CC Madhya 16 – Sri Gadadhara Pandita’s Appearance Day—Initiation

Giriraj Swami: So we have gathered for the auspicious occasion of Srimati Swapna Vilas dasi’s second initiation. And her sacrifices and her efforts are so great that her well-wishers from Bhaktivan have come all the way from Kansas to support her and bless her. The tradition of giving hari-nāma initiation and then second initiation (dīkṣā) was practiced by Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, and was practiced by Srila Prabhupada. So we are following in the same line. The idea is that the second initiation is built upon the first, and so the basic requirements for the first initiation are to chant at least sixteen rounds daily and follow the four regulative principles. And after one has proven oneself to be steady in those practices one is awarded second initiation.

I will read one verse that is relevant. This is Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Chapter Fourteen,

TEXT 26

māṁ ca yo ‘vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

TRANSLATION

One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse is a reply to Arjuna’s third question: What is the means of attaining to the transcendental position? As explained before, the material world is acting under the spell of the modes of material nature. One should not be disturbed by the activities of the modes of nature; instead of putting his consciousness into such activities, he may transfer his consciousness to Kṛṣṇa activities. Kṛṣṇa activities are known as bhakti-yoga – always acting for Kṛṣṇa. This includes not only Kṛṣṇa, but His different plenary expansions such as Rāma and Nārāyaṇa. He has innumerable expansions. One who is engaged in the service of any of the forms of Kṛṣṇa, or of His plenary expansions, is considered to be transcendentally situated. One should also note that all the forms of Kṛṣṇa are fully transcendental, blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. Such personalities of Godhead are omnipotent and omniscient, and they possess all transcendental qualities. So if one engages himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa or His plenary expansions with unfailing determination, although these modes of material nature are very difficult to overcome, one can overcome them easily. This has already been explained in the Seventh Chapter. One who surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa at once surmounts the influence of the modes of material nature. To be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or in devotional service means to acquire equality with Kṛṣṇa. The Lord says that His nature is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and the living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme, as gold particles are part of a gold mine. Thus the living entity, in his spiritual position, is as good as gold, as good as Kṛṣṇa in quality. 

If one is not situated in the same transcendental position with the Lord, one cannot serve the Supreme Lord. To be a personal assistant to a king, one must acquire the qualifications. Thus the qualification is to become Brahman, or freed from all material contamination. It is said in the Vedic literature, brahmaiva san brahmāpy eti. One can attain the Supreme Brahman by becoming Brahman. This means that one must qualitatively become one with Brahman. By attainment of Brahman, one does not lose his eternal Brahman identity as an individual soul.

COMMENT

So part of the process of spiritual advancement, and in fact, one of the most potent items in devotional service is to worship the deity with faith and veneration. And being awarded second initiation you will be considered eligible to engage in such duty, service. So as Krishna is on the spiritual platform, to serve Krishna one must also be on the spiritual platform. At least one should follow the regulative principles and engage in the basic practices of bhakti-yoga which will enable one to at least be on the brahminical platform. And if one falls from that platform one should not touch the deity, it is mentioned in The Nectar of Devotion. So, there are many details in relation to the process of deity worship, Srila Prabhupada said the two most important factors are cleanliness and punctuality. And you have been highly recommended by your mentors, Bhaktivan, who also not only did they recommend you as a devotee but they suggested that deity worship would be very good for you. So yes, we wish you all the best, and I think it is fitting that since they have come from so far, and since they have been śikṣā-guru to you, that they should also give you some words of encouragement and guidance. 

Hare Krishna.

Do we have a roaming microphone? 

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Hare Krishna.

Devotees: Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: So we have gathered on the most auspicious occasion of Sri Gadadhara Pandita’s appearance day. This morning we read and spoke about Sri Gadadhara Pandita from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and especially, from Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata. But this evening we will focus on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. There are so many wonderful pastimes between Gadadhara Pandita and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but I will read two which are especially moving and instructive.

We begin with Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Sixteen.

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

So, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Sixteen, “The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana."

Well, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had decided to leave Jagannatha Puri and proceed to Vrindavan. And Maharaja Prataparudra made various arrangements to facilitate His journey. Different devotees of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu followed Him for as long as they could, and one of those devotees was Sri Gadadhara Pandita, but Lord Chaitanya forbade him to follow Him for reasons which we will hear.

Hare Krishna.

TEXT 130

gadādhara-paṇḍita yabe saṅgete calilā

‘kṣetra-sannyāsa nā chāḍiha’ — prabhu niṣedhilā

TRANSLATION

When Gadādhara Paṇḍita started to go with the Lord, he was forbidden to come and was asked not to give up the vow of kṣetra-sannyāsa.

COMMENT

The vow of kṣetra-sannyāsa means that one resides in a holy place, kṣetra, and takes a vow not to spend the night outside of that kṣetra or holy place.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

When one takes kṣetra-sannyāsa, he leaves his household life and goes to a place of pilgrimage devoted to Lord Viṣṇu. Such places include Puruṣottama (Jagannātha Purī), Navadvīpa-dhāma and Mathurā-dhāma. The kṣetra-sannyāsī lives in these places alone or with his family. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura considers kṣetra-sannyāsa to be the preferable vānaprastha situation in this Age of Kali. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya lived in this way, and he has been called a kṣetra-sannyāsī — that is, a sannyāsī living in Jagannātha Purī.

TEXT 131

When he was requested to return to Jagannātha Purī, Gadādhara Paṇḍita told the Lord, “Wherever You are staying is Jagannātha Purī. Let my so-called kṣetra-sannyāsa go to hell.”

COMMENT

It is actually there in the Bengali Rasātala (to hell).

TEXT 132

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Gadādhara Paṇḍita to remain at Jagannātha Purī and engage in Gopīnātha’s service.

COMMENT

As we read this morning, Gadadhara Pandita was serving the deity of Gopinatha in Puri. 

TEXT 132

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Gadādhara Paṇḍita to remain at Jagannātha Purī and engage in Gopīnātha’s service, Gadādhara Paṇḍita replied, “One renders service to Gopīnātha a million times simply by seeing Your lotus feet.”

TEXT 133

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “If you abandon His service, it will be My fault. It is better that you remain here and render service. That will be My satisfaction.”

TEXT 134

The Paṇḍita replied, “Do not worry. All the faults will be on my head. I shall not accompany You but shall go alone.”

COMMENT

So in this repartee, Lord Chaitanya gave three arguments and Gadadhara Pandita refuted them. So who can restate what Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s arguments forbidding him to come were and what Gadadhara Pandita’s replies were? If you can do just one that will be. . .

Devotee: So the first one was not to give up kṣetra-sannyāsa, and Gadadhara Pandita’s reply was that, “Wherever You are is a kṣetra, therefore, I am not giving up kṣetra-sannyāsa by being with You.”

Giriraj Swami: Correct, very good. We have a learned pandit amongst us.

Devotee: You just read it.

Giriraj Swami: Can anyone think of. . . Yes, Krishna Chaitanya.

Devotee: Lord Chaitanya said, “You should not give up the worship of Ṭoṭā Gopinatha.” And then Sri Gadadhara Pandita said, “Serving Your lotus feet, I worship Gopinatha thousand times.” 

Giriraj Swami: Yes, yes, you got it right. That Lord Chaitanya said, “You should remain here and don’t give up your service to Gopinatha.” And Gadadhara Pandita replied, “By seeing Your lotus feet I am serving Gopinatha a million times.” And then the last one. Yes, Scott.

Devotee: Lord Chaitanya said, “If you give up the service then I will be accountable for it. It will all be on me.”

Giriraj Swami: Why? How would it all be on Him? You are close, you are very close. Yes, the last argument was, “If you give up your kṣetra-sannyāsa and your service to Gopinatha the fault will be on Me, people will blame Me.” And Gadadhara Pandita replied, “No, I will take the responsibility that the fault will be on my head because I won’t go with You, I will go separately.” 

TEXT 135

“I shall go to see Śacīmātā, but I shall not go for Your sake. I shall be responsible for the abandoning of my vow and service to Gopīnātha.”

COMMENT

Now, in a way, this is a little bit uncharacteristic of Gadadhara Pandita who is usually very submissive as we will read in another pastime, but out of love he just couldn’t bear the separation of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And he just was ready like sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, he was ready to abandon all varieties of religiousness and just follow Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

TEXT 136

Thus Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī traveled alone, but when they all arrived at Kaṭaka, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu called him, and he went into the Lord’s company.

TEXT 137

No one can understand the loving intimacy between Gadādhara Paṇḍita and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Gadādhara Paṇḍita gave up his vow and service to Gopīnātha just as one gives up a piece of straw.

COMMENT

Now this must be understood in the context of how strong a devotee Gadadhara Pandita was, and how strong his vow was, and his service. So for him to give those up was not a small thing, it was a huge thing.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Just to get Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s association, Gadādhara Paṇḍita gave up his life’s vow to engage in Gopīnātha’s service. This kind of loving affection can be understood only by very confidential devotees. Ordinarily, no one can understand its purport.

TEXT 138

Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s behavior was very pleasing to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s heart. Nevertheless, the Lord took his hand and spoke to him, displaying the anger of love.

TEXT 139

“You have abandoned Gopīnātha’s service and broken your vow to live in Purī. All that is now complete because you have come so far.”

TEXT 140

“Your wanting to go with Me is simply a desire for sense gratification. In this way, you are breaking two religious principles, and because of this I am very unhappy.”

TEXT 141

“If you want My happiness, please return to Nīlācala. You will simply condemn Me if you say any more about this matter.”

TEXT 142

Saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got into a boat, and Gadādhara Paṇḍita immediately fell down unconscious.

TEXT 143

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya to take Gadādhara Paṇḍita with him. The Bhaṭṭācārya told Gadādhara Paṇḍita, “Get up! Such are the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”

TEXT 144

“You should know that Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself violated His own promise just to keep the promise of Grandfather Bhīṣma.”

COMMENT

Can anyone relate this incident? When Krishna broke His own promise to uphold the promise of Grandfather Bhīṣma. Vishnu Priya. Do we have that traveling microphone?

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Devotee: Lord Krishna [Unintelligible 00:24:47].

Giriraj Swami: But what was Grandfather Bhīṣma’s vow? 

Devotee: That Krishna shouldn’t give up that pick up the weapon to. . .

Giriraj Swami: That was Krishna’s vow. 

Devotee: You make him fight, he would make him [Unintelligible 00:25:10]. 

Giriraj Swami: Yes, well yes, Duryodhana accused Bhīṣmadeva of not fighting to his full capacity out of his affection for the Pandavas which was actually a great insult to Bhīṣma’s kshatriya honor. And so Bhīṣmadeva vowed that, “Either I will kill Krishna’s friend Arjuna or I will make Krishna break His vow not to take up weapons.” And so the next day’s fighting he fought so ferociously that Arjuna actually was in trouble. And Krishna, to uphold Bhīṣma’s vow, got down from the chariot, picked up a broken chariot wheel as a weapon, and rushed towards Grandfather Bhīṣma. So this is an example, and this example was given by Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya to Gadadhara Pandita, that to what extent the Lord will make arrangements to uphold His devotee’s vow. He doesn’t, and therefore, Krishna tells Arjuna, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati, that declare it boldly that My devotee will never be vanquished, My devotee will never perish.

So someone could question, why doesn’t Krishna make the declaration? Why does He ask Arjuna to make the declaration? And the answer is that occasionally Krishna will break His vow to uphold the vow of His devotee. So if Arjuna makes the declaration then Krishna will certainly uphold it. And sometimes I relate this to Srila Prabhupada, on occasion Srila Prabhupada said that if you just dedicate this life to Krishna, and chant sixteen rounds a day, and follow the four regulative principles, and do your best to spread Krishna consciousness, then you can go back home, back to Godhead in this very lifetime. So, it may seem whatever it may seem like but I think Srila Prabhupada gave his word and Krishna will uphold it. That is a big topic, but that is the idea. 

There are other examples but we will move along here because we want to get back to Gadadhara Pandita. So then Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, all of these devotees were very learned in shastra, and they were always quoting shastra to support their points, and that is a very beautiful way of life.

TEXT 145

sva-nigamam apahāya mat-pratijñām

ṛtam adhikartum avapluto ratha-sthaḥ

dhṛta-ratha-caraṇo ‘bhyayāc calad-gur

harir iva hantum ibhaṁ gatottarīyaḥ

TRANSLATION

“Intending to make my promise true, Lord Kṛṣṇa broke His own promise not to take up a weapon at Kurukṣetra. With His outer garment falling off, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa jumped from His chariot, picked up a wheel and came running at me to kill me. Indeed, He rushed at me like a lion going to kill an elephant, and He caused the whole earth to tremble.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Lord Kṛṣṇa promised not to fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra or even take up a weapon. But when Bhīṣma wanted to keep his own promise to break the promise of the Lord, the Lord immediately got down from the chariot, and to make Bhīṣma’s promise true He picked up a chariot wheel and rushed forward to kill him. This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.9.37).

TEXT 146

“Similarly, tolerating separation from you, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has protected your vow with great endeavor.”

TEXT 147

In this way Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya revived Gadādhara Paṇḍita. Then both of them, very much grief-stricken, returned to Jagannātha Purī, Nīlācala.

TEXT 148

All the devotees would abandon all kinds of duties for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s sake, yet the Lord did not like the devotees’ giving up their promised duties.

TEXT 149

All these are the misgivings of loving affairs. Whoever listens to these incidents gets the shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet very soon.

COMMENT

What happens to someone who listens to these incidents? He gets Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s shelter very soon.

So, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continued on His way to Vrindavan and large numbers of people began to follow Him. And when He got to Ramakeli which was the capital of Nawab Hussain Shah, where Rupa and Sanatana were engaged in the Nawab service, Sanatana Gosvami advised Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, “This is not the way to go to Vrindavan with huge numbers of people accompanying You.” He said, “You shouldn’t go with bugles and drums.” He said, “This is not the way to go to Vrindavan.” So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu considered Sanatana’s advice and He decided that yes, what Sanatana Gosvami said is true. And so Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did not continue to Vrindavan, but He returned to Jagannatha Puri.

TEXT 252

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived in Jagannātha Purī, He visited the temple of the Lord. News then spread all over the city that He had returned.

TEXT 253

All the devotees then came and met the Lord with great happiness. The Lord embraced each of them in great ecstatic love.

TEXT 254

Kāśī Miśra, Rāmānanda Rāya, Pradyumna, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Vāṇīnātha Rāya, Śikhi Māhiti and all the other devotees met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 255

Gadādhara Paṇḍita also came and met the Lord. Then, before all the devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to speak as follows.

TEXT 256

“It was My decision to go to Vṛndāvana through Bengal in order to see My mother and the river Ganges.”

TEXT 257

“Thus I went to Bengal, but thousands of devotees began to follow Me.”

COMMENT

And then He describes in a situation, He describes how He met Rupa Sanatana in Ramakeli and how Sanatana Gosvami advised Him to turn back, not to go to Vrindavan with such a large following. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu tells the devotees:

TEXT 273

“I have therefore resolved to go alone or, at the utmost, with one servant. In this way, My journey to Vṛndāvana will be beautiful.”

TEXT 274

“I thought, ‘Instead of going to Vṛndāvana alone, I am going with soldiers and the beating of drums.’”

TEXT 275

“I therefore said, ‘Fie upon Me!’ and being very much agitated, I returned to the banks of the Ganges.”

TEXT 276

“I then left all the devotees there and brought only five or six persons with Me.”

TEXT 277

“Now I wish that you all will be pleased with Me and give Me good consultation. Tell Me how I shall be able to go to Vṛndāvana without impediments.”

COMMENT

So although Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead He is playing as a devotee and He is taking consultation from His devotees. And Srila Prabhupada did that too, and even Krishna did it, He would consult Uddhava and take advice. And that advice is always offered in a mood of humility, not like, “Oh, I am Krishna’s advisor, I know more than Krishna.”

Now, listen to what Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says.

TEXT 278

gadādhare chāḍi’ genu, iṅho duḥkha pāila

sei hetu vṛndāvana yāite nārila

TRANSLATION

“I left Gadādhara Paṇḍita here, and he became very unhappy. For this reason I could not go to Vṛndāvana.”

TEXT 279

Being encouraged by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s words, Gadādhara Paṇḍita became absorbed in ecstatic love. Immediately clasping the lotus feet of the Lord, he began to speak with great humility.

TEXT 280

Gadādhara Paṇḍita said, “Wherever You stay is Vṛndāvana, as well as the river Yamunā, the river Ganges and all other places of pilgrimage.”

TEXT 281

“Although wherever You stay is Vṛndāvana, You will still go to Vṛndāvana just to instruct people. Otherwise, You will do whatever You think best.”

COMMENT

So Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was asking for advice and Gadadhara Pandita said basically, “You don’t have to go to Vrindavan, You are Vrindavan, You are the personification of Vrindavan and all the holy places. But still, You go to set the example for others so now You do whatever You think is best.” But then Gadadhara Pandita said more: 

TEXT 282

Taking this opportunity, Gadādhara Paṇḍita said, “Just now the four months of the rainy season have begun. You should therefore spend the next four months in Jagannātha Purī.”

TEXT 283

“After remaining here for four months, You will be free to do as You like. Actually, no one can stop You from going or remaining.”

TEXT 284

Upon hearing this statement, the devotees present at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stated that Gadādhara Paṇḍita had properly presented their desire.

TEXT 285

Being requested by all the devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu agreed to remain at Jagannātha Purī for four months. Hearing this, King Pratāparudra became very happy.

TEXT 286

That day Gadādhara Paṇḍita extended an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord took His lunch at his place with the other devotees.

TEXT 287

No ordinary human being can possibly describe Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s affectionate presentation of food or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s tasting this food.

TEXT 288

In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performs His pastimes, which are unlimited and unfathomable. Somehow or other, these have briefly been described. It is not possible to describe them elaborately.

TEXT 289

Although Lord Anantadeva is always describing the pastimes of the Lord with His thousands of mouths, He cannot reach the end of even one of the Lord’s pastimes.

TEXT 290

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.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, sixteenth chapter, describing Lord Caitanya’s attempt to go to Vṛndāvana.

COMMENT

So we could discuss this pastime, and there are so many instructions in the pastime, so many sweet moods of devotional service. I think we will move on to the next one and then we can open up the discussion for devotees’ comments and questions.

The next pastime, all of these are quite intricate. There is a lot of subtleties in the loving dealings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the devotees. And the next pastime also involve many intricacies; it is said that the path to Vrindavan is very crooked and full of thorns, and so one gets a sense of these misgivings in Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes as well. So in this chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Chapter Seven, “Lord Chaitanya meets Vallabha Bhaṭṭa.”

Vallabha Bhaṭṭa was a learned scholar but he had one fault which was that he was proud, and in this regard, there is a comparison between him and King Indra who was a devotee but he was proud and therefore he opposed Krishna. But Krishna acted in such a way as to break to pieces the false pride of Indra and bring him back to his senses. And so Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu acted in a same way with Vallabha Bhaṭṭa. Vallabha Bhaṭṭa would come to the assembly of Lord Chaitanya and his devotees and try to distinguish himself as being more learned, more intelligent, more ingenious than any of the other devotees, but he could not be successful. Whenever he came into the assembly of Lord Chaitanya’s devotees, he was always defeated and humiliated. For example, once he came into the assembly and said that, “Krishna is the supreme husband of all living entities, and the wife should not directly speak the name of the husband. So why are you all directly speaking the name of the Krishna?” So Advaita Acharya said that, “The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna Chaitanya, is standing right here, why don’t you ask Him?” So he went to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and presented his argument, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied that it is the first duty of a chaste wife to follow the husband’s instruction. So Lord Krishna has instructed us to chant His holy name, and therefore, we chant. 

Another time Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also took up this theme of chastity when Vallabha Bhaṭṭa came and said that, “I have written a commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that surpasses the commentary of Śrīdhara Swami,” who is considered the original commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. “I have detected the false in Śrīdhara Swami’s commentary, and I have made a commentary that rectifies Śrīdhara Swami’s mistakes.” So Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was very merciful to all living entities including Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, he knew that he was afflicted by pride and that for him to make further progress he had to be relieved of that obstacle. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu made a play on words because Swami means master and so sometimes Swami is used to denote a husband. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “One who is not faithful to the Swami,” meaning a wife who is not faithful to her husband, or a commentator who is not faithful to Śrīdhara Swami, He said, “One who is not faithful to one’s Swami is a prostitute, and how can I listen to a prostitute?” So again Vallabha Bhaṭṭa felt ashamed, defeated, humiliated, and so this was going on. 

So in that context, because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wouldn’t even listen to Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, so in that context Vallabha Bhaṭṭa went to Gadadhara Pandita, and this also gave rise to a very wonderful sequence of events. I will give a little taste of the exchanges between Vallabha Bhaṭṭa and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

TEXT 80

One day, after the festival was over, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa went to the abode of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and submitted a request at the lotus feet of the Lord.

TEXT 81

“I have written some commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,” he said. “Would Your Lordship kindly hear it?”

TEXT 82

The Lord replied, “I do not understand the meaning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Indeed, I am not a suitable person to hear its meaning.”

TEXT 83

“I simply sit and try to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and although I chant all day and night, I nevertheless cannot complete the chanting of My prescribed number of rounds.”

COMMENT

Has anyone ever felt like that? I have felt like that.

TEXT 84

Vallabha Bhaṭṭa said, “I have tried to describe elaborately the meaning of Kṛṣṇa’s holy name.”

COMMENT

He is trying somehow or other, “You didn’t hear my commentary on the Bhāgavatam, maybe you will hear my commentary on Krishna’s holy name.”

TEXT 84

“Kindly hear the explanation.”

TEXT 85

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “I do not accept many different meanings for the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. I know only that Lord Kṛṣṇa is Śyāmasundara and Yaśodānandana. That is all I know.”

TEXT 86

tamāla-śyāmala-tviṣi

śrī-yaśodā-stanan-dhaye

kṛṣṇa-nāmno rūḍhir iti

sarva-śāstra-vinirṇayaḥ

TRANSLATION

“The only purport of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is that He is dark blue like a tamāla tree and is the son of mother Yaśodā. This is the conclusion of all the revealed scriptures.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This is a verse from the Nāma-kaumudī.

TEXT 88

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is omniscient, therefore He could understand that Vallabha Bhaṭṭa’s explanations of Kṛṣṇa’s name and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam were useless. Therefore He did not care about them.

TEXT 89

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu rigidly declined to hear his explanations, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa went home feeling morose. His faith in the Lord and devotion to Him changed.

TEXT 90

Thereafter, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa went to the home of Gadādhara Paṇḍita. He kept coming and going, showing affection in various ways, and thus maintained a relationship with him.

TEXT 91

Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not take Vallabha Bhaṭṭa very seriously, none of the people in Jagannātha Purī would hear any of his explanations.

TEXT 92

Ashamed, insulted and unhappy, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa went to Gadādhara Paṇḍita.

TEXT 93

Approaching him with great humility, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa said, “I have taken shelter of you, my dear sir. Kindly be merciful to me and save my life.

TEXT 94

“Please hear my explanation of the meaning of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s name. In that way the mud of the shame that has come upon me will be washed off.”

TEXT 95

Thus Paṇḍita Gosāñi fell into a dilemma. He was in such doubt that he could not decide alone what to do.

COMMENT

This is a real perplexing situation.

PURPORT BY Srila Prabhupada

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not take Vallabha Bhaṭṭa very seriously. Therefore Paṇḍita Gosāñi, or Gadādhara Gosāñi, fell into perplexity. What would be his position if he heard Vallabha Bhaṭṭa’s explanation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name? Certainly Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would be displeased. Therefore Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosāñi could not make a decision.

COMMENT

He was in a very awkward situation because Vallabha Bhaṭṭa kept coming and showing respect and affection to him, developing a relationship with him, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu refused to hear his explanations. So, how could Gadadhara Pandita hear him? Is he more than Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that Mahaprabhu refused but he would agree?

TEXT 96

Although Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosāñi did not want to hear it, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa began to read his explanation with great force.

TEXT 97

Because Vallabha Bhaṭṭa was a learned brāhmaṇa, Gadādhara Paṇḍita could not forbid him. Thus he began to think of Lord Kṛṣṇa. 

COMMENT

So this is very instructive because we may come in situations that are awkward where circumstantially we may have to do something that we don’t want to do that would not conform to the general standards of Vaishnava behavior, but we are sort of caught in a difficult situation, and then what to do? So we can follow Gadadhara Pandita’s example. What did he do? He thought of Krishna within himself.

TEXT 97

Thus he began to think of Lord Kṛṣṇa. “My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa,” he requested, “please protect me in this danger. I have taken shelter of You.”

TEXT 98

“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is present in everyone’s heart, and He will certainly know my mind. Therefore I do not fear Him. His associates, however, are extremely critical.”

COMMENT

Sri Sri Radha-Kalachandji ki jaya!

Sri Jagannatha Baladeva Subhadra ki jaya!

What is happening? What is happening now? Anyway, we will continue. 

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:57:04].

Giriraj Swami: Sorry? 

Devotee: Ārati will start at 8:30.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, 8:30. Okay, we have time. I am also in a perplexing situation caught between two opposing. . .Krishna, Krishna. Okay, thank you. We have our temple president so we actually don’t have to worry about anything, he makes the decisions and we just follow.

So Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu said.

TEXT 98

“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is present in everyone’s heart, and He will certainly know my mind. Therefore I do not fear Him. His associates, however, are extremely critical.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exists in everyone’s heart. Therefore He would know the circumstances under which Paṇḍita Gosāñi agreed to hear Vallabha Bhaṭṭa’s explanations, and certainly He would not be angry. However, the Vaiṣṇavas who were always with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu might not understand Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s inner consciousness, and they might accuse him of having compromised with Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, despite his having been neglected by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosāñi was seriously thinking in this way.

TEXT 99

Although Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosāñi was not in the least at fault, some of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s devotees showed affectionate anger toward him.

TEXT 100

Every day, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa would come to the place of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to engage in unnecessary arguments.

COMMENT

So this went on, although Gadadhara Pandita did listen to him, but still, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa wanted to establish himself in the assembly of Lord Chaitanya’s devotees, so he would still go there and try to show his superiority, and every time he would be defeated. So, he reacted and he thought, Previously Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was so kind to me and now he is behaving differently. So he is putting the blame on Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But then one day, by the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa came to a realization that, “Actually, I am just a proud fool and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is acting with me in this way to smash my false pride. He is actually my well-wisher and acting for my benefit.” And so he came to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and took shelter of His lotus feet, and expressed his remorse for his foolish proud behavior and gave his appreciation for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy. And he makes many nice statements, and then at the end, he concludes:

TEXT 129

“My dear Lord, You have cured the blindness of my false pride by smearing my eyes with the ointment of Your mercy. You have bestowed so much mercy upon me that my ignorance is now gone.”

TEXT 130

“My dear Lord, I have committed offenses. Please excuse me. I seek shelter of You. Please be merciful unto me by placing Your lotus feet on my head.”

TEXT 131

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “You are both a greatly learned scholar and a great devotee. Wherever there are two such attributes, there cannot be a mountain of false pride.”

TEXT 132

“You have dared criticize Śrīdhara Svāmī, and you have begun your own commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, not accepting his authority. That is your false pride.”

