20200622 Birth in The House of a Devotee Only by Dint of One’s Great Fortune

The following is the reading from the new Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 22nd June 2020 in Śrīdhāma 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!

Introduction: So tonight, we are continuing with the compilation of the Caitanya book. Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s dead son is speaking, by the mercy of Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Before we start that, I just want to encourage everyone that we can please pray to the deities to Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā, to Rādhā Mādhava Aṣṭa-sakhī, Rādhā Mādhava Māyāpur-candra, the Pañca-tattva, Prahlāda Narasiṁhadeva if They so please, please allow Bhakti Cāru Swami to regain his health, and spend some more years with us. Oṁ tat sat.

Also tomorrow is our virtual Ratha-yātrā, where we go around the world and visit all the different continents, with the Ratha-yātrā. So, if you haven’t registered yet, please sign up quick The website is www.mercyonwheel.com Today’s chapter is entitled:

Birth in The House of a Devotee Only by Dint of One’s Great Fortune

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

bāṅdhilo māyā, ye dina ha'te,
avidyā-moha-ḍore
aneka janma, labhinu āmi,
phirinu māyā-ghor

Translation: The dead boy continued, Thus I have been captured and bound by māyā. Due to being tied tightly by her ropes of ignorance and bewilderment, I have undergone many, many births since that time, simply wandering here and there in the ghastly darkness of māyā’s illusions.

Jayapatākā Swami: So here the dead boy is describing his conditioned life, how he has taken many births, and how he is in illusion, in each birth, he is conditioned by the illusory energy.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

deva dānava, mānava paśu,
pataṅga kīṭa ha'ye
svarge narake, bhū-tale phiri,
anitya āśā la'ye

Translation: Sometimes I become a demigod, sometimes a demon, and sometimes I get the body of a man, an animal, a bird or an insect. Sometimes I wander up to heaven, sometimes down to hell, and sometimes on earth, being carried away the whole time by innumerable materialistic hopes and aspirations.

Jayapatākā Swami: Depending on one’s desires and one’s karma, one goes wandering around the universe, or even different universes, different lives of Brahmā. We have been staying in this material world for so long, and here the boy is describing the journey of the soul, through different bodies. So, like that we have all been in this material world for so long, since time immemorial, and we are taking different births, depending on our desires, our karmas, etc.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.064

yata dina bhāgya chila śrīvāsera ghare
āchilāṅa, ebe calilāma anya pure

Jayapatākā Swami: As long as I had the good fortune, I lived in the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura Prabhu. Now I am going to the house of someone else. Also, he is describing how by his good fortune, he was born in the family of a devotee and as a result, he could have so much association with Kṛṣṇa. So, this is considered the highest of all births, being born in a family of devotees.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

nā jāni kibā, sukṛti-bale,
śrīvāsa-suta hainu
nadīyā-dhāme, caraṇa tava,
daraśa-paraśa kainu

Translation: “I have no idea of what kind of wonderful pious credit I have earned to be born here in this life as the son of Śrī Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita within the holy abode of Navadvīpa. Thus, I myself am amazed that I have had the great fortune of actually being able to see and touch Your lotus feet, oh Lord.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So Gopāla, the dead son of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, is expressing his amazement, how he was so fortunate, to be born in the family of a great Vaiṣṇava like Śrīvāsa, and how he touched the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, how he was born in the holy dhāma of Navadvīpa. So, all these are special mercies, shows how the gṛhasthas, they should have children, at least a child, give mercy so that the children can go back to Godhead.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.065

sapārṣade tomāra caraṇe namaskāra
aparādha nā laiha, vidāya āmāra”

Jayapatākā Swami: I offer my obeisances at Your lotus feet, and the lotus feet of Your associates, please do not consider any offence. Now I am leaving, so the dead body is offering obeisances to Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, and all His associates. The spirit soul is speaking through the dead body, and he is begging that no offence may be taken, now he has to leave.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

sakala bāre, maraṇa-kāle,
aneka duḥkha pāi
tuyā praśaṅge, parama sukhe,
e-bāra cale yāi

Translation: Usually, whenever I have to die, I always experience great pain and distress upon leaving the particular body I happen to be in. But this time, I am only experiencing great happiness by discussing all these topics related to Your glories. However, my time is now up, so I must take Your leave.

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally we become very attached to the body we are in and when we leave, at the time of death, we feel great unhappiness and displeasure. But this soul is expressing that at this time, since he has the good fortune of glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and being completely Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is experiencing great happiness. But he has to now leave because his time in this body is up. We don’t know how long we have in our particular body, and when that time is up, then we have to leave. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Controller, and He can change things, but if He wants to. But sooner or later we have to leave this material body.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

icchāya tora, janama yadi,
ābāra haya, hari!
caraṇe tava, prema-bhakati,
thāke minati kari

Translation: “If it is Your desire that I should take another birth.Oh Lord, I pray and humbly request Your Lordship to kindly allow me to be always situated in the transcendental loving service of Your divine lotus feet.”

Jayapatākā Swami: In the Śikṣāṣṭakam, Lord Caitanya taught, that a devotee wants to continue in devotional service, even life after life. If the Lord wants one, to take another birth in this material world, that they can continue with their devotional service at the Lord’s lotus feet, and If it is His desire, that they can serve the Lord in the spiritual world.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.066

eta bali’ nīraba hailāśiśu-kāya
e-mata kautuka kare śrī-gaurāṅga-rāya

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally a dead body doesn’t speak, and Lord Caitanya brought the soul back to the dead body, and the dead body was speaking! So, the translation is, after the child spoke, he became silent. So, this was the transcendental pastime of Lord Gaurāṅga. So, it is not an ordinary thing, that a dead body again comes back to life and starts to speak. By doing this, he was giving knowledge to all those present, and for all time he was giving knowledge. We are recording in this book, how the child came back to life, spoke from the Absolute platform, and then became silent. So, we understand how we take various births in the material world, and to receive the association of the Lord and His devotees, is the most blessed opportunity, and Lord Caitanya taught brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva/ guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc Madhya 19.151] - that one wanders around in different universes, and then when one is fortunate, one receives the seed of bhakti or devotional service.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

yakhana śiśu, niraba bhela,
dekhiyā prabhura līlā
śrīvāsa-goṣṭhi, tyajiyāśoka,
ānanda-magaṇa bhela

Translation: Saying this, the boy then fell silent. Seeing this wonderful pastime of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita’s whole family gave up all of their lamentation and became absorbed in great transcendental happiness.

Jayapatākā Swami: People, they lament, and they think that their loved one is dead. But from this transcendental pastime of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, everyone could understand, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita ’s family understood, that the child was not dead. His soul lives on, eternally, and by being born in the family of Śrīvāsa, having the association of devotees, touching the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, he was very blessed.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.067

mṛtaputra-mukhe tattvakathā-śravaṇe śrīvāsa-goṣṭhīra śokaśātana o prabhura caraṇe vijñapti—

mṛta-putra-mukhe śuni' apūrva kathana
ānanda-sāgare bhāse sarva bhakta-gaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: So, as they heard the extraordinary words from the mouth of the dead son, all the devotees present were floating in an ocean of spiritual bliss.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.068

putra-śoka-duḥkha gela śrīvāsa-goṣṭhīra
kṛṣṇa-premānanda-sukhe hailā asthira

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the family of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita lost all their suffering and lamentation for their son, they were overwhelmed in the happiness of transcendental ecstasy of love for Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.69

kṛṣṇa-preme śrīnivāsa goṣṭhīra sahite
prabhura caraṇa dhari' lāgilā kāndite

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita ’s family absorbed in pure love of Kṛṣṇa, they grabbed hold of the lotus feet of Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, and they were crying in ecstasy.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.70

“janma janma tumi pitā, mātā, putra, prabhu
tomāra caraṇa yena nā pāsari kabhu

Jayapatākā Swami: “Birth after birth, You are our father, mother, son and Master, may we always, never forget Your lotus feet.” The family members of Śrīvāsa could understand, that the only eternal relationship is the one with the Supreme Lord, and they wanted to maintain that remembrance of the Lord, in every birth.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.071

yekhāne sekhāne prabhu, kene janma nahe
tomāra caraṇe yena prema-bhakti rahe”

Jayapatākā Swami: Wherever we take birth, it doesn’t matter, My Lord, as long as we have loving devotional service for Your lotus feet. So, the family members of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, they wanted the blessings of the Lord that they always remain in His pure, loving devotional service, and didn’t matter, where they were born, as long as they could have His pure loving devotional service.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.072

bhaktagaṇera premakrandana—
cāri bhāi prabhura caraṇe kāku kare
caturdige bhakta-gaṇa kānde uccaiḥsvare

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita had three brothers, the four brothers, they offered their humble obeisances at the lotus feet of Lord Gaurāṅga, and all the devotees being completely overwhelmed in transcendental ecstasy, loudly cried from all directions.

Caitanya-bhagavata Madhya-khanda 25.73

kṛṣṇa-preme caturdige uthila krandana
Kṛṣṇa-prema-maya haila srivasa-bhavana

Jayapatākā Swami: People in all directions were crying in pure love of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Infact the house of Śrīvāsa became filled with pure, loving ecstasy of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, we can see how by actually understanding what is the real nature of this material world; and how the Lord is the protector and master of His devotees, everyone became overwhelmed with the love of Kṛṣṇa. They started crying in great ecstasy, appreciating how merciful is the Lord, and how even the death of the son of Śrīvāsa, had given all of them a very great experience.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

gaura-carita, amṛta-dhārā,
karite karite pāna
bhaktivinoda, śrīvāse māge,
yāya yena mora prāṇa

Translation: Thus, the transcendental character and activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are just like a continuous shower of ambrosia. Bhaktivinoda is thereby losing his vital life force simply begging Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura to allow him to drink more of this nectarean ambrosia.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, by meditating on all these pastimes in Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita ’s house which have revealed the nectar of Lord Gaurāṅga’s pastimes, overwhelmed Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura with spiritual ecstasy. He is simply begging at Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita ’s lotus feet, that he may always hear more and more of these nectarean pastimes.

Thus, ends the chapter, Birth in The House of a Devotee Only By Dint of One’s Great Fortune.

Haribol!

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Gurudeva! Please accept my respectful obeisances. What was the destination of the soul of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s son, the son says I am now going to another father and mother. But because he died hearing Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu’s kīrtana, will he have rebirth or go back to Godhead?

—Your servant,
Śyāma Gopīkā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: I knew that someone would ask this question! The son was being very humble. But he was saying in the normal sequence that after each birth, he would be sent to another body. But he has qualified, he said that, if You want me to take another birth. He was talking to Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But Śrīvāsa said, that since he left his body hearing the kīrtana of Lord Caitanya, so certainly he would not have to take another birth. The point is that Śrīvāsa’s son, he is saying that even if he has to take another birth, it does not bother him, but he wants to always be in the devotional service of the Lord. So, once you taste the nectar of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, you don’t want any separation from the Lord. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. Thank you for amazing insights of these pastimes. How can we develop even a drop of loving, surrender to Lord Caitanya like Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura?

—Rasapriyā Gopīkā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he was praying that, he wants to fall at the lotus feet of Śrīvāsa and beg him for that mercy. So, we can follow the example of our previous ācāryas, and we should surrender at the lotus feet, we should pray for the mercy of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, and our previous ācāryas, for this special mercy. Śrīla Prabhupāda has given us this opportunity, to engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Actually, this is incomparable, and people who give up their service, it is very unfortunate.

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Question: Respected spiritual master! Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! In today’s class, what feeling made Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura cry, holding Lord Caitanya’s feet?

—Your servant,
Divya Govinda dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: What do you think? His son had died. His family members were lamenting of the death of their son, and then by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, Śrīvāsa’s son, the dead body of Śrīvāsa’s son, started to speak and gave this explanation of reincarnation how the Lord is ultimately the shelter of everyone. So naturally, Śrīvāsa said, we are so grateful to the Lord, also overwhelmed by the understanding of the glories of Kṛṣṇa, there would be more feelings of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I don’t say that I can say all of his feelings, but I can appreciate that they were in a very loving mood towards Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and therefore they grabbed His feet and were crying. I mean, this pastime Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he wrote a whole poem, and he said that he is giving up his life, so amazing the pastimes of the Lord Gaurāṅga. So, he was falling at the feet of Śrīvāsa. Śrīvāsa and his family, they fell at the feet of Lord Gaurāṅga. You meditate on that, what was the feeling they had? and then you will start crying like they did. Haribol!

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