20210522 Amogha, The Son-in-law Of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Blasphemes Lord Caitanya

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 22nd,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! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Amogha, The Son-in-law of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Blasphemes Lord Caitanya
Under the Section: The Lord Accepts Prasādam at the House of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.244

bhaṭṭavākya-śravaṇe prabhura prasāda-sevana:—

eta śuni’ hāsi’ prabhu vasilā bhojane
jagannāthera prasāda bhaṭṭa dena harṣa-mane

Translation: Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and sat down to eat. The Bhaṭṭācārya, with great pleasure, first offered Him the prasādam from the Jagannātha temple.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.245

bhaṭṭa-jāmātā—yāṭhīpati prabhunindaka ‘amogha’:—

hena-kāle ’amogha,’—bhaṭṭācāryera jāmātā
kulīna, nindaka teṅho ṣāṭhī-kanyāra bhartā

Translation: At this time the Bhaṭṭācārya had a son-in-law named Amogha, who was the husband of his daughter Ṣāṭhī. Although born in an aristocratic brāhmaṇa family, Amogha was a great faultfinder and blasphemer.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.246

yaṣṭhi-haste bhaṭṭa-darśane amoghera bhaya —

bhojana dekhite cāhe, āsite nā pare
lāṭhi-hāte bhaṭṭācārya āchena duyāre

Translation: Amogha wanted to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu eat, but he was not allowed to enter. Indeed, the Bhaṭṭācārya guarded the threshold of his house with a stick in his hand.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.247

bhaṭṭera anyamanaskatāya prabhura pātre bahu anna-darśane prabhuke nindana

teṅho yadi prasāda dite hailā āna-mana
amogha āsi’ anna dekhi’ karaye nindana

Translation: However, as soon as the Bhaṭṭācārya began distributing prasādam and was a little inattentive, Amogha came in. Seeing the quantity of food, he began to blaspheme.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there are some people who always like to fault find. Just like you have flies and bees, flies like to go to the sores and rotten things, and the bees they go to the flowers to take the honey. Some people, their nature is to find fault.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.248

ei anne tṛpta haya daśa bāra jana
ekelā sannyāsī kare eteka bhakṣaṇa!

Translation: “This much food is sufficient to satisfy ten or twelve men, but this sannyāsī alone is eating so much!”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.249

bhaṭṭācārya phiriyā cāhitei amoghera palāyana:—

śunitei bhaṭṭācārya ulaṭi’ cāhila
tāṅra avadhāna dekhi’ amogha palāila

Translation: As soon as Amogha said this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya turned his eyes upon him. Seeing the Bhaṭṭācārya’s attitude, Amogha immediately left.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.250

yaṣṭhi-haste bhaṭṭera paścāddhābana–

bhaṭṭācārya lāṭhi lañā mārite dhāila
palāila amogha, tāra lāga nā pāila

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya ran after him to strike him with a stick, but Amogha fled so fast that the Bhaṭṭācārya could not catch him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.251

prabhunindaka amoghake bhaṭṭera tīvra bhatrsanā o śāpa –

tabe gāli, śāpa dite bhaṭṭācārya āilā
nindā śuni’ mahāprabhu hāsite lāgilā

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya then began to curse his son-in-law and call him ill names. When the Bhaṭṭācārya returned, he saw that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was laughing to hear him criticize Amogha.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.252

prabhunindā-śravaṇe bhaṭṭapatnīra kṣobha

śuni’ ṣāṭhīra mātā śire-buke ghāta māre
‘ṣāṭhī rāṇḍī ha-uka’—ihā bale bāre bāre

Translation: When Ṣāṭhī’s mother, the Bhaṭṭācārya’s wife, heard of this incident, she immediately began to strike her head and chest, saying again and again, “Let Ṣāṭhī become a widow!”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.253

prabhura ubhayake sāntvanā-dānānte prasāda-sevana

duṅhāra duḥkha dekhi’ prabhu duṅhā prabodhiyā
duṅhāra icchāte bhojana kaila tuṣṭa hañā

Translation: Seeing the lamentation of both husband and wife, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu tried to pacify them. According to their desire, He ate the prasādam and was very satisfied.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, hearing about the blasphemy Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and his wife were very disturbed, they cursed their son-in-law. But Lord Caitanya, He was laughing, and He ate the prasāda to satisfy them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.254

prabhura ācamana

ācamana karāñā bhaṭṭa dila mukha-vāsa
tulasī-mañjarī, lavaṅga, elāci rasa-vāsa

Translation: After Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu finished eating, the Bhaṭṭācārya poured water for the Lord to wash His mouth, hands and legs and offered Him flavored spices, tulasī-manjarīs, cloves and cardamom.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.255

sarvāṅge parāila prabhura mālya-candana
daṇḍavat hañā bale sadainya vacana

Translation: The Bhaṭṭācārya then placed a flower garland over Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and smeared His body with sandalwood pulp. After offering obeisances, the Bhaṭṭācārya submitted the following humble statement.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.256

amogha-kṛta nindā janya kṣamā-prārthanā

nindā karāite tomā āninu nija-ghare
ei aparādha, prabhu, kṣamā kara more

Translation: “I brought You to my home just to have You blasphemed. This is a great offense. Please excuse me. I beg Your pardon.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.257

adoṣadarśī prabhu:—

prabhu kahe,—nindā nahe, ‘sahaja’ kahili
ihāte tomāra kibā aparādha haila?

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “What Amogha has said is correct; therefore it is not blasphemy. What is your offense?”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.258

prabhura paścāt paścāt bhaṭṭera anuvrajyā —

eta bali’ mahāprabhu calilā bhavane
bhaṭṭācārya tāṅra ghare gelā tāṅra sane

Translation: After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left and returned to His residence. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya followed Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.259

bhaṭṭera bahu dainya o śaraṇāgati

prabhu-pade paḍi’ bahu ātma-nindā kaila
tāṅre śānta kari’ prabhu ghare pāṭhāila

Translation: Falling down at the Lord’s feet, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said many things in self-reproach. The Lord then pacified him and sent him back to his home.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was so apologetic that he was begging again and again forgiveness and self-criticizing. Lord Caitanya pacified him and sent him home

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.260

gṛhe patnīsaha bhaṭṭera gabhīra khedokti –

ghare āsi’ bhaṭṭācārya ṣāṭhīra mātā-sane
āpanā nindiyā kichu balena vacane

Translation: After returning to his home, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya consulted with his wife, the mother of Ṣāṭhī. After personally condemning himself, he began to speak as follows.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.261

caitanya-nindakera badhai tatkṛtāparādhera prāyaścitta

caitanya-gosāñira nindā śunila yāhā haite
tāre vadha kaile haya pāpa-prāyaścitte

Translation: “If the man who blasphemed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is killed, his sinful action may be atoned.”

Purport: By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupāda. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa cites the following quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa concerning the blaspheming of a Vaiṣṇava:

yo hi bhāgavataṁ lokam upahāsaṁ nṛpottama
karoti tasya naśyanti artha-dharma-yaśaḥ-sutāḥ

nindāṁ kurvanti ye mūḍhā vaiṣṇavānāṁ mahātmanām
patanti pitṛbhiḥ sārdhaṁ mahā-raurava-saṁjñite

hanti nindati vai dveṣṭi vaiṣṇavān nābhinandati
krudhyate yāti no harṣaṁ darśane patanāni ṣaṭ

In a conversation between Mārkaṇḍeya and Bhagīratha, it is said, “My dear King, one who derides an exalted devotee loses the results of his pious activities, his opulence, his reputation and his sons. Vaiṣṇavas are all great souls. Whoever blasphemes them falls down to the hell known as Mahāraurava, accompanied by his forefathers. Whoever kills or blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava and whoever is envious of a Vaiṣṇava or angry with him, or whoever does not offer him obeisances or feel joy upon seeing him, certainly falls into a hellish condition.”

Also, the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (10.314) gives the following quotation from the Dvārakā-māhātmya:

In a conversation between Prahlāda Mahārāja and Bali Mahārāja, it is said, “Those sinful people who blaspheme Vaiṣṇavas, who are all great souls, are subjected very severely to the punishment offered by Yamarāja.”

In his Bhakti-sandarbha (313), Jīva Gosvāmī quotes this statement concerning the blaspheming of Lord Viṣṇu:

ye nindanti hṛṣīkeśaṁ tad-bhaktaṁ puṇya-rūpiṇam
śata-janmārjitaṁ puṇyaṁ teṣāṁ naśyati niścitam

te pacyante mahā-ghore kumbhīpāke bhayānake
bhakṣitāḥ kīṭa-saṅghena yāvac candra-divākarau

śrī-viṣṇor avamānanād gurutaraṁ śrī-vaiṣṇavollaṅghanam
tadīya-dūṣaka-janān na paśyet puruṣādhamān
taiḥ sārdhaṁ vañcaka-janaiḥ saha-vāsaṁ na kārayet

“‘One who criticizes Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees loses all the benefits accrued in a hundred pious births. Such a person rots in the Kumbhīpāka hell and is bitten by worms as long as the sun and moon exist. One should therefore not even see the face of a person who blasphemes Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees. Never try to associate with such persons.’”

In his Bhakti-sandarbha (265), Jīva Gosvāmī further quotes from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.74.40):

nindāṁ bhagavataḥ śṛṇvaṁs 
tat-parasya janasya vā
tato nāpaiti yaḥ so ’pi 
yāty adhaḥ sukṛtāc cyutaḥ

“‘If one does not immediately leave upon hearing the Lord or the Lord’s devotee blasphemed, he falls down from devotional service.’” Similarly, Lord Śiva’s wife Satī states in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.4.17):

“If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of religion, he should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer’s tongue and kill the offender, and after that he should give up his own life.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see how heavy it is to even hear the blasphemy of Lord Viṣṇu or the Vaiṣṇavas. It should be avoided at all cost.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.262

tad-asamarthapakṣe prāṇa-tyāga; kintu svayaṁ o jāmātā, ubhayei ‘śaukra brāhmaṇa’ baliyā hatyāra ayogya

kimvā nija-prāṇa yadi kari vimocana
dui yogya nahe, dui śarīra brāhmaṇa

Translation: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “Or, if I give up my own life, this sinful action may be atoned. However, neither of these ideas is befitting because both bodies belong to brāhmaṇas.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.263

hari-guru-vaiṣṇava-nindaka-saṅga sarvarthā parityājya, tāhādera mukha-darśanao abidheya

punaḥ sei nindakera mukha nā dekhiba
parityāga kailuṅ, tāra nāma nā la-iba

Translation: “Instead, I shall never see the face of that blasphemer. I reject him and give up my relationship with him. I shall never even speak his name.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.264

hari-guru-vaiṣṇava-dveṣī pati-patnīra niścayai parityājya

ṣāṭhīre kaha—tāre chāḍuka, se ha-ila ‘patita’
‘patita’ ha-ile bhartā tyajite ucita

Translation: “Inform my daughter Ṣāṭhī to abandon her relationship with her husband because he has fallen down. When the husband falls down, it is the wife’s duty to relinquish the relationship.

Purport: Śrīla Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya considered that if Amogha were killed, the killer would suffer sinful reactions for killing the body of a brāhmaṇa. For the same reason, it would have been undesirable for the Bhaṭṭācārya to commit suicide because he also was a brāhmaṇa. Since neither course could be accepted, the Bhaṭṭācārya decided to give up his relationship with Amogha and never see his face.

As far as killing the body of a brāhmaṇa is concerned, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.7.53) gives the following injunction concerning a brahma-bandhu, a person born of a brāhmaṇa father but devoid of brahminical qualities:

“The Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, ‘A brahma-bandhu is not to be killed, but if he is an aggressor, he must be killed.’”

Quoting from the smṛti, Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī comments on this quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: 

“‘An aggressor intent on killing may be a very learned scholar of Vedānta, yet he should be killed because of his envy in killing others. In such a case, it is not sinful to kill a brāhmaṇa.’”

It is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.7.57):

“Cutting the hair from his head, depriving him of his wealth and driving him from his residence are the prescribed punishments for a brahma-bandhu. There is no injunction for killing the body.”

As far as Ṣāṭhī, the daughter of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, was concerned, she was advised to give up her relationship with her husband. Concerning this, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.18) states, “One cannot be a husband if he cannot liberate his dependents from inevitable death.” If a person is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is bereft of spiritual power, he cannot protect his wife from the path of repeated birth and death. Consequently such a person cannot be accepted as a husband. A wife should dedicate her life and everything to Kṛṣṇa for further advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If her husband abandons Kṛṣṇa consciousness and she gives up her connection with him, she follows in the footsteps of the dvija-patnīs, the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were engaged in performing sacrifices. The wife is not to be condemned for cutting off such a relationship. In this regard, Śrī Kṛṣṇa assures the dvija-patnīs in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.23.31-32):

“My dear dvija-patnīs, rest assured that your husbands will not neglect you on your return, nor will your brothers, sons or fathers refuse to accept you. Because you are My pure devotees, not only your relatives but also people in general, as well as the demigods, will be satisfied with you. Transcendental love for Me does not depend upon bodily connection, but anyone whose mind is always absorbed in Me will surely, very soon, come to Me for My eternal association.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows how, on one hand an offense to Vaiṣṇavas is so serious, and on the other hand it shows how pure devotion to Kṛṣṇa protects one from all the evil results.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.265

smṛti-vacana—
patiṁ ca patitaṁ tyajet

Translation: “When a husband is fallen, one’s relationship with him must be given up.”

