20210117 Lord Caitanya Describes the Appearance of Jiyaḍ Narasiṁha (Part 1)

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 17th, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma 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!

Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book,

Lord Caitanya Describes the Appearance of Jiyaḍ Narasiṁha

 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.3

jiyaḍa-nṛsiṃha darśana o nṛtya-stuti-gīta:— 
pūrva-rīte prabhu āge gamana karilā
‘jiyaḍa-nṛsiṁha’-kṣetre kata-dine gelā

Translation: According to His previous program, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went forward on His tour and after some days arrived at the place of pilgrimage known as Jiyaḍa-Narasiṁha.

Purport: The Jiyaḍa-Narasiṁha temple is situated on the top of a hill about five miles away from Visakhapatnam. There is a railway station on the South Indian Railway known as Siṁhācala. The temple known as Siṁhācala is the best temple in the vicinity of Visakhapatnam This temple is very affluent and is a typical example of the architecture of the area. On one stone tablet it is mentioned that formerly a queen covered the Deity with gold plate. This is mentioned in the Visakhapatnam Gazetteer. About the temple, there are residential quarters for the priests and devotees. Indeed, at the present moment there are many residential quarters to accommodate visiting devotees. The original Deity is situated within the depths of the temple, but there is another Deity, a duplicate, known as the vijaya-mūrti. This smaller Deity can be moved from the temple and taken on public processions. Priests who generally belong to the Rāmānuja-sampradāya are in charge of the Deity worship.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this Deity is visible on one day I think on the Aksaya-tṛtīya. Every three months the deity is covered by an additional layer of sandalwood pulp At the end of one year the sandalwood is taken out and one can see the very ancient Deity Prahlāda Mahārāja asked Narasiṁhadeva to see the form of Viṣṇu ,that liberated his elder uncle the brother of Hiraṇyakaśipu, Hiranyākśa So there Lord Narasiṁhadeva showed this Deity as Varāha Narasiṁha and we had the good fortune of being present on one of the Aksaya-tṛtīya when they uncovered the deity from the sandalwood pulp and we saw the original deity which is millions of years old.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.14.19: After Gaura had proceeded a considerable distance He came to the temple of Lord Narasiṁha named Jiyaḍa and looked upon the Deity with great delight Out of love, tears fell from His eyes and His body became covered by pulakas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had visited this temple and having darśana of the Lord in His form as Narasiṁhadeva He expressed His hairs stood on end and tears of love poured from His eyes.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.15

calite nā pāre pathe bāḍe premaraṅga
kathodura giyā dekhe jīyaḍa-nṛsiṃha

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was not able to walk on the path because of being overwhelmed with pure love of Krsna. After going some distance, He came to the temple of Jiyaḍ-Narasiṁha, which He took darśana of.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.4

nṛsiṁha dekhiyā kaila daṇḍavat-praṇati
premāveśe kaila bahu nṛtya-gīta-stuti

Translation: Upon seeing the Deity of Lord Narasiṁha in the temple, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His respectful obeisances by falling flat. Then, in ecstatic love, He performed various dances, chanted, and offered prayers.

Jayapatākā Swami: So we can see how wherever Lord Caitanya went He was chanting and dancing and when He saw the deity of Narasiṁhadeva He was overwhelmed with ecstatic love.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.5

“śrī-nṛsiṁha, jaya nṛsiṁha, jaya jaya nṛsiṁha
prahlādeśa jaya padmā-mukha-padma-bhṛṅga”

Translation: ‘All glories to Narasiṁhadeva! All glories to Narasiṁhadeva, who is the Lord of Prahlāda Mahārāja and, like a honeybee, is always engaged in beholding the lotuslike face of the goddess of fortune.’

Purport: The goddess of fortune is always embraced by Lord Narasiṁhadeva This is mentioned in the commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam written by the great commentator Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī. The following verse was composed by Śrīdhara Svāmī in his commentary on the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.1):

“Lord Narasiṁhadeva is always assisted by Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning and He is always embracing the goddess of fortune to His chest. The Lord is always complete in knowledge within Himself. Let us offer obeisances unto Narasiṁhadeva.”

Similarly, in his commentary on the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.1), Śrīdhara Svāmī describes Lord Narasiṁhadeva in this way:

“Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Narasiṁhadeva who is always enlightening Prahlāda Mahārāja within his heart and who always kills the nescience that attacks the devotees. His mercy is distributed like moonshine, and His face is like that of a lion. Let me offer my obeisances unto Him again and again.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, how Lord Narasiṁhadeva removes all the nescience from the devotees. So, His mercy is distributed like moonshine everyone can receive His mercy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.6

śrī-nṛsiṃha abhaktera nikaṭa kaṭhora, bhaktera nikaṭa kamala :—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.9.1) -
ṭīkāya śrīdhara svāmi-dhṛta āgamavacana—

ugro ’py anugra evāyaṁ
sva-bhaktānāṁ nṛ-keśarī
keśarīva sva-potānām
anyeṣām ugra-vikramaḥ

Translation: “Although very ferocious the lioness is very kind to her cubs Similarly, although very ferocious to non-devotees like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Lord Nrsiṁhadeva is very, very soft and kind to devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja.’”

Purport: This verse was composed by Śrīdhara Svāmī in his commentary on the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.9.1).

Jayapatākā Swami: Just like here the comparison is given, the lioness is very ferocious and enemies she attacks them very violently but for her cubs she treats with great affection. Like that, Lord Narasiṁhadeva, He is very, very kind to His devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.7

ei-mata nānā śloka paḍi’ stuti kaila
nṛsiṁha-sevaka mālā-prasāda āni’ dila

Translation: In this way Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited different verses from the śāstra. The priest of Lord Narasiṁhadeva then brought garlands and the remnants of the Lord’s food and offered them to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the priests are very kind to the visiting sannyāsīs and devotees when they praise the Lord. So, like that they reciprocated with Lord Caitanya’s offering of prayers and they spontaneously offered garlands and prasāda.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.14.20: The Lord of all beings, who is dear to His bhaktas, then told the people an ancient history which illustrates the Lord's quality of subordination to His devotee:

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.16

kahiba pūrvera kathā apūrva kāhinī
premāya vihvala kathā kahaye āpani

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya told the previous history and wonderful, incomparable history. Being overwhelmed with pure love of Kṛṣṇa, He personally explained this pastime.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.17

śuna śuna sarvaloka rahasya ānanda
yena mate avatāra jīyaḍa-nṛsiṃha

Jayapatākā Swami: Listen, listen, all of you the very pleasant mystery of how the Lord descended as Jiyaḍa-Narasiṁha.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.18

smaraṇa haila mora pūrvera kāhinī
ekacitte sābadhāne śuna sabhe vāṇī

Jayapatākā Swami: I remembered the ancient story Please listen to My words with full attention and concentration carefully.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.14.21: Once, long ago, a man named Puṇḍraya lived here. He was renowned for his ox-like strength, and he earned his living by growing cucumber fruits.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.19

ekhāne āchilā eka puṅḍuyā goyāla
kṛṣikarma kare puṅḍā bihāna-bikāla

Jayapatākā Swami: Here there lived a cowherd named Puḍuya (Puṇḍraya). He did agricultural work, he stayed awake every night guarding his fields.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.20

śasā-nāme khanda mahī kaila upārjjana
haila māyāmbu khanda baḍai sampūrṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: He grew in his field a great number of cucumbers and these cucumbers filled his field abundantly.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.21

divā-rātri rākhe khanda- nāhi avasara
nā jāni kakhana sei yāya nijaghara

Jayapatākā Swami: Day and night he took care of his cucumbers he did not have any leisure time and it was unknown when he would go to his own home.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.22

ekadina mane mane karila vicāra-
khanda rākhibāre āmi nā āsiba āra

Jayapatākā Swami: One day, he thought to Himself that he would not come to protect his fields in the night.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.23

eimane āche puḍā manera hariṣe
ācambite dekhe khanda khāñā yāya kise

Jayapatākā Swami: So he was feeling very happy in his mind, but suddenly he saw in the morning that someone has eaten his cucumbers.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.14.22: In the form of a boar, Lord Murāri appeared and made his evenly ploughed field uneven and filled with chasms. That pious, strong-armed gopa then fought with the Lord.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.24

āradina rātri jāge tṛtīya prahara
ācambita āila eka varāha ḍāgara

Jayapatākā Swami: The next day, in the evening, he was awake in the third part of the night, suddenly came a large boar.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.25

dekhiyā goyālā sei haila sābadhāna
khanda khāya varāha se sāre dui kāṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the cowherd he watched very carefully. He saw that the boar ate the cucumbers and shook His two ears.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.26

khanda khāya, latā chiḍe, āpanāra sukhe
dekhiyā goyālā guṇa dileka dhanuke

Jayapatākā Swami: Eating the cucumbers and tearing the creepers, He was very happy. Seeing this, the cowherd, the farmer, he stringed his bow.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.27

khanda khāo, latā chiṅḍa, sāra’ dui kāṇa
āji mora hāte tumi hārābe parāṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: “You eat my cucumbers, tear the creepers and shake Your two ears. Today, on my hands You will give up Your life.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.28

ihā bali’sandhāna pūriyā eḍe bāṇa
nirbhare bājila-varāha smare rāma nāma

Jayapatākā Swami: Saying this, the farmer Puṇḍraya fixed his arrow and shot Varāhadeva. Varāhadeva loudly chanted the name of Lord Rāma.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.29

dhāñā sāmbhāila parvata-guhāra bhitare
dekhiyā goyālā puṅḍā paḍila phāṅpare

Jayapatākā Swami: Running quickly, Varāhadeva went into a cave within the nearby mountain. Seeing this, the cowherd Puṇḍraya, he became perplexed.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.14.23: When the boar was pierced by Puṇḍraya's arrow it repeatedly chanted the holy name of Rāma, and for that reason Puṇḍraya understood that this boar was an incarnation of Īśvara. Therefore, he atoned for his offense by fasting and other penances.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So a normal boar would not chant the name of Rāma. Since this boar chanted the name of Rāma, Puṇḍraya was feeling sad that He had shot the boar And therefore, he did different penances to atone for His mistakes.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.30

