Chapter 12
The Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple
In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura summarizes this chapter as follows.
The King of Orissa, Mahārāja Pratāparudra, tried his best to see Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu and the other devotees informed the Lord about the King’s desire, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would not agree to see him. At that time Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu devised a plan, and He sent a piece of the Lord’s outward garment to the King. The next day, when Rāmānanda Rāya again entreated Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to see the King, the Lord, denying the request, asked Rāmānanda Rāya to bring the King’s son before Him. The prince visited the Lord dressed like a Vaiṣṇava, and this awakened remembrance of Kṛṣṇa. Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered the son of Mahārāja Pratāparudra.
After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed the Guṇḍicā temple before the Ratha-yātrā took place. He then took His bath at Indradyumna Lake and partook of prasāda in the garden nearby. While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed the temple of Guṇḍicā, a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava washed the lotus feet of the Lord and drank the water. This incident is very significant, for it awoke within the devotee ecstatic love. Then again, the son of Advaita Prabhu named Gopāla fainted during kīrtana, and when he did not come to his senses, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu favored him by awakening him. There was also some humorous talk between Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu during prasāda. Advaita Prabhu said that Nityānanda Prabhu was unknown to anyone and that it was not the duty of a householder brāhmaṇa to accept dinner with a person unknown in society. In answer to this humorous statement, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu replied that Advaita Ācārya was a monist and that one could not know how his mind could be turned by eating with such an impersonalist. The conversation of these two prabhus-Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu-carried a deep meaning that only an intelligent man can understand. After all the Vaiṣṇavas finished their luncheon, Svarūpa Dāmodara and others took their prasāda within the room. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took great pleasure when He saw the Jagannātha Deity after the period of the Deity’s retirement. At that time Lord Caitanya was accompanied by all the devotees, and all of them were very much pleased.
TEXT 1
śrī-guṇḍicā-mandiram ātma-vṛndaiḥ
sammārjayan kṣālanataḥ sa gauraḥ
sva-citta-vac chītalam ujjvalaṁ ca
kṛṣṇopaveśaupayikaṁ cakāra
SYNONYMS
śrī-guṇḍicā-known as Guṇḍicā; mandiram-the temple; ātma-vṛndaiḥ-with His associates; sammārjayan-washing; kṣālanataḥ-by cleansing; saḥ-that; gauraḥ-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; sva-citta-vat-like His own heart; śītalam-cool and calm; ujjvalam-bright and clean; ca-and; kṛṣṇa-of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; upaveśa-for the sitting; aupayikam-befitting; cakāra-made.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed and cleansed the Guṇḍicā temple with His devotees and associates. In this way He made the temple as cool and bright as His own heart, and thus He made the place befitting for Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to sit.
TEXT 2
jaya jaya gauracandra jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
SYNONYMS
jaya jaya-all glories; gauracandra-to Gauracandra, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; jaya-all glories; nityānanda-to Nityānanda Prabhu; jaya-all glories; advaita-candra-to Advaita Prabhu; jaya-all glories; gaura-bhakta-vṛnda-to the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
All glories to Gauracandra! All glories to Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
TEXT 3
jaya jaya śrīvāsādi gaura-bhakta-gaṇa
śakti deha,-kari yena caitanya varṇana
SYNONYMS
jaya jaya-all glories; śrīvāsa-ādi-headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; gaura-bhakta-gaṇa-to the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; śakti deha-please give me power; kari yena-so that I may do; caitanya-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; varṇana-description.
TRANSLATION
All glories to the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura! I beg their power so that I can properly describe Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 4
pūrve dakṣiṇa haite prabhu yabe āilā
tāṅre milite gajapati utkaṇṭhita hailā
SYNONYMS
pūrve-formerly; dakṣiṇa haite-from South India; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; yabe-when; āilā-returned; tāṅre-Him; milite-to meet; gajapati-the King of Orissa; utkaṇṭhita-full of anxieties; hailā-became.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned from His South Indian tour, Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the King of Orissa, became very anxious to meet Him.
TEXT 5
kaṭaka haite patrī dila sārvabhauma-ṭhāñi
prabhura ājñā haya yadi, dekhibāre yāi
SYNONYMS
kaṭaka haite-from Kaṭaka, the capital of Orissa; patrī-a letter; dila-sent; sārvabhauma-of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; ṭhāñi-to the place; prabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ājñā-order; haya-there is; yadi-if; dekhibāre yāi-I can go and see.
TRANSLATION
The King sent a letter from his capital, Kaṭaka, to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, entreating him to obtain the Lord’s permission so that he could go and see Him.
TEXT 6
bhaṭṭācārya likhila,-prabhura ājñā nā haila
punarapi rājā tāṅre patrī pāṭhāila
SYNONYMS
bhaṭṭācārya likhila-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied; prabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ājñā-order; nā-not; haila-there is; punarapi-again; rājā-the King; tāṅre-unto him; patrī-a letter; pāṭhāila-dispatched.
TRANSLATION
Replying to the King’s letter, the Bhaṭṭācārya wrote that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had not given His permission. After this, the King wrote him another letter.
TEXT 7
prabhura nikaṭe āche yata bhakta-gaṇa
mora lāgi’ tāṅ-sabāre kariha nivedana
SYNONYMS
prabhura nikaṭe-in the place of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āche-there are; yata-all; bhakta-gaṇa-devotees; mora lāgi’-for me; tāṅ-sabāre-unto all of them; kariha-please submit; nivedana-petition.
TRANSLATION
In this letter the King requested Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, “Please appeal to all the devotees associated with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and submit this petition to them on my behalf.
TEXT 8
sei saba dayālu more hañā sadaya
mora lāgi’ prabhu-pade karibe vinaya
SYNONYMS
sei saba-all of them; dayālu-merciful; more-unto me; hañā-becoming; sa-daya-favorably disposed; mora lāgi’-for me; prabhu-pade-at the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; karibe-will do; vinaya-humble submission.
TRANSLATION
“If all the devotees associated with the Lord are favorably disposed toward me, they can submit my petition at the lotus feet of the Lord.
TEXT 9
tāṅ-sabāra prasāde mile śrī-prabhura pāya
prabhu-kṛpā vinā mora rājya nāhi bhāya
SYNONYMS
tāṅ-sabāra prasāde-by the mercy of all of them; mile-one gets; śrī-prabhura pāya-the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; prabhu-kṛpā-the mercy of the Lord; vinā-without; mora-my; rājya-kingdom; nāhi-does not; bhāya-appeal to me.
TRANSLATION
“By the mercy of all the devotees, one can attain the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Without His mercy, my kingdom does not appeal to me.
TEXT 10
yadi more kṛpā nā karibe gaurahari
rājya chāḍi’ yogī ha-i’ ha-iba bhikhārī
SYNONYMS
yadi-if; more-unto me; kṛpā-mercy; nā-not; karibe-will do; gaurahari-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; rājya chāḍi’-giving up the kingdom; yogī-mendicant; ha-i’-becoming; ha-iba-I shall become; bhikhārī-a beggar.
TRANSLATION
“If Gaurahari, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, will not show mercy to me, I shall give up my kingdom, become a mendicant and beg from door to door.”
TEXT 11
bhaṭṭācārya patrī dekhi’ cintita hañā
bhakta-gaṇa-pāśa gelā sei patrī lañā
SYNONYMS
bhaṭṭācārya-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; patrī-the letter; dekhi’-seeing; cintita hañā-becoming very anxious; bhakta-gaṇa-all the devotees; pāśa-near; gelā-went; sei-that; patrī-letter; lañā-taking.
TRANSLATION
When the Bhaṭṭācārya received this letter, he became very anxious. He then took the letter and went to the devotees of the Lord.
TEXT 12
sabāre miliyā kahila rāja-vivaraṇa
piche sei patrī sabāre karāila daraśana
SYNONYMS
sabāre-everyone; miliyā-meeting; kahila-said; rāja-vivaraṇa-description of the King’s desire; piche-later; sei patrī-that letter; sabāre-unto everyone; karāila daraśana-showed.
TRANSLATION
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya met with all the devotees and described the King’s wishes. Then he presented the letter to all of them for inspection.
TEXT 13
patrī dekhi’ sabāra mane ha-ila vismaya
prabhu-pade gajapatira eta bhakti haya!!
SYNONYMS
patrī-the letter; dekhi’-seeing; sabāra-of everyone; mane-in the mind; ha-ila-there was; vismaya-astonishment; prabhu-pade-unto the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; gajapatira-of the King of Orissa; eta-so much; bhakti-devotion; haya-there is.
TRANSLATION
Upon reading the letter, everyone was astonished to see that King Pratāparudra had so much devotion for the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 14
sabe kahe,-prabhu tāṅre kabhu nā milibe
āmi-saba kahi yadi, duḥkha se mānibe
SYNONYMS
sabe kahe-everyone said; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-unto him; kabhu-at any time; nā-not; milibe-would see; āmi-saba-all of us; kahi-say; yadi-if; duḥkha-unhappiness; se-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mānibe-will feel.
TRANSLATION
The devotees gave their opinion and said, “The Lord will never meet the King, and if we requested Him to do so, the Lord will surely feel very unhappy.”
TEXT 15
sārvabhauma kahe,-sabe cala’ eka-bāra
milite nā kahiba, kahiba rāja-vyavahāra
SYNONYMS
sārvabhauma kahe-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said; sabe cala’-let all of us go; eka-bāra-once; milite-to meet; nā kahiba-we shall not request; kahiba-we shall simply describe; rāja-vyavahāra-the behavior of the King.
TRANSLATION
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then said, “We shall go once again to the Lord, but we shall not request Him to meet the King. Rather, we shall simply describe the good behavior of the King.”
TEXT 16
eta bali’ sabe gelā mahāprabhura sthāne
kahite unmukha sabe, nā kahe vacane
SYNONYMS
eta bali’-deciding like this; sabe-all of them; gelā-went; mahāprabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; sthāne-to the place; kahite-to speak; unmukha-ready; sabe-all; nā-do not; kahe-say; vacane-any word.
TRANSLATION
Having thus reached a decision, they all went to the place of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There, although ready to speak, they could not even utter a word.
TEXT 17
prabhu kahe,-ki kahite sabāra āgamana
dekhiye kahite cāha,-nā kaha, ki kāraṇa?
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; ki-what; kahite-to speak; sabāra-of all of you; āgamana-there is the presence here; dekhiye-I see; kahite cāha-you want to speak; nā kaha-but do not speak; ki kāraṇa-what is the reason.
TRANSLATION
After they arrived at Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s place, the Lord, seeing them, said, “What have you all come here to say? I see that you want to say something, but you do not speak. What is the reason?”
TEXT 18
nityānanda kahe,-tomāya cāhi nivedite
nā kahile rahite nāri, kahite bhaya citte
SYNONYMS
nityānanda kahe-Lord Nityānanda said; tomāya-unto You; cāhi-we want; nivedite-to submit; nā kahile-if we do not speak; rahite nāri-we cannot stay; kahite-but to speak; bhaya citte-we are very fearful.
TRANSLATION
Nityānanda Prabhu then said, “We want to tell You something. Although we cannot stay without speaking, we are still very much afraid to speak.
TEXT 19
yogyāyogya tomāya saba cāhi nivedite
tomā nā milile rājā cāhe yogī haite
SYNONYMS
yogya-befitting; ayogya-not befitting; tomāya-unto You; saba-we all; cāhi-want; nivedite-to submit; tomā-You; nā milile-if he does not meet; rājā-the King; cāhe-wants; yogī haite-to become a mendicant.
TRANSLATION
“We want to submit before You something that may or may not be befitting. The matter is this: unless he sees You, the King of Orissa will become a mendicant.”
TEXT 20
kāṇe mudrā la-i’ muñi ha-iba bhikhārī
rājya-bhoga nahe citte vinā gaurahari
SYNONYMS
kāṇe mudrā-a kind of earring; la-i’-taking; muñi-I; ha-iba-shall become; bhikhārī-a beggar; rājya-bhoga-enjoyment of the kingdom; nahe-not; citte-in the mind; vinā-without; gaurahari-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Nityānanda Prabhu continued, “The King has decided to become a mendicant and accept the sign of a mendicant by wearing an ivory earring. He does not want to enjoy his kingdom without seeing the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
PURPORT
In India there is still a class of professional mendicants who are very much like the gypsies of Western countries. They know some magical art and mystical processes, and their business is to beg from door to door, sometimes pleading and sometimes threatening. Such mendicants are sometimes called yogīs and sometimes kāṇaphāṭā yogīs. The word kāṇaphāṭā refers to one who has put a hole in his ear to wear an earring made of ivory. Mahārāja Pratāparudra was so depressed by not getting to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that he decided to become such a yogī. Ordinary men think that a yogī must have an ivory earring in his ear, but this is not the sign of a real yogī. Mahārāja Pratāparudra also thought that to become a mendicant yogī, one must wear such an earring.
TEXT 21
dekhiba se mukha-candra nayana bhariyā
dhariba se pāda-padma hṛdaye tuliyā
SYNONYMS
dekhiba-I shall see; se-that; mukha-candra-moonlike face; nayana bhariyā-to the fulfillment of the eyes; dhariba-I shall catch; se-those; pāda-padma-lotus feet; hṛdaye-on my heart; tuliyā-raising.
TRANSLATION
Nityānanda Prabhu continued, “The King also expressed his desire to see the moonlike face of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his eye’s full satisfaction. He would like to raise the lotus feet of the Lord to his heart.”
TEXT 22
yadyapi śuniyā prabhura komala haya mana
tathāpi bāhire kahe niṣṭhura vacana
SYNONYMS
yadyapi-although; śuniyā-hearing; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; komala-softened; haya-becomes; mana-mind; tathāpi-still; bāhire-externally; kahe-He says; niṣṭhura vacana-hard words.
TRANSLATION
Hearing all these statements, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mind was certainly softened, but externally He wished to speak some harsh words.
TEXT 23
tomā-sabāra icchā,-ei āmāre lañā
rājāke milaha ihaṅ kaṭakete giyā
SYNONYMS
tomā-sabāra-of all of you; icchā-the desire; ei-is; āmāre lañā-taking Me; rājāke-the King; milaha-meet; ihaṅ-here; kaṭakete giyā-by going to Kaṭaka.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I can understand that you all desire to take Me to Kaṭaka to see the King.”
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is naturally the reservoir of all kindness, and as soon as He heard the statement made by the King, His heart immediately softened. Thus the Lord was ready to go see the King even at Kaṭaka. He did not even consider allowing the King to come from Kaṭaka to Jagannātha Purī to see Him. It is significant that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so kind that He was ready to go see the King at Kaṭaka. Apparently it was never expected that the King wanted to see the Lord at His place, but by way of being externally harsh, the Lord indicated that if all the devotees so desired, He would go to Kaṭaka to see the King.
TEXT 24
paramārtha thākuka-loke karibe nindana
loke rahu-dāmodara karibe bhartsana
SYNONYMS
parama-artha thākuka-what to speak of spiritual advancement; loke-people in general; karibe nindana-will blaspheme; loke rahu-what to speak of people in general; dāmodara-Dāmodara Paṇḍita; karibe-will do; bhartsana-chastisement.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “What to speak of spiritual advancement-all the people will blaspheme Me. And what to speak of all the people-Dāmodara would chastise Me.
TEXT 25
tomā-sabāra ājñāya āmi nā mili rājāre
dāmodara kahe yabe, mili tabe tāṅre
SYNONYMS
tomā-sabāra-of all of you; ājñāya-by the order; āmi-I; nā-not; mili-shall meet; rājāre-the King; dāmodara-Dāmodara Paṇḍita; kahe-says; yabe-when; mili-I shall meet; tabe-then; tāṅre-him.
TRANSLATION
“I shall not meet the King at the request of all the devotees, but I shall do so if Dāmodara will give his permission.”
PURPORT
From the spiritual point of view, a sannyāsī is strictly forbidden to see materialistic people, especially a king who is always engaged in counting pounds, shillings and pence. Indeed, the meeting between a sannyāsī and a king is always considered abominable. A sannyāsī is always subjected to public criticism, and a small fault on his part is taken seriously by the public. People actually expect a sannyāsī to preach and not take part in any social or political matters. If a sannyāsī is subject to public criticism, his preaching will not be fruitful. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically wanted to avoid such criticism so that His preaching work would not be hampered. It so happened that while the Lord was talking to His disciples at that time, the devotee Dāmodara Paṇḍita was present. This Dāmodara Paṇḍita was a very faithful devotee and a staunch lover of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Whenever there was anything that might touch or taint the character of the Lord, Dāmodara Paṇḍita would immediately point it out, not even considering the exalted position of the Lord. It is sometimes said that fools rush in where angels dare not, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to point out Dāmodara Paṇḍita’s foolishness in coming forward to criticize the Lord. This is why the Lord stated that if Dāmodara Paṇḍita would give Him permission, He would go to see the King. There was deep meaning in this statement, for it is a warning that Dāmodara should not dare criticize the Lord any more, for it was not befitting his position as a devotee. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was considered the guide and spiritual master of all the devotees living with Him. Dāmodara Paṇḍita was one of them, and the Lord rendered Dāmodara Paṇḍita a special favor by warning him to avoid criticizing Him any further. A devotee or a disciple should never attempt to criticize the Lord or His representative, the spiritual master.
TEXT 26
dāmodara kahe,-tumi svatantra īśvara
kartavyākartavya saba tomāra gocara
SYNONYMS
dāmodara kahe-Paṇḍita Dāmodara said; tumi-You; svatantra-fully independent; īśvara-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kartavya-duty which is permissible; akartavya-duty which is not permissible; saba-all; tomāra-of You; gocara-within knowledge.
TRANSLATION
Dāmodara immediately replied, “My Lord, You are the fully independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since everything is known to You, You know what is permissible and what is not permissible.
TEXT 27
āmi kon kṣudra-jīva, tomāke vidhi diba?
āpani milibe tāṅre, tāhāo dekhiba
SYNONYMS
āmi kon-I am just some; kṣudra-jīva-insignificant living entity; tomāke-unto You; vidhi-injunction; diba-I shall give; āpani-You; milibe-will meet; tāṅre-the King; tāhāo dekhiba-I shall see it.
TRANSLATION
“I am merely an insignificant jīva, so what power do I have to give directions to You? By Your own personal choice You will meet with the King. I shall see it.
TEXT 28
rājā tomāre sneha kare, tumi-sneha-vaśa
tāṅra snehe karābe tāṅre tomāra paraśa
SYNONYMS
rājā-the King; tomāre-You; sneha kare-loves; tumi-You; sneha-vaśa-controlled by love and affection; tāṅra-his; snehe-by love; karābe-will do; tāṅre-unto him; tomāra-Your; paraśa-touching.
TRANSLATION
“The King is very much attached to You, and You are feeling affection and love toward him. Thus I can understand that by virtue of the King’s affection for You, You will touch him.
TEXT 29
yadyapi īśvara tumi parama svatantra
tathāpi svabhāve hao prema-paratantra
SYNONYMS
yadyapi-although; īśvara-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tumi-You; parama-supremely; svatantra-independent; tathāpi-still; svabhāve-by Your nature; hao-You become; prema-paratantra-subordinate to love.
TRANSLATION
“Although You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are completely independent, still You are dependent on the love and affection of Your devotees. That is Your nature.”
TEXT 30
nityānanda kahe-aiche haya kon jana
ye tomāre kahe, ‘kara rāja-daraśana’
SYNONYMS
nityānanda kahe-Nityānanda Prabhu said; aiche-such; haya-there is; kon jana-any person; ye-who; tomāre-unto You; kahe-orders; kara-do; rāja-daraśana-meeting the King.
TRANSLATION
Nityānanda Prabhu then said, “Who is there in the three worlds who can ask You to see the King?
TEXT 31
kintu anurāgī lokera svabhāva eka haya
iṣṭa nā pāile nija prāṇa se chāḍaya
SYNONYMS
kintu-still; anurāgī-affectionate; lokera-of the people; svabhāva-nature; eka-one; haya-there is; iṣṭa-desirable; nā pāile-without getting; nija-own; prāṇa-life; se-he; chāḍaya-gives up.
TRANSLATION
“Still, isn’t it the nature of an attached man to give up his life if he does not attain his desired object?
TEXT 32
yājñika-brāhmaṇī saba tāhāte pramāṇa
kṛṣṇa lāgi’ pati-āge chāḍileka prāṇa
SYNONYMS
yājñika-brāhmaṇī-the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were engaged in performing great sacrifices; saba-all; tāhāte-in that connection; pramāṇa-evidence; kṛṣṇa lāgi’-for the matter of Kṛṣṇa; pati-āge-in front of their husbands; chāḍileka prāṇa-gave up their lives.
TRANSLATION
“For instance, some of the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifices gave up their lives in the presence of their husbands for the sake of Kṛṣṇa.”
PURPORT
This refers to the day Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His cowherd boys and flocks of animals were present on the pasturing grounds near Mathurā. At that time the cowherd boys, being a little hungry, requested food, and Lord Kṛṣṇa asked them to go to the brāhmaṇas who were engaged nearby in performing yajña, or sacrifice, and to get some food from that yajña. Being so ordered by the Lord, all the cowherd boys went to the brāhmaṇas and asked them for food, but they were denied. After this, the cowherd boys begged food from the wives of the brāhmaṇas. All these wives were very much devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa in spontaneous love, and as soon as they heard the request of the cowherd boys and understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted some food, they immediately left the place of sacrifice. They were very much chastised for this by their husbands, and they were ready to give up their lives. It is the nature of a pure devotee to sacrifice his life for the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
TEXT 33
eka yukti āche, yadi kara avadhāna
tumi nā milileha tāṅre, rahe tāṅra prāṇa
SYNONYMS
eka yukti-one plan; āche-there is; yadi-if; kara avadhāna-You consider it; tumi-You; nā milileha-may not meet; tāṅre-with him; rahe-remains; tāṅra-his; prāṇa-life.
TRANSLATION
Nityānanda Prabhu then submitted one suggestion for the Lord’s consideration. “There is a way,” He suggested, “by which You need not meet the King but which would enable the King to continue living.
TEXT 34
eka bahirvāsa yadi deha’ kṛpā kari’
tāhā pāñā prāṇa rākhe tomāra āśā dhari’
SYNONYMS
eka bahirvāsa-one outward covering; yadi-if; deha’-You give; kṛpā kari’-by Your mercy; tāhā pāñā-getting that; prāṇa rākhe-he would live; tomāra āśā dhari’-hoping to meet You some time in the future.
TRANSLATION
“If You, out of Your mercy, send one of Your outward garments to the King, the King would live hoping to see You some time in the future.”
PURPORT
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu was thus very tactfully suggesting that Caitanya Mahāprabhu give a piece of His old clothing to the King. Even though the King was not to meet the Lord, the King would then be pacified by receiving such a cloth. The King was very anxious to see the Lord, yet it was not possible for the Lord to see him. Just to resolve the situation, Nityānanda Prabhu suggested that the Lord send an old piece of clothing. Thus the King would understand that the Lord was showing mercy to him. The King would then not do anything drastic like giving up his life or becoming a mendicant.
TEXT 35
prabhu kahe,-tumi-saba parama vidvān
yei bhāla haya, sei kara samādhāna
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; tumi-saba-all of you; parama vidvān-greatly learned personalities; yei-whatever; bhāla haya-is right; sei-that; kara samādhāna-execute.
TRANSLATION
The Lord said, “Since you are all very learned personalities, whatever you decide I shall accept.”
TEXT 36
tabe nityānanda-gosāñi govindera pāśa
māgiyā la-ila prabhura eka bahirvāsa
SYNONYMS
tabe-at that time; nityānanda-gosāñi-Lord Nityānanda Prabhu; govindera pāśa-from Govinda, the personal servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; māgiyā-requesting; la-ila-took; prabhura-of the Lord; eka-one; bahirvāsa-outer garment.
TRANSLATION
Lord Nityānanda Prabhu then obtained an external garment used by the Lord by requesting it from Govinda.
TEXT 37
sei bahirvāsa sārvabhauma-pāśa dila
sārvabhauma sei vastra rājāre pāṭhā’la
SYNONYMS
sei-that; bahirvāsa-garment; sārvabhauma-pāśa-in the care of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; dila-delivered; sārvabhauma-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; sei-that; vastra-cloth; rājāre-unto the King; pāṭhā’la-sent.
TRANSLATION
Thus Nityānanda Prabhu delivered the old cloth to the care of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya sent it to the King.
TEXT 38
vastra pāñā rājāra haila ānandita mana
prabhu-rūpa kari’ kare vastrera pūjana
SYNONYMS
vastra pāñā-getting that cloth; rājāra-of the King; haila-there was; ānandita mana-very happy mind; prabhu-rūpa kari’-accepting as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself; kare-executes; vastrera-of the cloth; pūjana-worship.
TRANSLATION
When the King received the old cloth, he began to worship it exactly as he would worship the Lord personally.
PURPORT
This is also the conclusion of the Vedic injunctions. Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Absolute Truth, everything in relation to Him is also on the same platform. The King had great affection for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and although he did not see the Lord, he had nonetheless already attained the conclusion of devotional service. Immediately upon receiving the cloth from Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, the King began to worship it, accepting it as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Lord’s clothing, bedding, slippers and everything required as an ordinary necessity are all transformations of Śeṣa, Viṣṇu, the expansion of Śrī Baladeva. Thus the cloth and other paraphernalia of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are but other forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything connected to the Lord is worshipable. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs us that just as Kṛṣṇa is worshipable, Kṛṣṇa’s place, Vṛndāvana, is also worshipable. And as Vṛndāvana is worshipable, similarly the paraphernalia in Vṛndāvana-the trees, roads, river, everything-is worshipable. A pure devotee thus sings, jaya jaya vṛndāvana-vāsī yata jana: “All glories to the residents of Vṛndāvana.” If a devotee has a staunch devotional attitude, all these conclusions will be awakened or revealed within the heart.
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)
Thus following in the footsteps of Mahārāja Pratāparudra and other devotees, we should learn to worship everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is referred to by Lord Śiva as tadīyānām. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said:
ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi
tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
“O Devī, the most exalted system of worship is the worship of Lord Viṣṇu. Greater than that is the worship of tadīya, or anything belonging to Viṣṇu.” Śrī Viṣṇu is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Similarly, the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master, and all devotees of Viṣṇu are tadīya. The sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, guru, Vaiṣṇavas, and things used by them must be considered tadīya and without a doubt worshipable by all living beings.
TEXT 39
rāmānanda rāya yabe ‘dakṣiṇa’ haite āilā
prabhu-saṅge rahite rājāke nivedilā
SYNONYMS
rāmānanda rāya-Rāmānanda Rāya; yabe-when; dakṣiṇa-South India; haite-from; āilā-returned; prabhu-saṅge-with Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; rahite-to stay; rājāke-unto the King; nivedilā-requested.
TRANSLATION
After returning from his service in South India, Rāmānanda Rāya requested the King to allow him to remain with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 40
tabe rājā santoṣe tāṅhāre ājñā dilā
āpani milana lāgi’ sādhite lāgilā
SYNONYMS
tabe-at that time; rājā-the King; santoṣe-in great satisfaction; tāṅhāre-unto Rāmānanda Rāya; ājñā dilā-gave the order; āpani-personally; milana lāgi’-to meet; sādhite lāgilā-began to solicit.
TRANSLATION
When Rāmānanda Rāya requested the King to allow him to stay with the Lord, the King immediately gave him permission with great satisfaction. As for the King himself, he began to solicit Rāmānanda Rāya to make a meeting arrangement.
TEXT 41
mahāprabhu mahā-kṛpā karena tomāre
more milibāre avaśya sādhibe tāṅhāre
SYNONYMS
mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mahā-kṛpā-great mercy; karena-does; tomāre-unto you; more-me; milibāre-for meeting; avaśya-certainly; sādhibe-you must solicit; tāṅhāre-Him.
TRANSLATION
The King told Rāmānanda Rāya, “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very, very merciful to you. Therefore please solicit my meeting with Him without fail.”
TEXT 42
eka-saṅge dui jana kṣetre yabe āilā
rāmānanda rāya tabe prabhure mililā
SYNONYMS
eka-saṅge-together; dui jana-these two persons; kṣetre-at Jagannātha-kṣetra (Jagannātha Purī); yabe-when; āilā-came back; rāmānanda rāya-Rāmānanda Rāya; tabe-at that time; prabhure-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mililā-met.
TRANSLATION
The King and Rāmānanda Rāya returned together to Jagannātha-kṣetra [Purī], and Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 43
prabhu-pade prema-bhakti jānāila rājāra
prasaṅga pāñā aiche kahe bāra-bāra
SYNONYMS
prabhu-pade-unto the lotus feet of the Lord; prema-bhakti-ecstatic love; jānāila-informed; rājāra-of the King; prasaṅga-discussion; pāñā-getting; aiche-thus; kahe-says; bāra-bāra-again and again.
TRANSLATION
At that time, Rāmānanda Rāya informed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu about the ecstatic love of the King. Indeed, as soon as there was some opportunity, he repeatedly informed the Lord about the King.
TEXT 44
rāja-mantrī rāmānanda-vyavahāre nipuṇa
rāja-prīti kahi’ dravāila prabhura mana
SYNONYMS
rāja-mantrī-diplomatic minister; rāmānanda-Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya; vyavahāre-in general behavior; nipuṇa-very expert; rāja-prīti-the love of the King for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kahi’-describing; dravāila-softened; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mana-the mind.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was indeed a diplomatic minister for the King. His general behavior was very expert, and simply by describing the King’s love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he gradually softened the Lord’s mind.
PURPORT
A diplomat in the material world knows how to deal with people, especially in political affairs. Some of the great devotees of the Lord-like Rāmānanda Rāya, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī-were government officers and had a background of very opulent householder life. Consequently they knew how to deal with people. In many instances we have seen the diplomacy of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya employed in the service of the Lord. When Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s father and uncle were to be arrested by government officials, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī hid them and personally met the government officers and settled the affair diplomatically. This is but one instance. Similarly, Sanātana Gosvāmī, after resigning his ministership, was thrown in jail, and he bribed the attendant of the jail so he could leave the clutches of the Nawab and live with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Now we see Rāmānanda Rāya, a most confidential devotee of the Lord, diplomatically soften the heart of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, despite the fact that the Lord definitely decided not to meet the King. The diplomacy of Rāmānanda Rāya and entreaties of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and all the other great devotees succeeded. The conclusion is that diplomacy used for the service of the Lord is a form of devotional service.
TEXT 45
utkaṇṭhāte pratāparudra nāre rahibāre
rāmānanda sādhilena prabhure milibāre
SYNONYMS
utkaṇṭhāte-in great anxiety; pratāparudra-King Pratāparudra; nāre rahibāre-could not stay; rāmānanda-Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya; sādhilena-solicited; prabhure-unto Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; milibāre-to meet.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Pratāparudra, in great anxiety, could not endure not seeing the Lord; therefore Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, by his diplomacy, arranged a meeting with the Lord for the King.
TEXT 46
rāmānanda prabhu-pāya kaila nivedana
eka-bāra pratāparudre dekhāha caraṇa
SYNONYMS
rāmānanda-Rāmānanda; prabhu-pāya-at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kaila-did; nivedana-submission; eka-bāra-once only; pratāparudre-unto Mahārāja Pratāparudra; dekhāha-show; caraṇa-Your lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya frankly requested Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Please show Your lotus feet to the King at least once.”
TEXT 47
prabhu kahe,-rāmānanda, kaha vicāriyā
rājāke milite yuyāya sannyāsī hañā?
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; rāmānanda-My dear Rāmānanda; kaha-please ask Me; vicāriyā-after due consideration; rājāke-the King; milite-to meet; yuyāya-is it befitting; sannyāsī-in the renounced order of life; hañā-being.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “My dear Rāmānanda, you should make this request after duly considering whether it is befitting for a sannyāsī to meet a king.
TEXT 48
rājāra milane bhikṣukera dui loka nāśa
paraloka rahu, loke kare upahāsa
SYNONYMS
rājāra milane-by meeting with a king; bhikṣukera-of the mendicant; dui loka-in two worlds; nāśa-destruction; para-loka-spiritual world; rahu-let alone; loke-in this material world; kare-do; upahāsa-joking.
TRANSLATION
“If a mendicant meets a king, this world and the next world are both destroyed for the mendicant. Indeed, what is there to say of the next world? In this world, people will joke if a sannyāsī meets a king.”
TEXT 49
rāmānanda kahe,-tumi īśvara svatantra
kāre tomāra bhaya, tumi naha paratantra
SYNONYMS
rāmānanda kahe-Rāmānanda said; tumi-You; īśvara-the Supreme Lord; svatantra-independent; kāre tomāra bhaya-why should You be afraid of anyone; tumi naha-You are not; para-tantra-dependent.
TRANSLATION
Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “My Lord, You are the supreme independent personality. You have nothing to fear from anyone because You are not dependent on anyone.”
TEXT 50
prabhu kahe,-āmi manuṣya āśrame sannyāsī
kāya-mano-vākye vyavahāre bhaya vāsi
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; āmi manuṣya-I am a human being; āśrame-in the social order; sannyāsī-a renounced person; kāya-manaḥ-vākye-with My body, mind and words; vyavahāre-in general dealings; bhaya-fear; vāsi-I do.
TRANSLATION
When Rāmānanda Rāya addressed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu objected, saying, “I am not the Supreme Personality of Godhead but an ordinary human being. Therefore I must fear public opinion in three ways-with My body, mind and words.
TEXT 51
śukla-vastre masi-bindu yaiche nā lukāya
sannyāsīra alpa chidra sarva-loke gāya
SYNONYMS
śukla-vastre-on white cloth; masi-bindu-a spot of ink; yaiche-as much as; nā-does not; lukāya-become hidden; sannyāsīra-of a sannyāsī; alpa-a very little; chidra-fault; sarva-loke-the general public; gāya-advertise.
TRANSLATION
“As soon as the general public finds a little fault in the behavior of a sannyāsī, they advertise it like wildfire. A black spot of ink cannot be hidden on a white cloth. It is always very prominent.”
TEXT 52
rāya kahe,-kata pāpīra kariyācha avyāhati
īśvara-sevaka tomāra bhakta gajapati
SYNONYMS
rāya kahe-Rāmānanda Rāya replied; kata pāpīra-of numberless sinful persons; kariyācha-You have done; avyāhati-deliverance; īśvara-sevaka-a servitor of the Lord; tomāra-Your; bhakta-devotee; gajapati-the King.
TRANSLATION
Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “My dear Lord, You have delivered so many sinful people. This King Pratāparudra, the King of Orissa, is actually a servitor of the Lord and Your devotee.”
TEXT 53
prabhu kahe,-pūrṇa yaiche dugdhera kalasa
surā-bindu-pāte keha nā kare paraśa
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; pūrṇa-completely filled; yaiche-just as; dugdhera-of milk; kalasa-container; surā-bindu-pāte-with simply a drop of liquor; keha-anyone; nā kare-does not; paraśa-touch.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “There may be much milk in a big pot, but if it is contaminated by a drop of liquor, it is untouchable.
TEXT 54
yadyapi pratāparudra-sarva-guṇavān
tāṅhāre malina kaila eka ‘rājā’-nāma
SYNONYMS
yadyapi-although; pratāparudra-the King; sarva-guṇa-vān-qualified in every respect; tāṅhāre-unto him; malina kaila-makes impure; eka-one; raja-nāma-the name ”king.”
TRANSLATION
“The King certainly possesses all good qualities, but simply by taking up the name ‘king,’ he has infected everything.
TEXT 55
tathāpi tomāra yadi mahāgraha haya
tabe āni’ milāha tumi tāṅhāra tanaya
SYNONYMS
tathāpi-still; tomāra-your; yadi-if; mahā-āgraha-great eagerness; haya-there is; tabe-then; āni’-bringing; milāha-cause to meet; tumi-you; tāṅhāra-his; tanaya-son.
TRANSLATION
“But if you are still very eager for the King to meet with Me, please first bring his son to meet Me.
TEXT 56
”ātmā vai jāyate putraḥ”-ei śāstra-vāṇī
putrera milane yena milibe āpani
SYNONYMS
ātmā vai jāyate putraḥ-his self appears as the son; ei-this; śāstra-vāṇī-the indication of revealed scriptures; putrera milane-by meeting the son; yena-as if; milibe-he will meet; āpani-personally.
TRANSLATION
“It is indicated in the revealed scriptures that the son represents the father; therefore the son’s meeting with Me would be just as good as the King’s meeting with Me.”
PURPORT
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.78.36) it is said: ātmā vai putra utpanna iti vedānuśāsanam. The Vedas enjoin that one is born as his own son. The son is nondifferent from the father, and this is admitted in every revealed scripture. In Christian theology it is believed that Christ, the son of God, is also God. Both of them are identical.
TEXT 57
tabe rāya yāi’ saba rājāre kahilā
prabhura ājñāya tāṅra putra lañā āilā
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; rāya-Rāmānanda Rāya; yāi’-going; saba-everything; rājāre-unto the King; kahilā-described; prabhura ājñāya-under the order of the Lord; tāṅra putra-his son; lañā āilā-he brought with him.
TRANSLATION
Rāmānanda Rāya then went to inform the King about his talks with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and, following the Lord’s orders, brought the King’s son to see Him.
TEXT 58
sundara, rājāra putra-śyāmala-varaṇa
kiśora vayasa, dīrgha kamala-nayana
SYNONYMS
sundara-beautiful; rājāra putra-the son of the King; śyāmala-varaṇa-blackish complexion; kiśora vayasa-the age just before youth; dīrgha-long; kamala-nayana-lotus eyes.
TRANSLATION
The prince, just entering upon his youth, was very beautiful. He was blackish in complexion and had large lotus eyes.
TEXT 59
pītāmbara, dhare aṅge ratna-ābharaṇa
śrī-kṛṣṇa-smaraṇe teṅha hailā ‘uddīpana’
SYNONYMS
pīta-ambara-dressed in yellow cloth; dhare-carries; aṅge-on the body; ratna-ābharaṇa-ornaments of jewels; śrī-kṛṣṇa-smaraṇe-for remembering Śrī Kṛṣṇa; teṅha-he; hailā-was; uddīpana-stimulation.
TRANSLATION
The prince was dressed in yellow cloth, and there were jeweled ornaments decorating his body. Therefore anyone who saw him would remember Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 60
tāṅre dekhi, mahāprabhura kṛṣṇa-smṛti haila
premāveśe tāṅre mili’ kahite lāgila
SYNONYMS
tāṅre dekhi-seeing him; mahāprabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kṛṣṇa-smṛti-remembrance of Kṛṣṇa; haila-there was; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; tāṅre-him; mili’-meeting; kahite lāgila-began to say.
TRANSLATION
Seeing the boy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately remembered Kṛṣṇa. Meeting the boy in ecstatic love, the Lord began to speak.
TEXT 61
ei-mahā-bhāgavata, yāṅhāra darśane
vrajendra-nandana-smṛti haya sarva-jane
SYNONYMS
ei-here is; mahā-bhāgavata-a first-class devotee; yāṅhāra darśane-by the sight of whom; vrajendra-nandana-of the son of the King of Vraja; smṛti-remembrance; haya-becomes; sarva-jane-for everyone.
TRANSLATION
“Here is a great devotee,” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. “Upon seeing him, everyone can remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, son of Mahārāja Nanda.”
PURPORT
On his Anubhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that a materialist mistakenly accepts the body and mind as the source of material enjoyment. In other words, a materialist accepts the bodily conception of life. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not regard the son of Mahārāja Pratāparudra with the idea that he was a materialist, being the son of a materialist. Nor did He consider Himself the enjoyer. Māyāvādī philosophers make a great mistake by assuming that the sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, the transcendental form of the Lord, is like a material body. However, there is no material contamination in transcendence, nor is there any possibility of imagining a spirituality in matter. One cannot accept matter as spirit. As indicated by the technical words bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (Bhāg. 10.84.13), materialistic Māyāvādīs imagine the form of God in matter, although according to their imagination, God is unlimitedly formless. This is simply mental speculation. Even though Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He placed Himself in the position of a gopī. He also accepted the King’s son directly as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, Vrajendra-nandana Hari. This is perfect vision according to the direction of the Vedic culture, as confirmed in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā (paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ). Such acceptance of the Absolute Truth according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy is explained in both the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.3) and the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.23) in the following words:
nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo
na medhayā na bahunā śrutena
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas
tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṁ svām
“The Supreme Lord is not obtained by expert explanations, by vast intelligence, nor even by much hearing. He is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person He manifests His own form.”
The living entity is entangled in material existence due to his lack of such spiritual vision. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung in his Kalyāṇa-kalpataru: saṁsāre āsiyā prakṛti bhajiyā ‘puruṣa’ abhimāne mari. When the living entity comes to the material world, he thinks himself the enjoyer. Thus he becomes more and more entangled.
TEXT 62
kṛtārtha ha-ilāṅa āmi iṅhāra daraśane
eta bali’ punaḥ tāre kaila āliṅgane
SYNONYMS
kṛta-artha ha-ilāṅa-have become very much obligated; āmi-I; iṅhāra-of this boy; daraśane-by seeing; eta bali’-saying this; punaḥ-again; tāre-him; kaila-did; āliṅgane-embrace.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “I have become very much obligated just by seeing this boy.” After saying this, the Lord again embraced the prince.
TEXT 63
prabhu-sparśe rāja-putrera haila premāveśa
sveda, kampa, aśru, stambha, pulaka viśeṣa
SYNONYMS
prabhu-sparśe-because of being touched by the Lord; rāja-putrera-of the King’s son; haila-there was; prema-āveśa-ecstatic love; sveda-perspiration; kampa-trembling; aśru-tears; stambha-being stunned; pulaka-jubilation; viśeṣa-specifically.
TRANSLATION
As soon as the prince was touched by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, symptoms of ecstatic love immediately manifested themselves in his body. These symptoms included perspiration, trembling, tears, being stunned and jubilation.
TEXT 64
‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ kahe, nāce, karaye rodana
tāṅra bhāgya dekhi’ ślāghā kare bhakta-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-O Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa; kahe-chants; nāce-dances; karaye-does; rodana-crying; tāṅra-his; bhāgya-fortune; dekhi’-seeing; ślāghā-praise; kare-do; bhakta-gaṇa-all the devotees.
TRANSLATION
The boy began to cry and dance, and he chanted, “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” Upon seeing his bodily symptoms and his chanting and dancing, all the devotees praised him for his great spiritual fortune.
TEXT 65
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre dhairya karāila
nitya āsi’ āmāya miliha-ei ājñā dila
SYNONYMS
tabe-at that time; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-the boy; dhairya-patient; karāila-caused to be; nitya-daily; āsi’-coming; āmāya-Me; miliha-meet; ei ājñā-this order; dila-gave.
TRANSLATION
At that time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu calmed the youth and ordered him to come there daily to meet Him.
TEXT 66
vidāya hañā rāya āila rāja-putre lañā
rājā sukha pāila putrera ceṣṭā dekhiyā
SYNONYMS
vidāya hañā-taking leave; rāya-Rāmānanda Rāya; āila-came back; rāja-putre lañā-taking the King’s son; rājā-the King; sukha pāila-felt great happiness; putrera-of his son; ceṣṭā-activities; dekhiyā-seeing.
TRANSLATION
Rāmānanda Rāya and the boy then departed from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Rāmānanda took him back to the King’s palace. The King was very happy when he heard of his son’s activities.
TEXT 67
putre āliṅgana kari’ premāviṣṭa hailā
sākṣāt paraśa yena mahāprabhura pāilā
SYNONYMS
putre-his son; āliṅgana-embracing; kari’-doing; prema-āviṣṭa hailā-he became ecstatic; sākṣāt-directly; paraśa-touch; yena-as if; mahāprabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; pāilā-he got.
TRANSLATION
Just by embracing his son, the King was filled with ecstatic love, just as if he had touched Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly.
TEXT 68
sei haite bhāgyavān rājāra nandana
prabhu-bhakta-gaṇa-madhye hailā eka-jana
SYNONYMS
sei haite-from that day; bhāgyavān-the most fortunate; rājāra nandana-the son of the King; prabhu-bhakta-gaṇa-madhye-among the intimate devotees of the Lord; hailā-became; eka-jana-one of them.
TRANSLATION
From then on, the fortunate prince was one of the most intimate devotees of the Lord.
PURPORT
In this regard, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī writes: yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhava-vatām. If Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu simply glanced at someone for a moment, that person immediately turned into one of the most confidential devotees of the Lord. The prince came to see the Lord for the first time, but by the Lord’s mercy the boy immediately became a topmost devotee. This was not in theory but in practice. We cannot apply the nagna-mātṛkā-nyāya formula. This states that if one’s mother was naked in her childhood, she should continue to remain naked, even though she has become a mother of so many children. If a person is actually blessed by the mercy of the Lord, he can immediately become a topmost devotee of the Lord. The logic of nagna-mātṛkā states that if a person is not elevated on such and such a date, he cannot become an exalted devotee overnight, as it were. This particular instance offers evidence to contradict that theory. On the previous day, the boy was simply an ordinary prince, and the next day he was counted as one of the topmost devotees of the Lord. This was all made possible by the causeless mercy of the Lord. The Lord is omnipotent, all-powerful and almighty, and He can act as He likes.
TEXT 69
ei-mata mahāprabhu bhakta-gaṇa-saṅge
nirantara krīḍā kare saṅkīrtana-raṅge
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhakta-gaṇa-saṅge-in the society of His pure devotees; nirantara-constantly; krīḍā kare-performs pastimes; saṅkīrtana-raṅge-in the course of His saṅkīrtana movement.
TRANSLATION
Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu acts in the society of His pure devotees, performing His pastimes and spreading the saṅkīrtana movement.
TEXT 70
ācāryādi bhakta kare prabhure nimantraṇa
tāhāṅ tāhāṅ bhikṣā kare lañā bhakta-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
ācārya-ādi-headed by Advaita Ācārya; bhakta-devotees; kare-do; prabhure-unto Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nimantraṇa-invitation; tāhāṅ tāhāṅ-here and there; bhikṣā kare-takes His lunch; lañā-taking; bhakta-gaṇa-all the devotees.
TRANSLATION
Some of the prominent devotees like Advaita Ācārya used to invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take His meals at their homes. The Lord accepted such invitations accompanied by His devotees.
TEXT 71
ei-mata nānā raṅge dina kata gela
jagannāthera ratha-yātrā nikaṭa ha-ila
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; nānā raṅge-in great jubilation; dina kata-some days; gela-passed; jagannāthera-of Lord Śrī Jagannātha; ratha-yātrā-the car festival; nikaṭa ha-ila-became nearer.
TRANSLATION
In this way, the Lord passed some days in great jubilation. Then the car festival of Lord Jagannātha approached.
TEXT 72
prathamei kāśī-miśre prabhu bolāila
paḍichā-pātra, sārvabhaume bolāñā ānila
SYNONYMS
prathamei-in the beginning; kāśī-miśre-Kāśī Miśra; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bolāila-called for; paḍichā-pātra-the superintendent of the temple; sārvabhaume-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; bolāñā-calling; ānila-brought.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first of all called for Kāśī Miśra, then for the superintendent of the temple, then for Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.
TEXT 73
tina-jana-pāśe prabhu hāsiyā kahila
guṇḍicā-mandira-mārjana-sevā māgi’ nila
SYNONYMS
tina-jana-pāśe-in the presence of the three persons; prabhu-the Lord; hāsiyā-smiling; kahila-said; guṇḍicā-mandira-mārjana-of washing the temple known as Guṇḍicā; sevā-service; māgi’ nila-obtained by begging.
TRANSLATION
When these three people came before the Lord, He begged them for permission to wash the temple known as Guṇḍicā.
PURPORT
The Guṇḍicā temple is situated two miles northeast of the Jagannātha temple. At the time of the Ratha-yātrā festival, Lord Jagannātha goes to the Guṇḍicā temple from His original temple and stays there for one week. After one week, He returns to His original temple. It is understood by hearsay that the wife of Indradyumna, the King who established the Jagannātha temple, was known as Guṇḍicā. There is also mention of the name of the Guṇḍicā temple in authoritative scripture. The area of the Guṇḍicā temple is estimated to be 288 cubits by 215 cubits. The main temple inside is about 36 cubits by 30 cubits, and the kīrtana hall is 32 cubits by 30 cubits.
TEXT 74
paḍichā kahe,-āmi-saba sevaka tomāra
ye tomāra icchā sei kartavya āmāra
SYNONYMS
paḍichā kahe-the superintendent said; āmi-saba-we are all; sevaka tomāra-Your servants; ye tomāra-whatever Your; icchā-desire; sei-that; kartavya āmāra-our duty.
TRANSLATION
Upon hearing the Lord’s request for them to wash the Guṇḍicā temple, the paḍichā, the superintendent of the temple, said, “My dear sir, we are all Your servants. Whatever You desire is our duty to perform.
TEXT 75
viśeṣe rājāra ājñā hañāche āmāre
prabhura ājñā yei, sei śīghra karibāre
SYNONYMS
viśeṣe-specifically; rājāra-of the King; ājñā-order; hañāche-there is; āmāre-upon me; prabhura-of Your Lordship; ājñā-order; yei-whatever; sei-that; śīghra karibāre-to execute without delay.
TRANSLATION
“The King gave a special order for me to do without delay whatever Your Lordship orders.
TEXT 76
tomāra yogya sevā nahe mandira-mārjana
ei eka līlā kara, ye tomāra mana
SYNONYMS
tomāra-of You; yogya-befitting; sevā-service; nahe-not; mandira-mārjana-washing the temple; ei-this; eka-one; līlā-pastime; kara-You perform; ye tomāra mana-as You like.
TRANSLATION
“My dear Lord, washing the temple is not service befitting You. Nonetheless, if You wish to do so, it is to be accepted as one of Your pastimes.
TEXT 77
kintu ghaṭa, sammārjanī bahuta cāhiye
ājñā deha-āji saba ihāṅ āni diye
SYNONYMS
kintu-but; ghaṭa-waterpots; sammārjanī-brooms; bahuta-many; cāhiye-You require; ājñā deha-just order; āji-immediately today; saba-everything; ihāṅ-here; āni diye-I shall bring and deliver.
TRANSLATION
“To wash the temple, You need many waterpots and brooms. Therefore order me. I can immediately bring all these things to You.”
TEXT 78
nūtana eka-śata ghaṭa, śata sammārjanī
paḍichā āniyā dila prabhura icchā jāni’
SYNONYMS
nūtana-new; eka-śata-one hundred; ghaṭa-waterpots; śata-hundred; sammārjanī-brooms; paḍichā-the superintendent; āniyā-bringing; dila-delivered; prabhura-of the Lord; icchā-the desire; jāni’-knowing.
TRANSLATION
As soon as the superintendent understood the desire of the Lord, he immediately delivered a hundred new waterpots and a hundred brooms for sweeping the temple.
TEXT 79
āra dine prabhāte lañā nija-gaṇa
śrī-haste sabāra aṅge lepilā candana
SYNONYMS
āra dine-on the next day; prabhāte-in the morning; lañā-taking; nija-gaṇa-His personal devotees; śrī-haste-by His own hand; sabāra aṅge-on everyone’s body; lepilā candana-smeared pulp of sandalwood.
TRANSLATION
The next day, early in the morning, the Lord took His personal associates with Him and, with His own hand, smeared sandalwood pulp on their bodies.
TEXT 80
śrī-haste dila sabāre eka eka mārjanī
saba-gaṇa lañā prabhu calilā āpani
SYNONYMS
śrī-haste-by His own hand; dila-delivered; sabāre-unto every one of them; eka eka-one by one; mārjanī-a broom; saba-gaṇa-all the associates; lañā-taking; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; calilā-went; āpani-personally.
TRANSLATION
He then gave each devotee a broom with His own hand, and taking all of them personally with Him, the Lord went to Guṇḍicā.
TEXT 81
guṇḍicā-mandire gelā karite mārjana
prathame mārjanī lañā karila śodhana
SYNONYMS
guṇḍicā-mandire-to the temple known as Guṇḍicā; gelā-went; karite-to do; mārjana-washing; prathame-in the first instance; mārjanī-the brooms; lañā-taking; karila-did; śodhana-cleansing.
TRANSLATION
In this way the Lord and His associates went to cleanse the Guṇḍicā temple. At first they cleansed the temple with the brooms.
TEXT 82
bhitara mandira upara,-sakala mājila
siṁhāsana māji’ punaḥ sthāpana karila
SYNONYMS
bhitara mandira-of the interior of the temple; upara-the ceiling; sakala mājila-cleansed everything; siṁhāsana-the sitting place of the Lord; māji’-cleansing; punaḥ-again; sthāpana-setting down; karila-did.
TRANSLATION
The Lord cleansed everything inside the temple very nicely, including the ceiling. He then took up the sitting place [siṁhāsana], cleansed it and again put it in its original place.
TEXT 83
choṭa-baḍa-mandira kaila mārjana-śodhana
pāche taiche śodhila śrī-jagamohana
SYNONYMS
choṭa-baḍa-mandira-all the small and big temples; kaila-did; mārjana-śodhana-proper cleansing; pāche-thereafter; taiche-in the similar way; śodhila-cleansed; śrī-jagamohana-the place between the original temple and the kīrtana hall.
TRANSLATION
Thus the Lord and His companions cleansed and swept all the temple’s buildings, big and small, and finally cleansed the area between the temple and the kīrtana hall.
