20210925 Mahā-rāsa-sthalī, Part 3

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 25^th 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 3

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

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.271

śuniñā ramaṇīgaṇa hailā murachite
stavdha haiyā rahe yena citra rahe bhite

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇadāsa, “On hearing this, all the gopīs fainted. They appeared stunned like painted pictures in a frame.

So, the gopīs came and surrendered everything to Lord Kṛṣṇa, while He was giving all these dharma lectures, so they became overwhelmed and fainted and they couldn’t move.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.272

alpa alpa śvāsa haila-vākya nāhi kāre
madana jvarete jārileka kalevare

Jayapatākā Swami: The gopīs became speechless and breathed slightly; their bodies were ablaze with agitation due to the fire of Cupid.

The gopīs were dedicated to Kṛṣṇa in the mādhurya-rasa and they did not know what to say when Kṛṣṇa said thes things and their bodies were burning in the fire of Cupid.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.273

kabhu ghana śvāsa haya virahera tāpe
kabhu netra jhare--kabhu sarva aṅga kāṅpe

Jayapatākā Swami: “Sometimes the gopis breathed heavily due to the fire of separation. Sometimes, tears flowed from their eyes and their bodies and their bodies shivered,

So, the gopīs their bodies were trembling and their eyes were crying and they were overwhelmed in this situation.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.274

kabhu kabhu kṛṣṇapāne thiradiṭhe cāhe
kabhu kabhu madana-bhāvete thira nahe

Jayapatākā Swami: Now and then, they stared at Kṛṣṇa with one pointed attention from time to time. Due to Cupid they could not be steady.

The gopīs came to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, they had great inspiration to serve the Lord but when the Lord said these things they were stunned, their bodies quivered and tears came from their eyes.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.275

bhāva-bhare ki bola balite kibā kahe
sabhāre manera kathā āpane kahaye

Jayapatākā Swami: Overcome with loving feelings, the gopis couldn’t express their desires. Everyone began to speak about their own feelings.

The gopīs started to express their own feelings.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.276

jagata-mohana yāra kare rūpa-guṇe
abalā dhairaya tabe dhariba kemane

Jayapatākā Swami: In madness one gopi said, ‘How can we, helpless women, control ourselves after looking at Him, Lord Krsna, who enchants the whole world with His matchless beauty and qualities?

So, one gopī expressed herself that how is it possible, how these women can control themselves when they see the matchless beauty and qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.277

morā kulavatī—kulavratamātra jāni
kulavrata-bhaṅga kaila muralīra dhvani

Jayapatākā Swami: We gopis are chaste housewives and we only know about chastity. But hearing Kṛṣṇa’s mind-enchanting flute has forced us to break our vows of chastity.’

Kṛṣṇa’s flute playing is such that, if some meditating yogi hears that he will feel overwhelmed in separation and starts to hit his head on a rock. So the women are saying, how are we  expected to control ourselves?

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.278

tumi kichu nāhi jāna-morā nāhi jāni
jagata-mohana-guṇe ānila ramaṇī

Jayapatākā Swami: ‘You know nothing and we know nothing. Still, Your universal enchanting qualities has lured us ladies to You.

The gopīs are saying that they were attracted by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s flute playing by His unlimited universal attractive qualities.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.279

patira parama pati -tumi ātmārāma
tomāre chāḍile pati agati pramāṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: You are the supreme husband among all husbands. You are self-satisfied. What will be our destination if we leave You now?

So, the gopīs accept that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Husband of all the husbands so they want to serve Him to remain chaste.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.280

mora ātmārāma tumi ramaha āmāte
tabe parapati kothā dekhile bhajite

Jayapatākā Swami: ‘You are our sole enjoyer and our only husband and You enjoy in ourselves. How can You see us serving another husband?

So, the gopīs have accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supreme Husband and thus they have to serve Him.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.281

ahe pati-gati, pati sabhāra āśraya
ānanda paramānanda sarvasukhamaya

Jayapatākā Swami: O Lord of our lives, You are our only shelter and husband. You are the supreme bliss--the embodiment of all happiness for us.’

The gopīs had expressed that whatever happiness they could only achieve is by serving Him and he is the complete embodiment of transcendental bliss.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.282

bhāvabhare bhāvinīragaṇa satya kahe
bhāvakathā śuni’ kṛṣṇa hailā bhāvamaye

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇadāsa, “Due to their loving ecstasy, the gopīs spoke the truth. Hearing them, Kṛṣṇa also became full of ecstatic love.

Hearing their ecstatic loving words, Lord Kṛṣṇa also became full of ecstatic love

Lord Kṛṣṇa had tested the Gopīs, but they had replied very sincerely and thus Lord Kṛṣṇa also became attracted, full of ecstatic love.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.283

cāhila sarasa-hāsye saba gopīpāne
yata sukha gopī pāila—keho nāhi jāne

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa looked lovingly at the gopīs who now felt indescribable happiness that can not be described by anyone.

Lord Kṛṣṇa was pleased since we are all part of Kṛṣṇa the gopīs also felt indescribable happiness that is indescribable by others.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.284

beḍhileka saba gopī prabhu yadumaṇi
meghete jhalake yena thira-saudāminī

Jayapatākā Swami: Then the gopīs surrounded Kṛṣṇa, the jewel of the Yadus. The golden gopīs looked like lightning flashing in a monsoon cloud.

Since Kṛṣṇa has a color of the monsoon cloud, He was served by the gopīs like flashing lightning. This was the analogy given.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.285

eikhāne aparūpa e rāsavihāra
eka gopī eka kṛṣṇa maṇḍalī tāhāra

Jayapatākā Swami: Herein, in this place is the wonderful exhibition of rāsa pastime; Each gopī was with one Kṛṣṇa forming a circle.

Lord Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself so that He could be with each gopī, forming a great circle.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.286

kanaka-campaka āra marakata-maṇi
gāṅthila yemana mālā-maṇḍali temani

Jayapatākā Swami: The circle formed by the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa appeared to be like a garland made of golden campaka flowers and emeralds.

The gopīs and Kṛṣṇa appeared like a great garland, so the residents of the higher planets were watching this inspired by Kṛṣṇa’s classical rāsa-līlā dance.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.287

yata gopī tata kṛṣṇa e rāsa-maṇḍale
paḍila rāsera hāṭa vṛndāvana-sthale

Jayapatākā Swami: As many gopīs were there, that many Kṛṣṇa danced together in the circle of rāsa dance. Thus, in the land of Vṛndāvana, the market of rāsa dance happened.

In Vṛndāvana the rāsa dance was realized, Lord Caitanya in His Vṛndāvana Parikramā, He was most ecstatic hearing these pastimes.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.288

kalpavṛkṣa-sthāne rādhā-kṛṣṇa duijana
gopīra aṁśinī rādhā rasera kāraṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: In the place of kalpa-vṛkṣa were two – Rādha and Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā is the source of all the gopīs and the cause of rasa.

The Gopīs of Vṛndāvana are expansions of Rādhārānī, the queens of Dvārakā are Her reflection and the Lakṣmīs of Vaikuṇṭha are also Her expansions. So She is the cause of the Supreme Rāsa-līlā dance.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.289

kṛṣṇa haite kṛṣṇa tathā haila apāra
yata rādhā tata kṛṣṇa haila e vicāra

Jayapatākā Swami: From Kṛṣṇa, there appeared unlimited Kṛṣṇas in response to as many Rādhās (expanded as gopīs) Kṛṣṇa also became that many. This is the consideration.

So, the gopīs since they are considered as expansions of Rādhārānī so they are described as expansions of Rādhārānī and Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself to be with each Rādhā and in this way the rāsa-līlā is realized.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.290

rāsa hāṭa upare patākā śaśadhare
kokila koṭāla hañā jāgāya kāmere

Jayapatākā Swami: In this marketplace of rāsa, the moon served as the flag. The cuckoo became the night-watchman awakening the Cupid.

So, the elements of rāsa-līlā are being explained here.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Mahā-rāsa-sthalī, Part 3

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

Transcribed and Verified 26^th Sep 2021