varāha haiyā kene smare’ rāma rāma
varāha nā haya ei, sei bhagabān

Jayapatākā Swami: “Being a Boar, why does Varāhadeva chant the name of Rāma! Rāma? This is not a boar, this is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.31

eteka cintiyā puṅḍā kātara-antara
gahbara-nikaṭe yāñā kahiche uttara –

Jayapatākā Swami: Thinking thus, Puṇḍraya was in great anxiety inside He hurriedly went near the cave and requested for an answer.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.32

ke tumi? ke tumi? bole-uttara nā pāya
tina upavāsa kaila kātara hiyāya

Jayapatākā Swami: “Who are you? Who are you?” He asked, but there was no reply. For three days, the farmer fasted because he was feeling very anxious within his heart.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.33

ki kāja kariluṅ āmi adhama-duranta
mo-sama pātakī nāhi pāmara-pāṣaṇḍa

Jayapatākā Swami: “What have I done? He thought. I am a fallen, lowest, most sinful miscreant. There is no one is as sinful as me, more wretched and irreligious.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.34

dayā upajila prabhu karuṇā-nidhāna
ākāśa-kathāya kahe-āmi bhagavān

Jayapatākā Swami: Mercy arose within the Lord, who is the ocean of mercy and compassion And then from the sky He spoke to the farmer and said, “I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān!”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.35

āmāre mārili-tora kaila apacaya
cintā nā kariha-yāha āpana ālaya

Jayapatākā Swami: “You’ve shot Me with your arrow because I destroyed your produce. But don't worry. Just go home.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.36

e bola śuniñā puṅḍā adhika kātara
upavāse upavāse dimu kalevara

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing this, Puṇḍraya was more grieved and he thought, “By fasting and fasting, I will give up this body.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.37

eimane upavāsa karila aneka
ācambite gagane uṭhila dhvani eka -

Jayapatākā Swami: Thinking in this way, he fasted very much and suddenly a voice came from the sky.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.38

kene re! abodha puṅḍā mara akāraṇa
aparādha nāhi-yāha āpana bhavana

Jayapatākā Swami: “Hey! Why, You foolish Puṇḍraya. Why are you dying for no reason? You have not commited any offense. Go to your home.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.39

punarapi bole puṅḍā kātara-vacane
tomāre māriluṅ bāṇa-ki kāja jīvane

Jayapatākā Swami: Again, with an agitated heart, Puṇḍraya said, “I hurt You with an arrow. What is the use of my life?”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.40

marileha nāhi ghuce e doṣa āmāra
e doṣera ucita habe yamera prahāra

Jayapatākā Swami: “Even if I die, this fault of mine will not be cleared for this offence, so the beating of Yamarāja is befitting to me.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.41

śuddha haiba āra āmi kon pratikāre
sabe āmi mātra bāṇa mārila tomāre

Jayapatākā Swami: “By what means will I be purified! I have just now shot You with an arrow.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.42

e bola śuniñā vāṇī āila ārabāra–
nāhi aparādha–tuṣṭa haila apāra

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words, a voice came again “You haven't committed any offence. I am unlimitedly pleased with you.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.43

e bola śuniñā puḍā kahe kara juḍi’–
tomāra ājñāya muñi boloṅ bhaya chāḍi

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words from the sky, Puṇḍraya said with his folded hands, “On Your order, I'll give up my fear.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.44

kemane jāniba-mora ghucila e doṣa
prasāda sākṣī pāile hao mo santoṣa

Jayapatākā Swami: “How do I know that I am free from this fault? If I receive some witness, I'll be very pleased.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.45

e kathā kahiba āmi rājāra gocare
eimata ājñā tumi kahibe tāhāre

Jayapatākā Swami: I'll speak all these happenings in front of the king, and You will order him regarding all these things.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.46

tabe se pratīta muñi pāṅa hiyā-sākṣī
sabajana jāne tumi haile more sukhī

Jayapatākā Swami: Then he will believe me, and my heart will be relieved having You as witness. All the people will see that You are happy with me.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.14.24: The merciful Lord then told him, “Sprinkle milk over your field. In this way, you will have My darśana. The king must also come to see Me. This is My command.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord He gave this example, that you sprinkle milk on the field and have My darśana and the King will also come to see Me.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.47

tabe punarapi ājñā karilā īśvara
ye balilā se-i habe–pāile tumi vara

Jayapatākā Swami: Again the Supreme Lord gave His instruction, “What you have said, I will fulfill your desire, l give you this boon.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 1.48

e bola śuniñā puṅḍā haraṣita hañā
mahāvege rājadvāre uttarila giyā

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Puṇḍraya joyfully went very quickly to the king's palace.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.14.25: Hearing the Lord Boar's instructions, the cowherd, overwhelmed by loving sentiments for Him, informed the king of the Lord's order, with which the king complied.

Jayapatākā Swami: All these pastimes written in the Caitanya-maṅgala and Murāri gupta Kaḍaca are not particularly spoken in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta So like this we get some more details of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, what happened at the temple of Visakhapatnam.

i will continue tomorrow. Don't miss it.