20211218 Explanation of (9) hari, (10) ca, and (11) api

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 18th 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 Krishna! Dear Devotees! Today is the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter today is entitled:

Explanation of (9) hari, (10) ca, and (11) api
Under the section: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.59

(9) ‘hari’ śabdera artha; dvividha haraṇa—(a) gauṇa o (b) mukhya lakṣaṇa:—

‘hariḥ’-śabde nānārtha, dui mukhyatama 
sarva amaṅgala hare, prema diyā hare mana

Translation: “Although the word ‘hari’ has many different meanings, two of them are foremost. One meaning is that the Lord takes away all inauspicious things from His devotee, and the second meaning is that He attracts the mind by ecstatic love for God.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari as Śrīla Prabhupāda explained, this is a universal name for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mantra harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that Hari means any name of Supreme Personality of Godhead so he told the prisoners in Tehran, if they don’t want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, they can chant the names ‘Allah’. He told the Cardinal Daniel in France if he wants, he can chant Jesu Kṛṣṇa! Jesu Kṛṣṇa!

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.60

(1) jīvera ābaraṇa-rūpa anarthahara guṇa—(a) nikhila tāpavināśa:—

yaiche taiche yohi kohi karaye smaraṇa 
cāri-vidha tāpa tāra kare saṁharaṇa

Translation: When the devotee somehow or other always remembers the Supreme Personality of Godhead anywhere and everywhere, Lord Hari takes away life’s four miserable conditions.

Purport: The four miserable conditions are due to the four kinds of sinful activities, known as (1) pātaka, (2) uru-pātaka, (3) mahā-pātaka and (4) ati-pātaka — preliminary sin, very great sin, greater sin and topmost sin. However, Kṛṣṇa assures the devotee, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ: “I will protect you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” The word sarva-pāpebhyaḥ indicates four kinds of sinful activities. As soon as the devotee surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, he is certainly relieved from all sinful activities and their results. The four basic sinful activities are summarized as illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating.

So, by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, to His lotus feet, one is immediately forgiven from all the types of sins. So, everyone should surrender to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet.

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.61

kṛṣṇa-bhakti—pāpa, pāpabīja o avidyā, ei trividha kleśaghnī:—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (11.14.19)—

yathāgniḥ su-samṛddhārciḥ
karoty edhāṁsi bhasma-sāt tathā mad-viṣayā bhaktir
uddhavaināṁsi kṛtsnaśaḥ

Translation: “As all fuel is burned to ashes by a full-fledged fire, all sinful activities are totally erased when one engages in devotional service to Me.’

This verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.19) was spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows that by rendering devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa all sins are erased.

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.62

(b) ajñāna o avidyā-vināśa; takhana kṛṣṇa-prīti-vāñchāmūle śravaṇa- kīrtanādi śuddha-citte svaprakāśa nityasiddha kṛṣṇapremodaya :—

tabe kare bhakti-bādhaka karma, avidyā nāśa 
śravaṇādyera phala ‘premā’ karaye prakāśa

Translation: “In this way, when all sinful activities are vanquished by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one gradually vanquishes all kinds of impediments on the path of devotional service, as well as the ignorance resulting from these impediments. After this, one totally manifests his original love of Godhead through devotional service in nine different ways — hearing, chanting and so forth.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this gives the gradual process how one can awaken their dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. If someone is not having a taste, they should follow this process and avoid any kind of offense to the Vaiṣṇavas.

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.63

(2) anāvṛta śuddha jīvasvarūpake preme ākarṣaṇa:—

nija-guṇe tabe hare dehendriya-mana 
aiche kṛpālu kṛṣṇa, aiche tāṅra guṇa

“When the devotee is freed from all sinful material activities, Kṛṣṇa attracts his body, mind and senses to His service. Thus, Kṛṣṇa is very merciful, and His transcendental qualities are very attractive.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa is known as dīna-bandhu, He is the friend of the fallen. So not only does He get rid of the sinful reactions but also by rendering devotional service one gets attracted to Kṛṣṇa and awakens his dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.64

hari vā hariprema caturvarga-dhikkārī o sarvacittahara:—

cāri puruṣārtha chāḍāya, guṇe hare sabāra mana 
‘hari’-śabdera ei mukhya kahiluṅ lakṣaṇa

Translation: “When one’s mind, senses and body are attracted to the transcendental qualities of Hari, one gives up the four principles of material success. Thus I have explained the chief meanings of the word ‘hari.’

The four principles of material success are (1) religious performance, (2) economic development, (3) sense gratification and (4) liberation, or merging into the impersonal effulgence of Brahman. These things do not interest the devotee.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes devotees accept the other four types of liberation, if it includes devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. But the impersonal realization is always rejected by the devotees.

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.65

(10) ca-śabdera o (11) api-śabdera artha :—

‘ca’ ‘api’, dui śabda tāte ‘avyaya’ haya 
yei artha lāgāiye, sei artha haya

Translation: “When the conjunctions ‘ca’ [‘and’] and ‘api’ [‘although’] are added to this verse, the verse can assume whatever meaning one wants to give it.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is now indicating the unlimited meanings by adding the words ‘ca’ and ‘api’.

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.66

ca-śabdera sapta o api-śabdera sapta artha:—

tathāpi ca-kārera kahe mukhya artha sāta

Translation: “The word ‘ca’ can be explained in seven ways.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was asked by Sanātana Gosvāmī to explain the eighteen ways that He had explained the ‘ātmārāma verse’ to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. But Lord Caitanya said I cannot remember whatever I said, I will say whatever comes in My mind. By your presence I may get even more. So, Lord Caitanya was explaining the ‘ātmārāma verse’ in 61 different ways

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.67

ca-śabdera prayogasthala; pramāṇa–viśvaprakāśe—

cānvācaye samāhāre
’nyonyārthe ca samuccaye yatnāntare tathā pāda-
pūraṇe ’py avadhāraṇe

“The word “ca” [“and”] is used to connect a word or sentence with a previous word or sentence, to give the sense of aggregation, to assist the meaning, to give a collective understanding, to suggest another effort or exertion, or to fulfill the meter of a verse. It is also used in the sense of certainty.’

Purport(by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupāda): This is a quotation from the Viśva-prakāśa dictionary.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya He memorized all the verses from the dictionary

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.68

api-śabde mukhya artha sāta vikhyāta

Translation: “There are seven chief meanings of the word ‘api.’ They are as follows.

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.69

api-śabdera prayogasthala, pramāṇa:—viśvaprakāśe

api sambhāvanā-praśna-
śaṅkā-garhā-samuccaye tathā yukta-padārtheṣu
kāma-cāra-kriyāsu ca

Translation: “The word “api” is used in the sense of possibility, question, doubt, censure, aggregation, appropriate application of things, and extravagance.’

Purport: This is another quotation from the Viśva-prakāśa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by using the word ‘api’ we can get so many interpretations.

Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.70

ei paryyanta padasamūhera artha nirṇīta;
ekṣaṇe taddvārā ślokārtha nirṇaya:—

ei ta’ ekādaśa padera artha-nirṇaya
ebe ślokārtha kari, yathā ye lāgaya

ebe ślokārtha kari, yathā ye lāgaya

Translation: “I have now described the different meanings of the eleven separate words. Now let Me give the complete meaning of the śloka, as it is applied in different places.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya as Nimāi Paṇḍita, He could defeat anyone in some kind of debate, and He knew the principles of each word and how they would affect the other words, and He could explain according to the combinations.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Explanation of (9) hari, (10) ca, and (11) api
Under the section: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse