20210920 Govardhana, Part 3

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on September 20th,2021 in Śrī Dhāma 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!

Continuation of the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, Today's chapter is entitled as:

Part 3 Govardhana

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.18

‘mathurā’-padmera paścima-dale yāṅra vāsa
‘harideva’ nārāyaṇa—ādi parakāśa

Translation: Harideva is an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, and His residence is on the western petal of the lotus of Mathurā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when Lord Caitanya was seeing Govardhana, He came to the temaple of Harideva and offered His respectful obeisances.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.13

Translation: “On top of the hill please see the great Deity known as Hari Rāya. On top of the southern part of the hill is the Deity known as Gopāla Rāya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa dāsa is showing Lord Caitanya all the temples in Govardhana.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.234

seirūpa mūrtti dekhi’ parvata-śikhare
‘harirāya’ nāma mūrtti parvata-upare

Jayapatākā Swami: The form of Lord Kṛṣna who lifted the Govardhana is seen on the Govardhana. The Deity named Hari Rāya (Harideva) is on top of the hill.

Some of the deities are on the Govardhana Hill and those are being indicated.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.19

harideva-āge nāce preme matta hañā
saba loka dekhite āila āścarya śuniyā

Translation: Mad with ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to dance before the Harideva Deity. Hearing of the Lord’s wonderful activities, all the people came to see Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya's dancing was extremely special and people when they heard about His dancing, they came running to watch it. It was very rare that someone would dance so ecstatically in front of the Deity.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.20

prabhu-darśane sakalera vismaya; harideva-sevakera prabhu-pūjā:—

prabhu-prema-saundarya dekhi’ loke camatkāra
haridevera bhṛtya prabhura karila satkāra

Translation: The people were astonished when they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love and personal beauty. The priests who served the Harideva Deity offered the Lord a good reception.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya being Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā combined, His beauty was incomparable, that with His ecstatic symptoms were uncommon, where everyone wanted to see Lord Caitanya, they were amazed and astonished. The priest of Harideva Deity received Lord Caitanya with devotion and respect.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.235

govardhana-upare dakṣiṇabhāge vāsa
‘gopāla-rāya’ nāma hethā kṛṣṇera vilāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gopāla Rāya resides on the southern part of Govardhana Hill. At that place Śrī Kṛṣṇa once relished some pastimes.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.14-15

Translation: “When Kṛṣṇa cast out the false pride from Indra's heart,by Brahmā's order, the chaste Surabhī cow joyously bathed Govinda with celestial Gaṅgā water. Then in a great festival Śrī Govinda was served by all the Vedas, and śāstras, and mighty Indra, after offering the prayers to Govinda, became free from fear of reactions to his offence.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Indra was very fearful that he has committed offenses to Vrajavāsīs and Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, he went and surrendered to the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who forgave him, so Indra became relieved.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.236

indradarpa hari’ caḍhe parvata-śikhare
ethā indra-abhiṣeka rāja-rājeśvare

Jayapatākā Swami: Destroying Indra's pride, Lord Hari had climbed the hill. Here, Indra worshiped Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord above all the demigods.

Although Lord Kṛṣṇa was palying the part of a cowherd boy, He is actually the origin of everything, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is also worshippable deity for the devas , so this was accepted by Lord Indra.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.237

sarva pāpahara kuṇḍa parvata-dakṣiṇe
tāhāra upare dekha śilā uvaṭane

Jayapatākā Swami: Sarva-pāpa-haraṇa-kuṇḍa is on the southern side of the hill. Also on top of that see that stone smeared with oil.

There were special places on all sides of Govardhana Hill, So, Kṛṣṇa dāsa showed Lord Caitanya all the sacred places one after another.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.21

brahmā-kuṇḍe balabhadrera randhana, prabhura snānāhāra:—

bhaṭṭācārya ‘brahma-kuṇḍe’ pāka yāñā kaila
brahma-kuṇḍe snāna kari’ prabhu bhikṣā kaila

Translation: At Brahma-kuṇḍa, the Bhaṭṭācārya cooked food, and the Lord, after taking His bath at Brahma-kuṇḍa, accepted His lunch.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had bathed in the lake known as Brahmā-kuṇḍa and He took His lunch. So, this shows the daily activity of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.238

āra pāṅca kuṇḍa dekha parvata-upara
brahmā-kuṇḍa, rudra-kuṇḍa-sarva-tīrtha sāra

Jayapatākā Swami: Also on top of the Hill are Brahma-kuṇḍa, Rudra-kuṇḍa-the essence of all the tīrthas.

There were five kuṇḍas on the top of Govardhana Hill, of these only Brahma-kuṇḍa and Rudra-kuṇḍa are mentioned.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.239

indra-kuṇḍa, sūrya-kuṇḍa, mokṣa-kuṇḍa-nāme
pṛthivīte yata tīrtha-ihāte viśrāme

Jayapatākā Swami: Indra-kuṇḍa, Sūrya-kuṇḍa and Mokṣa-kuṇḍa. Bathing in these five kuṇḍas gives the same results as bathing in all other kuṇḍas.

The names of the five kuṇḍas are given here Brahma-kuṇḍa, Rudra-kuṇḍa, Indra-kuṇḍa, Sūrya-kuṇḍa and Mokṣa-kuṇḍa. It is recommended that one bathes in all the five kuṇḍa, that’s like bathing in all holy tirtha throughout the world.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.16-17

Translation: “Behold to the south of Govardhana hill this sin-destroying kuṇḍa, and beyond it five other splendid kuṇḍas, which also remove all sin. They are named Brahmā, Rudra, Indra, Sūrya and Mokṣa.” Gazing on them, Śrī Kṛṣṇa in His form of Mahāprabhu Gaura Hari spoke lovingly to the brāhmaṇa

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.18

Translation: “O thoughout this universe, Girirāja Govardhana is the most glorious of bhaktas. Here Kṛṣṇa and Rāma always play in great bliss with the gopāla-bālas!” Exclaiming this with heart-felt eagerness, Śrī Gaura Candra, the bestower of the complete spectrum of love for Kṛṣṇa, danced while worshipping Govardhana hill.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya remembering the pastime of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma at Govardhana danced in loving ecstasy and He was transported to the pastimes in Dvāpara-yuga.

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