20210218 Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Receives the Manuscript of Kūrma Purāṇa

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on February 18th, 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!

Today The Compilation of the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, chapter entitled: 

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Receives the Manuscript of Kūrma Purāṇa
Under the section Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu travel to the Holy Places in South India

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.200

vipra-sabhāya kūrma-purāṇa pāṭha-śravaṇa:— 
vipra-sabhāya śune tāṅhā kūrma-purāṇa
tāra madhye āilā pativratā-upākhyāna

Translation: There, among the brāhmaṇas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu listened to the Kūrma Purāṇa, wherein is mentioned the chaste woman’s narration.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that only two khaṇḍas of the Kūrma Purāṇa are now available, namely the Pūrva-khaṇḍa and Uttara-khaṇḍa. Sometimes it is said that the Kūrma Purāṇa contains six thousand verses, but according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the original Kūrma Purāṇa contains seventeen thousand verses. It is considered the fifteenth of the eighteen Mahā-purāṇas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīmad-bhāgavatam has eighteen thousand verses and the original Kūrma Purāṇa has seventeen thousands, so like this we are not able to get all the original Vedic literatures.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.201

rāvaṇera chāyā-sītāra apaharaṇa vṛttānta-śravaṇa:— 
pativratā-śiromaṇi janaka-nandinī
jagatera mātā sītā—rāmera gṛhiṇī

Translation: Śrīmatī Sītādevī is the mother of the three worlds and the wife of Lord Rāmacandra. Among chaste women she is supreme, and she is the daughter of King Janaka.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.202

rāvaṇa dekhiyā sītā laila agnira śaraṇa
rāvaṇa haite agni kaila sītāke āvaraṇa

Translation: When Rāvaṇa came to kidnap mother Sītā and she saw him, she took shelter of the fire-god, Agni. The fire-god covered the body of mother Sītā, and in this way she was protected from the hands of Rāvaṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.203

‘māyā-sītā’ rāvaṇa nila, śunilā ākhyāne
śuni’ mahāprabhu haila ānandita mane

Translation: Upon hearing from the Kūrma Purāṇa how Rāvaṇa had kidnapped a false form of mother Sītā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very satisfied.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, one Vedic literature gives certain details, but since all the Vedas are accepted and written by Vyāsadeva therefore these details are accepted. There was a jivātmā who in the lady form was doing tapasya in order to achieve Viṣṇu as her husband. Rāvaṇa wanted her to enjoy her, so he asked her to accept him. But then she refused, then he thought, “Well! I am a rākṣasa, I don’t have to follow any rules and then so he wanted to take this lady Vedavatī and wanted to enjoy her but she cursed Rāvaṇa that, he could not take any woman unless she gives her permission, otherwise he would die and then attachment to that woman would destroy him. Vedavatī then she disappeared, she became Chhāyā-Sītā while real Sītā was taken by the fire god and the chhāya Sītā was taken by Rāvaṇa. So, this history is given in Tirumala Devasthānam. Sītā was very grateful that the chhāya Sītā, Vedavatī, had gone over and suffered so much. So she wanted Rāma to also marry her but Rāma had this eka-paṭnī-vrata. He had taken a vow that only he will have one wife so He said in Kali-yuga Vedavatī could be His wife in some other incarnation. So, the Tirumala Deity Śrīnīvāsa Govinda He married Vedavatī and when Lakṣmī understood that she was the chhāya Sītā, She was satisfied.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.204

sītā lañā rākhilena pārvatīra sthāne
‘māyā-sītā’ diyā agni vañcilā rāvaṇe

Translation: The fire-god, Agni, took away the real Sītā and brought her to the place of Pārvatī, goddess Durgā. An illusory form of mother Sītā was then delivered to Rāvaṇa, and in this way Rāvaṇa was cheated.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.205

raghunātha āsi’ yabe rāvaṇe mārila
agni-parīkṣā dite yabe sītāre ānila

Translation: After Rāvaṇa was killed by Lord Rāmacandra, Sītādevī was brought before the fire and tested.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.206

tabe māyā-sītā agni kari antardhāna
satya-sītā āni’ dila rāma-vidyamāna

Translation: When the illusory Sītā was brought before the fire by Lord Rāmacandra, the fire-god made the illusory form disappear and delivered the real Sītā to Lord Rāmacandra.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.207

śuniñā prabhura ānandita haila mana
rāmadāsa-viprera kathā ha-ila smaraṇa

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this story, He was very pleased, and He remembered the words of Rāmadāsa Vipra.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.208

satsiddhānta-śravaṇe prabhura sukha o purāṇa-puṅthira patragrahaṇa :— 
e-saba siddhānta śuni’ prabhura ānanda haila
brāhmaṇera sthāne māgi’ sei patra nila

Translation: Indeed, when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these conclusive statements from the Kūrma Purāṇa, He felt great happiness. After asking the brāhmaṇas’ permission, He took possession of the manuscript leaves of the Kūrma Purāṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.209

nūtana patra lekhāñā pustake deoyāila
pratīti lāgi’ purātana patra māgi’ nila

Translation: Since the Kūrma Purāṇa was very old, the manuscript was also very old. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took possession of the original leaves in order to have direct evidence. The text was copied onto new leaves in order that the Purāṇa be replaced.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.210

dakṣiṇa-mathurāya āsiyā sītā-bhakta viprake patrārpaṇa:— 
patra lañā punaḥ dakṣiṇa-mathurā āilā
rāmadāsa vipre sei patra āni dilā

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to southern Mathurā [Madurai] and delivered the original manuscript of the Kūrma Purāṇa to Rāmadāsa Vipra.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 13.11

Translation: “If you do not believe my words, see the two verses from the Purāṇa. He suddenly pulled the two verses from his cloth and showed them to the brāhmaṇa.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 13.12 -13 and Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.211-212

rāvaṇera māyā-sītā-apaharaṇa-sūcaka śloka:—
kūrma-purāṇa o bṛhad-agni-purāṇa—  

sītayārādhito vahniś
chāyā-sītām ajījanat
tāṁ jahāra daśagrīvaḥ
sītā vahni-puraṁ gatā

parīkṣā-samaye vahniṁ
chāyā-sītā viveśa sā
vahniḥ sītāṁ samānīya
tsva-purād udanīnayat

Translation: “When he was petitioned by mother Sītā, the fire-god, Agni, brought forth an illusory form of Sītā, and Rāvaṇa, who had ten heads, kidnapped the false Sītā. The original Sītā then went to the abode of the fire-god. When Lord Rāmacandra tested the body of Sītā, it was the false, illusory Sītā that entered the fire. At that time the fire-god brought the original Sītā from his abode and delivered her to Lord Rāmacandra.”

Purport: These two verses are taken from the Kūrma Purāṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.213

kūrma-purāṇera puṅthira patra o śloka-darśane viprera ānanda:— 
patra pāñā viprera haila ānandita mana
prabhura caraṇe dhari’ karaye krandana

Translation: Rāmadāsa Vipra was very pleased to receive the original leaf manuscript of the Kūrma Purāṇa, and he immediately fell down before the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and began to cry.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.214

prabhuke ‘raghunātha’ jñāna:— 
vipra kahe,—tumi sākṣāt śrī-raghunandana
sannyāsīra veṣe more dilā daraśana

Translation: After receiving the manuscript, the brāhmaṇa, being very pleased, said, “Sir, You are Lord Rāmacandra Himself and have come in the dress of a sannyāsī to give me audience.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.215

viprera dainya, prabhuke nimantraṇa o bhikṣā dāna:— 
mahā-duḥkha ha-ite more karilā nistāra
āji mora ghare bhikṣā kara aṅgīkāra

Translation: “My dear Sir, You have delivered me from a very unhappy condition. I request that You take Your lunch at my place. Please accept this invitation.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.216

mano-duḥkhe bhāla bhikṣā nā dila sei dine
mora bhāgye punarapi pāiluṅ daraśane

Translation: “Due to my mental distress I could not give You a very nice lunch the other day. Now, by good fortune, You have come again to my home.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.217

eta bali’ sei vipra sukhe pāka kaila
uttama prakāre prabhuke bhikṣā karāila

Translation: Saying this, the brāhmaṇa very happily cooked food, and a first-class dinner was offered to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.218

eka-rātri vipra-gṛhe avasthāna o tāmraparṇī-snāna:— 
sei rātri tāhāṅ rahi’ tāṅre kṛpā kari’
pāṇḍya-deśe tāmraparṇī gelā gaurahari

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed that night in the house of the brāhmaṇa. Then, after showing him mercy, the Lord started toward the Tāmraparṇī River in Pāṇḍya-deśa.

Purport: Pāṇḍya-deśa is situated in the southern part of India known as Kerala and Cola. In all these areas there were many kings with the title Pāṇḍya who ruled over Madurai and Rāmeśvara. In the Rāmāyaṇa the Tāmraparṇī River is mentioned. The Tāmraparṇī, also known as the Puruṇai, flows through Tirunelveli before entering the Bay of Bengal. The Tāmraparṇī River is also mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.39).

Jayapatākā Swami: In the eleventh canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam various holy rivers of South India are mentioned that many Vaiṣṇavas will appear in South India, they would bathe in these holy rivers and in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness will spread. Also we see that many of the devotees from South India, they have gone to the West as IT professionals and so this way we hope that they will take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness and help to spread it all over the world fulfilling the desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Receives The Manuscript of Kūrma Purāṇa. 
Under the section Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu travel to the Holy Places in South India

Hari Bol! Gaurāṅga! So, understanding the description of the universe is little difficult, sometimes it does not seem to make sense but there may be some verses from some other Purāṇās which when used makes the whole thing make sense. So, we see that when studying the Vedas these different Purāṇās may give some slight information, which makes the whole thing very proper. So that’s why some of these things have to be studied very deeply to understand.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!