20210215 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 15th, 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 Bestows Mercy on Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, the Son of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa Part-2

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 109

dekhāya prabhura tathā adbhuta vihāra
prabhu-saṅge vilase sukhera nāhi pāra

Translation: There he saw the wonderful pastime of the Lord. Along with the Lord in Navadvīpa, He enjoyed, and his happiness knew no bound.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 110

nityānandādvaita premāveśe kole kaila
nā jāni ki kahitei nidrābhaṅga haila

Translation: Nityānanda and Advaita took him lovingly in their arms but when they were about to tell him something, his sleep broke.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 111

gopāla vyākula haiyā cāya cāri bhite
calaye prabhura āge nāre sthira haite

Translation: Gopāla looked around in bewilderment and he went in front of the Lord and he was not able to be steady

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 112

gopāla āila jāni ullāsa aśeṣa
prabhu hailā śyāmala sundara gopaveśa

Translation: Knowing that Gopāla Bhaṭṭa had come, Mahāprabhu was delighted unlimitedly and became a beautiful cowherd boy with a blue complexion.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 113

dekhaye gopāla-śobhā rahiyā nirjjane
suvarṇa-varaṇa aṅga haila sei kṣaṇe

Translation: Gopāla Bhaṭṭa saw the beauty of the Lord staying in a secluded place – At that very moment, the blue complexion turned into golden.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 114

bhuvana mohaye se nā rūpera chaṭhāya
cāṅcara keśera jhuṭā piṭhete loṭāya

Translation: The glow of Gaurasundara's beauty enchanted the universe. The curly hairs joined together swinged on His back.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 115

candana tilaka bhāle bhuru kāmaphaṇi
satīdharma hare dīrgha nayana-cāhani

Translation: His forehead was decorated by sandal tilaka, His eyebrows were like the raised bow of cupid and His eyes with deep glance stole the religion of the chaste ladies.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 116

kata śata śarat cāndera mada nāśe
ki nava bhaṅgite hāsi amiyā bariṣe

Translation: His beautiful face defeated the pride of the hundreds of autumn moon and His novel smiling posture showered nectar.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 117

paridheya trīkaccha vasana anupama
bhūṣaṇe bhūṣita aṅgabhaṅgī manorama

Translation: His beautiful dhotī was wrapped with three folds and decorated with various ornaments, His gestures and postures were fascinating.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 118

mālatīra mālā gale dole anibāra
dekhi gopālera mane haila camatkāra

Translation: A garland of mālatī flowers swayed continuously on his neck. Seeing all this Gopāla was struck with wonder within his mind.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 119

caraṇe paḍiyā punaḥ cāhe prabhupāne
sannyāsira śiromaṇi dekhe sei kṣaṇe

Translation: He fell to the feet of Mahāprabhu and again looked at His face with expectation, but he saw the best of the sannyāsī at that moment.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 120

prabhu gauracandra gopālere sthira kari
upadeśa kaila yaiche kahite nā pāri

Translation: Prabhu Gauracandra calmed Gopāla and gave him instructions which I am unable to tell.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 121

punaḥ kahe acire yāibā vṛndāvana
miliba durlabha ratna rūpa-sanātana

Translation: Again He told him to go to Vṛndāvana quickly and there he would meet two valuable jewels namely Rūpa and Sanātana.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 122

mora manovṛtti doṅhe prakāśa karib
tomāra śiṣyera dvāre jagat vyāpiba

Translation: Both of them will teach my inner desire and fill the while world with your disciples."

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 123

eta kahi gopālere kari prabhu kole
gopālera aṅgasikta kaila netrajale

Translation: Having said thus to Gopāla, Prabhu took him in his lap and soaked his body with tears from His own eyes.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 124

kahila e saba kathā rākhiha gopane
hañla paramānanda gopālera mane

Translation: Prabhu told Gopāla to keep the instructions confidential. Gopāla became greatly happy within his mind.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 125

gopālera gaurāṅga-sevāya dekhi prīta
śrī-veṅkaṭa-bhaṭṭa hailā mahā ullasita

Translation: Seeing how Gopāla served Gauranga with love, Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was greatly delighted.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 126

gopāle śoṅpila gaura-candrera caraṇe
divā rātri ānande goṅāya prabhusane

Translation: He dedicated his son to the gracious lotus feet of Gauracandra and spent his days and nights with the Lord.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 127

cārimāsa pare prabhu kariba gamana
ihā mane karite adhairyya tina jana

Translation: The thought that Caitanya Mahāprabhu Prabhu would leave their house after four months made the three brothers morose.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 128

trimalla veṅkaṭa śrī-prabodhānanda tine
vicāraye prabhu binā rahiba kemane

Translation: Trimalla, Veṅkaṭa and Śrī Prabodhānanda considered how they would stay without the Lord.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 129

mo sabāra saṅge parihāsa ke karibe
kāverī-snānete saṅge kebā laiyā yābe

Translation: “Who will joke with us?" "Who will accompany us to bathe in the river Kāverī?

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 130

raṅganāthe ke vā karibe saṅkīrtana
ke dibe, adhame se durlabha bhaktidhana

Translation: "Who will perform saṅkīrtana in the temple of Raṅganātha and who will give the fallen souls the gem of devotion?”

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 131

āsibe asaṅkhya loka kāhāra darśane
e saba bharnaśūnya habe prabhu bine

Translation: “Innumerable people will come for whose audience? Without the Lord's presence, all these residential places shall be vacant.”

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 132

aiche kata kahe netre bahe aśrudhāra
manera udvega yata nā kare pracāra

Translation: Thus they said so many things and their eyes shed streams of tears. They did not disclose their worries to anyone.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 133

cārimāsa pare prabhu hañlā vidāya
tina bhāi krandana karaye ubharāya

Translation: After four months when the Lord took their leave, the three brothers cried at the top of their voice.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 134

śrī-caitanya bhaṭṭera mandira haite cale
bhaṭṭa loṭāiyā paḍe prabhupatale

Translation: As the Lord left their house, the Bhaṭṭa's fell on the ground at His feet.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 135

prabhu tina bhrātāya kariyā āliṅgana
kahila aneka rūpa prabodha-vacana

Translation: The Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced the three brothers and spoke many consoling words to them.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 136

gopāle prabodhi prabhu dakṣiṇa-bhramiyā
nīlācale bhaktasaṅge mililā āsiyā

Translation: After consoling Gopāla, Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued on His Southern India tour and reaching Nīlācala met the devotees.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 137

gauḍa vṛndāvane punaḥ gamanāgamana
hañla aneka priya-bhaktera milana

Translation: He visited Gauḍa and Vṛndāvana where He also met many of His dear devotees.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 138

sannyāsira śiromaṇi kṛṣṇa-caitanya
bhaktera dvārāya kalijīre kaila dhanya

Translation: The crest jewel of sannyāsīs, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya made the people of Kali-yuga fortunate through his devotees.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 139

nīlācale kaila vāsa bhaktera icchāya
nija-manobṛtti prabhu bhakte se jānāya

Translation: He stayed in Nīlācala on the desire of the devotees. He informed His devotees His inner desire.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 140

ethā veṅkaṭa-bhaṭṭa tina sahodara
prabhura vicchede hailā atyanta kātara

Translation: Herein, Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa and his two brothers grew morose because of the separation from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 141

gopāla hañlā yaiche prāṇanātha bine
ke varṇite pāre ye dekhila sei jāne

Translation: What became of Gopāla without the Lord of his life, who can describe those. Those who have seen, they know.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 142

vidāyera kāle prabhu kari āliṅgana
ājñā kaila śīghra habe vāṣchita pūraṇa

Translation: While taking leave of him, the Lord embraced him and assured that his desires would soon be fulfilled.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 143

sei kathā sadāi vicāra kare mane
kata dine prabhu laiyā yābe vṛndāvane

Translation: This promise, he always thought within his mind, that the Lord will take him to Vṛndāvana.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 144

gopāla gaurāṅga-preme matta anibāra
bhakti-tattva vyākhyāte sarvatra jaya yāra

Translation: Gopāla was constantly mad in love of Śrī Gaurāṅga, and was victorious everywhere in explaining devotional doctrine.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 145

gaura-guṇa mahimā ye sarvatra prakāśe
māyāvāda khaṇḍana karaye anāyāse

Translation: He spread the glories of the qualities of Śrī Gaurāṅga everywhere and he defeated Māyāvāda effortlessly.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 146

gopāla-bhaṭṭera ślāghā kare śiṣṭa-gaṇa
kirūpe karila aiche vidyā upārjana

Translation: Educated people eulogized Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and wondered how he had gained so much knowledge so easily.

Jayapatākā Swami: By mercy of Lord Caitanya Gopāla Bhaṭṭa got immense knowledge on bhakti tattva. So Lord Caitanya gave this mercy everywhere He went.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 147

keha kahe śrī-prabodhānanda yatna kaila
alpakāla hañta adhyayana karāila

Translation: Somebody said, "The credit goes to Śrī Prabodhānanda who has educated him since his childhood.”

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 148

pitṛvya-kṛpāya sarva-śāstre haila jñāna
gopālera sama ethā nāi vidyāvān

Translation: "No one can match the learning of Śrī Gopāla who certainly gained his knowledge through the earnest efforts of his uncle."

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 149

keha kahe prabodhānandera guṇa ati
sarvatra hañla yāra khyāti sarasvatī

Translation: Somebody said, "Because of his vast learning Prabodhānanda has earned the title Sarasvatī.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī was how brother of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was known and he had unparrelled spiritual knowledge.

Bhakti-ratnākara, First Wave, Text 150

pūrṇa-brahma śrī-kṛṣṇa caitanya bhagavān
tāṅra priya, tā binā svapane nāhi āna

Translation: “Whether awake or sleeping he never thinks of anyone but his dear Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya."

Gaurāṅga Līlā Smaraṇa Maṅgala Stotra 44

Translation: Lord Caitanya travelled to many places and distributed pure love of Kṛṣṇa wherever He went. He stayed for some days at Raṅgakśetra, and mercifully converted Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, his family, and the local scholars into pure devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. I meditate on that golden Lord Caitanya, who is an ocean of happiness for the home of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we see how Lord Caitanya, He converted the family of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, his two brothers to be Kṛṣṇa devotees and also how the son pf Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa was sent to Vrndavana, to join Rūpa and Sanātana and be one of the six Gosvāmīs.

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