20220108 Maharashtriyan Brāhmaṇa Approaches Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Extend Him an Invitation, Part 1

The following is a Caitanya līlā Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 8th, 2022 in "Srī Dhāma Māyapur, 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 we are reading from the Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya compilation class, todays chapter is entitled as:

Maharashtriyan brāhmaṇa Approaches Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Extend Him an Invitation, Part 1

Under the section: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.1

kṛṣṇavimukha māyāvādīke kṛṣṇonmukhīkārī gaurasundara:—

vaiṣṇavī-kṛtya sannyāsi 
mukhān kāśī-nivāsinaḥ 
sanātanaṁ su-saṁskṛtya 
prabhur nīlādrim āgamat

Translation: After converting into Vaiṣṇavas all the residents of Vārāṇasī, who were headed by the sannyāsīs, and after completely educating and instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī there, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Jagannātha Purī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is a synopsis of Lord Caitanya’s activities in Vārāṇasī, we have already heard the instructions He gave to Sanātana Gosvāmī, now we are about to hear how He made all the residents of Vārāṇasī headed by the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs into Vaiṣṇavas.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.3

sanātanake kāśīte duimāsakāla śikṣā-pradāna :—

ei mata mahāprabhu dui māsa paryanta 
śikhāilā tāṅre bhakti-siddhāntera anta

Translation: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī in all the conclusions of devotional service for two consecutive months.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya went from Vṛndāvana, passing through Prayāga where He met Rūpa Gosvāmī, and then He arrived in Vārāṇasī where He was instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī and preaching to the residents of Vārāṇasī

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.4

paramānanda kīrtanīyāra prabhusevā :—

‘paramānanda kīrtanīyā’-śekharera saṅgī 
prabhure kīrtana śunāya, ati baḍa raṅgī

Translation: For as long as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in Vārāṇasī, Paramānanda Kīrtanīyā, who was a friend of Candraśekhara’s, chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and other songs to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in a very humorous way.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Paramānanda Kīrtanīyā sang the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra to Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.5

bhakta-vāñchā-pūraṇārthai kāśīra māyāvādīra uddhāra-sādhana :—

sannyāsīra gaṇa prabhure yadi upekṣila 
bhakta-duḥkha khaṇḍāite tāre kṛpā kaila

Translation: When the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs at Vārāṇasī criticized Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord’s devotees became very much depressed. To satisfy them, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed His mercy to the sannyāsīs.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is bhakta-vatsala, He likes to satisfy His devotees. But since the devotees were upset because of the criticism of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. Lord Caitanya decided to deliver them.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.6

pūrve ādi-līlāya māyāvādīra uddhāra varṇita, punaḥsaṁkṣepe varṇana :—

sannyāsīre kṛpā pūrve likhiyāchoṅ vistāriyā 
uddeśe kahiye ihāṅ saṅkṣepa kariyā

Translation: In the seventh chapter of the Ādi-līlā I have already elaborately described Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s deliverance of the sannyāsīs at Vārāṇasī, but I shall briefly repeat it in this chapter.

Jayapatākā Swami: Here we are going back to the Adi-līlā, seventh chapter to give the details in the chronological order it fits in. Although Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja had dealt with it earlier, because there were some important to defeat the Māyāvāda philosophy, we hear in chronological order.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.39

tabe nija bhakta kaila yata mleccha ādi 
sabe eḍāila mātra kāśīra māyāvādī

Translation: All were converted into devotees of Lord Caitanya, even the mlecchas and yavanas. Only the impersonalist followers of Śaṅkarācārya evaded Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows how offensive the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs are, even though the fallen mlecchas and yavanas were delivered, but they are not. But Lord Caitanya devised a means and also delivered them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.40

vṛndāvana yāite prabhu rahilā kāśīte 
māyāvādi-gaṇa tāṅre lāgila nindite

Translation: While Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was passing through Vārāṇasī on His way to Vṛndāvana, the Māyāvādī sannyāsī philosophers blasphemed against Him in many ways.

Jayapatākā Swami: On His way to Vṛndāvana, He passed through Vārāṇasī but He did not meet the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs who were offending Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.41

sannyāsī ha-iyā kare gāyana, nācana 
nā kare vedānta-pāṭha, kare saṅkīrtana

Translation: The blasphemers said, “Although a sannyāsī, He does not take interest in the study of Vedānta but instead always engages in chanting and dancing in saṅkīrtana.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya's process was saṅkīrtana, chanting and dancing.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.42

mūrkha sannyāsī nija-dharma nāhi jāne 
bhāvuka ha-iyā phere bhāvukera sane

Translation: “This Caitanya Mahāprabhu is an illiterate sannyāsī and therefore does not know His real function. Guided only by His sentiments, He wanders about in the company of other sentimentalists.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Although Lord Caitanya was the greatest of scholars, they underestimated Him, and they blasphemed him as being a mere sentimentalist.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.43

e saba śuniyā prabhu hāse mane mane 
upekṣā kariyā kāro nā kaila sambhāṣaṇe

Translation: Hearing all this blasphemy, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu merely smiled to Himself, rejected all these accusations and did not talk with the Māyāvādīs.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.44

upekṣā kariyā kaila mathurā gamana 
mathurā dekhiyā punaḥ kaila āgamana

Translation: Thus neglecting the blasphemy of the Vārāṇasī Māyāvādīs, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu proceeded to Mathurā, and after visiting Mathurā He returned to meet the situation.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya had tolerated, but He thought to benedict the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs on His return to Vārāṇasī.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.45

kāśīte lekhaka śūdra-śrīcandraśekhara 
tāṅra ghare rahilā prabhu svatantra īśvara

Translation: This time Lord Caitanya stayed at the house of Candraśekhara, although he was regarded as a śūdra or kāyastha, for the Lord, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is completely independent.

Purport: Lord Caitanya stayed at the house of Candraśekhara, a clerk, although a sannyāsī is not supposed to reside in a śūdra’s house. Five hundred years ago, especially in Bengal, it was the system that persons who were born in the families of brāhmaṇas were accepted as brāhmaṇas, and all those who took birth in other families — even the higher castes, namely, the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas — were considered śūdras, non-brāhmaṇas. Therefore although Śrī Candraśekhara was a clerk from a kāyastha family in upper India, he was considered a śūdra. Similarly, vaiśyas, especially those of the suvarṇa-vaṇik community, were accepted as śūdras in Bengal, and even the vaidyas, who were generally physicians, were also considered śūdras. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, however, did not accept this artificial principle, which was introduced in society by self-interested men, and later the kāyasthas, vaidyas and vaṇiks all began to accept the sacred thread, despite objections from the so-called brāhmaṇas.

Before the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the suvarṇa-vaṇik class was condemned by Ballāl Sena, who was then the King of Bengal, due to a personal grudge. In Bengal the suvarṇa-vaṇik class are always very rich, for they are bankers and dealers in gold and silver. Therefore, Ballāl Sena used to borrow money from a suvarṇa-vaṇik banker. Ballāl Sena’s bankruptcy later obliged the suvarṇa-vaṇik banker to stop advancing money to him, and thus Ballāl Sena became angry and condemned the entire suvarṇa-vaṇik society as belonging to the śūdra community. He tried to induce the brāhmaṇas not to accept the suvarṇa-vaṇiks as followers of the instructions of the Vedas under the brahminical directions, but although some brāhmaṇas approved of Ballāl Sena’s actions, others did not. Thus the brāhmaṇas also became divided amongst themselves, and those who supported the suvarṇa-vaṇik class were rejected from the brāhmaṇa community. At the present day the same biases are still being followed.

There are many Vaiṣṇava families in Bengal whose members, although not actually born brāhmaṇas, act as ācāryas by initiating disciples and offering the sacred thread as enjoined in the Vaiṣṇava tantras. For example, in the families of Ṭhākura Raghunandana Ācārya, Ṭhākura Kṛṣṇadāsa, Navanī Hoḍa and Rasikānanda-deva (a disciple of Śyāmānanda Prabhu), the sacred thread ceremony is performed, as it is for the caste Gosvāmīs, and this system has continued for the past three to four hundred years. Accepting disciples born in brāhmaṇa families, they are bona fide spiritual masters who have the facility to worship the śālagrāma-śilā, which is worshiped with the Deity. As of this writing, śālagrāma-śilā worship has not yet been introduced in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but soon it will be introduced in all our temples as an essential function of arcana-mārga (Deity worship).

Jayapatākā Swami: His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda introduced the worship of śālagrāma-śilā in ISKCON Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir and therefore this was introduced in all the temples of ISKCON around the world. So, we understand from this that because the caste-brāhmaṇas were doing things according to some political considerations, the King Ballāl Sena had a grudge and he could outcaste all varieties of society, thus he made a decision not to recognize suvarṇa-vaṇik and this was accepted by some caste-brāhmaṇas and not by others.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.46

tapana-miśrera ghare bhikṣā-nirvāhaṇa 
sannyāsīra saṅge nāhi māne nimantraṇa

Translation: As a matter of principle, Lord Caitanya regularly accepted His food at the house of Tapana Miśra. He never mixed with other sannyāsīs, nor did He accept invitations from them.

Purport: This exemplary behavior of Lord Caitanya definitely proves that a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī cannot accept invitations from Māyāvādī sannyāsīs or intimately mix with them.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya taught māyāvādi-kotha śunile haya sarva-nāśa, one loses his spiritual standing by listening to the blasphemy of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs so He followed a system of not mixing with them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.47

sanātana gosāñi āsi’ tāṅhāi mililā 
tāṅra śikṣā lāgi’ prabhu du-māsa rahilā

Translation: When Sanātana Gosvāmī came from Bengal, he met Lord Caitanya at the house of Tapana Miśra, where Lord Caitanya remained continuously for two months to teach him devotional service.

Purport: Lord Caitanya taught Sanātana Gosvāmī in the line of disciplic succession. Sanātana Gosvāmī was a very learned scholar in Sanskrit and other languages, but until instructed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu he did not write anything about Vaiṣṇava behavior. His very famous book Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, which gives directions for Vaiṣṇava candidates, was written completely in compliance with the instructions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In this Hari-bhakti-vilāsa Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī gives definite instructions that by proper initiation by a bona fide spiritual master one can immediately become a brāhmaṇa. In this connection he says:

yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti 
kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ 
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena 
dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

“As bell metal is turned to gold when mixed with mercury in an alchemical process, so one who is properly trained and initiated by a bona fide spiritual master immediately becomes a brāhmaṇa.” Sometimes those born in brāhmaṇa families protest this, but they have no strong arguments against this principle. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, one’s life can change. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by the words jahāti bandham (ŚB 5.1.35) and śudhyanti (ŚB 2.4.18). Jahāti bandham indicates that a living entity is conditioned by a particular type of body. The body is certainly an impediment, but one who associates with a pure devotee and follows his instructions can avoid this impediment and become a regular brāhmaṇa by initiation under his strict guidance. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states how a non-brāhmaṇa can be turned into a brāhmaṇa by the association of a pure devotee. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ: Lord Viṣṇu is so powerful that He can do anything He likes. Therefore, it is not difficult for Viṣṇu to change the body of a devotee who is under the guidance of a pure devotee of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: In the bhakti movement of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one can even if they are born in a lowly family like a caṇḍāla or a mleccha it is mentioned that they can be purified by taking shelter of a pure devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, their body will be considered a brahmaṇa body by the process of Krsna conscious initiation.

How Lord Caitanya came from Vṛndāvana to Benares and met Sanātana Gosvāmī and taught Him for two months, at that time He delivered the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs.

Thus end the chapter Maharashtriyan Brāhmaṇa Approaches Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Extend Him an Invitation, Part 2
Under the section: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas