20210725 Further Glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Phalaśruti- The Result of Hearing About These Pastimes of Lord Caitanya

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 25th 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, todays chapter is entitled:

Further Glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Phalaśruti- The Result of Hearing About These Pastimes of Lord Caitanya
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.524

devānandera daṇḍavat praṇāma o svasthāne gamana—

devānanda paṇḍita prabhura vākya śuni’
daṇḍavat hailena bhāgya hena māni’

Translation: After hearing Lord Caitanya's instructions, Devānanda Paṇḍita offered his full prostrate obeisances and considered himself fortunate

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.525

prabhura caraṇa kāya-mane kari’ dhyana
calilena vipra kari' vistara praṇāma

Jayapatākā Swami: He meditated on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya with full concentration and offered the Lord repeated prostrate obeisances as he departed.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.526

prabhura sakalakei bhāgavata-sambandhe erūpa vicāra-kathana—

sabārei ei bhāgavatera ākhyāna
kahilena śrī-gaurasundara bhagavān

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Lord Gaurasundara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, revealed the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to everyone.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.527

bhaktiyogai bhāgavatera ekamātra siddhānta—

bhakti-yoga mātra bhāgavatera vyākhyāna
ādi-madhya-antye kabhu nā bujhāye āna

Jayapatākā Swami: Devotional service (bhakti-yoga) is the only topic described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Nothing else is explained in the beginning, middle, or end.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.528

śuddha-bhakti svīkāra nā kariyā bhāgavatera adhyāpanā vṛthā vākyavyaya o aparādha—

nā vākhāne bhakti, bhāgavata ye paḍāya
vyartha vākya vyaya kare, aparādha pāya

Translation: One who teaches Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam but does not explain devotional service (bhakti-yoga) speaks uselessly and commits offense.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura) If non-devotees recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, their words are useless. Moreover, they are drowned in an ocean of offenses. This inauspiciousness results from their disrespect to devotional service. (bhakti-yoga) See Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.12.51 and 12.12.49).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the science of devotional service is taught in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and if one teaches Bhāgavatam but avoids devotional service, they are committing many offenses.

ŚB 12.12.51 Translation: "Those words that do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are considered to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows, and are never resorted to by those situated in transcendental knowledge. The pure and saintly devotees take interest only in topics glorifying the infallible Supreme Lord."
ŚB 12.12.49 Translation: "Words that do not describe the transcendental Personality of Godhead but instead deal with temporary matters are simply false and useless. Only those words that manifest the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord are actually truthful, auspicious and pious."

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.529

bhāgavata bhakti-rasa-vigraha—

mūrtimanta bhāgavata—bhakti-rasa mātra
 ihā bujhe ye haya kṛṣṇera priya-pātra

Translation: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the direct form of the mellows of devotional service. One who understands this becomes dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīmad-bhāgavatam is considered as the literary incarnation of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, therefore one should meditate, speak on the Śrīmad-bhāgavatam highlighting devotional service to the Lord.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.530

gṛhasthera ghare bhāgavatera avasthāne sarva amaṅgala vināśa—

bhāgavata-pustaka thākaye yāra ghare
kona amaṅgala nāhi yāya tathākāre

Translation: No inauspiciousness can enter a house wherein Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is kept.

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows the importance of every gṛhastha keeping a set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and this purifies the house and keep inauspiciousness from entering in. So, the Bhadra-Pūrṇimā is a special day to give out Śrīmad-bhāgavatam and that assures one to go back to Kṛṣṇaloka.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.531

bhāgavatera pūjāya kṛṣṇa-pūjā—

bhāgavata pūjile kṛṣṇera pūjā haya
bhāgavata-paṭhana-śravaṇa bhakti-maya

Translation: By worshiping Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshiped. The reading and hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam awards one devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see that reading and hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one is able to be fixed in devotional service and we can worship the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as a deity, and that worship is as good as Kṛṣṇa’s worship. There are some places in Assam, where they put Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in a certain āsana and worship the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and here Lord Caitanya said that worship of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is as good as Kṛṣṇa’s worship

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Those who keep Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is worshiped by the devotees, in their house do not face any inauspiciousness. Simply by worshiping Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa is worshiped. Simply by hearing and reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one attains devotional service and executes the worship of Kṛṣṇa. In the conversation between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in the Skanda Purāṇa it is stated:

yatra yatra bhaved vipra śāstraṁ bhāgavataṁ kalua
tatra tatra harir yāti tridaśaiḥ saha nārada tatra sarvani tīrthani 

“O brāhmaṇa Nārada, wherever in Kali-yuga the scripture Bhāgavatam is present, there Lord Hari will go along with the thirteen principal demigods. Wherever the scripture Bhāgavatam is present, all the sacred places, rivers, and lakes are present. In that home where the scripture Bhāgavatam is worshiped, all sacred places and sacrifices performed with ample charity are present.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see how auspicious it is to keep a set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the house. Lord Kṛṣṇa is present, all the holy places of pilgrimage is present and 13 principal devatas are present.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.532

bhakta-bhāgavata o grantha-bhāgavata—

dui sthāne bhāgavata-nāma śuni-mātra
grantha-bhāgavata, āra kṛṣṇa-kṛpā-pātra

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): There are two types of Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the person (Bhakta-bhāgavata) who has attained the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. There are two types of Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the devotee Bhāgavata. One who faithfully recites Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is certainly a devotee Bhāgavata. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 1.99) it is stated: eka bhāgavata baḍa——bhāgavata-śāstra / āra bhāgavata——bhakta bhakti-rasa-pātra “One of the Bhāgavatas is the great scripture Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the other is the pure devotee absorbed in the mellows of loving devotion.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.533

nitya bhāgavata-śravaṇa, paṭhana o pūjāra phale bhakta-bhāgavatatva lābha avaśyambhāvī—

nityā pūje paḍe śune cāhe bhagavata
satya satya seha haibeka sei mata

Translation: It is certainly true that one who regularly worships, hears, reads, or sees Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will also become a Bhāgavata.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, keeping Bhagavatam or just by seeing it, gradually one becomes a bhakta-bhāgavata.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.534

duṣkṛtigaṇa bhāgavata-pāṭhera abhinaya kariyā jagadguru nityānandera nindaka—

hena bhāgavata kona duṣkṛti paḍiyā
nityānanda nindā kare tattva nā jāniyā

Translation: Yet even after reading this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam some sinful people blaspheme Lord Nityānanda, without knowing His glories.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): If out of misfortune a reciter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam blasphemes Nityānanda, he accumulates sin rather than recites Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrī Nityānanda certainly always sings the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with His thousand tongues and mouths.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Anantadeva is considered the expansion of Lord Nityānanda, and He has thousands of heads, that’s why it is described that Lord Nityānanda has thousands of head, thousands of mouths and thousands of tongues.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.535

bhāgyavān samīpe nityānanda mūrta bhāgavatarasa—

bhāgavata-rasa—nityānanda mūrtimanta
ihā jāne ye haya parama bhāgyavanta

Translation: Lord Nityānanda is the personification of the devotional mellows of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One who knows this becomes most fortunate

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.536

nityānanda anantarūpe anantamukhe anantakāla avirāma bhāgavata-kīrtanakārī haiyāo bhāgavatera anta pāna nā—

niravadhi nityānanda sahasra-vadane
bhāgavata-artha se gāyena anukṣaṇe

Translation: Lord Nityānanda constantly sings the purport of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with His thousand mouths.

Jayapatākā Swami: Again it is considering Lord Nityānanda as non-different from Anantadeva, therefore it is saying that Lord Nityānanda is having thousands of mouths.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.537

āpanei nityānanda ananta yadyapi/ tathāpi o pāra nāhi pāyena adyāpi

Translation: Although Lord Nityānanda is Himself Lord Ananta Śeṣa, He nevertheless could not yet fully describe the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Jayapatākā Swami: This indicates that the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa are unlimited and even Ananta Śeṣa with His thousands of mouths is not able to find the end the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.538

sānta dhāraṇāya ananyātīta vastu sampūrṇa agrāhya—

hena bhāgavata yena anantero pāra
ihāte kahila saba bhakti-rasa sāra

Translation: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so glorious that it is beyond the grasp of even Lord Ananta. It describes the essence of all the mellows of devotional service.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.539

devānanda paṇḍitake lakṣya kariyā prabhura sakalake bhāgavatera tātparya śikṣādāna—

devānanda paṇḍitera lakṣye sabākāre
bhāgavata-artha bujhāilena īśvare

Translation: Through His instructions to Devānanda Paṇḍita, Lord Caitanya revealed the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to everyone.

Jayapatākā Swami: It is said sometimes the mother teaches the Daughter-in-law by teaching the daughter and in that way through the teachings of Devānanda Paṇḍita of the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, actually He instructed all His associates about the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.540

ei mata ye yata āise jijñāsite
sabārei pratikāra karena su-rīte

Translation: In this way those who approached Lord Caitanya were given suitable answers to their inquiries.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.541

kuliyā grāme sakalakei kṛtārtha karilena—

kuliyā-grāmete āsi' śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya
hena nāhi, yāre prabhu nā karilā dhanya

Translation: After coming to Kuliyā, Lord Śrī Krsna Caitanya, did not neglect anyone, but made everyone glorious.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Śrī Caitanyadeva made all the inhabitants of Kuliyā glorious by forgiving their offenses. That is why the present-day city of Navadvīpa, which is situated across the Ganges from Māyāpur, is still know as aparādha-bhañjanera pāṭa, or the place where offenses are excused. But those who live in Kuliyā and commit offenses at the feet of pure devotees by becoming hostile to the original Māyāpur never attain auspiciousness.

Jayapatākā Swami: Some of the residents of Navadvīpa became very envious against His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and against Māyāpur dhāma and they concocted what they called as Prācīna Māyāpur, ancient Māyāpur. But actually, ancient Navadvīpa and ancient Māyāpur are on the eastern bank of the Ganges, and the present city of Navadvīpa on the western bank is actually Kuliyā where Lord Caitanya had these pastimes. If one is committing offenses to Māyāpur or the gurus who revealed the glories of Māyāpur, for them Kuliyā is the place, to get forgiven for their offenses. But if then if they are going on committing offenses then wherever they are it will not be auspicious.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.542

prabhura darśane sakalera santoṣa o atṛpta darśanākāṅkṣā—

sarva loka sukhī hailā prabhure dekhiyā
punaḥ punaḥ dekhe sabe nayana bhariyā

Translation: Everyone became happy on seeing Lord Caitanya. They all continually gazed on Him to the full satisfaction of their eyes.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.543

manoratha pūrṇa kari' dekhe sarva loka
ānande bhāsaye pāsariyā duḥkha-śoka

Translation: Their hearts became fully satisfied as they looked at Lord Caitanya. They forgot all distress and lamentation and floated in ecstasy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1.153

kuliyā-grāme kaila devānandere prasāda
gopāla-viprere kṣamāila śrīvāsāparādha

Translation: The specific acts performed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at this time were His showing favor to Devānanda Paṇḍita and excusing the brāhmaṇa known as Gopāla Cāpala from the offense he had committed at the lotus feet of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we heard the details of how the Lord forgave Devānanda Paṇḍita and Capala Gopāla who had put goat blood and aticles of worshipping Goddess Kāli at the gate of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and for this offense he had become a leper and Lord Caitanya forgave him after he was forgiven by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 10.77

bhāgavatī devānanda vakreśvara-kṛpāte
bhāgavatera bhakti-artha pāila prabhu haite

Translation: Devānanda Paṇḍita was a professional reciter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but by the mercy of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita and the grace of Lord Caitanya he understood the devotional interpretation of the Bhāgavatam.

Purport: In the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter twenty-one, it is stated that Devānanda Paṇḍita and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s father, Viśārada, lived in the same village. Devānanda Paṇḍita was a professional reciter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like his interpretation of it. In the present town of Navadvīpa, which was formerly known as Kuliyā, Lord Caitanya showed such mercy to him that he gave up the Māyāvādī interpretation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and learned how to explain Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in terms of bhakti. Formerly, when Devānanda was expounding the Māyāvādī interpretation, Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura was once present in his meeting, and when he began to cry, Devānanda’s students drove him away. Some days later, Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed that way, and when He met Devānanda He chastised him severely because of his Māyāvāda interpretation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. At that time Devānanda had little faith in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa, but one night some time later Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was a guest in his house, and when he explained the science of Kṛṣṇa, Devānanda was convinced about the identity of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus he was induced to explain Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam according to the Vaiṣṇava understanding. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (106) it is described that he was formerly Bhāguri Muni, the sabhā-paṇḍita who recited Vedic literatures in the house of Nanda Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta gives a synopsis of these pastimes but they are explained in great detail in the Caitaniya-bhāgavata.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.544

nirmatsara haiyā śrī-caitanya-vilāsa śravaṇera phala—

e saba vilāsa ye śunaye harṣa-mane
śrī-caitanya-saṅga pāya sei saba-jane

Translation: Those who happily hear these pastimes attain the association of Lord Caitanya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is a great benefit of hearing these pastimes of Lord Caitanya in Kuliyā that one can achieve the personal association of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.545

yathā tathā janmuka—sabāra śreṣṭha haya
kṛṣṇa-yaśa śunile kakhano manda naya

Translation: One who hears the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa is never unfortunate; he is the best of all persons, regardless of what kind of birth he took.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): After having taken birth in any caste or at any place, if one faithfully hears the glories of Kṛṣṇa, he will never meet with inauspiciousness.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, hearing Śrīmad-bhāgavatam from the pure devotee regardless of one’s birth, what caste, what creed, what gender and what situation one was born in, is not relevant. By hearing Śrīmad-bhāgavatam everything becomes auspicious.

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram, 52

Translation: Because he humbly worshiped the devotees, Devānanda in Kuliya-nagara town attained Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, which cannot be purchased by any amount of wealth, followers, beauty or learning. I bow down before Lord Gaura, who is only attained by the pure devotional service of the pure and the wise.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda is giving this causeless mercy of receiving the teachings of Lord Caitanya and therefore He is doing the greatest welfare work that people are achieving, which they could not achieve in any other way, the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Further Glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Phalaśruti- The Result of Hearing About These Pastimes of Lord Caitanya.

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