20210217 Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Pacifies the Devotee of Lord Rāmacandra

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on February 17th, 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, The chapter entitled:

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Pacifies the Devotee of Lord Rāmacandra 
Under the section Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu travel to the Holy Places in South India

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.178

mādurāya āgamana:— 
dakṣiṇa-mathurā āilā kāmakoṣṭhī haite
tāhāṅ dekhā haila eka brāhmaṇa-sahite

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at southern Mathurā from Kāmakoṣṭhī, He met a brāhmaṇa.

Purport: Southern Mathurā, presently known as Madurai, is situated on the banks of the Bhāgāi River. This place of pilgrimage is specifically meant for the devotees of Lord Śiva; therefore it is called Śaiva-kṣetra, that is, the place where Lord Śiva is worshiped. In this area there are mountains and forests. There are also two Śiva temples, one known as Rāmeśvara and the other known as Sundareśvara. There is also a temple to Devī called the Mīnākṣī-devī temple, which displays very great architectural craftsmanship. It was built under the supervision of the kings of the Pāṇḍya Dynasty, and when the Muslims attacked this temple, as well as the temple of Sundareśvara, great damage was done. In the Christian year 1372, a king named Kampanna Udaiyara reigned on the throne of Madurai. Long ago, Emperor Kulaśekhara ruled this area, and during his reign he established a colony of brāhmaṇas. A well-known king named Anantaguṇa Pāṇḍya is an eleventh-generation descendant of Emperor Kulaśekhara.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.9

Translation: There he saw one excellent brāhmaṇa, a devotee of Rāma, who was about to give up his life because Rāvaṇa had stolen Sītā.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.179

tathāya janaika rāmabhakta-vipragṛhe bhikṣā: 
sei vipra mahāprabhuke kaila nimantraṇa
rāma-bhakta sei vipra—virakta mahājana

Translation: The brāhmaṇa who met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu invited the Lord to his home. This brāhmaṇa was a great devotee and an authority on Lord Śrī Rāmacandra. He was always detached from material activities.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.180

snānānte prasāda-sammānārtha prabhura āgamana, kintu viprera arandhana:— 
kṛtamālāya snāna kari’ āilā tāṅra ghare
bhikṣā ki dibena vipra,—pāka nāhi kare

Translation: After bathing in the river Kṛtamālā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the brāhmaṇa’s house to take lunch, but He saw that the food was unprepared because the brāhmaṇa had not cooked it.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.181

arandhana o upavāsa:— 
mahāprabhu kahe tāṅre,—śuna mahāśaya
madhyāhna haila, kene pāka nāhi haya

Translation: Seeing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My dear sir, please tell Me why you have not cooked. It is already noon.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was concerned about the welfare of the brāhmaṇa, He asked why the brāhmaṇa had not cooked lunch, He was not worried about His prasāda but He was concerned about the welfare of the brāhmaṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.182

viprera mānasa-upāsanā:— 
vipra kahe,—prabhu, mora araṇye vasati
pākera sāmagrī vane nā mile samprati

Translation: The brāhmaṇa replied, “My dear Lord, we are living in the forest. For the time being we cannot get all the ingredients for cooking.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.183

vanya śāka-phala-mūla ānibe lakṣmaṇa
tabe sītā karibena pāka-prayojana

Translation: “When Lakṣmaṇa brings all the vegetables, fruits and roots from the forest, Sītā will do the necessary cooking.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.184

tacchravaṇe prabhura sukha, viprera randhana:— 
tāṅra upāsanā śuni’ prabhu tuṣṭa hailā
āste-vyaste sei vipra randhana karilā

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very satisfied to hear about the brāhmaṇa’s method of worship. Finally the brāhmaṇa hastily made arrangements for cooking.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.185

velā tṛtīya prahare prabhura bhojana, kintu viprera upavāsa:— 
prabhu bhikṣā kaila dinera tṛtīya-prahare
nirviṇṇa sei vipra upavāsa kare

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His lunch at about three o’clock, but the brāhmaṇa, being very sorrowful, fasted.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.186

upavāsera kāraṇa jijñāsā:— 
prabhu kahe,—vipra kāṅhe kara upavāsa
kene eta duḥkha, kene karaha hutāśa

Translation: While the brāhmaṇa was fasting, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, “Why are you fasting? Why are you so unhappy? Why are you so worried?”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was very concerned about the brāhmaṇa, why he was fasting? Why he was so worried?

