20210923 Mahā-rāsa-sthalī, Part 1

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 23^rd 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

Introduction: We are continuing with the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled today is:

Mahā-rāsa-sthalī, Part 1

Under the Section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.9.1

atraiva yamunā-nīre dvādaśī-vrata-karśitaḥ
varuṇena hṛto nandaḥ kṛṣṇa-darśana-kāmyayā

Translation: The Sanoḍiyā Brāhmaṇa, Kṛṣṇa Dāsa continued, “Once Nanda Mahārāja had become thin by fasting on Ekādaśī and was following the vow of bathing on the Dvādaśī. At this place in the waters of Yamunā, he was spirited away by the guards of Varuṇa, lord of the waters, who was desirous of having darśana of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the pastime of Kṛṣṇa meeting Varuṇa, the lord of the Water region is explained here. It is unique that the whole thing, Nanda Mahārāja considered that, Oh, everybody including Lord Varuṇa understands how nice the child Kṛṣṇa is. He never thought that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although the deva in-charge of water Varuṇadeva wanted to see Kṛṣṇa because He was Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.240

eikhāne dvādaśī-pāraṇā-snānakāle
varuṇe harila nanda—kṛṣṇa dekhibāre

Jayapatākā Swami: In this place, Nanda Mahārāja was taking bath during dvādaśī-pāraṇa. Nanda Bābā bathed too early in the Yamuna. Varuṇa kidnapped Nanda in order to get darśana of Śrī Kṛṣṇa

There is a particular time one takes bath but Nanda baba, he took bath early and he was arrested by Varuṇadeva.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.9.2-3

jñātvā tato’pi bhagavān svayaṁ pitaram ānayat
brahma-kuṇḍe majjayitvā svajanaṁ brahma-lokataḥ

ānināya punar vṛndāraṇyaṁ gopa-kulaṁ vibhuḥ
tat kuṇḍaṁ paramaṁ ramyaṁ paśya kṛṣṇa sudurlabham

Translation: “Being aware of all that had happened, the all-opulent and original Supreme Personality of Godhead rescued His father. He then induced all the cowherds of His village to bathe at this place in Brahma-kuṇḍa. After revealing to them the vision of the spiritual world, the all-pervasive Lord brought back the group of gopas to Vṛndāraṇya. He Śrī Kṛṣṇa, please see this extremely delightful and rarely attained kuṇḍa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He saw the Brahmā-kuṇḍa and had all the cowherd men bathe in the Brahmā-kuṇḍa and there He gave the vision of Vaikuṇṭha.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.241

brahmā-kuṇḍa majjana ei dekha vṛndāvana
kṛṣṇera vibhava śiśu dekhaha nayana

Jayapatākā Swami: See the Brahma-kuṇḍa where everyone took bath with the gopas and behold the opulent of pastime of baby Kṛṣṇa.

We see the Murāri Gupta Kaḍacā in Sanskrit and Caitanya-maṅgala describes similar thing in Bengali. So, here Brahmā-kuṇḍa is glorified.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.9.4-5

aśoka-kānanaṁ ramyaṁ brahma-kuṇḍasya cottare
śrī-rādhayā saha kṛṣṇo yatra krīḍati paśya tat

kārttikī-pūrṇimāyāṁ tu deva-deveśvaro hariḥ
cakāra rāsaṁ gopībhir yatra śrī-śyāmasundaraḥ

Translation: “To the north of Brahma-kuṇḍa lies an enchanting grove of aśoka trees, where Kṛṣṇa sported with Śrī Rādhā. Now look upon the place where on the full moon of the month of Kārtika, Śyāma-sundara Hari, the master even of Viṣṇu, danced the rāsa dance with the Vraja-gopīs.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here Sanoḍiyā Brāhmaṇa, Kṛṣṇa dāsa showed Lord Caitanya the place where Lord Kṛṣṇa observed the Rāsa-līlā dance with all the vraja-gopīs.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.242

aśoka-vana dekha ei kuṇḍera uttare
eka āścarya kathā śunaha ihāre

Jayapatākā Swami: Look north of here is the aśoka forest. Listen to one wonderful topic about this.

Kṛṣṇa dāsa is going to tell Lord Caitanya a wonderful topic.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.243

kārtika-pūrṇimā tithi divasera mājhe
kusumita haya taru dekhe sarvarājye

Jayapatākā Swami: On the full-moon day of Kārtika, these aśoka trees, burst full with flower blossoms and everyone in the country see them.”

The full-moon of Kartika is observed as a special rāsa-līlā day. In Māyāpur and Navadvīpa, this day is specially celebrated and usually on this day we start the elephant procession .

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.244

e bola śuniñā prabhu nehāraye vana
akāle puṣpita taru bhaigela takhana

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing this, Lord Caitanya looked at the aśoka forest. Instantly, all the trees filled up with flowers, although it was not the season.

This was the special pastime of Lord Caitanya just by glancing at the forest all the trees started to flower.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.9.6

sa rāsa-rasa-tāṇḍavair vividha-ramya-veśojjvalaiḥ
ratnokṣita-sulakṣitair jayati bhakta-vargaiḥ prabhuḥ

Translation: Then Śrī Gaura Candra Hari, the chief among rasikas, appeared with the luster of indra-nīla-maṇi, accompanied by the throng of His bhaktas, who were absorbed in the rasa of exuberant rāsa-dancing, dressed in exquisite and dazzling variegated garments that sparkled with precious jewels. All glories to Mahāprabhu!

Jayapatākā Swami: So, not only Lord Caitanya, visit the place of Rāsa līlā, but immediately the devotees experienced this pastime of the Lord.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.9.7

praphulla-madhura-dyutiḥ sa-rasa-ramya-vṛndāvanaṁ
vasanta-vana-mārutaiḥ prakaṭayan sa rāsotsavaiḥ
suramyam api kiṁ bruve sakalam eva rāsa-sthalaṁ
sa gopī-jana-vallabho madana-garva-kharvī babhau

Translation: At that time, Gaurahari manifested the sweet effulgence for the rāsa-dance and festival, expanded the rasa-permeated Vṛndāvana by the breeze of vasanta. What shall I say of such an utterly sublime place as this rāsa circle? Here the Gopījana-vallabha Himself manifested making the rāsa-sthalī more pleasurable, casting low the pride of Kāmadeva.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya being Kṛṣṇa Himself, He manifested this rāsa-sthalī at the original place.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.245

muñjarita taru, latā, phala-phula kole
adbhuta dekhiyā kṛṣṇadāsa kichu bole

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing the wonderful manifestation of the blossoming creepers with flowers and fruits, the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇadāsa said something.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.246

adbhuta gandha gaurā-aṅgera bātāsa
kṛṣṇadāsa bole-tomāra kapaṭa sannyāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: Upon witnessing this amazing scene and smelling the wonderful scents from Gaura, Kṛṣṇadāsa said, “Your sannyāsa is illusory.”

Lord Caitanya playing the part of sannyāsī but actually He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, by His presence in the māha rāsa-sthālī all the trees began to produce fragrant flowers, even though it was not the season. Kṛṣṇa dāsa, he realized that Lord Caitanya was doing all these by His mystic potencies.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.247

daṇḍavata kare bhūme stavdha hañā rahe
kaha kaha kaha-gaura kṛṣṇadāse kahe

Jayapatākā Swami: Then the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇadāsa falling like a stick, became stunned and fell silent at Lord Gaurāṅga’s lotus feet. “kaha kaha kaha,” “speak, speak, speak” Lord Caitanya told Kṛṣṇadāsa.

Kṛṣṇa dāsa realizing the mystic potencies of Śrī Caitanya, he fell down like a stick offering His obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Caitanya told him, “speak, speak, speak”tell Me more.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.9.8

dṛṣṭvā vipras tathā-bhūtaṁ tathāpīśvara-māyayā
vṛtaṁ sa darśayām āsa pūrva-līlā-sthalīṁ śubhām

Translation: Although the enlightened brāhmaṇa saw this vision, he again became covered by the Lord’s māyā and continued showing Gaurāṅga the resplendent places of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s previous pastimes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, having a glimpse of Lord Caitanya’s mystic opulence Kṛṣṇa dāsa was overwhelmed and then Lord Caitanya blessed him, that when he came into external consciousness he started to speak to Lord Caitanya, describing Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.248

kṛṣṇadāsa bole -gosāñi śunaha vacane
rāsakrīḍā kaila kṛṣṇa ei vṛndāvane

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇadāsa said, “Gosāñi, listen to my words. Here in Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa performed the rāsa dance.

So, the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇa dāsa showed Lord Caitanya the place of Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.9.9

atas taṁ paśya govindo vaṁśī-vaṭa-samīpataḥ
sthito jagau kāma-bījaṁ gopī-jana-vimohanam

Translation: Kṛṣṇadāsa continued, “Now behold! Standing here by Vamśī-vaṭa, Govinda sang the kāma-bīja and illusioned the gopīs.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the songs of Lord Kṛṣṇa awakened madhurya rāsa in the hearts of  His devotees, the dedicated gopīs. This is completely spiritual that Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead had this pastime to allow His devotees to dedicate everything to Him.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.249

ei kalpataru-mūle pūre vaṁśīnāda
ṣolakrośa pathe gopīra bhela unamāda

Jayapatākā Swami: Under this kalpataru, Lord Kṛṣṇa played His flute so enchantingly that the gopīs became irresistibly attracted, who were staying within the radius of thirty-two miles.

Lord Kṛṣṇa’s flute playing was so enchanting that devotees within 32 miles could hear it, they became maddened by hearing the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute. Some of the gopīs were lying down in their beds and their spiritual bodies manifested out of their physical body and went to meet Kṛṣṇa. So the husbands, the mothers and parents they saw that their daughter or wife was still lying there so they were satisfied. But actually the wives' spiritual body has left to join Kṛṣṇa.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Mahā-rāsa-sthalī, Part 1

Under the Section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Transcribed and Verified by JPS Archives 25^th Sep 2021