20240805 Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta 1.6. Determining the Sādhana

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: I request all the devotees to pray for all the devotees, the Deities, the properties in Bangladesh under the present circumstances prevailing there.

First Shower — Sixth Stream

Determining the Sādhana

Vivartavāda (Theory of the illusion of the Supreme)

Sambandha-tattva (The truth of relationship) was determined while discussing the seven prameyas (that which is to be known or proved). In that knowledge of sambandha-tattva, it was known that the living entity forgets his eternal connection with Kṛṣṇa and falls into the world burning in the ocean of material existence of the three-fold miseries and suffers. After considering what is the means to stop that suffering, it was known that if the aforementioned relationship is re-established, all suffering will be removed and supreme happiness will be obtained. The living entity is an eternally perfect spiritual entity. The living entity has no factual bondage or suffering. In the misconception that the body is the self that is an illusion, there is only so much pain. There are two Vedic examples for vivarta, mistaking a rope for a snake and an oyster shell for silver. Not being able to understand these two examples well, the Māyāvādī (illusionist) make the mistake of calling the existence of the living entity as Brahma-vivarta. By the grace of bona fide spiritual master, when the living entity can know that these two examples are not prescribed about the existence of the living entity, but is said only about the misconception that the gross body and subtle body is the self, then he can see the right path. This is the difference between pariṇāma and vivarta.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura here is describing Lord Caitanya’s examples. How the Māyāvādīs use complex examples for the illusion. The Māyāvādīs, they say that Brahman is under māyā. And the living entity is part of Brahman covered by illusion. That when we remove the illusion, you realize you are God. You are ahaṁ brahmāsmi. You are the Brahman. So like this they may use examples which are not used in the scriptures, and they use the example that actually is proper for the body and the subtle body, but not the soul. So, people generally think that they are the body or the subtle body. They think they are the mind or the gross body or subtle body. They don’t realize that they are part of Kṛṣṇa.

When the substance acquires another form, then it is called as vikāra or pariṇāma.

Note:

kaścit māẏāvādācāryaḥ
atatvato'nyathābuddhirvivarta ityudāhṛtaḥ
satattvato'nyathā buddhirvikāra iti śabdyate

In connection with acid, milk is transformed to become yogurt. This is as pariṇāma.

When there is no object, but in its place, there is intelligence of other objects, then it is called vivarta. Just as there is no such thing as a snake, there is an illusion of a false snake in the rope. The silver is not there, but the mistake of illusory silver is in the oyster shell. In these two places, there is an illusion or mistake of the intelligence “atatvato'nyathābuddhi”. The living entity is pure spiritual substance. He is not really bound by māyā, but when the vivarta intellect becomes strong enough to create the illusion that the body is self, the mistake of vivαrtα takes place.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He talked with the Māyāvādīs in Benaras. Then they admitted that the Śaṅkarācārya’s arguments were not satisfying. But since they were in his sampradāya they accepted that. They actually felt better and satisfied listening to Lord Caitanya’s explanation. And so like this, He converted the Benaras Māyāvādīs to Kṛṣṇa consciousness

Note:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.27.2–3

sa eṣa yarhi prakṛter
guṇeṣv abhiviṣajjate
ahaṅkriyā-vimūḍhātmā
kartāsmīty abhimanyate

tena saṁsāra-padavīm
avaśo 'bhyety anirvṛtaḥ
prāsaṅgikaiḥ karma-doṣaiḥ
sad-asan-miśra-yoniṣu

“When the soul is under the spell of material nature and false ego, identifying his body as the self, he becomes absorbed in material activities, and by the influence of false ego he thinks that he is the proprietor of everything. The conditioned soul therefore transmigrates into different species of life, higher and lower, because of his association with the modes of material nature. Unless he is relieved of material activities, he has to accept this position because of his faulty work.”

When the position of vivarta is observed, then this misery is seen in the living entity. When will this intelligence of vivarta be removed? When the conception of “I am a servant of Kṛṣṇa” is strengthened after receiving good instruction from a bona fide spiritual master, then this intelligence of vivarta will no longer exist.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we were told by Śrīla Prabhupāda that we are all dāsānudāsa. The servant of the servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And therefore, we felt very satisfied. The false ego makes us think we are the body. I remember that Śrīla Prabhupāda saying even a fly that lands on the roof, he thinks I own this house! This is mine! So some insect may land in your house, and he may think the house is his. So like this that is what the false ego does. That we think this is me. And as a result, we start to do different things to enjoy this world. We want people to be devotees of Kṛṣṇa and to relate with Kṛṣṇa. Instead of false ego, we have real ego. We hope that all the people will surrender to Lord Caitanya.

There is a cloth (roof) over your head (to the audience) Yes or no? Because we love you!