20210722 The Faithlessness of Devānanda Paṇḍita is Destroyed by the Mercy of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 22nd July 2021 in Śrīdhāma 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, the chapter entitled:

The Faithlessness of Devānanda Paṇḍita is Destroyed by the Mercy of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.464

paṇḍita devānanda— viprere karite prabhu tattva-upadeśa/ kṣaṇeke paṇḍita devānandera praveśa

Translation: As Lord Caitanya was instructing the brāhmaṇa in spiritual knowledge, Devānanda Paṇḍita arrived there.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.465-466

gṛha-vāse yakhana āchilā gauracandra
takhane yateka karilena parānanda

prema-maya devānanda paṇḍitera mane
nahila viśvāsa, nā dekhila te kāraṇe

Translation: When Lord Gauracandra was enacting His ecstatic pastimes as a householder, Devānanda Paṇḍita did not have faith in Him. He was therefore unable to understand Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.467

dekhibāra yogyatā āchaye punaḥ tāna
tabe kene nā dekhilā, kṛṣṇa se pramāṇa

Translation: Although he had the qualification to see Lord Caitanya, only Kṛṣṇa knows why he was unable.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.468

sannyāsa kariyā yadi ṭhākura calilā
tāna bhāgye vakreśvara āsiyā mililā

Translation: When Lord Caitanya left home and took sannyāsa, Devānanda Paṇḍita had the good fortune of meeting Vakreśvara Paṇḍita.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.469

vakreśvara paṇḍitera guṇa—

vakreśvara paṇḍita-caitanya-priya-pātra
brahmāṇḍa pavitra yāṅra smaraṇei mātra

Translation: Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was a dear associate of Lord Caitanya. Simply by remembering him, the entire universe becomes sanctified.

Jayapatākā Swami: Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was such a special devotee, so dear to Lord Caitanya, simply by remembering him the universe becomes purified. Devānanda Paṇḍita met Vakreśvara Paṇḍita and thus he had a change of heart.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.470

niravadhi kṛṣṇa-prema-viraha vihvala
yāṅra nṛtye devāsura-mohita sakala

Translation: He was always overwhelmed with ecstatic feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa. Even the demigods and demons were amazed by his dancing.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.471-472

vakreśvarera kṛṣṇa-premonmāda—

aśru, kampa, sveda, hāsya, pulaka, huṅkāra
vaivarṇya-ānanda-mūrcchā-ādi ye vikāra

caitanya-kṛpāya mātra nṛtye praveśile
sakale āsiyā vakreśvara-dehe mile

Translation: Whenever Vakreśvara Paṇḍita began to dance, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya all the ecstatic transformations of love like tears, shivering, perspiration, laughing, hairs standing on end, roaring, and becoming pale appeared in his body.

Jayapatākā Swami: Because Vakreśvara Paṇḍita’s dancing was filled with loving ecstasy so his dancing was totally transcendental. So, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita would dance non-stop for 72 hours. His dancing was something very special, it is said, whether the devas or the demons, everyone was amazed by his dancing.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.473

vakreśvara paṇḍitera uddāma vikāra
sakala kahite śakti āchaye kāhāra

Jayapatākā Swami: "Who has the power to describe Vakreśvara Paṇḍita's unlimited transformations and enthusiasm of ecstatic love?"

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.474

devānanda paṇḍitera āśrame vakreśvara paṇḍitera avasthāna—

daive devānanda paṇḍitera bhakti-vaśe
rahilena tāṅhāra āśrame prema-rase

Translation: By the arrangement of providence and being bound by Devānanda Paṇḍita's affection, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita stayed for some time in Devānanda Paṇḍita's āśrama and enjoyed the mellows of ecstatic love.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.475-476

vakreśvara paṇḍitera sevāprabhāve devānandera śrī-caitanya-pādapadme viśvāsa—

dekhiyā tāṅhāra tejaḥpuñja kalevara
tribhuvane atulita viṣṇu-bhakti-dhara

devānanda paṇḍita parama sukhī mane
akaitave prema-bhāve karena sevane

Translation: Seeing Vakreśvara Paṇḍita's effulgent body and his devotional service to Lord Viṣṇu, which was incomparable within the three worlds, Devānanda Paṇḍita became greatly pleased and sincerely served him with affectionate love.

