20220727 Although the Lord wants to cover His opulence, He is unable to before His devotees

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 27th,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:

Although the Lord wants to cover His opulence, He is unable to before His devotees
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.77

prabhukarttṛka jīvagaṇera mukti-lābhānantara brahmāṇḍera avasthā-jijñāsāḥ —

prabhu kahe,—“saba jīva mukti yabe pābe
ei ta’ brahmāṇḍa tabe jīva-śūnya habe!”

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “If all living entities are liberated, the entire universe will be devoid of living beings.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is doubt many people have, if every body gets liberated what will happen to this universe?!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 78-79

haridāsera uttara; prabhura kṛpāya tatprakaṭakālīya sarvajīvera uddhārānte punarāya kāraṇodaśāyi-mahā-viṣṇu-prakaṭita jīvadvārā jagadvyāptiḥ—

haridāsa bale,—“tomāra yāvat martye sthiti
tāvat sthāvara-jaṅgama, sarva jīva-jāti

saba mukta kari’ tumi vaikuṇṭhe pāṭhāibā
sūkṣma-jīve punaḥ karme udbuddha karibā

Translation: Haridāsa said, “My Lord, as long as You are situated within the material world, You will send to the spiritual sky all the developed moving and nonmoving living entities in different species. Then again You will awaken the living entities who are not yet developed and engage them in activities.

Jayapatākā Swami: Haridāsa Ṭhākura is saying there are some undeveloped living entities, if the universe empties then the undeveloped living entities will develop and fill up the universe again.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.80

sei jīva habe ihāṅ sthāvara-jaṅgama
tāhāte bharibe brahmāṇḍa yena pūrva-sama

Translation: “In this way all moving and nonmoving living entities will come into existence, and the entire universe will be filled as it was previously.

Purport: While we are preaching, opposing elements sometimes argue, “If all living entities were delivered by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, what would happen then? The universe would be devoid of living entities.” In answer to this, we may say that in a prison there are many prisoners, but if one thinks that the prison would be empty if all the prisoners adopted good behavior, he is incorrect. Even if all the prisoners within a jail are freed, other criminals will fill it again. A prison will never be vacant, for there are many prospective criminals who will fill the prison cells, even if the present criminals are freed by the government. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (13.22), kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu: “Because of the living entity’s association with material nature, he meets with good and evil among various species.” There are many unmanifested living entities covered by the mode of ignorance who will gradually come to the mode of passion. Most of them will become criminals because of their fruitive activities and again fill the prisons.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since the material world is like a prison house, to say that there never be any prisoners is wishful thinking, there always will be some prisoners to fill up, but Lord Caitanya's mercy is to deliver those who chant.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.81

pūrve śrī-rāmacandrera jīvoddhāra-līlāra dṛṣṭānta :—

pūrve yena raghunātha saba ayodhyā lañā
vaikuṇṭhake gelā, anya-jīve ayodhyā bharāñā

Translation: “Previously, when Lord Rāmacandra left this world, He took with Him all the living entities of Ayodhyā. Then He filled Ayodhyā again with other living entities.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.82

avatari’ tumi aiche pātiyācha hāṭa
keha nā bujhite pāre tomāra gūḍha nāṭa

Translation: “My dear Lord, You have set a plan in motion by descending to the material world, but no one can understand how You are acting.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by Lord Caitanya's descent all the living entities present can get delivered and go back to the spiritual world but even then there will be other conditioned souls to fill the place.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.83

pūrve śrī-kṛṣṇera jīvoddhāra-līlāra dṛṣṭāntaḥ—

pūrve yena vraje kṛṣṇa kari’ avatāra
sakala brahmāṇḍa-jīvera khaṇḍāilā saṁsāra

Translation: “Formerly, when Lord Kṛṣṇa descended in Vṛndāvana, He freed all living entities in the universe from material existence in the same way.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, when He descended By seeing Him or dying in His presence people were sent to the spiritual world but the universe was still filled with others.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.84

svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇera anantakoṭi brahmāṇḍoddhāraṇa-sāmarthyaḥ—
Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (10.29.16)

Translation: “Kṛṣṇa, the unborn Supreme Personality of Godhead, master of all masters of mystic power, delivers all living entities, moving and nonmoving. Nothing is astonishing in the activities of the Lord.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.29.16).

