Sri Caitanya freely gives love of Krishna to all, making pure devotion accessible where knowledge and ritual alone cannot reach.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Chanting Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 8th Chapter — December 14, 1973, Los Angeles 731214CH-LOS ANGELES [21:49 Minutes] Chanting Cc-Adi-08th Ch_731214CH-LOS ANGELES Prabhupāda: 8th chapter, Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā. The Author Receives the Orders of Kṛṣṇa and Guru TEXT 1 vande caitanya-devaṁ taṁ bhagavantaṁ yad-icchayā prasabhaṁ nartyate citraṁ lekha-raṅge jaḍo ’py ayam I offer my respects to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by whose desire I have become like a dancing dog and suddenly taken to the writing of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, although I am a fool. TEXT 2 jaya jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya gauracandra jaya jaya paramānanda jaya nityānanda Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is known as Gaurasundara. I also offer my respectful obeisances unto Nityānanda Prabhu, who is always very joyful. TEXT 3 jaya jayādvaita ācārya kṛpāmaya jaya jaya gadādhara paṇḍita mahāśaya Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Advaita Ācārya, who is very merciful, and also to that great personality Gadādhara Paṇḍita, the learned scholar. TEXT 4 jaya jaya śrīvāsādi yata bhakta-gaṇa praṇata ha-iyā vandoṭ sabāra caraṇa Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and all the other devotees of the Lord. I fall down to offer them respect. I worship their lotus feet. TEXT 5 mūka kavitva kare yāṭ-sabāra smaraṇe paṅgu giri laṅghe, andha dekhe tārā-gaṇe By remembering the lotus feet of the Pañca-tattva, a dumb man can become a poet, a lame man can cross mountains, and a blind man can see the stars in the sky. TEXT 6 e-saba nā māne yei paṇḍita sakala tā-sabāra vidyā-pāṭha bheka-kolāhala The education cultivated by so-called learned scholars who do not believe these statements of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is like the tumultuous croaking of frogs. TEXT 7 ei saba nā māne yebā kare kṛṣṇa-bhakti kṛṣṇa-kṛpā nāhi tāre, nāhi tāra gati One who does not accept the glories of the Pañca-tattva but still makes a show of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can never achieve the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or advance to the ultimate goal. TEXT 8 pūrve yaiche jarāsandha-ādi rāja-gaṇa veda-dharma kari’ kare viṣṇura pūjana Formerly kings like Jarāsandha [the father-in-law of Kaṁsa] strictly followed the Vedic rituals, thus worshiping Lord Viṣṇu. TEXT 9 kṛṣṇa nāhi māne, tāte daitya kari’ māni caitanya nā mānile taiche daitya tāre jāni One who does not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly a demon.
Similarly, anyone who does not accept Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Kṛṣṇa, the same Supreme Lord, is also to be considered a demon. TEXT 10 more nā mānile saba loka habe nāśa ithi lāgi’ kṛpārdra prabhu karila sannyāsa Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thought, “Unless people accept Me they will all be destroyed.” Thus the merciful Lord accepted the sannyāsa order. TEXT 11 sannyāsi-buddhye more karibe namaskāra tathāpi khaṇḍibe duḥkha, pāibe nistāra “If a person offers obeisances to Me, even due to accepting Me only as an ordinary sannyāsī, his material distresses will diminish, and he will ultimately get liberation.” TEXT 12 hena kṛpāmaya caitanya nā bhaje yei jana sarvottama ha-ileo tāre asure gaṇana One who does not show respect unto this merciful Lord, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or does not worship Him should be considered a demon, even if he is very much exalted in human society. TEXT 13 ataeva punaḥ kahoṭ ūrdhva-bāhu hañā caitanya-nityānanda bhaja kutarka chāḍiyā Therefore I say again, lifting my arms: O fellow human beings, please worship Śrī Caitanya and Nityānanda without false arguments! TEXT 14 yadi vā tārkika kahe,—tarka se pramāṇa tarka-śāstre siddha yei, sei sevyamāna Logicians say, “Unless one gains understanding through logic and argument, how can one decide upon a worshipable Deity?” TEXT 15 śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-dayā karaha vicāra vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful. TEXT 16 bahu janma kare yadi śravaṇa, kīrtana tabu ta’ nā pāya kṛṣṇa-pade prema-dhana If one is infested with the ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, despite his endeavor to chant the holy name for many births, he will not get the love of Godhead that is the ultimate goal of this chanting. TEXT 17 jñānataḥ su-labhā muktir bhuktir yajñādi-puṇyataḥ seyaṁ sādhana-sāhasrair hari-bhaktiḥ su-durlabhā “By cultivating philosophical knowledge one can understand his spiritual position and thus be liberated, and by performing sacrifices and pious activities one can achieve sense gratification in a higher planetary system, but the devotional service of the Lord is so rare that even by executing hundreds and thousands of such sacrifices one cannot obtain it.” TEXT 18 kṛṣṇa yadi chuṭe bhakte bhukti mukti diyā kabhu prema-bhakti nā dena rākhena lukāiyā If a devotee wants liberation or material sense gratification from the Lord, Kṛṣṇa immediately delivers it, but pure devotional service He keeps hidden. TEXT 19 rājan patir gurur alaṁ bhavatāṁ yadūnāṁ daivaṁ priyaḥ kula-patiḥ kva ca kiṅkaro vaḥ astv evam aṅga bhagavān bhajatāṁ mukundo If a devotee wants liberation or material sense gratification from the Lord, Kṛṣṇa immediately delivers it, but pure devotional service He keeps hidden. TEXT 20 hena prema śrī-caitanya dilā yathā tathā jagāi mādhāi paryanta—anyera kā kathā Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has freely given this love of Kṛṣṇa everywhere and anywhere, even to the most fallen, such as Jagāi and Mādhāi.
What then to speak of those who are already pious and elevated? TEXT 21 svatantra īśvara prema-nigūḍha-bhāṇdāra bilāila yāre tāre, nā kaila vicāra Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, is fully independent. Therefore, although it is the most confidentially stored benediction, He can distribute love of Godhead to anyone and everyone without consideration. TEXT 22 adyāpiha dekha caitanya-nāma yei laya kṛṣṇa-preme pulakāśru-vihvala se haya Whether he is offensive or inoffensive, anyone who even now chants śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda is immediately overwhelmed with ecstasy, and tears fill his eyes. TEXT 23 ‘nityānanda’ balite haya kṛṣṇa-premodaya āulāya sakala aṅga, aśru-gaṅgā vaya Simply by talking of Nityānanda Prabhu one awakens his love for Kṛṣṇa. Thus all his bodily limbs are agitated by ecstasy, and tears flow from his eyes like the waters of the Ganges. TEXT 24 ‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’ kare aparādhera vicāra kṛṣṇa balile aparādhīra nā haya vikāra There are offenses to be considered while chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa one does not become ecstatic.
TEXT 25 tad aśma-sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ yad gṛhyamāṇair hari-nāma-dheyaiḥ na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ “If one’s heart does not change, tears do not flow from his eyes, his body does not shiver, and his bodily hairs do not stand on end as he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, it should be understood that his heart is as hard as iron. This is due to his offenses at the lotus feet of the Lord’s holy name.” TEXT 26 ‘eka’ kṛṣṇa-nāme kare sarva-pāpa nāśa premera kāraṇa bhakti karena prakāśa Simply chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without offenses vanquishes all sinful activities. Thus pure devotional service, which is the cause of love of Godhead, becomes manifest. TEXT 27 premera udaye haya premera vikāra sveda-kampa-pulakādi gadgadāśrudhāra When one’s transcendental loving service to the Lord is actually awakened, it generates transformations in the body such as perspiration, trembling, throbbing of the heart, faltering of the voice and tears in the eyes. TEXT 28 anāyāse bhava-kṣaya, kṛṣṇera sevana eka kṛṣṇa-nāmera phale pāi eta dhana As a result of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these transcendental riches. TEXTS 29–30 hena kṛṣṇa-nāma yadi laya bahu-bāra tabu yadi prema nahe, nahe aśrudhāra tabe jāni, aparādha tāhāte pracura kṛṣṇa-nāma-bīja tāhe nā kare aṅkura If one chants the exalted holy name of the Lord again and again and yet his love for the Supreme Lord does not develop and tears do not appear in his eyes, it is evident that because of his offenses in chanting, the seed of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa does not sprout. TEXT 31 caitanya-nityānande nāhi e-saba vicāra nāma laite prema dena, vahe aśrudhāra But if one only chants, with some slight faith, the holy names of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, very quickly he is cleansed of all offenses.
Thus as soon as he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he feels the ecstasy of love for God. TEXT 32 svatantra īśvara prabhu atyanta udāra tāṭre nā bhajile kabhu nā haya nistāra Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, is greatly magnanimous. Unless one worships Him, one can never be liberated. TEXT 33 ore mūḍha loka, śuna caitanya-maṅgala caitanya-mahimā yāte jānibe sakala O fools, just read Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala! By reading this book you can understand all the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. TEXT 34 kṛṣṇa-līlā bhāgavate kahe veda-vyāsa caitanya-līlāra vyāsa—vṛndāvana-dāsa As Vyāsadeva has compiled all the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa has depicted the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. TEXT 35 vṛndāvana-dāsa kaila ‘caitanya-maṅgala’ yāṭhāra śravaṇe nāśe sarva amaṅgala Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa has composed Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala. Hearing this book annihilates all misfortune. TEXT 36 caitanya-nitāira yāte jāniye mahimā yāte jāni kṛṣṇa-bhakti-siddhāntera sīmā By reading Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala one can understand all the glories and truths of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda and come to the ultimate conclusion of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. TEXT 37 bhāgavate yata bhakti-siddhāntera sāra likhiyāchena iṭhā jāni’ kariyā uddhāra In Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala [later known as Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata] Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has given the conclusion and essence of devotional service by quoting the authoritative statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. TEXT 38 ‘caitanya-maṅgala’ śune yadi pāṣaṇḍī, yavana seha mahā-vaiṣṇava haya tatakṣaṇa If even a great atheist hears Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, he immediately becomes a great devotee. TEXT 39 manuṣye racite nāre aiche grantha dhanya vṛndāvana-dāsa-mukhe vaktā śrī-caitanya The subject matter of this book is so sublime that it appears that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has personally spoken through the writings of Śrī Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. TEXT 40 vṛndāvana-dāsa-pade koṭi namaskāra aiche grantha kari’ teṭho tārilā saṁsāra I offer millions of obeisances unto the lotus feet of Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.
No one else could write such a wonderful book for the deliverance of all fallen souls. TEXT 41 nārāyaṇī—caitanyera ucchiṣṭa-bhājana tāṭra garbhe janmilā śrī-dāsa-vṛndāvana Nārāyaṇī eternally eats the remnants of the food of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura was born of her womb. TEXT 42 tāṭra ki adbhuta caitanya-carita-varṇana yāhāra śravaṇe śuddha kaila tri-bhuvana What a wonderful description he has given of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya! Anyone in the three worlds who hears it is purified. TEXT 43 ataeva bhaja, loka, caitanya-nityānanda khaṇḍibe saṁsāra-duḥkha, pābe premānanda I fervently appeal to everyone to adopt the method of devotional service given by Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda and thus be freed from the miseries of material existence and ultimately achieve the loving service of the Lord. TEXT 44 vṛndāvana-dāsa kaila ‘caitanya-maṅgala’ tāhāte caitanya-līlā varṇila sakala Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has written Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala and therein described in all respects the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. TEXT 45 sūtra kari’ saba līlā karila granthana pāche vistāriyā tāhāra kaila vivaraṇa He first summarized all the pastimes of the Lord and later described them vividly in detail. TEXT 46 caitanya-candrera līlā ananta apāra varṇite varṇite grantha ha-ila vistāra The pastimes of Lord Caitanya are unlimited and unfathomable. Therefore, in describing all those pastimes, the book became voluminous. TEXT 47 vistāra dekhiyā kichu saṅkoca haila mana sūtra-dhṛta kona līlā nā kaila varṇana He saw them to be so extensive that he later felt that some had not been properly described. TEXT 48 nityānanda-līlā-varṇane ha-ila āveśa caitanyera śeṣa-līlā rahila avaśeṣa He ecstatically described the pastimes of Lord Nityānanda, but the later pastimes of Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained untold. TEXT 49 sei saba līlāra śunite vivaraṇa vṛndāvana-vāsī bhaktera utkaṇṭhita mana The devotees of Vṛndāvana were all very anxious to hear those pastimes. TEXT 50 vṛndāvane kalpa-drume suvarṇa-sadana mahā-yogapīṭha tāhāṭ, ratna-siṁhāsana In Vṛndāvana, in a great place of pilgrimage underneath the desire trees, is a golden throne bedecked with jewels. TEXT 51 tāte vasi’ āche sadā vrajendra-nandana ‘śrī-govinda-deva’ nāma sākṣāt madana On that throne sits the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Śrī Govindadeva, the transcendental Cupid. TEXT 52 rāja-sevā haya tāṭhā vicitra prakāra divya sāmagrī, divya vastra, alaṅkāra Varieties of majestic service are rendered to Govinda there. His garments, ornaments and paraphernalia are all transcendental.
TEXT 53 sahasra sevaka sevā kare anukṣaṇa sahasra-vadane sevā nā yāya varṇana In that temple of Govindajī, thousands of servitors always render service to the Lord in devotion. Even with thousands of mouths, one could not describe this service. TEXT 54 sevāra adhyakṣa—śrī-paṇḍita haridāsa tāṭra yaśaḥ-guṇa sarva-jagate prakāśa In that temple the chief servitor was Śrī Haridāsa Paṇḍita. His qualities and fame are known all over the world. TEXT 55 suśīla, sahiṣṇu, śānta, vadānya, gambhīra madhura-vacana, madhura-ceṣṭā, mahā-dhīra He was gentle, tolerant, peaceful, magnanimous, grave, sweet in his words and very sober in his endeavors. TEXT 56 sabāra sammāna-kartā, karena sabāra hita kauṭilya-mātsarya-hiṁsā nā jāne tāṭra cita He was respectful to everyone and worked for the benefit of all. Diplomacy, envy and jealousy were unknown to his heart. TEXT 57 kṛṣṇera ye sādhāraṇa sad-guṇa pañcāśa se saba guṇera tāṭra śarīre nivāsa The fifty qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa were all present in his body. TEXT 58 yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ “In one who has unflinching devotional faith in Kṛṣṇa, all the good qualities of Kṛṣṇa and the demigods are consistently manifested.