20221103 Gopāla Cakravartī offends Haridāsa Ṭhākura and is attacked by leprosy part 1

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 3rd,2022 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, Today's chapter is entitled as:

Gopāla Cakravartī offends Haridāsa Ṭhākura and is attacked by leprosy, Part 1
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.190

nāme arthavādakārī pāṣaṇḍa gopāla-cakravartīra vṛttāntaḥ-—

‘gopāla cakravartī’ nāma eka-jana
majumadārera ghare sei ārindā pradhāna

Translation: At the house of Hiraṇya and Govardhana Majumadāra, a person named Gopāla Cakravartī was officially the chief tax collector.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Hiraṇya and Govardhana Majumadāra were tax collectors, under them a chief tax collector was an important post.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.191

gauḍe rahi’ pātsāhā-āge ārindā-giri kare
bāra-lakṣa mudrā sei pātsāra ṭhāñi bhare

Translation: This Gopāla Cakravartī lived in Bengal. His duty as chief tax collector was to collect 1,200,000 coins to deposit in the treasury of the emperor.

Jayapatākā Swami: At that time a gold coin was about ten grams so, in those days you could eat for even less than a paisa. So 1,200,000 coins, if you can calculate it’s a large amount

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.192

parama-sundara, paṇḍita, nūtana-yauvana
nāmābhāse ‘mukti’ śuni’ nā ha-ila sahana

Translation: He had handsome bodily features, and he was learned and youthful, but he could not tolerate the statement that simply by glimpsing the awakening of the Lord’s holy name one can attain liberation.

Purport: Vaiṣṇavas strictly follow the directions of the śāstras regarding how one can be liberated simply by a slight awakening of pure chanting of the holy name. Māyāvādīs cannot tolerate the statements of the śāstras about how easily liberation can be achieved, for, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (12.5), kleśo ‘dhikaratas teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām: impersonalists must work hard for many, many births, and only then will they perhaps be liberated. Vaiṣṇavas know that simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord offenselessly, one achieves liberation as a by-product. Thus there is no need to endeavor separately for liberation. Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has said, muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate ‘smān: liberation stands at one’s door, ready to render any kind of service, if one is a pure devotee with unflinching faith and reverence. This the Māyāvādīs cannot tolerate. Therefore, the ārindā pradhāna, chief tax collector, although very learned, handsome and youthful, could not tolerate the statements of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Jayapatākā Swami: We had someone come here from South India, they had been practicing tapasyā and yoga for many years, and they were not making much advancement. But then when they chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa just for a short time, they were experiencing more advancement. Then they thought how is it possible? There must be something wrong, “I did yoga for many years nothing happened and here I chanted for a few days how could it be? ” People those who are following the impersonal path they cannot understand how Bhakti-yoga is so simple

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.291

sādhu-śiromaṇi haridāsera śāstra-yukti-saṅgata vākya śravaṇeo nāmāparādhī pāṇḍiviprabruvera sādhu-nindā —

sei vipra śuni’ haridāsera kathana
balite lāgila krodhe mahā-durvacana

Translation: After hearing the words of Haridāsa, the brāhmaṇa began to angrily blaspheme him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Gopāla Cakravartī he started to criticize Haridāsa Ṭhākura as he thought that the verse from the scriptures was an exaggeration. Thus he committed a Vaiṣṇava offense.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.193

krodhabhare ṭhākurake avajñoktiḥ—

kruddha hañā bale sei saroṣa vacana
“bhāvukera siddhānta śuna, paṇḍitera gaṇa

Translation: This young man, Gopāla Cakravartī, became very angry upon hearing the statements of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He immediately criticized him. “O assembly of learned scholars,” he said, “just hear the conclusion of the emotional devotee.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Māyāvādīs, they tend to think that the devotees are speaking emotionally, they don’t realize that the verses of the scripture state this. So they commit offenses.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.292

jātimada-mattatā-hetu dambhabhare haridāsa-prati viprabruvera kaṭhora vidrapokti—

“daraśana-kartā ebe haila haridāsa!
kāle-kāle veda-patha haya dekhi nāśa

Translation: “Now even Haridāsa has become a philosopher! I can see that gradually over time the Vedic culture is being destroyed

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda): That atheistic fallen brāhmaṇa angrily spoke the following insulting words, “There are six famous basic philosophies in India. All these philosophies are more or less under the subordination of the Vedas. Now this consideration on liberated souls presented by Haridāsa will become famous as the seventh philosophy. This is Kali-yuga, therefore by the influence of time the Vedic path is now about to be destroyed by the pure Vaiṣṇava followers of the Vedas like Haridāsa. So far Kapila, Patañjali, Kaṇāda, Akṣapāda, Jaimini, and Vyāsa were the propounders of six philosophies, but now Haridāsa has come from somewhere and become the propounder of the seventh philosophy. I don’t know how many more philosophies will crop up from time to time.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, he was accusing Haridāsa Ṭhākura of cropping up a new philosophy, but actually Haridāsa Ṭhākura was simply quoting the Vedas written by Vyāsadevā. But Gopāla Cakravartī he thought this was not in the Vedas. So, he was accusing Haridāsa Ṭhākura for creating a new philosophy.

Thus ends the chapter entitled,
Gopāla Cakravartī offends Haridāsa Ṭhākura and is attacked by leprosy, Part 1
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura