20221224 Raghunātha Dāsa Stops Standing At the Siṁha-Dvāra Gate to Beg Alms

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on December 24th,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:

Raghunātha Dāsa Stops Standing at the Siṁha-Dvāra Gate to Beg Alms
Under the section: The Meeting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.269

pratimāse prabhuke raghunāthera duibāra nimantraṇa:—

tabe raghunātha kari’ aneka yatana
māse dui-dina kailā prabhura nimantraṇa

Translation: At that time, Raghunātha dāsa began inviting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his house with great attention for two days every month.

Jayapatākā Swami: When he got money from his father he was providing prasāda for Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.270

tajjanyai raghunāthera govardhanaprerita artha-grahaṇa:—

dui nimantraṇe lāge kauḍi aṣṭa-paṇa
brāhmaṇa-bhṛtya-ṭhāñi karena eteka grahaṇa

Translation: The cost for these two occasions was 640 kauḍis. Therefore he would take that much from the servant and the brāhmaṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, about 80 kauḍis, or small conchshells equals one paisa, so you can calculate what 640 kauḍis were!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.271

varṣadvayānte prabhu-nimantraṇa-kārya-parityāga:—

ei-mata nimantraṇa varṣa dui kailā
pāche raghunātha nimantraṇa chāḍi’ dilā

Translation: Raghunātha dāsa continued to invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this way for two years, but at the end of the second year he stopped.

Jayapatākā Swami: Raghunatha dāsa, he stopped taking money from his father which was in the hands of the brāhmaṇa and the servants.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.272

prabhura svarūpake raghunāthera sva-nimantraṇa-tyāgera kāraṇa jijñāsā:—

māsa-dui yabe raghunātha nā kare nimantraṇa
svarūpe puchilā tabe śacīra nandana

Translation: When Raghunātha dāsa neglected to invite Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for two consecutive months, the Lord, the son of Śacī, questioned Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when Lord Caitanya he wanted to know why Raghunatha dāsa had stopped inviting Him, so He asked Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.273

‘raghu kene āmāya nimantraṇa chāḍi’ dila?’
svarūpa kahe,—“mane kichu vicāra karila

Translation: The Lord asked, “Why has Raghunātha dāsa stopped inviting Me?”

Purport: Svarūpa Dāmodara replied, “He must have reconsidered something in his mind.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.274

svarūpakarttṛka prabhuke raghunāthera cittabhāva-jñāpanapūrvaka prākṛta viṣayīke śikṣādāna; bhoktābhimānī viṣayīra bhogya-jaḍadravya kakhanai cinmaya-viṣṇubhogya nahe:—

viṣayīra dravya lañā kari nimantraṇa
prasanna nā haya ihāya jāni prabhura mana

Translation: “I invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by accepting goods from materialistic people. I know that the Lord’s mind is not satisfied by this.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Raghunatha dāsa wanted to satisfy Lord Caitanya and he thought that by being in the renounced order, and by accepting money from others it is not proper, so he stopped inviting Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.275

ahaṅkārabimūḍha vyaktira bhogyajaḍavastudvārā cinmayī viṣṇusevāra parimāṇa-ceṣṭā— anarthavarddhinī o cijjaḍasamanvayamūlā jaḍapratiṣṭhā-mātra:—

mora citta dravya la-ite nā haya nirmala
ei nimantraṇe dekhi,—‘pratiṣṭhā’-mātra phala

Translation: “My consciousness is impure because I accept all these goods from people who are interested only in pounds, shillings and pence. Therefore by this kind of invitation I get only some material reputation.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that people who are under the bodily conception of life are called materialists. If we accept the offerings of such people, place them before the Lord and invite Vaiṣṇavas to partake of the prasādam, that attempt will gain us only a material reputation, not the actual benefit of service to a pure Vaiṣṇava. One should therefore try to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead by fully surrendering at His lotus feet. If one engages for the service of the Lord whatever money one has honestly earned, that is spiritual service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master and the Vaiṣṇavas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Raghunatha dāsa was not feeling comfortable to accept money from his father to feed Lord Caitanya. He was getting some material, good reputation but he was afraid that it was not pleasing to Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.276

bāliśera nityamaṅgalārtha īśvarera amandodaya-dayā:—

uparodhe prabhu mora mānena nimantraṇa
nā mānile duḥkhī ha-ibeka mūrkha jana

Translation: “At my request Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepts the invitations because He knows that a foolish person like me would be unhappy if He did not accept them.’

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that people who are advanced in learning but attached to material enjoyment, who are puffed up by material possessions, by birth in an elevated aristocratic family or by education, may offer showbottle devotional service to the Deity and also offer prasādam to Vaiṣṇavas. Because of their ignorance, however, they cannot understand that since their minds are materially polluted, neither the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, nor the Vaiṣṇavas accept their offerings. If one accepts money from such materialistic persons to offer food to the Deity and Vaiṣṇavas, a pure Vaiṣṇava does not accept it. This causes unhappiness for the materialists because they are fully absorbed in the bodily conception of life. Therefore they sometimes turn against the Vaiṣṇavas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there is a subtle difference between accepting the donations of materialistic people and dovetailing materialists' Laxmi in Kṛṣṇa's service. Somehow people are benefitted if you use their donations in Kṛṣṇa's service . So one should be depended on Kṛṣṇa, not on the materialists.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.277

mahāprabhura santoṣa:—

eta vicāriyā nimantraṇa chāḍi’ dila”
śuni’ mahāprabhu hāsi’ balite lāgila

Translation: “Considering all these points,” Svarūpa Dāmodara concluded, “he has stopped inviting You.” Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and spoke as follows.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.278

prabhukarttṛka sādhaka o ācāryagaṇera saṅga vā vyavahāra vidhi vā kartavyopadeśa:—

“viṣayīra anna khāile malina haya mana
malina mana haile nahe kṛṣṇera smaraṇa

Translation: “When one eats food offered by a materialistic man, one’s mind becomes contaminated, and when the mind is contaminated, one is unable to think of Kṛṣṇa properly.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura suggests that people who are materialistically inclined and sahajiyās, or so-called Vaiṣṇavas who take everything very casually, are both viṣayīs, or materialists. Eating food offered by them causes contamination, and as a result of such contamination, even a serious devotee becomes like a materialistic man. There are six kinds of association — giving charity, accepting charity, accepting food, offering food, talking confidentially and inquiring confidentially. One should very carefully avoid associating with both the sahajiyās, who are sometimes known as Vaiṣṇavas, and the non-Vaiṣṇavas, or avaiṣṇavas. Their association changes the transcendental devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa into sense gratification, and when sense gratification enters the mind of a devotee, he is contaminated. The materialistic person who aspires after sense gratification cannot properly think of Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: As I said, this association with materialist people is very subtle that one has to be very careful that one is not depended on materialistic people. They take some donations but offer it to Kṛṣṇa in a very indirect way.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.279

gṛhavrata vā grāmya vyavahāraviti ‘viṣayī’, tāhāra saṅgai ‘rājasa’:—

viṣayīra anna haya ‘rājasa’ nimantraṇa
dātā, bhoktā—duṅhāra malina haya mana

Translation: “When one accepts an invitation from a person contaminated by the material mode of passion, the person who offers the food and the person who accepts it are both mentally contaminated.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that there are three varieties of invitations — those in the mode of goodness, those in passion and those in ignorance. An invitation accepted from a pure devotee is in the mode of goodness, an invitation accepted from a person who is pious but materially attached is in the mode of passion, and an invitation accepted from a person who is materially very sinful is in the mode of ignorance.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying that people who are not vegetarians we should be very careful not to take their offerings because they are contaminated.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.280

īśvarera amandodayā dayāra phale sadbuddhira udaye sādhakera karmamiśrā-bhaktityāga o śuddhasevā-pravṛtti:—

iṅhāra saṅkoce āmi eta dina nila
bhāla haila—jāniyā āpani chāḍi dila”

Translation: “Because of Raghunātha dāsa’s eagerness, I accepted his invitation for many days. It is very good that Raghunātha dāsa, knowing this, has now automatically given up this practice.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He was pleased with Raghunatha dāsa. So he has now decided not to give Him these materialistic offerings.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.281

raghunāthera siṁhadvāra-tyāga o chatre annagrahaṇa:—

kata dine raghunātha siṁha-dvāra chāḍilā
chatre yāi’ māgiyā khāite ārambha karilā

Translation: After some days, Raghunātha dāsa gave up standing near the Siṁha-dvāra gate and instead began eating by begging alms from a booth for free distribution of food.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Raghunatha dāsa accepted the offering from a booth from the free distribution of prasāda for sometime.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.282

prabhukarttṛka svarūpake raghunāthera siṁhadvāra-tyāgera kāraṇa-jijñāsā:—

govinda-pāśa śuni’ prabhu puchena svarūpere
‘raghu bhikṣā lāgi’ ṭhāḍa kene nahe siṁha-dvāre’?

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this news from Govinda, He inquired from Svarūpa Dāmodara, “Why does Raghunātha dāsa no longer stand at the Siṁha-dvāra gate to beg alms?”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is always keeping track of His devotees, and like that He wanted to see why Raghunatha dāsa was doing what he was doing!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.283

svarūpakarttṛka raghunāthera tyaktagṛha viraktagaṇera ācārādarśe mādhukarī-bhikṣā-svīkāra varṇana:—

svarūpa kahe,—“siṁha-dvāre duḥkha anubhaviyā
chatre māgi’ khāya madhyāhna-kāle giyā”

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara replied, “Raghunātha dāsa felt unhappy standing at the Siṁha-dvāra. Therefore, he is now going at midday to beg alms from the charity booth.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.284

parera icchāmata tāhāra nikaṭa annalābha-pratīkṣā—nirapekṣa vairāgya-dharmmera pratikūla:—

prabhu kahe,—“bhāla kaila, chāḍila siṁha-dvāra
siṁha-dvāre bhikṣā-vṛtti—veśyāra ācāra

Translation: Hearing this news, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “He has done very well by no longer standing at the Siṁha-dvāra gate. Such begging of alms resembles the behavior of a prostitute.

Jayapatākā Swami: When we came to India from the West we naturally wanted to do harināma-saṅkīrtana, but then Śrīla Prabhupāda said that people are doing this and begging. We should not beg, we should give out prasāda or books or something. if we give something it is an auspicious sign.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.285

lokadarśana-mātra bhikṣā-prāptira vā aprāptira āśā vā tatsambhāvanā-kalpanā:–

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanyadeva-vākya:—

Translation: “Here is a person coming near. He will give me something. This person gave me something last night. Now another person is coming near. He may give me something. The person who just passed did not give me anything, but another person will come, and he will give me something.’ Thus a person in the renounced order gives up his neutrality and depends on the charity of this person or that. Thinking in this way, he adopts the occupation of a prostitute.

Jayapatākā Swami: A prostitute would be thinking of which man would be her customer, in this way she is analyzing all the people that come. So, Lord Caitanya is saying that for a beggar this is like a prostitute.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 6.286

mādhukarībhikṣāi tyaktagṛha viraktera hari-bhajanānukūla

chatre yāi yathā-lābha udara-bharaṇa
anya kathā nāhi, sukhe kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana”

Translation: “If one goes to the booth where free food is distributed and fills his belly with whatever he obtains, there is no chance of further unwanted talk, and one can very peacefully chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.”

Jayapatākā Swami: This is the real purpose, to always stay busy in chanting the holy names.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Raghunātha Dāsa Stops Standing at the Siṁha-Dvāra Gate to Beg Alms
Under the section: The Meeting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī

Kṛṣṇe matir astu!