20201216 Lord Caitanya Resolves to See Jagannātha From the Side of the Garuḍa-stambha (Part 1)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 16th 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, (Part 2) Today’s chapter entitled: 

Lord Caitanya Resolves to See Jagannātha From the Side of the Garuḍa-stambha

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.47

gopīnātha-saṅge sārvabhaumera prabhusamīpe āgamana :—
ājñā māgi’ gelā gopīnātha ācāryake lañā
prabhura nikaṭa āilā bhojana kariñā

Translation: Begging permission from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then went with Gopīnātha Ācārya to take lunch. After finishing their lunch, they returned to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.12.1: After eating Śrī Nṛhari's prasāda, at dusk Mahāprabhu again entered the Śrī Mandira. There saw the lotus-eyed Lord Jagannātha offered many fragrant oils, incense, ghee lamps and flower-garlands.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.204

śrī-mandire praveśiyā dekhaye śrī-mukha
brahmāṇḍe nā dhare tāra antarakautuka

Jayapatākā Swami: Then Lord Caitanya entered the holy temple and He gazed at Lord Jagannātha’s graceful face. The whole universe cannot hold the bliss that Lord Caitanya felt within His heart.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.12.2: Delightfully decorated with splendid ornaments, Jagannātha Svāmī appeared a thousand times more luminous than the emperor of the night. The Lord's complexion was swarthy, like the hue of a newly-formed torrential thunder-cloud. Bowing before Him to the ground, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya again, again and yet again drank the vision of Śrī Puruṣottama-deva through His blossoming eyes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya he was experiencing such loving ecstasy at seeing the lotus feet of Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Puruṣottama-deva. 

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.205

nūtanameghera jini aṅgera kiraṇa
tāhe aparūpa dui kamala-locana

Jayapatākā Swami: The effulgence of fresh monsoon cloud was defeated by the effulgence from the transcendental body of Lord Jagannātha, within the transcendental form has two lotus eyes.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.12.3: Gaura’s heart was immersed in a shoreless sea of ānanda, and His chest became bathed by the flood of tears from that sea. His body was ornamented by jubilant thrilling hair-follicles, and His golden body appeared like the peak of a golden mountain.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya transcendental form is being described by the poetic words of Murāri Gupta, His bliss had no bounds, like as sea one cannot see the shore and His chest was soaked with tears of love and His hairs was standing on end. The golden body looked like a tip of the golden mountain.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.206

dekhiyā ānanda-sindhu ḍubilā ṭhākura
bhūmite luṭāya–prema bāḍhila pracura

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing Lord Jagannātha, Lord Caitanya plunged in an ocean of transcendental bliss. He rolled on the ground with loving emotions increased unlimitedly, immensely.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.207

sumeru-parvata yena dīghala śarīra
bhūme gaḍāgaḍi yāya ānanda-athira

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya’s tall form was like Mount Sumeru. He rolled on the ground with transcendental ecstasy, and He was unsteady.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.208

gaurāṅga-kiraṇe jagannātha hailā gaurā
bhāvamaya haila deha–parama bibhorā

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga’s body effulgence made Lord Jagannātha become fair. Lord Caitanya's body became filled with loving emotions and He was greatly overwhelmed.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.209

gauramaya balarāma āra pāṇḍāgaṇa
bhāvamaya deha sabhāra haila takhana

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Balarāma and pāṇḍās also became filled with the quality of Lord Caitanya. Everyone’s transcendental form became filled with ecstasy at that time.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.210

gaurāṅga tuliyā pāṇḍā karila ārati
acala-brahmera kāche sacala-mūrati 

Jayapatākā Swami: The pāṇḍās (pūjārīs) picked up Lord Gaura and offered ārati to Lord Jagannātha. Lord Jagannātha was the stationary transcendental form and Lord Gaurāṅga was the moving transcendental form.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.211

hena aparūpa nā dekhila kāro vāpe
jagannātha prakāśa hailā nyāsirūpe

Jayapatākā Swami: Such a wonderful form was not seen by anyone, including their forefathers. Lord Jagannātha manifested the form of a sannyasī. So, we simultaneously that Lord Jagannātha is called as dāru-brahman or the form of Absolute Truth in wood and Lord Caitanya was cala-brahman, He was the moving Absolute truth so simultaneously Lord Jagannātha and Lord Caitanya were seeing. The unmoving Absolute truth and the Absolute truth moving as a sannyāsī.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.12.4: Shining as the sovereign of the twice-born, Prabhu remained there while the bhaktas offered puṣpāñjali to Puruṣottamadeva. Then, again offering prostrated obeisances before Him, that same original creator of the system of āśramas, returned to His āśrama.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.212

tabe citte sambodana haila kathokṣaṇe
āpana āśrama gelā nijajana-sane

Jayapatākā Swami: Eventually Lord Caitanya’s consciousness returned to consciousness of the external Accompanied by His associates, He returned to His āśrama. (Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's home) 

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.12.5: After Śrī Caitanya returned to the house of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, throughout the night He sang the fame of Śrī Hari, the possessor of astonishing abilities, and again He became overwhelmed and lost all composure due to Hari-prema, and so absorbed He rolled to and fro upon the earth, knowing nothing more than that prema.

Jayapatākā Swami: How Lord Caitanya was experiencing such a transcendental loving emotion of pure love of kṛṣṇa-prema. In such pure and great love of the Lord, He rolled on the ground.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.213

ei mane jagannātha dekhi’ tinabāra
divārātri nā jānaye ānanda-pāthāra

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Lord Caitanya saw Lord Jagannātha three times. Plunged in an ocean of transcendental bliss, Lord Caitanya did not know if it was day or night.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.12.6: The Supreme Soul dwelt there a few days (in the house of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya), in this manner and His feet were worshipped by godly people. The lotus-eyed Lord gladly gave instruction to them with charming and nectarean words.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 11.9: Filled with bliss, seeing Jagannātha along with his devotees like Mukunda Datta, the Lord spent some days there.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.214

henamane nijajana-sane kathodina
kautuke goṅāye prabhu prema-paravīṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Lord Caitanya, who is very wise in the kṛṣṇa-prema, ecstatic spiritual love, passed some days in the house of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya blissfully enjoying transcendental pastimes.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.215

henai samaye kathā śuna sāvadhāne
puruṣottame prathama-prakāśa yenamane

Jayapatākā Swami: At that time, please listen to pastime carefully which happened at that time. It was then when the first time Lord Caitanya manifested such a pastime at Puruṣottama-kṣetra.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.216

loka-śikṣā kare prabhu hañā akiñcana
nā bujhi’ mānuṣa-jñāna kare muḍhajana

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya descended to teach the people accepted the role of a penniless sannyāsī and foolish people not understanding His true nature considered Him a mere human being.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.217

samudra bhitare ṭoṭā kari’ gaurarāya
nijajana saṅge tāṅhā nijaguṇa gāya

Jayapatākā Swami: Within the ocean Lord Gaura-rāya formed a garden accompanied by His personal associates, He sing His own glories (Kṛṣṇa).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.48

sārvabhaumera praṇāma o prabhura āśīrvāda:—
‘namo nārāyaṇāya’ bali’ namaskāra kaila
‘kṛṣṇe matir astu’ bali’ gosāñi kahila

Translation: Offering his obeisances to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Namo nārāyaṇāya” [“I offer my obeisances to Nārāyaṇa”]. 

In return, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Kṛṣṇe matir astu” [“Let your attention be on Kṛṣṇa”].

Purport: It is the etiquette among sannyāsīs, those on the fourth platform of spiritual life, to offer respects by saying oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya (“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Nārāyaṇa”). This greeting is used especially by Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. According to the smṛti scriptures, a sannyāsī should not expect anything from anyone, nor should he consider himself identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs never think of themselves as being one with the Lord; they always consider themselves eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa, and they want to see everyone in the world become Kṛṣṇa conscious. For this reason, a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī always offers his blessings to everyone, saying kṛṣṇe matir astu (“May you become Kṛṣṇa conscious”).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we see this is the Vaiṣṇava blessing kṛṣṇe matir astu (“May you become Kṛṣṇa conscious”) Sometimes Lord Caitanya would give the blessings kṛṣṇe matir ṛuhuḥ - May you always remain in Kṛṣṇa conscious” Sometimes He may give kṛṣṇe ratir astu, May you be in love of Kṛṣṇa.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.49

sārvabhaumera prabhuke vaiṣṇava-sampradāyastha-jñāna :— 

śuni’ sārvabhauma mane vicāra karila
vaiṣṇava-sannyāsī iṅho, vacane jānila

Translation: Hearing these words, Sārvabhauma understood Lord Caitanya to be a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī. 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.50

gopīnāthera nikaṭa prabhura pūrvāśramānusandhāna:—

gopīnātha ācāryere kahe sārvabhauma
gosāñira jānite cāhi kāhāṅ pūrvāśrama

Translation: Sārvabhauma then said to Gopīnātha Ācārya, “I want to know Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s previous situation.” 

Purport: The word pūrvāśrama refers to one’s previous situation in life. Sometimes a person will accept the renounced order from householder life, and sometimes even from student (brahmacārī) life. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya wanted to know of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s previous situation as a householder.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.51

gopīnāthakarttṛka paricaya pradāna —

gopīnāthācārya kahe,—navadvīpe ghara
‘jagannātha’—nāma, padavī—'miśra purandara’

Translation: Gopīnātha Ācārya replied, “There was a man named Jagannātha, who was a resident of Navadvīpa, and whose surname was Miśra Purandara.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.52

‘viśvambhara’—nāma iṅhāra, tāṅra iṅho putra
nīlāmbara cakravartīra hayena dauhitra

Translation: “Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the son of that Jagannātha Miśra, and His former name was Viśvambhara Miśra. He also happens to be the grandson of Nīlāmbara Cakravartī.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.53

sārvabhauma kahe,—nīlāmbara cakravartī
viśāradera samādhyāyī,—ei tāṅra khyāti

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Nīlāmbara Cakravartī was a classmate of my father, Maheśvara Viśārada. I knew him as such.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.54

’miśra purandara’ tāṅra mānya, hena jāni
pitāra sambandhe doṅhāke pūjya kari’ māni

Translation: “Jagannātha Miśra Purandara was respected by my father. Thus because of their relationship with my father, I respect both Jagannātha Miśra and Nīlāmbara Cakravartī.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.55

prabhura paricaya-śravaṇe sārvabhaumera ānanda :—

nadīyā-sambandhe sārvabhauma hṛṣṭa hailā
prīta hañā gosāñire kahite lāgilā

Translation: Hearing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu belonged to the Nadia district, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became very pleased and addressed the Lord as follows.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.56

sārvabhaumera dainya-vinaya :—

‘sahajei pūjya tumi, āre ta’ sannyāsa
ataeva haṅ tomāra āmi nija-dāsa’

Translation: “You are naturally respectable. Besides, You are a sannyāsī; thus I wish to become Your personal servant.” 

Purport: A sannyāsī is always to be worshiped and offered all kinds of respect by the gṛhasthas (householders). Although Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was older than Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sārvabhauma respected Him as a sannyāsī and as one who had attained the topmost platform of spiritual ecstasy. Thus the Bhaṭṭācārya certainly accepted Him as his master.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in the varnāśrama system there are four āśrama and the sannyāsa āśrama is considered as the spiritual master of everyone. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya thus accepted Lord Caitanya as His master also He saw Lord Caitanya was coming from a very respectable parentage and that his father had relationships with Lord Caitanya grandfather and father.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.57

prabhura mānada dharma :—

śuni’ mahāprabhu kaila śrī-viṣṇu smaraṇa
bhaṭṭācārye kahe kichu vinaya vacana

Translation: As soon as Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this from the Bhaṭṭācārya, He immediately remembered Lord Viṣṇu and began to speak humbly to him as follows.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.58

“tumi jagad-guru—sarvaloka-hita-kartā
edānta paḍāo, sannyāsīra upakartā

Translation: “Because you are a teacher of Vedānta philosophy, you are the master of all the people in the world and their well-wisher as well. You are also the benefactor of all kinds of sannyāsīs. 

Purport: Because the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs teach Vedānta philosophy to their students or disciples, they are customarily called jagad-guru. This indicates that they are the benefactors of all people. Although Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was not a sannyāsī but a householder, he used to invite all the sannyāsīs to his home and offer them prasāda. Thus, he was accepted as the best well-wisher and friend of all the sannyāsīs. 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.59

prabhura āpanāke lālya o sārvabhaumake lālaka-jñāna :—

āmi bālaka-sannyāsī—bhānda-manda nāhi jāni
tomāra āśraya niluṅ, guru kari’ māni

Translation: “I am a young sannyāsī, and I actually have no knowledge of what is good and what is bad. Therefore, I am taking shelter of you and accepting you as My spiritual master.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is presenting Himself very humbly and thus He is setting out the situation for hearing from Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and we will resume the class tomorrow.