20210214 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Bestows Mercy on Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, the Son of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on february 14th, 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, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Bestows Mercy on Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, the Son of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa. This is the left-out part of Śrīraṅgam and now we are adding it.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 72

prabhute ananya yeṅho prabhu tāra vaśa
jagat vyāpila ei prabhura suyaśa

The glory of Lord Caitanya is that he is under the control of unalloyed devotees. This glory of the Lord spread all over the world.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 73

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu bhaktera jīvan
bhakta binā prabhura anyatra nāhi mana

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu is the life of His devotees and without the devotees the Lord did not have any other thought.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 74

prabhura icchāye bhakta janme sthāne sthāne
samaya pāiyā prabhu mile bhaktasane

According to the wish of Mahāprabhu, the devotees took birth in different places and finding time the Lord met them. When the time was right Lord Caitanya, He would meet the devotees.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 75

prabhu bhakta milana-vilāsa doṅhākāra
vividha prakāre varṇilena vijñabara

The pastimes of the meetings of Mahāprabhu with His devotees devotees are described variously by the experts.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 76

ye ye rūpe varṇila se saba satya haya
ithe ye kutarka kare sei yāya kṣaya

In whatever way they have described is all truth, but one who puts useless arguments in these truths perishes.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 77

yadi kaha ekavākye dekhi bhinna rīti
se ho’ka kalpāntara bheda jāna susaṅgati

If they argue that one statement is different from the other statements, then it should be known consistently that the difference is due to different kalpas (different pastimes in different kalpas).

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 78

prabhu-icchā haite bhakta-icchā balavān
prabhu se karite jāne bhaktera sammāna

More powerful than the desire of the Lord is the desire of the devotees for the Lord knows to glorify His devotees. Lord Caitanya knows how to glorify His devotees.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 79

kona bhakta āsiyā milaye prabhusane
kona bhakte prabhu giyā mile bhaktasthāne

Some devotee would go to meet Him and the Lord would go to meet his some devotee. Lord Caitanya would go to meet that devotee.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 80

śrī-gopāla-bhaṭṭe prabhu dakṣiṇe mililā
mahā anugrahe āpanāke jānāilā

The Lord met Gopāla-bhaṭṭa in South India. By great mercy He revealed Himself to him.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 81

saṁkṣepe kahiye ethā bhaṭṭa-vivaraṇa
śrī-gopāla-bhaṭṭa hana veṅkaṭa-nandana

I shall briefly tell the history of the Bhaṭṭa family: Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa is the son of Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 82

śrī-veṅkaṭa-bhaṭṭera nivāsa dakṣiṇete
viśiṣṭa brāhmaṇa vijña sakala śāstrete

Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa lived in the South India and was a renowned brāhmaṇa and a well-versed scholar of all śāstras.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 83

trimalla veṅkaṭa āra prabodhānanda
ei tina bhrātāra prāṇadhana gauracandra

Veṅkaṭa and Śrī Prabodhānanda were three brothers of whom Śrī Gauracandra is the very life and soul.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 84

lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa-upāsaka e pūrvete
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-rase matta prabhura kṛpāte

Formerly they were worshippers of Śrī Lakṣmī Nārāyaṇa, but by the mercy of Mahāprabhu they became mad in the mellow of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 85

dakṣiṇa bhramaṇa-kāle prabhu gaurarāya
bhaṭṭa-gṛhe cārimasa ānande goṅāya

During his visit to the South India, Prabhu Gaurarāya spent four months happily in the house of the Bhaṭṭas.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 86

caitanya-candrera cāru dakṣiṇa-bhramaṇa
caitanya-caritāmṛte viśeṣa varṇana

The description of the Caitanya Candra's Cāru (Beautiful) Southern India tour is specially described in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, there is a beautiful.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 87

gopāla-bhaṭṭera nāma avyakta tathāya
veṅkaṭa-bhaṭṭera vaṁśa aiche ukta tāya

There was no mention of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa name in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta but he is the family member of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa.

tathāhi śrī-caitanya-caritāmṛte
śrī vaiṣṇava eka śrī-veṅkaṭa-bhaṭṭa nāma
prabhura nimantraṇa kaila kariyā sammāna

In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.82-83) there is mention of a Vaiṣṇava named Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa who respectfully invited Prabhu to his house.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 89

nijaghare laiyā kaila pāda-prakṣālana
se jala vaṁśera saha karila bhakṣaṇa

Taking Lord Caitanya to his house, he washed the lotus feet of the Lord and drank the water with all the members of his family. Taking Lord Caitanya to his house, he washed the lotus feet of the Lord and drank the water with all the members of his family.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 90

anyatra vyakta gopāla veṅkaṭa-tanaya
prabhupādodaka pāne haila premodaya

It was revealed elsewhere that Gopāla, the son of Veṅkaṭa became ecstatically emotional by drinking the water that washed the lotus feet of the Lord. Gopāla, the son of Veṅkaṭa ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa became awakened by drinking the water that washed the lotus feet of the Lord. of Lord Caitanya.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 91

karaye yatana kata sthira haite nāre
vipula pulaka, aṅge jhalamala kare

Although he tried to control, he could not be steady. The hairs of his body standing erect glittered. The hairs of his body stood on end profusely His body was quivering, due to the ecstatic symptoms.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 92

kibā gopālera śobhā sar āṅga sundara
vjiniyā campaka cāru varṇa manohara

The elegance of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, he was beautiful and all His limbs was beautiful and His complexion defeated the beauty of a golden campaka flower. He was attractive.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 93

kibā mukhapadma dīrgha nayana-yugala
kibā bhuru bhāla nāsā tilaka ujjvala

His lotus like face had large eyes and eyebrows and his nose and forehead bore the bright tilaka.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 94

śrutiyuga gaṇḍa kibā grīvāra balani
kibā bāhu vakṣaḥ pīna kṣīṇa mājā khānī

How beautiful are his ears, cheek and neck. How beautiful are his hands and arms, chest and thin waist.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 95

kibā jānu jaṅghāyuga caraṇa lalāma
paridheya vasana bhūṣaṇa anupama

How beautiful are his shank, his knees, thighs and reddish lotus feet. His bright clothes and he was decorated with many beautiful ornaments.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 96

tile tile gopālera bāḍhaye saundarya
dekhiyā adbhuta tejaḥ kebā dhare dhairya

Gradually his beauty increased and seeing his wonderful brilliance who could maintain their patience. 

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 97

nijagṛhe śrī-gopāla prāṇanāthe pāiyā
pitāra ājñāya seve mahāhṛṣṭa haiyā

When Śrī Gopāla had Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu the Lord of his life in his own house. Having received the order of his father, he served Lord Caitanya greatly pleased in heart.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 98

tathāhi prācīnairuktaṁ
vande śrī-bhaṭṭa-gopālaṁ
dvijendraṁ veṅkaṭātmajaṁ
śrī-caitanya-prabhoḥ
sevāniyuktaña nijālaye

I worship Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Prabhu who was the best of all brāhmaṇas and was engaged in the service of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his house.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 99

śrī-gopāla-bhaṭṭe prabhu ye kṛpā karila
tāhā vistāriyā ethā varṇite nārila

I am unable to describe in detail how Lord Gaurahari favored Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa. How Lord Caitanya gave mercy to Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, I am extensively unable to describe here.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 100

tathāpi kahiye kichu gopāla-carita
prabhura sevāya sadā svābhāvika prīta

I shall attempt to describe the character of Gopāla who was always engaged in the service of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 101

prabhura sannyāsa gopālere nāhi bhāya
nirjane yāiyā kheda karaye sadāya

He was not satisfied to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an ascetic but he always lamented privately.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 102

vidhātāra prati kahe gada gada bhāṣe
ore vidhi kene janmāili dūradeśe

He addressed Providence with a choked voice, “O Providence, why did you make my birth in a distant place?

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 103

nadīyā-vihāra sukhe kariyā vañcita
dekhāili prabhura e veśa viparīta

“You have deprived me of the pastimes of the Lord in Nādia, but have shown me Lord Caitanya in the opposite dress of an ascetic.” But have shown me Lord Caitanya in the opposite dress of an ascetic.”

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 104

vrajendranandana prāṇanātha rādhikāra
karāilā tāhāre sannyāsa aṅgīkāra

“Vrajendra-nandana, the Lord of Śrī Rādhikā was made to accept the life of a renunciate.”

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 105

eta kahi bhāse dui netrera dhārāya
tejaye niśvāsa dīrgha agni-śikhāprāya

Saying this, he was soaked in the streams of his two eyes and breathed a heavy sigh as hot as fire. Almost as hot as a flame of fire.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 106

punaḥ: kahe bidhire kariba kibā roṣa
jāninu kevala e āpana karmadoṣa

Again he said – Why should I be angry towards Providence. I have known that it is only due to my own faulty karma.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 107

aiche kata kahiyā rahila mauna dhari
gopālera antara jānilā gaurahari

Having said so much, Gopāla remained silent. Gaurahari knew Gopāla's mind.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 108

akasmāt gopālere nidrā ākarṣila
svapnacchale navadvīpa pratyakṣa haila

Suddenly, sleep attracted Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and on the pretext of a dream, Navadvīpa manifested to him. I think this is the part where Caitanya Mahāprabhu was calling, "Gopāla! Gopāla!" And he woke up from his sleep and came running to Lord Caitanya then Lord Caitanya revealed to him His form as Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and then he paid his obeisances to Lord Caitanya. Then Lord Caitanya ordered him to go to Vṛndāvana and meet Rūpa and Sanātana. to go to Vṛndāvana and meet Rūpa and Sanātana. 

Thus ends the chapter, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Bestows Mercy on Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, the Son of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa.

This līlā happened in Śrīraṅgam, across from the house of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, there is a place where Lord Caitanya stayed. Presently there is Jagannātha Baladeva and Subhadrā Deity there, and apparently Gopāla Bhaṭṭa was serving Lord Caitanya. So, he had this special mercy to serve the Lord for the four months of the rainy season. Hariibol! So we will end this class here.