Jayapatākā Swami: Just as Lord Kṛṣṇa manifests the unlimited millions of material universes, if He wants to deliver the residents of all universes, He can do that.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.85

Śrī Viṣṇu-Purāṇe (4.15.17) —

Translation: “Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be seen, glorified or remembered with an attitude of envy, He nevertheless awards the most confidential liberation, which is rarely achieved by the demigods and demons. What, then, can be said of those who are already fully engaged in devotional service to the Lord?’

Purport: By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupāda This is a quotation from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (4.15.17).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, anyone who sees the Lord and remembers the Lord even out of envy or out of devotion, He delivers the people. What to speak of those who worship him with devotion, they are definitely transferred to the spiritual world.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.86

prabhura prakaṭakāle sarvabrahmāṇḍastha jīverai uddhāraḥ—

taiche tumi navadvīpe kari’ avatāra
sakala-brahmāṇḍa-jīvera karilā nistāra

Translation: “By descending as an incarnation at Navadvīpa, You, just like Kṛṣṇa, have already delivered all the living entities of the universe.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we are trying to be an agent of Lord Caitanya, so that all the conditioned souls can be delivered, but this is not difficult for Kṛṣṇa to do. So, we should try to represent Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and get everyone to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.87

haridāsera dainyaḥ—

ye kahe,—‘caitanya-mahimā mora gocara haya’
se jānuka, mora punaḥ ei ta’ niścaya

Translation: “One may say that he understands the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He may know whatever he may know, but as far as I am concerned, this is my conclusion.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.88

tomāra ye līlā mahā-amṛtera sindhu
mora mano-gocara nahe tāra eka bindu”

Translation: “My dear Lord, Your pastimes are just like an ocean of nectar. It is not possible for me to conceive how great that ocean is or even to understand a drop of it.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya's pastimes are unfathomable and devotees are very much inspired by the personal example of Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.89

bhaktera bhagavallīlā-rahasyodghāṭana-kṣamatāya bhagavānerao vismayaḥ—

eta śuni’ prabhura mane camatkāra haila
‘mora gūḍha-līlā haridāsa kemane jānila?’

Translation: Hearing all this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was astonished. “These are actually My confidential pastimes,” He thought. “How could Haridāsa have understood them?”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.90

prabhura āliṅganaḥ—

manera santoṣe tāṅre kailā āliṅgana
bāhye prakāśite e-saba karilā varjana

Translation: Greatly satisfied by the statements of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced him. Outwardly, however, He avoided further discussions of these matters.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa has come as Lord Caitanya, as a devotee. So this is His confidential pastime, but somehow Haridāsa Ṭhākura understood that He is the Lord and He is doing all these things. So Lord Caitanya was astonished how did he know My confidential purpos? So He did not want to discuss this matter more because it would destroy His disguise as a devotee.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.91

bhaktera vaśa bhagavān : —

īśvara-svabhāva,—aiśvarya cāhe ācchādite
bhakta-ṭhāñi lukāite nāre, haya ta’ vidite

Translation: This is a characteristic of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although He wants to cover His opulence, He cannot do so before His devotees. This is well known everywhere.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although Lord Caitanya wanted to remain as a channa-avatāra that He was a hidden incarnation, He was mainly a devotee, but devotees could understand that He is different, that He is the Supreme.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.92

bhaktera nikaṭa ajitao jita, vaikuṇṭhao parimeyaḥ—

ālavandāru vā śrī-yāmunācārya-kṛta-stotra-ratne (18) —

Translation: “O my Lord, everything within material nature is limited by time, space and thought. Your characteristics, however, being unequaled and unsurpassed, are always transcendental to such limitations. You sometimes cover such characteristics by Your own energy, but nevertheless Your unalloyed devotees are always able to see You under all circumstances.”

Purport: This is a verse from the Stotra-ratna (13) of Yāmunācārya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa is the undefeated but He is defeated by His devotees out of their love and they recognize the Lord although He tries to hide Himself.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Although the Lord wants to cover His opulence, He is unable to before His devotees

Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura