20210324 Gopīnātha Ācārya Describes Bengal Devotees to Pratāparudra (Part 4)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 24th March 2021 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, Part 4 of the chapter entitled:

Gopīnātha Ācārya Describes Bengal Devotees to Pratāparudra

Jayapatākā Swami: So, King Pratāparudra seeing the devotees from Bengal, chanting and dancing, he said that he has never saw anything like that before. But he had doubt why did not they follow the regulative principles enjoined in visiting the holy places, like shaving their hair, fasting for one day, so that would be replied today.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.113

bhagavānera parokṣa o sākṣāt ādeśa:—

īśvarera parokṣa ājñā—kṣaura, upoṣaṇa
prabhura sākṣāt ājñā—prasāda-bhojana

Translation: “The scriptural injunctions for shaving and fasting are indirect orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, when there is a direct order from the Lord to take prasāda, naturally the devotees take prasāda as their first duty.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.114

tāhāṅ upavāsa, yāhāṅ nāhi mahā-prasāda
prabhu-ājñā-prasāda-tyāge haya aparādha

Translation: “When mahā-prasāda is not available, there must be fasting, but when the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly orders one to take prasāda, neglecting such an opportunity is offensive.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the mahā-prasāda of Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary food, it is from the spiritual platform. When the Lord orders one to take prasāda, then to fast would be offensive.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.115

bhaktagaṇera upavāsa-vidhi-tyāgera anya kāraṇa:—

viśeṣe śrī-haste prabhu kare pariveśana
eta lābha chāḍi’ kon kare upoṣaṇa

Translation: “When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is distributing prasāda with His transcendental hand, who will neglect such an opportunity and accept the regulative principle of fasting?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, King Pratāparudra was offered prasāda by Lord Caitanya, will he refuse? Would anyone refuse? Well, this question doesn’t come up!

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.116

nija pūrva-dṛṣṭānta varṇana:—

pūrve prabhu more prasāda-anna āni’ dila
prāte śayyāya vasi’ āmi se anna khāila

Translation: “Previously the Lord gave me mahā-prasāda rice one morning, and I ate it just sitting on my bed, without having even washed my mouth.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.117

kṛṣṇa-kṛpāphale sevonmukhatāya phalabhoga-kāmamūlaka nitya naimittika o kāmya karma-tyāga:—

yāṅre kṛpā kari’ karena hṛdaye preraṇa
kṛṣṇāśraya haya, chāḍe veda-loka-dharma

Translation: “The man to whom the Lord shows His mercy by inspiring him within the heart takes shelter only of Lord Kṛṣṇa and abandons all Vedic and social customs.

Purport: This is also the teaching of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.66):

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” Such firm faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead is possible only by the mercy of the Lord. The Lord is sitting within everyone’s heart, and when He personally inspires His devotee, the devotee does not stick to the Vedic principles or social customs but rather devotes himself to the transcendental loving service of the Lord. This is confirmed in the following verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.29.46).

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.155

Sārvabhauma: My king, they follow a different path. Lord Caitanya has secretly given them His order, and thus they accept prasāda directly from the hand of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. What is the fault in that? The scriptures say:

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.156

bhāgabatera pramāṇa –
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.29.46)—

yadā yam anugṛhṇāti bhagavān ātma-bhāvitaḥ
sa jahāti matiṁ loke vede ca pariniṣṭhitām

Translation: “‘When one is inspired by the Lord, who is sitting in everyone’s heart, he does not care for social custom or Vedic regulative principles.’”

Purport: This instruction (Bhāg. 4.29.46) was given by Nārada Gosvāmī to King Prācīnabarhi in connection with the story of Purañjana. Here Nārada implies that without the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead one cannot extricate himself from the fruitive activities that are under the jurisdiction of the Vedas. In previous verses (Bhāg. 4.29.42-44) Nārada admits that even personalities like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Manu, the Prajāpatis (headed by Dakṣa), the four Kumāras, Marīci, Atri, Aṅgirā, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha and even Nārada himself could not properly receive the causeless mercy of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were spontaneously worshipping the Lord for Kṛṣṇa had said, give up all other religious principles and simply surrender to me. So the devotees of Lord Caitanya were following this principle and therefore they could get the causeless mercy of the Lord.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.157

The scriptures also say: “One should act only to please Lord Hari.” Their wish is to please the Lord not to gain some benediction by visiting a pilgrimage place.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.119

nīce nāmiyā rājāra kāśīmiśra o paḍichā-pātrake
bhaktagaṇera sevāra vyavasthā karite ādeśa:—

tabe rājā aṭṭālikā haite talete āilā
kāśī-miśra, paḍichā-pātra, duṅhe ānāilā

Translation: After this, King Pratāparudra came down from the top of his palace to the ground and called for Kāśī Miśra and the inspector of the temple.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.158

King: So be it. Tell me. When will the Ratha-yātrā festival be? The plan you told me waits in my heart. For every moment has become long as a millennium.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.159

Sarvabhauma: The day after tomorrow.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.160

King: What! Call for Kāśī Miśra and the temple-superintendent.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.161

(A certain person enters and bows down). Person: Lord, as you have ordered. (He exits, and then, bringing them both, again enters). Lord here they are.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.120-121

pratāparudra ājñā dila sei dui jane
prabhu-sthāne āsiyāchena yata prabhura gaṇe
sabāre svacchanda vāsā, svacchanda prasāda
svacchanda darśana karāiha, nahe yena bādha

Translation: Mahārāja Pratāparudra then told both Kāśī Miśra and the temple inspector, “Provide all the devotees and associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with comfortable residences, convenient eating facilities for prasāda and convenient visiting arrangements at the temple so that there will not be any difficulty.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, King Pratāparudra, he took up the seva of the vaiṣṇavas very enthusiastically.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.122

sevyera iṅgite sevā karāi uttama:—

prabhura ājñā pāliha duṅhe sāvadhāna hañā
ājñā nahe, tabu kariha, iṅgita bujhiyā

Translation: “The orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must be carefully carried out. Although the Lord may not give direct orders, you are still to carry out His desires simply by understanding His indications.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the symptom of the uttama servant, even though he did not receive direct orders, to understand what the Lord wants

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.162

King: O temple-superintendent, know that during the Ratha-yātrā festival whatever is ordered by Kāśī Miśra, who knows Lord Caitanya's heart, is ordered by me. Do whatever he says.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.163

Superintendent: As the king commands.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.164

King: Miśra, every day act according to the desires in Lord Caitanya's heart.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.165

Miśra: That is my wish.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.123

sārvabhauma o gopīnāthera ekaṭu dūre thākiyā bhakta-bhagavān-milana-darśana:—

eta bali’ vidāya dila sei dui-jane
sārvabhauma dekhite āila vaiṣṇava-milane

Translation: Saying this, the King gave them permission to leave. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya also went to see the assembly of all the Vaiṣṇavas.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka

Jayapatākā Swami: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is taking advantage of all the vaiṣṇava association.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.166

King: Also, please give all facility to the Bengali devotees that have come here. Arrange that they may see Lord Jagannātha whenever they wish.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.167

Both: As the king commands.

(The both exit).

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.168

King: Bhaṭṭācārya, come here. See how they eagerly talk among themselves. I am king of this city. How I am cheated of the bliss they enjoy? Now I must carefully consider what should and should not be done during the Ratha-yātrā festival about to take place. (He exits).

Jayapatākā Swami: King Pratāparudra is very single pointed on how he can serve Lord Caitanya and he is considering that very intently.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.169

Sārvabhauma: The king's order is the same as my desire. Now I will execute it. (He takes a few steps with Gopīnāthācārya). Ah! Making thunderous sounds of transcendental bliss, and its waves dancing in the winds of great happiness, this moving ocean of love for Lord Kṛṣṇa eclipses the stationary ocean of salt-water. Let us approach. (They both approach).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.124

gopīnāthācārya bhaṭṭācārya sārvabhauma
dūre rahi’ dekhe prabhura vaiṣṇava-milana

Translation: From a distant place, Gopīnātha Ācārya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya watched the meeting of all the Vaiṣṇavas with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: This meeting is very ecstatic, the vaiṣṇavas are hankering for the association of the Lord, they were separated from Him for years so the transcendental ecstasy they are feeling by seeing the Lord is indescribable.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.170

(As described, the devotees, headed by Advaita, enter).

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.171

Advaita: (looking ahead) Dāmodara, who is this coming to us with a garland?

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.172

Dāmodara: It is the Lord's constant companion, Govinda.

(Govinda hastily enters and offers the garland. Advaita respectfully accepts the garland).

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.173

Dāmodara: This way. This way. Enter Kāśī Miśra's āśrama.

(Headed by Advaita, the devotees enter).

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.174

Sārvabhauma: Ah! Wonderful! At the end of the cosmic millennium the Supreme Personality of Godhead assumes the form of a small child resting on a banyan leaf. At that time the entire universe easily enters His small stomach. In the same way hundreds and thousands of planets have now entered the asrama of Kāśī Miśra.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is comparing all the vaiṣṇavas to thousands of planets.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.175

Translation: (He looks ahead). Ah! There He is. The rising of the moon of Lord Advaita has caused a flood of great tidal waves in the nectar ocean of Śrī Caitanya. Śrī Caitanya is eternally filled with all possible transcendental bliss. How can His bliss suddenly increase so greatly?

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Lord Caitanya is always in great bliss, chanting and serving Lord Kṛṣṇa, but yet when Advaita Gosāi and all the Vaiṣṇavas entered, Lord Caitanya's bliss further increased so greatly that it was astonishing to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. So, we could hear some pastimes how the Vaiṣṇavas entered Jagannātha Purī. Actually many of the Vvaiṣṇavas were also with their wives but the wives kept at a respectful distance from Lord Caitanya, who was a sannyāsī, but with great devotion they bowed down at His lotus feet.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Thus, ends the chapter entitled, Gopīnātha Ācārya Describes Bengal Devotees to Pratāparudra.