20210605 Phalaśruti – The Result of Hearing About Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 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!

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

Phalaśruti – The Result of Hearing About Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.164

dāmodara-sakāśe puṇḍarīkera svapna-vṛttānta-kathana—

dāmodara-svarūpa jijñāse,—“e-ki kathākene
gāla phuliyāche, kibā pāile vyathā”

Jayapatākā Swami: Svarūpa Dāmodara asked Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, “What is this? Why are your cheeks swollen? Did you get hurt in some way?”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.165

hāsiyā balena vidyānidhi mahāśaya
“śuna bhāi, kāli gela yateka saṁśaya

Jayapatākā Swami: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi smiled and said, “Please listen, brother. All my doubts were vanquished last night.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.166

māṇḍuyā-vastrere ye kariluṅ avajñāna
tāra śāsti gāle ei dekha vidyamāna

Jayapatākā Swami: “Look at my cheeks and see the evidence of the punishment I received because of criticizing the offering of starched clothes to Lord Jagannātha.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.167

āji svapne āsi’ jagannātha-balarāma
dui-daṇḍa caḍāyena nāhika viśrāma

Jayapatākā Swami: “Last night Lord Jagannātha and Lord Balarāma appeared before me in a dream and continually slapped me for two daṇḍas (45 minutes).

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.168

‘mora paridhāna-vastra karili nindana’
eta bali’ gāle caḍāyena dui jana

Jayapatākā Swami: “They both slapped my cheeks while saying, ‘You have criticized the clothes We wear.’”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.169

gāle bājiyāche yata aṅgulera aṅguri
bhāla-mate uttaro karite nāhi pāri

Jayapatākā Swami: “See the marks of Their fingers on my cheeks. I was unable to give them an appropriate response.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.170

vidyānidhira lajjā-līlā—

e lajjāya kāhāre sambhāṣā nāhi kari
gāla bāla haile se bāhira haite pāri

Jayapatākā Swami: “I am too embarrassed to speak to anyone. I will go out only after my cheeks become normal.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.171

eta’ kathā anyatra kahite yogya nahe
baḍa bhāgya hena bhāi, mānila hṛdaye

Jayapatākā Swami: “It is not proper to tell others about this incident. O brother, in my heart I consider myself most fortunate.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.172

aparādha-anurūpa-śāsti-varaṇa-līlā—

bhāla śāsti pāiluṅ aparādha-anurūpe
e nahile paḍitāma mahā-andha-kūpe”

Jayapatākā Swami: “I have received a proper punishment for my offense, otherwise I would have fallen into a great blind well.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.173

svarūpera vidyānidhi-saha sakhyavasa—

vidyānidhi-prati dekhi’ snehera udaya
ānande bhāsena dāmodara mahāśaya

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing the Lord jagannātha’s affection towards Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, the great personality, Svarūpa Dāmodara floated in ecstasy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.174

sakhāra sampade haya sakhāra ullāsa
dui jane hāsena paramānanda-hāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: As one becomes happy upon seeing the good fortune of a friend, the two both laughed in transcendental bliss.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.175

dāmodara-svarūpa balena,—“śuna bhāi!
e-mata adbhuta daṇḍa dekhi śuni nāi

Jayapatākā Swami: Dāmodara Svarūpa said, “Listen, my brother, I have never heard about or seen such a wonderful punishment.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.176

dāmodarera vismaya; ubhayera kṛṣṇa-prasaṅga—

svapne āsi’ śāsti kare āpane sākṣāte
āra śuni nāi, sabe dekhiluṅ tomāte”

Jayapatākā Swami: “Lord Krsna or Jagannātha appeared in a dream and personally punished you. I have never before heard of such a thing, but I can directly see that you have been punished.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.177

hena-mate dui sakhā bhāsena santoṣe
rātra-dina nā jānena kṛṣṇa-kathā-rase

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way the two friends floated in transcendental satisfaction and forgot whether it was day or night as they continually enjoyed topics of Kṛṣṇa.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.19) it is stated:

“We never tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by hymns and prayers. Those who have developed a taste for transcendental relationships with Him relish hearing of His pastimes at every moment.”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.3) it is stated:

“O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.18.14) it is stated:

“The Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa [Govinda], is the exclusive shelter for all great living beings, and His transcendental attributes cannot even be measured by such masters of mystic powers as Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Can anyone who is expert in relishing nectar [rasa] ever be fully satiated by hearing topics about Him?”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.52.20) it is stated:

“What experienced listener, O brāhmaṇa, could ever grow satiated while listening to the pious, charming and ever-fresh topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which cleanse away the world’s contamination?”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.20.24) it is stated:

“My dear Lord, I therefore do not wish to have the benediction of merging into Your existence, a benediction in which there is no existence of the nectarean beverage of Your lotus feet. I want the benediction of at least one million ears, for thus I may be able to hear about the glories of Your lotus feet from the mouths of Your pure devotees.”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.20.26) it is stated:

“My dear highly glorified Lord, if one, in the association of pure devotees hears even once the glories of Your activities, he does not, unless he is nothing but an animal, give up the association of devotees, . for no intelligent person would be so careless as to leave their association. The perfection of chanting and hearing about Your glories was accepted even by the goddess of fortune, who desired to hear of Your unlimited activities and transcendental glories.”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.1.4) it is stated:

“Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the paramparā system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self?”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.13.2) it is stated:

“Paramahaṁsas, devotees who have accepted the essence of life, are attached to Kṛṣṇa in the core of their hearts, and He is the aim of their lives. It is their nature to talk only of Kṛṣṇa at every moment, as if such topics were newer and newer. They are attached to such topics, just as materialists are attached to topics of women and sex.”

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.11) it is stated:

“The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.178

vidyānidhira prabhāva—gauracandrera vidyānidhike bāpa" sambodhana—

hena puṇḍarīka vidyānidhira prabhāva
ihāne se gauracandra prabhu bale ‘bāpa’

Jayapatākā Swami: Such was the influence of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. Lord Gauracandra would address him as father.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.179

vidyānidhira gaṅgā bhakti—

pāda-sparśa-bhaye nā karena gaṅgā-snāna
sabe gaṅgā dekhena, karena jala-pāna

Jayapatākā Swami: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi would not take bath in the Ganges in fear of touching her with his feet. He would simply take darśana of the Ganges and drink the water.

So, some of the glories of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi are explained here, He would be normally be very careful with anything to do with the Lord and His servants so like this he also avoided bathing in the Ganges, thinking that His feet would touch the Ganges. So, he was very much respectful to all those things related to the Lord.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Some devotees do not take bath in the Ganges out of consideration that the Ganges water is nectar emanating from Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Rather than touching the water of the Ganges with their feet, they drink the water and take darśana of the Ganges.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.180

prabhura bhaktera janya krandana—

e bhaktera nāma laiñā gaurāṅga īśvara
‘puṇḍarīka bāpa’ bali’ kāndena vistara

Jayapatākā Swami: The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Gaurāṅga would cry profusely and call out the name of this devotee, “O father, Puṇḍarīka!” he would cry out.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.181

vidyānidhi-caritra-śravaṇera phala—

puṇḍarīka-vidyānidhi-caritra śunile
avaśya tāṅhāre kṛṣṇa-pāda-padma mile

Jayapatākā Swami: Whoever hears of the personality and characteristics of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi will certainly achieve the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

So, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was such a dear devotee to Lord Caitanya, that simply by hearing about him, one would achieve the Lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, we should be very careful to hear about these dear devotees of Lord Caitanya and thus get the special mercy of Guru and Kṛṣṇa.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Phalaśruti – The Result of Hearing About Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi.
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana.