20141230 Śrī Gaurāṅga’s Sitting Upon a Rejected Pot (Part 2)

Śrī Gaurāṅga’s Sitting Upon a Rejected Pot (Part 2)

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.165

parityakta pākapātrera kālimā-liptāṅga geīrera upamā—

lāgila hām̐ḍīra kāli sarva-gaura-aṅge
kanaka-putali yena lepiyāche gandhe

Commentary: nimāira gauravarṇa aṅge dagdha-mṛdbhāṇḍera kālī saṁlagna thākāya tām̐hāke erūpa dekhāitechila ye, keha yena sei soṇāra putulera aṅge gandha arthāt kṛṣṇa agurucandana mākhāiyā diyāche.

Translation: The black soot from those pots decorated Gaura’s limbs, and He appeared like a golden doll smeared with sandalwood pulp mixed with aguru.

Commentary: The golden body of Nimāi smeared with the black soot from the clay cooking pots looked like someone had smeared black aguru and sandalwood paste on the limbs of a golden doll.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga’s transcendental body which was golden in color had been painted blackish, like a golden doll painted. He was painted like the blackish soot from the discarded pot which was used to cook Lord Viṣṇu’s offering. This looked like the black aguru and sandal paste is applied on the golden doll.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.166

śiśugaṇera tadavastu nimāira viruddhe śacī-samīpe abhiyoga —

śiśugaṇa jānāila giyā śacī-sthāne
“nimāñi basiyā āche hām̐ḍīra āsane

Translation: His friends went and informed mother Śacī, “Nimāi is sitting on the rejected pots.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The boyhood friends of Nimai, they went to mother Saci and told her that Nimai was sitting on an asana or seat of discarded pots.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.167

tattva-jñāna-hīnā bheda-buddhiyuktā strī-abhimāne śacīra nimāike tadavastha-darśane ‘ghṛṇābhare khedokti—

mā’ye āsi’ dekhiyā karena hāya hāya’
“e sthānete, bāpa, basibāre nā yuyāya

Translation: When mother Śacī went there and saw Nimāi in that condition, she lamented and said, “My dear son, this is not a proper place to sit.

Jayapatākā Swami: Mother Śacī came running and saw her son sitting on the discarded cooking pots and says to him, “Hāya! Hāya!, This is not an appropriate place for you to sit on.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.168

prākṛta śuci-aśuci-bodhahīna jñāne nimāike śacīra tiraskāra o bhatsanā—

varjya-hām̐ḍī ihā-saba paraśile snāna
etadine tomāra e nā janmila jñāna?”

Commentary: paraśile,—sparśa karile; jñāna, —śuci-aśuci (pavitrāpavitra) vā medhyāmedhya-bodha.

Translation: “These are rejected pots, and if one touches them he must take bath. Haven’t You understood this by now?”

Commentary: The word paraśile means “if one touches,” and the word jñāna refers to the conception of clean and dirty or purity and impurity.

Jayapatākā Swami: Nimai! by touching the thrown cooking pots you have to take a bath, and haven’t you understood this by now? Why do you sit on this contaminated place?

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.169

mātāra prati nimāira sbīya pāṭhatyāga sambandhe pratyabhiyoga —

prabhu bole,—“torā more nā dis paḍite
bhadrābhadra mūkha-bile jānibe kemate?

Commentary: bhadrābhadra, śuci-aśuci, pavitrāpavitra jñāna.

Translation: The Lord replied, “You don’t allow Me to study, so how will I know the difference between good and bad or a fool and a brāhmaṇa?

Commentary: The word bhadrābhadra means “pure and impure.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Prabhu replied, “You don’t let me study so how I am meant to know, pure, impure. What is the difference? As an uneducated brāhmaṇa how am I supposed to know?”

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.170

prakārāntare svīya advayajñānatva-kathana —

mūrkha āmi, nā jāniye bhāla-manda sthāna
sarvatra āmāra eka advitīya-jñāna

Commentary: advitīya jñāna,—sarvatra advayajñāna-buddhi.

Translation: “I am a fool, so I don’t know which place is good and which is bad. Therefore I consider all places equal.”

Commentary: The word advitīya-jñāna refers to perception of the equality of all places.

Jayapatākā Swami: I am uneducated. I don’t know the difference from pure or impure place. For me every place is the same.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.171

prabhura tattva-jñāni-śreṣṭha dattāvatārāveśa—

eta bali’ hāse varja-hām̐ḍīra āsane
dattātreya-bhāva prabhu hailā takhane

Commentary: dattātreya, —(laghu-bhāgavatāmṛte pūḥ khaḥ 45-48 saṅkhyāya)—bhāḥ 2/7/4 “atrerapatyamabhikāṅkṣata āhatuṣṭo datto mayāhamiti yadbhagavān sa dattaḥ. yatpādapaṅkajaparāgapavitradehā yogaddhimāpurubhayīṁ yaduhaihayādyāḥ.’’ bhāḥ 1/3/11—“yaṣṭhamatrerapatyatvaṁ vṛtaḥ prāpto’nasūyayā. ānvīkṣikamalarkāya prahrādāditya ucivān..’’ “śrī-brahmāṇḍe tu kathitamatripatnyānasūyayā. prārthito bhagavānatrerapatyatvamupeyivān.’’ tathā hi—“varaṁ dattvānasūyāyai viṣṇuḥ sarvajaganmayaḥ. atreḥ putro’bhavat, tasyāṁ svecchāmānuṣa vigrahaḥ. dattāye iti khyāta yativeśavibhūṣitaḥ.

arthāt, dvitīya skandhe kathita āche ye, “apatyakāmī maharṣi atrira prati santuṣṭa haiyā yehetu bhagavān baliyāchilena,— ‘āmā kartṛka āmi datta hailāma’ arthāt āmi āmāke tomāya dilāma’, seijanyai tini ‘datta’-nāme prakaṭita hailena; tām̐hāra pādapadma-reṇudvārā śuddhadeha haiyā yadu o haihaya (kārtavīrya) prabhṛti rājagaṇa aihika o pāralaukika athavā bhuktimuktirūpa yogeśvarya lābha kariyāchilena. prathama skandhe kathita āche ye, “anasūyā-kartṛka prārthita haiyā bhagavān viṣṇu tadīya ṣaṣṭha-avatāre maharṣi atrira aurase śrīdatta-nāmaka putrarūpe prakaṭita haiyā, alarkaviprake evaṁ prahlāda, yadu o kārtavīrya prabhṛti rājāke ātmavidyā upadeśa kariyāchilena.’’ brahmāṇḍa-purāṇe kathita haiyāche ye, atripatnī anasūyā - kartṛka prārthita haiyā bhagavān viṣṇu atrira putratva svīkāra kariyāchilena. tathāhi—“svecchākrame naravapudhārī sarvajaganmaya bhagavān śrī-viṣṇu anasūyāke vara dāna kariyā tām̐hāra garbhe atrira putrarūpe janmagrahaṇa kariyāchilena; tini śrī-dattātreya-nāme vikhyātao yativeśe vibhūṣita.’’

Śrī-baladeva vidyābhūṣaṇera ṭīkā-mate,—atrikartṛka bhagavat-sadṛśa putrotpatti-prārthanāi caturtha skandhera evaṁ anasūyā kartṛka bhagavānake sākṣātputratve prārthanāi prathama skandhera abhiprāya evaṁ ei śeṣokta materai poṣaka sūtre brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa-vākya, bujhite haibe.

Translation: After saying this, the Lord smiled from His seat on the rejected pots and accepted the mood of Dattātreya, the topmost knower of the Absolute Truth.

Commentary: For a description of Dattātreya, one may consult the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (Pūrva 45-48), wherein the following verses are quoted. From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.7.4):

atrer apatyam abhikāṅkṣata āha tuṣṭo
datto mayāham iti yad bhagavān sa dattaḥ
yat-pāda-paṅkaja-parāga-pavitra-dehā
yogarddhim āpur ubhayīṁ yadu-haihayādyāḥ

“The great sage Atri prayed for offspring, and the Lord, being satisfied with him, promised to incarnate as Atri’s son, Dattātreya [Datta, the son of Atri]. And by the grace of the lotus feet of the Lord, many Yadus, Haihayas, etc., became so purified that they obtained both material and spiritual blessings.” From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.11):

ṣaṣṭham atrer apatyatvaṁ vṛtaḥ prāpto ‘nasūyayā
ānvīkṣikīm alarkāya prahlādādibhya ūcivān

“The sixth incarnation of the puruṣa was the son of the sage Atri. He was born from the womb of Anasūyā, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlāda and others [Yadu, Haihaya, etc.].”

śrī brahmāṇḍe tu kathitam atri-patnyānasūyayā
prārthito bhagavān atrer apatyatvam upeyivān

“It is mentioned in the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa that when Anasūyā, the wife of the sage Atri, prayed to Lord Viṣṇu, the Lord agreed to become the son of Atri.”

varaṁ dattvānasūyāyai viṣṇuḥ sarva-jagan-mayaḥ
atreḥ putro ‘bhavat tasyāṁ svecchā-mānuṣa-vigrahaḥ
dattātreya iti khyāto yati-veśa-vibhuṣitaḥ

“He who accepts a human form by His own sweet will and who is the cause of all universes, that Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, gave Anasūyā a benediction and thus appeared in her womb as the son of Atri. He became famous as Dattātreya, and He was dressed as a sannyāsī.”

Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has written in his commentary on these verses from Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta: “Atri’s prayer to have a son as good as the Lord is one of the topics of the Fourth Canto, and Anasūyā’s prayer to have the Lord as her son is found in the First Canto. The statement of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa supports the later verse.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Having spoken, the Lord laughed and smiled as He on the seat of discarded clay cooking pots. At that moment the Lord assumed the mood of Dattātreya who was an incarnation of the Lord but then prayed for by and Atri Muni and as appeared as the son of Atri in the womb of Anasuya and thus he was called Dattātri, Dattātreya.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.172

vāhya-darśane aśuddhisthāna-saṁspṛṣṭa viśvaśurake śacīra śuddhi-lābhera upāya-jijñāsā—

mā’ye bole,—“tumi ye basilā manda-sthāne
ebe tumi pabitra vā haiba kemane?”

Translation: Mother Śacī inquired, “You have sat in an impure place, so how will You purify Yourself?”

Jayapatākā Swami: Mother Śacī spoke to her son, “You have sat on the contaminated place so how will You become purified from this contamination.”

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.173

prabhu-kartṛka śacīmātāke svīya aprākṛta guṇadoṣātītatva o nikhilapāvana-pāvana vāsudevatva-jñāpana—

prabhu bole,—“mā, tumi baḍa śiśumati
apavitra sthāne kabhu mora nahe sthiti

Translation: The Lord replied, “My dear mother, you are very childish. I am never in an impure place.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord admonished his mother, “My dear mother, you are speaking with a very childish mind. Anyplace where I am seated is never a contaminated place.”

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.174

nikhila-pūṇya-dhāma viṣṇura pādapadmei sarva-puṇya-tīrthera avasthāna—

yathā mora sthiti, sei sarva puṇya-sthāna
gaṅgā-ādi sarva tīrtha tahim̐ adhiṣṭhāna

Translation: “Wherever I am, that place becomes most sacred. The Ganges and all other tīrthas are present at that place.

Jayapatākā Swami: Wherever I am situated is considered a very holy place which purifies others.

Ganges and other holy places are holy because of my touch. Because of my presence the Ganges the other such places are considered holy and purified.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.175

advayana-vimukha bheda-buddhi-vaśe bhoganetrera āvṛta darśanei akṣajajñāna vā manodharmottha bhadrābhadra-jñāna-rūpa bhrama—

āmāra se kālpanika ‘śuci’ vā ‘aśuci’
sraṣṭāra ki doṣa āche, mane bhāva bujhi

Commentary: āmāra,—advaya-jñāna-vicāra-hīna baddha-jīvera; sraṣṭāra,—jagatsraṣṭā īśvarera.

Translation: “Purity and impurity is only our mental creation. Please consider, what fault is there with the creator?

Commentary: The word āmāra refers to a conditioned soul who has no conception of advaya-jñāna, or spiritual oneness. The word sraṣṭāra refers to the Lord, who is the creator of the universe.

Jayapatākā Swami: We think that something is pure or impure are all based on our mental speculation and imagination. So one speculates and imagines that something is good and something is bad all based on the mental speculation. What does this have to do with the creator? What fault is there in the creator is in this. It is all the creations of conditioned souls. Whatever is connected to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu is good. Whatever has no connection is bad. This is the absolute consideration. All the other things are speculations.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.176

bhagavadadhokṣaja-padasparśe bhoganetrera aśuddha prākṛta bheda-darśana-dhvaṁsa o vāstavaśuddhi prākaṭya—

loka-beda-mate yadi aśuddha vā haya
āmi paraśileo ki aśuddhatā raya?

Commentary: loka-beda-mate,—laukika vyavahāra o vaidika karma-kāṇḍānusāre; āmi, sampūrṇa nirdoṣa-guṇākara bhagavān.

Translation: “Even if something is considered impure by the Vedas and people in general, can it remain impure after I touch it?

Commentary: The phrase loka-veda-mate refers to worldly behavior in accordance with Vedic karma-kāṇḍa. The word āmi refers to the Lord, who is completely faultless and the reservoir of all good qualities.

Jayapatākā Swami: If according to the general understanding of the people or the Vedic karma-kāṇḍa has the opinion of something is impure, So if I touch such a place being the spotless form of the Lord does any impurity remain?

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.177

viṣṇusambandhi śuddha-sattva dravya o kriyāra vāstava-nirdoṣatva —

esaba hām̐ḍīte mūle nāhika dūṣaṇa
tumi yāte viṣṇu lāgi’ karilā randhana

Commentary: mūle,—svarūpataḥ, vastutaḥ; dūṣaṇa,—doṣa, heyatā arthāt aśuddhi, apavitratā, aśucitā; yāte, yehetu.

Translation: “In fact these pots are not at all contaminated, because you have used them to cook for Lord Viṣṇu.

Commentary: The word mūle means “naturally” or “factually,” the word dūṣaṇa means “false,” “abomination,” or “impurity,” and the word yāte means “because.”

Jayapatākā Swami: As these distorted clay cooking pots have no fault in them. Since they were used to used cook the offerings to Lord Viṣṇu, so they are certainly pure.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.178

viṣṇusambandhi śuddhasattadravya-saṁsparśe jīvera guṇadoṣāśuddhi mala-nāśa-phale dravyera vāstava-śuddhi-prākaṭya—

viṣṇura randhana-sthālī kabhu duṣṭa naya
se hām̐ḍī-paraśe āra-sthāna śuddha haya

Commentary: sthālī, —randhanera vā pākera pātra. smartagaṇa khādyaviṣaye sakaḍi o ni-sakaḍi vicāra kariyā thākena. vaiṣṇava smṛti anusāre bhagavān, bhakta o grantha bhāgavata evaṁ bhagavat prasāda-pādodakādi śuddhasattva cinmaya-vastura sparśa prabhāve sakala dravyai atībva spṛśya o pavitrībhūta haya, ihā smārtera prākṛta darśano śuddhya-śuddhi vicārera atīta.

Translation: “The pots used in cooking for Lord Viṣṇu are never contaminated. Indeed, simply by the touch of His cooking pots other places become purified.

Commentary: The word sthālī refers to the cooking pots. The smārtas are greatly concerned with purity and contamination in relation to their eating. According to the Vaiṣṇava smṛtis any item becomes pure and acceptable by the touch of the Lord, the Lord’s devotee, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Lord’s remnants, or the Lord’s caraṇāmṛta. This consideration is beyond the conceptions of purity and impurity born from the mundane vision of the smārtas.