20210508 Advaita Ācārya Invites Lord Caitanya to Take Lunch

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 8th,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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Advaita Ācārya Invites Lord Caitanya to Take Lunch

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.4

bhaktasaṅge prabhura puruṣottama-līlā–

ei-mata mahāprabhu bhakta-gaṇa-saṅge
nīlācale rahi’ kare nṛtya-gīta-raṅge

Translation: While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed at Jagannātha Purī, He constantly enjoyed chanting and dancing with His devotees.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.3

bhakta-goṣṭhīra prabhura saṅge kīrtanānande avasthiti—

hena-mate bhakta-goṣṭhīīśvarera saṅge
thākilā paramānande saṅkīrtana-raṅge

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way all the devotees remained in association with the Lord Caitanya and were staying with the Lord and were enjoying transcendental bliss or ecstasy in the saṅkīrtana pastimes .

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.5

prathamāvasare jagannātha-daraśana
nṛtya-gīta kare daṇḍa-paraṇāma, stavana

Translation: I the beginning of the day, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the Deity of Lord Jagannātha in the temple. He offered Him obeisances and prayers and danced and sang before Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, those were His daily activities

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.15

eka eka dina eka eka bhakta-gṛhe mahotsava
prabhu-saṅge tāhāṅ bhojana kare bhakta saba

Translation: Day after day, one devotee after another would invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the other devotees to lunch and would also hold a festival.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.4

prabhu-premabaddha 'bhagaṇera prabhura janya prabhura śiśukālera priya-sāmagrī saṅge ānayana—

ye dravye prabhura prīta pūrve śiśu-kāle
sakala jānena tāhā vaiṣṇava-maṇḍale

Jayapatākā Swami: Which preparation Lord Caitanya liked as a child, all the Vaiṣṇavas of Navadvīpa knew this.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.5

sei saba dravya sabe prema-yukta haiyā
āniyāche yata saba prabhura lāgiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: All the devotees brought those items, preparations, with great loving sentiments. They brought all that so that they would satisfy Lord Caitanya by making these offerings.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.6

prabhupriya dravya randhana o prabhuke nimantraṇa—

sei saba dravya prīte kariyā randhana
īśvarere āsiyā karena nimantraṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: So the devotees would cook those items with great affection and invite Lord Caitanya to come and accept their offering.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.7

bhaktadravya-grahaṇe prabhura prīti—

ye dine ye bhakta-gṛhe haya nimantraṇa
tāhāi parama prīte karena bhojana

Jayapatākā Swami: Whichever day he is being invited to the house of one devotee to take His lunch, he would accept or eat the preparations with great affection. So, Lord Caitanya was Bhakta-vatsala, He was affectionate to His devotees and the devotees would offer the things that they knew that the Lord would like, out of their transcendental affection and Lord Caitanya would accept and reciprocate with them with great affection.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.8

vaiṣṇava-gṛhiṇīgaṇa lakṣmīra aṃśa; randhana-sevāya parama-nipuṇā—

śrī-lakṣmīra aṁśa—yata vaiṣṇava-gṛhiṇīki
vicitra randhana karena nāhi jāni

Jayapatākā Swami: All the Vaiṣṇava wives were expansions of Śrī Lakṣmī devī, the goddess of fortune. Therefore their varieties of cooking were all so wonderful beyond description.

Purport (by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): The wives of Vaiṣṇavas are expansions of Śrī Lakṣmī. Although the jīva servants and maidservants of the Supreme Lord are separated expansions of the Lord’s energy, they are actually transformations of the marginal energy and are therefore expansions of Śakti. When the living entities lack knowledge of their constitutional position, they become illusioned about their actual identity, but the wives of Vaiṣṇavas always remain engaged in the service of Hari on the liberated platform rather than forgetting their actual identity.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the actual position of the wives of the Vaiṣṇava wives of the Vaisnavas, they are always in their constitutional position as servitors of the Lord, therefore they could cook so elboarately and so nicely to satisfy Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.9

