20211128 Phalaśruti – The Result of Hearing About the Sweetness of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 28th November 2021 in Srīdhāma 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 is the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter today is entitled:

Phalaśruti – The Result of Hearing About the Sweetness of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Under the section: The Opulence and Sweetness of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.135

kṛṣṇera aṅgamādhurī, vadana-mādhurī o hāsya-mādhurīte gopībhāvānvita prabhura lobha:—

kṛṣṇāṅga-mādhurya—sindhu, sumadhura mukha—indu,
ati-madhu smita—sukiraṇe
e-tine lāgila mana, lobhe kare āsvādana,
śloka paḍe svahasta-cālane

Translation: The transcendental form of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is compared to an ocean. A particularly extraordinary vision is the moon above that ocean — Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s face — and an even more extraordinary vision is His smile, which is sweeter than sweet and is like shining beams of moonlight.” While speaking of these things with Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to remember one thing after another. Moving His hands in ecstasy, He recited a verse.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.136

gopīra nikaṭa kṛṣṇāṅga, kṛṣṇānana o kṛṣṇahāsya-mādhurīra tāratamya:—

śrī-kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛte (92) bilva-maṅgala-vākya—

madhuraṁ madhuraṁ vapur asya vibhor madhuraṁ madhuraṁ vadanaṁ madhuram
madhu-gandhi mṛdu-smitam etad aho madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuram

Translation: ‘O my Lord, the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa is very sweet, and His face is even sweeter than His body. But His soft smile, which has the fragrance of honey, is sweeter still.’

Purport: This verse is quoted from the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta (92), by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta was discovered by Lord Caitanya in the Ādī-Keśava temple and He copied it and brought that with Him. Actually, this verse in the ends it says madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuram, so madhuram is sweetnesṣ So, he was appreciating how Lord Kṛṣṇa is complete sweetness. When Lord Caitanya, He remembered this quality of Kṛṣṇa, He was filled with Love of Kṛṣṇa. This thing He has come to give the people of the world, pure love of Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuram.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.137

gopībhāvānvita prabhura kṛṣṇamādhuryāsvādane nityavarddhamāna-atṛpti :—

sanātana, kṛṣṇa-mādhurya—amṛtera sindhu mora mana—sannipāti, saba pite kare mati, durdaiva-vaidya nā deya eka bindu

Translation: My dear Sanātana, the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s personality is just like an ocean of ambrosia. Although My mind is now afflicted by convulsive diseases and I wish to drink that entire ocean, the repressive physician does not allow Me to drink even one drop.

Purport: When there is a combination of kapha, pitta and vāyu, the three bodily elements, there occurs sannipāti, or a convulsive disease. Lord Caitanya said, This disease of Mine is caused by the personal features of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The three elements are the beauty of Kṛṣṇa’s body, the beauty of His face, and the beauty of His smile. Stricken by these three beauties, My mind goes into convulsions. It wishes to drink the ocean of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, but because I am undergoing convulsions, My physician, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, does not even allow Me to take a drop of water from that ocean.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was ecstatic in this way because He was presenting Himself in the mood of the gopīs. The gopīs wanted to drink the ocean of sweetness arising from the bodily features of Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa did not allow them to come near. Consequently their desire to meet Kṛṣṇa increased, and being unable to drink the ambrosia of Kṛṣṇa’s bodily features, they became very unhappy.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see the ecstatic loving mood of Lord Caitanya and how He was presenting the emotions of Rādhārānī, So He is Kṛṣṇa with the heart of Rādhārānī and we can see in this exchange how He is presenting the viewpoint of Rādhārānī and the gopīs of Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.138

kṛṣṇāṅga—madhura, kṛṣṇamukha—madhuratara, kṛṣṇahāsya—madhuratama:—

kṛṣṇāṅga—lāvaṇya-pūra, madhura haite sumadhura,
tāte yei mukha sudhākara
madhura haite sumadhura, tāhā ha-ite sumadhura,
tāra yei smita jyotsnā-bhara

Translation: Kṛṣṇa’s body is a city of attractive features, and it is sweeter than sweet. His face, which is like the moon, is sweeter still. And the supremely sweet gentle smile on that moonlike face is like rays of moonshine.

Purport: The smile on Kṛṣṇa’s face, which is just like the smiling of the moon, generates greater and greater happiness for the gopīs.

Jayapatākā Swami: This creates extreme appreciation of the beauty of Kṛṣṇa and how the gopīs and Rādhārānī they were able to observe all the aspects of Kṛṣṇa's beauty in an intense manner.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.139

samagra tribhuvanai—sei hāsyacandrikāloka-snāta :—

madhura haite sumadhura, tāhā haite sumadhura,
tāhā haite ati sumadhura
āpanāra eka kaṇe, vyāpe saba tribhuvane,
daśa-dik vyāpe yāra pūra

Translation: The beauty of Kṛṣṇa’s smile is the sweetest feature of all. His smile is like a full moon that spreads its rays throughout the three worlds — Goloka Vṛndāvana, the spiritual sky of the Vaikuṇṭhas, and Devī-dhāma, the material world. Thus Kṛṣṇa’s shining beauty spreads in all ten directions.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Vrajavāsīs, the pure devotees of Vṛndāvana, they appreciate the beautiful smile of Kṛṣṇa, therefore they are considered the most fortunate devotees, the beauty of Kṛṣṇa penetrates all the ten directions.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.140

kṛṣṇera krīḍāvigraha veṇu-mādhurīte tribhuvanai unmatta:—

smita-kiraṇa-sukarpūre, paiśe adhara-madhure,
sei madhu mātāya tribhuvane
vaṁśī-chidra ākāśe, tāra guṇa śabde paiśe,
dhvani-rūpe pāñā pariṇāme

Translation: His slight smiling and fragrant illumination are compared to camphor, which enters the sweetness of His lips. That sweetness is transformed and enters into space as vibrations from the holes of His flute.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the materialists, they are enamoured by the material beauty. They appreciate how the creator of this material world and the spiritual world is much sweeter than anything in the existence. Rādhārānī and the gopīs, they can appreciate the beauty of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.141

kṛṣṇa-vaṁśī—brahmāṇḍa, paravyoma o golokastha yāvatīya śuddha-sattvera, viśeṣataḥ śṛṅgāra-rasera āśrayavargera unmādinī : —

se dhvani caudike dhāya, aṇḍa bhedi’ vaikuṇṭhe yāya,
bale paiśe jagatera kāṇe
sabā mātoyāla kari’, balātkāre āne dhari’,
viśeṣataḥ yuvatīra gaṇe

Translation: The sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute spreads in the four directions. Even though Kṛṣṇa vibrates His flute within this universe, its sound pierces the universal covering and goes to the spiritual sky. Thus the vibration enters the ears of all inhabitants. It especially enters Goloka Vṛndāvana-dhāma and attracts the minds of the young damsels of Vrajabhūmi, bringing them forcibly to where Kṛṣṇa is present.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa is playing on His flute and this attracts the mind of everyone especially it attracts the minds of those devotees in Vraja-bhūmī and Goloka Vṛndāvana dhāma.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.142

veṇu-mādhurīra prabhāva :—

dhvani—baḍa uddhata, pativratāra bhāṅge vrata,
pati-kola haite ṭāni’ āne
vaikuṇṭhera lakṣmī-gaṇe, yei kare ākarṣaṇe,
tāra āge kebā gopī-gaṇe

Translation: The vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is very aggressive, and it breaks the vows of all chaste women. Indeed, its vibration takes them forcibly from the laps of their husbands. The vibration of His flute attracts even the goddesses of fortune in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, to say nothing of the poor damsels of Vṛndāvana.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa's flute is transcendental and it is very attractive to all the living entities but especially to the objects of conjugal love. So, His transcendental beauty attracts the minds of all ladies and in fact even He Himself, even if he is in different areas is attracted by His beauty. When Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā sees the beauty of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, He gets attracted. So, this way people will take shelter of Lord Caitanya they can naturally develop attraction for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.143

nīvi khasāya pati-āge, gṛha-dharma karāya tyāge,
bale dhari’ āne kṛṣṇa-sthāne
loka-dharma, lajjā, bhaya, saba jñāna lupta haya,
aiche nācāya saba nārī-gaṇe

Translation: The vibration of His flute slackens the knots of their underwear even in front of their husbands. Thus the gopīs are forced to abandon their household duties and come before Lord Kṛṣṇa. In this way all social etiquette, shame and fear are vanquished. The vibration of His flute causes all women to dance.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this demonstrates how the parakīya-rasa is considered as the highest form of devotion to Kṛṣṇa, rather the svakīya-rasa in Dvārakā doesn’t quite match up.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.144

kṛṣṇetara nikhilaśabda-stambhanakārī :—

kāṇera bhitara vāsā kare, āpane tāṅhā sadā sphure,
anya śabda nā deya praveśite
āna kathā nā śune kāṇa, āna balite bolaya āna,
ei kṛṣṇera vaṁśīra carite

Translation: The vibration of His flute is just like a bird that creates a nest within the ears of the gopīs and always remains prominent there, not allowing any other sound to enter their ears. Indeed, the gopīs cannot hear anything else, nor are they able to concentrate on anything else, not even to give a suitable reply. Such are the effects of the vibration of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s flute.”

Purport: The vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is always prominent in the ears of the gopīs. Naturally they cannot hear anything else. Constant remembrance of the holy sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute keeps them enlightened and enlivened, and they do not allow any other sound to enter their ears. Since their attention is fixed on Kṛṣṇa’s flute, they cannot divert their minds to any other subject. In other words, a devotee who has heard the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute forgets to talk or hear of any other subject. This vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is represented by the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. A serious devotee of the Lord who chants and hears this transcendental vibration becomes so accustomed to it that he cannot divert his attention to any subject matter not related to Kṛṣṇa’s blissful characteristics and paraphernalia.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by chanting the māhā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, we can naturally hear Kṛṣṇa's flute. When we chant the kāma-gāyatrī, it is not different from Kṛṣṇa Himself. So, the residents of Vraja-dhāma, they hear the Kṛṣṇa's flute, they can’t hear anything else. The chanters of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra gradually develop this ability to not to hear anything else that is not connected with Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's fame, Kṛṣṇa's form and Kṛṣṇa's beauty etc,.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.145

prabhura vāhyadaśāya āgamana, amānī o mānada-dharma :—

punaḥ kahe bāhya-jñāne, āna kahite kahiluṅ āne,
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā tomāra upare
mora citta-bhrama kari’, nijaiśvarya-mādhurī,
mora mukhe śunāya tomāre

Translation: Resuming His external consciousness, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Sanātana Gosvāmī, I have not spoken of what I intended. Lord Kṛṣṇa is very merciful to you because by bewildering My mind He has revealed His personal opulence and sweetness. He has caused you to hear all these things from Me for your understanding.

Purport: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu admitted that He was speaking like a madman, which He should not have done for the understanding of those who are externally situated. Statements about Kṛṣṇa’s body, His characteristics and His flute would appear like a madman’s statements to a mundane person. It was actually a fact that Kṛṣṇa wanted to reveal Himself to Sanātana Gosvāmī due to His specific mercy upon him. Somehow or other, Kṛṣṇa explained Himself and His flute to Sanātana Gosvāmī through the mouth of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who appeared as though mad. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu admitted that He wanted to tell Sanātana Gosvāmī something else, but somehow or other, in transcendental ecstasy, He spoke of a different subject matter.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya wanted to give some other topic, but being inspired in ecstasy by Kṛṣṇa, He spoke so many things about Kṛṣṇa's sweetness and Kṛṣṇa's flute. In this way Sanātana Gosvāmī could understand the opulences of Kṛṣṇa and material people they will not be able to understand this. But just that such a pure love exists, such an attraction for the Supreme Person exist should be understood, and we may not understand how this is possible, but it can happen. That is the opulence, that is the mercy that Lord Caitanya is bestowing.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.146

gopībhāvānvita prabhura kṛṣṇa-mādhuryagrasta svīya cittera vaśyatā o saubhāgya prakhyāpana :—

āmi ta’ bāula, āna kahite āna kahi
kṛṣṇera mādhuryāmṛta-srote yāi vahi’

Translation: Since I have become a madman, I am saying one thing instead of another. This is because I am being carried away by the waves of the nectarean ocean of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental sweetness.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is explaining that He had become mad because of His loving ecstasy in the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa. The verses in Bengali are so sweet, we should read the Caitanya-caritāmṛta in the original form and see the beautiful Bengali verses, which this compilation is not presenting because we want to make this a very easy book to read. But if we can go through the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, these verses, are something very special, transcendental poetry.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.147

prabhura kṣaṇakāla maunabhāva :—

tabe mahāprabhu kṣaṇeka mauna kari’ rahe
mane eka kari’ punaḥ sanātane kahe

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then remained silent for a moment. Finally, adjusting things within His mind, He again spoke to Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.148

kṛṣṇa-mādhurya-śravaṇakārīra kṛṣṇa-premasukhe nimajjana :—

kṛṣṇera mādhurī āra mahāprabhura mukhe
ihā yei śune, sei bhāse prema-sukhe

Translation: If anyone gets an opportunity to hear about the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa in this chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he will certainly be eligible to float in the transcendentally blissful ocean of love of God.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the special mercy of hearing Lord Caitanya’s instruction to Sanātana Gosvāmī, on the sweetness and opulence of Kṛṣṇa, and we will get love of Godhead.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Phalaśruti – The Result of Hearing About the Sweetness of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Under the section: The Opulence and Sweetness of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa