20231118 - Chapter 5 - Śrī Caitanya-abhakta-nindā part2

The following is a Sri Chaitanya Chandrāmṛtam Class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 18th, 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!

Continuing the commentary on the Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam.

Śrī-caitanyābhakta-nindā -Criticism of the Non-devotees of Lord Caitanya (Part 2)

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 5.33:

sāvaraṇa-śrī-gaurakṛpā vyatīta sarvasādhana-sampanna puruṣerao nigūḍha premalābha asambhava
(without the mercy of Gaura who is surrounded by the associates, even a person performing all sādhana cannot get secret love)

pāṣāṇaḥ pariṣecato ‘mṛta-rasair naivāṅkuraḥ sambhavet
lāṅgūlaṁ saramāpater vivṛṇataḥ syād asya naivārjavam
hastāv unnayatā budhāḥ katham aho dhāryaṁ vidhor maṇḍalaṁ
sarvaṁ sādhanam astu gaura-karuṇābhāve na bhāvotsavaḥ

Anuvāda: he sudhīsamāja, prastarakhaṇḍa amṛtarase pariṣikta haileo yemana tāhāte kakhanai aṅkurodgama sambhava haya nā, sārameya puccha prasārita haileo yemana tāhā kakhanai saralatā prāpta haya nā, bāhuyugala uttolana karilei yemana keha candramaṇḍala sparśa karite pāre nā; aho! Seirūpa sarva-sādhana-sampanna haileo kehai śrī-gaurasundarera kṛpā vyatīta premānanda-lābhera adhikārī haite pāre nā.

Translation: O society of learned scholars! A stone can never sprout, even if sprinkled with the juice of nectar. A dog's tail can never become straight, even if stretched out. By raising of one’s two hands, no one can touch the moon. In the same way, even if all sādhana is performed, no one is qualified to obtain the happiness of love without the mercy of Gaurasundara.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He descended to give out the secret love of Kṛṣṇa, and those who have taken His shelter, they are very blessed. So, one should try to get the shelter of Lord Caitanya. That’s the best way, the way to get love of Kṛṣṇa. Some examples are given how we could try to touch the moon and do all kinds of things, just to make it clear that actually the mercy of Lord Caitanya in this age should not be missed out on! Rather, we should take advantage that Lord Kṛṣṇa has come as Lord Caitanya and He is giving out this secret love, what was not easily available in previous yugas, has now become accessible by the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Śrīla Prabhupāda would walk on the roof here, and one day he was looking down and he saw a whole tribe of insects, ants, moving from one place to another. Śrīla Prabhupāda was commenting we look down and think how insignificant they are. They have such a short lifespan. In the same way, the devas look down upon us and our one year is like one day for them. So, in the universe there is such a difference between one living entity and another. But especially Lord Caitanya, He comes in this Kali-yuga, there is a Golden Age where Lord Caitanya gives everyone Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

A person without the shelter of Lord Caitanya is poor

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 5.34

anāśrita-gaurapādapadma vyaktii daridra—

avatīrṇe gauracandre vistīrṇe prema-sāgare
su-prakāśita-ratnaughe yo dīno dīna eva saḥ

Anuvāda: vistīrṇa premaratnākare gauravidhu samudita haiyā śravaṇa kīrtanādi navavidha-bhaktiratnarāji suprakāśita kariyāchena. Erūpa suyogeo ye vyakti daridrai thākiyā gela, se nitānta hatabhāgya sandeha nāi.

Translation: The advent of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is just like an expanding ocean of nectar. One who does not collect the valuable jewels within this ocean is certainly the poorest of the poor.

Translation [Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura]: Rising in the expansive ocean of love, the Gaura moon (Lord Caitanya) has well illuminated the jewels of nine forms of devotional service headed by śravaṇa kīrtana. In spite of such an opportunity, the person who remains poor is unfortunate. There is no doubt.

Commentary (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura):

avatīrṇe gauracandre—when the Gaura moon (Lord Caitanya) rises;

vistīrṇe prema-sāgare—in the expansive ocean of loving mellow;

su-prakāśita-ratnaughe—in the well illuminated ocean of jewel, i.e., when the jewels in the ocean of jewel of nectar is well illuminated by the bright effulgence of Śrī Gauracandra (jewel- the nine forms of devotional service headed by śravaṇa kīrtana or the jewel garland of names such as ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa, or the groups of ecstasies nourished by the ingredients of ecstatic symptoms such as (1) vibhāva —special symptoms or causes of ecstasy, (2) anubhāva —subsequent ecstasy, (3) sāttvika-bhāva —constitutional or existential ecstasy, (4) vyabhicārī-bhāva —aggressive ecstasy and (5) sthāyi-bhāva —fervent or continuous ecstasy;

yaḥ dīnaḥ —a person who remains poor;

dīnaḥ eva saḥ —he is indeed poor i.e., because his poverty will never disappear for he gives up the many jewels of ocean of love that are well illuminated by the rays of the moon of Lord Caitanya but desires to search elsewhere for the particles of sediment from cast iron, i.e., the foolishness is not removed of a person who does not take shelter of the lotus feet of moon of Gaura. Forever taking care of false wealth, he will forever be deprived of the real wealth of love.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He descends and illuminates the ocean so that especially the jewels of nine practices of devotional service, they are illuminated. In Navadvīpa Dhāma these nine processes of devotional service, each of the nine islands of Navadvīpa is related to one of the nine processes. Lord Caitanya has come to illuminate the ocean, so we can see where the treasure is. The treasure is everlasting. So, we should try for the treasures which is revealed by Lord Caitanya. Some people, they are very much addicted to trying out various means to satisfy their senses – here Lord Caitanya is saying that by these nine practices of bhakti, that is revealed by Lord Caitanya. So, rather than trying for some lesser goal, we should try for the highest goal, pure love of Kṛṣṇa. Hari bol!

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

So, Lord Caitanya is conferring pure love so please stay fixed up. So, a person is deemed poor if he doesn’t take the mercy of Lord Caitanya and he continues to be poor if he doesn’t subsequently take it. So normally He is giving away the mercy, Lord Caitanya now it is given and people should take advantage of the mercy, otherwise, they will remain poor.