20210404 Lord Caitanya Tells Rāmānanda Rāya to Bring the King’s son

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 4th, 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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, today’s chapter entitled as:

Lord Caitanya Tells Rāmānanda Rāya to Bring the King’s son

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.39

purīte āsiyā prabhu-saṅgalārthe rāyera avasara-grahaṇa janya rājānumati-prāpti:—
rāmānanda rāya yabe ’dakṣiṇa’ haite āilā
prabhu-saṅge rahite rājāke nivedilā

Translation: After returning from his service in South India, Rāmānanda Rāya requested the King to allow him to remain with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.40

rāyake prabhura darśana-lābhārthe rājāra anurodha:—
tabe rājā santoṣe tāṅhāre ājñā dilā
āpani milana lāgi’ sādhite lāgilā

Translation: When Rāmānanda Rāya requested the King to allow him to stay with the Lord, the King immediately gave him permission with great satisfaction. As for the King himself, he began to solicit Rāmānanda Rāya to make a meeting arrangement.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, King Pratāparudra he was always anxious to meet Lord Caitanya to meet Him and he is using this opportunity to ask Rāmānanda Rāya in this regard. Actually Lord Caitanya is showing great mercy on the king by not seeing him, so that the desire of the King to meet Lord Caitanya increased more and more. We should be fortunate that our desire to be part of Lord Caitanya’s pastime should increase more and more like King Pratāparudra.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.41

mahāprabhu mahā-kṛpā karena tomāre
more milibāre avaśya sādhibe tāṅhāre

Translation: The King told Rāmānanda Rāya, “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very, very merciful to you. Therefore please solicit my meeting with Him without fail.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.42

rājasaha kaṭaka haite purīte āsiyāi rāyera prabhu-darśana:—
eka-saṅge dui jana kṣetre yabe āilā
rāmānanda rāya tabe prabhure mililā

Translation: The King and Rāmānanda Rāya returned together to Jagannātha-kṣetra [Purī], and Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.43

prabhu-samīpe rājāra janya āvedana:—
prabhu-pade prema-bhakti jānāila rājāra
prasaṅga pāñā aiche kahe bāra-bāra

Translation: At that time, Rāmānanda Rāya informed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu about the ecstatic love of the King. Indeed, as soon as there was some opportunity, he repeatedly informed the Lord about the King.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.44

vyavahāra-catura śrī-rāmānanda:—
rāja-mantrī rāmānanda-vyavahāre nipuṇa
rāja-prīti kahi’ dravāila prabhura mana

Translation: Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was indeed a diplomatic minister for the King. His general behavior was very expert, and simply by describing the King’s love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he gradually softened the Lord’s mind.

Purport: A diplomat in the material world knows how to deal with people, especially in political affairs. Some of the great devotees of the Lord — like Rāmānanda Rāya, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī — were government officers and had a background of very opulent householder life. Consequently they knew how to deal with people. In many instances we have seen the diplomacy of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya employed in the service of the Lord. When Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s father and uncle were to be arrested by government officials, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī hid them and personally met the government officers and settled the affair diplomatically. This is but one instance. Similarly, Sanātana Gosvāmī, after resigning his ministership, was thrown in jail, and he bribed the attendant of the jail so he could leave the clutches of the Nawab and live with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Now we see Rāmānanda Rāya, a most confidential devotee of the Lord, diplomatically soften the heart of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, despite the fact that the Lord definitely decided not to meet the King. The diplomacy of Rāmānanda Rāya and entreaties of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and all the other great devotees succeeded. The conclusion is that diplomacy used for the service of the Lord is a form of devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here the use of various diplomacies was able to gradually soften the mind of Lord Caitanya. That without asking an audience Rāmānanda Rāya was describing the love of Pratāparudra for Lord Caitanya and was able to soften Lord Caitanya’s attitude towards the King

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.45

utkaṇṭhita rājāke darśanadāna-janya prabhuke prārthanā:—
utkaṇṭhāte pratāparudra nāre rahibāre
rāmānanda sādhilena prabhure milibāre

Translation: Mahārāja Pratāparudra, in great anxiety, could not endure not seeing the Lord; therefore, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, by his diplomacy, arranged a meeting with the Lord for the King.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.46

rāmānanda prabhu-pāya kaila nivedana
eka-bāra pratāparudre dekhāha caraṇa

Translation: Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya frankly requested Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Please show Your lotus feet to the King at least once.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.47

rāyera nikaṭai prabhura sadvicāra-yācña:—
prabhu kahe,—rāmānanda, kaha vicāriyā
rājāke milite yuyāya sannyāsī hañā?

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “My dear Rāmānanda, you should make this request after duly considering whether it is befitting for a sannyāsī to meet a king.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.48

rājāra milane bhikṣukera dui loka nāśa
paraloka rahu, loke kare upahāsa

Translation: “If a mendicant meets a king, this world and the next world are both destroyed for the mendicant. Indeed, what is there to say of the next world? In this world, people will joke if a sannyāsī meets a king.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the rules for sannyāsa at the time of Lord Caitanya were that a sannyāsī should not meet a materialistic person. We can see that His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, to spread the message of Lord Caitanya, met many heads of Government and heads of states and many people. But Lord Caitanya was living in a different time, place and circumstance and He was committed to practising, following the proper rules of sannyāsa at that time. Also since the role of a sannyāsī was very concise, He did not want to go against that and which would result in some criticism. We remember that Lord Caitanya, as a householder He was criticized by the students of Navadvīpa. He took sannyāsa so that people would respect Hiṃ. So He was apprehensive that If He broke the principle of sannyāsa by meeting a King, He would again be subjected to criticism. So that would create a situation where people would be offending Him and He want to avoid that.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.49

prabhuke rāyera vidhi-niṣedhātīta ‘īśvara’-jñāna:—
rāmānanda kahe,—tumi īśvara svatantra
kāre tomāra bhaya, tumi naha paratantra

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “My Lord, You are the supreme independent personality. You have nothing to fear from anyone because You are not dependent on anyone.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.50

āpanāke vidhi-vādhya dekhāiyā prabhura chalanā-ceṣṭā:—
prabhu kahe,—āmi manuṣya āśrame sannyāsī
kāya-mano-vākye vyavahāre bhaya vāsi

Translation: When Rāmānanda Rāya addressed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu objected, saying, “I am not the Supreme Personality of Godhead but an ordinary human being. Therefore I must fear public opinion in three ways — with My body, mind and words.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was following the pastime of playing like a human being. Therefore all these consideration are very much applicable for Him, and He wanted toe set an good example for others to follow.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.51

vaidha-sannyāsīra pakṣe niṣkalaṅka ācaraṇa-karttavyatā:—
śukla-vastre masi-bindu yaiche nā lukāya
sannyāsīra alpa chidra sarva-loke gāya

Translation: “As soon as the general public finds a little fault in the behavior of a sannyāsī, they advertise it like wildfire. A black spot of ink cannot be hidden on a white cloth. It is always very prominent.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was concerned about His reputation five hundred years ago and now the social media, internet if one has a bad character it will spread or glorified all around the world in one second. For the rule, Lord Caitanya was doing, but how much one has to be concerned, or how much one hast to be worried.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.52

mahāpāpīra uddhārahetu bhagavad-bhakta rājārao prabhu-darśana saubhāgyalābhe avaśyai adhikāra:—
rāya kahe,—kata pāpīra kariyācha avyāhati
īśvara-sevaka tomāra bhakta gajapati

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “My dear Lord, You have delivered so many sinful people. This King Pratāparudra, the King of Orissa, is actually a servitor of the Lord and Your devotee.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rāmānanda Rāya is diplomatically presenting the actual position of King Pratāparudra, that he is the devotee of the Lord and that he is also a devotee of Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.53

prabhura tathāpi rāja-darśane anicchā:—
prabhu kahe,—pūrṇa yaiche dugdhera kalasa
surā-bindu-pāte keha nā kare paraśa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “There may be much milk in a big pot, but if it is contaminated by a drop of liquor, it is untouchable.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.54

jaḍera ‘viṣayī’-saṁjñā—sarvaguṇa-nāśaka:—
yadyapi pratāparudra-sarva-guṇavān
tāṅhāre malina kaila eka ’rājā’-nāma

Translation: “The King certainly possesses all good qualities, but simply by taking up the name ‘king,’ he has infected everything.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is appreciating that King Pratāparudra, may have good qualities but because he has the title of a King that has ruined everything. He is using the two examples of a black spot on a white cloth, and one drop of alcohol in a pot of milk. So although the king had all the good qualities but because externally he is presenting himself as a King so he is disqualified himself from meeting Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.55

avaśeṣe rāyera āgrahe prabhura rāja-putrasaha milite icchā:—
tathāpi tomāra yadi mahāgraha haya
tabe āni’ milāha tumi tāṅhāra tanaya

Translation: “But if you are still very eager for the King to meet with Me, please first bring his son to meet Me.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.56

pitā o putre daihika-dhātugata abheda:—
“ātmā vai jāyate putraḥ”—ei śāstra-vāṇī
putrera milane yena milibe āpani

Translation: “It is indicated in the revealed scriptures that the son represents the father; therefore the son’s meeting with Me would be just as good as the King’s meeting with Me.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has decided to give mercy to the King without endangering His reputation.

Purport: In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.78.36) it is said,

ātmā vai putra utpanna iti vedānuśāsanam.

The Vedas enjoin that one is born as his own son. The son is nondifferent from the father, and this is admitted in every revealed scripture. In Christian theology it is believed that Christ, the son of God, is also God, or in other words that they are identical.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see how Śrīla Prabhupāda is universal in his understanding, How he has such respect for different scripture.

Jay Srila Prabhupada ! 

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 12.57

rājāke rāyera prabhura kṛpā-saṁvāda-jñāpana; rājaputrake prabhu-samīpe ānayana:—
tabe rāya yāi’ saba rājāre kahilā
prabhura ājñāya tāṅra putra lañā āilā

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya then went to inform the King about his talks with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and, following the Lord’s orders, brought the King’s son to see Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in this way we see how King Pratāparudra, he got many signs of mercy from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He sent His external used cloth to Him and now He is meeting His son. So, in so many ways he is giving the King His mercy, at the same time the desire of the King to meet the Lord is increasing day by day. So that he does not get completely frustrated, the Lord is giving little mercy to him.

Thus, ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya Tells Rāmānanda Rāya to Bring the King’s son.