20211110 Three Principal Forms of Bhagavān -2.tad-ekātma-rūpa – a.vilāsa (Pastime Expansions)

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 10th, 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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book Today's chapter is entitled as:

Three Principal Forms of Bhagavān - 2.tad-ekātma-rūpa – a.vilāsa (Pastime Expansions)

Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī in the Science of the Absolute Truth

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.203

(ga) dvitīya catur-vyūhera pratyekera duimūrti kariyā vilāsa-vigraha— aṣṭa vaibhava-vilāsa —

ei cāri-janera vilāsa-mūrti āra aṣṭa jana
tāṅ sabāra nāma kahi, śuna sanātana

Translation: “From Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, there are eight additional pastime expansions. O Sanātana, please hear Me as I mention Their names.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.204

puruṣottama, acyuta, nṛsiṁha, janārdana
hari, kṛṣṇa, adhokṣaja, upendra,—aṣṭa-jana

Translation: “The eight pastime expansions are Puruṣottama, Acyuta, Nṛsiṁha, Janārdana, Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Adhokṣaja and Upendra.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the eight forms were expanded from the second catur-vyūha.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.205

vāsudevera vilāsa dui—adhokṣaja, puruṣottama
saṅkarṣaṇera vilāsa—upendra, acyuta dui-jana

Translation: “Of these eight expansions, two are pastime forms of Vāsudeva. Their names are Adhokṣaja and Puruṣottama. The two pastime forms of Saṅkarṣaṇa are Upendra and Acyuta.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Supreme Personality of Godhead expanded Himself into various forms, these particular expansions of expansions are mentioned here.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.206

pradyumnera vilāsa—nṛsiṁha, janārdana
aniruddhera vilāsa—hari, kṛṣṇa dui-jana

Translation: “The pastime forms of Pradyumna are Nṛsiṁha and Janārdana, and the pastime forms of Aniruddha are Hari and Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the pastime forms are called vilāsa, So there are two vilāsa forms of each of the four catur-vyūhas, so there are eight vilāsa forms.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.207

prābhava-vilāsa ādi-catur-vyūherai vilāsa—vaibhava-vilāsa; astrabhede nāma-vaicitrya :—

ei cabbiśa mūrti—prābhava-vilāsa pradhāna
astra-dhāraṇa-bhede dhare bhinna bhinna nāma

Translation: “All these twenty-four forms constitute the chief prābhava-vilāsa pastime forms of the Lord. They are named differently according to the position of the weapons in Their hands.

Jayapatākā Swami: The four weapons the conchshell, club, cakra and the lotus, depending on how they are held, in which order, they have different names.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.208

veśa o ākārabhede punarāya iṅhāderai vilāsa-vaibhava-vaicitrya —

iṅhāra madhye yāhāra haya ākāra-veśa-bheda
sei sei haya vilāsa-vaibhava-vibheda

Translation: “Of all these, the forms that differ in dress and features are distinguished as vaibhava-vilāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if they have different dress or features, they are vaibhava-vilāsa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.209

ākāre vaicitrya-yukta viṣṇu-mūrtigaṇa —

padmanābha, trivikrama, nṛsiṁha, vāmana
hari, kṛṣṇa ādi haya ‘ākāre’ vilakṣaṇa

Translation: “Of Them, Padmanābha, Trivikrama, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, Hari, Kṛṣṇa and so on all have different bodily features.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.210

dvitīya-caturvyūha vyatīta avaśiṣṭa 20 mūrti vilāsa-vigraha —

kṛṣṇera prābhava-vilāsa—vāsudevādi cāri jana
sei cāri-janāra vilāsa—viṁśati gaṇana

Translation: “Vāsudeva and the three others are direct prābhava pastime forms of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Of these quadruple forms, the pastime expansions are twenty in number.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.211

aṣṭadikera pratyekadike tinamūrti kariyā 24 mūrti vaikuṇṭhe sva-sva-dhāme nitya virājamāna —

iṅhā-sabāra pṛthak vaikuṇṭha—paravyoma-dhāme
pūrvādi aṣṭa-dike tina tina krame

Translation: “All these forms preside over different Vaikuṇṭha planets in the spiritual world, beginning from the east in consecutive order. In each of the eight directions, there are three different forms.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the eight directions are East, South-east, South, South-west, West, North-west, North and north-east.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.212

kona kona tadekātma-rūpera sva-sva-dhāmasaha brahmāṇḍe adhiṣṭhāna —

yadyapi paravyoma sabākāra nitya-dhāma
tathāpi brahmāṇḍe kāro kāṅho sannidhāna

Translation: “Although They all have Their residences eternally in the spiritual sky, some of Them are situated within the material universes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, all these forms of the Lord have Their abode in the spiritual world but some Them also have Their presence in the material world.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.213

vaikuṇṭhe dvitīya-catur-vyūhāvaraṇasaha nārāyaṇa, tadupari goloke arthāt pure ādi-catur-vyūhāvaraṇa-saha devakī-nandana o gokule yaśodā-nandana :—

paravyoma-madhye nārāyaṇera nitya-sthiti
paravyoma-upari kṛṣṇalokera vibhūti

Translation: “There is an eternal residence of Nārāyaṇa in the spiritual sky. In the upper portion of the spiritual sky is a planet known as Kṛṣṇaloka, which is filled with all opulences.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this verse describes the situation of the spiritual world, different Nārāyaṇa forms are in their respective planets in the spiritual world, Hari-dhāma and above them is the abode of Kṛṣṇa and He has four dhāmas, the Gokula, the Mathurā, the Dvārakā and Śvetadvīpa and Śvetadvīpa has Lord Caitanya present.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.214

goloke tinaṭī prakoṣṭha —

eka ‘kṛṣṇaloka’ haya trividha-prakāra
gokulākhya, mathurākhya, dvārakākhya āra

Translation: “The planet of Kṛṣṇaloka is divided into three sections — Gokula, Mathurā and Dvārakā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in Gokula Kṛṣṇa has the feeling that He is a cowherd boy and in Mathurā and Dvārakā He feels that He is a kṣatriya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.215

brahmāṇḍe 24ṭī vibhinna sthāne ai 24 mūrtira sva-sva-dhāmasaha adhiṣṭhāna —

mathurāte keśavera nitya sannidhāna
nīlācale puruṣottama—‘jagannātha’ nāma

Translation: “Lord Keśava eternally resides at Mathurā, and Lord Puruṣottama, known by the name Jagannātha, eternally resides at Nīlācala.

Jayapatākā Swami: Which form of the Lord resides in which holy dhāma is mentioned here.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.216

prayāge mādhava, mandāre śrī-madhusūdana
ānandāraṇye vāsudeva, padmanābha janārdana

Translation: “At Prayāga, the Lord is situated as Bindu Mādhava, and at Mandāra-parvata, the Lord is known as Madhusūdana. Vāsudeva, Padmanābha and Janārdana reside at Ānandāraṇya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Lord resides in different dhāmas in particular forms.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.217

viṣṇu-kāñcīte viṣṇu, hari rahe, māyāpure
aiche āra nānā mūrti brahmāṇḍa-bhitare

Translation: “At Viṣṇu-kāñcī there is Lord Viṣṇu, at Māyāpur Lord Hari, and throughout the universe a variety of other forms.

Purport: All of these forms are mūrti forms, and They are worshiped in the temples. Their names are Keśava at Mathurā, Puruṣottama or Jagannātha at Nīlācala, Śrī Bindu Mādhava at Prayāga, Madhusūdana at Mandāra, and Vāsudeva, Padmanābha and Janārdana at Ānandāraṇya, which is situated in Kerala, South India. At Viṣṇu-kāñcī is Lord Varadarāja, and Hari is situated at Māyāpur, Lord Caitanya’s birth site. Thus in different places throughout the universe there are various Deities in temples bestowing Their causeless mercy upon the devotees. All these Deity forms are nondifferent from the mūrtis in the spiritual world of the Vaikuṇṭhas. Although the arcā-mūrti, the worshipable Deity form of the Lord, appears to be made of material elements, it is as good as the spiritual forms found in the spiritual Vaikuṇṭhalokas. The Deity in the temple, however, is visible to the material eyes of the devotee. It is not possible for one in material, conditioned life to see the spiritual form of the Lord. To bestow causeless mercy upon us, the Lord appears as the arcā-mūrti so that we can see Him. It is forbidden to consider the arcā-mūrti to be made of stone or wood. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said:

arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir
viṣṇor vā vaiṣṇsnavānāṁ kali-mala-mathane pāda-tīrthe ’mbu-buddhiḥ
śrī-viṣṇor nāmni mantre sakala-kaluṣa-he śabda-sāmānya-buddhir
viṣṇau sarveśvareśe tad-itara-sama-dhīryasya vā nārakī saḥ

No one should consider the Deity in the temple to be made of stone or wood, nor should one consider the spiritual master an ordinary human being. No one should consider a Vaiṣṇava to belong to a particular caste or creed, and no one should consider caraṇāmṛta or Ganges water to be like ordinary water. Nor should anyone consider the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra to be a material vibration. All these expansions of Kṛṣṇa in the material world are simply demonstrations of the Lord’s mercy and willingness to give facility to His devotees who are engaged in His devotional service within the material world.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, these arcā-mūrtis or worshipable deities which are visible in the material world have given us an opportunity to serve the Lord this is His causeless mercy.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.218

bhakta-toṣaṇa, dharma-saṁsthāpana o adharmanāśa-rūpa vilāsa vā līlāra nimittai brahmāṇḍe tāṅhādera prākaṭya —

ei-mata brahmāṇḍa-madhye sabāra ‘parakāśa’
sapta-dvīpe nava-khaṇḍe yāṅhāra vilāsa

Translation: “Within the universe the Lord is situated in different spiritual manifestations. These are situated on seven islands in nine sections. Thus Their pastimes are going on.

Purport: The seven islands are mentioned in the Siddhāntaśiromaṇi:

bhūmer ardhaṁ kṣāra-sindhor udak-sthaṁ
jambu-dvīpaṁ prāhur ācārya-varyāḥ
ardhe ’nyasmin dvīpa-ṣaṭkasya yāmye
kṣāra-kṣīrādy-ambudhīnāṁ niveśaḥ

śākaṁ tataḥ śālmalam atra kauśaṁ
krauñcaṁ ca gomedaka-puṣkare ca
dvayor dvayor antaram ekam ekaṁ
samudrayor dvīpam udāharanti

The seven islands (dvīpas) are known as (1) Jambu, (2) Śāka, (3) Śālmalī, (4) Kuśa, (5) Krauñca, (6) Gomeda, or Plakṣa, and (7) Puṣkara. The planets are called dvīpas. Outer space is like an ocean of air. Just as there are islands in the watery ocean, these planets in the ocean of space are called dvīpas, or islands in outer space.

There are nine khaṇḍas, known as

(1) Bhārata, (2) Kinnara, (3) Hari, (4) Kuru, (5) Hiraṇmaya, (6) Ramyaka, (7) Ilāvṛta, (8) Bhadrāśva and (9) Ketumāla. These are different parts of Jambudvīpa. A valley between two mountains is called a khaṇḍa or varṣa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this description gives the division of Jambudvīpa, the Bhuloka mentioned in the Purāṇas. In Sūrya-siddhānta, each planet is an island, but from Lord Brahmā’s point of view, we can see how these planets are in one plane. Thus we have Sūrya-siddhānta which sees the individual planets or we have the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam description, where all the planets are in one level and seen together.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.219

sarvatra prakāśa tāṅra—bhakte sukha dite
jagatera adharma nāśi’ dharma sthāpite

Translation: “The Lord is situated in all the universes in different forms just to please His devotees. Thus the Lord destroys irreligious principles and establishes religious principles.

Purport: In the material world, the Lord is situated in different arcā-mūrtis (Deities) in the temples just to decrease the material activities of the conditioned soul and increase his spiritual activities. Particularly in India there are many temples throughout the country. Devotees may take advantage of them and go see the Lord at Jagannātha Purī, Vṛndāvana, Prayāga, Mathurā, Haridwar and Viṣṇu-kāñcī. When the devotees travel to these places and see the Lord, they become very happy in devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the different deities in different dhāmas purify the devotees, and gives them great spiritual bliss or happiness.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.220

tanmadhye keha keha jagate avatīrṇa —

iṅhāra madhye kāro haya ‘avatāre’ gaṇana
yaiche viṣṇu, trivikrama, nṛsiṁha, vāmana

Translation: “Of these forms, some are considered incarnations. Examples are Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Trivikrama, Lord Nṛsiṁha and Lord Vāmana.

Jayapatākā Swami: Some of these arcā-mūrtis actually descend as a spiritual incarnation and thus they do different pastimes, like Narasiṁhadeva, He was angry, as Trivikrama, He caused the Ganges to enter the universe. So like this each of these deities enter into the universe and the devotees are blessed to see their activities.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Three Principal Forms of Bhagavān - 2.tad-ekātma-rūpa – a.vilāsa (Pastime Expansions) 
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī in the Science of the Absolute Truth