20220730 The result of insulting an advanced devotee

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 13th,2022 in Sri Dhama Mayapur, 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! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, Today's chapter is entitled as:

The result of insulting an advanced devotee
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.144

pāṣaṇḍa rāmacandra khāṅnera bhīṣaṇa vaiṣṇavāparādhera phalaḥ—

rāmacandra khāṅna aparādha-bīja kaila
sei bīja vṛkṣa hañā āgete phalila

Translation: By inducing a prostitute to disturb Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Rāmacandra Khān caused a seed of offense at his lotus feet to germinate. This seed later became a tree, and when it fructified, Rāmacandra Khān ate its fruits.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rāmacandra Khān, he tried to make Haridāsa Ṭhākura fall down and this was an offense at a very advanced devotee’s lotus feet. That offense sprouts like a seed and later becomes like a tree and Rāmacandra Khān had to take the fruit of that offense tree.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.145

mahad-aparādhera phala adbhuta kathana
prastāva pāñā kahi, śuna, bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: This offense at the lotus feet of an exalted devotee has resulted in a wonderful narration. Taking advantage of the opportunity afforded by these incidents, I shall explain what happened. O devotees, please listen.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja is about to explain that as a result of his offense, what Rāmacandra Khān had to accept.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.146

anādi-bahirmukha Rāmacandra khāṅnera vaiṣṇavāparādha-phale vaiṣṇavavidveṣa vṛddhi :–

sahajei avaiṣṇava rāmacandra-khāṅna
haridāsera aparādhe haila asura-samāna

Translation: Rāmacandra Khān was naturally a nondevotee. Now, having offended the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he became just like a demoniac atheist.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the danger of offending an advanced devotee.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.147

vaiṣṇava-dharma nindā kare, vaiṣṇava-apamāna
bahu-dinera aparādhe pāila pariṇāma

Translation: Because of blaspheming the cult of Vaiṣṇavism and insulting the devotees for a long time, he now received the results of his offensive activities.

Purport: Rāmacandra Khān was a great offender at the lotus feet of the Vaiṣṇavas and Viṣṇu. Just as Rāvaṇa, although born of a brāhmaṇa father, Viśvaśravā, was nevertheless called an asura or rākṣasa because of his offenses against Lord Rāmacandra (Viṣṇu) and Hanumān (a Vaiṣṇava), so Rāmacandra Khān also became such an asura because of his offenses against Haridāsa Ṭhākura and many others.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rāmacandra Khān became an insulting, offending asura.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.148

nityānanda-prabhura vṛttāntaḥ—

nityānanda-gosāñi gauḍe yabe āilā prema pracārite tabe bhramite lāgilā

Translation: When Lord Nityānanda returned to Bengal to preach the cult of bhakti, love of Godhead, He began touring all over the country.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.149

gaurasarvasva śrī-nityānandera dvividha gaura-sevana-kārya—

prema-pracāraṇa āra pāṣaṇḍa-dalana
dui-kārye avadhūta karena bhramaṇa

Translation: For two purposes — to spread the cult of bhakti and to defeat and subdue the atheists — Lord Nityānanda, the most dedicated devotee of the Lord, moved throughout the country.

Purport: As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.8):

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

Lord Kṛṣṇa appears in every millennium for two purposes, namely to deliver the devotees and to kill the nondevotees. His devotees also have two similar purposes — to preach the bhakti cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and to defeat all kinds of agnostics and atheistic demons.

Nityānanda Prabhu carried out the order of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this way, and those who strictly follow Nityānanda Prabhu perform the same activities. There are two classes of devotees. One is called goṣṭhy-ānandī, and the other is called bhajanānandī. A devotee who does not preach but always engages in devotional activities is called a bhajanānandī, whereas a devotee who not only is expert in devotional service but who also preaches the cult of bhakti and defeats all kinds of agnostics is called a goṣṭhy-anandī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement follows the path of goṣṭhy-ānandī. We try to spread the mood and mission of Lord Caitanya to everyone. Of course Kṛṣṇa would kill the demons but Lord Caitanya would kill the demoniac nature and convert the people into devotees. Lord Nityānanda is known as especially merciful but some people were so envious and offensive to the Vaiṣṇavas and that was their own downfall.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.150

śrī-nityānanda-prabhu-caraṇe pāṣaṇḍa rāmacandra-khāṅnera aparādha vṛttānta varṇanaḥ —

sarvajña nityānanda āilā tāra ghare
āsiyā vasilā durgā-maṇḍapa-upare

Translation: Lord Nityānanda, who is omniscient because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, came to the house of Rāmacandra Khān and sat down on the altar of the Durgā-maṇḍapa.

Purport: Well-to-do Hindu gentlemen constructed their houses with a place called the Durgā-maṇḍapa for the worship of the goddess Durgā. There they generally held worship of the goddess every year in the month of Āśvina (September-October). Rāmacandra Khān possessed such a Durgā-maṇḍapa at his residence.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Nityānanda sat down in this Durgā-maṇḍapa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.151

aneka loka-jana saṅge aṅgana bharila
bhitara haite rāmacandra sevaka pāṭhāila

Translation: When the Durgā-maṇḍapa and courtyard became filled with crowds of men, Rāmacandra Khān, who was inside the house, sent his servant to Lord Nityānanda.

Purport: In those days, and also even now, the palatial buildings of respectable people, especially in the villages of Bengal, were divided into two parts. The inside part was especially meant for the family, and the ladies would live there unexposed to men. That part was called the bhitara-bāḍi, or inside house. In the outside house, or bahir-bāḍi, the respectable gentleman received visitors and kept his business office. The Durgā-maṇḍapa would be part of the outside house. Thus when Lord Nityānanda entered the outside house, Rāmacandra Khān was in the inside house with the members of his family. When Nityānanda Prabhu arrived, Rāmacandra Khān did not receive Him personally but sent his servant to inform Him indirectly to go away.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, instead of receiving Lord Nityānanda, Ramacandra Khan sent his servants to ask Him to go away. Offensive !

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.152

śrī-nityānanda-prabhuke avamānanaḥ—

sevaka bale—“gosāñi, more pāṭhāila khāṅna
gṛhasthera ghare tomāya diba vāsā-sthāna

Translation: The servant informed Lord Nityānanda, “My dear Sir, Rāmacandra Khān has sent me to accommodate You in some common man’s house.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, indirectly Lord Nityānanda was being told that he should leave and they would give some common man's house to stay in.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.153

goyālāra gośālā haya atyanta vistāra
ihāṅ saṅkīrṇa-sthala, tomāra manuṣya—apāra”

Translation: “You might go to the house of a milkman, for the cowshed is spacious, whereas the space here in the Durgā-maṇḍapa is insufficient because You have many followers with You.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the excuse to show Lord Nityānanda the door!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.154

śrī-nityānandera krodhaḥ—

bhitare āchilā, śuni’ krodhe bāhirilā
aṭṭa aṭṭa hāsi’ gosāñi kahite lāgilā

Translation: When Nityānanda Prabhu heard this order from the servant of Rāmacandra Khān, He became very angry and came out. Laughing very loudly, He spoke as follows.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.155

śrī-nityānandera bhaviṣyad-vāṇī: —

“satya kahe,—ei ghara mora yogya naya
mleccha go-vadha kare, tāra yogya haya”

Translation: “Rāmacandra Khān has spoken rightly. This place is unfit for Me. It is fit for cow-killing meat-eaters.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.156

sagaṇa-prabhura viṣṇu-vaiṣṇava-vidveṣīra sthāna-parityāgaḥ —

eta bali’ krodhe gosāñi uṭhiyā calilā tāre daṇḍa dite se grāme nā rahilā

Translation: Having said this, Lord Nityānanda stood up and left in an angry mood. To chastise Rāmacandra Khān, He did not even stay in that village.

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally Lord Nityānanda is very merciful. But sometimes if we make him angry, then He is very angry, and because this Rāmacandra Khān was offending many Vaiṣṇavas and then he offended Lord Nityānanda, if he was really a gentleman he should have come out himself and requested Lord Nityānanda to go from that place .

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.157

rāmacandra-khāṅnera cūḍānta pāṣaṇḍatāḥ—

ihāṅ rāmacandra khāna sevake ājñā dila
gosāñi yāhāṅ vasilā, tāra māṭī khodāila

Translation: Rāmacandra Khān ordered the servant to dig up the dirt in the place where Nityānanda Prabhu had sat.

Jayapatākā Swami: Rāmacandra Khān was so offensive that he thought that the place where Lord Nityānanda sat was also contaminated. So he dug up the earth around it and spread cow dung in that place.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.158

gomaya-jale lepilā saba mandira-prāṅgaṇa
tabu rāmacandrera mana nā haila parasanna

Translation: To purify the Durgā-maṇḍapa temple and the courtyard, Rāmacandra Khān sprinkled and smeared it with water mixed with cow dung, but still his mind was unsatisfied.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see how offensive Rāmacandra Khān was!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.159

viṣṇu-vaiṣṇava-vidveṣera bhīṣaṇa phala vā śāsti-prāptiḥ—

dasyu-vṛtti kare rāmacandra rājāre nā deya kara
kruddha hañā mleccha ujira āila tāra ghara

Translation: Rāmacandra Khān’s business was questionable, for he tried to avoid paying income tax to the government. Therefore the government’s minister of finance was angry and came to his residence.

Jayapatākā Swami: In English they say, ‘people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’. Rāmacandra Khān did questionable things to the government by not paying his taxes. At the same time he was very offensive to Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.160

āsi’ sei durgā-maṇḍape vāsā kaila
avadhya vadha kari’ māṁsa se-ghare rāndhāila

Translation: The Muslim minister made his residence in the Durgā-maṇḍapa of Rāmacandra Khān. He killed a cow and cooked the meat at that very place.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rāmacandra Khān sent his servants to tell Lord Nityānanda to go somewhere else. But Lord Nityānanda said that this place is suitable for cow-killers and so that happened.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.161

strī-putra-sahita rāmacandrere bāndhiyā
tāra ghara-grāma luṭe tina-dina rahiyā

Translation: He arrested Rāmacandra Khān, along with his wife and sons, and then he continuously plundered the house and village for three days.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.162

sei ghare tina dina kare amedhya randhana
āra dina sabā lañā karilā gamana

Translation: In that very room he cooked the flesh of a cow for three consecutive days. Then the next day he left, accompanied by his followers.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rāmacandra Khān was offending Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas, and so Rāmacandra Khān received his karma.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.163

jāti-dhana-jana khānera sakala la-ila
bahu-dina paryanta grāma ujāḍa rahila

Translation: The Muslim minister took away Rāmacandra Khān’s position, wealth and followers. For many days the village remained deserted.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, please don’t mess with Lord Nityānanda. Somehow, Lord Nityānanda delivered Madhāi even though he stuck Him with a wine bottle. Lord Nityānanda would accept his offense but the offense of the Vaiṣṇavas was too much for Lord Nityānanda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.164

viṣṇu-vaiṣṇava-vidveṣera phale daśā vā avasthāḥ—

mahāntera apamāna ye deśa-grāme haya
eka janāra doṣe saba deśa ujāḍaya

Translation: Wherever an advanced devotee is insulted, for one man’s fault the entire town or place is afflicted.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here we are taught that to insult an advanced devotee is a very dangerous thing, the result is not only the insultor but the whole village is affected.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, The result of insulting an advanced devotee
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura