Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 15
Madhya15.99
TEXT 99
guṇarāja-khāṅna kaila śrī-kṛṣṇa-vijaya
tāhāṅ eka-vākya tāṅra āche premamaya
SYNONYMS
guṇarāja-khāṅna—Guṇarāja Khān; kaila—compiled; śrī-kṛṣṇa-vijaya—the book named Śrī Kṛṣṇa-vijaya; tāhāṅ—there; eka-vākya—one sentence; tāṅra—of it; āche—is; prema-maya—full of love of Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “Guṇarāja Khān of Kulīna-grāma compiled a book named Śrī Kṛṣṇa-vijaya, in which there is a sentence revealing the author’s ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa.”
PURPORT
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-vijaya is a book of poems considered to be the first poetry book written in Bengal. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that this book was begun in the year 1395 Śakābda (A.D. 1473). After seven years, it was completed (in 1402 Śakābda). This book was written in plain language, and even half-educated Bengalis and women could read it very clearly. Even ordinary men with little knowledge of the alphabet could read this book and understand it. Its language is not very ornamental, and sometimes the poetry is not very sweet to hear. Although according to the sonnet style each line should contain fourteen syllables, there are sometimes sixteen, twelve or thirteen syllables in his verse. Many words used in those days could be understood only by local inhabitants, yet this book is still so popular that no bookstore is complete without it. It is very valuable for those who are interested in advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śrī Guṇarāja Khān was one of the topmost Vaiṣṇavas, and he translated the Tenth and Eleventh Cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the understanding of the common man. The book Śrī Kṛṣṇa-vijaya was highly praised by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and it is very valuable for all Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives a genealogical table and family history of Guṇarāja Khān. When a Bengali emperor named Ādiśūra first came from Kānyakubja, or Kānauj, he brought with him five brāhmaṇas and five kāyasthas. Since the king is supposed to be accompanied by his associates, the brāhmaṇas accompanied the King to help him in higher spiritual matters. The kāyasthas were to render other services. In the northern Indian high country, the kāyasthas are accepted as śūdras, but in Bengal the kāyasthas are considered among the higher castes. It is a fact that the kāyasthas came to Bengal from northern India, specifically from Kānyakubja, or Kānauj. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that the kāyasthas who came from Kānyakubja were high-class men. Of them, Daśaratha Vasu was a great personality, and the thirteenth generation of his family included Guṇarāja Khān.
His real name was Mālādhara Vasu, but the title Khān was given to him by the Emperor of Bengal. Thus he became known as Guṇarāja Khān. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following genealogical table of Guṇarāja Khān: (1) Daśaratha Vasu; (2) Kuśala; (3) Śubhaśaṅkara; (4) Haṁsa; (5) Śaktirāma (Bāgāṇḍā), Muktirāma (Māinagara) and Alaṅkāra (Baṅgaja); (6) Dāmodara; (7) Anantarāma; (8) Guṇīnāyaka and Vīṇānāyaka. The twelfth generation included Bhagīratha, and the thirteenth Mālādhara Vasu, or Guṇarāja Khān. Śrī Guṇarāja Khān had fourteen sons, of whom the second son, Lakṣmīnātha Vasu, received the title Satyarāja Khān. His son was Śrī Rāmānanda Vasu; therefore Rāmānanda Vasu belonged to the fifteenth generation. Guṇarāja Khān was a very well known and wealthy man. His palace, fort and temples are still existing, and from these we can deduce that the opulence of Guṇarāja Khān was certainly very great. Śrī Guṇarāja Khān never cared for the artificial aristocracy introduced by Ballāl Sena.
Madhya15.100 TEXT 100 “nandanandana kṛṣṇa——mora prāṇa-nātha” ei vākye vikāinu tāṅra vaṁśera hāta SYNONYMS nanda-nandana kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja; mora prāṇa-nātha—my life and soul; ei vākye—because of this statement; vikāinu—I became sold; tāṅra—of him; vaṁśera hāta—in the hands of the descendants.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “‘Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is my life and soul.’ By this statement I am sold into the hands of the descendants of Guṇarāja Khān. PURPORT The full verse referred to here is:
eka-bhāve vanda hari yoḍa kari’ hāta “With folded hands I offer my prayers unto Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja’s son, who is my life and soul.”
Madhya15.101 TEXT 101 tomāra ki kathā, tomāra grāmera kukkura sei mora priya, anya-jana rahu dūra SYNONYMS tomāra—of you; ki kathā—what to speak; tomāra—of your; grāmera—village; kukkura—a dog; sei—that; mora—to Me; priya—very dear; anya-jana—others; rahu dūra—apart from.
TRANSLATION “To say nothing of you, even a dog living in your village is very dear to Me. What, then, to speak of others?” Madhya15.102 TEXT 102 tabe rāmānanda, āra satyarāja khāṅna prabhura caraṇe kichu kaila nivedana SYNONYMS tabe—after this; rāmānanda—Rāmānanda Vasu; āra—and; satyarāja khāṅna—Satyarāja Khān; prabhura caraṇe—at the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kichu—some; kaila—made; nivedana—submission.
TRANSLATION After this, Rāmānanda Vasu and Satyarāja Khān both submitted questions at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Madhya15.103 TEXT 103 gṛhastha viṣayī āmi, ki mora sādhane śrī-mukhe ājñā kara prabhu——nivedi caraṇe SYNONYMS gṛhastha—householder; viṣayī—materialistic man; āmi—I; ki—what; mora sādhane—the process of my advancement in spiritual life; śrī-mukhe—from Your own mouth; ājñā kara—please order; prabhu—my Lord; nivedi caraṇe—I submit unto Your lotus feet.
TRANSLATION Satyarāja Khān said, “My dear Lord, being a householder and a materialistic man, I do not know the process of advancing in spiritual life. I therefore submit myself unto Your lotus feet and request You to give me orders.” Madhya15.104 TEXT 104 prabhu kahena,——‘kṛṣṇa-sevā’, ‘vaiṣṇava-sevana’ ‘nirantara kara kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana’ SYNONYMS prabhu kahena—the Lord replied; kṛṣṇa-sevā—serving Kṛṣṇa; vaiṣṇava-sevana—abiding by the orders of Vaiṣṇavas; nirantara—without cessation; kara—do; kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana—chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Without cessation continue chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Whenever possible, serve Him and His devotees, the Vaiṣṇavas.” Madhya15.105 TEXT 105 satyarāja bale,——vaiṣṇava ciniba kemane? ke vaiṣṇava, kaha tāṅra sāmānya lakṣaṇe SYNONYMS satyarāja bale—Satyarāja Khān said; vaiṣṇava—a Vaiṣṇava; ciniba kemane—how shall I recognize; ke vaiṣṇava—who is a Vaiṣṇava; kaha—please say; tāṅra—of him; sāmānya lakṣaṇe—common symptoms.
TRANSLATION Upon hearing this, Satyarāja said, “How can I recognize a Vaiṣṇava? Please let me know what a Vaiṣṇava is. What are his common symptoms?” Madhya15.106 TEXT 106 prabhu kahe,——“yāṅra mukhe śuni eka-bāra kṛṣṇa-nāma, sei pūjya,——śreṣṭha sabākāra” SYNONYMS prabhu kahe—Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied; yāṅra mukhe—in whose mouth; śuni—I hear; eka-bāra—once; kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; sei pūjya—he is worshipable; śreṣṭha sabākāra—the best of all human beings.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Whoever chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa just once is worshipable and is the topmost human being. PURPORT Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that a person who simply chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa once becomes perfect and should be regarded as a Vaiṣṇava. This is confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Upadeśāmṛta (5): kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taṁ manasādriyeta. With such faith in the holy name one may begin a life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But an ordinary person cannot chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa with such faith. One should accept the holy name of Kṛṣṇa to be identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Transcendence Himself. As the Padma Purāṇa states, “The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is identical with Kṛṣṇa and is like a cintāmaṇi gem, a touchstone. That name is Kṛṣṇa personified in sound and is therefore perfectly transcendental and eternally liberated from material contamination.” Thus one should understand that the name “Kṛṣṇa” and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical. Having such faith, one must continue to chant the holy name.
When one is situated on the neophyte platform, one cannot understand the devotional ingredients of a pure, unalloyed devotee. However, when the novice engages in devotional service—especially in Deity worship—and follows the order of a bona fide spiritual master, he is a pure devotee. Anyone can take advantage of hearing about Kṛṣṇa consciousness from such a devotee and thus gradually become purified. In other words, any devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord is a pure devotee, even though he may be in the neophyte stage. By his association, others may also become Vaiṣṇavas.
One is known as a materialistic devotee if he simply worships the Deity of Hari with faith but does not show proper respect to the devotees and to others. This is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.47):
arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate Yet even by associating with such a neophyte devotee, one can become a devotee also. When Lord Caitanya was teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī, He said:
śraddhāvān jana haya bhakti-adhikārī yāhāra komala-śraddhā, se ‘kaniṣṭha’ jana “A person who has attained firm faith is a real candidate for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. According to the faith, there are first-class, second-class and neophyte devotees. One who has preliminary faith is called a kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, or a neophyte. The neophyte, however, can become an advanced devotee if he strictly follows the regulative principles set down by the spiritual master. Therefore it is on the basis of faith and attachment to Kṛṣṇa that one can judge who is a madhyama-adhikārī or an uttama-adhikārī.” (Cc. Madhya 22.64, 69, 71)
It is thus concluded that even a neophyte devotee is superior to the karmīs and jñānīs because he has full faith in chanting the holy name of the Lord. A karmī or a jñānī, regardless of his greatness, has no faith in Lord Viṣṇu, His holy name or His devotional service. One may be advanced religiously, but if he is not trained in devotional service, he has very little credit on the transcendental platform. Even a neophyte devotee engaged in Deity worship in accordance with the regulations set forth by the spiritual master is in a position superior to that of the fruitive worker and speculative philosopher.
Madhya15.107 TEXT 107 “eka kṛṣṇa-nāme kare sarva-pāpa kṣaya nava-vidhā bhakti pūrṇa nāma haite haya SYNONYMS eka kṛṣṇa-nāme—one holy name of Kṛṣṇa; kare—can do; sarva-pāpa—of all sinful reactions; kṣaya—destruction; nava-vidhā—nine processes; bhakti—of devotional service; pūrṇa—complete; nāma haite—simply by chanting the holy name; haya—are.
TRANSLATION “Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa once, a person is relieved from all the reactions of a sinful life. One can complete the nine processes of devotional service simply by chanting the holy name. PURPORT The nine types of devotional service are mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.23):
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam “The process of devotional service entails hearing, chanting and remembering the holy name, form, pastimes, qualities and entourage of the Lord, offering service according to the time, place and performer, worshiping the Deity, offering prayers, always considering oneself the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, making friends with Him and dedicating everything unto Him. These nine items of devotional service, when directly offered to Kṛṣṇa, constitute the highest attainment of life. This is the verdict of the revealed scriptures.”
As for being freed from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa only once, one must chant the holy name without committing any offenses. Then chanting one name is sufficient to rescue a living being from all sinful reactions. Such a person who chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly is very important and woshipable. Indeed, the nine devotional processes, beginning with śravaṇa and kīrtana, can all be attained at once if one simply chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly.
In this regard, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states in his book Bhakti-sandarbha (173): yadyapi anyā bhaktiḥ kalau kartavyā, tadā; kīrtanākhya-bhakti-saṁyogenaiva. Out of the nine processes of devotional service, kīrtana is very important. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī therefore instructs that the other processes, such as arcana, vandana, dāsya and sakhya, should be executed, but they must be preceded and followed by kīrtana, the chanting of the holy name. We have therefore introduced this system in all of our centers. Arcana, ārati, bhoga offering, Deity dressing and decoration are all preceded and followed by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Madhya15.108 TEXT 108 dīkṣā-puraścaryā-vidhi apekṣā nā kare jihvā-sparśe ā-caṇḍāla sabāre uddhāre SYNONYMS dīkṣā—initiation; puraścaryā—activities before initiation; vidhi—regulative principles; apekṣā—reliance on; nā—not; kare—does; jihvā—the tongue; sparśe—by touching; ā-caṇḍāla—even the lowest of men, the caṇḍāla; sabāre—everyone; uddhāre—delivers.
TRANSLATION “One does not have to undergo initiation or execute the activities required before initiation. One simply has to vibrate the holy name with his lips. Thus even a man in the lowest class [caṇḍāla] can be delivered. PURPORT Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains dīkṣā in his Bhakti-sandarbha (283):
divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt kuryāt pāpasya saṅkṣayam “Dīkṣā is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as dīkṣā.” The regulative principles of dīkṣā are explained in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.3–4) and the Bhakti-sandarbha (283). As stated:
dvijānām anupetānāṁ svakarmādhyayanādiṣu “Even though born in a brāhmaṇa family, one cannot engage in Vedic rituals without being initiated and having a sacred thread. Although born in a brāhmaṇa family, one becomes a brāhmaṇa only after initiation and the sacred thread ceremony. Unless one is initiated as a brāhmaṇa, one cannot worship the holy name properly.”
