Chapter 23
Life's Ultimate Goal-Love of Godhead
The following summary study of the Twenty-third Chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. In this chapter Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu describes the symptoms of emotion and love and the awakening of one's original loving relationship with the Lord, as well as the characteristics of a devotee who has actually attained that stage. He then describes the gradual increase of love of God up to the point of mahābhāva. He then describes the five divisions of attraction and how they continue. He also describes the mellow derived from conjugal love, which is the supreme emotion. Conjugal love is divided into two categories-svakīya and parakīya. Svakīya refers to loving affairs between husband and wife, and parakīya refers to loving affairs between two lovers. There are a number of descriptions in this connection. There is also a description of the sixty-four transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī has twenty-five transcendental qualities.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then describes those candidates who are eligible to taste the mellows of devotional service. Their fundamental natures and their varieties are also described. The Lord also informs Sanātana Gosvāmī about all the confidential paraphernalia of devotional service. He gives a description of Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the Lord is engaged in His eternal pastimes described in the Hari-vaṁśa. There is also an opposing and favorable description of keśa-avatāra. All these instructions are mentioned herein.
In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu blessed Sanātana Gosvāmī, placing His own hand on his head. Thus Sanātana received the power to describe these subjects in books like Hari-bhakti-vilāsa.
Chapter 24
The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse
The following summary of this chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. According to Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī's request, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the well-known Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam verse beginning ātmārāmāś ca munayo. He explained this verse in sixty-one different ways. He analyzed all the words and described each word with its different connotations. Adding the words ca and api, He described all the different meanings of the verse. He then concluded that all classes of transcendentalists (jñānīs, karmīs, yogīs) utilize this verse according to their own interpretation, but if they gave up this process and surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, as indicated by the verse itself, they would be able to comprehend the real meaning of the verse. In this regard, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu narrated a story about how the great sage Nārada converted a hunter into a great Vaiṣṇava, and how this was appreciated by Nārada's friend Parvata Muni. Sanātana Gosvāmī then offered a prayer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the glory of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. After this, the Lord gave Sanātana Gosvāmī a synopsis of Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, which Sanātana Gosvāmī later developed into the guiding principle of all Vaiṣṇavas.
Chapter 25
How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas
The following is a summary of Chapter Twenty-five. A Mahārāṣṭrian brāhmaṇa who was living in Benares was a great devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was always very happy to hear of the glories of the Lord, and it was by his arrangement that all the sannyāsīs of Vārāṇasī became devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He invited all the sannyāsīs to his house to meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and this incident has been described in the Seventh Chapter of Ādi-līlā. From that day, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became famous in the city of Vārāṇasī, and many important men in that city became His followers. By and by, one of the disciples of the great sannyāsī Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī became devoted to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and this devotee explained Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and supported His views with various arguments.
One day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to take a bath at Pañca-nada, and afterwards all His devotees began chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in front of the temple of Bindu Mādhava. At this time Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and all his devotees approached the Lord. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī immediately fell down at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and very much regretted his past behavior toward the Lord. He asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu about devotional service in terms of the Vedānta-sūtra, and the Lord told him about devotional service that is approved by great personalities who know the Vedānta-sūtra. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then pointed out that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the proper commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. He then explained the catuḥ-ślokī (four ślokas) of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the essence of that great scripture.
From that day on, all the sannyāsīs of Vārāṇasī became devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Before returning to His headquarters at Jagannātha Purī, the Lord advised Sanātana Gosvāmī to go to Vṛndāvana. The Lord then departed for Jagannātha Purī. Kavirāja Gosvāmī then describes something about Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Subuddhi Rāya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Jagannātha Purī through the great forest of Jhārikhaṇḍa in central India. At the end of this chapter, Kavirāja Gosvāmī sums up the incidents of Madhya-līlā and instructs every living being to read this sublime book of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes.
Chapter 23
Life's Ultimate Goal-Love of Godhead
TEXT 66
vrajendra-nandana kṛṣṇa--nāyaka-śiromaṇi
nāyikāra śiromaṇi--rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī
SYNONYMS
vrajendra-nandana kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Mahārāja Nanda; nāyaka-śiromaṇi—best of all heroes; nāyikāra śiromaṇi—the best of all heroines; rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī—Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
TRANSLATION
"Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who appeared as the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is the supreme hero in all dealings. Similarly, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the topmost heroine in all dealings.
TEXT 67
nāyakānāṁ śiroratnaṁ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
yatra nityatayā sarve
virājante mahā-guṇāḥ
SYNONYMS
nāyakānām—of all heroes; śiroratnam—the crown jewel; kṛṣṇaḥ—Lord Kṛṣṇa; tu—but; bhagavān svayam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself; yatra—in whom; nityatayā—with permanence; sarve—all; virājante—exist; mahā-guṇāḥ—transcendental qualities.
TRANSLATION
" 'Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, and He is the crown jewel of all heroes. In Kṛṣṇa, all transcendental good qualities are permanently situated.'
PURPORT
This verse is also found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.17).
TEXT 68
devī kṛṣṇamayī proktā
rādhikā para-devatā
sarva-lakṣmīmayī sarva-
kāntiḥ sammohinī parā
SYNONYMS
devī—who shines brilliantly; kṛṣṇa-mayī—nondifferent from Lord Kṛṣṇa; proktā—called; rādhikā—Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; para-devatā—most worshipable; sarva-lakṣmī-mayī—presiding over all the goddesses of fortune; sarva-kāntiḥ—in whom all splendor exists; sammohinī—whose character completely bewilders Lord Kṛṣṇa; parā—the superior energy.
TRANSLATION
" 'The transcendental goddess Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the direct counterpart of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attraction to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.'
PURPORT
This text is found in the Bṛhad-gautamīya-tantra.
TEXT 69
ananta kṛṣṇera guṇa, cauṣaṭṭi--pradhāna
eka eka guṇa śuni' juḍāya bhakta-kāṇa
SYNONYMS
ananta—unlimited; kṛṣṇera—of Lord Kṛṣṇa; guṇa—qualities; cauṣaṭṭi—sixty-four; pradhāna—chief ones; eka eka—one by one; guṇa—qualities; śuni'-hearing; juḍāya—satisfies; bhakta-kāṇa—the ears of the devotees.
TRANSLATION
"The transcendental qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa are unlimited. Out of these, sixty-four are considered prominent. The ears of the devotees are satisfied simply by hearing all these qualities one after the other.
Chapter 23
Life's Ultimate Goal-Love of Godhead
TEXT 120
"nīca-jāti, nīca-sevī, muñi--supāmara
siddhānta śikhāilā,--yei brahmāra agocara
SYNONYMS
nīca-jāti—lower class; nīca-sevī—servant of lowborn people; muñi—I; supāmara—very,very fallen; siddhānta śikhāilā—You have taught the topmost conclusions in detail; yei—which; brahmāra—of Brahmā; agocara—beyond the reach.
TRANSLATION
Sanātana Gosvāmī said, "My dear Lord, I am a very lowborn person. Indeed, I am a servant to lowborn people; therefore I am very, very downtrodden. Nonetheless, You have taught me conclusions unknown even to Lord Brahmā.
TEXT 121
tumi ye kahilā, ei siddhāntāmṛta-sindhu
mora mana chuṅite nāre ihāra eka-bindu
SYNONYMS
tumi ye—You; kahilā—have spoken; ei—this; siddhānta-amṛta-sindhu—the ocean of the ambrosia of conclusive truth; mora mana—my mind; chuṅite—to touch; nāre—is not able; ihāra—of it; eka-bindu—even a drop.
TRANSLATION
"The conclusions that You have told me are the ocean of the ambrosia of truth. My mind is unable to approach even a drop of that ocean.
TEXT 122
paṅgu nācāite yadi haya tomāra mana
vara deha' mora māthe dhariyā caraṇa
SYNONYMS
paṅgu—lame man; nācāite—to make dance; yadi—if; haya—it is; tomāra mana—Your mind; vara—a benediction; deha'-kindly give; mora māthe—on my head; dhariyā—holding; caraṇa—Your lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
"If You want to make a lame man like me dance, kindly bestow Your transcendental blessings by keeping Your lotus feet on my head.
TEXT 123
'muñi ye śikhāluṅ tore sphuruka sakala'
ei tomāra vara haite habe mora bala"
SYNONYMS
muñi—I; ye—whatever; śikhāluṅ—have instructed; tore—unto you; sphuruka sakala—let it be manifested; ei—this; tomāra vara—Your benediction; haite—from; habe—there will be; mora bala—my strength.
TRANSLATION
"Now, will You please tell me, 'Let whatever I have instructed all be fully manifest unto you.' By benedicting me in this way, You will give me strength to describe all this."
TEXT 124
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅra śire dhari' kare
vara dilā'--ei saba sphuruka tomāre'
SYNONYMS
tabe—after that; mahāprabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tāṅra—of Sanātana Gosvāmī; śire—on the head; dhari'-holding; kare—by the hand; vara dilā—gave the benediction; ei saba—all this; sphuruka tomāre—let it be manifested to you properly.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then placed His hand on Sanātana Gosvāmī's head and benedicted him, saying, "Let all these instructions be manifest to you."
Chapter 24
The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse
TEXT 177
ete 'linas tava yaśo 'khila-loka-tīrthaṁ
gāyanta ādi-puruṣānupathaṁ bhajante
prāyo amī muni-gaṇā bhavadīya-mukhyā
gūḍhaṁ vane 'pi na jahaty anaghātma-daivam
SYNONYMS
ete—all these; alinaḥ—bees; tava—Your; yaśaḥ—reputation; akhila—all; loka-tīrtham—auspicious for the planets; gāyante—are singing; ādi-puruṣa—O original person; anupatham—along the path; bhajante—they are engaged in transcendental loving service; prāyaḥ—almost; amī—these; muni-gaṇāḥ—great saintly persons; bhavadīya—in relation with You; mukhyāḥ—very advanced devotees; gūḍham—unknown; vane—in the forest; api—although; na—not; jahati—give up; anagha—O personality of transcendental goodness; ātma-daivam—their worshipable Deity.
TRANSLATION
" 'O good fortune personified! O original Personality of Godhead, all these bees are chanting about Your transcendental fame, which will purify the entire universe. Indeed, they are following Your path in the forest and are worshiping You. Actually they are all saintly persons, but now they have taken the form of bees. Although You are playing like a human being, they could not forget that You are their worshipable Deity.'
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.15.6). Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were just on the verge of boyhood and were entering the forest of Vṛndāvana when Kṛṣṇa began to offer prayers to please Balarāma.
TEXT 207
gā gopakair anuvanaṁ nayator udāra-
veṇu-svanaiḥ kala-padais tanu-bhṛtsu sakhyaḥ
aspandanaṁ gatimatāṁ pulakas tarūṇāṁ
niryoga-pāśa-kṛta-lakṣaṇayor vicitram
SYNONYMS
gāḥ—the cows; gopakaiḥ—with the cowherd boys; anuvanam—to each forest; nayatoḥ—leading; udāra—very liberal; veṇu-svanaiḥ—by the vibrations of the flutes; kala-padaiḥ—having sweet tones; tanu-bhṛtsu—among the living entities; sakhyaḥ—O friends; aspandanam—the lack of movement; gatimatām—of those living entities that can move; pulakaḥ—the ecstatic jubilation; tarūṇām—of the otherwise nonmoving trees; niryoga-pāśa—the ropes for binding the rear legs of the cows; kṛta-lakṣaṇayoḥ—of those two (Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma), who are characterized by; vicitram—wonderful.
TRANSLATION
" 'My dear friend, both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are passing through the forest leading Their cows with Their cowherd boy friends. They both carry ropes with which, at the time of milking, They bind the rear legs of the cows. When They play on Their flutes, all moving living entities are stunned, and nonmoving living entities experience ecstatic jubilation by Their sweet music. All these things are certainly very wonderful.'
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.21.19). All the gopīs were very attracted to Kṛṣṇa when they saw Him wandering in the forest with Baladeva. They thus praised the Lord's activities.
Chapter 24
The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse
TEXT 230
eka dina śrī-nārada dekhi' nārāyaṇa
triveṇī-snāne prayāga karilā gamana
SYNONYMS
eka dina—one day; śrī-nārada—the great saintly person Nārada; dekhi' nārāyaṇa—after visiting Lord Nārāyaṇa; tri-veṇī-snāne—to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamunā and Sarasvatī rivers; prayāga—to Prayāga; karilā gamana—went.
TRANSLATION
"Once upon a time the great saint Nārada, after visiting Lord Nārāyaṇa in the Vaikuṇṭhas, went to Prayāga to bathe at the confluence of three rivers-the Ganges, Yamunā and Sarasvatī.
PURPORT
The great saint Nārada is so liberated that he can go to the Vaikuṇṭha planets to see Nārāyaṇa and then immediately come to this planet in the material world and go to Prayāga to bathe in the confluence of three rivers. The word tri-veṇī refers to a confluence of three rivers. This confluence is still visited by many hundreds of thousands of people who go there to bathe, especially during the month of January (Māgha-melā). A liberated person who has no material body can go anywhere and everywhere; therefore a living entity is called sarva-ga, which indicates that he can go anywhere and everywhere. Presently scientists are trying to go to other planets, but due to their material bodies, they are not free to move at will. However, when one is situated in his original spiritual body, he can move anywhere and everywhere without difficulty. Within this material world there is a planet called Siddhaloka, whose inhabitants can go from one planet to another without the aid of a machine or space rocket. In the material world every planet has a specific advantage (vibhūti-bhinna). In the spiritual world, however, all the planets and their inhabitants are composed of spiritual energy. Because there are no material impediments, it is said that everything in the spiritual world is one.
TEXT 231
vana-pathe dekhe mṛga āche bhūme paḍi'
bāṇa-viddha bhagna-pāda kare dhaḍ-phaḍi
SYNONYMS
vana-pathe—on the forest path; dekhe—saw; mṛga—deer; āche—there was; bhūme paḍi'-lying on the ground; bāṇa-viddha—pierced by an arrow; bhagna-pāda—broken legs; kare dhaḍ-phaḍi—twisting with pain.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni saw that a deer was lying on the path through the forest and that it was pierced by an arrow. It had broken legs and was twisting due to much pain.
TEXT 232
āra kata-dūre eka dekhena śūkara
taiche viddha bhagna-pāda kare dhaḍ-phaḍa
SYNONYMS
āra kata-dūre—still farther along; eka—one; dekhena—sees; śūkara—a boar; taiche—similarly; viddha—pierced; bhagna-pāda—broken legs; kare dhaḍ-phaḍa—twists in pain.
TRANSLATION
"Farther ahead, Nārada Muni saw a boar pierced by an arrow. Its legs were also broken, and it was twisting in pain.
TEXT 233
aiche eka śaśaka dekhe āra kata-dūre
jīvera duḥkha dekhi' nārada vyākula-antare
SYNONYMS
aiche—similarly; eka śaśaka—one rabbit; dekhe—he sees; āra kata-dūre—still farther ahead; jīvera—of the living entity; duḥkha dekhi'-seeing such horrible miseries; nārada—the great saintly person; vyākula-antare—very pained within himself.
TRANSLATION
"When he went farther, he saw a rabbit that was also suffering. Nārada Muni was greatly pained at heart to see living entities suffer so.
TEXT 234
kata-dūre dekhe vyādha vṛkṣe oṅta hañā
mṛga māribāre āche bāṇa yuḍiyā
SYNONYMS
kata-dūre—somewhat farther; dekhe—Nārada Muni saw; vyādha—the hunter; vṛkṣe oṅta hañā—hiding behind a tree; mṛga māribāre—to kill the animals; āche—was there; bāṇa yuḍiyā—with arrows in the hand.
TRANSLATION
"When Nārada Muni advanced farther, he saw a hunter behind a tree. This hunter was holding arrows, and he was ready to kill more animals.
TEXT 235
śyāma-varṇa rakta-netra mahā-bhayaṅkara
dhanur-bāṇa haste,--yena yama daṇḍa-dhara
SYNONYMS
śyāma-varṇa—blackish color; rakta-netra—reddish eyes; mahā-bhayaṅkara—very fearful bodily features; dhanuḥ-bāṇa haste—with arrows and bow in hand; yena yama daṇḍa-dhara—exactly like the superintendent of death, Yamarāja.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter's body was blackish. He had reddish eyes, and he appeared fierce. It was as if the superintendent of death, Yamarāja, was standing there with bows and arrows in his hands.
TEXT 236
patha chāḍi' nārada tāra nikaṭe calila
nārade dekhi' mṛga saba palāñā gela
SYNONYMS
patha chāḍi'—leaving aside the path; nārada—the saintly person Nārada; tāra nikaṭe—near him; calila—went; nārade dekhi'-seeing Nārada; mṛga—the animals; saba—all; palāñā gela—left, running away.
TRANSLATION
"When Nārada Muni left the forest path and went to the hunter, all the animals immediately saw him and fled.
TEXT 237
kruddha hañā vyādha tāṅre gāli dite cāya
nārada-prabhāve mukhe gāli nāhi āya
SYNONYMS
kruddha hañā—being very angry; vyādha—the hunter; tāṅre—him; gāli dite cāya—wanted to abuse; nārada-prabhāve—by the influence of Nārada; mukhe—in the mouth; gāli—abusive language; nāhi āya—did not come.
TRANSLATION
"When all the animals fled, the hunter wanted to chastise Nārada with abusive language, but due to Nārada's presence, he could not utter anything abusive.
TEXT 238
"gosāñi, prayāṇa-patha chāḍi' kene āilā
tomā dekhi' mora lakṣya mṛga palāilā"
SYNONYMS
gosāñi—O great saintly person; prayāṇa-patha chāḍi'-leaving aside the general path; kene—why; āilā—have you come; tomā dekhi'-seeing you; mora lakṣya—my targets; mṛga—the animals; palāilā—fled.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter addressed Nārada Muni: 'O gosvāmī! O great saintly person! Why have you left the general path through the forest to come to me? Simply by seeing you, all the animals I was hunting have now fled.'
TEXT 239
nārada kahe,--"patha bhuli' āilāṅa puchite
mane eka saṁśaya haya, tāhā khaṇḍāite
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni replied; patha bhuli'-leaving the general path; āilāṅa—I have come; puchite—to inquire from you; mane—in my mind; eka—one; saṁśaya haya—there is a doubt; tāhā—that; khaṇḍāite—to cause to break.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni replied, 'Leaving the path, I have come to you to settle a doubt that is in my mind.
TEXT 240
pathe ye śūkara-mṛga, jāni tomāra haya"
vyādha kahe,--"yei kaha, sei ta' niścaya"
SYNONYMS
pathe—on the path; ye—those; śūkara-mṛga—boars and other animals; jāni—I can understand; tomāra haya—all belong to you; vyādha kahe—the hunter replied; yei kaha—whatever you are saying; sei ta' niścaya—it is a fact.
TRANSLATION
" 'I was wondering whether all the boars and other animals that are half-killed belong to you.' The hunter replied, 'Yes, what you are saying is so.'
TEXT 241
nārada kahe,--"yadi jīve māra' tumi bāṇa
ardha-mārā kara kene, nā lao parāṇa?"
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni said; yadi—if; jīve—in the animals; māra'-pierce; tumi—you; bāṇa—your arrows; ardha-mārā kara—you half-kill; kene—why; nā lao parāṇa—don't you take their lives completely.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni then inquired, 'Why did you not kill the animals completely? Why did you half-kill them by piercing their bodies with arrows?'
TEXT 242
vyādha kahe,--"śuna, gosāñi, 'mṛgāri' mora nāma
pitāra śikṣāte āmi kari aiche kāma
SYNONYMS
vyādha kahe—the hunter replied; śuna—please hear; gosāñi—O great saintly person; mṛga-ari—the enemy of the animals; mora nāma—my name; pitāra śikṣāte—by the teaching of my father; āmi—I; kari—do; aiche kāma—such acts.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter replied, 'My dear saintly person, my name is Mṛgāri, enemy of animals. My father taught me to kill them in that way.
TEXT 243
ardha-mārā jīva yadi dhaḍ-phaḍa kare
tabe ta' ānanda mora bāḍaye antare"
SYNONYMS
ardha-mārā jīva—half-killed living beings; yadi—if; dhaḍ-phaḍa kare—twist and turn because of suffering; tabe—then; ta'-certainly; ānanda—pleasure; mora—my; bāḍaye antare—increases within.
TRANSLATION
" 'When I see half-killed animals suffer, I feel great pleasure.'
TEXT 244
nārada kahe,--'eka-vastu māgi tomāra sthāne'
vyādha kahe,--"mṛgādi laha, yei tomāra mane
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni said; eka-vastu māgi—I wish to beg one thing; tomāra sthāne—from you; vyādha kahe—the hunter replied; mṛga-ādi laha—take some of the hunted animals; yei tomāra mane—whatever you like.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni then told the hunter, 'I have one thing to beg of you.' The hunter replied, 'You may take whatever animals or anything else you would like.
TEXT 245
mṛga-chāla cāha yadi, āisa mora ghare
yei cāha tāhā diba mṛga-vyāghrāmbare"
SYNONYMS
mṛga-chāla—deerskin; cāha yadi—if you want; āisa mora ghare—come to my place; yei cāha—whatever you want; tāhā—that; diba—I shall give; mṛga-vyāghra-ambare—whether a deerskin or a tiger skin.
TRANSLATION
" 'I have many skins if you would like them. I shall give you either a deerskin or a tiger skin.'
TEXT 246
nārada kahe,--"ihā āmi kichu nāhi cāhi
āra eka-dāna āmi māgi tomā-ṭhāñi
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni said; ihā—this; āmi kichu nāhi cāhi—I don't want any; āra—another; eka-dāna—one charity; āmi—I; māgi—beg; tomā-ṭhāñi—from you.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni said, 'I do not want any of the skins. I am only asking one thing from you in charity.
TEXT 247
kāli haite tumi yei mṛgādi māribā
prathamei māribā, ardha-mārā nā karibā"
SYNONYMS
kāli haite—from tomorrow; tumi—you; yei—whatever; mṛga-ādi—animals; māribā—you will kill; prathamei māribā—kill them in the beginning; ardha-mārā—half-killing; nā karibā—do not do.
TRANSLATION
" 'I beg you that from this day on you will kill animals completely and not leave them half-dead.'
TEXT 248
vyādha kahe,--"kibā dāna māgilā āmāre
ardha mārile kibā haya, tāhā kaha more"
SYNONYMS
vyādha kahe—the hunter replied; kibā dāna—what kind of charity; māgilā āmāre—have you begged from me; ardha mārile—in half-killing; kibā—what; haya—there is; tāhā—that; kaha more—kindly explain to me.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter replied, 'My dear sir, what are you asking of me? What is wrong with the animals' lying there half-killed? Will you please explain this to me?'
TEXT 249
nārada kahe,--"ardha mārile jīva pāya vyathā
jīve duḥkha ditecha, tomāra ha-ibe aiche avasthā
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni replied; ardha mārile—by half-killing the animals; jīva pāya vyathā—the living beings suffer too much pain; jīve duḥkha ditecha—you are giving troubles to the living beings; tomāra—your; ha-ibe—there will be; aiche avasthā—the same suffering in retaliation.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni replied, 'If you leave the animals half-dead, you are purposefully giving them pain. Therefore you will have to suffer in retaliation.'
PURPORT
This is an authoritative statement given by the greatest authority, Nārada Muni. If one gives another living entity unnecessary pain, one will certainly be punished by the laws of nature by a similar pain. Although the hunter Mṛgāri was uncivilized, he still had to suffer the results of his sinful activities. However, if a civilized man kills animals regularly in a slaughterhouse to maintain his so-called civilization, using scientific methods and machines to kill animals, one cannot even estimate the suffering awaiting him. So-called civilized people consider themselves very advanced in education, but they do not know about the stringent laws of nature. According to nature's law, it is a life for a life. We can hardly imagine the sufferings of one who maintains a slaughterhouse. He endures suffering not only in this life, but in his next life also. It is said that a hunter, murderer or killer is advised not to live and not to die. If he lives, he accumulates even more sins, which bring about more suffering in a future life. He is advised not to die because his dying means that he immediately begins to endure more suffering. Therefore he is advised not to live and not to die.
As followers of the Vedic principles, we accept the statements of Nārada Muni in this regard. It is our duty to see that no one suffers due to sinful activities. Foolish rascals are described in Bhagavad-gītā as māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, which indicates that although they are superficially educated, māyā has taken their real knowledge away. Such people are presently leading human society. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam they are also described as andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. These rascals are themselves blind, and yet they are leading others who are blind. When people follow such leaders, they suffer unlimited pains in the future. Despite so-called advancement, all this is happening. Who is safe? Who is happy? Who is without anxiety?
TEXT 250
vyādha tumi, jīva māra--'alpa' aparādha tomāra
kadarthanā diyā māra'--e pāpa 'apāra'
SYNONYMS
vyādha tumi—you are a hunter; jīva māra—your occupation is to kill animals; alpa—slight; aparādha—offense; tomāra—your; kadarthanā diyā—unnecessarily giving them pain; māra'-when you kill; e pāpa apāra—this sinful activity is unlimited.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni continued, 'My dear hunter, your business is killing animals. That is a slight offense on your part, but when you consciously give them unnecessary pain by leaving them half-dead, you incur very great sins.'
PURPORT
This is another good instruction to animal killers. There are always animal killers and animal eaters in human society because less civilized people are accustomed to eating meat. In Vedic civilization, meat-eaters are advised to kill an animal for the goddess Kālī or a similar demigod. This is in order not to give the animal unnecessary pain, as slaughterhouses do. In the balidāna sacrifice to a demigod, it is recommended to cut the throat of an animal with one slice. This should be done on a dark-moon night, and the painful noises expressed by the animal at the time of being slaughtered are not to be heard by anyone. There are also many other restrictions. Slaughter is only allowed once a month, and the killer of the animal has to suffer similar pains in his next life. At the present moment, so-called civilized men do not sacrifice animals to a deity in a religious or ritualistic way. They openly kill animals daily by the thousands for no purpose other than the satisfaction of the tongue. Because of this the entire world is suffering in so many ways. Politicians are unnecessarily declaring war, and, according to the stringent laws of material nature, massacres are taking place between nations.
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
"The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature." (Bg. 3.27) The laws of prakṛti (nature) are very stringent. No one should think that he has the freedom to kill animals and not suffer the consequences. One cannot be safe by doing this. Nārada Muni herein says that animal killing is offensive, especially when animals are given unnecessary pain. Meat-eaters and animal killers are advised not to purchase meat from the slaughterhouse. They can worship Kālī once a month, kill some unimportant animal and eat it. Even by following this method, one is still an offender.
TEXT 251
kadarthiyā tumi yata mārilā jīvere
tārā taiche tomā māribe janma-janmāntare"
SYNONYMS
kadarthiyā—giving unnecessary pangs; tumi—you; yata—all; mārilā—killed; jīvere—the living entities; tārā—all of them; taiche—similarly; tomā—you; māribe—will kill; janma-janma-antare—life after life.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni continued, 'All the animals that you have killed and given unnecessary pain will kill you one after the other in your next life and in life after life.'
PURPORT
This is another authoritative statement made by the great sage Nārada. Those who kill animals and give them unnecessary pain-as people do in slaughterhouses-will be killed in a similar way in the next life and in many lives to come. One can never be excused from such an offense. If one kills many thousands of animals in a professional way so that other people can purchase the meat to eat, one must be ready to be killed in a similar way in his next life and in life after life. There are many rascals who violate their own religious principles. According to Judeo-Christian scriptures, it is clearly said, "Thou shalt not kill." Nonetheless, giving all kinds of excuses, even the heads of religions indulge in killing animals while trying to pass as saintly persons. This mockery and hypocrisy in human society bring about unlimited calamities; therefore occasionally there are great wars. Masses of such people go out onto battlefields and kill themselves. Presently they have discovered the atomic bomb, which is simply awaiting wholesale destruction. If people want to be saved from the killing business life after life, they must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and cease sinful activity. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness recommends that everyone abandon meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. When one gives up these sinful activities, he can understand Kṛṣṇa and take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We therefore request everyone to abandon sinful activity and chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In this way people can save themselves from repeated birth and death.
TEXT 252
nārada-saṅge vyādhera mana parasanna ha-ila
tāṅra vākya śuni' mane bhaya upajila
SYNONYMS
nārada-saṅge—in the association of the great sage Nārada Muni; vyādhera—of the hunter; mana—the mind; parasanna ha-ila—became cleansed and satisfied; tāṅra—his; vākya—words; śuni'-hearing; mane—in the mind; bhaya upajila—some fear arose.
TRANSLATION
"In this way, through the association of the great sage Nārada Muni, the hunter was a little convinced of his sinful activity. He therefore became somewhat afraid due to his offenses.
PURPORT
This is the effect of associating with a pure devotee. Our preachers who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world should follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni and become purified by following the four principles and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This will make them fit to become Vaiṣṇavas. Then, when they speak to sinful people about the teachings of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, people will be affected and take the instructions. We receive instructions in devotional service through the disciplic succession. Nārada Muni is our original guru because he is the spiritual master of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the spiritual master of our disciplic succession; therefore we should follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni and become pure Vaiṣṇavas. A pure Vaiṣṇava is one who has no ulterior motive. He has totally dedicated himself to the service of the Lord. He does not have material desires, and he is not interested in so-called learning and philanthropic work. The so-called learned scholars and philanthropists are actually karmīs and jñānīs, and some are actually misers engaged in sinful activity. All are condemned because they are not devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
This is a chance to become purified by associating with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and strictly following the rules and regulations. By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from all contamination, especially contamination brought about by the killing of animals. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself requested:
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." (Bg. 18.66)
We should take this instruction from Kṛṣṇa and follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni in the disciplic succession. If we simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet and take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, we can be freed from the karma incurred by sin. If we are intelligent enough, we shall engage in the loving service of the Lord. Then our lives will be successful, and we shall not have to suffer like the hunter life after life. By killing animals, not only will we be bereft of the human form but we will have to take an animal form and somehow or other be killed by the same type of animal we have killed. This is the law of nature. The Sanskrit word māṁsa means "meat." It is said: māṁ saḥ khadati iti māṁsaḥ. That is, "I am now eating the flesh of an animal who will some day in the future be eating my flesh."
Chapter 24
The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse
TEXT 253
vyādha kahe,--"bālya haite ei āmāra karma
kemane tarimu muñi pāmara adhama?
SYNONYMS
vyādha kahe—the hunter said; bālya haite—from the very beginning of my childhood; ei āmāra karma—I have been taught this business (half-killing animals); kemane—how; tarimu—shall become free from these sinful activities; muñi—I; pāmara adhama—sinful and misled.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter then admitted that he was convinced of his sinful activity, and he said, 'I have been taught this business from my very childhood. Now I am wondering how I can become freed from these unlimited volumes of sinful activity.'
This kind of admission is very beneficial as long as one does not again commit sin. Cheating and hypocrisy are not tolerated by higher authorities. If one understands what sin is, he should give it up with sincerity and regret and surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His agent, the pure devotee. In this way, one can be freed from the reactions of sin and make progress in devotional service. However, if one continues committing sins after making some atonement, he will not be saved. In the śāstras, such atonement is compared to an elephant's bathing. An elephant takes a very good bath and cleanses its body very nicely, but as soon as it comes out of the water, it picks up some dust on the shore and throws it all over its body. Atonement may be carried out very nicely, but it will not help a person if he continues committing sins. Therefore the hunter first admitted his sinful activity before the saintly person Nārada and then asked how he could be saved.
TEXT 254
ei pāpa yāya mora, kemana upāye?
nistāra karaha more, paḍoṅ tomāra pāye"
SYNONYMS
ei—this; pāpa yāya mora—sinful reaction of my life can be washed off; kemana upāye—by what means; nistāra karaha more—kindly deliver me; paḍoṅ—I fall down; tomāra pāye—at your lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter continued, 'My dear sir, please tell me how I can be relieved from the reactions of my sinful life. Now I fully surrender unto you and fall down at your lotus feet. Please deliver me from sinful reactions.'
PURPORT
By the grace of Nārada Muni, the hunter came to his good senses and immediately surrendered unto the saint's lotus feet. This is the process. By associating with a saintly person, one is able to understand the reactions of his sinful life. When one voluntarily surrenders to a saintly person who is a representative of Kṛṣṇa and follows his instructions, one can become freed from sinful reaction. Kṛṣṇa demands the surrender of a sinful man, and Kṛṣṇa's representative gives the same instructions. The representative of Kṛṣṇa never tells his disciple, "Surrender unto me." Rather he says, "Surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." If the disciple accepts this principle and surrenders himself through the representative of Kṛṣṇa, his life is saved.
TEXT 255
nārada kahe,--'yadi dhara āmāra vacana
tabe se karite pāri tomāra mocana'
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni replied; yadi dhara—if you accept; āmāra vacana—my instruction; tabe—then; se—this; karite pāri—I can do; tomāra—your; mocana—liberation.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni assured the hunter, 'If you listen to my instructions, I shall find the way you can be liberated.'
PURPORT
Gaurāṅgera bhakta-gaṇe jane jane śakti dhare. The purport of this song is that the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are very powerful, and each and every one of them can deliver the whole world. What, then, to speak of Nārada Muni? If one follows the instructions of Nārada Muni, one can be delivered from any amount of sinful reactions. This is the process. One must follow the instructions of a spiritual master; then one will certainly be delivered from all sinful reaction. This is the secret of success. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. If one has unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, the result is tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ: all the conclusions of revealed scriptures will be open to such a person. A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa can make the same demands that Nārada Muni is making. He says, "If you follow my instructions, I shall take responsibility for your liberation." A pure devotee like Nārada can give assurance to any sinful man because by the grace of the Lord such a devotee is empowered to deliver any sinful person if that person follows the principles set forth.
TEXT 256
vyādha kahe,--'yei kaha, sei ta' kariba'
nārada kahe,--'dhanuka bhāṅga, tabe se kahiba'
SYNONYMS
vyādha kahe—the hunter replied; yei kaha—whatever you say; sei ta' kariba—that I shall do; nārada kahe—Nārada Muni replied; dhanuka bhāṅga—break your bow; tabe—then; se kahiba—I shall speak to you.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter then said, 'My dear sir, whatever you say I shall do.' Nārada immediately ordered him, 'First of all, break your bow. Then I shall tell you what is to be done.'
PURPORT
This is the process of initiation. The disciple must admit that he will no longer commit sinful activity-namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. He promises to execute the order of the spiritual master. Then the spiritual master takes care of him and elevates him to spiritual emancipation.
TEXT 257
vyādha kahe,--'dhanuka bhāṅgile vartiba kemane?'
nārada kahe,--'āmi anna diba prati-dine'
SYNONYMS
vyādha kahe—the hunter replied; dhanuka bhāṅgile—if I break my bow; vartiba kemane—what will be the source of my maintenance; nārada kahe—Nārada Muni replied; āmi—I; anna—food; diba—shall supply; prati-dine—every day.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter replied, 'If I break my bow, how shall I maintain myself?' Nārada Muni replied, 'Do not worry. I shall supply all your food every day.'
PURPORT
The source of our income is not actually the source of our maintenance. Every living being-from the great Brahmā down to an insignificant ant-is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. The one Supreme Being, Kṛṣṇa, maintains everyone. Our so-called source of income is our own choice only. If I wish to be a hunter, it will appear that hunting is the source of my income. If I become a brāhmaṇa and completely depend on Kṛṣṇa, I do not conduct a business, but nonetheless my maintenance is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. The hunter was disturbed about breaking his bow because he was worried about his income. Nārada Muni assured the hunter because he knew that the hunter was not being maintained by the bow but by Kṛṣṇa. Being the agent of Kṛṣṇa, Nārada Muni knew very well that the hunter would not suffer by breaking the bow. There was no doubt that Kṛṣṇa would supply him food.
TEXT 258
dhanuka bhāṅgi' vyādha tāṅra caraṇe paḍila
tāre uṭhāñā nārada upadeśa kaila
SYNONYMS
dhanuka bhāṅgi'-breaking the bow; vyādha—the hunter; tāṅra—his (Nārada Muni's); caraṇe—at the lotus feet; paḍila—surrendered; tāre—him; uṭhāñā—raising; nārada—the great saint Nārada Muni; upadeśa kaila—gave instruction.
TRANSLATION
"Being thus assured by the great sage Nārada Muni, the hunter broke his bow, immediately fell down at the saint's lotus feet and fully surrendered. After this, Nārada Muni raised him with his hand and gave him instructions for spiritual advancement.
PURPORT
This is the process of initiation. The disciple must surrender to the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master, being in the disciplic succession stemming from Nārada Muni, is in the same category with Nārada Muni. A person can be relieved from his sinful activity if he surrenders to the lotus feet of a person who actually represents Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni gave instructions to the hunter after the hunter surrendered.
TEXT 259
"ghare giyā brāhmaṇe deha' yata āche dhana
eka eka vastra pari' bāhira hao dui-jana
SYNONYMS
ghare giyā—returning home; brāhmaṇe—to the brāhmaṇas, the most intelligent men in spiritual understanding; deha'-give; yata—whatever; āche—you have; dhana—riches; eka eka—each of you; vastra pari'-just one cloth; bāhira hao—leave home; dui-jana—both of you.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni then advised the hunter, 'Return home and distribute whatever riches you have to the pure brāhmaṇas who know the Absolute Truth. After distributing all your riches to the brāhmaṇas, both you and your wife should leave home, taking only one cloth to wear.'
PURPORT
This is the process of renunciation at the stage of vānaprastha. After enjoying householder life for some time, the husband and wife must leave home and distribute their riches to brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. One can keep his wife as an assistant in the vānaprastha stage. The idea is that the wife will assist the husband in spiritual advancement. Therefore Nārada Muni advised the hunter to adopt the vānaprastha stage and leave home. It is not that a gṛhastha should live at home until he dies. Vānaprastha is preliminary to sannyāsa. In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there are many young couples engaged in the Lord's service. Eventually they are supposed to take vānaprastha, and after the vānaprastha stage the husband may take sannyāsa in order to preach. The wife may then remain alone and serve the Deity or engage in other activities within the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
TEXT 260
nadī-tīre eka-khāni kuṭīra kariyā
tāra āge eka-piṇḍi tulasī ropiyā
SYNONYMS
nadī-tīre—on the bank of the river; eka-khāni—just one; kuṭīra—a cottage; kariyā—constructing; tāra āge—just in front of the cottage; eka-piṇḍi—one raised platform; tulasī—a tulasī plant; ropiyā—growing.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni continued, 'Leave your home and go to the river. There you should construct a small cottage, and in front of the cottage you should grow a tulasī plant on a raised platform.
TEXT 261
tulasī-parikramā kara, tulasī-sevana
nirantara kṛṣṇa-nāma kariha kīrtana
SYNONYMS
tulasī-parikramā kara—circumambulate the tulasī plant; tulasī-sevana—just supply water to the root of tulasī-devī; nirantara—continuously; kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; kariha—just perform; kīrtana—chanting.
TRANSLATION
" 'After planting the tulasī tree before your house, you should daily circumambulate that tulasī plant, serve her by giving her water and other things, and continuously chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.'
PURPORT
This is the beginning of spiritual life. After leaving householder life, one may go to a holy place, such as the bank of the Ganges or Yamunā, and erect a small cottage. A small cottage can be constructed without any expenditure. Four logs serving as pillars can be secured by any man from the forest. The roof can be covered with leaves, and one can cleanse the inside. Thus one can live very peacefully. In any condition, any man can live in a small cottage, plant a tulasī tree, water it in the morning, offer it prayers, and continuously chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Thus one can make vigorous spiritual advancement. This is not at all difficult. One simply has to follow the instructions of the spiritual master strictly. Then everything will be successful in due course of time. As far as eating is concerned, there is no problem. If Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, supplies everyone with eatables, why should He not supply His devotee? Sometimes a devotee will not even bother to construct a cottage. He will simply go to live in a mountain cave. One may live in a cave, in a cottage beside a river, in a palace or in a big city like New York or London. In any case, a devotee can follow the instructions of his spiritual master and engage in devotional service by watering the tulasī plant and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Taking the advice of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and our spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, one can go to any part of the world and instruct people to become devotees of the Lord by following the regulative principles, worshiping the tulasī plant and continuously chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
TEXT 262
āmi tomāya bahu anna pāṭhāimu dine
sei anna labe, yata khāo dui-jane"
SYNONYMS
āmi—I; tomāya—for you; bahu—much; anna—food; pāṭhāimu—shall send; dine—every day; sei—that; anna—food; labe—you shall take; yata—whatever; khāo—you can eat; dui-jane—both of you.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni continued, 'I shall send sufficient food to you both every day. You can take as much food as you want.'
PURPORT
When a person takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no need to care for material necessities. Kṛṣṇa says that He personally carries all the necessities to His devotees.
ananyāś cintayanto māṁ
ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ
yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham
"Those who worship Me with love and devotion, meditating on My transcendental form-to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have." (Bg. 9.22) Why should one be anxious about the necessities of life? The principle should be that one should not want more than what is absolutely necessary. Nārada Muni advises the hunter to accept only what is absolutely necessary for him and his wife. The devotee should always be alert to consume only those things that he absolutely requires and not create unnecessary needs.
TEXT 263
tabe sei mṛgādi tine nārada sustha kaila
sustha hañā mṛgādi tine dhāñā palāila
SYNONYMS
tabe—thereafter; sei—those; mṛga-ādi—animals, beginning with the deer; tine—three; nārada—the sage Nārada; sustha kaila—brought to their senses; sustha hañā—coming to consciousness; mṛga-ādi—the pierced animals; tine—three; dhāñā palāila—very swiftly fled away from that place.
TRANSLATION
"The three animals that were half-killed were then brought to their consciousness by the sage Nārada. Indeed, the animals got up and swiftly fled.
TEXT 264
dekhiyā vyādhera mane haila camatkāra
ghare gela vyādha, guruke kari' namaskāra
SYNONYMS
dekhiyā—seeing; vyādhera—of the hunter; mane—in the mind; haila—there was; camatkāra—wonder; ghare—home; gela—went; vyādha—the hunter; guruke—to the spiritual master; kari' namaskāra—offering obeisances.
TRANSLATION
"When the hunter saw the half-killed animals flee, he was certainly struck with wonder. He then offered his respectful obeisances to the sage Nārada and returned home.
TEXT 265
yathā-sthāne nārada gelā, vyādha ghare āila
nāradera upadeśe sakala karila
SYNONYMS
yathā-sthāne—to the proper destination; nārada—sage Nārada; gelā—went; vyādha—the hunter; ghare āila—came back to his house; nāradera upadeśe—under the instruction of the sage Nārada; sakala karila—he executed everything.
TRANSLATION
"After all this, Nārada Muni went to his destination. After the hunter returned home, he exactly followed the instructions of his spiritual master, Nārada.
PURPORT
For spiritual advancement one must have a bona fide spiritual master and follow his instructions in order to be assured of advancement.
TEXT 266
grāme dhvani haila,--vyādha 'vaiṣṇava' ha-ila
grāmera loka saba anna ānite lāgila
SYNONYMS
grāme—in the village; dhvani haila—there was news; vyādha—the hunter; vaiṣṇava ha-ila—has become a Vaiṣṇava, a lover and servitor of Lord Viṣṇu; grāmera loka—the villagers; saba—all kinds of; anna—food; ānite lāgila—began to bring.
TRANSLATION
"The news that the hunter had become a Vaiṣṇava spread all over the village. Indeed, all the villagers brought alms and presented them to the Vaiṣṇava who was formerly a hunter.
PURPORT
It is the duty of the public to present a gift to a saintly person, Vaiṣṇava or brāhmaṇa when going to see him. Every Vaiṣṇava is dependent on Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is ready to supply all of life's necessities, provided a Vaiṣṇava follows the principles set forth by the spiritual master. There are certainly many householders in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They join the movement and live in the society's centers, but if they take advantage of this opportunity and do not work but live at the expense of the movement, eating prasāda and simply sleeping, they place themselves in a very dangerous position. It is therefore advised that gṛhasthas should not live in the temple. They must live outside the temple and maintain themselves. Of course, if the gṛhasthas are fully engaged in the Lord's service according to the directions of the authorities, there is no harm in their living in a temple. In any case, a temple should not be a place to eat and sleep. A temple manager should be very careful about these things.
TEXT 267
eka-dina anna āne daśa-biśa jane
dine tata laya, yata khāya dui jane
SYNONYMS
eka-dina—in one day; anna—food; āne—brought; daśa-biśa jane—enough for ten to twenty men; dine—in a day; tata laya—would accept only as much; yata—as; khāya dui jane—the two of them required to eat.
TRANSLATION
"In one day enough food was brought for ten or twenty people, but the hunter and his wife would accept only as much as they could eat.
TEXT 268
eka-dina nārada kahe,--"śunaha, parvate
āmāra eka śiṣya āche, calaha dekhite"
SYNONYMS
eka-dina—one day; nārada kahe—Nārada Muni said; śunaha—please hear; parvate—my dear Parvata; āmāra—my; eka—one; śiṣya—disciple; āche—there is; calaha dekhite—let us go see.
TRANSLATION
"One day, while speaking to his friend Parvata Muni, Nārada Muni requested him to go with him to see his disciple the hunter.
TEXT 269
tabe dui ṛṣi āilā sei vyādha-sthāne
dūra haite vyādha pāila gurura daraśane
SYNONYMS
tabe—thereafter; dui ṛṣi—two saintly persons; āilā—came; sei vyādha-sthāne—to the place of that hunter; dūra haite—from a distant place; vyādha—the hunter; pāila—got; gurura daraśane—vision of his spiritual master.
TRANSLATION
"When the saintly sages came to the hunter's place, the hunter could see them coming from a distance.
TEXT 270
āste-vyaste dhāñā āse, patha nāhi pāya
pathera pipīlikā iti-uti dhare pāya
SYNONYMS
āste-vyaste—with great alacrity; dhāñā—running; āse—came; patha nāhi pāya—does not get the path; pathera—on the path; pipīlikā—ants; iti-uti—here and there; dhare pāya—touch the foot.
TRANSLATION
"With great alacrity the hunter began to run toward his spiritual master, but he could not fall down and offer obeisances because ants were running hither and thither around his feet.
TEXT 271
daṇḍavat-sthāne pipīlikāre dekhiyā
vastre sthāna jhāḍi' paḍe daṇḍavat hañā
SYNONYMS
daṇḍavat-sthāne—in the place where he wanted to offer his obeisances; pipīlikāre dekhiyā—seeing the ants; vastre—by the cloth; sthāna jhāḍi'-cleansing the place; paḍe daṇḍa-vat hañā—falls down flat like a rod.
TRANSLATION
"Seeing the ants, the hunter whisked them away with a piece of cloth. After thus clearing the ants from the ground, he fell down flat to offer his obeisances.
PURPORT
The word daṇḍa means "rod," and vat means "like." To offer obeisances to the spiritual master, one must fall flat exactly as a rod falls on the ground. This is the meaning of the word daṇḍavat.
TEXT 272
nārada kahe,--"vyādha, ei nā haya āścarya
hari-bhaktye hiṁsā-śūnya haya sādhu-varya
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni said; vyādha—my dear hunter; ei nā āścarya—this is not wonderful for you; hari-bhaktye—by advancement in devotional service; hiṁsā-śūnya haya—one becomes nonviolent and nonenvious; sādhu-varya—thus one becomes the best of honest gentlemen.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni said, 'My dear hunter, such behavior is not at all astonishing. A man in devotional service is automatically nonviolent. He is the best of gentlemen.
PURPORT
In this verse the word sādhu-varya means "the best of gentlemen." At the present moment there are many so-called gentlemen who are expert in killing animals and birds. Nonetheless, these so-called gentlemen profess a type of religion that strictly prohibits killing. According to Nārada Muni and Vedic culture, animal killers are not even gentlemen, to say nothing of being religious men. A religious person, a devotee of the Lord, must be nonviolent. Such is the nature of a religious person. It is contradictory to be violent and at the same time call oneself a religious person. Such hypocrisy is not approved by Nārada Muni and the disciplic succession.
TEXT 273
ete na hy adbhutā vyādha
tavāhiṁsādayo guṇāḥ
hari-bhaktau pravṛttā ye
na te syuḥ paratāpinaḥ
SYNONYMS
ete—all these; na—not; hi—certainly; adbhutāḥ—wonderful; vyādha—O hunter; tava—your; ahiṁsā-ādayaḥ—nonviolence and others; guṇāḥ—qualities; hari-bhaktau—in devotional service; pravṛttāḥ—engaged; ye—those who; na—not; te—they; syuḥ—are; paratāpinaḥ—envious of other living entities.
TRANSLATION
" 'O hunter, good qualities like nonviolence, which you have developed, are not very astonishing, for those engaged in the Lord's devotional service are never inclined to give pain to others because of envy.'
PURPORT
This is a quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa.
TEXT 274
tabe sei vyādha doṅhāre aṅgane ānila
kuśāsana āni' doṅhāre bhaktye vasāila
SYNONYMS
tabe—thereafter; sei—that; vyādha—hunter; doṅhāre—both Nārada Muni and Parvata; aṅgane ānila—brought in the courtyard of his house; kuśa-āsana āni'-bringing straw mats for sitting; doṅhāre—both of them; bhaktye—with great devotion; vasāila—made to sit down.
TRANSLATION
"The hunter then received both the great sages in the courtyard of his house. He spread out a straw mat for them to sit upon, and with great devotion he begged them to sit down.
TEXT 275
jala āni' bhaktye doṅhāra pāda prakṣālila
sei jala strī-puruṣe piyā śire la-ila
SYNONYMS
jala āni'—bringing water; bhaktye—with great devotion; doṅhāra—of both of them; pāda prakṣālila—washed the feet; sei jala—that water; strī-puruṣe—husband and wife; piyā—drinking; śire la-ila—put on their heads.
TRANSLATION
"He then fetched water and washed the sages' feet with great devotion. Then both husband and wife drank that water and sprinkled it on their heads.
PURPORT
This is the process one should follow when receiving the spiritual master or someone on the level of the spiritual master. When the spiritual master comes to the residence of his disciples, the disciples should follow in the footsteps of the former hunter. It doesn't matter what one was before initiation. After initiation, one must learn the etiquette mentioned herein.
TEXT 276
kampa-pulakāśru haila kṛṣṇa-nāma gāñā
ūrdhva bāhu nṛtya kare vastra uḍāñā
SYNONYMS
kampa—trembling; pulaka-aśru—tears and jubilation; haila—there were; kṛṣṇa-nāma gāñā—chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra; ūrdhva bāhu—raising the arms; nṛtya kare—began to dance; vastra uḍāñā—waving his garments up and down.
TRANSLATION
"When the hunter chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra before his spiritual master, his body trembled, and tears welled in his eyes. Filled with ecstatic love, he raised his hands and began to dance, waving his garments up and down.
TEXT 277
dekhiyā vyādhera prema parvata-mahāmuni
nāradere kahe,--tumi hao sparśa-maṇi
SYNONYMS
dekhiyā—seeing; vyādhera—of the hunter; prema—the ecstatic love; parvata-mahā-muni—the great sage Parvata Muni; nāradere kahe—spoke to Nārada Muni; tumi hao sparśa-maṇi—you are certainly a touchstone.
TRANSLATION
"When Parvata Muni saw the ecstatic loving symptoms of the hunter, he told Nārada, 'Certainly you are a touchstone.'
PURPORT
When a touchstone touches iron, it turns the iron to gold. Parvata Muni called Nārada Muni a touchstone because by his touch the hunter, who was lowest among men, became an elevated and perfect Vaiṣṇava. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that the position of a Vaiṣṇava can be tested by seeing how good a touchstone he is-that is, by seeing how many Vaiṣṇavas he has made during his life. A Vaiṣṇava should be a touchstone so that he can convert others to Vaiṣṇavism by his preaching, even though people may be fallen like the hunter. There are many so-called advanced devotees who sit in a secluded place for their personal benefit. They do not go out to preach and convert others into Vaiṣṇavas, and therefore they certainly cannot be called sparśa-maṇi, advanced devotees. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī devotees cannot turn others into Vaiṣṇavas, but a madhyama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava can do so by preaching. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised His followers to increase the numbers of Vaiṣṇavas.
yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa
(Cc. Madhya 7.128)
It is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's wish that everyone should become a Vaiṣṇava and guru. Following the instructions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His disciplic succession, one can become a spiritual master, for the process is very easy. One can go everywhere and anywhere to preach the instructions of Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa's instructions; therefore the duty of every Vaiṣṇava is to travel and preach Bhagavad-gītā, either in his country or a foreign country. This is the test of sparśa-maṇi, following in the footsteps of Nārada Muni.
TEXT 278
"aho dhanyo 'si devarṣe
kṛpayā yasya tat-kṣaṇāt
nīco 'py utpulako lebhe
lubdhako ratim acyute"
SYNONYMS
aho—oh; dhanyaḥ—glorified; asi—you are; deva-ṛṣe—O sage among the demigods; kṛpayā—by the mercy; yasya—of whom; tat-kṣaṇāt—immediately; nīcaḥ api—even though one is the lowest of men; utpulakaḥ—becoming agitated in ecstatic love; lebhe—gets; lubdhakaḥ—a hunter; ratim—attraction; acyute—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
"Parvata Muni continued, 'My dear friend Nārada Muni, you are glorified as the sage among the demigods. By your mercy, even a lowborn person like this hunter can immediately become attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa.'
PURPORT
A pure Vaiṣṇava believes in the statements of the śāstras. This verse is quoted from Vedic literature, the Skanda Purāṇa.
TEXT 279
nārada kahe,--'vaiṣṇava, tomāra anna kichu āya?'
vyādha kahe, "yāre pāṭhāo, sei diyā yāya
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni said; vaiṣṇava—O Vaiṣṇava; tomāra—your; anna—food; kichu āya—does any come; vyādha kahe—the hunter replied; yāre pāṭhāo—whoever you send; sei—that person; diyā—giving something; yāya—goes.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni then asked the hunter, 'My dear Vaiṣṇava, do you have some income for your maintenance?' The hunter replied, 'My dear spiritual master, whoever you send gives me something when he comes to see me.'
PURPORT
This confirms the statement in Bhagavad-gītā (9.22) to the effect that the Lord carries all necessities to His Vaiṣṇava devotee. Nārada Muni asked the former hunter how he was being maintained, and he replied that everyone who came to see him brought him something for his maintenance. Kṛṣṇa, who is situated in everyone's heart, says, "I personally carry all necessities to a Vaiṣṇava." He can order anyone to execute this. Everyone is ready to give something to a Vaiṣṇava, and if a Vaiṣṇava is completely engaged in devotional service, he need not be anxious for his maintenance.
TEXT 280
eta anna nā pāṭhāo, kichu kārya nāi
sabe dui-janāra yogya bhakṣya-mātra cāi"
SYNONYMS
eta anna—so much food; nā pāṭhāo—you do not need to send; kichu kārya nāi—there is no such need; sabe—only; dui-janāra—for two persons; yogya—requisite; bhakṣya-mātra—eatables; cāi—we want.
TRANSLATION
"The former hunter said, 'Please do not send so may grains. Only send what is sufficient for two people, no more.'
PURPORT
The former hunter only wanted enough for two people to eat, no more. It is not necessary for a Vaiṣṇava to keep a stock of food for the next day. He should receive only sufficient grains to last one day. The next day, he must again depend on the Lord's mercy. This is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When His personal servant Govinda sometimes kept a stock of harītakī (myrobalan), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chastised him, saying, "Why did you keep a stock for the next day?" Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and others were begging daily from door to door for their sustenance, and they never attempted to stock their āśrama with food for the next day. We should not materially calculate, thinking, "It is better to stock food for a week. Why give the Lord trouble by having Him bring food daily?" One should be convinced that the Lord will provide daily. There is no need to stock food for the next day.
TEXT 281
nārada kahe,--'aiche raha, tumi bhāgyavān'
eta bali' dui-jana ha-ilā antardhāna
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni said; aiche raha—live like that; tumi bhāgyavān—certainly you are very fortunate; eta bali'-saying this; dui-jana—both Nārada Muni and Parvata Muni; ha-ilā antardhāna—disappeared.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni approved his not wanting more than a daily supply of food, and he blessed him, saying, 'You are fortunate.' Nārada Muni and Parvata Muni then disappeared from that place.
TEXT 282
ei ta' kahiluṅ tomāya vyādhera ākhyāna
yā śunile haya sādhu-saṅga-prabhāva-jñāna
SYNONYMS
ei ta' kahiluṅ—thus I have narrated; tomāya—unto you; vyādhera ākhyāna—the story of the hunter; yā śunile—hearing which; haya—there is; sādhu-saṅga—of the association of devotees; prabhāva—of the influence; jñāna—knowledge.
TRANSLATION
"So far I have narrated the incident of the hunter. By hearing this narration, one can understand the influence derived by associating with devotees.
PURPORT
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to stress that even a hunter, the lowest of men, could become a topmost Vaiṣṇava simply by associating with Nārada Muni or a devotee in his bona fide disciplic succession.
Chapter 25
How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas
TEXT 62
mādhava-saundarya dekhi' āviṣṭa ha-ilā
aṅganete āsi' preme nācite lāgilā
SYNONYMS
mādhava-saundarya dekhi'-after seeing the beauty of Lord Bindu Mādhava; āviṣṭa ha-ilā—became ecstatic in love; aṅganete āsi'-coming to the courtyard; preme—in great love; nācite lāgilā—began to dance.
TRANSLATION
Upon reaching the temple of Bindu Mādhava, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, seeing the beauty of Lord Bindu Mādhava, became overwhelmed in ecstatic love. He then began to dance in the courtyard of the temple.
TEXT 63
śekhara, paramānanda, tapana, sanātana
cāri-jana mili' kare nāma-saṅkīrtana
SYNONYMS
śekhara—Candraśekhara; paramānanda—Paramānanda Purī; tapana—Tapana Miśra; sanātana—Sanātana Gosvāmī; cāri-jana mili'-all four of them; kare—perform; nāma-saṅkīrtana—chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
TRANSLATION
There were four people accompanying Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and these were Candraśekhara, Paramānanda Purī, Tapana Miśra and Sanātana Gosvāmī. They were all chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in the following way.
TEXT 64
"haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ
gopāla govinda rāma śrī-madhusūdana"
SYNONYMS
haraye—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; namaḥ—obeisances; kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa; yādavāya—to the descendant of the Yadu family; namaḥ—obeisances; gopāla—Gopāla; govinda—Govinda; rāma—Rāma; śrī-madhusūdana—Śrī Madhusūdana.
TRANSLATION
They chanted, "Haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ gopāla govinda rāma śrī-madhusūdana."
PURPORT
This is another way of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. The meaning is: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He is the descendant of the Yadu family. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Gopāla, Govinda, Rāma and Śrī Madhusūdana."
TEXT 65
caudikete lakṣa loka bale 'hari' 'hari'
uṭhila maṅgala-dhvani svarga-martya bhari'
SYNONYMS
cau-dikete—all around; lakṣa—hundreds of thousands; loka—people; bale—chant; hari hari—O Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; uṭhila—there arose; maṅgala-dhvani—an auspicious sound; svarga-martya bhari'-overwhelming all the universe.
TRANSLATION
In all directions, hundreds and thousands of people began to chant "Hari! Hari!" Thus there arose a tumultuous and auspicious sound filling the entire universe.
TEXT 66
nikaṭe hari-dhvani śuni' parakāśānanda
dekhite kautuke āilā lañā śiṣya-vṛnda
SYNONYMS
nikaṭe—nearby; hari-dhvani śuni'-after hearing the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; parakāśānanda—Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī; dekhite—to see; kautuke—in great eagerness; āilā—came; lañā—taking; śiṣya-vṛnda—all the disciples.
TRANSLATION
When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, who was staying nearby, heard this tumultuous chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he and his disciples immediately came to see the Lord.
TEXT 67
dekhiyā prabhura nṛtya, prema, dehera mādhurī
śisya-gaṇa-saṅge sei bale 'hari' 'hari'
SYNONYMS
dekhiyā—seeing; prabhura nṛtya—the dancing of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; prema—ecstatic love; dehera mādhurī—the transcendental beauty of His body; śiṣya-gaṇa-saṅge—with his disciples; sei—Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī; bale—chants; hari hari—Lord Hari's name.
TRANSLATION
When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī saw the Lord, he and his disciples also joined the chanting with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was charmed by the Lord's dancing and ecstatic love and by the transcendental beauty of His body.
