20221219 Affectionately Raghunātha becomes Raghu of Svarūpa Dāmodara Part 1

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on December 19th,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! Happy Ekādaśī! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book Today's chapter is entitled as:

Affectionately Raghunātha becomes Raghu of Svarūpa Dāmodara, Part 1
Under the section: The Meeting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.184

prabhupreme ātmahārā raghunāthera prabhucaraṇalābhārtha purī-gamana:—

pathe sutīvra daihika-kleśasahiṣṇutā:—

ethā raghunātha-dāsa prabhāte uṭhiyā
pūrva-mukha chāḍi’ cale dakṣiṇa-mukha hañā

Translation: Raghunātha dāsa, who had been resting at the milkman’s house, got up early in the morning. Instead of going to the east, he turned his face south and proceeded.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Jagannātha Purī is to the South but Raghunatha dāsa went first to the east to avoid his father’s security details. Now as he was going to the east, he would go to the south, heading towards Jagannātha Purī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.185

chatrabhoga pāra hañā chāḍiyā sarāṇa
kugrāma diyā diyā karila prayāṇa

Translation: He crossed Chatrabhoga, but instead of going on the general path, he proceeded on the path that went from village to village.

Purport: Chatrabhoga, known now as Chāḍa-khāḍi, is in the district of Twenty-four Parganas in West Bengal. It is situated near the celebrated village Jayanagara-majilapura. Formerly the Ganges or some of its branches flowed through this region. Sometimes Chatrabhoga is misunderstood to have been a village on the river Kāṅsāi-nadī in Benāpola.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Jayanagara is famous for having koi-muhās made with date-gur and people enjoy having this sweet.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.186

bhakṣaṇa apekṣā nāhi, samasta divasa gamana
kṣudhā nāhi bādhe, caitanya-caraṇa-prāptye mana

Translation: Not caring about eating, he traveled all day. Hunger was not an impediment, for his mind was concentrated upon obtaining shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: Raghunatha dāsa had been trying to take shelter of Lord Caitanya for many years and now he is making this special attempt, getting the mercy of Lord Nityānanda and the Vaiṣṇavas.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.187

kabhu carvaṇa, kabhu randhana, kabhu dugdha-pāna
yabe yei mile, tāhe rākhe nija prāṇa

Translation: Sometimes he chewed fried grains, sometimes he cooked, and sometimes he drank milk. In this way he kept his life and soul together with whatever was available wherever he went.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, somehow keeping the body and soul together, he was just taking anything available. But he was a devotee fixed on Kṛṣṇa and survived on very little.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.188

vāradine purī-gamana, pathe tinadinamātra anna-grahaṇa:—

bāra dine cali’ gelā śrī-puruṣottama
pathe tina-dina mātra karilā bhojana

Translation: He reached Jagannātha Purī in twelve days but could eat only for three days on the way.

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally, Bengal devotees going Jagannātha Purī would take a month, but it is said here that he reached Jagannātha Purī in twelve days. Practically he was running and in the twelve days he only ate for three days, and once every four days.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.189

svarūpādi-saha upaviṣṭa prabhura samīpe āsiyā raghunāthera daṇḍavat praṇāma; mukundera tatparicaya-pradāna:—

svarūpādi-saha gosāñi āchena vasiyā
hena-kāle raghunātha milila āsiyā

Translation: When Raghunātha dāsa met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord was sitting with His companions, headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Raghunatha dāsa Gosvāmī has just reached Jagannātha Purī and he immediately paid his prostrate obeisances to Lord Caitanya and His associates.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.190

aṅganete dūre rahi’ karena praṇipāta
mukunda-datta kahe,—‘ei āila raghunātha’

Translation: Staying at a distant place in the courtyard, he fell down to offer obeisances. Then Mukunda Datta said, “Here is Raghunātha.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Raghunatha dāsa was well-known to the devotees, he was very committed to serving Lord Caitanya. So immediately Mukunda Datta could recognize him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.191

prabhura caraṇa-vandana, prabhura āliṅgana:—

prabhu kahena,—‘āisa’, teṅho dharilā caraṇa
uṭhi’ prabhu kṛpāya tāṅre kailā āliṅgana

Translation: As soon as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these words, He immediately welcomed Raghunātha dāsa. “Come here,” He said. Raghunātha dāsa then clasped the lotus feet of the Lord, but the Lord stood up and embraced him out of His causeless mercy.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Raghunatha dāsa came here to get the shelter of Lord Caitanya's lotus feet but he had seen Lord Caitanya in Śāntipura. Lord Caitanya told him not to be a markaṭa-vairāgya and to stay in his grhastha-āśrama. But here we see that when he reached Jagannātha Purī, the all-knowing Lord Caitanya accepted him and embraced him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.192

svarūpādi bhaktagaṇake praṇāma, sakalera āliṅgana:—

svarūpādi saba bhaktera caraṇa vandilā
prabhu-kṛpā dekhi’ sabe āliṅgana kailā

Translation: Raghunātha dāsa offered prayers at the lotus feet of all the devotees, headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. Seeing the special mercy Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had bestowed upon Raghunātha dāsa, they embraced him also.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, all the great devotees who had descended from spiritual world to help Lord Caitanya, in His pastimes they embraced Raghunatha dāsa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.193

nityasiddha raghunāthera gṛhatyāga-upalakṣe anarthayukta bhaktisādhakake śikṣā-dāna; prabhura kṛṣṇakṛpā-māhātmya-varṇana:—

prabhu kahe,—“kṛṣṇa-kṛpā baliṣṭha sabā haite
tomāre kāḍila viṣaya-viṣṭhā-garta haite”

Translation: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “The mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa is stronger than anything else. Therefore the Lord has delivered you from the ditch of materialistic life, which is like a hole into which people pass stool.”

Purport: According to the law of karma, everyone is destined to suffer or enjoy according to a certain material standard, but the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that the Lord can change all the reactions of one’s past karma, or fruitive activities. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically drew attention to the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That mercy is more powerful than anything else, for it had saved Raghunātha dāsa from the strong bondage of materialistic life, which the Lord compared to a hole where people pass stool. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave His verdict that those addicted to the materialistic way of life are like worms that are living in stool but cannot give it up. A gṛha-vrata, one who has decided to live in a comfortable home although it is actually miserable, is in a condemned position. Only the mercy of Kṛṣṇa can save one from such misery. Without Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, one cannot get out of the filthy entanglement of materialistic life. The poor living entity cannot give up his materialistic position on his own; only when granted the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa can he give it up. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew very well that Raghunātha dāsa was already liberated. Nevertheless He emphasized that Raghunātha dāsa’s life of material comfort as a very rich man’s son with a very beautiful wife and many servants to attend him was like a ditch of stool. The Lord thus specifically indicated that ordinary men who are very happy with material comforts and family life are in no better position than worms in stool.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya had followers both in renounced order and gṛhasthas. If one is happy with materialistic life then they are forced to take repeated birth after birth, because their desires would be in that way. But if the person whether renounced or a family man, if he is very Kṛṣṇa conscious and if he is really trying to serve Kṛṣṇa then he could be saved and he is not in the same situation as the materialistic person. So Raghunatha dāsa, he especially went to join the associates of Lord Caitanya and became one of the six Gosvāmīs . So he was naturally showing that he was from a family which was extremely rich, he had all material facilities but he didn’t consider it at all. Normally people, they are hoping for richness, prosperity, etc., so that they can have a very high standard of sense gratification. So Lord Caitanya was demonstrating through Raghunatha dāsa how one can be satisfied only by devotional service.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.194

raghunāthera aikāntikī gaurakṛṣṇaniṣṭhā:—

raghunātha mane kahe,—‘kṛṣṇa nāhi jāni
tava kṛpā kāḍila āmā,—ei āmi māni’

Translation: Raghunātha dāsa answered within his mind, “I do not know who Kṛṣṇa is. I simply know that Your mercy, O my Lord, has saved me from my family life.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was acting as Mahāprabhu, the great spiritual master, so Raghunatha dāsa was grateful that somehow Lord Caitanya had saved him from materialistic way of life.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.195

prabhukarttaka hiraṇya o govardhanera caritavarṇana:—

prabhu kahena,—“tomāra pitā-jyeṭhā dui jane
cakravartī-sambandhe hāma ‘ājā’ kari’ māne

Translation: The Lord continued, “Your father and his elder brother are both related as brothers to My grandfather, Nīlāmbara Cakravartī. Therefore I consider them My grandfathers.

Purport: Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, the grandfather of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, was very intimately related to Raghunātha dāsa’s father and uncle. Nīlāmbara Cakravartī used to call them his younger brothers because both of them were very much devoted to the brāhmaṇas and were very respectable gentlemen. Similarly, they used to call him Dādā Cakravartī, addressing him as an elder brother brāhmaṇa. Raghunātha dāsa, however, was almost the same age as Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Generally a grandchild may joke about his grandfather. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took advantage of the relationship between His grandfather and Raghunātha dāsa’s father and uncle to speak in a joking way.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya mentioned this relationship so that he could tell some joke.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.196

cakravartīra duhe haya bhrātṛ-rūpa dāsa
ataeva tāre āmi kari parihāsa

Translation: “Since your father and his elder brother are younger brothers of Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, I may joke about them in this way.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.197

viṣaya-viṣa sevana—ātmasaṁhāraka arthāt jīvera svarūpa vā svāsthya-lābhera bhīṣaṇa vighnasvarūpa:—

tomāra bāpa-jyeṭhā—viṣaya-viṣṭhā-gartera kīḍā
sukha kari’ māne viṣaya-viṣera mahā-pīḍā

Translation: “My dear Raghunātha dāsa, your father and his elder brother are just like worms in stool in the ditch of material enjoyment, for the great disease of the poison of material enjoyment is what they consider happiness.

Purport: When a man is attached to material enjoyment, he is attached to many miserable conditions, but nevertheless he accepts his condemned position as one of happiness. Sense enjoyment is so strong for such a person that he cannot give it up, exactly as a worm in stool cannot give up the stool. From the spiritual point of view, when a person is too absorbed in material enjoyment, he is exactly like a worm in stool. Although such a position is utterly miserable to the eyes of liberated souls, the materialistic enjoyer is greatly attached to it.

Jayapatākā Swami: In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the history of Ajāmila is given in the sixth canto. Although he was born in a respectable brāhmaṇa family, he fell down and did many sinful things. But somehow he named his son as Nārāyaṇa. By calling his son, even at the time of death calling out Nārāyaṇa, he was freed from all his sinful reactions. The Lord is so merciful that if one even accidently does some devotional service, he receives the Lord’s mercy and His feet. Then he could realize all the sins he was doing and all the bad karma, and he changed and regretted for everything. So, people somehow think that material comfort is the goal of life. Yesterday Argentina won the football World Cup, maybe they think how the material world is a good place, because they won the competition. This is how māyā deludes us.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.198

bhoktṛ-abhimāne vā dehātmabuddhite anyābhilāṣa, karma o jñānamiśra, athaca apratikūla viṣṇu-vaiṣṇavānugatyābhāsa vā laukikīśraddhā śuddhabhakti nahe, kaniṣṭhādhikāra-mātra:—

yadyapi brahmaṇya kare brāhmaṇera sahāya
‘śuddha-vaiṣṇava’ nahe, haye ‘vaiṣṇavera prāya’

Translation: “Although your father and uncle are charitable to brāhmaṇas and greatly help them, they are nevertheless not pure Vaiṣṇavas. However, they are almost like Vaiṣṇavas.

Purport: As stated by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, some people, usually very rich men, dress like Vaiṣṇavas and give charity to brāhmaṇas. They are also attached to Deity worship, but because of their attachment to material enjoyment, they cannot be pure Vaiṣṇavas. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. The pure Vaiṣṇava has no desire for material enjoyment. That is the basic qualification of a pure Vaiṣṇava. There are men, especially rich men, who regularly worship the Deity, give charity to brāhmaṇas and are pious in every respect, but they cannot be pure Vaiṣṇavas. Despite their outward show of Vaiṣṇavism and charity,their inner desire is to enjoy a higher standard of material life. Raghunātha dāsa’s father, Govardhana, and uncle, Hiraṇya dāsa, were both very charitable to brāhmaṇas. Indeed, the brāhmaṇas from the Gauḍīya district were practically dependent upon them. Thus they were accepted as very pious gentlemen. However, they presented themselves as Vaiṣṇavas to the eyes of people in general, although from a purely spiritual point of view they were ordinary human beings, not pure Vaiṣṇavas. Actual Vaiṣṇavas considered them almost Vaiṣṇavas, not pure Vaiṣṇavas. In other words, they were kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs, for they were ignorant of higher Vaiṣṇava regulative principles. Nevertheless, they could not be called viṣayīs, or blind materialistic enjoyers.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since they were very attached to material enjoyment, Lord Caitanya called them, vaiṣṇava-prāya, almost Vaiṣṇavas. Normally a Vaiṣṇava he wants his child to be a pure Vaiṣṇava and although Raghunatha dāsa wanted to join Lord Caitanya and be a pure Vaiṣṇava his parents were not allowing and were arresting him and bringing him back. So, in this way instead of facilitating their son to get the mercy of Lord Caitanya, they were an obstacle because their point of view was somehow material comfort was the goal of life.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Affectionately Raghunātha becomes Raghu of Svarūpa Dāmodara, Part 1
Under the section: The Meeting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī