Chandana-yatra and Srila Madhavendra Puri’s Appearance Day

Giriraj Swami: Today is very auspicious for many reasons. One reason is that today is Candana-yatra. It is also Sri Madhavendra Puri’s appearance day. So, I thought to read about Sri Madhavendra Puri’s pure devotional service and how he brought candana for the Deity of Gopala and ultimately offered it to the Deity of Gopinatha, who is not different from Gopala.

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda

jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

We read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Four, “Śrī Mādhavendra Purī’s Devotional Service.”

INTRODUCTION by Srila Prabhupada

In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives the following summary of the Fourth Chapter.

One night while in Govardhana, Mādhavendra Purī dreamed that the Gopāla Deity was within the forest. The next morning he invited his neighborhood friends to accompany him to excavate the Deity from the jungle. He then established the Deity of Śrī Gopālajī on top of Govardhana Hill with great pomp. Gopāla was worshiped, and the Annakūṭa festival was observed. This festival was known everywhere, and many people from the neighboring villages came to join. One night the Gopāla Deity again appeared to Mādhavendra Purī in a dream and asked him to go to Jagannātha Purī to collect some sandalwood pulp and smear it on the body of the Deity. Having received this order, Mādhavendra Purī immediately started for Orissa. Traveling through Bengal, he reached Remuṇā village and there received a pot of condensed milk (kṣīra) offered to the Deity of Gopīnāthajī. This pot of condensed milk was stolen by Gopīnātha and delivered to Mādhavendra Purī. Since then, the Gopīnātha Deity has been known as Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha, the Deity who stole the pot of condensed milk. After reaching Jagannātha Purī, Mādhavendra Purī received permission from the King to take out one maund of sandalwood and twenty tolas of camphor. Aided by two men, he brought these things to Remuṇā. Again he saw in a dream that Gopāla at Govardhana Hill desired that very sandalwood to be turned into pulp mixed with camphor and smeared over the body of Gopīnāthajī. Understanding that that would satisfy the Gopāla Deity at Govardhana, Mādhavendra Purī executed the order and returned to Jagannātha Purī.

TEXT 1

yasmai dātuṁ corayan kṣīra-bhāṇḍaṁ
gopīnāthaḥ kṣīra-corābhidho ‘bhūt
śrī-gopālaḥ prādurāsīd vaśaḥ san
yat-premṇā taṁ mādhavendraṁ nato ‘smi

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Mādhavendra Purī, who was given a pot of sweet rice stolen by Śrī Gopīnātha, celebrated thereafter as Kṣīra-corā. Being pleased by Mādhavendra Purī’s love, Śrī Gopāla, the Deity at Govardhana, appeared to the public vision.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura annotates that this Gopāla Deity was originally installed by Vajra, the great-grandson of Kṛṣṇa. Mādhavendra Purī rediscovered Gopāla and established Him on top of Govardhana Hill. This Gopāla Deity is now situated at Nāthadvāra and is under the management of descendants of Vallabhācārya. The worship of the Deity is very luxurious, and one who goes there can purchase varieties of prasādam by paying a small price.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya gauracandra jaya nityānanda
jayādvaitacandra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!

COMMENT

Now we will skip to Remuṇā, where Madhavendra Puri received the pot of condensed milk stolen by the Deity Gopinatha. Madhavendra Puri was afraid that when news of the event spread, everyone would want to see him and appreciate him. So he thought he should not remain there any longer but should leave immediately for Jagannatha Puri.

TEXT 143–146

cali’ cali’ āilā purī śrī-nīlācala
jagannātha dekhi’ hailā premete vihvala

TRANSLATION

Walking and walking, Mādhavendra Purī finally reached Jagannātha Purī, which is also known as Nīlācala. There he saw Lord Jagannātha and was overwhelmed with loving ecstasy.

When Mādhavendra Purī was overwhelmed in the ecstasy of love of Godhead, he sometimes stood up and sometimes fell to the ground. Sometimes he laughed, danced and sang. In this way he enjoyed transcendental bliss by seeing the Jagannātha Deity.

When Mādhavendra Purī came to Jagannātha Purī, people were aware of his transcendental reputation. Therefore crowds of people came and offered him all sorts of respect in devotion.

Even though one may not like it, reputation, as ordained by providence, comes to him. Indeed, one’s transcendental reputation is known throughout the entire world.

TEXT 147

pratiṣṭhāra bhaye purī gelā palāñā
kṛṣṇa-preme pratiṣṭhā cale saṅge gaḍāñā

TRANSLATION

Being afraid of his reputation [pratiṣṭhā], Mādhavendra Purī fled from Remuṇā. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.

COMMENT

“Being afraid of his reputation [pratiṣṭhā], Madhavendra Puri fled from Remuṇā. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.” Actually, Chanakya Pandit makes the same statement, which Srila Prabhupada sometimes quoted: “A rich man is famous only in his own place, but a learned man—a pure devotee—is famous all over the world.” Someone may be a rich man in India, but if he goes to America he is nobody. A rich man from America wouldn’t be a complete nobody in India, because the beggars would see that he is a foreigner and this would give him importance. But a rich man is really known and served and worshipped only in his own place, whereas a learned man is known and served and worshipped throughout the world. Just like Srila Prabhupada: wherever he went, he was loved and served and worshipped.

Madhavendra Puri was a great devotee. When the Deity stole condensed milk for him in Remuṇā, he thought people would come and honor him, so to avoid them he went to Jagannatha Puri. But when he arrived in Puri, people knew that the great devotee Madhavendra Puri had come, so they came to honor him. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami states, “Being afraid of his reputation [pratiṣṭhā], Madhavendra Puri fled from Remuṇā. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Almost all the conditioned souls within the material world are envious. Jealous people generally turn against one who automatically attains some reputation. This is natural for jealous people. Consequently, when a devotee is fit to receive worldly reputation, he is envied by many people. This is quite natural. When a person, out of humility, does not desire fame, people generally think him quite humble and consequently give him all kinds of fame. Actually a Vaiṣṇava does not hanker after fame or a great reputation. Mādhavendra Purī, the king of Vaiṣṇavas, bore his reputation, but he wanted to keep himself outside of the vision of the general populace. He wanted to cover his real identity as a great devotee of the Lord, but when people saw him overwhelmed in the ecstasy of love of Godhead, they naturally gave credit to him. Actually a first-class reputation is due Mādhavendra Purī because he was a most confidential devotee of the Lord. Sometimes a sahajiyā presents himself as being void of desires for reputation (pratiṣṭhā) in order to become famous as a humble man. Such people cannot actually attain the platform of celebrated Vaiṣṇavas.

COMMENT

Once when Srila Prabhupada was in Los Angeles, my parents came to visit. I was there, and so many people—old and young, male and female—were also there with Srila Prabhupada on his morning walk in a park, and he was dealing with each and every person in such a way that everyone was pleased, even though they were so different. For example, my mother was fifty-five or so years of age, but Srila Prabhupada told her, “Mrs. Teton, you look so young.” And she was very pleased. Everyone was pleased. At the end of the walk we came to where the cars were parked. Perhaps Karandhar Prabhu had arranged a Rolls Royce for Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada knew the heart of everyone, and even otherwise he might have seen my father glancing at the car. (I am referring to the principle of enviousness—not that my father was envious.) So, he and my father and some devotees were standing around the Rolls Royce, and Srila Prabhupada said to my father, “You should come and ride with me.” “No, no. I cannot.” “No, no, you should come and ride with me.” Then, very humbly and in a very shy way, Srila Prabhupada said, “Actually, my disciples got this for me.” My father immediately said, “No, no. You deserve it.” So if by chance there was any envy, Srila Prabhupada acted quickly and expertly to dispel it. Afterwards, Srila Prabhupada’s servant Hari Sauri Prabhu commented to him, “Srila Prabhupada, everyone likes you so much.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, because I like everyone.”

TEXT 148

yadyapi udvega haila palāite mana
ṭhākurera candana-sādhana ha-ila bandhana

TRANSLATION

Mādhavendra Purī wanted to leave Jagannātha Purī because the people were honoring him as a great devotee; however, this threatened to hinder his collecting sandalwood for the Gopāla Deity.

COMMENT

Madhavendra Puri came to Jagannatha Puri for service, but when he got there he found fame, which he did not like. So he wanted to run away from Puri to escape the reputation there. But if he had run away, he would not have been able to do his service to the Deity of Gopala. So he gave more importance to Gopala’s service than to his own likes or dislikes. This is the quality of a pure devotee. The pure devotee does whatever is favorable for the service of the master, even if it is not favorable for his own personal happiness. And, of course, in serving the master and giving happiness to the master, he enjoys the greatest happiness.

TEXT 149–150

Śrī Mādhavendra Purī told all the servants of Lord Jagannātha and all the great devotees there the story of the appearance of Śrī Gopāla.

When all the devotees at Jagannātha Purī heard that the Gopāla Deity wanted sandalwood, in great pleasure they all endeavored to collect it.

TEXT 151

Those who were acquainted with government officers met with them and begged for camphor and sandalwood, which they collected.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

It appears that malayaja-candana (sandalwood) and camphor were used for the Jagannātha Deity. The camphor was used in His ārātrika, and the sandalwood was used to smear His body. Both these items were under government control; therefore the devotees had to meet with the government officials. Informing them of all the details, they attained permission to take the sandalwood and camphor outside Jagannātha Purī.

TEXT 152

eka vipra, eka sevaka, candana vahite
purī-gosāñira saṅge dila sambala-sahite

TRANSLATION

One brāhmaṇa and one servant were given to Mādhavendra Purī just to carry the sandalwood. He was also given the necessary traveling expenses.

COMMENT

Madhavendra Puri had no material assets. He would not even ask for food. He would just chant the holy name, and whatever food Krishna sent he would accept. He himself had nothing. But when the people of Puri saw his exalted devotional position, they automatically offered to collect candana and camphor, get permission from the government, and even give him money for expenses on the way.

TEXT 153–157

To get past the toll collectors along the way, Mādhavendra Purī was supplied with the necessary release papers from government officers. The papers were placed in his hand.

In this way Mādhavendra Purī started for Vṛndāvana with the burden of sandalwood, and after some days he again reached the village of Remuṇā and the Gopīnātha temple there.

When Mādhavendra Purī reached the temple of Gopīnātha, he offered his respectful obeisances many times at the lotus feet of the Lord. In the ecstasy of love, he began to dance and sing without cessation.

When the priest of Gopīnātha saw Mādhavendra Purī again, he offered all respects to him and, giving him the sweet rice prasādam, made him eat.

Mādhavendra Purī took rest that night in the temple, but toward the end of the night he had another dream.

TEXT 158

gopāla āsiyā kahe, — śuna he mādhava
karpūra-candana āmi pāilāma saba

TRANSLATION

Mādhavendra Purī dreamed that Gopāla came before him and said, “O Mādhavendra Purī, I have already received all the sandalwood and camphor.

TEXT 159

karpūra-sahita ghaṣi’ e-saba candana
gopīnāthera aṅge nitya karaha lepana

TRANSLATION

“Now just grind all the sandalwood together with the camphor and then smear the pulp on the body of Gopīnātha daily until it is finished.

TEXT 160

gopīnātha āmāra se eka-i aṅga haya
iṅhāke candana dile habe mora tāpa-kṣaya

TRANSLATION

“There is no difference between My body and Gopīnātha’s body. They are one and the same. Therefore if you smear the sandalwood pulp on the body of Gopīnātha, you will naturally also smear it on My body. Thus the temperature of My body will be reduced.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Gopāla was situated in Vṛndāvana, which was far from Remuṇā. In those days, one had to pass through provinces governed by the Muslims, who sometimes hindered travelers. Considering the trouble of His devotee, Lord Gopāla, the greatest well-wisher of His devotees, ordered Mādhavendra Purī to smear the sandalwood pulp on the body of Gopīnātha, which was nondifferent from the body of Gopāla. In this way the Lord relieved Mādhavendra Purī from trouble and inconvenience.

COMMENT

The devotee always wants to serve the Lord—without any personal consideration. But the Lord also reciprocates and wants to help the devotee. Madhavendra Puri was ready to carry the sandalwood and camphor all the way from Jagannatha Puri to Vrindavan, on foot, in the heat of summer, to please Gopala. And Gopala was pleased by Madhavendra Puri’s pure, devotional service attitude and felt compassion for him. He didn’t want him to take the trouble to carry the sandalwood all the way from Jagannatha Puri to Vrindavan by foot in the heat. So He appeared to Madhavendra Puri in a dream and told him to “smear the sandalwood pulp mixed with camphor on the Deity of Gopinatha, and because the Deity of Gopinatha and I are the same I will feel relieved.”

TEXT 161–168

dvidhā nā bhāviha, nā kariha kichu mane
viśvāsa kari’ candana deha āmāra vacane

TRANSLATION

“You should not hesitate to act according to My order. Believing in Me, just do what is needed.”

TEXT 162–168

After giving these instructions, Gopāla disappeared, and Mādhavendra Purī awoke. He immediately called for all the servants of Gopīnātha, and they came before him.

Mādhavendra Purī said, “Smear the body of Gopīnātha with this camphor and sandalwood I have brought for Gopāla in Vṛndāvana. Do this regularly every day.

“If the sandalwood pulp is smeared over the body of Gopīnātha, then Gopāla will be cooled. After all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is completely independent; His order is all-powerful.”

The servants of Gopīnātha became very pleased to hear that in the summer all the sandalwood pulp would be used to anoint the body of Gopīnātha.

Mādhavendra Purī said, “These two assistants will regularly grind the sandalwood, and you should also get two other people to help. I shall pay their salaries.”

In this way Gopīnāthajī was supplied ground sandalwood pulp daily. The servants of Gopīnātha were very pleased with this.

In this way the sandalwood pulp was smeared over the body of Gopīnātha until the whole stock was finished. Mādhavendra Purī stayed there until that time.

TEXT 169

grīṣma-kāla-ante punaḥ nīlācale gelā
nīlācale cāturmāsya ānande rahilā

TRANSLATION

At the end of summer Mādhavendra Purī returned to Jagannātha Purī, where he remained with great pleasure during the whole period of Cāturmāsya.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The Cāturmāsya period begins in the month of Āṣāḍha (June-July) from the day of Ekādaśī called Śayanā-ekādaśī, in the fortnight of the waxing moon.

COMMENT

In Maharashtra many people go to Pandharpur to celebrate asādhi-ekādaśī, and they do kirtan on the way, chanting: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, or jaya jaya Rama Krishna Hari. With great jubilation, they walk in dindi parties until they reach Pandharpur. Then they do parikramā, take darshan of Vitthala, and hear the ISKCON devotees chanting:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

And if they are lucky enough they will purchase some of Srila Prabhupada’s books and take some prasāda.

PURPORT (continued)

The Cāturmāsya period begins in the month of Āṣāḍha (June-July) from the day of Ekādaśī called Śayanā-ekādaśī, in the fortnight of the waxing moon. The period ends in the month of Kārttika (October-November) on the Ekādaśī day known as Utthānā-ekādaśī, in the fortnight of the waxing moon. This four-month period is known as Cāturmāsya. Some Vaiṣṇavas also observe it from the full-moon day of Āṣāḍha until the full-moon day of Kārttika. That is also a period of four months. This period, calculated by the lunar months, is called Cāturmāsya, but others also observe Cāturmāsya according to the solar month from Śrāvaṇa to Kārttika. The whole period, either lunar or solar, takes place during the rainy season. Cāturmāsya should be observed by all sections of the population. It does not matter whether one is a gṛhastha or a sannyāsī. The observance is obligatory for all āśramas. The real purpose behind the vow taken during these four months is to minimize the quantity of sense gratification. This is not very difficult. In the month of Śrāvaṇa one should not eat spinach, in the month of Bhādra one should not eat yogurt, and in the month of Āśvina one should not drink milk. One should not eat fish or other nonvegetarian food during the month of Kārttika. A nonvegetarian diet means fish and meat. Similarly, masūra dhal and urad dhal are also considered nonvegetarian. These two dhals contain a great amount of protein, and food rich in protein is considered nonvegetarian. On the whole, during the four-month period of Cāturmāsya one should practice giving up all food intended for sense enjoyment.

COMMENT

The story we just read was spoken by Lord Chaitanya when He visited Remuṇā on the way from Bengal to Jagannatha Puri in Orissa. He told the story of Madhavendra Puri to all the devotees with Him, including Nityananda Prabhu.

Now we shall read a short summary of the glories of Madhavendra Puri and pray for his mercy to bless us with the tiniest fraction of his devotion to Krishna:

TEXT 170

śrī-mukhe mādhava-purīra amṛta-carita
bhakta-gaṇe śunāñā prabhu kare āsvādita

TRANSLATION

Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally praised the nectarean characteristics of Mādhavendra Purī, and while He related all this to the devotees, He personally relished it.

COMMENT

Devotees take pleasure in speaking and hearing the glories of other devotees. And Lord Chaitanya set the example. He personally relished remembering and discussing the glories of Madhavendra Puri.

TEXT 171

prabhu kahe, — nityānanda, karaha vicāra
purī-sama bhāgyavān jagate nāhi āra

TRANSLATION

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Nityānanda Prabhu to judge whether there was anyone within the world as fortunate as Mādhavendra Purī.

TEXT 172

dugdha-dāna-chale kṛṣṇa yāṅre dekhā dila
tina-bāre svapne āsi’ yāṅre ājñā kaila

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Mādhavendra Purī was so fortunate that Kṛṣṇa personally appeared before him on the plea of delivering milk. Three times the Lord gave orders to Mādhavendra Purī in dreams

COMMENT

What were the three orders the Lord gave Madhavendra Puri? First, at Govardhana, Gopala appeared in Madhavendra Puri’s dream and told him, “I am hidden in the bushes; please take Me out and install Me on top of Govardhana Hill.”

The second time was also at Govardhana. The Deity appeared to Madhavendra Puri and told him, “I am feeling very hot. Please bring sandalwood pulp to cool Me.”

And the third time was at Remuṇā, where Gopala appeared to Madhavendra Puri and told him, “The Deity of Gopinatha and I are the same, so you can smear the sandalwood on the body of Gopinatha and I will feel relieved.”

TEXT 173

yāṅra preme vaśa hañā prakaṭa ha-ilā
sevā aṅgīkāra kari’ jagata tārilā

TRANSLATION

“Being obliged because of the loving affairs of Mādhavendra Purī, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared as the Gopāla Deity, and, accepting his service, He liberated the whole world.

COMMENT

In other words, the Deity of Gopala was so obliged by Madhavendra Puri’s service that He appeared to Madhavendra Puri just to accept it. And thus the Deity of Gopala delivered the whole world. Even now, an expansion of the Gopala Deity is here in this temple, and He is delivering the world. 

TEXT 174

yāṅra lāgi’ gopīnātha kṣīra kaila curi
ataeva nāma haila ‘kṣīra-corā’ kari’

TRANSLATION

On account of Mādhavendra Purī, Lord Gopīnātha stole the pot of sweet rice. Thus He became famous as Kṣīra-corā [the thief who stole the sweet rice].

COMMENT

Generally, stealing is considered bad. And definitely, stealing is bad. But here we see that the Deity stole. Is the Deity at fault? No. God is absolute, Krishna is absolute, so whatever He does is good. God is good, so whatever Krishna does is all-good, absolutely. Even in Vrindavan, Krishna used to steal butter and yogurt. Of course, the residents of Vrindavan did not think of Krishna as the Lord. They thought of Him as the son of Yasoda and Nanda. The elderly gopīs complained to Mother Yasoda, “Your son comes to our houses and does mischief. Sometimes He steals butter and yogurt, and He feeds them to His friends and to monkeys. Sometimes He pinches the babies and makes them cry. Sometimes He passes urine on the floor. What kind of a boy is this? And what kind of a mother are you? You are not controlling Him. He is becoming a nuisance, and He will be spoiled. You should control Him. Keep Him with you and don’t let Him go into other people’s houses and make trouble.” 

Mother Yasoda also did not think that Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She thought, “He is my son, and I am His mother, and if I don’t take care He will be spoiled.” So she took it very seriously and kept Krishna at home. But after some time the elderly gopīs came and complained, “Krishna is not coming to our houses anymore. He is not coming to tease our children or steal our butter, and we are so unhappy.”

This is the absolute nature of Krishna: whatever He does is all pleasing to everyone. Even His stealing gives pleasure. If someone in the ashram steals something, we won’t feel pleasure. In fact, we will want to beat him with a stick and chase him out the door. Our stealing doesn’t give pleasure, because we are conditioned souls in the duality of material nature. So we should not steal. Even Rupa Gosvami has advised devotees to be straightforward in ordinary dealings and to act in the mode of goodness, in the way of brahmans, whose first quality is satyam, truthfulness. But Krishna is on the absolute platform. When He steals, people take pleasure and glorify Him as Mākhan-cora, or kṣīra-corā, because His stealing and our stealing are not on the same level. We should not imitate. People may think, “Krishna stole; I will also steal.” Whatever Krishna does is all-good, absolutely. But we in the material world who are trying to become devotees (and even those who actually are devotees) act according to religious principles. And according to religious principles, one should not steal, one should not lie, and so on.

We should follow. That is our duty. And Krishna’s duty is to give pleasure to His devotees by any means. And sometimes, to give pleasure to His devotees, He steals. But there is another lesson for us: we should not stock or hoard things. When Srila Prabhupada first had the devotees print BTG in large quantities in America, he said, “Don’t keep the magazines stocked. Distribute them. Otherwise, if you keep them stocked, Krishna may come and steal them, just like the gopīs used to keep butter and yogurt and Krishna used to come and steal. So if you keep the transcendental literature stocked, Krishna may come and steal it.”

Krishna’s pastimes can be understood on many levels and in many ways, and we should be sure to understand them properly from Srila Prabhupada. Now Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explains the reciprocation between Madhavendra Puri and Gopala. 

TEXT 176

mleccha-deśe karpūra-candana ānite jañjāla
purī duḥkha pābe ihā jāniyā gopāla

TRANSLATION

In the provinces of India governed by the Muslims, there was much inconvenience in traveling with sandalwood and camphor. Because of this, Mādhavendra Purī might have gotten into trouble. This became known to the Gopāla Deity.

TEXT 177

mahā-dayā-maya prabhu — bhakata-vatsala
candana pari’ bhakta-śrama karila saphala

TRANSLATION

“The Lord is very merciful and attached to His devotees, so when Gopīnātha was covered with sandalwood pulp, Mādhavendra Purī’s labor became successful.”

TEXT 178

purīra prema-parākāṣṭhā karaha vicāra
alaukika prema citte lāge camatkāra

TRANSLATION

Caitanya Mahāprabhu placed the standard of Mādhavendra Purī’s intense love before Nityānanda Prabhu for judgment. “All his loving activities are uncommon,” Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. “Indeed, one is struck with wonder to hear of his activities.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

When the living entity feels spiritual separation from Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-viraha), he has achieved the prime success of life.

COMMENT

Here Srila Prabhupada is deeply analyzing what is the actual wonder of Sri Madhavendra Puri’s devotional ecstasy.

PURPORT (continued)

When one becomes disinterested in material things, he is simply experiencing the other side of attraction for material things.

COMMENT

Attachment and aversion. In material life we feel attracted to material things. We want to possess them and enjoy them. And when we try to possess and enjoy them, we suffer. On a morning walk in Juhu, Srila Prabhupada spoke about money, and he said that getting money is a problem, keeping the money is a problem, and when you lose the money, that is also a problem. At every stage there is simply trouble. So when someone has experienced all the troubles of material life, he may think, “Why shall I bother for all these things? Let me renounce. Let me leave.” But that is not bhakti. That is just the other side of attachment. “First I wanted to get it, and now I want to leave it. I wanted to get it to become happy, but when I actually got it I didn’t become happy. I had more trouble. So let me leave it.” But the basic principle is one’s personal happiness. The karmi’s idea is to enjoy, but instead of enjoying he suffers. And the idea of the jnani, impersonalist, is that by trying to enjoy he suffered, so now he won’t try to enjoy anymore so he won’t have to suffer anymore. Then: zero. When he was a karmi he wanted plus—enjoyment—but instead of plus he got minus—suffering. Now he thinks, “I don’t want minus. Though I wanted plus, I got minus instead, so now I want zero, because at least zero is better than minus.”

So, both the karmis and jnanis are selfish. And:

bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī — sakali ‘aśānta’
kṛṣṇa-bhakta — niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’

“Fruitive workers desire material enjoyment, jñānīs desire liberation, and yogis desire material opulence; therefore they are all lusty and cannot be peaceful. Because a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa is desireless, only he is peaceful.” (Cc Madhya 19.149)

Thus the real glory of Madhavendra Puri, as described by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu here, is not his renunciation, but rather his intense love for Krishna in the mood of separation.

PURPORT (continued)

When one becomes disinterested in material things, he is simply experiencing the other side of attraction for material things. However, feeling separation from Kṛṣṇa and engaging in the service of the Lord to fulfill His mission constitute the best example of love of Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

Someone might say that the devotee is crying in separation, the devotee is suffering. But actually he is not suffering; he is enjoying transcendental ecstasy on the spiritual platform. Someone may see that the devotee is laboring—going to Jagannatha Puri, meeting the government officers, getting permits, getting the sandalwood and camphor, carrying everything with him by foot—and think, “Oh, he is laboring, he is suffering.” But he is not suffering. He is enjoying transcendental ecstasy on the spiritual platform, because the central point is Krishna.

PURPORT (concluded)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to point out this intense love of Kṛṣṇa exhibited by Mādhavendra Purī. All Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s devotees later followed in the footsteps of Mādhavendra Purī, serving the Lord without personal considerations.

COMMENT

This is the standard of the followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who follow Sri Madhavendra Puri: they serve the Lord without any personal considerations.

TEXT 186

pragāḍha-premera ei svabhāva-ācāra
nija-duḥkha-vighnādira nā kare vicāra

TRANSLATION

This is the natural result of intense love of Godhead. The devotee does not consider personal inconveniences or impediments. In all circumstances he wants to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

It is natural for those who have developed intense love for Kṛṣṇa not to care for personal inconvenience and impediments. Such devotees are simply determined to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, the spiritual master. In all circumstances, even amidst the greatest dangers, they undeviatingly carry on with the greatest determination. This definitely proves the intense love of the servitor.

COMMENT

Their love is shown by their being undeviating and unfaltering in serving the order of the spiritual master in the face of all difficulties—not by a show of tears.

PURPORT (continued)

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8), tat te ‘nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ: those who seriously desire to get free from the clutches of material existence, who have developed intense love for Kṛṣṇa, are worthy candidates for going back home, back to Godhead. An intense lover of Kṛṣṇa does not care for any number of material discomforts, scarcity, impediments or unhappiness. It is said that when one sees apparent unhappiness or distress in a perfect Vaiṣṇava, it is not at all unhappiness for him; rather, it is transcendental bliss.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada’s disciple Jadurani was perhaps the first artist in ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada used to give her photos as subjects to paint. Once, she looked at one and commented, “Oh, Srila Prabhupada, you look so sad in this picture!” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “That was a moment of ecstasy.” Thus it is said that “when one sees apparent unhappiness or distress in a perfect Vaishnava, it is not at all unhappiness for him. Rather, it is transcendental bliss.”

Once, in New York, the devotees arranged a big program for Srila Prabhupada. Although they had very little money, they rented an expensive hall, but in the end hardly two or three people came. The devotees might have felt discouraged, but Srila Prabhupada said, “Don’t be discouraged. We have prepared a big feast to distribute to the guests, and if guests come we will distribute the prasāda and be happy, and if they don’t come we will eat the prasāda and be happy. So in every case we are happy.”

PURPORT (continued)

In the Śikṣāṣṭaka (8), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also instructed, āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām. The intense lover of Kṛṣṇa is never deviated from his service, despite all difficulties and impediments brought before him.

Sri Madhavendra Puri Prabhu ki jaya! 
Sri Gopalaji ki jaya!
Sri Gopinathaji ki jaya! 
Sri Candana-yatra ki jaya! 
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! 
Nitai-Gaura premānande Hari Haribol!