COMMENT

And then he again speaks about the importance of accepting Śrīdhara Swami, following paramparā, and not trying to supersede one’s predecessor.

TEXT 135

“One who comments on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam following in the footsteps of Śrīdhara Svāmī will be honored and accepted by everyone.”

TEXT 136

“Put forth your explanation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam following in the footsteps of Śrīdhara Svāmī. Giving up your false pride, worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.”

TEXT 137

“Abandoning your offenses, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the holy names of the Lord. Then very soon you will achieve shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.”

COMMENT

And Vallabha Bhaṭṭa said then, “If You are actually pleased with me then accept my invitation to honor prasāda at my home.” And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu agreed. 

So then there is a little discussion of the different natures of Jagadananda Pandita and Gadadhara Pandita. Jagadananda Pandita in caitanya-līlā was more in the mood of Satyabhama which was one of the principal queens of Krishna in Dvaraka, who was always quarreling with Krishna. And Gadadhara Pandita was more in the mood of Rukmini devi who was very docile and submissive to Krishna.

TEXT 145

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes desired to see Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s affectionate anger, but because of his knowledge of the Lord’s opulences, his anger was never invoked.

TEXT 146

For this purpose Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes showed His apparent anger. Hearing of this anger inspired great fear in the heart of Gadādhara Paṇḍita.

COMMENT

As in Dvaraka, Krishna wanted to see Rukmini devi’s anger so He started saying, “I am not fit to be your husband and you should find someone else, someone more suitable than Me.” But Rukmini devi instead of becoming angry and refuting Krishna’s words, fainted.

TEXT 147

Previously, in kṛṣṇa-līlā, when Lord Kṛṣṇa joked with Rukmiṇīdevī, she took His words seriously, and fear awoke within her mind.

COMMENT

A little change in the subject, little change.

TEXT 148

Vallabha Bhaṭṭa was accustomed to worshiping the Lord as child Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

Bāla-gopāla.

TEXT 148

Therefore he had been initiated into the Bāla-gopāla mantra and was thus worshiping the Lord.

TEXT 149

In the association of Gadādhara Paṇḍita, his mind was converted, and he dedicated his mind to worshiping Kiśora-gopāla, Kṛṣṇa as a young boy.

TEXT 150

Vallabha Bhaṭṭa wanted to be initiated by Gadādhara Paṇḍita, but Gadādhara Paṇḍita refused, saying, “The work of acting as a spiritual master is not possible for me.”

TEXT 151

“I am completely dependent. My Lord is Gauracandra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I cannot do anything independently, without His order.”

TEXT 152

“My dear Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, your coming to me is not appreciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore He sometimes speaks to chastise me.”

 y

Some days passed, and when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, finally pleased with Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, accepted his invitation, the Lord sent Svarūpa Dāmodara, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita and Govinda to call for Gadādhara Paṇḍita.

COMMENT

This is also a very instructive conversation amongst the devotees.

TEXT 155

On the way, Svarūpa Dāmodara said to Gadādhara Paṇḍita, “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to test you. Therefore He neglected you.”

TEXT 156

“Why did you not retaliate by reproaching Him? Why did you fearfully tolerate His criticism?”

TEXT 157

Gadādhara Paṇḍita said, “Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is completely independent. He is the topmost omniscient personality. It would not look well for me to talk to Him as if I were His equal.”

TEXT 158

“I can tolerate whatever He says, bearing it upon my head. He will automatically be merciful to me after considering my faults and attributes.”

TEXT 159

After saying this, Gadādhara Paṇḍita went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and fell down crying at the lotus feet of the Lord.

TEXT 160

Smiling slightly, the Lord embraced him and spoke sweet words so that others would also hear.

TEXT 161

“I wanted to agitate you,” the Lord said, “but you did not become agitated. Indeed, you could not say anything in anger. Instead, you tolerated everything.”

TEXT 162

“Your mind was not disturbed by My tricks. Rather, you stayed fixed in your simplicity. In this way you have purchased Me.”

TEXT 163

No one can describe the characteristics and ecstatic love of Gadādhara Paṇḍita. Therefore another name for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Gadādhara-prāṇanātha, “the life and soul of Gadādhara Paṇḍita.”

TEXT 164

No one can say how merciful the Lord is to Gadādhara Paṇḍita, but people know the Lord as Gadāira Gaurāṅga, “the Lord Gaurāṅga of Gadādhara Paṇḍita.”

TEXT 166

Gadādhara Paṇḍita is celebrated all over the world for his gentle behavior, his brahminical attributes and his steady love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 167

The Lord purified Vallabha Bhaṭṭa by cleansing him of the mud of false pride.

COMMENT

That word mud was used earlier, that Vallabha Bhaṭṭa felt a mud of shame, that wasn’t the mud, the mud was his false pride.

