20211019 Raghupati Upādhyāya Answers the Questions of Lord Caitanya

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 19th October 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 Krishna! Dear Devotees! Today is the compilation of Caitanya-līlā book, today's chapter is entitled:

Raghupati Upādhyāya Answers the Questions of Lord Caitanya

Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.92

trihuta-paṇḍita raghupati upādhyāyera āgamana:—

hena-kāle āilā raghupati upādhyāya
tiruhitā paṇḍita, baḍa vaiṣṇava, mahāśaya

Translation: At that time Raghupati Upādhyāya of the Tiruhitā district arrived. He was a very learned scholar, a great devotee and a respectable gentleman.

Purport: Tiruhitā, or Tirhuṭiyā, is a combination of four districts in Bihar: Saran, Champaran, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga. The people of this state are called Tiruṭiyā.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.93

prabhuke vandanā, prabhura āśīrvāda:—

āsi’ teṅho kaila prabhura caraṇa Vandana
‘kṛṣṇe mati rahu’ bali’ prabhura vacana

Translation: Raghupati Upādhyāya first offered his respects to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord gave him His blessings, saying, “Always stay in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

Jayapatākā Swami:  'kṛṣṇe mati rahu' is one of special blessing given by Lord Caitanya to always remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sometimes Lord Caitanya would say 'kṛṣṇe matir astu’ which is become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if He gives the blessings of ‘kṛṣṇe mati rahu’ that meant that the person is already a devotee and that the blessing was that he would stay in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.94

upādhyāyake kṛṣṇavarṇane ādeśa:—

śuni’ ānandita haila upādhyāyera mana
prabhu tāṅre kahila,—’kaha kṛṣṇera varṇana’

Translation: Raghupati Upādhyāya was very pleased to hear the Lord’s blessings. The Lord then asked him to describe Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami:  Lord Caitanya wanted to hear the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa from Raghupati Upādhyāya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.95

upādhyāyera svakṛta śloka-paṭhana, prabhura premāveśa:—

nija-kṛta kṛṣṇa-līlā-śloka paḍila
śuni’ mahāprabhura mahā premāveśa haila

Translation: When Raghupati Upādhyāya was requested to describe Kṛṣṇa, he began to recite some verses he had personally composed about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Hearing those verses, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was overwhelmed with ecstatic love.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.96

śrīnanda-praṇāma:— padyāvalīte (126)-dhṛta śloka—

śrutim apare smṛtim itare
bhāratam anye bhajantu bhava-bhītāḥ
aham iha nandaṁ vande
yasyālinde paraṁ brahma

Translation: Raghupati Upādhyāya recited, “Those who are afraid of material existence worship the Vedic literature. Some worship smṛti, the corollaries to the Vedic literature, and others worship the Mahābhārata. As far as I am concerned, I worship Kṛṣṇa’s father, Mahārāja Nanda, in whose courtyard the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is playing.”

Purport: This verse recited by Raghupati Upādhyāya was later included in Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Padyāvalī (126).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this verse was highly appreciated by Rūpa Gosvāmī therefore he included it in his Padyāvalī book.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.97

‘āge kaha’—prabhu-vākye upādhyāya kahili
raghupati upādhyāya namaskāra kaila

Translation: When Raghupati Upādhyāya was requested by the Lord to recite more, he immediately offered his respects to the Lord and granted His request.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya wanted to hear some more nectar about Lord Kṛṣṇa, Raghupati Upādhyāya, he was happy to go on reciting.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.98

yāmuna-kuñjavihārī-kṛṣṇa:— padyāvalīte (98)-dhṛta śloka—

kaṁ prati kathayitum īśe
samprati ko vā pratītim āyātu
go-pati-tanayā-kuñje
gopa-vadhūṭī-viṭaṁ brahma

Translation: “To whom can I speak who will believe me when I say that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is hunting the gopīs in the bushes by the banks of the river Yamunā? In this way the Lord demonstrates His pastimes.”

Purport: This verse was also later included in the Padyāvalī (99).

Jayapatākā Swami: so This is another verse that Rūpa Gosvāmī included in his Padyāvalī and this also gave Lord Caitanya gave great ecstasy.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.99

raghupatira śloka-paṭhane prabhura premāveśa:—

prabhu kahena,—kaha, teṅho paḍe kṛṣṇa-līlā
premāveśe prabhura deha-mana āluyāilā

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested Raghupati Upādhyāya to continue speaking about the pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Thus the Lord was absorbed in ecstatic love, and His mind and body slackened.

Purport: Our minds and bodies are always engaged in material activities. When they are activated on the spiritual platform, they slacken on the material platform.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya being absorbed in spiritual ecstasy became quite loose on the material side.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.100

upādhyāyera vismaya o prabhuke ‘kṛṣṇa-jñāna:—

prema dekhi’ upādhyāyera haila camatkāra
‘manuṣya nahe, iṅho—kṛṣṇa’—karila nirdhāra

Translation: When Raghupati Upādhyāya saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic symptoms, he decided that the Lord was not a human being but Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Jayapatākā Swami: Raghupati Upādhyāya had the realization that Lord Caitanya was not ordinary human being and considered that He must be Kṛṣṇa Himself enjoying His transcendental pastimes.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.101

prabhu-raghupati-saṅlāpa; prabhura praśna o upādhyāyera uttara-pradāna:—

(1) kṛṣṇera ‘śyāma’rūpai śreṣṭha:—

prabhu kahe,—upādhyāya, śreṣṭha māna’ kāya?
‘śyāmam eva paraṁ rūpaṁ’—kahe upādhyāya

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Raghupati Upādhyāya, “According to your decision, who is the foremost being?”

Raghupati Upādhyāya replied, “Lord Śyāmasundara is the supreme form.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Raghupati Upādhyāya explained to Lord Caitanya, how Lord Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme and this gave Lord Caitanya great happiness.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.102

(2) mathurāi śreṣṭha dhāma:—

śyāma-rūpera vāsa-sthāna śreṣṭha māna’ kāya?
‘purī madhu-purī varā’—kahe upādhyāya

Translation: “Of all Kṛṣṇa’s abodes, which do you think is the best?”

Raghupati Upādhyāya said, “Madhu-purī, or Mathurā-dhāma, is certainly the best.”

Purport: Lord Kṛṣṇa has many forms, as stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33):

advaitam acyutam
anādim ananta-rūpam.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Raghupati Upādhyāya which form was the best of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s millions of forms, and he immediately replied that the supreme form was the Śyāmasundara form. In that form, Kṛṣṇa stands curved in three places and holds His flute.

The Śyāmasundara form is also described in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38):

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Śyāmasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee.”

Those who are filled with ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa always see the form of Śyāmasundara within their hearts. Raghupati Upādhyāya confirms that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has many incarnations — Nārāyaṇa, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha and others — but Kṛṣṇa is distinguished as the super most. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.28), kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: “Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead.” Kṛṣṇa means Śyāmasundara, who plays His flute in Vṛndāvana. Of all forms, this form is the best of all. Kṛṣṇa lives sometimes in Mathurā and sometimes in Dvārakā, but Mathurā is considered the better place. This is also confirmed by Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Upadeśāmṛta (9): vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī. “Madhu-purī, or Mathurā, is far superior to the Vaikuṇṭha lokas in the spiritual world.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vraja dhāma is also considered a part of Mathurā and that is higher than Dvārakā. So Raghupati Upādhyāya he confirmed that Śyāmasundara was the topmost form and that Mathurā dhāma is the only topmost abode.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.103

3) kiśora vayasai ārādhya:—

bālya, paugaṇḍa, kaiśore, śreṣṭha māna’ kāya?
‘vayaḥ kaiśorakaṁ dhyeyaṁ’—kahe upādhyāya

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, “Of the three ages of Kṛṣṇa known as childhood, boyhood and fresh youth, which do you consider best?”

Raghupati Upādhyāya replied, “Fresh youth is the best age.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was asking Raghupati Upādhyāya different things about Lord Kṛṣṇa and in this way He was churning the ocean of nectar.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.104

(4) aprākṛta śṛṅgāra-rasai sarvottama o śreṣṭha-ārādhya:—

rasa-gaṇa-madhye tumi śreṣṭha māna’ kāya?
‘ādya eva paro rasaḥ’—kahe upādhyāya

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, “Among all the mellows, which do you consider best?”

Raghupati Upādhyāya replied, “The mellow of conjugal love is supermost.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Raghupati Upādhyāya is answering all the questions of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.105

prabhura ānanda:—

prabhu kahe,—bhāla tattva śikhāilā more
eta bali’ śloka paḍe gadgada-svare

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “You have certainly given first-class conclusions.” After saying this, He began to recite the full verse in a faltering voice.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was in such ecstasy that when He spoke or reciting, His voice was choked up.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.106

padyāvalīte (82) dhṛta mādhavendrapurīkṛta-śloka—

śyāmam eva paraṁ rūpaṁ
purī madhu-purī varā vayaḥ kaiśorakaṁ dhyeyam
ādya eva paro rasaḥ

Translation: “‘The form of Śyāmasundara is the supreme form, the city of Mathurā is the supreme abode, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s fresh youth should always be meditated upon, and the mellow of conjugal love is the supreme mellow.’”

Purport: This verse is found in the Padyāvalī (82).

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Mādhavendra Purī had given the same answers as Raghupati Upādhyāya, or Raghupati Upādhyāya is giving same answers as Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, so this put Lord Caitanya in great ecstasy.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.107

prabhura āliṅgana, upādhyāyera nṛtya:—

premāveśe prabhu tāṅre kailā āliṅgana
prema matta hañā teṅho karena nartana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Raghupati Upādhyāya in ecstatic love. Raghupati Upādhyāya also was overwhelmed by love, and he began to dance.

Jayapatākā Swami: Such is the influence of Lord Caitanya, He deeply appreciated the realizations of Raghupati Upādhyāya and embraced him. By being embraced by Lord Caitanya, Raghupati Upādhyāya was dancing in ecstasy, we cannot imagine how much ecstasy one would feel being embraced by Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.108

vallabhera vismaya, putrake prabhupade samarpaṇa:—

dekhi’ vallabha-bhaṭṭa mane camatkāra haila
dui putra āni’ prabhura caraṇe pāḍila

Translation: Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya was struck with wonder to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Raghupati Upādhyāya dance. He even brought forward his two sons and made them fall down at the Lord’s lotus feet.

Purport: The two sons of Vallabhācārya were Gopīnātha and Viṭhṭhaleśvara. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited Prayāga in the year 1434 or 1435 Śakābda Era (A.D. 1512 or 1513), Viṭhṭhaleśvara was not yet born. In this regard, one should see Madhya-līlā 18.47.

Jayapatākā Swami: Vallabhācārya was seeing Lord Caitanya and Raghupati Upādhyāya dancing in ecstasy, he brought his two sons to get them to touch Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet and get His mercy.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.109

āḍāila-grāmavāsīra prabhu-darśana o vaiṣṇavatva-lābha:—

prabhu dekhibāre grāmera saba-loka āila
prabhu-daraśane sabe ‘kṛṣṇa-bhakta’ ha-ila

Translation: Upon hearing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had arrived, all the villagers went to see Him. Simply by seeing Him, they all became devotees of Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Previously it is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that anyone who sees Lord Caitanya even once, they will become a devotee. In fact they can become a spiritual master.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.110

brāhmaṇagaṇera nimantraṇa, vallabhera nivāraṇa:—

brāhmaṇa-sakala karena prabhura nimantraṇa
vallabha-bhaṭṭa tāṅ-sabāre karena nivāraṇa

Translation: All the brāhmaṇas of the village were eager to extend invitations to the Lord, but Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya forbade them to do so.

Jayapatākā Swami: Naturally the brāhmaṇa villagers wanted to render some service for Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.111

‘premonmāde paḍe gosāñi madhya-yamunāte
prayāge cālāiba, ihāṅ nā diba rahite

Translation: Vallabha Bhaṭṭa then decided not to keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Āḍāila because the Lord had jumped into the river Yamunā in ecstatic love. Therefore, he decided to bring Him to Prayāga.

Jayapatākā Swami: He was afraid that if Lord Caitanya stays in Āḍāila, He might jump into the river again in ecstatic love and then he would not be able to take Him out.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.112

yāṅra icchā, prayāge yāñā karibe nimantraṇa’
eta bali’ prabhu lañā karila gamana

Translation: Vallabha Bhaṭṭa said, “If anyone likes, he can go to Prayāga and extend invitations to the Lord.” In this way he took the Lord with him and departed for Prayāga.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.113

prabhuke laiyā naukāya parapāre prayāge vallabhera āgamana:—

gaṅgā-pathe mahāprabhure naukāte vasāñā
prayāge āilā bhaṭṭa gosāñire lañā

Translation: Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya avoided the river Yamunā. Putting the Lord on a boat in the river Ganges, he went with Him to Prayāga.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya seeing the dark color of Yamunā, He may again have uncontrolled, ecstatic love. The color of the Ganges is more light brown or saffron and He was hoping that in the Ganges the Lord may not jump in the river.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Raghupati Upādhyāya Answers the Questions of Lord Caitanya 
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī