20210126 Kṛṣṇa Tattva (Part 2)

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 26th, 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!

Today's chapter entitled is:

Kṛṣṇa Tattva (Part 2)

This is the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book,

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.129

rāyake rādhā-kṛṣṇa-tattva kīrtana karite anurādhe :—

‘sannyāsī’ baliyā more nā kariha vañcana/ kṛṣṇa-rādhā-tattva kahi’ pūrṇa kara mana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “Please do not try to cheat Me, thinking of Me as a learned sannyāsī. Please satisfy My mind by just describing the truth of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya wanted to hear from Rāmānanda Rāya more about Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.130

prabhura māyāya mahā-mahā-sūrigaṇao mugdha, kintu vāstava tattvavit rāmānanda dhīra-sthira :— 
yadyapi rāya—premī, mahā-bhāgavate
tāṅra mana kṛṣṇa-māyā nāre ācchādite

Translation: Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was a great devotee of the Lord and a lover of God, and although his mind could not be covered by Kṛṣṇa’s illusory energy ...

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.131

prabhura icchāśakti-cālita sevakera calana— māyādāsya nahe, uhā prabhura icchā-śaktira prabhutva o rāyera vaśyatva-jñāpaka :— 
tathāpi prabhura icchā—parama prabala
jānileha rāyera mana haila ṭalamala

Translation: ... and although he could understand the mind of the Lord, which was very strong and intense, Rāmānanda’s mind became a little agitated.

Purport By Srila Prabhupada: The perfect devotee always acts according to the desires of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But a materialistic man is carried away by the waves of the material energy. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said, māyāra vaśe, yāccha bhese, khāccha hābuḍubu, bhāi. A person under the grip of the material energy is carried away by the waves of that illusory energy. In other words, a person in the material world is a servant of māyā. However, a person in the spiritual energy is a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although Rāmānanda Rāya knew that nothing was unknown to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he nonetheless began to speak further on the subject because the Lord desired it.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although Rāmānanda Rāya knew that Lord Caitanya knew everything, he continued to speak because the Lord requested it.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.132

rāya kahe,—”āmi—naṭa, tumi—sūtra-dhāra
yei mata nācāo, taiche cāhi nācibāra

Translation: Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya said, “I am just a dancing puppet, and You pull the strings. Whichever way You make me dance, I will dance.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda said a similar thing, when he was in sight of the port of Boston.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.133

mora jihvā—vīṇā-yantra, tumi—vīṇā-dhārī
tomāra mane yei uṭhe, tāhāi uccāri

Translation: “My dear Lord, my tongue is just like a stringed instrument, and You are its player. Therefore I simply vibrate whatever arises in Your mind.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.134

(1) kṛṣṇa-tattva-varṇanārambha; kṛṣṇera svarūpa-paricaya :— 
parama īśvara kṛṣṇa—svayaṁ bhagavān
sarva-avatārī, sarva-kāraṇa-pradhāna

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya then began to speak on kṛṣṇa-tattva. “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” he said. “He is personally the original Godhead, the source of all incarnations and the cause of all causes.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is also mentioned in the Brahmā Saṁhitā,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ 
anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.135

ananta vaikuṇṭha, āra ananta avatāra
ananta brahmāṇḍa ihāṅ,—sabāra ādhāra

Translation: “There are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, as well as innumerable incarnations. In the material world also there are innumerable universes, and Kṛṣṇa is the supreme resting place for all of them.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, much greater than the concept of creator, much greater than the concept of a God, He is the Absolute Truth, the cause of all causes.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.136

sac-cid-ānanda-tanu, vrajendra-nandana
sarvaiśvarya-sarvaśakti-sarvarasa-pūrṇa

Translation: “The transcendental body of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is eternal and full of bliss and knowledge. He is the son of Nanda Mahārāja. He is full of all opulences and potencies, as well as all spiritual mellows.

Jayapatākā Swami: Some people think that Kṛṣṇa is a material person, and He has assumed a material body. But He is always transcendental, that should be understood.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.137

Brahma-Saṁhitā (5.1)— 
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

Translation: “‘Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.’ 

Purport: This verse is from the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.1).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.138

vraje nityasevita madana-mohana-vigraha :— 
vṛndāvane ’aprākṛta navīna madana’
kāma-gāyatrī kāma-bīje yāṅra upāsana

Translation: “In the spiritual realm of Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual, ever-fresh Cupid. He is worshiped by the chanting of the Kāma-gāyatrī mantra, with the spiritual seed klīm.

Purport  By Srila Prabhupada: The spiritual realm of Vṛndāvana is always spiritual. The goddess of fortune and the gopīs are always present there. They are Kṛṣṇa’s beloveds, and all of them are as spiritual as Kṛṣṇa. In Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person and is the husband of all the gopīs and the goddess of fortune. The trees in Vṛndāvana are wish-fulfilling trees. The land is made of touchstone, and the water is nectar. Words are musical vibrations, and all movements are dancing. The flute is the Lord’s constant companion. The planet Goloka Vṛndāvana is self-luminous like the sun and is full of spiritual bliss. The perfection of life lies in tasting that spiritual existence; therefore everyone should cultivate its knowledge. In Vṛndāvana, spiritual cows are always supplying spiritual milk. Not a single moment is wasted there — in other words, there is no past, present or future. Not a single particle of time is wasted. Within this material universe, the devotees worship that transcendental abode as Goloka Vṛndāvana. Lord Brahmā himself said, “Let me worship that spiritual land where Kṛṣṇa is present.” This transcendental Vṛndāvana is not appreciated by those who are not devotees or self-realized souls because this Vṛndāvana-dhāma is all spiritual. The pastimes of the Lord there are also spiritual. None are material. According to a prayer by Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura (Prārthanā 1):

āra kabe nitāi-cāṅdera karuṇā karibe
saṁsāra-vāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha’be

“When will Lord Nityānanda have mercy upon me so that I can realize the uselessness of material pleasure?”

In the material world, if one is sexually inclined and enjoys sex life, he enjoys something temporary. His enjoyment vanishes after a few minutes. However, in the spiritual world the same enjoyment may be there, but it never vanishes. It is continuously enjoyed. In the spiritual world such sex pleasure appears to the enjoyer to be more and more relishable with each new feature. In the material world, however, sex enjoyment becomes distasteful after a few minutes only, and it is never permanent. Because Kṛṣṇa appears very much sexually inclined, He is called the new Cupid in the spiritual world. There is no material inebriety in such desire, however.

Gāyantaṁ trāyate yasmād gāyatrī tvaṁ tataḥ smṛtā one who chants the Gāyatrī mantra is gradually delivered from the material clutches. The Kāma-gāyatrī mantra is just like a Vedic hymn, but it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. There is no difference between the Kāma-gāyatrī and Kṛṣṇa. Both are composed of twenty-four and a half transcendental syllables (see Madhya 21.125-29). The mantra depicted in letters is also Kṛṣṇa, and the mantra rises just like the moon. Due to this, there is a perverted reflection of desire in human society and among all kinds of living entities. “Then Gāyatrī, mother of the Vedas, having been manifested by the divine sound of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s flute, entered the lotus mouth of Brahmā,the self-born, through his eight earholes. Thus the lotus-born Brahmā received the Gāyatrī mantra, which had sprung from the song of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s flute. In this way he attained twice-born status, having been initiated by the supreme, primal preceptor, Godhead Himself. Enlightened by the recollection of that Gāyatrī, which embodies the three Vedas, Brahmā became acquainted with the expanse of the ocean of truth. Then he worshiped Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the essence of all the Vedas, with a hymn.”

The vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is the origin of the Vedic hymns. Lord Brahmā, who is seated on a lotus flower, heard the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute and was thereby initiated by the Gāyatrī mantra.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Gāyatrī mantra originates from Kṛṣṇa’s flute. Lord Brahmā, he received initiation from Kṛṣṇa‘s flute. Like that when we receive initiation, the mantra descends from Brahmā down to the present day. We are in the Brahmā Mādhava Gaudiya sampradāya

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.139

kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera ākarṣaṇa-śakti :— 
puruṣa, yoṣit, kibā sthāvara-jaṅgama
sarva-cittākarṣaka, sākṣāt manmatha-madana

Translation: “The very name Kṛṣṇa means that He attracts even Cupid. He is therefore attractive to everyone — male and female, moving and inert living entities. Indeed, Kṛṣṇa is known as the all-attractive one.

Purport By Srila Prabhupada: Just as there are many orbs in the material world called stars or planets, in the spiritual world there are many spiritual planets called Vaikuṇṭhalokas. The spiritual universe, however, is situated far, far away from the cluster of material universes. Material scientists cannot even estimate the number of planets and stars within this universe. They are also incapable of traveling to other stars by spaceship. According to the Bhagavad-gītā (8.20), “Yet there is another unmanifested nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.”

Thus there is another nature, which is superior to material nature. The word bhāva or svabhāva refers to nature. The spiritual nature is eternal, and even when all the material universes are destroyed, the planets in the spiritual world abide. They remain exactly as the spirit soul remains even after the annihilation of the material body. That spiritual world is called the aprākṛta (antimaterial) world. In this transcendental, spiritual world or universe, the highest planetary system is known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is the abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, who is also all-spiritual. Kṛṣṇa is known there as Aprākṛta-madana. The name Madana refers to Cupid, but Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual Madana. His body is not material like the body of Cupid in this material universe. Kṛṣṇa’s body is all-spiritual — sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Therefore He is called Aprākṛta-madana. He is also known as Manmatha-madana, which means that He is attractive even to Cupid. There is no material contamination in His body, and one should not consider His body a lump of flesh and bones. The Māyāvādī philosophers conceive of Kṛṣṇa’s body as material, and this is an abominable, grossly materialistic conception. Just as Kṛṣṇa is completely spiritual, the gopīs are also spiritual, and this is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37):

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord. He resides in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, who resembles His own spiritual figure and who embodies the ecstatic potency (hlādinī). Their companions are Her confidantes, who embody extensions of Her bodily form and who are imbued and permeated with ever-blissful spiritual rasa.”

The gopīs are also of the same spiritual quality (nija-rūpatayā) because they are expansions of Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure potency. Neither Kṛṣṇa nor the gopīs have anything to do with lumps of matter or the material conception. In the material world the living entity is encaged within a material body, and due to ignorance he thinks that he is the body. Therefore here the enjoyment of lusty desires between male and female is all material. One cannot compare the lusty desires of a materialistic man to the transcendental lusty desires of Kṛṣṇa. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta the lusty desire of the gopīs is compared to gold. The lusty desires of a materialistic man, on the other hand, are compared to iron. At no stage can iron and gold be equal. The living entities — moving and nonmoving — are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore they originally have the same kind of lusty desire as His. But when this lusty desire is expressed through matter, it is abominable. When a living entity is spiritually advanced and liberated from material bondage, he can understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. When one can understand Kṛṣṇa as He is (tattvataḥ), one actually lives in the spiritual world, although apparently living within the material body. This technical science can be understood when one is actually spiritually advanced.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura considers the brahma-bhūta stage in two divisions — svarūpa-gata and vastu-gata. One who has understood Kṛṣṇa in truth but is still maintaining some material connection is known to be situated in his svarūpa, his original consciousness. When that original consciousness is completely spiritual, it is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who lives in such consciousness is actually living in Vṛndāvana. He may live anywhere; material location doesn’t matter. When by the grace of Kṛṣṇa one thus advances, he becomes completely uncontaminated by the material body and mind and at that time factually lives in Vṛndāvana. That stage is called vastu-gata.

Since every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is naturally attractive. Due to the material covering, one’s attraction for Kṛṣṇa is checked. One is not usually attracted by Kṛṣṇa in the material world, but as soon as one is liberated from material conditioning, he is naturally attracted. Therefore it is said in this verse, sarva-cittākarṣaka: “Everyone is naturally attracted by Kṛṣṇa.” This attraction is within everyone’s heart, and when the heart is cleansed, that attraction is manifested.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, as long as we are in this material consciousness we cannot fully realize Kṛṣṇa. Many people like to see Kṛṣṇa but the process is that one should be purified and naturally they will feel attraction to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself to them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.140

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.32.2)—

tāsām āvirabhūc chauriḥ
smayamāna-mukhāmbujaḥ
pītāmbara-dharaḥ sragvī
sākṣān manmatha-manmathaḥ

“‘When Kṛṣṇa left the rāsa-līlā dance, the gopīs became very morose, and when they were grieving, Kṛṣṇa reappeared dressed in yellow garments. Wearing a flower garland and smiling, He was attractive even to Cupid. In this way Kṛṣṇa appeared among the gopīs.’

Purport: This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.32.2).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.141

nānā-bhaktera rasāmṛta nānā-vidha haya
sei saba rasāmṛtera ’viṣaya’ ’āśraya’

Translation: “Each and every devotee has a certain type of transcendental mellow in relation to Kṛṣṇa. But in all transcendental relationships the devotee is the worshiper [āśraya] and Kṛṣṇa is the object of worship [viṣaya].

Jayapataka Swami: So in the spiritual world, devotee worships Lord Krsna. He is the object of all worship. He is naturally the object of one’s love.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.142

vārṣarbhanavī-dayitera jaya –Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.1) — 

akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrtiḥ
prasṛmara-ruci-ruddha-tārakā-pāliḥ
kalita-śyāmā-lalito
rādhā-preyān vidhur jayati

Translation: “‘Let Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, be glorified! By virtue of His expanding attractive features, He subjugated the gopīs named Tārakā and Pāli and absorbed the minds of Śyāmā and Lalitā. He is the most attractive lover of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and is the reservoir of pleasure for devotees in all transcendental mellows.’”

Purport By Srila Prabhupada: Everyone has a particular transcendental mellow by which he loves and serves Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the most attractive feature for every kind of devotee. He is therefore called Akhila-Rasāmṛta-Mūrti, the transcendental form of attraction for all kinds of devotees, whether the devotee be in the śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa or mādhurya-rasa.

This is the opening verse of the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Everyone has a personal relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa, they worship Kṛṣṇa in that relationship.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.143

kṛṣṇa-mādhurye svayaṁ kṛṣṇai mugdha :— 
śṛṅgāra-rasarāja-maya-mūrti-dhara
ataeva ātma-paryanta-sarva-citta-hara

Translation: “Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive for devotees in all mellows because He is the personification of the conjugal mellow. Kṛṣṇa is attractive not only to all the devotees, but to Himself as well.

Jayapatākā Swami: When Kṛṣṇa would see His reflection in the water He would also become attracted. He is all-attractive for everyone, including Himself.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.144

vraja-sundarīgaṇera sahita nitya-vilāsī kṛṣṇa :—

Śrī Gīta Govinda (1.1.1)—

viśveṣām anurañjanena janayann ānandam indīvara-
śreṇī-śyāmala-komalair upanayann aṅgair anaṅgotsavam
svacchandaṁ vraja-sundarībhir abhitaḥ praty-aṅgam āliṅgitaḥ
śṛṅgāraḥ sakhi mūrtimān iva madhau mugdho hariḥ krīḍati

Translation: “‘My dear friends, just see how Śrī Kṛṣṇa is enjoying the season of spring! With the gopīs embracing each of His limbs, He is like amorous love personified. With His transcendental pastimes, He enlivens all the gopīs and the entire creation. With His soft bluish black arms and legs, which resemble blue lotus flowers, He has created a festival for Cupid.’”

Purport: This is a verse from the Gīta-govinda (1.11).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.145

kṛṣṇa-rūpa-mādhurya nārāyaṇera evaṁ lakṣmīrao ākarṣaka :— 
lakṣmī-kāntādi avatārera hare mana
lakṣmī-ādi nārī-gaṇera kare ākarṣaṇa

Translation: “He also attracts Nārāyaṇa, who is the incarnation of Saṅkarṣaṇa and the husband of the goddess of fortune. He attracts not only Nārāyaṇa but also all women, headed by the goddess of fortune, the consort of Nārāyaṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Nārāyaṇa is expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and the goddess of fortune is an expansion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. But Nārāyaṇa is also attracted by Kṛṣṇa and Lakṣmī is also attracted by Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.146

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.89.58) —

dvijātmajā me yuvayor didṛkṣuṇā
mayopanītā bhuvi dharma-guptaye
kalāvatīrṇāv avaner bharāsurān
hatveha bhūyas tvarayetam anti me

Translation: “[Addressing Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu (the Mahāpuruṣa) said:] ‘I wanted to see both of you, and therefore I have brought the sons of the brāhmaṇa here. Both of you have appeared in the material world to reestablish religious principles, and you have both appeared here with all your potencies. After killing all the demons, please quickly return to the spiritual world.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.89.58) concerning Kṛṣṇa’s endeavor to take Arjuna beyond the material universe when Arjuna was searching for the sons of a brāhmaṇa .

Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is situated beyond this material world, was also attracted by the bodily features of Kṛṣṇa. Mahā-Viṣṇu had actually stolen the sons of the brāhmaṇa in Dvārakā so that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna would come visit Him. This verse is quoted to show that Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that He attracts Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Māha Viṣṇu is the source of all the unlimited millions of universes, so in order to reach Him, Kṛṣṇa has to leave this material universe. So in that way, Arjuna had a vision of the Casual ocean and Māha-Viṣṇu

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.147

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.16.36)

Translation: O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kāliya attained such an opportunity to be touched by the dust of Your lotus feet. For this end, the goddess of fortune performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and observing austere vows. Indeed, we do not know how this serpent Kāliya got such an opportunity.’

Purport: This verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.16.36) was spoken by the wives of the Kāliya serpent.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.148

nija-mādhurye nijei mugdha – 
āpana-mādhurye hare āpanāra mana
āpanā āpani cāhe karite āliṅgana

Translation: “Lord Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness is so attractive that it steals away His own mind. Thus even He wants to embrace Himself.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.149

rādhikāra nyāya nija-mādhurye bhoga karite nijerai vyagratā:—
Śrī Lalita Mādhava (8.34)—

Translation: “‘Upon seeing His own reflection in a bejeweled pillar of His Dvārakā palace, Kṛṣṇa desired to embrace it, saying, “Alas, I have never seen such a person before. Who is He? Just by seeing Him I have become eager to embrace Him, exactly like Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.”

Purport: This is a verse from Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Lalita-mādhava (8.34).

Jayapatākā Swami: As Kṛṣṇa is all attractive, He is also attracted to Himself, so like that by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa we get purified, and we can naturally awaken our natural attraction for Kṛṣṇa

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Kṛṣṇa Tattva. Part 2.

So, Lord Caitanya told Rāmānanda Rāya, kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya/ yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya. (Cc Madhya 8.128) Even a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra, one who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa that person is a guru.

Haribol!