CC Madhya 8.28 – Lord Chaitanya’s Meeting with Ramananda Raya

Giriraj Swami:

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda

jayādvaitacandra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Today is the disappearance day of Sri Ramananda Raya, who was the gopī Vishakha in kṛṣṇa-līlā. First, I will read the Chapter Summary. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Eight, “Talks Between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya.”

CHAPTER SUMMERY

The summary of the eighth chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. After visiting the temple of Jiyaḍa-nṛsiṁha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the banks of the river Godāvarī, to a place known as Vidyānagara. When Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya went there to take his bath, they met. After introducing himself, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya requested Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to remain in the village for some days. Honoring his request, Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed there in the home of some Vedic brāhmaṇas. In the evening, Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya used to come to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Rāmānanda Rāya, who was clothed in ordinary dress, offered the Lord respectful obeisances. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu questioned him on the object and process of worship and also asked him to recite verses from the Vedic literature.

First of all, Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya enunciated the system of the varṇāśrama institution. He recited various verses about karmārpaṇa, stating that everything should be dedicated to the Lord. He then spoke of detached action, knowledge mixed with devotional service, and finally the spontaneous loving service of the Lord. After hearing Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya recite some verses, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the principle of pure devotional service devoid of all kinds of speculation. After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Rāmānanda Rāya to explain the higher platform of devotional service. Then Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya explained unalloyed devotional service, love of Godhead, and serving the Lord in the moods of pure servitude, fraternity and parental love. Finally he spoke of serving the Lord in conjugal love. He then spoke of how conjugal love can be developed in various ways. This conjugal love attains its highest perfection in Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s love for Kṛṣṇa. He next described the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the transcendental mellows of love of God. Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya then recited a verse of his own concerning the platform of ecstatic vision, technically called prema-vilāsa-vivarta. Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya also explained that all stages of conjugal love can be attained through the mercy of the residents of Vṛndāvana, especially by the mercy of the gopīs. All these subject matters were thus vividly described. Gradually Rāmānanda Rāya could understand the position of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited His real form, Rāmānanda Rāya fell unconscious. After some days, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Rāmānanda Rāya to retire from government service and come to Jagannātha Purī. These descriptions of the meetings between Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are taken from the notebook of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.

TEXT 1

sañcārya rāmābhidha-bhakta-meghe
sva-bhakti-siddhānta-cayāmṛtāni
gaurābdhir etair amunā vitīrṇais
taj-jñatva-ratnālayatāṁ prayāti

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is known as Gaurāṅga, is the ocean of all conclusive knowledge in devotional service. He empowered Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, who may be likened to a cloud of devotional service. This cloud was filled with the water of all the conclusive purports of devotional service and was empowered by the ocean to spread this water over the sea of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself. Thus the ocean of Caitanya Mahāprabhu became filled with the jewels of the knowledge of pure devotional service.

COMMENT

In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the author Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami begins each chapter with a Sanskrit verse of his composition that some summarizes or sets the theme for the chapter. In Madhya-līlā, Chapter Eight, we hear the discussions between Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Ramananda Raya. And in this talk, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu takes the position of the enquirer, the person who does enquiry. And Ramananda Raya take the position of a teacher, who is giving answers. And this reversal of roles is stating very literally in the first verse which is metaphor of the ocean and the clouds. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is compared to an ocean, conclusive truth of devotional service, an ocean has many branches of that. And Ramananda Raya is compared to the cloud. The cloud gets its water from the ocean. And then, being empowered by the ocean, the Ramananda Raya laid down, the conclusive truths about devotional service [Unintelligible 00:16:17] the ocean. In other words, Srila Ramananda Raya was blessed with the conclusive truth of devotional service, and then he returned [Unintelligible 00:16:31] knowledge of devotional service to the ocean, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the form of answers. So, this chapter is very important and before Srila Prabhupada translated Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he wrote a book called The Teaching of Lord Caitanya, in which he summarized or translated various important discussions between Lord Chaitanya and His devotees in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and one of these discussions is with Ramananda Raya. And before coming to America, Srila Prabhupada actually wrote a small book which consisted of this discussion, which is very, very important and instructive. We won’t be able to read the whole chapter; [Unintelligible 00:17:55]

TEXT 2

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

TRANSLATION

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

According to His previous program, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went forward on His tour and after some days arrived at the place of pilgrimage known as Jiyaḍa-nṛsiṁha.

Upon seeing the Deity of Lord Nṛsiṁha in the temple, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His respectful obeisances by falling flat. Then, in ecstatic love, He performed various dances, chanted, and offered prayers.

TEXT 5

“śrī-nṛsiṁha, jaya nṛsiṁha, jaya jaya nṛsiṁha
prahlādeśa jaya padmā-mukha-padma-bhṛṅga”

TRANSLATION

“ ‘All glories to Nṛsiṁhadeva! All glories to Nṛsiṁhadeva, who is the Lord of Prahlāda Mahārāja and, like a honeybee, is always engaged in beholding the lotuslike face of the goddess of fortune.’

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The goddess of fortune is always embraced by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. This is mentioned in the commentary on Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam written by the great commentator Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī. The following verse was composed by Śrīdhara Svāmī in his commentary on the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.1):

vāg-īśā yasya vadane lakṣmīr yasya ca vakṣasi
yasyāste hṛdaye samvit taṁ nṛsiṁham ahaṁ bhaje

“Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is always assisted by Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and He is always embracing the goddess of fortune to His chest. The Lord is always complete in knowledge within Himself. Let us offer obeisances unto Nṛsiṁhadeva.”

Similarly, in his commentary on the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.1), Śrīdhara Svāmī describes Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva in this way:

prahlāda-hṛdayāhlādaṁ bhaktāvidyā-vidāraṇam
śarad-indu-ruciṁ vande pārīndra-vadanaṁ harim

“Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, who is always enlightening Prahlāda Mahārāja within his heart and who always kills the nescience that attacks the devotees. His mercy is distributed like moonshine, and His face is like that of a lion. Let me offer my obeisances unto Him again and again.”

TEXT 6

ugro ‘py anugra evāyaṁ
sva-bhaktānāṁ nṛ-keśarī
keśarīva sva-potānām
anyeṣām ugra-vikramaḥ

TRANSLATION

“ ‘Although very ferocious, the lioness is very kind to her cubs. Similarly, although very ferocious to nondevotees like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is very, very soft and kind to devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja.’ ”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse was composed by Śrīdhara Svāmī in his commentary on the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.9.1).

TEXT 7

In this way Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited different verses from the śāstra. The priest of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva then brought garlands and the remnants of the Lord’s food and offered them to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 8

As usual, a brāhmaṇa offered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu an invitation. The Lord passed the night in the temple and then commenced His tour again.

TEXT 9

The next morning, in the great ecstasy of love, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started on His tour with no knowledge of the proper direction, and He continued the whole day and night.

TEXT 10

As previously, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu converted to Vaiṣṇavism many people He met on the road. After some days, the Lord reached the banks of the river Godāvarī.

TEXT 11

When He saw the river Godāvarī, the Lord remembered the river Yamunā, and when He saw the forest on the banks of the river, He remembered Śrī Vṛndāvana-dhāma.

TEXT 12

After performing His usual chanting and dancing for some time in this forest, the Lord crossed the river and took His bath on the other bank.

TEXT 13

After bathing in the river, the Lord walked a little distance from the bathing place and engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.

TEXT 14

At that time, accompanied by the sounds of music, Rāmānanda Rāya came there on a palanquin to take his bath.

TEXT 15

Many brāhmaṇas following the Vedic principles accompanied Rāmānanda Rāya. According to the Vedic rituals, Rāmānanda Rāya took his bath and offered oblations to his forefathers.

TEXT 16

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu could understand that the person who had come to bathe in the river was Rāmānanda Rāya. The Lord wanted so much to meet him that His mind immediately began running after him.

TEXT 17

Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was running after him mentally, He patiently remained sitting. Rāmānanda Rāya, seeing the wonderful sannyāsī, then came to see Him.

COMMENT

Before leaving Jagannatha Puri for his tour of South India, Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya informed Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu about Ramananda Raya, saying that he was a mine of conclusive truths about transcendental mellows. And he encouraged Mahaprabhu very much to meet Ramananda Raya when he went to South-India. So, when Ramananda Raya came to take his bath in the river, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu want to meet and within His mind, He wanted to run to him. But considering the situation, he remained sitting. And Sri Ramananda Raya came to the sannyasi and came to see him.

TEXT 18

Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya then saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be as brilliant as a hundred suns. The Lord was covered by a saffron garment. He was large in body and very strongly built, and His eyes were like lotus petals.

TEXT 19

When Rāmānanda Rāya saw the wonderful sannyāsī, he was struck with wonder. He went to Him and immediately offered his respectful obeisances, falling down flat like a rod.

TEXT 20

The Lord stood up and asked Rāmānanda Rāya to arise and chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very eager to embrace him.

TEXT 21

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then inquired whether he was Rāmānanda Rāya, and he replied, “Yes, I am Your very low servant, and I belong to the śūdra community.”

COMMENT

Although Ramananda Raya was a governor but he was considered a sudra because he was engaging in service of the sudra.

TEXT 22

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya very firmly. Indeed, both the master and the servant almost lost consciousness due to ecstatic love.

TEXT 23

Their natural love for each other was awakened in them both, and they embraced and fell to the ground.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya was an incarnation of the gopī Viśākhā. Since Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, there was naturally an awakening of love between Viśākhā and Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the combination of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa, and the gopī Viśākhā is a principal gopī assisting Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Thus the natural love between Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu awakened and they embraced.

COMMENT

So, because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna and Ramananda Rata is Vishakha, the dear-most gopī friend of Krishna, there was naturally an awakening of ecstatic love. And furthermore, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was in the mood of Srimati Radharani, and Vishakha is one of the most intimate friends of Radharani, there was also that element of divine love between them and so the natural love was awakened and they embraced and fell to the ground in ecstasy.

TEXT 24

When they embraced each other, ecstatic symptoms — paralysis, perspiration, tears, shivering, paleness and standing up of the bodily hairs — appeared. The word “Kṛṣṇa” came from their mouths falteringly.

TEXT 25

When the stereotyped, ritualistic brāhmaṇas who were following the Vedic principles saw this ecstatic manifestation of love, they were struck with wonder. All these brāhmaṇas began to reflect as follows.

TEXT 26

The brāhmaṇas thought, “We can see that this sannyāsī has a luster like the effulgence of Brahman, but how is it He is crying upon embracing a śūdra, a member of the fourth caste in the social order?”

TEXT 27

They thought, “This Rāmānanda Rāya is the Governor of Madras, a highly learned and grave person, a mahā-paṇḍita, but upon touching this sannyāsī he has become restless like a madman.”

TEXT 28

While the brāhmaṇas were thinking in this way about the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw those outsiders and restrained His transcendental emotions.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Rāmānanda Rāya was intimately related to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; therefore he can be accepted as a sajātīya, a person within the intimate circle of the Lord. The brāhmaṇas, however, were followers of the Vedic rituals and were not able to have an intimate connection with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Consequently they are called vijātīya-loka. In other words, they were not pure devotees. One may be a highly learned brāhmaṇa, but if he is not a pure devotee he is a vijātīya, an outcaste, one outside devotional service — in other words, a nondevotee. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya were embracing in ecstasy, the Lord restrained His transcendental emotions upon seeing the outsider brāhmaṇas.

COMMENT

So, in this verse, the word vijātīya appears, which mean an outsider, and close to that is sajātīya. So the brahmans were vijātīya, outsiders, they are not pure devotee so they could not understand the ecstatic transcendental exchange between Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu restrain his emotions so that they will not be bewildered and commit offenses. One of Srila Prabhupada’s disciple, Garga Muni who was the brother of Bhavananda and now in Vrindavan, he told Srila Prabhupada that he feels crying in kirtan. And Srila Prabhupada replied that, “It is alright when you are with the devotees because they will understand but you should not cry in public.” So, in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami enumerates five most important items of devotional service and one of them is sādhu-saṅga. And the definition of sādhu-saṅga is, sajātīyāśaye snigdhe sādhau saṅga svato vare. Sajātīyā can be translated as like-minded or group. Snigdhe, Srila Prabhupada sometime translated as similar affection for the Lord or similar aspiration in devotional service and affectionate to the person; svato vare means he should be more advanced than you are. That is sādhu-saṅga.

One year His Holiness Sacinandana Swami was staying at Radha-kunda in Kartik, durng very severe nāma-japa, a very ecstatic nāma-japa. And to point that he hardly had time to eat or sleep, what to speak of meet and discuss. But we meeting after a long time, so we spend some time to meet. And he said a few things. One thing he said was that although he had chanted so many holy names, he felt he was not entering; he is not getting access into the holy name. He considered, what should he do? So, he thought of doing some menial service. So he would get up in the middle of the night and sweep around Radha-kunda so that nobody would see. Because if people saw him, they will say, “This is wonderful what you are doing,” and then he would be getting recognition and praise, and that would destroy the whole purpose. He was doing humble service than getting recognition. And he found that by doing that, he was able to get the mercy of holy name, mellows of chanting the holy name. At that time, there were some devotees who felt that they had to go outside of ISKCON for sādhu-saṅga; sādhu-saṅga means association of more advanced devotee. And Sacinandana Swami said, if a Vaishnava is humble, then he would think that other devotees as more advanced than himself. And he related it to us, saying, ‘I Sacinandana Swami would see Giriraj Swami as more advanced than me so I hear from him. Sacinandana Swami and Giriraj Swami is advanced than me so hear from him.’ And that mood of humble service or appreciation, one fulfills that condition of sādhu-saṅga, svato vare—think other sadhus are more advanced than himself. And then Sajātīyāśaye snigdhe, because we want to follow Srila Prabhupada, we want associate with more advanced devotee, who are in the same mood of appreciation and dedication to devotional services to Srila Prabhupada. So, Sajātīyā is a very important principle, to associate with like-minded devotee. But these brahmans were not Sajātīyā but vijātīya. And so Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had to restrain Himself in their presence because you don’t manifest these emotions like transcendental emotions, it is transcendental, but still in front of outsiders who will misunderstand and become bewildered.

TEXT 29

When they regained their sanity, they both sat down, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and began to speak as follows.

TEXT 30

“Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya spoke of your good qualities, and he made a great endeavor to convince Me to meet you.

TEXT 31

“Indeed, I have come here just to meet you. It is very good that even without making an effort I have gotten your interview here.”

TEXT 32

Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya thinks of me as his servant. Even in my absence he is very careful to do me good.

TEXT 33

“By his mercy I have received Your interview here. Consequently I consider that today I have become a successful human being.

TEXT 34

“I can see that You have bestowed special mercy upon Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. Therefore You have touched me, although I am untouchable. This is due only to his love for You.

TEXT 35

“You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa Himself, and I am only a government servant interested in materialistic activities. Indeed, I am the lowest among men of the fourth caste.

TEXT 36

“You do not fear the Vedic injunctions stating that You should not associate with a śūdra. You were not contemptuous of my touch, although in the Vedas You are forbidden to associate with śūdras.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

In the Bhagavad-gītā (9.32) the Lord says:

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ‘pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te ‘pi yānti parāṁ gatim

“O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth — women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers] — can attain the supreme destination.”

The word pāpa-yonayaḥ means “born into a lower-class.” According to the Vedic system of classification, women, vaiśyas, and śūdras belong to a lower social order. A low life means a life without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. High and low positions in society are calculated by considering a person’s Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A brāhmaṇa is considered to be on the highest platform because he knows Brahman, the Absolute Truth. The second caste, the kṣatriya caste, also know Brahman, but not as well as the brāhmaṇas. The vaiśyas and śūdras do not clearly understand God consciousness, but if they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, they do not remain in the lower castes (pāpa-yonayaḥ). It is clearly stated: te ‘pi yānti parāṁ gatim.

COMMENT

It is a very important point that the positions of different castes are based on the degree of Krishna consciousness. Brahmins are considered higher because they are more Krishna conscious, and the next are kshatriyas, vaisyas, then sudras. But if someone from a lower caste takes to Krishna consciousness, they transcend those designations and can also attain the supreme goal of life. And so, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu understanding that Ramananda Raya is very exalted devotee, he had no hesitation in embracing him. Although ritualistic brahmans could not understand this situation possible.

PURPORT (continued)

Unless one has attained the highest standard of life, one cannot return home, back to Godhead. One may be a śūdra, vaiśya or woman, but if one is situated in the service of the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should not be considered strī, śūdra, vaiśya or lower than śūdra. Though a person may be from a lowborn family, if he is engaged in the Lord’s service he should never be considered to belong to a lowborn family. The Padma Purāṇa forbids, vīkṣate jāti-sāmānyāt sa yāti narakaṁ-dhruvam. A person goes to hell quickly when he considers a devotee of the Lord in terms of birth. Although Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya supposedly took birth in a śūdra family, he is not to be considered a śūdra, for he was a great advanced devotee. Indeed, he was on the transcendental platform. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore embraced him. Out of spiritual humility, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya presented himself as a śūdra (rāja-sevī viṣayī śūdrādhama). Even though one may engage in government service or in any other pounds-shillings-pence business — in short, in materialistic life — he need only take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

COMMENT

One year when Srila Prabhupada came to Juhu, I saw he is accompanied by a brahmachari that I never seen before. I asked, ‘Who is that?’ I could see from the window. He was taking Srila Prabhupada’s suitcase out of the trunk of car, and one of the devotee said he is Ambrish dasa, Alford Ford’s great-grandson. So he was rendering very humble service as a brahmachari should. And so he stayed in Bombay, of course, a couple of weeks. We would go out preaching together and before leaving, he met Srila Prabhupada to accept his future. And Srila Prabhupada told him that he should go back to Detroit and work because Srila Prabhupada wanted people to understand that one could be a devotee of Krishna, a member of ISKCON, and still, have a responsible position in society. Because at that time, pretty much everyone who became a devotee would move into the temple, and serve temple, even the married couple would be living there. So, in a sense, you could say that Srila Prabhupada was instructing him to engage in materialistic activities. He wants Ambarish to set an example. And Ambarish asked Srila Prabhupada, he said, “Do I have to work in the Ford Motor Company?” Srila Prabhupada said, “No, any work it doesn’t matter to work in Ford Motor Company.” But then Ambarish asked, “What do I do about association?” Srila Prabhupada replied that, “If you think you are doing this work for Krishna, that will be your association. That is Krishna consciousness.” Of course, one has to be sincere. It is not that sometimes people are craving to sincerely working for Krishna but doing anything for Krishna. If you are doing this work for Krishna, that will be your association.

PURPORT (continued)

Even though one may engage in government service or in any other pounds-shillings-pence business — in short, in materialistic life — he need only take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a very simple process. One need only chant the holy names of the Lord and strictly follow the principles forbidding sinful activity. In this way one can no longer be considered an untouchable, a viṣayī or a śūdra. One who is advanced in spiritual life should not associate with nondevotees — namely men in government service and men engaged in materialistic activity for sense gratification or in the service of others. 

COMMENT

There is mention of two categories here. One should not associate with men in government service, one should not engage in materialistic activity for sense gratification or one should not engaged people who are engaged in the service of others. 

PURPORT (continued)

Such men are considered viṣayī, materialistic. It is said:

niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
 pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya
sandarśanaṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca
 hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato ‘py asādhu

“A person who is very seriously engaged in cultivating devotional service with a view to crossing the ocean of nescience and who has completely abandoned all material activities should never see a śūdra, a vaiśya or a woman.” (Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 8.23)

TEXT 37

“You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself; therefore no one can understand Your purpose. By Your mercy You are touching me, although this is not sanctioned by the Vedas.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

A sannyāsī is strictly forbidden to see the viṣayīs, the materialistic people. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, out of His boundless and causeless mercy, could show favor to anyone, regardless of birth and position.

COMMENT

Although this is a principle, because we preach; we do meet people and seek people, but on certain day such as Ekādaśī, it is recommended to not to. But still, on certain days, and taking my own case, not seeing people on Ekādaśī, not wanting to engage with materialistic people. And when I was in Alachua, another very nice devotee, Devarishi who was initiated by Bhakti Tirtha Swami. And he is a healer, a chiropractor, and maybe he mentioned about the Ekādaśī. I had mentioned that I don’t like to do these things on Ekādaśī with non-devotees. And he said, he used to treat people on Ekādaśī, but he found that his treatment didn’t work on Ekādaśī. He would try to help the people, but somehow his adjustments wouldn’t hold. So then he stopped treating people on the Ekādaśī. So, we have to balance everything. And these injunctions about avoiding association with non-devotee is important. Of course, we do in the mood of preaching. We have to work, we have to do our studies and associate with them. But there is a value not to associate them. Also, we should try to keep calm when we are not subjected to their energy.

TEXT 38

āmā nistārite tomāra ihāṅ āgamana
parama-dayālu tumi patita-pāvana

TRANSLATION

“You have come here specifically to deliver me. You are so merciful that You alone can deliver all fallen souls.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings in his Prārthanā (39):

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhu dayā kara more,
tomā vinā ke dayālu jagat-saṁsāre

patita-pāvana-hetu tava avatāra,
mo sama patita prabhu nā pāibe āra

“My dear Lord, please be merciful to me. Who can be more merciful than Your Lordship within these three worlds? You appear as an incarnation just to reclaim the conditioned, fallen souls, but I assure You that You will not find a soul more fallen than me.”

COMMENT

So this is the mood of humility that will attract the Lord’s mercy. In fact, it shows how to pray. Once a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada the formula of offering prayer, and Srila Prabhupada said, and of course, the mood within one’s heart is the main consideration. But he said that generally, one will state the qualities of the deity to whom one is praying, and then one will state one’s fallen condition, and then one will pray for mercy. And this is exemplified in this verse of Srila Narottam dasa Thakura. patita-pāvana-hetu tava avatāra, you are patita-pāvana, deliverer of most fallen. And mo sama patita prabhu nā pāibe āra, you will not find more fallen than me, upon seeing this, please be merciful to me and purify me. And that is the heart’s feeling. I have officially said, once a disciple approached Srila Prabhupada and said, “I am the most fallen person.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “You are not the most of anything.”

PURPORT (continued)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s specific mission is to deliver fallen souls. Of course, in this Age of Kali there is hardly anyone who is not fallen according to the calculations of Vedic behavior. In His instructions to Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu described the so-called followers of Vedic religion in this way (Madhya 19.146):

veda-niṣṭha-madhye ardheka veda ‘mukhe’ māne
veda-niṣiddha pāpa kare, dharma nāhi gaṇe

So-called followers of Vedic principles simply accept the Vedas formally, but they act against Vedic principles. This is symptomatic of this Age of Kali. People claim to follow a certain type of religion, saying formally, “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Christian,” “I am this or that,” but actually no one follows the principles enunciated in religious scriptures. This is the disease of this age. Therefore the merciful Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has simply advised us to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam. The Lord can deliver anyone and everyone, even though one may have fallen from the injunctions of revealed scriptures. This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s special mercy. Consequently He is known as patita-pāvana, the deliverer of all fallen souls.

TEXT 39

mahānta-svabhāva ei tārite pāmara
nija kārya nāhi tabu yāna tāra ghara

TRANSLATION

“It is the general practice of all saintly people to deliver the fallen. Therefore they go to people’s houses, although they have no personal business there.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

A sannyāsī is supposed to beg from door to door. He does not beg simply because he is hungry. His real purpose is to enlighten the occupant of every house by preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A sannyāsī does not abandon his superior position and become a beggar just for the sake of begging. Similarly, a person in householder life may be very important, but he may also voluntarily take to the mendicant way of life. Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were ministers, but they voluntarily accepted the mendicant’s life in order to humbly preach Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message. It is said about them: tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Although the Gosvāmīs were very aristocratic, on the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu they became mendicants just to deliver the fallen souls. One should also consider that those who engage in the missionary activities of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are under the guidance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They are not actually beggars; their real business is to deliver fallen souls. Therefore they may go from door to door just to introduce a book about Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that people can become enlightened by reading. Formerly brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs used to beg from door to door. At the present moment, especially in the Western countries, a person may be handed over to the police if he begs from door to door. In Western countries, begging is considered criminal. Members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement have no business begging. Instead, they work very hard to introduce some literatures about Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that people can read them and be benefited. But if one gives some contribution to a Kṛṣṇa conscious man, he never refuses it.

COMMENT

So they don’t go begging, the have to introduce not only Krishna consciousness books, but if someone offers donation, they don’t refuse. But their purpose is not to beg money for sense gratification.

TEXT 40

mahad-vicalanaṁ nṝṇāṁ
gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām
niḥśreyasāya bhagavan
nānyathā kalpate kvacit

TRANSLATION

“ ‘My dear Lord, sometimes great saintly persons go to the homes of householders, although these householders are generally low-minded. When a saintly person visits their homes, one can understand that it is for no other purpose than to benefit the householders.’

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.8.4).

COMMENT

Does anyone know who spoke this verse and to whom? This verse is spoken by Nanda Maharaja to Garga Muni. Sometimes, brahmans act as astrologers but the real purpose of astrologers to give Krishna consciousness to other. So, when Garga Muni came, Nanda Maharaja welcomed him and said that “You are coming to enlighten us; just to purify us.”

TEXT 41

“Along with me there are about a thousand men — including the brāhmaṇas — and all of them appear to have had their hearts melted simply by seeing You.

“I hear everyone chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone’s body is thrilled with ecstasy, and there are tears in everyone’s eyes.

TEXT 43

“My dear Sir, according to Your behavior and bodily features, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is impossible for ordinary living beings to possess such transcendental qualities.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s bodily features were uncommon. Indeed, His body was extraordinary in its measurements. The measurement of His chest and the measurement of His forearms were the same. This is called nyagrodha-parimaṇḍala. As far as His nature is concerned, He was kind to everyone. No one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be kind to everyone. Therefore the Lord’s name is Kṛṣṇa, “all-attractive.” As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (14.4), Kṛṣṇa is the kind father of everyone. In every species of life (sarva-yoniṣu), He is the original father, the seed-giver (bīja-pradaḥ pitā).

COMMENT

So, in the previous purport, it said pāpa-yoniṣu, means sinful, born or lower class. But here it is mentioned that sarva-yoniṣu, that Krishna is the father of people born in every yoni, including those who are born in lower families.

PURPORT (continued)

How, then, can He be unkind to any living entity?

COMMENT

So we should have this vision. We should try to develop this mood.

PURPORT (continued)

One may be a man, an animal or even a tree, but the Lord is kind to everyone. That is God’s qualification. He also says in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.29), samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu: “I am equally kind to everyone.” And He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: “Give up all other engagements and simply surrender unto Me.” This instruction is meant not only for Arjuna but for all living entities. Whoever takes advantage of this offer is immediately immune to all sinful activity and returns home, back to Godhead. While present on this planet, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made the same offer.

COMMENT

Hare Krishna. Are there any questions or comments? Yes, Amarendra Prabhu.

Amarendra Prabhu: Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had so many close associates to Him, how He gave preference to Ramananda Raya and gave him all the secrets? Number one if he has a devotional service, where did he get that devotional service to impress upon the Lord?

Giriraj Swami: Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is kind to everyone. He did show special favor to Ramananda Raya, but not only to Ramananda Raya. He showed favor to anyone and everyone. Ramananda Raya was a great scholar, I am not aware of how he became so learned, but we know that he was associated with Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya who was also a very learned scholar. And some people there naturally attracted to the study of the scripture because from previous life, of course, the previous life he was the gopī Vishakha, but there are people like that, that is naturally attracted to the study of the scripture very early age. Today is auspicious, his appearance day, meeting and discussing with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the interactions and thoughts. So, because of his mercy, this is some of this beautiful moods connected to our hearts and become particle of his dust of lotus feet.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!