Śrī Śrīman Nityānanda-dvādaśakam
by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Deva-Goswāmī Mahārāj Recording of Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Deva-Goswāmī Mahārāj chanting these prayers yo ’nanto ’nanta-vaktrair niravadhi hari-saṅkīrtanaṁ saṁvidhatte
yo vā dhatte dharitrīṁ śirasi niravadhi kṣudra-dhūlī-kaṇeva
yaḥ śeṣaś chhatra-śayyāsana-vasana-vidhaiḥ sevate te yad arthāḥ
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [1]
In the form of Anantadev, He continuously engages in Hari-nām-kīrtan with unlimited mouths. He holds the earth atop His head like a tiny particle of dust. In the form of Śeṣadev Ananta, He serves His master Kṛṣṇa in the forms of an umbrella, bed, seat, cloth, and so on. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. aṁśair yaḥ kṣīraśāyī sakala bhuvanapaḥ sarva jīvāntarastho
yo vā garbhodaśāyī daśa-śata-vadano veda-sūktair vigītaḥ
bramāṇḍāśeṣa garbhā prakṛti-pati-patir jīva-saṅghāśrayāṅgaḥ
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [2]
In the form of His expansion Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He maintains all the worlds and resides within every living being. In the form of Garbhodakaśāyī the thousand-headed Lord (“Sahasra-śīrṣā Puruṣaḥ”), He has been praised by the Vedic hymns. In His womb, innumerable universes are situated, and in the form of the Lord of material energy, Paramātmā, He is the shelter of all living beings. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. yasyāṁśo vyuha-madhye vilasati paramavyomni saṁkarṣaṇākhya
ātanvan śuddha-sattvaṁ nikhila-hari-sukhaṁ chetanaṁ līlayā cha
jīvāhaṅkāra-bhāvāspada iti kathitaḥ kutrachij jīvavad yaḥ
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [3]
He performs Pastimes in the form of His expansion Saṅkarṣaṇ in Paravyoma Vaikuṇṭha. Known as Saṅkarṣaṇ of the original vyūha amongst all the chaturvyūhas in the plane of pure existence, He expands the pleasure found in the supramundane Pastimes of the Lord. He exists within the living being in the form of the ego, and in some places He performs Pastimes just like a living being. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. yaś chādi vyuha-madhye prabhavati sagaṇo mūla-saṅkarṣaṇākhyo
dvārāvatyāṁ tad-ūrddhe madhupuri vasati prābhavākhyo vilāsaḥ
sarvāṁśī rāma-nāmā vrajapuri ramate sānujo yaḥ svarūpe
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [4]
He resides with His associates in Dvārakā as Saṅkarṣaṇ of the original chaturvyūha, He plays in the plane above that, Mathurā, as a Prābhava-vilāsa form, and in the abode of Vraja as the origin of all Avatārs Balarām He plays with His Lord and younger brother Śrī Kṛṣṇa. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. śrī-kṛṣṇa-premanāmā parama-sukhamayaḥ ko ’py achintyaḥ padārtho
yad gandhāt sajjanaughā nigama-bahumataṁ mokṣam apy ākṣipanti
kaivalyaiśvarya-sevā-prada-gaṇa iti yasyāṅgataḥ prema-dātuḥ
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [5]
He distributes the inconceivable substance made of the highest ecstasy known as Śrī Kṛṣṇa-prema by finding just the fragrance of which the sādhus throw away with disdain the liberation of oneness with Brahman described by the Vedas; such liberation and service to the Lord in His majestic feature are attained through His expansion’s expansions. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. yo bālye līlayaikaḥ parama-madhurayā chaikachakrānagaryāṁ
mātā-pitror janānā matha nija-suhṛdāṁ hlādayaṁś chita-chakram
tīrthān vabhrāma sarvānupahṛta-janako nyāsinā prārthitaś cha
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [6]
He manifest His extremely sweet childhood Pastimes in the village of Ekachakrā and delighted the hearts of His mother, father, and other relatives. After being prayed for by a sannyāsī, He travelled to all the holy places. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. bhrāmaṁ bhrāmañ cha tīrthān yati-mukuṭa-maṇi mādhavendra prasaṅgāt
labdhollāsaḥ pratikṣya prakaṭita-charitaṁ gaura-dhāmājagāma
śrī-gauraḥ śrīnivāsādibhir api yamāvāpālaye nandanasya
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [7]
While travelling to the holy places, He was overjoyed by the power of Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī’s association. He came to the holy abode of Gaura and waited in the home of Nandan Āchārya for Gaurasundar to manifest Himself with Śrīvās and all His associates. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. prāptājño gaura-chandrād akhila-jana-gaṇoddhāra-nāma-pradāne
yaḥ prāpya dvau surāpau kali-kaluṣa-hatau bhrātarau brahma-daityau
gāḍha-prema prakāśaiḥ kṛta-rudhira-vapuś chāpi tāv ujjahāra
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [8]
He received from Gaurachandra the order to liberate everyone in the Age of Kali by distributing the Divine Name and divine love. Even while He was bleeding after being struck by the two drunkard brāhmaṇ brothers (named Jagāi and Mādhāi) who were polluted by Kali, He liberated them out of His intense love. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. sākṣād gauro gaṇānāṁ śirasi yad avadhūtasya kaupīna-khaṇḍaṁ
saṁdhartuñ chādideśāsava-yavana-vadhū-spṛṣṭa-dṛṣṭo ’pi vandyaḥ
brahmādyānām apīti prabhu-parihṛta-kānām api sveṣṭa-pīṭaḥ
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [9]
He is the exalted avadhūt the pieces of whose loincloth Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu instructed His associates to hold atop their heads. Even if He takes hold of wine and outcaste woman, He is worshippable to Brahmā and the other gods and beloved to even the Lord’s dear associates. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. uddhartuṁ jñāna-karmādy-apahata-charitān gaurachandro yad āsau
nyāsaṁ kṛtvā tu māyā mṛga-manusṛtavān grāhayan kṛṣṇa-nāma
tach chāyevānvadhāvat sthala-jala-gahane yo ’pi tasyeṣṭa-cheṣṭaḥ
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [10]
When Śrī Gaurachandra manifested His sannyās-līlā to liberate the sophists who had lost the proper path as a result of exploitation and renunciation by inducing them to chant Kṛṣṇa’s Name, He followed Gaurachandra like a shadow through water, land, forest, and so on. He is the complete fulfiller of all Śrī Gaurachandra’s desires. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. śrī-rādhā-prema-lubdho divasa-niśi-tadā svāda-mattaika-līlo
gauro yañ chādideśa svaparikara-vṛtaṁ kṛṣṇa-nāma pradātum
gauḍe ’bādhaṁ dadau yaḥ subhaga-gaṇa-dhanaṁ gaura-nāma-prakāmaṁ
śrī nityānanda-chandraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam [11]
In the ecstasy of tasting day and night the sweetness of Śrī Rādhā’s prema, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Him to distribute with His associates Śrī Kṛṣna’s Name. He then came to the land of Gauḍa and widely distributed the sādhus’ invaluable wealth: Śrī Gaura’s Name. O mind, always serve Śrī Nityānandachandra, the giver of Gaura Kṛṣṇa. śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-līlā-rasa-madhura-sudhāsvāda-śuddhaika-mūrtau
gaure śraddhāṁ dṛḍhāṁ bho prabhu-parikara-samrāṭ prayachchhādhame ’smin
ullaṅghyāṅghriṁ hi yasyākhila-bhajana-kathā svapnavach chaiva mithyā
śrī-nityānanda-chandraṁ patita-śaraṇa-daṁ gaura-daṁ taṁ bhaje ’ham [12]
O leader of the Lord’s associates Nityānanda Prabhu! Please give this fallen soul firm faith and devotion to Śrī Gaurāṅga, the embodiment of the taste of the nectar of the sweetness of the rasa of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes. If anyone neglects His lotus feet, all their practice and service (sādhana and bhajan) become false like a dream. I serve Him, the giver of shelter to the fallen, the giver of Gaura, Śrī Nityānandachandra. English translation of the Bengali translation, by Sripad B.K. Tyagi Maharaj
By His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
Devotee: Guru Maharaj, how can we please you? What can we do that will be pleasing to you?
Srila Guru Maharaj: Krishna is for Himself, that is He exists for His own purpose, and we also exist for him. When you can adopt this line of life, for which I am also trying to use my energy wholesale, when you will join that concern, then I will be pleased.
What I am to do with this life, I like that others will also follow that. My life is only meant for Krishna, and naturally I would like that others will also follow this same route. That is only natural. “Sri Chaitanya manobhistam”, what is the desire of Sri Chaitanyadev, and accordingly, the desire of my Guru Maharaj, I want to work towards fulfilling that.
Under the direction of my Gurudev, I am following the path to Radha-Krishna consciousness, where we will enter the domain where Radharani is serving Her most beloved Lord Krishna. We consider this to be our highest goal, and anyday, anytime in this infinite time, we want to reach that goal, the highest ideal. It is our only aim in life, and we consider that everyone should accept it as their summum bonum.
What is the most faultless, purest conception of life? Exploitation is filthy, and renunciation is zero, therefore service, loving service is the highest zenith of purity. We want to prepare ourselves for that cause—the most intense loving service with no tinge of exploitation. Purity depends only on how much we can sacrifice our self for the highest object, and that is love proper. It is based on sacrifice, not on exploitation. Love proper stands on the plane of sacrifice. As much sacrifice, then that much we will have love, the basis of love must be sacrifice—the pure love. Die to live. Sacrifice does not end only in renunciation. That is only the negative side, but there is positive sacrifice. Sacrifice for the perfect cause, the absolute good. And that sacrifice is living, it does not just reach the zero and disappear, not that samadhi. No, it is the most intensified life, possessed of the highest degree of living energy. The standard of that sacrifice we cannot conceive of and we may never be able to reach that standard. Here we have some experience of heat but within the sun how much heat is there? It is inconceivable, and intolerable to us, but we cannot deny that it exists. The highest degree of heat is found in the sun and there are also substances that can stand that heat, but we can only tolerate the sun from some distance. So in the same way, we can only render service under the direction of the highest servitors. In Krishnaloka there is a special group of servitors in every rasa; dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhura (servitude, friendship, parental and consorthood), and we are to reach that certain distance in relation to them where we will thrive most. We cannot stand if we venture to go nearer. So Radha-dasya is necessary, or Yashoda-dasya, Nanda-dasya, Sudhama-dasya, because their degree of serving sacrifice will be intolerable to us, due to our constitution. Only from behind them can we render our service. We can do our duty and that will be our acme. Our highest aspiration should be there, this has been recommended for us.
The first group is already there, and we can never take the place of them. Only from behind them, in the second or third line, we can do our best work, and our highest attainment will be from that position. From there we will be able to have some experience of the higher order, we will get some view how things are going on in the area of most intense heat.
One poet has written that if the fly falls into the pot of honey while trying to taste its sweetness, then he will die. Its wings will be covered with honey and it will drown there. But if, instead of honey the pot is filled with amrta then the fly won’t die, because it is amrta. Taking the sweetness of that amrta one will get eternal life.
So we cannot tolerate the “heat” but that heat is sweet heat. It will not burn us but we can’t stand, we can’t raise ourselves up to that degree. It is not within us. Just like we are limited as to what we can see. The most intense light is invisible to us, for example the X-ray. And sound, a very high sound will be inaudible to us, as will a very low sound. Only in the middle can we hear. The senses are like that, and the position of the soul is also like that, it has its range within which it thrives.
Visvanath Chakravarti has in a nutshell described what is our duty, that our object of adoration is the Lord Nandanandana, Krishna, the son of the King of Vraja, and His capital is Vrindavan. A sweet forest town. The Jamuna is there, Radha Kunda, the Govardhan Hill, and so many kadamba trees, lotus flowers—many wonderful things. A garden town, Vrindavan, that is His capital. And there we find a peculiar type of worship which has been designed by the damsels of Vrindavan, the Gopis. They have discovered a very peculiar, sweet type of service, worship of their Lord of Love. We have much charm for that. The type of worship and adoration designed by the Gopis, that is the most attractive.
How do we know that this is the truth? This may all be imagination. Where is your evidence, your witnesses, where is your guarantee that you may get that thing? Who can say that it is not purely imagination? The great scripture Srimad Bhagavatam, which is acknowledged as the very gist of all revealed scriptures, that holy book stands guarantee for us all. And what does it offer, that Bhagavatam? You are to aspire and strive so hard, but what will be your remuneration?
You will receive the fifth end of life, and that is Love Divine. You will be able to taste that nectar of Love Divine. That has been reserved for you. And where do you get that? Who has taught that? Who has given this information to you? Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, that great Lord, Chaitanyadev. He has come with all these fine things, these wonderful things and our greatest respect is for this advice, this direction of our life.
Devotee: Maharaj, can we all get there?
Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes, we can all have our birth in that land. All can be accommodated there, that is the nature of the infinite. But there is gradation according to our capacity. Santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhura, in this way the hierarchy is there. There is the clerk, the officer, the confidential officer—gradation. The friendly circle, they will have to serve under Subala, Sudhama, Sridham, etc., their eternal leaders in that rasa. In the filial circle, Nanda, Yashoda and others are the permanent leaders, and we may serve under them. In madhura-rasa also there is the selected group. So we are to be located in some area of service. So many services are there; the garland service, the food service, the fanning service, and so on. So according to my inner taste I shall be grouped there in a particular section where I will get my duty. There I will get my best satisfaction, I will be fulfilled as much as may be contained within my heart. And sometimes, like hunger, I will feel separation and then there will be union. Separation will prepare us for relishing the food even more. In this way there are so many arrangements in that land. Heart’s transaction has its facility there. Bhakti comes from the heart. Heart holds a higher position than the brain. Ruchi (taste) is the sweetest thing there. No calculation is found in Vrindavan. In Vaikuntha of course, the position of brain is there to some degree. But in Vrindavan—reflex action, inspiration, love is the moving force. Note:
In this article Srila Sridhar Maharaj beautifully illuminates this well known verse encapsulating Mahaprabhu’s conception, aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam ramya kachid upasana vraja–vadhu-vargena ya kalpita srimad-bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pumartho mahan sri-chaitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah nah parah (Srila Visvanath Chakravarti)
“‘Our worshippable Lord is the son of the King of Vraja, Krishna, whose abode is Vrndavan. The most pleasing worship is that performed by the wives of Vraja. Srimad Bhagavatam is the flawless authority, and divine love is the ultimate goal of human life.’ This is the conception of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and we adore it as supreme.” This text was originally published in Counterpoint by Sriman Devashis Prabhu
Sing Gaurāṅga’s glories again and again, keeping your heart simple. In the ocean of this material world, no one has ever seen anyone so merciful.
Srila Gurudev singing Jadi Gaura na ho’to on Sri Gaura Purnima day, 28 February 1991. yadi, gaura nā ha’ta tabe ki ha-ita kemane dharitām de rādhāra mahimā prema-rasa-sīmā jagate jānāta ke? [1]
If Śrī Gaura had not come, what would have happened? How would we have maintained our lives? Who would have revealed to the world Śrī Rādhā’s glory and the extremes of Her ecstatic divine love? madhura vṛndā- vipina mādhurī praveśa chāturī sāra varaja-yuvatī bhāvera bhakati śakati ha-ita kāra? [2]
Who would have the great expertise needed to enter into the sweetness of sweet Vṛndāvan? Who would have any qualification for the Vraja-gopīs’ ecstatic devotion? gāo punaḥ punaḥ gaurāṅgera guṇa sarala kariyā mana e bhava-sāgare emana dayāla nā dekhiye eka-jana [3]
Sing Gaurāṅga’s glories again and again, keeping your heart simple. In the ocean of this material world, no one has ever seen anyone so merciful. gaurāṅga baliyā nā genu galiyā kemane dharinu de vāsura-hiyā pāṣāṇa diyā kemane gaḍiyāchhe [4]
I chant ‘Gaurāṅga’, but have not melted (with love). How have I maintained this body? How has Providence made Vāsu a stone rather than a heart? (Śrīla Vāsudev Ghoṣ)
The great clouds of the sādhus always shower this nectar over the garden of the world, and as a result, fruits produced by this nectar ripen. The devotees constantly eat these fruits, and by their love the people of the world live.
Mp3 audio file śrī-chaitanya-sama āra kṛpālu vadānya
bhakta-vatsala nā dekhi trijagate anya
We do not see anyone throughout the three worlds who is more merciful, magnanimous, and affectionate to devotees than Śrī Chaitanya.
śraddhā kari’ ei līlā śuna, bhakta-gaṇa
ihāra śravaṇe pāibā chaitanya-charaṇa
O devotees, listen to these Pastimes with faith! By hearing them, you will attain the feet of Śrī Chaitanya.
By their grace, you will understand the essence of Kṛṣṇa’s nature and you will reach the culmination of the conclusions of all the scriptures.
kṛṣṇa-līlā-amṛta-sāra tāra śata śata dhāra
daśa-dike vahe yāhā haite
se chaitanya-līlā haya sarovara akṣaya
mano-haṁsa charāha tāhāte
Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes are the essence of nectar, and Śrī Chaitanya’s Pastimes are the inexhaustible reservoir from which hundreds and hundreds of streams of that nectar flow in the ten directions. May the swan of your heart play there.
(In the reservoir of Śrī Chaitanya’s Pastimes) The principles of devotion to Kṛṣṇa are the forest of blooming lotus flowers and the rasa of divine love is the forest of lilies blooming there night and day. May the bees of your hearts play amongst them, tasting their nectar.
Devotees of various moods sport there as swans and chakravāka birds. For eternity, these devotee-swans find and eat the lotus flowers of Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes.
sei sarovare giyā haṁsa-chakravāka hañā
sadā tā̐hā karaha vilāsa
khaṇḍibe sakala duḥkha pāibā parama sukha
anāyāse habe premollāsa
May you all go to that reservoir and play there forever as swans and chakravāka birds. All your suffering will end, you will experience the greatest happiness, and easily you will feel the joy of divine love.
ei amṛta anukṣaṇa sādhu mahānta-megha-gaṇa
viśvodyāne kare variṣaṇa
tāte phale amṛta-phala bhakta khāya nirantara
tāra preme jīye jaga-jana
The great clouds of the sādhus always shower this nectar over the garden of the world, and as a result, fruits produced by this nectar ripen. The devotees constantly eat these fruits, and by their love the people of the world live.
chaitanya-līlā—amṛta-pūra kṛṣṇa-līlā—sukarpūra
duhe mili’ haya sumādhurya
sādhu-guru-prasāde tāhā yei āsvāde
sei jāne mādhurya-prāchurya
When the condensed milk of Śrī Chaitanya’s Pastimes and the fine camphor of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes combine, they become very sweet, and those who taste them by the grace of Śrī Guru and the sādhus know the magnitude of their sweetness.
ye līlāmṛta vine khāya yadi anna-pāne
tabe bhaktera durbala jīvana
yāra eka-bindu-pāne utphullita tanu-mane
hāse, gāya, karaye nartana
Without the nectar of these Pastimes, even if devotees eat rice, their vitality remains weak, but by drinking just one drop of this nectar, their bodies and minds flourish, and they laugh, sing, and dance.
e amṛta kara pāna yāra sama nāhi āna
chitte kari’ sudṛḍha viśvāsa
nā paḍa’ kutarka-garte amedhya karkaśa āvarte
yāte paḍile haya sarva-nāśa
So drink this nectar, of which there is nothing equal, with firm faith in your heart. Do not fall into the ditch of false argument. If you fall into this foul and harsh whirlpool, you will lose everything.
I hold on my head as an ornament the divine feet of Śrī Chaitanya, Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, the devotees, and all the devotee-listeners, by whom all desires are fulfilled.
śrī-rūpa-sanātana- raghunātha-jīva-charaṇa
śire dhari—yāra kari āśa
kṛṣṇa-līlāmṛtānvita chaitanya-charitāmṛta
kahe kichhu dīna kṛṣṇadāsa
I hold the feet of Śrī Rūpa, Sanātan, Raghunāth, and Jīva on my head. Aspiring for them, the poor Kṛṣṇadās narrates something of the nectar of Śrī Chaitanya’s Pastimes infused with the nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes.
Verses 2.25.268–281 of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta by Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami. Translation originally published on premadharma.org by Sripad B.K. Tyagi Maharaj.
Śrī Gaura Avatār is the best of all Avatārs. Why don’t you serve Him? O mind, you resided beside water, but did not quench your thirst.
download MP3 audio
Srila Gurudev singing Avatara sara on Gaura Purnima day, 28 February 1991. avatāra sāra gorā avatāra kena nā bhajili tā̐re kari’ nīre vāsa gela nā piyāsa āpana karama phere [1]
Śrī Gaura Avatār is the best of all Avatārs. Why don’t you serve Him? O mind, you resided beside water, but did not quench your thirst. You returned to your selfishness. kaṇṭakera taru sadāi sevili (mana) amṛta pā’bāra āśe prema-kalpataru śrī gaurāṅga āmāra tāhāre bhavili viṣe [2]
O mind, desiring to drink nectar, you constantly chewed thorned wood (and mistook the blood in your mouth for nectar). My Lord Gaurāṅga is a wish-fulfilling tree of divine love, but you considered Him to be poison. saurabhera āśe palāśa śuṅkili (mana) nāsāte paśila kīṭa ‘ikṣu-daṇḍa’ bhāvi’ kāṭha chuṣili (mana) kemane pāibi miṭha [3]
O mind, seeking a fragrance, you smelled the odourless palāśa flower, and insects entered your nose. O mind, considering it sugarcane, you sucked dry wood. How will you taste sweetness in this way? ‘hāra’ baliyā galāya parili (mana) śamana kiṅkara sāpa ‘śītala’ baliyā āguna pohāli (mana) pāili vajara-tāpa [4]
O mind, considering it a necklace, you wore death’s attendant serpent around your neck. O mind, considering it to be cooling, you embraced fire and received a scorching burn. saṁsāra bhajili śrī-gaurāṅga bhulili nā śunili sādhura kathā iha-parakāla dukāla khoyāli (mana) khāili āpana māthā [5]
You served your family (mundane ends), forgot Śrī Gaurāṅga, and never listened to the sādhus’ words. O mind, you wasted both this life and your next life. You depraved yourself.
(Śrīla Lochan Dās Ṭhākur)
O my brother! O my brother! No one has told you the glories of Lord Gaura. How great is Lord Brahmā? How great is Lord Śeṣa? They cannot eclipse the greatness of Lord Gaura.
Srila Gurudev singing Kali ghora timire on Gaura Purnima day, 28 February 1991. Download mp3 audio here. kali-ghora timire garasala jagajana dharama karama bahu-dūra asādhane chintāmaṇi vidhi milāola āni gorā boḍo doyāla ṭhākura [1]
The people of this world have now been devoured by the dense darkness of this age of Kali and all good activities have gone far away. Thus they are apathetic to the transcendental gems offered by the greatly merciful Lord Gaura. bhāi re bhāi! gorā guṇa kohone nā jāya koto śata-ānana koto chatur-ānana boroṇiyā ora nāhi pāya [2]
“O my brother! O my brother! No one has told you the glories of Lord Gaura. How great is Lord Brahmā? How great is Lord Śeṣa? They cannot eclipse the greatness of Lord Gaura. chāri veda ṣaḍ-dara-śana kori adhyayana se jadi gaurāṅga nāhi bhaje vṛthā tāra adhyayana lochana vihīna jana darpaṇe andhe kibā kāje [3]
“What use are the four Vedas and the six systems of philosophy if one does not worship Lord Gaurāṅga? Why study them? What use is a mirror to a blind man? veda vidyā dui kichui nā jānata se jadi gaurāṅga jāne sāra nayanānanda bhone sei to sakali jāne sarva-siddhi karatale tāra [4]
“If one knows the two kinds of Vedic knowledge, he still does not know anything. But if one knows Lord Gaurāṅga, he knows the most precious knowledge. Nayanānanda says: Such a person knows everything. All perfections stay in the palm of his hand.” (Srila Nayanananda Das)
Every moment will be joyful in your life. Dedication to the Lord and chanting the Holy Name, the nondifferent form of the Lord, can give us all auspiciousness.
Question: I would really like to hear about Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and how we can serve him. Srila Gurudev: Mahaprabhu first indicated to beginners that you will get all the benefit of your spiritual life if you can chant the mahamantra properly. Your mind is like a mirror covered with dust, and through chanting that dust will be removed and you will see your true form. The suffering that we experience from so many things in this material world will also reduce and finally go out. cheto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-chandrikā-vitaraṇaṁ
Through your chanting feelings of God will reveal in your heart, you will see your beautiful divine form, and your mood of service will give such happy light in your spiritual environment. You will get very close association with your Lord, like the feelings between a husband and wife. cheto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-chandrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ
When that divine form of the Lord as Harinam reveals within your heart then automatically joy will come, and every moment when you are chanting the Holy Name, the feeling of God’s association will come to you. prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
Every moment will be joyful in your life. Dedication to the Lord and chanting the Holy Name, the nondifferent form of the Lord, can give us all auspiciousness.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu advised the conditioned souls in this way. prabhu kahe—kahilāṅ ei mahāmantra
Of all mantras this is the best mantram in this age of Kali-yuga. Other practising processes will not be so fruitful. Meditation, chanting, and congregational chanting of this mantram, and service to this mantram, will give all good results to us.
Then if we want to satisfy Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu we will first try to chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra, and if we can do that continuously that is very good.
Be humble, be tolerant and give honour to others
Mahaprabhu gave eight verses as advice for the conditioned souls, and in the third verse He explained how attachment, love, and affection will grow for chanting the Holy Name. He gave this advice: if you can be humble, be tolerant, and give honour to others then you will be worry-free from your circumstances.
You can believe and you can live within the faithful plane. Faith is necessary. That is the first basis of this conception. Not only in the line of Krishna consciousness, but the first advice of all religious conceptions is, “Be faithful”. At first, beginners may not be able to maintain their faith because they are not seeing anything and not getting anything in their hand. They do not have practical knowledge and experience. For that reason strong faith will not come immediately. But through realisation, through association, through hearing, through reading, faith will become more and more strong. In different ways our faith will grow more and more, but the scriptures say that association is the best. If good association is not available then we can practise through reading the books, chanting the Holy Name, hearing from an expert, and so on.
We must try to realise our previous activity, our present spiritual situation, and our future prospect. It is necessary to take advantage of the value of the present time.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will be happy if we follow His directive to chant the mahamantra without offence. The mahamantra Himself is Radha and Krishna. Both Their Names are present within this mantra with a calling mood. Even within some processes in this material world we can see that sound can take form: now when you are talking to someone by telephone it is also possible to see their form, their mood, and so on. So, if we can chant properly They will reveal in our heart. We cannot say that it will happen immediately but anyone can get it, and if someone is sincere with their practice they will get some feelings from the beginning.
When Mahaprabhu said that there is no alternative other than chanting the Holy Name of the Lord, then it is not necessary to go left or right or anywhere else. Be steady, be faithful, and try, and success must come to you.
We are trying but not properly trying, because we are always mixing with material things, and it is natural. If we can chant without offence then proper purification will come and we must be benefitted through that. Time is a factor: it is in front of me and must give me some disturbance. But if we can see the eternal time that is nothing by comparison.
When Mahaprabhu said that there is no alternative other than chanting the Holy Name of the Lord, then it is not necessary to go left or right or anywhere else. Be steady, be faithful, and try, and success must come to you. And because “Hare Krishna” is Radha–Krishna then if They reveal in your heart you will automatically join with the Pastimes of Krishna-lila. That is the gift of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: Krishna-prema, love for Krishna, affection for Krishna, and service for Krishna. When it will reveal in your heart then Krishna will also reveal with that mood.
In this way, many things in many places have given us the clue of practising life. But at first beginners must try with faith. Srila Gurudev speaking in Italy, September 2000, during his Sixteenth World Tour.
Reference
The mahamantra: hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
Where is the Lord of My life, who is playing His flute? What shall I do now? Where should I go to find the son of Mahārāj Nanda?
A rare, beautiful recording of Srila Gurudev chanting the verses of chapter two of the Madhya-lila of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta, describing Sriman Mahaprabhu’s depth of divine love. Download mp3 audio file. This recording was made by Sripad Srutasrava Prabhu (who later became Sripad Bhakti Sharan Vaishnav Maharaj) when His Divine Grace spontaneously recited the full chapter one day. Srutasrava only caught the second part, however, and later requested Srila Gurudev to chant the first half. He then spliced the two recordings together–which explains some disjointedness in this audio file.
While relating in synopsis form the last division of the Pastimes of Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, in this chapter I shall describe the Lord’s transcendental ecstasy, which appears like madness due to His separation from Krishna. jaya jaya śrī-chaitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaitachandra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
All glories to Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitachandra! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord! śeṣa ye rahila prabhura dvādaśa vatsara kṛṣṇera viyoga-sphūrti haya nirantara
During His last twelve years, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu always manifested all the symptoms of ecstasy in separation from Krishna. śrī-rādhikāra cheṣṭā yena uddhava-darśane ei-mata daśā prabhura haya rātri-dine
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s state of mind, day and night, was practically identical to Rādhārāṇī’s state of mind when Uddhava came to Vṛndāvan to see the gopīs. nirantara haya prabhura viraha-unmāda bhrama-maya cheṣṭā sadā, pralāpa-maya vāda
The Lord constantly exhibited a state of mind reflecting the madness of separation. All His activities were based on forgetfulness, and His talks were always based on madness. roma-kūpe raktodgama, danta saba hāle kṣaṇe aṅga kṣīṇa haya, kṣaṇe aṅga phule
Blood flowed from all the pores of His body, and all His teeth were loosened. At one moment His whole body became slender, and at another moment His whole body became fat. gambhīrā-bhitare rātre nāhi nidrā-lava bhitte mukha-śira ghaṣe, kṣata haya saba
The small room beyond the corridor is called the Gambhīrā. Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu used to stay in that room, but He did not sleep for a moment. All night He used to grind His mouth and head on the wall, and His face sustained injuries all over. tina dvāre kapāṭa, prabhu yāyena bāhire kabhu siṁha-dvāre paḍe, kabhu sindhu-nīre
Although the three doors of the house were always closed, the Lord would nonetheless go out and sometimes would be found at the Jagannāth temple, before the gate known as Siṁha-dvāra. And sometimes the Lord would fall flat into the sea. chaṭaka parvata dekhi’ ‘govardhana’ bhrame dhāñā chale ārta-nāda kariyā krandane
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu would also run very fast across the sand dunes, mistaking them for Govardhan. As He ran, He would wail and cry loudly. upavanodyāna dekhi’ vṛndāvana-jñāna tāhāṅ yāi’ nāche, gāya, kṣaṇe mūrchchhā yā’na
Sometimes Chaitanya Mahāprabhu mistook the small parks of the city for Vṛndāvan. Sometimes He would go there, dance and chant and sometimes fall unconscious in spiritual ecstasy. kāhāṅ nāhi śuni yei bhāvera vikāra sei bhāva haya prabhura śarīre prachāra
The extraordinary transformations of the body due to transcendental feelings would never have been possible for anyone but the Lord, in whose body all transformations were manifest. hasta-padera sandhi saba vitasti-pramāṇe sandhi chhāḍi’ bhinna haye, charma rahe sthāne
The joints of His hands and legs would sometimes become separated by eight inches, and they remained connected only by the skin. hasta, pada, śira saba śarīra-bhitare praviṣṭa haya — kūrma-rūpa dekhiye prabhure
Sometimes Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s hands, legs and head would all enter within His body, just like the withdrawn limbs of a tortoise. ei mata adbhuta-bhāva śarīre prakāśa manete śūnyatā, vākye hā-hā-hutāśa
In this way Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu used to manifest wonderful ecstatic symptoms. His mind appeared vacant, and there were only hopelessness and disappointment in His words. kāhāṅ mora prāṇa-nātha muralī-vadana kāhāṅ karoṅ kāhāṅ pāṅ vrajendra-nandana
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu used to express His mind in this way: “Where is the Lord of My life, who is playing His flute? What shall I do now? Where should I go to find the son of Mahārāj Nanda? kāhāre kahiba, kebā jāne mora duḥkha vrajendra-nandana vinu phāṭe mora buka
“To whom should I speak? Who can understand My disappointment? Without the son of Nanda Mahārāj, My heart is broken.” ei-mata vilāpa kare vihvala antara rāyera nāṭaka-śloka paḍe nirantara
In this way Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu always expressed bewilderment and lamented in separation from Krishna. At such times He used to recite the ślokas from Rāmānanda Rāy’s drama, known as Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭaka. prema-chchheda-rujo ’vagachchhati harir nāyaṁ na cha prema vā sthānāsthānam avaiti nāpi madano jānāti no durbalāḥ anyo veda na chānya-duḥkham akhilaṁ no jīvanaṁ vāśravaṁ dvi-trāṇy eva dināni yauvanam idaṁ hā-hā vidhe kā gatiḥ
[Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī used to lament:] “ ‘Our Krishna does not realise what We have suffered from injuries inflicted in the course of loving affairs. We are actually misused by love because love does not know where to strike and where not to strike. Even Cupid does not know of Our very much weakened condition. What should I tell anyone? No one can understand another’s difficulties. Our life is actually not under Our control, for youth will remain for two or three days and soon be finished. In this condition, O creator, what will be Our destination?’ ” upajila premāṅkura, bhāṅgila ye duḥkha-pūra, kṛṣṇa tāhā nāhi kare pāna bāhire nāgara-rāja, bhitare śaṭhera kāja, para-nārī vadhe sāvadhāna
[Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī spoke thus, in distress due to separation from Krishna:] “Oh, what shall I say of My distress? After I met Krishna My loving propensities sprouted, but upon separating from Him I sustained a great shock, which is now continuing like the sufferings of a disease. The only physician for this disease is Krishna Himself, but He is not taking care of this sprouting plant of devotional service. What can I say about the behaviour of Krishna? Outwardly He is a very attractive young lover, but at heart He is a great cheat, very expert in killing others’ wives.” sakhi he, nā bujhiye vidhira vidhāna sukha lāgi’ kailuṅ prīta, haila duḥkha viparīta, ebe yāya, nā rahe parāṇa
[Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī continued lamenting about the consequences of loving Krishna:] “My dear friend, I do not understand the regulative principles given by the creator. I loved Krishna for happiness, but the result was just the opposite. I am now in an ocean of distress. It must be that now I am going to die, for My vital force no longer remains. This is My state of mind. kuṭila premā ageyāna, nāhi jāne sthānāsthāna, bhāla-manda nāre vichārite krūra śaṭhera guṇa-ḍore, hāte-gale bāndhi’ more, rākhiyāchhe, nāri’ ukāśite
“By nature loving affairs are very crooked. They are not entered with sufficient knowledge, nor do they consider whether a place is suitable or not, nor do they look forward to the results. By the ropes of His good qualities, Krishna, who is so unkind, has bound My neck and hands, and I am unable to get relief. ye madana tanu-hīna, para-drohe paravīṇa, pāṅcha bāṇa sandhe anukṣaṇa abalāra śarīre, vindhi’ kaila jarajare, duḥkha deya, nā laya jīvana
“In My loving affairs there is a person named Madan. His qualities are thus: Personally He possesses no gross body, yet He is very expert in giving pains to others. He has five arrows, and fixing them on His bow, He shoots them into the bodies of innocent women. Thus these women become invalids. It would be better if He took My life without hesitation, but He does not do so. He simply gives Me pain. anyera ye duḥkha mane, anye tāhā nāhi jāne, satya ei śāstrera vichāre anya jana kāhāṅ likhi, nā jānaye prāṇa-sakhī, yāte kahe dhairya dharibāre
“In the scriptures it is said that one person can never know the unhappiness in the mind of another. Therefore what can I say of My dear friends, Lalitā and the others? Nor can they understand the unhappiness within Me. They simply try to console Me repeatedly, saying, ‘Dear friend, be patient.’ ‘kṛṣṇa — kṛpā-pārāvāra, kabhu karibena aṅgīkāra’ sakhi, tora e vyartha vachana jīvera jīvana chañchala, yena padma-patrera jala, tata dina jīve kon jana
“I say, ‘My dear friends, you are asking Me to be patient, saying that Krishna is an ocean of mercy and that some time in the future He will accept Me. However, I must say that this will not console Me. A living entity’s life is very flickering. It is like water on the leaf of a lotus flower. Who will live long enough to expect Krishna’s mercy? śata vatsara paryanta, jīvera jīvana anta, ei vākya kaha nā vichāri’ nārīra yauvana-dhana, yāre kṛṣṇa kare mana, se yauvana-dina dui-chāri
“ ‘A human being does not live more than a hundred years. You should also consider that the youthfulness of a woman, which is the only attraction for Krishna, remains for only a few days. agni yaichhe nija-dhāma, dekhāiyā abhirāma, pataṅgīre ākarṣiyā māre kṛṣṇa aichhe nija-guṇa, dekhāiyā hare mana, pāchhe duḥkha-samudrete ḍāre
“ ‘If you say that Krishna is an ocean of transcendental qualities and therefore must be merciful some day, I can only say that He is like fire, which attracts moths by its dazzling brightness and kills them. Such are the qualities of Krishna. By showing Us His transcendental qualities, He attracts Our minds, and then later, by separating from Us, He drowns Us in an ocean of unhappiness.’ ” eteka vilāpa kari’, viṣāde śrī-gaurahari, ughāḍiyā duḥkhera kapāṭa bhāvera taraṅga-bale, nānā-rūpe mana chale, āra eka śloka kaila pāṭha
In this way, Lord Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu lamented in a great ocean of sadness, and thus He opened the doors of His unhappiness. Forced by the waves of ecstasy, His mind wandered over transcendental mellows, and He recited another verse [as follows]. śrī-kṛṣṇa-rūpādi-niṣevaṇaṁ vinā vyarthāni me ’hāny akhilendriyāṇy alam pāṣāṇa-śuṣkendhana-bhārakāṇy aho bibharmi vā tāni kathaṁ hata-trapaḥ
“ ‘My dear friends, unless I serve the transcendental form, qualities and pastimes of Śrī Krishna, all My days and all My senses will become entirely useless. Now I am uselessly bearing the burden of My senses, which are like stone blocks and dried wood. I do not know how long I will be able to continue without shame.’ vaṁśī-gānāmṛta-dhāma, lāvaṇyāmṛta-janma-sthāna, ye nā dekhe se chāṅda vadana se nayane kibā kāja, paḍuka tāra muṇḍe vāja, se nayana rahe ki kāraṇa
“Of what use are the eyes of one who does not see the face of Krishna, which resembles the moon and is the birthplace of all beauty and the reservoir of the nectarean songs of His flute? Oh, let a thunderbolt strike his head! Why does he keep such eyes? sakhi he, śuna, mora hata vidhi-bala mora vapu-chitta-mana, sakala indriya-gaṇa, kṛṣṇa vinu sakala viphala
“My dear friends, please hear Me. I have lost all providential strength. Without Krishna, My body, consciousness and mind, as well as all My senses, are useless. kṛṣṇera madhura vāṇī, amṛtera taraṅgiṇī, tāra praveśa nāhi ye śravaṇe kāṇākaḍi-chhidra sama, jāniha se śravaṇa, tāra janma haila akāraṇe
“Topics about Krishna are like waves of nectar. If such nectar does not enter one’s ear, the ear is no better than the hole of a damaged conchshell. Such an ear is created for no purpose. kṛṣṇera adharāmṛta, kṛṣṇa-guṇa-charita, sudhā-sāra-svāda-vinindana tāra svāda ye nā jāne, janmiyā nā maila kene, se rasanā bheka jihvā sama
“The nectar from the lips of Lord Krishna and His transcendental qualities and characteristics surpass the taste of the essence of all nectar, and there is no fault in tasting such nectar. If one does not taste it, he should die immediately after birth, and his tongue is to be considered no better than the tongue of a frog. mṛga-mada nīlotpala, milane ye parimala, yei hare tāra garva-māna hena kṛṣṇa-aṅga-gandha, yāra nāhi se sambandha, sei nāsā bhastrāra samāna
“One’s nostrils are no better than the bellows of a blacksmith if one has not smelled the fragrance of Krishna’s body, which is like the aroma of musk combined with that of the bluish lotus flower. Indeed, such combinations are actually defeated by the aroma of Krishna’s body. kṛṣṇa-kara-pada-tala, koṭi-chandra-suśītala, tāra sparśa yena sparśa-maṇi tāra sparśa nāhi yāra, se yāuk chhārakhāra, sei vapu lauha-sama jāni
“The palms of Krishna’s hands and the soles of His feet are so cool and pleasant that they can be compared only to the light of millions of moons. One who has touched such hands and feet has indeed tasted the effects of touchstone. If one has not touched them, his life is spoiled, and his body is like iron.” kari’ eta vilapana, prabhu śachī-nandana, ughāḍiyā hṛdayera śoka dainya-nirveda-viṣāde, hṛdayera avasāde, punarapi paḍe eka śloka
Lamenting in this way, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu opened the doors of grief within His heart. Morose, humble and disappointed, He recited a verse again and again with a despondent heart. yadā yāto daivān madhu-ripur asau lochana-pathaṁ tadāsmākaṁ cheto madana-hatakenāhṛtam abhūt punar yasminn eṣa kṣaṇam api dṛśor eti padavīṁ vidhāsyāmas tasminn akhila-ghaṭikā ratna-khachitāḥ
“ ‘If by chance the transcendental form of Krishna comes before My path of vision, My heart, injured from being beaten, will be stolen away by Cupid, happiness personified. Because I could not see the beautiful form of Krishna to My heart’s content, when I again see His form I shall decorate the phases of time with many jewels.’ ye kāle vā svapane, dekhinu vaṁśī-vadane, sei kāle āilā dui vairi ‘ānanda’ āra ‘madana’, hari’ nila mora mana, dekhite nā pāinu netra bhari’
“Whenever I had the chance to see Lord Krishna’s face and His flute, even in a dream, two enemies would appear before Me. They were pleasure and Cupid, and since they took away My mind, I was not able to see the face of Krishna to the full satisfaction of My eyes. punaḥ yadi kona kṣaṇa, karāya kṛṣṇa daraśana tabe sei ghaṭī-kṣaṇa-pala diyā mālya-chandana, nānā ratna-ābharaṇa, alaṅkṛta karimu sakala
“If by chance such a moment comes when I can once again see Krishna, then I shall worship those seconds, moments and hours with flower garlands and pulp of sandalwood and decorate them with all kinds of jewels and ornaments.” kṣaṇe bāhya haila mana, āge dekhe dui jana, tāṅre puchhe, — āmi nā chaitanya? svapna-prāya ki dekhinu, kibā āmi pralāpinu, tomarā kichhu śuniyāchha dainya?
In an instant, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu regained external consciousness and saw two persons before Him. Questioning them, He asked, “Am I conscious? What dreams have I been seeing? What craziness have I spoken? Have you heard some expressions of humility?” śuna mora prāṇera bāndhava nāhi kṛṣṇa-prema-dhana,—daridra mora jīvana, dehendriya vṛthā mora saba
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “My dear friends, you are all My life and soul; therefore I tell you that I possess no wealth of love for Krishna. Consequently My life is poverty-stricken. My limbs and senses are useless.” punaḥ kahe, — hāya hāya, śuna, svarūpa-rāmarāya, ei mora hṛdaya-niśchaya śuni karaha vichāra, haya, naya — kaha sāra, eta bali’ śloka uchchāraya
Again He addressed Svarūp Dāmodar and Rāy Rāmānanda, speaking despondently: “Alas! My friends, you can now know the certainty within My heart, and after knowing My heart you should judge whether I am correct or not. You can speak of this properly.” Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu then began to chant another verse. ka-i-avarahi-aṁ pemmaṁ ṇa hi hoi māṇuse loe ja-i hoi kassa virahe hontammi ko jīa-i
“ ‘Love of Godhead, devoid of cheating propensities, is not possible within this material world. If there is such a love, there cannot be separation, for if there is separation, how can one live?’ akaitava kṛṣṇa-prema, yena jāmbūnada-hema, sei premā nṛloke nā haya yadi haya tāra yoga, nā haya tabe viyoga, viyoga haile keha nā jīyaya
“Pure love for Krishna, just like gold from the Jāmbū River, does not exist in human society. If it existed, there could not be separation. If separation were there, one could not live.” eta kahi’ śachī-suta, śloka paḍe adbhuta, śune duṅhe eka-mana hañā āpana-hṛdaya-kāja, kahite vāsiye lāja, tabu kahi lāja-bīja khāñā
Thus speaking, the son of Śrīmatī Śachīmātā recited another wonderful verse, and Rāmānanda Rāy and Svarūp Dāmodar heard this verse with rapt attention. Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I feel shameful to disclose the activities of My heart. Nonetheless, I shall be done with all formalities and speak from the heart. Please hear.” na prema-gandho ’sti darāpi me harau krandāmi saubhāgya-bharaṁ prakāśitum vaṁśī-vilāsy-ānana-lokanaṁ vinā bibharmi yat prāṇa-pataṅgakān vṛthā
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “ ‘My dear friends, I have not the slightest tinge of love of Godhead within My heart. When you see Me crying in separation, I am just falsely exhibiting a demonstration of My great fortune. Indeed, not seeing the beautiful face of Krishna playing His flute, I continue to live My life like an insect, without purpose.’ dūre śuddha-prema-gandha, kapaṭa premera bandha, seha mora nāhi kṛṣṇa-pāya tabe ye kari krandana, sva-saubhāgya prakhyāpana, kari, ihā jāniha niśchaya
“Actually, My love for Krishna is far, far away. Whatever I do is actually an exhibition of pseudo love of Godhead. When you see Me cry, I am simply falsely demonstrating My great fortune. Please try to understand this beyond a doubt. yāte vaṁśī-dhvani-sukha, nā dekhi’ se chāṅda mukha, yadyapi nāhika ‘ālambana’ nija-dehe kari prīti, kevala kāmera rīti, prāṇa-kīṭera kariye dhāraṇa
“Even though I do not see the moonlike face of Krishna as He plays on His flute, and although there is no possibility of My meeting Him, still I take care of My own body. That is the way of lust. In this way, I maintain My fly-like life. kṛṣṇa-premā sunirmala, yena śuddha-gaṅgā-jala, sei premā — amṛtera sindhu nirmala se anurāge, nā lukāya anya dāge, śukla-vastre yaichhe masī-bindu
“Love for Lord Krishna is very pure, just like the waters of the Ganges. That love is an ocean of nectar. That pure attachment to Krishna does not conceal any spot, which would appear just like a spot of ink on a white cloth. śuddha-prema-sukha-sindhu, pāi tāra eka bindu, sei bindu jagat ḍubāya kahibāra yogya naya, tathāpi bāule kaya, kahile vā kebā pātiyāya
“Unalloyed love of Krishna is like an ocean of happiness. If someone gets one drop of it, the whole world can drown in that drop. It is not befitting to express such love of Godhead, yet a madman must speak. But even though he speaks, no one believes him.” ei mata dine dine, svarūpa-rāmānanda-sane, nija-bhāva karena vidita bāhye viṣa-jvālā haya, bhitare ānanda-maya, kṛṣṇa-premāra adbhuta charita
In this way, Lord Chaitanya used to revel in ecstasy day after day and exhibit these ecstasies before Svarūp and Rāmānanda Rāy. Externally there appeared severe tribulation, as if He were suffering from poisonous effects, but internally He was experiencing bliss. This is characteristic of transcendental love of Krishna. ei premā-āsvādana, tapta-ikṣu-charvaṇa, mukha jvale, nā yāya tyajana sei premā yāṅra mane, tāra vikrama sei jāne, viṣāmṛte ekatra milana
If one tastes such love of Godhead, he can compare it to hot sugarcane. When one chews hot sugarcane, his mouth burns, yet he cannot give it up. Similarly, if one has but a little love of Godhead, he can perceive its powerful effects. It can only be compared to poison and nectar mixed together. pīḍābhir nava-kāla-kūṭa-kaṭutā-garvasya nirvāsano nisyandena mudāṁ sudhā-madhurimāhaṅkāra-saṅkochanaḥ premā sundari nanda-nandana-paro jāgarti yasyāntare jñāyante sphuṭam asya vakra-madhurās tenaiva vikrāntayaḥ
Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhu spoke, “ ‘My dear beautiful friend, if one develops love of Godhead, love of Krishna, the son of Nanda Mahārāj, all the bitter and sweet influences of this love will manifest in one’s heart. Such love of Godhead acts in two ways. The poisonous effects of love of Godhead defeat the severe and fresh poison of the serpent. Yet there is simultaneously transcendental bliss, which pours down and defeats the pride of nectar and diminishes its value. In other words, love of Krishna is so powerful that it simultaneously defeats the poisonous effects of a snake, as well as the happiness derived from pouring nectar on one’s head. It is perceived as doubly effective, simultaneously poisonous and nectarean.’ ” ye kāle dekhe jagannātha- śrīrāma-subhadrā-sātha, tabe jāne — āilāma kurukṣetra saphala haila jīvana, dekhiluṅ padma-lochana, juḍāila tanu-mana-netra
When Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu would see Jagannāth along with Balarām and Subhadrā, He would immediately think that He had reached Kurukṣetra, where all of them had come. He would think that His life was successful because He had seen the lotus-eyed one, whom, if seen, pacifies the body, mind and eyes. garuḍera sannidhāne, rahi’ kare daraśane, se ānandera ki kahiba ba’le garuḍa-stambhera tale, āchhe eka nimna khāle, se khāla bharila aśru-jale
Staying near the Garuḍa-stambha, the Lord would look upon Lord Jagannāth. What can be said about the strength of that love? On the ground beneath the column of the Garuḍa-stambha was a deep ditch, and that ditch was filled with the water of His tears. tāhāṅ haite ghare āsi’, māṭīra upare vasi’, nakhe kare pṛthivī likhana hā-hā kāhāṅ vṛndāvana, kāhāṅ gopendra-nandana, kāhāṅ sei vaṁśī-vadana
When coming from the Jagannāth temple to return to His house, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu used to sit on the ground and mark it with His nails. At such times He would be greatly morose and would cry, “Alas, where is Vṛndāvan? Where is Krishna, the son of the King of the cowherd men? Where is that person who plays the flute?” kāhāṅ se tri-bhaṅga-ṭhāma, kāhāṅ sei veṇu-gāna, kāhāṅ sei yamunā-pulina kāhāṅ se rāsa-vilāsa, kāhāṅ nṛtya-gīta-hāsa, kāhāṅ prabhu madana-mohana
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu used to lament by saying, “Where is Śrī Krishna, whose form is curved in three places? Where is the sweet song of His flute, and where is the bank of the Jamunā? Where is the rāsa dance? Where is that dancing, singing and laughing? Where is My Lord, Madana-mohan, the enchanter of Cupid?” uṭhila nānā bhāvāvega, mane haila udvega, kṣaṇa-mātra nāre goṅāite prabala virahānale, dhairya haila ṭalamale, nānā śloka lāgilā paḍite
In this way various ecstatic emotions evolved, and the mind of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu filled with anxiety. He could not escape even for a moment. In this way, because of fierce feelings of separation, His patience began to totter, and He began to recite various verses. amūny adhanyāni dināntarāṇi hare tvad-ālokanam antareṇa anātha-bandho karuṇaika-sindho hā hanta hā hanta kathaṁ nayāmi
“ ‘O My Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O friend of the helpless! You are the only ocean of mercy! Because I have not met You, My inauspicious days and nights have become unbearable. I do not know how I shall pass the time.’ tomāra darśana-vine, adhanya e rātri-dine, ei kāla nā yāya kāṭana tumi anāthera bandhu, apāra karuṇā-sindhu, kṛpā kari’ deha daraśana
“All these inauspicious days and nights are not passing, for I have not met You. It is difficult to know how to pass all this time. But You are the friend of the helpless and an ocean of mercy. Kindly give Me Your audience, for I am in a precarious position.” uṭhila bhāva-chāpala, mana ha-ila chañchala, bhāvera gati bujhana nā yāya adarśane poḍe mana, kemane pāba daraśana, kṛṣṇa-ṭhāñi puchhena upāya
In this way, the Lord’s restlessness was awakened by ecstatic feelings, and His mind became agitated. No one could understand what course such ecstasy would take. Because Lord Chaitanya could not meet the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, His mind burned. He began to ask Krishna about the means by which He could reach Him. tvach-chhaiśavaṁ tri-bhuvanādbhutam ity avehi mach-chāpalaṁ cha tava vā mama vādhigamyam tat kiṁ karomi viralaṁ muralī-vilāsi mugdhaṁ mukhāmbujam udīkṣitum īkṣaṇābhyām
“ ‘O Krishna, O flute-player, the sweetness of Your early age is wonderful within these three worlds. You know My unsteadiness, and I know Yours. No one else knows about this. I want to see Your beautiful attractive face somewhere in a solitary place, but how can this be accomplished?’ tomāra mādhurī-bala, tāte mora chāpala, ei dui, tumi āmi jāni kāhāṅ karoṅ kāhāṅ yāṅ, kāhāṅ gele tomā pāṅ, tāhā more kaha ta’ āpani
“My dear Krishna, only You and I know the strength of Your beautiful features and, because of them, My unsteadiness. Now, this is My position; I do not know what to do or where to go. Where can I find You? I am asking You to give directions.” nānā-bhāvera prābalya, haila sandhi-śābalya, bhāve-bhāve haila mahā-raṇa autsukya, chāpalya, dainya, roṣāmarṣa ādi sainya, premonmāda — sabāra kāraṇa
Because of the various kinds of ecstasy, contradictory states of mind occurred, and this resulted in a great fight between different types of ecstasy. Anxiety, impotence, humility, anger and impatience were all like soldiers fighting, and the madness of love of Godhead was the cause. matta-gaja bhāva-gaṇa, prabhura deha — ikṣu-vana, gaja-yuddhe vanera dalana prabhura haila divyonmāda, tanu-manera avasāda, bhāvāveśe kare sambodhana
The body of the Lord was just like a field of sugarcane into which the mad elephants of ecstasy entered. There was a fight amongst the elephants, and in the process the entire field of sugarcane was destroyed. Thus transcendental madness was awakened in the body of the Lord, and He experienced despondency in mind and body. In this ecstatic condition, He began to speak as follows. he deva he dayita he bhuvanaika-bandho he kṛṣṇa he chapala he karuṇaika-sindho he nātha he ramaṇa he nayanābhirāma hā hā kadā nu bhavitāsi padaṁ dṛśor me
“ ‘O My Lord! O dearest one! O only friend of the universe! O Krishna, O restless one, O only ocean of mercy! O My Lord, O My enjoyer, O beloved to My eyes! Alas, when will You again be visible to Me?’ ” unmādera lakṣaṇa, karāya kṛṣṇa-sphuraṇa, bhāvāveśe uṭhe praṇaya māna solluṇṭha-vachana-rīti, māna, garva, vyāja-stuti, kabhu nindā, kabhu vā sammāna
The symptoms of madness served as an impetus for remembering Krishna. The mood of ecstasy awoke love, disdain, defamation by words, pride, honour and indirect prayer. Thus Śrī Krishna was sometimes blasphemed and sometimes honoured. tumi deva — krīḍā-rata, bhuvanera nārī yata, tāhe kara abhīṣṭa krīḍana tumi mora dayita, mote vaise tomāra chita, mora bhāgye kaile āgamana
[In the attitude of Rādhārāṇī, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu addressed Krishna:] “My dear Lord, You are engaged in Your Pastimes, and You utilise all the women in the universe according to Your desire. You are so kind to Me. Please divert Your attention to Me, for by fortune You have appeared before Me. bhuvanera nārī-gaṇa, sabā’ kara ākarṣaṇa, tāhāṅ kara saba samādhāna tumi kṛṣṇa — chitta-hara, aichhe kona pāmara, tomāre vā kebā kare māna
“My dear Lord, You attract all the women of the universe, and You make adjustments for all of them when they appear. You are Lord Krishna, and You can enchant everyone, but on the whole, You are nothing but a debauchee. Who can honour You? tomāra chapala-mati, ekatra nā haya sthiti, tā’te tomāra nāhi kichhu doṣa tumi ta’ karuṇā-sindhu, āmāra parāṇa-bandhu, tomāya nāhi mora kabhu roṣa
“My dear Krishna, Your mind is always restless. You cannot remain in one place, but You are not at fault for this. You are actually the ocean of mercy, the friend of My heart. Therefore I have no reason to be angry with You. tumi nātha — vraja-prāṇa, vrajera kara paritrāṇa, bahu kārye nāhi avakāśa tumi āmāra ramaṇa, sukha dite āgamana, e tomāra vaidagdhya-vilāsa
“My dear Lord, You are the master and the life and soul of Vṛndāvan. Kindly arrange for the deliverance of Vṛndāvan. We have no leisure hours away from our many activities. Actually, You are My enjoyer. You have appeared just to give Me happiness, and this is one of Your expert activities. mora vākya nindā māni, kṛṣṇa chhāḍi’ gelā jāni, śuna, mora e stuti-vachana nayanera abhirāma, tumi mora dhana-prāṇa, hā-hā punaḥ deha daraśana
“Taking My words as defamation, Lord Krishna has left Me. I know that He is gone, but kindly hear My prayers in praise: ‘You are the satisfaction of My eyes. You are My wealth and My life. Alas, please give Me your audience once again.’ ” stambha, kampa, prasveda, vaivarṇya, aśru, svara-bheda, deha haila pulake vyāpita hāse, kānde, nāche, gāya, uṭhi’ iti uti dhāya, kṣaṇe bhūme paḍiyā mūrchchhita
There were different transformations of the body of Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhu: being stunned, trembling, perspiring, fading away of colour, weeping, and choking of the voice. In this way His whole body was pervaded by transcendental joy. As a result, sometimes Chaitanya Mahāprabhu would laugh, sometimes cry, sometimes dance and sometimes sing. Sometimes He would get up and run here and there, and sometimes fall on the ground and lose consciousness. mūrchchhāya haila sākṣātkāra, uṭhi’ kare huhuṅkāra, kahe — ei āilā mahāśaya kṛṣṇera mādhurī-guṇe, nānā bhrama haya mane, śloka paḍi’ karaye niśchaya
When Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu was thus unconscious, He happened to meet the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently He got up and immediately made a tumultuous sound, very loudly declaring, “Now Krishna, the great personality, is present.” In this way, because of Krishna’s sweet qualities, Chaitanya Mahāprabhu made different types of mistakes in His mind. Thus by reciting the following verse, He ascertained the presence of Lord Krishna. māraḥ svayaṁ nu madhura-dyuti-maṇḍalaṁ nu mādhuryam eva nu mano-nayanāmṛtaṁ nu veṇī-mṛjo nu mama jīvita-vallabho nu kṛṣṇo ’yam abhyudayate mama lochanāya
In the attitude of Rādhārāṇī, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu addressed the gopīs: “ ‘My dear friends, where is that Krishna, Cupid personified, who has the effulgence of a kadamba flower, who is sweetness itself, the nectar of My eyes and mind, He who loosens the hair of the gopīs, who is the supreme source of transcendental bliss and My life and soul? Has He come before My eyes again?’ ” kibā ei sākṣāt kāma, dyuti-bimba mūrtimān, ki mādhurya svayaṁ mūrtimanta kibā mano-netrotsava, kibā prāṇa-vallabha, satya kṛṣṇa āilā netrānanda
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu then began to talk like this: “Is Cupid personified present with the effulgence and reflection of the kadamba tree? Is He the same person, personified sweetness, who is the pleasure of My eyes and mind, who is My life and soul? Has Krishna actually come before My eyes?” guru — nānā bhāva-gaṇa, śiṣya — prabhura tanu-mana, nānā rīte satata nāchāya nirveda, viṣāda, dainya, chāpalya, harṣa, dhairya, manyu, ei nṛtye prabhura kāla yāya
