20220718 Bhagavān Ācārya Deports His Brother After Being Rebuked by Svarūpa Dāmodara

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 18th,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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Bhagavān Ācārya Deports His Brother After Being Rebuked by Svarūpa Dāmodara
Under the section: The Chastisement of Junior Haridāsa

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.84

aparaprasaṅga varṇana; bhagavān ācāryera vṛttānta varṇana:—

puruṣottame prabhu-pāśe bhagavān ācāryas
parama vaiṣṇava teṅho supaṇḍita ārya

Translation: At Jagannātha Purī, in the association of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, lived Bhagavān Ācārya, who was certainly a gentleman, a learned scholar and a great devotee.

Purport: For a description of Bhagavān Ācārya, one may refer to Ādi-līlā, tenth chapter, verse 136.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.85

sakhya-bhāvākrānta-citta, gopa-avatāra
svarūpa-gosāñi-saha sakhya-vyavahāra

Translation: He was fully absorbed in thoughts of fraternal relationships with God. He was an incarnation of a cowherd boy, and thus his dealings with Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī were very friendly.

Jayapatākā Swami: Some devotees may have sākhya-rasa relationship with Kṛṣṇa thus they associate with Kṛṣṇa like a friend and other devotees, they also are friends with.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.86

madhye madhye gṛhe randhana kariyā ekākī prabhuke nimantraṇaḥ—

ekānta-bhāve āśriyāchena caitanya-caraṇa
madhye madhye prabhura teṅho karena nimantraṇa

Translation: He sought the shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet with full surrender. Sometimes he would invite the Lord to dine at his home.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was, as a sannyāsī, He did not cook for Himself; He accepted the invitation of different gṛhasthas and He would eat at their house.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.87

ghare bhāta kari’ karena vividha vyañjana
ekale gosāñi lañā karāna bhojana

Translation: Bhagavān Ācārya prepared varieties of rice and vegetables at home and brought the Lord there alone to eat.

Purport: Generally those who invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for dinner used to offer Him the remnants of food that had first been offered to Lord Jagannātha. Bhagavān Ācārya, however, instead of giving Him the remnants of Jagannātha’s food, prepared dinner at his home. In Orissa, food offered to Lord Jagannātha is called prasādī, and that which is not offered to Lord Jagannātha is known as āmānī or ghara-bhāta, rice prepared at home.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Bhagavān Ācārya prepared different types of vegetables which he knew to be specially appreciated by Lord Caitanya, and also the vegetables are taken with rice. So he made this special vegetables and rice to be offered to the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.88

bhagavān ācārya evaṁ tatpitā o anujera caritra :—

tāṅra pitā ‘viṣayī’ baḍa śatānanda-khāṅna
‘viṣaya-vimukha’ ācārya—‘vairāgya-pradhāna’

Translation: Bhagavān Ācārya’s father, whose name was Śatānanda Khān, was an expert statesman, whereas Bhagavān Ācārya was not at all interested in the management of the state. Indeed, he was almost in the renounced order of life.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.89

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Bhagavān Ācāryas he was engaged in material pursuits and Bhagavān Ācārya was very renounced he was almost like a sannyāsī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.89

‘gopāla-bhaṭṭācārya’ nāma tāṅra choṭa-bhāi
kāśīte vedānta paḍi’ gelā tāṅra ṭhāñi

Translation: Bhagavān Ācārya’s brother, whose name was Gopāla Bhaṭṭācārya, had studied Vedānta philosophy at Benares and had then returned to Bhagavān Ācārya’s home.

Purport: During those days and also at the present, Vedānta philosophy is understood through the commentary of Śaṅkarācārya, which is known as the Śārīraka-bhāṣya. Thus it appears that Gopāla Bhaṭṭācārya, the younger brother of Bhagavān Ācārya, had studied Vedānta according to the way of the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, which expounds the Māyāvāda philosophy of the impersonalists.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we already discussed how the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs in Benares preach the Śaṅkarācārya philosophy. Of course they were converted by Lord Caitanya to become Vaiṣṇavas. But if someone at that time, go to Benares to study Vedānta, then it would be understood that he was taught Māyāvāda philosophy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.90

ācārya tāhāre prabhu-pade milāilā
antaryāmī prabhu citte sukha nā pāilā

Translation: Bhagavān Ācārya took his brother to meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but the Lord, knowing that Gopāla Bhaṭṭācārya was a Māyāvādī philosopher, could not get much happiness from meeting him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, to get happiness one should appreciate the Lord's personal feature but the Māyāvādī philosophers describe the Absolute Truth as impersonal.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.91

śuddha-kṛṣṇa-bhajanei gauraprīti, abhaktera bhakti-virodhinī viddhā-ceṣṭāya tāṅhāra anādaraḥ—

ācārya-sambandhe bāhye kare prītyābhāsa
kṛṣṇa-bhakti vinā prabhura nā haya ullāsa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu derives no happiness from meeting one who is not a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Thus because Gopāla Bhaṭṭācārya was a Māyāvādī scholar, the Lord felt no jubilation in meeting him. Nevertheless, because Gopāla Bhaṭṭācārya was related to Bhagavān Ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu feigned pleasure in seeing him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, being a good host Lord Caitanya, out of respect for Bhagavān Ācārya, He feigned and He showed that He was pleased to see Gopāla Bhaṭṭācārya. Actually since Gopāla Bhaṭṭācārya was a Māyāvādī, He was not pleased. Māyāvādīs are kṛṣṇa-aparādhīs.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.92

ekadina kaniṣṭhera mukhe svarūpake śāṅkara-māyāvāda-bhāṣya-śravaṇe ācāryera anurodhaḥ—

svarūpa gosāñire ācārya kahe āra dine
‘vedānta paḍiyā gopāla āisāche ekhāne

Translation: Bhagavān Ācārya said to Svarūpa Dāmodara, “Gopāla, my younger brother, has returned to my home, having concluded his study of Vedānta philosophy.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.93

sabe meli’ āisa, śuni ‘bhāṣya’ ihāra sthāne’
prema-krodha kari’ svarūpa balaya vacane

Translation: Bhagavān Ācārya requested Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī to hear from Gopāla the commentary upon Vedānta. Svarūpa Dāmodara, however, somewhat angry because of love, spoke as follows.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.94

svarūpakarttṛka bhatsanā :—

“buddhi bhraṣṭa haila tomāra gopālera saṅge
māyāvāda śunibāre upajila raṅge

Translation: “You have lost your intelligence in the association of Gopāla, and therefore you are eager to hear the Māyāvāda philosophy.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya has cautioned His followers not to listen to Māyāvāda philosophy as this could destroy one’s devotional service.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.95

nikhila vaiṣṇava-guru śrī-dāmodara-svarūpakarttṛka māyāvāda-doṣa varṇana o garhaṇa; śaṅkarera māyāvāda-bhāṣyera prati śuddha-viṣṇu-bhajanecchura vyavahāravidhiḥ—

vaiṣṇava hañā yebā śārīraka-bhāṣya śune
sevya-sevaka-bhāva chāḍi’ āpanāre ‘īśvara’ māne

Translation: “When a Vaiṣṇava listens to the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, the Māyāvāda commentary upon the Vedānta-sūtra, he gives up the Kṛṣṇa conscious attitude that the Lord is the master and the living entity is His servant. Instead, he considers himself the Supreme Lord.

Purport: The philosophers known as kevalādvaita-vādīs generally occupy themselves with hearing the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, a commentary by Śaṅkarācārya advocating that one impersonally consider oneself the Supreme Lord. Such Māyāvāda philosophical commentaries upon the Vedānta-sūtra are simply imaginary, but there are other commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra. The commentary by Śrīla Rāmānujācārya, known as Śrī-bhāṣya, establishes the viśiṣṭādvaita-vāda philosophy. Similarly, in the Brahma-sampradāya, Madhvācārya’s Pūrṇaprajña-bhāṣya establishes śuddha-dvaita-vāda. In the Kumāra-sampradāya, or Nimbārka-sampradāya, Śrī Nimbārka establishes the philosophy of dvaitādvaita-vāda in the Pārijāta-saurabha-bhāṣya. And in the Viṣṇu-svāmi-sampradāya, or Rudra-sampradāya, which comes from Lord Śiva, Viṣṇu Svāmī has written a commentary called Sarvajñabhāṣya, which establishes śuddhādvaita-vāda.

A Vaiṣṇava should study the commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra written by the four sampradāya-ācāryas, namely Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī and Nimbārka, for these commentaries are based upon the philosophy that the Lord is the master and that all living entities are His eternal servants. One interested in studying Vedānta philosophy properly must study these commentaries, especially if he is a Vaiṣṇava. These commentaries are always adored by Vaiṣṇavas. The commentary by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī is elaborately given in the Ādi-līlā, chapter seven, text 101. The Māyāvāda commentary Śārīraka-bhāṣya is like poison for a Vaiṣṇava. It should not be touched at all. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura remarks that even a mahā-bhāgavata, or highly elevated devotee who has surrendered himself unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, sometimes falls down from pure devotional service if he hears the Māyāvāda philosophy of the Śārīraka-bhāṣya. This commentary should therefore be shunned by all Vaiṣṇavas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by hearing the Śārīraka commentary even an advanced Vaiṣṇava may get bewildered and think that he is the Supreme Lord so vaiṣṇavas avoid listening to the Māyāvāda bhāṣya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.96

māyāvāda-viṣera tīvratā varṇana o śravaṇe patanāśaṅkā :—

mahā-bhāgavata yei, kṛṣṇa prāṇa-dhana yāra
māyāvāda-śravaṇe citta avaśya phire tāṅra”

Translation: “The Māyāvāda philosophy presents such a jugglery of words that even a highly elevated devotee who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as his life and soul changes his decision when he reads the Māyāvāda commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, therefore devotees are warned not to expose themselves to the Māyāvādī philosophy because Lord Viṣṇu has instructed Lord Śiva and empowered him to bring the Buddhists back to the Vedas. If a devotee hears this philosophy then he may get bewildered.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.97

ācāryera svīya kṛṣṇa-niṣṭhā-ślāghā :—

ācārya kahe,—‘āmā sabāra kṛṣṇa-niṣṭha-citte
āmā sabāra mana bhāṣya nāre phirāite’

Translation: In spite of Svarūpa Dāmodara’s protest, Bhagavān Ācārya continued, “We are all fixed at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa with our hearts and souls. Therefore the Śārīraka-bhāṣya cannot change our minds.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.98

svarūpakarttṛka śuddha-bhaktera hṛdaya-vidāraka māyāvādera arthanirūpaṇaḥ—

svarūpa kahe, “tathāpi māyāvāda-śravaṇe
‘cit, brahma, māyā, mithyā’—ei-mātra śune

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara replied, “Nevertheless, when we hear the Māyāvāda philosophy, we hear that Brahman is knowledge and that the universe of māyā is false, but we gain no spiritual understanding.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Māyāvādīs think anything which has form is māyā and that the Absolute Truth is formless. So all the spiritual world, with Nārāyaṇa, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, they don’t accept any of that. So like that if they hear Māyāvāda philosophy even if their mind doesn’t gets turned, but they have to listen to all this speculation and wrong philosophy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.99

jīvājñāna-kalpita īśvare, sakala-i ajñāna
yāhāra śravaṇe bhaktera phāṭe mana prāṇa”

Translation: “The Māyāvādī philosopher tries to establish that the living entity is only imaginary and that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is under the influence of māyā. Hearing this kind of commentary breaks the heart and life of a devotee.”

Purport: Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī wanted to impress upon Bhagavān Ācārya that even though someone firmly fixed in devotion to Kṛṣṇa’s service might not be deviated by hearing the Māyāvāda bhāṣya, that bhāṣya is nevertheless full of impersonal words and ideas — such as Brahman — which represent knowledge but which are impersonal. The Māyāvādīs say that the world created by māyā