20210603 Punishment and Blessings of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi by Jagannātha and Balarāma

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 3rd, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa dear devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, the chapter entitled:

Punishment and Blessings of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi by Jagannātha and Balarāma

Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.80

sei rātrye jagannātha-balāi āsiyā
dui-bhāi caḍā’na tāṅre hāsiyā hāsiyā

Translation: That night the brothers Lord Jagannātha and Balarāma came to Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi and, smiling, began to slap him. Hari Bol!

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.81

gāla phulila, ācārya antare ullāsa
vistāri’ varṇiyāchena vṛndāvana-dāsa

Translation: Although his cheeks were swollen from the slapping, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was very happy within. This incident has been elaborately described by Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, it was the special mercy that Lord Jagannātha and Lord Balarāma slapped the cheeks of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi in his sleep by dream and when he woke up his cheeks were swollen.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.122

bahirmukha karma-jaḍa-smārtamata-nirāsera kauśala-vistārārtha kṛṣṇera nijadāsera hṛdaye bhramotpādana o paścāte bhramacchedanera ādarśa—

bhramo karāyena kṛṣṇa āpana-dāsere
bhramac-chedo kare pāche sadaya-antare

Translation: Lord Kṛṣṇa sometimes bewilders His own devotees. Feeling compassion for the devotees, He later destroys his illusion, being compassionate within.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was a great devotee, when he enacted the pastime of finding fault in the devotees of Lord Jagannātha, the affectionate Supreme Lord performed one pastime to destroy his staged illusion.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.123

nimne bhramaccheda-prasaṅga varṇana—

bhrama karāilā vidyānidhire āpane
bhramac-cheda-kṛpāo śunibā ei-kṣaṇe

Translation: First the Lord bewildered Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, now you will hear how the Lord destroyed his illusion

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.124

svarūpa o vidyānidhira sva-sva sthāne gamana—

ei-mata raṅge-ḍhaṅge dui priya-sakhā
calilena kṛṣṇa-kārye yāṅra yathā vāsā

Translation: In this way the two intimate friends joyfully went to their respective residences to do their Kṛṣṇa consciousness duties.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.125

bhikṣā kari’ āilena gaurāṅgera sthāne
prabhu-sthāne āsi’ sabe thākilāśayane

Translation: After taking their meals, they went to Lord Gaurāṅga’s residence. They stayed in Lord Caitanya’s residence for some time, then they returned to their residences and took rest.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.126

vidyānidhira svapna-darśana—

sakala jānena prabhu caitanya-gosāñi
jagannātha-rūpe svapne gelā tāna ṭhāñi

Translation: Everyone knows that in His form as Lord Jagannātha, the omniscient Lord Caitanya Gosvāmī, appeared before Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi in a dream

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.127

svapane dekhena vidyānidhi mahāśaya
jagannātha-balāi āsi’ hailā vijaya

Translation: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi Mahāśaya saw Lord Jagannātha and Lord Balarāma appear before him in his dream.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.128

svapne jagannātha-kartṛka capeṭāghāta—

krodha-rūpa jagannātha—vidyānidhi dekhe
āpane dhariyā tāṅre caḍāyena mukhe

Translation: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi saw Lord Jagannātha in an angry mood, grabbed him, catch hold of him and slap his face.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.129

dui bhāi mili’ caḍa māre dui gale
hena daḍha caḍhaña ye aṅguli gāle phule

Translation: The two brothers, Jagannātha and Balarāma, slapped him on his two cheeks so hard that his swollen face bore impressions Their fingers.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.130

vidyānidhira kṣamā-bhikṣā-līlā o aparādhera kāraṇa-jijñāsā—

duḥkha pāi’ vidyānidhi ‘kṛṣṇa rakṣa’ bale
‘aparādha kṣama’ bali’ paḍe pada-tale

Translation: Feeling distress, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi fell at Their lotus feet and prayed, “Kṛṣṇa save me! Forgive my offenses!

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): As a result of Vidyānidhi’s finding fault with the behavior of Jagannātha’s servants, Śrī Jagannātha and Śrī Balarāma appeared in a dream before Vidyānidhi and profusely slapped him on the face. Vidyānidhi asked Kānāi and Balāi why They were unnecessarily punishing him. What was his offense? When his offense was disclosed, he begged pardon from Them.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi has criticized the servants of Lord Jagannātha and that was his offense.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.131

“kon aparādhe more māraha gosāñi!”
prabhu bale,—“tora aparādhera anta nāñi

Translation: O Lord, for what offense are You beating me?” The Lord replied, “There is no end to your offenses.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.132

vidyānidhike śāsana-chale karma-jaḍagaṇera durbuddhi-nirāsa—

mora jāti, mora sevakera jāti nāñi
sakala jānilā tumi rahi’ ei ṭhāñi

Translation: I do not belong to any caste, and My servants also do not belong to any caste. You should have learned this while staying here.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.133

tabe kene rahiyācha jāti-nāśā-sthāne
jāti rākhi’ cala tumi āpana-bhavane 

Translation: Why then are you staying in a place where you will lose your caste? If you want to protect your caste, you better go to your home.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.134

parameśvarera sva-tantratā laukika smṛti śāsanera adhīna nahe—

āmi ye kariyā āchi yātrāra nirbandha
tāhāte o bhāva anācārera sambandha

Translation: I have inaugurated the traditional observance of this festival. Still, you think that there is any improper behavior in it?

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.135

āmāre kariyā brahma, sevaka nindiyā
māṇḍuyā-kāpaḍa-sthāne doṣa-dṛṣṭi diyā

Translation: You accept Me as the Supreme Brahman, but you offend My servants by finding fault in their dressing Me with starched cloth.”

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): What was his offense? In answer to this, Jagannātha said that he had committed the offense of criticizing His servants for dressing Him in starched cloth. If Vidyānidhi wished to protect his religious principles and caste, he should leave Śrī-kṣetra and return to his own residence. These activities appear faulty only from the external point of view. Since Lord Jagannātha is the Absolute Truth, So all His servants are also on the Absolute platform.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi should not be criticizing the servants of Lord Jagannātha. But this slapping of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi is a special of Lord Jagannātha and Lord Baladeva.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.136

vidyānidhira-bhaya-līlā o kṣamā-bhikṣā—

svapne vidyānidhi mahābhaya pāi’ mane
krandana karena māthā dhari’ śrī-caraṇe

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi in his dream, he felt great fear. He therefore cried and put his head on the lotus feet of the Lord Lord Jagannātha.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.137

“saba aparādha prabhu, kṣama’ pāpiṣṭhere
ghāṭiluṅ ghāṭiluṅ, prabhu baliluṅ tomāre

Translation: Oh my dear Lord Jagannātha, please forgive this sinful servitor of yours for all these offenses. I accept defeat and I apologize; oh Lord I say this to you!”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.138

vidyānidhi-kartṛka jagannātha o balarāmera śāsana anugraha-rūpe varaṇa—

ye mukhe hāsiluṅ prabhu, tora sevakere
se mukhera śāsti prabhu, bhāla kailā more

Translation: O Lord Jagannātha, with this mouth I have laughed at Your servants, so My Lord, You have properly punished that mouth.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.139

bhāla-dina haila mora āji suprabhāta
mukha-kapolera bhāgye bājila śrī-hāta”

Translation: This is the auspicious beginning of a new day, in this auspicious sunrise. My face and forehead were auspiciously touched by Your lotus hand.”

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi thought about his bodily pains and understood that the touch of the Lord’s lotus hands had awakened his good fortune. He was extremely happy because the Lord had personally punished him. This is the real mercy of the Lord on his servant.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari Bol!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.140

bhaktera prati prabhura prema-dṛṣṭi—

prabhu bale,—“tore anugrahera lāgiyā
tomāre kariluṅ śāsti sevaka dekhiyā”

Translation: The Lord Jagannātha replied, “I have punished you to bestow mercy on you, for I consider you My servant.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 10.141

svapne premanidhi-prati prema-dṛṣṭi kari’
deule āilā dui bhāi—rāma-hari

Translation: In this way the two brothers, Lord Jagannātha and Lord Baladeva, mercifully and lovingly glanced on Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi in his dream and then the two brothers Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa returned to Their temple.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, normally if one commits some offense, then they may suffer some minor reaction. But that the Lord Jagannātha and Baladeva personally came and slapped the face of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was actually Their special mercy because They said that They considered him to be Their devotee, so They wanted to make sure that he doesn’t repeat such offenses again. And by personally giving them punishment, that was a special mercy that They accepted him as Their intimate servitor.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Punishment and Blessings of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi by Jagannātha and Balarāma.

Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana.