20231104 Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Class

The following is a Sri Chaitanya Chandrāmṛtam Class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 4th, 2023 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

Continuing with the compilation of Śrī Chaitanya Chandrāmṛtam,

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 4

darśana-sparśanādimātre parama-premada śrī-caitanyera stuti—

dṛṣṭaḥ spṛṣṭaḥ kīrttitaḥ saṁsmṛto vā
dūrasthairapyānato bādṛto vā

premnaḥ sāraṁ dātumīśo ya ekaḥ
śrī-caitanyaṁ naumi devaṁ dayālum

Anuvāda: Yini darśana, sparśana, kīrtana athavā dūrasthita vyakti-gaṇera smaraṇa, namaskāra vā ādarera viṣayībhūta haiyāo premasāra (vipralambha-rasa) pradāne ekamātra samartha, sei dayāla prabhu śrī-caitanyadevake āmi stava kari.

Translation: I offer respects to the Lord Gauranga, a spiritual form, which being seen, touched, glorified, remembered, offered respect from far or simply respected is capable of giving the essence of prema.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He taught us that we can have love for Kṛṣṇa. We should have a vipralambha, or separation. Like when Kṛṣṇa, He went to Mathurā, then all the residents of Vṛndāvana felt a lot of separation. So, some people are Kṛṣṇa conscious, but in a negative way. For instance, Kaṁsa demon, he was completely Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was Kṛṣṇa conscious in a negative way. Because he thought that Kṛṣṇa would come and kill him, so he thought of Kṛṣṇa as his enemy. But he was always thinking about Kṛṣṇa. One time, his two queens came to see him, and one was wearing a white saree, and one was wearing a black saree. He thought that, “Oh! Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma have come to kill me!” But his minister said, “These are your wives!” So, like this, he was always thinking about Kṛṣṇa, but in a negative way. So, because Kṛṣṇa is Absolute, even if we think about Him in a negative way, that’s auspicious. When Kaṁsa was killed, he achieved sārūpya-mukti – he had a similar form like the Lord. So, if we think of Kṛṣṇa positively, then we will be situated in separation. So, Lord Caitanya, He was teaching us that we should think of Kṛṣṇa always, but in separation. The materialists, they try to meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but those who are filled with fear and apprehension, they can naturally think of Kṛṣṇa in a fearful way. So, either we think of Kṛṣṇa negatively, or we think of Kṛṣṇa positively, it’s always all good. Because Kṛṣṇa is all good!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 5

mokṣādi-dhikkārakārī atulasampattiśālī bhaktagaṇera prabhu gauraharira stava—

kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśapūrākāśapuṣpāyate
durdāntendriya-kālasarpapaṭalī protkhātadaṁṣṭrāyate
viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhimahendrādiśca kīṭāyate
yat kāruṇyakaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gaurameva stumaḥ

Anuvāda: Ye gaurasundarera kṛpākaṭākṣa-sampade sampattiśālī gaurabhaktagaṇera nikaṭa yogijanasādhya kaivalya vā īśvara-sāyujya narakatulya, sakāma svadharma-niṣṭha-janera vāñchita vā labdha-phala amarāpurī ākāśa-kusumera nyāya alīka, kālasarpa-rūpa durddānta indriyasakala utpāṭita-viṣa-datta ahi-kulera mata, paridṛśyamān viśva pūrṇa-sukhamaya-dhāma arthāt kṛṣṇa-sevānandamaya evaṁ brahmā-sureśādira padavīo kīṭapadavīvat pratīta haya, sei śrī-gaura-sundarake āmarā stava kari.

Translation: When a devotee has achieved the position of rendering transcendental, loving service to the Lord through the mercy of Lord Caitanya, he thinks the impersonal Brahman to be no better than hell and he regards material happiness in the heavenly planets to be like a will-o'-the-wisp. As far as the mystic powers is concerned the devotee compares it to a venomous snake with no teeth. Although the material world is blazing fire, to a devotee it appears full of pleasure, and he has nothing for which to hanker. Brahmā, Indra and others are considered just like ordinary germs and ordinary flies. I offer my respects to Caitanya Mahāprabhu who has given me these eyes to see.

Commentary by Jayapatākā Swami: So, worshiping Lord Caitanya, He gives such a vision, a how sāyujya-mukti is considered like a will-o’-the-wisp. How demigods like Lord Brahmā, Indra their achievements are like insects. They are not at all attracted to the mystic powers. So, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, they become completely oblivious to this. So, this is a very great achievement. Normally, one is thinking how to achieve this, but the devotees, they achieve automatically. Such is the greatness of Lord Caitanya. So, we should simply try to achieve the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.

Thus ends the commentary for verses 4 and 5 of the Caitanya-Candrāmṛtam by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja.