Ädi-khaëòa

Dedication

This English edition of Çré Caitanya-bhägavata is dedicated to

His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda

Founder-Äcärya of
the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

evaà janaà nipatitaà prabhavähi-küpe

kämäbhikämam anu yaù prapatan prasaìgät
krtvätmasät surarñiëä bhagavän gåhétaù
so 'haà kathaà nu visåje tava bhåtya-seväm
(SB 7.9.28)

Chapter One: Summary of Lord Gaura’s Pastimes:

The first five verses of this chapter are the maìgaläcaraëa, or auspicious

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invocation verses. In the first verse the author offers his respects to both Çré
Caitanya Mahäprabhu and Nityänanda Prabhu. In the second verse he offers
obeisances to only Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. In the third verse the author discloses the confidential knowledge
that Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is nondifferent from Çré Kåñëa, the son of
Yaçodä, and Nityänanda Prabhu is nondifferent from Çré Balaräma, the son of
Rohiëé. In the fourth verse the author glorifies the form, qualities, and
pastimes of Çré Caitanyacandra. In the fifth verse the author glorifies the
pastimes and characteristics of Çré Caitanya’s devotees. In the beginning of
the book, prayers are offered to the devotees and the worship of devotees is
described as superior to the worship of the Supreme Lord. The author then
offers obeisances to the original Saìkarñaëa, Çré Nityänanda-Baladeva, who is
not only his spiritual master but who in His incarnation as Saìkarñaëa, or
Ananta, serves Çré Kåñëa Caitanya in ten different forms and who as Çeña
constantly glorifies the qualities of Çré Kåñëa Caitanya with His thousands of
mouths as He holds the universes on His heads. Çré Nityänanda Prabhu is
worshipable by even Lord Mahädeva, the greatest of the demigods, therefore
He is jagad-guru, the spiritual master of the entire universe, and only by His
mercy can one attain the eternal service of Çré Kåñëa Caitanya. The author
also establishes that Lord Balaräma’s räsa-lélä is eternal, like that of Lord
Kåñëa, and he cites evidence from the Çrémad Bhägavatam in order to refute
oposing views, which are contrary to the conclusions of the scriptures. While
describing the glories of Lord Balaräma, the author explains that although
Balaräma is nondifferent from Kåñëa, the son of Mahäräja Nanda, He
nevertheless serves Kåñëa by accepting various forms such as His friend,
brother, cämara, bed, house, umbrella, clothes, ornaments, and seat. The
truths regarding Nityänanda-Baladeva, like those of Gaura-Kåñëa, are difficult
for even Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva to understand. In His form as Çeña, Lord
Balaräma supports the entire universe and constantly glorifies the
characteristics of Lord Kåñëa with His thousand mouths. Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu is that same Lord Balaräma. In other words, Çré Baladeva, who is the

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original Saìkarñaëa, is Lord Nityänanda. Other than by taking shelter of His
lotus feet, there is no means for a living entity to gain freedom from material
existence and attain the service of Gaura-Kåñëa. The author composed Çré
Caitanya-maìgala or bhägavata by the order and mercy of Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu. He did not exhibit any pride by presenting this great work, rather he
humbly states that living entities who are under the clutches of mäyä cannot
possibly describe by their own endeavor the topics of the Lord, who is the
controller of mäyä. Out of His causeless mercy, the Supreme Lord personally
manifests in the heart of a living entity who has received the mercy of the
spiritual master.
In this book the pastimes of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu have been described
in three divisions: (1) the Ädi-khaëòa, mainly comprising the Lord’s scholastic
pastimes, (2) the Madhya-khaëòa, mainly comprising the inauguration of the
saìkértana movement, and (3) the Antya-khaëòa, mainly comprising the
Lord’s distribution of the holy names as a sannyäsé in Néläcala. This chapter
concludes with a summary of the contents of the entire book.

Gauòéya-bhäñya

äçraya-viñaya-dvaya, anyo ’nya-sambhoga-maya,

rädhä-kåñëa mädhurya dekhäya
vipralambha-bhäva-maya, çré-caitanya dénäçraya,
duye mili’ audärya viläya

The worshipable Lord and His devotee enjoy each other’s association as
Rädhä and Kåñëa reveal Their sweet pastimes. The combined form of Rädhä
and Kåñëa, Lord Çré Caitanya, is the shelter of the fallen souls and the

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personification of audärya, magnanimity, and vipralambha-bhäva, service in
separation.

bhakta räya-rämänanda, gaure vraja-yuva-dvandva

dekhe nija-bhäva-siddha-cakñe
sei käle räya bhüpa, kåñëera sannyäsi-rüpa,
nähi päya sädhakera lakñye

When the confidential devotee of Çré Gaura, Çré Rämänanda Räya, saw with
divine eyes that Gaura is the combined form of Rädhä and Kåñëa, he was not
able to see the sannyäsé form of Kåñëa.

rädhä-bhäve nija-bhränti, suvalita rädhä-känti,

audärye mädhurya aprakäça
audärye mädhurya-bhrama, nä karibe tähe çrama,
bale prabhu-våndävana-däsa

Being absorbed in the mood of Rädhä, Kåñëa forgets Himself and exhibits
Her dazzling complexion. The conjugal pastimes of the Lord are not manifest in
His magnanimous pastimes. Våndävana däsa Öhäkura teaches us that one
should not labor hard to find the conjugal pastimes of the Lord in His
magnanimous pastimes.

gändharvikä-citta-häré, kåñëa—yogye kåpäkäré,

rädhä vinä tiìho käro naya
käìgäla dénera saba, çré-caitanya dayärëava,
täìre sevi’ tähä siddha haya

Lord Kåñëa, who enchants the heart of Gändharvikä and who bestows
mercy on the qualified devotees, does not belong to anyone other than
Rädhäräëé. The perfection of attaining His lotus feet is achieved by serving Çré
Caitanya, who is the ocean of mercy and friend of the poor.

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 caitanya-nitäi-kathä, çunile hådaya-vyathä,
ciratare yäya suniçcita
kåñëe anuräga haya, viñaye äsakti-kñaya,
çrotä labhe nija-nitya-hita

If one hears the topics of Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda, the pangs of one’s
heart are certainly destroyed forever. By this process of hearing one attains the
eternal benefit of attachment to Kåñëa and detachment from material
enjoyment.

bhägavate kåñëa-kathä, vyäsera lekhané yathä,

tära marma våndävana jäni’
çré-caitanya-bhägavate, varëe anurüpa-mate,
gaura-kåñëe eka kari’ mäni’

Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura understood the topics of Kåñëa described by

Çréla Vyäsadeva in the Çrémad Bhägavatam, and in the same way He wrote Çré
Caitanya-bhägavata, describing the pastimes of Gaura, who he accepted as
nondifferent from Kåñëa.

gaurera gaurava-lélä, çuddha-tattva prakäçilä,

ye nitäi-däsa våndävana
täìhära padäbja dhari’, anukñaëa çiropari,
gauòéya-bhäñyera saìkalana

The glorious pastimes of Gaura have been revealed by Çré Våndävana däsa,
the servant of Lord Nityänanda. Following in his footsteps and always keeping
his lotus feet on my head, I write the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on
Caitanya-bhägavata.

çré-caitanya-bhägavata, lélä-maëi-marakata,
caitanya-nitäi-kathä-sära
çune sarva-kñaëa karëe, sahasra-mukhete varëe,

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 grantha-räja-mahimä apära

uths the unsurpassable glorification of the Lord contained in this great book.

çré-bhaktivinoda-pada, yäte näçe bhogi-gada,

çuddha-bhakti yäì-ha ’te pracära
likhite gauòiya-bhäñya, rahu citte tava däsya,
yäci, prabho! karuëä tomära

Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura preached the process of pure devotional service,

and his lotus feet destroy the desire for material enjoyment. While writing this
Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary I beg for his mercy. O Prabhu, let the desire for
serving you always remain in my heart.

hari-vinodera äçä, bhägavata-vyäkhyä-bhäñä,

kuïja-sevä kariba yatane
bhakata-karuëä ha ’le, sarva-siddhi tabe mile,
nähi räkhi anya äçä mane

By the desire of Lord Hari and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura I am writing

this commentary on Çré Caitanya-bhägavata. I will attentively serve Their
Lordships in the kuïjas. By the mercy of the devotees, one can achieve all
perfection. Therefore I do not keep any other desire in my mind.

çuddha-bhakta mürtimän, çunaye yäìhära käna,

çré-caitanya-bhägavata-gäna
çré-gaura-kiçora vara, e däsera guruvara,
sadä kåpä kara more däna

The pure devotees of the Lord hear and chant this Çré Caitanya-bhägavata.
Çré Gaurakiçora däsa Bäbäjé is the spiritual master of this servant, so I always

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beg for his mercy.

çré-värñabhänavé-devé- äçliñöa-dayite sevi’,

yena chäòi aparädha ghora
çré-vrajapattane vasi’, gändharvike, divä-niçi,
giridhara sevä päi tora

Çré Värñabhänavé dayita däsa desires to serve the beloved Lord of Çré
Värñabhänavédevé by giving up all offenses. O Gändharvikä-Giridhäré, I pray
day and night for Your service while sitting at Çré Vrajapattana, Mäyäpur.

Opening Words

The original name of Çré Caitanya-bhägavata was Çré Caitanya-maìgala. As

Çré Locana däsa Öhäkura, the disciple of Narahari Sarakära Öhäkura, wrote
another book named Çré Caitanya-maìgala, Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura
later changed the name of his own book to Çré Caitanya-bhägavata in order to
differentiate the two books. When Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé refers to
Çré Caitanya-maìgala in his Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, he is referring to this Çré
Caitanya-bhägavata. It is said that Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura changed the
name of his book to Çré Caitanya-bhägavata by the desire of Çrématé Näräyaëé
devé. Anyway, as in the Çrémad Bhägavatam the pastimes of Kåñëa are
described, in this book the pastimes, particularly the Navadvépa pastimes, of
Çré Caitanyadeva, who is nondifferent from the son of Nanda, are described.
Çré Caitanya-caritämåta deals more with Çré Caitanya’s pastimes as a sannyäsé
in Néläcala and therefore may be accepted as a supplement to Çréla Våndävana
däsa Öhäkura’s book. This great book is divided into three parts—Ädi,
Madhya, and Antya. Ädi-khaëòa extends up to the Lord’s acceptance of

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initiation, Madhya-khaëòa extends up to the Lord’s acceptance of sannyäsa,
and Antya-khaëòa describes some of the Lord’s pastimes over a period of a few
years in Néläcala. The Lord’s later pastimes in Néläcala are not described in
this book. Such later pastimes were also not described by Çré Muräri Gupta in
his book Çré Caitanya-carita.

TEXT 1

äjänu-lambita-bhujau kanakävadätau
saìkértanaika-pitarau kamaläyatäkñau
viçvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma-pälau
vande jagat priya-karau karuëävatärau

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and Çré

Nityänanda Prabhu, whose arms extend down to Their knees, who have golden
yellow complexions, and who inaugurated the congregational chanting of the
holy names of the Lord. Their eyes resemble the petals of a lotus flower; They
are the maintainers of the living entities, the best of the brähmaëas, the
protectors of religious principles for this age, the benefactors of the universe,
and the most merciful of all incarnations.

COMMENTARY

In this first verse of the maìgaläcaraëa the forms of Çré Gaura and Çré
Nityänanda are described. They have long arms that stretch to Their knees,
Their complexions are like gold, and Their eyes are like the petals of the lotus
flower. These two brothers have been described and adored as the
inaugurators of the saìkértana movement, the protectors of religious principles

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for this age, the maintainers of the living entities, the benefactors of the
universe, the best of the brähmaëas, and the most merciful of all incarnations.
Çré Gaurahari and Çré Nityänanda are the bestowers of the mahä-mantra, the
spiritual masters of the universe, and the fathers of the pure chanting of the
holy names. They are both benefactors of the universe, because They preach
the principles of jéve dayä, compassion for all living entities. They are
addressed as karuëa and viçvambhara, merciful and the maintainers of the
universe, because They have preached the religious principles for the Age of
Kali, in the form of serving Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas through the process of
saìkértana, which is the only means of deliverance for the people of this age.
Everyone should follow the principles of such prayers by näme ruci, having a
taste for chanting the holy names, jéve dayä, showing compassion for other
living entities, and vaiñëava-seva, serving the Vaiñëavas. By using dvi-vacana
[the verb form for two] rather than bahu-vacana [plural verb form] it is
established that Their preaching, mercy, and protection of yuga-dharma is
different from that found in seminal succession.
The arms of great personalities stretch to their knees, as indicated by the
words äjänu-lambita-bhujau, whereas ordinary people’s arms are not like that.
Çré Gaura and Çré Nityänanda are both viñëu-tattva who have appeared in this
world. All the symptoms of great personalities were found in Their
transcendental bodies. It is stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 3.42-44):
“One who measures four cubits in height and in breadth by his own hand is
celebrated as a great personality. Such a person is called
nyagrodha-parimaëòala. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, who personifies all good
qualities, has the body of a nyagrodha-parimaëòala. His arms are long enough
to reach His knees, His eyes are just like lotus flowers, His nose is like a sesame
flower, and His face is as beautiful as the moon.”
The phrase kanakävadätau is explained as follows: Since They both
perform pastimes in the mood of devotees, Their complexions are golden.
They are the viñaya-vigraha, or shelter of all devotees, They are the source of

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all spiritual beauty, and They attract all living entities. Lord Caitanya is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Lord Nityänanda is His personal
manifestation. As stated in the Mahäbhärata (Däna-dharma,
Viñëu-sahasra-näma-stotra, 149.92, 75 1(1): suvarëa-varëo hemäìgo varäìgaç
candanäìgadé—“In His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a
golden complexion. His limbs are beautiful, and His body, smeared with the
pulp of sandalwood, seems like molten gold.”
The words saìkértanaika-pitarau indicate that Çré Gaura-Nityänanda are
the inaugurators of the çré-kåñëa-saìkértana movement. Çréla Kaviräja
Gosvämé has written in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 3.76) as follows:

saìkértana-pravartaka çré-kåñëa-caitanya
saìkértana-yajïe täìre bhaje, sei dhanya

“Lord Çré Kåñëa Caitanya is the initiator of saìkértana [congregational

chanting of the holy name of the Lord]. One who worships Him through
saìkértana is fortunate indeed.”
By using the dvi-vacana form of the word viçvambhara, both Viçvarüpa and
Viçvambhara are indicated. Çré Gaura and Çré Nityänanda are both
viñëu-tattva, and since They have distributed love of God to the world through
the chanting of the holy names, They are known as Viçvambhara. Çré
Nityänanda and Çré Viçvarüpa are one. Please refer to the Ädi-khaëòa
(4.47-49) of this book. Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé has written in the
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 3.32-33) as follows: “In His early pastimes He is
known as Viçvambhara because He floods the world with the nectar of
devotion and thus saves the living beings. The verbal root òubhåï [which is the
root of the word “viçvambhara”] indicates nourishing and maintaining. He
[Lord Caitanya] nourishes and maintains the three worlds by distributing love
of God.”
A reference to the word viçvambhara is given in the Vedas (Atharva Veda,

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second khäëòa, third prapäöhaka, fourth anuväk, fifth mantra) as follows:
viçvambhara viçvena mä bharasä pähi svähä—“Please preserve me by sustaining
the universe, O Viçvambhara, upholder of the universe.”
The word dvija generally refers to brähmaëas, kñatriyas, and vaiçyas who
have undergone the purificatory processes, but here the word dvija-varau
refers to Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityänanda, who are dressed as brähmaëas
and who have taken the role of äcäryas. Only brähmaëas are meant to take
sannyäsa, because kñatriyas and vaiçyas are not qualified. So according to
äçrama consideration, only brähmaëas are addressed as dvija-vara. Both Çré
Gaura and Çré Nityänanda took the role of jagad-guru äcäryas and taught
devotional service of the Lord to the people of this world, therefore They are
the crest jewels amongst the brähmaëas. In this incarnation They did not
consider Themselves cowherd boys and perform pastimes like räsa-lélä with
any cowherd damsels either in Gauòa-deça or in Orissa. If one wants to
destroy the distinction between the mädhurya pastimes of Våndävana and the
audärya pastimes of Navadvépa, then he will commit rasäbhäsa and fall into
hell due to the offense of opposing the conclusions of the author [Våndävana
däsa Öhäkura] and Rämänanda Räya.
The word dvija-varau may alternatively refer to dvija-rajau, or two full
moons that have simultaneously arisen.
The word yuga is explained as follows: A mahä-yuga consists of 4,320,000
earthly years. A kalpa, or day of Brahmä, consists of 1,000 mahä-yugas. In this
day of Brahmä there are 14 Manus, each of whom rule for 71 such yugas. A
1/10th portion of a mahä-yuga is the duration of Kali-yuga, a 2/10ths portion of
a mahä-yuga is the duration of Dväpara-yuga, a 3/10ths portion of a mahä-yuga
is the duration of Tretä-yuga, and a 4/10ths portion of a mahä-yuga is the
duration of Satya-yuga.
Regarding yuga-dharma: The process of self-realization for Satya-yuga is
meditation, for Tretä-yuga is sacrifice, for Dväpara-yuga is Deity worship, and

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for Kali-yuga is congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. As
stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (12.3.52):

kåte yad dhyäyato viñëuà tretäyäà yajato makhaiù

dväpare paricaryäyäà kalau tad dhari-kértanät

“Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viñëu, in

Tretä-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dväpara-yuga by serving the
Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare
Kåñëa mahä-mantra.” Elsewhere in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (12.3.51) it is
stated:

kaler doña-nidhe räjann asti hy eko mahän guëaù

kértanäd eva kåñëasya mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one
good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra,
one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the
transcendental kingdom.” The Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.36) further states:

kalià sabhäjayanty äryä guëa jïäù sära-bhäginaù

yatra saìkértanenaiva sarva-svärtho ’bhilabhyate

“Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the
essential value of this Age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship
Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved
by the performance of saìkértana.” And in the Viñëu Puräëa (6.2.17) it is
stated:

dhyäyan kåte yajan yajïais tretäyäà dväpare ’rcayan

yad äpnoti tad äpnoti kalau saìkértya keçavam

“Whatever is achieved by meditation in Satya-yuga, by the performance of

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sacrifice in Tretä-yuga, and by the worship of Lord Kåñëa’s lotus feet in
Dväpara-yuga is obtained in the Age of Kali simply by glorifying the name of
Lord Keçava.”
The phrase yuga-dharma-pälau is described as follows: According to the
scriptures dealing with karma-käëòa, or fruitive activities, the religious
principle for the Age of Kali is charity. But as the maintainers of yuga-dharma,
the two most magnanimous Lords, Çré Gaura and Çré Nityänanda, have
inaugurated the congregational chanting of the holy names of Kåñëa. The
Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.32 and 10.8.9) says:

kåñëa-varëaà tviñäkåñëaà säìgopäìgästra-pärñadam

yajïaiù saìkértana-präyair yajanti hi su-medhasaù

“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to

worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kåñëa.
Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kåñëa Himself. He is
accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential
companions.”

äsan varëäs trayo hy asya gåhëato ’nuyugaà tanüù

çuklo raktas tathä péta idänéà kåñëatäà gataù

“Your son Kåñëa appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the

past, He assumed three different colors—white, red, and yellow—and now He
has appeared in a blackish color. [In another Dväpara-yuga, He appeared (as
Lord Rämacandra) in the color of çuka, a parrot.] All such incarnations have
now assembled in Kåñëa.]”
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has offered his obeisances unto Çré Kåñëa
Caitanyadeva as follows:

namo mahä-vadänyäya kåñëa-prema-pradäya te

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 kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya- nämne gaura-tviñe namaù

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa

Caitanya, who is more magnanimous than any other avatära, even Kåñëa
Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given—pure
love of Kåñëa.” In other words, magnanimity is Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s
characteristic and distributing love of Kåñëa is His pastime. Çréla Kaviräja
Gosvämé has stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 8.15):

çré-kåñëa-caitanya-dayä karaha vicära

vicära karite citte päbe camatkära

“If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the
mercy of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be
strikingly wonderful.”
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura has written about this mercy as follows:
(dayäla) nitäi-caitanya bale’ òäkre ämära mana—“My dear mind, please chant
the names of the most merciful Nitäi-Caitanya.” Actually the charity given by
Çré Gaura-Nityänanda is matchless, supreme, and unique. They are both
maintainers of yuga-dharma, performers of çré-kåñëa-saìkértana, and bestowers
of unalloyed mercy.
The words jagat priya-karau indicate that Çré Gaura-Nityänanda are the
benefactors of the universe. Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé has written in
the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 1.86, 102) as follows:

sei dui jagatere haiyä sadaya

gauòa-deçe pürva-çaile karilä udaya

ei candra sürya dui parama sadaya

jagatera bhägye gauòe karilä udaya

“These two have arisen over the eastern horizon of Gauòa-deça [West

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Bengal], being compassionate for the fallen state of the world. These two, the
sun and moon, are very kind to the people of the world. Thus for the good
fortune of all, They have appeared on the horizon of Bengal.” The
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 1.2) further states:

vande çré-kåñëa-caitanya- nityänandau sahoditau

gauòodaye puñpavantau citrau çan-dau tamo-nudau

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Çré Kåñëa Caitanya and Lord

Nityänanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously
on the horizon of Gauòa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus
wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.”
Regarding karuëävatärau, the two merciful incarnations, Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé has written about Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu in the introduction to
his Vidagdha-mädhava as follows: anarpita-caréà cirät karuëayävatérëaù
kalau—“He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow
what no incarnation ever offered before.” Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé has written
in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.207-208, 216): “Who in this world but
Nityänanda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me?
Because He is intoxicated by ecstatic love and is an incarnation of mercy, He
does not distinguish between the good and the bad. The mercy of Lord
Nityänanda showed me Çré Madana-mohana and gave me Çré Madana-mohana
as my Lord and master.”

TEXT 2

namas trikäla satyäya jagannätha sutäya ca

sa-bhåtyäya sa-puträya sa-kalaträya te namaù

15
 TRANSLATION

O my Lord! You are eternally existing—in the past, present, and

future—yet You are the son of Çré Jagannätha Miçra. I offer my repeated
obeisances unto You along with Your associates (Your devotee servants), Your
sons (Your Gosvämé disciples or the processes of devotional service, such as the
congregational chanting of the holy name), and Your consorts (who, according
to regulative principles, refer to Viñëupriyä, who is Bhü-çakti, Lakñmépriyä,
who is Çré-çakti, and Navadvépa, which is Nélä, Lélä, or Durgä, and, according
to devotional principles, refer to the two Gadädharas, Narahari, Rämänanda,
Jagadänanda, and others).

COMMENTARY

In the second verse of the auspicious invocation, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu

is addressed as follows: He is the Absolute Truth, existing in the past, present,
and future, and therefore He is eternal. I offer my obeisances to Çré
Gaurasundara, the son of Jagannätha, along with His servants, sons, consorts,
and associates.
The word jagannätha-suta is singular and so refers only to Çré
Gaurasundara; Jagannätha Miçra’s other son, Çré Viçvarüpa, or Çaìkaräraëya
Svämé, is not referred to herein, as Çré Viçvarüpa took sannyäsa in His
childhood and had no disciples in the renounced order. Therefore the later
two adjectives of this verse—sa-kalaträya and sa-puträya—are not applicable
to Him.
One may question how the word sa-puträya can be applied to Çré
Gaurasundara. In answer to this it is to be understood that the Lord’s
renunciate Gosvämé disciples are accepted as His sons and His householder
disciples are accepted as His servants. The renunciate sannyäsés who belong to
the Acyuta-gotra are considered the Lord’s sons. In the beginning of his

16
Upadeçämåta, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has established his followers as
tridaëòi-sannyäsés. They are actually the Lord’s own family members. Çré
Acyuta Prabhu, the son of Advaita Äcärya, is the founding forefather of the
Acyuta-gotra, and he is therefore addressed as Acyutänanda. The followers of
the two Prabhus, Çré Nityänanda and Çré Advaita, are the servants of Their
Lord, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. According to regulative principles, the
consorts of Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa are Viñëupriyä, who is Bhü-çakti,
Lakñmépriyä, who is Çré-çakti, and Çré Navadvépa-dhäma, which is Nélä, Lélä, or
Durgä. According to devotional principles, the consorts of Çré Gaura-Govinda
are Çré Gadädhara Paëòita, Çré Gadädhara däsa, Çré Narahari, Çré
Jagadänanda, Çré Vakreçvara, Çré Rämänanda, Çré Rüpa-Sanätana, and other
Gosvämés.
Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé has written in his Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 7.14):
“One of Them is Mahäprabhu, and the other two are prabhus. These two
prabhus serve the lotus feet of Mahäprabhu.”

TEXT 3

avatérëau sa-käruëyau paricchinnau sad éçvarau

çré kåñëa caitanya-nityänandau dvau bhrätarau bhaje

TRANSLATION

I worship the two brothers, Çré Kåñëa Caitanya and Çré Nityänanda, who
have descended in this world as the supreme controllers. They have appeared in
covered forms as the embodiments of mercy.

COMMENTARY

The word paricchinnau indicates that the spiritual pastimes of the

17
svayaà-rüpa, original form of the Supreme Lord, and His svayam-prakäça, first
expansion, are full of spiritual variegatedness. Çré Gaura-Nityänanda, or Çré
Kåñëa-Balaräma, are nondifferent, yet They have accepted two forms as
svayaà-rüpa and svayam-prakäça.
Bhrätarau means “the two brothers.” Çrémän Mahäprabhu and Nityänanda
Prabhu did not play the role of seminal brothers. In order to establish that
there is no difference between the pastimes of the svayaà-rüpa and
svayam-prakäça, the transcendentalists address Them as brothers out of
spiritual consideration.

TEXT 4

sa jayati viçuddha-vikramaù kanakäbhaù kamaläyatekñaëaù

vara-jänu-vilambi-ñaò-bhujo bahudhä bhakti-rasäbhinartakaù

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gaurasundara, whose powerful activities are supremely

pure, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold, whose eyes are like lotus
petals, whose six beautiful arms extend to His knees, and whose heart is
inundated by loving devotional sentiments as He enjoys dancing in various
ways during kértana.

COMMENTARY

The phrase bahudhä bhakti-rasäbhinartakaù is explained as follows: When

the five direct rasas and seven indirect rasas interact with one another it is
called bhakti-rasa. The object of attachment for the devotees situated in the
five direct rasas, Çré Gaurasundara, danced along with those who had taken
shelter of Him.

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 TEXT 5

jayati jayati devaù kåñëa-caitanya-candro

jayati jayati kértis tasya nityä paviträ
jayati jayati bhåtyäs tasya viçveça-mürter
jayati jayati nåtyaà tasya sarva-priyäëäm

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Kåñëa Caitanyacandra, who is the fully independent

Supreme Personality of Godhead and the abode of transcendental pastimes! All
glories to His eternally pure activities! Çré Gaurasundara is the controller of all
other controllers, the Lord of the universe, and the embodiment of
transcendental knowledge. All glories to His devotees, and all gloriesto the
dancing of His beloved associates!

COMMENTARY

After Çré Gaurasundara left Navadvépa, His followers addressed Him as Çré
Kåñëa Caitanyacandra, the predominating Deity of sambandha. Çré Rüpa
Gosvämé has stated in his prayer: kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya-nämne gaura-tviñe
namaù—“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa
Caitanya, who has assumed the golden color of Çrématé Rädhäräëé.” It is stated
in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 3.34): “In His later pastimes He is known as
Lord Çré Kåñëa Caitanya. He blesses the whole world by teaching everyone the
glories of Lord Çré Kåñëa.”
Those who are acetanäçraya, or devoid of spiritual consciousness, should
not think that they can contaminate the teachings of Lord Gauräìga simply
by replacing Caitanya-maìgala with Gaura-maìgala, Caitanya-bhägavata with

19
Gaura-bhägavata, Caitanya- caritämåta with Gauräìga-caritämåta, or
Caitanya-candrodaya with Gaura-candrodaya. In gaura-lélä the Lord has
accepted the name Çré Kåñëa Caitanya in order to awaken the propensity of
materialistic people, who are acaitanya, devoid of spiritual consciousness, to
develop their caitanya-dharma, in the form of cultivating Kåñëa consciousness.
He also induced people who aspired for liberation to engage in the worship of
Lord Kåñëa.
Çré Gaurasundara is mahä-vadänya, most magnanimous, and
kåñëa-prema-pradätä, the bestower of love for Kåñëa—these are His supremely
pure eternal glories.
All the devotees who are direct servants of Çré Viçvambhara, the controller
of the universe and Lord of Goloka, are personally maintained by Him and are
therefore the owners of His entire wealth and opulence.
All glories to the servitorship of Çré Svarüpa Dämodara, Çré Rämänanda,
Çré Vakreçvara, and other beloved devotees, who in the mood of gopés always
glorify the Lord.

TEXT 6

ädye çré caitanya-priya-goñöhéra caraëe

açeña-prakäre mora daëòa-paraëäme

TRANSLATION

In the beginning I offer unlimited obeisances to the feet of the loving,

confidential devotees of Lord Çré Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

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 Before offering prayers to Çré Caitanya, the author offers his obeisances at
the feet of the Lord’s confidential devotees. Among the confidential devotees
of the Lord, the spiritual master is the prime celebrity. Lord Nityänanda
Prabhu Himself is the author’s spiritual master.
Goñöhi refers to a group of persons who have great relish for a wide variety
of scriptures, who are endowed with truthful words, who are embellished with
faultless ornaments, and who are full of perfect knowledge. Hearing topics
related to the Lord from the Bhägavata and other scriptures, they realize the
Lord.
The word daëòa means “falling to the ground straight like a stick,” and the
word paraëäma means “obeisances.” Such obeisances are of four varieties: (1)
offering greetings, (2) offering obeisances with eight parts of the body
touching the ground, (3) offering obeisances with five parts of the body
touching the ground, and (4) bowing the head with folded hands.

TEXT 7

tabe vandoì çré kåñëa caitanya maheçvara

navadvépe avatära, näma—viçvambhara

TRANSLATION

I then offer my obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré

Kåñëa Caitanya. He incarnated in Navadvépa, and He is known as
Viçvambhara.

COMMENTARY

After first offering obeisances unto his spiritual master, Çré Nityänanda

21
Prabhu, the author then offers his obeisances unto Çré Caitanyadeva. This is
the proper etiquette. That is why the word tabe, or “then,” is used in this verse.
Long before the advent of Çrépäda Çaìkaräcärya, the tridaëòi sannyäsa
order existed in the Vaiñëava line of Çré Viñëusvämé. In the Viñëusvämé
Vaiñëava sampradäya, there are ten different kinds of sannyäsa names and 108
different names for sannyäsés who accept the tridaëòa, the triple staff of
sannyäsa. But at the time of Çaìkaräcärya, who was a Vedäntist inclined to
impersonalism and who preached the philosophy of monism, the sect of
païcopäsakas (those who worship five gods) had again become prominent in
India. That is why Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu accepted Vedic sannyäsa from
the Çaìkara-sampradäya, which uses ten names for their sannyäsés. In
Äryävarta, many Äryan pseudo-followers of the Vedas became followers of
Çaìkaräcärya known as païcopäsakas under the guidance of that sampradäya.
The ten names of the Çaìkara sannyäsés are Tértha, Äçrama, Vana, Araëya,
Giri, Parvata, Sägara, Sarasvaté, Bhäraté, and Puré. The title and abode of each
sannyäsé and brahmacäré is as follows: Sannyäsés with the titles Tértha and
Äçrama generally stay at Dvärakä, and their brahmacäré name is Svarüpa.
Those known by the names Vana and Araëya stay at Puruñottama, or
Jagannätha Puré, and their brahmacäré name is Prakäça. Those with the names
Giri, Parvata, and Sägara generally stay at Badarikäçrama, and their
brahmacäré name is Änanda. Those with the titles Sarasvaté, Bhäraté, and Puré
usually live at Çrìgeré in South India, and their brahmacäré name is Caitanya.
Çrépäda Çaìkaräcärya established four monasteries in India, in the four
directions north, south, east, and west, and he entrusted them to four sannyäsé
disciples. Now there are hundreds of branch monasteries under these four
principal monasteries, and although there is an official symmetry among them,
there are many differences in their dealings. The four different sects of these
monasteries are known as Änandavära, Bhogavära, Kéöavära, and Bhümivära,
and in course of time they have developed different ideas and different
slogans.

22
 According to the regulation of Çaìkara’s sect, one who wishes to enter the
renounced order in the disciplic succession must first be trained as a
brahmacäré under a bona fide sannyäsé. The brahmacäré’s name is ascertained
according to the group to which the sannyäsé belongs. This custom is current
in this sampradäya up to the present day.
Lord Caitanya superficially accepted sannyäsa from Keçava Bhäraté and
became known as Çré Kåñëa Caitanya. The Lord kept His brahmacäré name
even after accepting sannyäsa. Those who recorded the Lord’s pastimes did
not mention that the Lord ever identified Himself as Bhäraté. Although a
sannyäsé in the Çaìkara-sampradäya thinks that he has become the Supreme,
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu considered Himself the eternal servant of Lord
Kåñëa even after He took ekadaëòa-sannyäsa. As the friend of the living
entities and spiritual master of the universe, He benefited the conditioned
souls by preaching pure devotional service of Lord Kåñëa among them and
never exhibited the pride of an ekadaëòi-sannyäsé. The brahmacärés’ only pride
is their service to their spiritual master, which is not unfavorable to devotional
service. The authentic biographies also mention that when Lord Caitanya
took sannyäsa He accepted the daëòa (rod) and begging pot, which are
symbolic of the sannyäsa order.
The word maheçvara is found in the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (4.10 and 6.7) as
follows: mäyäà tu prakåtià vidyän mäyinaà tu maheçvaram—“Although mäyä
[illusion] is false or temporary, the background of mäyä is the supreme
magician, the Personality of Godhead, who is Maheçvara, the supreme
controller,” and tam éçvaräëäà paramaà maheçvaraà—“You are the supreme
controller of all controllers.” In his commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam
(11.27.23), Çréla Çrédhara Svämé has quoted the following verses from the
Padma Puräëa:

yo vedädau svaraù prokto vedänte ca pratiñöhitaù

tasya prakåti-lénasya yaù paraù sa maheçvaraù

23
 “He who is described in the Vedas and established in the Vedänta, who
exists after the merging of prakåti, is called Maheçvara.”

yo ’säv akäro vai viñëur viñëur näräyaëo hariù

sa eva puruño nityaù paramätmä maheçvaraù

“The original person, who remains after annihilation, is none other than
Lord Viñëu, who is certainly nondifferent from Näräyaëa, or Hari. He is the
eternal Supersoul known as Maheçvara.” Also in the Brahma-vaivarta Puräëa
(Prakåti-khaëòa, Chapter 53) it is said:

viçva-sthänaà ca sarveñäà mahatäméçvaraù svayam

maheçvaraà ca tenemaà pravadanti manéñiëaù

“The wise say that maheçvara refers to the Lord of all places in the universe,
which is called mahat.”
The city of Navadvépa is situated on the eastern bank of the Ganges. For a
long time it was the capitol of the Sena kings. At present the place formerly
known as Navadvépa consists of a number of villages with various names. The
place now known as Çré Mäyäpur is the site wherein the residences of
Jagannätha Miçra, Çréväsa Öhäkura, Çré Advaita Äcärya, and Muräri Gupta
were formerly situated. Due to the change in the course of the Ganges, most of
the Navadvépa area of Lord Caitanya’s time has been submerged. Therefore
most of the inhabitants were forced to shift to nearby places. The modern city
of Navadvépa is situated at the place known during the time of Lord Caitanya
as Kuliyä, or Pähäòapura, but in the eighteenth century Navadvépa was
situated on the island of Kuliyä-daha or Käléya-daha. In the seventeenth
century, however, Navadvépa was situated at the places now known as Nidayä,
Çaìkarapura, and Rudrapäòä. Previous to that and up to the sixteenth century
the Navadvépa of Lord Caitanya’s time extended throughout the places now
known as Çré Mäyäpur, Balläl-déghi, Vämana-pukura, Çré Näthapura,

24
Bhärui-òäìgä, Simuliyä, Rudrapäòä, Täraëaväsa, Kariyäöé, and
Räma-jévanapura. The present day village of Vämana-pukura was then known
as Belpukura, but when this ancient village of Belpukura was shifted to
Meghära-caòä at the end of the seventeenth century it became known as
Vämana-pukura. Rämacandrapura, Käkaòera Mäöha, Çré Rämapura, Bäblä
Äòi, and other places were on the western side of the Ganges. Some of these
places were part of Koladvépa, and some were part of Modadrumadvépa.
Although some places like Cinäòäìgä and Pähäòapura are now lost, places like
Tegharira Kola, Kola Ämäda, and Kuliyä-gaïja of present day Navadvépa still
display evidence of ancient Koladvépa. Vidyänagara, Jannagara, Mämgächi,
Kovlä, etc., on the western side of the Ganges, are supposed to be suburbs of
ancient Navadvépa. Various unreasonable arguments regarding the location of
ancient Navadvépa began even before the time of Lord Caitanya and have
presently taken a terrible shape due to various reasons. These baseless
arguments have not and will not ever be successful. Under the order of perfect
devotees like Çréla Jagannätha däsa Bäbäjé it has again been indisputably
established that a short distance from the samädhi of Chand Kazi is the site of
Jagannätha Miçra and Çacédevé’s house (the Lord’s birthplace) at Çré Mäyäpur
Yogapéöha. All impartial historical and spiritual evidence enriched with reason
and argument indisputably conclude that the area surrounding present day
Mäyäpur is the site of ancient Navadvépa.
In the twelfth wave of Bhakti-ratnäkara it is written: “It is specifically
stated in the Viñëu Puräëa that all of the Lord’s abodes are situated within
Nadia. The Viñëu Puräëa (2.3.6-7) states: ’Please hear about the nine islands of
Bhärata-varña known as Indradvépa, Kaçeru, Tämraparëa, Gabhastimän,
Nägadvépa, Saumya, Gändharva, Väruëa, and the ninth, Navadvépa, which is
situated near the ocean in the midst of the other eight islands. Navadvépa
extends 1,000 yojanas from north to south.’
“In his commentary on these two verses, Çréla Çrédhara Svämé writes: ’In
these verses the word sägara-saàvåta means “near the ocean.” Since the name

25
of the ninth island is not separately mentioned, it is obvious that the ninth
island is Navadvépa.’
“In the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (18) it is said: ’All glories to the most
wonderful abode of Navadvépa, which those in full knowledge of rasa call
Våndävana, which people of knowledge call Goloka, which others call
Çvetadvépa, and still others call Paravyoma, the spiritual sky.’
“Navadvépa is famous throughout the universe as the place where the nine
types of devotional service, beginning with hearing, shine brilliantly. The nine
varieties of devotional service are enumerated by Prahläda Mahäräja in the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.5.23-24) as follows: ’Hearing and chanting about the
transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord
Viñëu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord
respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the
Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and
surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the
body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional
service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kåñëa through these
nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has
acquired complete knowledge.’
“Although Çré Navadvépa consists of nine separate islands, they remain
one. Throughout Satya, Tretä, and Dväpara yugas, up through the beginning
of Kali-yuga, the name of Navadvépa was never lost; but as Kali-yuga
progresses, the name of Navadvépa will be nearly forgotten. Some persons,
however, will realize the abode of Navadvépa. By Kåñëa’s will, Vajranäbha
established many villages in Vraja and named them according to the pastimes
that were performed there, yet as time passed many of those places were
forgotten or renamed. In the same way, the villages of Navadvépa were
manifested and named according to the pastimes performed there by the Lord
and His devotees, yet some of them were forgotten and some were renamed.
The name of Navadvépa, however, remained. Simply by hearing the word

26
dvépa, one’s miseries are diminished. There are nine dvépas on the eastern and
western sides of the Ganges. Antardvépa, Sémantadvépa, Godrumadvépa, and
Çré Madhyadvépa are situated east of the Ganges, while Koladvépa, Åtudvépa,
Jahnudvépa, Modadrumadvépa, and Rudradvépa are situated west of the
Ganges. Beloved devotees of the Lord headed by Çiva and Pärvaté eternally
reside in the abode of Navadvépa.”
Tridaëòi Gosvämé Çréla Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté has written in his
Navadvépa-çataka (1-2): “Through the nine processes of devotional service,
beginning with hearing, remembering, and worshiping, we adore the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, who is absorbed in the mood of Rädhäräëé,
who is resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, who in Navadvépa is
always engaged in kértana with associates playing mådaìgas and karatälas, who
is eternally worshipable by all living entities, who is the destroyer of the
contamination of the Age of Kali, and who is the bestower of happiness to His
devotees. We adore Çré Navadvépa-dhäma, which is manifested by the Lord’s
internal potency, which bestows supreme happiness, which the Chändogya
Upaniñad glorifies as Para-Brahmapura, which is glorified by the småtis as
Vaikuëöha, the abode of Viñëu, which is called Çvetadvépa by some great souls,
and which is known as Våndävana by the rare devotees conversant with
transcendental mellows.”
The word avatära is explained by Çréla Jéva Gosvämé in his Kåñëa-sandarbha
as follows: “An avatära is He who descends into the material realm.” Çréla
Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa has commented on the description of the Lord’s
incarnations in Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé’s Laghu-bhägavatämåta as follows: “When
the Absolute Truth incarnates from the spiritual world, Vaikuëöha, into this
material creation, He is called an avatära.”
In the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 2.88-90) it is stated: “Only the Personality
of Godhead, the source of all other Divinities, is eligible to be designated
svayaà bhagavän, or the primeval Lord. When from one candle many others
are lit, I consider that one the original. Kåñëa, in the same way, is the cause of

27
all causes and all incarnations.” The Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 3.28-30) says:
“Therefore in the company of My devotees I shall appear on earth and
perform various colorful pastimes. Thinking thus, the Personality of Godhead,
Çré Kåñëa Himself, descended at Nadia early in the Age of Kali. Thus the
lionlike Lord Caitanya has appeared in Navadvépa. He has the shoulders of a
lion, the powers of a lion, and the loud voice of a lion.” The
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 3.110) says: “Therefore the principal reason for Çré
Caitanya’s descent is this appeal by Advaita Äcärya. The Lord, the protector
of religion, appears by the desire of His devotee.” The Caitanya-caritämåta
(Ädi 5.14-15, 19) says: “Beyond the material nature lies the realm known as
paravyoma, the spiritual sky. Like Lord Kåñëa Himself, it possesses all
transcendental attributes, such as the six opulences. That Vaikuëöha region is
all-pervading, infinite and supreme. It is the residence of Lord Kåñëa and His
incarnations. That abode is manifested within the material world by the will
of Lord Kåñëa. It is identical to that original Gokula; they are not two
different bodies.” The Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.78, 80-82) says: “Although
Kñérodaçäyé Viñëu is called a kalä of Lord Kåñëa, He is the source of Matsya,
Kürma and the other incarnations. That puruña [Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu] is the
performer of creation, maintenance, and destruction. He manifests Himself in
many incarnations, for He is the maintainer of the world. That fragment of
the Mahä-puruña who appears for the purpose of creation, maintenance, and
annihilation is called an incarnation. That Mahä-puruña is identical with the
Personality of Godhead. He is the original incarnation, the seed of all others,
and the shelter of everything.” The Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.131-132,
127-128, 133) says: “When the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kåñëa appears,
He is the shelter of all plenary parts. Thus at that time all His plenary portions
join in Him. In whatever form one knows the Lord, one speaks of Him in that
way. In this there is no falsity, since everything is possible in Kåñëa. But I
accept it as the truth because it has been said by devotees. Since He is the
source of all incarnations, everything is possible in Him. They know that there
is no difference between the incarnation and the source of all incarnations.

28
Previously different people regarded Lord Kåñëa in the light of different
principles. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu has exhibited to everyone
all the pastimes of all the various incarnations.”
It is also stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 20.263-264): “The form
of the Lord that descends into the material world to create is called an
avatära, or incarnation. All the expansions of Lord Kåñëa are actually
residents of the spiritual world. However, when they descend into the material
world, they are called incarnations [avatäras].”
For the meaning of the word viçvambhara, please see the purport of the first
verse.

TEXT 8

“ämära bhaktera püjä—ämä haite baòa”

sei prabhu vede-bhägavate kailä daòha

TRANSLATION

That same Supreme Personality of Godhead has declared in the Vedas and
Çrémad Bhägavatam, “Worship of My devotees is superior to worship of Me.”

COMMENTARY

The devotees who worship the opulent feature of the Lord first develop in
their hearts the conception that only the worship of the Supreme Lord is
important. This conception, however, diminishes the glories of worshiping the
devotees and exhibits their lack of love and devotion for the Supreme Lord.
As stated in the Padma Puräëa:

ärädhanänäà sarveñäà viñëor ärädhanaà param

29
 tasmät parataraà devi tadéyänäà samarcanam
arcayitvä tu govindaà tadéyän närcayet tu yaù
na sa bhägavato jïeyaù kevalaà dämbhikaù småtaù

“Of all types of worship, worship of Lord Viñëu is best, and better than the
worship of Lord Viñëu is the worship of His devotee, the Vaiñëava. One who
performs worship of Lord Govinda but fails to worship His devotees should be
understood to be not a devotee of the Lord but simply a victim of false pride.”
The word daòha means dåòha, or “determination.” In the path of awe and
reverence, the Supreme Lord alone is worshiped and His servants are the
worshipers. But in the path of spontaneous attachment, awe and reverence are
not prominent in the relationship between the object of worship and the
worshiper; rather, the attitude of service is prominent. The servants have
great pride in their service. Therefore the servants in mädhurya-rasa consider
themselves greater than their worshipable Lord Kåñëa. In other words, such
persons consider their worshipable Lord as their subordinate, or under their
control.
The superiority of worshiping the Lord’s devotees is celebrated in the
Vedas. Some examples are found in the following statements.
The Muëòaka Upaniñad (3.1.10) states: tasmäd ätma-jïaà hy arcayed
bhüti-kämaù—“By worshiping the devotees of the Lord, all one’s desires will be
fulfilled.” Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa has written in his Govinda-bhäñya
commentary on the Vedänta-sütras (3.3.51): ätma-jïaà bhagavat-tattva-jïaà
tad bhaktam ity arthaù; bhüti-kämo mokña-paryanta-sampatti-lipsur ity arthaù.
In other words, if one wants the highest benediction, he should serve the
devotees of the Lord.
In Madhväcärya’s commentary on the Vedänta-sütras (3.3.47), he quotes
the following from the Poñäyaëa-çrütis: tänupäsva tänupacarasva tebhyaù çåëu
hi te tämavantu—“Worship the devotees of the Lord, serve the devotees of the

30
Lord, and hear from the devotees of the Lord, for they will protect you.”
In the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (6.23) it is stated:

yasya deve parä bhaktir yathä deve tathä gurau

tasyaite kathitä hy arthäù prakäçante mahätmanaù

“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.” There are many similar statements found in the Vedas.
In the Itihäsa-samuccaya it is stated:

tasmäd viñëu-prasädäya vaiñëavän paritoñayet

prasäda-sumukho viñëus tenaiva syän na saàçayaù

“In order to attain the mercy of Lord Viñëu, one should satisfy the
Vaiñëavas. There is no doubt that by their mercy, Viñëu will be pleased.”
There are many similar statements in the Vaiñëava literatures.

TEXT 9

mad-bhakta-püjäbhyadhikä sarva-bhüteñu man-matiù

“Worshiping My devotees is better than directly worshiping Me.”

TRANSLATION

When the great devotee Uddhava inquired about pure devotional service
and knowledge of the Supreme Lord for the welfare of the living entities, Lord
Kåñëa glorified His devotees in this verse from the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(11.19.21) while describing the various limbs of pure devotional service.

31
 TEXT 10

eteke karila äge bhaktera vandana

ataeva äche kärya siddhira lakñaëa

TRANSLATION

I have therefore offered my prayers first to the devotees, as this is the secret
for attaining perfection.

COMMENTARY

In the Ädi Puräëa, it is stated:

ye me bhakta-janäù pärtha na me bhaktäç ca te janäù

mad bhaktänäà ca ye bhaktäs te me bhaktatamäù matäù

“My dear Pärtha, those who claim to be My devotees are not My devotees,
but those who claim to be devotees of My devotees are actually My devotees.”
Also in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.17.2) it is said:

duräpä hy alpa-tapasaù sevä vaikuëöha-vartmasu

yatropagéyate nityaà deva-devo janärdanaù

“Persons whose austerity is meager can hardly obtain the service of the
pure devotees who are progressing on the path back to the kingdom of
Godhead, the Vaikuëöhas. Pure devotees engage one hundred percent in
glorifying the Supreme Lord, who is the Lord of the demigods and the
controller of all living entities.” In the Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa, it is
stated:

arcayitvä tu govindaà tadéyän närcayet tu yaù

32
 na sa bhägavato jïeyaù kevalaà dämbhikaù småtaù
tasmäd sarva-prayatnena vaiñëavän püjayet sadä
sarvaà tarati duùkhaughaà mahäbhägavatärcanät

“One who performs worship of Lord Govinda but fails to worship His
devotees should be understood to be not a devotee of the Lord but simply a
victim of false pride. One should always worship the Vaiñëavas by all means,
for by worshiping the great devotees one is freed from all miseries.” In this way
various other statements glorifying the worship of pure devotees are found in
the scriptures.
The word kärya-siddhi is explained by Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa in his
Govinda-bhäñya commentary on the Vedänta-sütras (3.3.51), wherein he quotes
from the Çäëòilya-småti as follows:

siddhir bhavati vä neti saàçayo ’cyuta sevinäm

niùsaàçayas tu tad bhakta paricaryäratätmanäm
kevalaà bhagavat-päda- sevayä vimalaà manaù
na jäyate yathä nityaà tad bhakta-caraëärcanät

“One may doubt whether the servant of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead will attain perfection, but there is absolutely no doubt that those
who are attached to serving His devotees will attain perfection. One’s mind is
not as fully purified by serving the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord as it is by
serving the feet of His devotees.”
Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé has written in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi
1.20-21) as follows: “In the beginning of this narration, simply by remembering
the spiritual master, the devotees of the Lord, and the Personality of Godhead,
I have invoked their benedictions. Such remembrance destroys all difficulties
and very easily enables one to fulfill his own desires.”

33
 TEXT 11

iñöa-deva vandoì mora nityänanda-räya

caitanya-kérti sphure yäìhära kåpäya

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Çré Nityänanda Räya, for He is my

worshipable Lord. By His mercy the glories of Lord Caitanya become manifest.

COMMENTARY

After first offering respects to the Vaiñëavas, the author offers obeisances
to his own spiritual master and then begins to describe the pastimes of Çré
Caitanya Mahäprabhu. The mercy of Lord Nityänanda, the author’s spiritual
master, is the main qualification in his endeavor.
It is to be remembered that svayam-prakäça Çré Nityänanda-Baladeva, who
is nondifferent from svayam-rüpa Çré Gaura-Kåñëa, is the source of the
following viñëu-tattvas: Müla-Saìkarñaëa, Mahä-Saìkarñaëa, the three
puruñävatäras—Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu, Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu, and
Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu—as well as the thousand-headed Ananta Çeña.

TEXT 12

sahasra-vadana vandoì prabhu-balaräma

yäìhära sahasra-mukhe kåñëa-yaçodhäma

TRANSLATION

34
 I offer my respectful obeisances unto the thousand-headed Lord Balaräma.
His thousands of mouths are the abode of Lord Kåñëa’s transcendental glories.

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.2.13) the Supreme Lord glorifies Balaräma

before Yogamäyä as follows: “He will be called Räma because of His ability to
please all the inhabitants of Gokula, and He will be known as Balabhadra
because of His extensive physical strength.”
In the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.116-117 and 120-122) it is said: “That Lord
Viñëu is but a part of a part of a plenary portion of Lord Nityänanda, who is
the source of all incarnations. That same Lord Viñëu, in the form of Lord Çeña,
holds the planets upon His heads, although He does not know where they are,
for He cannot feel their existence upon His heads. That Ananta Çeña is the
devotee incarnation of Godhead. He knows nothing but service to Lord Kåñëa.
With His thousands of mouths He sings the glories of Lord Kåñëa, but
although He always sings in that way, He does not find an end to the qualities
of the Lord. The four Kumäras hear Çrémad Bhägavatam from His lips, and
they in turn repeat it in the transcendental bliss of love of Godhead.”
The word yaçodhäma means “the storehouse of all transcendental qualities
and glories.”
It is to be understood that svayam-prakäça Çré Nityänanda-Baladeva, who
appears in a two-armed humanlike form holding a plow, increases the ecstasy
of kåñëa-prema by constantly engaging in the service of Çré Gaura-Kåñëa in
the mood of a devotee. Çré Ananta Çeña, the plenary portion of Lord Baladeva,
holds all the universes on His hoods. His matchless service of always glorifying
the qualities of Çré Gaura, His worshipable Lord, is being described here. Çré
Anantadeva constantly recites Çrémad Bhägavatam to the great brähmaëa
sages headed by the four Kumäras. He is the Lord and guru of the author, who
is the incarnation of Vyäsadeva for describing the pastimes of Çré

35
Gaura-Kåñëa.
The thousand-headed Lord Anantadeva’s recitation of Çrémad Bhägavatam,
which is full of the glories of Lord Kåñëa, is described in Citraketu’s prayers to
Lord Saìkarñaëa in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.16.40, 43) as follows: “O
unconquerable one, when You spoke about bhägavata-dharma, which is the
uncontaminated religious system for achieving the shelter of Your lotus feet,
that was Your victory. Persons who have no material desires, like the Kumäras,
who are self-satisfied sages, worship You to be liberated from material
contamination. In other words, they accept the process of bhägavata-dharma
to achieve shelter at Your lotus feet. My dear Lord, one’s occupational duty is
instructed in Çrémad Bhägavatam and Bhagavad-gétä according to Your point
of view, which never deviates from the highest goal of life. Those who follow
their occupational duties under Your supervision, being equal to all living
entities, moving and nonmoving, and not considering high and low, are called
Äryans. Such Äryans worship You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Another meaning of kåñëa-yaçodhäma is Çrémad Bhägavatam, which is the
treasure house of Lord Kåñëa’s transcendental glories.

TEXT 13

mahä-ratna thui yena mahäpriya-sthäne

yaço-ratna-bhäëòära çré ananta-vadane

TRANSLATION

Lord Ananta’s mouths are the storehouse of the gemlike glories of Lord
Kåñëa, for valuable jewels are kept in a most appropriate place.

COMMENTARY

36
 The word thui in this verse means “to keep.”
As people keep valuable jewels in the care of a dear and faithful person, Çré
Gaurasundara Mahäprabhu, who is nondifferent from the son of the king of
Vraja, has kept the unlimited treasure of His qualities and pastimes with
Anantadeva, who is the plenary portion of Baladeva-Nityänanda. Thus Gaura
gives the thousand-headed Anantadeva the opportunity to serve Him by
reciting His glories in the form of Çrémad Bhägavatam.
Lord Ananta is described by Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé to Mahäräja Parékñit in
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.25.1) as follows: “My dear King, approximately
240,000 miles beneath the planet Pätäla lives another incarnation of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the expansion of Lord Viñëu known as
Lord Ananta or Lord Saìkarñaëa. He is always in the transcendental position,
but because He is worshiped by Lord Çiva, the deity of tamo-guëa or darkness,
He is sometimes called tämasé.”
In his commentary of the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.17), Çréla Madhväcärya
quotes from the Brahmäëòa Puräëa as follows: anantäntaù sthito viñëur
anantaç ca sahämunä—“Because Viñëu is the shelter of the unlimited, He is
called Ananta, or unlimited.”
In Part 2 of the Viñëu Puräëa (5.13-27) there is a description of Ananta
Çeña’s unlimited prowess. He is the object of all devotees’ worship, He possesses
a thousand hoods or heads, He holds a club and plow, and He has various
opulences such as an enormous body.

TEXT 14

ataeva äge balarämera stavana

karile se mukhe sphure caitanya-kértana

37
 TRANSLATION

Therefore in the beginning I offer my prayers to Lord Balaräma, so that the

glories of Lord Caitanya will manifest from my mouth.

COMMENTARY

For further descriptions of the glories of Lord Balaräma, please see Lord
Çiva’s prayers to Lord Saìkarñaëa in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.17-24), Çré
Çukadeva Gosvämé’s prayers to Lord Saìkarñaëa in Çrémad Bhägavatam
(5.25.1-13), Närada Muni’s glorification of Lord Saìkarñaëa to King Citraketu
in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.16.18-25), King Citraketu’s prayers to Saìkarñaëa
in the same chapter (verses 34-48), and Lord Kåñëa’s prayers to Baladeva in
the Viñëu Puräëa, Part 5 (9.22-31). By considering these statements from the
scriptures, it is understood that by offering prayers or glorifying the names and
qualities of Lord Nityänanda Räma, who is the personification of Vaiñëava
scriptures, a living entity’s material designations or bondage, which are born
out of nescience, are destroyed. The purified living entity then accepts Lord
Nityänanda Räma as his spiritual master, and with a purified tongue he
glorifies the worshipable Lord Çré Kåñëa Caitanya under Nityänanda Prabhu’s
guidance.

TEXT 15

sahasreka-phaëädhara prabhu-balaräma
yateka karaye prabhu, sakala—uddäma

TRANSLATION

Lord Balaräma has thousands of hoods, and all of His activities are

38
extraordinary.

COMMENTARY

Lord Ananta’s thousands of hoods are described in Lord Çiva’s prayers to

Lord Saìkarñaëa in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.21) as follows: “All the great
sages accept the Lord as the source of creation, maintenance, and destruction,
although He actually has nothing to do with these activities. Therefore the
Lord is called unlimited. Although the Lord in His incarnation as Çeña holds
all the universes on His thousands of hoods, each universe feels no heavier
than a mustard seed to Him. Therefore, what person desiring perfection will
not worship the Lord?”
Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé tells Mahäräja Parékñit in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(5.25.2): “This great universe, situated on one of Lord Anantadeva’s thousands
of hoods, appears just like a white mustard seed. It is infinitesimal compared to
the hood of Lord Ananta.”
In this connection, please see verses 12 and 13 of the same chapter of
Çrémad Bhägavatam, quoted by the author as verses 56 and 57 of this first
chapter. King Citraketu also prays to Lord Saìkarñaëa in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (6.16.48) as follows: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead holds
all the universes on His heads like seeds of mustard. I offer my respectful
obeisances unto You, that Supreme Personality, who has thousands of hoods.”
The word uddäma in this verse means “independent” or “moving by one’s
own will,” as well as “exceedingly powerful.” In this connection one may refer
to Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.17-24, 5.25.1-13, and 6.16.34-48).

TEXT 16

haladhara-mahäprabhu prakäëòa-çaréra

39
 caitanya-candrera yaçomatta mahädhéra

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord Balaräma carries a plow and possesses a gigantic body.
Although He is exceptionally grave, He is intoxicated by the glories of Lord
Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé describes the characteristics of Anantadeva, who

sustains the universes and is the Lord of Pätälaloka, in the following words
from Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.25.7): “Dressed in bluish garments and wearing a
single earring, He holds a plow on His back with His two beautiful and
well-constructed hands.”
While describing the präbhava and vaibhava features of the Lord in his
Laghu-bhägavatämåta (Pürva 62), Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé writes: “Lord Ananta,
the plenary portion of Çré Baladeva who holds the universes on His hoods,
resides in Pätälaloka. This Saìkarñaëa recited Çrémad Bhägavatam to the
brähmaëas and sages headed by the four Kumäras. His neck is beautified with
a forest flower garland, His hoods are decorated with brightly shining jewels,
He is dressed in blue garments, and He holds a plow, a club, and a trident in
His hands.”
The word mahäprabhu is explained in the Caitanya-caritämåta (7.14) as
follows: “One of Them is Mahäprabhu, and the other two are prabhus. These
two prabhus serve the lotus feet of Mahäprabhu.” Nevertheless the
plow-carrying Çré Baladeva Prabhu is the personal manifestation of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Gaura-Kåñëa; He is the predominating
Deity of the sandhiné energy, the original Saìkarñaëa, the reservoir of all
living entities, and the original source of all viñëu-tattvas. Being a fully

40
devoted servant of Baladeva, the author therefore uses the title Mahäprabhu
to address Çré Ananta Çeña, who is the plenary portion of Balaräma and
nondifferent from Him. The author’s conclusion is therefore justified.
The word prakäëòa-çaréra in this verse is explained in the
Caitanya-caritämåta (5.119) as follows: “The universe, which measures five
hundred million yojanas in diameter, rests on one of His hoods like a mustard
seed.”
King Citraketu prays to Lord Saìkarñaëa in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(6.16.37) as follows: “There are innumerable universes besides this one, and
although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You.
Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta].” Please also refer to the Çrémad
Bhägavatam verses (5.17.21, 5.25.2, and 6.16.48) as cited in verse 15 of this
chapter.
Another reading for the second line is caitanya-candrera rase matta
mahädhéra—“Although He is exceptionally grave, He is intoxicated by the
transcendental mellows of Lord Caitanya.”

TEXT 17

tatodhika caitanyera priya nähi ära

niravadhi sei dehe karena vihära

TRANSLATION

There is no one more dear to Lord Caitanya than Nityänanda, therefore

Lord Caitanya always enjoys pastimes within Him.

COMMENTARY

41
 The Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.4-6) further states: “The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord
Balaräma is His second body. They are both one and the same identity. They
differ only in form. He is the first bodily expansion of Kåñëa, and He assists in
Lord Kåñëa’s transcendental pastimes. That original Lord Kåñëa appeared in
Navadvépa as Lord Caitanya, and Balaräma appeared with Him as Lord
Nityänanda.” Then in Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.8-11) it is stated: “Lord
Balaräma is the original Saìkarñaëa. He assumes five other forms to serve
Lord Kåñëa. He Himself helps in the pastimes of Lord Kåñëa, and He does the
work of creation in four other forms. He executes the orders of Lord Kåñëa in
the work of creation, and in the form of Lord Çeña He serves Kåñëa in various
ways. In all the forms He tastes the transcendental bliss of serving Kåñëa. That
same Balaräma is Lord Nityänanda, the companion of Lord Gaurasundara.” In
the same chapter (verses 120, 124, 137, and 156) it is said: “That Ananta Çeña is
the devotee incarnation of Godhead. He knows nothing but service to Lord
Kåñëa. He is thus called Lord Çeña, for He has attained the ultimate end of
servitude to Kåñëa. He takes many forms for the service of Kåñëa, and thus He
serves the Lord. He considers Himself a servant and knows Kåñëa to be His
master. Thus He regards Himself as a fragment of His plenary portion. Lord
Caitanya is the same Lord Kåñëa, and Lord Nityänanda is Lord Balaräma.
Lord Nityänanda fulfills all of Lord Caitanya’s desires.”
It should be understood that Çré Nityänanda-Saìkarñaëa Prabhu is the
Supreme Absolute Truth, Lord Viñëu, so He is the qualitatively equal personal
manifestation of the original Personality of Godhead, Lord Kåñëa. In other
words, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu is the predominating Deity of the sandhiné
energy, the sustainer of the spiritual world, and the source of pure goodness.
In the Caitanya-bhägavata (CB Madhya-khaëòa 12.55-58) it is stated: “Lord
Caitanya said: Whoever worships Lord Nityänanda with faith and devotion
also worships Me. The lotus feet of Nityänanda are worshiped by Çiva and
Brahmä, therefore you should all worship Him with love. If one has even a

42
fraction of a portion of envy towards Nityänanda, he is not accepted by Me
even if he’s a devotee. Lord Kåñëa will never give up one who has been
touched by the air that has touched the body of Nityänanda.”

TEXT 18

täìhära caritra yebä jane çune, gäya

çré kåñëa caitanya—täìre parama sahäya

TRANSLATION

Çré Kåñëa Caitanya is most satisfied with one who chants or hears the
characteristics of Lord Nityänanda.

COMMENTARY

The glories of those who chant or hear the qualities of Saìkarñaëa, or Çré
Nityänanda Räma, are mentioned in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.18-19). In
Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.25.8) it is stated: “If persons who are very serious about
being liberated from material life hear the glories of Anantadeva from the
mouth of a spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession, and if they
always meditate upon Saìkarñaëa, the Lord enters the cores of their hearts,
vanquishes all the dirty contamination of the material modes of nature, and
cuts to pieces the hard knot within the heart, which has been tied tightly since
time immemorial by the desire to dominate material nature through fruitive
activities. Närada Muni, the son of Lord Brahmä, always glorifies Anantadeva
in his father’s assembly. There he sings blissful verses of his own composition,
accompanied by his stringed instrument [or a celestial singer] known as
Tumburu.” Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.25.11), which is quoted as text 55 of this
chapter, should also be seen.

43
 In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.16.34, 44) Citraketu prays to Lord Saìkarñaëa
as follows: “O unconquerable Lord, although You cannot be conquered by
anyone, You are certainly conquered by devotees who have control of the
mind and senses. They can keep You under their control because You are
causelessly merciful to devotees who desire no material profit from You.
Indeed, You give Yourself to them, and because of this You also have full
control over Your devotees. My Lord, it is not impossible for one to be
immediately freed from all material contamination by seeing You. Not to
speak of seeing You personally, merely by hearing the holy name of Your
Lordship only once, even caëòälas, men of the lowest class, are freed from all
material contamination. Under the circumstances, who will not be freed from
material contamination simply by seeing You?”

TEXT 19

mahäpréta haya täìre maheça-pärvaté

jihväya sphuraye täìra çuddhä sarasvaté

TRANSLATION

Lord Çiva and Pärvaté also become pleased with such a person, and the
transcendental goddess of learning, Sarasvaté, manifests on his tongue.

COMMENTARY

Lord Saìkarñaëa is situated in the heart of Lord Çiva. Considering Lord

Saìkarñaëa their worshipable Lord, Çiva and Pärvaté eternally worship Him
with prayers. In this regard please see Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.16-24).
Therefore one who hears or chants the characteristics of Lord Nityänanda,
who is the original Saìkarñaëa, pleases Çiva and Pärvaté, who accept that

44
person as a servant of their worshipable Lord.
That Lord Baladeva always steadfastly increases the happiness of Lord
Kåñëa. The words that are spoken in connection with Kåñëa’s service by pure
living entities who desire to serve Lord Kåñëa under the guidance of Baladeva
Prabhu are called çuddhä (transcendental) Sarasvaté. The words that are
devoid of connection with Kåñëa’s service spoken by those who desire to
satisfy their senses and ignore the guidance of Baladeva Prabhu are called asati
or duñöä (unchaste or wicked) Sarasvaté.

TEXT 20

pärvaté-prabhåti navärbuda näré laïä

saìkarñaëa püje çiva, upäsaka haïä

TRANSLATION

Along with Pärvaté and innumerable maidservants, Lord Çiva engages in the
worship of Saìkarñaëa.

COMMENTARY

Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé glorifies Saìkarñaëa before Parékñit Mahäräja in the

Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.25.1) as follows: “Lord Ananta is the predominating
Deity of the material mode of ignorance as well as the false ego of all
conditioned souls. When a conditioned living being thinks, ’I am the enjoyer,
and this world is meant to be enjoyed by me,’ this conception of life is dictated
to him by Saìkarñaëa. Thus the mundane conditioned soul thinks himself the
Supreme Lord.” See also Çrédhara Svämé’s Bhävärtha-dépikä commentary on
this verse. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.2.13) the Supreme Lord says to
Yogamäyä: “The son of Rohiëé will also be celebrated as Saìkarñaëa because of

45
being sent from the womb of Devaké to the womb of Rohiëé.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.16) it is said: “In Ilävåta-varña, Lord Çiva is
always encircled by ten billion maidservants of Goddess Durgä, who minister
to him. The quadruple expansion of the Supreme Lord is composed of
Väsudeva, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and Saìkarñaëa. Saìkarñaëa, the fourth
expansion, is certainly transcendental, but because his activities of destruction
in the material world are in the mode of ignorance, He is known as tämasé, the
Lord’s form in the mode of ignorance. Lord Çiva knows that Saìkarñaëa is the
original cause of his own existence, and thus he always meditates upon Him in
trance by chanting the following mantra.” The mantra chanted by Lord Çiva
is found in Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.17-24).
Çréla Madhväcärya writes in his commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam
(5.17.17): “In Ilävåta-varña, the Lord is worshiped by Lord Çiva, who is
considerate to the jévas and dependent on the Supersoul.”
In the Båhad-bhägavatämåta (1.2.97-98, 1.3.1, and 2.3.66) it is stated: “Lord
Çiva worships the most enchanting, equally powerful and opulent Lord
Saìkarñaëa, who is adored with cämaras and an umbrella and surrounded by
associates. Is it not wonderful that even Çiva accepts Saìkarñaëa as his
worshipable Lord? In Çivaloka, Närada Muni watches the most opulent Çiva
become absorbed while chanting and dancing in the mood of a devotee as he
worships Lord Saìkarñaëa. Although Çiva is the lord of the universe, he
accepts the mood of a servant and eternally worships the thousand-headed
Çeña with love.”
In his description of the lélä-avatäras in the Laghu-bhägavatämåta (Pürva
87-88) Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé writes: “He who is the second expansion of the
catur-vyüha in Goloka is known as Saìkarñaëa. He merges with Çeña, who
supports all universes, and then appears as Lord Balaräma, a lélä-avatära. Çeña
has two forms—one supports all universes, and one serves as the bed for the
Viñëu incarnations. The former Çeña is the empowered incarnation of

46
Saìkarñaëa and is therefore also known as Saìkarñaëa.” In the description on
the präbhava and vaibhava features of the Lord in the Laghu-bhägavatämåta
(Pürva 62) it is stated: “Lord Ananta, the plenary portion of Çré Baladeva who
holds the universes on His hoods, resides in Pätälaloka. This Saìkarñaëa
recited Çrémad Bhägavatam to the brähmaëas and sages headed by the four
Kumäras. His neck is beautified with a forest flower garland, His hoods are
decorated with brightly shining jewels, He is dressed in blue garments, and He
holds a plow, club, and trident in His hands.” Again, in the description on the
catur-vyüha expansions of the Lord in the Laghu-bhägavatämåta (Pürva 167), it
is stated: “As the second expansion of the catur-vyüha, Çré Saìkarñaëa is the
viläsa-vigraha of Väsudeva, the first expansion of the catur-vyüha. Since He is
the reservoir of all living entities, He is also known as jéva.”

TEXT 21

païca-skandera ei bhägavata-kathä
sarva vaiñëavera vandya balaräma-gäthä

TRANSLATION

The topics in the Fifth Canto of the Çrémad Bhägavatam concerning Lord
Balaräma, the original Saìkarñaëa, are glorified by all Vaiñëavas.

COMMENTARY

Please see Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.16-24) in this regard. Those who accept
Viñëu as the Supreme Lord are called Vaiñëavas, and Müla-Saìkarñaëa, or
Balaräma, is the source of all viñëu-tattvas. Therefore it is the duty of all
Vaiñëavas to glorify Müla-Saìkarñaëa, who is nondifferent from Lord
Balaräma. As Çukadeva Gosvämé explains to Mahäräja Parékñit in the Çrémad

47
Bhägavatam (5.25.4, 7-8): “When the unalloyed devotees and the leaders of the
snakes offer their obeisances to Lord Saìkarñaëa with great devotion, they
become very joyful. The demigods, the demons, the Uragas [serpentine
demigods], the Siddhas, the Gandharvas, the Vidyädharas and many highly
elevated sages constantly offer prayers to the Lord. He pleases His personal
associates, the heads of the demigods, by the sweet vibrations emanating from
His mouth. Närada Muni, the son of Lord Brahmä, always glorifies
Anantadeva in his father’s assembly. There he sings blissful verses of his own
composition, accompanied by his stringed instrument [or a celestial singer]
known as Tumburu.” In this regard one may also see verses 53-57 of this
chapter.

TEXT 22

täna räsa-kréòä-kathä—parama udära

våndävane gopé-sane karilä vihära

TRANSLATION

The narrations of Lord Balaräma’s räsa-lélä pastimes with the gopés in

Våndävana are most exalted.

COMMENTARY

The definition of räsa-kréòä is given by Çrédhara Svämé in his

Bhävärtha-dépikä commentary on the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.33.1) as follows:
“Räsa-lélä refers to a particular type of dance involving many women dancers.”
In his Båhad-vaiñëava-toñaëé, Sanätana Gosvämé gives the characteristics of
the räsa dance as follows: “When many women join hands in a circle and are
embraced around the neck by male dancers it is called a räsa dance.” In the

48
book named Saìgéta-sära it is stated: “When a male dancer performs, being
surrounded by a circle of many women dancers moving about, it is called a
halléñaka. When a halléñaka dance is accompanied by various refined tälas
(tunes), dance steps, and gestures, it is called a räsa dance. As it does not exist
even in heaven, what is the question of it existing on earth?” In his
Särärtha-darçiné commentary on the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Viçvanätha
Cakravarté states: “Räsa-kréòä refers to a räsa dance in which there is a
mixture of ingredients such as dancing, singing, kissing, and embracing.”
The word udära in this verse means “great” or “exalted.”
Jéva Gosvämé describes Balaräma’s räsa-kréòä in his Laghu-toñaëé or
Vaiñëava-toñaëé commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.65.16) as follows: “Çré
Baladeva, who is nondifferent from Saìkarñaëa, solaced the damsels of
Våndävana by singing the glories of Kåñëa’s names. Sometimes Çré Baladeva
draws Kåñëa from Dvärakä by His mind and presents Him before a particular
gopé in a secluded place, therefore He is known as Saìkarñaëa.” He then says,
“In this way it is reasonable to say that Çré Baladeva performed räsa-lélä with
His own gopés. Because He is the all-knowing Supreme Lord and endowed with
all potencies, He knows the internal feelings of His eternal beloved gopés. If
one explains this verse in another way it would dimish the prestige of
Dvärakä, so there is no need to further elaborate on this.” He further says, “At
this juncture, Baladeva’s mood as the older brother did not manifest in order
to protect the pathetic gopés.” He also gives a description in his
Krama-sandarbha commentary as follows: “The all-attractive Baladeva, who is
also known as Saìkarñaëa, attracts Kåñëa by His mind and reveals Him. The
word täù refers to Kåñëa’s beloved girlfriends.” Also in his
Båhat-krama-sandarbha, Jéva Gosvämé says that the word täù refers to Kåñëa’s
gopés.
For an explanation of gopé-sane vihära, see the purport of verse 25.
There is a difference between the räsa-kréòä of Kåñëa with His gopés and

49
the räsa-kréòä of Balaräma with His gopés. The arenas of the two räsa-léläs are
situated in different places within Våndävana. Such spiritually variegated
activities are of two types—maryädä, or awe and reverent, and mädhurya, or
sweet. We must be extremely careful to protect our vision of spiritual
variegatedness from the attack of monism. Although svayaà-rüpa Kåñëa and
svayam-prakäça Baladeva are nondifferent, the distinction between Their
pastimes must not be denied. Even though Çré Baladeva belongs to the
category of the supreme shelter, He is the prime example amongst the
subordinates of the Lord.

TEXT 23

dui-mäsa vasanta, mädhava-madhu-näme

haläyudha-räsa-kréòä kahaye puräëe

TRANSLATION

The Puräëas describe how Lord Balaräma performs His räsa-lélä in the two
months of spring—Mädhava and Madhu.

COMMENTARY

According to Çrédhara Svämé’s commentary, the word madhu in this verse

means Caitra (March-April) and mädhava means Vaiçäkha (April-May).
Haläyudha refers to Balaräma, and puräëe means in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
and in the Viñëu Puräëa (5.24.21 and 5.25.18).

TEXT 24

50
 se sakala çloka ei çuna bhägavate
çré çuka kahena, çune räjä-parékñite

TRANSLATION

Now please hear those verses that were spoken by Çukadeva Gosvämé to
Parékñit Mahäräja in the Çrémad Bhägavatam.

COMMENTARY

In the following four verses from the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.65.17-18 and
10.65.21-22), Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé narrates to Parékñit Mahäräja the full
moon night räsa-lélä of Balaräma and His gopé friends. Çukadeva had
previously just described Baladeva’s arrival in Gokula to receive the affection
of His juniors, meet His former Vraja friends, and solace those who were
afflicted by separation from Kåñëa, such as the elders, headed by Nanda and
Yaçodä, the friends of the same age, and the gopés, who had fully dedicated
their lives to Kåñëa.

TEXT 25

dvau mäsau tatra cävätsén madhuà mädhavaà eva ca

rämaù kñapäsu bhagavän gopénäà ratim ävahan

TRANSLATION

Lord Balaräma, the Personality of Godhead, resided there for the two
months of Madhu and Mädhava, and during the nights He gave His cowherd
girlfriends conjugal pleasure.

51
 COMMENTARY

Balaräma’s räsa-lélä is described by Çré Sanätana Gosvämé in his

Båhad-vaiñëava-toñaëé commentary as follows: “In this way Çré Baladeva first
solaced those gopés who were attached to Kåñëa and thus fulfilled the principle
purpose of His visit. He thus exhibited His affection for the residents of Vraja.
Thereafter He enjoyed spring pastimes with other gopés.” He then says,
“Regarding the words ratim ävahan, rati refers to the original mellow, ädi-rasa,
or conjugal love, the prefix ä means ’properly,’ and the word vahan means
’having received.’ Because He is rämaù, He is expert in conjugal affairs. He is
also the Supreme Lord, so He is very expert in the various types of conjugal
pastimes mentioned in the Käma-çästras. Or the word täù (in the previous
Bhägavatam verse) can also refer to those gopés who are greatly afflicted out of
separation from Kåñëa and whose only desire was to see Kåñëa. Therefore
Balaräma resided in Våndävana for two months in order to please the gopés of
Vraja with conjugal pastimes at night. By the use of the word ca it is
understood that Lord Balaräma remained in Våndävana for more than two
months, because the gopés were greatly afflicted by feelings of separation and
because Lord Baladeva is most merciful and gives happiness to everyone.”
In his Laghu-toñaëé commentary, Çré Jéva Gosvämé writes: “The word
gopénäà in this verse refers to other gopés, for the use of the word gopé does not
always refer to Kåñëa’s gopés. If one says that both subject matters are the
same—Kåñëa enjoyed pastimes at night with the gopés, and Baladeva also
enjoyed pastimes at night with the gopés—so there is no difference between
Kåñëa’s gopés and Balaräma’s gopés. In reply to this it may be said that no one
should have such doubts, because the gopés described in the previous räsa
pastimes are different from these gopés. Therefore one should understand that
Balaräma’s gopés are different. So Çré Baladeva expertly pacified Kåñëa’s
beloved gopés and then went to those gopés in whose presence He was once
teased by Kåñëa, who said, ’My dear older brother, the gopés are desiring the

52
touch of Your broad chest and the embrace of Your two arms.’ These joking
words indicated that although Balaräma did not touch those gopés at the time,
it would take place in the future. There no mention that after Kåñëa killed
Çaìkhacüòa and played Holi with His beloved gopés that these gopés, described
as subordinate to Kåñëa’s beloved gopés, received Kåñëa’s touch, so it should be
understood that Kåñëa instructed these gopés to carefully protect their chastity
for the pleasure of Balaräma. According to this, it should be understood that
Kåñëa solaced these gopés as explained above. The word kñapäsu means ’most
confidential.’ The word rämaù in this verse refers to one who is qualified for
enjoying.” In his Krama-sandarbha, Jéva Gosvämé writes: “The gopés refered to
in this verse as Balaräma’s gopés are those who played Holi along with Kåñëa’s
gopés after the killing of Çaìkhacüòa. It should be understood at this point
that these gopés remained chaste under Kåñëa’s instrutions. There is no
mention of these gopés receiving the touch of Balaräma in His earlier Vraja
pastimes; there is only some mention of their strong attachment for Balaräma.
Therefore Kåñëa mercifully requested them to protect their chastity for the
pleasure of Balaräma.” In his Båhat-krama-sandarbha, Jéva Gosvämé writes:
“’He pleased His gopés’ means that He pleased His own group of gopés.”
In his Särärtha-darçiné commentary, Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura has
quoted Çrédhara Svämé as follows: “The conjugal affairs of the gopés mentioned
in this verse relate with those gopés who had either not taken birth when
Kåñëa enjoyed His räsa-lélä pastimes or who were too young to take part. This
is the standard understanding of the previous äcäryas. Our Prabhupäda, Çré
Sanätana Gosvämé, has stated that these beloved gopés of Balaräma were those
who had joined Kåñëa’s beloved gopés in the Holi pastimes after the killing of
Çaìkhacüòa.”

TEXT 26

pürëa-candra-kalä-måñöe kaumudé-gandha-väyunä

53
 yamunopavane reme sevite stré-gaëair våtaù

TRANSLATION

In the company of numerous women, Lord Balaräma enjoyed in a garden by

the Yamunä River. This garden was bathed in the rays of the full moon and
caressed by breezes bearing the fragrance of night-blooming lotuses.

COMMENTARY

Balaräma’s räsa-lélä is described by Çré Sanätana Gosvämé in his

Båhad-vaiñëava-toñaëé commentary as follows: “In order to please Balaräma
and increase the beauty of Våndävana, the eternal full moon of the
transcendental abode appeared. In this verse the phrase sevite stré-gaëair—’in
the company of numerous women’ refers to gopés other than those who
enjoyed pastimes with Kåñëa.”
In his Särärtha-darçiné commentary, Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura states:
“Çré Balaräma enjoyed His räsa-lélä pastimes on the banks of the Yamunä at
the famous place called Räma-ghäöa. This place is far away from the place of
Kåñëa’s räsa-lélä pastimes.”

TEXTS 27-28

upagéyamäno gandharvair vanitä-çobhi-maëòale

reme kareëu-yütheço mähendra iva väraëaù

nedur dundubhayo vyomni vavåñuù kusumair mudä

gandharvä munayo rämaà tad-véryair éòire tadä

54
 TRANSLATION

As the Gandharvas sang His glories, Lord Balaräma enjoyed within the
brilliant circle of young women. He appeared just like Indra’s elephant, the
lordly Airävata, enjoying in the company of she-elephants. At that time
kettledrums resounded in the sky, the Gandharvas joyfully rained down
flowers, and the great sages praised Lord Balaräma’s heroic deeds.

COMMENTARY

Some editions have udgäyan instead of upagéyamäno and mähendro väraëo

yathä instead of mähendra iva väraëaù. [In either case the meaning is the
same.] Since these two verses from Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.65.21-22) have not
been commented on by Çrédhara Svämé, Sanätana Gosvämé, Jéva Gosvämé, or
Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura, it appears that these verses are not found in
some editions of Çrémad Bhägavatam. Explanations on these two verses may be
found in the Bhägavata-candra-candrikä commentary of Véraräghava Äcärya,
who comes in the Rämänuja-sampradäya, and in the Pada-ratnävalé
commentary of Vijayadhvaja Tértha, who comes in the Madhva-sampradäya.

TEXT 29

ye stré-saìga muni-gaëe karena nindana

täìräo rämera räse karena stavana

TRANSLATION

Sages condemn the association of women, yet they glorify Lord Balaräma’s
association with the cowherd girls in the räsa dance.

55
 COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.1.3-4) Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé condemns the

association of women and those who are attached to women in the following
statement to Parékñit Mahäräja: “O King, the lifetime of such an envious
householder is passed at night either in sleeping or in sex indulgence, and in
the daytime either in making money or maintaining family members. Persons
devoid of ätma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too
attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children, and wife. Although
sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.31.32-42) Lord Kapiladeva says to His mother,
Devahüti, “If, therefore, the living entity again associates with the path of
unrighteousness, influenced by sensually minded people engaged in the
pursuit of sexual enjoyment and the gratification of the palate, he again goes
to hell as before. He becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy,
gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of
the mind, control of the senses, fortune, and all such opportunities. One
should not associate with a coarse fool who is bereft of the knowledge of
self-realization and who is no more than a dancing dog in the hands of a
woman. The infatuation and bondage which accrue to a man from attachment
to any other object is not as complete as that resulting from attachment to a
woman or to the fellowship of men who are fond of women. At the sight of his
own daughter, Brahmä was bewildered by her charms and shamelessly ran up
to her in the form of a stag when she took the form of a hind. Amongst all
kinds of living entities begotten by Brahmä, namely men, demigods, and
animals, none but the sage Näräyaëa is immune to the attraction of mäyä in
the form of woman. Just try to understand the mighty strength of My mäyä in
the shape of woman, who by the mere movement of her eyebrows can keep
even the greatest conquerors of the world under her grip. One who aspires to
reach the culmination of yoga and has realized his self by rendering service

56
unto Me should never associate with an attractive woman, for such a woman is
declared in the scripture to be the gateway to hell for the advancing devotee.
The woman, created by the Lord, is the representation of mäyä, and one who
associates with such mäyä by accepting services must certainly know that this
is the way of death, just like a blind well covered with grass. A living entity
who, as a result of attachment to a woman in his previous life, has been
endowed with the form of a woman, foolishly looks upon mäyä in the form of a
man, her husband, as the bestower of wealth, progeny, house, and other
material assets. A woman, therefore, should consider her husband, her house,
and her children to be the arrangement of the external energy of the Lord for
her death, just as the sweet singing of the hunter is death for the deer.”
Närada Muni speaks the following words to Mahäräja Präcénabarhi in the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (4.25.6): “Those who are interested only in a so-called
beautiful life—namely remaining as a householder entangled by sons and a
wife and searching after wealth—think that such things are life’s ultimate
goal. Such people simply wander in different types of bodies throughout this
material existence without finding out the ultimate goal of life.”
Närada Muni describes the story of Puraïjana and Puraïjané to Mahäräja
Präcénabarhi in the Fourth Canto of the Çrémad Bhägavatam from Chapter
Twenty-five, verse 10, to Chapter Twenty-nine, verse 51. Yet he particularly
points out the ill effects of associating with women and the benefits of
pleasing Lord Hari in verse 28 of the Twenty-eighth Chapter.
Again in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (4.29.54-55) Närada Muni further
explains to Mahäräja Präcénabarhi, “My dear King, woman, who is very
attractive in the beginning but in the end very disturbing, is exactly like the
flower, which is attractive in the beginning and detestable at the end. With
woman, the living entity is entangled with lusty desires, and he enjoys sex, just
as one enjoys the aroma of a flower. He thus enjoys a life of sense
gratification—from his tongue to his genitals—and in this way the living
entity considers himself very happy in family life. United with his wife, he

57
always remains absorbed in such thoughts. He feels great pleasure in hearing
the talks of his wife and children, which are like the sweet humming of
bumblebees that collect honey from flower to flower. He forgets that before
him is time, which is taking away his life-span with the passing of day and
night. He does not see the gradual diminishing of his life, nor does he care
about the superintendent of death, who is trying to kill him from behind. Just
try to understand this. You are in a precarious position and are threatened
from all sides. My dear King, just try to understand the allegorical position of
the deer. Be fully conscious of yourself, and give up the pleasure of hearing
about promotion to heavenly planets by fruitive activity. Give up household
life, which is full of sex, as well as stories about such things, and take shelter of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the mercy of the liberated souls.
In this way, please give up your attraction for material existence.”
In his narration about the householder Vaiñëava, King Priyavrata, Çré
Çukadeva Gosvämé spoke to Parékñit Mahäräja in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(5.1.29) as follows: “He greatly loved his wife Barhiñmaté, and with the increase
of days, their exchange of nuptial love also increased. By her feminine
behavior as she dressed herself, walked, got up, smiled, laughed, and glanced
about, Queen Barhiñmaté increased his energy. Thus although he was a great
soul, he appeared lost in the feminine conduct of his wife. He behaved with
her just like an ordinary man, but actually he was a great soul.”
In the same chapter of the Çrémad Bhägavatam, verse 37, King Priyavrata
condemned his life of material enjoyment as follows: “Alas, how condemned I
have become because of my sense gratification! I have now fallen into material
enjoyment, which is exactly like a covered well. I have had enough! I am not
going to enjoy any more. Just see how I have become like a dancing monkey in
the hands of my wife. Because of this, I am condemned.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.5.2, 7-9) Lord Åñabhadeva speaks to His sons
as follows: “It is the verdict of all çästras and great personalities that by serving
a pure devotee, one attains the path of liberation. However, by associating

58
with materialistic people who are attached to material enjoyment and women,
one attains the path of darkness. Even though one may be very learned and
wise, he is mad if he does not understand that the endeavor for sense
gratification is a useless waste of time. Being forgetful of his own interest, he
tries to be happy in the material world, centering his interests around his
home, which is based on sexual intercourse and which brings him all kinds of
material miseries. In this way one is no better than a foolish animal. The
attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material
existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts
of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property,
children, relatives, and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and
thinks in terms of ’I and mine.’ When the strong knot in the heart of a person
implicated in material life due to the results of past action is slackened, one
turns away from his attachment to home, wife, and children. In this way, one
gives up the basic principle of illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated.
Thus one goes to the transcendental world.”
After Ajämila was freed from the clutches of the Yamadütas by the mercy
of the Viñëudütas, he condemned his life of material enjoyment in the
following verses from the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.2.36-38): “Because of
identifying oneself with the body, one is subjected to desires for sense
gratification, and thus one engages in many different types of pious and
impious action. This is what constitutes material bondage. Now I shall
disentangle myself from my material bondage, which has been caused by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead’s illusory energy in the form of a woman.
Being a most fallen soul, I was victimized by the illusory energy and have
become like a dancing dog led around by a woman’s hand. Now I shall give up
all lusty desires and free myself from this illusion. I shall become a merciful,
well-wishing friend to all living entities and always absorb myself in Kåñëa
consciousness. Simply because I chanted the holy name of the Lord in the
association of devotees, my heart is now becoming purified. Therefore I shall
not fall victim again to the false lures of material sense gratification. Now that

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I have become fixed in the Absolute Truth, henceforward I shall not identify
myself with the body. I shall give up false conceptions of ’I’ and ’mine’ and fix
my mind on the lotus feet of Kåñëa.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.3.28) Yamaräja says to his servants,
“Paramahaàsas are exalted persons who have no taste for material enjoyment
and who drink the honey of the Lord’s lotus feet. My dear servants, bring to
me for punishment only persons who are averse to the taste of that honey,
who do not associate with paramahaàsas, and who are attached to family life
and worldly enjoyment, which form the path to hell.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.4.52-53) it is described how Prajäpati Dakña
and his descendants, who were expert in associating with women and who
followed the path of pravåtti, or sense enjoyment, were instructed by Lord Hari
to continually engage in material enjoyment and follow the nondevotional
path of associating with women.
When the king of the Vidyädharas, Citraketu, saw the lord of the
paramahaàsas and foremost of the avadhütas, Lord Çiva, embracing Pärvaté,
he spoke the following words in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.17.8): “Ordinary
conditioned persons generally embrace their wives and enjoy their company
in solitary places.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.6.11-13, 17) Prahläda Mahäräja instructs his
demoniac friends as follows: “How can a person who is most affectionate to his
family, the core of his heart being always filled with their pictures, give up
their association? Specifically, a wife is always very kind and sympathetic and
always pleases her husband in a solitary place. Who could give up the
association of such a dear and affectionate wife? Simply for the satisfaction of
two important senses—the genitals and the tongue—one is bound by material
conditions. How can one escape?”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.9.45) Prahläda Mahäräja says to Lord
Nåsiàhadeva: “Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an

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itch. Gåhamedhis, so-called gåhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think
that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a
source of distress. The kåpaëas, the fools who are just the opposite of
brähmaëas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are
dhéra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected
to the sufferings of fools and rascals.”
While describing the four äçramas, Çré Närada Muni spoke to Mahäräja
Yudhiñöhira the following verses in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.12.6-7, 9-11):
“Fully controlling his senses, he should associate only as much as necessary
with women or those controlled by women. A brahmacäré, or one who has not
accepted the gåhastha-äçrama [family life], must rigidly avoid talking with
women or about women, for the senses are so powerful that they may agitate
even the mind of a sannyäsé, a member of the renounced order of life. Woman
is compared to fire, and man is compared to a butter pot. Therefore a man
should avoid associating even with his own daughter in a secluded place.
Similarly, he should also avoid association with other women. One should
associate with women only for important business and not otherwise. As long
as a living entity is not completely self-realized—as long as he is not
independent of the misconception of identifying with his body, which is
nothing but a reflection of the original body and senses—he cannot be
relieved of the conception of duality, which is epitomized by the duality
between man and woman. Thus there is every chance that he will fall down
because his intelligence is bewildered. All the rules and regulations apply
equally to the householder and the sannyäsé, the member of the renounced
order of life. The gåhastha, however, is given permission by the spiritual master
to indulge in sex during the period favorable for procreation.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.14.12-13) Närada Muni says to Yudhiñöhira
Mahäräja, “Therefore if one can give up his attachment to such a wife, he
conquers the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never conquered by
anyone. Through proper deliberation, one should give up attraction to his

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wife’s body because that body will ultimately be transformed into small insects,
stool, or ashes. What is the value of this insignificant body? How much greater
is the Supreme Being, who is all-pervading like the sky?”
Närada Muni further explains to Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (7.15.18): “One who is driven by the senses, especially by the
tongue and genitals, must accept the position of a household dog to satisfy his
senses.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (9.6.51) Saubhari Muni repents after his
extended association with women as follows: “A person desiring liberation
from material bondage must give up the association of persons interested in
sex life and should not employ his senses externally [in seeing, hearing,
talking, walking, and so on]. One should always stay in a secluded place,
completely fixing his mind at the lotus feet of the unlimited Personality of
Godhead, and if one wants any association at all, he should associate with
persons similarly engaged.”
While describing the characteristics of Lord Räma and Sétä, Çré Çukadeva
Gosvämé says to Parékñit Mahäräja in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (9.11.17): “The
attraction between man and woman, or male and female, always exists
everywhere, making everyone always fearful. Such feelings are present even
among the controllers like Brahmä and Lord Çiva and is the cause of fear for
them, what to speak of others who are attached to household life in this
material world.”
In Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé’s description of the topics of Urvaçé and Purüravä
to Parékñit Mahäräja, Urvaçé speaks the following statement in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (9.14.36-38): “My dear King, you are a man, a hero. Don’t be
impatient and give up your life. Be sober and don’t allow the senses to
overcome you like foxes. Don’t let the foxes eat you. In other words, you
should not be controlled by your senses. Rather, you should know that the
heart of a woman is like that of a fox. There is no use making friendship with

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women. Women as a class are merciless and cunning. They cannot tolerate
even a slight offense. For their own pleasure they can do anything irreligious,
and therefore they do not fear killing even a faithful husband or brother.
Women are very easily seduced by men. Therefore, polluted women give up
the friendship of a man who is their well-wisher and establish false friendship
among fools. Indeed, they seek newer and newer friends, one after another.”
See also the Ninth Canto, Nineteenth Chapter, particularly verses 1-20
and 24-28, wherein Mahäräja Yayäti, speaking to Devayäné, condemns the
association of women with the story of a he-goat and she-goat.
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.3.18-19) Çré Prabuddha, one of the Nine
Yogendras speaks the following words to Mahäräja Nimi, the king of Videha:
“Accepting the roles of male and female in human society, the conditioned
souls unite in sexual relationships. Thus they constantly make material
endeavors to eliminate their unhappiness and unlimitedly increase their
pleasure. But one should see that they inevitably achieve exactly the opposite
result. In other words, their happiness inevitably vanishes, and as they grow
older their material discomfort increases. Wealth is a perpetual source of
distress, it is most difficult to acquire, and it is virtual death for the soul. What
satisfaction does one actually gain from his wealth? Similarly, how can one
gain ultimate or permanent happiness from one’s so-called home, children,
relatives, and domestic animals, which are all maintained by one’s hard-earned
money?”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.13, 15) Çré Camasa instructs King Nimi as
follows: “Religious sex life is also permitted, but only in marriage for begetting
children, and not for sensuous exploitation of the body. Unfortunately,
however, the less intelligent materialists cannot understand that their duties
in life should be performed purely on the spiritual platform. The conditioned
souls become completely bound in affection to their own corpselike material
bodies and their relatives and paraphernalia. In such a proud and foolish
condition, the conditioned souls envy other living entities as well as the

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Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who resides in the heart of all beings.
Thus enviously offending others, the conditioned souls gradually fall down
into hell.”
Lord Kåñëa’s narration to Uddhava on the conversation between Mahäräja
Yadu and the self-realized mendicant, who tells the story of a pigeon and his
wife in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.7.52-74) may also be discussed in this
regard.
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.8.1, 7-8, 13-14, and 17-18) the mendicant
brähmaëa further instructs Mahäräja Yadu as follows: “O King, the embodied
living entity automatically experiences unhappiness in heaven or hell.
Similarly, happiness will also be experienced, even without one’s seeking it.
Therefore a person of intelligent discrimination does not make any endeavor
to obtain such material happiness. One who has failed to control his senses
immediately feels attraction upon seeing a woman’s form, which is created by
the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, when the woman speaks with
enticing words, smiles coquettishly, and moves her body sensuously, his mind
is immediately captured, and thus he falls blindly into the darkness of material
existence, just as the moth maddened by the fire rushes blindly into its flames.
A foolish person with no intelligent discrimination is immediately aroused at
the sight of a lusty woman beautifully decorated with golden ornaments, fine
clothing, and other cosmetic features. Being eager for sense gratification, such
a fool loses all intelligence and is destroyed just like the moth who rushes into
the blazing fire. A saintly person should never touch a young girl. In fact, he
should not even let his foot touch a wooden doll in the shape of a woman. By
bodily contact with a woman he will surely be captured by illusion, just as the
elephant is captured by the she-elephant due to his desire to touch her body. A
man possessing intelligent discrimination should not under any circumstances
try to exploit the beautiful form of a woman for his sense gratification. Just as
an elephant trying to enjoy a she-elephant is killed by other bull elephants
also enjoying her company, one trying to enjoy a lady’s company can at any

64
moment be killed by her other lovers who are stronger than he. A saintly
person dwelling in the forest in the renounced order of life should never listen
to songs or music promoting material enjoyment. Rather, a saintly person
should carefully study the example of the deer, who is bewildered by the sweet
music of the hunter’s horn and is thus captured and killed. Becoming attracted
to the worldly singing, dancing, and musical entertainment of beautiful
women, even the great sage Åñyaçåìga, the son of Mågé, fell totally under their
control, just like a pet animal.”
Piìgalä’s words of frustration are narrated by Lord Kåñëa to Uddhava in
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.8.30-34) as follows: “Just see how greatly illusioned
I am! Because I cannot control my mind, just like a fool I desire lusty pleasure
from an insignificant man. I am such a fool that I have given up the service of
that person who, being eternally situated within my heart, is actually most
dear to me. That most dear one is the Lord of the universe, who is the
bestower of real love and happiness and the source of all prosperity. Although
He is in my own heart, I have completely neglected Him. Instead I have
ignorantly served insignificant men who can never satisfy my real desires and
who have simply brought me unhappiness, fear, anxiety, lamentation, and
illusion. Oh, how I have uselessly tortured my own soul! I have sold my body to
lusty, greedy men, who are themselves objects of pity. Thus practicing the
most abominable profession of a prostitute, I hoped to get money and sex
pleasure. This material body is like a house in which I, the soul, am living. The
bones forming my spine, ribs, arms, and legs are like the beams, crossbeams,
and pillars of the house, and the whole structure, which is full of stool and
urine, is covered by skin, hair, and nails. The nine doors leading into this body
are constantly excreting foul substances. Besides me, what woman could be so
foolish as to devote herself to this material body, thinking that she might find
pleasure and love in this contraption? Certainly in this city of Videha I alone
am completely foolish. I neglected the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who
awards us everything, even our original spiritual form, and instead I desired to
enjoy sense gratification with many men.” Please see verses 35, 39, and 42 in

65
the same chapter.
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.9.27) the mendicant brähmaëa instructs King
Yadu as follows: “A man who has many wives is constantly harassed by them.
He is responsible for their maintenance, and thus all the ladies constantly pull
him in different directions, each struggling for her self-interest. Similarly, the
material senses harass the conditioned soul, pulling him in many different
directions at once. On one side the tongue is pulling him to arrange tasty food;
then thirst drags him to get a suitable drink. Simultaneously the sex organs
clamor for satisfaction, and the sense of touch demands soft, sensuous objects.
The belly harasses him until it is filled, the ears demand to hear pleasing
sounds, the sense of smell hankers for pleasant aromas, and the fickle eyes
clamor for pleasing sights. Thus the senses, organs, and limbs, all desiring
satisfaction, pull the living entity in many directions.”
Lord Kåñëa instructs Uddhava in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.10.7, 25,
27-28) as follows: “One should see one’s real self-interest in life in all
circumstances and should therefore remain detached from wife, children,
home, land, relatives, friends, wealth, and so on. Accompanied by heavenly
women, the enjoyer of the fruits of sacrifice goes on pleasure rides in a
wonderful airplane, which is decorated with circles of tinkling bells and which
flies wherever he desires. Being relaxed, comfortable and happy in the
heavenly pleasure gardens, he does not consider that he is exhausting the
fruits of his piety and will soon fall down to the mortal world. If a human
being is engaged in sinful, irreligious activities, either because of bad
association or because of his failure to control his senses, then such a person
will certainly develop a personality full of material desires. He thus becomes
miserly toward others, greedy and always anxious to exploit the bodies of
women. When the mind is so polluted one becomes violent and aggressive and
without the authority of Vedic injunctions slaughters innocent animals for
sense gratification. Worshiping ghosts and spirits, the bewildered person falls
fully into the grip of unauthorized activities and thus goes to hell, where he

66
receives a material body infected by the darkest modes of nature.”
Lord Kåñëa tells Uddhava in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.14.29): “Being
conscious of the eternal self, one should give up association with women and
those intimately associated with women. Sitting fearlessly in a solitary place,
one should concentrate the mind on Me with great attention.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.17.33, 56) Lord Kåñëa says to Uddhava:
“Those who are not married—sannyäsés, vänaprasthas, and
brahmacärés—should never associate with women by glancing, touching,
conversing, joking, or sporting. Neither should they ever associate with any
living entity engaged in sexual activities. But a householder whose mind is
attached to his home and who is thus disturbed by ardent desires to enjoy his
money and children, who is lusty after women, who is possessed of a miserly
mentality, and who unintelligently thinks, ’Everything is mine and I am
everything,’ is certainly bound in illusion.”
Lord Kåñëa gives the following instructions to Uddhava in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (11.21.18-21): “By refraining from a particular sinful or
materialistic activity, one becomes freed from its bondage. Such renunciation
is the basis of religious and auspicious life for human beings and drives away
all suffering, illusion, and fear. One who accepts material sense objects as
desirable certainly becomes attached to them. From such attachment lust
arises, and this lust creates quarrel among men. From quarrel arises intolerable
anger, followed by the darkness of ignorance. This ignorance quickly
overtakes a man’s broad intelligence. O saintly Uddhava, a person bereft of
real intelligence is considered to have lost everything. Deviated from the
actual purpose of his life, he becomes dull, just like a dead person.”
Lord Kåñëa further instructs Uddhava in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.26.3):
“One should never associate with materialists, those dedicated to gratifying
their genitals and bellies. By following them one falls into the deepest pit of
darkness, just like a blind man who follows another blind man.”

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 In the same chapter, verses 4 through 24 describe the results of association
with women obtained by Ilä’s son, Purüravä.
In the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (Dakñiëa 5.72) the following verse is found:
“Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kåñëa,
realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure, I spit at
the thought, and my lips curl with distaste.”
Also in the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (Uttara 7.8) it is stated: “Alas, how can
an intelligent person who has awakened even a little attachment for Kåñëa
enjoy this material body, which is full of blood, covered with skin and flesh,
and stinks of mucus.”
And in the Eighth Wave it is said:
(1) “Alas, I am enthusiastically engaged in relishing varieties of enjoyment
in this gross body, which is composed of mucus, semen, and blood and covered
by skin! O my God! I’m so wretched that I am too lazy to remember Kåñëa,
who is the Supersoul and the personification of transcendental bliss.”
(2) “When will I give up affection for this gross body, which is full of flesh,
blood, and pus and again expertly engage with love in the service of fanning
with cämara the Supreme Lord Hari, who is beyond the reach of argument and
who sits on a golden throne?”
(3) “A devotee of Lord Viñëu who intensely loathes seeing a padminé
woman endowed with all good qualities, considering her bad association, can
travel anywhere, dancing and remembering the lotus feet of the Lord.”
(4) “As soon as remembrance of associating with women awakens in my
mind, my lips curl with disgust. My mind is not satisfied with the activities
meant to attain impersonal samädhi, like hearing and remembering, and I have
no interest for attaining the mystic perfections, because, O Lord, my mind is
extremely attached only to the worship of Your lotus feet.”

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 Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kåñëa and Baladeva are the
eternal shelter of all devotees, They are the suitable personalities for enjoying
with the gopés, who are under the shelter of mädhurya-rasa. The gopés have no
material conceptions like conditioned souls. In other words, the living entities
of this material world consider themselves enjoyers and enjoy the company of
women only due to material conceptions. But when Lord Balaräma, who is the
source of all viñëu-tattvas, performs räsa-lélä there is no possibility of any
material abominations or illicit behavior. Therefore when the most fortunate
munis who are conversant with the Supreme Lord Baladeva’s glories see His
pastimes through divine eyes, they offer prayers with folded hands.

TEXT 30

yäìra räse deve äsi’ puñpa-våñöi kare

deve jäne—bheda nähi kåñëa-haladhare

TRANSLATION

The demigods came and showered flowers on His räsa-lélä, because they
know there is no difference between Kåñëa and Balaräma.

COMMENTARY

The Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.4-5) also states that there is no difference

between Kåñëa and Balaräma in the following words: “The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord
Balaräma is His second body. They are both one and the same identity. They
differ only in form. He is the first bodily expansion of Kåñëa, and He assists in
Lord Kåñëa’s transcendental pastimes.” Also in the Caitanya-caritämåta
(Madhya 20.174) it is stated: “The first manifestation of the vaibhava feature

69
of Kåñëa is Çré Balarämajé. Çré Balaräma and Kåñëa have different bodily
colors, but otherwise Çré Balaräma is equal to Kåñëa in all respects.” Lord
Kåñëa glorifies Balaräma, who is nondifferent from Himself, in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.15.8): “You have embraced the young cowherd women
between Your two arms—a favor hankered after by the goddess of fortune
herself.”

TEXT 31

cäri-vede gupta balarämera carita

ämi ki baliba, saba—puräëe vidita

TRANSLATION

The characteristics of Lord Balaräma are confidential to the Vedas, but they
are elaborated in the Puräëas. What will I describe?

COMMENTARY

Whatever is confidential to the Vedas is known to the Vaiñëava Puräëas.

Regarding the glories of the Puräëas, one may refer to verses 12-17 of the
Tattva-sandarbha, one of Jéva Gosvämé’s six Sandarbhas. In the Mahäbhärata
(Ädi 1.267) it is stated: “One should expand and accept the meaning of the
Vedas with the help of the Itihäsas (histories) and Puräëas. The Vedas are
afraid of being mistreated by one who is ignorant of the Itihäsas and Puräëas.”
The Näradéya Puräëa says: “O beautiful one, I consider the message of the
Puräëas to be more important than that of the Vedas. All that is established in
the Vedas is also in the Puräëas without doubt. If a person rejects the Puräëas,
even if he is controlled in senses and mind, he will take birth as an animal. He
can never attain the goal of life.” In the Skanda Puräëa, Prabhäsa-khaëòa it is

70
stated: “O best of the brähmaëas, I consider the Puräëas as equal to the Vedas.
All that is established in the Vedas is also in the Puräëas without doubt. The
Vedas feared that their purport would be distorted by inattentive listening, but
their purport was established long before by the Itihäsas and Puräëas.
Moreover, O brähmaëas, what is not found in the Vedas is found in the småtis.
And what is not found in either is described in the Puräëas. A person who
knows the four Vedas along with their aìgas, the Upaniñads, but does not
know the Puräëas is not very learned.”
The characteristics of Lord Baladeva are described in all Vaiñëava Puräëas,
especially in the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Fifth Canto, Chapters 16 and 25, Sixth
Canto, Chapter 16, Tenth Canto, Chapters 34 and 65, and also in the Viñëu
Puräëa (5.9.22-31).

TEXT 32

mürkha-doñe keha keha nä dekhi’ puräëa

balaräma-räsa-kréòä kare apramäëa

TRANSLATION

Due to foolishness, some people neglect the Puräëas and refuse to accept the
authenticity of Balaräma’s räsa-lélä.

COMMENTARY

The word mürkha-doñe means “due to foolishness.” One who cannot realize
the purport or essence of the scriptures is called a fool. Some living entities are
proud of their material designations due to being averse to Lord Viñëu, who is
beyond material conceptions. They never care to discuss important Puräëas
like the Çrémad Bhägavatam. Others simply commit offenses by

71
misinterpreting the conclusions of the Çrémad Bhägavatam, which is the
ripened fruit of the desire tree of Vedic knowledge, the destroyer of nescience,
and the source of knowledge of the Absolute Truth. These two categories of
people refuse to accept the räsa-lélä of Lord Balaräma. The author has properly
condemned these people in verses 38-41 of this chapter. Those who attempt to
establish that Lord Balaräma is not the supreme enjoyer without
understanding that He is the supreme shelter, the Personality of Godhead, are
polluted with the defect of foolishness.

TEXT 33

eka öhäïi dui-bhäi gopikä-samäje

karilena räsa-kréòä våndävana-mäjhe

TRANSLATION

The two brothers, Kåñëa and Balaräma, both performed räsa-kréòä pastimes
in the company of the gopés at the same place in Våndävana.

COMMENTARY

The word räsa-kréòä in this verse refers to the Holi festival, as explained by
Çréla Jéva Gosvämé in his Laghu-toñaëé commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam
(10.34.13).

TEXT 34

kadäcid atha govindo rämaç cädbhuta-vikramaù

vijahratur vane rätryäà madhya-gau vraja-yoñitäm

72
 TRANSLATION

Once Lord Govinda and Lord Räma, the performers of wonderful feats,
were playing Holi in the forest at night with the young girls of Vraja.

COMMENTARY

After Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé narrated to Parékñit Mahäräja the

Çiva-caturdaçé pastime of Kåñëa’s liberating Nanda Mahäräja from the
clutches of the snake, who was actually the Vidyädhara named Sudarçana, he
described Kåñëa and Balaräma’s Holi festival with the gopés on the full moon
evening. Beginning with the above verse, the author now quotes four verses
from the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.34.20-23) describing this pastime.
The word atha in this verse indicates after Çiva-rätri. The word kadäcit
refers to the night of Holi Pürëimä. The word räma means “He who makes
Kåñëa enjoy.” It is therefore understood that since Kåñëa and Balaräma had
sported together since Their births, They enjoyed mutual feelings of
friendship. The mood of friendship between Kåñëa and Balaräma was
particularly prominent in Vraja, while in Dvärakä Balaräma acted more in the
role of an elder brother. In this verse the word ca is used with the desire to
establish that Balaräma’s mood of being the elder brother is secondary. This
mood is found in the observance of the Holi festival described in the Bhaviñya
Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa, and in central India. The word vane refers to the
subforests of Våndävana. This is the understanding from Çréla Jéva Gosvämé’s
Laghu-toñaëé.

TEXT 35

upagéyamänau lalitaà stré-janair baddha-sauhådaiù

73
 sv-alaìkåtänuliptäìgau sragvinau virajo-’mbarau

TRANSLATION

Kåñëa and Balaräma wore flower garlands and spotless garments, and Their
limbs were beautifully decorated and anointed. The women sang Their glories
in a charming way, bound to Them by affection.

COMMENTARY

According to Çréla Jéva Gosvämé’s Laghu-toñaëé, Lord Balaräma had His

own group of gopé friends.

TEXT 36

niçä-mukhaà mänayantäv uditoòupa-tärakam

mallikä-gandha-mattäli- juñöaà kumuda-väyunä

TRANSLATION

The two Lords praised the nightfall, signaled by the rising of the moon and
the appearance of stars, a lotus-scented breeze and bees intoxicated by the
fragrance of jasmine flowers.

TEXT 37

jagatuù sarva-bhütänäà manaù-çravaëa-maìgalam

tau kalpayantau yugapat svara-maëòala-mürcchitam

74
 TRANSLATION

Kåñëa and Balaräma sang, producing the entire range of musical sounds
simultaneously. Their singing brought happiness to the ears and minds of all
living beings.

COMMENTARY

In his Laghu-toñaëé, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé quotes the following description of

mürcchana from the Saìgéta-sära: “A mürcchana is a scale using the seven
notes in ascending and descending sequences. There are three modes, or
grämas, each with seven subdivisions, or mürcchanas, making a total of
twenty-one mürcchanas.” [These are the precursors of ragas.]
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.16.38) King Citraketu prays to Lord
Saìkarñaëa as follows: “O Lord, O Supreme, unintelligent persons who thirst
for sense enjoyment and who worship various demigods are no better than
animals in the human form of life. Because of their animalistic propensities,
they fail to worship Your Lordship, and instead they worship the insignificant
demigods, who are but small sparks of Your glory. With the destruction of the
entire universe, including the demigods, the benedictions received from the
demigods also vanish, just like the nobility when a king is no longer in power.”
The glories of Çré Balaräma, or Saìkarñaëa, who is worshipable by all living
entities, are described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapters 34
and 65, Fifth Canto, Chapters 17 and 25, and Sixth Canto, Chapter 16. Those
who are indifferent to these descriptions can never make advancement on the
path of devotional service. In spite of their material intelligence and mundane
knowledge, which is a product of their own mental speculation, such people
are unable to appreciate the topics of Çré Baladeva, or Saìkarñaëa, who is the
source of all viñëu-tattvas.

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 In the Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä, Chapter 5, appropriate conclusions on
this topic are given as follows: “Çré Balaräma is the counterform of Lord
Govinda. Balaräma’s own expansion is called Mahä-Saìkarñaëa. The marginal
potency of the Lord is known as the jéva. Mahä-Saìkarñaëa is the shelter of all
jévas. His fragment, the puruña, is counted as a kalä, or a part of a plenary
portion. The first puruña casts His glance at mäyä from a distance, and thus He
impregnates her with the seed of life in the form of the living entities. A part
of a part of a whole is called a kalä. I say that this kalä is Mahä-Viñëu. He is
the Mahä-puruña, who is the source of the other puruñas and who is
all-pervading. Garbhodaçäyé and Kñérodaçäyé are both called puruñas. They are
plenary portions of Käraëodaçäyé Viñëu, the first puruña, who is the abode of
all the universes. That puruña [Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu] is the performer of
creation, maintenance and destruction. He manifests Himself in many
incarnations, for He is the maintainer of the world. That Lord Viñëu is but a
part of a part of a plenary portion of Lord Nityänanda, who is the source of all
incarnations. Lord Caitanya is the same Lord Kåñëa, and Lord Nityänanda is
Lord Balaräma. Lord Nityänanda fulfills all of Lord Caitanya’s desires. These
two brothers are like one body; They are identical manifestations. If you do
not believe in Lord Nityänanda, you will fall down. If you have faith in one
but disrespect the other, your logic is like the logic of accepting half a hen. It
would be better to be an atheist by slighting both brothers than a hypocrite by
believing in one and slighting the other.”

TEXT 38

bhägavata çuni’ yära räme nähi préta

viñëu-vaiñëavera pathe se jana—varjita

TRANSLATION

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 One who has no love for Lord Balaräma after hearing the Çrémad
Bhägavatam is rejected by both the Lord and His devotees.

COMMENTARY

As long as the living entity is conditioned, he is not considered on the path

of worshiping Lord Viñëu, who is eternally full of knowledge and bliss and the
worshipable Lord of the Vaiñëavas. In other words, he is unable to realize that
the Lord is eternally full of knowledge and bliss. As soon as the living entity
realizes the truths regarding the three puruñas, he is freed from illusion or
mundane intelligence. In other words, this realization awakens transcendental
intelligence in the heart of the living entity and helps him advance on the
path of worshiping Lord Viñëu, who is eternally full of knowledge and bliss
and the worshipable Lord of the Vaiñëavas. It is stated in the Sätvata-tantras:
“The first puruña, Mahä-Viñëu, is the creator of the total material energy
[mahat], the second is Garbhodakaçäyé, who is situated within each universe,
and the third is Kñérodakaçäyé, who lives in the heart of every living being. He
who knows these three becomes liberated from the clutches of mäyä.”

TEXT 39

bhägavata ye nä mäne, se—yavana-sama

tära çästä äche janme-janme prabhu yama

TRANSLATION

One who does not accept Çrémad Bhägavatam is no better than a Yavana,
and Lord Yamaräja punishes him birth after birth.

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 COMMENTARY

In the Bhägavata-mähätmya of the Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa, Chapter

63, it is stated: “The topics of the Supreme Lord are realized by discussing
Çrémad Bhägavatam. One can understand the purport of the Vedas from every
line of every çloka.” There are many other similar statements in the various
Vaiñëava Puräëas.
The result of disregarding Çrémad Bhägavatam is described in the
Hari-bhakti-viläsa (10.2.77) as follows: “In this Age of Kali, one who considers
Çrémad Bhägavatam more dear than his own life will never suffer the
punishment of Yamaräja, even for a hundred kalpas.” Also in
Hari-bhakti-viläsa (10.2.81) it is stated: “The wretched person who does not
appreciate the study of Çrémad Bhägavatam and who hinders others in its study
causes a hundred generations of family members to go to hell.” In the Padma
Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa, Chapter 63, it is stated: “One continues to wander in
the cycle of birth and death as long as he does not for even a moment hear the
Çrémad Bhägavatam, which was recited by Çukadeva Gosvämé. A person who
does not hear anything from the Çrémad Bhägavatam throughout his entire life
is no better than a caëòäla or an ass. The result of his birth was only his
mother’s delivery pains. Indra, the king of the demigods in heaven, declares
that the sinful man who never hears the topics of Bhägavatam is simply a
burden to the earth, and although living, he is actually dead.”
The word yavana refers to a mleccha who does not follow proper behavior
and is averse to Vedic literatures. In the Mahäbhärata (Ädi 84.13-15) King
Yayäti curses Turvasu in the following words: “O Turvasu! Although you were
born from my heart, you are not giving me your youth. Therefore your sons
will not inherit the kingdom. You fool! You will be the king of low-class
persons who are caëòälas, meat-eaters, or born from intercaste marriages. You
will be the king of those sinful mlecchas who are lusty for the wife of their guru

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and those whose mentality and activities are no better than animals.”
Elsewhere in the Mahäbhärata (Ädi 85.34) it is said: “The descendants of Yadu
Mahäräja are called Yädava kñatriyas, and the descendants of Turvasu are
known as Yavanas. The descendants of Druhya are known as Bhojas, and the
descendants of Anu are known as mlecchas.” In the Mahäbhärata (Ädi 174.36)
it is stated: “The Pahlavas were created from her tail, the Draviòas and Çaìkas
were created from her udder, the Yavanas were created from her genital, and
the Çabaras and Bahünas were created from her dung.” In the Rämäyaëa
(Bäla-käëòa 55.3) it is stated: “The Yavanas were born from the genital.” The
Hari-vaàça (Hari-vaàça-parva 14.25-26) says: “Keeping his promise and
respecting the words of his guru, King Sagara did not kill them but destroyed
their religious principles and changed their dress. He shaved half the heads of
the Çakas and the full heads of the Yavanas and Pahlavas.” The following
statement is found in the Manu-saàhitä (10.44-45): “The Pauëòras, Codas,
Draviòas, Kambogas, Yavanas, Çakas, Päradas, Pahlavas, Cénas, Kirätas,
Daradas, and Khaças, all of whom were not born from the mouth, arms, thighs,
or feet of the Lord, are called dasyus, whether they speak the language of the
mlecchas or that of the Äryans.” In the Präyaçcitta-tattva, the Bodhäyana-småti
is quoted as follows: “Those persons who eat cow flesh, who always speak
critically, and who are devoid of proper conduct are called mlecchas. Persons
born in the place called Yavana are called Yavanas.” In the Våddha-cäëakya it
is stated: “Wise persons have said that among thousands of caëòälas, one is a
Yavana. There is no person more degraded than a Yavana.”
The living entities are born in higher and lower castes according to the
fruits of their activities. By the influence of sattva-guëa, living entities are
born in the families of brähmaëas, and by the influence of rajo-guëa and
tamo-guëa living entities are born in sinful lower castes, like the Yavanas. The
living entities who are born in the families of brähmaëas receive ample
opportunity to become swanlike knowers of the Absolute Truth through the
study of the Vedas, but living entities who are born in the families of lower
castes like Yavanas are not qualified to study the Vedic literatures. Çrémad

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Bhägavatam is the ripened fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literature and the
crest jewel of all scriptures. The Yavanas have no respect for Çrémad
Bhägavatam whatsoever. If someone is born in the family of a caste higher
than that of a Yavana and he unfortunately does not respect Çrémad
Bhägavatam, which is the personification of devotional service to Lord Kåñëa,
the shelter of everyone, and equal to Kåñëa, then due to the lack of good
instructions from the spiritual master, such misguided people become degraded
to the status of foolish uncultured Yavanas or no better than asses. At present
in the pious land of India there are people who belong to societies that are
supposedly opposed to the non-Äryans, and although they unfortunately
advertise themselves as followers of the Vedas, because they are extremely
averse to understanding the meaning of the Çrémad Bhägavatam, they are
envious of its conclusions. These people are similar to foolish asslike Yavanas.
On the other hand, although Haridäsa Öhäkura was born in a family of
Yavanas, he was faithful to the Çrémad Bhägavatam and fully conversant with
its conclusions. He was therefore the crest jewel of the brähmaëas and a
swanlike pure devotee.
In this verse the word prabhu refers to one who is able to kill or protect. In
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.3.7) the Yamadütas spoke to Yamaräja as follows:
“The supreme judge must be one, not many. It was our understanding that you
are that supreme judge and that you have jurisdiction even over the demigods.
Our impression was that you are the master of all living entities, the supreme
authority who discriminates between the pious and impious activities of all
human beings.” In the Nåsiàha Puräëa (and Viñëu Puräëa 3.7.15) it is stated:
“Çré Yamaräja, who judges the pious and impious activities of the living
entities, offers his obeisances to the devotees of the Lord and punishes those
who are envious of Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas by forcing them to suffer in hell
according to the results of their activities. Rather than attaining eternal
happiness, those who are averse to serving the Supreme Lord certainly suffer
miseries born from their attempts to enjoy separately from the Lord.”

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 TEXT 40

ebe keha keha napuàsaka-veçe näce

bole—“balaräma-räsa kon çästre äche?”

TRANSLATION

Nowadays some faithless persons [eunuchs] challenge, “In which scripture

is Balaräma’s räsa-lélä described?”

COMMENTARY

The impersonalists consider the wonderful transcendental räsa-lélä of

Balaräma, who is the Lord of lords, as uncorroborated by Vedic literatures.
Even after giving up material enjoyment, they are unable to enter the
transcendental arena of the räsa dance, which is the eternal goal for the pure
living entities. Although their mentality is like that of the eunuchs, who
unnaturally abstain from sense enjoyment, they are deprived of serving the
Lord in any of the five types of relationships. That is why such people are
known as eunuchs or impersonalist sannyäsés.

TEXT 41

kona päpé çästra dekhileha nähi mäne

eka arthe anya artha kariyä väkhäne

TRANSLATION

Some sinful persons do not accept this pastime even if they read about it in

81
the scriptures. They distort the actual meaning of the scriptures into some
other meaning.

COMMENTARY

To distort the meaning of the scriptures is cheating and an offense against

the holy names.
It is impossible to realize the Absolute Truth with a sinful heart. Faithless
persons are always confused when trying to understand the Absolute Truth.
They are blind in attaining their goal of life and, rather than accepting the
truth, they distort the meanings of the scriptures.

TEXT 42

caitanya-candrera priya-vigraha baläi

täna-sthäne aparädhe mare sarva öhäïi

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda is the dearmost object of Çré Caitanyacandra, therefore

anyone who commits an offense at His lotus feet is vanquished.

COMMENTARY

Çré Acyutänanda, the son of Çré Advaita Prabhu, served Lord Hari under
the guidance of Çré Gadädhara Paëòita. Although two of Advaita’s other sons
sometimes accepted the guidance of Lord Caitanya, there is no mention of
their devotion for the lotus feet of Lord Nityänanda. One of Çré Advaita
Prabhu’s sons was named Balaräma, and his son was Madhusüdana. He was
particularly affectionate towards the smärta Raghunandana Bhaööäcärya, the

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son of Harihara Bhaööäcärya of Bandäghaöa. The son of Madhusüdana,
Rädhäramaëa Bhaööäcärya, followed the path of the smärtas and became
faithless towards Çré Nityänanda-Baladeva. The author of Caitanya-bhägavata,
who is a pure devotee and spiritual master, has perhaps written these verses
(38-42) with these people in mind. The statements of Çréla Våndävana däsa
Öhäkura are not inapplicable to the unqualified descendants of Çré
Nityänanda Prabhu’s disciples.

TEXT 43

mürti-bhede äpane hayena prabhu-däsa

se-saba lakñaëa avatärei prakäça

TRANSLATION

Lord Balaräma appears in various forms as the servant of the Lord. He

manifests these symptoms in His various incarnations.

COMMENTARY

For the benefit of the readers, we are again quoting the verses written by
Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.4-5, 8-11, 45-46, 48,
73-74, 76, 80-81, 113, 115-117, 120-121, 123, 125, 134-135, 137, and 156), which
state: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is the fountainhead of all
incarnations. Lord Balaräma is His second body. They are both one and the
same identity. They differ only in form. He is the first bodily expansion of
Kåñëa, and He assists in Lord Kåñëa’s transcendental pastimes. Lord Balaräma
is the original Saìkarñaëa. He assumes five other forms to serve Lord Kåñëa.
He Himself helps in the pastimes of Lord Kåñëa, and He does the work of
creation in four other forms. He executes the orders of Lord Kåñëa in the work

83
of creation, and in the form of Lord Çeña He serves Kåñëa in various ways. In
all the forms He tastes the transcendental bliss of serving Kåñëa. That same
Balaräma is Lord Nityänanda, the companion of Lord Gaurasundara. There is
one marginal potency, known as the jéva. Mahä-Saìkarñaëa is the shelter of all
jévas. Saìkarñaëa is the original shelter of the puruña, from whom this world is
created and in whom it is dissolved. That Saìkarñaëa, who is transcendental
pure goodness, is a partial expansion of Nityänanda Balaräma. Çré Balaräma is
the counterform of Lord Govinda. Balaräma’s own expansion is called
Mahä-Saìkarñaëa, and His fragment, the puruña, is counted as a kalä, or a part
of a plenary portion. Garbhodaçäyé and Kñérodaçäyé are both called puruñas.
They are plenary portions of Käraëodaçäyé Viñëu, the first puruña, who is the
abode of all the universes. That puruña [Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu] is the performer
of creation, maintenance and destruction. He manifests Himself in many
incarnations, for He is the maintainer of the world. That fragment of the
Mahä-puruña who appears for the purpose of creation, maintenance and
annihilation is called an incarnation. In the ages and millenniums of Manu,
He appears as different incarnations to establish the principles of real religion
and vanquish the principles of irreligion. He then descends to maintain the
material world. His unlimited opulences cannot be counted. That Lord Viñëu
is but a part of a part of a plenary portion of Lord Nityänanda, who is the
source of all incarnations. That same Lord Viñëu, in the form of Lord Çeña,
holds the planets upon His heads, although He does not know where they are,
for He cannot feel their existence upon His heads. That Ananta Çeña is the
devotee incarnation of Godhead. He knows nothing but service to Lord Kåñëa.
With His thousands of mouths He sings the glories of Lord Kåñëa, but
although He always sings in that way, He does not find an end to the qualities
of the Lord. He serves Lord Kåñëa, assuming all the following forms: umbrella,
slippers, bedding, pillow, garments, resting chair, residence, sacred thread and
throne. He is thus called Lord Çeña, for He has attained the ultimate end of
servitude to Kåñëa. He takes many forms for the service of Kåñëa, and thus He
serves the Lord. That person of whom Lord Ananta is a kalä, or part of a

84
plenary part, is Lord Nityänanda Prabhu. Who, therefore, can know the
pastimes of Lord Nityänanda? Thus Lord Nityänanda has unlimited
incarnations. In transcendental emotion He calls Himself a servant of Lord
Caitanya. Sometimes He serves Lord Caitanya as His guru, sometimes as His
friend and sometimes as His servant, just as Lord Balaräma played with Lord
Kåñëa in these three different modes in Vraja. He considers Himself a servant
and knows Kåñëa to be His master. Thus He regards Himself as a fragment of
His plenary portion. Lord Caitanya is the same Lord Kåñëa, and Lord
Nityänanda is Lord Balaräma. Lord Nityänanda fulfills all of Lord Caitanya’s
desires.”
In some editions the word lakñaëa appears as lakñmaëa, which then means:
“This is demonstrated in His incarnation as Lakñmaëa.” As explained in the
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.149-154): “Lord Nityänanda Svarüpa formerly
appeared as Lakñmaëa and served Lord Rämacandra as His younger brother.
The activities of Lord Räma were full of suffering, but Lakñmaëa, of His own
accord, tolerated that suffering. As a younger brother He could not stop Lord
Räma from His resolution, and so He remained silent, although unhappy in
His mind. When Lord Kåñëa appeared, He [Balaräma] became His elder
brother to serve Him to His heart’s content and make Him enjoy all sorts of
happiness. Çré Räma and Çré Lakñmaëa, who are plenary portions of Lord
Kåñëa and Lord Balaräma, entered into Them at the time of Kåñëa’s and
Balaräma’s appearance. Kåñëa and Balaräma present Themselves as elder or
younger brother, but in the scriptures They are described as the original
Supreme Personality of Godhead and His expansion.”

TEXT 44

sakhä, bhäi, vyajana, çayana, ävähana

gåha, chatra, vastra, yata bhüñaëa, äsana

85
 TRANSLATION

Lord Balaräma serves Kåñëa in ten different ways, as His friend, brother,
fan, bed, carrier, residence, umbrella, garments, ornaments, and sitting place.

COMMENTARY

Please refer to the Çré Caitanya-caritämåta verses quoted in the purport of

verse 43.

TEXT 45

äpane sakala-rüpe sevena äpane

yäre anugraha karena, päya sei jane

TRANSLATION

In all these forms He serves Himself. Whoever receives His mercy can
understand this truth.

COMMENTARY

Svayaà-rüpa Çré Kåñëa has personally appeared as svayam-prakäça Çré

Baladeva in order to relish spiritual happiness. Please refer to the Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta verses quoted in the purport of verse 43.

TEXT 46

niväsa-çayyäsana-pädukäàçuko-

86
 padhäna-varñätapa-väraëädibhiù
çaréra-bhedais tava çeñatäà gatair
yathocitaà çeña itérite janaiù

TRANSLATION

O my Lord, when will I satisfy You and Lakñmé, who are both seated on the
bed of Ananta? Although He is Your transcendental personal expansion, He
has accepted Your service in the form of Your residence, bed, sitting place,
slippers, garments, pillow, and umbrella. Therefore He is appropriately known
by people as Çeña. (Stotra-ratna 37)

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.3.25) Devaké prays to the Supreme Lord in

the following words: bhavän ekaù çiñyate ’çeña-saàjïaù—“At that time, You
alone remain, and You are known as Ananta Çeña-näga.” In his Laghu-toñaëé
commentary on this verse, Jéva Gosvämé has stated: “You alone remain and are
therefore called Açeña, the complete. Eka can refer to the spiritual realm as
well, which is nondifferent from the Lord (and does not meet destruction).
Açeña, meaning ’complete,’ can also refer to the Vaikuëöha planets. The word
saàjïa, or ’definition,’ refers to the true nature of an object, indicated by its
particular form. According to the Çré Vaiñëavas, çeña means ’He who remains
(çiñyate) after the dissolution.’ This is also an acceptable definition. The word
can also be taken as çeña—’He who remains,’ instead of açeña. This can
include the Lord’s associates as well, but it does not include the material world
or the jévas therein (who disappear during the mahä-pralaya).”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.2.8) the Supreme Lord speaks the following
words to Yogamäyä: “Within the womb of Devaké is My partial plenary
expansion known as Saìkarñaëa or Çeña. Without difficulty, transfer Him into
the womb of Rohiëé.” In his Laghu-toñaëé commentary on this verse, Jéva

87
Gosvämé says: “Çeña means ’that which remains’ or ’part.’ Akhya means
’known.’ He is known as Çeña because of being an expansion of Me.
Saìkarñaëa is My own form and the shelter of the spiritual abode, My
transcendental forms, and various energies.”
When the angry Lord Baladeva was pulling the city of Hastinäpura into the
Yamunä with His plow, the Kauravas prayed to Him in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(10.68.46) as follows: “O unlimited one of a thousand heads, as Your pastime
You carry this earthly globe upon one of Your heads. At the time of
annihilation You withdraw the entire universe within Your body and,
remaining all alone, lie down to rest.”
In his commentary on this Bhägavatam verse, Sanätana Gosvämé writes: “I
am Çeña, the upholder of the earth, and though different from the Supreme
Lord, why am I glorified as being nondifferent from Him? In answer to this,
the next line says: even at the time of annihilation, Çeña does not fail to
perform His duty of protection, because He withdraws the universe within
Himself. He remains there (paritaù çiñyamäëaù) as the only evidence of the
Lord, and therefore is called Çeña, the remainder.”
In his commentary on the descriptions of the characteristics of Rudra in
the Nineteenth Chapter of the Laghu-bhägavatämåta, Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa writes: “The Çeña who holds a buffalo horn and bow, who is the
bed of Lord Viñëu, and who is replete with the all-accommodating potency is
the Supreme Lord. The Çeña who supports the earth is among the living
entities who are empowered by the Supreme Lord.” In the description of
Balaräma from the Laghu-bhägavatämåta (87) it is stated: “The Saìkarñaëa
from the second catur-vyüha merges with the Çeña who supports the earth and
appears as Lord Balaräma. The two forms of Çeña are He who supports the
earth and He who is the bed of Lord Viñëu. The Çeña who holds the earth is
also known as Saìkarñaëa, because He is an empowered incarnation of
Saìkarñaëa. The Çeña who is the bed of Lord Näräyaëa considers Himself the

88
friend and servant of Näräyaëa.”

TEXT 47

anantera aàça çré garuòa mahäbalé

léläya balaye kåñëe haïä kutühalé

TRANSLATION

The most powerful Çré Garuòa, the expansion of Anantadeva, enjoys his
pastimes as Kåñëa’s carrier.

COMMENTARY

The powerful Çréla Garuòadeva, who is the expansion of Anantadeva, is

simultaneously Lord Viñëu’s servant, friend, sitting place, flag, and carrier. As
stated by Çré Yamunäcärya in Stotra-ratna (38):

däsaù sakhä vähanam äsanaà dhvajo

yas te vatänaà vyajanaà trayé-mayaù
upasthitaà tena puro garutmatä
tvad-aìghri-sammarda-kiëäìka-çobhinä

“O Lord, when will I satisfy You, who are present before me with Garuòa,
Your servant, friend, carrier, sitting place, flag, canopy, cämara, and the
personified Åg, Säma, and Yajur Vedas. He is decorated with symptoms of
having massaged Your lotus feet.”
Other editions have bulaye or vahaye in place of balaye. Balaye means
“surrounding” or “prosperity in service.” Bulaye means “traveling,” and vahaye
means “carrying.”

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 TEXT 48

ki brahmä, ki çiva, ki sanakädi ’kumära’

vyäsa, çuka, näradädi, ’bhakta’ näma yäìra

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva, the four Kumäras (Sanaka, Sanätana, Sanandana
and Sanät-kumära), Vyäsadeva, Çukadeva Gosvämé, and Närada are all pure
devotees, eternal servants of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

Please refer to the purport of verse 21.

TEXT 49

sabära püjita çré-ananta-mahäçaya

sahasra-vadana prabhu—bhakti-rasa-maya

TRANSLATION

Lord Çré Ananta is worshiped by all the uncontaminated devotees mentioned

above. He has thousands of hoods and is the reservoir of all devotional service.

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.2.5) Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé says to Mahäräja

Parékñit: “A plenary portion of Kåñëa entered her womb as her seventh child,

90
arousing her pleasure and lamentation. That plenary portion is celebrated by
great sages as Ananta, who belongs to Kåñëa’s second quadruple expansion.”
Lord Brahmä speaks to the demigods in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.1.24) as
follows: “The foremost manifestation of Kåñëa is Saìkarñaëa, who is known as
Ananta. He is the origin of all incarnations within this material world.
Previous to the appearance of Lord Kåñëa, this original Saìkarñaëa will appear
as Baladeva, just to please the Supreme Lord Kåñëa in His transcendental
pastimes.”
In the Kåñëa-sandarbha (86) Çréla Jéva Gosvämé writes: “Väsudeva refers to
the son of Vasudeva. His first part, or kalä, is Saìkarñaëa, or Ananta. As
Saìkarñaëa, He is the original form. Svaräö means He exists independently.
The name Ananta indicates that He is not restricted by space and time. That
Çeña has thousands of mouths.” In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.65.28) Yamunä
offers the following prayer to Lord Balaräma:

räma räma mahä-bäho na jäne tava vikramam

yasyaikäàçena vidhåtä jagaté jagataù pate

“Räma, Räma, O mighty-armed one! I know nothing of Your prowess. With

a single portion of Yourself You hold up the earth, O Lord of the universe.”
The word ekäàçena—“with a single portion,” is explained in the commentary
as refering to the Lord’s expansion as Çeña. Therefore the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(10.2.8) says: “My partial plenary expansion is known as Saìkarñaëa or Çeña.”
In the commentary on this verse it is stated: “He who remains after dissolution
is called Çeña. This statement indicates that Çeña is a permanent form, or
aàça, of the Lord, or He who finds the glories of the Lord as endless.”

TEXT 50

ädideva, mahä-yogé, ’éçvara’, ’vaiñëava’

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 mahimära anta ihä nä jänaye saba

TRANSLATION

Lord Ananta is the first incarnation of the Lord and the master of all mystic
power. At the same time, He is a servant of God, a Vaiñëava. Since there is no
end to His glories, no one can understand Him fully.

COMMENTARY

The word ädideva is found in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.7.41) as Lord

Brahmä describes the lélä-avatäras of Lord Kåñëa to Närada Muni in the
following words: “Even [Ädideva] the first incarnation of the Lord, namely
Çeña, has not been able to reach the limit of such knowledge, although He is
describing the qualities of the Lord with ten hundred faces.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.25.6) Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé tells Parékñit
Mahäräja: “Lord Saìkarñaëa is the ocean of unlimited spiritual qualities, and
thus He is known as Anantadeva. He is [Ädideva] nondifferent from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. For the welfare of all living entities within
this material world, He resides in His abode, restraining His anger and
intolerance.”
Lord Saìkarñaëa is Ädideva or ädi-puruña, the original Personality of
Godhead. In this regard one should refer to Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.16.31 and
10.15.6).
The word mahäyogi has two meanings: the first is yogeçvara, or “master of
all mystic power.” In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.78.31) after Baladeva killed
the show-bottle devotee Romaharñaëa Süta, the disciple of Vyäsa, the sages of
Naimiñäraëya lamented and offered prayers to Baladeva as follows: “Of course,
even the injunctions of revealed scripture cannot dictate to You, the Lord of

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all mystic power.”
The second meaning of mahäyogi is yoga-mäyädhéça, or “controller of
mystic power.” In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.78.34) Lord Balaräma accepts
the sages’ prayers and replies to them as follows: “O sages, just say the word,
and by My mystic power I shall restore everything you promised him.” In the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.30.26) it is stated: “Lord Balaräma then sat down on
the shore of the ocean and yogam ästhäya pauruñam, fixed Himself in
meditation upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” In his commentary on
this verse, Çrédhara Svämé writes: “The words pauruñam yogam indicate
parama-puruña-dhyäna, or ’meditation on the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.’”
The word éçvara is described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.16.47) as King
Citraketu prays to Lord Saìkarñaëa in the following words: “My dear Lord,
You are the creator, maintainer, and annihilator of this cosmic manifestation,
but persons who are too materialistic and who always see separateness do not
have eyes with which to see You. They cannot understand Your real position,
and therefore they conclude that the cosmic manifestation is independent of
Your opulence. My Lord, You are the supreme pure, and You are full in all six
opulences. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.15.35), while describing the killing of
Dhenukäsura, Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé glorifies Balaräma by saying, “My dear
Parékñit, that Lord Balaräma killed Dhenukäsura is not such a wonderful
thing, considering that He is the unlimited Personality of Godhead, the
controller of the entire universe. Indeed, the entire cosmos rests upon Him
just as a woven cloth rests upon its own horizontal and vertical threads.”
When the angry Lord Baladeva was pulling the city of Hastinäpura into the
Yamunä with His plow, the Kauravas prayed to Him in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(10.68.45) as follows: “You alone cause the creation, maintenance, and
annihilation of the cosmos, and of You there is no prior cause. Indeed, O Lord,

93
authorities say that the worlds are mere playthings for You as You perform
Your pastimes.”
The word vaiñëava is used in reference to Anantadeva in the following
statement of Çukadeva Gosvämé to Mahäräja Parékñit in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.2.5):

saptamo vaiñëavaà dhäma yam anantaà pracakñate

garbho babhüva devakyä harña-çoka-vivardhanaù

“A plenary portion of Kåñëa [the Vaiñëava Ananta] entered her womb as

her seventh child, arousing her pleasure and lamentation. That plenary
portion is celebrated by great sages as Ananta.”
Not everyone can understand that the glories of Anantadeva are
unlimited. This is confirmed in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.17, 5.25.6, 9, 12-13
(quoted as verses 56 and 57 of this chapter) and 6.16.23, 46-47).

TEXT 51

sevana çunilä, ebe çuna öhäkuräla

ätma-tantre yena-mate vaisena pätäla

TRANSLATION

I have already spoken to you of Anantadeva’s influential service to the Lord.

Now hear how the self-sufficient Ananta exists in the lower planetary system
of Pätäla.

COMMENTARY

The word öhäkuräla means “influence” or “important or opulent pastimes.”

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The word ätma-tantre means “self-supporting.” This is explained by Çrédhara
Svämé in his commentary on the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.26.13), which is quoted
as verse 57 of this chapter. Lord Anantadeva is situated below Rasätala (below
the earth) as “self-supporting on His own.”

TEXT 52

çré-närada-gosäïi ’tumburu’ kari’ saìge

se yaça gäyena brahmä-sthäne çloka-vandhe

TRANSLATION

Bearing his stringed instrument, the tumburu, on his shoulders, the great
sage Närada Muni always glorifies Lord Ananta in Brahmä’s assembly. Närada
Muni has composed many transcendental verses in praise of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The word tumburu refers to the famous instrument called véëä, which is
always carried by Çré Närada Muni to glorify the qualities of Lord Hari. (Please
refer to verse 74 of this chapter.) Another meaning of tumburu is the celestial
singer who is the leader of the Gandharvas. (Please refer to Çrémad
Bhägavatam 1.13.60)
The word brahmä-sthäne refers to Brahmä’s assembly known as Mänasé,
wherein Gandharvas such as Tumburu play their musical instruments. This is
described in the Çré Nélakaëöha commentary on the Mahäbhärata (Sabhä 11.28)
wherein Närada describes Brahmä’s assembly to Yudhiñöhira as follows: “A
group of twenty Gandharvas and Apsaräs come to Brahmä’s assembly. Apart
from them, there are seven other principle Gandharvas present there,
including Haàsa, Hähä, Hühü, Viçvävasu, Ruci, Våñaëa, and Tumburu.”

95
 The word çloka-vandhe means “accumulating or composing verses.” This
verse is a Bengali rendering of part of verse eight of the Twenty-fifth Chapter
of the Fifth Canto of Çrémad Bhägavatam, which states: tasyänubhävän
bhagavän sväyambhuvo näradaù saha tumburuëä sabhäyäà brahmaëaù
saàçlokayäm äsa.—“Närada Muni, the son of Lord Brahmä, always glorifies
Anantadeva in his father’s assembly. There he sings blissful verses of his own
composition, accompanied by his stringed instrument [or a celestial singer]
known as Tumburu.”

TEXT 53

utpatti-sthiti-laya-hetavo ’sya kalpäù

sattvädyäù prakåti-guëä yad-ékñayäsan
yad-rüpaà dhruvam akåtaà yad ekam ätman
nänädhät katham u ha veda tasya vartma

TRANSLATION

By His glance, the Supreme Personality of Godhead enables the modes of

material nature to act as the causes of universal creation, maintenance, and
destruction. The Supreme Soul is unlimited and beginningless, and although
He is one, He has manifested Himself in many forms. How can human society
understand the ways of the Supreme?

COMMENTARY

In this and the following four verses taken from Çrémad Bhägavatam
(5.25.9-13) Çukadeva Gosvämé describes to Mahäräja Parékñit the glorification
of Saìkarñaëa’s qualities by Närada Muni accompanied by his véëä musical
instrument or the Gandharva named Tumburu.

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 TEXT 54

mürtià naù puru-kåpayä babhära sattvaà

saàçuddhaà sad-asad idaà vibhäti tatra
yal-léläà måga-patir ädade ’navadyäm
ädätuà svajana-manäàsy udära-véryaù

TRANSLATION

This manifestation of subtle and gross matter exists within the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Out of causeless mercy toward His devotees, He
exhibits various forms, which are all transcendental. The Supreme Lord is most
liberal, and He possesses all mystic power. To conquer the minds of His
devotees and give pleasure to their hearts, He appears in different incarnations
and manifests many pastimes.

COMMENTARY

In his commentary known as Krama-sandarbha, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé says,

“The word måga-pati refers to Lord Varähadeva, who performed the pastime of
lifting the earth. From this statement the glories of Anantadeva are further
enhanced.” Çrédhara Svämé explains in his Bhävärtha-dépikä commentary:
“Those who are approached for some purpose are called måga, or wish-fulfilling
demigods. Their pati is their master, or He who is the master of the demigods.”

TEXT 55

yan-näma çrutam anukértayed akasmäd

ärto vä yadi patitaù pralambhanäd vä

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 hanty aàhaù sapadi nåëäm açeñam anyaà
kaà çeñäd bhagavata äçrayen mumukñuù

TRANSLATION

Even if he be distressed or degraded, any person who chants the holy name
of the Lord, having heard it from a bona fide spiritual master, is immediately
purified. Even if he chants the Lord’s name jokingly or by chance, he and
anyone who hears him are freed from all sins. Therefore how can anyone
seeking disentanglement from the material clutches avoid chanting the name of
Lord Çeña? Of whom else should one take shelter?

TEXT 56

mürdhany arpitam aëuvat sahasra-mürdhno

bhü-golaà sagiri-sarit-samudra-sattvam
änantyäd animita-vikramasya bhümnaù
ko véryäëy adhi gaëayet sahasra-jihvaù

TRANSLATION

Because the Lord is unlimited, no one can estimate His power. This entire
universe, filled with its many great mountains, rivers, oceans, trees, and living
entities, is resting just like an atom on one of His many thousands of hoods. Is
there anyone, even with thousands of tongues, who can describe His glories?

COMMENTARY

In his Krama-sandarbha commentary on the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Çré Jéva

Gosvämé Prabhu says that because the form of the Supreme Lord is

98
immeasurable, the universe naturally appears small in comparison with Him.

TEXT 57

evam-prabhävo bhagavän ananto

duranta-véryoru-guëänubhävaù
müle rasäyäù sthita ätma-tantro
yo lélayä kñmäà sthitaye bibharti

TRANSLATION

There is no end to the great and glorious qualities of that powerful Lord
Anantadeva. Indeed, His prowess is unlimited. Though self-sufficient, He
Himself is the support of everything. He resides beneath the lower planetary
systems and easily sustains the entire universe.

COMMENTARY

According to Çrédhara Svämé, the word ätma-tantra in this verse means

“self-sufficient.”

TEXT 58

såñöi, sthiti, pralaya, sattvädi yata guëa

yäìra dåñöi-päte haya, yäya punaù punaù

TRANSLATION

Simply due to the glance of Lord Ananta, the three material modes of nature

99
interact and produce creation, maintenance, and annihilation. These modes of
nature appear again and again.

COMMENTARY

This and the following verse are Bengali translations of Çrémad Bhägavatam
(5.25.9), which is quoted as verse 53 of this chapter. The word dåñöi-päte means
“by His glance.” The words haya and yäya indicate that by His glance the
ability for creation, maintenance, and annihilation are made possible. In the
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.46) it is stated: “Saìkarñaëa is the original shelter
of the puruña, from whom this world is created and in whom it is dissolved.”

TEXT 59

advitéya-rüpa, satya anädi mahattva

tathäpi ’ananta’ haya, ke bujhe se tattva?

TRANSLATION

The Lord is glorified as one without a second and as the supreme truth who
has no beginning. Therefore He is called Anantadeva [unlimited]. Who can
understand His ways?

COMMENTARY

The word advitéya means “without a second or devoid of mäyä,” “fearless,”

or “absolute knowledge.” The word satya means dhruva, “the unchanging or
supreme truth.” The word anädi means “the original or beginningless” or
“unborn.” The word tattva in this verse means vartma, or “path.”

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 TEXT 60

çuddha-sattva-mürti prabhu dharena karuëäya

ye-vigrahe sabära prakäça suléläya

TRANSLATION

His form is completely spiritual, and He manifests it only by His mercy. All
the activities in this material world are conducted within His form.

COMMENTARY

This and the following verse are Bengali translations of Çrémad Bhägavatam
(5.25.10), which appears in this chapter as verse 54. The word çuddha-sattva in
this verse refers to Çré Baladeva, who is the predominating Deity of the
sandhiné energy, which is one of the three internal potencies. All the
ingredients of the spiritual world emanate from Baladeva. In other words,
çuddha-sattva, or pure goodness, which is beyond the three modes of material
nature, emanates from Him. In other words, He is the cause of spiritual
existence. All of Viñëu’s various forms are His plenary portions or portions of
His plenary portions, and They are all forms of pure goodness. In the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (4.3.23) Lord Çiva speaks to Saté as follows: “I am always engaged
in offering obeisances to Lord Väsudeva in pure Kåñëa consciousness. Kåñëa
consciousness is always pure consciousness, in which the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, known as Väsudeva, is revealed without any covering.” In their
commentaries on this verse: (1) Çréla Jéva Gosvämé says, “The word viçuddha
indicates a complete absence of material influence because of being sheltered
by the Lord’s svarüpa-çakti;” (2) Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura says,
“The word viçuddha indicates that it is spiritual, being composed of the
cit-çakti;” and (3) Çréla Çrédhara Svämé says, “Sattva refers to the

101
consciousness, or the level of pure sattva.” In his commentary on Çrémad
Bhägavatam (1.2.24) he says: “Sattva refers to direct perception of Brahman.”
And in his commentary on the words viçuddhaà sattvam ürjitam from the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.3), he says: “Viçuddha indicates ’untouched by the
guëas’ and ürjitam means ’unsurpassed.’” In his Çré Bhägavata-tätparya, Çré
Madhväcärya says: “Sattva refers to the possession of saintly qualities,
knowledge, strength, and attractive form.” In the Matsya Puräëa it is stated:
“Sattva refers to the totality of all strength and knowledge.” Another name for
the state of pure goodness is vasudeva. One who appears in that state is called
Väsudeva.
It is stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 4.64-65): “The essential portion
of the sandhiné potency is çuddha-sattva. Lord Kåñëa’s existence rests upon it.
Kåñëa’s mother, father, abode, house, bedding, seats, and so on are all
transformations of çuddha-sattva.” Again, in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi
5.43-44, 48) it is said: “One variety of the pastimes of the spiritual energy is
described as pure goodness [viçuddha-sattva]. It comprises all the abodes of
Vaikuëöha. The six attributes are all spiritual. Know for certain that they are
all manifestations of the opulence of Saìkarñaëa. That Saìkarñaëa, who is
transcendental pure goodness, is a partial expansion of Nityänanda Balaräma.”
The words mürti and vigraha are synonymous—both mean form. All the
forms of Lord Viñëu are naturally eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, and
purely spiritual; His name, form, qualities, associates, and pastimes are all
transcendental. He is factually not impersonal or devoid of spiritual
variegatedness. A conditioned soul who is averse to the Lord cannot
comprehend the Lord with his imagination born of mental speculation, which
is a product of material qualities and faults. The Lord is adhokñaja, or beyond
material conception, and the living entities are also transcendental and
superior to material nature.
The word sabära in this verse means “of the material and spiritual worlds,”
in other words, “of this material world, which is a mixture of cause and effect,

102
and of the spiritual worlds, including all viñëu-tattvas.”
The word suléläya means “natural” or “by the influence of wonderful
pastimes.”

TEXT 61

yäìhära taraìga çikhi’ siàha mahävalé

nija-jana-mano raïje haïä kutühalé

TRANSLATION

He is very powerful and always prepared to please His personal associates

and devotees with waves of pastimes.

COMMENTARY

The word taraìga in this verse refers to the waves of the Lord’s unlimited
ocean of pastimes. The word çikhi means “having learned,” and the word siàha
means “the lion,” “Çré Nåsiàhadeva,” or, according to Çréla Jéva Gosvämé, “Çré
Varähadeva.” The word mahävalé means “powerfully magnanimous.” The word
nija-jana means “other beasts” for the lion, “the devotee Prahläda” for
Nåsiàhadeva, and “the munis headed by Brahmä” or “the earth” for
Varähadeva.

TEXTS 62-63

ye ananta-nämera çravaëa-saìkértane
ye-te mate kene nähi bole ye-te jane

103
 açeña-janmera bandha chiëòe sei-kñaëe
ataeva vaiñëava nä chäòena kabhu täne

TRANSLATION

If we simply try to engage in the congregational chanting of the glories of

Lord Anantadeva, the dirty things in our hearts, accumulated during many
births, will immediately be washed away. Therefore a Vaiñëava never misses
the opportunity to glorify Anantadeva.

COMMENTARY

Verses 62 through 64 are the translation of verse 55.

Please refer to the translation of Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.16.44) quoted in the
purport of verse 18.
The word bandha refers to the dirty things in the heart of a conditioned
soul, and the word chiëòe means “washed away.” For an elaboration on the
second line of verse 63, one may refer to the translations of Çrémad
Bhägavatam (5.25.4, 6.16.34, and 6.16.43).
After giving up the offenses in the chanting of the holy names, if one
somehow utters the name of Çré Anantadeva, the knots of speculation born of
nescience, which are the root cause of illusory conceptions, are destroyed. As
such, Vaiñëavas will never attempt to disrespect Çré Anantadeva in any way.

TEXT 64

’çeña’ ba-i saàsärera gati nähi ära

anantera näme sarva-jévera uddhära

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 TRANSLATION

Lord Anantadeva is known as Çeña [the unlimited end] because He alone

ends our passage through this material world. By chanting His glories, everyone
can be liberated.

COMMENTARY

One may refer to the purport to verse 46 for the meaning of the word Çeña.
The word ba-i means “without” or “beyond.” The word gati refers to the means
of ending material life. For the meaning of the words sarva-jévera uddhära, one
may refer to the Fifth Canto of the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Chapter 26, the first
half of verse 8, quoted in the purports of verses 14, 18, and 21, as well as the
translation of Çrémad Bhägavatam (6.16.44).

TEXT 65

ananta påthivé giri-samudra-sahite

ye-prabhu dharena çire pälana karite

TRANSLATION

On His head, Anantadeva sustains the entire universe, with its millions of
planets containing enormous oceans and mountains.

TEXT 66

sahasra phaëära eka-phaëe ’bindu’ yena

105
 ananta vikrama, nä jänena, ’äche’ hena

TRANSLATION

He is so large and powerful that this universe rests on one of His hoods just
like a mustard seed. Indeed, He does not know where it is.

COMMENTARY

Verses 65 and 66 are the translation of verse 56. In this regard one may
refer to the translations of Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.21, 5.25.2, and the second
half of 6.16.48), which are quoted in the purport of verse 15. The word bindu
means “mustard seed.” The meaning of ananta vikrama may be found in the
translation of verse 56.
Lord Çré Ananta Çeña has thousands of hoods upon one of which He holds
the entire universe, with its many mountains and oceans, like a tiny mustard
seed. What to speak of perceiving its weight, the unlimitedly powerful
Anantadeva is not even aware of its presence.

TEXT 67

sahasra-vadane kåñëa-yaça nirantara

gäite ächena ädi-deva mahé-dhara

TRANSLATION

While bearing the universe on one of His hoods, Anantadeva chants the
glories of Kåñëa with each of His thousands of mouths.

106
 COMMENTARY

Lord Çré Ananta Çeña, who holds the universe on His hood, constantly
chants the glories of Lord Kåñëa with His thousands of mouths. One may refer
to the purport of verses 12 and 13 in this regard.

TEXT 68

gäyena ananta, çré-yaçera nähi anta

jaya-bhaìga nähi käru, doìhe—balavanta

TRANSLATION

Although He has been chanting the glories of Lord Kåñëa since time
immemorial, He has still not come to their end. Both are unconquerable.

COMMENTARY

The word çré-yaçera in this verse refers to the glories or qualities of Lord
Kåñëa. The word jaya-bhaìga means “end.” The word doìhe means “both
Anantadeva and Kåñëa,” who are the crest jewels amongst eloquent speakers.

TEXT 69

adyäpiha ’çeña’-deva sahasra-çré-mukhe

gäyena caitanya-yaça anta nähi dekhe

TRANSLATION

107
 To this very day, Lord Ananta continues to chant the glories of Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu, and still He finds no end to them.

TEXT 70

ki äre, räma-gopäle väda lägiyäche

brahmä, rudra, sura, siddha muniçvara, änande dekhiche

TRANSLATION

How wonderful is the competition between Balaräma and Kåñëa! Brahmä

and Çiva along with the demigods, Siddhas, and Munis watch in great
happiness.

COMMENTARY

In this verse räma-gopäle means “between the svayaà-rüpa, Çré Kåñëa, and
the svayam-prakäça, Çré Balaräma, or Anantadeva.” The words väda lägiyäche
refers to the competition for superiority between the worshipable Lord Kåñëa,
whose sweet qualities are constantly increasing, and the worshiper Lord
Ananta, who glorifies the qualities of Çré Kåñëa with thousands of mouths in
thousands of ways.
Siddha in this verse refers to a type of demigod, and muniçvara refers to
great sages and the best of munis.

TEXT 71

läg bali cali’ yäya sindhu taribäre

108
 yaçera sindhu nä deya küla, adhika adhika bäòe

TRANSLATION

Although Çré Ananta tries to reach the shore of the ocean of Kåñëa’s
qualities, He is unable to do so, for the ocean is continually expanding.

COMMENTARY

The word läg means “reach” or “near.” Although the ever-increasing ocean
of Kåñëa’s glories is unsurpassable, in order to surpass that ocean, Çré
Balaräma, or Anantadeva, vigorously chants Kåñëa’s glories. In this regard, the
word sindhu refers to the ocean of Kåñëa’s glories. Çré Anantadeva thinks that
He will reach the shore of the ocean of Kåñëa’s qualities by chanting with
thousands of mouths, but the shoreline of the unsurpassable ocean of Kåñëa’s
glories remains beyond His reach. That is why Çré Anantadeva continues to
chant the sweet glories of the unlimited qualities of Kåñëa with increased
enthusiasm with His thousands of mouths.

TEXT 72

näntaà vidämy aham amé munayo ’gra-jäs te

mäyä-balasya puruñasya kuto ’varä ye
gäyan guëän daça-çatänana ädi-devaù
çeño ’dhunäpi samavasyati näsya päram

TRANSLATION

Neither I nor all the sages born before you know fully the omnipotent
Personality of Godhead. So what can others, who are born after us, know about

109
Him? Even the first incarnation of the Lord, namely Çeña, has not been able to
reach the limit of such knowledge, although He is describing the qualities of
the Lord with ten hundred faces.

COMMENTARY

In this verse from the Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.7.41), the Supreme Lord’s
heroic activities related with the material and spiritual worlds are described as
unlimited. One may refer to Çréla Jéva Gosvämé’s Krama-sandarbha
commentary in this regard.

TEXT 73

pälana-nimitta hena-prabhu rasätale

ächena mahä-çakti-dhara nija-kutühale

TRANSLATION

The most powerful Lord Ananta Çeña happily resides in Rasätala in order to
maintain the universe.

COMMENTARY

This verse is the translation of the second half of verse 57. The word
pälana-nimitta means “maintains.” The word rasätale is mentioned in the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.24.7) in the following words: “Beneath this earth are
seven other planets, known as Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talätala, Mahätala,
Rasätala and Pätäla.”
According to Çréla Çrédhara Svämé, the abode of Anantadeva is below the
earth, or, according to Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.25.1), it is below Pätäla. The

110
meaning of mahä-çakti-dhara is found in the first half of verse 57.
Nija-kutühale means “by His own sweet will.”

TEXT 74

brahmära sabhäya giyä närada äpane

ei guëa gäyena tumburu-véëä-sane

TRANSLATION

Çré Närada Muni visits the assembly of Lord Brahmä and glorifies the
qualities of Lord Ananta accompanied by his véëä.

COMMENTARY

Tumburu is the stringed instrument that is always found with Çré Närada
Åñi. In another opinion it is known as kacchapé. One may refer to the purport
of verse 52.

TEXT 75

brahmädi—vihvala, ei yaçera çravaëe

ihä gäi’ närada—püjita sarva-sthäne

TRANSLATION

Headed by Lord Brahmä, everyone is overwhelmed while hearing the Lord’s

glories. Närada Muni is worshiped everywhere for chanting the Lord’s glories.

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 TEXT 76

kahiläì ei kichu ananta prabhäva

hena-prabhu nityänanda kara anuräga

TRANSLATION

I have thus described a portion of Lord Ananta’s glories. Please, therefore,

develop attachment for Lord Nityänanda.

COMMENTARY

In this verse ananta prabhäva refers to the great influence of Çré

Anantadeva. That is why the author, who is a servant of Anantadeva, has
addressed Him as Mahäprabhu in verse 16 and as Prabhu in verse 73. In this
regard one may refer to Brahmä’s statement to King Raivataka in the Viñëu
Puräëa (4.1.26-33). The word anuräga means “constant service with affection.”

TEXT 77

saàsärera pära hai’ bhaktira sägare

ye òubibe, se bhajuka nitäi-cäìdere

TRANSLATION

Those who wish to cross the ocean of material existence and drown in the
ocean of devotional service should worship Lord Nityänanda.

COMMENTARY

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 The word saàsära means “like an ocean.” If a living entity drowns in it, he
is ruined. But if one crosses this material ocean and drowns in the
unfathomable water of the service of the Lord, then one achieves eternal
happiness. Therefore one who desires to drown in the ocean of service must
take shelter of the eternal lotus feet of the Lord.

TEXT 78

vaiñëava-caraëe mora ei manaskäma

bhaji yena janme-janme prabhu balaräma

TRANSLATION

My only desire at the feet of the Vaiñëavas is that birth after birth I may
worship the feet of Lord Balaräma.

COMMENTARY

The living entities of this material world are busy gratifying their
temporary senses. They want to enjoy the objects of the senses through the
medium of material knowledge. When one becomes detached from the
enjoying mood, he gets the opportunity to approach the Absolute Truth by
taking shelter of the spiritual master, who is nondifferent from Lord
Nityänanda.
Lord Nityänanda is nondifferent from the worshipable Lord Çré Kåñëa
Caitanya. In other words, He is the dearmost servant of svayaà-rüpa Lord Çré
Gaura-Kåñëa. Pure devotional service is the propensity of pure liberated souls.
A true disciple who is engaged in the unmotivated uninterrupted service of
Gaura-Kåñëa is eligible to swim in the ocean of the mellows of devotional

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service. It is explained in the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (6.23):

yasya deve parä bhaktir yathä deve tathä gurau

tasyaite kathitä hy arthäù prakäçante mahätmanaù

“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.”
Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura, the crest jewel of the paramahaàsas has
written in his Prärthanä:

nitäi pada-kamala, koöé-candra-suçétala,

ye chäyäya jagat juòäya.
hena nitäi vine bhäi, rädhä-kåñëa päite näi,
dåòha kari’ dhara nitäira päya.

“The lotus feet of Lord Nityänanda are as soothing as the rays of millions of
moons. The entire world can be solaced by the shelter of His lotus feet. Dear
brother, without the mercy of Lord Nityänanda no one can attain the lotus
feet of Rädhä-Kåñëa. Therefore catch hold of the lotus feet of Nityänanda
with firm determination.”
Çré Nityänanda-Baladeva is the source of all viñëu-tattvas and the Lord of
the Vaiñëavas, or servants of Viñëu. In order to serve that Lord, the author
offers prayers at the feet of His eternal servants, the Vaiñëavas. The Vaiñëavas
are eternal, liberated, and always worshipable for the living entities. The
author shows that submission to the Vaiñëavas is one of the inseparable limbs
of pure devotional service. By setting example, he teaches cheaters, wretches,
proud persons, and persons bewildered by the influence of false ego that in
order to achieve one’s desired goal one should pray at the feet of the devotees.

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 TEXT 79

’dvija’, ’vipra’, ’brähmaëa’ yehena näma-bheda

ei-mata ’nityänanda’, ’ananta’, baladeva’

TRANSLATION

Just as dvija, vipra, and brähmaëa are different names of the same person,
Nityänanda, Ananta, and Baladeva are similarly different names of the same
Lord.

COMMENTARY

Just as the words dvija, vipra, and brähmaëa are of the same category,
Ananta, Baladeva, and Nityänanda are different names for the same
personality.

TEXT 80

antaryämé nityänanda balilä kautüke

caitanya-caritra kichu likhite pustake

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda, who is the Supersoul, joyfully instructed me to write a

book on the pastimes of Lord Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

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 The author has described himself as the last servant of Lord Nityänanda. In
other words, after accepting the author, Lord Nityänanda did not accept any
other disciples. Çré Nityänanda Prabhu appeared in the heart of the author
and instructed him to describe the characteristics of Lord Caitanya. By using
the word antaryämé as an adjective of Nityänanda Prabhu, it is indicated that
the author received within his heart the instruction to write this book after
the disappearance of Lord Nityänanda.

TEXT 81

caitanya-caritra sphure yäìhära kåpäya

yaçera bhäëòära vaise çeñera jihväya

TRANSLATION

By the mercy of Lord Nityänanda the pastimes of Çré Caitanya will become
manifest, because His tongue is the storehouse of Lord Caitanya’s glories.

COMMENTARY

One may refer to verses 13 and 14 in this regard.

TEXT 82

ataeva yaçomaya-vigraha ananta

gäiluì tähäna kichu päda-padma-dvandva

TRANSLATION

116
 Therefore Çré Ananta is the embodiment of Lord Caitanya’s glories. Thus I
have described a fragment of Ananta’s glories.

TEXT 83

caitanya-candrera puëya-çravaëa carita

bhakta-prasäde se sphure,—jäniha niçcita

TRANSLATION

Hearing the pastimes of Çré Caitanyacandra brings all auspiciousness, but

know for certain that they are revealed only through the mercy of the devotees.

COMMENTARY

The meaning of puëya-çravaëa carita is found in the Çrémad Bhägavatam

(1.2.17), which states: puëya-çravaëa-kértanaù—“hearing and chanting of the
Lord’s names and characteristics is supremely purifying.”
The author has accepted the pastimes of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu that he
heard from the mouths of His devotees as the ingredients for the composition
of this Çré Caitanya-bhägavata. By this example the author shows that one
must follow the footsteps of the Vaiñëavas and accept the process of hearing in
disciplic succession.

TEXT 84

veda-guhya caitanya-caritra kebä jäne?

täi likhi, yähä çuniyächi bhakta-sthäne

117
 TRANSLATION

Who can understand the pastimes of Çré Caitanya? They are confidential
even to the Vedas. Therefore I will write only what I have heard from the
devotees.

TEXT 85

caitanya-caritra ädi-anta nähi dekhi

yena-mata dena çakti, tena-mata likhi

TRANSLATION

I do not find a beginning or end to the pastimes of Çré Caitanya. I write

whatever He inspires me.

TEXT 86

käñöera putalé yena kuhake näcäya

ei-mata gauracandra more ye boläya

TRANSLATION

Whatever I describe is only by the direction of Çré Gauracandra, just as a

puppet dances only by the direction of the puppeteer.

COMMENTARY

As a puppet cannot dance independently but dances in various ways

118
according to the unseen direction of the puppeteer, the most merciful
Supreme Lord, Çré Gauracandra, has directed me to dance and chant His
names and qualities. I am unable to independently dance, in the form of
chanting His names and qualities. Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé has stated in the
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 8.39): “Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has personally
spoken through the writings of Çré Våndävana däsa Öhäkura.”

TEXT 87

sarva vaiñëavera pä’ye kari namaskära

ithe aparädha kichu nahuka ämära

TRANSLATION

Let me offer my respectful obeisances at the feet of the Vaiñëavas so that I

may not commit any offenses to them.

COMMENTARY

The Vaiñëava author has humbly written this verse in various places of this
book.

TEXT 88

mana diyä çuna, bhäi, çré caitanya-kathä

bhakta-saìge ye ye lélä kailä yathä-yathä

TRANSLATION

119
 My dear brother, please hear with attention the topics of Çré Caitanya
concerning the various pastimes that He performed with His devotees.

TEXT 89

trividha caitanya-lélä—änandera dhäma

ädi-khaëòa, madhya-khaëòa, çeña-khaëòa näma

TRANSLATION

The pastimes of Çré Caitanya are the abode of all happiness. These pastimes
are divided into Ädi-khaëòa, Madhya-khaëòa, and Antya-khaëòa.

TEXTS 90-91

ädi-khaëòe—pradhänataù vidyära viläsa

madhya-khaëòe—caitanyera kértana-prakäça

çeña-khaëòe—sannyäsi-rüpe néläcale sthiti

nityänanda-sthäne samarpiyä gauòa-kñiti

TRANSLATION

The Ädi-khaëòa mainly describes the Lord’s scholastic pastimes. In the

Madhya-khaëòa the Lord’s kértana pastimes are described. The Antya-khaëòa
contains descriptions of the Lord’s residence in Jagannätha Puré as a sannyäsé
and His entrusting the Bengal preaching to Nityänanda Prabhu.

COMMENTARY

120
 Among the three khaëdas, or sections, of this book, the Ädi-khaëòa
describes the Lord’s scholastic pastimes, the Madhya-khaëòa describes the
Lord’s kértana pastimes, and the Antya-khaëòa describes the Lord’s residence
in Jagannätha Puré as a sannyäsé. In His pastimes as a householder, Lord
Gaurasundara instructed the people of Bengal in the process of kértana. In His
pastimes as a sannyäsé, He remained in Jagannätha Puré and nourished His
devotees. When the Lord preached devotional service in Bengal, Çré
Nityänanda Prabhu, Haridäsa Öhäkura, and other pure devotees assisted Him
in His preaching. When Çrémän Mahäprabhu resided in Néläcala, He
appointed Lord Nityänanda as the principal preacher for Bengal. The Gauòéya
devotees who resided in Néläcala were under the care of Çré Svarüpa
Dämodara Gosvämé, and the devotees in Bengal constantly worshiped Lord
Hari under the care of Nityänanda Prabhu. Çrémän Mahäprabhu was
personally in charge of the preachers in Néläcala, and He appointed
Nityänanda Prabhu to take charge of the preachers in Bengal. Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu preached all over Bengal with His twelve prominent devotees. In
Vraja-maëòala, Çré Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämé were the
commander-in-chiefs who accepted the responsibility for preaching in the
West.

TEXT 92

navadvépe äche jagannätha-miçra-vara

vasudeva-präya teìho—sva-dharma-tatpara

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra was always enthusiastic in following his religious

principles while residing in Navadvépa. He was equal to Vasudeva, the father of
Lord Kåñëa.

121
 TEXT 93

täna patné çacé näma—mahä-pati-vratä

dvitéya-devaké yena sei jagan-mätä

TRANSLATION

His most chaste wife, Çacédevé, was just like Devaké, the universal mother.

TEXT 94

täna garbhe avatérëa hailä näräyaëa

çré kåñëa-caitanya-näma saàsära-bhüñaëa

TRANSLATION

From the womb of Mother Çacé appeared Näräyaëa. His name, Çré Kåñëa
Caitanya, is the ornament of this world.

COMMENTARY

While narrating topics regarding the Absolute Truth, the author has
addressed Lord Caitanya’s father and mother as Vasudeva and Devaké and
Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu as Näräyaëa. Such statements are not incorrect
when describing the Absolute Truth or His opulences, for if the sweet features
of the Lord are discussed amongst ignorant people they will achieve no
benefit. While at home, Çrémän Mahäprabhu had various names like Nimäi
and Viçvambhara. After accepting sannyäsa, He was known as Çré Kåñëa
Caitanya. The Lord inspired the people of the world to chant the names of

122
Kåñëa and thus fulfilled the purport of the name “Çré Kåñëa Caitanya.”
Amongst the social orders, the order of sannyäsa is the highest. That is why
the sannyäsa names are ornaments of the world.

TEXT 95

ädi-khaëòe, phälguna-pürëimä çubha-dine

avatérëa hailä prabhu niçäya grahaëe

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord’s appearance during an eclipse on the night of

the Phälguna Pürëimä is described.

COMMENTARY

Çrémän Mahäprabhu appeared during a lunar eclipse on the full moon

night of the month of Phälguna (February-March) in the year 1486.

TEXT 96

hari-näma-maìgala uöhila catur-dige

janmilä éçvara saìkértana kari’ äge

TRANSLATION

Preceding the Lord’s birth, the auspicious names of Lord Hari were heard
from all directions.

123
 COMMENTARY

People throughout the world considered the occasion of the lunar eclipse as
most auspicious, so they engaged in loud chanting of the names of Hari. The
Lord appeared as this chanting was going on.

TEXT 97

ädi-khaëòe, çiçu-rüpe aneka prakäça

pitä-mätä-prati dekhäilä gupta-väsa

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord displays various pastimes as a child. He also

reveals His own abode to His parents.

COMMENTARY

In the material world, the Supreme Lord and His abode are unmanifested.
The Lord exhibited His unmanifest abode to His parents by awakening their
transcendental knowledge.

TEXT 98

ädi-khaëòe, dvaja-vajra-aìkuça-patäkä
gåha-mäjhe apürva dekhilä pitä-mätä

TRANSLATION

124
 In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord’s parents are astonished to see footprints
marked with the signs of a banner, a thunderbolt, an elephant goad, and a flag.

COMMENTARY

The symptoms of a great personality like banner, thunderbolt, elephant

goad, and flag are mentioned in the Sämudrika. These marks are eternally
manifested on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Wherever the Lord walked
within the house, He left impressions of these marks, which were seen by
Mother Çacé.

TEXT 99

ädi-khaëòe, prabhure hariyächila core

core bhäëòäiyä prabhu äilena ghare

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord is kidnapped by thieves, who become

bewildered and return the Lord to His home.

TEXT 100

ädi-khaëòe, jagadéça-hiraëyera ghare

naivedya khäilä prabhu çré-hari-väsare

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord eats grains in the house of Jagadéça and Hiraëya

125
on the day of Ekädaçé.

COMMENTARY

The appearance day of the Lord, Ekädaçé, and a few Dvädaçés are called
Hari-väsara. On these days the servants of Lord Hari abstain from all kinds of
activities and vow to serve Hari while fasting. But since the Lord is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, He did not exhibit pastimes like fasting on
Hari-väsara, which must be observed by His devotees; rather, He accepted
various foodstuffs that were offered to Him.

TEXT 101

ädi-khaëòe, çiçu chale kariyä krandana

boläilä sarva-mukhe çré-hari-kértana

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord tricks everyone into chanting the holy names of
Hari by crying as a child.

COMMENTARY

It is the nature of children to cry when they are in pain or in need of

something. In order to stop such crying, various methods are employed to
distract their attention. Following such behavior, ladies who were on the level
of motherly relations with the Lord also chanted the names of Hari in order to
divert Gaurahari’s attention. In order to stop His crying in this way,
Gaurahari demanded that the ladies chant the holy names, which is the
religious principle for this age.

126
 TEXT 102

ädi-khaëòe, loka-varjya häëòira äsane

vasiyä mäyere tattva kahilä äpane

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord sits on rejected cooking pots and instructs His
mother on the Absolute Truth.

COMMENTARY

According to ordinary behavior, earthen pots that have been used for
sinful purposes are considered impure and thrown away. The place where such
earthen pots are thrown is also generally considered impure. In order to
exhibit His pastime of equal vision, the Lord rejected considerations of purity
and impurity by establishing impure places as pure. When Mother Çacé desired
to understand the real truth behind this pastime, the Lord instructed her in
absolute knowledge. Conceptions of superior and inferior in regard to items of
this world are not supported by absolute knowledge. In one’s constitutional
position, everything is perceived equally. The Lord imparted this truth to His
mother.

TEXT 103

ädi-khaëòe, gauräìgera cäpalya apära

çiçu-gaëa-saìge yena gokula-vihära

127
 TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa Gauräìga displays unlimited restlessness and imitates

His Gokula pastimes with His friends.

COMMENTARY

As Kåñëa in His Våndävana pastimes played with His cowherd boyfriends

in various ways, the Lord in His Navadvépa pastimes played with His
brähmaëa boyfriends in various mischievous ways.

TEXT 104

ädi-khaëòe, kailena ärambha paòite

alpe adhyäpaka hailä sakala-çästrete

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord begins His studies, and in a short time He
becomes a teacher of the scriptures.

COMMENTARY

During the course of the Lord’s ordinary studies, He quickly became a

highly learned professor. This extraordinary display of scholarship was not the
result of intense study. The Lord exhibited His proficiency in all forms of
knowledge in the course of His ordinary studies.

128
 TEXT 105

ädi-khaëòe, jagannätha-miçra-paraloka
viçvarüpa-sannyäsa,—çacéra dui çoka

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa Çacédevé laments for both the disappearance of

Jagannätha Miçra and the acceptance of sannyäsa by Viçvarüpa.

COMMENTARY

Mother Çacé had two reasons for lamenting—the first was the
disappearance of the Lord’s father and the second was separation from her
son, the Lord’s elder brother, who took sannyäsa.

TEXT 106

ädi-khaëòe, vidyä-viläsera mahärambha

päñaëòé dekhaye yena mürti-manta dambha

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa at the beginning of the Lord’s educational pastimes He

appears to the atheists as the personification of pride.

COMMENTARY

Since the Lord ridiculed the foolish people by His exhibition of scholarship,

129
He was regarded by the atheists as the personification of pride. The devotees
of the Lord, who accept His qualities as all-auspicious, were overjoyed on
seeing His scholastic pastimes. Envious persons shook in fear of Him and
accused Him of being proud.

TEXT 107

ädi-khaëòe, sakala paòuyä-gaëa meli’

jähnavéra taraìge nirbhaya jala-keli

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord along with other students sports fearlessly in
the waters of the Ganges.

COMMENTARY

The word jala-keli indicates swimming and splashing water.

TEXT 108

ädi-khaëòe, gauräìgera sarva-çästre jaya

tri-bhuvane hena nähi ye sanmukha haya

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa Lord Gauräìga masters all the scriptures. No one in the
three worlds can compete with Him.

130
 COMMENTARY

The Lord defeated all scholars by the strength of His great learning.
Neither the spiritual master of the demigods who reside in the heavenly
planets, nor the scholars of this planet, nor the so-called scholars of the
abominable lower planets could stand before the Lord in debate.

TEXT 109

ädi-khaëòe, baìga-deçe prabhura gamana

präcya-bhümi tértha haila päi’ çré-caraëa

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord travels to East Bengal [modern day

Bangladesh], which becomes a holy place by the touch of His lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

A few places in East Bengal [Bangladesh] that the Päëòavas did not visit
are still known as impure, because the pure Bhägérathé River does not flow
there. In His travels to Bangladesh, Çré Gaurasundara turned those places into
térthas by the sanctified touch of His lotus feet.

TEXT 110

ädi-khaëòe, parva-parigrahera vijaya

çeñe, räja-paëòitera kanyä pariëaya

131
 TRANSLATION

The Ädi-khaëòa describes the disappearance of Lakñmépriyä and the Lord’s

second marriage with the daughter of the Räja Paëòita.

COMMENTARY

The Lord’s first wife was Lakñmépriyädevé. The word vijaya in this verse
indicates that she gave up her body and returned to her own abode. The Lord
then married Çré Viñëupriyädevé, the daughter of Sanätana Miçra, who was
the king’s priest.

TEXT 111

ädi-khaëòe, väyu-deha-mändya kari’ chala

prakäçilä prema-bhakti-vikära-sakala

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa, the Lord displays ecstatic devotional sentiments on the

pretension of an imbalance of bodily airs.

COMMENTARY

The Lord exhibited various transformations of ecstatic love on the pretext

of gastric disorder.

TEXT 112

132
 ädi-khaëòe, sakala bhaktere çakti diyä
äpane bhramena mahä-paëòita haïä

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord empowers the devotees and wanders about as a
great scholar.

COMMENTARY

During His life as a scholar, the Lord would enlighten His students while
wandering about Navadvépa.

TEXT 113

ädi-khaëòe, divya-paridhäna, divya-sukha

änande bhäsena çacé dekhi’ candra-mukha

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa Mother Çacé floats in an ocean of happiness on seeing the

moonlike face of the Lord, who dresses enchantingly and enjoys transcendental
pleasure.

COMMENTARY

The word divya-paridhäna refers to exotic clothes. Divya-sukha means

“unsurpassable transcendental bliss.” The word candra-mukha means “a bright,
cool, shining face.”

133
 TEXT 114

ädi-khaëòe, gauräìgera digvijayé-jaya

çeñe karilena täìra sarva-bandha-kñaya

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa Lord Gauräìga defeats the Digvijayé scholar and

ultimately delivers him from all bondage.

COMMENTARY

Lord Gauräìga defeated Keçaväcärya, a Digvijayé from Kashmir, and thus

vanquished his pride. Çré Gauräìga removed Keçava’s adoration for material
knowledge by instructing him on the transcendental science of Kåñëa. Keçava
could spontaneously compose and recite various types of poems. He composed
many original verses in glorification of the Ganges, and the Lord retained
them all in His heart. After the recitation, the Lord pointed out various
grammatical faults, which left Keçava struck with wonder. Keçava received an
opportunity from the Lord to gather the conclusions of the philosophy of
simultaneous oneness and difference, in the form of Çré Rädhä-Govinda’s
worship. Later on, this Keçava composed an elaborate commentary on
Nimbärka’s Vedänta-kaustubha named Kaustubha-prabhä. Various çlokas and
prescriptions in the compilation of Vaiñëavas rituals, Çré Hari-bhakti-viläsa,
are taken from Krama-dépikä, which was composed by this Keçava. By His
causeless mercy, Gaurasundara conferred on Keçava the title Äcärya amongst
the Vaiñëavas. Nowadays many less intelligent pseudo followers of Keçava try
to establish him as the vartma-pradarçaka-guru of Çrémän Mahäprabhu. In
order to protect these people from the offense of such useless proud attempts
and their reaction, Våndävana däsa Öhäkura has herein written: çeñe karilena

134
täìra sarva-bandha-kñaya—“[Gauräìga] ultimately delivers him from all
bondage.”
The Bhakti-ratnäkara lists Keçava’s predecessors in his disciplic succession.
[Çréla Prabhupäda quotes this list in his purport to Çré Caitanya-caritämåta
(Ädi 16.25).] The name Keçava Käçméré may be found in the first chapter of
Vaiñëava-maïjuñä.

TEXT 115

ädi-khaëòe, sakala-bhaktere moha diyä

seikhäne bule prabhu sabäre bhäëòiyä

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa the Lord bewilders the devotees and lives amongst them
as an ordinary person.

COMMENTARY

In the Lord’s childhood pastimes at Navadvépa, the devotees could not

understand Him as Lord Kåñëa Himself. He created misconceptions in the
minds of all the devotees by personally exhibiting indifference to devotional
service. The word seikhäne means “in Navadvépa.” The word bule indicates
that the Lord lived amongst the residents as one of them.

TEXT 116

ädi-khaëòe, gayä gelä viçvambhara-räya

135
 éçvara-purére kåpä karilä yathäya

TRANSLATION

In the Ädi-khaëòa Lord Viçvambhara goes to Gayä and bestows mercy on

Çré Éçvara Puré.

COMMENTARY

The Lord went to Gayä in order to perform His father’s çräddha ceremony.
The abode of Gayä is celebrated by the mark of the lotus feet of Lord Hari. By
accepting Çré Éçvara Puré as His spiritual master, the Lord showered unlimited
mercy on the beloved disciple of Çré Mädhavendra Puré, who belongs to the
Madhva-sampradäya.
The son of Advaita Äcärya and follower of Gadädhara Paëòita, Çré
Acyutänanda, replied to His father’s question as follows, “Lord Caitanya
Mahäprabhu is the spiritual master of the fourteen worlds, but You say that
someone else is His spiritual master. This is not supported by any revealed
scripture.” Under the influence of material knowledge, many foolish persons
accept Çré Gaurasundara as the disciple of Çré Éçvara Puré, but in order to
deliver such deluded people from calamity, Çré Våndävana däsa Öhäkura, the
king of Vaiñëavas, established Éçvara Puré as the recipient of the Lord’s mercy.

TEXT 117

ädi-khaëòe, äche kata ananta viläsa

kichu çeñe varëibena mahämuni vyäsa

TRANSLATION

136
 In the Ädi-khaëòa there are innumerable pastimes that will be described in
the future by the great sage Vyäsadeva.

COMMENTARY

The great sage Çréla Vyäsadeva has described innumerable pastimes of the
Lord. Apart from the pastimes of Gaurasundara described in this book, His
many other pastimes will be described by followers of Vedavyäsa. Those who
follow in the disciplic succession of Vyäsadeva by narrating and compiling the
pastimes of Lord Gaurasundara are also known as Vyäsa and sit on vyäsäsanas.
Ordinary munis describe topics other than those of the Lord. But since Çréla
Vyäsadeva does not describe topics other than those of the Lord, he alone is
addressed as Mahämuni, while others are munis only in name. Topics not
related with Kåñëa are known simply as the urge of speech. One who controls
this urge through the service of Kåñëa is a real muni.
The word varëibena is in the future tense. Seeing this usage, materialistic
persons become doubtful about the existence of Vyäsas, who are followers of
the original Vedavyäsa.

TEXT 118

bälya-lélä-ädi kari’ yateka prakäça

gayära avadhi ’ädi-khaëòe’ra viläsa

TRANSLATION

The Ädi-khaëòa begins with the Lord’s childhood pastimes and continues
through His visit to Gayä.

137
 COMMENTARY

The Ädi-khaëòa of Çré Caitanya-bhägavata ends with the Lord’s visit to

Gayä and return to Navadvépa.

TEXT 119

madhya-khaëòe, vidita hailä gaura-siàha

cinilena yata saba caraëera bhåìga

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the lionlike Lord Gauräìga reveals Himself so that

the devotees, who are like bees at His lotus feet, are able to recognize Him.

COMMENTARY

The meaning of the word gaura-siàha may be found in the commentary on

Päëini (2.1.6). In the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 3.30) it is also stated: “Thus the
lionlike Lord Caitanya has appeared in Navadvépa. He has the shoulders of a
lion, the powers of a lion, and the loud voice of a lion.”
The feet of the Supreme Lord are always compared to the lotus flower. The
devotees, who are like bees, are attracted to drink the honey from those lotus
feet.

TEXT 120

madhya-khaëòe, advaitädi çréväsera ghare

138
 vyakta hailä vasi’ viñëu-khaööära upare

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Supreme Lord reveals His identity at the houses
of Çréväsa Paëòita and Advaita Prabhu while sitting on Viñëu’s altar.

COMMENTARY

The word viñëu-khaööä refers to the cot or throne reserved for the worship
of Viñëu. The word khaööä indicates a four-legged throne made of wood. In
ordinary usage it refers to a cot. The words vyakta hailä indicate that Lord
Gaurasundara displayed the opulent pastimes of Näräyaëa, His naimittika, or
occasional, incarnation.

TEXT 121

madhya-khaëòe, nityänanda-saìge daraçana

eka öhäïi dui bhäi karilä kértana

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord meets Nityänanda Prabhu, and the two
brothers perform kértana together.

COMMENTARY

In this verse dui bhäi refers to Gaura-Nityänanda, or Çré Kåñëa-Balaräma.

These two Lords were not born from the same father—Nityänanda was the
son of Häòu Ojhä, and Gaurasundara was the son of Jagannätha. The

139
relationship of brotherhood between the two is spiritual, not seminal. The
Lord first met Nityänanda at Çré Mäyäpur after He returned from Gayä.
Nityänanda’s name as the son of Häòu Ojhä is not found. Nityänanda’s name,
“Svarüpa,” is simply the brahmacäré title that is given by a Tértha sannyäsé.

TEXT 122

madhya-khaëòe, ’ñaò-bhuja’ dekhilä nityänanda

madhya-khaëòe, advaita dekhilä ’viçva-raìga’

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa Nityänanda Prabhu sees the Lord’s six-armed form

and Advaita Prabhu sees the Lord’s universal form.

COMMENTARY

The word ñaò-bhuja refers to the famous six-armed form of Lord

Gaurasundara with the two hands of Çré Rämacandra, the two hands of Çré
Kåñëa, and the two hands of Çré Gaurahari. Another opinion is that ñaò-bhuja
has the two hands of Nåsiàha, the two hands of Räma, and the two hands of
Kåñëa. The two hands of Gaurasundara hold a daëòa and kamaëòalu, the two
hands of Kåñëa hold a flute, and the two hands of Räma hold bow and arrows.
A painting of this form is found in Jagannätha Puré in one temple [in
Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya’s house, or Gaìgä-mätä Maöha].
The word viçva-raìga refers to the universal form of the Lord as mentioned
in the Eleventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gétä.

140
 TEXT 123

nityänanda-vyäsa-püjä kahi madhya-khaëòe

ye prabhure nindä kare päpiñöha päñaëòe

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa there is a description of the Vyäsa-püjä performed

by Lord Nityänanda, who is criticized by sinners and atheists.

COMMENTARY

People who are averse to Lord Viñëu are known as päpiñöha, or sinners, and
people who consider the demigods as equal to Lord Viñëu are päñaëòés, or
atheists. Sinners and atheists criticize Lord Nityänanda Prabhu without
understanding His position. Although Çré Nityänanda Prabhu is personally
the source of all viñëu-tattvas, He accepted His own servant, Vyäsadeva, as
spiritual master and demonstrated the process of Vyäsa-püjä. The arrangement
for Lord Nityänanda Prabhu’s Vyäsa-püjä was made in order to fulfil the
purport of the verses yasya deve parä bhaktir, tad vijïänärthaà sa gurum
eväbhigacchet, and sampradäya-vihénä ye manträs te niñphalä matäù.

TEXT 124

madhya-khaëòe, haladhara hailä gauracandra

haste hala-muñala dilä nityänanda

TRANSLATION

141
 In the Madhya-khaëòa Lord Gauracandra accepts the mood of Balaräma,
and Nityänanda Prabhu gives Him a plow and club.

COMMENTARY

As Çré Gaurahari is svayaà-rüpa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

Çré Baladeva, His manifestation, is certainly included in Him. So it is not
improper for the svayaà-rüpa to display Baladeva’s pastimes and hold His
weapons. Nityänanda Prabhu also handed His own weapons like the plow and
club to Çrémän Mahäprabhu for that particular pastime.

TEXT 125

madhya-khaëòe, dui ati pätaké-mocana

’jagäi-mädhäi’-näma vikhyäta bhuvana

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa there is a description of the deliverance of the two

most sinful persons, known throughout the world as Jagäi and Mädhäi.

COMMENTARY

Jagäi and Mädhäi, the two brothers named Jagadänanda Bandyopädhyäya

and Mädhavänanda Bandyopädhyäya, used to live on the bank of the Ganges
near the Mäyäpur village of Navadvépa. Due to their sinful nature they
obstructed Nityänanda Prabhu and Haridäsa Öhäkura, who were preaching
under the instructions of Çrémän Mahäprabhu. Later, when Nityänanda
Prabhu excused their offenses, they were delivered and became pure devotees
by the mercy of Çré Gaurasundara.

142
 TEXT 126

madhya-khaëòe, kåñëa-räma—caitanya-nitäi
çyäma-çukla-rüpa dekhilena çacé äi

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa Mother Çacé sees Lord Caitanya and Nityänanda in

Their blackish and whitish forms as Kåñëa and Balaräma.

COMMENTARY

The color of Kåñëa is blackish, and the color of Balaräma is whitish. Lord
Caitanyadeva is Kåñëa, and Çré Nityänanda is Balaräma. Çacédevé saw
Gaura-Nitäi with the color of Kåñëa-Balaräma.

TEXT 127

madhya-khaëòe, caitanyera mahä-parakäça

’sät-prahariyä bhäva’ aiçvarya-viläsa

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord displays His mahä-prakäça, His divine

opulences, for twenty-one hours.

COMMENTARY

The word mahä-parakäça refers to the Lord’ s pastime of displaying His

143
opulence. The Lord manifested His opulences for säta-prahara, or twenty-one
hours.

TEXT 128

sei dina a-mäyäya kahilena kathä

ye-ye-sevakera janma haila yathä yathä

TRANSLATION

On that day the Lord spontaneously revealed the past identities of His
servants.

COMMENTARY

The word a-mäyäya indicates that the Lord manifested the Absolute Truth
by dissipating illusion, removing the material conceptions of the living entities
who are prone to be controlled by mäyä, cheating the demons through His
illusory energy, and manifesting His supreme abode of Vaikuëöha, which is
beyond the realm of the nondevotees’ senses.

TEXT 129

madhya-khaëòe, näce vaikuëöhera näräyaëa

nagare nagare kaila äpane kértana

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa Näräyaëa, the Lord of Vaikuëöha, dances and

144
personally performs kértana throughout the streets of Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

Lord Näräyaëa eternally resides in the opulent abode of Vaikuëöha,

surrounded by His quadruple expansions, headed by Väsudeva. That
transcendental Supreme Lord personally danced and chanted His own glories
throughout the streets of Navadvépa. He thus allowed the living entities to
hear the transcendental sound vibration of the holy names.

TEXT 130

madhya-khaëòe, käjéra bhäìgilä ahaìkära

nija-çakti prakäçiyä kértana apära

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord breaks the Kazi’s pride, while manifesting
His potency in a tremendous kértana.

COMMENTARY

During the Lord’s manifest pastimes, a magistrate was appointed to

maintain peace in the city of Navadvépa. The name of that post was “Kazi.” At
that time, Maulana Sirajudin, who was known as Chand Kazi, was appointed
as the magistrate to maintain peace. Since he was engaged in the task of
administration, he forgot his eternal identification and proudly considered
himself a government officer. By glorifying the service of the Transcendence,
Çré Gaurasundara delivered the Kazi from his atheistic mentality arising from
the three modes of material nature. The Lord converted the mentality of

145
people who were under the clutches of the covering and throwing potencies of
the illusory energy and who were trying to either enjoy or renounce the
material world. He thus manifested His own internal potency.

TEXT 131

bhakti päila käjé prabhu-gauraìgera vare

svacchande kértana kare nagare nagare

TRANSLATION

By the benediction of Lord Gauräìga, the Kazi attains devotional service.

Thus all the devotees are allowed to freely perform kértana in the streets of
Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

By the Lord’s mercy, Kazi Mahäçaya became attached to the service of the
supreme worshipable object. Çrémän Mahäprabhu benefited one and all by
getting the process of continuous chanting of the holy names sanctioned
throughout Navadvépa, the jurisdiction of the Kazi.

TEXT 132

madhya-khaëòe, mahäprabhu varäha haiyä

nija-tattva murärire kahilä garjiyä

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord accepts the form of Varäha and discloses

146
His identity to Muräri Gupta.

COMMENTARY

Çrémän Mahäprabhu is the fountainhead of all incarnations and the

Supreme Absolute Truth. In the form of Varäha, He roared loudly and
instructed Muräri Gupta about His own identity.

TEXT 133

madhya-khaëòe, murärira skande ärohaëa

catur-bhuja haïä kailä aìgane bhramaëa

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord accepts a four-armed form and rides on

Muräri’s shoulders throughout his courtyard.

TEXT 134

madhya-khaëòe, çuklämbara-taëòula-bhojana
madhya-khaëòe, nänä chända hailä näräyaëa

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord eats Çuklämbara Brahmacäré’s rice and

performs various pastimes as Näräyaëa.

COMMENTARY

147
 The Lord displayed His pastimes of eating ätapa and siddha rice 1(2), which
are prepared from äçu and haimantika paddy. He took both varieties of rice
from the alms received by Çuklämbara Brahmacäré. The word chända refers to
the display of pastimes through various amazing gestures.

TEXT 135

madhya-khaëòe, rukmiëéra veçe näräyaëa

näcilena, stana pila sarva-bhakta-gaëa

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa Gaura-Näräyaëa dances in the dress of Rukmiëé and

breast-feeds all the devotees.

COMMENTARY

Rukmiëédevé is Mahälakñmé herself and Kåñëa’s legitimately married queen.

She is the mother of the universe. As the Supersoul, the Lord is the
maintainer and sustainer of the entire universe, so He also manifests motherly
propensities. He thus breast-fed all His subordinates in the mood of
parenthood. Kåñëa is the mother, Kåñëa is the father, Kåñëa is the wealth and
life of everyone. That is why Kåñëa is the source of all pastimes. But this does
not mean that everyone should consider Kåñëa their mother and accept
service from Him for their own enjoyment. Lord Kåñëa is the Absolute Truth
beyond material sense perception, therefore the base qualities found in the
service of a mother in this temporary world cannot touch Him. The followers
of Durgä who are bewildered by material knowledge under the influence of
desire imagine themselves as children and display the wicked mentality of
accepting service from the eternal worshipable Lord. Such mentality should

148
not be directed towards the eternal object of worship.

TEXT 136

madhya-khaëòe, mukundera daëòa saìga-doñe

çeñe anugraha kailä parama santoñe

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord punishes Mukunda for associating with

jïänés and later blesses him with great satisfaction.

COMMENTARY

The desire for sense enjoyment and the desire for renunciation, which are
found in living entities who are afflicted by three types of miseries, are the
result of bad association. Mukunda played the role of a jïäné by accepting the
philosophy of the Mäyävädés of that time. The Lord relieved Mukunda of the
Mäyävädés’ bad association by punishing him and later bestowed mercy on
him.

TEXT 137

madhya-khaëòe, mahäprabhura niçäya kértana

vatsareka navadvépe kailä anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa there are descriptions of the all night kértanas that

149
the Lord performs for one year in Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

During the day people were busy with various activities for the gratification
of their senses, and at night they gratified their senses by sleeping. Çré
Gaurasundara benefited the residents of Mäyäpur and Navadvépa who were
under the influence of the illusory energy of the Lord by performing
congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord every night for one
year. In this way He checked their activities of sense gratification.

TEXT 138

madhya-khaëòe, nityänanda-advaita kautuka

ajïa-jane bujhe yena kalaha-svarüpa

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa Nityänanda and Advaita exchange jokes, which

ignorant people consider as quarreling.

COMMENTARY

Çré Nityänanda Prabhu and Çré Advaita Prabhu are both Viñëu and
devotees of Gaura. The jokes They exchange in Their conversations are
misunderstood by less intelligent, unfortunate people, who conclude that They
have different opinions.

TEXT 139

150
 madhya-khaëòe, jananéra lakñye bhagavän
vaiñëaväparädha karäilä sävadhäna

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord warns everyone about offending Vaiñëavas,

using His mother as an example.

COMMENTARY

The omniscient Gaurahari instructed His mother Çacédevé to beg pardon

from Advaita Prabhu for her offense. By this incident the Lord instructed
everyone about the severity of vaiñëava-aparädha and the need for becoming
free from it.

TEXT 140

madhya-khaëòe, sakala-vaiñëava jane-jane

sabe vara päilena kariyä stavane

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa all the Vaiñëavas receive benedictions after offering

prayers.

COMMENTARY

In this verse jane-jane means “each individual.”

151
 TEXT 141

madhya-khaëòe, prasäda päilä haridäsa

çrédharera jala-päna—käruëya-viläsa

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa Haridäsa Öhäkura receives the Lord’s mercy, and

the Lord mercifully drinks Çrédhara’s water.

COMMENTARY

Çrédhara was a poor brähmaëa resident of Navadvépa who met his

livelihood by maintaining a banana-tree garden. In the cottage of this poor
devotee the Lord drank water from an iron pot with holes and thus displayed
His pastime of bhakta-vätsalya, affection for His devotees.

TEXT 142

madhya-khaëòe, sakala-vaiñëava kari’ saìge

prati-dina jähnavéte jala-keli raìge

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord daily sports in the waters of the Ganges
with the devotees.

TEXT 143

152
 madhya-khaëòe, gauracandra nityänanda-saìge
advaitera gåhe giyächilä kona raìge

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa Lord Gauracandra and Nityänanda Prabhu go on a

mission to Advaita Prabhu’s house.

TEXT 144

madhya-khaëòe, advaitera kari’ bahu daëòa

çeñe anugraha kailä parama-pracaëòa

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord punishes Advaita Prabhu and then bestows
great mercy on Him.

COMMENTARY

By seeing the behavior of Advaita Prabhu, many people fall into the trap of
considering Him a Mäyävädé. In order to check this, the Lord physically
punished Advaita; then later the Lord bestowed mercy on Him to glorify His
devotee.

TEXT 145

madhya-khaëòe, caitanya-nitäi—kåñëa-räma

153
 jänilä muräri-gupta mahä-bhägyavän

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the most fortunate Muräri Gupta is able to recognize

Lord Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu to be Kåñëa and Balaräma.

COMMENTARY

The most fortunate Muräri Gupta certainly knew that Nitäi and Gaura
were Räma and Kåñëa.

TEXT 146

madhya-khaëòe, dui prabhu caitanya-nitäi

näcilena çréväsa-aìgane eka-öhäïi

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the two Lords, Caitanya and Nityänanda, dance

together in the house of Çréväsa Öhäkura.

COMMENTARY

The house of Çréväsa Paëòita is famous as Çréväsäìgana.

TEXT 147

madhya-khaëòe, çréväsera måta-putra-mukhe

154
 jéva-tattva kahäiyä ghucäilä duùkhe

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord induces Çréväsa’s dead son to speak on the
science of the soul, thus destroying everyone’s sorrow.

COMMENTARY

The Lord helped the relatives of Çréväsa mitigate their distress of

separation by inducing Çréväsa’s dead son to describe the living entities’
transmigration from one body to another.

TEXT 148

caitanyera anugrahe çréväsa-paëòita

päsarilä putra-çoke,—jagate vidita

TRANSLATION

By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, Çréväsa Öhäkura gave up lamentation over

his son’s death. This incident became known to all.

COMMENTARY

The word päsarilä means “having forgotten.”

TEXT 149

madhya-khaëòe, gaìgäya paòilä duùkha päiyä

155
 nityänanda-haridäsa änila tuliyä

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord, in distress, jumped into the Ganges, and
Nityänanda and Haridäsa pulled Him out.

TEXT 150

madhya-khaëòe, caitanyera avaçeña-pätra

brahmära durlabha näräyaëé päilä mätra

TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa Näräyaëé received Lord Caitanya’s remnants, which

are rarely attained by even Lord Brahmä.

COMMENTARY

Çrémän Mahäprabhu is the Supreme Absolute Truth. His remnants are

rarely attained by even Lord Brahmä, who is the first created being of this
universe. Näräyaëédevé, the niece of Çréväsa, was fortunate to receive those
remnants. The son of this Näräyaëédevé, Våndävana däsa Öhäkura, is the
author of this book.

TEXT 151

madhya-khaëòe, sarva-jéva uddhära-käruëe

sannyäsa karite prabhu karilä gamane

156
 TRANSLATION

In the Madhya-khaëòa the Lord leaves home and accepts sannyäsa in order
to deliver the living entities.

COMMENTARY

There are four social orders in the life of a living entity. Among them, the
highest is the order of sannyäsa. People of the other orders naturally take
instructions from the sannyäsés, and as a result they achieve freedom from the
bondage of material life. Because Çré Gaurasundara accepted the sannyäsa
order of life, all living entities attained liberation from their respective status.
As stated in the Caitanya-candrämåta (113): “Now that Lord Caitanyacandra
has revealed the path of pure devotional service, the materialists have given
up talking about their wives, children, and material affairs, the scholars have
given up debating the scriptures, the yogis have given up the trouble to control
their breath, the ascetics have given up their austerities, and the
impersonalists have given up impersonalism. Now there is only the sweetness
of pure devotional service.”

TEXT 152

kértana kariyä ’ädi’, avadhi ’sannyäsa’

ei haite kahi ’madhya-khaëòe’ra viläsa

TRANSLATION

The pastimes of the Madhya-khaëòa begin with the Lord’s kértana and end
with His acceptance of sannyäsa.

157
 TEXT 153

madhya-khaëòe, äche ära kata-koöi lélä

vedavyäsa varëibena se-sakala khelä

TRANSLATION

There are millions of other pastimes in the Madhya-khaëòa that will be

described in the future by Çréla Vyäsadeva.

COMMENTARY

After hearing from Éçvara Puré, the Lord inaugurates the congregational
chanting of the holy names. These pastimes up to His acceptance of sannyäsa
and leaving Navadvépa are described in the Madhya-khaëòa. The Lord has
unlimited pastimes apart from those described in this book. Çréla Vyäsadeva
will describe those pastimes in the future. But if one wants to create imaginary
pastimes of the Lord that are mixed with rasäbhäsa and opposing çästric
conclusions, that is offensive and must be rejected by the followers of
Vyäsadeva.

TEXT 154

çeña-khaëòe, viçvambhara karilä sannyäsa

’çré-kåñëa-caitanya’-näma tabe parakäça

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa after Viçvambhara takes sannyäsa, He becomes known

158
as Çré Kåñëa Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

Sannyäsa means to give up absorption in material enjoyment. Endeavoring

for material enjoyment or artificial endeavor for renunciation is known as
karma-sannyäsa or jïäna-sannyäsa. Although Çrémän Mahäprabhu displayed
His sannyäsa pastimes like a jïäné, His aim was to perform the activities of a
tridaëòi-sannyäsé, as mentioned in the Twenty-third Chapter, Eleventh Canto
of Çrémad Bhägavatam. The Lord often chanted the verse etäà sa ästhäya
spoken by the Avanté mendicant. This is the evidence of the Lord’s service to
Mukunda in the guise of a sannyäsé. The Lord, who is the supreme teacher of
the living entities, did not at all accept the philosophy of ahaìgrahopäsanä,
which results in becoming one with the Lord.
The çikhä and brähmaëa thread are seen in the external appearance of a
tridaëòi-sannyäsé. Even today this çikhä is called caitanya-çikhä. The sannyäsés
who keep a çikhä are more dear devotees to Çré Caitanyadeva than those who
do not keep a çikhä. The devotee sannyäsés give up activities that are
unfavorable in the execution of devotional service. They reject
phalgu-vairägya and accept yukta-vairägya as stated in the
Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu:

anäsaktasya viñayän yathärham upayuïjataù

nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe yuktaà vairägyam ucyate

“Things should be accepted for the Lord’s service and not for one’s personal
sense gratification. If one accepts something without attachment and accepts
it because it is related to Kåñëa, one’s renunciation is called yukta-vairägya.”

präpaïcikatayä buddhyä hari-sambandhi-vastunaù

mumukñubhiù parityägo vairägyaà phalgu kathyate

159
 “When persons eager to achieve liberation renounce things which are
related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, though they are material, this
is called incomplete renunciation.”

TEXT 155

çeña-khaëòe, çuni’ prabhura çikhära muëòana

vistara karilä prabhu-advaita krandana

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa Advaita Prabhu cries profusely upon hearing that the
Lord has shaved His çikhä and hair.

TEXT 156

çeña-khaëòe, çacé-duùkha—akathya-kathana
caitanya-prabhäve sabära rahila jévana

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa, Çacédevé’s lamentation is indescribable, and the

devotees remained alive only by influence of Çré Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

Mother Çacé, Viñëupriyädevé, and the devotees were able to tolerate

indescribable distress due to separation from Mahäprabhu only by His mercy.
Thus they were able to pass their lives in the service of Lord Kåñëa.

160
 TEXT 157

çeña-khaëòe, nityänanda caitanyera daëòa

bhäìgilena, balaräma parama-pracaëòa

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the most powerful Çré Nityänanda Räma breaks Lord
Caitanya’s sannyäsa daëòa.

COMMENTARY

According to Vedic injunctions, those who accept the fourth social order of
life are supposed to carry a daëòa. In accordance with those injunctions, only
the tridaëòa was accepted in ancient times. Then, later on, the three daëòas
were combined together and the system of ekadaëòa was introduced. This
system of ekadaëòa is accepted as a prescribed activity by the followers of
advaita-väda.
The addition of the jéva-daëòa with the tridaëòa is accepted by followers of
the philosophies of çuddhädvaita (purified oneness), viçiñöädvaita (specific
monism), and dvaitädvaita (simultaneous oneness and difference). Whenever
the philosophy of çuddhädvaita is converted into that of viddhädvaita, or
monism, the acceptance of tridaëòa is replaced with the acceptance of
ekadaëòa. Among the names of Vedic tridaëòi-sannyäsés, the ten principle
names have been reserved by the monists. Of those ten names, Çré Kåñëa
Caitanya Mahäprabhu purified the Bhäraté branch of the
Çaìkara-sampradäya. Later on, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu broke Çrémän
Mahäprabhu’s ekadaëòa, which is the symbol of subordination to the
Çaìkara-sampradäya, and threw it in the ocean. By so doing, Nityänanda

161
showed the world that only acceptance of tridaëòa—not ekadaëòa—is
favorable for devotional service.

TEXT 158

çeña-khaëòe, gauracandra giyä néläcale

äpanäre lukäi’ rahilä kutühale

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa Lord Gauracandra arrives in Néläcala and hides

Himself.

COMMENTARY

Néläcala is also called Çré Kñetra or Puruñottama. Sundaräcala Mountain is

situated near Néläcala. The word acala means “mountain.”

TEXT 159

särvabhauma-prati äge kari’ parihäsa

çeñe särvabhaumere ñaò-bhuja-parakäça

TRANSLATION

At first the Lord teases Särvabhauma, but later He displays His six-armed
form to him.

COMMENTARY

162
 Although the Çäréraka-bhäñya, propounded by the mental speculator jïänés,
is a subject of laughter, Mahäprabhu nevertheless heard that commentary
from Väsudeva Särvabhauma, who was a Godbrother of the Lord’s
grandfather, Nélämbara Cakravarté. The Lord then teased him in the manner
of a mischievous child. Later, however, the Lord showed him His six-armed
form, endowed with the two hands of Räma, the two hands of Kåñëa, and the
two hands of Gaura, with Their respective articles. Väsudeva Särvabhauma
was a famous logician and Vedäntist of Navadvépa. In the last stage of his life
he went to Puruñottama with his wife and lived there as a kñetra-sannyäsé. He
was the son of Maheçvara Viçärada and brother-in-law of Gopénätha
Bhaööäcärya.

TEXT 160

çeña-khaëòe, pratäparudrere pariträëa

käçé-miçra-gåhete karilä adhiñöhäna

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Lord delivers Mahäräja Pratäparudra and resides

in the house of Käçé Miçra.

COMMENTARY

Mahäräja Pratäparudra was the king of Utkala [Orissa] and belonged to the
Gaìgä dynasty. The Lord freed him from material life and brought him into
the kingdom of Kåñëa’s worship. The family priest of this emperor was Käçé
Miçra, and it was in his house that the Lord used to live. The house of Käçé
Miçra is situated between the temple of Lord Jagannätha and the ocean.

163
 TEXT 161

dämodara svarüpa, paramänanda-puré

çeña-khaëòe, ei dui saìge adhikäré

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the two great authorities, Svarüpa Dämodara and

Paramänanda Puré, reside with the Lord.

COMMENTARY

Çré Dämodara Svarüpa is the brahmacäré name of Çré Puruñottama

Bhaööäcärya of Navadvépa. He went to Väräëasé prior to the Lord’s acceptance
of sannyäsa and expressed to one Caitanyänanda his desire to take sannyäsa.
Before being formally awarded sannyäsa, he was known as Dämodara Svarüpa.
He did not wait for those formalities, however, but went to Çré Kñetra and took
shelter of the lotus feet of Çré Gaurasundara. From that time on he was master
of the Gauòéya Vaiñëava-sampradäya and one of the Lord’s most confidential
associates during His eighteen year stay at Néläcala.
Paramänanda Puré was one of the principle disciples of Çréla Mädhavendra
Puré. He was a recipient of Çrémän Mahäprabhu’s mercy and respect. As
Paramänanda Puré and Svarüpa Gosvämé were both engaged in the service of
the Lord, they are both authorities.

TEXT 162

çeña-khaëòe, prabhu punaù äilä gauòa-deçe

164
 mathurä dekhiba bali’ änanda viçeñe

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Lord returns to Bengal while traveling in ecstasy

to see Mathurä.

COMMENTARY

The word gauòa-deça in this verse refers to Çré Navadvépa and the places
north of Navadvépa such as Rämakeli (the site of Dabira Khäsa and Säkara
Mallika’s office and the capitol of the king of Gauòa), which is in the present
day district of Maldah.

TEXT 163

äsiyä rahilä vidyäväcaspati-ghare

tabe ta’ äilä prabhu kuliyä-nagare

TRANSLATION

On the way the Lord happily stays at the house of Vidyä-väcaspati, before
going on to Kuliyä.

COMMENTARY

Vidyä-väcaspati is the son of Maheçvara Viçärada and the brother of

Väsudeva Särvabhauma. It appears that the village of Vidyänagara was named
after him.
The place known as Kuliyä-nagara is now the city of Navadvépa. Another

165
name for this area is Koladvépa. It is the fifth of the nine islands of Navadvépa
and is situated on the western side of the Ganges.

TEXT 164

ananta arbuda loka gelä dekhibäre

çeña-khaëòe sarva-jéva päilä nistäre

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa innumerable people go to see the Lord and are thus
delivered.

TEXT 165

çeña-khaëòe, madhupuré dekhite calilä

katho düra giyä prabhu nivåta hailä

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Lord goes to see Mathurä, but He returns after
going part way.

COMMENTARY

In His desire to visit Mathurä, the Lord went up to Känäi Näöaçälä, near
the town of Rajmohala, and then returned to Néläcala.

166
 TEXT 166

çeña-khaëòe, punaù äilena néläcale

niravadhi bhakta-saìge kåñëa-kolähale

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Lord returns to Néläcala and engages in discussing

topics of Kåñëa with the devotees.

COMMENTARY

The term kåñëa-kolähala indicates a place that is diametrically opposite to a

secluded place of material enjoyment. Pure devotees give up gossiping on
topics not related with Kåñëa and become maddened by performing kértana in
the association of other pure devotees.

TEXT 167

gauòa-deçe nityänanda-svarüpe päöhäïä

rahilena néläcale katho jana laïo

TRANSLATION

The Lord sends Nityänanda Svarüpa to Bengal and stays Himself in Néläcala
with a few devotees.

COMMENTARY

167
 The Lord sent Nityänanda Svarüpa to preach in Bengal and personally
engaged in preaching at Néläcala with a few devotees.
The brahmacäré name “Svarüpa” is awarded by Tértha and Äçrama
sannyäsés of the ekadaëòi Çaìkara-sampradäya. Some people say that
Nityänanda was awarded the title “Svarüpa” by Lakñmépati Tértha.

TEXT 168

çeña-khaëòe, rathera sammukhe bhakta-saìge

äpane karilä nåtya äpanära raìge

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Lord enjoys His pastime of dancing with the
devotees before Lord Jagannätha’s chariot.

TEXT 169

çeña-khaëòe, setubandhe gelä gaura-räya

jharikhaëòa diyä punaù gelä mathuräya

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa Lord Gauräìga goes to Rämeçvara and later travels

again to Mathurä through the Jhärikhaëòa forest.

COMMENTARY

In order to reach Setubandha Rämeçvara, one should first go to Maëòapam

168
Station via Rämanäda Station on the S.I.R. Railway. From there one should
cross the long bridge over the Panvam Channel and reach Panvam Station.
Rämeçvaram Station is a couple of stations after this. It is the southernmost
tip of the India peninsula and situated on the opposite shore from Çré Laìkä.
Rämeçvaram is situated two stations before Dhanuñkoöi, the last stop on the
S.I.R. line, between Panvam and Rämeçvaram island. One mile from the
station there are twenty-four lakes, such as Räma-tértha and Lakñmaëa-tértha.
One mile from those lakes is the huge Rämeçvara-Çiva Temple (the temple of
Lord Çiva, who is the greatest devotee and whose worshipable Lord is Räma),
which is made of stone. On the four sides of this temple there are four gopuras,
or lion gates. Within these gates is the näöaçälä and the main temple room,
which is constructed of granite. Beyond the temple is Adams Bridge, or the
historical Setubandha.
The forest of Jhärikhaëòa is situated in the present day states of Orissa,
western Bengal, the southwestern districts of Bihar, and the eastern districts
of Madhya Pradesh. In the book Äkabar-näma the forest of Jhärikhaëòa is said
to extend from Birbhum up to Ratanpura, Madhya Pradesh, and from
Rotoshgarh, South Bihar, up to the border of Orissa. The towns and cities of
Athgarh, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Lahara, Keonjhar, Bamra, Bonai,
Gangapur, Mayurabhunja, Simbhuma, Ranchi, Manabhuma, Bankura
(Viñëupura), Sanotalaparagana, Hazaribag, Palamau, Jashpur, Raigarh,
Udayapuragarh, and Saraguja are situated within the mountains and dense
forests of Jhärikhaëòa.

TEXT 170

çeña-khaëòe, rämänanda-räyera uddhära

çeña-khaëòe, mathuräya aneka vihära

169
 TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Lord delivers Rämänanda Räya and performs

various pastimes in Mathurä.

COMMENTARY

Rämänanda Räya was the governor of Kaliìga under the rule of Mahäräja
Pratäparudra, the independent king of Orissa. He was the eldest of
Bhavänanda Paööanäyaka’s five sons. He wrote the drama
Jagannätha-vallabha-näöaka, and he was a most intimate devotee of the Lord.
Throughout South India there was no other unalloyed devotee of Kåñëa in the
räga-märga comparable with him.

TEXT 171

çeña-khaëòe, çré gaurasundara mahäçaya

dabira-khäsere prabhu dilä paricaya

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa Lord Gaurasundara reveals Himself to Dabira Khäsa.

COMMENTARY

Dabira Khäsa is the Mohammedan name of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé. He was

born in a Karëäöa (Karnataka) brähmaëa family. His father was Kumäradeva,
his elder brother was Sanätana Gosvämé, and his younger brother was Çré
Vallabha, or Anupama. The Lord gave him the name “Çré Rüpa,” by which he
became famous in the society of devotees.

170
 TEXT 172

prabhu cini’ dui bhäira bandha-vimocana

çeñe näma thuilena ’rüpa’-’sanätana’

TRANSLATION

The two brothers achieve liberation by recognizing the Lord, and they
become known as Rüpa and Sanätana.

TEXT 173

çeña-khaëòe, gauracandra gelä väräëasé

nä päila dekhä yata nindaka sannyäsé

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Lord goes to Väräëasé, where the blasphemous

sannyäsés cannot recognize Him.

COMMENTARY

The ancient city of Väräëasé is inhabited by highly learned scholars and

situated on the banks of the Ganges. It is also inhabited by many Mäyävädé
sannyäsés of the monist school who criticize the devotees and devotional
service. Because they criticize the devotees and devotional service, these
Mäyävädé sannyäsés are known as nindaka, or blasphemous, sannyäsés.

171
 TEXT 174

çeña-khaëòe, punaù néläcale ägamana

ahar-niça karilena hari-saìkértana

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Lord again returns to Néläcala and engages day and
night in saìkértana.

COMMENTARY

Hari-saìkértana refers to a group of many devotees offenselessly chanting

together the names and glories of the Supreme Lord Hari.

TEXT 175

çeña-khaëòe, nityänanda katheka divasa

karilena påthivéte paryaöana-rasa

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa Lord Nityänanda travels throughout India as a

wandering mendicant.

COMMENTARY

The word paryaöana-rasa refers to the occupational duties of a parivräjaka,

or wandering mendicant.

172
 TEXT 176

ananta caritra keha bujhite nä päre

caraëe nüpura, sarva-mathurä vihare

TRANSLATION

No one can understand Lord Nityänanda’s unlimited characteristics as He

wanders about Mathurä with ankle bells on His feet.

TEXT 177

çeña-khaëòe, nityänanda päëihäöi-gräme

caitanya-äjïäya bhakti karilena däne

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa Lord Nityänanda distributes devotional service to

everyone in Pänihäöi on the order of Lord Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

Pänihäöi is a village on the bank of the Ganges near Sodapura Station on

the E.B.R. line. The houses of Çré Räghava Paëòita and Çré Makaradhvaja are
situated here.

TEXT 178

173
 çeña-khaëòe, nityänanda mahä-malla-räya
vaëikädi uddhärilä parama-kåpäya

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the commander-in-chief of the kértana party, Lord

Nityänanda, delivers the merchant community.

COMMENTARY

The term mahä-malla-räya indicates the commander-in-chief of the kértana

party.

TEXT 179

çeña-khaëòe, gauracandra mahä-maheçvara

néläcale väsa añöädaça-samvatsara

TRANSLATION

In the Antya-khaëòa the Supreme Lord, Çré Gauracandra, resides in

Néläcala for eighteen years.

COMMENTARY

Éçvara refers to the worshipable object of the controlled, while maheçvara

refers to the controller of the controllers. The chief controller of all
maheçvaras is mahä-maheçvara, from whom all éçvara-tattvas and
maheçvara-tattvas are born. In other words, Çré Gaura-Kåñëa is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, and the Lord of all lords.

174
 TEXT 180

çeña-khaëòe, caitanyera ananta viläsa

vistäriyä varëite ächena veda-vyäsa

TRANSLATION

The unlimited pastimes of Çré Caitanya in the Antya-khaëòa will be

described by Vyäsadeva in the future.

TEXT 181

ye-te mate caitanyera gäite mahimä

nityänanda-préti baòa, tära nähi sémä

TRANSLATION

If one somehow or other glorifies Lord Caitanya, then Lord Nityänanda

becomes unlimitedly pleased with him.

TEXT 182

dharaëé-dharendra nityänandera caraëa

deha’ prabhu-gauracandra, ämäre sevana

TRANSLATION

O Lord Gauracandra, please allow me to serve the feet of Nityänanda

175
Prabhu, who, as Ananta Çeña, holds all the universes on His heads.

COMMENTARY

The word dharaëé-dharendra refers to the Lord of Çeña, who supports the
universe. In other words, Çré Balaräma-Nityänanda is the source of all
puruñävatäras.

TEXT 183

ei ta’ kahiluì sütra saìkñepa kariyä

tina khaëòe ärambhira ihäi gäiyä

TRANSLATION

In these sütras I have thus briefly described the contents of this book. Now
I will begin to narrate these three divisions of pastimes.

TEXT 184

ädi-khaëòa-kathä, bhäi, çuna eka-cite

çré-caitanya avatérëa haila yena-mate

TRANSLATION

My dear brothers, please now hear attentively the topics of Ädi-khaëòa

regarding the appearance of Lord Caitanya.

176
 TEXT 185

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

The word canda means “moon,” and the word jäna is a Pharsee noun that
means “life.” Another meaning of jäna is the verb “to know.” The word tachu
means “Their.”

Thus ends the English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya of Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Chapter One, entitled “Summary of Lord Gaura’s
Pastimes.”

Chapter Two: The Lord’s Appearance

This chapter describes the appearance of the Lord’s elders and eternal
associates by the desire of the Lord, the godless atmosphere of Navadvépa, Çré
Advaita Prabhu’s worship of Kåñëa with water and tulasé leaves, the
appearance of Çré Nityänanda on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon, the

177
prayers offered by the demigods to the Lord in the womb, the appearance of
Çré Gauracandra on the full moon night of the month of Phälguna amidst the
congregational chanting of the holy names, and the joyful celebration of the
Lord’s appearance.
The science of the Supreme Lord and His various incarnations is difficult
to understand. What to speak of ordinary living entities, even Lord Brahmä
cannot fathom this science without the mercy of the Lord. The statement of
Lord Brahmä in the Çrémad Bhägavatam is the evidence in this regard.
Although the cause of the Supreme Lord’s appearance is most confidential,
the statements of Bhagavad-gétä reveal that Lord Viñëu appears in every
millenium in order to protect the pious people, deliver the miscreants, and
reestablish the principles of religion. Therefore the author has pointed out
that the chanting of the holy names of Kåñëa is the religious principle for the
Age of Kali. Çré Gaurahari has appeared along with His abode, Çré Navadvépa,
to propagate this yuga-dharma. The author also explains that by the will of the
Lord, great devotees and eternal associates such as Ananta, Çiva, and Brahmä
appeared prior to the Lord in various impious families and impious places
where the Ganges does not flow and the holy names are not chanted. In this
way such families and places were purified. The author also describes how
after the appearance of Çré Gaurahari, His associates joined Him in Navadvépa
to assist in His saìkértana movement. At the time of the Lord’s appearance,
Çré Navadvépa was most prosperous. Millions of people took bath at each of the
bathing ghäöas on the Ganges. By the benedictions of Sarasvaté and Lakñmé,
the residents of Navadvépa were absorbed in scholastic pursuits and material
enjoyment, but there was ample evidence of people’s aversion to Lord Kåñëa.
Although it was the beginning of Kali-yuga, people exhibited the behavior
foretold for the future of the age. People considered their religious duty was to
worship demigods such as Maìgalacaëòé, Viñahari, and Väçulé. They thought
the purpose of having money was to spend it for enjoying the marriage of their
sons and daughters or the marriage of idols. Since the so-called brähmaëas and
scholars maintained the asslike mentality of accepting only the gross meaning

178
of the scriptures without understanding the actual purport, when they tried to
teach their students, both teachers and students were bound by the ropes of
Yamaräja and led to hell. Even the so-called austere renunciates did not chant
the names of Hari. Everyone was maddened with pride on account of their
high birth, opulence, knowledge, and beauty. At that time Çré Advaita Äcärya
Prabhu, along with pure devotees like Çréväsa, loudly chanted the names of
Lord Hari. But people who were averse to the Lord continually harassed and
teased the nonenvious pure devotees. When the compassionate Çré Advaita
Prabhu saw people’s extreme aversion to Kåñëa cause great distress to the
devotees, He began to worship Kåñëa with water and tulasé with a vow to bring
about the advent of Kåñëa. Before the advent of Lord Gaurahari, Çré
Nityänanda Prabhu—who is nondifferent from Lord Baladeva, the elder
brother of Kåñëa—appeared from the womb of Padmävaté, the wife of Häòäi
Paëòita, in the village of Ekacaka, in Räòha-deça, on the thirteenth day of the
waxing moon in the month of Magha. Meanwhile, in Navadvépa, Çré
Viçvarüpa Prabhu, who is nondifferent from Nityänanda Prabhu, appeared as
the son of Çacé and Jagannätha, after their many daughters had met early
deaths. A few years after the advent of Çré Viçvarüpa, Çré Gaurahari, the
original Personality of Godhead, appeared in the hearts of Çré Çacé and
Jagannätha, who are nondifferent from Devaké and Vasudeva. Understanding
this, the demigods offered prayers to Lord Çré Gaura-Kåñëa, the Supreme
Absolute Truth and source of all incarnations, who was situated within the
womb of Çacé. Çré Gauracandra, the inaugurator of the saìkértana movement,
appeared during an eclipse on the full moon night in the month of Phälguna
as everyone engaged in the congregational chanting of the names of Hari.
This chapter ends with the jubilant celebration of the Lord’s advent
accompanied by the chanting of auspicious hymns and the demigods’ visit to
the house of Çacé in the form of human beings.

TEXT 1

179
 jaya jaya mahäprabhu gaurasundara
jaya jagannätha-putra mahä-maheçvara

TRANSLATION

All glories to Mahäprabhu Çré Gaurasundara! All glories to the son of

Jagannätha Miçra, the Lord of all lords!

TEXT 2

jaya nityänanda gadädharera jévana

jaya jaya advaitädi-bhaktera çaraëa

TRANSLATION

All glories to the life and soul of Nityänanda and Gadädhara! All glories to
the shelter of the devotees headed by Advaita Prabhu!

COMMENTARY

Çré Gadädhara Paëòita Gosvämé was the foremost amongst Mahäprabhu’s

intimate devotees. As he is the origin of the çakti-tattva, he was present in the
Lord’s pastimes at both Navadvépa and Néläcala. He lived first in Navadvépa,
and later he lived as a kñetra-sannyäsé in a subforest near the ocean at
Néläcala. The pure devotees who worship the sweet feature of Çré Çré
Rädhä-Govinda take shelter of Gadädhara and thus become known as
intimate devotees of Çré Gaura. Those who are not enthusiastic to worship the
sweet feature of the Lord perform devotional service under the shelter of
Nityänanda Prabhu. Some of Gaura’s devotees like Çré Narahari were
followers of Çré Gadädhara Paëòita who had taken shelter of Gadädhara

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under the consideration that Çré Gaurasundara was his only worshipable Lord.
Some people call Çrémän Mahäprabhu the life and soul of Nityänanda, and
some people call Him the life and soul of Gadädhara.
Çré Gaurasundara was also the Lord of both Çré Advaita Prabhu, the
incarnation of Mahä-Viñëu, and Çréväsa Paëòita, the incarnation of Närada.
The Païca-tattva has thus been described in this way. Çré Gaurasundara is
the form of a devotee, Çré Nityänanda is the expansion of a devotee, Çré
Advaita is the incarnation of a devotee, Çré Gadädhara is the energy of the
Lord, and Çréväsa is the pure devotee—Çré Gaura enjoys pastimes in these five
features.

TEXT 3

bhakta-goñöhé sahita gauräìga jaya jaya

çunile caitanya-kathä bhakti labhya haya

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Gauräìga along with His associates! By hearing the
topics of Çré Caitanya, one attains devotional service to the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The word bhakta-goñöhé refers to the worshipable Lord Gaurasundara and

His four principle devotees, headed by Çré Nityänanda, who are under His
shelter. These devotees have no business other than the service of Lord
Gaurasundara.
Simply by hearing the pastimes of Çrémän Mahäprabhu, one’s
constitutional position is revived. The activity of one in that constitutional

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position is the devotional service of Lord Kåñëa. Knowledge of Çré Caitanya,
His manifestations, and His glories is nourishment for the living entity’s ears.
When the living entity awakens to his constitutional activities, he fully
engages in the service of Çré Gaura-Kåñëa. In other words, he performs pure
devotional service with knowledge of his relationship with the Lord.

TEXT 4

punaù bhakta-saìge prabhu-pade namaskära

sphuruka jihväya gauracandra avatära

TRANSLATION

I again offer my obeisances at the lotus feet of Çré Caitanya and His
devotees. Let the topics of Çré Gauracandra become manifest on my tongue.

COMMENTARY

With a desire to achieve his goal, the author again offers his respectful
obeisances to the Lord and His associates and prays for the blessing that the
transcendental pastimes of Lord Gaurasundara manifest on his tongue.

TEXT 5

jaya jaya çré karuëä-sindhu gauracandra

jaya jaya çré sevä-vigraha nityänanda

TRANSLATION

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 All glories to Çré Gauracandra, the ocean of mercy! All glories to
Nityänanda Prabhu, the personification of devotional service!

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurahari is an ocean of mercy. Çré Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja has described

Him in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 8.15) as follows: “If you are indeed
interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful.” Çréla
Rüpa Gosvämé Prabhu has also offered his obeisances to the Lord and glorified
Him as mahä-vadänyä, the most magnanimous, and kåñëa-prema-pradä, the
bestower of love of Kåñëa. Lord Çré Kåñëa, the personification of
mädhurya-lélä, or sweet pastimes, has displayed audärya-lélä, or magnanamous
pastimes, in His Gaura pastimes.
Çré Nityänanda Prabhu is the personification of service. Being a servant of
Çré Gaurasundara, who is the supreme worshipable Lord, Çré Nityänanda
personally worships Gaura and is the worshipable Lord of the pure devotees.
Although Çré Nityänanda Räma, the Lord of lords, is Viñëu Himself, He is the
servant and assistant in svayaà-rüpa Gaura’s magnanimous pastimes. Lord
Nityänanda serves His Lord in ten forms. Even today the Deity of Nityänanda
is seen in Navadvépa and Jagannätha Puré.

TEXT 6

avijïäta-tattva dui bhäi ära bhakta

tathäpi kåpäya tattva karena suvyakta

TRANSLATION

Although the truths of the two brothers and Their devotees are

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incomprehensible, they can be realized by the mercy of Their Lordships.

COMMENTARY

Both Lords, Gaura and Nitäi, as well as Their pure devotees are beyond the
reach of material senses and eternally full of knowledge and bliss. Therefore
proud mundane speculators who are simply interested in sense gratification
cannot understand Their real forms. They mercifully manifest Their
incomprehensible forms only to Their fully surrendered servants who have
taken shelter of Them. Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé has prayed to Gaura-Nitäi in
the Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 1.2) as follows: “I offer my respectful
obeisances unto Çré Kåñëa Caitanya and Lord Nityänanda, who are like the
sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauòa to
dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction
upon all.” Also in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 1.98) he writes: “But these two
brothers [Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityänanda] dissipate the darkness of the
inner core of the heart, and thus They help one meet the two kinds of
bhägavatas [persons or things in relationship with the Personality of
Godhead].”
The word avijïäta-tattva indicates that the truth of these two brothers is
unknown to one with a materialistic enjoying mentality. In other words, They
are beyond the jurisdiction of material knowledge or sense perception.

TEXT 7

brahmädira sphürti haya kåñëera kåpäya

sarva-çästre, vede, bhägavata ei gäya

TRANSLATION

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 The knowledge of personalities like Lord Brahmä is enhanced by the mercy
of Lord Kåñëa. This is confirmed in all the scriptures such as the Vedas and the
Çrémad Bhägavatam.

TEXT 8

pracoditä yena purä sarasvaté

vitanvatäjasya satéà småtià hådi
sva-lakñaëä prädurabhüt kiläsyataù
sa me åñéëäm åñabhaù prasédatäm

TRANSLATION

May the Lord, who in the beginning of the creation amplified the potent
knowledge of Brahmä from within his heart and inspired him with full
knowledge of creation and of His own Self, and who appeared to be generated
from the mouth of Brahmä, be pleased with me.

COMMENTARY

When Mahäräja Parékñit inquired from Çukadeva Gosvämé about Lord

Hari’s pastimes of creation, Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé first remembered the
Supreme Lord and then offered his prayers, such as this verse from the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (2.4.22). There are many passages in the Çrémad Bhägavatam that
describe how Lord Brahmä, the original spiritual master in the
Brahma-sampradäya, heard Çrémad Bhägavatam, the ripened fruit of the Vedas,
from Lord Näräyaëa. Some of those passages are as follows: tene brahma hådä
ya ädi-kavaye—“It is He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge unto the
heart of Brahmäjé, the original living being.” (Bhäg. 1.1.1); mayädau brahmaëe
proktä dharmo yasyäà mad-ätmakaù—“I spoke the Vedic knowledge to

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Brahmä because I Myself am the religious principles enunciated in the Vedas.”
(Bhäg. 11.14.3); idaà bhagavatä pürvaà brahmaëe
näbhi-paìkajesamprakäçitam—“It was to Lord Brahmä that the Supreme
Personality of Godhead first revealed the Çrémad Bhägavatam in full.” (Bhäg.
12.13.10); kasmai yena vibhäsito ’yam atulo jïäna-pradépaù purä—“Who in the
beginning personally revealed this incomparable torchlight of knowledge to
Brahmä.” (Bhäg. 12.13.19); and ya idam kåpayä kasmai vyäcacakñe
mumukñave—“Who mercifully explained this science to Brahmä when he
anxiously desired salvation.” (Bhäg. 12.13.20)
This fact is also confirmed in the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (6.18) as follows:

yo brahmäëaà vidadhäti pürvaà

yo vai vedäàç ca prahiëoti tasmai
taà ha devam ätma-buddhi-prakäçaà
mumukñur vai çaraëam ahaà prapadye

“Because I desire liberation, let me surrender unto the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, who first enlightened Lord Brahmä in Vedic knowledge through
Lord Brahmä’s heart. The Lord is the original source of all enlightenment and
spiritual advancement.” Also in the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (6.18) it is stated:
vedänte paramaà guhyaà purä kalpe pracoditam—“The confidential
knowledge of the Vedas was spoken long ago in a previous kalpa.” And in the
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (4.5.11) it is stated: asya mahato bhütasya niçvasitam
etad yad åg-vedo yajur-vedaù säma-vedo ’tharväìgirasa itihäsaù puräëaà vidyä
upaniñadaù çlokäù sütränyänuvyäkhyänänyasyai vaitäni sarväëi
niçvasitäni—“The Åg Veda, Yajur Veda, Säma Veda, and Atharva Veda, the
Itihäsas, or histories, the Puräëas, the Upaniñads, the çlokas or mantras
chanted by the brähmaëas, the sütras, or accumulations of Vedic statements,
as well as vidyä, transcendental knowledge, and the explanations of the sütras
and mantras are all emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of
Godhead.”

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 TEXTS 9-11

pürve brahmä janmilena näbhi-padma haite

tathäpiha çakti näi kichui dekhite

tabe yabe sarva-bhäve lailä çaraëa

tabe prabhu kåpäya dilena daraçana

tabe kåñëa-kåpäya sphurila sarasvaté

tabe se jänilä sarva-avatära-sthiti

TRANSLATION

In the beginning of creation Lord Brahmä was born from the lotus sprouted
from the navel of Lord Viñëu. Still, he had no power to see anything. When
Brahmä took full shelter of the Lord, then out of compassion the Lord appeared
before him. Then, by the mercy of Kåñëa, Brahmä received transcendental
knowledge so that he could understand the various incarnations of the Supreme
Lord.

COMMENTARY

Seven different lives of Brahmä are described in the Mahäbhärata (Çänti

347.40-43). Besides being born from the lotus, Brahmä was also born from the
mind, eyes, speech, ears, nose, and egg. When Brahmä was born from the lotus,
he opened his eyes and could not see his worshipable Lord. He then took
shelter of the Supreme Lord and was able to see Him. Therefore it is stated in
the Vedas (Kaöha Upaniñad 1.2.23 and Muëòaka Upaniñad 3.2.3):

näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyo

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 na medhasä na bahunä çrutena
yam evaiña våëute tena labhyas
tasyaiña ätmä vivåëute tanüà sväm

“The Supreme Lord is not obtained by expert explanations, by vast

intelligence, or even by much hearing. He is obtained only by one whom He
Himself chooses. To such a person, He manifests His own form.”
The omnipotent Lord Kåñëa manifested His quality of magnificence and
thus empowered Lord Brahmä to realize his constitutional position and
disseminate transcendental knowledge. Thereafter the words oà and ataù
manifested from the mouth of Brahmä. As a result, Lord Brahmä understood
the causelessly merciful advent and wonderful variegated pastimes of the
sac-cid-änanda Supreme Lord through the descending process, rather than the
ascending process. This is confirmed in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.1.1): “It is
He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmäjé, the
original living being.”
Without the powerful glorification of Kåñëa from the mouths of pure
devotees, the living entities are unable to get free from the clutches of mäyä,
in the form of aversion to Kåñëa, by uttering lifeless words born of material
enjoyment.

TEXT 12

hena kåñëa-candrera durjïeya avatära

täna kåpä vine kä’ra çakti jänibära?

TRANSLATION

Lord Kåñëa’s incarnations are very difficult to understand. Who has the

188
power to understand Them without His mercy?

COMMENTARY

The pastimes of Kåñëa are completely incomprehensible for people who are
overwhelmed by the knowledge acquired through their material senses.
Material scholars do not accept the Lord of all energies and incarnations of
Viñëu, Kåñëa, as the source of the omnipotent four-handed Näräyaëa; rather,
they consider Him a political hero and an ordinary historical descendant of
the Yadu dynasty. In other words, rather than understanding Kåñëa as the
Absolute Truth and cause of all causes, due to their material conceptions they
consider Him an ordinary living entity with a material form and one of
various objects of material enjoyment. When the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Kåñëa, appears in this world, all the occasional lélä-avatäras combine
in His form. This fact is also extremely incomprehensible. Without the mercy
of Kåñëa, one can never understand the science of Kåñëa by his own endeavor.
Only that person to whom Kåñëacandra has mercifully revealed His pastimes
has attained the fortune to worship Him. In this regard one may discuss the
verse from Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.14.3) that begins: jïäne prayäsam udapäsya.

TEXT 13

acintya, agamya kåñëa-avatära-lélä

sei brahmä bhägavate äpane kahilä

TRANSLATION

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam Lord Brahmä concludes that the pastimes of

Kåñëa’s incarnations are inconceivable and inaccessible.

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 COMMENTARY

When Mother Yaçodä saw the universe within the mouth of her son, she
offered her obeisances to Him as follows: “I offer my respects to the form of
the inconceivable and unmanifest, who is without qualities but who is the soul
of all qualities, the form holding all the universes, the supreme Brahman.”
Lord Brahmä also declares that the Lord’s pastimes are inconceivable and
incomprehensible in the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, of the Çrémad
Bhägavatam.

TEXT 14

ko vetti bhüman bhagavan parätman

yogeçvarotér bhavatas tri-lokyäm
kva vä kathaà vä kati vä kadeti
vistärayan kréòasi yoga-mäyäm

TRANSLATION

O supreme great one! O Supreme Personality of Godhead! O Supersoul,

master of all mystic power! Your pastimes are taking place continuously in
these three worlds, but who can estimate where, how, and when You are
employing Your spiritual energy and performing these innumerable pastimes?
No one can understand the mystery of how Your spiritual energy acts.

COMMENTARY

After Lord Kåñëa smashed the pride of Brahmä, who had stolen the calves
of Vraja, Brahmä offered prayers to Lord Kåñëa, including the above verse

190
from Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.14.21).
This verse was spoken by Brahmä to counteract the following doubts: Why
does the supremely independent Lord appear in an lowborn species like
Matsya? Why does the Lord exhibit the humble act of begging in His Vämana
incarnation? Why did Kåñëa run away from the battle? By addressing the Lord
as bhüman, it is understood that the Lord is incomprehensible. (Çrédhara
Svämé)
The word bhüman means “the supreme great one,” the word bhagavän
means “full of all opulences,” the word parätman means “the Supersoul of all”
or “the cause of all causes,” and the word yogeçvara means “the eternal master
of all mystic potencies.” Since no one knows Your pastimes, You are Yourself
the basis of Your unmanifest pastimes; since You are full of all opulences, You
are Yourself the source of varieties of pastimes; since You are the Supersoul,
You are Yourself the limit of Your pastimes; and since You are ever-existing,
You are Yourself the knower of the time of Your pastimes. The word yogamäyä
refers to the supreme internal energy of the Lord. (Jéva Gosvämé)
If it is said that You (Kåñëa) appeared to minimize the burden of the earth,
Räma appeared to kill Rävaëa, and various other incarnations appeared to
reestablish the principles of religion, is Your destruction of the pride of the
demons deluded with material knowledge not known? Yes, it is known. But no
one is able to fully understand the cause of the Lord’s advent, for what purpose
the Lord’s pastimes are performed, when the Lord will appear, and how long
the Lord will stay. This verse was spoken to emphasize this point.
The word bhüman refers to the all-pervading personality with innumerable
forms. The word bhagavän indicates that although the Lord has a universal
form, He is nevertheless full with six opulences. The word parätman indicates
that although the Lord is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is also the
Supersoul. The word yogeçvara indicates that by the influence of His yogamäyä
the Lord is full of the greatest opulences, such as His universal form. The word

191
ütéù refers to the Lord’s pastimes beginning with His appearance. Since Your
innumerable forms are all-pervading, full with six opulences, not made of
material elements, and forms of the Supersoul, how then is it possible that
Your innumerable forms are simultaneously performing various pastimes
within the three worlds for the pleasure of the devotees? In answer to this it is
understood that these innumerable forms of the Lord perform Their pastimes
by manifesting Themselves at appropriate times, according to the desire of His
devotees, and by the influence of His inconceivable yogamäyä potency.
(Çrémad Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura)
Since there is no truth superior to Kåñëa, no one is able to realize His
omnipotency. Although the Lord is the Absolute Truth, He manifests His
pastimes within this material world, yet He has not given anyone the ability to
fully understand the purposes for which He incarnates.

TEXT 15

kon hetu kåñëacandra kare avatära

kä’ra çakti äche tattva jänite tähära?

TRANSLATION

Who has the ability to know why Kåñëacandra incarnates?

TEXT 16

tathäpi çré bhägavate, gétäya ye kaya

tähä likhi, ye-nimitte ’avatära’ haya

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 TRANSLATION

Still, I am giving whatever reasons are described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam

and the Bhagavad-gétä.

COMMENTARY

People who are on the path of ascending knowledge try to find the cause of
the activities of this material world. That this material world is the effect of
someone’s actions is very difficult to comprehend, yet the author appropriately
explains the cause of all causes, as revealed by Lord Kåñëa to Arjuna in the
Bhagavad-gétä and in the Çrémad Bhägavatam, the ripened fruit of desire tree
of Vedic literature. The author explains the cause of Lord Kåñëa’s advent by
following in the footsteps of the Vedic literature rather than making his own
personal endeavor. Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé, however, has ascertained these
causes as secondary and meant particularly for devotees following the process
of regulative devotional service. Kaviräja Gosvämé says that these
incarnations of Viñëu are naimittika, or occasional, incarnations.

TEXT 17

yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati bhärata

abhyutthänam adharmasya tadätmänaà såjämy aham

TRANSLATION

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O

descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I
descend Myself.

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 COMMENTARY

One should refer to Çrémad Bhägavatam (9.24.56), wherein Çré Çukadeva

Gosvämé says to Mahäräja Parékñit: “Whenever the principles of religion
deteriorate and the principles of irreligion increase, the supreme controller,
the Personality of Godhead Çré Hari, appears by His own will.”
“I advent Myself”—in other words, to bewilder the demons I manifest
Myself in this world like a created being under the clutches of the illusory
energy. (Viçvanätha Cakravarté’s Särärtha-darñiëé)
The word dharma refers to the dharma that is described in the Vedas. The
word gläniù means “destroy.” The word adharma refers to that which is
contrary to dharma. The word abhyutthän means “arising.” The words “I
manifest” do not mean created like a material object, because I was personally
present even before creation. Therefore created objects have no lordship over
Me. (Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa’s Gétä-bhüñaëa commentary)
The word adharma is explained by Närada Muni to Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira
in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.15.12-14) in the following words: “There are five
branches of irreligion, appropriately known as irreligion [vidharma], religious
principles for which one is unfit [para-dharma], pretentious religion [äbhäsa],
analogical religion [upadharma] and cheating religion [chala-dharma]. One
who is aware of real religious life must abandon these five as irreligious.
Religious principles that obstruct one from following his own religion are
called vidharma. Religious principles introduced by others are called
para-dharma. A new type of religion created by one who is falsely proud and
who opposes the principles of the Vedas is called upadharma. And
interpretation by one’s jugglery of words is called chala-dharma. A pretentious
religious system manufactured by one who willfully neglects the prescribed
duties of his order of life is called äbhäsa [a dim reflection or false similarity].
But if one performs the prescribed duties for his particular äçrama or varëa,

194
why are they not sufficient to mitigate all material distresses?”
The only injunction governing My appearance is that I am independent, so
I appear whenever I desire. Whenever there is a decline in religious principles
and a predominant rise of irreligion, at that time I descend by My own sweet
will. The regulations that govern the entire universe are beginningless. But
when in due course of time these regulations become defective by some
undetermined cause, irreligiousity becomes prominent. No one is able to
counteract this situation other than Me. Therefore I appear in this material
world along with My internal potencies in order to destroy irreligious
principles. It is not that I appear only in the land of Bhärata-varña, but
according to the need I also appear amongst the demigods and lower species.
So do not think that I do not appear amongst the mlecchas and other low-born
human beings. I also appear among them as a çaktyäveça-avatära, or
empowered incarnation, to protect them and whatever little religious
principles those impure persons follow. Yet I am more anxious to appear
amongst My dependents in India, because varëäçrama-dharma is followed
there without obstruction. Therefore all the pleasing yuga-avatäras and
aàça-avatäras are found only in the land of Bhärata-varña. Activities
performed without fruitive desire (niñkäma-karma-yoga), philosophical
speculation (jïäna-yoga), and the ultimate process of devotional service
(bhakti-yoga) are not properly practiced where there is no practice of
varëäçrama-dharma. But know for certain that the traces of devotion found
amongst the low-born humans are due to the mercy of the devotees. (Çréla
Bhaktivinoda’s Vidvad-raïjana commentary)

TEXT 18

pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm

dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya sambhavämi yuge yuge

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 TRANSLATION

To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to

reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after
millennium.

COMMENTARY

Do not suspect that the Lord is cruel because He annihilates the

miscreants. As a mother’s fondling and chastisement of her children are not
displays of cruelty but exhibitions of her affection, it should be understood
that the killing of demons and protection of devotees are similar exhibitions of
the mercy of the Supreme Lord Viñëu, who is the maintainer of both pious
and sinful persons. (Çrédhara Svämé’s Subodhiné commentary)
One may argue that the great sages and devotee kings are qualified to
counteract the decline of religious principles and check the increase of
irreligious practices, so what is the need for Your appearance? This is true. But
delivering the sadhus, destroying the miscreants, and reestablishing the
principles of religion are impossible for others to perform, therefore I
personally appear. Delivering the sadhus means to deliver the unalloyed
devotees from the misery of their intense desire to see Me. The word duñkåtäm
refers to demons like Rävaëa, Kaàsa, and Keçé, who are invincible to others
and who give distress to My devotees. The word dharma-saàsthäpana refers to
supreme occupational duties in the form of meditating on, worshiping, serving,
and glorifying Me, which cannot be propagated by anyone other than Me. The
word yuge yuge refers to every millenium or kalpa. One should not doubt the
Lord’s impartiality when He kills the demons, because the demons who are
killed by the hand of the Lord are delivered from hellish material life, which
has been awarded to them due to their sinful activities. This punishment
awarded to the demons by the Lord is also His mercy. (Çrémad Viçvanätha

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Cakravarté)
Delivering the sadhus means that the Lord delivers His devotees from the
distress of intense eagerness to see the Lord. Because the devotees are
constantly engaged in remembering the Lord’s form and qualities, they have a
strong desire to see the Lord, who thus manifests His enchanting form before
them. The word duñkåtäm refers to demons such as Rävaëa and Kaàsa, who
are averse to the devotees and who cannot be killed except by the Lord. The
word dharma refers to the pure devotional process of worshiping the Lord and
meditating on His form. Although this process of devotional service is
performed on the basis of regulative principles, it cannot be propagated by
others. The word saàsthäpana indicates preaching properly. These three
purposes are the cause of the Lord’s appearance. No one should doubt the
Lord’s impartiality when He kills the demons, because the demons who are
killed by the Lord attain liberation. This chastisement of the demons is a
display of the Lord’s mercy. (Çré Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa)
I establish varëäçrama-dharma by appearing as an empowered incarnation
amongst My devotees, who are sages amongst the brähmaëas and kings, but
actually I appear to deliver My great devotees who are afflicted by the distress
born of intense longing to see Me. Thus, in the form of a yuga-avatära, I
deliver My devotees from this distress and I deliver demons like Rävaëa and
Kaàsa by killing them. I reestablish the living entities’ eternal religious
principles by preaching the devotional processes like hearing and chanting.
When I say, “I appear in every millenium,” it is to be accepted that I also
appear in the Age of Kali. The incarnation for Kali-yuga will distribute the
rarely attained benediction of love of God through the process of chanting.
Although this incarnation is the best of all, He is hidden to the common
person. My great devotees will naturally be attracted by this incarnation. You
also (O Arjuna) can see this incarnation when you appear as His assistant.
The great mystery of this confidential incarnation for Kali-yuga is that He will
destroy only the sinful mentality of the demons, not the demons themselves.

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(Çrémad Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura)

TEXTS 19-20

dharma-paräbhava haya yakhane yakhane

adharmera prabalatä bäòe dine-dine

sädhu-jana-rakña, duñöa-vinäça-käraëe
brahmädi prabhura pä’ya kare vijïäpane

TRANSLATION

Whenever there is a decline in religious principles and irreligion becomes

more prominent day by day, at that time the demigods headed by Brahmä pray
at the feet of the Lord to protect the sadhus and destroy the miscreants.

COMMENTARY

When the living entities who are averse to the Lord remain in the midst of
temporary sense enjoyment, their material conceptions gradually increase.
From Satya to Tretä to Dväpara-yuga, religious principles gradually diminish
and the propensity for material enjoyment gradually increases. At the same
time, due to a lack of religious activities, irreligious activities become more
prominent. The ascending process is a form of irreligion, because in this
process there is no service attitude towards Çré Adhokñaja. The pure devotees
of the Lord who are engaged in the service of Adhokñaja are always disturbed
by the conditioned living entities’ irreligious endeavors. The mental
speculators consider themselves rich and powerful by five opulences: (1)
gambling, (2) drinking, (3) illicit sex, (4) animal slaughter, and (5) gold. They
thus attempt to attack the Absolute Truth, who descends for the eternal

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benefit of the living entities. In order to check such endeavors of the mental
speculators and make them slip from their path, the unlimitedly powerful
destroyer of nescience and bewilderer of the demons, the Supreme Absolute
Truth, Lord Viñëu, incarnates. In this way Lord Brahmä offers prayers at the
lotus feet of the Lord in every millenium.

TEXT 21

tabe prabhu yuga-dharma sthäpana karite

säìgopäëge avatérëa hana påthivéte

TRANSLATION

The Lord then appears in this material world with His associates and
paraphernalia in order to reestablish the principles of religion.

COMMENTARY

When Lord Brahmä, the creator and regulator of the universe, prays for the
Lord’s incarnation for the benefit of the entire universe, the Absolute
Personality of Godhead descends along with His associates from His own
abode in Vaikuëöha into this material world. The pure devotees know that
reestablishing religious principles appropriate for the particular time is one of
the purposes for the Lord’s advent. The function of the naimittika-lélä-avatäras
is to reestablish the principles of religion, or yuga-dharma.

TEXT 22

kali-yuge ’dharma’ haya ’hari-saìkértana’

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 etad arthe avatérëa çré-çacé-nandana

TRANSLATION

The religious principle for the Age of Kali is the congregational chanting of
the holy names of the Lord. Çré Çacénandana incarnates to establish this
principle.

COMMENTARY

The living entities are delivered by the process of meditation in Satya-yuga,

fire sacrifice in Tretä-yuga, worship of the Lord in Dväpara-yuga, and
congregational chanting of Lord Hari’s names in Kali-yuga. Lord Çré
Çacénandana appeared in this world to propagate this congregational
chanting.

TEXT 23

ei kahe bhägavata sarva-tattva-sära

’kértana’-nimitta ’gauracandra-avatära’

TRANSLATION

It is stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam that the Supreme Absolute Truth,

Lord Gauracandra, incarnates to propagate the chanting of the holy names.

COMMENTARY

The people of this Age of Kali are engaged in arguments that result in
various quarrels. In order to benefit these people, Çré Gaurasundara

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propagated the congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy name, which is the
Supreme Absolute Truth, the destroyer of all illusion, and the form of
eternity, knowledge, and bliss. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam it is also confirmed
that Çré Gaurasundara is the essence of all truths, the Supreme Absolute
Truth, and the personification of saìkértana.

TEXT 24

iti dväpara urv-éça stuvanti jagad-éçvaram

nänä-tantra-vidhänena kaläv api tathä çåëu

TRANSLATION

O King, in this way people in Dväpara-yuga glorified the Lord of the

universe. In Kali-yuga also people worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead
by following various regulations of the revealed scriptures. Now kindly hear of
this from me.

COMMENTARY

This and the following verse from the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.31-32) were
spoken by the great devotee Çré Karabhäjana Muni, one of the nine
Yogendras, while describing the incarnation and process of worship for the
Age of Kali. They are part of his reply to Nimi, the king of Videha, who
inquired about the colors, features, names, times of advent, and processes for
worshiping Lord Hari’s incarnations.

TEXT 25

201
 kåñëa-varëaà tviñäkåñëaà säìgopäìgästra-pärñadam
yajïaiù saìkértana-präyair yajanti hi su-medhasaù

TRANSLATION

In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to

worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kåñëa.
Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kåñëa Himself. He is
accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential
companions.

COMMENTARY

The word tviñä refers to He whose color is not blackish; in other words, He
whose luster is golden. Intelligent persons worship this Lord. “Your son Kåñëa
appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past, He assumed three
different colors—white, red and yellow—and now He has appeared in a
blackish color.” In these words spoken by Gargamuni to Nanda Mahäräja in
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.8.13) it is proved that apart from white, red, and
black, the Lord also appears with a yellow or golden complexion. The word
idänéà, or “now,” in this verse indicates that the Lord has accepted a blackish
color in His present incarnation. It is understood from this statement that the
Lord appeared in Dväpara-yuga in a blackish complexion and that He had
previously appeared in the Satya-yuga and Tretä-yuga with white and red
complexions. The word péta, or golden, is used in the past tense to confirm
that the Lord had appeared with a golden complexion in previous Kali-yugas.
Lord Çré Kåñëa will be fully glorified in this book (Çrémad Bhägavatam), so
in order to confirm that all incarnations are included in Kåñëa, He was also
known as the yuga-avatära. Whenever Lord Kåñëa appears in Dväpara-yuga,
Lord Gaurasundara appears in the immediately following Kali-yuga. From this

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statement it is concluded that Çré Gaurasundara is Himself Lord Kåñëa,
because there has never been an exception. The fact that Çré Gaurasundara is
Himself Lord Kåñëa is being disclosed by the author by his use of the following
adjectives.
The word kåñëa-varëa indicates one who possesses the two syllables kå and
ñëa. In other words, He whose name, Çré Kåñëa Caitanyadeva, includes these
two syllables, kå and ñëa (the Supreme Personality of Godhead). In his
commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.3.3), Çrédhara Svämé has explained that
of the words çriyaù savarëena, çriyaù means “of Çré or of Rukmiëé,” and
savarëena refers to one who possesses the two equal syllables ru and kmé. Such
dual meanings are found in various places within the Çrémad Bhägavatam.
Alternatively, the word kåñëa-varëa means “one who describes Kåñëa.” In
other words, He personally chants the holy names while remembering His own
ecstatic spiritual pastimes, and He mercifully instructs everyone about His
holy names.
Alternatively, although He is personally a-kåñëa, or golden, He is
nevertheless tviñä, or lustrous. In other words, He distributes the holy names of
Kåñëa to everyone by His sweet beauty; or in other words, everyone becomes
Kåñëa consciousness by seeing Him.
Alternatively, although Çré Kåñëa appears as Gaura, in the eyes of His
devotees He is tviñä, or of lustrous blackish complexion. In other words, He is
seen by His devotees as Çré Çyämasundara. Therefore Çré Gaurasundara is Çré
Kåñëa Himself, or, in other words, Çré Kåñëa has personally appeared as Çré
Gaurasundara. Therefore the conclusion is that Çré Gaurasundara is Çré Kåñëa
Himself.
The supremacy of Çré Gaurasundara is established by the words
säìgopäìgästra-pärñadam. In other words, the Lord appears with His aìga,
upäìga, astra, and pärñada—His limbs, decorations, weapons, and associates.
(This term has been used in karma-dhäraya, an appositional compound.

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According to Çréla Vyäsadeva the aìgas of the Lord are also called upäìgas,
astras, and pärñadas.) Since the limbs of the Supreme Lord are most
enchanting, they are known as decorations; since the limbs of the Supreme
Lord are most powerful, they are known as weapons; and since the limbs of the
Supreme Lord always remain with the Lord, they are called associates of the
Lord. Many great personalities have seen this form of the Lord. This is a
well-known fact among the residents of West Bengal, Orissa, and Bangladesh.
Another meaning of this phrase is that the Lord has appeared along with His
most powerful devoted companions, like Çrémad Advaita Äcärya, who are
counted as aìgas, upäìgas, and astras of the Lord.
By which processes do the devotees worship Çré Gaurasundara? In answer
to this, it is explained that people worship Him by sacrifice. The evidence of
this fact is the statement of the demigods in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.19.24):
na yatra yajïeça-makhä mahotsaväù—“where there are no festivals of
saìkértana-yajïa to satisfy the Lord.” The use of the adjective
saìkértana-präyair is a confirmation of accepting this sacrifice as the means of
attaining perfection. The word saìkértana refers to a large gathering of people
chanting the holy names of Kåñëa. The process of saìkértana-yajïa, or
congregational glorification of Lord Kåñëa, which is prominently displayed by
devotees of the Lord, is thus concluded to be the process of attaining
perfection.
In the Viñëu-sahasra-näma of the Mahäbhärata (Däna-dharma 149.92, 75)
the following characteristics of the Lord (Çré Gaura) are described:
suvarëa-varëaù—He whose body is the color of gold; hema-aìgaù—He whose
body is like molten gold; sutham—He whose body is most beautiful;
candana-balai-yukta—He whose body was smeared with sandalwood;
sannyäsa-lélä-avinaya-kari—He who practices the renounced order of life;
çama-guna-yukta—He who is equipoised; and çäntaù—He who is peaceful. Çré
Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya, the crest jewel amongst learned scholars, also
described this subject matter (the appearance of Gaura) in the following verse:

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“Let my consciousness, which is like a honeybee, take shelter of the lotus feet
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has just now appeared as Çré
Kåñëa Caitanya Mahäprabhu to teach the ancient system of devotional service
to Himself. This system had almost been lost due to the influence of time.”
(Jéva Gosvämé’s Krama-sandarbha and Sarva-saàvädiné)

TEXT 26

kali-yuge sarva-dharma—’hari-saìkértana’
saba prakäçilena caitanya-näräyaëa

TRANSLATION

Lord Caitanya inaugurated the congregational chanting of the holy names as

the essence of all religious principles for the Age of Kali.

COMMENTARY

In his commentary on the Muëòaka Upaniñad, the senior Vaiñëava Çré

Madhva Muni has quoted the following verse from Çré Näräyaëa-saàhitä:

dväparéyair janair viñëuù païcarätrais tu kevalaiù

kalau tu näma-mätreëa püjyate bhagavän hariù

“In the Dväpara-yuga people should worship Lord Viñëu only by the
regulative principles of the Närada Païcarätra and other such authorized
books. In the Age of Kali, however, people should simply chant the holy names
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Whenever there is a disagreement about the process of spiritual
advancement, the process itself is generally criticized. But only the chanting of

205
hari-näma is undisputedly situated above all other processes of sädhana. In the
first verse of His Çré Çikñäñöaka, Çré Caitanya Näräyaëa has stated:

ceto-darpaëa-märjanaà bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpaëaà
çreyaù-kairava-candrikä-vitaraëaà vidyä-vadhü-jévanam
änandämbudhi-vardhanaà prati-padaà pürëämåtäsvädanaà
sarvätma-snapanaà paraà vijayate çré-kåñëa-saìkértanam

“Glory to the Çré Kåñëa saìkértana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust
accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated
birth and death. This saìkértana movement is the prime benediction for
humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the
life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental
bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always
anxious.” The second and third verses of Çré Çikñäñöaka also explain the
process of chanting Kåñëa’s names, the fourth verse explains the process of
anartha-nivåtti, cleansing the heart of all unwanted things, the fifth verse
explains the living entity’s constitutional position, the sixth verse explains the
state of a living entity who chants the holy name, the seventh verse explains
the result of that state, and the eighth verse explains the symptoms of
perfection. In his Bhakti-sandarbha (273) and in his Krama-sandarbha
commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.5.23-24) Çré Jéva Gosvämé Prabhu has
given the following process regarding the chanting of the holy names as
instructed by Çré Gaurasundara: yadyapy anyä bhaktiù kalau kartavyä, tada tat
(kértanäkhya-bhakti) saàyogenaiva—“Although other processes of devotional
service should be performed in Kali-yuga, they must all be accompanied by the
chanting of the holy names.”

TEXT 27

kali-yuge saìkértana-dharma pälibäre

206
 avatérëa hailä prabhu sarva-parikare

TRANSLATION

In Kali-yuga the Lord incarnates with His associates in order to maintain

the religious principle of saìkértana.

COMMENTARY

The word saìkértana refers to loud congregational chanting of

täraka-brahma, the holy names that deliver one. The täraka-brahma names
contain knowledge of one’s eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. The
Lord’s holy names are compared with the bud of a flower; from the holy
names, the Lord’s form, qualities, associates, and pastimes gradually unfold.
That is why Namäcärya Çré Öhäkura Haridäsa always chanted the
täraka-brahma mahä-mantra for everyone’s benefit. Those who have recorded
the transcendental activities of Çré Gaurasundara have specifically refrained
from describing His pastimes of giving formal initiation to anyone so that no
one would glorify Him only as a “guru” who gave initiation into the
mahä-mantra. The devotees of Çré Caitanya are initiated into the chanting of
this mahä-mantra and always chant loudly as well as softly in a secluded place.
The word sarva-parikare indicates that the five types of Kåñëa devotees
neither considered the incarnation of vipralambha, Çré Gaurasundara, as the
object of madhura-rasa nor did they assist Him in conjugal affairs in the
course of His magnanimous pastimes; rather, they nourished His feelings of
separation from Kåñëa by helping Him cultivate those mellows. Those who
want to contradict the Gaura pastimes of the supreme shelter, Kåñëa, by
putting a flute or cowherd stick in Gaurasundara’s hands, imposing the mood
of a paramour on Him, or considering Him the charioteer of Arjuna can never
be counted amongst Gaura’s associates or servants.

207
 Many damsels from the sweet pastimes of Kåñëa have displayed their
service to Gaura by accepting male bodies in Gaura’s pastimes; therefore
external appearance and activities are irrelevant in their service to the
Supreme Lord.

TEXT 28

prabhura äjïäya äge sarva-parikara

janma labhilena sabe mänuña-bhitara

TRANSLATION

On the order of the Lord, all of His associates took birth in human society.

COMMENTARY

The associates of the Lord appeared on His order in the human society of
this world in order to assist in Çré Gaura’s pastimes. They are not ordinary
human beings, prone to suffer the results of their past karma and subject to
Yamaräja’s punishment.

TEXT 29

ki ananta, ki çiva, viriïci, åñi-gaëa

yata avatärera pärñada äpta-gaëa

TRANSLATION

Ananta, Çiva, Brahmä, various sages, and the associates of all the Lord’s

208
previous incarnations—all took birth as great devotees.

COMMENTARY

Various demigods and sages who had expertly offered prayers to the Lord in
His various incarnations appeared in this material world as associates in
Gaura’s eternal pastimes.

TEXT 30

’bhägavata’ rüpe janma haila sabära

kåñëa se jänena,—yäìra aàçe janma yäìra

TRANSLATION

Only Gaura-Kåñëa knew which associate took birth as which devotee.

COMMENTARY

The associates who had assisted in the pastimes of Kåñëa now displayed
their respective services to Çré Gaurasundara as Vaiñëavas of this world. The
original Personality of Godhead, Çré Gaura-Kåñëa, personally knew where
each of His devotees appeared.

TEXT 31

käro janma navadvépe, käro cäöigräme

keha räòhe, oòhra-deçe, çréhaööe, paçcime

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 TRANSLATION

Some took birth in Navadvépa, some in Caööagräma, some in Räòha-deça,

some in Orissa, some in Çréhaööa, and some in the West.

COMMENTARY

Many devotees of the Lord such as Çréla Gadädhara Paëòita Gosvämé, Çré
Jagadänanda Paëòita Gosvämé, Paëòita Sadäçiva, Gaìgädäsa, Çuklämbara,
Çrédhara, Puruñottama, Saïjaya, Hiraëya, and Jagadéça appeared in Navadvépa.
Çréla Puëòaréka Vidyänidhi (Äcäryanidhi or Premanidhi), Çré Vasudeva
Datta Öhäkura, and his brother Mukunda Datta appeared in the village of
Cäöigräma (presently known as Caööagräma).
Räòha-deça refers to places on the western side of the Ganges. Çré
Nityänanda Prabhu appeared in the village of Ekacaka, or Vércandrapura, in
the district of Birbhum. Çré Satyaräja Khan and Çré Rämänanda Vasu
appeared in the village of Kuléna, in the district of Varddhamana (Burdwan).
Çré Mukunda, Çré Narahari, Çré Raghunanda, Ciraïjéva, and Sulocana
appeared at Çrékhaëòa. Many devotees like Çré Govinda, Çré Mädhava, Çré
Väsudeva Ghosh, Dvija Haridäsa, and Dvija Väëénätha Brahmacäré appeared
at Agradvépa.
The word oòhra in this verse refers to Utkala, the state of Orissa, which is
described in statements like: “Oòhra-kñetra [Orissa] is very famous as the
abode of Puruñottama (Lord Jagannätha),” and “These four [sampradäyas] will
appear in Kali-yuga at Utkala, from the Supreme Lord Puruñottama.” Çré
Bhavänanda Räya and his sons, headed by Çréla Rämänanda Räya, Çré
Väëénätha, and Gopénätha, as well as Çré Çikhi Mähiti, Çré Mädhavédevé,
Muräri Mähiti, Paramänanda Mahäpätra, Orissa Çivänanda, Pratäparudra,
Käçé Miçra, Pradyumna Miçra, and many other devotees appeared there. (See

210
Caitanya-bhägavata, Antya-khaëòa, Chapter 5)
Çréhaööa is presently situated in the state of Assam, which is adjacent to
Bengal. Many great devotees like Çréväsa Paëòita, Çréräma Paëòita, Çré
Candraçekhara Äcärya, Çré Jagannätha Miçra, and Çré Advaita Prabhu
appeared in this district.
The word paçcime indicates the place presently known as Trihut. The
Sanskrit name of this place is Térabhukti. Çrépäda Paramänanda Puré and Çré
Raghupati Upädhyäya appeared at this place. They were both disciples of Çréla
Mädhavendra Purépäda and very intimate associates of Çrémän Mahäprabhu.

TEXT 32

nänä-sthäne ’avatérëa’ hailä bhakta-gaëa

navadvépe äsi’ haila sabära milana

TRANSLATION

Although the devotees appeared in different places, they all gathered in

Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

The words sabära milana indicate that the associates of Çré Gaurasundara
appeared in various impure places in order to illuminate and increase the
glories of these places, and later they came to the lotus feet of Çré Caitanya in
Çré Navadvépa and joined His saìkértana movement.

TEXT 33

211
 sarva-vaiñëavera janma navadvépa dhäme
kona mahä-priya däsera janma anya-sthäne

TRANSLATION

Most of the Vaiñëavas took birth in Navadvépa, and some beloved associates
appeared elsewhere.

COMMENTARY

Most of the Vaiñëavas appeared in the various villages of Navadvépa, but

some of the followers of Çré Gaura, headed by Çré Nityänanda, appeared
elsewhere.

TEXT 34

çréväsa-paëòita, ära çréräma-paëòita

çré candraçekhara-deva—trailokya-püjita

TRANSLATION

Çréväsa Paëòita, Çréräma Paëòita, and Çré Candraçekhara are worshiped

throughout the three worlds.

COMMENTARY

Çréväsa and Çréräma are described in Çré Kavi-karëapüra’s

Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (90) as follows: “The most intelligent Çréväsa Paëòita
is nondifferent from Çré Närada Muni. Çré Parvata Muni, who was very dear to
Närada Muni, has now appeared as Çréräma Paëòita, the younger brother of

212
Çréväsa Paëòita.” After the Lord took sannyäsa, Çréväsa and Çréräma left
Navadvépa and resided at Kumärahaööa. (See Antya-khaëòa, Chapter 5.)
Çrémän Candraçekhara Deva was the Lord’s devotee uncle (husband of
Çacé’s sister). According to the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä, he was one of the
nine Nidhis or Candra. Çrémän Mahäprabhu danced and sang in his house in
the mood of Devé for the first time in Bengal. The place where
Candraçekhara’s house was situated is now known as Vrajapattana. The huge
octagonal temple known as Çré Caitanya Maöha is situated at this place. It is
the center of nourishment for the world-famous Viçva-vaiñëava Räja-sabhä.
Deities of the four Vaiñëava-sampradäya äcäryas are established on the four
sides of this temple. Çré Guru-Gauräìga and Gändharvikä-Giridhäré are being
worshiped in the middle of the temple. Nityänanda Prabhu gave prior
information to Çré Candraçekhara of the Lord’s plan to take sannyäsa. (See
Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter 26.) Çré Candraçekhara was present with Çré
Nityänanda and Mukunda Datta at Katwa when the Lord took sannyäsa. He
duly performed the prescribed sannyäsa rituals and then returned to
Navadvépa to inform everyone of the Lord’s acceptance of sannyäsa. A
description of the Lord’s kértana in the house of Candraçekhara Äcärya prior
to His acceptance of sannyäsa is found in the Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter 8. The
presence of Candraçekhara Äcärya during the huge saìkértana procession to
subdue the Kazi and when the Lord bestowed His mercy on Çrédhara is
described in the Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä, Chapter 23. He would
accompany the devotees of Bengal to visit the Lord in Néläcala every year.

TEXT 35

bhava-roga-vaidya çré muräri-näma yäìra

’çréhaööa’ e-saba vaiñëavera ’avatära’

213
 TRANSLATION

They, along with Çré Muräri Gupta, who cures the living entities of their
material disease, all took birth in Çréhaööa.

COMMENTARY

The word bhava-roga refers to the disease of material life. In other words,
bhava refers to the material miseries born of attachment to one’s home. In this
connection one should refer to Jéva Gosvämé’s Laghu-toñaëé commentary on
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.51.53).
Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura has referred to Muräri Gupta as a vaidya, or
doctor. By doing so, he indicated that Muräri exhibited great compassion on
the living entities who have been averse to the Lord since time immemorial by
destroying the seed of nescience and thus curing their disease of
rebelliousness. Çré Våndävana däsa Öhäkura has never referred to Muräri
Gupta as a doctor of simply the material body. The incarnation of Vyäsadeva
and prime example of one recording the activities of the Lord and His
devotees has thus confirmed that it is totally prohibited, hellish, and
inauspicious to consider Lord Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas as belonging to a
particular caste and mode of nature. They are in fact transcendental spiritual
beings.
The words vaidya çré muräri refer to Çré Muräri Gupta, the writer of the
celebrated book Çré Caitanya-carita. He appeared in a doctor’s family in
Çréhaööa and later became a resident of Çré Navadvépa. He was elder to Çrémän
Mahäprabhu. In his house the Lord exhibited His form of Varäha
(Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter 3), and during the Lord’s mahä-prakäça pastimes
the Lord revealed to him His form as Räma (Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter 10).
Once in the house of Çréväsa, when Muräri Gupta saw both Nityänanda and
Gaurasundara, he offered his obeisances first to Mahäprabhu and then to

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Nityänanda Prabhu. Seeing this, Mahäprabhu told him, “You have violated
proper etiquette by offering obeisances first to Me.” Later that night the Lord
appeared to him in a dream and glorified the position of Nityänanda. Early the
next day Muräri offered obeisances first to Nityänanda and then Mahäprabhu.
This pleased Mahäprabhu, who then gave him His chewed betel nut remnants.
One day Muräri offered fried rice to Mahäprabhu, and the next day the Lord
displayed His pastime of having indigestion from eating that indigestible rice.
The Lord therefore came to Muräri Gupta for treatment and drank water from
his waterpot, saying, “This is the only remedy.” Another day, when Çrémän
Mahäprabhu accepted a four-armed form in the house of Çréväsa, Muräri
manifested the mood of Garuòa. The Lord then sat on his shoulders and
exhibited His opulent pastimes.
Once Muräri considered that when the Lord disappeared, separation from
Him would be unbearable, so he decided to give up his body while the Lord
was still present in this world. The Lord, who is the Supersoul, forbade him
from this act (Madhya-khäëòa, Chapter 20). On another occasion, Muräri
offered prayers to the Lord when He accepted the form of Varäha in Muräri’s
house (Antya-khaëòa, Chapter 4). His humble entreaties are found in
Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä, Chapter 11, verses 152 to 158. His
attachment to Lord Rämacandra is mentioned in the Caitanya-caritämåta,
Madhya-lélä, Chapter Fifteen, verses 137 to 157.
The words vaiñëavera ’avatära’ indicate that the Vaiñëavas belong to
Goloka. They do not possess gross or subtle designations. These residents of
Goloka appear in this material world for the benefit of the living entities. The
Vaiñëavas accept gross and subtle bodies to bewilder the demons and
accomplish some task; those bodies are not their constitutional forms. If
fruitive workers consider a Vaiñëava low-class because of his external
appearance, this improper vision makes them offenders. Everyone within eight
hundred thousand miles from where a Vaiñëava appears or incarnates in this
world is freed from all material conceptions. They then become relieved from

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the misunderstandings of considering the Vaiñëavas as born in a particular
caste, as belonging to a particular creed or äçrama, as being simply ordinary
scholars, or as being objects of mundane enjoyment. The real sadhus who
worship Çré Hari and give proper respect to the demigods and brähmaëas
never fall under the clutches of demonic vehement karmis by disrespecting
the Vaiñëavas and thereby cleansing and widening their path to hell.

TEXTS 36-37

puëòaréka-vidyänidhi—vaiñëava-pradhäna
caitanya-vallabha datta-väsudeva näma

’cäöigräme’ haila iìhä-sabära parakäça

’buòhane’ hailä avatérëa haridäsa

TRANSLATION

Puëòaréka Vidyänidhi, the topmost Vaiñëava, Caitanya Vallabha, and

Vasudeva Datta all appeared in Caööagräma. Haridäsa Öhäkura appeared in the
village of Buòhana.

COMMENTARY

Puëòaréka Vidyänidhi is also known as Premanidhi and Äcäryanidhi. He is

described in Çré Kavi-karëapüra’s Çré Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (54) as follows:
“King Våñabhänu of Vraja-maëòala has now appeared as Çré Puëòaréka
Vidyänidhi.”
Puëòaréka Vidyänidhi was the disciple of Çré Mädhavendra Purépäda and
the spiritual master of Çré Gadädhara Paëòita Gosvämé. His wife’s name was
Ratnävaté, his father’s name was Bäëeçvara (or, in other’s opinion,

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Çuklämbara) Brahmacäré, and his mother’s name was Gaìgädevé. His ancestral
house is situated in the village of Mekhalä, which is two miles east of the
Häta-häjäri police station, which is twelve miles north of Caööagräma. One
can approach Mekhalä-gräma from Caööagräma either on horseback, by
bullock cart, or by steamer. The steamer station is known as
Annapürëära-ghäöa. The birthplace of Puëòaréka Vidyänidhi is about two
miles southwest of Annapürëära-ghäöa. Although the father of Vidyänidhi
belonged to the Värendra class of brähmaëas, when he shifted to the village of
Bäghiyä, in the district of Dacca, the brähmaëa community of Räòha-deça did
not accept him. For this reason his descendants who followed Çäkta-dharma
[worship of Durgä] were isolated from the community and became the priests
for the members of the isolated community. One of the members of this family
is living in Våndävana and is named Sarojänanda Gosvämé. One special
characteristic of this family is that each of its members had only one son or no
son at all, and therefore the family was not very expansive.
Çrémän Mahäprabhu used to address Puëòaréka as bäpa, or “father,” and He
gave him the title Premanidhi to indicate that he was the servant of the
Supreme Lord. In Madhya-lélä, Chapter Seven, it is described that Puëòaréka
Vidyänidhi was the spiritual master of Çré Gadädhara Paëòita Gosvämé. The
description of Çré Jagannäthadeva slapping the cheeks of Puëòaréka
Vidyänidhi and his disclosing this fact to his dear friend Çré Dämodara
Svarüpa are found in the Antya-lélä, Chapter Ten.
The bhajana-kuöira of Puëòaréka Vidyänidhi is now very old and
dilapidated. Without repair, it may soon crumble. There are two verses
inscribed on the wall of that temple, but they are so old that one cannot read
or understand them. There is another temple, however, about two hundred
yards southeast of this one, and the inscriptions on the wall of that temple are
also illegible. One can infer from the pile of broken bricks ten yards from this
temple that there used to be another temple there. Descendants there say that
Mukunda Datta often came there to perform his bhajana. There are two living

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descendants of the family of Çréla Vidyänidhi named Çré Harakumära
Småtitértha and Çré Kåñëakiìkara Vidyälaìkära. For further information one
should refer to the dictionary known as Vaiñëava-maïjuñä.
There was a devotee named Caitanya-vallabha in the line of Gadädhara
Paëòita (see Cc. Ädi 12.87). There is a difference in opinion whether or not
this is the Caitanya-vallabha mentioned in this verse, otherwise the word
caitanya-vallabha may be accepted as meaning “one who is very dear to Çré
Caitanya” (an adjective for Çré Vasudeva Datta Öhäkura).
Çré Vasudeva Datta Öhäkura was born in the village Chanharä, near the
Paöiyä police station in the district of Caööagräma. This village is situated
twenty miles from Mekhalä, the birthplace of Çré Puëòaréka Vidyänidhi. It is
stated in the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (140): “In Vraja there were two very nice
singers named Madhukaëöha and Madhuvrata. They appeared in caitanya-lélä
as Mukunda and Väsudeva Datta, who were singers in the society of Lord
Caitanya Mahäprabhu.” He was the dear well-wisher of Çréväsa Paëòita and
Çré Çivänanda Sena. There is a railway station named Pürvasthalé on the
E.I.R. Howra-Katwa line, and about one mile away, in a village known as
Mämagächi, which is the birthplace of Våndävana däsa Öhäkura, there is an
old temple of Madana-gopäla that was established by Väsudeva Datta. He later
on shifted to Kumärahaööa, or Käïcanapallé, and lived with Çréväsa and
Çivänanda. Seeing his liberal nature, Çrémän Mahäprabhu ordered Çivänanda
to act as his manager and reduce his excessive expenditure (see Cc. Madhya
15.93-96). His heart-rending prayers to Çrémän Mahäprabhu on behalf of the
miserable, misguided living entities who are averse to Lord Hari are found in
the Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 15.159-180). It is also explained in the
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 10.41-42): “Väsudeva Datta, the nineteenth branch
of the Çré Caitanya tree, was a great personality and a most confidential
devotee of the Lord. One could not describe his qualities even with thousands
of mouths. Çréla Väsudeva Datta Öhäkura wanted to suffer for the sinful
activities of all the people of the world so that Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu

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might deliver them.” His disciple was Çré Yadunandana Äcärya, who was the
initiating spiritual master of Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé (see Cc. Antya
6.161). Çré Mukunda Datta was his brother.
It is not definitely certain whether Çré Haridäsa Öhäkura appeared in the
village named Buòhana that is in the district of Khulnä. Formerly this village
was within a district of twenty-four pargaëäs within the Sätakñérä division.

TEXT 38

räòha-mäjhe ’ekacäkä’-näme äche gräma

yaìhi avatérëa nityänanda bhagavän

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord, Nityänanda Prabhu, appeared in the village of

Ekacakra, in Räòha-deça.

COMMENTARY

The village previously known Ekacäkä, or Ekacakra, is presently known as

Vércandrapura and Garbhaväsa. It is situated 8 miles from the Mallärapura
station, which is on the E.I.R loopline.
In his commentary on Bhagavad-gétä (2.72) Madhväcärya quotes the Padma
Puräëa as follows: “By His own sweet will He exhibits various forms through
His own internal potency. He does not appear from Vasudeva in the womb of
Devaké. He is not born of Daçaratha, nor from Jamadagni. Rather, He
eternally enjoys ecstasy in pure pastimes that are free from duality.”

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 TEXT 39

häòäi-paëòita-näma çuddha-vipra-räja
müle sarva-pitä täne kare pitä-vyäja

TRANSLATION

The exalted Häòäi Paëòita was the king of the brähmaëas. He was accepted
as the father of Lord Nityänanda, who is the original father of all.

COMMENTARY

Häòäi Paëòita, or Häòo Ojhä, was born in a Maithila brähmaëa family. His
wife’s name was Padmävaté. Although Lord Çré Nityänanda Prabhu is the
father of all universes, the Vaikuëöhas, the living entities, and the
viñëu-tattvas, He nevertheless appeared as the son of Häòäi Paëòita. Some
time back a false rumor was spread that Çré Nityänanda Prabhu was born in a
non-brähmaëa family. This is totally baseless and born from the duplicitous
smärtas’ envy and hatred of Lord Viñëu.

TEXT 40

kåpä-sindhu, bhakti-dätä, çré vaiñëava-dhäma

räòhe avatérëa hailä nityänanda-räma

TRANSLATION

The ocean of mercy, the giver of devotional service, and the shelter of all
Vaiñëavas, Çré Nityänanda Räma, appeared in Räòha-deça.

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 TEXT 41

mahä-jaya-jaya-dhvani puñpa-variñaëa
saàgope devatä-gaëe kailena takhana

TRANSLATION

At the time of Nityänanda’s appearance, all the demigods secretly showered

flowers and chanted, “Jaya! Jaya!”

COMMENTARY

When Çré Nityänanda Prabhu appeared, all the demigods chanted His
glories in ecstasy and showered flowers on Him. This incident was beyond the
realm of those who believe only in direct perception.

TEXT 42

sei dina haite räòha-maëòala sakala

punaù punaù bäòite lägila sumaìgala

TRANSLATION

From that day on, the land of Räòha began to prosper and signs of
auspiciousness became visible.

COMMENTARY

After the appearance of Lord Nityänanda Prabhu, the barren areas of

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Gauòa-deça began to prosper. Gradually the entire Räòha-deça became a
center of advanced learning and culture.

TEXT 43

trihute paramänanda-puréra prakäça

néläcale yäìra saìge ekatra viläsa

TRANSLATION

Paramänanda Puré, who enjoyed pastimes with the Lord in Néläcala,

appeared at Trihuta.

COMMENTARY

Trihuta consists of the districts presently known as Muzaffarpur,

Darbhanga, and Chhapra. In his previous äçrama, Çré Paramänanda Puré lived
in Trihuta. He was the dear disciple of Çré Mädhavendra Purépäda. In the last
portion of this book, various topics related to Paramänanda Puré in Néläcala,
such as his well, are described.

TEXTS 44-45

gaìgä-téra puëya-sthäna-sakala thäkite

’vaiñëava’ janmaye kene çocya-deçete?

äpane hailä avatérëa gaìgä-tére

saìgera pärñade kene janmayena düre?

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 TRANSLATION

The banks of the Ganges are most sanctified. Why then would a Vaiñëava
take birth at an impious place? The Lord appeared on the bank of the Ganges,
so why did His associates appear in distant places?

COMMENTARY

The term çocya-deça, or impious places, is described in the Çrémad

Bhägavatam (11.21.8) as follows: “Among places, those bereft of the spotted
antelope, those devoid of devotion to the brähmaëas, those possessing spotted
antelopes but bereft of respectable men, provinces like Kékaöa and places
where cleanliness and purificatory rites are neglected, where meat-eaters are
prominent or where the earth is barren, are all considered to be contaminated
lands.” In Manu-saàhitä (2.23) it is stated: “Places devoid of sacrificial
performances and naturally grazing spotted antelopes are known as
Mleccha-deças, or impious lands.”
The Ganges, which emanates from the lotus feet of Viñëu and which is the
best of the seven sacred rivers, is glorified by the Puräëas as possessing the
topmost potency for purification. That is why she has a special position
amongst the devotees. The Ganges, also known as Bhägérathé, flows through
Navadvépa of Gauòa-deça. Since many of Çré Caitanya’s associates appeared
outside of Gauòa-deça, many questions may arise in the hearts of materialistic
people. If Vaiñëavas appear in a place that is so contaminated that the visitor
requires atonement, a place that hinders one’s purification, then people will
consider these pure Vaiñëavas as materially contaminated and forced to enjoy
the fruits of pious and impious activities. Therefore the following question
arises: Why did the pious Vaiñëavas take birth in places not visited by the
Päëòavas or touched by the Ganges instead of appearing on the banks of the
Ganges? One may also question why Çré Caitanyadeva personally appeared in

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the highest brähmaëa family of Navadvépa, which is situated on the banks of
the supremely pure Ganges, yet He had His associates appear in places far
from the Ganges in families other than brähmaëas. In answer to these
questions it may be said that pure Vaiñëavas appeared in such places and in
such families in order to purify those places and families. This will be
explained by the author in verses 46 to 52.

TEXTS 46-47

ye-ye-deça—gaìgä-hari-näma-vivarjita
ye-deçe päëòava nähi gela kadäcit

se-saba jévere kåñëa vatsala haiyä

mahä-bhakta saba janmäyena äjïä diyä

TRANSLATION

Out of compassion, Lord Kåñëa ordered His great devotees to appear in

places where the Ganges does not flow, where the holy names are not chanted,
and where the Päëòavas did not visit.

COMMENTARY

For an elaboration on the meaning of this verse one can refer to the
following verses from the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.10.18-19 and 1.1.15): “The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahläda, O most pure, O great
saintly person, your father has been purified, along with twenty-one
forefathers in your family. Because you were born in this family, the entire
dynasty has been purified. Whenever and wherever there are peaceful,
equipoised devotees who are well behaved and decorated with all good

224
qualities, that place and the dynasties there, even if condemned, are purified.”
And, “O Süta, those great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus
feet of the Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with them,
whereas the waters of the Ganges can sanctify only after prolonged use.”
One requires atonement after visiting those places where Kåñëa’s friends,
the Päëòavas, did not visit, as such places are not frequented by devotees. The
Päëòavas are as good as Kåñëa, therefore the people of countries beyond the
jurisdiction of their rule were fallen, devoid of devotional service, and
absorbed in material sense gratification. In Dväpara-yuga Lord Kåñëa sent the
Päëòavas to various provinces and thus established His bhakta-vätsalya,
affection for His devotees. Similarly, in Kali-yuga the magnanimous
personality Çré Gaurasundara displayed His extraordinary munificence by
sending His own associates to places where even Kåñëa had not sent the
Päëòavas.

TEXT 48

saàsära tärite çré-caitanya-avatära

äpane çré-mukhe kariyächena aìgékära

TRANSLATION

Çré Caitanya descended to deliver the entire universe. He has confirmed this
with His own words.

TEXT 49

çocya-deçe, çocya-kule äpana-samäna

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 janmäiyä vaiñëave, sabäre kare träëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord had His devotees, who are equal to Him, appear at impious places
and in impious families in order to deliver everyone.

COMMENTARY

The term çocya-kule is explained as follows: Pious people are not affected by
low-birth, because they are born in pure brähmaëa families. Kñatriyas, vaiçyas,
çüdras, and antyajas are progressively more impious. Fruitive workers are born
in impious families due to their sinful activities, but Vaiñëavas, who are
engaged in the service of Lord Viñëu, are as good as Viñëu. They are able to
purify all sorts of impious countries and families. In the çästras it is also stated:

kulaà pavitraà janané kåtärthä

vasundharä vä vasatiç ca dhanyä
nåtyanti svarge pitaro ’pi teñäà
yeñäà kule vaiñëava-nämadheyam

“In whatever family a Vaiñëava appears, his family, mother, birthplace, and
residence become purified and his forefathers dance in the heavens.”
The words äpana-samäna indicate that Vaiñëavas are the spiritual masters
of the entire world and inconceivably one with and different from Lord
Kåñëa. They represent the lotus feet of Lord Viñëu, the Supreme Absolute
Truth, and they personify the syllable oàkära. Through the Vaiñëavas, Çré
Kåñëa delivers the conditioned souls, whose aversion to Hari is born from
accepting materialistic varëäçrama and caste consciousness. That is why the
Vaiñëava çästras (Hari-bhakti-viläsa 4.366) loudly declare:

avaiñëavopadiñöena mantreëa nirayaà vrajet

226
 punaç ca vidhinä samyag grähayed vaiñëaväd guroù

“One who receives a mantra from a guru who is a nondevotee or who is

addicted to sense enjoyment is doomed to a life in hell. Such a person must
immediately approach a genuine Vaiñëava guru and again accept the mantra
from him.” Other than pure Vaiñëavas, no one can properly act as an äcärya.
Anyone other than a pure Vaiñëava is a conditioned soul who suffers the
results of his karma. But Vaiñëavas are transcendental worshipers of Viñëu
and have conquered the illusory energy, therefore they are as good as Lord
Viñëu. They are liberated souls, situated in pure goodness, beyond the three
modes of material nature. They are eternal associates of Lord Viñëu and
capable of protecting the conditioned souls from the covering and throwing
potencies of Mäyä by their instructions on sädhana-bhakti. People other than
Vaiñëavas reject the service of Viñëu and serve Mäyä, thus accepting
temporary material objects as the controller. Eventually they accept the
doctrine of impersonalism and fall in the path of atheism or godlessness. In
this way they lose all inclination for serving Kåñëa.

TEXT 50

yei deçe yai kule vaiñëava ’avatare’

täìhära prabhäve lakña-yojana nistare

TRANSLATION

In whatever place or family a Vaiñëava appears, people for hundreds of

thousands of miles around are all delivered.

COMMENTARY

One may refer to the commentary on verse 35 for an explanation of the

227
words vaiñëava avatare.

TEXT 51

ye-sthäne vaiñëava-gaëa karena vijaya

sei-sthäna haya ati-puëya-tértha-maya

TRANSLATION

Wherever the Vaiñëavas go that place becomes a sanctified place of

pilgrimage.

COMMENTARY

Out of humility the great devotees, or swanlike Vaiñëavas, consider

themselves impure. They play the role of visiting holy places to purify
themselves just to deceive the materialists, while in fact they purify even the
holy places. Ordinary places become sanctified by the presence of Vaiñëavas.
In this regard, Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira said to Vidura in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(1.13.10):

bhavad-vidhä bhägavatäs tértha-bhütäù svayaà vibho

térthé-kurvanti térthäni sväntaù-sthena gadäbhåtä

“My lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified.
Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all
places into places of pilgrimage.” When the materialistic enjoying mentality is
absent in a conditioned soul, he becomes a sadhu. Places inhabited by
Vaiñëavas are better than ordinary holy places.

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 TEXT 52

ataeva sarva-deçe nija-bhakta-gaëa

avatérëa kailä çré-caitanya-näräyaëa

TRANSLATION

Therefore Çré Caitanya had His devotees appear in all different countries.

TEXT 53

nänä-sthäne avatérëa hailä bhakta-gaëa

navadvépe äsi’ sabära haila milana

TRANSLATION

Although the devotees appeared in various places, they all met together in
Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

Please refer to the commentary on verse 32.

TEXT 54

navadvépe haiba prabhura avatära

ataeva navadvépe milana sabära

229
 TRANSLATION

Because the Lord would appear in Navadvépa, the devotees all gathered
together there.

COMMENTARY

Çré Navadvépa is considered the most glorious abode in the entire universe,
for on one hand, Çré Navadvépa is the birthplace of Çré Gaurasundara, the
personification of love of God, and on the other hand, innumerable associates
of the Lord, who are able to purify the entire world, were also present there.
Since the wonderful, sweet prema of Våndävana was hidden, the Six Gosvämés
and their followers lived in Çré Våndävana and broadcast Lord Kåñëa’s eternal
pastimes on the order of Çré Gaurasundara. Similarly, during the time of Çré
Gaurasundara, many devotees came from various places to Çré Navadvépa and
assisted the Lord in His kértana pastimes.

TEXT 55

’navadvépa’-hena gräma tri-bhuvane näi

yaìhi avatérëa hailä caitanya-gosäïi

TRANSLATION

There is no place in the three worlds like Navadvépa, where Lord Çré
Caitanya appeared.

COMMENTARY

There are fourteen worlds in the material universe. Among them, Bhür,

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Bhuvar, and Svar are mainly inhabited by materialistic persons. Among these
three worlds, Jambüdvépa of this earth planet is the best; in Jambüdvépa,
Bhärata-varña is the best; in the land of Bhärata-varña, Gauòa-maëòala, which
is nondifferent from Çré Vraja-maëòala, is the best; and in Gauòa-maëòala,
the most pious nine islands of Çré Navadvépa are the best. There is no place
superior to Navadvépa in the three worlds, because Çré Gaurahari, the
all-auspicious ocean of mercy, imparted love of God, which is rarely attained
even by the demigods, to anyone and everyone without considering whether
they were qualified recipients or not. Therefore the glories of Çré Navadvépa
are factually incomparable and matchless.

TEXT 56

’avataribena prabhu’ jäniyä vidhätä

sakala sampürëa kari’ thuilena tathä

TRANSLATION

Knowing that the Lord would appear, providence arranged all prosperity and
opulence in advance.

TEXT 57

navadvépa-sampatti ke varëibäre päre?

eko gaìgä-ghäöe lakña loka snäna kare

TRANSLATION

Who can describe the opulences of Navadvépa? One hundred thousand

231
people would take bath at one bathing ghäöa.

COMMENTARY

No one is able to describe with words the opulences and prosperity of

Navadvépa at that time. Çré Navadvépa-dhäma was decorated with all the good
fortune of the seven holy cities of India that award liberation—Ayodhyä,
Mathurä, Haridvära, Käçé (Benares), Käïcé, Avanté (Ujjain), and
Dvärakä—and thus qualified to bear Çré Caitanyadeva’s transcendental lotus
feet, which purify the world. At that time Çré Mäyäpur-dhäma was so thickly
populated that innumerable residents and visitors would bathe at each ghäöa
on the Ganges.

TEXT 58

trividha-vayase eka-jäti lakña-lakña

sarasvaté-prasäde sabei mahä-dakña

TRANSLATION

By the merciful glance of Sarasvaté, the goddess of learning, hundreds of

thousands of children, youths, and old people were expert in the scriptures.

COMMENTARY

The words trividha-vayase indicate children, youths, and old people. By the
mercy of Sarasvaté, they were all expert in the scriptures.

TEXT 59

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 sabe mahä-adhyäpaka kari’ garva dhare
bälakeo bhaööäcärya-sane kakña kare

TRANSLATION

They were all proud of being great scholars. Even a young boy would
challenge his teacher.

COMMENTARY

The cultivation of knowledge was so mature that people all considered

themselves matchless scholars. By the power of their learning, even young
students who were still studying competed with elder mature teachers with
hopes of winning. The word kakña in this verse means “competition” or
“debate on the scriptures.”

TEXT 60

nänä-deça haite loka navadvépe yäya

navadvépe paòile se ’vidyä-rasa’ päya

TRANSLATION

Many people came from various provinces to study in Navadvépa, because by

studying there one achieved a taste for education.

COMMENTARY

Students interested in studying logic came from Maithila to Navadvépa.

Many sannyäsés and qualified professors from Väräëasé in North India came to

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study Vedänta in Navadvépa. Many students from Käïcé in South India also
came to study in Navadvépa. Therefore student communities from various
provinces came to Navadvépa and got the opportunity to become expert
scholars of various scriptures.

TEXT 61

ataeva paòuyära nähi samuccaya

lakña-koöi adhyäpaka,—nähika niçcaya

TRANSLATION

Therefore no one could count the innumerable students and millions of

teachers gathered there.

COMMENTARY

Due to the facility for studying various scriptures, there were innumerable
teachers and students in Navadvépa. The word samuccaya means “collection”
or “assembly.”

TEXT 62

ramä-dåñöi-päte sarva-loka sukhe vase

vyartha käla yäya mätra vyavahära-rase

TRANSLATION

By the merciful glance of Ramä, the goddess of fortune, everyone lived

234
happily there, but they wasted their time in mundane activities.

COMMENTARY

Although by the mercy of Lakñmédevé, Navadvépa was full of opulences and

the abode of happiness, people who were maddened by material happiness
were simply interested to increase their material knowledge in order to gratify
their senses. Thus they uselessly spent their time in ordinary worldly dealings.
In his book, Çré Caitanya-candrämåta (113), Tridaëòi Svämé Çré
Prabodhänanda Sarasvatépäda has described the mentality of the materialists
and tapasvés, who at the time of Çrémän Mahäprabhu were proud of their
mundane godless knowledge.

TEXT 63

kåñëa-räma-bhakti-çünya sakala saàsära

prathama-kalite haila bhaviñya-äcära

TRANSLATION

The whole universe was devoid of devotion to Kåñëa and Balaräma, and
future symptoms of the Age of Kali became manifest in the beginning of the
age.

COMMENTARY

At that time, various types of misbehavior, in the form of aversion to the

Lord, which was expected to appear at the end of Kali-yuga, began to manifest
throughout the universe. People forgot that serving Balaräma and Kåñëa was
their only occupational duty.

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 TEXT 64

dharma karma loka sabe ei mätra jäne

maìgalacaëòéra géte kare jägaraëe

TRANSLATION

People’s religion consisted of fruitive activities, and they would stay awake
through the night chanting prayers to Maìgalacaëòé, goddess Durgä.

COMMENTARY

Material knowledge was so predominant at that time that people mistook

speculation devoid of devotional service to Hari as scholarship. Ordinary
people believed that the supreme goal of following religious principles was to
increase their material happiness and prosperity by hearing and chanting
songs about Maìgalacaëòé. They actually mistook unnatural nondevotional
endeavors for religion and thus increased the covering of desire for sense
gratification, fruitive work, and speculative knowledge. They did not consider
that worshiping the lotus feet of the Lord’s devotees was the living entities’
only goal.

TEXT 65

dambha kari’ viñahari püje kona jana

puttali karaye keho diyä bahu-dhana

TRANSLATION

236
 Some people proudly worshiped Viñahari, the goddess of snakes, and others
spent great wealth on idol worship.

COMMENTARY

Ordinary people, particularly the rich mercantile community, lavishly

spent money for the worship of Manasädevé [another name of Viñahari]. They
purchased the entire brähmaëa and paëòita communities and kept them under
their control. They had various idols and deities of demigods and goddesses
made, and they donated large sums of money in charity. Even today the
practice of making various kinds of idols is current at the time of räsa-yäträ.
Instead of serving the Deity of the Supreme Lord on the spiritual platform,
they followed the system of idol worship and spent huge amounts of money on
festivals. Later, they immersed those idols in the water and proved the
flickering nature of their worship and their object of worship. Because they
spent large amounts of money on useless purposes, the worship of Deities such
as Çré Jagannäthadeva was rarely found in Bengal.
Another reading of the second line is puttali vibhä dite deya bahu-dhana,
which indicates that people who were maddened with material enjoyment
uselessly and proudly spent money in marriage ceremonies between male and
female monkeys, cats, and dolls. In this way they increased their aversion to
the Lord.

TEXT 66

dhana nañöa kare putra kanyära vibhäya

ei-mata jagatera vyartha käla yäya

TRANSLATION

237
 People squandered money on the marriages of their sons and daughters. In
this way they wasted their human lives.

COMMENTARY

Some people considered family life as the goal of life, and they thus spent
large sums on the marriages of their sons and daughters. In this way they
increased the happiness of those who were averse to Lord Hari. They
concluded that getting their daughters and sons married is far better than
worshiping the Supreme Lord, and in this way they simply wasted their time
in mundane affairs.

TEXT 67

yebä bhaööäcärya, cakravarté, miçra saba

tähäräo nä jäne saba grantha-anubhava

TRANSLATION

Even the so-called scholars—the Bhaööäcäryas, Cakravartés, and

Miçras—did not know the real purport of the scriptures.

COMMENTARY

The words grantha-anubhava mean “summary” or “purport.” It is stated in

the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.2.28-29): “In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate
object of knowledge is Çré Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of
performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive
activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and
all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is

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rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life.” In his
commentary on Bhagavad-gétä (2.45), Çré Madhväcärya quotes the following
verses: “In the Vedic literature, including the Rämäyaëa, Puräëas, and
Mahäbhärata, from the very beginning (ädau) to the end (ante ca), as well as
within the middle (madhye ca), only Hari, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, is explained,” and “All Vedic knowledge is searching after the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Kaöha Upaniñad 1.2.15) “The source of
dharma, or religious principles, is the Vedas, the småtis, their commentaries,
the conduct of sadhus, and the satisfaction of the soul.” (Manu-saàhitä 2.6)
“That which is prescribed in the Vedas constitutes dharma, the religious
principles, and the opposite of that is irreligion.” (Bhäg. 6.1.40) Thus the Vedas
are primarily concerned with declaring the supremacy of Viñëu. In his
commentary on Mahäbhärata (32-34), Çré Madhväcärya states: “The Vaiñëava
Puräëas are all factual evidence, being the same as the Païcarätra. All the
original småtis are also evidence, being supportive. In all of these works, only
the supremacy of Viñëu is proclaimed, nothing else. This alone is the final
analysis. Other scriptures have been written on the order of Lord Hari for the
purpose of bewildering the demons. The statements of these scriptures should
not be accepted, as they are meant for the asuras and lead one to the darkness
of ignorance.” In his commentary on the Vedänta-sütras (1.2.26) Çré
Madhväcärya quotes the following verse from the Padma Puräëa: “Just as the
Puruña-sükta continually glorifies Viñëu, my mind continually glorifies Viñëu.”
In his commentary on the Bhagavad-gétä, Çré Madhväcärya quotes from the
Näradéya Puräëa as follows: “It is proclaimed that the Vaiñëava scriptures
consist of the Païcarätra, the Mahäbhärata, the original Rämäyaëa, the
Puräëas and the Bhägavatam. The Puräëas glorifying Lord Çiva should be
adjusted so their statements do not conflict with the Vaiñëava literatures.
Those who dishonor the Vedas by taking shelter of philosophies like
Gautama’s Nyäya, Kaëäda’s Vaiçeñika, [the atheist] Kapila’s Säìkhya,
Pataïjali’s Yoga, and that found in Çaivite Puräëas are of low intelligence.”
The Bhaööäcäryas, who were expert in teaching, the Cakravartés, who were

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expert in fruitive rituals, and the Miçras, who were learned scholars, were
simply engaged in scriptural debate, therefore they were unable to understand
the purport of the çästras and essence of the Vedas. They were simply engaged
in the path of useless fruitive activities and mental speculation. They could
not understand that the only purpose of all activities of the living entities and
the only goal of all scriptures is devotional service for the pleasure of Lord
Hari.

TEXT 68

çästra paòäiyä sabe ei karma kare

çrotära sahite yama-päçe òubi’ mare

TRANSLATION

And even after teaching the scriptures, the teachers still engaged in such
activities. As a result, both the teachers and the students were punished by
Yamaräja.

COMMENTARY

The teachers by teaching and the students by learning both became

entangled in the laws of karma, and due to these temporary endeavors they
ultimately became punishable by Yamaräja. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(6.3.28-29) Çré Yamaräja spoke the following words to his servants in
connection with Ajämila: “Paramahaàsas are exalted persons who have no
taste for material enjoyment and who drink the honey of the Lord’s lotus feet.
My dear servants, bring to me for punishment only persons who are averse to
the taste of that honey, who do not associate with paramahaàsas and who are
attached to family life and worldly enjoyment, which form the path to hell.

240
My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use
their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Kåñëa, whose hearts do
not remember the lotus feet of Kåñëa even once, and whose heads do not bow
down even once before Lord Kåñëa. Send me those who do not perform their
duties toward Viñëu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me
all such fools and rascals.”

TEXT 69

nä väkhäne ’yuga-dharma’ kåñëera kértana

doña vinä guëa käro nä kare kathana

TRANSLATION

They never explained the religious principle for the age—chanting the holy
names of the Lord. They only found faults with others; they never glorified
anyone.

COMMENTARY

Other than the pure devotees who chant the names of Kåñëa, the selfish
conditioned souls who are averse to Kåñëa are crushed by the stringent laws of
karma, and instead of self-realization, they identify themselves with matter
and always criticize the people of this world. Therefore Çréla Prabodhänanda
Sarasvatépäda has stated in the Çré Caitanya-candrämåta (5) as follows: “For
those who have attained the merciful sidelong glance of Lord Gaura, the world
is the abode of happiness and the position of Brahmä, Indra, and other
demigods is considered no better than that of tiny insects.”
Regarding yuga-dharma, the Çrémad Bhägavatam (12.3.52) states: “Whatever
result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viñëu, in Tretä-yuga by

241
performing sacrifices, and in Dväpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can
be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra.”
The following verse from the Çré Näräyaëa-saàhitä is quoted by Çré
Madhväcärya in his commentary on the Muëòaka Upaniñad: “In the
Dväpara-yuga people should worship Lord Viñëu only by the regulative
principles of the Närada Païcarätra and other such authorized books. In the
Age of Kali, however, people should simply chant the holy names of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Instead of glorifying çré-kåñëa-kértana as
the yuga-dharma, the argumentative and quarrelsome people of that time were
busy talking about each other’s temporary faults. As soon as one gives up the
glorification of the Lord’s qualities and transgresses the injunctions of the
scriptures, one immediately acquires the quality of pride and is swallowed by
envy, in the form of fault-finding. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.28.1-2) Lord
Kåñëa speaks to Uddhava as follows: “One should neither praise nor criticize
the conditioned nature and activities of other persons. Rather, one should see
this world as simply the combination of material nature and the enjoying
souls, all based on the one Absolute Truth. Whoever indulges in praising or
criticizing the qualities and behavior of others will quickly become deviated
from his own best interest by his entanglement in illusory dualities.” When
the living entities engage in hearing and chanting about the Absolute Truth,
Çré Vrajendra-nandana, they find relief from the quarrelsome nature of
Kali-yuga and thus remain fixed in the path of hearing from authorities. Then
they no longer discuss topics not related with Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 70

yebä saba—virakta-tapasvé-abhimäné
täì-sabära mukheha nähika hari-dvani

242
 TRANSLATION

All the so-called renunciates and ascetics never chanted the names of Hari.

COMMENTARY

The word virakta is expained as follows: The mixed feelings born from
form, taste, smell, sound, and touch create obstacles in the living entities’
sense gratification from time to time. One who desires and tries to isolate and
free oneself from such feelings is called virakta.
The word tapasvé refers to a living entity who tries to gain strength to
deliver himself from the danger of being afflicted by the threefold miseries.
Although renunciation and austerity are employed as means of getting
relief from the miseries of this world, if they are not engaged in the service of
Adhokñaja, they fail to produce the desired results. All kinds of renunciation
and austerity are subsidiary eternal assets of devotees who chant the names of
the Supreme Lord. The endeavors of those who give up chanting the holy
names and separately engage in renunciation and austerity are all useless. The
communities of renunciates and ascetics aim for material enjoyment and are
thus deprived of the wealth of devotional service to the lotus feet of Çré Hari.
Such people cannot expect any success from their laborious practices. Before
the advent of Mahäprabhu, the renunciates and ascetics were bereft of
devotional service to Hari. It is stated in the Närada Païcarätra:

ärädhito yadi haris tapasä tataù kià

närädhito yadi haris tapasä tataù kim
antar bahir yadi haris tapasä tataù kià
näntar bahir yadi haris tapasä tataù kim

“If one is worshiping Lord Hari, what is the use of severe penances? And if

243
one is not worshiping Lord Hari, what is the use of severe penances? If one can
understand that Lord Hari is all-pervading, what is the use of severe penances?
And if one cannot understand that Lord Hari is all-pervading, what is the use
of severe penances?” In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.20.8 and 31) Lord Kåñëa
tells Uddhava: “Being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material
life, one should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to
Me.” And, “The cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not
the means of achieving the highest perfection within this world.”

TEXT 71

ati-vaòa sukåti se snänera samaya

’govinda’ ’puëòarékäkña’-näma uccäraya

TRANSLATION

Only the most pious people would recite the names of Puëòarékäkña and
Govinda at the time of taking bath.

COMMENTARY

Before the Lord inaugurated the saìkértana movement, so-called pious and
religious persons chanted the names of Govinda and Puëòarékäkña only at the
time of taking bath in order to cleanse their sins with water. They considered
this a traditional social custom. Otherwise these people never chanted the
names of Viñëu even by mistake. Rather, they believed that chanting the
names of Govinda and Puëòarékäkña by everyone at all times is prohibited.
They thought that the names of Govinda and Puëòarékäkña should not be
chanted by unqualified persons or at improper times. This is how unfortunate
and averse to Lord Hari the communities of so-called followers of the Vedas

244
were. Ultimately this consideration was checked by the nämnäm akäri
Çikñäñöaka verse of the most magnanimous friend of the living entities, Çré
Caitanyadeva.

TEXT 72

gétä bhägavata ye-ye-janete paòäya

bhaktira vyäkhyäna nähi tähära jihväya

TRANSLATION

Even when someone explained the Bhagavad-gétä or Çrémad Bhägavatam,

they would not mention anything about devotional service to the Lord.

COMMENTARY

In his commentary on the Bhagavad-gétä, Çré Madhväcärya quotes the

following verse from the Mahä-kürma Puräëa:

bhärataà sarva-çästreñu bhärate gétikä varä

viñëoù sahasra-nämäpi geyaà päöhyaà ca tad dvayam

“Mahäbhärata is the best of all scriptures, and Bhagavad-gétä and

Viñëu-sahasra-näma are the best parts of the Mahäbhärata. They should always
be studied and recited.”
Lord Çré Kåñëa is the speaker of the Bhagavad-gétä, and Arjuna is the
listener. Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä consists of 700 çlokas in eighteen chapters and
is found in the Bhéñma-parva of the Mahäbhärata. It is the first book to be read
by persons on the spiritual path.
Çrémad Bhägavatam consists of 18,000 verses and is one of the eighteen

245
Puräëas composed by Çré Vyäsa. It is the crest jewel of the Sätvata-puräëas.
This spotless Puräëa is also called Sätvata-saàhitä or Paramahaàsi, that which
is meant for swanlike persons. It is stated in the Garuòa Puräëa:

artho ’yaà brahma-süträëäà bhäratärtha vinirëayaù

gäyatré-bhäñya-rüpo ’sau vedärtha-paribåàhitaù

“The meaning of the Vedänta-sütras, the full purport of the Mahäbhärata,

the commentary on Brahma-gäyatré, and the fully expanded knowledge of the
Vedas are all present in the Çrémad Bhägavatam.” From this statement it is
understood that this emperor of all literatures, or spotless pramäëa, is also a
çruti like the Upaniñads (see Çrémad Bhägavatam 1.4.7 spoken by Çaunaka Åñi
to his spiritual master, Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé); it is also nyäya like the
Brahma-sütras (see Çrémad Bhägavatam 12.13.15); and it is also småti like the
Mahäbhärata and the Puräëas. Regarding the glories of Çrémad Bhägavatam,
one may refer to the Caitanya-bhägavata, Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter
Twenty-one, and Antya-khaëòa, Chapter Three; Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä,
Chapter One, Madhya-lélä, Chapters Twenty, Twenty-four, and Twenty-five,
Antya-lélä, Chapters Five, Seven, and Thirteen; and Çréla Jéva Gosvämé
Prabhu’s considerations in the Tattva-sandarbha (18-28). This literature is
always discussed among liberated swanlike Vaiñëavas.
At that time those who studied pure devotional literatures like
Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad Bhägavatam never explained that worshiping the
Supreme Lord is the only duty of the living entities. Their recitation and
teaching of Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad Bhägavatam was meant for achieving
immediate sense gratification, and they thus twisted the meanings of these
two books to make them appear like the ordinary book Saptaçaté-caëòé, which
is meant for satisfying one’s senses. And the nondevotee communities
presently recite Gétä and Bhägavata in this way. Such recitation of Gétä and
Bhägavata by conditioned souls who are simply interested in sensual happiness
is an obstacle for one’s advancement and simply leads one to hell, because that

246
is never recitation of Gétä and Bhägavata. Rather, such recitation is a
collection of ordinary mundane words for gratifying the senses. Çré
Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad Bhägavatam are the crest jewels of all scriptures,
they are as great and as worthy of taking shelter of as Kåñëa, and they are the
transcendental manifestations of çré-kåñëa-kértana. They are neither mundane
philosophical books nor ordinary poetry that are accessible to the mundane
ears and tongues of materialistic people. This class of speakers and listeners
who are interested in sensual happiness are ever bereft of the merciful glance
of magnanimous Mahäprabhu.

TEXT 73

ei-mata viñëu-mäyä-mohita saàsära

dekhi’ bhakta-saba duùkha bhävena apära

TRANSLATION

Seeing the entire world illusioned by the Lord’s external energy in this way,
all the devotees felt unlimited distress.

COMMENTARY

The devotees of the Lord became extremely unhappy seeing the activities
of so-called scholars and persons maddened with the materialistic way of life.
On seeing persons who under the influence of Viñëu’s illusory energy proudly
considered themselves great, the devotees exhibited distress for the benefit of
such persons. If proud scholars are openly checked from sinful endeavors, then
on the strength of their misguided intelligence, they may attack the devotees
who are bestowing their mercy. Such attacks may then hinder their endeavors
for spiritual advancement. With this thought in mind, the pure devotees, who

247
are para-duùkha-duùkhé, unhappy for other’s unhappiness, had no alternative
other than to display distress on seeing the living entities aversion to Lord
Hari. They knew that those foolish living entities under the influence of false
ego are bewildered by the covering and throwing potencies of the illusory
energy of Viñëu. Such people are travelers on the path of death and in great
danger.

TEXT 74

’kemane ei jéva-saba päibe uddhära!

viñaya-sukhete saba majila saàsära

TRANSLATION

[They thought:] “How will these people be delivered? The whole world is
simply absorbed in material enjoyment.

COMMENTARY

How will these people facing danger be eternally benefited? The hearts of
those devotees were filled with compassion. They understood that living
entities who were averse to the Lord were simply absorbed in sensual
happiness. In other words, people considered material sense gratification as
their immediate self-interest and source of enjoyment. They thus completely
forgot pure devotional service to the Lord.

TEXT 75

balileo keha nähi laya kåñëa-näma!

248
 niravadhi vidyä-kula karena vyäkhyäna

TRANSLATION

“People will not chant the names of Kåñëa even if they are instructed!
Rather, they constantly glorify their education and good birth.”

COMMENTARY

When one of the pure devotees chanted the name of Kåñëa, the
nondevotees would disregard the devotional process of the pure devotees, or
paramahaàsa Vaiñëavas, by proclaiming their own noble birth and exhibiting
their prowess in mundane knowledge. Regarding such people, Öhäkura Çré
Narottama has sung as follows:

nitäi nä balila mukhe, majila saàsära-sukhe,

vidyä-kule ki karibe tä’ra.
se sambandha nähi yä’ra, våthä janma gelo tä’ra,
sei paçu baòa duräcära

“One who does not chant the names of Nityänanda becomes absorbed in
material happiness. Of what benefit is such a person’s vidyä, or so-called
academic education, and kula, birth in high family or great nation? Anyone
who has no relationship with Nityänanda, is simply spoiling his human form
of life. Such a person is like an untamed animal.”

TEXT 76

sva-kärya karena saba bhägavata-gaëa

kåñëa-püjä, gaìgä-snäna, kåñëera kathana

249
 TRANSLATION

The great devotees, however, followed their prescribed duties like

worshiping Kåñëa, bathing in the Ganges, and discussing topics of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The devotees gave up the association of those who were averse to Kåñëa
and continued to chant the names of Kåñëa, discuss the topics of Kåñëa, drink
the caraëämåta of Kåñëa, serve Kåñëa, and take bath in the Ganges. The
devotees continually engaged is such activities in order to remain aloof from
the service of Mäyä.

TEXT 77

sabe meli’ jagatere kare äçérväda

’çéghra, kåñëa-candra, kara sabäre prasäda’

TRANSLATION

They all bestowed their blessings on the people of the world and prayed, “O
Kåñëacandra, please quickly bestow mercy on these people.”

COMMENTARY

Whenever the devotees failed to change the extremely materialistic

päñaëòés’ mentality by their cultivation of Kåñëa consciousness, they would
pray for Kåñëa to bestow His mercy on them.

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 TEXT 78

sei navadvépe vaise vaiñëavägragaëya

’advaita äcärya’ näma, sarva-loke dhanya

TRANSLATION

Residing in Navadvépa at that time was Advaita Äcärya, the topmost

Vaiñëava, who is glorified throughout the world.

COMMENTARY

Even in that society of such materialistic persons, Çré Advaita Äcärya was
glorified and worshiped by everyone and accepted as the spokesman for the
Vaiñëavas.

TEXT 79

jïäna-bhakti-vairägyera guru mukhyatara

kåñëa-bhakti väkhänite yehena çaìkara

TRANSLATION

Çré Advaita Äcärya was the most respected teacher. He was as expert as
Lord Çiva in explaining the devotional service of Lord Kåñëa with knowledge
and renunciation.

COMMENTARY

251
 As the greatest teacher of the science of Kåñëa, devotional service to
Kåñëa, and renunciation of everything unrelated to Kåñëa, Çré Advaita Äcärya
preached the glories of pure devotional service to the Lord. He manifested
pastimes like those of Çré Rudra, who is the principle äcärya for broadcasting
devotional service and the inaugurator of the Viñëusvämé-sampradäya. Just as
Çré Çaìkaräcärya, the incarnation of Çaìkara, scattered and covered the
devotional service of the Lord through his philosophy, arguments, and
scholarship in order to bewilder the demoniac people, Çré Advaita Prabhu
exhibited the true identity of pure knowledge, devotional service, and
renunciation in the course of explaining the devotional service of Kåñëa by
His uncommon endeavors and activities. The äcäryas of the Çré
Rudra-sampradäya are known as Viñëusvämé, because they preach pure
devotional service. A few disciples of the Rudra-sampradäya gave up
subordination to their spiritual master, or the process of accepting knowledge
through aural reception, and practiced adulterated devotional service. They
then created a new sampradäya known as the Çivasvämi-sampradäya. Çré
Çaìkaräcärya appeared in this Çivasvämi-sampradäya and vigorously preached
adulterated devotional service in this world. Since less intelligent people
considered both pure and adulterated devotional service as the same, they
were cheated from achieving eternal benefit.

TEXT 80

tribhuvane äche yata çästrera pracära

sarvatra väkhäne,—’kåñëa-pada-bhakti sära’

TRANSLATION

He explained all the scriptures that are found in the three worlds and
concluded that devotional service to the lotus feet of Kåñëa is the essence of all

252
teachings.

COMMENTARY

In the Mahäbhärata-tätparya (1.53) it is stated:

paramo viñëur evaikas taj jïänaà mukti-sädhana

çästräëäà nirëayas tv eña tad anyan mohanäya hi

“Viñëu is the one Supreme Lord. Knowledge of Him is the means of

liberation. He alone is the object of the scriptures. To conclude anything else
is a cause of delusion.”
Çré Advaita Äcärya always preached that one should eternally take shelter
of the service of Kåñëa’s lotus feet, as this is the essence and goal of all
scriptures within the three worlds. Çré Advaita Prabhu preached that
devotional service to Kåñëa is the essence of all scriptures and the only
objective of Çrémad Bhägavatam, which is Çré Vyäsadeva’s natural commentary
on the Brahma-sütras, the fountainhead of all scriptures. By preaching Çrémad
Bhägavatam, He checked all kinds of false speculation and conclusions that are
opposed to pure devotional service. He thus endeavored to establish the
attitude of service to the Supreme Lord in the hearts of His audience.

TEXT 81

tulasé-maïjaré-sahita gaìgä-jale
niravadhi seve kåñëe mahä-kutühale

TRANSLATION

Çré Advaita Äcärya would enthusiastically worship Kåñëa with

253
tulasé-maïjarés and Ganges water.

COMMENTARY

The Gautaméya-tantra is quoted in the Hari-bhakti-viläsa (11.110) as follows:

tulasé-dala-mätreëa jalasya culukena vä

vikréëéte svam ätmänaà bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalaù

“Çré Kåñëa, who is very affectionate toward His devotees, sells Himself to a
devotee who offers merely a tulasé leaf and a palmful of water.”
Tulasé-maïjaré is a mahä-bhägavata and tadéya-vastu, that which is related
to the Supreme Lord. Gaìgä-jala refers to the nectar emanating from the lotus
feet of Lord Kåñëa or the ingredient used in worshiping Kåñëa. Various
foodstuffs are offered to Kåñëa with tulasé-maïjarés, which are dear to Kåñëa,
and Ganges water, which purifies the world. Çré Advaita Prabhu began to
continuously worship Kåñëa with such ingredients in order to amend the
polluted form of Dväpara-yuga worship practiced at the time. His intention
was that living entities would give up sense gratification and become devotees
by seeing the behavior of pure mahäjanas.

TEXT 82

huìkära karaye kåñëa-äveçera teje

ye dhvani brahmäëòa bhedi’ vaikuëöhete bäje

TRANSLATION

He loudly called for Kåñëa in great spiritual ecstasy. That sound vibration
pierced the covering of the universe and was heard in the Vaikuëöha planets.

254
 COMMENTARY

Çré Advaita Äcärya Prabhu was a plenary incarnation of Lord Viñëu,

therefore by His great endeavor and influence His chanting of Kåñëa’s names
crossed beyond the enjoying realm and sensual perception of the material
world and echoed in the supreme abode of Viñëu, the transcendental
Vaikuëöhalokas, which are composed of pure goodness. Within this universe
there are fourteen planetary systems, among which Maharloka, Janaloka,
Tapaloka, and Satyaloka are situated at the top of the three worlds. Çré
Advaita Äcärya Prabhu engaged in Lord Hari’s service by chanting the names
of Kåñëa, which crossed beyond these planets born of the material modes of
nature and entered into the transcendental realm of Vaikuëöha, which is free
of all anxiety.

TEXT 83

ye-premera huìkära çuniïä kåñëa nätha

bhakti-vaçe äpane ye hailä säkñät

TRANSLATION

On hearing Advaita Prabhu’s cries of love, Lord Kåñëa personally appeared,

for He is controlled by the love of His devotees.

COMMENTARY

The Lord of Çré Advaita Prabhu, Çré Kåñëa, heard Advaita’s loud cries of
love, and to fulfil His prayer and accept His pure service the Lord appeared for
the benefit of Advaita Prabhu’s followers.

255
 TEXT 84

ataeva advaita—vaiñëava-agragaëya
nikhila-brahmäëòe yäìra bhakti-yoga dhanya

TRANSLATION

Therefore Advaita Äcärya is the best of all Vaiñëavas. There is no

comparison to His devotional service in the entire universe.

COMMENTARY

For all these reasons Çré Advaita Prabhu is the first and foremost of the
Vaiñëavas. He is famous as the topmost devotee in the entire universe. In this
world there is no devotee engaged in the service of Hari like Him. He is
personally viñëu-tattva, and as an äcärya, He is an incarnation of a devotee
and as good as Hari.

TEXT 85

ei-mata advaita vaisena nadéyäya

bhakti-yoga-çünya loka dekhi’ duùkha päya

TRANSLATION

In this way Advaita Äcärya resided in Nadia in great distress due to people’s
lack of devotion.

COMMENTARY

256
 In order to benefit materialistic persons, Çré Advaita Prabhu displayed the
pastime of worshiping Kåñëa while residing in Mäyäpur. The pathetic
condition of those who were averse to Hari caused excessive pain to His heart.

TEXT 86

sakala saàsära matta vyavahära-rase

kåñëa-püjä, kåñëa-bhakti käro nähi väse

TRANSLATION

Everyone in the entire world was engaged in materialistic activities; no one

was engaged in worshiping or serving Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Whether scholar, fool, child, elder, or woman—everyone in Navadvépa at

that time was absorbed in the five types of sense gratification. None of them
had any taste for constantly serving the worshipable Lord Kåñëa with their
senses. People’s tastes were so perverted that they were simply interested in
worldly activities with no inclination for the worship of Lord Hari.

TEXT 87

väçulé püjaye keha nänä upahäre

madya mäàsa diyä keha yakña-püjä kare

TRANSLATION

257
 Some people worshiped Väçulé (Caëòé or Durgä) with various ingredients,
and some people worshiped the Yakñas with meat and wine.

COMMENTARY

Every item of this world is an ingredient for the service of Lord Kåñëa.
People who were averse to and desiring to cheat Lord Kåñëa did not accept
material ingredients as suitable for Kåñëa’s enjoyment or satisfaction, rather
they considered these ingredients as meant for their own sense enjoyment.
They therefore offered those ingredients to Väçulédevé, who awards boons
according to her worshipers’ desires, and various imaginary demigoddesses,
who were simply instruments for fulfilling their sense gratification. They even
considered abominable items like wine and meat as suitable offerings. Some of
them concluded that the highest activity in life was to earn money for sense
gratification.
The word yakña-püjä is explained as follows: Miserly persons devoid of
knowledge of their relationship with the infallible Lord worship Yakñas, who
protect material wealth. Those fruitive workers who consider the mantra of
Éçopaniñad (18): agne naya supathä räye—“O my Lord, please lead me on the
right path to reach You,” as an instrument for their sense gratification engage
in the worship of Yakñas. It is stated in the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad: yo vä
etad akñaraà gärgy aviditväsmäÿ lokät praiti sa kåpaëaù—“He is a miserly man
who does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this
world like the cats and dogs, without understanding the science of
self-realization.” One may refer to the story of the astrologer and the Yakña in
the Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä, Chapter 20.
The word väçulé is an abbreviation for the name Viçäläkñé, or Caëòé.
The word madya refers to an intoxicating liquor, the drinking of which
robs one of the power of discrimination. Wine is a liquid form of intoxication,
and ganja, opium, and tobacco are smoked forms of intoxication. Both of these

258
forms of intoxication are used for sense gratification and make one maddened.
The word mäàsa refers to a lump of flesh produced from blood, one of the
seven fluids of the body. It is one of the ingredients of the gross body, which is
born of semen and blood, and it is the food of demoniac people. Although it is
true that the flesh of a living entity is not impure so long as the living entity is
alive, the flesh taken from a dead body for the purpose of eating is certainly
abominable. No one with a sense of discrimination will accept such a
disgusting thing; rather, it should be rejected and condemned like urine and
stool. Living entities who are interested in eating stool, urine, semen, and
blood accept such prohibited foodstuffs for their sense enjoyment. Such items
can never be accepted by the demigods, who bestow happiness superior to that
of the senses. In particular, the most immoral propensity of envy is attached to
the eating of flesh. This is confirmed in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.11, 14) as
follows: “In this material world the conditioned soul is always inclined to sex,
meat-eating, and intoxication. Therefore religious scriptures never actually
encourage such activities. Although the scriptural injunctions provide for sex
through sacred marriage, for meat-eating through sacrificial offerings, and for
intoxication through the acceptance of ritual cups of wine, such ceremonies
are meant for the ultimate purpose of renunciation. Those sinful persons who
are ignorant of actual religious principles, yet consider themselves to be
completely pious, without compunction commit violence against innocent
animals who are fully trusting in them. In their next lives, such sinful persons
will be eaten by the same creatures they have killed in this world.” It is also
stated in the Manu-saàhitä (5.56): “There is no fault in eating meat, drinking
liquor, or sexual intercourse, for that is the natural tendency of the living
entities, but abstention yields great benefit.”
The word yakña refers to an apadeva, or semipious spirit, follower of Kuvera.

TEXT 88

259
 niravadhi nåtya, géta, vädya-kolähala
nä çune kåñëera näma parama maìgala

TRANSLATION

People would constantly dance, sing, and play musical instruments in a great
commotion, but they never heard the supremely auspicious names of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments are forms of

intoxication technically called tauryatrika. Persons who aspire for
auspiciousness should never come under the influence of such activities. Such
activities induce one to forget Kåñëa, but dancing, singing, and playing
instruments for the service of Kåñëa are forms of cultivating Kåñëa
consciousness. By such processes, the living entity is supremely benefited.
Those who give up the intention of serving Kåñëa while engaging in dancing,
singing, and playing musical instruments out of greed for their own material
sense enjoyment are unable to chant Kåñëa’s names, which bestow supreme
benefit. Material sound vibrations never allow one to cultivate Kåñëa
consciousness, rather they attract one to remain busy in sense gratification
and thus spoil everything.

TEXT 89

kåñëa-çünya maìgale devera nähi sukha

viçeña advaita mane päya baòa duùkha

TRANSLATION

260
 The devotees headed by Advaita Äcärya were distressed on seeing the
people engaged in so-called auspicious activities that were not related to Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The demigods are never pleased by so-called prayers for auspiciousness that
are unrelated to Kåñëa. The demigods are devotees of Lord Viñëu, and persons
devoid of unalloyed service to Viñëu are known as demons. Ideals of perishable
temporary auspiciousness not related to Kåñëa are appropriate for the demons’
selfish mentality, but such ideals may be profitable only temporarily, not
permanently. Seeing the nondevotees’ endeavors for temporary concocted
auspiciousness, the pure devotees of Navadvépa, particularly Çré Advaita
Prabhu, were distressed rather than pleased.

TEXT 90

sva-bhäve advaita—baòa käruëya-hådaya

jévera uddhära cinte haiyä sadaya

TRANSLATION

By nature the heart of Advaita Äcärya was full of compassion, so He

mercifully contemplated how to deliver the living entities.

COMMENTARY

Advaita Prabhu was by nature full of compassion. The examples of

compassion found in this material world are most insignificant compared to
His compassion. Lord Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas have no need for insignificant
fruitless compassion like the temporary compassion of displaying mercy on the

261
material body or supplying fuel to the fire of material enjoyment. The
kind-hearted Lord Viñëu and the Vaiñëava Öhäkuras actually free the living
entities from material bondage for their eternal benefit. It is not possible to
deliver the living entities from their enjoying propensity by the examples of
cheating compassion that we see in this world of enjoyment. In order to
deliver the conditioned souls who are averse to Viñëu from their propensity
for imaginary happiness and comfort, one should awaken them to their
constitutional position. In other words, one should help such people develop
the qualification for receiving the direct mercy of the Supreme Lord.

TEXT 91

’mora prabhu äsi’ yadi kare avatära

tabe haya e sakala jévera uddhära

TRANSLATION

“If My Lord descends, then all these fallen souls would be delivered.

COMMENTARY

The Absolute Truth is fully cognizant, fully independent, and fully

self-satisfied. Therefore, if that compassionate Lord appears before the foolish
living entities, they will awaken to their constitutional position and attain
liberation from material entanglement. This is how Advaita Prabhu felt.

TEXT 92

tabe ta’ ’advaita siàha’ ämära baòäi

262
 vaikuëöha-vallabha yadi dekhäïa hethäi

TRANSLATION

“My name, ’Advaita Siàha,’ will be justified when I cause the descent of
the beloved Lord of Vaikuëöha.

COMMENTARY

Çré Advaita Prabhu, the ocean of mercy, began to speak in the following
way, “If I can make the Lord of Vaikuëöha appear in this material world and
distribute His mercy to the people, then even though I am nondifferent from
Viñëu, My supreme title as Vaiñëava Äcärya will be justified and My happiness
will expand.”

TEXT 93

äniyä vaikuëöha-nätha säkñät kariyä

näciba, gäiba sarva-jéva uddhäriyä

TRANSLATION

“I will make the Lord of Vaikuëöha appear in this world, and we will dance,
chant, and thus deliver the fallen living entities.”

COMMENTARY

“If I can make the Lord of Vaikuëöha appear in this material world in order
to deliver the living entities from their enjoying propensity through dancing
and chanting the holy name of Kåñëa, then I will truly be happy.”

263
 TEXT 94

niravadhi ei-mata saìkalpa kariyä

sevena çré-kåñëa-pada eka-citta haiyä

TRANSLATION

With this determination, Advaita Äcärya constantly served the lotus feet of
Çré Kåñëacandra with fixed mind.

TEXT 95

’advaitera käraëe caitanya avatära’

sei prabhu kahiyächena bära-bära

TRANSLATION

Lord Caitanya repeatedly confirmed that He incarnated due to the desire of

Çré Advaita Prabhu.

COMMENTARY

It is due only to Çré Advaita Prabhu’s internal endeavor that Çré

Caitanyadeva awakened pure intelligence, in the form of devotional service,
in the hearts of the living entities who were absorbed in material sense
gratification. In this way everyone was benefited. This was repeatedly stated
by Çré Gauräìga Mahäprabhu Himself.

264
 TEXT 96

sei navadvépe vaise paëòita çréväsa

yäìhära mandire haila caitanya-viläsa

TRANSLATION

Çréväsa Paëòita resided in Navadvépa. Lord Caitanya enjoyed many pastimes

in his house.

COMMENTARY

Çré Caitanyadeva performed His pastimes of chanting the holy names of

Kåñëa in Çréväsa Paëòita’s courtyard, which is nondifferent from Çré
Våndävana.

TEXT 97

sarva-käla cäri bhäi gäya kåñëa-näma

tri-käla karaye kåñëa-püjä, gaìgä-snäna

TRANSLATION

Çréväsa Paëòita and his three brothers continually chanted the names of
Kåñëa. They would take three baths daily in the Gaìgä and then worship Lord
Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

265
 The words cäri bhäi refer to Çréväsa, Çréräma, Çrépati, and Çrénidhi. The
words kåñëa-näma gäya refer to the chanting of the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra.
The word tri-käla means “morning, noon, and evening.” The word
gaìgä-snäna refers to taking bath in the Ganges, the nectar emanating from
the lotus feet of Çré Kåñëa, in order to cleanse the dirt accumulated in the
heart of the conditioned soul or to give up the propensity of accumulating
piety and impiety.

TEXTS 98-99

nigüòhe aneka ära vaise nadéyäya

pürve sabe janmilena éçvara-äjïäya

çré candraçekhara, jagadéça, gopénätha

çrémän, muräri, çré garuòa, gaìgädäsa

TRANSLATION

Many other devotees lived incognito in Nadia. By the will of the Lord, Çré
Candraçekhara, Jagadéça, Gopénätha, Çrémän Paëòita, Muräri Gupta, Çré
Garuòa Paëòita, and Gaìgädäsa all took birth before the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The word nigüòhe means “most secretively” or “incognito.”

Çré Jagadéça is described in the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (192) as follows:
“Çré Jagadéça and Hiraëya previously appeared as the wives of the yajïic
brähmaëas of Vraja. The Lord asked for the grains they offered to Viñëu on
the day of Ekädaçé.” The Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (143) also says: “Candrahäsa,
the expert dancer and knower of the mellows of Vraja, has now appeared as

266
Çré Jagadéça Paëòita.” A description of Çrémän Mahäprabhu’s eating the grains
offered to Viñëu on Ekädaçé at the house of Hiraëya and Jagadéça is found in
the Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Four, and Caitanya-caritämåta
(Ädi 11.30 and Ädi 14.39). It is also stated in the Antya-khaëòa (5.736): “Çré
Nityänanda Prabhu with His associates are the life and wealth of the most
effulgent Çré Jagadéça Paëòita.”
Çré Gopénätha Äcärya was a brähmaëa companion of the Lord at
Navadvépa. He was the brother-in-law (sister’s husband) of Särvabhauma
Bhaööäcärya. It is stated in the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (178): The präëa-sakhé
gopé Ratnävalé of Vraja has now appeared as the most pure Gopénätha
Äcärya.” According to the opinion of others, he was an incarnation of
Brahmä. The Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (75) states: “Lord Brahmä, the Lord of
the universe and one of the nava-vyühas, has appeared as Çré Gopénätha
Äcärya.” It is also stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 10.130): “There was
Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya, one of the biggest branches of the tree of the Lord,
and his sister’s husband, Çré Gopénätha Äcärya.”
In this verse çrémän refers to Çrémän Paëòita, a resident of Navadvépa and
participant in the Lord’s inauguration of kértana. At the time of the Lord’s
dancing in the mood of Devé, he held a torch. It is stated in the
Caitanya-bhägavata, Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter Eighteen: “All the beelike
devotees happily watched as the lionlike Lord Gaura danced in the mood of
Durgä. Çrémän Paëòita held a torch in front of the Lord.” In the
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 10.37) it is stated: “The fifteenth branch was Çrémän
Paëòita, who was a constant servitor of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He used
to carry a torch while the Lord danced.”
Çré Garuòa Paëòita was a resident of Navadvépa and an associate of the
Lord. It is stated in the Caitanya-bhägavata (CB Antya-khaëòa 8.34): “As Çré
Garuòa Paëòita traveled in ecstasy, the poison of a snake had no effect on him
due to the strength of his chanting the holy name.” It is stated in the
Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (117): “He who previously appeared as Garuòa has

267
now appeared as Çré Garuòa Paëòita.” In the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 10.75)
it is stated: “Garuòa Paëòita, the thirty-seventh branch of the tree, always
engaged in chanting the auspicious name of the Lord. Because of the strength
of this chanting, even the effects of poison could not touch him.”
Nimäi studied Kaläpa grammar from Gaìgädäsa Paëòita. His residence was
at Gaìgänagara near the Lord’s house. It is stated in the
Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (53): “Vaçiñöha Muni, who was the spiritual master of
Lord Rämacandra, has appeared as Gaìgädäsa and Sudarçana.” The
Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (111) also says: “Gaìgädäsa, who is very dear to the
Lord was formerly the gopés’ esteemed Durväsä of Nidhuvana.” It is stated in
the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 10.29): “Paëòita Gaìgädäsa was the eighth dear
branch of the tree of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. One who remembers his
activities attains freedom from all bondage.”

TEXT 100

eke eke balite haya pustaka-vistära

kathära prastäve näma laiba, jäni yäìra

TRANSLATION

If I listed the names of all the devotees this book would increase in size, so I
will mention those names that I know at the appropriate time.

COMMENTARY

“If I narrate descriptions of each devotee, then the book will become
voluminous. Therefore I will describe only what is known to me at the proper
place.”

268
 TEXT 101

sabei sva-dharma-para, sabei udära

kåñëa-bhakti bai keha nä jänaye ära

TRANSLATION

All these devotees were engaged in their prescribed duties, they were all
magnanimous, and they knew nothing other than the devotional service of Lord
Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The associates of Çré Caitanyadeva were as good and as magnanimous as

the Lord Himself. They had no interest in the living entities other than
engaging them in the service of Kåñëa.

TEXT 102

sabe kare sabäre bändhava-vyavahära

keha käro nä jänena nija-avatära

TRANSLATION

They all had friendly relationships with each other, although they were
unaware of each other’s identity.

COMMENTARY

269
 Relatives and friends cooperated with the devotees in the service of Lord.
Those relatives and friends of the devotees forgot themselves as they
developed friendship with the devotees according to their own tastes.

TEXT 103

viñëu-bhakti-çünya dekhi’ sakala saàsära

antare dahaye baòa citta sabäkära

TRANSLATION

The hearts of these devotees burned on seeing the people of the world
devoid of devotion to Lord Viñëu.

COMMENTARY

The devotees’ hearts burned as they observed the godless mentality of the
living entities who were forced to enjoy the fruits of their karma.

TEXT 104

kåñëa-kathä çunibeka hena nähi jana

äpanä-äpani sabe karena kértana

TRANSLATION

Because they could not find anyone interested in hearing topics of Lord
Kåñëa, they would engage in kértana by themselves.

270
 COMMENTARY

Since the devotees of Gaura did not find anyone interested in hearing the
topics of Lord Hari, they happily engaged in congregational chanting of the
names of Hari by themselves.

TEXT 105

dui cäri daëòa thäki’ advaita-sabhäya

kåñëa-kathä-prasaìge sakala duùkha yäya

TRANSLATION

They would remain together for a couple hours in the house of Advaita
Prabhu and mitigate their distress with topics of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The devotees remained one or two hours in the association of Advaita

Prabhu and got relief from their distress by discussing topics of Kåñëa.

TEXT 106

dagdha dekhe sakala saàsära bhakta-gaëa

äläpera sthäna nähi, karena krandana

TRANSLATION

The devotees felt that the entire world was burning, and they felt sorry

271
because they could not find anyone to speak with.

COMMENTARY

The devotees found that discussion of topics not related to Kåñëa was very
prominent, so they considered the people of this world who were averse to
Kåñëa as unworthy of speaking to. The devotees understood that the ultimate
goal of such people was inauspicious, so they felt pity on them and cried.

TEXT 107

sakala vaiñëava meli’ äpani advaita

präëi-mätra käre keha näre bujhäite

TRANSLATION

Çré Advaita Äcärya along with the other Vaiñëavas tried to preach to the
people, but they could not understand anything.

COMMENTARY

Çré Advaita Prabhu and the Vaiñëavas tried to explain the science of
self-realization to the people of this world, but no one could understand them.

TEXT 108

duùkha bhävi’ advaita karena upaväsa

sakala vaiñëava-gaëe chäòe dérgha çväsa

272
 TRANSLATION

In distress, Advaita Äcärya began to fast and the Vaiñëavas sighed deeply.

COMMENTARY

Because the people of this world could not understand the importance of
hearing topics of Hari, Çré Advaita Prabhu became afflicted with distress and
began to fast. Other devotees were also disappointed and sighed deeply.

TEXT 109

’kena vä kåñëera nåtya, kena vä kértana?

käre vä vaiñëava bali’, kibä saìkértana?’

TRANSLATION

People did not know why the devotees danced for Kåñëa or chanted His
names. They could not understand who was a Vaiñëava or what the purpose of
saìkértana was.

COMMENTARY

Ordinary people could not enter into the mysteries of why Çré Advaita
Prabhu danced and chanted, who was a Vaiñëava, and what was the purpose of
saìkértana. Similarly, ordinary people and fruitive workers are unable to
understand the chanting of Kåñëa’s names that is currently practiced by the
servants of the Çré Viçva-vaiñëava Räja-sabhä.

273
 TEXT 110

kichu nähi jäne loka dhana-putra-äçe

sakala päñaëòé meli’ vaiñëavere häse

TRANSLATION

People could not understand any of these things because their hearts were
filled with desires for wealth and children. All the atheists would laugh at the
Vaiñëavas.

COMMENTARY

Since materialists consider wealth and children the only purpose of life,
they can neither recognize pure Vaiñëavas nor understand the purpose of
saìkértana. They are struck with wonder on seeing the activities of the
Vaiñëavas, but they are unable to understand the actual purpose behind those
activities and simply taunt and laugh at them.

TEXT 111

cäri bhäi çréväsa miliyä nija-ghare

niçä haile hari-näma gäya uccaiù-svare

TRANSLATION

Every evening Çréväsa Paëòita and his three brothers would loudly chant
the names of Hari in their house.

274
 COMMENTARY

At night, the four brothers headed by Çréväsa loudly chanted the

mahä-mantra in Çréväsa’s courtyard.

TEXT 112

çuniyä päñaëòé bole,—’haila pramäda

e brähmaëa karibeka grämera utsäda

TRANSLATION

On hearing this chanting, the atheists would remark, “What madness! This
brähmaëa, Çréväsa, will ruin this village.

COMMENTARY

Those envious of the Vaiñëavas became bewildered on seeing Çréväsa’s

activities. They feared that by chanting the names of Hari, which deliver one
from material life, all the living entities would be delivered. Therefore all the
opulences and beauty of the village would be destroyed by such chanting. The
word e brähmaëa refers to Çréväsa Öhäkura.

TEXT 113

mahä-tévra narapati yavana ihära

e äkhyäna çunile pramäda nadéyära’

TRANSLATION

275
 “The Mohammedan King is very cruel by nature. If he hears about this
kértana, the whole district will suffer.”

COMMENTARY

The word mahä-tévra means “very violent” or “formidable.”

The phrase yavana narapati refers to the Lodi and Sayed dynasty kings and
their subordinates, who were the administrators of Bengal. If such
administrators, who were envious of devotional service, heard about the strong
introduction and preaching of day and night kértana in Navadvépa, the capitol
of Bengal, they would oppress and torture the citizens.

TEXT 114

keha bole,—’e brähmaëe ei gräma haite

ghara bhäëgi’ ghucäiyä pheläimu srote

TRANSLATION

Someone else said, “I’ll drive this brähmaëa out of town, break his house,
and throw it in the Ganges.

COMMENTARY

Some people considered, “In order to drive Çréväsa Paëòita out of this
village, we will break his house and throw it in the Ganges.”

TEXT 115

276
 e vämune ghucäile grämera maìgala
anyathä yavane gräma karibe karala’

TRANSLATION

“If we get rid of this brähmaëa, then it will be good for the village.
Otherwise the Yavanas will take over the town.”

COMMENTARY

“If we can drive Çréväsa out of the capitol, then the town will prosper. If
Çréväsa remains here, the Mohammedan King will destroy the villagers’ peace
and happiness.”

TEXT 116

ei-mata bole yata päñaëòéra gaëa

çuni’ kåñëa bali’ kände bhägavata-gaëa

TRANSLATION

Hearing the atheists speak in this way, the devotees began to cry and chant
Kåñëa’s name.

TEXT 117

çuniyä advaita krodhe agni-hena jvale

digambara hai’ sarva-vaiñëavere bole

277
 TRANSLATION

When Advaita Äcärya heard these things, He became as angry as fire.

Neglecting whether He was dressed properly, He spoke to all the Vaiñëavas.

COMMENTARY

Çré Advaita Prabhu became angry like fire on hearing the words of those
who were envious of the Vaiñëavas. Neglecting His dress, He spoke to the
Vaiñëavas.

TEXTS 118-119

’çuna, çréniväsa, gaìgädäsa, çuklämbara

karäiba kåñëe sarva-nayana-gocara

sabä uddhäribe kåñëa äpane äsiyä

bujhäibe kåñëa-bhakti tomä-sabä laiyä

TRANSLATION

“Listen, Çréväsa, Gaìgädäsa, and Çuklämbara! I will make Kåñëa descend for
all to see. He will personally come and deliver one and all by preaching
devotional service with your help.

COMMENTARY

Çré Advaita Prabhu said, “O Çuklämbara! O Gaìgädäsa! O Çréväsa! Please

listen. The people of this world are misguided due to a lack of Kåñëa
consciousness. I will bring Çré Kåñëa and show everyone. Çré Kåñëa will

278
personally appear and deliver everyone. Along with devotees like yourselves,
He will deliver everyone by teaching them the necessity of devotional service.

TEXT 120

yabe nähi päroì, tabe ei deha haite

prakäçiyä cäri-bhuja, cakra laimu häte

TRANSLATION

“If I fail to do this, then I will manifest four arms and take up My disc.

TEXT 121

päñaëòére käöiyä karimu skandha näça

tabe kåñëa—prabhu mora, muïi—täìra däsa’

TRANSLATION

“I will sever the heads of the atheists, and then it will be confirmed that
Kåñëa is My Lord and I am His servant.”

COMMENTARY

“If I am unable to bring the Supreme Lord to preach the process of

worshiping Kåñëa, then I will manifest four arms from this body and sever the
heads of the atheists with My conchshell, disc, club, and lotus flower. If I can
do this, then I will know that Çré Kåñëa is My Lord and I am His worthy
servant.”

279
 TEXT 122

ei-mata advaita balena anukñaëa

saìkalpa kariyä püje kåñëera caraëa

TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Advaita Äcärya constantly worshiped the lotus feet of Kåñëa
with great determination.

COMMENTARY

The words saìkalpa kariyä mean “with a determined and unwavering

heart.”

TEXT 123

bhakta-saba niravadhi eka-citta haiyä

püje kåñëa-päda-padma krandana kariyä

TRANSLATION

The other devotees also shed tears as they all constantly worshiped Kåñëa
with fixed determination.

TEXT 124

sarva-navadvépe bhrame bhägavata-gaëa

280
 kothäo nä çune bhakti-yogera kathana

TRANSLATION

As the devotees wandered through Navadvépa, they never heard any topics
concerning devotional service.

TEXT 125

keha duùkhe cähe nija-çaréra eòite

keha ’kåñëa’ bali’ sväsa chäòaye kändite

TRANSLATION

Seeing the people’s pathetic condition, some of the devotees wanted to give
up their bodies, while other devotees sighed deeply as they called out the name
of Kåñëa and cried.

COMMENTARY

The devotees desired to give up their bodies out of distress for the living
entities of that time who had no inclination for serving the Lord. They
displayed compassion for the living entities by crying, sighing heavily, and
fasting. Seeing the behavior of people who were averse to Kåñëa, the devotees’
hearts were afflicted with distress.

TEXT 126

anna bhäla-mate käro nä rucaye mukhe

281
 jagatera vyavahära dekhi’ päya duùkhe

TRANSLATION

The devotees became so unhappy by seeing people’s behavior that they lost
their desire to eat.

TEXT 127

chäòilena bhakta-gaëa sarva upabhoga

avataribäre prabhu karilä udyoga

TRANSLATION

As the devotees gave up all material comforts, the Supreme Lord prepared to
advent.

COMMENTARY

As the devotees anticipated the Lord’s appearance, they refrained from all
forms of material happiness and enjoyment. The Supreme Lord prepared to
advent as His heart melted with compassion for the devotees’ distress.

TEXT 128

éçvara-äjïäya äge çré-ananta-dhäma

räòhe avatérëa hailä nityänanda-räma

282
 TRANSLATION

By the order of the Lord, Çré Nityänanda Räma, who is nondifferent from
Ananta, first appeared in Räòha-deça.

COMMENTARY

By the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëacandra, Çré

Baladeva, who is nondifferent from Ananta, appeared as Nityänanda Svarüpa
in the village of Ekacakra, of Räòha-deça.

TEXTS 129-130

mägha-mäse çuklä-trayodaçé çubha-dine

padmävaté-garbhe ekacäkä-näma gräme

häòäi-paëòita näme çuddha-vipra-räja

müle sarva-pitä täne kare pitä-vyäja

TRANSLATION

He appeared from the womb of Padmävaté in the village of Ekacakra on the

auspicious thirteenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Magha. The
Lord, who is the original father of everyone, accepted Häòäi Paëòita, the king
of the brähmaëas, as His father.

COMMENTARY

Çré Nityänanda Svarüpa appeared as the son of Häòäi Paëòita, the

personification of pure goodness, from the womb of Padmävaté, the

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personification of pure goodness, on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon in
the month of Magha.

TEXT 131

kåpä-sindhu, bhakti-dätä, prabhu balaräma

avatérëa hailä dhari’ nityänanda-näma

TRANSLATION

Lord Balaräma is an ocean of mercy and the bestower of devotional service.

He appeared as Çré Nityänanda Prabhu.

TEXT 132

mahä-jaya-jaya-dhvani, puñpa-variñaëa
saìgope devatä-gaëa karilä takhana

TRANSLATION

Invisible to humans, the demigods loudly chanted, “Jaya! Jaya!” and

showered flowers.

TEXT 133

sei-dina haite räòha-maëòala sakala

bäòite lägila punaù punaù sumaìgala

284
 TRANSLATION

From that day on, the district of Räòha-deça became filled with prosperity.

COMMENTARY

By the appearance of Çré Nityänanda, the whole of Räòha-deça gradually

became filled with auspiciousness.

TEXT 134

ye prabhu patita-jane nistära karite

avadhüta-veça dhari’ bhramilä jagate

TRANSLATION

In order to deliver the fallen souls, Nityänanda Prabhu accepted the dress of
a mendicant and traveled throughout the world.

COMMENTARY

In order to deliver the fallen souls, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu accepted the
dress of a paramahaàsa avadhüta and wandered like a mendicant.
The words avadhüta-veça indicate accepting the appearance of a sannyäsé
rather than dressing like a materialist, who is under the control of material
sense perception.

TEXT 135

285
 anantera prakära hailä hena-mate
ebe çuna,—kåñëa avatarilä yena-mate

TRANSLATION

This is the description of Lord Ananta’s appearance. Now please hear how
Kåñëa made His appearance.

TEXT 136

navadvépe äche jagannätha miçra-vara

vasudeva-präya teìho sva-dharme tatpara

TRANSLATION

Çré Jagannätha Miçra lived in Navadvépa. He was just like Vasudeva, and he
was expert in following his prescribed duties.

TEXT 137

udära-caritra teìho brahmaëyera sémä

hena nähi, yähä diyä kariba upamä

TRANSLATION

He was greatly magnanimous and the best of the brähmaëas. Indeed, I can
find no comparison to him.

286
 COMMENTARY

There is no comparison with Çré Jagannätha Miçra’s magnanimous

characteristics in this world.

TEXT 138

ki kaçyapa, daçaratha, vasudeva, nanda

sarva-maya-tattva jagannätha-miçra-candra

TRANSLATION

All the good qualities of Kaçyapa, Daçaratha, Vasudeva, and Nanda

Mahäräja were found in the person of Jagannätha Miçra.

COMMENTARY

All personifications of pure goodness like Kaçyapa Muni, the father of

Upendra; Daçaratha, the father of Rämacandra; Vasudeva, the father of
Väsudeva; and Nanda Mahäräja, the father of Vrajendra-nandana, were all
simultaneously manifested in the person of Jagannätha Miçra.

TEXT 139

täìna patné çacé-näma mahä-pati-vratä

mürti-mati viñëu-bhakti sei jagan-mätä

TRANSLATION

287
 His wife was the most chaste Çacédevé, the universal mother and
personification of devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

TEXT 140

bahutara kanyära haila tirobhäva

sabe eka putra viçvarüpa mahäbhäga

TRANSLATION

After all her daughters expired, the most fortunate Viçvarüpa appeared as
her son.

COMMENTARY

Before the Lord’s advent, Mother Çacé gave birth to eight daughters, who
all expired. Only Çré Viçvarüpa was present at the time of the Lord’s birth.

TEXT 141

viçvarüpa-mürti—yena abhinna-madana
dekhi’ harañita dui brähmaëé-brähmaëa

TRANSLATION

Çré Viçvarüpa was as attractive as Cupid personified. His mother and father
were jubilant on seeing Him.

COMMENTARY

288
 Seeing that Çré Viçvarüpa was as handsome as Cupid, His father and
mother were greatly pleased.

TEXT 142

janma haite viçvarüpera haila virakti

çaiçabei sakala-çästrete haila sphürti

TRANSLATION

Viçvarüpa was detached from the time of His birth, and He realized the
purport of the scriptures in His very childhood.

COMMENTARY

From the time of His birth, Çré Viçvarüpa was detached from material
enjoyment, which is unrelated with Kåñëa. In His childhood He became expert
in all scriptures.

TEXT 143

viñëu-bhakti-çünya haila sakala saàsära

prathama-kalite haila bhaviñya-äcära

TRANSLATION

As the entire world became devoid of devotion to Lord Viñëu, the future
symptoms of Kali began to manifest in the beginning of the age.

289
 COMMENTARY

The sinful activities predicted for the Age of Kali became prominent in the
beginning of the age, and the whole world became devoid of the worship of
Lord Viñëu.

TEXTS 144-145

dharma-tirobhäva haile prabhu avatare

’bhakta-saba duùkha päya’ jäniyä antare

tabe mahäprabhu gauracandra bhagavän

çacé-jagannätha-dehe hailä adhiñöhäna

TRANSLATION

Whenever there is a decline in the practice of religious principles, the Lord

incarnates. Knowing that the devotees were in distress, Lord Gauracandra
Mahäprabhu appeared in the bodies of Jagannätha Miçra and Çacédevé.

COMMENTARY

Whenever there is a decline in religious principles, the merciful Lord and

His devotees incarnate in order to reestablish those principles. When Lord
Gauracandra saw the miserable condition of His devotees, He appeared in the
bodies of Çacé and Jagannätha.

TEXT 146

290
 jaya-jaya-dhvani haila ananta-vadane
svapna-präya jagannätha-miçra çacé çune

TRANSLATION

As Çré Ananta loudly chanted, “Jaya! Jaya!” Jagannätha Miçra and Çacédevé
heard this sound vibration as if it were a dream.

COMMENTARY

Çré Anantadeva, the servant of the Supreme Lord, began to glorify the Lord
with His innumerable mouths. Çré Jagannätha and Çacé heard His chanting as
if it were a dream.

TEXT 147

mahä-tejo-mürtimanta haila dui-jane

tathäpiha lakhite nä päre anya-jane

TRANSLATION

Both husband and wife manifested brilliant spiritual effulgence, which

common people could not perceive.

TEXT 148

avatérëa haibena éçvara jäniyä

brahmä-çiva-ädi stuti karena äsiyä

291
 TRANSLATION

Knowing that the Supreme Lord would appear, personalities like Lord
Brahmä and Lord Çiva came to offer prayers.

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.33-34) Karabhäjana Muni, one of the nine

Yogendras, narrated to Nimi Mahäräja as follows: “My dear Lord, You are the
Mahä-puruña, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and I worship Your lotus
feet, which are the only eternal object of meditation. Those feet destroy the
embarrassing conditions of material life and freely award the greatest desire of
the soul, the attainment of pure love of Godhead. My dear Lord, Your lotus
feet are the shelter of all holy places and of all saintly authorities in the line of
devotional service and are honored by powerful demigods like Lord Çiva and
Lord Brahmä. My Lord, You are so kind that You willingly protect all those
who simply bow down to You with respect, and thus You mercifully relieve all
the distress of Your servants. In conclusion, my Lord, Your lotus feet are
actually the suitable boat for crossing over the ocean of birth and death, and
therefore even Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva seek shelter at Your lotus feet.
“O Mahä-puruña, I worship Your lotus feet. You gave up the association of
the goddess of fortune and all her opulence, which is most difficult to
renounce and is hankered after by even the great demigods. Being the most
faithful follower of the path of religion, You thus left for the forest in
obedience to a brähmaëa’s curse. Out of sheer mercifulness You chased after
the fallen conditioned souls, who are always in pursuit of the false enjoyment
of illusion, and at the same time engaged in searching out Your own desired
object, Lord Çyämasundara.”

292
 TEXT 149

ati-mahä-veda-gopya e-sakala kathä

ihäte sandeha kichu nähika sarvathä

TRANSLATION

All these topics are unknown through the Vedas. Of this there is no doubt.

TEXT 150

bhakti kari’ brahmädi-devera çuna stuti

ye gopya-çravaëe haya kåñëe rati-mati

TRANSLATION

Now please hear with devotion the prayers offered by the demigods headed
by Brahmä. By hearing these prayers, one’s mind becomes attached to Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

If one hears the most confidential prayers offered to Çré Gaurasundara by

the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmä, one’s attachment for Kåñëa will
certainly increase.

TEXT 151

jaya jaya mahäprabhu janaka sabära

293
 jaya jaya saìkértana-hetu avatära

TRANSLATION

“All glories to Çrémän Mahäprabhu, the father of all living entities. All
glories to the Supreme Lord, who has incarnated to inaugurate the saìkértana
movement.

COMMENTARY

The word mahäprabhu refers to He who is directly Kåñëacandra and

therefore the cause of all causes. He appeared along with His associates in
order to deliver the conditioned souls and perform saìkértana with them.

TEXT 152

jaya jaya veda-dharma-sädhu-vipra-päla

jaya jaya abhakta-damana-mahäkäla

TRANSLATION

“All glories to the protector of Vedic principles, saintly persons, and

brähmaëas. All glories to the personification of time, which destroys the
nondevotees.

COMMENTARY

In his commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.16), Çré Madhväcärya quotes

the following verse from the çrutis: “He is the Lord, the maintainer, controller,
and protector of all universes. He is Lord Viñëu.”

294
 After Kåñëa completed His pastimes in this world, the Vedic religious
principles, saintly persons, and brähmaëas were bereft of shelter and fell down.
Çré Gaurasundara destroyed the non-Vedic philosophies of Buddhism, Jainism,
and the logicians’ path of argument and thus protected the prestige of Vedic
religious principles, saintly persons, and brähmaëas. Çré Gaurasundara is like
the personification of death, Yamaräja, for the nondevotees, such as persons
with material desires, fruitive workers, and speculators.

TEXT 153

jaya jaya sarva-satya-maya-kalevara

jaya jaya icchä-maya mahä-maheçvara

TRANSLATION

“All glories to the Supreme Lord, who possesses a pure spiritual body. All
glories to the fully independent Supreme Personality of Godhead.

COMMENTARY

The body of Çré Gaurasundara is sac-cid-änanda. All glories to that fully

independent personality who is the Lord of lords.

TEXT 154

ye tumi—ananta-koöi-brahmäëòera väsa
se tumi çré-çacé-garbhe karilä prakäça

295
 TRANSLATION

“You are the shelter of innumerable universes, yet You have entered the
womb of mother Çacédevé.

TEXT 155

tomära ye icchä, ke bujhite tära pätra?

såñöi, sthiti, pralaya—tomära lélä-mätra

TRANSLATION

“Who can understand Your supreme will? Creation, maintenance, and

annihilation are simply part of Your pastimes.

TEXT 156

sakala saàsära yäìra icchäya saàhäre

se ki kaàsa-rävaëa vadhite väkye näre?

TRANSLATION

“For one who destroys the entire creation simply by His desire, can He not
kill Rävaëa or Kaàsa simply by giving an order?

TEXT 157

tathäpiha daçaratha-vasudeva-ghare

296
 avatérëa haiyä vadhilä tä-sabäre

TRANSLATION

“Still, He appeared in the house of Daçaratha and Vasudeva in order to kill

them.

COMMENTARY

While offering prayers to the Lord in the womb, the demigods also prayed,
“O moonlike personality. You have appeared in the oceanlike womb of Çacé,
yet You are the shelter of innumerable universes.”
The Lord is fully independent and able to destroy the entire universe, so
simply by His will demons like Kaàsa and Rävaëa who are averse to Lord
Viñëu can be killed by a gesture. Nevertheless, as part of His pastimes, He
appeared in the home of Daçaratha and sportingly killed Rävaëa, and He
appeared in the home of Vasudeva and sportingly killed Kaàsa.

TEXT 158

eteke ke bujhe, prabhu, tomära käraëa?

äpani se jäna tumi äpanära mana

TRANSLATION

“Therefore, my Lord, who can understand the cause of Your appearance

other than You Yourself?

COMMENTARY

297
 The Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (3.19) states: sa vetti vedyaà na ca tasya
vettä—“He knows everyone, yet no one knows Him.” Without understanding
the purport of this verse, persons whose hearts are attached to false arguments
cannot understand the fact that the Lord incarnates according to His own
sweet will. In order to bewilder such persons by Your illusory energy, You
remain fully independent and beyond the purview of their mental speculation.

TEXT 159

tomära äjïäya eka eka sevake tomära

ananta brahmäëòa päre karite uddhära

TRANSLATION

“By Your order, each one of Your servants can deliver innumerable
universes.

COMMENTARY

[The Vaiñëava poet Çré Devakénanda Däsa has sung:] brahmäëòa tärite çakti
dhare jane jane—“Each and every one of the devotees of Lord Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu can deliver the entire universe.”

TEXT 160

tathäpiha tumi se äpane avatari’

sarva-dharma bujhäo påthivé dhanya kari’

298
 TRANSLATION

“Still You incarnate Yourself to teach religious principles to all and thus
make the earth glorious.

TEXT 161

satya-yuge tumi, prabhu, çubhra varëa dhari’

tapo-dharma bujhäo äpane tapa kari’

TRANSLATION

“O my Lord, in Satya-yuga You have appeared with a white complexion to

preach the principles of austerity by Your personal example.

COMMENTARY

The word çubhra indicates the white color accepted by the incarnations for
Satya-yuga.

TEXT 162

kåñëäjina, daëòa, kamaëòalu, jaöä dhari’

dharma sthäpa’ brahmacäri-rüpe avatari’

TRANSLATION

“You wear a deerskin and carry a daëòa and waterpot, and You wear matted
locks of hair. In this way You incarnate as a brahmacäré to reestablish the

299
principles of religion.

COMMENTARY

The word kåñëäjina refers to the skin of the spotted deer, worn by
brahmacärés at the time of sacrificial performances. The word daëòa indicates
either ekadaëòa or tridaëòa, which are made from the sticks of the paläça,
khadira, or bamboo trees. In other words, vajra-daëòa, indra-daëòa,
brahma-daëòa, and jéva-daëòa are combined together and known as tridaëòa.
The word kamaëòalu refers to a waterpot made from wood or a gourd. The
word jaöä refers to a bunch of hair that has matted due to not shaving.
The brahmacärés do not always get an opportunity to shave like the
pleasure-seeking gåhasthas. Therefore they often keep their hair and nails
uncut. For those who live at home in comfort, keeping hair and nails uncut is
the symptom of an uncultured person, but brahmacärés have some concession
in this regard. Those not in the brahmacäré äçrama have no right in this
matter.

TEXT 163

tretä-yuge haiyä sundara-rakta-varëa

hai’ yajïa-puruña bujhäo yajïa-dharma

TRANSLATION

“You appear in Tretä-yuga with a beautiful red complexion. Although You

are the Lord of sacrifice, You set the example by engaging in the performance
of sacrifice.

300
 TEXT 164

sruk-sruva-haste yajïa, äpane kariyä

sabäre laoyäo yajïa, yäjïika haiyä

TRANSLATION

“You carry a sacrificial ladle and spoon in Your hands and encourage
everyone to perform sacrifice.

COMMENTARY

The word sruk refers to a ladle made from the wood of the vikaìkata
(baiïca) tree and used to offer ghee to the sacrificial fire. It is the length of
one’s forearm, and it has a handle on one end and a bowl with a spout shaped
like the mouth of a swan on the other end.
The word sruva refers to a spoon made of khadira wood. One end is
rounded like the tip of one’s thumb, and the other end has two semi-circular
indentations. It is part of the paraphernalia for performing fire sacrifices.

TEXT 165

divya-megha-çyäma-varëa haiyä dväpare

püjä-dharma bujhäo äpane ghare-ghare

TRANSLATION

“In Dväpara-yuga You appear with a transcendental blackish complexion

that resembles a monsoon cloud. You preach the process of Deity worship from

301
house to house.

TEXT 166

péta-väsa, çrévatsädi nija-cihna dhari’

püjä kara, mahäräja-rüpe avatari’

TRANSLATION

“You wear yellow cloth, and You are decorated with the mark of Çrévatsa.
As a great king, You personally demonstrate the process of Deity worship.

COMMENTARY

The term mahäräja-rüpe indicates one who is adorned with items like an
umbrella and cämara. In this regard one may refer to Çrédhara Svämé’s
Bhävärtha-dépikä commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.28).

TEXT 167

kali-yuge vipra-rüpe dhari’ péta-varëa

bujhäbäre veda-gopya saìkértana-dharma

“You appear in Kali-yuga as a brähmaëa with a golden complexion to

inaugurate the congregational chanting of the holy names, which is unknown
through the Vedas.

302
 COMMENTARY

Vedic literature composed on the basis of material knowledge, gathered

through pratyakña, direct understanding, and anumäna, hypothetical
understanding, is suitable for material enjoyment alone. Although one’s
constitutional duties, in the form of chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord,
are not directly propagated by the Vedas, they are nevertheless exhibited in
this world in the form of devotional service unto the Lord, who is adhokñaja
(beyond material perception), sad-dharma-praëeta (the director of religious
codes), bhägavata-dharmäjïa (the knower of Vaiñëava religious principles),
and veda-goptä (the protector of the Vedas). In other words, chanting the holy
names of the Lord is a spiritual substance that is nondifferent from Lord
Viñëu. The term kali-yuga-avatära refers to Çré Caitanya, whose complexion is
golden, who is the spiritual master for the world, and who is the brähmaëa
inaugurator of the saìkértana movement. The prescribed service of the holy
names and forms of the Lord is temple worship in Dväpara-yuga, sacrificial
performance in Tretä-yuga, and meditation in Satya-yuga. As a teacher, the
Lord propagated the religious principles of all four yugas and thus acted as an
spiritual master, or äcärya. The Lord also revealed that in Satya-yuga one
should remain a brahmacäré, in Tretä-yuga one should remain a gåhastha, in
Dväpara-yuga one should remain a vänaprastha, and in Kali-yuga one should
remain a sannyäsé.

TEXT 168

kateka vä tomära ananta avatära

kära çakti äche ihä saìkhyä karibära?

TRANSLATION

303
 “Therefore You are the source of innumerable incarnations. Who has the
ability to enumerate all of them?

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.20-27 and 32) it is stated: “In each of the
four yugas, or ages—Kåta, Tretä, Dväpara and Kali—Lord Keçava appears
with various complexions, names, and forms and is thus worshiped by various
processes.
“In Satya-yuga the Lord is white and four-armed, has matted locks and
wears a garment of tree bark. He carries a black deerskin, a sacred thread,
prayer beads, and the rod and waterpot of a brahmacäré.
“People in Satya-yuga are peaceful, nonenvious, friendly to every creature,
and steady in all situations. They worship the Supreme Personality by austere
meditation and by internal and external sense control.
“In Satya-yuga the Lord is glorified by the names Haàsa, Suparëa,
Vaikuëöha, Dharma, Yogeçvara, Amala, Éçvara, Puruña, Avyakta, and
Paramätmä.
“In Tretä-yuga the Lord appears with a red complexion. He has four arms,
golden hair, and wears a triple belt representing initiation into each of the
three Vedas. Embodying the knowledge of worship by sacrificial performance,
which is contained in the Åg, Säma, and Yajur Vedas, His symbols are the
ladle, spoon, and other implements of sacrifice.
“In Tretä-yuga, those members of human society who are fixed in religiosity
and are sincerely interested in achieving the Absolute Truth worship Lord
Hari, who contains within Himself all the demigods. The Lord is worshiped by
the rituals of sacrifice taught in the three Vedas.
“In Tretä-yuga the Lord is glorified by the names Viñëu, Yajïa,

304
Påçnigarbha, Sarvadeva, Urukrama, Våñäkapi, Jayanta, and Urugäya.
“In Dväpara-yuga the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears with a dark
blue complexion, wearing yellow garments. The Lord’s transcendental body is
marked in this incarnation with Çrévatsa and other distinctive ornaments, and
He manifests His personal weapons.
“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to
worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kåñëa.
Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kåñëa Himself. He is
accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential
companions.”
Elsewhere in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.26) it is said: “O brähmaëas, the
incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from
inexhaustible sources of water.”

TEXT 169

matsya-rüpe tumi jale pralaye vihära

kürma-rüpe tumi sarva-jévera ädhära

TRANSLATION

“In the form of Matsya, You enjoy in the waters of annihilation. In the form
of Kürma, You are the shelter of all living entities.

COMMENTARY

As stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.15-16): “When there was a

complete inundation after the period of the Cäkñuña Manu and the whole
world was deep within water, the Lord accepted the form of a fish and

305
protected Vaivasvata Manu, keeping him up on a boat. The eleventh
incarnation of the Lord took the form of a tortoise whose shell served as a
pivot for the Mandaräcala Hill, which was being used as a churning rod by the
theists and atheists of the universe.”

TEXT 170

hayagréva-rüpe kara vedera uddhära

ädi-daitya dui madhu-kaiöabhe saàhära

TRANSLATION

“In the form of Hayagréva, You saved the Vedas by killing the original
demons, Madhu and Kaiöabha.

COMMENTARY

The Laghu-bhägavatämåta (Pürva 50) says: “Lord Hayagréva appeared from

the fire sacrifice performed by Brahmä. After killing the demons Madhu and
Kaiöabha, He returned the Vedas.”

TEXT 171

çré-varäha-rüpe kara påthivé uddhära

narasiàha-rüpe kara hiraëya-vidära

TRANSLATION

“In the form of Varäha, You delivered the earth, and in the form of

306
Nåsiàha, You tore apart the demon Hiraëyakaçipu.

COMMENTARY

As stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.7): “The supreme enjoyer of all

sacrifices accepted the incarnation of a boar [the second incarnation], and for
the welfare of the earth He lifted the earth from the nether regions of the
universe.” The description of Nåsiàhadeva’s incarnation is found in the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.18) as follows: “In the fourteenth incarnation, the
Lord appeared as Nåsiàha and bifurcated the strong body of the atheist
Hiraëyakaçipu with His nails, just as a carpenter pierces cane.”
The phrase kara hiraëya-vidära indicate that Lord Nåsiàhadeva tore apart
Hiraëyakaçipu.

TEXT 172

balire chala’ apürva vämana-rüpa hai’

paraçuräma-rüpe kara niùkñatriyä mahé

TRANSLATION

“In the wonderful form of Vämana, You deceived Bali Mahäräja, and in the
form of Paraçuräma, You rid the earth of kñatriyas.

COMMENTARY

As stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.19-20): “In the fifteenth

incarnation, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf brähmaëa [Vämana] and
visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Mahäräja Bali. Although at heart He
was willing to regain the kingdom of the three planetary systems, He simply

307
asked for a donation of three steps of land. In the sixteenth incarnation of the
Godhead, the Lord [as Bhågupati] annihilated the administrative class
[kñatriyas] twenty-one times, being angry with them because of their rebellion
against the brähmaëas [the intelligent class].”

TEXT 173

rämacandra-rüpe kara rävaëa saàhära

haladhara-rüpe kara ananta vihära

TRANSLATION

“In the form of Rämacandra, You killed Rävaëa, and in the form of
Balaräma, You performed innumerable pastimes.

COMMENTARY

It is stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.22): “In the eighteenth

incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Räma. In order to perform some
pleasing work for the demigods, He exhibited superhuman powers by
controlling the Indian Ocean and then killing the atheist King Rävaëa, who
was on the other side of the sea.”

TEXT 174

buddha-rüpe dayä-dharma karaha prakäça

kalké-rüpe kara mleccha-gaëera vinäça

TRANSLATION

308
 “In the form of Buddha, You exhibited compassion, and in the form of
Kalki, You destroyed the mlecchas.

COMMENTARY

The Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.24-25) says: “Then, in the beginning of

Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Aïjanä, in the
province of Gayä, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of
the faithful theist. Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the
creation will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of
Viñëu Yaçä. At this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into
plunderers.”

TEXT 175

dhanvantari-rüpe kara amåta pradäna

haàsa-rüpe brahmädire kaha tattva-jïäna

TRANSLATION

“In the form of Dhanvantari, You delivered nectar to the demigods, and in
the form of Hamsa, You spoke on the Absolute Truth to Brahmä and others.

COMMENTARY

As stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.7.19): “O Närada, you were taught

about the science of God and His transcendental loving service by the
Personality of Godhead in His incarnation of Haàsävatära. He was very much
pleased with you, due to your intense proportion of devotional service. He also
explained unto you, lucidly, the full science of devotional service, which is

309
especially understandable by persons who are souls surrendered unto Lord
Väsudeva, the Personality of Godhead.” Elsewhere, in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(1.3.17) it is stated: “In the twelfth incarnation, the Lord appeared as
Dhanvantari, and in the thirteenth He allured the atheists by the charming
beauty of a woman and gave nectar to the demigods to drink.”

TEXT 176

çré-närada-rüpe véëä dhari’ kara gäna

vyäsa-rüpe kara nija-tattvera vyäkhyäna

TRANSLATION

“In the form of Närada, You carry a véëä and sing Your glories, and in the
form of Vyäsa, You explain the truth about Yourself.

COMMENTARY

It is stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.8): “In the millennium of the åñis,
the Personality of Godhead accepted the third empowered incarnation in the
form of Devarñi Närada, who is a great sage among the demigods. He collected
expositions of the Vedas which deal with devotional service and which inspire
nonfruitive action.” Again from the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.21) it is stated:
“Thereafter, in the seventeenth incarnation of Godhead, Çré Vyäsadeva
appeared in the womb of Satyavaté through Paräçara Muni, and he divided the
one Veda into several branches and subbranches, seeing that the people in
general were less intelligent.”

TEXT 177

310
 sarva-lélä-lävaëya-vaidagdhé kari’ saìge
kåñëa-rüpe vihara’ gokule bahu-raìge

TRANSLATION

“In the form of Kåñëa, Your unlimited enchanting Gokula pastimes include
those of all other incarnations.

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.44.14) it is stated: “What austerities must the

gopés have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord
Kåñëa’s form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or
surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame, and opulence. It is
self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare.”
The words kåñëa-rüpe vihara’ gokule are described in the following verses
from Laghu-bhägavatämåta (334, 520, 538): “The various wonderfully
enchanting sweet pastimes exhibited by the Lord in this world are superior to
the opulent pastimes exhibited by Näräyaëa among the demigods. Although
Lord Kåñëa performs His pastimes in Gokula, Mathurä, and Dvärakä, His
sweet pastimes of Gokula are the topmost. All animate and inanimate living
entities become jubilant upon seeing the form of Gopendra-nandana, Çré
Kåñëa, whose beauty is inexhaustible, nectarean, and incomparable.” It is
stated in the Brahmäëòa Puräëa:

santi bhüréëi rüpäëi mama pürëäni ñaò guëaiù

bhaveyustäni tulyäni na mayä gopa-rüpiëä

“All My various forms are full with six opulences, but there is no
comparison to My form as a cowherd boy.” The Padma Puräëa says:

311
 caritaà kåñëa-devasya sarvam evädbhutaà bhavet
gopäla-lélä taträpi sarvato ’ti-manoharä

“The characteristics of Kåñëa are certainly wonderful, and His pastimes as a

cowherd boy are most enchanting.” The Tantras state:

kandarpa-koty-arbuda-rüpa-çobhä-
néräjyapädäbja-nakhäà calasya
kuträpy adåñöa-çruta-ramya-känter
dhyänaà paraà nanda-sütasya vakñye

“I meditate on Nanda-suta, whose beauty surpasses that of millions of

Cupids, who thus adore His lotus feet and toenails. His transcendental
effulgence is beyond the description or vision of material senses.”
The Gokula pastimes of Çré Kåñëa are most perfect because they include all
of Kåñëa’s sweet sportive pastimes as well as the pastimes of all His other
incarnations.

TEXT 178

ei avatäre bhägavata-rüpa dhari’

kértana karibe sarva-çakti paracäri’

TRANSLATION

“In this incarnation as a devotee, You will invest all Your transcendental
energies in the performance of kértana.

COMMENTARY

312
 “In Your incarnation as Gauräìga, You will propagate five forms of eternal
service.”

TEXT 179

saìkértane pürëa haibe sakala saàsära

ghare ghare haibe prema-bhakti-paracära

TRANSLATION

“The whole world will be filled with the sound of saìkértana, and pure
devotional service will be preached from house to house.

COMMENTARY

The pastimes of Çré Gauräìga are nicely described in the prayers of the
demigods. The whole world will achieve complete happiness by proper
glorification of Lord Kåñëa. Then loving service to the Supreme Lord will be
preached in every house. From this we get an indication that the Lord wants
each person to become adept at kértana and preaching. Only those who
worship Lord Hari are real äcäryas and preachers of pure devotional service to
the Lord. By artificially imitating the worship of Hari no preaching is
successful, because that is not proper behavior. Only those devotees who are
well behaved, freed from bad association, and engaged in the devotional
service of Lord Kåñëa are able to truly preach in every house.

TEXT 180

ki kahiba påthivéra änanda-prakäça

313
 tumi nåtya karibe miliyä sarva-däsa

TRANSLATION

“How can we describe the happiness that this earth planet will enjoy when
You dance along with Your servants?

TEXT 181

ye tomära päda-padma nitya dhyäna kare

täì-sabära prabhävei amaìgala hare

TRANSLATION

“The mere presence of those who constantly meditate on Your lotus feet
vanquishes all inauspiciousness.

COMMENTARY

“Each of the Supreme Lord’s incarnations preach and benefit some

particular persons, but in Your incarnation as Gauräìga You will benefit the
entire world by inaugurating the process of kértana. You will dance with
innumerable servants and make the entire world jubilant.”
Çréla Prabodhänanda Sarasvatépäda has written in his Çré
Caitanya-candrämåta (5) as follows:

kaivalyaà narakäyate tridaça-pür äkäça-puñpäyate

durdäntendriya-käla-sarpa-paöalé protkhäta-daàñöräyate
viçvaà pürëa-sukhäyate vidhi-mahendrädiç ca kéöäyate
yat käruëya-kaöäkña-vaibhavavatäà taà gauram eva stumaù

314
 “For a devotee who has received Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s merciful
glance, kaivalya, merging into the existence of Brahman, appears hellish, the
heavenly planets appear like phantasmagoria, the senses appear like serpents
with broken teeth, the entire world becomes a replica of Vaikuëöha, and the
position of demigods headed by Lord Brahmä and Lord Indra is considered
equal to that of a tiny insect.”

TEXT 182

pada-täle khaëòe påthivéra amaìgala

dåñöi-mätra daça-dik haya sunirmala

TRANSLATION

“As such persons dance, the touch of their lotus feet destroys all the
inauspiciousness of the world. By their glance, the ten directions are purified.

TEXT 183

bähu tuli’ näcite svargera vighna-näça

hena yaça, hena nåtya, hena tora däsa

TRANSLATION

“Such are Your glories, such is the dancing, and such are Your servants that
when they dance with their arms raised, the disturbances in the heavenly
planets are destroyed.

315
 COMMENTARY

This temporary material world is full of threefold miseries. Uninterrupted

happiness is not found even in the heavenly planets. In the course of enjoying
heavenly pleasure there are two impediments—aversion to the Supreme Lord
due to sense gratification and being deprived of heavenly pleasures achieved
through pious activities by the demons. When the demigods who reside on the
heavenly planets raise their arms and happily dance with a desire to serve
Lord Viñëu, the fallible heavenly planets no longer remain hated. The
characteristics of Kåñëa’s devotees are like those of the demigods, except that
the devotees are freed from all material desires. Such devotees of Kåñëa can
raise their arms and dance in ecstasy. The heroic activities of the Supreme
Lord are spotless and bestow all auspiciousness. The devotees of the Supreme
Lord also possess such extraordinary qualities. The word hena means “this
type” or “this kind.”

TEXT 184

padbhyäà bhümer diço dågbhyäà dorbhyäï cämaìgalaà divaù

bahu-dhotsädyate räjan kåñëa-bhaktasya nåtyataù

TRANSLATION

“’My dear King, when Kåñëa’s devotees dance in kértana, they destroy the
inauspiciousness of the earth by the touch of their feet, the directions by their
glance, and the higher planetary systems by their upraised arms.’

COMMENTARY

This verse is found in the Padma Puräëa and in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya

316
(20.68).

TEXTS 185-186

se prabhu äpane tumi säkñät haiyä

karibä kértana-prema bhakta-goñöhé laiyä

e mahimä, prabhu, varëibära kära çakti?

tumi viläibä veda-gopya viñëu-bhakti!

TRANSLATION

“O Lord, You will personally appear and perform kértana with Your pure
devotees. O Lord, who has the power to describe Your glories? You will
distribute devotional service to Lord Viñëu that is unknown through the
Vedas.

COMMENTARY

“O Lord Gaurasundara! You are the nondifferent golden form of the son of
the king of Vraja. You will appear in this world along with Your associates and
enjoy the pastimes of distributing love of God through the process of kértana.
Neither the demigods nor the human beings are able to properly describe Your
glories. The knowledge of demigods and human beings is mundane; the most
beneficial work of distributing pure service to Kåñëa, which is hidden in the
Vedas and not manifest to all, is only possible in Your incarnation as Gaura.”
Çré Dämodara Svarüpa Prabhu has written in his notebook:

anarpita-caréà cirät karuëayävatérëaù kalau

samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasäà sva-bhakti-çriyam
hariù puraöa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandépitaù

317
 sadä hådaya-kandare sphuratu vaù çacé-nandanaù

“May the Supreme Lord, who is known as the son of Çrématé Çacédevé, be
transcendentally situated in the innermost core of your heart. Resplendent
with the radiance of molten gold, He has descended in the Age of Kali by His
causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the
most elevated mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.”

TEXT 187

mukti diyä ye bhakti räkhaha gopya kari’

ämi-saba ye-nimitte abhiläña kari

TRANSLATION

“You easily award liberation, but You keep devotional service hidden. We
have a desire to attain that devotional service.

COMMENTARY

One should refer to the Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.10.6 and 5.6.18) in this
regard.

TEXT 188

jagatera prabhu tumi dibä hena dhana

tomära käruëya sabe ihära käraëa

TRANSLATION

318
 “O Lord, You will freely distribute the treasure of devotional service
throughout the world, simply due to Your causeless mercy.

COMMENTARY

“We are demigods, decorated with all good qualities. We are beyond the
jurisdiction of poverty. We therefore have no ulterior motive. Our only desire
is to serve Lord Viñëu. Since we are bereft of the Lord’s devotional service, we
pray that we may regain that service. You will bestow on all sinful persons of
the world the qualification to serve the Supreme Lord, which is the topmost
treasure. Although no one is qualified to achieve this benediction, You have
the power to bestow causeless mercy on such worthless persons. Therefore
Your causeless mercy is the only means of obtaining Your favor.”

TEXT 189

ye tomära näme prabhu sarva-yajïa pürëa

se tumi hailä navadvépe avatérëa

TRANSLATION

“By the chanting of whose holy names all sacrifices are performed, that Lord
has now appeared in Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

“The four types of sacrifice—meditation, fire sacrifice, Deity worship, and

kértana—are perfected by chanting the holy names of Hari. All sacrifices are
complete only by chanting Your names that You have given. You have
appeared in Navadvépa to preach these holy names.”

319
 TEXT 190

ei kåpä kara, prabhu haiyä sadaya

yena ämä-sabära dekhite bhägya haya

TRANSLATION

“O Lord, please be merciful to us so that we may have the fortune to see

Your pastimes.

COMMENTARY

The demigods continue with their prayers, “Let us be fortunate enough

that we may see Your eternal Gaura pastimes in this material world.”

TEXT 191

eta-dine gaìgära pürila manoratha

tumi kréòä karibä ye cira-abhimata

TRANSLATION

“The long-cherished desire of the Ganges will now be fulfilled when You
sport in her waters.

COMMENTARY

From time immemorial the Ganges has been famous as the nectar
emanating from the lotus feet of Kåñëa and sustained on the head of Lord

320
Çiva, the topmost Vaiñëava. For the benefit of the world she flowed from
Haridvära to Gaìgä-sägara and thus expanded the service attitude of those
who live on her banks. Foolish people could not understand that she is the
water touched by Your feet, so Gaìgädevé desired to serve You by being
identified in this world as the water touched by Your feet. Therefore her
desires will be fulfilled when You wash Your feet and take bath in her waters.”

TEXT 192

ye tomäre yogeçvara sabe dekhe dhyäne

se tumi vidita haibe navadvépa-gräme

TRANSLATION

“You who are seen through the yogis’ meditation as Yogeçvara will now be
seen in the village of Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

“The great mystic yogis meditate on Your form in their hearts. You will
manifest that eternal transcendental form for the benefit of the residents of
Navadvépa.”

TEXT 193

navadvépa-pratio thäkuka namaskära

çacé-jagannätha-gåhe yathä avatära

TRANSLATION

321
 “We therefore offer our respectful obeisances to Çré Navadvépa, where the
Lord appeared in the house of Çacédevé and Jagannätha.”

COMMENTARY

“We offer our obeisances to the abode that is qualified for receiving Your
lotus feet.” That abode is nondifferent from Durgä, or Nélä, who is a
manifestation of Näräyaëa’s energy and worshipable by all devotees. That
Yogapéöha, which is situated in Çré Mäyäpur, is the site of Çacé and
Jagannätha’s house, wherein the Lord took birth. In other words, Çré
Navadvépa-dhäma is composed of pure goodness and is nondifferent from
Våndävana. It is the basis of the nine types of devotional service for devotees
who have taken shelter of a spiritual master.

TEXT 194

ei-mata brahmädi devatä prati-dine

gupte rahi’ éçvarera karena stavane

TRANSLATION

In this way the demigods headed by Lord Brahmä would daily offer prayers
in seclusion.

TEXT 195

çacé-garbhe vaise sarva-bhuvanera väsa

phälguné pürëimä äsi’ haila prakäça

322
 TRANSLATION

The Lord, who is the shelter of all universes, remained in the womb of
Çacédevé until the Phälguné Pürëimä gradually approached.

COMMENTARY

The Supreme Lord, who is the resting place of innumerable Vaikuëöha

planets and material universes composed of fourteen planetary systems, has
appeared in the womb of Çacé. The Lord remained in the womb of Çacé until
the full moon night of the month of Phälguna, in the year 1486. The words
çacé-garbha-sindhu refer to the form of pure goodness.

TEXT 196

ananta-brahmäëòe yata äche sumaìgala

sei pürëimäya äsi’ mililä sakala

TRANSLATION

All the auspicious symptoms present throughout unlimited universes

appeared together on that full moon night.

COMMENTARY

This full moon day became most auspicious as all favorable symptoms
gathered together.

323
 TEXT 197

saìkértana-sahita prabhura avatära

grahaëera chale tähä karena pracära

TRANSLATION

Thus the Lord simultaneously appeared along with the congregational

chanting of the holy names, which He inaugurated on the pretext of a lunar
eclipse.

COMMENTARY

The tradition of chanting the names of Hari for fruitive results during solar
and lunar eclipses has been current since time immemorial. Although such
chanting of the holy names yields insignificant fruits, Çré Caitanyadeva
coincidentally appeared while everyone was thus engaged.

TEXT 198

éçvarera karma bujhibära çakti käya?

candre äcchädila rähu éçvara-icchäya

TRANSLATION

Who has the power to understand the activities of the Lord? By His desire
Rähu covered the moon.

324
 TEXT 199

sarva-navadvépe,—dekhe haila grahaëa

uöhila maìgala-dhvani çré-hari-kértana

TRANSLATION

When the inhabitants of Navadvépa saw the eclipse, they began to chant the
auspicious names of Hari.

TEXT 200

ananta arbuda loka gaìgä-snäne yäya

’hari bola’ ’hari bola’ bali’ sabe dhäya

TRANSLATION

Millions of people went to take bath in the Ganges while chanting, “Hari
bol! Hari bol!”

COMMENTARY

As a lunar eclipse took place that evening, everyone engaged in chanting

the holy names of Hari and bathing in the Ganges as though unknowingly
celebrating the appearance of the Lord.

TEXT 201

325
 hena hari-dhvani haila sarva-nadéyäya
brahmäëòa püriyä dhvani sthäna nähi päya

TRANSLATION

The whole of Nadia was filled with the sound vibration of the name of Hari.
Indeed, the sound vibration filled the entire universe and beyond.

TEXT 202

apürva çuniyä saba bhägavata-gaëa

sabe bale,—’nirantara hauka grahaëa’

TRANSLATION

Hearing this wonderful vibration, all the devotees remarked, “Let there be a
perpetual eclipse!”

TEXT 203

sabe bale,—’äji baòa väsiye ulläsa

hena bujhi, kibä kåñëa karilä prakäça

TRANSLATION

All the devotees said, “From the great happiness that we are feeling today it
can be understood that Kåñëa must have appeared.”

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 TEXT 204

gaìgä-snäne calilä sakala bhakta-gaëa

niravadhi catur-dike hari-saìkértana

TRANSLATION

As the devotees all went to take bath in the Ganges, the vibration of the
name of Hari was continually heard from all directions.

TEXT 205

kibä çiçu, våddha, näré, sajjana, durjana

sabe ’hari’ ’hari’ bole dekhiyä ’grahaëa’

TRANSLATION

Whether one was young, old, woman, pious, or impious—everyone was

engaged in chanting the name of Hari while observing the eclipse.

TEXT 206

’hari bola’ ’hari bola’ sabe ei çuni

sakala-brahmäëòe vyäpileka hari-dhvani

TRANSLATION

All one could hear was “Hari bol! Hari bol!” Thus the name of Lord Hari

327
was heard throughout the entire universe.

TEXT 207

catur-dike puñpa-våñöi kare deva-gaëa

’jaya’-çabde dundubhi bäjaye anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

The demigods showered flowers on all directions, and they played

kettledrums as they chanted, “Jaya! Jaya!”

TEXT 208

henai samaye sarva-jagat-jévana

avatérëa hailena çri-çacé-nandana

TRANSLATION

At that very moment the life of all living entities, Çré Çacénandana, made
His appearance.

TEXT 209

rähu-kavale indu, parakäça näma-sindu,

kali-mardana bäje bäëä
pahuì bhela parakäça, bhuvana catur-daça,
jaya jaya paòila ghoñaëä

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 TRANSLATION

When the moon was covered by Rähu, when the ocean of the holy names
was manifest, when Kali was subdued, and when the flag of victory was
raised—at that time the Supreme Lord appeared and the fourteen worlds filled
with the sound of “Jaya! Jaya!”

COMMENTARY

When the sun and moon are at opposite extremes in their orbits, their
shadows form Rähu and Ketu. When the sun and moon are six räçis, or signs,
from each other, or when they are at 180 degrees, the residents of this planet
see the shadow of earth fall on the moon. This shadow is called Rähu. When
the sun is covered by the shadow of the moon it is said to be eclipsed by Ketu
or Rähu. Also at the time of the lunar eclipse the earth’s shadow is called
Rähu. The word kavala means “swallowed.”
At the time of the lunar eclipse, or the swallowing of the moon by Rähu,
people chant the holy names of the Lord and the flag of victory over Kali is
raised. The word pahuì means “Lord,” and the word bhela means “became.”
The fourteen worlds consist of the seven upper planets—Bhür, Bhuvar,
Svar, Mahar, Janas, Tapas and Satya—and the seven lower planets—Atala,
Vitala, etc.

TEXT 210

dekhite gauräìga-candra
nadéyära loka- çoka saba näçala,
dine dine bäòala änanda

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 TRANSLATION

The happiness of the people of Nadia daily increased and their lamentation
was vanquished as they saw the moonlike Lord Gauräìga.

TEXT 211

dundubhi bäje, çata çaìkha gäje,

bäje veëu-viñäëa
çré-caitanya-öhäkura, nityänanda-prabhu
våndävana-däsa gäna

TRANSLATION

Kettledrums were sounded, hundreds of conchshells were blown, and flutes

and horns were played. In this way Våndävana däsa Öhäkura sings the glories
of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and Çré Nityänanda Prabhu.

COMMENTARY

The word gäje means “roars” or “sounds.” The word viñäëa refers to the
buffalo horn, as carried by Balaräma.

TEXT 212

jiniïä ravi-kara, çré-aìga-sundara,

nayane herai nä päri
äyata locana, éñat baìkima,

330
 upamä nähika vicäri

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s beautiful bodily features cannot be perceived, for they outshine
the rays of the sun. His broad eyes, which are upturned at the ends, have no
comparison.

COMMENTARY

The words jiniïä ravi-kara mean “defeating or conquering the sun’s rays.”
Another reading of çré-aìga-sundara is çré-aìga-ujora, or “effulgent limbs.”
The rays of the sun are intensely bright and impossible to look at, yet the body
of Çré Gaura is even more effulgent. So it was impossible to look at Him.
Gaura’s glance and broad eyes are matchless, and His body is nondifferent
from the body of Kåñëa.

TEXT 213

(äju) vijaye gauräìga, avané-maëòale,

caudike çuniyä ulläsa
eka hari-dhvani, ä-brahma bhari’ çuni,
gauräìga-cäìdera parakäça

TRANSLATION

Due to the appearance of Çré Gauräìga in this world, the sound vibration of
Hari’s name spread throughout the universe up to Brahmaloka.

COMMENTARY

331
 The word vijaya means “while appearing in this material world.”

TEXT 214

candane ujjvala, vakña parisara,

dolaye tathi vana-mälä
cäìda-suçétala, çré-mukha-maëòala,
ä-jänu bähu viçäla

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s broad chest is smeared with bright sandalwood pulp and
decorated with a flower garland. The Lord’s sweet face is as soothing as the full
moon, and His long arms stretch to His knees.

TEXT 215

dekhiyä caitanya, bhuvane dhanya-dhanya,

uöhaye jaya-jaya-näda
koi näcata, koi gäyata,
kali haila hariñe viñäda

TRANSLATION

All the living entities of the world are blessed to see Çré Caitanya. Some
dance, some chant, and some loudly exclaim, “Jaya! Jaya!” Kali, however, feels
sad and laments.

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 TEXT 216

cäri-veda-çira- mukuöa caitanya

pämara müòha nähi jäne
çré-caitanya-candra, nitäi-öhäkura,
våndävana-däsa gäne

TRANSLATION

Çré Caitanya is the crown on the head of the four Vedas, but sinful and
foolish people cannot understand this. Çré Våndävana däsa Öhäkura sings the
glories of Çré Caitanyacandra and Çré Nityänanda Prabhu.

COMMENTARY

Çré Caitanyadeva is like the crown on the Upaniñads, which are like the
heads of the four Vedas. In other words, He is worshipable by the four-headed
Brahmä:

nikhila-çruti-mauli-ratna-mälä-dyuti-néräjita-päda-paìkajänta

—“The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly being worshiped by
the glowing radiance emanating from the string of gems known as the
Upaniñads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas.”

TEXT 217

prakäça hailä gauracandra

daça-dike uöhila änanda

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 TRANSLATION

As Çré Gauracandra appeared, the ten directions become filled with bliss.

COMMENTARY

The word daça-dike, the ten directions, refers to the east, west, north,
south, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, up, and down.

TEXT 218

rüpa koöi-madana jiniïä

häse nija-kértana çuniyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s beauty defeats that of millions of Cupids. He laughs upon

hearing His holy names chanted.

TEXT 219

ati-sumadhura mukha-äìkhi
mahäräja-cihna saba dekhi

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s face and eyes are most sweet, and His body is decorated with the
signs of a king.

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 TEXT 220

çré-caraëe dhvaja-vajra çobhe

saba-aìge jaga-mana lobhe

TRANSLATION

His lotus feet are marked with a flag and a thunderbolt. All His limbs
attract the minds of all people.

TEXT 221

düre gela sakala äpada

vyakta haila sakala sampada

TRANSLATION

By His advent all danger is vanquished and all prosperity is manifested.

TEXT 222

çré caitanya nityänanda jäna

våndävana däsa guëa gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

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 TEXT 223

caitanya-avatära, çuniyä deva-gaëa,

uöhila parama maìgala re
sakala-täpa-hara, çré-mukha-candra dekhi’,
änande haila vihvala re

TRANSLATION

Hearing that Lord Caitanya has incarnated, all the demigods become
overjoyed. They are overwhelmed with ecstasy on seeing the Lord’s face, which
destroys all misery.

TEXT 224

ananta, brahmä, çiva, ädi kari’ yata deva,

sabei nara-rüpadhari’ re
gäyena ’hari’ ’hari’, grahaëa-chala kari’,
lakhite keha nähi päri re

TRANSLATION

Ananta, Brahmä, Çiva and other demigods accept the form of human beings
and chant, “Hari! Hari!” on the pretext of the eclipse. No one, however, can
recognize them.

TEXT 225

336
 daça-dike dhäya, loka nadéyäya
baliyä ucca ’hari’ ’hari’ re
mänuñe deve meli’, ekatra haïä keli,
änande navadvépa püri re

TRANSLATION

The people of Nadia run in the ten directions while loudly chanting, “Hari!
Hari!” The demigods and human beings mix together, and the whole of
Navadvépa is filled with ecstasy.

TEXT 226

çacéra aìgane, sakala deva-gaëe,

praëäma haiyä paòilä re
grahaëa-andhakäre, lakhite keha näre,
durjïeya caitanyera khelä re

TRANSLATION

All the demigods come to the courtyard of Çacédevé and offer their
obeisances. Due to the darkness of the eclipse, no one can recognize them. Such
are the mysterious pastimes of Çré Caitanya!

TEXT 227

keha paòe stuti, kähäro häte chäti,

keha cämara òhuläya re
parama-hariñe, keha puñpa variñe,

337
 keha näce, gäya, vä’ya re

TRANSLATION

Some demigods offer prayers, someone holds an umbrella, another waves a

cämara, some happily shower flowers, others dance, and some play musical
instruments.

TEXT 228

saba-bhakta saìge kari’, äilä gaurahari,

päñaëòé kichui nä jäne re
çré kåñëa-caitanya, prabhu nityänanda,
våndävana-däsa rasa gäna re

TRANSLATION

Lord Gaurahari descended along with His devotees, but the atheists did not
understand a thing. Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life
and soul, I, Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

The word päñaëòé refers to persons who blaspheme and ridicule the
devotees, as well as those who consider the demigods, who are actually the
servants of the Supreme Lord, as equal to Lord Viñëu, who is their controller.
In this way Våndävana däsa Öhäkura sings the glories of Çré Caitanya and
Nityänanda.

338
 TEXT 229

dundubhi-òiëòima- maìgala-jaya-dhvani,
gäya madhura rasäla re
vedera agocara, äji bheöava,
vilambe nähi ära käla re

TRANSLATION

The demigods play kettledrums and òiëòima drums, chant the auspicious
sound of “Jaya!” and sing in sweet melodies. The demigods think, “Today we
will see the Lord, who is unknown through the Vedas. Therefore let us not
waste time.”

COMMENTARY

The appearance of Çré Caitanya is unknown to the Vedas. That

unmanifested object, Çré Gauracandra, is now being seen by everyone.
Therefore let us go immediately; there is no need to waste time in this matter.

TEXT 230

änande indrapura, maìgala-kolahäla,

säja’ säja’ bali’ säja’ re
bahuta puëya-bhägye, caitanya-parakäça
päola navadvépa-mäjhe re

TRANSLATION

339
 In this way the residents of Amarävaté are in ecstasy and an auspicious
commotion arises as they decorate themselves to go see the Lord. “Due to our
great fortune we will see Çré Caitanya in Navadvépa.”

COMMENTARY

The word indrapura refers to Amarävaté.

TEXT 231

anyo ’nye äliìgana, cumbana ghana-ghana,

läja keha nähi mäne re
nadéyä-purandara- janama-ulläse,
äpana-para nähi jäne re

TRANSLATION

Being overjoyed on the birth of the Lord of Nadia, the demigods repeatedly
embrace and kiss each other without reservation or consideration of whether
one is a friend or stranger.

COMMENTARY

The word anyo ’nye means “between each other.”

TEXT 232

aichana kautuke, äilä navadvépe,

caudike çuni hari-näma re

340
 päiyä gaura-rasa, vihvala paravaça,
caitanya-jaya-jaya gäna re

TRANSLATION

In this joyous condition they come to Navadvépa and hear the sound
vibration of Hari’s names from all sides. There they taste Gaura’s ecstatic
emotions and become overwhelmed as they sing His glories.

TEXT 233

dekhila çacé-gåhe, gauräìga-sundare,

ekatra yaiche koöi-cända re
mänuña rüpa dhari’, grahaëa-chala kari’,
bolaye ucca hari-näma re

TRANSLATION

There in Çacé’s house they see the beautiful form of Lord Gauräìga, who
resembles millions of moons combined together. In the guise of human beings
and on the pretext of the eclipse, they all loudly chant the name of Hari.

TEXT 234

sakala-çakti-saìge, äilä gauracandra,

päñaëòé kichui nä jäne re
çré caitanya nityänanda- cäìda-prabhu jäna,
våndävana-däsa rasa gäna re

341
 TRANSLATION

Çré Gauracandra appears along with His energies, but the atheists could not
understand a thing. Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life
and soul, I, Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends the English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya of Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Chapter Two, entitled “The Lord’s Appearance.”

Chapter Three: Calculation of the Lord’s Horoscope

This chapter describes the appearance of Çrémän Mahäprabhu along with

the congregational chanting of the holy names on the pretext of a lunar
eclipse, the calculation of the child Viçvambhara’s horoscope by Çré Nélämbara
Cakravarté, the celebration of Viçvambhara’s appearance at the house of
Jagannätha Miçra, and the glories of the appearance days of Viñëu and the
Vaiñëavas.
Prior to His advent, Çrémän Mahäprabhu preached the congregational
chanting of the names of Lord Hari on the pretext of a lunar eclipse, and then
He appeared in this world. What to speak of others, even those who had never
uttered the names of Hari by mistake loudly chanted the names of Hari while
going to take bath in the Ganges on that day. The loud chanting of Kåñëa’s
names filled the ten directions. Çré Çacé and Jagannätha forgot themselves in
ecstasy as they looked at the beautiful face of their son. The great astrologer
Çré Nélämbara Cakravarté found the symptoms of an exalted personality in his
calculation of the Lord’s horoscope. He was struck with wonder and began to

342
glorify the Lord according to His horoscope. One particular brähmaëa there
described Çrémän Mahäprabhu as Lord Näräyaëa Himself, the deliver of the
world, the founder of religious principles, an unprecedented preacher, the
giver of religious principles desired by personalities like Lord Çiva and
Çukadeva Gosvämé, the bestower of mercy on all living entities, the life and
soul of the entire universe, and the worshipable Lord of everyone. He thus
revealed all these extraordinary qualities of the Lord. That brähmaëa further
declared, “Innumerable universes will glorify the activities of this child
Näräyaëa. This child is the embodiment of bhägavata-dharma. He will preach
the religious principles for the Age of Kali like the yuga-avatära of Lord Viñëu.
He will even attract the minds of the atheistic Yavanas and be worshiped by
them. This child will be known as Çré Viçvambhara and Navadvépa-candra.”
Fearing that there may be rasäbhäsa, or an unfavorable overlapping of
mellows, the brähmaëa did not foretell the sannyäsa pastimes of the Lord. This
chapter ends with descriptions of the tumultuous sound of various musical
instruments in the house of Jagannätha Miçra, the mixing of the demigods’
wives with the brähmaëas’ wives, their blessing the child Lord with dürvä grass
and rice paddy, their request to the Lord to benefit everyone by remaining in
this world for a long time, the celebrations throughout Navadvépa of the
Lord’s appearance, the glories of Çré Gaura and Çré Nityänanda’s appearance
days, how the living entities who observe these days are relieved of nescience
and attain devotion to Lord Kåñëa, the equally glorious nature of the
appearance days of both Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas, and, lastly, the eternal
nature of the appearance and activities of the Lord and His devotees.

TEXT 1

prema-dhana-ratana pasära
dekha goräcäìdera bäjära

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 TRANSLATION

Behold Gauracandra’s marketplace, where the jewels of love of God are

stacked high.

TEXTS 2-5

hena-mate prabhura haila avatära

äge hari-saìkértana kariyä pracära

catur-dike dhäya loka grahaëa dekhiyä

gaìgä-snäne ’hari’ bali’ yäyena dhäiyä

yära mukha janmeha nä bale hari-näma

seha ’hari’ bali’ dhäya, kari’ gaìgä-snäna

daça-dik pürëa haila, uöhe hari-dhvani

avatérëa haiyä häsena dvija-maëi

TRANSLATION

In this way, Lord Gauräìga appeared by first inaugurating the saìkértana

movement. From all directions people went to the Ganges for bath while
chanting the name of Hari. Even persons who never chanted the name of Hari
in their lives also chanted the name of Hari as they ran to the Ganges for bath.
The sound vibration of Hari’s name filled the ten directions. The Lord, who is
the best of the brähmaëas, appeared with a smile on His face.

COMMENTARY

344
 The tumultuous sound of the chanting of the names of Hari at the
transcendental advent of Lord Gaurasundara, the personification of
çré-kåñëa-saìkértana, indicated that He would later preach the devotional
process of chanting the holy names, and thus maintain the religious principles
of this age.

TEXT 6

çacé-jagannätha dekhi’ putrera çré-mukha

dui-jana hailena änanda-svarüpa

TRANSLATION

Seeing their son’s face, Çacé and Jagannätha were filled with ecstasy.

TEXT 7

ki vidhi kariba ihä, kichui nä sphure

äste-vyaste näré-gaëa ’jaya-jaya’ phukäre

TRANSLATION

They were so overwhelmed that they did not know what to do. The ladies
there became excited and simply exclaimed, “Jaya! Jaya!”

COMMENTARY

All the assembled ladies were totally bewildered.

345
 TEXT 8

dhäiyä äilä sabe, yata äpta-gaëa

änanda haila jagannäthera bhavana

TRANSLATION

All the relatives came rushing to the house of Jagannätha Miçra, and the
whole household became filled with bliss.

COMMENTARY

The word äpta-gaëa refers to one’s relatives.

TEXT 9

çacira janaka—cakravarté nélämbara

prati-lagne adbhuta dekhena vipra-vara

TRANSLATION

The father of Çacédevé and great brähmaëa, Nélämbara Cakravarté, noted

wonderful planetary arrangements in each house of the child’s horoscope.

COMMENTARY

Nélämbara Cakravarté was the father of Çacédevé. He formerly resided at

Magòobä, in the district of Faridpura [within present day Bangladesh]. Most of
the learned brähmaëas of that time had some knowledge of astrology. After

346
calculating His horoscope, Nélämbara Cakravarté began to foretell the future
of the Lord, his grandson.
The particular zodiac sign that appears on the eastern horizon at a given
time for a given place on earth is called the lagna. The various planets headed
by the sun move throughout the zodiac. The north-south zodiac extends 90
degrees and the east-west zodiac extends 360 degrees. The zodiac is divided
into twelve equal signs, or räçis, each consisting of 30 degrees. The second and
consecutive signs after the rising sign, or janma-lagna, are the twelve “lagnas”
for wealth, brothers, friends, sons, education, enemies, wife, death, fortune,
occupation, income, and expenditure.
The word prati-lagne means “in the twelve lagnas, beginning with the lagna
for the body.” By the words adbhuta dekhena, it is understood that he saw
extraordinary fruits.

TEXT 10

mahäräja-lakñaëa sakala lagne kahe

rüpa dekhi’ cakravarté hailä vismaye

TRANSLATION

In each house there were signs that indicated a king. Moreover, Cakravarté
was astonished by the child’s beauty and said:

COMMENTARY

Çukra (Venus) was in Meña-räçi (Aries), in the constellation of Açviné;

Ketu (the ninth planet) was in Siàha-räçi (Leo), in Uttaraphalguné; Candra
(the moon) was in Siàha-räçi, in Pürvaphalguné (the eleventh lunar

347
mansion); Çani (Saturn) was in Våçcika-räçi (Scorpio), in Jyeñöhä; Båhaspati
(Jupiter) was in Dhanu-räçi, in Pürväñäòhä (Sagittarius); Maìgala (Mars) was
in Makara-räçi (Capricorn), in Çravaëä; Ravi (the sun) and Rähu were in
Kumbha-räçi (Aquarius), in Pürvabhädrapäda; and Budha (Mercury) was in
Ména-räçi (Pisces), in Uttarabhädrapäda. The lagna was Siàha. Mars, the
owner of the ninth house, is exalted. Venus and Saturn are almost exalted.
Jupiter, in his own house, aspects Venus, which occupies the house of dharma.
Venus, the owner of the tenth house, is aspected by Jupiter and situated in the
ninth house.
After scrutinizingly studying each of the Lord’s lagnas, Nélämbara
Cakravarté foretold the highest fruits and was struck with wonder by seeing
the Lord’s beauty, because the Lord is the original Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 11

’vipra räjä gauòe haibeka’ hena äche

vipra bale,—’sei vä, jäniba tähä päche’

TRANSLATION

“There is a prediction that in the future a brähmaëa will become the King
of Bengal. The future will show whether this child is that personality.”

COMMENTARY

There was a prophecy amongst people that a great personality would be

born in a brähmaëa family of Bengal and become king. Nélämbara Cakravarté
thought that perhaps this boy would in the future become King of Bengal.
Time would tell.

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 TEXT 12

mahä-jyotir-vit vipra sabära agrete

lagne anurüpa kathä lägila kahite

TRANSLATION

Then that great astrologer brähmaëa began to speak before everyone present
about the symptoms of the various houses in the child’s horoscope.

COMMENTARY

Nélämbara Cakravarté was a learned teacher of the science of astrology.

Therefore he began to explain the various lagnas of the Lord’s horoscope to
the people present there. The word mahä-jyotir-vit is explained as follows:

çaìkhe taile tathä mäàse vaidye jyotiñike dvije

yäträyäà pathi nidräyäà mahaccabdo na déyate

“If one adds the prefix mahä to çaìkha (conch), taila (oil), mäàsa (flesh),
vaidya (doctor), jyotisi (astrologer), brähmaëa, yatra (journey), patha (path),
and nidrä (sleep) it will produce an opposite meaning 1(3). Therefore mahä
should not be added to these words.” But in this case it is to be understood that
Nélämbara Cakravarté was learned and expert in the science of astrology. The
word mahä-jyotir-vit may also indicate one who is learned and expert in the
spiritual science.

TEXT 13

“lagne yata dekhi ei bälaka-mahimä

349
 räjä hena, väkye täìre dite näri sémä

TRANSLATION

“The qualities I see in this child’s horoscope are beyond those of a king, if
fact, they are beyond all description.

COMMENTARY

While calculating the lagnas, Nélämbara Cakravarté could understand the

child’s wonderful qualities. The words räjä hena mean “as good as a king” or
“topmost.” Actually no one can properly describe the qualities of this child.

TEXT 14

båhaspati jiniyä haibe vidyävän

alpei haibe sarva-guëera nidhäna”

TRANSLATION

“This child will be more learned than Båhaspati. He will soon manifest a
reservoir of all good qualities.”

COMMENTARY

Båhaspati is the most learned personality in the heavenly planets.

Mahäprabhu would surpass Båhaspati in spiritual knowledge rather than in
insignificant material knowledge. In other words, the knowledge of Brahman
obtained through the material senses of Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya, the
incarnation of Båhaspati, was vanquished by the Lord, just as darkness is

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vanquished by the rising of the sun. In this way the Lord would enlighten him
with spiritual knowledge, in the form of service to Lord Kåñëa. Çrémän
Mahäprabhu does not have to endeavor to gradually acquire knowledge as an
experienced person labors hard to gradually acquire knowledge, for He is the
ocean of all auspicious qualities. Therefore on the slightest pretense He will
display full mastery in all fields of knowledge.

TEXT 15

seikhäne vipra-rüpe eka mahäjana

prabhura bhaviñya-karma karaye kathana

TRANSLATION

In that assembly was one great brähmaëa devotee, who began to describe the
Lord’s future activities.

COMMENTARY

At the time of calculating the Lord’s horoscope, a great personality,

well-versed in spiritual knowledge, was present there in the form of a
brähmaëa. He began to describe Mahäprabhu’s future transcendental
activities, or His distribution of love of God.

TEXT 16

vipra bale,—“e çiçu säkñät näräyaëa

iìhä haite sarva-dharma haibe sthäpana

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 TRANSLATION

He said, “This child is nondifferent from Näräyaëa. He will reestablish

religious principles.

COMMENTARY

The brähmaëa said, “This boy is Näräyaëa Himself, Lord of all lords. He
alone will properly reconcile the conflicting principles of various religious
preachers.”

TEXT 17

iìhä haite haibeka apürva pracära

ei çiçu karibe sarva-jagat uddhära

TRANSLATION

“He will preach wonderfully and thus deliver the entire world.

COMMENTARY

“This child will distribute throughout the world the splendor of devotional
service, which has never before been preached. He will deliver everyone from
their narrow-minded desires for material enjoyment, fruitive activities, and
speculative knowledge and fix them in their eternal occupation—devotional
service to the Supreme Lord.”

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 TEXT 18

brahmä, çiva, çuka yähä väïccha anukñaëa

iìhä haite tähä päibeka sarva-jana

TRANSLATION

“People will receive from Him love of God that is desired by even Brahmä,
Çiva, and Çukadeva.

COMMENTARY

In the Caitanya-candrämåta (18 and 55) it is stated: “The dear devotees of

Lord Gaura happily enjoy pastimes on the splendid path of pure devotional
service, which great sages like Vyäsadeva could not thoroughly understand,
which material intelligence has no power to enter, which Çukadeva Gosvämé
could not reveal, and which merciful Lord Kåñëa never revealed to His
devotees. O Lord Caitanyacandra, who enlightens the ignorant, if You grace
me with Your merciful glance, then even though I am a wretch I will not be far
away from the wonderful path of pure devotion, which is rarely attained by
Çiva, Çukadeva, Uddhava, Närada, and other great souls.”
This child will indiscriminately give everyone that which great
personalities like Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva, and Çukadeva Gosvämé always
desire to obtain.

TEXT 19

sarva-bhüta-dayälu, nirveda daraçane

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 sarva-jagatera préta haiba ihäne

TRANSLATION

“Just by seeing Him, the people of this world will develop love for Him,
compassion for other living entities, and detachment from material enjoyment.

COMMENTARY

By seeing Çrémän Mahäprabhu, the people of this world will develop love
for Gaura-Kåñëa and become kind to all living entities and equal in happiness
and distress.

TEXT 20

anyera ki däya, viñëu-drohé ye yavana

tähäräo e çiñura bhajibe caraëa

TRANSLATION

“What to speak of others, even Yavanas who are averse to Viñëu will
worship the lotus feet of this child.

COMMENTARY

In the Caitanya-candrämåta (2) it is stated: “Those who are untouched by

any piety, who are completely absorbed in irreligion, and who have never
received the merciful glance of the devotees or been to any holy place
sanctified by them are still ecstatically dancing, loudly singing, and even
rolling about on the ground because they are intoxicated by tasting the nectar

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of the transcendental mellows of pure love of God, given by Lord Caitanya.
Let me therefore glorify that Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu.”
The Yavanas are naturally averse to Lord Viñëu. But even such Yavanas
will give up such propensities to follow the footsteps of Çré Gauräìga.

TEXT 21

ananta brahmäëòe kérti gäiba ihäna

ä-vipra e çiçure karibe praëäma

TRANSLATION

“His glories will be sung in innumerable universes, and everyone, including

brähmaëas, will offer respects to this child.

COMMENTARY

The word ihäna means “His.” Brähmaëas are the spiritual masters of all
other varëas—kñatriyas, vaiçyas, çüdras, and antyajas, or mlecchas. Such
brähmaëas will also offer obeisances to this child, and the entire universe will
become maddened by the fragrance of His fame.

TEXT 22

bhägavata-dharma-maya ihäna çaréra

deva-dvija-guru-pitå-mätå-bhakta dhéra

TRANSLATION

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 “He is the personification of religious principles and the benefactor of the
demigods, the brähmaëas, the spiritual masters, His father and mother, and the
sober devotees.

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.11.7) it is stated: “The Supreme Being, the

Personality of Godhead, is the essence of all Vedic knowledge, the root of all
religious principles, and the memory of great authorities. O King Yudhiñöhira,
this principle of religion is to be understood as evidence. On the basis of this
religious principle, everything is satisfied, including one’s mind, soul and even
one’s body.”
The gross body and subtle mental functions are all foreign. The soul’s
eternal activities are called bhägavata-dharma. The transcendental body of
this child is direct service of the Supreme Lord. In other words, He is the
personification of devotional service to Lord Kåñëa. Therefore godly qualities
like subordination to the demigods, brähmaëas, spiritual masters, father, and
mother, who are all devotees of Viñëu, are all present in Him.

TEXT 23

viñëu yena avatari’ laoyäyena dharma

sei-mata e çiçu karibe sarva-karma

TRANSLATION

“Just as Lord Viñëu incarnates and induces people to follow religious

principles, this child will perform similar activities.

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 COMMENTARY

Whenever there is danger in this material world, the demigods pray to the
Supreme Lord. Lord Viñëu then incarnates and protects the demigods and
human beings from the danger. This child will also be as powerful as Lord
Viñëu while He fulfills His mission.

TEXT 24

lagne yata kahe çubha lakñaëa ihäna

kära çakti äche tähä karite vyäkhyäna?

TRANSLATION

“Who has the power to explain the auspicious symptoms that are found in
the houses of this child’s horoscope?

TEXT 25

dhanya tumi, miçra-purandara bhägyavän

yäìra e nandana, täìre rahuka praëäma

TRANSLATION

“O Jagannätha Miçra, you are indeed glorious and fortunate, because this
child is your son. I offer my obeisances unto you.

COMMENTARY

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 Seeing Jagannätha Miçra’s son and hearing His glories, everyone
considered Jagannätha Miçra most fortunate. They congratulated him and
offered him their obeisances.

TEXT 26

hena koñöhé gaëiläìa ämi bhägyavän

’çré-viçvambhara’-näma haibe ihäna

TRANSLATION

“I am also fortunate to have had the privilege of calculating His horoscope.

This child’s name will be Çré Viçvambhara.

COMMENTARY

The brähmaëa decided, “I have become fortunate simply by calculating the

horoscope of the Lord. The name of this child will be Viçvambhara.”

TEXT 27

ihäne balibe loka ’navadvépa-candra’

e bälake jäniha kevala paränanda

TRANSLATION

“Yet people will call Him Navadvépa Candra. Know for certain that this
child is the personification of spiritual ecstasy.”

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 COMMENTARY

People will call this child Navadvépa Candra, and they will know Him as
the embodiment of unalloyed ecstasy.

TEXT 28

hena rase päche haya duùkhera prakäça

ataeva nä kahilä prabhura sannyäsa

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa did not mention anything about the Lord’s accepting
sannyäsa out of fear for creating a distressful condition amidst the joyous
occasion.

COMMENTARY

Although the brähmaëa foresaw auspicious symptoms indicating the Lord’s

acceptance of sannyäsa, out of fear of disturbing the festive atmosphere he did
not disclose this unhappy news.

TEXT 29

çuni’ jagannätha-miçra putrera äkhyäna

änande vihvala, vipre dite cähe däna

TRANSLATION

359
 Jagannätha Miçra was overwhelmed with ecstasy upon hearing the child’s
glories, and he desired to give something in charity to the brähmaëa.

TEXT 30

kichu nähi—sudaridra, tathäpi änande

viprera caraëe dhari’ miçra-candra kände

TRANSLATION

But because Jagannätha Miçra was extremely poor, he simply took hold of
the brähmaëa’s feet and cried.

TEXT 31

seha vipra kände jagannätha-pä’ye dhari’

änande sakala-loka bale ’hari’ ’hari’

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa then grabbed hold of Jagannätha Miçra’s feet and cried, while
the people present there chanted, “Hari! Hari!” in ecstasy.

TEXT 32

divya-koñöhé çuni’ yata bändhava sakala

jaya-jaya diyä sabe karena maìgala

360
 TRANSLATION

Hearing the Lord’s extraordinary horoscope, the friends and relatives there
happily chanted, “Jaya! Jaya!”

COMMENTARY

The word divya-koñöhé refers to the horoscope of a godly personality.

TEXT 33

tata-kñaëe äila sakala vädyakära

mådaìga, sänäi, vaàçé bäjaye apära

TRANSLATION

At that time various musicians came and began to enthusiastically play

mådaìgas, sänäi, and flutes.

COMMENTARY

A mådaìga is a clay oblong drum shell with the right and left open ends
covered by leather smeared with mangosteen and stretched in place and
connected together by leather strips. It is a famous instrument used in
saìkértana. The use of mådaìgas was current even during the time of the
Lord’s appearance.
The sänäi is an brass musical wind instrument with holes in it.

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 TEXT 34

deva-stréye nara-stréye nä päri cinite

deve nare ekatra haila bhäla-mate

TRANSLATION

Demigoddesses mixed unnoticed with the ladies present there.

COMMENTARY

After understanding that the Lord had advented, the wives of the
demigods mixed with the ladies of this world and assembled at the house of
Jagannätha Miçra with a desire to see the Lord. No one could distinguish the
demigoddess from the worldly women.

TEXT 35

deva-mätä savya-häte dhänya-dürvä laiyä

häsi’ dena prabhu-çire ’ciräyu’ baliyä

TRANSLATION

Aditi, the mother of the demigods, with her right hand placed paddy and
dürvä grass on the head of the child and blessed Him, saying, “Live a long life.”

COMMENTARY

The word savya-häte in this verse means “right hand.” The word deva-mätä

362
refers to Aditi, the wife of Kaçyapa Muni.

TEXT 36

cira-käla påthivéte karaha prakäça

ataeva ’ciräyu’ baliyä haila häsa

TRANSLATION

She desired that the Lord would always remain on this earth planet,
therefore she smiled as she blessed Him with the words, “Live a long life.”

TEXT 37

apürva sundaré saba çacé-devé dekhe

värtä jijïäsite käro nä äise mukhe

TRANSLATION

Although Mother Çacé saw the beautiful demigoddesses there, she was too
shy to inquire about their identities.

TEXT 38

çacéra caraëa-dhüli laya devé-gaëa

änande çacéra mukhe nä äise vacana

TRANSLATION

363
 The demigoddesses took the dust from Çacédevé’s feet, and Çacé became
speechless out of joy.

TEXT 39

kibä änanda haila se jagannätha-ghare

vedete anante tähä varëite nä päre

TRANSLATION

The happiness experienced in the house of Jagannätha Miçra could not be

described by either Lord Ananta or the Vedas.

TEXT 40

loka dekhe,—çacé-gåhe sarva-nadéyäya

ye änanda haila, tähä kahana nä yäya

TRANSLATION

People at the house of Çacé and throughout Nadia felt such ecstasy that it is
beyond description.

TEXT 41

ki nagare, kibä ghare, kibä gaìgä-tére

niravadhi sarva-loka hari-dhvani kare

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 TRANSLATION

Whether in the village, in the houses, or on the banks of the

Ganges—everywhere, people continually chanted the names of Lord Hari.

TEXT 42

janma-yäträ-mahotsava, niçäya grahaëe

änande karena, keha marma nähi jäne

TRANSLATION

Everyone observed the festival of the Lord’s appearance while thinking they
were celebrating the occasion of the eclipse.

COMMENTARY

Since there was a lunar eclipse that night, many people unknowingly
celebrated the appearance of Mahäprabhu. Although the celebrations were
performed on account of the lunar eclipse, they were actually meant for the
Lord’s appearance. Common men, however, did not understand this fact.

TEXT 43

caitanyera janma-yäträ—phälguné pürëimä

brahmä-ädi e tithira kare ärädhanä

TRANSLATION

365
 Lord Caitanya appeared on the full moon night of the month of Phälguna, a
day thus worshiped by Brahmä and others.

TEXT 44

parama-pavitra tithi bhakti-svarüpiëé

yaìhi avatérëa hailena dvija-maëi

TRANSLATION

This day is the reservoir of devotional service and therefore most sanctified,
because the Supreme Lord, the best of the brähmaëas, appeared on that day.

COMMENTARY

The demigods headed by Lord Brahmä also worshiped the full moon night
of the month of Phälguna, the appearance day of Çré Caitanya. The full moon
night of the month of Phälguna is a spiritual day that is çuddha-sattva-mayé,
comprised of pure goodness, and säkñäd-bhakti-svarüpiëé, the personification of
devotional service.

TEXT 45

nityänanda-janma mäghé çuklä trayodaçé

gauracandra-prakäça phälguné paurëamäsé

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda appeared on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon in the

366
month of Magha, and Gauracandra appeared on the full moon evening in the
month of Phälguna.

TEXT 46

sarva-yäträ maìgala e dui puëya-tithi

sarva-çubha-lagna adhiñöhäna haya ithi

TRANSLATION

These two days are most auspicious because all favorable planetary
conjunctions are present on these days.

TEXT 47

eteke e dui tithi karile sevana

kåñëa-bhakti haya, khaëòe avidyä-bandhana

TRANSLATION

Therefore whoever observes these two days attains devotion to Lord Kåñëa
and freedom from the bondage to ignorance.

TEXT 48

éçvarera janma-tithi ye-hena pavitra

vaiñëavera sei-mata tithira caritra

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 TRANSLATION

Just as the appearance day of the Lord is sanctified, the appearance days of
the Vaiñëavas are also.

COMMENTARY

In the Brahma Puräëa it is stated: “Fortunate are those persons of Kali-yuga

who observe the appearance days of Viñëu by staying awake at night and
fasting. They are not subject to the great fear of rebirth in the material world.
Wherever they reside, Kali cannot affect them. Observing vows on the
appearance days of the eternal Supreme Lord gives liberation. These
observances of vows for the pleasure of Viñëu are the greatest good in this life
and the next, the greatest dharma.”
By observing these two auspicious days—the thirteenth day of the waxing
moon in the month of Magha (January-February) and the full moon day in the
month of Phälguna (March-April)—a conditioned soul’s nescience is
destroyed and his propensity for serving Kåñëa is awakened. One may observe
the appearance day of the Lord by fasting and holding a festival.
Just as the appearance day of the Lord is pure, the appearance days of the
Lord’s devotees are also pure. One must certainly hold festivals on those days.

TEXT 49

gauracandra-ävirbhäva çune yei jane

kabhu duùkha nähi tära janme vä maraëe

TRANSLATION

368
 Whoever hears about the appearance of Lord Gauracandra will never feel
distress, either during this life or at the time of death.

TEXT 50

çunile caitanya-kathä bhakti-phala dhare

janme-janme caitanyera saìge avatare

TRANSLATION

By hearing the topics of Çré Caitanya, one attains the fruit of devotional
service to the Supreme Lord and accompanies the Lord in His pastimes life
after life.

COMMENTARY

It is stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.11.23-24): “My dear Uddhava,

narrations of My pastimes and qualities are all-auspicious and purify the entire
universe. A faithful person who constantly hears, glorifies, and remembers
such transcendental activities, who through dramatic performances relives My
pastimes, beginning with My appearance, and who takes full shelter of Me,
dedicating his religious, sensual, and occupational activities for My
satisfaction, certainly obtains unflinching devotional service to Me, the
eternal Personality of Godhead.”
If a living entity hears the topics of Çré Caitanyadeva, his service attitude is
awakened and he can accompany Çré Caitanya in each of His incarnations
within this world.

369
 TEXT 51

ädi-khaëòa-kathä baòa çunite sundara

yaìhi avatérëa gauracandra maheçvara

TRANSLATION

The topics of Ädi-khaëòa are most pleasing to hear, because they describe
the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Gauracandra.

TEXTS 52-53

e saba lélära kabhu nähi pariccheda

’ävirbhäva’ ’tirobhäva’ mätra kahe veda

caitanya-kathära ädi, anta nähi dekhi

täìhäna kåpäya ye boläna, tähä likhi

TRANSLATION

Although the Vedas describe the Lord’s “appearance” and “disappearance,”

there is actually no end to His pastimes. I don’t see any beginning or end of the
topics of Çré Caitanya. I simply write down whatever He mercifully induces me
to speak.

COMMENTARY

In the Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 20.382-391, 393, 395) it is stated: “The

consecutive pastimes of Kåñëa are manifest in one of the innumerable

370
universes moment after moment. There is no possibility of counting the
universes, but in any case some pastime of the Lord is being manifest at every
moment in one universe or another. Thus the Lord’s pastimes are like flowing
Ganges water. In this way all the pastimes are manifested by the son of Nanda
Mahäräja. Lord Kåñëa exhibits His pastimes of childhood, boyhood and
pre-youth. When He reaches pre-youth, He continues to exist eternally to
perform His räsa dance and other pastimes. Descriptions of Kåñëa’s eternal
pastimes are in all revealed scriptures. But one cannot understand how they
are continuing eternally. Let me give an example by which people may
understand Lord Kåñëa’s eternal pastimes. An example can be found in the
zodiac. The sun moves across the zodiac day and night and crosses the oceans
between the seven islands one after the other. According to Vedic
astronomical calculations, the rotation of the sun consists of sixty daëòas, and
it is divided into thirty-six hundred palas. The sun rises in steps consisting of
sixty palas. Sixty palas equal one daëòa, and eight daëòas comprise one
prahara. Day and night are divided into eight praharas—four belonging to the
day and four belonging to the night. After eight praharas, the sun rises again.
Just like the sun, there is an orbit to Kåñëa’s pastimes, which are manifest one
after the other. During the lifetime of fourteen Manus, this orbit expands
through all the universes, and gradually it returns. Thus Kåñëa moves with His
pastimes through all the universes, one after another. The cycle of His
pastimes turns like a wheel of fire. Thus Kåñëa exhibits His pastimes one after
the other in every universe. Since all Kåñëa’s pastimes are taking place
continuously, at every moment some pastime is existing in one universe or
another. Consequently these pastimes are called eternal by the Vedas and
Puräëas.”
In the Laghu-bhägavatämåta (Pürva 363, 385, 392, and 421) it is stated: “Just
as Çré Kåñëa is the primeval Lord, or unborn, His pastimes of appearance and
disappearance are beginningless. By His own supreme will, Lord Mukunda
repeatedly manifests His pastimes of appearance and disappearance in this
world. He is aja, or unborn, yet He takes birth. One may ask how a person who

371
is unborn can take birth; it appears completely contradictory. In order to
reconcile this contradiction, one may reply that the Supreme Lord is
inconceivable, full of opulences, and completely spiritual. Since there is no
tinge of transformation in the Supreme Lord and His devotees, they are both
unborn; and though their birth is not due to sexual intercourse, they appear in
a pure heart as the sun appears in the east and are therefore also born. As the
fire present in the form of heat within jewels and wood manifests due to a
particular cause, Lord Kåñëa manifests His wonderful pastimes of appearance
and disappearance at a particular time due to a particular cause. The principle
cause of His manifesting pastimes of appearance and disappearance is His
desire to bless His devotees and spread the glories of His famous pastimes.
Another principle cause for His appearance is to exhibit mercy on His dear
devotees like Vasudeva, who are constantly being tortured by formidable
demons. Brahmä and other demigods’ prayers to the Lord for diminishing the
burden of the earth, even today, are secondary causes for the Lord’s
appearance. If His dear devotees are eager to see Him, then Lord Kåñëa, who is
an ocean of mercy, immediately exhibits His pastimes to them. Even today
some most fortunate devotees who are overwhelmed with love and devotion
happily see the sporting pastimes of Kåñëa in Våndävana. Therefore the fully
independent Supreme Lord manifests before one’s eyes by His own sweet will;
but since He is not the object of material vision, He is not seen by material
eyes.” Elsewhere in Laghu-bhägavatämåta (Pürva 427) it is stated: “It is clearly
stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam and other Puräëas that the pastimes of Kåñëa
are eternal.”
In his commentary on the above quoted verse from Laghu-bhägavatämåta,
Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa has stated: “Since the pastimes of the Lord are
activities, there must be a beginning and an end, otherwise the pastimes
cannot be complete. But if the pastimes have a beginning and an end, how can
they be considered eternal? In answer to this it is replied in the Gopäla-täpané:
eko ’pi san bahudhä yo ’vabhäti—’Although Lord Viñëu is one, He manifests in
many forms,’ and in the Viñëu Puräëa: ekäneka-svarüpäya—’Lord Viñëu is one

372
as well as many.’ These two statements prove the unlimitedness of the
Supreme Lord. The Chändogya Upaniñad describes the devotees of the Lord as
follows: sa ekadhä bhavati tridhä—’He is one kind and three kinds.’ From this
statement of the Chändogya Upaniñad it is understood that each of Lord
Viñëu’s associates are also unlimited. Also in the Åg Veda (1.54.6) it is said:
paramaà padam avabhäti bhüri—’The supreme abode of Kåñëa is unlimitedly
manifested.’ From this statement of the Åg Veda the unlimitedness of the
pastime places of the Supreme Lord is also confirmed. From these statements
that establish the unlimitedness of the Supreme Lord, His devotees, and His
abode, it is understood that the pastimes of the Supreme Lord are not
temporary. Despite the beginning and end of the various pastimes of the
Lord’s various incarnations, all such pastimes are factually eternally enacted;
they simply appear to begin in one place while ending in another. In this way,
because there is no gap in the pastimes, they are called eternal. If one accepts
that the pastimes of the Lord are eternal, the doubt may still arise that since
His pastimes have a beginning, they must certainly end. In reply, it is
understood that although the pastimes of a particular form of the Lord take
place at a particular time, they are, nevertheless, eternal. Çaìkaräcärya has
stated in his commentary on the Brahma-sütras (1.3.28): ’If someone says, “He
has cooked, he has cooked,” that does not mean he has cooked twice.’ In the
Govinda-bhäñya on the Brahma-sütras (3.3.11) it is stated: ’If someone utters
“Cow, cow,” that does not mean two cows.’ Therefore even though the
Supreme Lord has multiple forms, They are all one. There is no doubt about it.
In the Vedas it is stated: eko devo nitya-lélänurakto bhakta-vyäpé bhakta-hådy
antar-ätmä—’The one Supreme Lord Viñëu is eternally engaged in diverse
pastimes and situated in the hearts of His devotees as the Supersoul.’”
One may consult the Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.2.15, 10.9.13, 10.14.22, 1.10.26)
as well as the Båhad-vaiñëava-toñaëé, wherein it is stated:

nityävatäro bhagavän nitya-mürtir jagat-patiù

373
 nitya-rüpo nitya-gandho nityaiçvarya sukhänubhüù

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly appears as an avatära.

The Lord of the universe has an eternal form, eternal fragrance, eternal
opulences, and is full of eternal bliss.” The Padma Puräëa (Pätäla-khaëòa)
gives the following evidence: paçya tväà darçayiñyämi svarüpaà
veda-gopitam—“I will show you My personal form, which is unknown to the
Vedas.”

idam eva vadanty ete vedäù käraëa-käraëam

satyaà vyäpi paränandaà cid-ghanaà çäçvataà çivam

“The Vedas confirm that this form of Mine is the cause of all causes, the
all-pervasive, supremely blissful, full of knowledge, eternal, all-auspicious
Absolute Truth.”

anäma-rüpa eväyaà bhagavän harir éçvaraù

akarteti ca yo vedaiù småtibhiç cäbhidhéyate

“It is the Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, whom the Vedas and småtis
describe as having no name or form and having nothing to do.”

sac-cid-änanda-rüpatvät syät kåñëo ’dhokñajo ’py asau

nija-çakteù prabhäveëa svaà bhaktän darçayet prabhuù

“Adhokñaja is called Kåñëa because He has an eternal form full of

knowledge and bliss. He shows Himself to His devotees by the influence of His
own energy.” In the Mahäbhärata (Çänti 339.44-45) it is stated:

etat tvayä na vijïeyaà rüpavän iti dåçyate

icchan muhürtät naçyeyam éço ’haà jagatäà guruù
mäyä hy eñä mayä såñöä yan mäà paçyasi närada
sarva-bhüta-guëair yuktaà naiva tvaà jïätum arhasi

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 “Do not consider that I am visible because I have a material form. If I wish I
can disappear within a second. I am the controller and spiritual master of the
universe. O Närada, the form of Mine that you are now seeing is the creator of
the illusory energy, therefore you should know that I am completely
unaffected by the three modes of material nature.” The Väsudeva Upaniñad
(6.5) states:

sad-rüpam advayaà brahma madhyädy-anta-vivarjitam

sva-prabhaà sac-cid-änandaà bhaktyä jänati cävyayam

“[The Lord’s] transcendental form is the Absolute Truth, devoid of duality

or of beginning, middle, or end. It is self-effulgent, eternal, and full of
knowledge and bliss. Only through devotional service can one understand
that form to be infallible.” It is further stated in the Väsudevädhyätma:

aprasiddhes tad-guëänäm anämo ’sau prakértitaù

apräkåtatväd rüpasyäpy arüpo ’säv udéryate
sambandhena pradhänasya harer nästy eva kartatä
akartäram ataù prähuù puräëaà taà purä vidaù

“Because His qualities are generally unknown, He is said to have no name.

Because His form is not material, He is said to be formless. And because Lord
Hari does nothing in relationship with the material nature, He is said to be
inactive.” In the Näräyaëädhyätma it is also stated:

nityävyakto ’pi bhagavän ékñyate nija-çaktitaù

tämåte paramätmänaà kaù paçyatämitaà prabhum

“The Lord, though He is eternally unmanifested, is visible by His own

energy. Without the assistance of His energy, who can see the immeasurable
Lord, the Supersoul?”
Regarding the appearance and disappearance of the Lord, the Brahmäëòa

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Puräëa says:

anädeyam aheyaà ca rüpaà bhagavato hareù

ävirbhäva-tirobhäväv asyokte graha-mocane

“The form of Lord Hari is neither abominable nor meant for rejection. His
manifestation in this world is called ’appearance,’ and the ending of His
manifest pastimes is called ’disappearance.’” In his commentary on the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (4.23.11) Çré Madhväcärya writes as follows:

ävirbhäva-tirobhävau jïänasya jïänino ’pi tu

apekñyäjïas tathä jïänaà utpannam iti cocyate

“The Lord appears and disappears for the sake of the wise, but He also
appears to enlighten the ignorant.”
Evidence for the words kahe veda—“the Vedas describe” in verse 52 may be
seen in the following statements from the Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad (1.21): Eko
vaçé sarva-gaù kåñëa éòyaù—“That one Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and He is worshipable,” and eko ’pi san bahudhä yo ’vabhäti—“Kåñëa
is one, but He is manifested in unlimited forms and expanded incarnations;”
the Kaöha Upaniñad (2.2.13): nityo nityänäà cetanaç cetanänäm eko bahünäà
yo vidadhäti kämän—“There are innumerable eternal living entities who are
eternally and totally dependent upon the supreme singular living entity, the
Supreme Lord;” the Chändogya Upaniñad (7.26.1): sa ekadhä bhavati
tridhä—“He is one kind and three kinds;” and also the Bhagavad-gétä (4.6): ajo
’pi sann avyayätmä—“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body
never deteriorates.”
The pastimes of the Supreme Lord are uninterrupted just like a wheel of
fire; they are not products of fruitive workers’ temporary imagination that
fade away in due course of time. By stating that the eternal Absolute Truth
appears in and then disappears from this world in His complete spiritual form,

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the Vedic literatures confirm that the eternal pastimes of the Lord are
displayed in this temporary material world. Çré Caitanyadeva is unlimited and
complete. Since the topics related with Çré Caitanyadeva are nondifferent
from Him, such topics are also without beginning or end. He is fully
independent and the controller of the living entities, therefore following the
process of disciplic succession I write whatever He inspires me.

TEXT 54

bhakta-saìge gauracandra-pade namaskära

ithe aparädha kichu nahuka ämära

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Çré Gauracandra along with His

devotees so that I may not commit any offenses at their feet.

TEXT 55

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends the English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya of Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Chapter Three, entitled “Calculation of the Lord’s

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Horoscope.”

Chapter Four: Name-giving Ceremony, Childhood Pastimes,

and Thieves Kidnap the Lord

This chapter describes Çré Gaurahari’s childhood pastimes, His crawling as

a child, His name-giving ceremony, the kidnapping of Nimäi by two thieves,
and the two thieves falling under the influence of Viñëu’s illusory energy and
returning Nimäi to the house of Jagannätha Miçra thinking it to be their own
house.
Çré Gauracandra daily manifested wonderful childhood pastimes and
increased the happiness of Çacé and Jagannätha. Çré Viçvarüpa, the
incarnation of Saìkarñaëa, also served Gaurahari by holding Him on His lap.
The relatives who were filled with parental affection for Gaura-gopäla
displayed their intense affection for Him by chanting viñëu-rakñä or
devé-rakñä-mantras, aparäjitä-stotras, and nåsiàha-mantras to protect Him.
Surrounded by relatives and accompanied by singing and the playing of
musical instruments, Çacédevé observed the ceremony marking the beginning
of the Lord’s crawling by worshiping the Ganges and goddess Ñañöhé, thus
exhibiting her unalloyed paternal affection for the Lord. On the pretext of
crying, the child Gaura induced everyone to chant the names of Hari and thus
filled the house of Çacé with the name of Kåñëa. One time, in the absence of
His parents, the four-month-old Gaura-gopäla scattered all the items in the
house about the floor. When He understood that His mother was returning,
He immediately lay in bed and cried. Mother Çacé stopped the child from
crying by chanting the names of Hari and was then surprised to see the mess
in the house. In parental affection, Jagannätha Miçra and other elder devotees

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concluded that the mess was certainly not made by the child, rather, some
invisible demon, being unable to harm the child, who was protected by
mantra, caused the heavy loss by scattering the items about the house in order
to satisfy his anger. Eventually, when the time arrived for Nimäi’s name-giving
ceremony, the greatly learned Nélämbara Cakravarté and the chaste women
who were full of affection for Gaura all assembled at the house of Çacé. Due to
the advent of the child, the whole country became jubilant, everyone’s
miseries were mitigated, devotion rained on the fertile soul of the people of
the world, and the lack of kértana was eliminated. Therefore, after careful
consideration, the learned scholars gave Gaurahari the name Viçvambhara.
The name of Viçvambhara is also found in the Supreme Lord’s other
incarnations who maintain the universe. According to the calculation of His
horoscope, Gaurahari was ascertained to be the source of all Viñëu avatäras
and the original Personality of Godhead. The chaste women who were filled
with paternal affection desired a long life for the child, so they named the
child Nimäi in order to discourage Death from approaching Him. Therefore
the name Viçvambhara, given by the learned scholars, is the primary name,
and the name Nimäi, given by the chaste ladies, is secondary. During the
name-giving ceremony Jagannätha Miçra placed rice paddy, puffed rice, gold,
silver, and Çrémad Bhägavatam in front of Nimäi in order to ascertain the
child’s propensities. Rather than grabbing the business items—rice paddy,
puffed rice, gold, and silver—meant for the vaiçya community, Nimäi grabbed
the Çrémad Bhägavatam and identified Himself as a brähmaëa. As Nimäi grew
up, He attracted everyone with His crawling pastimes. One day
Gaura-Näräyaëa saw the snake Çeña in the courtyard. After playing with Him
for a while, the Lord exhibited His pastimes of resting on the bed of Çeña by
laying on the coils of the snake. When everyone began to cry in fear of
Nimäi’s danger from the snake, the snake left on its own accord. Seeing
Nimäi’s enchanting beauty, Çacé and Jagannätha considered that He was some
great personality. As soon as the child Nimäi heard the name of Hari, He
would immediately smile and begin to dance. Otherwise He would continue to

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cry until He heard the name of Hari. Therefore from the time of sunrise the
ladies would surround the child and loudly chant the names of Hari while
clapping their hands, and Nimäi would respond by dancing and rolling on the
ground. When both strangers and acquaintances were captivated by the Lord’s
beauty and offered Him sweets and bananas, the Lord would bring those
foodstuffs and distribute them as prasäda to the ladies who were engaged in
chanting the names of Hari. Sometimes Nimäi displayed the pastimes of
entering a neighbor’s house to drink milk or eat and spoil the household items.
One day as Nimäi was playing outside His house, two thieves kidnapped Him
out of greed to steal the child Gaura’s ornaments. Later, being bewildered by
the illusory energy of Viñëu, the thieves returned the Lord to the house of
Jagannätha Miçra. When Jagannätha Miçra and others present heard Nimäi
describe His kidnapping, they could not understand what had happened due
to the Lord’s illusory energy.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya kamala-nayana gauracandra

jaya jaya tomära premera bhakta-vånda

TRANSLATION

All glories to the lotus-eyed Lord Gauracandra! All glories to Your devotees,
who are filled with pure love of God!

COMMENTARY

The word kamala-nayana indicates lotus eyes. All glories to Çré Gauräìga,
and all glories to His devotees, who are bound by love for the Lord. Due to
envy and a poor fund of knowledge some neophyte devotees glorify only

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Mahäprabhu and do not glorify His dear devotees. In this way they confirm
that they have a hellish mentality. In order to vanquish the
narrow-mindedness of these nondevotees, the author, who is a great Vaiñëava
äcärya, glorifies the Lord’s devotees, considering them associates of the Lord.

TEXT 2

hena çubha-dåñöi prabhu karaha a-mäyäya

ahar-niça citta yena bhajaye tomäya

TRANSLATION

O my Lord, please cast Your glance of causeless mercy on me, so that my

mind may worship You day and night.

COMMENTARY

The word a-mäyä indicates nonduplicity and an absence of illusion. In his

commentary on the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.38), Çrédhara Svämépäda has
explained that the word amäyayä means “without duplicity.” When a living
entity is deceived, covered, and thrown by the illusory energy, he develops
desires for material enjoyment, but when he surrenders unto the Supreme
Lord, he is uncovered, undisturbed, and freed from the desires for material
enjoyment; this is Lord Kåñëa’s nonduplicitous merciful glance. As a result of
this merciful glance, a living entity is able to constantly serve the Supreme
Lord with a pure heart. The author prays for such blessings in this verse.

TEXT 3

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 hena-mate prakäça haila gauracandra
çacé-gåhe dine-dine bäòaye änanda

TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Gauracandra advented, and the happiness in the house of
Çacé increased day by day.

TEXT 4

putrera çré-mukha dekhi’ brähmaëé brähmaëa

änanda-sägare doìhe bhäse anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

Seeing their son’s beautiful face, the brähmaëa couple constantly floated in
an ocean of bliss.

COMMENTARY

The word brähmaëé refers to Çacédevé, and the word brähmaëa refers to
Jagannätha Miçra.

TEXT 5

bhäire dekhiyä viçvarüpa bhagavän

häsiyä karena kole änandera dhäma

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 TRANSLATION

When the most powerful Viçvarüpa would see His brother, the reservoir of
pleasure, He would smile and take Him on His lap.

TEXT 6

yata äpta-varga äche sarva-parikare

ahar-niça sabe thäki’ bälake ävare

TRANSLATION

All the relatives and friends of the Lord’s family would gather around the
child both day and night.

COMMENTARY

The word ävare means “cover” or “protect by surrounding.”

TEXT 7

’viñëu-rakñä’ paòe keha ’devé-rakñä’ paòe

mantra paòi’ ghara keha cäri-dige veòe

TRANSLATION

Some would recite mantras invoking Lord Viñëu’s protection, and some
would recite mantras invoking goddess Durgä’s protection. Others would chant
mantras while circumambulating the house.

383
 COMMENTARY

The word viñëu-rakñä indicates the chanting of prayers to Viñëu, who

destroys all dangers, for protecting the child. The word devé-rakñä indicates
the chanting of prayers to Durgä for protecting the child. The word veòe
means “go around.”

TEXT 8

tävat kändena prabhu kamala-locana

hari-näma çunile rahena tata-kñana

TRANSLATION

Whenever the lotus-eyed Lord cried, He would stop only upon hearing the
chanting of the names of Hari.

COMMENTARY

The word rahena means “to halt” or “to stop.” (This verb is used in
Bangladesh even today.)

TEXT 9

parama saìketa ei sabe büjhilena

kändilei hari-näma sabei layena

TRANSLATION

384
 As everyone came to understand this great mystery, they would all begin to
chant the names of Hari whenever the Lord cried.

COMMENTARY

Everyone understood that if they did not chant the names of Hari, the
Lord would continue crying, and if they would chant the names of Hari, the
Lord would stop crying. Therefore they would chant the names of Hari before
the Lord. Later, Mahäprabhu clearly explained the symptoms of a
mahä-bhägavata, or exalted devotee, to Rämänanda Vasu as follows:

yäìhära darçane mukhe äise kåñëa-näma

täìhäre jäniha tumi ’vaiñëava-pradhäna’

TRANSLATION

“Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu said: A first-class Vaiñëava is he whose very

presence makes others chant the holy name of Kåñëa.”

TEXT 10

sarva-loke ävariyä thäke sarva-kñaëa

kautuka karaye ye rasika deva-gaëa

TRANSLATION

While the Lord was constantly surrounded by people, some mischievous

demigods played pranks on them.

COMMENTARY

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 Lord Gaurahari desired to be always surrounded by many people. From His
childhood the Lord inaugurated the sacrifice of chanting the names of Kåñëa
in the company of many people. Although the Lord destroys all dangers,
lamentation, and fearfulness and awards immortality, the mischievous
demigods found that His relatives who resided nearby and always stayed by
His side were fearful, so in order to have some fun they scared them further.

TEXT 11

kona deva alakñite gåhete sämbhäya

chäyä dekhi’ sabe bole,—’ei cora yäya’

TRANSLATION

One of them secretly entered the Lord’s house, and when the people saw his
shadow, they exclaimed, “There goes a thief!”

COMMENTARY

The word sämbhäya means “to enter.”

TEXT 12

’narasiàha’ ’narasiàha’ keha kare dhvani

’aparäjitära stotra’ käro mukhe çuni

TRANSLATION

Someone chanted, “Nåsiàha! Nåsiàha!” and someone offered prayers to

386
Aparäjitä, goddess Durgä.

COMMENTARY

It was a common practice at that time to chant the name of Nåsiàha in

order to be delivered from danger. People who were attached to the worship of
Durgä, however, chanted prayers to goddess Aparäjitä.

TEXT 13

nänä-mantre keha daça dik bandha kare

uöhila parama kalarava çacé-ghare

TRANSLATION

Someone else would protect the ten directions by mantra. In this way a
commotion arose in the house of Mother Çacé.

COMMENTARY

The process of protecting the ten directions with mantras in order to stop
any danger from entering was also current.

TEXT 14

prabhu dekhi’ gåhera bahire deva yäya

sabe bole,—’ei-mata äse o päläya’

TRANSLATION

387
 As the demigod left the house after seeing the Lord, everyone exclaimed,
“There he goes!”

COMMENTARY

Another reading for the second line is sabe bole, ei jäta-härëé

paläya—“Everyone exclaimed, ’There goes that witch!’”

TEXT 15

keha bole,—’dhara, dhara, ei cora yäya’

’nåsiàha’ ’nåsiàha’ keha òäkaye sadäya

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “Catch him! Catch him! There goes the thief!” Someone else
repeatedly chanted, “Nåsiàha! Nåsiàha!”

TEXT 16

kona ojhä bole,—’äji eòäili bhäla

nä jänis nåsiàhera pratäpa viçäla’

TRANSLATION

One exorcist said, “You are lucky you escaped today. You don’t know the
great power of Lord Nåsiàhadeva!”

COMMENTARY

388
 The word ojhä is a corruption of the name Upädhyäya. People with such a
name are generally physicians expert in chanting mantras to treat those
suffering from ghosts, evil spirits, and snake bites. The great potency of the
Nåsiàha-mantra is fierce and unbearable for ghosts, evil spirits, and
apparitions.

TEXT 17

seikhäne thäki’ deva häse alakñite

paripürëa haila mäseka ei-mate

TRANSLATION

The demigods who were secretly standing there watching everything began
to laugh, and in this way one month passed.

TEXT 18

bälaka-utthäna-parve yata näré-gaëa

çacé-saìge gaìgä-snäne karilä gamana

TRANSLATION

On the occasion of the child’s coming out of the maternity room, the ladies
accompanied Çacédevé for bath in the Ganges.

COMMENTARY

The term bälaka-utthäna-parve refers to the occasion when a child is

389
brought out of the maternity room. In ancient times the mother had to remain
in the maternity room for four months after the child was born. This occasion
is also known as sürya-darçana-saàskära, or seeing the sun for the first time. It
has now been established that after childbirth, brähmaëa mothers are
contaminated for 21 days and çüdras mothers are contaminated for one
month. At the time of Çrémän Mahäprabhu the period of contamination for
the mother of a newborn child was one month, as confirmed in verse 17:
paripürëa haila mäseka ei-mate—“in this way one month passed.” Later on,
Saté Mä, the wife of one Rämaçaraëa Päla (of the äula-sahajiyä sect) came out
of the maternity room right after giving childbirth on the grounds that the
child was gifted by Lord Hari.

TEXT 19

vädya-géta-kolähale kari’ gaìgä-snäna

äge gaìgä püji’ tabe gelä ’ñañöhé-sthäna’

TRANSLATION

As they went for bath, they sang and played musical instruments. They first
worshiped the Ganges, and then they went to worship Ñañöhé.

COMMENTARY

Ñañöhé is an imaginary village goddess. This imaginary village goddess is

worshiped in order to ensure that the child would not die early but would live
up to sixty years. People say that goddess Ñañöhé is to be worshiped on the sixth
day after a child is born. This is part of the niñkramaëa-saàskära, the occasion
of coming out of the maternity room. The word ñañöhé-sthäna refers to the
place beneath either a peepal tree or a banyan tree where goddess Ñañöhé is

390
seated on a cat and holding a newborn child on her lap.

TEXT 20

yathä-vidhi püji’ saba devera caraëa

äilena gåhe paripürëa näré-gaëa

TRANSLATION

After properly worshiping the feet of all the gods, the ladies returned home
feeling satisfied.

COMMENTARY

Worshiping the feet of ordinary demigods is a mundane practice that is also

called idol worship. According to the monist philosophy, this is the method of
worshiping the Absolute Truth with qualities (saguëa). According to the
unalloyed devotees of Viñëu, however, all the demigods and demigoddesses are
constitutionally servants of Lord Viñëu and part and parcel of Viñëu. Their
eternal occupation is to serve Lord Viñëu.

TEXT 21

khai, kalä, taila, sindüra, guyä, päna

sabäre dilena äi kariyä samäna

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé then respectfully distributed roasted paddy, bananas, mustard

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oil, vermilion, betel nut, and pän to the ladies.

COMMENTARY

The word äi is a corruption of the word äryä (an address for an Äryan’s
mother) and is used throughout this book as an address for Mother Çacé.

TEXT 22

bälakere äçiñiyä sarva-näré-gaëa

calilena gåhe, vandi’ äira caraëa

TRANSLATION

All the ladies then blessed the child, offered obeisances to Mother Çacé, and
departed for their respective homes.

TEXT 23

hena mate vaise prabhu äpana-léläya

ke täne jänite päre, yadi nä jänäya

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord performed His pastimes. Who can understand them,
unless they are inspired by the Lord?

TEXT 24

392
 karäite cähe prabhu äpana-kértana
etad arthe kare prabhu saghane rodana

TRANSLATION

The Lord wanted everyone to chant His holy names, so He cried frequently.

TEXT 25

yata yata prabodha karaye näré-gaëa

prabhu punaù punaù kari’ karaye krandana

TRANSLATION

The more the ladies tried to pacify the Lord, the more He would cry.

TEXT 26

’hari hari’ bali’ yadi òäke sarva-jane

tabe prabhu häsi’ cä’na çré-candra-vadane

TRANSLATION

But as soon as they chanted the name of Hari, the Lord would smile and
look at them with His moonlike face.

TEXT 27

393
 jäniyä prabhura citta sarva-jana meli’
sadäi balena ’hari’ diyä karatäli

TRANSLATION

Knowing the heart of the Lord, everyone continually chanted the name of
Hari while clapping their hands.

TEXT 28

änande karaye sabe hari-saìkértana

hari-näme pürëa haila çacéra bhavana

TRANSLATION

Everyone happily performed congregational chanting of the name of Hari,

and thus Çacé’s house became filled with the sound of the holy name of Hari.

TEXT 29

ei-mata vaise prabhu jagannätha-ghare

gupta-bhäve gopälera präya keli kare

TRANSLATION

As the Lord resided in the house of Jagannätha Miçra, He secretly

performed pastimes similar to those of Gopäla Kåñëa.

394
 COMMENTARY

The phrase gopälera präya means “like the son of Nanda, the king of the
cowherd men.”

TEXTS 30-31

ye samaya, yakhana nä thäke keha ghare

ye-kichu thäkaye ghare, sakala vithäre

vithäriyä sakala pheläya cäri-bhite

sarva-ghara bhare taila, dugdha, ghola, ghåte

TRANSLATION

Whenever there was no one home, the Lord would scatter things here and
there and then pour oil, milk, buttermilk, and ghee on the floor.

COMMENTARY

The word vithäre is a corruption of the word vistära, or “scattered here and
there.” The word bhite is a corruption of the word bhitti, which means
“direction.”

TEXT 32

’janané äise’,—hena jäniyä äpane

çayane ächena prabhu, karena rodane

395
 TRANSLATION

When He understood that His mother was coming, He would lie down and
begin to cry.

TEXT 33

’hari hari’ baliyä säntvanä kare mä’ya

ghare dekhe, saba dravya gaòägaòi yäya

TRANSLATION

In order to pacify the crying child, Mother Çacé would chant the name of
Hari. Then she noticed the big mess in the room and inquired.

TEXT 34

’ke phelila sarva-gåhe dhänya, cälu, mugda?’

bhäëòera sahita dekhe bhäìgä dadhi dugdha

TRANSLATION

“Who has scattered this paddy, rice, and dal all over the house?” She also
noticed that the pots of yogurt and milk had been broken.

COMMENTARY

The word cälu means “rice.”

396
 TEXT 35

sabe cäri-mäsera bälaka äche ghare

’ke phelila?’—hena keha bujhite nä päre

TRANSLATION

No one could understand who had scattered everything about. There was
only the four-month-old child at home.

TEXT 36

saba parijana äsi’ milila tathäya

manuñyera cihna-mätra keha nähi päya

TRANSLATION

All the relatives came there, but they were also unable to find a trace of who
had done it.

TEXT 37

keha bole,—’dänava asiyächila ghare

’rakñä lägi’ çiçure närila laìghibäre

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “Some demon must have come, but he was unable to attack

397
the child due to the protective mantras.

COMMENTARY

The word dänava refers to the offspring of Danu, the wife of Kaçyapa. The
words rakñä lägi means “by the influence of protective mantras and kavacas
(amulets),” which the Lord enjoyed. The word närila means “could not.” The
word laìghibäre means “to attack or commit violence.”

TEXT 38

çiçu laìghibäre nä päiyä krodha-mane

apacaya kari’ paläila nija-sthäne’

TRANSLATION

“Being unable to harm the child, he angrily made this mess and then fled
away.”

COMMENTARY

The word apacaya means “loss” or “destruction.”

TEXT 39

miçra-jagannätha dekhi’ citte baòa dhanda

’daiva’ hena jäni’ kichu nä balila manda

TRANSLATION

398
 Jagannätha Miçra was very astonished to see the mess, but considering that
it was an act of providence, he remained silent.

COMMENTARY

The word dhanda is derived from the Hindi word dhändä, which means
“doubt,” “perplexed,” “diversion of intelligence,” “madness,” “suspicion,”
“problem,” “surprise,” and “complication.” The phrase daiva hena refers to an
incident caused by providence.

TEXT 40

daive apacaya dekhi’ dui-jane cähe

bälake dekhiyä kona duùkha nähi rahe

TRANSLATION

In spite of the great wastage, Çacé and Jagannätha forgot all their distress
when they looked at the face of their son.

TEXT 41

ei-mata prati-dina karena kautuka

näma-karaëera käla haila sammukha

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord daily performed some mischief, and then the time for
His name-giving ceremony arrived.

399
 COMMENTARY

The word näma-karaëa refers to one of the ten purificatory processes.

TEXT 42

nélämbara-cakravarté-ädi vidyävän
sarva-bandhu-gaëera haila upasthäna

TRANSLATION

All the learned persons headed by Nélämbara Cakravarté as well as all

friends and relatives came for the ceremony.

COMMENTARY

The word upasthäna means “present” or “assembled.”

TEXT 43

mililä vistara äsi’ pati-vratä-gaëa

lakñmé-präya-déptä sabe sindüra-bhüñaëa

TRANSLATION

Many chaste women, who were decorated with vermilion and as effulgent as
Lakñmé, came for the ceremony.

400
 COMMENTARY

The term lakñmé-präya refers to a chaste lady or a chaste wife decorated

with vermilion.

TEXT 44

näma thuibäre sabe karena vicära

stré-gaëa bolaye eka, anye bole ära

TRANSLATION

Everyone considered what name should be given. The women suggested one
name, and others suggested another name.

COMMENTARY

The word thuibäre means “to keep” and is derived from the Bangladesh
word thoyä.

TEXT 45

’ihäna aneka jyeñöha kanyä-putra näi

çeña ye janmaye, tära näma se ’nimäi’

TRANSLATION

The ladies said, “Since you have lost many daughters, this last born child
should be named Nimäi.”

401
 COMMENTARY

The Lord had many sisters who took birth and died prematurely before His
advent, therefore the Lord was named Nimäi so that He would not also die
prematurely.

TEXT 46

balena vidvän saba kariyä vicära

eka näma yogya haya thuite ihära

TRANSLATION

After due consideration, the learned scholars there suggested an appropriate

name for the child.

TEXT 47

e çiñu janmile mätra sarva-deçe-deçe

durbhikña ghucila, våñöi päila kåñake

TRANSLATION

They said, “Since this child was born, all the surrounding provinces have
been devoid of famine and the farmers have had sufficient rains.

COMMENTARY

After careful consideration the expert learned persons named the child

402
Viçvambhara. Since the birth of this child, His mercy has produced rains from
the cloud of pure devotional service that have showered on the living entities’
hearts, which are compared to the farmers’ fields, burning from the threefold
miseries. Thus the seed of devotional service to Kåñëa has fructified and
grown, and the absence of glorification of Lord Kåñëa has now been
completely eradicated.

TEXT 48

jagat haila sustha ihäna janame

pürve yena påthivé dharilä näräyaëe

TRANSLATION

“Just as Lord Näräyaëa previously delivered the earth, the entire world has
become prosperous since the time of His birth.

COMMENTARY

Previously, when the earth was submerged in the water, Lord Näräyaëa, in
His incarnation as Varäha, delivered and maintained the earth and thus
became known as Viçvambhara. Then again, prior to the incarnation of
Hayagréva, the science of the Absolute Truth was lost to this world, thus the
Vedic literature was merged in the water. Lord Çré Hayagréva then killed the
material knowledge and natural science of the demons Madhu and Kaiöabha
and in this way displayed the glories of Vedic knowledge. For this reason He is
also known as Viçvambhara. Whenever the demigods and human beings are
harassed by the demons, various incarnations of Lord Näräyaëa appear in this
world to protect and maintain the universe. Such incarnations are therefore
also known as Viçvambhara. Since this boy will also protect and maintain the

403
universe just like the incarnations of Viñëu, the name Viçvambhara is
appropriate for Him. After considering in this way, the learned scholars
selected the name Viçvambhara for the Lord. Due to His advent and the
influence of chanting and hearing the names of Kåñëa, people who had
forgotten their constitutional position and become afflicted with unwanted
habits have gotten relief; that is, they have become situated in their
constitutional position, or attained the goal of life.

TEXT 49

ataeva ihäna ’çré-viçvambhara’-näma

kula-dépa koñöhéteo likhila ihäna

TRANSLATION

“Therefore this child should be named Çré Viçvambhara. This name is also
given in His horoscope.

COMMENTARY

From the calculation of Viçvambhara’s horoscope, it is also understood that

He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the original source of all other
Viñëu incarnations.

TEXT 50

’nimäi’ ye balilena pati-vratä-gaëa

sei näma ’dvitéya’ òäkibe sarva-jana

404
 TRANSLATION

“The name Nimäi suggested by the chaste ladies will be His second name.”

COMMENTARY

The name Viçvambhara given to the Lord by the learned scholars is His
primary name, and the name Nimäi given by the chaste ladies is His secondary
name. From today people will first address Him as Viçvambhara and then as
Nimäi.

TEXT 51

sarva-çubha-kñaëa näma-karaëa-samaye
gétä, bhägavata, veda brähmaëa paòaye

TRANSLATION

The occasion of the child’s name-giving ceremony was most auspicious. The
brähmaëas recited the Bhagavad-gétä, the Çrémad Bhägavatam, and the Vedas.

COMMENTARY

Whenever the name-giving ceremony is conducted at the house of a

brähmaëa or Vaiñëava, the brähmaëas recite Bhagavad-gétä, Çrémad
Bhägavatam, and Vedic literature. On this occasion all auspicious symptoms
like favorable winds and absence of unseasonal weather conditions prevailed.

405
 TEXT 52

deva-nara-gaëe karaye ekatra maìgala

hari-dhvani, çaìkha, ghaëöä bäjaye sakala

TRANSLATION

Both demigods and human beings chanted the name of Hari, as conchshells
were blown and bells were rung.

TEXT 53

dhänya, puìthi, kai, kaòi, svarëa, rajatädi yata

dharibära nimitta saba kailä upanéta

TRANSLATION

In order to examine the child’s preference, they kept paddy, a book, roasted
paddy, money, gold, and silver in front of Him.

TEXT 54

jagannätha bole,—’çuna, bäpa viçvambhara

yähä citte laya, tähä dharaha satvara’

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra said, “Listen, my dear Viçvambhara, pick up whatever

406
You find attractive.”

TEXT 55

sakala chäòiyä prabhu çré-çacénandana

’bhägavata’ dhariyä dilena äliìgana

TRANSLATION

Çré Çacénandana left everything aside and embraced the Çrémad Bhägavatam.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara did not grab the rice paddy, gold, or silver, which are
meant for the vaiçyas, nor did He grab the puffed rice to become a gluttonous
greedy brähmaëa; rather from among the many Vedic literatures He grabbed
only Çrémad Bhägavatam and held it to His chest. By this gesture the Lord
established the supremacy of Çrémad Bhägavatam and disclosed His future
pastimes of preaching devotional service to Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 56

pati-vratä-gaëe ’jaya’ deya cäri-bhita

sabei bolena,—’baòa haibe paëòita’

TRANSLATION

From all sides the chaste ladies exclaimed, “Jaya! Jaya!” Everyone predicted
that the child would become a great learned scholar.

407
 COMMENTARY

Seeing the Lord’s eagerness for taking Çrémad Bhägavatam, the less
intelligent women concluded that Nimäi would be simply a learned academic
scholar.

TEXT 57

keha bole,—’çiçu baòa haibe vaiñëava

alpe sarva-çästrera jänibe anubhava’

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “This child will be a great Vaiñëava. He will realize the
purport of the scriptures in a short time.”

COMMENTARY

Some knower of the future considered that Viçvambhara would be an

exalted Vaiñëava in due course of time, and by the influence of His devotion
to Viñëu, He would attain extraordinary knowledge in all scriptures.

TEXT 58

ye dike häsiyä prabhu cä’na viçvambhara

änande siïcita haya tära kalevara

TRANSLATION

408
 Whoever was blessed by Viçvambhara’s smiling glance was filled with
happiness.

TEXT 59

ye karaye kole, sei eòite nä jäne

devera durlabhe kole kare näré-gaëe

TRANSLATION

Whoever took Him on their lap did not like to put Him down. In this way
the ladies held on their laps He who is rarely attained by the demigods.

TEXT 60

prabhu yei kände, sei-kñaëe näré-gaëa

häte täle diyä kare hari-saìkértana

TRANSLATION

Whenever the Lord cried, the women immediately clapped their hands and
chanted the names of Hari.

TEXT 61

çuniyä näcena prabhu kolera upare

viçeñe sakala-näré hari-dhvani kare

409
 TRANSLATION

As the Lord heard their chanting, He began to dance on their laps. This in
turn inspired the ladies to chant with greater enthusiasm.

TEXT 62

niravadhi sabära vadane hari-näma

chale boläyena prabhu,—hena icchä täna

TRANSLATION

Everyone there continually chanted the names of Hari, for they were
induced by the will of the Supreme Lord.

TEXT 63

’täna icchä vinä kona karma siddha nahe’

vede çästre bhägavate ei tattva kahe

TRANSLATION

Without the Lord’s will, no activities are successful. This is confirmed in

the Vedic literature and the Çrémad Bhägavatam.

COMMENTARY

It is concluded in the Vedic literatures and in the Çrémad Bhägavatam that

without the will of the Lord, no fruitive worker in this world can attain his

410
desired goal. Simply by the will of the Lord, who inaugurated the saìkértana
movement, everyone in the world chanted the names of Hari on the pretext of
the lunar eclipse. Again, the Lord induced men and women to chant the
names on the pretext of His own crying.

TEXT 64

ei-mate karäiyä nija-saìkértana

dine-dine bäòe prabhu çré-çacénandana

TRANSLATION

In this way the Supreme Lord, Çré Çacénandana, inspired everyone to chant
His holy names as He grew up day by day.

TEXT 65

jänu-gati cale prabhu parama-sundara

kaöite kiìkiëé bäje ati manohara

TRANSLATION

The crawling of the Lord was most beautiful, and the tinkling sound of the
bells on His waist enchanted the minds of all.

COMMENTARY

The word kiìkiëé refers to small bells worn around the waist.

411
 TEXT 66

parama-nirbhaye sarva-aìgane vihare

kibä agni, sarpa, yähä dekhe, täi dhare

TRANSLATION

He fearlessly wandered throughout the courtyard and grabbed whatever He

saw, even a fire or a snake.

TEXT 67

eka dina eka sarpa bäòéte veòäya

dharilena sarpe prabhu bälaka-léläya

TRANSLATION

One day a snake entered the house, and the Lord caught hold of it in
childish sport.

TEXT 68

kuëòalé kariyä sarpa rahila veòiyä

öhäkura thäkilä tära upare çuiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord then laid down on the coils of the snake.

412
 COMMENTARY

The word kuëòalé means “snake,” but in this context it refers to the coils of
the snake.

TEXT 69

äthe-vyathe sabe dekhi’ ’häya häya’ kare

çuiyä häsena prabhu sarpera upare

TRANSLATION

Seeing this, everyone immediately exclaimed, “Alas! Alas!” but the Lord
simply smiled as He lay on the snake.

COMMENTARY

The word äthe-vyathe comes from the Sanskrit asta-vyasta and is a

corruption of the word äste-vyaste, which means “hurriedly.”

TEXT 70

’garuòa’ ’garuòa’ bali’ òäke sarva-jana

pitä-mätä-ädi bhaye karaye krandana

TRANSLATION

All the people there called out, “Garuòa! Garuòa!” and the Lord’s parents
cried out of fear.

413
 COMMENTARY

Garuòa is the king of birds and the chastiser of snakes. Even today people
take shelter of Garuòa or chant his name in order to get free from the fear of
snakes.

TEXT 71

calilä ’ananta’ çuni’ sabära krandana

punaù dharibäre yä’na çré-çacénandana

TRANSLATION

Hearing everyone cry, Lord Ananta began to depart, but the son of Çacé
tried again to grab Him.

COMMENTARY

Lord Çré Çeña accepted the form of a snake and assisted Gaurasundara in
His childhood pastimes. The people who were present there considered Him
an ordinary snake and, following worldly custom, they surrendered to Garuòa
and prayed for Nimäi’s release from the snake’s clutches. That is why
Anantadeva the snake left that place, but the Lord tried to bring Him back.

TEXT 72

dhariyä äniyä sabe karilena kole

’cira-jévé hao’ kari’ näré-gaëa bole

414
 TRANSLATION

The ladies quickly caught hold of the Lord and took Him on their laps,
blessing Him with the words, “Live a long life.”

COMMENTARY

The word kari’ means “by doing” or “by saying.”

TEXT 73

keha ’rakñä’ bändhe, keha paòe svasti-väëé

aìge keha deya viñëu-pädokaka äni’

TRANSLATION

Someone tied a protective charm on Him, and someone recited auspicious

hymns. Someone else sprinkled caraëämåta on Him.

COMMENTARY

In the word svasti-väëé, svasti is composed of su and asti, which indicate a

blessing that means “all good unto you.” The word viñëu-pädokaka refers to
Ganges water or the water used to bath the çälagräma-çilä.

TEXT 74

keha bole,—’bälakera punar-janma haila’

keha bole,—’jäti-sarpa, teïi nä laìghila’

415
 TRANSLATION

Someone said, “This child has received a new life,” and someone said,
“That was a special snake, and therefore it did not bite Him.”

COMMENTARY

The word jäti-sarpa refers to a great snake, the king of snakes, who serves as
a bed for the Lord to sleep on. The word teïi means “that is why” or “for this
reason.” The word laìghila’ means “bitten.”

TEXT 75

häse prabhu gauracandra sabäre cähiyä

punaù punaù yäya, sabe änena dhariyä

TRANSLATION

Lord Gauracandra glanced on everyone present and smiled. He tried again

and again to go catch the snake, but they repeatedly stopped Him.

TEXT 76

bhakti kari’ ye e-saba veda-gopya çune

saàsära-bhujaìga täre nä kare laìghane

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears these confidential topics with devotion will never be bitten

416
by the snake of material existence.

COMMENTARY

The word saàsära-bhujaìga refers to the snake of material existence.

When such a snake bites a living entity, he becomes afflicted by the poison of
material enjoyment, which increases his attachment for material existence. In
this way the conditioned living entity is afflicted by the poison of enjoyment
and considers himself to be the enjoyer. He then continually searches for
material happiness, simply due to forgetfulness of Gaura-Näräyaëa. One who
properly discusses the Supreme Lord Gaura-Näräyaëa’s pastime of sleeping on
the bed of Ananta Çeña never considers the Supreme Lord, who is full in six
opulences, to be anything like the conditioned souls, who are under the
control of mäyä. Such a person knows himself to be an eternal servant of the
Lord; he is not agitated by the thirst for material enjoyment. In this
connection one may refer to such statements as found in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.16.61-62): na yuñmad bhayam äpnuyät—“he will never be
afraid of you,” and sarva-päpaiù pramucyate—“he is sure to become free from
all sinful reactions.”

TEXT 77

ei-mata dine-dine çré-çacénandana

häìöiyä karaye prabhu aìgane bhramaëa

TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Çacénandana eventually began walking in the courtyard of

the house.

417
 TEXT 78

jiniyä kandarpa-koöi sarväìgera rüpa

cändera lägaye sädha dekhite se-mukha

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s beautiful form defeated the beauty of millions of Cupids. Indeed,
even the moon desired to see His face.

COMMENTARY

The unlimitedly sweet beautiful face of Çré Gaurasundara defeats the

beauty of millions of moons. That is why the moon-god personally desires to
see the beautiful face of Çré Gaurasundara.

TEXT 79

suvalita mastake cäìcara bhäla-keça

kamala-nayana,—yena gopälera veça

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s head was decorated with curling locks of hair, and with His
lotus eyes He looked just like Gopäla.

COMMENTARY

The word suvalita means “nicely decorated.” The word cäìcara means

418
“curly.” The word bhäla-keça refers to hairs that fall over the forehead. The
words gopälera veça mean “dressed like Kåñëa.” The body of Çré Mahäprabhu is
nondifferent from the body of Kåñëa, His external complexion in that of Çré
Rädhikä, and His internal mood is like that of the gopés. Therefore He was
seen in the dress of a cowherd boy.

TEXT 80

äjänu-lambita-bhuja, aruëa adhara

sakala-lakñaëa-yukta vakña-parisara

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s hands reached to His knees, His lips were reddish, His chest
was broad, and He was decorated with all other auspicious symptoms.

COMMENTARY

The word aruëa means “the color of blood” or “red.”

TEXT 81

sahaje aruëa gaura-deha manohara

viçeñe aìguli, kara, caraëa sundara

TRANSLATION

The enchanting golden body of the Lord resembled the color of the rising
sun, and His fingers, hands, and lotus feet were all beautifully formed.

419
 TEXT 82

bälaka-svabhäve prabhu yabe cali’ yäya

rakta paòe hena,—dekhi’ mäye träsa päya

TRANSLATION

As the Lord walked around just like a young child, His mother became
frightened thinking that His reddish feet were bleeding.

COMMENTARY

Since the lotus feet and toes of the Lord looked as red as pomegranate
flowers, Çacédevé feared that the Lord’s lotus feet were bleeding.

TEXT 83

dekhi’ çacé-jagannätha baòai vismita

nirdhana, tathäpi doìhe mahä-änandita

TRANSLATION

Seeing this, Çacémätä and Jagannätha Miçra became greatly astonished.

Although they were poor, they were always joyful.

COMMENTARY

If a great personality is born in a family, many of his relatives achieve

liberation from material existence by his association. This is the belief of

420
God-fearing people. Since Çacé and Jagannätha considered their son a great
personality, they expected good fortune in the future as well as liberation.

TEXT 84

känäkäni kare doìhe nirjane vasiyä

“kona mahäpuruña vä janmilä äsiyä

TRANSLATION

One day, as they sat together in seclusion, they whispered to each other,
“Some great personality has taken birth in our family.

TEXT 85

hena bujhi,—saàsära-duùkhera haila anta

janmila ämära ghare hena guëavanta

TRANSLATION

“Since such a qualified person has taken birth in our house, perhaps our
material distress will come to an end.

TEXT 86

emana çiçura réti kabhu nähi çuni

niravadhi näce, häse, çuni’ hari-dhvani

421
 TRANSLATION

“We have never before heard of such behavior in a child. He continually

dances and smiles upon hearing the sound of the holy names.

TEXT 87

tävat krandana kare, prabodha nä mäne

baòa kari’ hari-dhvani yävat nä çune”

TRANSLATION

“Whenever He cries, He is not pacified until He hears the loud chanting of

the name of Hari.”

TEXT 88

üñaù-käla haile yateka näré-gaëa

bälake veòiyä sabe kare saìkértana

TRANSLATION

In the morning all the ladies would gather around the child and perform
saìkértana.

TEXT 89

’hari’ bali’ näré-gaëe deya karatäli

422
 näce gaurasundara bälaka kutühalé

TRANSLATION

As they clapped their hands and chanted the name of Hari, Gaurasundara
would enthusiastically dance.

TEXT 90

gaòägaòi yäya prabhu dhüläya dhüsara

uöhi’ häse jananéra kolera upara

TRANSLATION

The Lord would become covered with dust as He rolled on the ground, and
then He would smile and climb onto the lap of His mother.

COMMENTARY

The words gaòägaòi yäya mean “rolling on the ground,” and the word
dhüsara means “dust-colored.”

TEXT 91

hena aìga-bhaìgé kari’ näce gauracandra

dekhiyä sabära haya atula änanda

TRANSLATION

423
 Everyone felt incomparable happiness on seeing the various postures that
Gauracandra exhibited as He danced.

COMMENTARY

The word aìga-bhaìgé refers to swinging one’s hands.

TEXT 92

hena mate çiçu-bhäve hari-saìkértana

karäyena prabhu, nähi bujhe kona jana

TRANSLATION

In this way no one could understand how the Lord as a child induced others
to chant the holy names.

COMMENTARY

In His childhood pastimes, Nimäi cleverly induced people to engage in the

congregational chanting of the holy names of Hari. Ordinary people could not
understand His tricks.

TEXT 93

niravadhi dhäya prabhu ki ghare, bähire

parama-caïcala, keha dharite nä päre

TRANSLATION

424
 The Lord constantly ran in and out of the house. He was so restless that no
one could catch Him.

TEXT 94

ekeçvara bäòéra bähire prabhu yäya

khai, kalä, sandeça, yä’ dekhe tä’ cäya

TRANSLATION

Sometimes the Lord would go alone outside the house and ask people for
whatever He saw—roasted paddy, bananas, or sandeça.

COMMENTARY

The word ekeçvara means “alone” or “without anyone else.” A corruption of

the word ekeçvara, açvara, is still used around the districts of Noyäkhäli and
Caööagräma in Bangladesh.

TEXT 95

dekhiyä prabhura rüpa parama-mohana

ye-jana nä cine, seha deya tata-kñaëa

TRANSLATION

Captivated on seeing the Lord’s enchanting form, even strangers gave Him
whatever He requested.

425
 TEXT 96

sabei sandeça-kalä deyena prabhure

päiyä santoñe prabhu äisena ghare

TRANSLATION

They would give the Lord bananas and sandeça, and He returned home
satisfied.

TEXT 97

ye-sakala stré-gaëe gäyena hari-näma

tä’-sabäre äni’ saba karena pradäna

TRANSLATION

He then distributed those items to the ladies who chanted the holy names.

TEXT 98

bälakera buddhi dekhi’ häse sarva-jana

häte täli diyä ’hari’ bole anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

Seeing the child’s intelligence, everyone laughed and chanted Hari’s names
while clapping their hands.

426
 TEXT 99

ki vihäne, ki madhyähne, ki rätri, sandhyäya

niravadhi bäòéra bähire prabhu yäya

TRANSLATION

The Lord went out of the house at any time of the day, whether morning,
noon, afternoon, or night.

COMMENTARY

Vihäne is a Hindi word that is a corrupted form of the Bangladesh word

vibhäta, which means “in the morning.”

TEXT 100

nikaöe vasaye yata bandhu-varga-ghare

prati-dina kautuke äpane curi kare

TRANSLATION

He regularly went to the neighboring friends’ houses and playfully stole

things.

TEXT 101

käro ghare dugdha piye, käro bhäta khäya

427
 häëòé bhäìge, yära ghare kichu nähi päya

TRANSLATION

He drank someone’s milk, He ate someone else’s rice, and He broke the pots
if He could not find anything to take.

COMMENTARY

The word häëòé is a Hindi word that means “vessel” or “clay pot.”

TEXT 102

yära ghare çiçu thäke, tähäre kändäya

keha dekhilei mätra uöhiyä paläya

TRANSLATION

If there was a child in the house, the Lord made him cry. And if someone
saw Him, He ran away.

TEXT 103

daiva-yoge yadi keha päre dharibäre

tabe tära pä’ye dharé kare parihäre

TRANSLATION

If by chance the Lord was caught, He fell at the person’s feet in order to

428
gain release.

TEXT 104

“ebära chäòaha more, nä äsiba ära

ära yadi curi karoì, dohäi tomära”

TRANSLATION

“Please leave Me this time. I will not come again. I promise I won’t steal
again.”

TEXT 105

dekhiyä çiçura buddhi, sabei vismita

ruñöa nahe keha, sabe karena piréta

TRANSLATION

Seeing the child’s intelligence, everyone was astonished. They could not
become upset, rather, they loved Him.

COMMENTARY

The word piréta means “love.”

TEXT 106

nija-putra haiteo sabe sneha kare

429
 daraçana-mätra sarva-citta-våtti hare

TRANSLATION

Everyone showed more affection to Him than to their own sons, for the
Lord stole everyone’s heart just by His presence.

COMMENTARY

The matchless quality of the sweet form of Gaura-Kåñëa, who is the Lord of
the samvit potency, is so powerful that it forcibly attracts all transcendentally
pure objects. In this regard one may refer to the Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.2.12).

TEXT 107

ei-mata raìga kare vaikuëöhera räya

sthira nahe eka-öhäïi, bulaye sadäya

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha performed His pastimes as He constantly

wandered about.

COMMENTARY

The words vaikuëöhera räya refer to the king of Vaikuëöha, Çré Näräyaëa.

TEXT 108

eka-dina prabhura dekhiyä dui core

430
 yukti kare,—“kä’ra çiçu beòäya nagare”

TRANSLATION

One day two thieves saw the Lord and contemplated, “Whose child is this,
wandering alone in the streets?”

TEXT 109

prabhura çré-aìge dekhi’ divya alaìkära

haribäre dui core cinte parakära

TRANSLATION

They saw that the Lord was wearing costly ornaments, and they considered
how they could steal them.

COMMENTARY

The word divya means “best,” “highest,” or “beautiful.” The word haribäre
means “in order to steal.” The word parakära means “ways” or “means.”

TEXT 110

’bäpa’ ’bäpa’ bali’ eka core laila kole

“eta-kñaëa kothä chile?”—ära cora bole

TRANSLATION

431
 One of the thieves took the Lord in His arms and said, “My dear child!”
And the other thief said, “Where have You been so long?”

TEXT 111

“jhäö ghare äisa, bäpa” bole dui core

häsiyä bolena prabhu,—“cala yäi ghare”

TRANSLATION

The thieves said, “Come, let us go home,” and the Lord smiled and said,
“Yes, let us go.”

COMMENTARY

The word jhäö is a corruption of the word jhaöiti, which means

“immediately.”

TEXT 112

äthe-vyathe kole kari’ dui core dhäya

loke bole,—“yära çiçu se-i lai’ yäya

TRANSLATION

The two thieves hurriedly carried the Lord away as onlookers considered
that they were taking their own son home.

432
 TEXT 113

arbuda arbuda loka, kebä käre cine?

mahä-tuñöa cora alaìkära-daraçane

TRANSLATION

There were millions of people in Navadvépa, so who could recognize

everyone? The thieves, meanwhile, were greatly satisfied to see the child’s
ornaments.

TEXT 114

keha mane bhäve,—“muïi nimu täòa-bälä”

ei-mate dui core khäya manaù-kalä

TRANSLATION

One of them thought, “I will take the bangles.” And in this way they both
dreamt of their soon-to-be-acquired riches.

COMMENTARY

The words täòa and bälä refer to certain ornaments worn on the hands.
The words khäya manaù-kalä mean “to eat imaginery bananas,” or, in other
words, to futilely endeavor to achieve something.

TEXT 115

433
 dui cora cali’ yäya nija-marma-sthäne
skandhera upare häsi’ yä’na bhagaväne

TRANSLATION

As the two thieves went towards their destination, the Lord smiled while
riding on the thief’s shoulder.

COMMENTARY

The word marma-sthäne refers to the secluded solitary destination desired

by the thieves.

TEXT 116

eka-jana prabhure sandeça deya kare

ära jane bole,—“ei äiläìa ghare”

TRANSLATION

One of the thieves gave the Lord a piece of sandeça, and the other thief said,
“We’re almost home.”

TEXT 117

ei-mata bhäëòiyä aneka düre yäya

hethä yata äpta-gaëa cähiyä veòäya

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 TRANSLATION

In this way the thieves deceived the Lord. As they took Him far away, the
Lord’s relatives began to search for Him.

COMMENTARY

The word bhäëòiyä comes from the root bhaëòa, which means “deceiving,”
“cheating,” or “hiding.” The word cähiyä means “tracing” or “searching.”

TEXT 118

keha keha bole,—“äisa, äisa, viçvambhara”

keha òäke ’nimäi’ kariyä ucca-svara

TRANSLATION

Someone called, “Come, Viçvambhara, come!” Someone else loudly called,

“Nimäi!”

TEXT 119

parama vyäkula hailena sarva-jana

jala vinä yena haya matsyera jévana

TRANSLATION

They all became overwhelmed like a fish out of water.

435
 TEXT 120

sabe sarva-bhäve lailä govinda-çaraëa

prabhu laïä yäya cora äpana-bhavana

TRANSLATION

Everyone took full shelter of Lord Govinda as the thieves took the Lord
towards their house.

TEXT 121

vaiñëavé-mäyäya cora patha nähi cine

jagannätha-ghare äila nija-ghara-jïäne

TRANSLATION

Being influenced by the Lord’s illusory energy, the thieves lost their way
and returned to the house of Jagannätha Miçra while thinking that they had
returned to their own home.

COMMENTARY

The word vaiñëavé-mäyä refers to Viñëu’s insurmountable illusory energy,

which covers and throws the living entities.

TEXT 122

436
 cora dekhe äiläìa nija-marma-sthäne
alaìkära harite haila sävadhäne

TRANSLATION

When the thieves thought that they had returned to their own house, they
prepared to steal the Lord’s ornaments.

COMMENTARY

Because their motive was to steal the ornaments, the thieves became
anxious, impatient, and cautious.

TEXT 123

cora bole,—“näma’ bäpa, äiläìa ghara”

prabhu bole,—“haya haya, nämäo satvara”

TRANSLATION

One of them said, “Please get down, my dear child. We have reached
home.” The Lord replied, “Yes, yes, put Me down quickly.”

COMMENTARY

Haya, haya means “yes, yes.”

TEXT 124

437
 yekhäne sakala-gaëe miçra jagannätha
viñäda bhävena sabe mäthe diyä häta

TRANSLATION

Meanwhile, Jagannätha Miçra and his associates held their heads in

lamentation.

COMMENTARY

The words viñäda bhävena mean “deep lamentation.”

TEXT 125

mäyä-mugdha cora öhäkurere sei-sthäne

skandha haite nämäila nija-ghara-jïäne

TRANSLATION

The thieves, illusioned by mäyä, set the child down at that very place while
considering that it was their own house.

TEXT 126

nämilei mätra prabhu gelä pitå-kole

mahänanda kari’ sabe ’hari’ ’hari’ bole

TRANSLATION

438
 The Lord immediately went to the lap of His father, and everyone chanted
the name of Hari in great joy.

TEXT 127

sabära haila anirvacanéya raìga

präëa äsi’ dehera haila yena saìga

TRANSLATION

The people’s condition was beyond description; it was as if their lives

returned to their bodies.

COMMENTARY

The word raìga means “happiness” or “jubilation.”

TEXT 128

äpanära ghara nahe,—dekhe dui core

kothä äsiyächi, kichu cinite nä päre

TRANSLATION

The thieves then realized that it was not their house, but they could not
understand where they were.

TEXT 129

439
 gaëòagole kebä käre avadhäna kare?
cäri-dige cähi’ cora paläila òare

TRANSLATION

In the middle of the commotion, no one saw what had happened. Thus
undetected, the thieves ran away in fear.

COMMENTARY

The word avadhäna means “aim,” “sight,” or “search.”

TEXT 130

“parama adbhuta!” dui cora mane gaëe’

cora bole,—“bhelaki vä dila kona jane?”

TRANSLATION

Both the thieves thought, “How strange!” One of them said, “Did someone
perform some magic on us?”

COMMENTARY

What to speak of stealing the Lord’s ornaments, under the influence of the
illusory energy the thieves returned the Lord to His own house. When they
understood where they were, they immediately ran away to their own place,
and after carefully considering their foolishness and what had happened, they
were struck with wonder.

440
 The word bhelaki is a combination of bhul and kåti and means “magic,”
“witchcraft,” or “cheating.”

TEXT 131

“caëòé räkhilena äji”—bole dui core

sustha haiyä dui cora koläkuli kare

TRANSLATION

They both concluded, “Goddess Caëòé has saved us today.” Then, after they
regained their composure, they embraced each other.

COMMENTARY

In this verse the words caëòé räkhilena mean “our worshipable goddess
Caëòé has protected us today.”

TEXT 132

paramärthe dui cora—mahä-bhägyavän

näräyaëa yära skandhe karilä utthäna

TRANSLATION

In reality, the two thieves were most fortunate for they had carried the
Supreme Personality of Godhead on their shoulders.

COMMENTARY

441
 The word paramärthe means “in truth” or “factually.”
The good fortune of the two thieves is indescribable, because thousands of
spiritual practitioners engaged in thousands of spiritual practices cannot
achieve the service of the Lord, which is rarely attained by even Lord Brahmä.
Yet in spite of traveling the sinful road of thievery, due to previous piety the
two thieves carried the Supreme Lord Gaura-Näräyaëa on their shoulders.
The words karilä utthäna mean “climbed upon,” or “seated on.”

TEXT 133

ethä sarva-gaëe mane karena vicära

“ke änila, deha’ vastra çire bändhi’ tära”

TRANSLATION

In the meantime, everyone thought, “Who brought Him back? Tie some
new cloth on his head as a gift.”

COMMENTARY

As a person who recovers his lost treasure desires to unconditionally reward

the finder of the treasure, the elder persons who felt intense distress in the
absence of Viçvambhara now desired to reward and honor with a turban the
person who had mitigated their distress by returning Nimäi.

TEXT 134

keha bole,—“dekhilaìa loka dui-jana

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 çiçu thui kon dike karila gamana”

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “I saw two persons come here. They set the child down and
then vanished.”

TEXT 135

“ämi äniïächi”—kona jana nähi bole

adbhuta dekhiyä sabe paòilena bhole

TRANSLATION

Since no one said, “I brought Him,” everyone became perplexed.

COMMENTARY

The word bhola is a corruption of the word bhula, which means “mistake,”
“error,” “illusion,” or “loss of intelligence.”

TEXT 136

sabe jijïäsena,—“bäpa, keha ta’ nimäi?

ke tomäre änila päiyä kon öhäïi?”

TRANSLATION

They all asked Nimäi, “Dear child, please tell us, who brought You here?

443
Where did he find You?”

TEXT 137

prabhu bole,—“ämi giyächinu gaìgä-tére

patha häräiyä ämi veòäi nagare

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “I went to the bank of the Ganges and then lost My way.

TEXT 138

tabe dui jana ämä’ kolete kariyä

kon pathe eikhäne thuila äniyä”

TRANSLATION

“As I was wandering on the street, two strangers took Me in their arms and
brought Me here.”

TEXT 139

sabe bole,—“mithyä kabhu nahe çästra-väëé

daive räkhe çiçu, vådha, anätha äpani”

TRANSLATION

444
 Everyone said, “The statements of the scriptures cannot be false. It is said
that children as well as old and helpless people are protected by providence.”

COMMENTARY

The word daive refers to the invisible omniscient creator, or Viñëu.

TEXT 140

ei-mata vicära karena sarva-jane

viñëu-mäyä-mohe keha tattva nähi jäne

TRANSLATION

In this way the people considered what had happened, but they could not
know the facts due to being illusioned by Lord Viñëu’s illusory energy.

COMMENTARY

Lord Viñëu is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge. Sometimes He mercifully

manifests before a person and instructs him in transcendental knowledge, and
sometimes He bewilders a person with His illusory energy by which He
generally bewilders the demons. The illusory energy is also named Vaiñëavé, or
Daivé-mäyä. As stated in the Bhagavad-gétä (7.14): daivé hy eñä guëa-mayé
mama mäyä duratyayä—“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three
modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome.” It is also stated in the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.7.4-5):

bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praëihite ’male

apaçyat puruñaà pürëaà mäyäà ca tad-apäçrayam
yayä sammohito jéva ätmänaà tri-guëätmakam
445
 paro ’pi manute ’narthaà tat-kåtaà cäbhipadyate

“Thus he fixed his mind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in devotional

service [bhakti-yoga] without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the
Absolute Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was
under full control. Due to this external energy, the living entity, although
transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a
material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries.” Mäyä
means “that which is not.” In other words, mäyä is that which induces a living
entity to try to understand, measure, or achieve satisfaction from a material
object with the help of his mental speculation. It is stated: mäyä-mugdha jévera
nähi svataù kåñëa-jïäna—“When a living entity is enchanted by the external
energy, he cannot revive his original Kåñëa consciousness independently.”
Such people are therefore unable to understand the science of the
transcendentally pure Absolute Truth, or Brahman, Paramätmä, and
Bhagavän.

TEXT 141

ei-mata raìga kare vaikuëöhera räya

ke täìre jänite päre, yadi nä jänäya

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha performed amazing pastimes. Who can
understand those pastimes unless the Lord reveals them?

COMMENTARY

The word raìga means “to enjoy pastimes.” For an explanation of the
second line of this verse, one may refer to the prayers of Lord Brahmä in the
446
Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.14.29).

TEXT 142

veda-gopya e-saba äkhyäna yei çune

täìra dåòha-bhakti haya caitanya-caraëe

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears these topics, which are confidential to even the Vedas, will
certainly attain firm devotion for the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.

TEXT 143

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cäìda jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends the English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya of Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Chapter Four, entitled “Name-giving Ceremony,
Childhood Pastimes, and Thieves Kidnap the Lord.”

447
 Chapter Five: Eating the Mendicant Brähmaëa’s Offerings

This chapter describes Çacé and Jagannätha Miçra hearing the sound of
ankle bells and seeing wonderful footprints inside their house and
Gaura-gopäla’s eating the wandering mendicant’s food.
One day Çré Jagannätha Miçra ordered his son to bring a book from the
house. As Nimäi went in the house to bring the book, Çacé and Jagannätha
heard the pleasing sound of ankle bells. After Viçvambhara brought the book
and went out to play, the brähmaëa couple saw footprints marked with a flag,
thunderbolt, goad, and banner in their house. But due to the nature of
paternal affection, they could not understand that those footprints belonged
to their own jewel-like son, rather they concluded that their family Deity, Çré
Dämodara-çälagräma, had walked about their house unseen. Thinking in this
way, they arranged an abhiñeka, a special offering, and worship for their Deity,
Lord Dämodara. On another day a mendicant brähmaëa who worshiped
Bäla-gopäla became a guest at the house of Jagannätha Miçra. After
completing his cooking, the brähmaëa offered Lord Kåñëa the foodstuffs in
meditation. In order to bestow mercy on the devoted brähmaëa, Gaura-gopäla
came there and ate a handful of the rice offering. Seeing the boy eat the food
that he had offered to Kåñëa, the mendicant brähmaëa shouted, “This naughty
boy has spoiled the offering.” When Jagannätha Miçra heard this he prepared
to beat the boy in anger, but he was stopped by the brähmaëa’s request.
Jagannätha Miçra then requested the brähmaëa to again cook an offering for
Kåñëa. At the suggestion of those present, mother Çacédevé took the boy to the
neighbor’s house until the brähmaëa finished eating. Meanwhile, the
brähmaëa cooked for the second time and then offered the foodstuffs to
Bäla-gopäla in meditation. At that moment, Çré Gaurasundara, the

448
predominating Deity of the mind, bewildered everyone with His yogamäyä
potency, came before the brähmaëa, and began to eat the offering. When the
brähmaëa again loudly shouted, “The offering is spoiled!” Jagannätha Miçra
became even more angry at Nimäi. Thereafter, on the special request of
Viçvarüpa, Viçvambhara’s elder brother, the brähmaëa agreed to cook again.
All the relatives then sat around the Lord in a room, and Jagannätha Miçra sat
at the doorway to ensure that the naughty boy could not spoil the offering
again. Jagannätha Miçra and the others even considered binding the boy with
ropes. When the child Gaurahari displayed His pastimes of yoga-nidrä (mystic
sleep) inside the room, everyone felt relieved. Then, since it was late at night,
everyone fell asleep. When the brähmaëa meditated on offering the foodstuffs
to Bäla-gopäla for the third time, Gaura-gopäla again came and ate the
offering. Çré Gaurasundara then appeared before the brähmaëa in a
four-armed form holding conch, disc, club, and lotus; He ate butter with one
hand from a pot held in another hand and with two other hands He played
flute. After appearing in that wonderful form along with His own abode, the
Lord bestowed unlimited mercy on the pious brähmaëa. He explained to the
brähmaëa His own identity, the brähmaëa’s position as His eternal servant,
and the cause of His incarnation, and then the Lord forbade the brähmaëa
from disclosing these secret topics to anyone. After this incident the
brähmaëa would beg alms here and there during the day, but one time
everyday he would visit the house of Jagannätha Miçra in Navadvépa to see his
worshipable Lord.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya bhakta-priya prabhu viçvambhara

dhvaja-vajräìkuça-pada mahä-maheçvara

449
 TRANSLATION

All glories to the devotees’ beloved Lord Viçvambhara, whose lotus feet are
marked with the flag, thunderbolt, and goad. He is the Lord of all lords.

COMMENTARY

The lotus feet of Çré Viñëu, who is the Lord of lords, are marked with flag,
thunderbolt, goad, and banner.

TEXT 2

hena mate äche prabhu jagannätha-ghare

alakñite bahu-vidha svaprakäça kare

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord secretly manifested various pastimes while residing in
the house of Jagannätha Miçra.

TEXT 3

eka-dina òäki’ bole miçra-purandara

“ämära pustaka äna’ bäpa viçvambhara!”

TRANSLATION

One day Jagannätha Miçra called to Viçvambhara, “My dear son, please
bring my book.”

450
 TEXT 4

bäpera vacana çuni’ ghare dhäïä yäya

ruëujhunu kariye nüpura bäje pä’ya

TRANSLATION

Hearing His father’s words, Viçvambhara ran into the room and the sound
of ankle bells was heard as He moved.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara began to manifest His unlimitedly variegated pastimes of

Vaikuëöha that surpass the material intelligence and vision of ordinary
people.

TEXT 5

miçra bole,—“kothä çuni nüpurera dhvani?”

catur-dike cäya dui brähmaëa-brähmaëé

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra said, “From where is the sound of ankle bells coming?”
The brähmaëa couple then began to look around.

COMMENTARY

The word ruëujhunu refers to the gentle sweet sound of ankle bells.

451
 TEXT 6

“ämära putrera pä’ye nähika nüpura

kothäya bäjila vädya nüpura madhura?”

TRANSLATION

“My son is not wearing ankle bells, so where has the sweet sound of ankle
bells come from?”

TEXT 7

ki adbhuta! ’dui-jane mane mane gaëe’

vacana nä sphure dui-janera vadane

TRANSLATION

They both considered the incident to be most strange, and they were unable
to speak.

TEXT 8

puìthi diyä prabhu calilena kheläite

ära adbhuta dekhe giyä gåhera mäjhete

TRANSLATION

The Lord gave the book to His father and then went outside to play. But

452
when the couple went inside the room, they experienced another wonder.

TEXT 9

saba gåhe dekhe aparüpa pada-cihna

dhvaja, vraja, aìkuça, patäkädi bhinna bhinna

TRANSLATION

All over the room they saw extraordinary footprints decorated with signs
like the flag, thunderbolt, goad, and banner.

TEXT 10

änandita doìhe dekhi’ apürva caraëa

doìhe hailä pulakita sajala-nayana

TRANSLATION

They both became filled with ecstasy on seeing those incomparable

footprints. Their hairs stood on end and tears flowed from their eyes.

TEXT 11

päda-padma dekhi’ doìhe kare namaskära

doìhe bole,—“nistärimu, janma nähi ära”

TRANSLATION

453
 They both offered obeisances to those lotus footprints and said, “We are
delivered! We will not take another birth.”

COMMENTARY

One who even once sees the lotus feet of Lord Viñëu is delivered from
material existence. In other words, such a person attains the supreme
destination known as that place from which no one returns. It is stated in the
Viñëu-dharmottara:

tävad bhramanti saàsäre manuñyä manda-buddhayaù

yävad rüpaà na paçyanti keçavasya mahätmanaù

“A less intelligent person continually wanders in the cycle of birth and

death as long as he does not see the form of Keçava.” Understanding this, the
brähmaëa couple, who considered themselves ordinary persons, spoke in this
way.

TEXT 12

miçra bole,—“çuna, viçvarüpera janané!

ghåta-paramänna rändhaha äpani

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra said, “Listen, mother of Viçvarüpa, go and cook some

fried rice with ghee for our çälagräma.

TEXT 13

454
 ghare ye ächena dämodara-çälagräma
païca-gavye sakäle karämu täne snäna

TRANSLATION

“Tomorrow morning I will bath our Dämodara çälagräma with païca-gavya.

COMMENTARY

The word dämodara-çälagräma refers to one of twenty-four varieties of

çälagräma-çiläs. (One may refer to the fifth chapter of the Hari-bhakti-viläsa.)
The family Deity of Jagannätha Miçra was Çré Çälagräma.
Païca-gavya refers to milk, yogurt, ghee, cow urine, and cow dung, and
snäna means abhiñeka, or “bathing the Deity.”

TEXT 14

bujhilaìa,—teìho ghare bulena äpani

ataeva çuniläìa nüpurera dhvani”

TRANSLATION

“I can understand that our çälagräma is walking around the room. That is
why we heard the sound of ankle bells.”

TEXT 15

ei-mate dui-jane parama-hariñe

455
 çälagräma püjä kare, prabhu mane häse

TRANSLATION

In this way they both worshiped çälagräma-çilä with great satisfaction, and
the Lord smiled within.

TEXT 16

ära eka kathä çuna parama-adbhuta

ye raìga karilä prabhu jagannätha-suta

TRANSLATION

Now please hear another wonderful pastime performed by the son of

Jagannätha.

TEXT 17

parama-sukåti eka tairthika brähmaëa

kåñëera uddeçe kare tértha paryaöana

TRANSLATION

One most pious mendicant brähmaëa was wandering to various holy places
in search of Kåñëa.

TEXT 18

456
 ñaò-akñara gopäla-mantrera kare upäsana
gopäla-naivedya vinä nä kare bhojana

TRANSLATION

He worshiped the Lord with the six-syllable Gopäla mantra, and he would
eat only what he had first offered to Gopäla.

COMMENTARY

The six-syllable Gopäla mantra refers to the mantra that begins with
oàkära, käma-béja (kléà), then dative case, and ending with namaù.

TEXT 19

daive bhägyavän tértha bhramite bhramite

äsiyä mililä vipra prabhura bäòéte

TRANSLATION

In the course of visiting the various holy places, that fortunate brähmaëa
arrived by providence at the house of the Lord.

TEXT 20

kaëöhe bäla-gopäla bhüñaëa çälagräma

parama-brahmaëya-teja, ati anupama

457
 TRANSLATION

That matchless effulgent brähmaëa had a Deity of Bäla-gopäla and a

çälagräma-çilä hanging from his neck.

COMMENTARY

The phrase kaëöhe bäla-gopäla indicates that the brähmaëa carried his
worshipable Deities of Bäla-gopäla and çälagräma hanging from his neck as his
ornaments.

TEXT 21

niravadhi mukhe vipra ’kåñëa kåñëa’ bole

antare govinda-rase dui-cakñu òhule

TRANSLATION

He constantly chanted the name of Kåñëa, while he kept his eyes half closed
and internally relished ecstatic love for Govinda.

COMMENTARY

The word govinda-rase means “in one of the five transcendental

mellows—çänta, däsya, sakhya, vätsalya and mädhurya.” Those who serve the
form of Bäla-gopäla are understood to be situated in the paternal mood. Due to
intense eagerness to see his worshipable Lord, Bäla-gopäla, the brähmaëa’s
thirsty eyes were always rolling.

458
 TEXT 22

dekhi’ jagannätha-miçra teja se täìhära

sambhrame uöhiyä karilena namaskära

TRANSLATION

When Jagannätha Miçra saw the effulgent brähmaëa, he respectfully stood

up and then offered obeisances.

COMMENTARY

The word sambhrame means “with due respect.”

TEXT 23

atithi-vyabhära-dharma yena-mate haya

saba karilena jagannätha mahäçaya

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra received the brähmaëa with the etiquette due to a guest.

COMMENTARY

A stranger who stays in a householder’s residence for one day and leaves
the next is called an atithi, or guest. The householders have the opportunity to
serve such guests for only one day. It is the vyavahära-dharma, or rule of
etiquette, for a householder to serve his guests. Honoring guests is as good as

459
serving the spiritual master; in other words, a guest is as worshipable as Lord
Näräyaëa.

TEXT 24

äpane kariyä täna päda prakñälana

vasite dilena äni’ uttama äsana

TRANSLATION

He personally washed the brähmaëa’s feet and then offered him a proper
seat.

TEXT 25

sustha hai’ vasilena yadi vipra-vara

tabe täne miçra jijïäsena,—“kothä ghara?”

TRANSLATION

After the brähmaëa was comfortably seated, Jagannätha Miçra asked him,
“Where is your residence?”

TEXT 26

vipra bole,—“ämi udäséna deçäntaré

cittera vikñepe mätra paryaöana kari”

460
 TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa replied, “I am a wandering mendicant. I go wherever my

restless mind takes me.”

COMMENTARY

The word udäséna means “renounced” or “desireless.” The word deçäntaré

refers to one who travels to places other than his birthplace. The phrase
vikñepe mätra means “with agitation, disturbance, or anger.”

TEXT 27

praëati kariyä miçra bolena vacana

“jagatera bhägye se tomära paryaöana

TRANSLATION

With folded hands, Jagannätha Miçra said, “Your traveling is for the benefit
of the world.

COMMENTARY

The meaning of the second line of this verse is found in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.8.4):

mahad-vicalanaà nèëäà gåhiëäà déna-cetasäm

niùçreyasäya bhagavan kalpate nänyathä kvacit

“O my lord, O great devotee, persons like you move from one place to

461
another not for their own interests but for the sake of poor-hearted gåhasthas
[householders]. Otherwise they have no interest in going from one place to
another.”

TEXT 28

viçeñataù äji ämära parama saubhägya

äjïä deha’,—randhanera kari giyä kärya”

TRANSLATION

“Today I am especially fortunate. Please order me and I will go arrange for

your cooking.”

TEXTS 29-30

vipra bole,—“kara, miçra, ye icchä tomära”

hariñe karilä miçra divya upahära

randhanera sthäna upaskari’ bhäla-mate

dilena sakala sajja randhana karite

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa replied, “Please do whatever you feel suitable.” Jagannätha

Miçra then happily arranged all sorts of palatable ingredients. Jagannätha Miçra
and Çacédevé nicely cleaned the kitchen and kept all the ingredients ready for
cooking.

462
 COMMENTARY

In this verse the word upahära means “arrangement,” the word upaskari’
means “cleaning with cow dung,” and the word sajja means “decoration,”
“arrangement,” or “ingredients.”

TEXT 31

santoñe brähmaëa-vara kariyä randhana

vasilena kåñëere karite nivedana

TRANSLATION

Satisfied with the arrangement, the brähmaëa cooked and then sat down to
make an offering to Kåñëa.

TEXT 32

sarva-bhüta-antaryämé çré-çacénandana
mane äche,—viprere dibena daraçana

TRANSLATION

Çré Çacénandana, the Supersoul of all living entities, then decided to give
darçana to the brähmaëa.

TEXT 33

463
 dhyäna-mätra karite lägilä vipra-vara
sammukhe äilä prabhu çré-gaurasundara

TRANSLATION

As soon as the great brähmaëa began to meditate, Çré Gaurasundara came

before him.

TEXT 34

dhülä-maya sarva-aìga, mürti digambara

aruëa-nayana, kara-caraëa sundara

TRANSLATION

The Lord was naked, and all of His limbs were covered with dust. His eyes
were reddish, and His hands and feet were most beautiful.

TEXT 35

häsiyä viprera anna laiyä çré-kare

eka gräsa khäilena, dekhe vipra-vare

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled and took a handful of the brähmaëa’s rice. He then ate the
rice as the brähmaëa watched.

464
 TEXT 36

“häya häya” kari’ bhägyavanta vipra òäke

“anna curi karileka caïcala bälake”

TRANSLATION

The fortunate brähmaëa cried out, “Alas! Alas! This naughty boy has stolen
the rice!”

TEXT 37

äsiyä dekhena jagannätha-miçra-vara

bhäta khäya, häse prabhu çré-gaurasundara

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra came there and saw Çré Gaurasundara was smiling as He
ate the brähmaëa’s rice.

TEXT 38

krodhe miçra dhäiyä yäyena märibäre

sambhrame uöhiyä vipra dharilena kare

TRANSLATION

In anger, Jagannätha Miçra rushed to beat the Lord. The brähmaëa,

465
however, got up and apprehensively caught hold of Jagannätha Miçra’s hand.

COMMENTARY

The word sambhrame means “with apprehension,” and kare means “in the
hand.”

TEXT 39

vipra bole,—“miçra, tumi baòa dekhi ärya!

kon jïäna bälakera märiyä ki kärya?

TRANSLATION

“Miçra, you are supposed to be a cultured Äryan! What is the use of beating
this ignorant boy?

COMMENTARY

The brähmaëa said, “O Miçra, you are elderly and respectable, and He is
only a foolish child. So it is not worth while to punish Him for His
foolishness.”

TEXT 40

bhäla-manda-jïäna yära thäke, märi täre

ämära çapatha, yadi märaha uhäre”

TRANSLATION

466
 “Only one who can distinguish between right and wrong may be beaten.
Therefore I forbid you from beating this child.”

COMMENTARY

“There is no benefit in punishing a child who does not know what is right
and wrong, therefore I forbid you from punishing Him.”

TEXT 41

duùkhe vasilena miçra hasta diyä çire

mäthä nähi tole miçra, vacana nä sphure

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra then sat down in distress, holding his head with his hands.
He could not speak or lift his head.

TEXT 42

vipra bole,—“miçra, duùkha nä bhäviha mane

ye dine ye habe, tähä éçvara se jäne

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa said, “My dear Miçra, please don’t feel sad. Whatever is
meant to happen on a particular day is known only to the Lord.

COMMENTARY

467
 A person gets only the food that has been allotted to him by the will of the
Supreme Lord. One must know that the Supreme Lord alone gives one the
fruits of one’s activities. A living entity is unaware of the future. Whatever is
unknown to the living entity is known to the Supreme Lord.

TEXT 43

phala-müla-ädi gåhe ye thäke tomära

äni’ deha’ äji tähä kariba ähära”

TRANSLATION

“Please bring whatever fruits and roots are there in your house, and I will
eat those today.”

TEXT 44

miçra bole,—“more yadi thäke bhåtya-jïäna

ära-bära päka kara, kari’ deìa sthäna

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra said, “If you at all consider me your servant, then please
cook again. I will make all arrangements.

COMMENTARY

One should carefully study the humble statements befitting a Vaiñëava

that Jagannätha Miçra spoke to his Vaiñëava guest.

468
 TEXT 45

gåhe äche randhanera sakala sambhära

punaù päka kara, tabe santoña ämära”

TRANSLATION

“We have all the ingredients for cooking in the house. Please cook again.
Then I will feel satisfied.”

COMMENTARY

The word sambhära means “the ingredients” or “necessary items.”

TEXT 46

balite lägilä yata iñöa-bandhu-gaëa

“ämä-sabä’ cähi’ tabe karaha randhana”

TRANSLATION

All the friends and relatives of Jagannätha Miçra present there also
requested the brähmaëa, “Please be merciful to us and cook again.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase ämä-sabä’ cähi’ means “by mercifully glancing on us.”

469
 TEXT 47

vipra bole,—“yei icchä tomä-sabäkära

kariba randhana sarvathäya punar-bära”

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa said, “All right. According to your desire, I will certainly
cook again.”

COMMENTARY

The word sarvathäya means “certainly” or “in all respects.”

TEXT 48

hariña hailä sabe viprera vacane

sthäna upaskarilena sabe tata-kñaëe

TRANSLATION

Everyone there was happy to hear the brähmaëa’s decision, and they
immediately cleaned the kitchen.

TEXT 49

randhanera sajja äni’ dilena tvarite

calilena vipra-vara randhana karite

470
 TRANSLATION

They quickly assembled all the ingredients, and the brähmaëa began to
cook.

TEXT 50

sabei bolena,—“çiçu parama caïcala

ära bära päche nañöa karaye sakala

TRANSLATION

Everyone concluded, “This child is very restless and may spoil the offering
again.

TEXT 51

randhana, bhojana vipra karena yävat

ära-bäòé laye çiñu räkhaha tävat”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore please take Him to another house until the brähmaëa finishes
cooking and eating.”

TEXT 52

tabe çacédevé putre kole ta’ kariyä

471
 calilena ära-bäòé prabhure laiyä

TRANSLATION

Çacédevé then took her son in her arms and went to a neighbor’s house.

TEXT 53

saba näré-gaëa bole,—“çuna re nimäi

emata kariyä ki viprera anna khäi!”

TRANSLATION

All the ladies there said, “Listen, Nimäi, You shouldn’t have eaten the
brähmaëa’s rice like that.”

TEXT 54

häsiyä bolena prabhu çré-candra-vadane

“ämära ki doña, vipra òäkilä äpane?”

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled with His moonlike face and replied, “What is My fault?
The brähmaëa called Me.”

TEXTS 55-56

472
 sabei bolena,—“aye nimäi òhäìgäti!
ki karibä, ebe ye tomära gela jäti?”

kothäkära brähmaëa, kon kula, kebä cine?

tära bhäta khäi’ jäti räkhibä kemane?”

TRANSLATION

Everyone then said, “O deceitful Nimäi, what will You do now that You
have lost Your caste? Who knows that brähmaëa? What is his caste? Where is
he from? Now that You have eaten his rice, how will You maintain Your
caste?”

COMMENTARY

The word òhäìgäti refers to a person who cheats, who is duplicitous, or who
is overly clever.
The ladies are saying, “O Nimäi, in order to display Your cheating,
duplicity, and cleverness, You have accepted the foodstuff touched by this
unknown brähmaëa. Therefore You have fallen from the exalted status of
Your family.”

TEXT 57

häsiyä kahena prabhu,—“ämi ye goyäla!

brähmaëera anna ämi khäi sarva-käla

TRANSLATION

473
 The Lord smiled and said, “I am a cowherd boy, and I always eat
brähmaëas’ rice.

COMMENTARY

The Lord replied, “I belong to the cowherd community, so I always eat

foodstuffs given by the brähmaëas.” From this statement it is established both
that the Lord is the knower of past, present, and future, and that the Lord is
controlled by the brähmaëas. Furthermore, His mischievous cowherd boy
nature is also established.

TEXT 58

brähmaëera anne ki gopera jäti yäya?”

eta bali’ häsiyä sabäre prabhu cäya

TRANSLATION

“How can a cowherd boy lose his caste by eating a brähmaëa’s rice?” Saying
this, the Lord looked at everyone and smiled.

TEXT 59

chale nija-tattva prabhu karena vyäkhyäna

tathäpi nä bujhe keha,—hena mäyä täna

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord revealed His identity while speaking deceptively. But

474
by the influence of His mäyä, no one could understand Him.

COMMENTARY

The word nija-tattva refers to His personal form as Çré Kåñëa.

TEXT 60

sabei häsena çuni’ prabhura vacana

vakña haite eòite kähäro nähi mana

TRANSLATION

Everyone laughed upon hearing the Lord’s explanation. No one wanted to

set Him down from their embrace.

COMMENTARY

The word eòite means “to set down” or “to leave.”

TEXT 61

häsiyä yäyena prabhu ye-janära kole

sei jana änanda-sägara-mäjhe bule

TRANSLATION

As the Lord smiled and sat on various people’s laps, whoever held Him
merged into an ocean of bliss.

475
 TEXT 62

sei vipra punar-bära kariyä randhana

lägilena vasiyä karite nivedana

TRANSLATION

Meanwhile, the brähmaëa finished cooking again, so he sat down to make

the offering.

TEXT 63

dhyäne bäla-gopäla bhävena vipra-vara

jänilena gauracandra cittera éçvara

TRANSLATION

In meditation the brähmaëa called Bäla-gopäla to eat, and Lord

Gaurasundara, the Supersoul, immediately came to know this.

COMMENTARY

The words cittera éçvara refers to Lord in the heart, or the Supersoul.

TEXT 64

mohiyä sakala-loka ati alakñite

äilena vipra-sthäne häsite häsite

476
 TRANSLATION

Putting everyone into illusion, the Lord secretly came before the brähmaëa
with a smile on His face.

COMMENTARY

The word mohiyä means “bewildering.”

TEXT 65

alakñite eka-muñöi anna laïä kare

khäiyä calilä prabhu,—dekhe vipra-vare

TRANSLATION

Unseen by others, the Lord then took a handful of rice and ate it as the
brähmaëa watched.

TEXT 66

“häya häya” kariyä uöhila vipra-vara

öhäkura khäiyä bhäta dila eka rada

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa immediately cried, “Alas! Alas!” and the Lord, after eating
the rice, fled away.

477
 COMMENTARY

The word raòa means “run.” In Bangladesh the word is laòa.

TEXT 67

sambhrame uöhiyä miçra häte väòi laiyä

krodhe öhäkurere laiyä yäya dhäoyäiyä

TRANSLATION

Enraged, Jagannätha Miçra got up, took a stick in his hand, and chased after
the Lord in anger.

COMMENTARY

In this verse the word sambhrame means “enraged.” The word väòi means
“stick.” In Bangladesh it is called a öheìgä. The word öhäkurere means “to the
Lord.” The word dhäoyäiyä means “to follow” or “to chase swiftly.”

TEXT 68

mahä-bhaye prabhu paläilä eka-ghare

krodhe miçra päche thäki’ tarjagarja kare

TRANSLATION

The Lord fearfully fled into another room, with Jagannätha Miçra chasing
behind and chastising Him in anger.

478
 COMMENTARY

The word tarjagarja refers to verbal chastisement or angrily scolding to

instill fear.

TEXT 69

miçra bole,—“äji dekha’ karoì tora kärya

tora mate parama-abodha ämi ärya!

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra said, “Just wait and see what I’ll do to You today!
Although I’m an Äryan, You consider me a fool!

COMMENTARY

Jagannätha Miçra said, “O naughty boy, today I will punish You for Your
mischief. I am so learned and respectable, and You consider me a great fool.
This is extremely unreasonable.”

TEXT 70

hena mahä-cora çiçu kära ghare äche?”

eta bali’ krodhe miçra dhäya prabhu-päche

TRANSLATION

“Who has such a great thief for a son?” Saying this, Jagannätha Miçra

479
chased after the Lord in anger.

TEXT 71

sabe dharilena yatna kariyä miçrere

miçra bole,—“eòa, äji märimu uhäre”

TRANSLATION

Everyone present tried to restrain Miçra, but he said, “Leave me alone.

Today I’ll beat Him!”

TEXT 72

sabei bolena,—“miçra, tumi ta’ udära

uhäre märiyä kon sädhutva tomära?

TRANSLATION

They then pleaded, “O Miçra, you are by nature magnanimous. What kind
of intelligence would you exhibit by beating Him?

COMMENTARY

The word eòa means “leave me alone” or “stay away.” The Bangladesh word
märimu means “I will beat” or “I will punish.” The word sädhutva means
“supremacy” or “intelligence.”

480
 TEXT 73

bhäla-manda-jïäna nähi uhära çarére

parama abodha, ye emana çiçu märe

TRANSLATION

“He doesn’t understand what is right and what is wrong. Whoever beats
such a child is a great fool.

TEXT 74

märilei kon vä çikhibe, hena naya

svabhävei çiçura caïcala mati haya”

TRANSLATION

“He will not learn simply by being beaten. Children are all restless by
nature.”

COMMENTARY

“Children are mischievous by nature, therefore even if you try to teach

Him, He won’t learn.”

TEXT 75

äthe-vyathe äsi’ sei tairthika brähmaëa

481
 miçrera dhariyä häte bolena vacana

TRANSLATION

At that time the mendicant brähmaëa hastily came there. Holding the hands
of Jagannätha Miçra, he spoke.

TEXT 76

“bälakera nähi doña, çuna, miçra-räya

ye dine ye habe, tähä haibäre cäya

TRANSLATION

“Listen, Miçra, this child is not at fault. Whatever is meant to happen on a

particular day will certainly take place.

COMMENTARY

The word räya refers to one’s worshipable lord or master. As stated in the
Hitopadeça: yad abhävi na tad bhävi bhävi cen na tad anyathä—“Whatever is
not meant to be will never be, and whatever is meant to be cannot be
otherwise.”

TEXT 77

äji kåñëa anna nähi likhena ämäre

sabe ei marma-kathä kahiluì tomäre

482
 TRANSLATION

“Today Kåñëa has not allotted me any rice. I’m telling you, this is my
realization.”

COMMENTARY

Lord Kåñëa is the bestower of the fruits of work and the supreme controller.
In this verse the word likhena means “will supply,” that is, “today no food is
allotted for me.” The word marma-kathä means “mystery” or “confidential
topics of the mind.”

TEXT 78

duùkhe jagannätha-miçra nähi tole mukha

mäthä heöa kariyä bhävena mane duùkha

TRANSLATION

Feeling distressed, Jagannätha Miçra was unable to raise his head. He looked
at the ground and simply lamented.

TEXT 79

henai samaye viçvarüpa bhagavän

sei-sthäne äilena mahä-jyotir-dhäma

TRANSLATION

483
 At that time the most powerful and effulgent Viçvarüpa came there.

TEXT 80

sarva-aìge nirupama lävaëyera sémä

catur-daça-bhuvaneo nähika upamä

TRANSLATION

There is no comparison to the matchless sweetness of Viçvarüpa’s bodily

limbs.

TEXT 81

skandhe yajïa-sütra, brahma-teja mürti-manta

mürti-bhede janmilä äpani nityänanda

TRANSLATION

A brähmaëa thread hung on His shoulder. He is the source of the Brahman

effulgence and, though in a different form, He is directly Lord Nityänanda.

TEXT 82

sarva-çästrera artha sadä sphuraye jihväya

kåñëa-bhakti-vyäkhyä mätra karaye sadäya

484
 TRANSLATION

The purport of all scriptures is eternally manifest on the tongue of

Viçvarüpa. Thus He is always engaged in preaching devotional service to Lord
Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The light that illuminates material objects is called jyotiù, but the light that
illuminates spiritual objects is called çuddha-sattva, pure goodness, or
mahä-jyotiù. The source of this jyotiù is Çré Baladeva, and Çré Viçvarüpa is
nondifferent from Him.
Lord Nityänanda manifests in another form as Çré Viçvarüpa. Viçvarüpa
always explained the purport of all scriptures to be devotional service to Lord
Kåñëa. In other words, He never misinterpreted the purport of the scriptures
and induced the living entities to engage in material enjoyment.

TEXT 83

dekhiyä apürva mürti tairthika brähmaëa

mugdha haiyä eka-dåñöye cähe ghane-ghana

TRANSLATION

Seeing His extraordinary beauty, the mendicant brähmaëa was struck with
wonder and stared at Him continuously.

TEXT 84

485
 vipra bole,—“kära putra ei mahäçaya?”
sabei bolena,—“ei miçrera tanaya”

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa then said, “Whose son is this?” The people replied, “He is
the son of Jagannätha Miçra.”

TEXT 85

çuniyä santoñe vipra kailä äliìgana

“dhanya pitä-mätä, yära e-hena nandana”

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa was satisfied to hear this. He embraced Viçvarüpa and

remarked, “Glorious are the father and mother of such a son.”

TEXT 86

viprere kariyä viçvarüpa namaskära

vasiyä kahena kathä amåtera dhära

TRANSLATION

Viçvarüpa offered obeisances to the brähmaëa. He then sat down and began
speaking words that were like a stream of nectar.

486
 TEXT 87

“çubha dine tära mahäbhägyera udaya

tumi-hena atithi yähära gåhe haya

TRANSLATION

“Whoever receives a guest like you has attained great fortunate on that
auspicious day.

TEXT 88

jagat çodhite se tomära paryaöana

ätmänande pürëa hai’ karaha bhramaëa

TRANSLATION

“Although you are self-satisfied, still you travel about in order to sanctify
the world.

COMMENTARY

Çré Viçvarüpa Prabhu described the pure characteristics of a parivräjaka to

the mendicant brähmaëa. The devotees of the Lord are always self-satisfied;
they are filled with ecstasy by serving Kåñëa. Therefore, rather than traveling
like mundane tourists, they visit attached householders in order to revive their
Kåñëa consciousness.

487
 TEXT 89

bhägya baòa,—tumi-hena atithi ämära

abhägya vä ki kahiba,—upäsa tomära

TRANSLATION

“It is our great fortune that we have a guest like you. But we are also
unfortunate because you are fasting.

COMMENTARY

The word upäsa means upaväsa, or “fasting.”

TEXT 90

tumi upaväsa kari’ thäka’ yära ghare

sarvathä tähära amaìgala-phala dhare

TRANSLATION

“If you fast while staying in someone’s house it will simply bear inauspicious
fruits.

TEXT 91

hariña päinu baòa tomära darçane

viñäda päinu baòa e saba çravaëe

488
 TRANSLATION

“I’m greatly satisfied by seeing you, but I’m very sad to hear about what has
happened.”

COMMENTARY

“By seeing you I’m jubilant, but because you are fasting I’m unhappy;
therefore I am both happy and sad.”

TEXT 92

vipra bole,—“kichu duùkha nä bhäviha mane

phala müla kichu ämi karibä bhojane

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa said, “Please do not feel sad. I will eat some fruits and roots.

TEXT 93

vanaväsé ämi, anna kothäya vä päi

präya ämi vane phala-müla mätra khäi

TRANSLATION

“I live in the forest, so where can I get rice? I am accustomed to eat fruits
and roots in the forest.

489
 COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.25.25) it is stated: vanaà tu sättviko väso

grämo räjasa ucyate—“Residence in the forest is in the mode of goodness,
while residence in a town is in the mode of passion.”

TEXT 94

kadäcit kona divase vä khäi anna

seha yadi nirvirodhe haya upasanna

TRANSLATION

“I seldom eat rice, only when it is easily available.

COMMENTARY

The word nirvirodhe means “without obstacle,” and the word upasanna
means “present” or “arrived.”

TEXT 95

ye santoña päiläìa tomä’ daraçane

tähätei koöi-koöi kariluì bhojane

TRANSLATION

“I have become so satisfied by seeing You that I feel as if I have eaten

millions of meals.

490
 TEXT 96

phala, müla, naivedya ye-kichu thäke ghare

tähä äna’ giyä, äji kariba ähäre”

TRANSLATION

“Please go and bring any fruits, roots, or prasäda that you have, and I will
eat that today.”

TEXT 97

uttara nä kare kichu miçra-jagannätha

duùkha bhäve miçra çire diyä dui häta

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra, however, did not say anything. He just held his head in
his hands in distress.

TEXT 98

viçvarüpa bolena,—“balite väsi bhaya

sahaje karuëä-sindhu tumi mahäçaya

TRANSLATION

Viçvarüpa said, “I hesitate to speak, but I know that you are an ocean of

491
mercy.

COMMENTARY

The word väsi means “to feel,” “to realize,” “to think,” or “to get.”

TEXT 99

para-duùkhe kätara-svabhäva sädhu-jana

parera änanda se bäòäya anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

“It is the nature of saintly persons to be distressed on seeing the sufferings

of others. They always try to make others happy.

TEXT 100

eteke äpane yadi nirälasya haiyä

kåñëera naivedya kara randhana kariyä

TRANSLATION

“So if it is not too much trouble, please cook for Kåñëa again.

COMMENTARY

The phrase nirälasya haiyä means “accepting some voluntary hardship.”

492
 TEXT 101

tabe äji ämära goñöhéra yata duùkha

sakala ghucaye, päi paränanda-sukha

TRANSLATION

“Then My family’s distress will be vanquished, and we will attain

transcendental happiness.”

TEXT 102

vipra bole,—“randhana kariluì dui-bära

tathäpiha kåñëa nä dilena khäibära

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa said, “I have already cooked twice, yet Kåñëa has still not
allowed me to eat.

TEXT 103

teïi bujhiläìa,—äji nähika likhana

kåñëa-icchä nähi,—kene karaha yatana?

TRANSLATION

“I have therefore understood that He has not allotted any rice for me today.
If Kåñëa’s sanction is not there, why should we endeavor?

493
 TEXTS 104-105

koöi bhakñya-dravya yadi thäke nija-ghare

kåñëa-äjïä haile se khäibäre päre

ye-dine kåñëera yäre likhana nä haya

koöi yatna karuka, tathäpi siddha naya

TRANSLATION

“One may have unlimited foodstuffs at home, but he can eat only with
Kåñëa’s sanction. If Kåñëa does not allot anything on some day, then even by
endless endeavor one will never achieve a thing.

COMMENTARY

Though one may have various foodstuffs at home for Kåñëa’s enjoyment, if
He does not sanction His remnants, no one will receive them. And if Kåñëa
does not favor one, then one will certainly be unsuccessful in spite of
unlimited endeavors. Service to the Supreme Lord is dependent on the mercy
of the Supreme Lord. Mundane endeavor cannot produce success.

TEXT 106

niçä deòa prahara, duio vä yäya

ihäte ki ära päka karite yuyäya?

TRANSLATION

494
 “It is practically the middle of the night. Is it proper to cook at this time?

COMMENTARY

The word yuyäya means “proper” or “reasonable.”

TEXT 107

ataeva äji yatna nä kariha ära

phala, müla kichu mätra karimu ähära”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore do not make any further arrangements for cooking today. I will
simply eat some fruits and roots.”

COMMENTARY

The word kichu means “a little.”

TEXT 108

viçvarüpa bolena,—“nähika kona doña

tumi päka karile se sabära santoña”

TRANSLATION

Viçvarüpa said, “There will be no fault if you cook; everyone will be

satisfied.”

495
 TEXT 109

eta boli’ viçvarüpa dharilä caraëa

sädhite lägilä sabe karite radhana

TRANSLATION

Saying this, Viçvarüpa caught hold of the brähmaëa’s feet, and everyone
else also requested him to cook.

TEXT 110

viçvarüpe dekhiyä mohita vipra-vara

“kariba randhana”—vipra balilä uttara

TRANSLATION

Enchanted by Viçvarüpa, the brähmaëa said, “All right, I’ll cook.”

TEXT 111

santoñe sabei “hari” balite lägila

sthäna upaskära sabe karite lägila

TRANSLATION

Everyone expressed their satisfaction by chanting the name of Hari.

496
 TEXT 112

äthe-vyathe sthäna upaskari’ sarva-jane

randhanera sämagré änilä tata-kñaëe

TRANSLATION

They then quickly cleaned the kitchen and brought all the ingredients for
cooking.

TEXT 113

calilena vipra-vara karite randhana

çiçu ävariyä rahilena sarva-jana

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa then began to cook, and everyone escorted Nimäi to another
room.

TEXT 114

paläiyä öhäkura ächena yei ghare

miçra vasilena sei gharera duyäre

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra sat in front of the door where the child was detained.

497
 TEXT 115

sabei bolena,—“bändha’ bähira duyära

bähira haite yena nähi päre ära”

TRANSLATION

Everyone said, “Lock the door from outside, so that He cannot get out.”

COMMENTARY

Everyone said, “Tie the door closed, so that He will not be able to untie it
and get out.”

TEXT 116

miçra bole,—“bhäla, bhäla, ei yukti haya”

bändhiyä duyära sabe bähire ächaya

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra said, “That’s a good idea.” Thus Jagannätha Miçra and
others sat outside after latching the door.

TEXT 117

ghare thäki’ stré-gaëa bolena,—“cintä näi

498
 nidra gela, ära kichu nä jäne nimäi”

TRANSLATION

From inside the room, the ladies said, “Don’t worry, Nimäi is sleeping. He
won’t do anything now.”

TEXT 118

ei-mate çiçu räkhilena sarva-jana

viprera haila kata-kñaëete randhana

TRANSLATION

As they guarded the child in this way, the brähmaëa soon finished cooking.

TEXT 119

anna upaskari sei sukåti brähmaëa

dhyäne vasi’ kåñëere karilä nivedana

TRANSLATION

The pious brähmaëa prepared a plate for offering and then sat in meditation
and offered the food to Kåñëa.

TEXT 120

499
 jänilena antaryämé çré-çacénandana
citte äche,—viprere dibena daraçana

TRANSLATION

The Supersoul, Çré Çacénandana, knew everything. He had already decided

to give darçana to the brähmaëa.

COMMENTARY

The word citte means “desire.”

TEXT 121

nidrä devé sabärei éçvara-icchäya

mohilena, sabei aceñöa nidrä yäya

TRANSLATION

Thus, by the will of the Supreme Lord, Nidrädevé, the goddess of sleep,
deluded everyone into deep sleep.

COMMENTARY

Everyone thought that since it was late at night, Nimäi would soon fall
asleep, so there would be no need to further guard Him. By the will of the
Supreme Lord, however, just the opposite happened. Everyone in the house
fell asleep by the gentle touch from the tip of Nidrädevi’s sari.

500
 TEXT 122

ye sthäne karena vipra anna nivedana

äilena sei sthäne çré-çacénandana

TRANSLATION

Çré Çacénandana then went to the place where the brähmaëa was making his
offering.

TEXT 123

bälaka dekhiyä vipra kare “häya häya”

sabe nidrä yäya, keha çunite nä päya

TRANSLATION

On seeing the child, the brähmaëa cried out, “Alas! Alas!” But no one
heard him, for they were all fast asleep.

TEXT 124

prabhu bole,—“aye vipra, tumi ta’ udära

tumi ämä’ òäki’ äna’, ki doña ämära?

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “O brähmaëa, you are indeed magnanimous. You call Me, so

501
what is My fault?

TEXT 125

mora mantra japi’ more karaha ähväna

rahite nä päri ämi, äsi tomä’-sthäna

TRANSLATION

“You chant My mantra and invite Me, so I cannot resist coming to you.

COMMENTARY

“You invite Me by chanting My mantra, therefore I come and accept the

foodstuffs you offer.” Some people consider that worshiping and offering
foodstuffs to Gauräìga is performed by chanting the Gopäla-mantra, and by
chanting this mantra He accepts the offering. Up to the time when Deity
worship of Çré Gaurasundara was introduced in the world, He was worshiped
through Kåñëa-mantras; but after the covered form of Kåñëa, the origin of all
incarnations, mercifully manifested His own form, Deity, and name to His
most confidential devotees, the Lord’s devotees began to worship the Deity of
Çré Gaura by revealing the eternal names and mantras related with Lord
Gaura. Those who are bereft of receiving the mercy of the covered
incarnation simply make a show of worshiping the Deity form of Çré
Gaurasundara with Kåñëa-mantras, but Çré Gaura is not worshiped in this way.
Such people are cheated out of Kåñëa’s mercy, because they do not realize that
Gaura’s pastimes are eternal.
If one chants Kåñëa-mantras, then Kåñëa, or Gaurasundara, accepts his
chanting and manifests before the chanter. But if one differentiates between
Gaura and Kåñëa, then his unauthorized endeavors for chanting

502
Kåñëa-mantras do not qualify him to see the form of Kåñëa in Gaurasundara
and his progress towards freedom from material existence is checked.
Therefore it is often found that a worshiper has a lack of taste for worshiping
Gaurasundara by chanting Kåñëa-mantras. Those who do not realize that the
worship of Gaurasundara is the same as worship of Kåñëa are deprived by Çré
Rämänanda Räya from receiving the mercy of Gaura and the darçana of
Gändharvikä-Giridhäré. Due to the four defects of imperfect senses, the
propensity for cheating, certainty of committing mistakes, and certainty of
being illusioned, such people are unable to see Çré Rädhä-Govinda in Çré
Gaurasundara. Thus, according to the purport of the second of the four
original Bhägavatam verses, such people develop mundane endeavors or vision
towards Çré Gaurasundara and become disqualified to see Him. Considering
Gaurasundara as different from Kåñëa, such people with insignificant material
vision see Him simply as a sannyäsé, a religious reformer, or a
pseudo-sentimental saint.

TEXT 126

ämäre dekhite niravadhi bhäva’ tumi

ataeva tomäre diläìa dekhä ämi”

TRANSLATION

“You always desire to see Me, so here I am!”

TEXTS 127-134

sei-kñaëe dekhe vipra parama adbhuta

çaìkha, cakra, gadä, padma,—añöa-bhuja rüpa

503
 eka-haste navanéta, ära haste khäya
ära dui haste prabhu muralé bäjäya

çrévatsa, kaustubha vakñe çobhe maëihära

sarva-aìge dekhe ratna-maya alaìkära

nava-guïja-veòä çikhi-puccha çobhe çire

candra-mukhe aruëa-adhara çobhä kare

häsiyä doläya dui nayana-kamala

vaijayanté-mälä dole makara-kuëòala

caraëäravinde çobhe çré-ratna-nüpura

nakha-maëi-kiraëe timira gela düra

apürva kadamba-våkña dekhe seikhäne

våndävane dekhe,—näda kare pakñi-gaëe

gopa-gopé-gäbhé-gaëa catur-dike dekhe

yähä dhyäna kare, tä’i dekhe parateke

TRANSLATION

At that time the Lord exhibited a wonderful eight-armed form to the

brähmaëa. In four hands He held a conchshell, disc, club, and lotus flower. In
one hand He held a pot of butter from which He ate with another hand. Then
with two other hands He played a flute. He was decorated with the mark of
Çrévatsa, while the Kaustubha gem and a jeweled necklace hung on His chest.
All of His limbs were decorated with jeweled ornaments. His head was
decorated with a garland of fresh guïjä seeds and a peacock feather. His
moonlike face was beautified by His red lips. The Lord smiled as He rolled His

504
eyes. His Vaijayanti flower garland and shark-shaped earrings swayed to and
fro. His lotus feet were adorned by jeweled ankle bells, and all darkness was
dissipated by the shining of His toenails. The brähmaëa also saw the abode of
Våndävana filled with wonderful kadamba trees and the chirping of various
birds. He saw cowherd boys and girls in all directions. Indeed, whatever he had
meditated on he saw manifest before him.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara told the mendicant brähmaëa that He was nondifferent

from his worshipable Lord, and then He displayed His four-armed form of
Näräyaëa, holding conch, disc, club, and lotus. The brähmaëa saw the Lord
holding butter in one hand and eating it with another hand, and He was
playing a flute with two other hands. This amazing combination was found in
that form. The Lord first held the conch, disc, club, and lotus in His four
hands, and later with those four hands the Lord displayed two of
Vrajendra-nandana’s pastimes with two hands each. Eating butter and playing
flute were not manifested in His Mathurä or Dvärakä pastimes, and Kåñëa
does not manifest a four-armed form while playing the flute in His Gokula
pastimes. The display of opulence in the Lord’s pastime of simultaneously
eating butter and playing the flute is not very attractive for the residents of
Vraja. Otherwise in the awe and reverent service of a sampradäya in which
Deity worship is prominent, seeing the four-armed form of Näräyaëa is
inevitable. The mood of reverence mixed with grandeur is present in the
worship of Kåñëa, but in the blissful realm of Våndävana, where sweetness is
prominent, Kåñëa’s four arms are not manifest, for He accepts the service of
the Vrajaväsés in only His two-handed form. The mark of Çrévatsa and the
Kaustubha gem adorned the chest of this four-handed form of the Lord, a
jeweled necklace encircled His neck, and other jeweled ornaments decorated
His other limbs. The Lord’s head was decorated with a peacock feather and a
garland of newly grown guïja seeds. The Lord’s red lips increased the beauty of

505
His moonlike face. The rolling eyes on the smiling face of the Lord resembled
lotus petals, extending to His ears. From this description it is understood that
sweetness was more prominently manifest than opulence. Again, fish-shaped
earrings and Vaijayanti flower garland were seen in both forms. The lotus feet
of Kåñëa were decorated with jeweled ankle bells, and the effulgence of His
toenails destroyed the darkness of ignorance and illuminated all directions.
The brähmaëa also saw wonderful kadamba trees throughout Våndävana, he
heard the singing of birds in the forest of Vraja, and he saw surabhi cows and
cowherd boys with the cowherd men, who were engaged in tending the cows.
The mendicant brähmaëa saw each of the Lord’s forms that he had meditated
on during his worship.
The word parateke means “directly” or “each one.”

TEXT 135

apürva aiçvarya dekhi’ sukåti brähmaëa

änande murcchita haiyä paòilä takhana

TRANSLATION

Seeing the extraordinary opulence, the pious brähmaëa fell unconscious

with ecstasy.

TEXT 136

karuëä-samudra prabhu çré-gaurasundara

çré-hasta dilena täna aìgera upara

506
 TRANSLATION

Lord Gaurasundara, the ocean of mercy, then placed His lotus hand on the
body of the brähmaëa.

TEXT 137

çré-hasta-paraçe vipra päilä cetana

änande haila jaòa, nä sphüre vacana

TRANSLATION

By the touch of the Lord, the brähmaëa regained consciousness, though in

ecstasy he remained inert and unable to speak.

COMMENTARY

Due to seeing the form of the Lord, the brähmaëa lost all external
consciousness and was unable to speak out of ecstasy.

TEXT 138

punaù punaù mürcchä vipra yäya bhümi-tale

punaù uöhe, punaù paòe mahä-kutühale

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa repeatedly fell unconscious to the ground and then got up in
great jubilation.

507
 COMMENTARY

The word mahä-kutühale means “due to ecstatic loving exchanges.”

TEXT 139

kampa-sveda-pulake çaréra sthira nahe

nayanera jale yena gaìgä-nadé bahe

TRANSLATION

His body shivered and perspired, and his hairs stood on end. The flow of
tears from his eyes resembled the Ganges River.

TEXT 140

kñaëeke dhariyä vipra prabhura caraëa

karite lägilä ucca-ravete krandana

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa then caught hold of the Lord’s lotus feet and began to cry
loudly.

TEXT 141

dekhiyä viprera ärti çré-gaurasundara

508
 häsiyä viprere kichu karilä uttara

TRANSLATION

Seeing the brähmaëa’s humility, Çré Gaurasundara smiled and addressed

him.

COMMENTARY

The word ärti means “distress” or “humility.”

TEXT 142

prabhu bole,—“çuna çuna, aye vipra-vara

aneka janmera tumi ämära kiìkara

TRANSLATION

The Lord said to him, “Please listen, O brähmaëa. You have been My
servant for many lifetimes.

TEXT 143

niravadhi bhäva’ tumi dekhite ämäre

ataeva ämi dekhä diläìa tomäre

TRANSLATION

“You always desire to see Me, therefore I have come before you.

509
 COMMENTARY

The phrase niravadhi bhäva’ means “to always think or desire.”

TEXT 144

ära-janme ei-rüpe nanda-gåhe ämi

dekhä diluì tomäre, nä smara’ tähä tumi

TRANSLATION

“In a previous life I gave you darçana at the house of Nanda Mahäräja.
Don’t you remember that?

TEXT 145

yabe ämi avatérëa hailäìa gokule

seha janme tumi tértha kara’ kutühale

TRANSLATION

“When I appeared in Gokula you also joyfully visited the various holy
places.

COMMENTARY

The phrase tértha kara’ means “traveling to the holy places.”

510
 TEXTS 146-147

daive tumi atithi hailä nanda-ghare

ei-mate tumi anna niveda’ ämäre

tähäteo ei-mata kariyä kautuka

khäi’ tora anna dekhäiluì ei rüpa

TRANSLATION

“By providence you became a guest one day in the house of Nanda
Mahäräja. At that time you offered rice to Me in the same way, and after I ate
your rice I showed you this same form.

TEXT 148

eteke ämära tumi janme-janme däsa

däsa vinu anya mora nä dekhe prakäça

TRANSLATION

“In this way you have been My servant birth after birth, for other than My
servants, no one can see this form.

COMMENTARY

The pure living entity is eternally engaged in the service of Kåñëa. He is

able to see Kåñëa through eyes of devotion smeared with the ointment of love.
By sensual knowledge obtained through gross and subtle perception,

511
conditioned souls absorbed in material enjoyment cannot see Kåñëa, who is
adhokñaja, beyond the realm of material sense perception. A Vaiñëava can see
Lord Viñëu when his constitutional propensity for serving Kåñëa is awakened.
A living entity who is devoid of the inclination for eternal service can never
give up gross and subtle perception, therefore due to the spirit of enjoyment
the conditioned soul cannot see his worshipable Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 149

kahiläìa tomäre e saba gopya kathä

käro sthäne ihä nähi kahibä sarvathä

TRANSLATION

“I have thus disclosed to you confidential topics that should not be revealed
to anyone under any condition.

TEXT 150

yävat thäkaye mora ei avatära

tävat kahile käre karimu saàhära

TRANSLATION

“As long as I remain in this incarnation you should not tell anyone the
secrets that I have told you, otherwise I will kill you.

COMMENTARY

512
 The covered incarnation, Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa, warned the brähmaëa, “As
long as I remain in this world, if you disclose these pastimes of Mine I will
immediately terminate your residence in this world.”

TEXT 151

saìkértana-ärambhe ämära avatära

karäimu sarva-deçe kértana pracära

TRANSLATION

“I have incarnated to inaugurate the saìkértana movement, and I will

preach this process of chanting throughout the world.

COMMENTARY

Gaurasundara said, “When many persons gather together and properly

chant the names of Kåñëa, I will certainly appear there. I will preach
throughout the world the glories of chanting the holy names through the
process of kértana.” Some people say that Çré Gaurasundara did not inaugurate
the chanting of the holy names in His childhood; after He accepted initiation
from Éçvara Puré, He performed saìkértana and enacted the pastimes of various
naimittika, or occasional, incarnations. Thereafter, as a parivräjaka, the Lord
personally preached in various parts of India and had, is having, and will have
His servants preach the glories of Lord Hari all over the world.

TEXT 152

brahmädi ye prema-bhakti-yoga väïchä kare

513
 tähä viläimu sarva prati ghare-ghare

TRANSLATION

“I will freely distribute the love and devotion that is desired by Brahmä and
others to each and every house.

COMMENTARY

“I will manifest that transcendental devotional service desired by the

demigods headed by Brahmä in the hearts of everyone, without
discrimination.” In Satya-yuga the transcendental Absolute Truth, Çré
Gaura-Kåñëa, manifested His own names, forms, qualities, and pastimes in the
heart of Brahmä, the first created being. Now the Lord will personally
distribute from house to house the bright mellows of His service, which have
never before been distributed. In other words, the Lord will manifest and
distribute His service in the heart of everyone, without discriminating
between women, men, brähmaëas, kñatriyas, vaiçyas, çüdras, or brahmacärés,
gåhasthas, vänaprasthas, and sannyäsés.

TEXT 153

kata dina thäki’ tumi aneka dekhibä

e saba äkhyäna ebe käre nä kahibä”

TRANSLATION

“If you remain here for some time you will see many such pastimes. But do
not disclose these things to anyone.”

514
 TEXT 154

hena-mate brähmaëere çré-gaurasundara

kåpä kari’ äçväsiyä gelä nija-ghara

TRANSLATION

In this way after mercifully pacifying the brähmaëa, Lord Gaurasundara

returned to His room.

TEXT 155

pürvavat çuiyä thäkilä çiçu-bhäve

yoga-nidrä-prabhäve keha nähi jäge

TRANSLATION

The Lord then returned to sleep as a child, and by the influence of

yoga-nidrä no one awoke.

COMMENTARY

At that time the people of the house and village were sleeping in the
soothing lap of yogamäyä. By the Lord’s will, they did not awaken from their
sleep and disturb the Lord’s pastimes.

TEXT 156

515
 apürva prakäça dekhi’ sei vipra-vara
änande pürëita haila sarva-kalevara

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa’s entire body was filled with ecstasy after seeing that
wonderful manifestation of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The phrase apürva prakäça means “manifestation of extraordinary

transcendental pastimes.”

TEXT 157

sarva-aìge sei anna kariyä lepana

kändite kändite vipra karena bhojana

TRANSLATION

He smeared the rice all over his body and began to cry as he ate.

COMMENTARY

The word anna here refers to Kåñëa’s transcendental remnants.

TEXT 158

näce, gäya, häse, vipra karaye huìkära

516
 “jaya bäla-gopäla” bolaye bära-bära

TRANSLATION

He then danced, sang, laughed, and repeatedly cried out, “Jaya

Bäla-gopäla!”

TEXT 159

viprera huìkäre sabe päilä cetana

äpanä sambari’ vipra kailä äcamana

TRANSLATION

Everyone woke up by the loud cries of the brähmaëa, who then controlled
himself and washed his hands.

COMMENTARY

The words äpanä sambari’ means “to conceal the waves of ecstasy in his
heart.”

TEXT 160

nirvighne bhojana karena vipra-vara

dekhi’ sabe santoña hailä bahutara

TRANSLATION

517
 Seeing that the brähmaëa had eaten without disturbance, everyone was
greatly satisfied.

TEXT 161

sabäre kahite mane cintaye brähmaëa

“éçvara ciniyä sabe päuka mocana

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa thought, “Perhaps I should disclose to everyone what has

happened so that they may be delivered by coming to know the Supreme Lord.

COMMENTARY

The brähmaëa was by nature a servant in the Lord’s aiçvarya-lélä, or

opulent pastimes, therefore He contemplated, “Let everyone headed by
Jagannätha Miçra understand that Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa is full in six opulences
and thus be liberated.”

TEXT 162

brahmä çiva yäìhära nimitta kämya kare

hena-prabhu avatari’ äche vipra-ghare

TRANSLATION

“The Lord, who is sought after by Brahmä and Çiva, has advented Himself
in this brähmaëa’s house.

518
 COMMENTARY

The word nimitta means “with a purpose,” and the word kämya means
“desire” or “prayer.”

TEXT 163

se prabhura loka-saba kare çiçu-jïäna

kathä kahi,—sabei päuka pariträëa

TRANSLATION

“Let me tell them that this very child is the Supreme Lord so that they may
be delivered.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase kathä kahi means “let me disclose those confidential topics.”

TEXT 164

“prabhu kariyäche niväraëa”—ei bhaye

äjïä-bhaìga-bhaye vipra käre nähi kahe

TRANSLATION

But the brähmaëa feared breaking the Lord’s order and therefore did not
disclose the incident to anyone.

519
 TEXT 165

ciniyä éçvara vipra sei navadvépe

rahilena gupta-bhäve éçvara-samépe

TRANSLATION

After recognizing his Lord, the brähmaëa secretly remained near the Lord in
Navadvépa.

TEXT 166

bhikñä kari’ vipra-vara prati sthäne-sthäne

éçvara äsiyä dekhe prati dine-dine

TRANSLATION

He would beg alms here and there and come daily to see the Lord.

TEXT 167

veda-gopya e-sakala mahäcitra kathä

ihära çravaëe kåñëa milaye sarvathä

TRANSLATION

One who hears these wonderful topics that are confidential to the Vedas
certainly attains the lotus feet of Kåñëa.

520
 COMMENTARY

The phrase mahäcitra kathä means “amazing variegated incidents.”

TEXT 168

ädi-khaëòa-kathä—yena amåta-sravaëa
yaìhi çiçu-rüpe kréòä kare näräyaëa

TRANSLATION

The topics of Ädi-khaëòa are like a flow of nectar, for these topics describe
Lord Näräyaëa’s pastimes as a child.

COMMENTARY

The word amåta-sravaëa means “showering of nectar.”

TEXT 169

sarva-loka-cüòämaëi vaikuëöha-éçvara
lakñmé-känta, sétä-känta çré-gaurasundara

TRANSLATION

Çré Gaurasundara is the Lord of Vaikuëöha and the crown jewel of the
predominating deities of all planetary systems. He is the beloved Lord of
Lakñmé and Sétä.

521
 COMMENTARY

The term sarva-loka-cüòämaëi refers to the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, who is manifest to the fourteen worlds and who is the topmost
worshipable personality for both demigods and ordinary living entities. The
word vaikuëöha-éçvara refers to the eternally full in six opulences Lord of
Vaikuëöha, which is situated beyond the fourteen planetary systems of the
material world, beyond the Virajä River and Brahmaloka, and which is devoid
of all material qualities and unaffected by material time, place, and
circumstances.
The word lakñmé-känta refers to the Lord of Vaikuëöha, the Absolute
Truth, Lord Näräyaëa, who is endowed with six opulences, who is the
worshipable Lord of Lakñmé, and who is the predominating Deity of the
original Vaikuëöha. The word sétä-känta refers to the naimittika, or occasional,
incarnation of Viñëu, Lord Rämacandra, the son of Daçaratha.

TEXTS 170-172

tretä-yuge haiyä ye çré-räma-lakñmaëa

nänä-mate lélä kari’ vadhilä rävaëa

hailä dväpara-yuge kåñëa-saìkarñaëa

nänä-mate karilena bhübhära khaëòana

“mukunda” “ananta” yäìre sarva-vede kaya

çré-caitanya nityänanda sei suniçcaya

TRANSLATION

522
 They who in Tretä-yuga appeared as Räma and Lakñmaëa and performed
various pastimes like killing Rävaëa, who in Dväpara-yuga appeared as Kåñëa
and Balaräma and performed various pastimes like diminishing the burden of
the earth, who all the Vedas address as Mukunda and Ananta—They have now
certainly appeared as Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityänanda.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara is nondifferent from the personification of sweetness, Çré

Kåñëa, the son of the king of Vraja. The naimittika incarnations, the Lord of
Vaikuëöha, and the worldly splendors are His parts or manifestations. That
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, is certainly Çré Gaurasundara,
and He who is nondifferent as the svayam-prakäça, Çré Baladeva, is certainly
Çré Nityänanda Prabhu. In Tretä-yuga, which begins after Satya-yuga, the two
brothers Räma and Lakñmaëa appeared as partial incarnations and displayed
the pastime of killing Rävaëa. In Dväpara-yuga, the two brothers Kåñëa and
Balaräma (Saìkarñaëa) diminished the burden of the world by eliminating the
Kaurava dynasty and killing demons like Çiçupäla. There is no doubt that the
two great personalities Çré Anantadeva and Mukunda, who are glorified by the
Vedas, have appeared in this world in the Age of Kali as Çré Nityänanda and
Çré Caitanya.

TEXT 173

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

523
Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends the English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya of Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Chapter Five, entitled “Eating the Mendicant Brahmana’s
Offerings.”

Chapter Six: The Lord Begins Studying and His Childhood

Mischief

This chapter describes the beginning of Nimäi’s scholastic pastimes, His

eating the foodstuffs offered to Viñëu on Ekädaçé at the house of Jagadéça and
Hiraëya Paëòita, and His various mischievous childhood pastimes.
Çré Jagannätha Miçra had Gaura-gopäla’s saàskäras, or reformatory rites, of
häte-khaòi, karëa-vedha, and cüòä-karaëa performed. Nimäi could write the
letters of the alphabet just by seeing them once. Within two or three days He
was able to write conjunct letters and words. He would continually read and
write Kåñëa’s names. Sometimes Gaura-gopäla pleaded for His parents to give
Him birds flying in the sky or the stars and moon from the sky. When He did
not receive these things, He began to cry. Then there was no way to solace the
child other than by chanting the names of Hari. One day, however, Nimäi did
not stop crying in spite of everyone repeatedly chanting the names of Hari.
When they inquired from Nimäi about the cause of His crying, they learned
that Nimäi was displaying His pastime of crying in order to eat the foodstuffs
offered to Viñëu on the day of Ekädaçé in the house of the two brähmaëas,
Jagadéça and Hiraëya Paëòita, of Navadvépa. The relatives of Nimäi solaced
Him by promising Him Viñëu’s remnants. They then went to the house of
those two great devotees and related to them the whole story. Considering

524
Nimäi an extraordinary personality, the two brähmaëas then gave Him the
foods that they had offered to Viñëu. As a result Nimäi stopped crying. Nimäi
exhibited various mischievous pastimes like teasing His friends, quarreling
with them, and sporting in the Ganges water at midday. The elderly men of
Navadvépa regularly came to Jagannätha Miçra to complain about Nimäi’s
misbehavior, and the young girls would similarly come to Mother Çacé to
complain about Nimäi’s various mischievous activities. Çacédevé, however,
solaced everyone with her sweet words. After hearing about the disturbance
caused by Nimäi, Jagannätha Miçra went to the bank of the Ganges at midday
to appropriately punish his son. When Nimäi heard that His father was
approaching in an angry mood, He rushed home by another path. He told His
friends that if His father inquired about Him, they should say, “Today Nimäi
has not come for bathing in the Ganges.” When Jagannätha Miçra did not see
Nimäi at the bathing ghäöa, he returned home, where he saw Nimäi decorated
with marks of ink and looking as though He had not taken bath. Jagannätha
Miçra was overwhelmed with love and could not understand the boy’s trickery.
When he asked the boy about the complaints, the young Nimäi replied, “I did
not go to bathe in the Ganges yet, but they nevertheless falsely accuse Me of
misbehavior. So now I will actually misbehave with them.” In this way Nimäi
exhibited His clever pastimes and returned to bath in the Ganges. Meanwhile,
Çacé and Jagannätha thought, “Who is this boy? Has Kåñëa secretly appeared
in our house?”

TEXT 1

hena-mate kréòä kare gauräìga-gopäla

häte khaòi divära haila äsi’ käla

TRANSLATION

525
 In this way Gauräìga, who is nondifferent from Gopäla, enjoyed His
pastimes. Soon the time came for the Lord to begin reading and writing.

COMMENTARY

The word häte-khaòi refers to the saàskära marking the beginning of a

child’s education.

TEXT 2

çubha-dine çubha-kñaëe miçra-purandara

häte-khaòi putrera dilena vipra-vara

TRANSLATION

At an auspicious time on an auspicious day Jagannätha Miçra performed the

ceremony for beginning his son’s education.

TEXT 3

kichu çeñe miliyä sakala bandhu-gaëa

karëa-vedha karilena çré-cüòäkaraëa

TRANSLATION

Then after a few days all the family friends came to observe the ceremony of
the child’s ear-piercing and shaving of the head, leaving only a çikhä.

COMMENTARY

526
 Karëa-vedha, or piercing the ears, is part of the cüòä-karaëa-saàskära. It
also marks the beginning of hearing the Vedic literature, or becoming eligible
to hear topics related with the Absolute Truth by giving up hearing topics not
related with the Lord.
Cüòä-karaëa is one of the ten saàskäras, or reformatory ceremonies. In
this ceremony the child’s head is shaved with only the çikhä remaining. This
ceremony was previously known as vedägni-çikhä, and later it became known
as çré-caitanya-çikñä. The inactive Mäyävädés consider that keeping a çikhä is
meant for karma-käëòa, so they shave off their çikhä in order to free
themselves from karma-käëòa. Vedic tridaëòi-sannyäsés, however, do not
shave off their çikhä; they keep it as a sign of giving up karma-käëòa and
progressing on the path of devotional life.

TEXT 4

dåñöi-mätra sakala akñara likhi’ yäya

parama vismita haiyä sarva-jane cäya

TRANSLATION

The Lord could write the letters of the alphabet after seeing them only once.
Everyone was astonished to see this.

TEXT 5

dina dui-tinete paòhilä sarva ’phalä’

nirantara likhena kåñëera näma-mälä

527
 TRANSLATION

Within two or three days the Lord completed His study of the conjunct
letters. He then constantly wrote various names of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

When one letter of the alphabet is joined with another letter, the newly
formed letter is called phalä.

TEXT 6

räma, kåñëa, muräri, mukunda, vanamälé

ahar-niça likhena, paòhena kutühalé

TRANSLATION

Day and night He enthusiastically wrote and read names of the Lord like
Räma, Kåñëa, Muräri, Mukunda, and Vanamälé.

COMMENTARY

The word kutühalé means “eager” or “enthusiastic.”

TEXT 7

çiçu-gaëa-saìge paòe vaikuëöhera-räya

parama-sukåti dekhe sarva-nadéyäya

528
 TRANSLATION

The most fortunate persons of Nadia saw the Lord of Vaikuëöha study with
other young boys.

COMMENTARY

The word parama-sukåti refers to the most fortunate persons.

TEXT 8

ki mädhuré kari’ prabhu “ka, kha, ga, gha” bole

tähä çunitei mätra sarva-jéva bhole

TRANSLATION

The Lord sweetly recited the Bengali alphabet—“ka, kha, ga, gha.”
Everyone who heard Him was captivated.

COMMENTARY

The word mädhuré means “sweetness” or “enchanting,” and the word bhole
means “overwhelmed.”

TEXT 9

adbhuta karena kréòä çré-gaurasundara

yakhana ye cähe, sei parama duñkara

529
 TRANSLATION

Çré Gaurasundara performed wonderful pastimes; He would demand things

that were impossible to obtain.

COMMENTARY

The word duñkara means “rare.”

TEXT 10

äkäçe uòiyä yäya pakñé, tähä cähe

nä päile kändiyä dhüläya gaòi yäye

TRANSLATION

If He saw a bird flying in the sky, He desired to have it. And when it was
not given to Him, He would cry and roll in the dust.

TEXT 11

kñaëe cähe äkäçera candra-tärä-gaëa

häta-päo ächäòiyä karaye krandana

TRANSLATION

Sometimes He would demand the moon or the stars in the sky, and when
He did not get them He cried and thrashed His arms and legs.

530
 TEXT 12

säntvanä karena sabhe kari’ nija-kole

sthira nahe viçvambhara, “deo deo” bole

TRANSLATION

Everyone tried to pacify Him by taking Him on their lap, but Viçvambhara
did not relent and continued to demand, “Give Me! Give Me!”

TEXTS 13-14

sabe eka-mätra äche mahä-pratikära

hari-näma çunile nä kände prabhu ära

häte täli diyä sabe bole “hari hari”

takhana susthira haya cäïcalya päsari’

TRANSLATION

There was, however, one sure remedy; whenever He heard the names of
Hari, He would stop crying. When everyone clapped their hands and chanted
the name of Hari, He would be pacified and give up His restlessness.

COMMENTARY

The word pratikära means “antiseptic” or “medicinal.”

The word päsari’ means “by forgetting.”

531
 By this pastime the Lord demonstrated both the insignificance of the
unsatisfied material desires of conditioned souls who never engage in kértana
and that by hearing kåñëa-kértana all of one’s desires and obstacles are
destroyed, one’s mind becomes fixed, and one’s love for Kåñëa increases.

TEXT 15

bälakera prétye sabe bole hari-näma

jagannätha-gåha haila çré-vaikuëöha-dhäma

TRANSLATION

As everyone chanted the names of Hari in order to please the child, the
house of Jagannätha Miçra appeared just like Vaikuëöha.

COMMENTARY

Çré Jagannätha Miçra is nondifferent from Çré Vasudeva, the

personification of pure goodness. Since the influence of the illusory material
energy and the three modes of material nature are absent from Vaikuëöha, it is
a transcendental eternal abode of pure goodness and nondifferent from the
Lord. In this abode of pure goodness, or Vaikuëöha, the names and forms of
Lord Hari are eternally present, or manifest. “The house of Jagannätha Miçra
was not previously the abode of Vaikuëöha due to the absence of Lord Hari’s
names; later, it was turned into the abode of Vaikuëöha.”—Such imagination
is born of mental speculation covered by the material modes of nature and
therefore has no factual basis. The pastimes of the spiritual potency are
eternally pastimes of the spiritual potency; they are never pastimes of the
illusory energy. And the pastimes of the illusory energy are eternally pastimes
of the illusory energy, wherein the living entities who are averse to Hari

532
indulge in sense gratification. These are not pastimes of the spiritual potency.

TEXT 16

eka-dina sabe “hari” bole anukñaëa

tathäpiha prabhu punaù karena krandana

TRANSLATION

One day, in spite of everyone chanting the names of Hari, the Lord did not
stop crying.

TEXT 17

sabei bolena,—“çuna, bäpa re nimäi!

bhäla kari’ näca’,—ei hari-näma gäi”

TRANSLATION

They all said to Him, “Listen, dear Nimäi, come and dance nicely while we
chant the name of Hari.”

TEXT 18

nä çune vacana käro, karaye krandana

sabe bale’,—“bola, bäpa, kända’ ki käraëa?”

TRANSLATION

533
 The Lord did not listen to them and continued to cry, so they asked Him,
“Dear child, why are You crying?”

TEXT 19

sabei bolena,—“bäpa, ki icchä tomära?

sei dravya äni’ diba, nä kändaha ära”

TRANSLATION

They all asked Him, “What do You want? We will bring it for You, but
don’t cry.”

TEXT 20

prabhu bole,—“yadi mora präëa-rakñä cäha’

tabe jhäöa dui brähmaëera ghare yäha’

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “If you want to save My life, then go quickly to the house
of the two brähmaëas.

TEXTS 21-23

jagadéça paëòita hiraëya bhägavata

ei dui-sthäne ämära äche abhimata

534
 ekädaçé-upaväsa äji se doìhära
viñëu lägi’ kariyäche yata upahära

se saba naivedya yadi khäibäre päìa

tabe muïi sustha hai’ häëöiyä veòäìa

TRANSLATION

“Jagadéça and Hiraëya are both great devotees, and I desire something from
them. Today is Ekädaçé, and they are both fasting. But they have prepared
varieties of foodstuffs for Lord Viñëu. If I could eat their offering, I will be
cured and able to walk.”

COMMENTARY

The word bhägavata refers to a devotee of the Supreme Lord, a Vaiñëava, or

an associate of Lord Hari. The word abhimata means “desire.”
The word upahära means “foodstuffs.”
The word sustha means “peaceful” or “steady.”
The two brähmaëas—Jagadéça Paëòita and Hiraëya Paëòita—lived in
Godrumadvépa. Their house was some distance from the Lord’s house. On the
day of Ekädaçé they arranged a large offering for the Lord. The injunction for
fasting on Ekädaçé is meant only for the living entities, but Lord Viñëu is
beyond the jurisdiction of the rules and regulations that He has established.
Since He is not bound to observe fast on Ekädaçé, and since He alone is the
enjoyer of all sacrificial offerings, all types of foodstuffs should be offered to
Him on Ekädaçé. On the day of Ekädaçé the Vaiñëavas give up all kinds of
enjoyment and do not accept the injunction for honoring prasäda as on other
days, but Lord Çré Hari, the protector of the devotees, accepts the foodstuffs

535
offered by His devotees on His day, Hari-väsara. Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa also
revealed His desire to eat those foodstuffs.

TEXT 24

asambhava çuniyä janané kare kheda

“hena kathä kahe, yei nahe loka veda”

TRANSLATION

Hearing this impossible proposal, Mother Çacé lamented, “You are

requesting something that is not sanctioned in the Vedas or in ordinary
dealings.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase yei nahe loka veda refers to that which is not found in worldly
tradition or in the Vedas, that which is not customary in worldly or Vedic
dealings, or that which is beyond the scope of ordinary and Vedic etiquette.

TEXT 25

sabei häsena çuni’ çiçura vacana

sabe bole,—“diba, bäpa, sambara’ krandana”

TRANSLATION

Everyone laughed on hearing the child’s demand, and they said, “All right,
we’ll give You, but please stop crying.”

536
 TEXT 26

parama-vaiñëava sei vipra dui-jana

jagannätha-miçra-saha abheda-jévana

TRANSLATION

Those two brähmaëas were great Vaiñëavas and dearest friends of

Jagannätha Miçra.

TEXT 27

çuniïä çiçura väkya dui vipra-vara

santoñe pürëita haila sarva kalevara

TRANSLATION

When those first-class brähmaëas heard the child’s request, they became
fully satisfied.

COMMENTARY

The words santoñe pürëita mean “full of jubilation.”

Hiraëya and Jagadéça were the heart and soul of Jagannätha Miçra. In other
words, they were well-wishers with unbreakable friendship.

TEXT 28

537
 dui vipra bole,—“mahä-adbhuta kähiné!
çiçura emata budhi kabhu nähi çuni

TRANSLATION

The two brähmaëas exclaimed, “This is an amazing demand! We have never

heard of such an intelligent child.

TEXT 29

kemate jänila äji çré-hari-väsara

kemate vä jänila naivedya bahutara

TRANSLATION

“How did He know that today is Ekädaçé? How did He know that we have
prepared all kinds of foodstuffs for the Lord?

TEXT 30

bujhiläìa,—e çiçur parama-rüpavän

ataeva e dehe gopäla-adhiñöhäna

TRANSLATION

“We can understand that since this child is so attractive, Gopäla must have
manifested in His body.

538
 TEXT 31

e çiçura dehe kréòä kare näräyaëa

hådaye vasiyä sei boläya vacana”

TRANSLATION

“Lord Näräyaëa performs pastimes through the body of this child. Sitting in
His heart, Näräyaëa makes the child speak.”

TEXT 32

mane bhävi’ dui vipra sarva upahära

äniyä dilena kari’ hariña apära

TRANSLATION

Thinking like this, the two brähmaëas brought the various offerings and
happily gave them to Nimäi.

COMMENTARY

The words kari’ hariña apära mean “with unlimited happiness.”

TEXT 33

dui vipra bole,—“bäpa, khäo upahära

sakala kåñëera svärtha haila ämära”

539
 TRANSLATION

The two brähmaëas then said, “Dear child, please eat these foodstuffs. Our
desire to serve Kåñëa is fulfilled today.”

COMMENTARY

In other readings the word sät, meaning “ate” or “accepted,” is found. We

gathered these foodstuffs for offering to Kåñëa, and since Lord Kåñëa
personally ate these foodstuffs, all of our desires have been fulfilled.

TEXT 34

kåñëa-kåpä haile emana buddhi haya

däsa vinu anyera e buddhi kabhu naya

TRANSLATION

When one is blessed by Kåñëa he receives the intelligence to engage in

devotional service. Unless one is a servant of the Lord he cannot have such
intelligence.

COMMENTARY

Kåñëa as the Supersoul appears in the hearts of the living entities as the
instructing spiritual master within to inspire one to serve the Supreme Lord.
The living entities prove their intelligence by accepting that mercy of the
Lord. No one other than the eternal servant of the Supreme Lord can ever
exhibit such a service attitude. Another reading for the second line of this
verse is yä’re kåpä haya täna, sei se jänaya—“Only one who is favored by the

540
mercy of the Lord can understand Him.”

TEXT 35

bhakti vinä caitanya-gosäïi nähi jäni

ananta brahmäëòa yäì’ra loma-küpe gaëi

TRANSLATION

Without performing devotional service, no one can understand Lord

Caitanya, from whose hair pores innumerable universes emanate.

COMMENTARY

The word nähi jäni mean “not known,” and the word gaëi means “counted.”
The devotional service of Çré Caitanyadeva is never awakened by the
material endeavors of a living entity. Only those who have awakened their
devotional service, which is the activity of the soul, can understand Çré
Caitanyadeva. It is a well known fact that innumerable universes are situated
in the hair pores of Çré Caitanya-Näräyaëa.

TEXT 36

hena prabhu vipra-çiçu-rüpe kréòä kare

cakñu bhari’ dekhe janma-janmera kiìkare

TRANSLATION

That same Lord performed His pastimes as a young brähmaëa child. The

541
Lord’s eternal servants see those pastimes to the full satisfaction of their eyes.

COMMENTARY

Those who are most fortunate and eternal servants of the Lord, birth after
birth, can make their eyes perfect by seeing the childhood pastimes of this
brähmaëa boy.

TEXT 37

santoña hailä saba päi’ upahära

alpa-alpa kichu prabhu khäila sabära

TRANSLATION

The Lord was fully satisfied to receive that prasäda, and He ate a little of
each item.

TEXT 38

hariñe bhaktera prabhu upahära khäya

ghucila sakala väyu prabhura icchäya

TRANSLATION

The Lord joyfully ate the foodstuffs that had been offered by His devotees.
Thus by His own will His intense craving was appeased.

COMMENTARY

542
 The word ghucila means “became subdued or vanished,” and the word vayu
means “intense urge” or “acute desire.”

TEXT 39

“hari hari” hariñe bolaye sarva-jane

khäya ära näce prabhu äpana-kértane

TRANSLATION

Everyone present happily chanted the name of Hari as the Lord ate and
danced to the chanting of His holy names.

COMMENTARY

Since Çré Gaurasundara is the Supreme Lord Himself and nondifferent

from Lord Hari, His other name is Gaurahari. Therefore chanting the names
of Çré Hari means to chant His names, or äpana-kértana.

TEXT 40

katho phele bhümite, katho kä’ro gä’ya

ei-mata lélä kare tridaçera räya

TRANSLATION

Some of the prasäda fell on the floor, and some fell on the people present
there. In this way Tridaça Räya performed His pastimes.

543
 COMMENTARY

Tridaça Räya, the Lord of Tridaça, refers to: (1) He who destroys the living
entities’ threefold miseries—those inflicted by the body and mind, those
inflicted by other living entities, and those inflicted by natural disturbances;
(2) the Lord of those who are under the influence of birth, existence, or death
and childhood, youth, or old age; or (3) the Lord of 33 demigods—the 12
Ädityas, the 11 Rudras, the 8 Vasus, and the 2 Viçvadevas. He is Gaura-Viñëu,
the Lord of all lords.

TEXT 41

ye prabhure sarva vede-puräëe väkhäne

hena prabhu khele çacé-devéra aìgane

TRANSLATION

That same Lord who is glorified in the Vedas and Puräëas thus played in
the courtyard of Mother Çacé.

COMMENTARY

The term vede-puräëe refers to the scriptures.

TEXT 42

òubilä cäïcalya-rase prabhu viçvambhara

saàhati capala yata dvijera koìara

544
 TRANSLATION

Lord Viçvambhara drowned in the mood of a restless child as He sported

with other restless brähmaëa boys.

COMMENTARY

The word saàhati means “society,” “community,” or “a gathering of

people,” but in this verse it means “along with.” The word koìara is a
corruption of the word kumära, or “male children.”

TEXT 43

sabära sahita giyä paòe nänä-sthäne

dhariyä räkhite nähi päre kona jane

TRANSLATION

As the Lord went to study at various places with His friends, no one was
able to control Him.

TEXT 44

anya çiçu dekhile karaye kutühala

seha parihäsa kare, bäjaye kondala

TRANSLATION

Whenever the Lord met some new boys, He would tease them. And when

545
the other boys retaliated, a quarrel broke out.

COMMENTARY

The word kutühala means to “make fun of,” the word bäjaya means “to
begin” or “to commence,” and the word kondala is a corruption of the Sanskrit
word kandala, which means “quarrel” or “debate.”

TEXT 45

prabhura bälaka saba jine prabhu-bale

anya çiçu-gaëa yata saba häri’ cale

TRANSLATION

By the strength of the Lord, He and His friends always won such quarrels
and the other boys would leave in defeat.

COMMENTARY

The word prabhura refers to those who are on the Lord’s side, the word jine
means “to win,” and the term häri’ cale means “to be defeated.”

TEXT 46

dhüläya dhüsara prabhu çré-gaurasundara

likhana-kälira bindu çobhe manohara

TRANSLATION

546
 When Lord Gaurasundara became gray with a covering of dust and
decorated with drops of ink He appeared most enchanting.

COMMENTARY

The word likhana means “for writing.”

TEXT 47

paòiyä çuniyä sarva-çiçu-gaëa-saìge

gaìgä-snäne madhyähne calena bahu-raìge

TRANSLATION

At noon, after their studies, the Lord and His friends joyfully went to bathe
in the Ganges.

TEXT 48

majjiyä gaìgäya viçvambhara kutühalé

çiçu-gaëa-saìge kare jala pheläpheli

TRANSLATION

Viçvambhara and His friends eagerly entered the Ganges, wherein they
enjoyed splashing water on each other.

COMMENTARY

547
 The word majjiyä refers to being merged or immersed.

TEXT 49

nadéyära sampatti vä ke balite päre?

asaìkhyäta loka eko ghäöe snäna kare

TRANSLATION

Who can describe the opulence of Navadvépa? Innumerable people took bath
at one of the bathing ghäöas.

COMMENTARY

The word sampatti means “wealth,” “opulence,” or “beauty.” The word

asaìkhyäta means “innumerable.”

TEXT 50

kateka vä çänta dänta gåhastha sannyäsé

nä jäni kateka çiçu mile taìhi äsi’

TRANSLATION

I am unable to say how many saints, ascetics, householders, sannyäsés, and

children came there to take bath.

TEXT 51

548
 sabäre laiyä prabhu gaìgäya säìtäre
kñaëe òube, kñaëe bhäse, nänä kréòä kare

TRANSLATION

As the Lord swam in the Ganges with His associates, sometimes He would
dive below the surface and sometimes He would float. In this way He enjoyed
various water sports.

TEXT 52

jala-kréòä kare gaura sundara-çaréra

sabäkära gä’ye läge caraëera néra

TRANSLATION

While engaged in water sports, Lord Gaurasundara would splash water with
His feet on those nearby.

TEXT 53

sabe mänä kare, tabu niñedha nä mäne

dhariteo keha nähi päre eka-sthäne

TRANSLATION

People forbade Him from doing this, but the Lord ignored them and they
were unable to catch Him.

549
 TEXT 54

punaù punaù sabäre karäya prabhu snäna

kä’re choìya, kä’ro aìge kullola-pradäna

TRANSLATION

The Lord compelled everyone to bathe again and again by touching them or
spitting on them.

COMMENTARY

The word kullola comes from the Hindi word kullä, which means “water
spit from the mouth.”

TEXT 55

nä päiyä prabhura nägäli vipra-gaëe

sabe calilena täì’ra janakera sthäne

TRANSLATION

Being unable to restrain Him, the brähmaëas approached His father to

complain about Him.

COMMENTARY

The word nägäli means “face to face” or “next to.”

550
 TEXT 56

“çuna, çuna, ohe miçra parama-bändhava!

tomära putrera apanyäya kahi saba

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëas said, “Dear friend, Jagannätha Miçra. Please hear about
your son’s misdeeds.

COMMENTARY

The word apanyäya means “opposed to all logic,” “misdeed,” or “prohibited

activity.”

TEXT 57

bhäla-mate karite nä päri gaìgä-snäna”

keha bole,—“jala diyä bhäìge mora dhyäna”

TRANSLATION

“Due to His misdeeds we are unable to bathe properly.” Someone said, “He
splashes water on me and disturbs my meditation.”

TEXT 58

äro bole,—“kä’re dhyäna kara, ei dekha

551
 kali-yuge “näräyaëa” muïi paratekha”

TRANSLATION

Another complained, “Your son asked me, ’Who are you meditating on? In
Kali-yuga I am directly Lord Näräyaëa.’”

TEXT 59

keha bole,—“mora çiva-liìga kare curi”

keha bole,—“mora lai’ paläya uttaré”

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “He stole my Çiva-liìga,” and someone else said, “He ran
away with my cädara.”

COMMENTARY

The word uttaré is a short form of uttaréya, which refers to a cloth worn
above the waist, a cädara.

TEXTS 60-61

keha bole,—“puñpa, dürvä, naivedya, candana

viñëu püjibära sajja, viñëura äsana

ämi kari snäna, hethä vaise se äsane

saba khäi’ pari’ tabe kare paläyane”

552
 TRANSLATION

Someone said, “I kept the ingredients for worshiping Viñëu—flowers, dürvä

grass, bhoga, sandalwood pulp, and the Lord’s äsana—on the bank of the
Ganges. When I went to take bath your son sat on the Lord’s äsana, ate the
bhoga, smeared Himself with the sandalwood pulp, decorated Himself with the
flowers, and ran off.

TEXT 62

äro bole,—“tumi kene duùkha bhäva’ mane?

yä’ra lägi’ kailä, sei khäilä äpane”

TRANSLATION

“Then He said, ’Why are you unhappy? He for whom you arranged those
ingredients has Himself enjoyed them.’”

COMMENTARY

The second line means “He to whom you have offered these foodstuffs and
ingredients for worship has personally accepted them.” Impersonal monists
understand from this incident that the Lord was a worshiper of the “Self,” but
such considerations of the Mäyävädés prove their lack of proper knowledge.
Çré Caitanyadeva is sac-cid-änanda-vigraha and the origin of Näräyaëa. There
is no difference between His names, His person, His body, and His soul like
there is with the conditioned souls. Impersonal Brahman is simply the
effulgence emanating from His body. Therefore the imaginations of the
Mäyävädés cannot touch Him, for He is beyond the reach of sense perception.

553
 TEXT 63

keha bole,—“sandhyä kari jalete nämiyä

òuba diyä laiyä yäya caraëe dhariyä”

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “I was standing in the water chanting my Gäyatré, and He

grabbed my feet and pulled me down.”

TEXT 64

keha bole,—“ämära nä rahe säji dhuti”

keha bole,—“ämära coräya gétä-puìthi”

TRANSLATION

Another said, “He always takes my flower basket and fresh cloth.” Someone
else said, “He steals my Bhagavad-gétä.”

COMMENTARY

The word säji refers to a basket of flowers, the word dhuti refers to cloth
that one wears, and the word coräya means “steals.”

TEXT 65

keha bole,—“putra ati-bälaka, ämära

554
 karëe jala diyä tä’re kändäya apära”

TRANSLATION

Then someone complained, “My son is very young, and your son makes him
cry by putting water in his ears.”

TEXT 66

keha bole,—“mora påñöha diyä kändhe caòe

’muïi re maheça’ bali’ jhäìpa diyä paòe”

TRANSLATION

Another person said, “He comes behind me, climbs on my shoulders, and
then jumps in the water, exclaiming, ’I am Lord Maheça!’

TEXT 67

keha bole,—“vaise mora püjära äsane

naivedya khäiyä viñëu püjaye äpane

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “Your son sits on my äsana and eats the offerings I have
prepared for Lord Viñëu. Then He worships Lord Viñëu.

TEXT 68

555
 snäna kari’ uöhile bälukä deya aìge
yateka capala çiçu, sei tä’ra saìge

TRANSLATION

When I come out from my bath, He throws sand on me. He is surrounded

by all the other mischievous boys.

TEXT 69

stré-väse puruña-väse karaye badala

paribära belä sabe lajjäya vikala!

TRANSLATION

“He exchanges the men’s cloth with the women’s, and then everyone is
embarrassed when they go to dress.

COMMENTARY

The words stré-väse puruña-väse refers to the cloths worn by women and
men, and the word vikala means “overwhelmed,” “agitated,” “morose,” or
“absorbed.”

TEXT 70

parama-bändhava tumi miçra-jagannätha!

nitya ei-mata kare, kahiluì tomäta

556
 TRANSLATION

“O Jagannätha Miçra, you are our dear friend, therefore we are informing
you that your son does such things every day.

TEXT 71

dui-prahareo nähi uöhe jala haite

deha vä tähära bhäla thäkibe kemate”

TRANSLATION

“He remains in the water for up to six hours, so how will His body remain
fit?”

TEXT 72

hena käle pärçva-varté yateka bälikä

kopa-mane äilena çacédevé yathä

TRANSLATION

At the same time all the neighborhood girls approached Mother Çacé in an
angry mood.

COMMENTARY

The word kopa-mane means “in an angry mood.”

557
 TEXT 73

çacire sambodhiyä sabe bolena vacana

“çuna, öhäkuräëé, nija-putrera karama

TRANSLATION

They all complained to Çacé, “O Öhäkuräëé, listen to what your son has
done!

TEXT 74

vasana karaye curi, bole ati-manda

uttara karile jala deya, kare dvandva

TRANSLATION

“He steals our clothes and speaks very badly. If we protest, He throws water
on us and starts a quarrel.

COMMENTARY

The word dvandva means “argument” or “quarrel.”

TEXT 75

vrata karibäre yata äni phula-phala

chaòäiyä phele bala kariyä sakala

558
 TRANSLATION

“By force, He scatters whatever fruits and flowers we bring for püjä.

COMMENTARY

The words bala kariyä mean “forcibly.”

TEXT 76

snäna kari’ uöhile bälukä deya aìge

yateka capala çiçu, sei tä’ra saìge

TRANSLATION

“When we come out from our bath, He throws sand on us. He is

surrounded by all sorts of mischievous boys.

TEXT 77

alakñite äsi’ karëe bole baòa bola”

keha bole,—“mora mukhe dileka kullola

TRANSLATION

“He sneaks up behind us and shouts in our ears.” One of the girls said, “He
spit water in my face.

559
 COMMENTARY

The word capala means “naughty,” “mischievous,” or “impudent.” The first

line of this verse means “to suddenly shout loudly into the ear.”

TEXT 78

okaòära bici deya keçera bhitare

keha bole,—“more cähe vibhä karibäre

TRANSLATION

“And then he threw okaòa seeds [which induce itching] in my hair.”

Someone else said, “He said He wants to marry me.

COMMENTARY

The word vibhä is a corruption of the Sanskrit word viväha, which means
“marriage.”

TEXT 79

prati-dina ei-mata kare vyavahära

tomära nimäi kibä räjära kumära?

TRANSLATION

“Everyday He behaves with us like this. Does your Nimäi think He is the
son of a king?

560
 COMMENTARY

The words räjära kumära refer to one who is independent or as free as a

king’s son.

TEXT 80

pürve çuniläìa yena nandera kumära

sei-mata saba kare nimäi tomära

TRANSLATION

“The activities of your son, Nimäi, exactly resemble what we have heard
about the activities of the son of Nanda.

TEXT 81

duùkhe bäpa-mäyere baliba yei dine

tata-kñaëe kondala haibe tomä’ sane

TRANSLATION

“When we tell our parents about your son’s mischief, they will surely
quarrel with you.

COMMENTARY

The girls continued to speak: “The day we complain to our parents about
these naughty activities they will certainly quarrel with you.”

561
 TEXT 82

niväraëa kara jhäöa äpana chäoyäla

nadéyäya hena karma kabhu nahe bhäla”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore please control your son immediately, for such activities are not
proper in Nadia.”

COMMENTARY

The word niväraëa means “to stop or forbid.” The word chäoyäla is a
corruption of the word çävaka, which means “child” or “baby.” “The city of
Nadia is filled with many respectable gentlemen. It is not proper for Nimäi to
perform mischief in such a society.”

TEXT 83

çuniyä häsena mahäprabhura janané

sabe kole kariyä balena priya-väëé

TRANSLATION

On hearing these complaints, the Lord’s mother smiled, embraced the girls,
and sweetly spoke to them.

562
 TEXT 84

“nimäi äile äji väòyämu bändhiyä

ära yena upadrava nähi kare giyä”

TRANSLATION

“When Nimäi returns today, I will tie Him up and beat Him with a stick so
that He won’t disturb you again.”

COMMENTARY

The word väòyämu means “I will beat with a stick.” In other editions the
word eòimu, “to leave,” is found in place of väòyämu. [In which case the
meaning will be: “I will leave Him tied up.”]

TEXT 85

çacéra caraëa-dhüli laïä sabe çire

tabe calilena punaù snäna karibäre

TRANSLATION

All the girls then took the dust from Çacédevé’s feet on their heads and went
to take bath.

TEXT 86

563
 yateka cäpalya prabhu kare yä’ra sane
paramärthe sabära santoña baòa mane

TRANSLATION

In spite of Nimäi’s mischief, everyone ultimately felt fully satisfied.

COMMENTARY

The word paramärthe means “as it is” or “actually.”

TEXT 87

kautuke kahite äisena miçra-sthäne

çuni’ miçra tarje garje sadambha-vacane

TRANSLATION

People came to complain to Jagannätha Miçra for amusement, but he became

upset and angrily replied.

COMMENTARY

The word sadambha means “with pride” or “egoistically.”

TEXT 88

“niravadhi e vyabhära karaye sabäre

bhäla-mate gaìgä-snäna nä deya karibäre

564
 TRANSLATION

“This boy behaves like this everyday. He doesn’t allow anyone to peacefully
take bath in the Ganges.

COMMENTARY

The word vyabhära is a corruption of the word vyavahära, which means

“behavior.”

TEXT 89

ei jhäìöa yäìa tä’ra çästi karibäre”

sabe räkhileha keha räkhite nä päre

TRANSLATION

“I’m going to punish Him right now!” Although they all tried to pacify
Jagannätha Miçra, they were unable.

COMMENTARY

The second half of this verse means “to protect;” in other words, “no one
can stop me even if they try.”

TEXT 90

krodha kari’ yakhana calilä miçra-vara

jänilä gauräìga sarva-bhütera éçvara

565
 TRANSLATION

Gauräìga, the Lord of all living entities, could understand that Jagannätha
Miçra was searching for Him in an angry mood.

COMMENTARY

The word sarva-bhütera éçvara refers to the Supersoul of all living entities.

TEXT 91

gaìgä-jale keli kare çré-gaurasundara

sarva-bälakera madhye ati manohara

TRANSLATION

Çré Gaurasundara was most enchanting as He continued sporting in the

water of the Ganges with the other boys.

TEXT 92

kumärikä sabe bole,—“çuna viçvambhara!

miçra äilena ei, paläha satvara”

TRANSLATION

All the girls said, “Listen, Viçvambhara! Your father is coming, You better
get out of here.”

566
 COMMENTARY

The word kumärikä, or kumäré, refers to an unmarried girl.

TEXT 93

çiçu-gaëa-saìge prabhu yäya dharibäre

paläila brähmaëa-kumäré saba òare

TRANSLATION

As Jagannätha Miçra came on his way to find the Lord amongst His friends,
the brähmaëa girls ran away in fear.

TEXT 94

sabäre çikhäya miçra-stäne kahibära

“snäne nähi äisena tomära kumära

TRANSLATION

Meanwhile, Nimäi instructed His friends to tell His father, “Your son has
not come for bath today.

TEXT 95

sei pathe gelä ghara paòiyä çuniyä

567
 ämaräo ächi ei tähära lägiyä”

TRANSLATION

“He went straight home after school. We are also waiting for Him.”

COMMENTARY

The words sei pathe refers to the same path He came on.

TEXT 96

çikhäiyä ära pathe prabhu gelä ghara

gaìgä-ghäöe äsiyä mililä miçra-vara

TRANSLATION

After instructing His friends, the Lord went home by another path just as
Jagannätha Miçra arrived at the bathing ghäöa.

TEXT 97

äsiyä gaìgära ghäöe cäri-dike cähe

çiçu-gaëa-madhye putre dekhite nä päye

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra looked all over but could not see his son amongst the boys.

568
 TEXT 98

miçra jijïäsena,—“viçvambhara kati gelä?”

çiçu-gaëa bole,—“äji snäne nä äilä

TRANSLATION

He then inquired, “Where did Viçvambhara go?” The boys replied, “He
didn’t come for bath today.

COMMENTARY

The word kati is a corruption of the word kutra, or “where.”

TEXT 99

sei pathe gelä ghara paòiyä çuniyä

sabhe ächi ei tä’ra apekñä kariyä

TRANSLATION

“He went straight home after school. We are all waiting for Him.”

TEXT 100

cäri-dike cähe miçra häte bäòi laiyä

tarja-garja kare baòa läg nä päiyä

569
 TRANSLATION

Searching all over with a stick in his hand, Jagannätha Miçra grumbled in
anger on being unable to find his son.

TEXT 101

kautuke yähärä nivedana kailä giyä

sei saba vipra punaù bolaye äsiyä

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëas who had earlier complained to Jagannätha Miçra in jest

came and spoke to him again.

COMMENTARY

The word kautuke means “sarcastically” or “jokingly.” The phrase nivedana

kailä means “to complain.”

TEXT 102

“bhaya päi’ viçvambhara paläilä ghare

ghare cala tumi, kichu bola päche tä’re

TRANSLATION

“Viçvambhara left for home out of fear. You please go home and speak to
Him there.

570
 TEXT 103

ära-bära äsi’ yadi caïcalatä kare

ämaräi dhari’ diba tomära gocare

TRANSLATION

“If He comes back here again and creates mischief, then we will catch Him
and hand Him over to you.

TEXT 104

kautuke se kathä kahiläìa tomä’ sthäne

tomä’ bai bhägyavän nähi tribhuvane

TRANSLATION

“Whatever we said to you was simply in jest. Actually there is no one more
fortunate than you in the three worlds.

TEXT 105

se hena nandana yä’ra gåha-mäjhe thäke

ki karite päre tä’re kñudhä-tåñä-çoke?

TRANSLATION

“How can one be affected by hunger, thirst, or lamentation if he has such a

571
son at home?

COMMENTARY

The word tåñä means “thirst.”

TEXT 106

tumi se sevilä satya prabhura caraëa

tä’ra mahäbhägya,—yä’ra e-hena nandana

TRANSLATION

“You are certainly most fortunate to have the Supreme Lord as your son and
serve His lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

The brähmaëas spoke these statements about the good fortune of

Jagannätha Miçra, who is the eternal servant of the Lord as His father.

TEXT 107

koöi aparädha yadi viçvambhara kare

tabu tä’re thuibäìa hådaya-upare”

TRANSLATION

“Even if Viçvambhara commits millions of offenses, we will still keep Him

572
in our hearts.”

COMMENTARY

The word thuibäìa means “we will keep” or “we will place.” This word is
currently used in the Mymensing district of Bangladesh.

TEXT 108

janme-janme kåñëa-bhakta ei-saba jana

e saba uttama-buddhi ihära käraëa

TRANSLATION

Because these brähmaëas had all been devotees of Kåñëa for many lifetimes,
they had fine intelligence.

COMMENTARY

The word uttama-buddhi refers to the attitude of loving service to the

Supreme Lord.

TEXT 109

ataeva prabhu nija-sevaka sahite

nänä kréòä kare, keha nä päre bujhite

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord enjoyed various pastimes with His eternal servants
573
which ordinary people cannot understand.

TEXT 110

miçra bole,—“seha putra tomä’ sabäkära

yadi aparädha laha,—çapatha ämära”

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra said, “He is your son as well. You must not be offended by
His actions.”

TEXT 111

tä’sabära saìge miçra kari’ koläkuli

gåhe äilena miçra hai’ kutühalé

TRANSLATION

After embracing all the brähmaëas, Jagannätha Miçra happily returned

home.

TEXT 112

ära-pathe ghare gelä prabhu-viçvambhara

häthete mohana puìthi, yena çaçadhara

TRANSLATION

574
 Meanwhile, Lord Viçvambhara returned home by another path. He
resembled the bright moon as He carried attractive books in His hand.

COMMENTARY

The word mohana means “beautiful,” and the words yena çaçadhara means
“as soothing bright white as the moon.”

TEXT 113

likhana-kälira bindu çobhe gaura aìge

campake lägila yena cäri-dike bhåìge

TRANSLATION

Drops of ink beautified the Lord’s golden limbs and resembled bumble bees
surrounding a campaka flower.

COMMENTARY

The bodily complexion of Nimäi resembled the campaka flower, and the
bees were black colored. When Nimäi wrote, dots of ink marked His various
limbs. This sight appeared like black bees encircling a campaka flower.

TEXT 114

“janané!” baliyä prabhu lägilä òäkite

“taila deha’ more, yäi sinäna karite”

575
 TRANSLATION

The Lord called out, “Mother! Give Me some oil. Let Me go take bath.”

TEXT 115

putrera vacana çuni’ çacé harañita

kichui nä dekhe aìge snänera carita

TRANSLATION

Hearing her son’s request, Mother Çacé became joyful. She could not see any
sign that He had taken bath.

COMMENTARY

The words snänera carita mean “symptoms of having taken bath.”

TEXT 116

taila diyä çacédevé mane-mane gaëe’

“bälikärä ki balila, kibä dvija-gaëe

TRANSLATION

After giving Him the oil, Çacédevé thought, “What did those girls and
brähmaëas complain about?

576
 TEXT 117

likhana-kälira bindu äche saba aìge

sei vastra paridhäna, sei puìthi saìge”

TRANSLATION

“He has drops of ink on His body, and He is wearing the same clothes and
carrying the same books.”

TEXT 118

kñaëeke äilä jagannätha miçra-vara

miçre dekhi’ kolete uöhilä viçvambhara

TRANSLATION

Soon after, Jagannätha Miçra arrived there and Viçvambhara climbed on his
lap.

TEXT 119

sei äliìgane miçra bähya nähi jäne

änande pürëita hailä putra-daraçane

TRANSLATION

Çré Miçra was filled with ecstasy on seeing his son, and he lost external

577
consciousness by His embrace.

COMMENTARY

The words bähya nähi jäne mean “without external consciousness.”

TEXT 120

miçra dekhe sarva-aìga dhüläya vyäpita

snäna-cihna nä dekhiyä hailä vismita

TRANSLATION

Çré Miçra was astonished to see that Nimäi was covered with dust and
devoid of any sign that He had taken bath.

TEXT 121

miçra bole,—“viçvambhara, ki buddhi tomära?

lokere nä deha’ kene snäna karibära?

TRANSLATION

He said, “Viçvambhara, what kind of mentality do You have? Why don’t

You let people take bath?

TEXT 122

viñëu-püjä-sajja kene kara apahära?

578
 ’viñëu’ kariyäo bhaya nähika tomära?”

TRANSLATION

“Why do You steal the ingredients meant for worshiping Lord Viñëu? Don’t
You have any reverence for Lord Viñëu?”

COMMENTARY

The word kariyäo means “even after direct realization.”

TEXT 123

prabhu bole,—“äji ämi nähi yäi snäne

ämära saàhati-gaëa gela äguyäne

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “Today I have not yet gone for bath. My friends have
gone ahead of Me.

COMMENTARY

The word saàhati-gaëa refers to the Lord’s companions, the word äguyäne
is a corruption of the word agravän, which means “went ahead.”

TEXT 124

sakala lokere tärä kare avyabhära

579
 nä geleo sabe doña kahena ämära

TRANSLATION

“They have misbehaved with those brähmaëas and girls, who are blaming
Me even though I wasn’t there.

COMMENTARY

The word avyabhära means “wrong deeds” or “misbehavior.”

TEXT 125

nä geleo yadi doña kahena ämära

satya tabe kariba sabäre avyabhära”

TRANSLATION

“Since they blame Me when I wasn’t even there, now I will actually do
some mischief to them.”

TEXT 126

eta bali’ häsi’ prabhu yä’na gaìgä-snäne

punaù sei mililena çiçu-gaëa-sane

TRANSLATION

Saying this, the Lord smiled as He left to take bath in the Ganges, where

580
He met again with His friends.

TEXT 127

viçvambhara dekhi’ sabe äliìgana kari’

häsaye sakala çiçu çuniïä cäturé

TRANSLATION

When Viçvambhara arrived there, the boys embraced Him and laughed after
hearing what happened.

TEXT 128

sabei praçaàse,—“bhäla nimäi catura

bhäla eòäilä äji märaëa pracura!”

TRANSLATION

They all praised Him, saying, “Nimäi, You are very clever. You have
escaped a good beating today.”

COMMENTARY

The word märaëa means “to beat.”

TEXT 129

jala-keli kare prabhu saba-çiçu-sane

581
 hethä çacé-jagannätha mane-mane gaëe’

TRANSLATION

As the Lord engaged in water sports with the boys, at home Jagannätha
Miçra and Çacé were contemplating.

COMMENTARY

The word gaëe means “to think.”

TEXT 130

“ye ye kahilena kathä, seha mithyä nahe

tabe kene snäna-cihna kichu nähi dehe?

TRANSLATION

“Whatever they complained cannot be false. But then why were there no
symptoms on His body of His having taken bath?

TEXT 131

sei-mata aìge dhülä, sei-mata veça!

sei puìthi, sei vastra, sei-mata keça!

TRANSLATION

“His body was covered with dust, He had the same dress and same books,

582
His hair was dry—everything as though He had not taken bath!

TEXT 132

e bujhi manuñya nahe çri-viçvambhara!

mäyä-rüpe kåñëa vä janmilä mora ghara!

TRANSLATION

“It seems that Çré Viçvambhara is not an ordinary human being! Perhaps
Lord Kåñëa has appeared by His internal potency as a human being in our
house!

COMMENTARY

In this verse the word mäyä-rüpe refers to the Supreme Lord Gaura-Kåñëa’s
eternal humanlike form, manifested by His internal potency yogamäyä. In the
Laghu-bhägavatämåta (Pürva 413, 414) it is stated: “In many places the word
mäyä refers to the Lord’s internal potency. The internal potency of the Lord is
eternal and is known as mäyä.” In the Catur-veda-çikhä-çruti, Madhväcärya
has stated: ato mäyämayaà viñëuà pravadanti manéñiëaù: “The body accepted
by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called mäyämaya.”

TEXT 133

kon mahäpuruña vä,—kichui nä jäni”

hena-mate cintite äilä dvija-maëi

TRANSLATION

583
 “Otherwise He may be some other great personality. We don’t know.”
While they were contemplating in this way, the Lord, who is the jewel amongst
the brähmaëas, arrived there.

TEXT 134

putra-daraçanänande ghucila vicära

snehe pürëa hailä doìhe, kichu nähi ära

TRANSLATION

In the ecstasy of seeing their son, the couple forgot all their ideas and
became so filled with affection that nothing else was important.

COMMENTARY

The word vicära means “to think,” “to ascertain the truth,” “to consider,” or
“to discuss.” The words kichu nähi ära mean “as if nothing had happened
before” or “as if there were no connection at all to that incident.”

TEXT 135

yei dui-prahara prabhu yäya paòibäre

sei dui yuga hai’ thäke se doìhäre

TRANSLATION

The two praharas, six hours, that the Lord spent at school studying seemed
like two yugas for the couple.

584
 COMMENTARY

Due to separation from Nimäi, the duration of six hours appeared like two
yugas for Jagannätha Miçra and Çacédevé.

TEXT 136

koöi-rüpe koöi-mukhe vede yadi kaya

tabu e-doìhära bhägyera nähi samuccaya

TRANSLATION

If the Vedas chanted the glories of this couple with millions of mouths, in
millions of ways, still they could not reach the limit of their good fortune.

TEXT 137

çacé-jagannätha-päye rahu namaskära

ananta-brahmäëòa-nätha putra rüpe yäìra

TRANSLATION

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Çacédevé and

Jagannätha Miçra, whose son is the Lord of innumerable universes.

TEXT 138

ei-mata kréòä kare vaikuëöhera räya

585
 bujhite nä päre keha täìhäna mäyäya

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha enjoys His pastimes, which by the
influence of His external energy no one can understand.

TEXT 139

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends the English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya of Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Chapter Six, entitled “The Lord Begins Studying and His
Childhood Mischief.”

Chapter Seven: Çré Viçvarüpa Takes Sannyäsa

This chapter contains descriptions of Viçvarüpa’s acceptance of sannyäsa

and Gaurahari’s acceptance of the mood of Dattätreya and instructing His
mother on the Absolute Truth while sitting on a pile of rejected clay pots.

586
 Çré Gaura-gopäla expanded His various mischievous childhood pastimes.
Nimäi would give up His mischief as soon as He saw His elder brother,
Viçvarüpa. Viçvarüpa was renounced since the time of His birth, and He was
the abode of all good qualities. Whenever He explained the scriptures, He
would establish devotional service as their only purport. He had no interest in
anything other than serving Kåñëa with all of His senses. Although He knew
His younger brother was Bäla-gopäla Kåñëa, He did not disclose this
confidential fact to anyone. Viçvarüpa always remained intoxicated by
discussing topics of Kåñëa and serving Kåñëa in the association of the
Vaiñëavas. Seeing the entire world was mad after material enjoyment, the seed
of envy for Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas was present in everyone’s heart, and even
the reciters of Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad Bhägavatam were devoid of devotion
to Kåñëa, the pure devotees headed by Advaita Äcärya began to cry for the
pathetic condition of the living entities. Çré Viçvarüpa even decided to give up
worldly life and considered, “I will no longer see the faces of such people.”
Everyday after taking morning bath in the Ganges Viçvarüpa would go to
Advaita Äcärya’s house, where He would explain that devotional service to
Kåñëa is the essence of all scriptures. Sent by Çacédevé, the child Nimäi also
went daily to the house of Advaita Äcärya to bring His elder brother home for
lunch. At that time the devotees practically entered samädhi upon seeing the
enchanting beauty of Gaurahari, as it is natural for devotees to be attracted by
seeing the form of the Lord. Taking advantage of this incident, the author
establishes the devotees’ matchless love for the Supreme Lord by citing the
conversation between Çukadeva Gosvämé and Parékñit Mahäräja from the
Çrémad Bhägavatam. The spirit soul is the life of the living entity, and Çré
Nandanandana is the Supersoul, or the life of the spirit soul. That is why the
gopés accepted Kåñëa as their life and soul. Although Kåñëa is also the
Supersoul of demons like Kaàsa, they cannot understand this due to their
offences. The sweetness of sugar candy is known to all. Although due to the
fault of the tongue it may taste bitter to some, the sweetness of the candy is
neither lost nor diminished. Those who are attracted to the supreme sweetness

587
of Çré Gaurasundara are most fortunate, while those who are not are simply
unfortunate. Nevertheless, the sweetness of Çré Gaurasundara is not
diminished. Although Viçvarüpa came home on the order of Mother Çacé, He
soon returned to the house of Advaita Äcärya. Whenever Viçvarüpa came
home, He did not indulge in worldly behavior; rather, He would pass His time
sitting in the temple room. When Viçvarüpa heard that His parents were
arranging for His marriage, He became most unhappy and after a few days
exhibited His pastime of taking sannyäsa. Thus He became renowned in the
world as Çré Çaìkaräraëya. The hearts of Çacé and Jagannätha (who were in
the transcendental mood of vätsalya-rasa) were greatly pained when
Viçvarüpa took sannyäsa, and Gaurasundara, feeling separation for His
brother (separation for His pure servant), displayed His pastime of losing
consciousness. Due to separation from Viçvarüpa (separation from a devotee),
the devotees headed by Advaita Äcärya began to cry. All the friends of Çacé
and Jagannätha came to solace them in various ways. Hearing about
Viçvarüpa’s acceptance of sannyäsa, the devotees all wanted to go live in the
forest. Advaita Prabhu consoled everyone by saying, “Kåñëacandra will soon
manifest before us and mitigate all of our distress. He will perform pastimes
that are rare for even Çukadeva and Prahläda.” After becoming pacified,
Nimäi began to study attentively, and He always remained with His parents.
Although Mother Çacé was happy to hear about her son’s wonderful
intelligence and knowledge, Jagannätha Miçra was in anxiety because he
thought, “Due to His intense study, this son will also realize that this world is
temporary and devotional service to Kåñëa is the essence of life. Then He will
follow the footsteps of His elder brother.” After a long debate with Çacé,
Jagannätha Miçra stopped Nimäi’s studies. Thereafter Nimäi again began to
exhibit mischievous pastimes. One day Nimäi sat on a pile of untouchable clay
pots. When Mother Çacé told Him not to sit there, Nimäi replied, “How can a
foolish person who does not know how to read and write discriminate between
purity and impurity? For Me, it is all the same.” In the mood of Dattätreya,
Mahäprabhu continued to instruct His mother, “The consideration of purity

588
and impurity is born from the imagination or mental speculation of mundane
people. The Absolute Truth, Lord Viñëu, is present everywhere. And
wherever the Lord is present is most pure. Those who cannot understand that
the Lord is present everywhere simply chase after mental conceptions. The
cooking pots of Viñëu are never impure, they are always pure. Other ordinary
items are purified by their touch. The Lord is never present in a place that is
impure, or devoid of devotional service.” Although Nimäi explained all
spiritual topics in the mood of a child, Çacé and other relatives in the mood of
vätsalya could not understand those instructions due to the influence of
yogamäyä. When Çacédevé saw that Nimäi would not leave that dirty place, she
personally grabbed the child’s hand and took Him for bath. Thereafter
Çacédevé and others informed Jagannätha Miçra, “Nimäi is feeling most
unhappy because He cannot study,” so on everyone’s request Purandara Miçra
ordered Nimäi to continue His studies.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya mahä-maheçvara gauracandra

jaya jaya viçvambhara-priya-bhakta-vånda

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gauracandra, the Lord of all lords. All glories to
Viçvambhara’s beloved devotees.

TEXT 2

jaya jagannätha-çacé-putra sarva-präëa

kåpä-dåñöye kara prabhu sarva-jéve träëa

589
 TRANSLATION

All glories to Jagannätha and Çacé’s son, who is the life and soul of all. O
Lord, please deliver the living entities by Your merciful glance.

COMMENTARY

The word sarva-präëa refers to He who is the life and soul of His servants.
The son of Çacé is the source of all conscious entities.

TEXT 3

hena mate navadvépe çré-gaurasundara

bälya-lélä-chale kare prakäça vistara

TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Gaurasundara manifested His childhood pastimes in

Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

The words kare prakäça vistara indicate that the mischievous pastimes that
Çré Gaurasundara exhibited in His childhood had two purposes. The direct
purpose was to attract His devotees and constantly increase their ecstasy, and
the indirect purpose was to confirm the temporary nature of mundane objects
of sense gratification by destroying them in a mischievous way. Since
accepting and rejecting mundane objects creates various disturbances,
obstructing or minimizing the attempt to enjoy such objects is certainly for the
eternal benefit of the conditioned souls. A conditioned soul’s constitutional

590
duties are transformed into mental speculation due to his external perception.
As a result, rather than serving the Lord, one’s propensity for enjoying the
material world increases. In the absence of this propensity, one’s spiritual
constitutional engagement of devotional service, in the form of liberation
from material enjoyment and endeavor for achieving Kåñëa, becomes
manifest.

TEXT 4

nirantara capalatä kare sabä-sane

mä’ye çikhäleo prabodha nähi mäne

TRANSLATION

The Lord regularly engaged in mischief-making. He would not stop even by

His mother’s order.

TEXT 5

çikhäile äro haya dvi-guëa caïcala

gåhe yähä päya, tähä bhäìgaye sakala

TRANSLATION

Whenever His parents tried to restrain Him, He would create twice as

much mischief. He would then break anything at home that He could get His
hands on.

591
 TEXT 6

bhaye ära kichu nä bolaye bäpa-mä’ya

svacchande paramänande kheläya léläya

TRANSLATION

Thus, out of fear, His parents no longer tried to restrain the Lord, who was
then free to fully enjoy His pastimes.

TEXT 7

ädi-khaëòa-kathä—yena amåta-çravaëa
yahiì çiçu-rüpe kréòä kare näräyaëa

TRANSLATION

The topics of Ädi-khaëòa are like a stream of nectar, for they relate the
childhood pastimes of Lord Näräyaëa.

TEXT 8

pitä, mätä, kähäre nä kare prabhu bhaya

viçvarüpa agraja dekhile namra haya

TRANSLATION

The Lord was not afraid of anyone, including His parents, but He displayed

592
humility on seeing His elder brother, Viçvarüpa.

TEXT 9

prabhura agraja viçvarüpa bhagavän

äjanma virakta sarva-guëera nidhäna

TRANSLATION

Çré Viçvarüpa, the Personality of Godhead, was the Lord’s elder brother.
From birth He was detached from sense gratification. He was the abode of all
transcendental qualities.

TEXT 10

sarva-çästre sabe väkhänena viñëu-bhakti

khaëòite täìhära vyäkhyä nähi kä’ro çakti

TRANSLATION

He explained that the purport of all scriptures was devotional service to

Lord Viñëu, and no one was able to refute His explanation.

TEXT 11

çravaëe, vadane, mane, sarvendriya-gaëe

kåñëa-bhakti vine ära nä bole, nä çune

593
 TRANSLATION

With His ears, mouth, mind, and other senses, He would not speak or hear
about anything other than devotional service to Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 12

anujera dekhi’ ati vilakñaëa réta

viçvarüpa mane gaëe’ haiyä vismita

TRANSLATION

Seeing His brother’s uncommon activities, Viçvarüpa was struck with

wonder and thought.

COMMENTARY

The words vilakñaëa réta mean “extraordinary or contrary behavior.”

TEXT 13

“e bälaka kabhu nahe präkåta chäoyäla

rüpe, äcaraëe,—yena çré-bäla-gopäla

TRANSLATION

“This boy cannot be an ordinary child. His beauty and activities appear just
like those of Çré Bäla-gopäla.

594
 COMMENTARY

The word präkåta chäoyäla indicate an ordinary mundane child who is

forced to enjoy the fruits of his karma.

TEXT 14

yata amänuñi karma niravadhi kare

e bujhi,—khelena kåñëa e çiçu-çarére”

TRANSLATION

“I can understand from the uncommon activities He constantly performs

that Lord Kåñëa enjoys pastimes through the body of this child.”

COMMENTARY

The word amänuñi means “not characteristic of a human being,” “not of

this world,” or “divine.”

TEXT 15

ei-mata cinte viçvarüpa-mahäçaya

kähäre nä bhäìge tattva, sva-karma karaya

TRANSLATION

Considering in this way, Viçvarüpa kept to His own activities and did not
disclose this secret to anyone.

595
 COMMENTARY

The phrase tattva nä bhäìge indicates that Viçvarüpa never disclosed to

anyone that Çré Viçvambhara is Çré Kåñëa Himself.

TEXT 16

niravadhi thäke sarva-vaiñëavera saìge

kåñëa-kathä, kåñëa-bhakti, kåñëa-püjä-raìge

TRANSLATION

He constantly associated with the Vaiñëavas by discussing topics of Kåñëa,

performing devotional service to Kåñëa, and engaging in the worship of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Viçvarüpa always lived in the association of the devotees, discussed topics

about Kåñëa with the devotees, and attained ecstasy by respectfully serving
Kåñëa.

TEXT 17

jagat-pramatta—dhana-putra-vidyä-rase
vaiñëava dekhile mätra sabe upahäse’

TRANSLATION

The people of the world were mad for enjoying wealth, children, and

596
education. Whenever they saw the Vaiñëavas, they would ridicule them.

COMMENTARY

Mundane people work hard to achieve wealth, children, and education, and
when they do not see such propensities in a Vaiñëava, they deride him.

TEXT 18

äryä-tarajä paòhe saba vaiñëava dekhiyä

“yati, saté, tapasvéo yäibe mariyä

TRANSLATION

They would compose blasphemous rhymes and recite them when they saw a
Vaiñëava. They challenged, “What is the use of being a sannyäsé, a chaste wife,
or a tapasvé? They must also die.

COMMENTARY

In the phrase äryä-tarajä the word ärya refers to a Bengali poem composed
about some particular incident or person. The word tarajä is an Arabian word
referring to insulting poems exchanged in the form of questions and answers
between two parties in a musical performance or light songs.
The atheistic residents of Navadvépa at that time followed the doctrine of
Cärväka Muni and were thus maddened by sense gratification due to falsely
identifying themselves with their bodies. Whenever they saw the pure
Vaiñëavas they would tease them with poems that they had composed. They
even said that the performance of religious duties by sannyäsés, chaste women,
and ascetics are all useless, because in spite of accumulating great piety they

597
cannot save themselves from death. So there was no need to observe such
religious duties. In other words, they considered such people unfortunate
miscreants.

TEXT 19

tä’re bali ’sukåti’,—ye dolä, ghoòä caòe

daça-biça jana yä’ra äge päche raòe

TRANSLATION

“We consider someone pious if he can ride on a palanquin or horse

surrounded by ten or twenty people.

COMMENTARY

On the other hand, they considered that a fortunate person was one who
takes pride in his opulence as he rides on a horse or palanquin surrounded by
many servants and associates.

TEXT 20

eta ye, gosäïi, bhäve karaha krandana

tabu ta’ däridrya-duùkha nä haya khaëòana!

TRANSLATION

“You all cry for the Lord with love and devotion, yet you remain
poverty-stricken.

598
 COMMENTARY

The word bhäve means “with intense love,” and the word gosäïi is a
respectful address to the Lord. At the time of chanting Kåñëa’s names tears of
love flow from the eyes of His loving devotees. The atheistic karmis who were
eager for sense enjoyment and who were offenders at the feet of the holy
names did not accept such flow of tears as a symptom of love for Kåñëa; rather,
they ridiculed the chanting of Kåñëa’s names and shedding of tears as useless,
because they thought that by chanting Kåñëa’s names the devotees were not
able to attain the insignificant and irrelevant fruit of freedom from poverty.
In other words, the devotees were not able to achieve material prosperity and
happiness by counteracting their poverty with the help of the holy name,
which is nondifferent from the eternally worshipable Lord Kåñëa. Those
atheists committed severe offenses at the feet of the holy names by their
faithlessness. In other words, they did not believe that by purely chanting the
holy names one attains love of Kåñëa, by nämäbhäsa all of one’s anarthas are
destroyed and one is freed from all material miseries, and by chanting with
offense one achieves the fruits of trivarga—dharma, artha, and käma.
Furthermore, because they had no faith in the Supreme Lord, they did not
believe that in the course of their service to the Lord the pure devotees gladly
accept various miseries and poverty as the mercy of the Lord. They simply
desired that the devotees would become greedy for material enjoyment and
sense gratification like themselves.

TEXT 21

ghanaghana ’hari hari’ bali’ chäòa’ òäka

kruddha haya gosäïi çunile baòa òäka

599
 TRANSLATION

“You loudly and repeatedly chant the name of Lord Hari, but He becomes
angry when anyone loudly chants His name.”

COMMENTARY

Those atheists would say that if one always loudly chants the holy names,
the gosäïi, or Lord, would be displeased.

TEXT 22

ei-mata bole kåñëa-bhakti-çünya jane!

çuni’ mahä-duùkha päya bhägavata-gaëe

TRANSLATION

People who were devoid of devotion for the Supreme Lord would speak to
the Vaiñëavas in this way, and the devotees felt great sorrow on hearing such
things.

TEXT 23

kothäo nä çune keha kåñëera kértana

dagdha dekhe sakala saàsära anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

The sound of the chanting of Lord Kåñëa’s name could not be heard

600
anywhere, as everyone in the world continually burned in the fire of material
existence.

TEXT 24

duùkha baòa päya viçvarüpa bhagavän

nä çune abhéñöa kåñëa-candrera äkhyäna

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord, Çré Viçvarüpa, was most distressed because He did not
hear any glorification of His worshipable Lord, Çré Kåñëa.

TEXT 25

gétä, bhägavata ye ye jane vä paòäya

kåñëa-bhakti-vyäkhyä kä’ro nä äise jihväya

TRANSLATION

Even those who spoke on Bhagavad-gétä or Çrémad Bhägavatam would never

explain anything about devotion to Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Those so-called learned professors who had no devotion for Viñëu taught
Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad Bhägavatam, but they never explained the
importance of devotional service to Kåñëa. Being overwhelmed with pride
from their material education, on the basis of these scriptures they taught

601
religiosity, economic development, and sense gratification to the sense
enjoyers and the liberation of merging in impersonal Brahman to the
renounced Mäyävädés.

TEXT 26

kutarka ghusiyä saba adhyäpaka mare

’bhakti’ hena näma nähi jänaye saàsäre

TRANSLATION

The teachers wasted their lives in useless arguments. People of the world
had not even heard the name “bhakti.”

COMMENTARY

The word ghusiyä means “to declare,” “to explain,” or “to disclose.”

TEXT 27

advaita-äcärya-ädi yata bhakta-gaëa

jévera kumati dekhi’ karaye krandana

TRANSLATION

Thus the devotees headed by Advaita Äcärya simply cried upon seeing the
atheistic mentality of the people.

602
 TEXT 28

duùkhe viçvarüpa-prabhu mane mane gaëe

“nä dekhiba loka-mukha, cali’ yäìä vane”

TRANSLATION

In such distress, Viçvarüpa considered, “I will not look at the face of these
materialistic people, rather I will go to the forest.”

TEXT 29

üñaù-käle viçvarüpa kari’ gaìgä-snäna

advaita-sabhäya äsi’ haya upasthäna

TRANSLATION

Every morning Çré Viçvarüpa would take bath in the Ganges and then go to
the gathering at Advaita Prabhu’s house.

TEXT 30

sarva-çästre väkhänena kåñëa-bhakti-sära

çuniyä advaita sukhe karena huìkära

TRANSLATION

Viçvarüpa established devotional service to Kåñëa as the essence of all

603
scriptures. On hearing His explanation, Advaita Prabhu roared with happiness.

TEXT 31

püjä chäòi’ viçvarüpe dhari’ kari kole

änande vaiñëava saba ’hari hari’ bole

TRANSLATION

Advaita left His Deity worship to embrace Viçvarüpa, and all the Vaiñëavas
happily chanted, “Hari! Hari!”

TEXT 32

kåñëänande bhakta-gaëa kare siàha-näda

kä’ro citte ära nähi sphuraye viñäda

TRANSLATION

Then in the ecstasy of Kåñëa consciousness all the devotees roared loudly
like lions, and lamentation no longer remained in their hearts.

TEXT 33

viçvarüpa chäòi’ keha nähi yäya ghare

viçvarüpa na äisena äpana-mandire

TRANSLATION

604
 The devotees had no desire to leave Viçvarüpa’s association to go home, nor
did Viçvarüpa have any desire to leave them.

COMMENTARY

As the devotees could not leave Viçvarüpa to go home, Viçvarüpa was also
unable to leave the pure devotees’ association to go home.

TEXT 34

randhana kariyä çacé bole viçvambhare

“tomära agraje giyä änaha satvare”

TRANSLATION

After completing her cooking, Mother Çacé told Viçvambhara, “Go quickly
and bring Your elder brother.”

TEXT 35

mäyera ädeçe prabhu advaita-sabhäya

äisena agrajere la’bära chaläya

TRANSLATION

On the order of His mother, the Lord came to Advaita Äcärya’s house to
call His elder brother home.

605
 TEXT 36

äsiyä dekhena prabhu vaiñëava-maëòala

anyo ’nye karena kåñëa-kathana-maìgala

TRANSLATION

When the Lord arrived there, He saw all the Vaiñëavas engaged in
discussing topics of Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The word vaiñëava-maëòala refers to the society of Vaiñëavas. The phrase

kåñëa-kathana-maìgala refers to the auspicious topics of Kåñëa.

TEXT 37

äpana-prastäva çuni’ çré-gaurasundara

sabäre karena çubha-dåñöi manohara

TRANSLATION

Hearing His glorification, Çré Gaurasundara glanced mercifully on them.

COMMENTARY

The phrase äpana-prastäva means “concerning His own glorifies.”

606
 TEXT 38

prati-aìge nirupama lävaëyera sémä

koöé candra nahe eka nakhera upamä

TRANSLATION

Each of the Lord’s limbs surpassed the topmost limits of beauty. Even
millions of moons could not be compared with one of His toenails.

TEXT 39

digambara, sarva aìga—dhuläya dhusara

häsiyä agraja-prati karena uttara

TRANSLATION

Standing naked with His body covered with dust, Viçvambhara smiled and
spoke to His elder brother.

TEXT 40

“bhojane äisa, bhäi, òäkaye janané

agraja-vasana dhari’ calaye äpani

TRANSLATION

“My dear brother, please come to eat. Mother is calling You.” Viçvambhara

607
then caught hold of His brother’s dhoti and followed Him home.

TEXT 41

dekhi’ se mohana rüpa sarva-bhakta-gaëa

sthagita haiyä sabe kare nirékñaëa

TRANSLATION

On seeing the Lord’s enchanting form, all the devotees were stunned and
they continually stared at Him.

TEXT 42

samädhira präya haiyäche bhakta-gaëe

kåñëera kathana käru nä äise vadane

TRANSLATION

The devotees practically entered samädhi; they were even unable to speak
about Kåñëa.

TEXT 43

prabhu dekhi’ bhakta-moha svabhävei haya

vinä anubhaveo däsera citta laya

TRANSLATION

608
 Devotees are by nature overwhelmed on seeing their Lord; indeed, even
before the devotees realized His identity, the Lord stole away their hearts.

COMMENTARY

Although pure living entities and conditioned living entities are by nature
both devotees of the Lord, the consciousness of the former has been awakened
so they can feel the love of their eternal worshipable sac-cid-änanda Lord
Viñëu, while the latter are under the control of mäyä and cannot do so. When
the conditioned state is overcome, or when all anarthas are destroyed, a living
entity under the shelter of service to Lord Viñëu can remain pure even while
residing in this material world. At that time he is called a mahä-bhägavata.
The madhyama-bhägavata is a pure servant of the mahä-bhägavata. Unless the
kaniñöha-bhägavata reaches the stage of madhyama-bhägavata, he remains the
servant of the madhyama-bhägavata even though he is serving a
mahä-bhägavata. Since the kaniñöha-bhägavata desires his own spiritual
progress and is traveling on the eternal perfect path to Vaikuëöha, he is
superior to the conditioned souls who are desirous of material enjoyment and
liberation. But he has faith only in Viñëu as the transcendental Absolute
Truth, and this realization qualifies him as a kaniñöha-adhikäré. When one
attains the level of kaniñöha-adhikära, he can understand that his spiritual
master is situated as a madhyama-adhikäré. But when he attains the level of
madhyama-adhikära, he can accept his spiritual master as a mahä-bhägavata
and qualify himself to become a pure devotee. The mahä-bhägavatas have no
engagement other than the service of Lord Hari and His devotees. Being
attached to objects not related to Kåñëa, ordinary conditioned souls engage in
the service of the external world due to their impure intelligence. When such
persons advance to the level of kaniñöha-adhikära, they dovetail the fruits of
their activities with the Lord and thus cultivate mixed devotional service. In
the eternal nature of the living entities there is an eternal propensity called
hari-bhakti. As a foolish conditioned soul is attracted to material objects, a

609
pure living entity situated in devotional service, his constitutional propensity,
is similarly attracted to the Lord. In the opinion of some unfortunate persons,
“Even devotional service, the eternal propensity of the living entities, is a
mundane, perverted, abominable, illusory propensity.” Those who argue, or
the foolish persons who are expert in material consideration, cannot realize
the pure form of devotional service, which is eternally full of knowledge and
bliss and which is the goal of the liberated, self-satisfied, swanlike
personalities; rather they accept devotional service, which is the eternally
perfect transcendental propensity of the living entities, as a mental
concoction. Due to this misconception ordinary people consider the eternal
attraction of Çukadeva Gosvämé, the crest jewel of learned scholars, for Kåñëa
as material illusion, or moha. Keeping in mind the transcendental happiness
derived from serving the Lord, the author at this juncture uses the word moha,
illusion, for the understanding of ordinary people. It is natural for the eternal
servants of Kåñëa to serve Kåñëa with love and ecstasy. In other words, the
living entity in his constitutional position eternally worships Kåñëa as his
natural propensity. The conditioned soul with the mood for enjoyment cannot
realize Kåñëa’s love in this material world, but Kåñëa who attracts the
self-satisfied souls, unknowingly attracts the hearts of His servants, who have
renounced material enjoyment, whose consciousness is awakened, and who are
knowers of the Absolute Truth. This is what is meant by Kåñëa attracting His
servants who are under the shelter of çänta-rasa. The servants who are under
the shelter of çänta-rasa, like the cows, sticks, horn, and flute of Vraja,
although not situated in däsya-rasa, unknowingly serve Kåñëa, while
externally appearing less-intelligent.

TEXT 44

prabhuo se äpana-bhaktera citta hare’

e kathä bujhite anya-jane nähi päre

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 TRANSLATION

Materialistic persons are unable to understand how the Lord steals the
hearts of His devotees.

TEXTS 45-46

e rahasya vidita kailena bhägavate

parékñit çunilena çukadeva haite

prasaìge çunaha bhägavatera äkhyäna

çuka-parékñitera saàväda anupama

TRANSLATION

Yet this mystery was disclosed by Çukadeva Gosvämé to Mahäräja Parékñit

in the Çrémad Bhägavatam. Please hear now the matchless discussion between
Çukadeva and Parékñit from Çrémad Bhägavatam in this connection.

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.14.49) it is stated: “King Parékñit said: O

brähmaëa, how could the cowherd women have developed for Kåñëa, someone
else’s son, such unprecedented pure love—love they never felt even for their
own children? Please explain this.” Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé replied in verses
50-57 as follows: “Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé said: O King, for every created being
the dearmost thing is certainly his own self. The dearness of everything
else—children, wealth and so on—is due only to the dearness of the self. For
this reason, O best of kings, the embodied soul is self-centered: he is more
attached to his own body and self than to his so-called possessions like

611
children, wealth and home. Indeed, for persons who think the body is the self,
O best of kings, those things whose importance lies only in their relationship
to the body are never as dear as the body itself. If a person comes to the stage
of considering the body “mine” instead of “me,” he will certainly not consider
the body as dear as his own self. After all, even as the body is growing old and
useless, one’s desire to continue living remains strong. Therefore it is his own
self that is most dear to every embodied living being, and it is simply for the
satisfaction of this self that the whole material creation of moving and
nonmoving entities exists. You should know Kåñëa to be the original Soul of
all living entities. For the benefit of the whole universe, He has, out of His
causeless mercy, appeared as an ordinary human being. He has done this by
the strength of His internal potency. Those in this world who understand
Lord Kåñëa as He is see all things, whether stationary or moving, as manifest
forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such enlightened persons
recognize no reality apart from the Supreme Lord Kåñëa. The original,
unmanifested form of material nature is the source of all material things, and
the source of even that subtle material nature is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Kåñëa. What, then, could one ascertain to be separate from Him?”
One should refer to these verses and their translation by the author
[Våndävana däsa Öhäkura] in the following verses.

TEXT 47

ei gauracandra yabe janmilä gokule

çiçu saìge gåhe gåhe kréòä kari’ bule

TRANSLATION

When Çré Gauracandra appeared as Kåñëa in Gokula, He played in all the

houses there with the other children.

612
 COMMENTARY

Çré Gauracandra personally appeared in Gokula as Çré Kåñëacandra. The

atheist community says that Çré Kåñëa appeared 4,712 years prior to the advent
of Çré Gaura, and since Kåñëa came before Gaura and Gaura came after Kåñëa
there is certainly a difference between Them. Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura,
however, has herein forbidden the pure devotees from considering material
time, place, and circumstances in relation with the Absolute Truth.

TEXT 48

janma haite prabhure sakala gopé-gaëe

nija-putra haiteo sneha kare mane

TRANSLATION

From the time of the Lord’s birth, the gopés had more affection for Him
than they had for their own sons.

COMMENTARY

Sneha, or affection, is always meant for subordinates. Although the

servants of Kåñëa who constantly serve Him in the mood of confidential
friendship, parenthood, and conjugal love totally remain under His
subordination, they proudly consider themselves superior to Kåñëa in order to
solidify their affection. This pure affection is present more in Kåñëa’s devotees
than in Kåñëa Himself. The supremacy of the worshipable Lord is greater than
that of His servants. When Çré Kåñëa was unable to repay His debt for the
loving service rendered by Çrématé Rädhikä, He accepted the mood of Çré
Rädhikä and displayed Her mentality. The pseudo-sampradäyas such as

613
gaura-nägarés, who engage in material enjoyment, nourish a mood of opposing
Çré Gaurasundara’s preaching of both pure devotional service and the glories
of His servant’s pure love. Pure devotees of Gaura-Kåñëa do not accept this.

TEXT 49

yadyapi éçvara-buddhye nä jäne kåñëere

svabhävei putra haite baòa sneha kare

TRANSLATION

Although they never considered Kåñëa the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, they had a natural attraction for Him more than they had for their
own sons.

TEXT 50

çuniyä vismita baòa räjä parékñit

çuka-sthäne jijïäsena hai pulakita

TRANSLATION

Hearing this, Mahäräja Parékñit was struck with wonder. His hair stood on
end, and he inquired from Çukadeva Gosvämé as follows.

TEXT 51

“parama adbhuta kathä kahilä, gosäïi!

614
 tribhuvane emata kothäo çuni näi

TRANSLATION

“O Gosvämé, I have never before heard such wonderful narrations within

the three worlds.

TEXT 52

nija-putra haite para-tanaya kåñëere

kaha dekhi,—sneha kaila kemana-prakäre?”

TRANSLATION

“Please explain to me how the gopés displayed more affection for Kåñëa,
another’s son, than for their own sons.”

TEXTS 53-56

çré-çuka kahena,—“çuna, räjä parékñit

paramätmä—sarva-dehe vallabha, vidita

ätmä vine putra vä kalatra bandhu-gaëa

gåha haite bähira karäya tata-kñaëa

ataeva, paramätmä-sabära jévana

sei paramätmä—ei çré-nandanandana

ataeva paramätmä-svabhäva-käraëe

615
 kåñëete adhika sneha kare gopé-gaëe

TRANSLATION

Çukadeva Gosvämé replied, “O Mahäräja Parékñit, it is well-known that the

Supersoul is dear to all. When the soul leaves the son, wife, or friend, their
body is taken out of the house. Therefore the Supersoul is the life of everyone.
That Supersoul is the son of Nanda Mahäräja. Thus the gopés have more
affection for Kåñëa due to His natural characteristics as the Supreme Soul.”

COMMENTARY

In their description of säyujya liberation, or merging in Brahman, the

followers of çuddha-dvaita (purified dualism) accept that the soul and the
Supersoul remain together. It is understood from the dvä suparëä verse in the
Vedas that the soul and the Supersoul are both present in one vessel. As soon
as a soul is bereft of the service of the Supersoul, he develops material
conceptions. Although the soul and the Supersoul are both present in this
world, which is manifested by the spiritual potency of the Lord, there
nevertheless remains a difference between them. Yet there is nothing
abominable or inferior in this difference. In order to establish the oneness of
the Absolute Truth, this nondual substance has been explained under various
doctrines like çuddha-dvaita (purified dualism), viçiñöädvaita (specific monism),
çuddhädvaita (purified monism), and dvaitädvaita (monism and dualism). The
pastimes of the Lord with His associates further confirm the spiritual
variegatedness of the nondual Absolute Truth. The inferiority of material
variegatedness has unreasonably and illegally attacked the impersonalists’ flow
of thought. A servant of the Absolute Truth who is expert in the conclusion of
personalism finds in the philosophy of acintya-bhedäbheda a wonderful and
proper balance in all the above-mentioned pure conclusions on the
Brahma-sütras.

616
 In the constitutional position of the Lord’s associates, there is no motive
other than service to Çré Nandanandana, the Supersoul. In other words, the
abominable mundane consideration of duality found in the imperfections and
differentiations between subjects and objects in this material world cannot be
equally established in the nondual kingdom of Vaikuëöha. The Supersoul and
the soul are related with each other as well-wishers. As soon as the living
entity forgets that relationship, mäyä immediately arranges for him various
temporary relationships like wife and children in this material world. The
deluding external energy of the Supersoul has two functions—covering and
throwing. When the living entity becomes entangled in this material world, he
falls under the control of the material modes of nature and due to his
misconceptions he accepts various sense objects, beginning with a wife and
children. In this way he is separated from the service of the Absolute Truth,
Vrajendra-nandana. From this misconception and forgetfulness of Kåñëa, the
living entity develops the mentality of “I am the enjoyer of all material tastes
and forms, like my wife and children.” This is not the constitutional duty of a
living entity; it is simply a mental concoction. In other words, the living entity
is awarded designations by the covering and throwing potencies of mäyä and
he enjoys the respective results of those designations. But material
conceptions are never able to touch a pure living entity. The eternal
propensity of a living entity is to cultivate Kåñëa consciousness. A living
entity accepts his material designations as himself due to nondevotional
misconceptions. Under the influence of such misconceptions the conditioned
souls become impersonalists, or worshipers of the impersonal homogeneous
Brahman, while some are inclined to enjoy heaven or hell due to their intense
urge for material enjoyment. When the pure living entity with material
designations and bewildered intelligence becomes a Mäyävädé, he is covered
by the false conception of spiritual and material oneness, which produces a
whirlwind of imaginative considerations of oneness between the living
entities and Brahman and oneness between the material nature and Brahman.
When the soul leaves the body, he can immediately understand, “I am not the

617
body. If I were the body, then why did my relatives attempt to return the five
elements of my body to the five material elements at the time of my funeral.
Since I am separate from the material body, after leaving my body those
related to it consider it detestful and want to throw it out of the house.”
Although the material world, which is created by the external energy of the
Supersoul, is not false, it is also not eternal, that is, it is prone to change. The
eternal soul and the temporary mind both possess the consciousness of being
the doer, yet there is a difference between the two.

TEXT 57

eho kathä bhakta-prati, anya-prati nahe

anyathä jagate kene sneha nä karaye

TRANSLATION

This, however, applies only to the devotees, not others. Otherwise, why
doesn’t everyone show affection for Kåñëa?

TEXT 58

’kaàsädiha ätmä kåñëe tabe hiàse kene?’

pürva-aparädha äche tähära käraëe

TRANSLATION

Why do demons like Kaàsa envy Kåñëa, the Supreme Soul? This is due
simply to previous offenses.

618
 TEXTS 59-60

sahaje çarkarä miñöa,—sarva-jane jäne

keha tikta väse, jihvä-doñera käraëe

jihvära se doña, çarkarära doña näi

ataeva sarva-miñöa caitanya gosäïi

TRANSLATION

Everyone knows that sugar is sweet by nature, but if the tongue is diseased
then the sugar will taste bitter. That is the fault of the tongue, not the sugar.
The conclusion is that Lord Caitanya is the sweetest of all.

COMMENTARY

Although sweet sugar tastes bitter to the jaundice-infected tongue, the

sweetness of sugar has no bitterness. Similarly, there cannot be any lack of
love in Çré Caitanyadeva, who is the source of all auspiciousness. Those who
cannot understand Çré Caitanyadeva to be their worshipable Lord are in that
position because of their offenses. In terms of His position as the doer, Çré
Caitanyadeva is directly Kåñëa; but the material vision of the conditioned
souls is infected with imperfection and ignorance, so they consider Çré
Caitanyadeva an ordinary living entity with aëu-cetana, minute
consciousness, while in fact He is vibhu-cetana, the supreme consciousness.

TEXT 61

ei navadvépete dekhila sarva-jane

619
 tathäpiha keha nä jänila bhakta vine

TRANSLATION

Although everyone saw the Lord in Navadvépa, no one could recognize Him
other than the devotees.

COMMENTARY

Although bhakti, the eternal propensity of the soul, is present in every

living entity’s heart, it is impossible for the conditioned souls to realize just as
it is impossible to see one’s face in a dusty mirror. In such a state, the eternal
propensity of the living entities, service to Kåñëa, remains dormant. Therefore
they are seen to have a taste for karma and jïäna. That is why the service of
the Lord is found only in persons who have a service attitude.

TEXT 62

bhaktera se citta prabhu hare sarvathäya

viharaye navadvépe vaikuëöhera räya

TRANSLATION

The Lord of Vaikuëöha attracted the hearts of all the devotees as He

enjoyed His pastimes in Navadvépa.

TEXT 63

mohiyä sabära citta prabhu viçvambhara

620
 agraje lailä calilena nija-ghara

TRANSLATION

After thus enchanting everyone’s heart, Lord Viçvambhara returned home

with His elder brother.

TEXT 64

mane mane cintaye advaita mahäçaya

“präkåta mänuña kabhu e bälaka naya”

TRANSLATION

Çré Advaita Prabhu considered to Himself, “This boy is not an ordinary

person.”

TEXT 65

sarva-vaiñëavera prati balilä advaita

“kon vastu e bälaka,—nä jäni niçcita”

TRANSLATION

Then Advaita said to the Vaiñëavas, “I don’t know what sort of boy He is.”

TEXT 66

621
 praçaàsite lägilena sarva-bhakta-gaëa
apürva çiçura rüpa-lävaëya-kathana

TRANSLATION

All the devotees then began to praise the beauty and charm of that
wonderful child.

TEXT 67

näma-mätra viçvarüpa calilena ghare

punaù äilena çéghra advaita-mandire

TRANSLATION

Viçvarüpa returned home simply out of formality, then as soon as possible

He returned to Advaita’s house.

TEXT 68

nä bhäya saàsära-sukha viçvarüpa-mane

niravadhi thäke kåñëa-änanda-kértane

TRANSLATION

The desire for material enjoyment never appeared in the mind of Viçvarüpa.
He constantly remained in the ecstasy of chanting Kåñëa’s names.

622
 TEXT 69

gåhe äileo gåha-vyäbhära nä kare

niravadhi thäke viñëu-gåhera bhitare

TRANSLATION

Even when He was at home, He never engaged in household activities;

rather, He would always stay in the temple room.

COMMENTARY

The word viñëu-gåha is explained as follows: formerly in every brähmaëa’s

house there was a separate room for keeping the Deity form of Näräyaëa
[çälagräma]. This Deity room is known as the viñëu-gåha. While at home, Çré
Viçvarüpa would generally pass His time worshiping or meditating in the Deity
room.

TEXT 70

vivähera udyoga karaye pitä-mätä

çuni’ viçvarüpa baòa mane päya vyathä

TRANSLATION

When His mother and father spoke of arranging His marriage, Viçvarüpa
felt great mental pain

623
 TEXT 71

“chäòiba saàsära”,—viçvarüpa mane bhäve

“cali’ yäìä vane”,—mätra ei mane jage

TRANSLATION

Viçvarüpa thought to Himself, “I will leave home and go to the forest.”

TEXT 72

éçvarera citta-våtti éçvara se jäne

viçvarüpa sannyäsa karilä kata dine

TRANSLATION

The heart of the Lord is known only to the Lord. Thus after a few days
Viçvarüpa left to take sannyäsa.

TEXT 73

jagate vidita näma ’çré-çaìkaräraëya’

calilä ananta-pathe vaiñëavägragaëya

TRANSLATION

He then became known throughout the world as “Çré Çaìkaräraëya.” As He

traversed the path of devotional service to Lord Kåñëa, He became celebrated as

624
the topmost Vaiñëava.

COMMENTARY

Viçvarüpa accepted sannyäsa in the Çré Çaìkara-sampradäya and became

famous by the name Çré Çaìkaräraëya. At that time there were ten names for
sannyäsés being used in the Çaìkara-sampradäya. The name Araëya is one of
those ten names. These ten names for sannyäsés were previously used in the
Viñëusvämé-sampradäya. After these Viñëusvämé sannyäsés had a quarrel with
the ekadaëòi-sannyäsés from the Çivasvämi-sampradäya, they entered into the
Çaìkara-sampradäya. In the original Viñëusvämé-sampradäya, however, there
were 108 names used for sannyäsés. By the influence of the
Çivasvämi-sampradäya, the Vedic sannyäsé names were reduced to ten after
the time of Çaìkaräcärya.
After traveling throughout the country, Çré Çaìkaräraëya arrived at
Päëòarapura, in the district of Sholapur, near Bombay, and took samädhi on
the bank of the Bhémä River. It is said that Çré Çaìkaräraëya, the king of
sannyäsés, entered the Deity of Çré Viöhöhalanätha, or Çré Viöhobä. While
traveling to South India many years later (in 1511), Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
went to Päëòarapura and heard from Çré Raìga Puré about Çré Viçvarüpa’s
disappearance. At that time Päëòarapura was a famous place of pilgrimage and
populated by many sadhus and Vaiñëavas.

TEXT 74

calilena yadi viçvarüpa-mahäçaya

çacé-jagannätha dagdha hailä hådaya

TRANSLATION

625
 Viçvarüpa’s departure from home left Çacé and Jagannätha grief-stricken.

TEXT 75

goñöhé-saha krandana karaye ubharäya

bhäira virahe mürcchä gelä gaura-räya

TRANSLATION

Çré Gauräìga cried loudly along with His family members and eventually fell
unconscious out of separation from His brother.

COMMENTARY

The word ubharäya means “loudly.”

TEXT 76

se viraha varëite vadane nähi päri

haila krandana-maya jagannätha-puré

TRANSLATION

I am unable to describe their feelings of separation, by which Jagannätha

Miçra’s entire house became inundated with crying.

COMMENTARY

The word jagannätha-puré refers to the house of Jagannätha Miçra, or the

626
present day Yogapéöha in Çré Mäyäpur.

TEXT 77

viçvarüpa-sannyäsa-dekhiyä bhakta-gaëa
advaitädi sabe bahu karilä krandana

TRANSLATION

Understanding that Viçvarüpa has taken sannyäsa, Advaita and the other
devotees all began weeping.

COMMENTARY

At the time of Çrémän Mahäprabhu, the study of Vedic scriptures was

prominent in Navadvépa, which was referred to as Gauòapura by Maharñi
Päëini. In order to demonstrate that one’s material attachment is not
destroyed without such study, many personalities headed by Çré
Gaurasundara’s elder brother, Çré Viçvarüpa, accepted sannyäsa and thus
increased the glories of Gauòapura, the center of education at that time. The
acceptance of sannyäsa by Çré Gaurasundara and Çré Puruñottama Bhaööäcärya
is mentioned in many Gauòéya devotional scriptures. Apart from them, many
other jewel-like scholars like Çré Éçvara Puré, the disciple of Çré Mädhavendra,
often visited Gauòapura, the center of education. After traveling to the holy
places with His sannyäsa guru, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu also came to Gauòapura
and met Çré Gaurasundara. The sannyäsé disciples of both Keçava Bhäraté and
Çré Mädhavendra Purépäda illuminated the path of accepting sannyäsa for
members of the varëäçrama society. Surrounded by many Mäyävädé sannyäsés,
Prakäçänanda Sarasvaté of Käçé simply wasted his time in arguments based on
mental speculation. Çrémad Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté, a tridaëòi-sannyäsé of

627
the Çré Rämänuja-sampradäya, and other tridaëòipädas like Çré Madhväcärya
accepted tridaëòi-sannyäsa and engaged in the service of Lord Hari as
practiced in the line of the original Sarvajïa Viñëusvämé. In the varëäçrama
society of that time, respect and honor was offered to sannyäsés by all
communities. Later on the däri-sannyäsés engaged in païca-makära 1(4) like
eating fish and meat and drinking wine and thus brought deformation and
harm to the principles of the sannyäsa order. This is certainly a matter of great
concern. In order to check this degradation, the pure Gauòéya devotees have
now reintroduced the process of tridaëòa-sannyäsa, which was more recently
present in this world by name only, and thus bestowed happiness and great
auspiciousness on the community of Vaiñëavas.
Although the crying of Çré Advaita Prabhu appeared to be caused by
feelings of separation, it is understood by the solacing words of Jagannätha
Miçra’s friends that the learned scholars were overjoyed from this incident.
The tears of lamentation of the attached householders, who are averse to the
sannyäsés’ renunciation, and the tears of ecstasy of the devotees, who are fond
of the sannyäsés’ service at the lotus feet of Mukunda, are not of the same
nature.

TEXT 78

uttama, madhyama, ye çunila nadéyäya

hena nähi,—ye çuniyä duùkha nähi paya

TRANSLATION

Everyone in Nadia who heard about the incident—whether ordinary or

exalted devotee—all felt unhappy.

628
 TEXTS 79-80

jagannätha-çacéra vidérëa haya buka

nirantara òäke ’viçvarüpa! viçvarüpa!’

putra-çoke miçracandra hailä vihvala

prabodha karaye bandhu-bandhava sakala

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra and Çacédevé were both heart-broken and continually cried
out, “Viçvarüpa! Viçvarüpa!” Çré Miçra was overwhelmed with lamentation for
his son, so his friends and relatives all tried to pacify him.

COMMENTARY

Jagannätha Miçra’s display of affliction due to lamentation for his son like
that of a ordinary father for his son was actually to deceive persons who are
bewildered by material objects like their sons. The glorification of Çré
Viçvarüpa’s acceptance of sannyäsa and engagement in worshiping Kåñëa
increased the prestige of the daiva-varëäçrama sannyäsés, who destroy the
lamentation born of material enjoyment.

TEXT 81

“sthira hao, miçra, duùkha nä bhäviha mane

sarva-goñöhé uddhärilä sei mahäjane

629
 TRANSLATION

“Dear Miçra, please control yourself. Do not feel sad, for that great
personality has delivered us all.

TEXT 82

goñöhéte puruña yä’ra karaye sannyäsa

trikoöi-kulera haya çré-vaikuëöhe väsa

TRANSLATION

“When someone takes sannyäsa, millions of family members are promoted to

Vaikuëöha.

TEXT 83

hena karma karilena nandana tomära

saphala haila vidyä sampürëa tähära

TRANSLATION

“Your son has perfected his education by this act.

TEXT 84

änanda viçeña äro karite yuyäya”

630
 eta bali’ sakale dharaye häte-pä’ya

TRANSLATION

“Therefore it is befitting for you to feel even more happy than before.”
Saying this, they all held the hands and feet of Jagannätha Miçra.

TEXT 85

“ei kula-bhüñaëa tomära viçvambhara

ei putra haibe tomära vaàça-dhara

TRANSLATION

“Your son Viçvambhara is the ornament of your dynasty.

TEXT 86

ihä haite sarva duùkha ghucibe tomära

koöi-putre ki karibe, e putra yähära?”

TRANSLATION

“He will eradicate all your suffering. If one has a son such as Him, what is
the need for millions of sons?”

TEXT 87

631
 ei-mata sabe bujhäyena bandhu-gaëa
tathäpi miçrera duùkha nä haya khaëòana

TRANSLATION

In this way all of Jagannätha Miçra’s friends tried to pacify him, but his
distress remained unmitigated.

TEXT 88

ye-te-mate dhairya dhare miçra-mahäçaya

viçvarüpa-guëa smari’ dhairya päsaraya

TRANSLATION

If somehow or other he regained his composure, as soon as he remembered

Viçvarüpa’s qualities, he again lost his patience.

TEXT 89

miçra bole,—“ei putra rahibeka ghare

ihäte pramäëa mora nä laya antare

TRANSLATION

Çré Miçra said, “I have no reason to believe that this son will remain at
home.

632
 TEXT 90

dilena kåñëa se putra, nilena kåñëa se

ye kåñëacandera icchä, haiba sei se

TRANSLATION

“Kåñëa gave me a son, and then He took Him away. Whatever Kåñëa
desires, that is what will happen.

TEXT 91

svatantra jévera tilärddheka çakti näi

dehendriya, kåñëa, samarpiluì tomä’ öhäïi”

TRANSLATION

“Independent of You, the living entities have no power whatsoever.

Therefore, O Kåñëa, I’m surrendering my body and senses unto You.”

TEXT 92

ei rüpe jïäna-yoge miçra mahädhéra

alpe-alpe citta-våtti karilena sthira

TRANSLATION

In this way the most sober Jagannätha Miçra gradually controlled his mind

633
through the process of jïäna.

COMMENTARY

Jagannätha Miçra’s modified form of vätsalya-rasa that was born from

physical consideration was destroyed when Viçvarüpa took sannyäsa, and he
realized that the eternal Absolute Truth, Lord Viñëu, was his son. Such
realization frees one from the shackles of mundane parenthood and is real
sannyäsa.

TEXT 93

hena mate viçvarüpa hailä bähira

nityänanda-svarüpera abheda-çaréra

TRANSLATION

That is the story of how Viçvarüpa, who is nondifferent from Nityänanda

Svarüpa, left home.

TEXT 94

ye çunaye viçvarüpa-prabhura sannyäsa

kåñëa-bhakti haya tära chiëòe karma-phäìsa

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears the pastimes of Viçvarüpa’s acceptance of sannyäsa attains

devotional service to Lord Kåñëa and freedom from the bondage of fruitive

634
work.

COMMENTARY

Çré Viçvarüpa Prabhu is Saìkarñaëa and is therefore nondifferent from Çré

Nityänanda Svarüpa. The prakäça expansion of Müla-saìkarñaëa Çré
Baladeva-Nityänanda Prabhu in Mahä-Vaikuëöha has appeared as Viçvarüpa
in gaura-lélä.
If one hears the pastime of Viçvarüpa’s accepting sannyäsa, he will attain
freedom from the bondage of fruitive activities. Çré Viçvarüpa has three
expansions—the first puruña incarnation, Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu, the second
puruña incarnation, Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu, and the third puruña incarnation,
Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu. If a living entity understands these three Viñëu forms in
truth, he can attain freedom from the material concept of life.

TEXT 95

viçvarüpa-sannyäsa çuniyä bhakta-gaëa

hariñe viñäda sabe bhäve anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

As the devotees heard about Viçvarüpa’s accepting sannyäsa, they

simultaneously felt happiness and lamentation.

TEXT 96

“ye vä chila sthäna kåñëa-kathä kahibära

635
 tähä kåñëa harilena ämä’ sabäkära

TRANSLATION

They said, “Whatever little opportunity we had for discussing the topics of
Kåñëa together, Kåñëa has taken away.

TEXT 97

ämaräo nä rahiba, cali’ yäìa vane

e päpiñöha-loka-mukha nä dekhi yekhäne

TRANSLATION

“Let us also leave home and go to the forest, then we will not see the faces
of these sinful people.

COMMENTARY

The phrase päpiñöha-loka-mukha refers to the faces of persons who are

averse to Kåñëa and expert in material life.

TEXT 98

päñaëòéra väkya-jvälä sahiba vä kata

nirantara asat-pathe sarva-loka rata

TRANSLATION

636
 “How long must we tolerate the burning words of these atheists? They are
all continuously engaged in materialistic activities.

TEXT 99

’kåñëa’ hena näma nähi çuni käro mukhe

sakala saàsära òubi’ mare mithyä sukhe

TRANSLATION

“We do not hear the name of Kåñëa from anyone’s mouth. The entire world
is absorbed in illusory happiness.

COMMENTARY

The words mithyä sukha refers to the temporary happiness derived from
sense gratification. Only the ätmärämas, or self-satisfied souls, can experience
the eternal happiness of serving Lord Viñëu. When the perishable sensual
happiness of the conditioned souls who are averse to Viñëu is checked, or
when the object of their happiness is destroyed, that same temporary
happiness turns into misery.

TEXT 100

bujhäile keha kåñëa-patha nähi laya

ulaòhiyä äro se upahäsa karaya

TRANSLATION

637
 “Even if they are instructed, they will not take to devotional life. On the
contrary, they taunt us, saying:

COMMENTARY

The materialists were maddened with temporary material happiness. They

could not understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, and as a result, they
became scornful and laughed. But actually they were unable to understand the
service of Adhokñaja Kåñëa by the strength of their sensual knowledge. Rather
than understanding that devotional service to Lord Kåñëa is the only
necessity, such materialists become attached to this world and the fruits of
their work.

TEXT 101

“kåñëa ’bhaji’ tomära haila kon sukha?

mägiyä se khäo, äro bäòe yata duùkha”

TRANSLATION

“’What pleasure do you derive by worshiping Kåñëa? You even have to beg
for your food. In this way you increase your distress.’

COMMENTARY

Foolish persons who are averse to Lord Hari compare the materialists with
Kåñëa’s devotees by saying, “The devotees of Kåñëa have no enjoyment, and
they always live in poverty, which simply increases their misery.

638
 TEXT 102

yogya nahe e-saba lokera sane väsa

vane cali’ yäìa bali’ sabe chäòe çväsa

TRANSLATION

“It is not proper to live with such people, therefore we should go to the
forest.” Saying this, they sighed deeply.

TEXT 103

prabodhena sabäre advaita-mahäçaya

“päibä paramänanda sabei niçcaya

TRANSLATION

Attempting to console them, Çré Advaita Prabhu said, “You will all certainly
attain great ecstasy.

TEXT 104

ebe baòa väsoì muïi hådaye ulläsa

hena bujhi,—’kåñëacandra karilä prakäça’

TRANSLATION

“Even now I am feeling overjoyed at heart, so I can understand that Çré

639
Kåñëacandra has already advented.

TEXT 105

sabe ’kåñëa’ gäo giyä parama-hariñe

ethäi dekhibä kåñëe katheka divase

TRANSLATION

“All of you go and happily chant Kåñëa’s names, and in a few days you will
see Kåñëa right here.

TEXT 106

tomä’ sabä laïä haibe kåñëera viläsa

tabe se ’advaita’ haìa çuddha-kåñëa-däsa

TRANSLATION

“Kåñëa will enjoy His pastimes with all of you. Then the meaning of My
name, ’Advaita,’ will be fulfilled, and I will celebrated as the unalloyed servant
of Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 107

kadäcit yähä nä päya çuka vä prahläda

tomä’ sabära bhåtyeo päibe se prasäda”

640
 TRANSLATION

“All you devotees will receive mercy that even Çukadeva Gosvämé and
Prahläda Mahäräja did not receive.”

COMMENTARY

In the pure servitorship of Kåñëa there are no mixed or separate interests.

Although the characteristics of both the Absolute Truth Çré Kåñëa and the
ingredients of His enjoyment are qualitatively one, His multifarious energies
manifest a variety of pastimes. In the philosophies of çuddha-dvaita (purified
dualism), çuddhädvaita (purified monism), dvaitädvaita (monism and dualism),
and viçiñöädvaita (specific monism) the worship of Kåñëa is primarily stressed.
Such nondual consideration was also accepted by Çré Advaita Prabhu.
In the Çré Caitanya-candrämåta (18) Tridaëòi Svämé Çréla Prabodhänanda
has stated: “The dear devotees of Lord Gaura happily enjoy pastimes on the
splendid path of pure devotional service, which great sages like Vyäsadeva
could not thoroughly understand, which material intelligence has no power to
enter, which Çukadeva Gosvämé could not reveal, and which merciful Lord
Kåñëa never revealed to His devotees.” Çréla Rüpa Prabhu has stated in his
Upadeçämåta (11) as follows: yat preñöhair apy alam asulabhaà kià punar
bhakti-bhäjäà—“That which is very rarely attained even by great devotees is
even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain.”

TEXT 108

çuni’ advaitera ati-amåta-vacana

parama-änande ’hari’ bole bhakta-gaëa

641
 TRANSLATION

After hearing Çré Advaita’s nectarean words, all the devotees chanted the
name of Hari in great ecstasy.

TEXT 109

’hari’ boli’ bhakta-gaëa karaye huìkära

sukha-maya citta-våtti haila sabära

TRANSLATION

As the devotees loudly chanted the name of Hari, their hearts were filled
with happiness.

TEXT 110

çiçu-saìge kréòä kare çré-gaurasundara

hari-dhvani çuni’ yäya bäòéra bhitara

TRANSLATION

Çré Gaurasundara was playing outside with some other children, but when
He heard the name of Hari, He went inside the house.

TEXT 111

“ki kärye äilä, bäpa?” bole bhakta-gaëe

642
 prabhu bole,—“tomarä òäkilä more kene?”

TRANSLATION

The devotees asked Him, “Why have come here?” The Lord replied, “Why
did you call Me?”

TEXT 112

eta boli’ prabhu çiçu-saìge dhäïä yäya

tathäpi nä jäne keha prabhura mäyäya

TRANSLATION

Saying this, the Lord ran away with the children. Yet by His influence, no
one could recognize Him.

TEXT 113

ye avadhi viçvarüpa hailä bähira

tadavadhi prabhu kichu hailä susthira

TRANSLATION

Since Viçvarüpa left home, the Lord became somewhat more peaceful.

TEXT 114

643
 niravadhi thäke pitä-mätära samépe
duùkha päsaraye yena janané-janake

TRANSLATION

He constantly remained at the side of His mother and father so that they
would feel some relief from their distress.

TEXT 115

khelä sambariyä prabhu yatna kari’ paòe

tilärddheka pustaka chäòiyä nähi naòe

TRANSLATION

The Lord stopped playing and concentrated on His studies. He would not
leave His books for even a moment.

TEXT 116

eka-bära ye sütra paòiyä prabhu yäya

ära-bära ulaòhiyä sabäre öhekäya

TRANSLATION

The Lord mastered a sütra after reading it only once, and He was able to
defeat all others in debating its meaning.

644
 COMMENTARY

The word ulaòhiyä comes from the Hindi word ulöä, which means “turned
around” or “rather.” The word öhekäya means “put into danger” or “defeats.”

TEXT 117

dekhiyä apürva buddhi sabei praçaàse

sabe bole,—“dhanya pitä-mätä hena vaàçe”

TRANSLATION

Everyone praised His wonderful intelligence and declared, “Glorious are the
father and mother who have such a son.”

TEXT 118

santoñe kahena sabe jagannätha-sthäne

tumi ta’ kåtärtha, miçra, e-hena nandane

TRANSLATION

In satisfaction, they then said to Jagannätha Miçra, “You are most fortunate
to have such a son.

TEXT 119

e-mata subuddhi çiçu nähi tribhuvane

645
 båhaspati jiniïä haibe adhyayane

TRANSLATION

“In the three worlds there is no child as intelligent as this boy. He will
defeat Båhaspati in learning.

TEXT 120

çunilei sarva artha äpane väkhäne

tä’na phäìki väkhänite näre kona jane”

TRANSLATION

“He can explain the meaning of anything He hears just once. No one is able
to defeat His reasoning.”

COMMENTARY

The word phäìki is a corruption of the Sanskrit word phakkikä, which

means “finding faults in a conclusion, creating doubt, and again reestablishing
the original conclusion,” “shrewd argument,” or “cleverly.”

TEXT 121

çuniïä putrera guëa janané hariña

miçra punaù citte baòa haya vimariña

646
 TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé was pleased to hear about her son’s extraordinary qualities,
while Jagannätha Miçra again became greatly morose at heart.

COMMENTARY

The word vimariña means “morose.”

TEXT 122

çacé-prati bole jagannätha miçra-vara

“eho putra nä rahibe saàsära-bhitara

TRANSLATION

Çré Miçra said to Çacé, “This son will also not remain at home.

TEXT 123

ei-mata viçvarüpa paòi’ sarva-çästra

jänilä,—’saàsära satya nahe tila-mätra’

TRANSLATION

“Çré Viçvarüpa studied all the scriptures and understood the temporary
nature of this world.

647
 TEXT 124

sarva-çästra-marma jäni’ viçvarüpa dhéra

anitya saàsära haite hailä bähira

TRANSLATION

“After learning the essence of the scriptures, the sober-minded Viçvarüpa

gave up transitory material life.

TEXT 125

eho yadi sarva-çästre haibe jïänavän

chäòiyä saàsära-sukha karibe payäna

TRANSLATION

“If this boy also becomes well-versed in the scriptures, then He will also
give up material happiness and leave home.

COMMENTARY

The word payäna is a corruption of the word prayäëa, which means

“depart,” “go,” or “journey.”

TEXT 126

ei putra—sabe dui-janera jévana

648
 ihäre nä dekhile dui-janera maraëa

TRANSLATION

“This son is our life and soul. If we don’t see Him, we will both certainly
die.

COMMENTARY

The word dui-janera refers to Viçvambhara’s father and mother.

TEXT 127

ataeva ihära paòiyä kärya näi

murkha haïä ghare mora rahuka nimäïi”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore He should no longer study. Let Nimäi remain at home as a fool.”

TEXT 128

çacé bole,—“murkha haile jéveka kemane?

murkhere ta’ kanyäo nä dibe kona jane”

TRANSLATION

Çacé replied, “If He remains a fool, how will He survive? Furthermore, who
will offer their daughter to a fool?”

649
 COMMENTARY

The word jéveka means “continue to live.” (This word is used in

Räòha-deça.)

TEXT 129

miçra bole, “tumi ta’ abodha vipra-sutä!

harta kartä bhartä kåñëa—sabära rakñitä

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra replied, “You are the ignorant daughter of a brähmaëa!

Lord Kåñëa is the doer, the controller, the maintainer, and the protector of all
living entities.

TEXT 130

jagat poñaëa kare jagatera nätha

’päëòitye poñaye,—kebä kahilä tomäta?

TRANSLATION

“The Supreme Lord maintains the entire universe. Who told you that good
education can maintain one?

COMMENTARY

The word poñaye means “maintains.”

650
 TEXT 131

kibä murkha, ki paëòita, yähära yekhäne

kanyä likhiyäche kåñëa, se haibe äpane

TRANSLATION

“Whether one is a fool or a scholar, they will marry wherever and

whomever Kåñëa has sanctioned for them.

TEXT 132

kula-vidyä-ädi upalakñaëa sakala

sabäre poñaye kåñëa, kåñëa-sarva-bala

TRANSLATION

“Education, birth, and other qualities are only superficial; Kåñëa alone is the
maintainer and strength of all.

COMMENTARY

The word upalakñaëa refers to that which reveals the propensity of an

object, not the primary propensity of the object, rather the secondary quality.

TEXT 133

säkñätei ei kene nä dekha ämäta

651
 paòiyäo ämära ghare kene nähi bhäta?

TRANSLATION

“This can be directly seen in my life. Although I am educated, I am

nevertheless poor.

TEXT 134

bhäla-mate varëa uccäriteo ye näre

sahasra paëòita giyä dekha tä’ra dväre

TRANSLATION

“Someone else may be unable to properly recite the alphabet, yet he may
have thousands of scholars at his doorstep.

TEXT 135

ataeva vidyä-ädi nä kare poñaëa

kåñëa se sabära kare poñaëa-pälana”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore qualities like good education cannot maintain one, only Kåñëa
maintains us.”

TEXT 136

652
 anäyäsena maraëaà vinä dainyena jévanam
anärädhita govinda- caraëasya kathaà bhavet

TRANSLATION

“For one who has never worshiped the lotus feet of Lord Govinda, how is it
possible for Him to live in comfort and die in peace?”

TEXT 137

“anäyäse maraëa, jévana dainya vine

kåñëa sevile se haya, nahe vidyä-dhane

TRANSLATION

“If one wants to live without poverty and die peacefully, then he should
serve Kåñëa. Education and wealth will not help.

COMMENTARY

The word nahe means “not possible.”

TEXT 138

kåñëa-kåpä vine nahe duùkhera mocana

thäkila vä vidyä, kula, koöi-koöi dhana

TRANSLATION

653
 “One’s distress can never be mitigated without the mercy of Kåñëa, even if
one is endowed with high education, good birth, and great wealth.

TEXT 139

yä’ra gåhe ächaye uttama upabhoga

tä’re kåñëa diyächena kona mahäroga

TRANSLATION

“One may have luxurious items for enjoyment in his house, yet by the
arrangement of the Lord he may be suffering from disease.

COMMENTARY

The word upabhoga means “the best means of enjoyment.”

TEXT 140

kichu vilasite näre, duùkhe puòi’ mare

yä’ra nähi, tähä haite duùkhé bali tä’re

TRANSLATION

“Such a person cannot enjoy a thing and thus burns in misery. I consider
him more miserable than one who does not possess anything.

COMMENTARY

654
 The word vilasite means “to freely enjoy.”

TEXT 141

eteka jäniha,—thäkileo kichu naya

yä’re yena kåñëa-äjïä, sei satya haya

TRANSLATION

“Know for certain that one may possess great opulence, but unless Kåñëa
permits, he cannot enjoy.

TEXT 142

eteke nä kara cintä putra-prati tumi

’kåñëa puñibena putra’,—kahiläìa ämi

TRANSLATION

“Therefore do not worry about your son. I assure you that Kåñëa will
maintain Him.

TEXT 143

yävat çarére präëa ächaye ämära

tävat tileka duùkha nähika uhära

655
 TRANSLATION

“As long as I live, I will not allow Him to suffer the least.

TEXT 144

ämä-sabära kåñëa ächena rakñayitä

kibä cintä tumi yä’ra mätä pati-vratä

TRANSLATION

“We have Lord Kåñëa as our protector, and you are a good mother and
chaste wife. So why should you worry?

TEXT 145

’paòiyä nähika kärya’ baliluì tomäre

murkha hai’ putra mora rahu mätra ghare”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore I say that He does not need to study further. Let Him stay at
home uneducated.”

TEXT 146

eta bali’ putrere òäkilä miçra-vara

656
 miçra bole,—“çuna, bäpa, ämära uttara

TRANSLATION

Saying this, Jagannätha Miçra called his son and told Him, “Listen, my dear
son.

TEXT 147

äji haite ära päöha nähika tomära

ihäte anyathä kara,—çapatha ämära

TRANSLATION

“From today on, I want You to give up Your studies. I forbid You to
continue.

TEXT 148

ye tomära icchä, bäpa, täi diba ämi

gåhe vasi’ parama-maìgale thäka tumi”

TRANSLATION

“My dear son, I’ll give You whatever You desire. Stay comfortably at
home.”

TEXT 149

657
 eta bali’ miçra calilena käryäntara
paòite nä päya ära prabhu viçvambhara

TRANSLATION

Saying this, Jagannätha Miçra went to attend his duties and Lord
Viçvambhara refrained from further studies.

TEXT 150

nitya dharma sanätana çré-gauräìga räya

nä laìghe janaka-väkya, paòite nä yäya

TRANSLATION

The personification of eternal religious principles, Çré Gauräìga Räya,

followed His father’s instructions and gave up His studies.

TEXT 151

antare duùkhita prabhu vidyä-rasa-bhaìge

punaù prabhu uddhata hailä çiçu-saìge

TRANSLATION

The Lord was disappointed to give up His scholastic pursuits, so He again

began His childhood mischief.

658
 TEXT 152

kibä nija-ghare prabhu, kibä para-ghare

yähä päya tähä bhäìge, apacaya kare

TRANSLATION

Whether in His own house or in another’s house, the Lord would break and
ruin whatever He got His hands on.

TEXT 153

niçä haile prabhu nä äise ghare

sarva-rätri çiçu-saìge nänä kréòä kare

TRANSLATION

He would not even return home at night, rather He would continue playing
all night with the other boys.

TEXT 154

kambale òhäkiyä aìga, dui çiçu meli’

våña-präya haiyä calena kutuhalé

TRANSLATION

The Lord and another boy covered themselves with a blanket and played as

659
a bull.

TEXT 155

yä’ra bäòé kalä-vana dekhi’ thäke dine

rätri haile våña-rüpe bhäìgaye äpane

TRANSLATION

If they saw banana trees at someone’s house during the day, at night the
Lord and His friend, disguised as a bull, would destroy them.

TEXT 156

garu-jïäne gåhastha karaye ’häya häya’

jägile gåhastha, çiçu-saàhati paläya

TRANSLATION

Thinking that a bull was destroying his bananas, the house owner cried out
in lamentation. As he came out from his house, the boys ran away.

TEXT 157

kä’ro ghare dvärä diya bändhaye bähire

laghvé gurvé gåhastha karite nähi päre

TRANSLATION

660
 The Lord would lock the door of someone’s house from outside, and the
householder would be unable to come out for passing urine or stool.

COMMENTARY

The phrase dvärä diya bändhaye bähire indicates that the doors could be
locked from outside. The word laghvé means “to pass urine,” and gurvé means
“to pass stool.”

TEXT 158

’ke bändhila duyära?’—karaye ’häya häya’

jägile gåhastha, prabhu uöhiyä paläya

TRANSLATION

When the householder cried out, “Who has locked my door?” the Lord ran
away.

TEXT 159

ei-mata dina-rätri tridaçera räya

çiçu-gaëa-saìge kréòä karena sarvadäya

TRANSLATION

In this way Tridaça Räya played continually day and night with His friends.

661
 TEXT 160

yateka cäpalya kare prabhu viçvambhara

tathäpio miçra kichu nä kare uttara

TRANSLATION

In spite of all Viçvambhara’s mischievous activities, Jagannätha Miçra did

not say a thing.

TEXT 161

eka-dina miçra calilena käryäntara

paòite nä päya prabhu, krodhita antara

TRANSLATION

One day, after Jagannätha Miçra went for his duties, the Lord became very
angry because He was not allowed to study.

TEXT 162

viñëu-naivedyera yata varjya-häìòé-gaëa

vasilena prabhu häìòé kariyä äsana

TRANSLATION

He then sat down on the old rejected pots that had been used for preparing

662
offerings for Lord Viñëu.

COMMENTARY

The word varjya means “rejected” or “abandoned.” The word häìòé is a

corruption of the Sanskrit word häëòé, which is a pot for cooking rice.

TEXT 163

e baòa nigüòha-kathä,—çuna eka mane

kåñëa-bhakti-siddhi haya ihära çravaëe

TRANSLATION

This topic is most confidential. Whoever hears it will attain devotional

service to Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 164

varjya-häìòé-gaëa saba kari’ siàhäsana

tathi vasi’ häse gaurasundara-vadana

TRANSLATION

Using those rejected pots as a siàhäsana, Lord Gaurasundara smiled as He

sat there.

TEXT 165

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 lägila häìòéra käli sarva-gaura-aìge
kanaka-putali yena lepiyäche gandhe

TRANSLATION

The black soot from those pots decorated Gaura’s limbs, and He appeared
like a golden doll smeared with sandalwood pulp mixed with aguru.

COMMENTARY

The golden body of Nimäi smeared with the black soot from the clay
cooking pots looked like someone had smeared black aguru and sandalwood
paste on the limbs of a golden doll.

TEXT 166

çiçu-gaëa jänäila giyä çacé-sthäne

“nimäi vasiyä äche häìòéra äsane”

TRANSLATION

His friends went and informed Mother Çacé, “Nimäi is sitting on the
rejected pots.”

TEXT 167

mä’ye äsi’ dekhiyä karena ’häya häya’

“e sthänete, bäpa, vasibäre nä yuyäya

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 TRANSLATION

When Mother Çacé went there and saw Nimäi in that condition, she
lamented and said, “My dear son, this is not a proper place to sit.

TEXT 168

varjya-häìòé, ihä-saba paraçile snäna

eta-dine tomära e nä janmile jïäna?”

TRANSLATION

“These are rejected pots, and if one touches them he must take bath.
Haven’t You understood this by now?”

COMMENTARY

The word paraçile means “if one touches,” and the word jïäna refers to the
conception of clean and dirty or purity and impurity.

TEXT 169

prabhu bole, “torä more nä dis paòite

bhadräbhadra murkha-vipre jänibe kemate?”

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “You don’t allow Me to study, so how will I know the
difference between good and bad or a fool and a brähmaëa?

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 COMMENTARY

The word bhadräbhadra means “pure and impure.”

TEXT 170

murkha ämi, nä jäniye bhäla-manda-sthäna

sarvatra ämära ’eka’ advitéya-jïäna”

TRANSLATION

“I am a fool, so I don’t know which place is good and which is bad.

Therefore I consider all places equal.”

COMMENTARY

The word advitéya-jïäna refers to perception of the equality of all places.

TEXT 171

eta bali’ häse varjya-häìòéra äsane

dattätreya-bhäva prabhu hailä takhane

TRANSLATION

After saying this, the Lord smiled from His seat on the rejected pots and
accepted the mood of Dattätreya, the topmost knower of the Absolute Truth.

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 COMMENTARY

For a description of Dattätreya, one may consult the Laghu-bhägavatämåta

(Pürva 45-48), wherein the following verses are quoted. From Çrémad
Bhägavatam (2.7.4):

atrer apatyam abhikäìkñata äha tuñöo

datto mayäham iti yad bhagavän sa dattaù
yat-päda-paìkaja-paräga-pavitra-dehä
yogarddhim äpur ubhayéà yadu-haihayädyäù

“The great sage Atri prayed for offspring, and the Lord, being satisfied with
him, promised to incarnate as Atri’s son, Dattätreya [Datta, the son of Atri].
And by the grace of the lotus feet of the Lord, many Yadus, Haihayas, etc.,
became so purified that they obtained both material and spiritual blessings.”
From Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.11):

ñañöham atrer apatyatvaà våtaù präpto ’nasüyayä

änvékñikém alarkäya prahlädädibhya ücivän

“The sixth incarnation of the puruña was the son of the sage Atri. He was
born from the womb of Anasüyä, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on
the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahläda and others [Yadu, Haihaya,
etc.].”

çré brahmäëòe tu kathitam atri-patnyänasüyayä

prärthito bhagavän atrer apatyatvam upeyivän

“It is mentioned in the Brahmäëòa Puräëa that when Anasüyä, the wife of
the sage Atri, prayed to Lord Viñëu, the Lord agreed to become the son of
Atri.”

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 varaà dattvänasüyäyai viñëuù sarva-jagan-mayaù
atreù putro ’bhavat tasyäà svecchä-mänuña-vigrahaù
dattätreya iti khyäto yati-veça-vibhuñitaù

“He who accepts a human form by His own sweet will and who is the cause
of all universes, that Supreme Lord, Viñëu, gave Anasüyä a benediction and
thus appeared in her womb as the son of Atri. He became famous as
Dattätreya, and He was dressed as a sannyäsé.”
Çré Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa has written in his commentary on these verses
from Laghu-bhägavatämåta: “Atri’s prayer to have a son as good as the Lord is
one of the topics of the Fourth Canto, and Anasüyä’s prayer to have the Lord
as her son is found in the First Canto. The statement of the Brahmäëòa
Puräëa supports the later verse.”

TEXT 172

mä’ye bole, “tumi ye vasilä manda-sthäne

ebe tumi pavitra vä haibä kemane?”

Mother Çacé inquired, “You have sat in an impure place, so how will You
purify Yourself?”

TEXT 173

prabhu bole,—“mätä, tumi baòa çiçu-mati!

apavitra sthäne kabhu mora nahe sthiti

TRANSLATION

668
 The Lord replied, “My dear mother, you are very childish. I am never in an
impure place.

COMMENTARY

It is stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya 4.176):

’dvaite’ bhadräbhadra-jïäna, saba—’manodharma’

’ei bhäla, ei manda’,—ei saba ’bhrama’

“In the material world, conceptions of good and bad are all mental
speculations. Therefore, saying, ’This is good, and this is bad,’ is all a mistake.”
And in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.28.4) it is said:

kià bhadraà kim abhadraà vä dvaitasyävastunaù kiyat

väcoditaà tad anåtaà manasä dhyätam eva ca

“Anything not conceived in relationship to Kåñëa should be understood to

be illusion [mäyä]. None of the illusions uttered by words or conceived in the
mind are factual. Because illusion is not factual, there is no distinction
between what we think is good and what we think is bad. When we speak of
the Absolute Truth, such speculations do not apply.”
The considerations of purity and impurity accepted by attached
householders who follow the doctrine of the nondevotional materialistic
smärtas are not accepted by the Vaiñëava småtis. According to Vaiñëava
småtis, the service and ingredients of service offered for the pleasure of the
Lord can never be considered unpalatable, perverted, or impure. This pure
consideration found in the Vaiñëava småtis and propounded by Çré
Gaurasundara has created havoc in the material rules and regulations of the
smärtas who are maddened by mundane sensual knowledge.
In the Padma Puräëa it is stated:

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 naivedyaà jagadéçasya anna-pänädikaà ca yat
brahmavan-nirvikäram hi yathä viñëus tathaiva tat

“Those foodstuffs and beverages that are offered to Kåñëa are

transcendental, incorruptible, and nondifferent from Viñëu.”
Foodstuffs that are offerable to Viñëu are called naivedya. Abominable
items can never be viñëu-naivedya. According to Vaiñëava småti a Vaiñëava
should never discriminate between mundane purity and impurity, rather he
should see everything in relation to Viñëu. Pure Vaiñëavas are naturally
inclined towards the spiritual principles of liberated personalities and do not
have ordinary mundane vision. The following statements of the scriptures may
be discussed in this regard.

surarñe vihitä çästre harim uddiçya yä kriyä

saiva bhaktir iti proktä yayä bhaktiù parä bhavet

“My dear Närada, O sage among the demigods, those activities prescribed
in the revealed scriptures for satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Lord Hari, are called the regulative principles of bhakti, (sädhana-bhakti), by
practicing which one may attain the highest bhakti (prema).”

laukiké vaidiké väpi yä kriyä kriyate mune

hari-sevänukülaiva sa käryä bhaktim icchatä

“One should perform only those activities—either worldly or prescribed by

Vedic rules and regulations—which are favorable for the cultivation of Kåñëa
consciousness.”

ihä yasya harer däsye karmaëä manasä girä

nikhiläsv apy avasthäsu jévan-muktaù sa ucyate

“A person who acts in the service of Kåñëa with his body, mind,

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intelligence, and words is a liberated person, even within the material world.”
The consideration of purity and impurity found in Vaiñëava literature is
different from that of the smärtas. A person’s purity and superiority depends
on his inclination towards the service of the Supreme Absolute Truth after
giving up material considerations. (This is the purport for verses 173-179.)

TEXT 174

yathä mora sthiti, sei sarva puëya-sthäna

gaìgä-ädi sarva tértha tahiì adhiñöhäna

“Wherever I am, that place becomes most sacred. The Ganges and all other
térthas are present at that place.

TEXT 175

ämära se kälpanika ’çuci’ vä ’açuci’

srañöära ki doña äche, mane bhäva bujhi’

TRANSLATION

“Purity and impurity is only our mental creation. Please consider, what
fault is there with the creator?

COMMENTARY

The word ämära refers to a conditioned soul who has no conception of

671
advaya-jïäna, or spiritual oneness. The word srañöära refers to the Lord, who is
the creator of the universe.

TEXT 176

loka-veda-mate yadi açuddha vä haya

ämi paraçileo ki açuddhatä raya?

TRANSLATION

“Even if something is considered impure by the Vedas and people in general,

can it remain impure after I touch it?

COMMENTARY

The phrase loka-veda-mate refers to worldly behavior in accordance with

Vedic karma-käëòa. The word ämi refers to the Lord, who is completely
faultless and the reservoir of all good qualities.

TEXT 177

e-saba häìòéte müle nähika düñaëa

tumi yä’te viñëu lagi’ karilä randhana

TRANSLATION

“In fact these pots are not at all contaminated, because you have used them
to cook for Lord Viñëu.

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 COMMENTARY

The word müle means “naturally” or “factually,” the word düñaëa means
“false,” “abomination,” or “impurity,” and the word yäte means “because.”

TEXT 178

viñëura-randhana-sthälé kabhu duñöa naya

se häìòé paraçe ära sthäna çuddha haya

TRANSLATION

“The pots used in cooking for Lord Viñëu are never contaminated. Indeed,
simply by the touch of His cooking pots other places become purified.

COMMENTARY

The word sthälé refers to the cooking pots. The smärtas are greatly
concerned with purity and contamination in relation to their eating.
According to the Vaiñëava småtis any item becomes pure and acceptable by
the touch of the Lord, the Lord’s devotee, Çrémad Bhägavatam, the Lord’s
remnants, or the Lord’s caraëämåta. This consideration is beyond the
conceptions of purity and impurity born from the mundane vision of the
smärtas.

TEXT 179

eteke ämära väsa nahe manda-sthäne

673
 sabära çuddhatä mora paraça-käraëe

TRANSLATION

“Therefore I never reside in a contaminated place. Everything becomes pure

by My touch.”

COMMENTARY

The word manda means “material,” “worldly,” or “abominable.”

TEXT 180

bälya-bhäve sarva-tattva kahi’ prabhu häse

tathäpi nä bujhe keha tä’na mäyä-vaçe

TRANSLATION

The Lord, in the mood of an ordinary child, smiled as He spoke on the

Absolute Truth. Still, no one recognized Him due to the influence of His
illusory energy.

COMMENTARY

The word sarva-tattva refers to the science of spiritual oneness.

TEXT 181

sabei häsena çuni’ çiçura vacana

674
 ’snäna äsi’ kara’—çacé bolena takhana

TRANSLATION

Everyone began to laugh after hearing the child speak. Then Mother Çacé
said, “Come and take bath.”

TEXT 182

nä äisena prabhu seikhäne vasi’ äche

çacé bole,—“jhäöa äya, bäpa jäne päche”

TRANSLATION

The Lord, however, did not move from His seat, so Çacé again said, “Come
quickly, before Your father learns about this.”

TEXT 183

prabhu bole,—“yadi more nä deha’ paòite

tabe muïi nähi yäìa,—kahiluì tomäte”

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “I tell you, if you don’t allow Me to study, then I won’t
leave this place.”

TEXT 184

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 sabei bhartsena öhäkurera jananéra
sabe bole,—“kene nähi deha’ paòibäre?

TRANSLATION

Everyone present then admonished the Lord’s mother, “Why don’t you
allow Him to study?

TEXT 185

yatna kari’ keha nija-bälaka paòäya

kata bhägye äpane paòite çiçu cäya

TRANSLATION

“Some people take great efforts to get their child to study. It is most
auspicious if a child wants to study.

TEXT 186

kon çatru hena-buddhi dila vä tomäre?

ghare murkha kari’ putra räkhibära tare?

TRANSLATION

“Which enemy has given you the idea to keep your son at home,
uneducated.

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 TEXT 187

ihäte çiçura doña tilärdheka näi”

sabei bolena,—“bäpa, äisa, nimäïi!

TRANSLATION

“This child has no fault at all.” Then they said to Nimäi, “Come, Nimäi!

COMMENTARY

The word tilärdheka means “even a speck” or “even a little.”

TEXT 188

äji haite tumi yadi nä päo paòite

tabe apacaya tumi kara bhäla-mate”

TRANSLATION

“If You are not allowed to return to Your studies from today, then You can
continue Your destruction.”

TEXT 189

nä äise prabhu, seikhäne vasi’ häse

sukåti-sakala sukha-sindhu-mäjhe bhäse

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 TRANSLATION

Still the Lord did not leave His seat. He continued sitting there smiling as
the pious people there floated in an ocean of bliss.

COMMENTARY

The word sukåti-sakala refers to those fortunate persons who desire to

please Lord Viñëu.

TEXT 190

äpane dhariyä çiçu änilä janané

häse gauracandra,—yena indranéla-maëi

TRANSLATION

Then Mother Çacé personally pulled Him off His seat, and Lord
Gauracandra smiled like a shining blue sapphire.

COMMENTARY

The phrase yena indranéla-maëi indicates that the golden body of Nimäi
was smeared with soot from the impure rejected cooking pots, therefore He
looked like a brightly shining blue sapphire, or He looked exactly like Çré
Nanda-gopäla. Otherwise (according to Çrédhara Svämé’s commentary on the
word akåñëam found in the Çrémad Bhägavatam 11.5.32—“kåñëa-varëaà
tvisäkåñëaà”), Kåñëa’s incarnation for Kali-yuga looked as bright as a blue
sapphire.

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 TEXT 191

’tattva’ kahilena prabhu dattätreya-bhäve

nä bujhila keha viñëu-mäyära prabhäve

TRANSLATION

The Lord spoke the Absolute Truth in the mood of Dattätreya, yet no one
could recognize Him due to the influence of His illusory energy.

TEXT 192

snäna karäilä laïä çacé puëyavaté

hena käle äilena miçra mahämati

TRANSLATION

The pious Çacé then took Nimäi to the Ganges, and they both took bath. At
that time the magnanimous Jagannätha Miçra arrived there.

TEXT 193

miçra-sthäne çacé saba kahilena kathä

’paòite nä päya putra mane bhäve’ vyathä’

TRANSLATION

Çacé explained to him what had taken place. She then said, “Our son is

679
morose because He is not allowed to study.”

TEXT 194

sabei bolena,—“miçra, tumi ta’ udära

kä’ra kathäya putre nähi deha’ paòibära?

TRANSLATION

The others there said, “O Miçra, you are broad-minded. Who has inspired
you to stop His studies?

COMMENTARY

The word bole means “speaking” or “statement.”

TEXT 195

ye karibe kåñëacandra, sei satya haye

cintä parihari’ deha’ paòite nirbhaye

TRANSLATION

“Whatever Kåñëa desires will certainly take place. Therefore give up your
anxiety and fearlessly allow Him to study.

TEXT 196

bhägya se bälaka cähe äpane paòite

680
 bhäla dine yajïa-sütra deha’ bhäla mate”

TRANSLATION

“You are fortunate that your son wants to study. You should arrange to give
Him a brähmaëa thread on an auspicious day.”

COMMENTARY

The word yajïa-sütra refers to three rings of thread that one receives at the
sacred thread ceremony. One must accept the sacred thread to mark the
beginning of one’s study of the scriptures. The once-born çüdras are not
qualified to study the scriptures. Only the twice-born brähmaëas are qualified
to accept the sacred thread, teach others how to worship, give in charity, and
study the scriptures. Apart from these activities, brähmaëas are also qualified
to worship, teach, and accept charity. Without accepting the sacred thread, a
brähmaëa is not qualified to perform sacrifices. It is stated: upa—veda-samépe
tväà neñye—“I will bring you near the Vedas,” or “I will teach you the Vedas.”
The äcärya awards a person the sacred thread for this purpose—to give him
the qualification for studying the Vedas.

TEXT 197

miçra bole,—“tomarä parama-bandhu-gaëa

tomarä ye bole, sei ämära vacana

TRANSLATION

Çré Miçra replied, “All of you are my well-wishers. Therefore whatever you
say, I must accept.”

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 TEXT 198

alaukika dekhiyä çiçura sarva-karma

vismaya bhävena, keha nähi jäne marma

TRANSLATION

Seeing the child’s uncommon activities, everyone was struck with wonder,
yet no one could understand Him.

TEXT 199

madhye madhye kona jana ati bhägyaväne

pürve kahi’ räkhiyäche jagannätha-sthäne

TRANSLATION

Some most fortunate person had previously given Jagannätha Miçra a

prediction.

TEXT 200

“präkåta bälaka kabhu e bälaka nahe

yatna kari’ e bälake räkhiha hådaye

TRANSLATION

“This boy is not ordinary. Please carefully keep this child in the core of

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your heart.”

TEXT 201

niravadhi gupta-bhäve prabhu keli kare

vaikuëöha-näyaka nija-aìgane vihare

TRANSLATION

Thus the Lord of Vaikuëöha constantly enjoyed His confidential pastimes in

the courtyard of His house.

TEXT 202

paòite äilä prabhu bäpera ädeçe

hailena mahäprabhu änanda-viçeñe

TRANSLATION

By the order of His father, the Supreme Lord then joyfully resumed His
studies.

TEXT 203

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

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 Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,
Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends the English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya of Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Chapter Seven, entitled “Çré Viçvarüpa Takes Sannyäsa.”

Chapter Eight: The Disappearance of Jagannätha Miçra

This chapter describes Nimäi’s sacred thread ceremony, His studying at the
house of Gaìgädäsa Paëòita, Jagannätha Miçra’s dream of Viçvambhara’s
future pastimes as a sannyäsé, and the disappearance of Jagannätha Miçra.
Çré Gaurasundara accepted the sacred thread in a grand ceremony at an
auspicious moment, on an auspicious day, in an auspicious month. Then in
order to deliver the living entities He enacted the pastimes of Vämanadeva
and begged alms from everyone. Çré Gaurasundara began to study with
Gaìgädäsa Paëòita, who is nondifferent from Sändépani Muni and the crest
jewel among the professors of Navadvépa. When Gaìgädäsa realized that
Nimäi was the most intelligent of his students, he became very pleased. Nimäi
did not hesitate to challenge even Gaìgädäsa’s senior students, headed by Çré
Muräri Gupta, Kamaläkänta, and Kåñëänanda. Nimäi would go to the various
bathing ghäöas along the Ganges and quarrel with the other students. After
Nimäi explained and established the meaning of a sütra, He would refute that
meaning and then again reestablish His first explanation, thereby astonishing
the assembled students. In order to see Nimäi’s scholastic pastimes, the
omniscient Båhaspati appeared in Navadvépa along with his disciples. The
Ganges had long desired the good fortune enjoyed by the Yamunä:
ürmidorviläsa-padma-näbha-päda-vandiné—“who with folded hands in the

684
form of waves prayed to the lotus feet of the Lord.” Çré Gaurasundara, who is a
desire tree, regularly fulfilled that desire of Gaìgädevé. Thus Nimäi displayed
His pastimes of bathing in the Ganges, properly worshiping Viñëu, watering
the tulasé plant, and honoring prasäda. Thereafter He would sit in a secluded
place in His house to study and write a commentary on the sütras. Seeing
these activities, Jagannätha Miçra was jubilant within, and out of parental
affection he continually prayed to Kåñëa so that his son would not face any
obstacles. One day Jagannätha Miçra dreamt that Nimäi was dressed as a
wonderful sannyäsé and engaged in continual laughing, dancing, and crying
while chanting the names of Kåñëa surrounded by the devotees headed by
Advaita Äcärya. He saw Nimäi sit on Viñëu’s siàhäsana and place His feet on
everyone’s head. The demigods led by the four-headed, five-headed, and
thousand-headed Lords all chanted, “Jaya Çacénandana!” and offered prayers
from all sides. Then he saw Nimäi dancing and chanting in the streets of
Navadvépa followed by millions of people. He also saw Nimäi going to Néläcala
with His devotees. After seeing this dream, Jagannätha Miçra was convinced
that Nimäi would leave home, and he became filled with fear and anxiety.
Çacédevé, however, solaced Jagannätha Miçra, saying, “The way Nimäi is
engaged in studying, He will never leave home and go anywhere.” Shortly
thereafter, Jagannätha Miçra left this world. As Çré Rämacandra cried when
Çré Daçaratha left this world (feeling separation from His devotee), Çré
Gaurasundara also profusely cried on the disappearance of Jagannätha Miçra.
Thereafter Nimäi solaced Mother Çacé in various ways, saying, “I’ll give you
that which is rare for even Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva.” One day before going
to take bath in the Ganges, Nimäi asked Çacédevé for some oil, an ämalaké
fruit, a flower garland, and some sandalwood to worship the Ganges. When
Çacédevé requested Nimäi to wait a bit, Nimäi became as angry as Rudra and
began to destroy everything in the house, including the doors and windows.
Being the protector of sanätana-dharma, however, the Lord did not raise His
hand against His mother. After breaking everything, Nimäi began to roll on
the ground. Thereafter Çacédevé brought sandalwood and a garland for Nimäi’s

685
worship of the Ganges. As Yaçodä tolerated all of Kåñëa’s mischievous
activities in Gokula, Çacédevé similarly tolerated all of Nimäi’s mischievous
activities in Navadvépa. After Nimäi bathed in the Ganges, returned home,
and ate, Çacédevé said to Him, “What did You gain by smashing everything in
the house? What will You eat tomorrow? We have no more provisions at
home.” In reply, Nimäi told His mother, “Viçvambhara Kåñëa is the only
maintainer of everyone. His devotees do not need to worry about their food.”
Saying this, Çré Gaurasundara, the husband of Sarasvaté, went out to manifest
His pastimes of study. When Nimäi returned home, He gave twenty grams of
gold to His mother and said, “Kåñëa has given this resource, you can exchange
it for whatever household provisions we need.” Çacédevé thought, “Whenever
there is a shortage at home, Nimäi immediately brings gold from somewhere.”
Çacédevé became afraid as she thought, “I don’t know, perhaps some problem
will arise.” Thus Çacédevé first checked the gold with five to ten people before
exchanging it for her household necessities. Nimäi remained always engaged
in discussing the scriptures while taking bath, eating, and traveling. He did
not disclose Himself due to the fallen condition of the world. This chapter
ends with a description of the world as devoid of devotional service to Lord
Hari and the distress felt by the compassionate Vaiñëavas on account of this
pathetic condition.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya kåpä-sindhu çri-gaurasundara

jaya çacé-jagannätha-gåha-çaçadhara

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gaurasundara, the ocean of mercy! All glories to the
moonlike Lord in the house of Çacé and Jagannätha!

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 TEXT 2

jaya jaya nityänanda-svarüpera präëa

jaya jaya saìkértana-dharmera nidhäna

TRANSLATION

All glories to the life and soul of Nityänanda Svarüpa! All glories to the
inaugurator of the congregational chanting of the holy names!

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara is the inaugurator of devotional service in the form of

chanting the holy names. It stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.32):

kåñëa-varëaà tviñäkåñëaà säìgopäìgästra-pärñadam

yajïaiù saìkértana-präyair yajanti hi su-medhasaù

“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to

worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kåñëa.
Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kåñëa Himself. He is
accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential
companions.” In his commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.5.23-24—çravaëaà
kértanaà viñëoù), Çréla Jéva Gosvämé Prabhu has written about the preaching
of devotional service in the form of chanting the holy names by Çré
Caitanyadeva, the deliverer of people in the Age of Kali, as follows:
“Therefore, although in the Age of Kali other processes of devotional service
are to be performed, they must always be accompanied by the chanting of the
holy names.” It is also mentioned in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 3.77): “Lord
Çré Kåñëa Caitanya is the initiator of saìkértana [congregational chanting of

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the holy name of the Lord]. One who worships Him through saìkértana is
fortunate indeed.”

TEXT 3

bhakta-goñöhi-sahita gauräìga jaya jaya

çunile caitanya-kathä bhakti labhya haya

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gauräìga along with His devotees and associates. By
hearing the topics of Lord Caitanya, one attains the devotional service of the
Lord.

TEXT 4

hena mate mahäprabhu jagannätha-ghare

nigüòhe ächena, keha cinite nä päre

TRANSLATION

In this way, as the Supreme Lord confidentially resided in the house of

Jagannätha Miçra, no one was able to recognize Him.

TEXT 5

bälya-kréòä-näma yata äche påthivéte

sakala kheläya prabhu, ke päre kahite?

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 TRANSLATION

The Lord enjoyed every variety of childhood sports found in the world.
Who can describe them all?

TEXT 6

veda-dväre vyakta haibe sakala puräëe

kichu çeñe çunibe sakala bhägyaväne

TRANSLATION

These pastimes will later be described through the Vedas in all the Puräëas,
and fortunate souls will hear about them.

COMMENTARY

The word veda refers to (1) Viñëu, (2) the çrutis, (3) the ämnäya, (4) the
chandas, (5) the brahmäs, and (6) the nigamas. The word Puräëa refers to the
eighteen Puräëas, the twenty Upapuräëas, and the histories. Although the
topics of Çré Gaurasundara, the covered incarnation, are more or less
explained in all the Puräëas, they are not clearly described. Lord Viñëu resides
in the hearts of the Vaiñëavas, and topics of Lord Viñëu emanate from the
mouths of the Vaiñëavas. Therefore the wonderful activities of Çré
Gaurasundara will later be described by Vaiñëava äcäryas in their
commentaries on the Puräëas. The Vedic literatures emanate from the
breathing of Lord Viñëu. Çré Vyäsadeva, who divided the Vedas, has appeared
in this Age of Kali as Çré Våndävana däsa Öhäkura, the author of Çré
Caitanya-bhägavata, which is nondifferent from Çrémad Bhägavatam.
Therefore Çré Kaviräja Gosvämé Prabhu has written about Çré

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Caitanya-bhägavata as follows: “The subject matter of this book is so sublime
that it appears that Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has personally spoken through
the writings of Çré Våndävana däsa Öhäkura.”
The eternality of Vedic literature is not denied by the use of future tense in
the phrase veda-dväre vyakta haibe. In different Manvantaras and in the
beginning of different yugas, Lord Näräyaëa reveals Vedic knowledge in the
heart of His servant Brahmä and preaches His transcendental name, form,
qualities, and pastimes through Çré Vyäsadeva.

TEXT 7

ei-mata gauracandra bälya-rase bholä

yajïopavétera käla äsiyä mililä

TRANSLATION

As Çré Gaurasundara remained fully absorbed in His childhood pastimes, the

time came for His accepting a brähmaëa thread.

COMMENTARY

Some say that the word bholä is a corruption of the word vihvala, which
means “maddened” or “forgetting oneself.”
Regarding the words yajïopavétera käla, it is stated in the Vedas:
añöa-varñaà brähmaëam upanayéta—“When the son of a brähmaëa becomes
eight years old, he should be awarded the sacred thread.” In this statement the
word brähmaëa refers to those who will become brähmaëas in the future. The
Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.17.39) statement: gåhärthé sadåçéà bhäryäm
udvahet—“One who desires to establish family life should marry a wife of his

690
own caste,” refers to those who will accept wives in the future, and in the same
way a non-brähmaëa who will become a brähmaëa in the future is called a
brähmaëa. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.11.13) it is stated: saàskärä
yaträvicchinnäù sa dvijo ’jo jagäda yam—“Those who have been reformed by
the garbhädhäna ceremony and other prescribed reformatory methods,
performed with Vedic mantras and without interruption, and who have been
approved by Lord Brahmä, are dvijas, or twice-born.” In the Viñëu Yämala it is
stated:

açuddhäù çüdra-kalpä hi brähmaëaù kali-sambhaväù

teñäm ägama-märgeëa çuddhir na çrota-vartmanä

“The brähmaëas born in the Age of Kali are merely çüdras. Their so-called
Vedic path of karma is polluted and cannot purify them. They can only be
purified by following the path of the ägamas or päïcarätrika-viddhi.” From this
statement it is understood that due to the lack of purity in family lines in the
Age of Kali, or quarrel, one should become purified through the process of
päïcarätrika initiation. Therefore the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.11.35) states:

yasya yal lakñaëaà proktaà puàso varëäbhivyaïjakam

yad anyaträpi dåçyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiçet

“If one shows the symptoms of being a brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya or çüdra,
as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be
accepted according to those symptoms of classification.” And Çrédhara Svämé
in his commentary on this verse states: yad yadi anyatra varëäntare ’pi dåçyeta,
tad-varëäntaraà tenaiva lakñaëa-nimittenaiva varëena vinirdiçet, na tu
jäti-nimittenety arthaù.—“If the proper symptoms are seen in persons other
than those born as brähmaëas, then such persons should be considered
brähmaëas. They should not be considered according to their caste by birth.”
The Mahäbhärata (Anuçäsana 143.46 and 50) states:

691
 çüdro ’py ägama sampanno dvijo bhavati saàskåtaù

“Persons born in lower, degraded castes can become qualified well-versed

brähmaëas.”

na yonir näpi saàskäro na çrutaà na ca santatiù

käraëäni dvijatvasya våttam eva tu käraëam

“Therefore, neither the source of one’s birth, nor his reformation, nor his
education is the criterion of a brähmaëa. The våtta, or occupation, is the real
standard by which one is known as a brähmaëa.” In the Bhäradväja-saàhitä of
the Närada Païcarätra (2.34) it is stated:

svayaà brahmaëi nikñiptän jätän eva hi mantrataù

vinétän-artha puträdén saàskåtya prati-bodhayet

“An äcärya should purify his sons and disciples by engaging them in the
service of the Absolute Truth after initiating them with proper mantras so
that they will be purified and knowledgable.” The Hari-bhakti-viläsa (Part 2)
quotes the Tattva-sägara as follows:

yathä käïcanatäà yäti käàsyaà rasa-vidhänataù

tathä dékñä-vidhänena dvijatvaà jäyate nåëäm

“As bell metal, when mixed with mercury, is transformed to gold, a person,
even though not golden pure, can be transformed into a brähmaëa, or dvija,
simply by the initiation process.” (Hari-bhakti-viläsa 2.12) In his commentary
on this verse, Çré Sanätana Gosvämé has written: nåëäà sarveñäm eva,
dvijatvaà vipratä—“All human beings are eligible to become twice-born
brähmaëas.” In his Dig-darçiné-öékä on Båhad-bhägavatämåta (2.4.37), he has
explained the word, dikñä-lakñaëa-dhäriëaù—“accepting the signs of
initiation,” as follows: “Some of them [the residents of Vaikuëöha] accepted
the signs of initiation, and some of them accepted mantras for worshiping the

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Lord. They had sacred threads, waterpots, äsanas of kuça grass, tulasé beads,
and various other signs.” In his commentary on the Brahma-saàhitä (5.27), Çré
Jéva Gosvämé Prabhu has written: “After being initiated in the chanting of the
eighteen syllable mantra, Lord Brahmä became a dvija. There was no
impediment with this because Lord Brahmä was born from Çré Govindadeva,
who is the predominating Deity of the eighteen syllable mantra. We can also
cite the evidence of Dhruva Mahäräja, for he also became a brähmaëa after
initiation.” These and innumerable other statements of the scriptures and
mahäjanas confirm that everyone must be initiated through the päïcarätrika
process and accept the sacred thread. This has been the process since time
immemorial. Therefore Çré Jayatérthapäda refers to the våçcika-täëòuli-nyäya
in his Tattva-prakäçikä commentary on the Brahma-sütras (1.3.29) to
demonstrate that brahminical qualities acquired by birth or by occupation are
accepted. The sacred thread ceremony is meant to give one the qualification
for studying the Vedas, because the Brahma-sütras state that çüdras, or those
without sacred thread, are not eligible to hear Vedänta. After accepting
päïcarätrika mantras and being properly initiated according to the Çré Närada
Païcarätra a person must observe the ten saàskäras, or purificatory rites, and
thereafter hear the meanings of the mantras.

TEXT 8

yajïa-sütra putrera dibäre miçra-vara

bandhu-varga òäkiyä änilä nija-ghara

TRANSLATION

For the sacred thread ceremony of His son, Jagannätha Miçra invited all of
his friends and relatives to his house.

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 TEXT 9

parama-hariñe sabhe äsiyä mililä

yä’ra yena yogya-kärya karite lägilä

TRANSLATION

Everyone happily gathered there and assisted in various ways according to

their ability.

TEXT 10

stré-gaëe ’jaya’ diyä kåñëa-guëa gäya

naöa-gaëe mådaìga, sänäi, vaàçé bä’ya

TRANSLATION

The women chanted Kåñëa’s glories, and the musicians played mådaìga,
sänäi, and flute.

COMMENTARY

The word bä’ya means “play.”

TEXT 11

vipra-gaëe veda paòe, bhäöe räyabära

çacé-gåhe haila änanda-avatära

694
 TRANSLATION

The brähmaëas recited the Vedas, and the professional blessers chanted
prayers. Thus Çacédevé’s house appeared as the incarnation of ecstasy.

COMMENTARY

The word räyabära means “prayers” or “songs of glorification” as well as

“reciter of prayers” or “messenger.”
The phrase haila änanda-avatära means “happiness personified has
appeared.” In other words, the marketplace of happiness has manifested.

TEXT 12

yajïa-sütra dharibena çré-gaurasundara

çubha-yoga-sakala äila çacé-ghara

TRANSLATION

As Çré Gaurasundara accepted the brähmaëa thread all the auspicious

planetary conjunctions fell on the house of Çacé.

TEXT 13

çubha-mäse, çubha-dine çubha-kñaëa dhari’

dharilena yajïa-sütra gauräìga-çri-hari

TRANSLATION

695
 The month, day, and moment were all auspicious as Çré Gaurahari accepted
the brähmaëa thread.

TEXT 14

çobhila çré-aìge yajïa-sütra manohara

sükñma-rüpe ’çeña’ vä veòilä kalevara

TRANSLATION

The enchanting thread beautified the body of the Lord as if Ananta Çeña
surrounded His body in a subtle form.

COMMENTARY

The sacred thread form of Ananta Çeña is mentioned in the

Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 5.123-124) as follows: “He serves Lord Kåñëa,
assuming all the following forms: umbrella, slippers, bedding, pillow, garments,
resting chair, residence, sacred thread and throne. He is thus called Lord Çeña,
for He has attained the ultimate end of servitude to Kåñëa. He takes many
forms for the service of Kåñëa, and thus He serves the Lord.”

TEXT 15

hailä vämana-rüpa prabhu-gauracandra

dekhite sabära bäòe parama änanda

TRANSLATION

696
 Everyone was most pleased to see how Lord Gauracandra resembled
Vämanadeva.

COMMENTARY

The word vämana-rüpa refers to the dwarf incarnation of Lord Viñëu. One
may refer to the Eighth Canto of the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Chapters 18 to 23.
Çré Vämanadeva, or Çré Upendra, was born from Kaçyapa in the womb of
Aditi. When Çré Upendra, the form of a dwarf, heard that Bali, the King of
the demons, was performing an açvamedha sacrifice, He went to the sacrifice
with a desire to accept three paces of land in charity. The material world
consisting of the three modes of nature is only one-fourth of Lord Viñëu’s
creation, whereas the transcendentally pure spiritual world covers
three-fourths of His creation. The word käya refers to the gross material world,
the word manaù refers to the subtle material word, and the word väk refers to
the spiritual Vaikuëöhas. Therefore Çré Vämanadeva begged for the three
steps of land that are beyond the realm of the gross and subtle material worlds,
or beyond the reach of material sense perception. The gross world is known as
Bhurloka, the subtle world is known as Bhuvarloka, and the Vaikuëöha world
beyond the three modes of nature is known as Svarloka. One should surrender
and offer everything in worship at the lotus feet of Lord Viñëu. In the material
world there is no conception of Viñëu. Väsudeva is situated only in the state of
pure goodness. Lord Vämanadeva accepts only the gifts or foodstuffs that are
offered by His devotee. This is the teaching of the Vämana incarnation.
Therefore a person who desires purification is instructed to chant the Åg Veda
mantra, oà tad viñëoù paramaà padaà sadä paçyanti sürayaù divéva cakñur
ätatam. Materialistic worshipers of the sun-god compare Lord Viñëu to the
sun, which rises and sets. This is the materialistic conception of what is called
tri-sandhyä. Although Lord Viñëu is the Lord of the fourteen planetary
systems, He sometimes comes as Vämanadeva and sometimes He displays a
form measuring three and a half cubits. The Supreme Personality of Godhead,

697
Gaura-Kåñëa, exhibited the pastimes of Trivikrama by begging alms in the
form of a dwarf brähmaëa.

TEXT 16

apürva brahmaëya-teja dekhi’ sarva-gaëe

nara-jïäna ära keha nähi kare mane

TRANSLATION

On seeing His wonderful brähmaëa effulgence, no one considered Him an

ordinary child.

COMMENTARY

For an elaboration on the word brahmaëya-teja one should refer to the

Çrémad Bhägavatam (8.18.18), and for an explanation of the second line one
should refer to Çrémad Bhägavatam (8.18.22).

TEXT 17

häte daëòa, kändhe jhuli, çré-gaurasundara

bhikñä kare prabhu sarva-sevakera ghara

TRANSLATION

Then, with a stick in His hand and a bag on His shoulder, Çré Gaurasundara
went to beg alms at the houses of His devotees.

698
 COMMENTARY

At the time of the sacred thread ceremony the brahmacäré should recite the
Gäyatré mantra before the äcärya, and he should accept a sacred thread, a belt
made of straw, kaupénas, deerskin garments, a daëòa, a waterpot, a ring of kuça
grass, an umbrella, prayer beads, and a container (bag) for begging alms. Being
decorated in this way, he should beg alms from his mothers. The sacred thread
ceremony of Çré Gaurasundara was properly performed just like the ceremony
of Çré Vämanadeva, as described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (8.18.14-17).

TEXT 18

yä’ra yathä-çakti bhikñä sabei santoñe

prabhura jhulite diyä näré-gaëa häse

TRANSLATION

Everyone gave in satisfaction according to their ability. All the women

smiled as they put their alms in the Lord’s bag.

TEXT 19

dvija-patné-rüpa dhari’ brahmäëé, rudräëé

yata pati-vratä muni-vargera gåhiëé

TRANSLATION

The chaste wives of Brahmä, Çiva, and various great sages all took the form

699
of brähmaëas’ wives.

COMMENTARY

The word brahmäëé refers to goddess Sarasvaté, the word rudräëé refers to
goddess Pärvaté, the words muni gåhiëé refer to the sages’ wives like Aditi,
Anasüyä, Arundhaté, and Devahüti.

TEXT 20

çré-vämana-rüpa prabhura dekhiyä santoñe

sabei jhulite bhikñä diyä diyä häse

TRANSLATION

They felt great satisfaction seeing Viçvambhara’s Vämana form and smiled
as they placed alms in the Lord’s bag.

TEXT 21

prabhuo karena çré-vämana-rüpa-lélä

jévera uddhära lägi’ e sakala khelä

TRANSLATION

The Lord also enjoyed His Vämana pastimes, which were enacted for the
deliverance of the conditioned souls.

700
 TEXT 22

jaya jaya çré-vämana-rüpa gauracandra

däna deha’ hådaye tomära pada-dvandva

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gauracandra, who accepted the form of Lord Vämana!
Please donate Your lotus feet in charity to my heart.

COMMENTARY

The second line of this verse means “O Gaurasundara, I pray that You
manifest the lotus feet of Your Vämana form in my heart.” In this regard, one
may refer to the complete surrender of Bali Mahäräja, recorded in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam, Eighth Canto, Chapter Twenty-two.

TEXT 23

ye çune prabhura yajïa-sütrera grahaëa

se päya caitanyacandra-caraëe çaraëa

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears the topics of the Lord accepting a brähmaëa thread certainly
attains the shelter of Çré Caitanya’s lotus feet.

TEXT 24

701
 hena-mate vaikuëöha-näyaka çacé-ghare
vedera nigüòha nänä-mata kréòä kare

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha enjoyed in the house of Çacé various
pastimes that are unknown to the Vedas.

COMMENTARY

The word näyaka refers to the Lord, and the word nigüòha means “secret”
or “confidential.”
Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa is the Lord of Vaikuëöha, so He is a genius in all the
scriptures and the source of the opulence of knowledge. Nevertheless, acting
like an ordinary person, He rejected the foolish considerations of the material
scholars and glorified the expert considerations of the learned devotees by
manifesting a desire to study grammar, just as Kåñëa studied under Sändépani
Muni.

TEXT 25

ghare sarva-çästrera bujhiyä saméhita

goñöhé-mäjhe prabhura paòite haila cita

TRANSLATION

After properly understanding the meanings of the scriptures at home, the

Lord desired to study in the company of His associates.

702
 COMMENTARY

The word saméhita means “proper endeavor,” “the desire,” “the comments,”
“confidential meaning,” or “purport.” The word cita is a gentle form of the
word citta, which means “heart” or “mind.”

TEXT 26

navadvépe äche adhyäpaka-çiromaëi

gaìgädäsa-paëòita ye-hena sändépani

TRANSLATION

In Navadvépa there resided the topmost teacher, Gaìgädäsa Paëòita, who

was nondifferent from Sändépani Muni.

COMMENTARY

For a description of Gaìgädäsa Paëòita one should refer to

Caitanya-bhägavata (CB Ädi-khaëòa 2.99).
A description of Sändépani Muni is found in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(10.45.31-48) and in the Viñëu Puräëa (5.21.19-30). Sändépani Muni was a
resident of Avanté and belonged to the dynasty of Kaçyapa Muni. In sixty-four
days, Çré Balaräma and Çré Kåñëa learned from him the Upaniñads, the Vedas,
the Dhanur-veda (military science), the Dharma-çästras (religious scriptures),
Mémäàsä, Tarka-vidyä (logic or argument), the six types of politics, and the
sixty-four arts and sciences. After mastering all the arts and sciences, They
requested Sändépani Muni to accept some guru-dakñiëä. After consulting his
wife, Sändépani Muni expressed his desire for the return of his son, who had

703
drowned in the ocean at Prabhäsa-kñetra. Balaräma and Kåñëa immediately
went to the shore of the ocean. After They heard from the mouth of the ocean
deity that Their guru’s son had been kidnapped by a demon in the shape of a
conchshell named Païcajana, Lord Kåñëa killed the demon and accepted the
Päïcajanya conch made from the demon’s bones. But not finding Their guru’s
son there, Kåñëa and Balaräma went to Yamaräja’s kingdom, named
Saàyamané, and blew the conchshell. When Yamaräja heard the sound of the
conch, he came out and after properly worshiping Kåñëa and Balaräma he
returned Their guru’s son. Çré Balaräma and Çré Kåñëa accepted Their guru’s
son and returned him to his father.

TEXT 27

vyäkaraëa-çästrera ekänta tattva-vit

täì’ra öhäïi paòite prabhura saméhita

TRANSLATION

He was in full knowledge of the grammatical literatures, so the Lord desired

to study under him.

TEXT 28

bujhilena putrera iìgita miçra-vara

putra-saìge gelä gaìgädäsa-dvija-ghara

TRANSLATION

Understanding the desire of his son, Jagannätha Miçra took Him to the

704
house of the brähmaëa Gaìgädäsa.

COMMENTARY

The word iìgita means “confidential desire,” “hint,” or “gesture.”

TEXT 29

miçra dekhi’ gaìgädäsa sambhrame uöhilä

äliìgana kari’ eka äsane vasilä

TRANSLATION

When they arrived, Gaìgädäsa stood up out of respect and embraced Çré
Miçra. They then sat together on an äsana.

TEXT 30

miçra bole,—“putra ämi diluì tomä’ sthäne

paòäibä çunäibä sakala äpane”

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra said, “I am offering you my son. Please teach Him

everything.”

TEXT 31

gaìgädäsa bole,—“baòa bhägya se ämära

705
 paòäimu yata çakti ächaye ämära”

TRANSLATION

Gaìgädäsa replied, “It is my great fortune. I will teach Him to the best of
my ability.”

TEXT 32

çiñya dekhi’ parama-änande gaìgädäsa

putra-präya kariyä räkhilä nija-päça

TRANSLATION

Gaìgädäsa was most happy to see his new student, and he treated Him like
his own son.

COMMENTARY

The word präya means “equal,” and the word päça comes from the word
pärça, which means “near.”

TEXT 33

yata vyäkhyä gaìgädäsa paëòita karena

sakåt çunile mätra öhäkura dharena

TRANSLATION

706
 After hearing only once, the Lord would assimilate whatever Gaìgädäsa
Paëòita explained.

COMMENTARY

The word sakåt means “once,” and the word dharena means “to realize or
master something by deliberation.”

TEXT 34

gurura yateka vyäkhyä karena khaëòana

punar-bära sei vyäkhyä karena sthäpana

TRANSLATION

He would refute the explanations of His guru and then again establish the
explanation that He had just refuted.

TEXT 35

sahasra sahasra çiñya paòe yata jana

hena käro çakti nähi diväre düñaëa

TRANSLATION

There were thousands of students, but no one had the ability to defeat His
explanations.

COMMENTARY

707
 The words diväre düñaëa mean “to find fault” or “refute.”

TEXT 36

dekhiyä adbhuta buddhi guru harañita

sarva-çiñya-çreñöha kari’ karilä püjita

TRANSLATION

Gaìgädäsa was pleased to see Nimäi’s wonderful intelligence, and he

accepted Him as his best student.

COMMENTARY

The word püjita means “to worship” or “to honor.”

TEXT 37

yata paòe gaìgädäsa-paëòitera sthäne

sabärei öhäkura cälena anukñaëe

TRANSLATION

The Lord would regularly challenge and defeat all of Gaìgädäsa Paëòita’s
other students.

COMMENTARY

The word cälena means “to induce,” “to move,” “to shake,” “to bewilder,”

708
“to defeat,” or “to refute.”

TEXT 38

çré-muräri gupta, çré-kamaläkänta-näma

kåñëänanda-ädi yata goñöhéra pradhäna

TRANSLATION

Çré Muräri Gupta, Çré Kamaläkänta, and Çré Kåñëänanda were some of the
Lord’s prominent classmates.

COMMENTARY

Çré Muräri Gupta is the composer of the Sanskrit book Caitanya-carita. He

was born in Çréhaööa, in the family of a doctor, and latter He came to reside in
Navadvépa, where he became a student of Gaìgädäsa Paëòita. (See
Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 8.) Nimäi’s debate with the elder Muräri is described in
the Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Ten, and Muräri’s happiness upon seeing the Lord’s
devotional symptoms born from feelings of separation from Kåñëa after His
return from Gayä are described in the Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter One. The
Lord’s manifestation of His Varäha form at Muräri’s house is described in the
Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter Three, and in Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä, Chapter
Seventeen. After hearing Gaura and Nityänanda glorify each other, Muräri
smiles and jokes. (See Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter Four.) Muräri’s taking part in
the Lord’s kértanas at the house of Çréväsa is described in the Madhya-khaëòa,
Chapter Eight. At the time of the Lord’s mahä-prakäça, Muräri lost
consciousness and later cried in love and offered prayers to the Lord. The Lord
responded by glorifying His servant Muräri. (See Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter
Ten.) Muräri’s participation in water sports with the other devotees is found

709
in the Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter Thirteen. On the night the Lord danced in
the dress of Mahä-Lakñmé, Haridäsa and Muräri, dressed as constables,
introduced the Lord’s drama. (See Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter Eighteen.) One
day at the house of Çréväsa Paëòita, Muräri Gupta saw Gaura and Nityänanda
seated together. Muräri first offered obeisances to Gaura and then to
Nityänanda. The Lord, however, was displeased and said to Muräri, “You have
transgressed etiquette while offering obeisances.” That very night in a dream
the Lord taught Muräri the glories of Nityänanda. The next morning Muräri
first offered obeisances to Nityänanda and then to Gaura. Seeing this, the
Lord was pleased and He gave Muräri the remnants of His chewed betel. By
accepting those remnants, Muräri’s intelligence was purified and he received
love of God. Once, in the mood of the supreme controller, the Lord spoke in
anger to Muräri Gupta about the impersonalist Prakäçänanda, of Käçé.
Thereafter, the Lord glorified the eternal truth regarding His names, forms,
qualities, and pastimes. The Lord blessed Muräri, who thereafter offered rice
with ghee to the Lord. The next morning the Lord came to Muräri for treating
the symptoms of indigestion that He exhibited due to eating heavy foods.
Thereafter the Lord exhibited His pastime of being cured by drinking water
from Muräri’s waterpot. On another day, when the Lord manifested His
four-armed form in the house of Çréväsa, Muräri took the role of Garuòa and
carried the Lord on his shoulders. Considering that separation from the Lord
after His disappearance would be unbearable, Muräri decided to give up his
body while the Lord was still present. The Lord, who is the Supersoul of
everyone, checked Muräri from carrying out this plan. These and other
pastimes are described in the Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter Twenty. The pastimes
of Muräri and other devotees chanting at night with the Lord through the
streets of Navadvépa and Muräri and other devotees crying in happiness on
seeing the Lord drink water at the house of Çrédhara are found in
Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter Twenty-three. After the Lord took sannyäsa and
came to the house of Advaita Äcärya, Çacé along with Muräri and other
devotees went there to meet Him. (See Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya 3.153)

710
Muräri accompanied the devotees every year to visit the Lord in Puré. (See
Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya 11.86, 16.16, as well as Antya 10.9, 121, 140, and
12.13) One day, on the order of the Lord, Muräri Gupta recited eight verses in
glorification of Lord Rämacandra. The Lord then blessed him. (See
Caitanya-caritämåta, Antya-lélä, Chapter Four.) Muräri’s sporting in the
waters of Narendra-sarovara is described in the Antya-khaëòa, Chapter Nine.
Muräri’s humble prayers and his receiving the mercy of the Lord are described
in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 17.77-78 and Madhya 11.152-158). Seeing
Muräri’s attachment for Lord Rämacandra, he is awarded the name Rämadäsa.
This is found in Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 17.69 and Madhya 15.219). Muräri’s
meeting with the Lord’s South India traveling companion, Kälä Kåñëadäsa,
when he visits Navadvépa is found in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 10.81).
His chanting during the Ratha-yäträ festival is described in
Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 13.40). His meeting with Sanätana Gosvämé is
mentioned in Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya 4.108 and 7.47). Muräri’s meeting
with Jagadänanda is described in Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya 12.98).

TEXT 39

sabäre cälaye prabhu phäìki jijïäsiyä

çiçu-jïäne keha kichu nä bole häsiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord challenged and defeated them all, even the elder boys, but they
would consider the Lord just a child and simply smile at Him.

TEXT 40

711
 ei-mata prati-dina paòiyä çuniyä
gaìgä-snäne cale nija-vayasya laiyä

TRANSLATION

After school, the Lord regularly went with His friends to bathe in the
Ganges.

TEXT 41

paòuyära anta nähi navadvépa-pure

paòiyä madhyähne sabe gaìgä-snäna kare

TRANSLATION

In Navadvépa there were innumerable students, and they all took bath in
the Ganges at midday.

COMMENTARY

At the time of the Lord there were many schools in Navadvépa, wherein
innumerable students from various provinces studied the scriptures. The area
of Navadvépa at that time stretched northeast up to Dvépacandrapura.

TEXT 42

eko adhyäpakera sahasra çiñya-gaëa

anyo ’nye kalaha karena anukñaëa

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 TRANSLATION

Each teacher had thousands of students, and they would regularly challenge
the students of the other teachers.

TEXT 43

prathama vayasa prabhu svabhäva-caïcala

paòuyä-gaëera saha karena kondala

TRANSLATION

As the Lord was young and restless, He would also quarrel with the other
students.

COMMENTARY

The words prathama vayasa mean “in childhood” or “in boyhood.”

TEXT 44

keha bole,—“tora guru kon buddhi tä’ra”

keha bole,—“ei dekha, ämi çiñya yä’ra”

TRANSLATION

Someone would challenge, “Your teacher is not very learned.” Another

would say, “See whose disciple I am.”

713
 TEXT 45

ei-mata alpe alpe haya gälägäli

tabe jala-pheläpheli, tabe deya bäli

TRANSLATION

In this way they began to quarrel with harsh words, and soon they would
splash water and throw sand at each other.

TEXT 46

tabe haya märämäri, ye yähäre päre

kardama pheliyä kä’ro gäye keha märe

TRANSLATION

Eventually they would beat each other or throw mud at each other.

TEXT 47

räjära dohäi diyä keha kä’re dhare

märiyä paläya keha gaìgära upäre

TRANSLATION

Some boy, in the name of the king, would catch another boy, and someone
would beat another and then swim across the Ganges to safety.

714
 COMMENTARY

The words gaìgära upäre refer to the present day city of Navadvépa
(Kuliyä) and the village of Rämacandrapura.

TEXT 48

eta huòähuòi kare paòuyä-sakala

bäli-kädämaya saba haya gaìgä-jala

TRANSLATION

They wrestled so intensely that the waters of the Ganges became full of
sand and mud.

TEXT 49

jala bharibäre nähi päre näré-gaëa

nä päre karite snäna brähmaëa sajjana

TRANSLATION

In that situation the girls were unable to fill their water pots and the gentle
brähmaëas were unable to take their bath.

TEXT 50

parama-caïcala prabhu viçvambhara-räya

715
 ei-mata prabhu prati-ghäöe-ghäöe yäya

TRANSLATION

Çré Viçvambhara was most restless. He went to each bathing ghäöa.

COMMENTARY

The word prati-ghäöe refers to His own bathing ghäöa, Bärakoëä-ghäöa,

Mädhäi’s ghäöa, Nägariyä-ghäöa, and other ghäöas.

TEXT 51

prati-ghäöe paòuyära anta nähi päi

öhäkura kalaha kare prati öhäïi öhäïi

TRANSLATION

At each ghäöa there were innumerable students, and the Lord debated at
every ghäöa.

TEXT 52

prati-ghäöe yäya prabhu gaìgäya säìtäri’

eko ghäöe dui cäri daëòa kréòä kari’

TRANSLATION

The Lord swam to each ghäöa and enjoyed debating there for one or two

716
hours.

TEXT 53

yata yata prämäëika paòuyära gaëa

tä’rä bole,—“kalaha karaha ki käraëa?”

TRANSLATION

The senior students asked the boys, “Why are You arguing?

COMMENTARY

The word prämäëika means “knowledgeable,” “mature,” “principle,” or

“expert.”

TEXT 54

jijïäsä karaha,—“bujhi, kä’ra kon buddhi!

våtti-païji-öékära, ke jäne, dekhi, çuddhi

TRANSLATION

“Let us see who can explain the proper forms of våtti, païjé, and öékä.”

COMMENTARY

Våtti is the brief explanation of a verse, öékä is the expanded explanation of

a verse, and païjé is a poetic description of a subject. Previously käyasthas used
to write païjé. On the Kaläpa grammar composed by Sarva Varmä there is a
717
öékä written by Susena Vidyäbhüñaëa, a païjé written by Trilocana Däsa, and a
våtti written by Durgä Siàha that are all very famous. Gaìgädäsa Paëòita
taught Kaläpa grammar to his students, headed by Nimäi.
The word çuddhi means “the pure form,” “the real truth,” “the purport,” and
“the confidential truth.”

TEXT 55

prabhu bole,—“bhäla bhäla, ei kathä haya

jijïäsuka ämäre yähära citte laya”

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “Yes, good. You can ask Me anything you like.”

TEXT 56

keha bole,—“eta kene kara ahaìkära?”

prabhu bole,—“jijïäsaha ye citte tomära”

TRANSLATION

One student asked Him, “Why are You so conceited?” and Nimäi replied,
“Ask Me whatever you like.”

TEXT 57

“dhätu-sütra väkhänaha”—bole se paòuyä

718
 prabhu bole,—“väkhäni ye, çuna mana diyä”

TRANSLATION

The same student then said, “Explain the sütras on verbal roots.” The Lord
replied, “Listen attentively to what I say.”

TEXT 58

sarva-çakti-samanvita prabhu bhagavän

karilena sütra-vyäkhyä ye haya pramäëa

TRANSLATION

The all-powerful Supreme Lord Viçvambhara then explained the sütras

according to the prescribed grammatical rules.

COMMENTARY

The word pramäëa means “perfect evidence” or “faith.”

TEXT 59

vyäkhyä çuni’ sabe bole praçaàsä-vacana

prabhu bole,—“ebe çuna, kari ye khaëòana”

TRANSLATION

Hearing His explanation, everyone praised Him. The Lord then said, “Now

719
hear Me refute these explanations.”

TEXT 60

yata vyäkhyä kailä, tähä düñilä sakala

prabhu bole,—“sthäpa’ ebe kä’ra äche bala”

TRANSLATION

After the Lord refuted each of His explanations, He then asked, “Now who
can reestablish these explanations?”

TEXT 61

camatkära sabei bhävena mane mane

prabhu bole,—“çuna, ebe kariye sthäpane”

TRANSLATION

Everyone there was struck with wonder as Nimäi said, “Now hear Me
reestablish those explanations.”

TEXT 62

punaù hena vyäkhyä karilena gauracandra

sarva-mate sundara, kothäo nähi manda

TRANSLATION

720
 Çré Gauracandra then again established those explanations in such a
wonderful way that no one could find any fault.

COMMENTARY

The word manda means “fault,” “excuse,” or “error.”

TEXT 63

yata saba prämäëika paòuyära gaëa

santoñe sabei karilena äliìgana

TRANSLATION

All the senior students then embraced Nimäi in satisfaction.

TEXT 64

paòuyä-sakala bole,—“äji ghare yäha

käli ye jijïäsi, tähä balibäre cäha”

TRANSLATION

The other students said, “Today You can go home, and tomorrow we will
have more questions for You.”

TEXT 65

721
 ei-mata prati-dina jähnavéra jale
vaikuëöha-näyaka vidyä-rase khelä khele

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha enjoyed His pastimes as a student playing
in the water of the Ganges.

TEXT 66

ei kréòä lägiyä sarva-jïa båhaspati

çiñya-saha navadvépe hailä utpatti

TRANSLATION

To assist in His pastimes, the omniscient Båhaspati took birth in Navadvépa

along with his disciples.

COMMENTARY

The word sarva-jïa is another name for the original Viñëusvämé. He

appeared at Candanavana-Kalyanapura, in the province of Pandya. He is the
first Vaiñëava äcärya in this Age of Kali. He defeated the philosophy of
Buddhism and brought Çré Jagannäthadeva to Sundaräcala. Three hundred
years before Christ a king named Vijaya Pandya appeared. After he conquered
Çré Puruñottama and brought Lord Jagannätha to his own province, the
Buddhists returned Lord Jagannätha to Néläcala. A few hundred years later,
during the reign of Sundara Pandya, he was reminded of the place where Lord
Jagannätha was brought while going to conquer the northern provinces. That
place, known as Sundaräcala, later became known as Guëòicä. Shortly before

722
this incident a disciple of Çaìkaräcärya named Padmapädäcärya built a maöha
at the place known as Chatrabhoga. Later on this maöha was shifted to the
shore of the ocean by Çré Rämänujäcärya. There is a book named
Saìkñepa-çäréraka in the Çaìkara-sampradäya that is said to be written by
Sarvajïätma Muni. But this Sarvajïätma Muni cannot be the Sarvajïa Muni
who established the philosophy of çuddhädvaita. There is another Sarvajïa in
the Jain sampradäya as well. In the disciplic succession of Sarvajïa Muni there
were many disciples, including Båhaspati.

TEXT 67

jala-kréòä kare prabhu çiñya-gaëa-saìge

kñaëe-kñaëe gaìgära upäre yäya raìge

TRANSLATION

While sporting in the Ganges, the Lord and His friends would sometimes
swim to the other side.

COMMENTARY

The words gaìgära upäre refers to Kuliyä, or the present day city of
Navadvépa.

TEXT 68

bahu manoratha pürve ächila gaìgära

yamunära dekhi’ kåñëacandera vihära

723
 TRANSLATION

Seeing the good fortune of the Yamunä in obtaining the association of Lord
Kåñëa, the Ganges had cherished the desire for the same opportunity.

TEXT 69

“kabe haibeka mora yamunära bhägya”

niravadhi gaìgä ei balilena väkya

TRANSLATION

The Ganges constantly prayed, “When will I be fortunate like the

Yamunä?”

TEXT 70

yadyapiha gaìgä aja-bhavädi-vanditä

tathäpiha yamunära pada se väïchitä

TRANSLATION

Although the Ganges is worshiped by Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva, she
nevertheless still desires the good fortune of the Yamunä.

TEXT 71

väïchä-kalpa-taru prabhu çré-gaurasundara

724
 jähnavéra väïchä pürëa kare nirantara

TRANSLATION

Lord Gaurasundara is like a wish-fulfilling tree that constantly satisfied the

desires of the Ganges.

TEXT 72

kari’ bahu-vidha kréòä jähnavéra jale

gåhe äilena gauracandra kutuhale

TRANSLATION

After enjoying various pastimes in the waters of the Ganges, Çré

Gauracandra joyfully returned home.

TEXT 73

yathä-vidhi kari’ prabhu çré-viñëu-püjana

tulasére jala diyä karena bhojana

TRANSLATION

The Lord then worshiped Viñëu according to regulation, and after watering
tulasé, He took His meal.

TEXT 74

725
 bhojana kariyä mätra prabhu sei-kñaëe
pustaka laiyä giyä vasena nirjane

TRANSLATION

Immediately after taking His meal, the Lord took His books and sat in a
solitary place.

TEXT 75

äpane karena prabhu sütrera öippané

bhulilä pustaka-rase sarva-deva-maëi

TRANSLATION

The Lord, who is the crest jewel amongst the demigods, fully absorbed
Himself in His studies and composed His own commentary on the sütras.

COMMENTARY

The words sütrera öippané refers to the commentary on the commentary of

Kätantra-sütra, composed by Sarva Varmä. The phrase sarva-deva-maëi means
“the Lord of lords.”

TEXT 76

dekhiyä änande bhäse miçra-mahäçaya

rätri-dine hariñe kichui nä jänaya

726
 TRANSLATION

Seeing His son studying attentively, Jagannätha Miçra floated in an ocean of

happiness and forgot whether it was day or night.

TEXT 77

dekhite dekhite jagannätha putra-mukha

niti-niti päya anirvacanéya sukha

TRANSLATION

Every day Jagannätha Miçra felt indescribable happiness on seeing the face
of his son.

COMMENTARY

The word niti-niti means “regularly” or “daily.”

TEXT 78

ye-mate putrera rüpa kare miçra päna

“saçarére säyujya haila kibä tä’na!”

TRANSLATION

Çré Miçra drank the nectarean beauty of his son’s form in such a way that it
appeared he had merged his body with the Lord!

727
 COMMENTARY

The words saçarére säyujya are explained as follows: When a conditioned

soul is freed from the gross and subtle bodies, or designations, he attains the
liberation of brahma-säyujya, or merging with Brahman, or, in other words, he
becomes dormant. This is the conclusion of the impersonalists. But
Jagannätha Miçra is nondifferent from Vasudeva, the shelter of vätsalya-rasa
in the transcendental realm of Goloka, beyond the material creation. He was
so absorbed in seeing the beautiful form of Gaura, the Personality of Godhead,
as his son that he continually remained merged in an ocean of bliss. Ordinary
people did not consider him as Vasudeva, the personification of pure goodness;
they considered him a conditioned soul, fit for säyujya-mukti like themselves.
In fact, they considered Jagannätha Miçra had already attained säyujya-mukti,
the state of becoming dormant, in his present gross and subtle bodies. But,
according to Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 6.268), “A pure devotee does not
like even to hear about säyujya-mukti, which inspires him with fear and
hatred. Indeed, the pure devotee would rather go to hell than merge into the
effulgence of the Lord.” Also in Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 9.267): “Pure
devotees reject the five kinds of liberation; indeed, for them liberation is very
insignificant because they see it as hellish.” In this regard, one should refer to
the descriptions of the pure devotional service performed by Åñabhadeva’s son,
Bharata, as narrated by Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé to Mahäräja Parékñit in Çrémad
Bhägavatam (5.14.44). Descriptions of säyujya-mukti are found in the
Madhva-sampradäya’s philosophy of çuddha-dvaita. Unless there is a
reciprocation between the worshipable Supreme Lord and His servants, the
mood of worshiper and worshipable cannot exist. Therefore the säyujya-mukti
referred to herein is the attainment of the lotus feet of Viñëu; it certainly does
not refer to becoming one with the Lord or merging with Brahman.

728
 TEXT 79

säyujya vä kon aupädhi sukha tä’ne

säyujyädi-sukha miçra alpa kari’ mäne

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra, however, considered the happiness of merging with the

Lord to be most insignificant.

COMMENTARY

The word kon means “for what use.” The word tä’ne means “to him” or “for
him.”
The words aupädhi sukha refer to the happiness derived through one’s gross
and subtle bodies from one’s temporary sense gratification and desire for
liberation. This is nothing like the happiness experienced by the ätmärämas,
or self-satisfied souls, from their unalloyed service to Gaura-Kåñëa.
The word alpa means “tiny,” “insignificant,” or “pseudo.” It is stated in the
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 6.44 and 7.85, 97-98): “The conception of servitude
to Çré Kåñëa generates such an ocean of joy in the soul that even the joy of
oneness with the Absolute, if multiplied ten million times, could not compare
to a drop of it. For a devotee who has actually developed bhäva, the pleasure
derived from dharma, artha, käma and mokña appears like a drop in the
presence of the sea. Compared to the ocean of transcendental bliss that is
tasted by chanting the Hare Kåñëa mantra, the pleasure derived from
impersonal Brahman realization [brahmänanda] is like the shallow water in a
canal. My dear Lord, O master of the universe, since I have directly seen You,
my transcendental bliss has taken the shape of a great ocean. Being situated in

729
that ocean, I now realize all other so-called happiness to be like the water
contained in the hoofprint of a calf.” In the chapter of Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu
describing the glories of pure devotional service, it is stated:

manäg eva prarüòhäyäà hådaye bhagavad ratau

puruñärthäs tu catväras tåëäyante samantataù

“Any person who has developed even a little quantity of pure devotional
service can very easily kick out all the other kinds of happiness derived from
religiousness, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation.

brahmänando bhaved eña cet parärdha-guëé-kåtaù

naiti bhakti-sukhämbhodheù paramäëu-tuläm api

“If brahmänanda, the bliss of merging in the Brahman effulgence, were

multiplied one hundred trillion times, it would still not equal even an atomic
fragment of the ocean of transcendental bliss felt in devotional service.”
Çrédhara Svämé has written in his Bhävärtha-dépikä as follows: “Virtuous
people who joyfully relish recitation of Your sweet pastimes consider the four
goals of human life to be insignificant. The mind absorbed in bhakti, without
desire for insignificant things, brings people to life with prema. Those devotees
who are absorbed only in service to the lotus feet of Kåñëa have no desire for
liberation.”
One may also refer to the following verses from the Çrémad Bhägavatam:
3.4.15, 3.25.34 and 36, 4.9.10, 4.20.25, 5.14.43, 6.11.25, 6.17.28, 7.6.25, 7.8.42,
8.3.20, 9.21.12, 10.16.37, 11.14.14, and 11.20.34.

TEXT 80

jagannätha-miçra-pä’ya bahu namaskära

730
 ananta-brahmaëòa-nätha putra-rüpe yäì’ra

TRANSLATION

I offer unlimited obeisances at the feet of Çré Jagannätha Miçra, whose son
was the Lord of innumerable universes.

TEXT 81

ei-mata miçracandra dekhite putrere

niravadhi bhäse vipra änanda-sägare

TRANSLATION

In this way, whenever he saw his son, Çré Miçracandra would float in an
ocean of bliss.

COMMENTARY

The word miçracandra is the family surname with candra added out of
affection.

TEXT 82

kämadeva jiniyä prabhu se rüpavän

prati-aìge aìge se lävaëya anupama

TRANSLATION

731
 The beauty of the Lord surpassed that of Cupid. Each of His limbs was
extraordinarily beautiful.

TEXT 83

ihä dekhi’ miçracandra cintena antare

“òäkiné dänave päche putre bala kare”

TRANSLATION

Seeing the beauty of his son, Jagannätha Miçra thought, “I’m afraid that my
son may be attacked by ghosts or demons.”

COMMENTARY

The word òäkiné refers to a female follower of Rudra, a follower of

Bhadrakälé, a witch, or a sorceress.
The word dänava refers to the sons of Danu, the wife of Kaçyapa Muni and
daughter of Prajäpati Dakña.
The words bala kare mean “to overpower” or “to influence.”

TEXT 84

bhaye miçra putre samarpaye kåñëa-sthäne

häse prabhu gauracandra äòe thäki’ çune

TRANSLATION

732
 Out of fear, Çré Miçra surrendered his son at the lotus feet of Kåñëa, as
Gauracandra smiled while watching from a secluded place.

COMMENTARY

The word äòe is a corruption of the word antaräle, which means “from
behind.”

TEXT 85

miçra bole,—“kåñëa, tumi rakñitä sabära

putra-prati çubha-dåñöi karibä ämära

TRANSLATION

Jagannätha Miçra prayed, “O Kåñëa, You are the protector of all. Please
glance mercifully on my son.

COMMENTARY

The word rakñitä means “the protector” or “the deliverer.”

TEXTS 86-87

ye tomära caraëa-kamala småti kare

kabhu vighna nä äise tähäna mandire

tomära smaraëa-héna ye ye päpa-sthäna

tathäya òäkiné-bhüta-preta-adhiñöhäna”

733
 TRANSLATION

“Whoever remembers Your lotus feet will never face any disturbances at
home. Those sinful places where You are not remembered are the residences of
ghosts, witches, and evil spirits.

COMMENTARY

Places where forgetfulness of Viñëu is prominent are known as sinful

places. Such places are inhabited by abominable species like ghosts, witches,
and evil spirits. The devotees of the Lord are demigods. Because the devotees
always remember the Lord, wherever they reside is known as a sacred place. It
is stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.2.33):

tathä na te mädhava tävakäù kvacid

bhraçyanti märgät tvayi baddha-sauhådäù
tvayäbhiguptä vicaranti nirbhayä
vinäyakänékapa-mürdhasu prabho

“O Mädhava, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of the goddess of

fortune, if devotees completely in love with You sometimes fall from the path
of devotion, they do not fall like nondevotees, for You still protect them. Thus
they fearlessly traverse the heads of their opponents and continue to progress
in devotional service.”
And in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.4.10):

tväà sevatäà sura-kåtä bahavo ’ntaräyäù

svauko vilaìghya paramaà vrajatäà padaà te
nänyasya barhiñi balén dadataù sva-bhägän
dhatte padaà tvam avitä yadi vighna-mürdhni

734
 “The demigods place many obstacles on the path of those who worship You
to transcend the temporary abodes of the demigods and reach Your supreme
abode. Those who offer the demigods their assigned shares in sacrificial
performances encounter no such obstacles. But because You are the direct
protector of Your devotee, he is able to step over the head of whatever obstacle
the demigods place before him.”
Also in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.22.37):

çärérä mänasä divyä vaiyäse ye ca mänuñäù

bhautikäç ca kathaà kleçä bädhante hari-saàçrayam

“Therefore, O Vidura, how can persons completely under the shelter of

Lord Kåñëa in devotional service be put into miseries pertaining to the body,
the mind, nature, and other men and living creatures?” In the Garuòa Puräëa
it is stated:

na ca durväsasaù çäpo vajraà cäpi çacé-pateù

hantuà samarthaà puruñaà hådisthe madhusüdane

“One who has realized Madhusüdana within his heart cannot be killed by
the curse of Durväsä or the thunderbolt of Indra, the husband of Çacé.” And in
the Näradéya Puräëa it is stated:

yatra püjä-paro viñëos tatra vighno na bädhate

räjä ca taskaraç cäpi vyädhayaç ca na santi hi
pretäù piçäcäù kuñmäëòä grahä bäla-grahäs tathä
òäkinyo räkñasäç caiva na bädhas te ’cyutärcakam

“Neither a king, a thief, nor disease can create obstacles for one engaged in
worshiping Lord Viñëu. A person engaged in the worship of Acyuta cannot be
checked by ghosts, witches, evil spirits, planets, sorceresses, or other demons.”
One may also refer to Bhakti-sandarbha (122) in this regard.

735
 TEXT 88

na yatra çravaëädéni rakño-ghnäni sva-karmasu

kurvanti sätvatäà bhartur yätudhänyaç ca tatra hi

TRANSLATION

My dear King, wherever people in any position perform their occupational

duties of devotional service by chanting and hearing [çravaëaà kértanaà
viñëoù], there cannot be any danger from bad elements. Therefore there was no
need for anxiety about Gokula while the Supreme Personality of Godhead was
personally present.

COMMENTARY

When Mahäräja Parékñit heard that the fearful child-killer Pütanä

wandered through various villages killing children on the order of Kaàsa, he
was full of anxiety for Kåñëa. At that time Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé spoke this
verse in order to relieve the king’s anxiety.
This verse was spoken by Çukadeva Gosvämé to the apprehensive Parékñit
Mahäräja to confirm that since Pütanä was engaged in sinful activities, she
would certainly die. Places where the hearing and chanting of Kåñëa’s names
are not present are full of demoniac influence, but wherever the Lord is
present there is no question of fear. (Çrédhara Svämé)
After hearing that Pütanä was roaming about killing children, one may
fearfully inquire, “Alas, what was the position of the other baby boys in Çré
Nanda’s village?” Çré Çukadeva spoke this verse in answer to this question. If
one indirectly hears and chants the names of Kåñëa in the course of
performing one’s occupational duties like sacrifices, then one can never be

736
exploited by demonesses; and if one directly hears and chants the names of
Kåñëa, then there no question of any influence from them. The word sätvata,
or the Lord of the devotees, confirms that what to speak of the hearing and
chanting the Lord’s names, even hearing and chanting the names of His
devotees destroys all demoniac influences. The demons exhibit their influence
only in places where the Lord’s names are not heard or chanted. The meaning
of this verse can also be as follows:
One may raise the doubt—“Were all the children of that time killed by
Pütanä or not?” Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé spoke this verse in answer to this
question. The above purport is applicable here. Other than the baby boys who
heard and chanted Kåñëa’s names, the Lord had Pütanä kill all those who were
averse to Him and belonging to Kaàsa’s party. The foolishness of Kaàsa is
displayed in this incident. In spite of the Lord’s personal presence, the arrival
of wicked Pütanä in Vraja and her disturbances there were only to nourish the
pastimes of the Lord, which give pleasure to the entire world and increase the
love and affection of the Vrajaväsés headed by Yaçodä. These incidents are all
arranged by the Lord’s lélä-çakti, or pleasure potencies. The word lélä-çakti here
refers to one of the three principle energies in Vaikuëöha and Våndädevé in
Våndävana. (Çré Jéva Gosvämé’s Laghu-toñaëé)
This verse was spoken by Çré Çukadeva to the anxious Mahäräja Parékñit to
confirm that since Pütanä was engaged in sinful activities, she would certainly
die. Villages and cities where persons are engaged in fruitive activities that are
fructified or unfructified and are devoid of hearing or chanting the names of
Kåñëa, who is the Lord of the devotees, are influenced by demonesses. Such
demonesses cannot disturb a place where hearing and chanting about Kåñëa is
the main activity, and where hearing and chanting about Kåñëa is the only
activity it is impossible for them to create any mischief. What then can be said
about the place where the Lord is personally present? (Çré Viçvanätha
Cakravarté’s Särärtha-darçiné)

737
 TEXT 89

“ämi tora däsa, prabhu, yateka ämära

räkhibä äpane tumi, sakala tomära

TRANSLATION

“O my Lord, I am Your servant. Everything I possess belongs to You, so

please preserve it.

TEXT 90

ataeva yata äche vighna vä saìkaöa

nä äsuka kabhu mora putrera nikaöa

TRANSLATION

“Therefore do not allow any obstacle or danger disturb my son.”

COMMENTARY

The word saìkaöa means “misery” or “trouble.”

TEXT 91

ei-mata niravadhi miçra jagannätha

eka-citte vara mäge tuli’ dui häta

738
 TRANSLATION

In this way, with folded hands and fixed concentration, Jagannätha Miçra
constantly begged for the Lord’ s mercy.

TEXT 92

daive eka-dina svapna dekhi’ miçra-vara

hariñe viñäda baòa haila antara

TRANSLATION

Then one day Jagannätha Miçra unexpectedly had a dream that filled his
heart simultaneously with happiness and lamentation.

TEXT 93

svapna dekhi’ stava paòi’ daëòavat kare

“he govinda, nimäïi rahuka mora ghare

TRANSLATION

After the dream, he offered his obeisances and prayed, “O Lord Govinda, let
Nimäi stay at home.

TEXT 94

sabe ei vara, kåñëa, mägi tora öhäïi

739
 ’gåhastha haiyä ghare rahuka nimäïi’”

TRANSLATION

“O Kåñëa, this is the only benediction that I ask of You. Let Nimäi stay at
home as a householder.”

TEXT 95

çacé jijïäsaye baòa haiyä vismita

“e sakala vara kene mäga’ äcambita

TRANSLATION

Astonished, Çacé inquired, “Why are you suddenly asking for these
benedictions?”

COMMENTARY

The word äcambita comes from the Sanskrit word asambhävita, which
means “suddenly.”

TEXT 96

miçra bole,—“äji mui dekhiluì svapana

nimäïi karyäche yena çikhära muëòana

TRANSLATION

740
 Jagannätha Miçra replied, “Today I dreamt that Nimäi had shaved His head.

COMMENTARY

The ekadaëòi-sannyäsés burn their sacred threads in the sacrificial fire and
shave off their çikhäs. This was the practice at that time of those sannyäsés,
who imitated the Buddhist monks. Vedic sannyäsés, however, have always
accepted the tridaëòa and kept their çikhäs. Although the ekadaëòi-sannyäsés
follow Buddhist tradition by giving up their çikhä and sacred thread, they still
generally call themselves Vedic sannyäsés. There is no necessity for
paramahaàsas to wear saffron cloth and keep their çikhäs and sacred threads,
but kuöécaka sannyäsés are prohibited from accepting the dress of
paramahaàsas. During the manifest pastimes of Çrémän Mahäprabhu the
ekadaëòi-sannyäsés who followed Çaìkaräcärya were prominent in North
India. The ordinary people of that time accepted that shaving one’s çikhä was
a symptom of the sannyäsa order.

TEXT 97

adbhuta sannyäsi-veça kahane nä yäya

häse näce kände ’kåñëa’ bali’ sarvadäya

TRANSLATION

“I’m unable to describe how wonderfully He looked dressed as a sannyäsé.

He laughed, danced, and cried while constantly chanting the name of Kåñëa.

TEXT 98

741
 advaita-äcärya-ädi yata bhakta-gaëa
nimäïi veòiyä sabe karena kértana

TRANSLATION

“Headed by Advaita Äcärya, the devotees performed kértana as they

circumambulated Nimäi.

TEXT 99

kakhano nimäïi vaise viñëura khaööäya

caraëa tuliyä deya sabära mäthäya

TRANSLATION

“The next moment I saw Nimäi sitting on Viñëu’s siàhäsana and placing
His feet on the heads of the devotees.

TEXT 100

catur-mukha, païca-mukha, sahasra-vadana

sabei gäyena,—“jaya çré-çacénandana”

TRANSLATION

“Brahmä, Çiva, Ananta Çeña—everyone chanted, ’Jaya Çacénandana!’

COMMENTARY

742
 The word catur-mukha refers to Lord Brahmä, the word païca-mukha refers
to Lord Çiva, and the word sahasra-vadana refers to Çré Çeña, or Ananta.

TEXT 101

mahänande catur-dike sabe stuti kare

dekhiyä ämära bhaye väkya nähi sphure

TRANSLATION

“As I watched devotees in all directions offering prayers with great ecstasy,
I became speechless out of fear.

TEXT 102

kata-kñaëe dekhi’ koöi koöi loka laiyä

nimäi bulena prati-nagare näciyä

TRANSLATION

“Shortly thereafter I saw Nimäi dancing through the streets of Navadvépa

surrounded by millions of people.

TEXT 103

lakña koöi loka nimäïira päche dhäya

brahmäëòa sparçiyä sabe hari-dhvani gäya

743
 TRANSLATION

“As those innumerable people followed Nimäi, the sound of their chanting
the names of Hari pierced the coverings of the universe.

TEXT 104

catur-dike çuni’ mätra nimäïira stuti

néläcale yäya sarva-bhaktera saàhati

TRANSLATION

“The only sound I heard was the prayers that were being offered to Nimäi
from all sides as they traveled on the path to Néläcala.

TEXT 105

ei svapna dekhi’ cintä päìa sarvathäya

’virakta haiyä päche putra bähiräya’

TRANSLATION

“After seeing this dream, I became filled with anxiety that Nimäi will leave
home and take sannyäsa.”

COMMENTARY

The word virakta means “detached” or “renounced,” and the word bähiräya
means “to go out,” “to leave home,” or “to take sannyäsa.”

744
 TEXT 106

çacé bole,—“svapna tumi dekhilä gosäïi

cintä nä kariha ghare rahibe nimäïi

TRANSLATION

Çacé then said, “Although you had such a dream, don’t worry. Nimäi will
certainly remain at home.

COMMENTARY

In this verse the word gosäïi refers to the Vaiñëava husband of Çacé or the
son of an Äryan.

TEXT 107

puìthi chäòi’ nimäïi nä jäne kona karma

vidyä-rasa tä’ra haiyäche sarva-dharma

TRANSLATION

“He is not interested in anything other than His studies, as if that has
become His life and soul.”

TEXT 108

ei-mata parama udära dui jana

745
 nänä kathä kahe, putra snehera käraëa

TRANSLATION

In this way the most exalted couple discussed various topics out of affection
for their son.

TEXT 109

hena-mate kata dina thäki’ miçra-vara

antardhäna hailä nitya-çuddha kalevara

TRANSLATION

After passing some days like this, Jagannätha Miçra, whose body is eternally
pure, departed from this world.

COMMENTARY

The body of Jagannätha Miçra is neither a product of the three modes of

material nature nor is it temporary. He is transcendental to the modes of
nature and nondifferent from Vasudeva, the personification of pure goodness.
Çré Gauracandra eternally appears in his heart. It is stated in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (4.3.23) as follows:

sattvaà viçuddhaà vasudeva-çabditaà

yad éyate tatra pumän apävåtaù
sattve ca tasmin bhagavän väsudevo
hy adhokñajo me namasä vidhéyate

“I am always engaged in offering obeisances to Lord Väsudeva in pure

746
Kåñëa consciousness. Kåñëa consciousness is always pure consciousness, in
which the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Väsudeva, is revealed
without any covering.”
Considering the bodies of Jagannätha Miçra and Çacédevé as products of
material nature like their own bodies, foolish materialists also dare to consider
the sac-cid-änanda body of their son, the Supreme Lord Çré Gaurasundara, to
be an object of material enjoyment like that of an ordinary conditioned soul.
The bodies of Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas are certainly not material, rather they
are completely spiritual. They are not forced to undergo birth and death like
conditioned souls; they eternally exist before, during, and after the material
creation. In the Padma Puräëa it is stated:

yathä saumitri-bharatau yathä saìkarñaëädayaù

tathä tenaiva jäyante martya-lokaà yadåcchayä
punas tenaiva yäsyanti tad viñëoù çäçvataà padam
na karma-bandhanaà janma vaiñëavänäà ca vidyate

“Just as Bharata and Lakñmaëa, the son of Sumiträ, and just as Saìkarñaëa
and other forms of the Supreme Lord appear in this world by Their own
desire, similarly the Vaiñëavas, who are associates of the Lord, appear with the
Lord and then return to the eternal abode with the Lord. The Vaiñëavas, like
Viñëu, are not subjected to birth as a result of fruitive activities.”

TEXT 110

miçrera vijaye prabhu kändilä vistara

daçaratha-vijaye yehena raghuvara

TRANSLATION

747
 After his departure, the Lord cried profusely, just as Rämacandra cried after
the departure of Mahäräja Daçaratha.

COMMENTARY

The word vijaye refers to the time of death or disappearance. Some editions
use the word virahe, which means “due to separation.” The description of
Mahäräja Daçaratha’s disappearance is found in the Rämäyaëa,
Ayodhyä-käëòa, Sarga 103, verses 1-3, 6, and 8.

TEXT 111

durnivära çré-gauracandrera äkarñaëa

ataeva rakñä haila äira jévana

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé survived simply due to her irresistible attraction for Çré
Gauracandra.

COMMENTARY

The word durnivära means “uninterrupted” or “inevitable,” and the words

gauracandrera äkarñaëa refers to loving attraction for Gaura-Kåñëa.

TEXT 112

duùkha baòa,—e sakala vistära karite

duùkha haya,—ataeva kahiluì saìkñepe

748
 TRANSLATION

Elaborating on these topics is too painful. Therefore I have given only a

brief description.

TEXT 113

hena-mate jananéra saìge gaurahari

ächena nigüòha-rüpe äpanä’ samvari

TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Gaurahari and His mother controlled their grief as they lived
together in seclusion.

TEXT 114

pitå-héna bälaka dekhiyä çacé äi

sei putra-sevä bai ära kärya näi

TRANSLATION

Çacédevé engaged fully in the service of her fatherless son with no interest in
any other activity.

TEXT 115

daëòeka nä dekhe yadi äi gauracandra

749
 mürchä päye äi dui cakñe haïä andha

TRANSLATION

If she did not see Gauracandra for a daëòa, she would faint and become
blinded.

COMMENTARY

The word daëòeka means one daëòa or “about twenty-four minutes.” The
words mürchä päye mean “to become unconscious or senseless.” The phrase dui
cakñe haïä andha—“she was blinded,” is used because Nimäi was the eyesight
of Mother Çacé.

TEXT 116

prabhuo mäyere préti kare nirantara

prabodhena täne bali äçväsa-uttara

TRANSLATION

The Lord also constantly displayed affection and pacified His mother with
pleasing words.

COMMENTARY

The word prabodhena means “to pacify” or “to solace,” and the words
äçväsa-uttara refer to encouraging, solacing, and reassuring answers.

750
 TEXT 117

“çuna, mätä, mane kichu nä cintiha tumi

sakala tomära äche, yadi ächi ämi

TRANSLATION

He would say, “O mother, don’t be aggrieved. As long as I am with you, you

have everything.

TEXT 118

brahmä-maheçvarera durlabha loke bole

tähä ämi tomäre äniyä dimu hele”

TRANSLATION

“I will readily bring you that which people consider rare for even Brahmä
and Çiva.”

TEXT 119

çacéo dekhite gauracandrera çré-mukha

deha-småti-mätra nähi, thäki kise duùkha?

TRANSLATION

What to speak of her distress, Mother Çacé even forgot her own self upon

751
seeing the beautiful face of Çré Gauracandra.

COMMENTARY

Seeing the beautiful lotus face of Nimäi, the personification of ecstatic

pastimes, His liberated servants who reside in Vaikuëöha forgot themselves
and gave up all desire for sense enjoyment. Identifying the material body as
the self is found in Durgä’s kingdom of flickering enjoyment among
conditioned souls who are averse to Gaura-Kåñëa and overpowered by
nescience. In other words, because they identify the body as their self, they are
no better than cows or asses and they are subjected to the threefold miseries.
Çacédevé is the personification of pure goodness and happiness. She is
eternally liberated and the shelter of the transcendental mellow of
vätsalya-rasa. Since Çacédevé is continuously engaged in the service of Gaura
with no desire for personal sense enjoyment, how can she be afflicted by the
threefold miseries born of nescience?

TEXT 120

yaì’rä småti-mätra pürëa haya sarva käma

se-prabhu yäìhära putra-rüpe vidyamäna

TRANSLATION

He whose remembrance fulfills the desires of all was personally present in

the form of her son.

TEXT 121

752
 tähära kemate duùkha rahibe çarére?
änanda-svarüpa karilena jananére

TRANSLATION

Therefore, how could she remain miserable? Rather, Çacédevé soon

recovered her blissful nature.

TEXT 122

hena mate navadvépe vipra-çiçu-rüpe

ächena vaikuëöha-nätha svänubhava-sukhe

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha relished ecstasy as a brähmaëa child in

Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

Nimäi is the transcendental sac-cid-änanda Supreme Personality of

Godhead. He does not experience happiness like that derived by conditioned
souls from their perishable gross and subtle bodies born of nescience. He is
self-satisfied and enjoys eternal spiritual happiness. Another reading of
svänubhava-sukhe is svänubhäva-sukhe, which means “happiness due to His
own opulence.”

TEXT 123

753
 ghare mätra haya daridratära prakäça
äjïä,—yena mahä-maheçvarera viläsa

TRANSLATION

Although the Lord’s house displayed all the symptoms of poverty, He would
make demands like the King of kings.

COMMENTARY

The words daridratära prakäça refer to the condition of poverty of an

ordinary living entity. Wherever Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa, who is full with six
opulences, is present, that place is devoid of poverty and want. The phrase
yena mahä-maheçvarera viläsa refers to the independent will of Çré Näräyaëa,
who is full in six opulences.

TEXT 124

ki thäkuka, nä thäkuka,—nähika vicära

cähilei nä päile rakñä nähi ära

TRANSLATION

He never considered whether there was anything at home or not. If He

didn’t get what He demanded, there would be no escape from His wrath.

TEXT 125

ghara-dvära bhäìgiyä phelena sei-kñaëe

754
 äpanära apacaya, tähä nähi jäne

TRANSLATION

He would even break the door of the house, without considering that it was
His loss.

TEXT 126

tathäpiha çacé ye cähena, sei-kñaëe

nänä yatne dena putra-snehera käraëe

TRANSLATION

Still, out of affection, Çacé would try to immediately give Him whatever He
demanded.

TEXT 127

eka-dina prabhu calilena gaìgä-snäne

taila, ämalaké cähe jananéra sthäne

TRANSLATION

One day as the Lord prepared to go and take bath in the Ganges, He asked
His mother for oil and ämalaké.

TEXT 128

755
 “divya-mälä sugandhi-candana deha’ more
gaìgä-snäna kari’ cäìa gaìgä püjibäre”

TRANSLATION

“I want to worship the Ganges after taking bath,” He said, “so please give
Me a garland and some sandalwood paste.”

COMMENTARY

The word cäìa means “want” or “desire.”

TEXT 129

jananéra kahena,—“bäpa, çuna mana diyä

kñaëeka apekñä kara, mälä äni giyä”

TRANSLATION

His mother replied, “Please listen my dear child. I will go bring a garland.
Just wait a moment.”

TEXT 130

“äni giyä” yei-mätra çunilä vacana

krodhe rudra hailena çacéra nandana

TRANSLATION

756
 As soon as He heard the words “I will go bring,” the son of Çacé became as
angry as Lord Rudra.

COMMENTARY

The word rudra refers to Lord Çiva’s form as the destroyer. It also means
“formidable,” “fierce,” “terrible,” and “blazing.”

TEXT 131

“ekhana yäibä tumi mälä änibäre!”

eta bali’ kruddha haïä praveçilä ghare

TRANSLATION

“You will go now to get a garland!” Saying this, the Lord angrily entered the
house.

TEXT 132

yateka ächila gaìgä-jalera kalasa

äge saba bhäìgilena hai’ krodha-vaça

TRANSLATION

In an angry mood, the Lord first broke all the pots of Ganges water.

TEXT 133

757
 taila, ghåta, lavaëa ächila yä’te yä’te
sarva cürëa karilena öheìgä lai’ häte

TRANSLATION

Then He took a stick and broke the containers of oil, ghee, and salt to
pieces.

TEXT 134

choöa baòa ghare yata chila ’ghaöa’ näma

saba bhäìgilena icchä-maya bhagavän

TRANSLATION

The supreme independent Lord then broke the small and big clay pots that
were used for auspicious ceremonies.

TEXT 135

gaòägaòi yäya ghare taila, ghåta, dugdha

taëòula, kärpäsa, dhänya, loëa, baòé mudga

TRANSLATION

Oil, ghee, milk, rice, cotton, paddy, salt, baòé, and mung dal were strewn
throughout the entire house.

758
 COMMENTARY

The word loëa is a corruption of the word lavaëa, which means “salt.”

TEXT 136

yateka ächila sikä öäniyä öäniyä

krodhäveçe phele prabhu chiëòiyä chiëòiyä

TRANSLATION

In an angry mood, the Lord tore down and smashed all the hanging pots.

COMMENTARY

The word sikä refers to a pot for keeping various things hanging from the
ceiling by rope.

TEXT 137

vastra ädi yata kichu päilena ghare

khän-khän kari’ ciri’ phele dui kare

TRANSLATION

He tore apart the cloth and everything else He found in the house.

COMMENTARY

759
 The word khän-khän comes from the word khaëòa, which means “pieces.”
The word ciri comes from the Sanskrit root chid, which means “to pierce” or
“to cut.”

TEXT 138

saba bhaìgi’ ära yadi nähi avaçeña

tabe çeñe gåha-prati haila krodhäveçe

TRANSLATION

After breaking everything, He directed His anger on the house.

TEXT 139

dohätiyä öheìgä päòe gåhera upare

hena präëa nähi kä’ro ye niñedha kare

TRANSLATION

Holding a stick in His two hands, He began striking the house. No one
dared to restrain Him.

COMMENTARY

The phrase dohätiyä öheìgä päòe indicates that Nimäi held a stick in His
two hands and started beating. Dohätiyä means “with two hands,” öheìgä
comes from the word daëòa, which means “stick,” and päòe comes from the
Sanskrit root paòä, which means “to hit” or “to beat.”

760
 TEXT 140

ghara-dvära bhäìgi’ çeñe våkñere dekhiyä

tähära upare öheìgä päòe dohätiyä

TRANSLATION

Then, after the smashing the doors and house, He began hitting a tree with
His stick.

TEXT 141

tathäpiha krodhäveçe kñamä nähi haya

çeñe påthivéte öheìgä nähi samuccaya

TRANSLATION

Still His anger did not subside, and He began striking the earth.

TEXT 142

gåhera upänte çacé saçaìkita haiyä

mahäbhaye ächena yehena lukäiyä

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé fearfully hid in a corner of the house.

761
 COMMENTARY

The word upänte means “at the end,” “in a corner,” or “to one side.”

TEXT 143

dharma-saàsthäpaka prabhu dharma-sanätana

jananére hasta nähi tolena kakhana

TRANSLATION

The Lord is the personification of religious principles. He advented to

establish Sanätana-dharma, so He never tried to hit His mother.

TEXT 144

etädåça krodha äro ächena vyaïjiyä

tathäpiha jananére nä märilä giyä

TRANSLATION

Although the Lord was filled with anger, He would not hit His mother.

COMMENTARY

The word vyaïjiyä means “by exhibiting” or “by manifesting.”

762
 TEXT 145

sakala bhäìgiyä çeñe äsiyä aìgane

gaòägaòi yäite lägilä krodha-mane

TRANSLATION

After breaking everything He could, the Lord finally began to roll in the
courtyard out of anger.

TEXT 146

çré-kanaka-aìga hailä bälukä-veñöita

sei haila mahäçobhä akathya-carita

TRANSLATION

As the golden limbs of the Lord became covered with sand, He appeared
indescribably beautiful.

COMMENTARY

The word akathya-carita means “with indescribable glories.”

TEXT 147

kata-kñaëe mahäprabhu gaòägaòi diyä

sthira hai’ rahilena çayana kariyä

763
 TRANSLATION

After rolling on the ground for some time, Gaura calmed down as He
continued lying there.

TEXT 148

sei-mate dåñöi kailä yoga-nidrä-prati

påthivéte çui’ äche vaikuëöhera pati

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha entered into yoga-nidrä as He lay there
on the ground.

COMMENTARY

The word yoga-nidrä indicates that the Lord slept with the help of
yogamäyä, which is His independent spiritual nourisher of His transcendental
pastimes.

TEXTS 149-150

anantera çré-vigrahe yäìhära çayana

lakñmé yäì’ra päda-padma seve anukñaëa

cäri-vede ye prabhure kare anveñaëe

se prabhu yäyena nidrä çacéra aìgane

764
 TRANSLATION

He who lies on the body of Ananta, He whose lotus feet are constantly
served by the goddess of fortune, He who is to be known through the
Vedas—that same Lord was now sleeping in the courtyard of Çacé.

TEXTS 151-152

ananta brahmäëòa yäì’ra loma-küpe bhäse

såñöi-sthiti-pralaya karaye yäì’ra däse

brahmä-çiva-ädi matta yäì’ra guëa-dhyäne

hena-prabhu nidrä yä’na çacéra aìgane

TRANSLATION

He whose hair pores are the source of innumerable universes, He whose

servants direct the creation, maintenance, and destruction of those universes,
He whose glories intoxicate the minds of even Çiva and Brahmä—that same
Lord was now sleeping in the courtyard of Çacé.

TEXT 153

ei-mata mahäprabhu svänubhava-rase

nidrä yäya dekhi’ sarva-deve kände häse

TRANSLATION

As the Supreme Lord thus relished yoga-nidrä, all the demigods either cried

765
or laughed.

TEXT 154

kata-kñaëe çacédevé mälä änäiyä

gaìgä püjibara sajja pratyakña kariyä

TRANSLATION

Shortly thereafter Çacédevé brought a garland and other ingredients for

worshiping the Ganges.

TEXT 155

dhére dhére putrera çré-aìge hasta diyä

dhülä jhäòi’ tulite lägilä devé giyä

TRANSLATION

She slowly brushed the sand off the Lord’s body and lifted Him up.

TEXT 156

“uöha uöha, bäpa mora, hera mälä dhara

äpana-icchäya giyä gaìgä püjä kara

TRANSLATION

766
 “Get up, my dear son. Open Your eyes and take this garland. Go worship
the Ganges as You desire.

TEXT 157

bhäla haila, bäpa, yata phelilä bhäìgiyä

yäuka tomära saba bäläi laiyä”

TRANSLATION

“It is good that You have broken everything. I hope that all future
impediments have been destroyed by this act.”

COMMENTARY

The word bäläi comes from the Arabian word bäläha, which means
“danger,” “inauspicious,” “improper,” or “sinful.”

TEXT 158

jananéra väkya çuni’ çré-gaurasundara

calilä karite snäna lajjita-antara

TRANSLATION

On hearing His mother’s words, Çré Gaurasundara felt embarrassed and

went to take bath.

767
 TEXT 159

ethä çacé sarva-gåha kari’ upaskära

randhanera udyoga lägilä karibära

TRANSLATION

Meanwhile, Mother Çacé cleaned the house and prepared to cook.

TEXT 160

yadyapiha prabhu eta kare apacaya

tathäpi çacéra citte duùkha nähi haya

TRANSLATION

Although the Lord destroyed so many things, Çacé did not feel any distress.

TEXT 161

kåñëera cäpalya yena açeña-prakäre

yaçodä sahilena gokula-nagare

TRANSLATION

She simply tolerated Gaura’s mischief, just as Mother Yaçodä tolerated

Kåñëa’s unlimited mischief in Gokula.

768
 TEXT 162

ei-mata gauräìgera yata caïcalatä

sahilena anukñaëa çacé jagan-mätä

TRANSLATION

In this way Çacé, the mother of the universe, constantly tolerated all of
Gauräìga’s mischievous activities.

TEXT 163

éçvarera kréòä jäni kahite kateka

ei-mata caïcalatä karena yateka

TRANSLATION

I am unable to describe the many other similar mischievous pastimes

performed by the Lord.

TEXT 164

sakala sahena äi käya-väkya-mane

hailena çacé yena påthivé äpane

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé tolerated them all with her body, mind, and speech as though

769
she was mother earth herself.

COMMENTARY

The phrase yena påthivé äpane indicates that Çacé became as tolerant as
mother earth.

TEXT 165

kata-kñaëe mahäprabhu kari’ gaìgä-snäna

äilena gåhe kréòä-maya bhagavän

TRANSLATION

After some time, Nimäi, the supreme enjoyer of various pastimes, returned
home after taking bath in the Ganges.

TEXT 166

viñëu-püjä kari’ tulasére jala diyä

bhojana karite prabhu vasilena giyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord then worshiped Viñëu, offered water to tulasé, and sat down for
His meal.

TEXT 167

770
 bhojana kariyä prabhu hailä harña-mana
äcamana kari’ karena tämbüla-carvaëa

TRANSLATION

Fully satisfied after His meal, the Lord washed His hands and then chewed
some betel nut.

TEXT 168

dhére dhére äi tabe balite lägilä

“eta apacaya, bäpa, ki-kärye karilä?

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, Mother Çacé softly asked Him, “My dear son, why have You
destroyed so many things?

TEXT 169

ghara dvära dravya yata, sakali tomära

apacaya tomära se, ki däya ämära?

TRANSLATION

“The house and its door belongs to You; destroying them is Your loss. It is
not my concern.

771
 COMMENTARY

The word däya means “profit or loss,” “connection,” “relation,” “necessity,”

or “responsibility.”

TEXT 170

paòibäre tumi bola ekhani yäibä

gharete sambala nähi,—käli ki khäibä?”

TRANSLATION

“You say that You will go to school now, but I have nothing left at home.
What will You eat tomorrow?”

COMMENTARY

The word sambala comes from the Sanskrit root samb, which means
“requirement” or “livelihood.”

TEXT 171

häse prabhu jananéra çuniyä vacana

prabhu bole,—“kåñëa poñöä, karibe poñaëa”

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled and said, “Kåñëa is the maintainer of everyone. He will
maintain us.”

772
 COMMENTARY

The word poñöä means “the maintainer.”

TEXT 172

eta bali’ pustaka laiyä prabhu kare

sarasvaté-pati calilena paòibäre

TRANSLATION

Saying this, the Lord, who is the husband of the goddess of learning, took
His books and went off to school.

COMMENTARY

The word sarasvaté-pati refers to Çré Kåñëa, the husband of spiritual

knowledge or Sarasvaté.

TEXT 173

kata-kñaëa vidyä-rasa kari kutühale

jähnavéra küle äilena sandhyä-käle

TRANSLATION

After happily enjoying His studies, the Lord went to the Ganges in the
evening.

773
 TEXT 174

kata-kñaëa thäki’ prabhu jähnavéra tére

tabe punaù äilena äpana-mandire

TRANSLATION

He passed some time on the bank of the Ganges and then returned to His
home.

TEXT 175

jananére òäka diyä äniïä nibhåte

divya svarëa tolä dui dilä dilä tä’na häte

TRANSLATION

The Lord then called His mother to a secluded place and gave her twenty
grams of gold.

COMMENTARY

The word nibhåte refers to a secluded or private place.

TEXT 176

“dekha, mätä, kåñëa ei dilena sambala

ihä bhäìgäiyä vyaya karaha sakala”

774
 TRANSLATION

“Dear mother, see what Kåñëa has given. Please get it exchanged for our
necessities.”

COMMENTARY

The word bhäìgäiyä means to accept some items or smaller change in

exchange. The word karaha means “to arrange” or “to carry out.”

TEXT 177

eta bali’ mahäprabhu calilä çayane

parama-vismita hai’ äi mane gaëe’

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the Lord went to bed, while the astonished Çacédevé considered.

TEXT 178

“kothä haite suvarëa änaye bärebära

päche kona pramäda janmäya äsi’ ära

TRANSLATION

“From where does He bring this gold so often? I’m afraid that later on some
problem might arise.

775
 COMMENTARY

The word pramäda means “danger” or “harmful.”

TEXT 179

yei-mätra sambala-saìkoca haya ghare

sei ei-mata soëä äne bäre-bäre

TRANSLATION

“Whenever there is shortage of necessities at home, He has brought gold.

COMMENTARY

The phrase sambala-saìkoca refers to a lack of resources.

TEXT 180

kibä dhära kare, kibä kon siddhi jäne?

kon rüpe kä’ra soëä äne vä kemane?”

TRANSLATION

“Does He borrow it, or does He know some mystic power? Otherwise,

whose gold is it, and how does He get it?”

COMMENTARY

776
 The word dhära means “to borrow.” The word siddhi is found in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (11.15.4-5): “Among the eight primary mystic perfections, the
three by which one transforms one’s own body are aëimä, becoming smaller
than the smallest; mahimä, becoming greater than the greatest; and laghimä,
becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of präpti one
acquires whatever one desires, and through präkämya-siddhi one experiences
any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next. Through éçitä-siddhi one
can manipulate the subpotencies of mäyä, and through the controlling
potency called vaçitä-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature.
One who has acquired kämävasäyitä-siddhi can obtain anything from
anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight
mystic perfections are considered to be naturally existing and unexcelled
within this world.” One may also refer to verses 6-8 of the same chapter.

TEXT 181

mahä-akaitava äi parama-udära
bhäìgäite diteo òaräya bäre-bära

TRANSLATION

The supremely honest and magnanimous Çacé became fearful of getting gold
exchanged so often.

COMMENTARY

The word mahä-akaitava means “devoid of duplicity,” “devoid of cheating,”

or “most simple.” The word òaräya comes from the Hindi word òarnä, which
means “to be afraid.”

777
 TEXT 182

“daça-öhäïi päïca-öhäïi dekhäiyä äge”

lokere çikhäya äi “bhäìgäibi tabe”

TRANSLATION

Çacé would have the gold checked by five or ten people before getting it
exchanged.

TEXT 183

hena mate mahäprabhu sarva-siddhéçvara

gupta-bhäve äche navadvépera bhitara

TRANSLATION

In this way the Supreme Lord of all mystic powers secretly resided in
Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

The word sarva-siddhéçvara refers to the master of the eight yogic

perfections. In this regard one may refer to Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.15.10-17).

TEXT 184

nä chäòena çré-hasta pustaka eka-kñaëa

778
 paòena goñöhéte yena pratyakña madana

TRANSLATION

He did not leave aside His books for even a moment, and as He studied with
His classmates He looked just like Cupid.

TEXT 185

laläöe çobhaye ürdhva tilaka sundara

çire çré-cäìcara-keça sarva manohara

TRANSLATION

His forehead was decorated with tilaka, and the curly hair on His head stole
the minds of all.

TEXT 186

skandhe upavéta, brahma-teja mürti-manta

häsya-maya çré-mukha prasanna, divya danta

TRANSLATION

With a brähmaëa thread hanging on His shoulder, He appeared to be the

personification of brahminical effulgence. His beautiful smiling face was most
pleasing, and His teeth were divine.

TEXT 187

779
 kibä se adbhuta dui kamala-nayana
kibä se adbhuta çobhe trikaccha-vasana

TRANSLATION

How wonderful were His two lotus eyes! And how wonderful was the way
He wore His dhoti!

COMMENTARY

The word trikaccha refers to a style in which elder Bengalis wear their
dhotis. When the left end of a dhoti is taken between the legs and tucked in at
the back it is called kächä. When the other end is tucked in at the navel it is
called koìcä. When the other end of this koìcä is also tucked in at the navel it
is called trikaccha.

TEXT 188

yei dekhe, sei eka-dåñöye rüpa cäya

hena nähi ’dhanya dhanya’ bali’ ye nä yäya

TRANSLATION

Whoever saw Him could not remove their gaze from His form, and no one
could refrain from complimenting His extraordinary beauty.

COMMENTARY

The word eka-dåñöye means “without diversion,” “without blinking,” or

“without closing the eyes.”

780
 TEXT 189

hena se adbhuta vyäkhyä karena öhäkura

çuniyä gurura haya santoña pracura

TRANSLATION

While studying, Nimäi gave such nice explanations that His teacher was
greatly satisfied with Him.

TEXT 190

sakala paòuyä-madhye äpane dhariyä

vasäyena guru sarva-pradhäna kariyä

TRANSLATION

Indeed, the teacher recognized Nimäi as the foremost of all of his students.

TEXT 191

guru bole,—“bäpa, tumi mana diyä paòa

bhaööäcärya haibä tumi,—baliläìa daòha”

TRANSLATION

The teacher said, “Dear child, You must study attentively. Then You will

781
soon be known as a Bhaööäcärya.”

COMMENTARY

A brähmaëa is eligible for the title of Bhaööäcärya if he has thoroughly

studied and become expert in logic and Mémäàsä (a particular branch of
philosophy), if he has completely memorized one of the four Vedas, or if he is a
learned teacher who is expert in philosophy.

TEXT 192

prabhu bole,—“tumi äçérväda kara yä’re

bhaööäcärya-pada kon durlabha tähäre?”

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “It is not difficult for anyone you bless to become a
Bhaööäcärya.”

TEXT 193

yähäre ye jijïäsena çré-gaurasundara

hena nähi paòuyä ye dibeka uttara

TRANSLATION

Whenever Çré Gaurasundara asked a question, none of the students were

able to answer.

782
 TEXT 194

äpani karena tabe sütrera sthäpana

çeñe äpanära vyäkhyä karena khaëòana

TRANSLATION

He would Himself establish the explanation, and the next moment He

would refute it.

COMMENTARY

One should know that the controller of mäyä, Lord Viñëu, has the ability to
do, undo, and redo anything.

TEXT 195

keha yadi kona-mate nä päre sthäpite

tabe sei väkhyä prabhu karena su-réte

TRANSLATION

If someone was unable to establish a point, the Lord would give the proper
explanation.

COMMENTARY

The word su-réte means “properly” or “nicely.”

783
 TEXT 196

kibä snäne, ki bhojane, kibä paryaöane

nähika prabhura ära ceñöä çästra vine

TRANSLATION

While bathing, eating, or traveling, the Lord had no engagement other than
studying the scriptures.

TEXT 197

ei-mata ächena öhäkura vidyä-rase

prakäça nä kare jagatera déna doñe

TRANSLATION

While the Lord enjoyed His pastimes as a student, He did not disclose
Himself due to the fallen condition of the world.

COMMENTARY

The phrase déna doñe refers to persons of this world who possess material
knowledge and are averse to Lord Viñëu, who is beyond material sense
perception. Since they cannot accept the superiority of spiritual knowledge by
which one’s inclination towards Viñëu is awakened, they are called déna, or
poor. Tridaëòi Gosvämé Çrémän Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté has written in his
Caitanya-candrämåta (36) as follows: “Lord Caitanyacandra has expanded a
golden ocean of devotional mellows. The most unfortunate person who is

784
untouched by this ocean is certainly cheated for ages together.”

TEXT 198

hari-bhakti-çünya haila sakala saàsära

asat-saìga asat-patha bai nähi ära

TRANSLATION

At that time the entire world was devoid of devotional service to the Lord,
and people were engaged simply in materialistic association and activities.

COMMENTARY

All inferior mundane association and processes that have no relationship

with the Absolute Truth, Viñëu, the controller of mäyä, are simply
materialistic association and activities.

TEXT 199

nänä-rüpe puträdira mahotsava kare

deha-geha vyatirikta ära nähi sphure

TRANSLATION

People held various grand festivals for their sons and daughters, and they
had no care for anything other than their body and home.

COMMENTARY

785
 Foolish materialists of that time were maddened with fruitive activities and
simply engaged in satisfying their wives and children. Furthermore, fruitive
workers, or persons who were expert in pious activities, who licked the feet of
people like Bhémabhaööa simply engaged their bodies and minds in opening
hospitals and schools of mundane knowledge on the pretext of compassion for
the purpose of sense gratification in their future life. Such people were under
the control of selfish motives and thus highly averse to serving Kåñëa without
reward. The småti-çästras are not meant to educate or uplift the consciousness
of such people. These people are ignorant fools. “Service to Lord Hari is the
highest duty for all people at all times.”—Due to forgetting this supreme truth,
these people developed desires for material enjoyment based on mundane
welfare activities.

TEXT 200

mithyä sukhe dekhi sarva-lokera ädara

vaiñëavera gaëa duùkha bhävena antara

TRANSLATION

The Vaiñëavas were all distressed at heart to see the people’s attachment to
illusory happiness.

TEXT 201

’kåñëa’ bali’ sarva-gaëe karena krandana

“e saba jévere kåpä kara, näräyaëa

786
 TRANSLATION

They all cried, “O Kåñëa! O Lord! Please be merciful on these fallen souls.

TEXT 202

hena deha päiyä kåñëe nähi haila rati

katakäla giyä ära bhuïjibe durgati!

TRANSLATION

“These people have not developed attachment for Kåñëa after attaining this
human form of life! How long will they suffer such degradation?

TEXT 203

ye nara-çaréra lägi’ deve kämya kare

tähä vyartha yäya mithyä sukhera vihäre

TRANSLATION

“Their human form of life, which is desired even by the demigods, is being
wasted in the pursuit of false happiness.

COMMENTARY

The first line of this verse indicates that only the human birth is favorable
for worshiping Lord Hari. Therefore it is desired even by the demigods. The
demigods’ prayers in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.19.21-25) in this regard are as

787
follows: “Since the human form of life is the sublime position for spiritual
realization, all the demigods in heaven speak in this way: How wonderful it is
for these human beings to have been born in the land of Bhärata-varña. They
must have executed pious acts of austerity in the past, or the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Himself must have been pleased with them.
Otherwise, how could they engage in devotional service in so many ways? We
demigods can only aspire to achieve human births in Bhärata-varña to execute
devotional service, but these human beings are already engaged there.
“After performing the very difficult tasks of executing Vedic ritualistic
sacrifices, undergoing austerities, observing vows and giving charity, we have
achieved this position as inhabitants of the heavenly planets. But what is the
value of this achievement? Here we are certainly very engaged in material
sense gratification, and therefore we can hardly remember the lotus feet of
Lord Näräyaëa. Indeed, because of our excessive sense gratification, we have
almost forgotten His lotus feet.
“A short life in the land of Bharata-varña is preferable to a life achieved in
Brahmaloka for millions and billions of years because even if one is elevated to
Brahmaloka, he must return to repeated birth and death. Although life in
Bhärata-varña, in a lower planetary system, is very short, one who lives there
can elevate himself to full Kåñëa consciousness and achieve the highest
perfection, even in this short life, by fully surrendering unto the lotus feet of
the Lord. Thus one attains Vaikuëöhaloka, where there is neither anxiety nor
repeated birth in a material body.
“An intelligent person does not take interest in a place, even in the
topmost planetary system, if the pure Ganges of topics concerning the
Supreme Lord’s activities does not flow there, if there are not devotees
engaged in service on the banks of such a river of piety, or if there are no
festivals of saìkértana-yajïa to satisfy the Lord [especially since
saìkértana-yajïa is recommended in this age].

788
 “Bhärata-varña offers the proper land and circumstances in which to
execute devotional service, which can free one from the results of jïäna and
karma. If one obtains a human body in the land of Bhärata-varña, with clear
sensory organs with which to execute the saìkértana-yajïa, but in spite of this
opportunity he does not take to devotional service, he is certainly like
liberated forest animals and birds that are careless and are therefore again
bound by a hunter.”

TEXT 204

kåñëa-yäträ-mahotsava-parva nähi kare

vivähädi-karme se änanda kari’ mare

TRANSLATION

“They don’t celebrate Kåñëa’s appearance day, but they spend their entire
lives celebrating weddings and other family festivals.

COMMENTARY

The word yäträ is explained by Çrédhara Svämé in his commentary on the

words püjä-yätrotsavä-çritän in Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.27.50), wherein he says,
“The word yäträ refers to a special function performed by a large group of
people, and the word utsava refers to festivals such as Vasanta.” Regarding the
words mama parvänumodanam and sarva-värñika-parvasu in Çrémad
Bhägavatam (11.11.36-37) he says: “The word parva refers to festivals like
Janmäñöamé and regular observances like Cäturmäsya and Ekädaçé.” And in his
explanation on the word mahotsaväù in Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.19.23) he says:
“A mahotsava is a festival in which devotees chant and dance.”
Regarding the word mare: Foolish people who consider their bodies as

789
themselves forget their worshipable Lord. In other words, due to ignorance of
their relationship with the Lord, they do not endeavor to please Hari, guru, or
Vaiñëava, rather they engage in various activities for pleasing their own senses
and mind. Therefore they give up the service of Adhokñaja, or the path of
ultimate benefit, and accept the path of temporary enjoyment. They do not
travel the path leading to Vaikuëöha, or immortality, rather they travel the
path to hell, or material existence. In this way they travel through various
species and suffer unlimited miseries. The only duty of all living entities is to
perform activities for the pleasure of Hari, guru and Vaiñëava. As stated in the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.29.8): yän çraddhayäcaran martyo måtyuà jayati
durjayam—“by the execution of which a mortal human being will conquer
unconquerable death.”
Also in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.1.4) Çré Çukadeva speaks to Mahäräja
Parékñit as follows: “Persons devoid of ätma-tattva do not inquire into the
problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body,
children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see
their inevitable destruction.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.30.3-14, 18) Lord Kapiladeva speaks the
following words to His mother, Devahüti: “The misguided materialist does not
know that his very body is impermanent and that the attractions of home,
land and wealth, which are in relationship to that body, are also temporary.
Out of ignorance only, he thinks that everything is permanent. The living
entity, in whatever species of life he appears, finds a particular type of
satisfaction in that species, and he is never averse to being situated in such a
condition. The conditioned living entity is satisfied in his own particular
species of life; while deluded by the covering influence of the illusory energy,
he feels little inclined to cast off his body, even when in hell, for he takes
delight in hellish enjoyment. Such satisfaction with one’s standard of living is
due to deep-rooted attraction for body, wife, home, children, animals, wealth
and friends. In such association, the conditioned soul thinks himself quite

790
perfect. Although he is always burning with anxiety, such a fool always
performs all kinds of mischievous activities, with a hope which is never to be
fulfilled, in order to maintain his so-called family and society. He gives heart
and senses to a woman, who falsely charms him with mäyä. He enjoys solitary
embraces and talking with her, and he is enchanted by the sweet words of the
small children. The attached householder remains in his family life, which is
full of diplomacy and politics. Always spreading miseries and controlled by
acts of sense gratification, he acts just to counteract the reactions of all his
miseries, and if he can successfully counteract such miseries, he thinks that he
is happy. He secures money by committing violence here and there, and
although he employs it in the service of his family, he himself eats only a little
portion of the food thus purchased, and he goes to hell for those for whom he
earned the money in such an irregular way. When he suffers reverses in his
occupation, he tries again and again to improve himself, but when he is baffled
in all attempts and is ruined, he accepts money from others because of
excessive greed. Thus the unfortunate man, unsuccessful in maintaining his
family members, is bereft of all beauty. He always thinks of his failure, grieving
very deeply. Seeing him unable to support them, his wife and others do not
treat him with the same respect as before, even as miserly farmers do not
accord the same treatment to their old and worn-out oxen. The foolish family
man does not become averse to family life although he is maintained by those
whom he once maintained. Deformed by the influence of old age, he prepares
himself to meet ultimate death. Thus the man, who engaged with uncontrolled
senses in maintaining a family, dies in great grief, seeing his relatives crying.
He dies most pathetically, in great pain and without consciousness.”

TEXT 205

tomära se jéva, prabho, tumi se rakñitä

ki baliba ämarä, tumi se sarva-pitä

791
 TRANSLATION

“O Lord, the living entities are Your parts and parcels, and You are their
protector and supreme father.”

COMMENTARY

The words tomära se jéva are explained as follows: Lord Viñëu is the
supreme consciousness and the supreme controller, or the Supersoul, and the
living entities are all controlled by Him and possess minute consciousness.
Therefore they are constitutionally Vaiñëavas or subordinate to Him. As
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gétä (15.7): mamaiväàço jéva-loke jéva-bhütaù
sanätanaù—“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal
fragmental parts.”

TEXT 206

ei-mata bhakta-gaëa sabära kuçala

cintena-gäyena kåñëacandrera maìgala

TRANSLATION

In this way, the devotees always desire the welfare of the living entities, and
they pray to Lord Kåñëa on their behalf.

TEXT 207

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

792
 våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends the English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya of Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Chapter Eight, entitled “The Disappearance of Jagannätha
Miçra.”

Chapter Nine: Nityänanda’s Childhood Pastimes and Travels

to Holy Places

This chapter describes the various dramas related to Çré Kåñëa, Räma, and
Vämana that Çrémad Nityänanda Prabhu enacted up to His twelfth year and
His subsequent travel to the holy places up to the age of twenty.
On the order of Çré Gaura-Kåñëa, Çré Anantadeva personally appeared in
the village of Ekacäkä, in the district of Räòha-deça, from the womb of
Padmävaté, the wife of Häòo Ojhä, as Çré Nityänanda-candra. In the wake of
His appearance, all the prevalent inauspicious symptoms were totally
uprooted.
In His childhood pastimes, Çrémad Nityänanda Prabhu and His associate
childhood friends remained engaged in imitating various pastimes of Lord
Kåñëa. Sometimes He and His friends would form the assembly of the
demigods, and someone dressed as mother earth, burdened by the atrocities of

793
the demons, would come before that assembly and offer prayers. At that time
Çrémad Nityänanda Prabhu and the boys who were part of that assembly
would go to the bank of a river and pray to Lord Kñérodakaçäyé. Thereafter, a
boy acting as Kñérodakaçäyé would announce from a hidden place, “I will soon
appear in Mathurä Gokula in order to diminish the burden of the earth.” At
other times they imitated the various Dväpara pastimes of Kåñëa like the
marriage of Vasudeva and Devaké, the birth of Kåñëa in the prison cell,
Vasudeva’s taking Kåñëa to the house of Nanda, Vasudeva’s return with
Mahämäyä, the daughter of Yaçodä, the killing of Pütanä, the breaking of
Çakaöa, Kåñëa’s stealing butter and milk from the house of the cowherds, the
killing of Dhenuka, Agha, and Bakäsura, tending the cows, lifting
Govardhana, stealing the gopés’ clothes, Kåñëa’s bestowing mercy on the wives
of the sacrificial brähmaëas, Närada’s giving advice to Kaàsa in a secluded
place, and the killing of the elephant Kuvalaya, the wrestlers Cäëüra and
Muñöika, and Kaàsa. Sometimes in the form of Vämana, He deceived Bali;
sometimes while enacting the pastimes of Räma, He would gather His friends
to form an army of monkey soldiers and build a bridge; He would personally
play the role of Lakñmaëa and approach Sugréva with bow and arrows in His
hands; in the form of Räma, He would diminish the pride of Paraçuräma; and
while enacting the killing of Indrajit, He would fall unconscious in the mood
of Lakñmaëa having been hit by Indrajit’s powerful arrow until Hanumän
brought medicine, under His previous directions, and revived Him. In this way
He exhibited pastimes of the various incarnations of the Lord.
In this way Çrémad Nityänanda Prabhu engaged in enacting various
pastimes up to the age of twelve. Thereafter, on the pretext of purifying
Himself, He traveled to the holy places of Äryävarta and Däkñiëätya up to the
age of twenty. He then came to Navadvépa and met His own Lord, Çré
Gaurasundara. In the course of visiting the holy places, Nityänanda Prabhu
met Çréman Mädhavendra Puré, Çrépäda Éçvara Puré, and Çréla Brahmänanda
Puré. In this way Çrémad Nityänanda Prabhu passed a few days discussing
topics of Kåñëa with Çréman Mädhavendra Puré, who was accompanied by his

794
disciples. Thereafter He proceeded to Setubandha, Dhanus-tértha, Mäyäpuré,
Avanté, Godävaré, Jiyaòa-nåsiàha, Devapuré, Trimalla, Kürma-kñetra, and
many other holy places before arriving in Néläcala. At Néläcala, He saw Çré
Jagannäthadeva, the source of the catur-vyüha, and became overwhelmed in
ecstasy. From Çré Kñetra, He returned to Çré Mathurä. This chapter ends with
an explanation of why He did not exhibit the pastime of distributing the holy
names and love of God at that time and a glorification of Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu, who is nondifferent from the omnipotent Baladeva.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya çré-kåñëa-caitanya kåpä-sindhu

jaya jaya nityänanda agatira bandhu

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, who is an ocean of mercy! All glories to
Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, who is the friend of those who are ignorant of the goal
of life.

TEXT 2

jayädvaita-candrera jévana-dhana-präëa
jaya çréniväsa-gadädharera nidhäna

TRANSLATION

All glories to Him who is the life, wealth, and soul of Çré Advaitacandra. All
glories to Him who is the shelter of Çréväsa and Gadädhara.

795
 TEXT 3

jaya jagannätha-çacé-putra viçvambhara

jaya jaya bhakta-vånda priya anucara

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Viçvambhara, the son of Çacé and Jagannätha. All glories
to the devotees, who are the beloved associates of the Lord.

TEXT 4

pürve prabhu çré-ananta caitanya-äjïäya

räòhe avatérëa hai’ ächena léläya

TRANSLATION

On the order of Lord Caitanya, Çré Anantadeva had already appeared in

Räòha-deça and was engaged in various pastimes.

COMMENTARY

In this connection one should refer to the Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Two,

verses 31, 38-40, and 228-230.
The word léläya means “by manifesting His own eternal transcendental
pastimes in this material world,” in other words, “by His own sweet will.”

796
 TEXT 5

häòo-ojhä näme pitä, mätä padmävaté

eka-cäkä-näme gräma gauòeçvara yathi

TRANSLATION

His father’s name was Häòäi Ojhä, and His mother was Padmävaté. Çré
Nityänanda Prabhu appeared in the village of Ekacakrä as the Lord of the
Gauòéya Vaiñëavas.

COMMENTARY

The surname Ojhä is a corruption of the name Upädhyäya, which is used

by the Maithila brähmaëas. For descriptions of Häòäi Paëòita and Padmävaté
one may refer to Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Two, verse 39.
For a description of Ekacäkä, one may refer to Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Two,
verse 38.
The word gauòeçvara refers to Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, who is the Lord and
master of the Gauòéyas. Çré Nityänanda Prabhu destroys the living entities’
anarthas, or unwanted things, and awards to the Gauòéyas the supreme
destination of service in the pure transcendental rasas of vätsalya, sakhya, and
däsya.
The word yathi refers to Maureçvara Yathi. The village Maureçvara, or
Mayureçvara, was a famous trade center for silk cocoons and silk thread. In
some persons’ opinion this place was famous for its Çiva-liìga. Another
reading for the word yathi is tathi, which is derived from the word tatha or
tathäya [meaning “there”] and is commonly used in ancient Bengali prose.

797
 TEXT 6

çiçu haite susthira subuddhi guëavän

jiniïä kandarpa koöi lävaëyera dhäma

TRANSLATION

From His childhood, Lord Nityänanda was sober, intelligent, and the abode
of all good qualities. His charming loveliness defeated that of millions of
Cupids.

TEXT 7

sei haite räòhe haila sarva-sumaìgala

durbhikña-däridrya-doña khaëòila sakala

TRANSLATION

The entire district of Räòha-deça was filled with auspiciousness and devoid
of famine and poverty from the time of His birth.

COMMENTARY

One should refer to Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Two, verse 133 and Ädi-khaëòa,
Chapter Four, verses 47-48. On the appearance of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, the
absence of kértana and destitution in the form of materialistic pride were
destroyed and the chanting of Kåñëa’s holy names and the propensity for His
service were awakened in the hearts of people.

798
 TEXT 8

ye dine janmilä navadvépe gauracandra

räòhe thäki’ huìkära karilä nityänanda

TRANSLATION

The day that Lord Gauracandra appeared in Navadvépa, in Räòha-deça Lord

Nityänanda roared loudly.

TEXT 9

ananta-brahmäëòa vyäpta haila huìkäre

mürchägata haila yena sakala-saàsäre

TRANSLATION

His roar spread throughout innumerable universes, and people of the entire
world were practically rendered unconscious.

TEXT 10

katho loka balileka,—“haila vajrapäta”

katho loka mänileka parama utpäta

TRANSLATION

Some people said it was a thunderbolt, while others thought it was a great

799
calamity.

TEXT 11

katho loka balileka,—“jäniluì käraëa

gauòeçvara-gosäïira haila garjana”

TRANSLATION

Other people said, “We know the cause. It was the loud roaring of
Nityänanda Gosvämé, the Lord of the Gauòéyas.”

COMMENTARY

The word gauòeçvara-gosäïi is explained as follows: Dämodara Svarüpa,

Mahäprabhu’s dvitéya-svarüpa, or second form, along with his two friends,
Rüpa and Sanätana, were the proprietors of service to Kåñëa in the conjugal
rasa. They are also Gauòeçvara, or Gauòéyeçvara; that is why Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu has been properly addressed as Gauòeçvara Gosvämé.

TEXT 12

ei-mata sarva loka nänä-kathä gäya

nityänande keha nähi cinila mäyäya

TRANSLATION

In this way people had different opinions about what had happened, but no
one could recognize Lord Nityänanda due to the influence of His illusory

800
energy.

COMMENTARY

The word mäyäya refers to the influence of the illusory external energy of
Çré Nityänanda Prabhu—who is nondifferent from Çré Baladeva, the source of
all Viñëu expansions—that bewilders the marginal living entities. Those who
are under the control of the covering and throwing propensities of Lord
Viñëu’s illusory energy cannot understand the truth regarding Çré Nityänanda.
Some illusioned living entities say that Çré Nityänanda Prabhu was a Maithila
brähmaëa, some say that He married into the house of Bengali Räòha
brähmaëas, and others say that He was born in a low-class family. By such
deceptive propositions created by mäyä, the truths regarding Çré Nityänanda
are not understood. Moreover, others who are controlled by material
intelligence also say that the seminal descendants of Nityänanda Prabhu’s son,
Vérabhadra, are as powerful as Çré Nityänanda, and therefore on the basis of
their seminal birth they are on the same level as the Supreme Lord. If this
were the fact, then why did this line come under the control of materialistic
fruitive smärtas who are engaged in enjoying the fruits of temporary activities?
Yet others say that the three sons of Vérabhadra were simply His disciples,
because their sons were born in the villages of Bäruòigäiì and Baöavyälégäiì
and therefore by worldly consideration they cannot be considered seminal
sons of Vérabhadra. Persons with material conceptions, being covered and
thrown by the illusory external energy of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, endeavor to
establish a mundane relationship with Him. Such people try to include and
count Nityänanda Prabhu among the conditioned living entities and thus
invite severe offense. This is Çré Nityänanda-Baladeva’s mysterious pastime of
deceiving the demons.

TEXT 13

801
 hena mate äpanä’ lukäi’ nityänanda
çiçu-gaëa-saìge khelä karena änanda

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda remained hidden as He enjoyed childhood pastimes with the

other children.

TEXT 14

çiçu-gaëa-saìge prabhu yata kréòä kare

çré-kåñëera kärya ära nähi sphüre

TRANSLATION

The pastimes that the Lord enjoyed with His childhood friends were all
related to the activities of Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

While Çré Nityänanda Räma Prabhu sported with His boyfriends, they
would enact the pastimes of Gokula, Mathurä, and Dvärakä. In this way He
fulfilled the desires and assisted in the pastimes of His Lord, Çré Gaura-Kåñëa.

TEXTS 15-17

deva-sabhä karena miliyä çiçu-gaëe

påthivéra rüpe keha kare nivedane

802
 tabe påthvé laiyä sabe nadé-tére yäya
çiçu-gaëa meli’ stuti kare ürdhvaräya

kona çiçu lukäiyä ürdhva kari’ bole

“janmibäìa giyä ämi mathurä-gokule”

TRANSLATION

He and His friends formed an assembly of demigods, and one of them acting
as mother earth offered prayers to them. They then led mother earth to the
riverbank, and the children all began to offer prayers. Then one of the boys
hidden from view loudly declared, “I will soon take birth in Mathurä, Gokula.”

COMMENTARY

The word deva-sabhä refers to the assembly of the demigods known as

Sudharmä.
The word nadé-tére means “on the shore of the Milk Ocean.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.1.17-23) Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé speaks to
Parékñit Mahäräja as follows: “Once when mother earth was overburdened by
hundreds of thousands of military phalanxes of various conceited demons
dressed like kings, she approached Lord Brahmä for relief. Mother earth
assumed the form of a cow. Very much distressed, with tears in her eyes, she
appeared before Lord Brahmä and told him about her misfortune. Thereafter,
having heard of the distress of mother earth, Lord Brahmä, with mother earth,
Lord Çiva and all the other demigods, approached the shore of the ocean of
milk. After reaching the shore of the ocean of milk, the demigods worshiped
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viñëu, the master of the whole
universe, the supreme God of all gods, who provides for everyone and
diminishes everyone’s suffering. With great attention, they worshiped Lord

803
Viñëu, who lies on the ocean of milk, by reciting the Vedic mantras known as
the Puruña-sükta. While in trance, Lord Brahmä heard the words of Lord
Viñëu vibrating in the sky. Thus he told the demigods: ’O demigods, hear from
me the order of Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu, the Supreme Person, and execute it
attentively without delay.’ Lord Brahmä informed the demigods: ’Before we
submitted our petition to the Lord, He was already aware of the distress on
earth. Consequently, for as long as the Lord moves on earth to diminish its
burden by His own potency in the form of time, all of you demigods should
appear through plenary portions as sons and grandsons in the family of the
Yadus. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, who has full potency,
will personally appear as the son of Vasudeva.’”

TEXT 18

kona-dina niçä-bhäge çiçu-gaëa laiyä

vasudeva-devakéra karäyena viyä

TRANSLATION

One evening the Lord and His friends enacted the marriage of Vasudeva and
Devaké.

TEXT 19

bandi-ghara kariyä atyanta niçä-bhäge

kåñëa-janma karäyena, keha nähi jäge

TRANSLATION

804
 Then, late one night, while everyone slept, they made a prison and enacted
the birth of Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The phrase kåñëa-janma karäyena—“enacted the birth of Lord Kåñëa,” is

elaborated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.3.8) as follows: “Then the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Viñëu, who is situated in the core of everyone’s heart,
appeared from the heart of Devaké in the dense darkness of night, like the full
moon rising on the eastern horizon, because Devaké was of the same category
as Çré Kåñëa.”
The phrase keha nähi jäge—“while everyone slept,” is explained in the
following passage of Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.3.48): “By the influence of
Yogamäyä, all the doorkeepers fell fast asleep, their senses unable to work, and
the other inhabitants of the house also fell deeply asleep.”

TEXT 20

gokula såjiyä tathi änena kåñëere

mahämäyä dilä laiyä bhäëòilä kaàsere

TRANSLATION

They created a Gokula, and Kåñëa was taken there and exchanged with
Mahämäyä, thereby tricking King Kaàsa.

COMMENTARY

The pastimes mentioned in this verse are described in the Çrémad

Bhägavatam (10.3.51-52) as follows: “When Vasudeva reached the house of

805
Nanda Mahäräja, he saw that all the cowherd men were fast asleep. Thus he
placed his own son on the bed of Yaçodä, picked up her daughter, an
expansion of Yogamäyä, and then returned to his residence, the prison house
of Kaàsa. Vasudeva placed the female child on the bed of Devaké, bound his
legs with the iron shackles, and thus remained there as before.”
The words dilä laiyä—“gave and took” refer to the point of view of Yaçodä,
the resident of Vraja. In this drama the child playing Yaçodä gave the child
playing Mahämäyä to the child playing Vasudeva and took the child playing
Kåñëa from him.
Another reading of this passage is laiyä diyä—“took and gave,” which
would then refer to the point of view of Vasudeva, the resident of Mathurä
prison. In that case the child playing Vasudeva took the child playing
Mahämäyä from the child playing Yaçodä and gave the child playing Kåñëa to
her.

TEXT 21

kona çiçu säjäyena pütanära rüpe

keha stana päna kare uöhi’ tä’ra buke

TRANSLATION

Another time they dressed someone as Pütanä, and someone climbed on her
chest to suck her breast.

COMMENTARY

Regarding Kåñëa’s drinking milk from Pütanä’s breast, the Çrémad

Bhägavatam (10.6.10) states: “On that very spot, the fiercely dangerous Räkñasé

806
Pütanä took Kåñëa on her lap and pushed her breast into His mouth. The
nipple of her breast was smeared with a dangerous, immediately effective
poison, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, becoming very angry
at her, took hold of her breast, squeezed it very hard with both hands, and
sucked out both the poison and her life.”

TEXT 22

kona-dina çiçu-saìge nalakhaòi diyä

çakaöa gaòiyä tähä phelena bhäìgiyä

TRANSLATION

One day Nityänanda and His boyfriends made a çakaöa, or handcart, out of
reeds and then broke it.

COMMENTARY

The word nalakhaòi refers to a type of tall grass in the form of hard hollow
sticks, also known as reeds.
Breaking the handcart is described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.7.7-8) as
follows: “Lord Çré Kåñëa was lying down underneath the handcart in one
corner of the courtyard, and although His little legs were as soft as leaves,
when He struck the cart with His legs, it turned over violently and collapsed.”

TEXT 23

nikaöe vasaye yata goyälära ghare

807
 alakñite çiçu-saìge giyä curi kare

TRANSLATION

Another day the Lord and His friends stole from the houses of the
neighboring cowherd men.

COMMENTARY

The word goyälä comes from the word goala, which is a corruption of the
Sanskrit word gopäla.
Regarding Kåñëa’s stealing butter from the houses of the cowherd men, in
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.8.29) the gopés complain to Mother Yaçodä about
Kåñëa in the following words: steyaà svädv atty atha dadhi-payaù kalpitaiù
steya-yogaiù—“Sometimes He devises some process by which He steals
palatable curd, butter and milk, which He then eats and drinks.”

TEXT 24

täì’re chäòi’ çiçu-gaëa nähi yäya ghare

rätri-dina nityänanda-saàhati vihare

TRANSLATION

The boys never left Nityänanda’s association to go home, but continued

sporting with Him day and night.

TEXT 25

808
 yähära bälaka, tä’rä kichu nähi bole
sabe sneha kariyä räkhena laiyä kole

TRANSLATION

The children’s parents did not complain, rather they would affectionately
embrace Nityänanda.

TEXT 26

sabe bole,—“nähi dekhi hena divya khelä

kemane jänila çiçu eta kåñëa-lélä?”

TRANSLATION

They said, “We have never seen such transcendental sports. How does this
child know so many of Kåñëa’s pastimes?”

TEXT 27

kona-dina patrera gaòiyä näga-gaëa

jale yäya laiyä sakala çiçu-gaëa

TRANSLATION

One day the Lord made snakes out of leaves and then took His friends to
the water.

809
 COMMENTARY

In this verse the word näga-gaëa refers to the replicas of Käliya and the
other serpents, and the word jale refers to the water of the lake within the
Yamunä.

TEXT 28

jhäìpa diyä paòe keha aceñöa haiyä

caitanya karäya päche äpani äsiyä

TRANSLATION

One of them jumped into the water and remained there inert. Later, the
Lord brought him back to consciousness.

COMMENTARY

This pastime is described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.15.47-52) as follows:

“Once, surrounded by His boyfriends, Kåñëa went without Balaräma to the
Yamunä River, where the cows and cowherd boys became afflicted by thirst
and were feeling acute distress from the glaring summer sun. When they drank
the water of the Yamunä River that had been contaminated by the serpent’s
poison, all the cows and boys lost their consciousness and fell lifeless at the
water’s edge. At that time Lord Kåñëa, the master of all masters of mystic
potency, felt compassion for them and immediately brought them back to life
by showering His nectarean glance upon them.”

810
 TEXT 29

kona-dina tälavane çiçu-gaëa laiyä

çiçu-saìge täla khäya dhenuka märiyä

TRANSLATION

Another day the Lord and His friends went to Tälavana, where they killed
Dhenukäsura and then ate täla fruits.

COMMENTARY

In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.15.21) Tälavana is described as su-mahad

vanaà täläli-saìkulam—“a very great forest filled with rows of palm trees.”
The words dhenuka märiyä mean “by killing the demon Dhenuka.” This
pastime is described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.15.32) as follows: “Lord
Balaräma seized Dhenuka by his hooves, whirled him about with one hand and
threw him into the top of a palm tree. The violent wheeling motion killed the
demon.”

TEXT 30

çiçu-saìge goñöhe giyä nänä-kréòä kare

baka-agha-vatsäsura kari’ tähä märe

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda and His childhood friends went into the fields and enjoyed
various pastimes such as the killing of Bakäsura, Aghäsura, and Vatsäsura.

811
 COMMENTARY

Regarding goñöhe nänä-kréòä—“various pastimes in the pasturing fields,”

the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.11.39-40) states: “Sometimes Kåñëa and Balaräma
would play on Their flutes, sometimes They would throw ropes and stones
devised for getting fruits from the trees, sometimes They would throw only
stones, and sometimes, Their ankle bells tinkling, They would play football
with fruits like bael and ämalaké. Sometimes They would cover Themselves
with blankets and imitate cows and bulls and fight with one another, roaring
loudly, and sometimes They would imitate the voices of the animals.”
The killing of Bakäsura is described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.11.51) as
follows: “When Kåñëa, the leader of the Vaiñëavas, saw that the demon
Bakäsura, the friend of Kaàsa, was endeavoring to attack Him, with His arms
He captured the demon by the two halves of the beak, and in the presence of
all the cowherd boys Kåñëa very easily bifurcated Him, as a child splits a blade
of véraëa grass. By thus killing the demon, Kåñëa very much pleased the
denizens of heaven.”
The killing of Aghäsura is described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.12.30-31)
as follows: “When the invincible Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa,
heard the demigods crying ’Alas! Alas!’ from behind the clouds, He
immediately enlarged Himself within the demon’s throat, just to save Himself
and the cowherd boys, His own associates, from the demon who wished to
smash them. Then, because Kåñëa had increased the size of His body, the
demon extended his own body to a very large size. Nonetheless, his breathing
stopped, he suffocated, and his eyes rolled here and there and popped out. The
demon’s life air, however, could not pass through any outlet, and therefore it
finally burst out through a hole in the top of the demon’s head.”
The killing of Vatsäsura is described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.11.43) as
follows: “Thereafter, Çré Kåñëa caught the demon by the hind legs and tail,

812
twirled the demon’s whole body very strongly until the demon was dead, and
threw him into the top of a kapittha tree, which then fell down, along with the
body of the demon, who had assumed a great form.”

TEXT 31

vikäle äise ghara goñöhira sahite

çiçu-gaëa-saìge çåìga bäite bäite

TRANSLATION

In the afternoon the Lord and His associates returned home blowing buffalo
horns.

COMMENTARY

The musical instrument çåìga is made from a horn and is called çiìgä and
viñäëa.
Bäite bäite comes from the word bäya, which is a corruption of the word
vädana, which is a corruption of the Sanskrit verb vädi.

TEXT 32

kona-dina kare govardhana-dhara-lélä

våndävana raci’ kona-dina kare khelä

TRANSLATION

One day they enjoyed the pastimes of lifting Govardhana Hill, and another

813
day they created a Våndävana, wherein they enjoyed various sports.

COMMENTARY

The phrase govardhana-dhara-lélä—“lifting Govardhana Hill” is described

in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.25.19) as follows: “Lord Kåñëa picked up
Govardhana Hill with one hand and held it aloft just as easily as a child holds
up an umbrella.”
The word raci means “created.”

TEXT 33

kona-dina kare gopéra vasana-haraëa

kona-dina kare yajïa-patné-daraçana

TRANSLATION

One day they enacted Kåñëa’s pastime of stealing the gopés’ clothes, and
another day they enacted His meeting the wives of the brähmaëas.

COMMENTARY

Regarding gopéra vasana-haraëa—“stealing the gopés’ clothes,” one should

see Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.22.1-28).
Regarding yajïa-patné-daraçana—“meeting the wives of the brähmaëas,”
one should see Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.23.18-32).

TEXT 34

814
 kona çiçu närada käcaye däòi diyä
kaàsa-sthäne mantra kahe nibhåte vasiyä

TRANSLATION

On one occasion a boy dressed as Närada with a beard and gave Kaàsa some
confidential information.

COMMENTARY

The word käcaye is derived from the Hindi word kächa (kaccha) or from the
word käcä, which is derived from the Sanskrit verb kac (meaning “tie”). Käcä
is used to indicate a person dressing as another person or a fictitious character
in a drama or, in other words, depicting a pastime, sporting, joking, or
dancing.
The word däòi comes from the Sanskrit word däòhi, which means “beard.”
Previously, when someone played the part of Närada Muni, he would wear a
white beard, and this practice is still current. Following this tradition, pictures
are also made in the same way.
Kaàsa-sthäne (näradera) mantra—“Närada’s advice to Kaàsa” is found in
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.36.17). After Kaàsa’s demoniac friends were killed,
Närada one day went before Kaàsa and spoke as follows: “Yaçodä’s child was
actually a daughter, and Kåñëa is the son of Devaké. Also, Räma is the son of
Rohiëé. Out of fear, Vasudeva entrusted Kåñëa and Balaräma to his friend
Nanda Mahäräja, and it is these two boys who have killed your men.”
The word mantra refers to a confidential presentation related to a deity or
a negotiation, a political deliberation, an argument, or a secret council.

815
 TEXT 35

kona-dina kona çiçu akrürera veçe

laiyä yäya räma-kåñëe kaàsera nideçe

TRANSLATION

Another day one boy dressed as Akrüra and took Kåñëa and Balaräma to
Kaàsa’s capital.

COMMENTARY

Regarding Akrüra bringing Balaräma and Kåñëa to Mathurä on the order of

Kaàsa, the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.36.30, 37) states: “Please go to Nanda’s
village, where the two sons of Änakadundubhi are living, and without delay
bring Them here on this chariot. Now that you understand my intentions,
please go at once and bring Kåñëa and Balaräma to watch the bow sacrifice
and see the opulence of the Yadus’ capital.” And in Çrémad Bhägavatam
(10.38.1): “After passing the night in the city of Mathurä, the high-minded
Akrüra mounted his chariot and set off for the cowherd village of Nanda
Mahäräja.”

TEXT 36

äpani ye gopé-bhäve karena krandana

nadi vahe hena, saba dekhe çiçu-gaëa

TRANSLATION

816
 As Nityänanda cried in the mood of the gopés, it appeared to His friends
that a river was flowing from His eyes.

COMMENTARY

Regarding the phrase gopé-bhäve krandana—“crying in the mood of the

gopés,” one should refer to Çrémad Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapters 30 and
31.
The words nadi vahe indicate that tears flowed from their eyes like a river.

TEXT 37

viñëu-mäyä-mohe keha lakhite nä päre

nityänanda-saìge saba bälaka vihare

TRANSLATION

Due to the influence of Viñëu’s illusory energy, no one could recognize

Nityänanda as He enjoyed pastimes with His friends.

COMMENTARY

The word lakhite comes from the word lakhä (used in ancient Bengali
poems), which is derived from the Sanskrit verb lakña, meaning “to watch” or
“to see.”

TEXT 38

madhupuré raciyä bhrameëa çiçu-raìge

817
 keha haya mälé, keha mälä pare raìge

TRANSLATION

The children arranged a city of Mathurä and then wandered through its
streets. Someone played the role of a gardener, and someone accepted a flower
garland from him.

TEXT 39

kubjä-veça kari’ gandha pare tä’ra sthäne

dhanuka gaòiyä bhäìge kariyä garjane

TRANSLATION

Someone dressed as Kubjä and sandalwood pulp was accepted from her. A
large bow was made and they all shouted in joy when it was broken.

COMMENTARY

Madhupuré (Mathurä) was previously the residence of the demon Madhu.

His son, Lavaëäsura, was killed by Çatrughna in Tretä-yuga.
The words kubjära sthäne gandha pare—“accepting sandalwood pulp from
Kubjä” are explained in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.42.3-4) as follows: “Kubjä
said, ’Who else but You two deserve my sandalwood pulp?’ Saying this, Kubjä
smeared generous amounts of sandalwood pulp on both Kåñëa and Balaräma.”
The meaning of the second line of this verse is found in the following
words from the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.42.17-18): “Easily lifting the bow with
His left hand, Lord Kåñëa strung it in a fraction of a second as the King’s

818
guards looked on. He then powerfully pulled the string and snapped the bow
in half, just as an excited elephant might break a stalk of sugar cane. The
sound of the bow’s breaking filled the earth and sky in all directions. Upon
hearing it, Kaàsa was struck with terror.”

TEXT 40

kuvalaya, cäëüra, muñöika-malla märi’

kaàsa kari’ kähäre päòena cule dhari’

TRANSLATION

They enacted the pastimes of killing the Kuvalaya elephant and the
wrestlers, Cäëüra and Muñöika. Thereafter Kaàsa was grabbed by the hair and
thrown to the ground.

COMMENTARY

The word kuvalaya refers to a king of elephants named Kuvalayäpéòa, who

on the order of Kaàsa was stationed near the wrestling arena to kill Kåñëa. In
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.43.13-14) it is stated: “The Supreme Lord Kåñëa,
killer of the demon Madhu, confronted the elephant as he attacked. Seizing
his trunk with one hand, Kåñëa threw him to the ground. Lord Hari then
climbed onto the elephant with the ease of a mighty lion, pulled out a tusk,
and with it killed the beast and his keepers.
Cäëüra is one of the wrestlers appointed by Kaàsa to kill Balaräma and
Kåñëa. It is stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.44.22-23): “No more shaken
by the demon’s mighty blows than an elephant struck with a flower garland,
Lord Kåñëa grabbed Cäëüra by his arms, swung him around several times and
hurled him onto the ground with great force. His clothes, hair and garland

819
scattering, the wrestler fell down dead, like a thunderbolt.”
Muñöika is one of the wrestlers appointed by Kaàsa to kill Balaräma and
Kåñëa. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.44.24-25) it is stated: “Similarly, Muñöika
struck Lord Balabhadra with his fist and was slain. Receiving a violent blow
from the mighty Lord’s palm, the demon trembled all over in great pain,
vomited blood and then fell lifeless onto the ground, like a tree blown down by
the wind.”
The word malla, or mall (“to hold”), means “soldier,” “wrestler,” or
“champion.”

TEXT 41

kaàsa-vadha kariyä näcaye çiçu-saìge

sarva-loka dekhi’ häse bälakera raìge

TRANSLATION

After killing Kaàsa, the Lord danced with His friends in such a way that
everyone watching began to laugh.

COMMENTARY

The phrase kaàsa-vadha—“killing Kaàsa” is described in the Çrémad

Bhägavatam (10.44.34, 36-37) as follows: “As Kaàsa thus raved so audaciously,
the infallible Lord Kåñëa, intensely angry, quickly and easily jumped up onto
the high royal dais. Lord Kåñëa, whose fearsome strength is irresistible,
powerfully seized the demon just as the son of Tärkñya might capture a snake.
Grabbing Kaàsa by the hair and knocking off his crown, the lotus-naveled
Lord threw him off the elevated dais onto the wrestling mat. Then the

820
independent Lord, the support of the entire universe, jumped onto the King.
As a result Kaàsa lost his life.”

TEXT 42

ei-mata yata yata avatära-lélä

saba anukaraëa kariyä kare khelä

TRANSLATION

In this way Nityänanda and His friends imitated the pastimes of the various
incarnations.

TEXT 43

kona-dina nityänanda haiyä vämana

bali-räjä kari’ chale tähäna bhuvana

TRANSLATION

One day Nityänanda dressed like Vämana and went to cheat Bali Mahäräja
out of his kingdom, which covered the three worlds.

COMMENTARY

The word chale means “to deceive” or “to cheat.” The word bhuvana refers
to the three planetary systems. For a description of how Vämana cheated Bali
Mahäräja out of the three worlds, one should read the Çrémad Bhägavatam,
Eighth Canto, Chapters 18 through 23.

821
 TEXT 44

våddha-käce çukra-rüpe keha mänä kare

bhikñä lai’ caòe prabhu çeñe tä’na çire

TRANSLATION

Someone played the role of the aged Çukräcärya, who forbid Bali from giving
the three steps. After accepting the gift, the Lord placed His last step on the
head of Bali.

COMMENTARY

The word våddha-käce means “acting or dressing like an old man.”

The word mänä is formed by the combination of mä (indicating “to show
respect”) and nä, or “not,” and thus means “prohibiting” or “forbidding.”
For a description of Çukräcärya’s prohibition to Bali Mahäräja, one should
see Çrémad Bhägavatam (8.19.30-43 and 8.20.1-15).
The phrase caòe tä’ra çire means “climbed on his head;” in other words,
after punishing and freeing Bali from bondage, the Lord accepted service as
Bali’s doorman. In this regard one should refer to the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(8.22.35 and 8.23.6, 10).

TEXT 45

kona-dina nityänanda setubandha kare

vänera rüpa saba çiçu-gaëa dhare

822
 TRANSLATION

One day Nityänanda enacted the pastime of building a bridge across the
ocean, with the boys playing the role of monkeys.

COMMENTARY

A description of the monkeys building the bridge is found in Çrémad

Bhägavatam (9.10.12, 16) as follows: “Lord Rämacandra with the monkey
soldiers went to the shore of the ocean and after hearing the prayers of the
fearful surrendered ocean deity, built a bridge over the ocean by throwing into
the water the peaks of mountains whose trees and other vegetation had been
shaken by the hands of great monkeys.” One should also refer to the
Rämäyaëa (Laìkä 22.51-69) and the Mahäbhärata (Vana 282.41-45).

TEXT 46

bhereëòära gächa käöi’ pheläyena jale

çiçu-gaëa meli’ ’jaya raghunätha’ bole

TRANSLATION

They cut castor oil plants and made a bridge across the water. Then all the
boys exclaimed, “Jaya Raghunätha!”

COMMENTARY

The bhereëòära gächa, or “castor oil plants,” were uprooted and thrown into
the water in imitation of the monkeys’ activities of uprooting and throwing
many mountain peaks, stones, and trees on the surface of the ocean in order to

823
build a bridge. The word jale refers to the water of the ocean.

TEXT 47

çré-lakñmaëa-rüpa prabhu dhariyä äpane

dhanu dhari’ kope cale sugrévera sthäne

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda accepted the role of Lakñmaëa, who angrily went with a bow in
His hand to chastise Sugréva.

COMMENTARY

For the meaning of the second line of this verse one should see the
Rämäyaëa (Kiñkindhä 31.10-30).

TEXTS 48-49

“ärere vänarä, mora prabhu duùkha päya

präëa nä laimu yadi, tabe jhäöa äya

mälyavän-parvate mora prabhu päya duùkha

näré-gaëa laiyä, beöä, tumi kara sukha?”

TRANSLATION

“O king of the monkeys, My Lord is in distress. Come quickly, or I’ll kill

you! How can you sit here enjoying with women while He is lamenting on

824
Mälyavän Mountain?”

COMMENTARY

For an elaboration on these two verses, see the Rämäyaëa (Kiñkindhä

34.7-19).
Although the Rämäyaëa, Kiñkindhä-käëòa, Chapter 28, verse 1, mentions
Mälyavän Mountain, in Chapter 27, verses 1 and 29 this mountain is referred
to as Prasravaëa Mountain. In the Mahäbhärata, Vana-parva, Chapter 279,
verses 26 and 40, and Chapter 281, verse 1, this mountain is also referred to as
Mälyavän.

TEXT 50

kona-dina krüddha haiyä paraçurämere

“mora doña nähi, vipra, paläha satvare”

TRANSLATION

Another day Lord Nityänanda spoke in anger to Paraçuräma, “O brähmaëa,

I am not at fault. Leave here at once.”

COMMENTARY

The incident concerning Çré Rämacandra’s angry statements to

Paraçuräma is described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (9.10.7) as follows: “While
returning from Sétä’s home after gaining her at the assembly of competitors by
breaking Çiva’s bow, Lord Rämacandra met Paraçuräma who was agitated from
hearing the tumultuous sound of the breaking of the bow. Although
Paraçuräma was very proud, having rid the earth of the royal order twenty-one

825
times, his pride was vanquished by the Lord, who appeared to be a kñatriya of
the royal order.” One should also refer to the Rämäyaëa, Ädi-käëòa, Chapter
76, and the Mahäbhärata, Vana-parva, Chapter 99, verse 42-55 and 61-64.
The phrase mora doña nähi—“I am not at fault” is explained as follows:
Being angered by the heroic words of Paraçuräma, Lord Rämacandra took the
Vaiñëava bow and arrows from his hands and spoke to him as follows: “I wish
to vanquish your free movement earned on the strength of austerities and
your unrivaled dominion over the earth. You cannot blame Me for this.”

TEXT 51

lakñmaëera bhäve prabhu haya sei-rüpa

bujhite nä päre çiçu mänaye kautuka

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda was absorbed in the mood of Lakñmaëa. The boys,

however, could not understand this and thought it was just a game.

COMMENTARY

In this verse the word bhäve means “in the mood of” or “in the nature of.”

TEXT 52

païca-vänarera rüpe bule çiçu-gaëa

värtä jijïäsaye prabhu haiyä lakñmaëa

826
 TRANSLATION

On another occasion, five boys took the role of monkeys and the Lord took
the role of Lakñmaëa.

COMMENTARY

The païca-vänarera, or five monkeys, are the king, Sugréva, and his four
ministers—Hanumän, Nala, Néla, and Tara (Rämäyaëa, Kiñkindhä-käëòa,
13.4) or Hanumän, Jämbavän, Mainda, and Dvivida (Mahäbhärata,
Vana-parva, 279.23).

TEXT 53

“ke torä vänarä saba, bula’ vane-vane

ämi—raghunätha-bhåtya, bola mora sthäne”

TRANSLATION

“Who are you monkeys, wandering in the forest? I am the servant of

Rämacandra. Tell Me who you are.”

TEXT 54

tä’rä bole,—“ämarä välira bhaye buli

dekhäha çré-rämacandra, lai pada-dhüli”

TRANSLATION

827
 They replied, “We are wandering out of fear of Väli. Please take us to
Rämacandra. We wish to take the dust of His lotus feet.”

TEXT 55

tä’sabäre kole kari’ äise laiyä

çré-räma-caraëe paòe daëòavat haiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord embraced them and led them to Rämacandra, whereupon they all
fell at His feet.

COMMENTARY

For an elaboration on verses 52-55, one should refer to the Rämäyaëa,

Kiñkindhä-käëòa, Chapters 2 and 4 and the Mahäbhärata (Vana 279.9-11).

TEXT 56

indrajit-vadha-lélä kona-dina kare

kona-dina äpane lakñmaëa-bhäve häre

TRANSLATION

One day the Lord enacted the pastime of killing Indrajit, the son of Rävaëa,
and one day, in the mood of Lakñmaëa, He accepted defeat.

COMMENTARY

828
 One may refer to the Rämäyaëa (Laìkä 88.64, 91.68-72) and the
Mahäbhärata (Vana 288.15-24) for an elaboration on indrajit-vadha-lélä, the
killing of Indrajit.
The pastime of lakñmaëa-bhäve häre, “accepting defeat as Lakñmaëa,” is
found in the Rämäyaëa, Laìkä-käëòa, Chapters 45, 49, 50, and 73 and in the
Mahäbhärata (Vana 287.20-26 and 288.1-7).

TEXT 57

vibhéñaëa kariyä änena räma-sthäne

laìkeçvara-abhiñeka karena tähäne

TRANSLATION

Someone in the role of Vibhéñaëa was brought before Rämacandra, and

Räma performed his abhiñeka, or coronation, installing him as the King of
Laìkä.

COMMENTARY

A description of Vibhéñaëa’s arrival in Räma’s camp and his coronation as

the King of Laìkä is found in the Rämäyaëa (Laìkä 18.39 and 19.25-26) and in
the Mahäbhärata (Vana 282.46, 49).

TEXT 58

kona çiçu bole,—“muïi äiluì rävaëa

çakti-çela-häni ei, samvara’ lakñmaëa!”

829
 TRANSLATION

One boy said, “I am the mighty Rävaëa. Now I’m releasing the çakti-çela
weapon. Stop it if You can, Lakñmaëa!”

COMMENTARY

The word häni (from the hä dhätu) means “to release,” “to throw,” “to beat,”
or “to hit.” The word samvara means “to stop,” “to control,” “to check,” “to
save,” “to halt,” “to obstruct,” “to suppress,” “or to curb the movement of.”

TEXT 59

eta bali’ padma-puñpa märila pheliyä

lakñmaëera bhäve prabhu paòilä òhaliyä

TRANSLATION

Saying this, the boy threw a lotus flower at Nityänanda, and in the mood of
Lakñmaëa, He fell to the ground.

COMMENTARY

The phrase padma-puñpa refers to the imitation of the çakti-çela weapon.

A description of Lakñmaëa acting unconscious due to being hit by the
çakti-çela weapon is found in the Rämäyaëa (Laìkä 101.28-36).

TEXT 60

830
 mürchita hailä prabhu lakñmaëera bhäve
jägäya chäoyäla saba, tabu nähi jäge

TRANSLATION

After the Lord, in the mood of Lakñmaëa, fell unconscious, all the boys
tried in vain to revive Him.

COMMENTARY

The words jägäya chäoyäla refer to the boyfriends of Nityänanda who were
acting as the best of the monkeys.

TEXT 61

paramärthe dhätu nähi sakala çarére

kändaye sakala çiçu häta diyä çire

TRANSLATION

When they found no symptom of life remained in the body of Nityänanda,

they all held their heads and began to cry.

COMMENTARY

The first line of this verse indicates that His body was devoid of
consciousness, or completely devoid of movement and wounded at heart. The
words paramärtha dhätu refer to the consciousness or life.

831
 TEXT 62

çuni’ pitä-mätä dhäi’ äila satvare

dekhaye,—putrera dhätu nähika çarére

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s father and mother came running there and also observed that
there was no sign of life in their son.

TEXT 63

mürchita haiyä doìhe paòilä bhümite

dekhi’ sarva-loka äsi’ hailä vismite

TRANSLATION

They then also fell to the ground unconscious. Everyone who saw this
tragedy was struck with wonder.

TEXT 64

sakala våttänta tabe kahila çiçu-gaëa

keha bole,—“bujhiläìa bhävera käraëa

TRANSLATION

As the boys described the entire incident, someone said, “I understand why

832
He’s unconscious.

COMMENTARY

The word bhävera refers to His unconscious and fainted condition.

TEXT 65

pürve daçaratha-bhäve eka naöavara

’räma—vanaväsé’ çuni’ eòena kalevara”

TRANSLATION

“Previously one great actor played the role of Daçaratha, and when He
heard that Räma had left for the forest, he left his body.”

COMMENTARY

The word naöavara refers to one who is expert at acting, or the best actor.
The description of Daçaratha leaving his body out of grief due to Räma’s
exile to the forest is found in the Rämäyaëa (Ayodhyä 64.75-78).

TEXT 66

keha bole,—“käca käci’ ächaye chäoyäla

hanumän auñadha dile haibeka bhäla

TRANSLATION

833
 Someone else said, “There is a boy dressed as Hanumän. If he gives Him
medicine, He’ll be cured.”

COMMENTARY

“If Hanumän gives Him medicine, He’ll be cured,” was spoken by Suñeëa,
the king of the monkeys, in the Rämäyaëa (Laìkä 101.29-31).

TEXT 67

pürve prabhu çikhäiyächilena sabäre

“paòile, tomarä veòi’ kändiha ämäre

TRANSLATION

Before the incident, the Lord had instructed His friends, “When I fall
unconscious, you should all gather around Me and cry.

TEXT 68

kñaëeka vilambe päöhäiha hanumän

näke dile auñadha, äsibe mora präëa”

TRANSLATION

“After a while, send Hanumän for some medicine. I will recover when he
puts the medicine to My nose.”

COMMENTARY

834
 [See the purport to verse 66.]

TEXT 69

nija-bhäve prabhu mätra hailä acetana

dekhi’ baòa vikala hailä çiçu-gaëa

TRANSLATION

When the Lord fell unconscious in His own mood, the boys were all
bewildered.

COMMENTARY

The words nija-bhäve refer to the mood of His plenary portion, Lakñmaëa,
the incarnation of Mahä-Saìkarñaëa.
The word vikala refers to one whose intelligence is lost; in other words, one
who is overwhelmed, unsteady, senseless, illusioned, or powerless.

TEXT 70

channa hailena sabe, çikñä nähi sphure

“uöha bhäi” bali’ mätra kände uccaiù-svare

TRANSLATION

Because they were so confused they could not remember the Lord’s
instructions. They simply cried loudly, “O brother, please get up!”

835
 COMMENTARY

The word channa means “mad,” “forgetful,” “unintelligent,” or “ignorant.”

The word çikñä refers to the instruction, “Send Hanumän to bring medicine
and hold it before My nose,” that was given by Lord Nityänanda Prabhu (see
verse 68).

TEXT 71

loka-mukhe çüni’ kathä haila smaraëa

hanumän-käce çiçu calila takhana

TRANSLATION

But when the boys heard the people’s comments, they remembered
Nityänanda’s instruction and the boy dressed as Hanumän immediately went
for the medicine.

TEXT 72

ära eka çiçu pathe tapasvéra veçe

phala-müla diyä hanumänere äçaàse

TRANSLATION

Another boy dressed as a renunciate welcomed Hanumän with fruits and

roots.

836
 COMMENTARY

Hanumän’s conversation with Rävaëa’s demon uncle Kälanemi, who was

dressed as an ascetic, and Hanumän’s fight with the crocodile, demons, and
Gandharvas are not found in the original Rämäyaëa written by Välméki. [This
applies to verses 72 through 86.]
The word äçaàse (used in ancient Bengali) means “to welcome.

TEXT 73

“raha, bäpa, dhanya kara’ ämära äçrama

baòa bhägye äsi’ mile tomä’-hena jana”

TRANSLATION

He said to Hanumän, “My dear sir, please stay and grace my äçrama. It is a
great fortune to meet such a person as you.”

TEXT 74

hanumän bole,—“kärya-gaurave caliba

äsibäre cähi, rahibäre nä päriba

TRANSLATION

Hanumän replied, “I must go and complete my important mission. I would

like to come, but I cannot delay.

837
 COMMENTARY

The words kärya-gaurave refer to the importance of one’s duties.

TEXT 75

çuniïächa,—rämacandra-anuja lakñmaëa
çakti-çele täì’re mürchä karila rävaëa

TRANSLATION

“You must have heard that Lakñmaëa, the younger brother of Rämacandra,
has been rendered unconscious by the çakti-çela weapon of Rävaëa.

TEXT 76

ataeva yäi ämi gandhamädana

auñadha änile rahe täìhäna jévana”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore I’m going to Gandhamädana Hill to bring medicine. Only then

will He survive.”

TEXT 77

tapasvé bolaye,—“yadi yäibä niçcaya

838
 snäna kari’ kichu khäi’ karaha vijaya”

TRANSLATION

The renunciate then said, “If you must go, first take a bath and eat
something. Then you may go.”

TEXT 78

nityänanda-çikñäya bälake kathä kahe

vismita haiyä sarva loke cähi rahe

TRANSLATION

The two boys repeated whatever Nityänanda had instructed them.

Therefore everyone gazed at them in astonishment as they listened to their
conversation.

TEXT 79

tapasvéra bole sarovare gelä snäne

jale thäki’ ära çiçu dharila caraëe

TRANSLATION

Then, on the request of the renunciate, Hanumän went to take bath in the
lake, whereupon another boy in the lake grabbed hold of his feet.

839
 TEXT 80

kumbhérera rüpa dhari’ yäya jale laïä

hanumän çiçu äne külete öäniyä

TRANSLATION

The boy playing the role of a crocodile tried to pull Hanumän into the
water, but Hanumän pulled the boy to the shore.

TEXT 81

kathokñaëe raëa kari’ jiniyä kumbhéra

äsi’ dekhe hanumän ära mahävéra

TRANSLATION

After a short fight, Hanumän defeated the crocodile. When Hanumän

returned to the renunciate’s äçrama, he saw a mighty warrior.

TEXT 82

ära eka çiçu dhari’ räkñasera käce

hanumäne khäibäre yäya tä’ra päche

TRANSLATION

A boy dressed as a Räkñasa then attempted to swallow Hanumän.

840
 TEXT 83

“kumbhéra jinilä, more jinibä kemane?

tomä’ khäìa, tabe kebä jéyäbe lakñmaëe?”

TRANSLATION

He challenged, “You have defeated the crocodile, but how will you defeat
me? I will eat you, then who will revive Lakñmaëa?”

TEXT 84

hanumän bole,—“tora rävaëä kukkura

tä’re nähi vastu-buddhi, tui pälä düra

TRANSLATION

Hanumän replied, “Your Rävaëa is a dog. I consider him most insignificant.

Get out of my way.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase tä’re nähi vastu-buddhi means “I consider him (your master
Rävaëa, who is just like a dog) nothing, extremely impotent, or useless.”

TEXT 85

ei-mata dui-jane haya gälägäli

841
 çeñe haya culäculi tabe kiläkili

TRANSLATION

In this way the two first exchanged some harsh words, then they began
pulling each other’s hair, and finally they began striking each other with their
fists.

COMMENTARY

The word gälägäli means “using foul language against each other.” The
word culäculi means “pulling each other’s hair.” The word kiläkili means
“punching each other.”

TEXT 86

kathokñaëa se kautuke jiniïä räkñase

gandhamädane äsi’ hailä praveçe

TRANSLATION

After promptly defeating the demon, Hanumän approached the

Gandhamädana Hill.

TEXT 87

taìhi gandharvera veça dhari’ çiçu-gaëa

tä’sabära saìge yuddha haya katakñaëa

842
 TRANSLATION

There Hanumän fought with some boys who were dressed as Gandharvas.

TEXT 88

yuddhe paräjaya kari’ gandharvera gaëa

çire kari’ änilena gandhamädana

TRANSLATION

After defeating the Gandharvas, Hanumän took the Gandhamädana Hill on

his head to Laìkä.

TEXT 89

ära eka çiçu taìhi vaidya-rüpa dhari’

auñadha dilena näke ’çré-räma’ smaìari’

TRANSLATION

Another boy playing the role of a doctor remembered Lord Räma as he held
the medicine to Lakñmaëa’s nose.

COMMENTARY

The boy playing the role of Suñeëa, the doctor of the monkeys, imitated
him by holding the four medicines grown on Gandhamädana
Hill—viçalya-karaëi, sävarëa-karaëi, saïjéva-karaëi, and

843
sandhäna-karaëi—before the nose of Nityänanda, who was absorbed in the
mood of Lakñmaëa. This pastime is described in the Rämäyaëa (Laìkä 102.31
and 41-43).

TEXT 90

nityänanda-mahäprabhu uöhilä takhane

dekhi’ pitä-mätä ädi häse sarva-jane

TRANSLATION

At that very moment Lord Nityänanda regained His consciousness, upon

which His parents and others there all smiled in relief.

TEXT 91

kole karilena giyä häòäi-paëòita

sakala bälaka hailena harañita

TRANSLATION

Häòäi Paëòita embraced his son, and all the boys became overjoyed.

TEXT 92

sabe bole,—“bäpa, ihä kothäya çikhilä?”

häsi’ bole prabhu,—“mora e-sakala lélä”

844
 TRANSLATION

Everyone asked, “Dear son, where have You learned all this?” The Lord
smiled and said, “These are all My pastimes.”

TEXT 93

prathama-vayasa prabhu ati sukumära

kola haite kä’ro citta nähi eòibära

TRANSLATION

In His early childhood the Lord was most attractive. No one wanted to let
Him go from their laps.

TEXT 94

sarva-loke putra haite baòa sneha väse

cinite nä päre keha viñëu-mäyä-vaçe

TRANSLATION

Everyone had more affection for Nityänanda than they had for their own
sons. But no one could recognize Him due the influence of Lord Viñëu’s
illusory energy.

TEXT 95

845
 hena mate çiçu-käla haite nityänanda
kåñëa-lélä vinä ära nä kare änanda

TRANSLATION

In this way, from the beginning of His childhood, Nityänanda had no

happiness other than enjoying the pastimes of Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 96

pitä-mätä-gåha chäòi’ sarva-çiçu-gaëa

nityänanda-saàhati vihare sarva-kñaëa

TRANSLATION

All of His friends left their parents to constantly sport in the company of
Nityänanda.

TEXT 97

se saba çiçura päye bahu namaskära

nityänanda-saìge yäì’ra e-mata vihära

TRANSLATION

I offer repeated obeisances at the feet of those boys who enjoyed the
association of Lord Nityänanda.

846
 TEXT 98

ei-mata kréòä kari’ nityänanda-räya

çiçu haite kåñëa-lélä vinä nähi bhäya

TRANSLATION

Thus, from His childhood, Nityänanda had no interest other than enacting
the various pastimes of Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 99

anantera lélä kebä päre kahibäre?

täìhäna kåpäya yena mata sphure yä’re

TRANSLATION

Who can describe the pastimes of Lord Ananta? They are only manifest to
one who has received His mercy.

TEXT 100

hena mate dvädaça vatsara thäki’ ghare

nityänanda calilena tértha karibäre

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda remained at home like this for twelve years. Thereafter

847
He left for visiting the holy places.

TEXT 101

tértha-yäträ karilena viàçati vatsara

tabe çeñe äilena caitanya-gocara

TRANSLATION

He traveled to the holy places for the next twenty years and then finally
joined the association of Lord Caitanya.

TEXTS 102-104

nityänanda-tértha-yäträ çuna ädi-khaëòe

ye-prabhure ninde duñöa päpiñöha päñaëòe

ye-prabhu karilä sarva-jagat-uddhära

karuëä-samudra yäìhä bai nähi ära

yäìhära kåpäya jäni caitanyera tattva

ye prabhura dväre vyakta caitanya-mahattva

TRANSLATION

Please listen to this narration in the Ädi-khaëòa of the holy places visited
by Lord Nityänanda, who only the most degraded sinful atheists would dare
criticize. That Lord who delivered the entire universe is nothing but an ocean
of mercy. Only by His mercy can we know the truth about Lord Caitanya. In

848
fact, the glories of Lord Caitanya are manifested through Him.

COMMENTARY

Çré Nityänanda Prabhu exhibited compassion towards the fallen, averse

living entities and thus delivered the entire world. Being bereft of receiving
His mercy, only wicked, sinful atheists criticized Him.
Only Çré Nityänanda has made the truth regarding Çré Caitanya known to
the world. Without His mercy, no one is able to enter into the glories of Çré
Caitanya by independent endeavor.

TEXT 105

çuna çré-caitanya-priyatamera kathana

ye-mate karilä tértha-maëòalé bhramaëa

TRANSLATION

Please listen to topics concerning Lord Caitanya’s dearest associate visiting

the various pilgrimage sites.

COMMENTARY

Regarding the holy places mentioned in verses 105-151 and 194-202 that
were sanctified by the touch of Nityänanda’s lotus feet, one should refer to the
various commentators’ descriptions of the places mentioned in Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.78.17-20 and 10.79.9-21) that were visited by Çré Baladeva.

TEXT 106

849
 prathame calilä prabhu tértha-vakreçvara
tabe vaidyanätha-vane gelä ekeçvara

TRANSLATION

The Lord first went to Vakreçvara, then He went alone to Vaidyanätha.

COMMENTARY

The word ekeçvara means “alone” or “being devoid of other’s association.”

TEXT 107

gayä giyä käçé gelä çiva-räjadhäné

yaìhi dhärä vahe gaìgä uttara-vähiné

TRANSLATION

He went to Gayä and then to Lord Çiva’s abode, Käçé, where the Ganges
flows towards the north.

TEXT 108

gaìgä dekhi’ baòa sukhé nityänanda-räya

snäna kare, päna kare, ärti nähi yäya

TRANSLATION

Seeing the Ganges, Lord Nityänanda was greatly pleased. He took bath and

850
drank some water, yet His grief was not mitigated.

TEXT 109

prayäge karilä mägha-mäse prätaù-snäna

tabe mathuräya gelä pürva-janma-sthäna

TRANSLATION

In the month of Mägha (January-February) the Lord took an early morning

bath at Prayäga, then He went to Mathurä, His former birthplace.

COMMENTARY

The phrase pürva-janma-sthäna refers to the appearance place in the

Dväpara-yuga pastimes.

TEXT 110

yamunä-viçräma-ghäöe kari’ jala-keli

govardhana-parvate bulena kutuhalé

TRANSLATION

The Lord sported in the waters of the Yamunä at Viçräma-ghäöa and

thereafter went with great interest to see Govardhana.

TEXT 111

851
 çré-våndävana-ädi yata dvädaça vana
eke eke prabhu saba karena bhramaëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord visited each of the twelve forests beginning with Våndävana.

TEXT 112

gokule nandera ghara-vasati dekhiyä

vistara rodana prabhu karilä vasiyä

TRANSLATION

When He saw the house and courtyard of Nanda Mahäräja at Gokula, He

sat down and cried profusely.

TEXT 113

tabe prabhu madana-gopäla namaskäri’

calilä hastinäpura päëòavera puré

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda offered His obeisances to Madana-gopäla and then went to

Hastinäpura, the abode of the Päëòavas.

852
 TEXT 114

bhakta-sthäna dekhi’ prabhu karena krandana

nä bujhe tairthika bhakti-çünyera käraëa

TRANSLATION

Seeing the home of those devotees, Nityänanda began to cry. The local
people, however, could not understand the Lord’s sentiments due to their lack
of devotion.

COMMENTARY

The word tairthika refers to the so-called residents of the holy places, or
local people. The words bhakti-çünyera käraëa mean “due to the absence of
devotion.”

TEXT 115

balaräma kérti dekhi’ hastinänagare

’trähi haladhara!’ bali’ namaskära kare

TRANSLATION

As Nityänanda remembered Balaräma’s glorious activities in Hastinäpura,

He exclaimed, “O Haladhara, please save Me!” and then offered obeisances.

TEXT 116

853
 tabe dvärakäya äilena nityänanda
samudre karilä snäna, hailä änanda

TRANSLATION

Thereafter Nityänanda went to Dvärakä, where He joyfully took bath in the

ocean.

TEXT 117

siddhapura gelä yathä kapilera sthäna

matsya-térthe mahotsave karilä anna-däna

TRANSLATION

He next went to Siddhapura, the place of Lord Kapila. Then He went to

Matsya-tértha, where He distributed foodstuffs at a festival.

TEXT 118

çiva-käïcé, viñëu-käïcé gelä nityänanda

dekhi’ häse dui gaëe mahä-mahä-dvandva

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda then visited Çiva-käïcé and the adjoining Viñëu-käïcé. He

laughed when He saw the two groups of followers quarreling there.

854
 COMMENTARY

The second line of this verse refers to the Viñëu-käïcé residents, who are
Vaiñëavas, and the Çiva-käïcé residents, who are devotees of Çiva, the devotee
of Saìkarñaëa. Due to their poor fund of knowledge, these two groups always
debate over the positions of Lord Viñëu and Lord Çiva. In other words, after
observing their fierce animosity towards each other, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu,
who is nondifferent from Müla-Saìkarñaëa Viñëu, began to laugh.

TEXT 119

kurukñetre påthüdake bindu-sarovare

prabhäse gelena sudarçana-térthabare

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda Prabhu also visited Kurukñetra, Påthüdaka, Bindu-sarovara,

Prabhäsa, and Sudarçana-tértha.

TEXT 120

trita-küpa-mahätértha gelena viçälä

tabe brahma-tértha-cakra-térthere calilä

TRANSLATION

He also visited the great holy place called Trita-kupa. He also went to
Viçälä, Brahma-tértha, and Cakra-tértha.

855
 TEXT 121

pratisrotä gelä yathä präcé-sarasvaté

naimiñäraëye tabe gelä mahämati

TRANSLATION

The Lord visited Pratisrotä, where the Sarasvaté River flows in the opposite
direction. The most magnanimous Nityänanda then went to Naimiñäraëya.

COMMENTARY

The word pratisrotä refers to the Sarasvaté River. In this connection one
should refer to the explanations on Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.78.18) by the
various commentators such as Çrédhara Svämé. In ordinary language the word
pratisrotä refers to a river that is flowing in the opposite direction. In other
words, at Prabhäsa-kñetra the River Sarasvaté flows west and enters into the
ocean. Çrémad Vallabhäcärya, who visited various holy places of northern and
western India, described Çré Baladeva’s travel to the holy places in his
Subodhané commentary on the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.78.18) as follows: “Çré
Baladeva went to Prabhäsa and after taking bath and offering oblations, He
departed. Çré Baladeva took bath at Prabhäsa in the place known as
Agni-kuëòa as well as at the confluence of the Sarasvaté River and the ocean.
He went to the place known as Pratisrotä, on the bank of the Sarasvaté, where
the river flows in the opposite direction.” In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.30.6)
it is clearly stated: vayaà prabhäsaà yäsyämo yatra pratyak sarasvaté—“We
shall go to Prabhäsa-kñetra, where the river Sarasvaté flows west.” According
to Çrédhara Svämé’s commentary, the word pratyak means “flowing towards
the west,” and according to the Bhägavata-candra-candrikä of Çré Véraräghava
Äcärya: “We shall go to the place known as Prabhäsa, where the Sarasvaté

856
River flows in the opposite direction and enters into the ocean.”

TEXT 122

tabe gelä nityänanda ayodhyä-nagara

räma-janma-bhumi dekhi’ kändilä vistara

TRANSLATION

He then visited the city of Ayodhyä, where He cried upon seeing the
birthplace of Lord Räma.

TEXT 123

tabe gelä guhaka-caëòäla-räjya yathä

mahä-mürchä nityänanda päilena tathä

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda then visited the caëòäla Guhaka’s kingdom, where He fell

unconscious.

TEXT 124

guhaka-caëòäla mätra haila smaraëa

tina-dina ächilä änande acetana

TRANSLATION

857
 Simply by remembering the activities of the caëòäla Guhaka, Nityänanda
lost consciousness in ecstasy for three days.

TEXT 125

ye-ye vane ächilä öhäkura rämacandra

dekhiyä virahe gaòi yäya nityänanda

TRANSLATION

On seeing the forests where Lord Rämacandra had resided, Nityänanda

rolled on the ground in separation.

TEXT 126

tabe gelä sarayü kauçiké kari snäna

tabe gelä paulasta-äçrama puëya-sthäna

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the Lord took bath in the Sarayü and Kauçiké Rivers. Then He
went to the äçrama of Pulastya Åñi.

TEXT 127

gomaté, gaëòaké, çoëa-térthe snäna kari’

tabe gelä mahendra-parvata-cüòopari

858
 TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda took bath in the Gomaté, Gaëòaké, and Çoëa Rivers. Then
He climbed to the top of Mahendra Mountain.

TEXT 128

paraçurämere tathä kari’ namaskära

tabe gelä gaìgä-janma-bhümi haridvära

TRANSLATION

There He offered obeisances to Paraçuräma. Nityänanda also visited

Haridvära, the source of the Ganges.

TEXT 129

pampä, bhémarathé gelä sapta-godävaré

veëvä-tértha, vipäçäya majjana äcari’

TRANSLATION

The Lord took bath in the Pampä, Bhémarathé, Godävaré, Veëvä, and
Vipäçä Rivers.

TEXT 130

Kärttika dekhiyä nityänanda mahämati

859
 çré-parvata gelä yathä maheça-pärvaté

TRANSLATION

After seeing Kärtikeya at Madurai, the most intelligent Nityänanda went to

Çré-çaila, the abode of Çiva and Pärvaté.

TEXT 131

brähmaëa-brähmaëé-rüpe maheça-pärvaté
sei çré-parvate doìhe karena vasati

TRANSLATION

Çiva and Pärvaté reside on this mountain in the form of a brähmaëa couple.

TEXT 132

nija-iñöa-deva cinilena dui-jana

avadhüta-rüpe kare tértha-paryaöana

TRANSLATION

Upon Nityänanda’s arrival there, they understood that their worshipable

Lord was wandering on pilgrimage as a mendicant.

TEXT 133

860
 parama-santoña doìhe atithi dekhiyä
päka karilena devé harañita haiyä

TRANSLATION

They were most satisfied to receive such a guest, and Pärvaté happily cooked
for the Lord.

TEXT 134

parama-ädare bhikñä dilena prabhure

häsi’ nityänanda doìhe kare namaskäre

TRANSLATION

They fed the Lord with great affection, and Nityänanda smiled and offered
them His respects.

TEXT 135

ki antara-kathä haila, kåñëa se jänena

tabe nityänanda-prabhu dräviòe gelena

TRANSLATION

Only Kåñëa knows what they confidentially discussed. Then the Lord
continued His journey to Draviòa, or South India.

861
 TEXT 136

dekhiyä vyeìkaöa-nätha kämakoñöhé-puré

käïcé giyä saridvarä gelena käveré

TRANSLATION

The Lord visited Veìkaöanätha, Kämakoñöhé Puré, Käïcé, and the Käveré,
the best of rivers.

COMMENTARY

The word saridvarä is an adjective for the Käveré River.

TEXT 137

tabe gelä çré-raìganäthera puëya-sthäna

tabe karilena hari-kñetrere payäna

TRANSLATION

Then the Lord visited the sacred place of Çré Raìganätha, and thereafter He
went to Hari-kñetra.

TEXT 138

åñabha-parvate gelä dakñiëa-mathurä

kåtamälä, tämraparëé, yamunä uttarä

862
 TRANSLATION

He visited the Åñabha Mountain, Madurai, and the Kåtamälä, Tämraparëé,

and Uttara Yamunä Rivers.

TEXT 139

malaya-parvata gelä agastya-älaye

tähärä o håñöa hailä dekhi’ mahäçaye

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda Prabhu visited the äçrama of Agastya Åñi in the Malaya Hills.
The residents there were all jubilant to see the Lord.

TEXT 140

tä’sabära atithi hailä nityänanda

badarikäçrame gelä parama-änanda

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda stayed as a guest in their äçrama and then departed in great

ecstasy for Badrikäçrama.

TEXT 141

kata-dina nara-näräyaëera äçrame

863
 ächilena nityänanda parama-nirjane

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda resided in seclusion for some days in the äçrama of

Nara-Näräyaëa Åñis.

TEXT 142

tabe nityänanda gelä vyäsera älaye

vyäsa cinilena balaräma mahäçaye

TRANSLATION

He then went to the äçrama of Çréla Vyäsadeva, who recognized that

Nityänanda was Balaräma Himself.

TEXT 143

säkñät haiyä vyäsa ätithya karilä

prabhu o vyäsere daëòa-praëata hailä

TRANSLATION

Çréla Vyäsadeva personally received Nityänanda as a guest, and the Lord

offered His obeisances to Çréla Vyäsadeva.

TEXT 144

864
 tabe nityänanda gelä bauddhera bhavana
dekhilena prabhu,—vasi’ äche bauddha-gaëa

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda then visited the residence of the Buddhists. When He

arrived there, He saw they were all sitting together.

TEXTS 145-146

jijïäsena prabhu, keha uttara nä kare

kruddha hai’ prabhu läthi märilena çire

paläila bauddha-gaëa häsiyä häsiyä

vane bhrame’ nityänanda nirbhaya haiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord asked a question, but no one replied. Becoming angry at them, the
Lord kicked them in the head, but they all simply smiled and ran away.
Nityänanda thus fearlessly continued His travels through the forest.

TEXT 147

tabe prabhu äilena kanyakä-nagara

durgädevé dekhi’ gelä dakñiëa-sägara

TRANSLATION

865
 The Lord eventually arrived in Kanyä-kumäré. After seeing Durgä there,
He went to see the southern ocean.

TEXT 148

tabe nityänanda gelä çré-anantapure

tabe gelä païca-apsarära sarovare

TRANSLATION

Nityänanda then went to Anantapura, and after that He went to

Païcäpsarä-kuëòa.

TEXT 149

gokarëäkhya gelä prabhu çivera mandire

kerale, trigartake bule ghare ghare

TRANSLATION

He next visited the temple of Çiva known as Gokarëa. He visited Kerala and
the various places in Trigarta.

TEXT 150

dvaipäyané-äryä dekhi’ nityänanda räya

nirvindhyä, payoñëé, täpté bhramena léläya

866
 TRANSLATION

He then visited goddess Pärvaté, who dwells on an island near Gokarëa.

Lord Nityänanda also visited the Nirvindhyä, Payoñëé, and Täpté Rivers.

TEXT 151

revä, mähiñmaté-puré, malla-térthe gelä

sürpäraka diyä prabhu pratécé calilä

TRANSLATION

He went to the city of Mähiñmaté, on the banks of the Revä River, and He
saw Malla-tértha. The Lord then passed through the holy district of Çürpäraka
on His way west.

COMMENTARY

The word pratécé refers to the direction in which the sun sets, or the west.

TEXT 152

ei-mata abhaya paramänanda räya

bhrame’ nityänanda, bhaya nähika kähäya

TRANSLATION

The fearless ecstatic Nityänanda Prabhu traveled in this way without fear of
anyone.

867
 TEXT 153

nirantara kåñëäveçe çaréra avaça

kñaëe kände, kñaëe häse, ke bujhe se rasa

TRANSLATION

The Lord had no control of His body due to His ecstatic love for Kåñëa.
Sometimes He cried, and sometimes He laughed—who can understand His
ecstatic moods?

TEXT 154

ei-mata nityänanda-prabhura bhramaëa

daive mädhavendra-saha haila daraçana

TRANSLATION

As the Lord traveled in this way, by the will of providence He met Çré
Mädhavendra Puré.

COMMENTARY

Çré Mädhavendra Puré is a renowned Vaiñëava sannyäsé and spiritual

master in the Mädhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya. The seed of the desire tree of
devotional service served by the Mädhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya first fructified
in him (Cc. Ädi 9.10 and Antya 8.34). Before him, the symptoms of devotional
service based on conjugal mellows were not found in the Çré
Madhva-sampradäya. His disciples include Çré Éçvara Puré, Çré Advaita Prabhu,

868
Çré Paramänanda Puré, Çré Brahmänanda Puré, Çré Raìga Puré, Çré Puëòaréka
Vidyänidhi, and Çré Raghupati Upädhyäya. Çré Madhva-sampradäya, or the
disciplic succession of the Gauòéya Vaiñëava branch, is listed in the Çré
Gaura-gaëoddeça, the Çré Prameya-ratnävalé, and in a book written by Çré
Gopäla Guru Gosvämé. It is also quoted in the Çré Bhakti-ratnäkara. The Çré
Brahma-Mädhva-Gauòéya disciplic succession is given in the Çré
Gaura-gaëoddeça as follows: “Lord Brahmä, the creator of the universe became
the disciple of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Näräyaëa. Brahmä’s
disciple was Närada. Närada’s disciple was Vyäsa. Vyäsa then transmitted
transcendental knowledge to his disciple Çukadeva. The famous Madhväcärya
personally received initiation from Vyäsa. Madhväcärya’s disciple was the
exalted Padmanäbhäcärya. Padmanäbhäcärya’s disciple was Narahari, whose
disciple was Mädhava. Mädhava’s disciple was Akñobhya. Akñobhya’s disciple
was Jayatértha, whose disciple was Jïänasindhu. Jïänasindhu’s disciple was
Mahänidhi, whose disciple was Vidyänidhi. Vidyänidhi’s disciple was
Räjendra, whose disciple was Jayadharma Muni. Among Jayadharma Muni’s
disciples was Çrémäd Viñëupuré, the famous author of the Bhakti-ratnävalé.
Another disciple of Jayadharma was Puruñottama, whose disciple was
Vyäsatértha, who wrote the famous book Çré Viñëu-saàhitä. Vyäsatértha’s
disciple was Çréman Lakñmépati, who was like a great reservoir of the nectar of
devotional service. Lakñmépati’s disciple was Mädhavendra Puré, a great
preacher of devotional service. Mädhavendra Puré’s disciple was Çrémän Éçvara
Puré Svämé. Éçvara Puré carefully understood the mellows of conjugal love for
Lord Kåñëa and was able to distribute that fruit to others. Çré Advaita Äcärya
displayed the sentiments of servitorship and friendship for the Lord. Lord
Caitanya accepted Çréman Éçvara Puré as His spiritual master. The Lord
proceeded to flood the entire world with spontaneous transcendental love for
Kåñëa.” Çréla Kaviräja Gosvämé offers obeisances to Çré Mädhavendra as
follows:

yasmai dätuà corayan kñéra-bhäëòaà

869
 gopénäthaù kñéra-coräbhidho ’bhüt
çré-gopälaù präduräséd vaçaù san
yat-premëä taà mädhavendraà nato ’smi

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Mädhavendra Puré, who was given a

pot of sweet rice stolen by Çré Gopénätha, celebrated thereafter as Kñéra-corä.
Being pleased by Mädhavendra Puré’s love, Çré Gopäla, the Deity at
Govardhana, appeared to the public vision.” For a description of Çré Gopäla
and Çré Kñéra-corä Gopénätha one may see Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya
4.21-197). The pastimes of Çré Mädhavendra Puré’s traveling alone to Çré
Våndävana and, on the pretext of giving him milk, Lord Kåñëa’s appearing
before Purépäda as he sat under a tree on the bank of Govinda-kuëòa are
described in Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 4.23-33 and 16.271). By first
accepting a Sanoòiyä brähmaëa as his disciple and then accepting lunch from
him, he established the etiquette of daiva-varëäçrama through his pure
behavior and rejected the endeavors of the adaiva-varëäçrama followers, who
are averse to pure devotional service, who consider the Vaiñëavas as belonging
to a particular caste, and who lick the feet of the smärta communities who
disregard mahä-prasäda (Cc. Madhya 17.166-185 and 18.129). He angrily
rejected and chastised Rämacandra Puré for his offense to the spiritual master
and embraced and blessed Éçvara Puré with the words “May you obtain the
wealth of love for Kåñëa” for his unalloyed devotion to the spiritual master
(Cc. Antya 8.16-32). The Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya 8.33-35) describes how
Çrépäda Mädhavendra Puré passed away from the material world absorbed in
feelings of transcendental separation while reciting the following verse:

ayi déna-dayärdra nätha he

mathurä-nätha kadävalokyase
hådayaà tvad-aloka-kätaraà
dayita bhrämyati kià karomy aham

“O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathurä! When shall I

870
see You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become
unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?”

TEXT 155

mädhavendra-puré prema-maya-kalevara
prema-maya yata saba saìge anucara

TRANSLATION

The body of Çré Mädhavendra Puré is imbued with ecstatic love of God, and
his followers partake of those same sentiments.

TEXT 156

kåñëa-rasa vinu ära nähika ähära

mädhavendra-puré-dehe kåñëera vihära

TRANSLATION

He did not relish anything other than loving sentiments for Lord Kåñëa,
who enjoyed His pastimes in the body of Mädhavendra Puré.

TEXT 157

yäì’ra çiñya prabhu äcärya-vara-gosäïi

ki kahiba ära täì’ra premera baòäi

871
 TRANSLATION

What more can I say about the devotion of he who was the spiritual master
of Çré Advaita Äcärya?

COMMENTARY

The word baòäi (derived from the Sanskrit word våddhi and the common
[Bengali] word baòa) means “prominence,” “greatness,” “praiseworthy,”
“glorious,” and “respectable.”

TEXT 158

mädhava-purére dekhilena nityänanda

tata-kñaëe preme mürchä hailä nispanda

TRANSLATION

When Nityänanda saw Mädhavendra Puré, He was immediately stunned in

ecstatic love and fell to the ground unconscious.

TEXT 159

nityänande dekhi’ mätra çré-mädhava-puré

paòilä mürchita hai’ äpanä’ päsari’

TRANSLATION

Seeing Nityänanda, Mädhavendra Puré forgot himself and fell unconscious.

872
 TEXT 160

’bhakti-rase mädhavendra ädi-sütra-dhära’

gauracandra ihä kahiyächena bäre bära

TRANSLATION

Çré Gauracandra has repeatedly stated that Çré Mädhavendra Puré is the
original root of worship in ecstatic love.

COMMENTARY

The word bhakti-rase is explained as follows: Codes of devotional service

were handed down through Lakñmépati Tértha of the Tattvaväda branch. The
codes of pure devotional mellows, however, were inaugurated by Çrépäda
Mädhavendra Puré. See Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 9.10 and Antya 8.34)

TEXT 161

doìhe mürchä hailena doìhä-daraçane

kändaye éçvara-puré-ädi çiñya-gaëe

TRANSLATION

After they both fell unconscious, the disciples headed by Éçvara Puré all
began to cry.

COMMENTARY

873
 At the time of Çré Mädhavendra Puré’s meeting with Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu, his eternal associate and servant Çrépäda Éçvara Puré was present. The
phrase éçvara-puré-ädi refers to the nine Nidhis, or the nine sannyäsés, headed
by Paramänanda Puré.

TEXT 162

kñaëeke hailä bähya-dåñöi dui-jana

anyo ’nye galä dhari’ karena krandana

TRANSLATION

After some time, when they regained external consciousness, they held each
other’s neck and began to cry.

COMMENTARY

The word bähya-dåñöi means “after regaining consciousness” or “coming to

external senses.”

TEXT 163

bälu gaòi yäya dui-prabhu prema-rase

huìkära karaye kåñëa-premera äveçe

TRANSLATION

Overwhelmed in ecstatic love for Kåñëa, they then rolled in the sand and
cried out loudly.

874
 TRANSLATION

The words dui-prabhu refer to Çrémad Nityänanda Prabhu and Çrépäda

Mädhavendra Puré.

TEXT 164

prema-nadé vahe dui prabhura nayane

påthivé haila sikta dhanya hena mäne

TRANSLATION

Tears of love flowed like rivers from their eyes and soaked mother earth,
thereby making her feel gratified.

TEXT 165

kampa, açru, pulaka, bhävera anta näi

dui dehe viharaye caitanya-gosäïi

TRANSLATION

Shivering, shedding tears, hairs standing on end, and other ecstatic

symptoms appeared without end, for Lord Caitanya personally resides in their
bodies.

TEXT 166

875
 nityänanda bole,—“yata tértha kariläìa
samyak tähära phala äji päiläìa

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda said, “Whatever pilgrimage I have performed till now has
today born fruit.

TEXT 167

nayane dekhinu mädhavendrera caraëa

e prema dekhiyä dhanya haila jévana”

TRANSLATION

“Today I have seen the lotus feet of Mädhavendra Puré. By seeing his
ecstatic love of God, My life has become successful.”

TEXT 168

mädhavendra-puré nityänande kari’ kole

uttara nä sphure,—kaëöha-ruddha prema-jale

TRANSLATION

Mädhavendra Puré embraced Nityänanda and was unable to reply, for his
throat was choked with love.

876
 TEXT 169

hena préta hailena mädhavendra-puré

vakña haite nityänande bähira nä kari

TRANSLATION

Çré Mädhavendra Puré was so pleased that he was unable to release

Nityänanda from his embrace.

TEXT 170

éçvara-puré-brahmänanda-puré-ädi yata
sarva çiñya hailena nityänande rata

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré, Brahmänanda Puré, and the other disciples of Mädhavendra

Puré all felt great attachment for Lord Nityänanda.

COMMENTARY

Çré Éçvara Puré was born in a brähmaëa family of Kumärahaööa (near the
Halisahara Station on the E.B. Railway Line) and was a beloved disciple of Çré
Mädhavendra Puré. The Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya 8.28-30) describes how
Çréman Mädhavendra, being pleased by his service, benedicted him in the
following words: “May you obtain the wealth of love for Kåñëa.” Prior to
enacting the pastime of initiating Mahäprabhu with the ten syllable mantra at
Gayä, Çré Éçvara Puré came to Navadvépa and resided at the house of

877
Gopénätha Äcärya for one month. At that time he had discussions with
Advaita Prabhu and Mahäprabhu in which he recited to Them his book, Çré
Kåñëa-lélämåta (Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä, Chapter 11). When Çréman
Mahäprabhu visited Kumärahaööa to see the birthplace of Çrépäda Éçvara Puré,
He took some dirt from that place and bound it in His outer garment in order
to teach the living entities how to respect one’s spiritual master (Cc. Ädi
17.101). Even today every Gauòéya Vaiñëava who visits the place of Çré Éçvara
Puré carries some dirt back with him. Çré Mädhavendra Puré was the first
fructified seed of the desire tree of devotional service, and Çré Éçvara Puré is
the nourishment of that fructified seed (Cc. Ädi 9.11). The two brahmacärés,
Govinda and Käçéçvara, were disciples of Çré Éçvara Purépäda. After his
disappearance, these two brahmacärés went to Néläcala on his order to serve
Mahäprabhu (Cc. Ädi 10.138-139 and Madhya 10.131-134). He received
Mahäprabhu’s mercy on the pretext of giving Him mantra initiation in Gayä
(Cc. Ädi 17.8).
Çré Brahmänanda Puré was a disciple of Çréman Mädhavendra Puré; in other
words, he was one of the nine Nidhis or roots of the desire tree of devotional
service (Cc. Ädi 9.13). He was a participant in Çré Mahäprabhu’s saìkértana
pastimes in Navadvépa. He also took part in Mahäprabhu’s pastimes in
Néläcala.

TEXT 171

sabhe yata mahäjana sambhäñä karena

kåñëa-premä kähäro çarére nä dekhena

TRANSLATION

They had previously come across many sadhus, but they had never before

878
seen such devotional symptoms.

TEXT 172

sabhei päyena duùkha durjana sambhäñiyä

ataeva vana sabhe bhramena dekhiyä

TRANSLATION

They always felt distressed while conversing with materialistic people, so

they decided to travel through the forests.

TEXT 173

anyo ’nye se-saba duùkhera haila näça

anyo ’nye dekhi’ kåñëa-premera prakäça

TRANSLATION

Now, with this meeting, their distress was mitigated and their love for
Kåñëa was aroused.

TEXT 174

kata-dina nityänanda mädhavendra-saìge

bhramena çré-kåñëa-kathä-paränanda-raìge

TRANSLATION

879
 For some days Nityänanda Prabhu traveled with Mädhavendra Puré and
relished discussing topics of Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 175

mädhavendra-kathä ati adbhuta kathana

megha dekhilei mätra haya acetana

TRANSLATION

The characteristics of Mädhavendra Puré are most wonderful; he fell

unconscious just by seeing a dark cloud.

COMMENTARY

The megha, or “cloud” is an uddépana, or reminder, of Kåñëa, whose

complexion resembles a newly formed cloud.

TEXT 176

ahar-niça kåñëa-preme madyapera präya

häse, kände, hai hai kare häya häya

TRANSLATION

Out of love for Kåñëa, he would day and night laugh, cry, and exclaim
“Haya! Haya!” almost like a drunkard.

880
 TEXT 177

nityänanda mahä-matta govindera rase

òhuliyä òhuliyä paòe aööa-aööa häse

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda was intoxicated with loving sentiments for Govinda. He

would laugh loudly and sway to and fro with love of God.

TEXT 178

doìhära adbhuta bhäva dekhi’ çiñya-gaëa

niravadhi ’hari’ bali’ karaye kértana

TRANSLATION

Mädhavendra’s disciples constantly chanted the name of Hari as they

observed their extraordinary symptoms of love.

TEXT 179

rätri-dina keha nähi jäne prema-rase

kata käla yäya’ keha-kñaëa nähi väse

TRANSLATION

The two forgot whether it was day or night in their absorption of ecstatic

881
love. Although they remained together for a number of days, they considered
that time hardly a moment.

COMMENTARY

The words kñaëa nähi väse indicate that although they both spent all their
time constantly discussing topics of Kåñëa, without considering external time,
place, or circumstances, they did not feel that they had passed even a fraction
of a moment.

TEXT 180

mädhavendra-saìge yata haila äkhyäna

ke jänaye tähä, kåñëacandra se pramäëa

TRANSLATION

Who can know all the incidents that took place between Nityänanda and
Mädhavendra Puré? Only Kåñëa can know.

COMMENTARY

The phrase kåñëacandra se pramäëa indicates that only Lord Çré Kåñëa is
the worshipable Lord for both Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas and, as the Supersoul
of everyone, He knows everything.

TEXT 181

mädhavendra nityänande chäòite nä päre

882
 niravadhi nityänanda-saàhati vihare

TRANSLATION

Mädhavendra Puré was unable to give up the association of Nityänanda, so

he constantly remained with Him.

TEXT 182

mädhavendra bole,—“prema nä dekhiluì kothä

sei mora sarva-tértha, hena prema yathä

TRANSLATION

Mädhavendra said, “I have never seen such ecstatic love. Wherever such
love of God is found, that is my favorite holy place.

TEXT 183

jänilu kåñëera kåpä äche mora prati

nityänanda-hena bandhu päinu saàhati

TRANSLATION

“I know Kåñëa has bestowed His mercy on me because He has given me the
association of Nityänanda.

TEXT 184

883
 ye-se sthäne yadi nityänanda-saìga haya
sei sthäna sarva-tértha-vaikuëöhädi-maya

TRANSLATION

“Wherever Nityänanda’s association is found, that place is most sacred and

completely transcendental.

TEXT 185

nityänanda hena bhakta çunile çravaëe

avaçya päibe kåñëacandra sei jane

TRANSLATION

“If one hears the name of Nityänanda, he will certainly attain the lotus feet
of Lord Kåñëacandra.

TEXT 186

nityänande yähära tileka dveña rahe

bhakta haile o se kåñëera priya nahe”

TRANSLATION

“If one has the slightest envy for Nityänanda, he is never favored by Kåñëa
even if he appears to be a devotee.”

884
 COMMENTARY

It is to be understood that those who disrespect the spiritual master, who is

nondifferent from the Supreme Lord, by considering him a mortal being and
addressing him as “my spiritual master,” “his spiritual master,” and so on, have
not actually accepted the spiritual master as the dearmost associate of Kåñëa.
Due to material considerations, people in this world have accepted the
spiritual master, who is a direct manifestation of the Supreme Lord, as an
object of enjoyment. It is impossible for members of these pseudo sampradäyas
to come to the same platform or cooperate with the pure devotees. It is the
nature of persons who are envious of the Vaiñëavas to consider the spiritual
master as an object of enjoyment because any consideration other than, ämära
prabhura prabhu gauräìga-sundara/ e baòa bharasä citte dhari nirantara—“Çré
Gauräìga-sundara is the Lord of my Lord. I always keep this conviction in my
heart,” creates thirteen pseudo sampradäyas like äula, bäula, kartäbhajä,
präkåta-sahajiyä, sakhé-bheké, jäti-gosäi, and gaura-nägaré. Actually if one
rejects the concept of guru or disrespects the eternally worshipable Supreme
Personality of Godhead’s supreme servitor and attributes abominable,
insignificant, mundane considerations on him, then according to the
ardha-kukkuti-nyäya, or the logic of accepting half of a hen, his atheistic
nature will be revealed. Whenever the so-called spiritual masters of the pseudo
sampradäyas display their envy against the pure Vaiñëavas, one should
abandon those apa-sampradäya so-called gurus, who are actually laghus, or
insignificant, understanding them to be envious of the Vaiñëavas. One should
then search out and take shelter of a pure Vaiñëava, who is spiritual master of
the entire world and knower of the science of Kåñëa.
Besides members of the Rüpänuga-sampradäya, members of the other
thirteen apa-sampradäyas are envious of the devotees who follow Çré Rüpa,
therefore Lord Kåñëa never considers them as dear. That is why people who
maintain animosity towards the pure devotee followers of Çré Rüpa actually

885
become laghu. The spiritual masters who are dear to Kåñëa are always attached
to the Vaiñëava spiritual masters who follow Çré Rüpa. On the pretext of
devotional service, the members of the apa-sampradäyas appoint someone who
is envious of the Supreme Lord as guru and thus maintain their pride.
Knowing them as bad association, the pure devotees give up their company
and remain firmly fixed at the feet of their spiritual master under the
subordination of Çré Rüpa. While analyzing the answer to the question,
“Which person who is accepted as guru is actually a pure Vaiñëava, or
dearmost to Kåñëa?” if we find that a person does not accept the followers of
Çré Rüpa as his intimate friends, but rather envies them, then such a bogus
guru should immediately be totally rejected.

TEXT 187

ei-mata mädhavendra nityänanda-prati

ahar-niça bolena, karena rati-mati

TRANSLATION

In this way Mädhavendra Puré day and night exhibited affection for
Nityänanda with his speech and activities.

TEXT 188

mädhavendra-prati nityänanda mahäçaya

guru-buddhi vyatirikta ära nä karaya

TRANSLATION

886
 Nityänanda considered Mädhavendra to be His guru and nothing less.

COMMENTARY

Some people say that according to the accepted and listed disciplic
succession of the Brahma-Mädhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya, Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu was a disciple of Çré Mädhavendra Puré, and some people say that He
was a disciple of Çré Lakñmépati Tértha, which means that He was a
Godbrother of Çré Mädhavendra Puré. (An ancient verse quoted in the Fifth
Wave of the Bhakti-ratnäkara states:

nityänanda prabhuà vande çrémal-lakñmépati-priyam

mädhva-sampradäyänanda- varddhanaà bhakta-vatsalam

“I worship Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, who is very dear to Çré Lakñmépati. He

increased the happiness of the Madhva-sampradäya and was always
affectionate to the devotees.”) The consideration of Godbrotherhood is not
separate from the consideration of Guru for the same reason that even though
there is a difference between a historical incident and the description of that
incident, both point to the same thing. The bogus guru sampradäya that
follows the smärtas does not maintain a cordial relationship with the pure
Vaiñëavas but have learned to illegitimately protect their selfish pride.

TEXT 189

ei-mata anyo ’nye dui mahämati

kåñëa-preme nä jänena kothä divä-räti

TRANSLATION

These two greatly learned personalities did not know whether it was day or

887
night due to their ecstatic love for Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Being maddened with love for Kåñëa, both Çré Mädhavendra Puré and
Çrémad Nityänanda Prabhu were not concerned with the days and nights of
the mundane external world, which is unfavorable to Kåñëa.

TEXT 190

kata-dina mädhavendra-saìge nityänanda

thäkiyä calilä çeñe yathä setubandha

TRANSLATION

After remaining together for some days, Nityänanda left for Setubandha
[Rämeçvaram].

TEXT 191

mädhavendra calilä sarayü dehkibäre

kåñëäveçe keha nija-deha nähi smare

TRANSLATION

Mädhavendra Puré went to see the Sarayü River. In their absorption of

Kåñëa consciousness they both forgot their own bodies.

888
 TEXT 192

ataeva jévanera rakñä se-virahe

bähya thäkile ki se-virahe präëa rahe?

TRANSLATION

Therefore a devotee’s feelings of separation for the Lord maintain his life.
Otherwise how could such intense feelings be tolerated if one were in external
consciousness?

COMMENTARY

If one experiences intense feelings of distress in separation from the Lord

while overwhelmed in love for Kåñëa, then he cannot protect his life in
separation from the Lord. That is why one who is devoid of external
consciousness remains constantly in the transcendental internal mood of
uninterrupted ecstatic love in spite of intolerable separation from the Lord
and, due to an increase and nourishment of ecstatic devotional service,
sustaining his life becomes possible. This is confirmed in the Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 2.43-47) in the following words: “’Pure love for
Kåñëa, just like gold from the Jämbü River, does not exist in human society. If
it existed, there could not be separation. If separation were there, one could
not live.’ Thus speaking, the son of Çrématé Çacémätä recited another
wonderful verse, and Rämänanda Räya and Svarüpa Dämodara heard this
verse with rapt attention. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu said, ’I feel shameful to
disclose the activities of My heart. Nonetheless, I shall be done with all
formalities and speak from the heart. Please hear.’ Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu
continued, ’My dear friends, I have not the slightest tinge of love of Godhead
within My heart. When you see Me crying in separation, I am just falsely

889
exhibiting a demonstration of My great fortune. Indeed, not seeing the
beautiful face of Kåñëa playing His flute, I continue to live My life like an
insect, without purpose. Actually, My love for Kåñëa is far, far away. Whatever
I do is actually false. When you see Me cry, I am simply exhibiting My great
fortune. Please try to understand this beyond a doubt. Even though I do not
see the moonlike face of Kåñëa playing on His flute and although there is no
possibility of My meeting Him, still I take care of My own body. That is the
way of lust. In this way, I maintain My flylike life.’”

TEXT 193

nityänanda-mädhavendra, dui-daraçana
ye çunaye, tä’re mile kåñëa-prema-dhana

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears these topics regarding the meeting between Nityänanda

Prabhu and Mädhavendra Puré will certainly achieve the wealth of love for
Kåñëa.

TEXT 194

hena-mate nityänanda bhrame’ prema-rase

setubandhe äilena kateka divase

TRANSLATION

After traveling in this ecstatic mood for some days, Nityänanda arrived at
Setubandha.

890
 TEXT 195

dhanu-térthe snäna kari’ gelä rämeçvara

tabe prabhu äilena vijayanagara

TRANSLATION

After taking bath at Dhanus-tértha, He went to see Lord Rämeçvara. Then

the Lord went to Vijayanagara.

TEXT 196

mäyäpuré, avanté dekhiyä godävaré

äilena jioòa-nåsiàhadeva-puré

TRANSLATION

He visited Mäyäpuré, Avanté, and the Godävaré River, and then He went to
the abode of Jiyaòa-nåsiàha.

TEXT 197

trimalla dekhiyä kürma-nätha puëya-sthäna

çeñe néläcalacandra dekhite payäna

TRANSLATION

He visited Trimalla and Kürma-kñetra, and eventually He went to see

891
Jagannätha, the Lord of Néläcala.

TEXT 198

äilena néläcalacandrera nagare

dhvaja dekhi’ mätra mürchä haila çarére

TRANSLATION

As He approached Çré Néläcala, He fell unconscious upon seeing the temple

flag.

COMMENTARY

The words néläcalacandrera nagare refer to the abode of Jagadéça, or

Puré-dhäma.

TEXT 199

dekhilena catur-vyüha-rüpa jagannätha

prakaöa paramänanda bhakta-varga-sätha

TRANSLATION

He saw Lord Jagannätha as the source of the catur-vyüha—Väsudeva,

Saìkarñaëa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha—and surrounded by His dear
devotees.

COMMENTARY

892
 The word catur-vyüha refers to Çré Jagannätha, who is the combined form
of Väsudeva, Saìkarñaëa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, in other words, Çré
Dvärakädhéça.
The second line of this verse indicates that Çré Nandanandana, who is the
personification of ecstatic pastimes, has appeared at Néläcala (Çré
Puruñottama-kñetra) along with His servants, who assist in His pastimes.

TEXT 200

dekhi’ mätra hailena pulake mürchite

punaù bähya haya, punaù paòe påthivéte

TRANSLATION

Immediately upon seeing the Lord, Nityänanda’s hairs stood on end and He
fell unconscious. When He regained consciousness, He again fell to the ground.

TEXT 201

kampa, sveda pulakäçru, ächäòa, huìkära

ke kahite päre nityänandera vikära?

TRANSLATION

Shivering, perspiring, crying, falling to the ground, and loud roaring—who

can describe these ecstatic transformations that were exhibited by Lord
Nityänanda?

893
 COMMENTARY

The word ächäòa (as used in common language) means “falling to the
ground.”

TEXT 202

ei-mata nityänanda thäki’ néläcale

dekhi, gaìgä-sägara äilä kutuhale

TRANSLATION

After remaining in Néläcala for some time, Nityänanda went in jubilation to

Gaìgä-sägara.

TEXT 203

täì’ra tértha-yäträ saba ke päre kahite?

kichu likhiläìa mätra täì’ra kåpä haite

TRANSLATION

Who can describe the Lord’s pilgrimage? I have written in brief only by His
mercy.

TEXT 204

ei-mata tértha bhrami’ nityänanda-räya

894
 punar-bära äsiyä mililä mathuräya

TRANSLATION

After visiting various holy places in this way, Lord Nityänanda returned
again to Mathurä.

TEXT 205

niravadhi våndävane karena vasati

kåñëera äveçe nä jänena divä-räti

TRANSLATION

He continually stayed in Våndävana and became so absorbed in Kåñëa that

He did not know whether it was day or night.

TEXT 206

ähära nähika, kadäcit dugdha-päna

seha yadi ayäcita keha kare däna

TRANSLATION

He did not eat, but He occasionally drank some milk whenever someone
offered it to Him.

TEXT 207

895
 navadvépe gauracandra äche gupta-bhäve
ihä nityänanda-svarüpera mane jäge

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda knew well that Lord Gauracandra was living incognito in
Navadvépa. He thought to Himself.

TEXT 208

“äpana-aiçvarya prabhu prakäçibe yabe

ämi giyä karimu äpana sevä tabe”

TRANSLATION

“I will go serve Lord Gauräìga when He manifests His opulences.”

TEXT 209

ei mänasika kari’ nityänanda-räya

mathurä chäòiyä navadvépa nähi yäya

TRANSLATION

Thinking in this way, Lord Nityänanda did not go to Navadvépa but

remained at Mathurä.

COMMENTARY

896
 The word mänasika means “arising from the mind,” “thinking,” “desiring,”
“aspiring,” and “wishing.”

TEXT 210

niravadhi viharaye kälindéra jale

çiçu-saìge våndävane dhülä khelä khele

TRANSLATION

He regularly enjoyed sporting in the waters of the Yamunä and playing with
the children in Våndävana.

TEXTS 211-213

yadyäpiha nityänanda dhare sarva çakti

tathäpiha kä’reha nä dilena viñëu-bhakti

yabe gauracandra prabhu karibe prakäça

tä’na se äjïäya bhakti-dänera viläsa

keha kichu nä kare caitanya-äjïä vine

ihäte ’alpatä’ nähi päya prabhu-gaëe

TRANSLATION

Although Lord Nityänanda is omnipotent, He did not distribute devotional

service to the Lord at that time. When Lord Gauracandra manifests His
opulence, then on His order He would begin to distribute devotional service.

897
The servants and associates of Lord Caitanya did not like to do anything
without His instruction, but this does not diminish their glories in the least.

COMMENTARY

Being a personal expansion of and nondifferent from Çré Gaura-Kåñëa, Çré

Nityänanda Prabhu, who is Baladeva, the personification of pure goodness,
and who is the only bestower of love for Gaura-Kåñëa, neither displayed mercy
on anyone nor distributed or preached chanting the holy names in love of
God while visiting the holy places, thereby surpassing His eternally
worshipable Lord Çréman Mahäprabhu’s desire, direct order, or time for the
pastimes of preaching the chanting of the holy names in love of God (see
verse 208). When the supreme independent Lord Mahäprabhu, out of His own
free will and causeless mercy, will manifest His own glories to the fallen souls,
at that time Çré Nityänanda Prabhu will also manifest the pastime of door to
door distribution of the holy names and love of God to the sinful living
entities.
Therefore, following in the footsteps of Çré Nityänanda, anyone who
desires his own welfare does not transgress etiquette and manifest elevated
language or material ego on the pretext of preaching topics of Kåñëa while
proudly masquerading as a guru in the presence of the Supreme Lord or His
empowered representative, the Vaiñëava guru. That is why Çré Bhaktivinoda
Öhäkura has written in his pure devotional song book Kalyäëa-kalpa-taru as
follows:

ämi ta’ vaiñëava, e buddhi haile,

amäné nä ha’ba ämi
pratiñöhäçä äsi’ hådaya düñibe,
haiba nirayagämé

“If I think I am a Vaiñëava, I shall look forward to receiving respect from

898
others. And if the desire for fame and reputation pollute my heart, I shall
certainly go to hell.” The eternally blissful form of knowledge, Çré Kåñëa
Caitanya, is the eternal worshipable Lord of the living entities, and to carry
out His order with body, mind, and speech is real Vaiñëava fame; this is pure
transcendental spiritual identification. This position is most relishable and
beyond the insignificant, partial, abominable nature of perishable matter. And
becoming prominent or dominant in the material sense is actually abominable,
anxiety-filled service and simply another way of describing one’s
insignificance.

TEXT 214

ki ananta, kibä çiva-ajädi devatä

caitanya-äjïäya hartä-kartä pälayitä

TRANSLATION

Brahmä, Ananta, Çiva, and the other demigods create, maintain, and destroy
under the order of Lord Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

The word ananta refers to Viñëu, the maintainer, the word aja refers to
Brahmä, the creator, and the word çiva refers to Hara, the destroyer.

TEXT 215

ihäte ye päpé-gaëa mane duùkha päya

vaiñëavera adåçya se päpé sarvathäya

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 TRANSLATION

Sinful persons who do not like to hear such things are not fit to be seen by
the Vaiñëavas.

TEXT 216

säkñätei dekha sabe ei tribhuvane

nityänanda-dväre päilena prema-dhane

TRANSLATION

Just see for yourself how Nityänanda Prabhu has blessed the people of this
universe with the treasure of devotional service.

TEXT 217

caitanyera ädi-bhakta nityänanda-räya

caitanyera yaça vaise yäìhära jihväya

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda is the foremost devotee of Lord Caitanya, for the glories of
Lord Caitanya always reside on His tongue.

TEXT 218

ahar-niça caitanyera kathä prabhu kaya

900
 täì’re bhajile se caitanya-bhakti haya

TRANSLATION

Day and night Lord Nityänanda chants the glories of Lord Caitanya, so
when one worships Nityänanda he certainly attains devotion for Lord Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

If a living entity worships Çré Nityänanda Prabhu and His Vaiñëava

followers, who constantly chant the glories of Çré Gaura-Kåñëa, then his
propensity for pure devotional service to Lord Çré Kåñëa Caitanya is
enhanced.

TEXT 219

ädi-deva jaya jaya nityänanda-räya

caitanya-mahimä sphure yäìhära kåpäya

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Nityänanda, who is the first manifestation of Lord

Caitanya. The glories of Lord Caitanya become manifest by His mercy.

TEXT 220

caitanya-kåpäya haya nityänande rati

nityänande jänile äpad nähi kati

901
 TRANSLATION

One becomes attached to Nityänanda by the mercy of Çré Caitanya, and one
who knows Nityänanda never faces any adversities.

COMMENTARY

On the strength of nonduplicitous surrender to the lotus feet of Çré

Nityänanda Räma, a living entity achieves freedom from the conditioned state
and becomes qualified to assist Çré Nityänanda in His ten forms of service to
Gaura-Kåñëa. Çré Öhäkura Narottama has sung:

hena nitäi vine bhäi, rädhä-kåñëa päite näi,

dåòha kari’ dhara nitäira päya

“Without the mercy of Lord Nityänanda, no one can achieve Rädhä-Kåñëa.

Therefore tightly catch hold of Nitäi’s lotus feet.” Liberated souls are eligible
to drown in the ocean of Çré Gaura’s service under the guidance of Çré
Nityänanda.

TEXT 221

saàsärera pära haïä bhaktira sägare

ye òubibe, se bhajuka nitäicändere

TRANSLATION

Those who wish to cross the ocean of material existence and drown in the
ocean of devotional service must worship Lord Nityänanda.

902
 TEXT 222

keha bole,—“nityänanda yena balaräma”

keha bole,—“caitanyera baòa priya-dhäma”

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “Nityänanda is just like Balaräma.” Another person said,

“He is most dear to Çré Caitanya.”

TEXTS 223-224

kibä yati nityänanda, kibä bhakta jïäné

yä’ra yena mata icchä, nä bolaye keni

ye-se kene caitanyera nityänanda nahe

tabu sei päda-padma rahuka hådaye

TRANSLATION

Someone may consider Nityänanda a sannyäsé, someone may consider Him a

devotee, and someone may consider Him a jïäné. They may say whatever they
like. Even if Nityänanda was a most insignificant servant of Lord Caitanya, still
I would keep His lotus feet in my heart.

COMMENTARY

“Some people consider Çré Nityänanda Prabhu as the sannyäsé disciple of

Çré Lakñmépati Tértha, some people, on seeing His love for Kåñëa, consider

903
Him a devotee, and other people consider Him a great renunciate and learned
scholar of Vedänta. They may consider my Lord in whichever way they want,
or my worshipable Lord Çré Nityänanda Prabhu may be related to the Supreme
Lord Çré Kåñëa Caitanya Mahäprabhu simply as a menial servant, but I will
not enter into this unnecessary subject. I will place the lotus feet of Çré
Nityänanda within my heart while considering him my eternal worshipable
Lord.”

TEXT 225

eta parihäre o ye päpé nindä kare

tabe läthi märoì tä’ra çirera upare

TRANSLATION

Therefore I kick the head of any sinful person who disregards the glories of
Lord Nityänanda and dares to criticize Him.

COMMENTARY

The word parihära means “to rectify the faults,” “to drop the charges,” “to
pray,” “to offer,” “to abandon,” and “to neglect.”
In order to permanently stop the continual irreverence towards the
Supreme Lord by those hellish people who enviously criticize Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu and to render them eternal benefit and good sense, the author is ready
to kick them in the head. By this statement of the most merciful Çré Öhäkura
Mahäçaya to the staunch atheists, the transcendental goddess of learning,
Çuddhä Sarasvaté, displays the firm attachment of a servant towards his
master, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, thus teaching everyone through illuminating
words that although Öhäkura Mahäçaya and other pure devotees who act and

904
preach in his footsteps are detached from those who are extremely
uninterested in their own welfare, who are determined to run towards hell,
and who are ignorant of the truth regarding Çré Nityänanda, they are
nevertheless selflessly and causelessly merciful towards the fallen souls. While
Çréla Öhäkura Våndävana, who is a Vaiñëava äcärya, the direct incarnation of
Vyäsa, and servant of Çré Nityänanda, enacts his pastime of transcendentally
kicking, if even one particle of dust falls on the head of some fortunate
persons, they will certainly achieve auspiciousness, in other words, their
anartha-nivåtti, or freedom from unwanted things, is guaranteed. The
exhibition of such great compassion by Çré Viñëu or the Vaiñëavas is beyond
the imagination or intelligence of the foolish nondevotees, who can not
discriminate between what is favorable and what is unfavorable for their own
welfare. The all-auspicious endeavors and behavior of the preachers and
practitioners of pure devotional service to Gaura-Kåñëa who follow in the
footsteps of Öhäkura Çré Våndävana, who is the direct incarnation of Çré
Vyäsa, display on one hand gross punishment on the fallen averse living
entities and on the other hand subtle unlimited compassion on them.

TEXT 226

kona caitanyera loka nityänanda-prati

’manda’ bole, hena dekha,—se kevala ’stuti’

TRANSLATION

If you find any follower of Lord Caitanya appear to say something bad about
Nityänanda, you should know for certain that what they said was actually
glorification.

905
 COMMENTARY

No pure devotee of Gaura can criticize or tolerate criticism against Çré

Nityänanda Prabhu. If anyone thinks that the statements of Çré Advaita
Prabhu towards Çré Nityänanda Prabhu were criticisms, that is simply his
misunderstanding and offense. One should not lose faith in the lotus feet of
Nityänanda, who is the only shelter and goal of all living entities, by
considering the so-called criticism of Nityänanda to be criticism, when it is
actually glorification of Nityänanda.

TEXT 227

nitya çuddha jïänavanta vaiñëava-sakala

tabe ye kalaha dekha, saba kutuhala

TRANSLATION

Vaiñëavas are always pure and full of knowledge, so if there is ever any
quarrel between them you should know it is simply part of their pastimes.

COMMENTARY

It should be understood that the apparent act of quarreling on the pretext

of criticizing Nityänanda by the pure devotees of Gaura, headed by Advaita, is
meant to awaken the living entities’ interest and increase their service
attitude towards Nityänanda, because all of Çré Gaura’s devotees are eternally
pure and endowed with pure transcendental knowledge. Ignorance, such as
dualities, aversion, or opposition to Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas, cannot remain
in them.

906
 TEXT 228

ithe eka-janera haiyä pakña yei

anya-jane nindä kare, kñaya yäya sei

TRANSLATION

If a person takes the side of one Vaiñëava and criticizes another, he is

certainly vanquished.

COMMENTARY

If someone due to misfortune and material conceptions considers the

loving quarrels of the eternally liberated devotees, who are always eager to
please Kåñëa, to be like the dualities enjoyed by the conditioned souls, who are
agitated by disturbances to their sense gratification, and thus takes the side of
one and criticizes the other, then, as a result of his imprudence, his ruination
is guaranteed. Without understanding how the most pleasing transcendental
opposing parties, who nourish the pastimes of the Absolute Lord Çré
Gaura-Kåñëa, are wonderfully increasing their respective attachment for the
Lord, if someone praises one and condemns another due to his enjoying spirit
and fruitive mentality, he is certainly inviting his own downfall, or in other
words, he is ruining himself.

TEXT 229

nityänanda-svarüpe se nindä nä laoyäya

tä’na pathe thäkile se gauracandra päya

907
 TRANSLATION

Anyone who follows Nityänanda without finding fault in Him will surely
attain the shelter of Çré Gauracandra.

COMMENTARY

If a living entity desiring his own welfare personally engages in the service
of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu without taking any part whatsoever in criticizing
Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, personally or through others, he can be qualified to
receive the mercy of Çréman Mahäprabhu. Simply by following in the footsteps
of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, the merciful glance of Çré Gaura is guaranteed. But
endeavors to directly or indirectly criticize or diminish Çré Nityänanda
Prabhu’s glories, on the pretext of serving Him, certainly leads one to hell.

TEXT 230

hena dina haiba ki caitanya-nityänanda

dekhiba veñöita catur-dike bhakta-vånda

TRANSLATION

When will that day come when I will see Lord Caitanya and Lord
Nityänanda surrounded by Their devotees?

TEXT 231

sarva-bhäve svämé yena haya nityänanda

908
 täì’ra haiyä bhaji yena prabhu-gauracandra

TRANSLATION

Let me serve Lord Gauracandra under the instructions of Lord Nityänanda,

who is my worshipable Lord in all respects.

COMMENTARY

Just by seeing the word svämé [which also means “husband”] in this verse,
no one should try, like the gaura-nägarés, to become the consort of
Nityänanda. The eternal desire of the author, who is a devotee of Gaura, is to
engage with firm determination in the service of Çré Gauräìga Mahäprabhu
and Çré Nityänanda Prabhu under the guidance of his spiritual master, Çré
Nityänanda Prabhu. ??Under the guidance of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu and
accepting Him as his Lord, the author’s endeavor to favorably assist in Çré
Gaura’s service, of which Nityänanda Prabhu is the proprietor and sole
authority, proves the author’s strong attachment for worshiping Gaura.

TEXT 232

nityänanda-svarüpera sthäne bhägavata

janme janme paòibäìa,—ei abhimata

TRANSLATION

I desire to study Çrémad Bhägavatam under Çré Nityänanda Svarüpa birth

after birth.

909
 TEXT 233

jaya jaya mahäprabhu çré-gauräìgacandra

dilä o nilä o tumi prabhu-nityänanda

TRANSLATION

All glories to the Supreme Lord, Çré Gauräìga! You have given me and then
taken from me the association of Lord Nityänanda.

COMMENTARY

“If Çré Nityänanda Prabhu empowers me to understand the meaning of

Çrémad Bhägavatam, as His servant I will constantly keep the conclusions of
Çrémad Bhägavatam and the process of service approved by Çrémad Bhägavatam
and learned from Him within my heart. May I never become controlled by
self-interest and transgress the lotus feet of my spiritual master, Çré
Nityänanda, or consider Çrémad Bhägavatam, which is nondifferent from Çré
Nityänanda, as a commodity of sense gratification.”

TEXT 234

tathäpiha ei kåpä kara, mahäçaya

tomäte täìhäte yena citta-våtti raya

TRANSLATION

Still, I beg for Your mercy, so that my mind may remain absorbed in His
and Your lotus feet.

910
 COMMENTARY

“By sending Çré Nityänanda Prabhu as my spiritual master, Çréman

Mahäprabhu has bestowed causeless mercy on such a fallen soul as me, and
when the pastimes of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu were completed, He has taken
Him away from me. O my Lord, bless me so that my mind may not deviate in
Your absence after You have both enacted Your disappearance pastimes. May I
ever fix my restless uncontrolled mind at the lotus feet of You both.” By this
statement the author has taught the constitutional duty and principle of
humility to every servant of the spiritual master.”

TEXT 235

tomära parama-bhakta nityänanda-räya

vinä tumi dile täì’re keha nähi päya

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda is Your greatest devotee. No one can attain Him without
Your sanction.

COMMENTARY

Unless Çréman Mahäprabhu reveals Çré Nityänanda Prabhu to a living

entity, no one is able to attain His lotus feet. Çré Nityänanda Prabhu alone is
the highest respected servant and nondifferent from Çréman Mahäprabhu.

TEXT 236

911
 våndävana-ädi kari’ bhrame nityänanda
yävat nä äpanä’ prakäçe’ gauracandra

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda traveled throughout the forests of Våndävana until Lord

Gauracandra displayed His opulences.

COMMENTARY

Until Çré Gaurasundara displayed His pastimes of distributing His holy

names and love of God, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu was traveling to various holy
places like Çrédhäma Våndävana. Until Çré Gaurasundara completed His
covered scholastic pastimes and began manifesting His most magnanimous
pastimes to His intimate devotees, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu, being afflicted by
separation from His Lord, visited holy places throughout India and thus
exhibited the pastime of searching for Kåñëa.

TEXT 237

nityänanda-svarüpera tértha-paryaöana
yei ihä çune, tä’re mile prema-dhana

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears these descriptions of Nityänanda Svarüpa’s visit to the holy

places will attain the treasure of divine love.

912
 TEXT 238

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Nine, entitled, “Nityänanda’s
Childhood Pastimes and Travels to Holy Places.”

Chapter Ten: Marriage with Çré Lakñmépriyä

This chapter describes Çré Viçvambhara’s scholastic pastimes in the

assembly of Gaìgädäsa Paëòita, His exchange of joking words with Muräri
Gupta, His marriage with Lakñmédevé, the daughter of Vallabhäcärya, and
Çacédevé’s experience of various opulences in her house after the arrival of her
daughter-in-law.
After finishing His morning duties, Nimäi Paëòita and other students
came and sat in Gaìgädäsa Paëòita’s classes and debated with each other.
Those who did not want to study under Nimäi were not supported by Him;
rather, He showed them the bad results of studying independent of His
guidance. Observing that Muräri Gupta was not studying under His guidance,

913
Nimäi once jokingly told him that it was better for him to treat patients than
to study grammar. In this way He tried to arouse his anger. Rather than
becoming angry, Muräri, who is a plenary portion of Rudra, challenged Nimäi
to test his knowledge. The debate between the Lord and His servant began.
The Lord was greatly pleased to hear the explanations of Muräri, who by the
Lord’s mercy was most learned, and placed His lotus hand on the body of
Muräri. At that time Muräri’s body was filled with ecstasy and he thought,
“Such extraordinary knowledge is not possible for an ordinary human being.
There is no one in all of Navadvépa as intelligent as He.” He then said, “O
Öhäkura, now I will study only under You.” After sporting in this way, Nimäi
went to take bath in the Ganges with His companions and then returned
home. Nimäi Paëòita and His students established a school in the
Caëòé-maëòapa in the courtyard of the fortunate Mukunda Saïjaya, the
resident of Navadvépa. There Nimäi displayed various pastimes such as
establishing His own explanations and refuting other’s explanations. While
teaching in this way, Nimäi would proudly boast about His mastery of learning
in the following way: “I see that in Kali-yuga those who are devoid of any
knowledge of sandhi, or joining words, pass as Bhaööäcäryas. At present there
is no scholar within Navadvépa who can answer My challenge.” Meanwhile,
considering that Nimäi had attained marriageable age, Mother Çacé constantly
thought about getting Him married. One day, by providence, Lakñmédevé, the
personification of the goddess of fortune and daughter of Vallabhäcärya, who
hailed from a pure cultured brähmaëa family, met her Lord, Gaura-Näräyaëa,
while taking bath in the Ganges and offered obeisances to His lotus feet
within her mind. By the will of the Lord, that very day Çré Vanamälé, a
brähmaëa matchmaker resident of Navadvépa, proposed to Mother Çacé the
marriage of Nimäi with Lakñmédevé, the daughter of Vallabha. Not getting any
special attention or hope of marriage from Mother Çacé, the brähmaëa was
returning home disappointed when he met Nimäi on the way. After
understanding everything from the brähmaëa, Nimäi indicated to His mother
His consent for the marriage. The next day Mother Çacé called that brähmaëa

914
and told him to arrange the marriage as soon as possible. The brähmaëa
happily and immediately went to the house of the bride and informed her
family about the consent of the groom’s family, upon which Çré Vallabhäcärya
also jubilantly consented, but he declared that due to poverty he was not able
to give anything more than five haritakés as dowry. With the agreement of
both the bride and groom’s sides, an auspicious day was selected. One day
before the marriage, Vallabhäcärya came to Nimäi’s house and at an
auspicious moment executed the rituals meant to be performed with one’s
son-in-law before marriage. Thereafter, other auspicious Vedic and common
rituals were duly performed. On the day of the marriage, at the auspicious time
of go-dhüli, or dusk, Nimäi Paëòita with His companions arrived at the house
of Vallabha and duly accepted the hand of Lakñmédevé. The next evening
Nimäi returned home with Lakñmédevé. Mother Çacé, the mother-in-law of
Lakñmé, along with other brähmaëas’ wives, welcomed her daughter-in-law
home. From that day on, Mother Çacé observed various opulences and wealth
such as extraordinary effulgences and fragrances and became overjoyed on
understanding that her daughter-in-law was none other than Kamalä, or
Lakñmé. Due to the presence of Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa, the Lord of Vaikuëöha,
and His internal potency, Çré Ramä, who is nondifferent from Çré Lakñmé, the
house of Mother Çacé manifest as Vaikuëöha, the abode of pure goodness. Yet
at that time, by the supreme will of the Lord, no one could understand the
covered pastimes of the Lord.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya gauracandra mahä-maheçvara

jaya nityänanda-priya nitya-kalevara

TRANSLATION

915
 All glories to Çré Gauracandra, the Lord of all lords! All glories to Çré
Nityänanda’s beloved Lord, who possesses an eternal form.

COMMENTARY

The word nitya-kalevara refers to the sac-cid-änanda form of the Supreme

Lord, Çré Gaurasundara. Although His form is eternal, in order that it may not
be perceived as temporary and perishable, it has been described here as eternal
in accordance with the readers’ highly intellectual understanding that there is
no difference between the holy name and the Lord. Within the gross body of
the conditioned soul is his subtle body, and within the gross and subtle body is
the liberated spirit soul, of whom Çré Nityänanda is the source, and His object
of ten varieties of service, Çré Govinda-mohiné along with Her worshipable
Lord, Çré Govinda, are the objects of five types of pure devotional service.
Therefore the philosophy of distinguishing between the body and owner of the
body of the living entities, who are controlled by mäyä, to be applicable to the
Supreme Lord, who controls mäyä, is completely prohibited. In the subtle
heavenly planets, the bodies of the demigods consist of gross knowledge, and
Lord Viñëu is present within the bodies of the subordinate demigods as the
controller. The supreme worshipable Lord of such controllers is Çré
Gaurasundara, who is the combined form of Çré Rädhä-Govinda.

TEXT 2

jaya çré-govinda-dvära-pälakera nätha

jéva-prati kara, prabhu, çubha-dåñöi-päta

TRANSLATION

All glories to the Lord of Govinda the doorkeeper. O Lord, please glance

916
mercifully on the living entities.

COMMENTARY

Çré Govinda was the doorkeeper of Çré Viçvambhara. Govinda guarded the
doors of Viçvambhara’s house. (See Caitanya-bhägavata, CB Ädi-khaëòa
11.39-40, 13.2; CB Madhya-khaëòa 6.6, 8.114, 13.338, 23.152, 451; and CB
Antya-khaëòa 1.52, 2.35, 7.5, 8.58, 9.195-196.)

TEXT 3

jaya jaya jagannätha-putra vipra-räja

jaya hau to’ra yata çré-bhakta-samäja

TRANSLATION

All glories to Jagannätha’s son, the king of the brähmaëas. All glories to all
of Your devotees.

COMMENTARY

The phrase çré-bhakta-samäja is explained as follows: Vrajendra-nandana

Çré Kåñëa is the only worshipable Lord. That Supreme Lord, in His two forms
as viñaya and äçraya, the worshipable and the worshiper, is the worshipable
object of all His subordinates. The viñaya-vigraha, or object of worship, who is
the Lord of the goddess of fortune, and the äçraya-vigraha, or abode of
worship, who is the goddess of fortune, are both the objects of service for
Their devotees. The devotees’ favorable cultivation of service towards their
worshipable object is called bhakti, or devotional service. The servants of the
viñaya and äçraya are known as bhaktas. They are many, so collectively they

917
are called bhakta-samäja. Under the categories of six opulences, various
spiritual splendors are present in this bhakta-samäja. That is why the devotees
have been described as Çré-bhakta-samäja. All the devotees who are under the
shelter of the energetic Lord’s energy try to please their worshipable Lord in
various ways.

TEXT 4

jaya jaya kåpä-sindhu kamala-locana

hena kåpä kara,—tora yaçe rahu mana

TRANSLATION

All glories to the lotus-eyed Lord, who is an ocean of mercy. O Lord, please
bless me that my mind may be absorbed in Your glories.

COMMENTARY

When the living entities’ highest spiritual propensities are engaged in the
service of the Supreme Lord, who is full in six opulences, there is no
inconvenience for them. When a living entity becomes greedy for objects not
related to the Lord, he loses his opulences and, being disturbed by his restless
mind, he furthers his conditional life. That is why the author, with a desire to
be attracted to the Supreme Lord, is hereby praying for His mercy.

TEXT 5

ädi-khaëòe çuna, bhäi, caitanyera kathä

vidyära viläsa prabhu karilena yathä

918
 TRANSLATION

My dear brothers, please listen to the topics of Çré Caitanya in this

Ädi-khaëòa, wherein the description of the Lord’s scholastic pastimes are
found.

COMMENTARY

The words vidyära viläsa are explained as follows: The conditioned soul in
this material world is infected with nescience. In other words, he is born
ignorant of his and other’s constitutional position. When the aspect of
spiritual knowledge that is part of the conditioned soul’s constitution is
unmanifest, his state is known as nescience, or ignorance. And the awakening
and development of spiritual propensities by eradicating the absence of
knowledge of the Absolute Truth is called vidyä, or knowledge. In other words,
the awakening of one’s spiritual propensities by a learned person is known as
the achievement of spiritual knowledge. The awakening of other’s spiritual
propensities, which benefits self-realized persons in various ways, is known as
vidyära viläsa. Under the shelter of nescience, or ignorance, the living entities
become illusioned or bewildered—this is the opposite propensity from spiritual
knowledge. When on the strength of this propensity and with the help of
sensual knowledge the conditioned souls attempt to advance through the
ascending process, they reveal their ignorance to learned persons. Çréman
Mahäprabhu also manifested such vidyära viläsa pastimes for the benefit of the
entire world and thus delivered the living entities from the clutches of
nescience.

TEXT 6

hena-mate navadvépe çré-gaurasundara

919
 rätri-dina vidyä-rase nähi avasara

TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Gaurasundara engaged day and night in His studies while
residing in Navadvépa.

TEXT 7

üñaù-käle sandhyä kari’ tridaçera-nätha

paòite calena sarva-çiñya-gaëa-sätha

TRANSLATION

After performing His morning rites, the Lord of Tridaça went to school
along with His classmates.

COMMENTARY

The word tri, or “three,” in the word tridaçera-nätha, in consideration of

places, refers to the Bhür, Bhuvar and Svar planetary systems; in
consideration of time, refers to past, present, and future; in consideration of
persons, refers to Brahmä, Viñëu, and Rudra; and the word daça, in
consideration of directions, refers to east, west, north, south, northeast,
southeast, northwest, southwest, up, and down. The word tridaça refers to each
of the ten directions—above, center, and below. Otherwise the word tridaça,
in consideration of persons, refers to thirty-three demigods. From the
less-intelligent point of view the word tridaça-puré refers to the heavenly
kingdom, and the word tridaça-nätha refers to Indra, the husband of Çacé. And
from the intellectual point of view it refers to Lord Upendra. Some people say

920
that tridaça refers to the twelve Ädityas, the eleven Rudras, the eight Vasus,
and the two Açviné-kumäras. Yet others say that each of these thirty-three
demigods represent ten million others. According to the learned viewpoint, all
these word meanings are included within Viñëu.
The phrase çiñya-gaëa-sätha indicates that since the disciples of the teacher
Gaìgädäsa Paëòita were more or less subordinate to Nimäi, they respected
Him as the principle student and as good as their teacher.

TEXT 8

äsiyä vaisena gaìgädäsera sabhäya

pakña-pratipakña prabhu karena sadäya

TRANSLATION

The Lord would sit in Gaìgädäsa’s class and continually engage in debate.

COMMENTARY

The word pakña refers to two different meanings of one subject. A bird is
able to fly in the sky with the help of its two wings; similarly, when there is
some doubt about a subject matter, then both sides—the pürva-pakña, or
challenging side, and the para-pakña, or concluding side—are needed to reach
a conclusion. Consistency must be maintained with the para-pakña. Each side
refers to the other side as the para-pakña, or opposing side; or in other words,
from an impartial viewpoint, each side is sva-pakña, or one’s own side, and
from a partial view, each side is an opposing side. The words pakña-pratipakña
refer to debate and counterdebate, favorable and unfavorable questions and
answers, one’s own side and the opposing side, or the challenging side and
concluding side.

921
 TEXT 9

prabhu-sthäne puìthi cinte nähi ye-ye-jana

tähäre se prabhu kadarthena anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord would always defeat the arguments of anyone who disagreed with
His explanations.

COMMENTARY

The word kadarthana means “to distort the meaning,” “to point out
inconsistencies or prove unreasonable,” “to pollute,” “to condemn,” or “to
outright reject.”

TEXT 10

paòiyä vaisena prabhu puìthi cintäite

yä’ra yata gaëa laiyä vaise nänä-bhite

TRANSLATION

After class, the Lord sat in the midst of His friends to discuss the subjects
further.

COMMENTARY

The word cintäite means “to consider,” “to discuss,” or “to cultivate.” The

922
word nänä-bhite refers to various directions, various sides, or various groups.

TEXT 11

nä cinte muräri-gupta puìthi prabhu-sthäne

ataeva prabhu kichu cälena tähäne

TRANSLATION

Muräri Gupta did not care to sit in the Lord’s discussions, therefore the
Lord desired to confront him.

COMMENTARY

The word cälena means “to induce,” “to stun with one’s explanation,” “to
remove,” “to dislocate,” “to induce shaking,” “to twirl,” “to condemn or
chastise,” or “to pollute or criticize.”

TEXT 12

yoga-paööa-chände vastra kariyä bandhana

vaisena sabhära madhye kari’ véräsana

TRANSLATION

Nimäi wore His cloth like a sannyäsé, and He sat in the véräsana posture.

COMMENTARY

In this verse the word yoga-paööa refers to the way Vedic sannyäsés wear
923
their cloth. The word yoga-kakñä is found in Çrédhara Svämé’s commentary on
Çrémad Bhägavatam (4.6.39). The piece of cloth circling tightly around the
back and thigh like a belt that a sannyäsé wears is called yoga-paööa. It is stated
in the Padma Puräëa, Kärttika-mähätmya, Chapter 2: “The piece of cloth that
a sannyäsé wears wrapped around his side like a bangle that covers his back
and hangs down to his knees is called yoga-paööa.”
The word véräsana refers to sitting (like a hero) with one’s left foot on the
right thigh and right foot on left thigh. This is explained in Çrédhara Svämé’s
commentary on the Çrémad Bhägavatam (4.6.38) wherein he quotes from the
yoga-çästras as follows: “Placing the right foot on the left thigh and the left
foot on the right thigh while placing the left hand on the left thigh and
raising the right hand in an argumentative pose is called véräsana.”

TEXT 13

candanera çobhe ürddhva tilaka su-bhäti

mukutä gaïjaye divya-daçanera jyotiù

TRANSLATION

He was smeared with sandalwood pulp and decorated with tilaka. The
effulgence of His beautiful teeth condemned that of a string of pearls.

COMMENTARY

The word su-bhäti means “effulgent,” “beautiful,” and “pleasing to the

eyes.”
The word gaïjaye (derived from the Sanskrit verb gaïj) means “to
condemn,” “to criticize,” or “to cause trouble.”

924
 TEXT 14

gauräìga-sundara veça madana-mohana

ñoòaça-vatsara prabhu prathama-yauvana

TRANSLATION

In His fresh youth, at the age of sixteen, Çré Gauräìga’s beauty captivated
even Cupid.

TEXT 15

båhaspati jiniïä päëòitya-parakäça

svatantra ye puìthi cinte, tä’re kare häsa

TRANSLATION

In knowledge, He surpassed Båhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods.

He would tease those who studied on their own.

TEXTS 16-18

prabhu bole,—“ithe äche kon baòa jana?

äsiyä khaëòuka dekhi ämära sthäpana?

sandhi-kärya nä jäniyä kona kona janä

äpane cintaye puìthi prabodhe äpanä’

925
 ahaìkära kari’ loka bhäle mürkha haya
yebä jäne, tä’ra öhäïi puìthi nä cintaya”

TRANSLATION

The Lord challenged, “Let us see who is intelligent enough to refute My

conclusions. Some students don’t even know the rules of conjunctions, yet they
are satisfied to study on their own. Thus they eventually become fools because
they do not take help from someone in knowledge.”

COMMENTARY

The word sthäpana means “conclusion.”

The word bhäle means “due to foreseen faults.”
Nimäi proudly challenged as follows: “There is no one more intelligent,
more learned, and more knowledgeable in Navadvépa who can refute My
conclusions. How surprising it is that although many people do not know the
first lesson of grammar, how to join words, by the influence of their false ego
they think they will become learned by independently studying their books!
But in spite of their false ego, I can see that due to foreseen faults they achieve
only foolishness while presenting their answers, because they do not come and
study from Me, the Lord of Sarasvaté and object of service for the crest jewels
amongst learned scholars.”

TEXT 19

çunaye muräri-gupta äöopa-öaìkära

nä bolaye kichu, kärya kare äpanära

926
 TRANSLATION

Hearing Nimäi’s provocative statement, Muräri Gupta did not say anything,
but went on with his work.

COMMENTARY

The phrase äöopa-öaìkära is explained as follows: the prefix ä (meaning to

envy someone out of false ego or to cause trouble) joins with tup, which means
“to be puffed up,” “to be proud,” “to be angry,” or “to be very egoistic;” and the
word öaìkära means “the sound of a bowstring,” “the clanging of armor,” or “to
be astonished.” Therefore äöopa-öaìkära means “to speak egoistic words with
pride or bragging before piercing them with arrowlike words.”

TEXT 20

tathäpiha prabhu täì’re cälena sadäya

sevaka dekhiyä baòa sukhé dvija-räya

TRANSLATION

Although the Lord was pleased that His servant remained silent, He
nevertheless continued to challenge him.

TEXT 21

prabhu bole,—“vaidya, tumi ihä kene paòha?

latä-pätä niyä giyä rogé kara daòa

927
 TRANSLATION

He said, “O doctor, why are you studying here? You should go gather some
leaves and herbs to cure the sick.

TEXT 22

vyäkaraëa-çästra ei—viñamera avadhi

kapha-pitta-ajérëa-vyavasthä nähi ithi

TRANSLATION

“The literatures on grammar are most difficult to understand, and they do

not mention anything about mucus, bile, or indigestion.

COMMENTARY

The words viñamera avadhi mean “ultimately (extremely) difficult.”

TEXT 23

mane mane cinti’ tumi ki bujhibe ihä?

ghare yäha tumi rogé òåòha kara giyä”

TRANSLATION

“What will you learn by studying on your own? Better you go home and
treat the sick.”

928
 TEXT 24

rudra-aàça muräri parama-kharatara

tathäpi nahila krodha dekhi viçvambhara

TRANSLATION

Muräri Gupta is by nature most harsh, for he is an expansion of Lord

Rudra. Still he did not become angry at Viçvambhara.

TEXT 25

pratyuttara dilä,—“kene baòa ta’ öhäkura?

sabärei cäla’ dekhi’ garvaha pracura?

TRANSLATION

He replied, “Dear respected sir, why are You so proud? Why do You
challenge everyone?

TEXT 26

sütra, våtti, päìji, öékä, yata hena kara

ämä’ jijïäsiyä ki nä päilä uttara?

TRANSLATION

“Have You asked me about a sütra, våtti, päìjé, or öékä and not received a

929
reply?

TEXT 27

vinä jijïäsiyä bola,—’ki jänis tui’

öhäkura brähmaëa tumi, ki baliba muïi!”

TRANSLATION

“You have not asked me, yet You claim that I don’t know anything. You are
a respected brähmaëa, so what can I say?”

TEXT 28

prabhu bole,—“vyäkhyä kara äji ye paòilä”

vyäkhyä kare gupta, prabhu khaëòite lägilä

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “So tell Me what you learned today.” Then as Muräri began
to explain, the Lord began to refute him.

TEXT 29

gupta bole eka artha, prabhu bole ära

prabhu-bhåtye keha kä’re näre jinibära

TRANSLATION

930
 Muräri would give one explanation, and the Lord would give another, yet
neither the master or the servant could defeat the other.

TEXT 30

prabhura prabhäve gupta parama-paëòita

murärira vyäkhyä çuni’ hana harañita

TRANSLATION

By the mercy of the Lord, Muräri Gupta was a great scholar. The Lord was
pleased, therefore, to hear his explanations.

TEXT 31

santoñe dilena täì’ra aìge padma-hasta

murärira deha haila änanda samasta

TRANSLATION

In satisfaction, the Lord touched Muräri’s body with His lotus hand and
Muräri became filled with ecstasy.

TEXT 32

cintaye muräri-gupta äpana-hådaye

“präkåta-manuñya kabhu e puruña nahe

931
 TRANSLATION

Muräri Gupta thought, “He is certainly not an ordinary person.

COMMENTARY

The words präkåta-manuñya refer to conditioned souls who are under the
control of mäyä, or material nature.

TEXT 33

emana päëòitya kibä manuñyera haya?

hasta-sparçe deha haila paränanda-maya

TRANSLATION

“Can an ordinary human being possess such knowledge? Just by His touch,
my body was filled with ecstasy.

TEXTS 34-35

cintile ihäna sthäne kichu läja näi

emata subuddhi sarva-navadvépe näi

santoñita haiyä bolena vaidya-vara

“cintiba tomära sthäne, çuna viçvambhara”

TRANSLATION

932
 “Why should I be embarrassed to study under Him? In all of Navadvépa
there is no one more intelligent than Him.” Feeling satisfied in this way, the
great doctor said, “Listen, Viçvambhara, from now on I will study under You.”

COMMENTARY

The word cintile means “to practice one’s lessons,” while cintiba means “I
will practice my lessons.”

TEXT 36

öhäkure sevake hena-mate kari’ raìge

gaìgä-snäne calilena laiyä saba saìge

TRANSLATION

After this pleasing exchange between the Lord and His servant, Nimäi and
His friends went to take bath in the Ganges.

TEXT 37

gaìgä-snäna kariyä calilä prabhu ghare

ei-mata vidyä-rase éçvara vihare

TRANSLATION

After finishing His bath, the Lord went home. Thus the Supreme Lord
enjoyed the life of a student.

933
 TEXT 38

mukunda-saïjaya baòa mahä-bhägyavän

yäìhära älaye vidyä-viläsera sthäna

TRANSLATION

The Lord opened His school at the house of the most fortunate Mukunda
Saïjaya.

COMMENTARY

Mukunda Saïjaya was a resident of Çré Navadvépa and the father of

Puruñottama Saïjaya. In the vast Caëòé-maëòapa of his house, Nimäi Paëòita
taught grammar and similar subjects to him, his son, and various other
students. In this regard one may see Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 12, verses 72 and 91,
Chapter 15, verses 5-7, 32-33, and 70-71, and Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter 1, verses
127-130.

TEXT 39

tähäna putrere prabhu äpane paòäya

täìhära o täì’ra prati bhakti sarvathäya

TRANSLATION

His son, Puruñottama Saïjaya, became the Lord’s student. He also had great
devotion for the Lord.

934
 TEXT 40

baòa caëòi-maëòapa ächaye tä’na ghare

catur-dike vistara paòuyä taìhi dhare

TRANSLATION

There was a large Caëòé-maëòapa in the courtyard of his house. That hall
had the capacity to hold many students.

COMMENTARY

The word caëòi-maëòapa refers to a hall within the courtyard of a Hindu

householder wherein worship and recitation of prayers to Caëòé, or Durgä, is
performed. It is also called devé-gåha, “house of the goddess,” or öhäkura-däläna,
“hall of the gods.” This place is generally offered to guests for their sitting.

TEXT 41

goñöhé kari’ täìhäi paòäna dvija-räja

sei sthäne gauräìgera vidyära samäja

TRANSLATION

Lord Gauräìga, the king of the brähmaëas, used to divide His students in
groups and teach them in that hall.

TEXT 42

935
 kata-rüpe vyäkhyä kare, kata vä khaëòana
adhyäpaka-prati se äkñepa sarva-kñaëa

TRANSLATION

Nimäi would give various explanations and refutations as He continually

derided the other teachers.

COMMENTARY

The word äkñepa (found in alaìkära-çästra) means “chastisement,”

“condemnation,” “pollution,” and “pointing out one’s faults.”

TEXT 43

prabhu kahe,—“sandhi-kärya-jïäna nähi yä’ra

kali-yuge ’bhaööäcärya’ padavé tähära

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “In the Age of Kali, one who doesn’t even know the rules of
conjunctions is still given the title of Bhaööäcärya.

COMMENTARY

Accepting the title “Bhaööäcärya” (a learned scholar of the çrutis, nyäya, or

mémäàsä) without going through the primary lessons of sandhi, or joining
words, as found in children’s grammar, is irrational, the basis of irreligiousity,
and possible only in Kali-yuga. This is confirmed in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(12.3.38) as follows: dharmaà vakñyanty adharma-jïä

936
adhiruhyottamäsanam—“Those who know nothing about religion will mount a
high seat and presume to speak on religious principles.”

TEXT 44

hena jana dekhi phäìki baluka ämära!

tabe jäni ’bhaööa’-’miçra’ padavé sabära

TRANSLATION

“Let them refute My explanations, then I will accept them as actual

Bhaööäcäryas and Miçras.”

TEXT 45

ei-mata vaikuëöha näyaka vidyä-rase

kréòä kare, cinite nä päre kona däse

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha sportingly enjoyed His life as a scholar,
yet none of His servants could recognize Him.

TEXT 46

kichu-mätra dekhi’ äi putrera yauvana

vivähera kärya mane cinte anukñaëa

937
 TRANSLATION

When Mother Çacé saw her son’s first symptoms of maturity, she began to
make plans for His marriage.

TEXT 47

sei navadvépe vaise eka subrähmaëa

vallabha-äcärya näma—janakera sama

TRANSLATION

There was one qualified brähmaëa in Navadvépa named Vallabhäcärya, who

was equal to Janaka Mahäräja.

COMMENTARY

In the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (44) it is stated: “Janaka, the great King of

Mithila, has now appeared as Vallabhäcärya. He is also accepted as Bhéñmaka,
the father of Rukmiëé. Çré Jänaké, Rukmiëé, and Lakñmé were all his
daughters.”

TEXT 48

tä’na kanyä äche—yena lakñmé mürti-maté

niravadhi vipra täì’ra cinte yogya pati

TRANSLATION

938
 He had a daughter who appeared to be the personification of Lakñmé. That
brähmaëa was constantly searching for a qualified husband for her.

TEXT 49

daive lakñmé eka-dina gelä gaìgä-snäne

gauracandra henai samaye seikhäne

TRANSLATION

By providence, one day when Lakñmé went to take bath in the Ganges,
Gauracandra was there at the same time.

TEXT 50

nija-lakñmé ciniyä häsilä gauracandra

lakñmé o vandilä mane prabhu-pada-dvandva

TRANSLATION

Gauracandra smiled when He recognized His beloved Lakñmé, and Lakñmé

mentally offered her obeisances to the Lord’s lotus feet.

TEXT 51

hena mate doìhe cini’ doìhe ghare gelä

ke bujhite päre gaurasundarera khelä?

939
 TRANSLATION

After recognizing each other in this way, they both returned to their homes.
Who can understand the pastimes of Lord Gaurasundara?

TEXT 52

éçvara-icchäya vipra vanamälé näma

sei dina gelä teìho çacédevé-sthäna

TRANSLATION

By the Lord’s will, that very day a brähmaëa named Vanamälé went to the
house of Mother Çacé.

TEXT 53

namaskäri’ äire vasilä dvija-vara

äsana dilena äi kariyä ädara

TRANSLATION

That respected brähmaëa offered Mother Çacé his obeisances, and she
respectfully offered him a seat.

TEXT 54

äire bolena tabe vanamälé äcärya

940
 “putra-vivähera kene nä cintaha kärya?

TRANSLATION

Vanamälé Äcärya then asked Çacé, “Why aren’t you thinking about
arranging your son’s marriage?

COMMENTARY

Vanamälé Ghaöaka is described in Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (49) as follows:

“The matchmaker Çré Viçvämitra, who arranged the marriage of Çré
Rämacandra and who was the brähmaëa messenger that Rukmiëé sent to
Keçava, has now appeared as Vanamälé Äcärya.”

TEXT 55

vallabha-äcärya kule çéle sadäcäre

nirdoñe vaisena navadvépera bhitare

TRANSLATION

“In Navadvépa resides one Vallabhäcärya, who is born in an exalted family.

He is pure, well behaved, and decorated with many good qualities.

TEXT 56

tä’na kanyä—lakñmé-präya rüpe çéle mäne

se sambandha kara yadi icchä haya mane”

941
 TRANSLATION

“He has a daughter whose beauty, qualities, and temperament are as good as
Lakñmé. If you wish I will arrange their marriage.”

TEXT 57

äi bole,—“pitå-héna bälaka ämära

jéuka, paòuka äge, tabe kärya ära”

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé replied, “My son is fatherless. Leave Him alone to study for
some time. Later I will consider.”

TEXT 58

äira kathäya vipra ’rasa’ nä päiyä

calilena vipra kichu duùkhita haiyä

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa was not satisfied with Çacé’s answer and therefore left
disappointed.

COMMENTARY

It is stated by Hemacandra: “The word rasa refers to water, semen, the five
superior rasas such as çåìgära, the seven inferior rasas such as véra, as well as

942
the poison of creatures like snakes, the sentiments by which one’s heart melts,
rägas (tunes), the art of painting, the constituents of the body, the six tastes
such as bitter, and mercury.” According to mundane alaìkära-çästra: When
the happiness of the mind, sthäyi-bhäva, or permanent ecstasy (or rati), is
nourished by ingredients such as vibhävas, or special ecstasies, it produces an
indescribable ecstatic transformation called rasa. Rasas are of nine
varieties—såìgära or ädi (conjugal), véra (chivalry), karuëa (compassion),
adbhuta (wonder), häsya [laughter], bhayänaka (fear), bébhatsa (disaster),
raudra (anger), and çänta (neutrality). According to another opinion there are
ten varieties—the above, plus vätsalya, or parenthood. One should also
consider the meanings of the heart’s desire, the confidential meaning or
purport, happiness, ecstasy or loving sentiments, as well as the word rasa in
the words svarasa or svärasya, which refers to the intention or desire.
According to the transcendental alaìkära-çästra, Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu:

vyatétya bhävanä-vartma yaç camatkära-bhära-bhüù

hådi sattvojjvale bäòhaà svadate sa raso mataù

“That which is beyond imagination, heavy with wonder, and relished in the
heart illumined with goodness—such is known as rasa.”

sthäyé bhävo ’tra sa proktaù çré-kåñëa-viñayä ratiù

“Continuous ecstatic love for Kåñëa is called permanent ecstasy.”

Mother Çacé neglected or ignored the proposal for Nimäi’s marriage
suggested by the best of the matchmakers, Vanamälé Äcärya, and changed the
topic of conversation. Therefore Vanamälé did not get any rasa from Çacé’s
words, rather he perceived an absence of rasa or dry çänta-rasa, that is, he
perceived an indifferent unchangeable mood. That is why in ordinary
alaìkära literature dry çänta-rasa is not actually accepted as rasa, because it is
devoid of the reciprocation of feelings, as stated: çamasya nirvikäratvän

943
näöya-jïair naiña manyate—“Due to the unchanging nature of çama-bhäva
(çänta-rasa), learned persons do not accept it as a rasa.”

TEXT 59

daive pathe dekhä haila gauracandra-saìge

tä’re dekhi’ äliìgana kailä prabhu raìge

TRANSLATION

As he left, by providence he met Gauracandra, who happily embraced him.

TEXT 60

prabhu bole,—“kaha, giyächile kon bhite?”

dvija bole,—“tomära janané sambhäñite

TRANSLATION

The Lord inquired, “Tell me, where have you been?” The brähmaëa
replied, “I was speaking with Your mother.

TEXT 61

tomära viväha lägi’ baliläìa tä’ne

nä jäni’ çuniyä çraddhä nä kailena kene?”

TRANSLATION

944
 “I offered her a proposal for Your marriage, but for some reason I don’t
understand, she refused.”

TEXT 62

çuni’ tä’na vacana éçvara mauna hailä

häsi’ tä’re sambhäñiyä mandire äilä

TRANSLATION

Hearing his words, Nimäi remained silent for a moment. He then smiled
and spoke a little more with the brähmaëa before returning to His house.

TEXT 63

jananére häsiyä bolena seikñaëe

“äcäryere sambhäñä nä kaile bhäla kene?”

TRANSLATION

When the Lord got home, He asked His mother, “Why didn’t you respect
the brähmaëa’s proposal?”

TEXT 64

putrera iìgita päi’ çacé harañitä

ära dine vipre äni’ kahilena kathä

945
 TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé was pleased to receive an indication from her son. The next day
she called the brähmaëa to her home.

TEXT 65

çacé bole,—“vipra, käli ye kahilä tumi

çéghra tähä karäha,—kahinu ei ämi”

TRANSLATION

Çacé said, “O brähmaëa, I’ve decided that you may immediately arrange
what you proposed yesterday.”

TEXT 66

äira caraëa-dhüli laiyä brähmaëa

seikñaëe calilena vallabha-bhavana

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa took the dust from Mother Çacé’s feet and immediately left
for the house of Vallabhäcärya.

TEXT 67

vallabha-äcärya dekhi’ sambhrame tähäne

946
 bahu-mäna kari’ vasäilena äsane

TRANSLATION

On seeing the brähmaëa, Vallabha offered him a seat with great respect.

TEXT 68

äcärya bolena,—“çuna, ämära vacana

kanyä-vivähera ebe kara’ su-lagana

TRANSLATION

Vanamälé Äcärya said, “Please hear me. Choose an auspicious day for the
marriage of your daughter.

COMMENTARY

The word su-lagana means “an auspicious time.” The portion of the zodiac
that appears on the eastern horizon at a particular time is called the
udaya-lagna, or rising sign. Since the zodiac is divided into twelve, each part is
known as a lagna.

TEXT 69

miçra-purandara-putra—näma viçvambhara
parama-paëòita, sarva-guëera sägara

947
 TRANSLATION

“The son of Jagannätha Miçra, Çré Viçvambhara, is highly learned and an

ocean of good qualities.

TEXT 70

tomära kanyära yogya sei mahäçaya

kahiläìa ei, kara yadi citte laya

TRANSLATION

“This great personality is the proper match for your daughter. Now you
decide what you would like to do.”

TEXT 71

çuniyä vallabhäcärya bolena hariñe

“sehena kanyära pati mile bhägyavaçe

TRANSLATION

Vallabhäcärya joyfully replied, “Such a husband for my daughter is achieved

by great fortune.

TEXTS 72-73

kåñëa yadi suprasanna hayena ämäre

948
 athavä kamalä-gauré santuñöä kanyäre

tabe se se hena äsi’ milibe jämätä

avilambe tumi ihä karaha sarvathä

TRANSLATION

“If Kåñëa is pleased with me and Lakñmé and Pärvaté are pleased with my
daughter, then I will blessed with such a husband for my daughter. You may
arrange everything without delay.

TEXT 74

sabe eka vacana balite lajjä päi

ämi se nirdhana, kichu dite çakti näi

TRANSLATION

“But I have one request that I am embarrassed to disclose. I am poor and

have no means to offer a dowry.

TEXT 75

kanyä-mätra diba païca-haritaké diyä

sabe ei äjïä tumi änibe mägiyä”

TRANSLATION

“I can offer only five haritaké [myrobalan] fruits along with my daughter.

949
Please beg their consent.”

TEXT 76

vallabha-miçrera väkya çuniyä äcärya

santoñe äilä siddhi kari’ sarva kärya

TRANSLATION

Hearing the words of Vallabha Miçra, Vanamälé Äcärya happily completed

all the formalities.

TEXT 77

siddhi-kathä äsiyä kahilä äi-sthäne

“saphala haila kärya kara’ çubha-kñaëe”

TRANSLATION

He then returned to Mother Çacé’s house and informed Mother Çacé, “The
formalities have been completed. Now you may choose an auspicious time for
the ceremony.”

TEXT 78

äpta loka çuni’ sabe harañita hailä

sabei udyoga äsi’ karite lägilä

950
 TRANSLATION

When the Lord’s relatives heard the news, they joyfully began to make
arrangements.

TEXT 79

adhiväsa-lagna karilena çubha-dine

nåtya, gétä, nänä vädya vä’ya naöa-gaëe

TRANSLATION

On an auspicious day they held the Adhiväsa ceremony, during which

people danced and sang while musicians played various instruments.

COMMENTARY

The rituals in which sandalwood pulp and flower garlands are offered the
day before an auspicious ceremony is called Adhiväsa.

TEXT 80

catur-dike dvija-gaëa kare veda-dhvani

madhye candra-sama vasilena dvija-maëi

TRANSLATION

All around the brähmaëas recited Vedic hymns as Nimäi, the jewel of the
twice-born, appeared like the moon in their midst.

951
 COMMENTARY

While performing the ritualistic ceremonies and purificatory rites

prescribed in the gåha-sütras, Vedic mantras are recited. Udväha, or the
marriage ceremony, is one of the forty-eight, sixteen, or ten saàskäras.

TEXT 81

éçvarere gandha-mälya diyä çubha-kñaëe

adhiväsa karilena äpta-vipra-gaëe

TRANSLATION

At an auspicious moment the relatives and brähmaëas offered sandalwood

pulp and flower garlands to the Lord, thereby completing the Adhiväsa
ceremony.

TEXT 82

divya gandha, candana, tämbüla, mälä diyä

brähmaëa-gaëere tuñilena harña haiyä

TRANSLATION

The relatives also satisfied the brähmaëas by offering them sandalwood pulp,
betel nuts, and flower garlands.

952
 TEXT 83

vallabha-äcärya äsi’ yathä-vidhi-rüpe

adhiväsa karäiyä gelena kautuke

TRANSLATION

Following tradition, Vallabhäcärya also came and joyfully took part in the
Adhiväsa ceremony.

TEXT 84

prabhäte uöhiyä prabhu kari’ snäna-däna

pitå-gaëe püjilena kariyä samäna

TRANSLATION

After Nimäi woke the next morning, He took bath, gave charity, and
respectfully worshiped His forefathers.

TEXT 85

nåtya-géta-vädye mahä uöhila maìgala

catur-dike ’leha-deha’ çuni kolähala

TRANSLATION

Auspicious sounds of singing, dancing, and musical instruments filled the

953
atmosphere. Everywhere excited people were calling out, “Take this! Give
that!”

TEXT 86

kata vä milila äsi’ pati-vratä-gaëa

kateka vä iñöa mitra brähmaëa sajjana

TRANSLATION

Many chaste women, well-wishers, friends, and respected brähmaëas graced

the function.

TEXT 87

khai, kalä, sindüra, tämbüla, taila diyä

stré-gaëere äi tuñilena harña haïä

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé happily satisfied the ladies with puffed rice, bananas, vermilion,
betel, and oil.

TEXT 88

deva-gaëa, deva-vadhu-gaëa—nara-rüpe
prabhura vivähe äsi’ ächena kautuke

954
 TRANSLATION

Demigods and their wives took the form of humans and also happily
attended the Lord’s marriage.

TEXT 89

vallabha-äcärya ei-mata vidhi-krame

karilena deva-pitå-kärya harña-mane

TRANSLATION

Vallabhäcärya joyfully worshiped the demigods and forefathers according to

Vedic injunctions.

TEXT 90

tabe prabhu çubha-kñaëe go-dhüli-samaye

yäträ kari’ äilena miçrera älaye

TRANSLATION

At an auspicious time, at dusk, the Lord arrived at the house of

Vallabhäcärya.

COMMENTARY

The phrase go-dhüli-samaya refers to the time of sunset when the herds of
cows return to the goçälä and the dust from their hooves covers the sky.

955
Generally this is a suitable for auspicious activities like marriage. This time has
three symptoms: (1) in autumn and winter season when the sun rays are mild
and the sun appears to be red ball, (2) in summer and spring season when the
sun is setting and only half of it is visible, and (3) in rainy and fall season
when the sun becomes invisible after setting.

TEXT 91

prabhu äsileha mätra, miçra goñöhé-sane

änanda-sägare magna hailä sabe mane

TRANSLATION

As soon as the Lord arrived, Vallabhäcärya and his associates drown in an

ocean of bliss.

TEXT 92

sambhrame äsana diyä yathä-vidhi-rüpe

jämätäre vasäilä parama-kautuke

TRANSLATION

He then respectfully offered a seat to his son-in-law and welcomed Him

according to Vedic injunctions.

TEXT 93

956
 çeñe sarva-alaìkäre kariyä bhüñita
lakñmé-kanyä änilena prabhura samépa

TRANSLATION

Vallabhäcärya then had his beautifully decorated daughter brought before

the Lord.

TEXT 94

hari-dhvani sarva-loke lägila karite

tulilena sabhe lakñmére påthvé haite

TRANSLATION

Everyone began to chant the names of Hari as they lifted Lakñmé off the
ground.

TEXT 95

tabe lakñmé pradakñiëa kari’ sapta-bära

yoòa-haste rahilena kari’ namaskära

TRANSLATION

Then Lakñmé was carried around Nimäi seven times. As they placed her
before Him, she offered Him obeisances with folded hands.

957
 TEXT 96

tabe çeñe haila puñpa-mälä-phelä-pheli

lakñmé-näräyaëa doìhe mahä-kutühalé

TRANSLATION

As they finally exchanged flower garlands, Lakñmé and the original

Näräyaëa were both greatly pleased.

TEXT 97

divya-mälä diyä lakñmé prabhura caraëe

namaskari’ karilena ätma-samarpaëe

TRANSLATION

After Lakñmé offered flower garlands at the feet of the Lord, she offered
Him obeisances with full surrender.

TEXT 98

sarva-dike mahä jaya-jaya-hari-dhvani

uöhila paramänanda, ära nähi çuni

TRANSLATION

All that could be heard was the ecstatic chanting of “All glories to the

958
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari!”

TEXT 99

hena-mate çré-mukha-candrikä kari’ rase

vasilena prabhu, lakñmé kari väma-päçe

TRANSLATION

In this way, after they performed the ceremony of seeing each other’s face
for the first time, the Lord sat down with Lakñmé on His left.

TEXT 100

prathama-vayasa prabhu jiniïä madana

väma-päçe lakñmé vasilena seikñaëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s fresh youthful beauty defeated that of Cupid, as Lakñmé then sat
at His left side.

TEXT 101

ki çobhä, ki, sukha se haila miçra-ghare

kon jana tähä varëibäre çakti dhare?

TRANSLATION

959
 Who has the ability to describe that wonderful scene and the happiness that
was experienced at the house of Vallabha Miçra?

TEXT 102

tabe çeñe vallabha karite kanyä däna

vasilena yehena bhéñmaka vidyamäna

TRANSLATION

At last, Vallabhäcärya, who is nondifferent from Bhéñmaka, sat down to give

away his daughter.

TEXTS 103-104

ye-caraëe pädya diyä çaìkara-brahmära

jagat såjite çakti haila sabära

hena päda-padme pädya dilä vipra-vara

vastra-mälya-candane bhüñiyä kalevara

TRANSLATION

The same lotus feet that are worshiped by Çaìkara and Brahmä to obtain
the power of creation were now worshiped by the respected brähmaëa,
Vallabhäcärya. He then also decorated the body of the Lord with cloth, flower
garlands, and sandalwood pulp.

960
 TEXT 105

yathä-vidhi-rüpe kanyä kari’ samarpaëa

änanda-sägare magna hailä brähmaëa

TRANSLATION

After duly offering his daughter to the Lord, the brähmaëa became absorbed
in an ocean of bliss.

TEXT 106

tabe yata kichu kula-vyavahära äche

pati-vratä-gaëa tähä karilena päche

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the chaste women performed the various traditional family

rituals.

COMMENTARY

The phrase kula-vyavahära refers to the activities of women.

TEXT 107

se rätri tathäya thäki tabe ära dine

nija-gåhe calilena prabhu lakñmé-sane

961
 TRANSLATION

That night the Lord stayed at the house of Vallabhäcärya, and the next day
He returned home with Lakñmé.

TEXT 108

lakñméra sahita prabhu caòiyä doläya

äisena, dekhite sakala loka dhäya

TRANSLATION

As the Lord and Lakñmé were carried home in a palanquin, people came
running out of their house to see them.

TEXT 109

gandha, mälya, alaìkära, mukuöa, candana

kajjvale ujjvala dui lakñmé-näräyaëa

TRANSLATION

Both Lakñmé and the original Näräyaëa were wonderfully decorated with
sandalwood paste, flower garlands, ornaments, crowns, and bright kajjala.

TEXT 110

sarva-loka dekhi’ mätra ’dhanya dhanya’ bole

962
 viçeñe stré-gaëa ati paòilena bhole

TRANSLATION

Everyone who saw them exclaimed, “How wonderful!” The ladies were all
particularly amazed.

TEXT 111

“kata-käla e vä bhägyavaté hara-gauré

niñkapaöe sevilena kata-bhakti kari

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “They exactly resemble Çiva and Pärvaté. They must have
worshiped the Lord without duplicity for a long time.

TEXT 112

alpa-bhägye kanyära ki hena svämé mile?

ei hara-gauré hena bujhi”—keha bole

TRANSLATION

“Can a less fortunate girl possibly get such a nice husband? I conclude that
they are Çiva and Pärvaté.”

TEXT 113

963
 keha bole,—“indra-çacé, rati vä madana”
kona näré bole—“ei lakñmé-näräyaëa”

TRANSLATION

Someone else said, “They resemble Indra and Çacé or Madana and Rati.”
One girl said, “They are Lakñmé and Näräyaëa.”

TEXT 114

kona näré-gaëa bole—“yena sétä-räma

dolopari çobhiyäche ati anupama

TRANSLATION

Another girl said, “By their unparalleled beauty, it appears Sétä and Räma
are seated on that palanquin.”

TEXT 115

ei-mata nänä-rüpe bole näré-gaëe

çubha-dåñöye sabe dekhe lakñmé-näräyaëa

TRANSLATION

In this way the girls spoke in various ways as they joyfully watched Lakñmé
and the original Näräyaëa.

964
 TEXT 116

hena-mate nåtya-géta-vädya-kolähale
nija-gåhe prabhu äilena sandhyä-käle

TRANSLATION

When the couple arrived at Nimäi’s house in the evening, they were
festively greeted by dancing, singing, and the playing of musical instruments.

TEXT 117

tabe çacédevé vipra-patné-gaëa laiyä

putra-vadhü ghare änilena harña haiyä

TRANSLATION

Çacédevé with some other brähmaëa ladies then jubilantly welcomed her
daughter-in-law home.

TEXT 118

dvija-ädi yata jäti naöa bäjaniyä

sabäre tuñilä dhana, vastra, väkya diyä

TRANSLATION

Thereafter Mother Çacé satisfied the brähmaëas, musicians, and dancers

965
with money, cloth, and sweet words.

TEXT 119

ye çunaye prabhura viväha-puëya-kathä

tähära saàsära-bandha nä haya sarvathä

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears these auspicious topics of the Lord’s marriage is never

entangled in worldly life.

COMMENTARY

In this material world people become joyful by hearing about the marriage
of a boy and a girl. Encouraged by such topics, the conditioned souls become
eager to face the miseries of material bondage. But the topics related with the
marriage of Çréman Mahäprabhu, who is the controller of mäyä, are not like
this. This pastime of the Lord is meant to demonstrate the uselessness of
material existence. A living entity who is attached to material enjoyment
considers the marriage of a mundane boy and girl to be the ideal example of
sense gratification, and if he considers the spiritual pastimes of the Supreme
Lord’s marriage as similar to the conditioned soul’s sense gratificatory
activities, which are apparently sweet but ultimately poison, he will certainly
be entangled in the bondage of material existence. But the Supreme Lord is
the only object of all enjoyment, and the servants, maidservants, and
wonderful ingredients of service, which are all under His control, cannot
produce such inauspiciousness. Wherever the happiness of the Lord is present,
the sense gratification of the living entities cannot remain. In this regard one
should discuss auspicious nectarean statements such as the following verses

966
from Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.2.42): bhaktiù pareçänubhavo viraktir anyatra caiña
trika eka-kälaù—“Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and
detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously,” and from
the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.187):

éhä yasya harer däsye karmaëä manasä girä

nikhiläsv apy avasthäsu jévan-muktaù sa ucyate

“A person acting in the service of Kåñëa with his body, mind, intelligence,
and words is a liberated person even within the material world, although he
may engage in many apparently material activities.” The Supreme Lord Viñëu
is the transcendental controller of mäyä, so to consider Him material or like
an ordinary living entity is a great offense. When a transcendental service
attitude towards the Supreme Lord Viñëu is awakened, then liberated devotees
inclined towards serving the Lord are no longer entangled in material
bondage. In other words, if a living entity is eager to please the Supreme Lord,
he becomes freed from the bondage of material existence, which is separate
from the Lord, and never personally endeavors for sense gratification or
material enjoyment.

TEXT 120

prabhu-pärçve lakñméra haila avasthäna

çacé-gåha haila parama-jyotir-dhäma

TRANSLATION

With Lakñmé at the side of the Lord, the house of Çacé appeared like
Vaikuëöha, the most effulgent abode.

967
 TEXT 121

niravadhi dekhe çacé ki ghare bähire

parama adbhuta jyotiù lakhite nä päre

TRANSLATION

Such a wonderful effulgence constantly emanated from the house that

Mother Çacé could not even see properly.

COMMENTARY

By the arrival of Çrématé Lakñmépriyä-devé, who is the direct

personification of one of the Supreme Lord’s internal potencies, known as
Çré-çakti, the house of Çré Çacé actually became the effulgent Vaikuëöha abode
of the Supreme Lord.

TEXT 122

kakhana putrera päçe dekhe agni-çikhä

ulaöiyä cähite, nä päya ära dekhä

TRANSLATION

Sometimes Çacé saw flames of fire at the side of her son, but when she
looked again they were gone.

TEXT 123

968
 kamala-puñpera gandha kñaëe kñane päya
parama-vismita äi cintena sadäya

TRANSLATION

When she sometimes smelled the fragrance of a lotus flower, she was utterly
astonished.

TEXT 124

äi cinte,—“bujhiläìa käraëa ihära

e kanyäya adhiñöhäna äche kamalära

TRANSLATION

Çacé thought, “I can understand the reason for this. This girl is a plenary
portion of Lakñmédevé.

TEXT 125

ataeva jyotiù dekhi, padma-gandha päi

pürva-präya daridratä-duùkha ebe näi

TRANSLATION

“That is why I see this effulgence and smell the fragrance of lotus flowers.
Now we may not face any poverty like before.

969
 TEXT 126

ei lakñmé-vadhü gåhe praveçile

kothä haite nä jäni äsiyä saba mile?”

TRANSLATION

“Otherwise where has everything come from since this daughter-in-law,

Lakñmé, entered my house?”

TEXT 127

ei-rüpa nänä-mata kathä äi kaya

vyakta haiyä o prabhu vyakta nähi haya

TRANSLATION

In this way Mother Çacé had various thoughts, as the Lord almost but not
quite manifest Himself.

COMMENTARY

Although the Supreme Lord appeared in this world, out of His sweet will
He did not manifest His covered pastimes to everyone.

TEXT 128

éçvarera icchä bujhibära çakti kä’ra?

970
 ki-rüpe karena kon kälera vihära?

TRANSLATION

Who can understand the supreme will of the Lord? How and when does He
perform His pastimes?

COMMENTARY

The words kälera vihära mean “enjoying pastimes suitable for a particular
time.”

TEXT 129

éçvare se äpanäre nä jänäye yabe

lakñmé o jänite çakti nä dharena tabe

TRANSLATION

Until the Lord Himself allows one to know Him, even Lakñmé has no power
to understand Him.

COMMENTARY

By the supreme will of the Lord, His covered pastimes are beyond the
perception of even His internal potencies.

TEXT 130

ei saba çästre vede puräëe väkhäne

971
 ’yä’re tä’na kåpä haya, sei jäne tä’ne

TRANSLATION

The Vedas, Puräëas, and other scriptures confirm that only one who is
favored by the Lord can understand Him.

TEXT 131

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Ten, entitled, “The Marriage of Çré
Lakñmépriyä.”

Chapter Eleven: Meeting with Çré Éçvara Puré

This chapter describes various subjects like the scholastic pastimes of Nimäi
Paëòita, Mukunda’s chanting the names of Kåñëa in Advaita’s assembly,
Nimäi’s sporting pastimes with Mukunda, the godlessness of Nadia, the arrival

972
of Éçvara Puré in Navadvépa, his meeting with Advaita Prabhu, his accepting
lunch and discussing topics of Kåñëa at Gaura’s house, he teaches his own
book, Çré Kåñëa-lélämåta, to Çré Gadädhara Paëòita, Nimäi’s comments on that
book, and enjoying topics of Kåñëa with Çré Purépäda.
Çré Gauracandra, the husband of Sarasvaté, wandered throughout
Navadvépa with thousands of students while remaining intoxicated from
scholastic mellows. Throughout Navadvépa, no one other than Gaìgädäsa
Paëòita could properly understand Nimäi Paëòita’s explanations. According
to their mundane mentality, the materialists saw Nimäi Paëòita in various
ways. The atheists saw Him as Yamaräja personified, the materialists saw Him
as Cupid personified, and the learned scholars saw Him as Båhaspati
personified. Meanwhile, the Vaiñëavas eagerly waited with the following hope:
“When will the Lord manifest devotional service to Viñëu within this world,
which is devoid of devotion to Viñëu?” Many people came to study in
Navadvépa, which was the main educational center. Many Vaiñëava residents
of Caööagräma came and lived in Navadvépa in order to study and reside on
the bank of the Ganges. In the afternoon, all the pure devotees would gather
at the assembly of Çré Advaita. All the Vaiñëavas in the assembly of Advaita
felt great happiness in their hearts on hearing the glories of Lord Hari chanted
by Mukunda, who was dear to all the Vaiñëavas. For this reason the Lord was
also very pleased at heart with Mukunda. As soon as Nimäi saw Mukunda, He
would challenge him with questions in logic, and both would then engage in
loving debate. Nimäi would also challenge other devotees headed by Çréväsa.
Fearing that Nimäi would challenge them, they would all run away from Him.
Having renounced topics not related to Kåñëa, the devotees did not love to
hear anything except kåñëa-kathä, and Nimäi did not ask them anything other
than questions on logic.
One day Nimäi Paëòita was coming on the main road with some students.
At that time Mukunda saw Nimäi from a distance and immediately tried to
escape from His vision. On the pretext of describing the reason for Mukunda’s

973
behavior, Nimäi narrated His and His devotees’ glories to Govinda, who was
His servant and doorkeeper, saying, “I have not yet revealed the topics of
devotional service to Kåñëa. That is why Mukunda ran away from Me. But he
will not do this for long, because I will manifest such pure devotional service
and Vaiñëava characteristics that even Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva will come
to My doorstep and roll on the ground.”
Thereafter the author describes the godless atmosphere of Navadvépa at
that time. Although the devotees were always engaged in chanting the names
of Kåñëa, the people of Nadia were so averse to Kåñëa and maddened by
enjoyable objects like wealth and children that as soon as they heard the
chanting of Kåñëa’s names by devotees, particularly the four brothers headed
by Çréväsa, they ridiculed and teased them. Hearing the blasphemous words
from the sinful atheists, the Vaiñëavas felt great distress within their hearts
and always thought, “When will Çré Kåñëacandra appear within this world and
eradicate the dearth of kértana?” When the Vaiñëavas informed Çré Advaita
about the criticism and blasphemous words of the atheists, Äcärya Prabhu
vowed, “I will soon induce Kåñëa, who gives pleasure to the hearts of the
devotees, to manifest here in Navadvépa.” By the words of Çré Advaita, the
distress of the Vaiñëavas was mitigated.
Meanwhile, as Nimäi increased Çacé’s joy by remaining absorbed in the
pleasure of study, Çré Éçvara Puré one day arrived incognito at Çré Advaita’s
house in Navadvépa. By seeing his wonderful effulgence, Advaita Äcärya
understood that Éçvara Puré was a Vaiñëava sannyäsé. When Mukunda sang a
song about Kåñëa in Advaita’s assembly, the naturally deep ocean of love for
Kåñëa in the pure heart of Éçvara Puré overflowed. Thereupon everyone came
to know that this devoted sannyäsé was Éçvara Puré.
One day as Çré Gaurasundara was returning home from teaching, by
providence He met Éçvara Puré on the way. The Lord, who is jagad-guru,
displayed honor to His devotees by immediately offering obeisances to His
servant. Seeing Nimäi’s wonderful effulgence, Éçvara Puré inquired about His

974
identity and the subject of His studies. Nimäi answered all of Éçvara Puré’s
inquiries and then respectfully brought him home for lunch. After Çacédevé
cooked and offered foodstuffs to Kåñëa and fed Éçvara Puré, Éçvara Puré began
to discuss topics of Kåñëa with Nimäi. While discussing kåñëa-kathä, Éçvara
Puré became overwhelmed with love of God. Éçvara Puré stayed in Navadvépa
at the house of Çré Gopénätha Äcärya for a few months, and Nimäi regularly
went to see him. Seeing the devotion of Gadädhara Paëòita, who was
renounced from his childhood, Éçvara Puré began to affectionately teach him
his book, Çré Kåñëa-lélämåta. Every evening, after studying and teaching,
Nimäi went to offer obeisances to Éçvara Puré. One day Éçvara Puré requested
Nimäi Paëòita to point out the mistakes in his Çré Kåñëa-lélämåta and
indicated his desire to correct the mistakes under Nimäi’s guidance. Hearing
his words, the Lord condemned mundane scholarship and spoke the following
invaluable nectarean words: “First of all, this book is composed by such a pure
devotee as Purépäda, and, moreover, it is full of topics about Kåñëa. Therefore
whoever finds faults in this book is certainly an offender. The poetry of a pure
devotee, in whatever form it may be, is always pleasing to Kåñëa. There is no
doubt about it. The Supreme Lord never sees any grammatical faults in the
statements of His devotees, for He is controlled by devotion and He accepts
the sentiments of His devotees. A person who finds faults in the statements of
a devotee is himself full of faults. No one is so audacious as to find faults in the
descriptions of the Supreme Lord by a pure devotee like Purépäda.” But Éçvara
Puré repeatedly requested Nimäi to point out the faults in his book. In this way
Éçvara Puré regularly spent an hour or two with Nimäi discussing various
subjects. After hearing a verse from Éçvara Puré’s book one day, Nimäi Paëòita
sportingly said, “The verb in this verse should be parasmaipadé instead of
ätmanepadé 1(5).” Another day, when Nimäi came back, Éçvara Puré said, “The
verb that You have not accepted as ätmanepadé, I have accepted as
ätmanepadé.” In order to increase the glories and display the victory of His
servant, the Lord did not point out any further faults. In this way, after
spending some time enjoying educational pastimes with Nimäi, Éçvara Puré left

975
Navadvépa to continue sanctifying the holy places of India.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya mahä-maheçvara gauracandra

bälya-léläya çré-vidyä-viläsera kendra

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gauracandra, the Lord of lords. In His childhood He was
the reservoir of scholastic pastimes.

COMMENTARY

The phrase vidyä-viläsera kendra is explained as follows: The lack of proper

philosophy or knowledge is called avidyä. Although some people claim that to
achieve knowledge of an incomplete object is vidyä, real knowledge is found
only in knowledge of the Supreme Lord, who is complete. Although
knowledge of Brahman and Paramätmä aspects of the Absolute Truth is part
of spiritual knowledge, in a comparative study of spiritual knowledge they are
both limited and incomplete. The age for primary education of an ordinary
human being is known as bälya, or childhood. The enactment of educational
pastimes that we find in the pastimes of Gaurasundara at that age are like the
childhood activities of the spiritual world. The arrangement for learning and
teaching children’s literatures like grammar, the principle subject of language
books, is simply based on giving and taking mundane knowledge. With the
help of these children’s literatures one can enter into and realize knowledge
regarding transcendental sound. Although different languages born from the
research of mankind are meant for bringing one to knowledge of the Supreme,
they are not actually directing one to knowledge of the Supreme. Ordinary

976
people could not observe even a tinge of spiritual education in the educational
pursuits of Çré Gaurasundara in His childhood pastimes. Since Gaurasundara
concealed Himself at that time, many people had no opportunity to see Him as
the central figure of all spiritual knowledge. Although the objects of the
external world, which act as servants of sensual knowledge, did not benefit the
living entities through Çré Gaurasundara’s studying grammar or teaching
language, from the intellectual point of view He was nevertheless certainly
present in each word as the Supersoul.

TEXT 2

ei-mate gupta-bhäve äche dvija-räja

adhyayana vinä ära nähi kona käja

In this way, as Gaura, the best of the , confidentially lived in

Navadvépa, He had no engagement other than studying.

TEXTS 3-4

jiniyä kandarpa-koöi rüpa manohara

prati-aìge nirupama lävaëya sundara

äjänu-lambita-bhuja, kamala-nayana
adhare tämbula, divya-väsa-paridhäna

TRANSLATION

His form was as enchanting as millions of Cupids. Each of His limbs was
incomparably charming. His arms extended to His knees, and His eyes were
like the petals of a lotus. He chewed betel nut and dressed divinely.

977
 COMMENTARY

The words adhare tämbula, “chewed betel nut,” are explained as follows: On
seeing Çré Gaurasundara’s wonderfully sweet beauty, which defeats that of
millions of Cupids, His matchless effulgence emanating from His bodily limbs,
His long arms that stretch to His knees, His lotus eyes, His fine dress, and betel
nuts between His lips, the conditioned souls, who have been awarded ugly
material bodies, short arms, and harsh eyes and who desire sense gratification,
consider Çré Gaurasundara as attached to material enjoyment and
intoxication and possessing a material body like themselves. But if they
understand the extraordinary glories of Çré Gaurasundara, it will help the
envious living entities realize that their material bodies, which are fit to be
eaten by dogs and jackals, and their minds, which are attached to
misconceptions, are abominable. Although Çré Gaurasundara accepted
innumerable items of enjoyment such as betel nuts, He instructed everyone
for their eternal benefit to engage each and every item in the service of Çré
Kåñëa, who is the only object of all enjoyment. In other words, He taught that
if living entities eligible for being controlled by mäyä enjoy insignificant
material sense objects, their inauspiciousness is guaranteed, for these items are
eternally prescribed as ingredients for the service of the Supreme Lord.
Although the display of such pastimes by Çré Gaurasundara is meant to be seen
and analyzed by self-controlled sädhakas, the eternally envious ignorant
observers are simply bewildered as a reward for their foolishness. Since Çré
Gaurasundara is situated on the highest platform of the Absolute Truth, His
exhibition of renunciation pastimes was not intended to protect Himself from
the mundane difficulties imposed by nondevotional endeavors like those of
conditioned souls who desire self-control and liberation and who display an
indifferent lifestyle in order to remain detached or separate from material
objects; rather, He empowered the most fortunate persons to understand the
important truth that in the characteristics and personality of the Supreme

978
Lord the performance of such pastimes is not at all abominable or faulty.

TEXT 5

sarvadäya parihäsa-mürti vidyä-bale

sahasra paòuyä-saìge, yabe prabhu cale

TRANSLATION

As the Lord walked with thousands of students, by the strength of His

knowledge He entertained everyone with His sharp wit.

TEXT 6

sarva-navadvépe bhrame’ tribhuvana-pati

pustakera rüpe kare priyä sarasvaté

TRANSLATION

Viçvambhara, the Lord of the three worlds, traveled all over Navadvépa
holding in His hand His beloved Sarasvaté, in the form of a book.

COMMENTARY

In the form of books, Mahä-Lakñmé Näräyaëé, the goddess of speech, always

remained in the lotus hands of her Lord, Gaura-Näräyaëa, and thus fulfilled
the meaning of the Lord’s name, Väcaspati, “the husband of the goddess of
speech.”

979
 TEXT 7

navadvépe hena nähi paëòitera näma

ye äsiyä bujhibeka prabhura vyäkhyäna

TRANSLATION

There was no scholar throughout Navadvépa who could understand Nimäi’s

explanations.

TEXT 8

sabe eka gaìgädäsa mahä-bhägyavän

yä’ra öhäïi prabhu kare’ vidyära ädäna

TRANSLATION

The Lord discussed His explanations only with the most fortunate
Gaìgädäsa Paëòita.

TEXT 9

sakala ’saàsäré’ dekhi’ bole,—“dhanya dhanya

e nandana yähära, tähära kon dainya?”

TRANSLATION

All the materialistic people said, “The parents of this boy are certainly

980
glorious. What can they be lacking?”

TEXT 10

yateka ’prakåti’ dekhe madana-samana

’päñaëòé’ dekhaye yena yama vidyamäna

TRANSLATION

All the ladies considered the Lord to be as attractive as Cupid, and the
atheists considered Him as death personified.

COMMENTARY

In this material world, the men are the enjoyers and the women are the
objects of enjoyment. In other words, the women are enjoyed by the men and
the men are enjoyed by the women. An enjoyer enjoys his objects of
enjoyment with his senses. Both the male and female enjoy material objects
through their jïänendriyas, or knowledge-acquiring senses, and karmendriyas,
or working senses. Gaurasundara is directly Lord Kåñëa, therefore He is the
abode of all beauty, surpassing millions of Cupids. Gaurasundara is never an
object of enjoyment for mundane women, that is why He cannot be the object
of worship for the gaura-nägarés. When a living entity becomes self-realized,
the Madana-mohana form of Gaurasundara manifests within his heart.
Although the conditioned souls who identify themselves as women may
consider Gaurasundara as an object of enjoyment, Gaurahari does not fulfill
their prayers. The moods of master and servant are present in this material
world. For the living entities to think themselves the masters of material
nature rather than considering themselves the servants of the Supreme Lord is
an impediment in their constitutional duties of devotional service. Çré

981
Gaurasundara has personally displayed to the living entities the prime
example of how to be a servant of the Supreme Lord and thus removed the
enjoying mood from their conditioned minds. That is why the followers of
Gaurahari cannot accept Him as nägara, the enjoyer of women. Lord
Gaurasundara never demonstrated that He was under the control of any
material conditions in His pastimes. But even if someone out of great
misfortune forgets that he is the eternal servant of the servitor God and
thinks himself to be the object of service, Çré Gaurasundara still awakens his
service attitude towards Gaura-Kåñëa by removing such evil propensities.

TEXT 11

’paëòita’ sakala dekhe yena båhaspati

ei-mata dekhe sabe, yä’ra yena mati

TRANSLATION

All the learned scholars considered Him equal to Båhaspati. In this way
everyone appreciated the Lord according to their own mentality.

TEXT 12

dekhi’ viçvambhara-rüpa sakala vaiñëava

hariña-viñäda hai’ mane bhäve’ saba

TRANSLATION

Seeing Viçvambhara’s attractive form, the Vaiñëavas felt both jubilation and
lamentation.

982
 TEXTS 13-14

“hena divya-çarére nä haya kåñëa-rasa

ki karibe vidyäya, haile käla-vasa?”

mohita vaiñëava saba prabhura mäyäya

dekhiyä o tabu keha dekhite nä päya

TRANSLATION

They thought, “Although He has such a divine body, He has no attraction

for Kåñëa. What good is His education if He simply wastes His time?” All the
Vaiñëavas were bewildered by the internal potency of the Lord, so even though
they saw the Lord they didn’t understand Him.

COMMENTARY

For persons on the path of the ascending process, education continues up

to the time of death. The knowledge that a living entity acquires during his
lifetime does not help him in his next life. By seeing that Gaurasundara was as
learned as Båhaspati and as beautiful as Cupid, ordinary people thought that
such transcendental beauty and extraordinary knowledge would remain only
for the duration of His life, that is, they were temporary—but the opulences of
Kåñëa are actually eternal. They thought that if the opulences seen in
Gaurasundara were those of a devotee rather than those of the absolute
independent form of Kåñëa, who enjoys pastimes out of His own sweet will, it
would particularly increase the happiness of the devotees. By the desire of the
Lord, the Vaiñëavas also did not understand at that time that Lord Gaurahari
is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kåñëa. Çré Kåñëa is an ocean
of transcendental pastimes. By His own will, the influence of Yogamäyä
983
neither manifest Gaura’s covered pastimes nor gave an opportunity to the
Vaiñëavas to understand His Gaura form was that of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Though they saw Him, they nevertheless did not see or
understand His real form (as the Supreme Personality of Godhead). Ordinary
conditioned souls had no right at all to perceive the Lord, who was engaged in
covered pastimes.

TEXT 15

säkñäte o prabhu dekhi’ keha keha bole

“ki kärye goìäo käla tumi vidyä-bhole?”

TRANSLATION

Although they directly saw the Lord, some of them said, “Why do You
waste Your time in the fruitless pursuit of knowledge?”

COMMENTARY

In order to assist in the covered pastimes of the Lord, the Vaiñëavas, by the
will of the Lord, acted as ignorant people induced by material knowledge as
they continually endeavored to convert Gaura into a servant of the Supreme
Lord. Besides giving indirect hints, they also directly told Nimäi not to remain
absorbed in the cultivation of useless knowledge but to worship Hari, for that
was beneficial.

TEXT 16

çuniyä häsena prabhu sevakera väkye

984
 prabhu bole,—“tomarä çikhä o mora bhägye”

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled on hearing His servants speak like this, and He replied, “I
am fortunate to have You instruct Me.”

COMMENTARY

In reply, the Lord said, “It is My great fortune that you are all instructing
Me to become a devotee of Hari.”

TEXT 17

hena-mate prabhu goìäyena vidyä-rase

sevaka cinite näre, anya jana kise?

TRANSLATION

As the Lord thus passed His time in scholastic pastimes, His servants could
not recognize Him, so what to speak of others?

COMMENTARY

By the will of the Lord, and to assist in His covered pastimes, His eternal
associates did not understand His glories but rather acted as ignorant. When
the eternal associates of the Lord could not recognize Him, then how could
ordinary materialists, who are expert in fruitive activities, know Him?

985
 TEXT 18

catur-dik haite loka navadvépe yäya

navadvépe paòile se vidyä-rasa päya

TRANSLATION

People came from all over India to study in Navadvépa, for if one studied in
Navadvépa he got a taste for education.

TEXT 19

cäöigräma-niväsé o aneke tathäya

paòena vaiñëava saba rahena gaìgäya

TRANSLATION

Many Vaiñëavas came from Caööagräma to live on the bank of the Ganges
and study in Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

In order to study, the residents of the distant village of Caööagräma resided

on the bank of the Ganges in Navadvépa.

TEXT 20

sabei janmiyächena prabhura äjïäya

986
 sabei virakta kåñëa-bhakta sarvathäya

TRANSLATION

They were all renounced devotees of Kåñëa and had taken birth by the order
of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

By the desire of Gaurasundara, all the devotees who had appeared in this
world at that time became totally indifferent to material objects and
constantly engaged in worshiping Kåñëa.

TEXT 21

anyo ’nye mili’ sabe paòiyä çuniyä

karena govinda-carcä nibhåte vasiyä

TRANSLATION

After school hours, they regularly met together in a solitary place to discuss
topics of Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Not receiving any encouragement for worshiping Kåñëa from Çré

Gaurasundara, the Vaiñëavas of that time cultivated Kåñëa consciousness in
seclusion. Wherever there is no direct manifestation of the Supreme Lord or
His dear associate, nirjana-bhajana, or solitary worship of the Lord, is
appropriate. Otherwise it is prescribed that one should engage in hari-kértana

987
only under the guidance of the Supreme Lord or His devotee.

TEXT 22

sarva-vaiñëavera priya mukunda ekänta

mukundera gäne drave’ sakala mahänta

TRANSLATION

Çré Mukunda was most dear to all the Vaiñëavas. Their hearts all melted
when He sang.

COMMENTARY

Those who are detached from material enjoyment and engaged in

worshiping the Supreme Lord are called mahäntas, or Vaiñëavas. On hearing
Mukunda singing about the pastimes of Lord Hari, the hearts of such great
souls melted.

TEXT 23

vikäla haile äsi’ bhägavata-gaëa

advaita-sabhäya sabe hayena milana

TRANSLATION

In the afternoon all the devotees regularly met in the house of Advaita
Prabhu.

988
 COMMENTARY

After completing their days work, the devotees gathered in the afternoons
at the house of Advaita Äcärya Prabhu in Çré Mäyäpur. Since Çré
Gaurasundara had not yet manifest His pastimes as the shelter of the devotees,
Çré Advaita Prabhu was the shelter of all Vaiñëavas.

TEXT 24

yei-mätra mukunda gäyena kåñëa-géta

hena nähi jäni, kebä paòe kon bhita?

TRANSLATION

As soon as Mukunda would begin singing about Kåñëa, everyone there fell
to the ground in ecstatic love.

COMMENTARY

After hearing Mukunda sing about Kåñëa, all the listeners became
overwhelmed with love of God and fell on the ground here and there.

TEXT 25

keha kände, keha häse, keha nåtya kare

gaòä-gaòi yäya keha vastra nä sambare

TRANSLATION

989
 Some of them cried, some laughed, and others danced. The clothes of some
persons scattered as they rolled on the ground.

COMMENTARY

The words vastra nä sambare indicate that they were unable to keep their
clothes in order.

TEXT 26

huìkära karaye keha mälsäö märe

keha giyä mukundera dui päye dhare

TRANSLATION

Someone roared as he challenged the agents of Mäyä, and someone else

caught hold of Mukunda’s feet.

TEXT 27

ei-mata uöheya paramänanda-sukha

nä jäne vaiñëava saba ära kona duùkha

TRANSLATION

In this way the Vaiñëavas enjoyed great ecstasy and forgot all forms of
distress.

990
 TEXT 28

prabhu o mukunda-prati baòa sukhé mane

dekhilei mukundere dharena äpane

TRANSLATION

The Lord was most satisfied with Mukunda. Whenever the Lord saw him,
He would stop him.

TEXT 29

prabhu jijïäsena phäìki, väkhäne mukunda

prabhu bole,—“kichu nahe”, ära läge dvandva

TRANSLATION

The Lord would then ask Mukunda for some clarification on a point, and
when Mukunda answered Him, the Lord would say, “Wrong!” and
immediately an argument would begin.

COMMENTARY

Whatever Mukunda replied when challenged by the Lord, the Lord would
immediately reject, and as a result they would begin to quarrel.

TEXT 30

991
 mukunda paëòita baòa, prabhura prabhäve
pakña-pratipakña kari’ prabhu-sane läge

TRANSLATION

By the mercy of the Lord, Mukunda was very learned. Thus he was able to
present arguments and counter-arguments to Nimäi’s challenge.

COMMENTARY

By the mercy of the Lord there was no end to Mukunda’s knowledge.

Mukunda engaged in a war of words with the Lord through his debate and
counter-debate.

TEXT 31

ei-mata prabhu nija-sevaka ciniïä

jijïäsena phäìki, sabe yäyena häriyä

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord recognized His devotees by challenging them for
clarification on some point, but they were all defeated in the ensuing argument.

TEXT 32

çréväsädi dekhile o phäìki jijïäsena

mithyä-väkya-vyaya-bhahe sabe paläyena

992
 TRANSLATION

Çréväsa and other devotees were all challenged in this way by the Lord, but
they would all run away in fear of wasting time in useless arguments.

COMMENTARY

Fearful of useless talk, in the form of being challenged by Nimäi, the

devotees headed by Çréväsa would run away from Him in order to avoid
confrontation. Although the devotees were qualified to engage in
philosophical debate, they were not eager to indulge in arguments on
inconceivable subjects since dry arguments are inconclusive.

TEXT 33

sahaje virakta sabe çré-kåñëera rase

kåñëa-vyäkhyä vinu ära kichu nähi väse

TRANSLATION

The devotees were naturally detached due to their advancement in Kåñëa

consciousness. They did not care to hear anything other than topics related
with Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The rasika devotees of Adhokñaja Kåñëa are naturally detached from all
objects not related with Kåñëa. Their resolute love was displayed by their
seeing everything in relationship with Kåñëa. Because they realized the
necessity of having a taste for Kåñëa consciousness, they considered the taste

993
for inferior objects to be useless.

TEXT 34

dekhilei prabhu mätra phäìki se jijïäse

prabodhite näre keha, çeñe upahäse

TRANSLATION

As soon as the Lord saw any devotee, He would challenge him; and when he
failed to give the correct response, the Lord would tease him.

COMMENTARY

Whenever Nimäi met a devotee, He would greatly disturb him with His
challenges. The devotees could not check Nimäi by answering His challenges,
therefore all their arguments ultimately ended in Nimäi teasing them.

TEXT 35

yadi keha dekhe,—prabhu äisena düre

sabe päläyena phäìki-jijïäsära òare

TRANSLATION

If any of them saw the Lord coming in the distance, they would run away
out of fear of being challenged.

COMMENTARY

994
 Fearful of uselessly wasting time in insignificant material arguments, the
devotees of the Lord always avoided coming face to face with Nimäi. In order
to avoid meeting Him, they kept a distance from Him.

TEXT 36

kåñëa-kathä çunitei sabe bhälaväse

phäìki vinu prabhu kåñëa-kathä nä jijïäse

TRANSLATION

The devotees all loved to hear topics concerning Lord Kåñëa, but Nimäi did
not mention anything about Kåñëa when He challenged them.

COMMENTARY

The devotees loved to hear topics of Kåñëa, but the Lord bewildered them
with subjects not related to Kåñëa for the purpose of keeping Himself
unknown or hidden from the devotees, thus maintaining His covered status.

TEXT 37

räja-patha diyä prabhu äisena eka-dina

paòuyära saìge mahä-auddhatera cina

TRANSLATION

One day, as Nimäi walked on the main street with His students, He
displayed symptoms of great pride.

995
 COMMENTARY

While engaged in a battle of words with the students, Nimäi often

exhibited impudence or arrogance.

TEXT 38

mukunda yäyena gaìgä-snäna karibäre

prabhu dekhi’ äòe paläilä katho düre

TRANSLATION

At that time Mukunda was on his way to take bath in the Ganges, but when
he saw Nimäi coming, he ran away.

TEXTS 39-40

dekhi’ prabhu jijïäsena govindera sthäne

“e beöä ämäre dekhi’ paläila’ kene?”

govinda bolena,—“ämi nä jäni, paëòita!

ära kona-kärye vä calila kon-bhita”

TRANSLATION

Seeing this, the Lord inquired from Govinda, “Why did this boy run away
upon seeing Me?” Govinda replied, “O Paëòita, I don’t know. Perhaps he went
somewhere for some work.”

996
 COMMENTARY

The Govinda referred to in this verse is not the blacksmith Govinda; he

was the Lord’s associate, servant, and doorkeeper at that time.

TEXT 41

prabhu bole,—“jäniläìa ye lägi’ paläya

bahirmukha-sambhäñä karite nä yuyäya

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “I know the reason why he’s avoiding Me. He does not want
to speak with a nondevotee.

COMMENTARY

Speaking on subject matters not related to Kåñëa is materialist speech.

Conditioned souls engage material objects in their sense gratification with the
help of their mind. Then, induced by material knowledge, the conditioned
souls forget topics of Kåñëa and spend their time discussing topics related with
the external energy. Those who are self-realized engage themselves in topics
that are useful for the service of Hari. The conclusion is that a living entity
should never waste time discussing anything other than topics of Hari.

TEXT 42

e beöä paòaye yata vaiñëavera çästra

997
 päìjé, våtti, öékä ämi väkhäniye mätra

TRANSLATION

“This boy studies only Vaiñëava literatures, while I explain only päìjé, våtti,
and öékä.

COMMENTARY

The words vaiñëavera çästra refer to Çrémad Bhägavatam, which is the

principle commentary on the Bädaräyaëa-sütras, or Brahma-sütras. It is stated:
çrémad-bhägavataà puräëam amalaà yad vaiñëavänäà priyam—“Çrémad
Bhägavatam is the spotless Puräëa and is most dear to the Vaiñëavas.” These
words also refer to the six Vaiñëava Puräëas, headed by the Viñëu Puräëa and
the Padma Puräëa; the Vaiñëava småtis, such as that of Häréta, from among
the twenty Dharma-çästras, headed by that of Manu; the çrutis, such as
Gopäla-täpané and Nåsiàha-täpané; the histories, such as the Mahäbhärata and
the original Rämäyaëa; the Sätvata Païcarätras headed by the Närada,
Hayaçérña, and Prahläda; and the literatures written by exalted pure devotees.

TEXT 43

ämära sambhäñe nähi kåñëera kathana

ataeva ämä’ dekhi’ kare paläyana

TRANSLATION

“I do not speak anything about Kåñëa, therefore He ran away when he saw
Me.”

998
 COMMENTARY

Since Çré Gaurasundara’s statements contained no mention of the qualities

of Kåñëa, the devotees left Him in the distance and went far away.

TEXT 44

santoñe päòena gäli prabhu mukundere

vyapadeçe prakäça karena äpanäre

TRANSLATION

The Lord called Mukunda some ill names, yet He was actually satisfied with
him. At the same time He indirectly disclosed His identity.

COMMENTARY

Being satisfied at heart, the Lord manifested His own identity on the
pretext of externally chastising Mukunda; in other words, He approved the
discussion of hari-kathä. The devotees of Räma discuss the names of Sétä-Räma
rather than the names of Rädhä-Kåñëa, but their external exhibition of such
difference in opinion is actually another way of hearing the names of Rädhä
and Kåñëa. Similarly, the devotees of Kåñëa chant the names of
Rädhä-Govinda before the devotees of Räma in order to test their
qualification for chanting the names of Sétä-Räma, the names indicating the
regulative opulent feature of the Lord. Such quarrels in the service of Lord
Hari are just contradictions of internal and external endeavors.

999
 TEXT 45

prabhu bole,—“äre beöä kata dina thäka?

paläile kothä mora eòäibe päka?”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “My dear boy, how long will you avoid My clutches? Do you
think you will escape My association by running away?”

COMMENTARY

The word päka (pac+ghaïa, or a corruption of the word parikrama?) means

“by chance or accident,” “device,” or “trick.”

TEXT 46

häsi’ bole prabhu—“äge paòoì kata-dina

tabe se dekhibä-mora vaiñëavera cina

TRANSLATION

Smiling, the Lord said, “When I finish My studies, then you will all see My
Vaiñëava qualities.”

TEXT 47

e-mata vaiñëava mui haimu saàsäre

1000
 aja-bhava äsibeka ämära duyäre

TRANSLATION

“I will be such a Vaiñëava that Brahmä and Çiva will come to My door.

COMMENTARY

The authoritative demigods like Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva are the dear
friends of the Vaiñëavas. Brahmä, Çiva, Närada, and others make an
auspicious appearance wherever there are Vaiñëavas who are attached to the
service of the Lord. By worldly considerations, the demigods are very exalted.
But the arrival of demigods at the doors of Vaiñëavas, with whom they are
affectionately bound, is a display of their humility.

TEXT 48

çunä, bhäi saba, ei ämära vacana

vaiñëava haimu mui sarva-vilakñaëa

TRANSLATION

“My dear brothers, listen to Me. I will certainly become an extraordinary

Vaiñëava.

COMMENTARY

The word sarva-vilakñaëa refers to one who is more attached to the service
of the Lord than all other Vaiñëavas. While comparing the levels of abhidheya,
in order to ascertain who is the best of the souls surrendered to the Supreme

1001
Lord, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has written in his Upadeçämåta (10) as follows: “In
the çästra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in
knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari.
Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [jïänés], one who is
practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service.
He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema,
pure love of Kåñëa, is superior to him. The gopés are exalted above all the
advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Çré Kåñëa,
the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopés, Çrématé Rädhäräëé is the
most dear to Kåñëa. Her kuëòa [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Kåñëa as
this most beloved of the gopés. Who, then, will not reside at Rädhä-kuëòa and,
in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings
[apräkåta-bhäva], render loving service to the divine couple Çré Çré
Rädhä-Govinda, who perform Their añöa-käléya-lélä, Their eternal eightfold
daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of
Rädhä-kuëòa are the most fortunate people in the universe.”

TEXT 49

ämäre dekhiyä ebe ye-saba paläya

tähärä o yena mora guëa-kérti gäya”

TRANSLATION

“Those who run away from Me today will chant My glories and qualities
tomorrow.”

TEXT 50

1002
 eteka baliyä prabhu calilä häsite
ghare gelä nija-çiñya-gaëera sahite

TRANSLATION

After speaking in this way, Nimäi smiled and returned home with His
students.

TEXT 51

ei-mata raìga kare viçvambhara-räya

ke tä’ne jänite päre, yadi nä jänäya?

TRANSLATION

Who can understand these pastimes enjoyed by Lord Viçvambhara unless

He reveals them?

TEXT 52

hena mate bhakta-gaëa nadéyäya vaise

sakala nadéyä matta dhana-putra-rase

TRANSLATION

In this way the devotees resided in Navadvépa, which was filled with people
intoxicated by wealth and children.

1003
 TEXT 53

çunilei kértana, karaye parihäsa

keha bole,—“saba peöa puñibära äça”

TRANSLATION

As soon as such people heard the devotees’ kértana, they taunted the
devotees. Someone said, “This is just a means for filling their stomachs.”

COMMENTARY

Being induced by material knowledge, all the residents of Nadia were

maddened by the affection of their wives and children and the accumulation
of material education and wealth, thus they were averse to the service of Lord
Hari. They neither had attachment for hearing the glories of the Lord nor did
they realize the great necessity of chanting the glories of Kåñëa. That is why
they neglected and derided the service of the Lord. They considered
hari-kértana, which meant for the service of the Lord, as a means of filling the
stomach for those who are engaged in fruitive activities.

TEXT 54

keha bole,—“jïäna-yoga eòiyä vicära

uddhatera präya nåtya,—e kon vyabhära?”

TRANSLATION

Another said, “They have given up the cultivation of knowledge to dance

1004
like madmen. What kind of behavior is this?”

COMMENTARY

Speculating on impersonal Brahman is called jïäna. The impersonalists

conclude that this jïäna is the goal of life. Objects that are used as ingredients
for the sense gratification of conditioned souls who are averse to Kåñëa are
known as viñaya, or sense objects. To remain indifferent to such objects, or to
restrain one’s mind from these objects, is called yoga. Persons who are
following the philosophy of monism consider merging into Brahman or
merging with the Lord as the ultimate goal of the living entities. Their
sädhana is also based on impersonal Vedänta and añöäìga-yoga-çästras. The
devotional service of the Lord, however, never produces such abominable and
unpalatable temporary deceit. The restlessness that is found in persons who
are inclined to the service of the Lord is not due to sense gratification. But
since the impersonalists and yogis are situated on the platform of
narrow-mindedness, they are unable to understand the endeavors of the Lord’s
devotees. This is confirmed in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.2.40) in the
following words: “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 like a madman, not caring for outsiders.”
In the consideration of abhidheya, temporary sädhanas followed by the
jïänés and yogis are not accepted by the devotees. They know activities
favorable to the service of eternally liberated souls as
abhidheya-sädhana-bhakti. This does not mean that the sense gratification on
the pretext of the duplicitous artificial hearing, chanting, dancing, and
playing instruments of the äulas, bäulas, kartäbhajäs, sahajiyäs, sakhébhekés,
smärtas, and ativäòis is approved as sädhana, or the cultivation of pure
devotional service.

1005
 TEXT 55

keha bole,—“kata vä paòiluì bhägavata

näciba käìdiba,—hena nä dekhiluì patha

TRANSLATION

Someone else said, “I have studied Çrémad Bhägavatam for a long time, but I
have never found any mention of dancing and crying as a spiritual path.

COMMENTARY

Due to a poor fund of knowledge, the asslike, so-called scriptural reciters

with steel-framed hearts proudly declare that there is no instruction in Çrémad
Bhägavatam that devotees should cry and dance while hearing and chanting
the names of Kåñëa. Although the inauspicious instruction for the artificial
dancing and crying that the proud reciters and listeners of Çrémad Bhägavatam
exhibit in order to fulfill their mundane selfishness is not found in Çrémad
Bhägavatam, the transformations of ecstatic love born from the loving service
of Lord Kåñëa that are sometimes spontaneously manifested in the pure living
entities who are absorbed in the service of Hari are profusely mentioned in
Çrémad Bhägavatam.

TEXT 56

çréväsa-paëòita-cäri-bhäira lägiyä
nidrä nähi yäi, bhäi, bhojana kariyä

1006
 TRANSLATION

“My dear brothers, because of Çréväsa and his three brothers we cannot
sleep after eating.

COMMENTARY

As a result of the pure devotees’ loud chanting for the pleasure of Lord
Kåñëa, people who were attached to sense gratification felt disturbed in their
enjoying the happiness of eating and sleeping and were thus greatly displeased.
Since Çréväsa Paëòita and his three brothers loudly chanted the names of
Kåñëa every night, the fruitive workers, who are prone to material enjoyment,
could not respect such pure conceptions of abhidheya.

TEXT 57

dhére dhére ’kåñëa’ balile ki puëya nahe?

näcile, gäile, òäka chäòile, ki haye?”

TRANSLATION

“Is there no piety in softly chanting Kåñëa’s names? Must one chant, dance,
and shout loudly?”

COMMENTARY

Ordinary persons who were engaged in fruitive activities utilized their

mundane experience to accumulate piety for their better arrangement of sense
gratification. According to the logic, kämukäù käminé-mayam paçyanti
nikhilaà jagat—“a lusty man sees the entire world as full of women,” people

1007
thought that on the pretext of serving Hari the intelligent pure devotees were
also accumulating piety to gratify their temporary senses like themselves.
Being controlled by such base considerations, they thought that the
Vaiñëavas, like themselves, had a thirst for accumulating piety in all their
activities. That is why the nondevotees, who were averse to the Lord,
displayed a difference in opinion with the devotees’ abhidheya-sädhana, or
method of achieving the goal of life. They were partial to the artificial
chanting of the holy names in a solitary place and opposed to the
all-auspicious congregational chanting of the names of Kåñëa, thus they were
misguided due to their concocted imagination. They foolishly declared that
the Vaiñëavas’ activities for achieving the goal of life like singing and dancing
for the pleasure of Kåñëa and loudly calling out the names of Kåñëa with love
were equal, or even inferior, to artificial nirjana-bhajana, or chanting of the
holy names in a solitary place.

TEXT 58

ei-mata yata päpa-päñaëòéra gaëa

dekhilei vaiñëavere, kare, ku-kathana

TRANSLATION

In this way all the sinful atheists abused the Vaiñëavas whenever they saw
them.

COMMENTARY

The word saàkathana refers to the disclosure of contrary feelings, while

profusely criticizing the Vaiñëavas.

1008
 TEXT 59

çuniyä vaiñëava saba mahäduùkha päya

’kåñëa’ bali’ sabei käìdena ürdhvaräya

TRANSLATION

Hearing their abusive words, the devotees were greatly distressed. They
would chant Kåñëa’s name and cry loudly.

COMMENTARY

The Vaiñëavas felt greatly distressed at heart on hearing the wicked words
of the fruitive workers, mental speculators, and sense gratifiers. Considering
these people’s pathetic condition, the Vaiñëavas desired their eternal benefit
and continually appealed to the Lord from the core of their hearts.

TEXT 60

“kata-dine e-saba duùkhera habe näça

jagatere, kåñëacandra, karaha prakäça”

TRANSLATION

“How long will this miserable condition last? O Kåñëacandra, please

manifest Yourself to these people.”

COMMENTARY

1009
 The devotees waited with the expectation that they would soon see the
appearance of the Absolute Truth, Çré Kåñëa, within this material world. By
the appearance of Kåñëa, all the darkness of ignorance in the material world
would be destroyed—this thought gave them solace.

TEXT 61

sakala vaiñëava mili’ advaitera sthäne

päñaëòéra vacana karena nivedane

TRANSLATION

The Vaiñëavas all told Advaita Prabhu about the abusive words of the
atheists.

COMMENTARY

Those who are averse to the service and pastimes of the Supreme Lord are
called päñaëòés. The behavior and statements of such päñaëòés are full of envy
for the Vaiñëavas. Understanding Çré Advaita Prabhu as the leader amongst
the Navadvépa Vaiñëavas, all the Vaiñëavas informed Him of the atheistic
views of those who were opposed to the Vaiñëavas.

TEXT 62

çuniyä advaita haya rudra-avatära

“saàhärimu saba” bali’ karaye huìkära

1010
 TRANSLATION

Hearing their account, Advaita Äcärya became as angry as Lord Rudra and
loudly exclaimed, “I will kill them all!

COMMENTARY

As the leader of the Viçva-vaiñëava Räja-sabhä, Çré Advaita Prabhu

became furious on hearing about the abusive words of the päñaëòés and loudly
declared, “I will annihilate all of them!” Those less-intelligent persons who are
averse to the Vaiñëavas consider the anger of Vaiñëava Äcärya Advaita
Prabhu as equal or similar to their own anger, which is born from disturbances
to their sense gratification, and are thus certainly guaranteed of going to hell.

TEXT 63

“äsiteche ei mora prabhu cakradhara

dekhibä ki haya ei nadéyä-bhitara

TRANSLATION

“My Lord, who carries a cakra, is coming. Then you will see what happens
in Nadia.

COMMENTARY

Çré Advaita Prabhu began to tell the Vaiñëavas who had approached Him
for remedies that His worshipable Lord Viñëu, who holds the Sudarçana cakra,
is coming to Navadvépa soon. By Him, the ignorance of the fools would be
destroyed.

1011
 TEXT 64

karäimu kåñëa sarva-nayana-gocara

tabe se ’advaita’-näma kåñëera kiìkara!

TRANSLATION

“I will make Kåñëa appear before the eyes of all, then this person named
“Advaita” will be known as the servant of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The devotees of Kåñëa are nondifferent from Kåñëa. Since the Absolute
Truth is nondual, according to the concept of oneness the various
manifestations of Viñëu and His plenary portions are nondifferent from Him.
According to the philosophy of difference, the living entities are situated on
the platform of inconceivable oneness and difference. That is why Äcärya
Prabhu had to accept the title “Advaita.” The philosophy of
acintya-bhedäbheda, which is eternally pure and primeval, was previously
known as çuddhädvaita. With the consent of sages coming in the line of
Bodhäyana, this philosophy was called viçiñöädvaita by those in the line of Çré
Rämänuja; yet actually, according to the consideration of variegatedness, this
philosophy is only a partial manifestation of the acintya-bhedäbheda
philosophy. The philosophy of dvaitädvaita has a similar purpose to that
described in the philosophies of çuddhädvaita and viçiñöädvaita, both of which
have conclusions different from the philosophy of kevalädvaita, or exclusive
monism, but it is also an incomplete manifestation of the acintya-bhedäbheda
philosophy. The philosophy of çuddhädvaita, which openly and clearly
establishes differences from the philosophy of kevalädvaita, is also a

1012
preliminary consideration of the acintya-bhedäbheda philosophy. Therefore,
desiring to perfect the four philosophical conclusions of çuddhädvaita (purified
monism), viçiñöädvaita (specific monism), dvaitädvaita (monism and dualism),
and çuddha-dvaita (purified dualism), Çré Advaita Prabhu, who was the
Gauòéya Vaiñëava Äcärya, inaugurated the process of considering Vedänta in
the Gauòéya Vaiñëava way. Çré Gaurasundara and His followers, the Six
Gosvämés, have generated new branches and subbranches of the philosophy of
acintya-bhedäbheda. In order to fulfill the meaning of His name, Advaita, and
to manifest the form of Kåñëa to everyone—including Buddhists, karmis, and
impersonalists—Çré Advaita Äcärya, who is eternally situated as the servant
of Kåñëa, manifested His own service propensity in this material world. The
word sarva in this verse refers to former Vaiñëava sages as well as followers of
the philosophy of Madhväcärya, who appeared in the Middle Ages. The
servant of Kåñëa has no engagement other than the service of Kåñëa. All their
activities are meant to please Kåñëa. An äcärya has no other thought or
activity than: “Let everyone of this world be engaged in the devotional service
of the Lord.” When devotional service mixed with fruitive activities turns into
devotional service devoid of even a scent of fruitive activities it is called
kevala-bhakti, or unalloyed devotional service. At that time the distinctions
born from material considerations are eradicated and the spiritual distinctions
between a servant and the Lord are awakened.

TEXT 65

ära dina kata giyä thäka, bhäi saba!

ethäi dekhibä saba kåñëa anubhava”

TRANSLATION

“Please wait a few more days, My dear brothers, and you will see Kåñëa

1013
right here.”

COMMENTARY

Çré Advaita Prabhu said, “O devotees, please wait for some days. You will
soon realize Kåñëa, within and without. By the strength of your devotional
service, Çré Kåñëa, who enjoys with the gopés, will manifest His form as Çré
Gaurasundara among you. By serving Him, you will achieve the perfection of
serving Kåñëa.” This does not mean that Çré Advaita Prabhu preached the
philosophy of gopé-chäòi gauräìga-nägaré, or becoming a lover of Gauräìga
who has left the gopés. In the performance of kértana, which is the service of
Çré Gaurasundara, the worship of Gaura is the worship of Kåñëa and the
worship of Kåñëa is the worship of Gaura. Not understanding Çré
Gaurasundara as Kåñëa and considering Çré Nityänanda Svarüpa as merely a
spiritual master, foolish ignorant people fall from the devotional service of the
Lord. Moreover, if they consider that the pastimes of Gaura are not those of
Kåñëa but only the pastimes of a devotee, then they meet a similar fate. The
pastimes of Çré Kåñëa are Çré Gaurasundara’s pastimes of giving conjugal
enjoyment, they are not contaminated with the philosophy of the
präkåta-sahajiyäs (mundane devotees). If a sädhaka considers that the pastimes
of Çré Gaura are not those of Çré Kåñëa but are separate manifestations of
variegated material enjoyment, he falls from his position and becomes a
conditioned soul. Then, leaving the service of Lord Kåñëa, the illusory energy
supplies him the evil propensity of imagining to enjoy Gaura. The pure
devotees of Gaura do not associate with such so-called gaura-bhaktas, who are
actually servants of mäyä and followers of the çäkta philosophy. In the
consideration of pure devotees, mixed devotional service is prominently found
in the thirteen pseudo Vaiñëava apa-sampradäyas like bäula, sahajiyä, and
gaura-nägaré. Giving up such unwanted association is an exhibition of
nonduplicitous devotion to Çré Gaurasundara. Until the propensity for serving
Kåñëa is awakened in the heart of a living entity, his clear perception of Çré

1014
Gaurasundara remains covered by the spirit of material enjoyment. When this
covering is removed, then, under the guidance of Çré Advaita Prabhu, one
soon attains the fortune of seeing Çré Gaurasundara.

TEXT 66

advaitera väkya çuni’ bhägavata-gaëa

duùkha päsariyä sabe karena kértana

TRANSLATION

After hearing the words of Advaita, all the devotees forgot their distress and
began kértana.

TEXT 67

uöhila kåñëera näma parama-maìgala

advaita-sahita sabe hailä vihvala

TRANSLATION

As the auspicious sound of Kåñëa’s names arose, Advaita and the other
devotees became overwhelmed.

COMMENTARY

While loudly chanting the sixteen name, or thirty-two syllable, Hare Kåñëa
mahä-mantra, or by loudly chanting the names of Çré Rädhä-Govinda, Çré
Advaita Prabhu became overwhelmed in ecstasy. According to the learned

1015
viewpoint, the names of Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa that Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé
has indicated in two of the concluding verses of Viläpa-kusumäïjali beginning
with äçäbharair amåta-sindhu-mayaiù are included within the sixteen names,
or thirty-two syllables, of the mahä-mantra. The so-called devotees of the
pseudo sampradäyas who are opposed to the followers of Çré Rüpa Gosvämé,
though identifying themselves as devotees, are unable to understand the
identity of Kåñëa’s names, and being reluctant to accept the Hare Kåñëa
mahä-mantra composed of sixteen names, or thirty-two syllables, as names of
Kåñëa, they thus consider the mahä-mantra as an ordinary mantra. These
offenders are traveling towards hell and are simply rebellious against the guru.
One should discuss the verse tuëòe täëòaviné ratià 1(6) in this regard. The
names of Çré Kåñëa, or in other words, the names “Hare Kåñëa”, indicate Çré
Rädhä-Govinda, and the names “Hare Räma” also refer to Çré Rädhä-Govinda.
Those who have learned to become subordinate to Çré Raghunätha däsa
Gosvämé, who is situated as the subordinate of Çré Rüpa Gosvämé Prabhuvara,
who composed Çré Rädhäñöaka and Çré Hari-nämäñöaka, can never commit
offences at the feet of Çré Jéva Gosvämé. Çré Gaurasundara has incarnated in
order to teach people that the names of Çré Rädhä-Govinda and Çré
Rädhä-Govinda Themselves are nondifferent. He instructed the conclusions
of acintya-bhedäbheda to thoughtful persons.

TEXT 68

päñaëòéra väkya-jvälä saba gela düra

ei-mata pulakita navadvépa-pura

TRANSLATION

The pains caused by the atheists’ abusive words were mitigated, as the city
of Navadvépa became filled with ecstasy.

1016
 COMMENTARY

Çré Advaita Prabhu’s solacing words extinguished the burning fire arising
from the atheistic statements in which the devotees of Kåñëa were compared
to atheists, who are envious of the Vaiñëavas and who worship five gods. The
attitude of atheism, in other words, the temperament of being envious of
Vaiñëavas and averse to devotional service, is present in the covered Buddhist
codes of reconciliation and its propagation. Since this temperament was
vanquished, in other words, when impersonalism, which is opposed to
Vaiñëavism, was temporarily checked in the town of Navadvépa, the material
conceptions of the residents of Navadvépa were removed. As a result, the pure
Vaiñëavas were greatly pleased.

TEXT 69

adhyayana-sukhe prabhu viçvambhara-räya

niravadhi jananéra änanda bäòäya

TRANSLATION

Lord Viçvambhara happily passed His days in study and always increased
the joy of Mother Çacé.

COMMENTARY

The aim of Çré Gaurasundara’s enjoyment of scholastic pastimes was to help

the living entities of this world cultivate Kåñëa consciousness. Therefore the
studying and teaching pastimes of Çré Çacénandana increased the happiness of
Çacédevé. No one should consider Çacédevé, who is nondifferent from Yaçodä,
as being nondifferent from the external energy, mäyä, and thus become

1017
established in the çäkta philosophy of the followers of Durgä. Mäyädevé, who is
the external energy of the Lord and the mother of the universe, can never
become the mother of Gaurasundara. Rather, Çacé is the personification of
vätsalya-rasa, which nourishes spiritual bliss. Since the sense enjoyers, fruitive
workers, and mental speculators glorify the secondary meanings of words, the
primary meanings of words do not manifest in their hearts. Only persons who
are engaged in the service of the Lord are fully qualified to understand the
primary meanings. Such qualification is awakened in the heart of a living
entity only by the mercy of Kåñëa.

TEXT 70

hena-käle navadvépe çré-éçvara-puré

äilena ati alakñita-veça dhari’

TRANSLATION

In the meantime, Çré Éçvara Puré came in disguise to Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

The word alakñita-veça, or “in disguise,” means that he was dressed in such
way that people would not know that he was a devotee. In other words, he
came dressed as an ekadaëòi-sannyäsé.

TEXT 71

kåñëa-rase parama-vihvala mahäçaya

ekänta kåñëera priya ati-dayä-maya

1018
 TRANSLATION

He was overwhelmed with love for Kåñëa. He was most merciful and dear to
Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

In the consideration of worshipable objects, Kåñëa is the topmost. Kåñëa is

the object of five kinds of rasas, Çré Näräyaëa is the object of two and half
rasas, and impersonal Brahman is the object of only çänta-rasa. But this latter
rasa, çänta-rasa, is often not counted amongst the rasas. The impersonal
spiritual abode of Brahman, though situated on the other side of the Virajä, is
devoid of the conceptions of servant and the served. On this side of the Virajä
is Devé-dhäma, wherein the material sky is situated. Mundane perishable
objects are situated in this material sky. In the spiritual abode of spiritual
variegatedness and spiritual characteristics, the conceptions of servant and
served are present, but in this temporary material world the conceptions of
servant and served are perverted. Relationships with Kåñëa in the five rasas
are generally extremely rare in the material world. As far as the supreme
excellence of rasas is concerned, though there is some similarity between
material rasas and Vaikuëöha rasas, material rasas are actually abominable
reflections of spiritual rasas. That is why the rasas of this material world are
known as virasa, or disgusting. In the consideration of the älambana, or
support, of rasas in the spiritual world, the viñaya, or object, is one nondual
substance and the äçraya, or subjects, are many. But in the material world we
see the deviation that the objects are many and the subjects are many. In the
spiritual world, the Absolute Truth, Vrajendra-nandana, is the only object and
Baladeva is the manifestation of that object. Baladeva’s four manifestations,
the catur-vyüha, are situated in Mahä-Vaikuëöha. Because the objects of the
material world are infected with the modes of material nature, they are
subjected to the agitation of time. From the viewpoint of subjects, the

1019
controlling spirit found in the objects of abodes such as Kailäsa contain
material pride. In other words a connection with the three modes of material
nature is found. Such pollution is not possible in the Absolute Truth, Lord
Viñëu, of the spiritual world. In the material world, the impermanence of rasas
and the impermanence of the subjects and objects are abominable and
contrary to the principles of Vaikuëöha rasas. Under the subordination of Çré
Mädhavendra Purépäda, Çré Éçvara Puré was expert in relishing transcendental
rasas in relationship with Kåñëa. The service attitude of Éçvara Puré fully
blossomed due to the austerity of Çré Mädhavendra and his eagerness for
achieving Kåñëa, therefore he received the direct mercy of Gaurasundara, who
is nondifferent from Vrajendra-nandana. Çré Éçvara Puré was completely
overwhelmed with love for Kåñëa. In other words, mundane external feelings
could not disturb his loving service. Because he was situated as the servant of
the spiritual master, he was dear to Kåñëa, very dear, therefore he was equally
merciful to all living entities. The prime example of mercy is to awaken one’s
devotion to Kåñëa, as this is the eternal propensity of the soul.

TEXT 72

täna veçe täne keha cinite nä päre

daive giyä uöhilena advaita-mandire

TRANSLATION

Wearing that dress, no one could recognize him as he arrived by providence

at the house of Advaita.

COMMENTARY

Although Çré Navadvépa Mäyäpur was inhabited by many brähmaëas and

1020
persons attached to proper codes of conduct, Çré Purépäda arrived at the house
of Çré Advaita Äcärya, who was the leader of the Vaiñëavas, due to the
consideration that persons like to associate with like-minded persons.
Particularly because Çré Advaita Prabhu was a disciple of Çré Mädhavendra
Puré. Therefore, knowing Him to be a Godbrother, Çré Éçvara Puré went to the
house of Çré Advaita and thus proved his spontaneous attachment to his
spiritual master.

TEXT 73

yekhäne advaita sevä karena vasiyä

sammukhe vasilä baòa saìkucita haiyä

TRANSLATION

He humbly sat down close to where Advaita Prabhu was performing His
püjä.

TEXT 74

vaiñëavera teja vaiñëavete nä lukäya

punaù punaù advaita tähäna päne cäya

TRANSLATION

The effulgence of a Vaiñëava cannot be hidden from another Vaiñëava, and

therefore Advaita Prabhu looked at him again and again.

1021
 TEXT 75

advaita bolena,—“bäpa, tumi kon jana?

vaiñëava-sannyäsé tumi,—hena laya mana”

TRANSLATION

Advaita then said, “Dear Prabhu, who are you? I think you are a Vaiñëava
sannyäsé.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase vaiñëava-sannyäsé is explained as follows: The karmi sannyäsés

follow the småti principles of the renounced order of life and accept tridaëòa.
In other words, they travel alone. The jïäné-sannyäsés accept ekadaëòa, and
while cultivating the study of Vedänta they practice six sädhanas like
peacefulness, self-control, and tolerance, and achieve their desired result. The
Vaiñëava sannyäsés, however, completely give up both the desire for material
sense enjoyment and the desire for renouncing sense enjoyment and engage in
the unalloyed service of Lord Hari. The principles of giving up both material
enjoyment and renunciation can be found in them. They are situated in the
conception found in Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.23.57):

etäà sa ästhäya parätma-niñöhäm

adhyäsitäà pürvatamair maharñibhiù
ahaà tariñyämi duranta-päraà
tamo mukundäìghri-niñevayaiva

“I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly

fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Kåñëa. This was approved by the
previous äcäryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramätmä, the

1022
Supreme Personality of Godhead.” By the mercy of Çré Mädhavendra, Çré
Advaita Prabhu was able to recognize His Godbrother. As disciples of Çré
Mädhavendra, Äcärya Prabhu played the role of a householder, while Éçvara
Purépäda played the role of a Vaiñëava sannyäsé. Therefore Äcärya did not
take much time to recognize him as His Godbrother.

TEXT 76

bolena éçvara-puré,—“ämi çüdrädhama

dekhibäre äiläìa tomära caraëa”

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré replied, “I am lower than a çüdra. I have come here simply to
see Your lotus feet.”

COMMENTARY

The word çüdrädhama (lower than a çüdra) is often read as kñudrädhama

(lower than the lowest) by mistake. It is to be understood that when Çré Éçvara
Purépäda referred to himself as çüdrädhama, it was a sign of humility. A
self-realized Vaiñëava, in particular, never identifies himself as belonging to
the worldly varëäçrama society. Çré Gaurasundara has instructed this to the
conditioned souls who are situated in the principles of varëäçrama by quoting
the verses: nähaà vipro na ca nara-patir and tåëäd api sunécena. People
traveling on the path of fruitive activities identify themselves according to the
mundane caste divisions of çaukra, by semen; sävitra, by initiation; and
daikñya, by becoming a perfect brähmaëa. The self-realized devotees of the
Lord have no interest for such identification, because they have already
developed faith in topics of Hari. In particular, it is impossible for a traveler on

1023
the path of devotional service to maintain conceptions of “I” and “mine,”
which is one of the offences in chanting the holy names of the Lord. Being
conditioned, the human beings consider themselves as being under the control
of the three modes of nature. A person situated in the mode of goodness,
surpassing the modes of passion and ignorance, displays the qualities of a
brähmaëa in his behavior and activities. When one is situated in the mode of
goodness and passion, he displays the qualities of a kñatriya. When one is
situated in goodness and ignorance, he displays the qualities of a vaiçya. When
one is situated in the modes of passion and ignorance, he displays the qualities
of a çüdra. And when one is situated in ignorance, he displays qualities lower
than those of a çüdra, or those of a mleccha. In the Bhagavad-gétä (4.13), the
Supreme Lord has stated: “According to the three modes of material nature
and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are
created by Me.” According to this principle of dividing the varëas, the
activities of çüdras are devoid of all saàskäras. The other three varëas of
twice-borns are qualified to undergo all saàskäras, but the çüdras are naturally
bereft of all saàskäras; they are only qualified for undergoing the saàskära of
marriage. Just as an absence of mundane pride is indicated by usage of the
words tåëäd api sunéca, the Vaiñëavas who have given up pride for their varëa
identify themselves as belonging to castes lower than çüdra. The karmé and
jïäné sannyäsés proudly declare themselves as the most exalted in the material
world, but Vaiñëava sannyäsés do not exhibit such mentality and external
behavior. The karmé sannyäsés are niräçér nirnamañkriyaù—“not offering
anyone blessings or obeisances,” the jïäné sannyäsés proudly identify
themselves as “Näräyaëa,” but the tridaëòi Vaiñëava sannyäsé, though
respected by others as nondifferent from Näräyaëa, nevertheless replies, däso
’smi—“I am a servant.” He is devoid of mundane pride. Therefore he does not
beg people for prestige like the other sannyäsés. But if foolish people disrespect
the Vaiñëava sannyäsé out of envy, then even ordinary småti-çästras prescribe
atonement. Non-Vaiñëava sannyäsés try to advance to the platform of
adulterated paramahaàsa, but Vaiñëava sannyäsés are naturally situated on the

1024
paramahaàsa platform. Çré Purépäda humbly replied that he came to Çré
Advaita Prabhu in order to worship His lotus feet. Another reading is
viprädhama, or “lowest of the brähmaëas.”

TEXT 77

bujhiyä mukunda eka kåñëera carita

gäite lägilä ati premera sahita

TRANSLATION

Understanding the situation, Mukunda began to sing a song about Kåñëa

with great devotion.

TEXT 78

yei-mätra çunilena mukundera géte

paòilä éçvara-puré òhali’ påthivéte

TRANSLATION

As the sound of Mukunda’s singing entered his ears, Çré Éçvara Puré fell to
the ground.

COMMENTARY

The heart of Purépäda was melted by the love-filled singing of Mukunda,

and his body displayed ecstatic transformations of love. The shedding of
artificial tears by pseudo sampradäya members who imitate the transcendental

1025
position of the actual Vaiñëavas simply results in their being deprived of the
devotees’ association. Realizing their ineligibility, persons whose hearts are
steel-framed display artificial duplicitous emotions in order to attract
people—this falls in the category of pretentious emotions.

TEXT 79

nayanera jale anta nähika tähäna

punaù-punaù bäòe prema-dhärära payäna

TRANSLATION

Incessant tears flowed from his eyes, and the waves of his love increased
again and again.

TEXT 80

äste vyaste advaita tulilä nija-kole

siïcita haila aìga nayanera jale

TRANSLATION

Advaita Prabhu hastily took him in His arms, and His entire body became
wet with tears.

TEXT 81

samvaraëa nahe prema punaù-punaù bäòe

1026
 santoñe mukunda ucca kari’ çloka paòe

TRANSLATION

The symptoms of ecstatic love continued to increase rather than diminish as

Mukunda began to loudly recite appropriate verses.

TEXT 82

dekhiyä vaiñëava saba premera vikära

atula änanda mane janmila sabära

TRANSLATION

The Vaiñëavas’ hearts were filled with incomparable happiness as they saw
their transformations of ecstatic love.

TEXT 83

päche sabe cinilena çré-éçvara-puré

prema dekhi sabei saìare ’hari-hari’

TRANSLATION

Later, when they learned that he was Éçvara Puré, the devotees all
remembered Lord Hari.

TEXT 84

1027
 ei-mata éçvara-puré navadvépa-pure
alakñite bulena, cinite keha näre

TRANSLATION

In this way, as Éçvara Puré wandered about Navadvépa in disguise, no one

was able to recognize him.

TEXTS 85-86

daive eka-dina prabhu çré-gaurasundara

paòäiyä äisena äpanära ghara

pathe dekhä haila éçvara-puré-sane

bhåtya dekhi’ prabhu namaskarilä äpane

TRANSLATION

One day, as Çré Gaurasundara was returning home from school, by

providence He met Çré Éçvara Puré. Seeing His eternal servant, the Lord offered
him obeisances.

COMMENTARY

The etiquette that householders offer respects to members of the

renounced order of life is prescribed in the Dharma-çästras. As a gåhastha
brähmaëa, Çré Gaurasundara duly offered obeisances to the Vaiñëava sannyäsé.
Although Çré Gaurasundara is the Lord of the fourteen worlds and although
He later enacted the pastime of accepting initiation from Éçvara Puré, in
reality Éçvara Puré was the servant of Çré Gaurasundara.

1028
 TEXT 87

ati anirvacanéya öhäkura sundara

sarva-mate sarva-vilakñaëa-guëa-dhara

TRANSLATION

Viçvambhara’s personal beauty was indescribable. He was the reservoir of all

extraordinary qualities.

TEXT 88

yadyapi tähäna marma keha nähi jäne

tathäpi sädhvasa kare dekhi’ sarva-jane

TRANSLATION

Although people did not know His real identity, they nevertheless had great
respect for Him.

TEXT 89

cähena éçvara-puré prabhura çaréra

siddha-puruñera präya parama gambhéra

TRANSLATION

When Éçvara Puré saw Nimäi’s features, he could understand that Nimäi

1029
was a most grave and exalted personality.

COMMENTARY

The words siddha-puruñera präya mean “equal to a mahä-bhägavata.” One

should not misunderstand that the word präya, or “almost,” means that when
Purépäda saw Çré Gaurasundara he did not even consider Him a siddha-puruña.
Rather, he understood that the Lord, who was dressed as a siddha-puruña, was
worshipable, and since the Lord accepted the mood of a devotee, He appeared
as a siddha-puruña.

TEXT 90

jijïäsena,—“tomära ki näma, vipra-vara?

ki puìthi paòäo, paòa, kon sthäne ghara?”

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré inquired, “O best of the brähmaëas, what is Your name? What
are You studying and teaching, and where do You live?”

TEXT 91

çeñe sabe bolilena,—“nimäi paëòita”

“tumi se!” baliyä baòa hailä harañita

TRANSLATION

When the others replied, “He is Nimäi Paëòita,” Éçvara Puré joyfully said,

1030
“So, You are Nimäi!”

TEXT 92

bhikñä-nimantraëa prabhu karilena tä’ne

mahädare gåhe lai’ calilä äpane

TRANSLATION

The Lord invited Éçvara Puré for lunch and then respectfully brought him
home.

COMMENTARY

It is the duty of householder brähmaëas to invite Vaiñëava sannyäsés to

their homes for lunch. Therefore as an ideal householder brähmaëa,
Gaurasundara invited Çré Purépäda to His house for lunch.

TEXT 93

kåñëera naivedya çacé karilena giyä

bhikñä kari’ viñëu-gåhe vasilä äsiyä

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé prepared an offering for Kåñëa, and after honoring the prasäda,
Éçvara Puré sat in the temple room.

COMMENTARY

1031
 After honoring kåñëa-prasäda that had been cooked by Çacé, Éçvara
Purépäda sat in the temple room of Çacé’s house.

TEXT 94

kåñëera prastäva saba kahite lägilä

kahite kåñëera kathä avaça hailä

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, Éçvara Puré became fully absorbed while describing topics of

Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

While discussing topics of Kåñëa, Éçvara Puré’s spiritual senses became

almost inert. He became intoxicated in the service of the Lord as if he were
directly situated in the spiritual world. The subtle and gross designations of
conditioned souls who are averse to the Lord are obstacles on the path of
realizing the kingdom of Vaikuëöha. By discussing topics of Hari, such
obstacles are surpassed.

TEXT 95

apürva premera dhärä dekhiyä santoña

nä prakäçe’ äpana’ lokera déna-doña

TRANSLATION

1032
 The Lord was satisfied to see his unprecedented symptoms of love, which he
did not disclose due to people’s misfortunate position.

COMMENTARY

The words déna-doña are explained as follows: Due to the conditioned soul’s
aversion to Lord Hari, they are cheated from the wealth of service attitude.
Therefore they are called déna or kåpaëa, poor or miserly, not brähmaëa. The
Vaiñëavas do not reveal their good fortune to the conditioned souls. The
hearts of those who make a show of Vaiñëavism to impress people are full of
duplicity. Seeing the disqualification of ordinary people, Vaiñëavas do not
allow them to know the symptoms of their worship or the characteristics of
their service. Because the präkåta-sahajiyäs claim to be Vaiñëavas, they cannot
recognize pure devotees. In their first encounters with Çré Räya Rämänanda
and Çré Puëòaréka Vidyänidhi, respectively, Çré Pradyumna Miçra and the
residents of Navadvépa foolishly considered them as attached to material
enjoyment. We will see in the Sixteenth Chapter of this book that a pseudo
brähmaëa was beaten by a snake-charmer simply for imitating Çré Öhäkura
Haridäsa. Since the devotees who relish love of God do not exhibit their
loving sentiments either in the marketplace or to the materialistic sahajiyäs,
the präkåta-sahajiyäs consider such pure devotees of the Lord to be sense
enjoyers and thus drown in the mire of offenses. Because this evil practice was
going on in the world, Çré Purépäda, though a Vaiñëava sannyäsé, did not
exhibit transformations of love in the dress of a sannyäsé.

TEXT 96

mäsa-kata gopénätha äcäryera ghare

rahilä éçvara-puré navadvépa-pure

1033
 TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré stayed for a few months in Navadvépa at the home of Çré
Gopénätha Äcärya.

COMMENTARY

Gopénätha Äcärya was a resident of Navadvépa, the son-in-law of

Maheçvara Viçärada, who lived in Vidyänagara, and the brother-in-law of
Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya and Madhusüdana Väcaspati. In the opinion of
some, he was the incarnation of Lord Brahmä. As described in
Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (75):

gopénäthäcärya-nämä brahmä jïeyo jagat-patiù

nava-vyühe tu gaëito yas tantre tantra vidibhiù

“Gopénätha Äcärya was the incarnation of Lord Brahmä, the creator of the
universe. He was one of the Nava Vyuhas and a knower of the Tantras.” In
the opinion of others, he was Ratnävalé-sakhé of Vraja. As stated in the
Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (178):

purä präëa-sakhé yäsén nämnä ratnävalé vraje

gopénäthäkhyakäcäryo nirmalatvena viçrutaù

“Ratnävalé, the präëa-sakhé of Vraja, has now appeared as the pure, learned
Gopénätha Äcärya.” Since Purépäda came in the disciplic succession of the
senior Vaiñëava Çré Madhva Muni, he is included in the Brahma-sampradäya,
which is one of the four authorized sampradäyas. As a subordinate Vaiñëava
lives in the home of his guru, Purépäda lived a few months in Navadvépa in the
house of Gopénätha Bhaööäcärya, the incarnation of Lord Brahmä.

1034
 TEXT 97

sabe baòa ullasita dekhite tähäne

prabhu o dekhite nitya calena äpane

TRANSLATION

Everyone was overjoyed to see him, and the Lord would also regularly go to
visit him.

TEXT 98

gadädhara paëòitera dekhi’ prema-jala

baòa préta väse’ tä’ne vaiñëava-sakala

TRANSLATION

Seeing Gadädhara Paëòita’s tears of love, all the Vaiñëavas felt great
affection for him.

TEXT 99

çiçu haite saàsäre virakta baòa mane

éçvara-puré o sneha karena tähäne

TRANSLATION

As he was detached from worldly life since childhood, Éçvara Puré also felt

1035
similar affection for him.

TEXT 100

gadädhara-paëòitere äpanära kåta

puìthi paòäyena näma ’kåñëa-lélämåta’

TRANSLATION

He had Gadädhara Paëòita study a book that he had written named

Kåñëa-lélämåta.

COMMENTARY

Çré Éçvara Purépäda composed or compiled the book, Çré Kåñëa-lélämåta,

which he taught to Çré Gadädhara Paëòita Gosvämé, as he considered the boy
worthy of affection.

TEXT 101

paòäiyä paòiyä öhäkura sandhyä-käle

éçvara-purére namaskaribäre cale

TRANSLATION

After studying and teaching, the Lord went in the evening to offer His
obeisances to Éçvara Puré.

1036
 TEXT 102

prabhu dekhi’ çré-éçvara-puré harañita

’prabhu’ hena nä jänena, tabu baòa préta

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré was happy to see Nimäi, and though he did not know Him as the
Supreme Lord, he still had love for Him.

TEXT 103

häsiyä bolena,—“tumi parama-paëòita

ämi puìthi kariyächi kåñëera carita

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré smiled and said, “You are a big scholar. I’ve written a book
about the characteristics of Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 104

sakala balibä,—kothä thäke kon doña?

ihäte ämära baòa parama-santoña”

TRANSLATION

“I would be most satisfied if You would tell me if there is any fault in it.”

1037
 TEXT 105

prabhu bole,—“bhakta-väkya kåñëera varëana

ihäte ye doña dekhe, se-i ’päpé’ jana

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “Whoever finds fault in a devotee’s description of Lord

Kåñëa is a sinful person.

TEXT 106

bhaktera kavitva ye-te-mate kene naya

sarvathä kåñëera préti tähäte niçcaya

TRANSLATION

“Kåñëa is certainly pleased with His devotee’s poetry, even though it is

imperfectly composed.

TEXT 107

mürkha bole ’viñëäya’, ’viñëave’ bole dhéra

dui väkya parigraha kare kåñëa véra

TRANSLATION

“An uneducated person may chant viñëäya, while a sober person will chant

1038
the proper form, viñëave, but the Supreme Lord Kåñëa will accept both forms
when they are chanted with devotion.

COMMENTARY

To Lord Kåñëa, a paëòita expert in correct language and someone ignorant

of correct language are both equal. Of the two, Kåñëa bestows more mercy on
the one who has more enthusiasm for the service of Kåñëa. Kåñëa, the
omniscient Supersoul of every living entity, is not guilty of the fault of
partiality. So-called learned persons who are devoid of devotion proudly
consider themselves learned as they reveal their foolishness by pointing out
faults in the transcendental language of the pure devotees. The Supreme Lord
and master of Sarasvaté confirms the foolishness of the so-called learned
offenders who are envious of the devotees at every step. Thus their pride of
learning is diminished. Due to the absence of realization in the Absolute
Truth, Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, they belch forth mundane knowledge of sense
enjoyment. This is the cause of their disease and falldown.

TEXT 108

mürkho vadati viñëäya dhéro vadati viñëave

ubhayos tu samaà puëyaà bhäva-grähé janärdanaù

TRANSLATION

“At the time of offering obeisances to Lord Viñëu, a foolish person chants
viñëäya namaù (this is improper due to faulty grammar) and a learned person
chants viñëave namaù (this is the correct form). But both achieve equal piety
by their offering of obeisances, because Lord Çré Janärdana sees the sentiment
of the living being, in other words, He sees the degree of devotion, or in other

1039
words, He awards the result accordingly (He does not see one’s foolishness or
intelligence).

TEXT 109

ihäte ye doña dekhe, tähära se doña

bhaktera varëana-mätra kåñëera santoña

TRANSLATION

“One who finds fault with a devotee is himself at fault, for a devotee’s
descriptions are meant only for the pleasure of Kåñëa.

TEXT 110

ataeva tomära se premera varëana

ihäte düñibeka kon sähasika jana?”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore who will dare find fault with your devotional descriptions of
Kåñëa’s pastimes?”

TEXT 111

çuniyä éçvara-puré prabhura uttara

amåta-siïcita haila sarva-kalevara

1040
 TRANSLATION

Hearing Nimäi’s reply was like a shower of nectar on the body of Éçvara
Puré.

TEXT 112

punaù häsi’ bolena,—“tomära doña näi

avaçya balibä, doña thäke yei öhäïi”

TRANSLATION

He then smiled and said, “You will not be at fault, but You must tell me if
there is any error in the book.”

TEXT 113

ei-mata prati-dina prabhu tä’na saìge

vicära karena dui cäri daëòa raìge

TRANSLATION

Thereafter Nimäi would daily sit with Éçvara Puré for one or two hours to
discuss his book.

TEXTS 114-119

eka-dina prabhu tä’na kavitva çuniyä

1041
 häsi’ düñilena, “dhätu nä läge” baliyä

prabhu bole,—“e dhätu ’ätmanepadé’ naya”

baliyä calilä prabhu äpana-älaya

éçvara-puré o sarva-çästrete paëòita

vidyä-rasa-vicäre o baòa harañita

prabhu gele sei ’dhätu’ karena vicära

siddhänta karena taìhi açeña-prakära

sei ’dhätu’ karena ’ätmanepadé’ näma

ära dine prabhu gele, karena vyäkhyäna

“ye dhätu ’parasmaipadé’ bali’ gelä tumi

tähä ei sädhiluì ’ätmanepadé’ ämi”

TRANSLATION

After hearing his poetry one day, the Lord smiled and said, “The verb root
of this sentence is incorrect. The ätmanepadé form should not be used here.”
After saying this, the Lord returned home. Éçvara Puré was a learned scholar in
the scriptures, and he enjoyed analyzing scholastic topics. After Nimäi left,
Éçvara Puré considered the verb root that he had used and came to a conclusion
from many different angles. He left the verb in its ätmanepadé form, and when
Nimäi came the next day, he explained, “I have concluded that the verb that
You said yesterday should be parasmaipadé should remain ätmanepadé.”

COMMENTARY

Dhätus are verb roots that indicate actions. When mixed with the ten

1042
inflective classes beginning with laö they produce the various tenses and
moods. Considering each verb in the three persons and three numbers results
in nine forms for each tense and mood. Some of these roots are ätmanepadé,
and some are parasmaipadé; and apart from these, some are ubhayapadé. The
parasmaipadé roots have 90 forms, and there are the same number of
ätmanepadé forms. Thus altogether there are 180 forms of these two kinds of
roots.
Since Nimai Paëòita said that the form of the root in the verse spoken by
Éçvara Puré was not ätmanepadé, Éçvara Purépäda concluded that according to
grammar the form of the root was ubhayapadé. Therefore there was no fault in
using the ätmanepadé form of the root.

TEXT 120

vyäkhyäna çuniyä prabhu parama-santoña

bhåtya-jaya-nimitta nä dena ära doña

TRANSLATION

When the Lord heard his explanation, He was most satisfied with His
servant’s victory and He did not find any further fault.

TEXT 121

’sarva käla prabhu bäòäyena bhåtya-jaya’

ei tä’na svabhäva sakala vede kaya

TRANSLATION

1043
 The Vedas declare that the Lord by nature always expands His devotees’
glories by making them victorious.

TEXT 122

ei-mata kata-dina vidyä-rasa-raìge

ächilä éçvara-puré gauracandra-saìge

TRANSLATION

In this way Éçvara Puré passed a few months enjoying scholastic pastimes
with Çré Gauracandra.

TEXT 123

bhakti-rase caïcala—ekatra nahe sthiti

paryaöane calilä pavitra kari’ kñiti

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré, however, would not remain in one place due to the restless
nature of his ecstatic love. He thus went out on pilgrimage to purify the earth.

COMMENTARY

After purifying the town of Navadvépa, Çré Éçvara Purépäda went elsewhere
for the service of Kåñëa. Such traveling to different places by the
mahä-bhägavatas is considered restlessness by fools. But those who have strong
enthusiasm for serving Kåñëa are not solicitors of material objects for sense

1044
gratification like the ordinary materialistic fools.

TEXT 124

ye çunaye éçvara-puréra puëya-kathä

tä’na väsa haya kåñëa-päda-padma yathä

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears the auspicious topics about Çré Éçvara Puré lives at the lotus
feet of Lord Kåñëa.

TEXTS 125-126

yata prema mädhavendra-puréra çarére

santoñe dilena saba éçvara-purére

päiyä gurura prema kåñëera prasäde

bhramena éçvara-puré ati nirvirodhe

TRANSLATION

Çré Mädhavendra Puré happily gave the complete treasure of his ecstatic love
to Çré Éçvara Puré. By the mercy of Kåñëa, Çré Éçvara Puré obtained love of God
from his spiritual master, so he traveled free from all anxieties.

COMMENTARY

A description of Çré Éçvara Purépäda’s respectful and unalloyed service to

1045
his spiritual master, Çré Mädhavendra Purépäda, and the attainment of his
mercy is found in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya 8.26-30).

TEXT 127

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Eleven, entitled, “Meeting with Çré
Éçvara Puré.”

Chapter Twelve: The Lord’s Wandering Throughout

Navadvépa

This chapter mainly describes Çré Gauräìga’s wandering the streets of

Navadvépa, His discussing scriptures on the bank of the Ganges, and His
manifestation of various opulences.
Among the best of teachers, learned scholars, and Bhaööäcäryas of
Navadvépa, none could stand before or defeat Nimäi in debate. In the
company of His disciples, Nimäi wandered the streets of Navadvépa like an

1046
independent Lord. One day by providence Nimäi met Mukunda on the path
and asked him why he stayed away from Him, and then Nimäi also told
Mukunda that if he could not answer His question He would not leave him
alone. Knowing that Nimäi had knowledge of only grammar, Mukunda
resolved to silence Him by asking Him questions on alaìkära. Nimäi, however,
pointed out various älaìkäric faults while totally breaking Mukunda’s poetic
talent to pieces. Seeing Nimäi’s unlimited knowledge, Mukunda was
astonished and resolved, “If such an intelligent person became a devotee of
Kåñëa, I would never leave His association.” On another day, when Nimäi met
Gadädhara Paëòita, He asked him the symptoms of liberation. When
Gadädhara told the Lord the symptoms of liberation according to the
conclusions of the nyäya-çästras, the Lord pointed out various faults. When
Gadädhara Paëòita said, “Mitigation of excessive misery is the symptom of
liberation,” Mahäprabhu, the master of Sarasvaté, refuted it. Every afternoon
Nimäi discussed the çästras with students on the bank of the Ganges.
Although the Vaiñëavas were greatly pleased to hear the Lord’s wonderful
explanations of the scriptures, they thought that if such a learned person as
Nimäi became a devotee of Kåñëa, then everything would be successful. The
devotees prayed in this way: “Let Nimäi have attachment for Kåñëa.” Out of
love, some blessed Him, saying, “Let Nimäi attain devotion to Kåñëa.”
Whenever Nimäi saw the devotees headed by Çréväsa, He manifested the
pastime of offering obeisances, thus demonstrating by His own behavior that
devotional service to Kåñëa is awakened only by the blessings of devotees.
According to their respective mentality and qualification, various people saw
the Lord in various ways. Even the Yavanas were attracted to the Lord when
they saw Him. Nimäi taught His students grammar in the Caëòé-maëòapa hall
within the courtyard of the fortunate Mukunda Saïjaya of Navadvépa.
One day the Lord manifested transformations of ecstatic love on the
pretext of a disorder of winds. Being illusioned by Yogamäyä, the Lord’s
friends and relatives, who have natural affection for Him, applied various

1047
medicinal oils on the Lord’s head. Sometimes the Lord, who always enjoys
pastimes, proudly and loudly disclosed the truth about Himself. When by His
own sweet will the Lord manifested a return to His normal state, everyone
there happily chanted the names of Hari. At that time the residents of Nadia,
whose only life and soul was Çré Gaura, joyfully distributed clothes and other
items to the poor and distressed.
After sporting in the waters of the Ganges with His students at noontime,
the Lord would return home, worship Lord Kåñëa, offer water to tulasé,
circumambulate her, and then accept foodstuffs given by Lakñmépriyä. After
glancing towards yoga-nidrä for some time, He would again leave for teaching.
On His way, He would talk and joke with the residents of Navadvépa.
One day, on reaching the house of a weaver, Nimäi asked for some cloth
and accepted what was given without payment. Another day Nimäi went to
the house of some cowherd men and asked for some yogurt and milk.
Addressing the Lord as mämä, or uncle, the cowherd men joked with Him in
various ways and gave Him plenty of yogurt and milk free of charge. The Lord
also revealed the truth about His own identity on the pretext of joking with
them. One day the Lord accepted various divine perfumes from the perfume
merchant, one day He accepted a garland of various flowers from the florist,
and one day He accepted betel nuts and similar spices from the pan merchant;
in this way the Lord pleased them by accepting their free gifts. Being
overwhelmed on seeing the matchless beauty of the Lord, everyone offered
Him various free items. On another day when He arrived at the house of a
conch merchant, the conch merchant gave Gaura-Näräyaëa a conch and
offered his obeisances. He did not ask any payment in exchange.
One day the Lord went to the house of an astrologer and asked about the
details of His previous birth. As soon as the astrologer began to chant the
Gopäla mantra in order to calculate the Lord’s horoscope, he immediately saw
various pastimes of Kåñëa and wonderful forms of the Lord in his meditation.
While seeing those wonderful forms, the astrologer opened his eyes and saw

1048
Gaurahari before him and then again entered into his meditation; but by the
influence of the Lord’s internal potency, he could not recognize the Lord.
Struck with wonder, he thought, “Perhaps a demigod or someone expert in
mantras has come here in the guise of a brähmaëa to test me.”
One day the Lord went to the house of Çrédhara and asked him, “Though
you are serving the husband of Lakñmé, why are you bereft of food and clothes?
And why is your house old and broken? Why are ordinary people who worship
Durgä and Viñahari so materially prosperous?” In reply, Çrédhara said, “A king
living in a palace and eating palatable foodstuffs and a bird living in its nest in
a tree and eating whatever it finds in various places both pass their time in the
same way. There is no difference in their enjoyment of happiness, because
everyone enjoys their respective fruits of karma.” In this way, on the pretext
of joking, the Lord disclosed the glories of a devotee and daily obtained
banana shoots, bananas, and banana flowers free of charge from Çrédhara. The
Lord revealed the truth of His own identity while disclosing the glories of
Çrédhara. He indicated that He belonged to a family of cowherds and that He
was the controller of the Ganges and other energies. Then, as the Lord
returned home from the house of Çrédhara, His students also returned to their
homes after the completion of their studies.
One day when the Lord saw the full moon in the sky, He became absorbed
in the mood of Çré Våndävanacandra, and in that mood He began to play
wonderfully on a flute. No one other than Çacédevé could hear the sound of
that flute. After hearing that sweet sound, Çacédevé came out of the room and
saw Nimäi sitting at the door of the Viñëu temple. As Çacédevé approached she
could no longer hear the sound of the flute but she saw the moon directly
manifest on her son’s chest. In this way Çacédevé regularly saw unlimited
opulences of Lord Gaura.
One day when Çréväsa Paëòita met the Lord on the pathway, he asked
Him, “Nimäi, why are You wasting time by not engaging Your mind in the
worship of Kåñëa? What will You gain by studying and teaching day and

1049
night? People study only for the purpose of understanding devotional service
to Kåñëa. If that is not achieved, then what is the benefit of such useless
education? Therefore, do not waste anymore time. You have studied enough.
Now, without wasting another moment, begin worshiping Kåñëa.” Hearing
these words from the mouth of His devotee, the Lord said, “O Paëòita! You are
a devotee; by your mercy, I will certainly be able to worship Kåñëa.”
In conclusion, since the author, who is the king of devotees, did not take
birth during the Lord’s scholastic pastimes, he humbly laments that though he
was bereft of experiencing this happiness, he nevertheless begs for the mercy
of Gaurasundara and prays that remembrance of the transcendental pastimes
of Gaura be ever illuminated in his heart in every birth. Wherever Çré
Gaurasundara and Nityänanda enact Their pastimes with Their associates, the
author’s only prayer is to remain with Them as Their servant.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya mahäprabhu çré-gaurasundara

jaya hauka prabhura yateka anucara

TRANSLATION

All glories to Mahäprabhu Çré Gaurasundara! All glories to the followers of

the Lord!

TEXT 2

hena mate navadvépe çré-gaurasundara

pustaka laiyä kréòä kare nirantara

1050
 TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Gaurasundara, with book in hand, always enjoyed pastimes
in Navadvépa.

TEXT 3

yata adhyäpaka, prabhu cälena sabäre

prabodhite çakti kona jana nähi dhare

TRANSLATION

He challenged any teacher He would meet, but none of them had the power
to defeat Him.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara defeated in scriptural debate all the teachers of

Navadvépa, which was the center of education. None of the teachers could
compete with Him or satisfy Him with answers to His challenges.

TEXT 4

vyäkaraëa-çästre sabe vidyära ädäna

bhaööäcärya-prati o nähika tåëa-jïäna

TRANSLATION

Although He was simply a student of grammar, He nevertheless considered

1051
the learned Bhaööäcäryas to be as insignificant as grass.

COMMENTARY

Learned scholars who are expert in philosophical literatures are known as

Bhaööäcäryas. Although the Lord was studying and teaching only grammar, He
nevertheless did not consider such great scholars as equal to even grass.

TEXT 5

svänubhavänande kare’ nagara-bhramaëa

saàhati parama-bhägyavanta çiñya-gaëa

TRANSLATION

The self-satisfied Lord traveled throughout Navadvépa along with His most
fortunate students.

COMMENTARY

No one was able to contradict the Lord’s realized knowledge. The Lord
wandered the streets of Navadvépa by His own sweet will. At that time the
most fortunate subordinate students kept company with the Lord.

TEXT 6

daive pathe mukundera saìge daraçana

haste dhari’ prabhu tä’ne bolena vacana

1052
 TRANSLATION

One day by providence the Lord met Mukunda on the road. The Lord held
Mukunda’s hand and spoke to him.

TEXT 7

“ämäre dekhiyä tumi ki-kärye päläo?

äji ämä’ prabodhiyä vinä dekhi yäo?”

TRANSLATION

“Why do you run away as soon as you see Me? Let me see how you run
away today without answering Me.”

TEXT 8

mane bhäve mukunda,—“äji jinimu kemane?

ihäna abhyäsa saba mätra vyäkaraëe

TRANSLATION

Mukunda thought, “How will I defeat Him today? He is well versed only in
grammar.

TEXT 9

öhekäimu äji jijïäsiyä ’alaìkära!

1053
 mora sane yena garva nä karena ära!”

TRANSLATION

“I’ll defeat Him with questions on alaìkära. Then He may not again display
His pride before me.”

COMMENTARY

As soon as Mukunda was caught on the road by the Lord, he thought that
Nimäi always insulted him, thinking him as ignorant of grammar. Therefore,
considering Nimäi as inexperienced in alaìkära-çästras, he thought that he
would raise questions or problems in alaìkära and completely defeat Nimäi. In
other words, if Nimäi’s lack of knowledge in alaìkära-çästra were revealed, He
would never again brag or exhibit pride over His learning before Mukunda.
The word öhekäimu (öhakäimu?—“I will cheat”) means “to put someone in
danger or illusion,” “to confuse,” “to embarrass,” “to put obstacles or check
one’s movement,” “to defeat,” or in other words “to overpower.”

TEXT 10

lägila jijïäsä mukundera prabhu-sane

prabhu khaëòe’ yata artha mukunda väkhäne

TRANSLATION

Thereafter Mukunda began to ask the Lord questions. Whatever Mukunda

established, the Lord would refute.

1054
 TEXT 11

mukunda bolena,—“vyäkaraëa çiçu-çästra

bälake se ihära vicära kare mätra

TRANSLATION

Mukunda said, “Grammar is studied only by children.

TEXT 12

alaìkära vicära kariba tomä’ sane”

prabhu kahe,—“bujha tora yebä laya mane”

TRANSLATION

“Today we should discuss alaìkära.” The Lord replied, “As you desire.”

TEXT 13

viñama-viñama yata kavitva-pracära

paòiyä mukunda jijïäsaye ’alaìkära’

TRANSLATION

Mukunda then read some of the most difficult yet well-known verses and
asked the Lord to point out any faults.

1055
 TEXT 14

sarva-çakti-maya gauracandra avatära

khaëòa khaëòa kari’ doñe saba ’alaìkära’

TRANSLATION

The omnipotent Lord Gauracandra then pointed out various faults in the
verses.

COMMENTARY

Since Çré Gaurasundara is the omnipotent Supreme Personality of

Godhead and the source of all incarnations, His knowledge in all scriptures is
matchless. Therefore the Lord pointed out various ornamental faults in
Mukunda’s questions.

TEXT 15

mukunda sthäpite näre prabhura khaëòana!

häsiyä häsiyä prabhu bolena vacana

TRANSLATION

Mukunda was unable to reestablish what the Lord had refuted. The Lord
then smiled and said to him.

TEXT 16

1056
 “äji ghare giyä bhäla-mate puìthi cäha
käli bujhibäìa jhäöa äsibäre cäha”

TRANSLATION

“Go home for today and study your books carefully. Come early tomorrow
and we’ll discuss further.”

COMMENTARY

The word bujhibäìa means “I will test you by analysis.”

TEXT 17

calilä mukunda lai’ caraëera dhüli

mane mane cintaye mukunda kutühalé

TRANSLATION

After Mukunda took the dust from Nimäi’s feet and departed, he thought.

TEXT 18

“manuñyera e-mata päëòitya äche kothä!

hena çästra nähika, abhyäsa nähi yathä!

TRANSLATION

“An ordinary human being cannot possess such knowledge! There is no

1057
literature that He is not conversant with!

COMMENTARY

The Lord was learned in all scriptures; there was no scripture that the Lord
had not already mastered. In fact, unlimited expertise in all scriptures was
present in Him.

TEXT 19

e-mata subuddhi kåñëa-bhakta haya yabe

tileko ihäna saìga nä chäòiye tabe”

TRANSLATION

“If such an intelligent person was a devotee of Kåñëa, then I would not
leave His association for even a moment.”

COMMENTARY

Mukunda began to think about the Lord as follows: “If such an

extraordinary knowledgeable and intelligent person engaged His mind in
worshiping Kåñëa, then I would not leave His association and go elsewhere for
even a moment.” Knowledge elevates a person to the highest position in this
world or makes one extraordinarily respectable, but if along with such
knowledge, devotion to the Lord manifests in a great personality, then it is
like gold mixed with borax 1(7). Less-intelligent devotees should always hear
the scriptures from learned devotees. By hearing scriptures in this way, one’s
devotional service will be refined. If a living entity considers devotional
scriptures or spiritual knowledge as equal to ordinary mundane knowledge,

1058
which aims at material enjoyment, then his devotional service is not
enhanced. Hearing topics of the Lord from pure devotees is the only support
in the less-intelligent devotees’ worship of the Supreme Lord. Otherwise their
propensity for worshiping the Lord diminishes day by day, and, being attacked
by the mundane beliefs of the sahajiyäs, they fall from the worship of the Lord.
Generally, präkåta-sahajiyäs are very foolish. Proudly considering themselves
expert in bhajana, they become confused by opposing the scriptures and stray
far away from the mahäjanas’ all-auspicious statements like
sädhu-çästra-guru-väkya, hådaye kariyä aikya—“One must consider the
instructions of the sadhu, the revealed scriptures, and the spiritual master in
order to understand the real purpose of spiritual life.”

TEXT 20

ei-mate vidyä-rase vaikuëöha-éçvara

bhramite dekhena ära dine gadädhara

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha enjoyed the life of a scholar. One day,
while wandering about Navadvépa, Nimäi met Gadädhara.

TEXT 21

häsi’ dui häte prabhu räkhilä dhariyä

“nyäya paòa tumi, ämä’ yäo prabodhiyä”

TRANSLATION

1059
 The Lord smiled as He caught Gadädhara’s hands and said, “Aren’t you
studying logic? Come, let us debate.”

TEXT 22

“jijïäsaha”,—gadädhara bolaye vacana

prabhu bole,—“kaha dekhi muktira lakñaëa”

TRANSLATION

Gadädhara said, “So, question me,” and Nimäi asked, “What are the
symptoms of liberation?”

TEXT 23

çästra-artha yena gadädhara väkhänilä

prabhu bolena,—“vyäkhyä karite nä jänilä”

TRANSLATION

Gadädhara then explained the symptoms of liberation according to the

scriptures, but Nimäi countered, “You don’t know how to explain properly.”

COMMENTARY

Çré Gadädhara Paëòita explained to Nimäi the lesson that he had learned
that day. Hearing this, the Lord replied, “Your explanation is not good.”

1060
 TEXT 24

gadädhara bole,—“ätyantika duùkha-näça

ihärei çästre kahe muktira prakäça”

TRANSLATION

Gadädhara then said, “Liberation is freedom from misery. This is the

meaning of liberation according to the scriptures.”

COMMENTARY

Çré Gadädhara said, “It is stated in various scriptures such as the

Säìkhya-çästras that mitigation of excessive distress is the symptom of
liberation.” In the Säìkhya-pravacana-sütras (1.1) it is stated: atha
trividha-duùkhätyanta nivåtir atyanta puruñärthaù—“Mitigation of the
threefold miseries is the goal of life.”

TEXT 25

nänä-rüpe doñe’ prabhu sarasvaté-pati

hena nähi tärkika, ye karibeka sthiti

TRANSLATION

Then the Lord, who is the husband of goddess Sarasvaté, pointed out various
faults in his statement. There was no one who could defeat His argument and
silence Him.

1061
 COMMENTARY

The Lord is the direct manifestation of the Vaiñëava literatures and the
master of the goddess of learning, therefore no one can equal Him in
argument. Çré Gaurasundara properly pointed out how the symptoms of
liberation mentioned in the nyäya-çästras are most useless and full of faults.
Inaugurating the philosophy of Çré Madhväcäryapäda, that mokñaà
viñëvaìghri-läbhaà—“the symptom of liberation is attainment of the lotus feet
of Viñëu,” He established that the existence of the gross and subtle bodies,
which enjoy happiness and distress, is temporary, and the living entity’s
eternal propensity, or constitutional duty, of devotional service to Lord Kåñëa
is the symptom of liberation.

TEXT 26

hena jana nähika ye prabhu-sane bole

gadädhara bhäve,—“äji varti paläile!”

TRANSLATION

No one even dared to speak with the Lord, and thus Gadädhara thought,
“I’ll be relieved to get out of here!”

COMMENTARY

No one in the entire universe was qualified to face the Lord’s challenge or
converse with Him. Gadädhara Paëòita thought, “I’ll be saved if I can run
away from Him.”
The word varti (from the Sanskrit dhatu våt) means “I remain present,” “in

1062
this case I am spared,” or “I saved my life.”

TEXT 27

prabhu bole,—“gadädhara, äji yäha ghara

käli bujhibäìa, tumi äsiha satvara”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “Gadädhara, you can go home today, but come early
tomorrow so we can discuss more.”

TEXT 28

namaskari’ gadädhara calilena ghare

öhäkura bhramena sarva nagare nagare

TRANSLATION

Gadädhara offered his respects to Nimäi and went home, and Nimäi
continued to wander through the streets of Navadvépa.

TEXT 29

parama-paëòita-jïäna haila sabära

sabei karena dekhi’ sambhrama apära

TRANSLATION

1063
 Everyone considered Nimäi a most learned scholar, so they treated Him
with awe and reverence.

COMMENTARY

The Lord defeated all the teachers of Navadvépa by His unparalleled

knowledge and was established as the most learned scholar. Everyone
respected Him as the foremost scholar.

TEXT 30

vikäle öhäkura sarva paòuyära saìge

gaìgä-tére äsiyä vaisena mahäraìge

TRANSLATION

Every afternoon Nimäi would sit on the bank of the Ganges with His
students.

TEXT 31

sindhu-sutä-sevita prabhura kalevara

tribhuvane advitéya madana sundara

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s body is served by Lakñmé, the daughter of the ocean. His beauty
surpasses that of Cupid and is therefore incomparable throughout the three
worlds.

1064
 COMMENTARY

The word sindhu-sutä refers to Çré Lakñmédevé, who appeared during the
churning of the ocean. She is described in the Brahma-saàhitä (29) as follows:

lakñmé-sahasra-çata-sambhrama-sevyamänaà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is always served with great
reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakñmés or gopés.”

TEXT 32

catur-dike veòiyä vaisena çiñya-gaëa

madhye çästra väkhänena çré-çacénandana

TRANSLATION

Surrounded by His students, Çré Çacénandana would give explanations on

the scriptures.

TEXT 33

vaiñëava-sakale tabe sandhyä-käla haile

äsiyä vaisena gaìgä-tére kutuhale

TRANSLATION

In the evening all the Vaiñëavas also gathered on the bank of the Ganges.

1065
 TEXT 34

düre thäki’ prabhura vyäkhyäna sabhe çune

hariñe viñäda sabhe bhäve’ mane mane

TRANSLATION

As they listened to Nimäi’s explanations from a distance, they felt both

happiness and lamentation.

TEXT 35

keha bole,—“hena rüpa, hena vidyä yä’ra

nä bhajile kåñëa, nahe kichu upakära”

TRANSLATION

One of them said, “If anyone who possesses such beauty and knowledge does
not worship Kåñëa, there is no benefit.”

COMMENTARY

In this world a beautiful form is the object of praise, so also is great

learning. But what is beautiful or learned, when those with beauty or learning
factually neither benefit themselves nor others if they do not worship Kåñëa?

TEXT 36

1066
 sabei bolena, “bhäi, uhäne dekhiyä
phäìki-jijïäsära bhaye yäi paläirä”

TRANSLATION

They all replied, “Dear brother, anyone who sees Him runs away in fear of
facing His challenge.”

TEXT 37

keha bole,—“dekhä haile nä dena eòiyä

mahädäné-präya yena räkhena dhariyä

TRANSLATION

Someone else said, “When He sees someone, He doesn’t allow him to leave.
He captures him just like a tax collector captures a debtor.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase mahädäné-präya means “like a highly posted royal servant who
collects taxes, revenues, or rents.”

TEXT 38

keha bole,—“brähmaëera çakti amänuñé

kona mahäpuruña vä haya—hena väsi

1067
 TRANSLATION

Another said, “This brähmaëa has uncommon potency. I think He must be

some great personality.

TEXT 39

yadyapiha nirantara väkhänena phäìki!

tathäpi santoña baòa päìa iìhä dekhi’

TRANSLATION

“Although He constantly asks shrewd questions, we still get great

satisfaction just by seeing Him.

TEXT 40

manuñyera emana päëòitya dekhi näi

kåñëa nä bhajena,—sabe ei duùkha päi”

TRANSLATION

“We’ve never seen such knowledge in an ordinary person. Our only regret
is that He doesn’t worship Kåñëa.”

TEXT 41

anyo ’nye sabei sädhena sabä’ prati

1068
 “sabhe bala,—’ihäna hauka kåñëe rati’”

TRANSLATION

The Vaiñëavas all requested each other, “Bless Nimäi so that His mind will
be fixed on Kåñëa.”

TEXT 42

daëòavat hai’ sabhe paòilä gaìgäre

sarva bhägavata meli’ äçérväda kare

TRANSLATION

Then they all offered their obeisances on the bank of the Ganges and blessed
Nimäi with a prayer.

TEXT 43

“hena kara kåñëa—jagannäthera nandana

to’ra rase matta hau, chäòi’ anya-mana

TRANSLATION

“O Kåñëa, please let the son of Jagannätha Miçra become absorbed in You
without deviation.

COMMENTARY

1069
 The Vaiñëavas of Navadvépa began to pray to Lord Kåñëa, “May Nimäi
Paëòita, the son of Jagannätha Miçra, give up all other endeavors and fully
engage in worshiping Kåñëa. May Nimäi Paëòita also manifest uncommon
endeavors in the devotional service of Kåñëa like those that have earned Him
the highest elevated position of learning in the world.”

TEXT 44

niravadhi prema-bhäve bhajuka tomäre

hena, saìga kåñëa, deha’ ämä’ sabäkäre”

TRANSLATION

“Let Him constantly worship You in love. O Lord, please let us have such
association.”

TEXT 45

antaryämé prabhu,—citta jänena sabära

çréväsädi dekhilei kare’ namaskära

TRANSLATION

As the Supersoul, the Lord knows the heart of all living entities. Whenever
He saw devotees like Çréväsa, He would offer them His respects.

TEXT 46

1070
 bhakta äçérväda prabhu çire kari’ laya
bhakta-äçérväde se kåñëete bhakti haya

TRANSLATION

The Lord accepted the devotees’ blessings on His head, for devotional
service to Lord Kåñëa is attained only by the blessings of devotees.

COMMENTARY

Although the Lord is the only sovereign master of the fourteen worlds, He
nevertheless accepted on His head the blessings of His devotees. The devotees’
blessings are so powerful that by their influence even a living entity who is
averse to Kåñëa becomes attached to His lotus feet.

TEXT 47

keha keha säkñäte o prabhu dekhi’ bole

“ki kärye goìäo käla tumi vidyä-bhole?”

TRANSLATION

Someone also directly told Nimäi, “Why are You wasting Your time with
mundane education?”

TEXT 48

keha bole,—“hera dekha, nimäïi-paëòita!

1071
 vidyäya ki läbha?—kåñëa bhajaha tvarita

TRANSLATION

Another person said, “Look, Nimäi, what do You gain from studying? Just
worship Kåñëa.

TEXT 49

paòe kene loka?—kåñëa-bhakti jänibäre

se yadi nahila, tabe vidyäya ki kare?”

TRANSLATION

“Why do people study? Education is only for understanding devotional

service of Lord Kåñëa. If that purpose is not served, then what is the use of
Your education?”

COMMENTARY

Devotion to Kåñëa, or achieving devotional service to Kåñëa, is the

perfection of all knowledge and learning. If devotion to Kåñëa is not attained,
then all endeavors for accumulating knowledge are useless. Knowledge that
does not awaken one’s attachment for Kåñëa simply increases one’s material
illusion. That is why Çrémad Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura has written in his
Kalyäëa-kalpa-taru: jaòa-vidyä yata mäyära vaibhava, tomära bhajane bädhä.
moha janamiyä, anitya saàsäre, jévake karaye gädhä—“Materialistic studies are
the glare of mäyä only, for they are an obstacle to spiritual progress. They
create illusion in this material world and turn the living entity into an ass.” In
the Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 8.245) it is stated: “On one occasion the

1072
Lord inquired, ’Of all types of education, which is the most important?’
Rämänanda Räya replied, ’No education is important other than the
transcendental devotional service of Kåñëa.’”

TEXT 50

häsi’ bole prabhu,—“baòa bhägya se ämära

tomarä çikhäo more kåñëa-bhakti sära

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled and said, “I am most fortunate, for you are all teaching Me
that devotional service to Kåñëa is the essence of all education.

TEXT 51

tumi saba yä’ra kara çubhänusandhäna

mora citte hena laya, sei bhägyavän

TRANSLATION

“I sincerely feel that one who is blessed by all of you is most fortunate.

TEXT 52

kata-dina paòäiyä, mora citte äche

calimu bujhiyä bhäla vaiñëavera käche”

1073
 TRANSLATION

“I’ve already decided that after teaching a while longer, I will go serve a
pure devotee.”

COMMENTARY

The Lord said, “After studying in this way for a while longer, I will
approach a mahä-bhägavata Vaiñëava and, after understanding topics of the
spiritual world, I will follow him. In other words, I have a desire to first become
expert in studies and then cultivate pure Vaiñëava principles.”

TEXT 53

eta bali’ häse’ prabhu sevakera sane

prabhura mäyäya keha prabhure nä cine

TRANSLATION

After saying this, the Lord smiled at His servants. By His influence,
however, no one could recognize Him.

TEXT 54

ei-mata öhäkura sabära citta hare’

hena nähi, ye jane apekñä nähi kare

TRANSLATION

1074
 In this way Nimäi attracted the heart of everyone. There was no one who
escaped His power of attraction.

TEXT 55

ei-mata kñaëe prabhu vaise gaìgä-tére

kakhana bhramena prati nagare nagare

TRANSLATION

Sometimes the Lord sat on the bank of the Ganges, and sometimes He
wandered the streets of Navadvépa.

TEXT 56

prabhu dekhilei mätra nagariyä-gaëa

parama ädara kari’ vandena caraëa

TRANSLATION

Whenever the residents saw the Lord, they would welcome Him with great
respect.

TEXTS 57-59

näré-gaëa dekhi’ bole,—“ei ta’ madana

stré-loke päuka janme janme hena dhana”

1075
 paëòite dekhaye båhaspatira samäna
våddha-ädi päda-padme karaye praëäma

yogi-gaëe dekhe,—yena siddha-kalevara

duñöa-gaëe dekhe,—yena mahä-bhayaìkara

TRANSLATION

When the ladies saw Gaura, they said, “Here is Cupid Himself. Let women
receive such a treasure birth after birth.” All the scholars saw Him as equal to
Båhaspati, and even elderly men offered obeisances at His lotus feet. The yogis
saw the Lord as the personification of mystic perfection, and the miscreants
saw Him as the personification of death.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara was so extraordinarily beautiful that ladies were

overwhelmed on seeing His unmatched form. He was so brilliantly learned
that scholars saw Him as the intelligent spiritual master Båhaspati, the yogis
who survive on air and the munis who raise their semen saw Him as a
siddha-mahäpuruña, a perfected being, and the sinful ill-natured people saw
Him as the formidable chastiser Yamaräja.

TEXT 60

divas-eko yä’re prabhu karena sambhäña

bandi-präya haya yena, pare’ prema-phäìsa

TRANSLATION

1076
 If the Lord spoke with someone just once, that person was bound by ropes
of love.

COMMENTARY

Those who spoke to the Lord for even a day became bound by His
inseparable love.

TEXT 61

vidyä-rase yata prabhu kare’ ahaìkära

çunena, tathäpi préti prabhure sabära

TRANSLATION

Although everyone heard about how the Lord was proud of His scholarship,
they still loved Him dearly.

COMMENTARY

Generally those who are maddened with pride due to education become
envious of other learned persons. Envious persons do not desire to hear
glorification of other’s knowledge. But by seeing the Lord’s pride of learning,
everyone became pleased.

TEXT 62

yavane o prabhu dekhi’ kare baòa préta

sarva-bhüta-kåpälutä prabhura carita

1077
 TRANSLATION

Even the Yavanas felt love for the Lord, for the Lord’s characteristic is to
show mercy to all living entities.

COMMENTARY

The natural envious propensity of the Yavanas, who are envious of the
Hindus, was not directed towards the Lord, rather it transformed into pure
affection. Gaurahari exhibited special magnanimity towards everyone.

TEXT 63

paòäya vaikuëöha-nätha navadvépa-pure

mukunda-saïjaya bhägyavantera duyäre

TRANSLATION

The Lord of Vaikuëöha taught His students in the courtyard of the

fortunate Mukunda Saïjaya.

TEXT 64

pakña-pratipakña sütra-khaëòana-sthäpana
väkhäne açeña-rüpe çré-çacénandana

TRANSLATION

Arguments, counter-arguments, establishing and refuting the meaning of a

1078
sütra—these were all explained in various ways by the son of Mother Çacé.

COMMENTARY

Nimäi Paëòita explained the scriptures by various methods like debating

and counter-debating, properly ascertaining an object, removing faulty
conclusions, and establishing faultless conclusions.

TEXT 65

goñöhé-saha mukunda-saïjaya bhägyavän

bhäsaye änande, marma nä jänaye tä’na

TRANSLATION

Although they could not understand the Lord’s explanations, the fortunate
Mukunda Saïjaya and his family all floated in waves of ecstasy.

TEXT 66

vidyä jaya kariyä öhäkura yäya ghare

vidyä-rase vaikuëöhera näyaka vihare

TRANSLATION

After completing His teaching at school, the Lord of Vaikuëöha returned

home still absorbed in His scholastic pastimes.

COMMENTARY

1079
 In order to vanquish the conceit of those who were proud of their
knowledge, Viçvambhara, the Lord of Vaikuëöha and master of Sarasvaté,
drove away all materialism and anxieties by the waves of His scholastic
pastimes and captured their hearts.

TEXT 67

eka-dina väyu-deha-mändya kari’ chala

prakäçena prema-bhakti-vikära sakala

TRANSLATION

One day, on the pretext of sickness due to excessive gas, the Lord
manifested transformations of ecstatic love.

COMMENTARY

The gross body of the living entity is made of three elements—mucus, bile,
and air. As soon as the nature of any one, two, or three of the three elements
alters, the gross body is transformed or diseased. When the gross body is
diseased, the mental condition is certainly affected. Although the mind is part
of the subtle body, because it is presently joined with the gross body, it takes
on the same nature. The word çéghra, or “quickly,” indicates a greater than
normal movement of an object. Whenever the movement of an object is less
than normal, the word mändya is used. When the air in the body changes its
normal course of movement, then air-born diseases are formed. The service
attitude of Kåñëa’s servant that Çré Gaurasundara displayed with His pure
transformations of ecstatic love and desire to serve the Supreme Lord was not
understandable by ordinary people, therefore the Lord pretended to suffer
from a disorder of His bodily airs. Actually, the transformation of loving

1080
devotion that manifests in a heart illuminated with pure goodness is not one
of the air-born diseases, as imagined by foolish materialistic atheists. Those
who are totally averse to the service of the Lord consider the most wonderful
transformations of love for Kåñëa, which are desired by the spotless
paramahaàsas, as one of the forty-nine varieties of air-born diseases they are
subjected to. It is to be understood that this is punishment for their aversion
to the Lord.

TEXT 68

äcambite prabhu alaukika çabda bole

gaòä-gaòi yäya, häse, ghara bhäìgi’ phele

TRANSLATION

The Lord suddenly uttered some unworldly sounds, then He laughed as He

rolled on the ground and nearly damaged the house.

COMMENTARY

The word alaukika is explained as follows: Mundane sounds are generally

received by the ears and the other four knowledge-acquiring senses. The
sounds that the four other knowledge-acquiring senses are unable to receive
are called alaukika, or uncommon, transcendental, sounds. The
transformations of bodily limbs that manifest while uttering alaukika sounds is
unintelligible to ordinary people. In this regard, one should carefully discuss
the statement, vaiñëavera kriyä mudrä vijïeha nä bujhaya—“Even a very
intelligent man cannot understand the activities of a pure Vaiñëava.” The
language and internal sentiments of a Vaiñëava are not accessible to ordinary
mundane people.

1081
 hari-rasa-madirä-madäti-mattä
bhuvi viluöhäma naöäma nirviçäma

“Thoroughly maddened by the ecstasy of the intoxicating beverage of love

for Kåñëa, we shall enjoy life running about, rolling on the ground and
dancing in ecstasy.” This statement of a Vaiñëava is not understandable by
ordinary people.

TEXT 69

huìkära garjana kare, mälsäö püre

sammukhe dekhaye yä’re, tähärei märe

TRANSLATION

He roared loudly and challenged everyone like a wrestler, then He beat

whoever He could catch.

TEXT 70

kñaëe-kñaëe sarva-aìga stambhäkåti haya

hena mürchä haya, loke dekhi’ päya bhaya

TRANSLATION

Again and again His entire body became stunned, and He fell unconscious
in such a way that people were frightened.

1082
 TEXT 71

çunilena bandhu-gaëa väyura vikära

dhäiyä äsiyä sabhe kare pratikära

TRANSLATION

When Nimäi’s friends and relatives heard about His gastric disorder, they
came running to treat Him.

TEXT 72

buddhimanta-khäna ära mukunda-saïjaya

goñöhé-saha äilena prabhura älaya

TRANSLATION

Buddhimanta Khän, Mukunda Saïjaya, and their associates all came to the
Lord’s house.

COMMENTARY

Both Buddhimanta Khän and Mukunda Saïjaya of Navadvépa were

respectable, rich, and prosperous in all regards. Rich persons kept various
medicines and doctors in their houses. Poor people who had no assets
whatsoever depended on them for their survival.

TEXT 73

1083
 viñëu-taila, näräyaëa-taila dena çire
sabhe kare pratikära, yä’ra yena sphure

TRANSLATION

They applied some medicinal oils on the Lord’s head and tried to cure Him
any way they could.

TEXT 74

äpana-icchäya prabhu nänä karma kare

se kemane sustha haibeka pratikäre

TRANSLATION

The Lord performs various pastimes by His own sweet will. How can He be
cured by some external remedies?

COMMENTARY

The transformations of love that Çré Gaurasundara displayed in order to

manifest His transcendental pastimes can not be cured by administering
external medicine. Physical and mental diseases affect the gross and subtle
bodies. Ecstatic transformations do not act upon temporary material
designations, rather the service propensities of a living entity are displayed
through the transcendental body surrendered to the Lord. The artificial
transformations of the material body are completely unlike the devotional
transformations found in self-realized souls. Considering the body as the self,
foolish people wrongly desire to achieve mundane prestige by artificially
manipulating their body and senses on the pretext of displaying ecstatic

1084
transformations.

TEXT 75

sarva-aìge kampa, prabhu kare äsphälana

huìkära çuniyä bhaya päya sarva-jana

TRANSLATION

All the limbs of the Lord shivered. He shouted loudly in such a way that
everyone was frightened.

TEXT 76

prabhu bole,—“mui sarva-lokera éçvara

mui viçva dharoì, mora näma ’viçvambhara’

TRANSLATION

He then declared, “I am the Lord of all. I maintain the universe, therefore I

am named Viçvambhara.

COMMENTARY

Although Çré Gaurasundara is nondifferent from Çré Kåñëa, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, the words spoken by Him in the mood of a devotee
induce ordinary foolish people to wrongly consider Him an object of
enjoyment. On the spiritual platform, the relationship between servant and
the Lord is so intimate that the Lord does not appear to be separate. Such

1085
propensities were fully manifest in the gopés, who are situated on the
adhirüòha-mahabhava platform, wherein they engage in the pastimes of
mohana and madana, attracting and intoxicating their beloved. In the
consideration of servitorship, the word sarva-loka, or “everyone,” indicates
that Çré Gaurasundara is the highest of all.
The word viçva in this verse refers to Goloka of the spiritual sky. Although
the separated perverted reflection of Goloka-Vaikuëöha is more or less
experienced within the fourteen worlds, the material universe is not
Vaikuëöha. Çré Gaurasundara is the only maintainer of all universes. The
statements befitting the Supreme Lord in the mood of a devotee are meant for
rejecting material considerations between the Lord and His devotees. The
fierce poison of formidable impersonalism vomited by foolish, imperfect yogis
who are conditioned by mäyä and who proclaim themselves as
ahaìgrahopäsakas, or self-worshipers, is extremely abominable, hated, and
totally disapproved by Gaurasundara.

TEXT 77

mui sei, more ta’ nä cine kona jane”

eta bali’ laòa dei dhare sarva jane

TRANSLATION

“I am the Supreme Lord, but no one recognizes Me.” Saying this, the Lord
tottered and everyone tried to catch Him.

TEXT 78

äpanä’ prakäça prabhu kare väyu chale

1086
 tathäpi nä bujhe keha tä’na mäyä-bale

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord manifested Himself on the pretext of gastric disorder,
yet by the influence of His illusory energy no one could understand Him.

TEXT 79

keha bole,—“haila dänava adhiñöhäna”

keha bole,—“hena bujhi òäkinéra käma”

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “He’s been possessed by a demon.” Someone else said, “This
is the work of a witch.”

TEXT 80

keha bole,—“sadäi karena väkya-vyaya

ataeva haila ’väyu’,—jäniha niçcaya”

TRANSLATION

Another said, “Since He’s always speaking, it is certainly a gastric

disorder.”

COMMENTARY

1087
 By speaking most uncommon words, Çré Gaurasundara tried to win the
hearts of the people. That is why some ignorant persons, on observing the
most talkative nature of the Lord, decided that His transformations of love
were due to an increase in bodily airs.

TEXT 81

ei-mata sarva jane karena vicära

viñëu-mäyä-mohe tattva nä jäniyä täì’ra

TRANSLATION

In this way everyone gave different opinions, but by the influence of the
Lord’s illusory potency no one understood the truth.

TEXT 82

bahu-vidha päka-taila sabhe dena çire

taila-droëe thui taila dena kalevare

TRANSLATION

They applied various medicated oils on the Lord’s head and then they put
Him in a wooden tub filled with oil and rubbed His body.

COMMENTARY

The word päka-taila refers to a medicinal oil made from various herbs that
cures diseases born of air disorders.

1088
 The word taila-droëe refers to a large wooden container filled with oil in
which one can be immersed up to the neck—a barrel of oil.

TEXT 83

taila-droëe bhäse prabhu häse khalakhala

satya yena mahäväyu kariyäche bala

TRANSLATION

Immersed in that oil, the Lord began to laugh as if a terrible gastric disorder
had actually infected Him.

TEXT 84

ei-mata äpana icchäya lélä kari

sväbhävika hailä prabhu väyu parihari’

TRANSLATION

While thus enjoying His pastimes according to His own will, the Lord
became normal as if relieved of His gastric disorder.

TEXT 85

sarva-gaëe uöhila änanda-hari-dhvani

kebä kä’re vastra deya,—hena nähi jäni

1089
 TRANSLATION

Everyone then chanted the names of Hari in ecstasy, and in jubilation they
distributed cloth to one another without discrimination.

TEXT 86

sarva-loke çuni’ hailä harañita

sabe bole,—“jéu, jéu e-hena paëòita”

TRANSLATION

Everyone was pleased to hear about the Lord’s recovery, and they blessed
Him, “Such a scholar should live a long life.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase jéu, jéu (used in ancient Bengali) is a corruption of the Sanskrit
word jévatu, which is a blessing meaning “live a long life.”

TEXT 87

ei-mata raìga kare vaikuëöhera räya

ke tä’ne jänite päre, yadi nä jänäya?

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha enjoyed His pastimes. Who can
understand those pastimes unless the Lord reveals them?

1090
 TEXT 88

prabhure dekhiyä sarva-vaiñëavera gaëa

sabhe bole,—“bhaja, bäpa, kåñëera caraëa

TRANSLATION

When all the Vaiñëavas saw the Lord, they told Him, “Dear Nimäi, please
worship the lotus feet of Kåñëa.

TEXT 89

kñaëeke nähika, bäpa, anitya çaréra

tomäre ki çikhäimu, tumi mahädhéra

TRANSLATION

“This body is temporary. It may be vanquished the next moment. But You
are a sober person; what can we teach You?”

TEXT 90

häsiyä prabhu sabäre kariyä namaskära

paòäite cale çiñya-saàhati apära

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled at the Vaiñëavas and offered them obeisances, then He left

1091
for school with His students.

TEXT 91

mukunda-saïjaya puëyavantera mandire

paòäyena prabhu caëòé-maëòapa-bhitare

TRANSLATION

The Lord taught His students in the Caëòé-maëòapa within the courtyard of
the fortunate Mukunda Saïjaya.

TEXT 92

parama-sugandhi päka-taila prabhu-çire

kona puëyavanta deya, prabhu vyäkhyä kare

TRANSLATION

As the Lord began to teach, His head was smeared with fragrant medicated
oil that was given by some pious person.

TEXT 93

catur-dike çobhe puëyavanta çiñya-gaëa

mäjhe prabhu vyäkhyä kare jagat-jévana

TRANSLATION

1092
 Nimäi, the life of the universe, sat and taught in the midst of His many
fortunate students.

COMMENTARY

The word jagat-jévana indicates that Gaurasundara is the life and soul of
the animate and inanimate beings. Persons who are averse to Gaura are
included among the lifeless beings. Only the devotees of Gaura perceive the
Lord’s mercy throughout the entire world. Persons who are bereft of Gaura’s
mercy are like dead bodies, though living or breathing; though they are
conscious living entities, they adore matter.

TEXT 94

se çobhära mahimä ta’ kahite nä päri

upamä dibäìa kibä, nä dekhi vicäri’

TRANSLATION

I’m unable to describe or give a comparison for that wonderful scene.

TEXT 95

hena bujhi yena sanakädi-çiñya-gaëe

näräyaëe veòi’ vase badarikäçrame

TRANSLATION

It appeared that Lord Näräyaëa was sitting in Badarikäçrama surrounded by

1093
His disciples headed by Sanaka.
Badarikäçrama is situated on the western bank of the Alakanandä River in
the northernmost side of the Himalayas, past Haridvära and Håñékeça in the
hilly regions of Kumäyun and Gaòaoala districts. The äçrama of
Badri-Näräyaëa (Nara-Näräyaëa) is situated there. The disciplic succession of
Lord Näräyaëa, headed by Vyäsa and the four Kumäras, engage in worshiping
the Supreme Lord at this place. They are situated in this world on Näräyaëa’s
four sides as His associates.

TEXT 96

täì’ sabäre laiyä yena prabhu se paòäya

hena bujhi sei lélä kare gaura-räya

TRANSLATION

Lord Gauracandra now enjoyed the same pastimes as when Lord Näräyaëa
personally taught His disciples.

TEXT 97

sei badarikäçrama-väsé näräyaëa

niçcaya jäniha ei çacéra nandana

TRANSLATION

Çré Çacénandana is certainly that same Lord Näräyaëa, who resides in

Badarikäçrama.

1094
 TEXT 98

ataeva çiñya-saìge sei lélä kare

vidyä-rase vaikuëöhera näyaka vihare

TRANSLATION

Therefore the Lord of Vaikuëöha enjoyed those same pastimes while

relishing scholastic pleasures with His students.

TEXT 99

paòäiyä prabhu dui prahara haile

tabe çiñya-gaëa laiyä gaìgä-snäne cale

TRANSLATION

After teaching, at midday the Lord would take His students for bath in the
Ganges.

TEXT 100

gaìgä-jale vihära kariyä kata-kñaëa

gåhe äsi’ kare prabhu çré-viñëu-püjana

TRANSLATION

The Lord sported in the waters of the Ganges for some time and then

1095
returned home to worship Lord Viñëu.

COMMENTARY

There was a temple of Viñëu in the Lord’s house. In that temple the Lord
worshiped a çälagräma-çilä as Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 101

tulasére jala diyä pradakñiëa kari’

bhojane vasilä giyä bali’ ’hari-hari’

TRANSLATION

Then, after watering and circumambulating tulasé, the Lord recited the
name of Hari as He sat down to eat.

TEXT 102

lakñmé dena anna, khä’na vaikuëöhera pati

nayana bhariyä dekhe äi puëyavaté

TRANSLATION

Lakñmé served rice and the Lord of Vaikuëöha ate. The pious Mother Çacé
watched to her full satisfaction.

TEXT 103

1096
 bhojana-antare kari’ tämbüla carvaëa
çayana karena, lakñmé sevena caraëa

TRANSLATION

After finishing His meal, the Lord chewed betel nuts and then laid down
while Lakñmé massaged His lotus feet.

TEXT 104

kata-kñaëa yoga-nidrä-prati dåñöi diyä

punaù prabhu calilena pustaka laiyä

TRANSLATION

After taking some rest, the Lord again went out with His books.

COMMENTARY

The word yoga-nidrä is explained as follows: The science of self-realization

is called yoga. As through self-realization (for the devotees) external feelings
are vanquished (or, for the Lord, His manifested pastimes in this world remain
unmanifested), this has been compared with sleep. (This is the explanation of
Çrédhara Svämé in his Svaprakäça commentary on the Viñëu Puräëa.)
Yogamäyä is yoga-nidrä, because she steals the symptoms of consciousness
from everyone just as sleep does. (This is the explanation from Toñaëé.)
Yoga-nidrä is the predominating deity of the Lord’s energy. (This is the
explanation of Véraräghava.)

1097
 TEXT 105

nagare äsiyä kare vividha viläsa

sabära sahita kare häsiyä sambhäña

TRANSLATION

Nimäi enjoyed various pastimes in the city and smiled as He talked with the
residents.

TEXT 106

yadyapi prabhura keha tattva nähi jäne

tathäpi sädhvasa kare dekhi’ sarva-jane

TRANSLATION

Although no one knew His real identity, the residents still offered Him
respects whenever they saw Him.

TEXT 107

nagare bhramaëa kare’ çré-çacénandana

devera durlabha vastu dekhe sarva-jana

TRANSLATION

Although Çré Çacénandana is rarely seen by even the demigods, He now

1098
wandered through the streets of Navadvépa within the sight of all.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara is not perceivable by even the demigods. The demigods

who reside in heaven are the best of the living entities under the three modes
of material nature. Their advanced position is within the jurisdiction of
temporary time and temporary existence—that is, it is not eternal. Since the
Absolute Truth, Gaura-Kåñëa, is not visible even to the demigods, He is rarely
attained; by His unlimited causeless mercy He manifests Himself only before
the most fortunate souls. Such persons do not defy Him by considering Him a
material object. But unfortunate persons do not see Him in this way. Their
perception of the Lord is hindered by simply mundane conceptions. Therefore
they achieve only some piety while seeing the Lord.

TEXT 108

uöhilena prabhu tantu-väyera duyäre

dekhiyä sambhrame tantu-väya namaskare

TRANSLATION

One day the Lord went to the house of a weaver, and the weaver
respectfully offered Him obeisances.

COMMENTARY

In the word tantu-väya, tantu means “thread” and väya comes from the verb
ve, which means “weaving.” Therefore the word tantu-väya, or in common
language, täìti, refers to those who weave cloth from thread.

1099
 The word duyära in the phrase tantu-väyera duyäre is a corruption of the
Sanskrit word dvära, or “door.” The portion of Vämana-pukura village that is
even today known as Täìtipäòä was inhabited at that time by cloth weavers.
The late Känticandra Räòhé and his grandson Phaëébhüñaëa have identified
themselves as belonging to the family of cloth weavers from the time of
Mahäprabhu. Though they have tried to reestablish their residence at
Rämacandrapura and Bäragorä-ghäöa, they in fact have no connection with
the cloth weavers of Navadvépa at the time of Mahäprabhu. Though the
descendants of the bell metal traders of ancient Navadvépa live in Kuliyä even
today, they nevertheless go to worship goddess Ñañöhé by worshiping the
ancient Sémantiné-devé near Vämana-pukura, at the place now known as
Khälse-päòa. Therefore ancient Navadvépa cannot be located at the present
day places of Bäragorä-ghäöa, Rämacandrapura, or Sätakuliyä. The weaving
communities of Bäragorä-ghäöa and Kuliyä can never be the same as the
ancient weaving communities from the time of the Lord. The weaving
communities from the time of the Lord are not opposed to the Lord even
today, but some members of the weaving communities of Kuliyä take
advantage of the Lord while putting forward useless arguments to establish
çäkta philosophy.

TEXT 109

“bhäla vastra äna”,—prabhu bolaye vacana

tantu-väya vastra änilena sei-kñaëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “Bring one nice piece of cloth,” and the weaver immediately
brought some cloth.

1100
 TEXT 110

prabhu bole,—“e vastrera ki mülya lai?”

tantu-väya bole,—“tumi äpane ye dibä”

TRANSLATION

The Lord then asked, “What is the price of this cloth?” The weaver replied,
“Give me whatever You like.”

TEXT 111

mülya kari’ bole prabhu,—“ebe kaòi näi”

täìti bole,—“daçe pakñe dio ye gosäïi

TRANSLATION

After settling the price, the Lord said, “I don’t have any money right now.”
The weaver then said, “O Gosäïi, You can give me in ten or fifteen days.

COMMENTARY

The words daçe pakñe mean “after ten or fifteen days.”

TEXT 112

vastra laiyä para’ tumi parama santoñe

päche tumi kaòi more dio samäveçe”

1101
 TRANSLATION

“You take the cloth and happily wear it. You can pay me whenever You
please.”

COMMENTARY

The word samäveçe means “after arranging, accumulating, or collecting.”

TEXT 113

tantu-väya-prati prabhu çubha-dåñöi kari’

uöhilena giyä prabhu goyälära puré

TRANSLATION

After mercifully glancing at the weaver, the Lord continued on to the house
of a cowherd.

COMMENTARY

The word puré refers to a house, a village, or a city.

The phrase goyälära puré refers to a portion of the present day
Svarüpa-gaïja or Gädigächä and Maheça-gaïja.

TEXT 114

vasilena mahäprabhu gopera duyäre

1102
 brähmaëa-sambandhe prabhu parihäsa kare

TRANSLATION

Mahäprabhu sat down on his veranda and began to make fun of the
activities of the brähmaëas.

TEXT 115

prabhu bole,—“äre beöä! dadhi dugdha äna

äji tora gharera laimu mahädäna”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “O son, bring Me some milk and yogurt. Today I’m going to
accept charity from your house.”

TEXT 116

gopa-vånda dekhe yena säkñät madana

sambhrame dilena äni’ uttama äsana

TRANSLATION

The cowherd men thought Nimäi looked just like Cupid. They respectfully
offered Him a nice äsana.

TEXTS 117-118

1103
 prabhu-saìge gopa-gaëa kare parihäsa
’mämä mämä’ bali’ sabe karaye sambhäña

keha bole,—“cala, mämä, bhäta khäi giyä”

kona gopa kändhe kari yäya ghare laiyä

TRANSLATION

They began to joke with the Lord and address Him as uncle. One of them
said, “Come, uncle, let us go eat some rice.” Then one of them took Nimäi on
his shoulder and carried Him to his house.

COMMENTARY

The phrase ’mämä mämä’ bali is explained as follows: The cowherd men
addressed Nimäi as their maternal uncle. In the Hindu community of Bengal,
all inferior castes accept the superiority of the brähmaëas. That is why the
lower castes address male members of the upper caste brähmaëa families as
dädä öhäkura even today. Since the cowherd ladies were accustomed to address
Nimäi as dädä öhäkura, or elder brother, their cowherd sons sweetly addressed
Nimäi as mämä, or maternal uncle, according to familial relationship. Since
Nimäi addressed the cowherd boys as beöä, or sons, they were on the level of
His son. As the Lord impulsively requests food from His servants, when
Mahäprabhu also requested or desired a great donation or large present from
the cowherd boys, then due to their intimate relationship with the Lord they
humorously offered Him the insignificant gift of their cooked rice. The
occupation or business of the cowherd community was to prepare various
foodstuffs from milk. The mothers of the cowherd boys breast fed them in
their infancy and later fed them solid foods like cooked rice. Therefore they
also humorously proposed to feed the Lord solid foods like cooked rice rather

1104
than soft children’s foods like yogurt, milk, cheese, ghee, and butter.

TEXT 119

keha bole,—“yata bhäta gharera ämära

pürve ye khäilä, mane nähika tomära?”

TRANSLATION

Another said, “Don’t You remember how You previously ate all the rice in
my house?”

TEXT 120

sarasvaté satya kahe, gopa nähi jäne

häse mahäprabhu gopa-gaëera vacane

TRANSLATION

Although the cowherd boys didn’t realize it, by the grace of the
transcendental goddess of learning, Sarasvaté, whatever they spoke was true.
Meanwhile, Nimäi simply smiled at their words.

COMMENTARY

The cowherd boys conjectured that in His previous pastimes as Kåñëa,

Nimäi had accepted cooked rice from the houses of the cowherds. Their
conjecture regarding Nimäi was actually the truth. Hearing their humorous
proposal, the Lord was unable to conceal His internal feelings and slightly

1105
smiled. In spite of the simple-minded cowherd boys’ ignorance, Çuddhä
Sarasvaté-devé made the truth appear on their tongues through their words.

TEXT 121

dugdha, ghåta, dadhi, sara, sundara navané

santoñe prabhure saba gopa deya äni’

TRANSLATION

All the gopas then happily offered the Lord milk, ghee, yogurt, cream, and
butter.

TEXT 122

goyälä-kulere prabhu prasanna haiyä

gandha-vaëikera ghare uöhilena giyä

TRANSLATION

After being satisfied by the gopas, the Lord went to the house of a perfume
merchant.

TEXT 123

sambhrame vaëik kare caraëe praëäma

prabhu bole,—“äre bhäi, bhäla-gandha äna”

1106
 TRANSLATION

The merchant offered his respectful obeisances to the Lord, who said, “O
brother, bring Me some of your best perfume.”

TEXT 124

divya-gandha vaëik änila tata-kñaëa

“ki mülya laibä?” bole çré-çacénandana

TRANSLATION

The perfume merchant immediately brought some of his best perfume, and
Çré Çacénandana inquired, “What is the price?”

TEXT 125

vaëik bolaye,—“tumi jäna, mahäçaya!

tomä’ sthäne mülya ki nite yukta haya?

TRANSLATION

The merchant replied, “You know, my dear sir! Is it befitting for me to take
money from You?

TEXTS 126-127

äji gandha pari’ ghare yäha ta’ öhäkura

1107
 käli yadi gä’ye gandha thäkaye pracura

duile o yadi gä’ye gandha nähi chäòe

tabe kaòi dio more, yei citte paòe”

TRANSLATION

“Today You apply this oil and go home. If after taking bath tomorrow the
fragrance still remains, then You may pay me whatever You like.”

TEXT 128

eta bali’ äpane prabhura sarva-aìge

gandha deya vaëik nä jäni kon raìge

TRANSLATION

After saying this, the merchant happily applied the perfume on the body of
the Lord.

TEXT 129

sarva-bhüta-hådaye äkarñe sarva-mana

se rüpa dekhiyä mugdha nahe kon jana?

TRANSLATION

The Lord is the Supersoul of all living entities, therefore He attracts the
mind of all. Who is not attracted by seeing His beautiful form?

1108
 TEXT 130

vaëikera anugraha kari’ viçvambhara

uöhilena giyä prabhu mäläkära-ghara

TRANSLATION

Viçvambhara bestowed His mercy on the merchant and then continued on

to the house of a florist.

COMMENTARY

The word mäläkära refers to florists or those who make flower garlands for
sale. In common language they are called mälés.

TEXT 131

parama-adbhuta rüpa dekhi mäläkära

ädare äsana diyä kare namaskära

TRANSLATION

When the florist saw Nimäi’s most wonderful form, he offered Him
obeisances and a place to sit.

TEXT 132

prabhu bole,—“bhäla mälä deha’, mäläkära!

1109
 kaòi-päti lage kichu nähika ämära”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “O florist, I would like a nice garland, but I have no money
with Me.”

COMMENTARY

In the phrase kaòi-päti, which means “cash,” “expenses,” or “finance,” the

word kaòi comes from the Sanskrit word kapardaka and päti comes from the
Sanskrit word pätré.

TEXT 133

siddha-puruñera präya dekhi’ mäläkära

mälé bole,—“kichu däya nähika tomära”

TRANSLATION

Appreciating that Nimäi had the symptoms of a spiritually perfect soul, the
florist said, “You don’t need to pay.”

TEXT 134

eta bali’ mälä dila prabhura çré-aìge

häse mahäprabhu sarva-paòuyära saìge

1110
 TRANSLATION

After saying this, the florist garlanded the Lord, who smiled in the company
of His students.

TEXT 135

mäläkära-prati prabhu çubha-dåñöhi kari’

uöhilä tämbülé-ghare gauräìga çré-hari

TRANSLATION

After casting His merciful glance on the florist, Gauräìga went to the house
of betel nut merchant.

COMMENTARY

The word tämbülé refers to those who sell tämbüla (pän). In common
language they are called tämuli.

TEXT 136

tämbülé dekhaye rüpa madana-mohana

caraëera dhüli lai’ dilena äsana

TRANSLATION

The merchant saw Nimäi’s form as more enchanting than that of Cupid. He
took dust from Nimäi’s feet and offered Him a place to sit.

1111
 TEXT 137

tämbülé bolaye,—“baòa bhägya se ämära

kon bhägye äilä ämä’-chärera duyära”

TRANSLATION

The merchant said, “It is my great fortune that You have come to my
house, insignificant as I am.”

COMMENTARY

The word chärera refers to insignificant, abominable, fallen persons.

TEXT 138

eta bali’ äpanei parama-santoñe

dilena tämbüla äni’, prabhu dekhi’ häse

TRANSLATION

In full satisfaction and without being asked, the merchant then offered betel
nut to the Lord, who smiled.

TEXT 139

prabhu bole,—“kaòi vinä kene guyä dilä

1112
 tämbülé bolaye,—“citte henai lailä”

TRANSLATION

The Lord then said, “Why did you give Me betel without payment?” The
merchant replied, “I was inspired to.”

COMMENTARY

The word guyä is derived from the Sanskrit word guväk, which means “betel
nuts.”

TEXT 140

häse prabhu tämbüléra çuniyä vacana

parama-santoñe kare tämbüla carvaëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled on hearing the merchant’s reply, and He chewed the betel
nut with great satisfaction.

TEXT 141

divya parëa, karpürädi yata anuküla

çraddhä kari’ dila, tä’ra nähi nila müla

TRANSLATION

1113
 The merchant then devotedly offered Nimäi some pan, camphor, and other
spices free of cost.

COMMENTARY

In common language the word parëa means pän, or the leaves of the
tämbüla creeper. The word anuküla refers to the various ingredients or spices
used to enhance the taste of pän. The word müla means “price.”

TEXT 142

tämbülére anugraha kari’ gaura-räya

häsiyä häsiyä sarva-nagare veòäya

TRANSLATION

After blessing the merchant, Gaura smiled as He continued wandering the

streets of Navadvépa.

TEXT 143

madhupuré-präya yena navadvépa-puré

eko jäti lakña-lakña kahite nä päri

TRANSLATION

The city of Navadvépa was just like Mathurä. Millions of people belonging
to different castes lived there.

1114
 TEXT 144

prabhura vihära lägi’ pürvei vidhätä

sakala sampürëa kari’ thuilena tathä

TRANSLATION

For the pleasure of the Lord, the creator had previously supplied Navadvépa
with all opulences.

TEXT 145

pürve yena madhupuré karilä bhramaëa

sei lélä kare ebe çacéra nandana

TRANSLATION

The son of Çacé now enjoyed the same pastimes that Kåñëa had previously
enjoyed while wandering the streets of Mathurä.

TEXT 146

tabe gaura gelä çaìkha-vaëikera ghare

dekhi’ çaìkha-vaëik sambhrame namaskare

TRANSLATION

Thereafter Gaura visited the house of a conch merchant, who offered the

1115
Lord due respect.

COMMENTARY

The word çaìkha-vaëik is known in common language as çäìkhäri, or one

who sell items made from conchshell.

TEXT 147

prabhu bole,—“divya çaìkha äna dekhi bhäi!

kemane vä laimu çaìkha, kaòi-päti näi”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “Dear brother, let Me see some beautiful conches. But, alas,
how will I take? I have no money.”

TEXT 148

divya-çaìkha çäìkhäri äniyä sei-kñaëe

prabhura çré-haste diyä karila praëäme

TRANSLATION

Just then the merchant placed a beautiful conch in Nimäi’s hand and offered
Him obeisances.

TEXT 149

1116
 “çaìkha lai’ ghare tumi calaha, gosäïi!
päche kaòi dio, nä dile o däya näi”

TRANSLATION

“O Gosäïi, take this conch home with You. You may pay me later or not, it
doesn’t matter.”

COMMENTARY

The word däya means “loss,” “agitation,” or “interest.”

TEXT 150

tuñöa haiyä prabhu çaìkha vaëikera vacane

calilena häsi’ çubha-dåñöi kari’ tä’ne

TRANSLATION

Pleased by the words of the conch merchant, the Lord glanced mercifully on
him and departed.

TEXT 151

ei-mata navadvépe yata nagariyä

sabära mandire prabhu bulena bhramiyä

TRANSLATION

1117
 In this way the Lord visited every house in Navadvépa.

TEXT 152

sei bhägye adyäpi nägarika-gaëa

päya çré-caitanya-nityänandera caraëa

TRANSLATION

For this reason even today the residents of Navadvépa attain the lotus feet of
Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityänanda.

TEXT 153

tabe icchämaya gauracandra bhagavän

sarvajïera ghare prabhu karilä payän

TRANSLATION

The supremely independent Lord Gauracandra then went to the house of an

astrologer.

TEXT 154

dekhiyä prabhura teja sei sarva-jäna

vinaya-sambhrama kari’ karilä praëäma

1118
 TRANSLATION

As the astrologer saw the effulgence of the Lord, he humbly offered

obeisances.

COMMENTARY

The word sarva-jäna, or sab-jäntä in common language, refers to one who is

perfect in Viñëu-mantras, who is omniscient, and who knows past, present,
and future.

TEXT 155

prabhu bole,—“tumi sarva-jäna bhäla çuni

bola dekhi, anya-janme ki chiläìa ämi?”

TRANSLATION

The Lord asked him, “I’ve heard that you are a good astrologer. Could you
please tell Me who I was in My previous birth?”

TEXT 156

“bhäla” bali’ sarva-jïa sukåti cinte mane

japite gopäla mantra dekhe sei-kñaëe

TRANSLATION

The pious astrologer agreed to the Lord’s request and began to chant the

1119
Gopäla mantra within his mind.

TEXT 157

çaìkha, cakra, gadä, padma, catur-bhuja çyäma

çrévatsa-kaustubha-vakñe mahäjyotir-dhäma

TRANSLATION

At that moment the astrologer saw a beautiful blackish personality with four
hands holding the conch, disc, club, and lotus flower. His chest was decorated
with Çrévatsa and the brilliantly effulgent Kaustubha gem.

COMMENTARY

The word çaìkha refers to the Päïcajanya conch, the word cakra refers to
the Sudarçana cakra, gadä refers to the Kaumodaké club, and padma refers to
the Çréväsa lotus. It is stated in the Brahma-vaivarta Puräëa (Prakåti-khaëòa,
Chapter 14): “Behold Lord Hari, who is holding the conch, disc, club, and lotus
in His four hands. His enchanting form is blackish like the new rain cloud.”
Çrévatsa is an upäìga, or secondary limb, of Lord Viñëu, situated as a white
tuft of hair curling clockwise on His chest. Another opinion is given by
Bharata Muni in his commentary on the Amara-koña as follows: “The devotees
of Kåñëa accept Çrévatsa as a special jewel like Kaustubha, which adorns the
chest of the Lord.”
Kaustubha, the upäìga, or secondary limb, of Lord Viñëu is the best of all
jewels and is situated on the chest of Viñëu. In the Laghu-bhägavatämåta it is
stated:

kaustubhas tu mahätejäù koöi-sürya-sama-prabhaù

1120
 idaà kim uta vaktavyaà pradépäd ati-déptimän

“The most effulgent Kaustubha gem is as bright as millions of suns. How

can the source of all illumination be compared to a lamp?” Hemacandra the
dictionary compiler has said:

çaìkho ’sya päïcajanyo ’ìkaù çrévatso ’sis tu nandakaù

gadä kaumudaké cäpaà çärìga cakraà sudarçanaù
maëiù syamantako haste bhuja-madhye tu kaustubhaù

“The name of Lord Viñëu’s conch is Päïcajanya, the white hairs on His
chest that curl clockwise are called Çrévatsa, His sword is called Nandaka, His
club is called Kaumodaké, His bow is called Çärìga, His disc is called
Sudarçana, the jewel in His hand is called Syamantaka, and the jewel on His
chest is called Kaustubha.”

TEXT 158

niçäbhäge prabhure dekhena bandi-ghare

pitä-mätä dekhaye sammukhe stuti kare

TRANSLATION

He saw the Lord in the prison cell being offered prayers by His parents at
the dead of night.

TEXT 159

sei-kñaëe dekhe—pitä putre lai’ kole

sei rätre thuilena äniyä gokule

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 TRANSLATION

He then saw Vasudeva carry the Lord that night to Gokula.

TEXT 160

punaù dekhe,—mohana dvi-bhuja digambare

kaöite kiìkiëé, navanéta dui kare

TRANSLATION

The astrologer again saw the Lord as an enchanting two-armed naked child
with a string of small bells around His waist and butter in His two hands.

TEXT 161

nija-iñöa-mürti yähä cinte anukñaëa

sarva-jïa dekhaye sei-sakala lakñaëa

TRANSLATION

The astrologer saw His worshipable Lord decorated with all the symptoms
that he had meditated on.

TEXT 162

punaù dekhe tribhaìgima muralé-vadana

1122
 catur-dike yantra-géta gäya gopé-gaëa

TRANSLATION

He then again saw the threefold bending form of the Lord playing on His
flute and surrounded on all sides by the gopés, who were singing and playing
various musical instruments.

COMMENTARY

The phrase yantra-géta refers to singing with the accompaniment of musical

instruments.

TEXT 163

dekhiyä adbhuta, cakñu mele sarva-jäna

gauräìge cähiyä punaù-punaù kare dhyäna

TRANSLATION

After seeing this wonderful vision, the astrologer opened his eyes and saw
Gauräìga standing before him. Then he again entered into meditation.

TEXT 164

sarva-jïa kahaye,—“çuna, çré-bäla-gopäla!

ke ächilä dvija ei, dekhäo sakäla”

1123
 TRANSLATION

The astrologer said, “O Bäla-gopäla, please listen! Quickly show me who

this brähmaëa was.”

TEXT 165

tabe dekhe,—dhanurdhara durvädala-çyäma

véräsane prabhure dekhaye sarva-jäna

TRANSLATION

The astrologer then saw the Lord with a greenish dürvä grass complexion
holding a bow in His hand and sitting on a royal throne.

TEXT 166

punaù dekhe prabhure pralaya-jala mäjhe

adbhuta varäha-mürti, dante påthvé säje

TRANSLATION

Thereafter he saw the Lord in the middle of the waters of devastation. He

had the wonderful form of a boar, and He held the earth on His tusks.

TEXT 167

punaù dekhe prabhure nåsiàha-avatära

1124
 mahä-ugra rüpa bhakta-vatsala apära

TRANSLATION

He then saw the Lord as Nåsiàha. Although He appeared most ferocious,

He was the ultimate well-wisher of His devotees.

TEXT 168

punaù dekhe täìhäre vämana-rüpa dhari’

bali-yajïa chalite ächena mäyä kari’

TRANSLATION

Next he saw the form of Vämana, waiting to deceive Bali at his sacrifice.

TEXT 169

punaù dekhe,—matsya-rüpe pralayera jale

karite ächena jala-kréòä kutuhale

TRANSLATION

He then saw the form of Matsya happily sporting in the waters of

devastation.

TEXT 170

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 sukåti sarva-jïa punaù dekhaye prabhure
matta haladhara-rüpa çré-muñala kare

TRANSLATION

The pious astrologer then saw the intoxicated form of Lord Balaräma,
holding a plow and club in His hands.

TEXT 171

punaù dekhe jagannätha-mürti sarva-jäna

madhye çobhe subhadrä, dakñiëe balaräma

TRANSLATION

He next saw the form of Jagannätha, with Balaräma on His right and
Subhadrä in-between.

TEXT 172

ei-mata éçvara-tattva dekhe sarva-jäna

tathäpi nä bujhe kichu,—hena mäyä tä’na

TRANSLATION

In this way the astrologer saw the Lord’s various incarnations, but due to
the Lord’s illusory energy he was unable to ascertain the meaning of what he
had seen.

1126
 TEXT 173

cintaye sarva-jïa mane haiyä vismita

“hena bujhi,—e brähmaëa mahä-mantra-vit

TRANSLATION

The astrologer was struck with wonder and thought, “I think that this
brähmaëa is expert in the chanting of mantras.

TEXT 174

athavä devatä kona äsiyä kautuke

parékñite ämäre vä chale vipra-rüpe

TRANSLATION

“Otherwise He may be a demigod who has come disguised as a brähmaëa to

test me.

TEXT 175

amänuñé teja dekhi’ viprera çarére

sarva-jïa kariyä kibä kadarthe ämäre?”

TRANSLATION

“I see a supernatural effulgence emanating from the body of this brähmaëa.

1127
Has He come to discredit me?”

TEXT 176

eteka cintite prabhu balilä häsiyä

“ke ämi, ki dekha, kene nä kaha bhäìgiyä?”

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled and asked the thoughtful astrologer, “Who am I? What did
you see? Tell Me everything in detail.”

TEXT 177

sarva-jïa bolaye,—“tumi calaha ekhane

vikäle kahimu mantra japi’ bhäla mane”

TRANSLATION

The astrologer said, “You please go home for now. I will tell You everything
in the afternoon after I peacefully chant my mantra.”

TEXT 178

“bhäla bhäla” bali’ prabhu häsiyä calilä

tabe priya-çrédharera mandire äilä

TRANSLATION

1128
 Smiling, the Lord agreed to the astrologer’s request and went to the house of
His dear devotee Çrédhara.

COMMENTARY

Çrédharera mandira, the house of Çrédhara, is situated on an elevated tract

of land at one end of Mäyäpur, near the village of Çaraòäìgä and one mile east
of Chand Kazi’s samädhi. There is a small pond nearby.

TEXT 179

çrédharere prabhu baòa prasanna antare

nänä chale äisena prabhu tä’na ghare

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara was very dear to the Lord’s heart, and the Lord would therefore
visit him on various pretexts.

TEXT 180

väkoväkya-parihäsa çrédharera saìge

dui cäri daëòa kari’ cale prabhu raìge

TRANSLATION

The Lord would tease Çrédhara in the course of their regular conversations,
which would last for an hour or two.

1129
 COMMENTARY

The word väkoväkya means “conversation” or “speaking and hearing.”

TEXT 181

prabhu dekhi’ çrédhara kariyä namaskära

çraddhä kari’ äsana dilena vasivära

TRANSLATION

When Çrédhara saw that Nimäi had arrived, he offered Him obeisances and
a place to sit.

TEXT 182

parama-suçänta çrédharera vyavasäya

prabhu viharena yena uddhatera präya

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara was always peaceful in his behavior, while the Lord enjoyed
playing the role of an agitated young man.

COMMENTARY

The word vyavasäya means “behavior,” “dealings,” or “nature.” The phrase

uddhatera präya refers to an externally mischievous display of arrogance while
actually benefiting the living entities by accepting service.

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 TEXT 183

prabhu bole,—“çrédhara, tumi ye anukñaëa

’hari hari’ bola, tabe duùkha ki käraëa?

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “Çrédhara, you always chant the name of Hari, so why are
you always afflicted by poverty?

TEXT 184

lakñmé-känte sevana kariyä kene tumi

anna-vastre duùkha päo, kaha dekhi, çuni?”

TRANSLATION

“Can you please tell Me why, after serving the beloved Lord of Lakñmé, you
do not get sufficient food and clothes?”

COMMENTARY

Lord Näräyaëa is the omnipotent sole proprietor of unlimited opulences. In

order to test His own servant, Çrédhara, the Lord asked him why the servants
of Näräyaëa remain afflicted with poverty in this world even though they are
eligible for the wealth of their Lord. Although the followers of çäkta
philosophy who wish to mitigate their poverty or gratify their senses and fulfill
their self-interest offer water and tulasé leaves at the feet of Lord Näräyaëa
and thus receive mundane opulences or temporary benefits, they do not

1131
achieve eternal good fortune. But the fully surrendered servants of Näräyaëa
who are engaged in unalloyed service do not accept any exchange for their
service. In order to exhibit the ideal example of such Vaiñëava qualities, the
Lord’s associates from Vaikuëöha display various poverty stricken pastimes. By
such pastimes, however, they do not feel any misery. They have the following
strong conviction at heart: tomära seväya duùkha haya yata, se o ta’ parama
sukha—“Whatever misery comes in the course of Your service is my greatest
happiness.” They do not desire anything from the Lord for their own sense
gratification. But foolish persons, through material vision inspired by external
considerations, think that Vaiñëavas are afflicted by various needs. Since due
to a lack of wealth, Çrédhara Vipra or other pure devotees of the Lord appear
from the material point of view unable to accumulate fine items of enjoyment
for dressing and eating like ordinary people, such questions may naturally
arise. This is clearly seen in this conversation between Çrédhara and Çré
Gaurasundara.

TEXT 185

çrédhara bolena,—“upaväsa ta’ nä kari

choöa hauka, baòa hauka, vastra dekha pari”

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara replied, “At least I’m not starving, and whether small or large I’m
still wearing some cloth.”

COMMENTARY

In reply to Nimäi’s question, Çrédhara said, “I have no difficulties due to a

lack of food and clothing. I do not completely fast, I eat something or another.

1132
Though I do not have the opportunity to wear fine clothing, I cover myself
somehow with torn cloth.”

TEXT 186

prabhu bole,—“dekhiläìa gäìöhi daça-öhäïi

ghare bola, dekhitechi khaòagächi näi

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “But I see your cloth is mended in ten places, and the roof of
your cottage has no straw.

COMMENTARY

The word gäìöhi (a corrupted form of the Sanskrit word granthi) means
“knotted,” “tied,” or “sown.”
The Lord then said, “I can see that there are many knots all over your old
torn cloth, and there are many holes in the thatched roof of your old cottage.”

TEXT 187

dekha, ei caëòé-viñaharire püjiyä

ke nä ghare khäya pare’ saba nagariyä”

TRANSLATION

“Look at other people. They worship Caëòé or Viñahari, so they have no

scarcity for food or cloth.”

1133
 COMMENTARY

The Lord further said, “Just see how the followers of çäkta philosophy live
happily and comfortably, not by worshiping the eternally revered Supreme
Lord but by worshiping Caëòikä-devé, who awards benedictions for sense
gratification like wealth, followers, and conquest of enemies, and by
worshiping Viñahari, who destroys the fear of snakes! And you have brought
on yourself this pathetic condition by engaging in the service of the Lord
without expressing any desire for material happiness and comfort!” Through
this question put before the great devotee Çrédhara, Çré Gaurasundara revealed
the mentality of pure Vaiñëavas and illustrated proper philosophy. In Çrémad
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s famous book named Jaiva-dharma the mentality of
the çäkta philosophy followers, who desire material advancement, is described.
We can see by his description that communities desirous of material
advancement and puffed up with false pride based on perishable material
wealth, followers, knowledge, and their deceitful civilization are cheated out of
achieving the ultimate goal of life on account of seeing the external poverty of
the Vaiñëavas and attributing various needs and abominations on the
Vaiñëavas. Actually they do not understand that the Vaiñëavas alone are the
rightful heirs of Lord Näräyaëa’s entire sixfold opulences.

TEXT 188

çrédhara bolena,—“vipra, balilä uttama

tathäpi sabära käla yäya eka-sama

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara then replied, “O brähmaëa, what You say is indeed correct, yet the

1134
time passes equally for everyone.

TEXT 189

ratna ghare thäke, räjä divya khäya pare’

pakñi-gaëa thäke, dekha, våkñera upare

TRANSLATION

“The king has jewels in his house, and he eats opulent food. Meanwhile, the
birds live in trees.

TEXT 190

käla punaù sabära samäna hai’ yäya

sabe nija-karma bhuïje éçvara-icchäya”

TRANSLATION

“Yet time passes equally for everyone, as they all enjoy the fruits of their
previous activities by the will of the Lord.”

COMMENTARY

In reply to the Lord’s question, Çrédhara Vipra said, “Although according to

mundane calculation the worshipers of the demigods who do not worship
Viñëu appear superior, the Vaiñëavas and non-Vaiñëavas both pass their lives
in the same way. Actually non-Vaiñëavas are busy making arrangements for
their comfortable material happiness through material advancement while

1135
remaining indifferent to the service of Lord Hari, and the Vaiñëavas are
always busy serving the Lord while remaining indifferent to material
advancement and thus have no opportunity to act as sense enjoyers. As a king
lives in his palace, which is full of unlimited jewels, pearls, wealth, and
opulences, receiving unlimited care, affection, and respect from his many
order-carriers, servants, and associates and thus passes his time accumulating
many valuable foodstuffs and clothes that he desires, in a similar way birds
who are nourished without endeavor by mother nature also build their nests
with straw and grasses at the tops of high trees and pass their time
accumulating their respective foods from here and there by their own hard
labor, without the help of anyone else. Everyone passes their life in the same
way, and everyone lives within this world, enjoying the happiness and distress
of their own karma. As a result of my karma I am also passing my time in the
service of the Lord according to my own intelligence and taste without
desiring external material advancement. Therefore according to material
calculation I have no necessities at all. Those with equal vision do not
discriminate between objects of sense enjoyment; rather, discriminating
between inferior and superior objects of sense enjoyment simply indicates
one’s likes and dislikes. In ancient times, due to the scarcity of varieties of
enjoyment like good food and clothing, people were extremely poor and
narrow-minded. In the course of time people gradually became more busy in
activities of material sense enjoyment and continued such endeavors with the
support of mundane physics and science. If we minutely study, however, we
will see that there is not much difference between the people’s happiness and
distress in the two time periods. Although there is certainly an increase and
decrease in the necessities of life, since conditioned souls welcome enjoyment
of the fruits of their activities according to their respective desires, all living
entities pass their time in the same way. But those who are devotees of the
Lord achieve happiness from His service and thus pass their time in unalloyed
happiness, considering even so-called external misery as happiness. And those
who are engaged in material enjoyment, which is not related with the Lord,

1136
pass their time in temporary adulterated happiness and distress.”

TEXTS 191-192

prabhu bole,—“tomära vistara äche dhana

tähä tumi lukäiyä karaha bhojana

tähä mui vidita karimu kata dine

tabe dekhi, tumi loka bhäëòibä kemane?”

TRANSLATION

The Lord then said, “You have great wealth that you are secretly enjoying. I
will soon disclose this to everyone. Then how will you cheat us?”

COMMENTARY

After hearing Çrédhara’s words, the Lord replied, “You are already very
rich, so there is no need for you to accumulate external mundane wealth.
Therefore you do not consider external worldly scarcity as poverty. One who
is engaged in the service of the fully omnipotent Lord cannot have any
weakness or scarcity at all. After a few days I will reveal to the human society
that is ignorant of the position and glories of the Vaiñëavas that the Vaiñëavas
are the sole proprietors of all wealth. It will no longer remain secret that the
Vaiñëavas are situated on the topmost platform and are the proprietors of
everything, including all opulences. I will soon disclose this to all the foolish
ignorant people of the world.” The materialists, who are attached to sense
gratification and who are greedy for material advancement, cannot measure
the expertise and supremacy of the Vaiñëavas through their own broken,
limited yardstick. That is why they are completely cheated out of receiving the

1137
Vaiñëavas’ mercy and understanding the Absolute Truth. Since the value of
their qualification is so meager, the Vaiñëavas conceal their real identities
from them.

TEXT 193

çrédhara bolena,—“ghare calaha, paëòita

tomäya ämäya dvandva nä haya ucita”

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara said, “O Paëòita, please go home now. It is not proper for us to

argue.”

COMMENTARY

The Lord externally accepted the doctrine of the çäkta philosophy and
opposed the path of devotional service followed by Çrédhara. The Lord, acting
as one of the ordinary persons amongst whom there are differences of opinion,
is actually disclosing the real form and process of Vaiñëava philosophy on the
pretext of questions and answers.

TEXT 194

prabhu bole,—“ämi tomä’ nä chäòi emane

ki ämäre dibä’, tähä bola ei-kñaëe

TRANSLATION

1138
 The Lord said, “I’m not going to leave you so easily. First tell Me what
you’ll give Me.”

COMMENTARY

After Çrédhara and the Lord personally exhibited pastimes of giving and
taking, the Lord is trying to accept a portion of Çrédhara’s confidential
internal and ordinary external wealth.

TEXT 195

çrédhara bolena,—“ämi kholä veci’ khäi

ihäte ki dimu, tähä balaha, gosäïi!”

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara said, “I maintain myself by selling leaf cups. So tell me, what can I
give You, Gosäïi?”

COMMENTARY

The Lord personally displayed pastimes of poverty and want and accepted
ingredients earned through the physical and mental labor of poverty-stricken
poor people in order to benefit them. Çrédhara said, “According to Your own
calculation, whatever wealth I have, is not even sufficient for me. Therefore I
cannot give charity like a wealthy person. What can I give You? The fruitive
workers who are maddened within this material world are busy enjoying the
fruits of their respective activities. They donate a portion of their wealth and
become famous as charitable persons. But there is no possibility of achieving
such fame for a poor penniless person like me.”

1139
 TEXTS 196-197

prabhu bole,—“ye tomära potä dhana äche

se thäkuka ekhane, päiba tähä päche

ebe kalä, mülä, thoòa deha kaòi-vine

dile, ämi kandala nä kari tomä’ sane”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “Let your hidden treasure remain for now. I’ll take that
later. For now, give Me some bananas, banana flowers, and banana stalks free
of charge. Then I won’t argue with you.”

COMMENTARY

In answer to this, the Lord said, “At present I do not want the spiritual
wealth that you possess. I am only trying to take a portion of your external
wealth. I will accept spiritual service from you after some time. For now,
relieve My needs with your service as a sädhaka. As a spiritual master, I am the
worshipable object of sädhana-bhakti. So for now I will accept a portion of
your ordinary wealth as an offering.” In the Çré Närada Païcarätra it is stated:

surarñe vihitä çästre harim uddiçya yä kriyä

saiva bhaktir iti proktä tayä bhaktiù parä bhavet

“O sage amongst the demigods, Närada, those activities prescribed in the

revealed scriptures for satsifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Hari, are called the regulative principles of bhakti, (sädhana-bhakti), by
practicing which one may attain the highest bhakti (prema).” Some people

1140
who are intoxicated by material existence think, “Whatever activities we must
perform in this life, or the duties that are prescribed in this world by the
néti-çästras, must be totally followed as long as we have a human body. Apart
from these duties there is no need for performing devotional service to the
Supreme Lord, because the Absolute Truth is neither a product of this
material world nor perceivable by the senses, rather the Absolute Truth is just
the opposite. Therefore as long as we are alive we will remain fruitive enjoyers,
and our only perpetual occupation will be to enjoy the fruits of our karma.
Service to the Supreme Lord is not our occupation; we will think about this in
the next world or after death.” But they do not know that the material objects
that we see are diametrically incompatible with each other. Both
propensities—service and enjoyment—are present in every object, either in
manifest or unmanifest form. If someone partially manifests a attitude for
enjoying the object of worship, no one should count his service attitude on the
same level as those with a pure service attitude. To consider the object of
worship as the ideal object of enjoyment is totally reprehensible. When a
worshiper is self-realized, then his worship is purified, his perception of the
worshipable object is purified, and the ingredients he offers in worship are
purified. Though many rituals in the process of worship appear incongruous
from the external point of view, if one’s intelligence for understanding the
purport and essence of the çrutis is awakened, then he can appreciate
unalloyed devotional service, which is situated beyond material enjoyment
and renunciation. Some persons who accept material enjoyment as the goal of
life think that all objects of this visible world are unfit for the service of the
Lord and are simply meant for the enjoyment of the living entities—in other
words, they are not ingredients for the service of the Lord—for the proper
utility of all objects is to increase the living entities’ thirst for sense
enjoyment, not to be engaged in the service of the Lord. But Çré Gaurasundara
said, “All objects can be seen in relationship to Kåñëa. If the living entities
simply give up their attachment for sense gratification, then such vision is
possible. If one renounces objects that are related to Kåñëa, considering them

1141
mundane, then he is misusing his renunciation. Actually, the purpose of
renunciation is to give up attachment for matter and engage the mind in the
Supreme Lord.”

TEXTS 198-200

mane bhäve çrédhara,—“uddhata vipra baòa

kon dina ämäre kiläya päche daòa

märile o brähmaëere ki karite päri?

kaòi-vinä prati-dina dibäre o näri

tathäpiha bale chale ye laya brähmaëe

se ämära bhägya baöe, dimu prati-dine”

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara thought, “This brähmaëa is very aggressive. I’m afraid that one
day He will beat me. But even if He beats me, what can I do to a brähmaëa? At
the same time, I can’t supply Him free of charge every day. Anyway, whatever
this brähmaëa takes by force or deceit, that is my good fortune. So I’ll continue
to give Him every day.”

COMMENTARY

Çrédhara Vipra thought, “Prabhu has a very arrogant nature. If I do not act
according to His will, then He may even beat me. Moreover, I am personally
poor and unable to meet the expenses of my own food and clothing. Therefore
it is impossible for me to give anything free of cost. Nevertheless a brähmaëa is
the representative of the Supreme Lord; if I can help Him without duplicity in

1142
any way, then there is a possibility of awakening my good fortune. For this
reason whatever He will take from me either by force or trickery, I have no
objection. I will be prepared to give Him every day. If by His exhibition of
force or trickery this brähmaëa is benefited by me in any way, then I will
consider it the result of my good fortune.” By this pastime, Çré Gaurasundara
and His devotee, Çrédhara, set an example for living entities who desire their
own benefit to earn unknown piety. Although the smärta communities, or
persons who are expert in worldly morality, consider the behavior of both as
unsatisfactory and apparently contradictory, a living entity who is self-realized
can understand that such exchanges are the source of unlimited
auspiciousness. Great personalities who desire the welfare of other living
entities give fallen souls the opportunity to earn unknown piety; it is to be
understood that their apparent use of force and trickery is only for the benefit
of others (in other words, for the benefit of the fallen souls).

TEXT 201

cintiyä çrédhara bole,—“çunaha, gosäïi!

kaòi-päti tomära kichui däya näi

TRANSLATION

Thinking in this way, Çrédhara said, “Listen, Gosäïi, don’t worry about
money.

TEXT 202

thoòa, kalä, mülä, kholä dimu bhäla mane

tabe ära kandala nä kara, ämä’ sane”

1143
 TRANSLATION

“I’ll happily give You some bananas, banana flowers, leaf cups, and banana
stalks, but please don’t fight with me.”

TEXT 203

prabhu bole,—“bhäla bhäla, ära dvandva näi

tabe thoòa’ kalä bhäla yena päi”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “Good, then I won’t fight anymore. But see that I get good
quality bananas and banana stalks.”

TEXT 204

çrédharera kholäya nitya karena bhojana

çrédharera thoòa-kalä-mülä çré-vyaïjana

TRANSLATION

The Lord daily used Çrédhara’s leaf cups, and He ate subjis made from
Çrédhara’s plantains, banana flowers, and banana stalks.

TEXT 205

çrédharera gäche yei läu dhare cäle

1144
 tähä khäya prabhu dugdha-maricera jhäle

TRANSLATION

Whenever a squash grew on the roof of Çrédhara’s cottage, the Lord would
eat it, cooked with milk and black pepper.

TEXT 206

prabhu bole,—“ämäre ki väsaha, çrédhara!

tähä kahilei ämi cali’ yäi ghara

TRANSLATION

The Lord then said, “Tell Me, what do you think of Me? After you answer
this, I’ll go home.”

TEXT 207

çrédhara bolena,—“tumi vipra—viñëu-aàça”

prabhu bole,—“nä jänilä, ämi—gopa vaàça

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara replied, “You are a brähmaëa, a portion of Lord Viñëu.” The Lord
said, “You don’t know. Actually I’m from a gopa family.

COMMENTARY

1145
 In answer to the Lord’s question, Çrédhara replied, “O Paëòita, You are a
portion of Lord Viñëu.” The Lord immediately protested, “Even though I am
not a portion of Viñëu, in other words, even though I am the svayaà-rüpa and
source of all incarnations, I appear in the family of cowherd men, in other
words, I am Kåñëa, the son of Nanda.”

TEXT 208

tumi ämä’ dekha,—yena brähmaëa-chäoyäla

ämi äpanäre väsi yehena goyäla”

TRANSLATION

“Although you see Me as the son of a brähmaëa, I consider Myself a

cowherd boy.”

COMMENTARY

“Although you see Me as the son of a brähmaëa, I nevertheless know that I

am the son of a cowherd.”

TEXT 209

häsena çrédhara çuni’ prabhura vacana

nä cinila nija-prabhu mäyära käraëa

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara smiled at the Lord’s words, but due to the illusory energy he could

1146
not recognize his Lord.

COMMENTARY

Since Çré Gaurasundara presently desires to conceal His covered or

confidential scholastic pastimes, by the supreme will of the Lord, Çrédhara, the
best of devotees and eternal associate of the Lord, could not properly
understand the hidden pastimes of his eternally worshipable Lord, Çré
Gaura-Kåñëa.

TEXT 210

prabhu bole,—“çrédhara, tomäre kahi tattva!

ämä’ haite tora saba gaìgära mahattva

TRANSLATION

The Lord then said, “Çrédhara, let Me tell you the truth. The glories of your
Ganges are due to Me.”

COMMENTARY

While describing the truth about Himself, the Lord said to Çrédhara, “All
that you have heard about the special glories of Gaìgä, who springs from the
lotus feet of Viñëu—that Gaìgä and her glories have emanated from Me. In
other words, I am the original cause of the Gaìgä.”

TEXT 211

çrédhara bolena,—“ohe paëòita-nimäïi!

1147
 gaìgä kariyäo ki tomära bhaya näi?

TRANSLATION

Çrédhara replied, “Nimäi Paëòita! Aren’t You afraid of insulting Gaìgä in

this way?

COMMENTARY

In reply to this, Çrédhara said, “You are so arrogant that You don’t believe
that Gaìgä, who purifies all living entities, is the destroyer of sins! Besides
that, You not only consider Yourself superior to Gaìgä, You even claim to be
the source of the Gaìgä.”

TEXT 212

vayasa bäòile loka kothä sthira haye

tomära cäpalya äro dvi-guëa bäòaye”

TRANSLATION

“One is supposed to become sober as he grows up, but I see that Your
restlessness has doubled.”

COMMENTARY

“As a man gets older, his childhood restlessness gradually diminishes, but
what is this! I see that Your restlessness is gradually increasing with Your age!”

1148
 TEXT 213

ei-mata çrédharera saìge raìga kari’

äilena nija-gåhe gauräìga çré-hari

TRANSLATION

After joking with Çrédhara in this way, Lord Gauräìga returned to His
home.

TEXT 214

viñëu-dväre vasilena gauräìga-sundara

calilä paòuyä-varga yä’ra yathä ghara

TRANSLATION

Çré Gaurasundara sat down at the door of His Viñëu temple, and His
students all returned to their homes.

TEXT 215

dekhi’ prabhu paurëamäsé-candrera udaya

våndävana-candra-bhäva haila hådaya

TRANSLATION

As Nimäi saw the full moon one night, His heart became absorbed in the

1149
mood of Çré Våndävanacandra.

TEXT 216

apürva muralé-dhvani lägilä karite

äi bai ära keha nä päya çunite

TRANSLATION

Nimäi then began to play a flute in a most enchanting tune, which only
Mother Çacé could hear.

TEXT 217

tribhuvana-mohana muralé çuni’ äi

änanda-magane mürchä gelä sei öhäïi

TRANSLATION

When Mother Çacé heard the sound of that flute, which attracts the three
worlds, she fell unconscious in ecstasy.

TEXT 218

kñaëeke caitanya päi’ sthira kari’ mana

apürva muralé-dhvani karena çravaëa

TRANSLATION

1150
 After a while she regained consciousness and steadied her mind, as she
continued listening to the wonderful sound of the flute.

TEXT 219

yekhäne vasiyä äche gauräìga-sundara

sei-dike çunilena vaàçé manohara

TRANSLATION

Çacé then noticed that the enchanting sound of the flute was coming from
the direction where Nimäi was sitting.

TEXT 220

adbhuta çuniyä äi äilä bähire

dekhe,—putra vasiyäche viñëura duyäre

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé came outside in astonishment and saw that her son was sitting
at the door of the Viñëu temple.

TEXT 221

ära nähi päyena çunite vaàçé-näda

putrera hådaye dekhe äkäçera cäìda

1151
 TRANSLATION

She could no longer hear the sound of the flute, but she saw the full moon
on the chest of her son.

TEXT 222

putra-vakñe dekhe candra-maëòala säkñäte

vismita haiyä äi cähe cäri-bhite

TRANSLATION

Seeing the moon on the chest of her son, Çacé was struck with wonder and
began looking around.

TEXT 223

gåhe äsi’ vasi’ äi lägilä cintite

ki hetu,—niçcaya kichu nä päre karite

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé then went back inside and began to think about the reason for
such a vision.

TEXT 224

ei-mata kata bhägyavaté çacé äi

1152
 yata dekhe prakäça, tähära anta näi

TRANSLATION

In this way the most fortunate Mother Çacé saw unlimited manifestations of
opulence.

TEXT 225

kona-dina niçä-bhäge çacé äi çune

géta, vädya-yantra väya kata-çata jane

TRANSLATION

One night Çacé heard hundreds of people singing and playing musical
instruments.

TEXT 226

bahu-vidha mukha-vädya, nåtya, pada-täla

yena mahä-räsa-kréòä çunena viçäla

TRANSLATION

By the sound of dancing and various wind instruments, she considered that
a grand räsa-lélä festival was taking place.

TEXT 227

1153
 kona-dina dekhe sarva bäòé-ghara-dvära
jyotir-maya bai kichu nä dekhena ära

TRANSLATION

One day all she could see was a brilliant spiritual effulgence permeating her
house.

TEXT 228

kona-dina dekhe ati-divya näré-gaëa

lakñmé-präya sabe, haste padma-vibhüñaëa

TRANSLATION

On another day she saw many divine women, who all held lotus flowers in
their hands and resembled the goddess fortune.

TEXT 229

kona-dina dekhe jyotir-maya deva-gaëa

dekhi’ punaù ära nähi päya daraçana

TRANSLATION

One day she saw the effulgent demigods, but when she looked again she
couldn’t see them.

1154
 TEXT 230

äira e-saba dåñöi kichu citra nahe

viñëu-bhakti-svarüpiëé vede yäì’re kahe

TRANSLATION

It is not astonishing that Çacé had such visions, for the Vedas describe her as
the personification of devotional service to Lord Viñëu.

COMMENTARY

Devaké, the mother of Påçnigarbha, is the personification of devotional

service to Lord Viñëu. Mothers of the Lord like Yaçodä, Devaké, and Çacé serve
the Lord in pure vätsalya-rasa. Therefore, even though such mothers are
worshipable to the Lord, they are not bereft of pure spiritual service.

TEXT 231

äi yä’re sakåt karena dåñöi-päte

sei haya adhikäré e saba dekhite

TRANSLATION

Whoever receives the merciful glance of Mother Çacé becomes eligible to see
such opulences.

TEXT 232

1155
 hena-mate çré-gaurasundara vanamälé
äche güòha-rüpe nijänande kutuhalé

TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Gaurasundara, who is nondifferent from Lord Kåñëa, lived
in Navadvépa incognito, while relishing His own ecstasy.

COMMENTARY

The phrase gaurasundara vanamälé indicates that Çré Gaurasundara is

nondifferent from Vrajendra-nandana.

TEXT 233

yadyapi eteka prabhu äpanä’ prakäçe

tathäpiha cinite nä päre kona däse

TRANSLATION

Although the Lord manifested His opulences in various ways, His servants
were still unable to recognize Him.

TEXT 234

hena se auddhatya prabhu karena kautuke

te-mata uddhata ära nähi navadvépe

1156
 TRANSLATION

The arrogance that was sportingly displayed by Nimäi was unmatched

throughout Navadvépa.

TEXTS 235-240

yakhana ye-rüpe lélä karena éçvara

sei sarva-çreñöha, tä’ra nähika sosara

yuddha lélä-prati icchä upaje yakhana

astra-sikñä-véra ära nä thäke temana

käma-lélä karite yakhana icchä haya

lakñärbuda vanitä se karena vijaya

dhana vilasite se yakhana icchä haya

prajära gharete haya nidhi koöi-maya

emana uddhata gaurasundara ekhane

ei prabhu virakta-dharma laibe yakhane

se virakti-bhakti-kaëä kothä tribhuvane?

anye ki sambhave tähä?—vyakta sarva jane

TRANSLATION

The pastimes enjoyed by the Lord are supreme in all respects. Whenever the
Lord desires to fight, He becomes the topmost hero and no one can surpass His
prowess with weapons. Whenever the Lord desires to enjoy conjugal pastimes,

1157
He manifests millions of beautiful women. Whenever the Lord desires to enjoy
opulence, He fills His servant’s homes with millions of oceans of wealth. In
this way the arrogant nature now manifest by the Lord immediately vanished
when He accepted the path of renunciation. At that time not even a fragment
of the renunciation and devotion that He manifest could be found throughout
the three worlds. Is this possible for anyone else?

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara, who is the source of all incarnations, who performs

pastimes out of His own sweet will, and who is the reservoir of transcendental
pastimes, personally fought with the demons Madhu and Kaitabha in His
incarnation as Hayaçérña, the demon Hiraëyäkña as Varäha, the demon
Hiraëyakaçipu as Nåsiàhadeva, and demons headed by Rävaëa in His
incarnation as Rämacandra. In His conjugal pastimes as Kåñëa, the source of
all incarnations, He engages in the räsa dance with innumerable cowherd
damsels, yet in the houses of His subjects He displays affluent pastimes as the
Supreme Lord, full in six opulences. Çré Gaurasundara, who enacts such
wonderfully variegated pastimes, is also most expert in displaying various
arrogant and mischievous pastimes. Moreover, when Gaurasundara later
manifests the pastime of accepting the sannyäsa order of life, then His
detachment for topics not related with the Lord, His direct experience of the
Supreme Lord, and His attachment for the service of the Lord will be the ideal
example for those desirous of serving the Lord. Even a particle of renunciation
and devotion exhibited by Gaurasundara is rarely found within the three
worlds. Everyone knows that such an ideal attitude of service to Kåñëa will not
be found within the three worlds.
Gaurasundara, the source of all incarnations, did not exhibit any pastime of
learning how to fight with weapons, accepting millions of girlfriends, or
enjoying affluence in His pastimes as Gaura, rather such pastimes were
displayed in His various other incarnations. Although He is the source of all

1158
incarnations, in this incarnation He displays only pastimes of magnanimity;
He did not exhibit any conjugal pastimes in the course of His magnanimous
Gaura pastimes. In order to disgrace Him before the eyes of ordinary persons,
those who belong to apa-sampradäyas like the gaura-nägarés attribute
deviations in proper behavior to the Lord’s pure character, which is exemplary
for everyone, but it should be known that their mentality is a source of
offenses.

TEXT 241

ei-mata éçvarera sarva-çreñöha-karma

sabe sevakere häre, se tähäna dharma

TRANSLATION

The activities of the Lord are supreme in all respects, but it is His nature to
accept defeat at the hands of His devotees.

COMMENTARY

The activities of the supreme controller, éçvarera karma, are always superior
to the activities of the controlled. The former are transcendental and
incomparable and therefore matchless, eternal, and relishable, while the latter
are mundane, or worldly, incomplete, abominable, and temporary. But since
the characteristics of those who are controlled by love of God are even more
relishable than those of the controller, their characteristics are capable of
defeating those of the controller. In the Padma Puräëa it is stated:

ärädhanänäà sarveñäà viñëor ärädhanaà param

tasmät parataraà devi tadéyänäà samarcanam

1159
 “Of all types of worship, worship of Lord Viñëu is best, and better than the
worship of Lord Viñëu is the worship of His devotee, the Vaiñëava.”

TEXT 242

eka-dina prabhu äisena räja-pathe

päïca säta paòuyä prabhura cäri-bhite

TRANSLATION

One day Nimäi, along with five or seven students, was walking down the
main road.

TEXT 243

vyavahäre räja-yogya vastra paridhäna

aìge péta-vastra çobhe kåñëera samäna

TRANSLATION

Nimäi was dressed like a king. The yellow cloth that covered His body made
Him look just like Kåñëa.

TEXT 244

adhare tämbüla, koöi-candra çré-vadana

loke bole,—“mürti-manta ei ki madana?”

1160
 TRANSLATION

As He chewed betel nut, His face resembled millions of moons. People who
saw Him inquired, “Is He Cupid?”

TEXT 245

laläöe tilaka-ürddhva, pustaka çré-kare

dåñöi-mätre padma-netre sarva-päpa hare’

TRANSLATION

His forehead was decorated with tilaka, and in His hands He carried some
books. A glance from His lotus eyes destroyed all sins.

TEXT 246

svabhäve caïcala paòuyära varga-saìge

bähu doläiyä prabhu äisena raìge

TRANSLATION

As the restless-natured Lord walked along with His students, His arms
swung back and forth.

TEXT 247

daive pathe äisena paëòita çréväsa

1161
 prabhu dekhi’ mätra tä’na haila mahä-häsa

TRANSLATION

By providence, Çréväsa Paëòita was coming from the opposite direction at

that time. Upon seeing the Lord, Çréväsa began to laugh loudly.

TEXT 248

tä’ne dekhi’ prabhu karilena namaskära

“cirajévé hao” bole çréväsa udära

TRANSLATION

Nimäi offered obeisances to Çréväsa, who blessed Nimäi by saying, “Live

forever.”

COMMENTARY

Sändépani Muni as the teacher of Kåñëa, Garga Muni as the priest, Bhågu
Muni as the examiner, and, in gaura-lélä, Brahmänanda Puré as a Godbrother
of Éçvara Puré and Çréväsa Paëòita as a senior brähmaëa, all considered the
Lord as an subordinate object of affection and care and thus acted as
guardians of the Lord. But it should be understood that in the mood of awe
and reverence, such behavior is harmful to the principles of service.

TEXTS 249-253

häsiyä çréväsa bole,—“kaha dekhi, çuni?

1162
 kati caliyächa uddhatera cüòämaëi?

kåñëa nä bhajiyä käla ki-kärye goìäo?

rätri-dina niravadhi kene vä paòäo?

paòe kene loka?—kåñëa-bhakti jänibäre

se yadi nahila, tabe vidyäya ki kare?

eteke sarvadä vyartha nä goìäo käla

paòilä ta’, ebe kåñëa bhajaha sakäla”

häsi’ bole mahäprabhu,—“çunaha, paëòita!

tomära kåpäya seha haibe niçcita”

TRANSLATION

Çréväsa smiled and inquired, “O best of the arrogant, where are You going?
Why do You uselessly waste Your time by not worshiping Kåñëa? Why do You
spend day and night simply teaching mundane knowledge? Why do people
study? Education is only for understanding devotional service of Lord Kåñëa.
Therefore don’t uselessly waste Your time any longer. You’ve studied enough.
Now You should worship Kåñëa.” Nimäi smiled and said, “Listen, Paëòita!
That will certainly be done by your mercy.”

COMMENTARY

One day while walking on the road, the Lord met Çréväsa Paëòita. When
the Lord offered him obeisances, Çréväsa blessed Him, saying, “May You live
long.” Çréväsa continued, “O Nimäi, if You give up the worship of Kåñëa and
spend Your time in activities not related with Kåñëa, there will be no
possibility of Your achieving eternal auspiciousness. The purpose of learning

1163
and teaching in this world is achieved only by dovetailing these activities in
the devotional service of Kåñëa. If devotion to Kåñëa is not awakened by the
cultivation of knowledge, then such cultivation is meaningless and fruitless.
You have already studied many books, therefore do not delay any longer.
Immediately engage in the topmost fruit of all studies, the worship of Lord
Hari.” In answer to this, the Lord said, “O Paëòita, you are a devotee of the
Lord. By your blessing I will soon become attached to the lotus feet of the
Lord.”

TEXT 254

eta bali’ mahäprabhu häsiyä calilä

gaìgä-tére äsi’ çiñya-sahite mililä

TRANSLATION

After speaking in this way, Mahäprabhu smiled and departed for the bank of
the Ganges, where He met His students.

TEXT 255

gaìgä-tére vasilena çré-çacénandana

catur-dike veòiyä vasilä çiñya-gaëa

TRANSLATION

Çré Çacénandana then sat on the bank of the Ganges with His students
surrounding Him on all sides.

1164
 TEXT 256

koöi-mukhe sei çobhä nä päri kahite

upamä o tä’ra nähi dekhi trijagate

TRANSLATION

I could not describe the beauty of that scene even if I had millions of
mouths. There is no comparison in the three worlds.

TEXT 257

candra-tärä-gaëa vä baliba, seho naya

sakalaìka,—tä’ra kalä kñaya-våddhi haya

TRANSLATION

I cannot compare that scene with the moon surrounded by stars, because the
moon has spots and it also waxes and wanes.

TEXT 258

sarva-käla-paripürëa e prabhura kalä

niñkalaìka, teïi se upamä düre gelä

TRANSLATION

This Lord, however, is eternally complete and spotless, therefore a

1165
comparison with the moon is unjustified.

TEXT 259

båhaspati-upamä o dite nä yuyäya

teìho eka-pakña,—deva-gaëera sahäya

TRANSLATION

I cannot compare Nimäi with even Båhaspati, because Båhaspati is partial to

the demigods.

TEXT 260

e prabhu—sabära pakña, sahäya sabära

ataeva se dåñöänta nä haya iìhära

TRANSLATION

This Lord, however, is partial to everyone, and therefore a comparison with

Båhaspati is also unjustified.

TEXT 261

kämadeva-upamä vä diba, seho naya

teìho citte jägile, cittera kñobha haya

TRANSLATION

1166
 Nor can I compare Nimäi with Cupid, because if Cupid appears in one’s
heart, that heart becomes agitated.

TEXT 262

e prabhu jägile citte, sarva-bandha-kñaya

parama-nirmala suprasanna citta haya

TRANSLATION

When this Lord appears in one’s heart, however, all one’s material bondage
is destroyed and his heart becomes pure and happy.

TEXT 263

ei-mata sakala dåñöänta yogya naya

sabe eka upamä dekhiyä citte laya

TRANSLATION

Therefore all these comparisons are improper. But there is one comparison
that I can think of.

TEXTS 264-265

kälindéra tére yena çré-nanda-kumära

gopa-vånda-madhye vasi’ karilä vihära

1167
 sei gopa-vånda lai’ sei kåñëacandra
bujhi,—dvija-rüpe gaìgä-tére kare raìga

TRANSLATION

Just as the son of Nanda enjoyed His pastimes sitting amongst the cowherd
boys on the bank of the Yamunä, that same Kåñëa in the form of a brähmaëa
now enjoyed pastimes sitting with those same cowherd boys on the bank of the
Ganges.

COMMENTARY

The Lord sat on the bank of the Ganges surrounded by His students. Three
comparisons are given in this regard: (1) the moon surrounded by the stars, (2)
Båhaspati surrounded by the demigods, and (3) Cupid. But these three
comparisons are unable to properly describe the Lord’s unparalleled beauty
and sitting posture, because (a) the moon has black marks resembling a rabbit,
it waxes and wanes, and it cannot be seen in daylight, while Gauracandra is
devoid of black spots and diminishment; (b) Båhaspati is the spiritual master
of just one party (only the demigods) and has no sympathy for the opposing
party, the demons, while Gaurasundara is the spiritual master of everyone; and
(c) Cupid appears in the mind of a person and causes mundane agitation,
while the appearance of Gaurasundara vanquishes all bondage and enlivens
the living entities. Though these comparisons give an incomplete and partial
indication of the Lord’s beauty, they are unable to give a complete description.
Therefore Govinda in His unparalleled pastimes of sitting on the bank of the
Yamunä with the cowherd boys is the best and ideal comparison to Gaura, who
is nondifferent from Him.

1168
 TEXT 266

gaìgä-tére ye-ye-jane dekhe prabhu-mukha

sei päya ati-anirvacanéya sukha

TRANSLATION

Whoever saw the Lord’s face as He sat on the bank of the Ganges attained
indescribable happiness.

TEXTS 267-270

dekhiyä prabhura teja ati-vilakñaëa

gaìgä-tére käëäkäëi kare sarva-jana

keha bole,—“eta teja mänuñera naya”

keha bole,—“e brähmaëa viñëu-aàça haya”

keha bole,—“vipra räjä haibeka gauòe

sei ei bujhi,—ei kathana nä naòe

räja-cakravarté-cihna dekhiye sakala”

ei-mata bole yä’ra yata buddhi-bala

TRANSLATION

Seeing the Lord’s extraordinary effulgence, everyone on the bank of the

Ganges began to whisper to one another. Someone said, “An ordinary human
does not have such effulgence.” Someone else said, “This brähmaëa is a portion

1169
of Lord Viñëu.” Another said, “I think He will fulfill the prediction that a
brähmaëa will become the king of Gauòa, for He has all the symptoms of a
king.” In this way everyone spoke according to their understanding.

COMMENTARY

Seeing the Lord’s effulgence, no one considered Him equal to an ordinary

human being. Some people thought He was a portion of Viñëu, and some
thought that the time had come for fulfillment of the prediction that a
brähmaëa would become the king of Bengal. In other words, on seeing Him it
appeared to people that He would in the future become king of Bengal, or in
other words, the Lord of the Gauòéyas. This prediction could not prove
otherwise.

TEXT 271

adhyäpaka-prati saba kaöäkñä kariyä

vyäkhyä kare prabhu gaìgä-samépe vasiyä

TRANSLATION

Meanwhile, the Lord pointed out faults in the other teachers as He engaged
in explaining the scriptures on the bank of the Ganges.

TEXT 272

’haya’ vyäkhyä ’naya’ kare ’naya’ kare ’haya’

sakala khaëòiyä, çeñe sakala sthäpaya

1170
 TRANSLATION

Nimäi established correct statements as incorrect and incorrect statements

as correct. Then, after refuting all other explanations, He again established the
proper meaning with new explanations.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara began to exhibit such ingenious scholastic pastimes that

He easily refuted the challenges of all ordinary people and established His own
conclusions. He would first refute a challenge and then reestablish it by His
own ingenuity.

TEXT 273

prabhu bole,—“tä’re ämi bali ye ’paëòita’

eka-bära vyäkhyä kare ämära sahita

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “I consider a person learned if he is able to discuss with Me.

TEXT 274

sei vyäkhyä vyäkhyäna kariyä ära-bära

ämä’ prabodhibe,—hena çakti äche kä’ra?”

TRANSLATION

1171
 “Who has the power to refute Me by establishing a different explanation?”

TEXT 275

ei-mata éçvara vyaïjena ahaìkära

sarva-garva cürëa haya çuniïä sabära

TRANSLATION

As the Supreme Lord exhibited His pride in this way, He smashed the pride
of all others.

COMMENTARY

The words vyaïjena ahaìkära mean “manifesting pride.”

TEXT 276

kata vä prabhura çiñya, tä’ra anta näi

kata vä maëòalé hai’ paòe öhäïi öhäïi

TRANSLATION

The Lord had innumerable students, who studied in groups under His
direction.

TEXT 277

1172
 prati-dina daça biça brähmaëa-kumära
äsiyä prabhura pä’ya kare namaskära

TRANSLATION

Every day ten or twenty brähmaëa boys came to offer obeisances to the
Lord.

TEXT 278

“paëòita, ämarä paòibäìa tomä’ sthäne

kichu jäni,—hena kåpä karibä äpane”

TRANSLATION

They would say, “O Paëòita, we wish to study with You. Please be merciful,
so that we may learn something.”

TEXT 279

“bhäla bhäla”,—häsi prabhu bolena vacana

ei-mata prati-dina bäòe çiñya-gaëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled and said, “Good. Good.” Thus the number of His students
increased day by day.

1173
 TEXT 280

gaìgä-tére çiñya-saìge maëòalé kariyä

vaikuëöhera cüòämaëi ächena vasiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord of Vaikuëöha would sit amidst the circle of His students on the
bank of the Ganges.

TEXT 281

catur-dike dekhe saba bhägyavanta loka

sarva-navadvépa prabhu-prabhäve açoka

TRANSLATION

Fortunate people watched from all sides, and by the influence of the Lord
the entire city of Navadvépa became free from lamentation.

TEXT 282

se änanda ye-ye-bhägyavanta dekhileka

kon jana äche,—tä’ra bhägya balibeka?

TRANSLATION

Who can calculate the good fortune of the pious souls who saw those

1174
pastimes?

TEXT 283

se änanda dekhileka ye sukåti jana

tä’ne dekhile o, khaëòe saàsära-bandhana

TRANSLATION

Just by seeing a pious soul who has seen those pastimes one is freed from
material bondage.

COMMENTARY

The transcendental Vaikuëöha pastimes of Çré Gaurasundara are so ecstatic

that if one sees a person who sees such pastimes, one is freed from attachment
to material existence.

TEXT 284

haila päpiñöha-janma, nä haila takhane!

hailäìa vaïcita se-sukha-daraçane!

TRANSLATION

My sinful birth did not take place at that time! Therefore I was cheated
from seeing those pastimes!

COMMENTARY

1175
 The author, who is the incarnation of Çré Vyäsa, the spiritual master of the
entire world, and a Vaiñëava äcärya, is teaching the example of humility by
lamenting in the following way: “Alas! Such an unfortunate birth as mine did
not take place during the transcendental pastimes of Çré Gaurasundara, so I
was not fortunate enough to see those ecstatic pastimes!” Materialist persons
take birth in order to enjoy the fruits of their respective past misdeeds, but if
such births take place during the manifest pastimes of the Lord, they become
glorious by seeing those pastimes though they have taken abominable births.

TEXT 285

tathäpiha ei kåpä kara gauracandra!

se-lélä-småti mora hauka janma janma

TRANSLATION

Still, O Gauracandra, please be merciful to me so that I may remember those

pastimes birth after birth.

COMMENTARY

“Since I could not take birth during the manifest pastimes of Gaura, my
only prayer at the feet of the Lord is that in all of my future births His
pastimes may ever remain present in my mind and thus awaken my good
fortune.”

TEXT 286

sa-pärñade tumi nityänanda yathä-yathä

1176
 lélä kara’,—mui yena bhåtya haìa tathä

TRANSLATION

Wherever You and Nityänanda perform pastimes with Your associates, may
I be present there as a servant.

COMMENTARY

“Wherever the pastimes of Çré Gaura-Nityänanda and Their associate

devotees are manifest, may I receive the opportunity to serve them at all those
places, life after life. This is my prayer at the lotus feet of Çré Gaurasundara.”

TEXT 287

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Twelve, entitled, “The Lord’s
wandering throughout Navadvépa.”

1177
 Chapter Thirteen: Defeating Digvijayé

This chapter describes Nimäi’s victory over and deliverance of Digvijayé

Paëòita, who had received the favor of Sarasvaté and who was proud of his
knowledge.
When Nimäi Paëòita was residing in Navadvépa as the crest-jewel of all
teachers, a great Digvijayé Paëòita who had received a benediction from
Sarasvaté arrived there. The Digvijayé had already defeated in argument the
learned scholars of all provinces, and after hearing that the scholars of
Navadvépa were famous for their learning throughout India, he proudly
arrived in Navadvépa in order to defeat the scholars there. Hearing about the
arrival of the Digvijayé Paëòita, the entire scholarly community of Navadvépa
became most restless and worried. When the students of Nimäi Paëòita gave
Him this news, He told them, “The Supreme Lord and destroyer of everyone’s
pride always destroys the pride of arrogant persons. Trees with fruits and
persons with good qualities are always humble. Because great Digvijayé kings
like Haihaya, Nahuña, Vena, Bäëa, Naraka, and Rävaëa were excessively
intoxicated with pride, the Lord ultimately destroyed their pride. Therefore
the Lord will soon destroy the pride of this Digvijayé who has come to
Navadvépa.” After speaking in this way, the Lord sat on the bank of the
Ganges that evening and began to contemplate how to conquer this Digvijayé.
At that time, as the full moon shone in the sky, the Digvijayé arrived before
the Lord and was informed by the students about the identity of the
wonderfully effulgent Nimäi Paëòita. The Lord first exchanged a few words
with the Digvijayé and then respectfully and tactfully requested him to
describe the glories of the Ganges. Thereupon the Digvijayé began to quickly
and incessantly compose and recite verses in glorification of Gaìgädevé like

1178
the rumbling of hundreds of clouds. Everyone there was struck with wonder
on seeing the amazing poetic ability of the great Digvijayé. When the Digvijayé
stopped after incessantly reciting verses for three hours, the Lord requested
him to explain the verses. As soon as Digvijayé began to explain, the Lord
pointed out innumerable faults in alaìkära and other literary rules in the
beginning, middle, and end of his description. The Digvijayé could not reply to
any of the Lord’s challenges; all his ingenuity became overshadowed. When on
seeing this, the Lord’s students were about to laugh, the Lord checked them
and solaced the Digvijayé in various ways. He told the Digvijayé to go home,
take rest, and, after studying further, return the next day. Being extremely
embarrassed and saddened within, the Digvijayé began to think, “I have
defeated even the extraordinary scholars of the six branches of philosophy,
but due to providence I have finally been defeated by a young ordinary
grammar teacher! How is it possible? It must be that I have committed some
offense at the feet of Sarasvaté-devé.” Thinking in this way, he began to chant
the Sarasvaté mantra and soon fell asleep. That very night, Sarasvaté appeared
before Digvijayé Paëòita and disclosed to him the real identity of Nimäi
Paëòita. She said, “Nimäi Paëòita is not an ordinary worldly scholar. He is the
omnipotent and original Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sarasvaté-devé is
only a shadow of His internal potency. This Sarasvaté, who is the shadow of
the internal potency of the Lord, is ashamed to stand before Näräyaëa,
therefore she remains in the background.” Devé further told the Digvijayé
Paëòita that he had now actually achieved the fruit of his worship, because he
had the good fortune of seeing the Lord of innumerable universes. Then, after
instructing the Digvijayé to quickly go to the Lord and surrender at His lotus
feet, she disappeared. When the Digvijayé awoke from his sleep, he
immediately went to the Lord and informed Him with faltering words of the
details of his dream and the instructions of Sarasvaté-devé. The Lord, who is
the master of Sarasvaté, also instructed Digvijayé about the superiority of
spiritual knowledge, which is favorable for worshiping the Supreme Lord, and
the abomination of material knowledge, which is the source of false pride and

1179
domination. The Lord said, “The fruit of cultivating knowledge is to fix the
mind at the lotus feet of Kåñëa, and devotion to Viñëu, or spiritual knowledge,
is the only truth and desirable object.” After speaking these words of
instruction, the Lord particularly forbade Digvijayé from revealing to anyone
the truths that he had heard from Sarasvaté, which are confidential to even
the Vedas. By the mercy of the Lord, devotion, detachment, and spiritual
knowledge simultaneously manifest in the body of Digvijayé Paëòita and,
being fully satisfied by achieving pure devotional service, he became tåëäd api
sunéca—“more humble than a straw in the street.” While describing the
nature of Gaura’s mercy, the author has written, “Even a most proud person
becomes extremely humble by the mercy of Gaura. Even persons who are
intoxicated with pride due to material wealth give up royal happiness to live in
the forest and worship Hari. If the most alluring objects desired by
materialistic persons are abundantly available to persons who have received
the mercy of the Lord, they can easily abandon them. What to speak of royal
happiness, the devotees of Kåñëa consider even the happiness of liberation as
insignificant.” When the scholars of Navadvépa saw the wonderful prowess of
Nimäi Paëòita and His victory over the Digvijayé in this way, they desired to
confer on Him the title of Bädisiàha, and thus His matchless glories were
declared.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya dvija-kula-dépa gauracandra

jaya jaya bhakta-goñöhé-hådaya-änanda

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gauracandra, the shining light of the family of brähmaëas.
All glories to the Lord, who increases the happiness in the hearts of His

1180
devotees.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya dvära-päla-govindera nätha

jéva-prati kara, prabhu, çubha-dåñöi-päta

TRANSLATION

All glories to the Lord of Govinda the doorkeeper. O Lord, please glance
mercifully on the living entities.

TEXT 3

jaya adhyäpaka-çiroratna vipra-räja

jaya jaya caitanyera bhakata-samäja

TRANSLATION

All glories to the crest jewel of teachers and the king of brähmaëas. All
glories to the devotees of Lord Caitanya.

TEXT 4

hena-mate vidyä-rase çré-vaikuëöha-nätha

vaisena sabära kari’ vidyä-garva-päta

TRANSLATION

1181
 In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha enjoyed His scholastic pastimes by
vanquishing the scholars’ pride.

TEXT 5

yadyapiha navadvépe paëòita samäja

koöy-arbuda adhyäpaka nänä-çästra-räja

TRANSLATION

Navadvépa was full of millions of learned scholars, each of whom had

mastered various scriptures.

COMMENTARY

The phrase nänä-çästra-räja, if taken as an adjective for the teachers,

means that they had mastered various scriptures, in other words, they had
complete knowledge of all scriptures; and if taken as a noun, refers to various
principle scriptures.

TEXT 6

bhaööäcärya, cakravarté, miçra vä äcärya

adhyäpanä vinä kä’ro ära nähi kärya

TRANSLATION

Bhaööäcäryas, Cakravartés, Miçras, and Äcäryas had no occupation other

than teaching.

1182
 TEXT 7

yadyapiha sabei svatantra, sabära jaya

çästra-carcä haile brahmäreha nähi saya

TRANSLATION

These scholars were all independent and so victorious in debating scriptures

that they disregarded persons as learned as Lord Brahmä.

COMMENTARY

Everyone put forward their independent opinions and endeavored to

defeat others. They had no patience to hear the opinion of others in scriptural
topics and even disregarded the conclusions of scholars who were as learned as
Lord Brahmä. They tried to defeat the most respectable scholars through their
arguments.

TEXT 8

prabhu yata niravadhi äkñepa karena

paramparä, säkñäteha sabei çunena

TRANSLATION

The Lord constantly rebuked these scholars, who had to directly or

indirectly hear those taunts.

1183
 TEXT 9

tathäpiha hena jana nähi prabhu-prati

dvirukti karite kä’ro nähi çakti kati

TRANSLATION

Nevertheless, not one of them was able to counter the Lord’s challenges.

TEXT 10

hena se sädhvasa janme prabhure dekhiyä

sabei yäyena eka-dike namra haiyä

TRANSLATION

They were so frightened on seeing the Lord that they would humbly try to
avoid Him.

COMMENTARY

The word sädhvasa means “awe and reverence,” “panic,” “fear,” or

“suspicion.”

TEXT 11

yadi vä kähäre prabhu karena sambhäña

sei-jana haya yena ati baòa däsa

1184
 TRANSLATION

Whoever the Lord spoke with would become His staunch follower.

COMMENTARY

Whenever the Lord addressed someone, that person felt particularly

honored and he would thus desire to serve the Lord.

TEXT 12

prabhura päëòitya-buddhi çiçu-käla haite

sabei jänena gaìgä-tére bhäla-mate

TRANSLATION

Everyone on the banks of the Ganges knew well that the Lord was most
intelligent from His very childhood.

TEXT 13

kona-rüpe keha prabodhite nähi päre

ihä o sabära citte jägaye antare

TRANSLATION

Within their hearts they knew that the Lord could not be defeated in
argument.

1185
 TEXT 14

prabhu dekhi’ svabhävei janmaye sädhvasa

ataeva prabhu dekhi’ sabe haya vaça

TRANSLATION

Therefore they naturally became frightened when they saw the Lord, and
they were obliged to accept subordination to Him.

TEXT 15

tathäpiha hena tä’na mäyära baòäi

bujhibäre päre tä’ne,—hena jana näi

TRANSLATION

Nevertheless, the influence of the illusory energy is such that no one was
able to recognize Him.

TEXT 16

teìho yadi nä karena äpanä’ vidita

tabe tä’ne keha nähi jäne kadäcita

TRANSLATION

No one can possibly recognize the Lord unless and until He reveals Himself.

1186
 TEXT 17

teìho punaù nitya suprasanna sarva-réte

tähäna mäyäya punaù sabe vimohite

TRANSLATION

The Lord is eternally merciful to the living entities in every respect, yet due
to the influence of His illusory energy everyone remained ignorant of His
identity.

TEXT 18

hena-mate sabäre mohiyä gauracandra

vidyä-rase navadvépe kare prabhu raìga

TRANSLATION

In this way Gauracandra bewildered everyone as He enjoyed His scholastic

pastimes in Navadvépa.

TEXT 19

hena-käle tathä eka mahä-digvijayé

äila parama-ahaìkära-yukta hai’

TRANSLATION

1187
 In the meantime a proud champion of learning arrived in Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

Some people say that mahä-digvijayé refers to Keçava Käçméré, or Keçava

Bhaööa, the disciple of Gäìgalya Bhaööa of the Nimbärka-sampradäya. In
consideration of the time factor, there is a difference of opinion in this regard.
In his Dig-darçiné commentary on the Hari-bhakti-viläsa, Çrémad Gopäla
Bhaööa Gosvämé Prabhu has quoted many verses from Keçava Bhaööa’s
Krama-dépikä as evidence. Later on, this Keçava Bhaööa was accepted as an
äcärya in the disciplic succession of the Nimbärka-sampradäya. If Keçava
Bhaööa, the author of Krama-dépikä, was accepted in the disciplic succession of
the Nimbärka-sampradäya, however, then the author of Çré Hari-bhakti-viläsa
would have mentioned it in his writing.

TEXT 20

sarasvaté-mantrera ekänta upäsaka

mantra japi’ sarasvaté karileka vaça

TRANSLATION

He was a staunch devotee of goddess Sarasvaté; by chanting her mantra he

had won her favor.

TEXT 21

viñëu-bhakti-svarüpiëé, viñëu-vakñaù-sthitä
mürti-bhede ramä,—sarasvaté jagan-mätä

1188
 TRANSLATION

Sarasvaté is the personification of devotional service to Lord Viñëu. Being

nondifferent from Lakñmé, she eternally resides on the chest of Lord Viñëu.
She is the mother of the universe.

COMMENTARY

Ramä refers to Çré-çakti, or Lakñmé, who resides on the chest of Viñëu.

Sarasvaté is the personification of devotional service, or Bhu-çakti. She is the
consort of the holy name of the Lord.
The phrase jagan-mätä refers to Viñëu’s Nélä, Lélä, and Durgä çaktis.
Although the features of Ramä, Sarasvaté, and Durgä are different, they are all
actually nondifferent from Çré Näräyaëé, or Lakñmé, the internal potency of
Çré Näräyaëa. They are all personifications of Lord Viñëu’s service. Since they
are all principal äçraya-vigrahas, they are the mothers of the universe.

TEXT 22

bhägya-vaçe brähmaëera pratyakña hailä

’tribhuvana digvijayé’ kari’ vara dilä

TRANSLATION

Due to the brähmaëa’s great fortune, she appeared before him and blessed
him to conquer the three worlds.

COMMENTARY

1189
 Spiritual knowledge, or Sarasvaté, hides her real identity from those who
are proud, foolish, attached to material enjoyment, and absorbed in the false
ego of thinking themselves the doers; and in her shadow form of Duñöä
Sarasvaté, she deceives them by awarding them benedictions. Though such
puffed-up people who receive her benedictions are able to conquer the three
worlds, they are eligible for being totally defeated by the Supreme Lord, who is
the ultimate giver of all benedictions. Sarasvaté-devé never desires that her
worshipable Lord may be defeated, so she deceives the conditioned souls who
are bewildered by mäyä from chanting the glories of the Lord’s holy names.
When Çuddhä Sarasvaté-devé sees that her worshiper is not inclined towards
the service of the Supreme Lord, she bewilders him with material knowledge,
which is her shadow form.

TEXT 23

yäì’ra dåñöi-päta-mätre haya viñëu-bhakti

’digvijayé’-vara vä tähäna kon çakti?

TRANSLATION

What is the difficulty for her to bless one to become a champion of learning
when simply by her merciful glance one achieves devotional service to Lord
Viñëu?

COMMENTARY

When by the nonduplicitous merciful glance of Çuddhä Sarasvaté-devé one

achieves the highest benediction of devotion to Lord Viñëu, then it is easy and
extremely insignificant for her to award the people of this world benedictions
like becoming a Digvijayé.

1190
 TEXT 24

päi sarsvatéra säkñäte vara-däna

saàsära jiniyä vipra bule sthäne-sthäna

TRANSLATION

After directly receiving the benediction of goddess Sarasvaté, the brähmaëa

traveled from province to province, defeating the local scholars wherever he
went.

TEXT 25

sarva-çästra jihväya äise nirantara

hena nähi jagate, ye dibeka uttara

TRANSLATION

All the scriptures resided on the tip of his tongue. There was no one in the
world who could answer his challenge.

TEXT 26

yä’ra kakñä-mätra nähi bujhe kona-jane

digvijayé hai’ bule sarva sthäne-sthäne

TRANSLATION

1191
 Many scholars were not even able to understand his questions, so he easily
conquered the scholars wherever he went.

TEXT 27

çunilena baòa navadvépera mahimä

paëòita-samäja yata, tä’ra nähi sémä

TRANSLATION

He then heard about the glories of Navadvépa, wherein endless learned

scholars resided.

TEXT 28

parama-samåddha açva-gaja-yukta hai’

sabä’ jini’ navadvépe gelä digvijayé

TRANSLATION

Thus after conquering all other provinces, the champion scholar came to
Navadvépa along with his opulent entourage, which included horses and
elephants.

TEXT 29

prati ghare ghare prati paëòita-sabhäya

mahä-dhvani upajila sarva-nadéyäya

1192
 TRANSLATION

As a result, a loud commotion arose in every house and every assembly of

learned scholars in Nadia.

TEXT 30

“sarva-räjya-deça jini’ jaya-patra lai’

navadvépe äsiyäche eka digvijayé

TRANSLATION

People everywhere were heard saying, “A champion scholar has come to

Navadvépa with a certificate of victory from scholars all over the country.

COMMENTARY

The word jaya-patra refers to a certificate of conquest that a party who has
lost in a battle of arguments or test of scholarship awards to the victorious
party. This is proof of the winning party’s superior scholarship.

TEXT 31

sarasvatéra vara-putra’ çuni’ sarva-jane

paëòita sabära baòa cintä haila mane

TRANSLATION

When all the learned scholars of Navadvépa heard that he was favored by

1193
Sarasvaté, they began to worry.

TEXT 32

“jambudvépe yata äche paëòitera sthäna

sabä jini’ navadvépa jagate väkhäna

TRANSLATION

“Of all places of learning throughout Jambudvépa, Navadvépa surpasses all.

COMMENTARY

Jambudvépa, in which India is situated, is one of the seven islands. By her

own glories, Navadvépa was the most famous and celebrated of all places
adorned with intelligent people in India.

TEXT 33

hena-sthäna digvijayé yäibe jiniïä

saàsäre ei apratiñöhä ghuñibe çuniïä

TRANSLATION

“If this Digvijayé is victorious in such a place as this, then scholars all over
the world will condemn us.

TEXT 34

1194
 yujhite vä kä’ra çakti äche tä’na sane?
sarasvaté vara yäì’re dilena äpane?

TRANSLATION

“Yet who has the ability to debate with one who has received the blessings
of Sarasvaté?

TEXT 35

sarasvaté vaktä yäì’ra jihväya äpane

manuñye ki väde kabhu päre tä’na sane?

TRANSLATION

“Since Sarasvaté resides on his tongue, how can a human being debate with
him?”

TEXT 36

sahasra sahasra mahä-mahä-bhaööäcärya

sabei cintena mane, chäòi’ sarva kärya

TRANSLATION

Thousands of great Bhaööäcäryas left their duties out of anxiety.

1195
 TEXT 37

catur-dike sabei karena kolähala

“bujhibäìa ei-bära yata vidyäbala”

TRANSLATION

All over Navadvépa people were heard saying, “Now we’ll understand the
power of our knowledge.”

TEXT 38

e-saba våttänta yata paòuyära gaëe

kahilena nija-guru gauräìgera sthäne

TRANSLATION

The students went and informed their teacher, Gauräìga, of all these
incidents.

TEXT 39

“eka digvijayé sarasvaté vaça kari’

sarvatra jiniyä bule jaya-patra dhari’

TRANSLATION

“A Digvijayé who has been blessed by Sarasvaté and who has conquered

1196
scholars throughout the world has come with his certificate of victory.

TEXT 40

hasté, ghoòä, dolä, loka, aneka saàhati

samprati äsiyä hailä navadvépe sthiti

TRANSLATION

“He has arrived in Navadvépa surrounded by elephants, horses, palanquins,

and many followers.

TEXT 41

navadvépe äpanära pratidvandvé cäya

nahe jaya-patra mäge sakala-sabhäya”

TRANSLATION

“He has come to Navadvépa seeking an opponent. Otherwise he demands a

certificate of victory from the scholars of Navadvépa.”

COMMENTARY

After arriving in Navadvépa, Digvijayé Paëòita searched for a suitable

opponent from the rival camp. If there was no suitable scholar in Navadvépa
able to debate with him, then the Digvijayé demanded that the scholars issue
him a certificate stating that all the scholars of Navadvépa had been defeated
by him.

1197
 TEXT 42

çuni’ çiñya-gaëera vacana gauramaëi

häsiyä kahite lägilena tattva-väëé

TRANSLATION

Hearing the words of His students, the jewel-like Gauräìga smiled and
began to describe the nature of the Supreme Lord.

TEXT 43

“çuna, bhäi saba, ei kahi tattva-kathä

ahaìkära nä sahena éçvara sarvathä

TRANSLATION

“Listen, dear brothers. The Supreme Lord never tolerates false pride.

COMMENTARY

Hearing about Digvijayé’s bragging from the Navadvépa students, who were
afraid of their imminent defeat, Çré Gaurasundara solaced them by describing
the nature, or truth, of the Supreme Lord as follows: “The Supreme Lord, who
is the controller of mäyä, completely destroys the false ego of proud persons
who are controlled by mäyä—that is, He destroys the pride of proud
persons—and does not assist them in maintaining their pride in any way. As
stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.14.20): “O supreme creator and master,
You defeat the false pride of the faithless demons and show mercy to Your

1198
saintly devotees.”

TEXT 44

ye-ye-guëe matta hai’ kare ahaìkära

avaçya éçvara tähä karena saàhära

TRANSLATION

“Whenever the Lord sees someone proud of some personal quality, He

certainly removes the cause of that pride.

COMMENTARY

Three modes of material nature are present in this material kingdom. The
three modes keep their identities intact by remaining distinct while mixing
with the other modes. When the modes of passion and ignorance are subdued
by the mode of goodness, a living entity becomes situated in the mode of
goodness. But even in such a mode of goodness, a specific relationship with the
modes of passion and ignorance still remains. When the specific relationship
with both passion and ignorance is completely absent in the mode of goodness,
it is called viçuddha-sattva or nirguëa—pure goodness or transcendence. In
order to manifest His Vaikuëöha pastimes by bringing into equilibrium the
ever-conflicting three modes of nature, under whose control intoxicated
egoistic persons exhibit their pride, the Supreme Lord removes the opposing
nature of the modes and establishes them on the platform of transcendence.
The false ego born of the modes of nature is agitated by time, in other words,
the concepts of “I” and “mine,” which are born from the modes, are found
within the time factor and are destroyed in due course of time. Therefore the
relationship of the living entities with the modes of nature is only temporary,

1199
not eternal. The three states of birth, maintenance, and death, which are born
of the modes of nature, are not eternal. Therefore they are ephemeral.
Activities performed with aversion to the Lord by living entities who consider
themselves the doers are inferior, while activities performed as service by
living entities who consider themselves servants of the Lord are superior or
eternal.

TEXT 45

phalavanta våkña ära guëavanta jana

’namratä’ se tähära svabhäva anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

“The nature of both the tree laden with fruit and the man decorated with
good qualities is that they bow down with humility.

COMMENTARY

Just as a tree bends down with a burden of fruits, persons who are in the
mode of goodness exhibit humility as a result of their good qualities. Persons
who are averse to the purport of statements like “a little education is
dangerous,” “a small fish jumps too much,” and “a castor oil plant grows like a
tree” praise their own small achievements due to material destitution and thus
become reluctant to display humility before others. That is why Çré
Gaurasundara has taught for the benefit of people in general that only those
persons who consider themselves lower than the straw in the street are always
eligible to serve the Supreme Lord by chanting the holy name of Hari. The
living entities possess minute quantities of the Lord’s nature. In the
Bhagavad-gétä the living entities are described as parä prakåti, or superior

1200
nature. While exhibiting pastimes as the spiritual master for the entire world
and while describing the nature of the living entities who possess saintly
qualities, Çré Gaurasundara has displayed the ideal example of actual humility.

TEXT 46

haihaya, nahuña, veëa, bäëa, naraka, rävaëa

mahä-digvijayé çuniyächa ye ye-jana

TRANSLATION

“You must have heard of the great Digvijayés of the past like Haihaya,
Nahuña, Veëa, Bäëa, Naraka, and Rävaëa.

COMMENTARY

Haihaya, or Kärtavéryärjuna, was the King of Mähiñmatépura. He received

one thousand arms by the blessing of Lord Dattätreya and was killed by the
hands of Lord Paraçuräma. A description of these incidents is found in the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (9.15.17-35), the Mahäbhärata (Tértha-yäträ-parva of the
Vana-parva 115.10-18 and 116.19-24), the Hari-vaàça (1.33), the Väyu Puräëa
(Chapter 94), the Matsya Puräëa (Chapter 43) and the Märkaëòeya Puräëa
(Chapter 16).
Nahuña was born in the womb of Svarbhäëavé by Äyu, who was the son of
Purüravä, the saintly king of the dynasty of the moon-god. He was the father
of Mahäräja Yayäti. A description of Nahuña’s becoming intoxicated by
opulence, illusioned, and falldown is described in the Mahäbhärata
(Äjagara-parva of the Vana-parva, 280.11-14, 181.30-37 and Udyoga-parva
11.10-24, Chapter 12, and Chapter 17), the Hari-vaàça (1.28), the Väyu Puräëa
(Chapter 92), and the Brahma Puräëa (Chapter 11).

1201
 Veëa was the ghostly haunted, atheistic son of the saintly King Aìga. A
description of his atheism born of self-worship, his immediate destruction by
the curse of brähmaëas who observed his cruelty towards other living entities,
and the appearance of Mahäräja Påthu from the churning of his arms is found
in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (4.13.39-49 and 4.14.1-46). Veëa was averse to
serving the Lord through lust, fear, envy, familial relationship, affection, or
devotion and averse to the strong favorable cultivation of Kåñëa
consciousness, so as a result of his heinous sins he fell into the darkest region
of hell forever. That is why there was no hope for his deliverance. The saintly
King Yudhiñöhira spoke to Çré Närada Muni in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.1.32)
as follows:

katamo ’pi na venaù syät païcänäà puruñaà prati

tasmät kenäpy upäyena manaù kåñëe niveçayet

“Somehow or other, one must consider the form of Kåñëa very seriously.
Then, by one of the five different processes mentioned above, one can return
home, back to Godhead. Atheists like King Vena, however, being unable to
think of Kåñëa’s form in any of these five ways, cannot attain salvation.
Therefore, one must somehow think of Kåñëa, whether in a friendly way or
inimically.”
The hundred-armed Bäëa was a dear servant of Rudra and son of Mahäräja
Bali, the king of the demons. His other name is Mahäkäla. A description of
Bäëa and the vanquishment of his pride by Kåñëa is found in the Tenth Canto
of Çrémad Bhägavatam, Chapters 62 and 63, and in the Hari-vaàça (2.1.18).
Naraka was a great demon born in the womb of Bhumi, mother earth, by
the touch of Varähadeva. His death at the hands of Kåñëa is described in the
Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.59.1-22), in the Hari-vaàça (2.63), and in the Viñëu
Puräëa (5.29).
Rävaëa’s birth, austerities, and pride resulting from victories in battle by

1202
the influence of a benediction are described in the Rämäyaëa (Uttara-käëòa,
Chapters 9-39). Descriptions of his anger on hearing news of the death of
Khara and Düñaëa at the hands of Çré Räma and the incidents beginning with
his kidnapping of mäyä Sétä up to his death are found in the Rämäyaëa
(Araëya-käëòa, Chapters 31-56, Sundara-käëòa, Chapters 4-22, Laìkä-käëòa,
Chapters 6-16, 26-31, 40, 59, 62, 63, 93, 96, 101, 103, and 111), in the
Mahäbhärata (Draupadé-haraëa-parva within the Vana-parva, Chapters 274,
277, 280, 284, and 289), and in the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Ninth Canto, Chapter
10.
The word mahä-digvijayé refers to brähmaëas who conquer the eight
directions on the strength of their knowledge, kñatriyas who conquer the eight
directions in battle on the strength of their arms, and vaiçyas who conquer the
eight directions on the strength of their wealth, earned through farming and
trade.

TEXT 47

bujha dekhi, kä’ra garva cürëa nähi haya?

sarvathä éçvara ahaìkära nähi saya

TRANSLATION

“Try to think, whose pride was not smashed? The Supreme Lord never
tolerates anyone’s false ego.

TEXT 48

eteke tähära yata vidyä-ahaìkära

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 dekhibe ethäi saba haibe saàhära”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore you will see this Digvijayé’s scholastic pride vanquished here in
Navadvépa.”

TEXT 49

eta bali’ häsi’ prabhu çiñya-gaëa-saìge

sandhyä-käle gaìga-tére äilena raìge

TRANSLATION

After saying this, Nimäi smiled. Then in the evening He took His students
to the bank of the Ganges.

TEXT 50

gaìgä-jala sparça kari’, gaìgä namaskari’

vasilena çiñya-saìge gauräìga çré-hari

TRANSLATION

After sprinkling some Ganges water on His head and offering obeisances,
Lord Gauräìga sat down on the bank with His students.

TEXT 51

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 aneka maëòalé hai’ sarva-çiñya-gaëa
vasilena catur-dike parama-çobhana

TRANSLATION

As the students sat around the Lord in various groups, it created an

unprecedented scene.

TEXT 52

dharma-kathä, çästra-kathä açeña kautuke

gaìgä-tére vasiyä ächena prabhu sukhe

TRANSLATION

The Lord jubilantly engaged in discussing varëäçrama-dharma and scriptural

topics on the bank of the Ganges.

COMMENTARY

The word dharma-kathä refers to ordinary varëäçrama topics, which are

accessible to the senses.
There is a dearth of spiritual knowledge in this world, therefore
instructions for removing the living entities’ darkness of ignorance by
administering topics of transcendental knowledge are called çästra-kathä.

TEXT 53

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 kähäre nä kahi’ mane bhävena éçvare
“digvijayé jinibäìa kemana prakäre?”

TRANSLATION

Though He did not say anything, the Lord thought, “How shall I defeat this
Digvijayé?

TEXT 54

e viprera haiyäche mahä-ahaìkära

’jagate mahära pratidvandvé nähi ära’

TRANSLATION

“This brähmaëa has become most proud, because he thinks there is no one
in the world to oppose him.

TEXT 55

sabhä-madhye jaya yadi kariye ihäre

måta-tulya haibeka saàsära-bhitare

TRANSLATION

“If I defeat him in an assembly, it would be equal to death for him.

1206
 TEXT 56

viprere läghava karibeka sarva-loke

luöibe sarvasva, vipra maribeka çoke

TRANSLATION

“Everyone would belittle him, they would plunder his belongings, and he
would die in lamentation.

COMMENTARY

The Lord is the perfect example of proper conduct and is always respectful
to the people of this world, therefore He began to contemplate how miserable
the world-renowned scholar Digvijayé would become when defeated. He
thought, “If I defeated the conceited Digvijayé in public, he would feel great
misery at heart. Moreover, if he were defeated, he would be finished. He would
certainly be harassed, all his wealth, elephants, horses and other possessions
would be forcibly taken away by others, and the brähmaëa would merge in
lamentation. Keeping all these considerations in mind, I will have to defeat
the Digvijayé in a secluded place.”
The word läghava (used as an adjective in ancient Bengali, it is presently
not used) means “neglected,” “insulted,” “harassed,” “hated,” “insignificant,”
“fallen,” “devoid of heaviness or existence,” “useless,” “liquid,” and “light.”

TEXT 57

duùkha nä päibe vipra, garva haibe kñaya

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 virale se karibäìa digviyayé jaya

TRANSLATION

“Therefore I will defeat him in a private place, so that his pride will be
destroyed but he won’t be hurt.”

TEXT 58

ei-mata éçvara cintite sei-kñaëe

digvijayé niçäya äilä sei-sthäne

TRANSLATION

While the Lord was thinking in this way, night fell and the Digvijayé arrived
at that spot.

TEXTS 59-60

parama nirmala niçä pürëa-candravaté

kibä çobhä haiyä ächena bhägérathé

çiñya-saìge gaìgä-tére ächena éçvara

ananta-brahmäëòe rüpa sarva manohara

TRANSLATION

It was a clear full moon night, and the Ganges looked most enchanting. As
the Lord sat with His students, His attractive form was unmatched throughout

1208
innumerable universes.

COMMENTARY

Another reading of verse 59 is hari bali’ gorä näce bähu tuli’, jagamana
bändhala karuëa bola bali’—“Gaura danced with His arms raised while
chanting ’Hari bol!’ By His merciful chanting, He captured the minds of
everyone.” Though this verse is found in some editions, it is inappropriate at
this juncture because it is inconsistent with the meaning of verses 52 and 68 of
this chapter.

TEXT 61

häsya-yukta çré-candra-vadana anukñaëa

nirantara divya-dåñöi dui çré-nayana

TRANSLATION

A smile decorated the Lord’s moonlike face, and His beautiful eyes
showered merciful glances.

TEXT 62

muktä jini’ çré-daçana, aruëa adhara

dayämaya sukomala sarva-kalevara

TRANSLATION

His teeth defeated the luster of a string of pearls, and His reddish lips

1209
resembled the color of the rising sun. He was full of compassion, and all the
limbs of His body were delicate.

TEXT 63

çré-mastake suvalita cäïcara çré-keça

siàha-gréva, gaja-skanda, vilakñaëa veça

TRANSLATION

His head was adorned with beautiful curly black hair. His dress was divine,
His neck resembled that of a lion, and His shoulders were like those of an
elephant.

COMMENTARY

The word vilakñaëa means “extraordinary” or “spiritual.”

TEXT 64

suprakäëòa çré-vigraha, sundara hådaya

yajïa-sütra-rüpe taìhi ananta-vijaya

TRANSLATION

His body was very large, and His attractive chest was adorned by Lord
Ananta in the form of a brähmaëa thread.

COMMENTARY

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 Çré Anantadeva adorns the body of Çré Näräyaëa as the sacred thread, one
of the ten forms in which serves the Lord.

TEXT 65

çré-läläöe ürddhva-sutilaka manohara

äjänu-lambita dui çré-bhuja sundara

TRANSLATION

An enchanting mark of tilaka decorated His forehead, and His beautiful

arms reached to His knees.

TEXT 66

yoga-paööa-chände vastra kariyä bandana

väma-üru-mäjhe-thui’ dakñiëa caraëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord wore His cloth like a sannyäsé, and He sat with His right foot on
His left thigh.

TEXT 67

karite ächena prabhu çästrera vyäkhyäna

’haya’ ’naya’ kare, ’naya’ karena pramäëa

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 TRANSLATION

As the Lord explained the scriptures, He established correct statements as

incorrect and incorrect statements as correct.

TEXT 68

aneka maëòalé hai’ sarva-çiñya-gaëa

catur-dike vasiyä ächena suçobhana

TRANSLATION

All of His students sitting around Him in groups created an enchanting

scene.

TEXT 69

apürva dekhilä digvijayé suvismita

mane bhäve,—“ei bujhi nimäi paëòita?”

TRANSLATION

Seeing that wonderful scene, Digvijayé was astonished and thought, “Is this
Nimäi Paëòita?”

TEXT 70

alakñite sei sthäne thäki’ digvijayé

1212
 prabhura saundarya cä’he eka-dåñöi hai’

TRANSLATION

Digvijayé remained incognito as he gazed steadily on the Lord’s beautiful

form.

TEXT 71

çiñya-sthäne jijïäsilä,—“ki näma ihäna?”

çiñya bole,—“nimäi paëòita khyäti yä’na”

TRANSLATION

He then asked a student, “What is His name?” and the student replied, “He
is the famous Nimäi Paëòita.”

TEXT 72

tabe gaìgä namaskari’ sei vipra-vara

äilena éçvarera sabhära bhitara

TRANSLATION

The best of the brähmaëas then offered his obeisances to the Ganges and
entered the Lord’s assembly.

TEXT 73

1213
 tä’ne dekhi’ prabhu kichu éñat häsiyä
vasite balilä ati ädara kariyä

TRANSLATION

Seeing him, the Lord slightly smiled as He offered him a seat with great
respect.

TEXT 74

parama-niùçaìka sei, digvijayé ära

tabu prabhu dekhilä sädhvasa haila täì’ra

TRANSLATION

Although the Digvijayé was very brave by nature and a champion of learning
besides, he was nevertheless frightened on seeing the Lord.

TEXT 75

éçvara-svabhäva-çakti ei-mata haya

dekhitei mätra tä’ne, sädhvasa janmaya

TRANSLATION

The power of the Supreme Lord’s natural characteristic is such that the
very sight of Him produces fear.

1214
 COMMENTARY

Another reading of this verse is daëòa dekhite ki bähu kakhana

uöhaya?—“Will one raise his hand when he sees a stick?” In other words, if one
sees a stick in the hands of his opponent he will never attack him simply on
the strength of his arms. Similarly, Gaura-Näräyaëa, who is the Lord of lords
and the chastiser of everyone, has such potency, or such opulence, that none
of His controlled subjects are able to transgress or surpass Him. The purport is
that the Digvijayé, who is like a well of limited knowledge, did not dare to
challenge Gaurasundara, who is the ocean of unlimited knowledge, but rather
became completely frightened.

TEXT 76

säta päïca kathä prabhu kahi’ vipra-saìge

jijïäsite täì’re kichu ärambhilä raìge

TRANSLATION

After exchanging a few words of introduction, the Lord began to sportingly

inquire from him.

TEXTS 77-80

prabhu kahe,—“tomära kavitvera nahi sémä

hena nähi, yähä tumi nä kara’ varëanä

gaìgära mahimä kichu karaha paöhana

1215
 çuniyä sabära hauka päpa-vimocana

çuni’ sei digvijayé prabhura vacana

sei-kñaëe karibäre lägilä varëana

druta ye lägilä vipra karite varëanä

kata-rüpe bole, tä’ra ke karibe sémä?

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “There is no limit to your poetic ability. There is nothing
that you are unable to describe. Please recite some of the glories of the Ganges,
for by hearing such glories everyone’s sins are destroyed.” Hearing the Lord’s
request, the Digvijayé immediately began to describe the glories of the Ganges.
Who can fathom the countless verses that the brähmaëa so quickly recited?

COMMENTARY

For an explanation, one should see Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 16.34-36).

TEXT 81

kata megha, çuni, yena karaye garjana

ei-mata kavitvera gämbhérya-paöhana

TRANSLATION

The Digvijayé’s recitation was like the deep rumbling of clouds.

1216
 TEXT 82

jihväya äpani sarasvaté-adhiñöhäna

ye bolaye, se-i haya atyanta-pramäëa

TRANSLATION

Since Sarasvaté personally resided on the tongue of Digvijayé, whatever he

spoke was authorized.

COMMENTARY

The words atyanta-pramäëa mean “most authentic,” “reasonable,” and

“trustworthy or certain.”

TEXT 83

manuñyera çaktye tähä düñibeka ke?

hena vidyävanta nähi,—bujhibeka ye

TRANSLATION

No human being had the ability to refute his speech, for no scholar could
even understand him.

TEXT 84

sahasra-sahasra yata prabhura çiñya-gaëa

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 aväk hailä sabe çuniïä varëana

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s thousands of students all became speechless on hearing those

descriptions.

TEXT 85

“räma räma adbhuta!” smarena çiñya-gaëa

“manuñyera e-mata ki sphuraye kathana?”

TRANSLATION

“Räma! Räma! How wonderful!” they marveled. “Can an ordinary human

being speak like this?”

TEXT 86

jagate adbhuta yata çabda-alaìkära

sei bai kavitvera varëana nähi ära

TRANSLATION

The most wonderful words and literary ornaments in the world were all
used in the Digvijayé’s recitation.

TEXT 87

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 sarva-çästre mahä-viçärada ye-ye-jana
hena çabda täì’sabära o bujhite viñama

TRANSLATION

Even those who were fully conversant in the scriptures had great difficulty
understanding his words.

TEXT 88

ei-mata prahara-khäneka digvijayé

adbhuta se paòaye, tathäpi anta näi

TRANSLATION

The Digvijayé continually recited in this amazing way for three hours
without coming to an end.

COMMENTARY

In the prayers composed and recited by Digvijayé, there were many

astonishing and choice arrangements of words and beautiful metaphors.
Therefore even the most learned scholars who were expert in the scriptures
felt extreme difficulty in considering and relishing those verses.

TEXT 89

paòi’ yadi digvijayé hailä avasara

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 tabe häsi’ balilena çré-gaurasundara

TRANSLATION

When Digvijayé finally finished his recitation, Çré Gaurasundara smiled and
spoke.

COMMENTARY

The word avasara (an adjective) means “ceased” or “restrained.”

TEXT 90

“tomära ye-çabdera granthana abhipräya

tumi vine bujhäile, bujhä nähi yäya

TRANSLATION

“The purport of your words are so exalted that unless you explain them no
one can understand.

COMMENTARY

The words granthana abhipräya mean “the purpose of composition.”

TEXT 91

eteke äpane kichu karaha vyäkhyäna

ye çabde ye bola tumi, sei supramäëa”

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 TRANSLATION

“Therefore please explain a portion of your recitation, for whatever meaning

is explained by you must be accepted.”

TEXT 92

çuniïä prabhura väkya sarva-manohara

vyäkhyä karibäre lägilena vipra-vara

TRANSLATION

Hearing the Lord’s enchanting words, the best of the brähmaëas began to
explain.

TEXT 93

vyäkhyä karilei mätra prabhu sei-kñaëe

düñilena ädi-madhya-ante tina sthäne

TRANSLATION

But as soon as he began to explain a verse, the Lord immediately pointed out
faults in the beginning, middle, and end of the verse.

COMMENTARY

Digvijayé began to enthusiastically explain the following verse that he

composed:

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 mahattvaà gaìgäyäù satatam idam äbhäti nitaräà
yad eñä çré-viñëoç caraëa-kamalotpatti-subhagä
dvitéya-çré-lakñmér iva sura-narair arcya-caraëä
bhaväné-bhartur yä çirasi vibhavaty adbhuta-guëä

“The greatness of mother Ganges always brilliantly exists. She is the most
fortunate because she emanated from the lotus feet of Çré Viñëu, the
Personality of Godhead. She is the second goddess of fortune, and therefore
she is always worshiped both by demigods and by humanity. Endowed with all
wonderful qualities, she flourishes on the head of Lord Çiva.” See
Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 16.41 and 46).

TEXT 94

prabhu bole,—“e sakala çabda-alaìkära

çästra-mate çuddha haite viñama apära

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “According to the scriptures, all the words and literary
ornaments that you have used are far from correct.

COMMENTARY

When Digvijayé began to explain the verse he had composed, the Lord
pointed out metaphorical faults in the beginning, middle, and end of the
verse. The expert combination of words and absence of metaphorical faults
necessary in the composition of a verse were not found in the Digvijayé’s verse.
One should study the five faults and five qualities pointed out by the Lord in
Digvijayé’s verse, as found in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 16.54-84).

1222
 The second line of this verse indicates that even if one wanted to establish
that the words and literary ornaments were used according to their respective
literary rules, it would be extremely difficult to do so.

TEXT 95

tumi vä diyächa kon abhipräya kari’

bola dekhi?” kahilena gauräìga çré-hari

TRANSLATION

“But please tell us, what was your intended meaning of these ornaments?”
asked Lord Gauräìga.

TEXT 96

eta baòa sarasvaté-putra digvijayé

siddhänta nä sphure kichu, buddhi gela kahiì

TRANSLATION

Digvijayé, the great son of Sarasvaté, was unable to properly explain, for his
intelligence had left him.

COMMENTARY

The phrase buddhi gela kahiì indicates that his intelligence has gone
somewhere, in other words, the Digvijayé’s reasoning ability was lost or
vanquished.

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 TEXT 97

säta päïca bole vipra, prabodhite näre

yei bole, täi doñe gauräìga-sundara

TRANSLATION

Whatever little attempt he made to defend himself was refuted by Lord

Gaurasundara.

TEXT 98

sakala pratibhä paläila kon sthäne

äpane nä bujhe vipra, ki bole äpane

TRANSLATION

It appeared that the Digvijayé’s intelligence had taken leave of him, for he
didn’t even know what he was saying.

TEXT 99

prabhu bole,—“e thäkuka, paòa kichu ära”

paòite o pürva-mata çakti nähi ära

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “Leave this verse and recite another,” but the Digvijayé was

1224
unable to recite like before.

TEXT 100

kon citra-tähäna sammoha prabhu-sthäne?

vede o päyena moha yäì’ra vidyamäne

TRANSLATION

It is not unusual that Digvijayé was bewildered in front of the Lord, because
even the Vedas are bewildered in the presence of the Lord.

TEXTS 101-102

äpane ananta, caturmukha, païcänana

yäì’sabära dåñöye haya ananta bhuvana

täì’ra o päyena moha yäì’ra vidyamäne

kon citra,—se viprera moha prabhu-sthäne?

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahmä, Lord Ananta, and Lord Çiva create, maintain, and annihilate
innumerable universes. When even they are bewildered before the Lord, then
what is surprising if this brähmaëa was bewildered?

COMMENTARY

The bewilderment of Lord Anantadeva by Lord Gaura-Näräyaëa is

1225
described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.7.41) in the following words spoken by
Brahmä to Närada: “Neither I nor all the sages born before you know fully the
omnipotent Personality of Godhead. So what can others, who are born after
us, know about Him? Even the first incarnation of the Lord, namely Çeña, has
not been able to reach the limit of such knowledge, although He is describing
the qualities of the Lord with ten hundred faces.”
After Brahmä, the creator of the universe, stole the calves and cowherd
boys of Vraja, Lord Kåñëa, in order to bewilder Brahmä and destroy the
lamentation of the cowherd boys’ mothers, personally accepted the forms of
the cowherd boys and calves and continued enjoying His pastimes in the
pasturing grounds for one year. At that time, seeing the gopés’ and cows’
excessive love and affection for their offspring and being unable to
understand the cause, Lord Balaräma thought as follows: “Who is this mystic
power, and where has she come from? Is she a demigod or a demoness? She
must be the illusory energy of My master, Lord Kåñëa, for who else can
bewilder Me?” (Bhäg. 10.13.37)
The bewilderment of Caturmukha Brahmä is described in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.13.40-45) as follows: “When Lord Brahmä returned after a
moment of time had passed (according to his own measurement), he saw that
although by human measurement a complete year had passed, Lord Kåñëa,
after all that time, was engaged just as before in playing with the boys and
calves, who were His expansions. Lord Brahmä thought: ’Whatever boys and
calves there were in Gokula, I have kept them sleeping on the bed of my
mystic potency, and to this very day they have not yet risen again. A similar
number of boys and calves have been playing with Kåñëa for one whole year,
yet they are different from the ones illusioned by my mystic potency. Who are
they? Where did they come from?’ Thus Lord Brahmä, thinking and thinking
for a long time, tried to distinguish between those two sets of boys, who were
each separately existing. He tried to understand who was real and who was not
real, but he couldn’t understand at all. Thus because Lord Brahmä wanted to

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mystify the all-pervading Lord Kåñëa, who can never be mystified, but who, on
the contrary, mystifies the entire universe, he himself was put into
bewilderment by his own mystic power. As the darkness of snow on a dark
night and the light of a glowworm in the light of day have no value, the mystic
power of an inferior person who tries to use it against a person of great power
is unable to accomplish anything; instead, the power of that inferior person is
diminished.” See also Caitanya-bhägavata (CB Ädi-khaëòa 1.72), which quotes
Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.7.41). [This verse is also quoted at the beginning of this
purport.]
The bewilderment of Païcänana Çiva is described as follows: When Lord
Hari, in the form of Mohiné, bewildered the demons and gave the demigods
nectar to drink, Lord Çiva, who rides on a bull and who is the husband of
Bhaväné, along with his wife, Umä, and his followers, went before Lord Hari to
see His form as Mohiné. Çiva worshiped the Lord and spoke in the following
words found in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (8.12.10): “O my Lord, I, who am
considered to be the best of the demigods, and Lord Brahmä and the great åñis,
headed by Maréci, are born of the mode of goodness. Nonetheless, we are
bewildered by Your illusory energy and cannot understand what this creation
is. Aside from us, what is to be said of others, like the demons and human
beings, who are in the base modes of material nature [rajo-guëa and
tamo-guëa]? How will they know You?” Elsewhere in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(8.12.22 and 25) Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé speaks to Mahäräja Parékñit as follows:
“While Lord Çiva observed the beautiful woman playing with the ball, She
sometimes glanced at him and slightly smiled in bashfulness. As he looked at
the beautiful woman and She watched him, he forgot both himself and Umä,
his most beautiful wife, as well as his associates nearbyLord Çiva, his good
sense taken away by the woman because of lusty desires to enjoy with Her,
became so mad for Her that even in the presence of Bhaväné he did not
hesitate to approach Her.”
A description of the bewilderment of other demigods is found in the Kena,

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or Talavakära, Upaniñad as follows: “The Supreme Brahman (Viñëu) alone
gave victory to the demigods in their battle with the demons. By the victory of
the Supreme Brahman (Viñëu), the demigods became glorious, but due to
foolishness they thought, ’This is our victory, this is our glory.’
“The Supreme Brahman (Viñëu) understood the foolishness of the
demigods and appeared before them (as a Yakña or Gandharva). But even
though the demigods saw the Supreme Brahman before them, they
nevertheless asked, ’Who is this great personality in the form of a Yakña?’
They could not clearly understand.
“They said to Agni, ’O knower of the Vedas, who is this great personality?
You should get to know Him fully.’ Agni said, ’It will be done.’
“When Agni went before the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Brahman
said to Agni, ’Who are you?’ Agni replied, ’I am Agni, the celebrated knower
of the Vedas.’
The Supreme Brahman said, ’Being so, what power do you have?’ Agni
replied, ’I can burn to ashes everything within this material world.’
The Supreme Brahman placed a straw before him and said, ’Burn this.’
Agni went before the straw and was unable to burn it with his entire strength.
Being defeated by the Supreme Brahman, Agni returned to the demigods and
said, ’I could not fully understand who this great personality in the form of a
Yakña is.’
Thereafter the demigods said to Väyu, ’O Väyu, who is this great
personality in the form of a Yakña? You should get to know Him fully.’ Väyu
said, ’It will be done.’
“When Väyu went before the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Brahman
said to Väyu, ’Who are you?’ Väyu replied, ’I am Väyu, the celebrated wind.’
“The Supreme Brahman said, ’Being so, what power do you have?’ Väyu

1228
replied, ’I can blow away anything within this material world.’
“The Supreme Brahman placed a straw before him and said, ’Blow this.’
Väyu went before the straw and was unable to blow it away with his entire
strength. Being defeated by the Supreme Brahman, Väyu returned to the
demigods and said, ’I could not fully understand who this great personality in
the form of a Yakña is.’
“Thereafter the demigods said to Indra, ’O Indra, who is this great
personality in the form of a Yakña? You should get to know Him fully.’ Indra
said, ’It will be done.’ When Indra went before the Supreme Brahman, the
Supreme Brahman disappeared from his sight.
“When Indra saw the beautiful, golden female form of Umä-devé in the
same sky, he went before her and directly asked, ’Who is this great personality
in the form of a Yakña?’
“She (Umä-devé) clearly told him, ’He is the Supreme Brahman (Viñëu). By
His (Lord Viñëu’s) victory you have become glorious.’ Upon hearing these
words of Umä-devé, Indra became fully convinced that He was the Supreme
Brahman, or Viñëu.”

TEXT 103

lakñmé-sarasvaté-ädi yata yogamäyä

ananta-brahmäëòa mohe’ yäì’sabära chäyä

TRANSLATION

Unlimited universes are bewildered by mäyä, the shadow of Lakñmé,

Sarasvaté, and other internal potencies of the Lord.

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 COMMENTARY

Yogamäyä removes the covered and thrown conditions born from the
conditioned souls’ enjoying propensity and assists the conditioned souls in
achieving the unalloyed service of Kåñëa. And when this same Yogamäyä is
accepted as the object of enjoyment by persons who are averse to the Lord, she
immediately bewilders, punishes, and sends them to the prison house, this
material world. The conditioned souls in the material sky, which is their field
of enjoyment, are eligible for being covered by ignorance due to their
propensity for temporary enjoyment. Since the principles of ignorance,
abomination, and interruption are absent in the eternal abode of the spiritual
sky, even though Yogamäyä has the propensity for favorable service to the
Lord, due to the enjoying spirit of the conditioned souls, who are averse to the
Lord, she bewilders them by creating illusions that are unfavorable for the
service of the Lord. Mäyä and her opulences, who are like shadows of the
Lord’s spiritual energies such as Lakñmé and Sarasvaté, spread a network of
nescience, which is converse to spiritual knowledge, by awarding mundane
knowledge to the averse conditioned souls who are wandering throughout the
universe. Mäyä, the external energy, and her opulences, who are the shadows
of Mahä-Lakñmé, the internal potency of the Lord in the spiritual sky, and who
bewilder the averse conditioned souls, are also bewildered on seeing the Lord’s
supreme opulences as they constantly engage in the service of the Lord while
considering themselves the fully dependent maidservants of the Lord. In the
mood of maidservants, they serve the Lord for His ultimate satisfaction. And
to create further illusion for the living entities who are averse to the Lord, she
is seen from the material point of view as Mäyä, the bestower of the fruits of
work. It is stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.7.4-6): “He saw the Absolute
Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full
control. Due to this external energy, the living entity, although
transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a

1230
material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries. The
material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be
directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service.”

TEXT 104

tähärä päyena moha, yäì’ra vidyamäne

ataeva päche se thäkena sarva-kñaëe

TRANSLATION

Yet she is also bewildered in the presence of the Lord, and therefore she
always stands behind Him.

TEXT 105

veda-kartä çeña o moha päya yäì’ra sthäne

kon citra,—digvijayé-moha vä tähäne?

TRANSLATION

When the compiler of the Vedas and even Ananta Çeña are bewildered in
the presence of the Lord, then what is surprising if the Digvijayé is bewildered?

COMMENTARY

The word veda-kartä refers to either Lord Brahmä or Kåñëa-dvaipäyana

Vyäsa. At the time of stealing the calves and on seeing the multi-headed
Brahmäs at Dvärakä, Brahmä became bewildered. After compiling the

1231
Mahäbhärata and the Puräëas on the bank of the Sarasvaté, Çré Vyäsadeva also
felt dissatisfied. Being bewildered by the wonderful pastimes of
Gopé-jana-vallabha, Çeña, or Anantadeva, aspired to accept subordination to
the gopés.
When such great, powerful, and opulent demigods and sages become
bewildered by the supreme opulences of Lord Näräyaëa, then what is
astonishing if either the insignificant living entities, who are servants of those
demigods and sages, or the deceived Digvijayé will also become bewildered? It
is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä (7.14): “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of
the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who
have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” In the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (8.12.39) the Supreme Lord speaks to Lord Çiva as follows: “My
dear Lord Çambhu, who within this material world but you can surpass My
illusory energy? People are generally attached to sense enjoyment and
conquered by its influence. Indeed, the influence of material nature is very
difficult for them to surmount.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.14.21) Brahmä prays to Lord Kåñëa as follows:
“O supreme great one! O Supreme Personality of Godhead! O Supersoul,
master of all mystic power! Your pastimes are taking place continuously in
these three worlds, but who can estimate where, how and when You are
employing Your spiritual energy and performing these innumerable pastimes?
No one can understand the mystery of how Your spiritual energy acts.”

TEXT 106

manuñye e saba kärya asambhava baòa

teïi bali,—täì’ra sakala kärya daòa

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 TRANSLATION

It is impossible for ordinary living entities to understand the activities of the

Supreme Lord, therefore His activities are transcendentally glorious.

TEXT 107

müle yata kichu karma karena éçvare

sakali—nistära-hetu duùkhita-jévere

TRANSLATION

In fact, the activities performed by the Supreme Lord are all meant for the
deliverance of the conditioned souls.

COMMENTARY

The Supreme Lord, who incarnates out of His causeless mercy, regularly
manifests His various pastimes in order to award supreme eternal benefit to
the averse living entities of this world. All of His pastimes are performed with
a desire to deliver the living entities. In this regard, one should particularly
discuss the Çrémad Bhägavatam verse (10.14.8), beginning tat te ’nukampäà.
Being intoxicated by apparently sweet but ultimately inauspicious
conceptions, the averse conditioned souls find and point out faults even in the
eternally beneficial supreme will of the Lord. That is why they are conditioned
or ignorant. When out of good fortune the living entity understands that he is
the eternal servant of Kåñëa, then he no longer has any fear or distress.

1233
 TEXT 108

digvijayé yadi paräjaye praveçilä

çiñya-gaëa häsibäre udyata hailä

TRANSLATION

As the Digvijayé faced defeat, the Lord’s students were on the verge of
laughing.

COMMENTARY

The phrase paräjaye praveçilä means “he began to face defeat.”

TEXT 109

sabärei prabhu karilena niväraëa

vipra-prati balilena madhura vacana

TRANSLATION

The Lord, however, forbade them from laughing and sweetly spoke to the
brähmaëa.

TEXT 110

“äji cala tumi çubha kara’ väsä-prati

käli vicäriba saba tomära saàhati

1234
 TRANSLATION

“You please go home for today, and tomorrow we will discuss some more.

COMMENTARY

The words çubha kara’ mean “begin your journey or proceed.”

TEXT 111

tumi o hailä çränta aneka paòiyä

niçä o aneka yäya, çui thäka giyä”

TRANSLATION

“You must be tired after your long recitation and it’s getting late. Please go
take rest.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase niçä o aneka yäya means “it is also late at night.”

TEXT 112

ei-mata prabhura komala vyavasäya

yähäre jinena, seha duùkha nähi päya

TRANSLATION

1235
 The Lord’s behavior was so gentle that whoever was defeated by Him felt no
distress.

TEXT 113

sei navadvépe yata adhyäpaka äche

jiniyä o sabäre toñena prabhu päche

TRANSLATION

After defeating each of the teachers in Navadvépa, the Lord satisfied them
with His sweet behavior.

TEXT 114

“cala äji ghare giyä vasi’ puìthi cäha

käli ye jijïäsi’ tähä balibäre cäha”

TRANSLATION

The Lord continued, “Let us go home today. Then after looking at your
books, come tomorrow and answer My questions.”

TEXT 115

jiniyä o kä’re nä karena teja-bhaìga

sabei hayena préta,—hena tä’na raìga

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 TRANSLATION

Even after defeating someone, the Lord did not insult them, and thus
everyone was pleased with Him. Such were the pastimes of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The word teja-bhaìga refers to the hampering of one’s prestige.

TEXT 116

ataeva navadvépe yateka paëòita

sabära prabhura prati mane baòa préta

TRANSLATION

That is why all the learned scholars of Navadvépa were so affectionate to the
Lord.

TEXT 117

çiñya-gaëa-saàhati calilä prabhu ghara

digvijayé hailä baòa lajjita-antara

TRANSLATION

As the Lord returned home with His students, the Digvijayé felt great
shame.

1237
 TEXT 118

duùkhita hailä vipra cinte’ mane-mane

“sarasvaté more vara dilena äpane

TRANSLATION

In distress, the brähmaëa thought, “I’ve been personally blessed by

Sarasvaté.

TEXTS 119-120

nyäya, säìkhya, pätaïjala, mémäàsä-darçana

vaiçeñika, vedänte nipuëa yata jana

hena jana nä dekhiluì saàsära-bhitare

jinite ki däya, mora sane kakñä kare!

TRANSLATION

“Till now I’ve not met a single person—whether a scholar of Nyäya,

Säìkhya, Pätaïjala, Mémäàsa, Vaiçeñika, or Vedänta—who could even
compete with me, and what to speak of defeating me!

COMMENTARY

“I have met scholars who were expert in the six branches of philosophy,
and what to speak of defeating me, they did not even try to enter into debate
with me.”

1238
 TEXT 121

çiçu-çästra vyäkaraëa paòäye brähmaëa

se more jinila,—hena vidhira ghaöana!

TRANSLATION

“This brähmaëa merely teaches children’s grammar, and He defeated me?

This is certainly an act of providence!

COMMENTARY

“This brähmaëa boy is a teacher of ordinary grammar in primary education.

But alas, due to misdeeds I had to face defeat by Him. Among the six limbs of
the Vedas, grammar is like the face of the personified Vedas and is the
preliminary scripture for students engaged in studying the scriptures, but it is
an undisputed fact that one cannot become expert in literature, alaìkära,
småtis, or philosophical works simply by possessing expertise in learning and
teaching grammar. Nevertheless this young boy, who is expert in grammar, has
defeated even an experienced champion of the scriptures like me.”

TEXTS 122-123

sarasvatéra vare anyathä dekhi haya

eho mora citte baòa lägila saàçaya

devé-sthäne mora vä janmila kona doña?

ataeva haila mora pratibhä-saìkoca?

1239
 TRANSLATION

“It appears that Sarasvaté’s benediction has proven false, which awakens
doubts in my mind. Otherwise, have I committed some offense at her feet? Is
that why my intelligence was diminished?

COMMENTARY

“Since I have been defeated by this young brähmaëa grammarian I can now
understand that the benediction I received from my worshipable goddess
Sarasvaté-devé has proved a complete failure! Therefore various doubts are
arising within my mind. The goddess whom I had pleased and from whom I
had thus received the benediction for becoming a Digvijayé must be displeased
as a result of my offenses. Otherwise why would my great ingenuity in learning
be defeated by an ordinary young grammarian?”

TEXT 124

avaçya ihära äji bujhiba käraëa”

eta bali’ mantra-jape vasilä brähmaëa

TRANSLATION

“I must find out the cause of my defeat.” Thinking in this way, the
brähmaëa began chanting his mantra.

TEXT 125

mantra japi’ duùkhe vipra çayana karilä

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 svapne sarasvaté vipra-sammukhe äilä

TRANSLATION

After chanting for some time the distressed brähmaëa fell asleep, and in a
short time Sarasvaté appeared before him in a dream.

TEXT 126

kåpä-dåñöye bhägyavanta-brähmaëera prati

kahite lägilä ati-gopya sarasvaté

TRANSLATION

Goddess Sarasvaté glanced mercifully on the fortunate brähmaëa and

confidentially spoke as follows.

TEXT 127

sarasvaté bolena,—“çunaha, vipra-vara!

veda-gopya kahi ei tomära gocara

TRANSLATION

“O best of the brähmaëas, listen as I disclose to you the secrets of the

Vedas.

TEXTS 128-129

1241
 kä’ro sthäne kaha yadi e-sakala kathä
tabe tumi çéghra haibä alpäyu sarvathä

yäì’ra öhäïi tomära haila paräjaya

ananta-brahmäëòa-nätha sei suniçcaya

TRANSLATION

“If you disclose these topics to anyone, you will meet a quick death. Know
for certain that He by whom you were defeated is the Lord of innumerable
universes.

COMMENTARY

Sarasvaté-devé appeared in a dream before Digvijayé Paëòita, who had

chanted her mantras, and said, “If you disclose to anyone the most
confidential topics that I am telling you regarding the covered incarnation of
the Lord, then your death is certain.”
It is said that since Keçava Bhaööa, the spiritual master of Gäìgalya Bhaööa,
revealed the information about Çréman Mahäprabhu that was given to him in
a dream by Sarasvaté, he met with a premature death. Therefore Gäìgalya
Bhaööa again initiated a brähmaëa from Kashmir and gave him the name
Keçava. From this popular hearsay, it is clearly understood that the Digvijayé
Paëòita referred to herein is not Keçava Käçméré, rather he is a paëòita named
Keçava Bhaööa.

TEXT 130

ämi yäì’ra päda-padme nirastara däsé

1242
 sammukha haite äpanäre lajjä väsi

TRANSLATION

“I am an eternal maidservant at His lotus feet, and I’m embarrassed to

appear before Him.

TEXT 131

After Närada Muni inquired about the actual identities of Lord Viñëu and
Mäyä, Brahmä offered obeisances to the Supreme Lord and spoke the
following verse from Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.5.13):

vilajjamänayä yasya sthätum ékñä-pathe ’muyä

vimohitä vikatthante mamäham iti durdhiyaù

TRANSLATION

“’The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed of
her position, but those who are bewildered by her always talk nonsense, being
absorbed in thoughts of ’It is I’ and ’It is mine.’’

COMMENTARY

“Since the verse previous to this [i.e. Bhäg. 2.5.12] describes the Lord’s
relationship with Mäyä and her insurmountable position, the Supreme Lord
also appears to be under the control of Mäyä. This doubt is removed by this
verse. Thinking, “The Supreme Lord knows well about my duplicitous nature
and cheating propensity,” Mäyä is ashamed to stand before the Lord and is
unable to manifest her own prowess; but being bewildered by such Mäyä, we,

1243
who are bewildered by nescience, become proud (while thinking in terms of ’I’
and ’mine’). This verse also answers the question of the previous verse
regarding who created this universe.” (Çrédhara Svämé)
“Being bewildered by Mäyä, who feels embarrassed to stand before the
vision of the Lord, who is faultless and full of transcendental qualities as a
result of His sac-cid-änanda nature, we glorify ourselves in terms of ’I’ and
’mine.’” (Krama-sandarbha)
“The word vilajjamänayä in this verse indicates that Mäyä’s act of
bewildering the living entities is not very palatable to the Supreme Lord.
Though Mäyä knows this, according to the principle: ’persons who are averse
to Kåñëa become fearful as a result of their absorption in objects not related to
Kåñëa,’ Mäyä has from time immemorial been unable to tolerate the living
entities’ aversion or lack of knowledge of the Supreme Lord. She thus covers
the real identity of the living entities and places them in an unnatural
position.” (Tattva-sandarbha (32) of the Bhägavata-sandarbha)
“Without understanding their relationship with the Supreme Lord, both
those who give respect and those who accept respect are eligible for being
bewildered by Mäyä, who stands behind the Lord. This is being described in
this verse. Considering vilajjamänä, or ’the Supreme Lord certain knows my
duplicity,’ Mäyä, like a deceitful wife, is ashamed to stand before the Lord. In
other words, she stands behind the Lord. Being bewildered by this Mäyä, the
living entities proudly think in terms of ’I’ and ’mine.’ Aversion to the Lord
should herein be understood as the back of the Lord. As soon as one is averse
to the Lord, he becomes influenced by Mäyä; but when he is inclined towards
the Lord, the influence of Mäyä is not found.” (Särärtha-darçiné)

TEXT 132

ämi se baliye, vipra, tomära jihväya

1244
 tähäna sammukhe çakti nä vase ämäya

TRANSLATION

“O brähmaëa, although I speak through your tongue, in front of Him I have

no power.

TEXTS 133-134

ämära ki däya, çeña-deva bhagavän

sahasra-vadane veda ye kare vyäkhyäna

aja-bhava-ädi yäì’ra upäsanä kare

hena ’çeña’ moha mäne yäìhära gocare

TRANSLATION

“What to speak of me, even Lord Ananta Çeña, who explains the Vedas with
thousands of mouths and who is worshiped by Brahmä and Çiva, He is also
bewildered in His presence.

TEXT 135

parabrahma, nitya, çuddha, akhaëòa, avyaya

paripürëa hai’ vaise sabära hådaya

TRANSLATION

“He is the Supreme Brahman, the eternal, pure, complete, and inexhaustible

1245
Lord, who is situated in everyone’s heart.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara lies in the ocean of milk in the form of Aniruddha, the
localized Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities, and lies in the
Garbhodaka Ocean in the form of Pradyumna, the aggregate Supersoul and
source of all universes. He is complete, undivided, infallible, and eternally
pure. Since He is Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu, considering Him separate from
Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu is an obstacle for achieving full knowledge. Since He is
Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu, considering Him separate from Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu is
an obstacle in self-realization. Since He is Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu, considering
Him separate from Saìkarñaëa is an obstacle in complete realization of the
Absolute Truth. Actually the one Absolute Truth, original Personality of
Godhead, Gaura-Kåñëa, is Baladeva, the first catur-vyüha, the second
catur-vyüha, and the three Viñëus who lie on the Käraëa, Garbhodaka, and
Kñéra Oceans. Considering the localized, aggregate, Käraëa, Garbha, and viräö
forms of Viñëu as separate from the Absolute Truth enhances the conditioned
souls’ material conceptions and illusions. In order to remove these
conceptions, Sarasvaté-devé disclosed that Çré Gaurasundara is the source of all
Viñëu incarnations and nondifferent from Vrajendra-nandana, the son of the
King of Vraja.

TEXTS 136-137

karma, jïäna, vidyä, çubha-açubhädi yata

dåñyädåñya,—tomäre vä kahibäìa kata

sakala pralaya (pravarta) haya, çuna, yäì’ha haite

sei prabhu vipra-rüpe dekhilä säkñäte

1246
 TRANSLATION

“Fruitive activities, mental speculation, material knowledge, pious and

impious activities, direct and indirect perception, and more than I am able to
say—all these are (created and) destroyed by that Lord you just met in the
form of a brähmaëa.

COMMENTARY

The word karma refers to Vedic rituals such as the performance of fire
sacrifices, which aim at enjoying the fruits of those activities in this world.
The goal or destination of karma is bhukti, or material enjoyment; the goal or
destination of jïäna, or speculating on impersonal Brahman, is mukti, or
liberation; and the goal or destination of bhagavad-bhakti, or devotional
service to the Supreme Lord, is one, not separate, or nondifferent; in other
words, it is bhagavat-prema, or love of God. The word vidyä in this verse refers
to material knowledge, the purpose of which is sense gratification. In the
Muëòaka Upaniñad (1.5) it is stated: taträparä åg-vedo yajur-vedaù säma-vedo
’tharva-vedaù çikñä kalpo vyäkaraëaà niruktaà chando jyotiñam iti.—“All the
Vedas–Åg Veda, Yajur Veda, Säma Veda, Atharva Veda and their corollaries
known as çikñä, kalpa, vyäkaraëa, nirukta, chanda and jyotiña–belong to the
inferior system of material knowledge [aparä vidyä].”
The word çubha-açubhä means “auspicious and inauspicious,” or “good and
bad.” As stated in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.28.4):

kià bhadraà kim abhadraà vä dvaitasyävastunaù kiyat

väcoditaà tad anåtaà manasä dhyätam eva ca

“That which is expressed by material words or meditated upon by the

material mind is not ultimate truth. What, therefore, is actually good or bad
within this insubstantial world of duality, and how can the extent of such

1247
good and bad be measured?” In the Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya 4.176) it is said:

’dvaite’ bhadräbhadra-jïäna, saba——’manodharma’

’ei bhäla, ei manda’,——ei saba ’bhrama’

“In the material world, conceptions of good and bad are all mental
speculations. Therefore, saying, ’This is good, and this is bad,’ is all a mistake.”
The word dåñyädåñya refers to all objects situated in direct or indirect
perception. Another reading for this word is düñyädüñya, which means
“eatable and noneatable, or pure and impure, items of material enjoyment.”
Devotional service to the Lord is neither created nor destroyed. Everything
else has a creation and a destruction. That object by whom this creation and
destruction is accomplished is the Supreme Lord, Çré Gaurasundara, whom you
have seen as a young Bengali brähmaëa grammarian. Though He is the only
cause of the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of this world, He is the
controller of mäyä and transcendental to the modes of nature. Therefore do
not accept Him as Lord Brahmä, who creates all material objects under the
shelter of passion, or Lord Çiva, who annihilates under the shelter of
ignorance.
Another reading for karma is bhukti, or material enjoyment, and another
reading for dåñyädåñya is düñyädüñya. Those items that are seen through our
mundane vision are called dåñya, and items that are beyond our mundane
vision and most difficult to understand, yet are nevertheless material, are
called adåñya. One’s perception of Yogamäyä, the spiritual potency of the Lord,
from the platform of devotional service and another’s perception of
Mahämäyä, the material energy, from the platform of material enjoyment are
not the same.

TEXT 138

1248
 äbrahmädi yata, dekha, sukha-duùkha päya
sakala, jäniha, vipra, ihäna äjïäya

TRANSLATION

“Know for certain that everyone including Lord Brahmä enjoys happiness
and distress according to His will alone.

COMMENTARY

All the demigods headed by Brahmä enjoy happiness and distress under the
control of mäyä, but Lord Viñëu is not a living entity who enjoys the fruits of
temporary happiness and distress. The demigods headed by Brahmä are
controlled; in other words, they are under the subordination of mäyä and are
sons of the universal mother, who holds the entire universe within her womb.
But Lord Viñëu is the controller of mäyä, and Mahämäyä, the universal
mother who holds the entire universe within her womb, stands embarrassed
behind the Lord.

TEXT 139

matsya-kürma-ädi yata, çuna avatära

ei prabhu vinä, vipra, kichu nahe ära

TRANSLATION

“Listen, dear brähmaëa, all incarnations such as Matsya and Kürma are
nondifferent from Him.

1249
 COMMENTARY

Though the naimittika, or occasional, incarnations of Viñëu such as Matsya

and Kürma engage in Their eternal pastimes in Vaikuëöha, They appear
within this world for some special purpose. Gaurasundara Himself appears in
various occasional incarnations in Vaikuëöha as portions and plenary
portions, and from there He descends within this material world. There is
actually no difference between Gaurasundara and incarnations like Matsya
and Kürma; the only difference is in Their pastimes.
One should refer to the purport of Caitanya-bhägavata (CB Ädi-khaëòa
2.169 and 171-173) for a description of Gaura-Kåñëa’s incarnations like Matsya,
Kürma, Varäha, Nåsiàha, Vämana, and Rämacandra. [This paragraph also
applies to the following three verses.]

TEXT 140

ei se varäha-rüpe kñiti-sthäpayitä
ei se nåsiàha-rüpe prahläda-rakñitä

TRANSLATION

“In the form of Lord Varäha, He rescued the earth, and in the form of
Nåsiàha, He protected Prahläda.

TEXT 141

ei se vämana-rüpe balira jévana

yäì’ra päda-padma haite gaìgära janama

1250
 TRANSLATION

“In the form of Vämana, He is the life and soul of Bali. The Ganges appears
from His lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

The incarnation of Vämanadeva is clearly mentioned in the Åk-saàhitä.

The description of Vämana’s pastimes is given in the Åk-saàhitä in order to
award the qualification on neophyte devotees for studing the Vedas. The
purport is that all objects of enjoyment within the three worlds, which
through material calculation is the ultimate limit for conditioned souls who
are prone to material knowledge, are brought under control by the exhibition
of the supreme prowess of that personality, the powerful Vämanadeva, whose
characteristics are found as codes in the mantras of the Åg Veda. While
describing the prowess of this Trivikrama Viñëu, Mahäbhärata, the purport of
the Vedas, narrates the glories of His other incarnations. And the purport of
Mahäbhärata has been elaborately explained in the Çrémad Bhägavatam. Since
according to the consideration of the atheists, Trivikrama Viñëu’s prowess is
limited, they cannot agree to accept the incarnations of Viñëu, the controller
of mäyä. One is able to perceive the Lord only on the strength of mercy
bestowed by the Lord. Persons who depend solely on material knowledge are
always baffled in their attempts to understand the nature of the Absolute
Truth, like a dwarf’s attempt to catch the moon. The mundane mental
speculators see the all-pervading Viñëu in a limited form due to not realizing
their own selves and are thus bereft of the service of Lord Viñëu. They then
consider themselves under the control of material nature and exhibit
materialistic false ego as a result of foolishness born of mäyä. Such persons
who are attached to objects not related with the Lord are cheated of the Lord’s
mercy. One should discuss the Kaöha Upaniñad (1.2.23) and Muëòaka
Upaniñad (3.2.3), wherein it is stated: yam evaiña våëute tena labhyas/ tasyaiña

1251
ätmä vivåëute tanüà sväm—“The Lord is obtained only by one whom He
Himself chooses. To such a person He manifests His own form.”

TEXT 142

ei se hailä avatérëa ayodhyäya

vadhilä rävaëa duñöa açeña-léläya

TRANSLATION

“This Lord appeared at Ayodhyä and then killed Rävaëa as one of His
innumerable pastimes.

TEXT 143

uhäne se vasudeva-nanda-putra bali

ebe vipra-putra vidyä-rase kutühalé

TRANSLATION

“He is known as the son of both Vasudeva and Nanda, and now He has
appeared as the son of a brähmaëa to enjoy scholastic pastimes.

TEXT 144

vede o ki jänena uhäna avatära?

jänäile jänaye, anyathä çakti kä’ra?

1252
 TRANSLATION

“Do the Vedas know this incarnation of the Lord? Who has the power to
know unless the Lord reveals Himself?

TEXT 145

yata kichu mantra tumi japile ämära

digvijayé-pada-phala nä haya tähära

TRANSLATION

“The title of Digvijayé is not the real fruit of your chanting mantras to
worship me.

TEXT 146

mantre ye phala, tähä ebe se päilä

ananta-brahmäëòa-nätha säkñäte dekhilä

TRANSLATION

“The real fruit of your chanting is that you have now directly seen the Lord
of innumerable universes.

TEXT 147

yäha çéghra, vipra, tumi ihäna caraëe

1253
 deha giyä samarpaëa karaha uhäne

TRANSLATION

“Therefore, O brähmaëa, go immediately and surrender yourself at His

lotus feet.

TEXT 148

svapna-hena nä mäniha e-saba vacana

mantra-vaçe kahiläìa veda-saìgopana

TRANSLATION

“Don’t ignore my words by considering this only a dream. I am controlled

by your chanting and have therefore informed you of that which is unknown to
the Vedas.”

TEXT 149

eta bali’ sarasvaté hailä antardhäna

jägilena vipra-vara mahä-bhägyavän

TRANSLATION

Speaking these words, Sarasvaté disappeared and the most fortunate

brähmaëa woke up.

1254
 TEXT 150

jägiyäi mätra vipra-vara sei-kñaëe

calilena ati üñaù-käle prabhu-sthäne

TRANSLATION

Immediately after getting up, the brähmaëa went in the early morning to
the Lord’s residence.

TEXT 151

prabhure äsiyä vipra daëòavat hailä

prabhu o viprere kole kariyä tulilä

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa came and offered his obeisances to the Lord, who picked up
the brähmaëa and embraced him.

TEXT 152

prabhu bole,—“kene bhäi, e ki vyavahära?”

vipra bole,—“kåpä-dåñöi yehena tomära

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “O brähmaëa, why have you come so early? What is the

1255
reason for this behavior?” The brähmaëa replied, “It is all due to Your merciful
glance.”

TEXT 153

prabhu bole,—“digvijayé haiyä äpane

tabe tumi ämäre e-mata kara’ kene?”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “You are the champion of learning. Why are you treating Me
like this?”

TEXT 154

digvijayé bolena,—“çunaha, vipra-räja!

tomä’ bhajilei siddha haya sarva-käja

TRANSLATION

The Digvijayé replied, “Please listen, O king of the brähmaëas. Just by

worshiping You, all one’s activities become successful.

TEXT 155

kali-yuge vipra-rüpe tumi näräyaëa

tomäre cinite çakti dhare kon jana?

1256
 TRANSLATION

“You are the Supreme Lord Näräyaëa, but You have appeared in Kali-yuga
in the form of a brähmaëa. Who has the power to recognize You?

TEXT 156

takhani mora citte janmila saàçaya

tumi jijïäsile, mora väkya nä sphuraya

TRANSLATION

“Doubts arose in my mind when You asked me questions that I was unable
to answer.

TEXT 157

tumi ye agarva prabhu,—sarva-vede kahe

tähä satya dekhiluì, anyathä kabhu nahe

TRANSLATION

“O Lord, all the Vedas confirm that You are devoid of pride. Now I have
seen this with my own eyes. There is no doubt about it.

TEXT 158

tina-bära ämäre karilä paräbhava

1257
 tathäpi ämära tumi räkhilä gaurava

TRANSLATION

“Although You have defeated me three times, You have maintained my

prestige.

TEXT 159

eho ki éçvara-çakti vine anye haya?

ataeva, tumi—näräyaëa suniçcaya

TRANSLATION

“Is this possible for anyone other than the Supreme Lord? Therefore You
are certainly Lord Näräyaëa.

TEXTS 160-162

gauòa, trihuta, dillé, käçé-ädi kari’

gujaräta, vijaya-nagara, käïcé-puré

aìga, baìga, tailaìga, oòhra, deça ära kata

paëòitera samäja saàsäre äche yata

düñibe ämära väkya,—se thäkuka düre

bujhitei kona jana çakti nähi dhare

1258
 TRANSLATION

“I met with innumerable scholars wherever I have gone—Gauòa, Trihuta,

Delhi, Käçé, Gujarat, Vijayanagara, Käïcépura, Aìga, Bengal, Andhra, Orissa.
What to speak of refuting my statements, none of those scholars had even the
power to understand them.

TEXT 163

hena ämi tomä’ sthäne siddhänta karite

nä pärinu, saba buddhi gela kon bhite?

TRANSLATION

“Though I am such a scholar, I was still unable to establish my conclusions

before You. Where did all my intelligence go?

TEXT 164

ei karma tomära äçcarya kichu nahe

’sarasvaté pati tumi’,—devé more kahe

TRANSLATION

“This is not an astonishing achievement for You, for You are the Lord of
Sarasvaté. She personally told me this.

1259
 TEXT 165

vaòa-çubha-lagne äiläìa navadvépe

tomä’ dekhiläìa òubiyä ye bhava-küpe

TRANSLATION

“I came to Navadvépa at a most auspicious time. Although I was drowning

in the dark well of material life, I somehow saw You.

COMMENTARY

“I entered Navadvépa at an auspicious moment and attained darçana of

You. When persons are drowning in the well of material life, they have no
opportunity to see You. So far I have remained intoxicated with material
knowledge, but now I was able to see You by the accumulated strength of my
past pious deeds.”

TEXT 166

avidyä-väsanä-bandhe mohita haiyä

veòäìa päsari’ tattva äpanä’ vaïciyä

TRANSLATION

“I was bewildered by nescience and material desires, and I cheated myself as

I wandered throughout the world forgetful of my constitutional position.

COMMENTARY

1260
 When living entities are illusioned about self-realization, they become
averse to the service of the Lord and are thus bound by desires for material
enjoyment. When conditioned souls who are controlled by mäyä become
foolish due to material knowledge, they are cheated out of self-realization.

TEXT 167

daiva-bhägye päiläìa tomä’ daraçane

ebe kåpä-dåñöye more karaha mocane

TRANSLATION

“I’ve met You by some great fortune, now please deliver me by Your
merciful glance.

TEXT 168

para-upakära-dharma—svabhäva tomära
tomä’ vine çaraëya dayälu nähi ära

TRANSLATION

“It is Your nature to engage in the welfare of others; indeed, there is no

shelter or source of compassion other than You.

COMMENTARY

The second line of this verse is explained in the Çrémad Bhägavatam

(3.2.23) in following words of Uddhava, who was feeling separation from Lord

1261
Kåñëa: “Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who
granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pütanä] although she was
unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?”
Also in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.48.26) Çré Akrüra offered the following
prayers to Kåñëa and Balaräma when They visited his house: “What learned
person would approach anyone but You for shelter, when You are the
affectionate, grateful and truthful well-wisher of Your devotees? To those who
worship You in sincere friendship You reward everything they desire, even
Your own self, yet You never increase or diminish.”

TEXT 169

hena upadeça more kaha, mahäçaya!

ära yena durväsanä citte nähi haya”

TRANSLATION

“O Lord, please instruct me in such a way that I may have no material

desires in my heart.”

TEXT 170

ei-mata käkuväda aneka kariyä

stuti kare digvijayé ati-namra haiyä

TRANSLATION

After speaking many plaintive words in this way, the Digvijayé humbly
offered prayers to the Lord.

1262
 TEXT 171

çuniyä viprera käku çré-gaurasundara

häsiyä tähäne kichu karilä uttara

TRANSLATION

Hearing the brähmaëa’s submissive words, Çré Gaurasundara smiled and

replied.

TEXT 172

“çuna, dvija-vara, tumi—mahä-bhägyavän

sarasvaté yähära jihväya adhiñöhäna

TRANSLATION

“Listen, O best of the brähmaëas. You are most fortunate, for Sarasvaté
resides on your tongue.

TEXTS 173-174

’digvijaya kariba’,—vidyära kärya nahe

éçvare bhajile, sei vidyä ’satya’ kahe

mana diyä bujha, deha chäòiyä calile

dhana vä pauruña saìge kichu nähi cale

1263
 TRANSLATION

“Conquering the world is not the proper use for knowledge, the proper use
of knowledge is to worship the Supreme Lord. Try to understand, when one
gives up his body, he cannot take wealth and reputation with him.

COMMENTARY

Because ordinary foolish people consider material knowledge and spiritual

knowledge as one, or equal, they think that the bondage of material knowledge
is the platform of knowledge. The living entities’ desire for digvijaya, or
achieving victory over others, is born of false ego resulting from material
knowledge. Vidyä, or knowledge, actually refers to the supreme service of Lord
Viñëu, because wealth, physical strength, and good health do not follow a
person at the time of death. A person who accepts material enjoyment as all in
all utilizes his wealth, knowledge, and physical strength to increase his sense
enjoyment, but after his death these material assets become most useless.

TEXT 175

eteke mahänta saba sarva parihari’

karena éçvara-seva dåòha-citta kari’

TRANSLATION

“That is why devotees renounce material endeavors and serve the Supreme
Lord with firm determination.

COMMENTARY

1264
 “Considering all these points, the magnanimous devotees give up desires for
and dependence on all material assets and engage in devotional service with
full determination for the duration of their lives.”

TEXT 176

eteke chäòiyä vipra, sakala jaïjäla

çré-kåñëa-caraëa giyä bhajaha sakäla

TRANSLATION

“Therefore, O brähmaëa, give up all materialistic association and

immediately begin to worship the lotus feet of Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

“That is why you should give up the desire for external material
advancement and begin to worship the lotus feet of Çré Rädhä-Govinda
without wasting a moment.” Now that Çré Keçava Bhaööa has given up the
inappropriate purport of the six branches of philosophy that he was initiated
into before receiving these instructions of Çré Gaurasundara, the ten verses
composed by Çréla Nimbakäcäryapäda appeared in his memory by the mercy of
Mahäprabhu. Gaurasundara’s instruction to serve Rädhä-Govinda inspired
him with his predecessor gurus’ unexpressed emotions, which manifested in
his heart in the form of verses. Since before receiving the Lord’s mercy Keçava
Bhaööa was indifferent to these verses composed by his predecessor gurus, he
displayed negligence for the service of the lotus feet of Rädhä-Govinda and
eagerness to accumulate material fame in the form of becoming a Digvijayé.

1265
 TEXT 177

yävat maraëa nähi upasanna haya

tävat sevaha kåñëa kariyä niçcaya

TRANSLATION

“Up to the time of your death, serve Kåñëa with confidence.

COMMENTARY

One who rejects the worship of Kåñëa cannot properly explain the purport
of Vedänta philosophy, one of the six branches of philosophy. Being initiated
into all these instructions, the compiler of Krama-dépikä instructed his
disciples headed by Gäìgalya Bhaööa about the process of worshiping
Rädhä-Govinda. Later on, Keçava and other scholars of Kasmira left the
subordination of Çréman Mahäprabhu and took to another path. Turning away
from the mercy of Çréman Mahäprabhu, Keçava Käçméré and other so-called
followers of the Çré Nimbärka-sampradäya, as well as so-called scholars of the
Çré Vallabha-sampradäya, rejected the most beneficial and pure lotus feet of
Çréman Mahäprabhu, the worshipable Lord of the compiler of Krama-dépikä,
and took to another path. Both Çré Sanätana Gosvämé and Çré Gopäla Bhaööa
Gosvämé understood Kesaväcärya, the compiler of Krama-dépikä, as a recipient
of Çréman Mahäprabhu’s mercy, and therefore they collected ingredients from
his book in their compilation of Gauòéya Vaiñëava småti. Later on the
followers of Keçava Käçméré gave up the lotus feet of Mahäprabhu and
attempted to establish their own independent sampradäya.

TEXTS 178-179

1266
 sei se vidyära phala jäniha niçcaya
’kåñëa-päda-padme yadi citta-vitta raya’

mahä-upadeça ei kahiluì tomäre

’sabe viñëu-bhakti satya ananta-saàsäre’

TRANSLATION

“Know without doubt that the goal of knowledge is to fix one’s mind on
Kåñëa’s lotus feet. The best advice I can give you is that devotional service to
the Supreme Lord Viñëu is the only substantial truth throughout all the
worlds.”

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara said, “If the living entities engage all their knowledge,
experience, and wealth in the service of Lord Hari, then they will attain
supreme auspiciousness. This important instruction will permanently establish
within this world the actual purport of serving Viñëu. All topics of this world
will be changed and destroyed in due course of time, but the propensity for
eternal service to the Supreme Lord will always remain intact.”

TEXT 180

eta bali’ mahäprabhu santoñita haiyä

äliìgana karilena dvijere dhariyä

TRANSLATION

After saying this, the Lord embraced the brähmaëa in satisfaction.

1267
 TEXT 181

päiyä vaikuëöha-näyakera äliìgana

viprera haila sarva-bandha-vimocana

TRANSLATION

Being embraced by the Lord of Vaikuëöha, the brähmaëa was freed from all
material bondage.

TEXT 182

prabhu bole,—“vipra, saba dambha parihari’

bhaja giyä kåñëa, sarva-bhüte dayä kari’

TRANSLATION

Then the Lord said, “O brähmaëa, give up your pride, worship Kåñëa, and
be merciful to all living entities.

TEXT 183

ye kichu tomäre kahilena sarasvaté

se sakala kichu nä kahibä käìhä’ prati

TRANSLATION

1268
 “What Sarasvaté told you in confidence should not be told to anyone.

TEXT 184

veda-guhya kahile haya paramäyu-kñaya

paraloke tä’ra manda jäniha niçcaya”

TRANSLATION

“If one discloses topics that are more confidential than those of the Vedas,
then know for certain that his duration of life is diminished and his
advancement in the next life will be checked.”

COMMENTARY

If one reveals the confidential meaning of a mantra, he is not actually

benefited in this world; rather, the speaker only gains a shortened lifespan for
endeavoring to reveal the mystery. If one reveals the purport of the most
confidential Vedic mantras to faithless persons, then those unfortunate
persons will misuse the purport of the mantras by preaching mundane bäula,
sahajiyä, and smärta philosophies as the path of devotional service. Therefore
even the mistake of accepting an unqualified disciple yields adverse results.

TEXT 185

päiyä prabhura äjïä sei vipra-vara

prabhure kariyä daëòa-praëäma vistara

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 TRANSLATION

After receiving the Lord’s instructions, that best of brähmaëas offered

repeated obeisances to the Lord.

TEXT 186

punaù punaù päda-padma kariyä vandana

mahä-kåtakåtya hai’ calilä brähmaëa

TRANSLATION

Then, after offering repeated obeisances to the Lord, the brähmaëa departed
in great satisfaction.

TEXT 187

prabhura äjïäya bhakti, virakti, vijïäna

sei-kñaëe vipra-dehe hailä adhiñöhäna

TRANSLATION

On receiving the Lord’s instructions, renunciation, knowledge, and

devotional service immediately manifested in the body of the brähmaëa.

COMMENTARY

Receiving the mercy of Çré Gaurasundara, Digvijayé Çré Keçava Bhaööa

became completely successful. He offered his obeisances to Çréman

1270
Mahäprabhu’s lotus feet, knowing them to be the source of all auspiciousness.
Being empowered by the Lord, Keçava Bhaööa simultaneously achieved great
qualities such as service to the Lord, realization of the Absolute Truth, and
detachment for activities not related to the Lord. Though he was initiated in
the Vaiñëava line, his descendants later on became bereft of Çré Gaura’s
mercy. This pastime of converting the nondevotee Keçava Bhaööa into a
devotee is most confidential, because up to that point Gaurasundara had not
yet bestowed mercy on anyone in the world to advance in devotional service.
The process of devotional service that Keçava Bhaööa achieved by receiving
mercy from the lotus feet of Çré Gaura is being respected by his followers even
today.

TEXT 188

kothä gela brähmaëera digvijayé-dambha

tåëa haite adhika hailä vipra namra

TRANSLATION

The Digvijayé’s pride was immediately destroyed, and he became more

humble than a blade of grass.

COMMENTARY

Keçava Bhaööa gave up his pride as a Digvijayé and was initiated by the Lord
into the tåëäd api sunéca verse.

TEXTS 189-190

1271
 hasté, ghoòä, dolä, dhana, yateka sambhära
pätrasät kariyä sarvasva äpanära

calilena digvijayé haiyä asaìga

hena-mata çré-gauräìga-sundarera raìga

TRANSLATION

He then gave all his elephants, horses, palanquins, wealth, and whatever
other assets he had in charity to suitable persons. In this way the Digvijayé
continued his travels as a detached person. Such are the pastimes of Çré
Gaurasundara.

COMMENTARY

The phrase pätrasät kariyä indicates that after donating his possessions to
other appropriate persons, he personally became renounced, or free from all
material possessions.

TEXT 191

tähäna kåpära ei sväbhävika dharma

räjya-pada chäòi’ kare bhikñukera karma

TRANSLATION

The natural characteristics of His mercy is that a person renounces even the
position of a king to take the position of a mendicant.

1272
 COMMENTARY

The devotees of Çré Gaurasundara actually follow in His footsteps by giving

up their name and fame to accept the role of beggars (tridaëòi-sannyäsés). In
other words, they give up the pride of kñatriyas and vaiçyas and become
established in brahminical principles. The gaura-nägarés and other
apa-sampradäyas like the householder bäulas transform ingredients meant for
the service of Çré Gaurasundara into items for their own enjoyment. Such
endeavors are extremely adverse to the devotional service of Gaura.

TEXT 192

kali-yuge tä’ra säkñé çré-dabira-khäsa

räjya-pada chäòi’ yäì’ra araëye viläsa

TRANSLATION

The prime example of this in Kali-yuga is Çré Dabira Khäsa, who left a
kingdom to live in the forest.

COMMENTARY

One should discuss the following verse from Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya

6.220) in this regard: “Renunciation is the basic principle sustaining the lives
of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s devotees. Seeing this renunciation, Çré
Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is extremely
satisfied.”
Çré Dabira Khäsa gave up his previous worldly name and accepted the name
“Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé” given by Çré Gaurasundara. This is the prime example of

1273
undergoing the third of the five saàskäras required for initiated Vaiñëavas.
The words araëye viläsa refer to residing in the forest of Våndävana. While
residing in Våndävana in this way, there are no desires for enjoying material
sense gratification like the sahajiyäs.

TEXT 193

ye vibhava nimitta jagate kämya kare

päiyä o kåñëa-däsa tähä parihare

TRANSLATION

Even when Kåñëa’s servants obtain that for which everyone in the world
works hard, they easily give it up.

COMMENTARY

The transcendental devotees never admire the opulences that ordinary

materialists achieve while following in the footsteps of the smärtas.

TEXT 194

tävat räjyädi-pada ’sukha’ kari’ mäne

bhakti-sukha-mahimä yävat nähi jäne

TRANSLATION

One finds happiness in kingly opulences only when he does not know the
glorious happiness derived from devotional service.

1274
 COMMENTARY

Until the natural propensity of inclination towards the service of the

Supreme Lord awakens in one’s heart, it is true that the need for achieving
desirable objects is felt in the hearts of conditioned souls. But self-realized
liberated souls know that material sense objects are useless, so they become
indifferent to material advancement or prosperity. The body and mind that
consider aversion to the Lord as most relishable search after material
enjoyment. As soon as the conditioned soul’s eternal constitutional duty of
service to the Supreme Lord is covered by forgetfulness of his constitutional
position, material enjoyment becomes his only desired goal. But when the
living entity awakens to his eternal duty of service to the Supreme Lord, the
activities of sense enjoyment appear to him as temporary and unpalatable. In
the prayers of Lord Brahmä found in the conversation between Vidura and
Maitreya in Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.9.6) it is stated: “O my Lord, the people of
the world are embarrassed by all material anxieties—they are always afraid.
They always try to protect wealth, body and friends, they are filled with
lamentation and unlawful desires and paraphernalia, and they avariciously
base their undertakings on the perishable conceptions of ’I’ and ’mine.’ As
long as they do not take shelter of Your safe lotus feet, they are full of such
anxieties.”

TEXT 195

räjyädi sukhera kathä, se thäkuka düre

mokña-sukho ’alpa’ mäne kåñëa-anucare

TRANSLATION

1275
 Leaving talks of happiness from kingly opulence far aside, the devotees of
Kåñëa consider even the happiness derived from liberation as insignificant.

COMMENTARY

When the inclination for serving the Supreme Lord is awakened in the
hearts of pure devotees, they think that the four goals of human
life—religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and
liberation—are simply cheating, duplicitous, or deceitful. In this regard one
should see the purport to the Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Eight, verse 79.

TEXT 196

éçvarera çubha dåñöi vinä kichu nahe

ataeva éçvara-bhajana vede kahe

TRANSLATION

Nothing is obtained without the Lord’s merciful glance, therefore the Vedas
enjoin one to worship the Supreme Lord.

COMMENTARY

Endeavors other than service to the Supreme Lord are prominent in

persons who are full of anarthas due to ignorance. Only by the mercy of the
Lord does a living entity become self-realized, and as a result, he understands
that service to the Lord is his only duty. This has been revealed by the Vedic
literatures to their followers in the following verse from Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad
(6.23):

yasya deve parä bhaktir yathä deve tathä gurau

1276
 tasyaite kathitä hy arthäù prakäçante mahätmanaù

“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.”
And Çré Madhväcärya quotes the following verse from the “Mäöhara” çruti
in his commentary on Vedänta-sütra (3.3.53):

bhaktir evainaà nayati bhaktir evainaà darçayati

bhakti-vaçaù puruño bhaktir eva bhüyasé

“Bhakti leads the living entity to the Lord, and enables him to see the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is controlled by bhakti. Bhakti is
best of all.”

TEXT 197

hena-mate digvijayé päilä mocana

hena gaurasundarera adbhuta kathana

TRANSLATION

The Digvijayé was thus delivered from material life. Such are the wonderful
narrations of Çré Gaurasundara.

TEXT 198

digvijayé jinilena çré-gaurasundare

çunilena ihä saba nadéyä-nagare

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 TRANSLATION

Soon everyone in Navadvépa heard that Çré Gaurasundara defeated the

Digvijayé.

TEXT 199

sakala lokera haila mahäçcarya-jïäna

“nimäi-paëòita haya mahä-vidyävän

TRANSLATION

People were all astonished, and they said, “Nimäi Paëòita is a great scholar.

TEXT 200

digvijayé häriyä calilä yä’ra öhäïi

eta baòa paëòita ära kothä çuni näi

TRANSLATION

“He has even defeated the Digvijayé. We have never heard of such a learned
scholar as Nimäi.

TEXT 201

särthaka karena garva nimäi-paëòita

1278
 ebe se tähäna vidyä haila vidita”

TRANSLATION

“The pride of Nimäi Paëòita is justified, and now His reputation has
spread.”

TEXT 202

keha bole,—“e brähmaëa yadi nyäya paòe

bhaööäcärya haya tabe, kathana nä naòe”

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “If this Nimäi studies logic, He will certainly become a
Bhaööäcärya.”

TEXT 203

keha keha bole,—“bhäi, mili’ sarva-jane

’bädisiàha’ bali’ padavé diba tä’ne

TRANSLATION

Someone else said, “O brother, let us all together award Him the title of
’Bädisiàha.’”

COMMENTARY

1279
 Bädisiàha is the name of one Vaiñëava from the line of Rämänuja. He was
like a lion in destroying the philosophy of monism. It is to be understood that
previously whenever a scholar defeated another scholar, he was awarded the
title Bädisiàha.

TEXT 204

hena se tähäna ati mäyära baòäi

eta dekhiyä o jänibäre çakti näi

TRANSLATION

Yet even after seeing all this, the influence of the Lord’s illusory energy is
such that people still did not understand Him.

TEXT 205

ei-mata sarva-navadvépe sarva-jane

prabhura sat-kérti sabe ghoñe sarva-gaëe

TRANSLATION

In this way everyone in Navadvépa broadcast the pure glories of the Lord.

TEXT 206

navadvépa-väséra caraëe namaskära

e-sakala lélä dekhibäre çakti yä’ra

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 TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the residents of Navadvépa, who had

the ability to see all these pastimes.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara enacted His pastimes in Çré Navadvépa-Mäyäpur. The

author offers his obeisances to all the fortunate souls who had the opportunity
to see the Lord’s pastimes during His manifestation and those who later on saw
those pastimes in their hearts. He thus teaches humility and modesty by
setting an ideal example of subordination to the Vaiñëavas. Those who are
absorbed in material enjoyment while residing in Navadvépa do not receive
any information about the pastimes of Gaura and are simply busy in their own
sense gratification. Leaving aside such persons, the author offers his
obeisances to those persons who are inclined towards the service of the Lord.

TEXT 207

ye çunaye gauräìgera digvijayé-jaya

kothä o tähäna paräbhava nahi haya

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears the topics of Lord Gauräìga defeating Digvijayé is never

defeated anywhere.

COMMENTARY

The devotees of the Lord, who are expert in ascertaining the

1281
transcendental nature of the Lord, discuss the pastimes of Digvijayé’s defeat by
the omnipotent Çré Gaurasundara and thus engage in the worship of Çré
Gaura. Therefore the inferior logicians can never defeat them in any way.
Those whose resource is humility based on material knowledge glorify material
arguments and fame obtained through such arguments, yet since they are
situated on an extremely low platform, the Lord’s devotees, who are inclined
towards His service, can easily understand the deceitfulness of their material
knowledge, which is another form of nescience, and by the help of intellectual
considerations they hear the confidential scholastic pastimes of
Gaurasundara, who is vidyä-vadhü-jévanam—the husband of transcendental
knowledge, and thus become more enthusiastic in their worship of Gaura.

TEXT 208

vidyä-rasa gauräìgera ati-manohara

ihä yei çune, haya täì’ra anucara

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears the enchanting scholastic pastimes of Lord Gauräìga will

certainly become His servant.

TEXT 209

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

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 Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,
Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Thirteen, entitled, “Defeating
Digvijayé.”

Chapter Fourteen: The Lord’s Travel to East Bengal and the

Disappearance of Lakñmépriyä

This chapter describes Gaura-Näräyaëa’s enactment of a householder’s

pastime of serving guests; His visit to East Bengal; the offensive activities of
some sinful atheists who imitated the Lord and of a brahma-daitya of
Räòha-deça—all of them being contemporaries of the author; the
disappearance of Lakñmédevé; the inquiries of Tapana Miçra to the Lord
regarding the goal of life and the process for achieving it; the Lord’s reply and
teachings; and the Lord’s return from Bangladesh.
Nimäi Paëòita was greatly honored by the wealthy people of Navadvépa as
well as by all those who were accustomed to perform religious rituals. In order
to establish an ideal example of the principles of household life, the Lord did
not encourage the fault of miserliness, rather He showed compassion towards
needy and distressed persons. Guests were always properly served at the Lord’s
house in Çré Mäyäpur-Navadvépa. Though the Lord, who is the teacher of
people in general, personally displayed the pastimes of a poor householder, He
nevertheless constantly endeavored to serve renounced Vaiñëava sannyäsés.
As soon as Mother Çacé noticed a shortage of ingredients required for feeding

1283
the sannyäsés, Gaurasundara would immediately bring from somewhere the
necessary ingredients for the service of the Vaiñëavas. Lakñmédevé engaged in
cooking for the service of the Vaiñëavas, and the Lord personally sat with the
Vaiñëava sannyäsés and fully satisfied them by feeding them sumptuously. The
principle duty of householders is to serve guests; those householders who do
not serve guests are lower than animals and birds. Even if a householder is
bereft of wealth due to past karma, he should without duplicity serve his guests
with at least some water, a sitting place, and sweet words. Knowing that Çré
Lakñmé-Näräyaëa had appeared in Navadvépa, Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva,
Çukadeva, Vyäsadeva, and Närada visited the Lord’s house at Çré Mäyäpur in
the guise of sannyäsés.
From early morning, Çré Lakñmédevé continually engaged in various services
in the temple room, arranged the paraphernalia for worshiping the Lord, and
served tulasé. She gave more attention to the service of Çacédevé, her
mother-in-law and mother of her Lord, than to the service of tulasé. Çacédevé
sometimes saw blazing flames of fire under the feet of her son, and she
sometimes smelled the fragrance of lotus flowers throughout her house.
After some time Nimäi Paëòita went with His students to earn some
wealth in Bangladesh, where He stayed on the banks of the Padmävaté River.
Overwhelmed by the Lord’s ingenious scholarship, innumerable students came
to study from Him and within a short time mastered various subjects.
At this point the author says that simply because the Lord went to
Bangladesh, the young, the old, and the women there are even today
intoxicated in Çré Caitanya’s saìkértana movement. But sometimes in order to
fill their stomachs some atheists declare themselves to be Näräyaëa, or the
Supreme Lord, and they thus ruin the people of that country. In Räòha-deça
also there was a great brahma-daitya who externally dressed as a brähmaëa but
who internally had the nature of a demon and declared himself to be
“Gopäla.” Due to his cowardliness, however, people called him a hated jackal.
There are no greater offenders than those sinful living entities who want to

1284
declare themselves or other living entities to be the Supreme Lord instead of
declaring Çré Caitanya, the Lord of innumerable universes, as the Supreme
Lord. Moreover, even today it is found that simply by remembering the
servants of Caitanyacandra a living entity attains all auspiciousness.
While the Lord was residing in Bangladesh, Çré Lakñmédevé, being unable to
tolerate separation from the Lord, left this world from the bank of the Ganges
while meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord. When the people of Bangladesh
heard that the Lord was returning to Navadvépa, they brought various gifts for
Him. At that time one pious brähmaëa resident of Bangladesh named Tapana
Miçra, who was unable to ascertain the goal of life and the process to achieve
it, received instructions late one night in a dream to approach Nara-Näräyaëa
in the form of Nimäi Paëòita, who appeared in the Age of Kali to deliver the
fallen souls. When Tapana Miçra arrived before the Lord, Çré Gaurasundara
instructed him that the only religious process for the Age of Kali was
çré-kåñëa-näma-saìkértana, which awards all perfection and which is to be
followed by all people of all countries at all times. He further instructed
Tapana Miçra to give up all duplicity and always chant the sixteen word,
thirty-two syllable mahä-mantra with full attention. When Tapana Miçra
asked permission to accompany the Lord, the Lord ordered him to immediately
go to Väräëasé and indicated that they would again meet there and elaborately
discuss the goal of life and the process to achieve it. When Tapana Miçra then
related the topics of his dream, the Lord forbid him from disclosing those
topics to anyone.
Thereafter the Lord returned home from Bangladesh with His wealth and
offered everything to His mother. Many students accompanied the Lord to
Navadvépa in order to study from Him. Hearing about the disappearance of
Lakñmédevé, the Lord imitated ordinary people by exhibiting grief for a short
time and then instructed His mother about the temporary nature of this
material existence.

1285
 TEXT 1

jaya jaya mahäprabhu çré-gaurasundara

jaya nityänanda-priya nitya-kalevara

TRANSLATION

All glories to the Supreme Lord, Çré Gaurasundara. All glories to

Nityänanda’s beloved Lord, who has an eternal form.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya çré pradyumna-miçrera jévana

jaya çré paramänanda-puré-präëa-dhana

TRANSLATION

All glories to Him who is the life of Çré Pradyumna Miçra. All glories to
Him who is the goal of life for Çré Paramänanda Puré.

COMMENTARY

Pradyumna Miçra was born of a brähmaëa family in Orissa. In order to

make his pious life as an ideal householder and his high social standing
successful and perfect by engaging them in the service of Hari, the Lord sent
him to Çréla Rämänanda Räya, who appeared in a nonseminal brähmaëa
family, who was the crest-jewel among teachers of devotional mellows, and
who was a mahä-bhägavata Vaiñëava äcärya. Pradyumna Miçra then heard
topics of Kåñëa from that Vaiñëava äcärya as his disciple and thus obtained

1286
the causeless mercy of the Lord. For further descriptions one should see the
Antya-khaëòa (3.284, 5.211, and 8.57) and Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä,
Chapter 10, Madhya-lélä, Chapters 1, 10, 16, and 25, and Antya-lélä, Chapter 5.
The purpose of addressing the Lord as the life of Pradyumna Miçra is this:
The ideal householder pastimes like serving guests and renounced sannyäsés
that were performed by the Lord, who was the worshipable Deity of the ideal
pious householder Pradyumna Miçra, are described in this chapter.
Paramänanda Puré, also known as Puré Gosvämé or Gosäïi, was the middle
root of the devotional desire tree of Çré Kåñëa Caitanya’s lotus feet. He was
one of the nine beloved disciples of Çréman Mädhavendra Purépäda. He
appeared in the village of Trihuta. The Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (118) states:
“Paramänanda Puré is none other than Uddhava.” Concerning the Lord being
the life and soul of Paramänanda Puré, one should see the Antya-khaëòa
(3.167-181 and 231-260; 8.55 and 122; and 10.42, 47, and 49) and the
Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä, Chapters 9 and 10; Madhya-lélä, Chapters 1, 2, 9,
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 25; and Antya-lélä, Chapters 2, 4, 7, 8, 11, 14, and 16.
Besides these, one should see the Sanskrit drama Çré Caitanya-candrodaya,
Scene 8, the last portion of 9, and 10, wherein Kavi-karëapüra, the son of
Çivänanda Sena, receives the name Paramänanda Puré däsa, and also the
Sanskrit Çré Caitanya-carita-mahäkävya (13.14, 112-119, and 122; 16.30; and
Chapters 19 and 20).

TEXT 3

jaya jaya sarva-vaiñëavera dhana-präëa

kåpä-dåñöye kara’, prabhu, sarva-jéve träëa

TRANSLATION

1287
 All glories to Him who is the life and soul of all Vaiñëavas. O Lord, please
deliver the fallen souls with Your merciful glance.

TEXT 4

ädi-khaëòa-kathä, bhäi, çune eka-mane

vipra-rüpe kåñëa viharilena yemane

TRANSLATION

My dear brothers, please hear with attention the topics of Ädi-khaëòa,

wherein the pastimes of Kåñëa in the form of a brähmaëa are described.

TEXT 5

hena-mate vaikuëöha-näyaka sarva-kñaëa

vidyä-rase vihareëa lai’ çiñya-gaëa

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha continually enjoyed His scholastic

pastimes with His students.

TEXT 6

sarva-navadvépe prati-nagare-nagare
çiñya-gaëa-saìge vidyä-rase kréòä kare

1288
 TRANSLATION

The Lord enjoyed scholastic pastimes with His students throughout all the
villages of Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

The various villages and islands of Navadvépa at that time were known as
nagaras, such as Gaìgänagara, Käjéra-nagara, Kuliyä-nagara, Vidyänagara, and
Jännagara.

TEXT 7

sarva navadvépe sarva-loke haila dhvani

’nimäi-paëòita adhyäpaka-çiromaëi’

TRANSLATION

Everyone throughout Navadvépa heard that Nimäi Paëòita was the crest
jewel among teachers.

TEXT 8

baòa baòa viñayé sakala dolä haite

nämiyä karena namaskära bahu-mate

TRANSLATION

Even the wealthy materialists would get down from their palanquins to offer

1289
respects to Nimäi.

TEXT 9

prabhu dekhi’ mätra janme sabära sädhvasa

navadvépe hena nähi,—ye nä haya vaça

TRANSLATION

Everyone was filled with awe and reverence on seeing the Lord. There was
no one in Navadvépa who was not under His control.

TEXT 10

navadvépe yä’rä yata dharma-karma kare

bhojya-vastra avaçya päöhäya prabhu-ghare

TRANSLATION

Whenever any resident of Navadvépa would perform any pious act, he would
without fail first send some foodstuffs and cloth to the Lord’s house.

COMMENTARY

Since the custom of showing respect or honor towards the best teacher was
prominent in the Hindu community of that time, everyone came to the capitol
and donated gifts of rice and cloth to Nimäi Paëòita, who was the crest jewel
of learned scholars.

1290
 TEXT 11

prabhu se parama-vyayé éçvara vyabhära

duùkhitere niravadhi dena puraskära

TRANSLATION

The Lord displayed the pastimes of a munificent person, for this is the
nature of the Supreme Lord. He constantly gave gifts to the poor.

TEXT 12

duùkhére dekhile prabhu baòa dayä kari’

anna, vastra, kaòi-päti dena gaurahari

TRANSLATION

Whenever Gaurahari met a poor person, He would immediately give him

rice, cloth, and money out of compassion.

COMMENTARY

The principle of magnanimity is found in the nature of brähmaëas, while

the principle of miserliness is found in the nature of non-brähmaëas. In order
to exhibit the pastimes of an ideal householder, Nimäi donated rice, cloth, and
wealth to the poor and distressed people.

TEXT 13

1291
 niravadhi atithi äise prabhu-ghare
yä’ra yena yogya, prabhu dena sabäkäre

TRANSLATION

Guests would daily visit the Lord’s house, and He would always properly
satisfy every one of them.

TEXT 14

kona-dina sannyäsé äise daça biça

sabä’ nimantrena prabhu haiyä hariña

TRANSLATION

Sometimes ten or twenty sannyäsés would come, and the Lord would happily
invite them for lunch.

COMMENTARY

Because the noble householder residents of Navadvépa normally followed

the principles of varëäçrama, many renounced sannyäsés from various places
came to their houses as guests. On one hand, the Lord removed the poverty of
the poor, the distressed, and His guests, and on the other hand, He exhibited
ideal pious householder pastimes by serving the renounced sannyäsés of the
fourth äçrama. In order to establish that every pious householder is obliged to
respect the principles of äçrama-dharma, the Lord gave shelter and food to
sannyäsés and thus set the perfect example of pious householder behavior. It is
the unavoidable duty of every householder who follows the principles of
varëäçrama to provide food and shelter according to their means to the fourth

1292
äçrama renounced sannyäsés, who travel all over the country for the
householders’ benefit. In the course of time, as the attached householders
enviously cheated the sannyäsés from their rightful share, the real principles of
äçrama-dharma have gradually become slackened and distorted. What to speak
of this, some householders even think that their highest occupational duty is
simply to cheat sannyäsés who desire householder’s welfare of their rightful
share of alms from the householders. Though the Lord did not exhibit the
pastimes of a prosperous or wealthy householder, He sometimes invited ten or
twenty sannyäsés to His house for meals in order to teach householders to
serve the sannyäsés.

TEXT 15

sei-kñaëe kahi’ päöhäyena jananére

kuòi sannyäséra bhikñä jhäöa karibäre

TRANSLATION

He would immediately send someone to inform His mother to quickly

arrange lunch for the twenty sannyäsés.

TEXTS 16-17

ghare kichu näi, äi cinte mane-mane

’kuòi sannyäséra bhikñä haibe kemane?’

cintitei hena, nähi jäni kon jane

sakala sambhära äni’ deya sei-kñaëe

1293
 TRANSLATION

As there was nothing at home, Mother Çacé thought, “How will I prepare
meals for twenty sannyäsés?” As soon as she thought like this, someone came
and delivered the necessary ingredients without her notice.

COMMENTARY

Due to the lack of sufficient ingredients for meals and accumulated wealth
in the Lord’s house, Çacédevé felt a need for ingredients to feed the sannyäsés.
By the will of the Lord, all the necessary ingredients immediately appeared
there.

TEXT 18

tabe lakñmé-devé giyä parama-santoñe

rändhena viçeña, tabe prabhu äsi’ vaise

TRANSLATION

Lakñmédevé cooked the offering with full satisfaction, and then the Lord
arrived home.

TEXT 19

sannyäsé-gaëere prabhu äpane vasiyä

tuñöa kari’ päöhäyena bhikñä karäiyä

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 TRANSLATION

The Lord personally watched as the sannyäsés were served their meal. After
they were fully satisfied, He bid them farewell.

COMMENTARY

Since sannyäsés do not normally use fire, their cooking activities were done
by brähmaëas, who use fire. The sannyäsés who do not use fire can accept
foodstuffs cooked at the houses of brähmaëas, who use fire. Generally there
was a temple of Viñëu in every brähmaëa’s house, and the sannyäsés also ate
only those foodstuffs that had been cooked for Viñëu. Since there was a
possibility of nonvegetarian items in offerings to the inferior demigods at the
houses of persons lower than brähmaëas, it was customary for wandering
sannyäsés to not eat at the house of anyone other than a brähmaëa. In order to
display the ideal principles of pious householder life, the Lord personally sat
near the sannyäsés and fed them prasäda.

TEXT 20

ei-mata yateka atithi äsi’ haya

sabärei jijïäsä karena kåpämaya

TRANSLATION

In this way the merciful Lord inquired about the needs of every one of His
guests.

COMMENTARY

1295
 The words jijïäsä karena indicate that the Lord asked His guests whether
they needed any drink or food.

TEXT 21

gåhasthere mahäprabhu çikhäyena dharma

“atithira seva—gåhasthera müla-karma

TRANSLATION

Mahäprabhu taught the householders, “The foremost duty of a householder

is to serve his guests.

TEXT 22

gåhastha haiyä atithi-seva nä kare

paçu-pakñé haite ’adhama’ bali tä’re

TRANSLATION

“If a householder does not serve his guests, he is considered lower than the
birds and beasts.

COMMENTARY

Those attached householders who give up the service of guests who stay for
one day and wandering sannyäsés who are engaged in pleasing Lord Viñëu and
remain busy in household duties like cooking for themselves are lower than
even birds and beasts. Inferior animals like birds and beasts fly in the sky or

1296
wander the earth in order to gather their food and have little opportunity to
collect. But since human beings are the highest social entities, they are obliged
to follow the principles of varëäçrama. If they are averse to even these
principles, then they will counted among the unsheltered naked birds and
beasts, who are busy simply filling their own bellies. Apart from filling their
own bellies, human beings have the higher responsibility of collecting and
protecting items for the service of Viñëu. For this reason, their social duties
include giving shelter and food to guests and wandering mendicants who
desire to please Näräyaëa and benefit the living entities. If human beings
transgress this duty, they will be considered lower than even birds and beasts.

TEXT 23

yä’ra vä nä thäke kichu pürvädåñöa-doñe

sei tåëa, jala, bhümi dibeka santoñe

TRANSLATION

“If due to his previous impious activities he does not have anything, then he
should satisfy his guests with a straw mat, some water, and place to lie down.

COMMENTARY

The greedy präkåta-sahajiyäs, who are cruel and expert in satisfying their
tongues and bellies, are presently identifying themselves as preachers of the
cult of Caitanyacandra, and thus they cheat Vaiñëava sannyäsés from their
rightful share of straw mats, etc. In order to expose their opposition to Him,
Çré Caitanyacandra has exhibited these ideal householder pastimes. The Lord
has instructed everyone by His activities appropriate to a householder of
showing proper respect to guests and sannyäsés. But some people, though

1297
identifying themselves as His followers, act just the opposite. A few years ago
in the city of Dacca, a greedy brähmaëa, who was a so-called disciple of a caste
Gosvämé and who earned his livelihood by selling the holy name, mantras, and
Çrémad Bhägavatam, behaved in an extremely cruel manner with a few
tridaëòi-sannyäsés and brahmacärés, who had arrived there as guests, in order
to deprive them from receiving Viñëu’s noon offering. In order to protect
people from such behavior, the Lord personally exhibited the pastimes of
giving shelter and foodstuffs to guests and sannyäsés. Alas, just consider the
Lord’s pastime of affectionate and careful distribution of indiscriminate mercy
to the guests and sannyäsés! And then consider the endeavors of persons who
are averse to Caitanya and who in the name of preaching His cult harass and
oppose guests and sannyäsés who are under the shelter of Çré Caitanya!! Not
only in the city of Dacca, a few days ago in Kuliyä-nagara (Navadvépa), some
such people with the help of a few fierce miscreants, rather than offering
respect, unfairly attacked innocent Vaiñëava sannyäsés, brähmaëas, and
devotee women who had come to participate in the circumambulation of the
Dhäma. All these are simply unfavorable endeavors against the teachings of
Çré Caitanyadeva. [This purport also applies to verses 25-27 of this chapter.]

TEXT 24

tåëädi bhümir udakaà väk caturthé ca vä sunåtä

etäny api satäà gehe nocchidyante kadäcana

TRANSLATION

“’In the houses of pious people there may be a scarcity of rice or other
staples due to poverty, but a straw mat, water, resting place, and sweet words
should always be available for serving guests.’

1298
 COMMENTARY

[This verse is found in the Manu-saàhitä (3.10) and in the Hitopadeça.]

The word tåëa refers to straw that is used for making an äsana or bed.
The word bhümi refers to a resting place.
The word udaka refers to water for cleansing one’s hands, legs, and mouth
or for performing äcamana.
The words sunåtä väk mean “truth” or “sweet words,” and the word caturthé
means “the four items.”

TEXTS 25-27

satya väkya kahibeka kari’ parihära

tathäpi ätithya-çünya nä haya tähära

akaitave citta sukhe yä’ra yena çakti

tähä karilei bali ’atithire bhakti’”

ataeva atithire äpane éçvare

jijïäsä karena ati parama-ädare

TRANSLATION

“If one has nothing more to offer, he should apologize without duplicity;
then he is not guilty of neglecting his guest. If a householder happily serves his
guests without duplicity and according to his ability, he is considered
hospitable.” Therefore the Lord personally invited His guests with great

1299
respect.

COMMENTARY

[See purport to verse 23 of this chapter.]

TEXT 28

sei saba atithi—parama-bhägyavän

lakñmé-näräyaëa yä’re kare anna däna

TRANSLATION

All those guest were most fortunate, for they received foodstuffs directly
from Lakñmé-Näräyaëa.

COMMENTARY

Those guests who received rice prasäda from the house of Çré
Lakñmé-Näräyaëa at Yogapéöha in Çré Navadvépa-dhäma are millions of times
more fortunate than those mundane guests who receive rice from mundane
householders.

TEXT 29

yä’ra anne brahmädira äçä anukñaëa

hena se adbhuta, tähä khäya ye-te jana

TRANSLATION

1300
 Foodstuffs so wonderful that are desired by even the demigods headed by
Brahmä were now eaten by one and all.

TEXT 30

keha keha ito-madhye kahe anya kathä

“se annera yogya anye nä haya sarvathä

TRANSLATION

In reply to this, someone said, “It is not possible for ordinary persons to
receive such foodstuffs.

TEXTS 31-32

brahmä-çiva-çuka-vyäsa-näradädi kari’
sura-siddha-ädi yata svacchanda-vihäré

lakñmé-näräyaëa avatérëa navadvépe

jäni’ sabe äisena bhikñukera rüpe

TRANSLATION

“Brahmä, Çiva, Çukadeva, Vyäsadeva, Närada, as well as the demigods and

Siddhas, who travel according to their desire, all knew that Lakñmé-Näräyaëa
had appeared in Navadvépa. They therefore all visited the Lord’s house to beg
alms in the form of mendicants.

1301
 TEXT 33

anyathä se-sthäne yäibära çakti kä’ra?

brahmä-ädi vinä ki se anna päya ära?”

TRANSLATION

“Otherwise who else has the power to visit His house, and who other than
personalities like Brahmä can receive such foodstuffs?”

TEXT 34

keha bale,—“duùkhite tärite avatära

sarva-mate duùkhitere karena nistära

TRANSLATION

Someone else said, “The Lord has incarnated to deliver the distressed, and
He therefore employs various means for their deliverance.

COMMENTARY

Some people say that since the demigods headed by Brahmä and the sages
headed by Närada possess mystic perfections, it was they who took the form
and dress of guests and became fortunate by receiving rice prasäda from the
house of Lord Gaura-Näräyaëa. Because other than them, no ordinary mortal
being is qualified to receive the Lord’s direct mercy as a guest in His house. Yet
others say that Lakñmé-Näräyaëa have appeared in this age as Lakñmé-Gaura
in order to deliver all distressed persons from their miserable conditions. Since

1302
He is most merciful, He distributed His mercy to everyone by providing food
and shelter without considering whether one was qualified or not.

TEXTS 35-37

brahmä-ädi deva yä’ra aìga prati-aìga

sarvathä täìhärä éçvarera nitya-saìga

tathäpi pratijïä tä’na ei avatäre

’brahmädi-durlabha dimu sakala jévere’

ataeva duùkhitere éçvara äpane

nija-gåhe anna dena uddhära-käraëe”

TRANSLATION

“The demigods headed by Brahmä are born from the limbs of the Supreme
Lord, and they are always associated with the Lord. Still, in this incarnation He
has promised to give that which is rarely attained by even Brahmä. Therefore
the Lord personally fed the distressed in His house in order to deliver them.”

COMMENTARY

Although demigods headed by Brahmä are equal to the Lord’s limbs and
minor limbs and are very dear servants, the distinguishing feature of the
causeless mercy of the most compassionate Gaurasundara is that in order to
deliver the living entities of this Age of Kali He distributes to everyone the
Lord’s prasäda, which is rarely obtained by even the best of the demigods and
highest authorities like Lord Brahmä, without considering whether one is
qualified or not.

1303
 TEXTS 38-39

ekeçvara lakñmé-devé karena randhana

tathäpi o parama-änanda-yukta mana

lakñméra caritra dekhi’ çacé bhägyavaté

daëòe daëòe änanda-viçeñe bäòe ati

TRANSLATION

Lakñmédevé cooked alone, yet she felt supremely blissful. As the fortunate
Mother Çacé observed the character of Lakñmé, her joy increased every hour of
the day.

COMMENTARY

Lakñmédevé happily cooked alone for everyone, without the help of her
mother-in-law. Thus seeing the character of her daughter-in-law, Çacédevé’s
joy increased at every moment.

TEXT 40

üñaù-käla haite lakñmé yata gåha-karma

äpane karena saba,—ei täì’ra dharma

TRANSLATION

Beginning from sunrise, Lakñmé would personally perform all the household

1304
chores as her religious duty.

COMMENTARY

In order to increase the happiness of her husband and to satisfy her

respected mother-in-law, the chaste Lakñmédevé performed all household
duties while considering herself the maidservant of the Lord. As the ideal
housewife, Çrématé Lakñmédevé personally performed all of the Lord’s
household duties, beginning from the early morning till night.

TEXT 41

deva-gåhe karena ye svastika-maëòalé

çaìkha-cakra likhena haiyä kutühalé

TRANSLATION

She would decorate the floor of the temple with drawings of svastikas,
conches, and discs.

COMMENTARY

The phrase svastika-maëòalé refers to the drawing of circles or smearing

and drawing pictures on Viñëu’s temple for His worship. Their characteristics
are described in the following Vedic statement quoted in the
Hari-bhakti-viläsa (Fourth Vibhäga): “A worshiper of Viñëu should draw a
square within each of the four corners—northeast, southeast, northwest,
southwest—of the Lord’s temple, divide each square into sixteen squares, then
fill each square with white, yellow, red, and black colored powders. This is
called svastika.” Svastika, the drawing of circles, and their glories are described

1305
in the Viñëu-dharmottara as follows: “One who is intelligent should draw
various maëòalas such as sarvatobhadras and padmas and various wonderful
svastikas in the temple of Hari.” In the Nåsiàha Puräëa it is stated: “One
should joyfully cleanse and decorate the temple of Viñëu by drawing various
maëòalas like padmas and svastikas with different attractive colors.” In the
Skanda Puräëa, concerning the month of Kärttika, it is stated: “One who
draws various shapes like sarvatobhadras with clay or other minerals in front of
Lord Keçava resides in heaven for one hundred kalpas. One who draws
auspicious svastikas in front of çälagräma, especially in the month of Kärttika,
purifies seven generations of his family. A woman who regularly draws
maëòalas before Lord Keçava does not become a widow for the next seven
births. A woman who draws maëòalas with cow dung before Lord Keçava is
never separated from her husband, children, or wealth. One who decorates the
courtyard of Viñëu’s temple with various colorful svastikas and pictures enjoys
the highest happiness within the three worlds.” It is stated in the Näradéya
Puräëa: “A person who draws maëòalas in the temple of Viñëu with either
clay, various minerals, various colors, or cow dung attains the form of a
demigod who flies in an airplane.” In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya it is said:
“One who smears cow dung in the temple of Viñëu and draws colorful pictures
on it happily resides in the abode of Viñëu, where the residents look on him
with welcome glances.”
There was a Viñëu temple in the Lord’s house. Within the temple the
worshipable Çré Näräyaëa forms of Gaëòaké-çilä (çälagräma-çilä) and
Gomaté-cakra-çilä (Dvärakä-çilä) were situated as the family Deities. In order
to draw auspicious signs within the temple, Lakñmédevé drew shapes like
conches and cakras throughout the temple, such as on the foundation and
walls.

TEXT 42

1306
 gandha, puñpa, dhüpa, dépa, suväsita jala
éçvara-püjära sajjä karena sakala

TRANSLATION

She arranged sandalwood paste, flowers, incense, ghee lamps, and scented
water for the worship of Lord Viñëu.

COMMENTARY

Following the scriptural and social norms of that time, every Bengali
brähmaëa’s wife would collect ingredients like sandalwood paste, flowers, ghee
lamp, incense, and scented water for the worship of Näräyaëa. But nowadays
in some provinces of India the brähmaëas hailing from Bengal brähmaëa
communities do not accept water touched or brought by their own wives for
the service of the Lord.

TEXT 43

niravadhi tulaséra karena sevana

tato’dhika çacéra seväya täì’ra mana

TRANSLATION

She constantly served tulasé, yet she served Çacé even more.

COMMENTARY

The worshipers of Lord Viñëu greatly respect Tulasé-devé as one of the

ingredients for the Lord’s service and therefore most intimate with the Lord.

1307
Lakñmépriyä-devé spent more time in serving her mother-in-law, Gaura’s
mother, than in serving Tulasé-devé. Those who pretend to be äcäryas while
holding a tulasé plant in one hand and a pipe for smoking intoxicants in the
other should properly follow the ideal example of serving Tulasé-devé set by
Gaura-Lakñmépriyä. And yet, knowing the Lord as the best of those devoted to
their mothers, Lakñmépriyä-devé, the Lord’s wife, established that her service
with awe and reverence to her mother-in-law was superior to the affectionate
service of Tulasé-devé, the maidservant of Gaura, and was nondifferent from
service to her husband.

TEXT 44

lakñméra caritra dekhi’ çré-gaurasundara

mukhe kichu nä balena, santoña antara

TRANSLATION

Seeing Lakñmé’s behavior, Çré Gaurasundara did not comment, yet He was
satisfied within.

COMMENTARY

Seeing Lakñmépriyä’s greater faith in and eagerness for the service of His
mother than the service of tulasé, the Lord approved within His mind and was
quite satisfied. Though due to social injunctions and embarrassment the Lord
did not externally or publicly approve the actions of His wife, His
nonduplicitous heartfelt mercy on Lakñmédevé was seen in her activities of
serving the Lord by collecting ingredients for Viñëu’s worship, serving tulasé,
and serving His own mother, who is the personification of pure goodness.

1308
 TEXT 45

kona-dina lakñmé lai’ prabhura caraëa

vasiyä thäkena pada-tale anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

Some days Lakñmé would sit and hold the Lord’s feet for hours.

COMMENTARY

In order to reveal within this world the glories and opulences of serving the
lotus feet of Gaura-Näräyaëa, Lakñmépriyä-devé, who is attached to service in
the mood of awe and reverence, often exhibited pastimes as the maidservant
of Gaura, by holding the Lord’s lotus feet on her lap.

TEXT 46

adbhuta dekhena çacé putra-pada-tale

mahä-jyotir-maya agni-puïja-çikhä jvale

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé sometimes saw brilliant effulgent flames emanating from the
feet of her son.

COMMENTARY

Due to the influence of Gaura-Näräyaëa’s opulences, Çacédevé saw five

1309
effulgent flames of fire. Just as impersonalists, being unable to see the original
form of the Lord, accept the effulgence emanating from the body of the Lord
as His form and thus become astonished; seeing the most effulgent five flames
of fire emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord, Çacédevé understood her son
to be directly Lord Viñëu.

TEXT 47

kona-dina mahä-padma-gandha çacé äi

ghare-dväre sarvatra päyena, anta näi

TRANSLATION

Another day Mother Çacé smelled the fragrance of lotus flowers throughout
the house.

TEXT 48

hena-mate lakñmé näräyaëa navadvépe

keha nähi cinena ächena güòha-rüpe

TRANSLATION

As Lakñmé-Näräyaëa secretly lived in Navadvépa in this way, no one was

able to recognize them.

TEXT 49

1310
 tabe kata-dine icchä-maya bhagavän
baìga-deça dekhite haila icchä tä’na

TRANSLATION

After a few days the independent Lord desired to visit East Bengal
[Bangladesh].

COMMENTARY

The word baìga-deça is explained as follows: Çré Gaurasundara exhibited

His pastimes in Gauòapura, Navadvépa-Mäyäpur. The eastern portion of
Gauòa-deça (now Bangladesh) is separately addressed as Baìga-deça by the
residents of Gauòa-deça. The celestial Bhägérathé River flows through
Gauòa-deça. The northern and eastern provinces of Gauòa Navadvépa, which
consist of the east and south banks of the Brahmaputra River, through which
flows the main branch of the Ganges, the Padmävaté, which merges in the Bay
of Bengal—these entire tracts of land were known at that time as Baìga-deça.
In the book Çakti-saìgam-tantra the border of Baìga-deça has been
described as follows: “The entire tract of land from the bay of Bengal up to the
Brahmaputra River is known as Baìga-deça. O Pärvaté, this land bestows on
one all perfection.”
Even after the reign of the ancient Päla dynasty and the shifting of the
capitol to Navadvépa and Vikramapura, north Bengal was still known as
Varendra, provinces to the northwest of north Bengal were known as
Karëa-suvarëa, west Bengal was known as Gauòa and Räòha, the present East
Bengal was known as Baìga-deça, and South Bengal was known as Samataöa
and Tämralipta. Even in Sanskrit literatures the east and middle areas of
Bengal were referred to as Baìga-deça. Abul Phajal, the prime minister of
Akbar, the Mugal emperor of Delhi, has written in his history book,

1311
Äin-I-Akbari, or “The Rule of Akbar”, that the former Hindu kings of Baìga
surrounded their kingdoms with an äla, or mud dike, and therefore the area
has become known as Baìgäla.

TEXTS 50-51

tabe prabhu jananére balilena väëé

“kata-dina praväsa kariba, mätä, ämi”

lakñmé-prati kahilena çré-gaurasundara

“mäyera sevana tumi kara nirantara”

TRANSLATION

The Lord told His mother, “Dear mother, I will go on a journey for a few
days.” Çré Gaurasundara then said to Lakñmé, “You should constantly serve
mother.”

COMMENTARY

While leaving for Baìga-deça, or Bangladesh, in eastern Gauòa, the Lord

said to Mother Çacé, “O mother, I will leave this house and go somewhere else
for a few days in order to collect items for the service you and the household.”
And He said to His wife, Lakñmépriyä-devé, “In My absence you should
perform your duty of serving My mother.” Before departing for another
province, the Lord entrusted the responsibility of serving His mother with His
wife, Lakñmépriyä-devé, and then proceeded towards the east to increase His
mother’s happiness.

1312
 TEXT 52

tabe prabhu kata äpta çiñya-varga laiyä

calilena baìga-deçe-harañita haiyä

TRANSLATION

Then the Lord took some of His students and happily departed for East
Bengal.

COMMENTARY

The Lord did not travel alone from Gauòa to the eastern Gauòa province
of Baìga-deça. Nimäi Paëòita, the crest jewel of teachers, was accompanied to
East Bengal by many of His favorite students who were residents of
Gauòapura, Navadvépa-Mäyäpur.

TEXT 53

ye ye jana dekhe prabhu caliyä äsite

sei ära dåñöi nähi päre sambarite

TRANSLATION

Whoever saw the Lord in His travels could not take his eyes off Him.

COMMENTARY

People who saw the most attractive form of the Lord in the course of His

1313
travels did not care to look anywhere else. The unparalleled beauty and
qualities of the Lord bewildered all observers.

TEXT 54

stré-loke dekhiyä bale,—“hena-putra yä’ra

dhanya tä’ra janma, tä’ra pä’ye namaskära

TRANSLATION

The women said, “Glorious is she who has such a son. We offer our
obeisances to her.

COMMENTARY

The aged mothers of East Bengal could not find appropriate words to praise
the good fortune of Çacédevé, the mother of Gaura. They would say, “By
holding the Lord in her womb, Çacédevé’s life has become successful.”
Following in the footsteps of Çacédevé, many ladies who worshiped the Lord in
the mood of vätsalya-rasa were enthused to serve the Lord in that mood as
they looked at Him with parental feelings.

TEXT 55

yebä bhägyavaté hena päilena pati

stré-janma särthaka karilena sei saté”

TRANSLATION

1314
 “Fortunate is she who has such a husband. The life of that chaste lady has
become successful.”

COMMENTARY

The married ladies of East Bengal realized the good fortune and perfection
of accepting a woman’s birth attained by Lakñmédevé, the wife of Gaura, and
they engaged with her in the Lord’s service in the mood of awe and reverence.
They did not forget their own constitutional position as eternally separated
expansions and attempt to establish abominable mundane debauchery as
worship of Gaura in order to become gaura-bhogés, or enjoyers of Gaura, like
the fictitious gaura-nägarés.

TEXT 56

ei-mata pathe dekhe yata stré-puruñe

punaù punaù sabe vyäkhyä karena santoñe

TRANSLATION

In this way all the ladies and men who saw the Lord as He passed by
repeatedly glorified Him in full satisfaction.

COMMENTARY

The words vyäkhyä karena indicate that they offered prayers to the
matchless form of the Lord.

TEXT 57

1315
 deve o karena kämya ye-prabhu dekhite
ye-te-jane hena prabhu dekhe kåpä haite

TRANSLATION

That Lord whom even the demigods desire to see now mercifully appeared
before the vision of everyone.

COMMENTARY

Out of compassion, the Lord manifested His form, which is rarely seen by
the demigods, to the people of Bangladesh. By giving up duplicity born from
the service of mäyä, those who were fortunate enough to see the
transcendental form of the Lord did not accrue any inauspiciousness like
followers of the path of preyas, temporary material gratification, who are
attached to material conceptions. The causeless mercy of the Lord alone
protected men and women who flourished with sensual knowledge inspired by
material perceptions from their enjoying spirit.

TEXT 58

hena-mate gaurasundara dhére-dhére

kata-dine äilena padmävaté-tére

TRANSLATION

In this way Gaurasundara arrived in a few days at the bank of the

Padmävaté River.

1316
 COMMENTARY

Satisfied by the prayers of the saintly King Bhagératha, Jähnavé-devé

appeared from Mäyä-tértha, Haridvära, and began flowing east to merge in the
ocean. Some people say that a demon adorned with material knowledge
diverted the flow of the Bhägérathé into the Padmävaté in order to deprive
Bhägérathé from achieving the lotus feet of Gaura. Feeling unhappy as a result,
Bhägérathé flowed by the side of Çré Navadvépa-Mäyäpur in order to serve the
lotus feet of Gaura-Näräyaëa. This Mäyäpur is itself the above-mentioned
Mäyä-tértha Haridvära. Though personally full in six opulences, after His
marriage pastime Lord Gaurasundara crossed many villages and eventually
arrived on the bank of the Padmävaté in order to perform pastimes of
accumulating wealth while imitating the activities of ordinary householders.

TEXT 59

padmävaté-nadéra taraìga-çobhä ati

uttama pulina,—yena upavana tathi

TRANSLATION

The current of the Padmävaté River is most charming, and her fine banks
are covered with forest groves.

TEXT 60

dekhi’ padmävaté prabhu mahä-kutühale

gaëa-saha snäna karilena tä’ra jale

1317
 TRANSLATION

Seeing the Padmävaté, the Lord joyfully took bath with His students.

TEXT 61

bhägyavaté padmävaté sei dina haite

yogya haila sarva-loka pavitra karite

TRANSLATION

Since that day the fortunate Padmävaté River became fit to sanctify the
entire world.

COMMENTARY

When Gaurasundara took bath in the Padmävaté, she at once became most
fortunate and the deliverer of all. Though the emanation of the Ganges from
the lotus feet of Viñëu indicates her quality of delivering people and
destroying sin, the moment the Lord personally and directly immersed and
bathed in the Padmä, whose ability for delivering fallen souls was not as great
as the Ganges, by the touch of the Lord’s feet she became equal to Gaìgä in
her ability to purify people and destroy the sinful reactions of Kali.

TEXT 62

padmävaté-nadé ati dekhite sundara

taraìga pulina srota ati manohara

1318
 TRANSLATION

The Padmävaté River appeared most beautiful, being decorated with

enchanting waves, banks, and flowing current.

TEXT 63

padmävaté dekhi’ prabhu parama-hariñe

sei-sthäne rahilena tä’ra bhägya-vaçe

TRANSLATION

The Lord was so pleased to see the Padmävaté that He remained there a few
days to increase her good fortune.

TEXTS 64-65

yena kréòä karilena jähnavéra jale

çiñya-gaëa-sahita parama-kutühale

sei bhägya ebe päilena padmävaté

prati-dina prabhu jala-kréòä kare tathi

TRANSLATION

Just as the Lord had joyfully sported in the waters of the Ganges with His
students, now the Padmävaté achieved the same good fortune as the Lord daily
sported in her waters.

1319
 TEXTS 66-67

baìga-deçe gauracandra karilä praveça

adyäpiha sei bhägye dhanya baìga-deça

padmävaté-tére rahilena gauracandra

çuni’ sarva-loka baòa haila änanda

TRANSLATION

Because Çré Gauracandra entered East Bengal, it is considered glorious even

today. People were overjoyed to hear that Gauracandra was staying on the
banks of the Padmävaté River.

COMMENTARY

Both the tracts of land on the banks of the Ganges known as Gauòa-deça,
or West Bengal, and the tracts of land on the banks of the Padmävaté known
as East Bengal were generally known as Baìga-deça, or Bengal. Generally the
other side of the Padmävaté is known as Pürva-deça, or East Bengal. This book
does not mention which village became glorious and holy by receiving the dust
from the lotus feet of the Lord. Some people say that it was the village
Magòoba, in the district of Faridpura.

TEXT 68

“nimäi-paëòita adhyäpaka çiromaëi

äsiyä ächena”,—sarva-dike haila dhvani

1320
 TRANSLATION

News soon spread in all directions: “The crest jewel of teachers, Nimäi
Paëòita, has arrived on the banks of the Padmävaté.”

TEXT 69

bhägyavanta yata äche, sakala-brähmaëa

upäyana-haste äilena sei-kñaëa

TRANSLATION

The fortunate brähmaëas all came to welcome the Lord with various gifts.

COMMENTARY

The phrase upäyana-haste indicate that they came with gifts and presents
in their hands.

TEXT 70

sabe äsi’ prabhure kariyä namaskära

balite lägilä ati kari’ parihära

TRANSLATION

Coming before the Lord, they offered their obeisances and humbly spoke as
follows.

1321
 COMMENTARY

The word parihära means “humble words,” “faltering words,” “submissive

entreaties,” or “flattering words.”

TEXT 71

ämä’ sabäkära ati-bhägyodaya haite

tomära vijaya äsi’ haila e-deçete

TRANSLATION

“We consider ourselves most fortunate because of Your arrival here.

TEXTS 72-73

artha-våtti lai’ sarva-goñöhéra sahite

yä’ra sthäne navadvépe yäiba paòite

hena nidhi anäyäse äpane éçvare

äniyä dilena ämä’ sabära duyäre

TRANSLATION

“That rare touchstone to whom we were to go with friends and money to

study under in Navadvépa has now been brought to our doorstep by providence.

COMMENTARY

1322
 During the Lord’s presence, many people from East Bengal accumulated
wealth and went with their sons and dependants to study in Navadvépa, the
center of education at that time. Nimäi Paëòita was famous as the crest jewel
of teachers. The students desired to study under Him alone, yet for some
reason or another everyone was not able to go to Navadvépa to study under
Him. Since today, due to the good fortune of the students, that same crest
jewel of teachers, Nimäi Paëòita, personally arrived on the bank of the
Padmävaté, they all praised their own extraordinary fortune and considered
that now they did not need to go to Navadvépa.

TEXT 74

mürti-manta tumi båhaspati-avatära

tomära sadåça adhyäpaka nähi ära

TRANSLATION

“There is no other teacher like You, for You are like the incarnation of
Båhaspati.

TEXT 75

båhaspati-dåñöänta tomära yogya naya

éçvarera aàça tumi,—hena mane laya

TRANSLATION

“Rather, to compare You with Båhaspati is insufficient. We consider You a

portion of the Supreme Lord.

1323
 TEXT 76

anyathä éçvara vine e-mata paëòitya

anyera nä haya kabhu,—laya citta-vitta

TRANSLATION

“Otherwise, such knowledge is not possible in anyone other than the

Supreme Lord. This is our firm conviction.

COMMENTARY

Because the Lord attracted the heart of everyone by the opulence of His
scholarship, they considered and concluded that the Lord’s matchless
proficiency in learning was divine.

TEXT 77

ebe eka nivedana kariye tomäre

vidyä däna kara’ kichu ämä’ sabäkäre

TRANSLATION

“Now, we have one request of You: Please give us all some knowledge.

TEXT 78

uddeçe ämarä sabe tomära öippané

1324
 lai’ paòi, paòäi çunaha, dvija-maëi!

TRANSLATION

“O best of the brähmaëas, please hear us. We study, teach, and accept only
Your explanations.

COMMENTARY

The word uddeçe means “indirectly aiming at (your approval or pleasure).”

The scholars residing on the banks of the Padmävaté studied and taught
their students with the help of the commentary on Kaläpa grammar that the
Lord composed. From this it is understood that while studying under Nimäi
Paëòita, the crest jewel of teachers, a few students from the banks of the
Padmävaté had collected His commentary, returned to their respective
villages, and given that commentary to their teachers. In any case, we do not
find the Lord’s commentary in book form anywhere.

TEXT 79

säkñäte o çiñya kara’ ämä’ sabäkäre

thäkuka tomära kérti sakala-saàsäre”

TRANSLATION

“Now please accept us as Your students, and let the entire world sing Your
glories.”

1325
 TEXT 80

häsi’ prabhu sabä’ prati kariyä äçväsa

kata-dina baìga-deçe karilä viläsa

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled and agreed to their request. Thus He enjoyed pastimes in
East Bengal for some days.

TEXT 81

sei bhägye adyäpiha sarva-baìga-deçe

çré-caitanya-saìkértana kare stré-puruñe

TRANSLATION

Due to this good fortune, the men and women of East Bengal engage in Lord
Caitanya’s saìkértana movement even today.

COMMENTARY

At the time of writing Çré Caitanya-bhägavata, the author knew very well
that even many years after the Lord’s disappearance the saìkértana movement
inaugurated by Çré Caitanya would continue. Without discrimination, both
men and women joined in that movement.

TEXT 82

1326
 madhye-madhye mätra kata päpi-gaëa giyä
loka nañöa kare äpanäre laoyäiyä

TRANSLATION

Sometimes sinful persons try to mislead people by accepting their homage

for themselves.

COMMENTARY

The phrase loka nañöa kare means “ruining the people,” or in other words,
depriving them from their spiritual life and sending them to hell.
The short form of the word laoyäiyä is laoyä (from the Sanskrit verb lä),
which refers here to instigating or inducing others to glorify oneself by giving
advice or encouragement.
Joining the devotees in chanting the glories of Kåñëa, some sinful persons
create disturbances in Çré Caitanya’s saìkértana movement. When
simple-minded people engage in kértana along with these sinful persons, who
are attached to irrelevant fruits, they are unable to achieve the supreme goal.
Since the nonenvious pure devotees are not cheated by the four
vargas—religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and
liberation—they obtain the fruit of chanting Kåñëa’s names. But persons
attached to material enjoyment that enter devotee communities dressed as
devotees either desire the fruits of three vargas or poison the devotee
community with the desire for liberation and thus influence them to accept
not kåñëa-prema but material enjoyment and liberation as the real fruit of
glorifying Kåñëa. Following the doctrines of the bäulas, kartäbhajäs, and
ativäòés, these sinful persons sometimes advertise themselves as the Supreme
Lord, or Viñëu, and thus misguide people.

1327
 TEXT 83

udara-bharaëa lägi’ päpiñöha-sakale

’raghunätha’ kari’ äpanäre keha bale

TRANSLATION

In order to fill their bellies, these sinners cheat people by claiming to be

Lord Räma.

COMMENTARY

The phrase udara-bharaëa lägi’ (a Hindi phrase) means “for the sake of the
stomach.”
In order to gratify their senses, sinful persons who are attached to material
enjoyment imagine or declare themselves to be the worshipable Supreme Lord;
and by utilizing others as fuel for the fire of their sense gratification, they
completely spoil them. The pure worshipers of Çré Rämacandra serve Him with
devotion, considering Him their worshipable Lord. Sinful persons in the guise
of the Supreme Lord declare themselves to be Çré Rämacandra and accept
appropriate service from their contrived servants in order to gratify their
tongues, bellies, and genitals.

TEXT 84

kona päpi-gaëa chäòi’ kåñëa-saìkértana

äpanäre gäoyäya baliyä ’näräyaëa’

1328
 TRANSLATION

Other sinful persons give up chanting the names of Kåñëa and claim to be
Näräyaëa. They then induce others to chant their glories.

COMMENTARY

When sinful persons become extremely offensive by posing as gurus

concocted by their own self-worship, they give up çré-kåñëa-saìkértana, which
is the source of all auspiciousness. They teach the society of fools who are
ignorant of the Absolute Truth to secure profit, adoration, and distinction so
that they can fulfill their own material desires. These sinful persons advertise
themselves as Näräyaëa, that is, the Supreme Lord or an incarnation of the
Supreme Lord; and Mahäprabhu along with His associates, as well as Çré
Mahä-mantra, who appears as çabda-brahma in the form of syllables, who is
the highest worshipable object for all animate and inanimate beings, and who
was glorified by Mahäprabhu as being nondifferent from Lord Kåñëa, they
consider as ordinary mortal forms desirous of material fame like themselves.
Following this conception, they induce others to glorify their mundane names
or sound vibrations related with their families, houses, and bodies, which are
full of stool and worms and which ultimately turn to ashes. Although
guru-tattva is actually a manifestation of Kåñëa, if one considers the spiritual
master as the supreme worshipable object, Rädhikä-nätha, rather than
considering him a manifestation of the supreme worshiper, or if one considers
him simply an artificial singer of folk songs, which are contrary to the
mahä-mantra given by the spiritual master, and if one declares or induces
others to glorify his material body to be the Supreme Lord in order to
accumulate mundane fame, then such a cheating so-called guru and his
cheated followers will both enter hell under the burden of great sins.

1329
 TEXT 85

dekhitechi dine tina avasthä yähära

kon läje äpanäre gäoyäya se chära?

TRANSLATION

How can an insignificant person who daily goes through three states
shamelessly induce others to chant his glorifies?

COMMENTARY

The tina avasthä, or three states, of a person are gross, subtle, and causal;
wakefulness, dream, and deep sleep; or past, present, and future. These states
are prone to be agitated by material nature and time.
We cannot understand how an impersonalist self-worshiper establishes
himself as the supreme worshipable object in the dress of a guru, because we
can see that within a single day a healthy living entity falls sick, and from
sickness he regains health, and after regaining health he again falls sick. (Or
according to others, the living entities who are conditioned by the three
modes and under the control of nature become overwhelmed by three
different influences, states, or designations of nature like gross, subtle, and
causal, or wakefulness, dream, and deep sleep.) How can such extremely
shameless living entities who are controlled by mäyä and subjected to these
three states declare themselves to be the supreme worshipable object and
controller of mäyä? For a living entity qualified for being forced to undergo
three different states in one day to claim to be the Supreme Lord, who
controls mäyä and is transcendental to the three modes of nature, is simply
ludicrous.

1330
 TEXT 86

räòhe ära eka mahä brahma-daitya äche

antare räkñasa, vipra-käca mätra käce

TRANSLATION

There is a powerful brahma-daitya in Räòha-deça. Although he externally

dresses like a brähmaëa, internally he is a demon.

COMMENTARY

The areas on the western bank of the Ganges are known as Räñöra-deça, or
Räòha-deça. There are many villages within Räòha-deça, but the names of
those villages are not mentioned at this point.
If brähmaëa becomes a ghost after death, he becomes a brahma-daitya. A
brähmaëa who follows his prescribed duties generally advances to higher
planets, but those who neglect their duties and engage in sinful activities and
thus meet an unnatural death become brahma-daityas. So-called brähmaëas
who are envious offensive blasphemers of Vaiñëavas, who though breathing
are lifeless, and who are situated in sinful life are known as brahma-daityas.
Real pure brähmaëas are totally partial and subordinate to Vaiñëava
principles. Since so-called brähmaëas who are envious of Vaiñëavas become
ghosts in this very life, they are presently being addressed as brahma-daityas.
One such brahma-daitya from Räòha-deça externally exhibited brahminical
behavior yet internally maintaining envy towards the Vaiñëavas, and as a
result he became an envious demon. When a brähmaëa engages in the
demoniac activities of envying Vaiñëavas, then he is called a brahma-räkñasa.
Although demons are expert in envying cows, demigods, and Vaiñëavas, they
become puffed-up with false ego due to their birth in seminal brähmaëa

1331
families. The performance of brahminical activities and acceptance of
external brahminical dress by persons who internally maintain demoniac
propensities in this way is simply artificial duplicity that ruins people.

TEXT 87

se päpiñöha äpanäre boläya ’gopäla’

ataeva tä’re sabe balena ’çiyäla’

TRANSLATION

That sinful person advertised himself as “Gopäla,” and people therefore

called him a jackal.

COMMENTARY

The word çiyäla, or çeyäla (from the Sanskrit word çågäla) refers to those
people of Bengal who are generally afraid, who are prone to run away, who are
thieves, who are miscreants, or who speak harsh words.
Although the sinful, hellish, Mäyävädé brahma-räkñasa of Räòha-deça
introduced himself as Gopäla to everyone, the devotees, rather than calling
him Gopäla, called him a false logician Mäyävädé jackal. (“Those who cultivate
material knowledge take birth as jackals in their next lives.”)
Within a hundred years after the disappearance of Mahäprabhu some
foolish atheists rejected their gurus and advertised themselves as incarnations
of the Supreme Lord. In this regard, the Gaura-gaëa-candrika, which is said to
be written by Çrémad Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura, states as follows:
“Seeing that others have accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré
Gauräìga as the Lord of the universe, some foolish people of Räòha-deça,

1332
Bengal, who were devoid of scriptural knowledge, wandered about dressed as
the Supreme Lord attempting to convince other fools about their supremacy.
Among those imposters was a brähmaëa named Väsudeva, who out of madness
declared, ’I am Gopäla, the son of Nanda Mahäräja.’ That is why the people of
Räòha-deça called this brähmaëa a çågäla, or jackal, instead of Gopäla.
Another person named Viñëudäsa said, ’I am Lord Rämacandra, the son of the
Raghu dynasty. I have descended from Vaikuëöha along with the monkeys.
Hanumän is my devotee.’ Due to such offensive statements, he was rejected by
the people of Räòha-deça and was addressed as the leader of the monkeys. ’In
order to deliver the people of earth, I, Lord Näräyaëa, have appeared from my
abode of Vaikuëöha.’ Boasting in this way and putting a crown on his head, an
ill-motivated brähmaëa of Bengal named Mädhava advertised himself as the
Supreme Lord in order to get some cheap adoration. Hence the people of
Bengal addressed Mädhava as a cüòädhäré, or one who wears a crown. This
Mädhava was the very lusty priest of the çüdras. Therefore he used to imitate
the räsa dance pastimes of Çré Kåñëa. It is heard that this brähmaëa was
rejected by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and the Vaiñëavas. Therefore one
should not associate with such persons. If one does so, his religiosity will be
destroyed, because it is stated in the scriptures: ’As a drop of oil spreads all
over the water, if one touches, converses with, is touched by the breath of, or
eats with such a sinful person, then the very sins of that person will be spread
to him.’” In the Bhakti-ratnäkara (14.163-168, 180-183) it is stated “Someone
said, ’O brothers, the materialists who have turned their faces from Lord
Kåñëa are very independent and transgress religious principles. The leader of
the materialists has taken the position of Raghunätha in order to cheat people
in general. This misbehaved sinner has invented his own philosophy, and
claiming to be the king of poets, he preaches in Baìga-deça.’ Another person
said, ’I saw some great sinners induce others to glorify them rather than glorify
Lord Kåñëa.’ Another person said, ’There is a degraded brähmaëa known as
Mallika in Räòha-deça. No one is as wicked as him. That great sinner calls
himself Gopäla. Speaking an illusory philosophy worthy of the räkñasas, he

1333
tricks people in general.’ In Räòha-deça, in the village named Käìdarä, is the
auspicious and glorious home of Jïäna däsa. A käyastha named Jaya Gopäla
also lives at that place. That person became evil-minded due to pride of
learning. He arrogantly declared that his guru had no knowledge, and
whenever someone inquired from him, he claimed that his parama-guru was
his guru. Véracandra Prabhu tactfully disclosed his position and then rejected
him.” In this regard one should refer to the Çrémad Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto,
Chapter Sixty-six, and the Viñëu Puräëa (5.34), wherein the Dväpara-yuga
pastime of Kåñëa killing Pauëòraka Väsudeva, the King of Karüña, who
worshiped himself and imitated Kåñëa, is described. One should also see the
description of Çågäla Väsudeva, the King of Karavérapura, found in the
Hari-vaàça, Chapters 99-100, or 2.44-45.
Regarding the acceptance of ahaìgrahopäsanä, or self-worship—in the
form of advertising oneself as the Supreme Lord, Viñëu, or an
incarnation—by the foolish atheists, who are controlled by mäyä, Çréla Jéva
Gosvämé has stated in his Bhakti-sandarbha (276): “In these verses of Çrémad
Bhägavatam the idea that the individual spirit soul is the worshipable Supreme
has been condemned with extreme hatred. An example is seen when
Pauëòraka Väsudeva sent a servant to Kåñëa with the message, ’I am Lord
Väsudeva.’ When the pure devotee Yädavas, headed by Ugrasena, heard the
crazy words about the artificial attempts of Pauëòraka Väsudeva from the
mouth of the messenger, they laughed loudly. The reason for this is found in
scriptural statements such as the following verse from Çrémad Bhägavatam
(3.29.13), wherein the Lord explains: ’A pure devotee does not accept any kind
of liberation—sälokya, särñöi, sämépya, särüpya, or säyujya—devoid of My
service, even though they are offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’
The mahä-bhägavata Çré Hanumänjé also confirms this as follows: ’Only a fool
will give up the service of the Lord and try instead to become the Lord
Himself.’ While glorifying the niñkiïcana devotees, the Supreme Lord has
established that niñkäma-bhakti is the highest abhidheya, or sädhana, in the
following words from Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.20.34): ’Because My devotees

1334
possess saintly behavior and deep intelligence, they completely dedicate
themselves to Me and do not desire anything besides Me. Indeed, even if I
offer them liberation from birth and death, they do not accept it.’”
Those who accept insignificant fallen souls, who are controlled by mäyä, as
the Supreme Lord, who controls mäyä, are extremely fallen; there is no
comparison to their lamentable fallen condition. Çré Caitanyacandra is the
Lord of the fourteen worlds as well as Navadvépa, Vraja, Goloka, Vaikuëöha,
and Paravyoma beyond the fourteen worlds and is nondifferent from
Vrajendra-nandana; and although the atheist sees that He is being glorified
and offered prayers as svayaà-rüpa, avatäré, säkñäd bhagavän, and parameçvara,
he nevertheless falsely tries by imitation to compete with Him; thus there is no
limit to his misfortune. It is stated in the Çré Caitanya-candrämåta (32):
“Condemned are the followers of Vedic ritual! Condemned are the
practitioners of severe austerity! Condemned are the dull-witted fools whose
mouths have blossomed with the words ’I am Brahman’! Why do we lament for
these animals in the guise of men intoxicated by the taste of things other than
Kåñëa? Alas! They have not tasted even a drop of the nectar of Lord Gaura!”
[The following purport also applies to this verse.]

TEXT 88

çré-caitanya-candra vine anyere éçvara

ye adhama bale’ sei chära çocyatara

TRANSLATION

Anyone who accepts someone other than Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu as the
Supreme Lord is fallen, insignificant, and fit for living in hell.

1335
 COMMENTARY

Presently a few persons from the Mäyäväda-sampradäya have promoted an

insignificant ordinary human being, who is controlled by mäyä and who is a
servant of his senses, as an incarnation of Kåñëa, an incarnation of Räma, an
incarnation of Gaura, an incarnation of Gopäla, an incarnation of Kalki, a
joint incarnation of Nitäi-Gaura, a jagad-guru, a viçva-guru, a yuga-avatära,
and as Mahä-Mahäprabhu. They have thus welcomed offenses, and as a result
the followers of such illogical so-called incarnations, who are opposed to the
descending process of knowledge or the incarnation of Lord Viñëu, rather
than attaining the position of the Supreme Lord in their next life, will take
birth as jackals. (“Those who cultivate material knowledge take birth as jackals
in their next lives.”) One should also refer to the Mahäbhärata (Çänti-parva,
Mokña-dharma, 180.48-50).

TEXTS 89-90

dui bähu tuli’ ei bali ’satya’ kari’

“ananta-brahmäëòa-nätha—gauräìga çré-hari

yäì’ra näma-smaraëei samasta bandha-kñaya

yäì’ra däsa-smaraëe o sarvatra vijaya

TRANSLATION

I therefore raise my two arms and boldly declare, “Çré Gauräìga is the Lord
of innumerable universes. One is free from all bondage simply by remembering
Him. Indeed, even by remembering His servants one is always victorious.

1336
 COMMENTARY

Realizing that Çré Kåñëa Caitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

the devotees loudly broadcast His glories. The author, who is attached to the
Truth, loudly glorifies Çré Gaurasundara as the Lord of innumerable universes.
It is directly seen, realized, and applicable to all places, times, and persons that
by offenselessly remembering the holy names of Çré Caitanya, all material
desires of the conditioned souls are diminished; in other words, the
conditioned souls attain freedom from the conceptions of being entangled in
other desires like material enjoyment and mental speculation. Moreover, if the
pure, transcendental, spiritual characteristics of even Çré Caitanya’s servants
appear in the mind of a conditioned soul, then he is liberated from his
conditional state and can deliver the entire world. As stated in the
Caitanya-candrämåta (6): “When Lord Gauracandra’s devotees, who are
worshiped even by the demigods, drink the wonderfully sweet nectar of the
bliss of pure love of God that flows from the lotus flower of Lord
Gauracandra’s feet, they become completely intoxicated. In that condition
they laugh at Lord Brahmä and the other demigods, condemn the
impersonalist yogis, and do not consider the great devotees of Lord Viñëu who
do not worship Lord Gauracandra to be very important. Let us glorify that
Lord Gauracandra.”

TEXT 91

sakala-bhuvane, dekha, yäì’ra yaça gäya

vipatha chäòiyä bhaja hena prabhura pä’ya”

TRANSLATION

1337
 “Giving up all evil ways, worship the feet of such a Lord whose glories are
chanted throughout the entire world.”

COMMENTARY

One should discuss the following two verses from Çré Caitanya-candrämåta
(90 and 85) in this regard: “Dear gentlemen, you should renounce all your
mentally concocted honesty and religious principles that are averse to the
devotional service of Gaura-Kåñëa and be attached to the lotus feet of Çré
Caitanya. Give up all your useless absorption in fruitive activities! Don’t allow
a single word concerning self-worship enter your ears! Don’t be illusioned by
your temporary material body, house, country, and relatives. Then only will
you attain the crest-jewel of all human goals.”

TEXT 92

hena-mate çré-vaikuëöha-nätha gauracandra

vidyä-rase kare prabhu baìga-deçe raìga

TRANSLATION

In this way Çré Gauracandra, the Lord of Vaikuëöha, happily enjoyed His
scholastic pastimes in East Bengal.

TEXT 93

mahä-vidyä-goñöhé prabhu karilena baìge

padmävaté dekhi’ prabhu bulilena raìge

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 TRANSLATION

The Lord attracted a large number of students in East Bengal, and He would
often wander on the banks of the Padmävaté River.

TEXTS 94-96

sahasra sahasra çiñya haila tathäi

hena nähi jäni,—ke paòaye kon öhäïi

çuni’ saba baìga-deçé äise dhäiyä

’nimäi-paëòita sthäne paòibäìa giyä’

hena kåpä-dåñöye prabhu karena vyäkhyäna

dui mäse sabei haila vidyävän

TRANSLATION

He had thousands and thousands of students there, so it is difficult to know

who studied with whom. People from all over East Bengal came rushing to
study under Nimäi Paëòita. The Lord taught them in such a merciful way that
within two months everyone became learned.

COMMENTARY

Nimäi Paëòita resided on the bank of the Padmävaté River in East Bengal
for two months and trained innumerable students to become expert scholars.

1339
 TEXT 97

kata çata-çata jana padavé labhiyä

ghare yäya, ära kata äise çuniyä

TRANSLATION

Hundreds of students received titles and returned home, and, hearing about
this, many new students joined.

COMMENTARY

During the time of the Lord, the teachers awarded titles to their own
students. By these titles, scholars were recognized as authorities on a particular
scripture. In other words, a person was identified as possessing knowledge of a
particular scripture according to the title he received after completing his
studies.

TEXT 98

ei-mate vidyä-rase vaikuëöhera pati

vidyä-rase baìga-deçe karilena sthiti

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha enjoyed scholastic pastimes while staying
in East Bengal.

1340
 TEXT 99

ethä navadvépe lakñmé prabhura virahe

antare duùkhitä devé kä’re nähi kahe

TRANSLATION

Meanwhile, in Navadvépa, Lakñmé was in great distress due to separation

from the Lord. She did not reveal this to anyone.

COMMENTARY

While Nimäi was engaged in His scholastic pastimes in East Bengal,

Lakñmépriyä-devé in Navadvépa became extremely grief-stricken out of
separation from her worshipable Lord. She did not, however, disclose her
confidential internal distress to anyone. In her daily activities it was seen that
apart from serving the Lord’s mother, or her mother-in-law, she did not even
take a morsel of viñëu-prasäda in order to maintain her body. She used to sit
alone in a solitary place and simply shed tears. She did not feel any happiness
at heart. Ultimately, due to separation from Gaura-Näräyaëa, her beloved
husband who was more dear to her than life, Mahä-Lakñmé Lakñmépriyä-devé,
the crest jewel of caste women, became so impatient that out of extreme
anxiety she resolved to depart in order to serve her husband. She kept her
replica body, or shadow form, on the bank of the Ganges in this world and
disappeared from the eyes of people in her original form as Mahä-Lakñmé. She
attained samädhi while meditating on the lotus feet of her worshipable
husband, Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa. Mahä-Lakñmé Lakñmépriyä-devé, the crest jewel
of caste women, departed forever.

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 TEXT 100

niravadhi kare devé äira sevana

prabhu giyächena haite nähika bhojana

TRANSLATION

She kept always engaged in the service of Mother Çacé without eating
anything since the Lord’s departure.

TEXT 101

näme se anna-mätra parigraha kare

éçvara-vicchede baòa duùkhitä antare

TRANSLATION

She accepted some rice only in name, for she was deeply distressed in
separation from the Lord.

TEXT 102

ekeçvara sarva-rätri karena krandana

citte svästhya lakñmé nä päyena kona kñaëa

TRANSLATION

She passed the nights alone, crying incessantly. Her heart found no relief

1342
for even a moment.

TEXT 103

éçvara-viccheda lakñmé nä päre sahite

icchä karilena prabhura samépe yäite

TRANSLATION

Eventually Lakñmé could no longer tolerate separation from the Lord, and
she desired to go join Him.

TEXT 104

nija-pratikåti-deha thui’ påthivéte

calilena prabhu-päçe ati alakñite

TRANSLATION

Lakñmé left a replica body on the bank of the Ganges in this world and went
invisibly to the side of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

In the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 16.20-21) it is stated: “Because the Lord was

engaged in various ways in preaching work in East Bengal, His wife,
Lakñmédevé, was very unhappy at home in separation from her husband. The
snake of separation bit Lakñmédevé, and its poison caused her death. Thus she
passed to the next world. She went back home, back to Godhead.”

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 The replica body and disappearance of Lakñmédevé are explained as follows:
Çré Lakñmépriyä-devé is the internal spiritual potency of Gaura-Näräyaëa, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mahä-Lakñmé is described in the
Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (45) as follows: “She who previously appeared as Çré
Jänaké, Rukmiëé, and Lakñmé has now appeared as Lakñmé in the pastimes of
Caitanya Mahäprabhu.” In the Sanskrit book Caitanya-caritämåta-mahäkävya
(3.7 and 13) it is stated: “This Lakñmé [of Navadvépa] is the incarnation of that
Lakñmé [of Vaikuëöha],” and “Lakñmé has personally incarnated in this world.”
While describing Mahä-Lakñmé, Kåñëa’s queens, and the gopés of Vraja, Çré Jéva
Prabhupäda has stated in his Çré Kåñëa-sandarbha: “In the second (Bhägavata)
sandarbha it has been established that the Lord is the Supreme Absolute Truth
and that He has two energies. Of the two, the first is related to the Lord as His
internal potency and is as worshipable to the Vaiñëavas as the Lord Himself.
The Supreme Lord’s supreme position is due to this svarüpa-çakti. The second,
Mäyä, is fit, like the material world, to be neglected by the Vaiñëavas; she is
the transformation of the Lord’s energy. The manifestation of the world is due
to this bahiraìgä-mäyä-çakti, or the illusory external energy. Of these two
potencies, the word lakñmé is used to indicate the former, the svarüpa-çakti,
just as the word bhägavata is used to indicate the person who possesses these
two energies. This is also clearly shown in the Bhägavata-sandarbha. In the two
cities (Mathurä and Dvärakä) this svarüpa-çakti is known as çré-mahiñé, the
queens of Kåñëa. Since it is clearly stated in the Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad that
in the Lord’s unmanifest pastimes Çré Rukmiëé eternally resides in Mathurä,
all other queens must also reside there. It is also stated therein that the queens
of Kåñëa are also related to Him as belonging to the category of His
svarüpa-çakti; therefore in their position as svarüpa-çakti they are necessarily
of the same position as Lakñmé. In this way the queens of Kåñëa are naturally
confirmed as belonging to the Lord’s svarüpa-çakti. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(10.60.9) it is stated: ’The Lord assumes various forms to enact His pastimes,
and He was pleased that the form that the goddess of fortune Rukmiëé had
assumed was just suitable for her to serve as His consort.’ The meaning of this

1344
verse is very clear. Therefore, since Rukmiëé assumed a form suitable to serve
the Lord, she is certainly on the level of Lakñmé. And since Lakñmé, who is
famous as the goddess of Vaikuëöha, is merged within Rukmiëé, Mahä-Lakñmé
Rukmiëé has the internal mood of Lakñmé and is complete in every respect.
Because the spiritual energy, or svarüpa-çakti, and the energetic, or çaktimän,
are completely free of differences (or nondifferent), there cannot be any
relationship between them as found between a subject and object of
comparison. Therefore between them there is an absence of similarity (as in
the difference between an actual object and its shadow or reflection), in other
words, they are nondifferent or one. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.60.44)
Rukmiëé personally speaks the following words: ’O lotus-eyed one, though You
are satisfied within Yourself and thus rarely turn Your attention toward me,
please bless me with steady love for Your feet.’ (In this statement Rukmiëé is
removing Kåñëa’s doubt or objection.) ’If You say, “I am personally
self-satisfied, so how can I have attachment for you?” In reply, I say that Your
vision is indifferent, in other words, though You are omnipotent, You look at
me, Your svarüpa-çakti, and Yourself as inseparable. The purport is that since
the svarüpa-çakti and the çaktimän are inseparable (or nondifferent), or they
are constitutionally nondifferent because their only distinction is their
constitutional relationship as viñaya and äçraya, the enjoyer and the enjoyed,
therefore even though You are ätmäräma, Your attachment for Me is proper.’”
In the Viñëu Puräëa (1.8.15) it is stated:

nityaiva sä jagan-mätä viñëoù çrér anapäyiné

yathä sarva-gato viñëus tathaiveyaà dvijottamäù

“O best of brähmaëas, Lord Viñëu’s svarüpa-çakti is the eternal mother of

the universe; she is never separated from Viñëu. Just as Lord Viñëu is present
everywhere, His svarüpa-çakti, Mahä-Lakñmé is also present everywhere.” Also
in the Viñëu Puräëa (1.9.143) it is said:

1345
 devatve deva-deheyaà manuñyatve ca mänuñé
viñëor dehänurüpäà vai karoty eñätmanas tanum

“When the Lord appears as a demigod, she [the goddess of fortune] takes
the form of a demigoddess, and when He appears as a human being, she takes a
humanlike form. Thus she assumes a body corresponding to that accepted by
Lord Viñëu in order to assist in His pastimes.”
In his commentary on Brahma-sütra (2.3.10) Çré Madhväcärya quotes the
following verse from the Bhägavata-tantra:

çakti-çaktimatoç cäpi na vibhedaù kathaïcana

avibhinnäpi svecchädi- bhedair api vibhävyate

“There is no actual difference between the energy and the energetic, but
sometimes out of His own sweet will they appear different.” The Viñëu-saàhitä
says: çakti-çaktimatoç cäpi na bhedaù kaçcid iñyate—“There is certainly no
difference between the energy and the energetic.” From such scriptural
statements we can understand that the energetic Viñëu and His related
svarüpa-çakti are nondifferent.
The external illusory energy, or material nature, is the subordinate shadow
of this svarüpa-çakti Lakñmé. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.7.23) Arjuna speaks
to Kåñëa as follows: “You have cast away the effects of the material energy by
dint of Your spiritual potency [or svarüpa-çakti]. You are always situated in
eternal bliss and transcendental knowledge.” Therefore creation,
maintenance, and annihilation, which are transformations of the three modes
of material nature—passion, goodness, and ignorance—can never attack Lord
Viñëu, His related svarüpa-çakti, or His opulences such as His abode and
associates, because there is no difference between their bodies and souls like
there is in the living entities who are controlled by mäyä and forced to enjoy
the fruits of their karma. They are all transcendental, beyond the jurisdiction

1346
of mäyä, untouched by the modes of material nature, eternally pure, and
spiritual.
Çré Kåñëa-sandarbha (93) quotes Çré Madhväcäryapäda’s Bhägavata-tätparya
commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.3.1) as follows: “The Tantra-bhägavata
states:

agåhnäd vyasåjac ceti kåñëa rämädikäà tanum

paöhyate bhagavän éço müòha buddhi vyapekñayä

’The scriptural statements that the Supreme Lord has accepted and given
up bodies in His incarnations such as Kåñëa and Räma are mentioned simply
to satisfy the mentality of foolish people.’ In the Varäha Puräëa it is stated:

na tasya präkåtä mürtir mäàsa-medo ’sthi-sambhavä

na yogitväd éçvaratvät satya-rüpo ’cyuto vibhuù

’The Supreme Lord and His svarüpa-çakti do not possess material forms
made of flesh, bones, and marrow. His transcendental form, however, is not
the result of mystic perfections, for since He is directly the Personality of
Godhead, His form is eternal, infallible, and supreme.’ In the Mahä-Varäha
Puräëa it is stated: ’Everything related to the Supreme Lord Viñëu, beginning
with His body, is everlasting and eternal, devoid of both material purity and
impurity, and never born of matter; in other words, they are not material.
They are objects of fully uninterrupted bliss and completely spiritual, they are
all full of transcendental qualities and nondifferent from one another. Due to
possessing all qualities, they are fully devoid of superiority and inferiority in
relationship with each other. There is never a difference between the body
and soul of the Supreme Lord Viñëu, but when we hear statements that Lord
Viñëu accepted a body it is like an actor taking on another hand to protect his
body in a drama. Although Lord Viñëu, who is beyond material perception,
appears and disappears, statements like ’His form of Kåñëa,’ ’His form of
Räma,’ are applicable to Him alone, because He possesses unadulterated

1347
spiritual opulences.’ In the Kürma Puräëa it is stated: ’Although the Supreme
Lord is neither gigantic nor infinitesimal, He is completely gigantic and
infinitesimal. Although the Lord appears contradictory due to possessing
spiritual opulences, it is improper to attribute any type of mundane faults on
the Supreme Lord. Yet even though apparent contradictory qualities are seen
through material perception, one will have to understand that they are
inconceivably reconciled in Him.’ In the Viñëu-dharmottara it is stated:
’Because the Supreme Lord Puruñottama possesses all opulences, all
transcendental qualities are found in Him. But faults cannot in any way be
applied on Him, because He is the supreme object. Some foolish persons
conclude that both qualities and faults are received from or attributed by
mäyä. In answer to this, it is stated that since there is no mäyä or connection
with mäyä in the Absolute Truth, how then can qualities related with mäyä be
present? Therefore the transcendental qualities of the Lord are not received
from or attributed by mäyä; they are born of His opulences. Because He is the
faultless (nirasta kuhaka apräkåta—“transcendental dissipater of illusion”)
controller, learned scholars know Him as the supreme object.’”
The doubt raised by foolish materialists who are bewildered by mäyä that
Mahä-Lakñmé Çré Lakñmédevé, who is the svarüpa-çakti of Gaura-Näräyaëa, left
her body due to being bitten by a snake like a conditioned soul is properly
cleared by Çrémad Bhägavatam, the crest jewel of scriptures, and the äcäryas,
who follow Çrémad Bhägavatam, in their descriptions of Kåñëa’s disappearance.
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.14.8) Yudhiñöhira speaks to Bhémasena as
follows: yadätmano ’ìgam äkréòaà bhagavän utsisåkñati—“Has the time come
for the Supreme Personality of Godhead to quit His earthly pastimes?”
“The word aìgaà in this verse means ’earth.’ In the Brahma-tarka it is
stated:

yadä tyägädir ucyeta påthivyädy-aìga-kalpanä

1348
 tadä jïeyä na hi sväìgaà kadäcid viñëur utsåjet

’When the scriptures use words like “give up” in connection with the
disappearance of the Lord it refers to the earth, because Lord Viñëu never
gives up His own limb.’” (Çré Madhväcärya’s Bhägavata-tätparya)
“The word äkréòa refers to the place of pastimes, or in other words, this
material world. The word aìga means ’His own land,’ because ’the earth is His
body’ and other scriptural statements are evidence of this fact.” (Çré
Vijayadhvaja)
Otherwise: “When will the Supreme Lord desire to give up His own
pastimes, or in other words, give up the aìga that assists in His pastimes, or in
other words, give up the drama of a human (imitating the activities of a
human being in the material world)—has that time arrived?” (Çrédhara
Svämipäda)
“The word aìga refers to the mundane universal form rejected while
returning to His own abode.” (Krama-sandarbha)
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.15.34-36) Çré Süta Gosvämé speaks to the sages
headed by Çaunaka as follows:

yayäharad bhuvo bhäraà täà tanüà vijahäv ajaù

kaëöakaà kaëöakeneva dvayaà cäpéçituù samam
yathä matsyädi-rüpäëi dhatte jahyäd yathä naöaù
bhü-bhäraù kñapito yena jahau tac ca kalevaram
yadä mukundo bhagavän imäà mahéà
jahau sva-tanvä çravaëéya-sat-kathaù
tadähar eväpratibuddha-cetasäm
abhadra-hetuù kalir anvavartata

“The supreme unborn, Lord Çré Kåñëa, caused the members of the Yadu
dynasty to relinquish their bodies, and thus He relieved the burden of the

1349
world. This action was like picking out a thorn with a thorn, though both are
the same to the controller. The Supreme Lord relinquished the body which He
manifested to diminish the burden of the earth. Just like a magician, He
relinquishes one body to accept different ones, like the fish incarnation and
others. When the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kåñëa, left this earthly planet
in His selfsame form.”
“Not understanding the distinction between the Supreme Lord and the
Yädavas (those who were not eternal associates of the Lord but ordinary
mortal beings) foolish materialistic persons consider them equal. Çré Süta
Gosvämé is clearly establishing a distinction between them in these two verses
[the first two quoted above]. The word yayä indicates that the Lord diminished
the burden of the earth (just as a thorn is taken out with another thorn)
through the bodies of the Yädavas (equal to ordinary mortal beings who are
bewildered by mäyä). Since both the bodies of the Yädavas and the bodies of
those who were burdening the earth were eligible for being destroyed by the
Lord, both are equal, in other words, both are material.
“How the Lord accepts and gives up forms (bodies) such as Matsya is being
described with the following example: Just as an actor, while remaining in his
original form, accepts and gives up another form, similarly the Supreme Lord
also gave up that form (visible to mundane eyes) and manifested His original
transcendental form.
“Since the Lord returned to Vaikuëöha with His selfsame body, it is
understood that He left this world with that same body.” (Çrédhara
Svämipäda)
“In this place [in the three Çrémad Bhägavatam verses quoted above] the
three words tanu, rüpa, and kalevara refer to the Lord’s two sentiments—His
desire to diminish the burden of the earth and His desire to maintain the
demigods (they do not refer to His body). Similarly, in other verses of Çrémad
Bhägavatam (3.20.28, 39, 41, 46, and 47) these words indicate Brahmä’s

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sentiments (not body). If one accepts this explanation regarding Lord Brahmä,
then it is also proper to accept this in regard to the Supreme Lord. Since these
sentiments of the Lord are (not His own or actual, but) äbhäsa-rüpa, or
indications of His form, therefore the example of a thorn is appropriate (in
other words, for a person who wishes to remove a thorn, both the imbedded
thorn and the extricating thorn are the same; similarly, the bodies of those
who were burdening the earth, or the gigantic universal form, and the bodies
of the Yädavas, whose bodies were similar to those of ordinary mortal beings,
were the same for the Supreme Lord). An elaborate description in this regard
is found in the third (Paramätmä) sandarbha.
“In incarnations such as Matsya, the words matsyädi-rüpa refer to the
sentiment of desiring to kill the demons. Just as actors, while remaining in
their original dress, accept and give up sentiments as either hero or heroine,
similarly, one should know that the same also applies to the Supreme Lord.
Otherwise Bhagavad-gétä (7.25) states: ’I am covered by Yogamäyä and not
exposed to anyone and everyone;’ Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa states: ’The
yogis see Lord Janärdana on the strength of their devotional service, He never
appears before those on the nondevotional path. No one who is angry or
envious can see Him;’ and Çrémad Bhägavatam states: ’To the wrestlers, Kåñëa
appeared as a thunderbolt.’ These conclusive statements confirm that the form
manifested by Supreme Lord before the demons is not His original form, but
an illusory form. If one sees the original form of the Lord, his envious nature is
destroyed. Therefore, in order to diminish the burden of the earth, the
Supreme Lord gave up only that form by which He annihilated the demons.
He did not appear again in that form. The form of the Lord that is seen
through the medium of devotion is nitya-siddha, eternally perfect. That is why
the word aja is used. Therefore as an actor or magician, dressed as a fish to kill
a crane that eats fish, takes the form of a fish in order to create an impression
in the minds of people that he is a fish, and as soon as the crane is killed, he
immediately gives up the temporary form of fish; similarly although Lord
Kåñëacandra is aja (devoid of birth like ordinary living entities), He killed the

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demons to diminish the burden of the earth with His illusory form manifested
before the mundane vision of the materialists. After killing these demons, He
(the unborn Lord) also gave up His mundane illusory form. But the previously
mentioned statement of Bhagavad-gétä (7.25), yogamäyä-samävåtaù, actually
means ’His body is covered by a reflection of the illusory energy just as a snake
is covered by its skin.’
“In this place, the Lord’s pastime of leaving (earth) was performed by His
own form (in other words, the word svatanva—“His body” has been used in
the third, or instrumental, case), He did not leave earth with His own form (in
other words, the third case of the word svatanva does not mean saha, or
“with”). This is the proper explanation; for since the word saha is not found in
the original verse, if one unnecessarily supplies ellipsis (which would destroy
the consistent meaning), then a prominence will be given to the elliptical
word. In particular, cases such as nominative, objective, and instrumental are
more specific than when secondary words like saha are used to produce a
compound word. This grammatical logic is also evidence in this regard.”
(Krama-sandarbha 106)
“In order to solace the sages headed by Çaunaka, who were morose after
hearing about the pathetic demise of the Yädavas and other kñatriyas, Çré Süta
Gosvämé recited the confidential conclusions in these two verses. Just as a
thorn is taken out with another thorn, in the same way the Lord gave up only
the Yädava form by which He diminished the burden of the earth, which is
part of His one-quarter opulences. Just as Devadatta gives up his own dress,
the Lord separated His Yädava form from His own association. But the Lord
did not give up the form with which He eternally enjoys pastimes. Therefore
the demigods who had entered among the eternally liberated Yädavas when
the Lord appeared in this world were separated from the Yädavas by the Lord
and sent to Prabhäsa. Later on, by the strength of His illusory energy, the Lord
orchestrated their deaths before the eyes of people and thereafter transformed
them into demigods by giving them honey to drink and sent them to heaven.

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This explanation is found in the last part of the Eleventh Canto of Çrémad
Bhägavatam. The Yädavas who are eternal associates in Kåñëa’s pastimes
remained hidden from materialistic people and continued sporting with Kåñëa
in Dvärakä as in their previous unmanifest pastimes. This conclusion should
be known from Çré Båhad-bhägavatämåta. ’The bodies of those who were
burdening the earth’ and ’the bodies of the Yädavas’ mean the bodies of the
demons who were burdening the earth and the bodies of those demigods who
appeared as Yädavas and others—both of whom were equal to the Supreme
Lord. But though in the present example of thorns, both are equal, the
extricating thorn (by which the imbedded thorn is taken out) is käraëa-bhüta,
or instrumental, and therefore is beneficial and known as ’antaraìga, or
intimate (and comparatively more relishable), while the karma-bhüta, or
active thorn (since it is imbedded, it is to be extricated) is unbeneficial and
known as bahiraìga, or inimical (and comparatively abominable).
“How Lord Kåñëa, like a magician, created some conception by making a
show of giving up His fake body is described in this verse. The purport is that
the Supreme Lord accepts (manifests) a form and gives up (unmanifests) that
form (in other words, He simply makes a show of giving up His body). But
after accepting a form, He does not give it up—from this it should be
understood that when the Lord gives up (unmanifests) His form, the same
form remains present in the transcendental realm. If one asks, ’How can this
be understood?’ The answer is stated herein. Just as a magician creates an
impression for people that he has given up his own body either by cutting it to
pieces, burning it, or falling unconscious, though he actually remains in his
body and does not die, similarly, the Supreme Lord accepts bodies like Matsya
and also gives them up, in other words, He accepts them and simply makes a
show of giving them up. Therefore, just as a magician possessing his own body
is a reality, his giving up that body is illusory. Similarly, that the Lord accepts
bodies like Matsya is actually true, and that He gives up such bodies is actually
illusory. This is the purport. Just as the Lord gives up His other own incidental
bodies like Matsya, He simply gave up the mundane form by which He

1353
diminished the burden of the earth. Therefore since the entire incident of
Lord Kåñëa’s giving up forms is illusory and false, being the Supreme Brahman
in the form of a human being, He simply imitates giving up bodies like
ordinary human beings. Yet actually He does not do so, for since His form is
transcendental (beyond the material elements) there is no possibility of His
body being destroyed. As stated in the Mahäbhärata: ’The five gross material
elements are not present in the body of Kåñëa, the Supersoul.’ The
Båhat-Viñëu Puräëa also says: ’According to the injunctions of the Vedas and
småtis, one who considers that Kåñëa’s body is made of material elements
should be rejected. If one sees such a person, he should take bath with his
clothes on.’ In the Viñëu-sahasra-näma spoken by sage Vaiçampäyana, it is
said: ’Amåta, or immortality, is only a part of Him, for He is the personification
of immortality.’ Çaìkaräcärya’s commentary on this—’He whose body is amåta
(deathless)’—indicating a difference between the Lord’s body and soul, is not
popular. The implication of this verse [Bhäg. 1.15.34] is that the verb ha of the
word jahyät is used to indicate ’giving up,’ and the act of giving up is used for
the purpose of awarding. In order to nourish the devotees from Vaikuëöha,
Lord Kåñëa awarded them His form of Näräyaëa, who was already merged
within Him. This will be elaborately described at the end of the Eleventh
Canto of Çrémad Bhägavatam.
“This verse is quoted in order to describe the unreality of Kåñëa’s giving up
His body, in other words, to clearly explain its falsity. In this regard one should
discuss the commentary of Çrédhara Svämé and the sandarbha commentary of
Çré Jévapäda.” (Çré Viçvanätha)
The commentaries on Çré Uddhava’s words to Vidura in Çrémad
Bhägavatam (3.2.11): ädäyäntar adhäd yas tu sva-bimbaà loka-locanam—“He
performed His disappearance by removing His form from the sight of public
vision,” are as follows.
“After exhibiting His own form till this point, the Lord disappeared by
covering the eyes of the public, because there was no other worthy object of

1354
vision.” (Çrédhara Svämé)
“According to the Vedic statement, ’He is the vision of the eyes,’ the Lord
left the vision of people with His sva-bimbam—His own form. It is also
described in the Mahäbhärata, Mauñala-parva:

kåtvä bhärävataraëaà påthivyäù påthu-locanaù

mocayitvä tanüà kåñëaù präptaù svasthänam uttamam

’To the eyes of people, after diminishing the burden of the earth, Kåñëa
gave up His form and returned to His supreme abode.’ In this verse the word
mocayitvä, or ’having given up,’ indicate that He disassociated His form from
the activities of diminishing the burden of the earth, in other words, He
allowed His form a respite from such engagement. This word is not used to
indicate complete freedom from the activities of diminishing the burden of
the earth.” (Krama-sandarbha)
“The word sva-bimbam refers to the sac-cid-änanda form of the Lord and
His replica. The word tu corroborates the Vedic statement dve bäba brahmaëo
rüpe—’The Supreme Brahman has two forms.’” (Çré Vijayadhvaja)
“This verse says that the Lord manifested His own form before the eyes of
people and again disappeared with that same form. By this statement, persons
who advocate that the Supreme Lord gives up His body with adverse
objections like ’Lord Kåñëa left His own body and disappeared’ are defeated.
Since the adjectives used in the next few verses describe the body of the Lord
after He left His human form and went to Yudhiñöhira’s Räjasüya sacrifice in a
divine godly form, those who are opposed to the fact that Kåñëa possesses a
human form are also defeated. Moreover, from the statement ’He manifests
His own form and disappears with the same form,’ it is understood that His
pastimes of appearance and disappearance are the result of His supreme will.
Therefore those who advocate that the Supreme Lord is under the control of
karma (those who consider that the Supreme Lord is under the control of

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birth and activities such as dying like ordinary living entities) are also
defeated.” (Çré Viçvanätha)
In his Bhägavata-tätparya commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.2.13), Çré
Madhväcärya quotes the following verse from Skanda Puräëa: “Alas, how
illusioned by the bewilderment of mäyä are those persons who see the
sac-cid-änanda form of Viñëu as material!”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.4.28-29) Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé speaks to
Mahäräja Parékñit as follows: harir api tatyaja äkåtià tryadhéçaù—“Çré Kåñëa,
the Lord of the three worlds, completed His pastimes on earth,” and tyakñyan
deham acintayat—“He thought to Himself about disappearing from the face of
the earth.” These verses are explained as follows.
“The word äkåti means ’the earth,’ because according to the dictionaries the
words çaréra, äkåti, deha, ku, påthvé, and mahé all have similar meanings. The
Skanda Puräëa says that the phrase ’Lord Hari gave up His body’ means ’He
left the earth.’ Since He is the personification of eternal bliss, there cannot be
any other meaning. Although the Supreme Lord Viñëu is the personification
of knowledge, like an actor He exhibits a dead form or dead body resembling
Himself in order to bewilder the materialists.” (Çré Madhväcärya’s
Bhägavata-tätparya)
“The word äkåti means ’the earth,’ and the word deha also means ’the
earth.’ Because the Vedic statement yasya påthivé çaréram—’whose body is the
earth’ is the evidence.” (Çré Vijayadhvaja)
“The word äkåti means ’like a human form.’” (Çrédhara Svämipäda)
“The word nidhana refers to Kåñëa’s eternal abode, which is the greatest
wealth. According to the two statements: martya-lokaà jihäsatä—’By the
Lord, who desired to quit the mortal world,’ in the previous verse 26, and
asmäl lokäd uparate—’When the Lord leaves the vision of this mundane
world,’ of verse 30, the word äkåti refers to the universal form of the Lord. If

1356
one is particularly inquisitive regarding this subject, he should study Çré
Kåñëa-sandarbha, verse 93.” (Krama-sandarbha)
“The purport of this verse is that Lord Hari gave up, ä (completely)+kåti
(activities or pastimes in the material world); in other words, ’He finished.’
The word tyakñyan (since the verb tyaj is used to mean ’give’) indicates that
Lord Kåñëa desired to give sustenance to the devotees headed by Brahmä by
sending His plenary portion, Näräyaëa, to Vaikuëöha. In his Sandarbhas, Çré
Jévapäda says that the word deha refers to the earth, which is the Lord’s
universal form.” (Çré Viçvanätha)
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.30.2) Çré Parékñit speaks to Çré Çukadeva as
follows: tanüà sa katham atyajat—“How could He give up His body?” In Çré
Madhväcärya’s explanation on this portion of the verse, he says that the Lord
made His form completely disappear, because the verb aj in this verse is used
to mean “take away.” In other words, the Lord took away His form or made it
disappear from the earth to heaven (Goloka-dhäma).
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.30.40) Çré Çukadeva speaks to Çré Parékñit as
follows: ity ädiñöo bhagavatä kåñëenecchä-çarériëä—“[The hunter was] thus
instructed by the Supreme Lord Kåñëa, who assumes His transcendental body
by His own will.” Commentaries on this portion of the verse are as follows.
“The Lord made His own form, which is the personification of pure
goodness, disappear and simply imitated mortal beings by leaving behind a
replica of His form. The act of imitation by the Lord will be clearly seen later
on in Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.31.8), wherein Çukadeva Gosvämé speaks to
Parékñit Mahäräja as follows: ’Most of the demigods and other higher beings
led by Brahmä could not see Lord Kåñëa as He was entering His own abode,
since He did not reveal His movements. But some of them did catch sight of
Him, and they were extremely amazed.’” (Çrédhara Svämipäda)
“The phrase icchä-çarériëä means ’by He whose body is manifested simply
by His own will,’ in other words, His appearance (and disappearance) are

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manifested by His inconceivable supreme will. There is no need to think of
any other reason in this regard.” (Krama-sandarbha)
“The phrase icchä-çarériëä means ’by He who out of His own will accepts a
transcendental body, which is glorified by everyone.’” (Çré Viçvanätha)
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.30.49) the Supreme Lord speaks to His
chariot driver, Däruka, as follows: man-mäyä-racitäm etäà vijïayopaçamaà
vraja—“Understanding these pastimes to be a display of My illusory potency,
you should remain peaceful.” This verse is explained as follows.
“In order to solace Däruka, the Lord explains in this verse that His pastime
of giving up His body is like a magic act created by the power of His illusory
energy. ’Know that My recent activities like the annihilation of the Yadu
dynasty and the giving up of My body, which were manifest before the eyes of
ordinary people, are like a magic show created by My illusory energy; thus you
should remain indifferent.’ The word tu [in the first half of the above verse]
means ’let ordinary people who are averse to Me be bewildered, but it is not
reasonable for you to be bewildered.’” (Krama-sandarbha)
Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé speaks to Parékñit Mahäräja in Çrémad Bhägavatam
(11.31.6) as follows:

lokäbhirämäà sva-tanuà dhäraëä-dhyäna-maìgalam

yoga-dhäraëayägneyyä- dagdhvä dhämäviçat svakam

“Without employing the mystic ägneyé meditation to burn up His

transcendental body, which is the all-attractive resting place of all the worlds
and the object of all contemplation and meditation, Lord Kåñëa entered into
His own abode.” Commentaries on this verse are as follows.
“The Lord entered His own abode without burning His own body with fire.
In the Tantra-bhägavata it is stated: ’All other demigods reach their supreme
destination by burning their own bodies through ägneyé meditation, but the

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Supreme Lord Hari, who has various forms headed by Kåñëa and Nåsiàha, is
eternally blissful, therefore He enters His abode without burning His body. He
destroys the demigods’ subtle bodies, and dances in the midst of them at the
time of annihilation.’” (Çré Madhväcärya’s Bhägavata-tätparya)
“The yogis who (possess the quality to) ’die at will’ burn their own body
with the fire of ägneyé yoga meditation and enter other planets, but this is not
the case with the Supreme Lord Kåñëa. He entered His own abode, Vaikuëöha,
with the same form, without burning it. The reason is that all planets are fully
present in His limbs, so if His body, which is the shelter worlds, is burned, the
worlds will also be burned. Till now it has been seen that meeting and
achieving the fruits of meeting the Lord by the worshipers of the Lord is
simply attained through the process of meditation. Had the Supreme Lord
burned His form, then adjectives for His form like lokäbhirämäà—’attractive
to all the worlds’ would become meaningless, therefore He disappeared
without burning His form. This is the appropriate meaning.” (Çrédhara Svämé)
“If a word from a statement has another meaning, then according to the
logic from the Brahma-sütra (1.1.22), äkäças tal-liìgät—’the Supreme Brahman
1(8) is the collective ingredient of all living entities and the five gross material
elements,” only the principle instructive meaning of the statement is
accepted. Therefore the meaning that is derived from the word dagdhvä, or
“burning,” is subdued by words like lokäbhirämäà, which reveal the meaning
adagdhvä, or “not burning. 2(9)” The word lokäbhirämäà indicates that the
Lord’s form is the shelter of the entire world. From the word loka, the eternal
associates and devotees from Mahä-Vaikuëöha and all animate living entities
beginning from those of the ätmäräma-jïänés, self-satisfied transcendentalists,
are indicated. Moreover, the words dhäraëä-dhyäna-maìgalam indicate that
the form of the Lord is the shelter of those engaged in spiritual practices. How
can that which is auspicious for persons engaged in meditation be otherwise
(abominable due to being destroyed through burning)? By the word sva-tanuà,
which is a karma-dhäraya-samäsa, an appositional compound, conformity with

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the constitutional qualities in the form of the Lord (the blueness of the blue
lotus) has been firmly established.
“Thereafter, to refute the yogis’ misconceptions, it has been said that
though it is true that the Lord engaged in ägneyé meditation, He nevertheless
entered His own abode without burning His form by ägneyé meditation. So in
order to teach yogis how to give up one’s body, the Lord first engaged in ägneyé
meditation and then made His own form disappear. This is the purport of this
verse; no other meaning is suitable. Therefore the statement ’without burning
His own form’ yields the meaning ’He burned a form that was created by His
independent illusory energy.’ That is why in the previously cited verse from
Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.30.40) it has been stated that the Supreme Lord
manifests His form out of His supreme will. An object that independently
manifests must also independently disappear. Therefore His engaging in
ägneyé meditation is also illusory. In Kåñëa-sandarbha, the phrase icchä-çaréré,
’who takes a body according to His desire,’ has been explained as
svecchä-prakäça, ’manifested by His own will,’ or ’the body of one’s desire,’ by
which He acts as He likes. This explanation is also possible. In that case it is to
be understood that simply by His supreme will He was the instigator of that
illusion. This explanation is also proper.” (Krama-sandarbha)
“The Lord, unlike the yogis who are capable of controlling their death,
entered His own abode, Vaikuëöha, without burning His own form through
ägneyé meditation. And the word adagdhvä, ’without burning,’ indicates that
His form is very pleasing to the eyes of people, in other words, it is the object
of meditation. Both explanations have been described in this verse.” (Çrédhara
Svämipäda)
“Some scholars interpret the phrase dhäraëä-dhyäna-maìgala to mean ’the
Lord burned His own form and emerged from that fire with a more effulgent
form like that of the pure Jambü River and then entered His own abode.’ The
purport is that the Lord showed those who are doubtful and opposed to the
concept that His form is spiritual that His form is unburnable by the fire of

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His own form.” (Çré Viçvanätha)
Commentaries on Çré Çukadeva’s statement to Çré Parékñit in Çrémad
Bhägavatam (11.31.11-13) are as follows:
“You should understand that the appearance and disappearance manifested
among mortal beings by the Supreme Lord, Çré Kåñëa, the cause of all causes,
are shows enacted by His illusory energy, just like the performance of an actor.
After He creates this universe, He enters into it as the Supersoul, and after
detaching Himself from the pastimes of this material world, He winds it up. By
the influence of His own transcendental glory, the Lord remains situated in
His eternal unmanifested kingdom. Apart from this, one need not accept
another meaning, because various opulences have been exhibited in His
present incarnation. If one asks, ’If the Lord was able to protect Himself then
why didn’t He remain within His own form for even for a moment longer?’ In
answer to this, it is said: Though the Lord is unlimitedly powerful and the only
cause of creation, maintenance, and destruction of innumerable universes,
thinking that His mundane mortal body would not be effective any more and
exhibiting the supreme destination of the self-realized souls, He did not wish
to keep His form after the killing of the mortal Yädavas, rather He took it to
His own abode. Otherwise, the above-mentioned self-realized souls would
disregard achieving the supreme destination and endeavor to remain in this
material world by achieving yogic perfections—so that this calamity may not
happen, in other words, to check this, the Lord enacts His disappearance
pastimes.” (Çrédhara Svämipäda)
“The phrase tanu-bhåj-jananäpyayehä [in Bhäg. 11.31.11] means ’resembling
the birth and death of embodied living beings.’ The Vedas state: ’Viñëu, the
Lord of all living entities, wanders within the universe. Though He does not
take birth like conditioned souls, He appears in various forms.’ In the Brahma
Puräëa it is said: ’In order to bewilder foolish people by His illusory energy,
Lord Viñëu manifests Himself as a born living entity though unborn and as a
dead living entity though deathless.’ Elsewhere it is stated: ’Lord Puruñottama

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exhibits His humanlike endeavors in order to bewilder the people of this
world. Moreover, though the Supreme Lord Viñëu does not personally accept a
material body, in order to bewilder sinful people He manifests Himself like a
mortal being and through His illusory energy He creates a dead body for
display. Actually the Supersoul, Lord Hari, is immortal, so how can there be a
dead body?’ It is stated in the Brahmäëòa Puräëa: ’Various Vedic statements
that apparently describe the nondifference of the living entities from the
Supreme Lord, Lord Viñëu’s accepting and giving up bodies like an ordinary
living entity, His miseries, the cutting and piercing of His body by the arrows
of His enemies, His defeat, and His dependence, in other words, His remaining
under the control of others, have all been stated to bewilder the sinful
demons. First Rukmiëé, the daughter of Bhéñmaka, and then Satyabhämä
disappeared in the forest. Both of them possess pure spiritual bodies, so they
did not give up their bodies like ordinary living entities.’” (Çré Madhväcärya
Bhägavata-tätparya)
“The Yädavas were not products of this material world, so what to speak of
Räma and Kåñëa.—In order to establish this conclusion, it is being said that
the activities of appearance and disappearance by the Yädavas, who are
eternal associates of the Lord and possess pure forms equal to that of the Lord,
are also illusory like those of Kåñëa. Such activities are exactly like those of a
magician who can kill or burn his or others’ bodies and then display them alive
again. The inconceivable omnipotent Lord is the cause of universal
creation—for Him such an exhibition of prowess is not very wonderful. In this
way:

sétayärädhito vahniç chäyä-sétäm ajéjanat

täà jahära daça-grévaù sétä vahni-puraà gatä
parékñä-samaye vahnià chäyä-sétä viveça sä
vahniù sétäà samänéya tat-purastäd anénayat

’When he was petitioned by mother Sétä, the fire-god, Agni, brought forth

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an illusory form of Sétä, and Rävaëa, who had ten heads, kidnapped the false
Sétä. The original Sétä then went to the abode of the fire-god. When Lord
Rämacandra tested the body of Sétä, it was the false, illusory Sétä that entered
the fire. At that time the fire-god brought the original Sétä from his abode and
delivered her to Lord Rämacandra.’ According to this statement from the
Båhad-agni Puräëa, materialists have misinterpreted the example of the
illusory or false pastimes of Rävaëa kidnapping Sétä, the transcendental
goddess of fortune, and the foolish persons’ misconceptions about personalities
like Çré Saìkarñaëa.
“What to speak of the Yädavas who possess transcendental spiritual bodies,
various other persons who are maintained by Kåñëa are also not subjected to
death. Was Kåñëa unable to protect His own associates, the Yädavas?
Therefore the Yädavas’ activities (such as giving up their bodies) are not real
pastimes, rather it is most reasonable to accept that they returned to Goloka in
their same bodies.
“If one argues that the Yädavas went back to Godhead in their own bodies,
but since the Lord was present, they had no distress of separation from Him;
but if the Lord was able to protect His own men, why didn’t He have other
associates advent like the Yädavas and remain for some time with them in this
world for the benefit of the living entities? The conclusive answer stated in
this verse is that both the Lord and the Yädavas have uninterrupted affection
for each other. Although the Lord is unlimitedly powerful, after causing the
disappearance of the Yädavas, He thought, ’What is the necessity for Me to
remain in this world without the Yädavas?’ With this in mind, the Lord
disclosed that His destination was the same as that attained by the Yädavas,
who had returned to the Lord’s abode, and thus He no longer wished to keep
His form in this world for even a moment, so He took it to His own abode.”
(Krama-sandarbha)
“Çré Çukadeva solaces Parékñit Mahäräja, who was distressed on hearing
about the disappearance of the Lord and His associates from the eyes of the

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world, by describing the conclusive truths regarding the Lord’s pastimes. One
should know that the Lord’s activities of birth and death like ordinary
embodied souls are simply acts of illusion. They are neither factual nor real.
Both the birth and death of living entities who possess bodies made of semen
and blood are full of happiness and distress, but both the appearance and
disappearance of the Supreme Lord, who possesses a spiritual body, are
completely full of spiritual happiness. In the Brahmäëòa Puräëa it is stated:
’The form of Lord Hari is devoid of mundane abomination and delight, but
words like “acceptance” and “rejection,” which are found in His activities, are
to be understood as His appearance and disappearance.’ They are just like the
exhibition of a magician, who (while remaining in his living state) manifests
his and others’ false birth and death. Due to the curse of the sages, the Lord
first personally created the great disturbance, the interfamily quarrel, and the
interfamily fighting with weapons, and He thereafter joined the mortal
Yädavas, took up a cane stalk weapon, and, after sporting with them for some
time, killed them, all the while remaining aloof on the strength of His illusory
energy.
“Although the Lord is supremely opulent and unlimitedly powerful, after
sending the demigods who had merged among the Yädavas back to heaven, He
did not personally desire to keep His body or His associate Yädavas’ bodies in
this world; rather, He desired to make them disappear, because there was no
need for them to remain in this world. In other words, the Lord had no need
of the material world, but He had need of His own abode, Goloka. Since the
Lord appeared in this world due to the prayers of Brahmä and the other
demigods of heaven, again, simply by their prayers, the Lord exhibited to
Brahmä and the other demigods of heaven His return to Vaikuëöha. This is
clearly being explained in this verse. If one gives a contrary explanation to
this, then it would contradict Uddhava’s statement in the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(3.2.11), and it will be unacceptable to the pure devotees. That such an
explanation is demoniac and unacceptable to the devotees was personally
declared by Uddhava in the previous verse of Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.2.10) as

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follows: ’Being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord, those who were
mortal Yädavas and those who were averse and inimical to the Lord, like
Çiçupäla, criticized the Lord. My heart is surrendered to Kåñëa, so let my
intelligence never be bewildered by such criticism. In other words, those
whose intelligence is bewildered by such criticism are certainly fooled by
mäyä.’” (Çré Viçvanätha)
In his commentary on Mahäbhärata (2.79-83) Çré Madhväcärya has stated:
“Nowhere is it mentioned that Lord Viñëu takes birth like an ordinary living
entity, so where is the question of His death? He is not to be killed or
bewildered by anyone. Where is the question of misery for the independent
Supreme Lord, who is full of eternal bliss? Although the Supreme Lord Hari
has mastery over the entire universe, He nevertheless exhibits Himself as weak
as an ordinary farmer in the course of His eternal pastimes. But even though
in the course of His pastimes He sometimes forgets His own identity, He
sometimes searches for Sétä while suffering the distress of separation like a
hen-pecked husband, and sometimes He is bound by the ropes of Indrajit, it
should be known that these pastimes are simply meant for bewildering the
demons. His pastimes like being bewildered by the arrows of the demons,
wiping the blood from His open wound, inquiring from others like an ignorant
person, and giving up His body and going to heaven are performed like the
drama of an actor simply to bewilder the demons. The devotees, however,
know these pastimes as illusory, in other words, they know that these pastimes
are simply false deceit. The appearance and disappearance pastimes of Lord
Çré Hari are not like those of ordinary embodied living entities, rather they are
all completely faultless. Apart from this, whatever reverses we see bewilder
even simple, ignorant, pious persons and what to speak of the miscreants. It is
to be understood that these pastimes of the Supersoul, Lord Hari, are to award
fruits to the living entities according to their respective mentalities.”
From the same commentary on Mahäbhärata (32.33-34) it is stated:
“Although the Supreme Lord and master of all living entities, Acyuta, is

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sac-cid-änanda-vigraha, in His disappearance pastimes of incarnations in
which He does not exhibit illusion or mäyä during His appearance, He
imitates an ordinary living entity giving up his body in order to bewilder the
demons and send them to the darkest regions of hell by creating a material
body that resembles a rejected dead body and, after leaving it lying on the
ground, He personally goes to Vaikuëöha.”
One should refer to verses 18-36 of the Çudhi-saurabha section of the
Yukti-mallikä, which was written by the lionlike logician, Çré Vädaräja Svämé,
who is celebrated as the second Madhväcärya in the Çré Madhva-sampradäya.
In verses 37-39 it is said: “If one sees sandalwood with his eyes, then knowledge
about the fragrance of that sandalwood is obtained. In this process the eyes
take the help of the nose, otherwise if one had not previously smelled the
fragrance of sandalwood he could not obtain knowledge of its fragrance by
seeing it with his eyes. Similarly, other evidence takes help from the Vedas to
establish the meaning of knowledge acquired by hearing. Because the evidence
of the Vedas is prominent in realization of transcendental subject matters,
other evidence like pratyakña (direct perception) and anumäna (hypothesis),
which are dependent on the Vedas, are unable to serve the purpose of
understanding transcendental subject matters due to their conflicting nature.
Therefore in considering the Absolute Truth, the faulty vision of ignorant
people cannot be considered evidence.”
Apart from all this, one should carefully discuss Bhagavad-gétä, Chapter 4,
verses 6, 9, and 14, Chapter 7, verses 6-7 and 24-25, Chapter 9, verses 8-9 and
11-13, Chapter 10, verses 3 and 8, and Chapter 16, verses 19 and 20.
The word ati-alakñite is explained in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.31.8-9),
wherein Çré Çukadeva speaks to Çré Parékñit as follows: “Most of the demigods
and other higher beings led by Brahmä could not see Lord Kåñëa as He was
entering His own abode, since He did not reveal His movements. But some of
them did catch sight of Him, and they were extremely amazed. Just as ordinary
men cannot ascertain the path of a lightning bolt as it leaves a cloud, the

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demigods could not trace out the movements of Lord Kåñëa as He returned to
His abode. [Only His associates could see.]”

TEXT 105

prabhu-päda-padma lakñmé dhariyä hådaya

dhyäne gaìgä-tére devé karilä vijaya

TRANSLATION

She thus took the lotus feet of the Lord in her heart and in deep meditation
departed to the bank of the Ganges.

TEXTS 106-108

ekhäne çacéra duùkha nä päri kahite

käñöha dravye äira se krandana çunite

se-sakala duùkha-rasa nä päri varëite

ataeva kichu kahiläìa sütra-mate

sädhu-gaëa çuni’ baòa hailä duùkhita

sabe äsi’ kärya karilena yathocita

TRANSLATION

I cannot describe Mother Çacé’s grief; even wood melted on hearing her cry.
Since I am unable to narrate such distressful pastimes, I have described them
only in brief. All the devotees were grief-stricken on hearing about Lakñmé’s

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disappearance, and they duly performed her last rites.

COMMENTARY

Thinking about the vacant situation in the house of her jewel-like son, Çré
Gaurasundara, who was more dear than her own life, Çacédevé merged in an
ocean of indescribable misery and began to lament in pathetic words that
melted even stone. Meanwhile, being also afflicted with distress, the pious
neighbors faithfully completed the disappearance festival of Lakñmépriyä-devé.

TEXT 109

éçvara thäkiyä kata-dina baìga-deçe

äsite haila icchä nija-gåha-väse

TRANSLATION

After staying in East Bengal for some time, the Lord desired to return home.

TEXT 110

’tabe gåhe prabhu äsibena’,—hena çuni’

yä’ra yena çakti, sabe dilä dhana äni’

TRANSLATION

When the people of East Bengal heard that the Lord was returning home,
they brought various gifts and wealth according to their capacity.

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 TEXTS 111-112

suvarëa, rajata, jala-pätra, divyäsana

suraìga-kambala, bahu-prakära vasana

uttama padärtha yata chila yä’ra ghare

sabei santoñe äni’ dilena prabhure

TRANSLATION

They happily gave the Lord gold, silver, waterpots, äsanas, colorful blankets,
various clothing, and whatever other fine items they had in their homes.

COMMENTARY

The phrase suraìga-kambala refers to a bright, beautiful, attractive, colored

blanket—in this case a colored shawl (?).

TEXT 113

prabhu o sabära prati kåpä-dåñöi kari’

parigraha karilena gauräìga çré-hari

TRANSLATION

Lord Gauräìga glanced mercifully at everyone as He accepted their gifts.

TEXT 114

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 santoñe sabära sthäne haiyä vidäya
nija-gåhe calilena çré-gauräìga-räya

TRANSLATION

After taking leave from them, Lord Gauräìga happily started for home.

TEXT 115

aneka paòuyä saba prabhura sahite

calilena prabhu-sthäne tathäi paòite

TRANSLATION

Many students came to Navadvépa with the Lord to continue studying under
Him.

COMMENTARY

While the Lord was returning from East Bengal, some students came with
Him to Navadvépa in order to study from Him.

TEXT 116

henai samaye eka sukåti brähmaëa

ati-säragrähé, näma—miçra tapana

TRANSLATION

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 Meanwhile, a pious swanlike brähmaëa named Tapana Miçra arrived there.

COMMENTARY

The phrase sukåti brähmaëa is explained as follows: In this universe,

brahmanism, or knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, is the highest platform
and the ultimate goal of all pious activities. If a knower of Brahman engages
his mind in serving the lotus feet of the Supreme Brahman, Lord Viñëu, then
the limit of his fortune is incomparable. In the Garuòa Puräëa it is stated: “It
is said that out of thousands of brähmaëas, one is qualified to perform
sacrifices, and out of many thousands of such qualified brähmaëas expert in
sacrificial offerings, one learned brähmaëa may have passed beyond all Vedic
knowledge. He is considered the best among all these brähmaëas. And yet, out
of thousands of such brähmaëas who have surpassed Vedic knowledge, one
person may be a viñëu-bhakta, and he is most famous. Out of many thousands
of such Vaiñëavas, one who is completely fixed in the service of Lord Kåñëa is
most famous.” Such a person is called säragrähé, or swanlike. The opposite of
säragrähé is bhäravähé, or asslike. In other words, those who are unable to
understand the purport of the Vedas and literatures in pursuance of the Vedas
and who are busy with external considerations due to foolishness are
bhäravähé, not säragrähé. Materialists, karmis, and jïänés are called bhäravähés.
Only the pure devotees, or Vaiñëavas, are clever and intelligent. They give up
the worthless asslike mentality and become properly situated in understanding
the confidential purport of all scriptures.

TEXT 117

sädhya-sädhana-tattva nirüpite näre

hena jana nähi tathä, jijïäsibe yäì’re

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 TRANSLATION

He was confused about the goal of life and the means for attaining it.
Moreover, he could not find anyone to clear his confusion.

COMMENTARY

The process by which one attains his desired goal is called sädhana. The
devotional scriptures refer to this sädhana as abhidheya. Due to a lack of
knowledge concerning one’s relationship with the Lord, various new
concocted ways of attaining perfection are described and practiced by the
nondevotees. Austerities, worship, ritualistic ceremonies, vows, Vedic study,
practicing kumbhaka, püraka, and recaka by controlling the breath 1(10),
offering oblations to one’s forefathers, renunciation, äsanas, bathing three
times a day, visiting holy places, meditation and contemplation in order to
control the mind, and fruitive Deity worship are generally accepted as
sädhanas by asslike persons who are bewildered by the illusory energy of the
Lord. These sädhanas are simply other means of deceiving the living entities.
Actually, only Vaiñëavas are qualified to ascertain the goal of life and the
process for attaining it. But if persons who are devoid of devotion to Viñëu try
to ascertain the process for achieving the goal there is a great chance of being
misguided. Particularly, in comparison we can see that if one endeavors to
ascertain the process for achieving the goal of life with the help of mental
speculation, it will invite mistakes, illusions, and obstacles and one will not
reach the eternal, ultimate goal of life.
While considering the goal of life, the salvationists mistakenly conclude
that achieving freedom from the threefold miseries is the sädhya, or goal of
life. The materialists consider immediate sense gratification is the goal of life,
and the salvationists ascertain that merging in the impersonal Brahman is the
goal of life. The root of their misconceptions is simply their mistakes and

1372
nothing else. The swanlike devotees of the Lord do not follow the conceptions
of either the salvationists or the materialists but accept love of God as the goal
of life. They know that both heavenly pleasures and merging into the
impersonal Brahman are simply fraud. Since proud scholars of various
communities in Bengal like the materialists, the karmis, and the jïänés were
ignorant about the actual science of sädhya and sädhana, when they were
asked about the goal of life and the means for attaining it by the sharply
intelligent pious brähmaëa Tapana Miçra, who was desirous of serving the
Lord and most qualified to accept the essence of the Vedas and their associate
literatures, he could not get a proper answer.

TEXT 118

nija-iñöa-mantra sadä jape rätri-dine

soyästi nähika citte sädhanäìga vine

TRANSLATION

He silently chanted his Kåñëa mantra day and night, but since he was not
practicing other important limbs of devotional service he could not achieve
peace.

COMMENTARY

The word soyästi (a corruption of the Sanskrit word svasti) means

“steadiness of the mind,” or “peacefulness.”
Though he was day and night engaged in chanting the mantras of his
worshipable Lord, he did not achieve peace of mind. In devotional scriptures
there are sixty-four limbs of sädhana described. And among these limbs of
sädhana, five limbs have been described as the best. Among these five, the

1373
topmost limb of sädhana, congregational chanting of the holy names of the
Lord, is the path demonstrated by Çré Caitanyacandra. None of the limbs of
devotional service can be performed properly until and unless one accepts the
support of chanting the holy names. Without sädhana, one can never achieve
peace of mind—the purport of this statement is that chanting the holy names,
the basis of pleasing Kåñëa, is the only sädhana, and until one develops love for
Kåñëa, which is the only sädhya, achieving perfection in sädhana is difficult
and incomplete.

TEXT 119

bhävite cintite eka-dina rätri-çeñe

susvapna dekhilä dvija nija-bhägya -vaçe

TRANSLATION

While disturbed in this way, late one night the fortunate brähmaëa had an
auspicious dream.

TEXT 120

sammukhe äsiyä eka deva mürtimän

brähmaëere kahe gupta caritra-äkhyäna

TRANSLATION

A demigod appeared before the brähmaëa Tapana Miçra and began to tell
him some confidential topics.

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 TEXT 121

“çuna, çuna, ohe dvija parama-sudhéra!

cintä nä kariha ära, mana kara’ sthira

TRANSLATION

“O sober brähmaëa, please listen. Steady your mind and do not worry.

TEXT 122

nimäi-paëòita-päça karaha gamana

teìho kahibena tomä’ sädhya-sädhana

TRANSLATION

“Go to Nimäi Paëòita. He will explain to you the goal of life and the means
for attaining it.

TEXT 123

manuçya nahena teìho—nara-näräyaëa

nara-rüpe lélä tä’ra jagat—käraëa

TRANSLATION

“He’s not an ordinary human being; He’s Nara-Näräyaëa Himself. He’s

performing His pastimes as a human being to deliver the people of the world.

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 TEXT 124

veda-gopya e-sakala nä kahibe kä’re

kahile päibe duùkha janma-janmäntare”

TRANSLATION

“Don’t disclose these facts to anyone, for this information is confidential

even to the Vedas. If you do, you’ll be unhappy birth after birth.”

COMMENTARY

The words veda-gopya indicate that the confidential purports of the Vedas
never manifest to ordinary people, but these confidential purports manifest
only in the heart of one who is an actual follower of the descending process, or
one who follows an äcärya. Whatever topics are understood by sense enjoyers
and renunciates with the assistance of their poor fund of knowledge are simply
the external meanings of the Vedas. Such topics are not the aim of those
genuine followers of the Vedas who are under the shelter of cultivating real
knowledge.

TEXT 125

antardhäna hailä deva, brähmaëa jägilä

susvapna dekhiyä vipra kändite lägilä

TRANSLATION

As the demigod disappeared, the brähmaëa woke from his sleep. After

1376
seeing that auspicious dream, he began to cry.

TEXT 126

’aho bhägya’ mäni’ punaù cetana päiyä

sei-kñaëe calilena prabhu dheyäiyä

TRANSLATION

Recovering from his trance, he exclaimed, “What good luck!” Then he

immediately left to see the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The phrase aho bhägya mäni’ means “considering himself extraordinarily

fortunate.”

TEXTS 127-128

vasiyä ächena yathä çré-gaurasundara

çiñya-gaëa-sahita parama-manohara

äsiyä paòilä vipra prabhura caraëe

yoòa-haste däëòäilä sabära sadane

TRANSLATION

As the enchanting Çré Gaurasundara was sitting with His students on the
bank of the Padmävaté River, Tapana Miçra came there and fell at His feet. He

1377
got up before everyone with his hands folded.

TEXT 129

vipra bale,—“ämi ati déna-héna jana

kåpä-dåñöye kara’ mora saàsära mocana

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa said, “I’m the most fallen wretch. Please deliver me from this
material existence by Your merciful glance.

TEXT 130

sädhya-sädhana-tattva kichui nä jäni

kåpä kari’ ämä’ prati kahibä äpani

TRANSLATION

“I am ignorant of the goal of life and the means for attaining it, therefore
kindly explain this to me.

TEXT 131

viñayädi-sukha mora citte nähi bhäya

kise juòäibe präëa, kaha dayä-maya

TRANSLATION

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 “I do not find any pleasure in material sense enjoyment, therefore, O
merciful Lord, please tell me how I can find relief.”

TEXT 132

prabhu bale,—“vipra! tomära bhägyera ki kathä

kåñëa-bhajibäre cäha, sei se sarvathä

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “O brähmaëa, what can be said about your good fortune?
Since you wish to worship Kåñëa, that is quite sufficient.

COMMENTARY

Due to heaps of pious activities accumulated from many lifetimes one’s

propensity for serving Kåñëa is awakened. This is the living entities’ only goal
of life in all respects. The word sarvathä means “in all respects.” Another
reading for this word is sarvadä, which means “that which bestows all desired
perfection.”

TEXT 133

éçvara-bhajana ati durgama apära

yuga-dharma sthäpiyäche kari paracära

TRANSLATION

“Worship of the Supreme Lord, however, is difficult to achieve. The Lord

1379
Himself personally teaches the principles of religion for the age.

COMMENTARY

Devotional service to the Lord is an extremely incomprehensible subject.

To begin, with questions such as, “Who is the Lord? Who are His servants?”
often bewilder the conditioned souls. Being maddened with pride, the
conditioned souls always consider themselves the supreme and thus desire
profit, adoration, and distinction from others. But those who possesses the
opposite mood, or those who possess nonduplicitous humility and surrender in
their hearts, are glorious. Only such pious souls engage in the devotional
service of the Lord. They neither exhibit any interest in their own sense
gratification nor do they accept worship from others. Persons who are devoid
of devotional service and full of anarthas always gratify their senses by always
accepting worship from others. In order to liberate these fallen conditioned
souls from their excessive anarthas, the Supreme Lord and His devotees preach
topics of the Lord from time to time, and as a result, the yuga-dharma, the
religion of the age, is established. Time is generally divided into four
ages—Kåta (Satya), Dväpara, Tretä, and Kali. In the beginning, when there
was no scarcity of simplicity in the hearts of the living entities, it was possible
for them to meditate on the Supreme Lord in their hearts; therefore this age is
known as Kåta-yuga. Later on, the performance of sacrifice for the worship of
Lord Viñëu, Yajïeçvara, was established as the yuga-dharma. Since
three-fourths of religious principles were maintained in this age, it is known as
Tretä-yuga. When half of the religious principles were maintained, the temple
worship of Lord Viñëu was established as the yuga-dharma. Because
two-fourths of religious principles were followed, the age is called
Dväpara-yuga. Thereafter the two-fourths of religious principles gradually
diminished, and only one-fourth remained in the beginning of Kali-yuga. In
Kali-yuga, even the one-fourth principles of religion have begun to diminish.
Therefore there cannot be any means of progress other than congregational

1380
chanting of the holy names of the Lord. The only yuga-dharma for the Age of
Kali is congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. Wherever
propagation of Kåñëa’s names and topics is lacking, there will be temple
ceremonies based on solitary worship devoid of preaching, external
performances of sacrifice, and the process of meditation and remembrance
also based on solitary worship. The Supreme Lord, Çré Kåñëa Caitanya,
established the superiority of näma-saìkértana over the three processes of the
three previous ages. It is to be understood that those who do not accept the
glories of kåñëa-saìkértana have never heard topics of pure devotional service
to the Lord.

TEXT 134

cäri-yuge cäri-dharma räkhi’ kñiti-tale

svadharma sthäpiyä-prabhu nija-sthäne cale

TRANSLATION

“He incarnates to establish four different religious principles in the four

different ages, and thereafter He returns to His own abode.

TEXT 135

pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm

dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya sambhavämi yuge yuge

TRANSLATION

“’To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to

1381
reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after
millennium.’

COMMENTARY

See Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 2, verse 18.

TEXT 136

Being sent by Vasudeva, Maharñi Garga, the family priest of the Yadus,
came to the house of Nanda Mahäräja in Vraja. After being properly
worshiped by Nanda, in order to fulfil his own desire and the prayer of Nanda
Mahäräja, he secretly performed the name-giving purificatory rite of the
twice-born to both Balaräma and Kåñëa. While narrating Their glories, he first
explained the meaning of the name Balaräma and then explained the meaning
of the name Kåñëa as follows:

äsan varëäs trayo hy asya gåhëato ’nuyugaà tanüù

çuklo raktas tathä péta idänéà kåñëatäà gataù

TRANSLATION

“’Your son Kåñëa appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the

past, He assumed three different colors—white, red and yellow—and now He
has appeared in a blackish color. [In another Dväpara-yuga, He appeared (as
Lord Rämacandra) in the color of çuka, a parrot.] All such incarnations have
now assembled in Kåñëa.’

COMMENTARY

In this way, with a desire to gradually describe the birth of the Supreme

1382
Lord, or with a desire to expand the glories of the Supreme Lord according to
the sucé-kaöäha-nyäya (or according to the principal that one should first
perform the easier activity and later perform the harder one) Garga Muni first
described the meaning of the name Balaräma and then, after concealing the
kåñir-bhü-väcakaù çabdaù 1(11) meaning of the name of Kåñëa, he awards in
this verse the name Kåñëa because He has a beautiful sweet blackish
complexion. This (your) son previously appeared in the three different ages of
Satya, Tretä, and Dväpara in three different colors, beginning with white. The
word hi is used to express certainty or well-known. He has appeared at the
beginning of Kali-yuga just like He had formerly appeared in blackish form.
Although from the philosophical point of view this sac-cid-änanda form and
the owner of the form is nondifferent and although this blackish form of
Kåñëa is eternal, Garga Muni has spoken in this way in order to conceal this
fact. Otherwise there will be a possibility that people will consider Him the
Supreme Lord Näräyaëa, who also possesses an eternal blackish form.
Otherwise this verse can be interpreted in the following way:
“’This (your) son repeatedly accepts forms of three colors beginning with
white, but now He has appeared as your son with an enchanting blackish
form.’ Such statements were spoken simply for the pleasure of Çré Nanda
Mahäräja. In this way because He is the source of the names and forms of all
His incarnations, He has manifested as Kåñëa. This meaning can also be seen.”
(Çré Sanätana Prabhu’s Båhad-vaiñëava-toñaëé)
“The Supreme Lord, who has now appeared in the form of this boy, appears
in every yuga in one of three colors, such as white or red. But now on account
of accepting a body (or on account of incarnating) as your son, He is still
nondifferent from Çré Kåñëa or Çré Näräyaëa; in other words, by His form and
qualities this boy is equal to Them. Also in the following 19 th verse [Bhäg.
10.8.19] it will be concluded: “He is equal to Näräyaëa in qualities.” In this way
His previous behavior is described. Therefore on account of His (this sweet

1383
form’s) eternal supreme attractiveness, the name Kåñëa should be understand
as His principle name. This is the purport.” (Krama-sandarbha)
“In this way, with a desire to describe the birth of the Supreme Lord, he
[Garga] first revealed the names of Çré Baladeva and thereafter, in this verse,
he reveals the names of Çré Kåñëa. The Supreme Lord in the form of this boy,
who in every yuga repeatedly accepts bodies of three colors such as white, has
now taken an enchanting blackish form as your son. The explanation is that
due to the independent use of the phrase ’accepting a body,’ this action is
being described as similar to a mystic feat. In that case, by His accepting the
white and other colored forms, the nature of Çré Näräyaëa is revealed, and He
is ultimately worshiped in those forms. By worshiping one of the former
incarnations, who assume various colors such as white and who are expansions
of Näräyaëa, one achieves similar qualities and color; but now by worshiping
this blackish boy, who is famous as Näräyaëa, one achieves color and qualities
similar to His. In the following 19th verse it will be explained that ’this boy is
equal to Näräyaëa in qualities.’ In this way His previous activities were
revealed and the great devotee Çré Nanda was also pleased.
“Due to being situated on the platform of supreme attractiveness, it should
be understood that the name ’Kåñëa’ is His principle name. Therefore (not
only in form) in name also He is Kåñëa. This meaning is also applicable. The
Supreme Lord, who takes different bodies in different yugas, manifests in
three different colors. Among them, the white incarnations, the red
incarnations, the yellow incarnations, and other incarnations that have
different symptoms and colors (in other words, those incarnations who appear
in other Dväpara-yugas and resemble the color of a parrot) all of Them have
now at the time of His appearance merged into the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, in the blackish form of this boy. Because He has personally appeared
after gathering together all of His expansions, He is the original Personality of
Godhead, Kåñëa. In other words, because He has transformed all of His
expansions into a blackish form, and because He has attracted everyone, His

1384
primary name is Kåñëa. Since within the meaning of the name Kåñëa all
greatest happiness and all objects are included, the above-mentioned
explanations are appropriate. Therefore such a great name is natural for Him.
Just as all Vedic knowledge is included within the praëava oàkära, all names
of Viñëu are included within the name of Kåñëa and all forms of Viñëu are
included within the form of Kåñëa. This is reasonable because the names of all
viñëu-tattvas are adjectives to the name Kåñëa, which is a noun. And in the
verse of the Prabhäsa-khaëòa that states: ’The sweetest of the sweet and the
most auspicious of all auspicious things,’ the name ’Kåñëa’ is mentioned at the
very end. And elsewhere it is stated: ’O killer of the enemies, among all the
names of Viñëu, this name of Mine, Kåñëa, is the principle. Therefore the first
syllable of the name Kåñëa is also celebrated as the mahä-mantra.’” (Çré Jéva
Prabhu’s Laghu-toñaëé)

TEXT 137

kali-yuga-dharma haya näma-saìkértana

cäri yuge cäri dharma jévera käraëa

TRANSLATION

“The yuga-dharma for the Age of Kali is the congregational chanting of the
holy names of the Lord. The four religious principles for the four ages are all
meant for the deliverance of the conditioned souls.

TEXT 138

How does the Supreme Lord destroy the great faults of Kali-yuga? In answer
to this question from Parékñit, Çukadeva describes the one great quality among

1385
the great faults of Kali-yuga as follows:

kåte yad dhyäyato viñëuà tretäyäà yajato makhaiù

dväpare paricaryäyäà kalau tad dhari-kértanät

TRANSLATION

“’Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viñëu, in

Tretä-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dväpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s
lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kåñëa
mahä-mantra.’

TEXT 139

ataeva kali-yuge näma-yajïa sära

ära kona dharma kaile nähi haya pära

TRANSLATION

“Therefore the essence of all religious principles in the Age of Kali is the
sacrifice of chanting the holy names of the Lord. One cannot be delivered by
following any other religious principles.

COMMENTARY

There are different processes for achieving the goal of life in the four
different yugas. While describing the sädhana for Kali-yuga, the performance
of sacrifice by chanting the holy names of Kåñëa has been described.
Therefore the living entities cannot obtain their goal of life by either temple
worship, sacrificial performance, or meditation. Foolish people give up the
chanting of Kåñëa’s names and take shelter of either temporary fruitive
1386
activities or mental speculation, in the form of pursuing impersonal Brahman.
By such activities they can neither gratify their senses by attaining heaven
nor can they attain liberation from material bondage.

TEXT 140

rätri-dina näma laya khäite çuite

täìhära mahimä vede nähi päre dite

TRANSLATION

“The Vedas are unable to fully describe the glories of one who chants the
Lord’s names day and night, while even eating and sleeping.

COMMENTARY

Those in this world who desire to please the Supreme Lord by constantly
chanting the holy names of the Lord while performing their daily activities are
glorified by the Vedic literatures as liberated souls, because they are attached
to always remembering the Lord. Ordinary mundane foolish people who are
unable to understand such topics say that the glorification in the Vedas is not
meant for these persons, so they should not constantly chant the holy name of
the Lord. In order to open such persons’ eyes, which are blinded by the
darkness of ignorance, the most merciful author has stated that even the
Vedas are unable to properly describe the transcendental glories of a person
who is engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord. The purport is that
the Vedas do not consider it proper to reveal the glories of persons who are
engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord because they are beyond the
jurisdiction of ordinary mundane persons’ material knowledge. So if it is said
that the Vedas describe subject matters suitable for ordinary foolish

1387
materialistic persons, then such persons will understand that the glories of
those who are engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord are beyond the
topics of the Vedas—they are extraordinary and situated on a higher platform.
Generally the external purpose of the Vedas is to bring living entities who are
forced to enjoy the fruits of their activities to an honest path through rules
and regulations. The Vedas have nothing to prescribe or prohibit for those
who are constantly engaged in hearing, chanting, and remembering topics of
the Supreme Lord. This natural propensity is situated in the core of their
hearts. The holy names of the Lord are completely spiritual objects. They are
not designations or sounds perceivable by the senses of the enjoyment prone
living entities of this world. Therefore one who has taken shelter of the holy
names of the Lord, who is the only worshipable object of both animate and
inanimate worlds, is certainly a supremely liberated soul; it is impossible to
evaluate him by worldly standards.

TEXT 141

çuna miçra, kali-yuge nähi tapa-yajïa

yei jana bhaje kåñëa, täì’ra mahä-bhägya

TRANSLATION

“Please listen, dear Miçra, there is no other austerity or sacrifice prescribed

in this Age of Kali. One who worships Kåñëa is most fortunate.

COMMENTARY

What to speak of mundane methods for achieving the goal of life, such as
jïäna and karma, performing the meditation of Satya-yuga, performing the
sacrifices of Tretä-yuga, or performing the temple worship of Dväpara-yuga

1388
cannot bear any fruit in Kali-yuga. Therefore there is no one more fortunate
than one who always worships Lord Hari under the shelter of the holy names,
which are nondifferent from Kåñëa.

TEXT 142

ataeva gåhe tumi kåñëa-bhaja giyä

kuöinäöi parihari’ ekänta haiyä

TRANSLATION

“Therefore go back to your home and worship Lord Kåñëa with full
attention, giving up all duplicity.

COMMENTARY

“O Tapana Miçra, serve Kåñëa while remaining a householder.” The prefix

ku refers to prohibited activities, and the syllable nä has the same meaning.
The cheating propensity is also known as kuöinäöi; in other words, if one gives
up the improper desire to cultivate sädhanas that bestow the four deceitful
objects of dharma, artha, käma, and mokña as the goal of life and takes
undeviating shelter of the holy names of Kåñëa, then he can awaken love for
Kåñëa. Sense enjoyers, fruitive workers, yogis, and mental speculators do not
endeavor to obtain love for Kåñëa; they are busy gratifying their own
temporary senses. By such activities, however, they do not actually achieve
any eternal benefit. If such insignificant desires are prominent in one’s heart,
then the taste for chanting the names of Kåñëa will not awaken.

TEXT 143

1389
 sädhya-sädhana-tattva ye kichu sakala
hari-näma-saìkértane milibe sakala

TRANSLATION

“By congregationally chanting the holy names you achieve everything,

including the goal of life and the means for attaining it.

COMMENTARY

Love of Kåñëa is the sädhya, and congregational chanting the names of

Kåñëa is the sädhana. Any questions that may arise in this regard can be
resolved only by chanting the names of Kåñëa. The uselessness of the
insignificant desires of the sense enjoyers, fruitive workers, and mental
speculators is easily realized by persons who are under the shelter of the holy
names through the process of saìkértana.

TEXT 144

harer näma harer näma harer nämaiva kevalam

kalau nästy eva nästy eva nästy eva gatir anyathä

TRANSLATION

In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is

chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other
way. There is no other way.

1390
 TEXT 145

hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare

hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare

TRANSLATION

Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa Hare Hare/ Hare Räma Hare Räma
Räma Räma Hare Hare.

TEXT 146

ei çloka näma bali’ laya mahä-mantra

çola-näma batriça-akñara ei tantra

TRANSLATION

“This verse is called the mahä-mantra. It contains sixteen holy names of the
Lord composed of thirty-two syllables.

COMMENTARY

These sixteen holy names composed of thirty-two syllables in the form of

an address are called the mahä-mantra. According to the process of
Païcarätra, this mahä-mantra should be chanted both in japa and in loud
kértana. For one who chants this mahä-mantra in loud kértana, the seed of love
of God sprouts within his heart by the influence of that loud kértana; and by
the progressive mercy of the holy names, that person soon becomes expert in
the science of the goal of life and the process for attaining it. But if one’s

1391
chanting is either mixed with concocted overlapping mellows or simply for the
purpose of musical entertainment, or if one thinks the holy names should only
be chanted in japa and one thus becomes averse to loud kértana, then he is
surely producing offenses rather than love of God. The science of the goal of
life and the means for attaining it never manifest in the hearts of those who
are determined to commit such offenses. Such offensive rebels against the
spiritual masters are tightly bond by the chains of mäyä. They continue to be
envious of the pure devotees, and instead of attaining auspiciousness, they go
to hell forever.

TEXT 147

sädhite sädhite yabe premäìkura habe

sädhya-sädhana-tattva jänibä se tabe”

TRANSLATION

“If you continually chant this mahä-mantra, the seed of love of God will
sprout in your heart. Then you will understand the goal of life and the process
for achieving it.”

TEXT 148

prabhura çré-mukhe çikñä çuni’ vipravara

punaù punaù praëama karaye bahutara

TRANSLATION

After hearing these instructions from the mouth of the Lord, Tapana Miçra,

1392
the best of the brähmaëas, repeatedly offered obeisances to the Lord.

TEXT 149

miçra kahe,—“äjïä haya, ämi saìge äsi”

prabhu kahe,—“tumi çéghra yäo väräëasé

TRANSLATION

Tapana Miçra then said, “Please allow me to live with You,” and the Lord
replied, “You should immediately go to Väräëasé.

COMMENTARY

When Tapana Miçra expressed his desire to accompany the Lord to Çré
Mäyäpur, he was instructed by the Lord to go to Väräëasé, where scriptural
conclusions averse to the Absolute Truth are prominent. The purport is that
there were many Mäyävädés under the shelter of speculative knowledge and
opposed to the chanting of the holy names of the Lord residing in Väräëasé.
Later on, when Tapana Miçra will ask the Lord about the topics of sädhya and
sädhana and when the Lord will personally present the scriptural conclusions
on sädhya and sädhana, then persons who desire liberation will be delivered
from that mentality and obtain the opportunity to serve the Lord without
duplicity by hearing these conclusions from the Lord. That is why the Lord
sent Tapana Miçra, His own devotee, to reside at Käçé.

TEXT 150

tathäi ämära saìge haibe milana

1393
 kahimu sakala-tattva sädhya-sädhana”

TRANSLATION

“I will meet you there and explain to you the truths about the goal of life
and the process for attaining it.”

TEXT 151

eta bali’ prabhu täì’re dilä äliìgana

preme pulakita-aìga haila brähmaëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord then embraced him, and out of ecstatic love the hairs of Tapana
Miçra stood on end.

TEXT 152

päiyä vaikuëöha-näyakera äliìgana

paränanda-sukha päilä brähmaëa takhana

TRANSLATION

Tapana Miçra felt spiritual ecstasy after receiving the Lord of Vaikuëöha’s
embrace.

TEXT 153

1394
 vidäya-samaye prabhura caraëe dhariyä
susvapna-våttänta kahe gopane vasiyä

TRANSLATION

At the time of departure he caught hold of the Lord’s feet and confidentially
described the incident of his dream.

TEXT 154

çuni’ prabhu kahe,—“satya ye haya ucita

ära kä’re nä kahibä e-saba carita”

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled and said, “Whatever you have dreamt is true, but don’t
disclose this to anyone.”

TEXT 155

punaù niñedhilä prabhu sayatna kariyä

häsiyä uöhilä çubha-kñaëa-lagna päïä

TRANSLATION

The Lord again forbade Tapana Miçra from disclosing accounts of his dream
to anyone, and at an auspicious moment He smiled and got up to leave.

1395
 COMMENTARY

After conversing with Tapana Miçra, the Lord began His return journey
from East Bengal to Navadvépa at an auspicious moment. Realizing that an
auspicious moment had arrived, the Lord smiled and happily started for home.

TEXT 156

hena-mate prabhu baìga-deça dhanya kari’

nija-gåhe äilena gauräìga çré-hari

TRANSLATION

In this way Lord Gauräìga purified the land of East Bengal and then
returned home.

TEXT 157

vyavahäre artha-våtti aneka laiyä

sandhyä-käle gåhe prabhu uttarilä giyä

TRANSLATION

Acting like an ordinary person, the Lord returned home in the evening with
a large load of gifts that He had received.

COMMENTARY

The word vyavahäre means “following in the footsteps of worldly customs or

1396
behavior.”
After acquiring fame, adoration, respect, and extraordinary wealth, which
is needed for purchasing daily requirements, the Lord returned to Navadvépa
in the evening. From this, one should not understand that He left East Bengal
and arrived in Mäyäpur on the evening of the same day. Rather it should be
understood that the Lord passed a few days on the way.
By the word våtti (vitta?) wealth and other riches should be understood.
Refer to verses 111-112, which state: “They happily gave the Lord gold, silver,
waterpots, äsanas, colorful blankets, various clothing, and whatever other fine
items they had in their homes.” All these things were brought by the Lord and
offered to Mother Çacé.

TEXT 158

daëòavat kailä prabhu janané-caraëe

artha-våtti sakala dilena tä’na sthäne

TRANSLATION

Upon arriving home, the Lord offered obeisances at the feet of His mother
and then gave her the gifts and wealth.

TEXT 159

sei-kñaëe prabhu çiñya-gaëera sahite

calilena çéghra gaìgä-majjana karite

1397
 TRANSLATION

The Lord and His students then immediately went to the Ganges to take
bath.

TEXT 160

sei-kñaëe gelä äi karite randhana

antare duùkhitä, laïä sarva-parijana

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé immediately began to cook, although she and the other family
members were all aggrieved.

TEXT 161

çikñä-guru prabhu sarva-gaëera sahite

gaìgäre hailä daëòavat bahu-mate

TRANSLATION

The Lord is the instructing spiritual master of everyone. He therefore led

His students in offering repeated obeisances to the Ganges.

TEXT 162

kata-kñaëa jähnavéte kari’ jala-khelä

1398
 snäna kari’ gaìgä dekhi’ gåhete äilä

TRANSLATION

After enjoying the beauty of the Ganges and sporting in her waters for some
time, the Lord returned home.

TEXT 163

tabe prabhu yathocita nitya-karma kari’

bhojane vasilä giyä gauräìga çré-hari

TRANSLATION

Lord Gauräìga then performed His exemplary daily worship and sat down
to eat.

COMMENTARY

The phrase yathocita nitya-karma is explained as follows: By engaging in

their nitya-karma, or routine daily activities, the fruitive workers generally
obtain worldly and heavenly results. But the appropriate activities performed
by the Lord in order to awaken realization of the temporary nature of
karma-käëòa in the hearts of the living entities are called yathocita
nitya-karma.

TEXT 164

santoñe vaikuëöha-nätha bhojana kariyä

1399
 viñëu-gåha-dväre prabhu vasilä äsiyä

TRANSLATION

After the Lord of Vaikuëöha ate with satisfaction, He went and sat at the
door of the temple room.

TEXT 165

tabe äpta-varga äilena sambhäñite

sabei veòiyä vasilena cäri-bhite

TRANSLATION

At that time Nimäi’s family members came and sat around Him to speak
with Him.

TEXT 166

sabära sahita prabhu häsya-kathä-raìge

kahilena ye-mata ächilä baìge raìge

TRANSLATION

In their company, while laughing and conversing, the Lord described how
He happily spent His days in East Bengal.

TEXT 167

1400
 baìga-deçé-väkya anukaraëa kariyä
bäìgälere kadarthena häsiyä häsiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord burst into laughter as He imitated the pronunciation and speaking
of the people of East Bengal.

COMMENTARY

The phrase baìga-deçé-väkya anukaraëa refers to the words commonly

spoken in the villages of East Bengal. By imitating the people of East Bengal,
the Lord induced the people of Gauòa-deça to laugh; and since such words and
such language were not used or spoken by people in the capital, the Lord
intended to attribute faults on those words and that language. There are
different pronunciations for a word in different provinces, and there are
different methods for writing in different provinces. That is why even today
when persons of a particular province hear or speak the language of another
province they generally laugh and joke.

TEXT 168

duùkha-rasa haibeka jäni’ äpta-gaëa

lakñméra vijaya keha nä kare kathana

TRANSLATION

Knowing that the Lord would feel distressed, His relatives did not disclose
to Him about the disappearance of Lakñmé.

1401
 TEXT 169

kata-kñaëa thäkiyä sakala äpta-gaëa

vidäya haiyä gela, yä’ra ye bhavana

TRANSLATION

After passing some time with the Lord, the relatives left for their respective
homes.

TEXT 170

vasiyä karena prabhu tämbüla carvaëa

nänä-häsya-parihäsa karena kathana

TRANSLATION

The Lord laughed and joked as He sat and chewed betel.

TEXT 171

çacé-devé antare duùkhitä hai’ ghare

käche nä-äisena putrera gocare

TRANSLATION

Meanwhile the grief-stricken Mother Çacé remained out of His sight inside
the house.

1402
 TEXT 172

äpani calilä prabhu janané-sammukhe

duùkhita-vadanä prabhu jananére dekhe

TRANSLATION

The Lord then personally went before His mother and saw that she was
looking morose.

TEXT 173

jananére bale prabhu madhura vacana

“duùkhitä tomäre, mätä, dekhi ki-käraëa?

TRANSLATION

He then sweetly said to His mother, “O mother, I see you are very sad.
Please tell Me the reason.

TEXT 174

kuçale äinu ämi düra-deça haite

kothä tumi maìgala karibä bhäla-mate

TRANSLATION

1403
 “I successfully returned from a distant place, and you should be happy.

TEXT 175

ära tomä’ dekhi ati-duùkhita-vadana

satya kaha dekhi, mätä, ihära käraëa?”

TRANSLATION

“But on the contrary, I find you are distressed. Please tell Me the reason.”

TEXT 176

çuniyä putrera väkya äi adho-mukhe

kände mätra, uttara nä kare kichu duùkhe

TRANSLATION

Hearing her son’s words, Mother Çacé looked at the ground and began to
weep. Overcome by grief, she was unable to reply.

TEXT 177

prabhu bale,—“mätä, ämi jäninu sakala

tomära vadhura kichu bujhi amaìgala?”

TRANSLATION

1404
 The Lord said, “Dear mother, I know everything. Perhaps your
daughter-in-law has met with some misfortune?”

TEXT 178

tabe sabe kahilena,—“çunaha, paëòita!

tomära brähmaëé gaìgä päilä niçcita

TRANSLATION

Then everyone replied, “Listen, O Paëòita, Your wife has indeed left this
world.”

TEXT 179

patnéra vijaya çuni’ gauräìga çré-hari

kñaëeka rahilä prabhu heìöa mäthä kari’

TRANSLATION

When Lord Gauräìga heard about the disappearance of His wife, He bent
His head down and remained silent for a while.

TEXT 180

priyära viraha-duùkha kariyä svékära

tüñëé hai’ rahilena sarva-veda-sära

1405
 TRANSLATION

The Lord, who is the personification of the Vedas, accepted the misery of
separation from His wife and remained silent.

TEXT 181

lokänukaraëa-duùkha kñaneka kariyä

kahite lägilä nije dhéra-citta haiyä

TRANSLATION

After He lamented as an ordinary man for some time, He began to speak

with patience.

COMMENTARY

Just as an ordinary, mundane person feels distressed in separation from his

wife, the Lord somewhat imitated such behavior and then exhibited pastimes
of patience.

TEXT 182

By the assistance of Bhågu, when Mahäräja Bali, the king of the demons,
dethroned Indra, the King of heaven, and seized his opulences, fame, wealth,
and kingdom, Aditi, the mother of the demigods, became overwhelmed with
lamentation, approached her beloved husband, Maharñi Kaçyapa, offered
prayers, and inquired about possible means of reinstating her sons. In
astonishment, Kaçyapa speaks the following reply in the Çrémad Bhägavatam

1406
(8.16.19):

kasya ke pati-puträdyä moha eva hi käraëam

TRANSLATION

“Who in this material world is the husband, son, or friend of whom?

Actually no one is related with anyone. Nescience alone is the cause of this
misunderstanding.”

TEXT 183

prabhu bale,—“mätä, duùkha bhäva’ ki-käraëe?

bhavitavya ye äche, se khaëòibe kemane?

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “O mother, why are you feeling so sad? Who can check what
is destined to happen?

COMMENTARY

The word bhavitavya means “sure to happen,” “inevitable,” “prescribed,”

“fortune,” “providence,” “unforeseen destiny,” “writing on one’s forehead,” or
“the arrangement of providence.” By their own desires the living entities
accumulate pious and impious fruits. Avaçyam eva bhoktavyaà kåtaà karma
çubhäçubham—“A person must enjoy the fruits of his pious and impious
activities.” These fruits are finished only by enjoying them.

1407
 TEXTS 184-185

ei-mata käla-gati, keha kä’ro nahe

ataeva, ’saàsära anitya’ vede kahe

éçvarera adhéna se sakala-saàsära

saàyoga-viyoga ke karite päre ära?

TRANSLATION

“Such is the current of time. No one is related to anyone else, therefore the
Vedas declare that this material world is temporary. All universes are under the
control of the Supreme Lord. Who other than the Supreme Lord can unite or
separate people?

COMMENTARY

Only by the will of the Lord are living entities in this material world
separated or united, in other words, they take birth and die. No other hand or
authority is involved. The propensities of directing and being directed are
present in the living entities and the Supreme Lord. Although the living
entities have independence, because their desire for sense gratification is
incompatible they are forced to enjoy its bitter fruit. This unpalatable fruit is
limited to the conditioned souls’ field of enjoyment. Only on the strength of
worshiping the Supreme Lord can the living entities become freed from
mundane false ego and the conception of being the doer. Mäyä, the neglected
external energy of the Lord, punishes the living entities for misusing their
independence by torturing them with the threefold miseries produced from
the three modes of nature. Therefore in happiness and distress, in good
fortune or in bad—everywhere the auspicious hand of the Lord is present. In

1408
this mood everyone should give up illusion and turn towards the service of the
Supreme Lord. As a result, at some auspicious moment the necessity of praying
for the mercy of the Lord may arise in the minds of living entities.

TEXT 186

ataeva ye haila éçvara-icchäya

haila se kärya, ära duùkha kene täya?

TRANSLATION

“Therefore whatever has happened by the desire of the Supreme Lord was
destined. Why should you lament?

TEXT 187

sväméra agrete gaìgä päya ye sukåti

tä’ra baòa ära ke vä äche bhägyavaté?”

TRANSLATION

“Who is more fortunate and pious than a woman who leaves her body before
her husband dies?”

TEXT 188

ei-mata prabhu jananére prabodhiyä

rahilena nija-kåtye äpta-gaëa laiyä

1409
 TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord pacified His mother and then carried on with His
duties in the company of His friends.

TEXT 189

çuniyä prabhura ati amåta-vacana

sabära haila sarva-duùkha-vimocana

TRANSLATION

On hearing the Lord’s nectarean words, everyone was relieved of all

lamentation.

COMMENTARY

The Lord is Näräyaëa, the master of the spiritual world. He is not subjected
to being overcome by ignorance. He is directly vidyä-vadhü-jévanam—“the life
of all transcendental knowledge.” He is always engaged in relishing scholastic
pastimes.

TEXT 190

hena mate vaikuëöha-näyaka gaurahari

kautuke ächena vidyä-rase kréòä kari’

TRANSLATION

1410
 Thus Çré Gaurahari, the Lord of Vaikuëöha, happily enjoyed scholastic
pastimes in Navadvépa.

TEXT 191

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Fourteen, entitled, “The Lord’s
Travel to East Bengal and the Disappearance of Lakñmépriyä.”

Chapter Fifteen: Marriage with Çré Viñëupriyä

This chapter mainly describes the marriage pastimes of Gaura-Viñëupriyä.

Nimäi Paëòita regularly taught His students in the Caëòé-maëòapa,
situated in the courtyard of Mukunda Sanjay. If the Lord, who is the protector
of Sanätana-dharma, found any student without tilaka on his forehead, He
would embarrass him in such a way that the student would never return to
study without tilaka. The Lord would say, “The forehead of a brähmaëa that is
not decorated with tilaka is as good as the crematorium. This is the injunction

1411
of the scriptures.” Whenever the Lord saw His students without tilaka, He told
them that they have certainly not performed their morning rituals. Saying
this, the Lord again sent them home. When the students returned after duly
marking their bodies with tilaka, then they were eligible to study with the
Lord.
Nimäi Paëòita joked with and teased everyone. He particularly made fun of
the Çréhaööa residents’ pronunciation of words. The Lord, however, never
laughed or joked with any women. As soon as He saw a woman in the road, He
immediately came to the side or gave way. Conjugal activities as exhibited in
the pastimes of Kåñëacandra in this world were not displayed during the
appearance of Gaura. That is why mahäjanas and their followers, who know
the science of Gaura-Kåñëa, never address Gaurasundara as ’Nadéyä-nägara,’
or the amorous hero of Nadia, after the style of Kåñëa, who is the
personification of conjugal mellows. Simply by studying with the Lord for one
year students became expert in scriptural conclusions.
Meanwhile, Çacémätä, being anxious to marry her son for the second time,
had Käçénätha Paëòita arrange the marriage of Nimäi with the supremely
devoted daughter of Räja Paëòita Sanätana Miçra of Navadvépa. An
intelligent aristocrat named Buddhimanta Khän personally agreed to bear the
entire expenses of the Lord’s marriage. On an auspicious day at an auspicious
time the festival of Adhiväsa, or the appropriate rituals to be performed the
day before the marriage, were performed with great pomp. Riding on a
palanquin, the Lord arrived at the house of the Räja Paëòita at the auspicious
time of dusk. All the Vedic and social rituals were performed, and the
marriage pastimes of Viñëupriyä and Gaura, who are nondifferent from
Lakñmé-Näräyaëa were completed with great splendor. With a desire to please
Lord Viñëu, Sanätana Miçra offered his dearmost daughter in the hands of the
Lord and then also gave various gifts to his son-in-law. The next afternoon,
sitting on a palanquin with Viñëupriyä-devé, the Lord returned home admits a
continuous shower of flowers and the accompaniment of song, dance, and

1412
music. When Lakñmé-Näräyaëa were seated inside the house, the entire
universe began to glorify Them. If a living entity hears the eternal marriage
pastimes of Lakñmé-Näräyaëa, then he is cleansed of the desire for conjugal
happiness that joins together male and female in this material world as enjoyer
and object of enjoyment. At that time his good intelligence is awakened and
he understands that Lord Näräyaëa alone is the enjoyer of the entire universe.
When the Lord mercifully embraced Buddhimanta Khän, the happiness in his
heart knew no bounds.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya gauracandra jaya nityänanda

däna deha’ hådaye tomära pada-dvandva

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gauracandra, and all glories to Çré Nityänanda! Please give
Your lotus feet in charity to my heart.

COMMENTARY

The words däna deha’ mean “distribute mercy or compassion.”

TEXT 2

goñöhéra sahite gauräìga jaya-jaya

çunile caitanya-kathä bhakti labhya haya

TRANSLATION

1413
 All glories to Çré Gauräìga with His associates. One who hears the topics of
Lord Caitanya attains devotional service of the Lord.

TEXT 3

hena-mate mahäprabhu vidyära äveçe

äche güòha-rüpe, kä’re nä kare prakäçe

TRANSLATION

As the Lord remained absorbed in scholastic pastimes in this way, He lived

incognito without revealing Himself to anyone.

TEXT 4

sandhyä-vandanädi prabhu kari’ üñaù-käle

namaskari’ jananére paòäite cale

TRANSLATION

The Lord performed His daily worship in the early morning, and after
offering obeisances to His mother, He left for school.

COMMENTARY

For a description of sandhyä-vandana one may refer to the

Hari-bhakti-viläsa (3.140-155).
There are two types of sandhyä—Vedic and Tantric. Of the two, Vedic
sandhyä is briefly described as follows: “One should perform äcamana while

1414
chanting the mantra, oà tad viñëoù paramaà padaà sadä paçyanti sürayo
divéva cakñur ätatam—’The Personality of Godhead Viñëu is the Absolute
Truth, whose lotus feet all the demigods are always eager to see. Like the
sun-god, He pervades everything by the rays of His energy. He appears
impersonal to imperfect eyes.’ Thereafter a Vaiñëava should properly decorate
himself with tilaka and after washing his hands he should perform Vedic
sandhyä or Tantric sandhyä. It is stated in the Vyäsa-gétä of the Kürma Puräëa:
’One should properly sit facing east on a mat made of kuça grass and with a
controlled mind he should practice präëäyäma three times before engaging in
sandhyä meditation. This is the injunction of the Vedic literature.’ It is
described in the Manu-saàhitä: ’A brähmaëa should meditate on and chant
the mantra of goddess Sävitré, who is situated within the sun globe. Thereafter
he should perform sandhyä worship.’ It is also stated: ’A learned person should
sit facing east and with a controlled mind he should chant the Sävitré mantra.’
The sandhyä mantras are as follows: oà çanna äpo dhanvanyäù çamanaù santu
nüpyäù çannaù samudriyä äpaù çamanaù santu küpyäù—’May the waters from
the desert land, ocean, and well benefit us.’ oà drupäd iva mumucänaù çvinnaù
snäto maläd iva. Pütaà pavitreëeväjyamäpaù çuddhantu mainasaù.—’Just as by
taking bath in the pure water of a river one becomes cleansed of all dirt,
similarly may this water with its pure qualities purify me from my sinful
reactions.’ oà äpo hiñöhämayo bhuvastä na ürjje dadhätana. maheraëäya
cakñase.—’Pure water is the basis of the world; we will relish and worship the
pure taste of water.’ oà yo vaù çivatamorasas tasya bhäjayateha naù. uçatér iva
mätaraù. oà tasmä araìgamäma ye yasya kñayäya jinvatha. äpo janayathä ca
naù.—’As a child takes shelter of a mother and his bodily limbs are produced
from her, in the same way we are simply sustained by water.’ oà åtaà ca
satyaà cäbhéddhät tapaso’dhy ajäyataù. tato rätry ajäyata tataù samudro ’rëavaù.
samudräd-arëaväd-adhi-saàvatsaro ’jäyata. ahoräträëi vidadhad viçvasya miñato
vaçé sürya-candramasau dhätä yathä pürvam akalpayat. divaà ca påthivéà
cäntarékñam atho svaù.—’Be truthful and gentle. Perform austerity. From
austerity the night is born. From night the ocean is born. From ocean the

1415
whole year is born. On the pretext of accepting the universal form, the Lord
sustains days and night. Just like the previous kalpa, the Lord also created sun
and moon in this kalpa. He also created days, nights, skies, worlds, heavens,
and the spiritual worlds.’”
If one does not perform sandhyä then he incurs sin. It is stated: “A person
devoid of sandhyä is permanently impure and useless for everything. Whatever
he does will not yield any result. O best of the brähmaëas, a person who
neglects his sandhyä worship and endeavors for other religious activities
certainly goes to thousands of hells.”
Thereafter the procedure for Tantric sandhyä is explained as follows: “One
should worship the Lord of his mantra with water and various offerings. One
should also worship and make offerings to the Lord’s associates and servants.”
It is stated in Baudhäyana-småti: “A learned person worships Lord Hari by
pouring oblations of ghee in fire, by offering flowers in water, by meditating
on Him in the heart, and by meditating on Him as being present in the sun
globe.” In the conversation between Çré Vyäsadeva and Ambaréña Mahäräja
described in Padma Puräëa, it is stated: “Offering water to Hari in the sun
planet and in the water is the best form of worship.”
The process of Tantric sandhyä is as follows: “Thereafter one should chant
the müla-mantra and meditate on the lotus feet of Çré Kåñëa while chanting, ’I
am offering You this oblation of water.’ Chanting this, an intelligent person
should offer oblations of water to the Lord three times. One should properly
meditate on Kåñëa, who is situated in the sun globe, while chanting the
Käma-gäyatré mantra ten times. Thereafter one should pray to Kåñëa by
saying, ’Please forgive my offences,’ and then he should offer oblations to the
sun.”

TEXT 5

1416
 aneka janmera bhåtya mukunda-saïjaya
puruñottama-däsa haya yäìhära tanaya

TRANSLATION

Mukunda Saïjaya was the Lord’s servant for many lifetimes. His son was
known as Puruñottama Däsa.

TEXT 6

prati-dina sei bhägyavantera älaya

paòäite gauracandra karena vijaya

TRANSLATION

Gauracandra daily went to teach at the house of this fortunate person.

TEXT 7

caëòé-gåhe giyä prabhu vasena prathame

tabe çeñe çiñya-gaëa äisena krame

TRANSLATION

The Lord arrived first and sat in Caëòé-maëòapa. Thereafter the students
would gradually arrive there.

COMMENTARY

1417
 Just because there was a Caëòé-maëòapa in the courtyard of Mukunda
Saïjaya, no one should consider him a worshiper of goddess Caëòé.

TEXT 8

ito-madhye kadäcit keha kona dine

kapäle tilaka nä kariyä thäke bhrame

TRANSLATION

During this period sometimes by chance a student would forget to mark his
forehead with tilaka.

COMMENTARY

The word tilaka refers to when a person who is initiated as a Vaiñëava

marks twelve parts of his body above the waist—his forehead, stomach, chest,
throat, right waist, right arm, right shoulder, left waist, left arm, left shoulder,
upper back, and lower back—as temples of Hari, or ürdhva-puëòra (two
vertical lines). The forehead is one of these twelve places. In the Närada
Puräëa it is stated: “A Vaiñëava who marks his forehead with ürdhva-puëòra
immediately purifies the entire world.” The devotees of Viñëu always apply
ürdhva-puëòra, or tilaka, and the devotees of Çiva, who are averse to
devotional service to Viñëu, apply tripuëòra, or three lines. Çästric injunction
is that a king should take the initiated twice-born who does not wear tilaka, sit
him backwards on an ass, and have him driven out of town. Therefore every
initiated Vaiñëava must always wear tilaka. That is why the Lord, who is
jagad-guru, the teacher of everyone, gave such instructions in His childhood
pastimes. If one wants to worship Lord Viñëu, then he must accept the five
saàskäras related to initiation. Generally a twice-born undergoes ten kinds of

1418
saàskäras. Those who are lower than the twice-born undergo fifteen types of
saàskäras to become Vaiñëavas. Just as a brähmaëa is obliged to maintain a
pure brähmaëa thread, an initiated Vaiñëava is obliged to maintain çikhä,
brähmaëa thread, tilaka, and mälä.
For a description on how to apply tilaka, one should refer to the
Hari-bhakti-viläsa (4.66-98). It is stated in Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa: “A
practitioner should decorate his body with twelve marks while chanting the
names of the Lord such as Keçava.” The process for decorating the twelve
parts of the body with the twelve tilaka marks is as follows:

laläöe keçavaà dhyäyen näräyaëam athodare

vakñaù-sthale mädhavaà tu govindaà kaëöha-küpake
viñëuà ca dakñiëe kukñau bähau ca madhusüdanam
trivikramaà kandhare tu vämanaà väma-pärçvake
çrédharaà väma-bähau tu håñékeçaà tu kandhare
påñöhe ca padmanäbhaà ca kaöyäà dämodaraà nyaset
tat prakñälena-toyan tu väsudeväya mürdhani
ürdhva-puëòraà laläöe tu sarveñäà prathamaà småtam
laläöädi kremeëaiva dhäraëan tu vidhéyate

“When one marks the forehead with tilaka, he must remember Keçava.
When one marks the lower abdomen, he must remember Näräyaëa. For the
chest, one should remember Mädhava, and when marking the hollow of the
neck one should remember Govinda. Lord Viñëu should be remembered while
marking the right side of the belly, and Madhusüdana should be remembered
when marking the right arm. Trivikrama should be remembered when
marking the right shoulder, and Vämana should be remembered when
marking the left side of the belly. Çrédhara should be remembered while
marking the left arm, and Håñékeça should be remembered when marking the
left shoulder. Padmanäbha and Dämodara should be remembered when
marking the back. Then one should wash with water and remember Väsudeva

1419
while wiping the hand on the head. One should put on tilaka on the forehead
first. This is the rule. Then one should put on tilaka according to the
above-mentioned procedure.” The Lord has stated in Padma Puräëa: “My
devotees always put on tilaka, which destroys all kinds of fear.”
If one does not decorate his body with tilaka, he will incur sin. It is stated
by Närada Muni in Padma Puräëa: “If one performs sacrifice, gives in charity,
undergoes austerity, studies the Vedas, or offers oblations to the forefathers
without putting on tilaka, then all these activities will be useless. If a person
does not decorate his body with tilaka he is not to be seen, because his body is
as impure as a crematorium.” It is mentioned in the Äditya Puräëa: “A king
should put a fallen brähmaëa whose body is devoid of Vaiñëava marks of tilaka,
conch, and cakra on the back of donkey and drive him out of his kingdom.” It
is stated in Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa: “A person who performs any
activity like worshiping deities without putting on tilaka achieves no benefit.
There is no doubt about it. Know for certain that a person who performs
sandhyä without wearing tilaka is simply demoniac and surely goes to hell.”
Prohibition for wearing crooked or three-lined tilaka: It is stated in the
Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa: “A person who wears three-lined tilaka instead
of Vaiñëava tilaka is the lowest of men. Because of breaking the rules for
marking tilaka on the body, which is the abode of Lord Viñëu, such a person
certainly goes to hell.” It is stated in the Skanda Puräëa: “A person should not
wear crooked tilaka even if he is about to die, nor should he chant any names
other than the holy names of Näräyaëa. He should wear Vaiñëava tilaka, using
gopé-candana if available.” Elsewhere it is stated: “Learned person know that
there are prescriptions for the brähmaëas and devotees to wear Vaiñëava tilaka
and other people should wear three-lined tilaka. If one sees or touches a
brähmaëa who has put on three-lined tilaka rather than Vaiñëava tilaka, he
should take bath with his clothes on. A Vaiñëava should not wear three-lined
tilaka rather than proper Vaiñëava tilaka because such an act does not please
Lord Hari.” In the narrations about the month of Kärttika in the Skanda

1420
Puräëa it is stated: “One should not see a person whose forehead is not
decorated with Vaiñëava tilaka. If one happens to do so, he should
immediately look at the sun, for Lord Hari and Lakñmédevé reside within the
tilaka.” It is stated in the Padma Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa: “Marks of tilaka
resembling a banyan leaf, a bamboo leaf, and the bud of a lotus are most
enchanting.”
The glories of decorating the body with tilaka are as follows: “The beautiful
vacant space within the mark of tilaka is the sitting place for Çré Lakñmé and
Çré Janärdana, the Lord of lords. Therefore know for certain that the body
marked with tilaka is a sanctified temple of the Lord.” It is mentioned in the
Brahmäëòa Puräëa: “If a person who is impure, ill-behaved, and engaged in
sinful activities with his mind decorates his body with tilaka, he certainly
becomes pure forever. One should mark one’s forehead with tilaka while
seeing one’s face in a mirror or in water, but never touch the tilaka with one’s
fingernails.”
The rules and regulations for applying tilaka: It is stated in the Padma
Puräëa, Uttara-khaëòa: “The most fortunate unalloyed devotees of Hari
should decorate their bodies with marks of tilaka resembling the lotus feet of
Hari with a vacant space between the two lines. They should begin to mark
from the tip of the nose up to the end of the forehead with tilaka or other
suitable clay. The tip of the nose refers to three-quarters down the nose. One
should draw two separate lines beginning from the middle of the eyebrows
upwards.” The prescription for keeping space within the mark of tilaka: “A
fallen twice-born who applies tilaka without keeping a vacant space between
the two lines certainly abandons Çré Hari and Lakñmédevé, who reside within
that space. There is no doubt that a fallen twice-born who applies tilaka
without keeping a space maintains the feet of a dog on his forehead.
Therefore, O beautiful one, brähmaëas and women should always mark their
foreheads with tilaka resembling two sticks with a space between.”
The symptoms of tilaka as temples of Hari: “The mark of tilaka that starts

1421
from the nose and stretches up to the hair on the head with a beautiful space
in between the lines is called a temple of Hari. Lord Brahmä resides on the left
side, Sadäçiva resides on the right side, and Lord Viñëu resides in the middle
of such a tilaka mark. One should not apply anything in the middle.” The clay
used for preparing tilaka is described in the Padma Puräëa as follows: “One
should collect clay for tilaka beneath flowing waters that have bathed Lord
Viñëu. One can also collect clay from the transcendental abode of Hari. One
should devotedly collect clay from the Veìkaöa Hill, from Çré Raìgam, from
Çré Kürma-kñetra, from Çré Dvärakä, from Çré Prayäga, from Çré
Nåsiàha-kñetra, from Çré Varäha-kñetra, or from Çré Våndävana [or any forest
of tulasé] and then mix it with the water that has washed the lotus feet of
Viñëu. In this way one should decorate one’s body with such tilaka and come
before the Lord. O Mahäräja Ambaréña, just see one whose forehead is
decorated with tilaka made of gopé-candana to minimize your sinful reactions.”
In the Skanda Puräëa, Dhruva Mahäräja speaks as follows: “If you see a person
decorated with the tilaka marks of a conch and cakra, adorned with tulasé
maïjarés on his head, and his limbs smeared with gopé-candana, then why
should you fear sinful reactions? A Vaiñëava should mark his forehead with
attractive tilaka of clay collected from the root of a tulasé plant. One should
mark his forehead with gopé-candana and wear the garland that has been
offered to the Lord. In this way one should decorate one’s forehead with one
of the three kinds of tilaka. One should also decorate his body with various
shapes like Matsya and Kürma and various weapons like the cakra in order to
please Lord Hari.”
The Vedic injunction regarding applying tilaka: It is stated in the
Hiraëyakeçéya branch of the Yajur Veda: “A person who wears tilaka marks
resembling the lotus feet of Hari becomes very fortunate and dear to the
Supreme Brahman, Çré Hari. A human being who wears tilaka with a space in
the middle becomes eligible for liberation.” In the Kaöha branch of the Yajur
Veda it is stated: “The great soul who after applying tilaka meditates through
mantras on Çré Viñëu, who holds a cakra, who is the Supreme Absolute Truth,

1422
who is greater then the greatest, and who resides in the hearts of His devotees,
certainly becomes pure.” It is stated in the Atharva Veda: “The fortunate
practitioner who throughout his life decorates his body with tilaka marks like
the cakra certainly attains the all-pervading Lord Viñëu’s supreme abode,
which is the ultimate goal of the devotees.”

TEXT 9

dharma sanätana prabhu sthäpe sarva-dharma

loka-rakñä lägi’ prabhu nä laìghena karma

TRANSLATION

As Sanätana-dharma Himself, the Lord establishes the principles of religion.

In order to protect people’s religious principles, He would not tolerate any
transgression.

COMMENTARY

As the protector of religious principles, Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa is the

inaugurator of Sanätana-dharma. Therefore He was not an inaugurator of
çüdra principles, which are even devoid of karma-käëòa. In order to teach
people, the Lord never transgressed Vedic karma-käëòa. Rather, He taught
that karma-käëòa is insignificant and unfavorable for pure devotional service.

TEXT 10

hena lajjä tähäre dehena sei-kñaëe

se ära nä äise kabhu sandhyä kari’ vine

1423
 TRANSLATION

The very moment such a delinquent appeared, the Lord would put him to
such shame that he would never again come without first completing his
morning worship.

TEXT 11

prabhu bale,—“kene bhäi, kapäle tomära

tilaka nä dekhi kene, ki yukti ihära?

TRANSLATION

The Lord would say, “O brother, why I do not see any tilaka on your
forehead? What is your explanation?

TEXT 12

’tilaka nä thäke yadi viprera kapäle

se kapäla çmaçäna-sadåça’—vede bale

TRANSLATION

“The Vedas say that if a brähmaëa’s forehead is not decorated with tilaka, it
is as good as a crematorium.

TEXT 13

1424
 bujhiläìa,—äji tumi nähi kara sandhyä
äji, bhäi! tomära haila sandhyä vandhyä

TRANSLATION

“I can understand that you have not performed your daily worship.
Therefore, dear brother, your morning has become fruitless.

TEXT 14

cala, sandhyä kara, giyä gåhe punar-bära

sandhyä kari’ tabe se äsiha paòibära

TRANSLATION

“Go back home and perform your morning duties again. Then you may
return to study.”

TEXT 15

ei-mata prabhura yateka äche çiñya-gaëa

sabei atyanta nija-dharma-paräyaëa

TRANSLATION

In this way all the Lord’s students were conscientious about performing
their religious duties.

1425
 TEXT 16

eteka auddhatya prabhu karena kautuke

hena nähi,—yä’re nä cälena nänä-rüpe

TRANSLATION

Like this, the Lord jokingly found fault with everyone; no one was spared
from the Lord’s teasing remarks.

TEXT 17

sabe para-stréra prati nähi parihäsa

stré dekhi’ düre prabhu hayena eka-päça

TRANSLATION

Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, however, never joked with others’ wives. As

soon as He saw a woman coming, He would immediately give her ample room
to pass without talking.

COMMENTARY

The Lord never encouraged illicit activities, which are harmful to society.
His moral character was incomparable. But at present, many präkåta-sahajiyäs
have taken shelter of duplicity and advertise Gaurasundara, who is the
jagad-guru and teacher of mankind, as devoid of morality and the enjoyer of
other’s wives. There is no greater offense than this. According to the
Dharma-çästras there is no fault in intimate affairs, joking with, and teasing

1426
one’s legitimate wife, but such behavior with other’s wives is totally
condemned and prohibited. The way that the Lord stood aside or gave way
when He saw a woman approaching is not appreciated by apa-sampradäyas like
the nava-rasikas or the gauräìga-nägarés, but Gaurakiçora used to display such
an ideal example.

TEXT 18

viçeña cälena prabhu dekhi’ çréhaööiyä

kadarthena sei-mata vacana baliyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord particularly teased the residents of Çréhaööa by mimicking their

pronunciation.

COMMENTARY

Since the provincial words and pronunciations of Çré Mäyäpur-Navadvépa,

the capital of Gauòa-deça, and Çréhaööa, on the northeast border of East
Bengal, are completely different, and since the Lord’s forefathers were
residents of Çréhaööa, it was natural for the Lord to joke with and tease the
residents of Çréhaööa. Although the Lord apparently teased them by addressing
them as “Çréhaööiyäs” or “Bäìgälas,” this actually showed His internal love for
them.

TEXT 19

krodhe çréhaööiyä-gaëa bale,—“aya aya

1427
 tumi kon-deçé, tähä kaha ta’ niçcaya?

TRANSLATION

In anger, they responded, “Aya! Where are You from? Tell us the truth.

COMMENTARY

Being angered by the Lord’s mockery, the residents of Çréhaööa asked Him
about His forefathers’ native place, and they controlled their anger by
claiming with certainty that the Lord was a recent descendant of Çréhaööa
inhabitants. The words “Haya, haya,” of Gauòa-deça are mistakenly
pronounced “Aya, aya,” by the residents of Çréhaööa. That is why as soon as the
Lord began to make fun of and tease their pronunciation, they became angry.

TEXT 20

pitä-mätä-ädi kari’ yateka tomära

kaha dekhi,—çréhaööe nä haya janma kä’ra?

TRANSLATION

“Tell us, aren’t Your parents and forefathers born in Çréhaööa?

COMMENTARY

From this it is clearly understood that both Jagannätha Miçra and Çacédevé
took birth at Çréhaööa.

1428
 TEXT 21

äpane haiyä çréhaööiyära tanaya

tabe gola kara,—kon yukti ithe haya?”

TRANSLATION

“You Yourself are born as the son of resident of Çréhaööa, so why then do
You tease us?”

TEXT 22

yata yata bale, prabhu prabodha nä mäne

nänä-mate kadarthena se-deçé-vacane

TRANSLATION

The Lord did not heed whatever they said, rather He would continue to
mimic their pronunciation and manner of speaking.

TEXT 23

tävat cälena çréhaööiyäre öhäkura

yävat tähära krodha nä haya pracura

TRANSLATION

He would continue to tease the residents of Çréhaööa until they became

1429
furious.

TEXT 24

mahä-krodhe keha lai’ yäya khedäòiyä

lägäli nä päya, yäya tarjiyä garjiyä

TRANSLATION

Eventually one of them would chase the Lord in great anger. Being unable to
catch Him, however, he was frustrated and began abusing the Lord with harsh
words.

COMMENTARY

The word khedäòiyä (used in ancient Bengali language) is derived from the
Sanskrit verb khid (?) and is a participle or infinite verb of the verb khedäna,
which means “to chase” or “to drive away.”
The word lägäli—also pronounced lägäla, lägäila, nägäli, nägäla, or
nägäila—means “closeness” or “touching.”

TEXT 25

keha vä dhariyä koìcä çikdära-sthäne

laiyä yäya mahä-krodhe dhariyä deoyäne

TRANSLATION

Sometimes someone caught the Lord by His dhoté and took Him to the local

1430
Moslem authority to register a complaint.

COMMENTARY

The word çikdära (a Pharsee word) refers to a royal officer engaged in

maintaining the peace in a Mohammedan kingdom or a highly placed army
commander or a sikkä (a royal coin) dära (a responsible servant).
The word deoyäne (derived from the Pharsee word déväna or däväna) means
“in religious activities,” “in civil court,” or “in the king’s court.”

TEXT 26

tabe çeñe äsiyä prabhura sakhä-gaëe

samaïjasa karäiyä cale sei-kñaëe

TRANSLATION

Ultimately the Lord’s friends would come and negotiate a settlement.

COMMENTARY

The word samaïjasa (a Sanskrit word combining sam, meaning sampürëa,

or “complete,” and aïjas, meaning aucitya, or “agreement”), or samécéna (the
form in ancient Bengali), means “solution,” “compromise,” or “mutual
agreement.”

TEXT 27

kona dina thäki’ kona bäìgälera äòe

1431
 bäoyäsa bhäìgiyä täna’ paläyana òare

TRANSLATION

On another day the Lord secretly waited outside the house of a resident of
Çréhaööa. As soon as He got an opportunity, He entered the house, broke some
dry gourds, and then ran away in fear.

COMMENTARY

The word äòe (derived from the word äòa, which is an abbreviated form of
äòäla, which is a corruption of the Sanskrit word antaräla) means “behind,”
“to one side,” “from a distance, or remaining in the distance,” “secretly,”
“unexpectedly,” therefore, “taking the opportunity or advantage, or with great
enthusiasm,” “with a long hand,” or “forcefully.” Or if this word is understood
as being derived from the Sanskrit word äòi, then it will mean “grudge,”
“argument,” “quarrel,” “fight,” “overcome by anger,” “firmly resolved,”
“gambling,” or “overcome with obstinacy.”
The word bäoyäsa (a local word) refers to a dry gourd without seeds and
pulp.

TEXT 28

ei-mata cäpalya karena sabä’ sane

sabe stré-mätra nä dekhena dåñöi-koëe

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord created mischief for everyone, but He did not even
look at women from the corner of His eyes.

1432
 COMMENTARY

Although the Lord often engaged in mischievous childish activities, He

never encouraged any misbehavior in connection with women. What to speak
of enjoying women, if a living entity even considers that women are meant to
be enjoyed, his moral and spiritual life are ruined—this was demonstrated by
the Lord, who is jagad-guru and teacher of all, by remaining aloof from all
kinds of association with women.

TEXT 29

’stré’ hena näma prabhu ei avatäre

çravaëo nä karilä,—vidita saàsäre

TRANSLATION

It is well-known throughout the world that the Lord in this incarnation did
not even hear the word “woman.”

COMMENTARY

In His pastimes as a devotee of Hari, Gaurasundara never discussed any

topic about mundane women. After totally condemning the association of
women and the association of persons who associate with women, Çrémad
Bhägavatam, which is the ripened fruit of the Vedic desire tree and the king of
all scriptures, has established such association as unfavorable to
nonduplicitous service to the Lord. (One should refer to the elaborate purport
on Ädi-khaëòa 1.29) Wherever the enjoying mentality of the living entities is
engaged in enjoying women, it is to be understood that there is a lack of
service attitude towards Kåñëa, the husband of all women. If anyone came

1433
before Gaurasundara to discuss or bring up worldly topics about women, He
would immediately and specifically forbid them. On the pretext of studying
mundane literature that is contrary to the service of Kåñëa and with the desire
to drink the rasa of dry literature that is devoid of the rasa of devotional
service to Kåñëa, the hearts of living entities that are accustomed to drink
worldly rasas become maddened for material sense enjoyment in such a way
that the Supreme Lord Gaurasundara, who is the bestower of the mellows of
devotional service to Kåñëa, along with the sampradäyas of His pure devotee
mahäjanas, never support such deviation. Those who have properly discussed
the topics of Çré Caitanyadeva know very well that He never supported
indulgence in any worldly topics about women.

TEXTS 30-32

ataeva yata mahä-mahima sakale

’gauräìga-nägara’ hena stava nähi bale

yadyapi sakala stava sambhave tähäne

tathäpiha svabhäva se gäya budha-jane

hena-mate çré-mukunda-saïjaya-mandire
vidyä-rase çré-vaikuëöha-näyaka vihare

TRANSLATION

Therefore great personalities do not offer prayers addressing Lord Gauräìga

as “Gauräìga Nägara,” the enjoyer of damsels. Although all kinds of prayers
may be offered to the Supreme Lord, intelligent persons glorify only those
characteristics that a particular incarnation manifests. In this way the Lord of
Vaikuëöha enjoyed His scholastic pastimes in the house of Mukunda Saïjaya.

1434
 COMMENTARY

That is why the sampradäyas of mahäjanas who are eternally perfect

associates of the Lord and always engaged in glorifying the Lord as well as
their nonduplicitous followers who sing and recite the glories of the Lord
never in any way illicitly addressed, address, or will address Çré Gauräìga
Mahäprabhu as nägara, the enjoyer of conjugal pastimes. Çré Gaurasundara is
Himself Çré Vrajendra-nandana, the only enjoyer of all women in both the
material and spiritual kingdoms, yet there is no basis for glorifying Kåñëa as
nägara in His Gaura pastimes, as such actions are extremely contrary to the
proper conclusions of serving Gaura-Kåñëa. Vrajendra-nandana Kåñëa, who is
Gopé-jana-vallabha, is the personification of conjugal affairs. The Gaura
pastimes of Kåñëa are by nature in the mood of vipralamba, or separation.
Therefore no intelligent nonduplicitous devotee of Gaura will try to disturb
the Lord’s mood as Näräyaëa, the Lord of Vaikuëöha, who in His beginning
pastimes as a scholar is the worshipable Lord of all His students, who are under
the shelter of regulative devotional service, or disturb His mood of mahäbhäva,
which consists of His desire to please Kåñëa and which manifested in the
mood of separation after His pastime of taking initiation, as described in His
middle and final pastimes. In other words, they do not designate Him as the
imaginary hero of conjugal mellows. The foolish unfortunate sampradäyas who
are fond of illicitly enjoying other’s wives and who are under the control of
worldly propensities actively endeavor to designate Gaurasundara and both
His male and female devotees as enjoyers and enjoyed and thus reveal their
own poor fund of knowledge and evil-mindedness. Considering that the Lord
engaged in hearing and chanting worldly topics in His pastimes as an äcärya is
extremely contrary to His nature and preaching. Rather, just as the enactment
of transcendental conjugal pastimes is eternally present in the pastimes of
Kåñëa, the transcendental vipralambha-rasa, instead of conjugal rasa, is
eternally present in the pastimes of Gaura. By the association of women, or by

1435
seeing mundane women, perverted mellows are awakened, and as a result the
most relishable spiritual rasa, which is beyond material consciousness, does not
appear in the pure illuminated heart. The activities of material enjoyment,
which are opposed to spiritual rasa, capture the conditioned souls’ hearts,
which are filled with ignorance. All these topics are glorified by greatly praised
wise men who know the science of Kåñëa. In other words, they are glorified by
sober, intelligent worshipers of the Lord. If one wants to elaborately and
conclusively know, discuss, or consider these subjects, which are in full
agreement with the statements of sadhu, çästra, and guru, then he should read
the spiritual weekly magazine, Gauòéya, 5th year, Nos. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, and
24.

TEXT 33

catur-dike çobhe çiñya-gaëera maëòalé

madhye paòäyena prabhu mahä-kutühalé

TRANSLATION

The Lord happily taught while sitting amidst various groups of His students.

TEXT 34

viñëu-taila çire dite äche kona däse

açeña-prakäre vyäkhyä kare nija-rase

TRANSLATION

Sometimes when the need arose, the Lord had a servant massage His head

1436
with medicated oil while He continued giving His unique explanations.

COMMENTARY

In his auspicious invocation to Vidagdha-mädhava, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has

explained Mahäprabhu’s nija-rasa as follows: anarpita-caréà cirät
karuëayävatérëaù kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasäà
sva-bhakti-çriyam—“He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless
mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime
and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service.” Or the
phrase nija-rase may also mean “according to His own confidential mood” or
“in His own pleasure or sport.” Another reading for nija-rase is nijäveçe, which
means “in His own mood.”

TEXT 35

üñaù-käla haite dui-prahara-avadhi

paòäiyä gaìgä-snäne cale guëa-nidhi

TRANSLATION

The Lord, who is the reservoir of transcendental qualities, would teach from
early morning till noon. Then He would go for bath in the Ganges.

TEXT 36

niçär o arddheka ei-mata prati-dine

paòäyena cintayena sabäre äpane

1437
 TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord regularly taught and studied up to midnight.

TEXT 37

ataeva prabhu-sthäne varñeka paòiyä

paëòita hayena sabe siddhänta jäniyä

TRANSLATION

Therefore whoever studied under the Lord for one year would become a
learned scholar who understood the conclusions of the scriptures.

COMMENTARY

Mahäprabhu Gaurasundara alone is the crest-jewel of instructors on the

sat-siddhänta, or ultimate conclusions. He has sanctioned all proper
conclusions regarding the basis of devotional service to the Lord. Moreover,
He has made these topmost conclusions easily accessible to everyone,
including the sinful. Corresponding with His threefold introduction to proper
conclusions, Çré Sanätana Gosvämé has become bhakti-siddhantäcärya, the
äcärya on the conclusions of devotional service, Çré Rüpa Gosvämé has become
abhidheyäcärya, the äcärya for the process of achieving the goal of life, and Çré
Jéva Gosvämé’s nourishment of those conclusions have become worshipable by
all Gauòéya Vaiñëavas. The confidential process of bhajana based on all proper
conclusions that was followed by Çré Däsa Gosvämé, the staunch follower of
Çré Rüpa, is the devotees’ original creeper of Våndävana devotion. Those who
had the opportunity to hear proper conclusions from the Lord for even one
year could never be distracted from the service of Adhokñaja by material

1438
knowledge.

TEXT 38

hena-mate vidyä-rase ächena éçvara

vivähera kärya çacé cinte nirantara

TRANSLATION

As the Lord thus enjoyed scholastic pastimes, Mother Çacé continually

meditated on getting her son remarried.

TEXT 39

sarva-navadvépe çacé niravadhi mane

putrera sadåça kanyä cähe anukñaëe

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé constantly searched throughout Navadvépa for a suitable bride

for her son.

TEXT 40

sei navadvépe vaise mahä-bhägyavän

dayäçéla-svabhäva—çré-sanätana näma

TRANSLATION

1439
 In Navadvépa there resided one most fortunate and compassionate devotee
named Çré Sanätana Miçra.

TEXTS 41-43

akaitava, udära, parama-viñëu-bhakta

atithi-sevana, para-upakäre rata

satyavädé, jitendriya, mahä-vaàça-jäta

padavé ’räja-paëòita’, sarvatra vikhyäta

vyavahäre o parama-sampanna eka jana

anäyäse anekere karena poñaëa

TRANSLATION

He was simple-hearted, magnanimous, expert in entertaining guests, and

always engaged in welfare activities. Moreover, he was truthful, he controlled
his senses, he had a good birth, and he was famous as the Räja Paëòita.
Sanätana Miçra hailed from a well-to-do family, so he easily maintained many
other people.

COMMENTARY

The word akaitava means “straightforward,” “simplicity,” “uncruel,” or

“without kaitava (duplicity, crookedness, or cunning).”
The word udära means “charitable,” “great,” “advanced,” “peaceful,”
“compassionate,” “sincere,” “steady,” or “grave.”
The kind-hearted Sanätana Miçra was decorated with many transcendental

1440
qualities. He did not know of duplicity, rather he was a great Vaiñëava. He was
expert in serving guests, dedicated to helping others, attached to speaking the
truth, dedicated to controlling the senses, and born in a highly aristocratic
family. He was famous throughout Navadvépa as the Räja Paëòita. Even in the
ordinary worldly or social field he was a greatly wealthy prosperous person.
Therefore he could easily nourish and maintain many people. At present some
duplicitous sinful persons say that they do not care for truthful, simple,
magnanimous, and logical persons like Sanätana Miçra. In other words, they
are not afraid of speaking lies, cheating, hoarding, and committing injustice.
Therefore they can never become prominent in this ordinary world. Sanätana
Miçra, however, was not only situated in the topmost social position but he
was also decorated with many transcendental qualities.

TEXT 44

täì’ra kanyä ächena parama-sucaritä

mürtimaté lakñmé-präya sei jagan-mätä

TRANSLATION

Sanätana Miçra’s daughter had all auspicious characteristics. She was like
the personification of Lakñmé, the mother of the universe.

TEXT 45

çacédevé täì’re dekhilena yei-kñaëe

ei kanyä putra-yogyä,—bujhilena mane

1441
 TRANSLATION

As soon as Mother Çacé saw her, she immediately thought that she was a
suitable bride for her son.

TEXT 46

çiçu haite dui-tina-bära gaìgä-snäna

pitå-mätå-viñëu-bhakti vine nähi äna

TRANSLATION

From her childhood, that girl took bath in the Ganges two or three times a
day. She had no engagement other than serving her father, mother, and Lord
Viñëu.

TEXT 47

äire dekhiyä ghäöe prati-dine dine

namra hai’ namaskära karena caraëe

TRANSLATION

She regularly met and offered her humble obeisances to Mother Çacé at the
Ganges bathing ghäöa.

TEXT 48

1442
 äi o karena mahäpréte äçirväda
“yogya-pati kåñëa tomära karuna prasäda”

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé happily blessed her, “May Kåñëa bless you with a suitable
husband.”

TEXT 49

gaìgä-snäne äi mane karena kämanä

“e kanyä ämära putre hauka ghaöanä”

TRANSLATION

Then, as Mother Çacé took her bath, she thought, “May this girl be married
with my son.”

COMMENTARY

The word ghaöanä means “arrangement for marriage,” or in other words,

“organization” “assembly,” or “combination.”

TEXT 50

räja-paëòitera icchä sarva-goñöhé-sane

prabhure karite kanyä-däna nija-mane

1443
 TRANSLATION

Sanätana Miçra and his relatives also desired that she be married to the
Lord.

COMMENTARY

The phrase sarva-goñöhé-sane means “along with all his paternal and
maternal relatives.”

TEXT 51

daive çacé käçénätha-paëòitere äni’

balilena täì’re,—“bäpa, çuna eka väëé

TRANSLATION

One day Çacé was inspired to call Käçénätha Paëòita to her home.
Thereupon, she said to him, “Dear sir, please listen to my request.

COMMENTARY

Käçénätha Paëòita, the matchmaker resident of Navadvépa, was a

crest-jewel amongst brähmaëas. In Kåñëa’s pastimes he was the brähmaëa sent
to Kåñëa with a proposal for His marriage with Satyabhämä. In the
Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (50) it is stated: “The brähmaëa named Kulaka, whom
Mahäräja Saträjit sent to Lord Mädhava to arrange the Lord’s marriage with
Satyabhämä, appeared in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes as Çré Käçénätha.”

1444
 TEXT 52

räja-paëòitere kaha,—icchä thäke tä’na

ämära putrere karuna kanyä däna”

TRANSLATION

“Go tell Sanätana Miçra that if he desires he may give his daughter to my
son.”

TEXT 53

käçénätha-paëòita calilä sei-kñaëe

’durgä’ ’kåñëa’ bali’ räja-paëòita-bhavane

TRANSLATION

Käçénätha Paëòita immediately left for the house of Sanätana Miçra while
chanting the names of Durgä and Kåñëa.

TEXT 54

käçénäthe dekhi’ räja-paëòita äpane

vasite äsana äni’ dilena sambhrame

TRANSLATION

Seeing Käçénätha, Sanätana Miçra respectfully offered him an äsana.

1445
 TEXT 55

parama-gaurave nidhi kare yathocita

“ki kärya äilä, bhäi?” jijïäse paëòita

TRANSLATION

Feeling greatly honored, Sanätana Miçra completed all formalities and

inquired, “Dear brother, what brings you here?”

COMMENTARY

The first line of this verse indicates that proper respect with great care and
reverence was shown.

TEXT 56

käçénätha balena,—“ächaye eka kathä

citta laya yadi, tabe karaha sarvathä

TRANSLATION

Käçénätha replied, “I have a proposal for you. If you find it proper, then
please accept it.

TEXT 57

viçvambhara-paëòitere tomära duhitä

1446
 däna kara’—e sambandha ucita sarvathä

TRANSLATION

“Please give your daughter’s hand in marriage to Viçvambhara Paëòita. I

feel it is a perfect match.

COMMENTARY

The word sambandha means “the marriage proposal,” “the arrangement for
marriage (gathering or organizing),” “family members,” or “relatives.”

TEXT 58

tomära kanyära yogya sei divya-pati

täìhära ucita ei kanyä mahä-saté

TRANSLATION

“He is a qualified husband for your daughter, and your chaste daughter is a
qualified wife for Him.

TEXT 59

yena kåñëa-rukmiëéte anyo’nya-ucita

sei-mata viñëupriyä-nimäïi-paëòita”

TRANSLATION

1447
 “Viñëupriyä and Nimäi Paëòita are as suitable a match as Kåñëa and
Rukmiëé were.”

TEXT 60

çuni’ vipra-patné-ädi äpta-varga-sahe

lähilä karite yukti, dekhi,—ke ki kahe

TRANSLATION

After hearing the proposal, Sanätana Miçra discussed it with his wife and
relatives to find out their opinion.

TEXT 61

sabe balilena,—“ära ki kärya vicäre?

sarvathä e karma giyä karaha satvare

TRANSLATION

They replied, “What is the need for further discussion? You should
immediately arrange the marriage.”

TEXT 62

tabe räja-paëòita haiyä harña-mati

balilena käçénätha paëòitera prati

1448
 TRANSLATION

The Räja Paëòita then happily spoke to Käçénätha Paëòita.

TEXT 63

“viçvambhara-paëòitera kare kanyä däna

kariba sarvathä,—vipra, ithe nähi äna

TRANSLATION

“O brähmaëa, I will certainly give my daughter in marriage to Viçvambhara

Paëòita.

TEXT 64

bhägya thäke yadi sarva-vaàçera ämära

tabe hena su-sambandha haibe kanyära

TRANSLATION

“If my family is fortunate, then my daughter will be married to Him.

TEXT 65

cala tumi, tathä yäi’ kaha sarva-kathä

ämi punaù daòhäiluì, kariba sarvathä”

1449
 TRANSLATION

“So please go there and inform them of my decision. I again confirm that I
have accepted the proposal.”

TEXT 66

çuniyä santoñe käçénätha miçravara

sakala kahila äsi’ çacéra gocara

TRANSLATION

Feeling satisfied, Käçénätha Miçra returned to Mother Çacé and told her
everything.

TEXT 67

kärya-sidhi çuni’ äi santoña hailä

sakala udyoga tabe karite lägilä

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé was pleased to hear that her proposal was accepted, and she
began to make the necessary arrangements.

TEXT 68

prabhura viväha çuni’ sarva-çiñya-gaëa

1450
 sabei hailä ati-paramänanda-mana

TRANSLATION

When the Lord’s students heard news of His marriage arrangement, they
were all filled with joy.

TEXT 69

prathame balilä buddhimanta-mahäçaya

“mora bhära e-vivähe yata läge vyaya”

TRANSLATION

Buddhimanta Khän was the first to speak. “I will bear the entire
expenditure of this marriage.”

COMMENTARY

Buddhimanta Khän was the Lord’s neighbor and a staunch, rich, devoted
brähmaëa follower of the Lord. A description of Buddhimanta Khän is found
in Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 10.74) as follows: “The thirty-sixth branch,
Buddhimanta Khän, was extremely dear to Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He
was always prepared to carry out the Lord’s orders, and therefore he was
considered a chief servant of the Lord.” One should also refer to Ädi-khaëòa,
Chapter 12, verse 72. When the Lord married for the second time, with
Viñëupriyä-devé, he stayed with the groom throughout the marriage ceremony
and bore the entire expense of the marriage. This is explained in the
Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 15, verses 69, 71, 137, 145, and 220. His participation in
the Lord’s saìkértana at the houses of Çréväsa Paëòita and Candraçekhara is

1451
described in the Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter 8, verses 111-113. His participation
in water sports with the Lord and His associates after the deliverance of Jagäi
and Mädhäi is described in the Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter 13, verses 334-336.
His receiving the responsibility for arranging clothing and ornaments for the
Lord when He enacted the pastimes of Mahä-Lakñmé at the house of
Candraçekhara is described in the Madhya-khaëòa, Chapter 18, verses 7, 13, 14,
and 16. His meeting with the Lord at Çäntipura is described in the
Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä, Chapter 3, verse 154. His traveling with the
devotees of Bengal to meet the Lord in Puré is described in the Antya-khaëòa,
Chapter 8, verse 30 (äjanma caitanya-äjïä yäìhära viñaya—“Throughout His
life His only asset was the Lord Caitanya’s instructions,”) and in
Caitanya-caritämåta, Antya-lélä, Chapter 10, verses 10 and 121.
The word bhära means “responsibility” or “heaviness.” The word läge means
“requirement” or “need.”

TEXT 70

mukunda saïjaya bale,—“çuna, sakhä bhäi!

tomära sakala bhära, mora kichu näi?”

TRANSLATION

Mukunda Saïjaya then said, “Listen, my dear friend. If you bear all
expenses, then what will I do?”

TEXT 71

buddhimanta-khäna bale,—“çuna, sakhä bhäi!

1452
 vämaniïä sajja e-vivähe kichu näi

TRANSLATION

Buddhimanta Khän replied, “Listen, my dear brother. This marriage will

not be like a brähmaëa’s marriage, which is generally very simple.

COMMENTARY

The phrase vämaniïä sajja refers to a poor brähmaëa’s marriage, which is

an ordinary arrangement, without luxury or pomp, small, and suitable for the
poor.
The words kichu näi means “there will be nothing (not even a hint or
scent).”

TEXT 72

e-viväha paëòitera karäiba hena

räja-kumärera mata loke dekhe yena”

TRANSLATION

“I will make such arrangements for the marriage of Nimäi Paëòita that He
will appear like a prince in the eyes of the people.”

TEXT 73

tabe sabe mili’ çubha-dina çubha-kñaëe

1453
 adhiväsa-lagna karilena harña-mane

TRANSLATION

Thereafter everyone agreed on an auspicious day and time to observe the

Adhiväsa ceremony.

COMMENTARY

For a description of Adhiväsa-lagna, one should refer to the purport of

Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 10, verse 80.

TEXT 74

baòa-baòa candrätapa saba öäìgäiyä

catur-dike ruilena kadalé äniyä

TRANSLATION

A huge pandal was erected with banana trees placed in the four directions.

COMMENTARY

The word ruilena is the singular past tense of the verb royä (the verb royä is
a local corruption of ropana, which comes from the Sanskrit verb ruha), which
means “planted.”
The word candrätapa (candra+äta—gamana, or “movement,” and pä—“to
protect”) refers to that which protects people below from the movement (or
from the coming or falling) of the moon rays (and therefore in a broader sense
from the sun rays also). It is also called cäìdoyä, sämiyänä, or maëòapa (a

1454
canopy, awning, or paëòala).
The word öäìgäiyä (a local word; the infinite or participle verbs tänäna,
öänäna, and öäìgäna (?) are derived from the Sanskrit verb tan, “to spread,”)
means “put up” or “tie up.”

TEXT 75

pürëa-ghaöa, dépa, dhänya, dadhi, ämrasära

yateka maìgala dravya ächaye pracära

TRANSLATION

They decorated the marriage arena with waterpots, ghee lamps, rice paddy,
yogurt, mango leaves, and other auspicious items.

COMMENTARY

The word ämrasära refers to the leaves and twigs of a mango tree.

TEXT 76

sakala ekatre äni’ kari’ samuccaya

sarva-bhümi karilena älipanä-maya

TRANSLATION

They further decorated the arena with designs drawn with colored powders.

1455
 COMMENTARY

The word älipanä (from the Sanskrit word älimpana) refers to marking or
drawing various designs with rice powder on either the floor or walls of one’s
house or a temple. It is called (in common language) älpanä or älipanä.
The phrase samuccaya kari means “accumulating,” “collecting,” “counting,”
or “amassing.”

TEXTS 77-78

yateka vaiñëava, ära yateka brähmaëa

navadvépe ächaye yateka susajjana

sabärei nimantraëa karilä sakale

“adhiväse guyä äsi’ khäibä vikäle”

TRANSLATION

All the Vaiñëavas, brähmaëas, and respectable people of Navadvépa were

invited, “Come in the afternoon and chew the pan of the Adhiväsa ceremony.”

COMMENTARY

In this case the word vaiñëava refers to those devotees of the Lord who are
properly behaved, attached to worshiping Viñëu, and who are born in seminal
and nonseminal brähmaëa families.
In this case the word brähmaëa refers to persons who were born in seminal
brähmaëa families.

1456
 The word guyä (an abbreviated corruption of the Sanskrit word
guväka—“spices”) generally refers to betel nuts, but in this case it refers to pan
leaves and spices.

TEXT 79

aparähna käla mätra haila äsiyä

bädya äsi’ karite lägila bäjaniyä

TRANSLATION

In the afternoon on the day of Adhiväsa, the musicians all began to play
their instruments.

COMMENTARY

The word bäjaniyä comes from bäjana or bäjäna, which are corruptions of
the Sanskrit word bädana. It refers to an actor or a person who plays musical
instruments.

TEXT 80

mådaìga, sänäïi, jayaòhäka, karatäla

nänä-vidha vädya-dhvani uöhila viçäla

TRANSLATION

The playing of various instruments like mådaìga, sänäïi, jayaòhäka, and

karatälas created a tumultuous sound.

1457
 TEXT 81

bhäöa-gaëe paòite lägila räyavära

pati-vratä-gaëe kare jaya-jaya-kära

TRANSLATION

The professional blessers began to recite prayers, and the chaste women
made auspicious sounds.

COMMENTARY

For a explanation of the word räyavära one should refer to the purport of
Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 8, verse 11.
Regarding the word jaya-jaya-kära, even today in East Bengal the
ulu-dhvani [a sound Bengali women make while vibrating their tongues] is
known as jokära or jayakära in the local language.

TEXT 82

vipra-gaëe lägila karite veda-dhvani

madhye äsi’ vasilä dvijendra-kula-maëi

TRANSLATION

As the brähmaëas chanted Vedic mantras, Viçvambhara, the crest jewel of

the brähmaëas, came and sat in their midst.

1458
 TEXT 83

catur-dike vasilena brähmaëa-maëòalé

sabei hailä citte mahä-kutühalé

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëas sat in groups around the Lord, and in this way everyone was
overjoyed at heart.

TEXT 84

tabe gandha, candana, tämbüla, divya-mälä

brähmaëa-gaëera sabe dibäre änilä

TRANSLATION

Aguru, sandalwood paste, pan, and flower garlands were brought out and
offered to the brähmaëas.

TEXT 85

çire mälä, sarva-aìge lepiyä candane

eka-bäöä tämbüla se dena eko jane

TRANSLATION

Garlands were placed on their heads, their bodies were smeared with

1459
sandalwood paste, and each brähmaëa was given a box of pan.

COMMENTARY

The word bäöä refers to a container or box for keeping pan.

TEXT 86

vipra-kula nadéyä,—viprera anta näi

kata yäya, kata äise, avadhi nä päi

TRANSLATION

Nadia was full of brähmaëa families, so innumerable brähmaëas were

present there. No one could count how many came and went.

COMMENTARY

The phrase vipra-kula means “full of caste brähmaëas.”

TEXT 87

tathi-madhye lobhiñöha aneka jana äche

eka-bära laiyä punaù ära käca käce

TRANSLATION

Among them, some greedy brähmaëas received their gifts and then returned
a second time in different dress to again receive gifts.

1460
 COMMENTARY

The phrase tathi-madhye (used in ancient Bengali) means “among them.”

The word lobhiñöha (lobha—“greed”+(to indicate excessive)
iñöha—“desired”) means “extremely greedy.”

TEXT 88

ära-bära äsi’ mahä-lokera gahale

candana, guväka, mälä niyä niyä cale

TRANSLATION

In the ensuing commotion, they thus received sandalwood paste, pan, and
flower garlands a second time.

COMMENTARY

The word gahane (derived from the word gahana, which is a form of the
Sanskrit verb gah—“intense”) means “crowded,” “full of people,” “large
gathering.” The word gola (?) is derived from gahane.

TEXT 89

sabei änande matta, ke kähäre cine?

prabhu o häsiyä äjïä karilä äpane

1461
 TRANSLATION

Everyone was intoxicated with ecstasy and thus unable to recognize one
another. The Lord also smiled and gave instruction.

TEXTS 90-92

“sabäre candana-mälä deha’ tina-bära

cintä nähi, vyaya kara’ ye icchä yähära”

eka-bära niyä ye ye laya ära bära

e äjïäya tähära kailena pratikära

“päche keha ciniyä viprere manda bale

paramärthe doña haya çäöhya kari’ nile”

TRANSLATION

“Give sandalwood paste and garlands three times to everyone. Don’t worry
about the expenditure, give freely to everyone.” By this instruction the Lord
indirectly forbade everyone from taking again and again. The Lord continued,
“If a brähmaëa is caught cheating, he’ll be criticized and thus disgraced.”

COMMENTARY

The most magnanimous Çré Gaurasundara gave instructions to give the

brähmaëas pan, betel nuts, garlands, and sandalwood three times so that those
brähmaëas who had once received pan, betel nuts, garlands, and sandalwood
and came back again in different dress to receive these items again would be
satisfied and all their desires would be fulfilled and so that unscrupulous

1462
people would be checked from condemning them as illegitimate greedy
cheaters.
The second line of verse 92 indicates that if one cheats or deceives others
to usurp something for himself, then from the spiritual point of view that is a
fault or sin. Therefore this act is certainly immoral. But henpecked persons
who never fail to externally condemn others’ immoral activities of lying,
cheating, and deceiving while they themselves do not hesitate to lie, cheat,
and deceive for the pleasure of their dearer than life wives and, furthermore,
they openly justify such activities; as soon as such people hear the statement,
yena kenäpy upäyena manaù kåñëe niveçayet—“Somehow or other one must
engage his mind in the Absolute Truth, Kåñëa,” or see the behavior of those
who follow this statement, they immediately scream, “Morality has been
transgressed,” and in this way they exhibit their pride.

TEXT 93

vipra-priya prabhura cittera ei kathä

’tina-bära dile pürëa haibe sarvathä

TRANSLATION

Being affectionate to the brähmaëas, the Lord considered, “If they are given
three times, then they will be fully satisfied.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase cittera kathä means “the purpose of the mind.”

1463
 TEXT 94

tina-bära päi’ sabe harañita-mana

çäöhya kari’ ära nähi laya kona jana

TRANSLATION

All the brähmaëas were happy to receive those gifts three times, so none of
them further tried to cheat.

TEXT 95

ei-mata mäläya, candane, guyä-päne

hailä ananta, marma keha nähi jäne

TRANSLATION

In this way no one could understand how the Lord was served by Ananta
Çeña in the form of garlands, sandalwood paste, and pan.

COMMENTARY

The word ananta in this verse refers to Çré Çeña Saìkarñaëa, or it may mean
“innumerable.” (See following verse 118.)

TEXTS 96-97

manuñye päila yata, se thäkuka düre

1464
 påthvéte paòila yata, dite manuñyere

sei yadi präkåta-lokera ghare haya

tähätei tä’na päïca vibhä nirvähaya

TRANSLATION

What to speak of the gifts that people received, if the gifts that fell on the
ground during distribution were collected it would have been sufficient for five
marriages.

COMMENTARY

The phrase präkåta-lokera refers to ordinary householders.

The amount of garlands, sandalwood, pan, and betel nuts that were left as
waste on the ground during the Lord’s marriage would have been sufficient
ingredients for completing five marriages.

TEXT 98

sakala lokera citte haila ulläsa

sabe bale,—“dhanya dhanya dhanya adhiväsa

TRANSLATION

Everyone’s heart was filled with ecstasy, and they exclaimed, “The
Adhiväsa ceremony was glorious!

1465
 TEXT 99

lakñeçvar o dekhiyächi ei navadvépe

hena adhiväsa nähi kare kä’ro bäpe

TRANSLATION

“We have seen such an Adhiväsa ceremony performed even in the houses of
the wealthiest men of Navadvépa.

COMMENTARY

The word lakñeçvara refers to one who possesses one hundred thousand
coins.

TEXT 100

e-mata candana, mälä, divya guyä-päna

akätare keha kabhu nähi kare’ däna”

TRANSLATION

“We have never seen anyone distribute sandalwood paste, garlands, and pan
so indiscriminately.”

TEXT 101

tabe räja-paëòita änanda citta haiyä

1466
 äilena adhiväsa-sämagré laiyä

TRANSLATION

Carrying ingredients for the Adhiväsa ceremony, Sanätana Miçra joyfully

arrived.

COMMENTARY

Regarding adhiväsa and gandha-sparça, it is stated (in Çrémad Gopäla

Bhaööa Gosvämé’s Sat-kriyä-sära-dépikä): “Thereafter the activities of
Adhiväsa are described: One should collect suitable ingredients and duly
perform the Adhiväsa ceremony preferably at dusk, or else in the morning.
The ingredients for Adhiväsa are clay from the Ganges, sandalwood pulp, a
stone, rice paddy, dürvä grass, flowers, fruits, yogurt, ghee, svastika, sindüra
(vermilion), conch, kajjala, cow urine, mustard seeds, a piece of gold, a piece of
silver, a piece of copper, a ghee lamp, and a mirror. One should also have
fragrant aguru powder, yellow cloth, a brähmaëa thread, a cämara, and a
cädara for welcoming the groom. Thereafter, while holding clay from the
Ganges in one’s hands, one should chant the mantra, ’Let the auspicious
ceremony of gandha-sparça, or applying sandalwood, and Adhiväsa be
performed,’ and after offering these items to Lord Viñëu one should offer them
to the bridegroom and bride. It should be done like this everywhere. By
chanting mantras, one should thereafter have the bridegroom and bride offer
prayers. Then one should touch each of the groom’s limbs while chanting
mantras and offer him four, five, or seven burning ghee lamps. One should
perform the Adhiväsa ceremony for a bridegroom and bride according to this
procedure.”

TEXT 102

1467
 vipra-varga äpta-varga kari’ nija-saìge
bahu-vidha vädya nåtya-géta-mahäraìge

TRANSLATION

He came accompanied by brähmaëas, family members, musicians, dancers,

and singers.

TEXT 103

veda-vidhi-pürvaka parama-harña-mane
éçvarera gandha-sparça kailä çubha-kñaëe

TRANSLATION

Following the Vedic injunctions, he then happily applied sandalwood pulp to

the Lord’s forehead at an auspicious moment.

COMMENTARY

The word éçvarere refers to Mahäprabhu Gaurasundara.

TEXT 104

tata-kñaëe mahä-jaya-jaya hari dhvani

karite lägilä sabe mahä-stuti-väëé

TRANSLATION

1468
 At that time there arose tumultuous chanting in glorification of Lord Hari,
and everyone began reciting mantras.

TEXT 105

pati-vratä-gaëe deya jaya-jayakära

vädya-géte haila mahänanda-avatära

TRANSLATION

The chaste women made auspicious sounds of ulu-dhvani. The singing and
playing of musical instruments filled the entire house with ecstasy.

TEXT 106

hena-mate kari’ adhiväsa çubha-käya

gåhe calilena sanätana-vipra-räja

TRANSLATION

After completing the Adhiväsa ceremony, Sanätana Miçra, the king of the
brähmaëas, returned home.

TEXT 107

ei-mate giyä éçvarera äpta-gaëe

lakñmére karilä adhiväsa çubha-kñaëe

1469
 TRANSLATION

Meanwhile, the Lord’s family members went to the bride’s house to perform
the Adhiväsa ceremony there.

TEXT 108

ära yata kichu loke ’lokäcära’ bale

doìhäräi saba karilena kutuhale

TRANSLATION

Family members of both the bride and groom also performed the rituals that
were in current practice.

COMMENTARY

The word lokäcära refers to worldly or traditional family customs or

ceremonies that are not based on Vedic injunctions.

TEXT 109

tabe suprabhäte prabhu kari’ gaìgä-snäna

äge viñëu püji’ gauracandra bhagavän

TRANSLATION

Early the next morning the Lord took bath in the Ganges and then
worshiped Lord Viñëu.

1470
 TEXT 110

tabe çeñe sarva-äpta-gaëera sahite

vasilena nändémukha-karmädi karite

TRANSLATION

Thereafter He sat with His family members to perform the Nändémukha

ceremony.

COMMENTARY

The word nändémukha-karma is a combination of nändé—“glorification or

good fortune” and mukha—“principle,” or nändé—“auspicious” and
mukha—“beginning.” This ceremony is an elaboration of çräddha, or offerings
to the forefathers. The offerings are made to one’s (1) father, paternal
grandfather, paternal great grandfather, maternal grandfather, maternal great
grandfather, and maternal great great grandfather, as well as one’s (2) mother,
maternal grandmother, maternal great grandmother, maternal great great
grandmother, paternal grandmother, and paternal great grandmother. When
one offers oblations for their satisfaction, it is called Nändémukha-karma. It
also refers to the beginning of an auspicious ceremony or an extended çräddha
ceremony. A compiler of the småtis has stated: “One should properly offer
oblations to the forefathers through the rituals called Nändémukha. A
householder should worship the forefathers through the ritual called
Nändémukha on auspicious occasions like the marriage of sons or daughters,
the formal entry into a newly built house, the name-giving ceremony of a
child, the hair-cutting ceremony, the garbhädhäna ceremony, and the
ceremony of seeing the face of one’s son for the first time.

1471
 Çré Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé, the author of Vaiñëava småtis, has written in
his Sat-kriyä-sära-dépikä: “Vaiñëavas should not perform this ceremony out of
fear of committing offenses against the holy names. In order to satisfy one’s
forefathers one should remember Lord Viñëu, worship the spiritual master,
and give cloth and foodstuffs in charity to the Vaiñëavas and brähmaëas
according to one’s ability. In this way one’s forefathers will be satisfied.”

TEXT 111

vädya-nåtya-géte haila mahä-kolähala

catur-dike jaya-jaya uöhila maìgala

TRANSLATION

Musical instruments, dancing, and singing created a tumult, and on all sides
the sweet sounds of triumphal rejoicing arose.

COMMENTARY

The word maìgala means “auspicious sound.”

TEXT 112

pürëa-ghaöa, dhänya, dadhi, dépa, ämra-sära

sthäpilena ghare dväre aìgane apära

TRANSLATION

Waterpots, rice paddy, yogurt, ghee lamps, and mango leaves were placed

1472
inside and outside of the house.

TEXT 113

catur-dike nänä-varëe uòaye patäkä

kadalé ropiyä bändhilena ämra-çäkhä

TRANSLATION

On all sides, various colored flags waved and strings of mango leaves were
tied to banana trees.

TEXT 114

tabe äi pati-vratä-gaëa lai’ saìge

lokäcära karite lägilä mahä-raìge

TRANSLATION

Mother Çacé and other chaste women then began to perform the various
rituals that were in current practice.

TEXT 115

äge gaìgä püjiyä parama-harña-mane

tabe vädya-bäjane gelena ñañöhé-sthäne

TRANSLATION

1473
 Çacé first happily worshiped the Ganges, and then she went along with a
group of musicians to worship goddess Ñañöhé.

COMMENTARY

For a description of Ñañöhé one should refer to the purport of Ädi-khaëòa,

Chapter 4, verse 19.

TEXT 116

ñañöhé püji’ tabe bandhu mandire mandire

lokäcära kariyä äilä nija-ghare

TRANSLATION

After worshiping Ñañöhé, she went to the houses of her relatives, where she
performed the rituals in current practice before returning home.

COMMENTARY

The phrase bandhu mandire mandire refers to the houses of relatives and
friends.

TEXT 117

tabe khai, kalä, taila, tämbüla, sindüre

diyä diyä pürëa karilena stré-gaëere

TRANSLATION

1474
 Thereafter Çacé satisfied the women with puffed rice, bananas, oil, pan, and
vermilion.

TEXT 118

éçvara-prabhäve dravya haila asaìkhyäta

çacé o sabäre dena bära päïca säta

TRANSLATION

By the influence of the Supreme Lord, all the items multiplied unlimitedly.
Thus Çacé also repeatedly gave the gifts to each woman.

TEXT 119

taile snäna karilena sarva-näré-gaëe

hena nähi paripürëa nahila ye mane

TRANSLATION

The ladies all appeared to have taken bath in oil. There was not a single
woman who did not feel complete satisfaction.

TEXT 120

ei-mata mahänanda lakñméra bhavane

lakñméra janané karilena harña mane

1475
 TRANSLATION

Meanwhile, in great happiness at the house of Viñëupriyä, her mother

performed the various rituals in current practice.

TEXT 121

çré-räja-paëòita ati cittera ulläse

sarvasva nikñepa kari’ mahänande bhäse

TRANSLATION

As the Räja Paëòita joyfully gave all his various possessions in charity, he
floated in an ocean of bliss.

COMMENTARY

The phrase sarvasva nikñepa kari means “having spent all one’s wealth” or
“by mentally offering Gaurasundara the hand of his daughter,
Viñëupriyä-devé, who meant everything to him and who was dearer to him
than his own life.”

TEXT 122

sarva-vidhi-karma kari’ çré-gaurasundara

vasilena khänika haiyä avasara

TRANSLATION

1476
 After completing all the prescribed rituals, Çré Gaurasundara sat down and
relaxed for a while.

COMMENTARY

The phrase sarva-vidhi-karma refers to all the activities based on the småtis.

TEXT 123

tabe saba-brähmaëere bhojya-vastra diyä

karilena santoña parama-namra haiyä

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the Lord humbly satisfied all the brähmaëas with foodstuffs and
cloth.

TEXT 124

ye ye-mata pätra, yä’ra yogya yena däna

sei-mata karilena sabäre samäna

TRANSLATION

The Lord respectfully gave everyone charity according to their qualification.

TEXT 125

1477
 mahä-préte äçérväda kari’ vipra-gaëa
gåhe calilena sabe karite bhojana

TRANSLATION

All the brähmaëas affectionately blessed Viçvambhara and went inside His
house to eat.

TEXT 126

aparähna velä äsi’ lägila haite

sabäi prabhura veça lägilä karite

TRANSLATION

As the afternoon approached, everyone began to dress the Lord.

TEXT 127

candane lepita kari’ sakala çré-aìga

madhye madhye sarvatra dilena tathi gandha

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s beautiful limbs were smeared with sandalwood pulp in which
aguru had been mixed.

1478
 TEXT 128

ardha-candräkåti kari’ laläöe candana

tathi-madhye gandhera tilaka suçobhana

TRANSLATION

His forehead was smeared with sandalwood paste in the shape of a

half-moon, and an enchanting tilaka mark was drawn through it with aguru.

TEXT 129

adbhuta mukuöa çobhe çré-çira-upara

sugandhi-mäläya pürëa haila kalevara

TRANSLATION

He wore a wonderful crown on His head, and fragrant flower garlands

covered His body.

TEXT 130

divya sükñma-péta-vastra, trikaccha-vidhäne

paräiyä kajjala dilena çré-nayane

TRANSLATION

He wore fine yellow cloth with three corners tucked in, and His beautiful

1479
eyes were decorated with kajjala.

TEXT 131

dhänya, dürvä, sütra kare kariyä bandhana

dharite dilena rambhä maïjaré darpaëa

TRANSLATION

Dürvä grass was tied with a thread around His right wrist, and He held a
mirror and a fresh banana leaf in His hands.

COMMENTARY

The phrase rambhä maïjaré refers to newly grown banana leaves or the
middle portion of a banana tree.

TEXT 132

suvarëa-kuëòala dui çruti-müle dole

nänä-ratna-hära bändhilena bähu-müle

TRANSLATION

His ears were adorned with gold earrings, and His arms were decorated with
various jeweled armlets.

COMMENTARY

1480
 The word çruti-müle means “the ear lobe.”

TEXT 133

ei-mate ye-ye çobhä kare ye-ye aìge

sakala ghaöanä sabe karilena raìge

TRANSLATION

In this way everyone joyfully decorated the Lord’s limbs with appropriate
items.

COMMENTARY

The words ghaöanä karilena mean “joined,” “composed,” “beautified,”

“assimilated,” or “entrusted.”

TEXT 134

éçvarera mürti dekhi’ yata nara-näré

mugdha hailena sabe äpanä’ päçari’

TRANSLATION

On seeing the beautifully decorated form of the Lord, all the assembled men
and women were overwhelmed and forgot themselves.

TEXT 135

1481
 prahareka velä äche, henai samaya
sabei balena,—“çubha karäha vijaya

TRANSLATION

At mid afternoon, everyone said, “Now let us begin our auspicious journey.

TEXT 136

prahareka sarva-navadvépe beòäiyä

kanyä-gåhe yäibena godhüli kariyä”

TRANSLATION

“We will pass through the streets of Navadvépa for a few hours and arrive at
the bride’s house right at dusk.”

COMMENTARY

For a explanation of godhüli one should refer the purport to Ädi-khaëòa,

Chapter 10, verse 91.

TEXT 137

tabe divya dolä kari buddhimanta-khäna

hariñe äniyä karilena upasthäna

TRANSLATION

1482
 At that time Buddhimanta Khän happily brought an exquisite palanquin for
the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The phrase upasthäna karilena means “[a divine palanquin] was brought
before,” in other words, “set in front.”

TEXT 138

vädya-géte uöhila parama kolähala

vipra-gaëe kare veda-dhvani sumaìgala

TRANSLATION

Musical instruments and singing created a tumult, while the brähmaëas

chanted auspicious Vedic mantras.

TEXT 139

bhäöa-gaëe paòite lägilä räyavära

sarva-dike haila änanda-avatära

TRANSLATION

Professional blessers began to recite various prayers. The whole scene

appeared as if bliss personified had advented.

1483
 TEXT 140

tabe prabhu jananére pradakñiëa kari’

vipra-gaëe namaskari’ bahu mänya kari’

TRANSLATION

Lord Gauräìga circumambulated His mother and offered obeisances to the

brähmaëas.

TEXT 141

doläya vasilä çré-gauräìga mahäçaya

sarva-dike uöhila maìgala jaya-jaya

TRANSLATION

Then, as He got into the palanquin, auspicious sounds of “Jaya! Jaya!” were
heard in all directions.

TEXT 142

näré-gaëe dite lägilena jayakära

çubha-dhvani vinä kona-dike nähi ära

TRANSLATION

As the women joined in with sounds of ulu-dhvani, nothing other than

1484
auspicious vibrations could be heard.

TEXT 143

prathame vijaya karilena gaìgä-tére

ardha-candra dekhilena çirera upare

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s procession first proceeded to the bank of the Ganges, where the
half-moon was seen overhead.

COMMENTARY

Another reading for ardha-candra is pürëa-candra. On the evening of the

full moon, the moon is seen on the eastern horizon. It is not seen directly
above. From the eighth day of the waxing moon up to Ekädaçé, the eleventh
day of the moon, half of the moon is seen directly overhead in the evening.
Therefore the reading pürëa-candra is not appropriate here.

TEXT 144

sahasra-sahasra dépa lägila jvalite

nänä-vidha bäji saba lägila karite

TRANSLATION

Thousands of lamps were lit, and various fireworks were set off.

1485
 TEXT 145

äge yata padätika buddhimanta-khäìra

calilä dui-säri hai’ yata päöoyära

TRANSLATION

The procession was led by Buddhimanta Khän’s infantry, followed by the

city tax collectors.

COMMENTARY

The word säri (formed when ëic is added to the Sanskrit verb så) means
“row” or “class.”
The word päöoyära (used in ancient Bengali) refers to one who is expert in
carrying out the worldly dealings of his master. It also refers to an accountant,
a tax-collector, or a clerk. In common language a päöoyära is called a gomastä.

TEXT 146

nänä-varëe patäkä calila tä’ra päche

vidüñaka-sakala calilä nänä-käce

TRANSLATION

They in turn were followed by people carrying various colored flags. Next
came a group of jesters, who dressed in various costumes.

1486
 COMMENTARY

The word vidüñaka refers to a joker, a flatterer, or one who makes

caricatures.

TEXT 147

nartaka vä nä jäni kateka sampradäya

parama-ulläse divya nåtya kari’ yäya

TRANSLATION

They were followed by diverse groups of dancers, who all danced jubilantly.

TEXTS 148-149

jayaòhäka, véraòhäka, mådaìga, kähäla

paöaha, dagaòa, çaìkha, vaàçé, karatäla

varaìga, çiìgä, païca-çabdé-vädya bäje yata

ke likhibe,—vädya-bhäëòa bäji’ yäya kata?

TRANSLATION

Various musical instruments were played like jayaòhäkas, véraòhäkas,

mådaìgas, kähälas, kettledrums, snare drums, conchshells, flutes, karatälas,
varaìgas, horns, and païca-çabdés. Who can name all the instruments that were
played?

1487
 TEXT 150

lakña-lakña çiçu vädya-bhäëòera bhitare

raìge näci’ yäya, dekhi’ häsena éçvare

TRANSLATION

Millions of children danced along with the music, while the Lord watched
and smiled.

TEXT 151

se mahä-kautuka dekhi’ çiñura ki däya

jïänavän sabe lajjä chäòi’ näci’ yäya

TRANSLATION

What to speak of the children, even the learned scholars gave up their
inhibitions and danced.

TEXT 152

prathame äsiyä gaìgä-tére kata-kñaëa

karilena nåtya, géta, änanda-bäjana

TRANSLATION

As they arrived at the bank of the Ganges, they sang, danced, and played

1488
musical instruments for some time.

TEXT 153

tabe puñpa-våñöi kari’ gaìgä namaskari’

bhramena kautuke sarva-navadvépa-puré

TRANSLATION

They showered flowers on the Ganges and offered her obeisances, then they
proceeded to happily move through the streets of Navadvépa.

TEXT 154

dekhi’ ati-amänuñé viväha-sambhära

sarva-loka-citte mahä päya camatkära

TRANSLATION

Everyone was astonished to see the extraordinary marriage procession.

TEXT 155

“baòa baòa vibhä dekhiyächi”—loke bale

“e-mata samåddhi nähi dekhi kona-käle”

TRANSLATION

1489
 They remarked, “We’ve seen large marriages in the past, but we’ve never
seen anything as opulent as this.”

TEXT 156

ei-mata stré-puruñe prabhure dekhiyä

änande bhäsaye dekhi’ sukåti nadéyä

TRANSLATION

The pious men and women of Nadia who saw the Lord’s marriage procession
all floated in an ocean of bliss.

TEXT 157

sabe yä’ra rüpavaté kanyä äche ghare

sei-saba vipra sabe vimariña kare

TRANSLATION

Those brähmaëas who had beautiful daughters at home simply lamented.

TEXT 158

“hena vare kanyä nähi päriläìa dite

äpanära bhägya nähi, haibe ke-mate?”

1490
 TRANSLATION

“We are most unfortunate, so how could we marry our daughters to such a
boy?”

TEXT 159

navadvépa-väséra caraëe namaskära

e saba änanda dekhibäre çakti yä’ra

TRANSLATION

I offer my obeisances unto the residences of Navadvépa who were qualified

to see such pastimes.

TEXT 160

ei-mata raìge prabhu nagare nagare

bhramena kautuke sarva-navadvépa-pure

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord joyfully moved throughout every quarter of Navadvépa.

TEXT 161

godhüli-samaya äsi’ praveça haite

1491
 äilena räja-paëòitera mandirete

TRANSLATION

Then at dusk the procession arrived at the house of Sanätana Miçra.

TEXT 162

mahä-jaya-jayakära lägila haite

dui vädya-bhäëòa väde lägila bäjite

TRANSLATION

At that time there was a tumultuous sound of ulu-dhvani, and the musicians
of both parties competed with each other.

COMMENTARY

The word väde means “competing,” therefore on the basis of challenging

each other.

TEXT 163

parama-sambhrame räja-paëòita äsiyä

dolä haite kole kari’ vasäilä laiyä

TRANSLATION

Sanätana Miçra came out and greeted the Lord with great respect. He

1492
escorted the groom off the palanquin, embraced Him, and offered Him a
suitable seat.

COMMENTARY

The word dolä (a local word) means “palanquin” or “litter.”

TEXT 164

puñpa-våñöi karilena santoñe äpane

jämätä dekhiyä harñe deha nähi jäne

TRANSLATION

As Sanätana Miçra showered the groom with flowers, he forgot himself in

happiness.

COMMENTARY

The phrase harñe deha nähi jäne means “he forgot himself out of ecstasy.”

TEXT 165

tabe varaëera saba sämagré äniyä

jämätä varite vipra vasilä äsiyä

TRANSLATION

Then Sanätana Miçra brought the appropriate ingredients and sat down to

1493
offer welcome to his son-in-law.

COMMENTARY

The word varaëa (vå—“to cover”+anaö karaëe) means “a cloth used in

welcoming during marriages or worship of the demigods.”

TEXT 166

pädya, arghya, äcamanéya, vastra, alaìkära

yathä-vidhi diyä kailä varaëa-vyabhära

TRANSLATION

He duly performed the welcome ceremony by offering pädya, arghya,

äcamanéya, cloth, and ornaments.

COMMENTARY

The word pädya refers to water for washing the feet.

The word arghya refers to ingredients that are offered in the hands for
worship. These ingredients are listed in the Käçé-khaëòa as follows: “The
following eight ingredients are offered as arghya: water, milk, kuça grass,
yogurt, ghee, rice, barley, and white mustard.”
The word äcamanéya refers to water meant for washing the mouth. It is
stated: “Water that is pure and devoid of foam that is offered for washing the
mouth is known as äcamanéya.”

1494
 TEXT 167

tabe tä’na patné näré-gaëera sahite

maìgala-vidhäna äsi’ lägilä karite

TRANSLATION

Then Sanätana Miçra’s wife and other ladies also welcomed the groom
according to prescribed regulations.

TEXT 168

dhänya-dürvä dilena prabhura çré-mastake

ärati karilä sapta-ghåtera pradépe

TRANSLATION

She first placed dürvä grass and rice paddy on the head of the Lord, then she
offered Him ärati with a ghee lamp of seven wicks.

TEXT 169

khai kaòi pheli’ karilena jayakära

ei-mata yata kichu kari’ lokäcära

TRANSLATION

They showered the Lord with puffed rice paddy and coins while uttering

1495
sounds of triumph, and this way all the rituals in current practice were
performed.

TEXT 170

tabe sarva-alaìkäre bhüñita kariyä

lakñmé-devé änilena äsane dhariyä

TRANSLATION

Viñëupriyä, who was nicely decorated, was then carried on a seat to the
marriage arena.

COMMENTARY

A description similar to that found in this and the following eight verses is
seen in the Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 10, verses 94-99.

TEXT 171

tabe harñe prabhura sakala äpta-gaëe

prabhureha tulilena dhariyä äsane

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, the Lord’s relatives joyfully lifted Him by raising His seat.

TEXT 172

1496
 tabe madhye antaùpaöa dhari’ lokäcäre
sapta pradakñiëa karäilena kanyäre

TRANSLATION

Following current practice, the Lord was blindfolded with a cloth and the
bride was made to circumambulate Him seven times.

COMMENTARY

The word antaùpaöa refers to either a piece of cloth that is used to cover
the groom during the marriage or a curtain.

TEXT 173

tabe lakñmé pradakñiëa kari’ säta bära

rahilena sammukhe kariyä namaskära

TRANSLATION

After circumambulation, Viñëupriyä came before the Lord and offered Him
obeisances.

TEXT 174

tabe puñpa pheläpheli lägila haite

dui vädya-bhäëòa mahä lägila bäjite

1497
 TRANSLATION

All the ladies then showered flowers on the couple, and the two groups of
musicians began to play.

TEXT 175

catur-dike stré-puruñe kare jaya-dhvani

änanda äsiyä avatarilä äpani

TRANSLATION

As the men and women all offered loud praise from all sides, it appeared as
though the personification of happiness had incarnated there.

TEXT 176

äge lakñmé jagan-mätä prabhura caraëe

mälä diyä karilena ätma-samarpaëe

TRANSLATION

The universal mother, Viñëupriyä, then offered a flower garland to the Lord
and surrendered herself at His lotus feet.

TEXT 177

tabe gauracandra prabhu éñat häsiyä

1498
 lakñméra galäya mälä dilena tuliyä

TRANSLATION

Then Lord Gauracandra sweetly smiled as He offered a flower garland to

Viñëupriyä.

TEXT 178

tabe lakñmé näräyaëe puñpa-pheläpheli

karite lägilä hai mahä-kutuhalé

TRANSLATION

Thereafter Lakñmé and Näräyaëa happily showered flowers on each other.

TEXT 179

brahmädi devatä saba alakñita-rüpe

puñpa-våñöi lägilena karite kautuke

TRANSLATION

Unseen by common people, the demigods headed by Brahmä joyfully

showered flowers on the couple.

COMMENTARY

While watching the transcendental pastimes of receiving and offering

1499
service through the exchange of garlands between Gaura-Näräyaëa and
Çrématé Viñëupriyä-devé, who is nondifferent from Mahä-Lakñmé, Brahmä and
the demigods, who are devotees of Lord Viñëu, joyfully showered flowers while
remaining unseen by people.

TEXT 180

änanda-viväda lakñmé-gaëe prabhu-gaëe

ucca kari’ vara-kanyä tole harña mane

TRANSLATION

Then the associates of the bride lifted her and the associates of the groom
lifted Him in a joyous competition over who could lift higher.

COMMENTARY

The phrase änanda-viväda refers to a joyful competition between two

parties. The phrase lakñmé-gaëe refers to the persons in Viñëupriyä-devé’s
party. The phrase prabhu-gaëe refers to the persons in Viçvambhara’s party.

TEXT 181

kñaëe jine’ prabhu-gaëe, kñaëe lakñmé-gaëe

häsi’ häsi’ prabhure bolaya sarva-jane

TRANSLATION

One moment the associates of the Lord would win, and the next moment the

1500
associates of Viñëupriyä would win. The people would smile as they informed
the Lord [who was still blindfolded] of the results.

TEXT 182

éñat häsilä prabhu sundara çré-mukhe

dekhi’ sarva-loka bhäse paränanda-sukhe

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled sweetly in reciprocation. In this way everyone there floated
in an ocean of ecstasy.

TEXT 183

sahasra-sahasra mahätäpa-dépa jvale

karëe kichu nähi çuni vädya-kolähale

TRANSLATION

Thousands of torches illuminated the arena, and nothing could be heard

other than singing and the playing of musical instruments.

COMMENTARY

The phrase mahätäpa-dépa (derived from the Farsi word mahtäv) means
“colorful fire,” “torch,” or “lantern.”

1501
 TEXT 184

mukha-candrikära mahä-vädya-jaya-dhvani
sakala-brahmäëòe paçileka, hena çuni

TRANSLATION

At the time when the bride and groom exchanged glances, the tumultuous
sound of music filled the entire universe.

COMMENTARY

The phrase çré mukha-candrikä refers to the bride and groom’s auspicious
glancing at each other. One may see Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 10, verse 100.

TEXT 185

hena-mate çré-mukha-candrikä kari’ raìge

vasilena çré-gaurasundara lakñmé-saìge

TRANSLATION

After exchanging glances, Çré Gaurasundara sat down with Viñëupriyä.

TEXT 186

tabe räja-paëòita parama-harña-mane

vasilena karibäre kanyä-sampradäne

1502
 TRANSLATION

At that time the ecstatic Çré Sanätana Miçra sat down to offer his daughter
in marriage.

TEXT 187

pädya, arghya, äcamanéya yathä-vidhi-mate

kriyä kari’ lägilena saìkalpa karite

TRANSLATION

Following the Vedic injunctions, Sanätana Miçra offered the Lord pädya,
arghya, and äcamanéya. Then he chanted the prescribed mantras for giving his
daughter in marriage.

TEXT 188

viñëu-préti kämya kari’ çré-lakñméra pitä

prabhura çré-haste samarpilena duhitä

TRANSLATION

With a desire to please Lord Viñëu, Sanätana Miçra then offered his
daughter into the sacred hands of the Lord.

TEXT 189

1503
 tabe divya dhenu, bhümi, çayyä, däsé, däsa
aneka yautuka diyä karilä ulläsa

TRANSLATION

He thereafter joyfully gave cows, land, bedding, servants, and maidservants

to the couple.

TEXT 190

lakñmé vasäilena prabhura väma-päçe

homa-karma karite lägilä tabe çeñe

TRANSLATION

Sanätana Miçra invited Viñëupriyä to sit on the Lord’s left side and then
began to perform the fire sacrifice.

TEXT 191

vedäcära lokäcära yata kichu äche

saba kari’ vara-kanyä dhare nilä päche

TRANSLATION

After performing the rituals prescribed by the Vedas and local custom,
Sanätana Miçra took the couple inside the house.

1504
 TEXT 192

vaikuëöha haila räja-paëòita-äväse

bhojana karite yäi’ vasilena çeñe

TRANSLATION

Vaikuëöha manifested in the house of Sanätana Miçra. Finally they all sat to
take their meal.

TEXT 193

bhojana kariyä sukhe rätri sumaìgale

lakñmé-kåñëa ekatra rahilä kutühale

TRANSLATION

After taking their meal, the Supreme Lord and His wife joyfully spent the
auspicious night together.

TEXT 194

sanätana-paëòitera goñöhéra sahite

ye sukha haila, tähä ke päre kahite?

TRANSLATION

Who can describe the happiness enjoyed by Sanätana Miçra and his family

1505
members?

TEXT 195

nagnajit, janaka, bhéñmaka, jämbuvanta

pürve täì’rä yehena hailä bhägyavanta

TRANSLATION

Kings of the past like Nagnajit, Janaka, Bhéñmaka, and Jämbavän all
experience good fortune.

COMMENTARY

Nagnajit was a most pious kñatriya king of Ayodhyä. Lord Kåñëa’s queen,
Satyä, appeared as his beloved daughter, so according to the name of her
father she was also known as Nägnajité. According to the stipulation put
forward by Nagnajit, Lord Kåñëa easily subdued seven ferocious, sharp-horned,
indomitable bulls who could not tolerate even the scent of their opposition
and thus duly married Çrématé Satyä, or Nélä-devé.
For a description of the incidents related with Nagnajit one should see
Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.58.32-55) and the incidents related with Karëa’s
conquest in the Ghoña-yäträ-parva of the Mahäbhärata, Vana-parva.
Janaka, the King of Videha, or Mithila, was the eldest son of Hrasvaromä.
He was also known as Çéradhvaja. While plowing a tract of land to be used for
a sacrificial performance, he obtained a self-manifest daughter from the tip of
the plowshare and therefore he became known as Çéradhvaja and that
daughter became known as Sétä. His duly begotten daughter was named
Ürmilä, and her younger brother’s name was Kuçadhvaja.

1506
 Previously, after the destruction of Dakña’s sacrifice, Lord Çiva entrusted
his own bow to the hands of Devaräta, who was the predecessor of Janaka.
With a desire to offer his self-manifest adopted daughter, goddess Sétädevé, to
a suitable heroic groom, Janaka established a test of valor (in other words,
whoever was able by great strength to pull the string of the above-mentioned
bow would alone receive this jewel-like daughter as his wife). But what to
speak of pulling the string of Lord Çiva’s bow, kñatriya kings of various
kingdoms who came to Mithila with a desire for the hand of Sétädevé were not
even able to pick up the bow. One day the great sage Viçvämitra came to the
saintly King Janaka’s sacrificial arena accompanied by Lord Räma and
Lakñmaëa, the two sons of Daçaratha, the King of Ayodhyä. When they heard
the stipulation of Janaka, the King of Videha, on the following day, Lord Çré
Rämacandra, on the signal of Viçvämitra and Janaka, easily pulled the string
of Lord Çiva’s enormous bow in front of innumerable spectators and broke it
in two pieces with a tumultuous sound. Thereafter He duly married His
Mahä-Lakñmé, Çrématé Sétädevé.
Regarding this pastime, one should refer to the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(9.13.18), the Viñëu Puräëa (4.5.12), and the Mahäbhärata, in the portion of
the Vana-parva (273.9) dealing with Draupadé’s kidnapping and in the
Sabhä-parva (8.19).
His conversation with Añöävakra Muni is found in the Vana-parva,
Chapters 132-134; his conversation with Païcaçikha Muni on spiritual topics is
found in Çänti-parva, Chapters 221 and 324; his conversation with his wife
regarding a kñatriya’s duty and necessity for maintaining his subjects is found
in the Çänti-parva, Chapter 18; his conversation with the brähmaëa named
Açma is found in the Çänti-parva, Chapter 27; his displaying heaven and hell
to his soldiers is found in the Çänti-parva, Chapter 99; his remaining fixed in
consciousness even upon the burning of Mithila is found in the Çänti-parva,
Chapter 223; Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé’s coming before him and their
conversation is found in the Çänti-parva, Chapter 333; his conversation with

1507
Mäëòavya Muni is found in the Çänti-parva, Chapter 296; and his
conversation with Yäjïavalkya Muni regarding the creation of the living
entities is found in the in the Çänti-parva, Chapters 315-323.
For a description of his dynasty, one should refer to the Çrémad
Bhägavatam, Ninth Canto, Chapter 13; the Viñëu Puräëa, Part 4, Chapter 5;
and the Väyu Puräëa, Chapter 89. Apart from these, one should refer to the
Välméki Rämäyaëa, Ädi-käëòa, Chapter 31, verses 6-13, Chapter 47, verse 19,
Chapter 48, verse 10, Chapter 50, Chapter 65, verses 31-49, Chapter 66,
Chapter 70, verses 19 and 45, Chapter 71, Chapter 72, verse 18, Chapter 73,
verses 10-36, and Chapter 74, verses 1-7.
Bhéñmaka was the King of Vidarbha, or Kuëòina. He had five
sons—Rukmé, Rukmaratha, Rukmabähu, Rukmakeça, and Rukmamälé—and
one daughter named Rukmiëé, who was nondifferent from Mahä-Lakñmé.
After hearing from the mouths of people about the attractive form, qualities,
and pastimes of Lord Kåñëa, Rukmiëédevé mentally accepted Lord Kåñëa as her
husband. Lord Kåñëa also considered Rukmiëédevé as an appropriate wife and
decided to marry her. But the evil-minded Rukmé, who was most envious of
Lord Kåñëa, decided to offer his sister to the hands of Çiçupäla, the son of
Damaghoña, the King of Cedi. When Rukmiëédevé came to know of this plan,
she became extremely morose and one day before the marriage she sent a
letter with a reliable brähmaëa messenger to Lord Kåñëa. After the brähmaëa
handed Rukmiëé’s letter to Lord Kåñëa and revealed her appeal, Kåñëa left for
Vidarbha on a chariot pulled by horses that were so fast that they arrived on
the same night. Kåñëa then sent the brähmaëa messenger to Rukmiëé with
assurance of His willingness to accept her hand in marriage. When Balaräma
heard that Kåñëa had gone alone to Vidarbha, He took many Yädava soldiers
and also went to Vidarbha. With a desire to fight Kåñëa and Balaräma,
Çiçupäla, who was the born enemy of Kåñëa, also came to Vidarbha with
like-minded persons like Çälva, Jaräsandha, Dantavakra, Pauëòraka, and
Vidüratha. Meanwhile, out of affection for his son Rukmé, Bhéñmaka, the King

1508
of Kuëòina, made elaborate arrangements for offering his daughter to
Çiçupäla. When Vidarbha-nandiné Rukmiëé slowly came near Kåñëa after
worshiping goddess Ambikä in a temple on the day of the marriage, Kåñëa
immediately snatched her in front of all the enemy kings just as a lion
snatches its prey, and with the help of Baladeva He completely defeated
Çiçupäla, Jaräsandha, and all the other kings who were desirous of fighting and
thereafter returned to Dvärakä and duly married Mahä-Lakñmé.
One may further refer to Çrémad Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapter 52,
verses 16-26, Chapter 53, verses 7-21, 32-38, and 55-57, Chapter 54, verses 1-53,
Chapter 61, verses 20-40; Mahäbhärata, Sabhä-parva, Chapter 4, verse 37, and
Chapter 32, verse 13; Viñëu Puräëa, Part Five, Chapters 26 and 28, verses 6-28;
and Hari-vaàça, Second Parva, Chapters 103 and 118.
Jämbavän, the king of the bears, was a wise devotee of Çré Räma and one of
the four ministers of Sugréva, the emperor of the monkeys and King of
Kiñkindhyä. It is said that he was born during the yawning of grandfather
Brahmä. He was the father of Mahä-Lakñmé Jämbavaté-devé, the queen of Lord
Kåñëa. On account of worshiping the sun-god, Saträjit, a king in the Sätvata
dynasty, received the precious Syamantaka jewel from him. When Lord Kåñëa
requested the Syamantaka jewel on behalf of Ugrasena, the King of the Yadus,
he refused. One day, when Prasena, the brother of Saträjit, went out hunting
wearing the Syamantaka jewel on his neck, a lion attacked and killed him and
took the Syamantaka jewel within its cave. Later, Jämbavän, the king of the
bears, killed that lion and gave the jewel to his son to play with.
Meanwhile, when Lord Kåñëa heard that people were accusing Him of
killing Prasena, He took some residents of Dvärakä and went to search for
Prasena in order to free Himself from this accusation. They first found that
Prasena had been killed by a lion and later found that the lion had been killed
by Jämbavän at the foot of the mountain. Thereafter Kåñëa ordered the
residents to wait outside as He entered the bear king’s formidable mountain
cave, wherein He saw the jewel being played within the hands of a boy. As

1509
soon as He attempted to take the jewel away, the nurse cried loudly out of fear
due to seeing a strange human form. Hearing the nurse’s cry, Jämbavän, the
king of the bears, appeared on the scene in a very angry mood and, being
bewildered by the illusory energy of Viñëu, he wrestled with Kåñëa day and
night for twenty-eight days without understanding the glories of Kåñëa, who is
nondifferent from his worshipable Lord Rämacandra. Finally he became
completely exhausted, and his body began to shiver as he offered prayers to
Lord Kåñëa, realizing that He was his worshipable Lord, Çré Rämacandra. As a
result of receiving the Lord’s mercy, he regained his strength, and then the
Lord revealed His purpose to him. Thereafter Åkñaräja, Jämbavän, presented
the Syamantaka jewel and his daughter, Jämbavaté, to Lord Kåñëa. The Lord
then returned to Dvärakä and duly married Jämbavaté. One should refer in
this connection to Çrémad Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapter 56, verses
14-32; Viñëu Puräëa, Fourth Canto, Chapter 13, verses 18-33; Mahäbhärata,
Sabhä-parva, Chapter 57, verse 23, Vana-parva, in the section related with
Draupadé’s kidnapping, Chapter 279, verses 23, Chapter 282, verse 8, Chapter
288, verse 13, and Chapter 289, verse 3. Apart from these, one may see the
Välméki Rämäyaëa, Kiñkindhä-käëòa, Chapter 39, verse 26, Chapter 41, verse
2 (pitämaha-sutaà caiva jämbavantaà mahaujasam—“The most powerful
Jämbavän was the son of Grandfather Brahmä.”), Chapter 65, verses 10-35,
Chapter 66, Chapter 67, verses 31-35, Sundara-käëòa, Chapter 58, verses 2-7,
Chapter 60, verses 14-20, Laìkä-käëòa, Chapter 27, verses 11-14, Chapter 50,
verses 8-12, and Chapter 74, verses 13-35.

TEXT 196

sei bhägye ebe goñöhé-saha sanätana

päilena pürva-viñëu-sevära käraëa

1510
 TRANSLATION

That same good fortune was now experienced by Sanätana Miçra and his
family due to the previous service of Lord Viñëu.

TEXT 197

tabe rätri-prabhäte ye chila lokäcära

sakala karilä sarva-bhuvanera sära

TRANSLATION

The next morning the most fortunate Sanätana Miçra executed all the
necessary traditional rituals.

TEXT 198

aparähne gåhe äsibära haila käla

vädya, géta, nåtya haite lägila viçäla

TRANSLATION

In the afternoon when it was time for the Lord to return home, the
musicians, singers, and dancers began their performances.

TEXT 199

catur-dike jaya-dhvani lägila haite

1511
 näré-gaëa jayakära lägilena dite

TRANSLATION

The sound of joy filled all directions, and the ladies joined in by making
auspicious sounds of ulu-dhvani.

TEXT 200

vipra-gaëa äçérväda lägilä karite

yäträ-yogya çloka sabe lägilä paòite

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëas offered their blessings by reciting verses appropriate for an

auspicious journey.

TEXT 201

òhäka, paöaha, sänäïi, vaòaìga, karatäla

anyo’nye väda kari’ bäjäya viçäla

TRANSLATION

The musicians competitively played their òhäkas, kettledrums, sänäïi,

vaòaìgas, and karatälas.

TEXT 202

1512
 tabe prabhu namaskari’ sarva-mänya-gaëa
lakñmé-saìge doläya karilä ärohaëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord offered His obeisances to the respectable persons there and sat on
the palanquin with Viñëupriyä.

TEXT 203

’hari hari’ bali’ sabe kari’ jaya-dhvani

calilena laiyä tabe dvija-kulamaëi

TRANSLATION

Then the best of the brähmaëas departed along with His associates, while
everyone chanted “Hari! Hari!”

TEXT 204

pathe yata loka dekhe, caliyä äsite

’dhanya-dhanya’ sabei praçaàse bahu-mate

TRANSLATION

Everyone who saw the Lord on the way glorified Him with appropriate
words.

1513
 COMMENTARY

A description similar to that found in this and the following five verses is
seen in the Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter 10, verses 111-116.

TEXT 205

stré-gaëa dekhiyä bale,—“ei bhägyavaté

kata janma sevilena kamalä-pärvaté”

TRANSLATION

The ladies said, “She is very fortunate. She must have served Lakñmé and
Pärvaté for many lifetimes.”

TEXT 206

keha bale,—“ei hena bujhi hara-gauré

keha bale,—“hena bujhi kamalä çré-hari

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “They look just like Çiva and Pärvaté,” while someone else
said, “They look like Lakñmé and Lord Hari.”

TEXT 207

keha bale,—“ei dui kämadeva-rati

1514
 keha bale,—“indra-çacé laya mora mati

TRANSLATION

Another person said, “This couple look just like Kamadeva and Rati,” and
someone said, “They look like Indra and Çacé.”

TEXT 208

keha bale,—“hena bujhi rämacandra-sétä

ei-mata bale yata sukåti-vanitä

TRANSLATION

Someone else said, “They look like Räma and Sétä.” In this way all the pious
ladies talked amongst themselves.

TEXT 209

hena bhägyavanta stré-puruña nadéyära

e saba sampatti dekhibära çakti yä’ra

TRANSLATION

The men and women of Nadia were so fortunate that they were able to see
the opulences of the Supreme Lord and His consort.

TEXT 210

1515
 lakñmé-näräyaëera maìgala-dåñöipäte
sukha-maya sarva loka haila nadéyäte

TRANSLATION

By the auspicious glance of Lakñmé-Näräyaëa, all the people of Nadia

became happy in all respects.

TEXT 211

nåtya, géta, vädya, puñpa varñite varñite

parama-änande äilena sarva-pathe

TRANSLATION

As the Lord’s marriage party passed through the streets, they danced, sang,
played musical instruments, and showered flowers in great ecstasy.

TEXT 212

tabe çubha-kñaëe prabhu sakala-maìgale

äilena gåhe lakñmé-kåñëa kutühale

TRANSLATION

At an auspicious moment the Lord and Viñëupriyä arrived home in a merry

mood.

1516
 TEXT 213

tabe äi pati-vratä-gaëa saìge laiyä

putra-vadhü ghare änilena harña haiyä

TRANSLATION

Thereupon Mother Çacé and other chaste women joyfully welcomed their
daughter-in-law home.

TEXT 214

gåhe äsi’ vasilena lakñmé-näräyaëa

jaya-dhvani-maya haila sakala bhuvana

TRANSLATION

As Lakñmé-Näräyaëa sat inside the house, the whole house was filled with
sounds of joy.

TEXT 215

ki änanda haila, se akathya-kathana

se mahimä kon jane karibe varëana?

TRANSLATION

The ecstasy that was experienced there is beyond words, therefore who can

1517
describe its glories?

TEXT 216

yäìhära mürtira vibhä dekhile nayane

päpa-mukta hai’ yäya vaikuëöha-bhuvane

TRANSLATION

Anyone who sees the marriage ceremony of the Supreme Lord is freed from
all sinful reactions and returns to Vaikuëöha.

COMMENTARY

The marriages based on sense gratification between ordinary men and

women are known as bandhana, or bondage. But if a materialist sees the
marriage pastimes of Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa, the Lord of Vaikuëöha, with
goddess Çrématé Viñëupriyä-Lakñmé, then his desire for material enjoyment is
vanquished, and as a result of the awakening of transcendental knowledge he
will be freed from material existence and attain Vaikuëöha.

TEXT 217

se prabhura vibhä loka dekhaye säkñät

teïi tä’na näma—’dayämaya’ ’dénanätha’

TRANSLATION

Because the Lord allowed everyone to see His marriage, He is known as

1518
Dayämaya, or He who is most merciful, and Dénanätha, or He who is the Lord
of the fallen.

COMMENTARY

In order to destroy the desire for material enjoyment by imparting

transcendental knowledge to miserly and materially attached fallen persons,
to bring them to their original constitutional position in Vaikuëöha, and to
award them the eligibility for service that is rarely attained by the demigods,
the most merciful Lord exhibited His transcendental marriage pastimes before
the eyes of the general people. That is why the pious faithful devotees humbly
address the Lord by various names like Ahaituka-kåpämaya (He who is
causelessly merciful), Amandodayä-dayä-sindhu (He who is an all-auspicious
ocean of mercy), and Déna-bandhu (He who is the friend of the fallen), which
are indicative of His causeless mercy.

TEXT 218

tabe yata naöa, bhäöa, bhikñuka-gaëere

tuñilena vastra-dhana-vacane sabäre

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the Lord satisfied everyone—the dancers, the professional

blessers, and the beggars—with cloth, money, and sweet words.

COMMENTARY

One should take note of how the Lord, as an ideal householder and teacher
of people, duly respected and awarded gifts to the proper candidates.

1519
 TEXT 219

vipra-gaëe, äpta-gaëe, sabäre pratyeke

äpane éçvara vastra dilena kautuke

TRANSLATION

The Lord also happily gave cloth to each of the brähmaëas, relatives, and
friends.

TEXT 220

buddhimanta-khäne prabhu dilä äliìgana

tähäna änanda ati akathya-kathana

TRANSLATION

Then the Lord mercifully embraced Buddhimanta Khän, who felt such
ecstasy that it is beyond all description.

TEXT 221

e saba lélära kabhu nähi pariccheda

’ävirbhäva’ ’tirobhäva’ ei kahe veda

TRANSLATION

Although the Vedas describe the Lord’s “appearance” and “disappearance,”

1520
there is actually no end to His pastimes.

COMMENTARY

Since the propensity for fruitive activities in the living entities is

interrupted in due course of time, no one should illegitimately and offensively
consider that the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Lord, who is the
controller of mäyä, are equal to the fruitive endeavors of the ordinary living
entities. That is why the Vedic literatures have emphatically pointed out the
eternal difference between the activities of the Lord, who is the controller of
mäyä, and the living entities, who are controlled by mäyä, and thus
forewarned everyone about the dangerous Mäyäväda philosophy. When the
Lord with His eternal abode and associates appears (before the eyes of people)
in this material world from Goloka-dhäma, it is called the Lord’s avatära or
ävirbhäva, and when the Lord with His eternal abode and associates returns
(disappears from the eyes of people) to His eternally unmanifest kingdom of
Goloka-dhäma from this material world, it is called the Lord’s antardhäna or
tirobhäva. By these activities, the Lord demonstrates the difference between
His transcendental pastimes and the birth and death of ordinary living
entities. The pastimes of the Supreme Lord are actually unbroken and
uninterrupted.

TEXT 222

daëòeke e saba lélä yata haiyäche

çata-varñe tähä ke varëibe,—hena äche?

TRANSLATION

Who has the ability to describe in one hundred years the pastimes that the

1521
Lord performs in a half hour?

TEXT 223

nityänanda-svarüpera äjïä dhari’ çire

sütra-mätra likhi ämi kåpä-anusäre

TRANSLATION

I have accepted the order of Nityänanda Svarüpa on my head, and by His

mercy I am briefly writing about these pastimes.

TEXT 224

e saba éçvara-lélä ye paòe, ye çune

se avaçya viharaye gauracandra-sane

TRANSLATION

Whoever reads or hears these pastimes of the Supreme Lord certainly

associates with Lord Gauracandra.

TEXT 225

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

1522
 Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,
Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Fifteen, entitled, “The Marriage of
Çré Viñëupriyä.”

Chapter Sixteen: The Glories of Çré Haridäsa Öhäkura

This chapter describes the glories of Öhäkura Çré Haridäsa, the godless
condition of Navadvépa at that time, the meeting of Haridäsa with Advaita
Äcärya, the Kazi’s complaint against Haridäsa, the various tortures such as
beating with sticks in twenty-two marketplaces, the astonishment of the
Mohammedan king on seeing the opulence of Haridäsa, the king’s instruction
to freely perform kåñëa-saìkértana, the execution of Haridäsa’s chanting
300,000 names of Kåñëa within a cave at Phuliyä, the description of a great
snake who lived in that cave, the imitation of a pseudo brähmaëa, and the
miserable fate of the so-called brähmaëa resident of Harinadé, who was an
offender at the feet of the Vaiñëavas and who was opposed to the loud
chanting of the holy names.
When Çréman Mahäprabhu enacted His pastimes as a householder and a
teacher, the entire country was devoid of spiritual practices. Everyone was
simply inclined for insignificant ordinary enjoyment. Even those who studied
or taught literatures like Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad Bhägavatam had no respect
for kåñëa-saìkértana, which is the purport of all scriptures and the life and soul
of all education. Since only a few pure devotees chanted the holy names of
Kåñëa together in a solitary place, they became the target of everyone’s

1523
harassment, teasing, and mischief. The devotees could not find a single
sympathetic person to whom they could reveal their mental distress. At such a
time Öhäkura Haridäsa arrived at Navadvépa.
Haridäsa appeared in the village of Buòhana. By his mercy, the holy names
of Kåñëa were preached in that area. On the pretext of living on the bank of
the Ganges, Haridäsa first came to Phuliyä and then went to the house of
Advaita Äcärya in Çäntipura, where he became intoxicated by chanting the
holy names of Kåñëa in the association of Advaita Äcärya. Being maddened
with love of Kåñëa in the form of chanting His holy names, Haridäsa was,
more than anyone, free from the least inclination for things other than Kåñëa.
Seeing His pure transformations of ecstasy, the brähmaëa community of
Phuliyä began to show him special respect. At that time the most sinful Kazi
complained against Haridäsa to the Mohammedan king that although
Haridäsa was born in a Mohammedan family he followed and preached the
names of the Hindu’s God.
When men came to take Haridäsa to the king, he fearlessly accompanied
them to his court. Considering, “If we get darçana of Haridäsa in the prison
house then our pains of miserable prison life will be vanquished,” the prisoners
humbly and submissively informed the prison guards about their desire to see
Haridäsa Öhäkura. Çré Haridäsa also informed the prisoners that their present
condition of freedom from material enjoyment was favorable for worshiping
Lord Çré Hari and instructed them to always engage in all conditions in
Kåñëa’s service, which is the soul’s real independence.
When the Mohammedan king asked Haridäsa why he took to Hindu
religion, he replied that the Supreme Lord is one nondual substance and He
belongs to everyone. He is situated in everyone’s heart as the director, and the
living entity acts in whatever way the Lord inspires him. By the request of the
most sinful Kazi, the Mohammedan king advised Haridäsa to accept his own
religion, failing which he would be severely punished. But Haridäsa replied
that even if his body was cut into pieces and his life air left the body he would

1524
never give up his svadharma, in the form of chanting the holy names of Hari.
In other words, he would never in any condition give up the living entity’s
constitutional duties. Although by the order of the Kazi, the miscreants
mercilessly beat Haridäsa in twenty-two marketplaces, no sign of death or any
misery was found in the body of Haridäsa. Seeing this, the sinful followers of
the king became very astonished. Haridäsa was constantly engaged in the
ecstasy of chanting the holy names of the Lord; therefore, like Prahläda, he
did not feel any misery in spite of such beating. On the contrary, he felt sorry
for the unfortunate miscreants who were committing grave offences by
torturing a Vaiñëava. Haridäsa thus prayed to the Lord to forgive their
offences.
Hearing that the sinful followers of the king would be severely punished
due to being unable to kill him, Haridäsa entered into ecstatic meditation and
appeared to be dead. The Kazi considered that if Haridäsa was buried he would
attain a higher destination, therefore he ordered his followers to throw
Haridäsa into the Ganges for his degradation. Since Viçvambhara was present
in the body of Haridäsa at that time, in spite of everyone’s endeavor they
could not move him even an inch. After being thrown in the Ganges,
Haridäsa floated to the bank. He regained his consciousness and came to the
village of Phuliyä while loudly chanting the holy names of Kåñëa. Seeing this
opulence of Haridäsa, the Mohammedans considered him a great prophet and
began to offer him obeisances. Even the Mohammedan king glorified Haridäsa
and begged him for forgiveness with folded hands and then gave Haridäsa
permission to chant the holy names of Kåñëa and freely wander anywhere
within his kingdom.
When the brähmaëas of Phuliyä again saw Haridäsa, they became
extremely joyful. Out of humility, Haridäsa said that only by good fortunate
had he received a token punishment for his great offence of hearing
blasphemy of Lord Viñëu. Haridäsa then began to chant the holy names
300,000 times a day within a cave on the bank of the Ganges. A fierce

1525
poisonous snake lived within that cave, therefore no one could remain there
for a long time due to feeling a burning sensation from the intense poison.
When the snakebite doctors came to know of the snake’s presence within the
cave, they requested Haridäsa to leave the place. When on everyone’s request
Haridäsa consented to leave the cave the following day, the snake came out of
his hole and left the cave that very evening.
One day in a rich man’s house a snake charmer was glorifying Kåñëa’s
pastimes at Käliyä-daha. As soon as Haridäsa heard the glories of Kåñëa, he fell
unconscious on the ground. Pure ecstatic transformations manifested in his
transcendental body. Everyone began to take dust from Haridäsa’s feet and
smear it all over their bodies. Seeing this, a cheating, low-class brähmaëa
began to display artificial emotions by imitating Haridäsa in order to attain
more prestige. When the snake charmer understood the duplicity of the
pseudo brähmaëa, he severely beat him with a stick. Then the brähmaëa
helplessly left that place. The snake charmer then explained to everyone the
authenticity of Haridäsa and the duplicity of the pseudo brähmaëa.
The atheists at that time were opposed to the loud chanting of the holy
names. They even considered that as a result of the loud chanting of the holy
names they would face famine and their peaceful lives would be disturbed.
When a so-called brähmaëa from the village of Harinadé related his concocted
views opposed to loud chanting, Haridäsa established the supremacy and
anartha destroying potency of loud chanting through scriptural reasoning.
This atheistic so-called brähmaëa did not believe the statements of Haridäsa
that were based on scriptures and accepted Haridäsa as belonging to a
particular caste. A few days after swearing that he would cut off the nose and
ears of Haridäsa if his words were proven false, the very nose and ears of that
fallen brähmaëa fell off due to smallpox. Haridäsa then left for Navadvépa
with a desire to associate with the devotees headed by Çré Advaita Äcärya.

1526
 TEXT 1

jaya jaya déna-bandhu çré-gaurasundara

jaya jaya lakñmé-känta sabära éçvara

TRANSLATION

All glories to Çré Gaurasundara, the friend of the poor. All glories to the
Supreme Lord, the beloved of Lakñmé.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya bhakta-rakñä hetu avatära

jaya sarva-käla-satya kértana-vihära

TRANSLATION

All glories to the Lord who has incarnated to protect the devotees. All
glories to Him who enjoys the chanting of the holy names and who is the
eternal Absolute Truth.

TEXT 3

bhakta-goñöhé-sahita gauräìga jaya jaya

çunile caitanya-kathä bhakti labhya haya

TRANSLATION

1527
 All glories to Çré Gauräìga along with His associates. By hearing the topics
of Lord Caitanya, one attains devotional service to the Lord.

TEXT 4

ädi-khaëòa-kathä ati amåtera dhära

yahiì gauräìgera sarva-mohana vihära

TRANSLATION

The topics of Ädi-khaëòa are like a stream of nectar, full of the enchanting
descriptions of Lord Gauräìga’s pastimes.

COMMENTARY

The phrase sarva-mohana vihära is explained as follows: Both those who see
and those who hear about Gaurasundara’s pastimes as a child and youth are
enchanted. The concocted consideration of parakéya attributed to
Gaurasundara by the gaura-nägarés is not the purport of the phrase
sarva-mohana.

TEXT 5

hena-mate vaikuëöha-näyaka navadvépe

gåhastha haiyä paòäyena dvija-rüpe

TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha continued teaching as a householder.

1528
 TEXT 6

prema-bhakti-prakäça nimitta avatära

tähä kichu nä karena, icchä se täìhära

TRANSLATION

The Lord incarnated to distribute love and devotion, but by His supreme
will He had not yet begun.

COMMENTARY

Although Gaurasundara appeared to distribute loving devotional service to

Kåñëa, in His childhood pastimes He did not manifest such devotional service.
This is proof of His independent will. His supreme will is absolute and
independent. If a living entity, by awakening his subordinate nature, can
understand His desire, then the eternally controlled living entity will no
longer try to illegitimately dominate Him.

TEXT 7

ati paramärtha-çunya sakala saàsära

tuccha-rasa viñaye se ädara sabära

TRANSLATION

The entire world was devoid of spiritual practice, for everyone was attached
to insignificant sense gratification.

1529
 COMMENTARY

During the time of Gaurasundara, the living entities of this material world
were extremely maddened by the insignificant taste of sense objects. Instead
of realizing that the only purpose of life was to make spiritual advancement,
people were eager for their own sense enjoyment and averse to the service of
Kåñëa. In fact, the community of sense enjoyers, who glorify religiosity,
economic development, and sense gratification, and the community of
renunciates, who aspire for liberation from material existence, became
completely devoid of devotional service to Kåñëa. Not even the slightest
propensity for serving Kåñëa could be found in their hearts at any time. One
may refer to the purport on the following verse 308.

TEXT 8

gétä bhägavata vä paòäya ye-ye-jana

tä’rä o nä bale, nä balaya kåñëa-saìkértana

TRANSLATION

Even those who recited or heard Bhagavad-gétä or Çrémad Bhägavatam never

engaged in saìkértana.

COMMENTARY

Even if some persons exhibited an attempt to teach Bhagavad-gétä or

Çrémad Bhägavatam, in spite of studying these devotional scriptures, they
never engaged in congregational chanting of the holy names, nor did they
realize that such chanting was the only purport of the devotional scriptures,

1530
nor did they induce others to engage in congregational chanting.

TEXT 9

häte täli diyä se sakala bhakta-gaëa

äpanä-äpani meli’ karena kértana

TRANSLATION

The devotees performed kértana among themselves while simply clapping

their hands.

TEXT 10

tähäte o upahäsa karaye sabäre

“ihärä ki kärye òäk chäòe uccasvare

TRANSLATION

Yet people still criticized them by saying, “Why are they chanting so loudly?

COMMENTARY

The word òäk is found in local language and means “a loud sound made in
the mouth,” “a scream,” “a call,” “an utterance,” or “an address.”
The word chäòe (coming from a local corruption of the word sära, which is
derived from the Sanskrit verb så+ëic, and the verb chäòä, which comes from
the Hindi word choònä) means “to release or let out,” in other words, “to
release from one’s mouth.”

1531
 The phrase òäk chäòe thus means “shouting” or “making noise.” Those
devotees who chanted the names of Kåñëa while clapping their hands were
ridiculed by foolish persons who were bewildered by the illusory energy and
devoid of chanting the holy names of Kåñëa. Such persons did not at all
understand the purpose of loudly chanting the names of Kåñëa.

TEXT 11

ämi-brahma, ämätei vaise niraïjana

däsa-prabhu-bheda vä karaye ki-käraëa?”

TRANSLATION

“I am the Supreme Brahman. Within me sits the Absolute Truth. So, where
is the difference between master and servant?”

COMMENTARY

The word niraïjana refers to one who is without aïjana (material

designations born of the illusory energy or nescience), one who is devoid of
false identification, one who is faultless, one who is spotless, or one who is
pure. In Muëòaka Upaniñad it is stated: tadä vidvän puëya-päpe vidhüya
niraïjanaù paramaà sämyam upaiti—“Then that intelligent person transcends
both pious and impious activities, becomes free from worldly bondage, and
enters the divine abode of the Lord.”
The phrase däsa-prabhu-bheda is explained as follows: The transcendental
relationship, in the form of prabhu-däsa, between the Supreme Brahman (the
almighty fully conscious Viñëu, the controller of mäyä) and the minutely
conscious living entities who are controlled by mäyä is the purport of Çrémad
Bhägavatam, which is the ripened fruit of the Vedic desire tree, the natural

1532
commentary on the Brahma-sütras, and the essence of Vedic knowledge or the
Upaniñads, which are the head of the Vedas.
The following are a few Vedic references regarding the phrase
däsa-prabhu-bheda: In the Muëòaka Upaniñad (3.2.3) and Kaöha Upaniñad
(1.2.23) it is stated: yam evaiña våëute tena labhyas tasyaiña ätmä vivåëute tanüà
sväm—“The Lord is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such
a person He manifests His own form.” Also in the Kaöha Upaniñad (2.1.1 and
4) it is stated: kaçcid dhéraù pratyag ätmänam aikñad ävåtta-cakñur amåtatvam
icchan—“With a desire to attain immortality, a sober practitioner sees the
Supreme Lord while closing his eyes,” and mahäntaà vibhum ätmänaà matvä
dhéro na çocati—“A sober worshiper, after realizing the great, all-pervading
Supersoul no longer laments.” In Kaöha Upaniñad (2.2.3) it is stated: madhye
vämanam äsénaà viçve devä upäsate—“Çré Vämanadeva is sitting amongst all
the demigods, who are worshiping Him.” In Kaöha Upaniñad (2.2.12-13) it is
stated: tam ätmasthaà ye’ nupaçyanti dhéras-teñäà sukhaà çäçvataà (çänti
çäçvaté) netareñäm—“Only the wise person who can see that Supreme Soul
within his heart becomes peaceful and enjoys transcendental bliss.” In Kaöha
Upaniñad (2.3.8) it is stated: yaj jïätvä mucyate jantur amåtatvaà ca
gacchati—“By knowing Him, even the animals attain liberation and become
immortal.” In Kaöha Upaniñad (2.3.17) it is stated: taà vidyäc chukram
amåtam—“Know for certain that He is pure and immortal.”
In the Muëòaka Upaniñad (1.1.4) it is stated: dve vidye veditavya iti, ha sma
yad brahma-vido vadanti–parä caiväparä ca—“There are two kinds of
educational systems. One deals with transcendental knowledge [parä vidyä]
and the other with material knowledge [aparä vidyä].” In the Muëòaka
Upaniñad (1.2.12 and 13) it says: tad-vijïänärthaà sa gurum eväbhigacchet—“In
order to understand the transcendental science, one must approach a bona
fide spiritual master,” and tasmai sa vidvän upasannäyayenäkñaraà puruñaà
veda satyaà proväca täà tattvato brahma-vidyäm—“The spiritual master
properly instructs a surrendered disciple about the Absolute Truth by which a

1533
disciple will understand the inexhaustible Lord.” Muëòaka (2.1.10) states: etad
yo veda nihitaà guhäyäà so ’vidyä-granthià vikiratiha saumya—“O beautiful
one, he who knows this most confidential knowledge of the Supreme Brahman
is freed from material bondage born of nescience.” Muëòaka (2.2.7 and 9)
state: tad vijïänena paripaçyanti dhérä änanda-rüpam amåtam yad vibhäti—“By
knowledge of the Absolute Truth, the sober practitioners realize that blissful,
immortal, all-pervading Supreme Lord,” and

hiraëmaye pare koçe virajaà brahma niñkalam

tac chubhraà jyotiñäà jyotis tad yad ätma-vido viduù

“The Supreme Lord is the Supreme Brahman, devoid of any connection

with mäyä and without any transformation, and He resides in the effulgent
supreme abode beyond the material covering. The self-realized souls know
Him to be the bright illumination of the sun.” Also Muëòaka Upaniñad
(3.1.1-3), Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad, Chapter 4, and Åk-saàhitä (2.3.17) state:

dvä suparëä sayujä sakhäyä

samänaà våkñaà pariñasvajäte
tayor anyaù pippalaà svädv atty
anaçnann anyo ’bhicäkaçéti

“Two companion birds sit together in the shelter of the same pippala tree.
One of them is relishing the taste of the tree’s berries, while the other refrains
from eating and instead watches over His friend.

samäne våkñe puruño nimagno

’néçayä çocati muhyamänaù
juñöaà yadä paçyaty anyam éçam
asya mahimänam eti véta-çokaù

“Although the two birds are in the same tree, the enjoying bird is full of
anxiety and morose; but if somehow he turns to his friend, the Lord, and

1534
knows His glories, at once he is freed from all anxiety.

yadä paçyaù paçyate rukma-varëaà

kartäram éçaà puruñaà brahma-yonim
tadä vidyän puëya-päpe vidhüya
niraïjanaù paramaà sämyam upaiti

“When one realizes the golden form of Lord Gauräìga, who is the ultimate
actor and the source of the Supreme Brahman, he attains the highest
knowledge. He transcends both pious and impious activities, becomes free
from worldly bondage, and enters the divine abode of the Lord.” Muëòaka
Upaniñad (3.1.4) states: ätma-kréòa ätma-ratiù kriyäväneña brahma-vidäà
variñöaù—“A practitioner who plays with the self-sporting Supreme Lord and
whose love and attachment is directed towards the Lord is the topmost knower
of Brahman.” Muëòaka (3.1.5) says: yaà paçyanti yatayaù kñéëa-doñäù—“He
whom the faultless renounced practitioners see.” Muëòaka (3.1.8) states:
jïäna-prasädena viçuddha-sattvas tu taà paçyate niñkalaà dhyäyamänaù—“If
by the mercy of spiritual knowledge one meditates on the unchangable, pure
Supreme Lord, he can get darçana of Him.” Muëòaka (3.1.9) says: eño ’ëur ätmä
cetasä veditavyaù—“The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect
intelligence.” Muëòaka (3.2.1) says: upäsate puruñaà ye hy akämäs te çukram
etad ativartanti dhéräù—“Those sober persons who worship the most pure
personality, Çré Kåñëa, become free from all material desires and are liberated
from the bondage of mäyä.” Muëòaka (3.2.4) states: näyam ätmä bala-hénena
labhyo etair upäyair yatate yas tu vidväàs tasyaiña ätmä viçate
brahma-dhäma—“A person devoid of strength in devotional service cannot
achieve the Supreme Soul, the Lord. Only one who is eager to practice
devotional service through the process of chanting His holy names can enter
the supreme abode of the Lord.” Muëòaka (3.2.8) states: tathä vidvän
näma-rüpäd vimuktaù parät-paraà puruñam upaiti divyam—“At that time a
Vaiñëava, conversant with the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, becomes free
from material names and forms and attains the transcendental Supreme Lord,

1535
Çré Kåñëa.”
In the Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.4) it is stated: änandaà brahmaëo vidvän na
bibheti kadäcana—“After achieving the loving service of the Supreme Lord, a
practioner becomes fearless.” Taittiréya (2.5) states: ätmänandamayaù. änanda
ätmä brahma pucchaà pratiñöhä—“The Supreme Lord is full of ecstasy. The
impersonal Brahman is His bodily effulgence. He is the source of Brahman.”
Taittiréya (2.7.1) states: yad vai tat sukåtam raso vai saù, rasaà hy eväyaà
labdhvänandé bhavati. eña hy evänandayati. atha so ’bhayaà gato
bhavati—“When one understands the Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of
pleasure, Kåñëa, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful. He alone is the
source of all pleasure. Therefore by knowing Him one becomes fearless.”
Taittiréya (3.6) states: änando brahmeti vyajänät. änandoddhy eva khilvimäni
bhütäni jäyante. änandena jätäni jévanti. änandaà prayanty abhisaàviçantéti. tad
brahmety upäséta—“By undergoing austerity, he realized the blissful Supreme
Brahman, from whom all living entities are born, by whom the living entities
are maintained, and into whom the living entities enter at the time of
annihilation. One should worship Him alone.”
The Chändogya Upaniñad (1.1) states: om ity etad akñaram
udgétha-mupäséta—“One should worship with the hymns of the Säma Veda
that inexhaustible Lord, who is nondifferent from oàkära.” Chändogya
Upaniñad (3.14) states: sarvaà khalv idaà brahma taj jaläniti çänta
upäséta—“Whatever we see is a manifestation of Brahman. Everything is
created, maintained, and annihilated by Brahman. Therefore one should
peacefully worship Him.” In Chändogya Upaniñad (4.9) it is stated: äcäryäddhy
eva vidyä viditä sädhiñöhaà präpayatéti—“One should learn devotional service
from an äcärya and worship the Lord, then he will certainly attain his goal of
life.” Chändogya (6.8.16) states: sa ätmä tat tvam asi çvetaketo éti—“You are
that soul, O Çvetaketu.” Chändogya (6.14) states: äcäryavän puruño
veda—“One who approaches a bona fide spiritual master can understand
everything about spiritual realization.” Chändogya (7.25) states: ätmaivedaà

1536
sarvam iti sa vä eña evaà paçyannevaà manvän evaà vijänann ätma-ratir
ätma-kréòa ätma-mithuna ätmänandaù sa svaräò bhavati—“A practitioner who
knows that this entire world is a form of the supreme soul, the Lord, who is
self-satisfied, self-sporting, and engaged in enjoying pastimes with His
associates, thus lives with the Lord as a distinct entity. Such a person then
attains loving service to the Lord and becomes freed from material bondage.”
Chändogya (8.3) states: atha ya eña samprasädo ’smäc charérät samutthäya
paraà jyoti-rüpa-sampadya svena rüpeëäbhiniñpadyata eña ätmeti hoväcaitad
amåtam bhayam etad brahmeti, tasya ha vä etasya brahmaëo näma satyam
iti—“Then the liberated soul who has achieved the causeless mercy of the
Lord leaves his body and attains the supreme effulgent Lord. He is then
reinstated in his constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. He then
reaches the conclusion that the Lord is the immortal, fearless, and almighty
Supreme Soul.” Chändogya (8.12) states: sa uttamaù puruñaù sa tatra paryeti
jakñat kréòan ramamäëaù. taà vä etaà devä ätmänam upäsate—“The topmost
person is he who achieves the Supreme Lord through devotional service. He
enjoys food and sports in the abode of the Lord. The demigods worship that
Supreme Lord.” The Chändogya Upaniñad (8.13) also states: çyämäc chavalaà
prapadye çavaläc chyämaà prapadye. vidhüya päpaàdhütvä çaréram kåtaà
kåtätmä brahma-lokam-abhisambhaväméti—“For receiving the mercy of Kåñëa,
I surrender unto His energy [Rädhä], and for receiving the mercy of His
energy, I surrender unto Kåñëa. By worshiping Them a practitioner becomes
freed from all sinful reactions and, being fully satisfied, he goes to the eternal
abode of the Lord.”
The Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (1.4) states: ätmänam eva priyam
upäséta—“One should worship the Supreme Lord, who is most dear to
everyone.” Båhad-äraëyaka (2.1) states: maitasmin saàvadiñöä indro vaikuëöho
’paräjitä seneti vä aham etam upäsa iti—“Do not argue on this topic. I worship
that Lord Hari who is full of six opulences, who resides in Vaikuëöha, and
whose associates are unconquerable.” Båhad-äraëyaka (2.1) further states:
yathägneù kñudrä visphuliìgä vyuccaranty evam eväsmäd ätmanaù sarve präëäù

1537
sarve lokäù sarve deväù sarväëi bhütäni vyuccaranti. tasyopaniñat satyasya
satyam iti.—“Just as small sparks emanate from a big fire, similarly all living
entities, all planets, all the demigods, and all material elements such as the
earth emanate from the supreme soul, Çré Govinda. His instructions are the
supreme truth.” Båhad-äraëyaka (3.8) states: ya etad akñaraà gärgi
viditväsmäl-lokät praiti sa brähmaëaù—“O Gärgi, one who is acquainted with
that infallible truth by which one transcends death is a brähmaëa.”
Båhad-äraëyaka (4.4) states: brahmaiva san brahäpyeti. tam etaà
vedänuvacanena brähmaëä vividiñanti—“He becomes as good as Brahman and
attains Brahman. The brähmaëas can understand this Supreme Brahman, the
Lord, through the Vedas.” Båhad-äraëyaka (4.5) states: ätmä vä are drañöavyaù
çrotavyo mantavyo nididhyäsitavyaù—“O Maitreyi, one should constantly
follow, see, hear, and remember this supreme soul, Lord Govinda.”
Båhad-äraëyaka (5.5) states: te devä satyam evopäsate tad etat try-äkñaraà
satyam iti—“The demigods worship this Absolute Truth. Therefore these
three syllables—sa, té, aà—are the eternal truth [satyam].”
In the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (1.7) it is stated: brahma-vido viditvä lénä
brahmaëi tat parä yoni muktäù—“Knowing that this Supreme Brahman is
beyond material creation, the knowers of Brahman become inclined towards
Him, and as a result of serving Him they become free from the five types of
miseries—living within the womb, taking birth, becoming diseased, growing
old, and dying.” Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (1.8) states: bhoktå bhäväj jïätvä devaù
mucyate sarva päçaiù—“If one understands the Supreme Lord, in other words,
if one worships Him with full knowledge, then he becomes freed from all
bondage.” Çvetäçvatara (1.9) says: jïäjïau dväv ajäv éçänéçau—“Both the
Supreme Lord and the living entities are spiritual. Of the two, the Supreme
Lord is great, omnipotent, and omniscient, and the living entities are minute,
subordinate spiritual sparks and therefore eligible to possess limited knowledge
and be controlled by mäyä. But both are eternal.” Çvetäçvatara (1.10) says:
haraù kñarätmänäv éçate deva ekaù—“Although the living entities are
inexhaustible, being proud by considering themselves the enjoyers of material

1538
objects, they are prone to be conditioned by mäyä. Both material nature and
the living entities are energies of and controlled by the Supreme Lord. The
Supreme Lord is one without a second.” Çvetäçvatara (1.11) states: jïätvä devaà
sarva-päçäpahäniù—“When one realizes the Supreme Lord in truth, he
becomes freed from all material bondage.” Çvetäçvatara (1.12) states: nätaù
paraà veditavyaà hi kiïcit—“The Supreme Lord alone is the living entities’
object of meditation.” Çvetäçvatara (1.15) also states: evam ätmätmani gåhyate
’sau satyenainaà tapasä yo ’nupaçyati—“The Supersoul is situated within the
core of everyone’s heart. One who searches after that Supreme Lord through
meditation and austerity can see Him within his heart.” Çvetäçvatara (2.15)
states:

yadätma-tattvena tu brahma-tattvaà
dépopameneha yuktaù prapaçyet
ajaà dhruvaà sarva-tattvair viçuddhaà
jïätvä devaà mucyate sarva-päçaiù

“Without the mercy of the Supreme Lord, there is no alternative for the
living entities to get freedom from material bondage. Moreover, in order to
receive His mercy, a living entity requires self-realization just as the darkness
inside a pot can only be dissipated by a lamp. Similarly, due to our ignorance
the Supreme Lord, who is the controller of the entire universe, appears unreal
to us. When a living entity realizes himself, he will automatically realize the
Supreme Lord. Through knowledge of self-realization a living entity
understands that though the Supreme Lord is situated within his heart, He
does not take birth like an ordinary living entity. He is aloof from material
activities, untouched by nescience, infallible, and supremely pure. Knowing
this, the living entity becomes freed from all bondage.” Çvetäçvatara (3.1)
states: ya eko jäla-vän éçata éçanébhiù sarväl lokän éçata éçanébhiù—“Through
His own internal potency, the Supreme Absolute Truth controls the living
entities, the material nature, the time factor, their characteristics, and their
activities, which are all subordinate to Him.” Çvetäçvatara (3.4) states: sa no

1539
buddhyä çubhayä saàyunaktu—“May the Supreme Lord give us pure
intelligence so that we can fix our mind in worshiping Him.” Çvetäçvatara (3.7)
states: viçvasyaikaà pariveñöitäram éçaà taà jïätvämåtä bhavanti—“This entire
universe is within His grip. He is all-pervading and one without a second.
Everything has emanated from Him. He is the supreme controller. If one
meditates on Him in this way, he achieves immortality.” Çvetäçvatara (3.8)
says: tam eva viditväti måtyum eti nänyaù panthä vidyate ’yanäya—“One can
attain the perfect stage of liberation from birth and death simply by knowing
the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no other way to
achieve this perfection.” Çvetäçvatara (3.10) states: ya etad vidur amåtäs te
bhavanty athetare duùkham eväpiyanti—“Those who know this Supreme
Brahman become immortal, and those who do not know Him suffer the
miseries of the material world.” Çvetäçvatara (3.17) says: sarvasya prabhum
éçänaà sarvasya çaraëaà båhat—“That Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
Supersoul, is the prabhu, or master, of all living entities; therefore He is the
ultimate shelter of all living entities.” Çvetäçvatara (3.20) states: tam akratuà
paçyati véta-çoko dhätuù prasädän mahimänaméçam—“When one’s
contamination due to sense gratification is destroyed by His mercy and one
develops attachment for the service of the Supreme Lord, such a person
becomes fully satisfied and sees the glorious Lord. In this way he becomes freed
from all lamentation.” Çvetäçvatara (4.13) says: kasmai deväya haviñä
vidhema—“To Him, the Personality of Godhead, we offer our worship with
oblations of ghee.” Çvetäçvatara (4.15) states: tam eva jïätvä måtyu päçäç
chinati—“When a human being realizes and worships Him, his material
bondage is cut to pieces.” Çvetäçvatara (6.7) states: vidäma devaà bhuvaneçam
éòyam—“We meditate on the Supreme Lord, who is worshipable to material
leaders and controllers.” Çvetäçvatara (6.13) states: jïätvä devaà mucyate
sarva-päçaiù—“Therefore one should know Him in truth and engage in His
devotional service. In this way one will be relieved from all bondage born of
nescience.” Çvetäçvatara (6.18) says: taà ha devam ätma-buddhi-prakäçaà
mumukñur vai çaraëam ahaà prapadye—“One must surrender unto the

1540
Supreme Personality of Godhead if he at all wants liberation.” Then
Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (6.23) states:

yasya deve parä bhaktir yathä deve tathä gurau

tasyaite kathitä hy arthäù prakäçante mahätmanaù

“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.”
In the Brahma-sütra (1.1.17) it is stated: bhedavyapadeçäc ca—“Since the
blissful Lord is different from the living entities, He cannot be accepted as
belonging to the category of the living entities.” Brahma-sütra (1.1.21) also
states: bhedavyapadeçäc cänyaù—“The Supersoul has been ascertained as
different from exalted living entities like the sun-god, therefore the Supersoul
is certainly different from the living entities.” Brahma-sütra (1.1.29) states: na
vakturätmopadeçäd iti ced adhyätma sambandha bhümä hy asmin—“The Lord
has established Himself as the only worshipable object. The characteristics of
the Supersoul are found in the individual soul to a great extent, yet the
Supersoul is the ecstatic and almighty life and soul of the living entity.”
Brahma-sütra (1.2.8) states: sambhoga präptir iti cen na vaiçeñyät—“The
distinction between the living entity and the Supreme Lord is that the living
entity possesses a material body and is therefore under the control of karma.
But even though the Supreme Lord dwells within the bodies of the living
entities, He is not under the control of karma. That is why He is not subjected
to the feelings of material happiness and distress.” Brahma-sütra (1.2.11) states:
guhäà praviñöavätmänau hi tad darçanät—“Both the living entity and the
Supreme Lord are situated within the core of the living entity’s heart. This is
well-known through the Puräëas.” Brahma-sütra (1.2.17) states: anavasthiter
asambhavä ca netaraù—“The personality within your eyes is none other than
the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The
characteristics of Brahman such as immorality cannot remain in a reflection,

1541
in the sun-god, or in the ordinary living entities.” Brahma-sütra (1.2.20) states:
çäréraç cobhaye ’pi hi bhedenainamadhéyate—“Both the living entity and the
Supersoul are present within the body. But the followers of the Käëva and
Mädhyandina branches of the Veda accept the Supersoul as different than the
individual soul.” Brahma-sütra (1.2.28) states: ataeva na devatä bhütaà
ca—“Neither the living entities nor the demigods are fit to be called
Vaiçvänara, or the Supersoul. Only Lord Viñëu is the Supersoul.”
Brahma-sütra (1.3.5) states: bhedavyapadeñät—“The Supreme Lord is one and
the object of knowledge, whereas the living entities are many and the
knowers. Thus they are different.” Brahma-sütra (1.3.7) states:
sthityadanäbhyäà ca—“One remains in the tree of material existence simply
as the witness while the other enjoys the fruits of that tree in the form of the
results of karma, therefore they are different.” Brahma-sütra (1.3.12) states:
anya bhävavyavåteç ca—“He is unseen yet He sees everything. He is unheard
yet He is the object of hearing. Therefore none other than the Supreme
Brahman is inexhaustible.” Brahma-sütra (1.3.18) states: itaraparämarçät sa iti
cen näsambhavät—“While describing the word dahara, or the Supersoul, the
living entities are also sometimes referred to as dahara. Therefore one should
not consider the Supersoul as an ordinary living entity, because the eight
extraordinary qualities attributed to the Supersoul can never fully manifest in
the living entities.” Brahma-sütra (1.3.20) states: anyärthaç ca
parämaåçaù—“The mention of the living entities in relation to the word
dahara, or Supersoul, indicates that the living entities are meant to acquire
knowledge about the Supersoul. When a living entity achieves the Supreme
Brahman through His service, he can also access these eight extraordinary
qualities.” Brahma-sütra (1.3.42) states: suñuptayutkräntyor bhedena—“Both
during deep sleep and after giving up the body, the living entity and the
Supreme Brahman remain different. It is improper to say that a liberated soul
becomes the Supreme Brahman. Moreover, the living entity does not possess
the quality of omniscience, hence the difference is certain.” Brahma-sütra
(2.1.23) states: adhikan tu bheda nirddeçät—“Since the Supreme Lord possesses

1542
unlimited potencies, He is superior to the living entities. The scriptures
conclude that the Supreme Lord and the living entities are different because
the living entities are subjected to lamentation and bewilderment whereas the
Supreme Lord is full of opulences.” Brahma-sütra (2.3.20) states:
utkräntigatyägaténäm—“The living entity is infinitesimal, so he gives up his
body, wanders to other planets, and again returns to this world to enjoy the
fruits of his karma. The Lord is infinite and all-pervading, so these things are
not applicable to Him.” Brahma-sütra (2.3. 28) states: påthag upadeçät—“The
constitutional knowledge of the soul is eternal. When the material
designations of a conditioned living entity are vanquished, his original
consciousness is revived.” Brahma-sütra (2.3.29) states: tad guëa-säratvät tad
vyapadeçaù präjïavat—“Although the living entity is called the knower, he is
full of knowledge because this quality is constitutionally present in him
exactly the same way as Lord Viñëu is declared by the Vedas to be omniscient,
yet He is full of eternal knowledge.” Brahma-sütra (2.3.43) states: aàço
nänävyapadeçät—“The living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme
Lord, they are not the Supreme Brahman Himself. Their relationship with the
Lord is that of dependence on the Lord.” Brahma-sütra (2.3.50) states: äbhäsa
eva ca—“Both the living entities and the incarnations such as Matsya have
been described as aàças, or parts. Yet the opponents’ attempt to establish
equality between the incarnations of the Lord and the living entities with the
argument that both are parts of the Supreme Lord is simply a reflection of the
truth and is contaminated by the fault of sat-pratipakña, or ’honest opposition.’
The incarnations such as Matsya are parts because they have been invested
with partial potencies whereas the living entities are parts because they are
localized and minute in quantity.” There are innumerable such Vedic
statements and sütras that describe the relationship between däsa and prabhu,
or between the living entities and Viñëu.
The proud scholars who were envious of the Vaiñëavas and who ridiculed
the process of chanting the holy names of Kåñëa used to say, “The living entity
is the Supreme Brahman. In other words, there is no difference between the

1543
living entity and the Supreme Brahman, therefore we find no reason for the
Vaiñëavas to consider that Viñëu is the master and the living entities are His
eternal servants.” Due to such person’s material considerations or conceptions,
they thought that the relationship of master and servant between Viñëu and
the living entities is certainly abominable, contaminated by the material
modes, and temporary.

TEXT 12

saàsäré-sakala bale,—“mägiyä khäite

òäkiyä balaye ’hari’ loka jänäite”

TRANSLATION

The materialists said, “They loudly chant the name of Hari to attract
attention for collecting alms.”

COMMENTARY

The phrase saàsäré-sakala refers to those persons who illicitly enjoy the
tongue, belly, and genitals, who are greedy for insignificant mundane prestige,
who are lusty for lavishly enjoying material happiness, who are averse to the
worship of Kåñëa, who consider the body as all-in-all, and who are attached to
material objects. While seeing the chanters of Kåñëa’s names through their
glasses colored with the desire for their own material sense gratification, such
persons used to deride the devotees by saying that they live in this world
simply for the purpose of filling their bellies and obtaining mundane prestige,
like themselves, while they externally loudly chant the names of Hari.

1544
 TEXT 13

“e-gulära ghara-dvära pheläi bhäìgiyä”

ei yukti kare saba-nadéyä miliyä

TRANSLATION

The people of Nadia met together and decided, “Let us break their doors
and houses.”

COMMENTARY

The word pheläi (according to the opinion of some, pheläi comes from the
Bengali verb phelä, which is derived from the Hindi verb phekanä, which is
again derived from the Sanskrit verb kñep; in another opinion pheläi comes
from the Sanskrit root phel, which means “to leave something” or “to move
something,” while in yet another opinion the Bengali word pheläna comes
from the word peraëa, pelana, or pelhan, which are corruptions of the Sanskrit
word preraëa) in this place is used to indicate the completion of an activity. It
may also mean “to give,” “to end,” “to complete,” or “to finish.”
“The houses of those who loudly engage in congregational chanting the
names of Kåñëa should be broken to pieces, picked up, and thrown away.”
Atheistic Hindus who were envious of Hari, Guru, and Vaiñëava and who
were sick with jealousy used to maintain such envious mentality against the
peaceful, humble, innocent Vaiñëavas.

TEXT 14

çuniyä päyena duùkha sarva-bhakta-gaëe

1545
 sambhäñä karena, hena nä päyena jane

TRANSLATION

Hearing this, all the devotees felt great distress. They could not even find
anyone qualified to speak with.

COMMENTARY

Seeing the sinful and atheistic mentality of the envious nondevotees, the
devotees of the Lord could not find any suitable person to converse with or to
reciprocate within affectionate exchanges.

TEXT 15

çünya dekhi’ bhakta-gaëa sakala-saàsära

’hä kåñëa’ baliyä duùkha bhävena apära

TRANSLATION

The devotees saw the entire world as devoid of devotional service, so they
prayed to Kåñëa in great distress.

COMMENTARY

The word çünya means “devoid of devotion to Lord Kåñëa.” Seeing the
absence of pure devotional service throughout Navadvépa at that time, the
pure devotees of the Lord always prayed to Kåñëa and deeply considered how
to remove the unlimited miseries of the distressed, conditioned living entities.

1546
 TEXT 16

hena käle tathäya äilä haridäsa

çuddha-viñëu-bhakti yäì’ra vigrahe prakäça

TRANSLATION

At that time Haridäsa Öhäkura arrived in Navadvépa. He was the

personification of pure devotion to Lord Viñëu.

COMMENTARY

When the pure devotees were lamenting the absence of pure devotional
service throughout the entire country, at that time, by the will of Kåñëa, Çré
Haridäsa Öhäkura arrived in Çré Navadvépa-Mäyäpur. Çré Haridäsa Öhäkura
was not a preacher of pseudo devotional service. He was always engaged in the
unalloyed execution of pure devotional service, which is without any ulterior
motives, which is free from speculation on the impersonal Brahman, and
which is devoid of the desire for enjoying material happiness.

TEXT 17

ebe çuna haridäsa-öhäkurera kathä

yähära çravaëe kåñëa päibe sarvathä

TRANSLATION

Now please hear the topics of Çréla Haridäsa Öhäkura, for by hearing this
narration one certainly attains Kåñëa.

1547
 TEXT 18

buòhäna-grämete avatérëa haridäsa

se-bhägye se-saba deçe kértana-prakäça

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa Öhäkura appeared in the village of Buòhana, and as a result that

province is filled with kértana even today.

COMMENTARY

Haridäsa Öhäkura is an eternally perfect associate of the Lord. He appeared

in a Mohammedan family, in the village of Buòhana, within the district of
Jessore. Due to his mercy, many persons in the district of Jessore obtained
piety and became faithful to the chanting of Kåñëa’s holy names.

TEXT 19

kata-dina thäkiyä äilä gaìgä-tére

äsiyä rahilä phuliyäya çäntipure

TRANSLATION

After residing there for some time, he came to the bank of the Ganges at
Phuliyä, near Çäntipura.

COMMENTARY

1548
 Phuliyä is a remote village near Çäntipura. Öhäkura Haridäsa lived for some
time in both Phuliyä and Çäntipura, both of which are situated on the banks
of the Ganges.

TEXT 20

päiyä tähäna saìga äcärya-gosäïi

huìkära karena, änandera anta näi

TRANSLATION

Upon obtaining Haridäsa’s association, Advaita Äcärya roared in unlimited

ecstasy.

COMMENTARY

Having received the association of Öhäkura Haridäsa, Çré Advaita Prabhu

felt great happiness and often expressed an outburst of this joy.

TEXT 21

haridäsa-öhäkur o advaita-deva-saìge
bhäsena govinda-rasa-samudra-taraìge

TRANSLATION

Similarly, in the association of Advaita Prabhu, Haridäsa Öhäkura floated in

the waves of the ocean of Kåñëa consciousness.

1549
 COMMENTARY

By the influence of Çré Advaita Prabhu’s association, Haridäsa Öhäkura

also floated in the ocean of the transcendental mellows of Kåñëa
consciousness. Many people think that since Haridäsa Öhäkura was busy in
only chanting the holy names, he did not enter into relishing the
transcendental mellows in relationship with Govinda. Such belief of the
präkåta-sahajiyäs is most erroneous, because the holy names of Kåñëa are the
bestowers of all spiritual benedictions and nondifferent from Kåñëa, the
embodiment of all transcendental mellows. Simply by chanting the holy
names of Kåñëa, one relishes the transcendental mellows related with Kåñëa.
There is no possibility of relishing the transcendental mellows related with
Kåñëa by any other process. Öhäkura Haridäsa was the actual knower of the
transcendental mellows related with Kåñëa, and he is the principle teacher for
understanding rasa-çästras, or literatures filled with the transcendental
mellows related with Kåñëa. Due to committing offenses against the holy
names of the Lord, the sentimental präkåta-sahajiyä sampradäyas become
bewildered with material enjoyment and thus have no information regarding
the transcendental mellows related with the holy names.

TEXT 22

niravadhi haridäsa gaìgä-tére-tére

bhrameëa kautuke ’kåñëa’ bali’ uccasvare

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa would continually wander on the banks of the Ganges while loudly
chanting the names of Kåñëa.

1550
 COMMENTARY

Regarding the situation of Haridäsa Öhäkura, it is stated in the

Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (Pürva 3.11):

kñäntir avyartha-kälatvaà viraktir mäna-çünyatä

äçä-bandhaù samutkaëöhä näma-gäne sadä ruciù
äsaktis tad-guëäkhyäne prétis tad-vasati-sthale
ity ädayo ’nubhäväù syur jäta-bhäväìkure jane

“When the seed of ecstatic emotion for Kåñëa fructifies, the following nine
symptoms manifest in one’s behavior: forgiveness, concern that time should
not be wasted, detachment, absence of false prestige, hope, eagerness, a taste
for chanting the holy name of the Lord, attachment to descriptions of the
transcendental qualities of the Lord, and affection for those places where the
Lord resides–that is, a temple or a holy place like Våndävana. These are all
called anubhävas, subordinate signs of ecstatic emotion. They are visible in a
person in whose heart the seed of love of God has begun to fructify.” Also, in
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.2.40), Kavi, one of the nine Yogendras, says to
Nimi, the King of Videha, as follows:

evaà-vrataù sva-priya-näma-kértyä
jätänurägo druta-citta uccaiù
hasaty atho roditi rauti gäyaty
unmäda-van nåtyati loka-bähyaù

“By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of
love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of
the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name
and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with
ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and
dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion.” [This purport
1551
applies to verses 22-32.]

TEXT 23

viñaya-sukhete viraktera agragaëya

kåñëa-näme paripürëa çré-vadana dhanya

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa was most renounced in the matter of material enjoyment, and his
mouth was always beautified with the chanting of Lord Kåñëa’s names.

COMMENTARY

The tongue of Çré Haridäsa Öhäkura was always engaged in chanting the
holy names of Kåñëa. His tongue, which constantly chanted the names of
Kåñëa, was extraordinarily attractive. Since he was completely indifferent to
material enjoyment, detachment for all such enjoyment awakened in him. The
holy names of Kåñëa never dance on the tongues of those who are material
enjoyers. Those who are busy enjoying the six mundane rasas and whose
hearts are always disturbed with desires and greed for material happiness
never develop any taste for chanting the holy names of the Lord. The pseudo
renunciates who are aloof from the chanting of the names of Kåñëa are also
indifferent to chanting like the material enjoyers. Öhäkura Haridäsa was
completely detached from enjoying material happiness and thus remained on
the topmost platform.

TEXT 24

1552
 kñaëeka govinda-näme nähika virakti
bhakti-rase anukñaëa haya nänä mürti

TRANSLATION

He did not give up chanting the names of Govinda for even a moment, and
as a result he was constantly manifesting various ecstatic symptoms.

COMMENTARY

Öhäkura Haridäsa was never in any way indifferent to chanting the names
of Govinda; he was constantly merged in the transcendental mellows related
with Kåñëa.

TEXT 25

kakhano karena nåtya äpanä-äpani

kakhano karena matta-siàha-präya dhvani

TRANSLATION

Sometimes he danced alone, and sometimes he roared like a mad lion.

TEXT 26

kakhano vä uccaiùsvare karena rodana

aööa-aööa mahä-häsya häsena kakhana

1553
 TRANSLATION

Sometimes he cried loudly, and sometimes he laughed loudly.

TEXT 27

kakhano garjjena ati huìkära kariyä

kakhano mürcchita hai’ thäkena paòiyä

TRANSLATION

Sometimes he roared loudly, and sometimes he fell to the ground

unconscious.

TEXT 28

kñaëe alaukika çabda balena òäkiyä

kñaëe täi väkhänena uttama kariyä

TRANSLATION

Sometimes he would utter some unnatural sounds, for which he would later
give some profound meaning.

TEXT 29

açrupäta, romaharña, häsya, mürcchä, gharma

1554
 kåñëa-bhakti-vikärera yata äche marma

TRANSLATION

He manifested all the different ecstatic symptoms like crying, hairs standing
on end, laughing, losing consciousness, and perspiring.

COMMENTARY

The phrase kåñëa-bhakti-vikära indicates the following eight

transformations of ecstatic love: stambha (being stunned), sveda (perspiring),
romäïca (hairs standing on end), svara-bheda (choking), vepathu, or kampa
(trembling), vaivarëya (fading of color), açru (weeping), and pralaya, or
mürchä (devastation).

TEXT 30

prabhu haridäsa mätra nåtye praveçile

sakala äsiyä tä’na çré-vigrahe mile

TRANSLATION

As soon as Haridäsa began to dance, these symptoms would all manifest in

his body.

COMMENTARY

The word çré-vigraha is explained as follows: The body of Çré Haridäsa

Öhäkura is not a lump of blood, flesh, and skin like that of an ordinary fruitive
worker. As a result of serving the holy names, various pure ecstatic

1555
transformations would manifest in his transcendental body. The Vaiñëava
associates of the Lord who are inclined towards His service manifest many
pure ecstatic transformations in their transcendental bodies unlike the
ordinary fruitive workers, who become averse to the cultivation of Kåñëa
consciousness while gratifying their material bodies.

TEXT 31

hena se änanda-dhärä, tite sarva-aìga

ati-päñaëòé o dekhi’ päya mahä-raìga

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa’s entire body became wet, as tears of love flowed from his eyes.
Even staunch atheists would offer him respect.

COMMENTARY

When Haridäsa Öhäkura chanted the names of Kåñëa out of love, tears
flowed from his eyes and his entire body would become wet. Even the most
atheistic offenders, who were devoid of devotional service, became astonished
on seeing such transcendentally ecstatic transformations.

TEXT 32

kibä se adbhuta aìge çré-pulakävali

brahmä-çiva o dekhiyä hayena kutühalé

TRANSLATION

1556
 Even Brahmä and Çiva were satisfied to see the wonderful manifestation of
Haridäsa’s hair standing on end.

TEXT 33

phuliyä-grämera yata brähmaëa-sakala

sabei tähäne dekhi’ hailä vihvala

TRANSLATION

All the brähmaëas of Phuliyä were overwhelmed upon seeing Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

Upon seeing the bodily transformations of Öhäkura Haridäsa, the Phuliyä

brähmaëas who were engaged in fruitive activities realized the uselessness of
such temporary activities and became overwhelmed by seeing those waves of
love. All of them developed special respect for him.

TEXT 34

sabära tähäne baòa janmila viçväsa

phuliyäya rahilena prabhu-haridäsa

TRANSLATION

While Haridäsa Prabhu resided in Phuliyä, everyone there developed great

faith in him.

1557
 TEXT 35

gaìgä-snäna kari’ niravadhi hari-näma

ucca kari’ laiyä bulena sarva-sthäna

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa would regularly take bath in the Ganges and then loudly chant the
names of Lord Hari while wandering about.

TEXT 36

käjé giyä mulukera adhipati-sthäne

kahileka tähäna sakala vivaraëe

TRANSLATION

The Kazi went to the king of Bengal and complained about Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

Kazi, the Moslem justice of Phuliyä, informed his respected superior, the
king of Bengal, about the activities of Haridäsa.

TEXT 37

“yavana haiyä kare hindura äcära

bhäla-mate täre äni’ karaha vicära”

1558
 TRANSLATION

“Haridäsa is a Moslem, but he follows the religion of the Hindus. Please call
him and consider his case.”

COMMENTARY

Since Öhäkura Haridäsa appeared in a Moslem family and acted contrary to

the behavior of the Moslems, according to their consideration he had
committed a grave offense and must be punished. Considering in this way, the
Kazi complained to the king.

TEXT 38

päpéra vacana çuni’ seha päpa-mati

dhari’ änäila tä’ne ati çéghragati

TRANSLATION

Hearing the words of the sinful Kazi, the sinful king immediately called for
Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

The sinful king, who was hostile to devotional service, ordered that
Haridäsa be arrested without delay.

TEXT 39

1559
 kåñëera prasäde haridäsa mahäçaya
yavanera ki däya, käler o nähi bhaya

TRANSLATION

By the mercy of Kåñëa, Çré Haridäsa was not even afraid of death
personified, so what speak of the Moslem rulers.

COMMENTARY

Öhäkura Mahäçaya, who was glorious by the mercy of the Lord, was not
afraid of the Moslem king as he came before him. What to speak of an
ordinary human being, he was not even afraid of Yamaräja, the destroyer of
all.

TEXT 40

’kåñëa kåñëa’ baliyä calilä sei-kñaëe

muluka-patira äge dilä daraçane

TRANSLATION

Chanting the name of Kåñëa, he immediately went to see the king.

TEXT 41

haridäsa-öhäkurera çuniïä gamana

hariñe-viñäda hailä yata susajjana

1560
 TRANSLATION

Hearing about Haridäsa’s departure to see the king, pious persons felt
morose in the midst of their happiness.

COMMENTARY

Upon hearing that the Moslem king had arrested Öhäkura Haridäsa in
order to torture him, the local residents became extremely distressed. They
were already happy from hearing about Haridäsa Öhäkura’s loud chanting of
the holy names and his pure ecstatic transformations. But by now hearing and
fearing about the inevitable oppression of Haridäsa, they became depressed in
the midst of their happiness resulting from seeing him.

TEXT 42

baòa baòa loka yata äche bandé-ghare

tä’rä saba håñöa haila çuniïä antare

TRANSLATION

When the respectable persons in prison heard that Haridäsa had come to see
the king, they became pleased at heart.

COMMENTARY

Being arrested, Öhäkura Haridäsa was put in prison like an ordinary

criminal. Already many prestigious persons had been imprisoned there. These
persons became extremely joyful on receiving the association of this
transcendental sadhu.

1561
 TEXT 43

“parama-vaiñëava haridäsa mahäçaya

tä’ne dekhi’ bandi-duùkha haibeka kñaya”

TRANSLATION

“Haridäsa is a great Vaiñëava. By seeing him, our distress due to

imprisonment will be vanquished.”

COMMENTARY

Those prisoners began to consider that by seeing such a mahä-bhägavata

mahätmä as Haridäsa, their miseries would be diminished.

TEXT 44

rakñaka-lokere sabe sädhana kariyä

rahilena bandi-gaëa eka-dåñöi haiyä

TRANSLATION

The prisoners tactfully persuaded the guards to let them see Haridäsa
without disturbance.

COMMENTARY

The word sädhana means “the method for achieving one’s goal,” “flattery,”
“earnest entreaty,” “submissive request,” or “adulation.”

1562
 TEXT 45

haridäsa-öhäkura äilä sei-sthäne

bandi-sabe dekhi’ kåpä-dåñöi haila mane

TRANSLATION

When Haridäsa Öhäkura came there and saw the prisoners, he glanced
mercifully upon them.

TEXT 46

haridäsa-öhäkurera caraëa dekhiyä

rahilena bandi-gaëa praëati kariyä

TRANSLATION

Seeing the lotus feet of Haridäsa Öhäkura, all the prisoners offered
obeisances to him.

TEXT 47

äjänu-lambita-bhuja kamala-nayana
sarva-manohara mukha-candra anupama

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa’s hands reached to his knees, his eyes were like lotus petals, and

1563
his enchanting moonlike face was beyond compare.

TEXT 48

bhakti kari’ sabe karilena namaskära

sabära haila kåñëa-bhaktira vikära

TRANSLATION

As everyone devotedly offered obeisances to him, ecstatic devotional

symptoms manifest in their bodies.

TEXT 49

tä’sabära bhakti dekhe prabhu-haridäsa

bandi-saba dekhi’ täna haila kåpä-häsa

TRANSLATION

When Haridäsa saw the prisoners’ devotion, he mercifully smiled at them.

COMMENTARY

Seeing the prisoners, Haridäsa compassionately displayed his smiling face

to them.

TEXT 50

“thäka thäka, ekhana ächaha yena-rüpe”

1564
 gupta-äçérväda kari’ häsena kautuke

TRANSLATION

With a curious smile, Haridäsa gave them an ambiguous blessing. “Stay

there. Stay as you are now.”

TEXT 51

nä bujhiyä tähäna se durjïeya vacana

bandi-saba haila kichu viñädita-mana

TRANSLATION

Unable to understand his equivocal words, the prisoners felt morose.

TEXT 52

tabe päche kåpä-yukta hai’ haridäsa

gupta äçérväda kahe kariyä prakäça

TRANSLATION

Shortly after, however, Haridäsa mercifully explained the meaning of his

mysterious blessing.

TEXT 53

1565
 “ämi tomä’-sabäre ye kailuì äçérväda
tära artha nä bujhiyä bhävaha viñäda

TRANSLATION

“You have not understood the meaning of the blessings I gave, and therefore
you are lamenting.

COMMENTARY

Upon seeing the all-auspicious smile of Öhäkura Haridäsa, the imprisoned

criminals became morose, not understanding that the smile was a confidential
blessing in disguise. Seeing their moroseness, Öhäkura Mahäçaya said to them,
“I have blessed you with an auspicious smile. Do consider it otherwise and feel
sad.”

TEXT 54

manda äçérväda ämi kakhano nä kari

mana diyä sabe ihä bujhaha vicäri’

TRANSLATION

“I never award inauspicious benedictions. Carefully try to understand as I

explain.

TEXT 55

ebe krñëa-prati tomä’-sabäkära mana

1566
 yena äche, ei-mata thäku sarva-kñaëa

TRANSLATION

“As your minds are presently fixed on Kåñëa, let them stay that way
forever.

COMMENTARY

Öhäkura Haridäsa said to the prisoners, “Your present state of mind is

auspicious for you, because you have received the opportunity to cultivate
Kåñëa consciousness by giving up endeavors for material enjoyment.
Therefore always remain engaged in chanting Kåñëa’s names and in
remembering Kåñëa. If you get freedom from prison life and again indulge in
sense gratification, then as a result of associating with wicked persons who are
averse to the Lord you will forget the Supreme Lord. As long as the endeavor
for material enjoyment is prominent in the living entity, there is no possibility
for him to worship Kåñëa. The goal of the material enjoyers is diametrically
opposite to Kåñëa. The conditioned souls who are devoid of devotional service
to Kåñëa are always merged in topics related to their wives and children,
which are the center of their enjoyment. If by the mercy of the Lord a person
in this dangerous situation meets a saintly person, his taste for material
enjoyment will be turned into taste for the service of the Supreme Lord.
When one gives up the cultivation of Kåñëa consciousness, then his natural
material propensities will submerse him in a mire of offenses. I do not mean
that you should remain suffering within this prison, but in your present
condition you have the opportunity to constantly chant the holy names of the
Lord. Therefore do not be distressed. The Vaiñëavas always bless all living
entities with the words: ’May your devotion to the Supreme Lord be fixed.’ I
consider this the greatest mercy towards the living entities. Your prison life
will soon be finished. Never give up your determination for serving the

1567
Supreme Lord in any condition.” [This purport also applies to the next twelve
verses.]

TEXT 56

ebe nitya kåñëa-näma kåñëera cintana

sabe meli’ karite thäkaha anukñaëa

TRANSLATION

“Now you can all together constantly chant the names of Kåñëa and think of
Kåñëa.

TEXT 57

ebe hiàsä nähi, nähi prajära péòana

’kåñëa’ bali’ käkuväde karaha cintana

TRANSLATION

“Here you have no envy or trouble from others, so you can humbly chant
and think of Kåñëa.

TEXT 58

ära-bära giyä viñayete pravartile

sabe ihä päsaribe, gele duñöa-mele

1568
 TRANSLATION

“Otherwise if you again return to material enjoyment, by bad association

you’ll forget everything about Kåñëa.

TEXT 59

viñaya thäkite kåñëa-prema nähi haya

viñayéra düre kåñëa jäniha niçcaya

TRANSLATION

“One cannot achieve love for Kåñëa as long as he is engaged in sense

gratification. You should know for certain that Kåñëa is far away from such
persons.

TEXT 60

viñaye äviñöa mana baòai jaïjäla

stré-putra-mäyä-jäla, ei saba ’käla’

TRANSLATION

“The mind that is absorbed in material enjoyment is a great disturbance.

Attachment for wife and children are the binding ropes of illusion that lead one
to death.

1569
 TEXT 61

daive kona bhägyavän sädhu-saìga päya

viñaye äveça chäòi’ kåñëere bhajaya

TRANSLATION

“If by providence a fortunate person achieves the association of a devotee,

he gives up his attachment for material enjoyment and worships Kåñëa.

TEXT 62

sei saba aparädha habe punar-bära

viñayera dharma ei,—çuna kathä-sära

TRANSLATION

“In conclusion, the nature of material enjoyment is that one makes the same
mistake again and again.

TEXT 63

’bandi thäka’,—hena äçérväda nähi kari

“viñaya päsara’, ahar-niça bala hari”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore I did not mean ’Stay there in prison,’ but rather stay free from

1570
thoughts of material enjoyment and always chant the name of Hari.

TEXT 64

chale kariläìa ämi ei äçérväda

tilärddheka nä bhäviha tomarä viñäda

TRANSLATION

“Do not even slightly lament that I gave you this blessing in an ambiguous
way.

TEXT 65

sarva-jéva-prati dayä-darçana ämära

kåñëe dåòha-bhakti hauka tomä’-sabäkära

TRANSLATION

“I glance mercifully on all living entities. May you all have firm devotion for
Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 66

“cintä nähi,—dina dui-tinera bhitare

bandhana ghucibe,—ei kahiluì tomäre

TRANSLATION

1571
 “Don’t worry, I guarantee that within two or three days you will be freed.

TEXT 67

viñayete thäka, kibä, thäka yathä-tathä

ei buddhi kabhu nä päsariha sarvathä”

TRANSLATION

“Whether you are a householder or a renunciant—whatever you are—don’t

forget these instructions at any cost.”

TEXT 68

bandi-sakalera kari’ çubhänusandhäna

äilena mulukera adhipati-sthäna

TRANSLATION

After offering the prisoners his best wishes, Haridäsa went before the king.

TEXT 69

ati-manohara teja dekhiyä tähäna

parama-gaurave vasibäre dilä sthäna

TRANSLATION

1572
 When the king saw Haridäsa’s brilliant effulgence, he respectfully offered
him a seat.

TEXT 70

äpane jijïäse täì’re mulukera pati

“kene, bhäi, tomära ki-rüpa dekhi mati?

TRANSLATION

Then the king personally inquired, “My dear brother, why do you have
such a mentality?

TEXT 71

kata bhägye, dekha, tumi haiyächa yavana

tabe kene hindura äcäre deha’ mana?

TRANSLATION

“By good fortune you’ve been born a Moslem, so why do you follow the
religious practices of the Hindus?

TEXT 72

ämarä hindure dekhi’ nähi khäi bhäta

tähä chäòa’ hai’ tumi mahä-vaàça-jäta

1573
 TRANSLATION

“We don’t even eat rice that’s been touched by Hindus, so why are you
degrading yourself? You’ve been born in a high family.

TEXT 73

jäti-dharma laìghi’ kara anya-vyavahära

paraloke kemane vä päibä nistära?

TRANSLATION

“You’re transgressing your caste and religion to follow the religion of others.
How will you attain salvation?

TEXT 74

nä jäniyä ye kichu karilä anäcära

se päpa ghucäha kari’ kalmä uccära”

TRANSLATION

“Whatever sinful activities you’ve unknowingly performed can be cleared by

uttering kalmä.

COMMENTARY

Considering that Haridäsa Öhäkura was related to him as his brother, the
Mohammedan king told him, “I want to know why you have been degraded

1574
like this. There is no family superior to the Moslem family. By great fortune
you have taken birth in a Moslem family, so why have you accepted the
behavior of the inferior Hindus. We do not eat rice touched by the Hindus
because they are low-class. You have taken birth in a great family, so it is not
proper to degrade yourself into a lower family. How will you be delivered after
death if you transgress the Mohammedan religious principles and following
other religious principles? Give up such sinful behavior and recite the Cähära
Kalmä, then you will be freed from the sin incurred by following the Hindu
religion.
Kalmä (an Arabic word) means “word” or “statement.” Kalmä refers to a
passage from the Koran indicating the acceptance of Mohammed’s Islam
religion.

TEXT 75

çuni’ mäyä-mohitera väkya haridäsa

“ano viñëu-mäyä” bali’ haila mahä-häsa

TRANSLATION

After hearing the king, who was illusioned by mäyä, Haridäsa simply
laughed and said, “How wonderfully the illusory energy acts.”

COMMENTARY

Hearing the words of the materially conditioned Mohammedan king,

Öhäkura Haridäsa thought, “Such a statement befits a person who is
bewildered by the illusory energy of Lord Viñëu.” Since the conditioned souls
accept all material ingredients as objects for their sense gratification, they are
cheated from realizing the Supreme Lord. The Lord is fully transcendental,

1575
and material ingredients are objects of sense gratification for the conditioned
souls. Therefore Haridäsa Öhäkura realized the uselessness of the
Mohammedan king’s words.

TEXTS 76-77

balite lägilä tä’re madhura uttara

“çuna, bäpa, sabärai ekai éçvara

näma-mätra bheda kare hinduye yavane

paramärthe ’eka’ kahe koräëe puräëe

TRANSLATION

He then sweetly said to the king, “Listen, dear sir. The Supreme Lord of all
is one without a second. The Hindus and Moslems differentiate the Lord only
by name, but in spiritual vision the Lord is one. This is confirmed in the
Puräëas and the Koran.

COMMENTARY

Still, displaying causeless mercy on the Moslem king, Öhäkura Haridäsa

began to sweetly speak as follows: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is
one, eternal, nondual, and the Lord of all living entities. That one Lord is the
controller of the Hindus, Moslems, young and old, and male and female.
Hindus and non-Hindu Moslems who are ignorant of the science of the
Supreme Lord foolishly oppose each other by concocting two different Gods
with separate names, but when they give up such discrimination and
difference of opinion and indifferently consider their respective religious
scriptures, the Puräëas and the Koran, then they will never find such

1576
differences in the Absolute Truth.

TEXT 78

eka çudha nitya-vastu akhaëòa avyaya

paripürëa haiyä vaise sabära hådaya

TRANSLATION

The pure, eternal, nondual, inexhaustible Lord sits in the heart of everyone.

COMMENTARY

The Supreme Lord is pure, free from contamination, and untouched by

sinful reactions. He is imperishable and ever-existing. The Supreme Lord
cannot be divided by secular consideration. The Supreme Lord does not
expand or diminish under the control of the time factor. Therefore He resides
in the hearts of all living entities, including the Hindus and Moslems, as the
undivided Supersoul. The same Lord who is situated in the hearts of the
Moslems is situated in the hearts of the Hindus. Being impure as a result of
aversion to the Supreme Lord from time immemorial and thus under the
control of temporary misconceptions based on mundane time, place, and
person, the living entities consider themselves the enjoyers and become averse
to the service of the Lord due to not understanding the undivided Supersoul
as the complete whole. Rather, they wrongly consider Him a fragmented living
entity like themselves. If only they give up their concocted material
enjoyment and mental speculation based on the desire for liberation and
engage in devotional service, then they will know Him as the only worshipable
Lord.

1577
 TEXT 79

sei prabhu yäre yena laoyäyena mana

sei-mata karma kare sakala bhuvana

TRANSLATION

“That Lord induces everyone to work in a particular way, and everyone in

the entire world acts accordingly.

COMMENTARY

Following the whims of their minds, the conditioned souls act according to
the inspiration they receive from that undivided, inexhaustible, eternally pure
Supreme Lord, who directs them to act. In the Bhagavad-gétä (18.61) it is
stated:

éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà håd-deçe ’rjuna tiñöhati

bhrämayan sarva-bhütäni yanträrüòhäni mäyayä

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is

directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine,
made of the material energy.”

TEXT 80

se prabhura näma guëa sakala jagate

balena sakale mätra nija-çästra-mate

1578
 TRANSLATION

“The names and qualities of that Lord are chanted by everyone according to
their respective scriptural injunctions.

COMMENTARY

The names, forms, qualities, associates, and pastimes of the Supreme Lord
are interpreted differently in different parts of the world by different
preachers according to their respective scriptures.

TEXT 81

ye éçvara, se punaù sabära bhäva laya

hiàsä karilei se tähäna hiàsä haya

TRANSLATION

“The Supreme Lord accepts the devotion of everyone, but if anyone is

envious of His children, then He retaliates.

COMMENTARY

Lord Janärdana, who is bhäva-grähé, or appreciative of one’s sentiments, is

served by everyone according to their respective moods. If a person rejects or
envies the mood of another, then such feelings are actually targeted towards
the Supreme Lord. Therefore a living entity should never envy other living
entities. If one tries to uproot and convert the internal mood of another
person into that of his own narrow-mindedness, then the result will be not
only criticism of another’s religion but enviousness of the Supreme Lord, who

1579
is the goal of all religion. Service and envy directed to the Supreme Lord are
two separate matters. If one misidentifies envy as service to the Supreme Lord,
then he will be opposed to the service of the Supreme Lord and ultimately
become envious of the devotees. When a living entity becomes devoid of
loving service to the Lord, he becomes sometimes a sense enjoyer, sometimes a
fruitive worker, sometimes an impersonalist, sometimes a haöha-yogé, and
sometimes a räja-yogé. To engage such persons in the service of Lord Mukunda
for their eternal benefit is not an act or form of envy. Rather, inducing such
persons to engage in activities of sense gratification instead of the service of
the Lord is to give indulgence to envious activities and therefore must be
given up.

TEXT 82

eteke ämäre se éçvara yehena

laoyäiyächena citte, kari ämi tena

TRANSLATION

“Therefore I am only acting under the inspiration of the Supreme Lord.

COMMENTARY

“For this reason I am engaged in the service of the Lord according to the
inspiration that He has given me. A person makes progress in the service of
the Lord by acting in whatever way the Lord inspires him.” In the
Bhagavad-gétä (10.10) it is stated:

teñäà satata-yuktänäà bhajatäà préti-pürvakam

dadämi buddhi-yogaà taà yena mäm upayänti te

1580
 “To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the
understanding by which they can come to Me.”

TEXT 83

hindu-kule keha yena haiyä brähmaëa

äpane äsiyä haya icchäya yavana

TRANSLATION

“By his own desire, a Hindu brähmaëa may also become a Moslem.

COMMENTARY

“Just as I have taken birth in a Moslem family yet by the will of the Lord I
have engaged in devotional service to Viñëu, as befitting a brähmaëa, a person
born in a brähmaëa family can also give up his brahminical duties by the will
of the Lord and follow social codes that are opposed to the Vedas under the
influence of his mental whims.”

TEXT 84

hindu vä ki kare tä’re, yära yei karma

äpane ye maila, tä’re märiyä ki dharma

TRANSLATION

“What can the Hindus do? That is his karma. If one is already dead, then
what is the use of killing him?

1581
 COMMENTARY

The living entities achieve appropriate punishment or reward for the

activities they perform under the influence of their respective tastes, therefore
there is no need for their separate punishment. It is stated:
svakarma-phala-bhuk pumän—“Every human being enjoys the fruits of his
karma.”

TEXT 85

mahäçaya, tumi ebe karaha vicära

yadi doña thäke, çästi karaha ämära”

TRANSLATION

“Dear sir, now you can judge. If I’m at fault, then you may punish me.”

TEXT 86

haridäsa-öhäkurera susatya-vacana
çuniyä santoña haila sakala yavana

TRANSLATION

Hearing Haridäsa’s conclusive statements, the Moslems were all satisfied.

TEXT 87

1582
 sabe eka päpé käjé muluka-patire
balile lägilä,—“çästi karaha ihäre

TRANSLATION

Only the sinful Kazi instigated the king, saying, “Punish him.

TEXT 88

ei duñöa, äro duñöa karibe aneka

yavana-kulete amahimä änibeka

TRANSLATION

“This miscreant will simply create other miscreants, and he’ll bring a bad
name to the Moslem community.

TEXT 89

eteke ihära çästi kara’ bhäla-mate

nahe vä äpana-çästra baluka mukhete”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore punish him in an exemplary way, or at least make him recite the
confession from the Koran.”

COMMENTARY

1583
 The atheist Kazi instigated the king by complaining against Haridäsa
Öhäkura as follows: “The example of following Hindu principles that Haridäsa
is setting will certainly bring infamy to the Moslem community, and in the
future many Moslems will bring further defamation and disrepute to the
Moslem religion by following him. Therefore you should severely punish him
as a warning to others so that this may not happen. Otherwise Haridäsa should
personally repent and beg forgiveness for his actions, then only can he be
excused from punishment.”

TEXTS 90-91

punaù bale mulukera pati,—“äre bhäi!

äpanära çästra bala, tabe cintä näi

anyathä karibe çästi saba käjé-gaëe

balibä o päche, ära laghu haibä kene”

TRANSLATION

The king again requested Haridäsa, “O brother, just recite the confession
from the Koran and you’ll have nothing to worry about. Otherwise the sinful
Kazis will punish you, and you’ll be forced to recite the Koran anyway. In this
way you’ll be humiliated.”

COMMENTARY

The king said to Haridäsa, “If you give up the behavior of persons who are
opposed to our religious principles and follow the Moslem literatures and
behavior, then there is no need for you to fear or worry. Otherwise the Kazi
and his men will severely punish you. Even now I am giving you a warning.

1584
Why should you diminish your prestige by unnecessarily being punished later
on?”

TEXT 92

haridäsa balena,—“ye karäna éçvare

tähä bai ära keha karite nä päre

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa said, “One cannot do anything other than what the Supreme Lord
desires.

COMMENTARY

Hearing the king’s words, Haridäsa fearlessly replied, “Whatever the

Supreme Lord wills, that alone will happen. Apart from that no one can do
anything.”

TEXT 93

aparädha-anurüpa yä’ra yei phala

éçvare se kare,—ihä jäniha kevala

TRANSLATION

“Know for certain that the Lord awards the results of one’s offenses.

COMMENTARY

1585
 The Supreme Lord alone is the bestower of the living entities’ fruits of
action. The sense of being the doer that living entities who are bewildered by
false ego attribute to themselves in the course of their activities is only due to
false pride. Only the supreme will of the Lord yields fruits. Although the living
entities are instruments, the supreme will of the Lord is most powerful.

TEXT 94

khaëòa khaëòa hai deha yäya yadi präëa

tabu ämi vadane nä chäòi hari-näma

TRANSLATION

“Even if my body is cut into pieces and I give up my life, I will never give
up chanting the Lord’s holy name.”

COMMENTARY

“This material body, which is received from the mother and father, is not
permanent. The life that is averse to the service of Kåñëa and which is
presently absorbed in material happiness is also perishable or changeable. But
the holy names of the Supreme Lord and the Supreme Lord Himself are not
two separate objects. Spiritual names are not like the names of material objects
that are invented by human beings within the time factor. The spiritual name
and the possessor of the name are one. Therefore I can never give up chanting
the holy names and repose my faith in my gross and subtle bodies. The
constitutional position of a living entity is that he is the eternal servant of
Kåñëa. In other words, every living entity is a Vaiñëava. The Vaiñëavas have
no other activities than chanting the holy names of Çré Hari. The only duty of
both the practitioner and the perfected being is to chant the holy names of

1586
the Lord. I cannot give this up to follow man-made social behavior. Even if the
result is that society and its administrators torture me as much as they want, I
am prepared to tolerate it all with a smiling face. I will never give up the
eternal service of Hari to run after temporary material happiness. I have no
other activity than congregationally chanting the spiritual names of Kåñëa
that I have received through disciplic succession. Both the body and the mind
are distinct from ’I,’ the owner of the body, because ’I’ am eternal, while the
body and mind are temporary.”

TEXT 95

çuniïä tähäna väkya mulukera pati

jijïäsila,—“ebe ki karibä ihä-prati?”

TRANSLATION

After hearing Haridäsa’s statement, the king asked the Kazi, “Now what
will you do with him?”

TEXT 96

käjé bale,—“bäiça bäjäre beòi’ märi’

präëa laha, ära kichu vicära nä kari’

TRANSLATION

The Kazi replied, “He should be beaten in the twenty-two marketplaces.

Take his life in this way. That is my opinion.

1587
 COMMENTARY

In the end, the atheist Kazi proposed to the king as follows: “Let Haridäsa
be beaten in each of the twenty-two marketplaces within Ambuyä-muluka,
then he will die. This is the proper punishment for the sin he has incurred by
accepting the behavior of the Hindus and chanting the names of the Hindus’
God.”

TEXT 97

bäiça-bäjäre märileha yadi jéye

tabe jäni,—jïäné-saba säccä kathä kahe”

TRANSLATION

“If he survives being beaten in twenty-two marketplaces, then we’ll

understand that he’s actually knowledgeable and his words are true.”

COMMENTARY

“If in spite of being beaten in twenty-two marketplaces, Haridäsa remains

alive, then we will know that he is truthful and nonduplicitous. And if he dies,
then his punishment was proper.”

TEXT 98

päika-sakale òäki’ tarja kari’ kahe

“e-mata märibi,—yena präëa nähi rahe

1588
 TRANSLATION

The Kazi then called the guards and sternly ordered them, “Beat him in
such a way that he will die.

COMMENTARY

The word päika (derived from the word padätika) means “guards” or
“servants.”
The servant guards were ordered to severely beat Haridäsa more than
needed to make his life air leave the body.

TEXT 99

yavana haiyä yei hinduyäni kare

präëänta haile çeñe e päpa haite tare’”

TRANSLATION

“If a Moslem who follows the Hindu religion is killed, then he’ll be
delivered from that sin.”

COMMENTARY

“The death sentence is proper punishment for Moslems who give up their
religion and follow the religion and behavior of the infidel Hindus. There is
no sin more grave than for a non-Hindu to accept the Hindu religion; death is
the only atonement for such a sin.”

1589
 TEXT 100

päpéra vacane sei päpé äjïä dila

duñöa-gaëe äsi’ haridäsere dharila

TRANSLATION

Instigated by the words of the sinful Kazi, the sinful king gave his order and
the miscreant guards arrested Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

The sins of those who envy the Vaiñëavas are understood to have fully
matured. Since the atheist Kazi caused mischief to Haridäsa Öhäkura, both he
and the king were extremely sinful. The guards who arrested Haridäsa
Öhäkura on the order of their sinful masters were also affected by sinful
reactions.

TEXT 101

bäjäre-bäjäre saba beòi’ duñöa-gaëe

märe se nirjéva kari’ mahä-krodha-mane

TRANSLATION

The miscreant guards thereafter took Haridäsa from market to market and
mercilessly beat him.

1590
 TEXT 102

’kåñëa kåñëa’ smaraëa karena haridäsa

nämänande deha-duùkha nä haya prakäça

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa simply remembered the name of Kåñëa, and on account of that

ecstatic remembrance he felt no pain.

TEXT 103

dekhi haridäsa-dehe atyanta prahära

sujana-sakala duùkha bhävena apära

TRANSLATION

The pious people were greatly distressed to see the excessive beating of
Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

Hearing and seeing the severe beating and unjustified oppression of

Öhäkura Haridäsa, the saintly persons became extremely distressed. Some of
them openly declared, “By oppressing the Vaiñëavas in this way, great
inauspiciousness will soon fall on this kingdom. Simply as a result of torturing
the Vaiñëavas, the world faces various miseries like famine, drought, plague,
and war.

1591
 TEXT 104

keha bale,—“ucchana haibe sarva-räjya

se-nimitte sujanere kare hena kärya”

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “The entire kingdom will be destroyed because they’re

torturing such a saintly person.”

TEXT 105

räjä-ujérere keha çäpe krodha-mane

märämäri karite o uöhe kona jane

TRANSLATION

Someone angrily cursed the king and the Kazi, and someone else was
prepared to fight them.

COMMENTARY

As a result of the Moslems’ misbehavior towards Haridäsa Öhäkura, the

sadhus became most angry and displeased at heart. Some of them mentally
cursed the king and his minister, and some sowed the seed of discontent in
order to bring about a revolution in the state.

TEXT 106

1592
 keha giyä yavana-gaëera pä’ye dhare
“kichu diba, alpa kari’ märaha uhäre”

TRANSLATION

Another person fell at the feet of the Moslems and said, “I’ll give you some
money if you don’t beat him so hard.”

COMMENTARY

Some of them fell at the feet of the Moslems who were mercilessly beating
Haridäsa and begged their mercy to spare his life, and some of them tried to
stop the beating with bribes.

TEXT 107

tathäpiha dayä nähi janme päpi-gaëe

bäjäre-bäjäre märe mahä-krodha-mane

TRANSLATION

Nevertheless the sinful guards showed no mercy, and they continued angrily
beating Haridäsa from market to market.

TEXT 108

kåñëera prasäde haridäsera çarére

alpa duùkho nähi janme eteka prahäre

1593
 TRANSLATION

By the mercy of Kåñëa, Haridäsa felt no pain whatsoever in spite of such

heavy beating.

TEXT 109

asura-prahäre yena prahläda-vigrahe

kona duùkha nä jänila,—sarva-çästre kahe

TRANSLATION

The scriptures explain that Prahläda felt no pain when he was mercilessly
beaten by the demons.

COMMENTARY

Just as Hiraëyakaçipu tortured his mahä-bhägavata son, Prahläda, in various

ways (see Çrémad Bhägavatam 7.5.33-53 and 7.8.1-13), the sinful Moslems also
began to torture Haridäsa Öhäkura in various ways. But like Bhakta-räja
Prahläda, he did not feel a tinge of misery. The quality of tolerance like this is
natural for the mahä-bhägavatas. They are so busy in constantly serving the
Supreme Lord that incidents of the external world like torture cannot give
them any anxiety. That is why Çré Gaurasundara has stated in His Çré
Çikñäñöaka that only one who is more tolerant than a tree is able to glorify the
topics of Kåñëa, not others. If a practitioner is intolerant, then he will not be
able to glorify Hari because we have seen by innumerable cases in this world
that persons who are averse to the Supreme Lord have unfairly and
unnecessarily attacked the all-auspicious honest preacher engaged in chanting
the names of Hari and have tried to close his mouth, which is engaged in

1594
glorifying Hari. The sinful society that is intoxicated by pride related with
family, caste, wealth, and material education always tries to completely stop
glorification of Hari, which is the only Absolute Truth. Even on the dishonest
pretext of duplicitously joining the saìkértana party in name, they silently
oppose chanting the holy names, which are satya-vastu, the Absolute Truth.

TEXT 110

ei-mata yavanera açeña prahäre

duùkha nä janmaye haridäsa-öhäkurere

TRANSLATION

In the same way, Haridäsa felt no pain as he was mercilessly beaten by the
Moslems.

TEXT 111

haridäsa-smaraëe o e duùkha sarvathä

chiëòe sei-kñaëe, haridäsera ki kathä

TRANSLATION

What to speak of Haridäsa himself, even one who remembers his activities is
immediately relieved of all material miseries.

COMMENTARY

What to speak of Haridäsa feeling distress due to the severe torture, all the

1595
distress of even a person who remembers this incomparable tolerance of
Haridäsa will also be completely destroyed.

TEXT 112

sabe ye-sakala päpi-gaëa täì’re märe

tä’ra lägi’ duùkha-mätra bhävena antare

TRANSLATION

Rather Haridäsa felt sorry for the sinful guards who were engaged in beating
him and he prayed.

COMMENTARY

For the benefit and deliverance of those sinful offenders who defy the
bhägavata Vaiñëavas, the saintly persons consider them candidates for their
mercy and feel concerned within their hearts. Such characteristics are also
seen in the lives of Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed.

TEXT 113

“e-saba jévere, kåñëa! karaha prasäda

mora drohe nahu e-sabära aparädha”

TRANSLATION

“O Kåñëa! Be merciful on these living entities! Forgive their offense of

torturing me.”

1596
 COMMENTARY

If one defies the devotees of the Lord, the Supreme Lord becomes greatly
displeased. Realizing that the Supreme Lord would be greatly displeased by the
torture inflicted on him by the sinful Moslems, Öhäkura Haridäsa prayed at
the lotus feet of the Lord for their benefit. The devotees of the Lord never
pray, “Let the minds of the living entities always remain distracted from the
service of the lotus feet of Kåñëa,” as this brings about their ruination. The
Vaiñëava Öhäkuras, who are compassionate to all living entities, never become
the cause of other’s inauspiciousness.

TEXT 114

ei-mata päpi-gaëa nagare-nagare

prahära karaye haridäsa-öhäkurere

TRANSLATION

In this way the sinful guards beat Haridäsa Öhäkura in the various
marketplaces.

TEXT 115

dåòha kari’ märe tä’rä präëa laibäre

manaù-småti nähi haridäsera prahäre

TRANSLATION

They beat him severely in order to kill him, but Haridäsa was not even

1597
disturbed by their beating.

COMMENTARY

Being bewildered by waves of thoughts about the external world, the

ordinary conditioned souls accept their own flickering mind as the director of
all their activities. But since the devotees of the Lord are constantly engaged
in the service of Hari, they do not engage their mind in enjoying external
material objects. Rather, they do not retain any memory of any material
incident or object. In other words, they have completely forgotten all false
bodily identification. It is stated: kåñëa-näme préta, jaòe udäséna, nirdoña
änanda-maya—“They are attached to the holy names of Kåñëa, indifferent to
material objects, faultless, and always joyful.”

TEXT 116

vismita haiyä bhäve sakala yavane

“manuñyera präëa ki rahaye e märaëe?

TRANSLATION

The Moslems were astonished to see this, and thought, “Can a human being
survive after such a beating?

TEXT 117

dui tina bäjäre märile loka mare

bäiça-bäjäre märiläìa ye ihäre

1598
 TRANSLATION

“If we beat someone in two or three marketplaces, they die. But we’ve
beaten him in twenty-two marketplaces.”

TEXT 118

mare o nä, äro dekhi,—häse kñaëe kñaëe”

“e puruña péra vä?”—sabei bhäve mane

TRANSLATION

They all thought, “He has not died, and moreover we see that he is smiling!
Is he a powerful saint?”

COMMENTARY

The word péra (a Farsi word) refers to a Mohammedan saintly person who
knows God or a widely respected great personality with extraordinary powers.

TEXT 119

yavana-sakala bale,—“ohe haridäsa!

tomä’ haite ämä’-sabära haibeka näça

TRANSLATION

The Moslems then said, “O Haridäsa, we’ll be killed because of you!

1599
 COMMENTARY

The Moslem servants who had severely beaten Haridäsa said to him, “If we
cannot somehow or other beat you to death, our masters will be very angry
with us. Then they will kill us out of anger.”

TEXT 120

eta prahäre o präëa nä yäya tomära

käjé präëa laibeka ämä’ sabäkära”

TRANSLATION

“Although we’ve beaten you so much, you’re still alive. Therefore the Kazi
will kill us.”

TEXTS 121-122

häsiyä balena haridäsa mahäçaya

“ämi jéle tomä’ sabära manda yadi haya

tabe ämi mari,—ei dekha vidyamäna”

eta bale’ äviñöa hailä kari’ dhyäna

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa smiled and said, “If my remaining alive creates a problem for you,
then I will give up my body right now.” After saying this, Haridäsa entered

1600
into deep meditation on Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Haridäsa replied, “Though I have been severely beaten by you, if my

remaining alive causes any harm for you, I can immediately give up my body to
check this inauspiciousness.” After speaking in this way, Haridäsa entered
into samädhi by meditating on the Supreme Lord within his heart, saturated
with pure goodness, and thus enacted the pastime of dying. Due to being in
deep samädhi on the Supreme Lord, his inhaling and exhaling could not be
openly perceived.

TEXT 123

sarva-çakti-samanvita prabhu-haridäsa
hailena aceñöa, kothä o nähi çväsa

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa, who was endowed with all mystic powers, then became motionless
and his breathing stopped.

TEXT 124

dekhiyä yavana-gaëa vismita haila

muluka-patira dväre laiyä pheläila

TRANSLATION

1601
 Seeing this, the Moslems were struck with wonder, and they took the
lifeless body of Haridäsa before the king.

TEXT 125

“mäöi deha’ niïä” bale mulukera pati

käjé kahe,—“tabe ta päibe bhäla-gati

TRANSLATION

The king ordered them, “Bury him,” but the Kazi countered, “Then he will
achieve a higher destination.

COMMENTARY

The phrase mäöi deha’ means “to lay underground or set in samädhi” or “to
bury.”
The atheist Kazi said, “Haridäsa has taken birth in a high-class Moslem
family, so we should not bury him, because then he would attain a higher
destination. It is the religious belief of the Moslems that if one buries a dead
body, then the owner of the body attains a superior destination. Therefore, if
the deadlike body of Haridäsa Öhäkura is thrown into the Ganges rather than
buried, it will be a proper punishment for his sinful activities of accepting
Hindu religion and chanting the names of the Hindu’s God, and he will suffer
miseries forever.”

TEXT 126

baòa hai’ yena karileka néca-karma

1602
 ataeva ihäre yuyäya hena dharma

TRANSLATION

“He was already born in a good Moslem family, but he engaged in degraded
Hindu practices. Therefore he does not deserve a higher destination.

TEXT 127

mäöi dile paraloke haibeka bhäla

gäìge phela,—yena duùkha päya cirakäla

TRANSLATION

“If we bury him, he will certainly attain a better destination in his next life.
Better throw him in the Ganges, so that he’ll suffer forever.”

TEXT 128

käjéra vacane saba dhariyä yavane

gäìge pheläite sabe tole giyä tä’ne

TRANSLATION

Following the Kazi’s instructions, the guards took Haridäsa’s body to throw
in the Ganges.

TEXT 129

1603
 gäìge nite tole yadi yavana-sakala
vasilena haridäsa haiyä niçcala

TRANSLATION

As the Moslems were about to throw his body in the Ganges, Haridäsa sat
there immovable.

TEXT 130

dhyänänande vasilä öhäkura haridäsa

viçvambhara dehe äsi’ hailä parakäça

TRANSLATION

As Haridäsa sat there in ecstatic meditation, Lord Viçvambhara entered his

body.

TEXT 131

viçvambhara-adhiñöhäna haila çarére

kä’ra çakti äche haridäse näòibäre?

TRANSLATION

Who had the power to move Haridäsa’s body, when it had become the abode
of Lord Viçvambhara?

1604
 TEXT 132

mahä-balavanta saba catur-dike öhele

mahä-stambha-präya prabhu ächena niçcale

TRANSLATION

As the strongest Moslems tried to push Haridäsa, they found he was as

immovable as a stone pillar.

TEXT 133

kåñëänanda-sudhä-sindhu-madhye haridäsa
magna hai’ ächena, bähya nähi parakäça

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa remained absorbed in the nectarean ocean of love for Kåñëa and
had no external feelings.

COMMENTARY

The phrase kåñëänanda-sudhä-sindhu refers to the samädhi of ecstatic love

for Kåñëa.
The word bähya means “external consciousness.”

TEXT 134

1605
 kibä antarékñe, kibä påthvéte, gaìgäya
nä jänena haridäsa ächena kothäya

TRANSLATION

He did not even know whether he was in the sky, on the land, or in the
waters of the Ganges.

TEXT 135

prahlädera yehena smaraëa kåñëa-bhakti

sei-mata haridäsa öhäkurera çakti

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa had the same ability as Prahläda Mahäräja to remain fixed in

remembrance of the Supreme Lord Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Regarding the devotional service of Prahläda Mahäräja, Närada Muni

narrates his characteristics to Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja in the following verses of
Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.4.36, 38, and 41): “Who could list the innumerable
transcendental qualities of Prahläda Mahäräja? He had unflinching faith in
Väsudeva, Lord Kåñëa [the son of Vasudeva], and unalloyed devotion to Him.
His attachment to Lord Kåñëa was natural because of his previous devotional
service. Although his good qualities cannot be enumerated, they prove that he
was a great soul [mahätmä]. Prahläda Mahäräja was always absorbed in thought
of Kåñëa. Thus, being always embraced by the Lord, he did not know how his
bodily necessities, such as sitting, walking, eating, lying down, drinking and

1606
talking, were being automatically performed. Sometimes, feeling the touch of
the Lord’s lotus hands, he became spiritually jubilant and remained silent, his
hairs standing on end and tears gliding down from his half-closed eyes because
of his love for the Lord.” The Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.9.6-7) further states: “By
the touch of Lord Nåsiàhadeva’s hand on Prahläda Mahäräja’s head, Prahläda
was completely freed of all material contaminations and desires, as if he had
been thoroughly cleansed. Therefore he at once became transcendentally
situated, and all the symptoms of ecstasy became manifest in his body. His
heart filled with love, and his eyes with tears, and thus he was able to
completely capture the lotus feet of the Lord within the core of his heart.
Prahläda Mahäräja fixed his mind and sight upon Lord Nåsiàhadeva with full
attention in complete trance.”

TEXT 136

haridäse ei saba kichu citra nahe

niravadhi gauracandra yäìhäna hådaye

TRANSLATION

This is not at all astonishing for Haridäsa, for Lord Gauracandra constantly
resides in his heart.

TEXTS 137-138

räkñasera bandhane yehena hanümän

äpane lailä kari’ brahmära samäna

ei-mata haridäsa yavana-prahära

1607
 jagatera çikñä lägi’ karilä svékära

TRANSLATION

While fighting with the demons, Hanumän respectfully welcomed the

brahmästra weapon released by Indrajit. Similarly, Haridäsa Öhäkura accepted
the beating of the Moslems in order to teach the world.

COMMENTARY

Just as Hanumän protected the prestige of the brahmästra weapon released

by Indrajit, the son of Rävaëa, the king of the demons, by falling under its
influence during the conquest of Laìkä (see Rämäyaëa, Sundara-käëòa,
Chapter 48, verses 36-45), Haridäsa also accepted the cruel severe beating of
the Moslems in order to set example and teach the highest ideal of tolerance
to the world.

TEXT 139

“açeña durgati haya, yadi yäya präëa

tathäpi vadane nä chäòiba hari-näma

TRANSLATION

“Even if I experience unlimited misery and die, I will never give up

chanting the Lord’s holy name.”

COMMENTARY

This is the teaching referred to in the previous verse.

1608
 Let the sense enjoyers, fruitive workers, and Mäyävädés, who are all
opposed to devotional service, behave inimically towards the devotees, yet the
devotees never give up chanting the holy names of the Lord.

TEXT 140

anyathä govinda-hena rakñaka thäkite

kä’ra çakti äche haridäsere laìghite?

TRANSLATION

Otherwise, since Haridäsa was personally protected by Govinda, how could

anyone harm him?

COMMENTARY

The word anyathä, or “otherwise,” refers to a situation other than if

Öhäkura Haridäsa had not exhibited the highest ideal of incomparable
tolerance or had not endeavored to teach the people of the world by saying,
“Even if I experience unlimited misery and die, I will never give up chanting
the Lord’s holy name.”
Lord Govinda alone is the maintainer of the entire universe. No one can
oppose, harm, torture, oppress, or display their might on His unalloyed
topmost devotee Haridäsa. No atheist has the authority to transgress Haridäsa.

TEXT 141

haridäsa-smaraëe o e duùkha sarvathä

1609
 khaëòe sei-kñaëe, haridäsera ki kathä

TRANSLATION

What to speak of Haridäsa himself, even one who remembers his activities is
immediately relieved of all material miseries.

TEXT 142

satya satya haridäsa—jagat-éçvara

caitanya-candrera mahä-mukhya anucara

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa, who had the power to control the universe, was certainly one of
the topmost devotees of Çré Caitanya.

COMMENTARY

Another reading for jagat-éçvara, or “the Lord of the universe,” is

pürva-vipra-vara, or “the already qualified best brähmaëa.” Actually Öhäkura
Haridäsa was already the crest-jewel amongst the best of the brähmaëas.
Although the materialists see that he was born in a Moslem family, he was the
greatest Vaiñëava, servant of the Lord, most sober, and endowed with all
brahminical qualifications from time immemorial. Only those who constantly
serve the Supreme Lord are decorated with the eternal brahminical
qualifications from time immemorial. Some people compose imitation
literatures in which they claim that Haridäsa Öhäkura was born in a seminal
brähmaëa family, and thereby they attribute on him insignificant mundane
social considerations born from their own ignorance. Such imaginary truth is

1610
always contrary to historical facts.
The phrase jagat-éçvara may also be an adjective for Caitanyacandra, or it
may have been used to indicate the former position of Haridäsa as Lord
Brahmä. Any mahä-bhägavata who controls the six urges mentioned by Çré
Rüpa Gosvämé is qualified to be called Gosvämé, Jagat-éçvara, or Vaiñëava.

TEXT 143

hena-mate haridäsa bhäsena gaìgäya

kñaëeke haila bähya éçvara-icchäya

TRANSLATION

After Haridäsa floated in the Ganges for some time, he regained his external
consciousness by the will of the Lord.

TEXT 144

caitanya päiyä haridäsa-mahäçaya

tére äsi’ uöhilena paränanda-maya

TRANSLATION

He then came to the shore and got out of the water in great ecstasy.

TEXT 145

sei-mate äilena phuliyä-nagare

1611
 kåñëa-näma balite balite uccaiù-svare

TRANSLATION

In this way he started for Phuliyä while loudly chanting the names of Kåñëa.

TEXT 146

dekhiyä adbhuta-çakti sakala yavana

sabära khaëòila hiàsä, bhäla haila mana

TRANSLATION

Seeing the extraordinary potency of Haridäsa, the Moslems’ minds changed

and they forgot their envy.

TEXT 147

péra’ jïäna kari’ sabe kaila namaskära

sakala yavana-gaëa päila nistära

TRANSLATION

The Moslems considered Haridäsa a powerful saint, so they offered him

obeisances. Thus they were all delivered from material bondage.

COMMENTARY

Those Moslems who considered mahä-bhägavata Öhäkura Haridäsa as

1612
worshipable and offered him their humble obeisances were freed from material
bondage.

TEXT 148

kata-kñaëe bähya päilena haridäsa

muluka-patire cähi’ haila kåpä-häsa

TRANSLATION

Some time after regaining his consciousness, Haridäsa met the King of
Bengal and laughed mercifully.

TEXT 149

sambhrame muluka-pati yuòi’ dui kara

balite lägila kichu vinaya-uttara

TRANSLATION

With great awe and reverence, the king folded his hands and humbly said to
Haridäsa.

TEXT 150

“satya satya jäniläìa,—tumi mahä-péra

’eka’-jïäna tomära se haiyäche sthira

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 TRANSLATION

“Now I know for certain that you are a powerful saint, for you are firmly
convinced that the Supreme Lord is one.

COMMENTARY

The phrase eka-jïäna means “to perceive the presence of the Supreme Lord
in every living entity” or “to see the Lord’s variegatedness;” in other words, “to
realize the nondual Absolute Truth.”

TEXT 151

yogé jïäné yata saba mukhe-mätra bale

tumi se päilä siddhi mahä-kutühale

TRANSLATION

“All the so-called yogis and jïänés simply speak big words, but you have
actually attained perfection.

COMMENTARY

“Ordinary pseudo yogis and pseudo jïänés speak of advaya-jïäna, or

transcendental knowledge beyond duality, simply to make a show of being
liberal, but you, Haridäsa, are actually a real, perfected mahä-puruña, or great
personality.”

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 TEXT 152

tomäre dekhite mui äiluì ethäre

saba doña, mahäçaya! kñamibä ämäre

TRANSLATION

“O sir, I have personally come to meet you, therefore please forgive all my
offenses.

TEXT 153

sakala tomära sama,—çatru-mitra näi

tomä’ cine,—hena jana tribhuvane näi

TRANSLATION

“You are equal to everyone—both friend and enemy—but there is no one

in the three worlds who can understand you.

COMMENTARY

On the strength of their mundane knowledge, the materialists cannot

understand the position of a mahä-bhägavata, paramahaàsa Vaiñëava.
Actually no one is the friend or enemy of a Vaiñëava. Because he considers
everyone in the world as a Vaiñëava, he is the friend of everyone, and being
devoid of conception of mundane enjoyment, he sees everyone, friends and
enemies, equally.

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 TEXT 154

cala tumi, çubha kara’ äpana-icchäya

gaìgä-tére thäka giyä nirjana-gophäya

TRANSLATION

“You are free to go wherever you wish. You may go stay in a cave on the
bank of the Ganges or wherever you desire.

COMMENTARY

The word gophäya (derived from the Sanskrit word guhä and Hindi word
guphä) means “a vacant cave.”
The king said, “O Haridäsa, now you are freed from arrest, therefore by
your own sweet will you may go to a secluded cave on the bank of the Ganges
near Phuliyä and begin to worship your beloved Lord without disturbance.
Though we are most abominable and sinful, please forgive all our unforgivable
offenses and glance mercifully on us.”

TEXT 155

äpana-icchäya tumi thäka yathä-tathä

ye tomära icchä, täi karaha sarvathä”

TRANSLATION

“Now you may stay wherever you like and do whatever you please.”

1616
 TEXT 156

haridäsa-öhäkurera caraëa dekhile

uttamera ki däya, yavana dekhi’ bhule’

TRANSLATION

What to speak of the upper classes, on seeing the lotus feet of Haridäsa
Öhäkura, even the Moslems forgot themselves.

COMMENTARY

The Moslems are generally devoid of devotional service to the Supreme

Lord. If sense enjoyers, fruitive workers, and mental speculators, who are all
relatively superior to the Moslems, realize the magnanimous, glorious lotus feet
of mahä-bhägavata Öhäkura Haridäsa, then they will permanently retire from
engagement in the their respective sense gratification. On seeing Haridäsa,
even Moslems who were sinful and extremely averse to the Lord forgot their
endeavors to oppose devotional service, which were induced by the urges of
their senses.

TEXT 157

eta krodhe änileka märibära tare

’péra’-jïäna kari’ äro pä’ye päche dhare

TRANSLATION

They had angrily taken him to be killed, but they ultimately accepted him as

1617
a powerful saint.

COMMENTARY

Oh, how wonderful are the uncommon glories of the mahä-bhägavata,

paramahaàsa, Vaiñëava Öhäkuras! By seeing the extraordinary shining
example of Öhäkura Haridäsa’s forgiveness and tolerance, that same king who
was previously envious of the Öhäkura, who had angrily arrested him in order
to severely punish him, who hated Lord Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas, and who
was most sinful now accepts Öhäkura Haridäsa as a worshipable, uncommon,
great personality sent by God. Not only that, being purified by the fire of
repentance, that most sinful, atheistic, offensive king begged forgiveness for
all his offenses and was obliged to offer obeisances at the Öhäkura’s lotus feet.

TEXT 158

yavanere kåpä-dåñöi kariyä prakäça

phuliyäya äilä öhäkura-haridäsa

TRANSLATION

After glancing mercifully on the Moslems, Öhäkura Haridäsa entered

Phuliyä.

TEXTS 159-161

ucca kari’ hari-näma laite laite

äilena haridäsa brähmaëa-sabhäte

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 haridäse dekhi’ phuliyära vipra-gaëa
sabei hailä ati paränanda-mana

hari-dhvani vipra-gaëa lägilä karite

haridäsa lägilena änande näcite

TRANSLATION

As He loudly chanted the names of Hari, he arrived before an assembly of

brähmaëas. Seeing Haridäsa, the brähmaëas were filled with happiness. The
brähmaëas then began to chant the names of Hari, and Haridäsa began to dance
in ecstasy.

COMMENTARY

Being relieved from the torture and repression of the king and the Kazi and
in order to benefit the brähmaëa community of Phuliyä, Öhäkura Haridäsa
arrived there while loudly chanting the names of Hari. Due to narrow-minded
sectarianism and social aversion towards devotional service, some so-called
brähmaëas did not previously consider it proper to accept Haridäsa as the
spiritual master for awarding the holy names. But now after hearing about his
extraordinary unlimited prowess, all the prestigious brähmaëas accepted him
as the giver of the holy names, which are nondifferent from the Lord Himself.
All of them happily began to respect Haridäsa.

TEXT 162

adbhuta ananta haridäsera vikära

äçru, kampa, häsya, mürcchä, pulaka, huìkära

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 TRANSLATION

Haridäsa displayed endless ecstatic transformations like crying, shivering,

laughing, falling unconscious, hairs standing on end, and roaring.

TEXT 163

ächäòa khäyena haridäsa prema-rase

dekhiyä brähmaëa-gaëa mahänande bhäse

TRANSLATION

Then, in ecstatic love, Haridäsa crashed to the ground. Seeing this, the
brähmaëas began to float in ecstasy.

TEXT 164

sthira hai’ kñaëeke vasilä haridäsa

vipra-gaëa vasilena beòi’ cäripäça

TRANSLATION

After a while, when Haridäsa became pacified, the brähmaëas sat around
him.

TEXT 165

haridäsa balena,—“çunaha vipra-gaëa!

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 duùkha nä bhäviha kichu ämära käraëa

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa then said, “O brähmaëas, please listen. Don’t feel sorry for me.

TEXT 166

prabhu-nindä ämi ye çuniluì apära

tä’ra çästi karilena éçvara ämära

TRANSLATION

“I’ve heard so much blasphemy of the Lord. That is why He has punished
me.

COMMENTARY

While considering himself an ordinary conditioned soul, forced to enjoy

the fruits of karma, Haridäsa humbly said, “I had to hear topics that were
averse to the Lord as punishment for my previous misdeeds and aversion to
the Lord. Due to my tolerance I did not adequately protest the harsh
statements of persons who were averse to the Lord. That is why the Lord has
awarded this punishment to me.” The Lord awards severe punishment to those
who even after hearing blasphemy against the Lord and His devotees do not
protest in order to make a show of tolerance. Even after hearing blasphemous
words against Hari, Guru, and Vaiñëava, the präkåta-sahajiyäs’ attempt to
justify their abominable, mean, duplicitous nature as ’Vaiñëava etiquette,’
guarantees their frightful degradation. Öhäkura Haridäsa was truly the highest
ideal of tolerance, and because the deceitful präkåta-sahajiyä sampradäya tries

1621
to artificially imitate the quality of his tolerance, they ultimately achieve
various miseries in life. Since the mahä-bhägavata paramahaàsa Vaiñëava is
personally free from the blasphemy of others, he does not possess the external
mundane urges to blaspheme or praise, talk unnecessarily or gossip. But since
the präkåta-sahajiyäs are not situated on such an exalted platform, their
endeavors to imitate result in abominable duplicity. Therefore they inevitably
suffer miseries. In order to preach this topic to the deceitful präkåta-sahajiyä
sampradäyas, Haridäsa Öhäkura, like an ordinary human being, invoked the
philosophy of enjoying fruitive results. The präkåta-sahajiyäs are forced to
enjoy the fruits of their activities, but Haridäsa Öhäkura, the crest-jewel
among liberated souls and a chanter of the holy names of Hari, is certainly not
forced to enjoy the fruits of his activities. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämépäda has
described this topic in his Çré Nämäñöaka (4) as follows:

yad-brahma-säkñät-kåti-niñöhayäpi
vinäçam äyäti vinä na bhogaiù
apaiti näma sphuraëena tat te
prärabdha-karmeti virauti vedaù

“The seeds of sinful activities that cause rebirth for their fruition are not
totally destroyed despite realization of oneness with Brahman through
constant meditation. But, O Lord, as soon as Your holy names manifest on the
tongue (even in the form of nämäbhäsa) all seeds of sinful activities are totally
uprooted. This is elaborately glorified in the Vedas.”

TEXT 167

bhäla haila, ithe baòa päiluì santoña

alpa çästi kari’ kñamilena baòa-doña

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 TRANSLATION

“I’m satisfied, for whatever happened to me was for my benefit. The Lord
has relieved me of my great offense by awarding me a token punishment.

COMMENTARY

Those who even after hearing the blasphemy of Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas
display their ’cleverness’ by posing as advanced and liberal (?) on the pretext
of artificial gentleness or tolerance without understanding the real purport of
taror api sahiñëu—“more tolerant than a tree” are understood to be enjoying
the results of their grave offenses. One should not consider such grave
offenses as trivial and advertise sense gratification aimed at accumulating
mundane fame as worship of Hari. For this reason, in order to instruct the
people of the world, jagad-guru Öhäkura Haridäsa pointed out the great faults
of the foolish präkåta-sahajiyäs, who display artificial humility, by humbly
saying: “I have heard blasphemy of Hari, Guru, and Vaiñëava without
hesitation; therefore I am a great offender. Since I did not protest, it would
have been proper if Hari, Guru, and Vaiñëava had awarded me more severe
punishment; but the Lord is most merciful. He awarded me only the token
punishment of being inhumanly tortured by the servants of the king and thus
freed me from the offenses born from blasphemy of Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas.
In this way He has proved Himself as causelessly merciful, by which my
happiness and satisfaction is increased. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.14.8)
Lord Brahmä prays to the Lord as follows:

tat te ’nukampäà su-samékñamäëo

bhuïjäna evätma-kåtaà vipäkam
håd-väg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jéveta yo mukti-pade sa däya-bhäk

1623
 “’My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless
mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past
misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and
body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.’ In
order to distort and change the meaning and purport of this Bhägavatam verse,
I failed to protest; that was my greatest mistake.”

TEXT 168

kumbhipäka haya viñëu-nindana-çravaëe

tähä ämi vistara çuniluì päpa-käëe

TRANSLATION

“One who hears blasphemy of Lord Viñëu is sent to the hell known as
Kumbhépäka, and with my sinful ears I heard so much blasphemy of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

It is stated in the scriptures that an atheist who hears blasphemy of the

Supreme Lord but does not protest attains the most painful hell known as
Kumbhépäka after death.
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (4.4.17) Saté spoke to Prajäpati Dakña as follows:
“If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of
religion, one should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if
one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer’s tongue
and kill the offender, and after that one should give up his own life.” This is
the devotees’ only remedy.
In the Bhakti-sandarbha (265) it is stated: “If one hears blasphemy of Viñëu

1624
and the Vaiñëavas, he incurs great sin:

nindäà bhagavataù çåëvaàs tat-parasya janasya vä

tato näpaiti yaù so ’pi yäty adhaù sukåtäc cyutaù

“’Anyone who fails to immediately leave a place where criticism of the

Supreme Lord or His faithful devotee is heard will certainly fall down, bereft
of his pious credit.’ Only an incapable person should leave that place,
otherwise a capable person must cut out the tongue of one who blasphemes
Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas. If one is incapable of doing either, then he should
give up his body.”

TEXT 169

yogya çästi karilena éçvara tähära

hena päpa ära yena nahe punar-bära”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore the Lord has given me an appropriate punishment so that I may

not commit such sins in the future.”

COMMENTARY

With the imitative präkåta-sahajiyä sampradäyas in mind, Haridäsa spoke

the following words of instruction: “As a Vaiñëava, I will never again hear
blasphemy against Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas under the shelter of tåëäd api
sunécatä or on the pretext of taror api sahiñëutä. I have had a sufficient lesson
this time. The Lord is most merciful; He taught me by awarding a token
punishment for a grave offense.” Due to misfortune, the präkåta-sahajiyä
sampradäyas, who are offenders of the holy names, cannot understand the

1625
actual purport and substance of these statements of Öhäkura Haridäsa.

TEXT 170

hena-mate haridäsa vipra-gaëa-saìge

nirbhaye karena saìkértana mahäraìge

TRANSLATION

Thereafter Haridäsa and the brähmaëas fearlessly enjoyed congregationally

chanting the holy names of the Lord.

TEXT 171

tähäne o duùkha dila ye-saba yavane

savaàçe ucchanna tä’rä haila kata-dine

TRANSLATION

The Yavanas who had beaten Haridäsa, as well as their families, were all
destroyed within a few days.

COMMENTARY

The sinful atheist Yavanas soon achieved the miserable results obtained by
persons who torture and envy Vaiñëavas. In the Skanda Puräëa it is stated:

hanti nindati vai dveñöi vaiñëavän näbhinandati

krudhyate yäti no harñaà darçane patanäni ñaö

1626
 “Whoever kills or blasphemes a Vaiñëava, whoever is envious of or angry
with a Vaiñëava, and whoever does not offer obeisances or feel joy upon seeing
a Vaiñëava certainly falls into a hellish condition.” According to this infallible
scriptural decree, the Yavanas along with their families were soon destroyed
by severe diseases like cholera or smallpox.

TEXT 172

tabe haridäsa gaìgä-tére gophä kari’

thäkena virale ahar-niça kåñëa smari’

TRANSLATION

Then Haridäsa went and found a cave on the bank of the Ganges. He
remembered Kåñëa day and night as he resided alone in the cave.

COMMENTARY

While remaining in a solitary cave on the bank of the Ganges at Phuliyä,

Çréla Öhäkura Mahäçaya loudly chanted the names of Kåñëa and passed his
days and nights remembering the pastimes of the Lord. Sometimes he would
chant the sixteen name, thirty-two syllable, mahä-mantra loudly, and
sometimes he would chant softly. Every day he would complete the chanting
of three hundred thousand holy names, or in a year he would chant one
hundred million names of Hari. Many people consider chanting the names of
Kåñëa in a solitary place in the category of upäàçu-japa, or “chanting very
softly.” They say that this mahä-mantra, or chanting the holy names of the
Lord, should not be heard by others; only the person who is chanting should
hear. If the lips move, or if the holy names are recited, then the names of
Kåñëa will automatically be heard by others. But if one lacks faith in the

1627
Vaiñëavas who chant the holy names of the Lord, then by the influence of
Kali he may dare to quarrel with those Vaiñëava chanters. Whenever the pure
names of the Lord are glorified and chanted by sadhus who have taken full
shelter of the names, and those names do not enter the ears of others, it is
called nirjana-bhajana. Such chanting of the names of Hari in a solitary place
is intended only for one’s own benefit, therefore such chanting yields no
benefit for others. Even if the fixed number of holy names regularly chanted
by a person who is inclined to the service of the Lord are chanted in a solitary
place, faithful persons may still take advantage by secretly hearing from a
distance. On the platform of madhyama-adhikära, one may have to associate
with worldly people while preaching the holy names in the course of jéve-dayä,
showing compassion to the living entities, but since he preaches the holy
names with utmost attention, he does not become affected by the sinful
reactions of the audience, rather he distributes mercy by removing the
contamination of their sinful reactions. If while chanting the holy names of
the Lord with his many disciples a madhyama-adhikäré becomes more or less
affected by the reactions of their karma, then his falldown is assured.
According to the statement, jévan-muktä api punar yänti
saàsära-väsanäm—“A person considered liberated in this life can again fall
down and desire the material atmosphere for material enjoyment,” even a
madhyama-adhikäré chanter of the holy names can again fall down into
material existence. That is why mundane pride in the form of worldly
association and accepting many disciples simply produces ku-phala, or evil
results. While describing the topics of Haridäsa Öhäkura’s devotional service,
the injunction for loudly chanting and attentively hearing the holy names has
been prescribed for practitioners who desire their own welfare in order to
deliver from great inauspiciousness those who mistakenly consider satisfying
their own senses as satisfying Hari while remaining busy in activities of sense
gratification such as accepting many disciples like the immature yogis.

çåëvataù çraddhayä nityaà gåëataç ca sva-ceñöitam

1628
 kälena nätidérgheëa bhagavän viçate hådi

“Persons who hear Çrémad Bhägavatam regularly and are always taking the
matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa
manifested in their hearts within a short time.” According to the purport of
this verse from Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.8.4), Öhäkura Mahäçaya, who is
jagad-guru, Vaiñëava äcärya, and best of the liberated souls, has taught people
in general the process of remembering the pastimes of Kåñëa while personally
chanting and hearing the holy names of Kåñëa in the course of realizing that
Kåñëa is nondifferent from His names, forms, qualities, associates,
paraphernalia, and pastimes. Those who give up hearing and loud chanting of
the holy names received from the mouths of devotees free from
näma-aparädha and in order to gratify their senses display artificial imitation
of remembering the pastimes of the Lord in their impure, enjoyment prone
hearts—their attempts to imitate remembrance of the Lord’s pastimes in this
way is simply thirst for material enjoyment born from aversion to the Lord.

TEXT 173

tina-lakña näma dine karena grahaëa

gophä haila täì’ra yena vaikuëöha-bhavana

TRANSLATION

He would chant the holy name of the Lord three hundred thousand times a
day, and his cave was thus transformed into Vaikuëöha.

COMMENTARY

The cave in which the pure-hearted, great preacher, Hari-Nämäcärya

Öhäkura Mahäçaya loudly chanted the transcendental sound of the holy
1629
names of Lord Hari transformed into a place of Lord Kåñëa’s pastimes, or
Vaikuëöha, according to the purport of the following statement of a mahäjana:
ye dina gåhe bhajana dekhi, gåhete goloka bhäya—“One day while performing
devotional practices, I saw my house transformed into Goloka Våndävana.”

TEXT 174

mahä näga vaise sei gophära bhitare

tä’ra jvälä präëi-mätre sahite nä päre

TRANSLATION

A huge snake lived within that cave, and no living entity could tolerate the
burning atmosphere produced from its poison.

TEXT 175

haridäsa-öhäkurere sambhäñä karite

yateka äise, keha nä päre rahite

TRANSLATION

As a result, anyone who visited Haridäsa in his cave could not stay more
than a few moments.

TEXT 176

parama-viñera jvälä sabei päyena

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 haridäsa punaù ihä kichu nä jänena

TRANSLATION

They all felt intense burning from the poison, but Haridäsa was again
completely oblivious.

TEXT 177

vasiyä karena yukti sarva-vipra-gaëe

“haridäsa-äçrame eteka jvälä kene”

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëas sat down together and considered, “What is that burning
sensation in Haridäsa’s cave?”

TEXT 178

sei phuliyäya vaise mahä-vaidya-gaëa

tä’rä äsi’ jänileka sarpera käraëa

TRANSLATION

There were some expert physicians living in Phuliyä. When they came
there, they could understand that the burning sensation was due to the
presence of a snake.

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 TEXT 179

vaidya balileka,—“ei gophära taläya

eka mahä näga äche, tähära jväläya

TRANSLATION

A physician said, “There is big snake somewhere inside the cave.

TEXT 180

rahite nä päre keha,—kahiluì niçcaya

haridäsa satvare caluna anyäçraya

TRANSLATION

“No one can remain here due to the effects of its poison. This is our
assurance. Therefore Haridäsa should immediately go somewhere else.

COMMENTARY

Those who came to see Öhäkura Haridäsa in his bhajana-kuöira felt great
distress due to the burning poison of the snake. They could not understand
where the burning heat was coming from. Later on, they brought snakebite
doctors and found out that a snake lived within a hole in Haridäsa Öhäkura’s
kuöira. Due to excessive heat from the burning poison, no one could stay there
for any length of time. But Haridäsa Öhäkura, who was solely attached to
chanting the holy names and who never wasted a moment, did not feel any
inconvenience at all. Considering that it is never proper to live with a cruel,

1632
deceitful, fierce, poisonous snake, the visitors requested Haridäsa to shift to
another place.

TEXT 181

sarpera sahita väsa kabhu yukta naya

cala sabe kahi’ giyä tähäna äçraya”

TRANSLATION

“It is not wise to live with a snake. Let us go to his cave and inform him.”

TEXT 182

tabe sabe äsi’ haridäsa-öhäkurere

kahila våtänta sei gophä chäòibäre

TRANSLATION

Then they all went to see Haridäsa to explain the situation and request him
to move.

TEXT 183

“mahä-näga vaise ei gophära bhitare

tähära jväläya keha rahite nä päre

TRANSLATION

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 “There is a big snake living in this cave, and no one can remain here due to
the effect of its poison.

TEXT 184

ataeva e sthäne rahite yogya naya

anya sthäne äsi’ tumi karaha äçraya”

TRANSLATION

“Therefore it is not wise to live here. Please find another place to stay.”

TEXT 185

haridäsa balena,—“aneka dina ächi

kona jvälä-viña e gophäya nähi väsi

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa replied, “I have been staying in this cave for many days, but I
haven’t felt any burning sensation.

TEXTS 186-188

sabe duùkha,—tomarä ye nä pära’ sahite

eteke calimu käli ämi ye-se-bhite

satya yadi ihäte thäkena mahäçaya

1634
 teìho yadi käli nä chäòena e älaya

tabe-ämi käli chäòi’ yäimu sarvathä

cintä nähi, tomarä balaha kåñëa-gäthä”

TRANSLATION

“But since you are all suffering and unable to tolerate the burning of the
poison, I will leave tomorrow for another place. If there is a snake in this cave
and it doesn’t leave by tomorrow, then I’ll leave and go some other place. Don’t
worry. Let us all chant Kåñëa’s names.”

COMMENTARY

In reply Haridäsa said, “I have no inconvenience due to the burning poison

of the snake, but since all of you are concerned about me I will leave this place
for your benefit and satisfaction. Either I or the snake will leave this cave
tomorrow. All of you should give up unnecessary talking that is not related to
Kåñëa and constantly sing the glories of Kåñëa.”
Regarding the second half of verse 188, one should discuss Mahäräja
Parékñit’s statement to the innumerable räjarñis, maharñis, devarñis, and
brahmarñis in Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.19.15), wherein he says: “O brähmaëas,
just accept me as a completely surrendered soul, and let mother Ganges, the
representative of the Lord, also accept me in that way, for I have already taken
the lotus feet of the Lord into my heart. Let the snake-bird—or whatever
magical thing the brähmaëa created—bite me at once. I only desire that you
all continue singing the deeds of Lord Viñëu.”

TEXT 189

1635
 ei-mata kåñëa-kathä-maìgala-kértane
thäkite, adbhuta ati haila sei-kñaëe

TRANSLATION

As soon as they began to perform kértana, a wonderful incident took place.

TEXT 190

’haridäsa chäòibena’ çuniïä vacana

mahä-näga chäòilena sthäna sei-kñaëa

TRANSLATION

Hearing that Haridäsa was prepared to leave the cave, the large snake
immediately left.

TEXT 191

garta haite uöhi’ sarpa sandhyära praveçe

sabei dekhena,—calilena anya-deçe

TRANSLATION

It was early evening as everyone there saw the snake leave the cave.

COMMENTARY

The phrase sandhyära praveçe means “in the evening” or “as night

1636
approached.”

TEXT 192

parama-adbhuta sarpa—mahä-bhayaìkara
péta-néla-çukla varëa—parama-sundara

TRANSLATION

The large wonderful snake looked most fearful, yet it was also very
beautiful, being colored yellow, blue, and white.

TEXT 193

mahämaëi jvaliteche mastaka-upare

dekhi’ bhaye vipra-gaëa ’kåñëa kåñëa’ smare

TRANSLATION

As the brähmaëas saw the brilliant jewel adorning its head, they fearfully
remembered Kåñëa.

TEXT 194

sarpa se caliyä gela, jvälä nähi ära

vipra-gaëa hailena santoña apära

TRANSLATION

1637
 After the snake left that place, the brähmaëas were overjoyed to find that
the burning sensation was gone.

TEXT 195

dekhi’ haridäsa öhäkurera mahä-çakti

vipra-gaëera janmila viçeña täì’re bhakti

TRANSLATION

They all appreciated Haridäsa’s marvelous potency and developed great

devotion for him.

COMMENTARY

Seeing the departure of the great snake by the influence of Haridäsa

Öhäkura’s opulence and magnanimity, even many atheistic nondevotee
brähmaëas, who were attached to yogic perfections, developed special respect
for him. The seminal brähmaëas who were obliged to enjoy the fruits of their
karma and eligible for Yamaräja’s punishment thought, “Due to one’s previous
misdeeds a living entity takes birth in a family lower than that of brähmaëas.
Similarly, due to his previous misdeeds (?) Haridäsa Öhäkura has taken birth
in a Moslem family. Therefore he is certainly inferior to the pious mundane
brähmaëas.” But now, seeing his easily achieved mystic opulence, who stands
before Haridäsa with folded hands awaiting his instructions, they accepted
him as the best of the brähmaëas.

TEXT 196

1638
 haridäsa-öhäkurera e kon prabhäva
yäì’ra väkya-mätre sthäna chäòileka näga

TRANSLATION

It is not very glorious that a snake left its cave simply on the request of
Haridäsa Öhäkura.

COMMENTARY

Only persons who are envious of others, who are attached to sense
gratification, who are averse to Hari, and who cause anxiety to other living
entities are bitten by snakes. But what to speak of causing anxiety, envy, or
fear, a mahä-bhägavata Vaiñëava like Öhäkura Haridäsa has such great
influence that even the most envious, fierce, poisonous snake humbly carries
out his order.

TEXT 197

yäìra dåñöi-mätre chäòe avidyä-bandhana

kåñëa nä laìghana haridäsera vacana

TRANSLATION

Simply by his glance one’s bondage born of nescience is destroyed. Even

Lord Kåñëa does not transgress the words of Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

Only one who is blessed by Haridäsa Öhäkura is able to constantly chant

1639
the names of Hari and take shelter of the pure holy names without committing
offenses, and thus his contamination of ignorance, which is the root of
material enjoyment, is totally uprooted. As a result of serving Haridäsa
Öhäkura and receiving his mercy, the Supreme Lord becomes obliged.

TEXT 198

ära eka, çuna, tä’na adbhuta äkhyäna

nägaräja ye kahilä mahimä tähäna

TRANSLATION

Now please hear another wonderful incident that was narrated by the king
of the snakes.

TEXT 199

eka-dina baòa eka lokera mandire

sarpa-kñata òaìka näce vividha prakäre

TRANSLATION

One day a snake charmer was dancing in the courtyard of one wealthy man.

COMMENTARY

The phrase sarpa-kñata refers to being bitten by a snake or to a snake

charmer who is possessed by the predominating deity of the snakes, Väsuki,
who is invoked by mantras when one is bitten by nonpoisonous snake. The

1640
word òaìka (derived from the Hindi word òaìk, meaning “hood” or “stinger”)
refers to the person who makes a snake dance or to a snake charmer.

TEXT 200

mådaìga-mandirä géta—tä’ra mantra ghore

òaìka beòi’ sabei gäyena uccaiù-svare

TRANSLATION

His associates played the mådaìga and a flute used for snake charming as
they loudly sang on all sides of the snake charmer. The snake charmer was
absorbed under the influence of some mantras that he was chanting.

COMMENTARY

The first line of this verse refers to singing to the accompaniment of

musical instruments like the mådaìga and cymbals or to be maddened,
overwhelmed, or absorbed in the snake charmer’s chanting of mantras.

TEXT 201

daiva-gati tathäya äilä haridäsa

òaìka-nåtya dekhena haiyä eka-päça

TRANSLATION

By providence Haridäsa came there and began to watch the snake charmer
from the side.

1641
 COMMENTARY

The phrase daiva-gati means “without any purpose” or “by one’s own sweet
will.”

TEXT 202

manuñya-çarére näga-räja mantra-bale

adhiñöhäna haiyä näcaye kutühale

TRANSLATION

By the power of the mantras chanted by the snake charmer, the king of
snakes had appeared in the body of the snake charmer and was happily dancing.

COMMENTARY

The word näga-räja refers to Çeña, the devotee of Lord Viñëu; Ananta; or
Väsuki.
The word adhiñöhäna means “situated” or “possessed.”

TEXT 203

käliya-dahe karilena ye näöya éçvare

sei géta gäyena käruëya-ucca-svare

TRANSLATION

1642
 The snake charmer was loudly and sweetly singing about Kåñëa’s dance in
the Käliya lake.

COMMENTARY

The phrase käliya-dahe refers to the particular lake within the Kälindé
River named Käliya-daha. Being afraid of Garuòa, the fierce poisonous snake
named Käliya, the son of Kadru and Kaçyapa, lived there with his family. For a
description of this great snake Käliya and the pastimes of Kåñëa subduing this
Käliya by dancing on his heads in the Käliya-daha, one should see Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.15.47-52, Chapter 16, verses 1-12 and Chapter 17, verses 1-12).
As Kåñëa, the master of all arts, danced on the heads of Käliya at
Käliya-daha, the snake charmer imitated that dance while loudly singing songs
about the great mercy Kåñëa gave Käliya on the pretext of awarding
punishment.

TEXTS 204-208

çuni’ nija-prabhura mahimä haridäsa

paòilä mürcchita hai’ kothä nähi çväsa

kñaëeke caitanya päi, kariyä huìkära

änande lägila nåtya karite apära

haridäsa-öhäkurera äveça dekhiyä

eka-bhita hai’ òaìka rahilena giyä

gaòägaòi yäyena öhäkura-haridäsa

adbhuta pulaka-açru-kampera prakäça

1643
 rodana karena haridäsa-mahäçaya
çuniïä prabhura guëa hailä tanmaya

TRANSLATION

As Haridäsa heard the glorious pastimes of the Lord, he fell unconscious to

the ground and his breath stopped. When he regained consciousness some
moments later, he roared loudly and began to dance in ecstasy. Seeing
Haridäsa’s ecstatic mood, the snake charmer stopped his dancing and stood off
to the side. Öhäkura Haridäsa rolled on the ground, and wonderful ecstatic
symptoms like hairs standing on end, crying, and shivering became manifest in
his body. Haridäsa was fully absorbed in ecstatic love after hearing the
transcendental qualities of the Lord, and tears of love flowed from his eyes.

COMMENTARY

Overwhelmed by the snake charmer’s songs describing Kåñëa’s mercy,

Haridäsa Öhäkura fell unconscious due to an awakening of love of God. Even
symptoms of external consciousness like breathing could not be found in his
body. After a while he regained his external consciousness, roared loudly, and
began to dance in ecstatic love of God. Seeing mahä-bhägavata Vaiñëava
Öhäkura Haridäsa dance in the mood of love for Kåñëa, the snake charmer,
who was possessed by Anantadeva, respectfully stood aside. Being absorbed in
hearing and remembering Kåñëa’s incomparably great quality of mercy on the
fierce, cruel serpent Käliya, Öhäkura Haridäsa became absorbed in love of
Kåñëa and began to roll on the ground and cry as his transcendental body
manifested tears, shivering, and hairs standing on end.

TEXT 209

1644
 haridäse beòi’ sabe gäyena hariñe
yoòa-haste rahi’ òaìka dekhe eka-päçe

TRANSLATION

Then everyone surrounding Haridäsa joyfully began chanting Kåñëa’s

glories, while the snake charmer respectfully stood to the side with folded
hands.

TEXT 210

kñaëeke rahila haridäsera äveça

punaù äsi’ òaìka nåtye karilä praveça

TRANSLATION

After Haridäsa returned to external consciousness, the snake charmer again

began to dance.

TEXT 211

haridäsa-öhäkurera dekhiyä äveça

sabei hailä ati änanda-viçeña

TRANSLATION

Everyone was overwhelmed with joy after seeing Haridäsa’s ecstatic

absorption.

1645
 TEXT 212

yekhäne paòaye täì’ra caraëera dhüli

sabei lepena aìge hai’ kutühalé

TRANSLATION

They all eagerly took the dust from his footprints and smeared it on their
bodies.

TEXTS 213-218

ära eka òhaìga-vipra thäki’ seikhäne

“muïi o näcimu äji” gaëe mane-mane

“bujhiläìa,—näcilei abodha barbare

alpa manuñyere o parama-bhakti kare”

eta bhävi’ sei-kñaëe ächäòa khäiyä

paòila yehena mahä-aceñöa haiyä

yei-mätra paòila òaìkera nåtya-sthäne

märite lägilä òaìka mahä-krodha-mane

äçe-päçe ghäòe-muòe vetrera prahära

nirghäta märaye òaìka, rakñä nähi ära

vetrera prahäre dvija jarjara haiyä

’bäpa bäpa’ bali’ çeñe gela paläiyä

1646
 TRANSLATION

One pseudo brähmaëa who was in the audience thought, “I will also dance
today. Even an illiterate fool who dances like he’s in ecstasy is greatly respected
by common people.” Thinking in this way, he immediately crashed to the
ground and became motionless. As soon as the pseudo brähmaëa fell near the
dancing snake charmer, the snake charmer became angry and began severely
beating the brähmaëa with a stick. After being beaten with a stick all over the
body, the anguished brähmaëa ran away screaming, “Father! Father!”

COMMENTARY

The word òhaìga-vipra refers to that pseudo brähmaëa, who was a

hypocritical, deceitful, cheating, artificial, imitative präkåta-sahajiyä and
lowest of the brähmaëas. Being puffed-up with the pride of being a brähmaëa
and being induced by his polluted intelligence, that pseudo brähmaëa tried to
artificially imitate the transcendental characteristics of mahä-bhägavata
Vaiñëava Öhäkura Haridäsa. He considered, “Due to their blind faith,
whenever ordinary foolish people see or hear any dancing or singing in a petty
religious function, they offer abundant respect. Therefore, since people
offered such respect to Haridäsa Öhäkura, who is an ordinary human being (?)
born in a non-Hindu family, while I am born in the topmost varëa in Hindu
society; if I can imitate the characteristics and eight ecstatic transformations
of a Vaiñëava Öhäkura’s love, like an actor on stage, then no one can estimate
how much profit, adoration, and distinction I will achieve. When people
respect an ordinary human being (?) and nonseminal brähmaëa like Haridäsa
Öhäkura so much just by seeing his display of petty ordinary emotions, then if
I, the son of a seminal brähmaëa, can simply mimic his transcendental
emotions, I can’t imagine how much profit, adoration, and distinction I will
receive. If I exhibit artificial emotions, then my insignificant material fame
will certainly surpass the fame of the transcendental Vaiñëava.” Thinking in

1647
this way, in order to exhibit artificial sentiments, that atheistic, hypocritical
präkåta-sahajiyä suddenly fell on the ground and artificially pretended to be
unconscious. As soon as that pseudo brähmaëa deceitfully exhibited artificial
sentiments by which one is naturally bound to slip and fall, the snake charmer
understood his deceitfulness and saw him as a disturbance and obstruction to
his own dancing and therefore began to beat him severely. He incessantly,
severely, and mercilessly beat that atheist on his shoulders, head, and other
bodily limbs. Due to the excessive beating, that fallen pseudo brähmaëa
ultimately left that place, shouting, “O father, save me! O mother, save me!
I’m dying!”

TEXT 219

tabe òaìka nija-sukhe näcilä vistara

sabära janmila baòa vismaya antara

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the snake charmer happily continued on with his dance, as

everyone there watched in astonishment.

TEXT 220

yoòa-haste sabe jijïäsena òaìka-sthäne

“kaha dekhi,—e-viprere märilä vä kene?

TRANSLATION

Later they all folded their hands and asked the snake charmer, “Please

1648
explain to us why you beat the brähmaëa.

TEXT 221

haridäsa näcite vä yoòa-haste kene

rahilä,—e saba kathä kaha ta’ äpane?”

TRANSLATION

“And why did you stand aside with folded hands when Haridäsa was
dancing?”

TEXT 222

tabe sei òaìka-mukhe viñëu-bhakta näga

kahite lägilä haridäsera prabhäva

TRANSLATION

Then the serpent devotee of Viñëu spoke through the mouth of the snake
charmer about the glories of Haridäsa.

TEXT 223

“tomarä ye jijïäsilä,—e baòa rahasya

yadyapi akathya, tabu kahimu avaçya

TRANSLATION

1649
 “You have asked Me about a mysterious subject. Although it is confidential,
I must disclose it.

COMMENTARY

The audience asked the snake charmer, “O snake charmer, why did you
stand to the side with folded hands when Haridäsa Öhäkura fell unconscious
in ecstatic love of God after his uncommon dancing? And why did you
mercilessly beat this präkåta-sahajiyä when he fell unconscious while
exhibiting his artificial sentiments?” In reply, Anantadeva, who was situated
within the body of the snake charmer, spoke to everyone through the mouth
of the snake charmer, “The subject matter that you have inquired about is
very mysterious and indescribable. Though it is most confidential, I will
certainly explain everything to you in detail.”

TEXT 224

haridäsa-öhäkurera dekhiyä äveça

tomarä ye bhakti baòa karilä viçeña

TRANSLATION

“You all felt great reverence for Haridäsa when you saw his ecstatic dance.

TEXT 225

tähä dekhi’ o-brähmaëa òhäìgäti kariyä

paòilä mätsarya-buddhye ächäòa khäiyä

1650
 TRANSLATION

“Seeing this, that pseudo brähmaëa fell to the ground in an envious

imitation of Haridäsa.

TEXT 226

ämära nåtya-sukha bhaìga karibäre

mätsarya-buddhye kon jane çakti dhare?

TRANSLATION

“Who has the power to enviously disturb the pleasure of My dancing?

TEXT 227

haridäsa-saìge sparddhä mithyä kari’ kare

ataeva çästi bahu kariluì uhäre

TRANSLATION

“Out of audacity, he tried to imitate Haridäsa, and therefore I punished him

accordingly.

COMMENTARY

“Haridäsa Öhäkura is a nonduplicitous, transcendental, spontaneous, pure

devotee of the Lord, whereas this pseudo brähmaëa is an abominable
präkåta-sahajiyä. Artificial imitation born of false rivalry with nonduplicitous

1651
pure devotees is the fraudulent drama of hypocritical sahajiyäs. Since this
präkåta-sahajiyä tried to artificially imitate the activities of a mahä-bhägavata
Vaiñëava Öhäkura out of envy and hate and with a desire to cheaply acquire
mundane fame from the foolish persons ignorant of the truth, I have
sufficiently punished him.”

TEXT 228

“baòa loka kari’ loka jänuka ämäre”

äpanäre prakaöäi dharma-karma kare

TRANSLATION

“He presented himself as an important person by imitating some religious

sentiments.

COMMENTARY

Like this so-called brähmaëa, many atheistic hypocrites with the ill-motive,
“People will respect me as ’great’ or ’a devotee,’” exhibit various reflections of
artificial emotions in order to cheat people. In this regard, one should discuss
the definitions of baka-vrata and vaiòäla-vrata as found in the following
verses:

adho-dåñöir naikåtikaù svärtha-sädhana-tatparaù

çaöho mithyä-vinétaç ca baka-vrata-paro dvijaù

“An imposter brähmaëa, the follower of baka-vrata, ’the vow of the duck,’ is
he who always looks down in order to make a show of humility, who is cruel,
and who pretends to be submissive.

1652
 dharma-dhvajé sadä lubdhaç chädmiko loka-dambhakaù
vaiòäla-vratiko jïeyo hiàsra-sarväbhisandhikaù

“One should know that the dharma-dhvajé (who makes a false show of being
religious), the person who always desires other’s wealth, the duplicitous
person, the person who cheats, the envious person, and the person who
blasphemes are hypocritical brähmaëas who follow vaiòäla-vraté, ’the vow of a
cat.’”

TEXT 229

e-sakala dämbhikera kåñëe préti näi

akaitava haile se kåñëa-bhakti päi

TRANSLATION

“Actually that arrogant and deceitful brähmaëa has no love for Kåñëa. To
achieve the devotional service of Lord Kåñëa one has to be free from duplicity.

COMMENTARY

It is to be understood that those who artificially imitate the transcendental

activities of the mahä-bhägavata Vaiñëava with the desire to accumulate
mundane fame as a devotee have no attitude of service to the lotus feet of the
Lord. Although in order to gratify their own material senses they proudly
accept the dress of devotees, their artificial external exhibition of devotional
symptoms is simply meant to cheat people. Pure devotion to Kåñëa is present
wherever the symptoms of dharma-dhvajés, vaiòäla-vratés, and baka-vratés are
absent, and pride, duplicity, and extraneous motives are present wherever
such faults are found.

1653
 TEXTS 230-231

ei ye dekhilä,—näcilena haridäsa
o-nåtya dekhile sarva-bandha haya näça

haridäsa-nåtye kåñëa näcena äpane

brahmäëòa pavitra haya o-nåtya-darçane

TRANSLATION

“One who sees Haridäsa dancing is freed from all bondage. When Haridäsa
dances, Lord Kåñëa personally dances. Thus the whole universe can be purified
by seeing his dance.

COMMENTARY

The material bondage of those who see dancing performed for the pleasure
of Kåñëa by Vaiñëavas who are inclined to the service of the Lord is destroyed,
whereas the exhibition of artificial characteristics by präkåta-sahajiyäs simply
increases their miseries of material bondage. By seeing dancing performed for
the pleasure of Kåñëa by Vaiñëavas, nonduplicitous emotions befitting a
Vaiñëava are certainly awakened, and the fraudulent endeavors of the
hypocritical imitators simply yields evil results in this world. When Öhäkura
Haridäsa exhibits the transcendental pastime of dancing, then, being
controlled by his nonduplicitous love, Kåñëacandra along with His associates
also dance. By seeing such transcendental dancing, many fortunate persons of
this world become free from heaps of sinful reactions accumulated over many
lifetimes and thus achieve piety that leads to devotional service.

1654
 TEXT 232

uhäna se yogya pada ’haridäsa’-näma

niravadhi kåñëa-candra hådaye uhäna

TRANSLATION

“His name, ’Haridäsa,’ is appropriate, for Lord Kåñëa constantly dwells in

his heart.

COMMENTARY

For an explanation of the second line of this verse, one should see Çrémad
Bhägavatam (9.4.63-68).

TEXT 233

sarva-bhüta-vatsala, sabära upakäré

éçvarera saìge prati-janme avatäré

TRANSLATION

“He is affectionate to all living entities, and he is always engaged in their

welfare. He accompanies the Lord whenever He incarnates.

COMMENTARY

Haridäsa Öhäkura is affectionate to all living entities and the benefactor

for both animate and inanimate beings. He incarnates whenever the Supreme

1655
Lord incarnates. In other words, he is a constant associate in the Lord’s
pastimes.

TEXT 234

uìhi se niraparädha viñëu-vaiñëavete

svapne o uìhäna dåñöi nä yäya vipathe

TRANSLATION

“He is never offensive to Viñëu or the Vaiñëavas, and even in a dream he

does not deviate from the proper path.

COMMENTARY

Since Haridäsa Öhäkura is a direct associate of the Lord, he cannot commit

any offenses against Viñëu or the Vaiñëavas. He can never deviate from his
endeavor to serve Kåñëa like an ordinary human being, even in a dream.

TEXT 235

tilärddha uìhäna saìga ye-jévera haya

se avaçya päya kåñëa-päda-padmäçraya

TRANSLATION

“One who associates with Haridäsa for even a fraction of a moment will
certainly attain shelter at the lotus feet of Kåñëa.

1656
 COMMENTARY

If by the good fortune resulting from accumulated pious activities over

many lifetimes, a living entity associates with Haridäsa Öhäkura for even a
short time, he will certainly achieve the lotus feet of the Lord.

TEXT 236

brahmä-çivo haridäsa-hena bhakta-saìga

niravadhi karite cittera baòa raìga

TRANSLATION

“Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva always desire to associate with a devotee like
Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

The demigods headed by Brahmä always hanker to become glorious by

obtaining the association of a mahä-bhägavata devotee like Haridäsa.

TEXT 237

’jäti, kula, saba-nirarthaka’ bujhäite

janmilena néca-kule prabhura äjïäte

TRANSLATION

“On the order of the Lord, Haridäsa was born in a low-class family to show

1657
that birth in a high caste or good family are useless.

COMMENTARY

Due to pious and sinful activities, the conditioned souls take birth in higher
or lower species of life. This is simply an example of the fruits of their karma.
From the spiritual point of view there is no value at all in the prestige
resulting from mundane caste and ancestry. By the supreme will of the
all-auspicious Lord, Haridäsa Öhäkura appeared in a Moslem family in order to
preach this supreme truth to the entire world.

TEXT 238

’adhama-kulete yadi viñëu-bhakta haya

tathäpi se-i se püjya’—sarva-çästre kaya

TRANSLATION

“If a devotee of the Lord is born in a low-class family, he is still worthy of

worship. This is the verdict of the scriptures.

COMMENTARY

Taking birth in superior or inferior families indicates the superiority or

inferiority of the fruits of one’s karma. The living entity is constitutionally a
devotee of Lord Viñëu, and although by temporary familial identification he
may be inferior or superior, he is actually superior or inferior in proportion to
his devotion to the Lord. This is loudly proclaimed in all Vaiñëava literatures.
It is not a fact that one who is born in a lower family is not qualified for
devotional service to Viñëu. A Vaiñëava born in a lower family is a qualified

1658
brähmaëa, spiritual master, and worshipable by all nondevotees born in higher
class families.

TEXT 239

“uttama-kulete janmi’ çré-kåñëe nä bhaje

kule tä’ra ki karibe, narakete maje”

TRANSLATION

“And if someone is born in a high-class family but does not worship the
lotus feet of Çré Kåñëa, then his high birth is useless and he falls to hell.

COMMENTARY

Even after taking birth in a higher family as the result of pious activities, if
one is averse to the service of the Lord, he will certainly go to hell. This is
confirmed in the following statement of Camasa, one of the nine Yogendras,
to Mahäräja Nimi in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.5.3):

ya eñäà puruñaà säkñäd ätma-prabhavam éçvaram

na bhajanty avajänanti sthänäd bhrañöäù patanty adhaù

“If any of the members of the four varëas and four äçramas fail to worship
or intentionally disrespect the Personality of Godhead, who is the source of
their own creation, they will fall down from their position into a hellish state
of life.”

TEXT 240

1659
 ei saba veda-väkyera säkñé dekhäite
janmilena haridäsa adhama-kulete

TRANSLATION

TRANSLATION

“Haridäsa thus took birth in a low-class family to prove the words of the
scriptures.

TEXTS 241-242

prahläda yehena daitya, kapi hanümän

ei-mata haridäsa néca-jäti näma

haridäsa-sparça väïchä kare deva-gaëa

gaìgä o väïchena haridäsera majjana

“Haridäsa was born in a low-class family just as Prahläda was born in a

demoniac family and Hanumän was born in a monkey family. The demigods
desire the touch of Haridäsa, and even mother Gaìgä desires that Haridäsa
immerse himself in her waters.

COMMENTARY

Just as Çré Prahläda appeared in a demon family that was naturally averse
to Viñëu and Çré Hanumänjé appeared in a family of animals, by the supreme
will of the Lord, Öhäkura Haridäsa appeared in a low-class Moslem family.

1660
Generally human beings desire to become purified by either touching the
demigods or taking bath in the Gaìgä. But what to speak of the demigods
headed by Lord Brahmä, even the most sanctified Gaìgä, who emanates from
the lotus feet of Viñëu, desires to become glorious by the touch of
mahä-bhägavata, paramahaàsa, Vaiñëava äcärya Haridäsa Öhäkura, who is the
representative of all the demigods.

TEXT 243

sparçera ki däya, dekhilei haridäsa

chiëòe’ sarva-jévera anädi karma-päça

TRANSLATION

“What to speak of his touch, just by seeing Haridäsa one is released from
the bondage of fruitive activities.

COMMENTARY

What to speak of touching Haridäsa, if one simply sees him, then all
material bondage born of nescience from time immemorial is at once cut to
pieces.

TEXT 244

haridäsa äçraya karibe yei jana

tä’ne dekhile o khaëòe’ saàsära-bandhana

TRANSLATION

1661
 “Indeed, even if one sees a person who has taken shelter of Haridäsa, he is
freed from material bondage.

COMMENTARY

Even if a conditioned soul sees those who consider Nämäcärya Haridäsa as

their spiritual master, he is released from all material bondage.

TEXTS 245-246

çata-varña çata mukhe uhäna mahimä

kahile o nähi päri karibäre sémä

bhägyavanta tomarä se, tomä’ sabä haite

uhäna mahimä kichu äila mukhete

TRANSLATION

“If I glorify Haridäsa for a hundred years with a hundred mouths, I would
still not reach the end of his glories. You are all fortunate, for because of you I
received an opportunity to glorify Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

The snake charmer, who was expert in controlling snakes through mantra,
said, “All of you are very fortunate, for because of your inquires I was able to
speak and reveal some of the glories of the Lord’s devotee. If I sing the glories
of the transcendental qualities of Öhäkura Haridäsa for one hundred years
with one hundred mouths, I would not finish.”

1662
 TEXT 247

sakåt ye balibeka haridäsa-näma

satya satya seha yäibeka kåñëa-dhäma”

TRANSLATION

“I assure you that one who simply chants the name of Haridäsa without
offense will certainly attain the abode of Kåñëa.”

COMMENTARY

If a person even once utters the transcendental name of the Vaiñëava

Öhäkura, “Haridäsa,” he will certainly go back to Godhead.

TEXT 248

eta bali’ mauna hailena näga-räja

tuñöa hailena çuni’ sajjana-samäja

TRANSLATION

After speaking in this way, the king of the snakes became silent, and all the
pious people there felt fully satisfied.

TEXT 249

hena haridäsa öhäkurera anubhäva

1663
 kahiyä ächena pürve çré-vaiñëava-näga

TRANSLATION

Thus the Vaiñëava snake related the glories of Haridäsa Öhäkura.

TEXT 250

sabära parama-préti haridäsa-prati

näga-mukhe çuni’ harañita haila ati

TRANSLATION

By hearing the snake’s narration through the mouth of the snake charmer,
all the people felt great affection for Haridäsa.

TEXT 251

hena-mate vaisena öhäkura-haridäsa

gauracandra nä karena bhaktira prakäça

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa Öhäkura passed his days in this way, before Gauracandra

manifested His devotional feelings.

TEXT 252

1664
 sarva-dike viñëu-bhakti-çünya sarva-jana
uddeño nä jäne keha kemana kértana

TRANSLATION

People throughout the world were devoid of devotional service to Lord

Viñëu. They had no understanding of the meaning or goal of kértana.

COMMENTARY

The material enjoyers are always accustomed to forget Hari. Somehow or

other they remain aloof from devotional service, which aims at remembrance
of Hari, and become intoxicated by their own sense gratification. At that time
people who were bewildered by mäyä were fully engaged in gratifying their
senses, and therefore they became devoid of devotion to Viñëu. No one could
understand why Haridäsa Öhäkura was performing hari-näma-saìkértana and
what his motive was, because at that time Çré Gaurasundara had not yet begun
propagating love and devotion to Lord Kåñëa.

TEXT 253

kothäo nähika viñëu-bhaktira prakäça

vaiñëavere sabei karaye parihäsa

TRANSLATION

There was no trace of devotional service to Viñëu anywhere. Everyone

simply taunted the Vaiñëavas.

1665
 COMMENTARY

Due to the absence of discussing topics of Hari, people were devoid of

devotion to Viñëu. So without understanding the exalted position of the
Vaiñëavas, people simply ridiculed them.

TEXT 254

äpanä-äpani saba sädhu-gaëa meli’

gäyena çré-kåñëa-näma diyä karatäli

TRANSLATION

The devotees would meet together and chant the names of Kåñëa while
clapping their hands.

TEXT 255

tähäte o duñöa-gaëa mahä-krodha kare

päñaëòé päñaëòé meli’ balgiyäi mare

TRANSLATION

The miscreants became most indignant even at this. Those atheists would
meet together to blaspheme the devotees.

TEXT 256

1666
 “e vämunagulä räjya karibeka näça
ihä sabä’ haite ha’be durbhikña prakäça

TRANSLATION

“These brähmaëas will destroy this country and bring about famine.

TEXT 257

e vämanagulä saba mägiyä khäite

bhävuka-kértana kari’ nänä chala päte

TRANSLATION

“These brähmaëas perform sentimental kértana and play various tricks in

order to beg alms.

COMMENTARY

Although the devotees gave up bad association and gathered together to

congregationally chant the names of Hari, the godless atheistic persons who
were devoid of devotion to the Lord angrily ridiculed them as follows: “In
order to fill their bellies and earn their livelihood, these loudly chanting
brähmaëas spread various deceptions and accept the dress of sentimentalists
while chanting the names of Hari. They have no other business than filling
their bellies on the pretext of religious performances. Because of their
behavior, there will be famine in this country, and in this way they will cause
great harm to the world by introducing begging.”
Actually, attributing such false accusations on the devotees of the Lord will

1667
never bring any auspiciousness to the world, rather, it will lead people to hell.
The devotees engage in the exalted service of the Lord by chanting His holy
names. They do not partake of or enjoy the hard-earned wealth of ordinary
people under the inducement of greed or by giving indulgence to laziness born
of ignorance; rather, the wealth and ingredients that ordinary people
accumulate for sense gratification are utilized by the devotees in the service of
Hari for the eternal benefit of those persons.

TEXT 258

gosäïira çayana variñä cäri-mäsa

ihäte ki yuyäya òäkite baòa òäka?

TRANSLATION

“The Lord takes rest for four months during the rainy season, but these
brähmaëas loudly call Him even at that time. Is this proper?

COMMENTARY

The atheistic smärtas who were attached to fruitive activities used to say,
“Lord Viñëu takes rest during the four months of Cäturmäsya, therefore no
one should chant the names of Kåñëa during these four months—Çrävaëa,
Bhadra, Äçvina, and Kärttika. If one chants the names of Kåñëa during this
period, it will disturb the Lord by interrupting His yoga-nidrä. Therefore if the
Vaiñëavas transgress the scriptural injunctions by loudly chanting the names
of Hari during His sleep, the Lord will certainly become very angry and send
various tribulations such as famine.”

1668
 TEXT 259

nidrä bhaìga haile kruddha haibe gosäïi

durbhikña karibe deçe,—ithe dvidhä näi”

TRANSLATION

“If the Lord’s sleep is disturbed, He’ll become angry and create a famine in
this country. There’s no doubt about it.”

TEXT 260

keha bale,—“yadi dhänya kichu mülya caòe

tabe e-guläre dhari’ kiläimu ghäòe”

TRANSLATION

Someone said, “If the price of rice increases, then I’ll catch them and give
them a punch.”

TEXT 261

keha bale,—“ekädaçé-niçi-jägäraëe
karibe govinda-näma kari’ uccäraëe

TRANSLATION

Someone else said, “On Ekädaçé, these devotees stay up all night and chant

1669
the name of Govinda.

TEXT 262

prati-dina uccäraëa kariyä ki käya?”

ei-rüpe bale yata madhyastha-samäja

TRANSLATION

“What is the need for chanting the Lord’s name every day?” In this way,
the atheists condemned the devotees in various ways.

COMMENTARY

On the pretext of being indifferent, some fruitive workers used to say,

“There is no benefit in loudly and repeatedly chanting the names of the Lord
every day. Since the living entities are bound by the fruits of their karma, and
since the Supreme Lord is also under the subordination of karma, the living
entities who are forced to enjoy the fruits of their karma simply increase their
bile secretion by chanting the names of the Lord.” In this way, middle class
people, who were neither devotees nor nondevotees, put forth such arguments
and useless talk.

TEXT 263

duùkha päya çuniyä sakala bhakta-gaëa

tathäpi nä chäòe keha hari-saìkértana

TRANSLATION

1670
 The devotees all felt aggrieved on hearing these things, yet none of them
gave up chanting the names of Lord Hari.

TEXT 264

bhakti-yoge lokera dekhiyä anädara

haridäsa o duùkha baòa päyena antara

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa was particularly aggrieved to see the people’s lack of interest in the
process of devotional service.

COMMENTARY

Attempts to serve the Supreme Lord on the pretext of ulterior desires,

karma, yoga, or jïäna or to act contrary to the service of the Supreme Lord
can never be called devotional service. But people of the world at that time
were all overwhelmed by such nondevotional considerations. Physical and
mental propensities kept the conditioned souls away from the path of
devotional service and concealed the shining glories of pure devotional
service. Seeing such detrimental propensities in the materialists, Öhäkura
Haridäsa felt great distress at heart.

TEXT 265

tathäpiha haridäsa uccaiùsvara kari’

balena prabhura saìkértana mukha bhari’

1671
 TRANSLATION

In spite of this, Haridäsa continued to loudly chant the holy names of the
Lord.

TEXT 266

ihäte o atyanta duñkåti päpi-gaëa

nä päre çunite ucca-hari-saìkértana

TRANSLATION

The most sinful miscreants were even unable to hear this loud chanting.

COMMENTARY

Due to their sinful propensities, people did not wish to hear the
uninterrupted and unmotivated chanting of the names of Hari from the
mouth of Haridäsa Öhäkura. Actually, only unfortunate people develop such
sinful and inauspicious propensities. But Haridäsa Öhäkura is a nonduplicitous
servant of the Absolute Truth, Lord Kåñëa, and devoid of all fear born of
material absorption. Even after facing various impediments and obstacles from
the sinful people, he did not desist from hari-saìkértana.

TEXT 267

harinadé-gräme eka brähmaëa durjana

haridäse dekhi’ krodhe balaye vacana

1672
 TRANSLATION

In this regard, there was one impious brähmaëa who lived in the village of
Harinadé. He once angrily said to Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

There are two methods for ascertaining one’s varëa: (1) One is by seminal
consideration. According to normal procedure, the varëa of a child is the same
as the varëa of his legitimate father, because he is born from his semen. (2)
The second is to ascertain one’s varëa according to his occupation, which is
determined by his qualities and activities. The nature of people is of two
types—pious and sinful. Vaiñëavas who are engaged in the service of the Lord
are pious, and proud persons who are averse to the Lord and devoid of good
qualities are sinful, though they may belong to any one of the varëas.
Although one may be identified as a brähmaëa according to seminal
consideration, as a result of being envious of pious persons, he is considered
sinful. Whenever envy is directed towards Viñëu, the devotional service of
Viñëu, or the devotees of Viñëu, then due to such demoniac propensities even
respected so-called brähmaëas are designated as sinful by the pious.
At that time there was a famous village named Harinadé in the district of
Yaçohara. On seeing Çré Haridäsa loudly and constantly chant the holy names,
a local seminal brähmaëa who was envious of devotional service angrily put
forward some false arguments.

TEXT 268

“aye haridäsa! e ki vyabhära tomära

òäkiyä ye näma laha, ki hetu ihära?

1673
 TRANSLATION

“O Haridäsa, what is this behavior? Why are you are loudly chanting the
names of the Lord?

COMMENTARY

That foolish, ignorant, atheistic, fallen brähmaëa said, “There is no

injunction for loudly chanting the names of Hari in any scripture; rather, it is
recommended that one chant within his mind. Therefore the loud chanting of
Hari’s names by Haridäsa is prohibited by the scriptures. Therefore his
engagement in such activities is most improper.” Being controlled by such
blind faith, that brähmaëa arrogantly asked Haridäsa the reason for his loud
chanting. His conception was that since Haridäsa Öhäkura was not born in a
seminal brähmaëa family, he was completely unqualified to act as a spiritual
master, the giver of the holy names. He feared that if Haridäsa loudly chanted
the names of Hari he would have to automatically hear the holy names from
the mouth of a pure devotee and thus naturally become his disciple, so he
wanted Haridäsa to refrain from loudly chanting hari-näma, which is the
function of a jagad-guru. This proves the brähmaëa’s foolishness, ignorance,
and mistaken ideas regarding the scriptural conclusions.

TEXT 269

mane mane japibä,—ei se dharma haya

òädiyä laite näma kon çästre kaya?

TRANSLATION

“The injunction is that one should chant in his mind. Which scripture says

1674
that one should chant loudly?

TEXT 270

kä’ra çikñä,—hari-näma òäkiyä laite?

ei ta’ paëòita-sabhä, balaha ihäte”

TRANSLATION

“Who has taught you to chant the name of Hari loudly? Please give your
explanation before this assembly of learned scholars.”

COMMENTARY

The word çikñä refers to one of the six corollaries of the Vedas by which
word pronunciation is regulated.

TEXT 271

haridäsa balena,—“ihära yata tattva

tomarä se jäna’ hari-nämera mahattva

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa said, “You all know the glories of Lord Hari’s holy names.

TEXT 272

tomarä-sabära mukhe çuniïä se ämi

1675
 balitechi, balibäìa yebä kichu jäni

TRANSLATION

“Therefore I have simply repeated and will repeat whatever I have heard
from you.

COMMENTARY

Öhäkura Haridäsa, who never expected any honor but always honored
others, humbly replied, “I have not learned the incomparable glories of Hari’s
names from the çästras through the path of argument. Now and in the future I
simply repeat whatever I have heard from those who are conversant with the
glories of the holy names and who constantly chant the holy names of the
Lord.

TEXT 273

ucca kari’ laile çata-guëa puëya haya

doña ta’ nä kahe çästre, guëa se varëana”

TRANSLATION

“If one chants loudly, he gets one hundred times more benefit. The
scriptures never condemn loud chanting, rather they glorify it.

COMMENTARY

The result one achieves by mentally chanting the names of Hari is

multiplied one hundred times by chanting loudly. This is the injunction of all

1676
scriptures. It is a fact that by chanting loudly one obtains one hundred times
greater results. And there is no fault in such chanting. It is to be understood
that those who consider the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra should only be chanted
softly in japa are averse to realizing the purport of the scriptures. The three
names of address—Hare, Kåñëa, and Räma—are meant both for japa and
kértana. One can call the Lord in his mind or out loud. If one calls the Lord
loudly, then many persons can hear the name of the Lord and obtain
auspiciousness by such hearing. Hearing the names of the Lord is one of the
nine principle limbs of devotional service. Unless the sadhus loudly chant the
names of Hari, no one becomes qualified for the devotional process of hearing.
Therefore the false arguments of those who are averse to loud chanting are
certainly incited by Kali. The chanting of the holy names is more or less
imperceptible in the activities of meditation, sacrifice, and Deity worship; that
is why in Kali-yuga various controversies arise in the performance of
meditation, sacrifice, and Deity worship. When those who are victims of Kali
come forward to place obstacles in the path of the devotees’ worship of Hari,
then those devotees who are engaged in the Satya, Tretä, and Dväpara
processes of meditation, sacrifice, and Deity worship do not enter into
argument; but those devotees who chant the names of Hari remove the wicked
habits of the victims of Kali and chant the unlimited glories of the holy names
for the eternal benefit of such people. This is the actual medicine for their
argument-infected hearts.

TEXT 274

uccaiù çata-guëaà bhavet

TRANSLATION

“’If one loudly chants the holy names of the Lord, he obtains one hundred

1677
times more benefit than by chanting softly or remembering the holy names.’”

TEXT 275

vipra bale,—“ucca-näma karile uccära

çata-guëa puëya-phala haya, ki hetu ihära?”

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëa said, “How does one get one hundred times more benefit by
loud chanting?”

TEXT 276

haridäsa balena,—“çunaha, mahäçaya!

ye tattva ihära, vede bhägavate kaya”

TRANSLATION

Haridäsa replied, “My dear sir, listen to the verdict of the Vedas and Çrémad
Bhägavatam in this regard.”

TEXT 277

sarva-çästra sphure haridäsera çré-mukhe

lägilä karite vyäkhyä kåñëänanda sukhe

TRANSLATION

1678
 Haridäsa then revealed the purport of all the scriptures as he began his
explanation in the ecstasy of Kåñëa consciousness.

TEXT 278

“çuna, vipra! sakåt çunile kåñëa-näma

paçu, pakñé, kéöa yäya çré-vaikuëöha-dhäma

TRANSLATION

“Listen, dear brähmaëa. If even animals, birds, or insects hear the holy
names from the mouth of a pure devotee, they will go to Vaikuëöha.

COMMENTARY

“O brähmaëa, when the transcendental sound of Kåñëa’s holy names

emanates from the mouths of sadhus, bhaktas, or Vaiñëavas and enters the ear
holes of any living entity interested in serving the Lord, then that sound
vibration certainly frees him from the bondage of mäyä. The transcendental
sound vibration removes the living entities’ propensity for enjoyment and
awakens their propensity for service to the Supreme Lord. Since unlike those
of conditioned souls in the material sky, there is no ignorance or material
enjoyment in the devotees’ tongues, which are abodes of Vaikuëöha, and since
the transcendental holy names are full manifestations of advaya-jïäna, or the
transcendental reality, devotees do not become entangled in material
enjoyment while chanting. Therefore if a living entity chants the
transcendental name of the Lord, he becomes jévan-mukta, liberated even in
this life. In order to become liberated from the bondage of material existence,
a conditioned soul should accept mercy from a liberated soul by accepting
mantra-dékña, or initiation. When one has perfected his chanting, he becomes

1679
qualified to loudly chant the holy names. He then becomes extremely
distressed on seeing the conditioned souls’ anarthas born of prajalpa and
mundane words that gratify the mind, both of which are unrelated to Kåñëa;
as a jagad-guru, he removes their propensities for mundane enjoyment and
sends them to the kingdom of Vaikuëöha. Ordinary foolish people think, “The
çästric statement that just by once chanting or hearing the transcendental
name of the Lord one is certain to go back to Vaikuëöha is simply an
exaggeration.” But actually the extraordinary influence of the transcendental
name is not under the jurisdiction of the most tiny brains of such illusioned
materialists who want to measure everything with their blunt material senses.
If one considers the transcendental name to be in the category of material
objects, then his enjoyment prone evil propensities do not allow him to
understand the extraordinary, transcendental, spiritual name that is not
perceivable to material senses. That is why the absence of faith in the Vedas or
in Vaiñëava literatures in pursuance of the Vedas is proof of a living entity’s
misfortune.

TEXT 279

[Once the cowherd men headed by Çré Nanda came to Ambikävana on the
bank of the River Sarasvaté. After worshiping the demigods and brähmaëas with a
vow, they took rest there. At that time a fierce looking great snake began to
swallow Nanda. Hearing Nanda’s cry of distress, Lord Kåñëa, who maintains His
surrendered souls and who is affectionate to His father, touched that great snake
with His left foot. The serpent was immediately freed from his reptilian body and
appeared in the effulgent form of a Vidyädhara, and by the order of the Lord he
began to relate the history of his sinful activities in his previous life. While offering
prayers, he described the glories of receiving the touch of the Lord’s lotus feet,
which are rarely attained by the demigods, in the following verse from Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.34.17).]

1680
 yan-näma gåhëann akhilän çrotèn ätmänam eva ca
sadyaù punäti kià bhüyas tasya spåñöaù padä hi te

TRANSLATION

Anyone who chants Your name purifies all who hear his chanting, as well as
himself. How much more beneficial, then, is the touch of Your lotus feet?

COMMENTARY

“Moreover, O Lord, I have been directly touched by Your lotus feet. Now I
will return to my own planet and purify everyone by my touch, as I have been
purified by the touch of Your lotus feet. By the statement, ’By once chanting
the holy names of the Lord a person purifies himself and others,’ the argument
that chanting the holy names requires prior faith (in other words, the
consideration that until knowledge of one’s relationship with the Lord based
on faith is awakened, there is no need to chant the holy names) is refuted.
One can and should chant the names of the Lord while avoiding the ten
offenses even during the four faithless situations of saìketa (indirectly),
parihäsa (jokingly), stobha (as musical entertainment), or hela (neglectfully).
By the using the verb gåhëan, or ’while chanting,’ in its present tense, the
argument that the names are dependent on completeness (in other words, the
necessity of considering that until one is able to fully chant the names of the
Lord, it is improper and useless to partially chant the names) is refuted. This
means that one can and should chant the names of the Lord, even unclearly,
improperly, and incompletely or partially. By using the word akhilän, or ’to the
audience,’ the argument that chanting is dependent on qualification (in other
words, the necessity of achieving mundane, temporary, external qualifications
like taking bath, performing austerity, worshiping the Deity, maintaining
purity, studying the Vedas, accepting sannyäsa, practicing yoga, performing
sacrifice, and accumulating piety) is refuted (in other words, any person in

1681
any condition can and should chant the holy names of the Lord). By using the
word sadyaù, or ’immediately,’ the argument that chanting is dependent on
time (in other words, the consideration that one is purified by chanting only
at particular times, not at any time) is refuted (in other words, if a person
purely chants the holy names at any time, he can be fully purified). The use of
the word çrotèn, or ’to the audience,’ indicates that one should hear the holy
names of the Lord. The word eva, which in this verse bears the meaning of iva
or api, indicates that the chanter of the holy names can purify the audience
like himself. So by this example the glories of the holy name are further
enhanced, because the practices of both hearing and chanting yield the same
results. By using the word ca in this verse it is indicated that I will certainly
and thoroughly purify persons who engage with me in hearing and chanting
because I have been touched by Your lotus feet. There is no doubt about this.”
(Çré Sanätana Prabhu’s and Çré Jéva Prabhu’s Vaiñëava-toñaëé)

TEXT 280

paçu-pakñé-kéöa-ädi balite nä päre

çunilei hari-näma tä’rä saba tare’

TRANSLATION

“Although animals, birds, and insects cannot chant, when they hear the
holy names they will all be delivered.

TEXT 281

japile çré-kåñëa-näma äpane se tare

ucca-saìkértane para upakära kare

1682
 TRANSLATION

“If one silently chants the names of Kåñëa, then he is delivered; but if one
loudly chants, then he delivers others also.

COMMENTARY

One who softly chants the transcendental names benefits only himself,
whereas one who loudly and congregationally chants the transcendental
names can benefit the audience along with himself. Only a spiritual master
who is engaged in kåñëa-kértana is compassionate to all living entities and able
to perform the highest welfare activities for all.

TEXT 282

ataeva ucca kari’ kértana karile

çata-guëa phala haya sarva-çästre bale

TRANSLATION

“Therefore the scriptures say that one gets a hundred times more benefit by
chanting loudly.

TEXT 283

japato hari-nämäni sthäne çata-guëädhikaù

ätmänaà ca punäty uccair japan çrotån punäti ca

1683
 TRANSLATION

“’One who loudly chants the holy names of the Lord is a hundred times
greater than one who silently chants, because those who chant silently purify
only themselves, while those who chant loudly purify themselves as well as
those who hear them.’

COMMENTARY

[This verse was spoken by Prahläda Mahäräja in the Näradéya Puräëa.]

TEXT 284

japa-kartä haite ucca-saìkértana-käré

çata-guëa adhika se puräëete dhari

TRANSLATION

“The Puräëas say that a person who chants the Lord’s name loudly is a
hundred times more pious than the person who chants to himself.

COMMENTARY

Persons who loudly and congregationally chant the holy names of Hari
obtain one hundred times better results than those who chant the holy names
softly. If a person secretly hears some ordinary words on the pretext of hearing
hari-näma from a foolish so-called guru and, being tempted by material
enjoyment, engages in motivated worship, then he will never achieve eternal
auspiciousness. Whereas if one loudly chants the pure holy names heard from
the mouth of a liberated mahä-bhägavata spiritual master, then other

1684
Vaiñëavas who hear that chanting will discuss the glories of hari-näma
amongst each other. As a result, the loud chanters are more benefited than the
soft chanters. Those who cannot realize the difference between
näma-aparädha, nämäbhäsa, and çuddha-näma often commit the first of the
ten näma-aparädhas—criticizing a sadhu or Vaiñëava who has fully taken
shelter of the holy names—and they commit the grave offense of disregarding
the spiritual master by considering him a mortal being and envying him. They
commit offense by considering material objects as worshipable and seeing Lord
Viñëu, the controller of all, as equal to the demigods. As a result, they become
Vaiñëava offenders by being faithless of the unalloyed Vaiñëavas. They then
become inattentive to the service of Çré Näma Prabhu, and the offenses of
considering the glories of chanting the holy names as imaginary and giving
some interpretation on the holy names capture them. They then consider the
holy names as equal to pious activities and become attached to committing
sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy names. Being greedy for
donations, such people accept the garb of a guru and, like common merchants,
pretend to give instructions on the holy names to faithless persons. In this way
they bring inauspiciousness to the entire world. Being overwhelmed by
thoughts of “I” and “mine,” they gradually become averse to the Vedic
literatures and literatures in pursuance of the Vedic version. These ten
offenses result in the falldown of chanters; but by the influence of good
association the loud chanters of the holy names understand these offenses and
therefore retire from the inconvenience of nirjana-bhajana.

TEXT 285

çuna, vipra! mana diyä ihära käraëa

japi’ äpanäre sabe karaye poñaëa

1685
 TRANSLATION

“O brähmaëa, listen carefully to the reason behind this. One who softly
chants the holy names liberates only himself.

TEXT 286

ucca kari’ karile govinda-saìkértana

jantu-mätra çuniïäi päi vimocana

TRANSLATION

“One who loudly chants the names of Govinda, however, liberates himself
along with all living entities who hear him.

TEXT 287

jihvä päiïäo nara-vinä sarva-präëé

nä päre balite kåñëa-näma-hena dhvani

TRANSLATION

“Although all living entities have a tongue, only the human beings are able
to chant the names of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

Apart from human beings, all other living entities also have tongues. Yet
even though they are able to make various sounds, no living entity other than

1686
a human being is able to chant the names of Kåñëa. Some people may say,
“The birds can also imitate making sounds like the name of Kåñëa, and as a
result they can also attain a higher destination such as liberation.” In reply to
this, it may be said that imitating and following are two completely separate
activities. Although the imitators may make various sounds perceivable to
senses in the material sky as the name of Kåñëa, they are not uttering with
service inclined tongues the pure holy name of Kåñëa situated in the spiritual
sky and perceivable to purified senses. The materially motivated sounds
resembling the holy names that are uttered for the purpose of material
enjoyment that is unrelated to Kåñëa are not vaikuëöha-näma, or spiritual
names. Since such sounds are able to award insignificant results, they are
simply known as näma-aparädha, or offenses to the holy names, and as such
they cannot awaken one’s love for Kåñëa, which is the fruit of chanting the
pure names.

TEXT 288

vyartha-janma ihärä nistare yähä haite

bala dekhi,—kon doña se karma karite?

TRANSLATION

“Tell me, what is wrong with that activity by which living entities who have
taken useless births will be delivered?

COMMENTARY

Although all living entities are not able to chant the spiritual names, they
can certainly hear the spiritual names chanted by devotees of the Lord. The
lives of those who are not qualified to hear the spiritual names are certainly

1687
most useless. Since by hearing the chanting of the spiritual names, all living
entities can be eligible for liberation in this lifetime, such loud chanting of
Hari’s names can never be the subject of argument, fault, or criticism.

TEXT 289

keha äpanäre mätra karaye poñaëa

keha vä poñaëa kare sahasreka jana

TRANSLATION

“One person may maintain himself, while another may maintain a thousand
people.

TEXT 290

duite ke baòa, bhävi’ bujhaha äpane

ei abhipräya guëa’ ucca-saìkértane”

TRANSLATION

“Of the two, consider carefully who is better. This is the superior
characteristic of loud chanting.”

COMMENTARY

A selfish person maintains himself, whereas another person may maintain a

thousand persons apart from himself. Of the two, whom should we accept as
greater? If we carefully consider, we will understand that loud chanters are not

1688
selfish; rather, they are selfless benefactors of others. Therefore loud chanters
are superior to those who only chant softly, and loud chanting is hundreds and
thousands of times superior to chanting only softly.

TEXT 291

sei vipra çuni’ haridäsera kathana

balite lägila krodhe mahä-durvacana

TRANSLATION

After hearing the words of Haridäsa, the brähmaëa began to angrily

blaspheme him.

TEXT 292

“daraçana-kartä ebe haila haridäsa!

käle-käle veda-patha haya dekhi näça

TRANSLATION

“Now even Haridäsa has become a philosopher! I can see that Vedic culture
is being destroyed by the course of time.

COMMENTARY

That atheistic fallen brähmaëa angrily spoke the following insulting words,
“There are six famous basic philosophies in India. All these philosophies are
more or less under the subordination of the Vedas. Now this consideration on

1689
liberated souls presented by Haridäsa will become famous as the seventh
philosophy. This is Kali-yuga, therefore by the influence of time the Vedic
path (?) is now about to be destroyed (?) by the pure Vaiñëava followers of the
Vedas like Haridäsa. So far Kapila, Pataïjali, Kaëäda, Akñapäda, Jaimini, and
Vyäsa were the propounders of six philosophies, but now Haridäsa has come
from somewhere and become the propounder of the seventh philosophy. I
don’t know how many more philosophies will crop up from time to time.”

TEXT 293

yuga-çeñe çüdra veda karibe väkhäne

ekhanai tähä dekhi, çeñe ära kene?

TRANSLATION

“It is stated that çüdras will explain the Vedas at the end of Kali-yuga. But
why only at the end of the age? We can see it happening even now.

COMMENTARY

The phrase yuga-çeñe refers to the last part of Kali-yuga. A mahä-yuga

consists of the four yugas—Satya, Tretä, Dväpara, and Kali. The duration of
these four yugas diminishes respectively from 4/10ths, to 3/10ths, to 2/10ths, to
1/10th of a mahä-yuga. The duration of Kali-yuga is 432,000 earth years. A
manvantara consists of 71 mahä-yugas. A kalpa, or a day of Brahmä, consists of
fourteen manvantaras, or the duration of fifteen Satya-yugas subtracted from
one thousand mahä-yugas. This Kali-yuga comes in the twenty-eighth
mahä-yuga, or cycle of four yugas, in the reign of Vaivasvata, the seventh
Manu, of the Çveta-varäha-kalpa. We have only passed a few years since the
beginning of Kali-yuga. It is mentioned in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (12.1.36-41,

1690
12.2.1-16, and 12.3.31-46) that at the end of Kali-yuga the varëäçrama
principles will be completely absent. We are already experiencing the future
behavior of Kali-yuga in the beginning of the age. According to the
varëäçrama system, only the three varëas, brähmaëa, kñatriya, and vaiçya, are
eligible to study the Vedas; and of them, only the brähmaëas are qualified to
teach the Vedas. These three twice-born castes generally accept ten saàskäras,
or purificatory rites, but the sinful çüdras are not at all qualified to undergo
the saàskäras of the twice-born. The çüdras can never have any qualification
for either studying or teaching the Vedas, but due to the influence of Kali,
deviations and distortions in varëäçrama principles are seen. Although there
are deviations in varëäçrama principles, twice-born persons still desire to
increase their prestige simply by external symptoms. In the consideration of
varëa, there are three types of birth—çaukra, by semen; sävitra, by initiation;
and daikña, by becoming a perfect brähmaëa. Those who want to become
twice-born through seminal birth must accept the sävitra-saàskära, or sacred
thread ceremony. Then, by taking Viñëu-dékña after becoming a twice-born,
one achieves the third, or daikña, birth. A çüdra, however, has no second or
third birth. Due to wide-spread discrepancies in the practice of
garbhädhäna-saàskära, it is more reasonable and faultless to ascertain one as a
twice-born by his symptoms, nature, and ägama-dékña, or Vedic initiation,
rather than by seminal consideration. That is why the Vaiñëava consideration
does not approve of seminal consideration. Though persons engaged in
fruitive activities do not highly regard Vaiñëava considerations, the Vaiñëava
considerations based on çästras are the most respectable methods for
ascertaining daiva-varëäçrama principles. Since ignorant persons expert in
material knowledge follow nonscriptural methods of ascertaining varëa, the
original ever-lasting method has recently become endangered. That is why
sinful persons who are engaged in fruitive activities and envious of the
Vaiñëavas become bewildered by illusion while considering who is brähmaëa
and who is a çüdra.
In this case also, the atheistic, meat-eating, nondevotee, seminal, so-called

1691
brähmaëa has presented external, mundane, gross bodily considerations of
Vaiñëavas. That fallen brähmaëa mistakenly and sinfully considered that
since Öhäkura Haridäsa was not born in a brähmaëa family, he was completely
incapable of acting as a religious instructor. Moreover, taking shelter of
vivarta-väda, the theory of illusion, that person angrily condemned the
Vaiñëavas, who reveal purpose of the Vedas, as çüdras. Actually that atheist
was himself an abominable çüdra. Godlessness, cripple-mindedness, and
untruthfulness made him averse to pure Vaiñëavas in every sphere of his life.
Although he was a fallen çüdra who proudly considered himself a brähmaëa,
he considered a Vaiñëava, who is spiritual master of the brähmaëas, as
belonging to a particular caste. In this way he committed a grave offense and
went to hell. That fallen sinful çüdra, who was envious of the Vaiñëavas and
proud of being a brähmaëa, must have heard descriptions of Kali-yuga stating
that çüdras attentive to worldly subjects rather than the study of the Vedas
will become so-called brähmaëas and study and teach the Vedas in Kali-yuga.
But the popular statement that one can also become a brähmaëa through
çaiva-dékña, or initiation into the worship of Çiva, is not approved by Vedic
literature. Rather, according to the Païcarätras, on the strength of
viñëu-dékña, the devotees attain Vedic brahminical status. One cannot study
the Vedas through çaiva-dékña. This is clearly described in the Brahma-sütra.
Çré Yämunäcärya has completely refuted the atheists’ view that “Vaiñëavas are
not brähmaëas” by presenting evidence from the ägamas, authorized works of
Vedic literature, as follows: “Furthermore, the bhägavatas who have
abandoned Vedic duties such as sävitry-anuvacana (chanting the Vedic
mantras that establish someone as a wearer of the sacrificial thread) and
instead observe the forty saàskäras enjoined in the Ekäyana-çruti are properly
adhering to the principles enunciated in the Gåhya-sütras of their own branch
and thus have never fallen from the status of brähmaëas on account of not
performing the rituals of a different branch. After all, if by not following the
rules of all the Vedic branches a brähmaëa becomes fallen, then the followers
of other branches would also have to be considered fallen from brahminical

1692
status because they do not perform the rituals of other branches.” Among the
devotees of South India, the title of Äyeìgära (Iyengar) is still current. This
Tamil word refers to a brähmaëa who has undergone more than five
saàskäras. The nondevotee brähmaëas who have undergone ten saàskäras are
known as Äyära (Iyer). The Äyeìgäras undergo fifteen saàskäras. Among the
Gauòéya Vaiñëavas there are five additional saàskäras. Therefore they
undergo twenty saàskäras. In his Saàskära-dépikä, which is an appendix to his
Sat-kriyä-sära-dépikä, Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé has mentioned these saàskäras.
The Vaiñëavas state:

svayaà brahmaëi nikñaptän jätän eva hi mantrataù

vinétänatha puträdén saàskåtya pratibodhayet

“When the guru gives mantra to his disciple according to the rules and
regulations of päïcarätrika-viddhi, then, by the influence of that mantra, the
disciple never takes birth again. A humble disciple behaves with great respect
for his spiritual master as if he is a son of the guru. To such a humble disciple,
who has been purified by the appropriate saàskäras, the guru teaches the
meaning of the mantra.” But since the uninitiated mental speculators who are
opposed to Hari, Guru, and Vaiñëava do not accept the Vedic and
Päïcarätrika systems, formidable errors have entered into their process of
consideration. Following in the footsteps of such averse persons, this sinful
fallen brähmaëa demonstrated the future behavior of Kali-yuga in the
beginning of the age.

na çüdrä bhagavad-bhaktäs te tu bhägavatä matäù

sarva-varëeñu te çüdrä ye na bhaktä janärdane

“A devotee should never be considered a çüdra. All the devotees of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead should be recognized as bhägavatas. If one is
not a devotee of Lord Kåñëa, however, even if born of a brähmaëa, kñatriya or
vaiçya family, he should be considered a çüdra.” It should be understood that

1693
those who disregard the above evidence of Vaiñëava literature have no respect
for the Vaiñëavas or the pure devotional path; indeed, they are guru-drohé, or
envious of the spiritual master.

TEXT 294

ei-rüpe äpanäre prakaöa kariyä

ghare-ghare bhäla bhoga khäis buliyä

TRANSLATION

“This is how you advertise yourself, so you can eat nicely at other’s houses.

COMMENTARY

That sinful fallen brähmaëa said to Haridäsa Öhäkura, “Being a

transcendental philosopher, you have presented an explanation that is hostile
to the fruitive workers who are envious of devotional service in such a way
that you can advertise your own glories to your followers and cleverly
accumulate palatable foodstuffs.”

TEXT 295

ye vyäkhyä karile tui, e yadi nä läge

tabe tora näka käëa käöi’ tora äge”

TRANSLATION

“If the explanation that you have made is not true, then I will cut off your

1694
nose and ears.”

COMMENTARY

Hearing Haridäsa Öhäkura’s conclusive scriptural statements regarding the

glories of the holy names, that atheistic fallen brähmaëa’s animalistic
propensity became more prominent. Out of anger, he cursed and swore as
follows: “If the explanation on the glories of the holy names presented by
Haridäsa Öhäkura is not in agreement with the scriptures, then I will take
revenge by publicly cutting off his (Haridäsa Öhäkura’s) nose and ears.”

TEXT 296

çuni’ viprädhamera vacana haridäsa

’hari’ bali’ éñat haila kichu häsa

TRANSLATION

Hearing the words of that sinful brähmaëa, Haridäsa smiled and chanted the
name of Hari.

TEXT 297

pratyuttara ära kichu täre nä kariyä

calilena ucca kari’ kértana gäiyä

TRANSLATION

He did not speak further to that atheistic brähmaëa, but left immediately

1695
while loudly chanting the holy names.

COMMENTARY

Hearing that atheistic fallen brähmaëa’s unpalatable words, which would

send him to hell, Öhäkura Haridäsa did not reply but rather chanted loudly
and immediately left that place, which was polluted with the offense of giving
some interpretation on the holy names of the Lord.

TEXT 298

yebä päpé sabhäsad, seha päpa-mati

ucita uttara kichu nä karila ithi

TRANSLATION

The sinful members of that assembly were all wicked-minded. They neither
supported the authorized statements of Haridäsa nor did they protest the
offensive words of the brähmaëa.

COMMENTARY

Those sociable persons who support and encourage sinful persons with
loose-character are also sinful. What to speak of supporting the scriptural
based statements of Öhäkura Haridäsa, the members of that assembly neither
supported the scriptural based statements of Haridäsa nor protested the
unpalatable words of that atheistic fallen brähmaëa. If in spite of being born
in a brähmaëa family a person becomes averse to the worship of Hari, which is
his prescribed brahminical duty, then he is called a räkñasa, or demon. When
sinful persons who are averse to the prescribed brahminical duties give up the

1696
service of Hari, which is their only duty, then they fall from their position and
become räkñasas. Some people call such persons brähmaëa-bruva—“so-called
brähmaëas” or brähmaëädhama—“fallen brähmaëas.” After death such
persons receive profuse punishment from Yamaräja, and in this life they fall
from their brahminical position.

TEXT 299

e sakala räkñasa, brähmaëa näma mätra

ei-saba loka yama-yätanära pätra

TRANSLATION

They were brähmaëas in name only. Actually they were all demons, fit to be
punished by Yamaräja.

TEXT 300

kali-yuge räkñasa-sakala vipra-ghare

janmibeka sujanera hiàsä karibäre

TRANSLATION

In Kali-yuga, demons are born in the families of brähmaëas in order to

harass the saintly persons.

COMMENTARY

Though demoniac persons who are envious of Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas

1697
may take birth in brähmaëa families, they nevertheless envy the Vaiñëavas.
This is the specialty of Kali-yuga.

TEXT 301

räkñasäù kalim äçritya jäyante brahma-yoniñu

utpannä brähmaëa-kule bädhante çrotriyän kåçän

TRANSLATION

“In Kali-yuga, demons will take birth in the families of brähmaëas to harass
those rare persons who are conversant with the Vedic way of life.”

COMMENTARY

[This verse was spoken by Lord Çiva in the Varäha Puräëa.]

TEXT 302

e saba viprera sparça, kathä, namaskära

dharma-çästre sarvathä niñedha karibära

TRANSLATION

The scriptures forbid one from touching, speaking to, or offering respects to
such brähmaëas.

COMMENTARY

One should not even touch those proud brähmaëas who are opposed to
1698
Viñëu and the Vaiñëavas. If by chance one touches such a brähmaëa, he
should take bath in the Ganges with his clothes on. If one converses with such
a brähmaëa, then his falldown is guaranteed. If one respects such a person by
offering him obeisances, then one is sure to be deviated from devotional
service to Viñëu. That is why persons and the families of persons who are
averse to following Vaiñëava etiquette have been declared as fallen in the
following words from the Dharma-çästras (Manu 2.168) and the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (11.5.3):

yo ’nadhétya dvijo vedam anyatra kurute çramam

sa jévan eva çüdratvam äçu gaccati säëvayaù

“A brähmaëa who in his lifetime does not endeavor to study the Vedas but
labors hard in other pursuits quickly becomes a çüdra along with his family.

ya eñäà puruñaà säkñäd ätma-prabhavam éçvaram

na bhajanty avajänanti sthänäd bhrañöäù patanty adhaù

“If one simply maintains an official position in the four varëas and äçramas
but does not worship the Supreme Lord Viñëu, he falls down from his
puffed-up position into a hellish condition.”

TEXT 303

kim atra bahunoktena brähmaëä ye hy avaiñëaväù

teñäà sambhäñaëaà sparçaà pramädenäpi varjjayet

TRANSLATION

“There is no need to speak further on this. Even by mistake one should not
touch or speak to those brähmaëas who have no devotion for the Supreme

1699
Lord.

COMMENTARY

[This and the following verse are spoken by Lord Çiva in the Padma
Puräëa.]

TEXT 304

çvapäkam iva nekñeta loke vipram avaisëavam

vaiñëavo varëa bähyo ’pi punäti bhuvana-trayam

TRANSLATION

“Just as one in this world should never see a dog-eating caëòäla, one should
never see a nondevotee brähmaëa.”

TEXT 305

brähmaëa haiyä yadi avaiñëava haya

tabe tä’ra äläpeha puëya yäya kñaya

TRANSLATION

One who converses with a nondevotee brähmaëa loses his piety.

COMMENTARY

If one converses with a person who was born in a seminal brähmaëa family,
who has undergone sävitra-saàskära yet has not taken Vaiñëava initiation,
1700
who envies the Vaiñëavas and considers himself a non-Vaiñëava, then one’s
heaps of accumulated piety are destroyed.

TEXT 306

se viprädhamera kata-divasa thäkiyä

vasante näsikä tä’ra paòila khasiyä

TRANSLATION

Within a few days, that wretched brähmaëa was attacked by smallpox, and
as a result his nose melted away and fell off.

COMMENTARY

Within a few days that abominable, envious brähmaëa became infected

with a severe case of smallpox and his nose melted and fell off.

TEXT 307

haridäsa-öhäkurere balileka yena

kåñëa o tähära çästi karilena tena

TRANSLATION

The punishment he had proposed for Haridäsa Öhäkura was awarded to

himself by Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

1701
 Although Haridäsa Öhäkura did not curse or desire inauspiciousness on
that sinful atheist, since that offensive atheist criticized and spoke unpalatable
envious words to Haridäsa Öhäkura, the Lord awarded such severe punishment
on him.

TEXT 308

viñayete magna jagat dekhi’ haridäsa

duùkhe ’kåñëa kåñëa’ bali’ chäòena niùçväsa

TRANSLATION

Aggrieved to see the entire world absorbed in sense gratification, Haridäsa

would sigh deeply as he chanted the name of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

At that time people of the entire world were intoxicated with material
knowledge, and being always greedy for material enjoyment they refrained
from the cultivation of Kåñëa consciousness. That is why the Vaiñëava
Öhäkuras sighed deeply as distress filled their hearts, which were saturated
with compassion seeing the pathetic condition and misfortune of the fallen
souls who were averse to Hari.
An elaborate description of the phrase viñayete magna jagat—“the entire
world was absorbed in sense gratification,” is found in the statement of Viräga
in the Caitanya-candrodaya-näöaka as follows: “The world is full of
materialists. Alas! Alas! There is no cleanliness, no truthfulness, no control of
the mind or senses, no self-restraint, no peacefulness, no tolerance, no
friendship, and no mercy. Were my sincere, loving friends uprooted by the
people of Kali-yuga? Are they now living in seclusion? Could they have found

1702
a place Kali does not know? No, there is no such place to be found.
“The brähmaëas are interested only in their sixth duty, accepting charity.
A sacred thread is the only sign of their status. The kñatriyas are kñatriyas in
name only. The vaiçyas are like atheists. The çüdras think themselves great
scholars and are eager to become gurus and teach the truth of religion. Alas!
Alas! Kali has degraded the castes into this!
“The brahmacärés are situated in that äçrama only because they cannot
marry. The gåhasthas are interested only in filling the bellies of their wives and
children. The vänaprasthas are qualified only by the name vänaprastha
travelling on the path of the ears. The sannyäsés are different from the others
only in their saffron dress.
“And look at these mental speculators! From their very birth, they simply
discuss words like ’designation,’ ’social class,’ ’logical inference,’ ’universal
principle,’ and thus remain far away from talk of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Thinking whoever is most expert at logic is the wisest, these
logicians think that their speculation is the only scripture.
“Now here are some Mäyävädés. They say that the Supreme is ’only
eternity,’ ’without qualities,’ ’without designations,’ ’beyond thought,’ and
’without actions,’ and they say ’I am Brahman.’ Alas, alas, hating the
Personality of Godhead’s form and denying the Lord’s inconceivable potencies
and qualities, they shun love for the Supreme Person. Obeisances to them
from a distance.
“And here learned persons debate the theories of Kapila, Kaëäda,
Pataïjali, and Jaimini. Not one of them knows the truth of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
“Now I am in South India. This place is filled with Jains, Buddhists, naked
yogis, and ferocious atheists. There are also Çaivites, who are almost extinct. I
think they will kill me! (After walking a little further) Ah! This must be a

1703
holy man cheerfully sitting on a great rock by the riverbank. He seems to be
free of anxiety while passing his time meditating on something beyond the
modes of nature. Sitting in a yoga posture by the riverbank, his eyes closed and
expertly stopping with the tip of his tongue the nectar moonlight flowing from
within his forehead, he meditates. But what is this! What broke his
meditation? Ah! I know. It is the tinkling conchshell ornaments of a young
girl fetching water. He is only staging a play to fill his stomach. (He goes
further.) Ah! This looks like a renounced soul. He must be a pilgrim coming
from the holy places. I see he is talking to himself, ’Although I went to
Haridvära, Gayä, Prayäga, Mathurä, Benares, Puñkara, Çré Raìga, Ayodhyä,
Badarikäçrama, Setubandha, Prabhäsa, and many other places, three or four
times over in the past year, what would persons like us accomplish even in
hundreds of years like this?’
(He goes further on.) “This must be a genuine ascetic. But I see that he is
actually worse and more sinful than the above pseudo renunciate. Calling out
’Hum! Hum! Hum!’ in a sharp and bitter voice, keeping the crowd away with a
cruel stare, lifting his feet high as he walks with long strides, his forehead,
arms, neck, stomach, and chest smeared with clay, and grasping kuça grass in
his hands, he is like pride personified. Therefore I understand that without
pure devotional service to Lord Viñëu, expert meditation, samädhi, faith,
scriptural study, good works, japa, and austerity are like an actor’s expert
playing on a stage. They are only different ways to fill an empty belly.
“O Kali, well done! Well done! You brought the entire earth under your
rule. You drove away control of the mind, control of the senses, and all other
virtues. You captured them and made them your slaves, working for your own
profit. You uprooted the tree of religion, which had friendship and other
virtues as its branches. In this situation what can I do? Today, all over the
world I have seen disturbances born of irreligiousity and deviations of the
mind and speech in pursuit of the truth. But alas! When will I see the pure
Vaiñëava devotees, who are engaged in kåñëa-kértana, who are decorated with

1704
tears and hairs standing on end in love of God, and who are equipoised both
internally and externally?”

TEXT 309

kata-dine ’vaiñëava’ dekhite icchä kari’

äilena haridäsa navadvépa-puré

TRANSLATION

After a few days Haridäsa went to Navadvépa with a desire to associate with
the Vaiñëavas there.

COMMENTARY

In order to see the pure Vaiñëavas, Haridäsa Öhäkura came to Çré Mäyäpur,
which is situated in Navadvépa, Gauòa-deça’s center of education.

TEXT 310

haridäse dekhiyä sakala bhakta-gaëa

hailena atiçaya paränanda-mana

TRANSLATION

All the devotees of Navadvépa were overjoyed on seeing Haridäsa.

COMMENTARY

Seeing Çré Haridäsa Öhäkura, all the Vaiñëava brähmaëas of Navadvépa

1705
became jubilant, considering him a member of their family. From this we can
understand that the nondevotee community of Navadvépa did not feel any
happiness on the arrival of Haridäsa Öhäkura.

TEXT 311

äcärya-gosäïi haridäsere päiyä

räkhilena präëa haite adhika kariyä

TRANSLATION

Upon obtaining the association of Haridäsa, Advaita Äcärya treated him as

dear as His own life.

COMMENTARY

Having received Çré Haridäsa at Çré Mäyäpur-Navadvépa, Çré Advaita

Prabhu considered him more dear than his own life and maintained him with
utmost care.

TEXT 312

sarva-vaiñëavera préti haridäsa-prati

haridäs o karena sabäre bhakti ati

TRANSLATION

All the Vaiñëavas showered their affection on Haridäsa, and he reciprocated

with great devotion.

1706
 TEXT 313

päñaëòé-sakale yata deya väkya-jvälä

anyo’nye sabe tähä kahite lägilä

TRANSLATION

They discussed amongst themselves the burning offensive statements of the

atheists.

COMMENTARY

Seeing the devotee brähmaëas’ love for Haridäsa, the envious atheistic
persons always shot arrows of envious words at them. Hearing about such
statements, the devotees became greatly afflicted with distress and began to
discuss those statements.

TEXT 314

gétä-bhägavata lai’ sarva-bhakta-gaëa

anyo’nye vicäre thäkena sarva-kñaëa

TRANSLATION

Then devotees constantly discussed with each other the topics of

Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad Bhägavatam.

COMMENTARY

1707
 At that time persons who were intoxicated by material enjoyment would
not study Vaiñëava literatures like Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad Bhägavatam,
rather they were constantly engaged in gratifying their senses. But the pure
devotees always increased their ecstatic love by discussing Gétä and Bhägavata
among themselves. Not being intoxicated by artificial, worldly, material rasas
like the präkåta-sahajiyäs, the devotees of the Lord discussed the conclusive
statements of Vaiñëava literatures like Gétä and Bhägavata. While conducting
iñöa-goñöhés in this way, they desired the highest eternal benefit for the entire
world.

TEXT 315

ye-jane paòaye çunaye e-saba äkhyäna

tähäre milibe gauracandra bhagavän

TRANSLATION

TRANSLATION

One who reads or hears these topics will attain the lotus feet of the Supreme
Lord, Çré Gauracandra.

TEXT 316

çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna

våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

1708
 Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,
Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Sixteen, entitled, “The glories of Çré
Haridäsa Öhäkura.”

Chapter Seventeen: The Lord’s Travel to Gayä

This chapter describes Çré Gaurasundara’s visit to Gayä via Mandära and
Punpun, His meeting with Éçvara Puré at Gayä, His bestowing mercy on Éçvara
Puré on the pretext of accepting initiation, His manifestation of Himself, His
attempts to go to Mathurä while being maddened in separation from Kåñëa,
His return home to Navadvépa-Mäyäpur after hearing a voice from the sky on
the way, and the conclusion of the Ädi-khaëòa.
During the time when Çré Gaurasundara was enjoying His pastimes in
Navadvépa as the crest jewel of teachers, the philosophies of the atheists and
the smärtas were being quickly propagated. Even hearing the name of
bhakti-yoga was rare. The sinful people went on unnecessarily criticizing the
Vaiñëavas. Considering that the proper time had arrived to manifest Himself,
Çré Gaurasundara enacted the pastime of going to Gayä for performing worldly
fruitive rituals in order to refute the atheistic and smärta philosophies as well
as to bewilder averse persons. In order to bewilder the atheists, the Lord
displayed the pastime of being attacked with fever on His way to Gayä.
Thereafter, to exhibit His affection towards His servants and the potency of
water that has washed the feet of qualified brähmaëas, He drank water that
had washed the feet of a brähmaëa and ended His pastime of having fever. On

1709
reaching Punpun, the Lord performed His pastime of worshiping the
forefathers and then entered Gayä. He took bath at Brahma-kuëòa and, after
displaying the pastimes of duly respecting His father at that place, He came to
Cakraveòa and manifested His pastime of seeing the lotus feet of Gadädhara,
or Lord Viñëu. After hearing the glories of the lotus feet of Gadädhara from
the resident brähmaëas, the Lord became decorated with pure ecstatic
transformations and thus inaugurated His pastimes of manifesting loving
devotional service. By providence, the Lord met Éçvara Puré there. Çré
Mahäprabhu revealed to Çré Éçvara Puré that the perfection of visiting Gayä is
to meet pure devotees like Éçvara Puré, that seeing Vaiñëavas is matchlessly
greater than worshiping and offering oblations to the forefathers at Gayä, and
that His purpose of traveling to Gayä was to permanently surrender at the
lotus feet of a mahä-bhägavata spiritual master. Without disturbing the foolish
ill-motivated fruitive workers who are bewildered by the three modes of
material nature, to teach them that until one receives initiation into Kåñëa
mantras from a bona fide spiritual master he is eligible only for performing
fruitive activities, and to simultaneously bewilder the atheists, Çré
Gaurasundara exhibited the pastimes of offering various oblations to the
forefathers at Gayä according to worldly customs. Thereafter He returned to
His room and began to personally cook. At that time Çrépäda Éçvara Puré
arrived there overwhelmed with love of Kåñëa. The Lord personally served all
the foodstuffs that He cooked for Himself to Çré Éçvara Purépäda, and by
directly serving His spiritual master, Purépäda, with His own hands, He
displayed the ideal example of serving the spiritual master. On another day, in
a solitary place, Mahäprabhu offered obeisances to Éçvara Puré and requested
him for mantra initiation. Then the Lord received the ten syllable mantra
from His spiritual master and surrendered everything unto his lotus feet. In
this way Çré Gaura-Näräyaëa Prabhu, the spiritual master of the entire
universe, instructed people who are desirous of love of God. In order to reveal
that only a person who has fully surrendered at the lotus feet of his spiritual
master and is endowed with transcendental knowledge is qualified to achieve

1710
loving devotional service as a result of service to the spiritual master,
Mahäprabhu, after receiving initiation from Éçvara Purépäda, became
overwhelmed with separation from Kåñëa, loudly cried out “Kåñëa! Kåñëa!”
and thus exhibited His pastime of becoming most restless. “I will not enter into
family life; rather, I will go to Mathurä in search of Kåñëa, who has stolen My
heart.” Saying this, the Lord instructed His students who had accompanied
Him to Gayä to return to Navadvépa. Being greatly overwhelmed by
separation from Kåñëa, the Lord departed towards Mathurä in the early
morning without informing anyone, while addressing Kåñëa, “O dear Kåñëa, O
dear child! Where will I go? Where will I meet Muralé-vadana.” After walking
a little distance, the Lord heard a voice from the sky saying that the time had
not yet arrived for the Lord to visit Mathurä. The Lord should distribute
loving devotional service in Navadvépa for some time. Hearing this voice from
the sky, Gaurasundara stopped His journey and returned to His residence at
Gayä, where He took permission from Çrépäda Éçvara Puré and then returned
to Çré Navadvépa with His students. In this way the author has concluded the
topics of Ädi-khaëòa. The author, as a servant of Nityänanda, discloses that
his attempt of writing the biography of Çré Caitanya is simply due to the order
of Çré Nityänanda. After personally revealing his attachment for serving his
spiritual master, Çré Nityänanda, he humbly invites all living entities to accept
subordination at the lotus feet of Çré Nityänanda Prabhu and Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu.

TEXT 1

jaya jaya çré-gaurasundara maheçvara

jaya nityänanda-priya nitya-kalevara

TRANSLATION

1711
 All glories to the Supreme Lord, Çré Gaurasundara. All glories to
Nityänanda’s beloved Lord, who possesses an eternal body.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya sarva-vaiñëavera dhana präëa

kåpä-dåñöye kara’, prabhu, sarva-jéve träëa

TRANSLATION

All glories to the Lord, who is the life and wealth of all the Vaiñëavas. O
Lord, please deliver the living entities by Your merciful glance.

TEXT 3

ädi-khaëòa-kathä, bhäi, çuna sävadhäne

çré-gaurasundara gayä calilä yemane

TRANSLATION

O brothers, listen carefully to the topics of Ädi-khaëòa, which describe the

Lord’s journey to Gayä.

TEXT 4

hena-mate navadvépe çré-vaikuëöha-nätha

adhyäpaka-çiromaëi-rüpe kare väsa

1712
 TRANSLATION

In this way the Lord of Vaikuëöha resided at Navadvépa as the crest jewel of
teachers.

TEXTS 5-6

catur-dike päñaëòa bäòaye gurutara

’bhakti-yoga’ näma haila çunite duñkara

mithyä-rase dekhi’ ati lokera ädara

bhakta-saba duùkha baòa bhävena antara

TRANSLATION

As the number of atheists increased in Navadvépa, it became difficult to

even hear the mention of devotional service. The devotees were all distressed to
see that people were simply attached to illusory pleasures.

COMMENTARY

At that time, the devotees of Kåñëa situated in pure goodness were

extremely rare in the world. Since due to aversion to Kåñëa, many persons
were engaged in deceitful, envious, sinful, abominable activities, they were
unable to understand the glories of pure devotional service and considered
their imaginary processes based on their own respective tastes as topmost.
Therefore they took shelter of nondevotional paths and became averse to
devotional service. Since ordinary foolish people were covered by sense
gratification, fruitive activities, mental speculation, mystic yoga, and
austerities, they did not relish topics of pure devotional service in their

1713
polluted hearts. Therefore they all became opposed to the propagation of
devotional service to the Lord.
Ordinary mundane people were extremely intoxicated by drinking the
viñaya-viñöhä-rasa, the stool-like mellows of material enjoyment. Seeing that
they were averse to drinking the sac-cid-änanda-kåñëa-rasa, the eternally,
cognizant, blissful mellows of Kåñëa consciousness, and busy collecting
temporary anarthas devoid of nectar, the devotees of the Lord were always
greatly distressed and desired such persons’ eternal benefit. Aside from the
devotees, all the nondevotees simply spent their time uselessly envying each
other. Seeing the pathetic condition of the godless people, only the devotees
felt distress in their hearts and prayed to the Lord for such persons’ eternal
benefit. For a description of the situation at that particular time, one should
refer to the purport of verse 308 of the previous chapter.

TEXT 7

prabhu se äviñöa hai’ ächena adhyayane

bhakta-saba duùkha päya,—dekhena äpane

TRANSLATION

Although the Lord was absorbed in studying and teaching, He noted the
devotees’ distress.

TEXT 8

niravadhi vaiñëava-sabere duñöa-gaëe

nindä kari’ bule, tähä çunena äpane

1714
 TRANSLATION

He heard how the miscreants were constantly blaspheming the Vaiñëavas.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the cause of

all causes. All living entities are His devotees and controlled subordinate
servants. Therefore, on seeing the pathetic sinful propensities, the lack of
friendship, and the miserable condition of His servants, resulting from one
servant being envious of another servant, His compassion was aroused. The
devotees are never envious of other living entities, rather the nondevotees are
envious of the devotees. That is why Lord Çré Gaurasundara, who is
affectionate to His devotees, continued to hear about the criticism and torture
of the pure devotees by the godless nondevotees, who had forgotten their
constitutional position. In spite of hearing the blasphemy of His devotees, He
had not yet manifest Himself before the eyes of the public as the only
protector and maintainer of the devotees.

TEXTS 9-10

citte icchä haila ätma-prakäça karite

bhävilena—“äge äsi’ giyä gayä haite”

icchä-maya çré-gaurasundara bhagavän

gayä-bhümi dekhite haila icchä tä’na

TRANSLATION

The Lord thus desired to manifest Himself, but He thought He should first

1715
visit Gayä. The supremely independent Lord Gaurasundara desired to see the
holy place of Gayä.

COMMENTARY

The purport of the Lord’s visit to Gayä is as follows: Çré Gaurasundara

desired to visit Gayä in order to personally enact the pastime of accepting the
dress of a devotee prior to exhibiting His opulence of being the only shelter of
His devotees. One time the city of Gayä was greatly disturbed by the
Buddhists. The Buddhists started a powerful movement there for the purpose
of destroying karma-käëòa. In order to deliver those who follow Vedic
principles from the attack of the Buddhist revolutionaries, Gadädhara Viñëu
placed His lotus feet on the head of Gayäsura. The fruitive workers were
engaged in torturing Yajïeçvara Viñëu in various ways; that is why the Lord
manifested His incarnation of Buddha and exhibited the misuse of
karma-käëòa before the eyes of the public, thus refuting its false
misconceptions. Later on, the so-called followers of Buddha forgot their
constitutional duties of devotional service to Viñëu and accepted Buddha as
separate from Viñëu, thereby increasing the darkness of godless philosophy
that is opposed to the Vedas. Although the lotus feet of Viñëu were placed on
the head of the Buddhist äcärya, who was polluted with misconceptions,
aversion to pure devotional service was found in the consideration process of
those who rejected fruitive activities. Various desires for enjoying the
imaginary fruits of material enjoyment replaced unalloyed devotional service
to Viñëu in various småtis. Gaurasundara enacted the pastime of visiting Gayä
in order to cheat and bewilder ordinary mundane people who are attached to
fruitive activities and ignorant of the purport of the Vedas. Since the
philosophy of Cärväka was very prominent at that time, faith in the concept
of reincarnation was totally lost. Although the concept of reincarnation was
accepted by the Buddhists, the transcendental variegated pastimes of the
Supreme Lord, who is full in six opulences, did not find a place in their

1716
understanding. Subduing such Buddhist philosophy, which is opposed to the
Vedas, Lord Gadädhara Viñëu established at Gayä His supreme lotus feet,
which are full of transcendental variegatedness. According to the mantra
from Åg Veda: tredhä nidadhe padam—“I placed three steps,” Çré Vämanadeva
is the predominating Deity of Gayä-dhäma. By worshiping these lotus feet,
which are the source of transcendental pastimes, the impersonal conception of
the Lord is defeated.

TEXT 11

çästra-vidhi-mata çräddha karmädi kariyä

yäträ kari’ calilä aneka çiñya laiyä

TRANSLATION

After performing the çräddha ceremony for His father according to

scriptural injunctions, the Lord departed for Gayä with many of His students.

TEXT 12

jananéra äjïä lai’ mahä-harña-mane

calilena mahäprabhu gayä-daraçane

TRANSLATION

The Lord first took permission from Mother Çacé and then happily left to
see Gayä.

1717
 TEXT 13

sarva-deça-gräma kari’ puëya-tértha-maya

çré-caraëa haila gayä dekhite vijaya

TRANSLATION

As the Lord passed through the various towns and villages on the way to
Gayä, they were all turned into holy places by the touch of His lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

The second line of this verse indicates that the Lord’s lotus feet came to
Gayä; in other words, Lord Çré Gaurasundara, whose sanctified feet are the
source of all holy places, came here in order to purify the holy place of Gayä.
In the Lord’s journey to Gayä, all those villages and places that were marked
by His lotus feet, which purify the entire universe, became famous as most
sanctified holy places.

TEXT 14

dharma-kathä, väko-väkya, parihäsa-rase

mandäre äilä prabhu kateka divase

TRANSLATION

The Lord and His students conversed, joked, and discussed various religious
topics, and after a few days they arrived at Mandära Hill.

1718
 TEXT 15

dekhiyä mandäre madhusüdana tathäya

bhramilena sakala parvata svaléläya

TRANSLATION

The Lord first saw the Deity of Madhusüdana at the top of the hill, and
then He wandered about the hill according to His desire.

COMMENTARY

The words mandäre madhusüdana are explained as follows: From Calcutta

on the E.B.R. or E.I.R. railway, one should come to Bhagalpur Station, and
from there take the branch railway line up to Mandära Hill Station. Mandära
Hill is situated about 3 km. from this station. The peak of Mandära Hill is 3
km. from the foot of the hill. On the top of the hill there are two temples. Of
the two, the Deity of Madhusüdana was worshiped long ago in the bigger
temple. It is heard that both temples are presently under the control of the
Jains. Due to fear of the dacoit Käläpähäòa, the Deity of Madhusüdana was
shifted to the village Vauàsi, which is situated 3 km. from Mandära Hill and
400 cubits from Mandära Station, where He is presently being worshiped. By
the initiative of Çré Caitanya Maöha of Çrédhäma Mäyäpur, the site of ancient
Navadvépa and birthplace of Çré Gaura, we will soon establish a temple of Çré
Caitanya’s lotus feet at Mandära Hill.

TEXT 16

ei-mata kata patha äsite äsite

1719
 ära dina jvara prakäçilena dehete

TRANSLATION

While traveling like this, one day the Lord manifested a fever.

COMMENTARY

Although the original Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré Gaurasundara

is eternally perfect and possesses a sac-cid-änanda body, in order to deceive
and bewilder the conception and intelligence of the materialists, who are
illusioned by mäyä, He performed the drama of becoming afflicted with fever
just as the ordinary mundane body of a living entity who is forced to accept
the fruits of his karma becomes afflicted with fever.

TEXT 17

präkåta-lokera präya vaikuëöha-éçvara

loka-çikñä dekhäite dharilena jvara

TRANSLATION

In order to instruct people, the Lord of Vaikuëöha displayed a fever like an

ordinary person.

COMMENTARY

The sac-cid-änanda body of Viñëu, who is the controller of mäyä, is never

subjected to transformations like happiness and distress as experienced by
ordinary mortal beings. One who will consider the fully

1720
sac-cid-änanda-vigraha of Çré Caitanyadeva as equal to that of an ordinary
living entity will certainly sink in the mire of grave offenses. Fearing that
living entities who are forced to accept the fruits of their material activities,
who are qualified for being punished by Yamaräja, and who are subjected to
bewilderment and death would consider their mundane bodies spiritual and
that präkåta-sahajiyäs would consider themselves transcendentally liberated
Vaiñëavas, the Lord, in order to prohibit this and instruct people, enacted the
pastime of suffering from fever, as generally experienced by godless living
entities. In order that ignorant persons bewildered by mäyä would become
more illusioned by seeing these pastimes of Çré Gaurasundara, and to exhibit
the insignificance of their bewildered intelligence, Gaurasundara voluntarily
accepted the affliction of fever.

TEXT 18

madhya-pathe jvara prakäçilena éçvare

çiñya-gaëa hailena cintita antare

TRANSLATION

When the Lord manifested His fever halfway to Gayä, the hearts of His
students were filled with anxiety.

TEXT 19

pathe rahi’ karilena bahu pratikära

tathäpi nä chäòe jvara,—hena icchä täì’ra

1721
 TRANSLATION

They tried to cure Him with various remedies, but by the desire of the Lord
His fever did not subside.

TEXT 20

tabe prabhu vyavasthilä auñadha äpane

’sarva-duùkha khaëòe vipra-pädodaka-päne’

TRANSLATION

Then the Lord prescribed His own medicine, “If I drink the water that has
washed the feet of a brähmaëa, My suffering will be relieved.”

COMMENTARY

When in spite of using various medicines the Lord’s fever did not subside,
then in order to teach people the topmost position of brähmaëas who are
conversant with the science of Viñëu, the jagad-guru Lord, of His own will,
exhibited the pastime of accepting the remedy of water that had washed the
feet of a brähmaëa. By this act, the Lord on one hand exhibited the pastime of
creating illusion for mortal beings who are entangled in the fruits of karma
and who are eligible for the punishment of Yamaräja and on the other hand
He protected the prestige of those topmost brähmaëas who know the science
of Viñëu. Just as in the pastimes of Näräyaëa, the Lord increased the glories of
His devotees by accepting the mark of Bhågu’s foot on His own chest, in the
pastimes of Gaura, He established the prestige of bodies that are related to
Him. Without understanding this inconceivable confidential pastime of the
Lord, the community of foolish präkåta-sahajiyäs often become covered by

1722
conceptions of caste consciousness and end up drinking ordinary water that
has washed the feet of demoniac brähmaëas. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam
(7.11.35) it is stated:

yasya yal lakñaëaà proktaà puàso varëäbhivyaïjakam

yad anyaträpi dåçyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiçet

“If one shows the symptoms of being a brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya or çüdra,
as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be
accepted according to those symptoms of classification.” In order to eternally
benefit those who transgress this injunction and consider the Vaiñëavas, who
are spiritual masters of all brähmaëas, as çüdras, those who consider
non-Vaiñëavas as brähmaëas, and those who mistakenly accept the qualities of
çüdras as those of Vaiñëavas, the Lord enacted the pastime of drinking the
water that had washed the feet of a devotee brähmaëa. The brähmaëas who
are devoted to Acyuta are alone able to serve Lord Acyuta, while sinful çüdras
who are covered by the mode of ignorance are always devoid of the sacred
thread due to the predominance of ignorance, and therefore they are averse to
the service of the Lord. A brähmaëa who knows the science of Brahman
neither considers his body as his self nor engages in mental speculation. His
intelligence is not bewildered by limited, temporary, enjoyable material
objects. Since his consciousness is fully spiritualized, he should give up
material conceptions and cultivate Kåñëa consciousness while understanding
his relationship with the Lord. The word brähmaëa does not refer to kåpaëas,
or misers. The Dharma-çästra writer Atri has stated:

brahma-tattvaà na jänäti brahma-sütreëa garvitaù

tenaiva sa ca päpena vipraù paçur udähåtaù

“One who proudly advertises himself as a sanctified brähmaëa but is

ignorant of the Absolute Truth is because of this sin called a pasu-vipra.”
Therefore by drinking the water that has washed the feet of such a pasu-vipra,

1723
ordinary, foolish, bewildered living entities will immediately become pasus, or
animals.

TEXT 21

vipra-pädodakera mahimä bujhäite

päna karilena prabhu äpane säkñäte

TRANSLATION

The Lord then drank the water that had washed the feet of brähmaëas in
order to reveal its glories.

TEXT 22

vipra-pädodaka päna kariyä éçvara

sei-kñaëe sustha hailä, ära nähi jvara

TRANSLATION

As soon as the Lord drank that water, His fever subsided and He felt relief.

TEXT 23

éçvare ye kare vipra-pädodaka päna

e tä’na svabhäva,—veda-puräëa pramäëa

TRANSLATION

1724
 According to the Vedas and Puräëas, it is the nature of the Supreme Lord to
drink the water that has washed the feet of a brähmaëa.

COMMENTARY

One can never progress on the path of spiritual life by disregarding and
deviating from the principles of varëäçrama-dharma. Ordinary mundane
people who are attached to fruitive activities are unable to understand the
higher purpose of varëäçrama. One should fully respect those brähmaëas who
are situated on the highest platform from the material point of view. Çré
Gaurasundara neither transgressed the ordinary social customs of the time nor
totally disregarded the principles of karma-käëòa on the pretext of offering
oblations to His forefathers. One should not misunderstand by this that Çré
Gaurasundara accepted the path of karma-käëòa as the path of spiritual life.
Fearing that people may foolishly misunderstand the purport of the scriptures
and introduce the process of karma-käëòa as the spiritual path, the jagad-guru
Lord enacted the pastimes of drinking water that had washed the feet of a
brähmaëa and offering oblations to His forefathers at Gayä and thereafter
enacted the pastime of accepting spiritual Vaiñëava initiation. In the ideal
God conscious moral character of Çré Gaurasundara one can find enactment
of the following injunction mentioned in Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.20.9):

tävat karmäëi kurvéta na nirvidyeta yävatä

mat-kathä-çravaëädau vä çraddhä yävan na jäyate

“As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his
taste for devotional service by çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù one has to act
according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.”
Then such a person is constantly guided by the pure, spiritual,
transcendental consideration mentioned in the Närada Païcarätra as follows:

1725
 laukiké vaidiké väpi yä kriyä kriyate mune
hari-sevänukülaiva sa käryä bhaktim icchatä

“One should perform only those activities—either worldly or prescribed by

Vedic rules and regulations—which are favorable for the cultivation of Kåñëa
consciousness.” When a living entity thinks that obtaining physical and
mental happiness is the goal of life, then the waves of temporary mundane
thoughts never leave him, and in course of time his propensity for pious and
impious activities based on varëäçrama principles gradually transforms into
the propensity for prohibited sinful activities. As soon as the living entity
develops faith in topics related to the Lord, he realizes in his service inclined
heart that taking unalloyed shelter at the lotus feet of Çré Caitanya is the only
criteria for obtaining supreme eternal auspiciousness.
In Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 22.93) it is stated:

eta saba chäòi’ ära varëäçrama-dharma

akiïcana haïä laya kåñëaika-çaraëa

“Without hesitation, one should take the exclusive shelter of Lord Kåñëa
with full confidence, giving up bad association and even neglecting the
regulative principles of the four varëas and four äçramas. That is to say, one
should abandon all material attachment.” When one is situated on such an
exalted paramahaàsa Vaiñëava stage, then such a liberated soul no longer
needs to go to Gayä and offer oblations to his forefathers or drink the water
that has washed the feet of a brähmaëa. In the amala pramäëa (the spotless
Vedic authority) Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.11.32) it is stated:

äjïäyaivaà guëän doñän mayädiñöän api svakän

dharmän santyajya yaù sarvän mäà bhajeta sa tu sattamaù

“Such a person perfectly understands that the ordinary religious duties

prescribed by Me in various Vedic scriptures possess favorable qualities that
1726
purify the performer, and he knows that neglect of such duties constitutes a
discrepancy in one’s life. Having taken complete shelter at My lotus feet,
however, a saintly person ultimately renounces such ordinary religious duties
and worships Me alone. He is thus considered to be the best among all living
entities.” And in the Bhagavad-gétä (18.66) it is stated:

sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja

ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall
deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” If one discusses the above
two verses, then he will gradually become indifferent to worldly activities and
the search for impersonal Brahman. Although the Lord is the maintainer of
everyone, the protector of Sanätana-dharma, and the knower of religious
principles, He exhibited the pastime of following the principles of an inferior
platform in order to eternally benefit the living entities. One should not
misunderstand, however, that the spiritual progress of the living entities is
dependent simply on such inferior conceptions, or niyamägraha, simply
imitating without effect. From the spiritual point of view, the gradual
advancement or levels of the devotional path has been properly described by
Çré Rämänanda Räya, who is a mahä-bhägavata spiritual master of the
paramahaàsas, while replying to Çré Gaurasundara’s inquiries. The
Bhagavad-gétä, which was instructed to Arjuna by Lord Gaurasundara in His
pastimes as Kåñëa, also instructs karma-yoga and jïäna-yoga to conditioned
souls situated within aparä-prakåti, material nature, after carefully considering
their respective consciousness; and after fully rejecting their behavior it
establishes the supremely pure religion of devotional service as the topmost
means for achieving the goal of life. After hearing this most confidential
instruction, narrow-minded persons consider that engagement in devotional
service and engagement in sinful activities based on their narrow-mindedness
are equal. Although such considerations are full of ignorance and suitable for
unsuccessful yogis, according to Bhagavad-gétä (3.26): “So as not to disrupt the

1727
minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a
learned person should not induce them to stop work,” those who have strong
material conceptions, or those who make the mistake of considering
transcendental subject matters through their material faculties, and thus
consider transcendental subjects a product of the material world should, after
considering their own narrow-mindedness, forgive the devotees.

TEXT 24

ye yathä mäà prapadyante täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham

mama vartmänuvartante manuñyäù pärtha sarvaçaù

TRANSLATION

“As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My
path in all respects, O son of Påthä.”

COMMENTARY

“Lord Çré Kåñëa, using Arjuna as an audience, is herein refuting the

arguments of opponents, who may say, ’Isn’t the propensity for discrimination
is also present in You? You award devotional service only to those who
surrender unto You, but do You award to one who is full of material desires?’
’But I am speaking this verse in reply. The word yathä indicates those who
worship Me either with material desires or without material desires, whom I
simply reward accordingly (I give them fruits according to their worship), in
other words, I bestow mercy on them, but I do not neglect even those
ambitious persons who reject Me (with the desire to enjoy the fruits of karma)
and worship various demigods headed by Indra. This should be considered.
The reason is that the servants of various demigod like Indra indirectly follow

1728
My path of worship because I alone am worshiped even through the worship of
Indra.’” (Çrédhara Svämé’s Subodhiné commentary)

TEXT 25

ye tähäna däsya-pada bhäve nirantara

tähäna avaçya däsya karena éçvara

TRANSLATION

The Lord desires to be the servant of anyone who always desires to be a

servant of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

There is no possibility of achieving pure devotional service by either karma

or jïäna. Considering the qualification of those who cannot or do not desire
to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord, the Lord has inaugurated the
processes of karma and jïäna in this world. The conditioned souls wander
throughout the universe while following karma and jïäna. It is generally
found that such persons have no qualification for achieving devotional service
to the Lord. But when the desires for material enjoyment or liberation of
persons who are on the platform of devotional service mixed respectively with
karma or jïäna are gradually uprooted, then by the influence of pure
devotional service they can attain eternal supreme auspiciousness. Without
surrender, neither the karmis nor the jïänés are qualified for the service of the
Lord. The devotees of the Lord are constantly endeavoring to achieve the
eternally relishable service of the Lord. They are never prepared to serve any
temporary, mundane, enjoyable object that is not related to the Lord. The
Lord awards one the qualification to serve Him according to one’s service

1729
attitude. One should not misunderstand from this that the conditioned souls
may treat the Supreme Lord as a servant or independently subjugate Him by
considering Him a controlled instrument for fulfilling one’s illicit desires and
expect that the Lord will serve such an atheist as a so-called servant. Rather,
one must remember that in order to encourage the demoniac propensity of
being completely controlled by the mundane fruitive activities of living
entities averse to the Lord from time immemorial—in other words, in order to
deceive and bewilder the godless living entities—the Lord has engaged His
external energy, mäyä, on the pretext of facilitating such living entities. Due
to illusion the conditioned soul accepts the illusory energy of the Lord as an
object of enjoyment, as dear, as related to him, and as worshipable and thus
embraces misconceptions about the Absolute Truth, and in this way, rather
than worshiping the Lord, he becomes intoxicated with the desire to enjoy the
fruits of his karma. If one engages in the uninterrupted and unmotivated
devotional service of the Supreme Lord, who is eternally worshipable, the
proprietor of mäyä, and beyond the reach of material perception, then such a
fortunate living entity no longer maintains the propensity or desire for serving
temporary, separated, material objects. Then, on the pretext of accepting
service from His unalloyed devotee, the Lord also serves His own devotee.
Lord Çré Gaurasundara enacted the pastime of drinking the water that had
washed the feet of a brähmaëa in order to teach and glorify the propensity for
serving the Lord of brähmaëas who have given up temporary, abominable
material pride, who have become tåëäd api sunéca and taror api sahiñëunä, and
who have accepted the transcendental water that has washed the lotus feet of
the eternal Lord Çré Caitanyacandra as the only drinkable substance in the
entire creation. Being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord, the
smärtas and präkåta-sahajiyäs, who are averse to the Lord and baffled by mäyä,
consider that pure brähmaëas under the shelter of the lotus feet of Çré
Caitanya and demoniac brähmaëas who are averse to Hari, Guru, and
Vaiñëava and opposed to Çré Caitanya are equal; in other words, they consider
that so-called brähmaëas who are actually kåpaëas, travelers on the path to

1730
hell, absorbed in illusory activities not related to the Lord, and devoid of
spiritual knowledge regarding the inexhaustible, infallible Lord and brähmaëas
who are worshipers of the nondual Lord are of the same platform; but Çré
Gaurasundara displays the proper conclusion of the verse: çva-päkam iva
nekñeta loke vipram avaiñëavam—“If a person born in a brähmaëa family is an
avaiñëava, a nondevotee, one should not see his face, exactly as one should not
look upon the face of a caëòäla, or dog-eater,” and as a bona fide spiritual
master, He brings eternal auspiciousness to those präkåta-sahajiyäs and smärtas
by opening their eyes, which are covered by the darkness of ignorance. While
distorting the meaning of the Bhagavad-gétä (Bg 4.11) verse: ye yathä mäà
prapadyante täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham, persons who do not follow Vedic
principles, who commit mistakes, who are duplicitous, intoxicated,
short-sighted, habituated to cheating others, and expert in material knowledge
exhibit a type of foolishness that simply results in distortion and change of the
actual meaning. They are indifferent to understanding the meaning of the
word prapanna, or surrender, and consider proud non-Vaiñëava living entities
who are devoid of surrender on the same platform as surrendered Vaiñëavas.
They are fully engaged in activities that are detrimental to the neophytes of
this world who are ignorant of scriptural conclusions, in other words, they
ruin them. Only those devotees who are nonduplicitous, surrendered
worshipers of the Lord are qualified to serve the Lord, and the Lord also
reciprocates by awarding His own rare, loving devotional service to such
liberated souls. The Lord never reciprocates with deceitful, nondevoted
persons who desire liberation. In Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.6.18) it is stated:

astv evam aìga bhagavän bhajatäà mukundo

muktià dadäti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam

“Therefore, O King, those engaged in getting the Lord’s favor attain

liberation from the Lord very easily, but He does not very easily give the
opportunity to render direct service unto Him.” Mäyä, as the Lord’s
maidservant, bewilders the averse living entities into accepting the Supreme

1731
Lord as a product of matter, while in fact she is further increasing the averse
living entities’ entanglement in the material modes of nature.
Five types of devotional rasas are exchanged between the devotees and the
worshipable Lord, who is beyond the perception of material senses and the
only viñaya, or object, of all rasas. The Lord, as the viñaya, can favorably accept
any one of five types of rasas. In His form of Näräyaëa, the Lord accepts two
and half types of rasas—çänta (neutrality), däsya (servitorship), and
gaurava-sakhya (friendship in awe and veneration)—from His devotees on the
path of regulative devotional service, and as Vrajendra-nandana Kåñëa He
accepts the other two and half superior rasas—viçrambha-sakhya (friendship
in equality), vätsalya (parental), and madhura (conjugal)—from His devotees
on the path of anuräga, or attachment. In this way He awards any one of the
above-mentioned five rasas to His devotees on the path of attachment and
thus exhibits His qualities of bhakta-vätsalya, affection for His devotees, and
bhakta-premädhénatva, being controlled by the love of His devotees.

TEXT 26

ataeva näma tä’na ’sevaka-vatsala’

äpane häriyä bäòäyena bhåtya-bala

TRANSLATION

The Lord is therefore known as sevaka-vatsala, or He who is favorably

inclined to His servants. He accepts defeat in order to increase His devotees’
glories.

COMMENTARY

On the path of regulative devotional service in which the worshipable Lord

1732
is Viñëu, the qualities of opulence, rather than sweetness, and regulative awe
and reverence, rather than attachment, are more prominent. But in Kåñëa’s
service, which is full of sweetness, the sweetness of the Lord’s opulence is not
covered, and since affection for His servants is extremely prominent therein,
those loving servants are more prestigious and exalted. By this, one should not
misunderstand that the diminished prominence of opulence in sweetness
diminishes the prominence of sweetness, or that the Lord’s being controlled is
an exaggeration.
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.9.37), the Lord’s quality of being conquered by
His devotee is described by the great devotee Bhéñmadeva, as he prays to Kåñëa
from his bed of arrows as follows: “Fulfilling my desire and sacrificing His own
promise, He got down from the chariot, took up its wheel, and ran towards me
hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He even dropped His outer
garment on the way.”
The Lord’s quality of being controlled by the love of His devotees is
explained by Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé to Mahäräja Parékñit in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam (10.9.18-19) as follows: “Because of Mother Yaçodä’s hard labor,
her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb
were falling from her hair. When child Kåñëa saw His mother thus fatigued,
He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound. O Mahäräja Parékñit, this
entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord Çiva, Lord Brahmä
and Lord Indra, is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Yet the Supreme Lord has one transcendental attribute: He comes under the
control of His devotees. This was now exhibited by Kåñëa in this pastime.”

TEXT 27

sarvatra rakñaka-hena prabhura caraëa

bala dekhi,—ke-mate chäòibe bhakta-gaëa?

1733
 TRANSLATION

The devotees have only the Lord as their protector, therefore how can they
give up His lotus feet?

COMMENTARY

The unalloyed devotees can never give up the service of the lotus feet of
Lord Viñëu, who is very affectionate to His devotees. The Lord also never
gives up His unalloyed devotees. In other words, the Lord and His devotees
can never be separated for even a moment, rather the Lord always protects His
devotees in all respects. The devotees also protect the Lord from the attacks of
the impersonal Mäyävädés. Delivering the Lord from the cruel hands of those
who are hostile to Him is a display of the devotees’ compassion. Moreover, by
always broadcasting His glories through His devotees, the Lord protects the
nondevotees from immediate destruction. In order to increase the glories of
His beloved pure brähmaëas, the Lord concluded His pastime of having fever
and thus broadcast in this world the glories of brähmaëas who are engaged in
the service of Kåñëa.

TEXT 28

hena-mate kari’ prabhu jvarera vinäça

punapunä-térthe äsi’ hailä prakäça

TRANSLATION

After being cured of His fever in this way, the Lord and His students came
to the bank of the holy Punpunä River.

1734
 COMMENTARY

The word punpunä-tértha refers to the Punpunä River. This river is famous
in two places. The first is near the Punpun Station, which is the next station
after Patna on the Patna-Gayä line branching from the main E.I.R. line, and
the other is near the Pämära-gaïja Station on the E.I.R. Grand Chord line.
Travelers coming from the east alight at Punpun Station, and those coming
from the west alight at Pämära-gaïja Station. Mahäprabhu marked places near
Punpun Station with His sanctified lotus feet, which are rare for even the
demigods. Presently the servants of Çré Caitanya Maöha, situated in Çré
Mäyäpur, are attempting, as they are at Mandära Hill, to establish a temple
there dedicated to the lotus feet of Çré Caitanya.

TEXT 29

snäna kari’ pitå-deva kariyä arcana

gayäte praviñöa hailä çré-çacénandana

TRANSLATION

After taking bath and offering oblations to His forefathers, Çré Çacénandana
entered Gayä.

COMMENTARY

In order to deceive and bewilder the smärtas, who are attached to fruitive
activities, Çré Gaurasundara purified Himself by taking bath and displayed the
pastime of offering oblations to His forefathers according to karma-käëòa
injunctions in order to fulfil His debts to His forefathers. According to worldly
customs mentioned in the Dharma-çästras, one should take bath in a river

1735
before entering a holy place. The Lord exhibited the pastime of following this
injunction and then entered Gayä. Simply by undeviated worship of Lord
Acyuta, the controller of all controllers, all one’s debts are cleared—those
attached householders who lack faith in this statement assist their forefathers
in again receiving gross bodies in this world by offering them oblations,
imagining that they have become ghosts.
For the description and glories of Gayä-tértha, one should see the Garuòa
Puräëa, Chapters 82-86, the Väyu Puräëa, Çveta-varäha-kalpa, Chapter 108,
and the Agni Puräëa, Chapters 114-116.

TEXT 30

gayä tértha-räje prabhu praviñöa haiyä

namaskarilena prabhu çrékara yuòiyä

TRANSLATION

As the Lord entered Gayä, the king of holy places, He offered obeisances
with folded hands.

COMMENTARY

By offering obeisances to Gayä, which is the king of holy places, the Lord
displayed His quality of bhakta-vätsalya, affection for His devotees.

TEXT 31

brahma-kuëòe äsi’ prabhu karilena snäna

1736
 yathocita kailä pitå-devera sammäna

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the Lord came to Brahma-kuëòa, wherein He took bath and

offered oblations to His forefathers.

COMMENTARY

All the activities performed by the Lord beginning at Punpun up to His

entrance into Gayä-dhäma were simply meant for attracting people, yet it can
not be denied that there was also spiritual significance in these activities.

TEXT 32

tabe äilena cakraveòera bhitare

päda-padma dekhibäre calilä satvare

TRANSLATION

The Lord then entered Cakraveòa and quickly went to see the lotus feet of
Lord Viñëu.

COMMENTARY

The word cakraveòa refers to Gayä-tértha. This is where the lotus feet of
Viñëu are situated.

TEXT 33

1737
 vipra-gaëa veòiyäche çré-caraëa-sthäna
çré-caraëe mälä,—yena deula-pramäëa

TRANSLATION

Countless flower garlands were stacked like a temple dome on Lord Viñëu’s
footprints, which were surrounded on all sides by brähmaëas.

COMMENTARY

The word deula (derived from the Sanskrit word deva-kula) means “the
house of the Lord” or “a temple.”

TEXT 34

gandha, puñpa, dhüpa, dépa, vastra, alaìkära

kata paòiyäche,—lekhä-jokhä nähi tära

TRANSLATION

Unlimited sandalwood paste, flowers, incense, and cloth had been offered at
the lotus feet of the Lord.

COMMENTARY

The word lekhä in the phrase lekhä-jokhä is derived from the Sanskrit verb
likh, which means “to write,” and the word jokhä is derived from the Hindi
word jokhnä, which means “to weigh.” Therefore the phrase lekhä-jokhä means
“numbers and quantity,” “weight and items,” “writing and counting,” or
“accounting and certificates.”

1738
 TEXT 35

catur-dike divya rüpa dhari’ vipra-gaëa

kariteche päda-padma-prabhäva varëana

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëas appeared like divine beings as they described the glories of
the Lord’s lotus feet.

TEXT 36

“käçénätha hådaye dharilä ye-caraëa

ye-caraëa niravadhi lakñméra jévana

TRANSLATION

“Lord Çiva accepted these same lotus feet in his heart, and these same lotus
feet are constantly served by Lakñmé.

COMMENTARY

The word käçénätha refers to Lord Çiva, the controller of the universe.

TEXT 37

bali-çire ävirbhäva haila ye-caraëa

1739
 sei ei dekha, yata bhägyavanta jana

TRANSLATION

“These lotus feet were placed on the head of Bali Mahäräja. O fortunate
souls, now see those same lotus feet here.

TEXT 38

tilärddheko ye-caraëa dhyäna kaile mätra

yama tära nä hayena adhikära-pätra

TRANSLATION

“One who meditates on these lotus feet for even a moment never comes
under the jurisdiction of Yamaräja.

TEXT 39

yogeçvara-sabära durlabha ye-caraëa

sei ei dekha, yata bhägyavanta jana

TRANSLATION

“These lotus feet are rarely attained by even the best of yogis. O fortunate
souls, now see those same lotus feet here.

COMMENTARY

1740
 The word yogeçvara refers to a person who has achieved the fruit of mystic
perfections in the form of merging into the existence of the Lord or a person
who is full of mystic perfections attained through haöha or räja yogas.
Those who are expert in yoga-çästras merge into the existence of the Lord.
Such yogis who have merged themselves in the existence of the Lord are never
qualified to see the lotus feet of the Lord. The reason for this is that according
to them the object of service, the servant, and the service are all one,
therefore there is no scope for spiritual variegatedness. Therefore the yogis are
most unfortunate; since they are bereft of the highest goal of life, love of God,
the fortunate devotees condemn rather than respect their ultimate desired
goal.

TEXT 40

ye-caraëe bhägérathé hailä prakäça

niravadhi hådaye nä chäòe yäre däsa

TRANSLATION

“The Ganges emanated from these lotus feet, and the servants of the Lord
constantly keep these lotus feet in their hearts.

TEXT 41

ananta-çayyäya ati-priya ye-caraëa

sei ei dekha, yata bhägyavanta jana”

TRANSLATION

1741
 “These lotus feet are most enchanting on the bed of Ananta. O fortunate
souls, now see those same lotus feet here.”

TEXT 42

caraëa-prabhäva çuni’ vipra-gaëa mukhe

äviñöa hailä prabhu premänanda-sukhe

TRANSLATION

Hearing the glories of the Lord’s lotus feet from the brähmaëas, the Lord
became absorbed in ecstatic love.

COMMENTARY

The phrase caraëa-prabhäva is explained as follows: Imagining the Supreme

Lord to be formless, the impersonalists cannot understand the wonders of the
Lord’s eternal form, which attracts even self-satisfied souls. The
impersonalists’ process of consideration arises from material conceptions.
After subduing the impersonal philosophy, the lotus feet of the Lord were
installed on the head of Gayäsura at Gayä; these lotus feet of the Lord are the
source of all spiritual pastimes. The voidism of the Buddhists and the
impersonalism of the païcopäsakas are buried under these lotus feet of
Gadädhara. Since the païcopäsakas ultimately become impersonalists, they are
simply Buddhists in disguise. The conceptions of the fruitive workers who are
opposed to Vedic injunctions are under the shelter of ignorance; the
conceptions of the Buddhists are opposed to the Vedas and deny spiritual
existence; and the conceptions of the impersonalists, though not directly
Buddhist, superficially follow the Vedas, deny material existence, and are a
covered form of Buddhism. Since the covered Buddhist impersonalists and

1742
their followers, the païcopäsakas, consider the eternal form and eternal lotus
feet of Gadädhara as material, perceivable by their senses, and products of
material nature, they are eternally bereft of the good fortune of seeing them.
The devotees who accept the eternally variegated pastimes of the Lord never
give respect to the philosophy of covered Buddhism that superficially follows
the Vedas. The lotus feet of the Lord attract Çiva, Brahmä, Çukadeva, and
many other self-satisfied souls; they are the eternal Absolute Truth, or
sac-cid-änanda-vigraha. Therefore the impersonalists’ conception of
païcopäsana, which is meant for cheating people, is nothing but a means for
cheating innocent foolish people. Therefore the most intelligent devotees
never accept impersonalism, the covered form of Buddhism.

TEXT 43

açru-dhärä vahe dui çré-padma-nayane

loma-harña-kampa haila caraëa-darçane

TRANSLATION

As the Lord looked at those lotus feet, tears flowed from His lotus eyes, His
hairs stood on end, and He began shivering.

TEXT 44

sarva-jagatera bhägye prabhu gauracandra

prema-bhakti-prakäçera karilä ärambha

TRANSLATION

1743
 Lord Gauracandra then began to manifest ecstatic devotional service for the
benefit of the entire world.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara appeared in this world in order to bestow eternal benefit

on the universe. So far He had not manifested any sign of awarding loving
devotion to the people of this world. But after seeing the lotus feet of the Lord
at Gayä, He inaugurated His pastimes of awarding loving devotion to the
people of the world. Understanding that these lotus feet of the Lord had
appeared in the material world to give pious persons who are free from the
clutches of impersonalism an opportunity to serve the Lord’s lotus feet, the
Lord became overwhelmed with the eight transformations of ecstatic love.
Being bereft of Kåñëa’s service, persons who are averse to Kåñëa in this world
maintain the sinful desire of becoming the Lord or the enjoyer of the material
world. After destroying the conditioned souls’ desire for material enjoyment
or liberation, when the lotus feet of the Lord appear in the purified hearts of
the living entities, then their propensity for serving the Lord is awakened. In
order to exhibit and preach this great truth, the Lord accepted the dress of a
devotee and had darçana of the transcendental lotus feet of Gadädhara
through His service inclined senses. When living entities bound by gross and
subtle chains wander throughout the material sky, they remain averse to the
service of the Lord. But when their service propensity is awakened on the
strength of mercy received from Hari, Guru, and Vaiñëava, then the lotus feet
of the worshipable Lord Viñëu become the object of those servants’ awakened
spiritual propensity. Without a service mentality, one cannot become
fortunate enough to see the form of the Lord. Without the piety resulting
from devotional service, one’s faith does not awaken. On the strength of piety
born of the devotees’ mercy, a living entity receives the opportunity to hear
topics of Lord Hari. Sometimes on the strength of piety born from Kåñëa’s
mercy a living entity becomes freed from the bondage to material sense objects

1744
and thus encounters the worshipable Lord Kåñëa—this is spiritual vision.
When, after full surrender, a living entity hears and glorifies topics of Lord
Kåñëa, the propensity of his consciousness is constantly engaged in the service
of Kåñëa—this is the result of piety born of a devotee’s mercy. In spite of being
the only worshipable object of all surrendered souls, Çré Gaurasundara
considered Himself a servant of the worshipable object and thus began to
propagate transcendental love of Kåñëa by chanting His glories. The eight
transformations of ecstatic love manifested in the body of the Lord as a result
of seeing the lotus feet of Gadädhara marked the beginning of His propagation
of loving devotional service.

TEXT 45

avicchinna gaìgä vahe prabhura nayane

parama-adbhuta saba dekhe vipra-gaëe

TRANSLATION

The brähmaëas were all startled to see tears flow from the Lord’s eyes like
the unbroken flow of the Ganges.

TEXT 46

daiva-yoge éçvara-puré o sei-kñaëe

äilena éçvara-icchäya sei-sthäne

TRANSLATION

By the divine will of the Supreme Lord, at that moment Çré Éçvara Puré

1745
arrived at that place.

COMMENTARY

When Lord Çré Gaurasundara’s hair stood on end due to love of God while
seeing His own lotus feet, by the will of the Lord and by providence, Çré Éçvara
Purépäda arrived there as a mahänta-guru in order to serve his own Lord by
assisting Him in His pastimes. In order to disclose that He is a descendent of
Çrémad Pürëaprajïa Madhväcärya Änandatértha in the Vedic disciplic
succession, Çré Gaurasundara, who is the Supreme Lord of all äcäryas, inspired
Éçvara Purépäda to come there.

TEXT 47

éçvara-purére dekhi’ çré-gaurasundara

namaskarilena ati kariyä ädara

TRANSLATION

On seeing Çré Éçvara Puré, Çré Gaurasundara respectfully offered him

obeisances.

TEXT 48

éçvara-puré o gauracandrere dekhiyä

äliìgana karilena mahä-harña haiyä

TRANSLATION

1746
 Éçvara Puré was also delighted to see Gauracandra, and he happily embraced
Him.

TEXT 49

doìhäkära vigraha doìhäkära prema-jale

siïcita hailä premänanda-kutühale

TRANSLATION

In the ecstasy of meeting each other, they both became soaked with tears of
love.

COMMENTARY

As an affectionate, unalloyed, confidential disciple of Mädhavendra Puré,

who is the original seedling of the desire tree of love of God, Çré Éçvara
Purépäda is attached to prema-bhakti, loving devotional service. By seeing
Gaurasundara’s display of a devotee’s characteristics, the eternally perfect
mood of the devotees was enhanced and manifested. Now, for the benefit of
people, the meeting between the Supreme Lord and the topmost devotee and
mahänta-guru blossomed their flowerlike transformations of ecstatic love that
destroyed the contamination in the polluted hearts of persons who were averse
to Kåñëa. Being filled with wonderful ecstasy, Çré Gaurasundara began to
describe the glories of the lotus feet of the spiritual master, who is the
bestower of transcendental knowledge and who is unlimitedly superior to
Gayä-tértha.

TEXT 50

1747
 prabhu bale,—“gayä-yäträ saphala ämära
yata-kñaëe dekhiläìa caraëa tomära

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “My journey to Gayä has become successful the moment I
was able to see your lotus feet.

COMMENTARY

While wandering throughout the fourteen worlds under the shelter of

karma and jïäna, by good fortune and piety resulting from devotional service,
the living entities receive the opportunity to see the lotus feet of the spiritual
master, who is the reservoir of the seed of devotional service. Just by seeing the
spiritual master, one’s unauthorized, mundane, sensual, argument-based
knowledge is checked and the topmost shining glories of devotional service
manifest in the heart. This is the fruit of visiting holy places. Çrémad
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, the crest-jewel of the mahäjanas, has written in his
Kalyäëa-kalpa-taru as follows:

mana, tumi térthe sadä rata

ayodhyä, mathurä, mäyä, käçé, käïci, avantiyä,
dvärävaté, ära äche yata

“My dear mind, you are always attached to the different places of
pilgrimage such as Ayodhyä, Mathurä, Haridvära, Käçé, Käïci, Avanté, and
Dvärakä.

tumi cäha bhramibäre, e sakala bäre bäre,

mukti-läbha karibära tare
se sakala taba bhrama, nirarthaka pariçrama,

1748
 citta sthira térthe nähi kare

“You want to travel to all these holy places of pilgrimage again and again
for the sake of obtaining liberation. But it is clear that your heart is not
becoming resolutely fixed by going to all these places; therefore all of your
wanderings are simply useless labor.

tértha-phala sädhu-saìga, sädhu-saìge antaraìga

çré-kåñëa-bhajana manohara
yathä sädhu, tathä tértha, sthira kari’ nija citta,
sädhu-saìga kara nirantara

“The real benefit of visiting any holy place is to achieve the association of
the pure-hearted devotees of the Lord living there. Establishing intimate and
friendly relations with such great souls, let your heart be captivated by
performing the charming worship of Lord Kåñëa in their association.
Wherever the Lord’s devotees are living, that place becomes a place of
pilgrimage. Therefore you should become fixed by constantly remaining in the
company of such devotees.

ye térthe vaiñëava näi, se térthete nähi yäi,

ki läbha häìöiyä düra-deça
yathäya vaiñëava-gaëa, sei stäna våndävana,
sei sthäne änanda açeña

“I never visit any so-called place of pilgrimage that is devoid of the

presence of unalloyed devotees, for what benefit is gained by walking to such
distant places? Wherever there are devotees, that place is actually Våndävana.
Only there can one find unlimited spiritual pleasure.

kåñëa-bhakti yei sthäne, mukti däsé seikhäne,

salila tathäya mandäkiné
giri tathä govardhana, bhümi tathä våndävana,

1749
 ävirbhüta äpani hlädiné

“Liberation personified is herself the humble maidservant of places that are

surcharged with devotion to Kåñëa. All the water at the place is the celestial
Ganges, every hill there is Govardhana, and the very earth is indeed
Våndävana. Only such a place can manifest the eternal spiritual joy which is
revealed by the Lord’s pleasure-potency.

vinoda kahiche bhäi, bhramiyä ki phala päi,

vaiñëava-sevana mora vrata

“I ask you now, dear brother, what benefit would I get by circumambulating
all the holy places of pilgrimage? Personally, my vow is to serve the Vaiñëavas
with firm resolution and untiring endeavor.”

TEXTS 51-52

térthe piëòa dile se nistare pitå-gaëa

seha,—yäre piëòa deya, tare’ sei jana

tomä’ dekhilei mätra koöi-pitå-gaëa

sei-kñaëe sarva-bandha päya vimocana

TRANSLATION

“If one offers oblations to the forefathers in a holy place, then the
forefathers are delivered. But one delivers only he to whom the oblation was
offered. By seeing you, however, millions of forefathers are immediately freed
from material bondage.

1750
 COMMENTARY

“Only those forefathers who are offered oblations at Gayä are delivered as a
result of receiving those oblations, yet simply on the strength of piety accrued
by seeing an eternally perfect associate of Kåñëa like yourself, millions of
forefathers whose names are unknown are immediately delivered from the
ocean of material existence. There is no need to separately offer them
oblations for their deliverance. Those most fortunate living entities who
receive the mercy of seeing a beloved associate of the Lord deliver millions of
their forefathers from the bondage of repeated birth and death; in other
words, they attain Vaikuëöha through the worship of the Lord.”

TEXT 53

ataeva tértha nahe tomära samäna

térther o parama tumi maìgala pradhäna

TRANSLATION

“Therefore holy places are not equal to you, for you purify even the holy
places.

COMMENTARY

“Only one who is offered oblations at Gayä is delivered, but for one who
sees a Vaiñëava, millions of his forefathers are liberated. Therefore the
Vaiñëavas are much more exalted than the holy places. You are the purifier of
all holy places and a more beneficial Vaiñëava guru. This is confirmed in the
following statement of Dharmaräja Yudhiñöhira to Bhaktaräja Vidura in

1751
Çrémad Bhägavatam (1.13.10):

bhavad-vidhä bhägavatäs tértha-bhütäù svayaà vibho

térthé-kurvanti térthäni sväntaù-sthena gadäbhåtä

’My lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified.
Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all
places into places of pilgrimage.’”

TEXT 54

saàsära-samudra haite uddhäraha more

ei ämi deha samarpiläìa tomäre

TRANSLATION

“Please deliver Me from the ocean of material existence. I surrender Myself

unto you.

COMMENTARY

Taking shelter at the lotus feet of a spiritual master is the main entrance to
the practice of devotional service to the Lord. That is why the spiritual master
of all servants and the äcärya of abhidheya, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé Prabhupäda,
has in the course of describing the symptoms of devotional service in his
Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu written as follows:

guru-pädäçrayas tasmät kåñëa-dékñädi-çikñaëam

viçrambheëa guroù sevä sädhu-vartmänuvartanam

Those living entities who desire their eternal ultimate benefit and freedom

1752
from material bondage should first take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master
who is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord. There is no way of being
delivered from the ocean of anarthas without fully surrendering at the lotus
feet of the spiritual master. Unless one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual
master who is fixed in the Absolute Truth and conversant in Vedic
knowledge, a living entity cannot attain the goal of life through the process of
argument. The argument-afflicted hearts of godless people who are
ever-forgetful of the lotus feet of the spiritual master and who are averse to
the Vedic way of life have taken shelter of the four defects—bhrama (the
tendency to commit mistakes), pramäda (the tendency to be illusioned),
vipralipsä (the tendency to cheat) and karaëäpäöava (imperfect senses)—in
such a way that there is no scope for taking shelter of the lotus feet of the
spiritual master, rather there is only guru-droha and bhagavad-droha, envy of
the spiritual master and envy of the Supreme Lord. Those who are determined
to merge into the ocean of material existence have no goal other than the
unauthorized path of argument. They are unable to accept the shelter of the
Vedic way of life or a bona fide spiritual master. If persons who are averse to
the service of the Lord and who follow the path of argument proudly accept a
so-called guru who is an attached householder covered by unauthorized
seminal considerations as their spiritual master, and if, being induced by blind
faith, they continue like this for millions of kalpas, they will never achieve
eternal benefit. In order to propagate this great truth and educate people,
jagad-guru Çré Gaurasundara considered Himself a surrendered soul at the
lotus feet of the guru and thus instructed everyone about çaraëägati, in the
form of ätma-nikñepa and kärpaëya, full self-surrender and humility. Those
who follow the path of material argument in order to fulfil the deficiency and
insubstantiality of a spiritual master who is fully surrendered to Kåñëa and
whose all endeavors are meant for the pleasure of Kåñëa have no possibility of
being delivered from the pangs of hell.

1753
 TEXT 55

’kåñëa-päda-padmera amåta-rasa päna

ämäre karäo tumi’—ei cähi däna”

TRANSLATION

“I beg that you make Me drink the nectar of Kåñëa’s lotus feet.”

COMMENTARY

Persons in whose hearts the eternally beneficial realization, sajätéyäçaye

snigdhe sädhau saìgaù svato vare—“One should associate with the devotees
who are more advanced than oneself and endowed with a similar type of
affection for the Lord,” is prominent can alone fully surrender, or take shelter
of the lotus feet of the spiritual master. Considering that the lotus feet of the
Supreme Lord are the only object of service and to set example for
practitioners who desire love of God, the Lord, who is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, exhibited the pastime of accepting Çré Éçvara
Purépäda, the recipient of Mädhavendra Purépäda’s mercy, as His spiritual
master and thus bestowed mercy on him. There was no contradiction in the
begging at the lotus feet of the spiritual master for the alms of drinking the
nectar of Kåñëa’s lotus feet by the Lord, who acted as the disciple, and the
awarding of those alms by the donor Éçvara Purépäda, who acted as the guru.

na dhanaà na janaà na sundaréà

kavitäà vä jagad-éça kämaye
mama janmani janmanéçvare
bhavatäd bhaktir ahaituké tvayi

“O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy

1754
beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is
the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth.”
The purport of this verse offered by the Lord in prayer at the lotus feet of Çré
Gadädhara manifested and constantly remained in the heart of Çré Éçvara
Purépäda on the strength of Çré Mädhavendra Puré’s full nonduplicitous mercy.

TEXT 56

balena éçvara-puré,—“çunaha, paëòita!

tumi ye éçvara-aàça,—jäninu niçcita

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré then said, “Listen, dear Paëòita. I know without doubt that You
are an expansion of the Supreme Lord.

COMMENTARY

Éçvara Purépäda, the Lord’s associate and servant of the mahä-bhägavata

guru, constantly engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord. Therefore,
since the principle of offering respect to others without expecting any honor
was brightly shining in him, he instructed Gaurasundara, who acted as his
disciple, as follows: “You are the knower of all living entities’ bondage and
liberation. You are an expansion of the Supreme Lord; in other words, You are
directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all other controllers are
Your expansions—I am confident about this.” In consideration of the
Absolute Truth, the living entities are the fragmental parts and parcels of the
Lord, who is full in six opulences. But in this case, since Gaurasundara was
enacting the pastimes of a disciple, He exhibited the pastime of hearing in
disciplic succession from the lotus mouth of His spiritual master the

1755
conclusion that the living entities are parts of Lord Viñëu, in other words,
they are separated parts.

jévera ’svarüpa’ haya——kåñëera ’nitya-däsa’

kåñëera ’taöasthä-çakti’ ’bhedäbheda-prakäça

“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of

Kåñëa because he is the marginal energy of Kåñëa and a manifestation
simultaneously one and different from the Lord.” Constitutionally, the
separated parts of the Supreme Lord have no material designations; in other
words, the living entities cannot remain in any occupation other than the
service of the Lord. Living entities who are forgetful of their constitutional
position and averse to the service of the Lord are subjected to the bondage of
material existence. In that state the valor of body and mind is prominent in
their activities. The Lord is the Supersoul, and the living entity is an
infinitesimal soul and therefore His fragmental part. The Lord is the infinitely
potent, fully cognizant personality, and the spirit soul is a minute, liberated
spiritual spark.

TEXT 57

ye tomära päëòitya, ye caritra tomära

seha ki éçvara-aàça bai haya ära?

TRANSLATION

“Can anyone other than an expansion of the Supreme Lord possess the
extraordinary learning and characteristics that You have?

COMMENTARY

1756
 “Due to absorption in mäyä, materially conditioned souls are under the
control of the illusory energy of the Lord, but for pure spirit souls there is no
scope for absorption in mäyä. The characteristics of conditioned souls and the
characteristics of liberated souls are not ’one;’ therefore I do not consider You
anyone other than an expansion of the Supreme Lord. It is understood from
Your learning and characteristics that You are none other than an expansion
of the Supreme Lord.”

TEXT 58

yena äji ämi çubha svapna dekhiläìa

säkñäte tähära phala ei päiläìa

TRANSLATION

“I had an auspicious dream last night, and today I’ve obtained the fruits of
that dream.

TEXT 59

satya kahi, paëòita! tomära daraçane

paränanda-sukha yena päi anukñaëe

TRANSLATION

“O Paëòita, I’m telling You the truth! I’m feeling great ecstasy every
moment since I’ve seen You.

1757
 TEXT 60

yadavadhi tomä’ dekhiyächi nadiyäya

tadavadhi citte ära kichu nähi bhäya

TRANSLATION

“From the time I saw You in Nadia, my heart has had no other attraction.

TEXT 61

satya ei kahi,—ithe anya kichu näi

kåñëa-daraçana-sukha tomä’ dekhi päi”

TRANSLATION

“I’m speaking the truth, nothing else. When I see You, I feel the happiness
of seeing Kåñëa.”

COMMENTARY

“Since I saw You in Navadvépa, no other subject matter has occupied my

heart. This is indeed the truth. There is no doubt about it. As soon as I see You
with my eyes smeared with the ointment of love, I experience the same
indescribable happiness as when I see Kåñëa.”

TEXT 62

1758
 çuni’ priya éçvara-puréra satya väkya
häsiyä balena prabhu,—“mora baòa bhägya”

TRANSLATION

Hearing His beloved Éçvara Puré’s truthful words, the Lord smiled and said,
“It is My great fortune.”

TEXT 63

ei-mata kata ära kautuka-sambhäña

yata haila, tähä varëibena veda-vyäsa

TRANSLATION

In this way the two exchanged many other pleasing words which will be
described in the future by Vedavyäsa.

TEXT 64

tabe prabhu täna sthäne anumati laiyä

tértha-çräddha karibäre vasilä äsiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord then took leave of Éçvara Puré and went to offer oblations to His
forefathers.

1759
 COMMENTARY

It is the prescribed duty for one to offer oblations to his forefathers when
visiting a holy place. Gaurahari enacted the pastime of taking permission from
Éçvara Purépäda and then offering oblations at Gayä according to prescribed
duties. The path of pure devotional service and the path of fruitive activities
based on the småtis are not similar. Only after rejecting fruitive activities can
one enter into spiritual life. Since materially conditioned living entities are
not self-realized or God-realized before hearing topics of the Lord, they take to
fruitive activities such as offering oblations to their forefathers and the
demigods according to external considerations.

TEXT 65

phalgu-térthe kari’ bälakära piëòa däna

tabe gelä giriçåìge preta-gayä-sthäna

TRANSLATION

The Lord went to the Phalgu River and offered oblations to the forefathers
with sand. Then the Lord went to Preta-gayä on top of the hill.

COMMENTARY

The Phalgu River flows under a bed of sand at Gayä. There is a system for
offering oblations with sand at this place. In order to bewilder and deceive
fruitive workers, Gaurahari enacted the pastimes of offering oblations to His
forefathers with sand. Thereafter He went to Preta-gayä on top of the hill.
There are 395 steps leading to Preta-gayä that where built in 1775. The steps
were built by Madana Mohana Datta Mahäçaya, who was known among people

1760
as Kuvera, who was a renowned “black merchant,” and who was born in the
famous Datta family of Häöa-kholä, Calcutta. On the wall of the temple there
is an inscription reading: “Çré Çré Rädhä-Kåñëäya namaù. Çré
Caitanya-candräya namaù. Çré Çiva-Durgä çaraëam. Jaya Rämaù. O Lord
Madana-mohana, I beg at Your lotus feet for the benediction of good fortune
for me and my entire family. Seeing the difficulty people took to climb this
high hill to reach Preta-gayä, a person named Madana Mohana has built a
beautiful wide staircase for the benefit of the pilgrims and the pleasure of Lord
Näräyaëa, the husband of Lakñmé.” Construction on the 395 steps was begun
and completed in the year 1775.

TEXT 66

preta-gayä-çräddha kari’ çré-çacénandana

dakñiëäye väkye tuñilena vipra-gaëa

TRANSLATION

Çré Çacénandana offered çräddha at that place and then satisfied the
brähmaëas there with sweet words.

COMMENTARY

After enacting the pastime of offering oblations at Preta-gayä, the Lord

satisfied the local brähmaëas with dakñiëä in the form of various sweet words.
It is seen that pilgrims offer excessive respect and donations to the priests at
Gayä. What to speak of this, the foolish, most greedy päëòäs of Gayä have
pilgrims worship their feet with flowers and tulasé leaves and thus accumulate
grave offenses. That is why the Lord, rather than encouraging such offensive
activities, satisfied the päëòäs simply with sweet words.

1761
 TEXT 67

tabe uddhäriyä pitå-gaëa santarpiyä

dakñiëa-mänase calilena harña haiyä

TRANSLATION

After duly delivering the forefathers, the Lord happily went to

Dakñiëa-mänasa.

TEXT 68

tabe calilena prabhu çré-räma-gayäya

räma-avatäre çräddha karilä yathäya

TRANSLATION

He next went to Çrérama-gayä, where He had previously performed çräddha

in His incarnation as Rämacandra.

TEXT 69

eho avatäre sei-sthäne çräddha kari’

tabe yudhiñöhira-gayä gela gaurahari

TRANSLATION

In this incarnation He again performed çräddha at that place. Thereafter

1762
Lord Gaurahari went to Yudhiñöhira-gayä.

TEXT 70

pürve yudhiñöhira piëòa dilena tathäya

sei prétye tathä çräddha kailä gaura-räya

TRANSLATION

Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja had previously performed çräddha there. Out of

affection for Yudhiñöhira, Gaura also performed çräddha there.

TEXT 71

catur-dike prabhure veòiyä vipra-gaëa

çräddha karäyena sabe paòäna vacana

TRANSLATION

All the brähmaëas there sat around the Lord and directed Him in the
procedures of the çräddha ceremony.

TEXT 72

çräddha kari’ prabhu piëòa phele yei jale

gayäli-brähmaëa saba dhari’ dhari’ gile

TRANSLATION

1763
 As the Lord performed çräddha and offered oblations in the water, all the
resident brähmaëas grabbed the offerings and ate them.

COMMENTARY

The word gayäli (derived from the Hindi word gayäoyäla) refers to the
päëòäs of Gayä (the brähmaëa priests) or the residents of Gayä. In this verse
the extremely greedy nature of the brähmaëa priests of Gayä is seen.

TEXT 73

dekhiyä häsena prabhu çré-çacénandana

se-saba viprera yata khaëòila bandhana

TRANSLATION

Çré Çacénandana smiled on seeing this, and thus the brähmaëas were freed
from all material bondage.

TEXT 74

uttara-mänase prabhu piëòa däna kari’

bhéma-gayä karilena gauräìga çré-hari

TRANSLATION

The Lord next offered çräddha at Uttara-mänasa. He then went to

Bhima-gayä.

1764
 TEXT 75

çiva-gayä brahma-gayä ädi yata äche

saba kari’ ñoòaça-gayäya gelä päche

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the Lord performed the prescribed rites at Çiva-gayä,

Brahma-gayä, and finally at Ñoòaça-gayä.

TEXT 76

ñoòaça-gayäya prabhu ñoòaçé kariyä

sabäre dilena piëòa çraddhä-yukta haiyä

TRANSLATION

While at Ñoòaça-gayä, the Lord faithfully offered çräddha with sixteen

ingredients on behalf of all His forefathers.

COMMENTARY

The word ñoòaçé refers to a particular type of çräddha in which the

following sixteen ingredients are offered: land, äsana, water, cloth, ghee lamp,
rice, betel nuts, umbrella, sandalwood paste, flower garland, fruits, bedding,
shoes, cows, gold, and silver; or it may refer to a kind of sacrificial pot. As
stated: “In the Atirätra sacrificial performance, the acceptance or rejection of
the ñoòaçé pot depends on one’s prior vow.”

1765
 TEXT 77

tabe mahäprabhu brahma-kuëòe kari’ snäna

gayä-çire äsi’ karilena piëòa däna

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the Lord took bath at Brahma-kuëòa and offered oblations at

Gayä-çira.

TEXT 78

divya mälä-candana çré-haste prabhu laiyä

viñëu-pada-cihna püjilena harña haiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord then personally worshiped Lord Viñëu’s footprints with flower
garlands and sandalwood paste.

TEXT 79

ei-mata sarva-sthäne çräddhädi kariyä

väsäya calilä vipra-gaëe santoñiyä

TRANSLATION

After completing His offerings of çräddha and satisfying the brähmaëas at

1766
all the recommended places, the Lord returned to His room.

COMMENTARY

Regarding the karma-käëòa system of performing çräddha at Gayä, in the

Viñëu Puräëa (2.16.4) Aurva spoke to Sagara Mahäräja the following words:

gayäm upetya yaù çräddhaà karoti påthivé pate

saphalaà tasya taj janma jäyate pitå tuñöidam

“O King, a person who goes to Gayä and offers oblations makes his life
successful by satisfying his forefathers.”

TEXT 80

tabe mahäprabhu kata-kñaëe sustha haiyä

randhana karite prabhu vasilena giyä

TRANSLATION

After He took some rest, the Lord then sat down to cook.

TEXT 81

randhana sampürëa haila, henai samaya

äilena çré-éçvara-puré mahäçaya

TRANSLATION

As soon as the Lord finished cooking, Çré Éçvara Puré arrived there.

1767
 TEXT 82

prema-yoge kåñëa-näma balite balite

äilena prabhu-sthäne òhulite òhulite

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré’s head was rolling back and forth in ecstatic love as he arrived
there chanting the names of Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

While chanting the holy names of Kåñëa, Éçvara Purépäda was overwhelmed
with love of God and unable to control his balance as he came before Çré
Gaurasundara. At that time the Lord was engaged in cooking.

TEXT 83

randhana eòiyä prabhu parama-sambhrame

namaskari’ täne vasäilena äsane

TRANSLATION

The Lord immediately left the kitchen and, after respectfully offered
obeisances, He seated Éçvara Puré comfortably.

TEXT 84

1768
 häsiyä balena puré,—“çunaha, paëòita!
bhälai samaye hailäìa upanéta”

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré smiled and said, “Listen, O Paëòita. I see I’ve come at the right
time.”

TEXT 85

prabhu bale,—“yabe haila bhägyera udaya

ei anna bhikñä äji kara mahäçaya”

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “It will be My good fortune if you accept your meal here
today.”

TEXT 86

häsiyä balena puré,—“tumi ki päibe?”

prabhu bale,—“ämi anna rändhibäìa ebe”

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré smiled and said, “Then what will You eat?” The Lord replied, “I
will cook again.”

1769
 TEXT 87

puré bale,—“ki-kärye karibe ära päka?

ye anna ächaye, tähä kara’ dui-bhäga

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré then said, “What is the need for cooking again? Divide whatever
You have in two portions.”

TEXT 88

häsiyä balena prabhu,—“yadi ämä’ cäo

ye anna haiyäche, tähä tumi saba khäo

TRANSLATION

The Lord smiled and said, “If you really want to please Me, then eat
whatever I’ve cooked.

TEXT 89

tilärddheke ära anna rändhibäìa ämi

nä kara’ saìkoca kichu, bhikñä kara, tumi”

TRANSLATION

“I’ll cook again within a moment. You take your meal without hesitation.”

1770
 TEXT 90

tabe prabhu äpanära anna täìre diyä

ära anna rändhite se gelä harña haiyä

TRANSLATION

The Lord then gave His meal to Éçvara Puré and happily went to cook for
Himself.

TEXT 91

hena kåpä prabhura éçvara-puré-prati

purér o nähika kåñëa-chäòä anya-mati

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré’s mind never deviated from the lotus feet of Kåñëa, therefore the
Lord bestowed such mercy on him.

TEXT 92

çré-haste äpane prabhu kare pariveçana

paränanda-sukhe puré karena bhojana

TRANSLATION

The Lord served Éçvara Puré with His own hands, and Éçvara Puré thus ate

1771
in great ecstasy.

TEXT 93

sei-kñaëe ramä-devé ati-alakñite

prabhura nimitta anna rändhilä tvarite

TRANSLATION

At that time Ramädevé, the goddess of fortune, quickly cooked for the Lord
while remaining unseen by all.

COMMENTARY

Remaining out of the sight of materially conditioned living entities, Çré

Mahä-Lakñmédevé, who is the dearmost maidservant of Gaura-Näräyaëa,
immediately cooked nectarean foodstuffs for her beloved husband.

TEXT 94

tabe prabhu äge täne bhikñä karäiyä

äpane o bhojana karilä harña haiyä

TRANSLATION

Then, after the Lord first fed Éçvara Puré, He happily ate Himself.

TEXT 95

1772
 éçvara-puréra saìge prabhura bhojana
ihära çravaëe mile kåñëa-prema-dhana

TRANSLATION

One who hears about the Lord taking His meal with Éçvara Puré will achieve
the wealth of love of Kåñëa.

TEXT 96

tabe prabhu éçvara-puréra sarva-aìge

äpane çré-haste lepilena divya-gandhe

TRANSLATION

The Lord with His own hands then smeared sandalwood paste on the body
of Éçvara Puré.

COMMENTARY

The jagad-guru Lord set the ideal example of serving the spiritual master by
personally smearing the body of Éçvara Purépäda with sandalwood pulp as a
menial disciple. While serving the spiritual master, who is a manifestation of
the Supreme Lord, Gaurahari taught everyone that the best ingredients of this
world should never be used for one’s own sense gratification, rather they
should be utilized only for the service of Hari, Guru, and Vaiñëava.

TEXT 97

1773
 yata préta éçvarera éçvara-purére
tähä varëibäre kon jana çakti dhare

TRANSLATION

Who has the ability to describe the Lord’s love for Çré Éçvara Puré?

COMMENTARY

The word éçvarera refers to the Supreme Lord, Çré Gaurasundara.

TEXT 98

äpane éçvara çré-caitanya bhagavän

dekhilena éçvara-puréra janma-sthäna

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord, Çré Caitanya, personally visited the birthplace of Éçvara
Puré.

COMMENTARY

The birthplace of Éçvara Puré is situated in the village of Kumärahaööa,

which is 3 km. from the Halisahara Station on the E.B.R. line. Recently the
sakhébhekés have introduced their unauthorized standard of worship at this
birthsite.
Seeing, offering obeisances to, and circumambulating the Lord’s birthplace
are some of the limbs of pure devotional service.

1774
 TEXT 99

prabhu bale,—“kumärahaööerer namaskära

çré-éçvara-puréra ye-gräme avatära”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “I offer My obeisances to the village of Kumärahaööa, where

Çré Éçvara Puré appeared.”

TEXT 100

kändilena vistara caitanya sei sthäne

ära çabda kichu nähi ’éçvara-puré’ vine

TRANSLATION

Lord Caitanya cried profusely at that place and spoke nothing other than the
name of Éçvara Puré.

TEXT 101

se-sthänera måttikä äpane prabhu tuli’

lailena bahirväse bändhi’ eka jhüli

TRANSLATION

The Lord took some dust from the birthplace of Éçvara Puré and tied it in

1775
His cloth.

TEXT 102

prabhu bale,—“éçvara-puréra janma-sthäna

e måttikä-ämära jévana dhana-präëa

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “The dust from the birthplace of Éçvara Puré is My life,
wealth, and living force.”

TEXT 103

hena éçvarera préta éçvara-purére

bhaktere bäòäte prabhu saba çakti dhare

TRANSLATION

The Lord exhibited such affection for Éçvara Puré, because He takes
pleasure in increasing the glories of His devotees.

COMMENTARY

Because the Lord worships His devotees, Lord Gaurasundara increased the
prestige of His dear devotees by accepting Éçvara Purépäda as His spiritual
master.

1776
 TEXT 104

prabhu bale,—“gayä karite ye äiläìa

satya haila,—éçvara-purére dekhiläìa”

TRANSLATION

The Lord said, “I came to Gayä to offer oblations to My forefathers. Now

that I have seen Éçvara Puré, My journey has become successful.”

COMMENTARY

In order to teach His sädhaka disciples, the Lord, as spiritual master of the
world and teacher of all, personally spoke the following words: “On the
occasion of My visit to Gayä, I was fortunate enough to see the lotus feet of
the spiritual master, who is the personification of the holy places, and as a
result I have attained the fruits of visiting all holy places.”

TEXT 105

ära dine nibhåte éçvara-puré-sthäne

mantra-dékñä cähilena madhura-vacane

TRANSLATION

On another day the Lord went privately to Éçvara Puré and in sweet words
requested him for initiation.

COMMENTARY

1777
 The phrase mantra-dékñä is defined in the Bhakti-sandarbha (207) as
mantra-dékñä-rüpaù anugrahaù—“receiving mercy in the form of initiation.”
According to the passage, mananät träyate yasmät tasmän mantraù prakértitaù,
a mantra is that which delivers one from manana, or absorption in the
separate temporary objects of the temporary, external, enjoyable world, or that
which delivers the material enjoyer from the principle of enjoying material
existence. It is stated in the Viñëu-yämala:

divyaà jïänaà yato dadyät kuryät päpasya saìkñayam

tasmäd dékñeti sä proktä deçikais tattva-kovidaiù

“Dékñä is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental

knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person
expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as dékñä.”
According to regulative principles, the initiation ceremony has five factors.
Among them, the three saàskäras—täpa-saàskära, ürdhva-puëòra-saàskära,
and näma-saàskära—are found in the gross material world. Apart from these
three, those who are madhyama-adhikärés can undergo mantra-saàskära and
yoga-saàskära and thus become fully initiated with the five saàskäras.
Thereafter, those who perform navejyä-karma, or nine forms of arcana, and
master the knowledge of artha-païcaka are called uttama-adhikärés. Persons
who have received päïcarätrika initiation are qualified to worship the Deities.
By the influence of mantra-dékñä, a living entity attains freedom from the
bondage of material existence. Then, by attaining perfection in chanting one’s
mantra, knowledge of the Lord and His holy names awakens in one’s heart
and one becomes qualified to serve the lotus feet of Kåñëa. In the
bhägavata-sampradäya, the kaniñöha-adhikärés who engage in Deity worship
lack scientific knowledge regarding the devotees of the Lord, because at that
stage, apart from worshiping the Deity, appreciation for the wonderfully
glorious service of the Lord’s associates does not manifest in their materialistic
hearts. Gradually, due to increased good fortune and the mercy of the Lord,

1778
when the living entities surpass the stage of kaniñöha and become conversant
in knowledge about the devotees, then by the result of achieving
transcendental knowledge the four following principles are found: love for the
Lord, friendship with those who are attached to His servants, display of mercy
by instructing the innocent who are ignorant of the Absolute Truth, and
neglect of those who are opposed to the Lord. In the advanced stage of
uttama-adhikäré, the principle of neglecting those who are averse to the Lord is
slackened and, as a result, one obtains indirect cultivation of Kåñëa
consciousness by which the conception that everything in the world is meant
for the service of Kåñëa awakens and thus one always and everywhere
continually remembers the Lord.

TEXT 106

puré bale,—“mantra vä baliyä kon kathä?

präëa ämi dite päri tomäre sarvathä”

TRANSLATION

Éçvara Puré replied, “What to speak of mantra, I can give my life to You.”

TEXT 107

tabe täna sthäne çikñä-guru näräyaëa

karilena daçäkñara-mantrera grahaëa

TRANSLATION

Then in order to instruct everyone, the Lord accepted the ten syllable

1779
mantra from Éçvara Puré.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara is directly Çré Kåñëa. (In the first verse of Léläçuka
Bilvamaìgala’s Çré Kåñëa-karëämåta it is stated: çikñä-guruç ca bhagavän
çikhi-piïcha-mauliù—“All glories to my instructing spiritual master, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who wears peacock feathers in His crown.”)
Though situated in the heart of Éçvara Purépäda as the caitya-guru Supersoul,
in order to instruct everyone that it is essential for a person desiring to attain
the goal of life to first take shelter at the lotus feet of the spiritual master,
Mahäprabhu personally accepted Purépäda as His guru and enacted the
pastime of receiving the ten syllable mantra from him.

TEXT 108

tabe prabhu pradakñiëa kariyä purére

prabhu bale,—“deha ämi diläìa tomäre

TRANSLATION

The Lord then circumambulated Éçvara Puré and said, “I fully surrender
Myself unto you.

TEXT 109

hena çubha-dåñöi tumi karaha ämäre

yena ämi bhäsi kåñëa-premera sägare”

1780
 TRANSLATION

“Please glance mercifully on Me, so that I may float in the ocean of love of
Kåñëa.”

COMMENTARY

Some people consider the tri-varga—religiosity, economic development,

and sense gratification—as the goal of life, and some consider liberation the
goal of life; but most people are unable to ascertain the fifth goal, love of God,
as the goal of life. In order to instruct people, jagad-guru Gaurasundara
enacted the pastimes of a disciple desiring to attain love of Kåñëa by
completely rejecting the four cheating objectives of life—dharma, artha, käma
and mokña—and praying to His spiritual master, Éçvara Purépäda, for love of
Kåñëa, which is the only principle goal for a devotee to achieve. Personally
realizing that love of Kåñëa is the only goal of life, He then glorified it before
Éçvara Puré.

TEXT 110

çuniyä prabhura väkya çré-éçvara-puré

’prabhure dilena äliìgana vakñe dhari’

TRANSLATION

Hearing the Lord’s words, Çré Éçvara Puré embraced Him.

TEXT 111

1781
 doìhära nayana-jale doìhära çaréra
siìcita hailä preme, keha nahe sthira

TRANSLATION

The bodies of both became soaked with their tears and agitated due to
ecstatic love.

TEXT 112

hena-mate éçvara-purére kåpä kari’

kata-dina gayäya rahilä gaurahari

TRANSLATION

In this way, while bestowing mercy on Éçvara Puré, Çré Gaurahari remained
in Gayä for a few days.

COMMENTARY

Inexperienced material enjoyers, fruitive workers, celibates, yogis, mental

speculators, and ascetics, who are all busy fulfilling their material desires that
are not related to Kåñëa, think that Gaurasundara is a mortal living entity
forced to accept the fruits of His karma like themselves, and therefore He was
obliged to accept someone as His spiritual master in order to attain freedom
from the bondage of material existence. Due to this offensive mentality, they
display superficial respect to mundane, nondevotee, so-called gurus and thus
accumulate offenses at the feet of guru-tattva, the bona fide guru. But in this
case, even though Lord Caitanyadeva is personally the supreme object of
worship, in order to show honor and respect for His own beloved devotee, He

1782
established him as His spiritual master and thus exhibited His real mercy.

TEXT 113

ätma-prakäçera äsi’ haila samaya

dine-dine bäòe prema-bhaktira vijaya

TRANSLATION

As the time became ripe for the Lord to reveal Himself, His loving
devotional sentiments increased day by day.

COMMENTARY

While playing the role of an ideal devotee, the Supreme Lord

Gaurasundara thereafter enacted the pastime of displaying the internal
mentality of a self-realized, surrendered living entity. Progressively
däsya-prema-bhakti, sakhya-prema-bhakti, vätsalya-prema-bhakti, and
madhura-prema-bhakti in the mood of a beloved increased in the Lord’s heart
in ever-fresh ways. Vätsalya-prema-bhakti is included in
madhura-prema-bhakti, sakhya-prema-bhakti is included in
vätsalya-prema-bhakti, däsya-prema-bhakti is included in sakhya-prema-bhakti,
and the neutral çänta-bhakti is included in däsya-prema-bhakti. The eternal
constitutional form of a conditioned soul is first covered by a subtle body in
the form of mind, and then it is covered by a gross body to wander throughout
the external world. Within these two temporary material bodies, the eternal
spirit soul is situated. As soon as the dormant soul is revived, the material body
and mind of the conditioned state immediately come under control.
Otherwise, when these two material designations are prominent and the spirit
soul is not awakened from his conditioned state, no symptoms of the

1783
propensity for serving the Supreme Lord, which is the eternally perfected
constitutional duty, are found in him.

TEXT 114

eka-dina mahäprabhu vasiyä nibhåte

nija-iñöa-mantra dhyäna lägilä karite

TRANSLATION

One day the Lord sat down in a solitary place and began to meditate on His
ten syllable mantra.

TEXT 115

dhyänänande mahäprabhu bähya prakäçiyä

karite lägilä prabhu rodana òäkiyä

TRANSLATION

After some time, when the Lord regained His external consciousness, He
began to shed tears and call for Kåñëa.

COMMENTARY

The word dhyäna is defined (in Bhakti-sandarbha 278) as viçeñato rüpädi

cintanaà dhänam—“the transcendental spiritual cultivation of specifically
contemplating the forms, names, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord.” No one
should think that the word dhyäna refers to the practice of contemplating the

1784
enjoyable objects of the material world. In the Absolute Truth, which is the
goal of viñëu-mantras, there are no objects enjoyable or perceivable to the
material senses of the conditioned souls. Since there is no possibility of
transcendence in artificial meditators’ contemplation on their respective
worshipable lords concocted by their temporary minds, which are absorbed in
material objects, such persons are simply another branch of the
präkåta-sahajiyä-sampradäya. Since the Absolute Truth is the object of
meditation for pure minds and is situated beyond this material kingdom,
pleasing Him by contemplating the form of that Absolute Truth by the pure
mind through meditation is the limb of devotional service known as dhyäna,
or meditation. The transcendental symptoms that Çré Gaurasundara exhibited
in the external world after engaging in the cultivation of Kåñëa consciousness
by meditating on His worshipable mantra are indicative of His
vipralambha-rasa, or feelings of separation from Kåñëa. At that time, in spite
of being with Kåñëa, He felt that He had not achieved Him, so shedding tears
became His principle activity. Feelings of separation alone are the means and
nourishment for sambhoga, or conjugal love in direct contact. In order to
remove illusions born of the false conclusions of those who accept sambhoga
rather than vipralambha as their sädhana, the Lord, who proudly considered
Himself a servant afflicted with separation from Kåñëa, the supreme goal,
taught that the mood of separation is the means of achieving the goal of life.
Actually, the Lord appeared in this world from the spiritual world, Goloka,
simply to preach the glories of the radiant exalted mood of separation from the
Lord in this world. Not understanding these mysteries, the präkåta-sahajiyäs
accept the Çäkteya philosophy of sambhoga, which is averse to devotional
service and ruins everything, and thus establish and advertise themselves as
another community of material enjoyers. Considering Himself a surrendered
servant, afflicted with separation from Kåñëa, Çré Gaurasundara began to cry
while loudly addressing Kåñëa in a devotion-filled voice.

1785
 TEXT 116

“kåñëa re! bäpa re! mora jévana çré-hari!

kon dike gelä mora präëa kari’ curi?

TRANSLATION

“O My dear Kåñëa! O father! O Hari, My life and soul! Where did You go
after stealing My heart?

COMMENTARY

TRBeing situated in the mood of pure däsya-rasa as a servant of Kåñëa, the

Lord considered Kåñëa as His father and Himself as the son and began to
speak as follows: “O father, Kåñëa, You are My life and soul. Where did You go
after stealing My heart? I have become overwhelmed by not finding the object
stolen by You. But I have certainly understood that the same thief who has
stolen My heart is My maintainer and protector.”

TEXT 117

päinu éçvara mora kon kike gelä?”

çloka paòi’ prabhu kändite lägilä

TRANSLATION

“I saw My Lord, but now where has He gone?” The Lord then began to cry
and recite various verses.

1786
 COMMENTARY

The verses dealing with feelings of separation from Kåñëa in the Çrémad
Bhägavatam are as follows: 10.30.5-12, 10.31.10-31, and 10.47.12-21. These verses,
however, should be discussed only by qualified persons.

TEXT 118

prema-bhakti-rase magna hailä éçvara

sakala çré-aìga haila dhüläya dhüsara

TRANSLATION

The Lord was absorbed in sentiments of ecstatic love, and His entire body
was covered with dust.

TEXT 119

ärta-näda kari’ prabhu òäke uccaiù-svare

“kothä gelä, bäpa kåñëa, chäòiyä mohare?”

TRANSLATION

He loudly cried out in distress, “Where did You go, leaving Me behind, My
dear child Kåñëa?”

COMMENTARY

When Kåñëa was leaving Vraja for Mathurä, Nanda and Yaçodä, who are

1787
situated in vätsalya-rasa, addressed Kåñëa as bäpa, or “dear child,” out of
vipralambha-rasa; so for the Lord, who was playing the role of a devotee, to cry
out bäpa 1(12) is most reasonable. Although Çré Gaurasundara is the object of
five types of rasas, He nevertheless displayed the pastimes of being the abode
of those five rasas. Since Kåñëa alone is the object of the five rasas, the
separated living entities know Kåñëa as the object of their respective rasas in
their perfected state. In mädhurya-rasa, He is the lover; in vätsalya-rasa, He is
the son; in sakhya-rasa, He is the friend; in däsya-rasa, He is the young boy of
Vraja, son of the King of Vraja; and in çänta-rasa, He is the unknown
worshipable object for the spiritually sheltered cows, sticks, and flutes. In this
way the one, supreme, nondual spiritual object, Kåñëa, is served by the Goloka
Våndävana residents, who are under the shelter of five types of rasas, with five
types of moods.

TEXT 120

ye prabhu ächilä ati-parama-gambhéra

se prabhu hailä preme parama-asthira

TRANSLATION

That Lord who was previously most grave now became greatly agitated in
ecstatic love.

COMMENTARY

That same Nimäi Paëòita, who as a teacher in Navadvépa was previously

most grave, has today become most agitated in love for Kåñëa. The
incomparable nature of love for Kåñëa is such that, when overcome by it, even
a person as grave as millions of oceans becomes controlled by the most

1788
wonderful restlessness and waywardness. One should discuss the following
verse from Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 4.147): “The beauty of Kåñëa has one
natural strength: it thrills the hearts of all men and women, beginning with
Lord Kåñëa Himself.” It is also stated (Antya 3.268): “The holy name of Kåñëa
is so attractive that anyone who chants it—including all living entities,
moving and nonmoving, and even Lord Kåñëa Himself—becomes imbued with
love of Kåñëa. This is the effect of chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra.”

TEXT 121

gaòägaòi’ yäyena kändena ucca-svare

bhäsilena nija-bhakti-viraha-sägare

TRANSLATION

He rolled on the ground, cried loudly, and floated in the ocean of devotional
feelings of separation.

COMMENTARY

The phrase bhakti-viraha-sägare means “in the mature stage of

vipralambha-rasa.”

TEXT 122

tabe kata-kñaëe äsi’ sarva-çiñya-gaëe

sustha karilena äsi’ açeña yatane

TRANSLATION

1789
 Then, after some time, Nimäi’s students came and pacified Him with great
care.

TEXT 123

prabhu bale,—“tomarä sakale yäha ghare

mui ära na yäimu saàsära-bhitare

TRANSLATION

The Lord said to them, “You all go back to Navadvépa, I will not return to
material life.

TEXT 124

mathurä dekhite mui calimu sarvathä

präëanätha mora kåñëacandra päìa yathä”

TRANSLATION

“I must go see Mathurä, where I’ll see the Lord of My life, Çré
Kåñëacandra.”

COMMENTARY

Being absorbed in the mood of the gopés, who are the abodes of
madhura-rasa, the phrase präëanätha kåñëacandra is used by the Lord to
address Vrajendra-nandana, who is the object of that rasa.

1790
 TEXT 125

nänä-rüpe sarva-çiñya-gaëa prabodhiyä

sthira kari’ räkhilena sabäi miliyä

TRANSLATION

The students tried in various ways to solace the Lord and keep Him
peaceful.

TEXT 126

bhakti-rase magna hai’ vaikuëöhera pati

citte svästhya nä päyena, rahibena kati

TRANSLATION

The Lord of Vaikuëöha, however, was absorbed in devotional sentiments

and His heart was agitated, so how could He remain peaceful?

TEXT 127

kähäre nä bali’ prabhu kata-rätri-çeñe

mathuräke calilena premera äveçe

TRANSLATION

Early one morning, without informing anyone, the Lord departed for

1791
Mathurä in ecstatic love.

COMMENTARY

Being absorbed in the mood of the gopés, who were afflicted with separation
for Kåñëa after He left for Mathurä, Gaurasundara became so overwhelmed
with love of Kåñëa that early one morning, without informing anyone, He left
for Mathurä to search for Kåñëa.

TEXT 128

“kåñëa re! bäpa re mora! päimu kothäya?”

ei-mata baliyä yäyena gaura-räya

TRANSLATION

As Lord Gaura walked, He called out, “O Kåñëa! O My dear child! Where

can I find You?”

COMMENTARY

Moreover, being absorbed in the vatsala-rasa of Vraja, He loudly addressed

Kåñëa in a piteous tone and displayed the pastime of searching for Kåñëa.

TEXT 129

kata düra yäite çunena divya-väëé

“ekhane mathurä nä yäibä, dvijamaëi!

1792
 TRANSLATION

After traveling a while, the Lord heard a voice from the sky say, “O
crest-jewel of the brähmaëas, don’t go to Mathurä now.

TEXT 130

yäibära käla äche, yäibä takhane

navadvépe nija gåhe calaha ekhane

TRANSLATION

“You will go when the appropriate time comes. Now You should return to
Your house in Navadvépa.

TEXT 131

tumi çré-vaikuëöha-nätha loka nistärite

avatérëa haiyächa sabära sahite

TRANSLATION

“You are the Lord of Vaikuëöha, and You have appeared along with Your
associates to deliver the people of the world.

TEXT 132

ananta-brahmäëòa-maya kariyä kértana

1793
 jagatere biläibä prema-bhakti-dhana

TRANSLATION

“When You distribute the wealth of ecstatic love, Your kértana will
inundate innumerable universes.

TEXTS 133-134

brahmä-çiva-sanakädi ye-rase vihvala

mahäprabhu ’anaa’ gäyena ye maìgala

tähä tumi jagatere dibära käraëe

avatérëa haiyächa,—jänaha äpane

TRANSLATION

“You have advented to distribute that love which Lord Ananta always
glorifies and which Brahmä, Çiva, and the four Kumäras are overwhelmed with.
This fact is known to You.

TEXTS 135-137

sevaka ämarä, tabu cähi kahibära

ataeva kahiläìa caraëe tomära

äpanära vidhätä äpane tumi prabhu

tomära ye icchä, se laìghana nahe kabhu

1794
 ataeva, mahäprabhu! cala tumi ghara
vilambe dekhibä äsi’ mathurä-nagara”

TRANSLATION

“We are Your servants, therefore we offer this reminder at Your lotus feet.
O Lord, You are supremely independent; whatever You desire cannot checked
by anyone. Therefore, O Lord, please return home. You will see the city of
Mathurä later.”

COMMENTARY

The demigods spoke from the sky, “O Supreme Lord Gaurasundara! As

Your eternal servants we are reminding You that You have appeared in this
world to distribute love of God through the chanting of the holy names. At
present there is no need for You to go to Mathurä. You are the supreme
controller of everyone; no one can transgress Your supreme will. Therefore
don’t go to Mathurä now, rather return to Çré Mäyäpur-Navadvépa.”

TEXT 138

çuniïä äkäça-vaëé çré-gaurasundara

nivarta hailä prabhu hariña-antara

TRANSLATION

After hearing the voice from the sky, Çré Gaurasundara was satisfied and
stopped His journey.

1795
 TEXT 139

väsäya äsiyä sarva-çiñyera sahite

nija-gåhe calilena bhakti prakäçite

TRANSLATION

The Lord returned to His room in Gayä and then took His students back to
Navadvépa, where He revealed the devotional service of Kåñëa.

TEXT 140

navadvépe gauracandra karilä vijaya

dine-dine bäòe prema-bhaktira udaya

TRANSLATION

After Lord Gauracandra arrived in Navadvépa, His loving sentiments began

to increase day by day.

TEXT 141

ädi-khaëòa-kathä paripürëa ei haite

madhya-khaëòa-kathä ebe çuna bhäla-mate

TRANSLATION

The topics of Ädi-khaëòa are thus completed. Please hear now the topics of

1796
Madhya-khaëòa.

TEXT 142

ye vä çune éçvarera gayäya vijaya

gauracandra prabhu täre miliba hådaya

TRANSLATION

One who hears about the Lord’s visit to Gayä will see Lord Gauracandra in
his heart.

COMMENTARY

Çré Gaurasundara will appear in the heart of one who hears His pastimes of
delivering Gayä-tértha. In order to set an ideal example for prospective
spiritualists, at Gayä, Gaurasundara primarily enacted the pastime of taking
shelter at the lotus feet of His spiritual master and receiving his mercy; thus
He inaugurated the pastimes of distributing love and devotion. Therefore by
hearing Gaurasundara’s pastime of visiting Gayä, the propensities for both
sinful and pious activities will be completely eradicated and the brightness and
supremacy of devotional service to the Lord will be firmly established in the
heart.

TEXT 143

kåñëa-yaça çunite se kåñëa-saìga päi

éçvarera saìge tära kabhu tyäga näi

1797
 TRANSLATION

One who hears glorification of Kåñëa directly associates with Kåñëa and is
never separated from Him.

COMMENTARY

By hearing glorification of Gaura-Kåñëa one achieves Gaura-Kåñëa’s direct

association, because the topics of Kåñëa and the names of Kåñëa are
nondifferent from Kåñëa Himself. In other words, the personality of Kåñëa is
absolute, or nondual. There is no tinge of differentiation between Him and
His names as there is in the illusory world. In the transcendental topics of
Gaura there are no topics devoid of Kåñëa’s glories, therefore there is no
reason for one to separate gaura-lélä from kåñëa-lélä.

TEXT 144

antaryämé nityänanda balilä kautuke

caitanya-caritra kichu likhite pustake

TRANSLATION

Lord Nityänanda has inspired me from within my heart to describe some of

Lord Caitanya’s pastimes in this book.

TEXT 145

tähäna kåpäya likhi caitanyera kathä

1798
 svatantra haite çakti nähika sarvathä

TRANSLATION

Only by His mercy am I able to write these narrations concerning Lord

Caitanya, for I have no independence whatsoever.

COMMENTARY

“Nityänanda Prabhu inspired me to write about the characteristics of

Mahäprabhu. I have not sat down to write about the transcendental
characteristics of Çré Caitanya out of bewilderment arising from false ego;
rather, I’m writing simply on the strength of Lord Nityänanda’s mercy.”

TEXT 146

käñöhera putali yena kuhake näcäya

ei-mata gauracandra more ye boläya

TRANSLATION

Whatever I describe is only by the direction of Gauracandra just as a puppet

dances only by the direction of the puppeteer.

TEXT 147

caitanya-kathära ädi-anta nähi jäni

ye-te mate caitanyera yaça se väkhäni

1799
 TRANSLATION

There is no beginning or end to the topics of Lord Caitanya, yet somehow or

other I am trying to glorify Him.

COMMENTARY

“Çré Caitanya is the original, primeval, unlimited Truth, therefore the

living entity is not qualified to describe His beginning and end. I am trying to
glorify Çré Caitanyadeva in any way and in any language I can. Just as a
wooden puppet has no independence; it simply moves by the inducement of
the puppeteer. Similarly, I am moving simply on the inspiration of the
supreme nondual personality, Çré Caitanya, who is situated in my pure
consciousness.”

TEXT 148

pakñé yena äkäçera anta nähi päya

yata-düra çakti tata-düra uòi’ yäya

TRANSLATION

As there is no end to the vast sky, a bird only flies as far it is able.

COMMENTARY

In Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 8.78-79) it is stated: “Actually Çré

Caitanya-caritämåta is not my writing but the dictation of Çré
Madana-mohana. My writing is like the repetition of a parrot. As a wooden
doll is made to dance by a magician, I write as Madana-gopäla orders me to do

1800
so.” Also in Chapter 12, verses 93-94, it is stated: “The ocean of the pastimes of
Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu is immeasurable and unfathomable. Who can take
the courage to measure that great ocean? It is not possible to dip into that
great ocean, but its sweet mellow fragrance attracts my mind. I therefore stand
on the shore of that ocean to try to taste but a drop of it.”
Since the sky is beginningless and unlimited, a bird is able to fly in the sky
only as far as its physical strength allows; similarly without finding the limit of
the unlimited pastimes of Lord Caitanya, I am only describing a small portion
according to my ability. In the Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 17.233) it is
stated: “The whole world became merged in the inundation of the pastimes of
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. One can swim in that water to the extent that he
has the strength.” Also in Caitanya-caritämåta (Antya 20.71, 77, 79-81, 90-92,
and 98-99) it is stated: “How, then, could an ordinary living being with very
little intelligence describe such pastimes? Nevertheless, I am trying to touch
but a particle of them just to rectify my own self. I cannot understand the very
deep, meaningful pastimes of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. My intelligence
cannot penetrate them, and therefore I could not properly describe them. The
sky is unlimited, but many birds fly higher and higher according to their own
abilities. The pastimes of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu are like the unlimited sky.
How, then, can an ordinary living being describe them all? I have tried to
describe them as far as my intelligence allows, as if trying to touch a drop in
the midst of a great ocean. I am a very insignificant living being, like a small
red-beaked bird. Just as such a bird drinks the water of the sea to quench its
thirst, so I have touched only a drop of the ocean of Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu’s pastimes. From this example, you may all understand how
expansive are the pastimes of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. I infer that ’I have
written’ is a false understanding, for my body is like a wooden doll. By the
mercy of these great personalities I am able to write. I have also been
specifically favored by another Supreme Personality. Çré Madana-mohana
Deity of Våndävana has given the order that is making me write. Although

1801
this should not be disclosed, I disclose it because I am unable to remain silent.”

TEXT 149

ei-mata caitanya-yaçera anta näi

yäre yata çakti-kåpä, sabhe tata gäi

TRANSLATION

In a similar way, there is no end to the glories of Lord Caitanya, so a person

can glorify Him only as far as he is empowered.

TEXT 150

Before commencing the recitation of the topics of Çrémad Bhägavatam in

answer to the questions of the sages of Naimiñäraëya lead by Çaunaka, who were
desirous of hearing the topics of Çrémad Bhägavatam from mahä-bhägavata Süta
Gosvämé, Çré Süta describes the unlimitedness of Kåñëa’s topics, names, forms,
qualities, associates, and pastimes in the following words:

nabhaù patanty ätma-samaà patattriëas

tathä samaà viñëu-gatià vipaçcitaù

TRANSLATION

As the birds fly in the sky as far as their capacity allows, so the learned
devotees describe the Lord as far as their realization allows.

COMMENTARY

1802
 “While flying in the sky according to their own strength, the birds stop
flying when their energy is exhausted; they do not stop because of thinking
that the unlimited sky has an end. Similarly, although learned persons like
Brahmä attempt to achieve knowledge of Viñëu according to their own
capacities, they desist only due to their own insufficient capacity; they do not
desist because of thinking that the unlimited qualities of Çré Govinda have an
end or limit.” (Çré Vijayadhvaja)
“As a bird or crane flies in the sky according to its own strength, learned
persons attempt to grasp the glories of the Lord on the strength of their own
intelligence. The purport is that a bird or crane does not return from flight
due to a limit in the sky, rather they return due to the limit of their ability.
Similarly, learned persons also retire from their attempts to grasp knowledge
of Viñëu due to the exhaustion of their intelligence, not because the glories of
the Lord are exhausted, finished, or limited.” (Çré Véraräghava)

TEXT 151

sarva-vaiñëavera pä’ye mora namaskära

ithe aparädha kichu nahuka ämära

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of all the Vaiñëavas, so that
they may not consider my offenses.

COMMENTARY

“Accepting subordination to all Vaiñëavas, I am humbly offering obeisances

and praying at their lotus feet that they may not consider my offenses.”
Without understanding the purport of pure devotional service, the

1803
präkåta-sahajiyäs, who are so-called devotees, consider themselves devotees or
Vaiñëavas; but since they are either material enjoyers or pseudo renunciates,
they are situated far away from nonduplicitous devotional service. Therefore,
rather than achieving the service of Viñëu, they enjoy Viñëu’s illusory energy
and mistakenly accept this as service to Viñëu. By using the phrase
sarva-vaiñëava in this verse, Vaiñëava äcärya Öhäkura Våndävana did not
refer to pseudo devotees, atheists, or präkåta-sahajiyäs. He has taught everyone
to accept subordination to the Vaiñëavas.

äula, bäula, kartäbhajä, neòä, daraveça, säìi

sahajiyä, sakhébheké, smärta, jäta-gosäïi
ativäòé, cüòädhäré, gauräìga-nägaré
totä kahe, ei tera’ra saìga nähi kari

“One should avoid associating with the thirteen different classes of

imitation devotees known as äula, bäula, kartäbhajä, neòä, daraveça, säìi,
sakhébheké, smärta, jäta-gosäïi, ativäòi, cüòädhäré and gauräìga-nägari.” These
thirteen types of apa-sampradäyas opposed to Gaura’s teachings and identified
by an ancient mahäjana cannot be called pure Vaiñëavas, because they are
purely non-Vaiñëava. Giving up their bad association and accepting
subordination of pure Vaiñëavas has been indicated in this verse. If one
offensively thinks that the word sarva-vaiñëava has been used at this place out
of humility to indicate all human beings, then it is to be understood that such
a foolish person is overwhelmed by the illusory energy of Viñëu and qualified
to receive the title of asura, or “demon.” All living entities are by nature
Vaiñëavas, but the mind’s restlessness and the gross body’s sinful activities,
which are born from the bodily concept of life, are not included in the pure
nonduplicitous principles of Vaiñëavism. Acceptance of subordination to the
pure Vaiñëavas and encouraging vaiñëava-aparädha born from the external
enjoying propensity are never the same.

1804
 TEXT 152

saàsärera pära haiyä bhaktira sägare

ye òubibe, se bhajuka nitäicändere

TRANSLATION

Anyone who wants to cross the material ocean and merge in the ocean of
devotional service must worship the lotus feet of Lord Nityänanda.

COMMENTARY

Nityänanda Prabhu is the master of the transcendental kingdom. One who

is conditioned by material existence cannot serve Him with his gross or subtle
bodies; but if by the causeless mercy of Nityänanda Prabhu one is freed from
the desire for material enjoyment, in other words, freed from the conceptions
of “I” and “mine” related with the gross and subtle bodies, and one hankers to
be merged in the ocean of service to the Absolute Truth, then he should
simply serve Nityänanda Prabhu with his body, mind, and speech. If one who
is bound by the ropes of material existence mistakenly accepts the muddy
poisonous canal of nondevotion, in the form of material enjoyment and
pseudo renunciation, as the ocean of devotional service, he can never serve
Lord Nityänanda, because Nityänanda Svarüpa is the personified
manifestation of Çré Caitanya. The imaginary insignificant object that the
präkåta-sahajiyäs, the pseudo devotees, and the nondevotee communities
misidentify as guru while considering the transcendental guru-tattva is not
Nityänanda Svarüpa.

TEXT 153

1805
 ämära prabhura prabhu çré-gaurasundara
e baòa bharasä citte dhari nirantara

TRANSLATION

Since Çré Gaurasundara is the Lord of my Lord, I constantly hope He will

bestow mercy on me.

COMMENTARY

“Although Nityänanda Prabhu is a manifestation of Çré Caitanya, He is a

servant of Mahäprabhu. Nityänanda Svarüpa is my Lord, and Gaurasundara is
the Lord of my Lord, or Mahäprabhu. Since Gaurasundara alone is the
worshipable Lord of my spiritual master, I always maintain firm faith in my
heart that by the mercy of my Lord, who is my spiritual master, I will certainly
be qualified in my pure sanctified state to engage in pure devotional service to
Mahäprabhu at some time or other; in other words, Mahäprabhu will consider
me the servant of the servant of His servant.”

TEXTS 154-158

keha bale,—“prabhu-nityänanda-balaräma”
keha bale,—“caitanyera mahä-priya-dhäma”

keha bale,—“mahä-tejéyän adhikäré”

keha bale,—“kona-rüpa bujhite nä päri”

kibä yati nityänanda, kibä bhakta, jïäné

yära yena-mata icchä nä bolaye keni

1806
 ye-se kene caitanyera nityänanda nahe
se caraëa-dhana mora rahuka hådaye

eta parihäre o ye päpé nindä kare

tabe läthi märoì tära çirera upare

TRANSLATION

Someone says, “Nityänanda Prabhu is Balaräma,” and another says, “He is

the most beloved devotee of Lord Caitanya.” Someone else says, “He is a
powerful personality,” and another says, “We don’t understand who He is.”
Someone may consider Nityänanda a sannyäsé, someone may consider Him a
devotee, and someone may consider Him a jïäné. They may say whatever they
like. Even if Nityänanda is a most insignificant servant of Lord Caitanya, I
would still keep His lotus feet in my heart. I therefore kick the head of any
sinful person who disregards the glories of Lord Nityänanda and dares to
criticize Him.

COMMENTARY

“In some people’s opinion, Nityänanda Prabhu is Balaräma, the direct

manifestation of Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other’s
opinion, He is the servitor Personality of Godhead, the dearmost servant of
Caitanyadeva. There are others still who consider Him a mahä-bhägavata,
avadhüta, paramahaàsa. And there are some people who cannot understand
who He is. Nityänanda Svarüpa may be the paramahaàsa avadhüta spiritual
master of the sannyäsés, or He may be a devotee learned in the science of God;
people may address Him in any way they want, or He may have any kind of
relationship with Caitanyadeva, yet I will always hold Nityänanda’s invaluable
lotus feet within my heart. If an atheist considers that suffering miseries in the
hell known as Andha-tämisra or Mahä-raurava is most palatable, and in order

1807
to achieve that he blasphemes my spiritual master, then without considering
his mundane prestigious position or exalted post I will kick his head, which is
the reservoir of all sinful propensities. Seeing the Kauravas’ mischief and
hearing their blasphemous words, Çré Baladeva spoke the following words in
the Çrémad Bhägavatam (10.68.31): ’Clearly the many passions of these
scoundrels have made them so proud that they do not want peace. Then let
them be pacified by physical punishment, as animals are with a stick.’”
If a genuine disciple lacks this quality of genuine, pure, topmost devotion at
the lotus feet of his bona fide spiritual master, then he cannot be called an
actual “disciple.” Without understanding this fact, sinful hellish people invite
inauspiciousness by blaspheming the spiritual master rather than serving him.
As a result of the greatly beneficial topics that Öhäkura Våndävana
manifested in this world in order to record in brightly effulgent golden words
the proper etiquette of a genuine disciple, the entire world of pure Vaiñëavas
have accepted Öhäkura Våndävana as the Gurudeva of the entire Vaiñëava
community. For those who have the slightest doubt born of abominable
cheating propensities or sinful motives in this Vedic conclusion, there is no
possibility life after life in achieving devotion to Gaura-Kåñëa. Receiving the
mercy and inheriting the duties of Nityänanda Prabhu, Öhäkura Våndävana
has acted as äcärya-guru in this world. The ignorant, asslike, pseudo devotees
who consider the präkåta-sahajiyäs, who are hellish living incarnations of
cheating humility, as ideal spiritual masters simply commit offenses at the
lotus feet of Öhäkura Våndävana. No pure devotee under the shelter of
Caitanya and Nityänanda will ever associate in any way with the sinful
apa-sampradäyas who are opposed to Öhäkura Våndävana. Yet if due to past
misdeeds or misfortune one happens to face such bad association, then
Gauòéya Vaiñëavas have no qualification to associate with that dishonest
person whose ill-motivated mind has deviated from the lotus feet of
Våndävana däsa Öhäkura. The community of arrogant persons will take
millions and millions of births to understand Våndävana däsa Öhäkura’s
causeless mercy, so until their offenses are exhausted, they will never have the

1808
opportunity to receive a kick on the head from the sanctified all-auspicious
feet of a pure Vaiñëava. Even the genuine desire for receiving the
nonduplicitous mercy of a pure Vaiñëava is a rare commodity for ignorant
mundane sinful people, pious fruitive workers, or mental speculators. Living
entities who are averse to Hari, Guru, and Vaiñëava have not accumulated
sufficient piety in their previous lifetimes, nor have thousands of their
forefathers accumulated sufficient piety, that they are qualified to receive the
all-auspicious kick from the lotus feet of the pure, transcendental,
ultimate-benefit-awarding lotus feet of Öhäkura Våndävana. The moment that
dust from the lotus feet of a pure Vaiñëava will fall on the heads of sinful
persons, that very moment they will become free from all material
contamination and deceit and thus become proprietors of the wealth of
devotional service.

TEXT 159

jaya jaya nityänanda caitanya-jévana

tomära caraëa mora hauka çaraëa

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Nityänanda, whose life and soul is Lord Caitanya. Let me
take shelter at Your lotus feet.

TEXT 160

tomära haiyä yena gauracandra gäìa

janme-janme yena tomä’ saàhati beòäìa

1809
 TRANSLATION

As Your servant, let me sing the glories of Lord Caitanya, and let me
accompany You birth after birth.

COMMENTARY

“O Lord, I may take birth in any species of life, but please be merciful that I
may remain Your servant. Moreover, O Lord, since You do not engage in any
activity other than glorifying the qualities of Mahäprabhu, may I, as Your most
insignificant servant, constantly engage in assisting a little in Your service.”
Presently the transcendental Vaiñëavas who live in the maöhas as members of
the Viçva-vaiñëava Räja-sabhä have abandoned all varieties of material
activities and are following in the footsteps of Nityänanda Svarüpa in order to
glorify the qualities of Gauracandra. They alone are the genuine, pure
disciples of Öhäkura Våndävana. For this reason sinful persons who are
victims of the Age of Kali and averse to such disciples are certainly sinful and
on the path to hell.

TEXT 161

ye çunaye ädi-khaëòe caitanyera kathä

tähäre çré-gauracandra milibe sarvathä

TRANSLATION

One who hears the topics of Lord Caitanya described in Ädi-khaëòa will
certainly attain His lotus feet.

1810
 TEXT 162

éçvara-puréra sthäne haiyä vidäya

gåhe äilena prabhu çré-gauräìga-räya

TRANSLATION

After taking leave of Éçvara Puré, Lord Gauräìga returned home.

TEXT 163

çuni’ sarva navadvépa haila änandita

präëa äsi’ dehe yena haila upanéta

TRANSLATION

Everyone in Navadvépa was happy to hear of the Lord’s arrival. They felt as
if their life air had returned to their body.

COMMENTARY

When the life air of a living entity leaves the body, it is called dead; and
when the life returns to an inert body, it is called healthy and conscious.
Similarly, when Gaurasundara went from Çré Mäyäpur to Gayä and stayed
there for some time, all the residents of Navadvépa became lifeless. Now by Çré
Gaurasundara’s return to Çré Mäyäpur-Navadvépa, they all regained their lives.

TEXT 164

1811
 çré kåñëa-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna
våndävana däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

TRANSLATION

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

Thus ends this English translation of the Gauòéya-bhäñya commentary on Çré

Caitanya-bhägavata, Ädi-khaëòa, Chapter Seventeen, entitled, “The Lord’s
Travel to Gayä.”
End of Ädi-khaëòa

1812
 Endnotes
1 (Popup - Popup)

Çréla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvaté Öhäkura refers here to two verses, but

quotes only two lines from the former. Two lines from the latter verse:
sannyäsa-kåc chamaù çänto niñöhä-çänti-paräyaëaù—“In His later pastimes He
accepts the sannyäsa order, and He is equipoised and peaceful. He is the
highest abode of peace and devotion, for He silences the impersonalist
nondevotees,” are combined with the former two lines and quoted as one verse
in the Caitanya-caritämåta.
2 (Popup - Popup)

Ätapa rice is taken directly from the husk of äçu paddy, which is harvested
in the rainy season, while siddha rice is haimantika paddy, which is harvested
in autumn and boiled before husking and drying.
3 (Popup - Popup)

The word mahä-çaìkha refers to impure bones, the word mahä-taila refers
to the rotten liquid of a dead body, the word mahä-mäàsa refers to human
flesh, the word mahä-vaidya refers to a foolish doctor, the word mahä-jyotisi
refers to a foolish astrologer, the word mahä-brähmaëa refers to a low-class
brähmaëa, and the next three—mahä-yatra, mahä-patha, and
mahä-nidrä—mean “death.”
4 (Popup - Popup)

Däri-sannyäsés are a class of married sannyäsés, and païca-makära refers to

mäàsa, madya, matsya, mahila, and maithuna—meat, wine, fish, women, and
sex.
5 (Popup - Popup)

In Sanskrit, the verb form called ätmanepadé is used when the work is to be
done for one’s own benefit, and when it is done for others, the form called

1813
parasmaipadé is used.
6 (Popup - Popup)

tuëòe täëòaviné ratià vitanute tuëòävalé-labdhaye

karëa-kroòa-kaòambiné ghaöayate karëärbudebhyaù spåhäm
cetaù-präìgaëa-saìginé vijayate sarvendriyäëäà kåtià
no jäne janitä kiyadbhir amåtaiù kåñëeti varëa-dvayé

“I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Kåñ-ëa’ have produced.
When the holy name of Kåñëa is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth.
We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the
ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the
courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all
the senses become inert.”
7 (Popup - Popup)

When gold is mixed with borax, it becomes more shiny.

8 (Popup - Popup)

Though generally the word äkäça refers to the sky, in this sütra it yields the
meaning “the Supreme Brahman.” (Govinda-bhäñya)
9 (Popup - Popup)

As in the case of niyamägraha, the Sanskrit in the concerned verse may

yield either reading—dagdhvä or adagdhvä.
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Inhaling the breath is called püraka, sustaining it within is called

kumbhaka, and finally exhaling it is called recaka.
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kåñir bhü-väcakaù çabdo ëaç ca nirvåti-väcakaù

1814
 tayor aikyaà paraà brahma kåñëa ity abhidhéyate
“The word is the attractive feature of the Lord’s existence, and
means ‘spiritual pleasure.’ When the verb is added to , it becomes ,
which indicates the Absolute Truth.”
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The meaning of the word bäpa in this verse is not the same as in the
previous verse 116. The Samsad Bengali English Dictionary gives meanings for
the word bäpa as “a father; (in affectionate address) a son or a person
deserving to be treated as a son.” The former meaning is appropriate in verse
116, while the latter meaning is appropriate here.

1815