20200430 Unhappy to Hear the Offense to the Holy Name, The Lord Extols the Glories of Bhakti

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Chapter entitled as Unhappy to Hear the Offense to the Holy Name, The Lord Extols the Glories of Bhakti

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17.72

eka pāṣaṇḍa chātrera śrīnāme arthavāda:—

bhakta-gaṇe prabhu nāma-mahimā kahili
śuniyā paḍuyā tāhāṅ artha-vāda kaila

Translation: Once when the Lord explained the glories of the holy name to the devotees, some ordinary students who heard Him fashioned their own interpretation.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17.73

nāme stuti-vāda śuni’ prabhura haila duḥkha
sabāre niṣedhila, — ihāra nā dekhiha mukha

Translation: When a student interpreted the glories of the holy name as a prayer of exaggeration, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, greatly unhappy, immediately warned everyone not to see the student’s face henceforward.

Purport: Once when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the glories of the transcendental potency of the Lord’s holy name, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one unfortunate student said that such glorification of the holy name was an exaggeration in the śāstras to induce people to take to it. In this way the student interpreted the glories of the holy name. This is called artha-vāda, and it is one of the ten offenses at the lotus feet of the holy name of the Lord. There are many kinds of offenses, but the offense known as nāma-aparādha, an offense at the lotus feet of the holy name, is extremely dangerous. The Lord therefore warned everyone not to see the face of the offender. The Lord immediately took a bath in the Ganges with all His clothes on to teach everyone to avoid such a nāma-aparādha. The holy name is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no difference between the person God and His holy name. This is the absolute position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, one who distinguishes between the Lord and His name is called a pāṣaṇḍī, or nonbeliever, an atheistic demon. Glorification of the holy name is glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should never attempt to distinguish between the Lord and His name or interpret the glories of the holy name as mere exaggerations.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17.74

sagaṇa savastra gaṅgāsnāna o ekamātra abhidheya bhaktira mahimā kīrtana

sagaṇe sacele giyā kaila gaṅgā-snāna
bhaktira mahimā tāhāṅ karila vyākhyāna

Translation: Without even removing His garments, Lord Caitanya took a bath in the Ganges with His companions. There He explained the glories of devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: Some people think that the glories of the holy name are an exaggeration, because it is so difficult to achieve liberation by other means. But since the holy name and Kṛṣṇa, the person, is not different, therefore there is no limit to the glories of the holy name. No limit to the power of the holy name. So, it is not an exaggeration. Somehow or another, if people chant the holy name, they can achieve the ultimate auspicious result.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 2.4.33

anyedyur adhyāpayad aprameyaḥ
śiṣyān vadet taṁ dvija-sūnur ekaḥ
śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmā khalu māyayā syād
itthaṁ samākarṇya vacaḥ khalasya

Translation: On another day as the Lord was instructing His numerous students, one son of a brāhmaṇa told Him, “That whose name is ‘Kṛṣṇa’, He is also a product of māyā.” Hearing that malicious person's words…

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 2.4.34

karṇau karābhyāṁ vinidhāya devaḥ
śiṣyair upeto dyunadīṁ jagāma
snātvā sa-celaḥ saha śiṣya-vargair
upāgamat keli-nidhiṁ gṛhaṁ svam

Translation:... covering His two ears with His two hands, the Lord went to the Gaṅgā. He plunged and bathed in with His clothes on together with all His students. Then He returned to His home, which was like an ocean of His pleasure-pastimes.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17.75

জ্ঞান -কর্ন্ম-যোগ-ধৰ্ম্মে নহে কৃষ্ণ বশ
কৃষ্ণবশ-হেতু এক—কৃষ্ণপ্রেম-রস

Translation: “By following the paths of speculative philosophical knowledge, fruitive activity or mystic yoga to control the senses, one cannot satisfy Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. Unalloyed devotional love for Kṛṣṇa is the only cause for the Lord’s satisfaction.

Jayapatākā Swami: People who have practiced the paths of speculative knowledge, fruitive activity or mystic yoga to control their senses, cannot understand how chanting the holy name is so powerful. So, they commit offences to the holy name, and in this way, they commit offences to Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, Lord Caitanya, hearing this offence to Lord Kṛṣṇa jumped into the Ganges with all His clothes on. Naturally, all His students also followed Him. So, we can understand from this, how we should be very careful not to do any Vaiṣṇava offence or offence to the holy name. Not even to hear such offence.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya, 6.100

paścāt papāṭha madhuraṁ madhurākṛtiḥ sa
ślokaṁ mahāprabhur atīva kṛpā-samudraḥ

Translation: Then Mahāprabhu, the great ocean of mercy with sweet form, recited a sweet verse.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.18

ihā bali śloka eka paḍhileka nija
mora eka śloka śuna śrīnivāsa dvija

Translation: After speaking these words, Lord Gaura recited a stanza. He said: O brāhmaṇa Śrivasa, please listen as I recite this stanza (Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.20):

Same verse in these scriptures:–

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya recited this verse and He told Śrivasa Prabhu, listen to this verse. It is from the SB 11.14.20.

It appears in four different books.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17.76

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya, 6.101

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.20)

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.19

na sādhayati māṁ yogo
na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo
yathā bhaktir mamorjitā

Translation: “[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, said:] ‘My dear Uddhava, neither through aṣṭāṅga-yoga [the mystic yoga system to control the senses], nor through impersonal monism or an analytical study of the Absolute Truth, nor through study of the Vedas, nor through austerities, charity or acceptance of sannyāsa can one satisfy Me as much as by developing unalloyed devotional service unto Me.”

Purport: karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs, tapasvīs and students of Vedic literature who do not have Kṛṣṇa consciousness simply beat around the bush and do not get any final profit because they have no clear knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nor do they have faith in approaching Him by discharging devotional service, although everywhere such service is repeatedly emphasized, as it is in this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.20). The Bhagavad-gītā (18.55) also declares, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: “One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service.” If one wants to understand the Supreme Personality factually, he must take to the path of devotional service and not waste time in profitless philosophical speculation, fruitive activity, mystic yogic practice or severe austerity and penance. Elsewhere in the Bhagavad-gītā (12.5) the Lord confirms, kleśo ’dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām: “For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome.” People who are attached to the impersonal feature of the Lord are obliged to take great trouble, yet nevertheless they cannot understand the Absolute Truth. As explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.11), brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Unless one understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original source of both Brahman and Paramātmā, one is still in darkness about the Absolute Truth.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in this, Lord Caitanya is instructing His followers and students, that they should practice devotional service. The devotional service is the only way to have real knowledge about the Absolute Truth the complete knowledge. All the other processes only give us partial understanding of the Absolute Truth. Lord Caitanya is glorifying the process of bhakti or devotional service. And that is a special pastime here.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya, 6.102

itthaṁ papāṭha madhuraṁ tata āgatāṁs tān
ūce dvijān dvija-mayūkha-samāplutoṣṭhaḥ
śrīvāsa eva vadatīha yadā yathā vai
kartavyam etad adhunā niyataṁ bhavadbhiḥ

Translation: Reciting sweetly this verse, he spoke with a smile to the brāhmaṇas who had come there.  “You should do whatever Śrīvāsa says.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Śrīvāsa Prabhu was a great devotee, he understood the process of devotional service. Lord Caitanya told the brāhmaṇas who may be following different practices, that they should all follow Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, because he would tell them how to do bhakti-yoga, process of devotional service.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.20

Paḍhiyā kahila-śuna sara nijajana
tomarā kariha eimata ācaraṇa

Translation: After reciting this verse, Lord Gaura said: Everyone please hear. You conduct your actions in this way.

Jayapatākā Swami: After reading this verse, Lord Gaurāṅga, He said, everyone, you please hear Me. You conduct your activities in this way. Following the verse of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.21

śrīnivāsapaṇḍitera kathā anusari
kariha āmāte bhakti-sukha pābe baḍi

Translation: Following Śrivasa Panḍita's advice, please serve Me with devotion. Then you will become very happy.

Jayapatākā Swami: Following the instruction of Śrivasa Panḍita, practice in this way, serving Me in devotion. In this way, you will get the happiness of devotional service.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.22

śrīrāmapaṇḍita śuna āmāra vacana
tomāra jyeṣṭhera sevā – āmāra arcana

Translation: O Śri Rāma Panḍita, please hear My words. Please serve your elder brother. That is the same as service to Me.

Jayapatākā Swami: O Śri Rāma Panḍita, please hear My words. Please serve your older brother. That is the same as service to Me.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.23

eteka jāniñā kara śrīvāsera sevā
ihā haite pābe tumi mora pada prabhā

Translation: Knowing this, serve Śrivasa by which you will attain the splendor of My feet."

Jayapatākā Swami: Know this that by serving Śrivasa, you will achieve My lotus feet, the splendor of My lotus feet, pada prabhā.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya, 6.103

śrī-rāma-paṇḍitam athāha sadaiva kāryaṁ
jyeṣṭhasya sevanam idaṁ hi mamaiva sevā
etena te sakalam eva śivāya bhūyād
itthaṁ vadan sa ruruce rucirānanenduḥ

Translation: Śrīrāma Paṇḍita said, “My service is to always serve my elder brother.”  Saying “By doing this you will attain all auspiciousness,” the Lord shone, his face as beautiful as the moon.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.24

eteka kahila prabhu bhakata vatsala
karuṇa-aruṇa āmkhi kare chalachala

Translation: To everyone Lord Gaura, who dearly loves His devotees, spoke these words. Tears came from His red with mercy eyes.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya who is very affectionate to His devotees, spoke the following words. His eyes filled with mercy, reddish colored and tears came from His eyes.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya, 6.104

śrīvāsa-paṇḍita-samarpita-dugdha-pūga-
mālyāni tatra sa niṣevya tato’vaśeṣam
tebhyaḥ prasāda-sumukho nija-pāda-padma-
bhaktebhya eva bhagavān pradadau kṛpābdhiḥ

Translation: The Lord, the ocean of mercy, accepted betel, milk and garlands from Śrīvāsa and then, being merciful, distributed his remnants to the devotees who served his lotus feet.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.25

tabe sei śrīnivāsa-paṇḍita catura
nivedana kaila dugdha - bhūñjaye ṭhākura

Translation: Then intelligent Śrivasa Paṇḍita offered Lord Gaura some milk. The Lord happily drank it.

Jayapatākā Swami: Then the very expert Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita offered Lord Caitanya some milk. And the Lord happily drank it.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.26

gandha candana mālā subāsita pūga
dhūpa dīpa nivedana karila sammukha

Translation: Then he offered the Lord fragrances, sandal, garlands, fragrant betelnuts, incense, and a lamp.

Jayapatākā Swami: He offered Lord Gaurāṅga, facing Him, scents, fragrances, sandalwood, garlands and fragrant betel nuts, incense, lamps and a lamp.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.27

grahaṇa karila prabhu ānandita mane
avaśeṣa dila yata nijabhaktajane

Translation: With a happy heart Lord Gaura accepted the offerings and then gave the remnants of them as gifts to His devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga, He accepted the offerings with a happy heart, and then at the end He distributed the remnants to all His devotees.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya, 6.105

itthaṁ nināya sakalāṁ sa niśāṁ niśeśa-
koṭi-prakāśa-madhurānana-candra-bimbaḥ
udyāti tigma-kiraṇe’tha mahāprabhuṁ taṁ
sannamya veśmani yathātatham īyur ete

Translation: The Lord with a face like a million moons spent the whole night in this way.  When the sun rose, the devotees offered respects to Mahāprabhu and went to their houses.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, 4.28

eimate kautuke sakala niśā gela
prabhāte uṭhiyā prabhu gharere calila

Translation: In this way the night happily passed. At sunrise the Lord returned to His own home.

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way the whole night was passed happily, performing different pastimes. When the sun rose, the Lord went to His own house.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya, 6.106

bhūyaś ca deva-taṭinī-plavanena mugdhāḥ
sampūjya deva-sadanāc ca yathāyathaṁ te
ājagmur asya pada-paṅkaja-darśanārthaṁ
tan-mātra-jīvana-mahauṣadhayo mahāntaḥ

Translation: Satisfied with bathing in the Gaṅgā, worshipping the Lord, they again came to see the lotus feet of Mahāprabhu.  He was the only medicine to maintain their lives.

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram 30

By Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura

bhāvāveśair nikhila-sujanān śikṣayām āsa bhaktiṁ
     teṣām doṣān sadaya-hṛdayo mārjayām āsa sākṣāt
bhakti-vyākhyāṁ sujana-samitau yo mukundaś cakāra
     taṁ gaurāṅgaṁ svajana-kaluṣa-kṣanti-mūrtiṁ smarāmi

Translation: By being filled with ecstatic love He taught devotion to all the devotees. Merciful at heart, He washed away their faults. The giver of liberation, He explained devotional service in the company of devotees. I mediate on Lord Gaurāṅga, the form of forgiveness of the devotees faults.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 2.4.35

paṭhed ya itthaṁ dyunadī-nimajjanaṁ
harer labhet so’pi kratoḥ phalaṁ naraḥ
harau ca bhaktiṁ vimalāṁ smṛtiṁ ca
prāpnoti śṛṇvann api tat-phalaṁ naraḥ

Translation: The person who reads this narration of Gaura Hari's bathing in the Ganges, obtains the fruits of sacrifice, as well as unalloyed devotion to and constant remembrance of Śrī Hari. Even the one who hears this pastime, also gets that same benefit.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, you can see that the devotional service is so exalted, so special. Many people, they don’t understand this, most people. Lord Caitanya’s descent was to specifically glorify this process of bhakti-yoga. By the process of bhakti-yoga, all the faults of the devotees are washed away, by hearing about these pastimes, although they are very simple, but they are very sublime. So, by this, one achieves special mercy of Lord Caitanya. One gets the fruits of sacrifice, and achieves unalloyed devotional service. We had some person who came to Māyāpur dhāma, and that person was practicing aṣṭāṅga-yoga in South India. And then that person’s guru had passed away. So somehow, she heard about Māyāpur and came here. And then by practicing devotional service just for a few days she said she felt better, she had more profound experience for many years practicing aṣṭāṅga-yoga. And then she was so conditioned, she thought, it cannot be possible! So, gave up the path of bhakti-yoga, even though she said she was feeling better. So, this is the problem, that people, even if they practice yoga, and then it is very hard for them to accept bhakti-yoga which is so effective. So, if one can understand Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, how He is glorifying bhakti-yoga, and how if we take shelter of bhakti-yoga we can achieve the success of pleasing Kṛṣṇa, we can understand the Absolute Truth. So, by this means we get all the results of fruits of sacrifice, we get unalloyed devotional service, constant remembrance of Śrī Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We heard from the prayers of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, how remembrance of the Lord is so important and one can achieve that by hearing these pastimes of Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Haribol! Gauuuuuurāṅṅṅṅṅṅga! Haribol!

Thus ends the Chapter -
Unhappy to Hear the Offense to the Holy Name, The Lord Extols the Glories of Bhakti

* * *

So tonight, we are supposed to meet with the devotees from Assam. And last night we met with devotees from Māyāpur Community. It was very nice to visit their houses. Through the internet streaming video. So, every day we go to see different devotees in their house, and it is a very wonderful experience to see how people worship Nitāi-Gaura and Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā, etc. and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in their house. And how the husband and wife are cooperating together to serve Kṛṣṇa. We want to expand this devotional service. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was saying that, kṛṣṇaera saṁsāra koro chāḍi' anācār, make a Kṛṣṇa conscious family, give up the forbidden activities. So now we are suffering a pandemic of corona virus which they say comes from the animals. But humans do not have natural antibodies, it takes some time to create such antibodies, and someone may not create these antibodies, so they may die. We see that we should not eat animals. So, this is one of the anācāras, one of the forbidden activities - to eat meat, fish, eggs. So, husband and wife they can cooperate together to serve Kṛṣṇa, but they should give up the forbidden activities. We have a question in Bengali.

Question in Bengali: Dear Guru Mahārāja, PAMRO.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the question is what mentality can we serve Kṛṣṇa by, that we can serve Him very enthusiastically?  So, one of the mano-bhāvas or one of the mentalities to serve Kṛṣṇa we heard today, is to avoid offenses. If we are serving the Lord offenselessly, we can also serve the Lord very enthusiastically. We also heard that in the prayers of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that he was saying that he wanted to ask for a special benediction. And Lord Caitanya said, anything you want, you can have ANYTHING! What would you ask for? What did Haridāsa Ṭhākura ask for? Ha! Ha! He said I know I am unqualified; I am being very proud to ask for such a great benediction! I want the remnants of your pure Vaiṣṇavas’ prasāda! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! So much faith he had in the Vaiṣṇavas! From the Caitanya-caritāmṛta we hear that, the dust from the devotee’s lotus feet, the water that washes the devotee’s lotus feet and the remnants of their prasāda, are very powerful to give bhakti-yoga. If you can somehow get this that may help you to get the pure love, fixed mentality, enthusiastic mentality.

Thank you all. Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, stay healthy, and have the unlimited happiness of bhakti-yoga! Haribol!