Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Ādi-līlā
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 1
The Spiritual Masters
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the combined form of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He is the life of those devotees who strictly follow in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī are the two principal followers of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, who acted as the most confidential servitor of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Viśvambhara in His early life. A direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, stands as the direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.
The direct disciple of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī was Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, who accepted Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī as his servitor. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura accepted Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who initiated Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who in turn initiated Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, the spiritual master of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, the divine master of our humble self.
Since we belong to this chain of disciplic succession from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this edition of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta will contain nothing newly manufactured by our tiny brains, but only remnants of food originally eaten by the Lord Himself. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not belong to the mundane plane of the three qualitative modes. He belongs to the transcendental plane beyond the reach of the imperfect sense perception of a living being. Even the most erudite mundane scholar cannot approach the transcendental plane unless he submits himself to transcendental sound with a receptive mood, for in that mood only can one realize the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. What will be described herein, therefore, has nothing to do with the experimental thoughts created by the speculative habits of inert minds. The subject matter of this book is not a mental concoction but a factual spiritual experience that one can realize only by accepting the line of disciplic succession described above. Any deviation from that line will bewilder the reader’s understanding of the mystery of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, which is a transcendental literature meant for the postgraduate study of one who has realized all the Vedic scriptures such as the Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtra and their natural commentaries such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā.
This edition of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is presented for the study of sincere scholars who are really seeking the Absolute Truth. It is not the arrogant scholarship of a mental speculator but a sincere effort to serve the order of a superior authority whose service is the life and soul of this humble effort. It does not deviate even slightly from the revealed scriptures, and therefore anyone who follows in the disciplic line will be able to realize the essence of this book simply by the method of aural reception.
The First Chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta begins with fourteen Sanskrit verses that describe the Absolute Truth. Then the next three Sanskrit verses describe the principal Deities of Vṛndāvana, namely, Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohana, Śrī Rādhā-Govindadeva and Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnāthajī. The first of the fourteen verses is a symbolic representation of the Supreme Truth, and the entire First Chapter is in actuality devoted to this single verse, which describes Lord Caitanya in His six different transcendental expansions.
The first manifestation described is the spiritual master, who appears in two plenary parts called the initiating spiritual master and instructing spiritual master. They are identical because both of them are phenomenal manifestations of the Supreme Truth. Next described are the devotees, who are divided into two classes, namely, the apprentices and the graduates. Next are the incarnations (avatāras) of the Lord, who are explained to be nondifferent from the Lord. These incarnations are considered in three divisions-incarnations of the potency of the Lord, incarnations of His qualities, and incarnations of His authority. In this connection, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s direct manifestations and His manifestations for transcendental pastimes are discussed. Next considered are the potencies of the Lord, of which three principal manifestations are described: the consorts in the kingdom of God (Vaikuṇṭha), the queens of Dvārakā-dhāma and, highest of all, the damsels of Vrajadhāma. Finally, there is the Supreme Lord Himself, who is the fountainhead of all these manifestations.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His plenary expansions are all in the category of the Lord Himself, the energetic Absolute Truth, whereas His devotees, His eternal associates, are His energies. The energy and energetic are fundamentally one, but since their functions are differently exhibited, they are simultaneously different also. Thus the Absolute Truth is manifested in diversity in one unit. This philosophical truth, which is pursuant to the Vedānta-sūtra, is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, or the conception of simultaneous oneness and difference. In the latter portion of this chapter, the transcendental position of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and that of Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu are described with reference to the above theistic facts.
Adi1.1
TEXT 1
vande gurūn īśa-bhaktān
īśam īśāvatārakān
tat-prakāśāṁś ca tac-chaktīḥ
kṛṣṇa-caitanya-saṁjñakam
SYNONYMS
vande—I offer respectful obeisances; gurūn—unto the spiritual masters; īśa-bhaktān—unto the devotees of the Supreme Lord; īśam—unto the Supreme Lord; īśa-avatārakān—unto the incarnations of the Supreme Lord; tat—of the Supreme Lord; prakāśān—unto the manifestations; ca—and; tat—of the Supreme Lord; śaktīḥ—unto the potencies; kṛṣṇa-caitanya—Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; saṁjñakam—named.
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord’s incarnations, His plenary portions, His energies, and the primeval Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.
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TEXT 2
vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nityānandau sahoditau
gauḍodaye puṣpavantau
citrau śan-dau tamo-nudau
SYNONYMS
vande—I offer respectful obeisances; śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya—to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; nityānandau—and to Lord Nityānanda; saha-uditau—simultaneously arisen; gauḍa-udaye—on the eastern horizon of Gauḍa; puṣpavantau—the sun and moon together; citrau—wonderful; śam-dau—bestowing benediction; tamaḥ-nudau—dissipating darkness.
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.
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TEXT 3
yad advaitaṁ brahmopaniṣadi tad apy asya tanu-bhā
ya ātmāntar-yāmī puruṣa iti so ’syāṁśa-vibhavaḥ
ṣaḍ-aiśvaryaiḥ pūrṇo ya iha bhagavān sa svayam ayaṁ
na caitanyāt krṣṇāj jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha
SYNONYMS
yat—that which; advaitam—nondual; brahma—the impersonal Brahman; upaniṣadi—in the Upaniṣads; tat—that; api—certainly; asya—His; tanu-bhā—the effulgence of His transcendental body; yaḥ—who; ātmā—the Supersoul; antaḥ-yāmī—indwelling Lord; puruṣaḥ—supreme enjoyer; iti—thus; saḥ—He; asya—His; aṁśa-vibhavaḥ—plenary expansion; ṣaṭ-aiśvaryaiḥ—with all six opulences; pūrṇaḥ—full; yaḥ—who; iha—here; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; saḥ—He; svayam—Himself; ayam—this; na—not; caitanyāt—than Lord Caitanya; kṛṣṇāt—than Lord Kṛṣṇa; jagati—in the world; para—higher; tattvam—truth; param—another; iha—here.
TRANSLATION
What the Upaniṣads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but the effulgence of His body, and the Lord known as the Supersoul is but His localized plenary portion. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself, full with six opulences. He is the Absolute Truth, and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him.
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TEXT 4
anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ
anarpita—not bestowed; carīm—having been formerly; cirāt—for a long time; karuṇayā—by causeless mercy; avatīrṇaḥ—descended; kalau—in the Age of Kali; samarpayitum—to bestow; unnata—elevated; ujjvala-rasām—the conjugal mellow; sva-bhakti—of His own service; śriyam—the treasure; hariḥ—the Supreme Lord; puraṭa—than gold; sundara—more beautiful; dyuti—of splendor; kadamba—with a multitude; sandīpitaḥ—lighted up; sadā—always; hṛdaya-kandare—in the cavity of the heart; sphuratu—let Him be manifest; vaḥ—your; śacī-nandanaḥ—the son of mother Śacī.
TRANSLATION
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.
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TEXT 5
rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād
ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau
caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ
rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam
rādhā—Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; kṛṣṇa—of Lord Kṛṣṇa; praṇaya—of love; vikṛtiḥ—the transformation; hlādinī śaktiḥ—pleasure potency; asmāt—from this; eka-ātmānau—both the same in identity; api—although; bhuvi—on earth; purā—from beginningless time; deha-bhedam—separate forms; gatau—obtained; tau—those two; caitanya-ākhyam—known as Śrī Caitanya; prakaṭam—manifest; adhunā—now; tat-dvayam—the two of Them; ca—and; aikyam—unity; āptam—obtained; rādhā—of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; bhāva—mood; dyuti—the luster; su-valitam—who is adorned with; naumi—I offer my obeisances; kṛṣṇa-svarūpam—to Him who is identical with Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.
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TEXT 6
śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vānayaivā-
svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ
saukhyaṁ cāsyā mad-anubhavataḥ kīdṛśaṁ veti lobhāt
tad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī-rādhāyāḥ—of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; praṇaya-mahimā—the greatness of the love; kīdṛśaḥ—of what kind; vā—or; anayā—by this one (Rādhā); eva—alone; āsvādyaḥ—to be relished; yena—by that love; adbhuta-madhurimā—the wonderful sweetness; kīdṛśaḥ—of what kind; vā—or; madīyaḥ—of Me; saukhyam—the happiness; ca—and; asyāḥ—Her; mat-anubhavataḥ—from realization of My sweetness; kīdṛśam—of what kind; vā—or; iti—thus; lobhāt—from the desire; tat—Her; bhāva-āḍhyaḥ—richly endowed with emotions; samajani—took birth; śacī-garbha—of the womb of Śrīmatī Śacīdevī; sindhau—in the ocean; hari—Lord Kṛṣṇa; induḥ—like the moon.
TRANSLATION
Desiring to understand the glory of Rādhārāṇī’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, as the moon appeared from the ocean.
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TEXT 7
saṅkarṣaṇaḥ kāraṇa-toya-śāyī
garbhoda-śāyī ca payobdhi-śāyī
śeṣaś ca yasyāṁśa-kalāḥ sa nityā-
nandākhya-rāmaḥ śaraṇaṁ mamāstu
SYNONYMS
saṅkarṣaṇaḥ—Mahā-Saṅkarṣaṇa in the spiritual sky; kāraṇa-toya-śāyī—Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who lies in the Causal Ocean; garbha-uda-śāyī—Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who lies in the Garbhodaka Ocean of the universe; ca—and; payaḥ-abdhi-śāyī—Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who lies in the ocean of milk; śeṣaḥ—Śeṣa Nāga, the couch of Viṣṇu; ca—and; yasya—whose; aṁśa—plenary portions; kalāḥ—and parts of the plenary portions; saḥ—He; nityānanda-ākhya—known as Lord Nityānanda; rāmaḥ—Lord Balarāma; śaraṇam—shelter; mama—my; astu—let there be.
TRANSLATION
May Śrī Nityānanda Rāma be the object of my constant remembrance. Saṅkarṣaṇa, Śeṣa Nāga and the Viṣṇus who lie on the Kāraṇa Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions.
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TEXT 8
māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke
pūrṇaiśvarye śrī-catur-vyūha-madhye
rūpaṁ yasyodbhāti saṅkarṣaṇākhyaṁ
taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye
SYNONYMS
māyā-atīte—beyond the material creation; vyāpi—all-expanding; vaikuṇṭha-loke—in Vaikuṇṭhaloka, the spiritual world; pūrṇa-aiśvarye—endowed with full opulence; śrī-catuḥ-vyūha-madhye—in the quadruple expansions (Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha); rūpam—form; yasya—whose; udbhāti—appears; saṅkarṣaṇa-ākhyam—known as Saṅkarṣaṇa; tam—to Him; śrī-nityānanda-rāmam—to Lord Balarāma in the form of Lord Nityānanda; prapadye—I surrender.
TRANSLATION
I surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, who is known as Saṅkarṣaṇa in the midst of the catur-vyūha [consisting of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha]. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikuṇṭhaloka, far beyond the material creation.
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TEXT 9
māyā-bhartājāṇḍa-saṅghāśrayāṅgaḥ
śete sākṣāt kāraṇāmbhodhi-madhye
yasyaikāṁśaḥ śrī-pumān ādi-devas
taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye
SYNONYMS
māyā-bhartā—the master of the illusory energy; aja-aṇḍa-saṅgha—of the multitude of universes; āśraya—the shelter; aṅgaḥ—whose body; śete—He lies; sākṣāt—directly; kāraṇa-ambhodhi-madhye—in the midst of the Causal Ocean; yasya—whose; eka-aṁśaḥ—one portion; śrī-pumān—the Supreme Person; ādi-devaḥ—the original puruṣa incarnation; tam—to Him; śrī-nityānanda-rāmam—to Lord Balarāma in the form of Lord Nityānanda; prapadye—I surrender.
TRANSLATION
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose partial representation called Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, lying on the Kāraṇa Ocean, is the original puruṣa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes.
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TEXT 10
yasyāṁśāṁśaḥ śrīla-garbhoda-śāyī
yan-nābhy-abjaṁ loka-saṅghāta-nālam
loka-sraṣṭuḥ sūtikā-dhāma dhātus
taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye
SYNONYMS
yasya—whose; aṁśa-aṁśaḥ—portion of a plenary portion; śrīla-garbha-uda-śāyī—Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; yat—of whom; nābhi-abjam—the navel lotus; loka-saṅghāta—of the multitude of planets; nālam—having a stem that is the resting place; loka-sraṣṭuḥ—of Lord Brahmā, the creator of the planets; sūtikā-dhāma—the birthplace; dhātuḥ—of the creator; tam—to Him; śrī-nityānanda-rāmam—to Lord Balarāma in the form of Lord Nityānanda; prapadye—I surrender.
TRANSLATION
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu sprouts the lotus that is the birthplace of Brahmā, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets.
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TEXT 11
yasyāṁśāṁśāṁśaḥ parātmākhilānāṁ
poṣṭā viṣṇur bhāti dugdhābdhi-śāyī
kṣauṇī-bhartā yat-kalā so ’py anantas
taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye
SYNONYMS
yasya—whose; aṁśa-aṁśa-aṁśaḥ—a portion of a portion of a plenary portion; para-ātmā—the Supersoul; akhilānām—of all living entities; poṣṭā—the maintainer; viṣṇuḥ—Viṣṇu; bhāti—appears; dugdha-abdhi-śāyī—Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; kṣauṇī-bhartā—upholder of the earth; yat—whose; kalā—portion of a portion; saḥ—He; api—certainly; anantaḥ—Śeṣa Nāga; tam—to Him; śrī-nityānanda-rāmam—to Lord Balarāma in the form of Lord Nityānanda; prapadye—I surrender.
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose secondary part is the Viṣṇu lying in the ocean of milk. That Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universes. Śeṣa Nāga is His further sub-part.
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TEXT 12
mahā-viṣṇur jagat-kartā
māyayā yaḥ sṛjaty adaḥ
tasyāvatāra evāyam
advaitācārya īśvaraḥ
SYNONYMS
mahā-viṣṇuḥ—Mahā-Viṣṇu, the resting place of the efficient cause; jagat-kartā—the creator of the cosmic world; māyayā—by the illusory energy; yaḥ—who; sṛjati—creates; adaḥ—that universe; tasya—His; avatāraḥ—incarnation; eva—certainly; ayam—this; advaita-ācāryaḥ—of the name Advaita Ācārya; īśvaraḥ—the Supreme Lord, the resting place of the material cause.
TRANSLATION
Lord Advaita Ācārya is the incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of Māyā.
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TEXT 13
advaitaṁ hariṇādvaitād
ācāryaṁ bhakti-śaṁsanāt
bhaktāvatāram īśaṁ tam
advaitācāryam āśraye
SYNONYMS
advaitam—known as Advaita; hariṇā—with Lord Hari; advaitāt—from being nondifferent; ācāryam—known as Ācārya; bhakti-śaṁsanāt—from the propagation of devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa; bhakta-avatāram—the incarnation as a devotee; īśam—to the Supreme Lord; tam—to Him; advaita-ācāryam—to Advaita Ācārya; āśraye—I surrender.
TRANSLATION
Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Ācārya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord’s devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him.
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TEXT 14
pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ
bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ
namāmi bhakta-śaktikam
SYNONYMS
pañca-tattva-ātmakam—comprehending the five transcendental subject matters; kṛṣṇam—unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; bhakta-rūpa—in the form of a devotee; sva-rūpakam—in the expansion of a devotee; bhakta-avatāram—in the incarnation of a devotee; bhakta-ākhyam—known as a devotee; namāmi—I offer my obeisances; bhakta-śaktikam—the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who supplies energy to the devotee.
TRANSLATION
I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, devotional manifestation, pure devotee, and devotional energy.
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TEXT 15
jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor
mama manda-mater gatī
mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau
rādhā-madana-mohanau
SYNONYMS
jayatām—all glory to; su-ratau—most merciful, or attached in conjugal love; paṅgoḥ—of one who is lame; mama—of me; manda-mateḥ—foolish; gatī—refuge; mat—my; sarva-sva—everything; pada-ambhojau—whose lotus feet; rādhā-madana-mohanau—Rādhārāṇī and Madana-mohana.
TRANSLATION
Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill-advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.
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TEXT 16
dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ-
śrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau
śrīmad-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau
preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi
SYNONYMS
dīvyat—shining; vṛndā-araṇya—in the forest of Vṛndāvana; kalpa-druma—desire tree; adhaḥ—beneath; śrīmat—most beautiful; ratna-āgāra—in a temple of jewels; siṁha-āsana-sthau—sitting on a throne; śrīmat—very beautiful; rādhā—Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; śrīla-govinda-devau—and Śrī Govindadeva; preṣṭha-ālībhiḥ—by most confidential associates; sevyamānau—being served; smarāmi—I remember.
TRANSLATION
In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them.
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TEXT 17
śrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī
vaṁśīvaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ
karṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr
gopī-nāthaḥ śriye ’stu naḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī-mān—most beautiful; rāsa—of the rāsa dance; rasa—of the mellow; ārambhī—the initiator; vaṁśī-vaṭa—of the name Vaṁśīvaṭa; taṭa—on the shore; sthitaḥ—standing; karṣan—attracting; veṇu—of the flute; svanaiḥ—by the sounds; gopīḥ—the cowherd girls; gopī-nāthaḥ—Śrī Gopīnātha; śriye—benediction; astu—let there be; naḥ—our.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.
Adi1.18
TEXT 18
jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
SYNONYMS
jaya jaya—all glory; śrī-caitanya—to Śrī Caitanya; jaya—all glory; nityānanda—to Lord Nityānanda; jaya advaita-candra—all glory to Advaita Ācārya; jaya—all glory; gaura-bhakta-vṛnda—to the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
TRANSLATION
Glory to Śrī Caitanya and Nityānanda! Glory to Advaitacandra! And glory to all the devotees of Śrī Gaura [Lord Caitanya]!
Adi1.19
TEXT 19
ei tina ṭhākura gauḍīyāke kariyāchena ātmasāt
e tinera caraṇa vandoṅ, tine mora nātha
SYNONYMS
ei—these; tina—three; ṭhākura—Deities; gauḍīyāke—the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas; kariyāchena—have done; ātmasāt—absorbed; e—these; tinera—of the three; caraṇa—lotus feet; vandoṅ—I worship; tine—these three; mora—my; nātha—Lords.
TRANSLATION
These three Deities of Vṛndāvana [Madana-mohana, Govinda and Gopīnātha] have absorbed the heart and soul of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas [followers of Lord Caitanya]. I worship Their lotus feet, for They are the Lords of my heart.
PURPORT
The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta offers his respectful obeisances unto the three Deities of Vṛndāvana named Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohana, Śrī Rādhā-Govindadeva and Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnāthajī. These three Deities are the life and soul of the Bengali Vaiṣṇavas, or Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, who have a natural aptitude for residing in Vṛndāvana. The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas who follow strictly in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu worship the Divinity by chanting transcendental sounds meant to develop a sense of one’s transcendental relationship with the Supreme Lord, a reciprocation of mellows (rasas) of mutual affection, and, ultimately, the achievement of the desired success in loving service. These three Deities are worshiped in three different stages of one’s development. The followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu scrupulously follow these principles of approach.
Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas perceive the ultimate objective in Vedic hymns composed of eighteen transcendental letters that adore Kṛṣṇa as Madana-mohana, Govinda and Gopījana-vallabha. Madana-mohana is He who charms Cupid, the god of love, Govinda is He who pleases the senses and the cows, and Gopījana-vallabha is the transcendental lover of the gopīs. Kṛṣṇa Himself is called Madana-mohana, Govinda, Gopījana-vallabha and countless other names as He plays in His different pastimes with His devotees.