TEXT 84
cāri-dike śata bhakta sammārjanī-kare
āpani śodhena prabhu, śikhā’na sabāre
SYNONYMS
cāri-dike-all around; śata-hundreds of; bhakta-devotees; sammārjanī-kare-do the cleansing work; āpani-personally; śodhena-cleanses; prabhu-the Lord; śikhā’na sabāre-teaching all others.
TRANSLATION
Indeed, hundreds of devotees were engaged in cleansing all around the temple, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was personally carrying out the operation just to instruct others.
TEXT 85
premollāse śodhena, layena kṛṣṇa-nāma
bhakta-gaṇa ‘kṛṣṇa’ kahe, kare nija-kāma
SYNONYMS
prema-ullāse-in great jubilation; śodhena-cleanses; layena-chants; kṛṣṇa-Hare Kṛṣṇa; nāma-name; bhakta-gaṇa-the devotees; kṛṣṇa kahe-chant Kṛṣṇa; kare-do; nija-kāma-their own duty.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed and cleansed the temple in great jubilation, chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa all the time. Similarly, all the devotees were also chanting and at the same time performing their respective duties.
TEXT 86
dhūli-dhūsara tanu dekhite śobhana
kāhāṅ kāhāṅ aśru-jale kare sammārjana
SYNONYMS
dhūli-dust; dhūsara-dirt; tanu-body; dekhite-to see; śobhana-very beautiful; kāhāṅ kāhāṅ-somewhere; aśru-jale-with tears; kare-does; sammārjana-washing.
TRANSLATION
The entire beautiful body of the Lord was covered with dust and dirt. In this way it became transcendentally beautiful. At times, when cleansing the temple, the Lord shed tears, and in some places He even cleansed with those tears.
TEXT 87
bhoga-mandira śodhana kari’ śodhila prāṅgaṇa
sakala āvāsa krame karila śodhana
SYNONYMS
bhoga-mandira-the place where food is placed; śodhana kari’-cleansing; śodhila prāṅgaṇa-cleansed the yard; sakala-all; āvāsa-residential places; krame-one after another; karila śodhana-cleansed.
TRANSLATION
After this, the place where the Deity’s food was kept [bhoga-mandira] was cleansed. Then the yard was cleansed, and then all the residential quarters, one after the other.
TEXT 88
tṛṇa, dhūli, jhiṅkura, saba ekatra kariyā
bahirvāse lañā phelāya bāhira kariyā
SYNONYMS
tṛṇa-straws; dhūli-dust; jhiṅkura-grains of sand; saba-all; ekatra-in one place; kariyā-combining; bahirvāse lañā-taking on His personal cloth; phelāya-throws; bāhira kariyā-outside.
TRANSLATION
After Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu collected all the straw, dust and grains of sand in one place, He gathered it all in His cloth and threw it outside.
TEXT 89
ei-mata bhakta-gaṇa kari’ nija-vāse
tṛṇa, dhūli bāhire phelāya parama hariṣe
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-similarly; bhakta-gaṇa-all the devotees; kari’-doing; nija-vāse-in their own cloths; tṛṇa-straw; dhūli-dust; bāhire phelāya-throw outside; parama hariṣe-with great jubilation.
TRANSLATION
Following the example of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the devotees, in great jubilation, began to gather straws and dust with their own cloths and throw them outside the temple.
TEXT 90
prabhu kahe,-ke kata kariyācha sammārjana
tṛṇa, dhūli dekhilei jāniba pariśrama
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; ke-every one of you; kata-how much; kariyācha-have done; sammārjana-cleansing; tṛṇa-straw; dhūli-dust; dekhilei-when I see; jāniba-I can understand; pariśrama-how much you have labored.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then told the devotees, “I can tell how much you have labored and how well you have cleansed the temple simply by seeing all the straw and dust you have collected outside.”
TEXT 91
sabāra jhyāṅṭāna bojhā ekatra karila
sabā haite prabhura bojhā adhika ha-ila
SYNONYMS
sabāra-of all; jhyāṅṭāna-the dirt collected; bojhā-load; ekatra-combined in one place; karila-made; sabā haite-than all of them; prabhura bojhā-the pile of dirt collected by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; adhika ha-ila-was greater.
TRANSLATION
Even though all the devotees collected dirt in one pile, the dirt collected by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was much greater.
TEXT 92
ei-mata abhyantara karila mārjana
punaḥ sabākāre dila kariyā vaṇṭana
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; abhyantara-inside; karila-did; mārjana-cleansing; punaḥ-again; sabākāre-to all of them; dila-gave; kariyā vaṇṭana-allotting areas.
TRANSLATION
After the inside of the temple was cleansed, the Lord again allotted areas for the devotees to cleanse.
TEXT 93
sūkṣma dhūli, tṛṇa, kāṅkara, saba karaha dūra
bhāla-mate śodhana karaha prabhura antaḥpura
SYNONYMS
sūkṣma dhūli-fine dust; tṛṇa-straw; kāṅkara-grains of sand; saba-all; karaha-do; dūra-away; bhāla-mate-very well; śodhana-cleansing; karaha-do; prabhura-of the Lord; antaḥpura-inside.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then ordered everyone to cleanse the inside of the temple very perfectly by taking finer dust, straws and grains of sand and throwing them outside.
TEXT 94
saba vaiṣṇava lañā yabe dui-bāra śodhila
dekhi’ mahāprabhura mane santoṣa ha-ila
SYNONYMS
saba-all; vaiṣṇava-devotees; lañā-taking; yabe-when; dui-bāra-for the second time; śodhila-cleansed; dekhi’-seeing; mahāprabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mane-in the mind; santoṣa-satisfaction; ha-ila-there was.
TRANSLATION
After Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all the Vaiṣṇavas cleansed the temple for the second time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very happy to see the cleansing work.
TEXT 95
āra śata jana śata ghaṭe jala bhari’
prathamei lañā āche kāla apekṣā kari’
SYNONYMS
āra-other; śata jana-about one hundred men; śata ghaṭe-in a hundred waterpots; jala-water; bhari’-filling; prathamei-in the first instance; lañā-taking; āche-were; kāla-the time; apekṣā kari’-awaiting.
TRANSLATION
While the temple was being swept, about a hundred men stood ready with filled waterpots, and they simply awaited the Lord’s order to throw the water from them.
TEXT 96
‘jala āna’ bali’ yabe mahāprabhu kahila
tabe śata ghaṭa āni’ prabhu-āge dila
SYNONYMS
jala āna-bring water; bali’-saying; yabe-when; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kahila-ordered; tabe-at that time; śata ghaṭa-one hundred pots; āni’-bringing; prabhu-āge-before the Lord; dila-delivered.
TRANSLATION
As soon as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu called for water, all the men immediately brought the hundred waterpots, which were completely filled, and delivered them before the Lord.
TEXT 97
prathame karila prabhu mandira prakṣālana
ūrdhva-adho bhitti, gṛha-madhya, siṁhāsana
SYNONYMS
prathame-in the first instance; karila-did; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mandira prakṣālana-washing of the temple; ūrdhva-on the ceiling; adhaḥ-on the floor; bhitti-walls; gṛha-madhya-within the home; siṁhāsana-the sitting place of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first washed the main temple and then thoroughly washed the ceiling, the walls, the floor, the sitting place [siṁhāsana] and everything else within the room.
TEXT 98
khāparā bhariyā jala ūrdhve cālāila
sei jale ūrdhva śodhi bhitti prakṣālila
SYNONYMS
khāparā-basin; bhariyā-filling; jala-water; ūrdhve-on the ceiling; cālāila-began to throw; sei jale-with that water; ūrdhva śodhi-washing the ceiling; bhitti-walls and floor; prakṣālila-washed.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself and His devotees began to throw water onto the ceiling. When this water fell, it washed the walls and floor.
TEXT 99
śrī-haste karena siṁhāsanera mārjana
prabhu āge jala āni’ deya bhakta-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
śrī-haste-with His own hand; karena-does; siṁhāsanera mārjana-washing of the sitting place of the Lord; prabhu āge-before the Lord; jala-water; āni’-bringing; deya-deliver; bhakta-gaṇa-all devotees.
TRANSLATION
Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to wash the sitting place of Lord Jagannātha with His own hands, and all the devotees began to bring water to the Lord.
TEXT 100
bhakta-gaṇa kare gṛha-madhya prakṣālana
nija nija haste kare mandira mārjana
SYNONYMS
bhakta-gaṇa-devotees; kare-do; gṛha-madhya-within the room; prakṣālana-washing; nija nija-each one of them; haste-in the hand; kare-does; mandira mārjana-cleansing of the temple.
TRANSLATION
All the devotees within the temple began to wash. Each one had a broom in his hand, and in this way they cleansed the temple of the Lord.
TEXT 101
keha jala āni’ deya mahāprabhura kare
keha jala deya tāṅra caraṇa-upare
SYNONYMS
keha-someone; jala āni’-bringing water; deya-delivers; mahāprabhura kare-to the hand of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; keha-someone; jala deya-pours water; tāṅra-His; caraṇa-upare-on the lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
Someone brought water to pour into the hands of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and someone poured water on His lotus feet.
TEXT 102
keha lukāñā kare sei jala pāna
keha māgi’ laya, keha anye kare dāna
SYNONYMS
keha-someone; lukāñā-concealing himself; kare-does; sei jala-of that water; pāna-drinking; keha-someone; māgi’ laya-begging, takes; keha-another; anye-to another; kare-gives; dāna-in charity.
TRANSLATION
The water that fell from the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was drunk by someone who hid himself. Someone else begged for that water, and another person was giving that water in charity.
TEXT 103
ghara dhui’ praṇālikāya jala chāḍi’ dila
sei jale prāṅgaṇa saba bhariyā rahila
SYNONYMS
ghara dhui’-washing the room; praṇālikāya-unto the outlet; jala-water; chāḍi’ dila-let go; sei jale-by that water; prāṅgaṇa-the yard; saba-all; bhariyā-filled; rahila-remained.
TRANSLATION
After the room was washed, the water was let out through an outlet, and it then flowed and filled the yard outside.
TEXT 104
nija-vastre kaila prabhu gṛha sammārjana
mahāprabhu nija-vastre mājila siṁhāsana
SYNONYMS
nija-vastre-by His own garment; kaila-did; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; gṛha-room; sammārjana-mopping; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nija-vastre-by His own garment; mājila-polished; siṁhāsana-throne.
TRANSLATION
The Lord mopped the rooms with His own clothes, and He polished the throne with them also.
TEXT 105
śata ghaṭa jale haila mandira mārjana
mandira śodhiyā kaila-yena nija mana
SYNONYMS
śata-one hundred; ghaṭa-of waterpots; jale-by the water; haila-became; mandira-the temple; mārjana-cleansed; mandira-the temple; śodhiyā-cleansing; kaila-did; yena-as if; nija mana-his own mind.
TRANSLATION
In this way all the rooms were cleansed with a hundred waterpots. After the rooms had been cleansed, the minds of the devotees were as clean as the rooms.
TEXT 106
nirmala, śītala, snigdha karila mandire
āpana-hṛdaya yena dharila bāhire
SYNONYMS
nirmala-purified; śītala-cool; snigdha-pleasing; karila-made; mandire-the temple; āpana-hṛdaya-own heart; yena-as if; dharila-kept; bāhire-outside.
TRANSLATION
When the temple was cleansed, it was purified, cool and pleasing, just as if the Lord’s own pure mind had appeared.
TEXT 107
śata śata jana jala bhare sarovare
ghāṭe sthāna nāhi, keha kūpe jala bhare
SYNONYMS
śata śata jana-hundreds of men; jala bhare-draw water; sarovare-from the lake; ghāṭe-on the bank; sthāna-place; nāhi-there is not; keha-someone; kūpe-from the well; jala bhare-draws the water.
TRANSLATION
Since hundreds of men were engaged in bringing water from the lake, there was no place to stand on the banks. Consequently someone began to draw water from a well.
TEXT 108
pūrṇa kumbha lañā āise śata bhakta-gaṇa
śūnya ghaṭa lañā yāya āra śata jana
SYNONYMS
pūrṇa kumbha-a filled waterpot; lañā-taking; āise-come; śata bhakta-gaṇa-hundreds of devotees; śūnya ghaṭa-an empty waterpot; lañā-taking back; yāya-go; āra-another; śata jana-hundreds of men.
TRANSLATION
Hundreds of devotees brought water in the pots, and hundreds took the empty pots away to fill them up again.
TEXT 109
nityānanda, advaita, svarūpa, bhāratī, purī
iṅhā vinu āra saba āne jala bhari’
SYNONYMS
nityānanda-Nityānanda Prabhu; advaita-Advaita Ācārya; svarūpa-Svarūpa Dāmodara; bhāratī-Brahmānanda Bhāratī; purī-Paramānanda Purī; iṅhā-these; vinu-except; āra-others; saba-all; āne-bring; jala-water; bhari’-filling up.
TRANSLATION
With the exception of Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Ācārya, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Brahmānanda Bhāratī and Paramānanda Purī, everyone was engaged in filling the waterpots and bringing them there.
TEXT 110
ghaṭe ghaṭe ṭheki’ kata ghaṭa bhāṅgi’ gela
śata śata ghaṭa loka tāhāṅ lañā āila
SYNONYMS
ghaṭe ghaṭe ṭheki’-when there was a collision between one pot and another; kata-so many; ghaṭa-pots; bhāṅgi’ gelā-became broken; śata śata-hundreds of; ghaṭa-pots; loka-people; tāhāṅ-there; lañā-bringing; āila-came.
TRANSLATION
Many of the waterpots were broken when people collided with one another, and hundreds of men had to bring new waterpots to fill.
TEXT 111
jala bhare, ghara dhoya, kare hari-dhvani
‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘hari’ dhvani vinā āra nāhi śuni
SYNONYMS
jala bhare-they were drawing water; ghara dhoya-washing the rooms; kare hari-dhvani-chanting the holy name of Hari; kṛṣṇa-Lord Kṛṣṇa; hari-the holy name of Hari; dhvani-vibration; vinā-except; āra-anything else; nāhi-there was not; śuni-hearing.
TRANSLATION
Some people were filling the pots, and others were washing the rooms, but everyone was engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and Hari.
TEXT 112
‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ kahi’ kare ghaṭera prārthana
‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ kahi’ kare ghaṭa samarpaṇa
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kahi’-while chanting “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa”; kare-do; ghaṭera-for the waterpots; prārthana-begging; kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; kahi’-chanting; kare-does; ghaṭa-of the waterpots; samarpaṇa-delivery.
TRANSLATION
One person begged for a waterpot by chanting the holy names “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa,” and another delivered a pot while chanting “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.”
TEXT 113
yei yei kahe, sei kahe kṛṣṇa-nāme
kṛṣṇa-nāma ha-ila saṅketa saba-kāme
SYNONYMS
yei yei kahe-anyone who was speaking; sei-he; kahe-says; kṛṣṇa-nāme-by uttering the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-nāma ha-ila-the holy name of Kṛṣṇa became; saṅketa-indication; saba-kāme-for everyone who wanted something.
TRANSLATION
Whenever anyone had to speak, he did so by uttering the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Consequently, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa became an indication for everyone who wanted something.
TEXT 114
premāveśe prabhu kahe ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’-nāma
ekale premāveśe kare śata-janera kāma
SYNONYMS
prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kahe-says; kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-nāma-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; ekale-alone; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; kare-does; śata-janera kāma-the work of hundreds of men.
TRANSLATION
As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was vibrating the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in ecstatic love, He Himself was performing the work of hundreds of men.
TEXT 115
śata-haste karena yena kṣālana-mārjana
pratijana-pāśe yāi’ karāna śikṣana
SYNONYMS
śata-haste-with one hundred hands; karena-He does; yena-as if; kṣālana-mārjana-rinsing and washing; pratijana-pāśe yāi’-going to the side of everyone; karāna śikṣaṇa-He was teaching them.
TRANSLATION
It appeared as though Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were cleansing and washing with a hundred hands. He approached every devotee just to teach him how to work.
TEXT 116
bhāla karma dekhi’ tāre kare prasaṁśana
mane nā milile kare pavitra bhartsana
SYNONYMS
bhāla-good; karma-work; dekhi’-seeing; tāre-to him; kare-does; prasaṁśana-praising; mane-in His mind; nā-not; milile-being approved; kare-He does; pavitra-purified, ungrudgingly; bhartsana-chastisement.
TRANSLATION
When He saw someone doing nicely, the Lord praised him, but if He saw that someone was not working to His satisfaction, He immediately chastised that person, not bearing him any grudge.
TEXT 117
tumi bhāla kariyācha, śikhāha anyere
ei-mata bhāla karma seho yena kare
SYNONYMS
tumi-you; bhāla kariyācha-have done well; śikhāha anyere-teach others; ei-mata-in this way; bhāla karma-good work; seho-he also; yena-so that; kare-performs.
TRANSLATION
The Lord would say, “You have done well. Please teach this to others so that they may act in the same way.”
TEXT 118
e-kathā śuniyā sabe saṅkucita hañā
bhāla-mate karma kare sabe mana diyā
SYNONYMS
e-kathā śuniyā-hearing these words; sabe-all; saṅkucita hañā-being ashamed; bhāla-mate-very well; karma kare-do work; sabe-all; mana diyā-with attention.
TRANSLATION
As soon as they heard Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu say this, everyone became ashamed. Thus the devotees began to work with great attention.
TEXT 119
tabe prakṣālana kaila śrī-jagamohana
bhoga-mandira-ādi tabe kaila prakṣālana
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; prakṣālana-washing; kaila-performed; śrī-jagamohana-in front of the temple; bhoga-mandira-the place where food is offered; ādi-all such places; tabe-then; kaila prakṣālana-washed.
TRANSLATION
They washed the Jagamohana area and then the place where food was kept. All other places were also washed.
TEXT 120
nāṭaśālā dhui’ dhuila catvara-prāṅgaṇa
pākaśālā-ādi kari’ karila prakṣālana
SYNONYMS
nāṭa-śālā-the meeting place; dhui’-washing; dhuila-washed; catvara-prāṅgaṇa-the yard and the raised sitting place; pāka-śālā-the kitchen; ādi-and so on; kari’-making; karila prakṣālana-washed.
TRANSLATION
In this way the meeting place was washed, the entire yard, the raised sitting places, the kitchen and every other room.
TEXT 121
mandirera catur-dik prakṣālana kaila
saba antaḥpura bhāla-mate dhoyāila
SYNONYMS
mandirera-the temple; caturḥ-dik-all around; prakṣālana kaila-washed; saba-all; antaḥpura-inside the rooms; bhāla-mate-with great care; dhoyāila-washed.
TRANSLATION
Thus all places around the temple were thoroughly washed within and without.
TEXT 122
hena-kāle gauḍīyā eka subuddhi sarala
prabhura caraṇa-yuge dila ghaṭa-jala
SYNONYMS
hena-kāle-at this time; gauḍīyā-Vaiṣṇava from Bengal; eka-one; su-buddhi-very intelligent; sarala-simple; prabhura caraṇa-yuge-on the lotus feet of the Lord; dila-poured; ghaṭa-jala-one potful of water.
TRANSLATION
After everything was thoroughly washed, a Vaiṣṇava from Bengal, who was very intelligent and simple, came and poured water on the lotus feet of the Lord.
TEXT 123
sei jala lañā āpane pāna kaila
tāhā dekhi’ prabhura mane duḥkha roṣa haila
SYNONYMS
sei jala-that water; lañā-taking; āpane-personally; pāna kaila-drank; tāhā dekhi’-seeing that; prabhura-of the Lord; mane-in the mind; duḥkha-unhappiness; roṣa-anger; haila-there was.
TRANSLATION
The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava then took that water and drank it himself. Seeing that, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt a little unhappy and was also outwardly angry.
TEXT 124
yadyapi gosāñi tāre hañāche santoṣa
dharma-saṁsthāpana lāgi’ bāhire mahā-roṣa
SYNONYMS
yadyapi-although; gosāñi-the Lord; tāre-with him; hañāche-became; santoṣa-satisfied; dharma-saṁsthāpana lāgi’-for establishing the etiquette of religious principles; bāhire-externally; mahā-roṣa-very angry.
TRANSLATION
Although the Lord was certainly satisfied with him, He became angry externally in order to establish the etiquette of religious principles.
TEXT 125
śikṣā lāgi’ svarūpe ḍāki’ kahila tāṅhāre
ei dekha tomāra ‘gauḍīyā’ra vyavahāre
SYNONYMS
śikṣā lāgi’-for instruction; svarūpe-unto Svarūpa Dāmodara; ḍāki’-calling; kahila-said; tāṅhāre-unto him; ei dekha-just see here; tomāra-your; gauḍīyāra-of this Vaiṣṇava from Bengal; vyavahāre-behavior.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then called for Svarūpa Dāmodara and told him, “Just see the behavior of your Bengali Vaiṣṇava.
TEXT 126
īśvara-mandire mora pada dhoyāila
sei jala āpani lañā pāna kaila
SYNONYMS
īśvara-mandire-in the temple of the Lord; mora-My; pada-feet; dhoyāila-washed; sei jala-that water; āpani-personally; lañā-taking; pāna kaila-drank.
TRANSLATION
“This person from Bengal has washed My feet within the temple of the Personality of Godhead. Not only that, but he has drunk the water himself.
TEXT 127
ei aparādhe mora kāhāṅ habe gati
tomāra ‘gauḍīyā’ kare eteka phaijati!
SYNONYMS
ei aparādhe-by such an offense; mora-of Me; kāhāṅ-where; habe-will be; gati-destination; tomāra gauḍīyā-your Bengali Vaiṣṇava; kare-does; eteka-such; phaijati-implication.
TRANSLATION
“I now do not know what My destination is because of this offense. Indeed, your Bengali Vaiṣṇava has greatly implicated Me.”
PURPORT
It is significant that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī that the Bengali Vaiṣṇava was “your Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava.” This means that all Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas who are followers of the Caitanya cult are subordinate to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. The paramparā system is very strictly observed by Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s personal secretary was Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. The next group of devotees was the six Gosvāmīs, then Kavirāja Gosvāmī. It is necessary to observe the paramparā system of the Caitanya cult. There are many offenses one can commit while serving the Lord, and these are described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa and other books. According to the rules and regulations, no one should accept obeisances in the temple of the Lord before the Deity. Nor is it proper for a devotee to offer obeisances and touch the feet of the spiritual master before the Deity. This is considered an offense. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself was personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore it was not actually offensive to wash His lotus feet in the temple. However, because He was playing the part of an ācārya, the Lord considered Himself an ordinary human being. He also wanted to give instructions to ordinary human beings. The point is that even though one plays the part of a spiritual master, he should not accept obeisances or permit a disciple to wash his feet before the Deity. This is a matter of etiquette.
TEXT 128
tabe svarūpa gosāñi tāra ghāḍe hāta diyā
ḍhekā māri’ purīra bāhira rākhilena lañā
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; svarūpa gosāñi-Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosāñi; tāra-of him; ghāḍe-on the neck; hāta diyā-touching with the hand; ḍhekā māri’-pushing a little; purīra bāhira-out of the temple of Guṇḍicā Purī; rākhilena-kept; lañā-taking.
TRANSLATION
At this point Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī caught the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava by the neck and, giving him a little push, ejected him from the Guṇḍicā Purī temple and made him stay outside.
TEXT 129
punaḥ āsi’ prabhu pāya karila vinaya
‘ajña-aparādha’ kṣamā karite yuyāya
SYNONYMS
punaḥ āsi’-again coming back; prabhu pāya-at the lotus feet of the Lord; karila vinaya-made a submission; ajña-aparādha-offense by innocent person; kṣamā karite-to be excused; yuyāya-deserves.
TRANSLATION
After Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī returned within the temple, he requested Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to excuse that innocent person.
TEXT 130
tabe mahāprabhura mane santoṣa ha-ilā
sāri kari’ dui pāśe sabāre vasāilā
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; mahāprabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mane-in the mind; santoṣa ha-ilā-there was satisfaction; sāri kari’-making a line; dui pāśe-on two sides; sabāre-all of them; vasāilā-made to sit.
TRANSLATION
After this incident, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much satisfied. He then asked all of the devotees to sit down in two lines on both sides.
TEXT 131
āpane vasiyā mājhe, āpanāra hāte
tṛṇa, kāṅkara, kuṭā lāgilā kuḍāite
SYNONYMS
āpane-personally; vasiyā mājhe-sitting in the middle; āpanāra hāte-with His own hand; tṛṇa-straw; kāṅkara-grains of sand; kuṭā-dirt; lāgilā-began; kuḍāite-to pick up.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then personally sat down in the middle and picked up all kinds of straw, grains of sand and dirty things.
TEXT 132
ke kata kuḍāya, saba ekatra kariba
yāra alpa, tāra ṭhāñi piṭhā-pānā la-iba
SYNONYMS
ke kata kuḍāya-how much one has collected; saba-all; ekatra-in one place; kariba-I shall gather; yāra-of whom; alpa-small; tāra ṭhāñi-from him; piṭhā-pānā la-iba-I will ask for cakes and sweet rice as a fine.
TRANSLATION
While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was picking up the straws and grains of sand, He said, “I shall gather everyone’s collection, and I shall ask whoever has collected less than all the others to pay a fine of sweet cakes and sweet rice.”
TEXT 133
ei mata saba purī karila śodhana
śītala, nirmala kaila-yena nija-mana
SYNONYMS
ei mata-in this way; saba purī-all of Guṇḍicā Purī; karila śodhana-they cleansed; śītala-cool; nirmala-clean; kaila-made; yena-as; nija-mana-his own mind.
TRANSLATION
In this way all the quarters of the Guṇḍicā temple were completely cleansed and cleared. All quarters were cool and spotless, like one’s cleansed and pacified mind.
TEXT 134
praṇālikā chāḍi’ yadi pāni vahāila
nūtana nadī yena samudre milila
SYNONYMS
praṇālikā-water from the outlets; chāḍi’-releasing; yadi-when; pāni-water; vahāila-flowed; nūtana-new; nadī-river; yena-as if; samudre-in the ocean; milila-met.
TRANSLATION
When the water from the different rooms was finally let out through the halls, it appeared as if new rivers were rushing out to meet the waters of the ocean.
TEXT 135
ei-mata puradvāra-āge patha yata
sakala śodhila, tāhā ke varṇibe kata
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; pura-dvāra-of the gateway of the temple; āge-in front; patha yata-as many avenues; sakala-all; śodhila-were cleansed; tāhā-that; ke varṇibe-who can describe; kata-how much.
TRANSLATION
Outside the gateway of the temple, all the roads were also cleansed, and no one could tell exactly how this was done.
PURPORT
In commenting on the cleansing of the Guṇḍicā temple, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the world leader, was personally giving instructions on how one should receive Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within one’s cleansed and pacified heart. If one wants to see Kṛṣṇa seated in his heart, he must first cleanse the heart, as prescribed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Śikṣāṣṭaka: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. In this age, everyone’s heart is especially unclean, as confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi. To wash away all dirty things accumulated within the heart, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised everyone to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The first result will be that the heart is cleansed (ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam). Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17) confirms this statement:
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
“Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.”
If a devotee at all wants to cleanse his heart, he must chant and hear the glories of the Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa (śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ). This is a simple process. Kṛṣṇa Himself will help cleanse the heart because He is already seated there. Kṛṣṇa wants to continue living within the heart, and the Lord wants to give directions, but one has to keep his heart as clean as Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu kept the Guṇḍicā temple. The devotee therefore has to cleanse his heart just as the Lord cleansed the Guṇḍicā temple. In this way one can be pacified and enriched in devotional service. If the heart is filled with straw, grains of sand, weeds or dust (in other words, anyābhilāṣa-pūrṇa), one cannot enthrone the Supreme Personality of Godhead there. The heart must be cleansed of all material motives brought about through fruitive work, speculative knowledge, the mystic yoga system and so many other forms of so-called meditation. The heart must be cleansed without ulterior motive. As Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. In other words, there should not be any external motive. One should not attempt material upliftment, understanding the Supreme by speculative knowledge, fruitive activity, severe austerity and penance, and so on. All these activities are against the natural growth of spontaneous love of Godhead. As soon as these are present within the heart, the heart should be understood to be unclean and therefore unfit to serve as Kṛṣṇa’s sitting place. We cannot perceive the Lord’s presence in our hearts unless our hearts are cleansed.
A material desire is explained as a desire to enjoy the material world to its fullest extent. In modern language, this is called economic development. An inordinate desire for economic development is considered to be like straws and grains of sand within the heart. If one is overly engaged in material activity, the heart will always remain disturbed. As stated by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura:
saṁsāra viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale,
juḍāite nā kainu upāya
In other words, endeavor for material opulence is against the principle of devotional service. Material enjoyment includes activities such as great sacrifices for auspicious activity, charity, austerity, elevation to the higher planetary system, and even living happily within the material world.
Modernized material benefits are like the dust of material contamination. When this dust is agitated by the whirlwind of fruitive activity, it overcomes the heart. Thus the mirror of the heart is covered with dust. There are many desires for performing auspicious and inauspicious activities, but people do not know how life after life they are keeping their hearts unclean. One who cannot give up the desire for fruitive activity is understood to be covered by the dust of material contamination. Karmīs generally think that the interaction of fruitive activities can be counteracted by another karma, or fruitive activity. This is certainly a mistaken conception. If one is deluded by such a conception, he is cheated by his own activity. Such activities have been compared to an elephant’s bathing. An elephant may bathe very thoroughly, but as soon as it comes out of the river, it immediately takes some sand from the land and throws it all over its body. If one suffers due to his past fruitive activities, he cannot counteract his suffering by performing auspicious activities. The sufferings of human society cannot be counteracted by material plans. The only way suffering can be mitigated is by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord-beginning with chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord-the cleansing of the heart begins. When the heart is actually cleansed, one can clearly see the Lord sitting there without any disturbance. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.68) the Lord confirms that He sits within the heart of the pure devotee: sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham.
Impersonal speculation, monism (merging into the existence of the Supreme), speculative knowledge, mystic yoga and meditation are all compared to grains of sand. They simply cause irritation to the heart. No one can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by such activities, nor do we give the Lord a chance to sit in our hearts peacefully. Rather, the Lord is simply disturbed by them. Sometimes yogīs and jñānīs in the beginning take to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra as a way to begin their various practices. But when they falsely think that they have attained release from the bondage of material existence, they give up chanting. They do not consider that the ultimate goal is the form of the Lord or the name of the Lord. Such unfortunate creatures are never favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for they do not know what devotional service is. Lord Kṛṣṇa describes them in the Bhagavad-gītā in this way:
tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān
saṁsāreṣu narādhamān
kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān
āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu
“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, I perpetually cast into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” (Bg. 16.19)
By His practical example, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has shown us that all the grains of sand must be picked up thoroughly and thrown outside. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also cleansed the outside of the temple, fearing that the grains of sand would again come within. In this connection Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that even though one may become free from the desire for fruitive activity, sometimes the subtle desire for fruitive activity again comes into being within the heart. One often thinks of conducting business to improve devotional activity. But the contamination is so strong that it may later develop into misunderstanding, described as kuṭi-nāṭi (faultfinding) and pratiṣṭhāśā (the desire for name and fame and for high position), jīva-hiṁsā (envy of other living entities), niṣiddhācāra (accepting things forbidden in the śāstra), kāma (desire for material gain) and pūjā (hankering for popularity). The word kuṭi-nāṭi means “duplicity.” As an example of pratiṣṭhāśā, one may attempt to imitate Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura by living in a solitary place. One’s real desire may be for name and fame-in other words, one thinks that fools will accept one to be as good as Haridāsa Ṭhākura just because one lives in a solitary place. These are all material desires. A neophyte devotee is certain to be attacked by other material desires as well, namely desires for women and money. In this way the heart is again filled with dirty things and becomes harder and harder, like that of a materialist. Gradually one desires to become a reputed devotee or an avatāra (incarnation).
The word jīva-hiṁsā (envy of other living entities) actually means stopping the preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Preaching work is described as paropakāra, welfare activity for others. Those who are ignorant of the benefits of devotional service must be educated by preaching. If one stops preaching and simply sits down in a solitary place, he is engaging in material activity. If one desires to make a compromise with the Māyāvādīs, he is also engaged in material activity. A devotee should never make compromises with nondevotees. By acting as a professional guru, mystic yogī or miracle man, one may cheat and bluff the general public and gain fame as a wonderful mystic, but all this is considered to be dust, straw and grains of sand within the heart. In addition, one should follow the regulative principles and not desire illicit sex, gambling, intoxicants or meat.
To give us practical instructions, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu cleansed the temple twice. His second cleansing was more thorough. The idea was to throw away all the stumbling blocks on the path of devotional service. He cleansed the temple with firm conviction, as is evident from His using His own personal garments for cleaning. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to see personally that the temple was thoroughly cleansed to the standard of clean marble. Clean marble gives a cooling effect. Devotional service means attaining peace from all disturbances caused by material contamination. In other words, it is the process by which the mind is cooled. The mind can be peaceful and thoroughly cleansed when one no longer desires anything but devotional service.
Even though all dirty things may be cleansed away, sometimes subtle desires remain in the mind for impersonalism, monism, success and the four principles of religious activity (dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa). All these are like spots on clean cloth. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also wanted to cleanse all these away.
By His practical activity, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed us how to cleanse our hearts. Once the heart is cleansed, we should invite Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to sit down, and we should observe the festival by distributing prasāda and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to teach every devotee by His personal behavior. Everyone who spreads the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepts a similar responsibility. The Lord was personally chastising and praising individuals in the course of the cleaning, and those who are engaged as ācāryas must learn from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu how to train devotees by personal example. The Lord was very much pleased with those who could cleanse the temple by taking out undesirable things accumulated within. This is called anartha-nivṛtti, cleansing the heart of all unwanted things. Thus the cleansing of the Guṇḍicā-mandira was conducted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to let us know how the heart should be cleansed and soothed to receive Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and enable Him to sit within the heart without disturbance.
TEXT 136
nṛsiṁha-mandira-bhitara-bāhira śodhila
kṣaṇeka viśrāma kari’ nṛtya ārambhila
SYNONYMS
nṛsiṁha-mandira-the temple of Nṛsiṁhadeva; bhitara-inside; bāhira-outside; śodhila-cleansed; kṣaṇeka-for a few moments; viśrāma-rest; kari’-after taking; nṛtya-dancing; ārambhila-began.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also cleansed the Nṛsiṁha temple inside and outside. Finally, He rested a few minutes and then began dancing.
PURPORT
The Nṛsiṁha temple is a nice temple just outside the Guṇḍicā temple. In this temple there is a great festival on the day of Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī. There is also a Nṛsiṁha temple at Navadvīpa where the same festival is observed, as described by Murāri Gupta in his book Caitanya-carita.
TEXT 137
cāri-dike bhakta-gaṇa karena kīrtana
madhye nṛtya karena prabhu matta-siṁha-sama
SYNONYMS
cāri-dike-all around; bhakta-gaṇa-devotees; karena-performed; kīrtana-congregational chanting; madhye-in the middle; nṛtya-dancing; karena-does; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; matta-siṁha-sama-just like a maddened lion.
TRANSLATION
All around Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu all the devotees performed congregational chanting. The Lord, just like a maddened lion, danced in the middle.
TEXT 138
sveda, kampa, vaivarṇyāśru pulaka, huṅkāra
nija-aṅga dhui’ āge cale aśru-dhāra
SYNONYMS
sveda-perspiration; kampa-trembling; vaivarṇya-fading; aśru-tears; pulaka-jubilation; huṅkāra-roaring; nija-aṅga-personal body; dhui’-washing; āge-forward; cale-goes; aśru-dhāra-a flow of tears.
TRANSLATION
As usual, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced, there were perspiration, trembling, fading, tears, jubilation and roaring. Indeed, the tears from His eyes washed His body and those before Him.
TEXT 139
cāri-dike bhakta-aṅga kaila prakṣālana
śrāvaṇera megha yena kare variṣaṇa
SYNONYMS
cāri-dike-all around; bhakta-aṅga-the bodies of the devotees; kaila-did; prakṣālana-washing; śrāvaṇera megha-exactly like a cloud in the month of Śrāvaṇa (July-August); yena-as if; kare variṣaṇa-pour.
TRANSLATION
In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed the bodies of all the devotees with the tears from His eyes. The tears poured like rains in the month of Śrāvaṇa.
TEXT 140
mahā-ucca-saṅkīrtane ākāśa bharila
prabhura uddaṇḍa-nṛtye bhūmi-kampa haila
SYNONYMS
mahā-ucca-saṅkīrtane-by a great and loud performance of chanting; ākāśa-the sky; bharila-became filled; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; uddaṇḍa-nṛtye-by dancing and jumping high; bhūmi-kampa-earthquake; haila-there was.
TRANSLATION
The sky was filled with the great and loud chanting of saṅkīrtana, and the earth shook from the jumping and dancing of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 141
svarūpera ucca-gāna prabhure sadā bhāya
ānande uddaṇḍa nṛtya kare gaurarāya
SYNONYMS
svarūpera-of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī; ucca-gāna-loud singing; prabhure-to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; sadā bhāya-always very pleasing; ānande-in jubilation; uddaṇḍa nṛtya-jumping high and dancing; kare-performs; gaurarāya-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu always liked the loud chanting of Svarūpa Dāmodara. Therefore when Svarūpa Dāmodara sang, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced and jumped high in jubilation.
TEXT 142
ei-mata kata-kṣaṇa nṛtya ye kariyā
viśrāma karilā prabhu samaya bujhiyā
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; kata-kṣaṇa-for some time; nṛtya-dancing; ye-that; kariyā-after performing; viśrāma karilā-rested; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; samaya bujhiyā-understanding the time.
TRANSLATION
The Lord thus chanted and danced for some time. Finally, understanding the circumstances, He stopped.
TEXT 143
ācārya-gosāñira putra śrī-gopāla-nāma
nṛtya karite tāṅre ājñā dila gauradhāma
SYNONYMS
ācārya-gosāñira-of Śrī Advaita Ācārya; putra-son; śrī-gopāla-nāma-named Śrī Gopāla; nṛtya karite-to dance; tāṅre-unto him; ājñā-order; dila-gave; gauradhāma-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then ordered Śrī Gopāla, the son of Advaita Ācārya, to dance.
TEXT 144
premāveśe nṛtya kari’ ha-ilā mūrcchite
acetana hañā teṅha paḍilā bhūmite
SYNONYMS
prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; nṛtya kari’-dancing; ha-ilā mūrcchite-fainted; acetana hañā-being unconscious; teṅha-he; paḍilā-fell; bhūmite-on the ground.
TRANSLATION
While dancing in ecstatic love, Śrī Gopāla fainted and fell to the ground unconscious.
TEXT 145
āste-vyaste ācārya tāṅre kaila kole
śvāsa-rahita dekhi’ ācārya hailā vikale
SYNONYMS
āste-vyaste-with great haste; ācārya-Advaita Ācārya; tāṅre-him; kaila-took; kole-on His lap; śvāsa-rahita-without breathing; dekhi’-seeing; ācārya-Advaita Ācārya; hailā-became; vikale-agitated.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Gopāla fainted, Advaita Ācārya hastily took him upon His lap. Seeing that he was not breathing, He became very much agitated.
TEXT 146
nṛsiṁhera mantra paḍi’ māre jala-chāṅṭi
huṅkārera śabde brahmāṇḍa yāya phāṭi’
SYNONYMS
nṛsiṁhera mantra-prayers to Nṛsiṁhadeva; paḍi’-chanting; māre-throws; jala-chāṅṭi-sprinkling of water; huṅkārera śabde-by the sound of roaring; brahmāṇḍa-the whole universe; yāya-becomes; phāṭi’-cracking.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Ācārya and others began to chant the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha and sprinkle water. The roaring of the chant was so great that it seemed to shake the entire universe.
TEXT 147
aneka karila, tabu nā haya cetana
ācārya kāndena, kānde saba bhakta-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
aneka karila-much endeavor was done; tabu-still; nā haya-there was not; cetana-consciousness; ācārya kāndena-Advaita Ācārya began to cry; kānde-cried; saba bhakta-gaṇa-all the other devotees.
TRANSLATION
When the boy did not regain consciousness after some time, Advaita Ācārya and the other devotees began to cry.
TEXT 148
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅra buke hasta dila
‘uṭhaha gopāla’ bali’ uccaiḥsvare kahila
SYNONYMS
tabe-at that time; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅra buke-on his chest; hasta-hand; dila-placed; uṭhaha gopāla-stand up, Gopāla; bali’-saying; uccaiḥ-svare-very loudly; kahila-said.
TRANSLATION
Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu placed His hand on the chest of Śrī Gopāla and said loudly, “Gopāla, stand up.”
TEXT 149
śunitei gopālera ha-ila cetana
‘hari’ bali’ nṛtya kare sarva-bhakta-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
śunitei-upon hearing; gopālera-of Śrī Gopāla; ha-ila-there was; cetana-consciousness; hari bali’-chanting the holy name of Hari; nṛtya kare-danced; sarva-bhakta-gaṇa-all the devotees.
TRANSLATION
As soon as Gopāla heard the voice of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he immediately came to his senses. All the devotees then began to dance, chanting the holy name of Hari.
TEXT 150
ei līlā varṇiyāchena dāsa vṛndāvana
ataeva saṅkṣepa kari’ kariluṅ varṇana
SYNONYMS
ei līlā-this pastime; varṇiyāchena-has described; dāsa vṛndāvana-Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura; ataeva-therefore; saṅkṣepa-briefly; kari’-doing; kariluṅ varṇana-I have described.
TRANSLATION
This incident has been described in detail by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. Therefore I have described it only in brief.
PURPORT
This is a matter of etiquette. If a previous ācārya has already written about something, there is no need to repeat it for personal sense gratification or to outdo the previous ācārya. Unless there is some definite improvement, one should not repeat.
TEXT 151
tabe mahāprabhu kṣaṇeka viśrāma kariyā
snāna karibāre gelā bhakta-gaṇa lañā
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kṣaṇeka-for some time; viśrāma kariyā-taking rest; snāna karibāre-for bathing; gelā-went; bhakta-gaṇa lañā-taking all the devotees.
TRANSLATION
After taking rest, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all the devotees departed to take their baths.
TEXT 152
tīre uṭhi’ parena prabhu śuṣka vasana
nṛsiṁha-deve namaskari’ gelā upavana
SYNONYMS
tīre uṭhi’-getting on the bank; parena-puts on; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; śuṣka vasana-dry garments; nṛsiṁha-deve-unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva; namaskari’-offering obeisances; gelā upavana-entered a garden.
TRANSLATION
After bathing, the Lord stood on the bank of the lake and put on dry garments. After offering obeisances to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, whose temple was nearby, the Lord entered a garden.
TEXT 153
udyāne vasilā prabhu bhakta-gaṇa lañā
tabe vāṇīnātha āilā mahā-prasāda lañā
SYNONYMS
udyāne-in the garden; vasilā-sat down; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhakta-gaṇa lañā-with the devotees; tabe-at that time; vāṇīnātha-Vāṇīnātha Rāya; āilā-came; mahā-prasāda lañā-bringing all kinds of mahā-prasāda.
TRANSLATION
In the garden, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat down with the other devotees. Vāṇīnātha Rāya then came and brought all kinds of mahā-prasāda.
TEXTS 154-155
kāśī-miśra, tulasī-paḍichā-dui jana
pañca-śata loka yata karaye bhojana
tata anna-piṭhā-pānā saba pāṭhāila
dekhi’ mahāprabhura mane santoṣa ha-ila
SYNONYMS
kāśī-miśra-Kāśī Miśra; tulasī-paḍichā-Tulasī, the superintendent of the temple; dui jana-two persons; pañca-śata loka-five hundred men; yata-as much; karaye bhojana-eat; tata-so; anna-piṭhā-pānā-rice, cakes and sweet rice; saba-all; pāṭhāila-sent; dekhi’-seeing; mahāprabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mane-in the mind; santoṣa-satisfaction; ha-ila-there was.
TRANSLATION
Kāśī Miśra and Tulasī, the superintendent of the temple, brought as much prasāda as five hundred men could eat. Seeing the large quantity of prasāda, which consisted of rice, cakes, sweet rice and a variety of vegetables, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much satisfied.
TEXT 156
purī-gosāñi, mahāprabhu, bhāratī brahmānanda
advaita-ācārya, āra prabhu-nityānanda
SYNONYMS
purī-gosāñi-Paramānanda Purī; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhāratī brahmānanda-Brahmānanda Bhāratī; advaita-ācārya-Advaita Ācārya; āra-and; prabhu-nityānanda-Nityānanda Prabhu.
TRANSLATION
Among the devotees present with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were Paramānanda Purī, Brahmānanda Bhāratī, Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu.
TEXT 157
ācāryaratna, ācāryanidhi, śrīvāsa, gadādhara
śaṅkara, nandanācārya, āra rāghava, vakreśvara
SYNONYMS
ācāryaratna-Candraśekhara; ācāryanidhi-Ācāryanidhi; śrīvāsa-Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; gadādhara-Gadādhara Paṇḍita; śaṅkara-Śaṅkara; nandana-ācārya-Nandanācārya; āra-and; rāghava-Rāghava Paṇḍita; vakreśvara-Vakreśvara.
TRANSLATION
Ācāryaratna, Ācāryanidhi, Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Śaṅkara, Nandanācārya, Rāghava Paṇḍita and Vakreśvara were also present.
TEXT 158
prabhu-ājñā pāñā vaise āpane sārvabhauma
piṇḍāra upare prabhu vaise lañā bhakta-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
prabhu-ājñā-the order of the Lord; pāñā-getting; vaise-sits down; āpane-personally; sārvabhauma-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; piṇḍāra upare-on raised platforms; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vaise-sits; lañā-along with; bhakta-gaṇa-all the devotees.
TRANSLATION
Receiving the permission of the Lord, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya sat down. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all His devotees sat on raised wooden seats.
TEXT 159
tāra tale, tāra tale kari’ anukrama
udyāna bhari’ vaise bhakta karite bhojana
SYNONYMS
tāra tale-below them; tāra tale-below them; kari’-in this way; anukrama-consecutively; udyāna bhari’-filling the entire garden; vaise-sit; bhakta-all the devotees; karite bhojana-to take lunch.
TRANSLATION
In this way all the devotees sat down to take their lunch in consecutive lines, one beside the other.
TEXT 160
‘haridāsa’ bali’ prabhu ḍāke ghane ghana
dūre rahi’ haridāsa kare nivedana
SYNONYMS
haridāsa bali’-calling Haridāsa; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ḍāke-calls; ghane ghana-repeatedly; dūre rahi’-standing at a distance; haridāsa-Ṭhākura Haridāsa; kare nivedana-submitted.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was repeatedly calling, “Haridāsa, Haridāsa,” and at that time Haridāsa, standing at a distance, spoke as follows.
TEXT 161
bhakta-saṅge prabhu karuna prasāda aṅgīkāra
e-saṅge vasite yogya nahi muñi chāra
SYNONYMS
bhakta-saṅge prabhu-let Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sit down with the devotees; karuna-let Him do; prasāda-of remnants of food; aṅgīkāra-accepting; e-saṅge-with this batch; vasite-to sit down; yogya-befitting; nahi-am not; muñi-I; chāra-most abominable.
TRANSLATION
Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “Let Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu take His lunch with the devotees. Since I am abominable, I cannot sit down among you.
TEXT 162
pāche more prasāda govinda dibe bahirdvāre
mana jāni’ prabhu punaḥ nā balila tāṅre
SYNONYMS
pāche-at last; more-unto me; prasāda-remnants of food; govinda-the personal servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; dibe-will deliver; bahir-dvāre-outside the door; mana jāni’-understanding the mind; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; punaḥ-again; nā-not; balila-called; tāṅre-him.
TRANSLATION
“Govinda will give me prasāda later, outside the door.” Understanding his mind, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not call him again.
TEXTS 163-164
svarūpa-gosāñi, jagadānanda, dāmodara
kāśīśvara, gopīnātha, vāṇīnātha, śaṅkara
pariveśana kare tāhāṅ ei sāta-jana
madhye madhye hari-dhvani kare bhakta-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
svarūpa-gosāñi-Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī; jagadānanda-Jagadānanda; dāmodara-Dāmodara Paṇḍita; kāśīśvara-Kāśīśvara; gopīnātha, vāṇīnātha, śaṅkara-Gopīnātha, Vāṇīnātha and Śaṅkara; pariveśana kare-distribute; tāhāṅ-there; ei-these; sāta-jana-seven persons; madhye madhye-at intervals; hari-dhvani-resounding of the holy name of Hari; kare-do; bhakta-gaṇa-all the devotees.
TRANSLATION
Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Jagadānanda, Dāmodara Paṇḍita, Kāśīśvara, Gopīnātha, Vāṇīnātha and Śaṅkara distributed prasāda, and the devotees chanted the holy names at intervals.
TEXT 165
pulina-bhojana kṛṣṇa pūrve yaiche kaila
sei līlā mahāprabhura mane smṛti haila
SYNONYMS
pulina-in the forest; bhojana-eating; kṛṣṇa-Lord Kṛṣṇa; pūrve-formerly; yaiche-as; kaila-performed; sei līlā-the same pastime; mahāprabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mane-in the mind; smṛti haila-there was remembrance.
TRANSLATION
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa had previously taken His lunch in the forest, and that very pastime was remembered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 166
yadyapi premāveśe prabhu hailā asthira
samaya bujhiyā prabhu hailā kichu dhīra
SYNONYMS
yadyapi-although; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; hailā-became; asthira-agitated; samaya bujhiyā-understanding the time and circumstances; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; hailā-became; kichu-somewhat; dhīra-patient.
TRANSLATION
Just by remembering the pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was agitated by ecstatic love. But considering the time and circumstance, He remained somewhat patient.
TEXT 167
prabhu kahe,-more deha’ lāphrā-vyañjane
piṭhā-pānā, amṛta-guṭikā deha’ bhakta-gaṇe
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; more-unto Me; deha’-give; lāphrā-vyañjane-ordinary vegetable; piṭhā-pānā-cakes and sweet rice; amṛta-guṭikā-and the preparation named amṛta-guṭikā; deha’-deliver; bhakta-gaṇe-to the devotees.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “You can give Me the ordinary vegetable known as lāphrā-vyañjana, and you may deliver to all the devotees better preparations like cakes, sweet rice and amṛta-guṭikā.”
PURPORT
Lāphrā-vyañjana is a combination of several green vegetables all mixed together. It is often mixed with rice and delivered to poor men. Amṛta-guṭikā is a preparation of thick purī mixed with condensed milk. It is also known as amṛta-rasāvalī.
TEXT 168
sarvajña prabhu jānena yāṅre yei bhāya
tāṅre tāṅre sei deoyāya svarūpa-dvārāya
SYNONYMS
sarva-jña prabhu-the omniscient Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; jānena-knows; yāṅre-to whom; yei-whatever; bhāya-appeals; tāṅre tāṅre-unto each person; sei-that; deoyāya-orders to administer; svarūpa-dvārāya-by Svarūpa Dāmodara.
TRANSLATION
Since Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is omniscient, He knew what type of preparation each person liked. He therefore had Svarūpa Dāmodara deliver these preparations to their full satisfaction.
TEXT 169
jagadānanda beḍāya pariveśana karite
prabhura pāte bhāla-dravya dena ācambite
SYNONYMS
jagadānanda-Jagadānanda; beḍāya-walks; pariveśana-distribution of prasāda; karite-to do; prabhura pāte-on the plate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhāla-dravya-the first-class preparations; dena-puts; ācambite-suddenly.
TRANSLATION
Jagadānanda went to distribute prasāda, and suddenly he placed all the first-class preparations on the plate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 170
yadyapi dile prabhu tāṅre karena roṣa
bale-chale tabu dena, dile se santoṣa
SYNONYMS
yadyapi-although; dile-by such deliverance; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-unto him; karena-does; roṣa-anger; bale-chale-somehow or other (sometimes by tricks, sometimes by force); tabu-still; dena-delivers; dile-when he delivers; se santoṣa-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much pleased.
TRANSLATION
When such nice prasāda was put on the plate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord was outwardly very angry. Nonetheless, when the preparations were placed on His plate sometimes by tricks and sometimes by force, the Lord was satisfied.
TEXT 171
punarapi sei dravya kare nirīkṣaṇa
tāṅra bhaye prabhu kichu karena bhakṣaṇa
SYNONYMS
punarapi-again; sei dravya-that very thing; kare nirīkṣaṇa-sees carefully; tāṅra bhaye-out of fear of Jagadānanda; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kichu-something; karena-does; bhakṣaṇa-eating.
TRANSLATION
When the food was thus delivered, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu looked at it for some time. Being afraid of Jagadānanda, He finally ate something.
TEXT 172
nā khāile jagadānanda karibe upavāsa
tāṅra āge kichu khā’na-mane ai trāsa
SYNONYMS
nā khāile-if He did not eat; jagadānanda-Jagadānanda; karibe-will observe; upavāsa-fasting; tāṅra āge-before him; kichu khā’na-eats something; mane-within the mind; ai-that; trāsa-fear.
TRANSLATION
The Lord knew that if He did not eat the food offered by Jagadānanda, Jagadānanda would certainly fast. Being afraid of this, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate some of the prasāda he offered.
TEXT 173
svarūpa-gosāñi bhāla miṣṭa-prasāda lañā
prabhuke nivedana kare āge dāṇḍāñā
SYNONYMS
svarūpa-gosāñi-Svarūpa Dāmodara; bhāla-first-class; miṣṭa-prasāda-sweetmeats; lañā-taking; prabhuke-unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nivedana kare-offered; āge-in front of Him; dāṇḍāñā-standing.
TRANSLATION
Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī then brought some excellent sweetmeats and, standing before the Lord, offered them to Him.
TEXT 174
ei mahā-prasāda alpa karaha āsvādana
dekha, jagannātha kaiche karyāchena bhojana
SYNONYMS
ei mahā-prasāda-this mahā-prasāda; alpa-a little; karaha āsvādana-You must taste; dekha-just see; jagannātha-Lord Jagannātha; kaiche-how; karyāchena-has done; bhojana-eating.
TRANSLATION
Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī then said, “Just take a little of this mahā-prasāda, and see how it is that Lord Jagannātha has accepted it.”
TEXT 175
eta bali’ āge kichu kare samarpaṇa
tāṅra snehe prabhu kichu karena bhojana
SYNONYMS
eta bali’-saying this; āge-in front; kichu-something; kare samarpaṇa-offers; tāṅra-of him; snehe-out of affection; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kichu-some; karena bhojana-eats.
TRANSLATION
Upon saying this, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī placed some food before the Lord, and the Lord, out of affection, ate it.
TEXT 176
ei mata dui-jana kare bāra-bāra
vicitra ei dui bhaktera sneha-vyavahāra
SYNONYMS
ei mata-in this way; dui-jana-both persons (Svarūpa Dāmodara and Jagadānanda); kare-do; bāra-bāra-again and again; vicitra-uncommon; ei-these; dui-two; bhaktera-of devotees; sneha-vyavahāra-affectionate behavior.
TRANSLATION
Svarūpa Dāmodara and Jagadānanda again and again offered the Lord some food. Thus they behaved affectionately with the Lord. This was very, very uncommon.
TEXT 177
sārvabhaume prabhu vasāñāchena vāma-pāśe
dui bhaktera sneha dekhi’ sārvabhauma hāse
SYNONYMS
sārvabhaume-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; prabhu-the Lord; vasāñāchena-made to sit; vāma-pāśe-on His left side; dui bhaktera-of the two devotees; sneha-the affection; dekhi’-seeing; sārvabhauma-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; hāse-smiles.
TRANSLATION
The Lord made Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya sit on His left side, and when Sārvabhauma saw the behavior of Svarūpa Dāmodara and Jagadānanda, he smiled.
TEXT 178
sārvabhaume deyāna prabhu prasāda uttama
sneha kari’ bāra-bāra karāna bhojana
SYNONYMS
sārvabhaume-unto Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; deyāna-causes others to deliver; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; prasāda-remnants of food; uttama-first-class; sneha kari’-out of affection; bāra-bāra-again and again; karāna-causes; bhojana-his eating.
TRANSLATION
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also wanted to offer Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya first-class food; therefore, out of affection, He had the servers put first-class food on his plate again and again.
TEXT 179
gopīnāthācārya uttama mahā-prasāda āni’
sārvabhaume diyā kahe sumadhura vāṇī
SYNONYMS
gopīnātha-ācārya-Gopīnātha Ācārya; uttama-first-class; mahā-prasāda-remnants of food; āni’-bringing; sārvabhaume-to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; diyā-delivering; kahe-says; su-madhura-very sweet; vāṇī-words.
TRANSLATION
Gopīnātha Ācārya also brought first-class food and offered it to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya while speaking sweet words.
TEXT 180
kāhāṅ bhaṭṭācāryera pūrva jaḍa-vyavahāra
kāhāṅ ei paramānanda,-karaha vicāra
SYNONYMS
kāhāṅ-where; bhaṭṭācāryera-of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; pūrva-previous; jaḍa-vyavahāra-material behavior; kāhāṅ-where; ei-this; parama-ānanda-transcendental bliss; karaha vicāra-just try to consider.
TRANSLATION
After serving the Bhaṭṭācārya with first-class prasāda, Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “Just consider what the Bhaṭṭācārya’s previous mundane behavior was! Just consider how at present he is enjoying transcendental bliss!”
PURPORT
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was previously a smārta-brāhmaṇa-that is, one who strictly follows the Vedic principles on the mundane platform. On the mundane platform one cannot believe that prasāda is transcendental, that Govinda is the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or that a Vaiṣṇava is a liberated person. These transcendental considerations are out of the ordinary Vedic scholar’s jurisdiction. Most Vedic scholars are called Vedāntists. These so-called followers of Vedānta philosophy consider the Absolute Truth to be impersonal. They also believe that a person born in a particular caste cannot change his caste until he dies and takes rebirth. The smārta-brāhmaṇas also reject the fact that mahā-prasāda (food offered to the Deity) is transcendental and materially uncontaminated. Originally, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was subjected to all the rules and regulations of the Vedic principles on the mundane platform. Now Gopīnātha Ācārya pointed out how Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya had been converted by the causeless mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Being converted, Sārvabhauma partook of prasāda with the Vaiṣṇavas. Indeed, he sat by the side of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 181
sārvabhauma kahe,-āmi tarkika kubuddhi
tomāra prasāde mora e sampat-siddhi
SYNONYMS
sārvabhauma kahe-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied; āmi-I; tārkika-a mundane logician; ku-buddhi-less intelligent; tomāra prasāde-by your mercy; mora-my; e-this; sampat-opulence; siddhi-perfection.
TRANSLATION
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “I was simply a less intelligent logician. But by your grace I have received this opulence of perfection.
TEXT 182
mahāprabhu vinā keha nāhi dayāmaya
kākere garuḍa kare,-aiche kon haya
SYNONYMS
mahāprabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vinā-except; keha-anybody; nāhi-there is not; dayā-maya-so merciful; kākere-unto a crow; garuḍa-the biggest eagle; kare-transformed; aiche-such; kon haya-who is another.
TRANSLATION
“But for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,” Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “who is so merciful? He has converted a crow into a Garuḍa. Who could be so merciful?
TEXT 183
tārkika-śṛgāla-saṅge bheu-bheu kari
sei mukhe ebe sadā kahi ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘hari’
SYNONYMS
tārkika-logician; śṛgāla-jackals; saṅge-in the association of; bheu-bheu kari-barking; sei mukhe-in that very mouth; ebe-now; sadā-always; kahi-speak; kṛṣṇa-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; hari-Hari.
TRANSLATION
“In the association of the jackals known as logicians, I simply continued to bark a resounding ‘bheu bheu.’ Now, from the same mouth I am chanting the holy names Kṛṣṇa and Hari.
TEXT 184
kāhāṅ bahirmukha tārkika-śiṣyagaṇa-saṅge
kāhāṅ ei saṅga-sudhā-samudra-taraṅge
SYNONYMS
kāhāṅ-whereas; bahirḥ-mukha-nondevotees; tārkika-of logic; śiṣya-gaṇa-disciples; saṅge-with; kāhāṅ-now; ei-this; saṅga-association; sudhā-of nectar; samudra-of the ocean; taraṅge-in the waves.
TRANSLATION
“Whereas I once associated with the disciples of logic, all nondevotees, I am now merged in the waves of the nectarean ocean of the association of devotees.”
PURPORT
As Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains, the word bahirmukha refers to a person who is very busy tasting material enjoyment. Such a person always poses himself as an enjoyer of the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Being attracted by external opulence, the nondevotee always forgets his intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Such a person does not like the idea of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is explained by Śrīla Prahlāda Mahārāja in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.30-31):
matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
mitho ‘bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām
na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
te ‘pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
Materialists who are overly attracted to the material body, material world and material enjoyment, who cannot control their material senses, are carried to the darkest regions of material existence. Such people cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious, either by themselves or by congregational effort. Such people do not understand that the goal of life for a human being is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. A human life is especially meant for this purpose, and one has to go through all kinds of penances and austerities and set aside the propensity for sense gratification. Materialists always remain blind because they are always guided by blind rascals. A materialistic person considers himself free to act as he likes. He does not know that he is rigidly controlled by the stringent laws of nature, nor does he know that he has to transmigrate from one body to another and perpetually rot in material existence. Such rascals and foolish people are lured by the prayers of their foolish leaders for sense gratification, and they cannot understand what is meant by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The material world exists outside the spiritual sky, and a foolish materialist cannot estimate the extent of this material sky. What, then, can he know of the spiritual sky? Materialists simply believe their imperfect senses and do not take instructions from the revealed scriptures. According to Vedic civilization, one has to see through the authority of the revealed scriptures. Śāstra-cakṣuḥ: one should see everything through the medium of the Vedic literature. In this way, one can distinguish between the spiritual world and material world. Those who ignore such instructions cannot be convinced of the existence of the spiritual world. Because they have forgotten their spiritual identity, such materialists take this material world as the all in all. They are therefore called bahirmukha.
TEXT 185
prabhu kahe,-pūrve siddha kṛṣṇe tomāra prīti
tomā-saṅge āmā-sabāra haila kṛṣṇe mati
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; pūrve-previously; siddha-perfected; kṛṣṇe-in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; tomāra-your; prīti-love for Kṛṣṇa; tomā-saṅge-by your association; āmā-sabāra-of all of us; haila-there was; kṛṣṇe-unto Kṛṣṇa; mati-consciousness.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, “From your previous birth you have been in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus you love Kṛṣṇa so much that simply by your association we are all developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”
TEXT 186
bhakta-mahimā bāḍāite, bhakte sukha dite
mahāprabhu vinā anya nāhi trijagate
SYNONYMS
bhakta-mahimā-the glories of the devotees; bāḍāite-to increase; bhakte-unto the devotees; sukha dite-to give pleasure; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vinā-except; anya-anyone else; nāhi-there is no one; tri-jagate-within these three worlds.
TRANSLATION
Thus there is no one within these three worlds-save for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu-who is always so willing to increase the glories of the devotees and give them satisfaction.
PURPORT
In this regard, one should consult the discussion between Kapiladeva and Devahūti on the subject matter of devotional service. This is found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto.
TEXT 187
tabe prabhu pratyeke, saba bhaktera nāma lañā
piṭhā-pānā deoyāila prasāda kariyā
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; pratyeke-individually; saba bhaktera-of all the devotees; nāma-the names; lañā-calling; piṭhā-pānā-cakes and sweet rice; deoyāila-administered; prasāda-remnants of food; kariyā-making.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then took all the remnants of food offered to Jagannātha, such as cakes and sweet rice, and distributed them to all the other devotees, calling them individually.
TEXT 188
advaita-nityānanda vasiyāchena eka ṭhāñi
dui-jane krīḍā-kalaha lāgila tathāi
SYNONYMS
advaita-nityānanda-Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu; vasiyāchena-sat; eka ṭhāñi-in one place; dui-jane-those two persons; krīḍā-kalaha-mock fighting; lāgila-began; tathāi-there.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu sat side by side, and when prasāda was being distributed They engaged in a type of mock fighting.
TEXT 189
advaita kahe,-avadhūtera saṅge eka paṅkti
bhojana kariluṅ, nā jāni habe kon gati
SYNONYMS
advaita kahe-Advaita Ācārya said; avadhūtera saṅge-with a mendicant; eka paṅkti-in one line; bhojana kariluṅ-I am taking My food; nā jāni-I do not know; habe-will be; kon-what; gati-destination.
TRANSLATION
First Advaita Ācārya said, “I am sitting in line with an unknown mendicant, and because I am eating with Him, I do not know what kind of destination is awaiting Me.
TEXT 190
prabhu ta’ sannyāsī, uṅhāra nāhi apacaya
anna-doṣe sannyāsīra doṣa nāhi haya
SYNONYMS
prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ta’-indeed; sannyāsī-in the renounced order of life; uṅhāra-for Him; nāhi-there is not; apacaya-any discrepancy; anna-doṣe-by contamination of food; sannyāsīra-of a person in the renounced order; doṣa-fault; nāhi-not; haya-there is.
TRANSLATION
“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is in the renounced order of life. Consequently He does not recognize discrepancies. As a matter of fact, a sannyāsī is not affected by eating food from anywhere and everywhere.
TEXT 191
”nānna-doṣeṇa maskarī”-ei śāstra-pramāṇa
āmi ta’ gṛhastha-brāhmaṇa, āmāra doṣa-sthāna
SYNONYMS
na anna-doṣeṇa maskarī-a sannyāsī does not become affected by faulty acceptance of food; ei-this; śāstra-pramāṇa-evidence of revealed scriptures; āmi-I; ta’-indeed; gṛhastha-brāhmaṇa-a householder brāhmaṇa; āmāra-My; doṣa-faulty; sthāna-situation.
TRANSLATION
“According to the śāstras, there is no discrepancy in a sannyāsī’s eating at another’s house. But for a householder brāhmaṇa, this kind of eating is faulty.
TEXT 192
janma-kula-śīlācāra nā jāni yāhāra
tāra saṅge eka paṅkti-baḍa anācāra
SYNONYMS
janma-birth; kula-family; śīla-character; ācāra-behavior; nā-not; jāni-I know; yāhāra-of whom; tāra saṅge-with him; eka paṅkti-in one line; baḍa anācāra-a great discrepancy.
TRANSLATION
“It is not proper for householders to dine with those whose previous birth, family, character and behavior are unknown.”
TEXT 193
nityānanda kahe-tumi advaita-ācārya
‘advaita-siddhānte’ bādhe śuddha-bhakti-kārya
SYNONYMS
nityānanda kahe-Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu said; tumi-You; advaita-ācārya-Advaita Ācārya, or a teacher of impersonal monism; advaita-siddhānte-in that monistic conclusion; bādhe-is greatly hindered; śuddha-bhakti-kārya-the matter of pure devotional service.
TRANSLATION
Nityānanda Prabhu immediately refuted Śrīla Advaita Ācārya, saying, “You are a teacher of impersonal monism, and the monistic conclusion is a great hindrance to progressive, pure devotional service.
TEXT 194
tomāra siddhānta-saṅga kare yei jane
‘eka’ vastu vinā sei ‘dvitīya’ nāhi māne
SYNONYMS
tomāra-Your; siddhānta-saṅga-acceptance of the conclusion; kare-does; yei jane-the person who; eka-one; vastu-substance; vinā-except; sei-such a person; dvitīya-a second thing; nāhi māne-does not accept.
TRANSLATION
“One who participates in Your impersonal monistic philosophy does not accept anything but the one Brahman.”
PURPORT
The impersonal monist does not believe that God is the only object of worship and that the living entities are His eternal servants. According to the monists, God and the devotee may be separate in the material state, but when they are spiritually situated, there is no difference between them. This is called advaita-siddhānta, the conclusion of the monists. Monists consider devotional service of the Lord to be material activity; therefore they consider such devotional activities to be the same as karma, or fruitive activity. This monistic mistake is a great stumbling block on the road to devotional service.
Actually this discussion between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda was a mock fight to serve as a great instruction for all devotees. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu wanted to point out that Advaita Ācārya, a pure devotee, did not agree with the monistic conclusion. The conclusion of devotional service is:
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
brahmeti paramātmeti
bhagavān iti śabdyate
“Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.” (Bhāg. 1.2.11)
Absolute knowledge consists of Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. This conclusion is not the same as that of the monists. Śrīla Advaita Ācārya was given the title of ācārya because He spread the bhakti cult, not the philosophy of monism. The true conclusion of advaita-siddhānta, expressed at the very beginning of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 1.3), is not the same as the philosophy of the monists. Here advaita-siddhānta means advaya-jñāna, or oneness in variety. Actually Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu was praising Śrīla Advaita Ācārya through friendly mock fighting. He was giving the Vaiṣṇava conclusion in terms of the Bhāgavatam’s conclusive words, vadanti tat tattva-vidaḥ. This is also the conclusion of a mantra in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, ekam evādvitīyam.
A devotee knows that there is oneness in diversity. The mantras of the śāstras do not support the monistic conclusions of the impersonalists, nor does Vaiṣṇava philosophy accept impersonalism without variety. Brahman is the greatest, He who includes everything, and that is oneness. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.7), mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: there is no one superior to Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is the original substance because every category emanates from Him. Thus He is simultaneously one with and different from all other categories. The Lord is always engaged in a variety of spiritual activities, but the monist cannot understand spiritual variety. The conclusion is that although the powerful and the power are one and the same, within the energy of the powerful there are varieties. In those varieties there is a difference between one’s personal self, between types of the same category and between types of different categories. In other words, there is always variety in the categories, which are understood as knowledge, the knower and the knowable. Due to the eternal existence of knowledge, the knower and the knowable, devotees everywhere know about the eternal existence of the form, name, qualities, pastimes and entourage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devotees never agree with the monist’s preaching of oneness. Unless one adheres to the conceptions of the knower, the knowable and knowledge, there is no possibility of understanding spiritual variety, nor can one taste the transcendental bliss of spiritual variety.
The philosophy of monism is an adjustment of the Buddhist philosophy of voidism. In a mock fight with Śrī Advaita Ācārya, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu was refuting this type of monistic philosophy. Vaiṣṇavas certainly accept Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the ultimate “one,” and that which is without Kṛṣṇa is called māyā, or that which has no existence. External māyā is exhibited in two phases-jīva-māyā, the living entities, and guṇa-māyā, the material world. In the material world there is prakṛti (material nature) and pradhāna (the ingredients of material nature). However, for one who becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the difference between material and spiritual varieties does not exist. An advanced devotee like Prahlāda Mahārāja sees everything as one-Kṛṣṇa. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.4.37), kṛṣṇa-graha-gṛhītātmā na veda jagad īdṛśamā. One who is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not distinguish between things material and spiritual; he takes everything to be related to Kṛṣṇa and therefore spiritual. By advaya-jñāna-darśana, Śrīla Advaita Ācārya has glorified pure devotional service. Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu herein sarcastically condemns the philosophy of the impersonal monists and praises the correct nondual philosophy of Śrī Advaita Prabhu.
TEXT 195
hena tomāra saṅge mora ekatre bhojana
nā jāni, tomāra saṅge kaiche haya mana
SYNONYMS
hena-thus; tomāra-Your; saṅge-in association; mora-My; ekatre-together; bhojana-eating; nā jāni-I do not know; tomāra saṅge-by Your association; kaiche-how; haya mana-My mind will turn.
TRANSLATION
Nityānanda Prabhu continued: “You are such a monist! And now I am eating beside You. I do not know how My mind will be affected in this way.”
PURPORT
Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ (Bg. 2.62). One develops his consciousness according to society and association. As Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu admits, a devotee should be very careful when associating with those who are not devotees. When asked by a householder devotee what the behavior of a devotee should be, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately replied:
asat-saṅga-tyāga,–ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra
‘strī-saṅgī’–eka asādhu, ‘kṛṣṇābhakta’ āra
(Cc. Madhya 22.87)
A Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, should simply discard intimate association with nondevotees. In his Upadeśāmṛta, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described the symptoms of intimate relationships in this way:
dadāti pratigṛhṇāti
guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati
bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva
ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam
The words bhuṅkte bhojayate indicate that one should eat with devotees. One should carefully avoid eating food offered by nondevotees. Indeed, a devotee should be very strict in not accepting food from a nondevotee, especially food prepared in restaurants or hotels or on airplanes. Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu’s reference in this connection is meant to emphasize that one should avoid eating with Māyāvādīs and covert Māyāvādīs like the sahajiyā Vaiṣṇavas, who are materially affected.
TEXT 196
ei-mata dui-jane kare balābali
vyāja-stuti kare duṅhe, yena gālāgāli
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; dui-jane-two persons; kare-do; balābali-accusing and counteraccusing; vyāja-stuti-praise in the form of accusations; kare-do; duṅhe-both of Them; yena-as if; gālāgāli-exchanges of ill names.
TRANSLATION
Thus They both went on talking and praising one another, although Their praise appeared negative, for it appeared as if They exchanged ill names.
TEXT 197
tabe prabhu sarva-vaiṣṇavera nāma lañā
mahā-prasāda dena mahā-amṛta siñciyā
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; sarva-vaiṣṇavera-of all the Vaiṣṇavas; nāma-names; lañā-calling; mahā-prasāda-the remnants of the food of Lord Jagannātha; dena-delivers; mahā-amṛta-transcendental nectar; siñciyā-sprinkling.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, calling all the Vaiṣṇavas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed mahā-prasāda as if sprinkling nectar. At that time the mock fight between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu became more and more delicious.
TEXT 198
bhojana kari’ uṭhe sabe hari-dhvani kari’
hari-dhvani uṭhila saba svarga-martya bhari’
SYNONYMS
bhojana kari’-after eating; uṭhe-stood up; sabe-all; hari-dhvani-the sound of Hari; kari’-making; hari-dhvani-the sound of Hari; uṭhila-rose; saba-all; svarga-martya-the upper and lower planetary systems; bhari’-filling.
TRANSLATION
After taking their lunch, all the Vaiṣṇavas stood up and chanted the holy name of Hari, and the resounding noise filled all the upper and lower planetary systems.
TEXT 199
tabe mahāprabhu saba nija-bhakta-gaṇe
sabākāre śrī-haste dilā mālya-candane
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; saba-all; nija-bhakta-gaṇe-personal devotees; sabākāre-unto all of them; śrī-haste-with His own hand; dilā-delivered; mālya-candane-flower garlands and sandalwood pulp.
TRANSLATION
After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered flower garlands and sandalwood pulp to all His devoted personal associates.
TEXT 200
tabe pariveśaka svarūpādi sāta jana
gṛhera bhitare kaila prasāda bhojana
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; pariveśaka-the distributors of prasāda; svarūpa-ādi-headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara; sāta jana-seven men; gṛhera bhitare-within the room; kaila-did; prasāda bhojana-eating of prasāda.
TRANSLATION
The seven persons headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara who were engaged in distributing prasāda to others then took their meals within the room.
TEXT 201
prabhura avaśeṣa govinda rākhila dhariyā
sei anna haridāse kichu dila lañā
SYNONYMS
prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; avaśeṣa-remnants; govinda-Govinda; rākhila-saved; dhariyā-keeping; sei anna-that prasāda; haridāse-unto Haridāsa Ṭhākura; kichu-some; dila-delivered; lañā-taking.
TRANSLATION
Govinda saved some remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and kept them carefully. Later, one portion of these remnants was delivered to Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
TEXT 202
bhakta-gaṇa govinda-pāśa kichu māgi’ nila
sei prasādānna govinda āpani pāila
SYNONYMS
bhakta-gaṇa-all the other devotees; govinda-pāśa-from Govinda; kichu-a little; māgi’-begging; nila-took; sei-those; prasāda-anna-remnants of food; govinda-Govinda; āpani-personally; pāila-partook.
TRANSLATION
The remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were later distributed among devotees who begged for them, and finally Govinda personally took the last remnants.
TEXT 203
svatantra īśvara prabhu kare nānā khelā
‘dhoyā-pākhalā’ nāma kaila ei eka līlā
SYNONYMS
svatantra īśvara-the independent Personality of Godhead; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kare-performs; nānā-various; khelā-pastimes; dhoyā-pākhalā-washing and cleansing; nāma-named; kaila-performed; ei-this; eka-one; līlā-pastime.
TRANSLATION
The fully independent Supreme Personality of Godhead performs various types of pastimes. The pastime of washing and cleansing the Guṇḍicā temple is but one of them.
TEXT 204
āra dine jagannāthera ‘netrotsava’ nāma
mahotsava haila bhaktera prāṇa-samāna
SYNONYMS
āra dine-the next day; jagannāthera-of Lord Jagannātha; netra-utsava-the festival of seeing the eyes; nāma-named; mahā-utsava-great festival; haila-performed; bhaktera-of the devotees; prāṇa-samāna-the life and soul.
TRANSLATION
The next day marked the performance of the festival of Netrotsava. This great festival was the life and soul of the devotees.
PURPORT
After the bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannātha, during the fortnight before the Ratha-yātrā ceremony, the body of Lord Jagannātha, having been washed, needs repainting. This is known as aṅga-rāga. The Netrotsava festival, performed gorgeously in the early morning of the Nava-yauvana day, constitutes the life and soul of the devotees.
TEXT 205
pakṣa-dina duḥkhī loka prabhura adarśane
darśana kariyā loka sukha pāila mane
SYNONYMS
pakṣa-dina-for a fortnight; duḥkhī-unhappy; loka-devotees; prabhura-of Lord Jagannātha; adarśane-without the sight; darśana kariyā-by seeing; loka-all the devotees; sukha-happiness; pāila-got; mane-in the mind.
TRANSLATION
Everyone was unhappy for a fortnight because they could not see the Deity of Lord Jagannātha. Upon seeing the Lord at the festival, the devotees were very happy.
TEXT 206
mahāprabhu sukhe lañā saba bhakta-gaṇa
jagannātha-daraśane karilā gamana
SYNONYMS
mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; sukhe-in great happiness; lañā-taking; saba-all; bhakta-gaṇa-devotees; jagannātha-daraśane-for visiting Lord Jagannātha; karilā gamana-went.
TRANSLATION
On this occasion, greatly happy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took all the devotees with Him and visited the Lord in the temple.
TEXT 207
āge kāśīśvara yāya loka nivāriyā
pāche govinda yāya jala-karaṅga lañā
SYNONYMS
āge-in front; kāśīśvara-Kāśīśvara; yāya-goes; loka-the crowd; nivāriyā-checking; pāche-at the end; govinda-Govinda; yāya-goes; jala-of water; karaṅga-a pitcher carried by saintly persons; lañā-taking.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to visit the temple, Kāśīśvara walked in front, checking the crowds of people, and Govinda walked in the rear, bringing the sannyāsī’s pitcher filled with water.
PURPORT
The karaṅga is a kind of waterpot especially carried by Māyāvādī sannyāsīs and generally carried by all other sannyāsīs.
TEXT 208
prabhura āge purī, bhāratī,-duṅhāra gamana
svarūpa, advaita,-duṅhera pārśve dui-jana
SYNONYMS
prabhura āge-in front of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; purī-Paramānanda Purī; bhāratī-Brahmānanda Bhāratī; duṅhāra gamana-first they went; svarūpa-Svarūpa Dāmodara; advaita-Advaita Ācārya; duṅhera-of both; pārśve-on the two sides; dui-jana-two persons.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went toward the temple, Paramānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī walked in front of Him, and at His two sides walked Svarūpa Dāmodara and Advaita Ācārya.
TEXT 209
pāche pāche cali’ yāya āra bhakta-gaṇa
utkaṇṭhāte gelā saba jagannātha-bhavana
SYNONYMS
pāche pāche-following; cali’ yāya-walk; āra-other; bhakta-gaṇa-devotees; utkaṇṭhāte-in great anxiety; gelā-they went; saba-all; jagannātha-bhavana-in the temple of Lord Jagannātha.
TRANSLATION
With great anxiety all the other devotees followed them into the temple of Lord Jagannātha.
TEXT 210
darśana-lobhete kari’ maryādā laṅghana
bhoga-maṇḍape yāñā kare śrī-mukha darśana
SYNONYMS
darśana-lobhete-being very anxious to see; kari’-doing; maryādā laṅghana-transgressions of regulative principles; bhoga-maṇḍape-in the room for offering food; yāñā-going; kare-do; śrī-mukha darśana-seeing the lotus face.
TRANSLATION
Out of great eagerness to see the Lord, they all neglected the regulative principles and, just to see the Lord’s face, went to the place where the food was offered.
PURPORT
There are many regulative principles of Deity worship. For example, one is not allowed to enter the room where food is offered to Lord Jagannātha. But in this case, being very anxious because of not having seen the Lord for fifteen days, all the people overruled the regulative principles and entered the room.
TEXT 211
tṛṣārta prabhura netra-bhramara-yugala
gāḍha tṛṣṇāya piye kṛṣṇera vadana-kamala
SYNONYMS
tṛṣā-ārta-thirsty; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; netra-eyes; bhramara-yugala-like two bumblebees; gāḍha-deep; tṛṣṇāya-in thirst; piye-drinks; kṛṣṇera-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; vadana-kamala-the lotuslike face.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very thirsty to see the Lord, and His eyes became like two bumblebees drinking the honey from the lotuslike eyes of Lord Jagannātha, who is Kṛṣṇa Himself.
TEXT 212
praphulla-kamala jini’ nayana-yugala
nīlamaṇi-darpaṇa-kānti gaṇḍa jhalamala
SYNONYMS
praphulla-kamala-blossoming lotus flower; jini’-conquering; nayana-yugala-two eyes; nīlamaṇi-sapphire; darpaṇa-mirror; kānti-luster; gaṇḍa-neck; jhalamala-bright.
TRANSLATION
The eyes of Lord Jagannātha conquered the beauty of blossoming lotus flowers, and His neck was as lustrous as a mirror made of sapphires.
PURPORT
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu usually saw Lord Jagannātha from a distance, standing behind the column of Garuḍa. But because he had not seen Lord Jagannātha for fifteen days, Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt great separation from Him. In great anxiety, Caitanya Mahāprabhu crossed the meeting hall and entered the room where food was offered, just to see the face of Lord Jagannātha. In verse 210, this action is called maryādā-laṅghana, a violation of the regulative principles. This indicates that one should not come very near a superior. Both the Lord’s Deity form and the spiritual master should be seen from a distant place. This is called maryādā. Otherwise, as it is said, familiarity breeds contempt. Sometimes coming too near the Deity or the spiritual master degrades the neophyte devotee. Personal servants of the Deity and the spiritual master should therefore always be very careful, for negligence may overcome them in their duty.
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s eyes have been compared to thirsty bumblebees, and Śrī Jagannātha’s eyes have been compared to blossoming lotus flowers. The author has made these comparisons in order to describe Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu while the Lord was deeply absorbed in ecstatic love for Lord Jagannātha.
TEXT 213
bāndhulīra phula jini’ adhara suraṅga
īṣat hasita kānti-amṛta-taraṅga
SYNONYMS
bāndhulīra phula-a kind of red flower named bāndhulī; jini’-conquering; adhara-chin; su-raṅga-buff color; īṣat-mild; hasita-smiling; kānti-luster; amṛta-nectar; taraṅga-waves.
TRANSLATION
The chin of the Lord, tinged with buff color, conquered the beauty of the bāndhulī flower. This increased the beauty of His mild smiling, which was like lustrous waves of nectar.
TEXT 214
śrī-mukha-sundara-kānti bāḍhe kṣaṇe kṣaṇe
koṭi-bhakta-netra-bhṛṅga kare madhu-pāne
SYNONYMS
śrī-mukha-of His beautiful face; sundara-kānti-attractive luster; bāḍhe-increases; kṣaṇe kṣaṇe-at every moment; koṭi-bhakta-of millions of devotees; netra-bhṛṅga-eyes like bumblebees; kare-engaged; madhu-pāne-in drinking the honey.
TRANSLATION
The luster of His beautiful face increased at every moment, and the eyes of hundreds and thousands of devotees drank its honey like bumblebees.
TEXT 215
yata piye tata tṛṣṇā bāḍhe nirantara
mukhāmbuja chāḍi’ netra nā yāya antara
SYNONYMS
yata-as much; piye-they drink; tata-so much; tṛṣṇā-thirst; bāḍhe-increases; nirantara-incessantly; mukha-ambuja-the lotuslike face; chāḍi’-giving up; netra-the eyes; nā-do not; yāya-go; antara-separate.
TRANSLATION
As their eyes began to drink the nectarean honey of His lotus face, their thirst increased. Thus their eyes did not leave Him.
PURPORT
In the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.538), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described the beauty of the Lord in this way:
asamānordhva-mādhurya-
taraṅgāmṛta-vāridhiḥ
jaṅgama-sthāvarollāsi-
rūpo gopendra-nandanaḥ
“The beauty of the son of Mahārāja Nanda is incomparable. Nothing is higher than His beauty, and nothing can equal it. His beauty is like waves in an ocean of nectar. This beauty is attractive both for moving and for nonmoving objects.”
Similarly, in the Tantra-śāstra, there is another description of the Lord’s beauty:
kandarpa-koṭy-arbuda-rūpa-śobha-
nīrājya-pādābja-nakhāṁ calasya
kutrāpy adṛṣṭa-śruta-ramya-kānter
dhyānaṁ paraṁ nanda-sutasya vakṣye
“I shall relate the supreme meditation upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja. The tips of the toes of His lotus feet reflect the beauty of the bodies of unlimited millions of Cupids, and His bodily luster has never been seen or heard of anywhere.”
One may also consult Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.29.14) in this connection.
TEXT 216
ei-mata mahāprabhu lañā bhakta-gaṇa
madhyāhna paryanta kaila śrī-mukha daraśana
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; lañā-taking; bhakta-gaṇa-His associates; madhyāhna paryanta-up to midday; kaila-performs; śrī-mukha daraśana-seeing the face of Lord Jagannātha.
TRANSLATION
Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees enjoyed transcendental bliss upon seeing the face of Jagannātha. This continued to midday.
TEXT 217
sveda, kampa, aśru-jala vahe sarva-kṣaṇa
darśanera lobhe prabhu kare saṁvaraṇa
SYNONYMS
sveda-perspiring; kampa-trembling; aśru-jala-tears from the eyes; vahe-flowed; sarva-kṣaṇa-always; darśanera-of seeing; lobhe-by greed; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kare-does; saṁvaraṇa-checking.
TRANSLATION
As usual, there were transcendental blissful symptoms in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s body. He perspired and trembled, and a constant flow of tears fell from His eyes. But the Lord checked these tears so they would not disturb His seeing the face of the Lord.
TEXT 218
madhye madhye bhoga lāge, madhye daraśana
bhogera samaye prabhu karena kīrtana
SYNONYMS
madhye madhye-at intervals; bhoga lāge-there were offerings of food; madhye-sometimes; daraśana-seeing; bhogera samaye-at the time of offering prasāda; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; karena kīrtana-performed congregational chanting.
TRANSLATION
Their looking at the face of Lord Jagannātha was interrupted only when He was offered food. Afterwards they would again look upon His face. When the food was being offered to the Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed His kīrtana.
TEXT 219
darśana-ānande prabhu saba pāsarilā
bhakta-gaṇa madhyāhna karite prabhure lañā gelā
SYNONYMS
darśana-ānande-because of pleasure due to seeing the face of the Lord; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; saba-everything; pāsarilā-forgot; bhakta-gaṇa-the devotees; madhyāhna-noontime lunch; karite-to accept; prabhure-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; lañā gelā-took.
TRANSLATION
Feeling such great pleasure upon seeing the face of Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu forgot everything. The devotees, however, took Him to His lunch at noontime.
TEXT 220
prātaḥ-kāle ratha-yātrā habeka jāniyā
sevaka lāgāya bhoga dviguṇa kariyā
SYNONYMS
prātaḥ-kāle-in the morning; ratha-yātrā-the car festival; habeka-would take place; jāniyā-knowing; sevaka-the priestly servants of the Lord; lāgāya-offer; bhoga-food; dvi-guṇa kariyā-increasing to double.
TRANSLATION
Knowing that the car festival would take place in the morning, all the servants of Lord Jagannātha were doubling their offerings of food.
TEXT 221
guṇḍicā-mārjana-līlā saṅkṣepe kahila
yāhā dekhi’ śuni’ pāpīra kṛṣṇa-bhakti haila
SYNONYMS
guṇḍicā-mārjana-līlā-the pastimes of washing the Guṇḍicā temple; saṅkṣepe kahila-I have described in brief; yāhā dekhi’ śuni’-by seeing and hearing which; pāpīra-of sinful men; kṛṣṇa-bhakti haila-there was awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
TRANSLATION
I have briefly described the pastimes of the Lord in washing and cleansing the Guṇḍicā temple. By seeing or hearing these pastimes, even sinful men can awaken their Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
TEXT 222
śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa
caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa
SYNONYMS
śrī-rūpa-Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; raghunātha-Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī; pade-at the lotus feet; yāra-whose; āśa-expectation; caitanya-caritāmṛta-the book named Caitanya-caritāmṛta; kahe-describes; kṛṣṇadāsa-Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī.
TRANSLATION
Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Twelve, describing the washing and cleansing of the Guṇḍicā temple.