20210101 Lord Caitanya Places His Lotus Feet on Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya (Part-1)

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 1st, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma 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!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year, a Kṛṣṇa conscious New Year, Christabdha 2021. We observe our New Year on Gaura Pūrṇimā but, anyway since we all live in this world of 2021 so I wish you a happy new year, a Kṛṣṇa conscious New Year

Today's chapter

Lord Caitanya Places His Lotus Feet on Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Who Offers Prayers

Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.209

gopīnāthera harṣa:—
dekhi’ gopīnāthācārya haraṣita-mana
bhaṭṭācāryera nṛtya dekhi’ hāse prabhura gaṇa

Translation: While Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was in this ecstasy, Gopīnātha Ācārya was very pleased. The associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu all laughed to see the Bhaṭṭācārya dance so.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had told Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, that for many births he wanted to see Him. He wanted to achieve His pure love. So, Lord Caitanya said that He specifically came to Jagannātha Purī to bless Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He showed Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, His Narayana four-handed form, His form as Kṛṣṇa playing the flute, and then He showed His six-handed form as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was dancing in ecstasy and all the associates of Lord Caitanya were laughing and were happy to see Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya dancing in ecstasy

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.210

sārvabhaumera daśā-darśane gopīnāthera prabhu-mahimā kīrtana:— 
gopīnāthācārya kahe mahāprabhura prati
’sei bhaṭṭācāryera prabhu kaile ei gati’

Translation: Gopīnātha Ācārya told Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Sir, You have brought all this upon Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.”

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.259: Bhagavān Lord Caitanya: Well Done. Well Done. Now, please go and take darśana of Lord Jagannātha.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.260: Bhaṭṭācārya: As the Lord orders.

(Taking Dāmodara and Jagadānanda with him, he exits).

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.261: Mukunda: Why did he take them and go?

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.262: Gopīnātha Ācārya: That is a secret. But Lord, he is that same Bhaṭṭācārya?

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.263: Bhagavān Lord Caitanya: You are a mahā-bhāgavata. Because of your association he has become transformed.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 6.264: Gopīnātha Ācārya: (laughs) it is so.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya, His giving is mercy, giving the credit to Gopīnātha Ācārya. But actually we see how Lord Caitanya bestowed His mercy on Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. May be this was due to the prayers of Gopīnātha Ācārya. We need the mercy of the devotee to get the mercy of the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.211

prabhura bhakta-sammāna :— 
prabhu kahe,—’tumi bhakta, tomāra saṅga haite
jagannātha iṅhāre kṛpā kaila bhāla-mate’

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “You are a devotee. Because of your association, Lord Jagannātha has shown him mercy.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.109

sārvabhauma-gātre prabhura śrī-hastapradāna o sārvabhaumera caitanyalābha— baḍa sukhī prabhu sārvabhaumere antare
`uṭha' bali' śrī-hasta dilena tāna śire

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was extremely happy with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He said to Sārvabhauma, “Rise! Rise!” and in this way He placed His lotus hand on the head of Sārvabhauma Bhattacarya.

In some editions the following verses are added after this verse.

“The Lord held the conchshell, cakra, club, lotus, mallet, and plow in His six arms. His effulgent body was decorated with jewels and precious stones. His chest was decorated with the Kaustubha jewel and the mark of Śrīvatsa. A stick and horn adorned the left of His waist, and a flute was tucked in front.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was giving His special mercy to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.110

śrī-hasta-paraśe vipra pāila cetana
tathāpi ānande jaḍa nā sphure vacana

Jayapatākā Swami: By feeling the touch of the lotus hand of Lord Caitanya, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya regained his consciousness still being overwhelmed with ecstasy he was stunned and remained speechless in ecstasy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.111

mahāprabhur sārvabauma pakṣe pādapadma-sthāpana —
karuṇā-samudra prabhu śrī-gaurasundara
pāda-padma dilā tāṅra hṛdaya-upara

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Śrī Gaurasundara, is the ocean of mercy. He placed His lotus feet on the heart of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

On seeing the most effulgent six-armed form of the Supreme Lord, Sārvabhauma lost consciousness. Śrī Gaurahari, who had assumed the six-armed form, then placed His lotus feet on Sārvabhauma's chest.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.112

bhaṭṭācāryera premānande prabhupāda-padma dṛḍhabhāve hṛdaye dhāraṇa, ānandakrandana o stuti— pāi' śrī-caraṇa sārvabhauma mahāśaya
hailā kevala parānanda-prema-maya

Jayapatākā Swami: Sārvabhauma Mahāśaya, on receiving the touch of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, became completely filled with transcendental ecstatic love.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.113

dṛḍha kari' pāda-padma dhari' premānande
“āji se pāinu citta-cora” bali' kānde

Jayapatākā Swami: He tightly grabbed the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya in loving ecstasy and he cried while saying, “Today I have captured the thief who stole my heart, citta-cora.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.114

ārta-nāde sārvabhauma karena rodana
dhariyā apūrva pāda-padma ramā-dhana

Jayapatākā Swami: Sārvabhauma, he cried intensely as he held the wonderful lotus feet, which are the wealth of Ramā-devī, the goddess of fortune. Then Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya rubbing the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, he cried very intensely and held on those lotus feet with great love.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.115

prabhura kṛpodbhāsi sārvabhaumera vijñapti o svayam bhagavān mahāprabhuke upadeśa pradānera dhṛṣṭatā prakāśera janya anuśocanā—
“prabhu mora śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prāṇa-nātha
muñi adhamere prabhu, kara dṛṣṭi-pāta

Jayapatākā Swami: “Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, is the Lord of my life. And so, Lord Caitanya, I am most fallen, please have merciful glance on me!

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.116

tomāre se muñi pāpīśikhāimu dharma
nā jāniyā tomāra acintya śuddha marma

Jayapatākā Swami: “I am so sinful that I dared to teach You religious principles. I did not know Your inconceivable, pure glories.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.117

hena ke vā āche prabhu, tomāra māyāya
mahā-yogeśvara-ādi moha nāhi pāya

Jayapatākā Swami: “Who is there, My dear Lord Caitanya, who is not bewildered by Your illusory energy? Even the greatest of the yogis become bewildered and cannot understand Your reality.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.118

se tumi ye āmāre mohibe kon śakti
ebe deha' tomāra caraṇe prema-bhakti

Jayapatākā Swami: It is not at all astonishing that I was bewildered by Your illusory potency. Now please give me Your pure, loving devotional service at Your lotus feet.

In the Kena Upaniṣad (1.5) it is stated:

“That which the mind cannot know, through which the mind is considered known— know that to be the Supreme, not what this world reveres.”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.1) it is stated: muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ—“By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion.” Also see Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.37, 6.3.14-15, 7.5.13, 10.14.21, 9.4.56, 11.7.17, and 11.29.40).

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.119

jaya jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prāṇa-nātha
jaya jaya śacī puṇyavatī-garbha-jāta

Jayapatākā Swami: “All glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, the Lord of my life! All glories to You, who have appeared from the womb of the pious Śacī-devī!

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.120

jaya jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya sarva-prāṇa
jaya jaya veda-vipra-sādhu-dharma-trāṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: “All glories to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, the life and soul of everyone! All glories to the deliverer of the Vedas, brāhmaṇas, saintly persons, and religious principles!

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.121

jaya jaya vaikuṇṭhādi lokera īśvara
jaya jaya śuddha-sattva-rūpa nyāsi-vara”

Jayapatākā Swami: “All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the Vaikuṇṭha, and the spiritual world! All glories to the best of the sannyāsīs, whose form consists of pure goodness.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.122

sārvabhaumera gaura-stava— parama subuddhi sārvabhauma mahāmati
śloka paḍi' paḍi' punaḥ punaḥ kare stuti

Jayapatākā Swami: The supremely intelligent, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was broad-minded and he began repeatedly citing various verses and reciting his prayers. So more details of this pastime are given in Caitanya-bhāgavata and other śāstras. So we see that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he was overwhelmed with ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa and he was again and again offering prayers and reciting different ślokas.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.212

prakṛtistha haiyā bhaṭṭācāryera prabhustuti :— 
tabe bhaṭṭācārye prabhu susthira karila
sthira hañā bhaṭṭācārya bahu stuti kaila

Translation: After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu pacified the Bhaṭṭācārya, and when he was quieted, he offered many prayers to the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.213

‘jagat nistārile tumi,—seha alpa-kārya
āmā uddhārile tumi,—e śakti āścarya

Translation: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “My dear Sir, You have delivered the entire world, but that is not a very great task. However, You have also delivered me, and that is certainly the work of very wonderful powers.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was completely fixed in the impersonal understanding of the Absolute Truth. By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, he became situated in pure devotional service. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said that delivering the whole world is not such a hard thing for the Lord, but just his heart is so hard that delivering him was something very wonderful! Hari Bol! Gaurāṅga! So Bṛhaspati had many, many births, in the heavenly planets, but He always wanted to realize Kṛṣṇa. So Lord Caitanya sought him out and gave him mercy. So, like that we should understand that to get the mercy of the Lord is a very special blessing, and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya as Brhaspati for many, many births he wanted the darśana of the Lord and finally he got it. So, like that we are trying to serve His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and praying that by his mercy we can also achieve the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. Hari bol!