20210322 Gopīnātha Ācārya Describes Bengal Devotees to Pratāparudra (Part 2)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 22th March 2021 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!

Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, Part 2 of the chapter entitled:

Gopīnātha Ācārya Describes Bengal Devotees to Pratāparudra

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.82

advaitake dekhiyā rājāra kautūhala:—

rājā kahe,—yāṅre mālā dila dui-jana
āścarya teja, baḍa mahānta,—kaha kon jana?

Translation: The King inquired, “To whom did Svarūpa Dāmodara and Govinda offer the two garlands? His bodily effulgence is so great that He must be a very great devotee. Please let me know who He is.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, seeing Advaita Ācārya the king understood that he was somoneone who is greaṭ He wanted to know who he is?

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.140

King: Ācārya, to whom is Dāmodara giving the Lord's garlands?

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.141

Gopinatha Acarya: I will tell you one by one. He is Advaita. He is Nityānanda.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.83

(3) advaitācāryera paricaya-dāna:—

ācārya kahe,—iṅhāra nāma advaita ācārya
mahāprabhura mānya-pātra, sarva-śirodhārya

Translation: Gopīnātha Ācārya replied, “His name is Advaita Ācārya. He is honored even by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He is therefore the topmost devotee.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.142

Sārvabhauma: Do you know that person?

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.143

King: Why does he stand apart from the others?

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.144

Sārvabhauma: He is respected by everyone and thus he does not desire any other association.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.145

Gopinatha Acarya: He is Śrīvāsa. He is Vakreśvara. He is Acaryaratna. He is Vidyanidhi.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Gopīnātha Ācārya is introducing all the great devotees one by one to the King. The King is having this opportunity to see all the transcendental devotees.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.145

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.84

(4) śrīvāsa, (35) vakreśvara, (1) vidyānidhi, (7) gadādhara:—

śrīvāsa-paṇḍita iṅha, paṇḍita-vakreśvara
vidyānidhi-ācārya, iṅha paṇḍita-gadādhara

Translation: “Here are Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, Vidyānidhi Ācārya and Gadādhara Paṇḍita.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.146

Sarvabhauma: I saw those two in childhood.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.147

Gopīnātha Ācārya: He is Haridāsa. He is Gadādhara. He is Murāri. They are Śrīvāsa's two brothers. He is Gaṅgādāsa. He is Nṛsiṁha Ācārya. These others are all residents of Navadvīpa. These are people I have never seen before. If you give the order I will learn who they are and return.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Gopīnātha Ācārya, he didn’t know all the people, but he knew the prominent devotees. Vakreśvara Paṇḍita could chant and dance non-stop for 72 hours or three days! Every devotee unbelievable and indescribable glories. Like Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, was accepted by Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda as their father because he took so much care for them.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.148

King: Please do it.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the King said to Gopīnātha Ācārya, find out who all these other devotees were.

Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka 8.149

Gopinatha Acarya: As it pleases the king. (He quickly walks, stays for a short time behind the scenes, and quickly enters again). Sārvabhauma, he is Ācārya Purandara. He is Hari Bhaṭṭa. He is Rāghava. He is Nārāyaṇa. He is Kamalānanda. He is Kaśīsvara. He is Mukunda's older brother Vāsudeva. He is Śivānanda. He is Nārāyaṇa. How can I describe them all? They are all Śrī Caitanya's associates. None of them is a pilgrim.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā

Jayapatākā Swami: So, all these devotees have come just to see Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and have His association and engage in Harināma saṅkīrtana with Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.85

(8) candraśekhara, (9) purandara, (10) gaṅgādāsa, (11) śaṅkara:—

ācāryaratna iṅha, paṇḍita-purandara
gaṅgādāsa paṇḍita iṅha, paṇḍita-śaṅkara

Translation: “Here are Ācāryaratna, Purandara Paṇḍita, Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita and Śaṅkara Paṇḍita.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.86

(12) murāri, (13) nārāyaṇa, (14) haridāsa ṭhākura –

ei murāri gupta, iṅha paṇḍita nārāyaṇa
haridāsa ṭhākura iṅha bhuvana-pāvana

Translation: “Here are Murāri Gupta, Paṇḍita Nārāyaṇa and Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the deliverer of the whole universe.

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually, Haridāsa Ṭhākura is the incarnation of Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā is the inaugurator of the Jagannātha Purī temple. Of course, he was born in Muslim family he didn’t try to enter the temple. But he was such a great personality that Lord Caitanya would come to visit him everyday.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.87

ei hari-bhaṭṭa, ei śrī-nṛsiṁhānanda
ei vāsudeva datta, ei śivānanda

Translation: “Here is Hari Bhaṭṭa, and there is Nṛsiṁhānanda. Here are Vāsudeva Datta and Śivānanda Sena.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.88

(19) govinda, (20) mādhava, (21) vāsughoṣaḥ—

govinda, mādhava ghoṣa, ei vāsu-ghoṣa
tina bhāira kīrtane prabhu pāyena santoṣa

Translation: “Here also are Govinda Ghoṣa, Mādhava Ghoṣa and Vāsudeva Ghoṣa. They are three brothers, and their saṅkīrtana, congregational chanting, pleases the Lord very much.

Purport: Govinda Ghoṣa belonged to the kāyastha dynasty of the Uttara-rāḍhīya section, and he was known as Ghoṣa Ṭhākura. Even to the present day there is a place named Agradvīpa, near Katwa, where a fair takes place and is named after Ghoṣa Ṭhākura. As far as Vāsudeva Ghoṣa is concerned, he composed many nice songs about Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and these are all authorized Vaiṣṇava songs, like the songs of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, Govinda dāsa Ṭhākura and other great Vaiṣṇavas.

Jayapatākā Swami: so, these three brothers were very dear to Lord Caitanya. Agradvīpa is the place where the festival is held for Govinda Ghoṣa. Actually, Govind Ghoṣa was the brahmacārī assistant of Lord Caitanya. But then Lord Caitanya told him to get married, then his son died and his wife died.. so the Deity of Gopīnātha talked to him and said, “Why are you not offering bhoga regularly?” He said, “Lord Caitanya told me to get married, I had a son and I had a wife and obviously I was not qualified to be a brahmacārī. But now who will perform my śrāddha ceremony when I die. Well I need a son who will perform a śrāddha ceremony.” So the Deity Gopīnātha said, “I am your son!”

“You are not that kind of son, you won’t do śrāddha for me!”

“Call the village leaders!” And then the Deity spoke to them, “On the day of Govinda Ghoṣa disappearance anniversary take me there, I will perform the śrāddha ceremony!” It is the comes Ekādaśī after Gaura Pūrṇimā and still hundreds of thousands of people come there every year.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.89

(22) rāghava, (23) nandana, (24) śrīmān (25) śrīkānta, (26) nārāyaṇa :—

rāghava paṇḍita, iṅha ācārya nandana
śrīmān paṇḍita ei, śrīkānta, nārāyaṇa

Translation: “Here is Rāghava Paṇḍita, here is Nandana Ācārya, there is Śrīmān Paṇḍita, and here are Śrīkānta and Nārāyaṇa.”

Purport: Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, honoring the personal associates of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, has sung as follows (Prārthanā 13):

gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe nitya-siddha kari’ māne
se yāya vrajendra-suta-pāśa

One who is intelligent understands that all the personal associates and devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are ever liberated. This means that because they are always engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, they do not belong to this material world. One who is engaged in the Lord’s devotional service twenty-four hours daily and never forgets the Lord is called nitya-siddha. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī confirms this statement:

īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate

“A person acting in the service of Kṛṣṇa with body, mind, intelligence and words is a liberated person even within the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-called material activities. A devotee is always thinking of how better to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and how to broadcast His name, fame and qualities throughout the world. One who is nitya-siddha has no business other than broadcasting the glories of the Lord all over the world according to his ability. Such people are already associates of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, nitya-siddha kari’ māne. One should not think that because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was personally present five hundred years ago, only His associates were liberated. Rather, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that anyone is a nitya-siddha if he acts on behalf of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by spreading the glories of the holy name of the Lord. We should respect those devotees preaching the glories of the Lord as nitya-siddha and should not consider them conditioned.

māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
(Bg. 14.26)

One who has transcended the material modes of nature is said to be on the Brahman platform. That is also the platform of nitya-siddha. The nitya-siddha not only stays on the Brahman platform but also works on that platform. Simply by accepting the associates of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu as nitya-siddha, one can very easily go back home, back to Godhead.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, all those souls who have dedicated their life to serving Lord Caitanya and spreading the glories of the holy name, pastimes and qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa, they are all to be considered as nitya-siddhas.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.90

(27) śuklāmbara, (28) śrīdhara, (29) vijaya, (30) vallabhasena,
(31) puruṣottama, (32) sañjaya:—

śuklāmbara dekha, ei śrīdhara, vijaya
vallabha-sena, ei puruṣottama, sañjaya

Translation: Gopīnātha Ācārya continued to point out the devotees: “Here is Śuklāmbara. See, there is Śrīdhara. Here is Vijaya, and there is Vallabha Sena. Here is Puruṣottama, and there is Sanjaya.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śuklāmbara was a brahmacārī and Śrīdhara was a poor man, he was selling bananas in Navadvīpa but he was so dear to Lord Caitanya. Although he was called Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, he was very dear to Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.91

(33) satyarāja, (34) rāmānanda:—

kulīna-grāma-vāsī ei satyarāja-khāna
rāmānanda-ādi sabe dekha vidyamāna

Translation: “And here are all the residents of Kulīna-grāma, such as Satyarāja Khān and Rāmānanda. Indeed, all of them are present here. Please see.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.92

(35) mukunda, (36) narahari, (37) raghunandana, (38) cirañjīva, (39) sulocana :—

mukunda-dāsa, narahari, śrī-raghunandana
khaṇḍa-vāsī cirañjīva, āra sulocana

Translation: “Here are Mukunda dāsa, Narahari, Śrī Raghunandana, Ciraṣjīva and Sulocana, all residents of Khaṇḍa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīkhaṇḍa is holy place about ten kilometers from Katwa and many associates from Lord Caitanya came from there. Śrī Raghunandana, when he was a small boy, the laḍḍu Gopāla Deity took the laḍḍus from his hand and ate it.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.93

kateka kahiba, ei dekha yata jana
caitanyera gaṇa, saba—caitanya-jīvana

Translation: “How many names shall I speak to you? All the devotees you see here are associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is their life and soul.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, it is very blissful just to remember these devotees’ names. By remembering the names, we will get a quick passage back home back to godhead. They are so pure; they have dedicated their whole life and soul to serving Lord Caitanya. So, in the eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it says that Kṛṣṇa will come in a golden or non-blackish color, that he will be coming by his expansion, His energies, His associates, His devotees sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, His weapons. So, they are all spiritual personalities who have come down to associate and serve Lord Caitanya to assist him in the spreading of the saṅkīrtana movement. We are half-way through the chapter.