20211223 Thirteen Types of Yogīs and Munis called as Śānta-bhaktas Render Transcendental Loving Service in the Neutral Stage

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 23rd 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!

The compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled is:

Thirteen Types of Yogīs and Munis called as Śānta-bhaktas Render Transcendental Loving Service in the Neutral Stage
Under the section: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.146

ātmārāma, muni o nirgranthagaṇera kṛṣṇa-bhajana:—

“ātmārāmāś ca api” kare kṛṣṇe ahaitukī bhakti 
“munayaḥ santaḥ” iti kṛṣṇa-manane āsakti

Translation: “The six kinds of ātmārāmas render devotional service to Kṛṣṇa without ulterior motives. The words ‘munayaḥ’ and ‘santaḥ’ indicate those who are very much attached to meditating upon Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, munis or santās are those who are very attached to meditating on Kṛṣṇa and thus they are considered among the pure devotees.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.147

“nirgranthāḥ”—avidyā-hīna, keha—vidhi-hīna 
yāhāṅ yei yukta, sei arthera adhīna

Translation: “The word ‘nirgranthāḥ’ means ‘without ignorance’ and ‘devoid of rules and regulations.’ Whichever meaning fits may be applied.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, spontaneous devotional service is not dependent on rules and regulations and spontaneous devotion is free of ignorance because it is completely focused on Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the Absolute Truth and the summum bonnum.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.148

anya ekaprakāra artha :—

‘ca’-śabde kari yadi ‘itaretara’ artha 
āra eka artha kahe parama samartha

Translation: “The use of the word ‘ca’ in different places produces different meanings. Over and above them, there is another meaning that is very important.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.149

“ātmārāmāś ca ātmārāmāś ca” kari’ bāra Chaya 
pañca ātmārāma chaya ca-kāre lupta haya

Translation: “Although the words ‘ātmārāmāś ca’ would be repeated six times, simply by adding the word ‘ca,’ five ‘ātmārāmas’ are deleted.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, since there are six kinds of ātmārāmas, we can repeat six times but by saying ‘ca’ it automatically simplifies, we only have to mention ātmārāma ca once.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.150

eka ‘ātmārāma’-śabda avaśeṣa rahe 
eka ‘ātmārāma’-śabde chaya-jana kahe

Translation: “Therefore there is no need to repeat the word ‘ātmārāma.’ One is sufficient, and that one word indicates six persons.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.151

dṛṣṭānta —(viśva-prakāśe evaṃ pāṇinite 1.2.64

o siddhānta kaumudīte ajanta puṃliṅga-śabda-prakaraṇe)—

“sarūpāṇām eka-śeṣa eka-vibhaktau” uktārthānām aprayogaḥ, rāmaś ca rāmaś ca rāmaś ca rāmā itivat.

Translation: “Of words having the same form and case termination, the last one is the only one retained. For example, the word “rāmāḥ” is used to stand for “rāmaś ca, rāmaś ca, rāmaś ca, etc.”’

Purport: This is a quotation from Pāṇini’s sūtras (1.2.64).

Jayapatākā Swami: Here Lord Caitanya is explaining the Sanskrit grammatical use.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.152

tabe ye ca-kāra, sei ‘samuccaya’ kaya 
“ātmārāmāś ca munayaś ca” kṛṣṇere bhajaya

Translation: “By the aggregate use of the word ‘ca,’ it is indicated that all the ātmārāmas and saints serve and worship Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: By saying “ātmārāmāś ca munayaś ca” is like saying all the ātmārāmas and all the munīs are indicated, and in this case they all worship Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.153

“nirgranthā api”ra ei ‘api’—sambhāvane 
ei sāta artha prathame kariluṅ vyākhyāne

Translation: “Api" added to the word ‘nirgranthāḥ’ is used for exposition. Thus I have tried to clarify seven meanings [of the ātmārāma verse].

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is explaining seven meanings of the ātmārāma verse to Sanātana Gosvāmī

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.154

paramātma-niṣṭha dvividha ātmārāma :—

antaryāmi-upāsaka ‘ātmārāma’ kaya 
sei ātmārāma yogīra dui bheda haya

Translation: “The yogī who worships the Supersoul within himself is also called ātmārāma. There are two types of ātmārāma-yogīs.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.155

(1) sagarbha-yogī o (2) nigarbha-yogī, pratyeke trividha:—

sagarbha, nigarbha,—ei haya dui bheda 
eka eka tina bhede chaya vibheda

Translation: “The two types of ātmārāma-yogīs are called sagarbha and nigarbha. Each of these is divided into three; therefore there are six types of worshipers of the Supersoul.

Purport: The word sagarbha-yogī refers to a yogī who worships the Supersoul in the Viṣṇu form. The nigarbha-yogī worships the Supersoul without form. The sagarbha and nigarbha yogīs are further categorized: (1) sagarbha-yogārurukṣu, (2) nigarbha-yogārurukṣu, (3) sagarbha-yogārūḍha, (4) nigarbha-yogārūḍha, (5) sagarbha-prāpta-siddhi and (6) nigarbha-prāpta-siddhi.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.156

tṛtīya puruṣa kṣīrodaśāyīra dhyāna:—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (2.2.8)—

kecit sva-dehāntar hṛdayāvakāśe
prādeśa-mātraṁ puruṣaṁ vasantam
catur-bhujaṁ kañja-rathāṅga-śaṅkha-
gadā-dharaṁ dhāraṇayā smaranti

Translation: “Some yogīs think of the Lord within their hearts as measuring about six inches. The Lord has four hands, in which He holds a conchshell, club, disc and lotus flower. Those who worship this form of Viṣṇu within the heart are called sagarbha-yogīs.’

Purport: This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.2.8).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the sagarbha-yogīs see the Supersoul or Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu within the heart.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.157

dhyana-yoga-miśrā bhaktira siddhi-lābha :—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (3.28.34)—

evaṁ harau bhagavati pratilabdha-bhāvo
bhaktyā dravad-dhṛdaya utpulakaḥ
pramodāt autkaṇṭhya-bāṣpa-kalayā
muhur ardyamānas
tac cāpi citta-baḍiśaṁ śanakair viyuṅkte

Translation: “When one is in ecstatic love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one’s heart is melted by bhakti-yoga and one feels transcendental bliss. There are bodily symptoms manifest, and due to eagerness, there are tears in the eyes. Thus one is subjected to spiritual bliss. When the heart is overly afflicted, the meditative mind, like a fishing hook, is gradually separated from the object of meditation.’

Purport: This is also a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.28.34).

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was giving so many explanations of the ātmārāma verse. Today was the disappearance day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, we heard that he could also give lectures for many days on one verse. So, each word in a verse has so much meaning, and if one is highly elevated spiritually he can get that realization and expound that in a beautiful class.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.158

(a) ārurukṣu, (b) ārūḍha o (c) prāpta-siddhi-bhede trividha yogī: —

‘yogārurukṣu’, ‘yogārūḍha’ ‘prāpta-siddhi’ āra/ ei tina bhede haya chaya prakāra

Translation: “By these three divisions of advancement in yoga — yogārurukṣu, yogārūḍha and prāpta-siddhi — there are six kinds of mystic yogīs.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains two types of yogis and each one in three different varieties of realization, that is a total of six.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.159

Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītāya (6.3-4)—

ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ
karma kāraṇam ucyate
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva
śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate

Translation: “For those saintly persons who wish to rise to the platform of yogic perfection, the means consists of practicing the yoga system by strictly following its regulative principles and practicing the yoga postures and breathing exercises. And for those who are already elevated to this platform, the means consists of maintaining mental equilibrium [śama] by rejecting all material activity and practicing meditation to keep the mind on the Supreme Lord.

Purport: Texts 159 and 160 are from the Bhagavad-gītā (6.3-4).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this explains the practice of the aṣṭāṅga-yoga meditation system which Arjuna rejected, saying he was too active a person to practice this meditative yoga, then Kṛṣṇa gave him the practice of bhakti-yoga, which he did to serve Kṛṣṇa by utilizing his own propensities.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.160

yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu
na karmasv anuṣajjate
sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī
yogārūḍhas tadocyate

Translation: “When a person is no longer interested in acting for sense gratification and when he renounces all material desires, he is said to be situated in perfect yoga [yogārūḍha].’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the process of yogic perfection.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.161

ṣaḍvidha yogīra sādhu-saṅge yogamārga-tyāga o kṛṣṇa-bhakti-lābha :—

ei chaya yogī sādhu-saṅgādi-hetu pāñā 
kṛṣṇa bhaje kṛṣṇa-guṇe ākṛṣṭa hañā

Translation: “When a purified yogī associates with devotees, he engages in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service, being attracted by the Lord’s transcendental qualities.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the advanced yogī by hearing about the transcendental qualities from the elevated pure devotees start practicing bhakti-yoga or devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.162

‘ca’-śabde ‘api’ra artha ihāṅo kahaya 
‘muni’, ‘nirgrantha’-śabdera pūrvavat artha haya

Translation: “The meanings of the words ‘ca’ and ‘api’ can be applied here. The meanings of the words ‘muni’ and ‘nirgrantha’ are the same as before.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.163

ei paryanta 13 prakāra artha :—

urukrame ahaitukī kāhāṅ kona artha 
ei tera artha kahiluṅ parama samartha

Translation: “The word ‘ahaitukī’ is always applicable to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Urukrama. In this way I have described thirteen complete meanings [of the ātmārāma verse].

Purport: The thirteen meanings of the ātmārāma verse mentioned here are based on the following meanings for the word ātmārāma: (1) sādhaka, the neophyte performer; (2) brahma-maya, one absorbed in the thought of impersonal Brahman; (3) prāpta-brahma-laya, one who has actually attained Brahman perfection; (4) mumukṣu, one who desires liberation; (5) jīvana-mukta, one who is liberated in this life; (6) prāpta-svarūpa, one who has attained his original constitutional position; (7) nirgrantha-muni, a completely liberated saint; (8) sagarbha-yogārurukṣu, a yogī meditating upon the four-handed Viṣṇu form and desiring yogic perfection; (9) nigarbha-yogārurukṣu, one who is trying for perfection in impersonal meditation; (10) sagarbha-yogārūḍha, one who has been elevated to the platform of yogic perfection by meditating on the Viṣṇu form; (11) nigarbha-yogārūḍha, an impersonal yogī on the platform of perfection; (12) sagarbha-prāpta-siddhi, one who has attained the perfectional stage by meditating on the Viṣṇu form; (13) nigarbha-prāpta-siddhi, one who has attained perfection by practicing impersonal meditation.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there are thirteen meanings of this verse, that have been so far explained or given by Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.164

ei saba śānta yabe bhaje bhagavān 
‘śānta’ bhakta kari’ tabe kahi tāṅra nāma

Translation: “These thirteen types of yogīs and munis are called śānta-bhaktas, for they render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the neutral stage.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there are five principal types of devotional service śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya and mādhurya. So, these thirteen types of yogīs are in the śānta or neutral platform. Lord Caitanya will continue to explain the meanings of this verse. We heard that His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he gave lecture on verse 1.1.1 of Śrīmad-bhāgavatam for three months on one verse. Lord Caitanya is explaining this ātmārāma verse in various ways. So far, he has explained it in thirteen ways.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Thirteen Types of Yogīs and Munis called as Śānta-bhaktas Render Transcendental Loving Service in the Neutral Stage
Under the section: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse