20231112 Chapter 4 Śrī Caitanya-bhakta-mahimā (Part 2)

The following is a Śrī Caitanya Candrāmṛtam Class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 12th, 2023 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, 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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Today we will be continuing with comentation of the Śrī Caitanya Candrāmṛtam Chapter 4.

The Glories of the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 4.22 &23

dharmakṛt, viṣṇusevī, tīrthabhrāmī vā vedapāraga haileo gaurabhakta-pāda-sevā-vyatīta vedaguhya-vrajatattva kāhārao avagatira viṣaya haya nā—

ācarya dharmaṁ paricarya viṣṇuṁ
vicarya tīrthāni vicārya vedān
vinā na gaura-priya-pāda-sevāṁ
vedādi-duṣprāpya-padaṁ vidanti

Anuvāda: Varṇāśramadharma-paripālana, viṣṇura arcana, śataśata tīrtha- paribhramaṇa, nikhila veda-śāstra-vicāra prabhṛti kariyāo gaurapriyajanera pādapadma-sevā-vyatīta kehai vedādira durllabha pada (śrī-rādhā-govindera cid-vilāsakṣetra śrīdhāma vṛndāvanera sandhāna) jānite pārena nā.

Translation [Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura]: Even by following the rules of varṇāśrama-dharma, worshiping Lord Viṣṇu, visiting hundreds of holy pilgrimage places, and studying the Vedic scriptures, without serving the lotus feet of the dear devotees of Lord Gaura, no one can know Śrīdhāma Vṛndāvana, the abode of Rādhā Govinda, which is rarely found by the Vedas or which is not understood by ordinary persons because it is very secretly described in the Vedic scriptures.

Jayapatākā Swami: So here how the secret of Vṛndāvana is kept from the Vedas, and how people cannot know the holy land of Vṛndāvana, the abode of Rādhā Govinda, which is not easily understood by ordinary people, and because it is very secretly described in the Vedic scriptures, so sometimes we hear that the Vedic scriptures don’t have something, that means that it’s put in a secret way, and that is not easily accessible even to the Vedic scriptures. So, the Bhagavad-gītā is presenting the secrets. We hear that some people, they don’t like to go deep into the tattva of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They think it is not readily accessible to those who study Bhāgavata-sandarbha. This story about Vṛndāvana is revealed, but yes, it is very special and Lord Caitanya, He wants to keep it that way. So, somehow on one hand the devotees are keeping Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is the secret, but on the other side, the devotees like to present Bhagavad-gītā. So Lord Caitanya, when He would talk about Vṛndāvana, His ecstasy would increase a hundred times. When He came to Mathurā, then His ecstasy increased a thousand times. And when He started to go in to Vṛndāvana, His ecstasy increased a thousand times and His secretary was worried that if Lord Caitanya’s ecstasy is so great, that if He increases it more, he won’t be able to control Him. So, he requested Lord Caitanya to go outside Vṛndāvana.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 4.23

gaura-pādanakhaśobhākṛṣṭa bhaktera nikaṭa jagatera yāvatīya śreṣṭha-vastu, śreṣṭha-dharma samastai tuccha—

apārāvāraṁ ced amṛtamaya-pāthodhim adhikam
vimathya prāptaṁ syāt kim api paramaṁ sāram atulam
tathāpi śrī-gaurākṛti-madana-gopāla-caraṇa-cchaṭā-
spṛṣṭānāṁ tad vahati vikaṭām eva kaṭutām

Anuvāda: Ubhayakūlahīna amṛtamaya samudra yadi atyanta adhikarūpe manthana kariyā konao anirvacanīya paramotkṛṣṭa sāravān nirupamavastuo utthita haya, tathāpi tāhā rādhā-bhāva-dyutisuvalita kṛṣṇa-svarūpa madana-gopālera arthāt śrī-gaurasundarera caraṇa-kiraṇaspṛṣṭa-janagaṇera nikaṭa atyanta kaṭu baliyāi bodha haiyā thāke.

Translation [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura]: If by greatly churning the shoreless ocean of nectar, an indescribable greatly essential substance which is without comparison is produced, nevertheless that seems to be greatly bitter to those who are attracted by the effulgence of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the form of Madanagopāla who is characterized by the emotions and bodily luster of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī (Śrī Gaurasundara).

Jayapatākā Swami: This is glorifying Lord Gaurāṅga, who is Kṛṣṇa taking the mood of Rādhārāṇī. So, the nectar which is produced by this churning of the ocean is very sweet. But for those who haven’t awakened their natural attraction to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, or their attraction to Kṛṣṇa, they found this nectar very bitter. So, Lord Caitanya, He wanted to understand what Rādhārāṇī felt for Him. Therefore, Lord Kṛṣṇa, He took the form of Lord Gaurāṅga. So, this verse tells the secret of Lord Caitanya’s ecstasy. So, it’s not easy to understand Lord Caitanya. The Lord, He is understood by the pure devotees.

Have you churned the limitless ocean of nectar? Lord Śiva, when the demons, and the demigods, while churning the ocean, produced poison, Lord Śiva drank all the poison, and therefore His neck turned blue. But here we see that Lord Caitanya, when no ocean was churned, but then it was turned into nectar.

So that’s what Lord Caitanya does, He turns everything into nectar. Haribol!

In Māyāpur are you tasting the nectar? Haribol!

Haribol!