20230208 Govinda is Unafraid of Hell Because of Service But is Afraid of Offense for His Own Self

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on February 8th, 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's chapter is entitled as:

Govinda is Unafraid of Hell Because of Service But is Afraid of Offense For His Own Self
Under the section: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Accepts Prasādam from His Devotees

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.82

prabhura śayana, govindera pāda-sambāhanaḥ-

gambhīrāra dvāre karena āpane śayana
govinda āsiyā kare pāda-samvāhana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu lay down at the door of the Gambhīrā, and Govinda came there to massage His legs.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was laying down on the doorway. So Govinda went to do his sevā to massage His legs, he had to step over Lord Caitanya. So stepping over the Lord is a qualification to go to hell, but here it says that Govinda was not afraid of hell because he had to do his service.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.83-84

pratyaha mṛdupādasambāhana-phale prabhura nidrāgamane govindera prabhucchiṣṭa-prāpti rītiḥ—

sarva-kāla āche ei sudṛḍha ‘niyama’
‘prabhu yadi prasāda pāñā karena śayana

govinda āsiyā kare pāda-samvāhana
tabe yāi’ prabhura ‘śeṣa’ karena bhojana’

Translation: It was a steady, long-standing rule that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would lie down to rest after lunch and Govinda would come to massage His legs. Then Govinda would honor the remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.85

śrānta prabhura sarvadvāra vyāpiyā śayanaḥ —

saba dvāra yuḍi’ prabhu kariyāchena śayana
bhitare yāite nāre, govinda kare nivedana

Translation: This time when the Lord lay down, He occupied the entire doorway. Govinda could not enter the room, and therefore he made the following request.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.86

pādasammāhanārtha govindera prabhuke pārśva-parivartana karite prārthanā, prabhura svīya aṅgasañcālane asāmarthyatā jñāpanaḥ—

‘eka-pāśa hao, more deha’ bhitara yāite’
prabhu kahe,—‘śakti nāhi aṅga cālāite’

Translation: Govinda said, “Kindly turn on one side. Let me pass to enter the room.”

However, the Lord replied, “I don’t have the strength to move My body.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Govinda dāsa he did not want to step over Lord Caitanya, so he asked Lord Caitanya to turn on one side so that he can enter the room without stepping over Lord Caitanya. But Lord Caitanya replied, ‘I cannot, I don’t have the strength to move.’

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.87

govindera punaḥ punaḥ prārthanā-sattveo prabhura ekai uttaraḥ —

bāra bāra govinda kahe eka-dik ha-ite
prabhu kahe,—‘aṅga āmi nāri cālāite’

Translation: Govinda made his request again and again, but the Lord replied, “I cannot move My body.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Govinda was requesting the Lord again and again to move over but Lord Caitanya replied the same thing. This is the etiquette that we do not step over superiors, what to speak of the Supreme Lord.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.88

govindera pādasambāhana-sevanecchā, śrāntihetu prabhura audāsīnya :—

govinda kahe,—‘karite cāhi pāda-samvāhana’
prabhu kahe,—‘kara vā nā kara, yei laya tomāra mana’

Translation: Govinda repeatedly requested, “I want to massage Your legs.”

But the Lord said, “Do it or don’t do it. It depends upon your mind.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was asking Govinda to decide what he would do.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.89

prabhu-dehopari svīya bahirvāsa rākhiyā tadullaṅghana

tabe govinda bahirvāsa tāṅra upare diyā
bhitara-ghare gelā mahāprabhure laṅghiyā

Translation: Then Govinda spread the Lord’s wrapper His body and in this way entered the room by crossing over the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, a sannyāsī wears a wrapper called as bahirvāsa. The loin cloth called the kaupīna and he wears a cloth over the neck called the uttariya.

So, Govinda put the bahirvāsa or the external wrapper dhoti over the Lord and stepped over Him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.90

Jayapatākā Swami: So, two daṇḍas means 45 mins, four daṇḍas is one prahara, one and half hour. Eight daṇḍas is three hours. So, this is the Vedic way of telling the time, it is interesting that in schools they found that a 45 minute session is ideal for the students, two daṇḍas.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.92

nidrābhaṅgera parao anāhāre govindera pratīkṣā-darśane prabhura bhartsanāḥ —

govinde dekhiyā prabhu bale kruddha hañā
‘āji kene eta-kṣaṇa āchis vasiyā?

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Govinda sitting by His side, He was somewhat angry. “Why have you been sitting here for so long today?” the Lord asked.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, let us see what Govinda says!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.93

prabhukarttṛka govindera śuddhasevāpravṛtti-parīkṣā; prabhu nidrita haileo govindera prasāda-sammānārtha nā yāibāra kāraṇa- jijñāsāḥ—

mora nidrā haile kene nā gelā prasāda khāite?’
govinda kahe—‘dvāre śuilā, yāite nāhi pathe’

Translation: “Why didn’t you go to take your meal after I fell asleep?” the Lord asked.

Govinda replied, “You were lying down, blocking the door, and there was no way to go.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Govinda did not want to step over the Lord, to go and eat his prasāda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.94

gamanakāle āgamanopāya avalambana nā karibāra kāraṇa-jijñāsāḥ—

prabhu kahe,—‘bhitare tabe āilā kemane?
taiche kene prasāda laite nā kailā gamane?’

Translation: The Lord asked, “How did you enter the room? Why didn’t you go out to take your lunch in the same way?”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.95

śuddha anurāgī gaura-kṛṣṇasevakerai sarvottama sevāra ādarśa varṇana; gaura-kṛṣṇendriya-tarpaṇecchāi sevakera ekamātra lakṣitavya

govinda kahe mane—“āmāra ‘sevā’ se ‘niyama’
aparādha ha-uka, kibā narake gamana

Translation: Govinda mentally replied, “My duty is to serve, even if I have to commit offenses or go to hell.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Govinda he was committed to doing his sevā, even if that was an offense, that he had to go to hell. This is the standard of pure bhakti, we want to do sevā for the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.96

gaurakṛṣṇendriya-tarpaṇe bindumātra ātmendriyatarpaṇecchāteo śuddha-bhaktera ghṛṇā o aparādhāśaṅkāḥ—

‘sevā’ lāgi’ koṭi ‘aparādha’ nāhi gaṇi
sva-nimitta ‘aparādhābhāse’ bhaya māni”

Translation: “I would not mind committing hundreds and thousands of offenses for the service of the Lord, but I greatly fear committing even a glimpse of an offense for my own self.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, eating was for his own self and entering the room was for his doing his sevā of massaging the Lord . For his sevā he did not mind if he had to do an offense, but for his own convenience he did not want to do any offense.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.97

mahāprasāde sākṣāt brahma-vastu o tadīya-buddhi thākileo vyaktigata nija-sambandhahetu ātmendriyaprīti-vāñchāśaṅkāya govindera prabhura nidrābhaṅga paryanta pratīkṣāḥ —

eta saba mane kari’ govinda rahilā
prabhu ye puchilā, tāra uttara nā dilā

Translation: Thinking in this way, Govinda kept silent. He did not reply to the Lord’s inquiry.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, although Govinda was thinking this way, he did not want to reply to the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.98

anyadivasa prabhura nidrā-gamane govindera prasāda-sammānārtha-gamanaḥ —

pratyaha prabhura nidrāya yāna prasāda la-ite
se divasera śrāma dekhi’ lāgilā cāpite

Translation: It was Govinda’s practice to go take lunch when the Lord was asleep. On that day, however, seeing the Lord’s weariness, Govinda continued massaging His body.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.99

sei divasa prasāda-sammānārtha gamanera asuvidhāra kāraṇaḥ —

yāiteha patha nāhi, yāibe kemane?
mahā-aparādha haya prabhura laṅghane

Translation: There was no way to go. How could he leave? When he thought of crossing over the Lord’s body, he considered it a great offense.

Jayapatākā Swami: Govinda, he was conscious of not making a great offense to the Lord for his own convenience, but for doing the Lord’s sevā, he did not mind take any risk.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.100

caitanya-kṛpā-pātrerai śuddha-bhakti-rahasya-jñānaḥ—

ei saba haya bhakti-śāstra-sūkṣma marma
caitanyera kṛpāya jāne ei saba dharma

Translation: These are some of the finer points of etiquette in devotional service. Only one who has received the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu can understand these principles.

Purport: Karmīs, fruitive workers, cannot understand the finer conclusions of devotional service because they accept only its ritualistic value but do not understand how devotional service satisfies the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The karmīs view the formalities as a means of advancing in religion, economic development, sensual satisfaction and liberation. Although these are only material results of following religious principles, the karmīs consider them everything. Such ritualistic activities are called karma. Karmīs who adopt devotional service very loosely and who therefore remain on the platform of material activities are called prākṛta-sahajiyās. They cannot understand how pure devotional service is rendered in parental and conjugal love, for this can be understood only by the special mercy bestowed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu upon pure devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya would give His special personal mercy to understand the finer principles of bhakti-yoga, devotional service by which means one could achieve pure love for Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.101

sva-bhaktera śuddha-bhakti-māhātmya-prakāśakārī prabhuḥ—

bhakta-guṇa prakāśite prabhu baḍa raṅgī
ei saba prakāśite kailā eta bhaṅgī

Translation: The Lord is very interested in manifesting the exalted qualities of His devotees, and that is why He engineered this incident.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since the Lord wanted to teach the finer principles of devotional service, he engineered these pastimes. He had Govinda take great risk to do His sevā, but Govinda did not take the same risk for his personal satisfaction. So this higher principle of devotional service is taught by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Sometimes Lord Nityānanda disobeyed Lord Caitanya He came to visit Him in Jagannātha Purī, but His transgressing the order of Lord Caitanya was out of love. So, this is a higher principle that sometimes devotees would do something just to show their love for the Lord.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Govinda is Unafraid of Hell Because of Service But is Afraid of Offense for His Own Self
Under the section: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Accepts Prasādam from His Devotees