20231218 Avatāra-mahimā (Part 5)

The following is a Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja, on December 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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continuing with the comentation of the Śrī Caitanya Candrāmṛtam by Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda. Today we will be continuing with the chapter 10. Chapter entitled:

avatāra-mahimā — Avatāra mahimā

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 118

gaurāvatāre brahmādi devatāgaṇera o nityasiddha bhagavat-pārṣada-vargera āvirbhāva

During Gaura-avatāra, demigods like Brahmā and eternal associates of the Lord appear

sarve śaṅkara-nāradādaya ihāyātāḥ svayaṁ śrīr api
prāptā deva-halāyudhopi milito jātāś ca te vṛṣṇayaḥ
bhūyaḥ kiṁ vraja-vāsinopi prakaṭā gopāla-gopy-ādayaḥ
pūrṇe prema-raseśvarevatarati śrī-gauracandre bhuvi

Anuvāda: Prema-rasa-rasika-śiromaṇi svayaṁ bhagavān gauracandra bhūmaṇḍale avatīrṇa haile, śaṅkara, nāradādi sakalei (advaita, śrīvāsa prabhṛti bhaktarūpe) āgamana kariyāchilena svayaṁ lakṣmīo (śrī-lakṣmīpriyā o viṣṇupriyā-rūpe) āvirbhūtā haiyāchilena . Svayaṁ bhagavān haite abhinna tadīya prakāśa-svarūpa baladeva (pāṣaṇḍa-dalanavānā nityānanda rāya-rūpe) virāja karitechilena. yādabagaṇao (śacī, jagannātha prabhṛtite) prakāśita haiyāchilena, āra adhika ki baliba, nandādi vraja-vāsigaṇa, raktaka, citraka prabhṛti dāsagaṇa, subalādi-pramukha sakhāsakala evaṁ gopī-pramukha śaktigaṇa kṛṣṇa-līlāra nityasiddha pārṣada sakalei gaura-līlāya avatīrṇa haiyāchilena.

Translation: When Śrī Gauracandra, the crest jewel of the relishers of the loving mellow, svayam-bhagavān, descended on the earth, then everyone, Śaṅkara in the form of Advaita and Nārada in the form of Śrīvāsa and so on have come. Even Lakṣmī personally in the form of Śrī Lakṣmīpriyā and Viṣṇupriyā have appeared. Even Baladeva who is identical with svayam bhagavān Himself, as a manifestation (prakāśa) existed as Nityānanda-rāya, the subuer of the pāṣaṇḍis. Even the Yādavas were manifested in the form of Śacī, Jagannātha Miśra and so on. What more shall I say? Even the Vraja-vāsis such as Nanda Mahārāja, servants such as Raktaka and Citraka, friends headed by Subala, gopīs and all the śaktis such as Yoga-māyā have appeared, i.e. all of the devotees who were eternal associates in the kṛṣṇa-līlā have appeared in the gaura-līlā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Just as Kṛṣṇa reunited with Rādhārāṇī and came as Gaurāṅga, He was accompanied by His associates. The svayam-rūpa Nityānanda Prabhu, the avatāra of Advaita Gosāñi, the internal energy of Gadādhara Prabhu and not only them, the Lakṣmīs and all the other internal energies, they also came. Nārada became Śrīvāsa who is the jīva-śakti devotee. There are many jīva-śakti. So just like Lord Kṛṣṇa has His pastimes in Dvāpara-yuga, He comes again as Lord Caitanya, then all His associates also come. Some of the details are given here. So this is very interesting. We know that to be an associate of Lord Caitanya is a very special thing and by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy many of the devotees are involved in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. That His pastimes are going on in Kali-yuga. As He predicted that all the sinners of Kali-yuga will become devotees and He is giving special mercy to the fallen souls. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 119

gaurāvatāre nityasiddha pārṣadavargera pūrvāpekṣā adhika premānandaprāpti

During Gaura-avatāra, the eternally liberated associates obtained more loving happiness than before

bhṛtyāḥ snigdhā ati-sumadhura-projjvalodāra-bhājas
tat-pādābja-dvitaya-savidhe sarva evāvatīrṇāḥ
prāpuḥ pūrvādhikatara-mahā-prema-pīyūṣa-lakṣmīṁ
sva-premāṇaṁ vitarati jagaty adbhutaṁ hema-gaure

Anuvāda: Taptakāñcana-dyuti śrī-gaurasundara pṛthivīte svīya alaukika prema vitaraṇa karile, dāsa, sakhā o aiśvarya-jñānahīna kevala madhura rasera nitya-siddha-sevikā preyasī-varga,— iṅhārā sakalei gaurapādapadma sannidhāne avatīrṇa haiyā pūrvera (kṛṣṇa-līlāra) premāsvādana apekṣāo mahāpremāmṛta-sampatti lābha kariyāchena.

Translation: When, Śrī Gaurasundara with the complexion of molten gold, distributed in the earth, His own transcendental love, then all of the servants, friends and the beloved damsels (the servants of only the most sweet, wonderful elevated conjugal mellow devoid of opulence of riches), all of them descended near the lotus feet of Gaura. All of them obtained the great wealth of the nectarean love more than the love they previously relished in kṛṣṇa-līlā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya, He came down, as He promised to Rukmiṇī. He told Her I will come in Kali-yuga as My devotee! I will come in Kali-yuga as My devotee! So, He was Kṛṣṇa experiencing the mahā-bhāva of Rādhārāṇī and all of His associates experienced more love, more ecstasy than they had previously experienced with Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is something very wonderful. And we are so fortunate that somehow by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda’s mercy and the previous ācāryas like Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, they wanted us to also be part of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes and so to satisfy them, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda he brought this love of Kṛṣṇa all over the world. Love of Kṛṣṇa which is experienced is something beyond calculation. So even if the associates of Lord Kṛṣṇa felt more love, then what to speak of those who normally don’t experience any love? So, this is something very wonderful! We should understand how special is the avatāra of Lord Caitanya. I saw like in Mumbai, many people gather around Śrī Rādhā Rasabīhāri, Sītā Rāma Lakṣmaṇā Hanumān. Not so many people around Nitāi-Gaura! Actually Nitai Gaura give the blessing that we can appreciate Rādhā Pārthasārathi and Sītā Rāma Lakṣmaṇā Hanumān. Without their mercy, we don’t get the realization of the other Deities. Hare Krsna!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 120

kuviṣaya-niṣṭha kaṭhina-hṛdaya vyakti o ajñajanera prema-prāpti varṇana-pūrvaka gaurāvatāra-mahimāsāra-varṇana

Description of the essence of Gaura-avatāra by way of describing the obtainment of love by the ignorant and the hard-hearted persons of wicked sense pleasure

hasanty uccair uccair ahaha kula-vadhvopi parito
dravī-bhāvaṁ gacchanty api ku-viṣaya-grāva-ghatitāḥ
tiraskurvanty ajñā api sakala-śāstrajña-samitiṁ
kṣitau śrī-caitanyedbhuta-mahima-sārevatarati

Anuvāda: Ati alaukika parama-mahimānvita śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya pṛthivīte avatīrṇa haile kulavadhūgaṇao (lajjā parityāga-pūrvaka kṛṣṇa-preme) ati uccaiḥsvare hāsya kariteche, indriya-tarpaṇapara kuviṣaya-pāṣāṇa- nirmmita kaṭhinahṛdayao sarvatobhāve dravībhūta haiteche, tattva-jñānahīna ajña vyaktigaṇao (caitanya-kṛpāya tattva-jñāna lābha kariyā) sakala śāstrajña samājakeo dhikkāra kariteche (arthāt aparāvidyānipuṇa śāstrajña paṇḍitābhimānīdigera śāstra-jñāne dhikkāra pradāna kariteche).

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya, endowed with great transcendental glories descended on the earth, then even the chaste women (giving up their shyness in love of Kṛṣṇa) are loudly laughing, even the hard-hearts made of stones of wicked sense pleasure have melted in all respects, even the ignorant persons devoid of knowledge of the truth (having obtained the mercy of Lord Caitanya), are deriding all the society of knowers of the scriptures [they are condemning the knowledge of the scriptures of those expert in material knowledge (aparā vidyā) who consider themselves to be paṇḍitas].

Jayapatākā Swami: So, these people are described here that generally people are hardhearted. They think that sense gratification is the purpose of life and how they are greedy to obtain more. But sense gratification never fully satisfies one. In one magazine, all the very rich people in the West they were saying that the purpose of life is how many toys you could gather and when you die, you have more toys you win! All the clothes or special closets of rotating on, like that people are not only hardhearted but they are frustrated, they don’t know what to do with their time, their money. Those who obtain the mercy of Lord Caitanya they realize that this is the best thing they could ever have. But these people till they get the mercy of Lord Caitanya, they are bewildered. Lord Caitanya, by coming down to the earth, He gives this mercy to everyone. When He had the big kīrtana heading up to the Cand Kāzī, some people were watching and laughing, they were like, atheists. But when they saw Lord Caitanya, crying in such ecstasy, they also melted and they started chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa! Lord Caitanya has given this mercy and people who get it, they deride other things. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 121

caitanyāvatārera pūrve sarva-sādhāraṇera unnatojjvala-rasera aprāpti

Prior to the advent of Lord Caitanya, the ordinary persons did not obtain the elevated mellow of conjugal love

prāyaś caitanyam āsīd api sakala-vidāṁ neha pūrvaṁ yad eṣāṁ
kharvā sarvārtha-sārepy akṛta na hi padaṁ kuṇṭhitā buddhi-vṛttiḥ
gambhīrodāra-bhāvojjvala-rasa-madhura-prema-bhakti-praveśaḥ
keṣāṁ nāsīd idānīṁ jagati karuṇayā gauracandre’vatīrṇe

Anuvāda: Caitanyāvirbhāvera pūrve ei prapañce sarvaśāstraviṁ paṇḍitābhimānīdigerao kṛṣṇasevārūpa cetana-vṛtti ācchādita prāya haiyāchila. iṅhārā sarva-puruṣārtha-śiromaṇi kṛṣṇaprema lakṣya karena nāi, yehetu iṅhādera buddhivṛtti ati sāmānyā o sandeha pravaṇā. Kintu samprati gauracandra kṛpāpūrvaka jagate udita haoyāya sudurvodha, paramacamatkāra vibhāva-anubhāvādi sāmagrīpuṣṭā unnatojjvala madhura-rasamayī prema-bhaktite kāhāderai vā praveśa nā haiyāche!

Translation: Prior to the advent of Lord Caitanya in this world, the function of the consciousness in the form of service to Kṛṣṇa, was almost covered even in the paṇḍitas, knowing the scriptures. They could not notice love of Kṛṣṇa, the essence of the four goals of life, because of their little and doubtful intelligence. But, now, at present, when Gauracandra out of mercy descended in the world, is there anyone who is exempt from entering the sweet loving devotional service of the most elevated conjugal mellow that is greatly wonderful and difficult to know and enriched with vibhāva and and anubhāva!

Jayapatākā Swami: So, When I was in the hospital, some Christian nurses came to see me. So, I told them that Śrīla Prabhupāda, he had glorified Lord Jesus Christ. But Jesus Christ said in His Ten Commandments, that you should love the Lord, with all your hearts. But in Christianity they talk about the Son of God, but there are actually many sons of God, but they don’t tell much about the Father. Jesus said you should love the Father. We are practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we never give up Jesus, like Śrīla Prabhupāda said you go from high school to college, not that you are renouncing your high school. We don’t convert, it is not that we reject Jesus, Jesus is a great soul. The thing is that He said, love God, you should love the Father. But you don’t know anything about the Father! Then how would you love Him? In Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are taught who is God, the Father. They were scratching their heads! They are religious people theoretically but they don’t know anything about God, the Father! It is nice that they know about the Son. Also, they say, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Do they know about the Holy Spirit? We know from the Bhagavad-gītā, about Paramātmā, the Father, the Son, we know everything. So, before Lord Caitanya came, there were paṇḍitas and others but they did not really – love of God, love of Kṛṣṇa was far from their mind. They never thought how to love Krsna! So, actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness fulfills the order of Jesus. Anybody in Kṛṣṇa consciousness preaches to Christians, it is not very hard. I don’t know how you preach to the Mohammadi’s. Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, He taught verses from the Quran, He said Allah is a person. But most Muslims think that kind of Allah is impersonal. I had a Muslim PhD study the Quran. Go through all the verses, to check the things that Lord Caitanya said. He could find only one verse which said Allah is a light. And countless verses said He is compassionate, He is loving, He is caring, He is all these things – light, you don’t think that oh! that is a very merciful light! Light is light! So you see Lord Caitanya by His coming down, He changed the whole vibration of the earth. I mean Kṛṣṇa is All Powerful, but Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa, All Merciful! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda! Advaita! Gadādhara! Śrīvāsa ādī Gaura Bhakta vṛnda!