Lord Caitanya and His associates broke open transcendental love's sealed storehouse to flood the world.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Chanting Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 7th Chapter — December 9, 1973, Los Angeles 731209CH-LOS ANGELES [25:32 Minutes] Chanting Cc-Adi-07th Ch_731209CH-LOS ANGELES Chapter 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features TEXT 1 agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā hīnārthādhika-sādhakam śrī-caitanyaṁ likhyate ’sya prema-bhakti-vadānyatā Let me first offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the ultimate goal of life for one bereft of all possessions in this material world and is the only meaning for one advancing in spiritual life. Thus let me write about His magnanimous contribution of devotional service in love of God. TEXT 2 jaya jaya mahāprabhu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya tāṭhāra caraṇāśrita, sei baḍa dhanya Let me offer glorification to the Supreme Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One who has taken shelter of His lotus feet is the most glorified person. TEXT 3 pūrve gurv-ādi chaya tattve kaila namaskāra guru-tattva kahiyāchi, ebe pāñcera vicāra In the beginning I have discussed the truth about the spiritual master. Now I shall try to explain the Pañca-tattva. TEXT 4 pañca-tattva avatīrṇa caitanyera saṅge pañca-tattva lañā karena saṅkīrtana raṅge These five tattvas incarnate with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and thus the Lord executes His saṅkīrtana movement with great pleasure. TEXT 5 pañca-tattva—eka-vastu, nāhi kichu bheda rasa āsvādite tabu vividha vibheda Spiritually there are no differences between these five tattvas, for on the transcendental platform everything is absolute.
Yet there are also varieties in the spiritual world, and in order to taste these spiritual varieties one should distinguish between them. TEXT 6 pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who has manifested Himself in five as a devotee, expansion of a devotee, incarnation of a devotee, pure devotee and devotional energy. TEXT 7 svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara advitīya, nandātmaja, rasika-śekhara SKṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, the supreme controller. No one is greater than or equal to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, yet He appears as the son of Mahārāja Nanda. TEXT 8 rāsādi-vilāsī, vrajalalanā-nāgara āra yata saba dekha,—tāṭra parikara Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the supreme enjoyer in the rāsa dance. He is the leader of the damsels of Vraja, and all others are simply His associates. TEXT 9 sei kṛṣṇa avatīrṇa śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya sei parikara-gaṇa saṅge saba dhanya The selfsame Lord Kṛṣṇa advented Himself as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with all His eternal associates, who are also equally glorious. TEXT 10 ekale īśvara-tattva caitanya-īśvara bhakta-bhāvamaya tāṭra śuddha kalevara Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the supreme controller, the one Personality of Godhead, has ecstatically become a devotee, yet His body is transcendental and not materially tinged. TEXT 11 kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera eka adbhuta svabhāva āpanā āsvādite kṛṣṇa kare bhakta-bhāva The transcendental mellow of conjugal love of Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful that Kṛṣṇa Himself accepts the form of a devotee to relish and taste it fully. TEXT 12 ithe bhakta-bhāva dhare caitanya gosāñi ‘bhakta-svarūpa’ tāṭra nityānanda-bhāi For this reason Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the supreme teacher, accepts the form of a devotee and accepts Lord Nityānanda as His elder brother. TEXT 13 ‘bhakta-avatāra’ tāṭra ācārya-gosāñi ei tina tattva sabe prabhu kari’ gāi Śrī Advaita Ācārya is Lord Caitanya’s incarnation as a devotee.
Therefore these three tattvas [Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Gosāñi] are the predominators, or masters. TEXT 14 eka mahāprabhu, āra prabhu duijana dui prabhu seve mahāprabhura caraṇa One of Them is Mahāprabhu, and the other two are prabhus. These two prabhus serve the lotus feet of Mahāprabhu. TEXT 15 ei tina tattva,—‘sarvārādhya’ kari māni caturtha ye bhakta-tattva,—‘ārādhaka’ jāni The three predominators [Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu] are worshipable by all living entities, and the fourth principle [Śrī Gadādhara Prabhu] is to be understood as Their worshiper. TEXT 16 śrīvāsādi yata koṭi koṭi bhakta-gaṇa ‘śuddha-bhakta’-tattva-madhye tāṭ-sabāra gaṇana There are innumerable pure devotees of the Lord, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, who are known as unalloyed devotees. TEXT 17 gadādhara-paṇḍitādi prabhura ‘śakti’-avatāra ‘antaraṅga-bhakta’ kari’ gaṇana yāṭhāra The devotees headed by Gadādhara Paṇḍita are to be considered incarnations of the internal potency of the Lord. They are confidential devotees engaged in the service of the Lord.
TEXTS 18–19 yāṭ-sabā lañā prabhura nitya vihāra yāṭ-sabā lañā prabhura kīrtana-pracāra yāṭ-sabā lañā karena prema āsvādana yāṭ-sabā lañā dāna kare prema-dhana The internal devotees or potencies are all eternal associates in the pastimes of the Lord. Only with them does the Lord advent to propound the saṅkīrtana movement, only with them does the Lord taste the mellow of conjugal love, and only with them does He distribute this love of God to people in general. TEXTS 20–21 sei pañca-tattva mili’ pṛthivī āsiyā pūrva-premabhāṇḍārera mudrā ughāḍiyā pāñce mili’ luṭe prema, kare āsvādana yata yata piye, tṛṣṇā bāḍhe anukṣaṇa The characteristics of Kṛṣṇa are understood to be a storehouse of transcendental love. Although that storehouse of love certainly came with Kṛṣṇa when He was present, it was sealed. But when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came with His associates of the Pañca-tattva, they broke the seal and plundered the storehouse to taste transcendental love of Kṛṣṇa.
The more they tasted it, the more their thirst for it grew. TEXT 22 punaḥ punaḥ piyāiyā haya mahāmatta nāce, kānde, hāse, gāya, yaiche mada-matta Śrī Pañca-tattva themselves danced again and again and thus made it easier to drink nectarean love of Godhead. They danced, cried, laughed and chanted like madmen, and in this way they distributed love of Godhead. TEXT 23 pātrāpātra-vicāra nāhi, nāhi sthānāsthāna yei yāṭhā pāya, tāṭhā kare prema-dāna In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the Pañca-tattva distributed love of Godhead. TEXT 24 luṭiyā, khāiyā, diyā, bhāṇḍāra ujāḍe āścarya bhāṇḍāra, prema śata-guṇa bāḍe Although the members of the Pañca-tattva plundered the storehouse of love of Godhead and ate and distributed its contents, there was no scarcity, for this wonderful storehouse is so complete that as the love is distributed, the supply increases hundreds of times. TEXT 25 uchalila prema-vanyā caudike veḍāya strī, vṛddha, bālaka, yuvā, sabāre ḍubāya The flood of love of Godhead swelled in all directions, and thus young men, old men, women and children were all immersed in that inundation. TEXT 26 aj-jana, durjana, paṅgu, jaḍa, andha-gaṇa prema-vanyāya ḍubāila jagatera jana The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will inundate the entire world and drown everyone, whether one be a gentleman, a rogue or even lame, invalid or blind. TEXT 27 jagat ḍubila, jīvera haila bīja nāśa tāhā dekhi’ pāñca janera parama ullāsa When the five members of the Pañca-tattva saw the entire world drowned in love of Godhead and the seed of material enjoyment in the living entities completely destroyed, they all became exceedingly happy. TEXT 28 yata yata prema-vṛṣṭi kare pañca-jane tata tata bāḍhe jala, vyāpe tri-bhuvane The more the five members of the Pañca-tattva cause the rains of love of Godhead to fall, the more the inundation increases and spreads all over the world. TEXTS 29–30 māyāvādī, karma-niṣṭha kutārkika-gaṇa nindaka, pāsaṇḍī yata paḍuyā adhama sei saba mahādakṣa dhāñā palāila sei vanyā tā-sabāre chuṭite nārila The impersonalists, fruitive workers, false logicians, blasphemers, nondevotees and lowest among the student community are very expert in avoiding the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and therefore the inundation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot touch them.
TEXTS 31–32 tāhā dekhi’ mahāprabhu karena cintana jagat ḍubāite āmi kariluṭ yatana keha keha eḍāila, pratijñā ha-ila bhaṅga tā-sabā ḍubāite pātiba kichu raṅga Seeing that the Māyāvādīs and others were fleeing, Lord Caitanya thought, “I wanted everyone to be immersed in this inundation of love of Godhead, but some of them have escaped. Therefore I shall devise a trick to drown them also.” TEXT 33 eta bali’ mane kichu kariyā vicāra sannyāsa-āśrama prabhu kailā aṅgīkāra Thus the Lord accepted the sannyāsa order of life after full consideration. TEXT 34 cabbiśa vatsara chilā gṛhastha-āśrame pañca-viṁśati varṣe kaila yati-dharme Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained in householder life for twenty-four years, and on the verge of His twenty-fifth year He accepted the sannyāsa order. TEXT 35 sannyāsa kariyā prabhu kailā ākarṣaṇa yateka pālāñāchila tārkikādigaṇa After accepting the sannyāsa order, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu attracted the attention of all those who had evaded Him, beginning with the logicians. TEXT 36 paḍuyā, pāṣaṇḍī, karmī, nindakādi yata tārā āsi’ prabhu-pāya haya avanata Thus the students, infidels, fruitive workers and critics all came to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord. TEXT 37 aparādha kṣamāila, ḍubila prema-jale kebā eḍāibe prabhura prema-mahājāle Lord Caitanya excused them all, and they merged into the ocean of devotional service, for no one can escape the unique loving network of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. TEXT 38 sabā nistārite prabhu kṛpā-avatāra sabā nistārite kare cāturī apāra Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in order to deliver all the fallen souls. Therefore He devised many methods to liberate them from the clutches of māyā. TEXT 39 tabe nija bhakta kaila yata mleccha ādi sabe eḍāila mātra kāśīra māyāvādī All were converted into devotees of Lord Caitanya, even the mlecchas and yavanas. Only the impersonalist followers of Śaṅkarācārya evaded Him. TEXT 40 vṛndāvana yāite prabhu rahilā kāśīte māyāvādi-gaṇa tāṭre lāgila nindite While Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was passing through Vārāṇasī on His way to Vṛndāvana, the Māyāvādī sannyāsī philosophers blasphemed against Him in many ways. TEXT 41 sannyāsī ha-iyā kare gāyana, nācana nā kare vedānta-pāṭha, kare saṅkīrtana The blasphemers said, “Although a sannyāsī, He does not take interest in the study of Vedānta but instead always engages in chanting and dancing in saṅkīrtana. TEXT 42 mūrkha sannyāsī nija-dharma nāhi jāne bhāvuka ha-iyā phere bhāvukera sane “This Caitanya Mahāprabhu is an illiterate sannyāsī and therefore does not know His real function.
Guided only by His sentiments, He wanders about in the company of other sentimentalists.” TEXT 43 e saba śuniyā prabhu hāse mane mane upekṣā kariyā kāro nā kaila sambhāṣaṇe Hearing all this blasphemy, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu merely smiled to Himself, rejected all these accusations and did not talk with the Māyāvādīs. TEXT 44 upekṣā kariyā kaila mathurā gamana mathurā dekhiyā punaḥ kaila āgamana Thus neglecting the blasphemy of the Vārāṇasī Māyāvādīs, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu proceeded to Mathurā, and after visiting Mathurā He returned to meet the situation. TEXT 45 kāśīte lekhaka śūdra-śrīcandraśekhara tāṭra ghare rahilā prabhu svatantra īśvara This time Lord Caitanya stayed at the house of Candraśekhara, although he was regarded as a śūdra or kāyastha, for the Lord, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is completely independent. TEXT 46 tapana-miśrera ghare bhikṣā-nirvāhaṇa sannyāsīra saṅge nāhi māne nimantraṇa As a matter of principle, Lord Caitanya regularly accepted His food at the house of Tapana Miśra. He never mixed with other sannyāsīs, nor did He accept invitations from them. TEXT 47 sanātana gosāñi āsi’ tāṭhāi mililā tāṭra śikṣā lāgi’ prabhu du-māsa rahilā When Sanātana Gosvāmī came from Bengal, he met Lord Caitanya at the house of Tapana Miśra, where Lord Caitanya remained continuously for two months to teach him devotional service. TEXT 48 tāṭre śikhāilā saba vaiṣṇavera dharma bhāgavata-ādi śāstrera yata gūḍha marma On the basis of scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which reveal these confidential directions, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī regarding all the regular activities of a devotee. TEXT 49 itimadhye candraśekhara, miśra-tapana duḥkhī hañā prabhu-pāya kaila nivedana While Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī, both Candraśekhara and Tapana Miśra became very unhappy. Therefore they submitted an appeal unto the lotus feet of the Lord. TEXT 50 kateka śuniba prabhu tomāra nindana nā pāri sahite, ebe chāḍiba jīvana “How long can we tolerate the blasphemy by Your critics against Your conduct? We should give up our lives rather than hear such blasphemy. TEXT 51 tomāre nindaye yata sannyāsīra gaṇa śunite nā pāri, phāṭe hṛdaya-śravaṇa “The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs are all criticizing Your Holiness.