CC – Sri Caitanya-caritamrta’s Conclusion

Giriraj Swami: So we will read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Chapter Twenty, “The Śikṣāṣṭaka Prayers.” This was the last chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami wrote. And it was the last chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that Srila Prabhupada completed translating on this date. But we will read the first few verses and then go to the end.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The Śikṣāṣṭaka Prayers

The following summary of the twentieth chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed His nights tasting the meaning of the Śikṣāṣṭaka prayers in the company of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya. Sometimes He recited verses from Jayadeva Gosvāmī’s Gīta-govinda, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya’s Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭaka or from Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura’s Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. In this way, He became absorbed in ecstatic emotions. For the twelve years Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu lived at Jagannātha Purī, He relished the taste of reciting such transcendental verses. Altogether the Lord was present in this mortal world for forty-eight years. After hinting about the Lord’s disappearance, the author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta gives a short description of the entire Antya-līlā and then ends his book.

TEXT 1

premodbhāvita-harṣerṣyod-

vega-dainyārti-miśritam

lapitaṁ gauracandrasya

bhāgyavadbhir niṣevyate

TRANSLATION

Only the most fortunate will relish the mad words of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, which were mixed with jubilation, envy, agitation, submissiveness and grief, all produced by ecstatic loving emotions.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya gauracandra jaya nityānanda

jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!

TEXT 63

ei-mata mahāprabhu bhāvāviṣṭa hañā

pralāpa karilā tat-tat śloka paḍiyā

TRANSLATION

Thus overwhelmed by ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke like a madman and recited suitable verses.

TEXT 64

The Lord had formerly composed these eight verses to teach people in general. Now He personally tasted the meaning of the verses, which are called the Śikṣāṣṭaka.

TET 65

If anyone recites or hears these eight verses of instruction by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his ecstatic love and devotion for Kṛṣṇa increase day by day.

TEXT 66

Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is as deep and grave as millions of oceans, when the moon of His various emotions rises, He becomes restless.

TEXT 67–68

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu read the verses of Jayadeva’s Gīta-govinda, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, of Rāmānanda Rāya’s drama Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭaka, and of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura’s Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta, He was overwhelmed by the various ecstatic emotions of those verses. Thus He tasted their purports.

TEXT 69

For twelve years, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained in that state day and night. With His two friends He tasted the meaning of those verses, which consists of nothing but the transcendental bliss and mellows of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

COMMENT

So the verses that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu relished in the association of his two confidential associates Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Sri Ramananda Raya were expressions of ecstatic emotion composed by realized souls. They were not just words on a page but they were actually filled with transcendental bliss and mellows. And because Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was on the platform of transcendental bliss and mellows he could immediately experience the transcendental bliss and mellows contained in the verses. And they increased His own bliss and rasa to such an extent that He was overwhelmed. Mahaprabhu was able to taste the same bliss and mellows but to an even greater degree because He is actually Krishna Himself in the mood of Srimati Radharani in separation from Krishna.

TEXT 69

For twelve years, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained in that state day and night. With His two friends He tasted the meaning of those verses, which consists of nothing but the transcendental bliss and mellows of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

TEXT 70

Even Anantadeva, who has thousands of faces, could not reach the end of describing the transcendental bliss of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes.

COMMENT

This is part of the mystery of devotional service in separation that externally the devotee appears to be suffering in misery but internally is actually relishing transcendental ecstasy. “Even Anantadeva, who has thousands of faces, could not reach the end of describing the transcendental bliss of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes.”

TEXT 71

How, then, could an ordinary living being with very little intelligence describe such pastimes?

COMMENT

This is Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami’s humility. He refers to himself as jiva, an ordinary living being, Kshudr buddhi—with very little intelligence.

TEXT 71

How, then, could an ordinary living being with very little intelligence describe such pastimes? Nevertheless, I am trying to touch but a particle of them just to rectify myself.

TEXT 72

There is no limit to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s activities and His words of madness. Therefore describing them all would greatly increase the size of this book.

COMMENT

Because there is no limit to them.

TEXT 73

Whatever pastimes Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has first described I have merely summarized.

COMMENT

Vrindavan dasa Thakura is the author of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata.

TEXT 74

I have only very briefly described the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu not described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. Nevertheless, because those transcendental pastimes are so numerous, the size of this book has increased.

COMMENT

Although he just summarized them he didn’t describe them in detail. But there were so many of them that just by summarizing them the book became bigger.

TEXT 75

It is impossible to describe all the pastimes elaborately. I shall therefore end this description and offer them my respectful obeisances.

COMMENT

Means offer obeisances to the pastimes that he described. He is also not seeing them as his creation but as independently, transcendentally beautiful and blissful.

TEXT 76

What I have described gives merely an indication, but by following this indication one may obtain a taste of all the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 77

I cannot understand the very deep, meaningful pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. My intelligence cannot penetrate them, and therefore I could not properly describe them.

TEXT 78

After offering my respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of all my Vaiṣṇava readers, I shall therefore end this description of the characteristics of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

COMMENT

Although in his humility Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami is expressing his limitations and inability to properly understand the past times and consequently to properly describe them. But Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has written about Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami that he is the best of all Rasika Vaishnavas. Rasika means who know the mellow taste of devotional service.

TEXT 79

The sky is unlimited, but many birds fly higher and higher according to their own abilities.

TEXT 80

The pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are like the unlimited sky. How, then, can an ordinary living being describe them all?

TEXT 81

I have tried to describe them as far as my intelligence allows, as if trying to touch a drop in the midst of a great ocean.

TEXT 82

nityānanda-kṛpā-pātra — vṛndāvana-dāsa

caitanya-līlāya teṅho hayena ‘ādi-vyāsa’

TRANSLATION

Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura is Lord Nityānanda’s favorite devotee, and therefore he is the original Vyāsadeva in describing the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that all writers after Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura who are pure devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and who have tried to describe the Lord’s activities are to be considered like Vyāsa. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura is the original Vyāsadeva in describing caitanya-līlā, and all others who follow in his footsteps by describing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes are also to be called Vyāsadeva. The bona fide spiritual master is called Vyāsa because he is a representative of Vyāsa. Worshiping the birthday of such a spiritual master is called Vyāsa-pūjā.

COMMENT

So this phrase ādi-vyāsa, the original Vyasadeva suggests that there are other Vyasadevas, although we don’t like to even mention them especially while discussing Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But still there is Ādi-Shankaracharya because that Ādi is connected to Shankaracharya because there are other Shankaracharya’s after Ādi-Shankaracharya. So in the same way the fact that Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami refers to Vrindavan dasa Thakura as ādi-vyasa, means as stated by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that anyone, any pure devotee who describes the pastimes of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is also a Vyasa in describing the pastimes of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And in the material world people always try to surpass their predecessors, ‘Oh I can do better than him.’ But here Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami being a pure devotee imbued with the utmost humility is appreciating his own disqualifications and Vrindavan dasa Thakura’s great qualification.

TEXT 83

Although Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has within his jurisdiction the full store of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes, he has left aside most of them and described but a small portion.

COMMENT

The same idea. Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami said that he is like that the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are like the unlimited sky. And he is just a small bird in the sky and how much of the sky can he reach or describe. But here in his humility and genuine Vaishnava appreciation of Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakura, he is saying that he actually had the full store of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes within his grip but he chose to describe only a few of them.

TEXT 84

What I have described was left aside by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, but although he could not describe these pastimes, he gave us a synopsis.

TEXT 85

In his book named Caitanya-maṅgala [Caitanya-bhāgavata], he has described these pastimes in many places. I request my readers to hear that book, for that is the best evidence.

TEXT 86

I have described the pastimes very briefly, for it is impossible for me to describe them in full. In the future, however, Vedavyāsa will describe them elaborately.

COMMENT

And in the synonyms Srila Prabhupada defines Veda Vyasa as a representative of Vyasadeva

TEXT 87

caitanya-maṅgale ihā likhiyāche sthāne-sthāne

satya kahena, — ‘āge vyāsa kariba varṇane’

In the Caitanya-maṅgala, Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has stated in many places the factual truth that in the future Vyāsadeva will describe the Lord’s pastimes elaborately.

PURPORT

The statement āge vyāsa kariba varṇane is similar to a text in the Caitanya-bhāgavata (Ādi-khaṇḍa, first chapter, text 180) in which Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura says:

śeṣa-khaṇḍe caitanyera ananta vilāsa
vistāriyā varṇite āchena veda-vyāsa

“The unlimited pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be described by Vyāsadeva in the future.” Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that these statements indicate that in the future, other representatives of Vyāsadeva will elaborately describe Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. The purport is that any pure devotee in the disciplic succession who describes the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is confirmed to be a representative of Vyāsadeva.

TEXT 88

The ocean of nectarean pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is like the ocean of milk. According to his thirst, Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura filled his pitcher and drank from that ocean.

TEXT 89

Whatever remnants of milk Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has given me are sufficient to fill my belly. Now my thirst is completely satiated.

COMMENT

So the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were like an ocean of milk. And Vrindavan dasa Thakura was thirsty to taste that milk, to drink that nectar. And so he filled the pitcher according to his desire. And after drinking to his fill he left some remnants. And those remnants were taken by Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami. And even those remnants of Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakura were sufficient for Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami to satisfy his thirst to taste and describe caitanya-līlā. And so now he is also going to stop.

TEXT 90 and 91

I am a very insignificant living being, like a small red-beaked bird. Just as such a bird drinks the water of the sea to quench its thirst, so I have touched only a drop of the ocean of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes. From this example, you may all understand how expansive are the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

COMMENT

Well the beak of a bird is very small. In fact, sometimes if someone is not eating much someone else will say “You are eating like a bird,” just pecking little pieces. And just to give us an indication of how vast Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes are, Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami compares himself to a bird with a red beak who takes one beak full of water from the vast ocean. What is one beak full compared to the whole ocean? It is nothing. So that is how great the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But this beak full is enough to nourish the souls who are eager to taste the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And we should do that, we should read Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And if we follow it then we should also read Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata as Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami instructs, but first and foremost is Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Now in this next verse he says, this is in quotation marks because he is referring to himself as the author of this book. But now he says that,

TEXT 92

I infer that “I have written” is a false understanding, for my body is like a wooden doll.

TEXT 93

I am old and troubled by invalidity. I am almost blind and deaf, my hands tremble, and my mind and intelligence are unsteady.

TEXT 94

I am infected with so many diseases that I can neither properly walk nor properly sit. Indeed, I am always exhausted by five kinds of diseases. I may die at any time of the day or night.

COMMENT

So we can imagine what an effort it was for him to do this service.

TEXT 95

I have previously given an account of my inabilities. Please hear the reason why I nevertheless still write.

COMMENT

Well this is a very good question. If he is so incapable, and in his words he is very limited spiritually and even physically he is greatly incapacitated, so then why did he write?

TEXT 96–98

I am writing this book by the mercy of the lotus feet of Śrī Govindadeva, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Nityānanda, Advaita Ācārya, other devotees and the readers of this book, as well as Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, who is my spiritual master, and Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī.

COMMENT

In one lecture Srila Prabhupada explained the mood of the Vaishnava. And he was reading the verse from the Bhagavad-gītā that says that Arjuna’s chariot was decorated by Kapi Dhwaja. Who knows what flag Arjuna had on his chariot?

Devotees: Hanuman’s.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. So Srila Prabhupada explained the mood of Arjuna that he was thinking that just as Hanuman fought for Lord Rama, now I am attempting to fight for Lord Krishna. So he is in the mood of prayer to Hanumanji that you were expert in fighting for your Lord Ramachandra, now I am being asked to fight for my Lord, Sri Krishna. Please help me. And Srila Prabhupada said that is the mood of the Vaishnava that he always feels helpless and he is always depending on the superior authorities to give him help. And then he gave the example of Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami that at the end of every chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he wrote rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa sri caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa.

He is praying every verse, every line, every word he is praying for the mercy of Rupa Raghunatha that, “I am incapable of writing, so kindly help me.” So this is the mood of the Vaishnava, he always feels himself helpless and dependent on help from the superior authorities. And Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami is saying it openly here that, “I did not write this book, I could not write this book. It was written only by the mercy of these personalities.” And he mentions the deities and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates. And then he says

TEXT 98 (continued)

I have also been specifically favored by another Supreme Personality.

TEXT 99

Śrī Madana-mohana Deity of Vṛndāvana has given the order that is making me write.

COMMENT

In other words, “I am not qualified but still I am writing because I have been given the order to write by Sri Madana Mohan Vigraha.”

TEXT 99 (continued)

Although this should not be disclosed, I disclose it because I am unable to remain silent.

TEXT 100

If I did not disclose this fact, I would be guilty of ingratitude to the Lord. Therefore, my dear readers, please do not consider me too proud and be angry at me.

COMMENT

In other words, he is saying he should not state that Sri Madana-Mohana has given him the order to write because it could be taken that he is being boastful that, “Krishna Himself has given me the instruction to write.” So he should not say it. But he is saying it because he is grateful to Madana-Mohana and to not give Madana-Mohana the credit would be ingratitude on the part of Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami. So he is appealing to the readers not to consider him to be proud and boastful. And he is requesting not to be angry at him for being proud or boastful.

TEXT 101

tomā-sabāra caraṇa-dhūli karinu vandana

tāte caitanya-līlā haila ye kichu likhana

TRANSLATION

It is because I have offered my prayers unto the lotus feet of all of you that whatever I have written about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has been possible.

COMMENT

So in the earlier verse, in the list of people to whom he felt indebted for their mercy which allowed him to write, and I mentioned it ‘the readers of the book’ and how did they help him? Because he prayed to them for their mercy before he began to write.

TEXT 102

Now let me repeat all the pastimes of the Antya-līlā, for if I do so I shall taste the pastimes again.

TEXT 103

The first chapter describes how Rūpa Gosvāmī met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for the second time and how the Lord heard his two dramas [Vidagdha-mādhava and Lalita-mādhava].

COMMENT

What are his two dramas?

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: That is Tamal Krishna Goswami’s dramas. You are always thinking of Tamal Krishna Goswami. My dear devotees, Vidagdha-mādhava and Lalita-mādhava.

TEXT 104

That chapter also describes the incident of Śivānanda Sena’s dog, who was induced by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and was thus liberated.

COMMENT

If you know the story of Srila Sivananda Sena’s dog raise your hand. Okay, I am not going to ask you to tell it because we don’t have time. I just wanted to know who thought they knew it and who didn’t.

TEXT 105

The second chapter tells how the Lord instructively punished Junior Haridāsa. Also in that chapter is a description of the wonderful vision of Śivānanda Sena.

TEXT 106

In the third chapter is a description of the forceful glories of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That chapter also mentions how Dāmodara Paṇḍita spoke words of criticism to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

COMMENT

It is very tempting to describe all of these pastimes.

TEXT 107

The third chapter also tells how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered everyone by bestowing upon the universe the holy name of the Lord, and it describes how Haridāsa Ṭhākura established the glories of the holy name by his practical example.

TEXT 108

The fourth chapter describes Sanātana Gosvāmī’s second visit with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and how the Lord saved him from committing suicide.

COMMENT

Well, I will mention this because this question of suicide is, I suppose, current at all times. It is current now as well. But Srila Sanatana Gosvami was suffering from a disease that caused his body to ooze a very foul liquid. And when he would come close to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would forcibly grab him and embrace him. And that foul liquid would come on the body of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And this created such a pain in the heart of Sanatana Gosvami that he wanted to give up his life. And he thought that at the time of the Ratha-yatra he will throw himself under the wheels of the chariot and give up his life. So Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, being the omniscient Lord could understand the idea of Srila Sanatana Gosvami. And one day he said to him, “Is it proper to destroy another person’s property?” So who can say what is the relationship between that question and Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s idea of giving up his body in the Ratha-yatra?

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked him, “Is it proper to destroy another person’s property?” And he said, “Your body is my property because I am here in Jagannatha Puri due to my promise to my mother. There are many things that I cannot do and I intend to do them through your body. So how can you destroy it?” And he said, “And specifically I want to do things in Vrindavan through your body.” And then he said, “If I could attain Krishna by giving up my body I would give up thousands and millions of bodies but one cannot attain Krishna by that means. One can attain Krishna only by pure devotional service. And Mahaprabhu quoted a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in which Rukmini devi says that she would be willing to give up her body if by doing so she could attain Krishna. But that is not the method. One can attain Krishna only by pure devotional service.

So Mahaprabhu stopped Srila Sanatana Gosvami from his plan and he also explained that the body of a of a pure devotee is not material. He quoted the verse dīkṣā-kāle. That at the time of initiation, when the devotee surrenders to the Krishna, Krishna accepts him to be as good as Himself. He is on the same level of spiritual existence. So this is a very important instruction. And Haridasa Thakura was also present. Haridasa Thakura was very close friends with Srila Sanatana Gosvami. And afterwards he praised Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s good fortune that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has accepted your body as his property and he wants to fulfill his mission through your body, and that too especially in Vrindavan, so who can estimate your good fortune?

TEXT 109

The fourth chapter also tells how Sanātana Gosvāmī was tested in the sunshine of Jyaiṣṭha [May-June] and was then empowered and sent back to Vṛndāvana.

COMMENT

So this is a continuation of the previous discussion that because Sanatana Gosvami felt himself very low and contaminated he would not walk on the regular paths when he would come to meet Chaitanya Mahaprabhu because he didn’t want to contaminate people by walking on the same path. So he would walk along the sea side, on the beach. And anyone who has walked barefoot on the sand, the hot sand knows that it really burns. And so he would walk on the burning sand and his feet would blister. But he was so fixed on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that he didn’t even noticed it. And when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw him, and inquired and heard the answer, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, well he, that was maybe earlier, embraced him and his itching sores went away. And then in this case he empowered him and sent him back to Vrindavan.

TEXT 110

The fifth chapter tells how the Lord showed His favor to Pradyumna Miśra and made him hear topics of Kṛṣṇa from Rāmānanda Rāya.

COMMENT

This is also very instructive. Pradyumna Miśra was a brahman. And he had some pride in being born as a brahman and being learned in scripture. So he approached Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to hear about Krishna from Him. And of course Mahaprabhu was also born in a brahman family and He was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “I don’t know anything about shastra, I don’t know anything about rasa. You should hear from Ramananda Raya.” And Ramananda Raya was considered like a sudra because he was in government service. And in this way Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught him to be humble because you can’t really hear kṛṣṇa-kathā properly unless you are humble. And so he taught him that he has to be humble and not think that he will just hear from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He also should hear from the devotees of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, even if they are considered to be in lower castes.

TEXT 111

That chapter also describes how Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī rejected the drama of a poet from Bengal and established the glories of the Deity.

TEXT 112

The sixth chapter describes how Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and performed the chipped rice festival in accordance with Nityānanda Prabhu’s order.

TEXT 113

That chapter also tells how the Lord entrusted Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī to the care of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and gave Raghunātha dāsa the gift of a stone from Govardhana Hill and a garland of small conchshells.

TEXT 114

The seventh chapter tells how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu met Vallabha Bhaṭṭa and dismantled his false pride in various ways.

TEXT 115

The eighth chapter describes the arrival of Rāmacandra Purī and how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu minimized His eating due to fear of him.

TEXT 116

In the ninth chapter is a description of how Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka was delivered and how the people of the three worlds were able to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 117

In the tenth chapter I have described how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu tasted the food given by His devotees, and I have also described the assortments in the bags of Rāghava Paṇḍita.

COMMENT

The assortments of food.

TEXT 118

Also in that chapter is a description of how the Lord examined Govinda and how He danced in the temple.

COMMENT

Now the story of how the Lord examined Govinda is also instructive. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, one of His personal servants was Govinda. And it was the regular practice that after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had lunch He would lie down and Govinda would massage His legs. So, one day after lunch Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu laid down, but on that occasion He happened to lie down across the doorway to the room. And therefore, to get to Mahaprabhu’s feet to give His massage Govinda had to step over Mahaprabhu’s body which is generally against the etiquette. It is an offense. But he did it for the sake of service.

So after Mahaprabhu’s nap when He saw Govinda he said, “Oh Govinda, you are here. Have you taken prasāda? Have you had your own lunch? And Govinda replied, “No Lord, because you were lying in the doorway so I couldn’t step over your body. And so I just remained here.” And then Mahaprabhu said, “Well, how did you get into the room to massage my feet?” And Govinda didn’t actually reply because yes there could be various reasons but he didn’t actually reply. But within his mind he knew the reason, that was for your service. I could step over your body for your service but not for my sense gratification. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was very pleased with his service. And that is also an instruction for us that sometimes we may have to disregard a lesser rule for the sake of a greater service. We shouldn’t neglect a rule just for our sense’s gratification but we may for the sake of Mahaprabhu’s service.

TEXT 119

The eleventh chapter describes the disappearance of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, showed His affection for His devotees.

TEXT 120

In the twelfth chapter are descriptions of how Jagadānanda Paṇḍita broke a pot of oil and how Lord Nityānanda chastised Śivānanda Sena.

TEXT 121

The thirteenth chapter tells how Jagadānanda Paṇḍita went to Mathurā and returned and how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chance heard a song sung by a deva-dāsī dancing girl.

TEXT 122

Also in the thirteenth chapter is an account of how Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who by His causeless mercy sent him to Vṛndāvana.

TEXT 123

The fourteenth chapter describes the beginning of the Lord’s spiritual trance, in which His body was at Jagannātha Purī but His mind was in Vṛndāvana.

TEXT 124

Also in that chapter is a description of how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell down in front of the Siṁha-dvāra gate of the Jagannātha temple, His bones separated at the joints, and how various transcendental symptoms awakened in Him.

TEXT 125

Also in that chapter is a description of how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ran toward Caṭaka-parvata and spoke like a madman.

TEXT 126

In the fifteenth chapter is a description of how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu entered a garden on the seashore and mistook it for Vṛndāvana.

TEXT 127

Also in that chapter is a description of the attraction of Lord Caitanya’s five senses to Kṛṣṇa and how He searched for Kṛṣṇa in the rāsa dance.

TEXT 128

The sixteenth chapter tells how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed His mercy to Kālidāsa and thus demonstrated the result of eating the remnants of the food of Vaiṣṇavas.

TEXT 129

It also describes how Śivānanda’s son composed a verse and how the doorkeeper of the Siṁha-dvāra showed Kṛṣṇa to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 130

Also in that chapter, the glories of mahā-prasādam are explained, and a verse is tasted describing the effect of nectar from the lips of Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu commented on the mahā-prasāda of Jagannatha that the preparations are made of the common ingredients; dal, rice, ghee, spices, but it tastes completely different. And what is the reason? And then He explains that the mahā-prasāda of Lord Jagannatha is mixed with the adharamrita that means the nectar from the mouth of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Lord Jagannatha. In ordinary terms we would say saliva, but the Lord’s saliva is actually nectar and that nectar mixes with the food as mahā-prasāda. Of course, the gopīs also want to taste the nectar of Krishna’s lips.

TEXT 131

The seventeenth chapter recounts how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell among the cows and assumed the form of a tortoise as His ecstatic emotions awakened.

TEXT 132

That chapter also tells how the attributes of Kṛṣṇa’s sound attracted the mind of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who then described in ecstasy the meaning of the “kā stry aṅga te” verse.

TEXT 133

The seventeenth chapter also tells how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, due to the conjunction of various ecstatic emotions, again began speaking like a madman and described in detail the meaning of a verse from the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta.

TEXT 134

In the eighteenth chapter is an account of how the Lord fell into the ocean and in ecstasy saw in a dream the pastimes of a water fight between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs.

TEXT 135

In that dream, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Kṛṣṇa’s picnic in the forest. As Lord Caitanya floated in the sea, a fisherman caught Him, and then the Lord returned to His own residence. All this is recounted in the eighteenth chapter.

TEXT 136

In the nineteenth chapter is a description of how Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu rubbed His face against the walls and spoke like a madman because of separation from Kṛṣṇa.

TEXT 137

That chapter also describes Kṛṣṇa’s wandering in a garden on a spring night, and it fully describes the meaning of a verse about the scent of Kṛṣṇa’s body.

COMMENT

Earlier we read how all of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s senses, transcendental senses were attracted to Krishna. So here he is discussing the adharamrita, the nectar from Krishna’s lips, that is the sense of taste. And then in the next chapter he described elaborately the fragrance from Krishna’s body which is the sense of smell. Every one of his senses was enlivened by contact with Krishna in ecstatic love.

TEXT 138

The twentieth chapter tells how Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited His own eight stanzas of instruction and tasted their meaning in ecstatic love.

TEXT 139

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu composed those eight stanzas to instruct the devotees, but He also personally tasted their meaning.

TEXT 140

I have thus repeated the principal pastimes and their meaning, for by such repetition one can remember the descriptions in the book

TEXT 141

In every chapter there are various topics, but I have repeated only those that are principal, for not all of them could be described again.

TEXT 142–143

The Vṛndāvana Deities of Madana-mohana with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Govinda with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and Gopīnātha with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī are the life and soul of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas.

TEXT 144–146

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, śrī-yuta nityānanda
śrī-advaita-ācārya, śrī-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
 
śrī-svarūpa, śrī-rūpa, śrī-sanātana
śrī-guru śrī-raghunātha, śrī-jīva-caraṇa
 
nija-śire dhari’ ei sabāra caraṇa
yāhā haite haya saba vāñchita-pūraṇa

TRANSLATION

So that my desires may be fulfilled, I place the lotus feet of these personalities on my head: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, with Lord Nityānanda, Advaita Ācārya and Their devotees, as well as Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, who is my spiritual master, and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī.

PURPORT

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the instructing spiritual master of Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī and has therefore been described as śrī-guru.

TEXT 147

sabāra caraṇa-kṛpā — ‘guru upādhyāyī’

mora vāṇī — śiṣyā, tāre bahuta nācāi

TRANSLATION

The mercy of their lotus feet is my spiritual master, and my words are my disciples, whom I have made dance in various ways.

COMMENT

So he is describing a very interesting paramparā. He is saying that the mercy of the lotus feet of his superiors is his spiritual master and others the mercy of all the personalities that he mentioned. Their mercy is his guru and his words are his disciples. Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami’s words are his disciples. So the mercy he received which is his guru, was transmitted through him to his disciples namely his words. In other words you understand. “ So, the mercy of their lotus feet is my spiritual master, and my words are my disciples, that I have made dance in various ways.”

PURPORT

Upādhyāyī, or upādhyāya, refers to one who teaches when approached (upetya adhīyate asmāt). In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said:

eka-deśaṁ tu vedasya vedāṅgāny api vā punaḥ
yo ‘dhyāpayati vṛtty-artham upādhyāyaḥ sa ucyate

“One who teaches others a part of the Vedas or literatures supplementary to the Vedas may be called upādhyāya.” Upādhyāya also refers to one who teaches art.

TEXT 148

Seeing the fatigue of the disciples,

COMMENT

Who are his disciples?

Devotees: Words.

Giriraj Swami: His words.

TEXT 148

Seeing the fatigue of the disciples, the spiritual master has stopped making them dance, and because that mercy no longer makes them dance, my words now sit silently.

COMMENT

This is how he is explaining the conclusion of his writing of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

TEXT 149

My inexperienced words do not know how to dance by themselves. The mercy of the guru made them dance as much as possible, and now, after dancing, they have taken rest.

COMMENT

And continuing in his ecstatic humble mood,

TEXT 150

I now worship the lotus feet of all my readers, for by the mercy of their lotus feet there is all good fortune.

TEXT 151

If one hears the pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as described in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, I wash his lotus feet and drink the water.

COMMENT

In other words, being a reader of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is not an ordinary thing. And Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami in his humility and eagerness that people should taste the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that he worships the reader of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and washes his feet with water and drinks the water. So we should read Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

TEXT 152

śrotāra pada-reṇu karoṅ mastaka-bhūṣaṇa

tomarā e-amṛta pile saphala haila śrama

TRANSLATION

I decorate my head with the dust of the lotus feet of my audience. Now you have all drunk this nectar, and therefore my labor is successful.

TEXT 153

śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa

caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa

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.

TEXT 154

caritam amṛtam etac chrīla-caitanya-viṣṇoḥ

śubha-dam aśubha-nāśi śraddhayāsvādayed yaḥ

tad-amala-pada-padme bhṛṅgatām etya so ‘yaṁ

rasayati rasam uccaiḥ prema-mādhvīka-pūram

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is filled with the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. It invokes all good fortune and destroys everything inauspicious. If one tastes the nectar of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta with faith and love, I become like a bumblebee tasting the honey of transcendental love from his lotus feet.

TEXT 155

śrīman-madana-gopāla-

govindadeva-tuṣṭaye

caitanyārpitam astv etac

caitanya-caritāmṛtam

TRANSLATION

Since this book, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, is now complete, having been written for the satisfaction of the most opulent Deities Madana-mohanajī and Govindajī, let it be offered at the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva.

TEXT 156

parimala-vāsita-bhuvanaṁ sva-rasonmādita-rasajña-rolambam

giridhara-caraṇāmbhojaṁ kaḥ khalu rasikaḥ samīhate hātum

TRANSLATION

Realized devotees are like bumblebees maddened by their own mellows at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. The scent of those lotus feet perfumes the entire world. Who is the realized soul that could give them up?

COMMENT

And now the last verse of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

TEXT 157

 sindhv-agni-vāṇendau

ṣṭhe vṛndāvanāntare

āhe ‘sita-pañcamyāṁ

tho ‘yaṁ pūrṇatāṁ gataḥ

In Vṛndāvana in the year 1537 Śakābda Era [A.D 1615], in the month of Jyaiṣṭha [May-June], on Sunday, the fifth day of the waning moon, this Caitanya-caritāmṛta has been completed.

PURPORT

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, twentieth chapter, describing the meaning of the Śikṣāṣṭaka and how the Lord tasted it Himself.

END OF THE ANTYA-LĪLĀ

COMMENT

So this concluding verse of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta records the date on which Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami completed the work. It was Sunday, the fifth day of the waning moon, in the month of Jyaiṣṭha. And Srila Prabhupada’s concluding words which I will read and discuss tonight, begin in the same way.

“Today, Sunday, November 10, 1974-corresponding to the 10th of Kārtikka, Caitanya Era 488, the eleventh day of the dark fortnight, the Rāma-ekādaśī-we have now finished the English translation of Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī’s Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in accordance with the authorised order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my beloved eternal spiritual master, guide and friend.”

And the very end.

“Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, dated November 10, 1974, at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, Juhu, Bombay.”

Hare Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta ki jaya!

Any questions or comments?

Devotee: My question is how do we know [Unintelligible] It is said that the Caitanya-caritāmṛta is postgraduate level of understanding and people like myself are very anxious to indulge in that. But my mind sometimes, I don’t think is able to comprehend the extents of it. So how do we justify reading it or may not have the knowledge to or the appreciation to understand it?

Giriraj Swami: That is a good question. The general progression in reading is Īśopaniṣad, then the Bhagavad-gītā, then The Nectar of Devotion, then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and then Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. What books have you read?

Devotee: I have read The Nectar of Devotion, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And even though I have read the entire Caitanya-caritāmṛta I didn’t understand the whole thing. And I felt that I rushed it.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. There is a value to read through it to get a sense of what is there, but ultimately we should read it very carefully so that we really consider what each word means. And if we don’t understand it we should be conscious that we don’t understand it. And we can even make a note that, “I don’t understand this,” and ask someone to explain it. Because as we mentioned, these books are not just words on a page, they are actually Krishna, manifestations of Krishna. So we don’t want to gloss over any of it. We want to try to appreciate each and every word to our capacity. And there is nectar in all of the books. So we shouldn’t think ‘Oh well I will quickly finish with the other ones and get to the real nectar which is Caitanya-caritāmṛta.’ They are all nectar. And if we don’t appreciate them all as nectar it means there is some deficiency in us.

That said I would not forbid you to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. If you get a benefit from it then it is good that you read it. And the idea that Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the postgraduate study is true. But within the Caitanya-caritāmṛta there are many different levels of subjects. But generally they do tend to be advanced. But yes I would say that you can read it. But you will be able to appreciate it more and understand it better if you are well grounded in the other texts that we recommend before coming to Caitanya-caritāmṛta. But when Srila Prabhupada was first beginning the movement in New York City in 1966, he read from Caitanya-caritāmṛta but selected portions of Caitanya-caritāmṛta that were appropriate for his audience.

Devotee: Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Yes?

Devotee: Thank you very much Maharaja for your wonderful speech and reading. We hear many times from the glories of the mercy of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda that they are delivering even the most sinful people like Jagai and Madhai. I am always wondering that, how does that apply on myself? Or souls are not really getting pure souls or just trying as much as we could or may fall down, or have so many mistakes and so many falling down from having the vows, or so many different things. Are they are still going to save us or liberate us like what we hear in the stories or what would be your comment on that?

Giriraj Swami: Well Lord Chaitanya’s and Lord Nityananda’s mercy are available to us but we have to receive it. There is a way by which we can receive it and that way does not mean that we have to be perfect in our execution of devotional service but it does mean that we have to be faithful in a certain way which is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Eleven, Chapter Twenty, Verses Twenty-seven and Twenty-eight. The verse is spoken by Lord Krishna. It begins: jāta-śraddho mat-kathāsu, means “having awakened faith in my pastimes, being disgusted with material life, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but being unable to give up sense gratification completely. One should continue to serve me with great faith and devotion in a happy mood. And one should repent for one’s failings and continue in devotional service.”

And our acharyas say that this is the beginning of pure devotional service. So jāta-śraddho mat-kathāsu, one having awakened faith in the narrations of Krishna that is shown by our continually hearing the narrations of Krishna, because by hearing the narrations of Krishna we come to know of Krishna’s mercy and we become attracted to Krishna’s mercy. And yes, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery but unable to give it up, one should continue with firm faith. And this is the real crux of it that we should not become discouraged by our failings but hearing of Krishna’s mercy from narrations of His pastimes we should expect that one day we will get His mercy. And therefore we should continue in a happy mood. It seems contradictory that the devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to suffering but still he cannot give it up. So he should continue in a happy mood. So how can he be in a happy mood if he knows that he is going to suffer? But he can be in a happy mood because of his faith in Krishna’s mercy. That ultimately Krishna’s mercy will prevail and the suffering will only be temporary. So this is part of the qualification of dhairyāt, which is mentioned by Rupa Gosvami in Upadeśāmṛta; utsāhān niścayādtat dhairyāt. So, utsāhān means enthusiasm, and niścayādtat means confidence, and dhairyāt means patience.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote a series of essays on the two verses from The Nectar of Instruction, Upadeśāmṛta. The six items favorable for devotional service and the six items that are harmful to devotional service. And he has an essay on each of the six. And under dhairyāt, patience, he says that unless one has dhairyāt or patience he cannot do any work. And this series of essays is meant for practicing devotees, for sādhakas. So he can’t do any work it doesn’t mean he can’t go to the office. He might get stuck in traffic and he might be impatient but he can still go to work. But here when he says that if one is lacking in the quality of dhairyāt he cannot do any work, means he cannot do any internal work. And Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that a devotee might think after some time, “I have been trying and I am still not getting the result so let me just give up.” And the verse I quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says that the devotee’s mood should be that, “I will not give up the service of Krishna.” Bhaktivinoda Thakura says dhairyāt means that the devotee has faith that, “One day Krishna will give me His mercy because only by Krishna’s mercy will I be able to overcome my weaknesses.” So he has faith that, “One day Krishna will give me His mercy. It may be in one year or ten years or a hundred years or in a future lifetime but I will never stop serving Krishna.”

And in the purport to the same verse we come across to the same point that, “I will never give up serving Krishna.” So that is required. And at the same time go on hearing. And by that hearing develop faith and attraction to Krishna, but one also has to work. Maybe you should read that book by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. But within that book, in three different places he quotes the verse from the Eleventh Canto because it is so important. Any other questions or comments? Yes, Balaram Prasad Prabhu.

Devotee: [Unintelligible] But what does that mean or what we should do to get that mercy?

Giriraj Swami: Well, to get the mercy to be successful you have to beg for it; you have to be humble. Just from reading the last verses of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta we could see how humble Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami was. He was really in the mood of a beggar, begging for mercy from everywhere, even from his readers. And being a beggar means we are humble, we are prideless, we realize that we cannot do anything on our own, that we need mercy, and that is the way we will get mercy. Otherwise if we are proud and we think ‘Oh I can do it myself,’ there is so many verses that explain what pleases Krishna. And the only thing that pleases Krishna is unalloyed devotion.

There is a verse by Prahlada Maharaja that Krishna is not pleased by, and other similar verses, Krishna is not pleased if we follow all the rules and regulations of varnashrama-dharma, if we follow Vaishnava etiquette, things that are learned in scripture or intelligent or can give good discourses or anything; it is only by unalloyed devotion and we don’t have that. So we need to beg for that. And everything else that we think we can do like learning how to play musical instrument, whatever it is, learning to memorize verses. Whatever it is that we think we can do to improve our devotional service, that is okay. But that is not what will please Krishna. The only thing that will please Krishna is unalloyed devotion. And that we don’t have, and so we have to beg for that. On our own yes, we can learn to play harmonium, we can memorize verses, we can whatever it is, but the one thing that will please Krishna is unflinching, unalloyed devotion. And that we don’t have so we have to beg for that. And when we are really in that mood that we are bankrupt then we can get mercy. But if we think I have something, I am not doing that, actually I am doing pretty good. In fact, I am doing quite good, in fact people should see how good I am doing actually, then we won’t get anything.

All right. Thank you very much. So we will meet in the evening.

Hare Krishna.