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.187

rāvaṇakarttṛka sītā-devīra apaharaṇa bhāviyā viprera duḥkhao ātmahatyā-saṅkalpa:— 
vipra kahe,-jīvane mora nāhi prayojana
agni-jale praveśiyā chāḍiba jīvana

Translation: The brāhmaṇa replied, “I have no reason to live. I shall give up my life by entering either fire or water.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.188

jagan-mātā mahā-lakṣmī sītā-ṭhākurāṇī
rākṣase sparśila tāṅre,—ihā kāne śuni

Translation: “My dear Sir, mother Sītā is the mother of the universe and the supreme goddess of fortune. She has been touched by the demon Rāvaṇa, and I am troubled upon hearing this news.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.189

e śarīra dharibāre kabhu nā yuyāya
ei duḥkhe jvale deha, prāṇa nāhi yāya

Translation: “Sir, due to my unhappiness I cannot continue living. Although my body is burning, my life is not leaving.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The brāhmaṇa was feeling such distress, such unhappiness thinking that Sītā, the Supreme Goddess of fortune was touched by the demon rākṣasa Rāvaṇa.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.10

Translation: He thought, “How can Lakṣmī be touched by the hand of a demon?” The Lord pacified him and said, “That is not so. Hear the truth that I will speak."

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.190

prabhukarttṛka āśvāsana o sat-siddhānta varṇana:— 
prabhu kahe,—e bhāvanā nā kariha āra
paṇḍita hañā kene nā karaha vicāra

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Please do not think this way any longer. You are a learned paṇḍita. Why don’t you consider the case?”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.191

adhokṣajavastu akṣaja-ceṣṭāra atīta:— 
īśvara-preyasī sītā-cid-ānanda-mūrti
prākṛta-indriyera tāṅre dekhite nāhi śakti

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “Sītādevī, the dearmost wife of the Supreme Lord Rāmacandra, certainly has a spiritual form full of bliss. No one can see her with material eyes, for no materialist has such power.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.192

sītā rāvaṇakarttṛka konakramei darśana-sparśanayogyā nahena:— 
sparśibāra kārya āchuka, nā pāya darśana
sītāra ākṛti-māyā harila rāvaṇa

Translation: “To say nothing of touching mother Sītā, a person with material senses cannot even see her. When Rāvaṇa kidnapped her, he kidnapped only her material, illusory form.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.193

rāvaṇakarttṛmaka sītāra pratiphalana vā chāyākṛtira apaharaṇa:— 
rāvaṇa āsitei sītā antardhāna kaila
rāvaṇera āge māyā-sītā pāṭhāila

Translation: “As soon as Rāvaṇa arrived before Sītā, she disappeared. Then just to cheat Rāvaṇa she sent an illusory, material form.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.194

vaikuṇṭha vastu jaḍera parimeya nahe:— 
aprākṛta vastu nahe prākṛta-gocara
veda-purāṇete ei kahe nirantara

Translation: “Spiritual substance is never within the jurisdiction of the material conception. This is always the verdict of the Vedas and Purāṇas.”

Purport: As stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.3.9, 12):

“Spirit is not within the jurisdiction of material eyes, words or mind.”

Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.84.13) states:

“A human being who identifies his body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of his body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of his birth worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than to meet men of transcendental knowledge there is to be considered like an ass or a cow.”

These are some Vedic statements about spiritual substance. Spiritual substance cannot be seen by the unintelligent, because they do not have the eyes or the mentality to see the spirit soul. Consequently they think that there is no such thing as spirit. But the followers of the Vedic injunctions take their information from Vedic statements, such as the verses from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam quoted above.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.195

prabhukarttṛka āśvāsana:— 
viśvāsa karaha tumi āmāra vacane
punarapi ku-bhāvanā nā kariha mane

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then assured the brāhmaṇa, “Have faith in My words and do not burden your mind any longer with this misconception.”

Purport: This is the process of spiritual understanding. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet: “We should not try to understand things beyond our material conception by argument and counterargument.” Mahā-jano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ: “We have to follow in the footsteps of great authorities coming down in the paramparā system.” If we approach a bona fide ācārya and keep faith in his words, spiritual realization will be easy.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this brāhmaṇa, the devotee of Rāma did not have the proper information so Lord Caitanya gave him the proper information. That is the system to hear from the paramparā.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.196

viprera prabhu-vākye viśvāsa o bhojana:— 
prabhura vacane viprera ha-ila viśvāsa
bhojana karila, haila jīvanera āśa

Translation: Although the brāhmaṇa was fasting, he had faith in the words of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and accepted food. In this way his life was saved.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the brāhmaṇa was so unhappy he was thinking about suicide but by getting the proper information from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his life was saved.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.197

darbhaśayane ‘rāmacandre’ra darśana:— 
tāṅre āśvāsiyā prabhu karilā gamana
kṛtamālāya snāna kari āilā durvaśana

Translation: After thus assuring the brāhmaṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu proceeded further into southern India and finally arrived at Durvaśana, where He bathed in the river Kṛtamālā.

Purport: Presently the Kṛtamālā River is known as the river Bhāgāi or Vaigai. This river has three tributaries, named Surulī, Varāha-nadī and Baṭṭilla-guṇḍu. The river Kṛtamālā is also mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.39) by the sage Karabhājana.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.198

mahendraparvate bhṛgurāma-darśana:— 
durvaśane raghunāthe kaila daraśana
mahendra-śaile paraśurāmera kaila vandana

Translation: At Durvaśana Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Lord Rāmacandra, and on the hill known as Mahendra-śaila He saw Lord Paraśurāma.

Purport: In Durvaśana, or Darbhaśayana (now known as Tiruppullani), which is seven miles east of Ramnad, there is a temple of Lord Rāmacandra. The hill known as Mahendra-śaila is near Tirunelveli, and at the end of this hill is a city known as Tiruchendur. West of Mahendra-śaila is the territory of Tribāṅkura. There is mention of Mahendra-śaila in the Rāmāyaṇa.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.16.3: Thereafter being intoxicated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa-rasa, the Supreme Brahma chanted these names of the Lord, which are auspicious combinations of transcendental sound: "Śrī Rāma! Govinda! Hare! Murāri! Janārdana! Śrīdhara! Vāsudeva!

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.199

dhanuṣkoṭi-tīrtha-snāna o rāmeśvara-darśana evaṁ viśrāma:— 
setubandhe āsi’ kaila dhanus-tīrthe snāna
rāmeśvara dekhi’ tāhāṅ karila viśrāma

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to Setubandha [Rāmeśvara], where He took His bath at the place called Dhanus-tīrtha. From there He visited the Rāmeśvara temple and then took rest.

Purport: The path from Mandapam through the ocean to the island known as Pambam consists partly of sand and partly of water. The island of Pambam is about seventeen miles long and six miles wide. On this island, four miles north of Pambam Harbour, is Setubandha, where the temple of Rāmeśvara is located. This is a temple of Lord Śiva, and the name Rāmeśvara indicates that he is a great personality whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rāma. Thus the Lord Śiva found in the temple of Rāmeśvara is a great devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. It is said,

devī-pattanam ārabhya gaccheyuḥ setu-bandhanam:

“After visiting the temple of the goddess Durgā, one should go to the temple of Rāmeśvara.”

In this area there are twenty-four different holy places, one of which is Dhanus-tīrtha, located about twelve miles southeast of Rāmeśvara. It is near the last station of the Southern Railway, a station called Ramnad. It is said that here, on the request of Rāvaṇa’s younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa, Lord Rāmacandra destroyed the bridge to Laṅkā with His bow while returning to His capital. It is also said that one who visits Dhanus-tīrtha is liberated from the cycle of birth and death, and that one who bathes there gets all the fruitive results of performing the yajña known as Agniṣṭoma.

Jayapatākā Swami: I went to Rāmeśvaram, there they have 24 kuṇḍas, and we take bath in each one and each one is representing a holy place, in this way one can achieve the result of visiting all the holy places.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.16.4

Translation: "Sva-bhakta-rakākara! Rāghavendra! Sītā-pati! Lakmaṇa-prāṇa-nātha! Sugrīva-ht! Bāli-vadhāti-duḥkha! Marut-sutānanda-da! Rāvaṇāri!"

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.16.5

Translation: Thus, intoxicated by quaffing the ambrosia distilled from these and many other names of Bhagavān, Śrī Hari swiftly circumambulated Śrī Setu-Bandha, where Lord Rāma with His monkey army built the bridge to Śrī Laṅkā. There He saw the wonderful Rāmeśvara-liṅgam which was worshipped by Lord Rāma for that purpose. Certainly, Śaṅkara is forever very dear to Śrī Hari.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.16.6

Translation: The Lord of all lords, Śrī Gaura Prabhu bowed down before Sadāśiva with His hands folded in supplication. Gazing upon he who bestows the science of rasa on goddess Gaurī, He danced at that spot, and the earth bowed down at every step.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He was dancing in ecstasy respecting the great devotee Lord Śiva. Even today you can see this bridge from the outer space. Now it is like four feet under the surface which is not very much. So millions of years ago, that bridge was floating and the monkey army crossed over the bridge to Sri Lanka.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.6

premāra ānande nāhi jāne pathaśrame
setubandha uttarilā pathe krame krame

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Lord Caitanya was absorbed in the bliss of love for Krsna, He didn’t feel tired from His travels and thus He gradually came to the bridge to Sri Lanka very blissfully.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.7

setubandha giyā dekhe rāmeśvara liṅga
ānande nācaye prabhu yena matta siṁha

Jayapatākā Swami: As Lord Caitanya reached the Setubandha, He saw the Śiva liṅga called Rāmeśvara and in great bliss Lord Caitanya danced like a mad lion.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.8

liṅga-pradakṣiṇa kari' kare namaskāra
setubandha dekhi’ hari bole bāre bāra

Jayapataka Swami: So, Lord Caitanya circumambulated the Śiva-liṅga known as Rāmeśvara and offered His obeisances. Seeing the Setubandha bridge, again and again He cried out, “Hari! Hari! Hari Bol!”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.9

anurāge kānde ḍāke—śrī-rāma-lakṣaṇa
kakhanao āveśe ḍāke—aṅgada hanumān

Jayapataka Swami: Lord Caitanya being absorbed in ecsatasy, he would cry, calling out the holy names of "Śrī Rāma! Lakṣmaṇa!" Sometimes being completely overwhelmed with spiritual bliss, He called out "Hanumān! Aṅgada! Hanumān! Aṅgada”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.10

kṣaṇeke āveśe ḍāke—sugrīva mora mita
kṣaṇe vibhīṣaṇa bali’ ḍāke viparīta

Jayapataka Swami: Sometimes, being absorbed in ecstasy, He called out, “Oh my dear friend, Sugrīva,!” Sometimes He called out “Vibhīṣaṇa conversely!”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.11

premāya vihvala—dig vidig nāhi jāne
setubandha dekhi’ nāce saba bhakta-sane

Translation: Overwhelmed with divine love of Supreme Lord, Lord Caitanya lost all sense of direction. Seeing Setubandha, Lord Caitanya danced with all the devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing this pastime place where Lord Rāma, Lakṣmaṇā, Hanumān, Aṅgada and all monkey generals and solider crossed to Srilanka Lord Caitanya was overwhelmed in love of Lord Rāma. He was dancing in ecstasy.

Thus, ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Pacifies the Devotee of Lord Rāmacandra.

So, we can see that in some place Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and in other places his disciples have placed the lotus foot print of Lord Caitanya and in Pāña Narasiṁha, in the hill up there is the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and In Śrīraṅgam, there is also the lotus foot. So devotees of Lord Caitanya could see that the lotus feet are established in all these major places of pilgrimage where He visited.

Haribol!