20201223 Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Questions Lord Caitanya’s Need for Accepting Sannyāsa (Part 3)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 23rd 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 4 of chapter entitled:

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Questions Lord Caitanya's Need for Accepting Sannyāsa (Part 4).

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.47 śaṅkarācāryera hṛdagata uddeśya kṛṣṇadāsya, apara ukti asura-mohanaparā—/

yadi bala śaṅkarera mata seha nahe/ / tāṅra abhiprāya dāsya, tāṅri mukhe kahe”/

Jayapatākā Swami: “If you say that this is not the philosophy of Śaṅkarācārya,

then I will quote his words

to prove that he desired the service of the Supreme Lord.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Although Śaṅkarācārya

did not openly say that

worship of Kṛṣṇa is the eternal duty of the living entities,

he considered himself

like a wave of the ocean.

A wave is not the ocean;

this was his conviction.

Suppressing the dualities

or conditional state

of the material world

does not mean liberation.

Actual liberation entails

renouncing one's unconstitutional position

and becoming situated

in one's constitutional position.

Therefore, even

in some parts of Śaṅkarācārya's philosophy

aversion to devotional service is not seen.

Śaṅkara's followers who cannot

understand his intentions

proudly identify themselves as

liberated souls on the

strength of their external dress.

Actually, giving up external signs

like the śikhā

and brāhmaṇa thread

is not the basis for devotional service.

Giving up the śikhā and brāhmaṇa thread

while accepting ekadaṇḍa sannyāsa

is also not the basis for devotional service.

Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa

becomes enhanced by acceptance of tridaṇḍa sannyāsa,

not by ekadaṇḍa sannyāsa.

After hearing these explanations

of Sārvabhauma,

Śrī Gaurasundara became very pleased.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, was very pleased and appreciated Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s glorification of bhakti

and how Śaṅkarācārya never spoke against devotional service.

Actually, we know that Śaṅkarācārya is Lord Śiva who is carrying the orders of Lord Visnu

to preach a kind of spiritual Buddhism

to bring people back to Vedas.

Actually, he was doing the service of preaching Māyāvāda as devotional service,

because that was the request of Lord Viṣṇu.

So, it is interesting to note,

that he never denies devotional service.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.48 tathāhi śrī-śaṅkarācārya-vākyam—/

saty api bhedāpagame nātha! / tavāhaṁ na māmakīyas tvam/

sāmudro hi taraṅgaḥ kva/ ca na samudro na tāraṅgaḥ /

Translation: Śrī Śaṅkarācārya has stated as follows:

“O Lord, although the living entities

and the Supreme Brahman are nondifferent,

the living entities are subordinate to You.

In other words, their existence

is dependent on You.

You, however, are never

dependent on anyone.

Although there is no difference between

the ocean and its waves,

the existence of the waves

is dependent on the ocean.

The ocean is never dependent on the waves.”

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: In the Māyāvāda-śata-dūṣaṇī

(48 and 10) it is stated:

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead

manifests Himself in two features:

(1) in His original form

as the source of all incarnations,

and (2) in His

many viṣṇu-tattva incarnations.

The many living entities may also

be divided into two groups:

(1) the devotees,

who are free from the influence

of the illusory energy,

and (2) the non-devotees,

who are bound by the illusion of māyā.”

“Innumerable waves splash

within the great ocean

and, in the same way, c

ountless spirit souls exist

within the Supreme Brahman.

O individual spirit soul,

a single wave can never become the ocean,

so how do you think

you will become the Supreme Brahman?”

Jayapatākā Swami: Just like a wave cannot be the ocean

or a drop of water merges into the ocean cannot becomes the ocean,

it still remains the drop.

Similarly, the impersonalist, by merging into the impersonal Brahman,

they think that they became God,

that is an illusion.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.49 “yadyapiha jagate īśvare bheda nāi / sarva-maya-paripūrṇa āche sarva ṭhāñi /

Jayapatākā Swami: “Although there is no difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and this material world,

the Lord is complete whole,

and He is present everywhere .

Of course, Lord Caitanya propounded the acintya-bheda-bhedābheda tattva

that the Lord, Absolute Truth is simultaneously different and no different,

but this is inconceivable.

Although the Lord is non-different from His material energy,

material energy is not the Lord,

this difference and non-difference is maintained.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is of the same quality of the parts and parcels,

but He is the complete whole much greater in quantity.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.50 īśvara haite jīva, jīva haite īśvara nahena— /

tabu tomā' haite se haiyāchi āmi / āmā' haite nāhi kabhu haiyācha tumi/

Jayapatākā Swami: Śaṅkarācārya is praying that

“My dear Lord,

I have come from you,

You have never come from me.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.51 yena `samudrera se taraṅga' loke bale / `taraṅgera samudra' nā haya kona kāle /

Jayapatākā Swami: “Some people say,

‘those waves of the ocean,’

they will never say at anytime,

‘the ocean of the waves.’”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.52 kṛṣṇai mūla jagat-kāraṇa, kṛṣṇa-vimukha jīva duḥsaṅga-jñāne varjanīya—/

ataeva jagata tomāra, tumi pitāiha-loke / para-loke tumi se rakṣitā/

Jayapatākā Swami: “Therefore You are the owner of the universe,

You are the father of the universe.

You are the protector

in this life and the next life.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.53 yāhā haite haya janma, ye kare pālana / tāre ye nā bhaje, varjya haya sei jana /

Jayapatākā Swami: “Anyone who does not worship or serve the person from whom he is born

and by whom he is maintained

such a person is fit to be rejected.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.54 śaṅkarera hṛdagata uddeśya upalabdhi nā kariyā sannyāsīra veṣa-grahaṇa duḥkhasetu-mātra— /

ei śaṅkarera vākya—ei abhiprāya / ihā nā jāniyā māthā ki kārye muḍāya? /

Jayapatākā Swami: “These are the statements of Śaṅkarācārya

and his real intentions.

Why should one shave his head

without understanding these instructions?”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.55 sannyāsī haiyā niravadhi `nārāyaṇa'/ balibeka prema-bhakti-yoge anukṣaṇa/

Jayapatākā Swami: “One who has accepted sannyāsa

should constantly chant the holy name of Lord Nārāyaṇa

with devotional service and pure love

constantly.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.56 nā bujhiyā śaṅkarācāryera abhiprāya / bhakti chāḍi' māthā muḍāiyā duḥkha pāya /

Jayapatākā Swami: “Those don’t understand

these intentions of Śaṅkarācārya

give up devotional service

and shave their heads

and then they suffer.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.57 ataeva tomāre se kahi ei āmi/ hena pathe praviṣṭa hailā kene tumi?/

Jayapatākā Swami: “I Therefore I ask You Holiness,

why have You taken

such a path?”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.58 yadi kṛṣṇa-bhakti-yoge kariba uddhāra/ tabe śikhā-sutra-tyāge kon labhya āra/

Jayapatākā Swami: “If You want to deliver the world

by distributing devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa,

then what need is there for you,

to give up Your śikhā and brāhmaṇa thread?

What will You gain by this?

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.59 yadi bala mādhavendra-ādi mahābhāga / tāṅhārāo kariyāche śikhā-sūtra-tyāga /

Jayapatākā Swami: “If You say that great personalities

like Mādhavendra Purī

and others

have also given up their śikhās and brāhmaṇa threads.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.60 sārvabhaumera ādhyakṣika-jñāne—“mahāprabhura alpavayase sannyāsa-grahaṇa anucita’-vicāra— /

tathāpiha tomāra sannyāsa karibāra / e samaye ke-mate haibe adhikāra/

Jayapatākā Swami: “However this time is not appropriate For You,

to take sannyāsa,

why do You think You are ready to take sannyāsa, at this time.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.61 se saba mahānta śeṣa tribhāga-vayase/ grāmya-rasa bhuñjiyā se karilā sannyāse /

Jayapatākā Swami: “All those great souls as an end have enjoyed material life

and took sannyāsa after three-fourths of their life

had passed.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.62 yauvana-praveśa mātra sakale tomāra / ke-mate vā haiba sannyāse adhikāra /

Jayapatākā Swami: “You have just entered the prime of Your youth,

so how can You be qualified

to take sannyāsa,

to be a sannyāsī?

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.63 prabhura śrīaṅge aṣṭa-sāttbika vikāra lakṣya karāya sannyāsera niṣprayojanīyatā pratipādana— /

paramārthe sannyāse ki kariba tomāre / yei bhakti haiyāche tomāra śarīre /

Jayapatākā Swami: “What is the ultimate benefit of You accepting sannyāsa

when You have already developed such devotional sentiments in Your body?”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.64 yogīndrādi-sabera ye durlabha prasāda / tabe kene kariyāche e-mata pramāda” /

Jayapatākā Swami: “The best of yogīs

rarely achieves such a mercy of pure devotional service,

So why have you done such a great deviation?

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is questioning the need for Lord Caitanya to accept sannyāsa.

Normally one takes sannyāsa to detach from material world

and to achieve pure bhakti.

But Lord Caitanya had already achieved pure bhakti,

then why take sannyāsa.

Of course, this is His transcendental pastime.

Actually, there is no need for Him to take this austerity of sannyāsa,

as far as the devotees of Navadvīpa, they don’t like to see Lord Caitanya as a sannyāsī.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.65 śuni' bhakti-yoga sārvabhaumera vacana / baḍa sukhī hailā gauracandra nārāyaṇa /

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's glorification of pure devotional service,

“bhakti-yoga”

Lord Gauracandra

who is Nārāyaṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

He became greatly pleased.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.66 ātmadainyacchale sannyāsa-līlāra tātparya-kathana; /

kṛṣṇānusandhāna - śikṣā pracārārthai prabhura sannyāsa līlā;

tāhā vastutaḥ sannyāsa nahe, vipralambha-divyommāda—

prabhu bale,—“śuna sārvabhauma mahāśaya / `sannyāsī' āmāre nāhi jāniha niścaya /

Jayapatākā Swami: Then Lord Caitanya said,

“Listen, My dear Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya

Mahāśaya!

Certainly do not consider Me a sannyāsī.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.67 kṛṣṇera virahe muñi vikṣipta haiyā / bāhira hailuṅśikhā-sūtra muḍāiyā /

Jayapatākā Swami: “I left My home,

shaved My head

and gave up my brāhmaṇa thread

because I was disturbed

by feelings of separation

from Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.68 `sannyāsī' kariyā jñāna chāḍa mora prati / kṛpā kara, yena mora kṛṣṇe haya mati” /

Jayapatākā Swami: “Give up the idea that I am a sannyāsī

and bestow your mercy on Me

so that My mind becomes fixed on Lord Kṛṣṇa.”

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Gaurasundara said,

“Don't think that because I wear the dress

of a sannyāsī I am a Māyāvādī sannyāsī.

I have given up the śikhā and brāhmaṇa thread,

which are the assets of a brāhmaṇa,

because I was suffering

out of separation from Kṛṣṇa.

Please do not consider Me a Māyāvādī sannyāsī.

Always bestow your mercy on Me so that

My propensity to serve Kṛṣṇa

progressively increases

and so that I may attain love of Kṛṣṇa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: This confirms that Lord Caitanya

actually accepts the trī-daṇḍa sannyāsa

that’s why He was chanting the mantra of the Ujjain brāhmaṇa who accepted the trī-daṇḍa sannyāsī.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.69 prabhura māyāya vañcita vyakti prabhuke jānite asamartha— / prabhu hai nija-dāse mohe hena mate / e māyāya dāse prabhu jānibe ke-mate /

Jayapatākā Swami: When the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

bewilders His own servants

in this way,

how will His servants

understand Him

When he covers himself by his ilusory energy?

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Although Gaurasundara

is the controller of māyā,

He deceptively took instructions

from Sārvabhauma,

who was under the control of māyā.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.70 yadi tiṅho nāhi jānāyena āpanāre / tabe kāra śakti āche jānite tāṅhāre /

Jayapatākā Swami: If the Lord doesn’t reveal Himself

to another,

who has the power to understand the Lord?

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.71 nā jāniyā sevake yateka kathā kaya/ tāhāteo īśvarera mahāprīta haya/

Jayapatākā Swami: Even if the servant

without knowing

speaks anything,

the Supreme Personality of Godhead is greatly pleased.

So Lord Caitanya He has having Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, to clarify devotional service

although He was normally instructing the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs.

This way Lord Caitanya He

was explaining the glories devotional service through the mouth of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya

and He was greatly pleased.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.72 sarva-kāla bhṛtya-saṅge prabhu krīḍā kare / sevākera nimitta āpane avatare /

Jayapatākā Swami: All times, the Lord descends as Supreme Personality of Godhead

enjoys pastimes with His servants.

His descent into the material world

is for the sake of His servitors.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.23) it is stated:

“The Supreme Lord is not obtained

by expert explanations,

by vast intelligence, or even by much hearing.

He is obtained only by one

whom He Himself chooses.

To such a person, He manifests

His own form.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.73 “ye yathā māṃ prapadyante tāṁstathaiva bhajāmyaham”— /

ye-mate sevake bhaje kṛṣṇera caraṇe / kṛṣṇa sei mate dāse bhajena āpane /

Jayapatākā Swami: The way that the devotee worships the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa,

Lord Kṛṣṇa in that way reciprocates with his devotees.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.74 ei tāna svabhāva ye-śrī-bhakta-vatsala / ihā tāne nivārite kāra āche bala/

Jayapatākā Swami: The nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead

is that He is affectionate to His devotees,

known as śrī-bhakta-vatsala.

Who has the power

to change that nature of the Lord?

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Lord Kṛṣṇa's eternal āśraya-vigrahas,

or manifestations

of the Lord of whom one must take shelter,

and their separated parts and parcels

worship Him in one of the five varieties of rasas.

Kṛṣṇa accepts their service according to how

they serve Him.

Since the Māyāvādīs,

who are devoid of rasa,

and the materialistic karmis

cannot understand the Supreme Lord,

they are misguided

as if seated on a machine.

In the Bhagavad-gītā (4.11) the Lord declares:

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante / tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham /

mama vartmānuvartante / manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ /

“As all surrender unto Me,

I reward them accordingly.

Everyone follows My path in all respects,

O son of Pṛthā.”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.38.22) it is stated:

“The Supreme Lord

has no favorite and no dearmost friend,

nor does He consider

anyone undesirable,

despicable,

or fit to be neglected.

All the same, He lovingly reciprocates

with His devotees in whatever manner

they worship Him, just as the trees

of heaven fulfill the desires

of whoever approaches them.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotees worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead

and He reciprocates with them.

If one doesn’t believe in the lord, he is atheist,

so He reciprocates with the atheist

and He doesn’t exchange rasa with them.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.75 prabhura māyāya mugdha sārvabhauma— /

hāse prabhu sārvabhaume cāhiyā cāhiyānā / bujhena sārvabhauma māyā-mugdha haiyā/ /

Jayapatākā Swami: Looking intently at Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Lord Caitanya smiled.

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya could not understand

the Lord

for he was illusioned by the Lord's energy,

as he was bewildered by the Lord’s illusory energy.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (8.20.28) it is stated:

“On His shadow was death,

in His smile was the illusory energy,

and on the hairs of His body were all the drugs and herbs.”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.1.31) it is stated:

“The most alluring illusory material energy

is His smile.

This great ocean of material creation is but

the casting of His glance over us.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.76 sārvabhauma balena,—“āśrame baḍa tumi / śāstra-mate tumi vandya, upāsaka āmi /

Jayapatākā Swami: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied,

“You are senior to me by āśrama,

so according to the revealed scriptures

You are worshipable

and I am to worship You.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Sārvabhauma said,

“Although I am elder and learned,

You are superior to me by āśrama.

Therefore, You are worshipable to me.

According to the scriptures,

I am Your servant.

Therefore, I am being offensive

by accepting Your humility

and submission.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya have told this to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya

that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya should teach Him

and then see that He is always of Kṛṣṇa and develop love for Kṛṣṇa

and not to see Him as Māyāvādī sannyāsī.

But here Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is saying that, “You are superior to me in āśrama.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.77 tumi ye āmāre stava kara, yukti naya / tāhāte āmāra pāche aparādha haya” /

Jayapatākā Swami: “It is not proper for You to offer prayers for me,

for that will make me an offender.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.78 prabhu bale,—“chāḍa more e sakala / māyāsarva-bhāve tomāra lainu mui chāyā”/

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord Caitanya said,

“Give up all your deception.

I have taken full shelter of you.”

Gaurahari said,

“Do not deceive Me by speaking in this way,

for I am under your shelter.”

By performing such pastimes with His servant

Sārvabhauma, Mahāprabhu

did not allow him to know His true identity.

Rather He expressed a desire to hear

from him an explanation

on the ātmārāma verse

from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.79 hena mate prabhu bhṛtya-saṅge kare khelāke / bujhite pāre gaurasundarera līlā /

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Lord Caitanya, He performs pastimes with His servitors.

Who can understand the pastimes of Lord Gaurasundara?

So, Lord Caitanya maintained a humble position in the presence of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya

who has descended this world to teach Lord Caitanya.

But somehow or other he has missed Lord’s childhood pastimes as he went to Jagannātha Purī

but the Lord He knows what everyone wants

as Supersoul

so He is arranging so that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya could teach Him

but then Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya realized the actual position of Lord Caitanya Māhaprabhu

so Lord Caitanya by His pastime He can bewilder His devotees.

Thus ends the chapter entitled

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Questions Lord Caitanya's Need for Accepting Sannyāsa