tāṅhādera mukhe anukṣaṇa kṛṣṇa-nāma—

niravadhi sabāra nayane prema-dhāra
kṛṣṇa-nāme paripūrṇa vadana sabāra

Jayapatākā Swami: Constantly everyone's eyes were filled with tears of love, and their mouths were always filled with the chanting of the holy names of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.10

prabhura pūrvapriya byañjanādi-randhana-dvārā vaiṣṇavī-gaṇera mahāprabhura sevā—

pūrve īśvarera prīti ye saba vyañjane
navadvīpe śrī-vaiṣṇavī sabe tāhā jāne

Jayapatākā Swami: Previously which vegetable preparations Lord Caitanya liked when He was in Navadvīpa, the transcendental Vaiṣṇavīs knew all this, and would prepare these vegetable items for the pleasure of the Lord.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.11

prema-yoge sei-mata karena randhana
prabhu o parama preme karena bhojana

Jayapatākā Swami: So, filled with love in this way they cooked the preparations and Lord Caitanya with great love ate all their offerings.

So, here we can see how the Lord reciprocates with the love of His devotees. The devotees were very loving and so He reciprocated by eating with great love. So, this was the special mercy that He gave the ladies due to their husbands.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.6

madhyāhnabhoga-vilambāvasare haridāsa-saha sākṣātkāra

‘upala-bhoga’ lāgile kare bāhire vijaya
haridāsa mili’ āise āpana nilaya

Translation: After visiting the temple, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would remain outside during the upala-bhoga offering. He would then go meet Haridāsa Ṭhākura and return to His residence.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, although Haridāsa Ṭhākura would not go to the temple to see Lord Jagannātha, the moving form of the Lord. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would walk everyday to see Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Purport: At noon, when there was an upala-bhoga offering in a place called bhoga-vardhana-khaṇḍa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would go outside the temple. Before going outside, He used to stand near the Garuḍa-stambha column and offer His obeisances and prayers. Afterwards, the Lord would visit Siddha-bakula, where Haridāsa Ṭhākura lived. After visiting with Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the Lord would return to His own place at the abode of Kāśī Miśra.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.7

nijagṛhe āsiyā nāmakīrtana, advaitera prabhu-pūjā—

ghare vasi’ kare prabhu nāma saṅkīrtana
advaita āsiyā kare prabhura pūjana

Translation: Sitting in His room, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would chant on His beads, and Advaita Prabhu would come there to worship the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the daily activities of Lord Caitanya are being described here. How He would give such kindness and affection to His devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.8

sugandhi-salile dena pādya, ācamana
sarvāṅge lepaye prabhura sugandhi candana

Translation: While worshiping Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Advaita Ācārya would offer Him scented water to wash His mouth and feet. Then Advaita Ācārya would smear very fragrant sandalwood pulp all over His body.

Jayapatākā Swami: In the Mahābhārata Sahasranāma, it is mentions that one of the spiritual names, one of the secret names that the Lord will have a body that is smeared with sandalwood pulp.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.9

gale mālā dena, māthāya tulasī-mañjarī
yoḍa-hāte stuti kare pade namaskari’

Translation: Śrī Advaita Prabhu would also place a flower garland around the Lord’s neck and tulasī flowers [mañjarīs] on His head. Then, with folded hands, Advaita Ācārya would offer obeisances and prayers unto the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.10

prabhura advaitake pratipūjana

pūjā-pātre puṣpa-tulasī śeṣa ye āchila
sei saba lañā prabhu ācārye pūjila

Translation: After being worshiped by Advaita Ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would take the dish containing flowers and tulasī and, with whatever paraphernalia remained, worship Advaita Ācārya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He was also worshipping Advaita Ācārya with flowers and tulasī-mañjarīs.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.11

“yo ’si so ’si namo ’stu te” ei mantra paḍe
mukha-vādya kari’ prabhu hāsāya ācāryere

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would worship Advaita Ācārya by chanting the mantra “Whatever You are, You are — but I offer My respects unto You.” In addition, the Lord would make some sounds within His mouth that would make Advaita Ācārya laugh.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He was reciprocating with the devotion of Advaita Ācārya, and His loving mood was touching the heart of Advaita.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.12

ei-mata anyonye karena namaskāra
prabhure nimantraṇa kare ācārya bāra bāra

Translation: In this way Advaita Ācārya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would offer Their respectful obeisances unto each other. Then Advaita Ācārya would extend an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again and again.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Advaita Gosāi and Sītā Ṭhākurānī would invite the Lord to come again and again.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.13

ācāryagṛhe prabhura bhikṣā—caitanya-bhāgavate varṇita—

ācāryera nimantraṇa—āścarya-kathana
vistāri’ varṇiyāchena dāsa-vṛndāvana

Translation: Indeed, Śrī Advaita Ācārya’s invitation is another wonderful story. It has been very vividly described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.14

eka eka bhakta-gṛhe sagaṇa prabhura nimantraṇa

punarukti haya, tāhā nā kailuṅ varṇana
āra bhakta-gaṇa kare prabhure nimantraṇa

Translation: Since Advaita Ācārya’s invitation has been described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, I shall not repeat the story. But I shall say that other devotees also extended invitations to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in this way all the Gṛhastha devotees were dedicated to serving the Lord, and they offered Him invitations to come to their house to take lunch.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.12

bhikṣāra janya advaitera prabhuke anurodha—

eka-dina śrī-advaita-siṁha mahāmati
prabhure balilā,—“āji bhikṣā kara ithi

Jayapatākā Swami: One day the magnanimous, lionlike Śrī Advaita Ācārya requested Lord Caitanya, “today, please take Your lunch at My house.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.13

muṣṭy-eka taṇḍula prabhu, rāndhiba āpana
hasta mora dhanya hau tomāra bhakṣaṇe”

Jayapatākā Swami: “I cook only a handful of rice, for Lord Caitanya. I cook it myself, let My hands be blessed by accepting this prasāda.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.14

prabhura ukti—ācārya-pradatta anna kṛṣṇa-bhakti-sādhaka o prabhura paramapriya vastu—

prabhu bale,—“ye jana tomāra anna khāya
‘kṛṣṇa-bhakti’, ‘kṛṣṇa’ se-i pāya sarvathāya

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya said, “that person who eats your rice prasāda he certainly attains Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s eternal devotional service .

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.15

ācārya, tomāra anna āmāra jīvana
tumi khāoyāile haya kṛṣṇera bhojana

Jayapatākā Swami: “O my dear Ācārya, Your rice is My life. Certainly whatever You feed, Kṛṣṇa certainly eats.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.16

tumi ye naivedya kara kariyā randhana
māgiyāo khāite āmāra tathi mana

Jayapatākā Swami: “Whatever offering you cook for Kṛṣṇa, I am ready to eat even begging for the remnants.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.17

advaitācāryera ānanda

śuniñā prabhura bhakta-vatsalatā-vāṇīki
ānande advaita bhāsena nāhi jāni

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing Lord Caitanya’s affectionate words to His devotees, what transcendental bliss Advaita felt, I cannot explain!

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 9.18

advaitera bāsāya pratyāvartana; mahāprabhura bhikṣāra sajjā, advaitagṛhiṇīra randhanādi-kārya—

parama santoṣe tabe vāsāya āilā
prabhura bhikṣāra sajja karite lāgilā

Jayapatākā Swami: In great satisfaction Advaita returned to His house, He started to make the arrangements for Lord Caitanya’s meal.

So Advaita Gosāi was very enthusiastic to prepare all the offerings for Lord Caitanya. This was a regular pastime of the Lord, to go to different devotees' house and take prasāda, and in this way He was very affectionate to His devotees.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Advaita Ācārya Invites Lord Caitanya to Take Lunch.