20220528 Drāviḍa Brāhmaṇa Meets Vibhīṣaṇa

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 28th,2022 in Śrī Dhāma 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!

Continuing the Caitanya lila compilation, today's chapter:

Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa Meets Vibhīṣaṇa

Under the section: Wonderful Episode of Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.21

nijajana-saṅge vṛndāvanaguṇa gāya
ācambite kheda uṭhe prabhura hiyāya

Translation: Surrounded by His intimate devotees, Lord Caitanya sang the glories of Vṛndāvana. Suddenly, grief arose in the heart of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He was enjoying talking about Vṛndāvana, suddenly He said that He has grief in His heart, so what could cause the Lord grief.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.22

vismita haiyā rahe––hiyā bhela āna
ye rase āchilā tāhā kaila samādhāna

Translation: Being flabbergasted, he remained silent and his mood became different. Whatever mellow he was in (singing the glories of Vṛndāvana) changed and he stopped it.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya being Kṛṣṇa Himself, He is conscious of many things and what suddenly made Him change His mood.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.23

sabhāra hṛdaye duḥkha vismaya lāgila
ācambite prabhu kene ānamana haila

Translation: Everyone felt surprised and sad as to why the Lord abruptly became distracted.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, devotees trying to satisfy the senses of the Lord and this is the love of the spiritual world, so when the Lord was distracted all the devotees were affected.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.21.12

Translation: The two (Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda) were speaking in the company of Svarūpa Dāmodara and his men, and also Śrī Paramananda Purī, Rāmānanda Raya and the others.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.21.13

Translation: At that time, certain poor brāhmaṇa of pure intelligence named Rāmadāsa had arrived in Purī from south Bhārata. He desired to see Jagannāthadeva in order to acquire wealth.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this poor brāhmaṇa or Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa, Rāma dāsa , he was povert stricken so he wanted to approach Lord Jagannātha for wealth. Lord Caitanya is surrounded by His associates and He discusses Kṛṣṇa-kathā with them, but suddenly His mood changed.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.24

ethā tina upavāsa karila brāhmaṇa
jagannātha-sthāne kichu nā pāya vacana

Translation: Here, the Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa fasted for three days because he did not get any response from Jagannātha.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, normally one doesn’t get a response from the deity of the Lord, sometimes the Lord drops a flower or garland, but it is very rare that he speaks or moves. there is a devotee in Śrīkhaṇḍa as a small boy, Gopāla deity ate from his hands but that’s a very rare thing, so it’s not fully understood that why the Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa fasted for three days and didn’t get any response from Lord Jagannātha and he was not getting any response, because the deity does not normally respond.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.21.14

Translation: After submitting his objective before Jagannātha Swami and waiting for seven days, he then considered his petition rejected.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, what did Rāma dāsa, the brāhmaṇa had expected, but he is always in temple, to come and give him bunch of money. It’s kind of mysterious the thinking of Rāma dāsa. So we pray and submit our prayer to Lord but how He fulfills that’s upto Him

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.25

tabe ta brāhmaṇa kaila sāta upavāsa
jagannāthadeva kichu nā kare āśvāsa৷

Translation: Then the Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa fasted for seven days since Lord Jagannātha didn’t give any assurance.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.21.15

Translation: Grief-stricken because of his unfulfilled desire, he went by the shore of the ocean. At that moment, by the will of Providence, King Vibhīṣaṇa of the island of Laṅkā came there and showed himself to that brāhmaṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vibhīṣaṇa was the brother of Rāvaṇa, but he was crowned as King of Lanka, because he joined Lord Rāma’s army so he is from a previous yuga and he appeared to the Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa, Rāma dāsa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.26

durbala haiyā vipra––kṣīṇa upavāse
samudre mariba bali’ daḍhāila śeṣe

Translation: Severely weakened due to fasting, the Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa finally decided to drown in the ocean.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, normally taking one’s life is a great sin and for a brāhmaṇa, it means to become a brahma-rākṣasa in his next life.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.27

