20210826 Neglecting the Blasphemy of the Vārāṇasī Māyāvādīs, Lord Caitanya Proceeds to Mathurā Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 26th 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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book todays chapter entitled is:

Neglecting the Blasphemy of the Vārāṇasī Māyāvādīs, Lord Caitanya Proceeds to Mathurā Part 2
Under the section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.99

dekhā nāhi pāya yata abhakta sannyāsī
tāra sākṣī yateka sannyāsī kāśī-vāsī

Translation: That is why nondevotee sannyāsīs cannot see Lord Caitanya. The sannyāsīs of Kāśī are evidence of this.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.100

kāśīvāsī sannyāsigaṇera prabhu-āgamana-saṁvāda śravaṇe gaura darśana-prāpti-āśā evaṁ bhakti upekṣāhetu nairāśya—

śeṣa-khaṇḍa yakhane calilā prabhu kāśī
śunileka kāśī-vāsī yateka sannyāsī

Translation: In the later pastime, after accepting sannyāsa, when Lord Caitanya went to Kāśī, all the sannyāsīs there heard about His arrival.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.101

śuniyā ānanda haila sannyāsīra gaṇa/ ‘dekhiba caitanya’, baḍa śuni mahājana

Translation: Those sannyāsīs became happy to hear about the arrival of that great personality and thought, “We will see Caitanya.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.102

sabei vedāntī-jñānī, sabei tapasvī
ājanma kāśīte vāsa, sabei yaśasvī

Translation: They were all conversant with Vedānta and practiced at austerities. They had lived their entire lives in Kāśī and were greatly renowned.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.103

eka doṣe sakala guṇera gela śakti
paḍāya vedānta, nā vākhāne viṣṇu-bhakti

Translation: Yet all their good qualities were nullified by one fault— they taught Vedānta but did not explain devotional service to Viṣṇu.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Persons inclined to Lord Viṣṇu's devotional service, which negates the philosophy of impersonalism, are pure followers of Vedānta. Māyāvādīs are pseudo followers of Vedānta. Therefore since they regard the illusory energy of the Lord and the Absolute Truth to be on the same level, such faulty persons become offenders at the feet of the eternal Lord and His devotees. All good qualities abandon the Māyāvādīs and destroy their constitutional propensity of devotional service to Viṣṇu.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.104

antaryāmī gaurasiṁha ihā saba jāne
giyā o kāśīte nā dilā daraśane

Translation: The lionlike Lord Gaura, the Supersoul of all, knows everything. Although He went to Kāśī, He did not give darśana to those sannyāsīs.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.105

rāmacandra-purīra maṭhete lukāi
yārahilena dui māsa vārāṇasī giyā

Translation: While in Vārāṇasī He hid in Rāmacandra Purī's āśrama, where He stayed for two months.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Śrī Gaurasundara stayed at Candraśekhara's house in Vārāṇasī. By profession, the śūdra Candraśekhara was a doctor. Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana, the author of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, understood that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu secretly stayed at the āśrama of Rāmacandra Purī. Rāmacandra Purī was a pseudo-disciple of Mādhavendra Purī. He had a strong inclination for Māyāvāda philosophy. The Lord openly declared that He stayed in the āśrama of Rāmacandra Purī, whereas He actually stayed elsewhere in the association of Kṛṣṇa's devotees. Rāmacandra Purī was a sectarian sannyāsī, therefore the general public could not criticize the Lord, as a sannyāsī, for staying at his āśrama.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He actually stayed with a devotee, but publicly He said He was saying that He was staying in Ramacandra Purī’s āśrama. Rāmacandra Purī, he is ritual criticizer, anyway he could not understand the ecstasies of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī and therefore Śrī Mādhavendra Purī had rejected him. But just to keep up His image, Lord Caitanya was saying that He was staying there, sannyāsīs normally don’t stay with śūdras. But Lord Caitanya considered bhakti greater than varṇāśrama.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.106

viśvarūpa-kṣaurera divasa dui āche
lukāiyā calilā, dekhaye keha pāche

Translation: Two days before the observance of Viśvarūpa-kṣaura, Lord Caitanya departed secretly, in order to avoid seen by others.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): The phrase viśvarūpa-kṣaura is explained as follows: The ekadaṇḍi-sannyāsīs shave their heads on the full moon day of every second month. The observance of shaving that takes place at the middle of Cāturmāsya, after the first two months, is called “Viśvarūpa-kṣaura.” According to the regulations for Cāturmāsya, enjoyment like shaving the head is prohibited. But in the course of observing the vow of shaving the head every two months, there is a special allowance for ekadaṇḍi-sannyāsīs to shave their heads on the full moon day that falls in the month of Śrāvaṇa or Bhādra. This does not break their observance of Cāturmāsya. After the observance of Viśvarūpa-kṣaura, rituals like worshiping the spiritual master and recitation of the viśva-rūpa chapter of Bhagavad-gītā are prescribed. On the thirteenth day of the waxing moon Mahāprabhu left Kāśī in secret, unseen by ordinary people. The sannyāsīs of Kāśī knew that on the day of Viśvarūpa-kṣaura they would get the darśana of Śrī Caitanyadeva. The sannyāsīs thought that Śrī Caitanyadeva was a Māyāvādī sannyāsī like themselves, so when they came to know that Mahāprabhu had secretly left, even on the day of Viśvarūpa-kṣaura, they merged in an ocean of disappointment.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs were criticizing Lord Caitanya, they also were desirous of seeing the Lord but since He left secretly, they were very disappointed.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.107

pāche śunilena saba sannyāsīra gaṇa
calilena caitanya, nahila daraśana

Translation: Later, the sannyāsīs heard that Lord Caitanya had left, so they would not be able to see Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya here is teaching that the priority for devotees is to render devotional service and not associate with Māyāvādīs. Since Lord Caitanya wanted to reach Vṛndāvana, He went to Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.108

mahāprabhura prasthāne māyāvādigaṇera jalpanā—

sarva-buddhi harileka eka nindā-pāpa
pāche o kāhāra citte nā janmila tāpa

Translation: All their intelligence was stolen away simply because of their indulgence in the sin of blasphemy. Yet even after His departure they did not feel remorse.

Jayapatākā Swami: Māyāvādīs criticize Lord Kṛṣṇa and His devotees, but they don’t feel any remorse for doing this. So, although they were disappointed that they cannot see Lord Caitanya, they didn’t feel any remorse for their criticizing.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.109

āro bale,—“āmarā sakala pūrvāś
ramīāmā sabā' sambhāṣiyā vinā gelā kenī?

Translation: They said, “We all have a common lineage, so why did Lord Caitanya leave without speaking to us? The Māyāvādīs thought that because He was Bhārathi, in the Śaṅkarācārya line, therefore Lord Caitanya was a follower of Śaṅkarācārya. They didn’t understand why He didn’t speak to them. They didn’t know that Lord Caitanya was a Vaiṣṇava. On Lord Caitanya’s return from Vṛndāvana, He would preach to the Māyāvādīs.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.110

dui dina lāgi’ kene svadharma chāḍiyā
kene gelā ‘viśvarūpa-kṣaura’ laṅghiyā?”

Translation: Why did He forsake His religious duties by leaving two days before Viśvarūpa-kṣaura?”

Jayapatākā Swami: They though that Lord Caitanya would stay for Viśvarūpa-kṣaura and have His head shaved. But they are very surprised that He left. Anything they could find as an excuse to criticize.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.111

kṛṣṇa-bhaktihīna nindaka kāśīpati mahādevera daṇḍya—

bhakti-hīna haile e-mata buddhi haya
nindakera pūjāśiva kabhu nāhi laya

Translation: If one is devoid of devotional service, this type of mentality develops. Lord Śiva never accepts the worship of a blasphemer.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Since living entities who have not awakened to devotional service, which is the eternal propensity of the soul, are attached to the performance of ritualistic activities like Viśvarūpa-kṣaura, they cannot understand the sweetness of the devotional service preached by Śrī Caitanyadeva. Sadāśiva, the Lord of Kāśī, never accepts the worship of those who blaspheme Vaiṣṇavas.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although the Māyāvādī sannyāsī worship Lord Śiva, Lord Śiva don’t accept their worship because He don’t accept the worship from those who blaspheme the Vaiṣṇavas, Lord Śiva is the greatest of all the Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam states, vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ, Lord Śiva is the greatest among the Vaiṣṇavas and naturally He doesn’t accept worship from those who blaspheme the Vaiṣṇavas.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.112

kāśīte ye para ninde, se śivera daṇḍya
śiva-aparādhe viṣṇu nahe tāra vandya

Translation: Those who blaspheme others in Kāśī are punished by Lord Śiva, and those who offend Śiva cannot become devotees of Viṣṇu.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Mahādeva, the proprietor of Kāśī, punishes the residents of Kāśī who blaspheme the Supreme Lord. The topmost Vaiṣṇava Mahādeva punishes such condemned living entities for their offenses against the Vaiṣṇavas and makes them bereft of devotion to Viṣṇu.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Vaiṣṇavas respect Lord Śiva as the topmost Vaiṣṇava and offers their obeisances to Lord Śiva as a Vaiṣṇava and those who offend Vaiṣṇavas, and Lord Viṣṇu are punished by Lord Śiva. We heard that some of offenders in Kāśī had been affected by leprosy.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.113

