20231202 Chapter 8 Loka-śikṣā (Part 1)

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 1^st December 2023 in

Śrī Mayapur, 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: The following is Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam purports given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja, Continuing the commentary on the Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam, Loka-śikṣā, Part 1

Eighth Chapter

Loka-śikṣā — Instructions to the People

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 80

sureśvaragaṇerao durlabha, vedaguhya mahāpremalābhera nimitta gauraharira caraṇāśrayera kartavyatā

Should take shelter of Gaurahari in order to obtain the great love that is secret to the Vedas and is rare even to the demigods

are mūḍhā gūḍhāṁ vicinuta harer bhakti-padavīṁ
davīyasyā dṛṣṭyāpy aparicita-pūrvāṁ muni-varaiḥ
na viśrambhaś citte yadi yadi ca daurlabhyam iva tat
parityajyāśeṣaṁ vrajata śaraṇaṁ gaura-caraṇam

are mūḍhāḥ—O fools; gūḍhāṁ—secret; vicinuta—search; harer bhakti-padavīṁ—path of devotional service to Hari; davīyasyā dṛṣṭyāpy aparicita-pūrvāṁ—previously unknown even by very far distant vision; muni-varaiḥ—by the best of thesages; na viśrambhaś citte yadi—if there is no faith in the mind that bhakti-padavī is not very confidential; yadi ca daurlabhyam iva—and if it seems to be difficult to attain; tat—all that; parityajyāśeṣaṁ—giving up all of them in all respects; vrajata śaraṇaṁ gaura-caraṇam—surrender unot the lotus feet of Gaura.

Anuvāda: Are muḍhagaṇa, munigaṇa dūradṛṣṭi (sūkṣmadṛṣṭi) dvārā o pūrve bāṅhāra paricaya lābha karite pārena nāi, sei nigūḍhā hari-bhakti-padavī anusandhāna kara. Yadi citte viśvāsa nā haya, āra yadi uhā durllabha baliyāi mane haya, sei sakala (manodharma) sarvatobhāve parityāga kariyā gauraharira śrī-caraṇe śaraṇa grahaṇa kara.

Translation: O fools! Search for the secret path of devotional service to Hari which was previously unknown even by the very distant vision (fine vision) by the best of the sages. If you do not believe that bhakti-padavī is not very confidential and if it seems to be difficult to attain, then giving up all of those mental speculations in all respects, surrender unto the lotus feet of Gaura.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa is normally very hard to attain but by the mercy of Lord Gaurāṅga, He has made it very easy to obtain it. So, one should try to take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Gaura.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam Chapter 8.81

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 81

jagannātha-darśane aśrusikta gauraharira praṇāma

Obeisances unto Gaurahari who is drenched by the tears while seeing Jagannātha

dadhan mūrdhany ūrdhvaṁ mukulita-karāmbhoja-yugalaṁ
galan-netrāmbhobhiḥ snapita-mṛdu-gaṇḍa-sthala-yugam
dukūlenāvītaṁ nava-kamala-kiñjalka-rucinā
paraṁ-jyotir gauraṁ kanaka-ruci-cauraṁ praṇamata

dadhat—placing; mūrdhani—on top of the head; ūrdhvaṁ—upwards; mukulita-karāmbhoja-yugalaṁ—folded palms of the two lotus hands; galan-netrāmbhobhiḥ—by tears pouring out; snapita-mṛdu-gaṇḍa-sthala-yugam—two of whose very soft cheeks are bathed; dukūlena—by the cloth; āvītaṁ—beautifully adorned; nava-kamala-kiñjalka-rucinā—splendor like the whorl of fresh lotus; paraṁ-jyotiḥ—parama brahma; gauraṁ—Gaurasundara; kanaka-ruci-cauraṁ—he who has stolen (accepted) the golden color; praṇamata—offer obeisances.

Anuvāda: Yini añjalibaddha karapadma-yugala śiropari ūrddhabhāve sthāpana kariyā vigalita netrajale sukomala gaṇḍasthala plāvita karitechena, yini nava-kamalakeśarera nyāya kāntiyukta vastre suśobhita, sei tapta-kāñcanadyuti-samvalita paramabrahma gaurasundarake tomarā praṇāma kara.

Translation: Offer obeisances unto that Gaurasundara parama brahma with the complexion of molten gold, who is beautifully adorned by the clothes with the splendor like the whorl of fresh lotus and who has bathed two of His very soft cheeks by the tears pouring out while placing His folded palms of the two lotus hands on top of the head.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga is offering His praṇāma to Lord Jagannatha, with His hands held above His head and tears are flowing from His eyes. So, Lord Gaurāṅga, He showed beautiful expressions and the devotees would take His shelter and offer Him obeisances.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 82

mahāprabhura kṛpā-vyatīta unnatojjvala-rasaprāpti asambhava

Is impossible to obtain the most elevated mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love without the mercy of Mahāprabhu

bhrātaḥ kīrtaya nāma gokula-pater uddāma-nāmāvalīṁ
yad vā bhāvaya tasya divya-madhuraṁ rūpaṁ jagan-maṅgalam
hanta prema-mahā-rasojjvala-pade nāśāpi te sambhavet
śrī-caitanya-mahāprabhor yadi kṛpā-dṛṣṭiḥ paten na tvayi

bhrātaḥ—O brothers; kīrtaya—chant; nāma—an indeclinable word (accepting or possibility); gokula-pateḥ—Vajarājanandana (Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja); uddāma-nāmāvalīṁ—greatly powerful groups of holy names; yad vā—or; bhāvaya—think; tasya—His; divya-madhuraṁ rūpaṁ—think of His resplendent sweet form; jagan-maṅgalam—which is auspicious for the entire world; hanta—O! prema-mahā-rasojjvala-pade—in the subject of being super excellent due to love of conjugal mellow; na āśā api—even no hope; te—your; sambhavet—possible; śrī-caitanya-mahāprabhoḥ— of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; yadi kṛpā-dṛṣṭiḥ patet na tvayi—if the merciful glance does not fall on you.

Anuvāda: He bhrātaḥ, tumi gokulanātha śrī-kṛṣṇera mahā-śaktimatī nāmāvalīi uccaiḥsvare kīrtana kara, athavā tāṅhāra jaganmaṅgala divya-madhurarūpai dhyāna kara, yadi tomāra prati śrī-caitanya-mahāprabhura kṛpādṛṣṭi patita nā haya, tabe tomāra sei paramotkaṣṭa unnatojjvala-premarasa-viṣaye āśāo sambhava haite pāre nā.

Translation: O brothers, you may chant the greatly powerful groups of holy names of Vajarājanandana (Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja), or you may meditate on His resplendent transcendental sweet form, but if the merciful glance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not fall on you, then there is no possibility of hope in the matter of the super excellent love of conjugal mellow.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is mentioned by the author many times that you have to have the merciful glance of Lord Caitanya to be able to understand the conjugal love of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya was giving out this secret appreciation for the love of Kṛṣṇa. And He came down from the spiritual world in order to deliver all the fallen souls. If we do not get the mercy of Lord Caitanya it would be a very big mistake. He is giving out His mercy to those who normally would not get it. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 83

sarvasiddhira ākara gauracaraṇe āśrayopadeśa —

Advice to take shelter of the reservoir of all perfections, the lotus feet of Gaura

aye na kuru sāhasaṁ tava hasanti sarvodyamaṁ
janāḥ parita unmadā hari-rasāmṛtāsvādinaḥ
idaṁ tu nibhṛtaṁ śṛṇu praṇaya-vastu prastūyate
yad eva nigameṣu tat-patir ayaṁ hi gauraḥ param

aye—O; na kuru sāhasaṁ—do not show you audacity (do not be engaged in any other sādhanā other than taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya); tava—your; hasanti—laugh at; sarvodyamaṁ—all endeavor; janāḥ—people; parita unmadā—those devotees of Gaura, who are completely intoxicated by the happiness of love;  hari-rasāmṛtāsvādinaḥ—those who are expert in relishing the nectar of devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa who attracts the consciousness; idaṁ tu nibhṛtaṁ śṛṇu—listen to this secret topic; praṇaya-vastu prastūyate—is the object of love presented and glorified; yad eva nigameṣu—in the Vedic scriptures; tat-patiḥ—object of that; ayaṁ hi—certainly; gauraḥ param—only Gaura.

Anuvāda: Ohe, tumi śrī-caitanya-caraṇāśraya-vyatīta apara konao sādhane sahasā pravṛtta haio nā; kṛṣṇa-prema-pīyūṣa-rasapāne ekānta unmāda gaurajana-samūha tomāra airūpa sarvavidha udyamake upahāsa karena. Ekhana ati gopanīya ekaṭā kathā śravaṇa kara, nikhila-vedādi śāstre praṇaya-vastu baliyā yāhā prastāvita haiyāche, niścaya jānio, ei śrī-gaurāṅgai tāhāra ekamātra viṣaya.

Translation: O! Do not be engaged in any other sādhanā other than taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya; those devotees of Gaura who are expert in relishing the nectar of loving devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and thus who are completely intoxicated by the happiness of love, will mock at all of these endeavor. Now listen to a very secret thing that the object of love presented and glorified in the Vedic scriptures, that object certainly is only Gaura.

Jayapatākā Swami: Gaurāṅga! So, those who are expert at taking the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Gaurāṅga, they are able to relish this highest love. So, this is the special mercy of Lord Caitanya that one can get the love of Kṛṣṇa very easily from Śrī Gaura. So, one should not waste time but get the mercy from Lord Gaurāṅga.

Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam 84

śuddha-bhaktirahita acidbuddhiviśiṣṭa vyaktirao ārādhya śrī-gaurahari

Gaurahari is worshipable even for those devoid of pure devotional sevice and whose intelligence is specifically in non-spiritual

jñānādi-vartma-viruciṁ vrajanātha-bhakti-
rītiṁ na vedmi na ca sad-guravo milanti
hā hanta hanta mama kaḥ śravaṇaṁ vimūḍha
gauro haris tava na karṇa-pathaṁ gato ‘sti

jñānādi-vartma-viruciṁ—brings about distate in the process of searching after merging into the Brahman without any distinction, and the other processes such as performance of compulsory (nitya) and occasional [naimittika] activities, mystic instruction for self-realization, dry renunciation and so on; vrajanātha-bhakti-rītiṁ—the process of devotional devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa; na vedmi—I do not know; na ca sad-guravo milanti—I also have not met the bona fide spiritual masters; hā hanta hanta—alas! Alas!; mama kaḥ śravaṇaṁ—what is the solution for me? Whom shall I take shelter?; vimūḍha—O! You are a prominent fool; gauro hariḥ—Gaurahari; tava na karṇa-pathaṁ gato ‘sti—has Gaurahari not come on the path of your ears? i.e., bring the worship of Gaurahari on the path of your ears. Do not delay.

Anuvāda: Nirbheda-brahma-jñānādi-pathe vitṛṣṇā-utpādanakāriṇī ye śrī-kṛṣṇera bhajana-praṇālī, tāhā ta’ āmi jāni nā! Sad-gurugaṇera sahitao ta’ āmāra sākṣātkāra haiteche nā ! (āmāra ekhana upāya ki?) Āmi kāhāra śaraṇa grahaṇa kariba? Hāya, hāya, ati mūrkha tumi (ekhanao tomāra śaraṇya ke, tāhāi sthira karite pāritecha nā?) Gauraharira nāmaṭīo ki tomāra karṇapathe praveśa kare nāi?

Translation: I do not know the process of devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa which brings about distaste in the process of searching after merging into the Brahman without any distinction, and the other processes such as performance of compulsory (nitya) and occasional [naimittika] activities, mystic instruction for self-realization, dry renunciation and so on. My meeting with the bona fide spiritual masters is also not happening. What is the solution for me? Whom shall I take shelter? Alas! Alas! You are a prominent fool (that even now, you are not decide whom to take shelter). Has the name of Gaurahari not come on the path of your ears? Quickly bring the worship of Gaurahari on the path of your ears. Do not delay.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, all these are normally the paths for self-realization. 

But the conclusion is that all these paths are not sufficient, you need to take shelter of Lord Gaurāṅga. Gaurāṅga That would naturally solve all the problems.

Thus ends the commentary of the above verses of the Caitanya-candrāmṛtam by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja.

Transcribed by Jayarāseśvarī devī dāsī and Verified by JPS Archives 19^th December 2023