20221121 Devotion of Anupama and Murāri Gupta towards Lord Raghunātha

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 21st,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:

Devotion of Anupama and Murāri Gupta towards Lord Raghunātha
Under the section: Sanātana Gosvāmī Visits the Lord at Jagannātha Purī

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.26

sanātanake prabhura rūpa o anupamera saṁbāda-pradānaḥ—

prabhu kahe,—”ihāṅ rūpa chila daśa-māsa
ihāṅ haite gauḍe gelā, haila dina daśa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed Sanātana Gosvāmī, “Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was here for ten months. He left for Bengal just ten days ago.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is informing Sanātana Gosvāmī of Rūpa Gosvami's travel.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.27

tomāra bhāi anupamera haila gaṅgā-prāpti
bhāla chila, raghunāthe dṛḍha tāra bhakti”

Translation: “Your brother Anupama is now dead. He was a very good devotee who had firm conviction in Raghunātha [Lord Rāmacandra].”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the third brother of Srila Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvamis was Anupama, and his son was Jīva Gosvāmī, who is one of the six Gosvāmīs, who accepted Rūpa Gosvāmī as his dīkṣā-guru.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.28

sanātanakarttṛka svīya dainyokti o prabhura ayācita kṛpā-mahimā varṇanaḥ—

sanātana kahe,—“nīca-vaṁśe mora janma
adharma anyāya yata,—āmāra kula-dharma

Translation: Sanātana Gosvāmī said, “I was born in a low family, for my family commits all kinds of irreligious acts that violate the scriptural injunctions.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.29

hena vaṁśa ghṛṇā chāḍi’ kailā aṅgīkāra
tomāra kṛpāya vaṁśe maṅgala āmāra

Translation: “My Lord, without hatred for my family You have accepted me as Your servant. Only by Your mercy is there good fortune in my family.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although Sanātana Gosvāmī was coming from a Karnataka brāhmaṇa vaṁsa, he had migrated to Bengal, so he presented himself as very low because of his acceptaning appointment with Hussain Shah, he was the prime minister and his brother Rūpa Gosvāmī was the finance minister. He was a very highly placed person, yet he had presented himself very humbly.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.30

kaniṣṭha anupamera aikāntikī rāmaniṣṭhā-varṇanaḥ—

sei anupama-bhāi śiśu-kāla haite
raghunātha-upāsanā kare dṛḍha-citte

Translation: “From the very beginning of his childhood, my younger brother Anupama was a great devotee of Raghunātha [Lord Rāmacandra], and he worshiped Him with great determination.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sanātana Gosvāmī is describing Anupama’s devotion to Lord Rāma.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.31

rātri-dine raghunāthera ‘nāma’ āra ‘dhyāna’
rāmāyaṇa niravadhi śune, kare gāna

Translation: “He always chanted the holy name of Raghunātha and meditated upon Him. He continuously heard about the activities of the Lord from the Rāmāyaṇa and chanted about them.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord had unlimited forms but Kṛṣṇa is the original form. But a devotee may be get attached to worshipping any of the forms of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Anupama, the youngest brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was very devoted to Lord Rāma.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.32

bhrātṛtrayera paraspara akṛtrima prītiḥ—

āmi āra rūpa—tāra jyeṣṭha-sahodara
āmā-doṅhā-saṅge teṅha rahe nirantara

Translation: “Rūpa and I are his elder brothers. He stayed with us continuously.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.33

āmā-sabā-saṅge kṛṣṇa-kathā, bhāgavata śune
tāhāra parīkṣā kailuṅ āmi-dui-jane

Translation: “He heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and talks about Lord Kṛṣṇa with us, and both of us examined him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.34

anupamake jyeṣṭhabhrātṛdvayakarttṛka kṛṣṇaguṇa-mādhurya-varṇanadvārā kṛṣṇa-bhajane pralobhanaḥ—

śunaha vallabha, kṛṣṇa—parama-madhura
saundarya, mādhurya, prema-vilāsa—pracura

Translation: “Dear Vallabha,’ we said, ‘please hear from us. Lord Kṛṣṇa is supremely attractive. His beauty, sweetness and pastimes of love are without limit.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, they were testing Anupama, if he would switch to Kṛṣṇa or he would stay fixed on Lord Rāma.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.35

kṛṣṇa-bhajana kara tumi āmā-duṅhāra saṅge
tina bhāi ekatra rahimu kṛṣṇa-kathā-raṅge”

Translation: “Engage yourself in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa with the two of us. We three brothers shall stay together and enjoy discussing the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.’

