20210809 Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 3

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 9th August 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!

Continuing the compilation of Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Todays chapter entitled is:

Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 3

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.238

markaṭa-vairāgya nā kara loka dekhāñā
yathā-yogya viṣaya bhuñja’ anāsakta hañā

Translation: “You should not make yourself a showbottle devotee and become a false renunciant. For the time being, enjoy the material world in a befitting way and do not become attached to it.”

Purport: The word markaṭa-vairāgya, indicating false renunciation, is very important in this verse. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, in commenting on this word, points out that monkeys make an external show of renunciation by not accepting clothing and by living naked in the forest. In this way they consider themselves renunciants, but actually they are very busy enjoying sense gratification with dozens of female monkeys. Such renunciation is called markaṭa-vairāgya—the renunciation of a monkey. One cannot be really renounced until one actually becomes disgusted with material activity and sees it as a stumbling block to spiritual advancement. Renunciation should not be phalgu, temporary, but should exist throughout one’s life. Temporary renunciation, or monkey renunciation, is like the renunciation one feels at a cremation ground. When a man takes a dead body to the crematorium, he sometimes thinks, “This is the final end of the body. Why am I working so hard day and night?” Such sentiments naturally arise in the mind of any man who goes to a crematorial ghāṭa. However, as soon as he returns from the cremation grounds, he again engages in material activity for sense enjoyment. This is called śmaśāna-vairāgya, or markaṭa-vairāgya.

In order to render service to the Lord, one may accept necessary things. If one lives in this way, he may actually become renounced. In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.108), it is said:

“The bare necessities of life must be accepted, but one should not superfluously increase his necessities. Nor should they be unnecessarily decreased. One should simply accept what is necessary to help one advance spiritually.”

In his Durgama-saṅgamanī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī comments that the word sva-nirvāhaḥ actually means sva-sva-bhakti-nirvāhaḥ. The experienced devotee will accept only those material things that will help him render service to the Lord. In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.256), markaṭa-vairāgya, or phalgu-vairāgya, is explained as follows:

“When persons eager to achieve liberation renounce things related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thinking them to be material, their renunciation is called incomplete.” Whatever is favorable for the rendering of service to the Lord should be accepted and should not be rejected as a material thing. Yukta-vairāgya, or befitting renunciation, is thus explained:

“Things should be accepted for the Lord’s service and not for one’s personal sense gratification. If one accepts something without attachment and accepts it because it is related to Kṛṣṇa, one’s renunciation is called yukta-vairāgya.” Since Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, whatever is accepted for His service is also the Absolute Truth.

The word markaṭa-vairāgya is used by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to indicate so-called Vaiṣṇavas who dress themselves in loincloths trying to imitate Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Such people carry a bead bag and chant, but at heart they are always thinking about getting women and money. Unknown to others, these markaṭa-vairāgīs maintain women but externally present themselves as renunciants. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much opposed to these markaṭa-vairāgīs, or pseudo Vaiṣṇavas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if one is living with a wife or husband and can increase the devotional service, then giving it up is a type of superficial or false renunciation. We take everything which is favorable for devotional service, and we reject those things which are unfavorable. Sometimes people display themselves as great renunciants, but they are actually sense gratifiers, that’s called markaṭa-vairāgya or phalgu-vairāgya and yukta-vairāgya is to use things properly in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.239

antare niṣṭhā kara, bāhye loka-vyavahāra
acirāt kṛṣṇa tomāya karibe uddhāra

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “Within your heart you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary man. Thus Kṛṣṇa will soon be very pleased and deliver you from the clutches of māyā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the actual situation, but if someone externally shows himself as a very renounced person but internally he is always thinking about sense gratification. Compared to a person who is externally an ordinary person but internally he is always thinking about Kṛṣṇa, and how to expand the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, that’s called yukta-vairāgya. One should avoid the monkey renunciation, accept yukta-vairāgya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.240

prabhura vṛndāvana haite āsiyā nīlācale thākā-kāle sākṣāt karite ājñā 
vṛndāvana dekhi’ yabe āsiba nīlācale
tabe tumi āmā-pāśa āsiha kona chale

Translation: You may see Me at Nīlācala, Jagannātha Purī, when I return after visiting Vṛndāvana. By that time you can think of some trick to escape.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had given instruction to Raghunātha dāsa, that after He left Vṛndāvana that Raghunātha dāsa should join Him in Jagannātha Purī. By that time he should think of some way, By that time he should think of some way, but in meantime he was able to participate in the Pānihāṭi, daṇḍa-mahotsava and he got the mercy of Lord Nityānanda and when Lord Caitanya returned from Vṛndāvana, he was able to go there.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.241

ahaitukī kṛṣṇa-kṛpā-prabhāvei kṛṣṇa-prāpti-yogyatā:— 
se chala se-kāle kṛṣṇa sphurābe tomāre
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā yāṅre, tāre ke rākhite pāre”

Translation: “What kind of means you will have to use at that time will be revealed by Kṛṣṇa. If one has Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, no one can check him.”

Purport: Although Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa was very anxious to join Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord advised him to wait for the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He recommended that Raghunātha dāsa keep his Kṛṣṇa consciousness firmly fixed in his heart while externally behaving like an ordinary man. This is a trick for everyone advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One can live in society like an ordinary human being, but at the same time one’s own business should be to satisfy Kṛṣṇa and spread His glories. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person should not be absorbed in material things, for his only business is the devotional service of the Lord. If one is engaged in this way, Kṛṣṇa will certainly bestow His mercy. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised Raghunātha dāsa, yathā-yogya viṣaya bhuñja’ anāsakta hañā. The same is repeated, antare niṣṭhā kara, bāhye loka-vyavahāra. This means that one must have no desire within his heart other than to serve Kṛṣṇa. On the basis of such a conviction, one can cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is confirmed in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.200):

A devotee may act as an ordinary human being or as a strict follower of Vedic injunctions. In either case, everything he does is favorable for the advancement of devotional service because he is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, naturally Raghunatha dasa did as advised by Lord Caitanya, that externally acting like a normal man, and internally he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.242

eta kahi’ mahāprabhu tāṅre vidāya dila
ghare āsi’ mahāprabhura śikṣā ācarila

Translation: In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bade farewell to Raghunātha dāsa, who returned home and did exactly what the Lord told him.

Jayapatākā Swami:  So, naturally Raghunatha dasa did as advised by Lord Caitanya, internally he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa. that externally acting like a normal man, he satisfied his father and uncle.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.243

bāhya vairāgya, vātulatā sakala chāḍiyā
yathā-yogya kārya kare anāsakta hañā

Translation: After returning home, Raghunātha dāsa gave up all craziness and external pseudo renunciation and engaged in his household duties without attachment.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, people cannot understand external renunciation but by practicing yukta-vairāgya, externally acting as ordinary person and internally being unattached to material enjoyment and to be attached to Kṛṣṇa. this is appreciated by the materialist but it is actually very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.244

raghunāthera ācaraṇe pitāmātāra sukha, prahari-veṣṭana-śaithilya:— 
dekhi’ tāṅra pitā-mātā baḍa sukha pāila
tāṅhāra āvaraṇa kichu śithila ha-ila

Translation: When Raghunātha dāsa’s father and mother saw that their son was acting like a householder, they became very happy. Because of this, they slackened their guard.

Purport: When Raghunātha dāsa’s father and mother saw that their son was no longer acting like a crazy fellow and was responsibly attending to his duties, they became very happy. The eleven people—five watchmen, four personal servants and two brāhmaṇas—who were guarding him became less strict in their vigilance. When Raghunātha dāsa actually took up his household affairs, his parents reduced the number of guards.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by Raghunātha dāsa acting like a crazy person and trying to run away from home, his parents had put these eleven guards, eleven people watching him. But when he followed Lord Caitanya’s instructions which was to be detached internally from material enjoyment, but externally doing all his duties responsibly and in this way his parents gradually reduced the guards and slackened the surveillance.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala 
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

By following Lord Caitanya’s instructions, the strict surveillances which was kept was slackened.