20231113 Chapter 4 Śrī Caitanya-bhakta-mahimā (Part 3)

The following is a Śrī Caitanya Candrāmṛtam Class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 13th, 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 2. The Glories of the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 4

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 4.24

kāyika, vācika, mānasika, buddhija sadguṇāvalī gaurabhaktera nyāya anyatra nāi—

tṛṇād api ca nīcatā sahaja-saumya-mugdhākṛtiḥ
sudhā-madhura-bhāṣitā viṣaya-gandha-thūthūt-kṛtiḥ
hari-praṇaya-vihvalā kim api dhīr anālambitā
bhavanti kila sad-guṇā jagati gaura-bhājām amī

Anuvāda: Tṛṇa apekṣāo sunīcatā arthāt prākṛta-abhimāna-śūnyatā, svābhāvikī-snigdha-kamanīya-mūrti, amṛtera nyāya madhura-bhāṣitā, kṛṣṇa-caitanya-sambandharahita-viṣayagandhe thūtkāritā, haripreme vihvala haiyā ekebāre vāhyajñānaśūnyatā— ei sakala sadguṇa jagate ekamātra gaura-bhakta-gaṇerai haiyā thāke.

Translation [Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura]: Being humbler than a blade of grass, i.e., devoid of mundane materialistic pride, having naturally gentle and charming form, having sweet talk like nectar, contempt for the fragrance of subjects devoid of the relation to Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, devoid of external consciousness due to being overwhelmed by affection for the Lord; these good qualities in the world exist only in the devotees of Lord Gaura.

Jayapatākā Swami: So here the qualities of Lord Caitanya’s devotees are mentioned. They are humble, more humble than a blade of grass, devoid of mundane, materialistic pride, having a naturally gentle and charming form, having sweet talk like nectar and contempt for fragrance of anything which have no connection with Lord Caitanya.

Lord Caitanya, He had three consciousness - external, internal and (deeply internal). He was sometimes able to communicate with the external world and sometimes He was able to communicate with the material world. Sometimes He was absorbed in the affection with the internal world. These qualities exist only in the devotees of Lord Caitanya. So, the devotees would naturally feel very ecstatic in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, they would see the things very esoterically. These are the qualities of Lord Caitanya’s devotees.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 4.25

śrī-gaurabhaktagaṇa sadya ye nigūḍhaprema lābha karena, koṭī koṭī prasiddha karmi-jñāni-yogi-gurusevaka vā koṭī koṭī śruti-smṛti-pāṭhakera tāhā asambhava—

upāsatāṁ vā guru-varya-koṭir
adhīyatāṁ vā śruti-śāstra-koṭiḥ
caitanya-kāruṇya-katākṣa-bhājāṁ
sadyaḥ paraṁ syād dhi rahasya-lābhaḥ

Anuvāda: (Gaura pādapadma-anāśrita) koṭisaṃkhyaka śreṣṭha-gurura āśraya-grahaṇai karuk arthāt tāṅhādera nikaṭa yata kichui nā bhagavad-bhajana-mārga śikṣā karuk, athavā (āgamanigamādi) koṭi-koṭi śruti-śāstrai adhyayana karuk (tāhāte nigūḍha premalābhera sambhāvanā nāi); kintu śrī-caitanyadevera kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-labdha-vyaktigaṇera niścayai sadya (sei) nigūḍha-premaprāpti haiyā thāke.

Translation [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura]: One may learn whatever about the worship of the Lord by taking shelter of millions of the best gurus who do not have the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, or one may study millions of Vedic literatures, but there is no possibility of secret love in those. Those who have obtained the merciful sidelong glance of Lord Caitanya, certainly and immediately get that secret love.

Jayapatākā Swami: If one wants to understand the secret love of Lord Caitanya, this verse explains that even if they study millions of books, and if they try in various ways, they cannot get the secret love, but in one moment they can get it from Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya, He gives out His mercy very freely and in this way one can understand love of Krsna. People if they don’t take advantage of Lord Caitanya’s mercy, then they waste so much time in useless pursuits.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam, 4.26

gaurabhaktera svabhāvasiddha-guṇagrāmera koṭyaṃśera leśao apare nāi—

āstāṁ vairāgya-koṭir bhavatu śama-dama-kṣānti-maitrādi-koṭiś
tattvānudhyāna-koṭir bhavatu bhavatu vā vaiṣṇavī bhakti-koṭiḥ
koṭy-aṁśo ‘py asya na syāt tad api guṇa-gaṇo yaḥ svataḥ-siddha āste
śrīmāc-caitanyacandra-priya-caraṇa-nakha-jyotir-āmoda-bhājām

Anuvāda: Pravala vairāgyai hauk, śama-dama-kṣātti-maitrādi asaṃkhyaguṇai thākuka, nirantara brahma o jīvātmāra aikyaviṣariṇī cintā-koṭi vā hṛdaya adhikāra karuka, athavā viṣṇu-sambandhinī koṭī-bhakti vartamāna thākuka, śrī-caitanya-candra priya-bhaktagaṇera padanakhajyotiḥ-pramodita janasamūhe ye svabhāva-siddha guṇāvalī sadā varttamāna, tāhāra koṭi-aṃśera eka aṃśao anyatra asambhava.

Translation [Śrīla Prabhupāda]: The qualities of one engaged in the service of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu— such as reputation, austerities, penances and knowledge—are not to be compared to the good qualities of others. Such is the perfection of a devotee always engaged in the service of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (Madhya 8.246, Purport)

Translation [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura]: Be it strong renunciation or let there be innumerable qualities such as controlling the mind, controlling the senses, tolerance and friendliness, or let there be millions of incessant thoughts in the heart on the subjects of oneness of the living entity and Brahman or let millions of devotional service related to Lord Viṣṇu prevail. Nevertheless, the self-perfected qualities, that are always present in those persons who have obtained happiness from the nails of the feet of the devotee of Śrī Caitanyacandra who possesses all opulence, are impossible elsewhere even to a millionth part.

Jayapatākā Swami: One may do various austerities, penances, etc. but none of this would equal even a small bit of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy. Lord Caitanya, He is giving out His mercy in a way which is inconceivable and for the devotees just try to understand Lord Caitanya by serving the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya’s devotee. So somehow this may not be understood but the devotee of Lord Caitanya, he is overwhelmed in taking even a small portion of mercy. So, the author is glorifying the nails of the toes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, how rare and how wonderful are the nail toes, it can awaken the hidden secret devotion. So, Lord Caitanya, He was giving out this devotion very freely. So, the devotee doesn’t know what he is missing if he is not able to get such secret love for Lord Caitanya.