then he went into the marketplace and was chanting. Then pūjārī’s dream Lord Gopīnātha said “I have taken ksīra for Mādhavendra Purī and I hid it behind my cloth. So the Deity took His bath and went into the Deity room and found the ksīra behind the cloth. He went into the market calling Mādhavendra Purī! Who is Mādhavendra Purī! Then Mādhavendra Purī identified himself and the pūjārī said, “you are the most fortunate person in the whole world because Gopīnātha has stolen the kṣīra for you, and he gave him the kṣīra pot and from that time the Deity is known as Kṣīra-corā-Gopīnātha, because Mādhavendra Purī knew that people would come to see him, he left the place. He kept the kṣīra pot and even the pot He ate.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.21

rajanī goṅāya kṛṣṇa-kathāra ānande
prabhāte calilā nijajana laṣā saṅge

Jayapatākā Swami: They whole night they passed in the ecstasy of discussing the topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In sunrise the Lord departed along with the associates.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha Drops Flowers On the Head of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.