gaurasundarera vaiṣṇava-nindaka vyatīta sakalake kṛpā—

sabāra kariba gaurasundara uddhāra
vyatirikta vaiṣṇava-nindaka durācāra

Translation: Lord Gaurasundara delivers everyone except the sinful people who blaspheme Vaiṣṇavas.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Lord Śrī Gaurasundara's preaching of devotional service is meant to deliver everyone in the world, but Mahāprabhu did not display any compassion for delivering the sinful Māyāvādīs who indulge in blaspheming Vaiṣṇavas. Rather, He enacted the pastime of accepting the hospitality of a drunken debauchee. Yet He did not award the Māyāvādī Vedāntists who were envious of Vaiṣṇavas the good fortune of attaining His darśana.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this making a reference to Lord Caitanya's accepting the hospitality of dārī sannyāsī who was a drunkard and a womanizer, one who is sinful still Lord Caitanya would deliver them but those who critise Vaiṣṇavas they are not delivered by Lord Caitanya. So we should very careful not to blaspheme any Vaiṣṇava.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.114

madyapera ghare kailā snāna (se) bhojana
nindaka vedāntī nā pāila daraśana

Translation: Lord Caitanya took bath and ate at the house of a drunkard (Dārī Sannyāsī), but the blasphemous Vedāntists could not get the darśana of Lord Caitanya.

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows the importance or criticizing or blaspheming a Vaiṣṇava, Lord Caitanya would deliver all these sinful people but the blasphemers of the Vaiṣṇavas are deprived of the Lord’s mercy.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.115

caitanya-daṇḍe āśaṅkāhīna vyakti yamadaṇḍa—

caitanyera daṇḍe yā'ra citte nāhi bhaya
janme janme sei jīva yama-daṇḍya haya

Translation: A living entity who does not fear Lord Caitanya's punishment is punished by Yamarāja, birth after birth.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Śrī Caitanyadeva punished the Māyāvādī Vedāntists by adopting the principle of noncooperation with them. Those who are not afraid of such severe punishment are sufficiently punished in every life by Yamarāja. All demigods are servants of the Supreme Lord; they constantly engage in glorifying topics of the Supreme Lord. People who are averse to the service of the demigods and brāhmaṇas can never become attached to the lotus feet of Śrī Gaurasundara. If one does not have intense attachment for the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya, then useless inclination towards impersonalism is completely futile. Activities like studying Māyāvāda Vedānta, becoming devoid of devotion to Viṣṇu, and renouncing material enjoyment are all useless and futile for people who are bereft of Śrī Mahāprabhu's service.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so by serving Lord Caitanya by spreading His message is the sublime way to taste the transcendental bliss. If Kṛṣṇa, if Lord Caitanya is happy we will become automatically happy, so everyone should engage in trying to please Lord Caitanya and the Pañca-tattva.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.116-117

aja-bhavādi-stuta gaurasundare ratihīna vaidāntikera sannyāsādira naiṣphalya—

aja, bhava, ananta, kamalā sarva-mātā
sabāra śrī-mukhe nirantara yāṅra kathā

hena gauracandra-yaśe yāra nahe rati
vyartha tā'ra sannyāsa, vedānta-pāṭhe mati

Translation: The acceptance of sannyāsa and the study of Vedānta of one who has no attachment for the glorification of Lord Śrī Gauracandra, who is constantly praised by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Ananta, and Kamalā devī, the mother of all, is useless.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself, he is glorified by the above mentioned personalities, so if the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs neglect Lord Caitanya, then all their so called austerities are useless or futile.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.44

prabhura uhāke upekṣā o mathurāya gamana:—

upekṣā kariyā kaila mathurā gamana
mathurā dekhiyā punaḥ kaila āgamana

Translation: Thus neglecting the blasphemy of the Vārāṇasī Māyāvādīs, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu proceeded to Mathurā, and after visiting Mathurā He returned to meet the situation.

Purport: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not talk with the Māyāvādī philosophers when He first visited Vārāṇasī, but He returned there from Mathurā to convince them of the real purport of Vedānta.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this tells the actual activities of Lord Caitanya, He would first go to Vṛndāvana and then He would come back from Vṛndāvana to Benares, at that time He would deliver the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs by telling them the real purport of the Vedānta.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Neglecting the Blasphemy of the Vārāṇasī Māyāvādīs, Lord Caitanya Proceeds to Mathurā.

Under The Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana