20180803 Śrī Nimāi’s visit to Gayā

Following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on August 3^rd, 2018 in Chennai, India. The class begins with a reading from the Caitanya-maṅgala, Ādi-khaṇḍa, Chapter 7.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

hare kṛṣṇa, hare kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa, hare hare/
hare rāma, hare rāma, rāma rāma, hare hare

hari haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ hari
gopāla govinda rāma śrī-madhusūdana

Nitāi-Gaura hari bol! Haribol!
Haribol! Haribol!

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramananda madhavam śrī caitanya iswaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

[Guru Mahārāja first addressed the Māyāpur devotees by skype in Bengāli.]

Jayapatākā Swami: Can you all hear? Haribol!

You are very fortunate that you are able to stay in Māyāpur dhāma. Those who are in this place, in the world, it is a sevā. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu has told in Gītā that ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11] Those who want to serve Him, He also wants to serve them. As Caitanya Paṇḍita, Nimāi Paṇḍita, He questioned Keśava Kāśmīrī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was thinking how He would squash the false ego of Keśava Kāśmīrī, not finish him but his ego. He asked him questions normally. In front of everyone if He defeated Keśava Kāśmīrī then the people would make fun of him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu thought that I will defeat him in such a way that his self-respect is intact, but his false ego is squashed. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is thinking so much and this way He was giving a lesson to his devotees. In this world do everyone think of Keśava Kāśmīrī like that? Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so merciful! As Nimāi Paṇḍita, He is thinking how would I deliver Keśava Bhaṭṭa? The glories of the Gaṅgā, He expressed by poetry. So all the poetry glorifying Gaṅgā that Keśava Kāśmīrī said, Nimāi Paṇḍita, by hearted all of them. In this poetry, he took one verse and asked Keśava Kāśmīrī, “What is the defect in this verse?” Keśava Kāśmīrī said that, “In my poetry there is no defect.” But Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Nimāi Paṇḍita, He by hearted all the verses and had repeated that particular verse and also told him what are the good and bad points of that verse. And Keśava Kāśmīrī was dumbfounded. He was thinking how Nimāi Paṇḍita, by hearted so many verses in such a short time. But Keśava Kāśmīrī could not answer Nimāi Paṇḍita, He started thinking that he would ask Sarasvatī Mā what is his offence. Sarasvatī devī told Keśava Kāśmīrī that I cannot help you much because Caitanya Mahāprabhu is my husband, my prabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teachings and He Himself are non-different. He has told in many places – suno suno harīdāsa, everywhere spread my teaching. “bala-kṛṣṇa bhaja-kṛṣṇa, kara-kṛṣṇa-śikṣā” Kṛṣṇa’s teachings are in His scriptures. Those scriptures have been brought to us conditioned souls, Śrīla Prabhupāda ’s books, and will liberate us. I am very grateful that you are propagating and preaching these teachings and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teaching all over. Keśava Kāśmīrī then went to Śacīmātā home and there he saw the divine form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanyadeva told him that, “As long as I am there in this world you will not tell anyone this secret.” We are so fortunate that 500 years ago Mahāprabhu had come here to Māyāpur dhāma. He is so merciful! Keśava Kāśmīrī, elephants, palanquins, people – he gave up everything and became an ācārya. In the Nimbārka-sampradāyā. With Śrīla Prabhupāda’s desire we wish to serve Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If we serve Him, He will take care of the devotees. With mind and life, we should serve Mahāprabhu. You should distribute books and serve the Lord nicely with mind, life and deeds. Now you are getting Vaiṣṇava association, and you get great bliss in that. Like during adhivāsa there is kīrtana, there is no limit to happiness, unhappiness goes far away. ānandera sīmā nāi, nirānanda dūre jāi – I think that this is time of happiness for all of you with Vaiṣṇava association there. That is why I don’t want to take too much of your time. I am in Chennai. I wish greatly to be in Māyāpur. Once I get okay, I will get back to Māyāpur. Haribol!

Now he continued in English with caitanya-līlā book work.]

Phalaśruti — Under the Section: Kaiśora-līlā—Prabhura Gayā-yātrā

Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, Ādi 7.47

jaya viśvambhara-priya jaya dvijarāja
tomāya sevile siddha haya saba kāja

Jayapatākā Swami: Every day am giving class around 7.30 to 8 pm. There is Bengāli and English. We are now reading from Caitanya-maṅgala. Jaya Viśvambhara-priya – All glories to the dear Viśvambhara. All glories to the king of all brāhmaṇas. By serving Him all work is successful.

Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, Ādi 7.48

nama dvija-vallabha dayālu gaurahari
nama dharma-saṁsthāpana sarva adhikārī

Jayapatākā Swami: Obeisances to the dear one of the twice born. The all merciful Gaura Hari! Obeisances to the Lion of dharma who establishes the codes of the true religious principles.

Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, Ādi 7.49

saṅgīra eteka vākya śuni viśvambhara
kṣamā kailā sabhākāra doṣa bahutara

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing the words of all those who were with Viśvambhara, He forgave them for all of their offences.

Śrī Caitanya-carita Mahā-kāvya 4.43: tadanantara prabhu vanasthalīra ai rūpa śobhā sandarśana karite karite vilasita citte vana-madhye gamana karite lāgile taddarśane pakṣigaṇa parama paritṛpti lābha kariyā prabhura prīti sādhana karite lāgila.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi 17.24

“ye yaiche bhaje kṛṣṇa tāre bhaje taiche” tathāhi (śrī-gītāyāṁ 4.11)—

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

Translation: “As all surrender unto Me I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, oh son of Pṛthā.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord by this verse includes those who are surrendered to Him and those who are having material desires. Śrīdhara Svāmī says in his Subodhinī commentary that by worshipping Indra you are indirectly worshipping Me, because He is the Lord of Indra. So, He is alone worshipped even by the worship of Indra.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi 17.25

bhakta o bhagavān, ubhayei parasparera vaśībhūta —

ye tāhāna dāsya-pada bhāve nirantara
tāhāna avaśya dāsya karena īśvara

Jayapatākā Swami: This verse displays how the Lord reciprocates. One who is always thinking of himself as a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord certainly takes the serving attitude towards that devotee.

Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, Ādi 7.50

ihārā pūjaye madhusūdana ṭhākura
e sakala tyajya nahe-nā bhāviha dūra

Jayapatākā Swami: The brāhmaṇas of this place worship Madhusūdhana. They should not be given up. Nor should they be shunned.

Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, Ādi 7.51

kṛṣṇa nā bhajile dvija nahe kadācita
purāṇe pramāṇa ei śikṣā āche nīta

Jayapatākā Swami: A brāhmaṇa, who doesn’t worship Kṛṣṇa is not a true brāhmaṇa. There is evidence of this in the Purāṇas that if someone is a caṇḍāla and worships Kṛṣṇa, he is greater than a brāhmaṇa. As long as a brāhmaṇa does not worship Kṛṣṇa, he is lower than a caṇḍāla

Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, Ādi 7.52

tathāhi

‘‘caṇḍālohapi muneḥ śreṣṭho viṣṇu-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ
viṣṇu-bhakti-bihīnastu dvijohapi śvapacādhamaḥ”

Jayapatākā Swami: “A so called outcaste who is devoted to Lord Viṣṇu is the best of sages but a brāhmaṇa who has no devotion to Lord Viṣṇu is the lowest outcaste.”

Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, Ādi 7.53

ihā bali saṅgera brāhmaṇe tuṣṭa haiyā
doṣa kṣamāilā tāre prasanna haiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: He said, He was happy with the brāhmaṇas, who were accompanying Him. He forgave them for any offence. He was happy and satisfied with the brāhmaṇas.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi 17.26

bhagavānera bhakta-vatsala-saṁjñā, svayaṁ vijita haiyā bhaktera jaya-vardhana—

ataeva nāma tā’na ‘sevaka-vatsala’
āpane hāriyā bāḍāyena bhṛtya-bala

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes the Lord accepts defeat just to glorify His sevakas. He is known as sevaka-vatsalā.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi 17.27

bhagavatpade ekānta śaraṇāgati o nirbharatā-hetu tatparityāge bhaktera asāmarthya—

sarvatra rakṣaka-hena prabhura caraṇa
bala dekhi,—ke-mate chāḍibe bhakta-gaṇa?

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord is not able to separate Himself from His devotees. His devotees are very dear. Because for His devotees, (His lotusfeet) He is the only protector and therefore, since His devotees are always depending on Him, He also reciprocates.

Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi 17.28

jvara-tyāgante punpun-tīrthe āgamana —

hena-mate kari’ prabhu jvarera vināśa
punapunā-tīrthe āsi’ hailā prakāśa

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Lord was having a pastime of fever. After giving these instructions, they continued on their journey and reached the Punpunā River. Śrīla Prabhupāda a said that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was like the teacher, who takes up a chalk and showed the students how to practically do things on the chalk board.

Like if they couldn’t understand teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā. He was personally giving an example.

So, this is the end of that chapter.