20210219 Lord Caitanya Rescues the Servant Kṛṣṇadāsa From Bhaṭṭathāris

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on February 19th, 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!

The Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, chapter entitled:

Lord Caitanya Rescues the Servant Kṛṣṇadāsa From Bhaṭṭathāris 
Under the section Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu travel to the Holy Places in South India

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.219

nava tirupati darśana:— 
tāmraparṇī snāna kari’ tāmraparṇī-tīre
naya tripati dekhi’ bule kutūhale

Translation: There were nine temples of Lord Viṣṇu at Naya-tripati, on the bank of the river Tāmraparṇī, and after bathing in the river, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the Deities with great curiosity and wandered on.

Purport: The nine Viṣṇu temples known as Naya-tripati (Nava-tirupati) are situated in and around Ālvār Tirunagarai. This is a town about seventeen miles southeast of Tirunelveli. All the Deities of the temples assemble together during a yearly festival in the town.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.220

ciyaḍatalāya rāma-lakṣaṇera o tila-kāñcīte śivera darśana 
ciyaḍatalā tīrthe dekhi’ śrī-rāma-lakṣmaṇa
tila-kāñcī āsi’ kaila śiva daraśana

Translation: After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to a holy place known as Ciyaḍatalā, where He saw the Deities of the two brothers Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa. He then proceeded to Tila-kāñcī, where He saw the temple of Lord Śiva.

Purport: Ciyaḍatalā is sometimes known as Cheratalā. It is near the city of Kaila, and there is a temple there dedicated to Lord Śrī Rāmacandra and His brother Lakṣmaṇa. Tila-kāñcī; (Tenkasi) is about thirty miles northeast of the city of Tirunelveli.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.221

gajendra-mokṣaṇe viṣṇura o pānāgaḍite rāmera darśana:— 
gajendra-mokṣaṇa-tīrthe dekhi viṣṇu-mūrti
pānāgaḍi-tīrthe āsi’ dekhila sītāpati

Translation: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then visited the holy place named Gajendra-mokṣaṇa, where He went to a temple of Lord Viṣṇu. He then came to Pānāgaḍi, a holy place where He saw the Deities of Lord Rāmacandra and Sītā.

Purport: The Gajendra-mokṣaṇa temple is sometimes mistaken for a temple of Lord Śiva. It is about two miles south of the city of Kaivera (Nagercoil). Actually the Deity is not of Lord Śiva but of Viṣṇu.

Pānāgaḍi (Pannakudi) is about thirty miles south of Tirunelveli. Formerly the temple there contained the Deity of Śrī Rāmacandra, but later the devotees of Lord Śiva replaced Lord Rāmacandra with a deity of Lord Śiva named Rāmeśvara or Rāma-liṅga Śiva.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.222

cāmtāpure rāma-lakṣmaṇa o śrī-vaikuṇṭhe viṣṇu-darśana:— 
cāmtāpure āsi’ dekhi’ śrī-rāma-lakṣmaṇa
śrī-vaikuṇṭhe āsi’ kaila viṣṇu daraśana

Translation: Later the Lord went to Cāmtāpura, where He saw the Deities of Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa. He then went to Śrī Vaikuṇṭha and saw the temple of Lord Viṣṇu there.

Purport: Cāmtāpura (sometimes called Chengannur) is located in the state of Kerala. A temple of Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa is located there. Śrī Vaikuṇṭha — about four miles north of Ālvār Tirunagarai and sixteen miles southeast of Tirunelveli — is situated on the bank of the Tāmraparṇī River.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.223

kumārikāya agastya-darśana:— 
malaya-parvate kaila agastya-vandana
kanyā-kumārī tāhāṅ kaila daraśana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to Malaya-parvata and offered prayers to Agastya Muni. He then visited Kanyā-kumārī [Cape Comorin].

Purport: The range of mountains in South India beginning at Kerala and extending to Cape Comorin is called Malaya-parvata. Concerning Agastya, there are four opinions: (1) There is a temple of Agastya Muni in the village of Agastyampallī, in the district of Tanjore. (2) There is a temple of Lord Skanda on a hill known as Śiva-giri, and this temple is said to have been established by Agastya Muni. (3) Some say that the hill near Cape Comorin known as Paṭhiyā served as Agastya Muni’s residence. (4) There is a place known as Agastya-malaya, which is a range of hills on both sides of the Tāmraparṇī River. Cape Comorin itself is also known as Kanyā-kumārī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Agastya muni was a great sage and he had various powers and so Lord Caitanya also prayed to him. So it is important to know how these great sages are respected by the devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.224

āmlitalāya rāma-darśana:— 
āmlitalāya dekhi’ śrī-rāma gaurahari
mallāra-deśete āilā yathā bhaṭṭathāri

Translation: After visiting Kanyā-kumārī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to Āmlitalā, where He saw the Deity of Śrī Rāmacandra. Thereafter He went to a place known as Mallāra-deśa, where a community of Bhaṭṭathāris lived.

Purport: North of Mallāra-deśa is South Kanara. To the east are Coorg and Mysore, to the south is Cochin, and to the west is the Arabian Sea. As far as the Bhaṭṭathāris are concerned, they are a nomadic community. They camp wherever they like and have no fixed place of residence. Outwardly they take up the dress of sannyāsīs, but their real business is stealing and cheating. They allure others to supply women for their camp, and they cheat many women and keep them within their community. In this way they increase their population. In Bengal also there is a similar community. Actually, all over the world there are nomadic communities whose business is simply to allure, cheat and steal innocent women.

Jayapatākā Swami:  Seems that the Bhaṭṭathārīs were kind of gypsies and they would travel to different places and they would survive by various means. So this kind of people exist in some parts of the world. So here in South India they are also present.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.225

mālābara-deśe tamāla-kārtika o vetāpanite rāma darśana-pūrvaka ekarātri vāsa:— 
tamāla-kārtika dekhi’ āila vetāpani
raghunātha dekhi’ tāhāṅ vañcilā rajanī

Translation: After visiting Mallāra-deśa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Tamāla-kārtika and then to Vetāpani. There He saw the temple of Raghunātha, Lord Rāmacandra, and passed the night.

Purport: Tamāla-kārtika is forty-four miles south of Tirunelveli and two miles south of Aramavallī Mountain. It is located within the jurisdiction of Tovalai. At Tamāla-kārtika is a temple of Subrahmaṇya, or Lord Kārtika, the son of Lord Śiva. Vetāpani, or Vātāpāṇī, is north of Kaila in the Tamil Nadu state. It is also known as Bhūtapaṇḍi and is within the jurisdiction of the Tobala district. It is understood that formerly there was a Deity of Lord Rāmacandra there. Later the Deity was replaced with a deity of Lord Śiva known as Rāmeśvara or Bhūtanātha.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.20

Translation: Going south, he saw some curious activities. He saw a group of pāṣaṇda-followers in the garb of ascetics absorbed in unauthorized methods.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.21

Translation: These greatly sinful heretics on the wrong path saw the Lord and tried for a long time to lure him with their opinions.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.22

Translation: Because of the Lord’s illusory power alone (since everyone in the material world is bewildered adopting the wrong path due to the Lords Māyā), they had deviated from the correct path. They could not see the Lord at all. They were bewildered by various illusions.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.23

Translation: They then saw one fickle hearted servant named Kṛṣṇa-dāsa who had come with the Lord. These wicked persons bewildered him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.226

bhaṭṭathārira kabale prabhura saṅgī kṛṣṇadāsa-vipra:— 
gosāñira saṅge rahe kṛṣṇadāsa brāhmaṇa
bhaṭṭathāri-saha tāhāṅ haila daraśana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was accompanied by His servant, Kṛṣṇadāsa. He was a brāhmaṇa, but he met with the Bhaṭṭathāris there.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.227

strī-dhana dekhāñā tāṅra lobha janmāila
ārya sarala viprera buddhi-nāśa kaila

Translation: With women the Bhaṭṭathāris allured the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇadāsa, who was simple and gentle. By virtue of their bad association, they polluted his intelligence.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.24

Translation: “Are! (interjection of calling) Where are you going? Your achievement will only be suffering. Therefore, make friends with us and you will be able to go to Svarga in this body. There is no doubt about this.”

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.25

Translation: “There is only one path which is a little distance afar and it is exceedingly difficult to traverse for everyone. Therefore, come with us! We will take you, by this very path, from here to Svarga.”

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.26

Translation: Thus, fickle-minded Kṛṣṇadāsa, bewildered by these sinful deviants, weak in his heart, fooled, being slackened, somewhat lost his determination to go on the path of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows how in Kali-yuga bad association is always trying to allure us, we should take shelter of the lotus feet of the pure ācāryas, taking the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and avoid these kinds of false promises.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.228

kṛṣṇadāsera anusandhāne bhaṭṭathāri-gṛhe prabhura āgamana:— 
prāte uṭhi’ āilā vipra bhaṭṭathāri-ghare
tāhāra uddeśe prabhu āilā satvare

Translation: Allured by the Bhaṭṭathāris, Kṛṣṇadāsa went to their place early in the morning. The Lord also went there very quickly just to find him.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.27

Translation: Lord Caitanya, knowing the wicked intentions of the sinful persons and the weak nature of Kṛṣṇa-dāsa, the only ocean of mercy, the only friend of the universe, began an argument with them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.229

bhaṭṭathāri-gaṇera nikaṭa prabhura kṛṣṇadāsake yācñā:— 
āsiyā kahena saba bhaṭṭathāri-gaṇe
āmāra brāhmaṇa tumi rākha ki kāraṇe

Translation: Upon reaching their community, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the Bhaṭṭathāris, “Why are you keeping My brāhmaṇa assistant?

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.28

Translation: “O sannyāsīs! What is this? Having lured my servant who is a mere boy, where are you taking? This is not auspicious and this is not the activities of saintly people. Therefore, give him up and go far away.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.230

āmiha sannyāsī dekha, tumiha sannyāsī
more duḥkha deha, — tomāra ’nyāya’ nāhi vāsi

Translation: “I am in the renounced order of life, and so are you. Yet you are purposefully giving Me pain, and I do not see any good logic in this.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.231

bhaṭṭathāri-gaṇera prabhuke ākramaṇa, kintu 
Missing śuni’ saba bhaṭṭathāri uṭhe astra lañā
māribāre āila sabe cāri-dike dhāñā

Translation: Upon hearing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the Bhaṭṭathāris came running from all sides with weapons in their hands, desiring to hurt the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.232

tāra astra tāra aṅge paḍe hāta haite
khaṇḍa khaṇḍa haila bhaṭṭathāri palāya cāri bhite

Translation: However, their weapons fell from their hands and struck their own bodies. When some of the Bhaṭṭathāris were thus cut to pieces, the others ran away in the four directions.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya did not personally take up any weapons but the Bhaṭṭathāris who went to attack Lord Caitanya their weapons started to cut them and then the others ran away.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.29: Thus the Lord, arguing in this way, by his power, the ocean of mercy made them give up their attempts. When the Lord is pleased, it happens in this way.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.233

prabhukarttṛka kṛṣṇadāsa-viprera uddhāra-sādhana:— 
bhaṭṭathāri-ghare mahā uṭhila krandana
keśe dhari’ vipre lañā karila gamana

Translation: While there was much roaring and crying at the Bhaṭṭathāri community, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu grabbed Kṛṣṇadāsa by the hair and took him away.

Caitanya-Carita-Mahā-Kāvya 13.30

Translation: Seeing the wicked acts of the deviants, the Lord smiled gently and said nothing to Kṛṣṇa-dāsa. He then headed towards Setu-bandha.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He saved His assistant from the Bhaṭṭathārīs and seems that this pastime happened before He reached Setu-bandha. The chronology of the different activities seems to need adjustments. But Lord Caitanya did not say anything at this time. He saved Kṛṣṇa-dāsa and when He reached Jagannātha Purī then He told the other devotees about the fall down of Kṛṣṇa-dāsa so then Kṛṣṇa-dāsa was sent back to Bengal and there Lord Nityānanda engaged him.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya Rescues the Servant Kṛṣṇadāsa From Bhaṭṭathāris. 
Under the section Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu travel to the Holy Places in South India

So we can see how the material energy is very treacherous. And how Lord Caitanya delivered His servant. So different devotees may get allured accidently by the material energy. So just as Lord Caitanya delivered His servant Kṛṣṇa-dāsa if we find anyone to be influenced by material desires, being somehow illusioned so following the example of Lord Caitanya we should try to save the misdirected devotees. Hare Kṛṣṇa.