20210910 Seeing Mahāvana, Part 3

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 10th September 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 be continuing with the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, todays chapter entitled:

Seeing Mahāvana Part 3 
Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.159

mahāvana-dakṣiṇe dekha gokulanagara
śiśu-saṅge vatsa rākhe ethā dāmodara

Jayapatākā Swami: Just see the village of Gokula, situated south of Mahāvana. Dāmodara and His gopa friends used to tend calves there.

So, Kṛṣṇa dāsa is taking Lord Caitanya on Vṛndāvana Parikramā and here after seeing Mahāvana, He went to the south to see Gokula.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.12

Translation: “O controller of all controllers, here You may see Gopeśvara-deva. And here is Sapta-Sāmudra Kuṇḍa, which purifies all the worlds.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Gopeśvara-deva is Lord Śiva who protects the dhāma of Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.160

hera dekha gopeśvara-mūrtti manohara
sapta-samudraka-kuṇḍa dekhaha sundara

Jayapatākā Swami: See the enchanting Deity of Gopeśvara, Lord Siva. See the beautiful Sapta-samudra-kuṇḍa

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.13

Translation: “In the town to the west of this place stands the home of the gopa named āyāna, husband of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, which is an abode filled with rasa. To the south, the cowherd named ānanda also dwelt.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rādhārānī had an official husband, although Her real love and real husband was Lord Kṛṣṇa but to increase the taste of rasa, to meet Kṛṣṇa, avoiding Her mother-in-law and other relatives.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.161

āyānera ghara dekha grāmera paścime
sundara-gopera ghara tāhāra dakṣiṇe

Jayapatākā Swami: See the house of Ayana (official husband of Srimati Rādhārāṇī) located on the western side of the village. Sundara Gopa’s house stands south of it.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.14

Translation: “In the midst of this town is the house of Upananda, where Kṛṣṇa took much pleasure. On the western side of the town is the forest where Rāvaṇa performed austerities.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this Murāri Gupta Kaḍacā is written in Sanskrit and the Caitanya-maṅgala is written in Bengali, so it takes inspiration from Murāri Gupta Kaḍacā, Upananda is the brother of Yaśoda’s husband Nanda Mahārāja.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.162

upanandera ghara ei grāmera madhyakhāne
paścime dekhaha rāvaṇera tapobane

Jayapatākā Swami: Here is Upananda’s house which stands in the middle of the village. The forest where Ravaṇa did austerities lies to the west.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.15

Translation: “O Kṛṣṇa! To the north of this spot lies the āśrama of Durvāsa Muni. Nearby, O Prabhu, are the forests of Lohavana and Bilvavana.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in the Navadvīpa, there is also Bīlva-pukur or Belpūkur where the ancestral home of Śacī Mātā exists. It is interesting that in Vṛndāvana, Druvāsa muni and Rāvaṇa they all had their special āśramas. Since Vṛndāvana is a holy dhāma, people do tapasyā here and which brings multiple benefits.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.163

dekhaha durvāsāśrama ihāra uttara-
nikaṭe dekhaha lohavana manohara

Jayapatākā Swami: North of that is the āśrama of Durvāsa Muni. See before You the charming forest of Lohavana

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.164

aparūpa kahiba ei hera bilvavane
kṛṣṇa kole kari’ nanda āchilā ekhāne

Jayapatākā Swami: Over there is the incomparable forest of Bilvavana. At this place Nanda Mahārāja came carrying Kṛṣṇa.

So, the pastime which happened in Bilvavana is described here in brief.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.16

Translation: “Here also You may see the spot where Nanda Mahārāja’s son Kṛṣṇa happily played many games. Kṛṣṇa awarded to Nanda the very wonderful rasa of His boyhood pastimes.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Kṛṣṇa performed His childhood pastimes and gave great pleasure to Yaśoda and Nanda Mahārāja.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.17

Translation: “Observing the approach of some storm clouds, King Nanda said to a nice gopī, ‘Quickly take baby Kṛṣṇa to the queen of my home.’

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.165

rādhāke dekhiyā nanda kahila uttara
kole kari’ leha kṛṣṇa thoo lañā ghara

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Nanda Maharaj asked Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to take Kṛṣṇa from His lap carry Him home.

So, in Murāri Gupta Kaḍacā it is mentioned that Nanada Mahārāja saw a gopī and asked her to take Kṛṣṇa to mother Yaśoda, His queen. But in Caitanya-maṅgala it reveals that the gopī was none other than Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.18

Translation: “That lady placed Him on her lap and, feeling overwhelmed with joy, kissed Him all over. Being warmly embraced by Him, she became amazed and utterly captivated by that child.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.166

nandera ādeśe Śrī Rādhā kṛṣṇa kaila kole
cumbana karaye bālya-ācaraṇa-chale

Jayapatākā Swami: Following Nanda Mahārāja’s order, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī embraced Kṛṣṇa and kissed Him affectionately following the ways of the baby Kṛṣṇa.

So, Kṛṣṇa was embracing Rādhārāṇī as a baby and Rādhārāṇī kissed baby Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.167

kāja nāhi bujhe Śrī Rādhā lañā yāya pathe
gāḍha-āliṅgane kuca cire nakhāghāte

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī could not understand the activity of Kṛṣṇa on the way when Lord Kṛṣṇa being embraced tightly by Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī scratched Śrīmati Rādhārāṇīs breast with His nails.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.168

dekhiyā caritra rādhāra vismaya lāgila
hiyā upajila prema-vekata nā kaila

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī was surprised by His behavior. Although She didn’t express it, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī felt intense love for Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīmatī Rādhārānī had spontaneous love for Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.19

Translation: After hearing about the shining rasa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes and transcendental glories, Gaura Kṛṣṇa gave a heart-felt loving embrace to Kṛṣṇa Dāsa.

So, Lord Caitanya, on hearing the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, he was completely overwhelmed in spiritual ecstasy and embraced Kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.20

Translation: Kṛṣṇa Dāsa continued, “He Gaura-Govinda! Just see! Here Gopāla enacted the sublime pastime of tending the cows. And here is the kuṇḍa dug by Lord Śrī Hari.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.169

hera āra dekha punaḥ kṛṣṇera carita
maraye sakala śiśu tṛṣṇāya pīḍita

Jayapatākā Swami:  Witness here again the activity of Kṛṣṇa when the cowherd boys were on the verge of death due to thirst.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.170

pāṅcanī-khanila kuṇḍa dekha vidyamāna
śuni’ mātra gauracandra nāhi vāhyajñāna

Jayapatākā Swami: Here Lord Kṛṣṇa dug a well [Veṇu-kūpa] to serve His thirsty friends. Merely by hearing this, Lord Gauracandra became overwhelmed with ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa and fell unconscious.

Lord Caitanya was experiencing love of Kṛṣṇa at every step, when HE heard the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, He became overwhelmed and fell unconscious and this is the symptom of real love for Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.171

kathokṣaṇe gaura-candrera haila ta’ vāhya
prabhu kahe—kṛṣṇadāsa ki haila kārya

Jayapatākā Swami: After some time, Lord Caitanya came back to external consciousness, and asked Kṛṣṇadāsa as to what happened.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.21

Translation: “In this place, the handsome Upananda was surrounded by the other cowherds as he addressed Nanda in order to determine the proper course of action for the welfare of baby Kṛṣṇa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, King Kaṁsā was sending demons to try to kill Kṛṣṇa. The cowherd men could understand that something was strange, and they thought that something should be done to protect the baby.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.172

eikhāne dekha upananda-ādi yata
yukati karila saba goyālā-sammata

Jayapatākā Swami: See here, Upananda and so on had meeting with the cowherd men.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.6.22

Translation: “Together with the cowherd men, their wives, children and cows, Nanda Mahārāja mounted a cart and travelled to the forests of Bhadraka and Bhāṇḍīra. There they dwelt for two months.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Nanda Mahārāja went to Bhaṇḍīravana

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.173

asahya rājapīḍā-nityai saṅkaṭa
rajanīprabhāte sabhe sājila śakaṭa

Jayapatākā Swami: Due to Kaṁsa’s constant atrocities, in the dawn they loaded all their belongings on their bullock carts.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.174

gopīgaṇa śakaṭe kariyā gopagaṇa
nikaṭa basati karibāre vṛndāvana

Jayapatākā Swami: The cowherd men arranged the bullocks to carry the gopīs and children in order to reside near Vṛndāvana.

So, they were staying close to Mathurā, close to King Kaṁsā’s city, so they decide that they would move further away, so they will safer from his atrocities.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.175

hai hai rabe yāya godhana cālāiyā
pāye bādhā hāte naḍi māthe pāga diyā

Jayapatākā Swami: “Hai, hai!” with these sound of the bullocks carrying the wealth of the cowherds, with sticks in the hand and turban tied on the head the cowherd men proceeded.

cowherd men proceeded. So, the cowherd men of Gokula had decided to proceed and go to Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.176

bhadra-bhāṇḍīra-vane chilā dui māsa
ānande gāyena guṇa e locanadāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: Thus, they stayed in Bhadravana and Bhāṇḍīravana for two months. Locana Dāsa narrates these feeling with tremendous joy within His heart.

Spearing about the transcendental pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa naturally gives spiritual joy, therefore everyone is recommended to glorify and hear about the Lord. Since the Lord is Supreme Personality of Godhead, His activities are also transcendental, non-different from Him. So, these activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa, were enjoyed by Lord Caitanya

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Seeing Mahāvana, Part 3 
Under The Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana