20230110 Even Lord Brahmā And Lord Śiva Cannot Understand The Intentions of the Lord

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 10th,2023 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:

Even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva Cannot Understand the Intentions of the Lord
Under the section: The Deliverance of Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.81

rājāra gurusevā-niyama :—

pratāparudrera eka āchaye niyama
yata dina rahe teṅha śrī-puruṣottame

Translation: As long as King Pratāparudra stayed in Puruṣottama, he performed one regular duty.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.82

nitya āsi’ kare miśrera pāda saṁvāhana
jagannātha-sevāra kare bhiyāna śravaṇa

Translation: He would come daily to the house of Kāśī Miśra to massage his lotus feet. The King would also hear from him about how opulently Lord Jagannātha was being served.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, King Pratāparudra he was engaged in serving a Vaiṣṇava and Lord Śiva explains worshipping a Vaiṣṇava is superior to worshipping Lord Viṣṇu. King Pratāparudra would also hear how opulently Lord Jagannātha was being served. So he was eager to hear about Lord Jagannātha from the lips of a Vaiṣṇava.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.83

rājā miśrera caraṇa yabe cāpite lāgilā
tabe miśra tāṅre kichu bhaṅgīte kahilā

Translation: When the King began pressing his lotus feet, Kāśī Miśra informed him about something through hints.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.84

miśrakarttṛka rājāke prabhura purītyāga-saṁvāda-dāna —

“deva, śuna āra eka aparūpa bāt!
mahāprabhu kṣetra chāḍi’ yābena ālālanātha!”

Translation: “My dear King,” he said, “please hear one uncommon item of news. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants to leave Jagannātha Purī and go to Ālālanātha.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Since the King Pratāparudra was very eager for Lord Caitanya to stay in Jagannātha Purī, He may take this news very seriously.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.85

rājāra duḥkha o tatkāraṇa-jijñāsā, uttare miśrera gopīnātha vṛttānta-varṇana —

śuni rājā duḥkhī hailā, puchilena kāraṇa
tabe miśra kahe tāṅre saba vivaraṇa

Translation: When the King heard that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was going to Ālālanātha, he was very unhappy and inquired about the reason. Then Kāśī Miśra informed him of all the details.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.86

“gopīnātha-paṭṭanāyake yabe cāṅge caḍāilā
tāra sevaka saba āsi’ prabhure kahilā

Translation: “When Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka was lifted onto the cāṅga,” he said, “all his servants went to inform Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.87

rājavittāpahāraka gopīnāthake dharmavigraha o dharmagoptā prabhura tīvra bhartsanā; laukika, rājanaitika o arthanaitika vā śuklavittārjjana-vidhi-varṇana

śuniyā kṣobhita haila mahāprabhura mana
krodhe gopīnāthe kailā bahuta bhartsana

Translation: “Hearing about this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was extremely sorry at heart, and in anger He chastised Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.88

‘ajitendriya hañā kare rāja-viṣaya
nānā asat-pathe kare rāja-dravya vyaya

Translation: ‘Because he is mad after sense gratification,’ the Lord said, ‘he acts as a government servant but spends the government’s revenue for various sinful activities.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kāśī Miśra is explaining how Lord Caitanya, He was chastising Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka for having taken the King’s, the Government's property.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.89

brahmasva-adhika ei haya rāja-dhana
tāhā hari’ bhoga kare mahā-pāpī jana

Translation: ‘The revenue of the government is more sacred than the property of a brāhmaṇa. One who misappropriates the government’s money and uses it to enjoy sense gratification is most sinful.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.90

rājāra vartana khāya, āra curi kare
rāja-daṇḍya haya sei śāstrera vicāre

Translation: “ ‘One who serves the government but misappropriates the government’s revenue is liable to be punished by the king. That is the verdict of all revealed scriptures.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.91

nija-kauḍi māge, rājā nāhi kare daṇḍa
rājā—mahā-dhārmika, ei haya pāpī bhaṇḍa!

Translation: The King wanted his revenue paid and did not want to enforce punishment. Therefore the King is certainly very religious. But Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka is a great cheat.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.92

rājā-kaḍi nā deya, āmāre phukāre
ei mahā-duḥkha ihāṅ ke sahite pāre?

Translation: He does not pay the revenue to the King, but he wants My help for release. This is a greatly sinful affair. I cannot tolerate it here.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here Lord Caitanya is not being exactly portrayed. Anyway Lord Caitanya disapproved of Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka not paying his dues to the Government.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.93

nirjjanavāsecchā arthāt viṣayakathā-mukharita sthānarūpa duḥsaṅga-tyāga —

ālālanātha yāi’ tāhāṅ niścinte rahimu
viṣayīra bhāla manda vārtā nā śunimu

Translation: “Therefore I shall leave Jagannātha Purī and go to Ālālanātha, where I shall live peacefully and not hear about all these affairs of materialistic people.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kāśī Miśra is explaining all these things to the King. What would be the King’s decision after hearing this?

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.94

purīte prabhura avasthānārtha rājāra sarvasvatyāgera pratijñā —

eta śuni’ kahe rājā pāñā mane vyathā
”saba dravya chāḍoṅ, yadi prabhu rahena ethā

Translation: When King Pratāparudra heard all these details, he felt great pain in his mind. “I shall give up all that is due from Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka,” he said, “if Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will stay here at Jagannātha Purī.

Jayapatākā Swami: The king wants Lord Caitanya to stay in Jagannātha Purī, even he is willing to sacrifice what is owed by Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.95

kṣaṇakāla prabhu-darśanao parama lobhanīya —

eka-kṣaṇa prabhura yadi pāiye daraśana
koṭi-cintāmaṇi-lābha nahe tāra sama

Translation: “If even for a moment I could get an interview with Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I would not care for the profit of millions of cintāmaṇi stones.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari Bol! So, King Pratāparudra valued having the darśana of Lord Caitanya more than a million cintāmaṇi stones.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.96

kon chāra padārtha ei dui-lakṣa kāhana?
prāṇa-rājya karoṅ prabhu-pade nirmañchana

Translation: “I do not care about this small sum of 200,000 kāhanas. What to speak of this, I would indeed sacrifice everything at the lotus feet of the Lord, including my life and kingdom.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here King Pratāparudra is willing to dedicate his life and kingdom at the Lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.97

bhaktaduḥkhe prabhura duḥkha —

miśra kahe, “kauḍi chāḍibā,—nahe prabhura mana
tārā duḥkha pāya,—ei nā yāya sahana”

Translation: Kāśī Miśra hinted to the King, “It is not the Lord’s desire that you forfeit the payment. He is unhappy only because the whole family is troubled.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.98

rājāra gopīnāthera śāsti-lābha-viṣaye anabhijñatā-jñāpana—

rājā kahe,—”tāre āmi duḥkha nāhi diye
cāṅge caḍā, khaḍge ḍārā,—āmi nā jāniye

Translation: The King replied, “I had no desire to give pain to Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka and his family, nor did I know about his being lifted onto the cāṅga to be thrown on the swords and killed.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.99

puruṣottama-jānāre teṅha kaila parihāsa
sei ’jānā’ tāre dekhāila mithyā trāsa

Translation: “He sneered at Puruṣottama Jānā. Therefore, the prince tried to scare him as a punishment.

Jayapatākā Swami: Because Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka had made fun of the Prince by saying about him looking up in the air, therefore the prince wanted to scare him by putting him on the cāṅga.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.100

miśrake prabhutoṣaṇārtha o bhavānanda-vaṁśyagaṇera prati svīya svābhāvika prīti-jñāpanārtha rājāra anurodha—

tumi yāha, prabhure rākhaha yatna kari’
ei mui tāhāre chāḍinu saba kauḍi”

Translation: “Go personally to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and keep Him at Jagannātha Purī with great attention. I shall excuse Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka from all his debts.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, King Pratāparudra was requesting Kāśī Miśra to go to Lord Caitanya and beg Him to stay in Jagannātha Purī. So, the King is very attached to Lord Caitanya and he followed the values that Lord Caitanya wanted anything.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.101

miśra kahe, “kauḍi chāḍibā,—nahe prabhura mane
kauḍi chāḍile prabhu kadācit duḥkha māne”

Translation: Kāśī Miśra said, “Excusing Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka of all his debts will make the Lord unhappy, for that is not His intention.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.102

rājā kahe, “kauḍi chāḍimu,—ihā nā kahibā
sahaje mora priya tā’rā,—ihā jānāibā

Translation: The King said, “I shall absolve Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka of all his debts, but don’t speak of this to the Lord. Simply let Him know that all the family members of Bhavānanda Rāya, including Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka, are naturally my dear friends.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is antaryāmi, He knows everything. Even if Kāśī Miśra does not tell this to the Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya would know.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.103

bhavānanda-rāya—āmāra pūjya-garvita
tāṅra putra-gaṇe āmāra sahajei prīta”

Translation: “Bhavānanda Rāya is worthy of my worship and respect. Therefore, I am always naturally affectionate to his sons.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Bhavānanda Rāya is very dear to Lord Caitanya since his sons were also Lord Caitanya's dedicated devotees, they are very special. Somehow or another, they are also very dear to King Pratāparudra.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.104

gopīnāthake yuvarājera anugraha-pradarśana o vidāya-dāna —

eta bali’ miśre namaskari’ rājā ghare gelā
gopīnāthe ‘baḍa jānāya’ ḍākiyā ānilā

Translation: After offering obeisances to Kāśī Miśra, the King returned to his palace and called for both Gopīnātha and the eldest prince.

Jayapatākā Swami: Somehow as this chapter title says, even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva cannot understand the intentions of the Lord, what to speak of us?

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.105

rājā kahe,—”saba kauḍi tomāre chāḍiluṅ
sei mālajāṭhyā daṇḍa pāṭa tomāre ta’ diluṅ

Translation: The King told Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka, “You are excused for all the money you owe the treasury, and the place known as Mālajāṭhyā Daṇḍapāṭa is again given to you for collections.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.106

āra bāra aiche nā khāiha rāja-dhana
āji haite diluṅ tomāya dviguṇa vartana”

Translation: “Do not again misappropriate the revenue of the government. In case you think your salary insufficient, henceforward it will be doubled.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the King is telling Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka that pay your dues, I will double your salary but don’t steal. We should learn from this that the taxes have to be paid to the Government.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.107

eta bali’ ‘neta-dhaṭī’ tāre parāila
“prabhu-ājñā lañā yāha, vidāya tomā dila”

Translation: After saying this, the King appointed him by offering him a silken wrapper for his body. “Go to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,” he said. “After taking permission from Him, go to your home. I bid you farewell. Now you may go.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Somehow Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka is being sent to Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.108

gopīnāthera śāstivarṇana-prasaṅge prabhukṛpā-phale vyavahārika o pāramārthika unnati vā śreyovaiśiṣṭya varṇana —

paramārthe prabhura kṛpā, seha rahu dūre
ananta tāhāra phala, ke balite pāre?

Translation: By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one can certainly become spiritually advanced. Indeed, no one can estimate the results of His mercy.

Jayapatākā Swami: All over the world, wherever Nitāi-Gaura are worshipped they can very quickly become spiritually advanced and understand the transcendental personality of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.109

‘rājya-viṣaya’-phala ei—kṛpāra ‘ābhāse’!
tāhāra gaṇanā kāro mane nāhi āise!

Translation: Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka achieved the result of kingly opulence due to but a glimpse of the Lord’s mercy. Therefore no one can calculate the full value of His mercy.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we are very fortunate that we are living in the dhāma of Lord Caitanya, here by being very serious in devotional service we can get the full mercy of Lord Caitanya which is inestimable.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.110

kāhāṅ cāṅge caḍāñā laya dhana-prāṇa!
kāhāṅ saba chāḍi’ sei rājyādi-pradāna!

Translation: Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka was lifted onto the cāṅga to be killed, and all his money was taken away, but instead his debts were excused, and he was appointed collector in the same place.

Jayapatākā Swami: By the mercy of Lord Caitanya Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka's situation was now better than before.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.111

kāhāṅ sarvasva veci’ laya, deyā nā yāya kauḍi!
kāhāṅ dviguṇa vartana, parāya neta-dhaḍi!

Translation: On one hand Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka was unable to clear his debt even by selling all his possessions, but on the other his salary was doubled, and he was honored with the silken wrapper.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.112

prabhura icchā nāhi, tāre kauḍi chāḍāibe
dviguṇa vartana kari’ punaḥ ‘viṣaya’ dibe

Translation: It was not the desire of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka be excused of his debt to the government, nor was it His desire that his salary be doubled or that he be reappointed collector at the same place.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.113

tathāpi tāra sevaka āsi’ kaila nivedana
tāte kṣubdha haila yabe mahāprabhura mana

Translation: When Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka’s servant went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and informed the Lord of his plight, the Lord was somewhat agitated and dissatisfied.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.114

viṣaya-sukha dite prabhura nāhi manobala
nivedana-prabhāveha tabu phale eta phala

Translation: The Lord had no intention of awarding His devotee the happiness of material opulence, yet simply because of His being informed, such a great result was obtained.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya wanted His devotees to taste love of Kṛṣṇa, He was not interested in accumulating material opulence. Just by informing Lord Caitanya he got that result.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 9.115

prabhura adbhuta aiśvaryamaya svabhāva:—

ke kahite pāre gaurera āścarya svabhāva?
brahmā-śiva ādi yāṅra nā pāya antarbhāva

Translation: No one can estimate the wonderful characteristics of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva cannot understand the intentions of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: May be Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka by being put on the cāṅga, his being threatened with his life, he became detached from material things. Somehow, he got all these fruits just by a little glance of Lord Caitanya. Who can estimate Lord Caitanya's full mercy? Everyone should try to get His full mercy.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva Cannot Understand the Intentions of the Lord
Under the section: The Deliverance of Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka

Sometimes Śrīla Prabhupāda said that hearing all the disturbances of different management issues, he could not do his writing properly. So, he requested the GBC to take up the management issues so that he could write. This pastime reminded me of that.