20210430 Absorbed in the Mood of Vṛndāvana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Devotees Perform Pastimes Near the Guṇḍicā Temple

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 30th, 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! Dear Devotees! So now we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Absorbed in the Mood of Vṛndāvana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Devotees Perform Pastimes Near the Guṇḍicā Temple

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.66

advaitādi 9 janera navarātra-yātrāra 9 dina prabhuke nimantraṇa:—

advaitādi bhakta-gaṇa nimantraṇa kaila
mukhya mukhya nava jana nava dina pāila

Translation: For nine days, nine chief devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, got an opportunity to invite the Lord to their homes.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since a sannyāsī does not cook his own meal, so nine devotees headed by Advaita, invited Lord Caitanya to come for lunch every day.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.67

cāturmāsye prati bhaktera eka eka dina prabhuke nimantraṇa:—

āra bhakta-gaṇa cāturmāsye yata dina
eka eka dina kari’ karila baṇṭana

Translation: During the four months of the rainy season, the remaining devotees extended invitations to the Lord for one day each. In this way they shared invitations.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Jagannātha Ratha Yātrā is held right before the caturmāsa. After the Ratha-yātrā soon starts the caturmāsa and each devotee would invite the Lord to take prasāda at their house during the day. So, in this way the devotees were having the opportunity, as gṛhasthas, to welcome the Lord to their house and give Him Kṛṣṇa-prasāda.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.68

anyānya bhaktera prabhu-nimantraṇa-saubhāgyā-bhāva:—

cāri māsera dina mukhya-bhakta bāṅṭi’ nila
āra bhakta-gaṇa avasara nā pāila

Translation: For the four-month period, all the daily invitations were shared among the important devotees. The rest of the devotees did not get an opportunity to extend an invitation to the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, four times thirty days in hundred and twenty, so that many devotees could invite Lord Caitanya and the others they didn’t get a chance.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.69

agatyā 2/3 janera ekatre eka eka dina prabhuke nimantraṇa:—

eka dina nimantraṇa kare dui-tine mili’
ei-mata mahāprabhura nimantraṇa-keli

Translation: Since they could not get one day each, two or three devotees combined to extend an invitation. These are the pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s acceptance of invitations.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was so merciful that He accepted invitation from 2 or 3 people, so that they would combine and in this way He could give His mercy to many people.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.70

prātaḥ-snāna-pūrvaka jagannātha-darśanānte sagaṇe kīrtana-nartana:—

prātaḥ-kāle snāna kari’ dekhi’ jagannātha
saṅkīrtane nṛtya kare bhakta-gaṇa sātha

Translation: After taking His bath early in the morning, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would go see Lord Jagannātha in the temple. Then He would perform saṅkīrtana with His devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows the daily schedule of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.71

nitāi-advaitādira nartana, guṇḍicāya tinabelā kīrtana:—

kabhu advaite nācāya, kabhu nityānande
kabhu haridāse nācāya, kabhu acyutānande

Translation: By chanting and dancing, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu induced Advaita Ācārya to dance. Sometimes He induced Nityānanda Prabhu, Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Acyutānanda to dance.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.72

kabhu vakreśvare, kabhu āra bhakta-gaṇe
trisandhyā kīrtana kare guṇḍicā-prāṅgaṇe

Translation: Sometimes Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu engaged Vakreśvara and other devotees in chanting and dancing. Three times daily — morning, noon and evening — He would perform saṅkīrtana in the yard of the Guṇḍicā temple.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we are seeing how Lord Caitanya was performing Harināma saṅkīrtana, chanting and dancing, three times every day, morning, noon and evening.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.73

kṛṣṇera vrajāgamana o śrī-rādhāsaha milane taddāsī-gāopī abhimānī prabhura ānanda:—

vṛndāvane āilā kṛṣṇa—ei prabhura jñāna
kṛṣṇera viraha-sphūrti haila avasāna

Translation: At this time Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt that Lord Kṛṣṇa had returned to Vṛndāvana. Thinking this, His feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa subsided.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Ratha-yātrā is the festival of taking Kṛṣṇa to Guṇḍicā or Sundrāchāla, He is travelling from Dvārakā to Vṛndāvana. In Guṇḍicā He felt, He was in Vṛndāvana, so the separation that Lord Caitanya felt in the mood of Rādhārāṇī has subsided.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.74

rādhā-saṅge kṛṣṇa-līlā—ei haila jñāne
ei rase magna prabhu ha-ilā āpane

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always thinking of the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and He remained personally merged in this consciousness.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.75

bhakta-gaṇa-saṅge prabhura vividha-jalakeli:—

nānodyāne bhakta-saṅge vṛndāvana-līlā
‘indradyumna’-sarovare kare jala-khelā

Translation: There were many gardens near the Guṇḍicā temple, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees used to perform the pastimes of Vṛndāvana in each of them. In the lake named Indradyumna, He sported in the water.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Indrdyumna Sarovar is not far from the Guṇḍicā temple. While doing the Guṇḍicā mārjana, Lord Caitanya had taken water from the Indradyumna sarovara and that was used to cleanse the Guṇḍicā temple and now He was bathing in the Indradymna sarovara and having water sports there.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.76

āpane sakala bhakte siñce jala diyā
saba bhakta-gaṇa siñce caudike beḍiyā

Translation: The Lord personally splashed all the devotees with water, and the devotees, surrounding Him on all sides, also splashed the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.77

kabhu eka maṇḍala, kabhu aneka maṇḍala
jala-maṇḍūka-vādye sabe bājāya karatāla

Translation: While in the water they sometimes formed one circle and sometimes many circles, and while in the water they used to play cymbals and imitate the croaking of frogs.

Jayapatākā Swami: Cymbals are kartālas, although these are very elderly and serious devotees, they became very playful in the water with Lord Caitanya and did the pastimes of splashihng and imitating the frogs and they would play the kartālas and chant the holy names.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.78

dui jana kariyā bhaktagaṇa-madhye jalakeli o prabhura taddarśana:—

dui-dui jane meli’ kare jala-raṇa
keha hāre, keha jine—prabhu kare daraśana

Translation: Sometimes two would pair off to fight in the water. One would emerge victorious and the other defeated, and the Lord would watch all this fun.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in other words some devotees would compete with each other splashing water, one would emerge victorious and the other would be defeated and Lord Caitanya was witnessing this with great pleasure.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.79

advaita-nityānande jala-phelāpheli
ācārya hāriyā pāche kare gālāgāli

Translation: The first sporting took place between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu, who threw water upon each other. Advaita Ācārya was defeated, and He later began to rebuke Nityānanda Prabhu, calling Him ill names.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the two were having this sporting event and this is such a transcendental pastime.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.80

vidyānidhira jala-keli svarūpera sane
gupta-datte jala-keli kare dui jane

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara and Vidyānidhi also threw water upon each other, and Murāri Gupta and Vāsudeva Datta also sported in that way.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.81

śrīvāsa-sahita jala khele gadādhara
rāghava-paṇḍita sane khele vakreśvara

Translation: Another duel took place between Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and yet another between Rāghava Paṇḍita and Vakreśvara Paṇḍita. Thus they all engaged in throwing water.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, everyone was engaged in splashing water on each other, this was inspired by all the Lords and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was watching the fun.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.82

sārvabhauma-saṅge khele rāmānanda-rāya
gāmbhīrya gela doṅhāra, haila śiśu-prāya

Translation: Indeed, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya engaged in water sports with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, and they both lost their gravity and became like children.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Rāmānanda Rāya, were two very great scholars while engaging in the pastimes of splashing water, they lost their gravity and became like children and they were imitating the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with His cowherd friends.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.83

gopīnāthake sārvabhauma o rāyera cāpalya tyāga karāite ājñā:—

mahāprabhu tāṅ doṅhāra cāñcalya dekhiyā
gopīnāthācārye kichu kahena hāsiyā

Translation: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the exuberance of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Rāmānanda Rāya, He smiled and spoke to Gopīnātha Ācārya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.84

paṇḍita, gambhīra, duṅhe—prāmāṇika jana
bāla-cāñcalya kare, karāha varjana

Translation: “Tell the Bhaṭṭācārya and Rāmānanda Rāya to stop their childish play because they are both learned scholars and very grave and great personalities.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.85

gopīnāthera prabhu kṛpā-mahimā varṇana:—

gopīnātha kahe,—tomāra kṛpā-mahāsindhu
uchalita kare yabe tāra eka bindu

Translation: Gopīnātha Ācārya replied, “I believe that one drop of the ocean of Your great mercy has swelled up upon them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.86

meru-mandara-parvata ḍubāya yathā tathā
ei dui-gaṇḍa-śaila, ihāra kā kathā

Translation: “A drop from the ocean of Your mercy can drown great mountains like Sumeru and Mandara. Since these two gentlemen are little hills by comparison, it is no wonder that they are being drowned in the ocean of Your mercy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.87

prabhu kṛpāya śuṣkajñānī sārvabhaumao ekṣaṇe kṛṣṇasevā rase rasika:—

śuṣka-tarka-khali khāite janma gela yāṅra
tāṅre līlāmṛta piyāo,—e kṛpā tomāra

Translation: “Logic is like a dry oil cake from which all the oil has been extracted. The Bhaṭṭācārya passed his life in eating such dry cakes, but now You have made him drink the nectar of transcendental pastimes. It is certainly Your great mercy upon him.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Gopīnātha Ācārya had described how Lord Caitanya's mercy transforms dry scholars into Rasika devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.88

bhāsamāna advaitera ‘śeṣa’ evaṁ prabhura ‘śeṣaśāyī’ līlā-prakāśa:—

hāsi’ mahāprabhu tabe advaite ānila
jalera upare tāṅre śeṣa-śayyā kaila

Translation: After Gopīnātha Ācārya finished talking, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and, calling for Advaita Ācārya, made Him act like the Śeṣa Nāga bed.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.89

āpane tāṅhāra upara karila śayana
‘śeṣa-śāyī-līlā’ prabhu kaila prakaṭana

Translation: Lying down on Advaita Prabhu, who was floating on the water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu demonstrated the pastime of Śeṣaśāyī Viṣṇu.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.90

advaita nija-śakti prakaṭa kariyā
mahāprabhu lañā bule jalete bhāsiyā

Translation: Manifesting His personal potency, Advaita Ācārya floated about on the water, carrying Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Māha-Viṣṇu and Garbodakaśāyi Viṣṇu, They are on the Anantaśeṣa and thus They float on the water. So, Lord Caitanya lying down on Advaita manifest this Śeṣa śāyī pastime and Advaita using His spiritual potency, He could sustain the Lord even though floating on the water.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.91

sagaṇa prabhura āiṭoṭāya āgamana:—

ei-mata jala-krīḍā kari’ kata-kṣaṇa
āiṭoṭā āilā prabhu lañā bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: After sporting in the water for some time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His place at Āiṭoṭā, accompanied by His devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, today we discuss the Lord’s water pastimes and next we will be discussing His drama, so like these devotees of the Lord are enjoying transcendental pastimes with the Lord. This is the highest goal in spiritual life, to be with the Lord and engaged in the transcendental pastimes.

Haribol!