Saturday, January 18, 2014

38. Nityananda pastimes from Sri Caitanya Bhagavata with commentary (Madhya 13.1-25)


Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata
Madhya-khanda -
By 
Vyasa Avatara Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura
                                                           
Chapter Thirteen

The Deliverance of Jagai and Madhai

TEXT 1

äjänu-lambita-bhujau kanahävadåtau saìhìrtanaika-pitarau kamaläyatähsau
viçvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma-pälau vandejagat priya-karau harunävatärau

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 in- augurated 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 brähmanas, the protectors of religious principles for this age, the benefactors of the universe, and the most merciful of all incarnations.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya mahäprabhu çré-gaurasundara jaya nityänanda sarva-sevya-halevara

All glories to Mahäprabhu Çré Gaurasundara! All glories to Nityananda, whose body is the object of everyone's worship!
The phrase sarva-sevya-kalevara is described as follows: Çréman Nityananda Prabhu is svayam-prakäça, or the personal manifesta- tion of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is the worshipable Lord of everyone, both individually and collectively. From Him Käranodakaçäyé Mahä-Visnu, who is the cause of all causes, Garbhodakaçäyé, who is the Supersoul of the collective living en- tities, and Aniruddha, the localized Visnu, are all manifest. The supreme worshipable Lord of all, Krsna, accepts the service of Nityananda, who is the embodiment of all service. Nityananda is served by all objects emanating from all of Krsna's energies.

TEXT 3
hena-mate navadvépe prabhu viçvambhara krédä kare,—nahe sarva-nayana-gocara
In this way Lord Viçvambhara performed pastimes in Navadvépa that were not seen by everyone.
The pastimes of Çré Gaurasundara are perceived only through eyes of love. Therefore, wherever there is an absence of love, the Lord's pastimes remain unseen. In the Brahma-sarhhitä (5.38) it is stated:
premäìjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti yam çyämasundaram acintya-guna-svarüpam
govindam ädi-purusam tarn aharh bhajämi
"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Çyämasundara, situated within the heart of the
devotee."

TEXT 4
loke dehhe,—pürve yena nimäìi pandita atirìhta ära kichu nà dekhe carita

Ordinary people saw Him like before, simply as Nimäi Pandita. They could not see anything of His characteristics beyond this.

TEXT 5
yahhana pravista haya sevahera mele takhana bhäsena sei-mata kutükale
When the Lord entered into the association of His servants, He floated in happiness.

TEXT 6
yära yena bhägya, tena tähäre dekhäya bähira haile saba äpanä' luhäya
He would reveal Himself to each devotee in proportion to the devotee's good fortune. When He left their association, He would conceal Himself.
Since the Absolute Truth is omnipotent, the living entities, who are fragmental spiritual parts and parcels, see the Lord according to their respective devotional qualification. There is no possibility of seeing the personification of all love through vision that is based on external knowledge; rather, He remains hidden. That is why He is known as Adhoksaja, or He who is beyond the perception of material senses.

TEXT 7
eha-dina äcambite haila hena mati äjìä haila nityänanda-harìdäsa-prati
One day the Lord suddenly ordered Nityänanda and Haridäsa as follows.
Those who are able to become akiìcana are not greedy for any material object. Without becoming ahiìcana, the necessity of the Absolute Truth is not realized. Such persons are attracted by the opulence of perishable objects. Çré Nityänanda Prabhu appeared in a brähmana family that engaged in study of the scriptures. In the worldly identification of Thäkura Haridäsa there were no such brah-

minical birth nor such brahminical activities. During Çré Caitanyadeva's manifested pastimes, sinful persons like the Çakas, the Greeks, and the Yavanas lived in various parts of India. Since Navadvépa was the residence of many classes of foreigners coming from beyond the Sindhu River, there was a great deal of discrimina- tion amongst the residents of Navadvépa. That is why the exemplary preacher, Lord Gaurasundara, engaged two great personalities who were fully absorbed in devotional service to preach amongst the communities of persons belonging to both faiths. Realizing that people of the Aryan culture and the Yavana culture would not listen to each other, the qualification for chanting the name of Hari was given to both to make it known that both have an equal right to engage in devotional service.

TEXT 8
"çuna çuna nityananda, çuna haridäsa sarvatra ämära äjìä haraha prakäça
"Listen, Nityananda! Listen, Haridäsa! Go out and preach My order everywhere.
The Lord's order is meant for everyone—those who are outside varnäçrama, those who follow varnäçrama, those who are beyond varnäçrama, all living entities, all plants, the animate, and the in- animate. Individually and collectively, according to their ability, all should accept Mahäprabhu's orders.

TEXT 9
prati ghare ghare giyä kara ei bhiksä 'bala krsna, bhaja krsna, kara krsna-siksä'
"Go to every house and beg in this way, 'Chant the names of Krsna, worship Krsna, follow Krsna's instructions.'
A bhiksuka is dependent on the donor, therefore, knowing that the bhiksuka is situated on a lower platform, the higher placed donor becomes compassionate on him. To beg for someone's favor is called bhiksä. The higher placed donor comes down from his platform and uplifts the needy bhiksuka. Realizing that when

Nityänanda Prabhu, the Lord of the fourteen worlds, and Nämäcärya Thäkura Haridäsa, the grandfather of everyone and the best of the pure devotees, would go begging alms in the dress of bhiksukas, wealthy people would have no alms suitable to offer them, Gaurasundara employed the act of begging alms to bring those people to the transcendental kingdom.
The phrase bala krsna is explained as follows: Words that are not related to Krsna are more or less products of avidvad-rüdhi, or the conventional meanings of words according to persons who are not enlightened. When a word's vidxad-rüdhi, or conventional meaning according to enlightened persons, is realized, it indicates Krsna, and such meanings are nondifferent from Krsna. One who chants the names of Krsna benefits his audience, and after achieving his own auspiciousness, he merges in the ocean of ecstasy due to remembrance of the Lord. When words indicate objects not related to Krsna, then the conditioned souls forget their constitutional position and consider themselves the enjoyers. At that time the senses turn from the service of Hrsékeça and lord it over Hrsékeça's external energy. The Lord's instruction—"Chant the name of Krsna"—is the prime example of the Lord's magnanimity. The name of Krsna is nondifferent from Krsna—only Krsna in the form of guru can teach this. Becoming initiated into this teaching and eagerly preaching such teachings is service to Çré Caitanya—in order to make this known, Çré Nityänanda Prabhu and Çré Nämäcärya Haridäsa followed the order of the Lord. One who knows Çré Nityänanda Prabhu as the origin of guru-tattva and who after being freed from the bondage of material existence chants Krsna's name, which appeared in the form of address from the mouth of Çré Nämäcärya Haridäsa, will be delivered from all material obstacles and attain krsna-prema, which is the goal of all living entities. Through Nityänanda Prabhu, Çré Gaurasundara has imparted the qualification for chanting the name of Krsna to every human being. One who awards this qualification cannot be anyone other than Krsna. Because if one does not possess something, how can he give it to others? The name and the person are nondifferent, therefore as soon as the holy names are chanted, love of Krsna is guaranteed— only Krsna can say this. Since krsna-prema is unattainable for persons who are absorbed in thoughts of objects not related to

Krsna, the vibration of words that are not meant for the glorification of Krsna results in material bondage. "Let the people of the world engage in glorifying Krsna"—although this order was given to the original Çré Jagad-gurudeva and Çrï Nämäcärya, since these two àcàryas carried out this order of the Lord, all pious persons who follow this order will also certainly become qualified to act as äcäryas, who alone are able to fully engage in the service of Çrï Caitanya. In the language of a bhiksuka, bala krsna—"Chant the name of Krsna," indicates the deliverance of the living entities. When this is received by a listener, he follows the order of Caitanyadeva, becomes freed from material conceptions, and acts as an äcärya, who is a manifestation of the Lord. Defeating the concept of only one jagad-guru, the exalted spiritual masters who are manifestations of guru-tattva engage in delivering the living entities.
The phrase bhaja krsna is explained as follows: Çré Caitanyadeva ordered the two preachers to appeal to the conditioned souls to engage in the worship of Krsna. Since the living entities who are averse to Krsna are attracted to objects that are not related to Krsna, they take shelter of the enjoyment propensity with a desire to become the controller of those relatively inferior objects. Therefore, giving up the worship of Krsna, they consider sense enjoyment as "the goal" and desire to become the master of that. Such activities are impediments in their worship. Persons who are averse to the worship of Krsna have various qualifications (?) in this world. In order to achieve those qualifications the living entity gives up the worship of Krsna and engages in the service of the six enemies headed by lust and anger, and in this way he invites inauspicious- ness by thinking himself the enjoyer of this manifest world. For the benefit of the living entities, the most magnanimous Çré Viçvambhara ordered the two Prabhus, Çré Nityananda and Haridäsa, to preach the concept of worshiping Krsna under the shelter of the holy name.
The phrase kara krsna-siksä is explained as follows: Krsna alone is the object of learning. When self-realized persons see spiritual variegatedness after realizing the meaning of kartäram içam purusam brahma-yonim—"The Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is the source of the Supreme Brahman," they understand the insig- nificance of knowledge that is not related to Krsna. Krsna alone

attracts all objects of this world. His beauty is extraordinary and incomparable. He is full of knowledge; only He is capable of dictat- ing that objects not related to Him [Krsna] are fit to be renounced. He is averse to enjoy any object other than His devotees. By the influence of krsna-siksä, the living entities realize they are eternal. Such instructions destroy all nescience and ignorance of the living entities, and on the strength of krsna-siksä there is no opportunity for unhappiness resulting from proximity with objects not related to Krsna. By obtaining krsna-siksä all perfection is achieved, the mirror of one's mind is cleansed^the blazing forest fire of material existence is extinguished, the supreme goal of life is achieved, and one realizes that krsna-siksä is the purport of all education. When this state is achieved by a living entity, he cannot be contaminated; rather, he becomes purified and attains supreme happiness at every moment. Krsna-siksä is the giver of all opulences that deride all other proces- ses for achieving the goal of life and the bestower of the highest platform of all sweetness. Krsna-siksä is the destroyer of the living entities' enjoying propensity and the belittler of liberation, therefore krsna-siksä is most necessary for all living entities who desire their own benefit.

TEXT 10
ihä bai ära nä baliba, baläibä dina-axasäne äsï ämäre kàhibä

"Apart from this, you should not speak or have others speak anything else. At the end of the day come and give Me your report.

"To chant the holy names of Krsna, to serve Krsna by engaging in kértana, and to become educated in krsna-siksä by being inclined to service—these are the only duties of the living entities. You should not beg anyone for anything other than to engage in these activities, and you should not teach anyone any other subject. For the benefit of all living entities you should throughout the day beg for the alms that I have described to you, and in the evening you should report to Me. I will be greatly pleased if I know that you are trying to benefit all living entities. This is My mission. You are like My right and left hands."

tomarä karìle bhiksä, yei nä baliba tabe ami cahra-haste sabäre hätiba"
"I will take up My cahra and cut off the heads of those who will not chant after being requested by you."
"I will destroy that person who becomes inimical to your request for alms by giving him unlimited misery." Many people contemplate as follows: Being most merciful, why has the Lord created the cruel misfortunes in this world? The verse tat te 'nukampäm1 is the ap- propriate answer to this question. If a living entity who is averse to Krsna spends his days in material endeavors, then in accordance with the laws of the material world he will achieve miseries for cessation of his material existence.

TEXT 12
äjìä çuni' häse saba vaisnaxa-mandala anyathä karite äjìä kära ache bala?
On hearing the order, all the Vaisnavas laughed. Who has the power to transgress His order?

TEXT 13
hena äjìä, yähä nityananda sire vahe ithe apratïta yära, se subuddhi nahe
1. tat te 'nukampäm su-samïksamäno bhuìjäna evätma-krtam vipäkam hrd-väg-vapurbhir vidadhan nomas te jìveta yo mukti-pade sa däya-bhäh
"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." (Bhäg. 10.14.8)
His order is such that even Nityananda carries it on His head. Anyone who does not believe this is not very intelligent.

TEXT 14
karaye advaita-sevä, caitanya nä mäne advaita tähäre samhäribe bhäla mane

If one serves Advaita but does not accept Caitanya, then Advaita will destroy him without remorse.
Those mortal beings who give up Çrï Caitanyadeva's path of devotional service and place their faith in Advaita Prabhu's be- wildering materialistic Mäyäväda philosophy will be destroyed when Advaita Prabhu invokes His form as Rudra. The followers of Çrï Caitanya become situated on the path of devotional service after realizing their constitutional position as infinitesimal sparks of the supreme spirit, and the impersonalists who are averse to Caitanya become eager to reject the Lord's service, being bound in Çré Advaita Prabhu's network of illusion. Fortune is the controller of one's auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. The reason for this is that conditioned souls who are whimsical due to misuse of their inde- pendence achieve aversion to the Lord's service, while proper use of their independence makes them eligible to approach the lotus feet of Krsna.

TEXT 15
äjìä sire karï nityänanda-haridäsa tata-ksane calüena pathe äsï häsa

Accepting the Lord's order on their heads, Nityänanda and Haridäsa smiled and immediately went out on the street.

TEXT 16
äjìä päï dui jane bule ghare ghare "baìa krsna, gäo krsna, bhajaha krsnere

Being ordered by the Lord, the two went door to door and requested everyone, "Chant the name of Krsna, sing the glories of Krsna, and engage in the worship of Krsna.

krsna präna, krsna dhana, krsna sejïvana hena krsna bala bhäi haï eka-mana"

"Krsna is your life, Krsna is your wealth, Krsna is your very life and soul. O brothers, chant the name of that Krsna with full attention."
Krsna alone is the original living force. Inclination towards Him is the symptom of Krsna conscious life. Living entities who are averse to Krsna are devoid of life. Objects that are not related to Krsna are worthless. Krsna alone bestows all perfection. Aversion to Krsna is proof of one's material conditioning and lifelessness. Ob- jects that are not related to Krsna are decorated by the prowess of the illusory energy. Therefore the grammatical literatures that in- struct one to vibrate topics that are not related to Krsna do not bestow unalloyed and ultimate auspiciousness on the living entities. Krsna alone is supremely worshipable. Therefore glorification of Krsna is the only authorized path. In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.18.13) it is stated: "Just as aquatics always desire to remain in the vast mass of water, all conditioned living entities naturally desire to remain in the vast existence of the Supreme Lord."

TEXT 18
ei-mata nadéyäya prati ghare ghare buliyä vedäna dui jagat-éçvare

In this way the two controllers of the universe went to every house as they wandered throughout Nadia.
Çrì Nityananda Prabhu and Çré Nämäcärya Haridäsa Thäkura are both controllers of the universe. The people of this world accept wrong paths and fall into calamities. These two Lords provide auspi- ciousness to such misguided people by becoming their guides. Protecting the living entities from prajalpa and engaging their speech in the service of the Lord, the expert guide Thäkura Haridäsa helps them control their sinful minds and invite the favorable flow of thoughts in order to protect their body and limbs from aversion

to the worship of Krsna and thus delivers them from their bodily hardships. And Lord Nityänanda removes the unhappiness of this world and merges the living entities in eternal bliss.

TEXT 19-20
dohäna sannyäsi-veça—yäna yära ghare äthe-vyathe äsï bhiksä-nimantrana kare
nityänanda-haridäsa bale,—"ei bhiksä bala krsna, bhaja krsna, kara krsna-çiksä"
Both were dressed as sannyäsés. At every house they went, they were eagerly invited to take their meal. Nityänanda and Haridäsa would then say, "Our only request is that you chant the names of Krsna, worship Krsna, and follow the teachings of Krsna."
Çré Nityänanda Prabhu and Thäkura Haridäsa were dressed as sannyäsls. The dress of a sannyäsé or the garb of a renunciant is the dress of a bhiksüka. When they were eagerly invited to take a meal wherever they went, they did not accept anything; rather, as ordered by the Lord, they simply requested everyone to chant the names of Krsna, worship Krsna, and follow the instructions of Krsna.

TEXT 21
ei bola balï dui-jana calï yäya
ye haya sujana, sei bada sukha päya
After speaking in this way, the two departed. Those who were pious became most pleased.
The word sujana refers to the devotees of the Lord. Those who desire superior status and who take shelter of the ascending path are called brähmanas; and those who realize the insignificance of the ascending path and as a result become tolerant like a tree by giving up the desire for various coveted material objects while accepting the mood of being lower than a straw in the street and realizing the uselessness of the honor of self-respect by offering respect to everyone are called sujanas. Persons who are inclined towards Krsna are sujanas, while bhiksukas who are attached to opulences that are

not related to Krsna are brähmanas desirous of material enjoyment or liberation. Any bràhmana who is engaged in the service of the Lord is called a sujana. One who is not engaged in such service is known as a Mäyävädé dmjana rather than a sujana. That is why the scriptures (Padma Puräna) describe the sujanas as follows:
çva-päham iva nekseta     loke vipram avaisnavam vaisnavo vamo-bähyo 'pi    punäti bhuv ana-tray am
"If a person born in a brähmana family is an avaisnava, a nondevotee, one should not see his face, exactly as one should not look upon the face of a candäla, or dog-eater. However, a Vaisnava found in varnas other than brähmana can purify all the three worlds." Inclination towards Krsna is the source of all good manners in this world. Persons who are decorated with good manners obtain transcenden- tal happiness by engaging in the service of Krsna.

TEXT 22
aparüpa çuni' loha du'-janära mukhe nana jane nana hatha hahe nana sukhe

Hearing the unprecedented words from the mouths of those two, various people found varieties of pleasure while discussing various related topics.
The word aparüpa means "wonderful," "unheard of," or "the form or beauty that has defeated all others."

TEXT 23
'kariba, hariba'—heha balaye santose heha bale,—"dui-jana ksipta mantra-dose

Some happily said, "We will do. We will do." Others said, "These two are crazy because of bad advice.
Being pleased by the instructive appeal, the sujanas agreed to follow the request, whereas some unfortunate people considered that they were under the influence of madness.

The phrase mantra-dose means "faulty consoling or advice." As a result of distorting the actual meaning of good console one obtains inauspiciousness.

TEXT 24
tomarä pägala haila dusta-saìga-dose ämä'-sabä' pägala karite äsi kise?
"You have become mad on account of bad association. Why have you come to make us mad?

TEXT 25
bhavya-sabhya-loka saba haila pägala nimäi pandita nasta karila sakala"
"Many sober and civilized persons have become mad in this way. Nimäi Pandita has spoiled them all."
The phrase bhavya-sabhya means "peaceful," "sober," "gentle," "pious," "aristocratic," or "qualified to sit in an assembly."




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