20221105 Gopāla Cakravartī offends Haridāsa Ṭhākura and is attacked by leprosy Part 3

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 05th,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 we will continue with the part-3 of the chapter is entitled as:

Gopāla Cakravartī offends Haridāsa Ṭhākura and is attacked by leprosy, [Part 3]

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.299

nāma o nāmāśrīta-guru-nindaka o tatsamarthakagaṇa vāhye brāhmaṇa dhruva haileo antare rākṣasa svabhāva baliyā yamadaṇḍya—

e sakala rākṣasa, brāhmaṇa nāma mātra
ei-saba loka yama-yātanāra pātra

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually, they were all rākṣasa,

Translation: They were brāhmaṇas in name only. Actually they were all demons, fit to be punished by Yamarāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: All of them are fit to be punished by Yamarāja. So, you see if one commits offense to the holy name or to those who have taken shelter of the holy name, and the gurus who glorify the holy name, by criticizing them and also by remaining silent when they are criticized although they are outwardly brāhmaṇa, inwardly they are rākṣasa by nature and as a result they are really being punished by Yamarāja.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.300

vivāda-tamoyuge viprakule guru-vaiṣṇava-beda-nindaka rākṣasagaṇera janmagrahaṇa —

kali-yuge rākṣasa-sakala vipra-ghare
janmibeka sujanera hiṁsā karibāre

Translation: In Kali-yuga, rākṣasa are born in the families of brāhmaṇas in order to harass the saintly persons.

Purport: (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda) Though demoniac persons who are envious of Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas may take birth in brāhmaṇa families, they nevertheless envy the Vaiṣṇavas. This is the specialty of Kali-yuga.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the demons would take birth in brāhmaṇa families and they still maintain their enmity to the Vaiṣṇavas.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.301

suvirala śreītapanthi-vaiṣṇavagaṇake rākṣasagaṇera vādhā-pradāna tathāhi (varāha-purāṇe maheśa-vākyam) —

rākṣasāḥ kalim āśrītya jāyante brahmā-yoniṣu
utpannā brāhmaṇa-kule bādhante śrotriyān kṛśān

Translation: “In Kali-yuga, demons will take birth in the families of brāhmaṇas to harass those rare persons who are conversant with the Vedic way of life.”

Purport: This verse was spoken by Lord Śiva in the Varāha Purāṇa.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.302

e saba viprera sparśa, kathā, namaskāra
dharma-śāstre sarvathā niṣedha karibāra

Translation: The scriptures forbid one from touching, speaking to, or offering respects to such brāhmaṇas.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda): One should not even touch those proud brāhmaṇas who are opposed to Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas. If by chance one touches such a brāhmaṇa, he should take bath in the Ganges with his clothes on. If one converses with such a brāhmaṇa, then his falldown is guaranteed. If one respects such a person by offering him obeisances, then one is sure to be deviated from devotional service to Viṣṇu. That is why persons and the families of persons who are averse to following Vaiṣṇava etiquette have been declared as fallen in the following words from the Dharma-śāstras (Manu 2.168) and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.3):

“A brāhmaṇa who in his lifetime does not endeavor to study the Vedas but labors hard in other pursuits quickly becomes a śūdra along with his family.

“If one simply maintains an official position in the four varṇas and āśramas but does not worship the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, he falls down from his puffed-up position into a hellish condition.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the necessity of worshipping Viṣṇu by all brāhmaṇas is mentioned here. Apart from that everyone in the varṇāśrama should worship Lord Viṣṇu, otherwise they fall from their position.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.303

avaiṣṇava vā vaiṣṇavavidveṣi-brāhmaṇabagaṇera duḥsaṅga sarvathā parityāga-vidhi etadviṣaye śāstra-pramāṇa tathāhi (padma-purāṇe maheśa-vākyam)—

Translation: “There is no need to speak further on this. Even by mistake one should not touch or speak to those brāhmaṇas who have no devotion for the Supreme Lord.

Purport: (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda) This and the following verse are spoken by Lord Śiva in the Padma Purāṇa.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.304

avaiṣṇava vā vaiṣṇavavidveṣī-brāhmaṇabagaṇera prati dṛṣṭipāta niṣiddhatā evaṁ jātikula-nirviśeṣe avatīrṇa śuddha-vaiṣṇavamātrerai jagadgurutva tathāhi (padma-purāṇe) —

Translation: “Just as one in this world should never see a dog-eating caṇḍāla, one should never see a non-devotee brāhmaṇa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Śiva in the Padma-Purāṇa is giving us some instructions, whom we should see and not see. Seeing a non-devotee brāhmaṇa contaminates one.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.305

brāhmaṇa haiyā yadi avaiṣṇava haya
tabe tā’ra ālāpeha puṇya yāya kṣaya

If one is a brāhmaṇa and he is avaiṣṇava, to converse with him one destroys whatever piety he has.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda): If one converses with a person who was born in a seminal brāhmaṇa family, who has undergone sāvitra-saṁskāra yet has not taken Vaiṣṇava initiation, who envies the Vaiṣṇavas and considers himself a non-Vaiṣṇava, then one’s heaps of accumulated piety are destroyed.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, discussing with a descendant of the brāhmaṇa family, who is actually against Vaiṣṇavas and who considers Himself a non-Vaiṣṇava, then one’s assimilated piety is destroyed.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.199

ṭhākurera śapathāṅgīkāra :—

haridāsa kahena,—“yadi nāmābhāse ‘mukti’ naya
tabe āmāra nāka kāṭimu,—ei suniścaya”

Translation: Then Haridāsa Ṭhākura accepted the challenge offered by Gopāla Cakravartī. “If by nāmābhāsa liberation is not available,” he said, “certainly I shall cut off my nose.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura accepted the curse of Gopāla Cakravartī and said that he would cut off his own nose, if by nāmābhāsa one cannot get liberation.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.200

sabhyagaṇera brahmabandhuke dhikkāra-pradānaḥ —

śuni’ sabhā-sad uṭhe kari’ hāhākāra
majumadāra sei vipre karila dhikkāra

Translation: All the members of the assembly who had heard the challenge were greatly agītāted, and they got up, making a tumultuous sound. Hiraṇya and Govardhana Majumadāra both immediately chastised the brāhmaṇa tax collector.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in the previous verse of Caitanya-bhāgavata, many people did not immediately react, but here in Caitanya-caritāmṛta the Majumdaras and the others reacted. So, this is a good sign that we should react if we hear or witness a Vaiṣṇava aparādha.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.201

nāstika hetuvādi-jñāne tāhāke balarāmācāryera bhartsanā o abhiśāpa-dāna :—

balāi-purohita tāre karilā bhartsana
ghaṭa-paṭiyā mūrkha tuñi bhakti kāṅhā jāna?

Translation: The priest named Balarāma Ācārya also chastised Gopāla Cakravartī. “You are a foolish logician,” he said. “What do you know about the devotional service of the Lord?

Purport: The philosophy enunciated by the Māyāvādīs is called ghaṭa-paṭiyā (“pot-and-earth”) philosophy. According to this philosophy, everything is one. Such philosophers see no distinction between a pot made of earth and the earth itself, reasoning that anything made of earth, such as different pots, is also the same earth. Since Gopāla Cakravartī was a ghaṭa-paṭiyā logician, a gross materialist, what could he understand about the transcendental devotional service of the Lord?

Jayapatākā Swami: The devotional service of the Lord has unlimited qualities of the Supreme Lord and therefore we should not underestimate devotional service, because this foolish Gopāla Cakravartī was using his logic and finding fault with the śāstras, so he was creating a problem or creating a misinformation.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.202

haridāsa-ṭhākure tuñi kaili apamāna!
sarva-nāśa habe tora, nā habe kalyāṇa

Translation: “You have insulted Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Thus there will be a dangerous position for you. You should not expect anything auspicious.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Balarāma Ācārya being a pure Vaiṣṇava could understand that the foolish brāhmaṇa was only creating inauspiciousness for himself.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.203

nāme arthavādakārīra saṅga-parityāgaḥ —

śuni’ haridāsa tabe uṭhiyā calilā
majumadāra sei vipre tyāga karilā

Translation: Then Haridāsa Ṭhākura got up to leave, and the Majumadāras, the masters of Gopāla Cakravartī, immediately kicked him out and dismissed him from their service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when one witnesses a Vaiṣṇava-aparādha, they should take immediate steps so that they will not get the resultant bad influence.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.204

nāme arthavādakārīra saṅga-parityāgaḥ —

śuni’ haridāsa tabe uṭhiyā calilā
majumadāra sei vipre tyāga karilā

Translation: With all the members of the assembly, the two Majumadāras fell at the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was smiling, however, and he spoke in a sweet voice.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.205

adoṣadarśī ṭhākurera kṣamāḥ—

“tomā-sabāra doṣa nāhi, ei ajña brāhmaṇa
tāra doṣa nāhi, tāra tarka-niṣṭha mana

Translation: “None of you are at fault,” he said. “Indeed, even this ignorant so-called brāhmaṇa is not at fault, for he is accustomed to dry speculation and logic.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya said that understanding the Vedas by logic and reason is not possible. One needs to have a spiritual master, there is saying that tarkera bahudura.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.206

acintyasvabhāva adhokṣaja nāmaprabhu—jaḍīya yuktitarkātītaḥ

tarkera gocara nahe nāmera mahattva
kothā haite jānibe se ei saba tattva?

Translation: “One cannot understand the glories of the holy name simply by logic and argument. Therefore, this man cannot possibly understand the glories of the holy name.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was explaining how this brāhmaṇa could not understand the glories of the holy name. The glories of the holy name are inconceivable, must be heard faithfully from the authorities.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.207

kṛṣṇera nikaṭa sakalera kuśala-yāñā

yāha ghara, kṛṣṇa karuna kuśala sabāra
āmāra sambandhe duḥkha nā ha-uka kāhāra”

Translation: “All of you may now go to your homes. May Lord Kṛṣṇa bestow His blessings upon you all. Do not be sorry because of my being insulted.”

Purport: From this statement by Haridāsa Ṭhākura, it is understood that a pure Vaiṣṇava never takes anyone’s insults seriously.

This is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

“One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.”

A Vaiṣṇava is always tolerant and submissive like trees and grass. He tolerates insults offered by others, for he is simply interested in chanting the holy name of the Lord without being disturbed.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we see how Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he wished good for all the persons who were witnessing the insults.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.208

hiraṇya-govardhanera pāṣaṇḍa brahmabandhusaṅga varjjana

tabe se hiraṇya-dāsa nija ghare āila
sei brāhmaṇe nija dvāra-mānā kaila

Translation: Then Hiraṇya dāsa Majumadāra returned to his home and ordered that Gopāla Cakravartī not be admitted therein.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Hiraṇya Majumadāra fired Gopāla Cakravartī and forbade him from entering his house.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.306

jagadguru vaiṣṇavācārya haridāsera nindaka nāmāparādhī pāṣaṇḍi-viprādhamera duṣkarma-phala vā śāsti —

se viprādhamera kata-divasa thākiyā
vasante nāsikā tā’ra paḍila khasiyā

Translation: Within a few days, that wretched brāhmaṇa was attacked by smallpox, and as a result his nose melted away and fell off.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda): Within a few days that abominable, envious brāhmaṇa became infected with a severe case of smallpox and his nose melted and fell off.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows the reactions of having offended a Vaiṣṇava Jagat guru Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.209

nāme arthavāda o vaiṣṇavābajñāra bhīṣaṇa phala vā śāstiḥ—

tina dina bhitare sei viprera ‘kuṣṭha’ haila
ati ucca nāsā tāra galiyā paḍila

Translation: Within three days that brāhmaṇa was attacked by leprosy, and as a result his highly raised nose melted away and fell off.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.210

campaka-kali-sama hasta-padāṅguli
koṅkaḍa ha-ila saba, kuṣṭhe gela gali’

Translation: The brāhmaṇa’s toes and fingers were beautiful like golden-colored campaka buds, but because of leprosy they all withered and gradually melted away.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.211

ṭhākurera aiśvaryadarśane sakalera tāṅhāra stuti : —

dekhiyā sakala loka haila camatkāra
haridāse praśaṁsi’ tāṅre kare namaskāra

Translation: Seeing the condition of Gopāla Cakravartī, everyone was astonished. Everyone praised the influence of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and offered him obeisances.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, it did not take long for the people to realise Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s exalted position.

Haribol!