Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Ādi-līlā
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 17
Adi17.25
TEXT 25
anyathā ye māne, tāra nāhika nistāra
nāhi, nāhi, nāhi——e tina ‘eva’-kāra
SYNONYMS
anyathā—otherwise; ye—anyone who; māne—accepts; tāra—of him; nāhika—there is no; nistāra—deliverance; nāhi nāhi nāhi—there is nothing else, nothing else, nothing else; e—in this; tina—three; eva-kāra—bearing the meaning of emphasis.
TRANSLATION
“This verse clearly states that anyone who accepts any other path cannot be delivered. This is the reason for the triple repetition ‘nothing else, nothing else, nothing else,’ which emphasizes the real process of self-realization.
Adi17.26
TEXT 26
tṛṇa haite nīca hañā sadā labe nāma
āpani nirabhimānī, anye dibe māna
SYNONYMS
tṛṇa—grass; haite—than; nīca—lower; hañā—becoming; sadā—always; labe—chant; nāma—the holy name; āpani—personally; nirabhimānī—without honor; anye—unto others; dibe—you should give; māna—all respect.
TRANSLATION
“To chant the holy name always, one should be humbler than the grass in the street and devoid of all desire for personal honor, but one should offer others all respectful obeisances.
Adi17.27
TEXT 27
taru-sama sahiṣṇutā vaiṣṇava karibe
bhartsana-tāḍane kāke kichu nā balibe
SYNONYMS
taru-sama—like a tree; sahiṣṇutā—forbearance; vaiṣṇava—devotee; karibe—should practice; bhartsana—rebuking; tāḍane—chastising; kāke—unto anyone; kichu—something; nā—not; balibe—will utter.
TRANSLATION
“A devotee engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord should practice forbearance like that of a tree. Even if rebuked or chastised, he should not say anything to others to retaliate.
Adi17.28
TEXT 28
kāṭileha taru yena kichu nā bolaya
śukāiyā mare, tabu jala nā māgaya
SYNONYMS
kāṭileha—even being cut; taru—the tree; yena—as; kichu—something; nā—not; bolaya—says; śukāiyā—drying up; mare—dies; tabu—still; jala—water; nā—does not; māgaya—ask for.
TRANSLATION
“For even if one cuts a tree, it never protests, and even if it is drying up and dying, it does not ask anyone for water.
PURPORT
This practice of forbearance (taror iva sahiṣṇunā) is very difficult, but when one actually engages in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the quality of forbearance automatically develops. A person advanced in spiritual consciousness through the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra need not practice to develop it separately, for a devotee develops all good qualities simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra regularly.
Adi17.29 TEXT 29 ei-mata vaiṣṇava kāre kichu nā māgiba ayācita-vṛtti, kiṁvā śāka-phala khāiba SYNONYMS ei-mata—in this way; vaiṣṇava—a devotee; kāre—from anyone; kichu—anything; nā—not; māgiba—shall ask for; ayācita-vṛtti—the profession of not asking for anything; kiṁvā—or; śāka—vegetables; phala—fruits; khāiba—shall eat.
TRANSLATION “Thus a Vaiṣṇava should not ask anything from anyone else. If someone gives him something without being asked, he should accept it, but if nothing comes, a Vaiṣṇava should be satisfied to eat whatever vegetables and fruits are easily available. Adi17.30 TEXT 30 sadā nāma la-iba, yathā-lābhete santoṣa eita ācāra kare bhakti-dharma-poṣa SYNONYMS sadā—always; nāma—the holy name; la-iba—one should chant; yathā—inasmuch as; lābhete—gains; santoṣa—satisfaction; eita—this; ācāra—behavior; kare—does; bhakti-dharma—of devotional service; poṣa—maintenance.
TRANSLATION “One should strictly follow the principle of always chanting the holy name, and one should be satisfied with whatever he gets easily. Such devotional behavior solidly maintains one’s devotional service. Adi17.31 TEXT 31 tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā amāninā māna-dena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ SYNONYMS tṛṇāt api—than downtrodden grass; su-nīcena—being lower; taroḥ—than a tree; iva—like; sahiṣṇunā—with tolerance; amāninā—without being puffed up by false pride; māna-dena—giving respect to all; kīrtanīyaḥ—to be chanted; sadā—always; hariḥ—the holy name of the Lord.
TRANSLATION “One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.” PURPORT The grass is specifically mentioned in this verse because everyone tramples upon it yet the grass never protests. This example indicates that a spiritual master or leader should not be proud of his position; being always humbler than an ordinary common man, he should go on preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
Adi17.32 TEXT 32 ūrdhva-bāhu kari’ kahoṅ, śuna, sarva-loka nāma-sūtre gāṅthi’ para kaṇṭhe ei śloka SYNONYMS ūrdhva-bāhu—raising my hands; kari’—doing so; kahoṅ—I declare; śuna—please hear; sarva-loka—all persons; nāma—of the holy name; sūtre—on the thread; gāṅthi—stringing; para—get it; kaṇṭhe—on the neck; ei—this; śloka—verse.
TRANSLATION Raising my hands, I declare, “Everyone please hear me! String this verse on the thread of the holy name and wear it on your neck for continuous remembrance.” PURPORT When chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, in the beginning one may commit many offenses, which are called nāmābhāsa and nāma-aparādha. In this stage there is no possibility of achieving perfect love of Kṛṣṇa by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Therefore one must chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra according to the principles of the above verse, tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā. One should note in this connection that chanting involves the activities of the upper and lower lips as well as the tongue. All three must be engaged in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. The words “Hare Kṛṣṇa” should be very distinctly pronounced and heard. Sometimes one mechanically produces a hissing sound instead of chanting with the proper pronunciation with the help of the lips and tongue. Chanting is very simple, but one must practice it seriously. Therefore the author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, advises everyone to keep this verse always strung about his neck.
Adi17.33 TEXT 33 prabhu-ājñāya kara ei śloka ācaraṇa avaśya pāibe tabe śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa SYNONYMS prabhu—of the Lord; ājñāya—on the order; kara—do; ei śloka—of this verse; ācaraṇa—practice; avaśya—certainly; pāibe—he will get; tabe—afterwards; śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa—the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION One m7ust strictly follow the principles given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this verse. If one simply follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and the Gosvāmīs, certainly he will achieve the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Adi17.34 TEXT 34 tabe prabhu śrīvāsera gṛhe nirantara rātre saṅkīrtana kaila eka saṁvatsara SYNONYMS tabe—thereafter; prabhu—the Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; śrīvāsera—of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; gṛhe—in the home; nirantara—always; rātre—at night; saṅkīrtana—congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; kaila—performed; eka saṁvatsara—one full year.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu regularly led congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura every night for one full year. Adi17.35 TEXT 35 kapāṭa diyā kīrtana kare parama āveśe pāṣaṇḍī hāsite āise, nā pāya praveśe SYNONYMS kapāṭa—door; diyā—closing; kīrtana—chanting; kare—performed; parama—very high; āveśe—in an ecstatic condition; pāṣaṇḍī—nonbelievers; hāsite—to laugh; āise—come; nā—does not; pāya—get; praveśe—entrance.
TRANSLATION This ecstatic chanting was performed with the doors closed so that nonbelievers who came to make fun could not gain entrance. PURPORT Chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is open to everyone, but sometimes nonbelievers come to disturb the ceremony of chanting. It is indicated herein that under such circumstances the temple doors should be closed. Only bona fide chanters should be admitted; others should not. But when there is large-scale congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, we keep our temples open for everyone to join, and by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu this policy has given good results.
Adi17.36 TEXT 36 kīrtana śuni’ bāhire tārā jvali’ puḍi’ mare śrīvāsere duḥkha dite nānā yukti kare SYNONYMS kīrtana śuni’—after hearing the chanting; bāhire—outside; tārā—the nonbelievers; jvali’—burned; puḍi’—to ashes; mare—die; śrīvāsere—unto Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; duḥkha—troubles; dite—to give; nānā—various; yukti—plans; kare—do.
TRANSLATION Thus the nonbelievers almost burned to ashes and died out of envy. To retaliate, they planned various ways to give trouble to Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. Adi17.38 TEXTS 37–38 eka-dina vipra, nāma——‘gopāla cāpāla’ pāṣaṇḍi-pradhāna sei durmukha, vācāla bhavānī-pūjāra saba sāmagrī lañā rātre śrīvāsera dvāre sthāna lepāñā SYNONYMS eka-dina—one day; vipra—one brāhmaṇa; nāma—named; gopāla cāpāla—Gopāla Cāpāla; pāṣaṇdi-pradhāna—the chief of the nonbelievers; sei—he; durmukha—ferocious, using strong words; vācāla—talkative; bhavānī-pūjāra—for worshiping the goddess Bhavānī; saba—all; sāmagrī—ingredients, paraphernalia; lañā—taking; rātre—at night; śrīvāsera—of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; dvāre—on the door; sthāna—the place; lepāñā—smearing.
TRANSLATION One night while kīrtana was going on inside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s house, a brāhmaṇa named Gopāla Cāpāla, the chief of the nonbelievers, who was talkative and very rough in his speech, placed all the paraphernalia for worshiping the goddess Durgā outside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s door. PURPORT This brāhmaṇa, Gopāla Cāpāla, wanted to defame Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura by proving that he was actually a śākta, or a worshiper of Bhavānī, the goddess Durgā, but was externally posing as a Vaiṣṇava. In Bengal there is perpetual competition between the devotees of goddess Kālī and the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Generally Bengalis, especially those who are meat-eaters and drunkards, are very much attached to worshiping the goddesses Durgā, Kālī, Śītalā and Caṇḍī. Such devotees, who are known as śāktas, or worshipers of the śakti-tattva, are always envious of Vaiṣṇavas. Since Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura was a well-known and respected Vaiṣṇava in Navadvīpa, Gopāla Cāpāla wanted to reduce his prestige by bringing him down to the platform of the śāktas. Therefore outside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s door he placed various paraphernalia for worshiping Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva, such as a red flower, a plantain leaf, a pot of wine, and reddish sandalwood paste. In the morning, when Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura saw all this paraphernalia in front of his door, he called for the respectable gentlemen of the neighborhood and showed them that at night he was worshiping Bhavānī. Very sorry, these gentlemen called for a sweeper to cleanse the place and purify it by sprinkling water and cow dung there. This incident concerning Gopāla Cāpāla is not mentioned in the Caitanya-bhāgavata.
Adi17.39 TEXT 39 kalāra pāta upare thuila oḍa-phula haridrā, sindūra āra rakta-candana, taṇḍula SYNONYMS kalāra pāta—a banana leaf; upare—upon it; thuila—placed; oḍa-phula—a particular type of flower; haridrā—turmeric; sindūra—vermilion; āra—and; rakta-candana—red sandalwood; taṇḍula—rice.
TRANSLATION On the upper portion of a plantain leaf he placed such paraphernalia for worship as oḍa-phula, turmeric, vermilion, red sandalwood and rice. Adi17.40 TEXT 40 madya-bhāṇḍa-pāśe dhari’ nija-ghare gela prātaḥ-kāle śrīvāsa tāhā ta’ dekhila SYNONYMS madya-bhāṇḍa—a pot of wine; pāśe—by the side of; dhari’—placing; nija-ghare—to his own home; gela—went; prātaḥ-kāle—in the morning; śrīvāsa—Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; tāhā—all those things; ta’—certainly; dekhila—saw.
TRANSLATION He placed a pot of wine beside all this, and in the morning when Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura opened his door he saw this paraphernalia. Adi17.41 TEXT 41 baḍa baḍa loka saba ānila bolāiyā sabāre kahe śrīvāsa hāsiyā hāsiyā SYNONYMS baḍa baḍa—respectable; loka—persons; saba—all; ānila—brought them; bolāiyā—causing to be called; sabāre—to everyone; kahe—addresses; śrīvāsa—Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; hāsiyā hāsiyā—while smiling.
TRANSLATION Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura called for all the respectable gentlemen of the neighborhood and smilingly addressed them as follows. Adi17.42 TEXT 42 nitya rātre kari āmi bhavānī-pūjana āmāra mahimā dekha, brāhmaṇa-sajjana SYNONYMS nitya rātre—every night; kari—I do; āmi—I; bhavānī-pūjana—worship of Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva; āmāra—my; mahimā—glories; dekha—you see; brāhmaṇa-sat-jana—all respectable brāhmaṇas.
