20211013 Santāna Gosvāmī Attempts to Displease Nawab Hussain Shah

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 13th October 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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! today We are continuing with the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled today is:

Santāna Gosvāmī Attempts to Displease Nawab Hussain Shah

Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.1

śrī-rūpadvārā vraja-rasakeli-tattva-prakaṭanakārī gaurasundara:—

vṛndāvanīyāṁ rasa-keli-vārtāṁ
kālena luptāṁ nija-śaktim utkaḥ
sañcārya rūpe vyatanot punaḥ sa
prabhur vidhau prāg iva loka-sṛṣṭim

Translation: Before the creation of this cosmic manifestation, the Lord enlightened the heart of Lord Brahmā with the details of the creation and manifested the Vedic knowledge. In exactly the same way, the Lord, being anxious to revive the Vṛndāvana pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, impregnated the heart of Rūpa Gosvāmī with spiritual potency. By this potency, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī could revive the activities of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, activities almost lost to memory. In this way, He spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, now in Virtual Vraja Parikramā, all the holy places of Vrindavan, Vraja are visited. Before most of the places were lost or rather people didn’t know the significance of many places.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.3

prabhu-darśanānantara rūpa-sanātanera sva-gṛhe gamana:—

śrī-rūpa-sanātana rahe rāmakeli-grāme
prabhure miliyā gelā āpana-bhavane

Translation: After meeting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the village of Rāmakeli, the brothers Rūpa and Sanātana returned to their homes.

Jayapatākā Swami: When they met Lord Caitanya they both were initiated with the names Rūpa and Sanātana and they were given special mercy by Lord Caitanya. Sanātana Gosvāmī also advised Lord Caitanya that to fo to Vṛndāvana with thousands of people was not very suitable.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.4

viṣaya-tyāga o prabhu-prāptira janya ubhayera puraścaraṇa:—

dui-bhāi viṣaya-tyāgera upāya sṛjila
bahu-dhana diyā dui brāhmaṇe varila

Translation: The two brothers devised a means whereby they could give up their material activities. For this purpose, they appointed two brāhmaṇas and paid them a large amount of money.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the two brother were Prime Minister and Finance Minster of Hussain Shah. They devised the means to escape and join Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.5

kṛṣṇa-mantre karāila dui puraścaraṇa
acirāt pāibāre caitanya-caraṇa

Translation: The brāhmaṇas performed religious ceremonies and chanted the holy name of Kṛṣṇa so that the two brothers might attain shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very soon.

Purport: A puraścaraṇa is a ritualistic ceremony performed under the guidance of an expert spiritual master or a brāhmaṇa. It is performed for the fulfillment of certain desires. One rises early in the morning, chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, performs arcana by the ārati ceremony and worships the Deities. These activities are described in Madhya-līlā, fifteenth chapter, verse 108.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the two brothers Rūpa and Sanātana were praying to Kṛṣṇa and were performing puraścaraṇa sacrifice that they could quickly achieve the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.6

śrī-rūpera phateyāvāde svagṛhe āgamana:—

śrī-rūpa-gosāñi tabe naukāte bhariyā
āpanāra ghare āilā bahu-dhana lañā

Translation: At this time, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī returned home, taking with him large quantities of riches loaded in boats.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.7

brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇavake 1/2, svajana-vargake 1/4, dhana vitaraṇa:—

brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇave dilā tāra ardha-dhane
eka cauṭhi dhana dilā kuṭumba-bharaṇe

Translation: Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī divided the wealth that he brought back home. He gave fifty percent in charity to brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and twenty-five percent to his relatives.

Purport: This is a practical example of how one should divide his money and retire from household life. Fifty percent of one’s money should be distributed to qualified and pure devotees of the Lord. Twenty-five percent may be given to family members, and twenty-five percent may be kept for personal use in case of emergency.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is the example of Rūpa Gosvāmī, how he distributed his accumulated wealth, half were given for the service of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, and that means half was given for the service of Kṛṣṇa, 25% for family members and 25% for some emergencies.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.8

bhāvi-vipaduddhāra-janya dhana-rakṣaṇa:—

daṇḍa-bandha lāgi’ cauṭhi sañcaya karilā
bhāla-bhāla vipra-sthāne sthāpya rākhilā

Translation: He kept one-fourth of his wealth with a respectable brāhmaṇa. He kept this for his personal safety because he was expecting some legal complications.

Jayapatākā Swami: Just by being in the service of the Nawab as the Finance Minister, its not going to be very easy, and he may get arrested or face some legal problems, so he kept 25% with a reliable banker.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.9

gauḍe sanātanera janya 10,000 mudrā-rakṣaṇa:—

gauḍe rākhila mudrā daśa-hājāre
sanātana vyaya kare, rākhe mudi-ghare

Translation: He deposited ten thousand coins, which were later spent by Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, in the custody of a local Bengali grocer.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sanātana Gosvāmī was arrested by the Nawab and he needed this money to get free.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.10

prabhura purī-gamana o vṛndāvane gamanodyāga-vārttā-śravaṇa:—

śrī-rūpa śunila prabhura nīlādri-gamana
vana-pathe yābena prabhu śrī-vṛndāvana

Translation: Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī heard that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had returned to Jagannātha Purī and was preparing to go to Vṛndāvana through the forest.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.11

tajjanya dūtadvaya-preraṇa:—

rūpa-gosāñi nīlācale pāṭhāila dui-jana
prabhu yabe vṛndāvana karena gamana

Translation: Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī sent two people to Jagannātha Purī to find out when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would depart for Vṛndāvana.

Jayapatākā Swami: Rūpa Gosvāmī wanted to ascertain when Lord Caitanya would leave for Vṛndāvana and He was thinking how he would be able to meet Him.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.12

śīghra āsi’ more tāṅra dibā samācāra
śuniyā tad-anurūpa kariba vyavahāra

Translation: Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī told the two men, “You are to return quickly and let me know when He will depart. Then I shall make the proper arrangements.”

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.13

śrī-sanātanera rājakārya haite avasara-grahaṇa-suyogānveṣaṇa:—

ethā sanātana-gosāñi bhāve mane mana
rājā more prīti kare, se—mora bandhana

Translation: While Sanātana Gosvāmī was in Gauḍa-deśa, he was thinking, “The Nawab is very pleased with me. I certainly have an obligation.

Jayapatākā Swami: It was not so easy for Sanātana Gosvāmī to leave.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.14

rājāra aprīti-bhājana haibāra yatna:—

kona mate rājā yadi more kruddha haya
tabe avyāhati haya, kariluṅ niścaya

Translation: “If the Nawab somehow or other becomes angry with me, I shall be greatly relieved. That is my conclusion.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted to make the Nawab to be displeased with him, and thus he could leave.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.15

rogera chala:—

asvāsthyera chadma kari’ rahe nija-ghare
rāja-kārya chāḍilā, nā yāya rāja-dvāre

Translation: On the pretext of bad health, Sanātana Gosvāmī remained home. Thus he gave up government service and did not go to the royal court.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.16

sva-gṛhe bhāgavata-vicāra:—

lobhī kāyastha-gaṇa rāja-kārya kare
āpane svagṛhe kare śāstrera vicāre

Translation: The greedy masters of his clerical and secretarial staff performed the government duties while Sanātana personally remained home and discussed the revealed scriptures.

Purport: Sanātana Gosvāmī was the minister in charge of the government secretariat, and his assistants — the undersecretaries and clerks — all belonged to the kāyastha community. Formerly the kāyasthas belonged to the clerical and secretarial staff of the government, and later if one served in such a post, he was called a kāyastha. Eventually if a person could not identify himself as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, he used to introduce himself as a kāyastha to get a wealthy and honorable position. In Bengal it is said that if one cannot give the identity of his caste, he calls himself a kāyastha. On the whole, the kāyastha community is a mixture of all castes, and it especially includes those engaged in clerical or secretarial work. Materially such people are always busy occupying responsible government posts.

When Sanātana Gosvāmī was relaxing and feeling inclined to retire from government service, many kāyasthas on his secretarial staff were very eager to occupy his post. In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states that when Sanātana Gosvāmī was a government minister and the kāyasthas who assisted him saw that he was reluctant to continue, they became very expert in their duties. Sanātana Gosvāmī was a brāhmaṇa belonging to the Sārasvata brāhmaṇa community. It is said that when he resigned, a subordinate named Purandara Khān, who was a kāyastha, occupied his post.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī had said that he was sick, therefore he didn’t come to perform his duties with the government. So, the other secretariat staff were eager to get his position. They performed their duties diligently hoping to get his position.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.17

bhaṭṭācārya paṇḍita biśa triśa lañā
bhāgavata vicāra karena sabhāte vasiyā

Translation: Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī used to discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in an assembly of twenty or thirty learned brāhmaṇa scholars.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following commentary on the words bhāgavata vicāra. As confirmed in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.4-5), there are two kinds of educational systems: 

dve vidye veditavya iti, ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti — parā caivāparā ca. tatrāparā ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo ’tharva-vedaḥ śikṣā kalpo vyākaraṇaṁ niruktaṁ chando jyotiṣam iti. atha parā yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate. 

"There are two kinds of educational systems: One deals with transcendental knowledge [parā-vidyā] and the other with material knowledge [aparā-vidyā]. All the Vedas — the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda and Atharva Veda, along with their corollaries, known as śikṣā, kalpa, vyākaraṇa, nirukta, chanda and jyotiṣa — belong to the inferior system of material knowledge [aparā-vidyā]. By parā-vidyā one can understand the akṣara — Brahman or the Absolute Truth.” As far as the Vedic literature is concerned, the Vedānta-sūtra is accepted as the parā-vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is an explanation of that parā-vidyā. Those who aspire for liberation (mukti or mokṣa) and introduce themselves as vaidāntika are also equal to those groups aspiring to improve religion (dharma), economic development (artha) and sense gratification (kāma). Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa are called catur-varga. They are all within the system of inferior, material knowledge. Any literature giving information about the spiritual world, spiritual life, spiritual identity and the spirit soul is called parā-vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not have anything to do with the materialistic way of life; it gives transcendental information to educate people in the superior system of parā-vidyā. Sanātana Gosvāmī was engaged in discussing the bhāgavata-vidyā, which means he discussed transcendental superior knowledge. Those who are karmīs, jñānīs or yogīs are not actually fit to discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only Vaiṣṇavas, or pure devotees, are fit to discuss that literature. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself (12.13.18):

śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyaṁ
yasmin pāramahaṁsyam ekam amalaṁ jñānaṁ paraṁ gīyate
yatra jñāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitaṁ naiṣkarmyam āviṣkṛtaṁ
tac chṛṇvan supaṭhan vicāraṇa-paro bhaktyā vimucyen naraḥ

Although Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is counted among the Purāṇas, it is called the spotless Purāṇa. Because it does not discuss anything material, it is liked by transcendental Vaiṣṇava devotees. The subject matter found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for paramahaṁsas. As it is said, paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyam. A paramahaṁsa is one who does not live in the material world and who does not envy others. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotional service is discussed to arouse the living entity to the transcendental position of jñāna (knowledge) and vairāgya (renunciation). As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.12):

tac chraddadhānāḥ munayo
jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ
bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā

“The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.”

This is not sentiment. Knowledge and renunciation can be obtained through devotional service (bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā), that is, by arousing one’s dormant devotional consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When Kṛṣṇa consciousness is aroused, it relieves one from fruitive activity, activity for economic improvement and material enjoyment. This relief is technically called naiṣkarmya, and when one is relieved, he is no longer interested in working hard for sense gratification. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Śrīla Vyāsadeva’s last, mature contribution, and one should read and hear it in an assembly of realized souls while engaging in devotional service. At such a time one can be liberated from all material bondage. This was the course taken by Sanātana Gosvāmī, who retired from government service to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with learned scholars.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, normally people are interested in dharma, artha and kāma, religion for religiosity for the sake of economic development, economic development for the sake of increasing sense gratification. The Śrīmad-bhāgavatam teaches one the special process of vairagya, vidyā and how Lord Caitanya was giving out His own bhakti-yoga to all the conditioned souls. Mukti is the fourth puruṣārtha and prema is the fifth purusartha. So, Śrīmad-bhāgavatam especially given one the means for achieving mukti and prema.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Santāna Gosvāmī Attempts to Displease Nawab Hussain Shah 
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī