20210405 || Chapter 1: The Son of Mahārāja Pratāparudra Meets Lord Caitanya || Chapter 2: Lord Caitanya Requests for Permission to Wash the Guṇḍicā Temple

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 5th, 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 we are continuing with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, today’s chapter entitled is:

The Son of Mahārāja Pratāparudra Meets Lord Caitanya

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.58

śyāmavarṇa kiśora rājaputrake prabhura ‘kṛṣṇa’ baliyā uddīpana,:—
sundara, rājāra putra-śyāmala-varaṇa
kiśora vayasa, dīrgha kamala-nayana

Translation: The prince, just entering upon his youth, was very beautiful. He was blackish in complexion and had large lotus eyes.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.59

pītāmbara, dhare aṅge ratna-ābharaṇa
śrī-kṛṣṇa-smaraṇe teṅha hailā ’uddīpana’

Translation: The prince was dressed in yellow cloth, and there were jeweled ornaments decorating his body. Therefore anyone who saw him would remember Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Kṛṣṇa was wearing yellow garments and His complexion was dark and in Mathurā and Dvārakā He would wear jeweled ornaments. So, naturally seeing the prince one was reminded of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.60

tāṅre dekhi, mahāprabhura kṛṣṇa-smṛti haila
premāveśe tāṅre mili’ kahite lāgila

Translation: Seeing the boy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately remembered Kṛṣṇa. Meeting the boy in ecstatic love, the Lord began to speak.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.61

vaiṣṇava-darśanera cūḍānta kathā:—
ei-mahā-bhāgavata, yāṅhāra darśane
vrajendra-nandana-smṛti haya sarva-jane

Translation: “Here is a great devotee,” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. “Upon seeing him, everyone can remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, son of Mahārāja Nanda.”

Purport: In his Anubhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that a materialist mistakenly accepts the body and mind as the source of material enjoyment. In other words, a materialist accepts the bodily conception of life. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not regard the son of Mahārāja Pratāparudra with the idea that he was a materialist, being the son of a materialist. Nor did He consider Himself the enjoyer. Māyāvādī philosophers make a great mistake by assuming that the sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, the transcendental form of the Lord, is like a material body. However, there is no material contamination in transcendence, nor is there any possibility of imagining a spirituality in matter. One cannot accept matter as spirit. As indicated by the technical words bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (Bhāg. 10.84.13), materialistic Māyāvādīs imagine the form of God in matter, although according to their imagination, God is ultimately formless. This is simply mental speculation. Even though Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He placed Himself in the position of a gopī. He also accepted the King’s son directly as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, Vrajendra-nandana Hari. This is perfect vision according to the direction of the Vedic culture, as confirmed in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā:

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.

Such acceptance of the Absolute Truth according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy is explained in both the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.3) and the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.23) in the following words:

“The Supreme Lord is not obtained by expert explanations, by vast intelligence, nor even by much hearing. He is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person He manifests His own form.”

The living entity is entangled in material existence due to his lack of such spiritual vision. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung in his Kalyāṇa-kalpataru: 

saṁsāre āsiyā prakṛti bhajiyā ‘puruṣa’ abhimāne mari.

When the living entity comes to the material world, he thinks himself the enjoyer. Thus he becomes more and more entangled.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if by seeing someone, you are reminded of Kṛṣṇa, that is an auspicious characteristic and an mahā-bhāgavata has that quality. You see him, and naturally you are reminded of Kṛṣṇa. That’s why Lord Caitanya was praising this son of Pratāparudra, because by seeing him, one was very much reminded of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.62

rājatanayake prabhura kṛṣṇa-jñāne āliṅgana:—
kṛtārtha ha-ilāṅa āmi iṅhāra daraśane
eta bali’ punaḥ tāre kaila āliṅgane

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “I have become very much obligated just by seeing this boy.” After saying this, the Lord again embraced the prince.

Haribol!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.63

āliṅganaphale rājaputrera kṛṣṇa-premāveśa:—
prabhu-sparśe rāja-putrera haila premāveśa
sveda, kampa, aśru, stambha, pulaka viśeṣa

Translation: As soon as the prince was touched by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, symptoms of ecstatic love immediately manifested themselves in his body. These symptoms included perspiration, trembling, tears, being stunned and jubilation.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this young prince, he received this special mercy of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya embraced him and therefore he naturally manifested love for Kṛṣṇa, and different ecstatic symptoms manifested in his body.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.64

tāṅhāra prema-darśane bhaktagaṇera praśaṁsā:—
‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ kahe, nāce, karaye rodana
tāṅra bhāgya dekhi’ ślāghā kare bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: The boy began to cry and dance, and he chanted, “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” Upon seeing his bodily symptoms and his chanting and dancing, all the devotees praised him for his great spiritual fortune.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, the boy was immediately, elevated, he was chanting dancing crying in ecstasy. All the devotees appreciated this boy receiving the mercy of Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.65

prabhukarttṛka rājaputrake āśvāsana o nitya saṅga-yācñā:—
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre dhairya karāila
nitya āsi’ āmāya miliha—ei ājñā dila

Translation: At that time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu calmed the youth and ordered him to come there daily to meet Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, not only did the Lord meet him once, but He asked him to meet Him daily.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.66

putrera darśanāliṅgane rājāra prabhu-sparśānubhūti:—
vidāya hañā rāya āila rāja-putre lañā
rājā sukha pāila putrera ceṣṭā dekhiyā

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya and the boy then departed from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Rāmānanda took him back to the King’s palace. The King was very happy when he heard of his son’s activities.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in this way the King also received by his son in the mercy of Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.67

putre āliṅgana kari’ premāviṣṭa hailā
sākṣāt paraśa yena mahāprabhura pāilā

Translation: Just by embracing his son, the King was filled with ecstatic love, just as if he had touched Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, everything connected with the Lord is Absolute. Since Lord Caitanya had embraced his son, giving him pure love for Kṛṣṇa, when the king embraced his son, he also became filled with love of Kṛṣṇa. So just as if he had been touched by Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.68

rājaputrera gaurabhakta-madhye gaṇana:—
sei haite bhāgyavān rājāra nandana
prabhu-bhakta-gaṇa-madhye hailā eka-jana

Translation: From then on, the fortunate prince was one of the most intimate devotees of the Lord.

Purport: In this regard, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī writes, yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhava-vatām. If Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu simply glanced at someone for a moment, that person immediately turned into one of the most confidential devotees of the Lord. The prince came to see the Lord for the first time, but by the Lord’s mercy the boy immediately became a topmost devotee. This was not in theory but in practice. We cannot apply the nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya formula. This states that if one’s mother was naked in her childhood, she should continue to remain naked, even though she has become the mother of so many children. If a person is actually blessed by the mercy of the Lord, he can immediately become a topmost devotee of the Lord. The logic of nagna-mātṛkā states that if a person is not elevated on such and such a date, he cannot become an exalted devotee overnight, as it were. This particular instance offers evidence to contradict that theory. On the previous day, the boy was simply an ordinary prince, and the next day he was counted as one of the topmost devotees of the Lord. This was all made possible by the causeless mercy of the Lord. The Lord is omnipotent — all-powerful or almighty — and He can act as He likes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda he was talking about the good fortune of someone who receives devotional service in the Kumbha mela. He was telling the devotees that they have all done pious activites. One devotee raised his hand and asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, “ I look back at my life, I have not done anything pious, I was a very sinful person, how did I receive or obtain devotional service” then Śrīla Prabhupāda replied, “I have made your good fortune for you” So we can understand that a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord can give mercy to anyone, so what to speak of the Supreme Lord, He can bestow His mercy to anyone.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.69

bhaktasaha prabhura kīrtana-vilāsa:—
ei-mata mahāprabhu bhakta-gaṇa-saṅge
nirantara krīḍā kare saṅkīrtana-raṅge

Translation: Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu acted in the society of His pure devotees, performing His pastimes and spreading the saṅkīrtana movement.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, who would like to get the mercy of Lord Caitanya and be able to experience pure love for Kṛṣṇa! raise your hands and say Hari bol! Gaurāṅga!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.70

advaitādira sagaṇa prabhuke nimantraṇa:—
ācāryādi bhakta kare prabhure nimantraṇa
tāhāṅ tāhāṅ bhikṣā kare lañā bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: Some of the prominent devotees like Advaita Ācārya used to invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take His meals at their homes. The Lord accepted such invitations accompanied by His devotees. After returning from his service in South India, Rāmānanda Rāya requested the King to allow him to remain with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

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Next chapter entitled, 

Lord Caitanya Requests for Permission to Wash the Guṇḍicā Temple

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.71

rathayātrā nikaṭavartī:—
ei-mata nānā raṅge dina kata gela
jagannāthera ratha-yātrā nikaṭa ha-ila

Translation: In this way, the Lord passed some days in great jubilation. Then the car festival of Lord Jagannātha approached.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.72

kāśīmiśra, paḍichā o bhaṭṭācāryera nikaṭa prabhura guṇḍicā-mandira-mārjjanānumati-yācñā:—
prathamei kāśī-miśre prabhu bolāila
paḍichā-pātra, sārvabhaume bolāñā ānila

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first of all called for Kāśī Miśra, then for the superintendent of the temple, then for Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, He was following the procedure to get the permission to wash the Guṇḍicā temple.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.73

tina-jana-pāśe prabhu hāsiyā kahila
guṇḍicā-mandira-mārjana-sevā māgi’ nila

Translation: When these three people came before the Lord, He begged them for permission to wash the temple known as Guṇḍicā.

Purport: The Guṇḍicā temple is situated two miles northeast of the Jagannātha temple. At the time of the Ratha-yātrā festival, Lord Jagannātha goes to the Guṇḍicā temple from His original temple and stays there for one week. After one week, He returns to His original temple. It is understood by hearsay that the wife of Indradyumna, the King who established the Jagannātha temple, was known as Guṇḍicā. There is also mention of the name of the Guṇḍicā temple in authoritative scripture. The area of the Guṇḍicā temple is estimated to be 288 cubits by 215 cubits (a cubit is about a foot and a half). The main temple inside is about 36 cubits by 30 cubits, and the kīrtana hall is 32 cubits by 30 cubits.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes it is said that he went to His aunty Guṇḍicā devī's temple, sometimes it is called as Sundarācala which is non-different from Vṛndāvana. Nīlācala is non-different from Dvārakā and so the ratha cart is taking Lord Jagannātha back to Vṛndāvana sometimes I sing sundarācala candra āmāra prabhu jagannātha, nīlācala candra āmāra prabhu jagannātha.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.74

paḍichā kahe,—āmi-saba sevaka tomāra
ye tomāra icchā sei kartavya āmāra

Translation: Upon hearing the Lord’s request for permission to wash the Guṇḍicā temple, the paḍichā, the superintendent of the temple, said, “My dear Sir, we are all Your servants. Whatever You desire is our duty to perform.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this was like saying your wish is our command.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.75

rājājñāya prabhu-sevāya adhikāra:—
viśeṣe rājāra ājñā hañāche āmāre
prabhura ājñā yei, sei śīghra karibāre

Translation: “The King gave a special order for me to do without delay whatever Your Lordship orders.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.76

paḍichāra guṇḍicā-mandira-mārjjana-tattve anabhijñatā:—
tomāra yogya sevā nahe mandira-mārjana
ei eka līlā kara, ye tomāra mana

Translation: “My dear Lord, washing the temple is not service befitting You. Nonetheless, if You wish to do so, it is to be accepted as one of Your pastimes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, normally the washing of the temple and washing may be done by the cleaners by the lowly staff, but the lord Himself wanted to clean the Guṇḍicā temple to receive Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā. So, the superintendent thought that this was a pastime of the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.77

pracura ghaṭa o sammārjjanī-saṁgrahaḥ—
kintu ghaṭa, sammārjanī bahuta cāhiye
ājñā deha-āji saba ihāṅ āni diye

Translation: “To wash the temple, You need many waterpots and brooms. Therefore order me. I can immediately bring all these things to You.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.78

nūtana eka-śata ghaṭa, śata sammārjanī
paḍichā āniyā dila prabhura icchā jāni’

Translation: As soon as the superintendent understood the desire of the Lord, he immediately delivered a hundred new waterpots and a hundred brooms for sweeping the temple.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.79

prabhāte bhakta-gaṇasaha prabhura guṇḍicāya gamana:—
āra dine prabhāte lañā nija-gaṇa
śrī-haste sabāra aṅge lepilā candana

Translation: The next day, early in the morning, the Lord took His personal associates with Him and, with His own hand, smeared sandalwood pulp on their bodies.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can understand how important is the service of cleaning the temple. By this service one cleans the heart. How Lord Caitanya blessed His associates by wiping sandalwood pulp personally on their bodies.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.80

śrī-haste dila sabāre eka eka mārjanī
saba-gaṇa lañā prabhu calilā āpani

Translation: He then gave each devotee a broom with His own hand, and taking all of them personally with Him, the Lord went to Guṇḍicā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in the Brahmā-saṁhitā chanting, there is a verse that says that thousands and thousands of Lakṣmīs, goddesses of fortune, clean the floor of Vaikuṇṭha with brooms although there is not much dust in Vaikuṇṭha. But the devotees take this humble service to get the mercy of the Lord. So, Lord Caitanya gave the brooms to His devotees so that they could take this service to achieve the mercy of the Lord.

Thus, ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya Requests for Permission to Wash the Guṇḍicā Temple.

Haribol! Haribol!!