TRANSLATION “Gentlemen, every night I worship the goddess Bhavānī. Since the paraphernalia for the worship is present here, now all you respectable brāhmaṇas and members of the higher castes can understand my position.” PURPORT According to the Vedic system there are four castes—the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras—and below them are the pañcamas (literally, “members of the fifth group”), who are lower than the śūdras. The higher castes—the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas and even the vaiśyas—were known as brāhmaṇa-saj-jana. The brāhmaṇas especially were known as saj-jana, or respectable gentlemen who guided the entire society. If there were disputes in the village, people would approach these respectable brāhmaṇas to settle them. Now it is very difficult to find such brāhmaṇas and saj-janas, and thus every village and town is so disrupted that there is no peace and happiness anywhere. To revive a fully cultured civilization, the scientific division of society into brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras must be introduced all over the world. Unless some people are trained as brāhmaṇas, there cannot be peace in human society.
Adi17.43 TEXT 43 tabe saba śiṣṭa-loka kare hāhākāra aiche karma hethā kaila kon durācāra SYNONYMS tabe—thereafter; saba—all; śiṣṭa-loka—gentlemen; kare—exclaimed; hāhā-kāra—alas, alas; aiche—such; karma—activities; hethā—here; kaila—did; kon—who; durācāra—sinful person.
TRANSLATION Then all the assembled gentlemen exclaimed, “What is this? What is this? Who has performed such mischievous activities? Who is that sinful man?” Adi17.44 TEXT 44 hāḍike āniyā saba dūra karāila jala-gomaya diyā sei sthāna lepāila SYNONYMS hāḍike—a sweeper; āniyā—calling; saba—all; dūra karāila—caused to be thrown far; jala—water; gomaya—cow dung; diyā—mixing; sei—that; sthāna—place; lepāila—caused to be smeared over.
TRANSLATION They called for a sweeper [hāḍi], who threw all the items of worship far away and cleansed the place by mopping it with a mixture of water and cow dung. PURPORT The men in Vedic society who engage in public sanitary activities like picking up stool and sweeping the street are called hāḍis. Sometimes they are untouchable, especially when engaged in their profession, yet such hāḍis also have the right to become devotees. This is established by Śrī Bhagavad-gītā (9.32), where the Lord declares:
māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ “O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], and śūdras [workers]—can attain the supreme destination.”
There are many untouchables of the lower caste in India, but according to Vaiṣṇava principles everyone is welcome to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on the spiritual platform of life and thus be freed from trouble. Neither equality nor fraternity is possible on the material platform.
When Lord Caitanya declares tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā, He indicates that one must be above the material conception of life. When one thoroughly understands that he is not the material body but a spiritual soul, he is even humbler than a man of the lower castes, for he is spiritually elevated. Such humility, in which one thinks himself lower than the grass, is called su-nīcatva, and being more tolerant than a tree is called sahiṣṇutva, forbearance. Being situated in devotional service, not caring for the material conception of life, is called amānitva, indifference to material respect; yet a devotee thus situated is called māna-da, for he is prepared to give honor to others without hesitation.
Mahatma Gandhi started the hari-jana movement to purify the untouchables, but he was a failure because he thought that one could become a hari-jana, a personal associate of the Lord, through some kind of material adjustment. That is not possible. Unless one fully realizes that he is not the body but is a spiritual soul, there is no question of his becoming a hari-jana. Those who do not follow in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His disciplic succession cannot distinguish between matter and spirit, and therefore all their ideas are but a mixed-up hodgepodge of problems. They are virtually lost in the bewildering network of Māyādevī.
Adi17.45 TEXT 45 tina dina rahi’ sei gopāla-cāpāla sarvāṅge ha-ila kuṣṭha, vahe rakta-dhāra SYNONYMS tina dina—three days; rahi’—remaining in that way; sei—that; gopāla-cāpāla—Gopāla Cāpāla; sarva-aṅge—all over the body; ha-ila—became visible; kuṣṭha—leprosy; vahe—discharging; rakta-dhāra—a flow of blood.
TRANSLATION After three days, leprosy attacked Gopāla Cāpāla, and blood oozed from sores all over his body. Adi17.46 TEXT 46 sarvāṅga beḍila kīṭe, kāṭe nirantara asahya vedanā, duḥkhe jvalaye antara SYNONYMS sarva-aṅga—all over the body; beḍila—became covered; kīṭe—by insects; kāṭe—biting; nirantara—always; asahya—unbearable; vedanā—pain; duḥkhe—in unhappiness; jvalaye—burns; antara—without cessation.
TRANSLATION Incessantly covered with germs and insects biting him all over his body, Gopāla Cāpāla felt unbearable pain. His entire body burned in distress. Adi17.47 TEXT 47 gaṅgā-ghāṭe vṛkṣa-tale rahe ta’ vasiyā eka dina bale kichu prabhuke dekhiyā SYNONYMS gaṅgā-ghāṭe—on the bank of the Ganges; vṛkṣa-tale—underneath a tree; rahe—remains; ta’—certainly; vasiyā—sitting; eka dina—one day; bale—says; kichu—something; prabhuke—the Lord; dekhiyā—seeing.
TRANSLATION Since leprosy is an infectious disease, Gopāla Cāpāla left the village to sit down on the bank of the Ganges underneath a tree. One day, however, he saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu passing by and spoke to Him as follows. Adi17.48 TEXT 48 grāma-sambandhe āmi tomāra mātula bhāginā, mui kuṣṭha-vyādhite hañāchi vyākula SYNONYMS grāma-sambandhe—in a village relationship; āmi—I (am); tomāra—Your; mātula—maternal uncle; bhāgina—nephew; mui—I; kuṣṭha-vyādhite—by the disease of leprosy; hañāchi—have become; vyākula—too much afflicted.
TRANSLATION “My dear nephew, I am Your maternal uncle in our village relationship. Please see how greatly this attack of leprosy has afflicted me. Adi17.49 TEXT 49 loka saba uddhārite tomāra avatāra muñi baḍa dukhī, more karaha uddhāra SYNONYMS loka—people; saba—all; uddhārite—to deliver; tomāra—Your; avatāra—incarnation; muñi—I (am); baḍa—very; dukhī—unhappy; more—unto me; karaha—please do; uddhāra—deliverance.
TRANSLATION “As an incarnation of God, You are delivering so many fallen souls. I am also a greatly unhappy fallen soul. Kindly deliver me by Your mercy.” PURPORT It appears that although Gopāla Cāpāla was sinful, talkative and insulting, he nevertheless had the qualification of simplicity. Thus he believed Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who had come to deliver all fallen souls, and he appealed for his own deliverance, seeking the mercy of the Lord. He did not know, however, that the deliverance of the fallen does not consist of curing their bodily diseases, although it is also a fact that when a man is delivered from the material clutches his material bodily diseases are automatically cured. Gopāla Cāpāla simply wanted to be delivered from the bodily sufferings of leprosy, but Śrī Caitanya, although accepting his sincere appeal, wanted to inform him of the real cause of suffering.
Adi17.50 TEXT 50 eta śuni’ mahāprabhura ha-ila kruddha mana krodhāveśe bale tāre tarjana-vacana SYNONYMS eta—thus; śuni’—hearing; mahāprabhura—of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; ha-ila—there was; kruddha—angry; mana—mind; krodha-āveśe—out of intense anger; bale—says; tāre—unto him; tarjana—chastising; vacana—words.
TRANSLATION Hearing this, Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared greatly angry, and in that angry mood He spoke some words chastising him. Adi17.51 TEXT 51 āre pāpi, bhakta-dveṣi, tore na uddhārimu koṭi-janma ei mate kīḍāya khāoyāimu SYNONYMS āre—O; pāpi—you sinful person; bhakta-dveṣi—envious of devotees; tore—you; nā uddhārimu—I shall not deliver; koṭi-janma—for ten million births; ei mate—in this way; kīḍāya—by the germs; khāoyāimu—I shall cause you to be bitten.
TRANSLATION “O sinful person, envious of pure devotees, I shall not deliver you! Rather, I shall have you bitten by these germs for many millions of years. PURPORT We should note herein that all our sufferings in this material world, especially from disease, are due to our past sinful activities. And of all sinful activities, actions directed against a pure devotee out of sheer envy are considered extremely severe. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted Gopāla Cāpāla to understand the cause of his suffering. Any person who disturbs a pure devotee engaged in broadcasting the holy name of the Lord is certainly punished like Gopāla Cāpāla. This is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As we shall see, one who offends a pure devotee can never satisfy Caitanya Mahāprabhu unless and until he sincerely regrets his offense and thus rectifies it.
Adi17.52 TEXT 52 śrīvāse karāili tui bhavānī-pūjana koṭi janma habe tora raurave patana SYNONYMS śrīvāse—unto Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; karāili—you have caused to do; tui—you; bhavānī-pūjana—worshiping the goddess Bhavānī; koṭi janma—for ten million births; habe—there will be; tora—your; raurave—in hell; patana—fall down.
TRANSLATION “You have made Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura appear to have been worshiping the goddess Bhavānī. Simply for this offense, you will have to fall down into hellish life for ten million births. PURPORT There are many tantric followers who, wishing to eat meat and drink wine, practice the black art of worshiping the goddess Bhavānī in a crematorium. Such fools also consider this bhavānī-pūjā to be as good as worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa in devotional service. But such abominable tantric activities performed by so-called svāmīs and yogīs are herein condemned by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He declares that such bhavānī-pūjā for drinking wine and eating meat quickly plunges one into hellish life. The method of worship itself is already hellish, and its results must also be hellish and nothing more.
Many rascals say that whatever way one accepts, one will ultimately reach Brahman. Yet we can see from this verse how such persons reach Brahman. Brahman spreads everywhere, but appreciation of Brahman in different objects leads to different results. In the Bhagavad-gītā (4.11) the Lord says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: “I reward everyone according to his surrender unto Me.” Māyāvādīs certainly realize Brahman in certain aspects, but realization of Brahman in the aspects of wine, women and meat is not the same realization of Brahman that devotees achieve by chanting, dancing and eating prasādam. Māyāvādī philosophers, being educated in paltry knowledge, think all sorts of Brahman realization one and the same and do not consider varieties. But although Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, by His inconceivable potency He is simultaneously not everywhere. Thus the Brahman realization of the tantric cult is not the same Brahman realization as that of pure devotees. Unless one reaches the highest point of Brahman realization, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is punishable. All people except Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees are to some proportion pāṣaṇḍīs, or demons, and thus they are punishable by the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, as stated below.
Adi17.53 TEXT 53 pāṣaṇḍī saṁhārite mora ei avatāra pāṣaṇḍī saṁhāri’ bhakti karimu pracāra SYNONYMS pāṣaṇḍī—demons, atheists; saṁhārite—to kill; mora—My; ei—this; avatāra—incarnation; pāṣaṇḍī—atheist; saṁhāri’—killing; bhakti—devotional service; karimu—I shall do; pracāra—preaching.
TRANSLATION “I have appeared in this incarnation to kill the demons [pāṣaṇḍīs] and, after killing them, to preach the cult of devotional service.” PURPORT Lord Caitanya’s mission is the same as that of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which He states in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.7–8):
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself. 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”
As explained here, the real purpose of an incarnation of Godhead is to kill the atheists and maintain the devotees. He does not say, like so many rascal incarnations, that atheists and devotees are on the same platform. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the real Personality of Godhead, does not advocate such an idea.
Atheists are punishable, whereas devotees are to be protected. To maintain this principle is the mission of all avatāras, or incarnations. One must therefore identify an incarnation by His activities, not by popular votes or mental concoctions. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave protection to devotees and killed many demons in the course of His preaching work. He specifically mentioned that the Māyāvādī philosophers are the greatest demons. Therefore He warned all others not to hear the Māyāvāda philosophy: māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Simply by hearing the Māyāvāda interpretation of the śāstras, one is doomed (Cc. Madhya 6.169).
Adi17.54 TEXT 54 eta bali’ gelā prabhu karite gaṅgā-snāna sei pāpī duḥkha bhoge, nā yāya parāṇa SYNONYMS eta bali’—saying this; gelā—went away; prabhu—the Lord; karite—to take; gaṅgā-snāna—a bath in the Ganges; sei—that; pāpī—sinful man; duḥkha—pains; bhoge—suffers; nā—not; yāya—go away; parāṇa—the life.
TRANSLATION After saying this, the Lord left to take His bath in the Ganges, and that sinful man did not give up his life but continued to suffer. PURPORT It appears that an offender to a Vaiṣṇava continues to suffer and does not give up his life. We have actually seen that a great vaiṣṇava-aparādhī continuously suffered so much that it was difficult for him to move, and yet he did not die.
Adi17.56 TEXTS 55–56 sannyāsa kariyā yabe prabhu nīlācale gelā tathā haite yabe kuliyā grāme āilā tabe sei pāpī prabhura la-ila śaraṇa hita upadeśa kaila ha-iyā karuṇa SYNONYMS sannyāsa kariyā—after accepting the renounced order of life; yabe—when; prabhu—Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; nīlācale—to Jagannātha Purī; gelā—went; tathā haite—from there; yabe—when; kuliyā—of the name Kuliyā; grāme—to the village; āilā—came back; tabe—at that time; sei—that; pāpī—sinful man; prabhura—of the Lord; la-ila—took; śaraṇa—shelter; hita—beneficial; upadeśa—advice; kaila—gave; ha-iyā—becoming; karuṇa—merciful.
TRANSLATION When Śrī Caitanya, after accepting the renounced order of life, went to Jagannātha Purī and then came back to the village of Kuliyā, upon His return that sinful man took shelter at the Lord’s lotus feet. The Lord, being merciful to him, gave him instructions for his benefit. PURPORT Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, in his Anubhāṣya, has given the following note in connection with the village Kuliyā. The village originally known as Kuliyā has developed into what is now the city of Navadvīpa. In various authorized books like the Bhakti-ratnākara, Caitanya-carita-mahākāvya, Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka and Caitanya-bhāgavata it is mentioned that the village of Kuliyā is on the western side of the Ganges. Even now, within the area known as Koladvīpa, there is a place known as kuliāra gañja and a place called kuliāra daha, both within the jurisdiction of the present municipality of Navadvīpa. In the time of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the two villages on the western side of the Ganges named Kuliyā and Pāhāḍapura both belonged to the jurisdiction of Bāhiradvīpa. At that time the place on the eastern side of the Ganges now known as Antardvīpa was known as Navadvīpa. At that time the place on the eastern side of the Ganges now known as Antardvīpa was known as Navadvīpa. At Śrī Māyāpur that place is still known as Dvīpera Māṭha. There is another place of the name Kuliyā near Kāṅcaḍāpāḍā, but it is not the same Kuliyā mentioned here. It cannot be accepted as aparādha-bhañjanera pāṭa, or the place where the offense was excused, for that occurred in the above-mentioned Kuliyā on the western side of the Ganges. For business reasons many envious persons oppose excavation of the real place, and sometimes they advertise unauthorized places as the authorized one.
Adi17.57-58 TEXTS 57–58 śrīvāsa paṇḍitera sthāne āche aparādha tathā yāha, teṅho yadi karena prasāda tabe tora habe ei pāpa-vimocana yadi punaḥ aiche nāhi kara ācaraṇa SYNONYMS śrīvāsa paṇḍitera—of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; sthāne—at the lotus feet; āche—there is; aparādha—offense; tathā—there; yāha—go; teṅho—he; yadi—if; karena—does; prasāda—blessings; tabe—then; tora—your; habe—there will be; ei—this; pāpa-vimocana—immunity from sinful reaction; yadi—if; punaḥ—again; aiche—such; nāhi kara—you do not commit; ācaraṇa—behavior.
TRANSLATION “You have committed an offense at the lotus feet of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura,” the Lord said. “First you must go there and beg for his mercy, and then if he gives you his blessings and you do not commit such sins again, you will be freed from these reactions.” THIS WEB PAGE URL: http://causelessmercy.com/Adi17.1.htm
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abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
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