20211111 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 11th, 2021 in Sri Dhama Mayapur, 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

Today we are reading from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book 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 20.221

astrabhede parasparera nāma-vaicitrya:—

astra-dhṛti-bheda—nāma-bhedera kāraṇa
cakrādi-dhāraṇa-bheda śuna, sanātana

Translation: “My dear Sanātana, just hear from Me as I tell you how the different viṣṇu-mūrtis hold Their weapons, beginning with the disc, and how They are named differently according to the placement of the weapons in Their hands.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, each Viṣṇu mūrti has in His four hands the different weapons, conch, disc, lotus and club and depending on how They hold the different weapons they are known by different names, so the details will be given below.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.222

dakṣiṇādho hasta haite vāmādhaḥ paryanta
cakrādi astra-dhāraṇa-gaṇanāra anta

Translation: “The procedure for counting begins with the lower right hand and goes to the upper right hand, the upper left hand, and the lower left hand. Lord Viṣṇu is named according to the order of the weapons He holds in His hands.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this system will be followed in the following verses.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.223

siddhārtha-saṁhitā-kathita 24 mūrti —

siddhārtha-saṁhitā kare cabbiśa mūrti gaṇana
tāra mate kahi āge cakrādi-dhāraṇa

Translation: “According to the Siddhārtha-saṁhitā there are twenty-four forms of Lord Viṣṇu. First I shall describe, according to the opinion of that book, the location of the weapons, beginning with the disc.

Purport: The twenty-four forms are (1) Vāsudeva, (2) Saṅkarṣaṇa, (3) Pradyumna, (4) Aniruddha, (5) Keśava, (6) Nārāyaṇa, (7) Mādhava, (8) Govinda, (9) Viṣṇu, (10) Madhusūdana, (11) Trivikrama, (12) Vāmana, (13) Śrīdhara, (14) Hṛṣīkeśa, (15) Padmanābha, (16) Dāmodara, (17) Puruṣottama, (18) Acyuta, (19) Nṛsiṁha, (20) Janārdana, (21) Hari, (22) Kṛṣṇa, (23) Adhokṣaja and (24) Upendra.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, after the four catur-vyūha mūrtis, twelve mūrtis which are also equivalent to the tilaka-mantras and their eight directions so this in total equals twenty-four.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.224

paravyome dvitīya-caturvyūhera astrabheda:—

vāsudeva—gadā-śaṅkha-cakra-padma-dhara
saṅkarṣaṇa—gadā-śaṅkha-padma-cakra-kara

Translation: “In His lower right hand, Lord Vāsudeva holds a club, in the upper right hand a conchshell, in the upper left hand a disc and in the lower left hand a lotus flower. In His lower right hand, Saṅkarṣaṇa holds a club, in His upper right hand a conchshell, in His upper left hand a lotus flower and in His lower left hand a disc.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the second catur-vyūha of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.225

pradyumna—cakra-śaṅkha-gadā-padma-dhara
aniruddha—cakra-gadā-śaṅkha-padma-kara

Translation: “Pradyumna holds the disc, conch, club and lotus. Aniruddha holds the disc, club, conch and lotus.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.226

paravyome vāsudevādi—nija nija astra-dhara
tāṅra mata kahi, ye-saba astra-kara

Translation: “Thus in the spiritual sky the expansions, headed by Vāsudeva, hold weapons in Their own respective order. I am repeating the opinion of the Siddhārtha-saṁhitā in describing Them.

Jayapatākā Swami: Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu would refer to the Vedic lietratures.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.227

paravyome avaśiṣṭa 20 mūrtira astra-bheda-varṇana —

śrī-keśava—padma-śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dhara
nārāyaṇa—śaṅkha-padma-gadā-cakra-dhara

Translation: “Lord Keśava holds the lotus, conch, disc and club. Lord Nārāyaṇa holds the conch, lotus, club and disc.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.228

śrī-mādhava—gadā-cakra-śaṅkha-padma-kara
śrī-govinda—cakra-gadā-padma-śaṅkha-dhara

Translation: “Lord Mādhava holds the club, disc, conch and lotus. Lord Govinda holds the disc, club, lotus and conch.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.229

viṣṇu-mūrti—gadā-padma-śaṅkha-cakra-kara
madhusūdana—cakra-śaṅkha-padma-gadā-dhara

Translation: “Lord Viṣṇu holds the club, lotus, conch and disc. Lord Madhusūdana holds the disc, conch, lotus and club.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.230

trivikrama—padma-gadā-cakra-śaṅkha-kara
śrī-vāmana—śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma-dhara

Translation: “Lord Trivikrama holds the lotus, club, disc and conch. Lord Vāmana holds the conch, disc, club and lotus.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.231

śrīdhara—padma-cakra-gadā-śaṅkha-kara
hṛṣīkeśa—gadā-cakra-padma-śaṅkha-dhara

Translation: “Lord Śrīdhara holds the lotus, disc, club and conch. Lord Hṛṣīkeśa holds the club, disc, lotus and conch.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.232

padmanābha—śaṅkha-padma-cakra-gadā-kara
dāmodara—padma-śaṅkha-gadā-cakra-dhara

Translation: “Lord Padmanābha holds the conch, lotus, disc and club. Lord Dāmodara holds the lotus, disc, club and conch.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.233

puruṣottama—cakra-padma-śaṅkha-gadā-dhara
śrī-acyuta—gadā-padma-cakra-śaṅkha-dhara

Translation: “Lord Puruṣottama holds the disc, lotus, conch and club. Lord Acyuta holds the club, lotus, disc and conch.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.234

śrī-nṛsiṁha—cakra-padma-gadā-śaṅkha-dhara
janārdana—padma-cakra-śaṅkha-gadā-kara

Translation: “Lord Nṛsiṁha holds the disc, lotus, club and conch. Lord Janārdana holds the lotus, disc, conch and club.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.235

śrī-hari—śaṅkha-cakra-padma-gadā-kara
śrī-kṛṣṇa—śaṅkha-gadā-padma-cakra-kara

Translation: “Śrī Hari holds the conch, disc, lotus and club. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa holds the conch, club, lotus and disc.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.236

adhokṣaja—padma-gadā-śaṅkha-cakra-kara
upendra—śaṅkha-gadā-cakra-padma-kara

Translation: “Lord Adhokṣaja holds the lotus, club, conch and disc. Lord Upendra holds the conch, club, disc and lotus.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.237

hayaśīrṣa-pañcarātre kathita 16 mūrtira astra-bheda varṇana —

hayaśīrṣa-pañcarātre kahe ṣola-jana
tāra mate kahi ebe cakrādi-dhāraṇa

Translation: “According to the Hayaśīrṣa-pañcarātra, there are sixteen personalities. I shall now describe that opinion of how They hold the weapons.

Purport: The sixteen personalities are as follows: (1) Vāsudeva, (2) Saṅkarṣaṇa, (3) Pradyumna, (4) Aniruddha, (5) Keśava, (6) Nārāyaṇa, (7) Mādhava, (8) Govinda, (9) Viṣṇu, (10) Madhusūdana, (11) Trivikrama, (12) Vāmana, (13) Śrīdhara, (14) Hṛṣīkeśa, (15) Padmanābha and (16) Dāmodara.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, these sixteen are the four catur-vyūha and twelve Viṣṇu-mūrtis mentioned in the tilaka-mantras, which are also the twelve months of the year.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.238

keśava-bhede padma-śaṅkha-gadā-cakra-dhara
mādhava-bhede cakra-gadā-śaṅkha-padma-kara

Translation: “Keśava is described differently as holding the lotus, conch, club and disc, and Mādhava is described as holding the disc, club, conch and lotus in His hands.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.239

nārāyaṇa-bhede nānā astra-bheda-dhara
ityādika bheda ei saba astra-kara

Translation: “According to the Hayaśīrṣa-pañcarātra, Nārāyaṇa and others are also presented differently as holding the weapons in different hands.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.240

vrajendra-nandanera dui nāma —

‘svayaṁ bhagavān’, āra ‘līlā-puruṣottama’
ei dui nāma dhare vrajendra-nandana

Translation: “Kṛṣṇa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, indicated as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, has two names. One is Svayaṁ-bhagavān, and the other is Līlā-puruṣottama.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa is the original personality of Godhead and all the Viṣṇu forms are expansions of His expansions, so He is known as Svayaṁ-bhagavān or Līlā-puruṣottama. He exists eternally in Goloka Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.241

mathurā o dvārakāra āvaraṇa-rūpe navabyūha —

purīra āvaraṇa-rūpe purīra nava-deśe
nava-vyūha-rūpe nava-mūrti parakāśe

Translation: “Lord Kṛṣṇa personally surrounds Dvārakā-purī as its protector. In different parts of the city, in nine places, He expands in nine different forms.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.242

navaka-vyūhera paricaya:—

Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛte (1.451)—

catvāro vāsudevādyā
nārāyaṇa-nṛsiṁhakau
hayagrīvo mahākroḍo
brahmā ceti navoditāḥ

Translation: “‘The nine personalities mentioned are Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Nārāyaṇa, Nṛsiṁha, Hayagrīva, Varāha and Brahmā.’

Purport: This verse is found in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.451). The Brahmā mentioned herein is not a living entity. Sometimes, when there is a scarcity of living entities to take charge of Brahmā’s post, Mahā-Viṣṇu expands Himself as Lord Brahmā. This Brahmā is not considered to be a living entity; He is an expansion of Viṣṇu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the science of the Absolute Truth, Lord Caitanya is instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī. So, the different forms of the Lord can be distinguished in different ways and Kṛṣṇa protects Dvārakā through these various expansions. So in this way the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa unfolding, He Himself is the original Personality of Godhead Svayaṁ-bhagavān and He is manifesting these pastimes, therefore His another name is līlā-puruṣottama

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