20200623 The Lord Praises Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura

The following is the reading from the new Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 23rd 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, Today is the auspicious day of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā Ratha-yātrā, and today we started the worldwide Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā virtual festival. Lots of devotees told me that, they felt great transcendental bliss. After this class I will join some Ratha-yātrā in different parts of the world.

So today is the tirobhāva-tithi, the disappearance festival of Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śivānanda Sena. Svarupa Dāmodara was Lalitā in Kṛṣṇa-līlā, who came to assist Lord Caitanya, and Śivānanda was taking the devotees from Bengal to Jagannātha Purī, to see Lord Caitanya every year, when He was there. So, they are very great devotees, and they came down just to assist the Lord in His pastimes, and went back when the Lord’s pastimes were over, We want to encourage everyone to please pray for Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami, that if Kṛṣṇa pleases, that he may come back to us, healthy and strong, we are missing his association. this chapter is entitled:

The Lord Praises Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya- khaṇḍa 25.74

prabhu-kartṛka śrīvāsa-mahimā kīrtana—
prabhu bale,—“śuna śuna śrīvāsa paṇḍita!
tumi ta’ sakala jāna saṁsārera rīta

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga said, “Listen, listen Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, you know all the details, of the nature of material existence.”

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

śrīvāse kahena prabhu tuṅhu mora dāsa
tuyā prīte bāṅdhā āmi jagate prakāśa

Translation: Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to speak to Śrīvāsa with very affectionate and sweet words, He said, “My dear Śrīvāsa, you are actually My very old servant. Indeed, I am staying in this world only due to your unalloyed love for Me.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa in the Gītā says, He comes down to this material world, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, to save His devotees and destroy the miscreants. But actually, the real reason for his coming is to, He only comes because of His pure unalloyed devotees. He can have different energies to destroy miscreants. When He comes down, He might as well destroy some miscreants, that’s not the real reason for His coming. The real reason is that, there are unalloyed devotees. Because Śrīvāsa being an unalloyed devotee, is present, therefore the Lord says that He is staying. So, He also said that Śrīvāsa is His old servant, that means that Śrīvāsa is present in different incarnations of the Lord. So, it is not only in this pastime, but also in previous pastimes, Śrīvāsa is there in one form or another.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.75

e saba saṁsāra-duḥkha tomāra ki dāya
ye tomāre dekhe seha kabhu nāhi pāya

Jayapatākā Swami: “The miseries of the material world do not affect You. In fact, just by seeing You, someone is not affected by such miseries.”

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

bhakta-gaṇa senāpati śrīvāsa paṇḍita
jagate ghuṣuka āji tomāra carita

Translation: “You, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, are factually the commander-in-chief of all of My devotes. Today your glorious character will be acclaimed throughout the three worlds.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are very special, and Śrīvāsa is the best of all devotees. Lord Caitanya has proclaimed that he is the commander-in-chief, of all His devotees. So, in that way, the glories of Śrīvāsa would be glorified all over the three worlds.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

prapañca-kārā-rakṣiṇī māyāra bandhana
tomāra nāhika kabhu, dekhuka jagaj-jana

Translation: “You are never subject to the imprisoning bondage of Māyā-devī, the proprietress of this prison-like material world. Indeed, this fact is attested to by all the people of the world.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally, of Māyā-devī grabs everyone in the material world, by various material attachments, and this binds one to the material world. But Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita was such a pure devotee, that he was not affected by the material attachments. Therefore, the material world, which is like a prison, could not keep Śrīvāsa bound.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

dhana, jana, deha, geha āmāre arpiyā
āmāra sevāya sukhe ācha sukhī hañā

Translation: “You have dedicated unto Me all of your wealth, followers, body and household paraphernalia, and thus you have become most joyful by being so nicely situated in My eternal service.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The actual secret of being joyful, is being situated in the eternal service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This material world naturally makes one distressed. Because it is a world of birth, death old age, disease. But Śrīvāsa being transcendental, was always happy in the service of the Lord. So, we can follow the footsteps of Śrīvāsa if we want to really be happy. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

mama līlā-puṣṭi lāgi' tomāra saṁsāra
śikhuk gṛhastha-jana tomāra ācāra

Translation: “The whole of Your existence in this world is only for the purpose of nourishing My eternal pastimes. Thus, your ideal behavior as a transcendental family man is exemplary for instructing all the materialistic householders.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Many times, householders ask me, how they can dovetail their material activities in Kṛṣṇa’s service? Here Lord Caitanya is certifying that one should simply follow the example of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. He had wife, he had children, he had followers, he had everything that a householder has, but he offered everything in the service of the Lord, and he was always joyful.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 17.229

mṛtaputrera mukhe tattvakathāḥ
mṛta-putra-mukhe kaila jñānera kathana
āpane dui bhāi hailā śrīvāsa-nandana

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu caused the dead son to speak about knowledge, and then the two brothers personally became the sons of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.

Purport: This incident is described as follows by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. One night while Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dancing with His devotees at the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, one of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s sons, who was suffering from some disease, died. Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura was so patient, however, that he did not allow anyone to express sorrow by crying, for he did not want the kīrtana going on at his house to be disturbed. Thus kīrtana continued without a sound of lamentation. But when the kīrtana was over, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who could understand the incident, declared, “There must have been some calamity in this house.” When He was then informed about the death of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s son, He expressed His regret, saying, “Why was this news not given to Me before?” He went to the place where the son was lying dead and asked him, “My dear boy, why are you leaving the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura?” The dead son immediately replied, “I was living in this house as long as I was destined to live here. Now that the time is over, I am going elsewhere, according to Your direction. I am Your eternal servant, a dependent living being. I must act only according to Your desire. Beyond Your desire, I cannot do anything. I have no such power.”  Hearing these words of the dead son, all the members of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s family received transcendental knowledge. Thus there was no cause for lamentation. This transcendental knowledge is described in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.13): tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati. When someone dies, he accepts another body; therefore sober persons do not lament. After the discourse between the dead boy and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, funeral ceremonies were performed, and Lord Caitanya assured Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, “You have lost one son, but Nityānanda Prabhu and I are your eternal sons. We shall never be able to give up your company.” This is an instance of a transcendental relationship with Kṛṣṇa. We have eternal transcendental relationships with Kṛṣṇa as His servants, friends, fathers, sons or conjugal lovers. When the same relationships are pervertedly reflected in this material world, we have relationships as the sons, fathers, friends, lovers, masters or servants of others, but all these relationships are subject to termination within a definite period. If we revive our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, however, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu our eternal relationship will never break to cause our lamentation.

Jayapatākā Swami: Here Śrīla Prabhupāda is revealing how the real purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to awaken our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That relationship never ends and there is no reason to lament. But in the material world, every relationship has a beginning and end. So naturally, one, if they have a successful pleasant relationship, then they lament when it is broken. But in many cases, relationships are not always pleasant. So, in such cases, they also lament, in all situations there is lamentation, good or bad. But in our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, there is never any end. There is no cause of lamentation. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 25.76

āmi, nityānanda—dui nandana tomāra
citte tumi vyathā kichu nā bhāviha āra

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga said, “I and Lord Nityānanda, are both your sons. You never have to feel any grief in your heart.”

Śrīla Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Ṭhākura says:

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Śrī Gaurasundara said to Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, “The devotees of the Supreme Lord never have any connection with the material world.” In the vison of ignorant people, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita was a householder and a materialist, but the devotees of the Lord never even mistakenly consider that Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita was such an inauspicious character. Those who are accustomed to see the devotees of the Supreme Lord have no bondage to material existence. If one accepts the Supreme Lord as one’s husband, wife, or son to fill the absence of any such most basic relationship, then one attains direct association with that eternal personality. Simply by seeing the Lord’s relationship with all objects a living entity becomes liberated from the conditioned state.”

Jayapatākā Swami: In other words, if one has the Lord as one’s master or friend or son, or lover, then that relationship would be complete, eternal and unending. So, whether one is a householder or one is a vairāgī, if they see their relationship with Kṛṣṇa as eternal, they can remain transcendental in all circumstances. When the husband and wife cooperate together to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, this is the ideal family life.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s verses:
Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

tava preme baddha āchi āmi, nityānanda
āmā duṅhe suta jāni' bhuñjaha ānanda

Translation: “Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and I are so much obliged to you due to your pure love for us. Indeed, We know that you enjoy great happiness by considering us to be your very own sons.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Śrīvāsa is more concerned about the happiness of Lord Caitanya, than the loss of his own son, therefore, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, accepted Śrīvāsa as Their father, and They became the sons of Śrīvāsa.

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

tava preme baddha āchi āmi, nityānanda
āmā duṅhe suta jāni' bhuñjaha ānanda

Translation: “Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and I are so much obliged to you due to your pure love for us. Indeed, We know that you enjoy great happiness by considering us to be your very own sons.”

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

nitya-tattva suta yāra anitya tanaye
āsakti nā kare sei sṛjane pralaye

Translation: “We are truly your eternal sons, for We see that you are not at all attached to your temporary sons, who are all subject to the material conditions of creation and destruction.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Temporary sons are created at some time and they die. But the relationship with Śrīvāsa, and Caitanya, Nityānanda, was eternal, therefore, They say, “We are truly your eternal sons.”

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

bhaktite tomāra ṛṇīāmi cira-dina
tava sādhu-bhāve tumi kṣama mora ṛṇa

Translation: “Because of your pure devotion I am eternally indebted to you. And because of your saintly character you are also quite deserving of My indebtedness.”

Jayapatākā Swami: As Kṛṣṇa has promised in the Gītā, that He reciprocates with His devotees, so because Śrīvāsa had pure love for Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya felt naturally indebted to him. We may serve someone in the material world, but they may not appreciate what we are doing. But Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa, is so wonderful, that any service you do for Them, they never forget!

Śokaśātana, The Dispelling of Grief

śrīvāsera pāya bhaktivinoda kujana
kākuti kariyā māge gaurāṅga-caraṇa

Translation: Hearing these loving words of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this rascal Bhaktivinoda now begs at the feet of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura in humble supplication to receive the lotus feet of Lord Gaurāṅga.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura hearing the loving words of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he could understand, that serving Lord Caitanya was the only thing to do, but he felt himself unqualified. Therefore, he wanted to fall at the lotus feet of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, and to beg him that he may have the lotus feet of Lord Sri Gaurāṅga. Since Lord Caitanya has said he is indebted to Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, as Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura has served Him so selflessly, now Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura could give Lord Caitanya away. If we plead to Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, he could give us the mercy of the eternal lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. Jaya Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura ki jaya! By surrendering fully to Lord Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, He becomes your natural protector, and you are eternally kept connected to Him. Understanding this secret, who will not accept the eternal shelter of the Lord? Anyone with any intelligence would understand that, it’s in our benefit to serve Kṛṣṇa. In fact, any connection with Kṛṣṇa is actually auspicious, even those who are envious of Kṛṣṇa, if they are always thinking about Kṛṣṇa like Kaṁsa, who thought that Kṛṣṇa would kill me, but he was trying to kill Kṛṣṇa. Even that person by thinking about Kṛṣṇa, he was liberated. What to speak about anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa in loving devotion. Not to focus on Kṛṣṇa, not to think about Kṛṣṇa, not to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, is a foolish option.

Thus, ends the chapter: The Lord Praises Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.

Actually, this pastime shows how great is Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, how one gains the mercy of the Lord, how the Lord becomes indebted to His devotees!

Any questions?

Question: Today we heard that Lord Caitanya says Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura as senāpati of His devotees. And we heard that Śrīla Prabhupāda is the senāpati-bhakta. So, in every period will there be a senāpati-bhakta appearing to spread the movement, like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and our Śrīla Prabhupāda? Please kindly forgive my ignorance.

Jayapatākā Swami: In the Caitanya-maṅgala, Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted, that He would preach all over the Indian subcontinent. And after 500 years He would send His senāpati-bhakta. ‘senāpati’ literally translates as a General or Commander. So, we know that in the army, there is more than one general. Right? Right now, the major generals of the Indian and Chinese armies, are discussing at the line of actual control at Ladakh, to reach some kind of agreement. We know that there are many generals in the Indian Army. A particular major general who is discussing with the major general of the Chinese army. He is not the only General in the Indian Army. So, somehow Lord Caitanya predicted that a senāpati-bhakta would come and distribute the saṅkīrtana movement, all over the world. So since Śrīla Prabhupāda had come to the West, and all over the world, and since he spread the saṅkīrtana movement all over the world, it seems that he fulfilled that prediction of Lord Caitanya, we are assuming that he is the senāpati-bhakta. We don’t know how many senāpati-bhaktas Lord Caitanya has, Śrīvāsa was certainly one, and Śrīla Prabhupāda also one, since he fulfilled this prediction so well, so we assume that he is one also.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Question: Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme knower, I don’t know still, if I have some trouble or need something, should I pray to the Lord for the same? Or believe that the Lord knows it and will provide what is needed?

- Gītā Bhagat.

Jayapatākā Swami: You say, I do not know still if I have some trouble or need something? Should I pray to the Lord for the same? I don’t understand the question. You first say, I don’t know if I need anything, should I pray to Kṛṣṇa for that? If you don’t know, how do you pray? and Lakṣmī said, anyway even if you knew, since Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul, He knows everything, about what we want, what we need. So, we don’t have to bother Him, telling Him we need this and that. He can naturally fulfill what we need, but if you don’t know what you need, how can you ask anyway? But even if you knew or think you know, Kṛṣṇa knows better than you, what you need. There is an example where one may say, I want ten thousand rupees. He gets it and ‘it’s not enough’. Then he says, “I want a lakh of rupees”. Sure enough. But he cannot buy a car. “I want a crore of rupees”. So, he goes again and again to Kṛṣṇa. He sees that this person needs 3 crores, if I give him 3 crores now, he will get detoured. So first of all, “I will purify him and build him up. Then give him the three crores!” So that is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and other devas. Devas might give whatever we ask. But that may not be enough. Then we go again and again to bother. But Kṛṣṇa knows what we need, we don’t have to ask for anything. We rather try to please Him, and he will give us what we need, better not to want anything material. Last question.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja, please accept my respectful obeisances. (Jayapatākā Swami: Accepted) We can clearly see in these pastimes, how these great devotees of Lord Caitanya became the recipient of the Lord’s mercy. But in our life as a sādhaka, not all days go good. But we can understand that whatever we are, is purely the Lord’s mercy. But sometimes we feel we are worthy of being the recipient of the mercy of the Lord. So how can we overcome this mind speculation?

- Rasapriyā Gopīkā devī dāsī

Jayapatākā Swami: We don’t think we are worthy of the Lord’s mercy, that’s why it’s causeless mercy. We don’t see ourselves as the cause. Rather we have no such qualities, and the Lord, if He gives us His mercy, that is His blessing. One disciple at the Kumbha-melā asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that one gets devotional service, if they have done all these spiritual practices. But in my life when I look back, I don’t see any such qualifications, how did I get devotional service? Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “I made your good fortune for you”.

Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!

Don’t forget to pray that if Kṛṣṇa pleases, He may give Bhakti Cāru Swami his health back. And hope you are all enjoying the digital, global, Ratha-yātrā. Hare Kṛṣṇa.