TEXT 168

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was actually always merciful within His heart, but He was sometimes externally negligent of His devotees. We should not be preoccupied with His external feature, however, for if we do so we shall be vanquished.

COMMENT

This is very important, that for a particular purpose, for a particular period, the Lord may apparently neglect a servant. But within his heart the Lord is always merciful, and we should not misjudge the Lord or the Lord’s servant because if we do so we will be ruined, we will commit offenses not understanding how the Lord is dealing in a personal way with a particular servant for a particular purpose.

TEXT 170

Another day, Gadādhara Paṇḍita invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to dinner. The Lord took prasādam at his home with His personal associates.

TEXT 171

There Vallabha Bhaṭṭa took permission from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and his desire to be initiated by Gadādhara Paṇḍita was thus fulfilled.

TEXT 172

I have thus explained the Lord’s meeting with Vallabha Bhaṭṭa. By hearing of this incident, one can achieve the treasure of love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

COMMENT

What happens to someone who hears of this incident?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:12:15].

Giriraj Swami: Yes, you can achieve the treasure of love for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

TEXT 173

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.

Hare Krishna. So, would anyone else like to share anything about Gadadhara Pandita and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu or ask any questions? Yes, Dharma Prabhu.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja. When you were speaking before on the first pastime and you described how Gadadhara Pandita would cook for Mahaprabhu [Unintelligible 01:13:37] nectar and so maybe that is why even in this pastime she was manifesting this incredible ability to cook for Krishna. And then I thought it seems like that happens with us, that when we try to do a little something in Krishna consciousness there is some connection with another personality and they make things really nice. Like for years, we might cook but then one time it just comes out really amazing or we do something else. Is there a connection with that devotional service?

Giriraj Swami: Well yes, I mean this closing verse of every chapter.

śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa

caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa

At every step Kṛṣṇadāsa Kaviraja Gosvami is praying for the mercy of Rūpa-Raghunātha, the mercy of higher authorities because it is only by the mercy of the higher authorities that we can do anything nicely. So that should be our mood in everything we do, and in that mood, we can receive their mercy and do things that are beyond our individual independent capacity. That should be our mood at every moment. Thank you. 

Any other questions or comments? Yes, Rupanuga Prabhu. My śikṣā-guru. One of my śikṣā-gurus.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja, you spoke that Gadadhara Pandita, Sri Gadadhara, his mood was more similar to that Rukmini than the Satyabhama. So, this is a little bit bewildering to me that he is said to be an appearance of Srimati Radharani, but he is taking on the mood of Candravali or Rukmini. Can you clear that up for me?

Giriraj Swami: This is a somewhat paradoxical situation because Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna in the mood of Radharani, and Gadadhara Pandita, although he is Radharani, appeared to facilitate Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the mood of Radharani, and therefore, he subdued that vāme-bhāva of Srimati Radharani and accepted more of a dakṣiṇā-bhāva in caitanya-līlā. Vāme means left wing and dakṣiṇā means right wing. And so yes, he had his role to play and it was not to manifest the mood of Radharani, that was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s position, to exhibit the mood of Radharani. 

Any other questions or comments? 

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja. One thing that came to my mind that I was curious about is that is there anyone that is ever tried to relate Srila Prabhupada to any of these types of moods? In other words, try to classify Srila Prabhupada.

Giriraj Swami: I have never heard of that, and I am not sure how appropriate it would be.

Devotee: I know [Unintelligible 01:18:25] except that it is obvious that it is just [Unintelligible 01:18:37].

Giriraj Swami: Well, I don’t know exactly what you mean, but he was in the mood of the Pancha-tattva to distribute Krishna consciousness.

Devotee: Perfect. [Unintelligible 01:19:07] introduce Lord Chaitanya to the world, Lord Chaitanya said, “Chant Krishna’s name.” And Nityananda said, “Chant Chaitanya’s name.” So it is kind of like that [Unintelligible 01:20:13].

Giriraj Swami: Well, we are in an assembly of great sages and saintly persons and deep thinkers, and I certainly value what Trinuja Prabhu said, and I could dare to venture there might be other great devotees and deep thinkers here who also have their own perspectives on Srila Prabhupada and his empowerment and his life in Goloka Vrindavan, just spiritual variegatedness.

Any other questions or comments? 

So, I think that is good. We can join the ārati by Krishna’s arrangement that perplexity will solve twice, once by Nityananda Prabhu’s decision and second time by finishing in time for us to join the ārati for a few moments.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Sri Gadadhara Pandit ki jaya!

Sri Sri Radha-Kalachandji ki jaya!

Gaura-bhakta vrnda ki jaya!