20201022 Lord Caitanya Teaches the Principles of Surrender and Reaches the Village of Āṭisārā (Part 2)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 22nd October 2020 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Introduction: Today we are continuing with Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-līlā book compilation, we are continuing with the chapter:

Lord Caitanya Teaches the Principles of Surrender and Reaches the Village of Āṭisārā (Part 2)

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.42

prabhu yāre ye-divasa nā likhe āhāra
rāja-putra hau tabu upavāsa tāra

Jayapatākā Swami: “If the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not write on that day that person will not eat even if he is the son of the king, he will have to fast.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.043

thākile o khāite nā pāre ājñā-vine
akasmāt kalaha karaye kāro sane

Jayapatākā Swami: “Even if the food is there without the Supreme Lord’s sanction one may not be able to eat for he might suddenly quarrel with someone or something which will impede his eating.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.044

krodha kari' bale,—“muñi nā khāimu bhāta'
divya kari' rahe nija śire diye hāta

Jayapatākā Swami: In an angry mood, one may say, ‘I will not eat rice today! I will not eat today!’ He may touch his hand to his head and swear to that effect.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.045

athavā sakala dravya haile vidyamāna
ācambite dehe jvara haila adhiṣṭhāna

Jayapatākā Swami: Otherwise one may have all the varieties of eatables, but he may suddenly be afflicted by fever in his body and not be able to eat.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.046

jvara-vedanāya kothā thākila bhakṣaṇa
ataeva īśvarera icchā se kāraṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: “While suffering the effect of the fever, while suffering the pain of the fever, how can he eat?” Therefore, the will of the Supreme Lord remains as the cause.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.047

tribhuvane kṛṣṇa diyāchena anna-chatra
īśvarera icchā thāke miliba sarvatra”

Jayapatākā Swami: “Lord Kṛṣṇa has supplied food for the three worlds. If the Supreme Lord desires, one will certainly obtain it.”

Translation: “Vaiṣṇavas do not uselessly worry about food or clothing, for they are devoted to the Supreme Lord, who is known as Viśvambhara, `He who supplies everyone's necessities.'”

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Caitanya is training his followers on how to depend on Kṛṣṇa. And without the mercy of Kṛṣṇa we cannot eat or have any of our facilities. So we should always remember Kṛṣṇa and that will make everything very easily.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.048

āpane īśvara sarva-janere śikhāya
ihāte viśvāsa yāra se-i sukha pāya

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way the Supreme Lord, Lord Caitanya, He taught everyone, one who have faiths in Lord’s words obtains happiness.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.049

ye-te-mate kene koṭi prayatna nā kare
īśvarera icchā haile se phala dhare

Jayapatākā Swami: One may endeavor for something in millions of different ways, but the result will only come if the Supreme Lord desires it or sanctions it.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Being satisfied with the devotees, Śrī Gaurasundara taught them the principle of full surrender. He said, “Although ample foods may be easily available, by the desire of Kṛṣṇa even the son of a king may suffer the pangs of fasting. Although whatever the Supreme Lord sanctions may be rarely attained, one easily achieves it even while sitting in the forest. Although ample foods may be lying in front of a person, if by Kṛṣṇa's will that person is afflicted by fever, he will be unable to eat. Moreover, the necessities of life automatically come by the will of the Lord. People who are puffed-up with false ego and bewildered by illusion cannot understand these topics.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we understand that Supreme Lord as Supersoul is present in everyone’s heart and therefore He can sanction our eating or not. So to depend on Kṛṣṇa is the wise option, if He doesn’t desire by all our endevaors we cannot eat. If He sanctions even if we are in the forest, we can eat.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.050

hena mate prabhu tattva kahite kahite
uttarilā āsi' āṭisārā-nagarete

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way the Supreme Lord Gaurāṅga, He revealed the truth as they were walking, and then they came to the village of Āṭisārā.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): The village of Āṭisārā is situated near Bāruipura and is presently known as Āṭagharā-grāma. In another opinion Āṭisārā is known as Kaṭkī-ghāṭa.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.051

āṭisārā-grāme anantapaṇḍita-gṛhe—

sei āṭisārā-grāme mahābhāgyavān
āchena parama sādhu—śrī-ananta nāma

Jayapatākā Swami: In that village of Āṭisārā lived a very greatly fortunate person, he is transcendental pious person named as Śrī Ananta.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.052

rahilena āsi' prabhu tāṅhāra ālaye
ki kahiba āra tāṅra bhāgya-samuccaye

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord Caitanya came and stayed at his house. What can I say about the extent of his good fortune?

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.053

ananta paṇḍita ati parama udāra
pāiyā paramānanda bāhya nāhi āra

Jayapatākā Swami: Ananta Paṇḍita was very greatly magnanimous. He was so overwhelmed with transcendental ecstasy that he had no external consciousness.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.054

vaikuṇṭhera pati āsi' atithi hailā
santoṣe bhikṣāra sajja karite lāgilā

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, Śrī Caitanya came to his house and became his guest. Ananta Paṇḍita therefore happily began to arrange the Lord’s meal.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): We believe that the place near Bāruipura known as Āṭagharā, or Āṭagarā, in the district of 24-Parganas is the place formerly known as Āṭisārā. The Ganges previously flowed near this place. From this place Mahāprabhu went to Chatrabhoga. Chatrabhoga is situated near the village of Āṭagharā. In Taittirīya Upaniṣad (11.2) it is stated: atithi devo bhava —“a guest is as good as God.” In the Garuḍa Purāṇa it is stated: “A guest usually remains at the house of a person for as long as it takes to milk a cow. One serves a guest according to one's ability.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.055

sarva-gaṇa saha prabhu karilena bhikṣā
sannyāsīre bhikṣā-dharma karayena śikṣā

Jayapatākā Swami: Along with and His associates the Supreme Lord took their meal at his house. The Supreme Lord thus arranged to show how one should feed a sannyāsī. In Jābāla Upaniṣad (5) it is stated: “A member of the renounced order becomes fit to realize his spiritual nature by wearing colorless dress, by keeping a shaven head, by not collecting things for himself, by remaining clean, by not fighting with others, and by subsisting on alms.” In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.18.18) it is stated: “Rejecting those houses that are polluted and untouchable, one should approach without previous calculation seven houses and be satisfied with that which is obtained there by begging . According to necessity, one may approach each of the four occupational orders of society.” In the Garuḍa Purāṇa it is stated: “Carrying a tridaṇḍī and a kamaṇḍalu, wearing only a single cloth, and concerned for the welfare of all, a sannyāsī may sometimes enter a village to beg some alms.” In the Garuḍa Purāṇa it is also stated: “The duties of a renunciant are understood to be begging for his sustenance, listening to scripture, and practice of silence, austerity, careful meditation, correct knowledge, and detachment.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So this aspect of the sannyāsa-dharma was taught by Lord Caitanya. Actually, the situation is present day is very simple and except in some holy places in India people may not know how to accept/receive a sannyāsī. So, in Kali-yuga it is recommended, sannyāsī live in some āśrama or holy temple of the Lord and engage in devotional service. But Śrīla Prabhupāda also mentioned that a sannyāsī should travel and thus bless the different people of the world.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.056

sarva-rātri kṛṣṇa-kathā-kīrtana-prasaṅge
āchilena ananta-paṇḍita-gṛhe raṅge

Jayapatākā Swami: Throughout the whole night discussing the Lord Kṛṣṇa’s glories with great happiness He was in the house of Ananta Paṇḍita. So, Lord Caitanya was discussing and doing kīrtana of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So in this way He happily passed the night and He gave great blessings to Ananta Paṇḍita. Actually, we see in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, it doesn’t seem like He sleeps! Nighttime He is talking about Kṛṣṇa and doing kīrtana and daytime He is talking about Kṛṣṇa. He was fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana – śravaṇa, kīrtana.

Thus Ends the Chapter, Lord Caitanya Teaches the Principles of Surrender and Reaches the Village of Āṭisārā