The three Deities-Madana-mohana, Govinda and Gopījana-vallabha-have very specific qualities. Worship of Madana-mohana is on the platform of reestablishing our forgotten relationship with the Personality of Godhead. In the material world we are presently in utter ignorance of our eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. Paṅgoḥ refers to one who cannot move independently by his own strength, and manda-mateḥ is one who is less intelligent because he is too absorbed in materialistic activities. It is best for such persons not to aspire for success in fruitive activities or mental speculation, but instead simply to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The perfection of life is simply to surrender to the Supreme. In the beginning of our spiritual life we must therefore worship Madana-mohana so that He may attract us and nullify our attachment for material sense gratification. This relationship with Madana-mohana is necessary for neophyte devotees. When one wishes to render service to the Lord with strong attachment, one then worships Govinda on the platform of transcendental service. Govinda is the reservoir of all pleasures. When by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and the devotees one reaches perfection in devotional service, he can appreciate Kṛṣṇa as Gopījana-vallabha, the pleasure Deity of the damsels of Vraja.
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained this mode of devotional service in three stages, and therefore these worshipable Deities were installed in Vṛndāvana by different Gosvāmīs. They are very dear to the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas there, who visit the temples at least once a day. Besides the temples of these three Deities, many other temples have been established in Vṛndāvana, such as the temple of Rādhā-Dāmodara of Jīva Gosvāmī, the temple of Śyāmasundara of Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī, the temple of Gokulānanda of Lokanātha Gosvāmī, and the temple of Rādhā-ramaṇa of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. There are seven principal temples over four hundred years old that are the most important of the five thousand temples now existing in Vṛndāvana.
“Gauḍīya” indicates the part of India between the southern side of the Himalayan Mountains and the northern part of the Vindhyā Hills, which is called Āryāvarta, or the Land of the Āryans. This portion of India is divided into five parts or provinces (Pañca-gauḍadeśa): Sārasvata (Kashmir and Punjab), Kānyakubja (Uttar Pradesh, including the modern city of Lucknow), Madhya-gauḍa (Madhya Pradesh), Maithila (Bihar and part of Bengal) and Utkala (part of Bengal and the whole of Orissa). Bengal is sometimes called Gauḍadeśa, partly because it forms a portion of Maithila and partly because the capital of the Hindu king Rāja Lakṣmaṇa Sena was known as Gauḍa. This old capital later came to be known as Gauḍapura and gradually Māyāpur.
The devotees of Orissa are called Uḍiyās, the devotees of Bengal are called Gauḍīyas, and the devotees of southern India are known as Drāviḍa devotees. As there are five provinces in Āryāvarta, so Dākṣiṇātya, southern India, is also divided into five provinces, which are called Pañca-draviḍa. The four Vaiṣṇava ācāryas who are the great authorities of the four Vaiṣṇava disciplic successions, as well as Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya of the Māyāvāda school, appeared in the Pañca-draviḍa provinces. Among the four Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, who are all accepted by the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, Śrī Rāmānuja Ācārya appeared in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh at Mahābhūtapurī, Śrī Madhva Ācārya appeared at Pājakam (near Vimānagiri) in the district of Mangalore, Śrī Viṣṇusvāmī appeared at Pāṇḍya, and Śrī Nimbārka appeared at Muṅgera-patana in the extreme south.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the chain of disciplic succession from Madhva Ācārya, but the Vaiṣṇavas in His line do not accept the tattva-vādīs, who also claim to belong to the Mādhva-sampradāya. To distinguish themselves clearly from the tattva-vādī branch of Madhva’s descendants, the Vaiṣṇavas of Bengal prefer to call themselves Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. Śrī Madhva Ācārya is also known as Śrī Gauḍa-pūrṇānanda, and therefore the name Mādhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya is quite suitable for the disciplic succession of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. Our spiritual master, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, accepted initiation in the Mādhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya.
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