20230709 The Fisherman Awakens His Dormant Love of Kṛṣṇa by Touching Lord Caitanya

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 9^th July 2023 in

Śrī Mayapur, India

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

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Introduction: Today we are continuing reading for the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled is:

The Fisherman Awakens His Dormant Love of Kṛṣṇa by Touching Lord Caitanya

Under the section: Rescuing the Lord from the Sea

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.44

adbhuta-bhāvāviṣṭa eka dhīvarasaha sākṣātkāra:—

dekhena—eka jāliyā āise kāndhe jāla kari’
hāse, kānde, nāce, gāya, bale ‘hari’ ‘hari’

Translation: Passing along the beach, they saw a fisherman approaching with his net over his shoulder. Laughing, crying, dancing and singing, he kept repeating the holy name “Hari, Hari.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari! So, this was very unusual that the fisherman was laughing, crying, dancing, singing and he is always chanting the name Hari! Hari! Hari Hari! Hari Hari! What’s the secret? Why is he chanting, dancing, singing?

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.45

dhīvarake tāhāra bhāvāveśera kāraṇa jijñāsā:—

jāliyāra ceṣṭā dekhi’ sabāra camatkāra
svarūpa-gosāñi tāre puchena samācāra

Translation: Seeing the activities of the fisherman, everyone was astonished. Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, therefore, asked him for information.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī obviously suspected something, so he asked information from the fisherman, that why he was acting in this strange way.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.46

grahāviṣṭa dhīvarakarttṛka prabhura saṁvāda o abasthā-varṇana:

“kaha, jāliyā, ei dike dekhilā eka-jana?
tomāra ei daśā kene,—kahata’ kāraṇa?”

Translation: “My dear fisherman,” he said, “why are you behaving like this? Have you seen someone hereabouts? What is the cause of your behavior? Please tell us.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī addressed the fisherman with great respect and asked him why has he doing all these things? Maybe he touched Lord Caitanya! Maybe he saw Lord Caitanya!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.47

jāliyā kahe,—“ihāṅ eka manuṣya nā dekhila
jāla vāhite eka mṛtaka mora jāle āila

Translation: The fisherman replied, “I have not seen a single person here, but while casting my net in the water, I captured a dead body.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, he thought he had captured a dead body.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.48

baḍa matsya bali’ āmi uṭhāiluṅ yatane
mṛtaka dekhite mora bhaya haila mane

Translation: “I lifted it with great care, thinking it a big fish, but as soon as I saw that it was a corpse, great fear arose in my mind.

Jayapatākā Swami: Naturally, he became fearful when he thought he was catching a corpse and he became very fearful.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.49

jāla khasāite tāra aṅga-sparśa ha-ila
sparśa-mātre sei bhūta hṛdaye paśila

Translation: “As I tried to release the net, I touched the body, and as soon as I touched it, a ghost entered my heart.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, trying to release the net from the corpse, he touched the corpse and he thought the ghost had entered his body. Because he was feeling great love for Kṛṣṇa. If a ghost enters your body, you can’t be chanting Hari Hari! Let us go on!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.50

bhaye kampa haila, mora netre vahe jala
gadgada vāṇī, roma uṭhila sakala

Translation: “I shivered in fear and shed tears. My voice faltered, and all the hairs on my body stood up.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, all these are symptoms of aṣṭa-sāttvika bhāva, ecstatic love of Godhead, but being fearful, he was afraid of the symptoms. Otherwise, hairs standing on end, voice choking up, these are symptoms of love of Godhead.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.51

kibā brahma-daitya, kibā bhūta, kahane nā yāya
darśana-mātre manuṣyera paiśe sei kāya

Translation: “I do not know whether the corpse I found was the ghost of a dead brāhmaṇa or an ordinary man, but as soon as one looks upon it, the ghost enters his body.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.52

śarīra dīghala tāra—hāta pāṅca-sāta
ekeka-hasta-pada tāra, tina tina hāta

Translation: “The body of this ghost is very long, five to seven cubits. Each of its arms and legs is as much as three cubits long.

Jayapatākā Swami: A cubit is like a foot and a half, so Lord Caitanya, He would in His ecstasy, sometimes, His body would become elongated and His arms were just held together by His skin and He would look thus in this amazing form!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.53

asthi-sandhi chuṭile carma kare naḍa-baḍe
tāhā dekhi’ prāṇa kā’ra nāhi rahe dhaḍe

Translation: “Its joints are all separated beneath the skin, which is completely slack. No one could see it and remain alive in his body.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the fisherman by seeing Lord Caitanya in this state, had become very frightened. But he was simultaneously experiencing ecstatic love of Krsna.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.54

maḍā-rūpa dhari’ rahe uttāna-nayana
kabhu goṅ-goṅ kare, kabhu rahe acetana

Translation: “That ghost has taken the form of a corpse, but He keeps his eyes open. Sometimes He utters the sounds ‘goṅ-goṅ,’ and sometimes He remains unconscious.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He would, in His ecstasy, make gurgling sounds in His throat, ‘goṅ-goṅ,’ the fisherman thought this is a ghost!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.55

sākṣāt dekhechoṅ,—more pāila sei bhūta
mui maile mora kaiche jīve strī-put

Translation: “I have seen that ghost directly, and He is haunting me. But if I die, who will take care of my wife and children?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, he was very afraid of this ghost that he had seen and he was afraid that he may die and if he dies who would take care of his family!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.56

sei ta’ bhūtera kathā kahana nā yāya
ojhā-ṭhāñi yāichoṅ,—yadi se bhūta chāḍāya

Translation: “The ghost is certainly very difficult to talk about, but I am going to find an exorcist and ask him if he can release me from it.

Jayapatākā Swami: He is thinking that he is going to be saved by an exorcist.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.57

śrī-nṛsiṃha-smaraṇe sakala vipadavināśa:—

ekā rātrye buli’ matsya māriye nirjane
bhūta-preta āmāra nā lāge ‘nṛsiṁha’-smaraṇe

Translation: “I wander alone at night killing fish in solitary places, but because I remember the hymn to Lord Nṛsiṁha, ghosts do not touch me.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, he would chant Narsiṁha mantra and thus he would be protected from all kinds of ghosts.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.58

ei bhūta nṛsiṁha-nāme cāpaye dviguṇe
tāhāra ākāra dekhite bhaya lāge mane

Translation: “This ghost, however, overcomes me with redoubled strength when I chant the Nṛsiṁha mantra. When I even see the form of this ghost, great fear arises in my mind.

Jayapatākā Swami: This fisherman after touching Lord Caitanya in His ecstatic transformation, he was experiencing all kinds of ecstatic symptoms. When he chanted the name of Narasiṁhadeva those symptoms increased twofold in him. Because he was chanting the name of Narasiṁha, his ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa naturally increases!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.59

othā nā yāiha, āmi niṣedhi tomāre
tāhāṅ gele sei bhūta lāgibe sabāre”

Translation: “Do not go near there. I forbid you. If you go, that ghost will catch you all.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.60

svarūpera prabhusandhānaprāpti-viṣaye yathārthānumāna:—

eta śuni’ svarūpa-gosāñi saba tattva jāni’
jāliyāre kichu kaya sumadhura vāṇī

Translation: Hearing this, Svarūpa Dāmodara could understand the full truth of the matter. He spoke sweetly to the fisherman.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.61

svarūpera dhīvarake āśvāsana o bhayāpanodana:—

‘āmi—baḍa ojhā jāni bhūta chāḍāite’
mantra paḍi’ śrī-hasta dilā tāhāra māthāte

Translation: “I am a famous exorcist,” he said, “and I know how to rid you of this ghost.” He then chanted some mantras and placed his hand on top of the fisherman’s head.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī figured out that he had touched Lord Caitanya and as a result he was experiencing transcendental ecstasy. But simultaneously, he was very afraid because he thought this was a ghost! So Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī is saying to him I am a famous exorcist, I will free you from the ghost. By taking away the fear of the fisherman, he can find out where Lord Caitanya was.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.62

tina cāpaḍa māri’ kahe,—‘bhūta palāila
bhaya nā pāiha’—bali’ susthira karila

Translation: He slapped the fisherman three times and said, “Now the ghost has gone away. Do not be afraid.” By saying this, he pacified the fisherman.

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way the fisherman got pacified and he lost his fear!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.63

eke prema, āre bhaya,—dviguṇa asthira
bhaya-aṁśa gela,—se haila kichu dhīra

Translation: The fisherman was affected by ecstatic love, but he was also fearful. He had thus become doubly agitated. Now that his fear had subsided, however, he had become somewhat normal.

Jayapatākā Swami: The fisherman will now experience the ecstatic love, but without fear.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.64

svarūpa kahe,—“yāṅre tumi kara ‘bhūta’-jñāna
bhūta nahe—teṅho kṛṣṇa-caitanya bhagavān

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara said to the fisherman, “My dear sir, the person you are thinking is a ghost is not actually a ghost but is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Gaurāṅga!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.65

premāveśe paḍilā teṅho samudrera jale
tāṅre tumi uṭhāilā āpanāra jāle

Translation: “Because of ecstatic love, the Lord fell into the sea, and you have caught Him in your net and rescued Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī understood that the fisherman actually rescued Lord Caitanya, who was in a very unusual state of pure ecstatic love.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.66

tāṅra sparśe ha-ila tomāra kṛṣṇa-premodaya
bhūta-preta-jñāne tomāra haila mahā-bhaya

Translation: “Simply touching Him has awakened your dormant love of Kṛṣṇa, but because you thought Him a ghost, you were very much afraid of Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya’s extreme ecstasies of love for Kṛṣṇa , if anyone touched Lord Caitanya, they would also achieve this love of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.67

svarūpakarttṛka dhīvarake prabhu-pradarśanārtha ādeśa:—

ebe bhaya gela, tomāra mana haila sthire
kāhāṅ tāṅre uṭhāñācha, dekhāha āmāre”

Translation: “Now that your fear has gone and your mind is peaceful, please show me where He is.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī had given his command to the fisherman.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.68

buddhibibhrama:—

jāliyā kahe,—“prabhure dekhyāchoṅ bāra-bāra
teṅho nahena, ei ati-vikṛta ākāra”

Translation: The fisherman replied, “I have seen the Lord many times, but this is not He. This body is very much deformed.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The fisherman had never seen Lord Caitanya completely overwhelmed in such ecstatic love.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.69

svarūpera prabhuprema-varṇana:—

svarūpa kahe,—“tāṅra haya premera vikāra
asthi-sandhi chāḍe, haya ati dīrghākāra”

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara said, “The Lord’s body becomes transformed in His love for God. Sometimes the joints of His bones separate, and His body becomes very much elongated.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī is explaining to the fisherman how sometimes Lord Caitanya’s body appears very elongated when he is overwhelmed in ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.70

dhīvarakarttṛka sakalake prabhu-pradarśana; prabhura avasthā

śuni, sei jāliyā ānandita ha-ila
sabā lañā gela, mahāprabhure dekhāila

Translation: Hearing this, the fisherman became very happy. He brought all the devotees with him and showed them Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Gaurāṅga!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.71

bhūmite paḍi’ āche prabhu dīrgha saba kaya
jale śveta-tanu, vālu lāgiyāche gāya

Translation: The Lord was lying on the ground, His body elongated and bleached white by the water. He was covered from head to foot with sand.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu had this appearance, so He was looking very abnormal.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.72

ati-dīrgha śithila tanu-carma naṭkāya
dūra patha uṭhāñā ghare ānāna nā yāya

Translation: The Lord’s body was stretched, and His skin was slack and hanging loose. To lift Him and take Him the long distance home would have been impossible.

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s body was completely elongated and was held together by skin. So, it would not be possible to carry Him all the way to His quarters.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 18.73

prabhura caitanya-sampādanārtha bahu yatna o sevā:—

ārdra kaupīna dūra kari’ śuṣka parāñā
bahirvāse śoyāilā vālukā chāḍāñā

Translation: The devotees removed His wet undergarment and replaced it with a dry one. Then, laying the Lord on an outer cloth, they cleaned the sand from His body.

Jayapatākā Swami: The devotees were taking care of the Lord very carefully, putting Him on dry under cloth and drying Him from all the sand and in this way, they put also a dry kaupīna, and they served the Lord very carefully.

The devotees, they had feared that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu had disappeared, and they found Him, but He was in this ecstatic state. So will we see how He returns to his normal Self tomorrow! Haribol!

Thus ends the chapter entitled, The Fisherman Awakens His Dormant Love of Kṛṣṇa by Touching Lord Caitanya

Under the section: Rescuing the Lord from the Sea

Transcribed by Jayarāseśvarī devī dāsī and Verified by JPS Archives 12^th April 2023