20201203 Śivāṣṭakam Composed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 3rd December 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 the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, today’s chapter entitled as:

Śivāṣṭakam Composed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.396

kṛṣṇa-priya śiva-sthāne mahāprabhura nṛtya—

śiva-priya baḍa kṛṣṇa tāhā bujhāite
nṛtya kare gauracandra śivera sākṣāte

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gauracandra danced before Lord Śiva to reveal that Lord Śiva is most dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): The spiritual master and Mahādeva are both extremely dear to the Supreme Lord. The devotees of Śiva have obtained the service of the eight-armed Supreme Lord. But those who consider demigods like Śiva to be independent commit an offense at the feet of the Supreme Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: Worshipping Lord Śiva is as dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa is not an offense. Thinking Lord Śiva as independent of Kṛṣṇa or equal or greater is offensive. But Lord Śiva known as Maheśvara Mahādeva is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa so one should not neglect Him.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.397

yata kichu kṛṣṇa kahiyāchena purāṇe
ebe tāhā dekhāyena sākṣāte āpane

Jayapatākā Swami: Whatever Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke in the Purāṇas, now He directly demonstrated that.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.398

`śiva rāma govinda' baliyā gaura-rāya
hāte tāli diyā nṛtya karena sadāya

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga, He was chanting the names, “Śiva, Rāma, Govinda!” and clapping His hands and dancing continuously.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.399

prabhura bhaktagaṇa-saha nijabhakta vaiṣṇavāgragaṇya śivera pūjā-līlā—

āpane bhuvaneśvara giyā gauracandra
śiva-pūjā karilena lai bhakta-vṛnda

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gauracandra, He personally visited Bhuvaneśvara deity along with all His devotees. He offered worship to Lord Śiva.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): In his book Saṅkalpa-kalpa-druma, Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has written as follows: “O protector of Vṛndāvana, all glories to you! O husband of Pārvatī, O you whose head is decorated with the moon and who is worshiped by sages like Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana, and Nārada! O Gopīśvara, I pray that you bestow upon me uninterrupted, unalloyed love for the lotus feet of the divine couple, who enjoy pastimes in Vraja.” Ignorant people who do not understand either Mahādeva's glorious service to Kṛṣṇa or the actual purport of some Purāṇic incidents think that Śiva is worshiped as the supreme controller by viṣṇu-tattvas like Rāma and Lakṣmīs like Sītā, and therefore Rudra is certainly the independent Supreme Lord and Lord Viṣṇu is subordinate to the Supreme Lord Rudra. Some people consider that Viṣṇu is equal to Rudra or that Viṣṇu is another name of Rudra, and they thus try to synthesize without authority.

Jayapatākā Swami: So according to the pastimes, Rāma played the part of a perfect King so naturally He offered worship to His devotee Lord Śiva, when Śiva came out of His liṅga and offered His obeisances to Lord Rāma. Similarly, here although Lord Caitanya is worshipping Lord Śiva, we understand that He is playing the part of a devotee. But actually, Lord Śiva is never independent or equal with Kṛṣṇa and therefore people who think that they are pāṣanḍīs or offenders. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is described how Bānāsura and Kṛṣṇa were fighting and Lord Śiva gave His ultimate weapon Pāsupāstāśtra that was fighting with Kṛṣṇa weapons and Lord Śiva weapon was producing unlimited heat and Kṛṣṇa’s weapon was producing unlimited cold. The cold absorbed all the heat from the weapon of Lord Śiva and then its fire got extinguished and then he surrendered. Like this Kṛṣṇa was victorious against Lord Śiva but sometimes this pastime happened, and Śiva is never victorious against Kṛṣṇa. In other hand Kṛṣṇa saved Lord Śiva many times. We see that Lord Śiva is very dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, but sometimes different pastimes occur in relation with Lord Śiva and Viṣṇu. So, Lord Caitanya showed by His example of how one should be respectful to Lord Śiva it was shown by Lord Rāmacandra and others. So, one should not be bewildered and think that Śiva is therefore equal or greater than Viṣṇu-tattva. Since Lord Śiva is topmost and dearmost Vaiṣṇava so Śrī Rūpānuga Vaiṣṇavas pray to Lord Śiva to Gopeśvara to develop love for the lotus feet of the divine couple. Śrī Śrī Rādhā Govinda!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.400

lokaśikṣaka-līlamahāprabhura śikṣā-svīkāra-vimukha-vyaktira aśeṣa duḥkha—

śikṣā-guru īśvarera śikṣā ye nā mane
nija-doṣe duḥkha pāya sei saba jane

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the śīkṣā-guru of everyone and whatever sīkṣā or instructions He gives should be accepted but if one does not accept that is their own fault and those people will certainly achieve unlimited unhappiness and suffer miseries because of their own faults.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.401

prabhura bhuvaneśvarera vibhinna sthāne śivaliṅga-darśana-pūrvaka bhramaṇa— 

sei śiva-grāme prabhu bhakta-vṛnda-saṅge
śiva-liṅga dekhi' dekhi' bhramilena raṅge

