20220723 Impudence of Dāmodara Paṇḍita

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

Impudence of Dāmodara Paṇḍita
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.1

vande ’haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

Translation: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service, unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as well as all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the maṅgalācaraṇa and it is being said here in the beginning of the chapter to invoke auspiciousness.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.3

eka vidhavā-brāhmaṇīra mahāsaubhāgyavān sundara tanayera prati prabhura ahaituka kṛpā-snehaḥ—

puruṣottame eka uḍiyā-brāhmaṇa-kumāra
pitṛ-śūnya, mahā-sundara, mṛdu-vyavahāra

Translation: In Jagannātha Purī there was a young boy who had been born of an Orissan brāhmaṇa but had later lost his father. The boy’s features were very beautiful, and his behavior was extremely gentle.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.4-5

prabhu-sthāne nitya āise, kare namaskāra
prabhu-sane bāt kahe prabhu-’prāṇa’ tāra

uhā dāmodara paṇḍitera anabhipreta :—

prabhute tāhāra prīti, prabhu dayā kare
dāmodara tāra prīti sahite nā pāre

Translation: The boy came daily to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and offered Him respectful obeisances. He was free to talk with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu because the Lord was his life and soul, but the boy’s intimacy with the Lord and the Lord’s mercy toward him were intolerable for Dāmodara Paṇḍita.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Dāmodara Paṇḍita was known for his critical attitude and although Lord Caitanya was transcendental to all these things, Dāmodara Paṇḍita would sometimes criticize the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.6

dāmodarera niṣedhasattveo brāhmaṇa-kumārera prabhura prati anurāgaḥ—

bāra bāra niṣedha kare brāhmaṇa-kumāre
prabhure nā dekhile sei rahite nā pāre

Translation: Dāmodara Paṇḍita again and again forbade the son of the brāhmaṇa to visit the Lord, but the boy could not bear staying home and not seeing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.7

bālasulabha-dharmavaśe snehamaya prabhusamīpe tāhāra pratyaha āgamana :—

nitya āise, prabhu tāre kare mahā-prīta
yāṅhā prīti tāṅhā āise,—bālakera rīta

Translation: The boy came every day to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who treated him with great affection. It is the nature of any boy to go see a man who loves him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.8

dāmodarera ubhaya saṅkaṭa :—

tāhā dekhi’ dāmodara duḥkha pāya mane
balite nā pāre, bālaka niṣedha nā māne

Translation: This was intolerable for Dāmodara Paṇḍita. He became greatly unhappy, but there was nothing he could say, for the boy would ignore his restrictions.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the boy was very attached to Lord Caitanya and he would come and pay his obeisances every day and Lord Caitanya would reciprocate with him. So he was very attached to coming, but Dāmodara Paṇḍita could not tolerate this.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.9

ekadina prabhura nikaṭa haite bālakera sva-sthāne prasthānaḥ—

āra dina sei bālaka prabhu-sthāne āilā
gosāñi tāre prīti kari’ vārtā puchilā

Translation: One day when the boy came to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord very affectionately inquired from him about all kinds of news.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.10

kata-kṣaṇe se bālaka uṭhi’ yabe gelā
sahite nā pāre, dāmodara kahite lāgilā

Translation: After some time, when the boy stood up and left, the intolerant Dāmodara Paṇḍita began to speak.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, its quite natural to ask someone, ‘how they are doing? and what’s the news? But for some reason Dāmodara Paṇḍita he could not tolerate this

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.11

anyopadeśe paṇḍita—kahe gosāñira ṭhāñi
‘gosāñi’ ‘gosāñi’ ebe jānimu ‘gosāñi’

Translation: Dāmodara Paṇḍita impudently said to the Lord, “Everyone says that You are a great teacher because of Your instructions to others, but now we shall find out what kind of teacher You are.

Purport: Dāmodara Paṇḍita was a great devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sometimes, however, a person in such a position becomes impudent, being influenced by the external energy and material considerations. Thus a devotee mistakenly dares to criticize the activities of the spiritual master or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Despite the logic that “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion,” a devotee should not be disturbed by the activities of his spiritual master and should not try to criticize him. A devotee should be fixed in the conclusion that the spiritual master cannot be subject to criticism and should never be considered equal to a common man. Even if there appears to be some discrepancy according to an imperfect devotee’s estimation, the devotee should be fixed in the conviction that even if his spiritual master goes to a liquor shop, he is not a drunkard; rather, he must have some purpose in going there.

It is said in a Bengali poem:

yadyapi nityānanda surā-bāḍi yāya
tathāpio haya nityānanda-rāya

“Even if I see that Lord Nityānanda has entered a liquor shop, I shall not be diverted from my conclusion that Nityānanda Rāya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, one should not jump to some conclusion that the spiritual master is in māyā just because of your external speculation.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.12

ebe gosāñira guṇa-yaśa saba loke gāibe
tabe gosāñira pratiṣṭhā puruṣottame ha-ibe

Translation: “You are known as Gosāñi [teacher or ācārya], but now talk about Your attributes and reputation will spread throughout the city of Puruṣottama. How Your position will be impaired!”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Dāmodara Paṇḍita is telling the Lord that His reputation will be affected.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.13

prabhuke maryādā dekhāiyā dāmodarera bhartsanā o śāsanaḥ—

śuni’ prabhu kahe,—‘kyā kaha, dāmodara?’
dāmodara kahe,—tumi svatantra ‘īśvara’

Translation: Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew that Dāmodara Paṇḍita was a pure and simple devotee, upon hearing this impudent talk the Lord said, “My dear Dāmodara, what nonsense are you speaking?”

Purport: Dāmodara Paṇḍita replied, “You are the independent Personality of Godhead, beyond all criticism.

Jayapatākā Swami: Dāmodara Paṇḍita was very being impudent to speak these things in public.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.14

svacchande ācāra kara, ke pāre balite?
mukhara jagatera mukha pāra ācchādite?

Translation: “My dear Lord, You can act as You please. No one can say anything to restrict You. Nevertheless, the entire world is impudent. People can say anything. How can You stop them?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this was five hundred year ago before the social media and now that social media is there people say impudent things all the time.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.15

paṇḍita hañā mane kene vicāra nā kara?
rāṇḍī brāhmaṇīra bālake prīti kene kara?

Translation: “Dear Lord, You are a learned teacher. Why then don’t You consider that this boy is the son of a widowed brāhmaṇī? Why are You so affectionate to him?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is Dāmodara Paṇḍita’s point, but although Lord Caitanya didn’t associate with any women personally but Dāmodara Paṇḍita he is over stepping his position.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.16

yadyapi brāhmaṇī sei tapasvinī satī
tathāpi tāhāra doṣa—sundarī yuvatī

Translation: “Although the boy’s mother is completely austere and chaste, she has one natural fault — she is a very beautiful young girl.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes we hear stories that a brāhmaṇa living next to prostitute house, every time a customer came he put a rock in front of her house. So there was a big pile of rocks and then they both dies and the lady went back to Godhead because she was repentant, she was very sorry, she was forced to make her livelihood in this way. And the brāhmaṇa said, “she is going back, why not me!’ “ she was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa and repenting,” he was thinking about her and her activities so you have to take that bad karma.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.17

tumi-ha—parama yuvā, parama sundara
lokera kāṇākāṇi-bāte deha avasara”

Translation: “And You, my dear Lord, are a handsome, attractive young man. Therefore certainly people will whisper about You. Why should You give them such an opportunity?”

Purport: As a simple and staunch devotee of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Dāmodara Paṇḍita could not tolerate criticism of the Lord, but unfortunately he himself was criticizing Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his own way. The Lord could understand that it was because of Dāmodara Paṇḍita’s simplicity that he impudently dared criticize Him. Nevertheless, such behavior by a devotee is not very good.

Jayapatākā Swami: Dāmodara Paṇḍita he was seeing the things in very great simplicity.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.18

dāmodarera vākyadaṇḍa-śravaṇe prabhura mane mane vicāraḥ—

eta bali’ dāmodara mauna ha-ilā
antare santoṣa prabhu hāsi’ vicārilā

Translation: Having said this, Dāmodara Paṇḍita became silent. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled, pleased within Himself, and considered the impudence of Dāmodara Paṇḍita.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.19

ihāre kahiye śuddha-premera taraṅga
dāmodara-sama mora nāhi 'antaraṅga’

Translation: “This impudence is also a sign of pure love for Me. I have no other intimate friend like Dāmodara Paṇḍita.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was considering the impudence of Dāmodara Paṇḍita to be an expression of Dāmodara Paṇḍita’s love for Him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.20

eteka vicāri’ prabhu madhyāhne calilā
āra dine dāmodare nibhṛte bolāilā

Translation: Thinking in this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to perform His noon duties. The next day, He called Dāmodara Paṇḍita to a solitary place.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, will Lord Caitanya say something to Dāmodara Paṇḍita which is appropriate?? Tune in tomorrow!

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Impudence of Dāmodara Paṇḍita
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura