20230522 By the Strength of Mahā-Mahā-Prasāda, Kālidāsa Gets the Supreme Mercy of Lord Caitanya

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

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Welcome! Today's compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. today's chapter entitled is:

By the Strength of Mahā-Mahā-Prasāda, Kālidāsa Gets the Supreme Mercy of Lord Caitanya
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Tastes Nectar from the Lips of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.33

sarvabrāhmaṇa-guru jhaḍu-ṭhākurera manomayī arcāra mānasa pūjānte kṛṣṇocchiṣṭa-jñāne āmrabhojana —

jhaḍu-ṭhākura ghara yāi’ dekhi’ āmra-phala
mānasei kṛṣṇa-candre arpilā sakala

Translation: Upon returning home, Jhaḍu Ṭhākura saw the mangoes Kālidāsa had presented. Within his mind he offered them to Kṛṣṇacandra.

Jayapatākā Swami: Without offering, Vaiṣṇava doesn’t take food. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that if no other Deity is there, you can offer it to Kṛṣṇa in the mind.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.34

kalāra pāṭuyā-kholā haite āmra nikāśiyā
tāṅra patnī tāṅre dena, khāyena cūṣiyā

Translation: Jhaḍu Ṭhākura’s wife then took the mangoes from their covering of banana tree leaves and bark and offered them to Jhaḍu Ṭhākura, who began to suck and eat them.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, a mango has skin and the flesh of the mango and the seed. So Jhaḍu Ṭhākura ate the mango fruit and sucked and licked the seed.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.35

vaiṣṇava-patnīra vaiṣṇava-patyucchiṣṭa sammāna —

cūṣi’ cūṣi’ coṣā āṅṭhi phelilā pāṭuyāte
tāre khāoyāñā tāṅra patnī khāya paścāte

Translation: When he finished eating, he left the seeds on the banana leaf, and his wife, after feeding her husband, later began to eat.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Vedic culture has that the wife eats after feeding her husband.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.36

āṅṭhi-coṣā sei pāṭuyā-kholāte bhariyā
bāhire ucchiṣṭa-garte phelāilā lañā

Translation: After she finished eating, she filled the banana leaves and bark with the seeds, picked up the refuse and then threw it into the ditch where all the refuse was thrown.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there was a garbage pit and all the banana leaves and things, organic waste, was thrown in that pit. So, she threw the banana leaves with the mango seeds that the husband had eaten and licked.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.37

mahāsaubhāgyavān kālidāsera mahānande aprākṛta buddhite vaiṣṇavocchiṣṭa-sammāna :—

sei kholā, āṅṭhi, cokalā cūṣe kālidāsa
cūṣite cūṣite haya premete ullāsa

Translation: Kālidāsa licked the banana bark and the mango seeds and skins, and while licking them he was overwhelmed with jubilation in ecstatic love.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kālīdāsa was a kind of well-to-do person. But he had great faith in Vaiṣṇavas. Although Jhaḍu Ṭhākura was not from a very aristocratic background, he was a pure Vaiṣṇava. Therefore, Kālīdāsa, he took the mango seeds and the banana leaves which had the mangoes in it before and he licked them and he felt ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.38

gauḍadeśastha sakala vaiṣṇavera ucchiṣṭa-sammānakārī kālidāsa :—

ei-mata yata vaiṣṇava vaise gauḍa-deśe
kālidāsa aiche sabāra nilā avaśeṣe

Translation: In this way Kālidāsa ate the remnants of food left by all the Vaiṣṇavas residing in Bengal.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Kālīdāsa, he was a collector, just like in different countries there are coin collectors, stamp collectors, but Kālīdāsa, he was a mahā-prasāda collector! He would eat the mahā-prasāda of all the Vaiṣṇavas in Bengal, thus he was very blissful.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.39

purī āsile kālidāsaprati prabhura niṣkapaṭa mahākṛpā

sei kālidāsa yabe nīlācale āilā
mahāprabhu tāṅra upara mahā-kṛpā kailā

Translation: When Kālidāsa visited Jagannātha Purī, Nīlācala, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bestowed great mercy upon him.

Jayapatākā Swami: Because Kālīdāsa had such respect and faith on all the Vaiṣṇavas, on all the devotees of the Lord. Therefore, when he came to Jagannātha Purī, Lord Caitanya bestowed great mercy upon him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.40

prabhura kamaṇḍalu-bāhaka govinda :—

prati-dina prabhu yadi yā’na daraśane
jala-karaṅga lañā govinda yāya prabhu-sane

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would regularly visit the temple of Jagannātha every day, and at that time Govinda, His personal servant, used to carry His waterpot and go with Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: It is customary for someone in the renounced order of sannyāsa to carry a kamaṇḍalu or water pot, so Govinda dāsa would do that.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.41

siṁhadvārera nikaṭe sopānatale garttamadhye prabhura pādaprakṣālana:—

siṁha-dvārera uttara-dike kapāṭera āḍe
bāiśa ’pāhāca’-tale āche eka nimna gāḍe

Translation: On the northern side of the Siṁha-dvāra, behind the door, there are twenty-two steps leading to the temple, and at the bottom of those steps is a ditch.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.42

sei gāḍe karena prabhu pāda-prakṣālane
tabe karibāre yāya īśvara-daraśane

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would wash His feet in this ditch, and then He would enter the temple to see Lord Jagannātha.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, it was customary to wash your feet before you enter the temple. How Lord Caitanya did this is explained here.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.43

lokaśikṣaka ācāryarūpī prabhura kaṭhora niyama :—

govindere mahāprabhu kairāche niyama
‘mora pāda-jala yena nā laya kona jana’

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered His personal servant Govinda that no one should take the water that had washed His feet.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was teaching by His example. So, he ordered that no one should take His foot water. Since, He wanted to show the good example.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.44

ati antaraṅga bhakta vyatīta anya sakalerai prabhupādodake anadhikāra :—

prāṇi-mātra la-ite nā pāya sei jala
antaraṅga bhakta laya kari’ kona chala

Translation: Because of the Lord’s strict order, no living being could take the water. Some of His intimate devotees, however, would take it by some trick.

Jayapatākā Swami: Having the foot water of Lord Caitanya was a special mercy. But since the Lord had restricted no one to do, it could only be done by some trick.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.45

kālidāsera prabhu-pādodakagrahaṇārtha prabhusamīpe hastaprasāraṇa :—

eka-dina prabhu tāṅhā pāda prakṣālite
kālidāsa āsi’ tāhāṅ pātilena hāte

Translation: One day as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was washing His feet in that place, Kālidāsa came and extended his palm to take the water.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kālīdāsa wanted to take the advantage of Lord Caitanya’s foot water. But Lord Caitanya had ordered that no one should take it.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.46

tinabāra karapuṭe prabhu-pādodakapānānte prabhura nivāraṇa :—

eka añjali, dui añjali, tina añjali pilā
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre niṣedha karilā

Translation: Kālidāsa drank one palmful and then a second and a third. Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu forbade him to drink more.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kālīdāsa, he was able to somehow take three palm full of water. But then Lord Caitanya forbade him to take any more.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.47

prabhura svīya pādodakapradānānte punargrahaṇe niṣedha

“ataḥpara āra nā kariha punar-bāra
etāvatā vāñchā-pūraṇa kariluṅ tomāra”

Translation: “Do not act in this way anymore. I have fulfilled your desire as far as possible.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, although Lord Caitanya had forbidden that no one should take His foot water, He allowed Kālīdāsa to take it three times, but he could not go any further.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.48

antaryāmī parameśvara gaurasundara :—

sarvajña-śiromaṇi caitanya īśvara
vaiṣṇave tāṅhāra viśvāsa, jānena antara

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the most exalted, omniscient Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore He knew that Kālidāsa, in the core of his heart, had full faith in Vaiṣṇavas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya knew what Kālīdāsa was doing, on his faith in Vaiṣṇavas, as He is non-different from the Paramātmā, the Supersoul in everyone’s heart.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.49

vaiṣṇave aprākṛta śraddhā-hetu kālidāsake brahmādirao durllabha kṛpā-pradarśana :—

sei-guṇa lañā prabhu tāṅre tuṣṭa ha-ilā
anyera durlabha prasāda tāṅhāre karilā

Translation: Because of this quality, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu satisfied him with mercy not attainable by anyone else.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya knew that Kālīdāsa had great faith in the Vaiṣṇavas, and how he had taken the remnants of all the Vaiṣṇavas in Bengal. So, he allowed Kālīdāsa to take His foot water, while no one else was allowed.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.50

prabhura śrī-nṛsiṃha-praṇāma:—

bāiśa ‘pāhāca’-pāche upara dakṣiṇa-dike
eka nṛsiṁha-mūrti āchena uṭhite vāma-bhāge

Translation: On the southern side, behind and above the twenty-two steps, is a Deity of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. It is on the left as one goes up the steps toward the temple.

Jayapatākā Swami: So here, the detailed geography of the temple of Lord Jagannātha is given by Śrīla Prabhupāda. How to the left, when one goes up to 22 steps there is a Narasiṁha mūrti.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.51

prati-dina tāṅre prabhu karena namaskāra
namaskari’ ei śloka paḍe bāra-bāra

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His left side toward the Deity, offered obeisances to Lord Nṛsiṁha as He proceeded toward the temple. He recited the following verses again and again while offering obeisances.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.52

śuddha-bhakti-pracāraka-bhaktaikarakṣaka, pāṣaṇḍa-marddana, bhaktapriya śrī-nṛsiṁhera praṇāma :—

nṛsiṁha-purāṇa-vacanadvaya—

namas te nara-siṁhāya prahlādāhlāda-dāyine
hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ śilā-ṭaṅka-nakhālaye

Translation: “I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. You are the giver of pleasure to Mahārāja Prahlāda, and Your nails cut the chest of Hiraṇyakaśipu like a chisel cutting stone.

Purport: This and the following verse are quoted from the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.53

śuddha-bhakti-pracārakera sarvatrai adhokṣaja śrī-nṛsiṁhadevake sva-rakṣakarūpe darśana—

ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ
bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho nṛsiṁham ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye

Translation: “Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is here, and He is also there on the opposite side. Wherever I go, there I see Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. He is outside and within my heart. Therefore I take shelter of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this prayer to Lord Narasiṁhadeva is chanted every day in the ISKCON temples. It started out when Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Founder-Ācārya was sick, and then we continued ever since.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.54

prabhura prasādānna-bhojana :—

tabe prabhu karilā jagannātha daraśana
ghare āsi’ madhyāhna kari’ karila bhojana

Translation: Having offered obeisances to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Lord Jagannātha. Then He returned to His residence, finished His noon duties and took His lunch.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here Lord Caitanya’s daily routine is described.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.55

ucchiṣṭalābha-pratīkṣāya daṇḍāyamāna kālidāsake prabhura icchāmate taducchiṣṭadāna :—

bahir-dvāre āche kālidāsa pratyāśā kariyā
govindere ṭhāre prabhu kahena jāniyā

Translation: Kālidāsa was standing outside the door, expecting the remnants of food from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Knowing this, Mahāprabhu gave an indication to Govinda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.56

mahāprabhura iṅgita govinda saba jāne
kālidāsere dila prabhura śeṣa-pātra-dāne

Translation: Govinda understood all the indications of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore he immediately delivered the remnants of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s food to Kālidāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Kālīdāsa, by taking the remnants of all the Vaiṣṇavas in Bengal, he got the remnants of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Haribol!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.57

prabhura carama kṛpālābhera ekamātra kāraṇa :—

vaiṣṇavera śeṣa-bhakṣaṇera eteka mahimā
kālidāse pāoyāila prabhura kṛpā-sīmā

Translation: Taking the remnants of the food of Vaiṣṇavas is so valuable that it induced Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to offer Kālidāsa His supreme mercy.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can understand how great is taking the remnants of the devotees. I had gone from Canada to Boston when Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived there and there was a wonderful reception for Śrīla Prabhupāda and all the devotees offered Śrīla Prabhupāda garlands. So many garlands that they came up to his head, from neck to top of the head, they took them off, more garlands were given, then they took them off. Then he said that a Vaiṣṇava spiritual master is offered respect like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, like God, G-O-D. But if he thinks he is God, then he is not G-O-D, he is D-O-G. Then Śrīla Prabhupāda went to the Boston temple, gave a lecture, arrival address. Then he went into a room that had a bed and they gave him a big plate of prasāda. He took some of the prasāda, went downstairs and drove off in a car. Then I thought, there is prasāda upstairs. So I ran and there was one sannyāsī there eating. But I went up and took some mahā-prasāda from the plate. The pūjārī came and said, “Ah! what are you doing, eating from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s plate?” He drove us away, anyway, we had got some mahā-prasāda!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.58

sakala sādhakake granthakārera upadeśa :—

tāte ‘vaiṣṇavera jhuṭā’ khāo chāḍi’ ghṛṇā-lāja
yāhā haite pāibā nija vāñchita saba kāja

Translation: Therefore, giving up hatred and hesitation, try to eat the remnants of the food of Vaiṣṇavas, for you will thus be able to achieve your desired goal of life. 

Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol! So, this is a special instruction by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja that one should try to get the remnants of Vaiṣṇavas.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.59

kṛṣṇocchiṣṭa o bhaktocchiṣṭera sañjñā :—

kṛṣṇera ucchiṣṭa haya ‘mahā-prasāda’ nāma
‘bhakta-śeṣa’ haile ‘mahā-mahā-prasādākhyāna’

Translation: The remnants of food offered to Lord Kṛṣṇa are called mahā-prasādam. After this same mahā-prasādam has been taken by a devotee, the remnants are elevated to mahā-mahā-prasādam.

Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol! So, directly what is offered to Kṛṣṇa is called mahā-prasāda. But after that when the devotee takes some mahā-prasāda, his remnants are called mahā-mahā-prasāda. Haribol!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.60

sādhakera cidbalādhānakārī aprākṛta vastutraya :—

bhakta-pada-dhūli āra bhakta-pada-jala
bhakta-bhukta-avaśeṣa—tina mahā-bala

Translation: The dust of the feet of a devotee, the water that has washed the feet of a devotee, and the remnants of food left by a devotee are three very powerful substances.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, these three things – the dust from the feet of a devotee, the water that has washed the feet of a devotee and the remnants of mahā-prasāda left by a devotee – these three things have been described as very powerful!

Once Śrīla Prabhupāda, he gave His Holiness Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī a gulāb jamun from his plate. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī put the gulāb on his plate and was looking at it. He was really proud that he got it. He was looking, looking, and somebody stole it - grabbed it from his plate. He said, you took my mahā-prasāda! He started protesting. Śrīla Prabhupāda said there is no hard and fast rule for mahā-prasāda, even if you take from my plate you could do that, but please let me finish! So, this is a lesson to learn, if you get mahā-prasāda, eat it quick. Haribol!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.61

ukta vastutraya-sevanai paramapuruṣārtharūpa prayojanalābhera sarva-śāstrasammata ekamātra upāya

ei tina-sevā haite kṛṣṇa-premā haya
punaḥ punaḥ sarva-śāstre phukāriyā kaya

Translation: By rendering service to these three, one attains the supreme goal of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. In all the revealed scriptures this is loudly declared again and again.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the secret how to get ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa very quickly is revealed here. These three substances are the doorway to ecstatic love to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.62

parama-puruṣārtha prema-lābhecchu nikhila sādhakake granthakārera sanirvandha upadeśa :—

tāte bāra bāra kahi,—śuna bhakta-gaṇa
viśvāsa kariyā kara e-tina sevana

Translation: Therefore, my dear devotees, please hear from me, for I insist again and again: please keep faith in these three and render service to them without hesitation.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja is giving his advice again and again. That please worship these three substances from Vaiṣṇavas without hesitation.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.63

ukta sādhanatrayai kṛṣṇanāma-prema-kṛpālābhera ekamātra upāya :—

tina haite kṛṣṇa-nāma-premera ullāsa
kṛṣṇera prasāda, tāte ’sākṣī’ kālidāsa

Translation: From these three one achieves the highest goal of life — ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. This is the greatest mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The evidence is Kālidāsa himself.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kālīdāsa had faith in these three items and as a result he got ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. He got the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Mahāprabhu kī jaya!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 16.64

purīte bhaktocchiṣṭe viśvāsa-hetui kālidāsake bhagavānera kṛpā :—

nīlācale mahāprabhu rahe ei-mate
kālidāse mahā-kṛpā kailā alakṣite

Translation: In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at Jagannātha Purī, Nīlācala, and He invisibly bestowed great mercy upon Kālidāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although Kālīdāsa, he maybe didn’t get the mercy very openly. But invisibly for his great faith in Vaiṣṇavas Lord Caitanya bestowed His mercy on him.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, By the Strength of Mahā-Mahā-Prasāda, Kālidāsa Gets the Supreme Mercy of Lord Caitanya
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Tastes Nectar from the Lips of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Haribol!