20230422 Permissions and Instructions for Visiting Vṛndāvana

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 22nd, 2023 in Dallas, Texas, USA.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

So today we are continuing from the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, today's chapter entitled is:

Permissions and Instructions for Visiting Vṛndāvana
Under the section: Pastimes with Jagadānanda Paṇḍita and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.21

paṇḍitera vṛndāvana-gamanecchā; pūrve icchā-sattveo prabhura vinādeśe gamane asāmarthya :—

pūrve jagadānandera icchā vṛndāvana yāite
prabhu ājñā nā dena tāṅre, nā pāre calite

Translation: Formerly, when Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had desired to go to Vṛndāvana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had not given His permission, and therefore he could not go.

Jayapatākā Swami: The devotees would not go unless they had the permission of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.22

adhunā prabhura śayana-vyāpāre duḥkhita haiyā mathurā-gamane prabhura ājñā-yācñā :—

bhitarera krodha-duḥkha prakāśa nā kaila
mathurā yāite prabhu-sthāne ājñā māgila

Translation: Now, concealing his anger and unhappiness, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita again asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for permission to go to Mathurā.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.23

prabhura madhura vākye sāntvanā :—

prabhu kahe,—“mathurā yāibā āmāya krodha kari’
āmāya doṣa lāgāñā tumi ha-ibā bhikhārī”

Translation: With great affection, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “If you are angry with Me when you go to Mathurā, you will merely become a beggar and criticize Me.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.24

vāmyasvabhāva haiyāo prabhupade jagadānandera sasambhrame kātara-nivedana :—

jagadānanda kahe prabhura dhariyā caraṇa
“pūrva haite icchā mora yāite vṛndāvana

Translation: Grasping the Lord’s feet, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita then said, “For a long time I have desired to go to Vṛndāvana.

Jayapatākā Swami: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita has the nature of a left-handed gopī or queen. So the left handed consorts get angry with the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.25

prabhu-ājñā nāhi, tāte nā pāri yāite
ebe ājñā deha’, avaśya yāimu niścite

Translation: “I could not go without Your Lordship’s permission. Now You must give me permission, and I shall certainly go there.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, he is appealing to the Lord that he is just going to do Vṛndāvana parikramā.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.26

bhaktavatsala prabhura niṣedha, paṇḍitera nirbandha :—

prabhu prīte tāṅra gamana nā karena aṅgīkāra
teṅho prabhura ṭhāñi ājñā māge bāra bāra

Translation: Because of affection for Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would not permit him to depart, but Jagadānanda Paṇḍita repeatedly insisted that the Lord give him permission to go.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, he was very dear to Lord Caitanya. Therefore, Lord Caitanya was not giving him permission to leave.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.27

śrī-svarūpake paṇḍitera nivedana, prabhura paṇḍitera gamana-viṣaẏe asammati :—

svarūpa-gosāñire paṇḍita kailā nivedana
“pūrva haite vṛndāvana yāite mora mana

Translation: Jagadānanda then submitted a plea to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. “For a very long time,” he said, “I have wanted to go to Vṛndāvana.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.28

prabhu-ājñā vinā tāhāṅ yāite nā pāri
ebe ājñā nā dena more, ‘krodhe yāha’ bali

Translation: “I cannot go there, however, without the Lord’s permission, which at present He denies me. He says, ‘You are going because you are angry at Me.’

Jayapatākā Swami: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita wanted to give a quilt and a pillow to Lord Caitanya to sleep on. But Lord Caitanya would not accept that. So therefore, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was angry.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.29

svīya gamana-viṣaye prabhura sammati-grahaṇārtha svarūpake anurodha :—

sahajei mora tāhāṅ yāite mana haya
prabhu-ājñā lañā deha’, kariye vinaya”

Translation: “Naturally I have a desire to go to Vṛndāvana; therefore please humbly request Him to grant His permission.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Svarūpa Dāmodara was very special. He was the personal secretary of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was begging that he would intervene and humbly beg Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that he give him permission to go to Vṛndāvana.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.30

svarūpera tajjanya prabhupade nivedana o ājñā-yācñā :—

tabe svarūpa-gosāñi kahe prabhura caraṇe
“jagadānandera icchā baḍa yāite vṛndāvane

Translation: Thereafter, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī submitted this appeal at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: “Jagadānanda Paṇḍita intensely desires to go to Vṛndāvana.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.31

tomāra ṭhāñi ājñā teṅho māge bāra bāra
ājñā deha’,—mathurā dekhi’ āise eka-bāra

Translation: “He begs for Your permission again and again. Therefore, please permit him to go to Mathurā and then return.

Jayapatākā Swami: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had requested Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosāñī and Svarūpa Dāmodara had placed his appeal to Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.32

āire dekhite yaiche gauḍa-deśe yāya
taiche eka-bāra vṛndāvana dekhi’ āya”

Translation: “You permitted him to go see mother Śacī in Bengal, and You may similarly permit him to go see Vṛndāvana and then return here.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.33

svarūpera anurodhe jagadānandake ḍākiyā tathākāra karttavyopadeśa :—

svarūpa-gosāñira bole prabhu ājñā dilā
jagadānande bolāñā tāṅre śikhāilā

Translation: At the request of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu granted Jagadānanda Paṇḍita permission to go. The Lord sent for him and instructed him as follows.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya will give instructions to Jagadānanda Paṇḍita for visiting Vṛndāvana.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.34

pathaviṣaye upadeśa-dāna :—

“vārāṇasī paryanta svacchande yāibā pathe
āge sāvadhāne yāibā kṣatriyādi-sāthe

Translation: “You may go as far as Vārāṇasī without encountering disturbances, but beyond Vārāṇasī you should be very careful to travel on the path in the company of the kṣatriyas.

Purport: In those days the path from Vārāṇasī to Vṛndāvana was infested with robbers, and therefore there were kṣatriyas to protect travelers.

Jayapatākā Swami: A kṣatriya means to give protection. So, by traveling with the kṣatriyas from Benaras to Vṛndāvana, one could be protected from the robbers.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.35

kevala gauḍiyā pāile ‘bāṭapāḍa’ kari’ bāndhe
saba luṭi’ bāṅdhi’ rākhe, yāite virodhe

Translation: “As soon as the plunderers on the road see a Bengali traveling alone, they take everything from him, arrest him and do not let him go.

Purport: Bengalis are generally not very stout and strong. Therefore when a lone Bengali traverses the roads of Bihar, the plunderers on the road capture him, rob all his belongings and kidnap him for their own service. According to one opinion, the rogues of Bihar know very well that Bengalis are intelligent; therefore these thieves generally force the Bengalis into service requiring intelligence and do not allow them to leave.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is giving Jagadānanda Paṇḍita this advice, how to go to Vṛndāvana safely.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.36

mathurā-gamanānte karttavyopadeśa; aiśvaryajñānahīna rāgamārgīya bhaktera sahita saṅga-viṣaye satarkīkaraṇa :—

mathurā gele sanātana-saṅgei rahibā
mathurāra svāmī sabera caraṇa vandibā

Translation: “When you reach Mathurā, you should remain with Sanātana Gosvāmī and offer respectful obeisances to the feet of all the leading men there.

Jayapatākā Swami: Going to Vṛndāvana, Lord Caitanya was advising how to meet, how to offer respect to all the leading Vaisnavas.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.37

dūre rahi’ bhakti kariha saṅge nā rahibā
tāṅ-sabāra ācāra-ceṣṭā la-ite nāribā

Translation: “Do not mix freely with the residents of Mathurā; show them respect from a distance. Because you are on a different platform of devotional service, you cannot adopt their behavior and practices.

Purport: The residents of Vṛndāvana and Mathurā are devotees of Kṛṣṇa in parental affection, and their feelings always conflict with the opinions of smārta-brāhmaṇas. Devotees who worship Kṛṣṇa in opulence cannot understand the parental devotional feelings of the residents of Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, who follow the path of spontaneous love. Devotees on the platform of vidhi-mārga (regulative devotional principles) may misunderstand the activities of those on the platform of rāga-mārga (devotional service in spontaneous love). Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to remain apart from the residents of Vṛndāvana, who were spontaneous devotees, so as not to become disrespectful toward them.

Jayapatākā Swami: If you judge the devotees, not understanding their raga-mārga situation, you may commit vaiṣṇava-aparādhā.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.38

sarvadā sanātana-saṅge avasthāna-janya upadeśa :—

sanātana-saṅge kariha vana daraśana
sanātanera saṅga nā chāḍibā eka-kṣaṇa

Translation: “Visit all twelve forests of Vṛndāvana in the company of Sanātana Gosvāmī. Do not leave his association for even a moment.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.39

kṛṣṇābhinna govardhane ārohaṇa karite niṣedha :—

śīghra āsiha, tāhāṅ nā rahiha cira-kāla
govardhane nā caḍiha dekhite ‘gopāla’

Translation: “You should remain in Vṛndāvana for only a short time and then return here as soon as possible. Also, do not climb Govardhana Hill to see the Gopāla Deity.

Purport: In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura advises that one avoid remaining in Vṛndāvana for a very long time. As the saying goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” If one stays in Vṛndāvana for many days, he may fail to maintain proper respect for its inhabitants. Therefore those who have not attained the stage of spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa should not live in Vṛndāvana very long. It is better for them to make short visits. One should also avoid climbing Govardhana Hill to see the Gopāla Deity. Since Govardhana Hill itself is identical with Gopāla, one should not step on the hill or touch it with his feet. One may see Gopāla when He goes elsewhere.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Śrī Caitanya followed this standard, and did not rise up on the Govardhana hill, but when the Gopāla Deity came down to the village, then Lord Caitanya had darśana.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.40

sanātanake prabhura āgamana-saṁvāda-jñāpana o bhajana-sthāna nirvācana karite ādeśa :—

āmiha āsitechi,—kahiha sanātane
āmāra tare eka-sthāna yena kare vṛndāvane”

Translation: “Inform Sanātana Gosvāmī that I am coming to Vṛndāvana for a second time and that he should therefore arrange a place for Me to stay.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was giving great inspiration to Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 13.41

paṇḍitake vidāyāliṅgana, paṇḍitera prabhupada-vandana

eta bali’ jagadānande kailā āliṅgana
jagadānanda calilā prabhura vandiyā caraṇa

Translation: After saying this, the Lord embraced Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, who then worshiped the Lord’s lotus feet and started for Vṛndāvana.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is how dear Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was to Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya embraced him.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Permissions and Instructions for Visiting Vṛndāvana
Under the Section: Pastimes with Jagadānanda Paṇḍita and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī

Haribol!