20210412 Phalaśruti - The Result of Hearing About the Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 12th, 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, the chapter,entitled:

Phalaśruti - The Result of Hearing About the Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.204

anavasarānte netrotsava vā aṅgarāgotsava:—
āra dine jagannāthera ‘netrotsava’ nāma
mahotsava haila bhaktera prāṇa-samāna

Translation: The next day marked the performance of the festival of Netrotsava. This great festival was the life and soul of the devotees.

Purport: After the bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannātha, during the fortnight before the Ratha-yātrā ceremony, the body of Lord Jagannātha, having been washed, needs repainting. This is known as aṅga-rāga. The Netrotsava festival, performed gorgeously in the early morning of the Nava-yauvana day, constitutes the life and soul of the devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the opportunity that the devotees after a long two weeks of separation from the darśana of Lord, so then they are very happy to see the Lord again.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.205

15 dina pare pāiyā prabhuke prāṇa bhariyā darśana
pakṣa-dina duḥkhī loka prabhura adarśane
darśana kariyā loka sukha pāila mane

Translation: Everyone was unhappy for a fortnight because they could not see the Deity of Lord Jagannātha. Upon seeing the Lord at the festival, the devotees were very happy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.206

bhakta-gaṇasaha prabhura jagannātha-darśane yātrā:—
mahāprabhu sukhe lañā saba bhakta-gaṇa
jagannātha-daraśane karilā gamana

Translation: On this occasion, greatly happy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took all the devotees with Him and visited the Lord in the temple.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, one day before the Ratha-yātrā, Lord Jagannātha awards His devotees with His darśana. So, they were very happy and on this occasion Lord Caitanya brought all His devotees to see Lord Jagannātha.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.207

prabhura agre balavān kāśīśvara o paścāt govindera gamana:—
āge kāśīśvara yāya loka nivāriyā
pāche govinda yāya jala-karaṅga lañā

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to visit the temple, Kāśīśvara walked in front, checking the crowds of people, and Govinda walked in the rear, bringing the sannyāsī’s pitcher filled with water.

Purport: The karaṅga is a kind of waterpot especially carried by Māyāvādī sannyāsīs and generally carried by all other sannyāsīs.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kāśīśvara Paṇḍita was responsible to clear the crowd, so that Lord Caitanya could walk through peacefully.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.208

prabhura agravarttī purī-bhāratīra pārśbe svarūpa-advaita:—
prabhura āge purī, bhāratī,—duṅhāra gamana
svarūpa, advaita,—duṅhera pārśve dui-jana

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went toward the temple, Paramānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī walked in front of Him, and at His two sides walked Svarūpa Dāmodara and Advaita Ācārya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.209

paścāte anyānya bhakta:—
pāche pāche cali’ yāya āra bhakta-gaṇa
utkaṇṭhāte gelā saba jagannātha-bhavana

Translation: With great eagerness all the other devotees followed them into the temple of Lord Jagannātha.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, everyone was very eager to see Lord Jagannātha after fifteen days of separation, following Lord Caitanya the enthusiasm was unlimited.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.210

kamalanayana-darśanārtha bhaktagaṇera anurāgavaśataḥ maryādā-laṅghana:—
darśana-lobhete kari’ maryādā laṅghana
bhoga-maṇḍape yāñā kare śrī-mukha darśana

Translation: Out of great eagerness to see the Lord, they all neglected the regulative principles and just to see the Lord’s face, went to the place where the food was offered.

Purport: There are many regulative principles of Deity worship. For example, one is not allowed to enter the room where food is offered to Lord Jagannātha. But in this case, being very eager because of not having seen the Lord for fifteen days, all the people overruled the regulative principles and entered the room.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotees had such enthusiasm to see the Lord that they neglected to follow the detailed regulative principles. The enthusiasm of the devotees is so great that they overlooked some regulative principles and the Lord, He can appreciate that.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.211

rādhābhāve bhāvita prabhura niṣpalakanetre kṛṣṇamukha-sandarśana:—
tṛṣārta prabhura netra—bhramara-yugala
gāḍha tṛṣṇāya piye kṛṣṇera vadana-kamala

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very thirsty to see the Lord, and His eyes became like two bumblebees drinking the honey from the lotus-like eyes of Lord Jagannātha, who is Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this great poetic explanation explains the great love in which Lord Caitanya was seeing the Lotus face of Lord Jagannātha, comparing His glance/eyes to that of a bumblebee and Lord Jagannātha’s eyes to that of honey.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.212

śrī-vigrahera asamorddha evam nitya navanavāyamāna o varddhanaśīla mādhurya:—
praphulla-kamala jini’ nayana-yugala
nīlamaṇi-darpaṇa-kānti gaṇḍa jhalamala

Translation: The eyes of Lord Jagannātha conquered the beauty of blossoming lotus flowers, and His neck was as lustrous as a mirror made of sapphires.

Purport: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu usually saw Lord Jagannātha from a distance, standing behind the column of Garuḍa. But because he had not seen Lord Jagannātha for fifteen days, Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt great separation from Him. In great eagerness, Caitanya Mahāprabhu crossed the meeting hall and entered the room where food was offered, just to see the face of Lord Jagannātha. In verse 210, this action is called maryādā-laṅghana, a violation of the regulative principles. This indicates that one should not come very near a superior. Both the Lord’s Deity form and the spiritual master should be seen from a distant place. This is called maryādā. Otherwise, as it is said, familiarity breeds contempt. Sometimes coming too near the Deity or the spiritual master degrades the neophyte devotee. Personal servants of the Deity and the spiritual master should therefore always be very careful, for negligence may overcome them in their duty.

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s eyes have been compared to thirsty bumblebees, and Śrī Jagannātha’s eyes have been compared to blossoming lotus flowers. The author has made these comparisons in order to describe Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu while the Lord was deeply absorbed in ecstatic love for Lord Jagannātha.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here the description is made of Lord Caitanya feeling ecstatic love for Lord Jagannātha. And other neophyte devotees, not on the same level, they have to be conscious of the maryādā-laṅghana or making some offense.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.213

bāndhulīra phula jini’ adhara suraṅga
īṣat hasita kānti—amṛta-taraṅga

Translation: The chin of the Lord, tinged with buff color, conquered the beauty of the bāndhulī flower. This increased the beauty of His mild smiling, which was like lustrous waves of nectar.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.214

śrī-mukha-sundara-kānti bāḍhe kṣaṇe kṣaṇe
koṭi-bhakta-netra-bhṛṅga kare madhu-pāne

Translation: The luster of His beautiful face increased at every moment, and the eyes of hundreds and thousands of devotees drank its honey like bumblebees.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the eyes of Lord Jagannātha and His beautiful face is glorified here and how hundreds and thousands of eyes of devotees drank the honey of the lotus eyes like bumblebees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.215

yata piye tata tṛṣṇā bāḍhe nirantara
mukhāmbuja chāḍi’ netra nā yāya antara

Translation: As their eyes began to drink the nectarean honey of His lotus face, their thirst increased. Thus their eyes did not leave Him.

Purport: In the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.538), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described the beauty of the Lord in this way:

“The beauty of the son of Mahārāja Nanda is incomparable. Nothing is higher than His beauty, and nothing can equal it. His beauty is like waves in an ocean of nectar. This beauty is attractive both for moving and for nonmoving objects.”

Similarly, in the tantra-śāstra there is another description of the Lord’s beauty:

Translation: “I shall relate the supreme meditation upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja. The tips of the toes of His lotus feet reflect the beauty of the bodies of unlimited millions of Cupids, and His bodily luster has never been seen or heard of anywhere.”

One may also consult Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.29.14) in this connection.

Jayapatākā Swami:As the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, as Brahmā-Saṁhitā says, that if one’s eyes are tinged with the salve of love, they will see Jagannātha’s lotus face in this way.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.216

dviprahara paryanta śrī-mukha-darśana-līlā –
ei-mata mahāprabhu lañā bhakta-gaṇa
madhyāhna paryanta kaila śrī-mukha daraśana

Translation: Thus, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees enjoyed transcendental bliss upon seeing the face of Jagannātha. This continued to midday.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, two praharas is six hours.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.217

prabhura bhāvāveśa haileo samvaraṇapūrvaka darśana-sevā-sukha
sveda, kampa, aśru-jala vahe sarva-kṣaṇa
darśanera lobhe prabhu kare saṁvaraṇa

Translation: As usual, there were transcendental blissful symptoms in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s body. He perspired and trembled, and a constant flow of tears fell from His eyes. But the Lord checked these tears so they would not disturb His seeing the face of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, being in the ecstasy was disturbing Lord Caitanya’s gazing the lotus face of Lord Jagannātha. He would control those ecstasies so that he could continue to see the lotus face of the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.218

bhogakāle prabhura darśana-kīrtana:—
madhye madhye bhoga lāge, madhye daraśana
bhogera samaye prabhu karena kīrtana

Translation: Their looking at the face of Lord Jagannātha was interrupted only when He was offered food. Afterwards they would again look upon His face. When the food was being offered to the Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed His kīrtana.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Lord Jagannātha had the benediction that His hands will never dry without the prasāda, So He is always offered 56 items so His hands are always wet and before they dry another prasāda or bhoga was offered. So the Lord would receive the bhoga of offering and Lord Caitanya will do kīrtana.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.219

kṛṣṇadarśana-sevāsukhe prabhura ātmavismṛti; śeṣe gṛhe pratyāvartana —
darśana-ānande prabhu saba pāsarilā
bhakta-gaṇa madhyāhna karite prabhure lañā gelā

Translation: Feeling such great pleasure upon seeing the face of Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu forgot everything. The devotees, however, took Him to His lunch at noontime.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Caitanya was observed in the ecstasy of seeing the lotus face of Lord Jagannātha and He did not think about lunch or anything, but the devotees took him at lunch time so that He would take His lunch.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.220

prātaḥ-kāle ratha-yātrā habeka jāniyā
sevaka lāgāya bhoga dviguṇa kariyā

Translation: Knowing that the car festival would take place in the morning, all the servants of Lord Jagannātha were doubling their offerings of food.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Jagannātha, He comes visible the day before the ratha-yātrā and the next day He goes on Ratha-yatra to Guṇḍicā. Since His servants knew that He was going on a journey they made all the preparations and they doubled the offerings of bhoga.

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram – 47 by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura

Translation: As splendid as pure gold, He stayed the brāhmaṇa Kāśī Miśra's house. Accompanied by Svarūpa Dāmodara and other associates, He always gave to everyone the spiritual bliss of the holy name. I meditate on Lord Gaurāṅga, whose jubilant form is surrounded by His associates.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.1

guṇḍicā-mārjanakārī gaurasundara:—
śrī-guṇḍicā-mandiram ātma-vṛndaiḥ
sammārjayan kṣālanataḥ sa gauraḥ
sva-citta-vac chītalam ujjvalaṁ ca
kṛṣṇopaveśaupayikaṁ cakāra

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed and cleansed the Guṇḍicā temple with His devotees and associates. In this way He made it as cool and bright as His own heart, and thus He made the temple a befitting place for Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to sit.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.221

guṇḍicā-mārjana-līlā-śravaṇe aśucirao citta-śuddhi-lābha
guṇḍicā-mārjana-līlā saṅkṣepe kahili
yāhā dekhi’ śuni’ pāpīra kṛṣṇa-bhakti haila

Translation: I have briefly described the pastimes of the Lord in washing and cleansing the Guṇḍicā temple. By seeing or hearing these pastimes, even sinful men can awaken their Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari Bol! So, this is the great blessing of hearing about the Guṇḍicā-mārjanā, that even a person may be sinful they can awaken their dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, by this great service of Guṇḍicā-mārjanā

Thus ends the chapter entitled. Phalaśruti - The Result of Hearing About The Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple.