20231201 Chapter 7 Firm Devotion to the Worshipable Object (Part 6)

The following is a Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja, on December 1st, 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! Dear Devotees! Today we will be continuing with comentation of the Śrī Caitanya Candrāmṛtam. We will continue chapter 7. Chapter entitled:

upāsya-niṣṭhā – Firm devotion to the worshipable object

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 7.76

vibhāva, anubhāvādi bhāvaśāvalyayukta śrī-gaurahari

Śrī Gaurahari with bhāva-śābalya (mixing of ecstatic symptoms) of vibhāva, anubhāva and so on

kṣaṇaṁ kṣīnaḥ pīnaḥ kṣaṇam ahaha sāśruḥ kṣaṇam atha
kṣaṇaṁ smeraḥ śītaḥ kṣaṇam anala-taptaḥ kṣaṇam api
kṣaṇaṁ dhāvan stabdhaḥ kṣaṇam adhika-jalpan kṣaṇam aho
kṣaṇaṁ mūko gauraḥ sphuratu mama deho bhagavataḥ

Kṣaṇe kṛśa, kṣaṇe skula, kṣaṇe premānandāśru-pūrṇalocana, kṣaṇe hāsya-vadana, kṣaṇe śītala, kṣaṇe paritapta, kṣaṇe dhāvamāna, kṣaṇe stambhita, kṣaṇe bahubhāṣī evaṁ kṣaṇe maunī etādṛśa kṛṣṇera gaura-kalevara āmāra hṛdaye sphūrttilābha karuna.

Kṛṣṇa’s golden body which, at one moment is thin, at one moment fat, at one moment with eyes filled with tears of loving happiness, at one moment with smiling face, at one moment cool, at one moment burning all over, at one moment running, at one moment stunned, at one moment speaking a lot and at one moment silent, be manifest in my heart.

Commentary (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): kṣaṇam kṣīnaḥ— at one moment he would be thin, due to being in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s prolonged separation from Kṛṣṇa in Mathurā;

Jayapatākā Swami: So sometimes Lord Caitanya would be feeling so much separation so He naturally becomes thin.

kṣaṇam pīnaḥ— and then again in another moment would be fat because of the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa while in the feelings of separation;

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya, He would be in different moods. Sometimes in separation of Kṛṣṇa, He became bigger, fatter.

kṣaṇam smeraḥ— due to the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, joking and laughing with Him and thus the face is with gentle smile for a moment;

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya in His mood, speaking with Kṛṣṇa, He would sometimes be joking and He would take a very special face.

kṣaṇam śītaḥ— becoming cool in a moment due to manifestation of Kṛṣṇa after being scorched by the heat of separation;

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He would experience heat, this is not due to fever but His ecstasy of feeling separation of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This type of heat will cool down very quickly.

kṣaṇam anala-taptaḥ— burning within because of prema-vaicittya (due to abundance of love that brings about grief from fear of future separation of fire, although Kṛṣṇa is present);

Jayapatākā Swami: So, In the prema-sarovara, Rādhārāṇī heard that Madhusudana had left, so therefore She was overwhelmed in separation. But actually Kṛṣṇa was still there. So, this kind of separation is something very special and Rādhārāṇī would experience that out of Her extreme love for Kṛṣṇa.

kṣaṇam dhāvan— running for a moment, because of being absorbed in the feelings that Kṛṣṇa is going and running after Him;

Jayapatākā Swami: So sometimes Rādhārāṇī thinks that Kṛṣṇa has left and is running after Him.

stabdhaḥ kṣaṇam— at the next moment becoming stunned, because of going again where Kṛṣṇa is present and touching His body becoming stunned (stambha is one of the symptoms of aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāva);

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes Lord Caitanya would be running after Lord Kṛṣṇa in the feeling of separation. But once He reaches Kṛṣṇa, sometimes He would be stunned, which is one of the aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāva.

kṣaṇam adhika jalpan aho— “Oh! Oh! Debauchee! Oh! Destroyer of the vows of the chaste women! Don’t you touch me,” doing prajalpa like this for a moment;

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rādhārāṇī would sometimes feel different emotions, this is one example where She is telling Kṛṣṇa, don’t touch Me.

kṣaṇam mūkaḥ— and then in a next moment silent for a while filled with māna (wounded sense of honour, anger, indignation excited by jealousy, caprice, sulking);

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rādhārāṇī would feel sometimes this māna, Lord Caitanya He would also feel Rādhārāṇī’s mood. So, like this, Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa but He has a golden body. So, the body is described in the verse, sometimes thin, sometimes fat, sometimes this and sometimes that and the explanation for the different aspects of Lord Caitanya’s ecstasy of pure love is given below.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 7.77

deśa-kāla o pātrādira vicāra-rahita, nirapekṣa-bhāve premapradātā śrī-gaurahari

Without the consideration of time, place and circumstances, Gaurahari impartially gives love

pātrāpātra-vicāraṇaṁ na kurute na svaṁ paraṁ vīkṣyate
deyādeya-vimarśako na hi na vā kāla-pratīkṣaḥ prabhuḥ
sadyo yaḥ śravaṇekṣaṇa-praṇamana-dhyānādinā durlabhaṁ
dhatte bhakti-rasaṁ sa eva bhagavān gauraḥ paraṁ me gatiḥ

Ye prabhu (svatantra īśvara) pātrāpātrera vicāra, ātmapara-darśana, deyādeya-vicāra athavā kālākāla pratīkṣā karena nā, śravaṇa, darśana, praṇāma o dhyānādi dvārā sudurllabha bhaktirasa tatkṣaṇāt pradāna karena, sei bhagavān gaurasundarai āmāra ekamātra gati৷

That independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, Gaurahari, who does not consider who is a fit candidate and who is not, who does not see mine and another’s, who does not consider who is to be given or not to be given, who does not abide by proper time or improper time, who gives the mellow of devotional service that is rarely attained by hearing, seeing, obeisances, meditation and so on, be my only goal of life.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, people are wondering how they can achieve pure devotional service. But Lord Caitanya as the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, He does not consider that this person is qualified and this person is not. He is independent, He can give anyone at any time. He came in this Kali-yuga with the goal to deliver all the people. Who wants the mercy of Lord Caitanya? Gaurāṅga! So there is no guarantee any other way, but if you have the mercy of Lord Caitanya, then you are guaranteed. That’s why the devotees, they want the mercy of Lord Caitanya. That’s the way that they can achieve all success. Haribol! Gaurāṅga!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 7.78

pūrvokta vākyera dṛṣṭānta—

The example for the previous statement of 77

pāpīyān api hīna-jātir api duḥśīloʼpi duṣkarmaṇāṁ
sīmāpi śvapacādhamoʼpi satataṁ durvāsanāḍhyoʼpi ca
durdeśa-prabhavoʼpi tatra vihitāvāsoʼpi duḥsaṅgato
naṣṭoʼpy uddhṛta eva yena kṛpayā taṁ gauram evāśraye

Gopāla-cāpāla-prabhṛti ati-pātakī, darjjī-yavana prabhṛti nīcajāti, kadarya-svabhāva-viśiṣṭa vyakti, duṣkarmera caramasīmāya upanīta jagāi-mādhāi pramukha akarma o vikarmaparāyaṇa vyakti, kukurabhojī caṇḍāla apekṣā adhama jīva, sarvadā durvāsanārata, gaṅgā o pāṇḍava-varjjita durdeśa jāta o durdeśe vasavāsakārī evaṁ asatsaṅge naṣṭavyaktio yāṅhāra kṛpāya uddhāra lābha kariyāchena, sei gaurasundarakei āmi ekamātra āśraya kari.

I take shelter of that Gaurasunda, by whose mercy, even the most sinful persons, such as Gopāla-cāpāla, even the low caste, such as the meat-eater sewing garments for Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, even the persons with bad behavior, even those who have reached the limit of engagement in very abominable activities of abducting another’s wife, drinking liquor, such as Jagāi and Mādhai, even those lower than the caṇḍāla (dog-eater), even those with constant material desires, even those who are born in the unholy places that are not visited by the Pāṅḍavas or where the Gaṅgā does not flow, even those who reside in those unholy places due to their evil actions and even those spoiled due to bad association, were all delivered. I certainly take shelter of Him alone.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this verse tells us all kinds of fallen souls, people who are involved in sinful activities, how they were delivered by Lord Gaurāṅga. So, the author he is saying, therefore I want the mercy of Lord Gaurāṅga. I mean, you may know someone who is very sinful but he can be delivered by Lord Caitanya. Just like I told that story downstairs, they were trying to rob Lord Nityānanda. They were very sinful people, but they surrendered to Lord Nityānanda they got delivered. So, if there is someone who you think there is no hope, too fallen, he can be delivered by Lord Caitanya. Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! ? So one may be so much implicated in sinful life but they can be delivered by Lord Caitanya, but they should promise they won’t do any more sin after initiation.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 7.79

svayaṁ bhagavān vrajendranandanai rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita gaurasundara—

The original Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja is Gaurasundara who is characterized by the emotions and bodily luster of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī

kalindatanayā-taṭe sphurad amanda-vṛndāvanaṁ
vihāya lavaṇāmbudheḥ pulina-puṣpa-vāṭīṁ gataḥ
dhṛtāruṇa-paṭaḥ parīhṛta-su-pīta-vāsās haris
tirohita-nija-cchaviḥ prakaṭa-gaurimā me gatiḥ

Yini kalinda-nandinī-taṭe vṛndāvana parityāga kariyā lavaṇa-bāridhira-upakūlastha puṣpodyāne gamana kariyāchena, yini paramaśobhāmaya pītavasana parityāga kariyā aruṇa-vasana dhāraṇa kariyāchena, yini nijavarṇa arthāt kṛṣṇavarṇa (āpanāra priyatamā kāntā śrīmatī rādhikāra bhāva o kānti dvārā) ācchādita kariyā gaurakānti prakaṭa kariyāchena, sei śrī-harii āmāra ekamātra gati.

He who, giving up the banks of Yamunā in beautifully manifested Vṛndāvana has gone to the flower garden on the banks of the ocean of salt, giving up the supremely beautiful yellow cloth has accepted the saffron cloth and covering his own black color (covering by His dearest lover Śrimatī Rādhikā’s mood and complexion) has manifested the golden complexion, that Śrī alone be my only goal.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa, He was in Vṛndāvana in the beautiful gardens. When He came as Gaurāṅga, He was in the garden by the side of the salt ocean. He took the color and mood of Rādhārāṇī. So, the author’s single-pointed objective is to get the mercy of Lord Gaurāṅga. So, the six Gosvāmī’s, they were absorbed in feeling separation from Rādhā Mādhava and that’s the teaching of Lord Caitanya, that we should be in the mood of separation and in this way by being in the mood of separation, we can actually be in close contact with Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya appeared in this audārya-dhāma, He went to the salt ocean side in the holy Dhāma of ...We asked Śrīla Prabhupāda can we also get the holy places in Jagannātha Puri?