20221220 Affectionately Raghunātha becomes Raghu of Svarūpa Dāmodara Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on December 20th,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 Part 2 of the chapter entitled as:

Affectionately Raghunātha becomes Raghu of Svarūpa Dāmodara [Part - 2]
Under the section: The Meeting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.199

kṛṣṇaprītivāñchā chāḍiyā akṣajajñāne bhoga vā tyāgarūpa viṣayera anuśīlana-phale yatsāmānya śraddhā-bījerao stavdhatā o saṁsāra vṛddhi—

tathāpi viṣayera svabhāva—kare mahā-andha
sei karma karāya, yāte haya bhava-bandha

Translation: “Those who are attached to materialistic life and are blind to spiritual life must act in such a way that they are bound to repeated birth and death by the actions and reactions of their activities.

Purport: As clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (3.9), yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ: if one does not act as a pure devotee, whatever acts he performs will produce reactions of fruitive bondage (karma-bandhanaḥ).

Similarly, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.4) it is said:

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
na sādhu manye yata ātmano ’yam
asann api kleśa-da āsa dehaḥ

“A materialistic person, madly engaged in activities for sense enjoyment, does not know that he is entangling himself in repeated birth and death and that his body, although temporary, is full of miseries.” A viṣayī, a person blindly caught in a web of materialistic life, remains in the cycle of birth and death perpetually. Such a person cannot understand how to execute pure devotional service, and therefore he acts as a karmī, jñānī, yogī or something else, according to his desire, but he does not know that the activities of karma, jñāna and yoga simply bind one to the cycle of birth and death.

Jayapatākā Swami: If one wants to be free from the cycle of birth and death, they should offer pure devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and in this way one can overcome very easily the bondage of karma. This is akarma, there is no karma, because these are activities offered in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.200

nityasiddha raghunāthera viṣayabhoga nā thākāya, anarthayukta sādhakakei prabhura upadeśa:—

hena ‘viṣaya’ haite kṛṣṇa uddhārilā tomā’
kahana nā yāya kṛṣṇa-kṛpāra mahimā”

Translation: “By His own free will, Lord Kṛṣṇa has delivered you from such a condemned materialistic life. Therefore the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s causeless mercy cannot be expressed.”

Purport: In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.54) it is said, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām. Lord Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that He can stop the reactions of karma for His devotee. Everyone — from the small insect called indra-gopa up to Indra, the King of heaven — is bound by the reactions of fruitive activities.

yas tv indra-gopam atha vendram aho sva-karma-
bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti
karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

Everyone, whether an insect or the King of heaven, is entangled and bound by the actions and reactions of his karma. However, when one becomes a pure devotee, free from material desires and from bondage to karma, jñāna and yoga, one is freed from material actions and reactions by the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa. One cannot express sufficient gratitude to Kṛṣṇa for being freed from the materialistic way of life.

Jayapatākā Swami: Engaging in materialistic way of life, thinking that one has to enjoy the senses causes one to suffer material life birth after birth. Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned how in America people are having a materially opulent life but they are not concentrating on creating first class human beings. So as a result, although they have new cars, new machines, people are suffering, because they don’t have devotional service. This is the real secret for having happiness in this material world.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.201

raghunāthake prabhura dāmodara svarūpa-haste samarpaṇa:—

raghunāthera kṣīṇatā-mālinya dekhiyā
svarūpere kahena prabhu kṛpārdra-citta hañā

Translation: Seeing Raghunātha dāsa skinny and dirty because of having traveled for twelve days and fasted, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His heart melting due to causeless mercy, spoke to Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.202

“ei raghunāthe āmi saṅpinu tomāre
putra-bhṛtya-rūpe tumi kara aṅgīkāre

Translation: “My dear Svarūpa,” He said, “I entrust this Raghunātha dāsa to you. Please accept him as your son or servant.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this was predicted by Lord Nityānanda that he would be entrusted to Svarūpa Dāmodara, so this is coming true.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.203

vaidya-raghunātha, bhaṭṭa raghunātha o svarūpānuga dāsa-raghunātha:—

tina ‘raghunātha’-nāma haya āmāra gaṇe
‘svarūpera raghu’—āji haite ihāra nāme”

Translation: “There are now three Raghunāthas among My associates. From this day forward, this Raghunātha should be known as the Raghu of Svarūpa Dāmodara.”

Purport: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had three Raghus among His associates — Vaidya Raghunātha (vide Ādi-līlā 11.22 -The physician Raghunātha, also known as Upādhyāya, was so great a devotee that simply by seeing him one would awaken his dormant love of Godhead), Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha and Dāsa Raghunātha. Dāsa Raghunātha became celebrated as the Raghunātha of Svarūpa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya entrusted Raghunatha dāsa to Svarūpa Dāmodara, Svarūpa Dāmodara being the most intimate servant of Lord Caitanya that meant that Raghunatha dāsa, the servant of Svarūpa Dāmodara, he would get the special mercy of Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.204

eta kahi’ raghunāthera hasta dharilā
svarūpera haste tāṅre samarpaṇa kailā

Translation: Saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu grasped the hand of Raghunātha dāsa and entrusted him to the hands of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya formally handed Raghunatha dāsa over to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī to take care of him and to engage him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.205

prabhura ādeśe svarūpera raghunāthāṅgīkāra:—

svarūpa kahe,—‘mahāprabhura ye ājñā haila’
eta kahi’ raghunāthe punaḥ āliṅgila

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī accepted Raghunātha dāsa, saying, “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whatever You order is accepted.” He then embraced Raghunātha dāsa again.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this embracing was a special sign of spiritual affection.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.206

prabhura anupama-bhaktavātsalya; govindake raghunāthaprati ādara o yatna dekhāite ājñā-dāna:—

caitanyera bhakta-vātsalya kahite nā pāri
govindere kahe raghunāthe dayā kari’

Translation: I cannot properly express the affection of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for His devotees. Being merciful toward Raghunātha dāsa, the Lord spoke as follows to Govinda.

Jayapatākā Swami: One of Lord Caitanya's name is Bhakta-vatsāla one who is very affectionate to His devotees. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja tells his incapacity to prporly describe how merciful is Lord Caitanya to His devotees.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.207

“pathe iṅha kariyāche bahuta laṅghana
kata-dina kara ihāra bhāla santarpaṇa”

Translation: “On the way, Raghunātha dāsa has fasted and undergone hardships for many days. Therefore, take good care of him for some days so that he may eat to his satisfaction.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was careful to see that His devotees were well fed, seeing the condition of Raghunatha dāsa He made this statement. He wanted to see that Raghunatha dāsa got sufficient prasāda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.208

raghunāthake samudrasnānapūrvaka jagannātha-darśanānte prasāda-sammānārtha ādeśa:—

raghunāthe kahe—“yāñā, kara sindhu-snāna
jagannātha dekhi’ āsi’ karaha bhojana”

Translation: Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Raghunātha dāsa, “Go bathe in the sea. . Then see Lord Jagannātha in the temple and return here to take your meal.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, to see Lord Jagannātha in the temple one should be clean, so first Raghunatha dāsa was told to bathe in sea, and then to go and have darśana of Lord Jagannātha Baladeva and Subhadrā and Sudarsana Cakrana, and then take prasāda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.209

bhaktagaṇasaha raghunāthera milana:—

eta bali’ prabhu madhyāhna karite uṭhilā
raghunātha-dāsa saba bhaktere mililā

Translation: After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got up and went to perform His midday duties, and Raghunātha met all the devotees present.

Raghunatha dasa was in great anxiety to get the shelter of Lord Caitanya. But once he reached Jagannatha Puri, the Lord took care of him and gave him to Svarupa Damodara to oversee. So, Raghunatha dasa's desires were fulfilled.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.210

raghunāthera prabhukṛpālābha-darśane bhaktagaṇera tatsaubhāgya-praśaṁsā:—

raghunāthe prabhura kṛpā dekhi, bhakta-gaṇa
vismita hañā kare tāṅra bhāgya-praśaṁsana

Translation: Having seen the causeless mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu upon Raghunātha dāsa, all the devotees, struck with wonder, praised his good fortune.

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing how Lord Caitanya had embraced Raghunatha dāsa how He had given him special mercy. They were stuck with wonder and offered their praise to Raghunatha dāsa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.211

samudrasnānapūrvaka jagannātha darśanānte raghunātherara govinda kṛpāya prabhubhuktāvaśeṣa-prāpti:—

raghunātha samudre yāñā snāna karilā
jagannātha dekhi’ punaḥ govinda-pāśa āilā

Translation: Raghunātha dāsa took his bath in the sea and saw Lord Jagannātha. Then he returned to Govinda, the personal servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.212

prabhura avaśiṣṭa pātra govinda tāṅre dilā
ānandita hañā raghunātha prasāda pāilā

Translation: Govinda offered him a plate with the remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Raghunātha dāsa accepted the prasādam with great happiness.

Jayapatākā Swami: The remnants left by the spiritual master or a great personality are accepted as māhā-prasāda, great great prasāda. So, Raghunatha dāsa got these remnants of Lord Caitanya so he was overjoyed.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.213

pāñcadina svarūpera nikaṭa thākiyā prabhuprasāda-prāpti:—

ei-mata rahe teṅha svarūpa-caraṇe
govinda prasāda tāṅre dila pañca dine

Translation: Raghunātha dāsa stayed under the care of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, and Govinda supplied him remnants of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s food for five days.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, how Raghunatha dāsa he got special mercy. He was given Lord Caitanya's remnants and he was put under the care of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and was able to get the association of Lord Caitanya.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Affectionately Raghunātha becomes Raghu of Svarūpa Dāmodara, Part 2
Under the section: The Meeting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī