Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.3

[First portion missing]

Prabhupāda:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]

[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]

Knowledge means tattva-jñāna, to know the Absolute Truth. In the Bhagavad-gītā also...

[aside:] They are making noise.

Hmm ...Kṛṣṅa says,

manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid māṁ vetti tattvataḥ [Bg 7.3]

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

Everything should be understood in truth. So our this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is trying to understand the Absolute Truth. So in another place Kṛṣṅa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. [Bg 4.9]

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

Anyone who understands the Absolute Truth factually as He is, not by mental speculation, but by the paramparā system... So therefore, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta is beginning with guru, pūrve gurv-ādi [Cc Ādi 7.3]. Beginning is the guru, the spiritual master, because he is the representative of the paramparā system, disciplic succession. Therefore, whatever we do, we must first of all try to understand from guru.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, ādau gurvāśrayam: the beginning of spiritual life is to accept the bona fide spiritual master. Sad-dharma pṛcchāt [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.74]. Then inquiry from the spiritual master. The approach should be by full surrender. Tad viddhi praṅipātena, tattvam, etad viddhi [Bg 4.34].

[Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.]

By praṅipātena. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṅa nipātam. Just like we have learned how to offer obeisances to the spiritual master, to the gurus, falling down flat, praṅipā, no reservation, falling flat—that is called praṅipā—so one has to approach the spiritual master. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad vijñānārtham. Tad means tattva. In order to understand the tattva, the Absolute Truth, vijñāna... Vijñāna means practical science, not theoretical. Theoretical is jñāna. When that is practically applied in life, that is called vijñānam. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, therefore, the statement is there: jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam [SB 2.9.31].

[The Personality of Godhead said: Knowledge about Me as described in the scriptures is very confidential, and it has to be realized in conjunction with devotional service. The necessary paraphernalia for that process is being explained by Me. You may take it up carefully.]

Jñāna and vijñāna. So we are very much proud of seeing things. Somebody says, "Can you show me God?" But just try to understand what is the power of our eyes. Now there is no light, so our seeing power is vanished. In this way, all the powers of our senses are conditional. Under certain condition we can see, under certain condition we can hear. Therefore at the present moment our life is conditional. We act, we see, we walk, we hear, we smell, we touch—under certain condition. Just like I have got my eyes. Because my sight power is less, so I take the condition of a glass and try to see. Similarly, this material condition is like that. Spiritually, we have got the power of seeing, the power of hearing, the power of speaking, the power of touching, power of smelling, but because we are covered by this material body, all these powers have become conditional, not absolute. So those who are inquisitive to understand the absolute life, or spiritual life, he must accept a guru. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says pūrve, "in the beginning." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. If we actually are serious to understand the Absolute Truth, then one must have the shelter of ācārya. Ācāryavān. This vān word is used when one possesses. Asthate bato prata[?]. So when one possesses the shelter of ācārya, then his knowledge is perfect.

So the beginning of spiritual life... [aside:] Oh? He doesn't require hearing? The beginning of life is gurvāśrayam, ādau gurvāśrayam. That is the beginning—every śāstra, every Vedic scripture. Just like Kṛṣṅa, He is the original spiritual master. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Ya. Brahmā, Brahmā is the first living creature within this universe. So he was also enlightened and educated by the Supreme Lord. Not that because he's Brahmā he's independent. Nobody is independent. Knowledge must be received from the authority, and the supreme authority is Kṛṣṅa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

So here Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the teachings of Lord Caitanya and His life, practical life. He's Kṛṣṅa, and He's personally speaking. Kṛṣṅa first of all spoke about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, but foolish persons, mūḍha... Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ [Bg 9.11].

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

So Kṛṣṅa was misunderstood. Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

People misunderstood. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His five opulences—Himself, His expansion, His incarnation, His energy, personal energy and marginal energy... There is no association of the external energy, as it is said here, that guru-tattva-kahiyāchi, ebe pāñcera vicāra [Cc Ādi 7.3]. Guru-tattva is also along with Him. He's also representative of the Supreme Lord. Acāryāṁ māṁ vijānīyān [SB 11.17.27].

[One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.]

So, that guru-tattva has been explained by the author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, in five chapters..., six chapters, and the seventh chapter he's describing the five tattvas. Īśa-prakāśa. Nityānanda Prabhu is the direct manifestation of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṅa. Vrajendra-nandana yei śacī-suta hoila sei balarāma hoila nitāi [Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura].

So Nityānanda Prabhu is the first expansion of Lord Kṛṣṅa or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī-kṛṣṅa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṅa nahe anya [Śrī Guru-paramparā 6].

When you speak of Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya, we should understand immediately that He's Kṛṣṅa in Rādhā's attitude, rādhā-bhāva. Kṛṣṅa, Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa, They are one; They are not different. Rādhā kṛṣṅa-praṅaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād [Cc Ādi 1.5].

Rādhārāṅī is expansion of Kṛṣṅa's pleasure potency. So Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṅa Himself, but the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṅa is prominent in His activities. Because Kṛṣṅa, in order to understand Himself, He took the position of Rādhārāṅī to understand Himself. Personally He could not understand His potencies, but when He appeared as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the attitude of Rādhārāṅī's love for Kṛṣṅa, kṛṣṅa-prema, then He could fully understand Him. These are very intricate subject matter to understand, but this is the fact.

So, as Kṛṣṅa expands Himself by His omnipotencies... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc Madhya 13.65, purport]. Kṛṣṅa has got multi-potencies—we cannot imagine—inconceivable potencies. So the whole universe is manifestation of His potencies. Śakti parinambha[?]. Ekasthāne sthitasyagner jyotsnā. Parasya brahmaṅaḥ śaktir tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. This is said in the Viṣṅu Purāṅa. Just like the fire. We have got this lamp, it is situated in one place, but the light and heat are expanding. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa is situated in His own abode, which is known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]

This is the statement of Brahma-saṁhitā. He is situated in His own place, own abode, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, but He is expanding Himself, akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Everywhere He is present. Aṅḍāntara-stha-paramāṅu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.35].

[He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.]

He has expanded Himself by His energies. Just like heat and light, the energy of fire expands. It is very easy to understand. Similarly the energies, multi-energies... Not only one, but multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc Madhya 13.65, purport]. So His energies are acting so nicely that everything is coming in front as if automatically done. But it is not automatically done. This is foolishness. To understand that nature is working automatically is foolishness. The nature is working under the direction of Kṛṣṅa. That is real understanding. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

At the present moment, the so-called scientists, philosophers, they are simply studying the working of the material nature. But they do not know behind this material nature the real powerful is there. Just like we are enjoying the electric light, electric power, but as soon as it has failed from the powerhouse, everything stopped. Similarly, the real power is Kṛṣṅa. He's the powerful, śaktimān. When He desires, there is creation, this material manifestation, and when He winds up, everything is finished. This is the way. So how He is doing that? That is explained in this chapter. Pañca-tattva: He's acting by expansion of His different features.

So Nityānanda Prabhu is the immediate expansion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared here at Māyāpur, this very place where you are now sitting, with all these five features: Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Advaita Prabhu and Gadādhara Prabhu, Śrīnivāsa Prabhu. So He Himself, Kṛṣṅa, and Nityānanda Prabhu is immediate expansion of His personal self; Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Kṛṣṅa, or Viṣṅu, Mahāviṣṅu, three; and Gadādhara Prabhu is the expansion of spiritual energy; and Śrīnivāsa Prabhu is the expansion of His marginal potency, marginal energy, jīva-tattva. Jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, prakāśa-tattva, and avatāra-tattva, and He Himself. This pañca-tattva. This pañca-tattva will be explained in this chapter. That is the proposal of the author. Guru-tattva kahiyāchi ebe pāñcera vicāra [Cc Ādi 7.3]. Consideration of the five. So although the Absolute Truth is one, He expands in His various features. That has been divided in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's practical exposition of tattva-vicāra, in six: five personal, and the guru is also representative. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair. Guru is also expansion of Hari for the benefit of the conditioned soul. For the benefit of the conditioned soul, He is within everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

So He's trying to teach us from within, and He sends His representative for preaching without.

So Kṛṣṅa is so kind that He's preaching about Himself, because without knowing, without understanding the tattva, vetti māṁ tattvataḥ, without understanding the Absolute Truth as He is, there is no question of getting out of the clutches of māyā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

"One who surrenders unto Me," Kṛṣṅa says, "he can get out of the clutches of māyā." Māyā means this material life. We have forgotten ourself, that we are intimately related with Kṛṣṅa, we have got a special function on His behalf. Just like part and parcel of my body: the finger has got a special function, the leg has got a special function, the head has got a special function; similarly, we all part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, we have got a special function in relationship with the Lord. When we are forgetful of this special relationship with Kṛṣṅa, that is called conditional life, or material life. Material life means we do not serve Kṛṣṅa but we serve our senses—kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, like that. That is material life. We are serving, there is no doubt about it, but every one of us, we are serving our senses. Kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na katidhā pālitā durnideśa [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 3.2.25].

Therefore, in order to stop this stupidity of serving our senses, which will never come to an end, simply increase our bondage, we have to come to the spiritual master. Ādau gurvāśrayam. He'll teach how to convert or to divert the activities of the senses to please Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅendriya-prīti-icchā dhare nāma prema [Cc Ādi 4.165]. Dhare prema nāma. The senses will act. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they try to stop the activities of the senses. Yogīs also. Yoga indriya saṁyamaḥ. The yogīs artificially try to stop the sense activities. They are simply... Because common men, they know activities means sense activities, sense satisfaction... So yogīs, they artificially try to stop the sense activities. That is called praṅāyāma—dhyāna, dhāraṅā, āsana, praṅāyāma, like that. But that artificial stoppage of sense activities will not be ultimately beneficial. Or thinking that my sense activities may be stopped, I become silent, become one with the Supreme—that will also not help us.

The real philosophy is, the sense activities must be there, but purified. That is real life. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

Purified. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. We cannot stop sense activities. That is not possible. Artificially if we stop, even as a big successful yogī or jñānī, it will not act. There are many instances. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni: he was a great yogī. So artificially he was trying to stop the sense activities. But it also failed, the attempt. Later on he met one beautiful woman and he failed in controlling the senses. That is the history. He was the biggest yogī, Viśvāmitra Muni. Similarly, there are many so-called jñānīs also, trying to become one with the Supreme. That is also not possible. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas [SB 10.2.32].

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

Vimukta-māninas, they are thinking that they have become liberated, but that is not the fact. Why it is not fact? Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Because they did not take to the devotional service. Tvayy asta-bhāvād. They have no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore despite their severe austerities and penances and rising to the platform of Brahman realization—āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty [SB 10.2.32]—they fall down.

Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is practically teaching us with His five associates: Advaita, Nityānanda, Gadādhara and śrīvāsādi gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Therefore if we want to approach the Absolute Truth, it is our duty to offer our respect to these five features of the Lord.

śrī-kṛṣṅa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]

Therefore, in our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, we first of all worship the Pañca-tattva: śrī-kṛṣṅa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara—then we chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra. Then it will be successful. Without going through the Pañca-tattva, with the mercy, nobody can understand Kṛṣṅa. It will remain a myth. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says,

manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ [Bg 7.3]

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

You cannot understand Kṛṣṅa without the mercy of these Pañca-tattva. Therefore Kṛṣṅa, although He came personally, He taught the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and asked people, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

But because we are mūḍhas, we misunderstood Kṛṣṅa. We could not take the last instruction of Kṛṣṅa. Therefore Kṛṣṅa again came as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach us how to approach Kṛṣṅa. If we read the life of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His acceptance of sannyāsa order, His preaching all over India, His chanting and dancing, His living at Jagannath Purī, His activities, His meeting with the devotees, His Guṅḍicā-mārjana, His Ratha-yātrā kīrtana—if we study all these activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, immediately you understand Kṛṣṅa.

Therefore, we are inviting you at this place of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His birth site, to take the inspiration given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That will help us understanding Kṛṣṅa. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā visate tad anantaram [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

If you simply understand Kṛṣṅa, tattvataḥ, in truth, by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te [Cc Madhya 19.53].

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṅa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṅa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's activities means His distributing kṛṣṅa-prema, love of Kṛṣṅa. He has no other business. He has no other business. At the full youthful age He gave up His family life, beautiful wife, most obedient, perfect wife, beautiful wife, mother, affectionate mother, very good prestige, social prestige. Nimāi Paṅḍita, learned scholar, everything He sacrificed. Tyaktvā su-dustyaja rājya lakṣmīm [SB 11.5.34]. Gave up everything—that is the teachings of Lord Caitanya—and became a servant of Kṛṣṅa personally. He's Kṛṣṅa Himself, but teaching us how to become servant of Kṛṣṅa. This is the significance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or Kṛṣṅa Himself along with His personal associates—sāṅgopāṅgāstra pārṣadam... [SB 11.5.32]

[In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṅa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṅa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.]

Kṛṣṅa comes to kill the demons: paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

This is the business of Kṛṣṅa, two-sided business: one side killing the demons, another side giving the protection to the devotees. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared on this part 488 years ago to, I mean to say, hand the same two principles, paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. He... Vināśāya duṣkṛtām. He killed Jagāi-Mādhāi not by the body, but by their atrocious activities, stopped that. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is to kill the demon—not by life but by their heinous activities. Anyone who comes to be killed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his heinous, nefarious activities becomes killed and he becomes a Vaiṣṅava, just like Jagāi-Mādhāi.

So at the present moment, the whole world is full of Jagāi-Mādhāi, their four principles. Jagāi-Mādhāi means illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. This is Jagāi-Mādhāi. So this movement, Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, is killing these Jagāi-Mādhāi principles: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating. So one side, killing the Jagāi-Mādhāi principle, and other side protection, chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra.

Thank you very much. [end]