Jayapatākā Swami: In that abode of Lord Śiva, the Lord Caitanya and His devotee associates happily wandered about seeing the Śiva-liṅgas. So Bhuvaneśvara is described as ten million Śiva liṅgas and some of those Śiva liṅgas are described, but it not possible for us to describe all of them. But if someone wants to describe, they can read the Caitanya-Bhāgavata purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Of the Deities situated within the walls of the temple, Ekāmraka-śiva is situated at the base of the mango tree and is facing west. North of the mango tree is a Śiva-liṅga named Ugreśvara, who is the chief of eleven hundred thousand liṅgas. Beyond him is Viśveśvara-liṅga. West of Gaṇanātha are Nandī and Mahākāla. These two were worshiped by Citragupta, so they are also known as Citragupteśa. Nearby is Sabareśvara-liṅga. In the southwest is Laḍḍukeśvara Śiva, the chief of nine hundred thousand liṅgas. Near him is Śakreśvara Śiva. Bindu-sarovara, Ananta Vāsudeva, Puruṣottama, Padaharā, Tīrtheśvara, and Bhuvaneśvara, who is the combination of eight forms, are found in the first of eight concentric rings. 

Jayapatākā Swami: There are eight rings of Śiva Liṅgas!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.402

parama nibhṛta eka śiva-sthāna-darśane prabhura santoṣa o yāvatīya devālaya-darśana—

parama nibhṛta eka dekhi' śiva-sthāna
sukhī hailāśrī-gaurasundara bhagavān

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Śrī Gaurasundara saw a temple of Lord Śiva in a most solitary place, He became joyful.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.403

sei grāme yateka āchaye devālaya
saba dekhilena śrī-gaurāṅga mahāśaya

Jayapatākā Swami: In that village there were many temple, and Lord Śrī Gaurāṅga visited all the temples in that place.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.88

ei mate sarva-pathe santoṣe āsite
uttarilā āsi' prabhu kamalapurete

Jayapatākā Swami: From His reddish eyes tears of ecstatic love flowed without stop. The hairs of His body stood erect. He recited prayers again and again.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.12

Gaurāṅga bowed His head low and fell like a rod to the earth in front of that tiger-skin-dressed ascetic, whose only residence was his body. Then Lord Hari, who wields a chariot-wheel as His weapon, with a faltering voice and His entire body thrilled by ecstacy, offered the following prayers of praise to the lord of the mountains:

○○○ Śrī Śivāṭakam composed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ○○○

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.13

namo namas te tridaśeśvarāya
bhūtādi-nāthāya mṛḍāya nityam
gaṅgā-taraṅgotthita-bāla-candra-
cūḍāya gaurī-nayanotsavāya

Translation: “I perpetually offer obeisances unto you, the lord of the thirty primal devas, who are the original father of created beings, whose character is gracious, upon whose head, which is crested by the sickle moon, the Gaṅgā springs, and who are a festival for the eyes of Gaurī, the fair goddess.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.14

sutapta-cāmīkara-candra-nīla-
padma-pravālāmbuda-kānti-vastraiḥ
sunṛtya-raṅgeṣṭa-vara-pradāya
kaivalya-nāthāya vṛṣa-dhvajāya

Translation: “I offer my obeisances to you who resemble a moon of molten gold, who are dressed in garments colored like a group of budding blue lotuses or lustrous rainclouds, who bestow the most desirable boon to your devotees by your delightful dancing, who offer shelter to those who seek to become one with the transcendental effulgence of Godhead, and whose flag bears the image of the bull.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.15

sudhāṁśu-sūryāgni-vilocanena
tamo-bhide te jagataḥ śivāya
sahasra-śubhrāṁśu-sahasra-raśmi-
sahasra-sañjitvara-tejase’stu

Translation: “I offer my obeisances to you who dispel darkness with your three eyes - the moon, the sun, and fire - and thus cause auspiciousness for all the living entities of the universe, and whose potency easily defeats thousands of moons and suns.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.16

nāgeśa-ratnojjvala-vigrahāya
śārdūla-carmāṁśuka-divya-tejase
sahasra-patropari saṁsthitāya
varāṅgadāmukta-bhuja-dvayāya

Translation: “I offer my obeisances to you, whose form is brilliantly illuminated by the jewels of Ananta-deva, the king of snakes, who possess divine potencies and are clothed in a tiger-skin, who stands in the midst of a thousand-petalled lotus, and whose two arms are adorned by lustrous bangles.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.17

sunūpurārañjita-pāda-padma-
kṣarat-sudhā-bhṛtya-sukha-pradāya
vicitra-ratnaugha-vibhūṣitāya
premānam evādya harau vidhehi

Translation: “I offer my obeisances to you who bestow happiness to your servitors as you pour upon them the liquid nectar flowing from your reddish lotus feet, upon which charming ankle-bells ring. Obeisances unto you who are adorned by an abundance of gems. Please endow Me today with pure love for Śrī Hari.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.18

śrī-rāma govinda mukunda śaure
śrī-kṛṣṇa nārāyaṇa vāsudeva
ity ādi-nāmāmṛta-pāna-matta-
bhṛṅgādhipāyākhila-duḥkha-hantre

Translation: You, being the king of the bees, are maddened by drinking the nectar of the names such as Śrī Rāma! Govinda! Mukunda! Śauri! Śrī Kṛṣṇa! Nārāyaṇa! Vāsudeva!' I offer my obeisances unto you, Śrī Śiva, who destroys all misery.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.19

śrī-nāradādyaiḥ satataṁ sugopya-
jijñāsitāyāśu vara-pradāya
tebhyo harer bhakti-sukha-pradāya
śivāya sarva-gurave namaḥ

Translation: “I offer my respectful obeisances to you, Śrī Śiva, who are forever inquired of confidentially by Śrī Nārada and other great sages, who very easily bestow boons on them, who bestow the happiness of Hari-bhakti to those who seek boons of you, who thereby create auspiciousness and are thus the guru of everyone.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.20

śrī-gaurī-netrotsava-maṅgalāya
tat-prāṇa-nāthāya rasa-pradāya
sadā samutkaṇṭha-govinda-līlā-
gāna-pravīṇāya namo’stu tubhyam

Translation: “I offer my obeisances to you who are a festival of auspiciousness for the eyes of Gaurī, who are the lord of her life-energy, who bestow rasa and are expert in forever singing songs with eagerness of the pastimes of Govinda."

Jayapatākā Swami: So these verse of Śrī Śivāṭakam composed by Lord Caitanya so this is remembered by the devotees and helps us to understand the glories of Lord Śiva, if we sing that, Lord Śiva gets happiness from chanting the holy names, he bestows love and devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Hari.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.89

ei-mane mahāprabhu paḍhe śivastava
caudige stava paḍhe sakala vaiṣṇava

Jayapatākā Swami: in this way Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu He offered prayers to Lord Śiva and the Vaiṣṇavas around him on four sides also recited prayers to Lord Śiva.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.21

A person who lovingly hears with rapt attention this greatly wonderful eightfold prayer to Śrī Śiva, can quickly gain Śrī Hari-prema as well as transcendental knowledge, the realization of that knowledge, and unprecedented devotional potency.

Jayapatākā Swami: So listening to eight verses of Śrī Śivāṭakam which is composed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu they get the benediction of quickly attaining Śrī Hari-prema, as well as transcendental knowledge and realization and unprecedented devotional potency.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.22

After Lord Gaura thus praised Maheśvara, the servants of Śrī Śiva very enthusiastically ornamented Gaurāṅga’s unparallel form with sublimely fragrant flower-garlands, and the Lord entered and rested in one outer house.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the devotees of Lord Śiva were very grateful and respected the Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu after He recited the eight verses in praise of Lord Śiva, so they gave Him garlands and all respects.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.90

henai samaye sei śivera sevake
gandha, candana, mālā dilena prabhuke

Jayapatākā Swami: At that time, one of the devotes, one of the servants of Lord Śiva offered them prasāda, Lord Śiva’s remnants sandalwood paste and flower garlands to Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.91

śiva namaskari’ prabhu bāhire āsiyā
viśrāma karilā eka gṛhe praveśiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya offered His obeisances to Lord Śiva , and then left the temple. He took rest entering into a house.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.23

There Mahāprabhu ate some food offered by the bhaktas and passed the night in that place, resting happily. Rising early in the morning, His heart again began overflowing with delight as He sang songs describing the līlās of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa-līlā and He also saw Lord Śiva in relation to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes so He was in continuously in ecstasy thinking of Lord Kṛṣṇa pastimes.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.92

bhakta-nivedita anna bhojana karila
pathera āyāse niśi śutiyā rahila

Jayapatākā Swami: The devotee offered rice and prasāda and the Lord ate that. Being tired due to travelling, He happily slept that night.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.93

ei-mane ānande vañcila sei rāti
prabhāte uṭhila prabhu tri-jagata-pati

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way He happily spent that night. Then, at dawn, Lord of three worlds, Lord Caitanya, he rose up.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 11.83

In a mango grove he saw Śiva and, reciting many verses of praise, fell on the ground in joy, being his Lord. Śiva worshipped him according to the rules with sandalwood, āguru, and prasāda as well as other items.

Jayapatākā Swami: So here this explained that through his servant, Lord Śiva Himself was worshipping the Lord with sandalwood, āguru, and prasāda and other items.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.94

prātaḥkriyā kari’ snāna bindu-sarovare
calilā ṭhākura namaskari’ maheśvare

Jayapatākā Swami: Performing His morning duties in early morning He took His bath in the Bindu-sarovara and offered His obeisances to Lord Śiva, Lord Caitanya then departed.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.8.24

If one recites with devotion this glorification of the transcendental personality, lord Purāri, as composed by the lotus-eyed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one can obtain here and now the eternally relishable pure love for Kṛṣṇa, which is very rarely achieved even by the hosts of sages and gods.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the phala-śruti or fruits of reciting the Śrī Śivāṣṭakam is given in this verse that one will eternally achieve pure love for Kṛṣṇa.

Thus ends the chapter entitled Śivāṣṭakam Composed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu