20211204 Vaiṣṇava Ācāra

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 4th December 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 Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today is the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter today is entitled:

Vaiṣṇava Ācāra
Under the section: The Process of Devotional Service

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.84

sukṛtiphale sādhu-saṅga, tatphale kṛṣṇa-bhakti— Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (10.51.53)—

bhavāpavargo bhramato yadā bhavej janasya tarhy acyuta sat-samāgamaḥ
sat-saṅgamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau parāvareśe tvayi jāyate ratiḥ

Translation: When a person wandering throughout the universes becomes eligible for liberation from material existence, he gets an opportunity to associate with devotees. When he associates with devotees, his attraction for You is awakened. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead — the highest goal of the topmost devotees, and the Lord of the universe.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.51.53). 

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this tells the importance of meeting with devotees, by associating with devotees, sādhu-saṅga, one is able to awaken the dormant love for godhead.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.85

satsaṅgai paramadhana— Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (11.2.30)

ata ātyantikaṁ kṣemaṁ pṛcchāmo bhavato ’naghāḥ
saṁsāre ’smin kṣaṇārdho ’pi sat-saṅgaḥ sevadhir nṛṇām

Translation: O devotees! O you who are free from all sins! Let me inquire from you about that which is supremely auspicious for all living entities. Association with a pure devotee for even half a moment in this material world is the greatest treasure for human society.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.30).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, again associating with topmost devotees is so important, it can give one the highest treasure of life.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.86

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (3.25.25)—

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani
śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati

Translation: The spiritually powerful message of Godhead can be properly discussed only in a society of devotees, and it is greatly pleasing to hear in that association. If one hears from devotees, the way of transcendental experience quickly opens, and gradually one attains firm faith that in due course develops into attraction and devotion.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.25). For an explanation see Ādi-līlā 1.60.

Jayapatākā Swami: His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda made the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, so that devotees who were like-minded could associate with each other and discuss topics of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.87

vaiṣṇavera ācāra o avaiṣṇava-nirddeśa:—

asat-saṅga-tyāga,—ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra
‘strī-saṅgī’—eka asādhu, ‘kṛṣṇābhakta’ āra

Translation: A Vaiṣṇava should always avoid the association of ordinary people. Common people are very much materially attached, especially to women. Vaiṣṇavas should also avoid the company of those who are not devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if one has a mood of enjoying material energy that association is bad for the devotee to progress, we should seek the association of pure devotees and associate with them.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.88-90

yoṣitsaṅga o yoṣitsaṅgīra saṅgera bhayāvaha pariṇāma—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (3.31.33-35)—

satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā maunaṁ buddhir hrīḥ śrīr yaśaḥ kṣamā
śamo damo bhagaś ceti yat-saṅgād yāti saṅkṣayam

teṣv aśānteṣu mūḍheṣu khaṇḍitātmasv asādhuṣu
saṅgaṁ na kuryāc chocyeṣu yoṣit-krīḍā-mṛgeṣu ca

na tathāsya bhaven moho bandhaś cānya-prasaṅgataḥ
yoṣit-saṅgād yathā puṁso yathā tat-saṅgi-saṅgataḥ

Translation: By association with worldly people, one becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind, control of the senses, fortune and all opportunities. One should not at any time associate with a coarse fool who is bereft of the knowledge of self-realization and who is no more than a toy animal in the hands of a woman. The illusion and bondage that accrue to a man from attachment to any other object are not as complete as that resulting from association with a woman or with men too much attached to women.’

Purport: These verses, quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.31.33-35), were spoken by Kapiladeva, an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to His mother. Herein Kapiladeva discusses pious and impious activities and the symptoms of those who are devoid of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. Generally people do not know about the miserable conditions within the womb of a mother in any species of life. Due to bad association, one gradually falls into lower species. Association with women is greatly stressed in this regard. When one becomes attached to women or to those who are attached to women, one falls down into the lower species.

Śrīla Prabhupāda mentions that our female devotee in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are not ordinary women, by their association one is inspired to take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, this is specifically talking about ordinary women who are simply not devotees.

The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.” (Bhagavad-gītā 13.22)

According to Vedic civilization, one’s association with women should be very much restricted. In spiritual life there are four āśramas — brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. The brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī are completely forbidden to associate with women. Only gṛhasthas are allowed to associate with women under certain very much restricted conditions — that is, one associates with women to propagate nice children. Other reasons for association are condemned.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda's gṛhastha devotees, husband and wife, they did very wonderful preaching in different countries, so Śrīla Prabhupāda was very grateful that the gṛhasthas did so much preaching, previously only sannyāsīs or renounced people would do preaching, but here we find many of his gṛhastha devotees did wonderful preaching.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.91

hari-vimukha-saṅgera prati bhaktera manobhāva— kātyāyana-saṁhitā vacana —

varaṁ huta-vaha-jvālā-pañjarāntar-vyavasthitiḥ
na śauri-cintā-vimukha-jana-saṁvāsa-vaiśasam

Translation: It is better to accept the miseries of being encaged within bars and surrounded by burning flames than to associate with those bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Such association is a very great hardship.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Kātyāyana-saṁhitā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, associating with people who have no interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very degrading. For devotees it’s a very difficult situation.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.92

viṣṇu-bhaktihīnera prati vyavahāra-vidhi—gosvāmipādokti—

mā drākṣīḥ kṣīṇa-puṇyān kvacid api bhagavad-bhakti-hīnān manuṣyān

Translation: One should not even see those who are bereft of devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and who are therefore devoid of pious activities.’

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing or associating with people who are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a negative influence on one’s progress in spiritual life.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.93

paramahaṁsa vā niṣkiñcana vaiṣṇavera ācaraṇa—

eta saba chāḍi’ āra varṇāśrama-dharma
akiñcana hañā laya kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa

Translation: Without hesitation, one should take exclusive shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa with full confidence, giving up bad association and even neglecting the regulative principles of the four varṇas and four āśramas. That is to say, one should abandon all material attachment.

Jayapatākā Swami: In the 18th Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, one should take full shelter of Him, giving up all other principles.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.94

Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītāya (18.66)

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Translation: After giving up all kinds of religious and occupational duties, if you come to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and take shelter, I shall give you protection from all of life’s sinful reactions. Do not worry.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Bhagavad-gītā (18.66) spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa. For an explanation, refer to Madhya-līlā 8.63.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here Kṛṣṇa tells to take complete shelter of Him, He will give all protection from sinful reactions.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.95

kṛṣṇai ekamātra bhajanīya vastu:—

bhakta-vatsala, kṛtajña, samartha, vadānya
hena kṛṣṇa chāḍi’ paṇḍita nāhi bhaje anya

Translation: Lord Kṛṣṇa is very kind to His devotees. He is always very grateful and magnanimous, and He possesses all abilities. A learned man does not give up Kṛṣṇa to worship anyone else.

Purport: An intelligent person gives up the company of those who are attached to women and bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should be free from all kinds of material attachment and should take full shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very kind to His devotees. He is always grateful, and He never forgets the service of a devotee. He is also completely opulent and all-powerful. Why, then, should one take shelter of a demigod and leave Lord Kṛṣṇa’s shelter? If one worships a demigod and leaves Kṛṣṇa, he must be considered the lowest fool.

Jayapatākā Swami: We can understand that demigods are also the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, then in that consciousness they should be respected. But as far as taking shelter, we should only take shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.96

ātmā-prada sarvātmā kṛṣṇa— Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (10.48.26)—

kaḥ paṇḍitas tvad-aparaṁ śaraṇaṁ samīyād
bhakta-priyād ṛta-giraḥ suhṛdaḥ kṛtajñāt
sarvān dadāti suhṛdo bhajato ’bhikāmān
ātmānam apy upacayāpacayau na yasya

Translation: My dear Lord, You are very affectionate to Your devotees. You are also a truthful and grateful friend. Where is that learned man who would give You up and surrender to someone else? You fulfill all the desires of Your devotees, so much so that sometimes You even give Yourself to them. Still, You neither increase nor decrease by such activity.’

Purport: This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.48.26).

Jayapatākā Swami: In the material world we end up serving so many other personalities, but since we have to engage in serving others, better to serve Kṛṣṇa, who is the reservoir of all good qualities and not to give His service for anyone else.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.97

uddhavai ananya kṛṣṇa-bhajanera pramāṇa:—

vijña-janera haya yadi kṛṣṇa-guṇa-jñāna
anya tyaji’ bhaje, tāte uddhava—pramāṇa

Translation: Whenever an experienced person develops real knowledge of Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental qualities, he naturally gives up all other engagements and renders service to the Lord. Uddhava gives evidence concerning this.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we should serve Kṛṣṇa, following the examples of great devotees like Uddhava. Thus He is the greatest friend, well-wisher and benedictor of the devotees

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.98

kṛṣṇa—dayāra sāgara — Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (3.2.23)—