20230601 Overwhelmed with the Ecstasy of the Gopīs, Lord Caitanya Speaks About the Flute and Cupid

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 1st,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!

Continuation of the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book,

Overwhelmed with the Ecstasy of the Gopīs, Lord Caitanya Speaks About the Flute and Cupid
Under the section: The Bodily Transformations of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.20

uccasaṅkīrttane prabhura cetana o arddhavāhyadaśāya āgamana:—

ucca kari’ śravaṇe kare nāma-saṅkīrtana
aneka-kṣaṇe mahāprabhu pāilā cetana

Translation: All the devotees began to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very loudly in the Lord’s ears, and after a considerable time Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu regained consciousness.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.21

cetana ha-ile hasta-pāda bāhire āila
pūrvavat yathā-yogya śarīra ha-ila

Translation: When He regained consciousness, His arms and legs came out of His body, and His whole body returned to normal.

Jayapatākā Swami: Previously Lord Caitanya’s body was like a tortoise. His arms and legs had entered into His body, just like for a tortoise only a small portion is out.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.22

svarūpake nijāvasthā varṇana:—

uṭhiyā vasilena prabhu, cāhena iti-uti
svarūpe kahena,—“tumi āmā ānilā kati?

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stood up and then sat down again. Looking here and there, He inquired from Svarūpa Dāmodara, “Where have you brought Me?

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was initially out of His ecstasy, He would be like half in the present world, and half in what He was in, in meditation. So He was asking Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, “Where have you brought Me?”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.23

veṇu-śabda śuni’ āmi gelāṅa vṛndāvana
dekhi,—goṣṭhe veṇu bājāya vrajendra-nandana

Translation: “After hearing the vibration of a flute, I went to Vṛndāvana, and there I saw that Kṛṣṇa, the son of Mahārāja Nanda, was playing on His flute in the pasturing grounds.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya in His ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa, He would see these things in His vision.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.24

saṅketa-veṇu-nāde rādhā āni’ kuñja-ghare
kuñjere calilā kṛṣṇa krīḍā karibāre

Translation: “He brought Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to a bower by signaling with His flute. Then He entered within that bower to perform pastimes with Her.

Jayapatākā Swami: In Vṛndāvana, there are the bowers in which Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā would have Their pastimes.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.25

tāṅra pāche pāche āmi karinu gamana
tāṅra bhūṣā-dhvanite āmāra harila śravaṇa

Translation: “I entered the bower just behind Kṛṣṇa, My ears captivated by the sound of His ornaments.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.26

gopī-gaṇa-saha vihāra, hāsa, parihāsa
kaṇṭha-dhvani-ukti śuni’ mora karṇollāsa

Translation: “I saw Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs enjoying all kinds of pastimes while laughing and joking together. Hearing their vocal expressions enhanced the joy of My ears.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya by witnessing these pastimes, He was feeling transcendental ecstasy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.27

hena-kāle tumi-saba kolāhala kari’
āmā iṅhā lañā āilā balātkāra kari’

Translation: “Just then, all of you made a tumultuous sound and brought Me back here by force.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya, by the devotees doing kīrtana, brought Him back to Jagannātha Purī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.28

kṛṣṇadhvaniśravaṇa-vañcitaprabhura vilāpa:—

śunite nā pāinu sei amṛta-sama vāṇī
śunite nā pāinu bhūṣaṇa-muralīra dhvani”

Translation: “Because you brought Me back here, I could no longer hear the nectarean voices of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, nor could I hear the sounds of their ornaments or the flute.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was feeling separation from hearing the transcendental vibrations of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.29

bhāvāveśe svarūpe kahena gadgada-vāṇī
‘karṇa tṛṣṇāya mare, paḍa rasāyana, śuni’

Translation: In great ecstasy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to Svarūpa Dāmodara in a faltering voice, “My ears are dying of thirst. Please recite something to quench this thirst. Let Me hear it.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya wanted to hear some transcendental vibrations. His ears were hungry to hear some transcendental vibrations, so He requested Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī to provide that.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.30

gaurādeśe svarūpera ślokapāṭha:—

svarūpa-gosāñi prabhura bhāva jāniyā
bhāgavatera śloka paḍe madhura kariyā

Translation: Understanding the ecstatic emotions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara, in a sweet voice, recited the following verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.31

kṛṣṇaveṇumādhurye sarvavidha sevakai mugdha o ākṛṣṭa [paragraph] śrīmad-bhāgavate (10//29/37)—

Translation: “[The gopīs said:] ‘My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, where is that woman within the three worlds who would not be captivated by the rhythms of the sweet songs coming from Your wonderful flute? Who would not fall down from the path of chastity in this way? Your beauty is the most sublime within the three worlds. Upon seeing Your beauty, even cows, birds, animals and trees in the forest are stunned in jubilation.’”

Purport: This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.29.40).

Jayapatākā Swami: The gopīs are praising Lord Kṛṣṇa’s beauty and His melodious flute playing, and how it attracts the mind of everyone.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.32

gopībhāvāviṣṭa prabhura citrajalpa:—

śuni’ prabhu gopī-bhāve āviṣṭa ha-ilā
bhāgavatera ślokera artha karite lāgilā

Translation: Upon hearing this verse, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, overwhelmed with the ecstasy of the gopīs, began to explain it.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, one of the purposes for Lord Caitanya’s appearance was to experience the ecstasy of His devotees.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.33

kṛṣṇera prati gopīra svīya bhāva-varṇana (citrajalpa):— yathā rāga—

haila gopī-bhāvāveśa, kaila rāse paraveśa,
kṛṣṇera śuni’ upekṣā-vacana

kṛṣṇera mukha-hāsya-vāṇī, tyāge tāhā satya māni’,
roṣe kṛṣṇe dena olāhana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “The gopīs entered the arena of the rāsa dance in ecstasy, but after hearing Kṛṣṇa’s words of negligence and detachment, they understood that He was going to renounce them. Thus they began to chastise Him in anger.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa would assume different moods which would put the gopīs in different kinds of anxiety.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.34

ślokārtha varṇanārambha:—

nāgara, kaha, tumi kariyā niścaya
ei trijagat bhari’, āche yata yogyā nāri
tomāra veṇu kāhāṅ nā ākarṣaya?

Translation: “ ‘O dear lover,’ they said, ‘please answer just one question. Who among all the youthful women within this universe is not attracted by the sound of Your flute?

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, He can produce with His flute a sound that attracts the minds. And the gopīs are chastising the Lord that He attracts them and then He renounces them, it is not fair!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.35

veṇumādhuryabala varṇana:—

kailā jagate veṇu-dhvani, siddha-mantrā yogini
dūtī hañā mohe nārī-mana

mahotkaṇṭhā bāḍāñā, ārya-patha chāḍāñā,
āni’ tomāya kare samarpaṇa

Translation: “ ‘When You play Your flute, the vibration acts like a messenger in the form of a yoginī perfect in the art of chanting mantras. This messenger enchants all the women in the universe and attracts them to You. Then she increases their great anxiety and induces them to give up the regulative principle of obeying superiors. Finally, she forcibly brings them to You to surrender in amorous love.

Jayapatākā Swami: The gopīs are complaining to the tactic of Kṛṣṇa, that His flute playing forcibly brings the gopīs to Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.36

aprākṛta navīna-madana vā kāmadeva anaṅga:—

dharma chāḍāya veṇu-dvāre, hāne kaṭākṣa-kāma-śare,
lajjā, bhaya, sakala chāḍāya

ebe āmāya kari’ roṣa, kahi’ pati-tyāge ‘doṣa’,
dhārmika hañā dharma śikhāya!

Translation: “The vibration of Your flute, accompanied by Your glance, which pierces us forcibly with the arrows of lust, induces us to ignore the regulative principles of religious life. Thus we become excited by lusty desires and come to You, giving up all shame and fear. But now You are angry with us. You are finding fault with our violating religious principles and leaving our homes and husbands. And as You instruct us about religious principles,we become helpless.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the gopīs are explaining what is happening to them.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.37

anya-kathā, anya-mana, bāhire anya ācaraṇa,
ei saba śaṭha-paripāṭī

tumi jāna parihāsa, haya nārīra sarva-nāśa,
chāḍa ei saba kuṭīnāṭī

Translation: “ ‘We know that this is all a well-planned trick. You know how to make jokes that cause the complete annihilation of women, but we can understand that Your real mind, words and behavior are different. Therefore please give up all these clever tricks.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa does various things to test His devotees. And also, to experience different kinds of ecstasies. They are asking Him to please give up these tricks.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.38

veṇu-nāda amṛta-ghole, amṛta-samāna miṭhā bole,
amṛta-samāna bhūṣaṇa-śiñjita

tina amṛte hare kāṇa, hare mana, hare prāṇa,
kemane nārī dharibeka cita?”

Translation: “ ‘The nectarean buttermilk of Your flute’s vibration, the nectar of Your sweet words and the nectarean sound of Your ornaments mix together to attract our ears, minds and lives. In this way You are killing us.’ ”

Jayapatākā Swami: So as we have discussed, there are five types of principal rasas – śānta-rasa – neutral, dāsya-rasa – service and friendship with respect. These three emotions are exhibited in Vaikuṇṭha. In Goloka Vṛndāvana there is friendship, very familiar, the parental love and conjugal love – mādhurya-rasa. So, people take appropriate births and appropriate forms to engage in different relationships with Kṛṣṇa. So, those who take the form of young gopīs, they come to engage in mādhurya-rasa with the Lord. But now, they are describing how Kṛṣṇa attracts their minds, and then when they come and give up everything, He talks to them in a neglectful day and therefore they feel that He is killing them.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 17.39

rādhābhāve prabhura kṛṣṇamādhuryāsvādana:—

eta kahi’ krodhāveśe, bhāvera taraṅge bhāse,
utkaṇṭhā-sāgare ḍube mana

rādhāra utkaṇṭhā-vāṇī, paḍi’ āpane vākhāni,
kṛṣṇa-mādhurya kare āsvādana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke these words in a mood of anger as He floated on waves of ecstatic love. Merged in an ocean of anxiety, He recited a verse spoken by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī expressing the same emotion. Then He personally explained the verse and thus tasted the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa.

Thus ends the chapter, Overwhelmed with the Ecstasy of the Gopīs, Lord Caitanya Speaks About the Flute and Cupid
Under the section: The Transcendental Madness of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu took the position of the gopīs, took the position of the ecstatic love for Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and thus He was realizing the incomparable beauty of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Particular devotees see the Lord in different ways, and the friends will see Kṛṣṇa in one way, parents will see Kṛṣṇa in another way, the gopīs will see Kṛṣṇa in another way. So, in this way, each one sees Kṛṣṇa appropriate to their relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The mundane poets and authors like to compare to compare these things to material activities, but actually these are completely transcendental, and Kṛṣṇa creates different circumstances in order experience different emotions.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!