CHAPTER TEN
The Lord’s Return to Jagannātha Purī
While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was traveling in South India, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya had many talks with King Pratāparudra. When Mahārāja Pratāparudra requested the Bhaṭṭācārya to arrange an interview with the Lord, the Bhaṭṭācārya assured him that he would try to do so as soon as Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned from South India. When the Lord returned to Jagannātha Purī from His South Indian tour, He lived at the home of Kāśī Miśra. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya introduced many Vaiṣṇavas to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu after His return. The father of Rāmānanda Rāya, Bhavānanda Rāya, offered another son named Vāṇīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka for the Lord’s service. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed His associates about the pollution of Kṛṣṇadāsa brought about by his association with the Bhaṭṭathāris, and thus the Lord proposed to give him leave. Nityānanda Prabhu sent Kṛṣṇadāsa to Bengal to inform the Navadvīpa devotees about the Lord’s return to Jagannātha Purī. All the devotees of Navadvīpa thus began arranging to come to Jagannātha Purī. At this time Paramānanda Purī was at Navadvīpa, and immediately upon hearing news of the Lord’s return, he started for Jagannātha Purī accompanied by a brāhmaṇa named Kamalākānta. Puruṣottama Bhaṭṭācārya, a resident of Navadvīpa, was educated at Vārāṇasī. He accepted the renounced order from Caitanyānanda, but he took the name of Svarūpa. Thus he arrived at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. After the demise of Śrī Īśvara Purī, his disciple Govinda, following his instructions, went to serve Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Due to his relationship with Keśava Bhāratī, Brahmānanda Bhāratī was also respectfully received by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When he arrived at Jagannātha Purī, he was advised to give up the deerskin clothing he wore. When Brahmānanda understood Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu correctly, he accepted Him as Kṛṣṇa Himself. However, when Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya addressed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Kṛṣṇa, the Lord immediately protested. In the meantime, Kāśīśvara Gosvāmī also came to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In this chapter, devotees from many different areas come to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and they are exactly like many rivers that come from many places to finally flow into the sea.
Bengali
বিচ্ছেদাবগ্রহম্লান-ভক্তশস্যান্যজীবয়ৎ ॥ ১ ॥
Text
svasya yo darśanāmṛtaiḥ
vicchedāvagraha-mlāna-
bhakta-śasyāny ajīvayat
Synonyms
tam — unto Him; vande — I offer my respectful obeisances; gaura — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; jala-dam — rain cloud; svasya — of Himself; yaḥ — He who; darśana-amṛtaiḥ — by the nectar of the audience; viccheda — because of separation; avagraha — scarcity of rain; mlāna — morose, dried up; bhakta — devotees; śasyāni — food grains; ajīvayat — saved.
Translation
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is compared to a cloud that pours water on fields of grain, which are like devotees suffering due to a shortage of rain. Separation from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is like a drought, but when the Lord returns, His presence is like a nectarean rain that falls on all the grains and saves them from perishing.
Bengali
জয়াদ্বৈতচন্দ্র জয় গৌরভক্তবৃন্দ ॥ ২ ॥
Text
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Synonyms
Translation
All glories to Lord Caitanya! All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!
Bengali
প্রতাপরুদ্র রাজা তবে বোলাইল সার্বভৌমে ॥ ৩ ॥
Text
pratāparudra rājā tabe bolāila sārvabhaume
Synonyms
pūrve — formerly; yabe — when; mahāprabhu — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; calilā — departed; dakṣiṇe — for His South Indian tour; pratāparudra — Pratāparudra; rājā — the King; tabe — at that time; bolāila — called for; sārvabhaume — Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.
Translation
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu departed for South India, King Pratāparudra called Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya to his palace.
Bengali
মহাপ্রভুর বার্তা তবে পুছিল তাঁহারে ॥ ৪ ॥
Text
mahāprabhura vārtā tabe puchila tāṅhāre
Synonyms
Translation
When Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya met with the King, the King offered him a seat with all respects and inquired about news of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Bengali
গৌড় হইতে আইলা, তেঁহো মহা-কৃপাময় ॥ ৫ ॥
Text
gauḍa ha-ite āilā, teṅho mahā-kṛpāmaya
Synonyms
Translation
The King said to the Bhaṭṭācārya, “I have heard that a great personality has come from Bengal and is staying at your home. I have also heard that He is very, very merciful.
Bengali
কৃপা করি’ করাহ মোরে তাঁহার দর্শন ॥ ৬ ॥
Text
kṛpā kari’ karāha more tāṅhāra darśana
Synonyms
Translation
“I have also heard that this great personality has shown you great favor. At any rate, this is what I hear from many different people. Now, being merciful upon me, you should do me the favor of arranging an interview.”
Bengali
তাঁর দর্শন তোমার ঘটন না হয় ॥ ৭ ॥
Text
tāṅra darśana tomāra ghaṭana nā haya
Synonyms
Translation
The Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “All that you have heard is true, but as far as an interview is concerned, it is very difficult to arrange.
Bengali
স্বপ্নেহ না করেন তেঁহো রাজদরশনে ॥ ৮ ॥
Text
svapneha nā karena teṅho rāja-daraśane
Synonyms
Translation
“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is in the renounced order and is very much detached from worldly affairs. He stays in solitary places, and even in dreams He does not grant interviews to a king.
Bengali
সম্প্রতি করিলা তেঁহো দক্ষিণ গমন ॥ ৯ ॥
Text
samprati karilā teṅho dakṣiṇa gamana
Synonyms
Translation
“Still, I would have tried to arrange your interview, but He has recently left to tour South India.”
Bengali
ভট্ট কহে, — মহান্তের এই এক লীলা ॥ ১০ ॥
Text
bhaṭṭa kahe, — mahāntera ei eka līlā
Synonyms
Translation
The King asked, “Why has He left Jagannātha Purī?”
Purport
The Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “Such are the pastimes of a great personality.
Bengali
সেই ছলে নিস্তারয়ে সাংসারিক জন ॥ ১১ ॥
Text
sei chale nistāraye sāṁsārika jana
Synonyms
Translation
“Great saints go to holy places of pilgrimage in order to purify them. For that reason Caitanya Mahāprabhu is visiting many tīrthas and delivering many, many conditioned souls.
Bengali
তীর্থীকুর্বন্তি তীর্থানি স্বান্তঃস্থেন গদাভৃতা ॥ ১২ ॥
Text
tīrthī-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
svāntaḥ-sthena gadā-bhṛtā
Synonyms
bhavat — your good self; vidhāḥ — like; bhāgavatāḥ — devotees; tīrthī — as holy places of pilgrimage; bhūtāḥ — existing; svayam — themselves; vibho — O almighty one; tīrthī-kurvanti — make into holy places of pilgrimage; tīrthāni — the holy places; sva-antaḥ-sthena — being situated in their hearts; gadā-bhṛtā — by the Personality of Godhead.
Translation
“ ‘Saints of your caliber are themselves places of pilgrimage. Because of their purity, they are constant companions of the Lord, and therefore they can purify even the places of pilgrimage.’
Purport
This verse, spoken by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to Vidura in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.13.10), is also quoted in the Ādi-līlā (1.63).
Bengali
তেঁহো জীব নহেন, হন স্বতন্ত্র ঈশ্বর ॥ ১৩ ॥
Text
teṅho jīva nahena, hana svatantra īśvara
Synonyms
Translation
“A Vaiṣṇava travels to places of pilgrimage to purify them and reclaim fallen conditioned souls. This is one of the duties of a Vaiṣṇava. Actually, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not a living entity but the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Consequently, He is a fully independent controller, yet in His position as a devotee, He carries out the activities of a devotee.”
Purport
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura points out that because there are many permanent residents in holy places who do not precisely follow the rules and regulations governing living in a sacred place, exalted devotees have to go to these places to reclaim such persons. This is the business of a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is unhappy to see others materially enmeshed. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught these activities of a Vaiṣṇava although He is the worshipable Deity of all Vaiṣṇavas, the complete and independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-muktaḥ — complete, completely uncontaminated and eternally liberated. He is sanātana, for He has no beginning or end.
Bengali
পায় পড়ি’ যত্ন করি’ কেনে না রাখিলে ॥ ১৪ ॥
Text
pāya paḍi’ yatna kari’ kene nā rākhile
Synonyms
Translation
Upon hearing this, the King replied, “Why did you allow Him to leave? Why didn’t you fall at His lotus feet and keep Him here?”
Bengali
সাক্ষাৎ শ্রীকৃষ্ণ, তেঁহো নহে পরতন্ত্র ॥ ১৫ ॥
Text
sākṣāt śrī-kṛṣṇa, teṅho nahe para-tantra
Synonyms
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself and is completely independent. Being Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, He is not dependent on anyone.
Bengali
ঈশ্বরের স্বতন্ত্র ইচ্ছা, রাখিতে নারিলুঁ ॥ ১৬ ॥
Text
īśvarera svatantra icchā, rākhite nāriluṅ
Synonyms
Translation
“Still, I endeavored very hard to keep Him here, but because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and completely independent, I was not successful.”
Bengali
তুমি তাঁরে ‘কৃষ্ণ’ কহ, তাতে সত্য মানি ॥ ১৭ ॥
Text
tumi tāṅre ‘kṛṣṇa’ kaha, tāte satya māni
Synonyms
Translation
The King said, “Bhaṭṭācārya, you are the most learned and experienced person I know. Therefore when you address Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Lord Kṛṣṇa, I accept this as the truth.
Purport
This is the way to advance in spiritual science. One must accept the words of an ācārya, a bona fide spiritual master, to clear the path for spiritual advancement. This is the secret of success. However, one’s guide must be a spiritual master who is actually an unalloyed devotee strictly following the instructions of the previous ācārya without deviation. Whatever the spiritual master says must be accepted by the disciple. Only then is success certain. This is the Vedic system.
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a brāhmaṇa and a realized soul, whereas Pratāparudra was a kṣatriya. Kṣatriya kings used to obey very faithfully the orders of learned brāhmaṇas and saintly persons, and in this way they would rule their country. Similarly, vaiśyas used to follow the king’s orders, and śūdras used to serve the three higher castes. In this way the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras used to live cooperatively, performing their respective duties. Consequently society was peaceful, and people were able to discharge the duties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus they were happy in this life and able to return home, back to Godhead.
Bengali
একবার দেখি’ করি সফল নয়ন ॥ ১৮ ॥
Text
eka-bāra dekhi’ kari saphala nayana
Synonyms
Translation
“When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returns, I wish to see Him just once in order to make my eyes perfect.”
Bengali
রহিতে তাঁরে এক স্থান চাহিয়ে বিরলে ॥ ১৯ ॥
Text
rahite tāṅre eka sthāna cāhiye virale
Synonyms
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “His Holiness Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will return very soon. I wish to have a nice place ready for Him, a place solitary and peaceful.
Bengali
এমত নির্ণয় করি’ দেহ এক স্থানে ॥ ২০ ॥
Text
e-mata nirṇaya kari’ deha’ eka sthāne
Synonyms
Translation
“Lord Caitanya’s residence should be very secluded and also near the temple of Jagannātha. Please consider this proposal and give me a nice place for Him.”
Bengali
ঠাকুরের নিকট, হয় পরম নির্জন ॥ ২১ ॥
Text
ṭhākurera nikaṭa, haya parama nirjana
Synonyms
Translation
The King replied, “Kāśī Miśra’s house is exactly what you require. It is near the temple and is very secluded, calm and quiet.”
Bengali
ভট্টাচার্য কাশীমিশ্রে কহিল আসিয়া ॥ ২২ ॥
Text
bhaṭṭācārya kāśī-miśre kahila āsiyā
Synonyms
Translation
After saying this, the King became very anxious for the Lord to return. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then went to Kāśī Miśra to convey the King’s desire.
Bengali
মোর গৃহে ‘প্রভুপাদের’ হবে অবস্থান ॥ ২৩ ॥
Text
mora gṛhe ‘prabhu-pādera’ habe avasthāna
Synonyms
Translation
When Kāśī Miśra heard the proposal, he said, “I am very fortunate that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord of all prabhus, will stay at my home.”
Purport
In this verse the word prabhupāda, referring to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is significant. Regarding this, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda comments, “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and all His servants address Him as Prabhupāda. This means that there are many prabhus taking shelter under His lotus feet.” The pure Vaiṣṇava is addressed as prabhu, and this address is an etiquette observed between Vaiṣṇavas. When many prabhus remain under the shelter of the lotus feet of another prabhu, the address Prabhupāda is given. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu are also addressed as Prabhupāda. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Advaita Prabhu and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu are all viṣṇu-tattva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. Therefore all living entities are under Their lotus feet. Lord Viṣṇu is the eternal Lord of everyone, and the representative of Lord Viṣṇu is the Lord’s confidential servant. Such a person acts as the spiritual master for neophyte Vaiṣṇavas; therefore the spiritual master is as respectable as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya or Lord Viṣṇu Himself. For this reason the spiritual master is addressed as Oṁ Viṣṇupāda or Prabhupāda. The ācārya, the spiritual master, is generally respected by others as Śrīpāda, and the initiated Vaiṣṇavas are addressed as Prabhu. Prabhu, Prabhupāda and Viṣṇupāda are described in revealed scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Caitanya-bhāgavata. In this regard, these scriptures present evidence accepted by unalloyed devotees.
The prākṛta-sahajiyās are not even worthy of being called Vaiṣṇavas. They think that only caste gosvāmīs should be called Prabhupāda. Such ignorant sahajiyās call themselves vaiṣṇava-dāsa-anudāsa, which means the servant of the servant of the Vaiṣṇavas. However, they are opposed to addressing a pure Vaiṣṇava as Prabhupāda. In other words, they are envious of a bona fide spiritual master who is addressed as Prabhupāda, and they commit offenses by considering a bona fide spiritual master an ordinary human being or a member of a certain caste. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura describes such sahajiyās as most unfortunate. Because of their misconceptions, they fall into a hellish condition.
Bengali
প্রভুকে মিলিতে সবার উৎকণ্ঠিত মন ॥ ২৪ ॥
Text
prabhuke milite sabāra utkaṇṭhita mana
Synonyms
Translation
Thus all the residents of Jagannātha Purī, which is also known as Puruṣottama, became anxious to meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again.
Bengali
মহাপ্রভু দক্ষিণ হৈতে তবহি আইল ॥ ২৫ ॥
Text
mahāprabhu dakṣiṇa haite tabahi āila
Synonyms
Translation
When all the residents of Jagannātha Purī became extremely anxious to meet the Lord again, He returned from South India.
Bengali
সবে আসি’ সার্বভৌমে কৈল নিবেদন ॥ ২৬ ॥
Text
sabe āsi’ sārvabhaume kaila nivedana
Synonyms
Translation
Hearing of the Lord’s return, everyone became very happy, and they all went to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and spoke to him as follows.
Bengali
তোমার প্রসাদে পাই প্রভুর চরণ ॥ ২৭ ॥
Text
tomāra prasāde pāi prabhura caraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
“Please arrange our meeting with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is only by your mercy that we can attain the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.”
Bengali
প্রভু যাইবেন, তাহাঁ মিলাব সবারে ॥ ২৮ ॥
Text
prabhu yāibena, tāhāṅ milāba sabāre
Synonyms
Translation
The Bhaṭṭācārya replied to the people, “Tomorrow the Lord will be at the house of Kāśī Miśra. I shall arrange for you all to meet Him.”
Bengali
জগন্নাথ দরশন কৈল মহারঙ্গে ॥ ২৯ ॥
Text
jagannātha daraśana kaila mahā-raṅge
Synonyms
āra dina — the next day; mahāprabhu — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhaṭṭācāryera saṅge — with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; jagannātha — of Lord Jagannātha; daraśana — visiting the temple; kaila — did; mahā-raṅge — with great enthusiasm.
Translation
The next day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived and went with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, with great enthusiasm, to see the temple of Lord Jagannātha.
Bengali
মহাপ্রভু সবাকারে কৈল আলিঙ্গন ॥ ৩০ ॥
Text
mahāprabhu sabākāre kaila āliṅgana
Synonyms
Translation
All the servants of Lord Jagannātha delivered remnants of the Lord’s food to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In return, Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced them all.
Bengali
ভট্টাচার্য আনিল তাঁরে কাশীমিশ্র-ঘরে ॥ ৩১ ॥
Text
bhaṭṭācārya ānila tāṅre kāśī-miśra-ghare
Synonyms
Translation
After seeing Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left the temple. The Bhaṭṭācārya then took Him to the house of Kāśī Miśra.
Bengali
গৃহ-সহিত আত্মা তাঁরে কৈল নিবেদনে ॥ ৩২ ॥
Text
gṛha-sahita ātmā tāṅre kaila nivedane
Synonyms
Translation
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at his house, Kāśī Miśra immediately fell down at His lotus feet and surrendered himself and all his possessions.
Bengali
আত্মসাৎ করি’ তারে আলিঙ্গন কৈল ॥ ৩৩ ॥
Text
ātmasāt kari’ tāre āliṅgana kaila
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then showed Kāśī Miśra His four-armed form. Then, accepting him for His service, the Lord embraced him.
Bengali
চৌদিকে বসিলা নিত্যানন্দাদি ভক্তগণে ॥ ৩৪ ॥
Text
caudike vasilā nityānandādi bhakta-gaṇe
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu next sat down at the place prepared for Him, and all the devotees, headed by Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, surrounded Him.
Bengali
যেই বাসায় হয় প্রভুর সর্ব-সমাধান ॥ ৩৫ ॥
Text
yei vāsāya haya prabhura sarva-samādhāna
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very happy to see His residential quarters, in which all His necessities were taken care of.
Bengali
তুমি অঙ্গীকার কর, — কাশীমিশ্রের আশা ॥ ৩৬ ॥
Text
tumi aṅgīkāra kara, — kāśī-miśrera āśā
Synonyms
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “This place is just befitting You. Please accept it. It is the hope of Kāśī Miśra that You do.”
Bengali
যেই তুমি কহ, সেই সম্মত আমার ॥ ৩৭ ॥
Text
yei tumi kaha, sei sammata āmāra
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My body belongs to all of you. Therefore I agree to whatever you say.”
Bengali
মিলাইতে লাগিলা সব পুরুষোত্তমবাসী ॥ ৩৮ ॥
Text
milāite lāgilā saba puruṣottama-vāsī
Synonyms
Translation
After this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, sitting at the right hand of the Lord, began to introduce all the inhabitants of Puruṣottama, Jagannātha Purī.
Bengali
উৎকণ্ঠিত হঞাছে সবে তোমা মিলিবারে ॥ ৩৯ ॥
Text
utkaṇṭhita hañāche sabe tomā milibāre
Synonyms
Translation
The Bhaṭṭācārya said, “My dear Lord, all these people who are residents of Nīlācala, Jagannātha Purī, have been very anxious to meet You.
Bengali
তৈছে এই সব, — সবে কর অঙ্গীকার ॥ ৪০ ॥
Text
taiche ei saba, — sabe kara aṅgīkāra
Synonyms
Translation
“In Your absence all these people have been exactly like thirsty cātaka birds crying in disappointment. Kindly accept them.”
Bengali
অনবসরে করে প্রভুর শ্রীঅঙ্গ-সেবন ॥ ৪১ ॥
Text
anavasare kare prabhura śrī-aṅga-sevana
Synonyms
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya first introduced Janārdana, saying, “Here is Janārdana, servant of Lord Jagannātha. He renders service to the Lord when it is time to renovate His transcendental body.”
Purport
During Anavasara, after the Snāna-yātrā ceremony, Lord Jagannātha is absent from the temple for fifteen days so He can be renovated. This occurs annually. Janārdana, who is here being introduced to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, was rendering this service at the time. The renovation of Lord Jagannātha is also known as Nava-yauvana, which indicates that the Jagannātha Deity is being fully restored to youth.
Bengali
শিখি মাহাতি-নাম এই লিখনাধিকারী ॥ ৪২ ॥
Text
śikhi māhāti-nāma ei likhanādhikārī
Synonyms
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “This is Kṛṣṇadāsa, who carries a golden cane, and here is Śikhi Māhiti, who is in charge of writing.
Purport
The person in charge of writing is also called deula-karaṇa-pada-prāpta karmacārī. He is employed especially to write a calendar called Mātalā-pāṅji.
Bengali
জগন্নাথের মহা-সোয়ার ইঁহ ‘দাস’ নাম ॥ ৪৩ ॥
Text
jagannāthera mahā-soyāra iṅha ‘dāsa’ nāma
Synonyms
Translation
“This is Pradyumna Miśra, who is chief of all Vaiṣṇavas. He is a great servitor of Jagannātha, and his name is Dāsa.
Purport
In Orissa most of the brāhmaṇas have the title Dāsa. Generally it is understood that the word dāsa refers to those other than the brāhmaṇas, but in Orissa the brāhmaṇas use the Dāsa title. This is confirmed by Culli Bhaṭṭa. Actually, everyone is dāsa because everyone is a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In that sense, the bona fide brāhmaṇa has first claim to the appellation dāsa. Therefore in this case the designation dāsa is not incompatible.
Bengali
তোমার চরণ বিনু আর গতি নাই ॥ ৪৪ ॥
Text
tomāra caraṇa vinu āra gati nāi
Synonyms
Translation
“This is Murāri Māhiti, the brother of Śikhi Māhiti. He has nothing other than Your lotus feet.
Bengali
বিষ্ণুদাস, — ইঁহ ধ্যায়ে তোমার চরণ ॥ ৪৫ ॥
Text
viṣṇudāsa, — iṅha dhyāye tomāra caraṇa
Synonyms
candaneśvara — Candaneśvara; siṁheśvara — Siṁheśvara; murāri brāhmaṇa — the brāhmaṇa named Murāri; viṣṇudāsa — Viṣṇudāsa; iṅha — all of them; dhyāye — meditate; tomāra — Your; caraṇa — on the lotus feet.
Translation
“Here are Candaneśvara, Siṁheśvara, Murāri Brāhmaṇa and Viṣṇudāsa. They are all constantly engaged in meditating on Your lotus feet.
Bengali
পরমানন্দ মহাপাত্র ইঁহার সংহতি ॥ ৪৬ ॥
Text
paramānanda mahāpātra iṅhāra saṁhati
Synonyms
prahararāja — Prahararāja; mahāpātra — Mahāpātra; iṅha — this; mahā-mati — very intelligent; paramānanda mahāpātra — Paramānanda Mahāpātra; iṅhāra — of him; saṁhati — combination.
Translation
“This is Paramānanda Prahararāja, who is also known as Mahāpātra. He is very, very intelligent.
Purport
Prahararāja is a designation given to brāhmaṇas who represent the king when the throne is vacant. In Orissa, between the time of a king’s death and the enthronement of another king, a representative must sit on the throne. This representative is called Prahararāja. The Prahararāja is generally selected from a family of priests close to the king. During the time of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Prahararāja was Paramānanda Prahararāja.
Bengali
একান্তভাবে চিন্তে সবে তোমার চরণ ॥ ৪৭ ॥
Text
ekānta-bhāve cinte sabe tomāra caraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
“All these pure devotees serve as ornaments to Jagannātha Purī. They are always undeviatingly meditating upon Your lotus feet.”
Bengali
সবা আলিঙ্গিলা প্রভু প্রসাদ করিয়া ॥ ৪৮ ॥
Text
sabā āliṅgilā prabhu prasāda kariyā
Synonyms
Translation
After this introduction, everyone fell to the ground like rods. Being very merciful upon them all, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced each one of them.
Bengali
চারিপুত্র-সঙ্গে পড়ে মহাপ্রভুর পায় ॥ ৪৯ ॥
Text
cāri-putra-saṅge paḍe mahāprabhura pāya
Synonyms
Translation
At this time Bhavānanda Rāya appeared with four of his sons, and all of them fell down at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Purport
Bhavānanda Rāya had five sons, one of whom was the exalted personality known as Rāmānanda Rāya. Bhavānanda Rāya first met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu after His return from South India. At that time Rāmānanda Rāya was still serving at his government post; therefore when Bhavānanda Rāya went to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he went with his other four sons. They were named Vāṇīnātha, Gopīnātha, Kalānidhi and Sudhānidhi. A description of Bhavānanda Rāya and his five sons is given in the Ādi-līlā (10.133-34).
Bengali
ইঁহার প্রথম পুত্র — রায় রামানন্দ ॥ ৫০ ॥
Text
iṅhāra prathama putra — rāya rāmānanda
Synonyms
sārvabhauma kahe — Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued to speak; ei — this person; rāya bhavānanda — Bhavānanda Rāya; iṅhāra — his; prathama putra — first son; rāya rāmānanda — Rāmānanda Rāya.
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “This is Bhavānanda Rāya, the father of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, who is his first son.”
Bengali
স্তুতি করি’ কহে রামানন্দ-বিবরণ ॥ ৫১ ॥
Text
stuti kari’ kahe rāmānanda-vivaraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Bhavānanda Rāya and with great respect spoke of his son Rāmānanda Rāya.
Bengali
তাঁহার মহিমা লোকে কহন না যায় ॥ ৫২ ॥
Text
tāṅhāra mahimā loke kahana nā yāya
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu honored Bhavānanda Rāya by saying, “The glories of a person who has a jewel of a son like Rāmānanda Rāya cannot be described within this mortal world.
Bengali
পঞ্চপাণ্ডব তোমার পঞ্চপুত্র মহামতি ॥ ৫৩ ॥
Text
pañca-pāṇḍava tomāra pañca-putra mahā-mati
Synonyms
Translation
“You are Mahārāja Pāṇḍu himself, and your wife is Kuntīdevī herself. All your highly intellectual sons are representatives of the five Pāṇḍavas.”
Bengali
তবু তুমি স্পর্শ, — এই ঈশ্বর-লক্ষণ ॥ ৫৪ ॥
Text
tabu tumi sparśa, — ei īśvara-lakṣaṇa
Synonyms
Translation
After hearing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s praise, Bhavānanda Rāya submitted, “I am in the fourth class of the social order, and I engage in mundane affairs. Although I am very fallen, You have still touched me. This is proof that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Purport
As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (5.18):
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
“The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].”
Those who are highly advanced in spiritual understanding do not care about a person’s material condition. A spiritually advanced person sees the spiritual identity of every living being, and consequently he makes no distinction between a learned brāhmaṇa, a dog, a caṇḍāla or anyone else. He is not influenced by the material body but sees a person’s spiritual identity. Consequently Bhavānanda Rāya appreciated Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s statement, which showed that the Lord did not consider the social position of Bhavānanda Rāya, who belonged to the śūdra caste engaged in mundane activities. Rather, the Lord considered the spiritual position of Bhavānanda Rāya, along with that of Rāmānanda Rāya and his brothers. The servant of the Lord is also similarly inclined. He gives shelter to any person — any living entity — regardless of whether he belongs to a brāhmaṇa family or a caṇḍāla family. The spiritual master reclaims all people and encourages everyone in spiritual life. By taking shelter of such a devotee, one can make his life successful. As confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.4.18):
ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ
ye ’nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ
śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ
“Kirātas, Hūṇas, Āndhras, Pulindas, Pulkaśas, Ābhīras, Śumbhas, Yavanas and members of the Khaśa races, and even others who are addicted to sinful acts, can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.”
Whoever takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His pure devotee is elevated to the spiritual order and purified from material contamination. This is also confirmed by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.32):
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim
“O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth — women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] — can attain the supreme destination.”
Bengali
আত্মা সমর্পিলুঁ আমি তোমার চরণে ॥ ৫৫ ॥
Text
ātmā samarpiluṅ āmi tomāra caraṇe
Synonyms
Translation
Appreciating Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s favor, Bhavānanda Rāya also said, “Along with my home, riches, servants and five sons, I surrender myself at Your lotus feet.
Purport
This is the process of surrender. As Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings:
arpiluṅ tuyā pade nanda-kiśora!
(Śaraṇāgati)
When one surrenders unto the lotus feet of the Lord, he does so with everything in his possession — his house, his body, his mind and whatever else he possesses. If there is any obstruction to this surrendering process, one should immediately give it up without attachment. If one can surrender with all his family members, there is no need to take sannyāsa. However, if the surrendering process is hampered by so-called family members, one should immediately give them up to complete the surrendering process.
Bengali
যবে যেই আজ্ঞা, তাহা করিবে সেবনে ॥ ৫৬ ॥
Text
yabe yei ājñā, tāhā karibe sevane
Synonyms
Translation
“This son Vāṇīnātha will remain at Your lotus feet to always immediately attend to Your orders and serve You.
Bengali
যেই যবে ইচ্ছা, তবে সেই আজ্ঞা দিবে ॥ ৫৭ ॥
Text
yei yabe icchā, tabe sei ājñā dibe
Synonyms
Translation
“My dear Lord, please consider me Your relative. Do not hesitate to order whatever You desire at any time You desire it.”
Bengali
জন্মে জন্মে তুমি আমার সবংশে কিঙ্কর ॥ ৫৮ ॥
Text
janme janme tumi āmāra savaṁśe kiṅkara
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Bhavānanda Rāya’s offer, saying, “I accept without hesitation because you are not an outsider. Birth after birth you have been My servant, along with your family members.
Bengali
তাঁর সঙ্গে পূর্ণ হবে আমার আনন্দ ॥ ৫৯ ॥
Text
tāṅra saṅge pūrṇa habe āmāra ānanda
Synonyms
Translation
“Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya is coming within five to seven days. As soon as he arrives, My desires will be fulfilled. I take great pleasure in his company.”
Bengali
তাঁর পুত্র সব শিরে ধরিল চরণ ॥ ৬০ ॥
Text
tāṅra putra saba śire dharila caraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
Saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Bhavānanda Rāya. The Lord then touched the heads of his sons with His lotus feet.
Bengali
বাণীনাথ-পট্টনায়কে নিকটে রাখিল ॥ ৬১ ॥
Text
vāṇīnātha-paṭṭanāyake nikaṭe rākhila
Synonyms
tabe — thereafter; mahāprabhu — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅre — him (Bhavānanda Rāya); ghare — to his home; pāṭhāila — sent back; vāṇīnātha-paṭṭanāyake — Vāṇīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka; nikaṭe — near; rākhila — kept.
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then sent Bhavānanda Rāya back to his home, and He kept only Vāṇīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka in His personal service.
Bengali
তবে প্রভু কালা-কৃষ্ণদাসে বোলাইল ॥ ৬২ ॥
Text
tabe prabhu kālā-kṛṣṇadāse bolāila
Synonyms
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then asked all the people to leave. Afterward, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu called for Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa, who had accompanied the Lord during His South Indian tour.
Bengali
দক্ষিণ গিয়াছিল ইঁহ আমার সহিত ॥ ৬৩ ॥
Text
dakṣiṇa giyāchila iṅha āmāra sahita
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, just consider the character of this man who went with Me to South India.
Bengali
ভট্টথারি হৈতে ইঁহারে আনিলুঁ উদ্ধারিয়া ॥ ৬৪ ॥
Text
bhaṭṭathāri haite iṅhāre āniluṅ uddhāriyā
Synonyms
bhaṭṭathāri-kāche — in the association of the Bhaṭṭathāris; gelā — he went; āmāre chāḍiyā — giving up My company; bhaṭṭathāri haite — from the Bhaṭṭathāris; iṅhāre — him; āniluṅ — I brought; uddhāriyā — after rescuing.
Translation
“He left My company to associate with the Bhaṭṭathāris, but I rescued him from their company and brought him here.
Bengali
যাহাঁ ইচ্ছা, যাহ, আমা-সনে নাহি আর দায় ॥ ৬৫ ॥
Text
yāhāṅ icchā, yāha, āmā-sane nāhi āra dāya
Synonyms
Translation
“Now that I have brought him here, I am asking him to leave. Now he can go wherever he likes, for I am no longer responsible for him.”
Purport
Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa was influenced and allured by nomads or gypsies, who enticed him with women. Māyā is so strong that Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa left Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s company to join gypsy women. Even though a person may associate with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he can be allured by māyā and leave the Lord’s company due to his slight independence. Only one who is overwhelmed by māyā can be so unfortunate as to leave Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s company, yet unless one is very conscientious, the influence of māyā can drag one away, even though he be the personal assistant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And what to speak of others? The Bhaṭṭathāris used to increase their numbers by using women to allure outsiders. This is factual evidence showing that it is possible at any time to fall down from the Lord’s association. One need only misuse his little independence. Once fallen and separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s association, one becomes a candidate for suffering in the material world. Although rejected by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa was given another chance, as the following verses relate.
Bengali
মধ্যাহ্ন করিতে মহাপ্রভু চলি’ গেল ॥ ৬৬ ॥
Text
madhyāhna karite mahāprabhu cali’ gela
Synonyms
Translation
Hearing the Lord reject him, Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa began to cry. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not caring for him, immediately left to take His noon lunch.
Bengali
চারিজনে যুক্তি তবে করিলা অন্তর ॥ ৬৭ ॥
Text
cāri-jane yukti tabe karilā antara
Synonyms
nityānanda — Lord Nityānanda Prabhu; jagadānanda — Jagadānanda; mukunda — Mukunda; dāmodara — Dāmodara; cāri-jane — four persons; yukti — plan; tabe — thereupon; karilā — did; antara — within the mind.
Translation
After this, the other devotees — headed by Nityānanda Prabhu, Jagadānanda, Mukunda and Dāmodara — began to consider a certain plan.
Purport
Even though a person is rejected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotees of the Lord do not reject him; therefore the Lord’s devotees are more merciful than the Lord Himself. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura thus sings, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra peyeche kebā: one cannot be relieved from the material clutches without engaging in the service of pure devotees. The Lord Himself may sometimes be very hard, but the devotees are always kind. Thus Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa received the mercy of the four devotees mentioned above.
Bengali
‘আই’কে কহিবে যাই, প্রভুর আগমন ॥ ৬৮ ॥
Text
‘āi’ke kahibe yāi, prabhura āgamana
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord’s four devotees considered, “We want a person to go to Bengal just to inform Śacīmātā about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival at Jagannātha Purī.
Bengali
সবেই আসিবে শুনি’ প্রভুর আগমন ॥ ৬৯ ॥
Text
sabei āsibe śuni’ prabhura āgamana
Synonyms
Translation
“After hearing news of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival, devotees like Advaita and Śrīvāsa will certainly come to see Him.
Bengali
এত কহি’ তারে রাখিলেন আশ্বাসিয়া ॥ ৭০॥
Text
eta kahi’ tāre rākhilena āśvāsiyā
Synonyms
Translation
“Let us therefore send Kṛṣṇadāsa to Bengal.” Saying this, they kept Kṛṣṇadāsa engaged in the service of the Lord and gave him assurance.
Purport
Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected him, Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa became very, very sorry and began to cry. Therefore the Lord’s devotees took compassion upon him, gave him assurance and encouraged him to continue to engage in the Lord’s service.
Bengali
আজ্ঞা দেহ’ গৌড়-দেশে পাঠাই একজন ॥ ৭১ ॥
Text
ājñā deha’ gauḍa-deśe pāṭhāi eka-jana
Synonyms
Translation
The next day, all the devotees asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Please give permission for a person to go to Bengal.
Bengali
অদ্বৈতাদি ভক্ত সব আছে দুঃখ পাই’ ॥ ৭২ ॥
Text
advaitādi bhakta saba āche duḥkha pāi’
Synonyms
Translation
“Mother Śacī and all the devotees headed by Advaita Prabhu are all very unhappy due to not receiving news about Your return from Your South Indian tour.
Bengali
প্রভু কহে, — সেই কর, যে ইচ্ছা তোমার ॥ ৭৩ ॥
Text
prabhu kahe, — sei kara, ye icchā tomāra
Synonyms
Translation
“One person should go to Bengal and inform them about the auspicious news of Your return to Jagannātha Purī.”
Purport
Upon hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Do whatever you decide.”
Bengali
বৈষ্ণব-সবাকে দিতে মহাপ্রসাদ দিল ॥ ৭৪ ॥
Text
vaiṣṇava-sabāke dite mahā-prasāda dila
Synonyms
Translation
In this way Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa was sent to Bengal, and he was given sufficient quantities of Lord Jagannātha’s food remnants to distribute there.
Bengali
নবদ্বীপে গেল তেঁহ শচী-আই-পাশ ॥ ৭৫ ॥
Text
navadvīpe gela teṅha śacī-āi-pāśa
Synonyms
Translation
Thus Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa went to Bengal, and he first went to Navadvīpa to see mother Śacī.
Bengali
দক্ষিণ হৈতে আইলা প্রভু, — কহে সমাচার ॥ ৭৬ ॥
Text
dakṣiṇa haite āilā prabhu, — kahe samācāra
Synonyms
Translation
Upon reaching mother Śacī, Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa first offered his obeisances and delivered the food remnants [mahā-prasādam]. He then informed her of the good news that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had returned from His South Indian tour.
Bengali
শ্রীবাসাদি আর যত যত ভক্তগণ ॥ ৭৭ ॥
Text
śrīvāsādi āra yata yata bhakta-gaṇa
Synonyms
Translation
This good news gave much pleasure to mother Śacī, as well as to all the devotees of Navadvīpa, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.
Bengali
অদ্বৈত-আচার্য-গৃহে গেলা কৃষ্ণদাস ॥ ৭৮ ॥
Text
advaita-ācārya-gṛhe gelā kṛṣṇadāsa
Synonyms
Translation
Hearing of Lord Caitanya’s return to Purī, everyone became very glad. Kṛṣṇadāsa next went to the house of Advaita Ācārya.
Bengali
সম্যক্ কহিল মহাপ্রভুর সমাচার ॥ ৭৯ ॥
Text
samyak kahila mahāprabhura samācāra
Synonyms
Translation
After paying Him respectful obeisances, Kṛṣṇadāsa offered mahā-prasādam to Advaita Ācārya. He then informed Him of the news of Lord Caitanya in complete detail.
Bengali
প্রেমাবেশে হুঙ্কার বহু নৃত্য-গীত কৈল ॥ ৮০ ॥
Text
premāveśe huṅkāra bahu nṛtya-gīta kaila
Synonyms
Translation
When Advaita Ācārya Gosvāmī heard of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s return, He became very pleased. In His great ecstasy of love, He made a rumbling sound and danced and chanted for a long time.
Bengali
বাসুদেব দত্ত, গুপ্ত মুরারি, সেন শিবানন্দ ॥ ৮১ ॥
Text
vāsudeva datta, gupta murāri, sena śivānanda
Synonyms
Translation
Also hearing this auspicious news, Haridāsa Ṭhākura became very pleased. So also did Vāsudeva Datta, Murāri Gupta and Śivānanda Sena.
Bengali
আচার্যনিধি, আর পণ্ডিত গদাধর ॥ ৮২ ॥
Text
ācāryanidhi, āra paṇḍita gadādhara
Synonyms
ācāryaratna — Ācāryaratna; āra — and; paṇḍita vakreśvara — Vakreśvara Paṇḍita; ācāryanidhi — Ācāryanidhi; āra — also; paṇḍita gadādhara — Gadādhara Paṇḍita.
Translation
Ācāryaratna, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, Ācāryanidhi and Gadādhara Paṇḍita were all very pleased to hear this news.
Bengali
শ্রীমান্ পণ্ডিত, আর বিজয়, শ্রীধর ॥ ৮৩ ॥
Text
śrīmān paṇḍita, āra vijaya, śrīdhara
Synonyms
Translation
Śrīrāma Paṇḍita, Dāmodara Paṇḍita, Śrīmān Paṇḍita, Vijaya and Śrīdhara were also very pleased to hear it.
Bengali
কতেক কহিব আর যত প্রভুর গণ ॥ ৮৪ ॥
Text
kateka kahiba āra yata prabhura gaṇa
Synonyms
Translation
Rāghava Paṇḍita, Nandana Ācārya and all the devotees became very satisfied. How many can I describe?
Bengali
সবে মেলি’ গেলা শ্রীঅদ্বৈতের পাশ ॥ ৮৫ ॥
Text
sabe meli’ gelā śrī-advaitera pāśa
Synonyms
Translation
Everyone was very pleased, and they all gathered together at the house of Advaita Ācārya.
Bengali
আচার্য-গোসাঁই সবারে কৈল আলিঙ্গন ॥ ৮৬ ॥
Text
ācārya-gosāṅi sabāre kaila āliṅgana
Synonyms
Translation
All the devotees offered respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of Advaita Ācārya, and in return Advaita Ācārya embraced them all.
Bengali
নীলাচল যাইতে আচার্য যুক্তি দৃঢ় কৈল ॥ ৮৭ ॥
Text
nīlācala yāite ācārya yukti dṛḍha kaila
Synonyms
Translation
Advaita Ācārya then held a festival that lasted two or three days. Thereafter, they all made a firm decision to go to Jagannātha Purī.
Bengali
নীলাদ্রি চলিল শচীমাতার আজ্ঞা লঞা ॥ ৮৮ ॥
Text
nīlādri calila śacīmātāra ājñā lañā
Synonyms
Translation
All the devotees met together at Navadvīpa and, with mother Śacī’s permission, departed for Nīlādri, Jagannātha Purī.
Bengali
সত্যরাজ-রামানন্দ মিলিলা সবে আসি’ ॥ ৮৯ ॥
Text
satyarāja-rāmānanda mililā sabe āsi’
Synonyms
Translation
The inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma — Satyarāja, Rāmānanda and all the other devotees there — came and joined Advaita Ācārya.
Bengali
আচার্যের ঠাঞি আইলা নীলাচল যাইতে ॥ ৯০ ॥
Text
ācāryera ṭhāñi āilā nīlācala yāite
Synonyms
Translation
Mukunda, Narahari, Raghunandana and all the others came from Khaṇḍa to Advaita Ācārya’s home to accompany Him to Jagannātha Purī.
Bengali
গঙ্গাতীরে-তীরে আইলা নদীয়া নগরী ॥ ৯১ ॥
Text
gaṅgā-tīre-tīre āilā nadīyā nagarī
Synonyms
Translation
At that time Paramānanda Purī came from South India. Traveling along the banks of the Ganges, he ultimately reached the town of Nadia.
Bengali
আই তাঁরে ভিক্ষা দিলা করিয়া সম্মান ॥ ৯২ ॥
Text
āi tāṅre bhikṣā dilā kariyā sammāna
Synonyms
Translation
At Navadvīpa, Paramānanda Purī took his board and lodging at the house of Śacīmātā. She provided him with everything very respectfully.
Bengali
শীঘ্র নীলাচল যাইতে তাঁর ইচ্ছা হৈল ॥ ৯৩ ॥
Text
śīghra nīlācala yāite tāṅra icchā haila
Synonyms
Translation
While residing at the house of Śacīmātā, Paramānanda Purī heard the news of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s return to Jagannātha Purī. He therefore decided to go there as soon as possible.
Bengali
তাঁরে লঞা নীলাচলে করিলা প্রয়াণ ॥ ৯৪ ॥
Text
tāṅre lañā nīlācale karilā prayāṇa
Synonyms
Translation
There was a devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s named Dvija Kamalākānta, whom Paramānanda Purī took with him to Jagannātha Purī.
Bengali
প্রভুর আনন্দ হৈল পাঞা তাঁহারে ॥ ৯৫ ॥
Text
prabhura ānanda haila pāñā tāṅhāre
Synonyms
Translation
Paramānanda Purī very soon arrived at Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s place. The Lord was very happy to see him.
Bengali
তেঁহ প্রেমাবেশে কৈল প্রভুরে আলিঙ্গন ॥ ৯৬ ॥
Text
teṅha premāveśe kaila prabhure āliṅgana
Synonyms
Translation
In the great ecstasy of love, the Lord worshiped the lotus feet of Paramānanda Purī, and in turn Paramānanda Purī embraced the Lord in great ecstasy.
Bengali
মোরে কৃপা করি’ কর নীলাদ্রি আশ্রয় ॥ ৯৭ ॥
Text
more kṛpā kari’ kara nīlādri āśraya
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Please stay with Me and thus show Me favor, accepting the shelter of Jagannātha Purī.”
Bengali
গৌড় হৈতে চলি’ আইলাঙ নীলাচল-পুরী ॥ ৯৮ ॥
Text
gauḍa haite cali’ āilāṅa nīlācala-purī
Synonyms
Translation
Paramānanda Purī replied, “I also wish to stay with You. Therefore I have come from Bengal, Gauḍa, to Jagannātha Purī.
Bengali
শচী আনন্দিত, আর যত ভক্তগণ ॥ ৯৯ ॥
Text
śacī ānandita, āra yata bhakta-gaṇa
Synonyms
Translation
“At Navadvīpa, mother Śacī and all the other devotees were very glad to hear about Your return from South India.
Bengali
তাঁ-সবার বিলম্ব দেখি’ আইলাঙ ত্বরিতে ॥ ১০০ ॥
Text
tāṅ-sabāra vilamba dekhi’ āilāṅa tvarite
Synonyms
Translation
“They are all coming here to see You, but seeing that they were delayed, I came alone very quickly.”
Bengali
প্রভু তাঁরে দিল, আর সেবার কিঙ্কর ॥ ১০১ ॥
Text
prabhu tāṅre dila, āra sevāra kiṅkara
Synonyms
Translation
There was a solitary room at Kāśī Miśra’s house, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave it to Paramānanda Purī. He also gave him a servant.
Bengali
প্রভুর অত্যন্ত মর্মী, রসের সাগর ॥ ১০২ ॥
Text
prabhura atyanta marmī, rasera sāgara
Synonyms
Translation
Svarūpa Dāmodara also arrived the next day. He was a very intimate friend of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s, and he was an ocean of transcendental mellows.
Purport
“Svarūpa” is one of the names of a brahmacārī in Śaṅkarācārya’s disciplic succession. In the Vedic discipline there are ten names for sannyāsīs, and it is customary for a brahmacārī assisting a sannyāsī of the designation Tīrtha or Āśrama to receive the title Svarūpa. Dāmodara Svarūpa was formerly a resident of Navadvīpa, and his name was Puruṣottama Ācārya. When he went to Vārāṇasī, he took sannyāsa from a sannyāsī designated Tīrtha. Although he received the title Svarūpa in his brahmacārī stage, he did not change his name when he took sannyāsa. Actually as a sannyāsī he should have been called Tīrtha, but he chose to retain his original brahmacārī title of Svarūpa.
Bengali
নবদ্বীপে ছিলা তেঁহ প্রভুর চরণে ॥ ১০৩ ॥
Text
navadvīpe chilā teṅha prabhura caraṇe
Synonyms
Translation
When Svarūpa Dāmodara was residing at Navadvīpa under the shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his name was Puruṣottama Ācārya.
Bengali
সন্ন্যাস গ্রহণ কৈল বারাণসী গিয়া ॥ ১০৪ ॥
Text
sannyasa grahaṇa kaila vārāṇasī giyā
Synonyms
Translation
After seeing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the renounced order, Puruṣottama Ācārya became like a madman and immediately went to Vārāṇasī to take sannyāsa.
Bengali
বেদান্ত পড়িয়া পড়াও সমস্ত লোকেরে ॥ ১০৫ ॥
Text
vedānta paḍiyā paḍāo samasta lokere
Synonyms
Translation
At the conclusion of his sannyāsa, his spiritual master, Caitanyānanda Bhāratī, ordered him, “Read the Vedānta-sūtra and teach it to all others.”
Bengali
কায়মনে আশ্রিয়াছে শ্রীকৃষ্ণ চরিত ॥ ১০৬ ॥
Text
kāya-mane āśriyāche śrī-kṛṣṇa-carita
Synonyms
Translation
Svarūpa Dāmodara was a great renunciant as well as a great learned scholar. With heart and soul he took shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Bengali
উন্মাদে করিল তেঁহ সন্ন্যাস গ্রহণে ॥ ১০৭ ॥
Text
unmāde karila teṅha sannyāsa grahaṇe
Synonyms
Translation
He was very enthusiastic to worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa without disturbance, and therefore, almost in madness, he accepted the sannyāsa order.
Bengali
যোগপট্ট না নিল, নাম হৈল ‘স্বরূপ’ ॥ ১০৮ ॥
Text
yoga-paṭṭa nā nila, nāma haila ‘svarūpa’
Synonyms
Translation
Upon accepting sannyāsa, Puruṣottama Ācārya followed the regulative principles by giving up his tuft of hair and sacred thread, but he did not accept the saffron-colored dress. Also, he did not accept a sannyāsī title but remained as a naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī.
Purport
There are regulative principles governing the renounced order. One has to perform eight kinds of śrāddha. One must offer oblations to one’s forefathers and perform the sacrifice of virajā-homa. Then one must cut off the tuft of hair called a śikhā and also give up the sacred thread. These are preliminary processes in the acceptance of sannyāsa, and Svarūpa Dāmodara accepted all these. However, Puruṣottama Ācārya did not accept the saffron color, a sannyāsī name or a daṇḍa, and for this reason he retained his brahmacārī name. Actually Puruṣottama Ācārya did not accept the sannyāsa order formally, but he renounced worldly life. He did not want to be disturbed by the formality of the sannyāsa order. He simply wanted to worship Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa without disturbance; therefore with heart and soul he took up the renounced order but not the formalities accompanying it. Renunciation means not doing anything but serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. When one acts on this platform, trying to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is both a sannyāsī and a yogī. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (6.1):
anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ
sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnir na cākriyaḥ
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, ‘One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no work.’ ”
Bengali
রাত্রিদিনে কৃষ্ণপ্রেম-আনন্দ-বিহ্বলে ॥ ১০৯ ॥
Text
rātri-dine kṛṣṇa-prema-ānanda-vihvale
Synonyms
Translation
After taking permission from his sannyāsa-guru, Svarūpa Dāmodara went to Nīlācala and accepted the shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then all day and night, in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa, he enjoyed transcendental mellows in the loving service of the Lord.
Bengali
নির্জনে রহয়ে, লোক সব নাহি জানে ॥ ১১০ ॥
Text
nirjane rahaye, loka saba nāhi jāne
Synonyms
Translation
Svarūpa Dāmodara was the limit of all learned scholarship, but he did not exchange words with anyone. He simply remained in a solitary place, and no one could understand where he was.
Bengali
সাক্ষাৎ মহাপ্রভুর দ্বিতীয় স্বরূপ ॥ ১১১ ॥
Text
sākṣāt mahāprabhura dvitīya svarūpa
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara was the personification of ecstatic love, fully cognizant of the transcendental mellows in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. He directly represented Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as His second expansion.
Bengali
স্বরূপ পরীক্ষা কৈলে, পাছে প্রভু শুনে ॥ ১১২ ॥
Text
svarūpa parīkṣā kaile, pāche prabhu śune
Synonyms
Translation
If someone wrote a book or composed verses and songs and wanted to recite them before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara would first examine them and then correctly present them. Only then would Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu agree to listen.
Bengali
শুনিতে না হয় প্রভুর চিত্তের উল্লাস ॥ ১১৩ ॥
Text
śunite nā haya prabhura cittera ullāsa
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was never pleased to hear books or verses opposed to the conclusive statements of devotional service. The Lord did not like hearing rasābhāsa, the overlapping of transcendental mellows.
Purport
Bhakti-siddhānta-viruddha refers to that which is against the principle of unity in diversity, philosophically known as acintya-bhedābheda — simultaneous oneness and difference — whereas rasābhāsa is something that may appear to be a transcendental mellow but actually is not. Those who are pure Vaiṣṇavas should avoid both these things opposed to devotional service. These misconceptions practically parallel the Māyāvāda philosophy. If one indulges in Māyāvāda philosophy, he gradually falls down from the platform of devotional service. By overlapping mellows (rasābhāsa) one eventually becomes a prākṛta-sahajiyā and takes everything to be very easy. One may also become a member of the bāula community and gradually become attracted to material activities. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore advised us to avoid bhakti-siddhānta-viruddha and rasābhāsa. In this way the devotee can remain pure and free from falldowns. Everyone should try to remain aloof from bhakti-siddhānta-viruddha and rasābhāsa.
Bengali
শুদ্ধ হয় যদি, প্রভুরে করা’ন শ্রবণ ॥ ১১৪ ॥
Text
śuddha haya yadi, prabhure karā’na śravaṇa
Synonyms
Translation
It was the practice of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī to examine all literatures to find out whether their conclusions were correct. Only then would he allow them to be heard by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Purport
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that if something impedes the execution of devotional service, it should be understood to be impure. Pure devotees of the Lord do not accept impure principles. Impure devotees accept rasābhāsa, or overlapping, contradictory mellows, and other principles opposed to the bhakti path. The followers of such impure principles are never accepted as pure devotees. There are many parties following the path of rasābhāsa, and the followers are sometimes adored by ordinary men. Those who adopt the conclusions of rasābhāsa and bhakti-siddhānta-viruddha are never accepted as devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī never approved such followers as Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, nor did he allow them even to meet the Supreme Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Bengali
এই তিন গীতে করা’ন প্রভুর আনন্দ ॥ ১১৫ ॥
Text
ei tina gīte karā’na prabhura ānanda
Synonyms
vidyāpati — an old Vaiṣṇava poet from the province of Mithilā; caṇḍīdāsa — a Bengali Vaiṣṇava poet born in the village of Nānnura, in the Birbhum district; śrī-gīta-govinda — a celebrated poem by Jayadeva Gosvāmī; ei — these; tina — three; gīte — songs; karā’na — cause; prabhura — of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ānanda — happiness.
Translation
Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara used to read the poems of Vidyāpati and Caṇḍīdāsa and Jayadeva Gosvāmī’s Śrī Gīta-govinda. He used to make Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very happy by singing these songs.
Bengali
দামোদর-সম আর নাহি মহামতি ॥ ১১৬ ॥
Text
dāmodara-sama āra nāhi mahā-mati
Synonyms
Translation
Svarūpa Dāmodara was as expert a musician as the Gandharvas, and in scriptural discussion he was just like Bṛhaspati, the priest of the heavenly gods. Therefore it is to be concluded that there was no great personality quite like Svarūpa Dāmodara.
Purport
Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī was very expert in music as well as the Vedic scriptures. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to call him Dāmodara because of his expert singing and musical skills. The name Dāmodara was given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and added to the name given by his sannyāsa-guru. He was therefore known as Svarūpa Dāmodara, or Dāmodara Svarūpa. He compiled a book of music named Saṅgīta-dāmodara.
Bengali
শ্রীবাসাদি ভক্তগণের হয় প্রাণ-সম ॥ ১১৭ ॥
Text
śrīvāsādi bhakta-gaṇera haya prāṇa-sama
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara was very dear to Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu, and he was the life and soul of all the devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.
Bengali
চরণে পড়িয়া শ্লোক পড়িতে লাগিলা ॥ ১১৮ ॥
Text
caraṇe paḍiyā śloka paḍite lāgilā
Synonyms
Translation
When Svarūpa Dāmodara came to Jagannātha Purī, he fell flat before the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, offering Him obeisances and reciting a verse.
Bengali
শাম্যচ্ছাস্ত্রবিবাদয়া রসদয়া চিত্তার্পিতোন্মাদয়া ।
শশ্বদ্ভক্তিবিনোদয়া স-মদয়া মাধুর্যমর্যাদয়া
শ্রীচৈতন্য দয়ানিধে তব দয়া ভূয়াদমন্দোদয়া ॥ ১১৯ ॥
Text
śāmyac-chāstra-vivādayā rasa-dayā cittārpitonmādayā
śaśvad-bhakti-vinodayā sa-madayā mādhurya-maryādayā
śrī-caitanya dayā-nidhe tava dayā bhūyād amandodayā
Synonyms
helā — very easily; uddhūnita — driven away; khedayā — lamentation; viśadayā — which purifies everything; pronmīlat — awakening; āmodayā — transcendental bliss; śāmyat — mitigating; śāstra — of revealed scriptures; vivādayā — disagreements; rasa-dayā — distributing all transcendental mellows; citta — in the heart; arpita — fixed; unmādayā — jubilation; śaśvat — always; bhakti — devotional service; vinodayā — stimulating; sa-madayā — full of ecstasy; mādhurya — of conjugal love; maryādayā — the limit; śrī-caitanya — O Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; dayā-nidhe — ocean of mercy; tava — Your; dayā — mercy; bhūyāt — let it be; amanda — of good fortune; udayā — in which there is awakening.
Translation
“O ocean of mercy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Let there be an awakening of Your auspicious mercy, which easily drives away all kinds of material lamentation by making everything pure and blissful. Indeed, Your mercy awakens transcendental bliss and covers all material pleasures. By Your auspicious mercy, quarrels and disagreements arising among different scriptures are vanquished. Your auspicious mercy pours forth transcendental mellows and thus causes the heart to jubilate. Your mercy, which is full of joy, always stimulates devotional service and glorifies conjugal love of God. May transcendental bliss be awakened within my heart by Your causeless mercy.”
Purport
This important verse (Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 8.10) specifically describes the Lord’s causeless mercy. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the most magnanimous Personality of Godhead, distributes His causeless mercy in three ways to the conditioned soul. Every living entity is morose in the material world because he is always in want. He undergoes a great struggle for existence and tries to minimize his miserable condition by squeezing the utmost pleasure out of this world. But the living entity is never successful in this endeavor. While in a miserable condition, a person sometimes seeks the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but this is very difficult for materialistic people to obtain. However, when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the grace of the Lord, the fragrance of the lotus feet of the Lord expands, and in this way a materialist may gain freedom from his miseries. Actually his mind is cleansed by his transcendental connection with the lotus feet of the Lord. At such a time one is enlightened by the loving service of the Lord.
There are many different kinds of scriptures, and by reading them one often becomes puzzled. But when one receives the mercy of the Lord, his confusion is mitigated. Not only are scriptural disparities resolved, but a kind of transcendental bliss is awakened, and in this way one is fully satisfied. The transcendental loving service of the Lord constantly engages the conditioned soul in serving the Lord’s lotus feet. Through such fortunate engagement, one’s transcendental love for Kṛṣṇa is increased. One’s position is thus completely purified, and one is filled with transcendental bliss accompanied by the spirit soul’s jubilation.
Thus the transcendental causeless mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa is manifested in the heart of the devotee. At such a time, material needs no longer exist. The lamentation that invariably accompanies material desires also vanishes. By the grace of the Lord one is elevated to the transcendental position, and then the transcendental mellows of the spiritual world are manifested in him. One’s devotional service then becomes firm, and one engages in the Lord’s transcendental loving service with great determination. All these combine to fully awaken the devotee’s heart with love of Kṛṣṇa.
In the beginning, a conditioned soul is bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is always morose in his material activities. Later, by associating with a pure devotee, one becomes inquisitive to know the Absolute Truth. In this way one begins to engage in the transcendental service of the Lord. Next, by the Lord’s grace all misconceptions are vanquished and the heart is cleansed of all material dirt. It is only then that the pleasure of transcendental bliss is awakened. By the Lord’s mercy one is completely convinced of the value of devotional service. When one can see the pastimes of the Lord everywhere, he is firmly situated in transcendental bliss. Such a devotee is relieved of all kinds of material desires, and he preaches the glories of the Lord all over the world. These Kṛṣṇa conscious activities separate him from material activities and the desire for liberation, because at every step the devotee feels himself connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although such a devotee may sometimes be involved in household life, he is untouched by material existence due to his constant engagement in devotional service. Thus everyone is advised to take shelter of devotional service to become happy and liberated.
Bengali
দুইজনে প্রেমাবেশে হৈল অচেতন ॥ ১২০ ॥
Text
dui-jane premāveśe haila acetana
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu raised Svarūpa Dāmodara to his feet and embraced him. They both became ecstatic in love and fell unconscious.
Bengali
তবে মহাপ্রভু তাঁরে কহিতে লাগিলা ॥ ১২১ ॥
Text
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre kahite lāgilā
Synonyms
Translation
After they had regained their patience, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to speak.
Bengali
ভাল হৈল, অন্ধ যেন দুই নেত্র পাইল ॥ ১২২ ॥
Text
bhāla haila, andha yena dui netra pāila
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I saw in a dream that you were coming, and so this is very auspicious. I have been like a blind man, but your coming here restores My vision.”
Bengali
তোমা ছাড়ি’ অন্যত্র গেনু, করিনু প্রমাদ ॥ ১২৩ ॥
Text
tomā chāḍi’ anyatra genu, karinu pramāda
Synonyms
Translation
Svarūpa said, “My dear Lord, please excuse my offense. I gave up Your company to go elsewhere, and that was my great mistake.
Bengali
তোমা ছাড়ি’ পাপী মুঞি গেনু অন্য দেশ ॥ ১২৪ ॥
Text
tomā chāḍi’ pāpī muñi genu anya deśa
Synonyms
Translation
“My dear Lord, I do not possess even a trace of love for Your lotus feet. If I did, how could I have gone to another country? I am therefore a most sinful man.
Bengali
কৃপা-পাশ গলে বান্ধি’ চরণে আনিলা ॥ ১২৫ ॥
Text
kṛpā-pāśa gale bāndhi’ caraṇe ānilā
Synonyms
Translation
“I gave up Your company, but You did not give me up. By Your rope of mercy You have bound me by the neck and brought me back again to Your lotus feet.”
Bengali
নিত্যানন্দপ্রভু কৈল প্রেম-আলিঙ্গন ॥ ১২৬ ॥
Text
nityānanda-prabhu kaila prema-āliṅgana
Synonyms
Translation
Svarūpa Dāmodara then worshiped the lotus feet of Nityānanda Prabhu, and Nityānanda Prabhu in turn embraced him in the ecstasy of love.
Bengali
সবা-সঙ্গে যথাযোগ্য করিল মিলন ॥ ১২৭ ॥
Text
sabā-saṅge yathā-yogya karila milana
Synonyms
jagadānanda — Jagadānanda; mukunda — Mukunda; śaṅkara — Śaṅkara; sārvabhauma — Sārvabhauma; sabā-saṅge — with all; yathā-yogya — as is befitting; karila — did; milana — meeting.
Translation
After worshiping Nityānanda Prabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara met Jagadānanda, Mukunda, Śaṅkara and Sārvabhauma, as was befitting.
Bengali
পুরী-গোসাঞি তাঁরে কৈল প্রেম-আলিঙ্গন ॥ ১২৮ ॥
Text
purī-gosāñi tāṅre kaila prema-āliṅgana
Synonyms
Translation
Svarūpa Dāmodara also offered his worshipful prayers at the lotus feet of Paramānanda Purī, who, in return, embraced him in ecstatic love.
Bengali
জলাদি-পরিচর্যা লাগি’ দিল এক কিঙ্কর ॥ ১২৯ ॥
Text
jalādi-paricaryā lāgi’ dila eka kiṅkara
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then gave Svarūpa Dāmodara residence in a solitary place and ordered a servant to serve him with a supply of water and other necessities.
Bengali
বসিয়া আছেন মহাপ্রভু কৃষ্ণকথা-রঙ্গে ॥ ১৩০ ॥
Text
vasiyā āchena mahāprabhu kṛṣṇa-kathā-raṅge
Synonyms
Translation
The next day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat with all the devotees, headed by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and they discussed the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.
Bengali
দণ্ডবৎ করি’ কহে বিনয়-বচন ॥ ১৩১ ॥
Text
daṇḍavat kari’ kahe vinaya-vacana
Synonyms
Translation
At that time Govinda appeared on the scene, offered his respectful obeisances and spoke submissively.
Bengali
পুরী-গোসাঞির আজ্ঞায় আইনু তোমার স্থান ॥ ১৩২ ॥
Text
purī-gosāñira ājñāya āinu tomāra sthāna
Synonyms
Translation
“I am the servant of Īśvara Purī. My name is Govinda, and following the orders of my spiritual master, I have come here.
Bengali
কৃষ্ণচৈতন্য-নিকটে রহি সেবিহ তাঁহারে ॥ ১৩৩ ॥
Text
kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nikaṭe rahi seviha tāṅhāre
Synonyms
siddhi-prāpti-kāle — at the time of his departure from this mortal world to achieve the highest perfection of life; gosāñi — my spiritual master; ājñā — order; kaila — made; more — unto me; kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nikaṭe — at the place of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; rahi — remaining; seviha — render service; tāṅhāre — unto Him.
Translation
“Just before his departure from this mortal world to attain the highest perfection, Īśvara Purī told me that I should go to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and render service unto Him.
Bengali
প্রভু-আজ্ঞায় মুঞি আইনু তোমা-পদে ধাঞা ॥ ১৩৪ ॥
Text
prabhu-ājñāya muñi āinu tomā-pade dhāñā
Synonyms
Translation
“Kāśīśvara will also come here after visiting all the holy places. However, following the orders of my spiritual master, I have hastily come to be present at Your lotus feet.”
Bengali
কৃপা করি’ মোর ঠাঞি পাঠাইলা তোমারে ॥ ১৩৫ ॥
Text
kṛpā kari’ mora ṭhāñi pāṭhāilā tomāre
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “My spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, always favors Me with paternal affection. Therefore, out of his causeless mercy, he has sent you here.”
Bengali
পুরী-গোসাঞি শূদ্র-সেবক কাঁহে ত’ রাখিল ॥ ১৩৬ ॥
Text
purī-gosāñi śūdra-sevaka kāṅhe ta’ rākhila
Synonyms
Translation
After hearing this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Why did Īśvara Purī keep a servant who comes from a śūdra family?”
Purport
Both Kāśīśvara and Govinda were personal servants of Īśvara Purī. After Īśvara Purī’s demise, Kāśīśvara went to visit all the holy places of India. Following the orders of his spiritual master, Govinda immediately went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for shelter. Govinda came from a śūdra family, but because he was initiated by Īśvara Purī, he was certainly a brāhmaṇa. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya here asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu why Īśvara Purī accepted a disciple from a śūdra family. According to the smṛti-śāstra, which gives directions for the management of the varṇāśrama institution, a brāhmaṇa cannot accept a disciple from the lower castes. In other words, a kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra cannot be accepted as a servant. If a spiritual master accepts such a person, he is contaminated. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya therefore asked why Īśvara Purī accepted a servant or disciple born of a śūdra family.
In answer to this question, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied that His spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, was so empowered that he was as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As such, Īśvara Purī was the spiritual master of the whole world. He was not a servant of any mundane rule or regulation. An empowered spiritual master like Īśvara Purī can bestow his mercy upon anyone, irrespective of caste or creed. The conclusion is that an empowered spiritual master is authorized by Kṛṣṇa and his own guru and should therefore be considered as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the verdict of Viśvanātha Cakravartī: sākṣād-dharitvena. An authorized spiritual master is as good as Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As Hari is free to act as He likes, the empowered spiritual master is also free. As Hari is not subject to mundane rules and regulations, the spiritual master empowered by Him is also not subject. According to the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya-līlā 7.11), kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. An authorized spiritual master empowered by Kṛṣṇa can spread the glories of the holy name of the Lord, for he has power of attorney from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the mundane world, anyone possessing his master’s power of attorney can act on behalf of his master. Similarly, a spiritual master empowered by Kṛṣṇa through his own bona fide spiritual master should be considered as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the meaning of sākṣād-dharitvena. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore describes the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the bona fide spiritual master as follows.
Bengali
ঈশ্বরের কৃপা নহে বেদ-পরতন্ত্র ॥ ১৩৭ ॥
Text
īśvarera kṛpā nahe veda-paratantra
Synonyms
prabhu kahe — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; īśvara — the Supreme Personality of Godhead or Īśvara Purī; haya — is; parama — supremely; svatantra — independent; īśvarera — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or of Īśvara Purī; kṛpā — the mercy; nahe — is not; veda-paratantra — subject to the Vedic rules.
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and My spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, are completely independent. Therefore neither the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor that of Īśvara Purī is subject to any Vedic rules and regulations.
Bengali
বিদুরের ঘরে কৃষ্ণ করিলা ভোজনে ॥ ১৩৮ ॥
Text
vidurera ghare kṛṣṇa karilā bhojane
Synonyms
Translation
“The mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not restricted to the jurisdiction of caste and creed. Vidura was a śūdra, yet Kṛṣṇa accepted lunch at his home.
Bengali
স্নেহবশ হঞা করে স্বতন্ত্র আচার ॥ ১৩৯ ॥
Text
sneha-vaśa hañā kare svatantra ācāra
Synonyms
Translation
“Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is dependent only on affection. Being obliged only by affection, Lord Kṛṣṇa acts very independently.
Purport
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is merciful, but His mercy does not depend on mundane rules and regulations. He is dependent only on affection and nothing else. Service to Lord Kṛṣṇa can be rendered in two ways. One can serve the Lord in affection or in veneration. When service is rendered in affection, it is the Lord’s special mercy. When service is rendered in veneration, it is doubtful whether Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is actually involved. If Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is there, it is not dependent on any prescribed caste or creed. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to inform Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual master of everyone, and He does not care for mundane caste or creed. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu cited the example of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s accepting food at the house of Vidura, who was a śūdra by birth. By the same token, Īśvara Purī, an empowered spiritual master, could show mercy to anyone. As such, he accepted Govinda, although the boy was born in a śūdra family. When Govinda was initiated, he became a brāhmaṇa and was accepted as Īśvara Purī’s personal servant. In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī states that one who is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master immediately becomes a brāhmaṇa. A pseudo spiritual master cannot transform a person into a brāhmaṇa, but an authorized spiritual master can do so. This is the verdict of śāstra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all the Gosvāmīs.
Bengali
পরমানন্দ হয় যার নাম-শ্রবণে ॥ ১৪০ ॥
Text
paramānanda haya yāra nāma-śravaṇe
Synonyms
Translation
“In conclusion, dealings in affection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead bring happiness many millions of times greater than dealings with Him in awe and veneration. Simply by hearing the holy name of the Lord, the devotee is merged in transcendental bliss.”
Bengali
গোবিন্দ করিল প্রভুর চরণ বন্দন ॥ ১৪১ ॥
Text
govinda karila prabhura caraṇa vandana
Synonyms
Translation
After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Govinda, and Govinda in turn offered his respectful obeisances unto Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet.
Bengali
গুরুর কিঙ্কর হয় মান্য সে আমার ॥ ১৪২ ॥
Text
gurura kiṅkara haya mānya se āmāra
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then continued speaking to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya: “Consider this point. The servant of the spiritual master is always respectable for Me.
Bengali
গুরু আজ্ঞা দিয়াছেন, কি করি উপায় ॥ ১৪৩ ॥
Text
guru ājñā diyāchena, ki kari upāya
Synonyms
Translation
“As such, it is not befitting that the guru’s servant should engage in My personal service. Yet My spiritual master has given this order. What shall I do?”
Purport
A guru’s servants or disciples are all Godbrothers to one another, and as such they should all respect one another as prabhu, or master. No one should disrespect his Godbrother. For this reason Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya what to do about Govinda. Govinda was the personal servant of Īśvara Purī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s spiritual master, and now Īśvara Purī had ordered Govinda to become Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s personal servant. So what was to be done? This was the inquiry Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu placed before Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, an experienced friend.
Bengali
গুরু-আজ্ঞা না লঙ্ঘিয়ে, শাস্ত্র — প্রমাণ ॥ ১৪৪ ॥
Text
guru-ājñā nā laṅghiye, śāstra — pramāṇa
Synonyms
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “The order of the spiritual master is very strong and cannot be disobeyed. That is the injunction of the śāstras, the revealed scriptures.
Bengali
প্রত্যগৃহীদগ্রজশাসনং তদাজ্ঞা গুরূণাং হ্যবিচারণীয়া ॥ ১৪৫ ॥
Text
pitur niyogāt prahṛtaṁ dviṣad-vat
pratyagṛhīd agraja-śāsanaṁ tad
ājñā gurūṇāṁ hy avicāraṇīyā
Synonyms
saḥ — He (Lakṣmaṇa, the brother of Lord Rāmacandra); śuśruvān — hearing; mātari — unto the mother; bhārgaveṇa — by Paraśurāma; pituḥ — of the father; niyogāt — by the order; prahṛtam — killing; dviṣat-vat — like an enemy; pratyagṛhīt — accepted; agraja-śāsanam — the order of the elder brother; tat — that; ājñā — order; gurūṇām — of superior persons, such as the spiritual master or father; hi — because; avicāraṇīyā — to be obeyed without consideration.
Translation
“ ‘Being ordered by his father, Paraśurāma killed his mother, Reṇukā, just as if she were an enemy. When Lakṣmaṇa, the younger brother of Lord Rāmacandra, heard of this, He immediately engaged Himself in the service of His elder brother and accepted His orders. The order of the spiritual master must be obeyed without consideration.’
Purport
This is a quotation from the Raghu-vaṁśa (14.46). Lord Rāmacandra’s statement to Sītā given below is from the Rāmāyaṇa (Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa 22.9).
Bengali
শ্রেয়ো হ্যেবং ভবত্যাশ্চ মম চৈব বিশেষতঃ ॥ ১৪৬ ॥
Text
mayā kāryā mahātmanaḥ
śreyo hy evaṁ bhavatyāś ca
mama caiva viśeṣataḥ
Synonyms
nirvicāram — to be obeyed without consideration; guroḥ — of the spiritual master; ājñā — the order; mayā — by Me; kāryā — must be done; mahā-ātmanaḥ — of the great soul; śreyaḥ — good fortune; hi — indeed; evam — thus; bhavatyāḥ — for you; ca — and; mama — for Me; ca — also; eva — certainly; viśeṣataḥ — specifically.
Translation
“ ‘The order of a great personality like a father must be executed without consideration because there is good fortune in such an order for both of us. In particular, there is good fortune for Me.’ ”
Bengali
আপন-শ্রীঅঙ্গ-সেবায় দিল অধিকার ॥ ১৪৭ ॥
Text
āpana-śrī-aṅga-sevāya dila adhikāra
Synonyms
Translation
After Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Govinda and engaged him in the service of His personal body.
Bengali
সকল বৈষ্ণবের গোবিন্দ করে সমাধান ॥ ১৪৮ ॥
Text
sakala vaiṣṇavera govinda kare samādhāna
Synonyms
Translation
Everyone respected Govinda as the dearest servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Govinda served all the Vaiṣṇavas and saw to their needs.
Bengali
রামাই, নন্দাই রহে গোবিন্দের পাশ ॥ ১৪৯ ॥
Text
rāmāi, nandāi rahe govindera pāśa
Synonyms
Translation
Both Haridāsa senior and Haridāsa junior, who were musicians, as well as Rāmāi and Nandāi, used to stay with Govinda.
Bengali
গোবিন্দের ভাগ্যসীমা না যায় বর্ণন ॥ ১৫০ ॥
Text
govindera bhāgya-sīmā nā yāya varṇana
Synonyms
Translation
They all remained with Govinda to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; therefore no one could estimate the good fortune of Govinda.
Bengali
ব্রহ্মানন্দ-ভারতী আইলা তোমার দরশনে ॥ ১৫১ ॥
Text
brahmānanda-bhāratī āilā tomāra daraśane
Synonyms
Translation
The next day Mukunda Datta informed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Brahmānanda Bhāratī has come to see You.”
Bengali
প্রভু কহে, — গুরু তেঁহ, যাব তাঁর ঠাঞি ॥ ১৫২ ॥
Text
prabhu kahe, — guru teṅha, yāba tāṅra ṭhāñi
Synonyms
Translation
Mukunda Datta then asked the Lord, “Shall I bring him here?”
Purport
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Brahmānanda Bhāratī is like My spiritual master. It is better that I go to him.”
Bengali
চলি’ আইলা ব্রহ্মানন্দ-ভারতীর আগে ॥ ১৫৩ ॥
Text
cali’ āilā brahmānanda-bhāratīra āge
Synonyms
Translation
After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees came into the presence of Brahmānanda Bhāratī.
Bengali
তাহা দেখি’ প্রভু দুঃখ পাইলা অন্তর ॥ ১৫৪ ॥
Text
tāhā dekhi’ prabhu duḥkha pāilā antara
Synonyms
Translation
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees approached him, they saw that he was covered with a deerskin. Seeing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very unhappy.
Purport
Brahmānanda Bhāratī belonged to the Śaṅkara-sampradāya. (The title Bhāratī indicates a member of one of that sampradāya’s ten classes of sannyāsīs.) It is customary for a person who has renounced the world to cover his body with a deerskin or the bark of a tree. This is enjoined by the Manu-saṁhitā. But if a sannyāsī who has renounced the world simply wears a deerskin and does not spiritually advance, he is bewildered by false prestige. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like to see Brahmānanda Bhāratī wearing a deerskin.
Bengali
মুকুন্দেরে পুছে, — কাহাঁ ভারতী-গোসাঞি ॥ ১৫৫ ॥
Text
mukundere puche, — kāhāṅ bhāratī-gosāñi
Synonyms
Translation
Seeing Brahmānanda Bhāratī wearing the deerskin, Caitanya Mahāprabhu pretended not to see him. Instead, He asked Mukunda Datta, “Where is Brahmānanda Bhāratī, My spiritual master?”
Bengali
প্রভু কহে, — তেঁহ নহেন, তুমি অগেয়ান ॥ ১৫৬ ॥
Text
prabhu kahe, — teṅha nahena, tumi ageyāna
Synonyms
Translation
Mukunda Datta replied, “Here is Brahmānanda Bhāratī, in Your presence.”
Purport
The Lord replied, “You are incorrect. This is not Brahmānanda Bhāratī.
Bengali
ভারতী-গোসাঞি কেনে পরিবেন চাম ॥ ১৫৭ ॥
Text
bhāratī-gosāñi kene paribena cāma
Synonyms
Translation
“You must be talking of someone else, for this is surely not Brahmānanda Bhāratī. You simply have no knowledge. Why should Brahmānanda Bhāratī wear a deerskin?”
Bengali
মোর চর্মাম্বর এই না ভায় ইঁহারে ॥ ১৫৮ ॥
Text
mora carmāmbara ei nā bhāya iṅhāre
Synonyms
Translation
When Brahmānanda Bhāratī heard this, he thought, “My deerskin is not approved by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
Bengali
চর্মাম্বর-পরিধানে সংসার না তরি ॥ ১৫৯ ॥
Text
carmāmbara-paridhāne saṁsāra nā tari
Synonyms
Translation
Thus admitting his mistake, Brahmānanda Bhāratī thought, “He spoke well. I put on this deerskin only for prestige. I cannot cross over the ocean of nescience simply by wearing a deerskin.
Bengali
প্রভু বহির্বাস আনাইলা জানিয়া অন্তর ॥ ১৬০ ॥
Text
prabhu bahirvāsa ānāilā jāniyā antara
Synonyms
Translation
“From today on I shall not wear this deerskin.” As soon as Brahmānanda Bhāratī decided this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, understanding his mind, immediately sent for the robes of a sannyāsī.
Bengali
প্রভু আসি’ কৈল তাঁর চরণ বন্দন ॥ ১৬১ ॥
Text
prabhu āsi’ kaila tāṅra caraṇa vandana
Synonyms
Translation
As soon as Brahmānanda Bhāratī gave up his deerskin and covered himself with sannyāsī robes, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came and offered His respects at his lotus feet.
Bengali
পুনঃ না করিবে নতি, ভয় পাঙ চিত্তে ॥ ১৬২ ॥
Text
punaḥ nā karibe nati, bhaya pāṅa citte
Synonyms
Translation
Brahmānanda Bhāratī said, “You instruct the general populace by Your behavior. I will not do anything against Your wishes; otherwise You will not offer me respects but will neglect me. I am afraid of this.
Bengali
জগন্নাথ — অচল ব্রহ্ম, তুমি ত’ সচল ॥ ১৬৩ ॥
Text
jagannātha — acala brahma, tumi ta’ sacala
Synonyms
Translation
“At the present moment I see two Brahmans. One Brahman is Lord Jagannātha, who does not move, and the other Brahman, who is moving, is You. Lord Jagannātha is the arcā-vigraha, the worshipable Deity, and it is He who is the nonmoving Brahman. But You are Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and You are moving here and there. The two of You are the same Brahman, master of the material nature, but You are playing two parts — one moving and one not moving. In this way two Brahmans are now residing at Jagannātha Purī, Puruṣottama.
Bengali
দুই ব্রহ্মে কৈল সব জগৎ-তারণ ॥ ১৬৪ ॥
Text
dui brahme kaila saba jagat-tāraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
“Of the two Brahmans, You are fair-complexioned, and the other, Lord Jagannātha, is blackish. Both of You are delivering the whole world.”
Bengali
দুই ব্রহ্ম প্রকটিল শ্রীপুরুষোত্তমে ॥ ১৬৫ ॥
Text
dui brahma prakaṭila śrī-puruṣottame
Synonyms
Translation
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Actually, to tell you the truth, due to your presence there are now two Brahmans at Jagannātha Purī.
Bengali
শ্যামবর্ণ জগন্নাথ বসিয়াছেন ‘অচল’ ॥ ১৬৬ ॥
Text
śyāma-varṇa jagannātha vasiyāchena ‘acala’
Synonyms
brahmānanda — Brahmānanda; nāma tumi — your name; gaura-brahma — the Brahman of the name Gaura; cala — both of them are moving; śyāma-varṇa — of blackish hue; jagannātha — Lord Jagannātha; vasiyāchena — is sitting; acala — without movement.
Translation
“Both Brahmānanda and Gaurahari are moving, whereas the blackish Lord Jagannātha is sitting tight and immobile.”
Purport
Brahmānanda Bhāratī wanted to prove that there is no difference between the Supreme Lord and the jīva, whereas Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to prove that He and Brahmānanda Bhāratī were jīvas and that although the jīvas are Brahman, they are many but the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Brahman, is one. On the other hand, Brahmānanda Bhāratī also wanted to prove that Jagannātha and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are one, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but that to fulfill His mission Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to be moving whereas Lord Jagannātha appeared to be inert. Thus this jolly argument was going on. Finally, Brahmānanda Bhāratī referred the whole matter to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya for a final decision.
Bengali
ইঁহার সনে আমার ‘ন্যায়’ বুঝ’ মন দিয়া ॥ ১৬৭ ॥
Text
iṅhāra sane āmāra ‘nyāya’ bujha’ mana diyā
Synonyms
Translation
Brahmānanda Bhāratī said, “My dear Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, please become the mediator in this logical argument between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and me.”
Bengali
জীব — ব্যাপ্য, ব্রহ্ম — ব্যাপক, শাস্ত্রেতে বাখানি ॥ ১৬৮ ॥
Text
jīva — vyāpya, brahma — vyāpaka, śāstrete vākhāni
Synonyms
Translation
Brahmānanda Bhāratī continued, “The living entity is localized, whereas the Supreme Brahman is all-pervading. That is the verdict of the revealed scriptures.
Purport
Brahmānanda Bhāratī drew Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s attention because he wanted him to judge the argument. He then stated that Brahman, the Supreme Lord, is all-pervading. This is confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (13.3):
kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama
“O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called knowledge. That is My opinion.”
The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature is expanded everywhere. The Brahma-saṁhitā says, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham: by virtue of His all-pervasive nature, the Supreme Lord is within the universe as well as within all elements of the universe. He is even within the atom. In this way the Supreme Lord Govinda is all-pervasive. On the other hand, the living entities are very, very small. It is said that the living entity is one ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair. Therefore the living entity is localized. Living entities rest on the Brahman effulgence, the bodily rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Bengali
দোঁহার ব্যাপ্য-ব্যাপকত্বে এই ত’ কারণ ॥ ১৬৯ ॥
Text
doṅhāra vyāpya-vyāpakatve ei ta’ kāraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu purified me by taking away my deerskin. This is proof that He is all-pervasive and all-powerful and that I am subordinate to Him.
Purport
Brahmānanda Bhāratī herein asserts that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Brahman and that he is the subordinate Brahman. This is confirmed in the Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Brahman or Parambrahman, the chief of all living entities. Both the Supreme Brahman, or the Personality of Godhead, and the living entities are persons, but the Supreme Brahman is the predominator, whereas the living entities are predominated.
Bengali
সন্ন্যাসকৃচ্ছমঃ শান্তো নিষ্ঠা-শান্তি-পরায়ণঃ ॥ ১৭০ ॥
Text
varāṅgaś candanāṅgadī
sannyāsa-kṛc chamaḥ śānto
niṣṭhā-śānti-parāyaṇaḥ
Synonyms
suvarṇa — of gold; varṇaḥ — having the color; hema-aṅgaḥ — whose body was like molten gold; vara-aṅgaḥ — having a most beautiful body; candana-aṅgadī — whose body was smeared with sandalwood; sannyāsa-kṛt — practicing the renounced order of life; śamaḥ — equipoised; śāntaḥ — peaceful; niṣṭhā — of devotion; śānti — and of peace; parāyaṇaḥ — the highest resort.
Translation
“ ‘His bodily hue is golden, and His whole body is like molten gold. Every part of His body is very beautifully constructed and smeared with sandalwood pulp. Accepting the renounced order, the Lord is always equipoised. He is firmly fixed in His mission of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and He is firmly situated in His dualistic conclusion and in His peace.’
Purport
This is a quote from the Mahābhārata’s Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma-stotra.
Bengali
চন্দনাক্ত প্রসাদ-ডোর — শ্রীভুজে অঙ্গদ ॥ ১৭১ ॥
Text
candanākta prasāda-ḍora — śrī-bhuje aṅgada
Synonyms
Translation
“All the symptoms mentioned in the verse from the Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma-stotra are visible in the body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. His arms are decorated with sandalwood pulp and the thread received from the Śrī Jagannātha Deity, and these are His ornamental bangles.”
Bengali
প্রভু কহে, — যেই কহ, সেই সত্য হয় ॥ ১৭২ ॥
Text
prabhu kahe, — yei kaha, sei satya haya
Synonyms
Translation
After hearing this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya rendered his judgment, saying, “Brahmānanda Bhāratī, I see that you are victorious.”
Purport
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, “I accept whatever Brahmānanda Bhāratī has said. It is quite all right with Me.”
Bengali
ভারতী কহে, — এহো নহে, অন্য হেতু হয় ॥ ১৭৩ ॥
Text
bhāratī kahe, — eho nahe, anya hetu haya
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thus posed Himself as a disciple and accepted Brahmānanda Bhāratī as His spiritual master. He then said, “The disciple is certainly defeated in an argument with the spiritual master.”
Purport
Brahmānanda Bhāratī immediately countered these words, saying, “This is not the cause of Your defeat. There is another cause.
Bengali
আর এক শুন তুমি আপন প্রভাব ॥ ১৭৪ ॥
Text
āra eka śuna tumi āpana prabhāva
Synonyms
Translation
“It is Your natural characteristic to accept defeat at the hands of Your devotee. There is also another glory of Yours, which I ask You to hear attentively.
Bengali
তোমা দেখি’ ‘কৃষ্ণ’ হৈল মোর বিদ্যমান ॥ ১৭৫ ॥
Text
tomā dekhi’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ haila mora vidyamāna
Synonyms
Translation
“I have been meditating on the impersonal Brahman since my birth, but since I have seen You, I have fully experienced Kṛṣṇa.”
Purport
Brahmānanda Bhāratī admitted that when there is an argument between the spiritual master and the disciple, the spiritual master is naturally victorious, although the disciple may put forward a strong argument. In other words, it is customary that the words of the spiritual master are more worshipable than the words of a disciple. Under the circumstances, since Brahmānanda Bhāratī was in the position of a spiritual master, he emerged victorious over Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who considered Himself Brahmānanda Bhāratī’s disciple. However, Brahmānanda Bhāratī reversed the argument and took the position of a devotee, stating that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This means that the Lord was voluntarily defeated out of affection for His devotee. He was defeated voluntarily, because no one can defeat the Supreme Lord. Concerning this, the words of Bhīṣma in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.9.37) are important:
ṛtam adhikartum avapluto ratha-sthaḥ
dhṛta-ratha-caraṇo ’bhyayāc calad-gur
harir iva hantum ibhaṁ gatottarīyaḥ
“Fulfilling my desire and sacrificing His own promise, He got down from the chariot, took up its wheel and ran toward me hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He even dropped His outer garment on the way.”
Kṛṣṇa promised not to fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, but Bhīṣma, in order to break Kṛṣṇa’s promise, attacked Arjuna in such a vigorous way that Kṛṣṇa was obliged to take up a chariot wheel and attack Bhīṣma. The Lord did this to show that His devotee was being maintained at the sacrifice of His own promise. Brahmānanda Bhāratī said, “Since the beginning of my life I was attached to impersonal Brahman realization, but as soon as I saw You, I became very much attached to the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.” Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, and thus Brahmānanda Bhāratī became His devotee.
Bengali
তোমাকে তদ্রূপ দেখি’ হৃদয় — সতৃষ্ণ ॥ ১৭৬ ॥
Text
tomāke tad-rūpa dekhi’ hṛdaya — satṛṣṇa
Synonyms
Translation
Brahmānanda Bhāratī continued, “Since I have seen You, I have been feeling Lord Kṛṣṇa’s presence in my mind and have been seeing Him before my eyes. I now want to chant the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Over and above this, within my heart I consider You to be Kṛṣṇa, and I am therefore very eager to serve You.
Bengali
ইহাঁ দেখি’ সেই দশা হইল আমার ॥ ১৭৭ ॥
Text
ihāṅ dekhi’ sei daśā ha-ila āmāra
Synonyms
Translation
“Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura abandoned his impersonal realization for the realization of the Personality of Godhead. I now see that my condition is similar to his, for it has already changed.”
Purport
In his early life, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura was an impersonalistic monist, and he used to meditate upon the impersonal Brahman effulgence. Later he became a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and his explanation for this change is given in a verse (text 178) that is quoted in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Sometimes a devotee gradually comes to the stage of Bhagavān realization, realization of the Supreme Person, after having attained the lower stages of realization — impersonal Brahman realization and localized Paramātmā realization. The condition of such a devotee is described in the Caitanya-candrāmṛta (5), by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī:
durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate
viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate
yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhava-vatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumaḥ
Kaivalya, oneness in the effulgence of Brahman, appears hellish to the devotee. The heavenly planets, the abodes of the demigods, appear to a devotee like phantasmagorias. The yogīs meditate for sense control, but for the devotee the senses appear like serpents with broken teeth. The devotee doesn’t have to control his senses, for his senses are already engaged in the Lord’s service. Consequently there is no possibility that the senses will act like serpents. In the material condition, the senses are as strong as poisonous snakes. But when the senses are engaged in the Lord’s service, they are like poisonous snakes with their fangs removed, and so they are no longer dangerous. The entire world is a replica of Vaikuṇṭha for the devotee because he has no anxiety. He sees that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and he does not want to enjoy anything for himself. He does not even aspire for the position of Lord Brahmā or Indra. He simply wants to engage everything in the service of the Lord; therefore he has no problem. He stands in his original constitutional position. All this is possible when one receives Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s merciful glance.
In the Caitanya-candrāmṛta there are many more verses illustrating this same principle.
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 6)
tāvac cāpi viśṛṅkhalatvam ayate no loka-veda-sthitiḥ
tāvac chāstra-vidāṁ mithaḥ kala-kalo nānā-bahir-vartmasu
śrī-caitanya-padāmbuja-priya-jano yāvan na dig-gocaraḥ
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 19)
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 60)
A discussion of the impersonal Brahman is not very palatable to a devotee. The so-called regulations of the śāstras also appear null and void to him. There are many people who argue over the śāstras, but for a devotee such discussions are but tumultuous roaring. By the influence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all these problems disappear.
Bengali
শঠেন কেনাপি বয়ং হঠেন, দাসীকৃতা গোপবধূবিটেন ॥ ১৭৮ ॥
Text
svānanda-siṁhāsana-labdha-dīkṣāḥ
śaṭhena kenāpi vayaṁ haṭhena
dāsī-kṛtā gopa-vadhū-viṭena
Synonyms
advaita-vīthī — of the path of monism; pathikaiḥ — by the wanderers; upāsyāḥ — worshipable; sva-ānanda — of self-realization; siṁha-āsana — on the throne; labdha-dīkṣāḥ — being initiated; śaṭhena — by a cheater; kena-api — some; vayam — I; haṭhena — by force; dāsī-kṛtā — made into a maidservant; gopa-vadhū-viṭena — by a boy engaged in joking with the gopīs.
Translation
Brahmānanda Bhāratī concluded, “ ‘Although I was worshiped by those on the path of monism and initiated into self-realization through the yoga system, I have nonetheless been forcibly turned into a maidservant by some cunning boy who is always joking with the gopīs.’ ”
Purport
This is a verse written by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. It is quoted in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.1.44).
Bengali
যাহাঁ নেত্র পড়ে, তাহাঁ শ্রীকৃষ্ণ স্ফুরয় ॥ ১৭৯ ॥
Text
yāhāṅ netra paḍe, tāhāṅ śrī-kṛṣṇa sphuraya
Synonyms
Translation
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “You have a deep ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa; therefore wherever you turn your eyes, you simply heighten your Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”
Bengali
আগে যদি কৃষ্ণ দেন সাক্ষাৎ দরশন ॥ ১৮০ ॥
Text
āge yadi kṛṣṇa dena sākṣāt daraśana
Synonyms
Translation
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “The statements of both of you are correct. Kṛṣṇa gives direct audience through His mercy.
Bengali
ইঁহার কৃপাতে হয় দরশন ইঁহার ॥ ১৮১ ॥
Text
iṅhāra kṛpāte haya daraśana iṅhāra
Synonyms
Translation
“Without having ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa, one cannot see Him directly. Therefore through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Brahmānanda Bhāratī has acquired direct vision of the Lord.”
Purport
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “You are Brahmānanda Bhāratī, an advanced devotee who ecstatically loves the Supreme Lord. Therefore you see Kṛṣṇa everywhere, and there is no doubt about it.” Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a mediator between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Brahmānanda Bhāratī, and his judgment was that an advanced devotee like Brahmānanda Bhāratī was seeing Kṛṣṇa by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. Kṛṣṇa directly presents Himself before the vision of an advanced devotee. Since Brahmānanda Bhāratī was an advanced devotee, he saw Kṛṣṇa in the person of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In the words of the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38):
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Śyāmasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee.”
Bengali
‘অতিস্তুতি’ হয় এই নিন্দার লক্ষণ ॥ ১৮২ ॥
Text
‘ati-stuti’ haya ei nindāra lakṣaṇa
Synonyms
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, what are you saying? Lord Viṣṇu, save Me! Such glorification is simply another form of blasphemy.”
Purport
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a little embarrassed by the Bhaṭṭācārya’s statement; therefore He uttered the name Viṣṇu to save Himself. The Lord herein confirms that if one is overestimated, glorification is just another form of blasphemy. In this way He protests this so-called offensive statement.
Bengali
ভারতী-গোসাঞি প্রভুর নিকটে রহিলা ॥ ১৮৩ ॥
Text
bhāratī-gosāñi prabhura nikaṭe rahilā
Synonyms
Translation
After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took Brahmānanda Bhāratī with Him to His residence. From that time on, Brahmānanda Bhāratī remained with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Bengali
প্রভু-পদে রহিলা দুঁহে ছাড়ি’ সর্ব কার্য ॥ ১৮৪ ॥
Text
prabhu-pade rahilā duṅhe chāḍi’ sarva kārya
Synonyms
Translation
Later, Rāmabhadra Ācārya and Bhagavān Ācārya joined them and, giving up all other responsibilities, remained under Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s shelter.
Bengali
সম্মান করিয়া প্রভু রাখিলা নিজ স্থানে ॥ ১৮৫ ॥
Text
sammāna kariyā prabhu rākhilā nija sthāne
Synonyms
Translation
The next day, Kāśīśvara Gosāñi also came and remained with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who received him with great respect.
Bengali
আগে লোক-ভিড় সব করি’ নিবারণ ॥ ১৮৬ ॥
Text
āge loka-bhiḍa saba kari’ nivāraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
Kāśīśvara used to usher Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu into the Jagannātha temple. He would precede the Lord into the crowd and keep the people from touching Him.
Bengali
ঐছে মহাপ্রভুর ভক্ত যাহাঁ তাহাঁ হয় ॥ ১৮৭ ॥
Text
aiche mahāprabhura bhakta yāhāṅ tāhāṅ haya
Synonyms
Translation
As all the rivers flow into the sea, all the devotees throughout the country finally came to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s shelter.
Bengali
প্রভু কৃপা করি’ সবায় রাখিল নিজ স্থানে ॥ ১৮৮ ॥
Text
prabhu kṛpā kari’ sabāya rākhila nija sthāne
Synonyms
Translation
Since all the devotees came to Him for shelter, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed them all mercy and kept them under His protection.
Bengali
ইহা যেই শুনে, পায় চৈতন্য-চরণ ॥ ১৮৯ ॥
Text
ihā yei śune, pāya caitanya-caraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
Thus I have described the meeting of all the Vaiṣṇavas with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Whoever hears this description ultimately attains shelter at His lotus feet.
Bengali
চৈতন্যচরিতামৃত কহে কৃষ্ণদাস ॥ ১৯০ ॥
Text
caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa
Synonyms
śrī-rūpa — Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; raghunātha — Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī; pade — at the lotus feet; yāra — whose; āśa — expectation; caitanya-caritāmṛta — the book named Caitanya-caritāmṛta; kahe — describes; kṛṣṇadāsa — Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī.
Translation
Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.
Purport
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, tenth chapter, describing the Lord’s meeting the Vaiṣṇavas upon His return to Jagannātha Purī from South India.