20231204 Chapter 8 Loka-śikṣā (Part 3)

The following is a Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja, on December 4th, 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 be continuing with comentation of the Śrī Caitanya Candrāmṛtam. Today's Chapter 8 is entitled:

Loka-śikṣā — Instructions to the People

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 88

gaurabhaktira phalai rādhādāsya

The fruit of devotional service to Gaura is the service to Rādhā

yathā yathā gaura-padāravinde
vindeta bhaktiṁ kṛta-puṇya-rāśiḥ
tathā tathotsarpati hṛdy akasmād
rādhā-padāmbhoja-sudhāmbu-rāśiḥ

Anuvāda: Puñja puñja sukvatisampanna puruṣa śrī-gaurapada-kamale yādṛśī bhaktilābha karena, akasmāt tāṅhāra hṛdaye śrī-śrī-rādhā-pādapadmera premasudhā-samudrao tādṛśabhāvei udgata haiyā thāke.

Translation: Just as a person endowed with abundant and abundant of piety, obtains devotional service to the lotus feet of Gaura in a certain manner, in that very same manner, a similar type of the ocean of nectar from the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā, suddenly arises in the heart in the same way also.

Jayapatākā Swami: If one gets devotional service by the mercy of Gaurāṅga, that devotional service also creates pure devotion for Kṛṣṇa in the mood of Rādhārāṇī. If one takes shelter of Lord Caitanya, they also get the shelter of Śrī Rādhā.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 89

gauracaraṇāśrayera utkarṣatā

Excellence of the shelter of the lotus feet of Gaura

apārasya premojjvala-rasa-rahasyāmṛta-nidher
nidhānaṁ brahmeśārcita iha hi caitanya-caraṇaḥ
atas taṁ dhyāyantaḥ praṇaya-bharato yāntu śaraṇaṁ
tam eva pronmattās tam iha kila gāyantu kṛtinaḥ

Anuvāda: Śrī caitanyacaraṇa śiva-viriñcirao ārādhya, apāra-unnata-ujjvalarasa-rahasyāmṛta-sāgarera ādhāra. Ataeva ei kali-kāle sāragrāhī sukṛtimān puruṣagaṇa praṇayabhare sei caitanyacaraṇa dhyāna karite karite tāṅhārai śaraṇāgata haun evaṁ eikālei preme unmatta haiyā tāhāi (caitanya-caraṇa-mahimāi) kīrtana karuna.

Translation: The lotus feet of Lord Caitanya is worshiped even by Śiva and Brahmā, is the reservoir of the shoreless nectarean ocean of the secret mellow of conjugal love. Therefore, in this Age of Kali, the pious, i.e., the persons who accept the essence, being filled with love, continuously meditating on that feet of Caitanya take shelter of that very feet and in this very Age of Kali being happily intoxicated with love, sing the glories of that same lotus feet.

Jayapatākā Swami: That reminds me that we are going to place the lotus footprints of Lord Caitanya around Vṛndāvana. And those who want to participate in the Vṛndāvana parikramā, they can be part of this attempt to please the previous ācāryas. We take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, and thereby we get the love of Kṛṣṇa by the mercy of Rādhārāṇī. This is a very confidential love and it is actually fully transcendental. And therefore, not everyone can understand. Those that take shelter of Lord Caitanya get this mercy and they are able to understand.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 90

tridaṇḍi-gosvāmīra gaura-bhakti-pracāra-praṇālī; sarvadharma parityāga-pūrvaka gauracaraṇānuraktii ekamātra kartavya

The preaching method of Tridaṇḍi Gosvāmī Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī; Abandoning all religion and being attached to the feet of Gaura is the only duty

dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya
kṛtvā ca kāku-śatam etad ahaṁ bravīmi
he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrād
gaurāṅgacandra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam

Anuvāda: He sādhugaṇa, āmi (tridaṇḍibhikṣu) dante tṛṇa dhāraṇa-pūrvaka āpanādera padayugale nipatita haiyā śata śata kākuti-sahakāre eimātra balitechi (bhikṣā cāhitechi), āpanārā samastai (āpanādera manaḥkalpita sakala sādhutva vā dharmakei) dūra haitei parityāga-pūrvaka (duḥsaṅgajñāne varjjana-pūrvaka) śrī-caitanyacandera caraṇe anurāgaviśiṣṭa haun.

Translation: Oh! Saintly persons, I (tridaṇḍi-bhikṣu) holding a straw in my teeth and falling at your two feet, with humble solicitation, I am just saying (seeking alms) that all of you reject from far distance (give up considering them as bad association) all of that (all of your imagined virtues or religion) and be affectionately attached to the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya.

Excerpt from Prabhupada’s lecture: “I have taken the straw in my mouth.” Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya. “And I am falling down at your feet.” kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāham. “And I am flattering you in hundreds and thousands ways.”

Why? Why you are so humble? What is the intention?

kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi: “I want to say something. Please hear.”

“All right. Say it. What is that?”

He sādhavaḥ: “Oh, you are very learned man and you are very honest man.” he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt: “For the time being, so long I shall speak, whatever you have learned, please set aside. Please set aside.” sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: “Kindly hear for some time about the topics which Caitanya Mahāprabhu has presented before you.”

We are servant of Lord Caitanya. So, in the disciplic succession we are trying to present. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s topic is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa

“Whoever you meet, please try to convince him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” So in order to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says that “I have taken straw in my mouth, and I am falling down to your feet and I am flattering you in so many ways. Kindly, for the time being, you forget whatever you have learned. Please try to hear about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

This should be the preaching method. Because you cannot enforce. You cannot enforce. The atheistic party, the godless civilization is so strong. So you are not weak. You are protected by the Supreme. But our mission is not to fight, but our mission is to convince. So this is the method to be accepted by devotees, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to preach the philosophy in the world.

Thank you very much.

Lecture on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.36-40
- January 23, 1967, San Francisco

So that Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī [is] teaching us how to preach. In this age, simply by fighting, argument, it is very difficult to preach. Better to become humble and meek. Just like Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī is teaching us: dante nidhāya tṛṇakam. In India there is a system to become humble.

If you take one blade of grass in your..., between your lips and approach somebody, it is to be understood that you are approaching with great humbleness. Therefore he said, dante nidhāya tṛṇakam; tṛṇakam means blade of grass, dante means teeth. padayor nipatya: “And falling down on your feet.” kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā: “And flattering you hundred times, ‘My dear sir, you are so great. You are so big. You are so learned. You are so rich. You are so beautiful,’ and everything,” although he may be not.

So, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca. Śatam. Śatam means “Hundred times flattering, I have come to you to say something.”

“Why you are so humble? What do you want to talk? “

He sādhavaḥ, “You are very religious man. You are very upright man, sādhavaḥ. Very honest man, saintly man. Yes. But I request you that whatever you learned, please forget. That is my request.” sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam. “You just try to submit yourself on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. By His mercy you’ll find that,”...

Lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.8-9
- May 24, 1969, New Vrindavan

Preaching, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised us, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. This is preaching. “Whoever you meet, simply speak of the instruction of Kṛṣṇa.” So if you are advanced, if you know what the instruction of Kṛṣṇa is by reading Bhagavad-gītā, you can preach to others. And if you have not read anything, suppose you do not know anything, then you can also preach. What is that? “Just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, my dear sir.” That’s all. This is also preaching. “Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa.” You go door to door. If you cannot do anything, simply say, “My dear sir, you are very good man. Oh, you are very intelligent man. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt.

This preaching was taught by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca ahaṁ bravīmi. This is the preaching process. dante nidhāya tṛṇakam. According to Vedic civilization, if one wants to become very humble and approach another person, then he has to take one straw in the mouth. Tṛṇa. So the preaching process is to take a straw in the mouth, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya, and falling down on your feet, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor, kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca ahaṁ bravīmi, and flattering you: “Sir, you are so great man, you are so intelligent man.” This is flattering. Although he is fool number one, we have to flatter like that: “Oh, there is no greater man like you. You are so intelligent, you are so rich, you are so beautiful.” So all these things. Just like the beggars. Sometimes, “You become king.” And one thinks, “Oh, he is blessing me. All right, you take one paisa.”

So this flattering is also required. So kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi. So the man may ask that “Why you are so humble and flattering? What is your intention? Tell me.” So he is now telling. he sādhavaḥ, “Oh, you are great sādhu.” he sādhavaḥ, sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt: “You have learned so many nice things. I know that. But kick them out, please.” sakalam eva. “Whatever you have nonsense learned, rascaldom you have learned, please kick them out. This is my request.” sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam. “Just hear what Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. This is my request.” This is preaching.

This is preaching. Flatter, fall down on his feet, and eulogize him as great sādhu, as great intelligent, great rich. Do, so that he may little hear. And when he says, “What do you want?” “Now, I want this, sir. Whatever rascaldom you have learned, please forget. Because I know you are rascal number one. You have got so many hodgepodge thing in your brain. So you kick them out, please.” sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt. “Kick them, throw away, long distance. Don’t look upon them.” “Then what to do?” caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: “Please hear what Caitanya-candra says.” caitanya-dayā karaha vicāra, vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra [Cc. Ādi 8.15]: “Just try to understand the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and you will feel so sublime.” caitanya-candra-dayā karaha. “Don’t take it blindly. If you are intelligent, just make a judgment, what Caitanya-candra is.” Tell him. So this is preaching. This is preaching.

Lecture on Bhagavad-gītā 1.28-29
- July 22, 1973, London

Commentary (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ— by holding a very small grass between the teeth; by this, the preacher of kīrtana (Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī) Tridaṇḍi Gosvāmi’s quality of ‘tṛnād api su-nīcena’ (lower than the grass) is indicated, because he is holding in his teeth, the smallest of the grass among the grasses that people trample under their feet and go away, i.e. he is showing the highest respect to it too.

padayor nipatya— falling at the two feet; by this the preacher of Gaura-kathā, (Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī) Tridaṇḍi Gosvāmi’s nature of ‘amānī’ (without being puffed up by false pride) is indicated. Like the Brahma-sannyāsīs being intoxicated by false ego, he does not consider himself as Nārāyaṇa or like the judgement of the dull materialistic smārta-brāhmaṇa priests engaged in ritualistic ceremonies, he is not deprived of the living entities spiritual nature and he is not bound by the gross and subtle bodily materialistic consideration of brāhmaṇa or caṇḍāla and higher or inferior and so on. Therefore, becoming ‘amānī’ (without being puffed up by false pride) towards everyone, he is going to speak the truth.

kṛtvā ca kāku-śatam— with hundreds of humble appeal; by this, the preacher of kīrtana (Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī) Tridaṇḍi Gosvāmi’s quality of ‘taror iva sahiṣṇuna’ (tolerant than a tree), is indicated; persons influenced by the external energy will not at all hear the truth, but the Tridaṇḍi Gosvāmis by their humble appeal are enthusiastic to make them hear the topics of Kṛṣṇa.

He sādhavaḥ— O saintly persons!; by this the preacher of kīrtana, (Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī) Tridaṇḍi Gosvāmi’s nature of ‘mānada’ (giving everyone respect) is indicated; sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt— giving up everything from far distance; You are truly sādhu (saint), but whatever things with which you pride within you as sādhu or you introduce to the people of the world as sādhu, give up all of those from far distance such as karma (fruitive work), jñāna (empirical knowledge), sānkhya-yoga philosophy, phalgu-vairāgya (false renunciation), the four goals (religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation), practice of dharma that leads to adharma and religion and irreligion and all forms of true and false unfavorable endeavors or desires for pleasing the senses of Kṛṣṇa, and be gaurāṅgacandra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam— affectionate to the lotus feet of Gaurāṅga.

Jayapatākā Swami: One of the associates of Lord Caitanya had approached a Kāzī, there was another Kāzī. He said you are very religious, very rich, you have lot of influence, praised him a hundred times! I just have one request please forget all this, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and then the Kāzī said I will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa tomorrow. The devotee started jumping, you have already started, you just chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa!. Don’t stop now. So this system was used by many associates of Lord Caitanya and Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura mentioned that approaching the person, praising him, being humble, getting them to somehow or another chant and take the shelter of Lord Caitanya. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda said this is preaching. So here were find many comments by Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura on this method of preaching. So, you can try that some time. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Gauuurāṅga!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 91

parama-nigūḍha premāmṛtāsvādarūpā gaurakṛpā vaikuṇṭheo durlabha

The mercy of Gaura in the form of relishing the nectar of love is very rare even in Vaikuṇṭha

aho na durlabhā muktir
na ca bhaktiḥ su-durlabhā
gauracandra-prasādas tu
vaikuṇṭhepi su-durlabhaḥ

aho— Oh! Anuvāda: Śuṣka-jñānasādhya brahmasāyujya athavā jñānamiśrā vaidhī-bhaktisādhya sālokyādi mukticatuṣṭaya durlabha nahe. Vaidha-bhaktisādhya nārāyaṇa-sevā sudurllabhāo nahe. Kintu gaurakṛpā (gaurakṛpā trividhā – (1) anartha-nivṛttirūpā nirmalā, (2) bhaktisiddhānta-rasa prāptirūpā rasadā, (3) mādhurya-maryādā prāptirūpā samadā) vaikuṇṭheo sudurllabhā. kena nā, vaikuṇṭhastha nārāyaṇa-pārṣadagaṇao gaurakapā prārthanā kariyā thākena.

The liberation of brahma-sāyujya (of merging into the Supreme Brahman) obtained by dry empiric knowledge or the four types of liberation headed by śālokya that is achieved by jñāna-miśrā-vaidhī-bhakti (the regulative devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge) is not very rare. The service of Nārāyaṇa in Vaikuṇṭha that is gained by vaidhī-bhakti (the practice of regulative devotional service) is also not very rare. But the mercy of Gaura is very rare even in Vaikuṇṭha, because even the associates of Nārāyaṇa in Vaikuṇṭha are praying for the mercy of Gaura.

The mercy of Gaura is of three type—

(1) anartha-nivṛttirūpā nirmalā – pure (free from disturbances), in the form of cleansing the heart of all unwanted things,

(2) bhaktisiddhāntarasa prāptirūpā rasadā – bestowing mellow, in the form of obtainment of the nectarean conclusions of devotional service, and

(3) mādhurya-maryādā prāptirūpā samadā – with ecstatic intoxication, i.e. obtaining ecstasy up to the limit of the conjugal love of Kṛṣṇa (mādhurya-conjugal love of Kṛṣṇa, maryādā-limit, prāpti-obtainment, rūpā-form, sa-with, madā-ecstatic intoxication)

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is giving this very confidential love - even in Vaikuṇṭha, this love is rare. Here we see how Lord Caitanya, He gives out this mercy. We should take this opportunity and have the pure love of Kṛṣṇa by the mercy of Gaurāṅga!