Chapter 25
How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas
TEXT 68
kampa, svara-bhaṅga, sveda, vaivarṇya, stambha
aśru-dhārāya bhije loka, pulaka-kadamba
SYNONYMS
kampa—trembling; svara-bhaṅga—faltering voice; sveda—perspiration; vaivarṇya—fading of bodily color; stambha—becoming stunned; aśru-dhārāya—with showers of tears from the eyes; bhije—wet; loka—all the people; pulaka-kadamba—eruptions on the body like kadamba flowers.
TRANSLATION
Ecstatic spiritual transformations began to take place in the Lord's body. His body trembled, and His voice faltered. He perspired, turned pale and wept a constant flow of tears, which wet all the people standing there. The eruptions on the Lord's body appeared like kadamba flowers.
TEXT 69
harṣa, dainya, cāpalyādi 'sañcārī' vikāra
dekhi' kāśī-vāsī lokera haila camatkāra
SYNONYMS
harṣa—jubilation; dainya—humility; cāpalya-ādi—talking in ecstasy and so on; sañcārī vikāra—the transient transformations; dekhi'-seeing; kāśī-vāsī—the inhabitants of Benares; lokera—of all the people; haila camatkāra—there was astonishment.
TRANSLATION
All the people were astonished to see the Lord's jubilation and humility and to hear Him talk in ecstasy. Indeed, all the residents of Benares [Kāśī] saw the bodily transformations and were astonished.
TEXT 70
loka-saṅghaṭṭa dekhi' prabhura 'bāhya' yabe haila
sannyāsīra gaṇa dekhi' nṛtya saṁvarila
SYNONYMS
loka-saṅghaṭṭa dekhi'-by seeing the great crowd of people; prabhura—of Lord Caitanya; bāhya—external consciousness; yabe haila—when there was; sannyāsīra gaṇa—the groups of Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, headed by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī; dekhi'-seeing; nṛtya saṁvarila—suspended His dancing.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu regained His external consciousness, He saw that many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs and other people were gathered there. He therefore suspended His dancing for the time being.
TEXT 71
prakāśānandera prabhu vandilā caraṇa
prakāśānanda āsi' tāṅra dharila caraṇa
SYNONYMS
prakāśānandera—of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī; prabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vandilā—prayed; caraṇa—at the feet; prakāśānanda—Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī; āsi'-coming; tāṅra—His; dharila caraṇa—immediately caught the lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
After stopping the kīrtana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is a great example of humility, offered prayers unto the feet of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. At this, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī immediately came forward and clasped the Lord's lotus feet.
TEXT 72
prabhu kahe,-'tumi jagad-guru pūjyatama
āmi tomāra nā ha-i 'śiṣyera śiṣya' sama
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued to speak; tumi—you; jagat-guru—the spiritual master of the whole world; pūjya-tama—the most worshipable; āmi—I; tomāra—your; nā ha-i—am not; śiṣyera śiṣya sama—equal to the disciple of the disciple.
TRANSLATION
When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī caught hold of the Lord's lotus feet, the Lord said, "My dear sir, you are the spiritual master of the whole world; therefore you are most worshipable. As far as I am concerned, I am not even on the level of the disciple of your disciple."
PURPORT
Māyāvādī sannyāsīs generally call themselves jagad-guru, the spiritual master of the whole world. Many consider themselves worshipable by everyone, although they do not even go outside India or their own district. Out of His great magnanimity and humility, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented Himself as a subordinate disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī.
TEXT 73
śreṣṭha hañā kene kara hīnera vandana
āmāra sarva-nāśa haya, tumi brahma-sama
SYNONYMS
śreṣṭha hañā—being a more honorable person; kene—why; kara—you do; hīnera—of an inferior person; vandana—worship; āmāra sarva-nāśa haya—I become minimized in My strength; tumi brahma-sama—you are equal with the impersonal Brahman.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, "You are a great, spiritually advanced personality, and therefore you cannot worship a person like Me. I am far inferior. If you do so, My spiritual power will be diminished, for you are as good as the impersonal Brahman.
TEXT 74
yadyapi tomāre saba brahma-sama bhāse
loka-śikṣā lāgi' aiche karite nā āise'
SYNONYMS
yadyapi—although; tomāre—for you; saba—everyone; brahma-sama—equal to the impersonal Brahman; bhāse—appears; loka-śikṣā lāgi'-for the enlightenment of people in general; aiche—in such a way; karite nā āise—you should not present yourself.
TRANSLATION
"My dear sir, for you everyone is on the level of impersonal Brahman, but for the enlightenment of people in general you should not behave in that way."
TEXT 75
teṅho kahe, 'tomāra pūrve nindā-aparādha ye karila
tomāra caraṇa-sparśe, saba kṣaya gela
SYNONYMS
teṅho kahe—he replied; tomāra—of You; pūrve—formerly; nindā-aparādha—offenses and blasphemy; ye karila—whatever I have done; tomāra caraṇa-sparśe—by touching Your lotus feet; saba kṣaya gela—the effects of all those offenses have been destroyed.
TRANSLATION
Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī replied, "Formerly I have committed many offenses against You by blaspheming You, but now the effects of my offenses are counteracted by my touching Your lotus feet.
TEXT 76
jīvan-muktā api punar
yānti saṁsāra-vāsanām
yady acintya-mahā-śaktau
bhagavaty aparādhinaḥ
SYNONYMS
jīvat-muktāḥ—persons liberated during this life; api—also; punaḥ—again; yānti—go; saṁsāra-vāsanām—to desire material enjoyment; yadi—if; acintya-mahā-śaktau—to the possessor of inconceivable spiritual potency; bhagavati—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aparādhinaḥ—offenders.
TRANSLATION
" 'If a person considered liberated in this life commits offenses against the reservoir of inconceivable potencies, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he will again fall down and desire the material atmosphere for material enjoyment.'
Chapter 25
How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas
TEXT 77
sa vai bhagavataḥ śrīmat-
pāda-sparśa-hatāśubhaḥ
bheje sarpa-vapur hitvā
rūpaṁ vidyādharārcitam
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he (the serpent); vai—indeed; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; śrīmat-pāda-sparśa—by the touch of the lotus feet; hata-aśubhaḥ—relieved from all reactions of sinful life; bheje—achieved; sarpa-vapuḥ—the body of a snake; hitvā—giving up; rūpam—beauty; vidyādhara-arcitam—suitable for a person of Vidyādhara-loka.
TRANSLATION
" 'Being touched by the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, that serpent was immediately freed from the reactions of his sinful life. Thus the serpent gave up his body and assumed the body of a beautiful Vidyādhara demigod.' "
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.34.9). The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, under the leadership of Nanda Mahārāja, once wanted to go to the bank of the Sarasvatī on a pilgrimage. Nanda Mahārāja was fasting, and he lay down near the forest. At that time a serpent, who was formerly cursed by Āṅgirasa Ṛṣi, appeared. This serpent had formerly been named Sudarśana, and he had belonged to the Gandharvaloka planet. However, because he joked with the ṛṣi, he was condemned to take on the body of a big snake. When this serpent attacked Nanda Mahārāja, Nanda Mahārāja began to call, "Kṛṣṇa! Help!" Kṛṣṇa immediately appeared and began to kick the serpent with His lotus feet. Due to being touched by the Lord's lotus feet, the serpent was immediately freed from the reactions of his sinful life. Being freed, he again assumed his original form of Sudarśana, the Gandharva.
Adi-lila Chapter 8
The Author Receives the Orders of Kṛṣṇa and Guru
TEXT 78
ei grantha lekhāya more 'madana-mohana'
āmāra likhana yena śukera paṭhana
SYNONYMS
ei—this; grantha—great scripture; lekhāya—causes me to write; more—unto me; madana-mohana—the Deity; āmāra—my; likhana—writing; yena—like; śukera—of the parrot; paṭhana—responding.
TRANSLATION
Actually Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is not my writing but the dictation of Śrī Madana-mohana. My writing is like the repetition of a parrot.
PURPORT
This should be the attitude of all devotees. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead recognizes a devotee, He gives him intelligence and dictates how he may go back home, back to Godhead. This is confirmed in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā (10.10):
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te
"To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me." The opportunity to engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord is open to everyone because every living entity is constitutionally a servant of the Lord. To engage in the service of the Lord is the natural function of the living entity, but because he is covered by the influence of mayā, the material energy, he thinks it to be a very difficult task. But if he places himself under the guidance of a spiritual master and does everything sincerely, immediately the Lord, who is situated within everyone's heart, dictates how to serve Him (dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam). The Lord gives this direction, and thus the devotee's life becomes perfect. Whatever a pure devotee does is done by the dictation of the Supreme Lord. Thus it is confirmed by the author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that whatever he wrote was written under the direction of the Śrī Madana-mohana Deity.