20210209 Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa of Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra Invites Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to His House (Part 3)

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: Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, today’s chapter entitled:

A Brāhmaṇa’s Great Ecstasy Despite Mispronouncing Bhagavad-gītā

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.87

pratidina raṅganātha-darśana:—

kāverīte snāna kari’ śrī-raṅga darśana
pratidina premāveśe karena nartana

Translation: While there, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His bath in the river Kāverī and visited the temple of Śrī Raṅga. Every day the Lord also danced in ecstasy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.88

prabhu darśane lokera aśoka-abhaya-amṛta-lābha:—

saundaryādi premāveśa dekhi, sarva-loka
dekhibāre āise, dekhe, khaṇḍe duḥkha-śoka

Translation: The beauty of Lord Caitanya’s body and His ecstatic love of God were witnessed by everyone. Many people used to come see Him, and as soon as they saw Him, all their unhappiness and distress vanished.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this was the transcendental benefit of seeing Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.89

asaṁkhya lokera prabhura darśanaphale kṛṣṇa-bhakti lābha:—

lakṣa lakṣa loka āila nānā-deśa haite
sabe kṛṣṇa-nāma kahe prabhuke dekhite

Translation: Many hundreds of thousands of people from various countries came to see the Lord, and after seeing Him they all chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.90

kṛṣṇa-nāma vinā keha nāhi kahe āra
sabe kṛṣṇa-bhakta haila,—loke camatkāra

Translation: Indeed, they did not chant anything but the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and all of them became Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. Thus the general populace was astonished.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had such influence, just by seeing Him people became Kṛṣṇa-bhakta.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.91

eka eka vaiṣṇava viprera gṛhe eka eka dina bhikṣā:—

śrī-raṅga-kṣetre vaise yata vaiṣṇava-brāhmaṇa
eka eka dina sabe kaila nimantraṇa

Translation: All the Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas residing in Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra invited the Lord to their homes. Indeed, He had an invitation every day.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.92

eka eka dine cāturmāsya pūrṇa haila
kataka brāhmaṇa bhikṣā dite nā pāila

Translation: Each day the Lord was invited by a different brāhmaṇa, but some of the brāhmaṇas did not get the opportunity to offer Him lunch because the period of Cāturmāsya came to an end.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can understand that in Śrīraṅga Kṣetra, there are many brāhmaṇas who live there. Lord Caitanya went to each home everyday and in this way He gave so much mercy but still some were left out.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.93

eka śaraṇāgata sevonmukha viprera gītā-pāṭha:—

sei kṣetre rahe eka vaiṣṇava-brāhmaṇa
devālaye āsi’ kare gītā āvartana

Translation: In the holy place of Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra, a brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava used to visit the temple daily and recite the entire text of the Bhagavad-gītā.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.94

śuddha bhakti-yoge jaḍavidyā vā pāṇḍityābhimāna vā kṛtrima bhāvābhāsa nāi:—

aṣṭādaśādhyāya paḍe ānanda-āveśe
aśuddha paḍena, loka kare upahāse

Translation: The brāhmaṇa regularly read the eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad-gītā in great transcendental ecstasy, but because he could not pronounce the words correctly, people used to joke about him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.95

keha hāse, keha ninde, tāhā nāhi mane
āviṣṭa hañā gītā paḍe ānandita-mane

Translation: Due to his incorrect pronunciation, people sometimes criticized him and laughed at him, but he did not care. He was full of ecstasy due to reading the Bhagavad-gītā and was personally very happy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.96

nivṛttānartha labdhacetana puruṣera sāttvika bhāva:—

pulakāśru, kampa, sveda,—yāvat paṭhana
dekhi’ ānandita haila mahāprabhura mana

Translation: While reading the book, the brāhmaṇa experienced transcendental bodily transformations. The hairs on his body stood on end, tears welled up in his eyes, and his body trembled and perspired as he read. Seeing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very happy.

Purport: Although the brāhmaṇa could not pronounce the words very well due to illiteracy, he still experienced ecstatic symptoms while reading the Bhagavad-gītā. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very pleased to observe these symptoms, and this indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased by devotion, not by erudite scholarship. Even though the words were imperfectly pronounced, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, did not think this very serious. Rather, the Lord was pleased by the bhāva (devotion). In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.11) this is confirmed:

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo-’ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”

The purport to this verse may be considered for further information on this subject.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, although the brāhmaṇa was not pronouncing the word correctly, He was experiencing great ecstasy and Lord Caitanya was very pleased with that .

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.97

tāṅhāra bhāva darśane prabhura kāraṇa jijñāsā:—

mahāprabhu puchila tāṅre, śuna, mahāśaya
kon artha jāni’ tomāra eta sukha haya

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the brāhmaṇa, “My dear sir, why are you in such ecstatic love? Which portion of the Bhagavad-gītā gives you such transcendental pleasure?”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.98

vāstavasatye viśvāsī viprera saralabhāve uttara:—

vipra kahe,—mūrkha āmi, śabdārtha nā jāni
śuddhāśuddha gītā paḍi, guru-ājñā māni’

Translation: The brāhmaṇa replied, “I am illiterate and therefore do not know the meaning of the words. Sometimes I read the Bhagavad-gītā correctly and sometimes incorrectly, but in any case, I am doing this in compliance with the orders of my spiritual master.”

Purport: This is a good example of a person who had become so successful that he was able to capture the attention of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu even while reading the Bhagavad-gītā incorrectly. His spiritual activities did not depend on material things such as correct pronunciation. Rather, his success depended on strictly following the instructions of his spiritual master.

yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Śvetāśvatara Up. 6.23)

Actually the meaning of the words of the Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is revealed to one who strictly follows the orders of the spiritual master and has equal faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, being faithful to both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master is the secret of success in spiritual life.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes devotees ask, “what is the secret of success in spiritual life?” Here Śrīla Prabhupāda had revealed, this is the secret of success.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.99

arjunera rathe kṛṣṇa haya rajju-dhara
vasiyāche hāte totra śyāmala sundara

Translation: The brāhmaṇa continued, “Actually I see Lord Kṛṣṇa sitting on a chariot as Arjuna’s charioteer. Taking the reins in His hands, He appears very beautiful and blackish.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.100

arjunere kahitechena hita-upadeśa
tāṅre dekhi’ haya mora ānanda-āveśa

Translation: “While seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa sitting in a chariot and instructing Arjuna, I am filled with ecstatic happiness.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.101

yāvat paḍoṅ, tāvat pāṅa tāṅra daraśana
ei lāgi’ gītā-pāṭha nā chāḍe mora mana

Translation: “As long as I read the Bhagavad-gītā, I simply see the Lord’s beautiful features. It is for this reason that I am reading the Bhagavad-gītā, and my mind cannot be distracted from this.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.102

prabhukarttṛka śuddhacitta aikāntika bhaktera praśaṁsā:—

prabhu kahe,—gītā-pāṭhe tomārā-i adhikāra
tumi se jānaha ei gītāra artha-sāra

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told the brāhmaṇa, ”Indeed, you are an authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gītā. Whatever you know constitutes the real purport of the Bhagavad-gītā.”

Purport: According to the śāstras:

bhaktyā bhāgavataṁ grāhyaṁ
na buddhyā na ca ṭīkayā.

One should understand the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by hearing them from a real devotee. One cannot understand them simply by erudite scholarship or sharp intelligence. In the Gītā-māhātmya it is also said:

gītādhītā ca yenāpi bhakti-bhāvena cetasā
veda-śāstra-purāṇāni tenādhītāni sarvaśaḥ

To one who reads the Bhagavad-gītā with faith and devotion, the essence of Vedic knowledge is revealed. And according to the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23):

yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

[ŚU 6.23]

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.”

All Vedic literatures are to be understood with faith and devotion, not by mundane scholarship. We have therefore presented Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. There are many so-called scholars and philosophers who read the Bhagavad-gītā in a scholarly way. They simply waste their time and mislead those who read their commentaries.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by reading Śrīla Prabhupāda purports Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, one can achieve pure devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.103

viprake prabhura āliṅgana o prabhuke viprera kṛṣṇa-jñāna

eta bali’ sei vipre kaila āliṅgana
prabhu-pada dhari’ vipra karena rodana

Translation: After saying this, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced the brāhmaṇa, and the brāhmaṇa, catching the lotus feet of the Lord, began to cry.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.104

tomā dekhi’ tāhā haite dvi-guṇa sukha haya
sei kṛṣṇa tumi,—hena mora mane laya

Translation: The brāhmaṇa said, “Upon seeing You, my happiness is doubled. I take it that You are the same Lord Kṛṣṇa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by seeing Lord Caitanya, the brāhmaṇa’s ecstasy was multiplied.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.105

karmajñāna-anyābhilāṣaśūnya akaitava śuddhamanai vṛndāvana, tāhātei samvid-vigraha kṛṣṇera adhiṣṭhāna:—

kṛṣṇa-sphūrtye tāṅra mana hañāche nirmala
ataeva prabhura tattva jānila sakala

Translation: The mind of the brāhmaṇa was purified by the revelation of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and therefore he could understand the truth of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in all details.

 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.106

prabhura ātmapracāre niṣedhājñā-dvārā asuraloka-vañcanā:—

tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre karāila śikṣaṇa
ei bāt kāhāṅ nā kariha prakāśana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then taught the brāhmaṇa very thoroughly and requested him not to disclose the fact that He was Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Jayapatākā Swami: The brāhmaṇa was able to understand Lord Caitanya’s actual identity that He was Kṛṣṇa Himself. But Lord Caitanya requested him, do not reveal to others.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.107

prabhubhakta vipra:—

sei vipra mahāprabhura baḍa bhakta haila
cāri māsa prabhu-saṅga kabhu nā chāḍila

Translation: That brāhmaṇa became a great devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and for four continuous months he did not give up the Lord’s company.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.15.8

śrī-raṅganāthasya samīpa vipro
gītāṁ paṭhan śuddha-vicāra-śūnyam
premāśru-pūrṇaṁ sa nirīkṣya kṛṣṇa
āliṅgya prāha śrutam eva yogyam

Translation: A brāhmaṇa seated near Lord Raṅganātha was reciting the verses of Bhagavad-gītā, although he did not have clear comprehension of the meaning of the Sanskrit verses. But upon observing that that brāhmaṇa's eyes were filled with tears, Gaura-Kṛṣṇa embraced him, declaring, "Oh, your process of hearing the Gītā is indeed correct!"

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda had instructed that understanding the Bhagavad-gītā from mundane scholarship is not the way, one should understand Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, from a pure devotee, spiritual master.

Thus, ends the chapter entitled, A Brāhmaṇa’s Great Ecstasy Despite Mispronouncing Bhagavad-gītā.

There may be many people who do not pronounce Sanskrit very well but if they appreciate how Kṛṣṇa became the Chariot driver for His devotee, that is the real essence.