Purport: This is a quotation from the smṛti-śāstra. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.11.28):

“A wife who is satisfied, who is not greedy, who is expert and knows religious principles, who speaks what is dear and truthful and is not bewildered, and who is always clean and affectionate should be very much devoted to her husband if he is not fallen.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this morning I was asked, what is the qualification of a good wife? So here we see the description. But if the husband is not fallen. So the śāstra says, the wife can leave the husband who is fallen.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.266

amoghera visūcikā-roga

sei rātre amogha kāhāṅ palāñā gela
prātaḥ-kāle tāra visūcikā-vyādhi haila

Translation: That night Amogha, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s son-in-law, fled, and in the morning he immediately fell sick with cholera.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.267

caitanya-vidveṣīra mṛtyu-sambhāvanā-śravaṇe bhaṭṭera harṣa

amogha marena—śuni’ kahe bhaṭṭācārya
sahāya ha-iyā daiva kaila mora kārya

Translation: When the Bhaṭṭācārya heard that Amogha was dying of cholera, he thought, “It is the favor of Providence that He is doing what I want to do.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.268

īśvarāparādha-phala tatkṣaṇāt dṛṣṭa

īśvare ta’ aparādha phale tata-kṣaṇa
eta bali’ paḍe dui śāstrera vacana

Translation: “When one offends the Supreme Personality of Godhead, karma immediately takes effect.” After saying this, he recited two verses from the revealed scripture.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.269

Mahābhārate Vanaparve (241.15)

mahatā hi prayatnena hasty-aśva-ratha-pattibhiḥ
asmābhir yad anuṣṭheyaṁ gandharvais tad anuṣṭhitam

Translation: “‘What we have had to arrange with great endeavor by collecting elephants, horses, chariots and infantry soldiers has already been accomplished by the Gandharvas.’”

Purport: This is a quotation from the Mahābhārata (Vana-parva 241.15). Bhīmasena made this statement when all the Pāṇḍavas were living in exile in the forest. At that time there was a fight between the Kauravas and the Gandharvas. The Kaurava soldiers were under the command of Karṇa, but the commander-in-chief of the Gandharvas was able to arrest all the Kauravas by virtue of superior military strength. At that time Duryodhana’s ministers and commanders requested Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to help. After being thus petitioned, Bhīmasena spoke the verse given above, remembering Duryodhana’s former nefarious and atrocious activities against them. Indeed, Bhīmasena felt it very fitting that Duryodhana and his company were arrested. This could have been accomplished by the Pāṇḍavas only with great endeavor.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.270

viṣṇu-vaiṣṇava-vidveṣa-phala Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.4.46)—

āyuḥ śriyaṁ yaśo dharmaṁ lokān āśiṣa eva ca
hanti śreyāṁsi sarvāṇi puṁso mahad-atikramaḥ

Translation: “‘When a person mistreats great souls, his life span, opulence, reputation, religion, possessions and good fortune are all destroyed.’”

Purport: This statement (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.4.46) was made by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. This quotation concerns the attempted killing of Kṛṣṇa’s sister (Yogamāyā), who appeared before Kṛṣṇa’s birth as the daughter of mother Yaśodā. This daughter Yogamāyā and Kṛṣṇa were born simultaneously, and Vasudeva replaced Yogamāyā with Kṛṣṇa and took Yogamāyā away. When she was brought to Mathurā and Kaṁsa attempted to kill her, Yogamāyā slipped out of his hands. She could not be killed. She then informed Kaṁsa about the birth of his enemy, Kṛṣṇa, and being thus baffled, Kaṁsa consulted his associates, who were all demons. When this big conspiracy was taking place, this verse was spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He points out that a demon can lose everything because of his nefarious activities.

The word mahad-atikrama, meaning “envy of Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees,” is significant in this verse. The word mahat indicates a great personality, a devotee or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Being always engaged in the Lord’s service, the devotees themselves are as great as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word mahat is also explained by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.13):

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

“O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.”

Being envious of the Lord and His devotees is not at all auspicious for a demon. By such envy, a demon loses everything considered beneficial.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by Amogha’s offensive activities, he was put into suffering, that is appropriate for one who commits offense.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Amogha, The Son-in-law Of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Blasphemes Lord Caitanya.
Under the Section: The Lord Accepts Prasādam at the House of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.