samudrera kūle vipra gelā dhīri dhīri
‘sthāna deha’ samudrere bole namaskari

Translation: Gradually, the Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa went to the seashore, and after offering his obeisances, pleaded the ocean, “Give me space.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the ocean in Purī is a very sacred place and the ocean there is very sacred, Lord Caitanya would bathe there every day and He bathed the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.28

henakāle dekhe eka puruṣa viśāla
samudrera madhye āise parvata ākāra

Translation: At that time, the Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa saw a huge person as big as a mountain, emerging from the ocean.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rāma dāsa, the Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa was trying to commit suicide in the ocean, so somehow a big person emerged from the ocean, so this is something wonderful.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.29

dekhiyā brāhmaṇa mane cintite lāgila
samudrera mājha diyā e kebā āila

Translation: The Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa wondered about the identity of that person who had come from inside the ocean.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.30

dekhite dekhite kule dekhe sei jana
sāmānya mānuṣa yena haila takhana

Translation: The Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa watched that huge man walk out of the ocean and onto the beach, where he assumed an ordinary size.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vibhīṣaṇa had all the mystic powers and He could assume any size that he desired, somehow walking out of the ocean he assumed a human size of Kali-yuga.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.31

vipra bole––ei jagannātha vidyamāna
samudrera mājhe āra kāhāra prayāṇa

Translation: Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa said, “This must be Lord Jagannātha Himself, because who else could just appear from the middle of the ocean?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa Rāma dāsa he speculated that the person who emerged from the ocean was Jagannātha Himself.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.32-33

ihā bali’ tāra pāchu goḍāiyā yāya
kathodūra giyā pāchu cāhe mahāśaya

‘dekhila––brāhmaṇa, sei āise pāche pāche
kothā yābe’ baliyā viprere kichu puche

Translation: Saying this, the Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa followed that person for some distance along the beach and that person turned around and saw a brāhmaṇa behind him and asked, “Where are you going?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa was following this person and the person, he turned and asked, ‘Where are you going? So, the Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa replied as follows:

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.21.16

Translation: The brāhmaṇa inquired, “Oh tell me - who are you, good sir? And where are you going? I have just spent seven days seeing Śrī Jagannātha.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.34

brāhmaṇa kahaye—śuna śuna mahāśaya
ke tumi kothāya yābe––kahanā niścaya

Translation: The Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa said, “Please listen dear sir. Who are you? Where are you going? Tell me the facts.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this was all very amazing to the Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa, how a large person came out of from the ocean and assumed an ordinary size and started walking on the beach so he wanted to know who he was? Where he was going? and all the other facts

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.35

sāta-upavāsī āmi brāhmaṇa durbala
tomāre dekhila āji janama saphala

Translation: The Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa continued, “I’m weak from fasting for seven days. After seeing you, my life is now successful.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, he don’t know who is he is seeing but he is thinking that his life is successful. So, like this people in the material world can be bewildered about what they are actually supposed to do?

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.36

niścaya kariyā kaha––nā bhāṇḍiha more
nahe vā brāhmaṇabadha lāgiba tomāre

Translation: Tell me frankly who you are; don’t deceive me. Otherwise, you’ll be responsible for killing a brāhmaṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, killing a brāhmaṇa is a very great sin, so he is telling this person that if you are not telling me who ar ethen you will be killing a brāhmaṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.37-38

e bola śuniñā tabe bole mahājana––

āmā jānibāre tomāra ki kāja yatana
ye hai se hai āmi––tora ki dāya
kene upavāsī mara duranta hiyāya

Translation: That man said, “Why do you want to know my identity? I am whoever I am. What business is it of yours to know who I am? I am who I am. What is your liability? Anyway, why are you starving to death?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if you go up to stranger and say, who you are? He may reply, “I am who I am!” So, in response the man asked a question to the brāhmaṇa, ‘Why you are starving to death?’

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.39

brāhmaṇa kahaye––

duḥkha-dāridryera jvare
jarjjara karila mora saba kalevare

Translation: The Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa said, “Due to the fever of being afflicted by extreme poverty, my whole body is emaciated.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, previously Rāma dāsa, the Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa he considered that his poverty was due to his action of previous life. So, now he went to Jagannātha and he is expecting immediate results.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.40

brāhmaṇera dharama nāhika āmā chāre
e divā-rajanī yāya anna-hāhākāre

Translation: Brāhmaṇa-dharma is not in my wretched personality. I pass my days and nights without eating anything.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa, Rāma dāsa he is lamenting that he is not getting enough to eat and so he is revealing this to mysterious person from the ocean.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.41

nijakule ādara nāhika konakhāne
nā jāniye kon ṭhāñi nāhi apamāne

Translation: My family doesn’t care for me anytime. I don’t know any place where I have not been disgraced.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is interesting that Vibhīṣaṇa was rejected by His brother Rāvaṇa but as we saw he took shelter of Lord Rāma, this person the Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa says that he is disgraced but he is not taking shelter of the Lord.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.42

jīvana-adhika se maraṇa bhālabāsi
kahila tomāre teñi maroṅ upavāsī

Translation: I prefer death to life, and so I tell you that I am committing suicide because of starvation.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, you see that this material world is a temporary place of suffering, Just committing suicide only means destroying the external body, the soul lives on.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.21.17

Translation: “Vibhīṣaṇa is my name,” having said thus, then he departed, and the greatly fortunate vipra went along with him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, he is meeting a great associate of Lord Rāma and he followed him.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.43

e bola śuniñā citta-drave mahājana
‘vibhīṣaṇa’ nāma mora—śunaha brāhmaṇa

Translation: The plight of the Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa’s narration, melted the heart of that great personality. He said,

“O brāhmaṇa, listen. My name is Vibhīṣana.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vibhīṣaṇa being a Vaiṣṇava, when he heard the suffering of Drāviḍian brāhmaṇa, he became softened, and he identified as Vibhīṣaṇa. So, why did he come to Jagannātha Purī.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.44

dekhibāre yāi jagannāthera caraṇa
karmadoṣe duḥkha pāo—śunaha brāhmaṇa

Translation: I am going to see the lotus feet of Lord Jagannātha. You’ re suffering because’ of your past misdeeds. Listen brāhmaṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.45

karmabandhe bandī loka sukha-duḥkha lābha
bhuñjile se ghuce sei karma-puṇya pāpa

Translation: Bound by the results of their karma, people in this world suffer or enjoy. When the results of these karma is experienced, then the piety and sin generated due to karma is terminated.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vibhīṣaṇa is instructing that when a person suffers or enjoys he terminates the karma, therefore we should not lament if we are suffering, it means that we are terminating some bad karma.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.46

jagannāthamukha dekha kariyā pīrita
janmāntare nahe yena duḥkha-upanīta

Translation: With loving devotion, go and see the smiling face of Lord Jagannātha so that you’ll never undergo any miseries in future lives.

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually developing the love for Lord Jagannātha or Lord Kṛṣṇa is the solution for ending all our suffering in the material world.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 4.47

ihā bali’ calilena rājā vibhīṣaṇa
pāche pāche yāya tabhu daridra brāhmaṇa

Translation: After saying this, King Vibhīṣana started walking toward the temple. The poor brāhmaṇa walked behind him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the brāhmaṇa got the association of King Vibhīṣaṇa and he received some instruction about the law of karma and how he should love Lord Jagannātha. So, Vibhīṣaṇa is going to see Jagannāthadeva and the brāhmaṇa followed him.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Drāviḍa Brāhmaṇa Meets Vibhīṣaṇa
Under the section: Wonderful Episode of Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa

Jay Jagannatha!