Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila Chapter 17 The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Youth (except) by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
TEXT 123
mṛdaṅga-karatāla saṅkīrtana-mahādhvani
'hari' 'hari'--dhvani vinā anya nāhi śuni
SYNONYMS
mṛdaṅga—drum; karatāla—hand bells; saṅkīrtana—chanting of the holy name of the Lord; mahā-dhvani—great vibration; hari—the Lord; hari—the Lord; dhvani—sound; vinā—except; anya—another; nāhi—not; śuni—one can hear.
TRANSLATION
When the saṅkīrtana movement thus started, no one in Navadvīpa could hear any sound other than the words "Hari! Hari!" and the beating of the mrdaṅga and clashing of hand bells.
PURPORT
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness now has its world center in Navadvīpa, Māyāpur. The managers of this center should see that twenty-four hours a day there is chanting of the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, with the addition of haraye namaḥ, kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ, for this song was a favorite of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's. But all such saṅkīrtana must be preceded by the chanting of the holy names of the five tattvas-śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. We are already accustomed to chant these two mantras-śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda and Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now, after these, the other two lines-namely, haraye namaḥ, kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ gopāla govinda rāma śrī-madhusūdana-should be added, especially in Māyāpur. Chanting of these six lines should go on so perfectly well that no one there hears any vibration other than the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. That will make the center spiritually all-perfect.
TEXT 124
śuniyā ye kruddha haila sakala yavana
kājī-pāśe āsi' sabe kaila nivedana
SYNONYMS
śuniyā—by hearing; ye—that; kruddha—angry; haila—became; sakala—all; yavana—Muslims; kājī-pāśe—in the court of the Kazi, or magistrate; āsi'-coming; sabe—all; kaila—made; nivedana—petition.
TRANSLATION
Hearing the resounding vibration of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the local Muslims, greatly angry, submitted a complaint to the Kazi.
PURPORT
The phaujadarā, or city magistrate, was called the kājī (Kazi). The jamidāras (Zamindars), or landholders (maṇḍalerās), levied taxes on the land, but keeping law and order and punishing criminals was the duty entrusted to the Kazi. Both the Kazi and the landholders were under the control of the governor of Bengal, which at that time was known as Subā-bāṅgālā. The districts of Nadia, Islāmpura and Bāgoyāna were all under the Zamindar named Hari Hoḍa or his descendant known as Kṛṣṇadāsa Hoḍa. It is said that Chand Kazi was the spiritual master of Nawab Hussain Shah. According to one opinion his name was Maulānā Sirājuddina, and according to another his name was Habibara Rahamāna. Descendants of Chand Kazi are still living in the vicinity of Māyāpur. People still go see the tomb of Chand Kazi, which is underneath a campaka tree and is known as Chand Kazi's samādhi.
TEXT 125
krodhe sandhyā-kāle kājī eka ghare āila
mṛdaṅga bhāṅgiyā loke kahite lāgila
SYNONYMS
krodhe—in anger; sandhyā-kāle—in the evening; kājī—the Chand Kazi; eka ghare—in one home; āila—came; mṛdaṅga—drum; bhāṅgiyā—breaking; loke—unto the people; kahite—to speak; lāgila—began.
TRANSLATION
Chand Kazi angrily came to one home in the evening, and when he saw kīrtana going on, he broke a mṛdaṅga and spoke as follows.
TEXT 126
eta-kāla keha nāhi kaila hinduyāni
ebe ye udyama cālāo kāra bala jāni'
SYNONYMS
eta-kāla—so long; keha—anyone; nāhi—not; kaila—performed; hinduyāni—regulative principles of the Hindus; ebe—now; ye—that; udyama—endeavor; cālāo—you propagate; kāra—whose; bala—strength; jāni'-I want to know.
TRANSLATION
"For so long you did not follow the regulative principles of the Hindu religion, but now you are following them with great enthusiasm. May I know by whose strength you are doing so?
PURPORT
It appears that from the aggression of Baktiyār Khiliji in Bengal until the time of Chand Kazi, Hindus, or the followers of the Vedic principles, were greatly suppressed. Like the Hindus in present-day Pakistan, practically no one could execute the Hindu religious principles freely. Chand Kazi referred to this condition of Hindu society. Formerly the Hindus had not been straightforward in executing their Hindu principles, but now they were freely chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Therefore it must have been by the strength of someone else that they were so daring.
Actually, that was the fact. Although the members of the so-called Hindu society had followed the social customs and formulas, they had practically forgotten to execute their religious principles strictly. But with the presence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu they actually began following the regulative principles according to His order. That order is still existing, and anywhere and everywhere, in all parts of the world, one can execute it. That order is to become a spiritual master under the direction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by following the regulative principles, chanting daily at least sixteen rounds of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and preaching the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. If we adhere to the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we shall get spiritual strength without a doubt, and we shall be free to preach this cult of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement and not be hampered by anyone.
TEXT 127
keha kīrtana nā kariha sakala nagare
āji āmi kṣamā kari' yāitechoṅ ghare
SYNONYMS
keha—anyone; kīrtana—chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; nā—do not; kariha—perform; sakala nagare—in the whole town; āji—today; āmi—I; kṣamā kari'-excusing; yāitechoṅ—am returning; ghare—home.
TRANSLATION
"No one should perform saṅkīrtana on the streets of the city. Today I am excusing the offense and returning home.
PURPORT
Such orders stopping saṅkīrtana in the streets of the world's great cities have been imposed upon members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. We have hundreds of centers all over the world, and we have been specifically persecuted in Australia. In most cities of the Western world we have been arrested many times by the police, but we are nevertheless executing the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting on the streets of all the important cities, like New York, London, Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne, Paris and Hamburg. We must remember that such incidents took place in the past, five hundred years ago, and the fact that they are still going on indicates that our saṅkīrtana movement is really authorized, for if saṅkīrtana were an insignificant material affair, demons would not object to it. The demons of the time tried to obstruct the saṅkīrtana movement started by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Similar demons are trying to obstruct the saṅkīrtana movement we are executing all over the world, and this proves that our saṅkīrtana movement is still pure and genuine, following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 128
āra yadi kīrtana karite lāga pāimu
sarvasva daṇḍiyā tāra jāti ye la-imu
SYNONYMS
āra—again; yadi—if; kīrtana—chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; karite—to do; lāga—contact; pāimu—I shall take; sarva-sva—all possessions; daṇḍiyā—chastising; tāra—his; jāti—caste; ye—that; la-imu—I shall take.
TRANSLATION
"The next time I see someone performing such saṅkīrtana, I shall certainly chastise him by not only confiscating all his property but also converting him into a Muslim."
PURPORT
To convert a Hindu into a Muslim was an easy affair in those days. If a Muslim simply sprinkled water on the body of a Hindu, it was supposed that the Hindu had already become a Muslim. During the transition of the British in Bangladesh during the last Hindu-Muslim riots, many Hindus were converted into Muslims by having cows' flesh forcibly pushed into their mouths. Hindu society was so rigid at the time of Lord Caitanya that if a Hindu were converted into a Muslim, there was no chance of his being reformed. In this way the Muslim population in India increased. None of the Muslims came from outside; social customs somehow or other forced Hindus to become Muslims, with no chance of returning to Hindu society. Emperor Aurangzeb also inaugurated a tax that Hindus had to pay because of their being Hindus. Thus all the poor Hindus of the lower class voluntarily became Muslims to avoid the tax. In this way the Muslim population in India increased. Chand Kazi threatened to convert the people into Muslims by the simple process of sprinkling water on their bodies.
TEXT 129
eta bali' kājī gela,--nagariyā loka
prabhu-sthāne nivedila pāñā baḍa śoka
SYNONYMS
eta bali'-thus saying; kājī—the magistrate; gela—returned; nagariyā loka—the citizens in general; prabhu-sthāne—before the Lord; nivedila—submitted; pāñā—getting; baḍa—very; śoka—shock.
TRANSLATION
After saying this, the Kazi returned home, and the devotees, greatly shocked that they were forbidden to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, submitted their grief to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 130
prabhu ājñā dila--yāha karaha kīrtana
muñi saṁhārimu āji sakala yavana
SYNONYMS
prabhu—the Lord; ājñā dila—ordered; yāha—go; karaha—and perform; kīrtana—saṅkīrtana, chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; muñi—I; saṁhārimu—shall kill; āji—today; sakala—all; yavana—the Muslims.
TRANSLATION
Lord Caitanya ordered, "Go peform saṅkīrtana! Today I shall kill all the Muslims!"
PURPORT
Gandhi is known for having started the movement of nonviolent civil disobedience in India, but about five hundred years before him, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started His movement of nonviolent civil disobedience to the order of Chand Kazi. It is not necessary to commit violence to stop the opposition from hindering a movement, for one can kill their demoniac behavior with reason and argument. Following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whenever there are obstacles the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement should kill the opposition with reason and argument and thus stop their demoniac behavior. If we became violent in every case, it would be difficult for us to manage our affairs. We should therefore follow in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who disobeyed the order of Chand Kazi but subdued him with reason and argument.
TEXT 131
ghare giyā saba loka karaye kīrtana
kājīra bhaye svacchanda nahe, camakita mana
SYNONYMS
ghare giyā—returning home; saba—all; loka—citizens; karaye—performed; kīrtana—saṅkīrtana; kājīra—of the Kazi; bhaye—from fear; svacchanda—carefree; nahe—not; camakita—always full of anxieties; mana—the mind.
TRANSLATION
Returning home, all the citizens began performing saṅkīrtana, but because of the order of the Kazi, they were not carefree but always full of anxiety.
TEXT 132
tā-sabhāra antare bhaya prabhu mane jāni
kahite lāgilā loke śīghra ḍāki' āni'
SYNONYMS
tā-sabhāra—of all of them; antare—in the mind; bhaya—fear; prabhu—the Lord; mane—in the mind; jāni—understanding; kahite—to speak; lāgilā—began; loke—to the people; śīghra—very soon; ḍāki'-calling; āni'-bringing them.
TRANSLATION
Understanding the anxiety within the people's minds, the Lord called them together and spoke to them as follows.
TEXT 133
nagare nagare āji karimu kīrtana
sandhyā-kāle kara sabhe nagara-maṇḍana
SYNONYMS
nagare—from town; nagare—to town; āji—today; karimu—I shall perform; kīrtana—chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; sandhyā-kāle—in the evening; kara—do; sabhe—all; nagara—of the city; maṇḍana—decoration.
TRANSLATION
"In the evening I shall perform saṅkīrtana in each and every town. Therefore you should all decorate the city in the evening.
PURPORT
At that time, Navadvīpa was composed of nine small cities, so the words nagare nagare are significant. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to perform kīrtana in each of these neighboring towns. He ordered the city decorated for the function.
TEXT 134
sandhyāte deuṭi sabe jvāla ghare ghare
dekha, kona kājī āsi' more mānā kare
SYNONYMS
sandhyāte—in the evening; deuṭi—lamps; sabe—everyone; jvāla—light up; ghare ghare—in each and every home; dekha—just wait and see; kona—which kind; kājī—magistrate; āsi'-coming; more—unto Me; mānā kare—orders Me to stop.
TRANSLATION
"In the evening, burn torchlights in every home. I shall give protection to everyone. Let us see what kind of Kazi comes to stop our kīrtana."
TEXT 135
eta kahi' sandhyā-kale cāle gaurarāya
kīrtanera kaila prabhu tina sampradāya
SYNONYMS
eta kahi'-saying this; sandhyā-kāle—in the evening; cale—went out; gaura-rāya—Gaurasundara; kīrtanera—of performing saṅkīrtana; kaila—made; prabhu—the Lord; tina—three; sampradāya—parties.
TRANSLATION
In the evening Lord Gaurasundara went out and formed three parties to perform kīrtana.
PURPORT
This is a scheme for performing kīrtana in a procession. During Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, one party was composed of twenty-one men: four people playing mṛdaṅgas, one leading the chanting, and sixteen others striking karatālas, responding to the leading chanter. If many men join the saṅkīrtana movement, they may follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and form different parties according to the time and the number of men available.
TEXT 136
āge sampradāye nṛtya kare haridāsa
madhye nāce ācārya-gosāñi parama ullāsa
SYNONYMS
āge—in front; sampradāye—in the party; nṛtya—dancing; kare—does; haridāsa—Ṭhākura Haridāsa; madhye—in the middle; nāce—dances; ācārya-gosāñi—Śrī Advaita Ācārya; parama—very; ullāsa—happy.
TRANSLATION
In the front party danced Ṭhākura Haridāsa, and in the middle party danced Advaita Ācārya with great jubilition.
TEXT 137
pāche sampradāye nṛtya kare gauracandra
tāṅra saṅge nāci' bule prabhu nityānanda
SYNONYMS
pāche—at the rear; sampradāye—in the party; nṛtya—dancing; kare—does; gauracandra—Lord Gaurāṅga; tāṅra—His; saṅge—along with; nāci'-dancing; bule—moves; prabhu—Lord; nityānanda—of the name Nityānanda.
TRANSLATION
Lord Gaurasundara Himself danced in the rear party, and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu moved with Lord Caitanya's dancing.
TEXT 138
vṛndāvana-dāsa ihā 'caitanya-maṅgale'
vistāri' varṇiyāchena, prabhu-kṛpā-bale
SYNONYMS
vṛndāvana-dāsa—Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura; ihā—this; caitanya-maṅgale—in his book named Caitanya-maṅgala; vistāri'-elaborately; varṇiyāchena—has described; prabhu—of the Lord; kṛpā-bale—by the strength of mercy.
TRANSLATION
By the grace of the Lord, Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has elaborately described this incident in his Caitanya-maṅgala.
TEXT 139
ei mata kīrtana kari' nagare bhramilā
bhramite bhramite sabhe kājī-dvāre gelā
SYNONYMS
ei mata—in this way; kīrtana—congregational chanting; kari'-executing; nagare—in the city; bhramilā—circumambulated; bhramite bhramite—while thus moving; sabhe—all of them; kājī-dvāre—at the door of the Kazi; gelā—reached.
TRANSLATION
Peforming kīrtana in this way, circumambulating through every nook and corner of the city, they finilly reached the door of the Kazi.
TEXT 140
tarja-garja kare loka, kare kolāhala
gauracandra-bale loka praśraya-pāgala
SYNONYMS
tarja-garja—murmuring in anger; kare—do; loka—the people; kare—do; kolāhala—roaring; gauracandra—of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bale—by the power; loka—people; praśraya-pāgala—became mad by such indulgence.
TRANSLATION
Murmuring in anger and making a roaring sound, the people, under the protection of Lord Caitanya, became mad through such indulgence.
PURPORT
The Kazi had issued an order not to perform kīrtana, congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord. But when this was brought up to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He ordered civil disobedience to the Kazi's order. Lord Caitanya and all His devotees, naturally enthusiastic although agitated, must have made a great noise with their loud cries.
TEXT 141
kīrtanera dhvanite kājī lukāila ghare
tarjana garjana śuni' nā haya bāhire
SYNONYMS
kīrtanera—of the saṅkīrtana movement; dhvanite—by the sound; kājī—the Chand Kazi; lukāila—hid himself; ghare—in the room; tarjana—murmuring; garjana—protesting; śuni'-hearing; nā—does not; haya—come out; bāhire—outside.
TRANSLATION
The loud sound of the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra certainly made the Kazi very much afraid, and he hid himself within his room. Hearing the people thus protesting, murmuring in great anger, the Kazi would not come out of his home.
PURPORT
The Kazi's order not to perform saṅkīrtana could stand only as long as there was no civil disobedience. Under the leadership of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the chanters, increasing in number, disobeyed the order of the Kazi. Thousands assembled together and formed parties, chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and making a tumultuous sound of protest. Thus the Kazi was very much afraid, as naturally one should be under such circumstances.
In the present day also, people all over the world may join together in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and protest against the present degraded governments of the world's godless societies, which are based on all kinds of sinful activities. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that in the Age of Kali, thieves, rogues and fourth-class people who have neither education nor culture capture the seats of governments to exploit the citizens. This is a symptom of Kali-yuga that has already appeared. People cannot feel secure about their lives and property, yet the so-called governments continue, and government ministers get fat salaries, although they are unable to do anything good for society. The only remedy for such conditions is to enhance the sankīrtana movement under the banner of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and protest against the sinful activities of all the world's governments.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sentimental religious movement; it is a movement for the reformation of all the anomalies of human society. If people take to it seriously, discharging this duty scientifically, as ordered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the world will see peace and prosperity instead of being confused and hopeless under useless governments. There are always rogues and thieves in human society, and as soon as a weak government is unable to execute its duties, these rogues and thieves come out to do their business. Thus the entire society becomes a hell unfit for gentlemen to live in. There is an immediate need for a good government-a government by the people, with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless the masses of people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, they cannot be good men. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra still has its potency. Therefore people should understand it seriously and scientifically and spread it all over the world.
The saṅkīrtana movement started by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is described in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, Twenty-third Chapter, beginning with verse 241, which states, "My dear Lord, let my mind be fixed at Your lotus feet." Following Lord Caitanya's chanting, all the devotees reproduced the same sound He chanted. In this way the Lord proceeded, leading the entire party on the strand roads by the bank of the Ganges. When the Lord came to His own ghāṭa, or bathing place, He danced more and more. Then He proceeded to Mādhāi's ghāṭa. In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Lord, who was known as Viśvambhara, danced all over the banks of the Ganges. Then He proceeded to Bārakoṇā-ghāṭa, the Nāgariyā-ghāṭa, and, traveling through Gaṅgānagara, reached Simuliyā, a quarter at one end of the town. All these places surround Śrī Māyāpur. After reaching Simuliyā, the Lord proceeded towards the Kazi's house, and in this way He reached the door of Chand Kazi.
TEXT 142
uddhata loka bhāṅge kājīra ghara-puṣpavana
vistāri' varṇilā ihā dāsa-vṛndāvana
SYNONYMS
uddhata—agitated; loka—persons; bhāṅge—break; kājīra—of the Kazi; ghara—house; puṣpa-vana—flower garden; vistāri'-elaborately; varṇilā—described; ihā—this; dāsa-vṛndāvana—Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.
TRANSLATION
Naturally some of the people who were very much agitated began to retaliate the Kazi's actions by wrecking his house and flower garden. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has elaborately described this incident.
TEXT 143
tabe mahāprabhu tāra dvārete vasilā
bhavya-loka pāṭhāiyā kājīre bolāilā
SYNONYMS
tabe—thereafter; mahāprabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāra dvārete—at the Kazi's door; vasilā—sat down; bhavya-loka—respectable persons; pāṭhāiyā—sending; kājīre—unto the Kazi; bolāilā—had them call.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu reached the Kazi's house, He sat down by the doorway and sent some respectable persons to call for the Kazi.
TEXT 144
dūra ha-ite āilā kājī māthā noyāiyā
kājīre vasāilā prabhu sammāna kariyā
SYNONYMS
dūra ha-ite—from a distant place; āilā—came; kājī—the Kazi; māthā—head; noyāiyā—bowed down; kājīre—unto the Kazi; vasāilā—gave a seat; prabhu—the Lord; sammāna—respect; kariyā—offering.
TRANSLATION
When the Kazi came, his head bowed down, the Lord gave him proper respect and a seat.
PURPORT
Some of the men in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's civil disobedience movement were agitated because they could not control their minds. But the Lord was thoroughly peaceful, sober and unagitated. Therefore when the Kazi came down to see Him, the Lord offered him proper respect and a seat because he was a respectable government officer. Thus the Lord taught us by His personal behavior. In pushing on our saṅkīrtana movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we might have to face difficult days, but we should always follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and do the needful according to the time and circumstances.
TEXT 145
prabhu balena,--āmi tomāra āilāma abhyāgata
āmi dekhi' lukāilā,--e-dharma kemata
SYNONYMS
prabhu balena—the Lord said; āmi—I; tomāra—your; āilāma—have come; abhyāgata—guest; āmi—Me; dekhi'-seeing; lukāilā—you disappeared; e-dharma kemata—what kind of etiquette is this.
TRANSLATION
In a friendly way, the Lord said, "Sir, I have come to your house as your guest, but upon seeing Me you hid yourself in your room. What kind of etiquette is this?"
TEXT 146
kājī kahe--tumi āisa kruddha ha-iyā
tomā śānta karāite rahinu lukāiyā
SYNONYMS
kājī kahe—the Kazi replied; tumi—You; āisa—have come; kruddha—angry; ha-iyā—being; tomā—You; śānta—pacified; karāite—to make; rahinu—I remained; lukāiyā—hiding out of sight.
TRANSLATION
The Kazi replied, "You have come to my house in a very angry mood. To pacify You, I did not come before You immediately but kept myself hidden.
TEXT 147
ebe tumi śāntā haile, āsi, mililāṅ
bhāgya mora,--tomā hena atithi pāilāṅ
SYNONYMS
ebe—now; tumi—You; śānta—pacified; haile—have become; āsi'-coming; mililāṅ—I have met (You); bhāgya mora—it is my great fortune; toma—You; hena—like; atithi—guest; pāilāṅ—I have received.
TRANSLATION
"Now that You have become pacified, I have come to You. It is my good fortune to receive a guest like Your Honor.
TEXT 148
grāma-sambandhe 'cakravartī' haya mora cācā
deha-sambandhe haite haya grāma-sambandha sāṅcā
SYNONYMS
grāma-sambandhe—in our neighborhood relationship; cakravartī—Your grandfather Nīlāmbara Cakravartī; haya—becomes; mora—my; cācā—uncle; deha-sambandhe—in a bodily relationship; haite—than; haya—becomes; grāma-sambandha—neighborhood relationship; sāṅcā—more powerful.
TRANSLATION
"In our village relationship, Nīlāmbara Cakravartī Ṭhākura was my uncle. Such a relationship is stronger than a bodily relationship.
PURPORT
In India, even in the interior villages, all the Hindu and Muslim communities used to live very peacefully by establishing a relationship between them. The young men called the elderly members of the village by the name cācā or kākā, "uncle," and men of the same age called each other dādā, "brother." The relationship was very friendly. There were even invitations from Muslim houses to Hindu houses and from Hindu houses to Muslim houses. Both the Hindus and the Muslims accepted the invitations to go to one another's houses to attend ceremonial functions. Even until fifty or sixty years ago, the relationship between Hindus and Muslims was very friendly, and there were no disturbances. We do not find any Hindu-Muslim riots in the history of India, even during the days of the Muslims' rule over the country. Conflict between Hindus and Muslims was created by polluted politicians, especially foreign rulers, and thus the situation gradually became so degraded that India was divided into Hindustan and Pakistan. Fortunately, the remedy to unite not only the Hindus and Muslims but all communities and all nations can still be implemented by the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement on the strong basic platform of love of Godhead.
TEXT 149
nīlāmbara cakravartī haya tomāra nānā
se-sambandhe hao tumi āmāra bhāginā
SYNONYMS
nīlāmbara cakravartī—of the name Nīlāmbara Cakravartī; haya—becomes; tomāra—Your; nānā—maternal grandfather; se-sambandhe—by such a relationship; hao—become; tumi—You; āmāra—my; bhāginā—nephew (the son of my sister).
TRANSLATION
"Nīlāmbara Cakravartī is Your maternal grandfather, and by this relationship You are thus my nephew.
TEXT 150
bhāgināra krodha māmā avaśya sahaya
mātulera aparādha bhāginā nā laya
SYNONYMS
bhāgināra—of the nephew; krodha—anger; māmā—maternal uncle; avaśya—certainly; sahaya—tolerates; mātulera—of the maternal uncle; aparādha—offense; bhāginā—the nephew; nā—does not; laya—accept.
TRANSLATION
"When a nephew is very angry, his maternal uncle is tolerant, and when the maternal uncle commits an offense, the nephew does not take it very seriously."
TEXT 151
ei mata duṅhāra kathā haya ṭhāre-ṭhore
bhitarera artha keha bujhite nā pāre
SYNONYMS
ei mata—in this way; duṅhāra—of both of them; kathā—conversation; haya—took place; ṭhāre-ṭhore—with different indications; bhitarera—inner; artha—meaning; keha—anyone; bujhite—to understand; nā pāre—is not able.
TRANSLATION
In this way the Kazi and the Lord talked with each other with various indications, but no outsider could understand the inner meaning of their conversation.
TEXT 152
prabhu kahe,--praśna lāgi' āilāma tomāra sthāne
kājī kahe,--ājñā kara, ye tomāra mane
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe—the Lord said; praśna lāgi'-just to inquire from you; āilāma—I have come; tomāra sthāne—at your place; kājī kahe—the Kazi replied; ājñā kara—just order me; ye—whatever; tomāra mane—(is) in Your mind.
TRANSLATION
The Lord said, "My dear uncle, I have come to your home just to ask you some questions."
"Yes," the Kazi replied, "You are welcome. Just tell me what is in Your mind."
TEXT 153
prabhu kahe,--go-dugdha khāo, gābhī tomāra mātā
vṛṣa anna upajāya, tāte teṅho pitā
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe—the Lord said; go-dugdha khāo—you drink cows' milk; gābhī—the cow (is); tomāra—your; mātā—mother; vṛṣa—the bull; anna—grains; upajaya—produces; tāte—therefore; teṅho—he; pitā—(is) your father.
TRANSLATION
The Lord said, "You drink cows' milk; therefore the cow is your mother. And the bull produces grains for your maintenance; therefore he is your father.
TEXT 154
pitā-mātā māri' khāo--ebā kon dharma
kon bale kara tumi e-mata vikarma
SYNONYMS
pitā-mātā—father and mother; māri'-killing; khāo—you eat; ebā—this; kon—what kind of; dharma—religion; kon bale—on what strength; kara—do; tumi—you; e-mata—such; vikarma—sinful activities.
TRANSLATION
"Since the bull and cow are your father and mother, how can you kill and eat them? What kind of religious principle is this? On what strength are you so daring that you commit such sinful activities?"
PURPORT
Everyone can understand that we drink the milk of cows and take the help of bulls in producing agricultural products. Therefore, since our real father gives us food grains and our mother gives us milk with which to live, the cow and bull are considered our father and mother. According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers, of which the cow is one. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu challenged the Muslim Kazi, "What kind of religious principle do you follow by killing your father and mother to eat them?" In any civilized human society, no one would dare kill his father and mother for the purpose of eating them. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu challenged the system of Muslim religion as patricide and matricide. In the Christian religion also, a principal commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." Nevertheless, Christians violate this rule; they are very expert in killing and in opening slaughterhouses. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, our first provision is that no one should be allowed to eat any kind of flesh. It does not matter whether it is cows' flesh or goats' flesh, but we especially stress the prohibition against cows' flesh because according to śāstra the cow is our mother. Thus the Muslims' cow-killing was challenged by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
TEXT 155
kājī kahe,--tomāra yaiche veda-purāṇa
taiche āmāra śāstra--ketāva 'korāṇa'
SYNONYMS
kājī kahe—the Kazi replied; tomāra—Your; yaiche—as much as; veda-purāṇa—the Vedas and Purāṇas; taiche—similarly; āmāra—our; śāstra—scripture; ketāva—the holy book; korāṇa—the Koran.
TRANSLATION
The Kazi replied, "As You have Your scriptures called the Vedas and Purāṇas, we have our scripture, known as the holy Koran.
PURPORT
Chand Kazi agreed to talk with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu on the strength of the scriptures. According to the Vedic scripture, if one can support his position by quoting from the Vedas, his argument is perfect. Similarly, when the Muslims support their position with quotations from the Koran, their arguments are also authorized. When Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu raised the question of the Muslims' cow-killing and bull-killing, Chand Kazi came to the standard of understanding from his scriptures.
TEXT 156
sei śāstre kahe,--pravṛtti-nivṛtti-mārga-bheda
nivṛtti-mārge jīva-mātra-vadhera niṣedha
SYNONYMS
sei śāstre—in the scripture (the Koran); kahe—it is ordered; pravṛtti—of attachment; nivṛtti—of detachment; mārga—ways; bheda—difference; nivṛtti—of detachment; mārge—on the path; jīva-mātra—of any living entity; vadhera—of killing; niṣedha—prohibition.
TRANSLATION
"According to the Koran, there are two ways of advancement-through increasing the propensity to enjoy and decreasing the propensity to enjoy. On the path of decreasing attachment [nivṛtti-mārga], the killing of animals is prohibited.
TEXT 157
pravṛtti-mārge go-vadha karite vidhi haya
śāstra-ājñāya vadha kaile nāhi pāpa-bhaya
SYNONYMS
pravṛtti-mārge—on the path of attachment; go-vadha—the killing of cows; karite—to execute; vidhi—regulative principles; haya—there are; śāstra-ājñāya—on the order of the scripture; vadha—killing; kaile—if one commits; nāhi—there is no; pāpa-bhaya—fear of sinful activities.
TRANSLATION
"On the path of material activities, there is regulation for killing cows. If such killing is done under the guidance of scripture, there is no sin."
PURPORT
The word śāstra is derived from the dhātu, or verbal root, śas. Śas-dhātu pertains to controlling or ruling. A government's ruling through force or weapons is called śastra. Thus whenever there is ruling, either by weapons or by injunctions, the śas-dhatu is the basic principle. Between śastra (ruling through weapons) and śāstra (ruling through the injunctions of the scriptures), the better is śāstra. Our Vedic scriptures are not ordinary lawbooks of human common sense; they are the statements of factually liberated persons unaffected by the imperfectness of the senses.
Śāstra must be correct always, not sometimes correct and sometimes incorrect. In the Vedic scriptures, the cow is described as a mother. Therefore she is a mother for all time; it is not, as some rascals say, that in the Vedic age she was a mother but she is not in this age. If śāstra is an authority, the cow is a mother always; she was a mother in the Vedic age, and she is a mother in this age also.
If one acts according to the injunctions of śāstra, he is freed from the reactions of sinful activity. For example, the propensities for eating flesh, drinking wine and enjoying sex life are all natural to the conditioned soul.The path of such enjoyment is called pravṛtti-marga. The śāstra says, pravṛttir eṣāṁ bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā: one should not be carried away by the propensities of defective conditioned life; one should be guided by the principles of the śāstras. A child's propensity is to play all day long, but it is the injunction of the śāstras that the parents should take care to educate him. The śāstras are there just to guide the activities of human society. But because people do not refer to the instructions of śāstras, which are free from defects and imperfections, they are therefore misguided by so-called educated teachers and leaders who are full of the deficiencies of conditioned life.
TEXT 158
tomāra vedete āche go-vadhera vāṇī
ataeva go-vadha kare baḍa baḍa muni
SYNONYMS
tomāra vedete—in Your Vedic literature; āche—there is; go-vadhera—for cow-killing; vāṇī—injunction; ataeva—therefore; go-vadha—cow-killing; kare—does; baḍa baḍa—very, very great; muni—sages.
TRANSLATION
As a learned scholar, the Kazi challenged Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "In Your Vedic scriptures there is an injunction for killing a cow. On the strength of this injunction, great sages peformed sacrifices involving cow-killing."
TEXT 159
prabhu kahe,--vede kahe go-vadha niṣedha
ataeva hindu-mātra nā kare go-vadha
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe—the Lord replied; vede—in the Vedas; kahe—is enjoined; go-vadha—cow-killing; niṣedha—prohibition; ataeva—therefore; hindu—Hindu; mātra—any; nā—does not; kare—execute; go-vadha—cow-killing.
TRANSLATION
Refuting the Kazi's statement, the Lord immediately replied, "The Vedas clearly enjoin that cows should not be killed. Therefore every Hindu, whoever he may be, avoids indulging in cow-killing.
PURPORT
In the Vedic scriptures there are concessions for meat-eaters. It is said that if one wants to eat meat, he should kill a goat before the goddess Kālī and then eat its meat. Meat-eaters are not allowed to purchase meat or flesh from a market or slaughterhouse. There are no sanctions for maintaining regular slaughterhouses to satisfy the tongues of meat-eaters. As far as cow-killing is concerned, it is completely forbidden. Since the cow is considered a mother, how could the Vedas allow cow-killing? Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu pointed out that the Kazi's statement was faulty. In the Bhagavad-gītā (18.44) there is a clear injunction that cows should be protected: kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. "The duty of vaiśyas is to produce agricultural products, trade and give protection to cows." Therefore it is a false statement that the Vedic scriptures contain injunctions permitting cow-killing.
TEXT 160
jiyāite pāre yadi, tabe māre prāṇī
veda-purāṇe āche hena ājñā-vāṇī
SYNONYMS
jiyāite—to rejuvenate; pāre—one is able; yadi—if; tabe—then; māre—can kill; prāṇī—living being; veda-purāṇe—in the Vedas and Purāṇas; āche—there are; hena—such; ājñā-vāṇī—orders and injunctions.
TRANSLATION
"In the Vedas and Purāṇas there are injunctions declaring that if one can revive a living being, be can kill it for experimental purposes.
TEXT 161
ataeva jarad-gava māre muni-gaṇa
veda-mantre siddha kare tāhāra jīvana
SYNONYMS
ataeva—therefore; jarad-gava—old cows; māre—killed; muni-gaṇa—sages; veda-mantre—by the power of Vedic hymns; siddha—rejuvenated; kare—makes; tāhāra—his; jīvana—life.
TRANSLATION
"Therefore the great sages sometimes killed old cows, and by chanting Vedic hymns they again brought them to life for perfection.
TEXT 162
jarad-gava hañā yuvā haya āra-vāra
tāte tāra vadha nahe, haya upakāra
SYNONYMS
jarad-gava—old, invalid cows; hañā—becoming; yuvā—young; haya—become; āra-vāra—again; tāte—in that action; tāra—his; vadha—killing; nahe—is not; haya—there is; upakāra—benefit.
TRANSLATION
"The killing and rejuvenation of such old and invalid cows was not truly killing but an act of great benefit.
TEXT 163
kali-kāle taiche śakti nāhika brāhmaṇe
ataeva go-vadha keha nā kare ekhane
SYNONYMS
kali-kāle—in the Age of Kali; taiche—such; śakti—power; nāhika—there is none; brāhmaṇe—in the brāhmaṇas; ataeva—therefore; go-vadha—killing of cows; keha—anyone; nā—does not; kare—execute; ekhane—at the present.
TRANSLATION
"Formerly there were powerful brāhmaṇas who could make such experiments using Vedic hymns, but now, because of the Kali-yuga, brāhmaṇas are not so powerful. Therefore the killing of cows and bulls for rejuvenation is forbidden.
TEXT 164
aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ
sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam
devareṇa sutotpattiṁ
kalau pañca vivarjayet
SYNONYMS
aśva-medham—a sacrifice offering a horse; gava-ālambham—a sacrifice of cows; sannyāsam—the renounced order of life; pala-paitṛkam—an offering of oblations of flesh to the forefathers; devareṇa—by a husband's brother; suta-utpattim—begetting children; kalau—in the Age of Kali; pañca—five; vivarjayet—one must give up.
TRANSLATION
" 'In this Age of Kali, five acts are forbidden: the offering of a horse in sacrifice, the offering of a cow in sacrifice, the acceptance of the order of sannyāsa, the offering of oblations of flesh to the forefathers, and a man's begetting children in his brother's wife.'
PURPORT
This is a quotation from the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa (Kṛṣṇa-janma-khaṇḍa 185.180).
TEXT 165
tomarā jīyāite nāra,--vadha-mātra sāra
naraka ha-ite tomāra nāhika nistāra
SYNONYMS
tomarā—you Muslims; jīyāite—bring to life; nāra—cannot; vadha-mātra—killing only; sāra—the essence; naraka ha-ite—from hell; tomāra—your; nāhika—there is not; nistāra—deliverance.
TRANSLATION
"Since you Muslims cannot bring killed animals back to life, you are responsible for killing them. Therefore you are going to hell; there is no way for your deliverance.
TEXT 166
go-aṅge yata loma, tata sahasra vatsara
go-vadhī raurava-madhye pace nirantara
SYNONYMS
go-aṅge—on the body of the cow; yata—as many; loma—hairs; tata—so many; sahasra—a thousand; vatsara—years; go-vadhī—the killer of a cow; raurava-madhye—in a hellish condition of life; pace—decomposes; nirantara—always.
TRANSLATION
"Cow-killers are condemned to rot in hellish life for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of the cow.
TEXT 167
tomā-sabāra śāstra-kartā--seha bhrānta haila
nā jāni' śāstrera marma aiche ājñā dila
SYNONYMS
tomā-sabāra—of all of you; śāstra-kartā—compilers of scripture; seha—they also; bhrānta—mistaken; haila—became; nā jāni'-without knowing; śāstrera marma—the essence of scriptures; aiche—such; ājñā—order; dila—gave.
TRANSLATION
"There are many mistakes and illusions in your scriptures. Their compilers, not knowing the essence of knowledge, gave orders that were against reason and argument."
TEXT 168
śuni' stabdha haila kājī, nāhi sphure vāṇī
vicāriyā kahe kājī parābhava māni'
SYNONYMS
śuni'-by hearing; stabdha—stunned; haila—became; kājī—the Kazi; nāhi—does not; sphure—utter; vāṇī—words; vicāriyā—after due consideration; kahe—said; kājī—the Kazi; parābhava—defeat; māni'-accepting.
TRANSLATION
After hearing these statements by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Kazi, his arguments stunned, could not put forward any more words. Thus, after due consideration, the Kazi accepted defeat and spoke as follows.
PURPORT
In our practical preaching work we meet many Christians who talk about statements of the Bible. When we question whether God is limited or unlimited, Christian priests say that God is unlimited. But when we question why the unlimited God should have only one son and not unlimited sons, they are unable to answer. Similarly, from a scientific point of view, the answers of the Old Testament, New Testament and Koran to many questions have changed. But a śāstra cannot change at a person's whim. All śāstras must be free from the four defects of human nature. The statements of śāstras must be correct for all time.
TEXT 169
tumi ye kahile, paṇḍita, sei satya haya
ādhunika āmāra śāstra, vicāra-saha naya
SYNONYMS
tumi—You; ye—whatever; kahile—have said; paṇḍita—O Nimāi Paṇḍita; sei—that; satya—truth; haya—is certainly; ādhunika—of modern days; āmāra—our; śāstra—scripture; vicāra—logic; saha—with; naya—they are not.
TRANSLATION
"My dear Nimāi Paṇḍita, what You have said is all true. Our scriptures have developed only recently, and they are certainly not logical and philosophical.
PURPORT
The śāstras of the yavanas, or meat-eaters, are not eternal scriptures. They have been fashioned recently, and sometimes they contradict one another. The scriptures of the yavanas are three: the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Koran. Their compilation has a history; they are not eternal like the Vedic knowledge. Therefore although they have their arguments and reasonings, they are not very sound and transcendental. As such, modern people advanced in science and philosophy deem these scriptures unacceptable.
Sometimes Christian priests come to us inquiring, "Why are our followers neglecting our scriptures and accepting yours?" But when we ask them, "Your Bible says, 'Do not kill.' Why then are you killing so many animals daily?" they cannot answer. Some of them imperfectly answer that the animals have no souls. But then we ask them, "How do you know that animals have no souls? Animals and children are of the same nature. Does this mean that the children of human society also have no souls?" According to the Vedic scriptures, within the body is the owner of the body, the soul. In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.13) it is said:
dehino 'smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
"As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change."
Because the soul is within the body, the body changes through so many forms. There is a soul within the body of every living entity, whether animal, tree, bird or human being, and the soul is transmigrating from one type of body to another. When the scriptures of the yavanas-namely, the Old Testament, New Testament and Koran-cannot properly answer inquisitive followers, naturally those advanced in scientific knowledge and philosophy lose faith in such scriptures. The Kazi admitted this while talking with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Kazi was a very intelligent person. He had full knowledge of his position, as stated in the following verse.
TEXT 170
kalpita āmāra śāstra,--āmi saba jāni
jāti-anurodhe tabu sei śāstra māni
SYNONYMS
kalpita—imagined; āmāra—our; śāstra—scripture; āmi—I; saba—everything; jāni—know; jāti—by community; anurodhe—being obliged; tabu—still; sei—that; śāstra—scripture; māni—I accept.
TRANSLATION
"I know that our scriptures are full of imagination and mistaken ideas, yet because I am a Muslim I accept them for the sake of my community, despite their insufficient support.
TEXT 171
sahaje yavana-śāstre adṛḍha vicāra
hāsi' tāhe mahāprabhu puchena āra-vāra
SYNONYMS
sahaje—naturally; yavana-śāstre—in the scriptures of the meat-eaters; adṛḍha—unsound; vicāra—judgment; hāsi'-smiling; tāhe—from him; mahāprabhu—Caitanya Mahāprabhu; puchena—inquired; āra-vāra—again.
TRANSLATION
"The reasoning and arguments in the scriptures of the meat-eaters are not very sound," the Kazi concluded. Upon hearing this statement, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and inquired from him as follows.
Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 4 Śrī Mādhavendra Puri's Devotional Service (excerpt) by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
TEXT 61
pañca-gavya, pañcāmṛte snāna karāñā
mahā-snāna karāila śata ghaṭa diñā
SYNONYMS
pañca-gavya—in five kinds of products from the cow; pañca-amṛte—in a preparation made with five palatable foods; snāna—bath; karāñā—finishing; mahā-snāna—a vast bath with ghee and water; karāila—performed; śata—one hundred; ghaṭa—waterpots; diñā—with.
TRANSLATION
After the first bathing, further bathings were conducted with pañca-gavya and then with pañcāmṛta. Then the mahā-snāna was performed with ghee and water, which had been brought in one hundred pots.
PURPORT
The ingredients of pañca-gavya are milk, yogurt, ghee (clarified butter), cow urine and cow dung. All these items come from the cow; therefore we can just imagine how important the cow is, since its urine and stool are required for bathing the Deity. The pañcāmṛta consists of five kinds of nectar-yogurt, milk, ghee, honey and sugar. The major portion of this preparation also comes from the cow. To make it more palatable, sugar and honey are added.
Srimad-bhagavatam Canto 8 "Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations" Chapter 8 "The Churning of the Milk Ocean" (excerpt) by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
TEXT 1
śrī-śuka uvāca
pīte gare vṛṣāṅkeṇa
prītās te ’mara-dānavāḥ
mamanthus tarasā sindhuṁ
havirdhānī tato ’bhavat
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; pīte—was drunk; gare—when the poison; vṛṣa-aṅkeṇa—by Lord Śiva, who sits on a bull; prītāḥ—being pleased; te—all of them; amara—the demigods; dānavāḥ—and the demons; mamanthuḥ—again began to churn; tarasā—with great force; sindhum—the ocean of milk; havirdhānī—the surabhi cow, who is the source of clarified butter; tataḥ—from that churning; abhavat—was generated.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Upon Lord Śiva’s drinking the poison, both the demigods and the demons, being very pleased, began to churn the ocean with renewed vigor. As a result of this, there appeared a cow known as surabhi.
PURPORT
The surabhi cow is described as havirdhānī, the source of butter. Butter, when clarified by melting, produces ghee, or clarified butter, which is inevitably necessary for performing great ritualistic sacrifices. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18. 5), yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat: sacrifice, charity and austerity are essential to keep human society perfect in peace and prosperity. Yajña, the performance of sacrifice, is essential; to perform yajña, clarified butter is absolutely necessary; and to get clarified butter, milk is necessary. Milk is produced when there are sufficient cows. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā (18.44), cow protection is recommended (kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva jam).
TEXT 2
tām agni-hotrīm ṛṣayo
jagṛhur brahma-vādinaḥ
yajñasya deva-yānasya
medhyāya haviṣe nṛpa
SYNONYMS
tām—that cow; agni-hotrīm—absolutely necessary for the production of yogurt, milk and ghee to offer as oblations in the fire; ṛṣayaḥ—sages who perform such sacrifices; jagṛhuḥ—took in charge; brahma-vādinaḥ—because such sages know the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; yajñasya—of sacrifice; deva-yānasya—which fulfills the desire to be elevated to the higher planetary systems and to Brahmaloka; medhyāya—fit for offering oblations; haviṣe—for the sake of pure clarified butter; nṛpa—O King.
TRANSLATION
O King Parīkṣit, great sages who were completely aware of the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies took charge of that surabhi cow, which produced all the yogurt, milk and ghee absolutely necessary for offering oblations into the fire. They did this just for the sake of pure ghee, which they wanted for the performance of sacrifices to elevate themselves to the higher planetary systems, up to Brahmaloka.
PURPORT
Surabhi cows are generally found on the Vaikuṇṭha planets. As described in Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Kṛṣṇa, on His planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, engages in tending the surabhi cows (surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]). These cows are the Lord’s pet animals. From the surabhi cows one can take as much milk as one needs, and one may milk these cows as many times as he desires. In other words, the surabhi cow can yield milk unlimitedly. Milk is necessary for the performance of yajña. Sages know how to use milk to elevate human society to the perfection of life. Since cow protection is recommended everywhere in the śāstras, the brahmā vādīs took charge of the surabhi cow, in which the demons were not very interested.
TEXT 3
tata uccaiḥśravā nāma
hayo ’bhūc candra-pāṇḍuraḥ
tasmin baliḥ spṛhāṁ cakre
nendra īśvara-śikṣayā
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter; uccaiḥśravāḥ nāma—by the name Uccaiḥśravā; hayaḥ—a horse; abhūt—was generated; candra-pāṇḍuraḥ—being as white as the moon; tasmin—unto it; baliḥ—Mahārāja Bali; spṛhām cakre—desired to possess; na—not; indraḥ—the King of the demigods; īśvara-śikṣayā—by the previous advice of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, a horse named Uccaiḥśravā, which was as white as the moon, was generated. Bali Mahārāja desired to possess this horse, and Indra, the King of heaven, did not protest, for he had previously been so advised by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 4
tata airāvato nāma
vāraṇendro vinirgataḥ
dantaiś caturbhiḥ śvetādrer
haran bhagavato mahim
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter; airāvataḥ nāma—of the name Airāvata; vāraṇa-indraḥ—the king of elephants; vinirgataḥ—was generated; dantaiḥ—with its tusks; caturbhiḥ—four; śveta—white; adreḥ—of the mountain; haran—defying; bhagavataḥ—of Lord Śiva; mahim—the glories.
TRANSLATION
As the next result of the churning, the king of elephants, named Airāvata, was generated. This elephant was white, and with its four tusks it defied the glories of Kailāsa Mountain, the glorious abode of Lord Śiva.
TEXT 5
airāvaṇādayas tv aṣṭau
dig-gajā abhavaṁs tataḥ
abhramu-prabhṛtayo ’ṣṭau ca
kariṇyas tv abhavan nṛpa
SYNONYMS
airāvaṇa-ādayaḥ—headed by Airāvaṇa; tu—but; aṣṭau—eight; dik-gajāḥ—elephants that could go in any direction; abhavan—were generated; tataḥ—thereafter; abhramu-prabhṛtayaḥ—headed by the she-elephant named Abhramu; aṣṭau—eight; ca—also; kariṇyaḥ—female elephants; tu—indeed; abhavan—also generated; nṛpa—O King.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, O King, eight great elephants, which could go in any direction, were generated. They were headed by Airāvaṇa. Eight she-elephants, headed by Abhramu, were also generated.
PURPORT
The names of the eight elephants were Airāvaṇa, Puṇḍarīka, Vāmana, Kumuda, Añjana, Puṣpadanta, Sārvabhauma and Supratīka.
TEXT 6
kaustubhākhyam abhūd ratnaṁ
padmarāgo mahodadheḥ
tasmin maṇau spṛhāṁ cakre
vakṣo-’laṅkaraṇe hariḥ
tato ’bhavat pārijātaḥ
sura-loka-vibhūṣaṇam
pūrayaty arthino yo ’rthaiḥ
śaśvad bhuvi yathā bhavān
SYNONYMS
kaustubha-ākhyam—known as Kaustubha; abhūt—was generated; ratnam—a valuable gem; padmarāgaḥ—another gem, named Padmarāga; mahā-udadheḥ—from that great ocean of milk; tasmin—that; maṇau—jewel; spṛhām cakre—desired to possess; vakṣaḥ-alaṅkaraṇe—to decorate His chest; hariḥ—the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tataḥ—thereafter; abhavat—was generated; pārijātaḥ—the celestial flower named pārijāta; sura-loka-vibhūṣaṇam—which decorates the heavenly planets; pūrayati—fulfills; arthinaḥ—giving persons desiring material wealth; yaḥ—that which; arthaiḥ—by what is desired; śaśvat—always; bhuvi—on this planet; yathā—as; bhavān—Your Lordship (Mahārāja Parīkṣit).
TRANSLATION
Generated thereafter from the great ocean were the celebrated gems Kaustubha-maṇi and Padmarāga-maṇi. Lord Viṣṇu, to decorate His chest, desired to possess them. Generated next was the pārijāta flower, which decorates the celestial planets. O King, as you fulfill the desires of everyone on this planet by fulfilling all ambitions, the pārijāta fulfills the desires of everyone.
TEXT 7
tataś cāpsaraso jātā
niṣka-kaṇṭhyaḥ suvāsasaḥ
ramaṇyaḥ svargiṇāṁ valgu-
gati-līlāvalokanaiḥ
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter; ca—also; apsarasaḥ—the residents of Apsaroloka; jātāḥ—were generated; niṣka-kaṇṭhyaḥ—decorated with golden necklaces; su-vāsasaḥ—dressed with fine clothing; ramaṇyaḥ—extremely beautiful and attractive; svargiṇām—of the inhabitants of the heavenly planets; valgu-gati-līlā-avalokanaiḥ—moving very softly, they attract everyone’s heart.
TRANSLATION
Next there appeared the Apsarās [who are used as prostitutes on the heavenly planets]. They were fully decorated with golden ornaments and lockets and were dressed in fine and attractive clothing. The Apsarās move very slowly in an attractive style that bewilders the inhabitants of the heavenly planets.
TEXT 8
tataś cāvirabhūt sākṣāc
chrī ramā bhagavat-parā
rañjayantī diśaḥ kāntyā
vidyut saudāmanī yathā
SYNONYMS
tataḥ—thereafter; ca—and; āvirabhūt—manifested; sākṣāt—directly; śrī—the goddess of fortune; ramā—known as Ramā; bhagavat-parā—absolutely inclined to be possessed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rañjayantī—illuminating; diśaḥ—all directions; kāntyā—by luster; vidyut—lightning; saudāmanī—Saudāmanī; yathā—as.
TRANSLATION
Then there appeared the goddess of fortune, Ramā, who is absolutely dedicated to being enjoyed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She appeared like electricity, surpassing the lightning that might illuminate a marble mountain.
PURPORT
Śrī means opulence. Kṛṣṇa is the owner of all opulences.
bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
This peace formula for the world is given in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29). When people know that the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor and the most intimate well-wishing friend of all living entities, peace and prosperity will ensue all over the world. Unfortunately, the conditioned souls, being placed into illusion by the external energy of the Lord, want to fight with one another, and therefore peace is disturbed. The first prerequisite for peace is that all the wealth presented by Śrī, the goddess of fortune, be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone should give up his false proprietorship over worldly possessions and offer everything to Kṛṣṇa. This is the teaching of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
TEXT 9
tasyāṁ cakruḥ spṛhāṁ sarve
sasurāsura-mānavāḥ
rūpaudārya-vayo-varṇa-
mahimākṣipta-cetasaḥ
SYNONYMS
tasyām—unto her; cakruḥ—did; spṛhām—desire; sarve—everyone; sa-sura-asura-mānavāḥ—the demigods, the demons and the human beings; rūpa-audārya—by the exquisite beauty and bodily features; vayaḥ—youth; varṇa—complexion; mahimā—glories; ākṣipta—agitated; cetasaḥ—their minds.
TRANSLATION
Because of her exquisite beauty, her bodily features, her youth, her complexion and her glories, everyone, including the demigods, the demons and the human beings, desired her. They were attracted because she is the source of all opulences.
PURPORT
Who in this world does not want to possess wealth, beauty and the social respectability that come from these opulences? People generally desire material enjoyment, material opulence and the association of aristocratic family members (bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām). Material enjoyment entails money, beauty and the reputation they bring, which can all be achieved by the mercy of the goddess of fortune. The goddess of fortune, however, never remains alone. As indicated in the previous verse by the word bhagavat-parā, she is the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is enjoyable only by Him. If one wants the favor of the goddess of fortune, mother Lakṣmī, because she is by nature bhagavat-parā one must keep her with Nārāyaṇa. The devotees who always engage in the service of Nārāyaṇa (nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa) can easily achieve the favor of the goddess of fortune without a doubt, but materialists who try to get the favor of the goddess of fortune only to possess her for personal enjoyment are frustrated. Theirs is not a good policy. The celebrated demon Rāvaṇa, for example, wanted to deprive Rāmacandra of Lakṣmī, Sītā, and thus be victorious, but the result was just the opposite. Sītā, of course, was taken by force by Lord Rāmacandra, and Rāvaṇa and his entire material empire were vanquished. The goddess of fortune is desirable for everyone, including human beings, but one should understand that the goddess of fortune is the exclusive property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One cannot achieve the mercy of the goddess of fortune unless one prays both to her and to the supreme enjoyer, the Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 10
tasyā āsanam āninye
mahendro mahad-adbhutam
mūrtimatyaḥ saric-chreṣṭhā
hema-kumbhair jalaṁ śuci
SYNONYMS
tasyāḥ—for her; āsanam—a sitting place; āninye—brought; mahā-indraḥ—the King of heaven, Indra; mahat—glorious; adbhutam—wonderful; mūrti-matyaḥ—accepting forms; sarit-śreṣṭhāḥ—the best of various sacred waters; hema—golden; kumbhaiḥ—with waterpots; jalam—water; śuci—pure.
TRANSLATION
The King of heaven, Indra, brought a suitable sitting place for the goddess of fortune. All the rivers of sacred water, such as the Ganges and Yamunā, personified themselves, and each of them brought pure water in golden waterpots for mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune.
TEXT 11
ābhiṣecanikā bhūmir
āharat sakalauṣadhīḥ
gāvaḥ pañca pavitrāṇi
vasanto madhu-mādhavau
SYNONYMS
ābhiṣecanikāḥ—paraphernalia required for installing the Deity; bhūmiḥ—the land; āharat—collected; sakala—all kinds of; auṣadhīḥ—drugs and herbs; gāvaḥ—the cows; pañca—five different varieties of products from the cow, namely milk, yogurt, clarified butter, cow dung and cow urine; pavitrāṇi—uncontaminated; vasantaḥ—personified springtime; madhu-mādhavau—flowers and fruits produced during spring, or in the months of Caitra and Vaiśākha.
TRANSLATION
The land became a person and collected all the drugs and herbs needed for installing the Deity. The cows delivered five products, namely milk, yogurt, ghee, urine and cow dung, and spring personified collected everything produced in spring, during the months of Caitra and Vaiśākha [April and May].
PURPORT
Pañca-gavya, the five products received from the cow, namely milk, yogurt, ghee, cow dung and cow urine, are required in all ritualistic ceremonies performed according to the Vedic directions. Cow urine and cow dung are uncontaminated, and since even the urine and dung of a cow are important, we can just imagine how important this animal is for human civilization. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, directly advocates go-rakṣya, the protection of cows. Civilized men who follow the system of varṇāśrama, especially those of the vaiśya class, who engage in agriculture and trade, must give protection to the cows. Unfortunately, because people in Kali-yuga are mandāḥ, all bad, and sumanda-matayaḥ, misled by false conceptions of life, they are killing cows in the thousands. Therefore they are unfortunate in spiritual consciousness, and nature disturbs them in so many ways, especially through incurable diseases like cancer and through frequent wars and among nations. As long as human society continues to allow cows to be regularly killed in slaughterhouses, there cannot be any question of peace and prosperity.
