20230506 The Uncommon Transformations of the Body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

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

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

The Uncommon Transformations of the Body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Under the Section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Feelings of Separation from Kṛṣṇa

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.58

sakalera nirdiṣṭa sthāne śayana —

rāmānanda-rāya tabe gelā nija ghare
svarūpa-govinda duṅhe śuilena dvāre

Translation: Then Rāmānanda Rāya returned home, and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Govinda lay down in front of the door to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s room.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Svarūpa Dāmodara dāsa and Govinda were lying down in front of Lord Caitanya’s door, you would think this would prevent Lord Caitanya from leaving, let us see!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.59

samasta rātri jāgiyā prabhura kṛṣṇanāma-kīrtana:—

saba rātri mahāprabhu kare jāgaraṇa
ucca kari’ kahe kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained awake throughout the entire night, chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very loudly.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He was not sleeping, He was performing loud chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.60

kīrtana o śabdera abhāve prabhuke sakalera anveṣaṇa o aprāpti:—

śabda nā pāñā svarūpa kapāṭa kailā dūre
tina-dvāra deoyā āche, prabhu nāhi ghare!

Translation: After some time, Svarūpa Dāmodara could no longer hear Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanting. When he entered the room, he found the three doors locked, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was gone.

Jayapatākā Swami: Somehow, Lord Caitanya had left the room.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.61

cintita ha-ila sabe prabhure nā dekhiyā
prabhu cāhi’ bule sabe deuṭī jvāliyā

Translation: All the devotees were very anxious when they saw that the Lord was not in His room. They wandered about searching for Him with a warning lamp.

Jayapatākā Swami: Where Lord Caitanya went was not known! They were anxiously searching for Him!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.62

prabhuke acetanāvasthāya prāpti:—

siṁha-dvārera uttara-diśāya āche eka ṭhāñi
tāra madhye paḍi’ āchena caitanya-gosāñi

Translation: After searching for some time, they came upon Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu lying in a corner by the northern side of the Siṁha-dvāra gate.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the main gate of the Jagannātha temple is called Siṁha-dvāra. But it is locked at night. Somehow Lord Caitanya had gone to the Siṁha-dvāra and there He fell asleep and there He was lying down. He felt such separation from Kṛṣṇa that He went to the gate of Kṛṣṇa’s temple. The gate was locked and He was lying there in a corner.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.63

svarūpādi bhaktera harṣa o viṣāda:—

dekhi’ svarūpa-gosāñi-ādi ānandita hailā
prabhura daśā dekhi’ punaḥ cintite lāgilā

Translation: At first they were overjoyed to see Him, but when they saw His condition, all the devotees, headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, were very anxious.

Jayapatākā Swami: So finding Lord Caitanya, the initial response was joy, but the uncommon transformation of His body put them in anxiety.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.64

tadavastha prabhura varṇana:—

prabhu paḍi’ āchena dīrgha hāta pāṅca-chaya
acetana deha, nāsāya śvāsa nāhi vaya

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was lying unconscious, and His body had become elongated to five or six cubits. There was no breath from His nostrils.

Jayapatākā Swami: A cubit is one and a half feet so, He had become almost nine feet long.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 20.65-66

eka eka hasta-pāda—dīrgha tina tina-hāta
asthi-granthi bhinna, carma āche mātra tāta

hasta, pāda, grīvā, kaṭi, asthi sandhi yata
eka eka vitasti bhinna hañāche tata

Translation: Each of His arms and legs had become three cubits long; only skin connected the separated joints. The Lord’s body temperature, indicating life, was very low. All the joints in His arms, legs, neck and waist were separated by at least six inches.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was in such a condition that all the devotees became filled with anxiety.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.67

carma-mātra upare, sandhi āche dīrgha hañā
duḥkhita ha-ilā sabe prabhure dekhiyā

Translation: It appeared that only skin covered His elongated joints. Seeing the Lord’s condition, all the devotees were very unhappy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.68

mukhe lālā-phena prabhura uttāna-nayāna
dekhiyā sakala bhaktera deha chāḍe prāṇa

Translation: They almost died when they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with His mouth full of saliva and foam and His eyes turned upward.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was feeling such separation from Kṛṣṇa that He had assumed this condition.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.69

svarūpera uccaiḥsvare prabhukarṇe kṛṣṇanāmoccāraṇa:—

svarūpa-gosāñi tabe ucca kariyā
prabhura kāṇe kṛṣṇa-nāma kahe bhakta-gaṇa lañā

Translation: When they saw this, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and all the other devotees began to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa very loudly into Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ear.

Jayapatākā Swami: Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī knew that the only medicine that could make Lord Caitanya normal was the loud chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.70

prabhura vāhyadaśāya avataraṇa:—

bahu-kṣaṇe kṛṣṇa-nāma hṛdaye paśilā
‘hari-bola’ bali’ prabhu garjiyā uṭhilā

Translation: After they had chanted in this way for a long time, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa entered the heart of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He suddenly arose with a loud shout of “Haribol!”

Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol! So, this medicine worked!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.71

cetana pāite asthi-sandhi lāgila
pūrva-prāya yathāvat śarīra ha-ila

Translation: As soon as the Lord returned to external consciousness, all His joints contracted and His entire body returned to normal.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya by hearing the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, His entire body returned back to normal.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.72

raghunāthakarttṛka sva-granthe ei vṛttānta varṇana:—

ei līlā mahāprabhura raghunātha-dāsa
‘gaurāṅga-stava-kalpavṛkṣe’ kariyāche prakāśa

Translation: Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has described these pastimes elaborately in his book Gaurāṅga-stava-kalpavṛkṣa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, they had kept notes of Lord Caitanya’s Purī pastimes and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja referred to them.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.73

kāśīmiśra-gṛhe kṛṣṇavirahagrasta prabhura daśā:—

stavāvalīte caitanya-stava-kalpa-vṛkṣa-stave (4)—

Translation: “In the house of Kāśī Miśra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would sometimes be greatly aggrieved, feeling separation from Kṛṣṇa. The joints of His transcendental body would slacken, and His arms and legs would become elongated. Rolling on the ground, the Lord would cry out in distress in a faltering voice and weep very sorrowfully. The appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, awakening in my heart, maddens me.”

Purport: This verse is Gaurāṅga-stava-kalpavṛkṣa 4.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His ecstasy of separation would sometimes appear in this form.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.74

prabhura arddha-vāhyadaśāya lokasamāgama kāraṇa-jijñāsā

siṁha-dvāre dekhi’ prabhura vismaya ha-ilā
‘kāṅhā kara ki’—ei svarūpe puchilā

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much astonished to find Himself in front of the Siṁha-dvāra. He asked Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, “Where am I? What am I doing here?”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.75

svarūpakarttṛka prabhuke gṛhe ānayana o sarvavṛttānta varṇana:—

svarūpa kahe,—’uṭha, prabhu, cala nija-ghare
tathāi tomāre saba karimu gocare’

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara said, “My dear Lord, please get up. Let us go to Your place. There I shall tell You everything that has happened.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, in His ecstasy of Rādhārāṇī, He did not remember that He had come to the Siṁha-dvāra. He was so mad after Kṛṣṇa. Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī said he would reveal everything after getting Lord Caitanya back to His home.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.76

eta bali’ prabhure dhari’ ghare lañā gelā
tāṅhāra avasthā saba kahite lāgilā

Translation: Thus all the devotees, supporting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, took Him back to His residence. Then they all described to Him what had happened.

Jayapatākā Swami: The devotees, they helped Lord Caitanya to come back to His place.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.77

vāhyadaśāya āsiyā prabhura vismaya o nijāvasthā varṇana

śuni’ mahāprabhu baḍa hailā camatkāra
prabhu kahe,—’kichu smṛti nāhika āmāra

Translation: Hearing the description of His condition while He had lain near the Siṁha-dvāra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much astonished. He said, “I do not remember any of these things.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya would come into intense ecstasy and then He wouldn’t remember anything.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.78

sabe dekhi—haya mora kṛṣṇa vidyamāna
vidyut-prāya dekhā diyā haya antardhāna’

Translation: “All I can remember is that I saw My Kṛṣṇa, but only for an instant. He appeared before Me and then, like lightning, immediately disappeared.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.79

prabhura jagannātha-darśana:—

hena-kāle jagannāthera pāṇi-śaṅkha bājilā
snāna kari’ mahāprabhu daraśane gelā

Translation: Just then, everyone heard the blowing of the conchshell at the Jagannātha temple. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately took His bath and went to see Lord Jagannātha.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya had seen Kṛṣṇa in His ecstasy and was following Him to the temple gate, that’s where the devotees found Him. Then as these things were being explained, the conch shell signaling maṅgala-ārati at the temple of Lord Jagannātha.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.80

prabhura mahābhāva-vikāra vismayajanaka:—

ei ta’ kahiluṅ prabhura adbhuta vikāra
yāhāra śravaṇe loke lāge camatkāra

Translation: Thus I have described the uncommon transformations of the body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When people hear about this, they are very much astonished.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya’s uncommon transformations of His body are very unique and anyone hearing them becomes amazed!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.81

prabhura adṛṣṭāśrutapūrva mahābhāva:—

loke nāhi dekhi aiche, śāstre nāhi śuni
hena bhāva vyakta kare nyāsi-cūḍāmaṇi

Translation: No one has witnessed such bodily changes elsewhere, nor has anyone read of them in the revealed scriptures. Yet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the supreme sannyāsī, exhibited these ecstatic symptoms.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya in His expression of mahā-bhāva, would assume these ecstatic transformations.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.82

aprākṛta adhokṣaja-bhāvamudrā-akṣajajñānīra bodhātīta:—

śāstra-lokātīta yei yei bhāva haya
itara-lokera tāte nā haya niścaya

Translation: These ecstasies are not described in the śāstras, and they are inconceivable to common men. Therefore people in general do not believe in them.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was having these uncommon transformations of His body. Although they are not described in the scripture. In other words, Lord Caitanya was having mahā-bhāva ecstasies which were unseen before. But His associates saw them and recorded them.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 14.83

aprākṛta anubhūtite śrautapanthāya granthakārera varṇana:—

raghunātha-dāsera sadā prabhu-saṅge sthiti
tāṅra mukhe śuni’ likhi kariyā pratīti

Translation: Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī lived continuously with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I am simply recording whatever I have heard from him. Although common men do not believe in these pastimes, I believe in them totally.

Jayapatākā Swami: Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī had seen these pastimes and he recorded them in his notebook. So, that was heard by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja and he simply wrote them down and he believes in them fully.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, The Uncommon Transformations of the Body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Feelings of Separation from Kṛṣṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja is telling where he gets his information these are from and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he stayed with Lord Caitanya and so he is very authoritative. He was the assistant of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.