Chapter 9

      Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Travels to the Holy Places

 

   A summary of the Ninth Chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. After leaving Vidyanagara, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited such places of pilgrimage as Gautami-ganga, Mallikarjuna, Ahovala-nrsimha, Siddhavata, Skanda-ksetra, Trimatha, Vrddhakasi, Bauddha-sthana, Tirupati, Tirumala, Pana-nrsimha, Siva-kanci, Visnu-kanci, Trikala-hasti, Vrddhakola, Siyali-bhairavi, Kaveri-tira and Kumbhakarna-kapala.

   Finally the Lord went to Sri Ranga-ksetra, where He converted a brahmana named Venkata Bhatta, who, along with his family, became a devotee of Krsna. After leaving Sri Ranga, Caitanya Mahaprabhu reached Rsabha-parvata, where He met Paramananda Puri, who later arrived at Jagannatha Puri. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then proceeded farther, arriving at Setubandha Ramesvara. At Sri Saila-parvata, the Lord met Lord Siva and his wife Durga in the dress of a brahmana and brahmani. From there He went to Kamakosthi-puri and later arrived at southern Mathura. A brahmana devotee of Lord Ramacandra's talked with Him. Then the Lord took His bath in the river Krtamala. On the hill known as Mahendra-saila, the Lord saw Parasurama. Then the Lord went to Setubandha and took His bath at Dhanus-tirtha. He also visited Ramesvara, where He collected some papers connected with Sitadevi, whose illusory form was kidnapped by Ravana. The Lord next visited the places known as Pandya-desa, Tamraparni, Naya-tripadi, Ciyadatala, Tila-kanci, Gajendra-moksana, Panagadi, Camtapura, Sri Vaikuntha, Malaya-parvata and Kanya-kumari. The Lord then met the Bhattatharis at Mallara-desa and saved Kala Krsnadasa from their clutches. The Lord also collected the Brahma-samhita, Fifth Chapter, on the banks of the Payasvini River. He then visited Payasvini, Srngavera-puri-matha and Matsya-tirtha. At the village of Udupi He saw the Gopala Deity installed by Sri Madhvacarya. He then defeated the Tattvavadis in sastric conversation. The Lord next visited Phalgu-tirtha, Tritakupa, Pancapsara, Surparaka and Kolapura. At Sri Rangapuri the Lord received news of Sankararanya's disappearance. He then went to the banks of the Krsnavenva River, where He collected from among the Vaisnava brahmanas a book written by Bilvamangala, Krsna-karnamrta. The Lord then visited Tapti, Mahismati-pura, Narmada-tira and Rsyamuka-parvata. He entered Dandakaranya and liberated the seven palm trees. From there He visited a place known as Pampa-sarovara and visited Pancavati, Nasika, Brahmagiri and also the source of the Godavari River, Kusavarta. Thus the Lord visited almost all the holy places in South India. He finally returned to Jagannatha Puri by taking the same route, after visiting Vidyanagara again.

 

                                TEXT 1

 

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                       nana-mata-graha-grastan

                        daksinatya-jana-dvipan

                         krparina vimucyaitan

                      gauras cakre sa vaisnavan

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nana-mata--by various philosophies; graha--like crocodiles; grastan--captured; daksinatya-jana--the inhabitants of South India; dvipan--like elephants; krpa-arina--by His disc of mercy; vimucya--liberating; etan--all these; gaurah--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; cakre--converted; sah--He; vaisnavan--to the Vaisnava cult.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu converted the inhabitants of South India. These people were as strong as elephants, but they were in the clutches of the crocodiles of various philosophies, such as the Buddhist, Jain and Mayavada philosophies. With His disc of mercy the Lord delivered them all by converting them into Vaisnavas, devotees of the Lord.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's converting the people of South India into Vaisnavas is compared herein to Lord Visnu's delivering Gajendra the elephant from the attack of a crocodile. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited southern India, almost all the residents were within the jaws of the crocodiles of Buddhist, Jain and Mayavada philosophy. Here Kaviraja Gosvami states that although these people were as strong as elephants, they were almost in the clutches of death because they were being attacked by the crocodiles of various philosophies. However, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the form of Visnu mercifully saved the elephant Gajendra from the clutches of a crocodile, so He saved all the people of South India from the clutches of various philosophies by converting them into Vaisnavas.

 

                                TEXT 2

 

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                jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda

              jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jaya jaya--all glories; sri-caitanya--to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; jaya--all glories; nityananda--unto Nityananda Prabhu; jaya advaita-candra--all glories to Advaita Prabhu; jaya--all glories; gaura-bhakta-vrnda--to the devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityananda Prabhu! All glories to Sri Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

 

                                TEXT 3

 

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                daksina-gamana prabhura ati vilaksana

                sahasra sahasra tirtha kaila darasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   daksina-gamana--touring in South India; prabhura--of the Lord; ati--very; vilaksana--extraordinary; sahasra sahasra--thousands and thousands; tirtha--holy places; kaila--did; darasana--visit.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's tour of South India was certainly very extraordinary because He visited many thousands of places of pilgrimage there.

 

                                TEXT 4

 

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              sei saba tirtha sparsi' maha-tirtha kaila

                 sei chale sei desera loka nistarila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei saba--all those; tirtha--holy places; sparsi'--touching; maha-tirtha--into great places of pilgrimage; kaila--made them; sei chale--under that plea; sei desera--of those countries; loka--the people; nistarila--He delivered.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   On the plea of visiting all those holy places, the Lord converted many thousands of residents and thus delivered them. Simply by touching the holy places, He made them into great places of pilgrimage.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   It is said: tirthi-kurvanti tirthani.   A tirtha, or holy place, is a place where great saintly personalities visit or reside. Although the holy places were already places of pilgrimage, they were all purified by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's visit. Many people go to these holy places and leave their sinful activities there, thus becoming free from contamination. When these contaminations pile up, they are counteracted by the visit of great personalities like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His strict followers. Many kinds of patients come to a hospital, which may be infected by many types of disease. Actually the hospital is always infected, but the expert physician keeps the hospital sterilized by his expert presence and management. Similarly, places of pilgrimage are always infected by the sins left by the sinners who go there, but when a personality like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visits such a place, all contaminations vanish.

 

                                TEXT 5

 

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                sei saba tirthera krama kahite na pari

              daksina-vame tirtha-gamana haya pherapheri

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei saba--all those; tirthera--of holy places; krama--the chronological order; kahite--to tell of; na pari--I am unable; daksina-vame--left and right; tirtha-gamana--visiting the holy places; haya--is; pherapheri--going and coming back

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   I cannot chronologically record all the places of pilgrimage visited by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I can only summarize everything by saying that the Lord visited all holy places right and left, coming and going.

 

                                TEXT 6

 

                                 TEXT

 

                   ataeva nama-matra kariye ganana

                  kahite na pari tara yatha anukrama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ataeva--therefore; nama-matra--only as a token record; kariye ganana--I count; kahite--to tell; na pari--I am unable; tara--of that; yatha--as; anukrama--chronological order.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Because it is impossible for me to record all these places in chronological order, I simply make a token gesture of recording them.

 

                              TEXTS 7-8

 

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                purvavat pathe yaite ye paya darasana

                 yei grame yaya, se gramera yata jana

 

               sabei vaisnava haya, kahe 'krsna' 'hari'

              anya grama nistaraye sei 'vaisnava' kari'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   purva-vat--as done previously; pathe--on the way; yaite--while going; ye--anyone who; paya--gets; darasana--audience; yei--which; grame--in the village; yaya--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu goes; se--that; gramera--of the village; yata--all; jana--people; sabei--all of them; vaisnava haya--become devotees; kahe--say; krsna hari--the holy names of Lord Krsna and Hari; anya grama--other villages; nistaraye--delivers; sei--He; vaisnava--devotees; kari'--making.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   As previously stated, all the residents of the villages visited by Lord Caitanya became Vaisnavas and began to chant "Hari" and "Krsna." In this way, in all the villages visited by the Lord, everyone became a Vaisnava, a devotee.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The holy names of Krsna and Hari, or the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, are so spiritually powerful that even today, as our preachers go to remote parts of the world, people immediately begin chanting Hare Krsna. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. There cannot be anyone who can compare to Him or His potencies. However, because we are following in His footsteps and are also chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, the effect is almost as potent as during the time of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Our preachers mainly belong to European and American countries, yet by the grace of Lord Caitanya they have tremendous success wherever they go to open branches. Indeed, everywhere people are very seriously chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

 

                                TEXT 9

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  daksina desera loka aneka prakara

                keha jnani, keha karmi, pasandi apara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   daksina desera--of South India; loka--people; aneka--many; prakara--varieties; keha--someone; jnani--philosophical speculator; keha--someone; karmi--fruitive worker; pasandi--nondevotees; apara--innumerable.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In South India there were many types of people. Some were philosophical speculators, and some were fruitive workers, but in any case there were innumerable nondevotees.

 

                               TEXT 10

 

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               sei saba loka prabhura darsana-prabhave

                nija-nija-mata chadi' ha-ila vaisnave

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei saba loka--all those people; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; darsana-prabhave--by the influence of His visit; nija-nija--their own; mata--opinion; chadi'--giving up; ha-ila--became; vaisnave--devotees.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   By the influence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all these people abandoned their own opinions and became Vaisnavas, devotees of Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 11

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 vaisnavera madhye rama-upasaka saba

             keha 'tattvavadi', keha haya 'sri-vaisnava'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vaisnavera madhye--amongst Vaisnavas; rama-upasaka saba--all worshipers of Lord Sri Ramacandra; keha--someone; tattva-vadi--followers of Madhvacarya; keha--someone; haya--is; sri-vaisnava--devotees following the disciplic succession of Sri Ramanujacarya

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   At the time, all the South Indian Vaisnavas were worshipers of Lord Ramacandra. Some were Tattvavadis, and some were followers of Ramanujacarya.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura points out that the word "Tattvavadi" refers to the followers of Srila Madhvacarya. To distinguish his disciplic succession from the Mayavadi followers of Sankaracarya, Srila Madhvacarya named his party the Tattvavadis. Impersonal monists are always attacked by these Tattvavadis, who attempt to defeat their philosophy of impersonalism. Generally, they establish the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Actually the disciplic succession of Madhvacarya is known as the Brahma Vaisnava sect; that is the sect coming down from Lord Brahma. Consequently the Tattvavadis, or followers of Madhvacarya, do not accept the incident of Lord Brahma's illusion, which is recorded in the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srila Madhvacarya has purposefully avoided commenting on that portion of Srimad-Bhagavatam in which brahma-mohana, the illusion of Lord Brahma, is mentioned. Srila Madhavendra Puri was one of the acaryas in the Tattvavada disciplic succession, and he established the ultimate goal of transcendentalism to be attainment of pure devotional service, love of Godhead. Those Vaisnavas belonging to the Gaudiya-sampradaya, the disciplic succession following Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, are distinct from the Tattvavadis, although they belong to the same Tattvavada-sampradaya. The followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are therefore known as the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya.

   The word pasandi refers to those who are opposed to pure devotional service. In particular, these are the Mayavadis, the impersonalists. A definition of pasandi is given in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (1.73), wherein it is stated:

 

                        yas tu narayanam devam

                       brahma-rudradi-daivataih

                         samatvenaiva vikseta

                      sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam

 

   A pasandi is one who thinks that the Supreme Lord Narayana, the Personality of Godhead, is on the same level with the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma and Lord Siva. The devotee never considers Lord Narayana to be on the same platform with Lord Brahma and Lord Siva. The Madhvacarya-sampradaya and Ramanuja-sampradaya are mainly worshipers of Lord Ramacandra, although the Sri Vaisnavas are supposed to be worshipers of Lord Narayana and Laksmi and the Tattvavadis are supposed to be worshipers of Lord Krsna. At present, in most of the monasteries belonging to the Madhva-sampradaya, Lord Ramacandra is worshiped.

   In the book known as Adhyatma-ramayana, there are statements in Chapters Twelve to Fifteen about the worship of the Deities Sri Ramacandra and Sita. There it is stated that during Lord Ramacandra's time there was a brahmana who took a vow to fast until he saw Lord Ramacandra. Sometimes, due to business, Lord Ramacandra was absent from His capital for a full week and could not be seen by citizens during that time. Because of his vow, the brahmana could not take even a drop of water during that week. Later, after eight or nine days, when the brahmana could see Lord Ramacandra personally, he would break his fast. Upon observing the brahmana's rigid vow, Lord Sri Ramacandra ordered His younger brother Laksmana to deliver a pair of Sita-Rama Deities to the brahmana. The brahmana received the Deities from Sri Laksmanaji and worshiped Them faithfully as long as he lived. At the time of his death, he delivered the Deities to Sri Hanumanji, who, for many years, hung Them around his neck and served Them with all devotion. After many years, when Hanumanji departed on the hill known as Gandha-madana, he delivered the Deities to Bhimasena, one of the Pandavas, and Bhimasena brought Them to his palace, where he kept Them very carefully. The last king of the Pandavas, Ksemakanta, worshiped the Deities in that palace. Later, the same Deities were kept in the custody of the kings of Orissa known as Gajapatis. One of the acaryas, known as Narahari Tirtha, who was in the disciplic succession of Madhvacarya, received these Deities from the King of Orissa.

   It may be noted that these particular Deities of Rama and Sita have been worshiped from the time of King Iksvaku. Indeed, they were worshiped by the royal princes even before the appearance of Lord Ramacandra. Later, during Lord Ramacandra's presence, the Deities were worshiped by Laksmana. It is said that just three months before his disappearance, Sri Madhvacarya received these Deities and installed them in the Udupi temple. Since then the Deities have been worshiped by the Madhvacarya-sampradaya at that monastery. As far as the Sri Vaisnavas are concerned, beginning with Ramanujacarya, they also worshiped Deities of Sita-Rama. Sita-Rama Deities are also being worshiped in Tirupati and other places. From the Sri Ramanuja-sampradaya there is another branch known as Ramanandi or Ramat, and the followers of that branch also worship Deities of Sita-Rama very rigidly. The Ramanuja-sampradaya Vaisnavas prefer the worship of Lord Ramacandra to that of Radha-Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 12

 

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                sei saba vaisnava mahaprabhura darsane

                 krsna-upasaka haila, laya krsna-name

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei saba--all those; vaisnava--devotees; mahaprabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; darsane--by seeing; krsna-upasaka--devotees of Lord Krsna; haila--became; laya--took; krsna-name--the holy name of Lord Krsna.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all those different Vaisnavas became devotees of Krsna and began chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

 

                               TEXT 13

 

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        rama! raghava! rama! raghava! rama! raghava! pahi mam

        krsna! kesava! krsna! kesava! krsna! kesava! raksa mam

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   rama--O Rama; raghava--O descendant of Raghu; pahi--please protect; mam--me; krsna--O Krsna; kesava--O killer of Kesi; raksa--protect; mam--me.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'O Lord Ramacandra, descendant of Maharaja Raghu, kindly protect me! O Lord Krsna, killer of the Kesi demon, kindly protect me!' "

 

                               TEXT 14

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ei sloka pathe padi' karila prayana

                gautami-gangaya yai' kaila ganga-snana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei sloka--this Sanskrit verse; pathe--on the way; padi'--reciting; karila--did; prayana--going; gautami-gangaya--to the bank of the Gautami-ganga; yai'--going; kaila--did; ganga-snana--bathing in the Ganges.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While walking on the road, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to chant this Rama Raghava mantra. Chanting in this way, He arrived at the banks of the Gautami-ganga and took His bath there.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The Gautami-ganga is another branch of the river Godavari. Formerly a great sage named Gautama Rsi used to live on the bank of this river opposite the city of Rajamahendri, and consequently this branch was called the Gautami-ganga.

   Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that Srila Kaviraja Gosvami has recorded the names of the holy places visited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu but that there is no chronological order of the places visited. However, there is a notebook of Govinda dasa's containing a chronological order and references to geographical positions. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura requests the readers to refer to that book. According to Govinda dasa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Trimanda from the Gautami-ganga. From there He went to Dhundirama-tirtha, another place of pilgrimage. According to this book, after visiting the Gautami-ganga, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Mallikarjuna-tirtha.

 

                               TEXT 15

 

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               mallikarjuna-tirthe yai' mahesa dekhila

                 tahan saba loke krsna-nama laoyaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mallikarjuna-tirthe--to the holy place known as Mallikarjuna; yai'--going; mahesa--the deity of Lord Siva; dekhila--He saw; tahan--there; saba loke--all the people; krsna-nama--Lord Krsna's holy name; laoyaila--He induced to chant.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to Mallikarjuna-tirtha and saw the deity of Lord Siva there. He also induced all the people to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Mallikarjuna is also known as Sri Saila. It is situated about seventy miles south of Karnula on the right bank of the Krsna River. There are great walls all around the village, and within the walls resides the deity known as Mallikarjuna. It is a deity of Lord Siva and is one of the Jyotirlingas.

 

                               TEXT 16

 

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                  ramadasa mahadeve karila darasana

                   ahovala-nrsimhere karila gamana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   rama-dasa--Ramadasa; maha-deve--of Mahadeva; karila--did; darasana--seeing; ahovala-nrsimhere--to Ahovala-nrsimha; karila--did; gamana--going.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There he saw Lord Mahadeva [Siva], the servant of Lord Rama. He then went to Ahovala-nrsimha.

 

                               TEXT 17

 

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                nrsimha dekhiya tanre kaila nati-stuti

                 siddhavata gela yahan murti sitapati

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nrsimha dekhiya--after seeing the Lord Nrsimha Deity; tanre--unto Him; kaila--did; nati-stuti--offering of various prayers; siddhavata--to Siddhavata; gela--He went; yahan--where; murti--the Deity; sita-pati--Lord Ramacandra.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After seeing the Ahovala-nrsimha Deity, Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered many prayers unto the Lord. He then went to Siddhavata, where He saw the Deity of Ramacandra, the Lord of Sitadevi.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Siddhavata, also known as Sidhauta, is ten miles east of the village Kudapa. Previously this place was also known as southern Benares. There is a great banyan tree there, and it is therefore known as Siddhavata. Vata means banyan tree.

 

                               TEXT 18

 

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               raghunatha dekhi' kaila pranati stavana

              tahan eka vipra prabhura kaila nimantrana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   raghu-natha dekhi'--after seeing Lord Ramacandra, the descendant of Maharaja Raghu; kaila--offered; pranati--obeisances; stavana--prayers; tahan--there; eka--one; vipra--brahmana; prabhura--to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kaila--did; nimantrana--invitation.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After seeing the Deity of Lord Ramacandra, the descendant of King Raghu, the Lord offered His prayers and obeisances. Then a brahmana invited the Lord to take lunch.

 

                               TEXT 19

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  sei vipra rama-nama nirantara laya

                 'rama"rama' vina anya vani na kahaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei vipra--that brahmana; rama-nama--the holy name of Lord Ramacandra; nirantara--constantly; laya--chants; rama rama--the holy names Rama Rama; vina--without; anya--other; vani--vibration; na--does not; kahaya--speak.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   That brahmana constantly chanted the holy name of Ramacandra. Indeed, but for chanting Lord Ramacandra's holy name, that brahmana did not speak a word.

 

                               TEXT 20

 

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               sei dina tanra ghare rahi' bhiksa kari'

                tanre krpa kari' age calila gaurahari

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei dina--on that day; tanra ghare--the house of that brahmana; rahi'--staying; bhiksa kari'--accepting prasada; tanre--unto him; krpa kari'--showing mercy; age--ahead; calila--departed; gaura-hari--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   That day, Lord Caitanya remained there and accepted prasada at his house. After bestowing mercy upon him in this way, the Lord proceeded ahead.

 

                               TEXT 21

 

                                 TEXT

 

              skanda-ksetra-tirthe kaila skanda darasana

                trimatha aila, tahan dekhi' trivikrama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   skanda-ksetra-tirthe--in the holy place known as Skanda-ksetra; kaila--did; skanda darasana--visiting Lord Skanda (Karttikeya, son of Lord Siva); trimatha--at Trimatha; aila--arrived; tahan--there; dekhi'--seeing; trivikrama--a form of Lord Visnu, Trivikrama.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   At the holy place known as Skanda-ksetra, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Skanda. From there He went to Trimatha, where He saw the Visnu Deity Trivikrama.

 

                               TEXT 22

 

                                 TEXT

 

                punah siddhavata aila sei vipra-ghare

                 sei vipra krsna-nama laya nirantare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   punah--again; siddha-vata--to the place known as Siddhavata; aila--returned; sei--that; vipra-ghare--in the house of the brahmana; sei vipra--that brahmana; krsna-nama--the holy name of Lord Krsna; laya--chants; nirantare--constantly.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After visiting the temple of Trivikrama, the Lord returned to Siddhavata, where He again visited the house of the brahmana, who was now constantly chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

 

                               TEXT 23

 

                                 TEXT

 

              bhiksa kari' mahaprabhu tanre prasna kaila

                "kaha vipra, ei tomara kon dasa haila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bhiksa kari'--after accepting lunch; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--unto him; prasna kaila--asked a question; kaha vipra--My dear brahmana friend, please say; ei--this; tomara--your; kon--what; dasa--situation; haila--became.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After finishing His lunch there, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked the brahmana, "My dear friend, kindly tell Me what your position is now.

 

                               TEXT 24

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 purve tumi nirantara laite rama-nama

                  ebe kene nirantara lao krsna-nama"

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   purve--formerly; tumi--you; nirantara--constantly; laite--used to chant; rama-nama--the holy name of Lord Ramacandra; ebe--now; kene--why; nirantara--constantly; lao--you chant; krsna-nama--the holy name of Krsna.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Formerly you were constantly chanting the holy name of Lord Rama. Why are you now constantly chanting the holy name of Krsna?"

 

                               TEXT 25

 

                                 TEXT

 

              vipra bale,----ei tomara darsana-prabhave

                toma dekhi' gela mora ajanma svabhave

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vipra bale--the brahmana replied; ei--this; tomara darsana-prabhave--by the influence of Your visit; toma dekhi'--after seeing You; gela--went; mora--my; a-janma--from childhood; svabhave--nature.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana replied, "This is all due to Your influence, sir. After seeing You, I have lost my lifelong practice.

 

                               TEXT 26

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  balyavadhi rama-nama-grahana amara

                 toma dekhi' krsna-nama aila eka-bara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   balya-avadhi--since the days of my childhood; rama-nama-grahana--chanting the holy name of Lord Ramacandra; amara--my; toma dekhi'--upon seeing You; krsna-nama--the holy name of Lord Krsna; aila--came; eka-bara--once only.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "From my childhood I have been chanting the holy name of Lord Ramacandra, but upon seeing You I chanted the holy name of Lord Krsna just once.

 

                               TEXT 27

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 sei haite krsna-nama jihvate vasila

                krsna-nama sphure, rama-nama dure gela

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei haite--since that time; krsna-nama--the holy name of Lord Krsna; jihvate--on the tongue; vasila--was seated tightly; krsna-nama--the holy name of Lord Krsna; sphure--automatically comes; rama-nama--the holy name of Lord Ramacandra; dure--far away; gela--went.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Since then, the holy name of Krsna has been tightly fixed upon my tongue. Indeed, since I have been chanting the holy name of Krsna, the holy name of Lord Ramacandra has gone far away.

 

                               TEXT 28

 

                                 TEXT

 

               balya-kala haite mora svabhava eka haya

                 namera mahima-sastra kariye sancaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   balya-kala haite--from my childhood; mora--my; svabhava--practice; eka--one; haya--there is; namera--of the holy name; mahima--concerning the glories; sastra--the revealed scriptures; kariye sancaya--I collect.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "From my childhood I have been practicing this chanting and have been collecting the glories of the holy name from revealed scriptures.

 

                               TEXT 29

 

                                 TEXT

 

                        ramante yogino 'nante

                        satyanande cid-atmani

                          iti rama-padenasau

                        param brahmabhidhiyate

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ramante--take pleasure; yoginah--transcendentalists; anante--in the unlimited; satya-anande--real pleasure; cit-atmani--in spiritual existence; iti--thus; rama--Rama; padena--by the word; asau--He; param--supreme; brahma--truth; abhidhiyate--is called.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rama because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is the eighth verse of the Sata-nama-stotra of Lord Ramacandra, which is found in the Padma Purana.

 

                               TEXT 30

 

                                 TEXT

 

                       krsir bhu-vacakah sabdo

                        nas ca nirvrti-vacakah

                      tayor aikyam param brahma

                        krsna ity abhidhiyate

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsih--the verbal root krs; bhu--attractive existence; vacakah--signifying; sabdah--word; nah--the syllable na; ca--and; nirvrti--spiritual pleasure; vacakah--indicating; tayoh--of both; aikyam--amalgamation; param--supreme; brahma--Absolute Truth; krsnah--Lord Krsna; iti--thus; abhidhiyate--is called.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'The word "krs" is the attractive feature of the Lord's existence, and "na" means spiritual pleasure. When the verb "krs" is added to the affix "na," it becomes "Krsna," which indicates the Absolute Truth.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse from the Mahabharata (Udyoga-parva 71.4).

 

                               TEXT 31

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 param brahma dui-nama samana ha-ila

                 punah ara sastre kichu visesa paila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   param brahma--the Absolute Truth; dui-nama--two names (Rama and Krsna); samana--on an equal level; ha-ila--were; punah--again; ara--further; sastre--in revealed scriptures; kichu--some; visesa--specification; paila--is found.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "As far as the holy names of Rama and Krsna are concerned, they are on an equal level, but for further advancement we receive some specific information from revealed scriptures.

 

                               TEXT 32

 

                                 TEXT

 

                          rama rameti rameti

                          rame rame manorame

                       sahasra-namabhis tulyam

                          rama-nama varanane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   rama--Rama; rama--Rama; iti--thus; rama--Rama; iti--thus; rame--I enjoy; rame--in the holy name of Rama; manah-rame--most beautiful; sahasra-namabhih--with the one thousand names; tulyam--equal; rama-nama--the holy name of Rama; vara-anane--O lovely-faced woman.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'Lord Siva addressed his wife Durga as Varanana and explained, "I chant the holy name of Rama, Rama, Rama and thus enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Ramacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Visnu."'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse from the Brhad-visnu-sahasranama-stotra in the Uttara-khanda of the Padma Purana (72.335).

 

                               TEXT 33

 

                                 TEXT

 

                       sahasra-namnam punyanam

                      trir-avrttya tu yat phalam

                        ekavrttya tu krsnasya

                       namaikam tat prayacchati

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sahasra-namnam--of one thousand names; punyanam--holy; trih-avrttya--by thrice chanting; tu--but; yat--which; phalam--result; eka-avrttya--by one repetition; tu--but; krsnasya--of Lord Krsna; nama--holy name; ekam--only one; tat--that result; prayacchati--gives.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'The pious results derived from chanting the thousand holy names of Visnu three times can be attained by only one utterance of the holy name of Krsna.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This verse from the Brahmanda Purana is found in the Laghu-bhagavatamrta (1.5.354), by Rupa Gosvami. Simply by chanting the name of Krsna once, one can attain the same results achieved by chanting the holy name of Rama three times.

 

                               TEXT 34

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  ei vakye krsna-namera mahima apara

                 tathapi la-ite nari, suna hetu tara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei vakye--in this statement; krsna-namera--of the holy name of Krsna; mahima--glories; apara--unlimited; tathapi--still; la-ite--to chant; nari--I am unable; suna--just hear; hetu--the reason; tara--of that.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "According to this statement of the sastras, the glories of the holy name of Krsna are unlimited. Still I could not chant His holy name. Please hear the reason for this.

 

                               TEXT 35

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ista-deva rama, tanra name sukha pai

                 sukha pana rama-nama ratri-dina gai

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ista-deva--my worshipable Lord; rama--Lord Sri Ramacandra; tanra name--in His holy name; sukha pai--I get happiness; sukha pana--getting such transcendental happiness; rama-nama--the holy name of Lord Rama; ratri-dina--day and night; gai--I chant.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "My worshipable Lord has been Lord Ramacandra, and by chanting His holy name I received happiness. Because I received such happiness, I chanted the holy name of Lord Rama day and night.

 

                               TEXT 36

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 tomara darsane yabe krsna-nama aila

                   tahara mahima tabe hrdaye lagila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tomara darsane--by meeting You; yabe--when; krsna-nama--the holy name of Krsna; aila--appeared; tahara--His; mahima--glories; tabe--at that time; hrdaye--in the heart; lagila--became fixed.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "By Your appearance, Lord Krsna's holy name also appeared, and at that time the glories of Krsna's name awoke in my heart."

 

                               TEXT 37

 

                                 TEXT

 

               sei krsna tumi saksat----iha nirdharila

                eta kahi' vipra prabhura carane padila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei--that; krsna--the Personality of Godhead, Krsna; tumi--You; saksat--directly; iha--this; nirdharila--concluded; eta kahi'--saying this; vipra--the brahmana; prabhura--of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; carane--at the lotus feet; padila--fell down.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana concluded, "Sir, You are that Lord Krsna Himself. This is my conclusion." Saying this, the brahmana fell down at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                               TEXT 38

 

                                 TEXT

 

               tanre krpa kari' prabhu calila ara dine

                 vrddhakasi asi' kaila siva-darasane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tanre--unto him; krpa kari'--showing mercy; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; calila--traveled; ara dine--the next day; vrddhakasi--to Vrddhakasi; asi'--coming; kaila--did; siva-darasane--visiting Lord Siva's temple.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After showing mercy to the brahmana, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left the next day and arrived at Vrddhakasi, where He visited the temple of Lord Siva.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Vrddhakasi's present name is Vrddhacalam. It is situated in the southern Arcot district on the bank of the river Manimukha. This place is also known as Kalahastipura. Lord Siva's temple there was worshiped for many years by Govinda, the cousin of Ramanujacarya.

 

                               TEXT 39

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 tahan haite cali' age gela eka grame

                brahmana-samaja tahan, karila visrame

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tahan haite--from there; cali'--going; age--forward; gela--went; eka--one; grame--to a village; brahmana-samaja--assembly of brahmanas; tahan--there; karila visrame--He rested.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then left Vrddhakasi and proceeded further. In one village He saw that most of the residents were brahmanas, and He took His rest there.

 

                               TEXT 40

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 prabhura prabhave loka aila darasane

                 laksarbuda loka aise na yaya ganane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; prabhave--by the influence; loka--people; aila--came; darasane--to see Him; laksa-arbuda--many millions; loka--persons; aise--came; na--not; yaya ganane--can be counted.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Due to the influence of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, many millions of men came just to see Him. Indeed, the assembly being unlimited, its members could not be counted.

 

                               TEXT 41

 

                                 TEXT

 

               gosanira saundarya dekhi' tate premavesa

            sabe 'krsna' kahe, 'vaisnava' haila sarva-desa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gosanira--of the Lord; saundarya--the beauty; dekhi'--seeing; tate--in that; prema-avesa--ecstatic love; sabe--everyone; krsna kahe--uttered the holy name of Krsna; vaisnava--Vaisnava devotees; haila--became; sarva-desa--everyone.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord's bodily features were very beautiful, and in addition He was always in the ecstasy of love of Godhead. Simply by seeing Him, everyone began chanting the holy name of Krsna, and thus everyone became a Vaisnava devotee.

 

                               TEXT 42

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tarkika-mimamsaka, yata mayavadi-gana

               sankhya, patanjala, smrti, purana, agama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tarkika--logicians; mimamsaka--followers of Mimamsa  philosophy; yata--all; mayavadi-gana--followers of Sankaracarya; sankhya--followers of Kapila; patanjala--followers of mystic yoga; smrti--supplementary Vedic literature; purana--Puranas; agama--the tantra-sastras.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There are many kinds of philosophers. Some are logicians who follow Gautama or Kanada. Some follow the Mimamsa philosophy of Jaimini. Some follow the Mayavada philosophy of Sankaracarya, and others follow Kapila's Sankhya philosophy or the mystic yoga system of Patanjali. Some follow the smrti-sastra composed of twenty religious scriptures, and others follow the Puranas and the tantra-sastra. In this way there are many different types of philosophers.

 

                               TEXT 43

 

                                 TEXT

 

                nija-nija-sastrodgrahe sabai pracanda

              sarva mata dusi' prabhu kare khanda khanda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nija-nija--their own; sastra--of the scripture; udgrahe--to establish the conclusion; sabai--all of them; pracanda--very powerful; sarva--all; mata--opinions; dusi'--condemning; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kare--does; khanda khanda--breaking to pieces.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   All of these adherents of various scriptures were ready to present the conclusions of their respective scriptures, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu broke all their opinions to pieces and established His own cult of bhakti based on the Vedas, Vedanta, the Brahma-sutra and the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva.

 

                               TEXT 44

 

                                 TEXT

 

             sarvatra sthapaya prabhu vaisnava-siddhante

               prabhura siddhanta keha na pare khandite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sarvatra--everywhere; sthapaya--establishes; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; vaisnava-siddhante--the conclusion of the Vaisnavas; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; siddhanta--conclusion; keha--anyone; na pare--is not able; khandite--to defy.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu established the devotional cult everywhere. No one could defeat Him.

 

                               TEXT 45

 

                                 TEXT

 

                hari' hari' prabhu-mate karena pravesa

             ei-mate 'vaisnava' prabhu kaila daksina desa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   hari' hari'--being defeated; prabhu-mate--into the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karena pravesa--enter; ei-mate--in this way; vaisnava--Vaisnava devotees; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kaila--made; daksina--South India; desa--country.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Being thus defeated by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all these philosophers and their followers entered into His cult. In this way Lord Caitanya made South India into a country of Vaisnavas.

 

                               TEXT 46

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  pasandi aila yata panditya suniya

                garva kari' aila sange sisya-gana lana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   pasandi--nonbelievers; aila--came there; yata--all; panditya--erudition; suniya--hearing; garva kari'--with great pride; aila--came there; sange--with; sisya-gana--disciples; lana--taking.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the nonbelievers heard of the erudition of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they came to Him with great pride, bringing their disciples with them.

 

                               TEXT 47

 

                                 TEXT

 

               bauddhacarya maha-pandita nija nava-mate

               prabhura age udgraha kari' lagila balite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bauddha-acarya--the leader in Buddhist philosophy; maha-pandita--greatly learned scholar; nija--own; nava--nine; mate--philosophical conclusions; prabhura age--before Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; udgraha--argument; kari'--making; lagila--began; balite--to speak.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   One of them was a leader of the Buddhist cult and was a very learned scholar. To establish the nine philosophical conclusions of Buddhism, he came before the Lord and began to speak.

 

                               TEXT 48

 

                                 TEXT

 

              yadyapi asambhasya bauddha ayukta dekhite

                tathapi balila prabhu garva khandaite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   yadyapi--although; asambhasya--not fit for discussion; bauddha--followers of Buddha's philosophy; ayukta--not fit; dekhite--to see; tathapi--still; balila--spoke; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; garva--pride; khandaite--to diminish.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Although the Buddhists are unfit for discussion and should not be seen by Vaisnavas, Caitanya Mahaprabhu spoke to them just to decrease their false pride.

 

                               TEXT 49

 

                                 TEXT

 

              tarka-pradhana bauddha-sastra 'nava mate'

               tarkei khandila prabhu, na pare sthapite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tarka-pradhana--argumentative; bauddha-sastra--scriptures of the Buddhist cult; nava mate--in nine basic principles; tarkei--by argument; khandila--refuted; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; na--not; pare--can; sthapite--establish.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The scriptures of the Buddhist cult are chiefly based on argument and logic, and they contain nine chief principles. Because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu defeated them in their argument, they could not establish their cult.

   Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura states that according to the Buddhist cult there are two ways of understanding philosophy. One is called Hinayana, and the other is called Mahayanaa. Along the Buddhist path there are nine principles: (1) The creation is eternal; therefore there is no need to accept a creator. (2) This cosmic manifestation is false. (3) "I am" is the truth. (4) There is repetition of birth and death. (5) Lord Buddha is the only source of understanding the truth. (6) The principle of nirvana, or annihilation, is the ultimate goal. (7) The philosophy of Buddha is the only philosophical path. (8) The Vedas are compiled by human beings. (9) Pious activities, showing mercy to others and so on are advised.

   No one can attain the Absolute Truth by argument. One may be very expert in logic, and another person may be even more expert in the art of argument. Because there is so much word jugglery in logic, one can never come to the real conclusion about the Absolute Truth by argument. The followers of Vedic principles understand this. However, it is seen here that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu defeated the Buddhist philosophy by argument. Those who are preachers in ISKCON will certainly meet many people who believe in intellectual arguments. Most of these people do not believe in the authority of the Vedas. Nevertheless, they accept intellectual speculation and argument. Therefore the preachers of Krsna consciousness should be prepared to defeat others by argument, just as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did. In this verse it is clearly said, tarkei khandila prabhu. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu put forward such a strong argument that they could not counter Him to establish their cult.

   Their first principle is that the creation is always existing. But if this is the case, there can be no theory of annihilation. The Buddhists maintain that annihilation, or dissolution, is the highest truth. If the creation is eternally existing, there is no question of dissolution or annihilation. This argument is not very strong because by practical experience we see that material things have a beginning, a middle and an end. The ultimate aim of the Buddhist philosophy is to dissolve the body. This is proposed because the body has a beginning. Similarly, the entire cosmic manifestation is also a gigantic body, but if we accept the fact that it is always existing, there can be no question of annihilation. Therefore the attempt to annihilate everything in order to attain zero is an absurdity. By our own practical experience we have to accept the beginning of creation, and when we accept the beginning, we must accept a creator. Such a creator must possess an all-pervasive body, as pointed out in the Bhagavad-gita (13.14):

 

                       sarvatah pani-padam tat

                       sarvato-'ksi-siro-mukham

                       sarvatah sruti-mal loke

                        sarvam avrtya tisthati

 

   "Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Supersoul exists, pervading everything."

   The Supreme Person must be present everywhere. His body existed before the creation; otherwise He could not be the creator. If the Supreme Person is a created being, there can be no question of a creator. The conclusion is that the cosmic manifestation is certainly created at a certain time, and the creator existed before the creation; therefore the creator is not a created being. The creator is Param Brahman, or the Supreme Spirit. Matter is not only subordinate to spirit but is actually created on the basis of spirit. When the spirit soul enters the womb of a mother, the body is created by material ingredients supplied by the mother. Everything is created in the material world, and consequently there must be a creator who is the Supreme Spirit and who is distinct from matter. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that the material energy is inferior and that the spiritual energy is the living entity. Both inferior and superior energies belong to a supreme person.

   The Buddhists argue that the world is false, but this is not valid. The world is temporary, but it is not false. As long as we have the body, we must suffer the pleasures and pains of the body, even though we are not the body. We may not take these pleasures and pains very seriously, but they are factual nonetheless. We cannot actually say that they are false. If the bodily pains and pleasures were false, the creation would be false also, and consequently no one would take very much interest in it. The conclusion is that the material creation is not false or imaginary, but it is temporary.

   The Buddhists maintain that the principle "I am" is the Ultimate Truth, but this excludes the individuality of "I" and "you." If there is no "I" and "you," or individuality, there is no possibility of argument. The Buddhist philosophy depends on argument, but there can be no argument if one simply depends on "I am." There must be a "you," or another person also. The philosophy of duality--the existence of the individual soul and the Supersoul--must be there. This is confirmed in the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita (2.12), wherein the Lord says:

 

                       na tv evaham jatu nasam

                       na tvam neme janadhipah

                       na caiva na bhavisyamah

                        sarve vayam atah param

 

   "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be."

   We existed in the past in different bodies, and after the annihilation of this body we shall exist in another body. The principle of the soul is eternal, and it exists in this body or in another body. Even in this lifetime we experience existence in a child's body, a youth's body, a man's body and an old body. After the annihilation of the body, we acquire another body. The Buddhist cult also accepts the philosophy of transmigration, but the Buddhists do not properly explain the next birth. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and our next birth may be in any one of them; therefore this human body is not guaranteed.

   According to the Buddhist's fifth principle, Lord Buddha is the only source for the attainment of knowledge. We cannot accept this, for Lord Buddha rejected the principles of Vedic knowledge. One must accept a principle of standard knowledge because one cannot attain the Absolute Truth simply by intellectual speculation. If everyone is an authority, or if everyone accepts his own intelligence as the ultimate criterion--as is presently fashionable--the scriptures will be interpreted in many different ways, and everyone will claim that his own philosophy is supreme. This has become a very great problem, and everyone is interpreting scripture in his own way and setting up his own basis of authority. Yata mata tata patha. Now everybody and anybody is trying to establish his own theory as the ultimate truth. The Buddhists theorize that annihilation, or nirvana, is the ultimate goal. Annihilation applies to the body, but the spirit soul transmigrates from one body to another. If this were not the case, how can so many multifarious bodies come into existence? If the next birth is a fact, the next bodily form is also a fact. As soon as we accept a material body, we must accept the fact that that body will be annihilated and that we will have to accept another body. If all material bodies are doomed to annihilation, we must obtain a nonmaterial body, or a spiritual body, if we wish the next birth to be anything but false. How the spiritual body is attained is explained by Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita (4.9):

 

                       janma karma ca me divyam

                       evam yo vetti tattvatah

                      tyaktva deham punar janma

                       naiti mam eti so 'rjuna

 

   "One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."

   This is the highest perfection--to give up one's material body and not accept another but to return home, back to Godhead. It is not that perfection means one's existence becomes void or zero. Existence continues, but if we positively want to annihilate the material body, we have to accept a spiritual body; otherwise there can be no eternality for the soul.

   We cannot accept the theory that the Buddhist philosophy is the only way, for there are so many defects in that philosophy. A perfect philosophy is one that has no defects, and that is Vedanta philosophy. No one can point out any defects in Vedanta philosophy, and therefore we can conclude that Vedanta is the supreme philosophical way of understanding the truth. According to the Buddhist cult, the Vedas are compiled by ordinary human beings. If this were the case, they would not be authoritative. From the Vedic literature we understand that shortly after the creation Lord Brahma was instructed in the Vedas.   It is not that the Vedas were created by Brahma, although Brahma is the original person in the universe. If Brahma did not create the Vedas but he is acknowledged as the first created being, wherefrom did Vedic knowledge come to Brahma? Obviously the Vedas did not come from an ordinary person born in this material world. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye: after the creation, the Supreme Person imparted Vedic knowledge within the heart of Brahma. There was no person in the beginning of the creation other than Brahma, yet he did not compile the Vedas; therefore the conclusion is that the Vedas were not compiled by any created being. Vedic knowledge was given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who created this material world. This is also accepted by Sankaracarya, although he is not a Vaisnava.

   It is stated that mercy is one of the qualities of a Buddhist, but mercy is a relative thing. We show our mercy to a subordinate or to one who is suffering more than ourselves. However, if there is a superior person present, the superior person cannot be the object of our mercy. Rather, we are objects for the mercy of the superior person. Therefore showing compassion and mercy is a relative activity. It is not the Absolute Truth. Apart from this, we also must know what actual mercy is. To give a sick man something forbidden for him to eat is not mercy. Rather, it is cruelty. Unless we know what mercy really is, we may create an undesirable situation. If we wish to show real mercy, we will preach Krsna consciousness in order to revive the lost consciousness of human beings, the living entity's original consciousness. Since the Buddhist philosophy does not admit the existence of the spirit soul, the so-called mercy of the Buddhists is defective.

 

                               TEXT 50

 

                                 TEXT

 

               bauddhacarya 'nava prasna' saba uthaila

             drdha yukti-tarke prabhu khanda khanda kaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bauddha-acarya--the teacher of the Buddhist cult; nava prasna--nine different types of questions; saba--all; uthaila--raised; drdha--strong; yukti--argument; tarke--with logic; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; khanda khanda kaila--broke into pieces.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The teacher of the Buddhist cult set forth the nine principles, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu broke them to pieces with His strong logic.

 

                               TEXT 51

 

                                 TEXT

 

                darsanika pandita sabai paila parajaya

              loke hasya kare, bauddha paila lajja-bhaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   darsanika--philosophical speculators; pandita--scholars; sabai--all of them; paila parajaya--were defeated; loke--people in general; hasya kare--laugh; bauddha--the Buddhists; paila--got; lajja--shame; bhaya--fear.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   All mental speculators and learned scholars were defeated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and when the people began to laugh, the Buddhist philosophers felt both shame and fear.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   These philosophers were all atheists, for they did not believe in the existence of God. Atheists may be very expert in mental speculation and may be so-called great philosophers, but they can be defeated by a Vaisnava firmly situated in his conviction and God consciousness. Following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all the preachers engaged in the service of ISKCON should be very expert in putting forward strong arguments and defeating all types of atheists.

 

                               TEXT 52

 

                                 TEXT

 

              prabhuke vaisnava jani' bauddha ghare gela

              sakala bauddha mili' tabe kumantrana kaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhuke--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; vaisnava jani'--knowing to be a Vaisnava; bauddha--the Buddhists; ghare gela--returned home; sakala bauddha--all the Buddhists; mili'--coming together; tabe--thereafter; ku-mantrana--plot; kaila--made.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Buddhists could understand that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vaisnava, and they returned home very unhappy. Later, however, they began to plot against the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 53

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  apavitra anna eka thalite bhariya

                prabhu-age nila 'maha-prasada' baliya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   apavitra--polluted; anna--food; eka--one; thalite--plate; bhariya--filling; prabhu-age--in front of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; nila--brought; maha-prasada baliya--calling it maha-prasada.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Having made their plot, the Buddhists brought a plate of untouchable food before Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and called it maha-prasada.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The word apavitra anna refers to food that is unacceptable for a Vaisnava. In other words, a Vaisnava cannot accept any food offered by an avaisnava in the name of maha-prasada. This should be a principle for all Vaisnavas. When asked, "What is the behavior of a Vaisnava?" Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "A Vaisnava must avoid the company of an avaisnava [asat]." The word asat refers to an avaisnava, that is, one who is not a Vaisnava. Asat-sanga-tyaga,--ei vaisnava-acara (Cc. Madhya 22.87). A Vaisnava must be very strict in this respect and should not at all cooperate with an avaisnava. If an avaisnava offers food in the name of maha-prasada, it should not be accepted. Such food cannot be prasada because an avaisnava cannot offer anything to the Lord. Sometimes preachers in the Krsna consciousness movement have to accept food in a home where the householder is an avaisnava; however, if this food is offered to the Deity, it can be taken. Ordinary food cooked by an avaisnava should not be accepted by a Vaisnava. Even if an avaisnava cooks food without fault, he cannot offer it to Lord Visnu, and it cannot be accepted as maha-prasada. According to Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita (9.26):

 

                      patram puspam phalam toyam

                      yo me bhaktya prayacchati

                       tad aham bhakty-upahrtam

                         asnami prayatatmanah

 

   "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it."

   Krsna can accept anything offered by His devotee with devotion. An avaisnava may be a vegetarian and a very clean cook, but because he cannot offer the food he cooks to Visnu, it cannot be accepted as maha-prasada. It is better that a Vaisnava abandon such food as untouchable.

 

                               TEXT 54

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  hena-kale maha-kaya eka paksi aila

                thonte kari' anna-saha thali lana gela

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   hena-kale--at this time; maha-kaya--having a large body; eka--one; paksi--bird; aila--appeared there; thonte kari'--by the beak; anna-saha--with food; thali--the plate; lana--taking; gela--went away.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the contaminated food was offered to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, a very large bird appeared on the spot, picked up the plate in its beak and flew away.

 

                               TEXT 55

 

                                 TEXT

 

             bauddha-ganera upare anna pade amedhya haiya

              bauddhacaryera mathaya thali padila bajiya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bauddha-ganera--all the Buddhists; upare--upon; anna--the food; pade--began to fall down; amedhya--untouchable; haiya--being; bauddha-acaryera--of the teacher of the Buddhists; mathaya--on the head; thali--the plate; padila--fell down; bajiya--making a great sound.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Indeed, the untouchable food fell upon the Buddhists, and the large bird dropped the plate on the head of the chief Buddhist teacher. When it fell on his head, it made a big sound.

 

                               TEXT 56

 

                                 TEXT

 

              terache padila thali,----matha kati' gela

                 murcchita hana acarya bhumite padila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   terache--at an angle; padila--fell down; thali--the plate; matha--the head; kati'--cutting; gela--went; murcchita--unconscious; hana--becoming; acarya--the teacher; bhumite--on the ground; padila--fell down.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The plate was made of metal, and when its edge hit the head of the teacher, it cut him, and the teacher immediately fell to the ground unconscious.

 

                               TEXT 57

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 hahakara kari' kande saba sisya-gana

                 sabe asi' prabhu-pade la-ila sarana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   haha-kara--a roaring sound; kari'--making; kande--cry; saba--all; sisya-gana--disciples; sabe--all of them; asi'--coming; prabhu-pade--to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; la-ila--took; sarana--shelter.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the teacher fell unconscious, his Buddhist disciples cried aloud and ran to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for shelter.

 

                               TEXT 58

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tumi ta' isvara saksat, ksama aparadha

                   jiyao amara guru, karaha prasada

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tumi--You; ta'--indeed; isvara--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; saksat--directly; ksama--please excuse; aparadha--offense; jiyao--bring back to consciousness; amara--our; guru--spiritual master; karaha--do; prasada--this mercy.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   They all prayed to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, addressing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself and saying, "Sir, please excuse our offense. Please have mercy upon us and bring our spiritual master back to life."

 

                               TEXT 59

 

                                 TEXT

 

           prabhu kahe,----sabe kaha 'krsna' 'krsna' 'hari'

                guru-karne kaha krsna-nama ucca kari'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; sabe--all of you; kaha--chant; krsna krsna hari--the holy names of Lord Krsna and Hari; guru-karne--near the ear of your spiritual master; kaha--chant; krsna-nama--the holy name of Lord Krsna; ucca kari'--very loudly.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord then replied to the Buddhist disciples, "You should all chant the names of Krsna and Hari very loudly near the ear of your spiritual master.

 

                               TEXT 60

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 toma-sabara 'guru' tabe paibe cetana

               saba bauddha mili' kare krsna-sankirtana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   toma-sabara--all of you; guru--the spiritual master; tabe--then; paibe--will get; cetana--consciousness; saba bauddha--all the Buddhist disciples; mili'--coming together; kare--do; krsna-sankirtana--chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "By this method your spiritual master will regain his consciousness." Following Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's advice, all the Buddhist disciples began to chant the holy name of Krsna congregationally.

 

                               TEXT 61

 

                                 TEXT

 

              guru-karne kahe sabe 'krsna' 'rama' 'hari'

                cetana pana acarya bale 'hari' 'hari'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   guru-karne--into the ear of the spiritual master; kahe--they said; sabe--all together; krsna rama hari--the holy names of the Lord, namely Krsna, Rama and Hari; cetana--consciousness; pana--getting; acarya--the teacher; bale--chanted; hari hari--the name of Lord Hari.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When all the disciples chanted the holy names Krsna, Rama and Hari, the Buddhist teacher regained consciousness and immediately began to chant the holy name of Lord Hari.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments that all the Buddhist disciples were actually initiated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu into the chanting of the holy name of Krsna, and when they chanted, they actually became different persons. At that time they were not Buddhists or atheists but Vaisnavas. Consequently they immediately accepted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order. Their original Krsna consciousness was revived, and they were immediately able to chant Hare Krsna and begin worshiping the Supreme Lord Visnu.

   It is the spiritual master who delivers the disciple from the clutches of maya by initiating him into the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.   In this way a sleeping human being can revive his consciousness by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In other words, the spiritual master awakens the sleeping living entity to his original consciousness so that he can worship Lord Visnu. This is the purpose of diksa, or initiation. Initiation means receiving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness.

   One point to note in this regard is that the spiritual master of the Buddhists did not initiate his disciples. Rather, his disciples were initiated by Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and they in turn were able to initiate their so-called spiritual master. This is the parampara system. The so-called spiritual master of the Buddhists was actually in the position of a disciple, and after his disciples were initiated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they acted as his spiritual masters. This was possible only because the disciples of the Buddhist acarya received the mercy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Unless one is favored by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the disciplic succession, one cannot act as a spiritual master. We should take the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the spiritual master of the whole universe, to understand how one becomes a spiritual master and a disciple.

 

                               TEXT 62

 

                                 TEXT

 

              krsna bali' acarya prabhure karena vinaya

                  dekhiya sakala loka ha-ila vismaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsna bali'--chanting the holy name of Krsna; acarya--the so-called spiritual master of the Buddhists; prabhure--unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karena--does; vinaya--submission; dekhiya--seeing this; sakala loka--all the people; ha-ila--became; vismaya--astonished.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the spiritual master of the Buddhists began to chant the holy name of Krsna and submitted to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all the people who were gathered there were astonished.

 

                               TEXT 63

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ei-rupe kautuka kari' sacira nandana

                antardhana kaila, keha na paya darsana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei-rupe--in this way; kautuka kari'--making fun; sacira nandana--the son of mother Saci; antardhana kaila--disappeared; keha--anyone; na--does not; paya--get; darsana--audience.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the son of Sacidevi, then suddenly and humorously disappeared from everyone's sight, and it was impossible for anyone to find Him.

 

                               TEXT 64

 

                                 TEXT

 

                mahaprabhu cali' aila tripati-trimalle

              catur-bhuja murti dekhi' vyenkatadrye cale

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mahaprabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; cali' aila--arrived by walking; tripati-trimalle--at the holy places named Tirupati and Tirumala; catur-bhuja--fourhanded; murti--Deity; dekhi'--seeing; vyenkata-adrye--to the holy place Venkata Hill; cale--began to proceed.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu next arrived at Tirupati and Tirumala, where He saw a four-handed Deity. Then He next proceeded toward Venkata Hill.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has actually described the chronological order of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's visit. The Tirupati temple is sometimes called Tirupatura. It is situated on the northern side of Arcot in the district of Candragiri. It is a famous holy place of pilgrimage. In pursuance of His name, Venkatesvara, the four-handed Lord Visnu, the Deity of Balaji, with His potencies named Sri and Bhu, is located on Venkata Hill, about eight miles from Tirupati. This Venkatesvara Deity is in the form of Lord Visnu, and the place where He is situated is known as Venkata-ksetra. There are many temples in southern India, but this Balaji temple is especially opulent. A great fair is held there in the months of September and October. There is a railway station called Tirupati on the southern railway. Nimna-tirupati is located in the valley of the Venkata Hill. There are several temples there also, among which are those of Govindaraja and Lord Ramacandra.

 

                               TEXT 65

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tripati asiya kaila sri-rama darasana

                 raghunatha-age kaila pranama stavana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tripati asiya--coming to Tirupati; kaila sri-rama darasana--visited the temple of Ramacandra; raghunatha-age--before Lord Ramacandra; kaila--did; pranama--obeisances; stavana--offering prayers.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After arriving at Tirupati, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Lord Ramacandra. He offered His prayers and obeisances before Ramacandra, the descendant of King Raghu.

 

                               TEXT 66

 

                                 TEXT

 

               sva-prabhave loka-sabara karana vismaya

                  pana-nrsimhe aila prabhu daya-maya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sva-prabhave--by His own influence; loka-sabara--of all the people; karana--inducing; vismaya--astonishment; pana-nrsimhe--to the Lord named Pana-nrsimha; aila--came; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; daya-maya--the most merciful.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Everywhere Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went, His influence astonished everyone. He next arrived at the temple of Pana-nrsimha. The Lord is so merciful.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Pana-nrsimha, or Panakal-narasimha, is located in the district of Krishna in the hills known as Mangalagiri, about seven miles from a city known as Vijayawada. One must climb six hundred steps to reach the temple. It is said that when the Lord is offered food with syrup here, He does not take more than half. Within this temple is a conchshell presented by the late king of Tanjor, and it is said that this shell was used by Lord Krsna Himself. During the month of March, a great fair takes place in this temple.

 

                               TEXT 67

 

                                 TEXT

 

                nrsimhe pranati-stuti premavese kaila

                prabhura prabhave loka camatkara haila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nrsimhe--unto Lord Nrsimha; pranati-stuti--obeisances and prayers; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; kaila--offered; prabhura--of the Lord; prabhave--by the influence; loka--the people; camatkara haila--were astonished.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In great ecstatic love, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered obeisances and prayers unto Lord Nrsimha. The people were astonished to see Lord Caitanya's influence.

 

                               TEXT 68

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 siva-kanci asiya kaila siva darasana

              prabhave 'vaisnava' kaila saba saiva-gana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   siva-kanci--to the holy place named Siva-kanci; asiya--coming; kaila--did; siva darasana--visiting the temple of Lord Siva; prabhave--by His influence; vaisnava kaila--turned into Vaisnavas; saba--all; saiva-gana--the devotees of Lord Siva.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Arriving at Siva-kanci, Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the deity of Lord Siva. By His influence, He converted all the devotees of Lord Siva into Vaisnavas.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Siva-kanci is also known as Kanjivarama, or the Benares of southern India. In Siva-kanci there are hundreds of temples containing symbolic representations of Lord Siva, and one of these temples is said to be very, very old.

 

                               TEXT 69

 

                                 TEXT

 

               visnu-kanci asi' dekhila laksmi-narayana

                 pranama kariya kaila bahuta stavana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   visnu-kanci--to the holy place named Visnu-kanci; asi'--coming; dekhila--the Lord saw; laksmi-narayana--the Deity of Lord Narayana with mother Laksmi, the goddess of fortune; pranama kariya--after offering obeisances; kaila--made; bahuta stavana--many prayers.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord then visited a holy place known as Visnu-kanci. There He saw Laksmi-Narayana Deities, and He offered His respects and many prayers to please Them.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Visnu-kanci is situated about five miles away from Kanjivarama. It is here that Lord Varadaraja, another form of Lord Visnu, resides. There is also a big lake known as Ananta-sarovara.

 

                               TEXT 70

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  premavese nrtya-gita bahuta karila

               dina-dui rahi' loke 'krsna-bhakta' kaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prema-avese--in ecstatic love; nrtya-gita--dancing and chanting; bahuta--much; karila--performed; dina-dui--for two days; rahi'--staying; loke--the people in general; krsna-bhakta--devotees of Lord Krsna; kaila--made.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at Visnu-kanci for two days, He danced and performed kirtana in ecstasy. When all the people saw Him, they were converted into devotees of Lord Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 71

 

                                 TEXT

 

              trimalaya dekhi' gela trikala-hasti-sthane

                 mahadeva dekhi' tanre karila praname

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   trimalaya dekhi'--after seeing Trimalaya; gela--went; trikala-hasti-sthane--to the place named Trikala-hasti; mahadeva--Lord Siva; dekhi'--seeing; tanre--unto him; karila praname--offered obeisances.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After visiting Trimalaya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to see Trikala-hasti. There He saw Lord Siva and offered him all respects and obeisances.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Trikala-hasti is situated about twenty-two miles northeast of Tirupati. On its northern side is a river known as Suvarna-mukhi. The temple of Trikala-hasti is located on the southern side of the river. The place is generally known as Sri Kalahasti or Kalahasti and is famous for its temple of Lord Siva. There he is called Vayu-linga Siva.

 

                               TEXT 72

 

                                 TEXT

 

               paksi-tirtha dekhi' kaila siva darasana

                 vrddhakola-tirthe tabe karila gamana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   paksi-tirtha dekhi'--after visiting the place known as Paksi-tirtha; kaila--did; siva darasana--visiting the temple of Lord Siva; vrddhakola-tirthe--to the holy place known as Vrddhakola; tabe--then; karila gamana--went.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   At Paksi-tirtha, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Lord Siva. Then He went to the Vrddhakola place of pilgrimage.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Paksi-tirtha, also called Tirukadi-kundam, is located nine miles southeast of Cimlipat. It has a five-hundred-foot elevation and is situated in a chain of hills known as Vedagiri or Vedacalam. There is a temple of Lord Siva there, and the deity is known as Vedagirisvara. Two birds come there daily to receive food from the temple priest, and it is claimed that they have been coming since time immemorial.

 

                               TEXT 73

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 sveta-varaha dekhi, tanre namaskari'

                 pitambara-siva-sthane gela gaurahari

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sveta-varaha--the white boar incarnation; dekhi--seeing; tanre--unto Him; namaskari'--offering respect; pita-ambara--dressed with yellow garments; siva-sthane--to the temple of Lord Siva; gela--went; gaurahari--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   At Vrddhakola, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Sveta-varaha, the white boar incarnation. After offering Him respects, the Lord visited the temple of Lord Siva, wherein the deity is dressed with yellow garments.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The temple of the white boar incarnation is situated at Vrddhakola. The temple is made of stone and is located about one mile south of an oasis known as Balipitham. There is a Deity of the white boar incarnation, above whose head Sesa Naga serves as an umbrella. The deity of Lord Siva is known as Pitambara and also as Cidambaram. This temple is located twenty-six miles south of Cuddaloreda, and the deity there is also known as Akasa-linga. The deity is in the form of Lord Siva. This temple is situated on about thirty-nine acres of land, and all this land is surrounded by a wall sixty feet high.

 

                               TEXT 74

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 siyali bhairavi devi kari' darasana

                  kaverira tire aila sacira nandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   siyali bhairavi--Siyali-bhairavi; devi--goddess; kari' darasana--visiting; kaverira tire--on the bank of the river Kaveri; aila--came; sacira nandana--the son of mother Saci.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After visiting the temple of Siyali-bhairavi [another form of the goddess Durga], Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the son of mother Saci, went to the bank of the river Kaveri.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Siyali-bhairavi is located in the Tanjorean district, about forty-eight miles northeast of Tanjorean City. There is a very much celebrated temple of Lord Siva there and also a very large lake. It is said that once a small boy who was a devotee of Lord Siva came to that temple and the goddess Durga, known as Bhairavi, gave him her breast to suck. After visiting this temple, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the bank of the river Kaveri via the district of Tiruchchirapalli. The Kaveri is mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.40) as a very pious river.

 

                               TEXT 75

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 go-samaje siva dekhi' aila vedavana

                 mahadeva dekhi' tanre karila vandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   go-samaje--at the place named Go-samaja; siva dekhi'--seeing the deity of Lord Siva; aila vedavana--He arrived at Vedavana; mahadeva dekhi'--seeing Lord Siva; tanre--unto him; karila vandana--offered prayers.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord then visited a place known as Go-samaja, where He saw Lord Siva's temple. He then arrived at Vedavana, where He saw another deity of Lord Siva and offered him prayers.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Go-samaja is a place of pilgrimage for the devotees of Lord Siva. It is very important and is located next to Vedavana.

 

                               TEXT 76

 

                                 TEXT

 

                amrtalinga-siva dekhi' vandana karila

                saba sivalaye saiva 'vaisnava' ha-ila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   amrta-linga-siva--the Lord Siva deity named Amrta-linga; dekhi'--seeing; vandana karila--offered obeisances; saba siva-alaye--in all the temples of Lord Siva; saiva--devotees of Lord Siva; vaisnava ha-ila--became devotees of Lord Krsna.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Seeing the Siva deity named Amrta-linga, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered His obeisances. Thus He visited all the temples of Lord Siva and converted the devotees of Lord Siva into Vaisnavas.

 

                               TEXT 77

 

                                 TEXT

 

                deva-sthane asi' kaila visnu darasana

              sri-vaisnavera sange tahan gosthi anuksana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   deva-sthane--to the place known as Devasthana; asi'--coming; kaila--did; visnu darasana--visiting the temple of Lord Visnu; sri-vaisnavera sange--with the Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession of Ramanuja; tahan--there; gosthi--discussion; anuksana--always.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   At Devasthana, Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Lord Visnu, and there He talked with the Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession of Ramanujacarya. These Vaisnavas are known as Sri Vaisnavas.

 

                               TEXT 78

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  kumbhakarna-kapale dekhi' sarovara

               siva-ksetre siva dekhe gauranga-sundara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kumbhakarna-kapale--at Kumbhakarna-kapala; dekhi'--after seeing; sarovara--the lake; siva-ksetre--at Siva-ksetra; siva--Lord Siva; dekhe--sees; gauranga-sundara--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   At Kumbhakarna-kapala, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw a great lake and then the holy place named Siva-ksetra, where a temple of Lord Siva is located.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Kumbhakarna is the name of the brother of Ravana. At the present moment the city of Kumbhakarna-kapala is known as Kumbhakonnam; it is situated twenty miles northeast of the city of Tanjorean. There are twelve temples of Lord Siva located at Kumbhakonnam, as well as four Visnu temples and one temple to Lord Brahma. Siva-ksetra, within the city of Tanjorean, is situated near a big lake known as Siva-ganga. At this place is a large temple of Lord Siva known as Brhatisvara-siva-mandira.

 

                               TEXT 79

 

                                 TEXT

 

                   papa-nasane visnu kaila darasana

                 sri-ranga-ksetre tabe karila gamana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   papa-nasane--at the place named Papanasana; visnu--Lord Visnu; kaila--did; darasana--visiting; sri-ranga-ksetre--to the holy place named Sri Ranga-ksetra; tabe--then; karila--did; gamana--departure.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After visiting the holy place named Siva-ksetra, Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived at Papanasana and there saw the temple of Lord Visnu. Then He finally reached Sri Ranga-ksetra.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   According to some, the place known as Papanasana was located eight miles southwest of Kumbhakonnam. Others say that in the district of Tinebheli there is a city known as Palamakota and that Twenty miles west of there is the holy place known as Papanasana, near the river Tamraparni. Sri Ranga-ksetra is a very famous place. Near Tiruchchirapalli is a river named Kaveri, or Kolirana. A city known as Sri Rangam is located on this river in the district of Tanjorean, about ten miles west of Kumbhakonnam. The Sri Ranga temple is the largest in India, and there are seven walls surrounding it. There are also seven roads leading to Sri Ranga. The ancient names of these roads are the road of Dharma, the road of Rajamahendra, the road of Kulasekhara, the road of Alinadana, the road of Tiruvikrama, the Tirubidi road of Madamadi-gaisa, and the road of Ada-iyavala-indana. The temple was founded before the reign of Dharmavarma, who reigned before Rajamahendra. Many celebrated kings like Kulasekhara, and others such as Alabandaru, resided in the temple of Sri Rangam. Yamunacarya, Sri Ramanuja, Sudarsanacarya and others also supervised this temple.

   The incarnation of the goddess of fortune known as Godadevi, who was one of the twelve liberated persons known as divya-suris, was married to the Deity, Lord Sri Ranganatha. Later she entered into the body of the Lord. An incarnation of Karmuka, Tirumanga (one of the Alwars), acquired some money by stealing and built the fourth boundary wall of Sri Rangam. It is said that in the year 289 of the Age of Kali, the Alwar of the name Tondaradippadi was born. While engaged in devotional service, he fell victim to a prostitute, and Sri Ranganatha, seeing His devotee so degraded, sent one of His servants with a golden plate to that prostitute. When the golden plate was discovered missing from the temple, there was a search, and it was found in the prostitute's house. When the devotee saw Ranganatha's mercy upon this prostitute, his mistake was rectified. He then prepared the third boundary wall of the Ranganatha temple and cultivated a tulasi garden there.

   There was also a celebrated disciple of Ramanujacarya's known as Kuresa. Sri Ramapilla was the son of Kuresa, and his son was Vagvijaya Bhatta, whose son was Vedavyasa Bhatta, or Sri Sudarsanacarya. When Sudarsanacarya was an old man, the Mohammedans attacked the temple of Ranganatha and killed about twelve hundred Sri Vaisnavas. At that time the Deity of Ranganatha was transferred to the temple of Tirupati in the kingdom of Vijaya-nagara. The governor of Gingeen, Goppanarya, brought Sri Ranganatha from the temple of Tirupati to a place known as Simha-brahma, where the Lord was situated for three years. In the year 1293 Saka (A.D. 1372) the Deity was reinstalled in the Ranganatha temple. On the eastern wall of the Ranganatha temple is an inscription written by Vedanta-desika relating how Ranganatha was returned to the temple.

 

                               TEXT 80

 

                                 TEXT

 

                kaverite snana kari' dekhi' ranganatha

                 stuti-pranati kari' manila krtartha

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kaverite--in the river known as Kaveri; snana kari'--after bathing; dekhi'--visiting; ranga-natha--the Ranganatha temple; stuti--prayers; pranati--obeisances; kari'--offering; manila--thought Himself; krta-artha--very successful.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After bathing in the river Kaveri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the temple of Ranganatha and offered His ardent prayers and obeisances. Thus He felt Himself successful.

 

                               TEXT 81

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 premavese kaila bahuta gana nartana

               dekhi' camatkara haila saba lokera mana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prema-avese--in the ecstasy of love; kaila--did; bahuta--various; gana--songs; nartana--dancing; dekhi'--seeing which; camatkara--astonished; haila--were; saba--all; lokera--of persons; mana--minds.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In the temple of Ranganatha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted and danced in ecstatic love of Godhead. Seeing His performance, everyone was struck with wonder.

 

                               TEXT 82

 

                                 TEXT

 

             sri-vaisnava eka,----'vyenkata bhatta' nama

               prabhure nimantrana kaila kariya sammana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sri-vaisnava eka--a devotee belonging to the Ramanuja-sampradaya; vyenkata bhatta--Venkata Bhatta; nama--named; prabhure--unto Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; nimantrana--invitation; kaila--did; kariya--offering; sammana--great respect.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   One Vaisnava known as Venkata Bhatta then invited Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to his home with great respect.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Sri Venkata Bhatta was a Vaisnava brahmana and an inhabitant of Sri Ranga-ksetra. He belonged to the disciplic succession of Sri Ramanujacarya. Sri Ranga is one of the places of pilgrimage in the province of Tamil Nadus. The inhabitants of that province do not retain the name Venkata. It is therefore supposed that Venkata Bhatta did not belong to that province, although he may have been residing there for a very long time. Venkata Bhatta was in a branch of the Ramanuja-sampradaya known as Badagala-i. He had a brother in the Ramanuja-sampradaya known as Sripada Prabodhananda Sarasvati. The son of Venkata Bhatta was later known in the Gaudiya-sampradaya as Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, and he established the Radharamana temple in Vrndavana. More information about him may be found in a book known as Bhakti-ratnakara, by Narahari Cakravarti.

 

                               TEXT 83

 

                                 TEXT

 

                nija-ghare lana kaila pada-praksalana

                sei jala lana kaila sa-vamse bhaksana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nija-ghare--to his own home; lana--bringing; kaila--did; pada-praksalana--washing of the feet; sei jala--that water; lana--taking; kaila--did; sa-vamse--with all the family members; bhaksana--drinking.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Venkata Bhatta took Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to his home. After he washed the Lord's feet, all the members of his family drank the water.

 

                               TEXT 84

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  bhiksa karana kichu kaila nivedana

                caturmasya asi' prabhu, haila upasanna

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bhiksa karana--after offering lunch; kichu--some; kaila--did; nivedana--submission; caturmasya--the period of Caturmasya; asi'--coming; prabhu--my Lord; haila upasanna--has already arrived.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After offering lunch to the Lord, Venkata Bhatta submitted that the period of Caturmasya had already arrived.

 

                               TEXT 85

 

                                 TEXT

 

                caturmasye krpa kari' raha mora ghare

               krsna-katha kahi' krpaya uddhara' amare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   caturmasye--during this period of Caturmasya; krpa kari'--being merciful; raha--please stay; mora ghare--at my place; krsna-katha--topics of Lord Krsna; kahi'--speaking; krpaya--by Your mercy; uddhara' amare--kindly deliver me.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Venkata Bhatta said, "Please be merciful to me and stay at my house during Caturmasya. Speak about Lord Krsna's pastimes and kindly deliver me by Your mercy."

 

                               TEXT 86

 

                                 TEXT

 

              tanra ghare rahila prabhu krsna-katha-rase

                 bhatta-sange gonaila sukhe cari mase

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tanra ghare--in his home; rahila--stayed; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; krsna-katha-rase--enjoying the transcendental mellow of discussing Lord Krsna's pastimes; bhatta-sange--with Venkata Bhatta; gonaila--passed; sukhe--in happiness; cari mase--four months.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained at the house of Venkata Bhatta for four continuous months. The Lord passed His days in great happiness, enjoying the transcendental mellow of discussing Lord Krsna's pastimes.

 

                               TEXT 87

 

                                 TEXT

 

                kaverite snana kari' sri-ranga darsana

                  pratidina premavese karena nartana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kaverite--in the river known as Kaveri; snana kari'--taking a bath; sri-ranga darsana--visiting the temple of Sri Ranga; prati-dina--every day; prema-avese--in great happiness; karena--does perform; nartana--dancing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While there, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His bath in the river Kaveri and visited the temple of Sri Ranga. Every day the Lord also danced in ecstasy.

 

                               TEXT 88

 

                                 TEXT

 

               saundaryadi premavesa dekhi, sarva-loka

              dekhibare aise, dekhe, khande duhkha-soka

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   saundarya-adi--the beauty of the body, etc.; prema-avesa--His ecstatic love; dekhi--seeing; sarva-loka--all men; dekhibare--to see; aise--come there; dekhe--and see; khande duhkha-soka--are relieved from all unhappiness and distress.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The beauty of Lord Caitanya's body and His ecstatic love of God were witnessed by everyone. Many people used to come see Him, and as soon as they saw Him, all their unhappiness and distress vanished.

 

                               TEXT 89

 

                                 TEXT

 

                laksa laksa loka aila nana-desa haite

                sabe krsna-nama kahe prabhuke dekhite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   laksa laksa--many hundreds of thousands; loka--of people; aila--came there; nana-desa--different countries; haite--from; sabe--all of them; krsna-nama kahe--chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra; prabhuke--the Lord; dekhite--seeing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Many hundreds of thousands of people from various countries came to see the Lord, and after seeing Him they all chanted the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

 

                               TEXT 90

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  krsna-nama vina keha nahi kahe ara

              sabe krsna-bhakta haila,----loke camatkara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsna-nama vina--without chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra; keha--anyone; nahi--does not; kahe--speak; ara--anything else; sabe--all of them; krsna-bhakta--Lord Krsna's devotees; haila--became; loke--the people; camatkara--astonished.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Indeed, they did not chant anything but the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and all of them became Lord Krsna's devotees. Thus the general populace was astonished.

 

                               TEXT 91

 

                                 TEXT

 

            sri-ranga-ksetre vaise yata vaisnava-brahmana

                  eka eka dina sabe kaila nimantrana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sri-ranga-ksetre--in Sri Ranga-ksetra; vaise--residing; yata--all; vaisnava-brahmana--Vaisnava brahmanas; eka eka dina--every day; sabe--all of them; kaila nimantrana--invited the Lord.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   All the Vaisnava brahmanas residing in Sri Ranga-ksetra invited the Lord to their homes. Indeed, He had an invitation every day.

 

                               TEXT 92

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 eka eka dine caturmasya purna haila

                 kataka brahmana bhiksa dite na paila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eka eka dine--day by day; caturmasya--the period of Caturmasya; purna haila--became filled; kataka brahmana--some of the brahmanas; bhiksa dite--to offer Him lunch; na--did not; paila--get the opportunity.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Each day the Lord was invited by a different brahmana, but some of the brahmanas did not get the opportunity to offer Him lunch because the period of Caturmasya came to an end.

 

                               TEXT 93

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sei ksetre rahe eka vaisnava-brahmana

                   devalaye asi' kare gita avartana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei ksetre--in that holy place; rahe--there was; eka--one; vaisnava-brahmana--a brahmana following the Vaisnava cult; deva-alaye--in the temple; asi'--coming; kare--does; gita--of the Bhagavad-gita; avartana--recitation.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In the holy place of Sri Ranga-ksetra, a brahmana Vaisnava used to visit the temple daily and recite the entire text of the Bhagavad-gita.

 

                               TEXT 94

 

                                 TEXT

 

                   astadasadhyaya pade ananda-avese

                  asuddha padena, loka kare upahase

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   astadasa-adhyaya--eighteen chapters; pade--reads; ananda-avese--in great ecstasy; asuddha padena--could not pronounce the text correctly; loka--people in general; kare--do; upahase--joking.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana regularly read the eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad-gita in great transcendental ecstasy, but because he could not pronounce the words correctly, people used to joke about him.

 

                               TEXT 95

 

                                 TEXT

 

                keha hase, keha ninde, taha nahi mane

                 avista hana gita pade anandita-mane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   keha hase--someone laughs; keha ninde--someone criticizes; taha--that; nahi mane--he does not care for; avista hana--being in great ecstasy; gita pade--reads the Bhagavad-gita; anandita--in great happiness; mane--his mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Due to his incorrect pronunciation, people sometimes criticized him and laughed at him, but he did not care. He was full of ecstasy due to reading the Bhagavad-gita and was personally very happy.

 

                               TEXT 96

 

                                 TEXT

 

              pulakasru, kampa, sveda,----yavat pathana

               dekhi' anandita haila mahaprabhura mana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   pulaka--standing of the hairs of the body; asru--tears; kampa--trembling; sveda--perspiration; yavat--during; pathana--the reading of the book; dekhi'--seeing this; anandita--very happy; haila--became; mahaprabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mana--the mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While reading the book, the brahmana experienced transcendental bodily transformations. His hair stood on end, tears welled in his eyes, and his body trembled and perspired as he read. Seeing this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very happy.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Although the brahmana could not pronounce the words very well due to illiteracy, he still experienced ecstatic symptoms while reading the Bhagavad-gita. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very much pleased to observe these symptoms, and this indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased by devotion, not by erudite scholarship. Even though the words were imperfectly pronounced, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krsna Himself, did not think this very serious. Rather, the Lord was pleased by the bhava (devotion). In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.11) this is confirmed:

 

                  tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo

                 yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api

                  namany anantasya yaso-'nkitani yat

                  srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah

 

   "On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world's misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literature, even though imperfectly composed, is heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest."

   The purport to this verse may be considered for further information on this subject.

 

                               TEXT 97

 

                                 TEXT

 

               mahaprabhu puchila tanre, suna, mahasaya

                kon artha jani' tomara eta sukha haya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; puchila--inquired; tanre--from him; suna--please hear; maha-asaya--My dear sir; kon--what; artha--meaning; jani'--knowing; tomara--your; eta--so great; sukha--happiness; haya--is.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked the brahmana, "My dear sir, why are you in such ecstatic love? Which portion of the Bhagavad-gita gives you such transcendental pleasure?"

 

                               TEXT 98

 

                                 TEXT

 

             vipra kahe,----murkha ami, sabdartha na jani

               suddhasuddha gita padi, guru-ajna mani'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vipra kahe--the brahmana replied; murkha ami--I am illiterate; sabda-artha--the meaning of the words; na jani--I do not know; suddha-asuddha--sometimes correct and sometimes not correct; gita--the Bhagavad-gita; padi--I read; guru-ajna--the order of my spiritual master; mani'--accepting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana replied, "I am illiterate and therefore do not know the meaning of the words. Sometimes I read the Bhagavad-gita correctly and sometimes incorrectly, but in any case I am doing this in compliance with the orders of my spiritual master."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a good example of a person who had become so successful that he was able to capture the attention of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu even while reading the Bhagavad-gita incorrectly. His spiritual activities did not depend on material things such as correct pronunciation. Rather, his success depended on strictly following the instructions of his spiritual master.

 

                       yasya deve para bhaktir

                        yatha deve tatha gurau

                      tasyaite kathita hy arthah

                        prakasante mahatmanah

 

   "Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed."(Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)

   Actually the meaning of the words of the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam are revealed to one strictly following the orders of the spiritual master. They are also revealed to one who has equal faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, being faithful to both Krsna and the spiritual master is the secret of success in spiritual life.

 

                               TEXT 99

 

                                 TEXT

 

                arjunera rathe krsna haya rajju-dhara

                 vasiyache hate totra syamala sundara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   arjunera--of Arjuna; rathe--in the chariot; krsna--Lord Krsna; haya--is; rajju-dhara--holding the reins; vasiyache--He was sitting there; hate--in the hand; totra--a bridle; syamala--blackish; sundara--very beautiful.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana continued, "Actually I only see Lord Krsna sitting on a chariot as Arjuna's charioteer. Taking the reins in His hands, He appears very beautiful and blackish.

 

                               TEXT 100

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  arjunere kahitechena hita-upadesa

                 tanre dekhi' haya mora ananda-avesa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   arjunere--unto Arjuna; kahitechena--He is speaking; hita-upadesa--good instruction; tanre--Him; dekhi'--seeing; haya--there is; mora--my; ananda--transcendental happiness; avesa--ecstasy.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "While seeing Lord Krsna sitting in a chariot and instructing Arjuna, I am filled with ecstatic happiness.

 

                               TEXT 101

 

                                 TEXT

 

                yavat padon, tavat pana tanra darasana

                ei lagi' gita-patha na chade mora mana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   yavat--as long as; padon--I read; tavat--so long; pana--I get; tanra--His; darasana--audience; ei lagi'--for this reason; gita-patha--reading the Bhagavad-gita; na chade--does not quit; mora mana--my mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "As long as I read the Bhagavad-gita, I simply see the Lord's beautiful features. It is for this reason that I am reading the Bhagavad-gita, and my mind cannot be distracted from this."

 

                               TEXT 102

 

                                 TEXT

 

             prabhu kahe,----gita-pathe tomara-i adhikara

                 tumi se janaha ei gitara artha-sara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord replied; gita-pathe--in reading the Bhagavad-gita; tomarai adhikara--you have the proper authority; tumi--you; se--that; janaha--know; ei--this; gitara--of the Bhagavad-gita; artha-sara--the real purport.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told the brahmana, "Indeed, you are an authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gita. Whatever you know constitutes the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   According to the sastras: bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam na buddhya na ca tikaya. One should understand the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam by hearing them from a real devotee. One cannot understand them simply by erudite scholarship or sharp intelligence. It is also said:

 

                         gitadhita ca yenapi

                        bhakti-bhavena cetasa

                         veda-sastra-puranani

                         tenadhitani sarvasah

 

   To one who reads the Bhagavad-gita with faith and devotion, the essence of Vedic knowledge is revealed. And according to the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.23):

 

                       yasya deve para bhaktir

                        yatha deve tatha gurau

                      tasyaite kathita hy arthah

                        prakasante mahatmanah

 

   All Vedic scriptures are to be understood with faith and devotion, not by mundane scholarship. We therefore present the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. There are many so-called scholars and philosophers who read the Bhagavad-gita in a scholarly way. They simply waste their time and mislead those who read their commentaries.

 

                               TEXT 103

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  eta bali' sei vipre kaila alingana

                prabhu-pada dhari' vipra karena rodana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eta bali'--saying this; sei vipre--that brahmana; kaila alingana--He embraced; prabhu-pada--the lotus feet of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dhari'--catching; vipra--the brahmana; karena--does; rodana--crying.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After saying this, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu embraced the brahmana, and the brahmana, catching the lotus feet of the Lord, began to cry.

 

                               TEXT 104

 

                                 TEXT

 

              toma dekhi' taha haite dvi-guna sukha haya

                sei krsna tumi,----hena mora mane laya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   toma dekhi'--by seeing You; taha haite--than the vision of Lord Krsna; dvi-guna--twice as much; sukha--happiness; haya--there is; sei krsna--that Lord Krsna; tumi--You are; hena--such; mora--my; mane--in the mind; laya--takes.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana said, "Upon seeing You, my happiness is doubled. I take it that You are the same Lord Krsna."

 

                               TEXT 105

 

                                 TEXT

 

              krsna-sphurtye tanra mana hanache nirmala

                 ataeva prabhura tattva janila sakala

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsna-sphurtye--by revelation of Lord Krsna; tanra--his; mana--mind; hanache--did become; nirmala--purified; ataeva--therefore; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tattva--truth; janila--could understand; sakala--all.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The mind of the brahmana was purified by the revelation of Lord Krsna, and therefore he could understand the truth of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in all details.

 

                               TEXT 106

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tabe mahaprabhu tanre karaila siksana

                   ei bat kahan na kariha prakasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tabe--then; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--unto the brahmana; karaila--made; siksana--instruction; ei bat--this version; kahan--anywhere; na--do not; kariha--do; prakasana--revelation.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then taught the brahmana very thoroughly and requested him not to disclose the fact that He was Lord Krsna Himself.

 

                               TEXT 107

 

                                 TEXT

 

               sei vipra mahaprabhura bada bhakta haila

               cari masa prabhu-sanga kabhu na chadila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei vipra--that brahmana; mahaprabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bada--big; bhakta--devotee; haila--became; cari masa--for four months; prabhu-sanga--association of the Lord; kabhu--at any time; na--did not; chadila--give up.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   That brahmana became a great devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and for four continuous months he did not give up the Lord's company.

 

                               TEXT 108

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ei-mata bhatta-grhe rahe gauracandra

               nirantara bhatta-sange krsna-kathananda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei-mata--in this way; bhatta-grhe--in the house of Venkata Bhatta; rahe--remained; gauracandra--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; nirantara--constantly; bhatta-sange--with Venkata Bhatta; krsna-katha-ananda--the transcendental bliss of talking about Krsna.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained at the house of Venkata Bhatta and constantly talked with him about Lord Krsna. In this way He was very happy.

 

                               TEXT 109

 

                                 TEXT

 

              sri-vaisnava' bhatta seve laksmi-narayana

            tanra bhakti dekhi' prabhura tusta haila mana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sri-vaisnava--a devotee of the Ramanuja-sampradaya; bhatta--Venkata Bhatta; seve--used to worship; laksmi-narayana--the Deities of Lord Narayana and the goddess of fortune, Laksmi; tanra--his; bhakti--devotion; dekhi'--seeing; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tusta--happy; haila--became; mana--the mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Being a Vaisnava in the Ramanuja-sampradaya, Venkata Bhatta worshiped the Deities of Laksmi and Narayana. Seeing his pure devotion, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very much satisfied.

 

                               TEXT 110

 

                                 TEXT

 

               nirantara tanra sange haila sakhya-bhava

                hasya-parihase dunhe sakhyera svabhava

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nirantara--constantly; tanra sange--being associated with him; haila--there was; sakhya-bhava--a friendly relationship; hasya--laughing; parihase--joking; dunhe--both of them; sakhyera--of fraternity; svabhava--nature.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Constantly associating with each other, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Venkata Bhatta gradually developed a friendly relationship. Indeed, sometimes they laughed and joked together.

 

                               TEXT 111

 

                                 TEXT

 

           prabhu kahe,----bhatta, tomara laksmi-thakurani

               kanta-vaksah-sthita, pativrata-siromani

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; bhatta--My dear Bhattacarya; tomara--your; laksmi-thakurani--goddess of fortune; kanta--of her husband, Narayana; vaksah-sthita--situated on the chest; pati-vrata--chaste woman; siromani--the topmost.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told the Bhattacarya, "Your worshipable goddess of fortune, Laksmi, always remains on the chest of Narayana, and she is certainly the most chaste woman in the creation.

 

                               TEXT 112

 

                                 TEXT

 

                amara thakura krsna----gopa, go-caraka

                sadhvi hana kene cahe tanhara sangama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   amara thakura--My worshipable Deity; krsna--Lord Krsna; gopa--cowherd; go-caraka--a tender of cows; sadhvi hana--being so chaste; kene--why; cahe--wants; tanhara--His; sangama--association.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "However, my Lord is Lord Sri Krsna, a cowherd boy who is engaged in tending cows. Why is it that Laksmi, being such a chaste wife, wants to associate with My Lord?

 

                               TEXT 113

 

                                 TEXT

 

                ei lagi' sukha-bhoga chadi' cira-kala

                 vrata-niyama kari' tapa karila apara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei lagi'--for this reason; sukha-bhoga--the enjoyment of Vaikuntha; chadi'--giving up; cira-kala--for a long time; vrata-niyama--vows and regulative principles; kari'--accepting; tapa--austerity; karila apara--performed unlimitedly.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Just to associate with Krsna, Laksmi abandoned all transcendental happiness in Vaikuntha and for a long time accepted vows and regulative principles and performed unlimited austerities."

 

                               TEXT 114

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  kasyanubhavo 'sya na deva vidmahe

                    tavanghri-renu-sparasadhikarah

                  yad-vanchaya srir lalanacarat tapo

                  vihaya kaman su-ciram dhrta-vrata

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kasya--of what; anubhavah--a result; asya--of the serpent (Kaliya); na--not; deva--O Lord; vidmahe--we know; tava anghri--of Your lotus feet; renu--of the dust; sparasa--for touching; adhikarah--qualification; yat--which; vanchaya--by desiring; srih--the goddess of fortune; lalana--the topmost woman; acarat--performed; tapah--austerity; vihaya--giving up; kaman--all desires; su-ciram--for a long time; dhrta--a law upheld; vrata--as a vow.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu then said, " 'O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kaliya attained such an opportunity to be touched by the dust of Your lotus feet. Even the goddess of fortune, for this end, performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and observing austere vows. Indeed, we do not know how the serpent Kaliya got such an opportunity."'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.16.36); it was spoken by the wives of the Kaliya serpent.

 

                               TEXT 115

 

                                 TEXT

 

             bhatta kahe, krsna-narayana----eka-i svarupa

                krsnete adhika lila-vaidagdhyadi-rupa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bhatta kahe--Venkata Bhatta said; krsna-narayana--Krsna and Narayana; eka-i svarupa--one and the same; krsnete--in Lord Krsna; adhika--more; lila--pastimes; vaidagdhya-adi-rupa--sportive nature.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Venkata Bhatta then said, "Lord Krsna and Lord Narayana are one and the same, but the pastimes of Krsna are more relishable due to their sportive nature.

 

                               TEXT 116

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tara sparse nahi yaya pativrata-dharma

                kautuke laksmi cahena krsnera sangama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tara sparse--by the touching of Krsna by Laksmi; nahi--does not; yaya--disappear; pati-vrata-dharma--the vow of chastity; kautuke--in great fun; laksmi--the goddess of fortune; cahena--wants; krsnera--of Lord Krsna; sangama--association.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Since Krsna and Narayana are the same personality, Laksmi's association with Krsna does not break her vow of chastity. Rather, it was in great fun that the goddess of fortune wanted to associate with Lord Krsna."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is an answer to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's question, and from this we can understand that Venkata Bhatta knew the truth. He told Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that Narayana is a form of Krsna associated with transcendental opulence. Although Krsna is two-armed and Narayana four-armed, there is no difference in the person. They are one and the same. Narayana is as beautiful as Krsna, but Krsna's pastimes are more sportive. It is not that the sportive pastimes of Krsna make Him different from Narayana. Laksmi's desiring to associate with Krsna was perfectly natural. In other words, it is understandable that a chaste woman wants to associate with her husband in all his different dresses. Therefore one should not criticize Laksmi for wanting to associate with Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 117

 

                                 TEXT

 

                      siddhantatas tv abhede 'pi

                        srisa-krsna-svarupayoh

                        rasenotkrsyate krsna-

                        rupam esa rasa-sthitih

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   siddhantatah--in reality; tu--but; abhede--no difference; api--although; sri-isa--of the husband of Laksmi, Narayana; krsna--of Lord Krsna; svarupayoh--between the forms; rasena--by transcendental mellows; utkrsyate--is superior; krsna-rupam--the form of Lord Krsna; esa--this; rasa-sthitih--reservoir of pleasure.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Venkata Bhatta continued, " 'According to transcendental realization, there is no difference between the forms of Narayana and Krsna. Yet in Krsna there is a special transcendental attraction due to the conjugal mellow, and consequently He surpasses Narayana. This is the conclusion of transcendental mellows.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This verse quoted by Venkata Bhatta is also found in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.59).

 

                               TEXT 118

 

                                 TEXT

 

                krsna-sange pativrata-dharma nahe nasa

                 adhika labha paiye, ara rasa-vilasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsna-sange--in the association of Lord Krsna; pati-vrata--of chastity; dharma--vow; nahe--is not; nasa--lost; adhika--more; labha--profit; paiye--I get; ara--also; rasa-vilasa--the enjoyment in the rasa dance.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The goddess of fortune considered that her vow of chastity would not be damaged by her relationship with Krsna. Rather, by associating with Krsna she could enjoy the benefit of the rasa dance."

 

                               TEXT 119

 

                                 TEXT

 

                vinodini laksmira haya krsne abhilasa

                  ihate ki dosa, kene kara parihasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vinodini--the enjoyer; laksmira--of the goddess of fortune; haya--there is; krsne--for Lord Krsna; abhilasa--desire; ihate--in this; ki--what; dosa--fault; kene--why; kara--You do; parihasa--joking.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Venkata Bhatta further explained, "Mother Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, is also an enjoyer of transcendental bliss; therefore if she wanted to enjoy herself with Krsna, what fault is there? Why are You joking so about this?"

 

                               TEXT 120

 

                                 TEXT

 

               prabhu kahe,----dosa nahi, iha ami jani

                rasa na paila laksmi, sastre iha suni

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord replied; dosa nahi--there is no fault; iha ami jani--this I know; rasa na paila laksmi--Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, could not join the rasa dance; sastre iha suni--we get this information from revealed scriptures.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "I know that there is no fault on the part of the goddess of fortune, but still she could not enter into the rasa dance. We hear this from revealed scriptures.

 

                               TEXT 121

 

                                 TEXT

 

              nayam sriyo 'nga u nitanta-rateh prasadah

             svar-yositam nalina-gandha-rucam kuto 'nyah

              rasotsave 'sya bhuja-danda-grhita-kantha-

                labdhasisam ya udagad vraja-sundarinam

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   na--not; ayam--this; sriyah--of the goddess of fortune; ange--on the chest; u--alas; nitanta-rateh--one who is very intimately related; prasadah--the favor; svah--of the heavenly planets; yositam--of women; nalina--of the lotus flower; gandha--having the aroma; rucam--and bodily luster; kutah--much less; anyah--others; rasa-utsave--in the festival of the rasa dance; asya--of Lord Sri Krsna; bhuja-danda--by the arms; grhita--embraced; kantha--their necks; labdha-asisam--who achieved such a blessing; yah--which; udagat--became manifest; vraja-sundarinam--of the beautiful gopis, the transcendental girls of Vrajabhumi.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'When Lord Sri Krsna was dancing with the gopis in the rasa-lila, He put His arms around their necks and embraced them. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor was such a thing ever imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls whose bodily luster and aroma exactly resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women, who may be very, very beautiful according to material estimation?'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.47.60).

 

                               TEXT 122

 

                                 TEXT

 

                laksmi kene na paila, ihara ki karana

               tapa kari' kaiche krsna paila sruti-gana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   laksmi--the goddess of fortune; kene--why; na--did not; paila--get; ihara--of this; ki--what; karana--cause; tapa kari'--undergoing severe austerities; aiche--how; krsna--Lord Krsna; paila--attained; sruti-gana--Vedic authorities.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "But can you tell Me why the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, could not enter the rasa dance? The authorities of Vedic knowledge could enter the dance and associate with Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 123

 

                                 TEXT

 

          nibhrta-marun-mano-'ksa-drdha-yoga-yujo hrdi yan-

             munaya upasate tad arayo 'pi yayuh smaranat

           striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-danda-visakta-dhiyo

           vayam api te samah samadrso 'nghri-saroja-sudhah

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nibhrta--controlled; marut--the life air; manah--the mind; aksa--the senses; drdha--strong; yoga--in the mystic yoga process; yujah--who are engaged; hrdi--within the heart; yat--who; munayah--the great sages; upasate--worship; tat--that; arayah--the enemies; api--also; yayuh--obtain; smaranat--from remembering; striyah--the gopis; uraga-indra--of serpents; bhoga--like the bodies; bhuja--the arms; danda--like rods; visakta--fastened to; dhiyah--whose minds; vayam api--we also; te--Your; samah--equal to them; sama-drsah--having the same ecstatic emotions; anghri-saroja--of the lotus feet; sudhah--the nectar.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'Great sages conquer the mind and senses by practicing the mystic yoga system and controlling the breath. Thus engaging in mystic yoga, they see the Supersoul within their hearts and ultimately enter into impersonal Brahman. But even the enemies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead attain that position simply by thinking of the Supreme Lord. However, the damsels of Vraja, the gopis, being attracted by the beauty of Krsna, simply wanted to embrace Him and His arms, which are like serpents. Thus the gopis ultimately tasted the nectar of the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, we Upanisads can also taste the nectar of His lotus feet by following in the footsteps of the gopis.' "

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.23).

 

                               TEXT 124

 

                                 TEXT

 

              sruti paya, laksmi na paya, ithe ki karana

             bhatta kahe,----iha pravesite nare mora mana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sruti paya--the Vedic authorities got admission; laksmi na paya--and the goddess of fortune could not get admission; ithe ki karana--what must be the reason for this; bhatta kahe--Venkata Bhatta replied; iha--this; pravesite--to enter; nare--is not able; mora--my; mana--mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Having been asked by Caitanya Mahaprabhu why the goddess of fortune could not enter into the rasa dance whereas the authorities on Vedic knowledge could, Venkata Bhatta replied, "I cannot enter into the mysteries of this behavior."

 

                               TEXT 125

 

                                 TEXT

 

              ami jiva,----ksudra-buddhi, sahaje asthira

                isvarera lila----koti-samudra-gambhira

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ami jiva--I am an ordinary living being; ksudra-buddhi--possessing limited intelligence; sahaje asthira--very easily agitated; isvarera lila--the pastimes of the Lord; koti-samudra--as millions of oceans; gambhira--as deep.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Venkata Bhatta then admitted, "I am an ordinary human being. Since my intelligence is very much limited and I am easily agitated, my mind cannot enter within the deep ocean of the pastimes of the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 126

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tumi saksat sei krsna, jana nija-karma

               yare janaha, sei jane tomara lila-marma

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tumi--You; saksat--directly; sei--that; krsna--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; jana--You know; nija-karma--Your activities; yare janaha--and unto whom You make it known; sei--that person; jane--knows; tomara--Your; lila-marma--the purport of the pastimes.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna Himself. You know the purpose of Your activities, and the person whom You enlighten can also understand Your pastimes."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna and His pastimes cannot be understood by blunt material senses. One has to purify the senses by rendering transcendental loving service unto the Lord. When the Lord is pleased and reveals Himself, one can understand the transcendental form, name, qualities and pastimes of the Lord. This is confirmed in the Katha Upanisad (2.23) and in the Mundaka Upanisad (3.2.3): yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam. "Anyone who is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead can understand His transcendental name, qualities, form and pastimes."

 

                               TEXT 127

 

                                 TEXT

 

            prabhu kahe,----krsnera eka svabhava vilaksana

                sva-madhurye sarva citta kare akarsana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord replied; krsnera--of Lord Krsna; eka--one; svabhava--characteristic; vilaksana--special; sva-madhurye--His conjugal love; sarva--all; citta--hearts; kare--does; akarsana--attraction.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord replied, "Lord Krsna has a special characteristic: He attracts everyone's heart by the mellow of His personal conjugal love.

 

                               TEXT 128

 

                                 TEXT

 

               vraja-lokera bhave paiye tanhara carana

               tanre isvara kari' nahi jane vraja-jana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vraja-lokera--of the inhabitants of Goloka Vrndavana; bhave--in the ecstasy; paiye--one gets; tanhara--Lord Krsna's; carana--lotus feet; tanre--unto Him; isvara--the Supreme Person; kari'--accepting; nahi--do not; jane--know; vraja-jana--the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "By following in the footsteps of the inhabitants of the planet known as Vrajaloka or Goloka Vrndavana one can attain the shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Krsna. However, in that planet the inhabitants do not know that Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

                               TEXT 129

 

                                 TEXT

 

                keha tanre putra-jnane udukhale bandhe

               keha sakha-jnane jini' cade tanra kandhe

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   keha--someone; tanre--Him; putra-jnane--by accepting as a son; udukhale--to a big mortar; bandhe--ties; keha--someone; sakha-jnane--by accepting as a friend; jini'--conquering; cade--gets up; tanra--His; kandhe--on the shoulder.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "There someone may accept Him as a son and sometimes bind Him to a grinding mortar. Someone else may accept Him as an intimate friend and, attaining victory over Him, playfully mount His shoulders.

 

                               TEXT 130

 

                                 TEXT

 

           'vrajendra-nandana' bali' tanre jane vraja-jana

              aisvarya-jnane nahi kona sambandha-manana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vrajendra-nandana--the son of Nanda Maharaja, the King of Vrajabhumi; bali'--as; tanre--Him; jane--know; vraja-jana--the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi; aisvarya-jnane--in opulence; nahi--there is not; kona--any; sambandha--relationship; manana--regarding.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The inhabitants of Vrajabhumi know Krsna as the son of Maharaja Nanda, the King of Vrajabhumi, and they consider that they can have no relationship with the Lord in the rasa of opulence.

 

                               TEXT 131

 

                                 TEXT

 

                vraja-lokera bhave yei karaye bhajana

                sei jana paya vraje vrajendra-nandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vraja-lokera--of the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi; bhave--in the ecstasy; yei--anyone who; karaye--does; bhajana--worship; sei jana--that person; paya--attains; vraje--in Vraja; vrajendra-nandana--Lord Krsna, the son of Maharaja Nanda.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "One who worships the Lord by following in the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi attains Him in the transcendental planet of Vraja, where He is known as the son of Maharaja Nanda."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The inhabitants of Vrajabhumi, or Goloka Vrndavana, know Krsna as the son of Maharaja Nanda. They do not accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as people in general do. The Lord is the supreme maintainer of everyone and the chief personality among all personalities. In Vrajabhumi Krsna is certainly the central point of love, but no one knows Him there as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, a person may know Him as a friend, son, lover or master. In any case, the center is Krsna. The inhabitants of Vrajabhumi are related to the Lord in servitude, friendship, parental love and conjugal love. A person engaged in devotional service may accept any one of these transcendental relationships, which are known as mellows. When such a person reaches the perfectional stage, he returns home, back to Krsna, in his pure spiritual identity.

 

                               TEXT 132

 

                                 TEXT

 

                        nayam sukhapo bhagavan

                         dehinam gopika-sutah

                       jnaninam catma-bhutanam

                        yatha bhakti-matam iha

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   na--not; ayam--this Lord Sri Krsna; sukha-apah--easily available; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dehinam--for materialistic persons who have accepted the body as the self; gopika-sutah--the son of mother Yasoda; jnaninam--for persons addicted to mental speculation; ca--and; atma-bhutanam--for persons performing severe austerities and penances; yatha--as; bhakti-matam--for persons engaged in spontaneous devotional service; iha--in this world.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu then quoted, " 'The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the son of mother Yasoda, is accessible to those devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This verse, also given in Madhya-lila 8.227, is quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.9.21).

 

                               TEXT 133

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 sruti-gana gopi-ganera anugata hana

                vrajesvari-suta bhaje gopi-bhava lana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sruti-gana--the authorities of Vedic hymns; gopi-ganera--of the gopis; anugata hana--following in the footsteps; vrajesvari-suta--the son of mother Yasoda; bhaje--worship; gopi-bhava--the ecstasy of the gopis; lana--accepting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The authorities in the Vedic literature who are known as the sruti-gana worshiped Lord Krsna in the ecstasy of the gopis and followed in their footsteps.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The authorities in the Vedic literature known as the sruti-gana desired to enter into Lord Sri Krsna's rasa dance; therefore they began to worship the Lord in the ecstasy of the gopis. In the beginning, however, they were unsuccessful. When they could not enter the dance simply by thinking of Krsna in the ecstasy of the gopis, they actually accepted bodies like those of the gopis. They even took birth in Vrajabhumi just like the gopis and consequently became engrossed in the ecstasy of the gopis' love. In this way they were allowed to enter into the rasa-lila dance of the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 134

 

                                 TEXT

 

                bahyantare gopi-deha vraje yabe paila

                sei dehe krsna-sange rasa-krida kaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bahya-antare--externally and internally; gopi-deha--the body of a gopi; vraje--in Vrajabhumi; yabe--when; paila--they got; sei dehe--in that body; krsna-sange--with Krsna; rasa-krida--pastimes of the rasa dance; kaila--performed.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The personified authorities on the Vedic hymns acquired bodies like those of the gopis and took birth in Vrajabhumi. In those bodies they were allowed to enter into the Lord's rasa-lila dance.

 

                               TEXT 135

 

                                 TEXT

 

               gopa-jati krsna, gopi----preyasi tanhara

               devi va anya stri krsna na kare angikara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gopa-jati--belonging to the cowherd community; krsna--Lord Krsna; gopi--the damsels of Vrajabhumi, the gopis; preyasi--dearmost; tanhara--His; devi--the wives of the demigods; va--or; anya--other; stri--women; krsna--Lord Krsna; na--does not; kare--do; angikara--acceptance.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Lord Krsna belongs to the cowherd community, and the gopis are the dearmost lovers of Krsna. Although the wives of the denizens of the heavenly planets are most opulent within the material world, neither they nor any other women in the material universe can acquire Krsna's association.

 

                               TEXT 136

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 laksmi cahe sei dehe krsnera sangama

                  gopika-anuga hana na kaila bhajana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   laksmi--the goddess of fortune; cahe--wants; sei--that; dehe--in the body; krsnera sangama--the association of Krsna; gopika--of the gopis; anuga--follower; hana--becoming; na--did not; kaila--perform; bhajana--worship.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The goddess of fortune, Laksmi, wanted to enjoy Krsna and at the same time retain her spiritual body in the form of Laksmi. However, she did not follow in the footsteps of the gopis in her worship of Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 137

 

                                 TEXT

 

                    anya dehe na paiye rasa-vilasa

                 ataeva 'nayam' sloka kahe veda-vyasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   anya dehe--in a body other than those of the gopis; na--not; paiye--one gets; rasa-vilasa--the pastimes of the rasa dance; ataeva--therefore; nayam--beginning with the word nayam; sloka--the Sanskrit verse; kahe--says; veda-vyasa--Dvaipayana Vedavyasa.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Vyasadeva, the supreme authority on Vedic literature, composed the verse beginning 'nayam sukhapo bhagavan' because no one can enter into the rasa-lila dance in any body other than that of a gopi."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This verse confirms a verse of the Bhagavad-gita (9.25):

 

                        yanti deva-vrata devan

                       pitrn yanti pitr-vratah

                        bhutani yanti bhutejya

                       yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam

 

   "[Lord Krsna said:] 'Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.' "

   In the material world, every conditioned soul changes his material body again and again, but when the spirit soul is purified of all material coverings, there is no longer a chance of his accepting a material body. Such a soul then remains in his original, spiritual identity, a state that is possible to achieve only by understanding Krsna in truth through the practice of Krsna consciousness. As Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita (4.9),

 

                       janma karma ca me divyam

                       evam yo vetti tattvatah

                      tyaktva deham punar janma

                       naiti mam eti so 'rjuna

 

   "One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."

   Only when one regains his original spiritual body can he enter into the spiritual kingdom. As far as the rasa-lila pastimes of the Lord are concerned, it is futile for one who is within the material world to attempt to imitate the Lord's dances.. One has to attain a spiritual body like that of a gopi to enter into the pastimes of the rasa-lila.   In the nayam sukhapo verse, the devotees are referred to as bhaktimat, that is, fully engaged in devotional service and devoid of material contamination. One cannot enter into Krsna's rasa-lila dance simply by artificially imitating it or artificially thinking oneself a sakhi and dressing up like one. Krsna's rasa-lila dance is completely spiritual. It has nothing to do with material contamination; therefore no one can enter into this pastime by artificial, material means. That is the instruction of the nayam sukhapo verse, and it must be strictly understood.

 

                               TEXT 138

 

                                 TEXT

 

                purve bhattera mane eka chila abhimana

                'sri-narayana' hayena svayam-bhagavan

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   purve--before this; bhattera--of Venkata Bhatta; mane--in the mind; eka--one; chila--there was; abhimana--an impression; sri-narayana--the form of the Lord as Narayana; hayena--is; svayam--personally; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Before this explanation was given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Venkata Bhatta thought that Sri Narayana was the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

                               TEXT 139

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 tanhara bhajana sarvopari-kaksa haya

              sri-vaisnave'ra bhajana ei sarvopari haya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tanhara bhajana--worship of Narayana; sarva-upari--topmost; kaksa--department; haya--is; sri-vaisnavera--of the followers of Ramanujacarya; bhajana--worship; ei--this; sarva-upari haya--is the topmost.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Thinking in this way, Venkata Bhatta believed that worship of Narayana was the supreme form of worship, superior to all other processes of devotional service, for it was followed by the Sri Vaisnava disciples of Ramanujacarya.

 

                               TEXT 140

 

                                 TEXT

 

                ei tanra garva prabhu karite khandana

                  parihasa-dvare uthaya eteka vacana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei--this; tanra--his (Venkata Bhatta's); garva--pride; prabhu--Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karite khandana--to curb; parihasa-dvare--by joking; uthaya--raises; eteka--so many; vacana--words.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had understood this misconception of Venkata Bhatta's, and to correct it the Lord talked so much in a joking way.

 

                               TEXT 141

 

                                 TEXT

 

            prabhu kahe,----bhatta, tumi na kariha samsaya

                'svayam-bhagavan' krsna ei ta' niscaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord said; bhatta--My dear Venkata Bhatta; tumi--you; na kariha--do not do; samsaya--doubt; svayam-bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; krsna--is Lord Krsna; ei ta' niscaya--this is the conclusion.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord then continued, "My dear Venkata Bhatta, please do not continue doubting. Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this is the conclusion of the Vedic literature.

 

                               TEXT 142

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 krsnera vilasa-murti----sri-narayana

                 ataeva laksmi-adyera hare tenha mana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsnera--of Lord Krsna; vilasa-murti--form for enjoyment; sri-narayana--Lord Narayana; ataeva--therefore; laksmi-adyera--of the goddess of fortune and her followers; hare--attracts; tenha--He (Lord Narayana); mana--the mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Lord Narayana, the opulent form of Krsna, attracts the minds of the goddess of fortune and her followers.

 

                               TEXT 143

 

                                 TEXT

 

                        ete camsa-kalah pumsah

                      krsnas tu bhagavan svayam

                        indrari-vyakulam lokam

                         mrdayanti yuge yuge

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ete--these; ca--and; amsa--plenary portions; kalah--parts of plenary portions; pumsah--of the purusa-avataras; krsnah--Lord Krsna; tu--but; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam--Himself; indra-ari--the enemies of Lord Indra; vyakulam--full of; lokam--the world; mrdayanti--make happy; yuge yuge--at the right time in each age.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'All these incarnations of Godhead are either plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions of the purusa-avataras. But Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. In every age He protects the world through His different features when the world is disturbed by the enemies of Indra.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28).

 

                               TEXT 144

 

                                 TEXT

 

                narayana haite krsnera asadharana guna

                 ataeva laksmira krsne trsna anuksana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   narayana haite--over and above Narayana; krsnera--of Lord Krsna; asadharana guna--uncommon qualities; ataeva--therefore; laksmira--of the goddess of fortune; krsne--unto Krsna; trsna--desire; anuksana--always.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Because Krsna has four extraordinary qualities not possessed by Lord Narayana, the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, always desires His company.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Lord Narayana has sixty transcendental qualities. Over and above these, Krsna has four extraordinary transcendental qualities absent in Lord Narayana. These four qualities are: (1) His wonderful pastimes, which are compared to an ocean; (2) His association in the circle of the supreme devotees in conjugal love (the gopis); (3) His playing on the flute, whose vibration attracts the three worlds; and (4) His extraordinary beauty, which surpasses the beauty of the three worlds. Lord Krsna's beauty is unequaled and unsurpassed.

 

                               TEXT 145

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tumi ye padila sloka, se haya pramana

              sei sloke aise 'krsna----svayam bhagavan'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tumi--you; ye--which; padila--have recited; sloka--verse; se--that; haya--is; pramana--evidence; sei sloke--in that verse; aise krsna--Krsna is; svayam bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "You have recited the sloka beginning with 'siddhantatas tv abhede 'pi.' That very verse is evidence that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

                               TEXT 146

 

                                 TEXT

 

                      siddhantatas tv abhede 'pi

                        srisa-krsna-svarupayoh

                        rasenotkrsyate krsna-

                        rupam esa rasa-sthitih

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   siddhantatah--in reality; tu--but; abhede--no difference; api--although; sri-isa--of the husband of Laksmi, Narayana; krsna--of Lord Krsna; svarupayoh--between the forms; rasena--by transcendental mellows; utkrsyate--is superior; krsna-rupam--the form of Lord Krsna; esa--this; rasa-sthitih--the reservoir of pleasure.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'According to transcendental realization, there is no difference between the forms of Krsna and Narayana. Yet in Krsna there is a special transcendental attraction due to the conjugal mellow, and consequently He surpasses Narayana. This is the conclusion of transcendental mellows.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.59). Here Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja says that Lord Caitanya spoke the verse to Venkata Bhatta, and earlier he said that Venkata Bhatta spoke it to the Lord. But since their conversation took place long, long before the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu was composed, the question my be raised as to how either of them quoted the verse. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that this verse and many others like it were current among devotees long before the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu was composed. Thus devotees would always quote them and explain their purport in ecstasy.

 

                               TEXT 147

 

                                 TEXT

 

              svayam bhagavan 'krsna' hare laksmira mana

                 gopikara mana harite nare 'narayana'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   svayam bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; krsna--is Lord Krsna; hare--attracts; laksmira--of the goddess of fortune; mana--the mind; gopikara--of the gopis; mana--the minds; harite--to attract; nare--is not able; narayana--Lord Narayana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, attracts the mind of the goddess of fortune, but Lord Narayana cannot attract the minds of the gopis. This proves the superexcellence of Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 148

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 narayanera ka katha, sri-krsna apane

                gopikare hasya karaite haya 'narayane'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   narayanera--of Lord Narayana; ka katha--what to speak; sri-krsna--Lord Sri Krsna; apane--Himself; gopikare--the gopis; hasya karaite--to make them jubilant; haya--becomes; narayane--in the form of Narayana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "To say nothing of Lord Narayana personally, Lord Krsna Himself appeared as Narayana just to play a joke on the gopis.

 

                               TEXT 149

 

                                 TEXT

 

             'catur-bhuja-murti' dekhaya gopi-ganera age

                  sei 'krsne' gopikara nahe anurage

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   catur-bhuja-murti--four-handed form; dekhaya--exhibits; gopi-ganera--of the gopis; age--in front; sei krsne--unto that Krsna; gopikara--of the gopis; nahe--not; anurage--attraction.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Although Krsna assumed the four-armed form of Narayana, He could not attract the serious attention of the gopis in ecstatic love.

 

                               TEXT 150

 

                                 TEXT

 

        gopinam pasupendra-nandana-juso bhavasya kas tam krti

         vijnatum ksamate duruha-padavi-sancarinah prakriyam

       aviskurvati vaisnavim api tanum tasmin bhujair jisnubhir

        yasam hanta caturbhir adbhuta-rucim ragodayah kuncati

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gopinam--of the gopis; pasupa-indra-nandana-jusah--of the service of the son of Vraja's King, Maharaja Nanda; bhavasya--ecstatic; kah--what; tam--that; krti--learned man; vijnatum--to understand; ksamate--is able; duruha--very difficult to understand; padavi--the position; sancarinah--which provokes; prakriyam--activity; aviskurvati--He manifests; vaisnavim--of Visnu; api--certainly; tanum--the body; tasmin--in that; bhujaih--with arms; jisnubhih--very beautiful; yasam--of whom (the gopis); hanta--alas; caturbhih--four; adbhuta--wonderfully; rucim--beautiful; raga-udayah--the evoking of ecstatic feelings; kuncati--cripples.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'Once Lord Sri Krsna playfully manifested Himself as Narayana, with four victorious hands and a very beautiful form. When the gopis saw this exalted form, however, their ecstatic feelings were crippled. A learned scholar, therefore, cannot understand the gopis' ecstatic feelings, which are firmly fixed upon the original form of Lord Krsna as the son of Nanda Maharaja. The wonderful feelings of the gopis in ecstatic parama-rasa with Krsna constitute the greatest mystery in spiritual life.' "

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse spoken by Narada Muni in the Lalita-madhava-nataka (6.14), a drama written by Srila Rupa Gosvami.

 

                               TEXT 151

 

                                 TEXT

 

              eta kahi' prabhu tanra garva curna kariya

               tanre sukha dite kahe siddhanta phiraiya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eta kahi'--saying this; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanra--his (of Venkata Bhatta); garva--pride; curna kariya--smashing into pieces; tanre--unto him; sukha dite--to give happiness; kahe--says; siddhanta phiraiya--turning the whole conversation.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In this way Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu deflated the pride of Venkata Bhatta, but just to make him happy again, He spoke as follows.

 

                               TEXT 152

 

                                 TEXT

 

              duhkha na bhaviha, bhatta, kailun parihasa

             sastra-siddhanta suna, yate vaisnava-visvasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   duhkha--unhappiness; na--do not; bhaviha--bear; bhatta--My dear Venkata Bhatta; kailun parihasa--I was simply making a joke; sastra-siddhanta--the conclusion of the revealed scriptures; suna--hear; yate--in which; vaisnava-visvasa--the faith of the Vaisnavas.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord pacified Venkata Bhatta by saying, "Actually whatever I have said is by way of jest. Now you can hear from Me the conclusion of the sastras, in which every Vaisnava devotee has firm faith.

 

                               TEXT 153

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 krsna-narayana, yaiche eka-i svarupa

                 gopi-laksmi-bheda nahi haya eka-rupa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsna-narayana--Lord Krsna and Lord Narayana; yaiche--as; eka-i--one; svarupa--form; gopi--the gopis; laksmi--the goddess of fortune; bheda--difference; nahi--there is not; haya--there is; eka-rupa--one form.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "There is no difference between Lord Krsna and Lord Narayana, for They are of the same form. Similarly, there is no difference between the gopis and the goddess of fortune, for they also are of the same form.

 

                               TEXT 154

 

                                 TEXT

 

               gopi-dvare laksmi kare krsna-sangasvada

                 isvaratve bheda manile haya aparadha

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gopi-dvare--through the gopis; laksmi--the goddess of fortune; kare--does; krsna-sanga-asvada--tasting the sweetness of the association of Lord Krsna; isvaratve--in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bheda--difference; manile--if one considers; haya--there is; aparadha--offense.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The goddess of fortune enjoys the association of Krsna through the gopis. One should not see a difference between the forms of the Lord, for such a conception is offensive.

 

                               TEXT 155

 

                                 TEXT

 

                eka isvara----bhaktera dhyana-anurupa

                   eka-i vigrahe kare nanakara rupa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eka isvara--the Lord is one; bhaktera--of the devotees; dhyana--meditation; anurupa--according to; eka-i--one; vigrahe--in form; kare--exhibits; nana-akara--different; rupa--forms.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "There is no difference between the transcendental forms of the Lord. Different forms are manifest due to different attachments of different devotees. Actually the Lord is one, but He appears in different forms just to satisfy His devotees.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In the Brahma-samhita (5.33) it is stated:

 

                 advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam

                adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca

 

   The Lord is advaita, without differentiation. There is no difference between the forms of Krsna, Rama, Narayana and Visnu. All of them are one. Sometimes foolish people ask whether when we chant "Rama" in the Hare Krsna mantra we refer to Lord Ramacandra or Lord Balarama. If a devotee says that the name Rama in the Hare Krsna maha-mantra refers to Balarama, a foolish person may become angry because to him the name Rama refers to Lord Ramacandra. Actually there is no difference between Balarama and Lord Rama. It does not matter if one chants Hare Rama referring to Balarama or Lord Ramacandra, for there is no difference between Them. However, it is offensive to think that Balarama is superior to Lord Ramacandra or vice versa. Neophyte devotees do not understand this sastric conclusion, and consequently they unnecessarily create an offensive situation. In text 154 Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu clarified this in a very lucid way: isvaratve bheda manile haya aparadha. "It is offensive for one to differentiate between the forms of the Lord." On the other hand, one should not think that the forms of the Lord are the same as the forms of the demigods. This is certainly offensive, as confirmed by the Vaisnava-tantra:

 

                        yas tu narayanam devam

                       brahma-rudradi-daivataih

                         samatvenaiva vikseta

                      sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam

 

   "A pasandi is one who considers the great demigods such as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana." (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 7.117)

   The conclusion is that we should neither differentiate between the forms of the Lord nor equate the forms of the Lord with the forms of demigods or human beings. For instance, sometimes foolish sannyasis, thinking the body of the Lord to be material, equate daridra-narayana with Narayana, and this is certainly offensive. Unless one is instructed by a bona fide spiritual master, he cannot perfectly understand these different forms. The Brahma-samhita confirms, vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau. One cannot understand the differences between the forms of the Lord simply by academic study or by reading Vedic literature. One must learn from a realized devotee. Only then can one learn how to distinguish between one form of the Lord and another. The conclusion is that there is no difference between the forms of the Lord, but there is a difference between His forms and those of the demigods.

 

                               TEXT 156

 

                                 TEXT

 

                        manir yatha vibhagena

                        nila-pitadibhir yutah

                         rupa-bhedam avapnoti

                      dhyana-bhedat tathacyutah

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   manih--jewel, specifically the jewel known as vaidurya; yatha--as; vibhagena--separately; nila--blue; pita--yellow; adibhih--and with other colors; yutah--joined; rupa-bhedam--difference of form; avapnoti--gets; dhyana-bhedat--by different types of meditation; tatha--similarly; acyutah--the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'When the jewel known as vaidurya touches various other materials, it appears to be separated into different colors, and consequently its forms also appear different. Similarly, according to the meditational ecstasy of the devotee, the Lord, who is known as Acyuta [infallible], appears in different forms, although He is essentially one.' "

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse quoted from Sri Narada-pancaratra.

 

                               TEXT 157

 

                                 TEXT

 

                bhatta kahe,----kahan ami jiva pamara

                kahan tumi sei krsna,----saksat isvara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bhatta kahe--Venkata Bhatta said; kahan--whereas; ami--I; jiva--an ordinary living being; pamara--fallen; kahan--whereas; tumi--You; sei krsna--the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna; saksat isvara--directly the Lord.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Venkata Bhatta then said, "I am an ordinary fallen living entity, but You are Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

 

                               TEXT 158

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  agadha isvara-lila kichui na jani

                 tumi yei kaha, sei satya kari' mani

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   agadha--unfathomable; isvara-lila--pastimes of the Lord; kichui--anything; na jani--I do not know; tumi--You; yei--whatever; kaha--say; sei satya--that is right; kari' mani--I accept.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The transcendental pastimes of the Lord are unfathomable, and I do not know anything about them. Whatever You say I accept as the truth.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is the way to understand the truth about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After hearing the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna said very much the same thing:

 

                        sarvam etad rtam manye

                        yan mam vadasi kesava

                      na hi te bhagavan vyaktim

                        vidur deva na danavah

 

   "O Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality." (Bg. 10.14)

   It is not possible to understand the truth about the pastimes of the Lord simply by using our own logic, argument and academic education. We must receive bona fide information from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as Arjuna received information when Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita. We have to accept the Bhagavad-gita or any other Vedic literature in good faith. These Vedic scriptures are the only source of knowledge about the Lord. We must understand that we cannot comprehend the Absolute Truth by the speculative process.

 

                               TEXT 159

 

                                 TEXT

 

                more purna krpa kaila laksmi-narayana

              tanra krpaya painu tomara carana-darasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   more--unto me; purna--complete; krpa--mercy; kaila--did; laksmi-narayana--the Deity of mother goddess of fortune and Narayana; tanra krpaya--by Their mercy; painu--I have gotten; tomara--Your; carana-darasana--vision of the lotus feet.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "I have been engaged in the service of Laksmi-Narayana, and it is due to Their mercy that I have been able to see Your lotus feet.

 

                               TEXT 160

 

                                 TEXT

 

                krpa kari' kahile more krsnera mahima

              yanra rupa-gunaisvaryera keha na paya sima

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krpa kari'--showing causeless mercy; kahile--You have spoken; more--unto me; krsnera--of Lord Krsna; mahima--the glories; yanra--whose; rupa-guna-aisvaryera--of forms, qualities and opulence; keha--anyone; na--not; paya--gets; sima--the limit.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Out of Your causeless mercy You have told me of the glories of Lord Krsna. No one can reach the end of the opulence, qualities and forms of the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 161

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ebe se janinu krsna-bhakti sarvopari

               krtartha karile, more kahile krpa kari'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ebe--now; se--that; janinu--I understand; krsna-bhakti--devotional service to Lord Krsna; sarva-upari--above all; krta-artha--successful; karile--You have made; more--unto me; kahile--You have spoken; krpa kari'--by Your causeless mercy.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "I can now understand that devotional service unto Lord Krsna is the supreme form of worship. Out of Your causeless mercy You have made my life successful simply by explaining the facts."

 

                               TEXT 162

 

                                 TEXT

 

               eta bali' bhatta padila prabhura carane

                krpa kari' prabhu tanre kaila alingane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eta bali'--saying this; bhatta--Venkata Bhatta; padila--fell down; prabhura carane--at the lotus feet of the Lord; krpa kari'--showing him mercy; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--unto him; kaila--did; alingane--embracing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After saying this, Venkata Bhatta fell down before the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord, out of His causeless mercy, embraced him.

 

                               TEXT 163

 

                                 TEXT

 

               caturmasya purna haila, bhatta-ajna lana

               daksina calila prabhu sri-ranga dekhiya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   caturmasya--the period of Caturmasya; purna haila--became completed; bhatta-ajna lana--taking permission from Venkata Bhatta; daksina--south; calila--proceeded; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; sri-ranga dekhiya--visiting Sri Ranga.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the period of Caturmasya was completed, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took permission to leave Venkata Bhatta, and after visiting Sri Ranga He proceeded further toward southern India.

 

                               TEXT 164

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sangete calila bhatta, na yaya bhavane

                tanre vidaya dila prabhu aneka yatane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sangete--along with Him; calila--began to go; bhatta--Venkata Bhatta; na yaya bhavane--does not return to his home; tanre--unto him; vidaya dila--gave farewell; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; aneka yatane--with great endeavor.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Venkata Bhatta did not want to return home but also wanted to go with the Lord. It was with great endeavor that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bade him farewell.

 

                               TEXT 165

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 prabhura viyoge bhatta haila acetana

                  ei ranga-lila kare sacira nandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhura viyoge--on account of separation from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bhatta--Venkata Bhatta; haila--became; acetana--unconscious; ei--this; ranga-lila--pastime at Sri Ranga-ksetra; kare--does; sacira nandana--the son of mother Saci.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When He did so, Venkata Bhatta fell down unconscious. Such are the pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the son of mother Saci, at Sri Ranga-ksetra.

 

                               TEXT 166

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 rsabha-parvate cali' aila gaurahari

               narayana dekhila tanha nati-stuti kari'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   rsabha-parvate--to the Rsabha Hill; cali'--walking; aila--arrived; gaurahari--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; narayana--the Deity of Lord Narayana; dekhila--saw; tanha--there; nati-stuti kari'--offering obeisances and prayers.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the Lord arrived at Rsabha Hill, He saw the temple of Lord Narayana and offered obeisances and various prayers.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Rsabha Hill is in southern Karnata, in the district of Madurai. Twelve miles north of Madurai City is a place called Anagada-malaya-parvata, which is situated within the forest of Kutakacala. Within this forest Lord Rsabhadeva burned Himself to ashes. Now this place is known as Palni Hill.

 

                               TEXT 167

 

                                 TEXT

 

                paramananda-puri tahan rahe catur-masa

               suni' mahaprabhu gela puri-gosanira pasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   paramananda-puri--Paramananda Puri; tahan--there; rahe--remained; catur-masa--four months; suni'--hearing; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; gela--went; puri--Paramananda Puri; gosanira--the spiritual master; pasa--near.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Paramananda Puri was staying at Rsabha Hill during the four months of the rainy season, and when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard this, He immediately went to see him.

 

                               TEXT 168

 

                                 TEXT

 

              puri-gosanira prabhu kaila carana vandana

                preme puri gosani tanre kaila alingana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   puri-gosanira--of Paramananda Puri; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kaila--did; carana vandana--worship of the lotus feet; preme--in ecstasy; puri gosani--Paramananda Puri; tanre--unto Him; kaila--did; alingana--embracing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Upon meeting Paramananda Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered him all respects, touching his lotus feet, and Paramananda Puri embraced the Lord in ecstasy.

 

                               TEXT 169

 

                                 TEXT

 

               tina-dina preme donhe krsna-katha-range

                 sei vipra-ghare donhe rahe eka-sange

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tina-dina--three days; preme--in ecstasy; donhe--both; krsna-katha--discussing topics of Krsna; range--in jubilation; sei vipra-ghare--in the home of a brahmana; donhe--both of them; rahe--stayed; eka-sange--together.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed with Paramananda Puri in the brahmana's house where he was residing. The two of them passed three days there discussing topics of Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 170

 

                                 TEXT

 

              puri-gosani bale,----ami yaba purusottame

              purusottama dekhi' gaude yaba ganga-snane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   puri-gosani--Paramananda Puri; bale--said; ami--I; yaba--shall go; purusottame--to Jagannatha Puri; purusottama dekhi'--after visiting Jagannatha Puri; gaude yaba--I shall go to Bengal; ganga-snane--for bathing in the Ganges.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Paramananda Puri informed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that he was going to see Purusottama at Jagannatha Puri. After seeing Lord Jagannatha there, he would go to Bengal to bathe in the Ganges.

 

                               TEXT 171

 

                                 TEXT

 

               prabhu kahe,----tumi punah aisa nilacale

                 ami setubandha haite asiba alpa-kale

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord said; tumi--you; punah--again; aisa--come; nilacale--to Jagannatha Puri; ami--I; setubandha haite--from Ramesvara; asiba--shall return; alpa-kale--very soon.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told him, "Please return to Jagannatha Puri, for I will return there very soon from Ramesvara [Setubandha].

 

                               TEXT 172

 

                                 TEXT

 

               tomara nikate rahi,----hena vancha haya

                   nilacale asibe more hana sadaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tomara nikate--with you; rahi--I may stay; hena--such; vancha haya--is My desire; nilacale--to Jagannatha Puri; asibe--please come; more--unto Me; hana--being; sa-daya--merciful.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "It is My desire to stay with you, and therefore if you would return to Jagannatha Puri, you would show great mercy to Me."

 

                               TEXT 173

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  eta bali' tanra thani ei ajna lana

                 daksine calila prabhu harasita hana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eta bali'--saying this; tanra thani--from him; ei ajna lana--taking permission; daksine calila--departed for southern India; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; harasita hana--being very much pleased.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After talking in this way with Paramananda Puri, the Lord took his permission to leave and, very much pleased, departed for southern India.

 

                               TEXT 174

 

                                 TEXT

 

                paramananda puri tabe calila nilacale

                 mahaprabhu cali cali aila sri-saile

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   paramananda puri--Paramananda Puri; tabe--then; calila nilacale--departed for Jagannatha Puri; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; cali cali--walking; aila--came; sri-saile--to Sri Saila.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Thus Paramananda Puri started for Jagannatha Puri, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began walking toward Sri Saila.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks, "Which Sri Saila is being indicated by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami is not clearly understood. There is no temple of Mallikarjuna in this area because the Sri Saila located in the district of Dharwad cannot possibly be there. That Sri Saila is on the southern side of Belgauma, and the Siva temple of Mallikarjuna is located there. (Refer to text fifteen of this chapter.) It is said that on that hill Lord Siva lived with Devi. Also, Lord Brahma lived there with all the demigods."

 

                               TEXT 175

 

                                 TEXT

 

                siva-durga rahe tahan brahmanera vese

               mahaprabhu dekhi' donhara ha-ila ullase

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   siva-durga--Lord Siva and his wife, Durga; rahe tahan--stayed there; brahmanera vese--in the dress of brahmanas; mahaprabhu dekhi'--seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; donhara--of both of them; ha-ila--there was; ullase--great pleasure.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   It was in Sri Saila that Lord Siva and his wife Durga lived in the dress of brahmanas, and when they saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they became very much pleased.

 

                               TEXT 176

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tina dina bhiksa dila kari' nimantrana

               nibhrte vasi' gupta-varta kahe dui jana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tina dina--for three days; bhiksa dila--offered alms; kari' nimantrana--inviting Him; nibhrte--in a solitary place; vasi'--sitting together; gupta-varta--confidential talks; kahe--speak; dui jana--both of them.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Lord Siva, dressed like a brahmana, gave alms to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and invited Him to spend three days in a solitary place. Sitting there together, they talked very confidentially.

 

                               TEXT 177

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tanra sange mahaprabhu kari istagosthi

                 tanra ajna lana aila puri kamakosthi

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tanra sange--with him; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kari ista-gosthi--discussing spiritual subject matter; tanra--his; ajna--order; lana--taking; aila--came; puri kamakosthi--to Kamakosthi-puri.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After talking with Lord Siva, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took his permission to leave and went to Kamakosthi-puri.

 

                               TEXT 178

 

                                 TEXT

 

                daksina-mathura aila kamakosthi haite

                tahan dekha haila eka brahmana-sahite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   daksina-mathura--at southern Mathura; aila--arrived; kamakosthi haite--from Kamakosthi; tahan--there; dekha haila--He met; eka--one; brahmana-sahite--with a brahmana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived at southern Mathura from Kamakosthi, He met a brahmana.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Southern Madurai, presently known as Madura, is situated on the banks of the Bhagai River. This place of pilgrimage is specifically meant for the devotees of Lord Siva; therefore it is called Saiva-ksetra, that is, the place where Lord Siva is worshiped. In this area there are mountains and forests. There are also two Siva temples, one known as Ramesvara and the other known as Sundaresvara. There is also a temple to Devi called the Minaksi-devi temple, which displays very great architectural craftsmanship. It was built under the supervision of the kings of the Pandya Dynasty, and when the Muslims attacked this temple, as well as the temple of Sundaresvara, great damage was done. In the Christian year 1372, a king named Kampanna Udaiyara reigned on the throne of Madura. Long ago, Emperor Kulasekhara ruled this area, and during his reign he established a colony of brahmanas. A well-known king named Anantaguna Pandya is an eleventh-generation descendant of Emperor Kulasekhara.

 

                               TEXT 179

 

                                 TEXT

 

               sei vipra mahaprabhuke kaila nimantrana

              rama-bhakta sei vipra----virakta mahajana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei vipra--that brahmana; mahaprabhuke--unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kaila--did; nimantrana--invitation; rama-bhakta--devotee of Lord Ramacandra; sei--that; vipra--brahmana; virakta--very much detached; mahajana--a great devotee and authority.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana who met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu invited the Lord to his home. This brahmana was a great devotee and an authority on Lord Sri Ramacandra. He was always detached from material activities.

 

                               TEXT 180

 

                                 TEXT

 

               krtamalaya snana kari' aila tanra ghare

              bhiksa ki dibena vipra,----paka nahi kare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krtamalaya--in the Krtamala River; snana kari'--bathing; aila--came; tanra--of the brahmana; ghare--to the home; bhiksa--offering of alms; ki dibena--what shall give; vipra--the brahmana; paka--cooking; nahi kare--did not do.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After bathing in the river Krtamala, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the brahmana's house to take lunch, but He saw that the food was unprepared because the brahmana had not cooked it.

 

                               TEXT 181

 

                                 TEXT

 

               mahaprabhu kahe tanre,----suna mahasaya

                 madhyahna haila, kene paka nahi haya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mahaprabhu kahe--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; tanre--unto him; suna mahasaya--please hear, My dear sir; madhya-ahna haila--it is already noon; kene--why; paka nahi haya--you did not cook.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Seeing this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "My dear sir, please tell Me why you have not cooked. It is already noon."

 

                               TEXT 182

 

                                 TEXT

 

              vipra kahe,----prabhu, mora aranye vasati

                 pakera samagri vane na mile samprati

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vipra kahe--the brahmana replied; prabhu--O Lord; mora--my; aranye--in the forest; vasati--residence; pakera samagri--the ingredients for cooking; vane--in the forest; na mile--are not available; samprati--at this time.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana replied, "My dear Lord, we are living in the forest. For the time being we cannot get all the ingredients for cooking.

 

                               TEXT 183

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 vanya saka-phala-mula anibe laksmana

                  tabe sita karibena paka-prayojana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vanya--of the forest; saka--vegetables; phala-mula--fruits and roots; anibe--will bring; laksmana--Laksmana; tabe--that time; sita--mother Sita; karibena--will do; paka-prayojana--the necessary cooking.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "When Laksmana brings all the vegetables, fruits and roots from the forest, Sita will do the necessary cooking."

 

                               TEXT 184

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tanra upasana suni' prabhu tusta haila

                aste-vyaste sei vipra randhana karila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tanra--his; upasana--method of worship; suni'--hearing; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tusta haila--was very much pleased; aste-vyaste--with great haste; sei--that; vipra--brahmana; randhana karila--began to cook.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very much satisfied to hear about the brahmana's method of worship. Finally the brahmana hastily made arrangements for cooking.

 

                               TEXT 185

 

                                 TEXT

 

              prabhu bhiksa kaila dinera trtiya-prahare

                   nirvinna sei vipra upavasa kare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu--Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bhiksa kaila--took His luncheon; dinera--of the day; trtiya-prahare--at about three o'clock; nirvinna--sorrowful; sei--that; vipra--brahmana; upavasa kare--fasted.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His lunch at about three o'clock, but the brahmana, being very sorrowful, fasted.

 

                               TEXT 186

 

                                 TEXT

 

               prabhu kahe,----vipra kanhe kara upavasa

                 kene eta duhkha, kene karaha hutasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; vipra--My dear brahmana; kanhe--why; kara upavasa--you are fasting; kene--why; eta--so much; duhkha--unhappiness; kene--why; karaha hutasa--you express so much worry.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While the brahmana was fasting, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked him, "Why are you fasting? Why are you so unhappy? Why are you so worried?"

 

                               TEXT 187

 

                                 TEXT

 

              vipra kahe,----jivane mora nahi prayojana

                  agni-jale pravesiya chadiba jivana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vipra kahe--the brahmana said; jivane mora--for my life; nahi--there is not; prayojana--necessity; agni--in fire; jale--in water; pravesiya--entering; chadiba--I shall give up; jivana--life.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana replied, "I have no reason to live. I shall give up my life by entering either fire or water.

 

                               TEXT 188

 

                                 TEXT

 

                jagan-mata maha-laksmi sita-thakurani

               raksase sparsila tanre,----iha kane suni

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jagat-mata--the mother of the universe; maha-laksmi--the supreme goddess of fortune; sita-thakurani--mother Sita; raksase--the demon Ravana; sparsila--touched; tanre--her; iha--this; kane suni--I have heard.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "My dear Sir, mother Sita is the mother of the universe and the supreme goddess of fortune. She has been touched by the demon Ravana, and I am troubled upon hearing this news.

 

                               TEXT 189

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  e sarira dharibare kabhu na yuyaya

                ei duhkhe jvale deha, prana nahi yaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   e sarira--this body; dharibare--to keep; kabhu--ever; na--not; yuyaya--deserve; ei duhkhe--in this unhappiness; jvale deha--my body is burning; prana--my life; nahi yaya--does not go away.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Sir, due to my unhappiness I cannot continue living. Although my body is burning, my life is not leaving."

 

                               TEXT 190

 

                                 TEXT

 

               prabhu kahe,----e bhavana na kariha ara

                  pandita hana kene na karaha vicara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord said; e bhavana--this kind of thinking; na--do not; kariha--do; ara--anymore; pandita hana--being a learned pandita; kena--why; na karaha--you do not make; vicara--consideration.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "Please do not think this way any longer. You are a learned pandita. Why don't you consider the case?"

 

                               TEXT 191

 

                                 TEXT

 

               isvara-preyasi sita----cid-ananda-murti

              prakrta-indriyera tanre dekhite nahi sakti

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   isvara-preyasi--the dearmost wife of the Lord; sita--mother Sita; cit-ananda-murti--spiritual blissful form; prakrta--material; indriyera--of the senses; tanre--her; dekhite--to see; nahi--there is not; sakti--power.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "Sitadevi, the dearmost wife of the Supreme Lord Ramacandra, certainly has a spiritual form full of bliss. No one can see her with material eyes, for no materialist has such power.

 

                               TEXT 192

 

                                 TEXT

 

               sparsibara karya achuka, na paya darsana

                   sitara akrti-maya harila ravana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sparsibara--to touch; karya--business; achuka--let it be; na--does not; paya--get; darsana--sight; sitara--of mother Sita; akrti-maya--the form made of maya; harila--took away; ravana--the demon Ravana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "To say nothing of touching mother Sita, a person with material senses cannot even see her. When Ravana kidnapped her, he kidnapped only her material, illusory form.

 

                               TEXT 193

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ravana asitei sita antardhana kaila

                   ravanera age maya-sita pathaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ravana--the demon Ravana; asitei--as soon as he arrived; sita--mother Sita; antardhana kaila--disappeared; ravanera age--before the demon Ravana; maya-sita--illusory, material form of Sita; pathaila--sent.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "As soon as Ravana arrived before Sita, she disappeared. Then just to cheat Ravana she sent an illusory, material form.

 

                               TEXT 194

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  aprakrta vastu nahe prakrta-gocara

                   veda-puranete ei kahe nirantara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   aprakrta--spiritual; vastu--substance; nahe--not; prakrta--of matter; gocara--within the jurisdiction; veda-puranete--the Vedas and the Puranas; ei--this; kahe--say; nirantara--always.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Spiritual substance is never within the jurisdiction of the material conception. This is always the verdict of the Vedas and Puranas."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   As stated in the Katha Upanisad (2.3.9, 12):

 

                    na samdrse tisthati rupam asya

                    na caksusa pasyati kascanainam

                      hrda manisa manasabhiklpto

                   ya etad vidur amrtas te bhavanti

 

                         naiva vaca na manasa

                       praptum sakyo na caksusa

 

   "Spirit is not within the jurisdiction of material eyes, words or mind."

   Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.84.13) states:

 

                 yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke

                sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih

                yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij

                  janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah

 

   "A human being who identifies his body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of his body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of his birth worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than to meet men of transcendental knowledge there, is to be considered like an ass or a cow."

   These are some Vedic statements about spiritual substance. Spiritual substance cannot be seen by the unintelligent, because they do not have the eyes or the mentality to see the spirit soul. Consequently they think that there is no such thing as spirit. But the followers of the Vedic injunctions take their information from Vedic statements, such as the verses from the Katha Upanisad and Srimad-Bhagavatam quoted above.

 

                               TEXT 195

 

                                 TEXT

 

                   visvasa karaha tumi amara vacane

                  punarapi ku-bhavana na kariha mane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   visvasa karaha--believe; tumi--you; amara--My; vacane--in the words; punarapi--again; ku-bhavana--misconception; na kariha--do not do; mane--in the mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then assured the brahmana, "Have faith in My words and do not burden your mind any longer with this misconception."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is the process of spiritual understanding. Acintya khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yojayet: "We should not try to understand things beyond our material conception by argument and counterargument." Maha-jano yena gatah sa panthah: "We have to follow in the footsteps of great authorities coming down in the parampara system." If we approach a bona fide acarya and keep faith in his words, spiritual realization will be easy.

 

                               TEXT 196

 

                                 TEXT

 

                prabhura vacane viprera ha-ila visvasa

                  bhojana karila, haila jivanera asa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhura vacane--in the words of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; viprera--of the brahmana; ha-ila--was; visvasa--faith; bhojana karila--he took his lunch; haila--there was; jivanera--for living; asa--hope.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Although the brahmana was fasting, he had faith in the words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and accepted food. In this way his life was saved.

 

                               TEXT 197

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 tanre asvasiya prabhu karila gamana

                 krtamalaya snana kari aila durvasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tanre asvasiya--assuring him; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karila gamana--departed; krtamalaya--in the river known as Krtamala; snana kari--bathing; aila--came; durvasana--to Durvasana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After thus assuring the brahmana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu proceeded further into southern India and finally arrived at Durvasana, where He bathed in the river Krtamala.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Presently the Krtamala River is known as the river Bhagai. This river has three tributaries, named Suruli, Varaha-nadi and Battilla-gundu. The river Krtamala is also mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.39) by the sage Karabhajana.

 

                               TEXT 198

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 durvasane raghunathe kaila darasana

              mahendra-saile parasuramera kaila vandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   durvasane--at Durvasana; raghunathe--Lord Ramacandra; kaila darasana--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited; mahendra-saile--on Mahendra-saila; parasu-ramera--to Lord Parasurama; kaila vandana--offered prayers.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   At Durvasana Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Lord Ramacandra, and on the hill known as Mahendra-saila He saw Lord Parasurama.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In Durvasana, or Darbhasayana, seven miles east of Ramnad, there is a temple of Lord Ramacandra overlooking the ocean. The hill known as Mahendra-saila is near Tirunelveli, and at the end of this hill is a city known as Tiruchendurd. West of Mahendra-saila is the territory of Tribankura. There is mention of Mahendra-saila in the Ramayana.

 

                               TEXT 199

 

                                 TEXT

 

               setubandhe asi' kaila dhanustirthe snana

                ramesvara dekhi' tahan karila visrama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   setubandhe asi'--coming to Setubandha; kaila--did; dhanuh-tirthe snana--bathing at the holy place known as Dhanustirtha; ramesvara dekhi'--visiting the holy place Ramesvara; tahan--there; karila visrama--took rest.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to Setubandha [Ramesvara], where He took His bath at the place called Dhanustirtha. From there He visited the Ramesvara temple and then took rest.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The path through the ocean to the islands known as Mandndapam and Pambam consists partly of sand and partly of water. The island of Pambam is about eleven miles long and six miles wide. On this island, four miles north of Pambam Harbor, is Setubandha, where the temple of Ramesvara is located. This is a temple of Lord Siva, and the name Ramesvara indicates that he is a great personality whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rama. Thus the Lord Siva found in the temple of Ramesvara is a great devotee of Lord Ramacandra. It is said, devi-pattanam arabhya gaccheyuh setu-bandhanam: "After visiting the temple of the goddess Durga, one should go to the temple of Ramesvara."

  

  

   In this area there are twenty-four different holy places, one of which is Dhanustirtha, located about twelve miles southeast of Ramesvara. It is near the last station of the South Indian Railway, a station called Ramnada. It is said that here, on the request of Ravana's younger brother Vibhisana, Lord Ramacandra destroyed the bridge to Lanka with His bow while returning to His capital. It is also said that one who visits Dhanustirtha is liberated from the cycle of birth and death, and that one who bathes there gets all the fruitive results of performing the yajna known as agnistoma.

 

                               TEXT 200

 

                                 TEXT

 

                vipra-sabhaya sune tanha kurma-purana

                 tara madhye aila pativrata-upakhyana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vipra-sabhaya--among the assembly of brahmanas; sune--hears; tanha--there; kurma-purana--the Kurma Purana; tara madhye--within that book; aila--there was; pati-vrata--of the chaste woman; upakhyana--narration.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There, among the brahmanas, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu listened to the Kurma Purana, wherein was mentioned the chaste woman's narration.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that only two khandas of the Kurma Purana are now available, namely the Purva-khanda and Uttara-khanda. Sometimes it is said that the Kurma Purana contains six thousand verses, but originally the Kurma Purana contained seventeen thousand verses. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, there are seventeen thousand verses in the Kurma Purana, which is one of the eighteen Maha-puranas. The Kurma Purana is considered the fifteenth of these Maha-puranas.

 

                               TEXT 201

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  pativrata-siromani janaka-nandini

                 jagatera mata sita----ramera grhini

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   pati-vrata--chaste woman; siromani--the topmost; janaka-nandini--is the daughter of King Janaka; jagatera--of all the three worlds; mata--the mother; sita--Sita; ramera--of Lord Ramacandra; grhini--wife.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Srimati Sitadevi is the mother of the three worlds and the wife of Lord Ramacandra. Among chaste women she is supreme, and she is the daughter of King Janaka.

 

                               TEXT 202

 

                                 TEXT

 

               ravana dekhiya sita laila agnira sarana

                ravana haite agni kaila sitake avarana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ravana dekhiya--after seeing Ravana; sita--mother Sita; laila--took; agnira--of fire; sarana--shelter; ravana--Ravana; haite--from; agni--fire; kaila--did; sitake--unto mother Sita; avarana--covering.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When Ravana came to kidnap mother Sita and she saw him, she took shelter of the fire-god, Agni. The fire-god covered the body of mother Sita, and in this way she was protected from the hands of Ravana.

 

                               TEXT 203

 

                                 TEXT

 

               'maya-sita' ravana nila, sunila akhyane

                 suni' mahaprabhu haila anandita mane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   maya-sita--false, illusory Sita; ravana--the demon Ravana; nila--took; sunila--heard; akhyane--in the narration of the Kurma Purana; suni'--hearing this; mahaprabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; haila--became; anandita--very happy; mane--within the mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Upon hearing from the Kurma Purana how Ravana had kidnapped a false form of mother Sita, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very much satisfied.

 

                               TEXT 204

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 sita lana rakhilena parvatira sthane

                 'maya-sita' diya agni vancila ravane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sita lana--taking away mother Sita; rakhilena--kept; parvatira sthane--with mother Parvati, or goddess Durga; maya-sita--the false, illusory form of Sita; diya--delivering; agni--fire-god; vancila--cheated; ravane--the demon Ravana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The fire-god, Agni, took away the real Sita and brought her to the place of Parvati, goddess Durga. An illusory form of mother Sita was then delivered to Ravana, and in this way Ravana was cheated.

 

                               TEXT 205

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  raghunatha asi' yabe ravane marila

                 agni-pariksa dite yabe sitare anila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   raghunatha--Lord Ramacandra; asi'--coming; yabe--when; ravane--Ravana; marila--killed; agni-pariksa--test by fire; dite--to give; yabe--when; sitare--Sita; anila--brought.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After Ravana was killed by Lord Ramacandra, Sitadevi was brought before the fire and tested.

 

                               TEXT 206

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 tabe maya-sita agni kari antardhana

                 satya-sita ani' dila rama-vidyamana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tabe--at that time; maya-sita--the illusory form of Sita; agni--the fire-god; kari--doing; antardhana--disappearing; satya-sita--real Sita; ani'--bringing; dila--delivered; rama--of Ramacandra; vidyamana--in the presence.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the illusory Sita was brought before the fire by Lord Ramacandra, the fire-god made the illusory form disappear and delivered the real Sita to Lord Ramacandra.

 

                               TEXT 207

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 sunina prabhura anandita haila mana

                ramadasa-viprera katha ha-ila smarana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sunina--hearing; prabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; anandita--very much pleased; haila--became; mana--the mind; ramadasa-viprera--of the brahmana known as Ramadasa; katha--words; ha-ila smarana--He remembered.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard this story, He was very much pleased, and He remembered the words of Ramadasa Vipra.

 

                               TEXT 208

 

                                 TEXT

 

             e-saba siddhanta suni' prabhura ananda haila

                brahmanera sthane magi' sei patra nila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   e-saba siddhanta--all these conclusive statements; suni'--hearing; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; ananda--happiness; haila--there was; brahmanera sthane--from the brahmanas; magi'--asking; sei--those; patra--leaves; nila--took.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Indeed, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard these conclusive statements from the Kurma Purana, He felt great happiness. After asking the brahmanas' permission, He took possession of those manuscript leaves.

 

                               TEXT 209

 

                                 TEXT

 

                nutana patra lekhana pustake deoyaila

               pratiti lagi' puratana patra magi' nila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nutana--new; patra--leaves; lekhana--getting written; pustake--the book; deoyaila--He gave; pratiti lagi'--for direct evidence; puratana--the old; patra--leaves; magi'--requesting; nila--He took.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Since the Kurma Purana was very old, the manuscript was also very old. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took possession of the original leaves in order to have direct evidence. The text was copied onto new leaves in order that the Purana be replaced.

 

                               TEXT 210

 

                                 TEXT

 

                patra lana punah daksina-mathura aila

                  ramadasa vipre sei patra ani dila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   patra lana--taking those leaves; punah--again; daksina-mathura--to southern Mathura; aila--came; ramadasa vipre--unto the brahmana known as Ramadasa; sei patra--those leaves; ani--bringing back; dila--delivered.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to southern Mathura [Madurai] and delivered the original manuscript of the Kurma Purana to Ramadasa Vipra.

 

                            TEXTS 211-212

 

                                 TEXT

 

                         sitayaradhito vahnis

                         chaya-sitam ajijanat

                        tam jahara dasa-grivah

                        sita vahni-puram gata

 

                        pariksa-samaye vahnim

                         chaya-sita vivesa sa

                        vahnih sitam samaniya

                        tat-purastad aninayat

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sitaya--by mother Sita; aradhitah--being called for; vahnih--the fire-god; chaya-sitam--the illusory form of mother Sita; ajijanat--created; tam--her; jahara--kidnapped; dasa-grivah--the ten-faced Ravana; sita--mother Sita; vahni-puram--to the abode of the fire-god; gata--departed; pariksa-samaye--at the time of testing; vahnim--the fire; chaya-sita--the illusory form of Sita; vivesa--entered; sa--she; vahnih--the fire-god; sitam--the original mother Sita; samaniya--bringing back; tat-purastat--in His presence; aninayat--brought back.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "When he was petitioned by mother Sita, the fire-god, Agni, brought forth an illusory form of Sita, and Ravana, who had ten heads, kidnapped the false Sita. The original Sita then went to the abode of the fire-god. When Lord Ramacandra tested the body of Sita, it was the false, illusory Sita that entered the fire. At that time the fire-god brought the original Sita from his abode and delivered her to Lord Ramacandra."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   These two verses are taken from the Kurma Purana.

 

                               TEXT 213

 

                                 TEXT

 

                patra pana viprera haila anandita mana

                prabhura carane dhari' karaye krandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   patra pana--getting the leaves; viprera--of the brahmana; haila--there was; anandita--pleased; mana--mind; prabhura carane--the lotus feet of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dhari'--taking; karaye--does; krandana--crying.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Ramadasa Vipra was very much pleased to receive the original leaf manuscript of the Kurma Purana, and he immediately fell down before the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and began to cry.

 

                               TEXT 214

 

                                 TEXT

 

             vipra kahe,----tumi saksat sri-raghunandana

                  sannyasira vese more dila darasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vipra kahe--the brahmana said; tumi--You; saksat--directly; sri-raghunandana--Lord Sri Ramacandra; sannyasira vese--in the dress of a mendicant; more--unto me; dila--You gave; darasana--audience.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After receiving the manuscript, the brahmana, being very much pleased, said, "Sir, You are Lord Ramacandra Himself and have come in the dress of a sannyasi to give me audience.

 

                               TEXT 215

 

                                 TEXT

 

                maha-duhkha ha-ite more karila nistara

                 aji mora ghare bhiksa kara angikara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   maha-duhkha--great unhappiness; ha-ite--from; more--me; karila nistara--You delivered; aji--today; mora--my; ghare--at home; bhiksa--lunch; kara--do; angikara--accept.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "My dear Sir, You have delivered me from a very unhappy condition. I request that You take Your lunch at my place. Please accept this invitation.

 

                               TEXT 216

 

                                 TEXT

 

              mano-duhkhe bhala bhiksa na dila sei dine

                 mora bhagye punarapi pailun darasane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mano-duhkhe--out of great mental distress; bhala bhiksa--good lunch; na dila--could not give You; sei dine--that day; mora bhagye--because of my good fortune; punarapi--again; pailun--I have gotten; darasane--visit.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Due to my mental distress I could not give You a very nice lunch the other day. Now, by good fortune, You have come again to my home."

 

                               TEXT 217

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 eta bali' sei vipra sukhe paka kaila

                uttama prakare prabhuke bhiksa karaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eta bali'--saying this; sei vipra--that brahmana; sukhe--in great happiness; paka kaila--cooked; uttama prakare--very nicely; prabhuke--unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bhiksa--lunch; karaila--gave.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Saying this, the brahmana very happily cooked food, and a first-class dinner was offered to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                               TEXT 218

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sei ratri tahan rahi' tanre krpa kari'

                pandya-dese tamraparni gela gaurahari

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei ratri--that night; tahan--there; rahi'--staying; tanre--unto the brahmana; krpa kari'--showing mercy; pandya-dese--in the country known as Pandyadesa; tamraparni--to the place named Tamraparni; gela--went; gaurahari--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed that night in the house of the brahmana. Then, after showing him mercy, the Lord started toward Tamraparni in Pandya-desa.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Pandya-desa is situated in the southern part of India known as Kerala and Cola. In all these areas there were many kings with the title Pandya who ruled over Madurai and Ramesvara. In the Ramayana the name of Tamraparni is mentioned. Tamraparni is also known as Purunai and is situated on the bank of the Tinebheli River. This river flows into the Bay of Bengal. Tamraparni is also mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.39<footnote>).

 

                               TEXT 219

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tamraparni snana kari' tamraparni-tire

                  naya tripati dekhi' bule kutuhale

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tamraparni--in the Tamraparni River; snana kari'--taking a bath; tamraparni-tire--on the bank of the Tamraparni River; naya tripati--the Deity named Naya-tripati; dekhi'--after seeing; bule--wandered on; kutuhale--in great curiosity.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There was also a temple of Lord Visnu at Naya-tripati on the bank of the river Tamraparni, and after bathing in the river, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the Deity with great curiosity and wandered on.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This Naya-tripati is also called Alwar Tirunagarai. It is a town about seventeen miles southeast of Tirunelveli. There are nine temples there of Sripati, or Visnu. All the Deities of the temples assemble together during a yearly festival in the town.

 

                               TEXT 220

 

                                 TEXT

 

              ciyadatala tirthe dekhi' sri-rama-laksmana

                 tila-kanci asi' kaila siva darasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ciyadatala--named Ciyadatala; tirthe--at the holy place; dekhi'--seeing; sri-rama-laksmana--the Deity of Lord Rama and Laksmana; tila-kanci--to Tila-kanci; asi'--coming; kaila--did; siva darasana--visiting the temple of Lord Siva.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to a holy place known as Ciyadatala, where He saw the Deities of the two brothers Lord Ramacandra and Laksmana. He then proceeded to Tila-kanci, where He saw the temple of Lord Siva.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Ciyadatala is sometimes known as Cheratala. It is near the city of Kaila, and there is a temple there dedicated to Lord Sri Ramacandra and His brother Laksmana. Tila-kanci is about thirty miles northeast of the city of Tirunelveli.

 

                               TEXT 221

 

                                 TEXT

 

              gajendra-moksana-tirthe dekhi visnu-murti

                panagadi-tirthe asi' dekhila sitapati

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gajendra-moksana-tirthe--at the holy place named Gajendra-moksana; dekhi--seeing; visnu-murti--the Deity of Lord Visnu; panagadi-tirthe--to the holy place Panagadi; asi'--coming; dekhila--saw; sita-pati--Lord Sri Ramacandra and Sitadevi.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then visited the holy place named Gajendra-moksana, where He went to a temple of Lord Visnu. He then came to Panagadi, a holy place where He saw the Deities of Lord Ramacandra and Sita.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The Gajendra-moksana temple is sometimes mistaken for a temple of Lord Siva. It is about two miles south of the city of Kaivera. Actually the Deity is not of Lord Siva but of Visnu. Panagadi is about thirty miles south of Tirunelveli. Formerly the temple there contained the Deity of Sri Ramacandra, but later the devotees of Lord Siva replaced Lord Ramacandra with a deity of Lord Siva named Ramesvara or Rama-linga Siva.

 

                               TEXT 222

 

                                 TEXT

 

               camtapure asi' dekhi' sri-rama-laksmana

               sri-vaikunthe asi' kaila visnu darasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   camtapure--to Camtapura; asi'--coming; dekhi'--seeing; sri-rama-laksmana--Lord Ramacandra and Laksmana; sri-vaikunthe asi'--coming to Sri Vaikuntha; kaila--did; visnu darasana--seeing the temple of Lord Visnu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Later the Lord went to Camtapura, where He saw the Deities of Lord Ramacandra and Laksmana. He then went to Sri Vaikuntha and saw the temple of Lord Visnu there.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Camtapura is sometimes called Cenganura and is located in the state of Tribankura. A temple of Lord Ramacandra and Laksmana is located there. Sri Vaikuntha--about four miles north of Alwar Tirunagarai and sixteen miles southeast of Tirunelveli--is situated on the bank of the Tamraparni River.

 

                               TEXT 223

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 malaya-parvate kaila agastya-vandana

                  kanya-kumari tanhan kaila darasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   malaya-parvate--in the Malaya Hills; kaila--did; agastya-vandana--obeisances to Agastya Muni; kanya-kumari--Kanya-kumari; tanhan--there; kaila darasana--visited.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to Malaya-parvata and offered prayers to Agastya Muni. He then visited Kanya-kumari [Cape Comorin].

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The range of mountains in South India beginning at Kerala and extending to Cape Comorin is called Malaya-parvata. Concerning Agastya, there are four opinions: (1) There is a temple of Agastya Muni in the village of Agastyampalli in the district of Tanjorean. (2) There is a temple of Lord Skanda on a hill known as Siva-giri, and it is supposed to have been established by Agastya Muni. (3) Some say that near Cape Comorin there is a hill known as Pathiya, which was supposed to have served as Agastya Muni's residence. (4) There is a place known as Agastya-malaya, which is a range of hills on both sides of the Tamraparni River. Cape Comorin itself is known as Kanya-kumari.

 

                               TEXT 224

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 amlitalaya dekhi' sri-rama gaurahari

                mallara-desete aila yatha bhattathari

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   amlitalaya--at Amlitala; dekhi'--seeing; sri-rama--the Deity of Ramacandra; gaurahari--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mallara-desete--to Mallara-desa; aila--came; yatha--where; bhattathari--the Bhattathari community.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After visiting Kanya-kumari, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to Amlitala, where He saw the Deity of Sri Ramacandra. Thereafter He went to a place known as Mallara-desa, where a community of Bhattatharis lived.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   North of Mallara-desa is South Kanarada. To the east is Coorg and Mysoreisu, to the south is Cochin, and to the west is the Arabian Sea. As far as the Bhattatharis are concerned, they are a nomadic community. They camp wherever they like and have no fixed place of residence. Outwardly they take up the dress of sannyasis, but their real business is stealing and cheating. They allure others to supply women for their camp, and they cheat many women and keep them within their community. In this way they increase their population. In Bengal also there is a similar community. Actually, all over the world there are nomadic communities whose business is simply to allure, cheat and steal innocent women.

 

                               TEXT 225

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 tamala-kartika dekhi' aila vetapani

                raghunatha dekhi' tahan vancila rajani

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tamala-kartika--the place named Tamala-kartika; dekhi'--seeing; aila--came; vetapani--to Vetapani; raghunatha dekhi'--seeing the temple of Lord Ramacandra; tahan--there; vancila rajani--passed the night.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After visiting Mallara-desa, Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Tamala-kartika and then to Vetapani. There He saw the temple of Raghunatha, Lord Ramacandra, and passed the night.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Tamala-kartika is forty-four miles south of Tirunelveli and two miles south of Aramavalli Mountain. It is located within the jurisdiction of Tovalai. At Tamala-kartika is a temple of Subrahmanya, or Lord Kartika, the son of Lord Siva. Vetapani, or Vatapani, is north of Kaila in the Trivandrum district. It is also known as Bhutapandi and is within the jurisdiction of the Tobala district. It is understood that formerly there was a Deity of Lord Ramacandra there. Later the Deity was replaced with a deity of Lord Siva known as Ramesvara or Bhutanatha.

 

                               TEXT 226

 

                                 TEXT

 

                gosanira sange rahe krsnadasa brahmana

                bhattathari-saha tahan haila darasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gosanira--the Lord; sange--with; rahe--there was; krsnadasa brahmana--a brahmana servant named Krsnadasa; bhattathari-saha--with the Bhattatharis; tahan--there; haila--there was; darasana--a meeting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was accompanied by His servant, Krsnadasa. He was a brahmana, but he met with the Bhattatharis there.

 

                               TEXT 227

 

                                 TEXT

 

               stri-dhana dekhana tanra lobha janmaila

                arya sarala viprera buddhi-nasa kaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   stri-dhana--women; dekhana--showing; tanra--his; lobha--attraction; janmaila--they created; arya--gentleman; sarala--simple; viprera--of the brahmana; buddhi-nasa--loss of intelligence; kaila--they made.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   With women the Bhattatharis allured the brahmana Krsnadasa, who was simple and gentle. By virtue of their bad association, they polluted his intelligence.

 

                               TEXT 228

 

                                 TEXT

 

               prate uthi' aila vipra bhattathari-ghare

                  tahara uddese prabhu aila satvare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prate--in the morning; uthi'--rising from bed; aila--came; vipra--the brahmana Krsnadasa; bhattathari-ghare--to the place of the Bhattatharis; tahara uddese--for him; prabhu--Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; aila--came; satvare--very soon.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Allured by the Bhattatharis, Krsnadasa went to their place early in the morning. The Lord also went there very quickly just to find him out.

 

                               TEXT 229

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  asiya kahena saba bhattathari-gane

                 amara brahmana tumi rakha ki karane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   asiya--coming; kahena--He said; saba--all; bhattathari-gane--to the Bhattatharis; amara--My; brahmana--brahmana assistant; tumi--you; rakha--are keeping; ki--for what; karane--reason.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Upon reaching their community, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked the Bhattatharis, "Why are you keeping My brahmana assistant?

 

                               TEXT 230

 

                                 TEXT

 

                amiha sannyasi dekha, tumiha sannyasi

            more duhkha deha,----tomara 'nyaya' nahi vasi

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   amiha--I; sannyasi--in the renounced order of life; dekha--you see; tumiha--you; sannyasi--in the renounced order of life; more--unto Me; duhkha--pains; deha--you give; tomara--your; nyaya--logic; nahi vasi--I do not find.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "I am in the renounced order of life, and so are you. Yet you are purposefully giving Me pain, and I do not see any good logic in this."

 

                               TEXT 231

 

                                 TEXT

 

                suna' saba bhattathari uthe astra lana

                  maribare aila sabe cari-dike dhana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   suna'--hearing; saba--all; bhattathari--nomads; uthe--rise up; astra--weapons; lana--taking; maribare--to kill; aila--came; sabe--all; cari-dike--all around; dhana--running.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Upon hearing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all the Bhattatharis came running from all sides with weapons in their hands, desiring to hurt the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 232

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 tara astra tara ange pade hata haite

          khanda khanda haila bhattathari palaya cari bhite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tara astra--their weapons; tara ange--on their bodies; pade--fall; hata haite--from their hands; khanda khanda--cut into pieces; haila--became; bhattathari--the nomads; palaya--run away; cari bhite--in the four directions.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   However, their weapons fell from their hands and struck their own bodies. When some of the Bhattatharis were thus cut to pieces, the others ran away in the four directions.

 

                               TEXT 233

 

                                 TEXT

 

                bhattathari-ghare maha uthila krandana

                 kese dhari' vipre lana karila gamana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bhattathari-ghare--at the home of the Bhattatharis; maha--great; uthila--there arose; krandana--crying; kese dhari'--catching by the hair; vipre--the brahmana Krsnadasa; lana--taking; karila--did; gamana--departure.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While there was much roaring and crying at the Bhattathari community, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu grabbed Krsnadasa by the hair and took him away.

 

                               TEXT 234

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  sei dina cali' aila payasvini-tire

                 snana kari' gela adi-kesava-mandire

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sei dina--on that very day; cali'--walking; aila--came; payasvini-tire--to the bank of the Payasvini River; snana kari'--bathing; gela--went; adi-kesava-mandire--to the temple of Adi-kesava.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   That very night, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His assistant Krsnadasa arrived at the bank of the Payasvini River. They took their bath and then went to see the temple of Adi-kesava.

 

                               TEXT 235

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  kesava dekhiya preme avista haila

               nati, stuti, nrtya, gita, bahuta karila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kesava dekhiya--after seeing the Deity of Lord Kesava; preme--in ecstasy; avista haila--became overwhelmed; nati--obeisances; stuti--prayer; nrtya--dancing; gita--chanting; bahuta karila--performed in various ways.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the Lord saw the Adi-kesava temple, He was immediately overwhelmed with ecstasy. Offering various obeisances and prayers, He chanted and danced.

 

                               TEXT 236

 

                                 TEXT

 

                prema dekhi' loke haila maha-camatkara

               sarva-loka kaila prabhura parama satkara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prema dekhi'--seeing His ecstatic features; loke--people; haila--became; maha-camatkara--greatly astonished; sarva-loka--all people; kaila--did; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; parama satkara--great reception.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   All the people there were greatly astonished to see the ecstatic pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They all received the Lord very well.

 

                               TEXT 237

 

                                 TEXT

 

               maha-bhakta-gana-saha tahan gosthi kaila

              'brahma-samhitadhyaya'-punthi tahan paila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   maha-bhakta-gana-saha--among highly advanced devotees; tahan--there; gosthi kaila--discussed; brahma-samhita-adhyaya--one chapter of the Brahma-samhita; punthi--scripture; tahan--there; paila--found.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In the temple of Adi-kesava, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discussed spiritual matters among highly advanced devotees. While there, He found a chapter of the Brahma-samhita.

 

                               TEXT 238

 

                                 TEXT

 

               punthi pana prabhura haila ananda apara

                 kampasru-sveda-stambha-pulaka vikara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   punthi pana--getting that scripture; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; haila--there was; ananda--happiness; apara--unlimited; kampa--trembling; asru--tears; sveda--perspiration; stambha--being stunned; pulaka--jubilation; vikara--transformations.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was greatly happy to find a chapter of that scripture, and symptoms of ecstatic transformation--trembling, tears, perspiration, trance and jubilation--were manifest in His body.

 

                            TEXTS 239-240

 

                                 TEXT

 

            siddhanta-sastra nahi 'brahma-samhita'ra sama

                 govinda-mahima jnanera parama karana

 

                    alpaksare kahe siddhanta apara

                sakala-vaisnava-sastra-madhye ati sara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   siddhanta-sastra--conclusive scripture; nahi--there is not; brahma-samhitara sama--like the scripture Brahma-samhita; govinda-mahima--of the glories of Lord Govinda; jnanera--of knowledge; parama--final; karana--cause; alpa-aksare--briefly; kahe--expresses; siddhanta--conclusion; apara--unlimited; sakala--all; vaisnava-sastra--devotional scriptures; madhye--among; ati sara--very essential.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There is no scripture equal to the Brahma-samhita as far as the final spiritual conclusion is concerned. Indeed, that scripture is the supreme revelation of the glories of Lord Govinda, for it reveals the topmost knowledge about Him. Since all conclusions are briefly presented in the Brahma-samhita, it is essential among all the Vaisnava scriptures.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The Brahma-samhita is a very important scripture. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu acquired the Fifth Chapter from the Adi-kesava temple. In that Fifth Chapter, the philosophical conclusion of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva (simultaneous oneness and difference) is presented. The chapter also presents methods of devotional service; the eighteen-syllable Vedic hymn; discourses on the soul, the Supersoul and fruitive activity; an explanation of Kama-gayatri, kama-bija and the original Maha-Visnu; and a detailed description of the spiritual world, specifically Goloka Vrndavana. Brahma-samhita also explains the demigod Ganesa; Garbhodakasayi Visnu; the origin of the Gayatri mantra; the form of Govinda and His transcendental position and abode; the living entities; the highest goal; the goddess Durga; the meaning of austerity; the five gross elements; love of Godhead; impersonal Brahman; the initiation of Lord Brahma; and the vision of transcendental love enabling one to see the Lord. The steps of devotional service are also explained. The mind; yoga-nidra; the goddess of fortune; devotional service in spontaneous ecstasy; incarnations beginning with Lord Ramacandra; Deities; the conditioned soul and its duties; the truth about Lord Visnu; prayers; Vedic hymns; Lord Siva; the Vedic literature; personalism and impersonalism; good behavior; and many other subjects are also discussed. There is also a description of the sun and the universal form of the Lord. All these subjects are conclusively explained in a nutshell in the Brahma-samhita.

 

                               TEXT 241

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 bahu yatne sei punthi nila lekhaiya

                'ananta padmanabha' aila harasita hana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bahu yatne--with great attention; sei punthi--that scripture; nila--took; lekhaiya--having it copied; ananta-padmanabha--to Ananta Padmanabha; aila--came; harasita--in great happiness; hana--being.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu copied the Brahma-samhita and afterwards, with great pleasure, went to a place known as Ananta Padmanabha.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Concerning Ananta Padmanabha, one should refer to Madhya-lila, Chapter One, text 115.

 

                               TEXT 242

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 dina-dui padmanabhera kaila darasana

                  anande dekhite aila sri-janardana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dina-dui--two days; padmanabhera--of the Deity known as Padmanabha; kaila darasana--visited the temple; anande--in great ecstasy; dekhite--to see; aila--came; sri-janardana--to the temple of Sri Janardana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained for two or three days at Ananta Padmanabha and visited the temple there. Then, in great ecstasy He went to see the temple of Sri Janardana.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The temple of Sri Janardana is situated twenty-six miles north of Trivandrum, near the Varkala railway station.

 

                               TEXT 243

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 dina-dui tahan kari' kirtana-nartana

                payasvini asiya dekhe sankara narayana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dina-dui--two days; tahan--there; kari'--performing; kirtana-nartana--chanting and dancing; payasvini asiya--coming to the bank of the Payasvini River; dekhe--sees; sankara narayana--the temple of Sankara-narayana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted and danced at Sri Janardana for two days. He then went to the bank of the Payasvini River and visited the temple of Sankara-narayana.

 

                               TEXT 244

 

                                 TEXT

 

                srngeri-mathe aila sankaracarya-sthane

            matsya-tirtha dekhi' kaila tungabhadraya snane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   srngeri-mathe--to the Srngeri monastery; aila--came; sankaracarya-sthane--at the place of Sankaracarya; matsya-tirtha--the holy place named Matsya-tirtha; dekhi'--seeing; kaila--did; tungabhadraya snane--bathing in the river Tungabhadra.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Then He saw the monastery known as Srngeri-matha, the abode of Acarya Sankara. He then visited Matsya-tirtha, a place of pilgrimage, and took a bath in the river Tungabhadra.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The monastery known as Srngeri-matha is situated in the state of Karnatakaisu, in the district of Shimoga. This monastery is located on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra, seven miles south of Harihara-pura. The real name of this place is Srnga-giri or Srngavera-puri, and it is the headquarters of Sankaracarya.

   Sankaracarya had four principal disciples, and he established four centers under their management. In North India at Badarikasrama, the monastery named Jyotir-matha was established. At Purusottama, the Bhogavardhana or Govardhana monastery was established. In Dvaraka, the Sarada monastery was established. And the fourth monastery, established in South India, is known as Srngeri-matha. In the Srngeri-matha the sannyasis assume the designations Sarasvati, Bharati and Puri. They are all ekadandi-sannyasis, distinguished from the Vaisnava sannyasis, who are known as tridandi-sannyasis. The Srngeri-matha is situated in South India in a portion of the country known as Andhra, Dravida, Karnata and Kerala. The community is called Bhurivara, and the dynasty is called Bhur-bhuvah. The place is called Ramesvara, and the slogan is aham brahmasmi. The Deity is Lord Varaha, and the energetic power is Kamaksi. The acarya is Hastamalaka, and the brahmacari assistants of the sannyasis are known as Caitanya. The place of pilgrimage is called Tungabhadra, and the subject for Vedic study is the Yajur Veda.

   The list of the disciplic succession from Sankaracarya is available, and the names of the acaryas and the dates of their accepting sannyasa, according to the Saka era (or Sakabda), are as follows (for approximate Christian-era dates, add 79 years): Sankaracarya, 622 Saka; Suresvaracarya, 630; Bodhanacarya, 680; Jnanadhanacarya, 768; Jnanottama-sivacarya, 827; Jnanagiri Acarya, 871; Simhagiri Acarya, 958; Isvara Tirtha, 1019; Narasimha Tirtha, 1067; Vidyatirtha Vidya-sankara, 1150; Bharati-krsna Tirtha, 1250; Vidyaranya Bharati, 1253; Candrasekhara Bharati, 1290; Narasimha Bharati, 1309; Purusottama Bharati, 1328; Sankarananda, 1350; Candrasekhara Bharati, 1371; Narasimha Bharati, 1386; Purusottama Bharati, 1398; Ramacandra Bharati, 1430; Narasimha Bharati, 1479; Narasimha Bharati, 1485; Abhinava-narasimha Bharati, 1521; Saccidananda Bharati, 1544; Narasimha Bharati, 1585; Saccidananda Bharati, 1627; Abhinava-saccidananda Bharati, 1663; Nrsimha Bharati, 1689; Saccidananda Bharati, 1692; Abhinava-saccidananda Bharati, 1730; Narasimha Bharati, 1739; Saccidananda Sivabhinava Vidya-narasimha Bharati, 1788.

   Regarding Sankaracarya, it is understood that he was born in the year 608 of the Sakabda era, in the month of Vaisakha, on the third day of the waxing moon, in a place in South India known as Kaladi. His father's name was Sivaguru, and he lost his father at an early age. When Sankaracarya was only eight years old, he completed his study of all scriptures and took sannyasa from Govinda, who was residing on the banks of the Narmada. After accepting sannyasa, Sankaracarya stayed with his spiritual master for some days. He then took his permission to go to Varanasi, and from there he went to Badarikasrama, where he stayed until his twelfth year. While there, he wrote a commentary on the Brahma-sutra, as well as on ten Upanisads and the Bhagavad-gita. He also wrote Sanat-sujatiya and a commentary on the Nrsimha-tapini. Among his many disciples, his four chief disciples are Padmapada, Suresvara, Hastamalaka and Trotaka. After departing from Varanasi, Sankaracarya went to Prayaga, where he met a great learned scholar called Kumarila Bhatta. Sankaracarya wanted to discuss the authority of the scriptures, but Kumarila Bhatta, being on his deathbed, sent him to his disciple Mandana, in the city of Mahismati. It was there that Sankaracarya defeated Mandana Misra in a discussion of the sastras.   Mandana had a wife named Sarasvati, or Ubhaya-bharati, who served as mediator between Sankaracarya and her husband. It is said that she wanted to discuss erotic principles and amorous love with Sankaracarya, but Sankaracarya had been a brahmacari since birth and therefore had no experience in amorous love. He took a month's leave from Ubhaya-bharati and, by his mystic power, entered the body of a king who had just died. In this way Sankaracarya experienced the erotic principles. After attaining this experience, he wanted to discuss erotic principles with Ubhaya-bharati, but without hearing his discussion she blessed him and assured the continuous existence of the Srngeri-matha. She then took leave of material life. Afterwards, Mandana Misra took the order of sannyasa from Sankaracarya and became known as Suresvara. Sankaracarya defeated many scholars throughout India and converted them to his Mayavada philosophy. He left the material body at the age of thirty-three.

   As far as Matsya-tirtha is concerned, it was supposedly situated beside the ocean in the district of Malabar.

 

                               TEXT 245

 

                                 TEXT

 

              madhvacarya-sthane aila yanha 'tattvavadi'

            udupite 'krsna' dekhi, tahan haila premonmadi

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   madhva-acarya-sthane--at the place of Madhvacarya; aila--arrived; yanha--where; tattva-vadi--philosophers known as Tattvavadis; udupite--at the place known as Udupi; krsna--the Deity of Lord Krsna; dekhi--seeing; tahan--there; haila--became; prema-unmadi--mad in ecstasy.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu next arrived at Udupi, the place of Madhvacarya, where the philosophers known as Tattvavadis resided. There He saw the Deity of Lord Krsna and became mad with ecstasy.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Sripada Madhvacarya took his birth at Udupi, which is situated in the South Kanarada district of South India, just west of Sahyadri. This is the chief city of the South Kanarada province and is near the city of Mangalore, which is situated to the south of Udupi. In the city of Udupi is a place called Pajaka-ksetra, where Madhvacarya took his birth in a Sivalli-brahmana dynasty as the son of Madhyageha Bhatta, in the year 1040 Sakabda (A.D. 1119). According to some, he was born in the year 1160 Sakabda (A.D. 1239).

   In his childhood Madhvacarya was known as Vasudeva, and there are some wonderful stories surrounding him. It is said that once when his father had piled up many debts, Madhvacarya converted tamarind seeds into actual coins to pay them off. When he was five years old, he was offered the sacred thread. A demon named Maniman lived near his abode in the form of a snake, and at the age of five Madhvacarya killed that snake with the toe of his left foot. When his mother was very much disturbed, he would appear before her in one jump. He was a great scholar even in childhood, and although his father did not agree, he accepted sannyasa at the age of twelve. Upon receiving sannyasa from Acyuta Preksa, he received the name Purnaprajna Tirtha. After traveling all over India, he finally discussed scriptures with Vidyasankara, the exalted leader of Srngeri-matha. Vidyasankara was actually diminished in the presence of Madhvacarya. Accompanied by Satya Tirtha, Madhvacarya went to Badarikasrama. It was there that he met Vyasadeva and explained his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita before him. Thus he became a great scholar by studying before Vyasadeva.

   By the time he came to the Ananda-matha from Badarikasrama, Madhvacarya had finished his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita. His companion Satya Tirtha wrote down the entire commentary. When Madhvacarya returned from Badarikasrama, he went to Ganjama, which is on the bank of the river Godavari. There he met with two learned scholars named Sobhana Bhatta and Svami Sastri. Later these scholars became known in the disciplic succession of Madhvacarya as Padmanabha Tirtha and Narahari Tirtha. When he returned to Udupi, he would sometimes bathe in the ocean. On such an occasion he composed a prayer in five chapters. Once, while sitting beside the sea engrossed in meditation upon Lord Sri Krsna, he saw that a large boat containing goods for Dvaraka was in danger. He gave some signs by which the boat could approach the shore, and it was saved. The owners of the boat wanted to give him a present, and at the time Madhvacarya agreed to take some gopi-candana. He received a big lump of gopi-candana, and as it was being brought to him, it broke apart and revealed a large Deity of Lord Krsna. The Deity had a stick in one hand and a lump of food in the other. As soon as Madhvacarya received the Deity of Krsna in this way, he composed a prayer. The Deity was so heavy that not even thirty people could lift it. Madhvacarya personally brought this Deity to Udupi. Madhvacarya had eight disciples, all of whom took sannyasa from him and became directors of his eight monasteries. Worship of the Lord Krsna Deity is still going on at Udupi according to the plans Madhvacarya established.

   Madhvacarya then for the second time visited Badarikasrama. While he was passing through Maharashtra, the local king was digging a big lake for the public benefit. As Madhvacarya passed through that area with his disciples, he was also obliged to help in the excavation. After some time, when Madhvacarya visited the king, he engaged the king in that work and departed with his disciples.

   Often in the province of Ganga-pradesa there were fights between Hindus and Muslims. The Hindus were on one bank of the river, and the Muslims on the other. Due to the community tension, no boat was available for crossing the river. The Muslim soldiers were always stopping passengers on the other side, but Madhvacarya did not care for these soldiers. He crossed the river anyway, and when he met the soldiers on the other side, he was brought before the king. The Muslim king was so pleased with him that he wanted to give him a kingdom and some money, but Madhvacarya refused. While walking on the road, he was attacked by some dacoits, but by his bodily strength he killed them all. When his companion Satya Tirtha was attacked by a tiger, Madhvacarya separated them by virtue of his great strength. When he met Vyasadeva, he received from him the salagrama-sila known as Astamurti. After this, he summarized the Mahabharata.

   Madhvacarya's devotion to the Lord and his erudite scholarship became known throughout India. Consequently the owners of the Srngeri-matha, established by Sankaracarya, became a little perturbed. At that time the followers of Sankaracarya were afraid of Madhvacarya's rising power, and they began to tease Madhvacarya's disciples in many ways. There was even an attempt to prove that the disciplic succession of Madhvacarya was not in line with Vedic principles. A person named Pundarika Puri, a follower of the Mayavada philosophy of Sankaracarya, came before Madhvacarya to discuss the sastras. It is said that all of Madhvacarya's books were taken away, but later they were found with the help of King Jayasimha, ruler of Kumla. In discussion, Pundarika Puri was defeated by Madhvacarya. A great personality named Trivikramacarya, who was a resident of Visnumangala, became Madhvacarya's disciple, and his son later became Narayanacarya, the composer of Sri Madhva-vijaya. After the death of Trivikramacarya, the younger brother of Narayanacarya took sannyasa and later became known as Visnu Tirtha.

   It was reputed that there was no limit to the bodily strength of Purnaprajna, Madhvacarya. There was a person named Kadanjari who was famed for possessing the strength of thirty men. Madhvacarya placed the big toe of his foot upon the ground and asked the man to separate it from the ground, but the great strong man could not do so even after great effort. Srila Madhvacarya passed from this material world at the age of eighty while writing a commentary on the Aitareya Upanisad. For further information about Madhvacarya, one should read Madhva-vijaya, by Narayanacarya.

   The acaryas of the Madhva-sampradaya established Udupi as the chief center, and the monastery there was known as Uttararadhi-matha.   A list of the different centers of the Madhvacarya-sampradaya can be found at Udupi, and their matha commanders are (1) Visnu Tirtha (Soda-matha), (2) Janardana Tirtha (Krsnapura-matha), (3) Vamana Tirtha (Kanura-matha), (4) Narasimha Tirtha (Adamara-matha), (5) Upendra Tirtha (Puttugi-matha), (6) Rama Tirtha (Sirura-matha), (7) Hrsikesa Tirtha (Palimara-matha), and (8) Aksobhya Tirtha (Pejavara-matha). The disciplic succession of the Madhvacarya-sampradaya is as follows (the dates are those of birth): (1) Hamsa Paramatma; (2) Caturmukha Brahma; (3) Sanakadi; (4) Durvasa; (5) Jnananidhi; (6) Garuda-vahana; (7) Kaivalya Tirtha; (8) Jnanesa Tirtha; (9) Para Tirtha; (10) Satyaprajna Tirtha; (11) Prajna Tirtha; (12) Acyuta Preksacarya Tirtha; (13) Sri Madhvacarya, 1040 Saka; (14) Padmanabha, 1120; Narahari, 1127; Madhava, 1136; and Aksobhya 1159; (15) Jaya Tirtha, 1167; (16) Vidyadhiraja, 1190; (17) Kavindra, 1255; (18) Vagisa, 1261; (19) Ramacandra, 1269; (20) Vidyanidhi, 1298; (21) Sri Raghunatha, 1366; (22) Rayuvarya (who spoke with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu), 1424; (23) Raghuttama, 1471; (24) Vedavyasa, 1517; (25) Vidyadhisa, 1541; (26) Vedanidhi, 1553; (27) Satyavrata, 1557; (28) Satyanidhi, 1560; (29) Satyanatha, 1582; (30) Satyabhinava, 1595; (31) Satyapurna, 1628; (32) Satyavijaya, 1648; (33) Satyapriya, 1659; (34) Satyabodha, 1666; (35) Satyasandha, 1705; (36) Satyavara, 1716; (37) Satyadharma, 1719; (38) Satyasankalpa, 1752; (39) Satyasantusta, 1763; (40) Satyaparayana, 1763; (41) Satyakama, 1785; (42) Satyesta, 1793; (43) Satyaparakrama, 1794; (44) Satyadhira, 1801; (45) Satyadhira Tirtha, 1808. (For approximate Christian era dates, add seventy-nine years.)

   After the sixteenth acarya (Vidyadhiraja Tirtha), there was another disciplic succession, including Rajendra Tirtha, 1254; Vijayadhvaja; Purusottama; Subrahmanya; and Vyasa Raya, 1470-1520. The nineteenth acarya, Ramacandra Tirtha, had another disciplic succession, including Vibudhendra, 1218; Jitamitra, 1348; Raghunandana; Surendra; Vijendra; Sudhindra; and Raghavendra Tirtha, 1545.

   To date, in the Udupi monastery there are another fourteen Madhva-tirtha sannyasis.   As stated, Udupi is situated beside the sea in South Kanarada, about thirty-six miles north of Mangalore.

   Most of the information in this purport is available from the South Kanada Manual and the Bombay Gazette.

 

                               TEXT 246

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  nartaka gopala dekhe parama-mohane

              madhvacarye svapna diya aila tanra sthane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nartaka gopala--dancing Gopala; dekhe--saw; parama-mohane--most beautiful; madhva-acarye--unto Madhvacarya; svapna diya--appearing in a dream; aila--came; tanra--his; sthane--to the place.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While at the Udupi monastery, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw "dancing Gopala," a most beautiful Deity. This Deity appeared to Madhvacarya in a dream.

 

                               TEXT 247

 

                                 TEXT

 

                   gopi-candana-tale achila dingate

                madhvacarya sei krsna paila kona-mate

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gopi-candana-tale--under heaps of gopi-candana (yellowish clay used for tilaka); achila--came; dingate--in a boat; madhva-acarya--Madhvacarya; sei krsna--that Krsna Deity; paila--got; kona-mate--somehow or other.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Madhvacarya had somehow or other acquired the Deity of Krsna from a heap of gopi-candana that had been transported in a boat.

 

                               TEXT 248

 

                                 TEXT

 

                madhvacarya ani' tanre karila sthapana

                 adyavadhi seva kare tattvavadi-gana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   madhva-acarya--Madhvacarya; ani'--bringing; tanre--Him; karila sthapana--installed; adya-avadhi--to date; seva kare--worship; tattvavadi-gana--the Tattvavadis.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Madhvacarya brought this dancing Gopala Deity to Udupi and installed Him in the temple. To date, the followers of Madhvacarya, known as Tattvavadis, worship this Deity.

 

                               TEXT 249

 

                                 TEXT

 

              krsna-murti dekhi' prabhu maha-sukha paila

                premavese bahu-ksana nrtya-gita kaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsna-murti dekhi'--seeing the Deity of Lord Krsna; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; maha-sukha--great happiness; paila--got; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; bahu-ksana--for a long time; nrtya-gita--dancing and singing; kaila--performed.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu received great pleasure in seeing this beautiful form of Gopala. For a long time He danced and chanted in ecstatic love.

 

                               TEXT 250

 

                                 TEXT

 

              tattvavadi-gana prabhuke 'mayavadi' jnane

            prathama darsane prabhuke na kaila sambhasane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tattvavadi-gana--the Tattvavadis; prabhuke--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mayavadi jnane--considering as a Mayavadi sannyasi; prathama darsane--in the first meeting; prabhuke--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; na--did not; kaila--do; sambhasane--addressing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When they first saw Him, the Tattvavadi Vaisnavas considered Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu a Mayavadi sannyasi. Therefore they did not talk to Him.

 

                               TEXT 251

 

                                 TEXT

 

                pache premavesa dekhi' haila camatkara

                 vaisnava-jnane bahuta karila satkara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   pache--later; prema-avesa--ecstatic love; dekhi'--seeing; haila camatkara--became struck with wonder; vaisnava-jnane--understanding as a Vaisnava; bahuta--much; karila--did; satkara--reception.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Later, after seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in ecstatic love, they were struck with wonder. Then, considering Him a Vaisnava, they gave Him a nice reception.

 

                               TEXT 252

 

                                 TEXT

 

                'vaisnavata' sabara antare garva jani'

                   isat hasiya kichu kahe gauramani

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vaisnavata--Vaisnavism; sabara--of all of them; antare--within the mind; garva--pride; jani'--knowing; isat--mildly; hasiya--smiling; kichu--something; kahe--says; gaura-mani--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu could understand that the Tattvavadis were very proud of their Vaisnavism. He therefore smiled and began to speak to them.

 

                               TEXT 253

 

                                 TEXT

 

               tan-sabara antare garva jani gauracandra

                 tan-saba-sange gosthi karila arambha

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tan-sabara--of all of them; antare--within the mind; garva--pride; jani--knowing; gaura-candra--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tan-saba-sange--with them; gosthi--discussion; karila--made; arambha--beginning.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Considering them very proud, Caitanya Mahaprabhu began His discussion.

 

                               TEXT 254

 

                                 TEXT

 

              tattvavadi acarya----saba sastrete pravina

               tanre prasna kaila prabhu hana yena dina

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tattvavadi acarya--the chief preacher of the Tattvavada community; saba--all; sastrete--in revealed scriptures; pravina--experienced; tanre--unto him; prasna--question; kaila--did; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; hana--becoming; yena--as if; dina--very humble.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The chief acarya of the Tattvavada community was very learned in the revealed scriptures. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu humbly questioned him.

 

                               TEXT 255

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sadhya-sadhana ami na jani bhala-mate

                 sadhya-sadhana-srestha janaha amate

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sadhya-sadhana--the aim of life and how to achieve it; ami--I; na--not; jani--know; bhala-mate--very well; sadhya-sadhana--the aim of life and how to achieve it; srestha--the best; janaha--kindly explain; amate--unto Me.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "I do not know very well the aim of life and how to achieve it. Please tell Me of the best ideal for humanity and how to attain it."

 

                               TEXT 256

 

                                 TEXT

 

         acarya kahe,----'varnasrama-dharma, krsne samarpana'

               ei haya krsna-bhaktera srestha 'sadhana'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   acarya kahe--the acarya said; varna-asrama-dharma--the institution of four castes and four asramas; krsne--unto Krsna; samarpana--to dedicate; ei haya--this is; krsna-bhaktera--of the devotee of Krsna; srestha sadhana--the best means of achievement.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The acarya replied, "When the activities of the four castes and the four asramas are dedicated to Krsna, they constitute the best means whereby one can attain the highest goal of life.

 

                               TEXT 257

 

                                 TEXT

 

              'panca-vidha mukti' pana vaikunthe gamana

             'sadhya-srestha' haya,----ei sastra-nirupana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   panca-vidha mukti--five kinds of liberation; pana--getting; vaikunthe--to the spiritual world; gamana--transference; sadhya-srestha haya--is the highest achievement of the goal of life; ei--this; sastra-nirupana--the verdict of all revealed scriptures.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "When one dedicates the duties of varnasrama-dharma to Krsna, he is eligible for five kinds of liberation. Thus he is transferred to the spiritual world in Vaikuntha. This is the highest goal of life and the verdict of all revealed scriptures."

 

                               TEXT 258

 

                                 TEXT

 

             prabhu kahe,----sastre kahe sravana-kirtana

              krsna-prema-seva-phalera 'parama-sadhana'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; sastre kahe--in the sastra it is said; sravana-kirtana--the process of chanting and hearing; krsna-prema-seva--of loving service to Lord Krsna; phalera--of the result; parama-sadhana--best process of achievement.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "According to the verdict of the sastras, the process of hearing and chanting is the best means to attain loving service to Krsna.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   According to the Tattvavadis, the best process for achieving the highest goal of life is to execute the duties of the four varnas and asramas. In the material world, unless one is situated in one of the varnas (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra) one cannot manage social affairs properly to attain the ultimate goal. One also has to follow the principles of the asramas (brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa), for these principles are considered essential for the attainment of the highest goal. In this way the Tattvavadis establish that the execution of the principles of varna and asrama for the sake of Krsna is the best way to attain the topmost goal. The Tattvavadis thus established their principles in terms of human society. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, differed when He said that the best process is hearing and chanting about Lord Visnu. According to the Tattvavadis, the highest goal is returning home, back to Godhead, but in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's opinion the highest goal is attaining love of Godhead, either in the material world or in the spiritual world. In the material world this is practiced according to sastric injunction, and in the spiritual world the real achievement is already there.

 

                            TEXTS 259-260

 

                                 TEXT

 

                       sravanam kirtanam visnoh

                        smaranam pada-sevanam

                       arcanam vandanam dasyam

                        sakhyam atma-nivedanam

 

                        iti pumsarpita visnau

                       bhaktis cen nava-laksana

                       kriyeta bhagavaty addha

                      tan manye 'dhitam uttamam

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sravanam--hearing of the holy name, form, qualities, entourage and pastimes, all of which must pertain to Lord Visnu; kirtanam--vibrating transcendental sounds pertaining to the holy name, form, qualities and entourage, and inquiring about them (these also should be only in relationship to Visnu); visnoh--of Lord Visnu; smaranam--remembering the holy name, form and entourage, and inquiring about them, also only for Visnu; pada-sevanam--executing devotional service according to time, circumstances and situation, only in relationship with Visnu; arcanam--worshiping the Deity of Lord Krsna, Lord Ramacandra, Laksmi-Narayana or the other forms of Visnu; vandanam--offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dasyam--always thinking oneself an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sakhyam--making friends with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; atma-nivedanam--dedicating everything (body, mind and soul) for the service of the Lord; iti--thus; pumsa--by the human being; arpita--dedicated; visnau--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu; bhaktih--devotional service; cet--if; nava-laksana--possessing nine different systems, as above mentioned; kriyeta--one should execute; bhagavati--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; addha--directly (not indirectly through karma, jnana or yoga); tat--that; manye--I understand; adhitam--studied; uttamam--first class.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'This process entails hearing, chanting and remembering the holy name, form, pastimes, qualities and entourage of the Lord, offering service according to the time, place and performer, worshiping the Deity, offering prayers, always considering oneself the eternal servant of Krsna, making friends with Him and dedicating everything unto Him. These nine items of devotional service, when directly offered to Krsna, constitute the highest attainment of life. This is the verdict of the revealed scriptures.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu quoted these verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.23-24).

 

                               TEXT 261

 

                                 TEXT

 

              sravana-kirtana ha-ite krsne haya 'prema'

             sei pancama purusartha----purusarthera sima

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sravana-kirtana--hearing and chanting; ha-ite--from; krsne--unto Lord Krsna; haya--there is; prema--transcendental love; sei--that; pancama purusa-artha--the fifth platform of perfection of life; purusa-arthera sima--the limit of goals of life.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "When one comes to the platform of loving service to Lord Krsna by executing these nine processes beginning with hearing and chanting, he has attained the fifth platform of success and the limit of life's goals.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Everyone is after success in religion, economic development, sense gratification and ultimately merging into the existence of Brahman. These are the general practices of the common man, but according to the strict principles of the Vedas, the highest attainment is to rise to the platform of sravanam kirtanam, hearing and chanting about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.2):

 

      dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam

        vedyam vastavam atra vastu siva-dam tapa-trayonmulanam

        srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte kim va parair isvarah

     sadyo hrdy avarudhyate 'tra krtibhih susrusubhis tat-ksanat

 

   "Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhagavatam, compiled by the great sage Sri Vyasadeva, is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart." This verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam rejects as cheating processes all religious activities that aim at achieving materialistic goals, including dharma, artha, kama and even moksa, or liberation.

   According to Sridhara Svami, the material conception of success (moksa, or liberation) is desired by those in material existence. Devotees, however, not being situated in material existence, have no desire for liberation.

   A devotee is always liberated in all stages of life because he is always engaged in the nine items of devotional service (sravanam, kirtanam, etc.). Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy holds that devotional service to Krsna always exists in everyone's heart. It simply has to be awakened by the process of sravanam kirtanam visnoh. Sravanadi suddha-citte karaye udaya (Cc. Madhya 22.107). When a person is actually engaged in devotional service, his eternal relationship with the Lord, the servant-master relationship, is awakened.

 

                               TEXT 262

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  evam-vratah sva-priya-nama-kirtya

                    jatanurago druta-citta uccaih

                   hasaty atho roditi rauti gayaty

                    unmada-van nrtyati loka-bahyah

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   evam-vratah--when one thus engages in a vow to chant and dance; sva--own; priya--very dear; nama--holy name; kirtya--by chanting; jata--in this way develops; anuragah--attachment; druta-cittah--very eagerly; uccaih--loudly; hasati--laughs; atho--also; roditi--cries; rauti--becomes agitated; gayati--chants; unmada-vat--like a madman; nrtyati--dances; loka-bahyah--without caring for outsiders.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'When a person is actually advanced and takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is very dear to him, he is agitated and loudly chants the holy name. He also laughs, cries, becomes agitated and chants just like a madman, not caring for outsiders.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This verse is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.40).

 

                               TEXT 263

 

                                 TEXT

 

             karma-ninda, karma-tyaga, sarva-sastre kahe

              karma haite prema-bhakti krsne kabhu nahe

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   karma-ninda--condemnation of fruitive activities; karma-tyaga--renunciation of fruitive activities; sarva-sastre kahe--is announced in every revealed scripture; karma haite--from fruitive activities; prema-bhakti--devotional service in ecstatic love; krsne--for Krsna; kabhu nahe--can never be achieved.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "In every revealed scripture there is condemnation of fruitive activities. It is advised everywhere to give up engagement in fruitive activities, for by executing them no one can attain the highest goal of life, love of Godhead.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In the Vedas there are three kandas, or divisions: karma-kanda, jnana-kanda and upasana-kanda. The karma-kanda portion stresses the execution of fruitive activities, although ultimately it is advised that one abandon both karma-kanda and jnana-kanda (speculative knowledge) and accept only upasana-kanda, or bhakti-kanda. One cannot attain love of Godhead by executing karma-kanda or jnana-kanda. But by dedicating one's karma, or fruitive activities, to the Supreme Lord, one may be relieved from the polluted mind, and becoming free from mental pollution helps elevate one to the spiritual platform. Then, however, one needs the association of a pure devotee, for only by a pure devotee's association can one become a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. When one comes to the stage of pure devotional service, the process of sravanam kirtanam is very essential. By executing the nine items of devotional service, beginning with sravanam kirtanam, one is completely purified. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.12). Only then is one able to execute Krsna's orders in the Bhagavad-gita (18.65-66):

 

                      man-mana bhava mad-bhakto

                        mad-yaji mam namaskuru

                       mam evaisyasi satyam te

                        pratijane priyo 'si me

 

                       sarva-dharman parityajya

                        mam ekam saranam vraja

                       aham tvam sarva-papebhyo

                        moksayisyami ma sucah

 

   "Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." In this way one develops his original constitutional position of rendering loving service to the Lord.

   One cannot be elevated to the highest platform of devotional service by karma-kanda or jnana-kanda. Pure devotional service can be understood and attained only through the association of pure devotees. In this regard, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that there are two types of karma-kanda activities--pious and impious. Pious activities are certainly better than impious activities, but even pious activities cannot help one achieve ecstatic love of God, Krsna. Pious and impious activities bring about material happiness and distress, but there is no possibility of one's becoming a pure devotee simply by acting piously or impiously. Bhakti, devotional service, means satisfying Krsna. In every revealed scripture, whether stressing jnana-kanda or karma-kanda, the principle of renunciation is always praised. The ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge, Srimad-Bhagavatam, is the supreme Vedic evidence. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.12) it is said:

 

                naiskarmyam apy acyuta-bhava-varjitam

                  na sobhate jnanam alam niranjanam

                  kutah punah sasvad abhadram isvare

                  na carpitam karma yad apy akaranam

 

   "Knowledge of self-realization, even though free from all material affinity, does not look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. What, then, is the use of fruitive activities, which are naturally painful from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are not utilized for the devotional service of the Lord?" This means that even knowledge, which is superior to fruitive activity, is not successful if it is devoid of devotional service. Therefore in Srimad-Bhagavatam--in the beginning, middle and end--karma-kanda and jnana-kanda are condemned. For example, in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2 it is said: dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra.

   This is explained in the following verses taken from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.11.32) and the Bhagavad-gita (18.66).

 

                               TEXT 264

 

                                 TEXT

 

                        ajnayaivam gunan dosan

                        mayadistan api svakan

                     dharman santyajya yah sarvan

                      mam bhajet sa ca sattamah

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ajnaya--knowing perfectly; evam--thus; gunan--qualities; dosan--faults; maya--by Me; adistan--instructed; api--although; svakan--own; dharman--occupational duties; santyajya--giving up; yah--anyone who; sarvan--all; mam--unto Me; bhajet--may render service; sah--he; ca--and; sat-tamah--first-class person.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'Occupational duties are described in the religious scriptures. If one analyzes them, he can fully understand their qualities and faults and then give them up completely to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A person who does so is considered a first-class man.'

 

                               TEXT 265

 

                                 TEXT

 

                       sarva-dharman parityajya

                        mam ekam saranam vraja

                       aham tvam sarva-papebhyo

                        moksayisyami ma sucah

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sarva-dharman--all kinds of occupational duties; parityajya--giving up; mam ekam--unto Me only; saranam--as shelter; vraja--go; aham--I; tvam--unto you; sarva-papebhyah--from all the reactions of sinful life; moksayisyami--will give liberation; ma--do not; sucah--worry.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.'

 

                               TEXT 266

 

                                 TEXT

 

                        tavat karmani kurvita

                         na nirvidyeta yavata

                       mat-katha-sravanadau va

                       sraddha yavan na jayate

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tavat--up to that time; karmani--fruitive activities; kurvita--one should execute; na nirvidyeta--is not satiated; yavata--as long as; mat-katha--of discourses about Me; sravana-adau--in the matter of sravanam, kirtanam, and so on; va--or; sraddha--faith; yavat--as long as; na--not; jayate--is awakened.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by sravanam kirtanam visnoh, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.9).

 

                               TEXT 267

 

                                 TEXT

 

               panca-vidha mukti tyaga kare bhakta-gana

               phalgu kari' 'mukti' dekhe narakera sama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   panca-vidha--five kinds of; mukti--liberation; tyaga kare--give up; bhakta-gana--devotees; phalgu--insignificant; kari'--considering; mukti--liberation; dekhe--see; narakera--to hell; sama--equal.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Pure devotees reject the five kinds of liberation; indeed, for them liberation is very insignificant because they see it as hellish.

 

                               TEXT 268

 

                                 TEXT

 

                       salokya-sarsti-samipya-

                        sarupyaikatvam apy uta

                        diyamanam na grhnanti

                        vina mat-sevanam janah

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   salokya--to live on the same planet as the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarsti--to possess opulence equal to the Lord's; samipya--to always associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarupya--to possessing bodily features equal to the Lord's; ekatvam--to merge into the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; api--even; uta--certainly; diyamanam--being offered; na--never; grhnanti--accept; vina--without; mat--My; sevanam--devotional service; janah--devotees.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'Pure devotees always reject the five kinds of liberation, which include living in the spiritual Vaikuntha planets, possessing the same opulences as those possessed by the Supreme Lord, having the same bodily features as the Lord's, associating with the Lord and merging into the body of the Lord. The pure devotees do not accept these benedictions without the service of the Lord.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.29.13).

 

                               TEXT 269

 

                                 TEXT

 

              yo dustyajan ksiti-suta-svajanartha-daran

              prarthyam sriyam sura-varaih sadayavalokam

            naicchan nrpas tad ucitam mahatam madhu-dvit-

                sevanurakta-manasam abhavo 'pi phalguh

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   yah--one who; dustyajan--very difficult to give up; ksiti--land; suta--children; svajana--relatives; artha--riches; daran--and wife; prarthyam--desirable; sriyam--fortune; sura-varaih--by the best of the demigods; sa-daya--merciful; avalokam--whose glance; na aicchat--did not desire; nrpah--the King (Maharaja Bharata); tat--that; ucitam--is befitting; mahatam--of great personalities; madhu-dvit--of the killer of the demon Madhu; seva-anurakta--engaged in the service; manasam--the minds of whom; abhavah--cessation of the repetition of birth and death; api--even; phalguh--insignificant.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'It is very difficult to give up material opulence, land, children, society, friends, riches, wife or the blessings of the goddess of fortune, which are desired even by great demigods. But King Bharata did not desire such things, and this was quite befitting his position, because for a pure devotee whose mind is always engaged in service of the Lord, even the liberation of merging into the existence of the Lord is insignificant. And what to speak of material opportunities?'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.14.44) concerning the glorification of King Bharata, whom Sukadeva Gosvami was describing to King Pariksit.

 

                               TEXT 270

 

                                 TEXT

 

                         narayana-parah sarve

                        na kutascana bibhyati

                        svargapavarga-narakesv

                        api tulyartha-darsinah

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   narayana-parah--persons who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana; sarve--all; na--never; kutascana--anywhere; bibhyati--are afraid; svarga--in the heavenly planetary system; apavarga--on the path of liberation; narakesu--or in a hellish condition of life; api--even; tulya--equal; artha--value; darsinah--seers of.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   " 'A person who is a devotee of Lord Narayana is not afraid of a hellish condition because he considers it the same as elevation to the heavenly planets or liberation. The devotees of Lord Narayana are accustomed to seeing all these things on the same level.'

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.17.28) regarding the personality Citraketu. Once when Citraketu saw the goddess Parvati sitting on the lap of Lord Sambhu (Siva), he criticized Lord Siva for being shameless and sitting just like an ordinary man with his wife on his lap. For this reason Citraketu was cursed by Parvati. Later he became a demon named Vrtrasura. Citraketu was a very powerful king and a devotee, and he could certainly retaliate even against Lord Siva, but when Parvati cursed him, he immediately accepted the curse with a bowed head. When he agreed to accept this curse, Lord Siva praised him and told Parvati that a devotee of Lord Narayana is never afraid of accepting any position provided there is a chance to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the purport of narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati.

 

                               TEXT 271

 

                                 TEXT

 

             mukti, karma----dui vastu tyaje bhakta-gana

               sei dui sthapa' tumi 'sadhya', 'sadhana'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mukti--liberation; karma--fruitive activities; dui--two; vastu--things; tyaje--give up; bhakta-gana--the devotees; sei--those; dui--two; sthapa'--establish; tumi--you; sadhya--the goal of life; sadhana--the process of achievement.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Both liberation and fruitive activity are rejected by devotees. You are trying to establish these things as life's goal and the process for attaining it."

 

                               TEXT 272

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 sannyasi dekhiya more karaha vancana

                na kahila teni sadhya-sadhana-laksana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sannyasi--a person in the renounced order of life; dekhiya--seeing; more--unto Me; karaha--you do; vancana--duplicity; na kahila--did not describe; teni--therefore; sadhya--objective; sadhana--process of achievement; laksana--symptoms.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued speaking to the Tattvavadi acarya: "Seeing that I am a mendicant in the renounced order of life, you have been playing with Me in a duplicitous way. You have not actually described the process and ultimate objective."

 

                               TEXT 273

 

                                 TEXT

 

                suni' tattvacarya haila antare lajjita

              prabhura vaisnavata dekhi, ha-ila vismita

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   suni'--hearing; tattva-acarya--the acarya of the Tattvavada-sampradaya; haila--became; antare--within the mind; lajjita--ashamed; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; vaisnavata--devotion in Vaisnavism; dekhi--seeing; ha-ila--became; vismita--struck with wonder.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After hearing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the acarya of the Tattvavada-sampradaya became very much ashamed. Upon observing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's rigid faith in Vaisnavism, he was struck with wonder.

 

                               TEXT 274

 

                                 TEXT

 

            acarya kahe,----tumi yei kaha, sei satya haya

                 sarva-sastre vaisnavera ei suniscaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   acarya kahe--the Tattvavadi acarya said; tumi--You; yei--whatever; kaha--say; sei--that; satya--truth; haya--is; sarva-sastre--in all revealed scriptures; vaisnavera--of the devotees of Lord Visnu; ei--this; su-niscaya--conclusion.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Tattvavadi acarya replied, "What You have said is certainly factual. It is the conclusion of all the revealed scriptures of the Vaisnavas.

 

                               TEXT 275

 

                                 TEXT

 

              tathapi madhvacarya ye kariyache nirbandha

                sei acariye sabe sampradaya-sambandha

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tathapi--still; madhva-acarya--Madhvacarya; ye--whatever; kariyache--formulated; nirbandha--rules and regulations; sei--that; acariye--we practice; sabe--all; sampradaya--party; sambandha--relationship.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Still, whatever Madhvacarya has established as the formula for our party, we practice as a party policy."

 

                               TEXT 276

 

                                 TEXT

 

           prabhu kahe,----karmi, jnani,----dui bhakti-hina

                tomara sampradaye dekhi sei dui cihna

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; karmi--fruitive worker; jnani--mental speculator; dui--both of them; bhakti-hina--nondevotees; tomara--your; sampradaye--in the community; dekhi--I see; sei--those; dui--both; cihna--symptoms.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Both the fruitive worker and the speculative philosopher are considered nondevotees. We see both elements present in your sampradaya.

 

                               TEXT 277

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sabe, eka guna dekhi tomara sampradaye

              satya-vigraha kari' isvare karaha niscaye

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sabe--in all; eka--one; guna--quality; dekhi--I see; tomara--your; sampradaye--in the party; satya-vigraha--the form of the Lord as truth; kari'--accepting; isvare--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; karaha--you do; niscaye--conviction.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The only qualification that I see in your sampradaya is that you accept the form of the Lord as truth."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to point out to the Tattvavadi acarya, who belonged to the Madhvacarya-sampradaya, that the general behavior of the Tattvavadis did not favor pure devotional service, which must be devoid of the taints of fruitive activity and speculative knowledge. As far as fruitive activity is concerned, the contamination is the desire for elevation to a higher standard of life, and for speculative knowledge the contamination is the desire to merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth. The Tattvavada-sampradaya of the Madhvacarya school sticks to the principle of varnasrama-dharma, which involves fruitive activity. Their ultimate goal (mukti) is simply a form of material desire. A pure devotee should be free from all kinds of material desire. He simply engages in the service of the Lord. Nonetheless, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was pleased that the Madhvacarya-sampradaya, or the Tattvavada-sampradaya, accepted the transcendental form of the Lord. This is the great qualification of the Vaisnava sampradayas.

   It is the Mayavada-sampradaya that does not accept the transcendental form of the Lord. If a Vaisnava sampradaya is also carried away by that impersonal attitude, that sampradaya has no position at all. It is a fact that there are many so-called Vaisnavas whose ultimate aim is to merge into the existence of the Lord. For example, the sahajiyas' Vaisnava philosophy is to become one with the Supreme. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu points out that Sri Madhavendra Puri accepted Madhvacarya only because his sampradaya accepted the transcendental form of the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 278

 

                                 TEXT

 

                ei-mata tanra ghare garva curna kari'

                phalgu-tirthe tabe cali aila gaurahari

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei-mata--in this way; tanra ghare--at his place; garva--pride; curna--broken; kari'--making; phalgu-tirthe--to the holy place named Phalgu-tirtha; tabe--then; cali--walking; aila--came; gaurahari--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Thus Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu broke the pride of the Tattvavadis to pieces. He then went to the holy place known as Phalgu-tirtha.

 

                               TEXT 279

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  tritakupe visalara kari' darasana

                pancapsara-tirthe aila sacira nandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tritakupe--to Tritakupa; visalara--of the Deity named Visala; kari'--doing; darasana--visiting; panca-apsara-tirthe--to Pancapsara-tirtha; aila--came; sacira nandana--the son of mother Saci.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the son of mother Saci, went to Tritakupa, and after seeing the Visala Deity there, He went to the holy place known as Pancapsara-tirtha.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The Apsaras, denizens of the heavenly planets, are generally known as dancing girls. The girls in the heavenly planets are exquisitely beautiful, and if a woman on earth is found to be very beautiful, she is compared to the Apsaras. There were five Apsaras named Lata, Budbuda, Samici, Saurabheyi and Varna. It is said that these five beautiful dancing girls were sent by Indra to break the severe austerity of a saintly person called Acyuta Rsi. This action was typical of Indra, the King of heaven. Whenever Indra discovered someone undergoing severe austerities, he would begin to fear for his post. Indra was always anxious about his position, fearing that if someone became more powerful than him he would lose his elevated position. Thus as soon as he would see a saint undergoing severe austerities, he would send dancing girls to distract him. Even the great saint Visvamitra Muni fell victim to his plan.

   When the five Apsaras went to break Acyuta Rsi's meditation, they were all chastised and cursed by the saint. As a result, the girls turned into crocodiles in a lake that came to be known as Pancapsara. Lord Ramacandra also visited this place. From Sri Narada Muni's narration, it is understood that when Arjuna went to visit the holy places, he learned about the condemnation of the five Apsaras. He delivered them from their abominable condition, and from that day the lake known as Pancapsara became a place of pilgrimage.

 

                               TEXT 280

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 gokarne siva dekhi' aila dvaipayani

                 surparaka-tirthe aila nyasi-siromani

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gokarne--in the place named Gokarna; siva--the temple of Lord Siva; dekhi'--seeing; aila--came; dvaipayani--to Dvaipayani; surparaka-tirthe--to the holy place named Surparaka; aila--came; nyasi-siromani--the best of the sannyasis, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After seeing Pancapsara, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Gokarna. While there, He visited the temple of Lord Siva, and then He went to Dvaipayani. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the crown jewel of all sannyasis, then went to Surparaka-tirtha.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Gokarna is situated in North Karnarada It is about twenty miles southeast of Karwar. This place is very famous for the temple of Lord Siva known as Maha-balesvara. Hundreds and thousands of pilgrims come to see this temple. Surparaka (nowadays known as Sopara) is about twenty-six miles north of Bombay, in the Maharashtra province, in the district known as Thane. Surparaka is mentioned in the Mahabharata (Santi-parva, Chapter 41, verses 66-67).

 

                               TEXT 281

 

                                 TEXT

 

            kolapure laksmi dekhi' dekhena ksira-bhagavati

               langa-ganesa dekhi' dekhena cora-parvati

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kolapure--at Kolapura; laksmi--the goddess of fortune; dekhi'--seeing; dekhena--He visited; ksira-bhagavati--the temple of Ksira-bhagavati; langa-ganesa--the deity Langa-ganesa; dekhi'--seeing; dekhena--He sees; cora-parvati--the goddess Parvati, who is known as a thief.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then visited the town of Kolapura, where He saw the goddess of fortune in the temple of Ksira-bhagavati and Langa-ganesa in another temple, known as Cora-parvati.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Kolapura is a town in the Maharashtra province formerly known as Bombay Pradesa. Formerly it was a native state, and it is bordered on the north by the district of Satara, on the east and south by the district of Belgauma, and on the west by the district of Ratnagiri. In this place there is a river named Urna. From the Bombay Gazette it is understood that there were about 250 temples there, out of which six are very famous. These are (1) Ambabai, or Mahalaksmi Mandira, (2) Vithoba Mandira, (3) Temblai Mandira, (4) Mahakali Mandira, (5) Phiranga-i, or Pratyangira Mandira, and (6) Yyallamma Mandira.

 

                               TEXT 282

 

                                 TEXT

 

               tatha haite pandarapure aila gauracandra

                viththala-thakura dekhi' paila ananda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tatha haite--from there; pandara-pure--to Pandarapura; aila--came; gauracandra--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; viththala-thakura--the Deity known as Viththala; dekhi'--seeing; paila--got; ananda--great happiness.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   From there Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Pandarapura, where He happily saw the temple of Viththala Thakura.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This city of Pandarapura is situated on the river Bhima. It is said that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu initiated Tukarama when He visited Pandarapura. This Tukarama Acarya became very famous in the Maharashtra province, and he spread the sankirtana movement all over the province. The sankirtana party belonging to Tukarama is still very popular in Bombay and throughout the province of Maharashtra. Tukarama was a disciple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and his book is known as Abhanga. His sankirtana party exactly resembles the Gaudiya-Vaisnava sankirtana parties, for they chant the holy name of the Lord with mrdanga and karatalas.

   The Lord Viththaladeva mentioned in this verse is a form of Lord Visnu with four hands. He is Narayana.

 

                               TEXT 283

 

                                 TEXT

 

                premavese kaila bahuta kirtana-nartana

                tahan eka vipra tanre kaila nimantrana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prema-avese--in the great ecstasy of love; kaila--performed; bahuta--much; kirtana-nartana--chanting and dancing; tahan--there; eka--one; vipra--brahmana; tanre--unto Him; kaila--did; nimantrana--invitation.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted and danced in various ways as usual. A brahmana, seeing Him in ecstatic love, was very much pleased and invited the Lord to his home for lunch.

 

                               TEXT 284

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 bahuta adare prabhuke bhiksa karaila

               bhiksa kari' tatha eka subha-varta paila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bahuta adare--with great love; prabhuke--unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bhiksa karaila--offered lunch; bhiksa kari'--after finishing His lunch; tatha--there; eka--one; subha-varta--auspicious news; paila--got.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   This brahmana offered Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu food with great respect and love. After finishing His lunch, the Lord received auspicious news.

 

                               TEXT 285

 

                                 TEXT

 

              madhava-purira sisya 'sri-ranga-puri' nama

                 sei grame vipra-grhe karena visrama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   madhava-purira sisya--a disciple of Madhavendra Puri; sri-ranga-puri--Sri Ranga Puri; nama--named; sei grame--in that village; vipra-grhe--in the house of a brahmana; karena visrama--rests.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu received word that Sri Ranga Puri, one of the disciples of Sri Madhavendra Puri, was present in that village at the home of a brahmana.

 

                               TEXT 286

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 suniya calila prabhu tanre dekhibare

               vipra-grhe vasi' achena, dekhila tanhare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   suniya--hearing; calila--went; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--him; dekhibare--to see; vipra-grhe--at the house of the brahmana; vasi'--sitting; achena--was; dekhila--saw; tanhare--him.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Hearing this news, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately went to see Sri Ranga Puri at the brahmana's home. Upon entering, the Lord saw him sitting there.

 

                               TEXT 287

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 premavese kare tanre danda-paranama

               asru, pulaka, kampa, sarvange pade ghama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prema-avese--in ecstatic love; kare--does; tanre--unto him; danda-paranama--obeisances, falling flat; asru--tears; pulaka--jubilation; kampa--trembling; sarva-ange--all over the body; pade--there was; ghama--perspiration.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   As soon as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the brahmana, He immediately offered him obeisances in ecstatic love, falling flat to the ground. The symptoms of transcendental transformation were visible--namely, tears, jubilation, trembling and perspiration.

 

                               TEXT 288

 

                                 TEXT

 

             dekhiya vismita haila sri-ranga-purira mana

                 'uthaha sripada' bali' balila vacana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dekhiya--seeing; vismita--astonished; haila--became; sri-ranga-purira--of Sri Ranga Puri; mana--the mind; uthaha--get up; sri-pada--Your Holiness; bali'--saying; balila vacana--began to speak.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Upon seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in such an ecstatic mood, Sri Ranga Puri said, "Your Holiness, please get up.

 

                               TEXT 289

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sripada, dhara mora gosanira sambandha

               taha vina anyatra nahi ek premara gandha

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sri-pada--O Your Holiness; dhara--You hold; mora--my; gosanira--with Sri Madhavendra Puri; sambandha--relationship; taha vina--without him; anyatra--elsewhere; nahi--there is not; ei--this; premara--of ecstasy; gandha--fragrance.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Your Holiness is certainly related to Sri Madhavendra Puri, without whom there is no fragrance of ecstatic love."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that only Lord Krsna was worshiped in the disciplic succession of Madhvacarya up to the advent of His Holiness Sripada Laksmipati Tirtha. After Srila Madhavendra Puri, worship of both Radha and Krsna was established. For this reason Sri Madhavendra Puri is accepted as the root of worship in ecstatic love. Unless one is connected to the disciplic succession of Madhavendra Puri, there is no possibility of awakening the symptoms of ecstatic love. The word gosani is significant in this connection. The spiritual master who is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has no business other than the Lord's service is called the best of the paramahamsas. A paramahamsa has no program for sense gratification; he is interested only in satisfying the senses of the Lord. One who has control of the senses in this way is called a gosani or a gosvami, master of the senses. The senses cannot be controlled unless one is engaged in the service of the Lord; therefore the bona fide spiritual master, who has full control over his senses, engages twenty-four hours a day in the Lord's service. He can therefore be addressed as gosani or gosvami. The title gosvami cannot be inherited but can be given only to a bona fide spiritual master.

   There were six great Gosvamis of Vrndavana--Srila Rupa, Sanatana, Bhatta Raghunatha, Sri Jiva, Gopala Bhatta and Dasa Raghunatha--and none of them inherited the title of gosvami. All the Gosvamis of Vrndavana were bona fide spiritual masters situated on the highest platform of devotional service, and for that reason they were called gosvamis. All the temples of Vrndavana were certainly started by the six Gosvamis. Later the worship in the temples was entrusted to some householder disciples of the Gosvamis, and since then the hereditary title of gosvami has been used. However, only one who is a bona fide spiritual master expanding the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Krsna consciousness movement, and who is in full control of his senses can be addressed as a gosvami. Unfortunately, the hereditary process is going on; therefore at the present moment, in most cases the title is being misused due to ignorance of the word's etymology.

 

                               TEXT 290

 

                                 TEXT

 

               eta bali' prabhuke uthana kaila alingana

                 galagali kari' dunhe karena krandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eta bali'--saying this; prabhuke--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; uthana--lifting up; kaila--did; alingana--embracing; galagali--shoulder to shoulder; kari'--doing; dunhe--both of them; karena--do; krandana--crying.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After saying this, Sri Ranga Puri lifted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu up and embraced Him. As the two of them embraced shoulder to shoulder, they began to cry in ecstasy.

 

                               TEXT 291

 

                                 TEXT

 

              ksaneke avesa chadi' dunhara dhairya haila

                isvara-purira sambandha gosani janaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ksaneke--after just a few moments; avesa--ecstasy; chadi'--giving up; dunhara--of both of them; dhairya--patience; haila--there was; isvara-purira--of Isvara Puri; sambandha--relationship; gosani--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; janaila--disclosed.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After some moments, they came to their senses and became patient. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then informed Sri Ranga Puri about His relationship with Isvara Puri.

 

                               TEXT 292

 

                                 TEXT

 

                adbhuta premera vanya dunhara uthalila

                dunhe manya kari' dunhe anande vasila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   adbhuta--wonderful; premera--of love of Godhead; vanya--inundation; dunhara--of both of them; uthalila--arose; dunhe--both of them; manya kari'--offering respect; dunhe--both of them; anande--with great happiness; vasila--sat down.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   They were both inundated by the wonderful ecstasy of love that was aroused in them. Finally they sat down and respectfully began to converse.

 

                               TEXT 293

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 dui jane krsna-katha kahe ratri-dine

                   ei-mate gonaila panca-sata dine

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dui jane--both the persons; krsna-katha--topics of Krsna; kahe--speak; ratri-dine--day and night; ei-mate--in this way; gonaila--passed; panca-sata--five to seven; dine--days.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In this way they discussed topics about Lord Krsna continually for five to seven days.

 

                               TEXT 294

 

                                 TEXT

 

               kautuke puri tanre puchila janma-sthana

                gosani kautuke kahena 'navadvipa' nama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kautuke--out of curiosity; puri--Sri Ranga Puri; tanre--Him; puchila--asked; janma-sthana--the place of birth; gosani--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kautuke--as a matter of course; kahena--said; navadvipa--Navadvipa; nama--name.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Out of curiosity, Sri Ranga Puri asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about His birthplace, and the Lord informed him that it was Navadvipa-dhama.

 

                               TEXT 295

 

                                 TEXT

 

               sri-madhava-purira sange sri-ranga-puri

                 purve asiyachila tenho nadiya-nagari

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sri-madhava-purira sange--with Sri Madhavendra Puri; sri-ranga-puri--Sri Ranga Puri; purve--formerly; asiyachila--came; tenho--he; nadiya-nagari--to the city of Nadia.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Ranga Puri had formerly gone to Navadvipa with Sri Madhavendra Puri, and he therefore remembered the incidents that took place there.

 

                               TEXT 296

 

                                 TEXT

 

               jagannatha-misra-ghare bhiksa ye karila

                 apurva mocara ghanta tahan ye khaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jagannatha-misra-ghare--in the house of Sri Jagannatha Misra; bhiksa--lunch; ye--that; karila--took; apurva--unprecedented; mocara ghanta--curry made of plantain flowers; tahan--there; ye--that; khaila--ate.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   As soon as Sri Ranga Puri recalled Navadvipa, he also recalled accompanying Sri Madhavendra Puri to the house of Jagannatha Misra, where he had taken lunch. He even remembered the taste of an unprecedented curry made of banana flowers.

 

                               TEXT 297

 

                                 TEXT

 

            jagannathera brahmani, tenha----maha-pativrata

                vatsalye hayena tenha yena jagan-mata

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jagannathera--of Jagannatha Misra; brahmani--wife; tenha--she; maha--great; pati-vrata--devoted to her husband; vatsalye--in affection; hayena--was; tenha--she; yena--as if; jagat-mata--the mother of the whole universe.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Ranga Puri also remembered the wife of Jagannatha Misra. She was very much devoted and chaste. As for her affection, she was exactly like the mother of the universe.

 

                               TEXT 298

 

                                 TEXT

 

               randhane nipuna tan-sama nahi tribhuvane

               putra-sama sneha karena sannyasi-bhojane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   randhane--in cooking; nipuna--very expert; tan-sama--like her; nahi--there is none; tri-bhuvane--in the three worlds; putra-sama--like to her own sons; sneha karena--she was affectionate; sannyasi-bhojane--in feeding the sannyasis.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   He also remembered how Sri Jagannatha Misra's wife, Sacimata, was expert in cooking. He recalled that she was very affectionate toward the sannyasis and fed them exactly like her own sons.

 

                               TEXT 299

 

                                 TEXT

 

               tanra eka yogya putra kariyache sannyasa

                'sankararanya' nama tanra alpa vayasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tanra--her; eka--one; yogya--deserving; putra--son; kariyache--has accepted; sannyasa--the renounced order of life; sankararanya--Sankararanya; nama--named; tanra--his; alpa--little; vayasa--age.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Ranga Puri also remembered that one of her deserving sons had accepted the renounced order at a very young age. His name was Sankararanya.

 

                               TEXT 300

 

                                 TEXT

 

             ei tirthe sankararanyera siddhi-prapti haila

                 prastave sri-ranga-puri eteka kahila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei tirthe--in this holy place; sankararanyera--of Sankararanya; siddhi-prapti--attainment of perfection; haila--became fulfilled; prastave--in the course of conversation; sri-ranga-puri--Sri Ranga Puri; eteka--thus; kahila--spoke.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Ranga Puri informed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that the sannyasi named Sankararanya had attained perfection in that holy place, Pandarapura.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's elder brother was named Visvarupa. He left home before Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and accepted the sannyasa order under the name of Sankararanya Svami. He traveled all over the country and finally went to Pandarapura, where he passed away after attaining perfection. In other words, he entered the spiritual world after giving up his mortal body at Pandarapura. Sri Ranga Puri, a disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri and godbrother of Isvara Puri, disclosed this important news to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                               TEXT 301

 

                                 TEXT

 

             prabhu kahe,----purvasrame tenha mora bhrata

               jagannatha misra----purvasrame mora pita

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord replied; purva-asrame--in My previous asrama; tenha--He; mora bhrata--My brother; jagannatha misra--Jagannatha Misra; purva-asrame--in My previous asrama; mora pita--My father.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "In My previous asrama, Sankararanya was My brother and Jagannatha Misra was My father."

 

                               TEXT 302

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  ei-mata dui-jane ista-gosthi kari'

                dvaraka dekhite calila sri-ranga-puri

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei-mata--in this way; dui-jane--both of them; ista-gosthi kari'--discussing many topics; dvaraka dekhite--to see Dvaraka; calila--started; sri-ranga-puri--Sri Ranga Puri.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After finishing his talks with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Ranga Puri started for Dvaraka-dhama.

 

                               TEXT 303

 

                                 TEXT

 

              dina cari tatha prabhuke rakhila brahmana

           bhima-nadi snana kari' karena viththala darsana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dina--days; cari--four; tatha--there; prabhuke--Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; rakhila--kept; brahmana--the brahmana; bhima-nadi--in the river Bhima; snana kari'--bathing; karena--does; viththala darsana--visit the temple of Viththala.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After Sri Ranga Puri departed for Dvaraka, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained with the brahmana at Pandarapura for four more days. He took His bath in the Bhima River and visited the temple of Viththala.

 

                               TEXT 304

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tabe mahaprabhu aila krsna-venva-tire

               nana tirtha dekhi' tahan devata-mandire

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tabe--thereafter; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; aila--came; krsna-venva-tire--to the bank of the river Krsna-venva; nana--various; tirtha--holy places; dekhi'--seeing; tahan--there; devata-mandire--in the temples of some gods.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu next went to the bank of the Krsna-venva River, where He visited many holy places and the temples of various gods.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This river is a branch of the river Krsna. It is said that Thakura Bilvamangala resided on the banks of this river, which is also called the Vina, the Veni, the Sina and the Bhima.

 

                               TEXT 305

 

                                 TEXT

 

               brahmana-samaja saba----vaisnava-carita

                vaisnava sakala pade 'krsna-karnamrta'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   brahmana-samaja--the community of brahmanas; saba--all; vaisnava-carita--pure devotees; vaisnava sakala--all the Vaisnavas; pade--study; krsna-karnamrta--the Krsna-karnamrta of Bilvamangala Thakura.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The brahmana community there was composed of pure devotees, who regularly studied a book entitled Krsna-karnamrta, which was composed by Bilvamangala Thakura.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   This book was composed by Bilvamangala Thakura in 112 verses. There are two or three other books bearing the same name, and there are also two commentaries on Bilvamangala's book. One commentary was written by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami and the other by Caitanya dasa Gosvami.

 

                               TEXT 306

 

                                 TEXT

 

             krsna-karnamrta suni' prabhura ananda haila

                  agraha kariya punthi lekhana laila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   krsna-karnamrta suni'--after hearing the Krsna-karnamrta; prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; ananda haila--there was great happiness; agraha kariya--with great eagerness; punthi--the book; lekhana--getting copied; laila--took.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very much pleased to hear the book Krsna-karnamrta, and with great eagerness He had it copied and took it with Him.

 

                               TEXT 307

 

                                 TEXT

 

                'karnamrta'-sama vastu nahi tribhuvane

               yaha haite haya krsne suddha-prema-jnane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   karnamrta--the Krsna-karnamrta; sama--like; vastu nahi--there is nothing; tri-bhuvane--in the three worlds; yaha haite--from which; haya--there is; krsne--unto Lord Krsna; suddha-prema-jnane--knowledge of pure devotional service.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There is no comparison to the Krsna-karnamrta within the three worlds. By studying this book, one is elevated to the knowledge of pure devotional service to Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 308

 

                                 TEXT

 

                saundarya-madhurya-krsna-lilara avadhi

               sei jane, ye 'karnamrta' pade niravadhi

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   saundarya--beauty; madhurya--sweetness; krsna-lilara--of the pastimes of Lord Krsna; avadhi--limit; sei jane--he knows; ye--one who; karnamrta--the book Krsna-karnamrta; pade--studies; niravadhi--constantly.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   One who constantly reads the Krsna-karnamrta can fully understand the beauty and melodious taste of the pastimes of Lord Krsna.

 

                               TEXT 309

 

                                 TEXT

 

            'brahma-samhita', 'karnamrta' dui punthi pana

                 maha-ratna-praya pai aila sange lana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   brahma-samhita--the book Brahma-samhita; karnamrta--the book Krsna-karnamrta; dui--two; punthi--books; pana--getting; maha-ratna-praya--like the most valuable jewels; pai--getting; aila--came back; sange--with Him; lana--taking.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Brahma-samhita and Krsna-karnamrta were two books that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu considered to be most valuable jewels. Therefore He took them with Him on His return trip.

 

                               TEXT 310

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 tapi snana kari' aila mahismati-pure

                nana tirtha dekhi tahan narmadara tire

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tapi--in the Tapi River; snana kari'--taking a bath; aila--arrived; mahismati-pure--at Mahismati-pura; nana tirtha--many holy places; dekhi--seeing; tahan--there; narmadara tire--on the bank of the river Narmada.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu next arrived at the banks of the river Tapi. After bathing there, He went to Mahismati-pura. While there, He saw many holy places on the banks of the river Narmada.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The river Tapi is presently known as Tapti. The river's source is a mountain called Multai, and the river flows westward through the state of Saurastra and into the Arabian Sea. Mahismati-pura is mentioned in Mahabharata in connection with Sahadeva's victory. Sahadeva, the youngest brother of the Pandavas, conquered that part of the country. As stated in the Mahabharata:

 

                         tato ratnany upadaya

                        purim mahismatim yayau

                        tatra nilena rajna sa

                      cakre yuddham nararsabhah

 

   "After acquiring jewels, Sahadeva went to the city of Mahismati, where he fought with a king called Nila."

 

                               TEXT 311

 

                                 TEXT

 

            dhanus-tirtha dekhi' karila nirvindhyate snane

                   rsyamuka-giri aila dandakaranye

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dhanush-tirtha--Dhanus-tirtha; dekhi'--seeing; karila--did; nirvindhyate--in the river Nirvindhya; snane--bathing; rsyamuka-giri--at the Rsyamuka Mountain; aila--arrived; dandaka-aranye--in the forest known as Dandakaranya.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord next arrived at Dhanus-tirtha, where He took His bath in the river Nirvindhya. He then arrived at Rsyamuka Mountain and then went to the forest called Dandakaranya.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   According to some opinions, Rsyamuka is a chain of mountains beginning at the village of Hampi-grama in the district of Belari. The mountain chain begins along the bank of the river Tungabhadra, which gradually reaches the state of Hyderabad. According to other opinions, this hill is situated in Madhya Pradesh and bears the present name of Rampa. Dandakaranya is a spacious tract of land which begins north of Khandesa and extends south to Ahmadnagar, west to Nasika, and east to Aurangabad. The Godavari River flows through this tract of land, and there is a great forest there where Lord Ramacandra lived.

 

                               TEXT 312

 

                                 TEXT

 

                'saptatala-vrksa' dekhe kanana-bhitara

                 ati vrddha, ati sthula, ati uccatara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sapta-tala-vrksa--seven palm trees; dekhe--sees; kanana bhitara--within the forest; ati vrddha--very old; ati sthula--very bulky; ati uccatara--very high.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Within that forest Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then visited a place called Saptatala. The seven palm trees there were very old, very bulky and very high.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The name Saptatala is mentioned in the Kiskindhya Chapter of the Ramayana and is described in the eleventh and twelfth sections of this chapter.

 

                               TEXT 313

 

                                 TEXT

 

                saptatala dekhi' prabhu alingana kaila

                 sasarire saptatala vaikunthe calila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sapta-tala dekhi'--after seeing the seven palm trees; prabhu--Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; alingana kaila--embraced; sa-sarire--with their bodies; sapta-tala--the seven palm trees; vaikunthe calila--returned to Vaikunthaloka.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After seeing the seven palm trees, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu embraced them. As a result, they all returned to Vaikunthaloka, the spiritual world.

 

                               TEXT 314

 

                                 TEXT

 

              sunya-sthala dekhi' lokera haila camatkara

                loke kahe, e sannyasi----rama-avatara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sunya-sthala--the vacant place; dekhi'--seeing; lokera--of the people in general; haila--there was; camatkara--astonishment; loke kahe--all people began to say; e sannyasi--this sannyasi; rama-avatara--incarnation of Lord Ramacandra.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After the seven palm trees had departed for Vaikuntha, everyone was astonished to see them gone. The people then began to say, "This sannyasi called Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must be an incarnation of Lord Ramacandra.

 

                               TEXT 315

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sasarire tala gela sri-vaikuntha-dhama

                 aiche sakti kara haya, vina eka rama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sa-sarire--with the material body; tala--the palm trees; gela--went; sri-vaikuntha-dhama--to the spiritual kingdom, known as Vaikuntha; aiche--such; sakti--power; kara--whose; haya--is; vina--without; eka--one; rama--Lord Ramacandra.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "Only Lord Ramacandra has the power to send seven palm trees to the spiritual Vaikuntha planets."

 

                               TEXT 316

 

                                 TEXT

 

                prabhu asi' kaila pampa-sarovare snana

                 pancavati asi, tahan karila visrama

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; asi'--coming; kaila--did; pampa-sarovare--in the lake known as Pampa; snana--bathing; pancavati asi--then coming to Pancavati; tahan--there; karila--took; visrama--rest.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Eventually Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived at a lake known as Pampa, where He took His bath. He then went to a place called Pancavati, where He rested.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   According to some, the old name of the Tungabhadra River was Pamba. According to others, Vijaya-nagara, the capital of the state, was known as Pampatirtha. Yet according to others, the lake near Anagundi, in the direction of Hyderabad, is Pampa-sarovara. The river Tungabhadra also flows through there. There are many different opinions about the lake called Pampa-sarovara.

 

                               TEXT 317

 

                                 TEXT

 

               nasike tryambaka dekhi' gela brahmagiri

                kusavarte aila yahan janmila godavari

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nasike--at the holy place Nasika; tryambaka--a deity of Lord Siva; dekhi'--after seeing; gela--went; brahmagiri--to the place known as Brahmagiri; kusavarte aila--then He came to the holy place known as Kusavarta; yahan--where; janmila--took birth; godavari--the river Godavari.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then visited Nasika, where He saw the deity of Tryambaka [Lord Siva]. He then went to Brahma-giri and then to Kusavarta, the source of the river Godavari.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Kusavarta is located in the western ghata, at Sahyadri. It is near Nasika, a holy place, but according to some it was situated in the valley of Vindhya.

 

                               TEXT 318

 

                                 TEXT

 

              sapta godavari aila kari' tirtha bahutara

                   punarapi aila prabhu vidyanagara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sapta godavari--to the place known as Sapta-godavari; aila--came; kari' tirtha bahutara--visiting various holy places; punarapi--again; aila--came back; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; vidyanagara--to the place where He met Ramananda Raya.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After visiting many other holy places, the Lord went to Sapta-godavari. At last He returned to Vidyanagara.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In this way Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu traveled from the source of the Godavari River and eventually visited the northern side of Hyderabad state. He finally arrived at the state of Kalinga.

 

                               TEXT 319

 

                                 TEXT

 

                ramananda raya suni' prabhura agamana

                anande asiya kaila prabhu-saha milana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ramananda raya--Ramananda Raya; suni'--hearing; prabhura--of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; agamana--return; anande--in great happiness; asiya--coming; kaila--did; prabhu-saha--with Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; milana--meeting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When Ramananda Raya heard of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's arrival, he was very much pleased, and he immediately went to see Him.

 

                               TEXT 320

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  dandavat hana pade carane dhariya

                  alingana kaila prabhu tanre uthana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dandavat hana--like a stick; pade--fell; carane--the lotus feet; dhariya--catching; alingana--embracing; kaila--did; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--him; uthana--getting up.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When Ramananda Raya fell flat, touching the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord immediately raised him to his feet and embraced him.

 

                               TEXT 321

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  dui jane premavese karena krandana

               premanande sithila haila dunhakara mana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dui jane--both of them; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; karena--do; krandana--crying; prema-anande--in ecstatic love; sithila haila--became slackened; dunhakara--of both of them; mana--minds.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In great ecstatic love they both began to cry, and thus their minds were slackened.

 

                               TEXT 322

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  kata-ksane dui jana susthira hana

                 nana ista-gosthi kare ekatra vasiya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kata-ksane--after some time; dui--two; jana--people; su-sthira hana--coming to their senses; nana--various; ista-gosthi--discussions; kare--do; ekatra--together; vasiya--sitting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After some time they regained their senses and sat together to discuss various subjects.

 

                               TEXT 323

 

                                 TEXT

 

               tirtha-yatra-katha prabhu sakala kahila

            karnamrta, brahma-samhita,----dui punthi dila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tirtha-yatra-katha--topics of His pilgrimage; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; sakala kahila--described everything; karnamrta--the book named Krsna-karnamrta; brahma-samhita--the book named Brahma-samhita; dui--two; punthi--scriptures; dila--delivered.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave Ramananda Raya a vivid description of His travels to the holy places and told him how He had acquired the two books named Krsna-karnamrta and Brahma-samhita. The Lord delivered the books to Ramananda Raya.

 

                               TEXT 324

 

                                 TEXT

 

              prabhu kahe,----tumi yei siddhanta kahile

                  ei dui punthi sei saba saksi dile

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord said; tumi--you; yei--whatever; siddhanta--conclusion; kahile--informed; ei dui--these two; punthi--books; sei--that; saba--everything; saksi--evidence; dile--gave.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord said, "Whatever you have told Me about devotional service is all supported by these two books."

 

                               TEXT 325

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  rayera ananda haila pustaka paiya

                prabhu-saha asvadila, rakhila likhiya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   rayera--of Raya Ramananda; ananda--happiness; haila--there was; pustaka paiya--getting those two books; prabhu-saha--with the Lord; asvadila--tasted; rakhila--kept; likhiya--writing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Ramananda Raya was very happy to receive these books. He tasted their contents along with the Lord and made a copy of each of them.

 

                               TEXT 326

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 'gosani' aila' grame haila kolahala

                  prabhuke dekhite loka aila sakala

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gosani--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; aila'--has returned; grame--in the village; haila--there was; kolahala--commotion; prabhuke--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dekhite--to see; loka--people; aila--came there; sakala--all.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   News spread in the village of Vidyanagara about the arrival of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and everyone came to see Him once again.

 

                               TEXT 327

 

                                 TEXT

 

                loka dehki' ramananda gela nija-ghare

               madhyahne uthila prabhu bhiksa karibare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   loka dekhi'--seeing the people; ramananda--Raya Ramananda; gela--departed; nija-ghare--to his own home; madhyahne--at noon; uthila prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu got up; bhiksa karibare--to take His lunch.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After seeing the people who gathered there, Sri Ramananda Raya returned to his own home. At noon, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu got up to take His lunch.

 

                               TEXT 328

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ratri-kale raya punah kaila agamana

                dui jane krsna-kathaya kaila jagarana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ratri-kale--at night; raya--Ramananda Raya; punah--again; kaila--did; agamana--coming; dui jane--the two of them; krsna-kathaya--in discourses on topics of Krsna; kaila--did; jagarana--keeping awake through the night.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Ramananda Raya returned at night, and he and the Lord discussed topics concerning Krsna. Thus they passed the night.

 

                               TEXT 329

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 dui jane krsna-katha kahe ratri-dine

                  parama-anande gela panca-sata dine

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dui jane--both of them; krsna-katha--topics of Krsna; kahe--speak; ratri-dine--day and night; parama-anande--in great happiness; gela--passed; panca-sata dine--five to seven days.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Ramananda Raya and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discussed Krsna day and night, and thus they passed from five to seven days in great happiness.

 

                               TEXT 330

 

                                 TEXT

 

             ramananda kahe,----prabhu, tomara ajna pana

                  rajake likhilun ami vinaya kariya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ramananda kahe--Ramananda Raya said; prabhu--my dear Lord; tomara ajna--Your permission; pana--getting; rajake likhilun--have written a letter to the King; ami--I; vinaya kariya--with great humility.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Ramananda Raya said, "My dear Lord, with Your permission I have already written a letter to the King with great humility.

 

                               TEXT 331

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  raja more ajna dila nilacale yaite

                 calibara udyoga ami lagiyachi karite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   raja--the King; more--unto me; ajna dila--has given an order; nilacale yaite--to go to Jagannatha Puri; calibara--to go; udyoga--arrangement; ami--I; lagiyachi--began; karite--to do.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "The King has already given me an order to return to Jagannatha Puri, and I am making arrangements to do this."

 

                               TEXT 332

 

                                 TEXT

 

             prabhu kahe,----etha mora e-nimitte agamana

                   toma lana nilacale kariba gamana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; etha--here; mora--My; e-nimitte--for this reason; agamana--coming back; toma lana--taking you; nilacale--to Jagannatha Puri; kariba--I shall do; gamana--going.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then said, "It is for this purpose alone that I have returned. I want to take you with Me to Jagannatha Puri."

 

                               TEXT 333

 

                                 TEXT

 

               raya kahe,----prabhu, age cala nilacale

                mora sange hati-ghoda, sainya-kolahale

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   raya kahe--Ramananda Raya replied; prabhu--Lord; age cala--You go ahead; nilacale--to Jagannatha Puri; mora sange--with me; hati-ghoda--elephants and horses; sainya--soldiers; kolahale--tumultuous roaring.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Ramananda Raya said, "My dear Lord, it is better that You proceed to Jagannatha Puri alone because with me there will be many horses, elephants and soldiers, all roaring tumultuously.

 

                               TEXT 334

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 dina-dase iha-sabara kari' samadhana

                tomara pache pache ami kariba prayana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   dina-dase--within ten days; iha-sabara--of all of this; kari' samadhana--making adjustment; tomara--You; pache pache--following; ami--I; kariba--shall do; prayana--going.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   "I shall make arrangements within ten days. Following You, I shall go to Nilacala without delay."

 

                               TEXT 335

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tabe mahaprabhu tanre asite ajna diya

                 nilacale calila prabhu anandita hana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tabe--then; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--unto him; asite--to come; ajna diya--giving an order; nilacale--to Jagannatha Puri; calila--departed; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; anandita hana--with great pleasure.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Giving orders to Ramananda Raya to come to Nilacala, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu departed for Jagannatha Puri with great pleasure.

 

                               TEXT 336

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 yei pathe purve prabhu kaila agamana

             sei pathe calila dekhi, sarva vaisnava-gana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   yei pathe--the path by which; purve--formerly; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kaila agamana--came; sei pathe--by that way; calila--departed; dekhi--seeing; sarva--all; vaisnava-gana--Vaisnavas.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned by the same road He formerly took to Vidyanagara, and all the Vaisnavas along the way saw Him again.

 

                               TEXT 337

 

                                 TEXT

 

               yahan yaya, loka uthe hari-dhvani kari'

                 dekhi' anandita-mana haila gaurahari

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   yahan yaya--wherever He goes; loka uthe--people stand up; hari-dhvani kari'--vibrating the holy name of the Hare Krsna mantra; dekhi'--by seeing; anandita--happy; mana--in mind; haila--became; gaurahari--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Wherever Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went, the holy name of Sri Hari was vibrated. Seeing this, the Lord became very happy.

 

                               TEXT 338

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  alalanathe asi' krsnadase pathaila

                   nityananda-adi nija-gane bolaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   alalanathe--to the place known as Alalanatha; asi'--coming; krsnadase--Krsnadasa, His assistant; pathaila--sent ahead; nityananda--Lord Nityananda; adi--and others; nija-gane--personal associates; bolaila--called for.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the Lord reached Alalanatha, He sent His assistant Krsnadasa ahead to call for Nityananda and other personal associates.

 

                               TEXT 339

 

                                 TEXT

 

                prabhura agamana suni' nityananda raya

                 uthiya calila, preme theha nahi paya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; agamana--arrival; suni'--hearing; nityananda raya--Lord Nityananda; uthiya calila--got up and started; preme--in great ecstasy; theha--patience; nahi paya--does not get.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   As soon as Nityananda received news of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's arrival, He immediately got up and started out to see Him. Indeed, He was very impatient in His great ecstasy.

 

                               TEXT 340

 

                                 TEXT

 

                jagadananda, damodara-pandita, mukunda

                 naciya calila, dehe na dhare ananda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jagadananda--Jagadananda; damodara-pandita--Damodara Pandita; mukunda--Mukunda; naciya--dancing; calila--departed; dehe--the body; na dhare--does not hold; ananda--happiness.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Nityananda Raya, Jagadananda, Damodara Pandita and Mukunda all became ecstatic in their happiness, and dancing along the way, they went to meet the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 341

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 gopinathacarya calila anandita hana

                 prabhure milila sabe pathe lag pana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gopinatha-acarya--Gopinatha Acarya; calila--departed; anandita--in happiness; hana--being; prabhure--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; milila--met; sabe--all; pathe--along the way; lag--contact; pana--getting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Gopinatha Acarya also went in a very happy mood. They all went to meet the Lord, and they finally contacted Him on the way.

 

                               TEXT 342

 

                                 TEXT

 

                prabhu premavese sabaya kaila alingana

                 premavese sabe kare ananda-krandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; sabaya--all of them; kaila alingana--embraced; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; sabe kare--all of them did; ananda-krandana--crying in pleasure.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord was also filled with ecstatic love, and He embraced them all. Out of their love, they began to cry with pleasure.

 

                               TEXT 343

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sarvabhauma bhattacarya anande calila

                 samudrera tire asi' prabhure milila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sarvabhauma bhattacarya--Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya; anande--in pleasure; calila--went; samudrera tire--on the beach by the ocean; asi'--coming; prabhure milila--met the Lord.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya also went to see the Lord with great pleasure, and he met Him on the beach by the sea.

 

                               TEXT 344

 

                                 TEXT

 

                sarvabhauma mahaprabhura padila carane

                  prabhu tanre uthana kaila alingane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sarvabhauma--Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya; mahaprabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; padila--fell down; carane--at the feet; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--him; uthana--making get up; kaila alingane--embraced.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord pulled him up and embraced him.

 

                               TEXT 345

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 premavese sarvabhauma karila rodane

                saba-sange aila prabhu isvara-darasane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prema-avese--in ecstatic love; sarvabhauma--Sarvabhauma; karila rodane--cried; saba-sange--with all of them; aila--came; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; isvara-darasane--to see the Jagannatha temple.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya cried in great ecstatic love. Then the Lord, accompanied by them all, went to the temple of Jagannatha.

 

                               TEXT 346

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 jagannatha-darasana premavese kaila

                kampa-sveda-pulakasrute sarira bhasila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jagannatha-darasana--visiting Lord Jagannatha; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; kaila--made; kampa--trembling; sveda--perspiration; pulaka--jubilation; asrute--with tears; sarira--the whole body; bhasila--was inundated.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Due to ecstatic love experienced upon visiting Lord Jagannatha, inundations of trembling, perspiration, tears and jubilation swept the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                               TEXT 347

 

                                 TEXT

 

                bahu nrtya-gita kaila premavista hana

                panda-pala aila sabe mala-prasada lana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bahu--much; nrtya-gita--dancing and chanting; kaila--performed; prema-avista--in ecstatic love; hana--being; panda-pala--the priests and attendants; aila--came; sabe--all; mala-prasada--a garland and remnants of the food of Jagannatha; lana--offering.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In ecstatic love Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced and chanted. At that time all the attendants and priests came to offer Him a garland and the remnants of Lord Jagannatha's food.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Those who are priests engaged in Lord Jagannatha's service are called pandas or panditas, and they are brahmanas. The attendants who look after the temple's external affairs are called palas. The priests and attendants went together to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                               TEXT 348

 

                                 TEXT

 

               mala-prasada pana prabhu susthira ha-ila

                jagannathera sevaka saba anande milila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mala-prasada--the garland and prasada; pana--getting; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; su-sthira ha-ila--became patient; jagannathera--of Lord Jagannatha; sevaka--servants; saba--all; anande milila--met Him in great pleasure.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became patient after receiving the garland and prasada of Lord Jagannatha. All the servants of Lord Jagannatha met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with great pleasure.

 

                               TEXT 349

 

                                 TEXT

 

                kasi-misra asi' prabhura padila carane

               manya kari' prabhu tanre kaila alingane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kasi-misra--Kasi Misra; asi'--coming; prabhura--of the Lord; padila--fell down; carane--at the feet; manya kari'--with great respect; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--unto him; kaila--did; alingane--embracing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Afterward, Kasi Misra came and fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord respectfully embraced him.

 

                               TEXT 350

 

                                 TEXT

 

               prabhu lana sarvabhauma nija-ghare gela

               mora ghare bhiksa bali' nimantrana kaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu lana--taking Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; sarvabhauma--Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya; nija-ghare--to his own home; gela--went; mora--my; ghare--at home; bhiksa--luncheon; bali'--saying; nimantrana kaila--invited.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya then took the Lord with him to his home, saying, "Today's luncheon will be at my home." In this way he invited the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 351

 

                                 TEXT

 

                   divya maha-prasada aneka anaila

                 pitha-pana adi jagannatha ye khaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   divya--very nice; maha-prasada--remnants of food from Jagannatha; aneka--various; anaila--brought; pitha-pana adi--such as cakes and condensed milk; jagannatha--Lord Jagannatha; ye--which; khaila--ate.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya brought various types of food remnants that had been left by Lord Jagannatha. He brought all kinds of cakes and condensed-milk preparations.

 

                               TEXT 352

 

                                 TEXT

 

                madhyahna karila prabhu nija-gana lana

                sarvabhauma-ghare bhiksa karila asiya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   madhyahna--noon lunch; karila--performed; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; nija-gana lana--accompanied by associates; sarvabhauma-ghare--at the home of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya; bhiksa--lunch; karila--performed; asiya--coming.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Accompanied by all His associates, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya's house and took His noon lunch there.

 

                               TEXT 353

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  bhiksa karana tanre karaila sayana

                apane sarvabhauma kare pada-samvahana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   bhiksa karana--after giving lunch; tanre--Him; karaila--made; sayana--lie down to rest; apane--personally; sarvabhauma--Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya; kare--does; pada-samvahana--massaging the legs.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   After offering food to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya made Him lie down to rest, and he personally began to massage the legs of the Lord.

 

                               TEXT 354

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 prabhu tanre pathaila bhojana karite

               sei ratri tanra ghare rahila tanra prite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--him; pathaila--sent; bhojana karite--to take lunch; sei ratri--that night; tanra ghare--at his home; rahila--remained; tanra prite--just to satisfy him.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then sent Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya to take his lunch, and the Lord remained that night in his home just to please him.

 

                               TEXT 355

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 sarvabhauma-sange ara lana nija-gana

               tirtha-yatra-katha kahi' kaila jagarana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sarvabhauma-sange--with Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya; ara--and; lana nija-gana--taking His own associates; tirtha-yatra-katha--topics of the pilgrimage; kahi'--telling; kaila--did; jagarana--keeping awake through the night.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His personal associates remained with Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. They all stayed awake the entire night as the Lord spoke of His pilgrimage.

 

                               TEXT 356

 

                                 TEXT

 

             prabhu kahe,----eta tirtha kailun paryatana

               toma-sama vaisnava na dekhilun eka-jana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu kahe--the Lord said; eta tirtha--to so many holy places; kailun paryatana--I have traveled; toma-sama--like you; vaisnava--devotee; na--not; dekhilun--I could see; eka-jana--one man.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord told Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, "I have traveled to many holy places, but I could not find a Vaisnava as good as you anywhere."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In the Sri Caitanya-candrodaya-nataka (eighth part) Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Sarvabhauma, I have traveled to many holy places, but I cannot find a Vaisnava as good as you anywhere. However, I must admit that Ramananda Raya is wonderful."

   Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya replied, "Therefore, my Lord, I requested that You see him."

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then said, "There are, of course, many Vaisnavas in these holy places, and most of them worship Lord Narayana. Others, who are called Tattvavadis, are also Laksmi-Narayana worshipers, but they do not belong to the pure Vaisnava cult. There are many worshipers of Lord Siva, and there are also many atheists. Regardless, My dear Bhattacarya, I very much like Ramananda Raya and his opinions."

 

                               TEXT 357

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  eka ramananda raya bahu sukha dila

                bhatta kahe,----ei lagi' milite kahila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   eka--one; ramananda raya--Ramananda Raya; bahu sukha--much pleasure; dila--gave; bhatta kahe--Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya replied; ei lagi'--for this reason; milite--to meet; kahila--I requested.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "I received much pleasure from the talks of Ramananda Raya."

   The Bhattacarya replied, "For this reason I requested that You meet him."

 

                               TEXT 358

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tirtha-yatra-katha ei kailun samapana

              sanksepe kahilun, vistara na yaya varnana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tirtha-yatra-katha--topics of the pilgrimage; ei--these; kailun samapana--I have finished; sanksepe kahilun--I have described in brief; vistara--expansively; na yaya varnana--it is not possible to describe.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Thus I have ended my narration about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pilgrimage, describing it in brief. It cannot be described very broadly.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura points out that in the seventy-fourth verse of this chapter it is stated that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Siyali-bhairavi, but actually at Siyali, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Sri Bhu-varaha. Near Siyali and Cidambaram there is a temple known as Sri Musnam. In this temple there is a Deity of Sri Bhu-varaha. In the jurisdiction of Cidambaram there is a district known as southern Arcot. The town of Siyali is in that district. There is a temple of Sri Bhu-varahadeva nearby, not Bhairavi-devi. This is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's conclusion.

 

                               TEXT 359

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ananta caitanya-lila kahite na jani

                 lobhe lajja khana tara kari tanatani

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ananta--unlimited; caitanya-lila--pastimes of Lord Caitanya; kahite--to speak; na jani--I do not know; lobhe--out of greed; lajja khana--becoming shameless; tara--of them; kari--I do; tanatani--some attempt only.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The pastimes of Lord Caitanya are unlimited. No one can properly describe His activities, yet I make the attempt out of greed. This but reveals my shamelessness.

 

                               TEXT 360

 

                                 TEXT

 

              prabhura tirtha-yatra-katha sune yei jana

                caitanya-carane paya gadha prema-dhana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tirtha-yatra--touring of sacred places of pilgrimage; katha--topics about; sune--hears; yei--who; jana--person; caitanya-carane--at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; paya--gets; gadha--deep; prema-dhana--riches of ecstatic love.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Whoever hears of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pilgrimage to various holy places attains the riches of very deep ecstatic love.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks, "The impersonalists imagine some forms of the Absolute Truth through the direct perception of their senses. The impersonalists worship such imaginary forms, but neither Srimad-Bhagavatam nor Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepts this sense gratificatory worship to be of any spiritual significance." The Mayavadis imagine themselves to be the Supreme. They imagine that the Supreme has no personal form and that all His forms are imaginary like the will-o'-the-wisp or a flower in the sky. Both Mayavadis and those who imagine forms of God are misguided. According to them, worship of the Deity or any other form of the Lord is a result of the conditioned soul's illusion. However, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam on the strength of His philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. That philosophy holds that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. That is to say, there is unity in diversity. In this way Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu proved the impotence of fruitive workers, speculative empiric philosophers and mystic yogis. The realization of such men is simply a waste of time and energy.

   To set the example, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally visited temples in various holy places. Wherever He visited, He immediately exhibited His ecstatic love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When a Vaisnava visits the temple of a demigod, his vision of that demigod is different from the vision of the impersonalists and Mayavadis. The Brahma-samhita supports this. A Vaisnava's visit to the temple of Lord Siva, for example, is different from a nondevotee's visit. The nondevotee considers the deity of Lord Siva an imaginary form because he ultimately thinks that the Supreme Absolute Truth is void. However, a Vaisnava sees Lord Siva as being simultaneously one with and different from the Supreme Lord. In this regard, the example of milk and yogurt is given. Yogurt is actually nothing but milk, but at the same time it is not milk. It is simultaneously one with milk yet different from it. This is the philosophy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and it is confirmed by Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita (9.4):

 

                        maya tatam idam sarvam

                        jagad avyakta-murtina

                       mat-sthani sarva-bhutani

                       na caham tesv avasthitah

 

   "By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."

   The Absolute Truth, God, is everything, but this does not mean that everything is God. For this reason Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers visited the temples of all the demigods, but they did not see them in the same way an impersonalist sees them. Everyone should follow in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and visit all temples. Sometimes mundane sahajiyas suppose that the gopis visited the temple of Katyayani in the same way mundane people visit the temple of Devi. However, the gopis prayed to Katyayani to grant them Krsna as their husband, whereas mundaners visit the temple of Katyayani to receive some material profit. That is the difference between a Vaisnava's visit and a nondevotee's visit.

   Not understanding the process of disciplic succession, so-called logicians put forward the theory of pancopasana, in which a person worships one of five deities--namely Visnu, Siva, Durga, the sun-god or Ganesa. In this conception the impersonalists accept one of these five deities as supreme and reject the others. Such philosophical speculation, which is certainly idol worship, is not accepted by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or by Vaisnavas. This imaginary deity worship has recently been transformed into Mayavada impersonalism. For want of Krsna consciousness, people are victimized by the Mayavada philosophy, and consequently they sometimes become staunch atheists. However, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu established the process of self-realization by His own personal behavior. As stated in Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 8.274):

 

             sthavara-jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti

                 sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti

 

   "A Vaisnava never sees the material form of anything, moving or nonmoving. Rather, everywhere he looks he sees the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and immediately he remembers the transcendental form of the Lord."

 

                               TEXT 361

 

                                 TEXT

 

              caitanya-carita suna sraddha-bhakti kari'

              matsarya chadiya mukhe bala 'hari' 'hari'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   caitanya-carita--the activities of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; suna--hear; sraddha--faith; bhakti--devotion; kari'--accepting; matsarya--envy; chadiya--giving up; mukhe--by the mouth; bala--say; hari hari--the holy name of the Lord (Hari, Hari).

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Please hear the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with faith and devotion. Giving up envy of the Lord, everyone chant the Lord's holy name, Hari.

 

                               TEXT 362

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  ei kali-kale ara nahi kona dharma

               vaisnava, vaisnava-sastra, ei kahe marma

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ei kali-kale--in this Age of Kali; ara--other; nahi kona--there is not any; dharma--religious principle; vaisnava--devotee; vaisnava-sastra--devotional literature; ei kahe marma--this is the purport.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   In this Age of Kali there are no genuine religious principles other than those established by Vaisnava devotees and Vaisnava scriptures. This is the sum and substance of everything.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   One must have firm faith in the process of devotional service and the scriptures that support it. If one hears the activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with this faith, he can be freed from his envious position. Srimad-Bhagavatam is meant for such nonenvious persons (nirmatsaranam satam). In this age a person should not envy Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement but should chant the holy names of Hari and Krsna, the maha-mantra. That is the sum and substance of the eternal religion, known as sanatana-dharma. In this verse the word vaisnava refers to a pure devotee and fully realized soul, and the word vaisnava-sastra refers to sruti, or the Vedas, which are called sabda-pramana, the evidence of transcendental sound. One who strictly follows the Vedic literature and chants the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will actually be situated in the transcendental disciplic succession. Those who want to attain life's ultimate goal must follow this principle. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.19.17), it is said:

 

                      srutih pratyaksam aitihyam

                         anumanam catustayam

                        pramanesv anavasthanad

                        vikalpat sa virajyate

 

   "Vedic literature, direct perception, history and hypothesis are the four kinds of evidential proofs. Everyone should stick to these principles for the realization of the Absolute Truth."

 

                               TEXT 363

 

                                 TEXT

 

              caitanya-candrera lila----agadha, gambhira

              pravesa karite nari,----sparsi rahi' tira

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   caitanya-candrera lila--the pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; agadha--unfathomable; gambhira--deep; pravesa karite--to enter into; nari--I am unable; sparsi--I touch; rahi' tira--standing on the bank.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are just like an unfathomable ocean. It is not possible for me to enter into them. Simply standing on the shore, I am but touching the water.

 

                               TEXT 364

 

                                 TEXT

 

               caitanya-carita sraddhaya sune yei jana

                 yateka vicare, tata paya prema-dhana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   caitanya-carita--the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; sraddhaya--with faith; sune--hears; yei jana--which person; yateka vicare--as far as he analytically studies; tata--so far; paya--he gets; prema-dhana--the riches of ecstatic love.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The more one hears the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with faith, analytically studying them, the more one attains the ecstatic riches of love of Godhead.

 

                               TEXT 365

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  sri-rupa-raghunatha-pade yara asa

                  caitanya-caritamrta kahe krsnadasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sri-rupa--Srila Rupa Gosvami; raghunatha--Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami; pade--at the lotus feet; yara--whose; asa--expectation; caitanya-caritamrta--the book named Caitanya-caritamrta; kahe--describes; krsnadasa--Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   As usual the author concludes the chapter by reciting the names of Sri Rupa and Raghunatha and reinstating himself at their lotus feet.

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Ninth Chapter, describing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's travels to many holy places in South India.

 


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