20230206 Phalaśruti – Gains Lord Gaurāṅga with devotees

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on February 6th,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!

Phalaśruti – Gains Lord Gaurāṅga with Devotees
Under the section: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Accepts Prasādam from His Devotees

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.155

eka kṣudra-bhāṇḍe divya mṛttikā pūriyā
tulasī dekhena sei ghaṭe āropiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: One day Lord Caitanya took a small clay pot, filled it with choice dirt, and planted tulasī in it.

Lord Caitanya He was planting tulasī in a clay pot, planting tulasī and watering tulasī and doing pūjā for tulasī is very wonderful, circumambulating tulasī, all these things bring immense benefit.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.156

prabhu bale,—“āmi tulasīre nā dekhile
bhāla nāhi vāsoṅ yena matsya vine jale”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya said, “If I don’t see tulasī, I cannot survive, just as a fish cannot survive out of water.”

We have seen how devotees even in cold places cultivate tulasī-devī by keeping a room with ultra violet lights.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.157

pathe calite calite saṁkhyā-nāma-grahaṇa-kāle tulasī-darśana o tulasīra anugamana—

yabe cale saṅkhyā-nāma kariyā grahaṇa
tulasī laiyā agre cale eka-jana

Jayapatākā Swami: Whenever Lord Caitanya would chant japa, counting on His beads, while walking in the street, He would have someone carry a tulasī plant before Him.

This shows how important tulasī was to Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.158

paścāte calena prabhu tulasī dekhiyā
paḍaye ānanda-dhārāśrī-aṅga vahiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: As Lord Caitanya followed behind looking at tulasī, tears of loving ecstasy would flow down His transcendental body.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.159

saṁkhyā-nāma-kāle tulasīra pārśve basiyā nāma-grahaṇa

saṅkhyā-nāma laite ye sthāne prabhu vaise
tathāya rākhena tulasīre prabhu pāśe

Jayapatākā Swami: When Lord Caitanya would sit to chant japa, counting His mantras in japa, a tulasī plant would be placed next to the Lord.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): The phrase saṅkhyā-nāma is explained as follows: It is the injunction that one should chant the holy names a prescribed number of times on tulasī beads. In this case it is understood that the Lord chanted a fixed number of names while sitting next to a tulasī plant. Śrī Gaurasundara exhibited the pastime of associating with keśava-priyā tulasī to teach those who do not consider the association of kṛṣṇa-priyā tulasī as favorable to devotional service but rather accept her as an ordinary plant. Tulasī is tadīya, or related to Kṛṣṇa. The endeavors of those who are eager to serve Kṛṣṇa by transgressing His dear servants are futile. In this regard one should discuss the following verse:

“Proud persons who worship Lord Kṛṣṇa but do not worship the Lord’s devotees do not attain Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Śiva also described to Pārvatī devī that of all worships, worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the best except for one thing, worshipping the devotees of Viṣṇu is better. 

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.160

tulasīre dekhena, japena saṅkhyā-nāma
e bhakti-yogera tattva ke bujhibe āna

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing the tulasī while chanting His fixed number of rounds, this bhakti-yoga truth, who can understand this principle of devotional service?

Lord Caitanya being the sīkṣā-guru, He was teaching people how to practice devotional service, chanting before tulasī plant is much more powerful than chanting without tulasī.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.161

punaḥ sei saṅkhyā-nāma sampūrṇa kariyā
calena īśvara saṅge tulasī laiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: After chanting the holy names His fixed number of times, Lord Caitanya would return again with tulasī again carried in front.

Lord Caitanya is teaching how we should always before tulasī.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.162

śikṣā-gurura śikṣā akṛtrimabhāve anusaraṇakārī vyaktirai maṅgala—

śikṣā-guru nārāyaṇa ye karāyena śikṣātāhā
ye mānaye, se-i jana pāya rakṣā

Jayapatākā Swami: Only one who accepts the teachings of śikṣa-guru Nārāyaṇa receives protection from Him.

Lord Caitanya, He is Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa as a devotee and He is teaching how to serve Kṛṣṇa as sīkṣā-guru, or instructing spiritual master.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.163

jagannātha-darśana-pūrvaka nija vāsasthāne gamana—

jagannātha dekhi’ jagannātha namaskari’
vāsāya calilā goṣṭhī-saṅge gaurahari

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing Lord Jagannātha, Lord Caitanya offered His obeisances to Lord Jagannātha. Gaurahari returned to His residence along with His devotees.

Lord Caitanya was never alone, He would always be associated with His devotees

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.164

bhakta-vāñchākalpataru gaurahari—

ye bhaktera yena-rūpa-cittera vāsanā
sei-rūpa siddha kare sabāra kāmanā

Jayapatākā Swami: Whatever desires those devotees had within their consciousness, in that way their desires were all fulfilled.

Lord Caitanya was like a desire tree, vāñca-kalpa-taru, He would fulfill all the desires of His devotees.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.165

bhakta-vatsala o bhakta-saṅgī mahāprabhu —

putra-prāya kari’ sabe rākhilena kāche
niravadhi bhakta saba thāke prabhu-pāche

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya treated all the devotees like His own children, naturally all the devotees would remain close to Lord Caitanya.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Gaurasundara would always give the happiness of His association to the devotees by affectionately keeping them with Him. It is stated:

“As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.” (Bg. 4.11)

According to the purport of this verse, all classes of devotees received the opportunity to serve the Lord according to their own mentality.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya would give His association to the devotees, He was not miserly in giving His association to the devotees. So, Lord Caitanya gave His mercy out freely to all the devotees.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.166

yateka vaiṣṇava—gauḍa-deśe nīlācale
ekatre thākena sabe kṛṣṇa-kutūhale

Jayapatākā Swami: All the Vaiṣṇavas from Bengal and Nīlācala stayed together, blissfully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, he also wanted that all his followers should be together, that is why he said to come to Lord Caitanya's birthplace on the Gaura Pūrṇimā day and associate with each other, in a united nations of the spiritual world.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.167

śvetadvīpa-nivāsī o yateka vaiṣṇava
caitanya-prasāde dekhileka loka saba

Jayapatākā Swami: By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, people were able to see all those devotees, some of these Vaiṣṇavas were eternal residents of Śvetadvīpa and seeing them was very special mercy.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): In the Mahābhārata (Śānti-parva 344.43 and Śānti-parva 336.30) it is stated:

“All the residents of Śvetadvīpa are devoid of the five material senses, in other words, their bodies are not composed of the five material elements. They are learned and devoted to the Supreme Lord, Puruṣottama.”

“They have no material senses, they can survive without eating, and they do not engage in material activities. Their bodies have a nice fragrance. These residents of Śvetadvīpa are My unalloyed devotees.”

Jayapatākā Swami: There are two śvetadvīpas, one in Goloka Vṛndāvana and one where Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu resides at the bottom of the universe, both of them are Vaikuṇṭha lokās. People who live there are eternally liberated souls.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.168

advaitacāryera ukti––mahāprabhura kṛpāya erūpa golokāvatīrṇa akṛtrima kṛṣṇapārṣada vaiṣṇava-darśana–

śrī-mukhe advaita-candra bāra bāra kahe
“e saba vaiṣṇava—devatāro dṛśya nahe”

Jayapatākā Swami: Advaita Ācārya candra would repeatedly declare from His Lotus mouth, “All these Vaiṣṇavas cannot be seen by even the demigods in the heavenly planets.”

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): As a result of piety living entities attain the position of demigods, and as a result of sinful activities they take birth in demoniac species and become attached to sinful activities. The devotees of the Lord are worshipable and are desired to be seen by even those who as a result of pious activities have become demigods. This was repeatedly declared by Śrī Advaita Prabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by seeing pure Vaiṣṇavas, Nitya-siddhās , eternally liberated souls who had descended from the spiritual world to assist Lord Caitanya in His pastimes, seeing them is avery special mercy. Even the devas are not given such a mercy. So the devotees of Lord Caitanya are able to see such liberated souls.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.169

rodana kariyā kahe caitanya-caraṇe
“vaiṣṇava dekhila prabhu,—tomāra kāraṇe”

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Advaita candra crying while holding the Lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, He said, “O Lord, only because of You am I able to see all these Vaiṣṇavas!”

Seeing a Vaiṣṇava is a very special mercy, we should not underestimate the blessings of seeing these transcendental devotees.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.170

e saba vaiṣṇava-avatāre avatārī
prabhu avatare ihā-sabe agre kari’

Jayapatākā Swami: My dear Lord Caitanya, “You are the source of all incarnations, You first have Your devotees appear in this world and then the Lord Himself would so advent.

So, in Navadvīpa Dhama many of the devotees appeared before Lord Caitanya, and this was all by the mercy of the Supreme Lord Himself. In the Eleventh canto, it predicts that Lord Caitanya would come with His expansions, His associates, His transcendental weapons and He would establish the saṅkīrtana sacrifice, congregational chanting of the Holy names.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.171

kṛṣṇera ājñāya pārṣada-bhaktagaṇera avatāra––

ye-rūpe pradyumna, anirūddha, saṅkarṣaṇa
sei-rūpa lakṣmaṇa, bharata, śatrughana

Jayapatākā Swami: Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and Saṅkarṣaṇa incarnate with the Lord as Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata, and Śatrughna.

Lord Kṛṣṇa comes, He comes with Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and Saṅkarṣaṇa, and when He comes as Lord Rāma, He comes with Bharata, Lakṣmaṇa, and Śatrughna.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.172

tāṅhārā ye-rūpa prabhu-saṅge avatare
vaiṣṇavere sei-rūpa prabhu ājñā kare

Jayapatākā Swami: In the same way the Vaiṣṇavas appear with Lord Caitanya according to His order.

So, in Caitanya-maṅgala it says how Lord Caitanya is being bathed by the queens of Dvārakā and the gopīs of Vṛndāvana and then after hearing from Nārada Muni about the situation in the universe of four-headed Brahmā, He decides to descend and He asks for volunteers, who will come with Him and those are the ones who appeared before Him.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.173

vaiṣṇavera karma-bandhana-janita janma-mṛtya nāi, viṣṇura saṅge tāṅhādera prakaṭa o aprakaṭa-līlā––

ataeva vaiṣṇavera janma-mṛtyu nāi
saṅge āisena, saṅge yāyena tathāi

Jayapatākā Swami: Therefore, the Vaiṣṇavas neither take birth nor die, but they come with Lord Caitanya and return with Lord Caitanya.

This verse confirms how all the descend with the Lord from the spiritual world and they may appear like ordinary person but they are actually special.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.174

dharma-karma-janma vaiṣṇavera kabhu nahe
padma-purāṇete ihā vyakta kari’ kahe

Jayapatākā Swami: There are no duties, fruitive reactions, or birth, for the Vaiṣṇavas, in the Padma Purāṇa this is clearly stated.

Normal people who are conditioned souls they would take set birth according to their karma, but these Vaiṣṇavas they appear in the world to serve the Lord, and they are not subject to this material world and karma. They are coming simply to associate with the Lord. Just like it says, that Svarūpa Dāmodara is actually an incarnation of Śrī Lalītā and Rāmānanda Rāya is actually an incarnation of Viśākā devī and Arjuna. Like that, they are coming in different bodies to serve the Lord's desire. Rāmānanda Rāya he came in a śūdra family, Lord Caitanya had the brāhmaṇas learn from him, about the rāsas in Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.175-176

pramāṇa - tathāhi (pādmottara-khaṇḍe 257/57-58)—

Translation: “Just as Bharata and Lakṣmaṇa, the son of Sumitrā, and just as Saṅkarṣaṇa and other forms of the Supreme Lord appear in this world by Their own will, similarly the Vaiṣṇava associates of the Lord appear with the Lord and then return to the Lord’s eternal abode with the Lord. Like the Lord, the Vaiṣṇavas do not take birth according to their past karma.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in Lord Caitanya's Śikṣāṣṭakam, it says He prays that even life after life He can serve the Lord, Vaiṣṇavas may be given this opportunity to serve the Lord or one of His incarnations.

Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.177

hena-mate īśvarera saṅge bhakta-gaṇa
preme pūrṇa haiyā thākena sarva-kṣaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way the devotees in the association of Lord Caitanya were always filled with ecstatic love in the Lord’s constant association.

The devotees are very happy to serve the Lord, that is their ultimate goal of life. And by the Lord’s mercy they can associate with the Lord in His pastimes on earth. In this way they are always filled with ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.

‘Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.178

phalaśruti—

bhakti kari’ ye śunaye e saba ākhyāna
bhakta-saṅge tāre mile gaura-bhagavān

Jayapatākā Swami: Whoever hears these pastimes with devotion attains the association Gaura-bhagavān and His transcendental devotees.

So, this is very confidential information given to the devotees, the non-devotees they may not understand but if one hears with devotion, they can understand how wonderful it is to be associated with Lord Caitanya. So, the author has given in this Phalaśruti the special mercy of hearing these pastimes, that you can appear with the Lord along with His devotees.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Phalaśruti – Gains Lord Gaurāṅga with devotees
Under the section: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Accepts Prasādam from His Devotees