Chapter 9
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Travels to the Holy Places
A summary of the Ninth Chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. After leaving Vidyānagara, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited such places of pilgrimage as Gautamī-gaṅgā, Mallikārjuna, Ahovala-nṛsiṁha, Siddhavaṭa, Skanda-kṣetra, Trimaṭha, Vṛddhakāśī, Bauddha-sthāna, Tirupati, Tirumala, Pānā-nṛsiṁha, Śiva-kāñcī, Viṣṇu-kāñcī, Trikāla-hastī, Vṛddhakola, Śiyālī-bhairavī, Kāverī-tīra and Kumbhakarṇa-kapāla.
Finally the Lord went to Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra, where He converted a brāhmaṇa named Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, who, along with his family, became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. After leaving Śrī Raṅga, Caitanya Mahāprabhu reached Ṛṣabha-parvata, where He met Paramānanda Purī, who later arrived at Jagannātha Purī. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then proceeded farther, arriving at Setubandha Rāmeśvara. At Śrī Śaila-parvata, the Lord met Lord Śiva and his wife Durgā in the dress of a brāhmaṇa and brāhmaṇī. From there He went to Kāmakoṣṭhī-purī and later arrived at southern Mathurā. A brāhmaṇa devotee of Lord Rāmacandra’s talked with Him. Then the Lord took His bath in the river Kṛtamālā. On the hill known as Mahendra-śaila, the Lord saw Paraśurāma. Then the Lord went to Setubandha and took His bath at Dhanus-tīrtha. He also visited Rāmeśvara, where He collected some papers connected with Sītādevī, whose illusory form was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. The Lord next visited the places known as Pāṇḍya-deśa, Tāmraparṇī, Naya-tripadī, Ciyaḍatalā, Tila-kāñcī, Gajendra-mokṣaṇa, Pānāgaḍi, Cāmtāpura, Śrī Vaikuṇṭha, Malaya-parvata and Kanyā-kumārī. The Lord then met the Bhaṭṭathāris at Mallāra-deśa and saved Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa from their clutches. The Lord also collected the Brahma-saṁhitā, Fifth Chapter, on the banks of the Payasvinī River. He then visited Payasvinī, Śṛṅgavera-purī-maṭha and Matsya-tīrtha. At the village of Uḍupī He saw the Gopāla Deity installed by Śrī Madhvācārya. He then defeated the Tattvavādīs in śāstric conversation. The Lord next visited Phalgu-tīrtha, Tritakūpa, Pañcāpsarā, Sūrpāraka and Kolāpura. At Śrī Raṅgapurī the Lord received news of Śaṅkarāraṇya’s disappearance. He then went to the banks of the Kṛṣṇaveṇvā River, where He collected from among the Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas a book written by Bilvamaṅgala, Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. The Lord then visited Tāptī, Māhiṣmatī-pura, Narmadā-tīra and Ṛṣyamūka-parvata. He entered Daṇḍakāraṇya and liberated the seven palm trees. From there He visited a place known as Pampā-sarovara and visited Pañcavaṭī, Nāsika, Brahmagiri and also the source of the Godāvarī River, Kuśāvarta. Thus the Lord visited almost all the holy places in South India. He finally returned to Jagannātha Purī by taking the same route, after visiting Vidyānagara again.
TEXT 1
nānā-mata-grāha-grastān
dākṣiṇātya-jana-dvipān
kṛpāriṇā vimucyaitān
gauraś cakre sa vaiṣṇavān
SYNONYMS
nānā-mata-by various philosophies; grāha-like crocodiles; grastān-captured; dākṣiṇātya-jana-the inhabitants of South India; dvipān-like elephants; kṛpā-ariṇā-by His disc of mercy; vimucya-liberating; etān-all these; gauraḥ-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; cakre-converted; saḥ-He; vaiṣṇavān-to the Vaiṣṇava cult.
TRANSLATION
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu converted the inhabitants of South India. These people were as strong as elephants, but they were in the clutches of the crocodiles of various philosophies, such as the Buddhist, Jain and Māyāvāda philosophies. With His disc of mercy the Lord delivered them all by converting them into Vaiṣṇavas, devotees of the Lord.
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s converting the people of South India into Vaiṣṇavas is compared herein to Lord Viṣṇu’s delivering Gajendra the elephant from the attack of a crocodile. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited southern India, almost all the residents were within the jaws of the crocodiles of Buddhist, Jain and Māyāvāda philosophy. Here Kavirāja Gosvāmī states that although these people were as strong as elephants, they were almost in the clutches of death because they were being attacked by the crocodiles of various philosophies. However, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the form of Viṣṇu mercifully saved the elephant Gajendra from the clutches of a crocodile, so He saved all the people of South India from the clutches of various philosophies by converting them into Vaiṣṇavas.
TEXT 2
jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
SYNONYMS
jaya jaya-all glories; śrī-caitanya-to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; jaya-all glories; nityānanda-unto Nityānanda Prabhu; jaya advaita-candra-all glories to Advaita Prabhu; jaya-all glories; gaura-bhakta-vṛnda-to the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Śrī Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
TEXT 3
dakṣiṇa-gamana prabhura ati vilakṣaṇa
sahasra sahasra tīrtha kaila daraśana
SYNONYMS
dakṣiṇa-gamana-touring in South India; prabhura-of the Lord; ati-very; vilakṣaṇa-extraordinary; sahasra sahasra-thousands and thousands; tīrtha-holy places; kaila-did; daraśana-visit.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s tour of South India was certainly very extraordinary because He visited many thousands of places of pilgrimage there.
TEXT 4
sei saba tīrtha sparśi’ mahā-tīrtha kaila
sei chale sei deśera loka nistārila
SYNONYMS
sei saba-all those; tīrtha-holy places; sparśi’-touching; mahā-tīrtha-into great places of pilgrimage; kaila-made them; sei chale-under that plea; sei deśera-of those countries; loka-the people; nistārila-He delivered.
TRANSLATION
On the plea of visiting all those holy places, the Lord converted many thousands of residents and thus delivered them. Simply by touching the holy places, He made them into great places of pilgrimage.
PURPORT
It is said: tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. A tīrtha, or holy place, is a place where great saintly personalities visit or reside. Although the holy places were already places of pilgrimage, they were all purified by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s visit. Many people go to these holy places and leave their sinful activities there, thus becoming free from contamination. When these contaminations pile up, they are counteracted by the visit of great personalities like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His strict followers. Many kinds of patients come to a hospital, which may be infected by many types of disease. Actually the hospital is always infected, but the expert physician keeps the hospital sterilized by his expert presence and management. Similarly, places of pilgrimage are always infected by the sins left by the sinners who go there, but when a personality like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visits such a place, all contaminations vanish.
TEXT 5
sei saba tīrthera krama kahite nā pāri
dakṣiṇa-vāme tīrtha-gamana haya pherāpheri
SYNONYMS
sei saba-all those; tīrthera-of holy places; krama-the chronological order; kahite-to tell of; nā pāri-I am unable; dakṣiṇa-vāme-left and right; tīrtha-gamana-visiting the holy places; haya-is; pherāpheri-going and coming back
TRANSLATION
I cannot chronologically record all the places of pilgrimage visited by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I can only summarize everything by saying that the Lord visited all holy places right and left, coming and going.
TEXT 6
ataeva nāma-mātra kariye gaṇana
kahite nā pāri tāra yathā anukrama
SYNONYMS
ataeva-therefore; nāma-mātra-only as a token record; kariye gaṇana-I count; kahite-to tell; nā pāri-I am unable; tāra-of that; yathā-as; anukrama-chronological order.
TRANSLATION
Because it is impossible for me to record all these places in chronological order, I simply make a token gesture of recording them.
TEXTS 7-8
pūrvavat pathe yāite ye pāya daraśana
yei grāme yāya, se grāmera yata jana
sabei vaiṣṇava haya, kahe ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘hari’
anya grāma nistāraye sei ‘vaiṣṇava’ kari’
SYNONYMS
pūrva-vat-as done previously; pathe-on the way; yāite-while going; ye-anyone who; pāya-gets; daraśana-audience; yei-which; grāme-in the village; yāya-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu goes; se-that; grāmera-of the village; yata-all; jana-people; sabei-all of them; vaiṣṇava haya-become devotees; kahe-say; kṛṣṇa hari-the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Hari; anya grāma-other villages; nistāraye-delivers; sei-He; vaiṣṇava-devotees; kari’-making.
TRANSLATION
As previously stated, all the residents of the villages visited by Lord Caitanya became Vaiṣṇavas and began to chant “Hari” and “Kṛṣṇa.” In this way, in all the villages visited by the Lord, everyone became a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee.
PURPORT
The holy names of Kṛṣṇa and Hari, or the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, are so spiritually powerful that even today, as our preachers go to remote parts of the world, people immediately begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. There cannot be anyone who can compare to Him or His potencies. However, because we are following in His footsteps and are also chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the effect is almost as potent as during the time of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Our preachers mainly belong to European and American countries, yet by the grace of Lord Caitanya they have tremendous success wherever they go to open branches. Indeed, everywhere people are very seriously chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
TEXT 9
dakṣiṇa deśera loka aneka prakāra
keha jñānī, keha karmī, pāṣaṇḍī apāra
SYNONYMS
dakṣiṇa deśera-of South India; loka-people; aneka-many; prakāra-varieties; keha-someone; jñānī-philosophical speculator; keha-someone; karmī-fruitive worker; pāṣaṇḍī-nondevotees; apāra-innumerable.
TRANSLATION
In South India there were many types of people. Some were philosophical speculators, and some were fruitive workers, but in any case there were innumerable nondevotees.
TEXT 10
sei saba loka prabhura darśana-prabhāve
nija-nija-mata chāḍi’ ha-ila vaiṣṇave
SYNONYMS
sei saba loka-all those people; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; darśana-prabhāve-by the influence of His visit; nija-nija-their own; mata-opinion; chāḍi’-giving up; ha-ila-became; vaiṣṇave-devotees.
TRANSLATION
By the influence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all these people abandoned their own opinions and became Vaiṣṇavas, devotees of Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 11
vaiṣṇavera madhye rāma-upāsaka saba
keha ‘tattvavādī’, keha haya ‘śrī-vaiṣṇava’
SYNONYMS
vaiṣṇavera madhye-amongst Vaiṣṇavas; rāma-upāsaka saba-all worshipers of Lord Śrī Rāmacandra; keha-someone; tattva-vādī-followers of Madhvācārya; keha-someone; haya-is; śrī-vaiṣṇava-devotees following the disciplic succession of Śrī Rāmānujācārya
TRANSLATION
At the time, all the South Indian Vaiṣṇavas were worshipers of Lord Rāmacandra. Some were Tattvavādīs, and some were followers of Rāmānujācārya.
PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura points out that the word “Tattvavādī” refers to the followers of Śrīla Madhvācārya. To distinguish his disciplic succession from the Māyāvādī followers of Śaṅkarācārya, Śrīla Madhvācārya named his party the Tattvavādīs. Impersonal monists are always attacked by these Tattvavādīs, who attempt to defeat their philosophy of impersonalism. Generally, they establish the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Actually the disciplic succession of Madhvācārya is known as the Brahmā Vaiṣṇava sect; that is the sect coming down from Lord Brahmā. Consequently the Tattvavādīs, or followers of Madhvācārya, do not accept the incident of Lord Brahmā’s illusion, which is recorded in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīla Madhvācārya has purposefully avoided commenting on that portion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in which brahma-mohana, the illusion of Lord Brahmā, is mentioned. Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī was one of the ācāryas in the Tattvavāda disciplic succession, and he established the ultimate goal of transcendentalism to be attainment of pure devotional service, love of Godhead. Those Vaiṣṇavas belonging to the Gauḍīya-sampradāya, the disciplic succession following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, are distinct from the Tattvavādīs, although they belong to the same Tattvavāda-sampradāya. The followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are therefore known as the Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya.
The word pāṣaṇḍī refers to those who are opposed to pure devotional service. In particular, these are the Māyāvādīs, the impersonalists. A definition of pāṣaṇḍī is given in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (1.73), wherein it is stated:
yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ
brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ
samatvenaiva vīkṣeta
sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam
A pāṣaṇḍī is one who thinks that the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is on the same level with the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. The devotee never considers Lord Nārāyaṇa to be on the same platform with Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. The Madhvācārya-sampradāya and Rāmānuja-sampradāya are mainly worshipers of Lord Rāmacandra, although the Śrī Vaiṣṇavas are supposed to be worshipers of Lord Nārāyaṇa and Lakṣmī and the Tattvavādīs are supposed to be worshipers of Lord Kṛṣṇa. At present, in most of the monasteries belonging to the Madhva-sampradāya, Lord Rāmacandra is worshiped.
In the book known as Adhyātma-rāmāyaṇa, there are statements in Chapters Twelve to Fifteen about the worship of the Deities Śrī Rāmacandra and Sītā. There it is stated that during Lord Rāmacandra’s time there was a brāhmaṇa who took a vow to fast until he saw Lord Rāmacandra. Sometimes, due to business, Lord Rāmacandra was absent from His capital for a full week and could not be seen by citizens during that time. Because of his vow, the brāhmaṇa could not take even a drop of water during that week. Later, after eight or nine days, when the brāhmaṇa could see Lord Rāmacandra personally, he would break his fast. Upon observing the brāhmaṇa’s rigid vow, Lord Śrī Rāmacandra ordered His younger brother Lakṣmaṇa to deliver a pair of Sītā-Rāma Deities to the brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa received the Deities from Śrī Lakṣmaṇajī and worshiped Them faithfully as long as he lived. At the time of his death, he delivered the Deities to Śrī Hanumānjī, who, for many years, hung Them around his neck and served Them with all devotion. After many years, when Hanumānjī departed on the hill known as Gandha-mādana, he delivered the Deities to Bhīmasena, one of the Pāṇḍavas, and Bhīmasena brought Them to his palace, where he kept Them very carefully. The last king of the Pāṇḍavas, Kṣemakānta, worshiped the Deities in that palace. Later, the same Deities were kept in the custody of the kings of Orissa known as Gajapatis. One of the ācāryas, known as Narahari Tīrtha, who was in the disciplic succession of Madhvācārya, received these Deities from the King of Orissa.
It may be noted that these particular Deities of Rāma and Sītā have been worshiped from the time of King Ikṣvāku. Indeed, they were worshiped by the royal princes even before the appearance of Lord Rāmacandra. Later, during Lord Rāmacandra’s presence, the Deities were worshiped by Lakṣmaṇa. It is said that just three months before his disappearance, Śrī Madhvācārya received these Deities and installed them in the Uḍupī temple. Since then the Deities have been worshiped by the Madhvācārya-sampradāya at that monastery. As far as the Śrī Vaiṣṇavas are concerned, beginning with Rāmānujācārya, they also worshiped Deities of Sītā-Rāma. Sītā-Rāma Deities are also being worshiped in Tirupati and other places. From the Śrī Rāmānuja-sampradāya there is another branch known as Rāmānandī or Rāmāt, and the followers of that branch also worship Deities of Sītā-Rāma very rigidly. The Rāmānuja-sampradāya Vaiṣṇavas prefer the worship of Lord Rāmacandra to that of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 12
sei saba vaiṣṇava mahāprabhura darśane
kṛṣṇa-upāsaka haila, laya kṛṣṇa-nāme
SYNONYMS
sei saba-all those; vaiṣṇava-devotees; mahāprabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; darśane-by seeing; kṛṣṇa-upāsaka-devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa; haila-became; laya-took; kṛṣṇa-nāme-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
After meeting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all those different Vaiṣṇavas became devotees of Kṛṣṇa and began chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
TEXT 13
rāma! rāghava! rāma! rāghava! rāma! rāghava! pāhi mām
kṛṣṇa! keśava! kṛṣṇa! keśava! kṛṣṇa! keśava! rakṣa mām
SYNONYMS
rāma-O Rāma; rāghava-O descendant of Raghu; pāhi-please protect; mām-me; kṛṣṇa-O Kṛṣṇa; keśava-O killer of Keśī; rakṣa-protect; mām-me.
TRANSLATION
” ‘O Lord Rāmacandra, descendant of Mahārāja Raghu, kindly protect me! O Lord Kṛṣṇa, killer of the Keśī demon, kindly protect me!’ “
TEXT 14
ei śloka pathe paḍi’ karilā prayāṇa
gautamī-gaṅgāya yāi’ kaila gaṅgā-snāna
SYNONYMS
ei śloka-this Sanskrit verse; pathe-on the way; paḍi’-reciting; karilā-did; prayāṇa-going; gautamī-gaṅgāya-to the bank of the Gautamī-gaṅgā; yāi’-going; kaila-did; gaṅgā-snāna-bathing in the Ganges.
TRANSLATION
While walking on the road, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to chant this Rāma Rāghava mantra. Chanting in this way, He arrived at the banks of the Gautamī-gaṅgā and took His bath there.
PURPORT
The Gautamī-gaṅgā is another branch of the river Godāvarī. Formerly a great sage named Gautama Ṛṣi used to live on the bank of this river opposite the city of Rājamahendri, and consequently this branch was called the Gautamī-gaṅgā.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmī has recorded the names of the holy places visited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu but that there is no chronological order of the places visited. However, there is a notebook of Govinda dāsa’s containing a chronological order and references to geographical positions. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura requests the readers to refer to that book. According to Govinda dāsa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Trimanda from the Gautamī-gaṅgā. From there He went to Ḍhuṇḍirāma-tīrtha, another place of pilgrimage. According to this book, after visiting the Gautamī-gaṅgā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Mallikārjuna-tīrtha.
TEXT 15
mallikārjuna-tīrthe yāi’ maheśa dekhila
tāhāṅ saba loke kṛṣṇa-nāma laoyāila
SYNONYMS
mallikārjuna-tīrthe-to the holy place known as Mallikārjuna; yāi’-going; maheśa-the deity of Lord Śiva; dekhila-He saw; tāhāṅ-there; saba loke-all the people; kṛṣṇa-nāma-Lord Kṛṣṇa’s holy name; laoyāila-He induced to chant.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to Mallikārjuna-tīrtha and saw the deity of Lord Śiva there. He also induced all the people to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
PURPORT
Mallikārjuna is also known as Śrī Saila. It is situated about seventy miles south of Karṇula on the right bank of the Kṛṣṇā River. There are great walls all around the village, and within the walls resides the deity known as Mallikārjuna. It is a deity of Lord Śiva and is one of the Jyotirliṅgas.
TEXT 16
rāmadāsa mahādeve karila daraśana
ahovala-nṛsiṁhere karilā gamana
SYNONYMS
rāma-dāsa-Rāmadāsa; mahā-deve-of Mahādeva; karila-did; daraśana-seeing; ahovala-nṛsiṁhere-to Ahovala-nṛsiṁha; karilā-did; gamana-going.
TRANSLATION
There he saw Lord Mahādeva [Śiva], the servant of Lord Rāma. He then went to Ahovala-nṛsiṁha.
TEXT 17
nṛsiṁha dekhiyā tāṅre kaila nati-stuti
siddhavaṭa gelā yāhāṅ mūrti sītāpati
SYNONYMS
nṛsiṁha dekhiyā-after seeing the Lord Nṛsiṁha Deity; tāṅre-unto Him; kaila-did; nati-stuti-offering of various prayers; siddhavaṭa-to Siddhavaṭa; gelā-He went; yāhāṅ-where; mūrti-the Deity; sītā-pati-Lord Rāmacandra.
TRANSLATION
After seeing the Ahovala-nṛsiṁha Deity, Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered many prayers unto the Lord. He then went to Siddhavaṭa, where He saw the Deity of Rāmacandra, the Lord of Sītādevī.
PURPORT
Siddhavaṭa, also known as Sidhauṭa, is ten miles east of the village Kuḍāpā. Previously this place was also known as southern Benares. There is a great banyan tree there, and it is therefore known as Siddhavaṭa. Vaṭa means banyan tree.
TEXT 18
raghunātha dekhi’ kaila praṇati stavana
tāhāṅ eka vipra prabhura kaila nimantraṇa
SYNONYMS
raghu-nātha dekhi’-after seeing Lord Rāmacandra, the descendant of Mahārāja Raghu; kaila-offered; praṇati-obeisances; stavana-prayers; tāhāṅ-there; eka-one; vipra-brāhmaṇa; prabhura-to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kaila-did; nimantraṇa-invitation.
TRANSLATION
After seeing the Deity of Lord Rāmacandra, the descendant of King Raghu, the Lord offered His prayers and obeisances. Then a brāhmaṇa invited the Lord to take lunch.
TEXT 19
sei vipra rāma-nāma nirantara laya
‘rāma”rāma’ vinā anya vāṇī nā kahaya
SYNONYMS
sei vipra-that brāhmaṇa; rāma-nāma-the holy name of Lord Rāmacandra; nirantara-constantly; laya-chants; rāma rāma-the holy names Rāma Rāma; vinā-without; anya-other; vāṇī-vibration; nā-does not; kahaya-speak.
TRANSLATION
That brāhmaṇa constantly chanted the holy name of Rāmacandra. Indeed, but for chanting Lord Rāmacandra’s holy name, that brāhmaṇa did not speak a word.
TEXT 20
sei dina tāṅra ghare rahi’ bhikṣā kari’
tāṅre kṛpā kari’ āge calilā gaurahari
SYNONYMS
sei dina-on that day; tāṅra ghare-the house of that brāhmaṇa; rahi’-staying; bhikṣā kari’-accepting prasāda; tāṅre-unto him; kṛpā kari’-showing mercy; āge-ahead; calilā-departed; gaura-hari-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
That day, Lord Caitanya remained there and accepted prasāda at his house. After bestowing mercy upon him in this way, the Lord proceeded ahead.
TEXT 21
skanda-kṣetra-tīrthe kaila skanda daraśana
trimaṭha āilā, tāhāṅ dekhi’ trivikrama
SYNONYMS
skanda-kṣetra-tīrthe-in the holy place known as Skanda-kṣetra; kaila-did; skanda daraśana-visiting Lord Skanda (Kārttikeya, son of Lord Śiva); trimaṭha-at Trimaṭha; āilā-arrived; tāhāṅ-there; dekhi’-seeing; trivikrama-a form of Lord Viṣṇu, Trivikrama.
TRANSLATION
At the holy place known as Skanda-kṣetra, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Skanda. From there He went to Trimaṭha, where He saw the Viṣṇu Deity Trivikrama.
TEXT 22
punaḥ siddhavaṭa āilā sei vipra-ghare
sei vipra kṛṣṇa-nāma laya nirantare
SYNONYMS
punaḥ-again; siddha-vaṭa-to the place known as Siddhavaṭa; āilā-returned; sei-that; vipra-ghare-in the house of the brāhmaṇa; sei vipra-that brāhmaṇa; kṛṣṇa-nāma-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; laya-chants; nirantare-constantly.
TRANSLATION
After visiting the temple of Trivikrama, the Lord returned to Siddhavaṭa, where He again visited the house of the brāhmaṇa, who was now constantly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
TEXT 23
bhikṣā kari’ mahāprabhu tāṅre praśna kaila
”kaha vipra, ei tomāra kon daśā haila
SYNONYMS
bhikṣā kari’-after accepting lunch; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-unto him; praśna kaila-asked a question; kaha vipra-My dear brāhmaṇa friend, please say; ei-this; tomāra-your; kon-what; daśā-situation; haila-became.
TRANSLATION
After finishing His lunch there, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the brāhmaṇa, “My dear friend, kindly tell Me what your position is now.
TEXT 24
pūrve tumi nirantara laite rāma-nāma
ebe kene nirantara lao kṛṣṇa-nāma”
SYNONYMS
pūrve-formerly; tumi-you; nirantara-constantly; laite-used to chant; rāma-nāma-the holy name of Lord Rāmacandra; ebe-now; kene-why; nirantara-constantly; lao-you chant; kṛṣṇa-nāma-the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
“Formerly you were constantly chanting the holy name of Lord Rāma. Why are you now constantly chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa?”
TEXT 25
vipra bale,–ei tomāra darśana-prabhāve
tomā dekhi’ gela mora ājanma svabhāve
SYNONYMS
vipra bale-the brāhmaṇa replied; ei-this; tomāra darśana-prabhāve-by the influence of Your visit; tomā dekhi’-after seeing You; gela-went; mora-my; ā-janma-from childhood; svabhāve-nature.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa replied, “This is all due to Your influence, sir. After seeing You, I have lost my lifelong practice.
TEXT 26
bālyāvadhi rāma-nāma-grahaṇa āmāra
tomā dekhi’ kṛṣṇa-nāma āila eka-bāra
SYNONYMS
bālya-avadhi-since the days of my childhood; rāma-nāma-grahaṇa-chanting the holy name of Lord Rāmacandra; āmāra-my; tomā dekhi’-upon seeing You; kṛṣṇa-nāma-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; āila-came; eka-bāra-once only.
TRANSLATION
“From my childhood I have been chanting the holy name of Lord Rāmacandra, but upon seeing You I chanted the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa just once.
TEXT 27
sei haite kṛṣṇa-nāma jihvāte vasilā
kṛṣṇa-nāma sphure, rāma-nāma dūre gelā
SYNONYMS
sei haite-since that time; kṛṣṇa-nāma-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; jihvāte-on the tongue; vasilā-was seated tightly; kṛṣṇa-nāma-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; sphure-automatically comes; rāma-nāma-the holy name of Lord Rāmacandra; dūre-far away; gelā-went.
TRANSLATION
“Since then, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa has been tightly fixed upon my tongue. Indeed, since I have been chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, the holy name of Lord Rāmacandra has gone far away.
TEXT 28
bālya-kāla haite mora svabhāva eka haya
nāmera mahimā-śāstra kariye sañcaya
SYNONYMS
bālya-kāla haite-from my childhood; mora-my; svabhāva-practice; eka-one; haya-there is; nāmera-of the holy name; mahimā-concerning the glories; śāstra-the revealed scriptures; kariye sañcaya-I collect.
TRANSLATION
“From my childhood I have been practicing this chanting and have been collecting the glories of the holy name from revealed scriptures.
TEXT 29
ramante yogino ‘nante
satyānande cid-ātmani
iti rāma-padenāsau
paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate
SYNONYMS
ramante-take pleasure; yoginaḥ-transcendentalists; anante-in the unlimited; satya-ānande-real pleasure; cit-ātmani-in spiritual existence; iti-thus; rāma-Rāma; padena-by the word; asau-He; param-supreme; brahma-truth; abhidhīyate-is called.
TRANSLATION
” ‘The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.’
PURPORT
This is the eighth verse of the Śata-nāma-stotra of Lord Rāmacandra, which is found in the Padma Purāṇa.
TEXT 30
kṛṣir bhū-vācakaḥ śabdo
ṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ
tayor aikyaṁ paraṁ brahma
kṛṣṇa ity abhidhīyate
SYNONYMS
kṛṣiḥ-the verbal root kṛṣ; bhū-attractive existence; vācakaḥ-signifying; śabdaḥ-word; ṇaḥ-the syllable ṇa; ca-and; nirvṛti-spiritual pleasure; vācakaḥ-indicating; tayoḥ-of both; aikyam-amalgamation; param-supreme; brahma-Absolute Truth; kṛṣṇaḥ-Lord Kṛṣṇa; iti-thus; abhidhīyate-is called.
TRANSLATION
” ‘The word “kṛṣ” is the attractive feature of the Lord’s existence, and “ṇa” means spiritual pleasure. When the verb “kṛṣ” is added to the affix “ṇa,” it becomes “Kṛṣṇa,” which indicates the Absolute Truth.’
PURPORT
This is a verse from the Mahābhārata (Udyoga-parva 71.4).
TEXT 31
paraṁ brahma dui-nāma samāna ha-ila
punaḥ āra śāstre kichu viśeṣa pāila
SYNONYMS
param brahma-the Absolute Truth; dui-nāma-two names (Rāma and Kṛṣṇa); samāna-on an equal level; ha-ila-were; punaḥ-again; āra-further; śāstre-in revealed scriptures; kichu-some; viśeṣa-specification; pāila-is found.
TRANSLATION
“As far as the holy names of Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are concerned, they are on an equal level, but for further advancement we receive some specific information from revealed scriptures.
TEXT 32
rāma rāmeti rāmeti
rame rāme manorame
sahasra-nāmabhis tulyaṁ
rāma-nāma varānane
SYNONYMS
rāma-Rāma; rāma-Rāma; iti-thus; rāma-Rāma; iti-thus; rame-I enjoy; rāme-in the holy name of Rāma; manaḥ-rame-most beautiful; sahasra-nāmabhiḥ-with the one thousand names; tulyam-equal; rāma-nāma-the holy name of Rāma; vara-ānane-O lovely-faced woman.
TRANSLATION
” ‘Lord Śiva addressed his wife Durgā as Varānanā and explained, “I chant the holy name of Rāma, Rāma, Rāma and thus enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Rāmacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Viṣṇu.”‘
PURPORT
This is a verse from the Bṛhad-viṣṇu-sahasranāma-stotra in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa (72.335).
TEXT 33
sahasra-nāmnāṁ puṇyānāṁ
trir-āvṛttyā tu yat phalam
ekāvṛttyā tu kṛṣṇasya
nāmaikaṁ tat prayacchati
SYNONYMS
sahasra-nāmnām-of one thousand names; puṇyānām-holy; triḥ-āvṛttyā-by thrice chanting; tu-but; yat-which; phalam-result; eka-āvṛttyā-by one repetition; tu-but; kṛṣṇasya-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāma-holy name; ekam-only one; tat-that result; prayacchati-gives.
TRANSLATION
” ‘The pious results derived from chanting the thousand holy names of Viṣṇu three times can be attained by only one utterance of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.’
PURPORT
This verse from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa is found in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.354), by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Simply by chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa once, one can attain the same results achieved by chanting the holy name of Rāma three times.
TEXT 34
ei vākye kṛṣṇa-nāmera mahimā apāra
tathāpi la-ite nāri, śuna hetu tāra
SYNONYMS
ei vākye-in this statement; kṛṣṇa-nāmera-of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; mahimā-glories; apāra-unlimited; tathāpi-still; la-ite-to chant; nāri-I am unable; śuna-just hear; hetu-the reason; tāra-of that.
TRANSLATION
“According to this statement of the śāstras, the glories of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa are unlimited. Still I could not chant His holy name. Please hear the reason for this.
TEXT 35
iṣṭa-deva rāma, tāṅra nāme sukha pāi
sukha pāñā rāma-nāma rātri-dina gāi
SYNONYMS
iṣṭa-deva-my worshipable Lord; rāma-Lord Śrī Rāmacandra; tāṅra nāme-in His holy name; sukha pāi-I get happiness; sukha pāñā-getting such transcendental happiness; rāma-nāma-the holy name of Lord Rāma; rātri-dina-day and night; gāi-I chant.
TRANSLATION
“My worshipable Lord has been Lord Rāmacandra, and by chanting His holy name I received happiness. Because I received such happiness, I chanted the holy name of Lord Rāma day and night.
TEXT 36
tomāra darśane yabe kṛṣṇa-nāma āila
tāhāra mahimā tabe hṛdaye lāgila
SYNONYMS
tomāra darśane-by meeting You; yabe-when; kṛṣṇa-nāma-the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; āila-appeared; tāhāra-His; mahimā-glories; tabe-at that time; hṛdaye-in the heart; lāgila-became fixed.
TRANSLATION
“By Your appearance, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s holy name also appeared, and at that time the glories of Kṛṣṇa’s name awoke in my heart.”
TEXT 37
sei kṛṣṇa tumi sākṣāt–ihā nirdhārila
eta kahi’ vipra prabhura caraṇe paḍila
SYNONYMS
sei-that; kṛṣṇa-the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; tumi-You; sākṣāt-directly; ihā-this; nirdhārila-concluded; eta kahi’-saying this; vipra-the brāhmaṇa; prabhura-of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; caraṇe-at the lotus feet; padila-fell down.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa concluded, “Sir, You are that Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. This is my conclusion.” Saying this, the brāhmaṇa fell down at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 38
tāṅre kṛpā kari’ prabhu calilā āra dine
vṛddhakāśī āsi’ kaila śiva-daraśane
SYNONYMS
tāṅre-unto him; kṛpā kari’-showing mercy; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; calilā-traveled; āra dine-the next day; vṛddhakāśī-to Vṛddhakāśī; āsi’-coming; kaila-did; śiva-daraśane-visiting Lord Śiva’s temple.
TRANSLATION
After showing mercy to the brāhmaṇa, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left the next day and arrived at Vṛddhakāśī, where He visited the temple of Lord Śiva.
PURPORT
Vṛddhakāśī’s present name is Vṛddhācalam. It is situated in the southern Arcot district on the bank of the river Maṇimukha. This place is also known as Kālahastipura. Lord Śiva’s temple there was worshiped for many years by Govinda, the cousin of Rāmānujācārya.
TEXT 39
tāhāṅ haite cali’ āge gelā eka grāme
brāhmaṇa-samāja tāhāṅ, karila viśrāme
SYNONYMS
tāhāṅ haite-from there; cali’-going; āge-forward; gelā-went; eka-one; grāme-to a village; brāhmaṇa-samāja-assembly of brāhmaṇas; tāhāṅ-there; karila viśrāme-He rested.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then left Vṛddhakāśī and proceeded further. In one village He saw that most of the residents were brāhmaṇas, and He took His rest there.
TEXT 40
prabhura prabhāve loka āila daraśane
lakṣārbuda loka āise nā yāya gaṇane
SYNONYMS
prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; prabhāve-by the influence; loka-people; āila-came; daraśane-to see Him; lakṣa-arbuda-many millions; loka-persons; āise-came; nā-not; yāya gaṇane-can be counted.
TRANSLATION
Due to the influence of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, many millions of men came just to see Him. Indeed, the assembly being unlimited, its members could not be counted.
TEXT 41
gosāñira saundarya dekhi’ tāte premāveśa
sabe ‘kṛṣṇa’ kahe, ‘vaiṣṇava’ haila sarva-deśa
SYNONYMS
gosāñira-of the Lord; saundarya-the beauty; dekhi’-seeing; tāte-in that; prema-āveśa-ecstatic love; sabe-everyone; kṛṣṇa kahe-uttered the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; vaiṣṇava-Vaiṣṇava devotees; haila-became; sarva-deśa-everyone.
TRANSLATION
The Lord’s bodily features were very beautiful, and in addition He was always in the ecstasy of love of Godhead. Simply by seeing Him, everyone began chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and thus everyone became a Vaiṣṇava devotee.
TEXT 42
tārkika-mīmāṁsaka, yata māyāvādi-gaṇa
sāṅkhya, pātañjala, smṛti, purāṇa, āgama
SYNONYMS
tārkika-logicians; mīmāṁsaka-followers of Mīmāṁsā philosophy; yata-all; māyāvādi-gaṇa-followers of Śaṅkarācārya; sāṅkhya-followers of Kapila; pātañjala-followers of mystic yoga; smṛti-supplementary Vedic literature; purāṇa-Purāṇas; āgama-the tantra-śāstras.
TRANSLATION
There are many kinds of philosophers. Some are logicians who follow Gautama or Kaṇāda. Some follow the Mīmāṁsā philosophy of Jaimini. Some follow the Māyāvāda philosophy of Śaṅkarācārya, and others follow Kapila’s Sāṅkhya philosophy or the mystic yoga system of Patañjali. Some follow the smṛti-śāstra composed of twenty religious scriptures, and others follow the Purāṇas and the tantra-śāstra. In this way there are many different types of philosophers.
TEXT 43
nija-nija-śāstrodgrāhe sabāi pracaṇḍa
sarva mata duṣi’ prabhu kare khaṇḍa khaṇḍa
SYNONYMS
nija-nija-their own; śāstra-of the scripture; udgrāhe-to establish the conclusion; sabāi-all of them; pracaṇḍa-very powerful; sarva-all; mata-opinions; duṣi’-condemning; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kare-does; khaṇḍa khaṇḍa-breaking to pieces.
TRANSLATION
All of these adherents of various scriptures were ready to present the conclusions of their respective scriptures, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu broke all their opinions to pieces and established His own cult of bhakti based on the Vedas, Vedānta, the Brahma-sūtra and the philosophy of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva.
TEXT 44
sarvatra sthāpaya prabhu vaiṣṇava-siddhānte
prabhura siddhānta keha nā pāre khaṇḍite
SYNONYMS
sarvatra-everywhere; sthāpaya-establishes; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vaiṣṇava-siddhānte-the conclusion of the Vaiṣṇavas; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; siddhānta-conclusion; keha-anyone; nā pāre-is not able; khaṇḍite-to defy.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu established the devotional cult everywhere. No one could defeat Him.
TEXT 45
hāri’ hāri’ prabhu-mate karena praveśa
ei-mate ‘vaiṣṇava’ prabhu kaila dakṣiṇa deśa
SYNONYMS
hāri’ hāri’-being defeated; prabhu-mate-into the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; karena praveśa-enter; ei-mate-in this way; vaiṣṇava-Vaiṣṇava devotees; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kaila-made; dakṣiṇa-South India; deśa-country.
TRANSLATION
Being thus defeated by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all these philosophers and their followers entered into His cult. In this way Lord Caitanya made South India into a country of Vaiṣṇavas.
TEXT 46
pāṣaṇḍī āila yata pāṇḍitya śuniyā
garva kari’ āila saṅge śiṣya-gaṇa lañā
SYNONYMS
pāṣaṇḍī-nonbelievers; āila-came there; yata-all; pāṇḍitya-erudition; śuniyā-hearing; garva kari’-with great pride; āila-came there; saṅge-with; śiṣya-gaṇa-disciples; lañā-taking.
TRANSLATION
When the nonbelievers heard of the erudition of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they came to Him with great pride, bringing their disciples with them.
TEXT 47
bauddhācārya mahā-paṇḍita nija nava-mate
prabhura āge udgrāha kari’ lāgilā balite
SYNONYMS
bauddha-ācārya-the leader in Buddhist philosophy; mahā-paṇḍita-greatly learned scholar; nija-own; nava-nine; mate-philosophical conclusions; prabhura āge-before Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; udgrāha-argument; kari’-making; lāgilā-began; balite-to speak.
TRANSLATION
One of them was a leader of the Buddhist cult and was a very learned scholar. To establish the nine philosophical conclusions of Buddhism, he came before the Lord and began to speak.
TEXT 48
yadyapi asambhāṣya bauddha ayukta dekhite
tathāpi balilā prabhu garva khaṇḍāite
SYNONYMS
yadyapi-although; asambhāṣya-not fit for discussion; bauddha-followers of Buddha’s philosophy; ayukta-not fit; dekhite-to see; tathāpi-still; balilā-spoke; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; garva-pride; khaṇḍāite-to diminish.
TRANSLATION
Although the Buddhists are unfit for discussion and should not be seen by Vaiṣṇavas, Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke to them just to decrease their false pride.
TEXT 49
tarka-pradhāna bauddha-śāstra ‘nava mate’
tarkei khaṇḍila prabhu, nā pāre sthāpite
SYNONYMS
tarka-pradhāna-argumentative; bauddha-śāstra-scriptures of the Buddhist cult; nava mate-in nine basic principles; tarkei-by argument; khaṇḍila-refuted; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nā-not; pāre-can; sthāpite-establish.
TRANSLATION
The scriptures of the Buddhist cult are chiefly based on argument and logic, and they contain nine chief principles. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu defeated them in their argument, they could not establish their cult.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states that according to the Buddhist cult there are two ways of understanding philosophy. One is called Hīnāyāna, and the other is called Mahāyānaā. Along the Buddhist path there are nine principles: (1) The creation is eternal; therefore there is no need to accept a creator. (2) This cosmic manifestation is false. (3) “I am” is the truth. (4) There is repetition of birth and death. (5) Lord Buddha is the only source of understanding the truth. (6) The principle of nirvāṇa, or annihilation, is the ultimate goal. (7) The philosophy of Buddha is the only philosophical path. (8) The Vedas are compiled by human beings. (9) Pious activities, showing mercy to others and so on are advised.
No one can attain the Absolute Truth by argument. One may be very expert in logic, and another person may be even more expert in the art of argument. Because there is so much word jugglery in logic, one can never come to the real conclusion about the Absolute Truth by argument. The followers of Vedic principles understand this. However, it is seen here that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu defeated the Buddhist philosophy by argument. Those who are preachers in ISKCON will certainly meet many people who believe in intellectual arguments. Most of these people do not believe in the authority of the Vedas. Nevertheless, they accept intellectual speculation and argument. Therefore the preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be prepared to defeat others by argument, just as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. In this verse it is clearly said, tarkei khaṇḍila prabhu. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu put forward such a strong argument that they could not counter Him to establish their cult.
Their first principle is that the creation is always existing. But if this is the case, there can be no theory of annihilation. The Buddhists maintain that annihilation, or dissolution, is the highest truth. If the creation is eternally existing, there is no question of dissolution or annihilation. This argument is not very strong because by practical experience we see that material things have a beginning, a middle and an end. The ultimate aim of the Buddhist philosophy is to dissolve the body. This is proposed because the body has a beginning. Similarly, the entire cosmic manifestation is also a gigantic body, but if we accept the fact that it is always existing, there can be no question of annihilation. Therefore the attempt to annihilate everything in order to attain zero is an absurdity. By our own practical experience we have to accept the beginning of creation, and when we accept the beginning, we must accept a creator. Such a creator must possess an all-pervasive body, as pointed out in the Bhagavad-gītā (13.14):
sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat
sarvato-‘kṣi-śiro-mukham
sarvataḥ śruti-mal loke
sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati
“Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Supersoul exists, pervading everything.”
The Supreme Person must be present everywhere. His body existed before the creation; otherwise He could not be the creator. If the Supreme Person is a created being, there can be no question of a creator. The conclusion is that the cosmic manifestation is certainly created at a certain time, and the creator existed before the creation; therefore the creator is not a created being. The creator is Paraṁ Brahman, or the Supreme Spirit. Matter is not only subordinate to spirit but is actually created on the basis of spirit. When the spirit soul enters the womb of a mother, the body is created by material ingredients supplied by the mother. Everything is created in the material world, and consequently there must be a creator who is the Supreme Spirit and who is distinct from matter. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that the material energy is inferior and that the spiritual energy is the living entity. Both inferior and superior energies belong to a supreme person.
The Buddhists argue that the world is false, but this is not valid. The world is temporary, but it is not false. As long as we have the body, we must suffer the pleasures and pains of the body, even though we are not the body. We may not take these pleasures and pains very seriously, but they are factual nonetheless. We cannot actually say that they are false. If the bodily pains and pleasures were false, the creation would be false also, and consequently no one would take very much interest in it. The conclusion is that the material creation is not false or imaginary, but it is temporary.
The Buddhists maintain that the principle “I am” is the Ultimate Truth, but this excludes the individuality of “I” and “you.” If there is no “I” and “you,” or individuality, there is no possibility of argument. The Buddhist philosophy depends on argument, but there can be no argument if one simply depends on “I am.” There must be a “you,” or another person also. The philosophy of duality-the existence of the individual soul and the Supersoul-must be there. This is confirmed in the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā (2.12), wherein the Lord says:
na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ
na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ
sarve vayam ataḥ param
“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.”
We existed in the past in different bodies, and after the annihilation of this body we shall exist in another body. The principle of the soul is eternal, and it exists in this body or in another body. Even in this lifetime we experience existence in a child’s body, a youth’s body, a man’s body and an old body. After the annihilation of the body, we acquire another body. The Buddhist cult also accepts the philosophy of transmigration, but the Buddhists do not properly explain the next birth. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and our next birth may be in any one of them; therefore this human body is not guaranteed.
According to the Buddhist’s fifth principle, Lord Buddha is the only source for the attainment of knowledge. We cannot accept this, for Lord Buddha rejected the principles of Vedic knowledge. One must accept a principle of standard knowledge because one cannot attain the Absolute Truth simply by intellectual speculation. If everyone is an authority, or if everyone accepts his own intelligence as the ultimate criterion-as is presently fashionable-the scriptures will be interpreted in many different ways, and everyone will claim that his own philosophy is supreme. This has become a very great problem, and everyone is interpreting scripture in his own way and setting up his own basis of authority. Yata mata tata patha. Now everybody and anybody is trying to establish his own theory as the ultimate truth. The Buddhists theorize that annihilation, or nirvāṇa, is the ultimate goal. Annihilation applies to the body, but the spirit soul transmigrates from one body to another. If this were not the case, how can so many multifarious bodies come into existence? If the next birth is a fact, the next bodily form is also a fact. As soon as we accept a material body, we must accept the fact that that body will be annihilated and that we will have to accept another body. If all material bodies are doomed to annihilation, we must obtain a nonmaterial body, or a spiritual body, if we wish the next birth to be anything but false. How the spiritual body is attained is explained by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9):
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”
This is the highest perfection-to give up one’s material body and not accept another but to return home, back to Godhead. It is not that perfection means one’s existence becomes void or zero. Existence continues, but if we positively want to annihilate the material body, we have to accept a spiritual body; otherwise there can be no eternality for the soul.
We cannot accept the theory that the Buddhist philosophy is the only way, for there are so many defects in that philosophy. A perfect philosophy is one that has no defects, and that is Vedānta philosophy. No one can point out any defects in Vedānta philosophy, and therefore we can conclude that Vedānta is the supreme philosophical way of understanding the truth. According to the Buddhist cult, the Vedas are compiled by ordinary human beings. If this were the case, they would not be authoritative. From the Vedic literature we understand that shortly after the creation Lord Brahmā was instructed in the Vedas. It is not that the Vedas were created by Brahmā, although Brahmā is the original person in the universe. If Brahmā did not create the Vedas but he is acknowledged as the first created being, wherefrom did Vedic knowledge come to Brahmā? Obviously the Vedas did not come from an ordinary person born in this material world. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye: after the creation, the Supreme Person imparted Vedic knowledge within the heart of Brahmā. There was no person in the beginning of the creation other than Brahmā, yet he did not compile the Vedas; therefore the conclusion is that the Vedas were not compiled by any created being. Vedic knowledge was given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who created this material world. This is also accepted by Śaṅkarācārya, although he is not a Vaiṣṇava.
It is stated that mercy is one of the qualities of a Buddhist, but mercy is a relative thing. We show our mercy to a subordinate or to one who is suffering more than ourselves. However, if there is a superior person present, the superior person cannot be the object of our mercy. Rather, we are objects for the mercy of the superior person. Therefore showing compassion and mercy is a relative activity. It is not the Absolute Truth. Apart from this, we also must know what actual mercy is. To give a sick man something forbidden for him to eat is not mercy. Rather, it is cruelty. Unless we know what mercy really is, we may create an undesirable situation. If we wish to show real mercy, we will preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to revive the lost consciousness of human beings, the living entity’s original consciousness. Since the Buddhist philosophy does not admit the existence of the spirit soul, the so-called mercy of the Buddhists is defective.
TEXT 50
bauddhācārya ‘nava praśna’ saba uṭhāila
dṛḍha yukti-tarke prabhu khaṇḍa khaṇḍa kaila
SYNONYMS
bauddha-ācārya-the teacher of the Buddhist cult; nava praśna-nine different types of questions; saba-all; uṭhāila-raised; dṛḍha-strong; yukti-argument; tarke-with logic; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; khaṇḍa khaṇḍa kaila-broke into pieces.
TRANSLATION
The teacher of the Buddhist cult set forth the nine principles, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu broke them to pieces with His strong logic.
TEXT 51
dārśanika paṇḍita sabāi pāila parājaya
loke hāsya kare, bauddha pāila lajjā-bhaya
SYNONYMS
dārśanika-philosophical speculators; paṇḍita-scholars; sabāi-all of them; pāila parājaya-were defeated; loke-people in general; hāsya kare-laugh; bauddha-the Buddhists; pāila-got; lajjā-shame; bhaya-fear.
TRANSLATION
All mental speculators and learned scholars were defeated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and when the people began to laugh, the Buddhist philosophers felt both shame and fear.
PURPORT
These philosophers were all atheists, for they did not believe in the existence of God. Atheists may be very expert in mental speculation and may be so-called great philosophers, but they can be defeated by a Vaiṣṇava firmly situated in his conviction and God consciousness. Following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the preachers engaged in the service of ISKCON should be very expert in putting forward strong arguments and defeating all types of atheists.
TEXT 52
prabhuke vaiṣṇava jāni’ bauddha ghare gela
sakala bauddha mili’ tabe kumantraṇā kaila
SYNONYMS
prabhuke-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vaiṣṇava jāni’-knowing to be a Vaiṣṇava; bauddha-the Buddhists; ghare gela-returned home; sakala bauddha-all the Buddhists; mili’-coming together; tabe-thereafter; ku-mantraṇā-plot; kaila-made.
TRANSLATION
The Buddhists could understand that Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a Vaiṣṇava, and they returned home very unhappy. Later, however, they began to plot against the Lord.
TEXT 53
apavitra anna eka thālite bhariyā
prabhu-āge nila ‘mahā-prasāda’ baliyā
SYNONYMS
apavitra-polluted; anna-food; eka-one; thālite-plate; bhariyā-filling; prabhu-āge-in front of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nila-brought; mahā-prasāda baliyā-calling it mahā-prasāda.
TRANSLATION
Having made their plot, the Buddhists brought a plate of untouchable food before Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and called it mahā-prasāda.
PURPORT
The word apavitra anna refers to food that is unacceptable for a Vaiṣṇava. In other words, a Vaiṣṇava cannot accept any food offered by an avaiṣṇava in the name of mahā-prasāda. This should be a principle for all Vaiṣṇavas. When asked, “What is the behavior of a Vaiṣṇava?” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “A Vaiṣṇava must avoid the company of an avaiṣṇava [asat].” The word asat refers to an avaiṣṇava, that is, one who is not a Vaiṣṇava. Asat-saṅga-tyāga,-ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra (Cc. Madhya 22.87). A Vaiṣṇava must be very strict in this respect and should not at all cooperate with an avaiṣṇava. If an avaiṣṇava offers food in the name of mahā-prasāda, it should not be accepted. Such food cannot be prasāda because an avaiṣṇava cannot offer anything to the Lord. Sometimes preachers in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement have to accept food in a home where the householder is an avaiṣṇava; however, if this food is offered to the Deity, it can be taken. Ordinary food cooked by an avaiṣṇava should not be accepted by a Vaiṣṇava. Even if an avaiṣṇava cooks food without fault, he cannot offer it to Lord Viṣṇu, and it cannot be accepted as mahā-prasāda. According to Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26):
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.”
Kṛṣṇa can accept anything offered by His devotee with devotion. An avaiṣṇava may be a vegetarian and a very clean cook, but because he cannot offer the food he cooks to Viṣṇu, it cannot be accepted as mahā-prasāda. It is better that a Vaiṣṇava abandon such food as untouchable.
TEXT 54
hena-kāle mahā-kāya eka pakṣī āila
ṭhoṅṭe kari’ anna-saha thāli lañā gela
SYNONYMS
hena-kāle-at this time; mahā-kāya-having a large body; eka-one; pakṣī-bird; āila-appeared there; ṭhoṅṭe kari’-by the beak; anna-saha-with food; thāli-the plate; lañā-taking; gela-went away.
TRANSLATION
When the contaminated food was offered to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, a very large bird appeared on the spot, picked up the plate in its beak and flew away.
TEXT 55
bauddha-gaṇera upare anna paḍe amedhya haiyā
bauddhācāryera māthāya thāli paḍila bājiyā
SYNONYMS
bauddha-gaṇera-all the Buddhists; upare-upon; anna-the food; paḍe-began to fall down; amedhya-untouchable; haiyā-being; bauddha-ācāryera-of the teacher of the Buddhists; māthāya-on the head; thāli-the plate; paḍila-fell down; bājiyā-making a great sound.
TRANSLATION
Indeed, the untouchable food fell upon the Buddhists, and the large bird dropped the plate on the head of the chief Buddhist teacher. When it fell on his head, it made a big sound.
TEXT 56
terache paḍila thāli,–māthā kāṭi’ gela
mūrcchita hañā ācārya bhūmite paḍila
SYNONYMS
terache-at an angle; paḍila-fell down; thāli-the plate; māthā-the head; kāṭi’-cutting; gela-went; mūrcchita-unconscious; hañā-becoming; ācārya-the teacher; bhūmite-on the ground; paḍila-fell down.
TRANSLATION
The plate was made of metal, and when its edge hit the head of the teacher, it cut him, and the teacher immediately fell to the ground unconscious.
TEXT 57
hāhākāra kari’ kānde saba śiṣya-gaṇa
sabe āsi’ prabhu-pade la-ila śaraṇa
SYNONYMS
hāhā-kāra-a roaring sound; kari’-making; kānde-cry; saba-all; śiṣya-gaṇa-disciples; sabe-all of them; āsi’-coming; prabhu-pade-to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; la-ila-took; śaraṇa-shelter.
TRANSLATION
When the teacher fell unconscious, his Buddhist disciples cried aloud and ran to the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for shelter.
TEXT 58
tumi ta’ īśvara sākṣāt, kṣama aparādha
jīyāo āmāra guru, karaha prasāda
SYNONYMS
tumi-You; ta’-indeed; īśvara-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sākṣāt-directly; kṣama-please excuse; aparādha-offense; jīyāo-bring back to consciousness; āmāra-our; guru-spiritual master; karaha-do; prasāda-this mercy.
TRANSLATION
They all prayed to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, addressing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself and saying, “Sir, please excuse our offense. Please have mercy upon us and bring our spiritual master back to life.”
TEXT 59
prabhu kahe,–sabe kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘hari’
guru-karṇe kaha kṛṣṇa-nāma ucca kari’
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; sabe-all of you; kaha-chant; kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hari-the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Hari; guru-karṇe-near the ear of your spiritual master; kaha-chant; kṛṣṇa-nāma-the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; ucca kari’-very loudly.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then replied to the Buddhist disciples, “You should all chant the names of Kṛṣṇa and Hari very loudly near the ear of your spiritual master.
TEXT 60
tomā-sabāra ‘guru’ tabe pāibe cetana
saba bauddha mili’ kare kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana
SYNONYMS
tomā-sabāra-all of you; guru-the spiritual master; tabe-then; pāibe-will get; cetana-consciousness; saba bauddha-all the Buddhist disciples; mili’-coming together; kare-do; kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana-chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
TRANSLATION
“By this method your spiritual master will regain his consciousness.” Following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s advice, all the Buddhist disciples began to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa congregationally.
TEXT 61
guru-karṇe kahe sabe ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘rāma’ ‘hari’
cetana pāñā ācārya bale ‘hari’ ‘hari’
SYNONYMS
guru-karṇe-into the ear of the spiritual master; kahe-they said; sabe-all together; kṛṣṇa rāma hari-the holy names of the Lord, namely Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Hari; cetana-consciousness; pāñā-getting; ācārya-the teacher; bale-chanted; hari hari-the name of Lord Hari.
TRANSLATION
When all the disciples chanted the holy names Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Hari, the Buddhist teacher regained consciousness and immediately began to chant the holy name of Lord Hari.
PURPORT
Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments that all the Buddhist disciples were actually initiated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu into the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and when they chanted, they actually became different persons. At that time they were not Buddhists or atheists but Vaiṣṇavas. Consequently they immediately accepted Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s order. Their original Kṛṣṇa consciousness was revived, and they were immediately able to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and begin worshiping the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu.
It is the spiritual master who delivers the disciple from the clutches of māyā by initiating him into the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. In this way a sleeping human being can revive his consciousness by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In other words, the spiritual master awakens the sleeping living entity to his original consciousness so that he can worship Lord Viṣṇu. This is the purpose of dīkṣā, or initiation. Initiation means receiving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness.
One point to note in this regard is that the spiritual master of the Buddhists did not initiate his disciples. Rather, his disciples were initiated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and they in turn were able to initiate their so-called spiritual master. This is the paramparā system. The so-called spiritual master of the Buddhists was actually in the position of a disciple, and after his disciples were initiated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they acted as his spiritual masters. This was possible only because the disciples of the Buddhist ācārya received the mercy of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Unless one is favored by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the disciplic succession, one cannot act as a spiritual master. We should take the instructions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the spiritual master of the whole universe, to understand how one becomes a spiritual master and a disciple.
TEXT 62
kṛṣṇa bali’ ācārya prabhure karena vinaya
dekhiyā sakala loka ha-ila vismaya
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa bali’-chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; ācārya-the so-called spiritual master of the Buddhists; prabhure-unto Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; karena-does; vinaya-submission; dekhiyā-seeing this; sakala loka-all the people; ha-ila-became; vismaya-astonished.
TRANSLATION
When the spiritual master of the Buddhists began to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and submitted to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the people who were gathered there were astonished.
TEXT 63
ei-rūpe kautuka kari’ śacīra nandana
antardhāna kaila, keha nā pāya darśana
SYNONYMS
ei-rūpe-in this way; kautuka kari’-making fun; śacīra nandana-the son of mother Śacī; antardhāna kaila-disappeared; keha-anyone; nā-does not; pāya-get; darśana-audience.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of Śacīdevī, then suddenly and humorously disappeared from everyone’s sight, and it was impossible for anyone to find Him.
TEXT 64
mahāprabhu cali’ āilā tripati-trimalle
catur-bhuja mūrti dekhi’ vyeṅkaṭādrye cale
SYNONYMS
mahāprabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; cali’ āilā-arrived by walking; tripati-trimalle-at the holy places named Tirupati and Tirumala; catur-bhuja-fourhanded; mūrti-Deity; dekhi’-seeing; vyeṅkaṭa-adrye-to the holy place Veṅkaṭa Hill; cale-began to proceed.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu next arrived at Tirupati and Tirumala, where He saw a four-handed Deity. Then He next proceeded toward Veṅkaṭa Hill.
PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has actually described the chronological order of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s visit. The Tirupati temple is sometimes called Tirupaṭura. It is situated on the northern side of Arcot in the district of Candragiri. It is a famous holy place of pilgrimage. In pursuance of His name, Veṅkaṭeśvara, the four-handed Lord Viṣṇu, the Deity of Bālājī, with His potencies named Śrī and Bhū, is located on Veṅkaṭa Hill, about eight miles from Tirupati. This Veṅkaṭeśvara Deity is in the form of Lord Viṣṇu, and the place where He is situated is known as Veṅkaṭa-kṣetra. There are many temples in southern India, but this Bālājī temple is especially opulent. A great fair is held there in the months of September and October. There is a railway station called Tirupati on the Southern Railway. Nimna-tirupati is located in the valley of the Veṅkaṭa Hill. There are several temples there also, among which are those of Govindarāja and Lord Rāmacandra.
TEXT 65
tripati āsiyā kaila śrī-rāma daraśana
raghunātha-āge kaila praṇāma stavana
SYNONYMS
tripati āsiyā-coming to Tirupati; kaila śrī-rāma daraśana-visited the temple of Rāmacandra; raghunātha-āge-before Lord Rāmacandra; kaila-did; praṇāma-obeisances; stavana-offering prayers.
TRANSLATION
After arriving at Tirupati, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Lord Rāmacandra. He offered His prayers and obeisances before Rāmacandra, the descendant of King Raghu.
TEXT 66
sva-prabhāve loka-sabāra karāñā vismaya
pānā-nṛsiṁhe āilā prabhu dayā-maya
SYNONYMS
sva-prabhāve-by His own influence; loka-sabāra-of all the people; karāñā-inducing; vismaya-astonishment; pānā-nṛsiṁhe-to the Lord named Pānā-nṛsiṁha; āilā-came; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; dayā-maya-the most merciful.
TRANSLATION
Everywhere Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went, His influence astonished everyone. He next arrived at the temple of Pānā-nṛsiṁha. The Lord is so merciful.
PURPORT
Pānā-nṛsiṁha, or Pānākal-narasiṁha, is located in the district of Krishnā in the hills known as Maṅgalagiri, about seven miles from a city known as Vijayawada. One must climb six hundred steps to reach the temple. It is said that when the Lord is offered food with syrup here, He does not take more than half. Within this temple is a conchshell presented by the late king of Tanjor, and it is said that this shell was used by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. During the month of March, a great fair takes place in this temple.
TEXT 67
nṛsiṁhe praṇati-stuti premāveśe kaila
prabhura prabhāve loka camatkāra haila
SYNONYMS
nṛsiṁhe-unto Lord Nṛsiṁha; praṇati-stuti-obeisances and prayers; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; kaila-offered; prabhura-of the Lord; prabhāve-by the influence; loka-the people; camatkāra haila-were astonished.
TRANSLATION
In great ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered obeisances and prayers unto Lord Nṛsiṁha. The people were astonished to see Lord Caitanya’s influence.
TEXT 68
śiva-kāñcī āsiyā kaila śiva daraśana
prabhāve ‘vaiṣṇava’ kaila saba śaiva-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
śiva-kāñcī-to the holy place named Śiva-kāñcī; āsiyā-coming; kaila-did; śiva daraśana-visiting the temple of Lord Śiva; prabhāve-by His influence; vaiṣṇava kaila-turned into Vaiṣṇavas; saba-all; śaiva-gaṇa-the devotees of Lord Śiva.
TRANSLATION
Arriving at Śiva-kāñcī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the deity of Lord Śiva. By His influence, He converted all the devotees of Lord Śiva into Vaiṣṇavas.
PURPORT
Śiva-kāñcī is also known as Kañjīvaramā, or the Benares of southern India. In Śiva-kāñcī there are hundreds of temples containing symbolic representations of Lord Śiva, and one of these temples is said to be very, very old.
TEXT 69
viṣṇu-kāñcī āsi’ dekhila lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa
praṇāma kariyā kaila bahuta stavana
SYNONYMS
viṣṇu-kāñcī-to the holy place named Viṣṇu-kāñcī; āsi’-coming; dekhila-the Lord saw; lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa-the Deity of Lord Nārāyaṇa with mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune; praṇāma kariyā-after offering obeisances; kaila-made; bahuta stavana-many prayers.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then visited a holy place known as Viṣṇu-kāñcī. There He saw Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa Deities, and He offered His respects and many prayers to please Them.
PURPORT
Viṣṇu-kāñcī is situated about five miles away from Kañjīvaramā. It is here that Lord Varadarāja, another form of Lord Viṣṇu, resides. There is also a big lake known as Ananta-sarovara.
TEXT 70
premāveśe nṛtya-gīta bahuta karila
dina-dui rahi’ loke ‘kṛṣṇa-bhakta’ kaila
SYNONYMS
prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; nṛtya-gīta-dancing and chanting; bahuta-much; karila-performed; dina-dui-for two days; rahi’-staying; loke-the people in general; kṛṣṇa-bhakta-devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa; kaila-made.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed at Viṣṇu-kāñcī for two days, He danced and performed kīrtana in ecstasy. When all the people saw Him, they were converted into devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 71
trimalaya dekhi’ gelā trikāla-hasti-sthāne
mahādeva dekhi’ tāṅre karila praṇāme
SYNONYMS
trimalaya dekhi’-after seeing Trimalaya; gelā-went; trikāla-hasti-sthāne-to the place named Trikāla-hasti; mahādeva-Lord Śiva; dekhi’-seeing; tāṅre-unto him; karila praṇāme-offered obeisances.
TRANSLATION
After visiting Trimalaya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to see Trikāla-hasti. There He saw Lord Śiva and offered him all respects and obeisances.
PURPORT
Trikāla-hasti is situated about twenty-two miles northeast of Tirupati. On its northern side is a river known as Suvarṇa-mukhī. The temple of Trikāla-hasti is located on the southern side of the river. The place is generally known as Śrī Kālahasti or Kālahasti and is famous for its temple of Lord Śiva. There he is called Vāyu-liṅga Śiva.
TEXT 72
pakṣi-tīrtha dekhi’ kaila śiva daraśana
vṛddhakola-tīrthe tabe karilā gamana
SYNONYMS
pakṣi-tīrtha dekhi’-after visiting the place known as Pakṣi-tīrtha; kaila-did; śiva daraśana-visiting the temple of Lord Śiva; vṛddhakola-tīrthe-to the holy place known as Vṛddhakola; tabe-then; karilā gamana-went.
TRANSLATION
At Pakṣi-tīrtha, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Lord Śiva. Then He went to the Vṛddhakola place of pilgrimage.
PURPORT
Pakṣi-tīrtha, also called Tirukāḍi-kuṇḍam, is located nine miles southeast of Ciṁlipaṭ. It has a five-hundred-foot elevation and is situated in a chain of hills known as Vedagiri or Vedācalam. There is a temple of Lord Śiva there, and the deity is known as Vedagirīśvara. Two birds come there daily to receive food from the temple priest, and it is claimed that they have been coming since time immemorial.
TEXT 73
śveta-varāha dekhi, tāṅre namaskari’
pītāmbara-śiva-sthāne gelā gaurahari
SYNONYMS
śveta-varāha-the white boar incarnation; dekhi-seeing; tāṅre-unto Him; namaskari’-offering respect; pīta-ambara-dressed with yellow garments; śiva-sthāne-to the temple of Lord Śiva; gelā-went; gaurahari-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
At Vṛddhakola, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Śveta-varāha, the white boar incarnation. After offering Him respects, the Lord visited the temple of Lord Śiva, wherein the deity is dressed with yellow garments.
PURPORT
The temple of the white boar incarnation is situated at Vṛddhakola. The temple is made of stone and is located about one mile south of an oasis known as Balipīṭham. There is a Deity of the white boar incarnation, above whose head Śeṣa Nāga serves as an umbrella. The deity of Lord Śiva is known as Pītāmbara and also as Cidāmbaram. This temple is located twenty-six miles south of Cuddaloreḍā, and the deity there is also known as Ākāśa-liṅga. The deity is in the form of Lord Śiva. This temple is situated on about thirty-nine acres of land, and all this land is surrounded by a wall sixty feet high.
TEXT 74
śiyālī bhairavī devī kari’ daraśana
kāverīra tīre āilā śacīra nandana
SYNONYMS
śiyālī bhairavī-Śiyālī-bhairavī; devī-goddess; kari’ daraśana-visiting; kāverīra tīre-on the bank of the river Kāverī; āilā-came; śacīra nandana-the son of mother Śacī.
TRANSLATION
After visiting the temple of Śiyālī-bhairavī [another form of the goddess Durgā], Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of mother Śacī, went to the bank of the river Kāverī.
PURPORT
Śiyālī-bhairavī is located in the Tanjoreāñ district, about forty-eight miles northeast of Tanjoreāñ City. There is a very much celebrated temple of Lord Śiva there and also a very large lake. It is said that once a small boy who was a devotee of Lord Śiva came to that temple and the goddess Durgā, known as Bhairavī, gave him her breast to suck. After visiting this temple, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the bank of the river Kāverī via the district of Tiruchchirāpalli. The Kāverī is mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.40) as a very pious river.
TEXT 75
go-samāje śiva dekhi’ āilā vedāvana
mahādeva dekhi’ tāṅre karilā vandana
SYNONYMS
go-samāje-at the place named Go-samāja; śiva dekhi’-seeing the deity of Lord Śiva; āilā vedāvana-He arrived at Vedāvana; mahādeva dekhi’-seeing Lord Śiva; tāṅre-unto him; karilā vandana-offered prayers.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then visited a place known as Go-samāja, where He saw Lord Śiva’s temple. He then arrived at Vedāvana, where He saw another deity of Lord Śiva and offered him prayers.
PURPORT
Go-samāja is a place of pilgrimage for the devotees of Lord Śiva. It is very important and is located next to Vedāvana.
TEXT 76
amṛtaliṅga-śiva dekhi’ vandana karila
saba śivālaye śaiva ‘vaiṣṇava’ ha-ila
SYNONYMS
amṛta-liṅga-śiva-the Lord Śiva deity named Amṛta-liṅga; dekhi’-seeing; vandana karila-offered obeisances; saba śiva-ālaye-in all the temples of Lord Śiva; śaiva-devotees of Lord Śiva; vaiṣṇava ha-ila-became devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
Seeing the Śiva deity named Amṛta-liṅga, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His obeisances. Thus He visited all the temples of Lord Śiva and converted the devotees of Lord Śiva into Vaiṣṇavas.
TEXT 77
deva-sthāne āsi’ kaila viṣṇu daraśana
śrī-vaiṣṇavera saṅge tāhāṅ goṣṭhī anukṣaṇa
SYNONYMS
deva-sthāne-to the place known as Devasthāna; āsi’-coming; kaila-did; viṣṇu daraśana-visiting the temple of Lord Viṣṇu; śrī-vaiṣṇavera saṅge-with the Vaiṣṇavas in the disciplic succession of Rāmānuja; tāhāṅ-there; goṣṭhī-discussion; anukṣaṇa-always.
TRANSLATION
At Devasthāna, Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Lord Viṣṇu, and there He talked with the Vaiṣṇavas in the disciplic succession of Rāmānujācārya. These Vaiṣṇavas are known as Śrī Vaiṣṇavas.
TEXT 78
kumbhakarṇa-kapāle dekhi’ sarovara
śiva-kṣetre śiva dekhe gaurāṅga-sundara
SYNONYMS
kumbhakarṇa-kapāle-at Kumbhakarṇa-kapāla; dekhi’-after seeing; sarovara-the lake; śiva-kṣetre-at Śiva-kṣetra; śiva-Lord Śiva; dekhe-sees; gaurāṅga-sundara-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
At Kumbhakarṇa-kapāla, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw a great lake and then the holy place named Śiva-kṣetra, where a temple of Lord Śiva is located.
PURPORT
Kumbhakarṇa is the name of the brother of Rāvaṇa. At the present moment the city of Kumbhakarṇa-kapāla is known as Kumbhakonṇam; it is situated twenty miles northeast of the city of Tanjoreāñ. There are twelve temples of Lord Śiva located at Kumbhakonṇam, as well as four Viṣṇu temples and one temple to Lord Brahmā. Śiva-kṣetra, within the city of Tanjoreāñ, is situated near a big lake known as Śiva-gaṅgā. At this place is a large temple of Lord Śiva known as Bṛhatīśvara-śiva-mandira.
TEXT 79
pāpa-nāśane viṣṇu kaila daraśana
śrī-raṅga-kṣetre tabe karilā gamana
SYNONYMS
pāpa-nāśane-at the place named Pāpanāśana; viṣṇu-Lord Viṣṇu; kaila-did; daraśana-visiting; śrī-raṅga-kṣetre-to the holy place named Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra; tabe-then; karilā-did; gamana-departure.
TRANSLATION
After visiting the holy place named Śiva-kṣetra, Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at Pāpanāśana and there saw the temple of Lord Viṣṇu. Then He finally reached Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra.
PURPORT
According to some, the place known as Pāpanāśana was located eight miles southwest of Kumbhakonṇam. Others say that in the district of Tinebheli there is a city known as Pālamakoṭā and that Twenty miles west of there is the holy place known as Pāpanāśana, near the river Tāmraparṇī. Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra is a very famous place. Near Tiruchchirāpalli is a river named Kāverī, or Kolirana. A city known as Śrī Raṅgam is located on this river in the district of Tanjoreāñ, about ten miles west of Kumbhakonṇam. The Śrī Raṅga temple is the largest in India, and there are seven walls surrounding it. There are also seven roads leading to Śrī Raṅga. The ancient names of these roads are the road of Dharma, the road of Rājamahendra, the road of Kulaśekhara, the road of Ālināḍana, the road of Tiruvikrama, the Tirubiḍi road of Māḍamāḍi-gāisa, and the road of Aḍa-iyāvala-indāna. The temple was founded before the reign of Dharmavarma, who reigned before Rājamahendra. Many celebrated kings like Kulaśekhara, and others such as Ālabandāru, resided in the temple of Śrī Raṅgam. Yāmunācārya, Śrī Rāmānuja, Sudarśanācārya and others also supervised this temple.
The incarnation of the goddess of fortune known as Godādevī, who was one of the twelve liberated persons known as divya-sūris, was married to the Deity, Lord Śrī Raṅganātha. Later she entered into the body of the Lord. An incarnation of Kārmuka, Tirumaṅga (one of the Alwars), acquired some money by stealing and built the fourth boundary wall of Śrī Raṅgam. It is said that in the year 289 of the Age of Kali, the Alwar of the name Toṇḍaraḍippaḍi was born. While engaged in devotional service, he fell victim to a prostitute, and Śrī Raṅganātha, seeing His devotee so degraded, sent one of His servants with a golden plate to that prostitute. When the golden plate was discovered missing from the temple, there was a search, and it was found in the prostitute’s house. When the devotee saw Raṅganātha’s mercy upon this prostitute, his mistake was rectified. He then prepared the third boundary wall of the Raṅganātha temple and cultivated a tulasī garden there.
There was also a celebrated disciple of Rāmānujācārya’s known as Kūreśa. Śrī Rāmapillā was the son of Kūreśa, and his son was Vāgvijaya Bhaṭṭa, whose son was Vedavyāsa Bhaṭṭa, or Śrī Sudarśanācārya. When Sudarśanācārya was an old man, the Mohammedans attacked the temple of Raṅganātha and killed about twelve hundred Śrī Vaiṣṇavas. At that time the Deity of Raṅganātha was transferred to the temple of Tirupati in the kingdom of Vijaya-nagara. The governor of Gingeeṅ, Goppaṇārya, brought Śrī Raṅganātha from the temple of Tirupati to a place known as Siṁha-brahma, where the Lord was situated for three years. In the year 1293 Śaka (A.D. 1372) the Deity was reinstalled in the Raṅganātha temple. On the eastern wall of the Raṅganātha temple is an inscription written by Vedānta-deśika relating how Raṅganātha was returned to the temple.
TEXT 80
kāverīte snāna kari’ dekhi’ raṅganātha
stuti-praṇati kari’ mānilā kṛtārtha
SYNONYMS
kāverīte-in the river known as Kāverī; snāna kari’-after bathing; dekhi’-visiting; raṅga-nātha-the Raṅganātha temple; stuti-prayers; praṇati-obeisances; kari’-offering; mānilā-thought Himself; kṛta-artha-very successful.
TRANSLATION
After bathing in the river Kāverī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the temple of Raṅganātha and offered His ardent prayers and obeisances. Thus He felt Himself successful.
TEXT 81
premāveśe kaila bahuta gāna nartana
dekhi’ camatkāra haila saba lokera mana
SYNONYMS
prema-āveśe-in the ecstasy of love; kaila-did; bahuta-various; gāna-songs; nartana-dancing; dekhi’-seeing which; camatkāra-astonished; haila-were; saba-all; lokera-of persons; mana-minds.
TRANSLATION
In the temple of Raṅganātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted and danced in ecstatic love of Godhead. Seeing His performance, everyone was struck with wonder.
TEXT 82
śrī-vaiṣṇava eka,–‘vyeṅkaṭa bhaṭṭa’ nāma
prabhure nimantraṇa kaila kariyā sammāna
SYNONYMS
śrī-vaiṣṇava eka-a devotee belonging to the Rāmānuja-sampradāya; vyeṅkaṭa bhaṭṭa-Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; nāma-named; prabhure-unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nimantraṇa-invitation; kaila-did; kariyā-offering; sammāna-great respect.
TRANSLATION
One Vaiṣṇava known as Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa then invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his home with great respect.
PURPORT
Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa and an inhabitant of Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra. He belonged to the disciplic succession of Śrī Rāmānujācārya. Śrī Raṅga is one of the places of pilgrimage in the province of Tāmil Naduś. The inhabitants of that province do not retain the name Veṅkaṭa. It is therefore supposed that Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa did not belong to that province, although he may have been residing there for a very long time. Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was in a branch of the Rāmānuja-sampradāya known as Baḍagala-i. He had a brother in the Rāmānuja-sampradāya known as Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. The son of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was later known in the Gauḍīya-sampradāya as Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, and he established the Rādhāramaṇa temple in Vṛndāvana. More information about him may be found in a book known as Bhakti-ratnākara, by Narahari Cakravartī.
TEXT 83
nija-ghare lañā kaila pāda-prakṣālana
sei jala lañā kaila sa-vaṁśe bhakṣaṇa
SYNONYMS
nija-ghare-to his own home; lañā-bringing; kaila-did; pāda-prakṣālana-washing of the feet; sei jala-that water; lañā-taking; kaila-did; sa-vaṁśe-with all the family members; bhakṣaṇa-drinking.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa took Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his home. After he washed the Lord’s feet, all the members of his family drank the water.
TEXT 84
bhikṣā karāñā kichu kaila nivedana
cāturmāsya āsi’ prabhu, haila upasanna
SYNONYMS
bhikṣā karāñā-after offering lunch; kichu-some; kaila-did; nivedana-submission; cāturmāsya-the period of Cāturmāsya; āsi’-coming; prabhu-my Lord; haila upasanna-has already arrived.
TRANSLATION
After offering lunch to the Lord, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa submitted that the period of Cāturmāsya had already arrived.
TEXT 85
cāturmāsye kṛpā kari’ raha mora ghare
kṛṣṇa-kathā kahi’ kṛpāya uddhāra’ āmāre
SYNONYMS
cāturmāsye-during this period of Cāturmāsya; kṛpā kari’-being merciful; raha-please stay; mora ghare-at my place; kṛṣṇa-kathā-topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa; kahi’-speaking; kṛpāya-by Your mercy; uddhāra’ āmāre-kindly deliver me.
TRANSLATION
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa said, “Please be merciful to me and stay at my house during Cāturmāsya. Speak about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and kindly deliver me by Your mercy.”
TEXT 86
tāṅra ghare rahilā prabhu kṛṣṇa-kathā-rase
bhaṭṭa-saṅge goṅāila sukhe cāri māse
SYNONYMS
tāṅra ghare-in his home; rahilā-stayed; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kṛṣṇa-kathā-rase-enjoying the transcendental mellow of discussing Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes; bhaṭṭa-saṅge-with Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; goṅāila-passed; sukhe-in happiness; cāri māse-four months.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at the house of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa for four continuous months. The Lord passed His days in great happiness, enjoying the transcendental mellow of discussing Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.
TEXT 87
kāverīte snāna kari’ śrī-raṅga darśana
pratidina premāveśe karena nartana
SYNONYMS
kāverīte-in the river known as Kāverī; snāna kari’-taking a bath; śrī-raṅga darśana-visiting the temple of Śrī Raṅga; prati-dina-every day; prema-āveśe-in great happiness; karena-does perform; nartana-dancing.
TRANSLATION
While there, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His bath in the river Kāverī and visited the temple of Śrī Raṅga. Every day the Lord also danced in ecstasy.
TEXT 88
saundaryādi premāveśa dekhi, sarva-loka
dekhibāre āise, dekhe, khaṇḍe duḥkha-śoka
SYNONYMS
saundarya-ādi-the beauty of the body, etc.; prema-āveśa-His ecstatic love; dekhi-seeing; sarva-loka-all men; dekhibāre-to see; āise-come there; dekhe-and see; khaṇḍe duḥkha-śoka-are relieved from all unhappiness and distress.
TRANSLATION
The beauty of Lord Caitanya’s body and His ecstatic love of God were witnessed by everyone. Many people used to come see Him, and as soon as they saw Him, all their unhappiness and distress vanished.
TEXT 89
lakṣa lakṣa loka āila nānā-deśa haite
sabe kṛṣṇa-nāma kahe prabhuke dekhite
SYNONYMS
lakṣa lakṣa-many hundreds of thousands; loka-of people; āila-came there; nānā-deśa-different countries; haite-from; sabe-all of them; kṛṣṇa-nāma kahe-chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; prabhuke-the Lord; dekhite-seeing.
TRANSLATION
Many hundreds of thousands of people from various countries came to see the Lord, and after seeing Him they all chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
TEXT 90
kṛṣṇa-nāma vinā keha nāhi kahe āra
sabe kṛṣṇa-bhakta haila,–loke camatkāra
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa-nāma vinā-without chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; keha-anyone; nāhi-does not; kahe-speak; āra-anything else; sabe-all of them; kṛṣṇa-bhakta-Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotees; haila-became; loke-the people; camatkāra-astonished.
TRANSLATION
Indeed, they did not chant anything but the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and all of them became Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. Thus the general populace was astonished.
TEXT 91
śrī-raṅga-kṣetre vaise yata vaiṣṇava-brāhmaṇa
eka eka dina sabe kaila nimantraṇa
SYNONYMS
śrī-raṅga-kṣetre-in Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra; vaise-residing; yata-all; vaiṣṇava-brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas; eka eka dina-every day; sabe-all of them; kaila nimantraṇa-invited the Lord.
TRANSLATION
All the Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas residing in Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra invited the Lord to their homes. Indeed, He had an invitation every day.
TEXT 92
eka eka dine cāturmāsya pūrṇa haila
kataka brāhmaṇa bhikṣā dite nā pāila
SYNONYMS
eka eka dine-day by day; cāturmāsya-the period of Cāturmāsya; pūrṇa haila-became filled; kataka brāhmaṇa-some of the brāhmaṇas; bhikṣā dite-to offer Him lunch; nā-did not; pāila-get the opportunity.
TRANSLATION
Each day the Lord was invited by a different brāhmaṇa, but some of the brāhmaṇas did not get the opportunity to offer Him lunch because the period of Cāturmāsya came to an end.
TEXT 93
sei kṣetre rahe eka vaiṣṇava-brāhmaṇa
devālaye āsi’ kare gītā āvartana
SYNONYMS
sei kṣetre-in that holy place; rahe-there was; eka-one; vaiṣṇava-brāhmaṇa-a brāhmaṇa following the Vaiṣṇava cult; deva-ālaye-in the temple; āsi’-coming; kare-does; gītā-of the Bhagavad-gītā; āvartana-recitation.
TRANSLATION
In the holy place of Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra, a brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava used to visit the temple daily and recite the entire text of the Bhagavad-gītā.
TEXT 94
aṣṭādaśādhyāya paḍe ānanda-āveśe
aśuddha paḍena, loka kare upahāse
SYNONYMS
aṣṭādaśa-adhyāya-eighteen chapters; paḍe-reads; ānanda-āveśe-in great ecstasy; aśuddha paḍena-could not pronounce the text correctly; loka-people in general; kare-do; upahāse-joking.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa regularly read the eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad-gītā in great transcendental ecstasy, but because he could not pronounce the words correctly, people used to joke about him.
TEXT 95
keha hāse, keha ninde, tāhā nāhi māne
āviṣṭa hañā gītā paḍe ānandita-mane
SYNONYMS
keha hāse-someone laughs; keha ninde-someone criticizes; tāhā-that; nāhi māne-he does not care for; āviṣṭa hañā-being in great ecstasy; gītā paḍe-reads the Bhagavad-gītā; ānandita-in great happiness; mane-his mind.
TRANSLATION
Due to his incorrect pronunciation, people sometimes criticized him and laughed at him, but he did not care. He was full of ecstasy due to reading the Bhagavad-gītā and was personally very happy.
TEXT 96
pulakāśru, kampa, sveda,–yāvat paṭhana
dekhi’ ānandita haila mahāprabhura mana
SYNONYMS
pulaka-standing of the hairs of the body; aśru-tears; kampa-trembling; sveda-perspiration; yāvat-during; paṭhana-the reading of the book; dekhi’-seeing this; ānandita-very happy; haila-became; mahāprabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mana-the mind.
TRANSLATION
While reading the book, the brāhmaṇa experienced transcendental bodily transformations. His hair stood on end, tears welled in his eyes, and his body trembled and perspired as he read. Seeing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very happy.
PURPORT
Although the brāhmaṇa could not pronounce the words very well due to illiteracy, he still experienced ecstatic symptoms while reading the Bhagavad-gītā. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much pleased to observe these symptoms, and this indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased by devotion, not by erudite scholarship. Even though the words were imperfectly pronounced, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, did not think this very serious. Rather, the Lord was pleased by the bhāva (devotion). In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.11) this is confirmed:
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo-‘ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literature, even though imperfectly composed, is heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”
The purport to this verse may be considered for further information on this subject.
TEXT 97
mahāprabhu puchila tāṅre, śuna, mahāśaya
kon artha jāni’ tomāra eta sukha haya
SYNONYMS
mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; puchila-inquired; tāṅre-from him; śuna-please hear; mahā-āśaya-My dear sir; kon-what; artha-meaning; jāni’-knowing; tomāra-your; eta-so great; sukha-happiness; haya-is.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the brāhmaṇa, “My dear sir, why are you in such ecstatic love? Which portion of the Bhagavad-gītā gives you such transcendental pleasure?”
TEXT 98
vipra kahe,–mūrkha āmi, śabdārtha nā jāni
śuddhāśuddha gītā paḍi, guru-ājñā māni’
SYNONYMS
vipra kahe-the brāhmaṇa replied; mūrkha āmi-I am illiterate; śabda-artha-the meaning of the words; nā jāni-I do not know; śuddha-aśuddha-sometimes correct and sometimes not correct; gītā-the Bhagavad-gītā; paḍi-I read; guru-ājñā-the order of my spiritual master; māni’-accepting.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa replied, “I am illiterate and therefore do not know the meaning of the words. Sometimes I read the Bhagavad-gītā correctly and sometimes incorrectly, but in any case I am doing this in compliance with the orders of my spiritual master.”
PURPORT
This is a good example of a person who had become so successful that he was able to capture the attention of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu even while reading the Bhagavad-gītā incorrectly. His spiritual activities did not depend on material things such as correct pronunciation. Rather, his success depended on strictly following the instructions of his spiritual master.
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)
Actually the meaning of the words of the Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are revealed to one strictly following the orders of the spiritual master. They are also revealed to one who has equal faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, being faithful to both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master is the secret of success in spiritual life.
TEXT 99
arjunera rathe kṛṣṇa haya rajju-dhara
vasiyāche hāte totra śyāmala sundara
SYNONYMS
arjunera-of Arjuna; rathe-in the chariot; kṛṣṇa-Lord Kṛṣṇa; haya-is; rajju-dhara-holding the reins; vasiyāche-He was sitting there; hāte-in the hand; totra-a bridle; śyāmala-blackish; sundara-very beautiful.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa continued, “Actually I only see Lord Kṛṣṇa sitting on a chariot as Arjuna’s charioteer. Taking the reins in His hands, He appears very beautiful and blackish.
TEXT 100
arjunere kahitechena hita-upadeśa
tāṅre dekhi’ haya mora ānanda-āveśa
SYNONYMS
arjunere-unto Arjuna; kahitechena-He is speaking; hita-upadeśa-good instruction; tāṅre-Him; dekhi’-seeing; haya-there is; mora-my; ānanda-transcendental happiness; āveśa-ecstasy.
TRANSLATION
“While seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa sitting in a chariot and instructing Arjuna, I am filled with ecstatic happiness.
TEXT 101
yāvat paḍoṅ, tāvat pāṅa tāṅra daraśana
ei lāgi’ gītā-pāṭha nā chāḍe mora mana
SYNONYMS
yāvat-as long as; paḍoṅ-I read; tāvat-so long; pāṅa-I get; tāṅra-His; daraśana-audience; ei lāgi’-for this reason; gītā-pāṭha-reading the Bhagavad-gītā; nā chāḍe-does not quit; mora mana-my mind.
TRANSLATION
“As long as I read the Bhagavad-gītā, I simply see the Lord’s beautiful features. It is for this reason that I am reading the Bhagavad-gītā, and my mind cannot be distracted from this.”
TEXT 102
prabhu kahe,–gītā-pāṭhe tomārā-i adhikāra
tumi se jānaha ei gītāra artha-sāra
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; gītā-pāṭhe-in reading the Bhagavad-gītā; tomārāi adhikāra-you have the proper authority; tumi-you; se-that; jānaha-know; ei-this; gītāra-of the Bhagavad-gītā; artha-sāra-the real purport.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told the brāhmaṇa, “Indeed, you are an authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gītā. Whatever you know constitutes the real purport of the Bhagavad-gītā.”
PURPORT
According to the śāstras: bhaktyā bhāgavataṁ grāhyaṁ na buddhyā na ca ṭīkayā. One should understand the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by hearing them from a real devotee. One cannot understand them simply by erudite scholarship or sharp intelligence. It is also said:
gītādhītā ca yenāpi
bhakti-bhāvena cetasā
veda-śāstra-purāṇāni
tenādhītāni sarvaśaḥ
To one who reads the Bhagavad-gītā with faith and devotion, the essence of Vedic knowledge is revealed. And according to the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23):
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
All Vedic scriptures are to be understood with faith and devotion, not by mundane scholarship. We therefore present the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. There are many so-called scholars and philosophers who read the Bhagavad-gītā in a scholarly way. They simply waste their time and mislead those who read their commentaries.
TEXT 103
eta bali’ sei vipre kaila āliṅgana
prabhu-pada dhari’ vipra karena rodana
SYNONYMS
eta bali’-saying this; sei vipre-that brāhmaṇa; kaila āliṅgana-He embraced; prabhu-pada-the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; dhari’-catching; vipra-the brāhmaṇa; karena-does; rodana-crying.
TRANSLATION
After saying this, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced the brāhmaṇa, and the brāhmaṇa, catching the lotus feet of the Lord, began to cry.
TEXT 104
tomā dekhi’ tāhā haite dvi-guṇa sukha haya
sei kṛṣṇa tumi,–hena mora mane laya
SYNONYMS
tomā dekhi’-by seeing You; tāhā haite-than the vision of Lord Kṛṣṇa; dvi-guṇa-twice as much; sukha-happiness; haya-there is; sei kṛṣṇa-that Lord Kṛṣṇa; tumi-You are; hena-such; mora-my; mane-in the mind; laya-takes.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa said, “Upon seeing You, my happiness is doubled. I take it that You are the same Lord Kṛṣṇa.”
TEXT 105
kṛṣṇa-sphūrtye tāṅra mana hañāche nirmala
ataeva prabhura tattva jānila sakala
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa-sphūrtye-by revelation of Lord Kṛṣṇa; tāṅra-his; mana-mind; hañāche-did become; nirmala-purified; ataeva-therefore; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tattva-truth; jānila-could understand; sakala-all.
TRANSLATION
The mind of the brāhmaṇa was purified by the revelation of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and therefore he could understand the truth of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in all details.
TEXT 106
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre karāila śikṣaṇa
ei bāt kāhāṅ nā kariha prakāśana
SYNONYMS
tabe-then; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-unto the brāhmaṇa; karāila-made; śikṣaṇa-instruction; ei bāt-this version; kāhāṅ-anywhere; nā-do not; kariha-do; prakāśana-revelation.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then taught the brāhmaṇa very thoroughly and requested him not to disclose the fact that He was Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.
TEXT 107
sei vipra mahāprabhura baḍa bhakta haila
cāri māsa prabhu-saṅga kabhu nā chāḍila
SYNONYMS
sei vipra-that brāhmaṇa; mahāprabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; baḍa-big; bhakta-devotee; haila-became; cāri māsa-for four months; prabhu-saṅga-association of the Lord; kabhu-at any time; nā-did not; chāḍila-give up.
TRANSLATION
That brāhmaṇa became a great devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and for four continuous months he did not give up the Lord’s company.
TEXT 108
ei-mata bhaṭṭa-gṛhe rahe gauracandra
nirantara bhaṭṭa-saṅge kṛṣṇa-kathānanda
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; bhaṭṭa-gṛhe-in the house of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; rahe-remained; gauracandra-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nirantara-constantly; bhaṭṭa-saṅge-with Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; kṛṣṇa-kathā-ānanda-the transcendental bliss of talking about Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at the house of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa and constantly talked with him about Lord Kṛṣṇa. In this way He was very happy.
TEXT 109
śrī-vaiṣṇava’ bhaṭṭa seve lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa
tāṅra bhakti dekhi’ prabhura tuṣṭa haila mana
SYNONYMS
śrī-vaiṣṇava-a devotee of the Rāmānuja-sampradāya; bhaṭṭa-Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; seve-used to worship; lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa-the Deities of Lord Nārāyaṇa and the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī; tāṅra-his; bhakti-devotion; dekhi’-seeing; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tuṣṭa-happy; haila-became; mana-the mind.
TRANSLATION
Being a Vaiṣṇava in the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa worshiped the Deities of Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa. Seeing his pure devotion, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much satisfied.
TEXT 110
nirantara tāṅra saṅge haila sakhya-bhāva
hāsya-parihāse duṅhe sakhyera svabhāva
SYNONYMS
nirantara-constantly; tāṅra saṅge-being associated with him; haila-there was; sakhya-bhāva-a friendly relationship; hāsya-laughing; parihāse-joking; duṅhe-both of them; sakhyera-of fraternity; svabhāva-nature.
TRANSLATION
Constantly associating with each other, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa gradually developed a friendly relationship. Indeed, sometimes they laughed and joked together.
TEXT 111
prabhu kahe,–bhaṭṭa, tomāra lakṣmī-ṭhākurāṇī
kānta-vakṣaḥ-sthitā, pativratā-śiromaṇi
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; bhaṭṭa-My dear Bhaṭṭācārya; tomāra-your; lakṣmī-ṭhākurāṇī-goddess of fortune; kānta-of her husband, Nārāyaṇa; vakṣaḥ-sthitā-situated on the chest; pati-vratā-chaste woman; śiromaṇi-the topmost.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told the Bhaṭṭācārya, “Your worshipable goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, always remains on the chest of Nārāyaṇa, and she is certainly the most chaste woman in the creation.
TEXT 112
āmāra ṭhākura kṛṣṇa–gopa, go-cāraka
sādhvī hañā kene cāhe tāṅhāra saṅgama
SYNONYMS
āmāra ṭhākura-My worshipable Deity; kṛṣṇa-Lord Kṛṣṇa; gopa-cowherd; go-cāraka-a tender of cows; sādhvī hañā-being so chaste; kene-why; cāhe-wants; tāṅhāra-His; saṅgama-association.
TRANSLATION
“However, my Lord is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, a cowherd boy who is engaged in tending cows. Why is it that Lakṣmī, being such a chaste wife, wants to associate with My Lord?
TEXT 113
ei lāgi’ sukha-bhoga chāḍi’ cira-kāla
vrata-niyama kari’ tapa karila apāra
SYNONYMS
ei lāgi’-for this reason; sukha-bhoga-the enjoyment of Vaikuṇṭha; chāḍi’-giving up; cira-kāla-for a long time; vrata-niyama-vows and regulative principles; kari’-accepting; tapa-austerity; karila apāra-performed unlimitedly.
TRANSLATION
“Just to associate with Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī abandoned all transcendental happiness in Vaikuṇṭha and for a long time accepted vows and regulative principles and performed unlimited austerities.”
TEXT 114
kasyānubhāvo ‘sya na deva vidmahe
tavāṅghri-reṇu-sparaśādhikāraḥ
yad-vāñchayā śrīr lalanācarat tapo
vihāya kāmān su-ciraṁ dhṛta-vratā
SYNONYMS
kasya-of what; anubhāvaḥ-a result; asya-of the serpent (Kāliya); na-not; deva-O Lord; vidmahe-we know; tava aṅghri-of Your lotus feet; reṇu-of the dust; sparaśa-for touching; adhikāraḥ-qualification; yat-which; vāñchayā-by desiring; śrīḥ-the goddess of fortune; lalanā-the topmost woman; acarat-performed; tapaḥ-austerity; vihāya-giving up; kāmān-all desires; su-ciram-for a long time; dhṛta-a law upheld; vratā-as a vow.
TRANSLATION
Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, ” ‘O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kāliya attained such an opportunity to be touched by the dust of Your lotus feet. Even the goddess of fortune, for this end, performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and observing austere vows. Indeed, we do not know how the serpent Kāliya got such an opportunity.”‘
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.16.36); it was spoken by the wives of the Kāliya serpent.
TEXT 115
bhaṭṭa kahe, kṛṣṇa-nārāyaṇa–eka-i svarūpa
kṛṣṇete adhika līlā-vaidagdhyādi-rūpa
SYNONYMS
bhaṭṭa kahe-Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa said; kṛṣṇa-nārāyaṇa-Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa; eka-i svarūpa-one and the same; kṛṣṇete-in Lord Kṛṣṇa; adhika-more; līlā-pastimes; vaidagdhya-ādi-rūpa-sportive nature.
TRANSLATION
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa then said, “Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Nārāyaṇa are one and the same, but the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are more relishable due to their sportive nature.
TEXT 116
tāra sparśe nāhi yāya pativratā-dharma
kautuke lakṣmī cāhena kṛṣṇera saṅgama
SYNONYMS
tāra sparśe-by the touching of Kṛṣṇa by Lakṣmī; nāhi-does not; yāya-disappear; pati-vratā-dharma-the vow of chastity; kautuke-in great fun; lakṣmī-the goddess of fortune; cāhena-wants; kṛṣṇera-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; saṅgama-association.
TRANSLATION
“Since Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa are the same personality, Lakṣmī’s association with Kṛṣṇa does not break her vow of chastity. Rather, it was in great fun that the goddess of fortune wanted to associate with Lord Kṛṣṇa.”
PURPORT
This is an answer to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s question, and from this we can understand that Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa knew the truth. He told Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that Nārāyaṇa is a form of Kṛṣṇa associated with transcendental opulence. Although Kṛṣṇa is two-armed and Nārāyaṇa four-armed, there is no difference in the person. They are one and the same. Nārāyaṇa is as beautiful as Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are more sportive. It is not that the sportive pastimes of Kṛṣṇa make Him different from Nārāyaṇa. Lakṣmī’s desiring to associate with Kṛṣṇa was perfectly natural. In other words, it is understandable that a chaste woman wants to associate with her husband in all his different dresses. Therefore one should not criticize Lakṣmī for wanting to associate with Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 117
siddhāntatas tv abhede ‘pi
śrīśa-kṛṣṇa-svarūpayoḥ
rasenotkṛṣyate kṛṣṇa-
rūpam eṣā rasa-sthitiḥ
SYNONYMS
siddhāntataḥ-in reality; tu-but; abhede-no difference; api-although; śrī-īśa-of the husband of Lakṣmī, Nārāyaṇa; kṛṣṇa-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; svarūpayoḥ-between the forms; rasena-by transcendental mellows; utkṛṣyate-is superior; kṛṣṇa-rūpam-the form of Lord Kṛṣṇa; eṣā-this; rasa-sthitiḥ-reservoir of pleasure.
TRANSLATION
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa continued, ” ‘According to transcendental realization, there is no difference between the forms of Nārāyaṇa and Kṛṣṇa. Yet in Kṛṣṇa there is a special transcendental attraction due to the conjugal mellow, and consequently He surpasses Nārāyaṇa. This is the conclusion of transcendental mellows.’
PURPORT
This verse quoted by Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa is also found in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.59).
TEXT 118
kṛṣṇa-saṅge pativratā-dharma nahe nāśa
adhika lābha pāiye, āra rāsa-vilāsa
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa-saṅge-in the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa; pati-vratā-of chastity; dharma-vow; nahe-is not; nāśa-lost; adhika-more; lābha-profit; pāiye-I get; āra-also; rāsa-vilāsa-the enjoyment in the rāsa dance.
TRANSLATION
“The goddess of fortune considered that her vow of chastity would not be damaged by her relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Rather, by associating with Kṛṣṇa she could enjoy the benefit of the rāsa dance.”
TEXT 119
vinodinī lakṣmīra haya kṛṣṇe abhilāṣa
ihāte ki doṣa, kene kara parihāsa
SYNONYMS
vinodinī-the enjoyer; lakṣmīra-of the goddess of fortune; haya-there is; kṛṣṇe-for Lord Kṛṣṇa; abhilāṣa-desire; ihāte-in this; ki-what; doṣa-fault; kene-why; kara-You do; parihāsa-joking.
TRANSLATION
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa further explained, “Mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, is also an enjoyer of transcendental bliss; therefore if she wanted to enjoy herself with Kṛṣṇa, what fault is there? Why are You joking so about this?”
TEXT 120
prabhu kahe,–doṣa nāhi, ihā āmi jāni
rāsa nā pāila lakṣmī, śāstre ihā śuni
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; doṣa nāhi-there is no fault; ihā āmi jāni-this I know; rāsa nā pāila lakṣmī-Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, could not join the rāsa dance; śāstre ihā śuni-we get this information from revealed scriptures.
TRANSLATION
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “I know that there is no fault on the part of the goddess of fortune, but still she could not enter into the rāsa dance. We hear this from revealed scriptures.
TEXT 121
nāyaṁ śriyo ‘ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ
svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto ‘nyāḥ
rāsotsave ‘sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha-
labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-sundarīṇām
SYNONYMS
na-not; ayam-this; śriyaḥ-of the goddess of fortune; aṅge-on the chest; u-alas; nitānta-rateḥ-one who is very intimately related; prasādaḥ-the favor; svaḥ-of the heavenly planets; yoṣitām-of women; nalina-of the lotus flower; gandha-having the aroma; rucām-and bodily luster; kutaḥ-much less; anyāḥ-others; rāsa-utsave-in the festival of the rāsa dance; asya-of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; bhuja-daṇḍa-by the arms; gṛhīta-embraced; kaṇṭha-their necks; labdha-āśiṣām-who achieved such a blessing; yaḥ-which; udagāt-became manifest; vraja-sundarīṇām-of the beautiful gopīs, the transcendental girls of Vrajabhūmi.
TRANSLATION
” ‘When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the gopīs in the rāsa-līlā, He put His arms around their necks and embraced them. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor was such a thing ever imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls whose bodily luster and aroma exactly resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women, who may be very, very beautiful according to material estimation?’
PURPORT
This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.47.60).
TEXT 122
lakṣmī kene nā pāila, ihāra ki kāraṇa
tapa kari’ kaiche kṛṣṇa pāila śruti-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
lakṣmī-the goddess of fortune; kene-why; nā-did not; pāila-get; ihāra-of this; ki-what; kāraṇa-cause; tapa kari’-undergoing severe austerities; aiche-how; kṛṣṇa-Lord Kṛṣṇa; pāila-attained; śruti-gaṇa-Vedic authorities.
TRANSLATION
“But can you tell Me why the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, could not enter the rāsa dance? The authorities of Vedic knowledge could enter the dance and associate with Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 123
nibhṛta-marun-mano-‘kṣa-dṛḍha-yoga-yujo hṛdi yan-
munaya upāsate tad arayo ‘pi yayuḥ smaraṇāt
striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daṇḍa-viṣakta-dhiyo
vayam api te samāḥ samadṛśo ‘ṅghri-saroja-sudhāḥ
SYNONYMS
nibhṛta-controlled; marut-the life air; manaḥ-the mind; akṣa-the senses; dṛḍha-strong; yoga-in the mystic yoga process; yujaḥ-who are engaged; hṛdi-within the heart; yat-who; munayaḥ-the great sages; upāsate-worship; tat-that; arayaḥ-the enemies; api-also; yayuḥ-obtain; smaraṇāt-from remembering; striyaḥ-the gopīs; uraga-indra-of serpents; bhoga-like the bodies; bhuja-the arms; daṇḍa-like rods; viṣakta-fastened to; dhiyaḥ-whose minds; vayam api-we also; te-Your; samāḥ-equal to them; sama-dṛśaḥ-having the same ecstatic emotions; aṅghri-saroja-of the lotus feet; sudhāḥ-the nectar.
TRANSLATION
” ‘Great sages conquer the mind and senses by practicing the mystic yoga system and controlling the breath. Thus engaging in mystic yoga, they see the Supersoul within their hearts and ultimately enter into impersonal Brahman. But even the enemies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead attain that position simply by thinking of the Supreme Lord. However, the damsels of Vraja, the gopīs, being attracted by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, simply wanted to embrace Him and His arms, which are like serpents. Thus the gopīs ultimately tasted the nectar of the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, we Upaniṣads can also taste the nectar of His lotus feet by following in the footsteps of the gopīs.’ “
PURPORT
This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.23).
TEXT 124
śruti pāya, lakṣmī nā pāya, ithe ki kāraṇa
bhaṭṭa kahe,–ihā praveśite nāre mora mana
SYNONYMS
śruti pāya-the Vedic authorities got admission; lakṣmī nā pāya-and the goddess of fortune could not get admission; ithe ki kāraṇa-what must be the reason for this; bhaṭṭa kahe-Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa replied; ihā-this; praveśite-to enter; nāre-is not able; mora-my; mana-mind.
TRANSLATION
Having been asked by Caitanya Mahāprabhu why the goddess of fortune could not enter into the rāsa dance whereas the authorities on Vedic knowledge could, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa replied, “I cannot enter into the mysteries of this behavior.”
TEXT 125
āmi jīva,–kṣudra-buddhi, sahaje asthira
īśvarera līlā–koṭi-samudra-gambhīra
SYNONYMS
āmi jīva-I am an ordinary living being; kṣudra-buddhi-possessing limited intelligence; sahaje asthira-very easily agitated; īśvarera līlā-the pastimes of the Lord; koṭi-samudra-as millions of oceans; gambhīra-as deep.
TRANSLATION
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa then admitted, “I am an ordinary human being. Since my intelligence is very much limited and I am easily agitated, my mind cannot enter within the deep ocean of the pastimes of the Lord.
TEXT 126
tumi sākṣāt sei kṛṣṇa, jāna nija-karma
yāre jānāha, sei jāne tomāra līlā-marma
SYNONYMS
tumi-You; sākṣāt-directly; sei-that; kṛṣṇa-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; jāna-You know; nija-karma-Your activities; yāre jānāha-and unto whom You make it known; sei-that person; jāne-knows; tomāra-Your; līlā-marma-the purport of the pastimes.
TRANSLATION
“You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa Himself. You know the purpose of Your activities, and the person whom You enlighten can also understand Your pastimes.”
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes cannot be understood by blunt material senses. One has to purify the senses by rendering transcendental loving service unto the Lord. When the Lord is pleased and reveals Himself, one can understand the transcendental form, name, qualities and pastimes of the Lord. This is confirmed in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.23) and in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.3): yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṁ svām. “Anyone who is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead can understand His transcendental name, qualities, form and pastimes.”
TEXT 127
prabhu kahe,–kṛṣṇera eka svabhāva vilakṣaṇa
sva-mādhurye sarva citta kare ākarṣaṇa
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; kṛṣṇera-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; eka-one; svabhāva-characteristic; vilakṣaṇa-special; sva-mādhurye-His conjugal love; sarva-all; citta-hearts; kare-does; ākarṣaṇa-attraction.
TRANSLATION
The Lord replied, “Lord Kṛṣṇa has a special characteristic: He attracts everyone’s heart by the mellow of His personal conjugal love.
TEXT 128
vraja-lokera bhāve pāiye tāṅhāra caraṇa
tāṅre īśvara kari’ nāhi jāne vraja-jana
SYNONYMS
vraja-lokera-of the inhabitants of Goloka Vṛndāvana; bhāve-in the ecstasy; pāiye-one gets; tāṅhāra-Lord Kṛṣṇa’s; caraṇa-lotus feet; tāṅre-unto Him; īśvara-the Supreme Person; kari’-accepting; nāhi-do not; jāne-know; vraja-jana-the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi.
TRANSLATION
“By following in the footsteps of the inhabitants of the planet known as Vrajaloka or Goloka Vṛndāvana one can attain the shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. However, in that planet the inhabitants do not know that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 129
keha tāṅre putra-jñāne udukhale bāndhe
keha sakhā-jñāne jini’ caḍe tāṅra kāndhe
SYNONYMS
keha-someone; tāṅre-Him; putra-jñāne-by accepting as a son; udukhale-to a big mortar; bāndhe-ties; keha-someone; sakhā-jñāne-by accepting as a friend; jini’-conquering; caḍe-gets up; tāṅra-His; kāndhe-on the shoulder.
TRANSLATION
“There someone may accept Him as a son and sometimes bind Him to a grinding mortar. Someone else may accept Him as an intimate friend and, attaining victory over Him, playfully mount His shoulders.
TEXT 130
‘vrajendra-nandana’ bali’ tāṅre jāne vraja-jana
aiśvarya-jñāne nāhi kona sambandha-mānana
SYNONYMS
vrajendra-nandana-the son of Nanda Mahārāja, the King of Vrajabhūmi; bali’-as; tāṅre-Him; jāne-know; vraja-jana-the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi; aiśvarya-jñāne-in opulence; nāhi-there is not; kona-any; sambandha-relationship; mānana-regarding.
TRANSLATION
“The inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi know Kṛṣṇa as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, the King of Vrajabhūmi, and they consider that they can have no relationship with the Lord in the rasa of opulence.
TEXT 131
vraja-lokera bhāve yei karaye bhajana
sei jana pāya vraje vrajendra-nandana
SYNONYMS
vraja-lokera-of the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi; bhāve-in the ecstasy; yei-anyone who; karaye-does; bhajana-worship; sei jana-that person; pāya-attains; vraje-in Vraja; vrajendra-nandana-Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Mahārāja Nanda.
TRANSLATION
“One who worships the Lord by following in the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi attains Him in the transcendental planet of Vraja, where He is known as the son of Mahārāja Nanda.”
PURPORT
The inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi, or Goloka Vṛndāvana, know Kṛṣṇa as the son of Mahārāja Nanda. They do not accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as people in general do. The Lord is the supreme maintainer of everyone and the chief personality among all personalities. In Vrajabhūmi Kṛṣṇa is certainly the central point of love, but no one knows Him there as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, a person may know Him as a friend, son, lover or master. In any case, the center is Kṛṣṇa. The inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi are related to the Lord in servitude, friendship, parental love and conjugal love. A person engaged in devotional service may accept any one of these transcendental relationships, which are known as mellows. When such a person reaches the perfectional stage, he returns home, back to Kṛṣṇa, in his pure spiritual identity.
TEXT 132
nāyaṁ sukhāpo bhagavān
dehināṁ gopikā-sutaḥ
jñānināṁ cātma-bhūtānāṁ
yathā bhakti-matām iha
SYNONYMS
na-not; ayam-this Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; sukha-āpaḥ-easily available; bhagavān-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dehinām-for materialistic persons who have accepted the body as the self; gopikā-sutaḥ-the son of mother Yaśodā; jñāninām-for persons addicted to mental speculation; ca-and; ātma-bhūtānām-for persons performing severe austerities and penances; yathā-as; bhakti-matām-for persons engaged in spontaneous devotional service; iha-in this world.
TRANSLATION
Caitanya Mahāprabhu then quoted, ” ‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the son of mother Yaśodā, is accessible to those devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.’
PURPORT
This verse, also given in Madhya-līlā 8.227, is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.21).
TEXT 133
śruti-gaṇa gopī-gaṇera anugata hañā
vrajeśvarī-suta bhaje gopī-bhāva lañā
SYNONYMS
śruti-gaṇa-the authorities of Vedic hymns; gopī-gaṇera-of the gopīs; anugata hañā-following in the footsteps; vrajeśvarī-suta-the son of mother Yaśodā; bhaje-worship; gopī-bhāva-the ecstasy of the gopīs; lañā-accepting.
TRANSLATION
“The authorities in the Vedic literature who are known as the śruti-gaṇa worshiped Lord Kṛṣṇa in the ecstasy of the gopīs and followed in their footsteps.
PURPORT
The authorities in the Vedic literature known as the śruti-gaṇa desired to enter into Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance; therefore they began to worship the Lord in the ecstasy of the gopīs. In the beginning, however, they were unsuccessful. When they could not enter the dance simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa in the ecstasy of the gopīs, they actually accepted bodies like those of the gopīs. They even took birth in Vrajabhūmi just like the gopīs and consequently became engrossed in the ecstasy of the gopīs’ love. In this way they were allowed to enter into the rāsa-līlā dance of the Lord.
TEXT 134
bāhyāntare gopī-deha vraje yabe pāila
sei dehe kṛṣṇa-saṅge rāsa-krīḍā kaila
SYNONYMS
bāhya-antare-externally and internally; gopī-deha-the body of a gopī; vraje-in Vrajabhūmi; yabe-when; pāila-they got; sei dehe-in that body; kṛṣṇa-saṅge-with Kṛṣṇa; rāsa-krīḍā-pastimes of the rāsa dance; kaila-performed.
TRANSLATION
“The personified authorities on the Vedic hymns acquired bodies like those of the gopīs and took birth in Vrajabhūmi. In those bodies they were allowed to enter into the Lord’s rāsa-līlā dance.
TEXT 135
gopa-jāti kṛṣṇa, gopī–preyasī tāṅhāra
devī vā anya strī kṛṣṇa nā kare aṅgīkāra
SYNONYMS
gopa-jāti-belonging to the cowherd community; kṛṣṇa-Lord Kṛṣṇa; gopī-the damsels of Vrajabhūmi, the gopīs; preyasī-dearmost; tāṅhāra-His; devī-the wives of the demigods; vā-or; anya-other; strī-women; kṛṣṇa-Lord Kṛṣṇa; nā-does not; kare-do; aṅgīkāra-acceptance.
TRANSLATION
“Lord Kṛṣṇa belongs to the cowherd community, and the gopīs are the dearmost lovers of Kṛṣṇa. Although the wives of the denizens of the heavenly planets are most opulent within the material world, neither they nor any other women in the material universe can acquire Kṛṣṇa’s association.
TEXT 136
lakṣmī cāhe sei dehe kṛṣṇera saṅgama
gopikā-anugā hañā nā kaila bhajana
SYNONYMS
lakṣmī-the goddess of fortune; cāhe-wants; sei-that; dehe-in the body; kṛṣṇera saṅgama-the association of Kṛṣṇa; gopikā-of the gopīs; anugā-follower; hañā-becoming; nā-did not; kaila-perform; bhajana-worship.
TRANSLATION
“The goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, wanted to enjoy Kṛṣṇa and at the same time retain her spiritual body in the form of Lakṣmī. However, she did not follow in the footsteps of the gopīs in her worship of Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 137
anya dehe nā pāiye rāsa-vilāsa
ataeva ‘nāyaṁ’ śloka kahe veda-vyāsa
SYNONYMS
anya dehe-in a body other than those of the gopīs; nā-not; pāiye-one gets; rāsa-vilāsa-the pastimes of the rāsa dance; ataeva-therefore; nāyam-beginning with the word nāyam; śloka-the Sanskrit verse; kahe-says; veda-vyāsa-Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa.
TRANSLATION
“Vyāsadeva, the supreme authority on Vedic literature, composed the verse beginning ‘nāyaṁ sukhāpo bhagavān’ because no one can enter into the rāsa-līlā dance in any body other than that of a gopī.”
PURPORT
This verse confirms a verse of the Bhagavad-gītā (9.25):
yānti deva-vratā devān
pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino ‘pi mām
“[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] ‘Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.’ “
In the material world, every conditioned soul changes his material body again and again, but when the spirit soul is purified of all material coverings, there is no longer a chance of his accepting a material body. Such a soul then remains in his original, spiritual identity, a state that is possible to achieve only by understanding Kṛṣṇa in truth through the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9),
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”
Only when one regains his original spiritual body can he enter into the spiritual kingdom. As far as the rāsa-līlā pastimes of the Lord are concerned, it is futile for one who is within the material world to attempt to imitate the Lord’s dances.. One has to attain a spiritual body like that of a gopī to enter into the pastimes of the rāsa-līlā. In the nāyaṁ sukhāpo verse, the devotees are referred to as bhaktimat, that is, fully engaged in devotional service and devoid of material contamination. One cannot enter into Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā dance simply by artificially imitating it or artificially thinking oneself a sakhī and dressing up like one. Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā dance is completely spiritual. It has nothing to do with material contamination; therefore no one can enter into this pastime by artificial, material means. That is the instruction of the nāyaṁ sukhāpo verse, and it must be strictly understood.
TEXT 138
pūrve bhaṭṭera mane eka chila abhimāna
‘śrī-nārāyaṇa’ hayena svayaṁ-bhagavān
SYNONYMS
pūrve-before this; bhaṭṭera-of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; mane-in the mind; eka-one; chila-there was; abhimāna-an impression; śrī-nārāyaṇa-the form of the Lord as Nārāyaṇa; hayena-is; svayam-personally; bhagavān-the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Before this explanation was given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa thought that Śrī Nārāyaṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 139
tāṅhāra bhajana sarvopari-kakṣā haya
śrī-vaiṣṇave’ra bhajana ei sarvopari haya
SYNONYMS
tāṅhāra bhajana-worship of Nārāyaṇa; sarva-upari-topmost; kakṣā-department; haya-is; śrī-vaiṣṇavera-of the followers of Rāmānujācārya; bhajana-worship; ei-this; sarva-upari haya-is the topmost.
TRANSLATION
Thinking in this way, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa believed that worship of Nārāyaṇa was the supreme form of worship, superior to all other processes of devotional service, for it was followed by the Śrī Vaiṣṇava disciples of Rāmānujācārya.
TEXT 140
ei tāṅra garva prabhu karite khaṇḍana
parihāsa-dvāre uṭhāya eteka vacana
SYNONYMS
ei-this; tāṅra-his (Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa’s); garva-pride; prabhu-Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; karite khaṇḍana-to curb; parihāsa-dvāre-by joking; uṭhāya-raises; eteka-so many; vacana-words.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had understood this misconception of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa’s, and to correct it the Lord talked so much in a joking way.
TEXT 141
prabhu kahe,–bhaṭṭa, tumi nā kariha saṁśaya
‘svayaṁ-bhagavān’ kṛṣṇa ei ta’ niścaya
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; bhaṭṭa-My dear Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; tumi-you; nā kariha-do not do; saṁśaya-doubt; svayam-bhagavān-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛṣṇa-is Lord Kṛṣṇa; ei ta’ niścaya-this is the conclusion.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then continued, “My dear Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, please do not continue doubting. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this is the conclusion of the Vedic literature.
TEXT 142
kṛṣṇera vilāsa-mūrti–śrī-nārāyaṇa
ataeva lakṣmī-ādyera hare teṅha mana
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇera-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; vilāsa-mūrti-form for enjoyment; śrī-nārāyaṇa-Lord Nārāyaṇa; ataeva-therefore; lakṣmī-ādyera-of the goddess of fortune and her followers; hare-attracts; teṅha-He (Lord Nārāyaṇa); mana-the mind.
TRANSLATION
“Lord Nārāyaṇa, the opulent form of Kṛṣṇa, attracts the minds of the goddess of fortune and her followers.
TEXT 143
ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge
SYNONYMS
ete-these; ca-and; aṁśa-plenary portions; kalāḥ-parts of plenary portions; puṁsaḥ-of the puruṣa-avatāras; kṛṣṇaḥ-Lord Kṛṣṇa; tu-but; bhagavān-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam-Himself; indra-ari-the enemies of Lord Indra; vyākulam-full of; lokam-the world; mṛḍayanti-make happy; yuge yuge-at the right time in each age.
TRANSLATION
” ‘All these incarnations of Godhead are either plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions of the puruṣa-avatāras. But Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. In every age He protects the world through His different features when the world is disturbed by the enemies of Indra.’
PURPORT
This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.28).
TEXT 144
nārāyaṇa haite kṛṣṇera asādhāraṇa guṇa
ataeva lakṣmīra kṛṣṇe tṛṣṇā anukṣaṇa
SYNONYMS
nārāyaṇa haite-over and above Nārāyaṇa; kṛṣṇera-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; asādhāraṇa guṇa-uncommon qualities; ataeva-therefore; lakṣmīra-of the goddess of fortune; kṛṣṇe-unto Kṛṣṇa; tṛṣṇā-desire; anukṣaṇa-always.
TRANSLATION
“Because Kṛṣṇa has four extraordinary qualities not possessed by Lord Nārāyaṇa, the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, always desires His company.
PURPORT
Lord Nārāyaṇa has sixty transcendental qualities. Over and above these, Kṛṣṇa has four extraordinary transcendental qualities absent in Lord Nārāyaṇa. These four qualities are: (1) His wonderful pastimes, which are compared to an ocean; (2) His association in the circle of the supreme devotees in conjugal love (the gopīs); (3) His playing on the flute, whose vibration attracts the three worlds; and (4) His extraordinary beauty, which surpasses the beauty of the three worlds. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s beauty is unequaled and unsurpassed.
TEXT 145
tumi ye paḍilā śloka, se haya pramāṇa
sei śloke āise ‘kṛṣṇa–svayaṁ bhagavān’
SYNONYMS
tumi-you; ye-which; paḍilā-have recited; śloka-verse; se-that; haya-is; pramāṇa-evidence; sei śloke-in that verse; āise kṛṣṇa-Kṛṣṇa is; svayam bhagavān-the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
“You have recited the śloka beginning with ‘siddhāntatas tv abhede ‘pi.’ That very verse is evidence that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 146
siddhāntatas tv abhede ‘pi
śrīśa-kṛṣṇa-svarūpayoḥ
rasenotkṛṣyate kṛṣṇa-
rūpam eṣā rasa-sthitiḥ
SYNONYMS
siddhāntataḥ-in reality; tu-but; abhede-no difference; api-although; śrī-īśa-of the husband of Lakṣmī, Nārāyaṇa; kṛṣṇa-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; svarūpayoḥ-between the forms; rasena-by transcendental mellows; utkṛṣyate-is superior; kṛṣṇa-rūpam-the form of Lord Kṛṣṇa; eṣā-this; rasa-sthitiḥ-the reservoir of pleasure.
TRANSLATION
” ‘According to transcendental realization, there is no difference between the forms of Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa. Yet in Kṛṣṇa there is a special transcendental attraction due to the conjugal mellow, and consequently He surpasses Nārāyaṇa. This is the conclusion of transcendental mellows.’
PURPORT
This is a verse from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.59). Here Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja says that Lord Caitanya spoke the verse to Veṅkata Bhaṭṭa, and earlier he said that Veṅkata Bhaṭṭa spoke it to the Lord. But since their conversation took place long, long before the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu was composed, the question my be raised as to how either of them quoted the verse. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains that this verse and many others like it were current among devotees long before the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu was composed. Thus devotees would always quote them and explain their purport in ecstasy.
TEXT 147
svayaṁ bhagavān ‘kṛṣṇa’ hare lakṣmīra mana
gopikāra mana harite nāre ‘nārāyaṇa’
SYNONYMS
svayam bhagavān-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛṣṇa-is Lord Kṛṣṇa; hare-attracts; lakṣmīra-of the goddess of fortune; mana-the mind; gopikāra-of the gopīs; mana-the minds; harite-to attract; nāre-is not able; nārāyaṇa-Lord Nārāyaṇa.
TRANSLATION
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, attracts the mind of the goddess of fortune, but Lord Nārāyaṇa cannot attract the minds of the gopīs. This proves the superexcellence of Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 148
nārāyaṇera kā kathā, śrī-kṛṣṇa āpane
gopikāre hāsya karāite haya ‘nārāyaṇe’
SYNONYMS
nārāyaṇera-of Lord Nārāyaṇa; kā kathā-what to speak; śrī-kṛṣṇa-Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; āpane-Himself; gopikāre-the gopīs; hāsya karāite-to make them jubilant; haya-becomes; nārāyaṇe-in the form of Nārāyaṇa.
TRANSLATION
“To say nothing of Lord Nārāyaṇa personally, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared as Nārāyaṇa just to play a joke on the gopīs.
TEXT 149
‘catur-bhuja-mūrti’ dekhāya gopī-gaṇera āge
sei ‘kṛṣṇe’ gopikāra nahe anurāge
SYNONYMS
catur-bhuja-mūrti-four-handed form; dekhāya-exhibits; gopī-gaṇera-of the gopīs; āge-in front; sei kṛṣṇe-unto that Kṛṣṇa; gopikāra-of the gopīs; nahe-not; anurāge-attraction.
TRANSLATION
“Although Kṛṣṇa assumed the four-armed form of Nārāyaṇa, He could not attract the serious attention of the gopīs in ecstatic love.
TEXT 150
gopīnāṁ paśupendra-nandana-juṣo bhāvasya kas tāṁ kṛtī
vijñātuṁ kṣamate durūha-padavī-sañcāriṇaḥ prakriyām
āviṣkurvati vaiṣṇavīm api tanuṁ tasmin bhujair jiṣṇubhir
yāsāṁ hanta caturbhir adbhuta-ruciṁ rāgodayaḥ kuñcati
SYNONYMS
gopīnām-of the gopīs; paśupa-indra-nandana-juṣaḥ-of the service of the son of Vraja’s King, Mahārāja Nanda; bhāvasya-ecstatic; kaḥ-what; tām-that; kṛtī-learned man; vijñātum-to understand; kṣamate-is able; durūha-very difficult to understand; padavī-the position; sañcāriṇaḥ-which provokes; prakriyām-activity; āviṣkurvati-He manifests; vaiṣṇavīm-of Viṣṇu; api-certainly; tanum-the body; tasmin-in that; bhujaiḥ-with arms; jiṣṇubhiḥ-very beautiful; yāsām-of whom (the gopīs); hanta-alas; caturbhiḥ-four; adbhuta-wonderfully; rucim-beautiful; rāga-udayaḥ-the evoking of ecstatic feelings; kuñcati-cripples.
TRANSLATION
” ‘Once Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa playfully manifested Himself as Nārāyaṇa, with four victorious hands and a very beautiful form. When the gopīs saw this exalted form, however, their ecstatic feelings were crippled. A learned scholar, therefore, cannot understand the gopīs’ ecstatic feelings, which are firmly fixed upon the original form of Lord Kṛṣṇa as the son of Nanda Mahārāja. The wonderful feelings of the gopīs in ecstatic parama-rasa with Kṛṣṇa constitute the greatest mystery in spiritual life.’ “
PURPORT
This is a verse spoken by Nārada Muni in the Lalita-mādhava-nāṭaka (6.14), a drama written by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
TEXT 151
eta kahi’ prabhu tāṅra garva cūrṇa kariyā
tāṅre sukha dite kahe siddhānta phirāiyā
SYNONYMS
eta kahi’-saying this; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅra-his (of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa); garva-pride; cūrṇa kariyā-smashing into pieces; tāṅre-unto him; sukha dite-to give happiness; kahe-says; siddhānta phirāiyā-turning the whole conversation.
TRANSLATION
In this way Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu deflated the pride of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, but just to make him happy again, He spoke as follows.
TEXT 152
duḥkha nā bhāviha, bhaṭṭa, kailuṅ parihāsa
śāstra-siddhānta śuna, yāte vaiṣṇava-viśvāsa
SYNONYMS
duḥkha-unhappiness; nā-do not; bhāviha-bear; bhaṭṭa-My dear Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; kailuṅ parihāsa-I was simply making a joke; śāstra-siddhānta-the conclusion of the revealed scriptures; śuna-hear; yāte-in which; vaiṣṇava-viśvāsa-the faith of the Vaiṣṇavas.
TRANSLATION
The Lord pacified Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa by saying, “Actually whatever I have said is by way of jest. Now you can hear from Me the conclusion of the śāstras, in which every Vaiṣṇava devotee has firm faith.
TEXT 153
kṛṣṇa-nārāyaṇa, yaiche eka-i svarūpa
gopī-lakṣmī-bheda nāhi haya eka-rūpa
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa-nārāyaṇa-Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Nārāyaṇa; yaiche-as; eka-i-one; svarūpa-form; gopī-the gopīs; lakṣmī-the goddess of fortune; bheda-difference; nāhi-there is not; haya-there is; eka-rūpa-one form.
TRANSLATION
“There is no difference between Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Nārāyaṇa, for They are of the same form. Similarly, there is no difference between the gopīs and the goddess of fortune, for they also are of the same form.
TEXT 154
gopī-dvāre lakṣmī kare kṛṣṇa-saṅgāsvāda
īśvaratve bheda mānile haya aparādha
SYNONYMS
gopī-dvāre-through the gopīs; lakṣmī-the goddess of fortune; kare-does; kṛṣṇa-saṅga-āsvāda-tasting the sweetness of the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa; īśvaratve-in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bheda-difference; mānile-if one considers; haya-there is; aparādha-offense.
TRANSLATION
“The goddess of fortune enjoys the association of Kṛṣṇa through the gopīs. One should not see a difference between the forms of the Lord, for such a conception is offensive.
TEXT 155
eka īśvara–bhaktera dhyāna-anurūpa
eka-i vigrahe kare nānākāra rūpa
SYNONYMS
eka īśvara-the Lord is one; bhaktera-of the devotees; dhyāna-meditation; anurūpa-according to; eka-i-one; vigrahe-in form; kare-exhibits; nānā-ākāra-different; rūpa-forms.
TRANSLATION
“There is no difference between the transcendental forms of the Lord. Different forms are manifest due to different attachments of different devotees. Actually the Lord is one, but He appears in different forms just to satisfy His devotees.
PURPORT
In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33) it is stated:
advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
The Lord is advaita, without differentiation. There is no difference between the forms of Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Nārāyaṇa and Viṣṇu. All of them are one. Sometimes foolish people ask whether when we chant “Rāma” in the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we refer to Lord Rāmacandra or Lord Balarāma. If a devotee says that the name Rāma in the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra refers to Balarāma, a foolish person may become angry because to him the name Rāma refers to Lord Rāmacandra. Actually there is no difference between Balarāma and Lord Rāma. It does not matter if one chants Hare Rāma referring to Balarāma or Lord Rāmacandra, for there is no difference between Them. However, it is offensive to think that Balarāma is superior to Lord Rāmacandra or vice versa. Neophyte devotees do not understand this śāstric conclusion, and consequently they unnecessarily create an offensive situation. In text 154 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu clarified this in a very lucid way: īśvaratve bheda mānile haya aparādha. “It is offensive for one to differentiate between the forms of the Lord.” On the other hand, one should not think that the forms of the Lord are the same as the forms of the demigods. This is certainly offensive, as confirmed by the Vaiṣṇava-tantra:
yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ
brahmā-rudrādi-daivataiḥ
samatvenaiva vīkṣeta
sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam
“A pāṣaṇḍī is one who considers the great demigods such as Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa.” (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 7.117)
The conclusion is that we should neither differentiate between the forms of the Lord nor equate the forms of the Lord with the forms of demigods or human beings. For instance, sometimes foolish sannyāsīs, thinking the body of the Lord to be material, equate daridra-nārāyaṇa with Nārāyaṇa, and this is certainly offensive. Unless one is instructed by a bona fide spiritual master, he cannot perfectly understand these different forms. The Brahma-saṁhitā confirms, vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. One cannot understand the differences between the forms of the Lord simply by academic study or by reading Vedic literature. One must learn from a realized devotee. Only then can one learn how to distinguish between one form of the Lord and another. The conclusion is that there is no difference between the forms of the Lord, but there is a difference between His forms and those of the demigods.
TEXT 156
maṇir yathā vibhāgena
nīla-pītādibhir yutaḥ
rūpa-bhedam avāpnoti
dhyāna-bhedāt tathācyutaḥ
SYNONYMS
maṇiḥ-jewel, specifically the jewel known as vaidūrya; yathā-as; vibhāgena-separately; nīla-blue; pīta-yellow; ādibhiḥ-and with other colors; yutaḥ-joined; rūpa-bhedam-difference of form; avāpnoti-gets; dhyāna-bhedāt-by different types of meditation; tathā-similarly; acyutaḥ-the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
” ‘When the jewel known as vaidūrya touches various other materials, it appears to be separated into different colors, and consequently its forms also appear different. Similarly, according to the meditational ecstasy of the devotee, the Lord, who is known as Acyuta [infallible], appears in different forms, although He is essentially one.’ “
PURPORT
This is a verse quoted from Śrī Nārada-pañcarātra.
TEXT 157
bhaṭṭa kahe,–kāhāṅ āmi jīva pāmara
kāhāṅ tumi sei kṛṣṇa,–sākṣāt īśvara
SYNONYMS
bhaṭṭa kahe-Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa said; kāhāṅ-whereas; āmi-I; jīva-an ordinary living being; pāmara-fallen; kāhāṅ-whereas; tumi-You; sei kṛṣṇa-the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; sākṣāt īśvara-directly the Lord.
TRANSLATION
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa then said, “I am an ordinary fallen living entity, but You are Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
TEXT 158
agādha īśvara-līlā kichui nā jāni
tumi yei kaha, sei satya kari’ māni
SYNONYMS
agādha-unfathomable; īśvara-līlā-pastimes of the Lord; kichui-anything; nā jāni-I do not know; tumi-You; yei-whatever; kaha-say; sei satya-that is right; kari’ māni-I accept.
TRANSLATION
“The transcendental pastimes of the Lord are unfathomable, and I do not know anything about them. Whatever You say I accept as the truth.
PURPORT
This is the way to understand the truth about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After hearing the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna said very much the same thing:
sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye
yan māṁ vadasi keśava
na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ
vidur devā na dānavāḥ
“O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality.” (Bg. 10.14)
It is not possible to understand the truth about the pastimes of the Lord simply by using our own logic, argument and academic education. We must receive bona fide information from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as Arjuna received information when Kṛṣṇa spoke the Bhagavad-gītā. We have to accept the Bhagavad-gītā or any other Vedic literature in good faith. These Vedic scriptures are the only source of knowledge about the Lord. We must understand that we cannot comprehend the Absolute Truth by the speculative process.
TEXT 159
more pūrṇa kṛpā kaila lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa
tāṅra kṛpāya pāinu tomāra caraṇa-daraśana
SYNONYMS
more-unto me; pūrṇa-complete; kṛpā-mercy; kaila-did; lakṣmī-nārāyaṇa-the Deity of mother goddess of fortune and Nārāyaṇa; tāṅra kṛpāya-by Their mercy; pāinu-I have gotten; tomāra-Your; caraṇa-daraśana-vision of the lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
“I have been engaged in the service of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, and it is due to Their mercy that I have been able to see Your lotus feet.
TEXT 160
kṛpā kari’ kahile more kṛṣṇera mahimā
yāṅra rūpa-guṇaiśvaryera keha nā pāya sīmā
SYNONYMS
kṛpā kari’-showing causeless mercy; kahile-You have spoken; more-unto me; kṛṣṇera-of Lord Kṛṣṇa; mahimā-the glories; yāṅra-whose; rūpa-guṇa-aiśvaryera-of forms, qualities and opulence; keha-anyone; nā-not; pāya-gets; sīmā-the limit.
TRANSLATION
“Out of Your causeless mercy You have told me of the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa. No one can reach the end of the opulence, qualities and forms of the Lord.
TEXT 161
ebe se jāninu kṛṣṇa-bhakti sarvopari
kṛtārtha karile, more kahile kṛpā kari’
SYNONYMS
ebe-now; se-that; jāninu-I understand; kṛṣṇa-bhakti-devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa; sarva-upari-above all; kṛta-artha-successful; karile-You have made; more-unto me; kahile-You have spoken; kṛpā kari’-by Your causeless mercy.
TRANSLATION
“I can now understand that devotional service unto Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme form of worship. Out of Your causeless mercy You have made my life successful simply by explaining the facts.”
TEXT 162
eta bali’ bhaṭṭa paḍilā prabhura caraṇe
kṛpā kari’ prabhu tāṅre kailā āliṅgane
SYNONYMS
eta bali’-saying this; bhaṭṭa-Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; paḍilā-fell down; prabhura caraṇe-at the lotus feet of the Lord; kṛpā kari’-showing him mercy; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-unto him; kailā-did; āliṅgane-embracing.
TRANSLATION
After saying this, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa fell down before the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord, out of His causeless mercy, embraced him.
TEXT 163
cāturmāsya pūrṇa haila, bhaṭṭa-ājñā lañā
dakṣiṇa calilā prabhu śrī-raṅga dekhiyā
SYNONYMS
cāturmāsya-the period of Cāturmāsya; pūrṇa haila-became completed; bhaṭṭa-ājñā lañā-taking permission from Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; dakṣiṇa-south; calilā-proceeded; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; śrī-raṅga dekhiyā-visiting Śrī Raṅga.
TRANSLATION
When the period of Cāturmāsya was completed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took permission to leave Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, and after visiting Śrī Raṅga He proceeded further toward southern India.
TEXT 164
saṅgete calilā bhaṭṭa, nā yāya bhavane
tāṅre vidāya dilā prabhu aneka yatane
SYNONYMS
saṅgete-along with Him; calilā-began to go; bhaṭṭa-Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; nā yāya bhavane-does not return to his home; tāṅre-unto him; vidāya dilā-gave farewell; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; aneka yatane-with great endeavor.
TRANSLATION
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa did not want to return home but also wanted to go with the Lord. It was with great endeavor that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bade him farewell.
TEXT 165
prabhura viyoge bhaṭṭa haila acetana
ei raṅga-līlā kare śacīra nandana
SYNONYMS
prabhura viyoge-on account of separation from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhaṭṭa-Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa; haila-became; acetana-unconscious; ei-this; raṅga-līlā-pastime at Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra; kare-does; śacīra nandana-the son of mother Śacī.
TRANSLATION
When He did so, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa fell down unconscious. Such are the pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of mother Śacī, at Śrī Raṅga-kṣetra.
TEXT 166
ṛṣabha-parvate cali’ āilā gaurahari
nārāyaṇa dekhilā tāṅhā nati-stuti kari’
SYNONYMS
ṛṣabha-parvate-to the Ṛṣabha Hill; cali’-walking; āilā-arrived; gaurahari-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nārāyaṇa-the Deity of Lord Nārāyaṇa; dekhilā-saw; tāṅhā-there; nati-stuti kari’-offering obeisances and prayers.
TRANSLATION
When the Lord arrived at Ṛṣabha Hill, He saw the temple of Lord Nārāyaṇa and offered obeisances and various prayers.
PURPORT
Ṛṣabha Hill is in southern Karṇāṭa, in the district of Madurai. Twelve miles north of Madurai City is a place called Ānāgaḍa-malaya-parvata, which is situated within the forest of Kuṭakācala. Within this forest Lord Ṛṣabhadeva burned Himself to ashes. Now this place is known as Palni Hill.
TEXT 167
paramānanda-purī tāhāṅ rahe catur-māsa
śuni’ mahāprabhu gelā purī-gosāñira pāśa
SYNONYMS
paramānanda-purī-Paramānanda Purī; tāhāṅ-there; rahe-remained; catur-māsa-four months; śuni’-hearing; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; gelā-went; purī-Paramānanda Purī; gosāñira-the spiritual master; pāśa-near.
TRANSLATION
Paramānanda Purī was staying at Ṛṣabha Hill during the four months of the rainy season, and when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this, He immediately went to see him.
TEXT 168
purī-gosāñira prabhu kaila caraṇa vandana
preme purī gosāñi tāṅre kaila āliṅgana
SYNONYMS
purī-gosāñira-of Paramānanda Purī; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kaila-did; caraṇa vandana-worship of the lotus feet; preme-in ecstasy; purī gosāñi-Paramānanda Purī; tāṅre-unto Him; kaila-did; āliṅgana-embracing.
TRANSLATION
Upon meeting Paramānanda Purī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered him all respects, touching his lotus feet, and Paramānanda Purī embraced the Lord in ecstasy.
TEXT 169
tina-dina preme doṅhe kṛṣṇa-kathā-raṅge
sei vipra-ghare doṅhe rahe eka-saṅge
SYNONYMS
tina-dina-three days; preme-in ecstasy; doṅhe-both; kṛṣṇa-kathā-discussing topics of Kṛṣṇa; raṅge-in jubilation; sei vipra-ghare-in the home of a brāhmaṇa; doṅhe-both of them; rahe-stayed; eka-saṅge-together.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed with Paramānanda Purī in the brāhmaṇa’s house where he was residing. The two of them passed three days there discussing topics of Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 170
purī-gosāñi bale,–āmi yāba puruṣottame
puruṣottama dekhi’ gauḍe yāba gaṅgā-snāne
SYNONYMS
purī-gosāñi-Paramānanda Purī; bale-said; āmi-I; yāba-shall go; puruṣottame-to Jagannātha Purī; puruṣottama dekhi’-after visiting Jagannātha Purī; gauḍe yāba-I shall go to Bengal; gaṅgā-snāne-for bathing in the Ganges.
TRANSLATION
Paramānanda Purī informed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that he was going to see Puruṣottama at Jagannātha Purī. After seeing Lord Jagannātha there, he would go to Bengal to bathe in the Ganges.
TEXT 171
prabhu kahe,–tumi punaḥ āisa nīlācale
āmi setubandha haite āsiba alpa-kāle
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; tumi-you; punaḥ-again; āisa-come; nīlācale-to Jagannātha Purī; āmi-I; setubandha haite-from Rāmeśvara; āsiba-shall return; alpa-kāle-very soon.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then told him, “Please return to Jagannātha Purī, for I will return there very soon from Rāmeśvara [Setubandha].
TEXT 172
tomāra nikaṭe rahi,–hena vāñchā haya
nīlācale āsibe more hañā sadaya
SYNONYMS
tomāra nikaṭe-with you; rahi-I may stay; hena-such; vāñchā haya-is My desire; nīlācale-to Jagannātha Purī; āsibe-please come; more-unto Me; hañā-being; sa-daya-merciful.
TRANSLATION
“It is My desire to stay with you, and therefore if you would return to Jagannātha Purī, you would show great mercy to Me.”
TEXT 173
eta bali’ tāṅra ṭhāñi ei ājñā lañā
dakṣiṇe calilā prabhu haraṣita hañā
SYNONYMS
eta bali’-saying this; tāṅra ṭhāñi-from him; ei ājñā lañā-taking permission; dakṣiṇe calilā-departed for southern India; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; haraṣita hañā-being very much pleased.
TRANSLATION
After talking in this way with Paramānanda Purī, the Lord took his permission to leave and, very much pleased, departed for southern India.
TEXT 174
paramānanda purī tabe calilā nīlācale
mahāprabhu cali cali āilā śrī-śaile
SYNONYMS
paramānanda purī-Paramānanda Purī; tabe-then; calilā nīlācale-departed for Jagannātha Purī; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; cali cali-walking; āilā-came; śrī-śaile-to Śrī Śaila.
TRANSLATION
Thus Paramānanda Purī started for Jagannātha Purī, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began walking toward Śrī Śaila.
PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks, “Which Śrī Śaila is being indicated by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī is not clearly understood. There is no temple of Mallikārjuna in this area because the Śrī Śaila located in the district of Dhārwād cannot possibly be there. That Śrī Śaila is on the southern side of Belgaumā, and the Śiva temple of Mallikārjuna is located there. (Refer to text fifteen of this chapter.) It is said that on that hill Lord Śiva lived with Devī. Also, Lord Brahmā lived there with all the demigods.”
TEXT 175
śiva-durgā rahe tāhāṅ brāhmaṇera veśe
mahāprabhu dekhi’ doṅhāra ha-ila ullāse
SYNONYMS
śiva-durgā-Lord Śiva and his wife, Durgā; rahe tāhāṅ-stayed there; brāhmaṇera veśe-in the dress of brāhmaṇas; mahāprabhu dekhi’-seeing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; doṅhāra-of both of them; ha-ila-there was; ullāse-great pleasure.
TRANSLATION
It was in Śrī Śaila that Lord Śiva and his wife Durgā lived in the dress of brāhmaṇas, and when they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they became very much pleased.
TEXT 176
tina dina bhikṣā dila kari’ nimantraṇa
nibhṛte vasi’ gupta-vārtā kahe dui jana
SYNONYMS
tina dina-for three days; bhikṣā dila-offered alms; kari’ nimantraṇa-inviting Him; nibhṛte-in a solitary place; vasi’-sitting together; gupta-vārtā-confidential talks; kahe-speak; dui jana-both of them.
TRANSLATION
Lord Śiva, dressed like a brāhmaṇa, gave alms to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and invited Him to spend three days in a solitary place. Sitting there together, they talked very confidentially.
TEXT 177
tāṅra saṅge mahāprabhu kari iṣṭagoṣṭhī
tāṅra ājñā lañā āilā purī kāmakoṣṭhī
SYNONYMS
tāṅra saṅge-with him; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kari iṣṭa-goṣṭhī-discussing spiritual subject matter; tāṅra-his; ājñā-order; lañā-taking; āilā-came; purī kāmakoṣṭhī-to Kāmakoṣṭhī-purī.
TRANSLATION
After talking with Lord Śiva, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took his permission to leave and went to Kāmakoṣṭhī-purī.
TEXT 178
dakṣiṇa-mathurā āilā kāmakoṣṭhī haite
tāhāṅ dekhā haila eka brāhmaṇa-sahite
SYNONYMS
dakṣiṇa-mathurā-at southern Mathurā; āilā-arrived; kāmakoṣṭhī haite-from Kāmakoṣṭhī; tāhāṅ-there; dekhā haila-He met; eka-one; brāhmaṇa-sahite-with a brāhmaṇa.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at southern Mathurā from Kāmakoṣṭhī, He met a brāhmaṇa.
PURPORT
Southern Madurai, presently known as Mādurā, is situated on the banks of the Bhāgāi River. This place of pilgrimage is specifically meant for the devotees of Lord Śiva; therefore it is called Śaiva-kṣetra, that is, the place where Lord Śiva is worshiped. In this area there are mountains and forests. There are also two Śiva temples, one known as Rāmeśvara and the other known as Sundareśvara. There is also a temple to Devī called the Mīnākṣī-devī temple, which displays very great architectural craftsmanship. It was built under the supervision of the kings of the Pāṇḍya Dynasty, and when the Muslims attacked this temple, as well as the temple of Sundareśvara, great damage was done. In the Christian year 1372, a king named Kampanna Udaiyara reigned on the throne of Mādurā. Long ago, Emperor Kulaśekhara ruled this area, and during his reign he established a colony of brāhmaṇas. A well-known king named Anantaguṇa Pāṇḍya is an eleventh-generation descendant of Emperor Kulaśekhara.
TEXT 179
sei vipra mahāprabhuke kaila nimantraṇa
rāma-bhakta sei vipra–virakta mahājana
SYNONYMS
sei vipra-that brāhmaṇa; mahāprabhuke-unto Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kaila-did; nimantraṇa-invitation; rāma-bhakta-devotee of Lord Rāmacandra; sei-that; vipra-brāhmaṇa; virakta-very much detached; mahājana-a great devotee and authority.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa who met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu invited the Lord to his home. This brāhmaṇa was a great devotee and an authority on Lord Śrī Rāmacandra. He was always detached from material activities.
TEXT 180
kṛtamālāya snāna kari’ āilā tāṅra ghare
bhikṣā ki dibena vipra,–pāka nāhi kare
SYNONYMS
kṛtamālāya-in the Kṛtamālā River; snāna kari’-bathing; āilā-came; tāṅra-of the brāhmaṇa; ghare-to the home; bhikṣā-offering of alms; ki dibena-what shall give; vipra-the brāhmaṇa; pāka-cooking; nāhi kare-did not do.
TRANSLATION
After bathing in the river Kṛtamālā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the brāhmaṇa’s house to take lunch, but He saw that the food was unprepared because the brāhmaṇa had not cooked it.
TEXT 181
mahāprabhu kahe tāṅre,–śuna mahāśaya
madhyāhna haila, kene pāka nāhi haya
SYNONYMS
mahāprabhu kahe-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; tāṅre-unto him; śuna mahāśaya-please hear, My dear sir; madhya-ahna haila-it is already noon; kene-why; pāka nāhi haya-you did not cook.
TRANSLATION
Seeing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My dear sir, please tell Me why you have not cooked. It is already noon.”
TEXT 182
vipra kahe,–prabhu, mora araṇye vasati
pākera sāmagrī vane nā mile samprati
SYNONYMS
vipra kahe-the brāhmaṇa replied; prabhu-O Lord; mora-my; araṇye-in the forest; vasati-residence; pākera sāmagrī-the ingredients for cooking; vane-in the forest; nā mile-are not available; samprati-at this time.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa replied, “My dear Lord, we are living in the forest. For the time being we cannot get all the ingredients for cooking.
TEXT 183
vanya śāka-phala-mūla ānibe lakṣmaṇa
tabe sītā karibena pāka-prayojana
SYNONYMS
vanya-of the forest; śāka-vegetables; phala-mūla-fruits and roots; ānibe-will bring; lakṣmaṇa-Lakṣmaṇa; tabe-that time; sītā-mother Sītā; karibena-will do; pāka-prayojana-the necessary cooking.
TRANSLATION
“When Lakṣmaṇa brings all the vegetables, fruits and roots from the forest, Sītā will do the necessary cooking.”
TEXT 184
tāṅra upāsanā śuni’ prabhu tuṣṭa hailā
āste-vyaste sei vipra randhana karilā
SYNONYMS
tāṅra-his; upāsanā-method of worship; śuni’-hearing; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tuṣṭa hailā-was very much pleased; āste-vyaste-with great haste; sei-that; vipra-brāhmaṇa; randhana karilā-began to cook.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much satisfied to hear about the brāhmaṇa’s method of worship. Finally the brāhmaṇa hastily made arrangements for cooking.
TEXT 185
prabhu bhikṣā kaila dinera tṛtīya-prahare
nirviṇṇa sei vipra upavāsa kare
SYNONYMS
prabhu-Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhikṣā kaila-took His luncheon; dinera-of the day; tṛtīya-prahare-at about three o’clock; nirviṇṇa-sorrowful; sei-that; vipra-brāhmaṇa; upavāsa kare-fasted.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His lunch at about three o’clock, but the brāhmaṇa, being very sorrowful, fasted.
TEXT 186
prabhu kahe,–vipra kāṅhe kara upavāsa
kene eta duḥkha, kene karaha hutāśa
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; vipra-My dear brāhmaṇa; kāṅhe-why; kara upavāsa-you are fasting; kene-why; eta-so much; duḥkha-unhappiness; kene-why; karaha hutāśa-you express so much worry.
TRANSLATION
While the brāhmaṇa was fasting, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, “Why are you fasting? Why are you so unhappy? Why are you so worried?”
TEXT 187
vipra kahe,–jīvane mora nāhi prayojana
agni-jale praveśiyā chāḍiba jīvana
SYNONYMS
vipra kahe-the brāhmaṇa said; jīvane mora-for my life; nāhi-there is not; prayojana-necessity; agni-in fire; jale-in water; praveśiyā-entering; chāḍiba-I shall give up; jīvana-life.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa replied, “I have no reason to live. I shall give up my life by entering either fire or water.
TEXT 188
jagan-mātā mahā-lakṣmī sītā-ṭhākurāṇī
rākṣase sparśila tāṅre,–ihā kāne śuni
SYNONYMS
jagat-mātā-the mother of the universe; mahā-lakṣmī-the supreme goddess of fortune; sītā-ṭhākurāṇī-mother Sītā; rākṣase-the demon Rāvaṇa; sparśila-touched; tāṅre-her; ihā-this; kāne śuni-I have heard.
TRANSLATION
“My dear Sir, mother Sītā is the mother of the universe and the supreme goddess of fortune. She has been touched by the demon Rāvaṇa, and I am troubled upon hearing this news.
TEXT 189
e śarīra dharibāre kabhu nā yuyāya
ei duḥkhe jvale deha, prāṇa nāhi yāya
SYNONYMS
e śarīra-this body; dharibāre-to keep; kabhu-ever; nā-not; yuyāya-deserve; ei duḥkhe-in this unhappiness; jvale deha-my body is burning; prāṇa-my life; nāhi yāya-does not go away.
TRANSLATION
“Sir, due to my unhappiness I cannot continue living. Although my body is burning, my life is not leaving.”
TEXT 190
prabhu kahe,–e bhāvanā nā kariha āra
paṇḍita hañā kene nā karaha vicāra
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; e bhāvanā-this kind of thinking; nā-do not; kariha-do; āra-anymore; paṇḍita hañā-being a learned paṇḍita; kena-why; nā karaha-you do not make; vicāra-consideration.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Please do not think this way any longer. You are a learned paṇḍita. Why don’t you consider the case?”
TEXT 191
īśvara-preyasī sītā–cid-ānanda-mūrti
prākṛta-indriyera tāṅre dekhite nāhi śakti
SYNONYMS
īśvara-preyasī-the dearmost wife of the Lord; sītā-mother Sītā; cit-ānanda-mūrti-spiritual blissful form; prākṛta-material; indriyera-of the senses; tāṅre-her; dekhite-to see; nāhi-there is not; śakti-power.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “Sītādevī, the dearmost wife of the Supreme Lord Rāmacandra, certainly has a spiritual form full of bliss. No one can see her with material eyes, for no materialist has such power.
TEXT 192
sparśibāra kārya āchuka, nā pāya darśana
sītāra ākṛti-māyā harila rāvaṇa
SYNONYMS
sparśibāra-to touch; kārya-business; āchuka-let it be; nā-does not; pāya-get; darśana-sight; sītāra-of mother Sītā; ākṛti-māyā-the form made of māyā; harila-took away; rāvaṇa-the demon Rāvaṇa.
TRANSLATION
“To say nothing of touching mother Sītā, a person with material senses cannot even see her. When Rāvaṇa kidnapped her, he kidnapped only her material, illusory form.
TEXT 193
rāvaṇa āsitei sītā antardhāna kaila
rāvaṇera āge māyā-sītā pāṭhāila
SYNONYMS
rāvaṇa-the demon Rāvaṇa; āsitei-as soon as he arrived; sītā-mother Sītā; antardhāna kaila-disappeared; rāvaṇera āge-before the demon Rāvaṇa; māyā-sītā-illusory, material form of Sītā; pāṭhāila-sent.
TRANSLATION
“As soon as Rāvaṇa arrived before Sītā, she disappeared. Then just to cheat Rāvaṇa she sent an illusory, material form.
TEXT 194
aprākṛta vastu nahe prākṛta-gocara
veda-purāṇete ei kahe nirantara
SYNONYMS
aprākṛta-spiritual; vastu-substance; nahe-not; prākṛta-of matter; gocara-within the jurisdiction; veda-purāṇete-the Vedas and the Purāṇas; ei-this; kahe-say; nirantara-always.
TRANSLATION
“Spiritual substance is never within the jurisdiction of the material conception. This is always the verdict of the Vedas and Purāṇas.”
PURPORT
As stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.3.9, 12):
na saṁdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpam asya
na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainam
hṛdā manīṣā manasābhikḷpto
ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti
naiva vācā na manasā
prāptuṁ śakyo na cakṣuṣā
“Spirit is not within the jurisdiction of material eyes, words or mind.”
Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.84.13) states:
yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
“A human being who identifies his body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of his body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of his birth worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than to meet men of transcendental knowledge there, is to be considered like an ass or a cow.”
These are some Vedic statements about spiritual substance. Spiritual substance cannot be seen by the unintelligent, because they do not have the eyes or the mentality to see the spirit soul. Consequently they think that there is no such thing as spirit. But the followers of the Vedic injunctions take their information from Vedic statements, such as the verses from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam quoted above.
TEXT 195
viśvāsa karaha tumi āmāra vacane
punarapi ku-bhāvanā nā kariha mane
SYNONYMS
viśvāsa karaha-believe; tumi-you; āmāra-My; vacane-in the words; punarapi-again; ku-bhāvanā-misconception; nā kariha-do not do; mane-in the mind.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then assured the brāhmaṇa, “Have faith in My words and do not burden your mind any longer with this misconception.”
PURPORT
This is the process of spiritual understanding. Acintyā khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet: “We should not try to understand things beyond our material conception by argument and counterargument.” Mahā-jano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ: “We have to follow in the footsteps of great authorities coming down in the paramparā system.” If we approach a bona fide ācārya and keep faith in his words, spiritual realization will be easy.
TEXT 196
prabhura vacane viprera ha-ila viśvāsa
bhojana karila, haila jīvanera āśa
SYNONYMS
prabhura vacane-in the words of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; viprera-of the brāhmaṇa; ha-ila-was; viśvāsa-faith; bhojana karila-he took his lunch; haila-there was; jīvanera-for living; āśa-hope.
TRANSLATION
Although the brāhmaṇa was fasting, he had faith in the words of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and accepted food. In this way his life was saved.
TEXT 197
tāṅre āśvāsiyā prabhu karilā gamana
kṛtamālāya snāna kari āilā durvaśana
SYNONYMS
tāṅre āśvāsiyā-assuring him; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; karilā gamana-departed; kṛtamālāya-in the river known as Kṛtamālā; snāna kari-bathing; āilā-came; durvaśana-to Durvaśana.
TRANSLATION
After thus assuring the brāhmaṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu proceeded further into southern India and finally arrived at Durvaśana, where He bathed in the river Kṛtamālā.
PURPORT
Presently the Kṛtamālā River is known as the river Bhāgāi. This river has three tributaries, named Surulī, Varāha-nadī and Baṭṭilla-guṇḍu. The river Kṛtamālā is also mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.39) by the sage Karabhājana.
TEXT 198
durvaśane raghunāthe kaila daraśana
mahendra-śaile paraśurāmera kaila vandana
SYNONYMS
durvaśane-at Durvaśana; raghunāthe-Lord Rāmacandra; kaila daraśana-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited; mahendra-śaile-on Mahendra-śaila; paraśu-rāmera-to Lord Paraśurāma; kaila vandana-offered prayers.
TRANSLATION
At Durvaśana Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Lord Rāmacandra, and on the hill known as Mahendra-śaila He saw Lord Paraśurāma.
PURPORT
In Durvaśana, or Darbhaśayana, seven miles east of Ramnad, there is a temple of Lord Rāmacandra overlooking the ocean. The hill known as Mahendra-śaila is near Tirunelveli, and at the end of this hill is a city known as Tiruchendurḍ. West of Mahendra-śaila is the territory of Tribāṅkura. There is mention of Mahendra-śaila in the Rāmāyaṇa.
TEXT 199
setubandhe āsi’ kaila dhanustīrthe snāna
rāmeśvara dekhi’ tāhāṅ karila viśrāma
SYNONYMS
setubandhe āsi’-coming to Setubandha; kaila-did; dhanuḥ-tīrthe snāna-bathing at the holy place known as Dhanustīrtha; rāmeśvara dekhi’-visiting the holy place Rāmeśvara; tāhāṅ-there; karila viśrāma-took rest.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to Setubandha [Rāmeśvara], where He took His bath at the place called Dhanustīrtha. From there He visited the Rāmeśvara temple and then took rest.
PURPORT
The path through the ocean to the islands known as Mandṇḍapam and Pambam consists partly of sand and partly of water. The island of Pambam is about eleven miles long and six miles wide. On this island, four miles north of Pambam Harbor, is Setubandha, where the temple of Rāmeśvara is located. This is a temple of Lord Śiva, and the name Rāmeśvara indicates that he is a great personality whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rāma. Thus the Lord Śiva found in the temple of Rāmeśvara is a great devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. It is said, devī-pattanam ārabhya gaccheyuḥ setu-bandhanam: “After visiting the temple of the goddess Durgā, one should go to the temple of Rāmeśvara.”
In this area there are twenty-four different holy places, one of which is Dhanustīrtha, located about twelve miles southeast of Rāmeśvara. It is near the last station of the South Indian Railway, a station called Ramnadā. It is said that here, on the request of Rāvaṇa’s younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa, Lord Rāmacandra destroyed the bridge to Laṅkā with His bow while returning to His capital. It is also said that one who visits Dhanustīrtha is liberated from the cycle of birth and death, and that one who bathes there gets all the fruitive results of performing the yajña known as agniṣṭoma.
TEXT 200
vipra-sabhāya śune tāṅhā kūrma-purāṇa
tāra madhye āilā pativratā-upākhyāna
SYNONYMS
vipra-sabhāya-among the assembly of brāhmaṇas; śune-hears; tāṅhā-there; kūrma-purāṇa-the Kūrma Purāṇa; tāra madhye-within that book; āilā-there was; pati-vratā-of the chaste woman; upākhyāna-narration.
TRANSLATION
There, among the brāhmaṇas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu listened to the Kūrma Purāṇa, wherein was mentioned the chaste woman’s narration.
PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that only two khaṇḍas of the Kūrma Purāṇa are now available, namely the Pūrva-khaṇḍa and Uttara-khaṇḍa. Sometimes it is said that the Kūrma Purāṇa contains six thousand verses, but originally the Kūrma Purāṇa contained seventeen thousand verses. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there are seventeen thousand verses in the Kūrma Purāṇa, which is one of the eighteen Mahā-purāṇas. The Kūrma Purāṇa is considered the fifteenth of these Mahā-purāṇas.
TEXT 201
pativratā-śiromaṇi janaka-nandinī
jagatera mātā sītā–rāmera gṛhiṇī
SYNONYMS
pati-vratā-chaste woman; śiromaṇi-the topmost; janaka-nandinī-is the daughter of King Janaka; jagatera-of all the three worlds; mātā-the mother; sītā-Sītā; rāmera-of Lord Rāmacandra; gṛhiṇī-wife.
TRANSLATION
Śrīmatī Sītādevī is the mother of the three worlds and the wife of Lord Rāmacandra. Among chaste women she is supreme, and she is the daughter of King Janaka.
TEXT 202
rāvaṇa dekhiyā sītā laila agnira śaraṇa
rāvaṇa haite agni kaila sītāke āvaraṇa
SYNONYMS
rāvaṇa dekhiyā-after seeing Rāvaṇa; sītā-mother Sītā; laila-took; agnira-of fire; śaraṇa-shelter; rāvaṇa-Rāvaṇa; haite-from; agni-fire; kaila-did; sītāke-unto mother Sītā; āvaraṇa-covering.
TRANSLATION
When Rāvaṇa came to kidnap mother Sītā and she saw him, she took shelter of the fire-god, Agni. The fire-god covered the body of mother Sītā, and in this way she was protected from the hands of Rāvaṇa.
TEXT 203
‘māyā-sītā’ rāvaṇa nila, śunilā ākhyāne
śuni’ mahāprabhu haila ānandita mane
SYNONYMS
māyā-sītā-false, illusory Sītā; rāvaṇa-the demon Rāvaṇa; nila-took; śunilā-heard; ākhyāne-in the narration of the Kūrma Purāṇa; śuni’-hearing this; mahāprabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; haila-became; ānandita-very happy; mane-within the mind.
TRANSLATION
Upon hearing from the Kūrma Purāṇa how Rāvaṇa had kidnapped a false form of mother Sītā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very much satisfied.
TEXT 204
sītā lañā rākhilena pārvatīra sthāne
‘māyā-sītā’ diyā agni vañcilā rāvaṇe
SYNONYMS
sītā lañā-taking away mother Sītā; rākhilena-kept; pārvatīra sthāne-with mother Pārvatī, or goddess Durgā; māyā-sītā-the false, illusory form of Sītā; diyā-delivering; agni-fire-god; vañcilā-cheated; rāvaṇe-the demon Rāvaṇa.
TRANSLATION
The fire-god, Agni, took away the real Sītā and brought her to the place of Pārvatī, goddess Durgā. An illusory form of mother Sītā was then delivered to Rāvaṇa, and in this way Rāvaṇa was cheated.
TEXT 205
raghunātha āsi’ yabe rāvaṇe mārila
agni-parīkṣā dite yabe sītāre ānila
SYNONYMS
raghunātha-Lord Rāmacandra; āsi’-coming; yabe-when; rāvaṇe-Rāvaṇa; mārila-killed; agni-parīkṣā-test by fire; dite-to give; yabe-when; sītāre-Sītā; ānila-brought.
TRANSLATION
After Rāvaṇa was killed by Lord Rāmacandra, Sītādevī was brought before the fire and tested.
TEXT 206
tabe māyā-sītā agni kari antardhāna
satya-sītā āni’ dila rāma-vidyamāna
SYNONYMS
tabe-at that time; māyā-sītā-the illusory form of Sītā; agni-the fire-god; kari-doing; antardhāna-disappearing; satya-sītā-real Sītā; āni’-bringing; dila-delivered; rāma-of Rāmacandra; vidyamāna-in the presence.
TRANSLATION
When the illusory Sītā was brought before the fire by Lord Rāmacandra, the fire-god made the illusory form disappear and delivered the real Sītā to Lord Rāmacandra.
TEXT 207
śuniñā prabhura ānandita haila mana
rāmadāsa-viprera kathā ha-ila smaraṇa
SYNONYMS
śuniñā-hearing; prabhura-of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ānandita-very much pleased; haila-became; mana-the mind; rāmadāsa-viprera-of the brāhmaṇa known as Rāmadāsa; kathā-words; ha-ila smaraṇa-He remembered.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this story, He was very much pleased, and He remembered the words of Rāmadāsa Vipra.
TEXT 208
e-saba siddhānta śuni’ prabhura ānanda haila
brāhmaṇera sthāne māgi’ sei patra nila
SYNONYMS
e-saba siddhānta-all these conclusive statements; śuni’-hearing; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ānanda-happiness; haila-there was; brāhmaṇera sthāne-from the brāhmaṇas; māgi’-asking; sei-those; patra-leaves; nila-took.
TRANSLATION
Indeed, when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these conclusive statements from the Kūrma Purāṇa, He felt great happiness. After asking the brāhmaṇas’ permission, He took possession of those manuscript leaves.
TEXT 209
nūtana patra lekhāñā pustake deoyāila
pratīti lāgi’ purātana patra māgi’ nila
SYNONYMS
nūtana-new; patra-leaves; lekhāñā-getting written; pustake-the book; deoyāila-He gave; pratīti lāgi’-for direct evidence; purātana-the old; patra-leaves; māgi’-requesting; nila-He took.
TRANSLATION
Since the Kūrma Purāṇa was very old, the manuscript was also very old. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took possession of the original leaves in order to have direct evidence. The text was copied onto new leaves in order that the Purāṇa be replaced.
TEXT 210
patra lañā punaḥ dakṣiṇa-mathurā āilā
rāmadāsa vipre sei patra āni dilā
SYNONYMS
patra lañā-taking those leaves; punaḥ-again; dakṣiṇa-mathurā-to southern Mathurā; āilā-came; rāmadāsa vipre-unto the brāhmaṇa known as Rāmadāsa; sei patra-those leaves; āni-bringing back; dilā-delivered.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to southern Mathurā [Madurai] and delivered the original manuscript of the Kūrma Purāṇa to Rāmadāsa Vipra.
TEXTS 211-212
sītayārādhito vahniś
chāyā-sītām ajījanat
tāṁ jahāra daśa-grīvaḥ
sītā vahni-puraṁ gatā
parīkṣā-samaye vahniṁ
chāyā-sītā viveśa sā
vahniḥ sītāṁ samānīya
tat-purastād anīnayat
SYNONYMS
sītayā-by mother Sītā; ārādhitaḥ-being called for; vahniḥ-the fire-god; chāyā-sītām-the illusory form of mother Sītā; ajījanat-created; tām-her; jahāra-kidnapped; daśa-grīvaḥ-the ten-faced Rāvaṇa; sītā-mother Sītā; vahni-puram-to the abode of the fire-god; gatā-departed; parīkṣā-samaye-at the time of testing; vahnim-the fire; chāyā-sītā-the illusory form of Sītā; viveśa-entered; sā-she; vahniḥ-the fire-god; sītām-the original mother Sītā; samānīya-bringing back; tat-purastāt-in His presence; anīnayat-brought back.
TRANSLATION
“When he was petitioned by mother Sītā, the fire-god, Agni, brought forth an illusory form of Sītā, and Rāvaṇa, who had ten heads, kidnapped the false Sītā. The original Sītā then went to the abode of the fire-god. When Lord Rāmacandra tested the body of Sītā, it was the false, illusory Sītā that entered the fire. At that time the fire-god brought the original Sītā from his abode and delivered her to Lord Rāmacandra.”
PURPORT
These two verses are taken from the Kūrma Purāṇa.
TEXT 213
patra pāñā viprera haila ānandita mana
prabhura caraṇe dhari’ karaye krandana
SYNONYMS
patra pāñā-getting the leaves; viprera-of the brāhmaṇa; haila-there was; ānandita-pleased; mana-mind; prabhura caraṇe-the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; dhari’-taking; karaye-does; krandana-crying.
TRANSLATION
Rāmadāsa Vipra was very much pleased to receive the original leaf manuscript of the Kūrma Purāṇa, and he immediately fell down before the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and began to cry.
TEXT 214
vipra kahe,–tumi sākṣāt śrī-raghunandana
sannyāsīra veṣe more dilā daraśana
SYNONYMS
vipra kahe-the brāhmaṇa said; tumi-You; sākṣāt-directly; śrī-raghunandana-Lord Śrī Rāmacandra; sannyāsīra veṣe-in the dress of a mendicant; more-unto me; dilā-You gave; daraśana-audience.
TRANSLATION
After receiving the manuscript, the brāhmaṇa, being very much pleased, said, “Sir, You are Lord Rāmacandra Himself and have come in the dress of a sannyāsī to give me audience.
TEXT 215
mahā-duḥkha ha-ite more karilā nistāra
āji mora ghare bhikṣā kara aṅgīkāra
SYNONYMS
mahā-duḥkha-great unhappiness; ha-ite-from; more-me; karilā nistāra-You delivered; āji-today; mora-my; ghare-at home; bhikṣā-lunch; kara-do; aṅgīkāra-accept.
TRANSLATION
“My dear Sir, You have delivered me from a very unhappy condition. I request that You take Your lunch at my place. Please accept this invitation.
TEXT 216
mano-duḥkhe bhāla bhikṣā nā dila sei dine
mora bhāgye punarapi pāiluṅ daraśane
SYNONYMS
mano-duḥkhe-out of great mental distress; bhāla bhikṣā-good lunch; nā dila-could not give You; sei dine-that day; mora bhāgye-because of my good fortune; punarapi-again; pāiluṅ-I have gotten; daraśane-visit.
TRANSLATION
“Due to my mental distress I could not give You a very nice lunch the other day. Now, by good fortune, You have come again to my home.”
TEXT 217
eta bali’ sei vipra sukhe pāka kaila
uttama prakāre prabhuke bhikṣā karāila
SYNONYMS
eta bali’-saying this; sei vipra-that brāhmaṇa; sukhe-in great happiness; pāka kaila-cooked; uttama prakāre-very nicely; prabhuke-unto Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhikṣā-lunch; karāila-gave.
TRANSLATION
Saying this, the brāhmaṇa very happily cooked food, and a first-class dinner was offered to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 218
sei rātri tāhāṅ rahi’ tāṅre kṛpā kari’
pāṇḍya-deśe tāmraparṇī gelā gaurahari
SYNONYMS
sei rātri-that night; tāhāṅ-there; rahi’-staying; tāṅre-unto the brāhmaṇa; kṛpā kari’-showing mercy; pāṇḍya-deśe-in the country known as Pāṇḍyadeśa; tāmraparṇī-to the place named Tāmraparṇī; gelā-went; gaurahari-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed that night in the house of the brāhmaṇa. Then, after showing him mercy, the Lord started toward Tāmraparṇī in Pāṇḍya-deśa.
PURPORT
Pāṇḍya-deśa is situated in the southern part of India known as Kerala and Cola. In all these areas there were many kings with the title Pāṇḍya who ruled over Madurai and Rāmeśvara. In the Rāmāyaṇa the name of Tāmraparṇī is mentioned. Tāmraparṇī is also known as Puruṇai and is situated on the bank of the Tinebheli River. This river flows into the Bay of Bengal. Tāmraparṇī is also mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.39) Popup
TEXT 219
tāmraparṇī snāna kari’ tāmraparṇī-tīre
naya tripati dekhi’ bule kutūhale
SYNONYMS
tāmraparṇī-in the Tāmraparṇī River; snāna kari’-taking a bath; tāmraparṇī-tīre-on the bank of the Tāmraparṇī River; naya tripati-the Deity named Naya-tripati; dekhi’-after seeing; bule-wandered on; kutūhale-in great curiosity.
TRANSLATION
There was also a temple of Lord Viṣṇu at Naya-tripati on the bank of the river Tāmraparṇī, and after bathing in the river, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the Deity with great curiosity and wandered on.
PURPORT
This Naya-tripati is also called Alwar Tirunagarai. It is a town about seventeen miles southeast of Tirunelveli. There are nine temples there of Śrīpati, or Viṣṇu. All the Deities of the temples assemble together during a yearly festival in the town.
TEXT 220
ciyaḍatalā tīrthe dekhi’ śrī-rāma-lakṣmaṇa
tila-kāñcī āsi’ kaila śiva daraśana
SYNONYMS
ciyaḍatalā-named Ciyaḍatalā; tīrthe-at the holy place; dekhi’-seeing; śrī-rāma-lakṣmaṇa-the Deity of Lord Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa; tila-kāñcī-to Tila-kāñcī; āsi’-coming; kaila-did; śiva daraśana-visiting the temple of Lord Śiva.
TRANSLATION
After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to a holy place known as Ciyaḍatalā, where He saw the Deities of the two brothers Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa. He then proceeded to Tila-kāñcī, where He saw the temple of Lord Śiva.
PURPORT
Ciyaḍatalā is sometimes known as Cheratalā. It is near the city of Kaila, and there is a temple there dedicated to Lord Śrī Rāmacandra and His brother Lakṣmaṇa. Tila-kāñcī is about thirty miles northeast of the city of Tirunelveli.
TEXT 221
gajendra-mokṣaṇa-tīrthe dekhi viṣṇu-mūrti
pānāgaḍi-tīrthe āsi’ dekhila sītāpati
SYNONYMS
gajendra-mokṣaṇa-tīrthe-at the holy place named Gajendra-mokṣaṇa; dekhi-seeing; viṣṇu-mūrti-the Deity of Lord Viṣṇu; pānāgaḍi-tīrthe-to the holy place Pānāgaḍi; āsi’-coming; dekhila-saw; sītā-pati-Lord Śrī Rāmacandra and Sītādevī.
TRANSLATION
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then visited the holy place named Gajendra-mokṣaṇa, where He went to a temple of Lord Viṣṇu. He then came to Pānāgaḍi, a holy place where He saw the Deities of Lord Rāmacandra and Sītā.
PURPORT
The Gajendra-mokṣaṇa temple is sometimes mistaken for a temple of Lord Śiva. It is about two miles south of the city of Kaivera. Actually the Deity is not of Lord Śiva but of Viṣṇu. Pānāgaḍi is about thirty miles south of Tirunelveli. Formerly the temple there contained the Deity of Śrī Rāmacandra, but later the devotees of Lord Śiva replaced Lord Rāmacandra with a deity of Lord Śiva named Rāmeśvara or Rāma-liṅga Śiva.
TEXT 222
cāmtāpure āsi’ dekhi’ śrī-rāma-lakṣmaṇa
śrī-vaikuṇṭhe āsi’ kaila viṣṇu daraśana
SYNONYMS
cāmtāpure-to Cāmtāpura; āsi’-coming; dekhi’-seeing; śrī-rāma-lakṣmaṇa-Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa; śrī-vaikuṇṭhe āsi’-coming to Śrī Vaikuṇṭha; kaila-did; viṣṇu daraśana-seeing the temple of Lord Viṣṇu.
TRANSLATION
Later the Lord went to Cāmtāpura, where He saw the Deities of Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa. He then went to Śrī Vaikuṇṭha and saw the temple of Lord Viṣṇu there.
PURPORT
Cāmtāpura is sometimes called Ceṅgānura and is located in the state of Tribāṅkura. A temple of Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa is located there. Śrī Vaikuṇṭha-about four miles north of Alwar Tirunagarai and sixteen miles southeast of Tirunelveli-is situated on the bank of the Tāmraparṇī River.
TEXT 223
malaya-parvate kaila agastya-vandana
kanyā-kumārī tāṅhāṅ kaila daraśana
SYNONYMS
malaya-parvate-in the Malaya Hills; kaila-did; agastya-vandana-obeisances to Agastya Muni; kanyā-kumārī-Kanyā-kumārī; tāṅhāṅ-there; kaila daraśana-visited.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to Malaya-parvata and offered prayers to Agastya Muni. He then visited Kanyā-kumārī [Cape Comorin].
PURPORT
The range of mountains in South India beginning at Kerala and extending to Cape Comorin is called Malaya-parvata. Concerning Agastya, there are four opinions: (1) There is a temple of Agastya Muni in the village of Agastyampallī in the district of Tanjoreāñ. (2) There is a temple of Lord Skanda on a hill known as Śiva-giri, and it is supposed to have been established by Agastya Muni. (3) Some say that near Cape Comorin there is a hill known as Paṭhiyā, which was supposed to have served as Agastya Muni’s residence. (4) There is a place known as Agastya-malaya, which is a range of hills on both sides of the Tāmraparṇī River. Cape Comorin itself is known as Kanyā-kumārī.
TEXT 224
āmlitalāya dekhi’ śrī-rāma gaurahari
mallāra-deśete āilā yathā bhaṭṭathāri
SYNONYMS
āmlitalāya-at Āmlitalā; dekhi’-seeing; śrī-rāma-the Deity of Rāmacandra; gaurahari-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mallāra-deśete-to Mallāra-deśa; āilā-came; yathā-where; bhaṭṭathāri-the Bhaṭṭathāri community.
TRANSLATION
After visiting Kanyā-kumārī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to Āmlitalā, where He saw the Deity of Śrī Rāmacandra. Thereafter He went to a place known as Mallāra-deśa, where a community of Bhaṭṭathāris lived.
PURPORT
North of Mallāra-deśa is South Kanaraḍā. To the east is Coorg and Mysoreīśū, to the south is Cochin, and to the west is the Arabian Sea. As far as the Bhaṭṭathāris are concerned, they are a nomadic community. They camp wherever they like and have no fixed place of residence. Outwardly they take up the dress of sannyāsīs, but their real business is stealing and cheating. They allure others to supply women for their camp, and they cheat many women and keep them within their community. In this way they increase their population. In Bengal also there is a similar community. Actually, all over the world there are nomadic communities whose business is simply to allure, cheat and steal innocent women.
TEXT 225
tamāla-kārtika dekhi’ āila vetāpani
raghunātha dekhi’ tāhāṅ vañcilā rajanī
SYNONYMS
tamāla-kārtika-the place named Tamāla-kārtika; dekhi’-seeing; āila-came; vetāpani-to Vetāpani; raghunātha dekhi’-seeing the temple of Lord Rāmacandra; tāhāṅ-there; vañcilā rajanī-passed the night.
TRANSLATION
After visiting Mallāra-deśa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Tamāla-kārtika and then to Vetāpani. There He saw the temple of Raghunātha, Lord Rāmacandra, and passed the night.
PURPORT
Tamāla-kārtika is forty-four miles south of Tirunelveli and two miles south of Aramavallī Mountain. It is located within the jurisdiction of Tovalai. At Tamāla-kārtika is a temple of Subrahmaṇya, or Lord Kārtika, the son of Lord Śiva. Vetāpani, or Vātāpāṇī, is north of Kaila in the Trivandrum district. It is also known as Bhūtapaṇḍi and is within the jurisdiction of the Tobala district. It is understood that formerly there was a Deity of Lord Rāmacandra there. Later the Deity was replaced with a deity of Lord Śiva known as Rāmeśvara or Bhūtanātha.
TEXT 226
gosāñira saṅge rahe kṛṣṇadāsa brāhmaṇa
bhaṭṭathāri-saha tāhāṅ haila daraśana
SYNONYMS
gosāñira-the Lord; saṅge-with; rahe-there was; kṛṣṇadāsa brāhmaṇa-a brāhmaṇa servant named Kṛṣṇadāsa; bhaṭṭathāri-saha-with the Bhaṭṭathāris; tāhāṅ-there; haila-there was; daraśana-a meeting.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was accompanied by His servant, Kṛṣṇadāsa. He was a brāhmaṇa, but he met with the Bhaṭṭathāris there.
TEXT 227
strī-dhana dekhāñā tāṅra lobha janmāila
ārya sarala viprera buddhi-nāśa kaila
SYNONYMS
strī-dhana-women; dekhāñā-showing; tāṅra-his; lobha-attraction; janmāila-they created; ārya-gentleman; sarala-simple; viprera-of the brāhmaṇa; buddhi-nāśa-loss of intelligence; kaila-they made.
TRANSLATION
With women the Bhaṭṭathāris allured the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇadāsa, who was simple and gentle. By virtue of their bad association, they polluted his intelligence.
TEXT 228
prāte uṭhi’ āilā vipra bhaṭṭathāri-ghare
tāhāra uddeśe prabhu āilā satvare
SYNONYMS
prāte-in the morning; uṭhi’-rising from bed; āilā-came; vipra-the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇadāsa; bhaṭṭathāri-ghare-to the place of the Bhaṭṭathāris; tāhāra uddeśe-for him; prabhu-Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āilā-came; satvare-very soon.
TRANSLATION
Allured by the Bhaṭṭathāris, Kṛṣṇadāsa went to their place early in the morning. The Lord also went there very quickly just to find him out.
TEXT 229
āsiyā kahena saba bhaṭṭathāri-gaṇe
āmāra brāhmaṇa tumi rākha ki kāraṇe
SYNONYMS
āsiyā-coming; kahena-He said; saba-all; bhaṭṭathāri-gaṇe-to the Bhaṭṭathāris; āmāra-My; brāhmaṇa-brāhmaṇa assistant; tumi-you; rākha-are keeping; ki-for what; kāraṇe-reason.
TRANSLATION
Upon reaching their community, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the Bhaṭṭathāris, “Why are you keeping My brāhmaṇa assistant?
TEXT 230
āmiha sannyāsī dekha, tumiha sannyāsī
more duḥkha deha,–tomāra ‘nyāya’ nāhi vāsi
SYNONYMS
āmiha-I; sannyāsī-in the renounced order of life; dekha-you see; tumiha-you; sannyāsī-in the renounced order of life; more-unto Me; duḥkha-pains; deha-you give; tomāra-your; nyāya-logic; nāhi vāsi-I do not find.
TRANSLATION
“I am in the renounced order of life, and so are you. Yet you are purposefully giving Me pain, and I do not see any good logic in this.”
TEXT 231
suna’ saba bhaṭṭathāri uṭhe astra lañā
māribāre āila sabe cāri-dike dhāñā
SYNONYMS
suna’-hearing; saba-all; bhaṭṭathāri-nomads; uṭhe-rise up; astra-weapons; lañā-taking; māribāre-to kill; āila-came; sabe-all; cāri-dike-all around; dhāñā-running.
TRANSLATION
Upon hearing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the Bhaṭṭathāris came running from all sides with weapons in their hands, desiring to hurt the Lord.
TEXT 232
tāra astra tāra aṅge paḍe hāta haite
khaṇḍa khaṇḍa haila bhaṭṭathāri palāya cāri bhite
SYNONYMS
tāra astra-their weapons; tāra aṅge-on their bodies; paḍe-fall; hāta haite-from their hands; khaṇḍa khaṇḍa-cut into pieces; haila-became; bhaṭṭathāri-the nomads; palāya-run away; cāri bhite-in the four directions.
TRANSLATION
However, their weapons fell from their hands and struck their own bodies. When some of the Bhaṭṭathāris were thus cut to pieces, the others ran away in the four directions.
TEXT 233
bhaṭṭathāri-ghare mahā uṭhila krandana
keśe dhari’ vipre lañā karila gamana
SYNONYMS
bhaṭṭathāri-ghare-at the home of the Bhaṭṭathāris; mahā-great; uṭhila-there arose; krandana-crying; keśe dhari’-catching by the hair; vipre-the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇadāsa; lañā-taking; karila-did; gamana-departure.
TRANSLATION
While there was much roaring and crying at the Bhaṭṭathāri community, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu grabbed Kṛṣṇadāsa by the hair and took him away.
TEXT 234
sei dina cali’ āilā payasvinī-tīre
snāna kari’ gelā ādi-keśava-mandire
SYNONYMS
sei dina-on that very day; cali’-walking; āilā-came; payasvinī-tīre-to the bank of the Payasvinī River; snāna kari’-bathing; gelā-went; ādi-keśava-mandire-to the temple of Ādi-keśava.
TRANSLATION
That very night, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His assistant Kṛṣṇadāsa arrived at the bank of the Payasvinī River. They took their bath and then went to see the temple of Ādi-keśava.
TEXT 235
keśava dekhiyā preme āviṣṭa hailā
nati, stuti, nṛtya, gīta, bahuta karilā
SYNONYMS
keśava dekhiyā-after seeing the Deity of Lord Keśava; preme-in ecstasy; āviṣṭa hailā-became overwhelmed; nati-obeisances; stuti-prayer; nṛtya-dancing; gīta-chanting; bahuta karilā-performed in various ways.
TRANSLATION
When the Lord saw the Ādi-keśava temple, He was immediately overwhelmed with ecstasy. Offering various obeisances and prayers, He chanted and danced.
TEXT 236
prema dekhi’ loke haila mahā-camatkāra
sarva-loka kaila prabhura parama satkāra
SYNONYMS
prema dekhi’-seeing His ecstatic features; loke-people; haila-became; mahā-camatkāra-greatly astonished; sarva-loka-all people; kaila-did; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; parama satkāra-great reception.
TRANSLATION
All the people there were greatly astonished to see the ecstatic pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They all received the Lord very well.
TEXT 237
mahā-bhakta-gaṇa-saha tāhāṅ goṣṭhī kaila
‘brahma-saṁhitādhyāya’-puṅthi tāhāṅ pāila
SYNONYMS
mahā-bhakta-gaṇa-saha-among highly advanced devotees; tāhāṅ-there; goṣṭhī kaila-discussed; brahma-saṁhitā-adhyāya-one chapter of the Brahma-saṁhitā; puṅthi-scripture; tāhāṅ-there; pāila-found.
TRANSLATION
In the temple of Ādi-keśava, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu discussed spiritual matters among highly advanced devotees. While there, He found a chapter of the Brahma-saṁhitā.
TEXT 238
puṅthi pāñā prabhura haila ānanda apāra
kampāśru-sveda-stambha-pulaka vikāra
SYNONYMS
puṅthi pāñā-getting that scripture; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; haila-there was; ānanda-happiness; apāra-unlimited; kampa-trembling; aśru-tears; sveda-perspiration; stambha-being stunned; pulaka-jubilation; vikāra-transformations.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was greatly happy to find a chapter of that scripture, and symptoms of ecstatic transformation-trembling, tears, perspiration, trance and jubilation-were manifest in His body.
TEXTS 239-240
siddhānta-śāstra nāhi ‘brahma-saṁhitā’ra sama
govinda-mahimā jñānera parama kāraṇa
alpākṣare kahe siddhānta apāra
sakala-vaiṣṇava-śāstra-madhye ati sāra
SYNONYMS
siddhānta-śāstra-conclusive scripture; nāhi-there is not; brahma-saṁhitāra sama-like the scripture Brahma-saṁhitā; govinda-mahimā-of the glories of Lord Govinda; jñānera-of knowledge; parama-final; kāraṇa-cause; alpa-akṣare-briefly; kahe-expresses; siddhānta-conclusion; apāra-unlimited; sakala-all; vaiṣṇava-śāstra-devotional scriptures; madhye-among; ati sāra-very essential.
TRANSLATION
There is no scripture equal to the Brahma-saṁhitā as far as the final spiritual conclusion is concerned. Indeed, that scripture is the supreme revelation of the glories of Lord Govinda, for it reveals the topmost knowledge about Him. Since all conclusions are briefly presented in the Brahma-saṁhitā, it is essential among all the Vaiṣṇava scriptures.
PURPORT
The Brahma-saṁhitā is a very important scripture. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu acquired the Fifth Chapter from the Ādi-keśava temple. In that Fifth Chapter, the philosophical conclusion of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva (simultaneous oneness and difference) is presented. The chapter also presents methods of devotional service; the eighteen-syllable Vedic hymn; discourses on the soul, the Supersoul and fruitive activity; an explanation of Kāma-gāyatrī, kāma-bīja and the original Mahā-Viṣṇu; and a detailed description of the spiritual world, specifically Goloka Vṛndāvana. Brahma-saṁhitā also explains the demigod Gaṇeśa; Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; the origin of the Gāyatrī mantra; the form of Govinda and His transcendental position and abode; the living entities; the highest goal; the goddess Durgā; the meaning of austerity; the five gross elements; love of Godhead; impersonal Brahman; the initiation of Lord Brahmā; and the vision of transcendental love enabling one to see the Lord. The steps of devotional service are also explained. The mind; yoga-nidrā; the goddess of fortune; devotional service in spontaneous ecstasy; incarnations beginning with Lord Rāmacandra; Deities; the conditioned soul and its duties; the truth about Lord Viṣṇu; prayers; Vedic hymns; Lord Śiva; the Vedic literature; personalism and impersonalism; good behavior; and many other subjects are also discussed. There is also a description of the sun and the universal form of the Lord. All these subjects are conclusively explained in a nutshell in the Brahma-saṁhitā.
TEXT 241
bahu yatne sei puṅthi nila lekhāiyā
‘ananta padmanābha’ āilā haraṣita hañā
SYNONYMS
bahu yatne-with great attention; sei puṅthi-that scripture; nila-took; lekhāiyā-having it copied; ananta-padmanābha-to Ananta Padmanābha; āilā-came; haraṣita-in great happiness; hañā-being.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu copied the Brahma-saṁhitā and afterwards, with great pleasure, went to a place known as Ananta Padmanābha.
PURPORT
Concerning Ananta Padmanābha, one should refer to Madhya-līlā, Chapter One, text 115.
TEXT 242
dina-dui padmanābhera kaila daraśana
ānande dekhite āilā śrī-janārdana
SYNONYMS
dina-dui-two days; padmanābhera-of the Deity known as Padmanābha; kaila daraśana-visited the temple; ānande-in great ecstasy; dekhite-to see; āilā-came; śrī-janārdana-to the temple of Śrī Janārdana.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained for two or three days at Ananta Padmanābha and visited the temple there. Then, in great ecstasy He went to see the temple of Śrī Janārdana.
PURPORT
The temple of Śrī Janārdana is situated twenty-six miles north of Trivandrum, near the Varkāla railway station.
TEXT 243
dina-dui tāhāṅ kari’ kīrtana-nartana
payasvinī āsiyā dekhe śaṅkara nārāyaṇa
SYNONYMS
dina-dui-two days; tāhāṅ-there; kari’-performing; kīrtana-nartana-chanting and dancing; payasvinī āsiyā-coming to the bank of the Payasvinī River; dekhe-sees; śaṅkara nārāyaṇa-the temple of Śaṅkara-nārāyaṇa.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted and danced at Śrī Janārdana for two days. He then went to the bank of the Payasvinī River and visited the temple of Śaṅkara-nārāyaṇa.
TEXT 244
śṛṅgeri-maṭhe āilā śaṅkarācārya-sthāne
matsya-tīrtha dekhi’ kaila tuṅgabhadrāya snāne
SYNONYMS
śṛṅgeri-maṭhe-to the Śṛṅgeri monastery; āilā-came; śaṅkarācārya-sthāne-at the place of Śaṅkarācārya; matsya-tīrtha-the holy place named Matsya-tīrtha; dekhi’-seeing; kaila-did; tuṅgabhadrāya snāne-bathing in the river Tuṅgabhadrā.
TRANSLATION
Then He saw the monastery known as Śṛṅgeri-maṭha, the abode of Ācārya Śaṅkara. He then visited Matsya-tīrtha, a place of pilgrimage, and took a bath in the river Tuṅgabhadrā.
PURPORT
The monastery known as Śṛṅgeri-maṭha is situated in the state of Karnatakaīśū, in the district of Shimoga. This monastery is located on the left bank of the river Tuṅgabhadrā, seven miles south of Harihara-pura. The real name of this place is Śṛṅga-giri or Śṛṅgavera-purī, and it is the headquarters of Śaṅkarācārya.
Śaṅkarācārya had four principal disciples, and he established four centers under their management. In North India at Badarikāśrama, the monastery named Jyotir-maṭha was established. At Puruṣottama, the Bhogavardhana or Govardhana monastery was established. In Dvārakā, the Sāradā monastery was established. And the fourth monastery, established in South India, is known as Śṛṅgeri-maṭha. In the Śṛṅgeri-maṭha the sannyāsīs assume the designations Sarasvatī, Bhāratī and Purī. They are all ekadaṇḍi-sannyāsīs, distinguished from the Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, who are known as tridaṇḍi-sannyāsīs. The Śṛṅgeri-maṭha is situated in South India in a portion of the country known as Āndhra, Draviḍa, Karṇāṭa and Kerala. The community is called Bhūrivāra, and the dynasty is called Bhūr-bhuvaḥ. The place is called Rāmeśvara, and the slogan is ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Deity is Lord Varāha, and the energetic power is Kāmākṣī. The ācārya is Hastāmalaka, and the brahmacārī assistants of the sannyāsīs are known as Caitanya. The place of pilgrimage is called Tuṅgabhadrā, and the subject for Vedic study is the Yajur Veda.
The list of the disciplic succession from Śaṅkarācārya is available, and the names of the ācāryas and the dates of their accepting sannyāsa, according to the Śaka era (or Śakābda), are as follows (for approximate Christian-era dates, add 79 years): Śaṅkarācārya, 622 Śaka; Sureśvarācārya, 630; Bodhanācārya, 680; Jñānadhanācārya, 768; Jñānottama-śivācārya, 827; Jñānagiri Ācārya, 871; Siṁhagiri Ācārya, 958; Īśvara Tīrtha, 1019; Narasiṁha Tīrtha, 1067; Vidyātīrtha Vidyā-śaṅkara, 1150; Bhāratī-kṛṣṇa Tīrtha, 1250; Vidyāraṇya Bhāratī, 1253; Candraśekhara Bhāratī, 1290; Narasiṁha Bhāratī, 1309; Puruṣottama Bhāratī, 1328; Śaṅkarānanda, 1350; Candraśekhara Bhāratī, 1371; Narasiṁha Bhāratī, 1386; Puruṣottama Bhāratī, 1398; Rāmacandra Bhāratī, 1430; Narasiṁha Bhāratī, 1479; Narasiṁha Bhāratī, 1485; Abhinava-narasiṁha Bhāratī, 1521; Saccidānanda Bhāratī, 1544; Narasiṁha Bhāratī, 1585; Saccidānanda Bhāratī, 1627; Abhinava-saccidānanda Bhāratī, 1663; Nṛsiṁha Bhāratī, 1689; Saccidānanda Bhāratī, 1692; Abhinava-saccidānanda Bhāratī, 1730; Narasiṁha Bhāratī, 1739; Saccidānanda Śivābhinava Vidyā-narasiṁha Bhāratī, 1788.
Regarding Śaṅkarācārya, it is understood that he was born in the year 608 of the Śakābda era, in the month of Vaiśākha, on the third day of the waxing moon, in a place in South India known as Kālāḍi. His father’s name was Śivaguru, and he lost his father at an early age. When Śaṅkarācārya was only eight years old, he completed his study of all scriptures and took sannyāsa from Govinda, who was residing on the banks of the Narmadā. After accepting sannyāsa, Śaṅkarācārya stayed with his spiritual master for some days. He then took his permission to go to Vārāṇasī, and from there he went to Badarikāśrama, where he stayed until his twelfth year. While there, he wrote a commentary on the Brahma-sūtra, as well as on ten Upaniṣads and the Bhagavad-gītā. He also wrote Sanat-sujātīya and a commentary on the Nṛsiṁha-tāpinī. Among his many disciples, his four chief disciples are Padmapāda, Sureśvara, Hastāmalaka and Troṭaka. After departing from Vārāṇasī, Śaṅkarācārya went to Prayāga, where he met a great learned scholar called Kumārila Bhaṭṭa. Śaṅkarācārya wanted to discuss the authority of the scriptures, but Kumārila Bhaṭṭa, being on his deathbed, sent him to his disciple Maṇḍana, in the city of Māhiṣmatī. It was there that Śaṅkarācārya defeated Maṇḍana Miśra in a discussion of the śāstras. Maṇḍana had a wife named Sarasvatī, or Ubhaya-bhāratī, who served as mediator between Śaṅkarācārya and her husband. It is said that she wanted to discuss erotic principles and amorous love with Śaṅkarācārya, but Śaṅkarācārya had been a brahmacārī since birth and therefore had no experience in amorous love. He took a month’s leave from Ubhaya-bhāratī and, by his mystic power, entered the body of a king who had just died. In this way Śaṅkarācārya experienced the erotic principles. After attaining this experience, he wanted to discuss erotic principles with Ubhaya-bhāratī, but without hearing his discussion she blessed him and assured the continuous existence of the Śṛṅgeri-maṭha. She then took leave of material life. Afterwards, Maṇḍana Miśra took the order of sannyāsa from Śaṅkarācārya and became known as Sureśvara. Śaṅkarācārya defeated many scholars throughout India and converted them to his Māyāvāda philosophy. He left the material body at the age of thirty-three.
As far as Matsya-tīrtha is concerned, it was supposedly situated beside the ocean in the district of Malabar.
TEXT 245
madhvācārya-sthāne āilā yāṅhā ‘tattvavādī’
uḍupīte ‘kṛṣṇa’ dekhi, tāhāṅ haila premonmādī
SYNONYMS
madhva-ācārya-sthāne-at the place of Madhvācārya; āilā-arrived; yāṅhā-where; tattva-vādī-philosophers known as Tattvavādīs; uḍupīte-at the place known as Uḍupī; kṛṣṇa-the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa; dekhi-seeing; tāhāṅ-there; haila-became; prema-unmādī-mad in ecstasy.
TRANSLATION
Caitanya Mahāprabhu next arrived at Uḍupī, the place of Madhvācārya, where the philosophers known as Tattvavādīs resided. There He saw the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa and became mad with ecstasy.
PURPORT
Śrīpāda Madhvācārya took his birth at Uḍupī, which is situated in the South Kanaraḍā district of South India, just west of Sahyādri. This is the chief city of the South Kanaraḍā province and is near the city of Mangalore, which is situated to the south of Uḍupī. In the city of Uḍupī is a place called Pājakā-kṣetra, where Madhvācārya took his birth in a Śivāllī-brāhmaṇa dynasty as the son of Madhyageha Bhaṭṭa, in the year 1040 Śakābda (A.D. 1119). According to some, he was born in the year 1160 Śakābda (A.D. 1239).
In his childhood Madhvācārya was known as Vāsudeva, and there are some wonderful stories surrounding him. It is said that once when his father had piled up many debts, Madhvācārya converted tamarind seeds into actual coins to pay them off. When he was five years old, he was offered the sacred thread. A demon named Maṇimān lived near his abode in the form of a snake, and at the age of five Madhvācārya killed that snake with the toe of his left foot. When his mother was very much disturbed, he would appear before her in one jump. He was a great scholar even in childhood, and although his father did not agree, he accepted sannyāsa at the age of twelve. Upon receiving sannyāsa from Acyuta Prekṣa, he received the name Pūrṇaprajña Tīrtha. After traveling all over India, he finally discussed scriptures with Vidyāśaṅkara, the exalted leader of Sṛṅgeri-maṭha. Vidyāśaṅkara was actually diminished in the presence of Madhvācārya. Accompanied by Satya Tīrtha, Madhvācārya went to Badarikāśrama. It was there that he met Vyāsadeva and explained his commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā before him. Thus he became a great scholar by studying before Vyāsadeva.
By the time he came to the Ānanda-maṭha from Badarikāśrama, Madhvācārya had finished his commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā. His companion Satya Tīrtha wrote down the entire commentary. When Madhvācārya returned from Badarikāśrama, he went to Gañjāma, which is on the bank of the river Godāvarī. There he met with two learned scholars named Śobhana Bhaṭṭa and Svāmī Śāstrī. Later these scholars became known in the disciplic succession of Madhvācārya as Padmanābha Tīrtha and Narahari Tīrtha. When he returned to Uḍupī, he would sometimes bathe in the ocean. On such an occasion he composed a prayer in five chapters. Once, while sitting beside the sea engrossed in meditation upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he saw that a large boat containing goods for Dvārakā was in danger. He gave some signs by which the boat could approach the shore, and it was saved. The owners of the boat wanted to give him a present, and at the time Madhvācārya agreed to take some gopī-candana. He received a big lump of gopī-candana, and as it was being brought to him, it broke apart and revealed a large Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Deity had a stick in one hand and a lump of food in the other. As soon as Madhvācārya received the Deity of Kṛṣṇa in this way, he composed a prayer. The Deity was so heavy that not even thirty people could lift it. Madhvācārya personally brought this Deity to Uḍupī. Madhvācārya had eight disciples, all of whom took sannyāsa from him and became directors of his eight monasteries. Worship of the Lord Kṛṣṇa Deity is still going on at Uḍupī according to the plans Madhvācārya established.
Madhvācārya then for the second time visited Badarikāśrama. While he was passing through Maharashtra, the local king was digging a big lake for the public benefit. As Madhvācārya passed through that area with his disciples, he was also obliged to help in the excavation. After some time, when Madhvācārya visited the king, he engaged the king in that work and departed with his disciples.
Often in the province of Gāṅga-pradeśa there were fights between Hindus and Muslims. The Hindus were on one bank of the river, and the Muslims on the other. Due to the community tension, no boat was available for crossing the river. The Muslim soldiers were always stopping passengers on the other side, but Madhvācārya did not care for these soldiers. He crossed the river anyway, and when he met the soldiers on the other side, he was brought before the king. The Muslim king was so pleased with him that he wanted to give him a kingdom and some money, but Madhvācārya refused. While walking on the road, he was attacked by some dacoits, but by his bodily strength he killed them all. When his companion Satya Tīrtha was attacked by a tiger, Madhvācārya separated them by virtue of his great strength. When he met Vyāsadeva, he received from him the śālagrāma-śilā known as Aṣṭamūrti. After this, he summarized the Mahābhārata.
Madhvācārya’s devotion to the Lord and his erudite scholarship became known throughout India. Consequently the owners of the Śṛṅgeri-maṭha, established by Śaṅkarācārya, became a little perturbed. At that time the followers of Śaṅkarācārya were afraid of Madhvācārya’s rising power, and they began to tease Madhvācārya’s disciples in many ways. There was even an attempt to prove that the disciplic succession of Madhvācārya was not in line with Vedic principles. A person named Puṇḍarīka Purī, a follower of the Māyāvāda philosophy of Śaṅkarācārya, came before Madhvācārya to discuss the śāstras. It is said that all of Madhvācārya’s books were taken away, but later they were found with the help of King Jayasiṁha, ruler of Kumla. In discussion, Puṇḍarīka Purī was defeated by Madhvācārya. A great personality named Trivikramācārya, who was a resident of Viṣṇumaṅgala, became Madhvācārya’s disciple, and his son later became Nārāyaṇācārya, the composer of Śrī Madhva-vijaya. After the death of Trivikramācārya, the younger brother of Nārāyaṇācārya took sannyāsa and later became known as Viṣṇu Tīrtha.
It was reputed that there was no limit to the bodily strength of Pūrṇaprajña, Madhvācārya. There was a person named Kaḍañjari who was famed for possessing the strength of thirty men. Madhvācārya placed the big toe of his foot upon the ground and asked the man to separate it from the ground, but the great strong man could not do so even after great effort. Śrīla Madhvācārya passed from this material world at the age of eighty while writing a commentary on the Aitareya Upaniṣad. For further information about Madhvācārya, one should read Madhva-vijaya, by Nārāyaṇācārya.
The ācāryas of the Madhva-sampradāya established Uḍupī as the chief center, and the monastery there was known as Uttararāḍhī-maṭha. A list of the different centers of the Madhvācārya-sampradāya can be found at Uḍupī, and their maṭha commanders are (1) Viṣṇu Tīrtha (Śoda-maṭha), (2) Janārdana Tīrtha (Kṛṣṇapura-maṭha), (3) Vāmana Tīrtha (Kanura-maṭha), (4) Narasiṁha Tīrtha (Adamara-maṭha), (5) Upendra Tīrtha (Puttugī-maṭha), (6) Rāma Tīrtha (Śirura-maṭha), (7) Hṛṣīkeśa Tīrtha (Palimara-maṭha), and (8) Akṣobhya Tīrtha (Pejāvara-maṭha). The disciplic succession of the Madhvācārya-sampradāya is as follows (the dates are those of birth): (1) Haṁsa Paramātmā; (2) Caturmukha Brahmā; (3) Sanakādi; (4) Durvāsā; (5) Jñānanidhi; (6) Garuḍa-vāhana; (7) Kaivalya Tīrtha; (8) Jñāneśa Tīrtha; (9) Para Tīrtha; (10) Satyaprajña Tīrtha; (11) Prājña Tīrtha; (12) Acyuta Prekṣācārya Tīrtha; (13) Śrī Madhvācārya, 1040 Śaka; (14) Padmanābha, 1120; Narahari, 1127; Mādhava, 1136; and Akṣobhya 1159; (15) Jaya Tīrtha, 1167; (16) Vidyādhirāja, 1190; (17) Kavīndra, 1255; (18) Vāgīśa, 1261; (19) Rāmacandra, 1269; (20) Vidyānidhi, 1298; (21) Śrī Raghunātha, 1366; (22) Rayuvarya (who spoke with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu), 1424; (23) Raghūttama, 1471; (24) Vedavyāsa, 1517; (25) Vidyādhīśa, 1541; (26) Vedanidhi, 1553; (27) Satyavrata, 1557; (28) Satyanidhi, 1560; (29) Satyanātha, 1582; (30) Satyābhinava, 1595; (31) Satyapūrṇa, 1628; (32) Satyavijaya, 1648; (33) Satyapriya, 1659; (34) Satyabodha, 1666; (35) Satyasandha, 1705; (36) Satyavara, 1716; (37) Satyadharma, 1719; (38) Satyasaṅkalpa, 1752; (39) Satyasantuṣṭa, 1763; (40) Satyaparāyaṇa, 1763; (41) Satyakāma, 1785; (42) Satyeṣṭa, 1793; (43) Satyaparākrama, 1794; (44) Satyadhīra, 1801; (45) Satyadhīra Tīrtha, 1808. (For approximate Christian era dates, add seventy-nine years.)
After the sixteenth ācārya (Vidyādhirāja Tīrtha), there was another disciplic succession, including Rājendra Tīrtha, 1254; Vijayadhvaja; Puruṣottama; Subrahmaṇya; and Vyāsa Rāya, 1470-1520. The nineteenth ācārya, Rāmacandra Tīrtha, had another disciplic succession, including Vibudhendra, 1218; Jitāmitra, 1348; Raghunandana; Surendra; Vijendra; Sudhīndra; and Rāghavendra Tīrtha, 1545.
To date, in the Uḍupī monastery there are another fourteen Madhva-tīrtha sannyāsīs. As stated, Uḍupī is situated beside the sea in South Kanaraḍā, about thirty-six miles north of Mangalore.
Most of the information in this purport is available from the South Kānāḍā Manual and the Bombay Gazette.
TEXT 246
nartaka gopāla dekhe parama-mohane
madhvācārye svapna diyā āilā tāṅra sthāne
SYNONYMS
nartaka gopāla-dancing Gopāla; dekhe-saw; parama-mohane-most beautiful; madhva-ācārye-unto Madhvācārya; svapna diyā-appearing in a dream; āilā-came; tāṅra-his; sthāne-to the place.
TRANSLATION
While at the Uḍupī monastery, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw “dancing Gopāla,” a most beautiful Deity. This Deity appeared to Madhvācārya in a dream.
TEXT 247
gopī-candana-tale āchila ḍiṅgāte
madhvācārya sei kṛṣṇa pāilā kona-mate
SYNONYMS
gopī-candana-tale-under heaps of gopī-candana (yellowish clay used for tilaka); āchila-came; ḍiṅgāte-in a boat; madhva-ācārya-Madhvācārya; sei kṛṣṇa-that Kṛṣṇa Deity; pāilā-got; kona-mate-somehow or other.
TRANSLATION
Madhvācārya had somehow or other acquired the Deity of Kṛṣṇa from a heap of gopī-candana that had been transported in a boat.
TEXT 248
madhvācārya āni’ tāṅre karilā sthāpana
adyāvadhi sevā kare tattvavādi-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
madhva-ācārya-Madhvācārya; āni’-bringing; tāṅre-Him; karilā sthāpana-installed; adya-avadhi-to date; sevā kare-worship; tattvavādi-gaṇa-the Tattvavādīs.
TRANSLATION
Madhvācārya brought this dancing Gopāla Deity to Uḍupī and installed Him in the temple. To date, the followers of Madhvācārya, known as Tattvavādīs, worship this Deity.
TEXT 249
kṛṣṇa-mūrti dekhi’ prabhu mahā-sukha pāila
premāveśe bahu-kṣaṇa nṛtya-gīta kaila
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa-mūrti dekhi’-seeing the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mahā-sukha-great happiness; pāila-got; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; bahu-kṣaṇa-for a long time; nṛtya-gīta-dancing and singing; kaila-performed.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu received great pleasure in seeing this beautiful form of Gopāla. For a long time He danced and chanted in ecstatic love.
TEXT 250
tattvavādi-gaṇa prabhuke ‘māyāvādī’ jñāne
prathama darśane prabhuke nā kaila sambhāṣaṇe
SYNONYMS
tattvavādi-gaṇa-the Tattvavādīs; prabhuke-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; māyāvādī jñāne-considering as a Māyāvādī sannyāsī; prathama darśane-in the first meeting; prabhuke-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nā-did not; kaila-do; sambhāṣaṇe-addressing.
TRANSLATION
When they first saw Him, the Tattvavādī Vaiṣṇavas considered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu a Māyāvādī sannyāsī. Therefore they did not talk to Him.
TEXT 251
pāche premāveśa dekhi’ haila camatkāra
vaiṣṇava-jñāne bahuta karila satkāra
SYNONYMS
pāche-later; prema-āveśa-ecstatic love; dekhi’-seeing; haila camatkāra-became struck with wonder; vaiṣṇava-jñāne-understanding as a Vaiṣṇava; bahuta-much; karila-did; satkāra-reception.
TRANSLATION
Later, after seeing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in ecstatic love, they were struck with wonder. Then, considering Him a Vaiṣṇava, they gave Him a nice reception.
TEXT 252
‘vaiṣṇavatā’ sabāra antare garva jāni’
īṣat hāsiyā kichu kahe gauramaṇi
SYNONYMS
vaiṣṇavatā-Vaiṣṇavism; sabāra-of all of them; antare-within the mind; garva-pride; jāni’-knowing; īṣat-mildly; hāsiyā-smiling; kichu-something; kahe-says; gaura-maṇi-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu could understand that the Tattvavādīs were very proud of their Vaiṣṇavism. He therefore smiled and began to speak to them.
TEXT 253
tāṅ-sabāra antare garva jāni gauracandra
tāṅ-sabā-saṅge goṣṭhī karilā ārambha
SYNONYMS
tāṅ-sabāra-of all of them; antare-within the mind; garva-pride; jāni-knowing; gaura-candra-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅ-sabā-saṅge-with them; goṣṭhī-discussion; karilā-made; ārambha-beginning.
TRANSLATION
Considering them very proud, Caitanya Mahāprabhu began His discussion.
TEXT 254
tattvavādī ācārya–saba śāstrete pravīṇa
tāṅre praśna kaila prabhu hañā yena dīna
SYNONYMS
tattvavādī ācārya-the chief preacher of the Tattvavāda community; saba-all; śāstrete-in revealed scriptures; pravīṇa-experienced; tāṅre-unto him; praśna-question; kaila-did; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; hañā-becoming; yena-as if; dīna-very humble.
TRANSLATION
The chief ācārya of the Tattvavāda community was very learned in the revealed scriptures. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu humbly questioned him.
TEXT 255
sādhya-sādhana āmi nā jāni bhāla-mate
sādhya-sādhana-śreṣṭha jānāha āmāte
SYNONYMS
sādhya-sādhana-the aim of life and how to achieve it; āmi-I; nā-not; jāni-know; bhāla-mate-very well; sādhya-sādhana-the aim of life and how to achieve it; śreṣṭha-the best; jānāha-kindly explain; āmāte-unto Me.
TRANSLATION
Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I do not know very well the aim of life and how to achieve it. Please tell Me of the best ideal for humanity and how to attain it.”
TEXT 256
ācārya kahe,–‘varṇāśrama-dharma, kṛṣṇe samarpaṇa’
ei haya kṛṣṇa-bhaktera śreṣṭha ‘sādhana’
SYNONYMS
ācārya kahe-the ācārya said; varṇa-āśrama-dharma-the institution of four castes and four āśramas; kṛṣṇe-unto Kṛṣṇa; samarpaṇa-to dedicate; ei haya-this is; kṛṣṇa-bhaktera-of the devotee of Kṛṣṇa; śreṣṭha sādhana-the best means of achievement.
TRANSLATION
The ācārya replied, “When the activities of the four castes and the four āśramas are dedicated to Kṛṣṇa, they constitute the best means whereby one can attain the highest goal of life.
TEXT 257
‘pañca-vidha mukti’ pāñā vaikuṇṭhe gamana
‘sādhya-śreṣṭha’ haya,–ei śāstra-nirūpaṇa
SYNONYMS
pañca-vidha mukti-five kinds of liberation; pāñā-getting; vaikuṇṭhe-to the spiritual world; gamana-transference; sādhya-śreṣṭha haya-is the highest achievement of the goal of life; ei-this; śāstra-nirūpaṇa-the verdict of all revealed scriptures.
TRANSLATION
“When one dedicates the duties of varṇāśrama-dharma to Kṛṣṇa, he is eligible for five kinds of liberation. Thus he is transferred to the spiritual world in Vaikuṇṭha. This is the highest goal of life and the verdict of all revealed scriptures.”
TEXT 258
prabhu kahe,–śāstre kahe śravaṇa-kīrtana
kṛṣṇa-prema-sevā-phalera ‘parama-sādhana’
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; śāstre kahe-in the śāstra it is said; śravaṇa-kīrtana-the process of chanting and hearing; kṛṣṇa-prema-sevā-of loving service to Lord Kṛṣṇa; phalera-of the result; parama-sādhana-best process of achievement.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “According to the verdict of the śāstras, the process of hearing and chanting is the best means to attain loving service to Kṛṣṇa.
PURPORT
According to the Tattvavādīs, the best process for achieving the highest goal of life is to execute the duties of the four varṇas and āśramas. In the material world, unless one is situated in one of the varṇas (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra) one cannot manage social affairs properly to attain the ultimate goal. One also has to follow the principles of the āśramas (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa), for these principles are considered essential for the attainment of the highest goal. In this way the Tattvavādīs establish that the execution of the principles of varṇa and āśrama for the sake of Kṛṣṇa is the best way to attain the topmost goal. The Tattvavādīs thus established their principles in terms of human society. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, however, differed when He said that the best process is hearing and chanting about Lord Viṣṇu. According to the Tattvavādīs, the highest goal is returning home, back to Godhead, but in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s opinion the highest goal is attaining love of Godhead, either in the material world or in the spiritual world. In the material world this is practiced according to śāstric injunction, and in the spiritual world the real achievement is already there.
TEXTS 259-260
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau
bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā
tan manye ‘dhītam uttamam
SYNONYMS
śravaṇam-hearing of the holy name, form, qualities, entourage and pastimes, all of which must pertain to Lord Viṣṇu; kīrtanam-vibrating transcendental sounds pertaining to the holy name, form, qualities and entourage, and inquiring about them (these also should be only in relationship to Viṣṇu); viṣṇoḥ-of Lord Viṣṇu; smaraṇam-remembering the holy name, form and entourage, and inquiring about them, also only for Viṣṇu; pāda-sevanam-executing devotional service according to time, circumstances and situation, only in relationship with Viṣṇu; arcanam-worshiping the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Rāmacandra, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa or the other forms of Viṣṇu; vandanam-offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dāsyam-always thinking oneself an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sakhyam-making friends with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ātma-nivedanam-dedicating everything (body, mind and soul) for the service of the Lord; iti-thus; puṁsā-by the human being; arpitā-dedicated; viṣṇau-unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu; bhaktiḥ-devotional service; cet-if; nava-lakṣaṇā-possessing nine different systems, as above mentioned; kriyeta-one should execute; bhagavati-unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; addhā-directly (not indirectly through karma, jñāna or yoga); tat-that; manye-I understand; adhītam-studied; uttamam-first class.
TRANSLATION
” ‘This process entails hearing, chanting and remembering the holy name, form, pastimes, qualities and entourage of the Lord, offering service according to the time, place and performer, worshiping the Deity, offering prayers, always considering oneself the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, making friends with Him and dedicating everything unto Him. These nine items of devotional service, when directly offered to Kṛṣṇa, constitute the highest attainment of life. This is the verdict of the revealed scriptures.’
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu quoted these verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.23-24).
TEXT 261
śravaṇa-kīrtana ha-ite kṛṣṇe haya ‘premā’
sei pañcama puruṣārtha–puruṣārthera sīmā
SYNONYMS
śravaṇa-kīrtana-hearing and chanting; ha-ite-from; kṛṣṇe-unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; haya-there is; premā-transcendental love; sei-that; pañcama puruṣa-artha-the fifth platform of perfection of life; puruṣa-arthera sīmā-the limit of goals of life.
TRANSLATION
“When one comes to the platform of loving service to Lord Kṛṣṇa by executing these nine processes beginning with hearing and chanting, he has attained the fifth platform of success and the limit of life’s goals.
PURPORT
Everyone is after success in religion, economic development, sense gratification and ultimately merging into the existence of Brahman. These are the general practices of the common man, but according to the strict principles of the Vedas, the highest attainment is to rise to the platform of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, hearing and chanting about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.2):
dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ
vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śiva-daṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam
śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ
sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ‘tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt
“Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Śrī Vyāsadeva, is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.” This verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam rejects as cheating processes all religious activities that aim at achieving materialistic goals, including dharma, artha, kāma and even mokṣa, or liberation.
According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, the material conception of success (mokṣa, or liberation) is desired by those in material existence. Devotees, however, not being situated in material existence, have no desire for liberation.
A devotee is always liberated in all stages of life because he is always engaged in the nine items of devotional service (śravaṇam, kīrtanam, etc.). Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s philosophy holds that devotional service to Kṛṣṇa always exists in everyone’s heart. It simply has to be awakened by the process of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Śravaṇādi śuddha-citte karaye udaya (Cc. Madhya 22.107). When a person is actually engaged in devotional service, his eternal relationship with the Lord, the servant-master relationship, is awakened.
TEXT 262
evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty
unmāda-van nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ
SYNONYMS
evam-vrataḥ-when one thus engages in a vow to chant and dance; sva-own; priya-very dear; nāma-holy name; kīrtyā-by chanting; jāta-in this way develops; anurāgaḥ-attachment; druta-cittaḥ-very eagerly; uccaiḥ-loudly; hasati-laughs; atho-also; roditi-cries; rauti-becomes agitated; gāyati-chants; unmāda-vat-like a madman; nṛtyati-dances; loka-bāhyaḥ-without caring for outsiders.
TRANSLATION
” ‘When a person is actually advanced and takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is very dear to him, he is agitated and loudly chants the holy name. He also laughs, cries, becomes agitated and chants just like a madman, not caring for outsiders.’
PURPORT
This verse is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.40).
TEXT 263
karma-nindā, karma-tyāga, sarva-śāstre kahe
karma haite prema-bhakti kṛṣṇe kabhu nahe
SYNONYMS
karma-nindā-condemnation of fruitive activities; karma-tyāga-renunciation of fruitive activities; sarva-śāstre kahe-is announced in every revealed scripture; karma haite-from fruitive activities; prema-bhakti-devotional service in ecstatic love; kṛṣṇe-for Kṛṣṇa; kabhu nahe-can never be achieved.
TRANSLATION
“In every revealed scripture there is condemnation of fruitive activities. It is advised everywhere to give up engagement in fruitive activities, for by executing them no one can attain the highest goal of life, love of Godhead.
PURPORT
In the Vedas there are three kāṇḍas, or divisions: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. The karma-kāṇḍa portion stresses the execution of fruitive activities, although ultimately it is advised that one abandon both karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa (speculative knowledge) and accept only upāsanā-kāṇḍa, or bhakti-kāṇḍa. One cannot attain love of Godhead by executing karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa. But by dedicating one’s karma, or fruitive activities, to the Supreme Lord, one may be relieved from the polluted mind, and becoming free from mental pollution helps elevate one to the spiritual platform. Then, however, one needs the association of a pure devotee, for only by a pure devotee’s association can one become a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. When one comes to the stage of pure devotional service, the process of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is very essential. By executing the nine items of devotional service, beginning with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, one is completely purified. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.12). Only then is one able to execute Kṛṣṇa’s orders in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.65-66):
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te
pratijāne priyo ‘si me
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” In this way one develops his original constitutional position of rendering loving service to the Lord.
One cannot be elevated to the highest platform of devotional service by karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa. Pure devotional service can be understood and attained only through the association of pure devotees. In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that there are two types of karma-kāṇḍa activities-pious and impious. Pious activities are certainly better than impious activities, but even pious activities cannot help one achieve ecstatic love of God, Kṛṣṇa. Pious and impious activities bring about material happiness and distress, but there is no possibility of one’s becoming a pure devotee simply by acting piously or impiously. Bhakti, devotional service, means satisfying Kṛṣṇa. In every revealed scripture, whether stressing jñāna-kāṇḍa or karma-kāṇḍa, the principle of renunciation is always praised. The ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is the supreme Vedic evidence. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.12) it is said:
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
“Knowledge of self-realization, even though free from all material affinity, does not look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. What, then, is the use of fruitive activities, which are naturally painful from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are not utilized for the devotional service of the Lord?” This means that even knowledge, which is superior to fruitive activity, is not successful if it is devoid of devotional service. Therefore in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam-in the beginning, middle and end-karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa are condemned. For example, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.2 it is said: dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra.
This is explained in the following verses taken from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.11.32) and the Bhagavad-gītā (18.66).
TEXT 264
ājñāyaivaṁ guṇān doṣān
mayādiṣṭān api svakān
dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān
māṁ bhajet sa ca sattamaḥ
SYNONYMS
ājñāya-knowing perfectly; evam-thus; guṇān-qualities; doṣān-faults; mayā-by Me; ādiṣṭān-instructed; api-although; svakān-own; dharmān-occupational duties; santyajya-giving up; yaḥ-anyone who; sarvān-all; mām-unto Me; bhajet-may render service; saḥ-he; ca-and; sat-tamaḥ-first-class person.
TRANSLATION
” ‘Occupational duties are described in the religious scriptures. If one analyzes them, he can fully understand their qualities and faults and then give them up completely to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A person who does so is considered a first-class man.’
TEXT 265
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
SYNONYMS
sarva-dharmān-all kinds of occupational duties; parityajya-giving up; mām ekam-unto Me only; śaraṇam-as shelter; vraja-go; aham-I; tvām-unto you; sarva-pāpebhyaḥ-from all the reactions of sinful life; mokṣayiṣyāmi-will give liberation; mā-do not; śucaḥ-worry.
TRANSLATION
” ‘Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.’
TEXT 266
tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta
na nirvidyeta yāvatā
mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā
śraddhā yāvan na jāyate
SYNONYMS
tāvat-up to that time; karmāṇi-fruitive activities; kurvīta-one should execute; na nirvidyeta-is not satiated; yāvatā-as long as; mat-kathā-of discourses about Me; śravaṇa-ādau-in the matter of śravaṇam, kīrtanam, and so on; vā-or; śraddhā-faith; yāvat-as long as; na-not; jāyate-is awakened.
TRANSLATION
” ‘As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.’
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.20.9).
TEXT 267
pañca-vidha mukti tyāga kare bhakta-gaṇa
phalgu kari’ ‘mukti’ dekhe narakera sama
SYNONYMS
pañca-vidha-five kinds of; mukti-liberation; tyāga kare-give up; bhakta-gaṇa-devotees; phalgu-insignificant; kari’-considering; mukti-liberation; dekhe-see; narakera-to hell; sama-equal.
TRANSLATION
“Pure devotees reject the five kinds of liberation; indeed, for them liberation is very insignificant because they see it as hellish.
TEXT 268
sālokya-sārṣṭi-sāmīpya-
sārūpyaikatvam apy uta
dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti
vinā mat-sevanaṁ janāḥ
SYNONYMS
sālokya-to live on the same planet as the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sārṣṭi-to possess opulence equal to the Lord’s; sāmīpya-to always associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sārūpya-to possessing bodily features equal to the Lord’s; ekatvam-to merge into the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; api-even; uta-certainly; dīyamānam-being offered; na-never; gṛhṇanti-accept; vinā-without; mat-My; sevanam-devotional service; janāḥ-devotees.
TRANSLATION
” ‘Pure devotees always reject the five kinds of liberation, which include living in the spiritual Vaikuṇṭha planets, possessing the same opulences as those possessed by the Supreme Lord, having the same bodily features as the Lord’s, associating with the Lord and merging into the body of the Lord. The pure devotees do not accept these benedictions without the service of the Lord.’
PURPORT
This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.13).
TEXT 269
yo dustyajān kṣiti-suta-svajanārtha-dārān
prārthyāṁ śriyaṁ sura-varaiḥ sadayāvalokām
naicchan nṛpas tad ucitaṁ mahatāṁ madhu-dviṭ-
sevānurakta-manasām abhavo ‘pi phalguḥ
SYNONYMS
yaḥ-one who; dustyajān-very difficult to give up; kṣiti-land; suta-children; svajana-relatives; artha-riches; dārān-and wife; prārthyām-desirable; śriyam-fortune; sura-varaiḥ-by the best of the demigods; sa-dayā-merciful; avalokām-whose glance; na aicchat-did not desire; nṛpaḥ-the King (Mahārāja Bharata); tat-that; ucitam-is befitting; mahatām-of great personalities; madhu-dviṭ-of the killer of the demon Madhu; sevā-anurakta-engaged in the service; manasām-the minds of whom; abhavaḥ-cessation of the repetition of birth and death; api-even; phalguḥ-insignificant.
TRANSLATION
” ‘It is very difficult to give up material opulence, land, children, society, friends, riches, wife or the blessings of the goddess of fortune, which are desired even by great demigods. But King Bharata did not desire such things, and this was quite befitting his position, because for a pure devotee whose mind is always engaged in service of the Lord, even the liberation of merging into the existence of the Lord is insignificant. And what to speak of material opportunities?’
PURPORT
This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.14.44) concerning the glorification of King Bharata, whom Śukadeva Gosvāmī was describing to King Parīkṣit.
TEXT 270
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
SYNONYMS
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ-persons who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa; sarve-all; na-never; kutaścana-anywhere; bibhyati-are afraid; svarga-in the heavenly planetary system; apavarga-on the path of liberation; narakeṣu-or in a hellish condition of life; api-even; tulya-equal; artha-value; darśinaḥ-seers of.
TRANSLATION
” ‘A person who is a devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa is not afraid of a hellish condition because he considers it the same as elevation to the heavenly planets or liberation. The devotees of Lord Nārāyaṇa are accustomed to seeing all these things on the same level.’
PURPORT
This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.28) regarding the personality Citraketu. Once when Citraketu saw the goddess Pārvatī sitting on the lap of Lord Śambhu (Śiva), he criticized Lord Śiva for being shameless and sitting just like an ordinary man with his wife on his lap. For this reason Citraketu was cursed by Pārvatī. Later he became a demon named Vṛtrāsura. Citraketu was a very powerful king and a devotee, and he could certainly retaliate even against Lord Śiva, but when Pārvatī cursed him, he immediately accepted the curse with a bowed head. When he agreed to accept this curse, Lord Śiva praised him and told Pārvatī that a devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa is never afraid of accepting any position provided there is a chance to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the purport of nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati.
TEXT 271
mukti, karma–dui vastu tyaje bhakta-gaṇa
sei dui sthāpa’ tumi ‘sādhya’, ‘sādhana’
SYNONYMS
mukti-liberation; karma-fruitive activities; dui-two; vastu-things; tyaje-give up; bhakta-gaṇa-the devotees; sei-those; dui-two; sthāpa’-establish; tumi-you; sādhya-the goal of life; sādhana-the process of achievement.
TRANSLATION
“Both liberation and fruitive activity are rejected by devotees. You are trying to establish these things as life’s goal and the process for attaining it.”
TEXT 272
sannyāsī dekhiyā more karaha vañcana
nā kahilā teñi sādhya-sādhana-lakṣaṇa
SYNONYMS
sannyāsī-a person in the renounced order of life; dekhiyā-seeing; more-unto Me; karaha-you do; vañcana-duplicity; nā kahilā-did not describe; teñi-therefore; sādhya-objective; sādhana-process of achievement; lakṣaṇa-symptoms.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued speaking to the Tattvavādī ācārya: “Seeing that I am a mendicant in the renounced order of life, you have been playing with Me in a duplicitous way. You have not actually described the process and ultimate objective.”
TEXT 273
śuni’ tattvācārya hailā antare lajjita
prabhura vaiṣṇavatā dekhi, ha-ilā vismita
SYNONYMS
śuni’-hearing; tattva-ācārya-the ācārya of the Tattvavāda-sampradāya; hailā-became; antare-within the mind; lajjita-ashamed; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vaiṣṇavatā-devotion in Vaiṣṇavism; dekhi-seeing; ha-ilā-became; vismita-struck with wonder.
TRANSLATION
After hearing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the ācārya of the Tattvavāda-sampradāya became very much ashamed. Upon observing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s rigid faith in Vaiṣṇavism, he was struck with wonder.
TEXT 274
ācārya kahe,–tumi yei kaha, sei satya haya
sarva-śāstre vaiṣṇavera ei suniścaya
SYNONYMS
ācārya kahe-the Tattvavādī ācārya said; tumi-You; yei-whatever; kaha-say; sei-that; satya-truth; haya-is; sarva-śāstre-in all revealed scriptures; vaiṣṇavera-of the devotees of Lord Viṣṇu; ei-this; su-niścaya-conclusion.
TRANSLATION
The Tattvavādī ācārya replied, “What You have said is certainly factual. It is the conclusion of all the revealed scriptures of the Vaiṣṇavas.
TEXT 275
tathāpi madhvācārya ye kariyāche nirbandha
sei ācariye sabe sampradāya-sambandha
SYNONYMS
tathāpi-still; madhva-ācārya-Madhvācārya; ye-whatever; kariyāche-formulated; nirbandha-rules and regulations; sei-that; ācariye-we practice; sabe-all; sampradāya-party; sambandha-relationship.
TRANSLATION
“Still, whatever Madhvācārya has established as the formula for our party, we practice as a party policy.”
TEXT 276
prabhu kahe,–karmī, jñānī,–dui bhakti-hīna
tomāra sampradāye dekhi sei dui cihna
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; karmī-fruitive worker; jñānī-mental speculator; dui-both of them; bhakti-hīna-nondevotees; tomāra-your; sampradāye-in the community; dekhi-I see; sei-those; dui-both; cihna-symptoms.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Both the fruitive worker and the speculative philosopher are considered nondevotees. We see both elements present in your sampradāya.
TEXT 277
sabe, eka guṇa dekhi tomāra sampradāye
satya-vigraha kari’ īśvare karaha niścaye
SYNONYMS
sabe-in all; eka-one; guṇa-quality; dekhi-I see; tomāra-your; sampradāye-in the party; satya-vigraha-the form of the Lord as truth; kari’-accepting; īśvare-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; karaha-you do; niścaye-conviction.
TRANSLATION
“The only qualification that I see in your sampradāya is that you accept the form of the Lord as truth.”
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to point out to the Tattvavādī ācārya, who belonged to the Madhvācārya-sampradāya, that the general behavior of the Tattvavādīs did not favor pure devotional service, which must be devoid of the taints of fruitive activity and speculative knowledge. As far as fruitive activity is concerned, the contamination is the desire for elevation to a higher standard of life, and for speculative knowledge the contamination is the desire to merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth. The Tattvavāda-sampradāya of the Madhvācārya school sticks to the principle of varṇāśrama-dharma, which involves fruitive activity. Their ultimate goal (mukti) is simply a form of material desire. A pure devotee should be free from all kinds of material desire. He simply engages in the service of the Lord. Nonetheless, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was pleased that the Madhvācārya-sampradāya, or the Tattvavāda-sampradāya, accepted the transcendental form of the Lord. This is the great qualification of the Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas.
It is the Māyāvāda-sampradāya that does not accept the transcendental form of the Lord. If a Vaiṣṇava sampradāya is also carried away by that impersonal attitude, that sampradāya has no position at all. It is a fact that there are many so-called Vaiṣṇavas whose ultimate aim is to merge into the existence of the Lord. For example, the sahajiyās’ Vaiṣṇava philosophy is to become one with the Supreme. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu points out that Śrī Mādhavendra Purī accepted Madhvācārya only because his sampradāya accepted the transcendental form of the Lord.
TEXT 278
ei-mata tāṅra ghare garva cūrṇa kari’
phalgu-tīrthe tabe cali āilā gaurahari
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; tāṅra ghare-at his place; garva-pride; cūrṇa-broken; kari’-making; phalgu-tīrthe-to the holy place named Phalgu-tīrtha; tabe-then; cali-walking; āilā-came; gaurahari-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu broke the pride of the Tattvavādīs to pieces. He then went to the holy place known as Phalgu-tīrtha.
TEXT 279
tritakūpe viśālāra kari’ daraśana
pañcāpsarā-tīrthe āilā śacīra nandana
SYNONYMS
tritakūpe-to Tritakūpa; viśālāra-of the Deity named Viśālā; kari’-doing; daraśana-visiting; pañca-apsarā-tīrthe-to Pañcāpsarā-tīrtha; āilā-came; śacīra nandana-the son of mother Śacī.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of mother Śacī, went to Tritakūpa, and after seeing the Viśālā Deity there, He went to the holy place known as Pañcāpsarā-tīrtha.
PURPORT
The Apsarās, denizens of the heavenly planets, are generally known as dancing girls. The girls in the heavenly planets are exquisitely beautiful, and if a woman on earth is found to be very beautiful, she is compared to the Apsarās. There were five Apsarās named Latā, Budbudā, Samīcī, Saurabheyī and Varṇā. It is said that these five beautiful dancing girls were sent by Indra to break the severe austerity of a saintly person called Acyuta Ṛṣi. This action was typical of Indra, the King of heaven. Whenever Indra discovered someone undergoing severe austerities, he would begin to fear for his post. Indra was always anxious about his position, fearing that if someone became more powerful than him he would lose his elevated position. Thus as soon as he would see a saint undergoing severe austerities, he would send dancing girls to distract him. Even the great saint Viśvāmitra Muni fell victim to his plan.
When the five Apsarās went to break Acyuta Ṛṣi’s meditation, they were all chastised and cursed by the saint. As a result, the girls turned into crocodiles in a lake that came to be known as Pañcāpsarā. Lord Rāmacandra also visited this place. From Śrī Nārada Muni’s narration, it is understood that when Arjuna went to visit the holy places, he learned about the condemnation of the five Apsarās. He delivered them from their abominable condition, and from that day the lake known as Pañcāpsarā became a place of pilgrimage.
TEXT 280
gokarṇe śiva dekhi’ āilā dvaipāyani
sūrpāraka-tīrthe āilā nyāsi-śiromaṇi
SYNONYMS
gokarṇe-in the place named Gokarṇa; śiva-the temple of Lord Siva; dekhi’-seeing; āilā-came; dvaipāyani-to Dvaipāyani; sūrpāraka-tīrthe-to the holy place named Sūrpāraka; āilā-came; nyāsi-śiromaṇi-the best of the sannyāsīs, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
After seeing Pañcāpsarā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Gokarṇa. While there, He visited the temple of Lord Śiva, and then He went to Dvaipāyani. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the crown jewel of all sannyāsīs, then went to Sūrpāraka-tīrtha.
PURPORT
Gokarṇa is situated in North Karnaraḍā It is about twenty miles southeast of Karwar. This place is very famous for the temple of Lord Śiva known as Mahā-baleśvara. Hundreds and thousands of pilgrims come to see this temple. Sūrpāraka (nowadays known as Sopārā) is about twenty-six miles north of Bombay, in the Maharashtra province, in the district known as Thāne. Sūrpāraka is mentioned in the Mahābhārata (Śānti-parva, Chapter 41, verses 66-67).
TEXT 281
kolāpure lakṣmī dekhi’ dekhena kṣīra-bhagavatī
lāṅga-gaṇeśa dekhi’ dekhena cora-pārvatī
SYNONYMS
kolāpure-at Kolāpura; lakṣmī-the goddess of fortune; dekhi’-seeing; dekhena-He visited; kṣīra-bhagavatī-the temple of Kṣīra-bhagavatī; lāṅga-gaṇeśa-the deity Lāṅga-gaṇeśa; dekhi’-seeing; dekhena-He sees; cora-pārvatī-the goddess Pārvatī, who is known as a thief.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then visited the town of Kolāpura, where He saw the goddess of fortune in the temple of Kṣīra-bhagavatī and Lāṅga-gaṇeśa in another temple, known as Cora-pārvatī.
PURPORT
Kolāpura is a town in the Maharashtra province formerly known as Bombay Pradeśa. Formerly it was a native state, and it is bordered on the north by the district of Satara, on the east and south by the district of Belgaumā, and on the west by the district of Ratnagiri. In this place there is a river named Urṇā. From the Bombay Gazette it is understood that there were about 250 temples there, out of which six are very famous. These are (1) Ambābāi, or Mahālakṣmī Mandira, (2) Viṭhobā Mandira, (3) Ṭemblāi Mandira, (4) Mahākālī Mandira, (5) Phirāṅga-i, or Pratyaṅgirā Mandira, and (6) Yyāllāmmā Mandira.
TEXT 282
tathā haite pāṇḍarapure āilā gauracandra
viṭhṭhala-ṭhākura dekhi’ pāilā ānanda
SYNONYMS
tathā haite-from there; pāṇḍara-pure-to Pāṇḍarapura; āilā-came; gauracandra-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; viṭhṭhala-ṭhākura-the Deity known as Viṭhṭhala; dekhi’-seeing; pāilā-got; ānanda-great happiness.
TRANSLATION
From there Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Pāṇḍarapura, where He happily saw the temple of Viṭhṭhala Ṭhākura.
PURPORT
This city of Pāṇḍarapura is situated on the river Bhīmā. It is said that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu initiated Tukārāma when He visited Pāṇḍarapura. This Tukārāma Ācārya became very famous in the Maharashtra province, and he spread the saṅkīrtana movement all over the province. The saṅkīrtana party belonging to Tukārāma is still very popular in Bombay and throughout the province of Maharashtra. Tukārāma was a disciple of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and his book is known as Abhaṅga. His saṅkīrtana party exactly resembles the Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava saṅkīrtana parties, for they chant the holy name of the Lord with mṛdaṅga and karatālas.
The Lord Viṭhṭhaladeva mentioned in this verse is a form of Lord Viṣṇu with four hands. He is Nārāyaṇa.
TEXT 283
premāveśe kaila bahuta kīrtana-nartana
tāhāṅ eka vipra tāṅre kaila nimantraṇa
SYNONYMS
prema-āveśe-in the great ecstasy of love; kaila-performed; bahuta-much; kīrtana-nartana-chanting and dancing; tāhāṅ-there; eka-one; vipra-brāhmaṇa; tāṅre-unto Him; kaila-did; nimantraṇa-invitation.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted and danced in various ways as usual. A brāhmaṇa, seeing Him in ecstatic love, was very much pleased and invited the Lord to his home for lunch.
TEXT 284
bahuta ādare prabhuke bhikṣā karāila
bhikṣā kari’ tathā eka śubha-vārtā pāila
SYNONYMS
bahuta ādare-with great love; prabhuke-unto Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhikṣā karāila-offered lunch; bhikṣā kari’-after finishing His lunch; tathā-there; eka-one; śubha-vārtā-auspicious news; pāila-got.
TRANSLATION
This brāhmaṇa offered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu food with great respect and love. After finishing His lunch, the Lord received auspicious news.
TEXT 285
mādhava-purīra śiṣya ‘śrī-raṅga-purī’ nāma
sei grāme vipra-gṛhe karena viśrāma
SYNONYMS
mādhava-purīra śiṣya-a disciple of Mādhavendra Purī; śrī-raṅga-purī-Śrī Raṅga Purī; nāma-named; sei grāme-in that village; vipra-gṛhe-in the house of a brāhmaṇa; karena viśrāma-rests.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu received word that Śrī Raṅga Purī, one of the disciples of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, was present in that village at the home of a brāhmaṇa.
TEXT 286
śuniyā calilā prabhu tāṅre dekhibāre
vipra-gṛhe vasi’ āchena, dekhilā tāṅhāre
SYNONYMS
śuniyā-hearing; calilā-went; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-him; dekhibāre-to see; vipra-gṛhe-at the house of the brāhmaṇa; vasi’-sitting; āchena-was; dekhilā-saw; tāṅhāre-him.
TRANSLATION
Hearing this news, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately went to see Śrī Raṅga Purī at the brāhmaṇa’s home. Upon entering, the Lord saw him sitting there.
TEXT 287
premāveśe kare tāṅre danda-paraṇāma
aśru, pulaka, kampa, sarvāṅge paḍe ghāma
SYNONYMS
prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; kare-does; tāṅre-unto him; daṇḍa-paraṇāma-obeisances, falling flat; aśru-tears; pulaka-jubilation; kampa-trembling; sarva-aṅge-all over the body; paḍe-there was; ghāma-perspiration.
TRANSLATION
As soon as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the brāhmaṇa, He immediately offered him obeisances in ecstatic love, falling flat to the ground. The symptoms of transcendental transformation were visible-namely, tears, jubilation, trembling and perspiration.
TEXT 288
dekhiyā vismita haila śrī-raṅga-purīra mana
‘uṭhaha śrīpāda’ bali’ balilā vacana
SYNONYMS
dekhiyā-seeing; vismita-astonished; haila-became; śrī-raṅga-purīra-of Śrī Raṅga Purī; mana-the mind; uṭhaha-get up; śrī-pāda-Your Holiness; bali’-saying; balilā vacana-began to speak.
TRANSLATION
Upon seeing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in such an ecstatic mood, Śrī Raṅga Purī said, “Your Holiness, please get up.
TEXT 289
śrīpāda, dhara mora gosāñira sambandha
tāhā vinā anyatra nāhi ek premāra gandha
SYNONYMS
śrī-pāda-O Your Holiness; dhara-You hold; mora-my; gosāñira-with Śrī Mādhavendra Purī; sambandha-relationship; tāhā vinā-without him; anyatra-elsewhere; nāhi-there is not; ei-this; premāra-of ecstasy; gandha-fragrance.
TRANSLATION
“Your Holiness is certainly related to Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, without whom there is no fragrance of ecstatic love.”
PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that only Lord Kṛṣṇa was worshiped in the disciplic succession of Madhvācārya up to the advent of His Holiness Śrīpāda Lakṣmīpati Tīrtha. After Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī, worship of both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa was established. For this reason Śrī Mādhavendra Purī is accepted as the root of worship in ecstatic love. Unless one is connected to the disciplic succession of Mādhavendra Purī, there is no possibility of awakening the symptoms of ecstatic love. The word gosāñi is significant in this connection. The spiritual master who is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has no business other than the Lord’s service is called the best of the paramahaṁsas. A paramahaṁsa has no program for sense gratification; he is interested only in satisfying the senses of the Lord. One who has control of the senses in this way is called a gosāñi or a gosvāmī, master of the senses. The senses cannot be controlled unless one is engaged in the service of the Lord; therefore the bona fide spiritual master, who has full control over his senses, engages twenty-four hours a day in the Lord’s service. He can therefore be addressed as gosāñi or gosvāmī. The title gosvāmī cannot be inherited but can be given only to a bona fide spiritual master.
There were six great Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana-Śrīla Rūpa, Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Dāsa Raghunātha-and none of them inherited the title of gosvāmī. All the Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana were bona fide spiritual masters situated on the highest platform of devotional service, and for that reason they were called gosvāmīs. All the temples of Vṛndāvana were certainly started by the six Gosvāmīs. Later the worship in the temples was entrusted to some householder disciples of the Gosvāmīs, and since then the hereditary title of gosvāmī has been used. However, only one who is a bona fide spiritual master expanding the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and who is in full control of his senses can be addressed as a gosvāmī. Unfortunately, the hereditary process is going on; therefore at the present moment, in most cases the title is being misused due to ignorance of the word’s etymology.
TEXT 290
eta bali’ prabhuke uthāñā kaila āliṅgana
galāgali kari’ duṅhe karena krandana
SYNONYMS
eta bali’-saying this; prabhuke-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; uthāñā-lifting up; kaila-did; āliṅgana-embracing; galāgali-shoulder to shoulder; kari’-doing; duṅhe-both of them; karena-do; krandana-crying.
TRANSLATION
After saying this, Śrī Raṅga Purī lifted Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu up and embraced Him. As the two of them embraced shoulder to shoulder, they began to cry in ecstasy.
TEXT 291
kṣaṇeke āveśa chāḍi’ duṅhāra dhairya haila
īśvara-purīra sambandha gosāñi jānāila
SYNONYMS
kṣaṇeke-after just a few moments; āveśa-ecstasy; chāḍi’-giving up; duṅhāra-of both of them; dhairya-patience; haila-there was; īśvara-purīra-of Īśvara Purī; sambandha-relationship; gosāñi-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; jānāila-disclosed.
TRANSLATION
After some moments, they came to their senses and became patient. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then informed Śrī Raṅga Purī about His relationship with Īśvara Purī.
TEXT 292
adbhuta premera vanyā duṅhāra uthalila
duṅhe mānya kari’ duṅhe ānande vasila
SYNONYMS
adbhuta-wonderful; premera-of love of Godhead; vanyā-inundation; duṅhāra-of both of them; uthalila-arose; duṅhe-both of them; mānya kari’-offering respect; duṅhe-both of them; ānande-with great happiness; vasila-sat down.
TRANSLATION
They were both inundated by the wonderful ecstasy of love that was aroused in them. Finally they sat down and respectfully began to converse.
TEXT 293
dui jane kṛṣṇa-kathā kahe rātri-dine
ei-mate goṅāila pāṅca-sāta dine
SYNONYMS
dui jane-both the persons; kṛṣṇa-kathā-topics of Kṛṣṇa; kahe-speak; rātri-dine-day and night; ei-mate-in this way; goṅāila-passed; pāṅca-sāta-five to seven; dine-days.
TRANSLATION
In this way they discussed topics about Lord Kṛṣṇa continually for five to seven days.
TEXT 294
kautuke purī tāṅre puchila janma-sthāna
gosāñi kautuke kahena ‘navadvīpa’ nāma
SYNONYMS
kautuke-out of curiosity; purī-Śrī Raṅga Purī; tāṅre-Him; puchila-asked; janma-sthāna-the place of birth; gosāñi-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kautuke-as a matter of course; kahena-said; navadvīpa-Navadvīpa; nāma-name.
TRANSLATION
Out of curiosity, Śrī Raṅga Purī asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu about His birthplace, and the Lord informed him that it was Navadvīpa-dhāma.
TEXT 295
śrī-mādhava-purīra saṅge śrī-raṅga-purī
pūrve āsiyāchilā teṅho nadīyā-nagarī
SYNONYMS
śrī-mādhava-purīra saṅge-with Śrī Mādhavendra Purī; śrī-raṅga-purī-Śrī Raṅga Purī; pūrve-formerly; āsiyāchilā-came; teṅho-he; nadīyā-nagarī-to the city of Nadia.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Raṅga Purī had formerly gone to Navadvīpa with Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, and he therefore remembered the incidents that took place there.
TEXT 296
jagannātha-miśra-ghare bhikṣā ye karila
apūrva mocāra ghaṇṭa tāhāṅ ye khāila
SYNONYMS
jagannātha-miśra-ghare-in the house of Śrī Jagannātha Miśra; bhikṣā-lunch; ye-that; karila-took; apūrva-unprecedented; mocāra ghaṇṭa-curry made of plantain flowers; tāhāṅ-there; ye-that; khāila-ate.
TRANSLATION
As soon as Śrī Raṅga Purī recalled Navadvīpa, he also recalled accompanying Śrī Mādhavendra Purī to the house of Jagannātha Miśra, where he had taken lunch. He even remembered the taste of an unprecedented curry made of banana flowers.
TEXT 297
jagannāthera brāhmaṇī, teṅha–mahā-pativratā
vātsalye hayena teṅha yena jagan-mātā
SYNONYMS
jagannāthera-of Jagannātha Miśra; brāhmaṇī-wife; teṅha-she; mahā-great; pati-vratā-devoted to her husband; vātsalye-in affection; hayena-was; teṅha-she; yena-as if; jagat-mātā-the mother of the whole universe.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Raṅga Purī also remembered the wife of Jagannātha Miśra. She was very much devoted and chaste. As for her affection, she was exactly like the mother of the universe.
TEXT 298
randhane nipuṇā tāṅ-sama nāhi tribhuvane
putra-sama sneha karena sannyāsi-bhojane
SYNONYMS
randhane-in cooking; nipuṇā-very expert; tāṅ-sama-like her; nāhi-there is none; tri-bhuvane-in the three worlds; putra-sama-like to her own sons; sneha karena-she was affectionate; sannyāsi-bhojane-in feeding the sannyāsīs.
TRANSLATION
He also remembered how Śrī Jagannātha Miśra’s wife, Śacīmātā, was expert in cooking. He recalled that she was very affectionate toward the sannyāsīs and fed them exactly like her own sons.
TEXT 299
tāṅra eka yogya putra kariyāche sannyāsa
‘śaṅkarāraṇya’ nāma tāṅra alpa vayasa
SYNONYMS
tāṅra-her; eka-one; yogya-deserving; putra-son; kariyāche-has accepted; sannyāsa-the renounced order of life; śaṅkarāraṇya-Śaṅkarāraṇya; nāma-named; tāṅra-his; alpa-little; vayasa-age.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Raṅga Purī also remembered that one of her deserving sons had accepted the renounced order at a very young age. His name was Śaṅkarāraṇya.
TEXT 300
ei tīrthe śaṅkarāraṇyera siddhi-prāpti haila
prastāve śrī-raṅga-purī eteka kahila
SYNONYMS
ei tīrthe-in this holy place; śaṅkarāraṇyera-of Śaṅkarāraṇya; siddhi-prāpti-attainment of perfection; haila-became fulfilled; prastāve-in the course of conversation; śrī-raṅga-purī-Śrī Raṅga Purī; eteka-thus; kahila-spoke.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Raṅga Purī informed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that the sannyāsī named Śaṅkarāraṇya had attained perfection in that holy place, Pāṇḍarapura.
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s elder brother was named Viśvarūpa. He left home before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and accepted the sannyāsa order under the name of Śaṅkarāraṇya Svāmī. He traveled all over the country and finally went to Pāṇḍarapura, where he passed away after attaining perfection. In other words, he entered the spiritual world after giving up his mortal body at Pāṇḍarapura. Śrī Raṅga Purī, a disciple of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī and godbrother of Īśvara Purī, disclosed this important news to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 301
prabhu kahe,–pūrvāśrame teṅha mora bhrātā
jagannātha miśra–pūrvāśrame mora pitā
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; pūrva-āśrame-in My previous āśrama; teṅha-He; mora bhrātā-My brother; jagannātha miśra-Jagannātha Miśra; pūrva-āśrame-in My previous āśrama; mora pitā-My father.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “In My previous āśrama, Śaṅkarāraṇya was My brother and Jagannātha Miśra was My father.”
TEXT 302
ei-mata dui-jane iṣṭa-goṣṭhī kari’
dvārakā dekhite calilā śrī-raṅga-purī
SYNONYMS
ei-mata-in this way; dui-jane-both of them; iṣṭa-goṣṭhī kari’-discussing many topics; dvārakā dekhite-to see Dvārakā; calilā-started; śrī-raṅga-purī-Śrī Raṅga Purī.
TRANSLATION
After finishing his talks with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Raṅga Purī started for Dvārakā-dhāma.
TEXT 303
dina cāri tathā prabhuke rākhila brāhmaṇa
bhīmā-nadī snāna kari’ karena viṭhṭhala darśana
SYNONYMS
dina-days; cāri-four; tathā-there; prabhuke-Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; rākhila-kept; brāhmaṇa-the brāhmaṇa; bhīmā-nadī-in the river Bhīmā; snāna kari’-bathing; karena-does; viṭhṭhala darśana-visit the temple of Viṭhṭhala.
TRANSLATION
After Śrī Raṅga Purī departed for Dvārakā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained with the brāhmaṇa at Pāṇḍarapura for four more days. He took His bath in the Bhīmā River and visited the temple of Viṭhṭhala.
TEXT 304
tabe mahāprabhu āilā kṛṣṇa-veṇvā-tīre
nānā tīrtha dekhi’ tāhāṅ devatā-mandire
SYNONYMS
tabe-thereafter; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āilā-came; kṛṣṇa-veṇvā-tīre-to the bank of the river Kṛṣṇa-veṇvā; nānā-various; tīrtha-holy places; dekhi’-seeing; tāhāṅ-there; devatā-mandire-in the temples of some gods.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu next went to the bank of the Kṛṣṇa-veṇvā River, where He visited many holy places and the temples of various gods.
PURPORT
This river is a branch of the river Kṛṣṇā. It is said that Ṭhākura Bilvamaṅgala resided on the banks of this river, which is also called the Vīṇā, the Veṇī, the Sinā and the Bhīmā.
TEXT 305
brāhmaṇa-samāja saba–vaiṣṇava-carita
vaiṣṇava sakala paḍe ‘kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta’
SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇa-samāja-the community of brāhmaṇas; saba-all; vaiṣṇava-carita-pure devotees; vaiṣṇava sakala-all the Vaiṣṇavas; paḍe-study; kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta-the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa community there was composed of pure devotees, who regularly studied a book entitled Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta, which was composed by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura.
PURPORT
This book was composed by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura in 112 verses. There are two or three other books bearing the same name, and there are also two commentaries on Bilvamaṅgala’s book. One commentary was written by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī and the other by Caitanya dāsa Gosvāmī.
TEXT 306
kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta śuni’ prabhura ānanda haila
āgraha kariyā puṅthi lekhāñā laila
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta śuni’-after hearing the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta; prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ānanda haila-there was great happiness; āgraha kariya-with great eagerness; puṅthi-the book; lekhāñā-getting copied; laila-took.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much pleased to hear the book Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta, and with great eagerness He had it copied and took it with Him.
TEXT 307
‘karṇāmṛta’-sama vastu nāhi tribhuvane
yāhā haite haya kṛṣṇe śuddha-prema-jñāne
SYNONYMS
karṇāmṛta-the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta; sama-like; vastu nāhi-there is nothing; tri-bhuvane-in the three worlds; yāhā haite-from which; haya-there is; kṛṣṇe-unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; śuddha-prema-jñāne-knowledge of pure devotional service.
TRANSLATION
There is no comparison to the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta within the three worlds. By studying this book, one is elevated to the knowledge of pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 308
saundarya-mādhurya-kṛṣṇa-līlāra avadhi
sei jāne, ye ‘karṇāmṛta’ paḍe niravadhi
SYNONYMS
saundarya-beauty; mādhurya-sweetness; kṛṣṇa-līlāra-of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa; avadhi-limit; sei jāne-he knows; ye-one who; karṇāmṛta-the book Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta; paḍe-studies; niravadhi-constantly.
TRANSLATION
One who constantly reads the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta can fully understand the beauty and melodious taste of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 309
‘brahma-saṁhitā’, ‘karṇāmṛta’ dui puṅthi pāñā
mahā-ratna-prāya pāi āilā saṅge lañā
SYNONYMS
brahma-saṁhitā-the book Brahma-saṁhitā; karṇāmṛta-the book Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta; dui-two; puṅthi-books; pāñā-getting; mahā-ratna-prāya-like the most valuable jewels; pāi-getting; āilā-came back; saṅge-with Him; lañā-taking.
TRANSLATION
The Brahma-saṁhitā and Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta were two books that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu considered to be most valuable jewels. Therefore He took them with Him on His return trip.
TEXT 310
tāpī snāna kari’ āilā māhiṣmatī-pure
nānā tīrtha dekhi tāhāṅ narmadāra tīre
SYNONYMS
tāpī-in the Tāpī River; snāna kari’-taking a bath; āilā-arrived; māhiṣmatī-pure-at Māhiṣmatī-pura; nānā tīrtha-many holy places; dekhi-seeing; tāhāṅ-there; narmadāra tīre-on the bank of the river Narmadā.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu next arrived at the banks of the river Tāpī. After bathing there, He went to Māhiṣmatī-pura. While there, He saw many holy places on the banks of the river Narmadā.
PURPORT
The river Tāpī is presently known as Tāpti. The river’s source is a mountain called Multāi, and the river flows westward through the state of Saurāṣṭra and into the Arabian Sea. Māhiṣmatī-pura is mentioned in Mahābhārata in connection with Sahadeva’s victory. Sahadeva, the youngest brother of the Pāṇḍavas, conquered that part of the country. As stated in the Mahābhārata:
tato ratnāny upādāya
purīṁ māhiṣmatīṁ yayau
tatra nīlena rājñā sa
cakre yuddhaṁ nararṣabhaḥ
“After acquiring jewels, Sahadeva went to the city of Māhiṣmatī, where he fought with a king called Nīla.”
TEXT 311
dhanus-tīrtha dekhi’ karilā nirvindhyāte snāne
ṛṣyamūka-giri āilā daṇḍakāraṇye
SYNONYMS
dhanusḥ-tīrtha-Dhanus-tīrtha; dekhi’-seeing; karilā-did; nirvindhyāte-in the river Nirvindhyā; snāne-bathing; ṛṣyamūka-giri-at the Ṛṣyamūka Mountain; āilā-arrived; daṇḍaka-araṇye-in the forest known as Daṇḍakāraṇya.
TRANSLATION
The Lord next arrived at Dhanus-tīrtha, where He took His bath in the river Nirvindhyā. He then arrived at Ṛṣyamūka Mountain and then went to the forest called Daṇḍakāraṇya.
PURPORT
According to some opinions, Ṛṣyamūka is a chain of mountains beginning at the village of Hāmpi-grāma in the district of Belāri. The mountain chain begins along the bank of the river Tuṅgabhadrā, which gradually reaches the state of Hyderabad. According to other opinions, this hill is situated in Madhya Pradesh and bears the present name of Rāmpa. Daṇḍakāraṇya is a spacious tract of land which begins north of Khāndeśa and extends south to Ahmadnagar, west to Nāsika, and east to Aurangabad. The Godāvarī River flows through this tract of land, and there is a great forest there where Lord Rāmacandra lived.
TEXT 312
‘saptatāla-vṛkṣa’ dekhe kānana-bhitara
ati vṛddha, ati sthūla, ati uccatara
SYNONYMS
sapta-tāla-vṛkṣa-seven palm trees; dekhe-sees; kānana bhitara-within the forest; ati vṛddha-very old; ati sthūla-very bulky; ati uccatara-very high.
TRANSLATION
Within that forest Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then visited a place called Saptatāla. The seven palm trees there were very old, very bulky and very high.
PURPORT
The name Saptatāla is mentioned in the Kiṣkindhyā Chapter of the Rāmāyaṇa and is described in the eleventh and twelfth sections of this chapter.
TEXT 313
saptatāla dekhi’ prabhu āliṅgana kaila
saśarīre saptatāla vaikuṇṭhe calila
SYNONYMS
sapta-tāla dekhi’-after seeing the seven palm trees; prabhu-Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āliṅgana kaila-embraced; sa-śarīre-with their bodies; sapta-tāla-the seven palm trees; vaikuṇṭhe calila-returned to Vaikuṇṭhaloka.
TRANSLATION
After seeing the seven palm trees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced them. As a result, they all returned to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, the spiritual world.
TEXT 314
śūnya-sthala dekhi’ lokera haila camatkāra
loke kahe, e sannyāsī–rāma-avatāra
SYNONYMS
śūnya-sthala-the vacant place; dekhi’-seeing; lokera-of the people in general; haila-there was; camatkāra-astonishment; loke kahe-all people began to say; e sannyāsī-this sannyāsī; rāma-avatāra-incarnation of Lord Rāmacandra.
TRANSLATION
After the seven palm trees had departed for Vaikuṇṭha, everyone was astonished to see them gone. The people then began to say, “This sannyāsī called Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must be an incarnation of Lord Rāmacandra.
TEXT 315
saśarīre tāla gela śrī-vaikuṇṭha-dhāma
aiche śakti kāra haya, vinā eka rāma
SYNONYMS
sa-śarīre-with the material body; tāla-the palm trees; gela-went; śrī-vaikuṇṭha-dhāma-to the spiritual kingdom, known as Vaikuṇṭha; aiche-such; śakti-power; kāra-whose; haya-is; vinā-without; eka-one; rāma-Lord Rāmacandra.
TRANSLATION
“Only Lord Rāmacandra has the power to send seven palm trees to the spiritual Vaikuṇṭha planets.”
TEXT 316
prabhu āsi’ kaila pampā-sarovare snāna
pañcavaṭī āsi, tāhāṅ karila viśrāma
SYNONYMS
prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āsi’-coming; kaila-did; pampā-sarovare-in the lake known as Pampā; snāna-bathing; pañcavaṭī āsi-then coming to Pañcavaṭī; tāhāṅ-there; karila-took; viśrāma-rest.
TRANSLATION
Eventually Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at a lake known as Pampā, where He took His bath. He then went to a place called Pañcavaṭī, where He rested.
PURPORT
According to some, the old name of the Tuṅgabhadrā River was Pambā. According to others, Vijaya-nagara, the capital of the state, was known as Pampātīrtha. Yet according to others, the lake near Anāguṇḍi, in the direction of Hyderabad, is Pampā-sarovara. The river Tuṅgabhadrā also flows through there. There are many different opinions about the lake called Pampā-sarovara.
TEXT 317
nāsike tryambaka dekhi’ gelā brahmagiri
kuśāvarte āilā yāhāṅ janmilā godāvarī
SYNONYMS
nāsike-at the holy place Nāsika; tryambaka-a deity of Lord Śiva; dekhi’-after seeing; gelā-went; brahmagiri-to the place known as Brahmagiri; kuśāvarte āilā-then He came to the holy place known as Kuśāvarta; yāhāṅ-where; janmilā-took birth; godāvarī-the river Godāvarī.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then visited Nāsika, where He saw the deity of Tryambaka [Lord Śiva]. He then went to Brahma-giri and then to Kuśāvarta, the source of the river Godāvarī.
PURPORT
Kuśāvarta is located in the western ghāṭa, at Sahyādri. It is near Nāsika, a holy place, but according to some it was situated in the valley of Vindhya.
TEXT 318
sapta godāvarī āilā kari’ tīrtha bahutara
punarapi āilā prabhu vidyānagara
SYNONYMS
sapta godāvarī-to the place known as Sapta-godāvarī; āilā-came; kari’ tīrtha bahutara-visiting various holy places; punarapi-again; āilā-came back; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vidyānagara-to the place where He met Rāmānanda Rāya.
TRANSLATION
After visiting many other holy places, the Lord went to Sapta-godāvari. At last He returned to Vidyānagara.
PURPORT
In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu traveled from the source of the Godāvarī River and eventually visited the northern side of Hyderabad state. He finally arrived at the state of Kaliṅga.
TEXT 319
rāmānanda rāya śuni’ prabhura āgamana
ānande āsiyā kaila prabhu-saha milana
SYNONYMS
rāmānanda rāya-Rāmānanda Rāya; śuni’-hearing; prabhura-of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āgamana-return; ānande-in great happiness; āsiyā-coming; kaila-did; prabhu-saha-with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; milana-meeting.
TRANSLATION
When Rāmānanda Rāya heard of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival, he was very much pleased, and he immediately went to see Him.
TEXT 320
daṇḍavat hañā paḍe caraṇe dhariyā
āliṅgana kaila prabhu tāṅre uṭhāñā
SYNONYMS
daṇḍavat hañā-like a stick; paḍe-fell; caraṇe-the lotus feet; dhariyā-catching; āliṅgana-embracing; kaila-did; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-him; uṭhāñā-getting up.
TRANSLATION
When Rāmānanda Rāya fell flat, touching the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord immediately raised him to his feet and embraced him.
TEXT 321
dui jane premāveśe karena krandana
premānande śithila haila duṅhākāra mana
SYNONYMS
dui jane-both of them; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; karena-do; krandana-crying; prema-ānande-in ecstatic love; śithila haila-became slackened; duṅhākāra-of both of them; mana-minds.
TRANSLATION
In great ecstatic love they both began to cry, and thus their minds were slackened.
TEXT 322
kata-kṣaṇe dui janā susthira hañā
nānā iṣṭa-goṣṭhī kare ekatra vasiyā
SYNONYMS
kata-kṣaṇe-after some time; dui-two; janā-people; su-sthira hañā-coming to their senses; nānā-various; iṣṭa-goṣṭhī-discussions; kare-do; ekatra-together; vasiyā-sitting.
TRANSLATION
After some time they regained their senses and sat together to discuss various subjects.
TEXT 323
tīrtha-yātrā-kathā prabhu sakala kahilā
karṇāmṛta, brahma-saṁhitā,–dui puṅthi dilā
SYNONYMS
tīrtha-yātrā-kathā-topics of His pilgrimage; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; sakala kahilā-described everything; karṇāmṛta-the book named Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta; brahma-saṁhitā-the book named Brahma-saṁhitā; dui-two; puṅthi-scriptures; dilā-delivered.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave Rāmānanda Rāya a vivid description of His travels to the holy places and told him how He had acquired the two books named Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta and Brahma-saṁhitā. The Lord delivered the books to Rāmānanda Rāya.
TEXT 324
prabhu kahe,–tumi yei siddhānta kahile
ei dui puṅthi sei saba sākṣī dile
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; tumi-you; yei-whatever; siddhānta-conclusion; kahile-informed; ei dui-these two; puṅthi-books; sei-that; saba-everything; sākṣī-evidence; dile-gave.
TRANSLATION
The Lord said, “Whatever you have told Me about devotional service is all supported by these two books.”
TEXT 325
rāyera ānanda haila pustaka pāiyā
prabhu-saha āsvādila, rākhila likhiyā
SYNONYMS
rāyera-of Rāya Rāmānanda; ānanda-happiness; haila-there was; pustaka pāiyā-getting those two books; prabhu-saha-with the Lord; āsvādila-tasted; rākhila-kept; likhiyā-writing.
TRANSLATION
Rāmānanda Rāya was very happy to receive these books. He tasted their contents along with the Lord and made a copy of each of them.
TEXT 326
‘gosāñi’ āilā’ grāme haila kolāhala
prabhuke dekhite loka āila sakala
SYNONYMS
gosāñi-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āilā’-has returned; grāme-in the village; haila-there was; kolāhala-commotion; prabhuke-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; dekhite-to see; loka-people; āila-came there; sakala-all.
TRANSLATION
News spread in the village of Vidyānagara about the arrival of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and everyone came to see Him once again.
TEXT 327
loka dehki’ rāmānanda gelā nija-ghare
madhyāhne uṭhilā prabhu bhikṣā karibāre
SYNONYMS
loka dekhi’-seeing the people; rāmānanda-Rāya Rāmānanda; gelā-departed; nija-ghare-to his own home; madhyāhne-at noon; uṭhilā prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got up; bhikṣā karibāre-to take His lunch.
TRANSLATION
After seeing the people who gathered there, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya returned to his own home. At noon, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got up to take His lunch.
TEXT 328
rātri-kāle rāya punaḥ kaila āgamana
dui jane kṛṣṇa-kathāya kaila jāgaraṇa
SYNONYMS
rātri-kāle-at night; rāya-Rāmānanda Rāya; punaḥ-again; kaila-did; āgamana-coming; dui jane-the two of them; kṛṣṇa-kathāya-in discourses on topics of Kṛṣṇa; kaila-did; jāgaraṇa-keeping awake through the night.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya returned at night, and he and the Lord discussed topics concerning Kṛṣṇa. Thus they passed the night.
TEXT 329
dui jane kṛṣṇa-kathā kahe rātri-dine
parama-ānande gela pāṅca-sāta dine
SYNONYMS
dui jane-both of them; kṛṣṇa-kathā-topics of Kṛṣṇa; kahe-speak; rātri-dine-day and night; parama-ānande-in great happiness; gela-passed; pāṅca-sāta dine-five to seven days.
TRANSLATION
Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu discussed Kṛṣṇa day and night, and thus they passed from five to seven days in great happiness.
TEXT 330
rāmānanda kahe,–prabhu, tomāra ājñā pāñā
rājāke likhiluṅ āmi vinaya kariyā
SYNONYMS
rāmānanda kahe-Rāmānanda Rāya said; prabhu-my dear Lord; tomāra ājñā-Your permission; pāñā-getting; rājāke likhiluṅ-have written a letter to the King; āmi-I; vinaya kariyā-with great humility.
TRANSLATION
Rāmānanda Rāya said, “My dear Lord, with Your permission I have already written a letter to the King with great humility.
TEXT 331
rājā more ājñā dila nīlācale yāite
calibāra udyoga āmi lāgiyāchi karite
SYNONYMS
rājā-the King; more-unto me; ājñā dila-has given an order; nīlācale yāite-to go to Jagannātha Purī; calibāra-to go; udyoga-arrangement; āmi-I; lāgiyāchi-began; karite-to do.
TRANSLATION
“The King has already given me an order to return to Jagannātha Purī, and I am making arrangements to do this.”
TEXT 332
prabhu kahe,–ethā mora e-nimitte āgamana
tomā lañā nīlācale kariba gamana
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; ethā-here; mora-My; e-nimitte-for this reason; āgamana-coming back; tomā lañā-taking you; nīlācale-to Jagannātha Purī; kariba-I shall do; gamana-going.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “It is for this purpose alone that I have returned. I want to take you with Me to Jagannātha Purī.”
TEXT 333
rāya kahe,–prabhu, āge cala nīlācale
mora saṅge hātī-ghoḍā, sainya-kolāhale
SYNONYMS
rāya kahe-Rāmānanda Rāya replied; prabhu-Lord; āge cala-You go ahead; nīlācale-to Jagannātha Purī; mora saṅge-with me; hātī-ghoḍā-elephants and horses; sainya-soldiers; kolāhale-tumultuous roaring.
TRANSLATION
Rāmānanda Rāya said, “My dear Lord, it is better that You proceed to Jagannātha Purī alone because with me there will be many horses, elephants and soldiers, all roaring tumultuously.
TEXT 334
dina-daśe ihā-sabāra kari’ samādhāna
tomāra pāche pāche āmi kariba prayāṇa
SYNONYMS
dina-daśe-within ten days; ihā-sabāra-of all of this; kari’ samādhāna-making adjustment; tomāra-You; pāche pāche-following; āmi-I; kariba-shall do; prayāṇa-going.
TRANSLATION
“I shall make arrangements within ten days. Following You, I shall go to Nīlācala without delay.”
TEXT 335
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre āsite ājñā diyā
nīlācale calilā prabhu ānandita hañā
SYNONYMS
tabe-then; mahāprabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-unto him; āsite-to come; ājñā diyā-giving an order; nīlācale-to Jagannātha Purī; calilā-departed; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ānandita hañā-with great pleasure.
TRANSLATION
Giving orders to Rāmānanda Rāya to come to Nīlācala, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu departed for Jagannātha Purī with great pleasure.
TEXT 336
yei pathe pūrve prabhu kailā āgamana
sei pathe calilā dekhi, sarva vaiṣṇava-gaṇa
SYNONYMS
yei pathe-the path by which; pūrve-formerly; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kailā āgamana-came; sei pathe-by that way; calilā-departed; dekhi-seeing; sarva-all; vaiṣṇava-gaṇa-Vaiṣṇavas.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned by the same road He formerly took to Vidyānagara, and all the Vaiṣṇavas along the way saw Him again.
TEXT 337
yāhāṅ yāya, loka uṭhe hari-dhvani kari’
dekhi’ ānandita-mana hailā gaurahari
SYNONYMS
yāhāṅ yāya-wherever He goes; loka uṭhe-people stand up; hari-dhvani kari’-vibrating the holy name of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra; dekhi’-by seeing; ānandita-happy; mana-in mind; hailā-became; gaurahari-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Wherever Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went, the holy name of Śrī Hari was vibrated. Seeing this, the Lord became very happy.
TEXT 338
ālālanāthe āsi’ kṛṣṇadāse pāṭhāila
nityānanda-ādi nija-gaṇe bolāila
SYNONYMS
ālālanāthe-to the place known as Ālālanātha; āsi’-coming; kṛṣṇadāse-Kṛṣṇadāsa, His assistant; pāṭhāila-sent ahead; nityānanda-Lord Nityānanda; ādi-and others; nija-gaṇe-personal associates; bolāila-called for.
TRANSLATION
When the Lord reached Ālālanātha, He sent His assistant Kṛṣṇadāsa ahead to call for Nityānanda and other personal associates.
TEXT 339
prabhura āgamana śuni’ nityānanda rāya
uṭhiyā calilā, preme theha nāhi pāya
SYNONYMS
prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āgamana-arrival; śuni’-hearing; nityānanda rāya-Lord Nityānanda; uṭhiyā calilā-got up and started; preme-in great ecstasy; theha-patience; nāhi pāya-does not get.
TRANSLATION
As soon as Nityānanda received news of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival, He immediately got up and started out to see Him. Indeed, He was very impatient in His great ecstasy.
TEXT 340
jagadānanda, dāmodara-paṇḍita, mukunda
nāciyā calilā, dehe nā dhare ānanda
SYNONYMS
jagadānanda-Jagadānanda; dāmodara-paṇḍita-Dāmodara Paṇḍita; mukunda-Mukunda; nāciyā-dancing; calilā-departed; dehe-the body; nā dhare-does not hold; ānanda-happiness.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Nityānanda Rāya, Jagadānanda, Dāmodara Paṇḍita and Mukunda all became ecstatic in their happiness, and dancing along the way, they went to meet the Lord.
TEXT 341
gopīnāthācārya calilā ānandita hañā
prabhure mililā sabe pathe lāg pāñā
SYNONYMS
gopīnātha-ācārya-Gopīnātha Ācārya; calilā-departed; ānandita-in happiness; hañā-being; prabhure-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mililā-met; sabe-all; pathe-along the way; lāg-contact; pāñā-getting.
TRANSLATION
Gopīnātha Ācārya also went in a very happy mood. They all went to meet the Lord, and they finally contacted Him on the way.
TEXT 342
prabhu premāveśe sabāya kaila āliṅgana
premāveśe sabe kare ānanda-krandana
SYNONYMS
prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; sabāya-all of them; kaila āliṅgana-embraced; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; sabe kare-all of them did; ānanda-krandana-crying in pleasure.
TRANSLATION
The Lord was also filled with ecstatic love, and He embraced them all. Out of their love, they began to cry with pleasure.
TEXT 343
sārvabhauma bhaṭṭācārya ānande calilā
samudrera tīre āsi’ prabhure mililā
SYNONYMS
sārvabhauma bhaṭṭācārya-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; ānande-in pleasure; calilā-went; samudrera tīre-on the beach by the ocean; āsi’-coming; prabhure mililā-met the Lord.
TRANSLATION
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya also went to see the Lord with great pleasure, and he met Him on the beach by the sea.
TEXT 344
sārvabhauma mahāprabhura paḍilā caraṇe
prabhu tāṅre uṭhāñā kaila āliṅgane
SYNONYMS
sārvabhauma-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; mahāprabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; paḍilā-fell down; caraṇe-at the feet; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-him; uṭhāñā-making get up; kaila āliṅgane-embraced.
TRANSLATION
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord pulled him up and embraced him.
TEXT 345
premāveśe sārvabhauma karilā rodane
sabā-saṅge āilā prabhu īśvara-daraśane
SYNONYMS
prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; sārvabhauma-Sārvabhauma; karilā rodane-cried; sabā-saṅge-with all of them; āilā-came; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; īśvara-daraśane-to see the Jagannātha temple.
TRANSLATION
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya cried in great ecstatic love. Then the Lord, accompanied by them all, went to the temple of Jagannātha.
TEXT 346
jagannātha-daraśana premāveśe kaila
kampa-sveda-pulakāśrute śarīra bhāsila
SYNONYMS
jagannātha-daraśana-visiting Lord Jagannātha; prema-āveśe-in ecstatic love; kaila-made; kampa-trembling; sveda-perspiration; pulaka-jubilation; aśrute-with tears; śarīra-the whole body; bhāsila-was inundated.
TRANSLATION
Due to ecstatic love experienced upon visiting Lord Jagannātha, inundations of trembling, perspiration, tears and jubilation swept the body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 347
bahu nṛtya-gīta kaila premāviṣṭa hañā
pāṇḍā-pāla āila sabe mālā-prasāda lañā
SYNONYMS
bahu-much; nṛtya-gīta-dancing and chanting; kaila-performed; prema-āviṣṭa-in ecstatic love; hañā-being; pāṇḍā-pāla-the priests and attendants; āila-came; sabe-all; mālā-prasāda-a garland and remnants of the food of Jagannātha; lañā-offering.
TRANSLATION
In ecstatic love Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced and chanted. At that time all the attendants and priests came to offer Him a garland and the remnants of Lord Jagannātha’s food.
PURPORT
Those who are priests engaged in Lord Jagannātha’s service are called pāṇḍās or paṇḍitas, and they are brāhmaṇas. The attendants who look after the temple’s external affairs are called pālas. The priests and attendants went together to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 348
mālā-prasāda pāñā prabhu susthira ha-ilā
jagannāthera sevaka saba ānande mililā
SYNONYMS
mālā-prasāda-the garland and prasāda; pāñā-getting; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; su-sthira ha-ilā-became patient; jagannāthera-of Lord Jagannātha; sevaka-servants; saba-all; ānande mililā-met Him in great pleasure.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became patient after receiving the garland and prasāda of Lord Jagannātha. All the servants of Lord Jagannātha met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with great pleasure.
TEXT 349
kāśī-miśra āsi’ prabhura paḍilā caraṇe
mānya kari’ prabhu tāṅre kaila āliṅgane
SYNONYMS
kāśī-miśra-Kāśī Miśra; āsi’-coming; prabhura-of the Lord; paḍilā-fell down; caraṇe-at the feet; mānya kari’-with great respect; prabhu-Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-unto him; kaila-did; āliṅgane-embracing.
TRANSLATION
Afterward, Kāśī Miśra came and fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord respectfully embraced him.
TEXT 350
prabhu lañā sārvabhauma nija-ghare gelā
mora ghare bhikṣā bali’ nimantraṇa kailā
SYNONYMS
prabhu lañā-taking Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; sārvabhauma-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; nija-ghare-to his own home; gelā-went; mora-my; ghare-at home; bhikṣā-luncheon; bali’-saying; nimantraṇa kailā-invited.
TRANSLATION
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then took the Lord with him to his home, saying, “Today’s luncheon will be at my home.” In this way he invited the Lord.
TEXT 351
divya mahā-prasāda aneka ānāila
pīṭhā-pānā ādi jagannātha ye khāila
SYNONYMS
divya-very nice; mahā-prasāda-remnants of food from Jagannātha; aneka-various; ānāila-brought; pīṭhā-pānā ādi-such as cakes and condensed milk; jagannātha-Lord Jagannātha; ye-which; khāila-ate.
TRANSLATION
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya brought various types of food remnants that had been left by Lord Jagannātha. He brought all kinds of cakes and condensed-milk preparations.
TEXT 352
madhyāhna karilā prabhu nija-gaṇa lañā
sārvabhauma-ghare bhikṣā karilā āsiyā
SYNONYMS
madhyāhna-noon lunch; karilā-performed; prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nija-gaṇa lañā-accompanied by associates; sārvabhauma-ghare-at the home of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; bhikṣā-lunch; karilā-performed; āsiyā-coming.
TRANSLATION
Accompanied by all His associates, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s house and took His noon lunch there.
TEXT 353
bhikṣā karāñā tāṅre karāila śayana
āpane sārvabhauma kare pāda-saṁvāhana
SYNONYMS
bhikṣā karāñā-after giving lunch; tāṅre-Him; karāila-made; śayana-lie down to rest; āpane-personally; sārvabhauma-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; kare-does; pāda-saṁvāhana-massaging the legs.
TRANSLATION
After offering food to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya made Him lie down to rest, and he personally began to massage the legs of the Lord.
TEXT 354
prabhu tāṅre pāṭhāila bhojana karite
sei rātri tāṅra ghare rahilā tāṅra prīte
SYNONYMS
prabhu-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre-him; pāṭhāila-sent; bhojana karite-to take lunch; sei rātri-that night; tāṅra ghare-at his home; rahilā-remained; tāṅra prīte-just to satisfy him.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then sent Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya to take his lunch, and the Lord remained that night in his home just to please him.
TEXT 355
sārvabhauma-saṅge āra lañā nija-gaṇa
tīrtha-yātrā-kathā kahi’ kaila jāgaraṇa
SYNONYMS
sārvabhauma-saṅge-with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; āra-and; lañā nija-gaṇa-taking His own associates; tīrtha-yātrā-kathā-topics of the pilgrimage; kahi’-telling; kaila-did; jāgaraṇa-keeping awake through the night.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His personal associates remained with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. They all stayed awake the entire night as the Lord spoke of His pilgrimage.
TEXT 356
prabhu kahe,–eta tīrtha kailuṅ paryaṭana
tomā-sama vaiṣṇava nā dekhiluṅ eka-jana
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe-the Lord said; eta tīrtha-to so many holy places; kailuṅ paryaṭana-I have traveled; tomā-sama-like you; vaiṣṇava-devotee; nā-not; dekhiluṅ-I could see; eka-jana-one man.
TRANSLATION
The Lord told Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, “I have traveled to many holy places, but I could not find a Vaiṣṇava as good as you anywhere.”
PURPORT
In the Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka (eighth part) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Sārvabhauma, I have traveled to many holy places, but I cannot find a Vaiṣṇava as good as you anywhere. However, I must admit that Rāmānanda Rāya is wonderful.”
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “Therefore, my Lord, I requested that You see him.”
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “There are, of course, many Vaiṣṇavas in these holy places, and most of them worship Lord Nārāyaṇa. Others, who are called Tattvavādīs, are also Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa worshipers, but they do not belong to the pure Vaiṣṇava cult. There are many worshipers of Lord Śiva, and there are also many atheists. Regardless, My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, I very much like Rāmānanda Rāya and his opinions.”
TEXT 357
eka rāmānanda rāya bahu sukha dila
bhaṭṭa kahe,–ei lāgi’ milite kahila
SYNONYMS
eka-one; rāmānanda rāya-Rāmānanda Rāya; bahu sukha-much pleasure; dila-gave; bhaṭṭa kahe-Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied; ei lāgi’-for this reason; milite-to meet; kahila-I requested.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “I received much pleasure from the talks of Rāmānanda Rāya.”
The Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “For this reason I requested that You meet him.”
TEXT 358
tīrtha-yātrā-kathā ei kailuṅ samāpana
saṅkṣepe kahiluṅ, vistāra nā yāya varṇana
SYNONYMS
tīrtha-yātrā-kathā-topics of the pilgrimage; ei-these; kailuṅ samāpana-I have finished; saṅkṣepe kahiluṅ-I have described in brief; vistāra-expansively; nā yāya varṇana-it is not possible to describe.
TRANSLATION
Thus I have ended my narration about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pilgrimage, describing it in brief. It cannot be described very broadly.
PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura points out that in the seventy-fourth verse of this chapter it is stated that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Śiyālī-bhairavī, but actually at Śiyālī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Śrī Bhū-varāha. Near Śiyālī and Cidambaram there is a temple known as Śrī Muṣṇam. In this temple there is a Deity of Śrī Bhū-varāha. In the jurisdiction of Cidambaram there is a district known as southern Arcot. The town of Śiyālī is in that district. There is a temple of Śrī Bhū-varāhadeva nearby, not Bhairavī-devī. This is Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s conclusion.
TEXT 359
ananta caitanya-līlā kahite nā jāni
lobhe lajjā khāñā tāra kari ṭānāṭāni
SYNONYMS
ananta-unlimited; caitanya-līlā-pastimes of Lord Caitanya; kahite-to speak; nā jāni-I do not know; lobhe-out of greed; lajjā khāñā-becoming shameless; tāra-of them; kari-I do; ṭānāṭāni-some attempt only.
TRANSLATION
The pastimes of Lord Caitanya are unlimited. No one can properly describe His activities, yet I make the attempt out of greed. This but reveals my shamelessness.
TEXT 360
prabhura tīrtha-yātrā-kathā śune yei jana
caitanya-caraṇe pāya gāḍha prema-dhana
SYNONYMS
prabhura-of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tīrtha-yātrā-touring of sacred places of pilgrimage; kathā-topics about; śune-hears; yei-who; jana-person; caitanya-caraṇe-at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; pāya-gets; gāḍha-deep; prema-dhana-riches of ecstatic love.
TRANSLATION
Whoever hears of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pilgrimage to various holy places attains the riches of very deep ecstatic love.
PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks, “The impersonalists imagine some forms of the Absolute Truth through the direct perception of their senses. The impersonalists worship such imaginary forms, but neither Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam nor Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepts this sense gratificatory worship to be of any spiritual significance.” The Māyāvādīs imagine themselves to be the Supreme. They imagine that the Supreme has no personal form and that all His forms are imaginary like the will-o’-the-wisp or a flower in the sky. Both Māyāvādīs and those who imagine forms of God are misguided. According to them, worship of the Deity or any other form of the Lord is a result of the conditioned soul’s illusion. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms the conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam on the strength of His philosophy of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. That philosophy holds that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. That is to say, there is unity in diversity. In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu proved the impotence of fruitive workers, speculative empiric philosophers and mystic yogīs. The realization of such men is simply a waste of time and energy.
To set the example, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally visited temples in various holy places. Wherever He visited, He immediately exhibited His ecstatic love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When a Vaiṣṇava visits the temple of a demigod, his vision of that demigod is different from the vision of the impersonalists and Māyāvādīs. The Brahma-saṁhitā supports this. A Vaiṣṇava’s visit to the temple of Lord Śiva, for example, is different from a nondevotee’s visit. The nondevotee considers the deity of Lord Śiva an imaginary form because he ultimately thinks that the Supreme Absolute Truth is void. However, a Vaiṣṇava sees Lord Śiva as being simultaneously one with and different from the Supreme Lord. In this regard, the example of milk and yogurt is given. Yogurt is actually nothing but milk, but at the same time it is not milk. It is simultaneously one with milk yet different from it. This is the philosophy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and it is confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.4):
mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ
“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.”
The Absolute Truth, God, is everything, but this does not mean that everything is God. For this reason Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers visited the temples of all the demigods, but they did not see them in the same way an impersonalist sees them. Everyone should follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and visit all temples. Sometimes mundane sahajiyās suppose that the gopīs visited the temple of Kātyāyanī in the same way mundane people visit the temple of Devī. However, the gopīs prayed to Kātyāyanī to grant them Kṛṣṇa as their husband, whereas mundaners visit the temple of Kātyāyanī to receive some material profit. That is the difference between a Vaiṣṇava’s visit and a nondevotee’s visit.
Not understanding the process of disciplic succession, so-called logicians put forward the theory of pañcopāsanā, in which a person worships one of five deities-namely Viṣṇu, Śiva, Durgā, the sun-god or Ganeśa. In this conception the impersonalists accept one of these five deities as supreme and reject the others. Such philosophical speculation, which is certainly idol worship, is not accepted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or by Vaiṣṇavas. This imaginary deity worship has recently been transformed into Māyāvāda impersonalism. For want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, people are victimized by the Māyāvāda philosophy, and consequently they sometimes become staunch atheists. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu established the process of self-realization by His own personal behavior. As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 8.274):
sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe, nā dekhe tāra mūrti
sarvatra haya nija iṣṭa-deva-sphūrti
“A Vaiṣṇava never sees the material form of anything, moving or nonmoving. Rather, everywhere he looks he sees the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and immediately he remembers the transcendental form of the Lord.”
TEXT 361
caitanya-carita śuna śraddhā-bhakti kari’
mātsarya chāḍiyā mukhe bala ‘hari’ ‘hari’
SYNONYMS
caitanya-carita-the activities of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; śuna-hear; śraddhā-faith; bhakti-devotion; kari’-accepting; mātsarya-envy; chāḍiyā-giving up; mukhe-by the mouth; bala-say; hari hari-the holy name of the Lord (Hari, Hari).
TRANSLATION
Please hear the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with faith and devotion. Giving up envy of the Lord, everyone chant the Lord’s holy name, Hari.
TEXT 362
ei kali-kāle āra nāhi kona dharma
vaiṣṇava, vaiṣṇava-śāstra, ei kahe marma
SYNONYMS
ei kali-kāle-in this Age of Kali; āra-other; nāhi kona-there is not any; dharma-religious principle; vaiṣṇava-devotee; vaiṣṇava-śāstra-devotional literature; ei kahe marma-this is the purport.
TRANSLATION
In this Age of Kali there are no genuine religious principles other than those established by Vaiṣṇava devotees and Vaiṣṇava scriptures. This is the sum and substance of everything.
PURPORT
One must have firm faith in the process of devotional service and the scriptures that support it. If one hears the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with this faith, he can be freed from his envious position. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for such nonenvious persons (nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām). In this age a person should not envy Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement but should chant the holy names of Hari and Kṛṣṇa, the mahā-mantra. That is the sum and substance of the eternal religion, known as sanātana-dharma. In this verse the word vaiṣṇava refers to a pure devotee and fully realized soul, and the word vaiṣṇava-śāstra refers to śruti, or the Vedas, which are called śabda-pramāṇa, the evidence of transcendental sound. One who strictly follows the Vedic literature and chants the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will actually be situated in the transcendental disciplic succession. Those who want to attain life’s ultimate goal must follow this principle. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.19.17), it is said:
śrutiḥ pratyakṣam aitihyam
anumānaṁ catuṣṭayam
pramāṇeṣv anavasthānād
vikalpāt sa virajyate
“Vedic literature, direct perception, history and hypothesis are the four kinds of evidential proofs. Everyone should stick to these principles for the realization of the Absolute Truth.”
TEXT 363
caitanya-candrera līlā–agādha, gambhīra
praveśa karite nāri,–sparśi rahi’ tīra
SYNONYMS
caitanya-candrera līlā-the pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; agādha-unfathomable; gambhīra-deep; praveśa karite-to enter into; nāri-I am unable; sparśi-I touch; rahi’ tīra-standing on the bank.
TRANSLATION
The pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are just like an unfathomable ocean. It is not possible for me to enter into them. Simply standing on the shore, I am but touching the water.
TEXT 364
caitanya-carita śraddhāya śune yei jana
yateka vicāre, tata pāya prema-dhana
SYNONYMS
caitanya-carita-the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; śraddhāya-with faith; śune-hears; yei jana-which person; yateka vicāre-as far as he analytically studies; tata-so far; pāya-he gets; prema-dhana-the riches of ecstatic love.
TRANSLATION
The more one hears the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with faith, analytically studying them, the more one attains the ecstatic riches of love of Godhead.
TEXT 365
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.
PURPORT
As usual the author concludes the chapter by reciting the names of Śrī Rūpa and Raghunātha and reinstating himself at their lotus feet.
SYNONYMS
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Ninth Chapter, describing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s travels to many holy places in South India.