20201219 Conversation Between Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Gopīnātha Ācārya (Part 2)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 19th 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 is Part 2 of chapter entitled:

Conversation Between Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Gopīnātha Ācārya (Part 2)

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.92

bahirnmukhera āvṛta-darśanahetu bhagavad-darśanā-bhāva:—

dekhile nā dekhe tāre bahirmukha jana”
śuni’ hāsi’ sārvabhauma balila vacana

Translation: “A person influenced by the external energy is called bahirmukha jana, a mundane person, because despite his perception, he cannot understand the real substance.” Hearing Gopīnātha Ācārya say this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya smiled and began to speak as follows.

Purport: When one’s heart is not cleansed, one cannot awaken the transcendental nature of devotional service. As Lord Kṛṣṇa confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.28): 

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.”

When one is actually engaged in pure devotional service, it is understood that he has already attained freedom from all reactions to sinful activities. In other words, it is to be understood that devotees are already freed from sin. A sinful person, a miscreant (duṣkṛtī), cannot engage in devotional service. Nor can one engage in devotional service simply on the basis of scholarly speculation. One has to wait for the mercy of the Lord in order to render pure devotional service. 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.93

sārvabhaumera bhramapūrṇa śāstrayukti:—

iṣṭa-goṣṭhī vicāra kari, nā kariha roṣa
śāstra-dṛṣṭye kahi, kichu nā la-iha doṣa

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya said, “We are just having a discussion among friends and considering the points described in the scriptures. Do not become angry. I am simply speaking on the strength of the śāstras. Please don’t take any offense.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.94

prabhuke mahā-bhāgavata-jñāna haileo ‘īśvara’ baliyā aviśvāsa:—

mahā-bhāgavata haya caitanya-gosāñi
ei kali-kāle viṣṇura avatāra nāi

Translation: “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is certainly a great, uncommon devotee, but we cannot accept Him as an incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu because, according to śāstra, there is no incarnation in this Age of Kali.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.95

ataeva ‘tri-yuga’ kari’ kahi viṣṇu-nāma
kali-yuge avatāra nāhī, — śāstra-jñāna

Translation: “Another name for Lord Viṣṇu is Triyuga because there is no incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu in Kali-yuga. Indeed, this is the verdict of the revealed scriptures.”

Purport: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is known as Triyuga, which means that He is manifest in three yugas. However, this means that in the Age of Kali the Lord appears not directly but in disguise. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.9.38): “My Lord, You kill all the enemies of the world in Your multifarious incarnations in the families of men, animals, demigods, ṛṣis, aquatics and so on. Thus You illuminate the worlds with transcendental knowledge. 

In the Age of Kali, O Mahāpuruṣa, You sometimes appear in a covered incarnation. Therefore You are known as Triyuga [one who appears in only three yugas].” Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has also verified that Lord Viṣṇu appears in the Age of Kali but does not act as He does in other ages. Lord Viṣṇu incarnates for two purposes: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. That is, He comes to engage in pastimes with His devotees and to annihilate the demons. These purposes are visible in the Satya, Tretā and Dvāpara yugas, but in Kali-yuga the Lord appears disguised. He does not directly kill demons and give protection to the faithful. Because the Lord is not directly perceived in Kali-yuga but is directly known in the other three yugas, His name is Triyuga.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He came as a covered avatāra, He came as a devotee. This is predicted in the 11th Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In Kali-yuga, the Lord comes but He will not be black color and He will come with His associates His expansions and energies and establish the saṅkīrtana-yajña, those who are intelligent will also follow Him. So, the Lord He destroys the demoniac mentality of people and establishes the pure devotional consciousness, so in this way He will not use any weapons of violence but by this process the demons will become devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.96

gopīnāthakarttṛka sārvabhaumera bhrāntasiddhānta-nirāsa o yathārtha śāstra-siddhānta-pradarśana:—

śuniyā ācārya kahe duḥkhī hañā mane
śāstra-jña kariñā tumi kara abhimāne

Translation: Upon hearing this, Gopīnātha Ācārya became very unhappy. He said to the Bhaṭṭācārya, “You consider yourself the knower of all Vedic scriptures.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.97

mahābhārata o bhāratārthabinirṇaya bhāgavatai ekamātra mukhya pramāṇa

bhāgavata-bhārata dui śāstrera pradhāna
sei dui-grantha-vākye nāhi avadhāna

Translation: “Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Mahābhārata are the two most important Vedic scriptures, but you have paid no attention to their statements.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.98

ei kalite līlāvatāra nā thākileo svayaṁrūpa avatārīra ābirbhāva:—

sei dui kahe kalite sākṣāt-avatāra
tumi kaha, — kalite nāhi viṣṇura pracāra

Translation: “In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Mahābhārata it is stated that the Lord appears directly, but you say that in this age there is no manifestation or incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.99

kalite līlāvatāra nā haileo yugāvatārābirbhāva:—

kali-yuge līlāvatāra nā kare bhagavān
ataeva ‘tri-yuga’ kari’ kahi tāra nāma

Translation: “In this Age of Kali there is no līlā-avatāra of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore He is known as Triyuga. That is one of His holy names.”

Purport: A līlā-avatāra is an incarnation of the Lord who performs a variety of activities without making any special endeavor. He always has one pastime after another, all full of transcendental pleasure, and these pastimes are fully controlled by the Supreme Person. The Supreme Person is totally independent of all others in these pastimes.

[…] Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not mentioned as a līlā-avatāra because He is an incarnation in disguise (channa-avatāra). In this Age of Kali there are no līlā-avatāras, but there is an incarnation of the Lord manifested in the body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.100

pratiyuge karena kṛṣṇa yuga-avatāra
tarka-niṣṭha hṛdaya tomāra nāhika vicāra

Translation: Gopīnātha Ācārya continued, “There is certainly an incarnation in every age, and such an incarnation is called the yuga-avatāra. But your heart has become so hardened by logic and argument that you cannot consider all these facts.

Jayapatākā Swami: Gopīnātha Ācārya, he could speak to his brother- in-law in such a way in the same His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivednata Swami Prabhupāda, would sometime speak to Indian gentlemen, in a strong way or harsh way. He said, we as younger devotees could not do the same and He as an elderly person he could get away with that. Similarly, Gopīnātha Ācārya being brother- in-law of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he could speak very strongly.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.101

cāriyuge cārivarṇa avatāra:—
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.8.13)

āsan varṇās trayo hy asya
gṛhṇato ’nu-yugaṁ tanūḥ
śuklo raktas tathā pīta
idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ

Translation: “‘In the past, your son has had bodies of three different colors, according to the age. These colors were white, red and yellow. In this age [Dvāpara-yuga] He has accepted a blackish body.’ 

Purport: This verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.8.13) was spoken by Garga Muni when he was performing the rituals at Lord Kṛṣṇa’s name-giving ceremony. He states that the incarnations of the Lord in other ages had been white, red and yellow. This yellow color refers to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whose bodily complexion was yellowish. 

This confirms that in past Kali-yugas the Lord also had incarnated in a body that was yellow in hue. It is understood that the Lord incarnates in different colors for the different yugas (Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali). Accepting the color yellow (pīta), as well as other characteristics, the Lord incarnated as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is the verdict of all Vedic authorities.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.102

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.31-32)—

iti dvāpara urv-īśa
stuvanti jagad-īśvaram
nānā-tantra-vidhānena
kalāv api tathā śṛṇu

Translation: “‘In the Age of Kali, as well as in Dvāpara-yuga, the people offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by various mantras and observe the regulative principles of the supplementary Vedic literatures. Now please hear of this from me.

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.31).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.103

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

Translation: “In this Age of Kali, those who are intelligent perform the congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears in this age always describing the glories of Kṛṣṇa. That incarnation is yellowish in hue and is always associated with His plenary expansions [such as Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu] and personal expansions [such as Gadādhara], as well as His devotees and associates [such as Svarūpa Dāmodara].’

Purport: This verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32) is explained by Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī in his Krama-sandarbha, as quoted by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in regard to the explanation of Ādi-līlā, Third Chapter, verse 52.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the scholars study all the Vedas, but they may neglect to study the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in great details, therefore they do not know the bhakti-tattva and when these devotional quotes are given they become quite astonished. Because they accept the Vedas, but they will not study these things, because they are coming from different paramparā. Therefore, they don’t know the actual position of Lord Caitanya. Many caste brāhmaṇas made this same mistake and were defeated by Vaiṣṇava Paṇḍitas.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.104

mahābhārata dānadharmma (149), viṣṇu-sahasranāma-stotra (92, 75)—

suvarṇa-varṇo hemāṅgo
varāṅgaś candanāṅgadī
sannyāsa-kṛc chamaḥ śānto
niṣṭhā-śānti-parāyaṇaḥ

Translation: “‘The Lord [in the incarnation of Gaurasundara] has a golden complexion. Indeed, His entire body, which is very nicely constituted, is like molten gold. Sandalwood pulp is smeared all over His body. He will take the fourth order of spiritual life [sannyāsa] and will be very much self-controlled. He will be distinguished from Māyāvādī sannyāsīs in that He will be fixed in devotional service and will spread the saṅkīrtana movement.”

Purport: Gopīnātha Ācārya quoted this verse from the Mahābhārata’s Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma-stotra.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.105

bhaṭṭācāryake gopīnāthera upekṣā o tācchilya:—

tomāra āge eta kathāra nāhi prayojana
ūṣara-bhūmite yena bījera ropaṇa

Translation: Gopīnātha Ācārya then said, “There is no need to quote so much evidence from the śāstras, for you are a very dry speculator. There is no need to sow seeds in barren land.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Gopīnātha Ācārya is criticizing his brother-in-law, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and comparing him with a barren land, quoting like trying to sow the seeds in a desert.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.106

bhagavat-kṛpātei bhagavan-mahimā-jñāna:—

tomāra upare tāṅra kṛpā yabe habe
e-saba siddhānta tabe tumiha kahibe

Translation: “When the Lord will be pleased with you, you will also understand these conclusions and will quote from the śāstras.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.107

aprākṛtavastu-viṣaye kutarka—māyājanita: — 

tomāra ye śiṣya kahe kutarka, nānā-vāda
ihāra ki doṣa — ei māyāra prasāda

Translation: “The false arguments and philosophical word jugglery of your disciples are not faults of theirs. They have simply received the benediction of Māyāvāda philosophy.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.159: The Disciples: (to themselves) Why does Gopīnātha Ācārya speak so fearlessly against Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya? Perhaps, considering that he is his brother-in-law, he is joking a little bit.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.160: Gopīnātha Ācārya: Bhaṭṭācārya, I spoke a little unable to tolerate your incongruous speech in relation to the Lord. You are so grave and profound that it does not befit you to speak like this. Or, you are not at fault, since…

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.161
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.108

kṛṣṇera acintyaśaktii akṣaja vicārakagaṇera moha-janayitrī:—
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.4.31)—

yac-chaktayo vadatāṁ vādināṁ vai
vivāda-saṁvāda-bhuvo bhavanti
kurvanti caiṣāṁ muhur ātma-mohaṁ
tasmai namo ’nanta-guṇāya bhūmne

Translation: “‘I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full of unlimited qualities and whose different potencies bring about agreement and disagreement between disputants. Thus the illusory energy again and again covers the self-realization of both disputants.’

Purport by Srila Prabhupada: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.4.31).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, same śloka is quoted both in Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. We can see how the great students of Vedas and the scholars they may not be able to understand the actual position of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There are verses but to understand the verses you need also the mercy of the Lord. So, we have to present the philosophy of Lord Caitanya and those who are engaged on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will be more able to understand.