20210110 Lord Caitanya Agrees to Take One Assistant

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book:

Lord Caitanya Agrees to Take One Assistant and Starts for South India.

 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.31

bhaktera janya prabhura kaṣṭa-svīkāra, bhaktera tāhāte duḥkha :—

sei duḥkha dekhi’ yei bhakta duḥkha pāya
sei duḥkha tāṅra śaktye sahana nā yāya

Translation: The regulative principles observed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu were sometimes intolerable, and all the devotees became greatly affected by them. Although strictly observing the regulative principles, Caitanya Mahāprabhu could not tolerate the unhappiness felt by His devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there was no difficulty for Lord Caitanya to personally observes strict regulative principles. But because the devotees felt sadness that was intolerable for Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.32

guṇe doṣodgāra-cchale sabā niṣedhiyā
ekākī bhramibena tīrtha vairāgya kariyā

Translation: Therefore, to prevent them from accompanying Him and becoming unhappy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu declared their good qualities to be faults. 

Purport: The Lord wanted to tour all the places of pilgrimage alone and strictly observe the duties of the renounced order.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.33

svatantra-īśvara prabhu sva-saṅkalpe aṭala :—

tabe cāri-jana bahu minati karila
svatantra īśvara prabhu kabhu nā mānila

Translation: Four devotees then humbly insisted that they go with the Lord but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, being the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, did not accept their request.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Lord Caitanya is the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead He can accept or not accept any request He is fully independent if He does accept anything it is all His causeless mercy. 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.34

nitāira sarvaśeṣa prārthara :—

tabe nityānanda kahe,—ye ājñā tomāra
duḥkha sukha ye ha-uk kartavya āmāra

Translation: Thereupon Lord Nityānanda said, “Whatever You order is My duty regardless of whether it results in happiness or unhappiness.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.35

kintu eka nivedana karoṅ āra bāra
vicāra kariyā tāhā kara aṅgīkāra

Translation: “Yet I still submit one petition to You. Please consider it and if You think it proper, please accept it.” 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.36

kaupīna bahirvāsa o jalapātra bahibāra janya saṅge loka laite prārthanā :— 

kaupīna, bahir-vāsa āra jala-pātra
āra kichu nāhi yābe, sabe ei mātra

Translation: “You must take with You a loincloth, external clothes and a waterpot You should take nothing more than this.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.37

prabhura saṅkhyā-nāma-japa :—

tomāra dui hasta baddha nāma-gaṇane
jala-pātra-bahirvāsa vahibe kemane

Translation: “Since Your two hands will always be engaged in chanting and counting counting the holy names, how will You be able to carry the waterpot and external garments?”

Purport: From this verse it is clear that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting the holy names a fixed number of times daily. The Gosvāmīs used to follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura also followed this principle Concerning the Gosvāmīs — Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya confirms, saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 6) In addition to other duties, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the system of chanting the holy name of the Lord a fixed number of times daily, as confirmed in this verse (tomāra dui hasta baddha nāma-gaṇane). Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to count on His fingers. While one While one hand was engaged in chanting, the other hand kept the number of rounds. This is corroborated in the Caitanya-candrāmṛta candrāmṛta and also in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Stava-mālā:

badhnan prema-bhara-prakampita-karo granthīn kaṭī-dorakaiḥ
saṅkhyātuṁ nija-loka-maṅgala-hare-kṛṣṇeti nāmnāṁ japan

(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 16)

hare kṛṣṇety uccaiḥ sphurita-rasano nāma-gaṇanā-
kṛta-granthi-śreṇī-subhaga-kaṭi-sūtrojjvala-karaḥ

(Prathama-caitanyāṣṭaka 5)

Therefore devotees in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must chant at least sixteen rounds daily and this is the number prescribed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness Haridāsa Ṭhākura daily chanted 300,000 names. Sixteen rounds is about 28,000 names There is no need to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura or the other Gosvāmīs, but chanting the holy name a fixed number of times daily is essential for every devotee.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here is the principle by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, that devotees should chant a fix number of rounds every day, and Śrīla Prabhupāda established a minimum rounds for the initiated devotees to chant basically 16 times of 108, that is about 25,000 names a day. I was once chanting 50,000, 32 rounds. I thought Śrīla Prabhupāda will be very pleased but instead He said “You should chant 16 rounds and go and preach If you stay the whole day and chant, who will preach?” So we also heard from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s god brothers that for those who are doing book distribution or preaching, they should 16 rounds a day Those who stay in the temple, they have to chant more But Śrīla Prabhupāda established this 16 rounds is minimum for the initiated devotees For the newcomers they may chant some number of rounds but the idea of chanting a fixed number every day is a special offering a special sacrifice to Lord Kṛṣṇa Every devotee should try to do that.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.38

premāveśe pathe tumi habe acetana
e-saba sāmagrī tomāra ke kare rakṣaṇa 

Translation: “When, along the way, You fall unconscious in ecstatic love of Godhead, who will protect Your belongings — the waterpot, garments and so forth?” 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.39

kṛṣṇadāsa-viprake saṅge laite anurodha :—

’kṛṣṇadāsa’-nāme ei sarala brāhmaṇa
iṅho saṅge kari’ laha, dhara nivedana 

Translation: Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu continued “Here is a simple brāhmaṇa named Kṛṣṇadāsa. Please accept him and take him with You. That is My request." 

Purport: This Kṛṣṇadāsa, known as Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa, is not the Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa mentioned in the eleventh chapter, verse 37, of the Ādi-līlā. The Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa mentioned in the eleventh chapter is one of the twelve gopālas (cowherd boys) who appeared to substantiate the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is known as a great devotee of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu. The brāhmaṇa named Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa who went with Śrī Caitanya to South India and later to Bengal is mentioned in the Madhya-līlā, tenth chapter, verses 62-79 One should not take these two to be the same person.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.40

jala-pātra-vastra vahi’ tomā-saṅge yābe
ye tomāra icchā, kara, kichu nā balibe

Translation: “He will carry Your waterpot and garments. You may do whatever You like; he will not say a word.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Nityananda was very expert  in knowing what Lord Caitanya wanted, and knowing what His problem may be along the way So He suggested taking a simple brāhmaṇa, Kālakṛṣṇa dāsa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.41

prabhura svīkāra :— 

tabe tāṅra vākya prabhu kari’ aṅgīkāre
tāhā-sabā lañā gelā sārvabhauma-ghare

Translation: Accepting the request of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu Lord Caitanya took all His devotees and went to the house of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 13.13: Thereafter, Gaura's face blossomed and His mouth filled with the names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. His heart filled with love and He set forth with tremendous energy moving with the momentum of an elephant.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 13.14: In this mood, the illustrious son of Śacī desiring to teach humanity the path of devotion as received through disciplic succession went to the āśrama of Kāśī Miśra and with eyes moistened by tears of kṛṣṇa-prema addressed him as follows: 

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 13.15: “Your grace is certainly blessed for you remain here to contemplate the countenance of Puruṣottama-deva; whereas I, having been tricked by Him, must now wander to see all of the tīrthas."

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 13.16: Hearing this, Kāśīnātha became extremely agitated He fell like a rod to the earth at Mahāprabhu's feet and loudly cried out.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 13.17: “Oh! Why has my son not died? Why am I not afflicted by some incurable disease? Oh! Why rather am I now to be separated from the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So he was feeling separation from Lord Caitanya to be the greatest suffering, worse than losing His son worse than being afflicted by an incurable disease He was foreseeing the impending separation of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 13.18: Thus overcome with grief, he rolled to and fro on the ground Then Śrī Gaurāṅga, His heart melting with compassion comforted him saying, “I shall return,” and other words of good will.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 13.19: The all-opulent Personality of Godhead who had accepted the role of the guru of all beings visited the home of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and begged for permission to depart, expressing His wish to travel to all the tīrthas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had been 18 days in Jagannātha Purī, at that time He melted all the hearts of Kāśīnātha Misrā, Sārvabhauma Bhattacarya and all the other residents of Nīlācala. Now He has decided to travel and visit all the tīrthas the holy place of pilgrimage in Southern India.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.42

sārvabhauma-gṛhe gamana :—

namaskari’ sārvabhauma āsana nivedila
sabākāre mili’ tabe āsane vasila

Translation: As soon as they entered his house Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya offered the Lord obeisances and a place to sit After seating all the others, the Bhaṭṭācārya took his seat.

Jayapatākā Swami: He was following the etiquette to see that everybody is seated, then He personally sat.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.43

bhaṭṭācāryera nikaṭa vidāya yācñā :— 

nānā kṛṣṇa-vārtā kahi’ kahila tāṅhāre
’tomāra ṭhāñi āilāṅ ājñā māgibāre

Translation: After they had discussed various topics about Lord Kṛṣṇa Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, “I have come to your place just to receive your order.” 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.44

viśvarūpa-anbeṣaṇera chala :—

sannyāsa kari’ viśvarūpa giyāche dakṣiṇe
avaśya kariba āmi tāṅra anveṣaṇe

Translation: “My elder brother, Viśvarūpa, has taken sannyāsa and gone to South India Now I must go search for Him."

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.45

ājñā deha, avaśya āmi dakṣiṇe caliba
tomāra ājñāte sukhe leuṭi’ āsiba’

Translation: “Please permit Me to go, for I must tour South India With your permission, I shall soon return very happily.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.46

bhaṭṭācāryera viraha-duḥkhokti :— 

śuni’ sārvabhauma hailā atyanta kātara
caraṇe dhariyā kahe viṣāda-uttara

Translation: Upon hearing this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became very much agitated Catching hold of the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu he gave this sorrowful reply.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.47

’bahu-janmera puṇya-phale pāinu tomāra saṅga
hena-saṅga vidhi mora karileka bhaṅga

Translation: “After many births, due to some pious activity I got Your association . Now providence is breaking this invaluable association.” 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.48

śire vajra paḍe yadi, putra mari’ yāya
tāhā sahi, tomāra viccheda sahana nā yāya

Translation: “If a thunderbolt falls on my head or if my son dies, I can tolerate it But I cannot endure the unhappiness of separation from You.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is expressing the intolerability of Lord Caitanya’s separation. So, he is requesting Lord Caitanya not to put him in this separation.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.13.20: Hearing this, Sārvabhauma grasped Śrī Kṛṣṇa's feet and weeping exclaimed, “O mighty-armed Lord, why rather has a bolt of lightning not fallen on my head?”

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.13.21: “Prabhu, how can I maintain my life force in separation from Your lotus feet? Now that You have captured my heart is it befitting for You to travel here and there?”

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.96: Sārvabhauma, seeing the Lord depart in lamentation spoke pitifully “O Lord! Why are you leaving so quickly, making me burn in great sorrow?”

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.97: “O Lord! Why do I not lament for a son? Why do I not give up my body? Having seen your lotus feet, I cannot tolerate separation from you.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is explaining how seeing the Lord is the greatest happiness and how separation of the Lord is the greatest suffering.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.49

kayekadina apekṣāra janya prabhuke anurodha :— 

svatantra-īśvara tumi karibe gamana
dina katho raha, dekhi tomāra caraṇa’

Translation: “My dear Lord, You are the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead Certainly, You will depart I know that. Still, I ask You to stay here a few days more so that I can see Your lotus feet.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.50

prabhura sammati :—

tāhāra vinaye prabhura śithila haila mana
rahila divasa katho, nā kaila gamana

Translation: Upon hearing Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s request Caitanya Mahāprabhu relented. He stayed a few days longer and did not depart.

Jayapatākā Swami: Just like Lord Kṛṣṇa He heard the various prayers of the Hastināpura vāsis, but He was still about to depart and then Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja with tears in his eyes he begged to Lord Kṛṣṇa. “Please stay a few days longer So, the independent Lord out of His causeless mercy He decided to stay."

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.51

bhaṭṭācāryera prabhuke nimantraṇa, tadagṛhiṇīra randhana :—

bhaṭṭācārya āgraha kari’ karena nimantraṇa
gṛhe pāka kari’ prabhuke karā’na bhojana

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya eagerly invited Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his home and fed Him very nicely.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.52

tāṅhāra brāhmaṇī, tāṅra nāma—’ṣāṭhīra mātā’
rāndhi’ bhikṣā dena teṅho, āścarya tāṅra kathā

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya’s wife, whose name was Ṣāṭhīmātā (the mother of Ṣāṭhī), did the cooking. The narrations of these pastimes are very wonderful.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.53

āge ta’ kahiba tāhā kariyā vistāra
ebe kahi prabhura dakṣiṇa-yātrā-samācāra

Translation: Later I shall tell about this in elaborate detail, but at present I wish to describe Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s South Indian tour. 

Jayapatākā Swami: When Lord Caitanya comes back to Jagannātha Purī at that time Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja will describe the various pastimes of the Lord visiting the homes of different devotees, and taking prasāda there Now the author wanted to describe about Lord Caitanya going on a South India tour.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.98: “Where are you going? By which path are you going? How can you endure the difficulties on the road? O merciful Lord! If you go, then travel by the bank of the Godāvarī River.”

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.99: “At that place lives one great soul a mad bee at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa named Rāmānanda, the son of Bhāvānanda. Do not reject him as a materialist.”

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.13.22: Hearing this, Gaura Keśava laughed merrily and, capturing Sārvabhauma's hands in His own, replied, “I shall return before long.”

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.13.23: Speaking thus, Śrī Caitanya, the embodiment of compassion, who is very wise in comforting the distressed heart, warmly embraced Sārvabhauma and pacified his heart by His loving and personal mood.

Jayapatākā Swami: One of Kṛṣṇa name is Rasikaśekhara He knows how to exchange loving mellows with His devotees So in this way Lord Caitanya was exchanging the loving mellows with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.54

pāñcadina pare punarāya vidāya-yācñā:—

dina pāñca rahi’ prabhu bhaṭṭācārya-sthāne
calibāra lāgi’ ājñā māgilā āpane

Translation: After staying five days at the home of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally asked his permission to depart for South India. 

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had stayed five days longer than expected in the house of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, but now He is asking permission to leave.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.55

bhaṭṭācāryera sammati :—

prabhura āgrahe bhaṭṭācārya sammata ha-ilā
prabhu tāṅre lañā jagannātha-mandire gelā

Translation: After receiving the Bhaṭṭācārya’s permission, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to see Lord Jagannātha in the temple . He took the Bhaṭṭācārya with Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.56

jagannātha-mandire giyā prabhura tatsamīpe ājñā-yācñā o mālā-prasāda-prāptira para mandira pradakṣiṇa pūrvaka yātrā :—

darśana kari’ ṭhākura-pāśa ājñā māgilā
pūjārī prabhure mālā-prasāda āni’ dilā

Translation: Seeing Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also begged His permission. The priest then immediately delivered prasādam and a garland to Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.57

ājñā-mālā pāñā harṣe namaskāra kari’
ānande dakṣiṇa-deśe cale gaurahari

Translation: Thus, receiving Lord Jagannātha’s permission in the form of a garland, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered obeisances, and then in great jubilation He prepared to depart for South India.

Jayapatākā Swami: So receiving the prasāda garland from Lord Jagannātha is considered as a blessing or permission for the Lord to leave to South India. 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.58

bhaṭṭācārya-saṅge āra yata nija-gaṇa
jagannātha pradakṣiṇa kari’ karilā gamana

Translation: Accompanied by His personal associates and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Caitanya Mahāprabhu circumambulated the altar of Jagannātha The Lord then departed on His South Indian tour.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 7.12: The King: (struck with wonder) Bhaṭṭācārya if what you say is true Why did you not try to keep Him here?

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 7.13: Bhattacarya: Oh, King! When he knits His brow, Brahmā and the other demigods tremble in fear. Unless He grants His mercy, He will not submit to the control of anyone else. 

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 7.14: How many times did I not pray to Him? How many times did I not beg Him with faltering words? How many times did I not speak fearsome threats of suicide? How many times did I not grasp His feet and cry? Still, He went. For very exalted persons mercy and cruelty are the same thing. 

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 7.15: King: (with eagerness) Will He ever come here again?

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 7.16: Bhattacarya: Yes. His friends are here. 

Jayapatākā Swami: So King Pratāprudra wanted to know whether Lord Caitanya will be back Actually, Lord Caitanya remained 18 years in Jagannātha Purī So king Prataparudra had plenty of opportunities to associate with the Lord. But we will hear about this later. It is not easy for the king. So, we see how different pastimes of Lord Caitanya unfold and how in this pastime we have Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka, and various other books So they all help to give different details. So now we get the picture how Lord Caitanya left after circumambulating Lord Jagannātha and taking one devotee as an assistant, Kālakṛṣṇa dāsa. Haribol!

Thus, ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya Agrees to Take One Assistant and Starts For South India.