As the spiritual master chastises the disciple and teaches him the art of devotional service, so all the ecstatic symptoms of Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhu — including despondency, moroseness, humility, restlessness, joy, endurance and anger — instructed His body and mind. In this way, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu passed His time. chaṇḍīdāsa, vidyāpati, rāyera nāṭaka-gīti, karṇāmṛta, śrī-gīta-govinda svarūpa-rāmānanda-sane, mahāprabhu rātri-dine, gāya, śune — parama ānanda
He also passed His time reading the books and singing the songs of Chaṇḍīdās and Vidyāpati, and listening to quotations from the Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭaka, Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta and Gīta-govinda. Thus in the association of Svarūp Dāmodar and Rāy Rāmānanda, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu passed His days and nights chanting and hearing with great pleasure. purīra vātsalya mukhya, rāmānandera śuddha-sakhya, govindādyera śuddha-dāsya-rasa gadādhara, jagadānanda, svarūpera mukhya rasānanda, ei chāri bhāve prabhu vaśa
Among His associates, Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhu enjoyed paternal loving affection from Paramānanda Purī, friendly affection with Rāmānanda Rāy, unalloyed service from Govinda and others, and humors of conjugal love with Gadādhar, Jagadānanda and Svarūp Dāmodar. Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu enjoyed all these four mellows, and thus He remained obliged to His devotees. līlāśuka — martya-jana, tāṅra haya bhāvodgama, īśvare se — ki ihā vismaya tāhe mukhya-rasāśraya, ha-iyāchhena mahāśaya, tāte haya sarva-bhāvodaya
Līlāśuka [Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura] was an ordinary human being, yet he developed many ecstatic symptoms in his body. What, then, is so astonishing about these symptoms’ being manifest in the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? In the ecstatic mood of conjugal love, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu was on the highest platform; therefore, all the exuberant ecstasies were naturally visible in His body. pūrve vraja-vilāse, yei tina abhilāṣe, yatneha āsvāda nā haila śrī-rādhāra bhāva-sāra, āpane kari’ aṅgīkāra, sei tina vastu āsvādila
During His previous Pastimes in Vṛndāvan, Lord Krishna desired to enjoy the three different types of ecstasy, but despite great endeavour, He could not taste them. Such ecstasies are the monopoly of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore, in order to taste them, Śrī Krishna accepted the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in the form of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. āpane kari’ āsvādane, śikhāila bhakta-gaṇe, prema-chintāmaṇira prabhu dhanī nāhi jāne sthānāsthāna, yāre tāre kaila dāna, mahāprabhu — dātā-śiromaṇi
By personally tasting the mellows of love of Godhead, Chaitanya Mahāprabhu taught His direct disciples the process. Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu is a wealthy capitalist possessing the touchstone of love of God. Not considering whether one is a proper or improper recipient, He gives His treasure to anyone and everyone. Thus He is the most munificent. ei gupta bhāva-sindhu, brahmā nā pāya eka bindu, hena dhana vilāila saṁsāre aiche dayālu avatāra, aiche dātā nāhi āra, guṇa keha nāre varṇibāre
No one, not even Lord Brahmā, can ascertain or even taste a drop of this confidential ocean of ecstasy, but Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, out of His causeless mercy, has distributed this love of Godhead all over the world. Thus there cannot be any incarnation more munificent than Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. There is no greater donor. Who can describe His transcendental qualities? kahibāra kathā nahe, kahile keha nā bujhaye, aichhe chitra chaitanyera raṅga sei se bujhite pāre, chaitanyera kṛpā yāṅre, haya tāṅra dāsānudāsa-saṅga
Such topics are not to be discussed freely because if they are, no one will understand them. Such are the wonderful Pastimes of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. Unto one who is able to understand, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu has shown mercy by giving him the association of the servant of His own servant. chaitanya-līlā-ratna-sāra, svarūpera bhāṇḍāra, teṅho thuilā raghunāthera kaṇṭhe tāhāṅ kichhu ye śuniluṅ, tāhā ihāṅ vistāriluṅ, bhakta-gaṇe diluṅ ei bheṭe
The Pastimes of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu are the topmost of jewels. They have been kept in the storehouse of Svarūp Dāmodar Goswāmī, who has explained them to Raghunāth Dās Goswāmī, who has repeated them to me. Whatever little I have heard from Raghunāth Dās Goswāmī I have described in this book, which is presented to all devotees. yadi keha hena kaya, grantha kaila śloka-maya, itara jane nāribe bujhite prabhura yei ācharaṇa, sei kari varṇana, sarva-chitta nāri ārādhite
If one says that Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta is full of Sanskrit verses and therefore not understandable by a common man, I reply that what I have described are the Pastimes of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu and that for me to satisfy everyone is not possible. nāhi kāhāṅ savirodha, nāhi kāhāṅ anurodha, sahaja vastu kari vivaraṇa yadi haya rāgoddeśa, tāhāṅ haye āveśa, sahaja vastu nā yāya likhana
In this Chaitanya-charitāmṛta there is no contradictory conclusion, nor is anyone else’s opinion accepted. I have written this book to describe the simple substance as I have heard it from superiors. If I become involved in someone’s likes and dislikes, I cannot possibly write the simple truth. yebā nāhi bujhe keha, śunite śunite seha, ki adbhuta chaitanya-charita kṛṣṇe upajibe prīti, jānibe rasera rīti, śunilei baḍa haya hita
If one does not understand in the beginning but continues to hear again and again the wonderful effects of Lord Chaitanya’s Pastimes will bring love for Krishna. Gradually one will come to understand the loving affairs between Krishna and the gopīs and other associates of Vṛndāvan. Everyone is advised to continue to hear over and over again in order to greatly benefit. bhāgavata — śloka-maya, ṭīkā tāra saṁskṛta haya, tabu kaichhe bujhe tri-bhuvana ihāṅ śloka dui chāri, tāra vyākhyā bhāṣā kari, kene nā bujhibe sarva-jana
In reply to those critics who say that Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta is full of Sanskrit verses, it can be said that Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is also full of Sanskrit verses, as are the commentaries on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Nonetheless, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam can be understood by everyone, as well as by advanced devotees who study the Sanskrit commentaries. Why, then, will people not understand the Chaitanya-charitāmṛta? There are only a few Sanskrit verses, and these have been explained in the Bengali vernacular. What is the difficulty in understanding? śeṣa-līlāra sūtra-gaṇa, kailuṅ kichhu vivaraṇa, ihāṅ vistārite chitta haya thāke yadi āyuḥ-śeṣa, vistāriba līlā-śeṣa, yadi mahāprabhura kṛpā haya
I have already given a synopsis of all the facts and figures of Lord Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s last Pastimes, and I have a desire to describe them elaborately. If I remain longer and am fortunate enough to receive the mercy of Lord Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, I shall try to describe them again more elaborately. āmi vṛddha jarātura, likhite kāṅpaye kara, mane kichhu smaraṇa nā haya nā dekhiye nayane, nā śuniye śravaṇe, tabu likhi’ — e baḍa vismaya
I have now become too old and disturbed by invalidity. While I write, my hands tremble. I cannot remember anything, nor can I see or hear properly. Still I write, and this is a great wonder. ei antya-līlā-sāra, sūtra-madhye vistāra, kari’ kichhu kariluṅ varṇana ihā-madhye mari yabe, varṇite nā pāri tabe, ei līlā bhakta-gaṇa-dhana
In this chapter I have to some extent described the essence of the Pastimes of Lord Chaitanya at the end. If I die in the meantime and cannot describe them in detail, at least the devotees will have this transcendental treasure. saṅkṣepe ei sūtra kaila, yei ihāṅ nā likhila, āge tāhā kariba vistāra yadi tata dina jiye, mahāprabhura kṛpā haye, ichchhā bhari’ kariba vichāra
In this chapter I have briefly described the antya-līlā. Whatever I have not described I shall describe extensively in the future. If by Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy I live for so many days that I can fulfil my desires, I will give full consideration to these Pastimes. chhoṭa baḍa bhakta-gaṇa, vandoṅ sabāra śrī-charaṇa, sabe more karaha santoṣa svarūpa-gosāñira mata, rūpa-raghunātha jāne yata, tāi likhi’ nāhi mora doṣa
I worship herewith the lotus feet of all kinds of devotees, both advanced and neophyte. I request all of them to be satisfied with me. I am faultless because I have written herein whatever I have understood from Svarūp Dāmodar Goswāmī and Rūpa and Raghunāth Dās Goswāmīs. I have neither added to nor subtracted from their version. śrī-chaitanya, nityānanda, advaitādi bhakta-vṛnda, śire dhari sabāra charaṇa svarūpa, rūpa, sanātana, raghunāthera śrī-charaṇa, dhūli karoṅ mastake bhūṣaṇa
According to the paramparā system, I wish to take the dust from the lotus feet of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, and all the associates of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu like Svarūp Dāmodar, Rūpa Goswāmī, Sanātan Goswāmī and Raghunāth Dās Goswāmī. I wish to take the dust of their lotus feet upon my head. In this way I wish to be blessed with their mercy. pāñā yāṅra ājñā-dhana, vrajera vaiṣṇava-gaṇa, vandoṅ tāṅra mukhya haridāsa chaitanya-vilāsa-sindhu- kallolera eka bindu, tāra kaṇā kahe kṛṣṇa-dāsa
Receiving orders from the above authorities and the Vaiṣṇavas of Vṛndāvan, especially from Haridās, the priest of Govindajī, I, Kṛṣṇadās Kavirāj Goswāmī, have tried to describe one small particle of one drop of one wave of the ocean of the Pastimes of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. Verses reproduced with gratitude from www.vedabase.com
“One whose wealth is Śrī Gaurāṅga’s feet knows the essence of devotion’s rasa. The heart of one who hears Śrī Gaurāṅga’s sweet Pastimes becomes pure.”
Srila Gurudev singing Gaurangera duti pada in the year 1989.
Srila Gurudev singing Gaurangera duti pada on Gaura Purnima day, 28 February 1991. gaurāṅgera duṭi pada yāra dhana sampada se jāne bhakati-rasa-sāra gaurāṅgera madhura-līlā yāra karṇe praveśilā hṛdaya nirmala bhela tāra [1]
One whose wealth is Śrī Gaurāṅga’s feet knows the essence of devotion’s rasa. The heart of one who hears Śrī Gaurāṅga’s sweet Pastimes becomes pure. ye gaurāṅgera nāma laya tāra haya premodaya tāre muñi yāi balihāri gaurāṅga-guṇete jhure nitya-līlā tāre sphure se jana bhakati-adhikārī [2]
One who chants Śrī Gaurāṅga’s Name develops divine love. To him, I say, “Bravo!” The eternal Pastimes are revealed to one who cries over Śrī Gaurāṅga’s qualities. Such a soul is qualified for devotion. gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe nitya-siddha kari māne se yāya vrajendra-suta-pāśa śrī-gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi yebā jāne chintāmaṇi tāra haya vraja-bhūme vāsa [3]
One who considers Śrī Gaurāṅga’s associates to be eternally liberated reaches Kṛṣṇa. One who knows the holy land of Gauḍa to be made of wish-fulfilling (spiritual) gemstone resides in the land of Vraja. gaura-prema-rasārṇave se taraṅge yebā ḍube se rādhā-mādhava-antaraṅga gṛhe vā vanete thāke ‘hā gaurāṅga’ bale ḍāke narottama māge tāra saṅga [4]
One who swims in the waves of the nectarean ocean of divine love for Śrī Gaura is an intimate associate of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. Whether he lives in a house or in the forest, Narottam Dās begs for the association of one who calls, ‘O Gaurāṅga!’
(Śrīla Narottam Dās Ṭhākur)
Krishna consciousness is a very easy thing because it is everybody’s religion. It is not the religion of Hindus, it is not the religion of Muslims, or Christians, or Buddhists, or followers of the Shankar sampradāya. They have some sampradāya [group], but we do not really have a sampradāya. Krishna consciousness is the religion of the jīva-soul. jīvera ‘svarūpa haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’, ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’ (Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 20.108)
[“The soul is by nature an eternal servant of Krishna. The soul is Krishna’s tatastha-sakti (marginal potency); a manifestation both distinct and non-distinct from Krishna.”] kṛṣṇa bhuli’ sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha (Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 20.117)
[“When souls outside the realm of time and space turn away from Krishna and forget Him, Maya subjects them to the various miseries of worldly existence.”]
And how can we get relief from this environment? That has also been given by Kavirāj Goswāmī very clearly and in a very simple way: brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.151)
[“While wandering throughout the world, a fortunate soul obtains the seed of the creeper of devotion (faith) by the mercy of Guru and Krishna.”] mālī hañā kare sei bīja āropaṇa śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye sechana (Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.152)
[“When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of śravaṇ and kīrtan [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout.”] upajiyā bāḍe latā ‘brahmāṇḍa’ bhedi’ yāya ‘virajā’, ‘brahmaloka’ bhedi’ ‘paravyoma’ pāya tabe yāya tad upari ‘goloka-vṛndavāna’ ‘kṛṣṇa-charaṇa’-kalpa-vṛkṣe kare ārohaṇa (Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.153–4)
[“As one waters the bhakti-latā-bīja, the seed sprouts, and the creeper gradually grows to the point where it penetrates the walls of this universe and goes beyond the Virajā River, lying between the spiritual world and the material world. It attains brahma-loka, the Brahman effulgence, and penetrating through that stratum, it reaches the spiritual sky and the spiritual planet Goloka Vṛndāvan.
“Being situated in one’s heart and being watered by śravaṇ-kīrtan, the bhakti creeper grows more and more. In this way it attains the shelter of the desire tree of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally situated in the planet known as Goloka Vṛndāvan, in the topmost region of the spiritual sky.”]
We must search for Śrī Krishna, and it will easily come to us. And who is Krishna? If we go to the sādhu, they will say and show us Reality the Beautiful.
That is all. It is a very easy thing: it is only necessary to have mercy from Sādhu, Guru, and Vaiṣṇava. Through that we will get some sukṛti, and sukṛti means our fortune-maker. We must search for Śrī Krishna, and it will easily come to us. And who is Krishna? If we go to the sādhu, they will say and show us Reality the Beautiful.
You will see God consciousness all over the world, everywhere, under different names. But who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? That is found in Krishna consciousness. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and why? That explanation is very simply given in the scriptures. Then we can understand easily that Krishna-bhajan, worship of Krishna, and practising Krishna consciousness is our life’s goal. That has been given by Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāj and Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, and now the day has come when it is continuing [in this world] in a non-stopping way. Maybe somewhere some disturbance comes, and it will come, because that is the nature of this mundane world. We are always living within a disturbing environment, and so it must be with us, but we shall cross over all disturbance and proceed to our destiny, and that destiny is, Kṛṣṇa-charaṇa’-kalpa-vṛkṣe kare ārohaṇa, service to Krishna.
Leaving the plane of exploitation, and leaving the plane of renunciation, we must try to establish ourselves in the plane of dedication.
Leaving the plane of exploitation, and leaving the plane of renunciation, we must try to establish ourselves in the plane of dedication. And dedication to whom? We shall surrender to whom? That is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is Krishna. Śrīmad Bhāgavat said clearly, Kṛṣṇas tu Bhagavān Svayam. In Brahma-saṁhitā it is told, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sachchidānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.1)
We must worship Krishna, because Krishna is Īśvar [the Lord], and He is Parameśvar [the Supreme Lord], and He is sach-chid-ānanda-vigraha, the eternal form of consciousness and bliss. Anādir ādiḥ: He is the beginning and beginningless. His name is Govinda, and sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam, He is the cause of all causes. We can see this very clearly in Brahma-saṁhitā.
With the mood of devotion that is within us and within everybody’s heart we can worship Kṛṣṇa very easily. We have affection, love, and beauty, and through that we can worship Him. Krishna is the ocean of nectar and when we come in touch with Him we will get everything. This is Mahāprabhu’s conception and Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāj and Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, both world Gurus, preached this conception in this world.
Mahāprabhu Chaitanyadev appeared in this world five hundred years ago with His paraphernalia and associates, and through Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s associates the six goswāmīs we have got that Krishna conception, and that is the supreme conception of our lives. Everywhere there is some fearful environment, but in Krishna consciousness the environment always gives us ecstasy, hope, and happiness. That is the wealth of Krishna consciousness. kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā-matiḥ krīyatām yadi kuto ‘pi labhyate tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate (Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.70)
[“Pure devotional service in Krishna consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price — that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.”]
The Vedic knowledge differentiates in many ways, but in Krishna consciousness everybody has the same position
Everywhere there are some rules, regulations, and restrictions, many things which discourage us. In the Vedic knowledge also we can see many things to discourage us: ladies cannot worship the deity, and there are many different types of positions for gents: brāhmaṇ [priestly class], kṣatriya [warrior class], vaiśya [agricultural/trading class], śūdra [worker class], and also brahmachārī [celibate students], vānaprastha [persons retired from worldly work], sannyasī [renunciants], gṛhastha [a person who engages in the duties of family and worldly work]. The Vedic knowledge differentiates in many ways, but in Krishna consciousness everybody has the same position: if they have attraction and hankering for Krishna consciousness then they can enter into that world. There is love, beauty, ecstasy, charm, and laulyam, hankering, is the only wealth. You can buy that only through your hankering.
This is Mahāprabhu’s conception, and we have got that through our Guru Mahārāj and Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāj, and now all over the world people are chanting the Hare Krishna mahāmantra. The Hare Krishna mahāmantra is nondifferent with Krishna, and if we can chant the Hare Krishna mahāmantra, we will get everything that we need and that we want in our lives. We will get everything. Spoken by Srila Gurudev on 16 July 1992, in Miami, USA
