20231220 Avatāra-mahimā (Part 7)

The following is a Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja, on December 20th, 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 the comentation of the Śrī Caitanya Candrāmṛtam by Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda. Today's chapter 10 Chapter entitled:

Avatāra mahimā

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 125 

premarasa-sudhānidhi o premavanyāya viśva-nimajjanakārī gauraharira mahimā

The glory of Gaurahari who submerged the world in the ocean of love and the nectarean ocean of loving mellow 

viśvaṁ mahā-praṇaya-sādhu-sudhā-rasaika-
pāthonidhau sakalam eva nimajjayantam
gaurāṅgacandra-nakha-candramaṇi-cchaṭāyāḥ
kañcid vicitram anubhāvam aham smarāmi

Anuvāda: Yāhā samagra viśvake mahāpraṇaya-rūpa sarvotkṛṣṭa sudhārasa-sindhute nimagna kariteche, āmi sei gauracandrera nagarūpa candrakānta-maṇira chaṭāra anirvacanīra āścarya prabhāva smaraṇa karitechi.

Translation: I remember the wonderful power of the indescribable effulgence of Gauracandra’s moonstone nails, which has submerged the whole world in the ocean of nectarean mellow of superexcellent mahā-bhāva.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person but when He came as Lord Caitanya, His qualities submerged all the people in love of Kṛṣṇa.

He is Kṛṣṇa combined again with Rādhārāṇī and by His descent the whole world became filled with love of Krsna and then He also manifested mahā-bhāva which is the highest level of Kṛṣṇa-prema.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 126

premavanyāya jagat-plāvanakārī ekamātra śrīgaurahari

Gauranga ! The only Gaurahari who inundates the world by the flood of love

ati-puṇyair ati-sukṛtaiḥ kṛtārthī-kṛtaḥ ko’pi pūrvaiḥ
evaṁ kair api na kṛtaṁ yat premābdhau nimajjitaṁ viśvam

Anuvāda: Viśeṣa sadācārī o parama dhārmika prācīna mahā-puruṣagaṇera dvārā kona kona vyakti vaikuṇṭhādi-loka prāpta haiyā kṛtakṛtārtha haiyāchena, kintu śrī-caitanyacandra yerūpa samagra viśvake prema-samudre nimajjita kariyāchena, pūrve āra kehai erūpa karena nāi.

Translation: By those who are specially, virtuous and greatly religious ancient great personalities, some have become successful by attaining the Vaikuṇṭha planets, but the way Śrī Caitanyacandra has submerged the whole world in the ocean of love, no one previously had done like this.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, So some people were able to ascend to the spiritual world the Viṣṇuloka. But Lord Caitanya He gave out the mercy so freely that whether a person was qualified or not He did not discriminate. He gave out the mercy in such a way that it was never done before. So He would give the people even if they were not active in sādhana not active in devotional service He gave it to everyone.

So ,the whole atmosphere in the planet became surcharged with Kṛṣṇa-bhakti by the presence of Lord Caitanya.

Gaurasundara!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 127

nīca, ayogyajane ayācitabhābe premapradātā gauraharira kṛpā-mahimā

The glory of the mercy of Gaurahari who gives love even to the lowly and unqualified person without asking

dharme niṣṭhāṁ dadhad anupamāṁ viṣṇu-bhaktiṁ gariṣṭhāṁ
sambibhrāṇo dadhad iha hi hṛt tiṣṭhatīvāśma-sāram
nīco goghnād api jagad aho plāvayaty aśru-pūraiḥ
ko vā jānāty ahaha gahanaṁ hema-gaurāṅga-raṅgam

Anuvāda: Dharmaviṣayiṇī atulanīyā niṣṭhā evaṁ śreṣṭhā bhakti samyakrūpe āśraya kariyāo loke lauhera nyāya sukaṭhina hṛdaya dhāraṇa-pūrvaka pṛthivīte avasthāna kare; (kintu śrī-gauraharira kṛpāya) aho! goghātī apekṣāo pāpīyān vyakti (pāpapravṛtti haite sarvatobhāve mukta haiyā) aśrupravāha dvārā viśva plāvita kariteche. Kei vā kāñcanakānti śrī-gaurāṅga-sundarera durvigāha raṅga jānite pāre!

Translation: With hard-heart like iron, people reside on the earth, even after completely following the devotional service that is incomparable in terms of religious subjects and is superior. But, by the mercy of Gaurahari, aho! Even a sinner more sinful than a cow-killer (after completely freed from the sinful tendency) is flooding the world by the streams of tears. Āhā! Who can know the unfathomable pastime of the golden-complexioned Śrī Gaurasundara.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Aha! So, in previous ages the cow killers and performers of very serious sins they had little chance that they would get freed. Maybe if they completely fasted on a powerful Ekādaśī, they could get freed of their sins. But still it would be a long way from awakening their love for Kṛṣṇa. I mean, Gaurasundara, His pastime was to give the unfathomable Kṛṣṇa-prema to people who were not even asking for it, who were very sinful. That was His pastime, to deliver the sinners. Gaurāṅga.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 128

bālya, paugaṇḍādi līlā evaṁ vipralambha-rasa-magna śrī-rādhikāra bhāvaprakāśa-pūrvaka jagat-vismāpaka śrī-gaurahari

Śrī Gaurahari astonishes the world by way of accepting the mood of Śrī Rādhikā absorbed in the mood of separation and by childhood and boyhood pastimes and so on

kvacit kṛṣṇāveśān naṭati bahu-bhaṅgīm abhinayan
kvacid rādhāviṣṭo hari-hari-harīty-ārti-ruditaḥ
kvacid riṅgan bālaḥ kvacid api ca gopāla-carito
jagad gauro vismāpayati bahu-gambhīra-mahimā

Anuvāda: Vipuladurabagāha-prabhāva śrī-gaurasundara viśvake vismayāviṣṭa karitechena. Śrī-kṛṣṇāveśa-hetu kakhanao bāla-kṛṣṇa-līlā prakāśa kariyā jānu dvārā caṅakramaṇa karitechena, kakhanao vā gopālakera caritra prakāśa kariyā, kakhanao vā bahubhaṅgī abhinaya kariyā nṛtya karitechena, ābāra kakhanao śrī-kṛṣṇavirahe śrī-rādhāra bhāve āviṣṭa haiyā “hari”! “hari”!! “hari”!! eirūpa virahapīḍājanita ārtti-sahakāre rodana karitechena.

Translation: Gaurasundra, whose great power is unfathomable, amazes the world.

Sometimes, because of being absorbed as Kṛṣṇa, manifesting the pastimes of Bāla-Kṛṣṇa is crawling on the knees, sometimes manifesting the behavior of Gopāla, sometimes is dancing enacting various movements and sometimes being absorbed in the mood of Śrī Rādhā in separation from Kṛṣṇa anxiously cries out in pain due to separtion by uttering, ‘Hari’ ‘Hari’ ‘Hari’.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya’s līlās, pastimes in Navadvīpa, He manifested pastimes like a baby, like a youth, and He also eventually manifested the mood of Rādhārāṇī in separation of Kṛṣṇa. And Lord Caitanya through His bālya-līlā, He did various wonderful pastimes. Like, carrying His blanket when He was a toddler He would go and tell His brother, come home for lunch. When He was a small boy, a mendicant came to the house of Jagannātha Miśra and Mother Śacī, and they requested him to cook and offer his food to the Gopāla Deity, and eat the rice. Although he said, “I am used to taking roots and fruits and things”, they said we are gṛhastha, you have come to our house, please have some rice, sabzis and things. Like this, the pastime. When he meditated on Gopāla, come Gopāla, take this offering Gopāla, Lord Caitanya came and started eating it! Because He is Gopāla! and Jagannātha Miśra was very upset and wanted to chastise little Nimāi and chased Him with a stick. The sādhu said “He is just a little boy, don’t hit Him.” So, this pastime went on again. Then Viśvarūpa the elder brother came and the sādhu said who is the parent of this wonderful child because Visvarupa had also such divine qualities.

He asked the sādhu to please cook again. So he cooked again that night and there was no sign of Nimāi, he called Gopāla Gopāla! Then Nimāi came and started to eat. He said oh no!

The sādhu was so happy that he saw his Deity that he started rubbing himself with the rice. And Jagannātha Miśra came out and saw him and said, oh he must be really hungry!

Aho! Hari Hari Hari!

Gaurahari!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 129

unnatojjvalarase jagat nimajjanakārī gauraharira prati niṣṭhā

Gaurahari who submerges the world in elevated conjugal mellow

velāyāṁ lavaṇāmbudher madhurima-prāg-bhāva-sāra-sphura-
līlāyāṁ nava-ballavī-rasa-nidher āviśayantī jagat
khelāyām api śaiśave nija-rucā viśvaika-sammohinī
mūrtiḥ kācana kañcana-dravamayī cittāya me rocate

Anuvāda: Gauraharira ye mūrti svakānti-prabhāve śaiśaba-krīḍāteo āśrita-viśvera ekamātra sammohanakāriṇī evaṁ ye śrī-mūrti kiśorīśreṣṭhā śrī-vārṣabhānavīra rasera ādhāra rasika-śekhara śrī-kṛṣṇera mādhuryera pūrvabhāvera arthāt viṣaya-vigraha kṛṣṇera prati āśraya-vigraha śrīmatī rādhikāra ye parama-camatkāramaya prema, tāhāra sāra dvārā sphurtimatī līlāya (arthāt rasarāja mahā-bhāvamaya kṛṣṇera rādhā-bhāve divyonmāda-līlāya) āśraya-jagatke āviṣṭa karena, lavaṇa-jaladhira tīre sei galita-kāñcanamayī eka apūrva śrī-mūrti āmāra rucira viṣaya haitechena.

Translation: The form of Gaurahari, by His own effulgence, even in the youthful pastimes is the only enchanter of the sheltered world.

The form of Gaurahari, is the transcendental madness of Kṛṣṇa, the king of mellows, in the mood of Rādhā.

This form is the essence of the wonderful love of the form of object (aśraya) who is Śrīmatī Rādhikā towards the form of subject (viṣaya) who is Kṛṣṇa. Manifesting this form, Gaurahari has made the subject, the subordinate world (āśraya-jagat), to be absorbed in such a pastime.

Such a wonderful form with the complexion of molten gold on the shore of the salt ocean has become the subject of taste for my consciousness.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, We know that there are five rasas – sānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya and mādhurya.

Lord Caitanya taught, since He is the combined form of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa the super excellence of mādhurya-rasa. In dāsya Krsna is superior and in sākhya He is equal and in vātsalya He is junior. But in mādhurya-rasa He is all. He is lower, higher, equal and so this super excellence of mādhurya-rasa was a kind of secret, because we are contaminated by material vision of sex life. But mādhurya-rasa has nothing to do with material.

Kṛṣṇa Caitanya has revealed the secret to the world. And so, all the devotees get this special taste of love of Kṛṣṇa. This was the special līlā or pastime of Lord Caitanya. In Jagannātha Purī He manifested this mādhurya-rasa.

Lord Caitanya would go into the mahā-bhāva and they were looking. All the doors were locked and He was locked in His room. How did He leave? Where is He? They looked everywhere and they found Him in the gośāla completely, His limbs in His body, and He could not even be awakened by chanting. So, the devotees picked Him up and carried Him back to the room. So, He would go into such ecstasy that is almost indescribable. So, Lord Caitanya, He was manifesting these ecstasies and He wanted everyone to taste. I was seeing a video of a Ratha-yātrā in Perth and there, devotees, men and ladies were dancing and jumping, they were very fired up and I was remembering how Lord Caitanya would give people ecstasy.

People would dance wildly, and actually that was what was happening in the Perth Ratha-yātrā.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!