20230531 Lord Caitanya is Seen Lying Unconscious Among the Cows

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 31st, 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!

Welcome! Dear Devotees! So today we are continuing from the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. So today's chapter entitled is:

Lord Caitanya is Seen Lying Unconscious Among the Cows
Under the section: The Bodily Transformations of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.1

Translation: I am simply trying to write about Lord Gauracandra’s transcendental activities and spiritual madness, which are very wonderful and uncommon. I dare to write of them only because I have heard from the mouths of those who have personally seen the Lord’s activities.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja heard directly from Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and other eyewitnesses.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.3

prabhura unmāda o pralāpa:—

ei-mata mahāprabhu rātri-divase
unmādera ceṣṭā, pralāpa kare premāveśe

Translation: Absorbed in ecstasy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu acted and talked like a madman day and night.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa wanted to experience the prema of Rādhārāṇī. So, He assumed the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He was putting Himself in the mood of Rādhārāṇī, being in constant ecstasy, day and night.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.4

prabhura tatkālīna nityasaṅgī:—

eka-dina prabhu svarūpa-rāmānanda-saṅge
ardha-rātri goṅāilā kṛṣṇa-kathā-raṅge

Translation: In the company of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu once passed half the night talking about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Just as Rādhārāṇī would talk about Kṛṣṇa to Her friends half the night, so in this way, Lord Caitanya talked to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Rāmānanda Rāya. And Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī Mahārāja was the incarnation of Lalitā, and Rāmānanda Rāya was an incarnation of Viśākhā.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.5

svarūpera bhāvopayogi-gānadvārā prabhura sevana:—

yabe yei bhāva prabhura karaye udaya
bhāvānurūpa gīta gāya svarūpa-mahāśaya

Translation: As they talked of Kṛṣṇa, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī would sing songs exactly suitable for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s transcendental emotions.

Jayapatākā Swami: Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he was facilitating Lord Caitanya’s ecstatic moods and he would sing the appropriate songs suited to the transcendental mellows of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.6

prabhupriya grantha haite rāyera ślokapāṭha:—

vidyāpati, caṇḍīdāsa, śrī-gīta-govinda
bhāvānurūpa śloka paḍena rāya-rāmānanda

Translation: To complement the ecstasy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rāmānanda Rāya would quote verses from the books of Vidyāpati and Caṇḍīdāsa, and especially from the Gīta-govinda, by Jayadeva Gosvāmī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Rāmānanda Rāya knew all these books by heart, and just suited to the transcendental ecstasy of Lord Caitanya, he would quote appropriate verses.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.7

svayaṁ prabhura śloka-pāṭha o vilāpokti:—

madhye madhye āpane prabhu śloka paḍiyā
ślokera artha karena prabhu vilāpa kariyā

Translation: At intervals, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would also recite a verse. Then, in great lamentation, He would explain it.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya in His ecstasy, He would recite verses and talk about them like a madman.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.8

prabhura śayanāntara ubhayera prasthāna:—

ei-mate nānā-bhāve ardha-rātri haila
gosāñire śayana karāi’ duṅhe ghare gela

Translation: In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed half the night experiencing varieties of emotions. Finally, after making the Lord lie down on His bed, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāmānanda Rāya returned to their homes.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya would be immersed in ecstatic emotions expressing great love for Lord Kṛṣṇa, in the mood of Rādhārāṇī. And thus He would spend half the night, and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya would assist Him, and then they laid the Lord down, and He took rest, then they retired.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.9

prabhura ucca nāmasaṅkīrtana:—

gambhīrāra dvāre govinda karilā śayana
saba-rātri prabhu karena ucca-saṅkīrtana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s personal servant, Govinda, lay down at the door of His room, and the Lord very loudly chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all night.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since the Lord and the holy name are not different, so Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu would be associating with Kṛṣṇa up to the night.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.10

prabhura divyonmāda:—

ācambite śunena prabhu kṛṣṇa-veṇu-gāna
bhāvāveśe prabhu tāhāṅ karilā prayāṇa

Translation: Suddenly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard the vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute. Then, in ecstasy, He began to depart to see Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: He would hear Kṛṣṇa’s flute, and the flute would enchant His mind, and He would immediately go to where He thought the flute was being played.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.11

tina-dvāre kapāṭa aiche āche ta’ lāgiyā
bhāvāveśe prabhu gelā bāhira hañā

Translation: All three doors were fastened as usual, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in great ecstasy, nevertheless got out of the room and left the house.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although the room was locked and for an ordinary person it was impossible to leave, somehow or another, Lord Caitanya left the room and went out to find Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.12

siṁha-dvāra-dakṣiṇe āche tailaṅgī-gābhī-gaṇa
tāhāṅ yāi’ paḍilā prabhu hañā acetana

Translation: He went to a cow shed on the southern side of the Siṁha-dvāra. There the Lord fell down unconscious among cows from the district of Tailaṅga.

Jayapatākā Swami: Siṁha-dvāra is the main entrance to the Jagannātha Purī temple, facing the eastern side. The Lord, He went into the cow barn and fell unconscious with the cows. He was in such ecstasy that He would go anywhere.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.13

prabhura śabda nā śuniyā sakalera prabhū-anveṣaṇa o prāpti:—

ethā govinda mahāprabhura śabda nā pāñā
svarūpere bolāila kapāṭa khuliyā

Translation: Meanwhile, not hearing any sounds from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Govinda immediately sent for Svarūpa Dāmodara and opened the doors.

Jayapatākā Swami: The doors of Lord Caitanya’s room were locked. Somehow, Lord Caitanya, He left! Just like as a child, when He told Vasudeva to take Him to Vṛndāvana and lay Him down by Yaśodā. So, the doors automatically opened. So, similarly, when Lord Caitanya wanted to leave, doesn’t matter, no doors could stop Him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.14

tabe svarūpa-gosāñi saṅge lañā bhakta-gaṇa
deuṭi jvāliyā karena prabhura anveṣaṇa

Translation: Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī lit a torch and went out with all the devotees to search for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: 500 years ago, there was no such thing as flashlights. So literally, they lit a torch, and it was flaming and giving light.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.15

iti-uti anveṣiyā siṁha-dvāre gelā
gābhī-gaṇa-madhye yāi’ prabhure pāilā

Translation: After searching here and there, they finally came to the cow shed near the Siṁha-dvāra. There they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu lying unconscious among the cows.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa is known for His love of the cows. And part of His name is known as go-rakṣa, that He protects the cows. As Govinda He lifted the Govardhana Hill and gave protection to all the cows and villagers of Vṛndāvana. Here in Jagannātha Purī He somehow was in the cowshed, unconscious.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.16

prabhura avasthā—

peṭera bhitara hasta-pada—kūrmera ākāra
mukhe phena, pulakāṅga, netre aśru-dhāra

Translation: His arms and legs had entered the trunk of His body, exactly like those of a tortoise. His mouth was foaming, there were eruptions on His body, and tears flowed from His eyes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So this transformation of Lord Caitanya was simply wonderful and extraordinary, that all His arms and legs had entered into His body like a tortoise, and He was foaming at the mouth, and tears were coming from His eyes. He was in total ecstasy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.17

acetana paḍiyāchena,—yena kuṣmāṇḍa-phala
bāhire jaḍimā, antare ānanda-vihvala

Translation: As the Lord lay there unconscious, His body resembled a large pumpkin. Externally He was completely inert, but within He felt overwhelming transcendental bliss.

Jayapatākā Swami: These extreme manifestations are symptoms of mahā-bhava, the highest level of kṛṣṇa-prema, pure ecstatic love for Lord Kṛṣṇa. And so His consciousness was feeling transcendental bliss and unexplainable.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.18

gābhī saba caudike śuṅke prabhura śrī-aṅga
dūra kaile nāhi chāḍe prabhura śrī-aṅga-saṅga

Translation: All the cows around the Lord were sniffing His transcendental body. When the devotees tried to check them, they refused to give up their association with the transcendental body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: Even the cows, by sniffing and licking the body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were experiencing ecstasy! And they did not want to give up the association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.19

prabhura caitanyasampādane bahuyatna o gṛhe ānayana:—

aneka karilā yatna, nā haya cetana
prabhure uṭhāñā ghare ānilā bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: The devotees tried to rouse the Lord by various means, but His consciousness did not return. Therefore they all lifted Him and brought Him back home.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the devotees of Lord Caitanya were doing this personal, confidential service and Lord Gaurāṅga, He was in this state of extreme transcendental bliss, it cannot be aroused.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya is Seen Lying Unconscious Among the Cows
Under the section: The Transcendental Madness of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Haribol! So, in this way, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is experiencing the transcendental madness, the ecstatic symptoms of Rādhārāṇī in Her love for Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

There is no way really to explain His ecstasies. It is just that we should hear and digest, they are beyond description.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!