Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.4

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṅayāvatīrṅaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnata ujjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandana [Cc Ādi 1.4]

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"May that Lord, who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service."

Prabhupāda:

This is the blessings of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī upon everyone.

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam

We should pray to Rūpa Gosvāmī for his blessings so that we can understand what is the actual position of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the most merciful incarnation to bestow upon us kṛṣṅa-prema. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī understood it, Śrīla Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya understood it, and we should take their viewpoint of view, what they have studied about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says... In the beginning Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was appreciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī as mahā-vadānyāvatāra. There are many incarnations of Kṛṣṅa, keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare, keśava dhṛta-nṛsiṁha-rūpa jaya jagadīśa..., many incarnations. But this incarnation, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is anarpita-carīṁ cirāt. The mercy of this incarnation is unlimited. It was never given before. That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. He distributed the most confidential part of love of Godhead. Although we are living in this fallen age, Kali-yuga, but He is giving the topmost platform of loving Kṛṣṅa, anarpita-carīṁ cirāt. Therefore He is supposed to be the most munificent incarnation. 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.]

He is giving directly kṛṣṅa-prema. It is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṅa, and what to speak of His loving affairs. It is very difficult.

manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścit 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.]

Kṛṣṅa personally says that it is very difficult to understand Him. Actually it is so. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is so unlimited that He is helping not only to understand Kṛṣṅa, but also He is giving directly love of Kṛṣṅa, and the supermost platform of love, as it was experienced by the gopīs.

The gopīs' dealing with Kṛṣṅa is considered to be the topmost. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He recommended, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṅa yā kalpitā [Caitanya-mañjusā].

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is to be worshiped along with His transcendental abode, Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvaṅa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the spotless authority on everything, and pure love of God is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.]

Vraja-vadhū, the gopīs, the damsels of Vṛndāvana, they worship Kṛṣṅa in the topmost loving affairs. They did not know anything but Kṛṣṅa. For Kṛṣṅa they could sacrifice anything—their honor, their prestige—everything—their husband, their sons, family. That is the gopīs' standard. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is accepted by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in many verses. One of the verses is here, anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṅayāvatīrṅaḥ kalau. So we should take shelter of Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is the blessing of Rūpa Gosvāmī. He says,

hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandana [Cc Ādi 1.4]

He is giving his blessing that "This form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, may always remain within your..., in the core of your heart." If we simply keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu within our heart, then it will be very easy to understand what is Kṛṣṅa, because if you understand Kṛṣṅa, then your life is successful. Janma karma ca divyaṁ me 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.]

That is only. Our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement means just try to understand Kṛṣṅa; then your life is successful. Kṛṣṅa says, "Anyone who understands Me, why I come here, what is My activity," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma [Bg 4.9], "he becomes liberated. After giving up this body, he does not accept any material body. In his own spiritual body he goes back to home, back to Godhead." This is our Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So if you don't go through Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, it will be very difficult to understand Kṛṣṅa. That is practical. Just like you young boys and girls from Western countries. You have taken up Kṛṣṅa so seriously. Why? Because we are trying to understand Kṛṣṅa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So we should follow this principle. There will be no difficulty to understand Kṛṣṅa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṅa, your life is successful. Of course, we cannot understand Kṛṣṅa fully. As far as possible, at least if we understand that Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this much is sufficient. This much is sufficient. Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg 7.7].

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg 10.8].

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]. These things are there, already stated, but the so-called scholars and politicians, they misinterpret in a different way and mislead the people. That is going on. Therefore, in spite of Bhagavad-gītā being read all over the world for the last two hundred years, not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṅa. This is the defect. So let us try to understand Kṛṣṅa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and as we have repeatedly said, that through Caitanya Mahāprabhu you understand Kṛṣṅa and spread this cult all over the world. People are suffering for want of knowledge of Kṛṣṅa.

So this movement especially meant to establish the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is that you become, every one of you, you become a guru. How to become guru? Now, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128].

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

Simply that qualification is sufficient. Don't adulterate the kṛṣṅa-upadeśa. You simply present what Kṛṣṅa says, as it is. Then every one of you will become a guru. Don't adulterate. "I think," "In my opinion," these nonsense things should be given up. We should always be aware that we are insignificant creature. Our opinion and thinking has no value. This should be the first principle. Why should you give opinion on the words of Kṛṣṅa? Are you more authoritative person than Kṛṣṅa? This is foolishness, to try to become more than Kṛṣṅa. There are so many rascals, they present that "Now we have advanced. We know more than Kṛṣṅa." So be saved from these rascals. Then you will understand Kṛṣṅa, and through Caitanya Mahāprabhu you will understand what is the position of Kṛṣṅa, what is your relationship with Kṛṣṅa, what is the ultimate goal of life. These things will be clearly exhibited.

And Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is written for this purpose, so that a person who is serious about Kṛṣṅa consciousness may understand Kṛṣṅa through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is wanted. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṅa consciousness without going through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And to go through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu means to go through the six Gosvāmīs. This is paramparā system. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,

ei chay gosāi jār-tār mui dās tā-sabāra pada-reṅu mora pañca-grās

This is paramparā system. You cannot jump over. You must go through the paramparā system. You have to approach through your spiritual master to the Gosvāmīs, and through the Gosvāmīs you will have to approach Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu you have to approach Kṛṣṅa. This is the way. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, ei chay gosāi jār-tār mui dās.

We are servant of servant. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction: gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc Madhya 13.80].

[I am not a brāhmaṅa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’]

The more you become servant of the servant, the more you are perfect. And if you all of a sudden want to become master, then you go to hell. That's all. Don't do that. This is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you go through the servant, servant, servant, then you are advanced. And if you think that you have now become master, then you are going to hell. This is the process. Dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. So servant, servant, servant, a hundred times servant now, that means he is advanced. He is advanced. And one who is becoming directly master, then he is in the hell.

So anarpita-carīṁ cirāt. So we should always remember the instruction of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Therefore we pray, śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale. Our mission is to establish the desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is our business. Śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī did it. He has given us so many books, especially Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated into English as Nectar of Devotion, to understand the science of devotional service. This is the greatest contribution of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: how to become a devotee. How to become a devotee. It is not sentiment; it is science. This Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is a great science. Yad vijñāna-samanvitam. 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.]

It is not sentiment. If you take it as sentiment, then you will create disturbance. That is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī. He said,

śruti-smṛti-purāṅādi- pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101]

[Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṅas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.]

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