20230104 Īśvara Purī Receives the Blessing of Mādhavendra Purī, Whereas Rāmacandra Purī Receives a Rebuke from Him, Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 4th,2023 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 be continuing with the part 2 of the chapter is entitled:

Īśvara Purī Receives the Blessing of Mādhavendra Purī, Whereas Rāmacandra Purī Receives a Rebuke from Him
Under the section: Rāmacandra Purī Criticizes the Lord

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.17

rāmacandra-purīra svabhāva —

ei ta’ svabhāva tāṅra āgraha kariyā
piche nindā kare, āge bahuta khāoyāñā

Translation: The characteristic of Rāmacandra Purī was that first he would induce someone to eat more than necessary and then he would criticize him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Ramacandra Puri, he would intentionally overfeed someone, and then just use this as an excuse to criticize him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.18

gurutyakta rāmacandra-purīra pūrvavṛttānta-varṇana; gurudeva śrī-mādhavendra-purīra aprakaṭakāle rāmacandrera āgamana

pūrve yabe mādhavendra karena antardhāna
rāmacandra-purī tabe āilā tāṅra sthāna

Translation: Formerly, when Mādhavendra Purī was at the last stage of his life, Rāmacandra Purī came to where he was staying.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.19

śrī-mādhavendra-purīra aprākṛta vipralambharase-kṛṣṇa-kīrtana :—

purī-gosāñi kare kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana
‘mathurā nā pāinu’ bali’ karena krandana

Translation: Mādhavendra Purī was chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and sometimes he would cry, “O my Lord, I did not get shelter at Mathurā.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.20

śuṣkajñānī rāmacandrera marttyajñāne guru-maryādā-laṅaghana —

rāmacandra-purī tabe upadeśe tāṅre
śiṣya hañā guruke kahe, bhaya nāhi kare

Translation: Then Rāmacandra Purī was so foolish that he fearlessly dared to instruct his spiritual master.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, a disciple should not instruct his spiritual master, but Ramacandra Puri, he did not have this common sense. So he was committing a great offence at the lotus feet of his spiritual master.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.21

rāmacandrera cidvilāsa-virodha —

“tumi—pūrṇa-brahmānanda, karaha smaraṇa
brahmavit hañā kene karaha rodana?”

Translation: “If you are in full transcendental bliss,” he said, “you should now remember only Brahman. Why are you crying?”

Purport: As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: a Brahman realized person is always happy. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati: he neither laments nor aspires for anything. Not knowing why Mādhavendra Purī was crying, Rāmacandra Purī tried to become his advisor. Thus he committed a great offense, for a disciple should never try to instruct his spiritual master.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mādhavendra Purī was at a very advanced stage, feeling separation of love from Kṛṣṇa. But Rāmacandra Purī was advising him to meditate on the impersonal Brahman, which is against the principles of bhakti.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.22

guru-mādhavendra-purīra rāmacandrake aparādhi-jñāne krodhabhare upekṣā o bhatrsanā :—

śuni’ mādhavendra-mane krodha upajila
‘dūra, dūra, pāpiṣṭha’ bali’ bhartsanā karila

Translation: Hearing this instruction, Mādhavendra Purī, greatly angry, rebuked him by saying, “Get out, you sinful rascal!

Purport: Rāmacandra Purī could not understand that his spiritual master, Mādhavendra Purī, was feeling transcendental separation. His lamentation was not material. Rather, it proceeded from the highest stage of ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. When he was crying in separation, “I could not achieve Kṛṣṇa! I could not reach Mathurā!” this was not ordinary material lamentation. Rāmacandra Purī was not sufficiently expert to understand the feelings of Mādhavendra Purī, but nevertheless he thought himself very advanced. Therefore, regarding Mādhavendra Purī’s expressions as ordinary material lamentation, he advised him to remember Brahman because he was latently an impersonalist. Mādhavendra Purī understood Rāmacandra Purī’s position as a great fool and therefore immediately rebuked him. Such a reprimand from the spiritual master is certainly for the betterment of the disciple.

Jayapatākā Swami: The spiritual master has the duty to correct a disciple who is making or acting in a wrong way.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.23

‘kṛṣṇa nā pāinu, nā pāinu ‘mathurā’
āpana-duḥkhe maroṅ—ei dite āila jvālā

Translation: “O my Lord Kṛṣṇa, I could not reach You, nor could I reach Your abode, Mathurā. I am dying in my unhappiness, and now this rascal has come to give me more pain.

Jayapatākā Swami: Mādhavendra Purī is in pure love of Kṛṣṇa, but Rāmacandra Purī is advising him, not understanding the spiritual position of his spiritual master.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.24

more mukha nā dekhābi tui, yāo yathi-tathi
tore dekhi’ maile mora habe asad-gati

Translation: “Don’t show your face to me! Go anywhere else you like. If I die seeing your face, I shall not achieve the destination of my life.

Jayapatākā Swami: He wants to be Kṛṣṇa conscious but Rāmacandra Purī is advising him in some impersonal way, so Mādhavendra Purī rebuked him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.25

kṛṣṇa nā pāinu muñi maroṅ āpanāra duḥkhe
more ‘brahma’ upadeśe ei chāra mūrkhe”

Translation: “I am dying without achieving the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore I am greatly unhappy. Now this condemned foolish rascal has come to instruct me about Brahman.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.26

gurvvavajñārūpa aparādhavaśe viṣayabhoga vā saṁsāra-vāsanā —

ei ye śrī-mādhavendra śrīpāda upekṣā karila
sei aparādhe iṅhāra ‘vāsanā’ janmila

Translation: Rāmacandra Purī was thus denounced by Mādhavendra Purī. Due to his offense, gradually material desire appeared within him.

Purport: The word vāsanā (“material desires”) refers to dry speculative knowledge. Such speculative knowledge is only material. As confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.4), a person without devotional service who simply wants to know things (kevala-bodha-labdhaye) gains only dry speculative knowledge but no spiritual profit.

This is confirmed in the Bhakti-sandarbha (111), wherein it is said:

“Even though one is liberated in this life, if one offends the Supreme Personality of Godhead he falls down in the midst of material desires, of which dry speculation about spiritual realization is one.”

In his Laghu-toṣaṇī commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32), Jīva Gosvāmī says:

“Even if one is liberated in this life, he becomes addicted to material desires because of offenses to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

A similar quotation from one of the Purāṇas also appears in the Viṣṇu-bhakti-candrodaya:

“Even liberated souls sometimes fall down to material desires, but those who fully engage in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not affected by such desires.”

These are references from authoritative revealed scriptures. If one becomes an offender to his spiritual master or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he falls down to the material platform to merely speculate.

Jayapatākā Swami: Rāmacandra Purī should have been desirous to learn from Mādhavendra Purī, but because he committed an offense to Mādhavendra Purī, he started devoliping material desires. Dry speculative knowledge is material.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.27

kṛṣṇa-kārṣṇa vā svarūpa-tadrūpa-vaibhavādi cidvilāsa-darśana-vihīna viṣṇunindārambha —

śuṣka-brahma-jñānī, nāhi kṛṣṇera ‘sambandha’
sarva loka nindā kare, nindāte nirbandha

Translation: One who is attached to dry speculative knowledge has no relationship with Kṛṣṇa. His occupation is criticizing Vaiṣṇavas. Thus he is situated in criticism.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has explained in his Anubhāṣya that the word nirbandha indicates that Rāmacandra Purī had a steady desire to criticize others. Impersonalist Māyāvādīs, who have no relationship with Kṛṣṇa, who cannot take to devotional service, and who simply engage in material arguments to understand Brahman, regard devotional service to Kṛṣṇa as karma-kāṇḍa, or fruitive activities. According to them, devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is but another means for attaining dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. Therefore they criticize the devotees for engaging in material activities. They think that devotional service is māyā and that Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu is also māyā. Therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. Such a mentality awakens in a person who is an offender to Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: Therefore, Rāmacandra Purī by offending his spiritual master, he became attached to the impersonal Brahman realization which is a material situation.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.28

śrīla īśvarapurīra aikāntikī guru-bhakti —

īśvara-purī gosāñi kare śrīpāda-sevana
svahaste karena mala-mūtrādi mārjana

Translation: Īśvara Purī, the spiritual master of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, performed service to Mādhavendra Purī, cleaning up his stool and urine with his own hand.

Jayapatākā Swami: Īśvara Purī was very respectful to Mādhavendra Purī and he served him as his menial servant.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.29

ādarśa gurusevāra nidarśana—

nirantara kṛṣṇa-nāma karāya smaraṇa
kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa-līlā śunāya anukṣaṇa

Translation: Īśvara Purī was always chanting the holy name and pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa for Mādhavendra Purī to hear. In this way he helped Mādhavendra Purī remember the holy name and pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa at the time of death.

Jayapatākā Swami: When leaving this world, one should remember Kṛṣṇa, so Īśvara Purī was helping Mādhavendra Purī to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of his leaving the world, therefore he was a very dear disciple.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.30

śrī-īśvarapurīra guru-prasāda-prāpti —

tuṣṭa hañā purī tāṅre kailā āliṅgana
vara dilā—‘kṛṣṇe tomāra ha-uka prema-dhana’

Translation: Pleased with Īśvara Purī, Mādhavendra Purī embraced him and gave him the benediction that he would be a great devotee and lover of Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Īśvara Purī received the blessings and mercy of Mādhavendra Purī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.31

gurura nikaṭa ekera kṛpālābhera phala, aparera vañcanālābhera phale tāratamya :—

sei haite īśvara-purī—‘premera sāgara’
rāmacandra-purī haila sarva-nindākara

Translation: Thus Īśvara Purī became like an ocean of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa, whereas Rāmacandra Purī became a dry speculator and a critic of everyone else.

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows how disciples of the same guru can have different qualities. Īśvara puri got the blessings of Mādhavendra Purī and Rāmacandra Purī committed offenses serving his spiritual master Mādhavendra Purī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.32

hari-guru-vaiṣṇavera kṛpā o daṇḍalābhera dṛṣṭāntadvaya dVārā lokaśikṣā —

mahad-anugraha-nigrahera ‘sākṣī’ dui-jane
ei dui-dvāre śikhāilā jaga-jane

Translation: Īśvara Purī received the blessing of Mādhavendra Purī, whereas Rāmacandra Purī received a rebuke from him. Therefore, these two persons, Īśvara Purī and Rāmacandra Purī, are examples of the objects of a great personality’s benediction and punishment. Mādhavendra Purī instructed the entire world by presenting these two examples.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, everyone’s should understand the significance of these two examples given by Mādhavendra Purī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.33

aprākṛta vipralambhāvasthāya mādhavendra-gosvāmīra aprākaṭya :—

jagad-guru mādhavendra kari’ prema dāna
ei śloka paḍi’ teṅho kaila antardhāna

Translation: His Divine Grace Mādhavendra Purī, the spiritual master of the entire world, thus distributed ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. While passing away from the material world, he chanted the following verse.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.34

padyāvalīte (330) dhṛta śrī-mādhavendra-purī-vākya—

ayi dīna-dayārdra nātha he
mathurā-nātha kadāvalokyase
hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ
dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham

Translation: “O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathurā! When shall I see You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mādhavendra Purī left the world in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.35

ślokera marmmārtha vā tātparya vyākhyā —

ei śloke kṛṣṇa-prema kare upadeśa
kṛṣṇera virahe bhaktera bhāva-viśeṣa

Translation: In this verse Mādhavendra Purī teaches how to achieve ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. By feeling separation from Kṛṣṇa, one becomes spiritually situated.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.36

mādhavendra—kṛṣṇaprema-kalpavṛkṣera aṅkura, śrī-caitanya svayaṁ aṅkurodagata parivarddhita mūla-viṭapī —

pṛthivīte ropaṇa kari’ gelā premāṅkura
sei premāṅkurera vṛkṣa—caitanya-ṭhākura

Haribol! Translation: Mādhavendra Purī sowed the seed of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa within this material world and then departed. That seed later became a great tree in the form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Haribol! Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu coming in the line of Madhavendra Puri, how being the Supreme Personality of Godhead as being a devotee, sowed the full tree of love of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 8.37

mādhavendrera antarddhāna-śravaṇe jīvera kṛṣṇavirahothu sevā-śikṣā—

prastāve kahiluṅ purī-gosāñira niryāṇa
yei ihā śune, sei baḍa bhāgyavān

Translation: I have incidentally described the passing away of Mādhavendra Purī. Anyone who hears this must be considered very fortunate.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, devotees who heard how Mādhavendra Purī left the world and felt great separation from Lord Kṛṣṇa, they can receive special mercy.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Īśvara Purī Receives the Blessing of Mādhavendra Purī, Whereas Rāmacandra Purī Receives a Rebuke from Him, Part 2
Under the section: Rāmacandra Purī Criticizes the Lord