20210211 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Conversations with Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa Part 1

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on February 11th, 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!

Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, chapter entitled:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Conversations with Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.108

vyeṅkaṭabhaṭṭa-gṛhe prabhu gauracandra:— 
ei-mata bhaṭṭa-gṛhe rahe gauracandra
nirantara bhaṭṭa-saṅge kṛṣṇa-kathānanda

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at the house of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa and constantly talked with him about Lord Kṛṣṇa. In this way He was very happy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.109

lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa-sevaka śrī-sampradāyī bhaṭṭa:— 
śrī-vaiṣṇava’ bhaṭṭa seve lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa
tāṅra bhakti dekhi’ prabhura tuṣṭa haila mana

Translation: Being a Vaiṣṇava in the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa worshiped the deities of Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa. Seeing his pure devotion, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very satisfied.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.110

prabhusaha tāṇhāra sakhyabhāva:— 
nirantara tāṅra saṅge haila sakhya-bhāva
hāsya-parihāse duṅhe sakhyera svabhāva

Translation: Constantly associating with each other, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa gradually developed a friendly relationship. Indeed, sometimes they laughed and joked together.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.111

prabhura tāṅhāke kṛṣṇasevā-dānera icchā; prabhu-bhaṭṭa saṁvāda; prabhura kautuka praśna—lakṣmī o gopīra kṛṣṇasevā-vaiśiṣṭya:— 
prabhu kahe, — bhaṭṭa, tomāra lakṣmī-ṭhākurāṇī
kānta-vakṣaḥ-sthitā, pativratā-śiromaṇi

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told the Bhaṭṭācārya, “Your worshipable goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, always remains on the chest of Nārāyaṇa, and she is certainly the most chaste woman in the creation.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.112

nārāyaṇāśritā haiyāo lakṣmī kṛṣṇa-mādhuryākṛṣṭā haiyā kṛṣṇa-saṅga-prārthinī:— 
āmāra ṭhākura kṛṣṇa — gopa, go-cāraka
sādhvī hañā kene cāhe tāṅhāra saṅgama

Translation: “However, my Lord is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, a cowherd boy who is engaged in tending cows. Why is it that Lakṣmī, being such a chaste wife, wants to associate with My Lord?

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.113

taduddeśe lakṣmīra kaṭhora tapasyā:— 
ei lāgi’ sukha-bhoga chāḍi’ cira-kāla
vrata-niyama kari’ tapa karila apāra

Translation: “Just to associate with Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī abandoned all transcendental happiness in Vaikuṇṭha and for a long time accepted vows and regulative principles and performed unlimited austerities.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.114

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.16.36) 

kasyānubhāvo ’sya na deva vidmahe
tavāṅghri-reṇu-sparaśādhikāraḥ
yad-vāñchayā śrīr lalanācarat tapo
vihāya kāmān su-ciraṁ dhṛta-vratā

Translation: Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “‘O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kāliya attained such an opportunity to be touched by the dust of Your lotus feet. Even the goddess of fortune, for this end, performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and observing austere vows. Indeed, we do not know how the 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 9.115

bhaṭṭera uttara; kṛṣṇa-saṅge nārāyaṇa-patnīra satītbahānira asambhāvanā:— 
bhaṭṭa kahe, kṛṣṇa-nārāyaṇa — eka-i svarūpa
kṛṣṇete adhika līlā-vaidagdhyādi-rūpa

Translation: Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa then said, “Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Nārāyaṇa are one and the same, but the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are more relishable due to their sportive nature.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa understood that Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa are the same svarupa, but He thought the reason Lakṣmī wanted to go with Kṛṣṇa, because Krsna was more sportive.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.116

tāra sparśe nāhi yāya pativratā-dharma
kautuke lakṣmī cāhena kṛṣṇera saṅgama

Translation: “Since Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa are the same personality, Lakṣmī’s association with Kṛṣṇa does not break her vow of chastity. Rather, it was in great fun that the goddess of fortune wanted to associate with Lord Kṛṣṇa.”

Purport: This is the answer to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s question, and from this we can understand that Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa knew the truth. He told Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that Nārāyaṇa is a form of Kṛṣṇa associated with transcendental opulence. Although Kṛṣṇa is two-armed and Nārāyaṇa four-armed, there is no difference in the person. They are one and the same. Nārāyaṇa is as beautiful as Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are more sportive. It is not that the sportive pastimes of Kṛṣṇa make Him different from Nārāyaṇa. Lakṣmī’s desiring to associate with Kṛṣṇa was perfectly natural. In other words, it is understandable that a chaste woman wants to associate with her husband in all his different dresses. Therefore one should not criticize Lakṣmī for wanting to associate with Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was not criticizing Lakṣmī, it was that since Lakṣmī wanted to associate with Kṛṣṇa, that form of Nārāyaṇa somehow has more attraction.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.117

kṛṣṇa o nārāyaṇera līlā-vaicitrya:— 
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.59)—

siddhāntatas tv abhede ’pi
śrīśa-kṛṣṇa-svarūpayoḥ
rasenotkṛṣyate kṛṣṇa-
rūpam eṣā rasa-sthitiḥ

Translation: Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa continued, “‘According to transcendental realization, there is no difference between the forms of Nārāyaṇa and Kṛṣṇa. Yet in Kṛṣṇa there is a special transcendental attraction due to the conjugal mellow, and consequently He surpasses Nārāyaṇa. This is the conclusion of transcendental mellows.’

Purport: This verse quoted by Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa is also found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.59).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.118

kṛṣṇa-saṅge pativratā-dharma nahe nāśa
adhika lābha pāiye, āra rāsa-vilāsa

Translation: “The goddess of fortune considered that her vow of chastity would not be damaged by her relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Rather, by associating with Kṛṣṇa she could enjoy the benefit of the rāsa dance.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.119

vinodinī lakṣmīra haya kṛṣṇe abhilāṣa
ihāte ki doṣa, kene kara parihāsa

Translation: Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa further explained, “Mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, is also an enjoyer of transcendental bliss; therefore if she wanted to enjoy herself with Kṛṣṇa, what fault is there? Why are You joking so about this?”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.120

prabhura punaḥ praśna:— 
prabhu kahe, — doṣa nāhi, ihā āmi jāni
rāsa nā pāila lakṣmī, śāstre ihā śuni

Translation: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “I know that there is no fault on the part of the goddess of fortune, but still she could not enter into the rāsa dance. We hear this from the revealed scriptures.

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows that the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa are superior to Lord Nārāyaṇa although they are the same person but in Kṛṣṇa, thre is more vaicitra, variegated pastimes.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.121

vraja-gopīra mahimā:—
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.47.60) — 

nāyaṁ śriyo ’ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ
svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto ’nyāḥ
rāsotsave ’sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha-
labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-sundarīṇām

Translation: “‘When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the gopīs in the rāsa-līlā, the gopīs were embraced around the neck by the Lord’s arms. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor was such a thing ever imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls whose bodily luster and aroma exactly resemble the beauty and fragrance of lotus flowers. And what to speak of worldly women, who may be very, very beautiful according to material estimation?’

Purport: This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.47.60).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.122

gopīra ānugatyei binā lakṣmīra kṛṣṇasaha rāsa-vilāse akṣamatā:— 
lakṣmī kene nā pāila, ihāra ki kāraṇa
tapa kari’ kaiche kṛṣṇa pāila śruti-gaṇa

Translation: “But can you tell Me why the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, could not enter the rāsa dance? The authorities of Vedic knowledge could enter the dance and associate with Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.123

gopīra ānugatyei śrutira rāgamārge kṛṣṇasevā-lābha:— 
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.23)—

nibhṛta-marun-mano-’kṣa-dṛḍha-yoga-yujo hṛdi yan-
munaya upāsate tad arayo ’pi yayuḥ smaraṇāt
striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daṇḍa-viṣakta-dhiyo 
vayam api te samāḥ samadṛśo ’ṅghri-saroja-sudhāḥ

Translation: “‘Great sages conquer the mind and senses by practicing the mystic yoga system and controlling the breath. Thus engaging in mystic yoga, they see the Supersoul within their hearts and ultimately enter into impersonal Brahman. But even the enemies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead attain that position simply by thinking of the Supreme Lord. However, the damsels of Vraja, the gopīs, being attracted by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, simply wanted to embrace Him and His arms, which are like serpents. Thus the gopīs ultimately tasted the nectar of the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, we Upaniṣads can also taste the nectar of His lotus feet by following in the footsteps of the gopīs.’”

Purport: This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.23).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in order to get the blessings of participating in the rasa dance, we have to follow in the footsteps of the gopīs, If Lakṣmī-devī is not doing that she cannot enter the Rāsa-līlā

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.124

prabhupraśnera uttaradāne bhaṭṭera asāmarthya:— 
śruti pāya, lakṣmī nā pāya, ithe ki kāraṇa
bhaṭṭa kahe, — ihā praveśite nāre mora mana

Translation: Having been asked by Caitanya Mahāprabhu why the goddess of fortune could not enter into the rāsa dance whereas the authorities on Vedic knowledge could, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa replied, “I cannot enter into the mysteries of this behavior.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.125

āmi jīva, — kṣudra-buddhi, sahaje asthira 
īśvarera līlā — koṭi-samudra-gambhīra

Translation: Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa then said, “I am an ordinary human being. Since my intelligence is very limited and I am easily agitated, my mind cannot enter within the deep ocean of the pastimes of the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.126

prabhura kṛpāya prabhulīlā-jñāna:— 
tumi sākṣāt sei kṛṣṇa, jāna nija-karma
yāre jānāha, sei jāne tomāra līlā-marma

Translation: “You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself. You know the purport of Your activities, and the person whom You enlighten can also understand Your pastimes.”

Purport: The Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes cannot be understood by blunt material senses. One has to purify the senses by rendering transcendental loving service unto the Lord. When the Lord is pleased and reveals Himself, one can understand the transcendental form, name, qualities and pastimes of the Lord. This is confirmed in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.23) and Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.3):

“Anyone who is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead can understand His transcendental name, qualities, form and pastimes.”

Jayapatākā Swami: in order to understand the name, quality, pastimes of the Lord, one should be favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.127

prabhura kṛṣṇa o vraja-vāsī, ubhayera sahaja-rāgātmaka svabhāva varṇana:— 
prabhu kahe, — kṛṣṇera eka svabhāva vilakṣaṇa
sva-mādhurye sarva citta kare ākarṣaṇa

Translation: The Lord replied, “Lord Kṛṣṇa has a special characteristic: He attracts everyone’s heart by the mellow of His personal conjugal love.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.128

vraja-lokera bhāve pāiye tāṅhāra caraṇa
tāṅre īśvara kari’ nāhi jāne vraja-jana

Translation: “By following in the footsteps of the inhabitants of the planet known as Vrajaloka or Goloka Vṛndāvana, one can attain the shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. However, in that planet the inhabitants do not know that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Jayapatākā Swami: They just love Kṛṣṇa, not for His position, but for His attractive features.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.129

keha tāṅre putra-jñāne udukhale bāndhe
keha sakhā-jñāne jini’ caḍe tāṅra kāndhe

Translation: “There someone may accept Him as a son and sometimes bind Him to a grinding mortar. Someone else may accept Him as an intimate friend and, attaining victory over Him, playfully mount His shoulders.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.130

‘vrajendra-nandana’ bali’ tāṅre jāne vraja-jana
aiśvarya-jñāne nāhi kona sambandha-mānana

Translation: “The inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi know Kṛṣṇa as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, the King of Vrajabhūmi, and they consider that they can have no relationship with the Lord in the rasa of opulence.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.131

vraja-lokera bhāve yei karaye bhajana
sei jana pāya vraje vrajendra-nandana

Translation: “One who worships the Lord by following in the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi attains Him in the transcendental planet of Vraja, where He is known as the son of Mahārāja Nanda.”

Purport: The inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi, or Goloka Vṛndāvana, know Kṛṣṇa as the son of Mahārāja Nanda. They do not accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as people in general do. The Lord is the supreme maintainer of everyone and the chief personality among all personalities. In Vrajabhūmi Kṛṣṇa is certainly the central point of love, but no one knows Him there as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, a person may know Him as a friend, son, lover or master. In any case, the center is Kṛṣṇa. The inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi are related to the Lord in servitude, friendship, parental love and conjugal love. A person engaged in devotional service may accept any one of these transcendental relationships, which are known as mellows. When such a person reaches the perfectional stage, he returns home, back to Kṛṣṇa, in his pure spiritual identity.

Jayapataka Swami: This is the special mercy of Lord Caitanya. By following His footsteps one can enter into Goloka Vrndavana.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.132

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.21)—

nāyaṁ sukhāpo bhagavān
dehināṁ gopikā-sutaḥ
jñānināṁ cātma-bhūtānāṁ
yathā bhakti-matām iha

Translation: Caitanya Mahāprabhu then quoted, “‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the son of mother Yaśodā, is accessible to those devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.’

Purport: This verse, also given in Madhya-līlā 8.227, is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.21).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.133

gopīra ānugatye rāse śrutigaṇera kṛṣṇasevā-lābha:— 
śruti-gaṇa gopī-gaṇera anugata hañā
vrajeśvarī-suta bhaje gopī-bhāva lañā

Translation: “The authorities in the Vedic literature who are known as the śruti-gaṇas worshiped Lord Kṛṣṇa in the ecstasy of the gopīs and followed in their footsteps.

Purport: The authorities in the Vedic literature who are known as the śruti-gaṇas desired to enter into Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance; therefore they began to worship the Lord in the ecstasy of the gopīs. In the beginning, however, they were unsuccessful. When they could not enter the dance simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa in the ecstasy of the gopīs, they actually accepted bodies like those of the gopīs. They even took birth in Vrajabhūmi just like the gopīs and consequently became engrossed in the ecstasy of the gopīs’ love. In this way they were allowed to enter into the rāsa-līlā dance of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this verse reveals the secret that you need take birth in Vraja-dhāma not only following the gopīs but take a form like the gopīs.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.134

bāhyāntare gopī-deha vraje yabe pāila
sei dehe kṛṣṇa-saṅge rāsa-krīḍā kaila

Translation: “The personified authorities on the Vedic hymns acquired bodies like those of the gopīs and took birth in Vrajabhūmi. In those bodies they were allowed to enter into the Lord’s rāsa-līlā dance.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.135

gopī-vyatīta anya cinmayī strīrao madhura-sevā-lābha asambhava:— 
gopa-jāti kṛṣṇa, gopī — preyasī tāṅhāra
devī vā anya strī kṛṣṇa nā kare aṅgīkāra

Translation: “Lord Kṛṣṇa belongs to the cowherd community, and the gopīs are the dearmost lovers of Kṛṣṇa. Although the wives of the denizens of the heavenly planets are most opulent within the material world, neither they nor any other women in the material universe can acquire Kṛṣṇa’s association.