20210323 Gopīnātha Ācārya Describes Bengal Devotees to Pratāparudra (Part 3)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 23rd March 2021 in Śrīdhāma 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!

Hare Krishna Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, Part 3 of the chapter entitled: 

Gopīnātha Ācārya Describes Bengal Devotees to Pratāparudra

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.94

vaiṣṇava-tejodarśane o apūrva kīrtanādi śravaṇe rājāra vismaya:—

rājā kahe—dekhi’ mora haila camatkāra
vaiṣṇavera aiche teja dekhi nāhi āra

Translation: The King said, “Upon seeing all these devotees, I am very much astonished, for I have never seen such an effulgence.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.95

koṭi-sūrya-sama saba—ujjvala-varaṇa
kabhu nāhi śuni ei madhura kīrtana

Translation: “Indeed, their effulgence is like the brilliance of a million suns. Nor have I ever heard the Lord’s names chanted so melodiously.

Purport:His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Such are the symptoms of pure devotees when they are chanting. All the pure devotees are as bright as sunshine, and their bodily luster is very effulgent. In addition, their performance of saṅkīrtana is unparalleled. There are many professional chanters who can perform congregational chanting with various musical instruments in an artistic and musical way, but their chanting cannot be as attractive as the congregational chanting of pure devotees. If a devotee sticks strictly to the principles governing Vaiṣṇava behavior, his bodily luster will naturally be attractive, and his singing and chanting of the holy names of the Lord will be effective. People will appreciate such kīrtana without hesitation. Even dramas about the pastimes of Lord Caitanya or Śrī Kṛṣṇa should be played by devotees. Such dramas will immediately interest an audience and be full of potency. The students of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness should note these two points and try to apply these principles in their spreading of the Lord’s glories.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when some of the devotees were chanting with Śrīla Prabhupāda at Vinoba Bhave’s Bhagavad-gītā conference. then they attracted all the people. Then Śrīla Prabhupāda said that they are all pure devotees, he said that some may be ripened mangoes, and some may be green mangoes but they are all mangoes. So some of the pure devotees are ripened and some are getting ripe but they are all pure devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.96

aiche prema, aiche nṛtya, aiche hari-dhvani
kāhāṅ nāhi dekhi, aiche kāhāṅ nāhi śuni

Translation: “I have never before seen such ecstatic love, nor heard the vibration of the holy name of the Lord chanted in such a way, nor seen such dancing during saṅkīrtana.”

Purport:His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Because the temple of Lord Jagannātha is situated at Jagannātha Purī, many devotees from all parts of the world came to perform saṅkīrtana in glorification of the Lord. All these devotees were certainly seen and heard by Mahārāja Pratāparudra, but he herein admits that the kīrtana performed by the associates of the Lord was unique. He had never before heard such saṅkīrtana nor seen such attractive features manifest by the devotees. The members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness should go to India during the birthday ceremony of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Māyāpur and perform saṅkīrtana congregationally. This will attract the attention of all the important personalities in India, just as the beauty, bodily luster and saṅkīrtana performance by the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu attracted the attention of Mahārāja Pratāparudra. The associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were unlimited during the Lord’s presence on this planet, but anyone who is pure in life and devoted to the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is to be understood as a nitya-siddha associate of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda has taken devotees from Māyāpur to Vṛndāvana, and on the way he would do some programs. Similarly, we do a safari program after the Gaura Pūrṇimā festival and visit various holy places in India in different parts. When the public sees the devotees from fifty different countries, they are very overwhelmed, and they also appreciate that they have never seen such things before.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.97

saṅkīrtana-pravarttṛka śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya:—

bhaṭṭācārya kahe ei madhura vacana
caitanyera sṛṣṭi—ei prema-saṅkīrtana

Translation: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “This sweet transcendental sound is a special creation of the Lord known as prema-saṅkīrtana, congregational chanting in love of Godhead.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this was the special contribution of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya that He wanted the whole world to be chanting the holy name of God with love and this would make everybody happy and peaceful.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.98

vimukha-jīvake kṛṣṇe unmukhīkaraṇarūpa pracārai śrī-kīrtana:—

avatari’ caitanya kaila dharma-pracāraṇa
kali-kāle dharma—kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana

Translation: “In this Age of Kali, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has descended to preach the religion of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, the chanting of the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa is the religious principle for this age.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, those who follow in the footsteps of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya they should continue this public chanting of the holy name. When I enter some country, the immigration and customs people ask, “We don’t see your devotees chanting any more in public, what had happened?” So we may not understand but people appreciate very much our chanting and dancing.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.99

labdha-caitanyera gaura-kīrtanei buddhimattā, āra jāḍyatāya mūkhartā:—

saṅkīrtana-yajñe tāṅre kare ārādhana
sei ta’ sumedhā, āra—kali-hata-jana

Translation: “Anyone who worships Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu by congregational chanting should be understood to be very intelligent. One who does not do so must be considered a victim of this age and bereft of all intelligence.

Purport: Rascals propose that anyone can invent his own religious process, and this proposition is condemned herein. If one actually wants to become religious, he must take up the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. The real meaning of religion is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.19-22).

The Purport of these verses is that dharma, or religion, cannot be manufactured by a human being. Religion is the law or code of the Lord. Consequently religion cannot be manufactured even by great saintly persons, demigods or siddha-mukhyas, and what to speak of asuras, human beings, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas, and so on. The principles of dharma, religion, come down in the paramparā system beginning with twelve personalities — namely, Lord Brahmā the great saint Nārada; Lord Śiva; the four Kumāras; Kapila, the son of Devahūti; Svāyambhuva Manu; Prahlāda Mahārāja; King Janaka; grandfather Bhīṣma; Bali Mahārāja; Śukadeva Gosvāmī; and Yamarāja. The principles of religion are known to these twelve personalities. Dharma refers to the religious principles by which one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dharma is very confidential, uncontaminated by any material influence, and very difficult for ordinary men to understand. However, if one actually understands dharma, he immediately becomes liberated and is transferred to the kingdom of God. Bhāgavata-dharma, or the principle of religion enunciated by the paramparā-system, is the supreme principle of religion. In other words, dharma refers to the science of bhakti-yoga, which begins by the novice’s chanting the holy name of the Lord (tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ).

Therefore in this Age of Kali, as recommended here in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.98), kali-kāle dharma — kṛṣṇa-nāma- saṅkīrtana: the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is the method of religion approved by all Vedic scriptures. In the next text of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32), this principle is further stressed.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this principle of chanting saṅkīrtana as was established by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the special yajña or process recommended for this age. So those who chant, they are intelligent and fortunate and those who don’t they are misled.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.100

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32)—

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair/ yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

Translation: “‘In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the name of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari Bol!

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.101

parāvidyāpati caitanyai kṛṣṇa, jaḍavidyā vā aparā-vidyā tatparāṅmukhī :—

rājā kahe —
śāstra-pramāṇe caitanya hana kṛṣṇa
tabe kene paṇḍita saba tāṅhāte vitṛṣṇa?

Translation: The King said, “According to evidence given in the revealed scriptures, it is concluded that Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Why, then, are learned scholars sometimes indifferent to Him?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is an interesting question by Pratāparudra Mahārāja.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.102

sevonmukhatātei kṛpā-lābha, kṛpā-prabhāvei bhagavadupalabdhi:—

bhaṭṭa kahe,—
tāṅra kṛpā-leśa haya yāṅre
sei se tāṅhāre ’kṛṣṇa’ kari’ la-ite pāre

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “A person who has received but a small fraction of mercy from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu can understand that He is Lord Kṛṣṇa. No one else can.

Purport: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda The saṅkīrtana movement can be spread by a person who is especially favored by Lord Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana). Without first obtaining the mercy of the Lord, one cannot spread the holy name of the Lord. One who can spread the Lord’s name is called labdha-caitanya in the words of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. The labdha-caitanya is one who has actually awakened his original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The influence of the pure devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such that it can awaken others to become immediately Kṛṣṇa conscious and engage themselves in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa. In this way the descendants of pure devotees increase, and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes much pleasure in seeing the increase of His devotees. The word su-medhasaḥ means “sharply intelligent.” When one’s intelligence is sharp, he can increase the interests of common men in loving Caitanya Mahāprabhu and through Him in loving Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Those not interested in understanding Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are simply material in their attempts at professional chanting and dancing for money, despite their supposed artistry. If one does not have full faith in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he cannot properly chant and dance in the saṅkīrtana movement. Artificial chanting and dancing may be due to sentiments or sentimental agitation, but this cannot help one advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here in Bengal there were professional dancers and chanters. One of them was expert in playing mṛdaṅga and he was chanting and dancing and he was doing saṅkīrtana-yajña two hours per group and then at that time he would express various sentiments, crying, ecstasy, but he would all the time be thinking, when my two hours will be over so that I can have my cigarette. So, he became a devotee and then his heart changed. So by coming in contact with a real devotee your heart changes. So this why the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading because of the followers of Lord Caitanya, who are trying to serve Him sincerely.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.103

kṛpā vyatīta jaḍavidyāya nāstikatā vṛddhi o mohalābha:—

tāṅra kṛpā nahe yāre, paṇḍita nahe kene
dekhile śunileha tāṅre ’īśvara’ nā māne

Translation: “If the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not bestowed upon a person — regardless of how learned a scholar that person may be and regardless of his seeing or listening — he cannot accept Lord Caitanya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Purport: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda The same principles can be applied to demoniac persons, even though they be in the sampradāya of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Without receiving the Lord’s special power, one cannot preach His glories all over the world. Even though one may celebrate himself as a learned follower of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and even though one may attempt to preach the holy name of the Lord all over the world, if he is not favored by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu he will find fault with the pure devotee and will not be able to understand how a preacher is empowered by Lord Caitanya. One must be considered bereft of the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he criticizes the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement now spreading all over the world or finds fault with this movement or the leader of the movement.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya could not understand Lord Caitanya at first. Then by His mercy, he began to realize that Lord Caitanya is actually Kṛṣṇa Himself. So His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda had spread the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement all over the world. So, those who are claiming to be the followers of Lord Caitanya, they should appreciate the great service that His Divine Grace is performing. But if they don’t, we can understand that they are contaminated by different materialistic sentiments.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.104

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.29)—

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno na cānya eko ’pi ciraṁ vicinvan

Translation: “[Lord Brahmā said:] ‘My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years.’”

Purport:His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda This verse is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.29). It is explained in the Madhya-līlā, in the sixth chapter, text 84.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.105

jagannātha-darśanera pūrve prabhuke darśanera kāraṇa-jijñāsā:—

rājā kahe,—sabe jagannātha nā dekhiyā
caitanyera vāsā-gṛhe calilā dhāñā

Translation: The King said, “Instead of visiting the temple of Lord Jagannātha, all the devotees are running toward the residence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.150

King: Why do they turn from Lord Jagannātha's temple and enter Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya's home?

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.106

gauḍīyera gaura-prīti:—

bhaṭṭa kahe,—ei ta’ svābhāvika prema-rīta
mahāprabhu milibāre utkaṇṭhita cita

Translation: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “This is spontaneous love. All the devotees are very anxious to meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows how the devotees from Bengal have spontaneous love of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They are single pointed to see and serve the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.107

āge tāṅre mili’ sabe tāṅre saṅge lañā
tāṅra saṅge jagannātha dekhibena giyā

Translation: “First the devotees will meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and then take Him with them to the temple to see Lord Jagannātha.”

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.151

Sārvabhauma: That is the glory of their natural love for Him.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.152

King: (again looking in another direction) Why is Rāmānanda's younger brother Vāṇīnātha running with a great quantity of mahā-prasādam food and other things?

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.108

vāṇīnāthera pracura prasāda-bahana-darśane kāraṇa jijñāsā:—

rājā kahe,—bhavānandera putra vāṇīnātha [paragraph] prasāda lañā saṅge cale pāñca-sāta

Translation: The King said, “The son of Bhavānanda Rāya named Vāṇīnātha, along with five or seven other men, went there to obtain the remnants of Lord Jagannātha’s food.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.109

mahāprabhura ālaye karila gamana
eta mahā-prasāda cāhi’—kaha ki kāraṇa

Translation: “Indeed, Vāṇīnātha has already gone to the residence of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and has taken a huge quantity of mahā-prasādam. Please let me know the reason for this.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.110

bhaṭṭera uttara,—prabhura icchāi kāraṇa:—

bhaṭṭa kahe,—bhakta-gaṇa āila jāniñā
prabhura iṅgite prasāda yāya tāṅrā lañā

Translation: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Understanding that all the devotees have come, Lord Caitanya gave the sign, and therefore Vāṇīnātha and the others have brought such great quantities of mahā-prasādam.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, how Lord Caitanya is taking care of His devotees since He thought they have been travelling for a long distance they need prasāda. So, He sent Vāṇīnātha with large quantities of māhā-prasāda to give to the devotees who have come from Bengal.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.153

Sarvabhauma: He knows Lord Caitanya's heart. Lord Caitanya did not ask him, but to serve them he comes with mahā-prasādam anyway.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned that there are three kinds of servitors, one servant he is asked to do something, and he does it, but does begrudgingly or not so expertly, he is kaniṣṭha. Madhyama, he carries out the order very nicely, and uttama even when he is not asked, he knows what the guru wants and he does it. So Vāṇīnātha, he knew the heart of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore, he carried the prasāda for the devotees.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.154

King: Bhaṭṭācārya, the scriptures say: "When visiting any pilgrimage place one must shave his head and fast for a day." Today these people will accept mahā-prasādam and thus transgress the words of scripture.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.111

upavāsa o kṣaurakarmma-vidhi binā prasāda-grahaṇera kāraṇa jijñāsā:—

rājā kahe,—upavāsa, kṣaura—tīrthera vidhāna
tāhā nā kariyā kene khāiba anna-pāna

Translation: The King then asked the Bhaṭṭācārya, “Why have the devotees not observed the regulations for visiting the pilgrimage place, such as fasting, shaving and so on? Why have they first eaten prasādam?”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.112

bhaṭṭera rāgamārgīya ācaraṇa-kathana:—

bhaṭṭa kahe,—tumi yei kaha, sei vidhi-dharma
ei rāga-mārge āche sūkṣma-dharma-marma

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya told the King, “What you have said is right according to the regulative principles governing the visiting of holy places, but there is another path, which is the path of spontaneous love. According to those principles, there are subtle intricacies involved in the execution of religious principles.

Purport: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda According to the Vedic regulative principles, one has to be celibate before entering a holy place of pilgrimage. Generally people are very much addicted to sense gratification, and unless they have sex at night, they cannot sleep. The regulative principles therefore enjoin that before a common man goes to a holy place of pilgrimage, he should observe complete celibacy. As soon as one enters a holy place, he must observe fasting for the day, and after shaving his head clean, he must take a bath in a river or ocean near the holy place. These methods are adopted to neutralize the effects of sinful activities. Visiting a holy place of pilgrimage means neutralizing the reactions of a sinful life. Those who go to holy places of pilgrimage actually unload the reactions of their sinful lives, and consequently holy places are overloaded with sinful activities left there by visitors.

When a saintly person or pure devotee visits such a holy place, he absorbs the sinful effects left by the common men and again purifies the holy place. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni (Bhāg. 1.13.10). Therefore a common man’s visit to a holy place and an exalted saintly person’s visit there are different. The common man leaves his sins in the holy place, and a saintly person or devotee cleanses these sins simply by his presence. The devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu were not common men, and they could not be subjected to the rules and regulations governing the visiting of holy places. Rather, they exhibited their spontaneous love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Immediately upon arrival at the holy place, they went to see Lord Caitanya, and by His order they took mahā-prasādam without following the regulations governing holy places.

Jayapataka Swami: So, by devotees being visiting Jagannātha Purī and chanting the holy names, they would free the Jagannātha Purī from many accumulated sins. So they are going is a different situation, so there are those who go the holy pilgrimage to dump their bad karma.