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.36

agrajadvayera nirvandhātiśaye aikāntika anupamera sāmayika citta-parivarttanaḥ—

ei-mata bāra-bāra kahi dui-jana
āmā-duṅhāra gaurave kichu phiri’ gela mana

Translation: “In this way we spoke to him again and again, and because of this persuasion and his respect for us, his mind turned somewhat toward our instructions.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.37

anupamera kṛṣṇa-bhajanecchāḥ—

“tomā-duṅhāra ājñā āmi kemane laṅghimu?
dīkṣā-mantra deha’ kṛṣṇa-bhajana karimu”

Translation: “Vallabha replied, ‘My dear brothers, how can I disobey your orders? Initiate me into the Kṛṣṇa mantra so that I may perform devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa.’

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.38

rāmabhajana-parityāga-hetu anupamera cintā-vyākulatāḥ—

eta kahi’ rātri-kāle karena cintana
kemane chāḍimu raghunāthera caraṇa

Translation: “After saying this, at night he began to think, ‘How shall I give up the lotus feet of Lord Raghunātha?’

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.39

krandana, jāgaraṇa o nivedanaḥ—

saba rātri krandana kari’ kaila jāgaraṇa
prātaḥ-kāle āmā-duṅhāya kaila nivedana

Translation: “He stayed up all night and cried. In the morning, he came to us and submitted the following plea.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.40

anupamera gabhīra aikāntika rāmaniṣṭhāḥ—

‘raghunāthera pāda-padme veciyāchoṅ māthā
kāḍite nā pāroṅ māthā, pāṅa baḍa vyathā

Translation: “I have sold my head at the lotus feet of Lord Rāmacandra. I cannot take it away. That would be too painful for me.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, because Anupama had surrendered to the lotus feet of Lord Rāma, Raghunātha, he could not bring himself to renounce worshipping Lord Rāma.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.41

kṛpā kari’ more ājñā deha’ dui-jana
janme-janme sevoṅ raghunāthera caraṇa

Translation: “The two of you please be merciful to me and order me in such a way that life after life I may serve the lotus feet of Lord Raghunātha.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Anupama was begging his two elder brothers to order him life after life to serve the lotus feet of Lord Rāma.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.42

raghunāthera pāda-padma chāḍāna nā yāya
chāḍibāra mana haile prāṇa phāṭi’ yāya’

Translation: “It is impossible for me to give up the lotus feet of Lord Raghunātha. When I even think of giving them up, my heart breaks.’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, like Murāri-Gupta he was fixed in worshipping Lord Rāma, he would not take his head away from worshipping the lotus feet of Lord Rāma.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.43

kaniṣṭhake jyeṣṭhabhrātṛdvayera āśīrvādaḥ—

tabe āmi-duṅhe tāre āliṅgana kailuṅ
‘sādhu, dṛḍha-bhakti tomāra’—kahi’ praśaṁsiluṅ

Translation: “Upon hearing this, we each embraced him and encouraged him by saying, ‘You are a great saintly devotee, for your determination in devotional service is fixed.’ In this way we praised him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotees should be fixed in worshipping one of the forms of Lord Kṛṣṇa. If possible, worshipping Lord Kṛṣṇa as the original Supreme Personality of Godhead is ideal, but any of His forms, if one has aikāntika devotion, that is also alright.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.44

prabhura kṛpāra prati dṛḍha āsthāḥ—

ye vaṁśera upare tomāra haya kṛpā-leśa
sakala maṅgala tāhe khaṇḍe saba kleśa’

Translation: “My dear Lord, the family upon which You bestow even a little mercy is always fortunate, for such mercy makes all miseries disappear.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Now Sanātana Gosvāmī is appreciating how even a little bit of Lord Caitanya's mercy on any family or anyone, will have many wonderful effects.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.45

prabhukarttṛka murāriguptera rāmaniṣṭhā-dṛṣṭānta varṇanaḥ—

gosāñi kahena,—“ei-mata murāri-gupta
pūrve āmi parīkṣiluṅ tāra ei rīta

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “There was a similar incident concerning Murāri Gupta. Formerly I examined him, and his determination was similar.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had requested Murāri Gupta to worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, but he was not able to forget Lord Rama. So he asked permission from Lord Caitanya to commit suicide, because he was not carrying out His order. Lord Caitanya embraced him and said that, “you are the real devotee of Lord Rāma” Later Murāri Gupta was revealed that he was an incarnation of Hanumān.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.46

aikāntika bhakta o bhagavān, parasparera prīti-vaiśiṣṭyaḥ—

sei bhakta dhanya, ye nā chāḍe prabhura caraṇa
sei prabhu dhanya, ye nā chāḍe nija-jana

Translation: “Glorious is that devotee who does not give up the shelter of his Lord, and glorious is that Lord who does not abandon His servant.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is the wonderful quality of Kṛṣṇa and His expansions, that He does not gives up His servants.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.47

aikāntika bhaktavatsala bhagavānaḥ—

durdaive sevaka yadi yāya anya sthāne
sei ṭhākura dhanya tāre cule dhari’ āne

Translation: “If by chance a servant falls down and goes somewhere else, glorious is that master who captures him and brings him back by the hair.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya would bring back His servant if He falls away and thus he would have him continue with his devotional service.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.48

sanātanake haridāsa-sannidhāne thākite ājñāḥ—

bhāla haila, tomāra ihāṅ haila āgamane
ei ghare raha ihāṅ haridāsa-sane

Translation: “It is very good that you have arrived here. Now stay in this room with Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya had spoken with Sanātana Gosvāmī and He was advising him to stay with Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.49

sanātana o haridāsake praśaṁsāpūrvaka prabhura ādeśaḥ—

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rase duṅhe parama pradhāna
kṛṣṇa-rasa āsvādana kara, laha kṛṣṇa-nāma

Translation: “Both of you are expert in understanding the mellows of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service. Therefore you should both continue relishing the taste for such activities and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya gave him the order to relish the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.50

prabhura prasthāna; ubhayake prasāda-preraṇaḥ—

eta bali’ mahāprabhu uṭhiyā calilā
govinda-dvārāya duṅhe prasāda pāṭhāilā

Translation: Having said this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got up and left, and through Govinda He sent prasādam for them to eat.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here we see how Lord Caitanya is doing devotee care He sent prasāda to the two of them.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.51

sanātanera mandira-cakra dekhiyā praṇāmaḥ—

ei-mata sanātana rahe prabhu-sthāne
jagannāthera cakra dekhi’ karena praṇāme

Translation: In this way, Sanātana Gosvāmī stayed under the care of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He would see the wheel on the pinnacle of the Jagannātha temple and offer respectful obeisances.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Sanātana Gosvāmī would not be allowed to go into the temple, he saw the Sudarśana cakra at the top of the temple and offered his obeisances. Actually, at this time, Lord Caitanya was playing the part of a devotee but now people will know that He was an avatāra, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura was the incarnation of Lord Brahmā, who was original person who installed the temple of Lord Jagannātha. So, at that time Lord Brahmā as Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they did not enter the temple. But now people understand that Lord Caitanya was Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, and Lord Caitanya was Lord Jagannātha in a moving form. So His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda said that out of respect to Lord Caitanya they should allow His devotees to enter the temple.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.52

pratyaha ubhayera sahita prabhura sākṣātkāra o mahāprasāda-pradānaḥ—

prabhu āsi’ prati-dina milena dui-jane
iṣṭa-goṣṭhī, kṛṣṇa-kathā kahe kata-kṣaṇe

Translation: Every day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would go there to meet these two stalwart devotees and discuss topics of Kṛṣṇa with them for some time.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although these devotees could not go to the temple of Lord Jagannātha., Lord Jagannātha in the form of Lord Caitanya would associate with them everyday.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 4.53

divya prasāda pāya nitya jagannātha-mandire
tāhā āni’ nitya avaśya dena doṅhākāre

Translation: The offerings of prasādam in the temple of Lord Jagannātha were of the highest quality. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would bring this prasādam and deliver it to the two devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, actually Lord Jagannātha, He has various varieties of prasāda, He is known to take 56 offerings known as chappan-bhoga. So its rare to see all these offerings. But we have our pāṇḍā who serves ISKCON, Raghunatha Pāṇḍā and he gets varieties of offerings may be 15 or 20 varieties, we don’t get the 56, probably we get 20. So, this prasāda is made of pure ghee and they use original items. So Lord Caitanya was doing this devotee care by bringing prasāda for His two stalwart devotees.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Devotion of Anupama and Murāri Gupta towards Lord Raghunātha
Under the section: Sanātana Gosvāmī Visits the Lord at Jagannātha Purī