Jayapatākā Swami: Serving the devotee of the Lord, is sometimes more effective than serving the Lord, by Serving Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, Devānanda Paṇḍita got purified.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.477

vakreśvara paṇḍita nācena yata-kṣaṇa
vetra-haste āpane bulena tata-kṣaṇa

Translation: As long as Vakreśvara Paṇḍita danced, Devānanda Paṇḍita walked around guarding him with a stick in hand.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.478

āpane karena saba loka eka bhite
paḍile āpane dhari' rākhena kolete

Translation: He would personally keep people away from Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, and when Vakreśvara was about to fall unconscious, Devānanda Paṇḍita would catch him in his arms.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Devānanda Paṇḍita was protecting Vakreśvara Paṇḍita and in this way Devānanda Paṇḍita could get forgiven for offenses to the Lord’s devotees.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.479

tāṅhāra aṅgera dhūlā baḍa bhakti-mane
āpanāra sarva aṅge karena lepane

Translation: Devānanda Paṇḍita would affectionately clean the dust from Vakreśvara Paṇḍita's body and smear that dust all over his own body.

Jayapatākā Swami: Devānanda Paṇḍita was thus getting the mercy from Vakreśvara Paṇḍita.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.480

tāṅra saṅge thāki', tāna dekhiyā prakāśa
takhane janmila prabhu caitanye viśvāsa

Translation: While Vakreśvara Paṇḍita stayed with Devānanda Paṇḍita, Devānanda Paṇḍita observed his glories and thus developed faith in Lord Caitanya.

Jayapatākā Swami: By having the association of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita and serving him, he naturally developed faith on Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.481

vaiṣṇava-sevāra phala kahe ye purāṇe
tāra sākṣī ei sabe dekha vidyāmāne

Translation: The fruits of serving Vaiṣṇavas described in the Purāṇas were directly seen in this incident.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): As a result of serving a Vaiṣṇava, Devānanda Paṇḍita of Kuliyā developed faith in the lotus feet of Mahāprabhu. Vakreśvara Paṇḍita's stay in the house of Devānanda Paṇḍita became the cause of Devānanda's auspiciousness. Although this Devānanda Paṇḍita took to the path of smārta religious principles, he was greatly learned and self-controlled. He did not recite any literature other than Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. He was fixed in the Supreme Lord, and he was not controlled by his senses. But he had a lack of faith in Śrī Gaurasundara. By the mercy of Śrī Vakreśvara Pandita, his sinful mentality was removed, and he became faithful to the Supreme Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the service of the Vaiṣṇavas has such a great power that it will remove the anarthas, of faithlessness to Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.482

ājanma dhārmika udāsīna jñānavān
bhāgavata-adhyāpanā vinā nāhi āna

Translation: From his birth Devānanda Paṇḍita, was religious-minded, detached, and learned. He did not teach any literature other than Śrīmad Bhāgavatam

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.483

ājanma dhārmika, udāsīna, janavāna, śānta, dānta o jitendriya bhāgavata adhyāpakerao vaiṣṇava-sevā vyatīta śrī-bhagavat-pādapadme viśvāsa asambhava—

śanta, dānta, jitendriya, nirlobha viṣaya
prāya āra kateka vā guṇa tāne haya

Translation: Devānanda Paṇḍita was peaceful, self-controlled, sense-controlled, free from greed, and endowed with many other good qualities.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.484

bhakta-bhāgavata vakreśvarera kṛpāya paṇḍitera kubuddhi vināśa—

tathāpiha gauracandre nahila viśvāsa
vakreśvara prasāde se kubuddhi-vināśa

Translation: Yet Devananda Panndita had no faith in Lord Gauracandra. That sinful mentality was destroyed by the mercy of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, without faith in Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his path of bhakti was not complete, and by his service and association with Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, his faith for Lord Caitanya arose. So, all these good qualities are not sufficient, one should have a sense of service to the devotees of the Lord

Thus ends the chapter entitled, The Faithlessness of Devānanda Paṇḍita Is Destroyed by the Mercy of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita.

Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana