19800811 Pastimes of Jīva Gosvāmī

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The following is a lecture on “Pastimes of Jīva Gosvāmī” given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 11, 1980.

Of course, Chaitanya Leela can be seen today. Vrindavan Das Thakur wrote one slok that even today one can see the pastimes of Caitanya Mahprabhu those who are exceedingly fortunate. So actually Lord Caitanya’s pastimes are eternal. The preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also one of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. How the movement is spreading all over the world. That is also the pastime AVO Caitanya Mahāprabhu. For those who have the eyes to see, they can see the hand of Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu at work. Remember in 1969, I believe they were taking Śrīla Prabhupda back from Rath Yātrā festival in San Francisco. And Prabhupda turned to the devotee who was driving the car and he said, wonderful festival. Yes, Prabhupāda. Did you see that Lord Caitanya and Prabhu Nithyananda, they had come and were dancing amongst the devotees.

Did you see how beautiful they were driving? So Prabhupāda could see Lord Caitanya Nithyananda coming and participating in our festivals. One time I think Prabhupāda was india. Then he started laughing. And then everyone said, what are you laughing at? Śrīla Prabhupāda? He said that Nārada Muni has just visited the New York temple and he is laughing so hard. Nārada Muni is laughing so hard. What is he laughing at? Śrīla Prabhupāda. He’s laughing how the leches are taking to chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So the pastimes of Va Caitanya are going on. We have the eyes to see. Of course, when Lord Chaitanya, he came because of the strength of the desire of his devotees to serve him and meet with him. See, Lord Caitani is completely independent Swarat. But he allows himself to be swayed by the love of his devotees.

So because the intense desire of his devotees was there to meet with Lord Caitanya. So Lord Caitanya came down and actually, if you study his whole pastimes there are two basic activities. One is that devotees are going and meeting with Lord Caitanya. And the other is Lord Caitanya is going out and meeting with his devotees. These are the two basic activities. Of course, there are so many varieties. Just like in Navadip Nithyananda, he came and met with Lord Caitanya there. And then Lord Caitanya, he left Jagannath Purī to Nila Chol from Nilachol and went to South India. There he met Venkatabhatta Gopal Bhaṭṭa. He also left Jagannath Purī towards Vrindavan. Then he met, we discussed earlier today, Roopan Sanātana and Jīva Goswami and Ram Kili.

So if a devotee has an intense desire to serve and see the past times, serve Lord Caitanya and to see the pastimes of Lord Caitanya with his devotees, then Lord Caitanya quickly finishes up that devotee’s weight. Just like Jīva, the son of Balaam, there were three brothers, Sanatan, Rūpa and Balab. Eldest is Sanatan, middle is Rūpa, youngest was Balab. And Rūpa and Sanatan were the chief ministers of the king, the Shah Hussain Shah. And they all, they both. First Balav and Rūpa went to Vrindavana. Thereafter Sanātana went and Jīva was a small boy. He was left at Ramakili in Bengal. The wonderful pastimes of Śrī Jīva Goswami. You know, we don’t know so much about his character. But actually Lord Caitanya’s devotees have wonderful characters, wonderful qualities. So one of the greatest devotees in our line is Sijiva Goswami.

Actually Śrījiva Goswami, he was not an ordinary child at the age of six. Of course he had the Darshan of Lord Caitanya and special blessings. But his particular pastimes when he was a child, he would not do any other kind of playing except Kṛṣṇa Leela. He would only play Kṛṣṇa Leela. In fact, he had his own deities of Kṛṣṇa and Balaram. He used to personally. This was his play. He would take his deity of Kṛṣṇa and Balaram and he would prepare offerings and he would take the offering and place on a plate before Kṛṣṇa Balaram. And he would bow down and offer the offerings and he would perform Aarti. This was his childhood play. And he would lay Kṛṣṇan Balaram to sleep in some hidden place because he was afraid that someone would take his toys, unquote.

This is how he would pass his day. The people, they were amazed when he went to school within such a short time. He mastered all the Sanskrit grammar and everything. They thought that he was some incarnation of a demigod. How someone can learn so quickly. And as soon as he learned Sanskrit, immediately he was continuously reading Sivan Bhagavat, continually reading Śrīman Bhāgavatam. Close the door. So in this way Shiva Goswami would pass his time. So one time Jīva Goswami was chanting his Japa just on the side of one hill. And just all of a sudden he’s chanting and tears are coming in his eyes. He just raised his arms and he said, Nitāi Goranga, please have your mercy upon this most fallen soul. You see, this is how he would pass his time.

And so just after calling like this Hanyatai Gore and chanting some more, he felt a little sleepy. And Midra Devī attracted him to sleep. And there in his sleep, he saw his worshipable deities Kṛṣṇa and Balaram. With so many devotees. With so many devotees. And actually the first dream, he saw Nithaya and Goranga chanting with so many devotees. And suddenly Nitayan Goronga disappeared immediately. He was in such anxiety. He woke up and he became very upset. He was crying like anything to see Caitanya Nirtyananda. He was feeling intense separation. Just around that time, he said news of his father just had come, that his father had left his body at the side of the Ganges. So he was also feeling that no one in the world did he have except for Lord Caitanya Nithyananda. Again the Nidra Devī attracted him to sleep.

This time, that same Jīva Goswami who would worship Kṛṣṇa and Balaram through his whole childhood, he again saw Lord Caitanya and Itananda. Then he saw them turn to Kṛṣṇa and Balaram and back to Lord Caitani Nithyananda. In this way he became very enthused and he fell down at their feet in his vision and offered obeisances. And then Lord Caitanya Nithyananda, they placed their lotus feet on his head, blessing him. Then they picked him up and embraced him. And he was practically mad. And then they disappeared. So everyone was saying the different people were discussing seeing Jīva Goswami’s unusual activities. And the village people, they would say that this soul is especially blessed. He’s the life and soul, the actual. They say the torch light or the para Pradipa. You say the. The crown jewel of all the scholars.

Another second one said, I think he is going to go and leave this place because he is showing complete detachment from all material activities. Another third is saying if he leaves, then everything will become vacant. Just like the soul leaving the body. This whole village will become empty without him. Everyone was so attached to Jīva Goswami. He was the darling of the whole village. So they watched him like anything to make sure he wouldn’t go away. But after seeing these dreams, he couldn’t contain himself. So on the excuse of going To Navaddeep for studying. They gave him some servant and he went off to Navadip. People saw him and said, who is this prince? Just have you seen the golden Champa flower? So his complexion was just pale. Pale color. Not so golden as Lord Chetanya’s. It was molten gold.

But Palish, very fine complexion and very pure features. People were just amazed to see his features as he’s walking. And from there he got to Navadip. And he got the special mercy of Nityānanda. Nithyananda took him all over the Navaddy. Every island, the famous Parikramā, circumambulation, all the nine Dweepas. Śrī Mantadip Maddam Deep Goddam Deep Ritudip Janudeep Koladip Ritu Deep Janudip Madadam Deep Ruddhuddip Antadip. Each island is especially known for one type of devotion. Nava Vida Bhakti. Nine types of Bhakti, Śravaṇa, Kīrtana, Smarnam. Just like that. Hearing chanting, remembering, worshipping, serving the lotus feet, offering prayers, servitorship, friendship and full surrender. So like that. And each of the islands has unlimited pastimes from Yugas. So Nithyananda personally took him around to each of the places.

And then after the tour was finished, he said, now you go off to Vrindav to join your uncles Roopin Sanātana. So this Jīva Goswami, of course he. He wrote 400,000 slokas. The Bhāgavatam is 18,000 slokas. He personally wrote in his lifetime Vaiava literature. 400,000 slokas. You can imagine the volume. See the Proba itself. That his six Sundarvas have so scientifically step by step expressed the Bhakti cult. That any philosopher, after studying these things, he must accept the conclusion that Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is the supreme most philosophy. Prabhupāda was contemplating translating that after the Bhāgavata he mentioned that most important work. So in this way Lord Chaitanya, he had so many associates. And each of these associates has some particular relationship and service they perform with Lord Caitanya. Mahāprabhu Narutam Thakur used to pray. He prayed that sang one song.

The Lord Caitanya, you are possessing so many types of energies. These Shakti are your different devotees. We now generally think you know of energy. Electricity, heat, nuclear energy, Three Mile Island. But in the spiritual world, energy means people, energy, our person. So Lord Caitanya’s energy are these great devotees. So Narutan Thakur prayed that I see that there are two kind of devotees. One kind like Rūpa and Sanatam. They are writing some of your potencies, some of your shakti. You have empowered for writing the scriptures and other energies. You have empowered to disseminate that knowledge and to distribute those literatures. Narahari Chakravarti he advised that someone who is distributing the books of Caitanya Mahprabhu he should be understood that he’s especially performing direct service for Lord Caitanya, the Great Narottam. Of course, he quoted that Śrīnivasa Charya and others as the preachers.

Of course, Narottam himself was a great preacher. He toured Orissa with Shamananda Pandit. And he had toured Bengal with Janava Devī and many others. Singularly alone, his disciples are the devotees who have delivered Manipur. Manipur is known as a great vaiava state. Only the disciples of Narottam Thakur went there and preached. They converted that king to become a gorbachta. So the preachers of Lord Caitanya, they went everywhere preaching. Of course, Śrīla Prabhupāda, he showed both writing and distributing everything. But one has to be empowered by Lord Caitanya. These services are not something which is simply ordinary or materialistic. These activities are directly empowered by Lord Caitanya Mahavi. To preach Lord Caitanya’s message, one has to be empowered. Kali Kali Dharma Naama Sankirta and Kṛṣṇa Kripa Vinay Nahi Tar Pravarthana. Without the mercy of Lord Caitanya, no one can speak. Spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

It’s a very special mercy of the Lord. So Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, we cannot actually express these. They’re not possible to give the actual explanation in words. Someone as fallen and unworthy as myself cannot begin even touch the glories of Lord Caitanya’s devotees and his devotees. Devotees. But just for purification, we try to say something. But actually it’s not possible to do justice to their qualities. Devotees. Who can imagine the fortune of these devotees to personally associate with Lord Caitanya and with his followers. Imagine how Lord Chaitanya, when he was traveling. Just think. Remember how he was traveling in South India. And when he came to Ranganath Temple, there he met Venkatabhatta. And Venkatabhata begged him, please stay for chhatua mass here daily. He’s chanting in kīrtana before the deity. He’s sitting with them, joking with them, instructing them.

They’re offering him for shalom And Venkatabhatta was there with his two brothers. Chimala Bhaṭṭa and Prabodanandam. The Saraswati Prabhodananda Saraswati wrote so many literatures on the Bhakti cult. He’s a different. There’s two Prabhodananda Saraswati. One is the Prakashananda sometimes known as Prabhoda. That’s another. This is Prabholananda. So then Venkat Bhaṭṭa gave his son to personally worship and take care of Lord Chaitanya hand and foot. Do you know who his son was? His son is Gopal. Gopal Bhaṭṭa. Gopal Bhaṭṭa. He was feeling very sad to see Lord Caitanya as a Sannyas. Because he knew that Caitanya Mahprabhu by this time he could understand that he’s actually Kṛṣṇa. And he was feeling that why he is taking this austere role as a Sannyāsī. And how unfortunate I am that I am born in South India.

I could not see his pastimes in Navaddip where with long flowing hair he would dance in Sankirtan with so many devotees of Nityānanda Advaita. He said I was born in this far distant place of South India and I am only seeing Vocaitanya Sannyas.

(Side B of the Cassette)

It said, I was born in this far distant place of South India. And I am only seeing Vocaitanya sannyas. I cannot see those flowing locks of hair. In this way. He was lamenting to himself. Of course, from our point of view, he’s very fortunate. We cannot begin to express his fortune. But from his point of view, he was feeling unfortunate. So then again Nida Devī attacked him also to sleep. And then he saw Lord Caitanya in his Navod chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kishnagishnagi Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Hari dancing with Nityānanda, with Advaita, with Maradi Gupta, Vasudeva Ghosh. All the Narahari, all the devotees are dancing in kīrtana all over Navadip. Huge devotees going. He saw so many pastimes. Very light sleep, not exactly even sleep. And this way, by so called dream. Lord Caitanya showed them all these pastimes.

Gopal Bhakti became so excited he woke up. All he could think of was, I must immediately go to Lord Caitanya. And he just ran to where Lord Caitanya was. And he ran there. He saw Lord Caitanya. He was running up there. Lord Caitanya suddenly took his twofold bending form with flute. And he saw. He was completely stunned. He couldn’t move. Gopal Bhaṭṭa. Then Lord Caitanya became again Caitanya Navadip dealer with his yellow robes and his flower garland. And then Gopal Bhaṭṭa dived for his feet. Just grabbed onto those sweet lotus feet. And then Lord Chetanya again became Sannyāsī. So these devotees, who can imagine their good fortune. But they had such an intense desire to serve Lord Caitanya. So Lord Caitanya fulfilled to every desire in his service. So Lord Chetanya’s pastimes are like an ocean.

Because each one of his devotees are so intimately connected with him. Each one of their pastimes is so filled with devotion. And with Kṛṣṇa conscious qualities is an ocean of nectar. Maybe there’s some specific points or questions people like to ask. So after hearing these pastimes, how come we always remember them and always maintain the same mood after just hearing them throughout the day? And always remember like that because it seems sometimes very difficult. What would you rather discuss the past times with Lord Chaitanya or the Washington Post or the Iskandus? See, that’s what silence is. Austerity. Austerity of the tongue is to only eat prashadam. Austerity of the eyes is to Only see. To only desire to see or to see the form of Kṛṣṇa. Austerity of the ears is to only hear about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa Lord Caitanya.

And only the austerity of the tongue also is only speak about Caitanya’s pastimes and about, you know, just service related activities. This is the austerity. Austerity of the mind is to only think about Lord Chaitanya. So this is Vhyagya Vidya Nija Bhakti Jyogam. We are practicing Vairagya Vida. That means austerity with transcendental knowledge. So it’s a gradual process. But whenever anyone tries to change the subject into some unnecessary discussion then without this very cleverly anyone who notices should dovetail and head off the discussion and somehow tie it in with Kṛṣṇa again. And this way one can maintain his devotional mood much better. And of course always stay fully engaged. Idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Stay engaged in Kṛṣṇa Service. Śrīnivasacharya. He made a prayer to the mind to beware of the plunders of the jewel of pure devotion.

He described the gossipers, those who simply discussed idol gossip to professional prostitute thieves who come and entice one seed for enjoyment and then steal away all the wealth. The gossipers are like prostitutes who entice one and then take away the jewel of Bhakti. We have the jewel, we get the seed from the guru and we water that and we protect it. That is compared to like a jewel Bhakti Ratna. So that Bhakti Ratnakar that has to be protected. Different type of material desires. They’re like dacoits, like jungle animals. There’s so many like snakes. There are other kind. Envious thoughts, envious desires. They’re like snakes coming to steal away the jewel, put it on the head like the Naga king. And this way there are so many enemies. So one has to protect his devotional jewel.

We should take it like that I have got a jewel. And every instance Māyā wants to steal away this precious jewel. And if we’re careless, just like associating with non devotees, neglect of our following the orders of our spiritual man. These are like different enemies who are coming with different ploys to steal away our jewels. So we have to be very careful to protect this treasure. Somehow or another we receive the mercy of Lord Caitanya, a spiritual master. We have got this jewel. If we’re careless, someone will plunder it and we will be bankrupt. Then we will be lamenting that where my jewel has Gone. Then we have to do so much more watering to again cause that to sprout so much weed pulling to get the jewel back. All right. It says that Christian pastimes. You like sugar candy and shaytan like camper.

And mixing together a very palatable combination. What does that mean exactly? It seems like we’re just thinking how do they mix together? I cannot remember exactly the context that example is used in several. They sometimes compare Kṛṣṇa to. Isn’t it Kṛṣṇa sugarcandy and Rādhārāṇī is camphor. You mix them together and you get Lord Chetanya. Is that the example? If you want that particular, you have to show me exactly the point. I remember the other. But of course the thing is that Lord Caitanya’s pastimes and all focused on Kṛṣṇa. He’s the avatar of devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So he’s in the mood of the greatest devotee. So obviously his devotional pastimes bring out the depth of Ka’s wonderful qualities. You see, art can. If you put art. Art also requires the art critic. If there’s no one who is. Who can appreciate the art.

Even it may be the most beautiful piece of art. But it’s sitting in the jungle, you see, Dog comes up and thinks. Thinks it’s suitable for nature call. There has to be someone who can appreciate it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When Kṛṣṇa went into the arena of Kangsa, then the two wrestlers, they saw him all. He’s a ferocious wrestler. The yogī saw Kṛṣṇa to be the paramount. The elderly ladies of Mathurā saw Kṛṣṇa to be a tender young child. And they felt great maternal affection to him. All the unmarried, all the married, all the young women, they looked at Kṛṣṇa as Cupid personified. They looked at Kṛṣṇa. Their saris became loose. They were so attracted. And Kang Sa, he saw Kṛṣṇa as personified death. That my death has come. Jisoda is simply saying Kṛṣṇa, there’s my son Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa reveals himself according to the mentality of the viewer. The ordinary people that they thought, oh Lord Kṛṣṇa. He’s some extraordinary ordinary person. He’s not human, but some extraordinary. The fools thought Kṛṣṇa, who is he? So according to their mental frame, they were seeing Kṛṣṇa in that way. There are some fools who thought, who is this Kṛṣṇa? That’s why they’re fools. So because Lord Kṛṣṇa himself has become his own devotee. Naturally his appreciation of himself is in the mood of Rana from his mood of Rādhā Rana, he is something very special. To actually appreciate Kṛṣṇa, you cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa alone. You appreciate Kṛṣṇa with his devotees. We’re not so eager that we should see Kṛṣṇa from a distance. We can see Kṛṣṇa with his devotees. We will think that our life is fully fortunate.

You see, we are not thinking that immediately I should go and personally serve Kṛṣṇa. We are not so proud. But if we can just see. If we just can serve his devotee, that is enough for us. But if even we see sometime Kṛṣṇa with his devotee, of course we would think that it is the most fortunate thing that could ever happen. Interesting. But right now we are just focusing that we want to serve his devotees. Devotee. Devotee. And to see Kṛṣṇa through the service, you should immediately go to his vote and apologize. If somebody asks, well, what if he’s not? What if he’s away somewhere? I forget what say, you should write him a letter. So I was thinking, what if that devotee is completely. Or those devotees.

You have committed offenses to you and gone somewhere else, you know, consuming in, you know, and you have committed some offense. Or you just have to suffer the reaction for that. Or what is the reaction? Depends how heavy the offense was. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave a nice instruction. Satchi Mata had somehow neglected to treat Adoita Gosai properly. And Lord Caitanya scolded her that this is very bad for your spiritual life. You offended, and somehow Advaita came and he bowed down to Lord Caitanya. Taking that opportunity, he ordered his mother immediately touch his feet. Because Advaita would never let Sachimata touch his face. But he was bowed down. So she went and Garrett touched his feet because she was a humble woman. Adwayta is the head Brahmin of the whole community, you see. But Advaita respected her as mother. So he wouldn’t let him touch his feet.

He, although he was such an exalted Brahmin, took a very humble position. So anyway, by hook or by trick, Vocetani got his mother touch his feet. So Satchi Mata has to watch out for vice versa, or to speak of us so to pay obeisances. Or one can touch the feet, or we get even writing. If a person says, you know, I don’t take any offense. One has to, in his heart, of course, actually repent any kind offense committed. And that itself is helpful. But then somehow or another, if he can get forgiveness touching the feet somehow that relinquishes one from offense. Then he gets freed from those offenses, you see, that committing offense against Vaiava halts our advancement in spiritual life and takes away the Shelter of Kṛṣṇa in the holy name and makes us more susceptible to attraction by Māyā.

Actually the devotee is protected by Subhaja Devī by Yogamaya. And we pray to Nithyananda that Haha Nithyananda, Prema Nanda, Sukhi and Lord Chnithyananda. Please have your mercy upon me. You are Premaananda Sukhi. You are always filled with the ecstasy of love of God. But I am the most miserable person. I am completely miserable. Therefore I request that immediately you have your mercy upon me. We need to get this mercy of Premananda. Because by tasting the nectar at Lord Caitanya and Lord Nithyananda’s Lord his feet, Lord Nityana gives his mercy very easily. Then one if you are flooded with ecstasy and Kṛṣṇa consciousness then material you see, attraction looks like a desert. So you want to always keep our heart flooded with ecstasy. This cannot be artificially brought. This comes by the mercy of Caitanya Nithyananda.

By the mercy of spiritual master and devoted of us. So what happens when we commit offenses? This mercy that’s coming from above, that transparent link gets opaqued, gets blotted and we lose the ecstasy, we lose the shelter and we find our mind becoming attracted by material things. That is a symptom that we are losing the shelter of Lord Caitanya. It’s very dangerous because once we get attracted by Māyā then we’re in a very precarious position. So then one has to cry out very loud for the mercy of Nitāi. Gor Prabhupāda said one has to just cling to their lotus. You just clean and don’t let go. But usually someone who commits offenses and he also with it he gets some false pride. And that false pride makes him oblivious to the fact that he’s being attracted by Māyā.

Next thing you know, he’s completely entangled. Therefore Lord Chaitanya said the only way one can chant continuously Hare Kṛṣṇam is Chana du pisuni chaina taro riva suhishtanamanena mana dena kita niya sadahuri. One has to be more humble than a straw in the street. Otherwise he won’t see that what is to be done, what’s not to be done. He has to be more tolerant than a tree. Satan B Napadi.