20201204 Lord Caitanya accepts Śiva's Prasāda, Fragrance, Sandal and Garland

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:

Lord Caitanya accepts Śiva's Prasāda, Fragrance, Sandal and Garland –
Murāri Gupta Removes the Doubt of Dāmodara

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.95

prabhura saṁhati se calila nijajana
ei parasaṅge eka kahiba kathana

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya with His associates, he began His journey Now I will describe one of His associates’ conversation.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.96

murārite dāmodare ye haila vacana
śuna sāvadhāne sabhe–kahiba ekhana

Jayapatākā Swami: Murāri Gupta and Dāmodara Paṇḍita had a conversation. Please, listen carefully as I will describe the conversation now.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.1

After bathing in Bindu-Sarovara and taking darśana of Śrī Bhuvaneśvara, the all-opulent Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya sat contentedly, wholly immersed in the bliss of prema.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.2

Mahāprabhu then ate choice foods prepared by the bhaktas, and afterwards as He contemplated the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He slept contentedly.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.3

The illustrious Lord thought, “If somehow the mahā-prasāda of the trident-wielding god of gods could be obtained, then we could truly take pleasure.”

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.4

As He was reflecting thus, a certain brāhmaṇa came before Him, bearing in his hands Mahādeva's prasāda.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.5

He said, “Please accept this prasāda of Mahādeva.” Hearing this, Lord Gaura at once stood up and accepted the prasāda with bowed head.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.6

They all gathered together around the mahā-prasāda, and the Lord honored it with His servants as though it were immortal nectar. Thus Gaura Hari showed how dear Śiva is to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.7

Again, Gaura Hari arose very early in great happiness, and after bathing quickly in Bindu-Sarovara, He bowed before Śrī Śiva and then left on His way.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.8

When the powerful brāhmaṇa Śrī Dāmodara Paṇḍita heard that the Lord had eaten the remnants of Śiva's food, He said:

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.9

“One should not eat the remnants of Lord Śiva because Bhṛgu Muni has placed a curse on those who worship him. Why then did the all-opulent transcendental Lord, knowing this, eat that food?”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.97

murārike puchilā paṇḍita dāmodara
śivera nirmmālya kene laila īśvara

Jayapatākā Swami: Dāmodara Paṇḍita asked Murāri Gupta, “Why did Lord Caitanya, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accept the prasāda remnants offered to Lord Śiva?”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.98

agrāhya śivera nirmālya bhṛgu-śāpe
tabe kene parigraha kaila prabhu āpe

Jayapatākā Swami: “Due to the curse of Bhṛgu Muni, the prasāda of Lord Śiva is not acceptable, then why did Lord Caitanya accept them?”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.99

āpane brahmaṇyadeva ai mahāprabhu
jāni śuni kene laṅghibeka tabu

Jayapatākā Swami: “Dāmodara Paṇḍita continued, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very kind to the brāhmaṇas. After knowing and hearing of Bhṛgu Muni’s curse, why did Lord Caitanya disregard it?”

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.10

Hearing this, Murāri replied to the noble vipra, “Hear from me the reason for which the Lord ate those nectarean remnants of Śrī Śiva-deva.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.100

murāri kahaye–śuna śuna dāmodara
āmi ki jāniye prabhura marama-uttara

Jayapatākā Swami: Murāri Gupta said, “Please hear me. Hear, Dāmodara Paṇḍita, How I know Lord Caitanya’s inner purpose?”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.101

nija-buddhi-anumāne ye kahi uttara
tora mane laya yadi–rākhiha antara

Jayapatākā Swami: I can explain as far as my intelligence knows and I can thus respond. If you think that it is correct, then keep it within your heart.”

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.11

When Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya made His auspicious arrival, Mahādeva joyously accepted Him as an honored guest. Please hear something more further.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.108

vastuta se maheśvara prabhura gamane
ātithya karila se paramaharṣa mane

Jayapatākā Swami: When Lord Caitanya paid a visit to Lord Maheśvara Śiva, Lord Śiva offered Him, all respects with a happy heart as the atithi or special guest.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.12

When bhaktas worship Mahādeva thinking of him as the best among Vaiṣṇavas, Maheśvara accepts that offering from them, and that food should be considered great and pure prasāda.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.13

Those who in a sectarian spirit differentiate between Srī Kṛṣṇa and His bhaktas indeed fall down. Śrī Hari personally advented in the form of a bhakta as Caitanya Mahāprabhu in order to instruct such inimical persons.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.14

The Lord of all gods, who is the supreme controller of the cosmic manifestation, certainly seeks to benefit all embodied beings. Thus, by His reverential acceptance of Śrī Śiva's food-remnants, He teaches them by His example.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.15

Wherever the liṅgam is established and worshipped with a conception that Śrī Śiva and Śrī Hari have separate parties, there Bhṛgu’s curse will act, but the curse will not act if worshiped with the idea of non-difference.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.102

śivera sevaka yei śiva-sevā kare
ucchiṣṭa nā laya–hari-hare bheda kare

Jayapatākā Swami: A servant of Lord Śiva, who serves Lord Śiva but does not honor the prasāda remnants thinking that Hari and Harā, Viṣṇu and Śiva are different.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.103

tāhāre brāhmaṇa śāpa–kahila e tattva
aśuddha tāhāra mati–nā jāne mahatva

Jayapatākā Swami: The brahmaṇa Bhṛgu muni spoke the curse for them. They are impure-hearted and they don’t know Lord Śiva's true glories as the greatest of all Vaiṣṇavas. They are impure-hearted and they don’t know Lord Śiva's true glories as the greatest of all Vaiṣṇavas.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.16

Hari and Śaṅkara are non-different. Even in the case of self-manifested Śiva liṅgam, if someone worships Them without a dualistic concept, the curse will not have effect.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.17

When people understand Their unity of interest, love will increase for both Hari and Śaṅkara, and worship for Them both will increase.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.104

abhinna kariyā yei karaye sevana
śivera nirmālya sei karaye bhakṣaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: Those who worship Lord Śiva considering them non-different from Lord Kṛṣṇa, they could accept Lord Śiva prasāda and can eat or honor the prasāda remnants of Lord Śiva.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.105

śivera nirmālya khāya abheda-carita
se jane adhika hari-harera pīrita

Jayapatākā Swami: Knowing that Hari and Harā, Śiva and Kṛṣṇa are non-different, he eats the prasāda remnants of Lord Śiva, He is dear to both Lord Śiva and Lord Hari or Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, we should see that if we see how Śiva is pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, his prasāda he naturally offers it to Kṛṣṇa. So, by taking His prasāda, by taking māha-prasāda of Kṛṣṇa if we take it with that consciousness, then there is no problem. if we take the two are separate and then take Śiva prasāda then it is affected by Bhṛgu Muni curse.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.18

By tasting such mahā-prasāda one can attain liberation, be cured from terrible diseases, and obtain undisturbed prosperity.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.106

maheśvara prabhu saba vaiṣṇavera rājā
sei-bhāve yei jana kare tāra pūjā

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Śiva, Maheśvara is the king of the Vaiṣṇavas. In that mood, a person performs the worship of Lord Śiva.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.107

tāhāra hastete śiva karena bhojana
se prasāda khāile haya bandha-vimocana

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Śiva eats from that person’s hand, and if one eats that prasāda, he is released from material bondage.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.19

Those who out of delusion do not eat such mahā-prasāda become offenders to both Hari and Śiva. They become diseased and bereft of opulence.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.9.20-21

Wherever the beginningless liṅgam of Śrī Śiva is worshipped with great respect by Vaiṣṇavas in order to develop love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, there will be no doubt about accepting the remnants of Śrī Śiva's food. O vipra, such devotional service is verily auspicious for all embodied beings.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Murāri Gupta is giving His realizations to Dāmodara Paṇḍita that if we take the remnants of Lord Śiva, thinking how Śiva is the greatest of all the devotees and He wanted to have pure love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa so that prasāda is very auspicious. If one thinks Śiva is separate and he wants to get His blessings then He becomes disrespectful both for Lord Śiva and Viṣṇu.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.109

śāpa ādi yata śuna–bahirmukha prati
suhṛdbhāve kaile haya śrī-kṛṣṇe pīriti

Jayapatākā Swami: “The curse given by Bhṛgu Muni are for the non-devotees A devotee who honors Lord Śiva in a respectful manner in a friendly manner gives pleasure to Lord Kṛṣna.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.110

loka-śikṣā-hetu prabhu kaila avatāra
dāmodara bole–eka ghucila jañjāla

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya descended to this world to instruct, teach the people. Dāmodara Paṇḍita replied: “You have destroyed my foolish idea.” Now we know the consciousness with which we should accept Lord Śiva prasāda.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.111

śuniñā sakala loka ānandita-cita
kahaye locanadāsa caitanya-carita

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words, everyone became very joyful in the consciousness. In this way Locana dāsa narrates Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. So normally Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca is in the Sanskrit and Caitanya-maṅgala also follows the Murāri Gupta notes but it is in Sanskrit written in Bengali sometimes between the two there are more details available; so we combine both. We can see that they are very similar.

Thus, ends the chapter entitled Lord Caitanya accepts Śiva’s Prasāda, Fragrance, Sandal and Garland – Murāri Gupta Removes the Doubt of Dāmodara