According to the Vaiṣṇava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a brāhmaṇa. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.6) quotes the following injunction from the Viṣṇu-yāmala:
adīkṣitasya vāmoru kṛtaṁ sarvaṁ nirarthakam “‘Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species.’”
Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (2.10) further quotes:
ato guruṁ praṇamyaivaṁ sarva-svaṁ vinivedya ca “‘It is the duty of every human being to surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. Giving him everything—body, mind and intelligence—one must take Vaiṣṇava initiation from him.’”
The Bhakti-sandarbha (298) gives the following quotation from the Tattva-sāgara:
yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ “‘By chemical manipulation, bell metal is turned into gold when touched by mercury; similarly, when a person is properly initiated, he can acquire the qualities of a brāhmaṇa.’”
The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (17.11–12), in discussing the puraścaryā process, quotes the following verses from the Agastya-saṁhitā:
pūjā traikālikī nityaṁ japas tarpaṇam eva ca “‘In the morning, afternoon and evening one should worship the Deity, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, offer oblations, perform a fire sacrifice and feed the brāhmaṇas. These five activities constitute puraścaryā. To attain full success when taking initiation from the spiritual master, one should first perform these puraścaryā processes.’”
The word puraḥ means “before,” and caryā means “activities.” Due to the necessity of these activities, we do not immediately initiate disciples in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. For six months, a candidate for initiation must first attend ārati and classes in the śāstras, practice the regulative principles and associate with other devotees. When one is actually advanced in the puraścaryā-vidhi, he is recommended by the local temple president for initiation. It is not that anyone can be suddenly initiated without meeting the requirements. When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra sixteen rounds daily, following the regulative principles and attending classes, he receives the sacred thread (brahminical recognition) after the second six months.
In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (17.4–5, 7) it is stated:
vinā yena na siddhaḥ syān mantro varṣa-śatair api puraścaraṇa-sampanno mantro hi phala-dhāyakaḥ puraṣkriyā hi mantrāṇāṁ pradhānaṁ vīryam ucyate puraścaraṇa-hīno hi tathā mantraḥ prakīrtitaḥ “Without performing the puraścaryā activities, one cannot become perfect even by chanting this mantra for hundreds of years. But one who has undergone the puraścaryā-vidhi process can attain success very easily. If one wishes to perfect his initiation, he must first undergo the puraścaryā activities. The puraścaryā process is the life force by which one is successful in chanting the mantra. Without the life force, one cannot do anything; similarly, without the life force of puraścaryā-vidhi, no mantra can be perfected.”
In his Bhakti-sandarbha (283–84), Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī describes the importance of Deity worship and initiation (dīkṣā) as follows:
āvaśyakatvaṁ nāsti, tad vināpi śaraṇāpattyādīnām ekatareṇāpi puruṣārtha-siddher abhihitatvāt, tathāpi śrī-nāradādi-vartmānusaradbhiḥ śrī-bhagavatā saha sambandha-viśeṣaṁ dīkṣā-vidhānena śrī-guru-caraṇa-sampāditaṁ cikīrṣadbhiḥ kṛtāyāṁ dīkṣāyām arcanam avaśyaṁ kriyetaiva. yadyapi svarūpato nāsti, tathāpi prāyaḥ svabhāvato dehādi-sambandhena kadarya-śīlānāṁ vikṣipta-cittānāṁ janānāṁ tat-tat-saṅkocī-karaṇāya śrīmad-ṛṣi-prabhṛtibhir atrārcana-mārge kvacit kvacit kācit kācin maryādā sthāpitāsti. “It is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam’s opinion that the process of Deity worship is not actually necessary, just as the specific prescriptions of the Pañcarātra and other scriptures do not have to be followed. The Bhāgavatam enjoins that even without practicing Deity worship one can achieve the complete success of human life by any of the other devotional processes, such as simply offering oneself at the Lord’s feet for His protection. Nonetheless, Vaiṣṇavas following the path of Śrī Nārada and his successors endeavor to establish a personal relationship with the Lord by receiving the grace of a bona fide spiritual master through initiation, and in this tradition the devotees are obliged at the time of initiation to begin engaging in Deity worship.
“Although Deity worship is not essential, the material conditioning of most candidates for devotional service requires that they engage in this activity. When we consider their bodily and mental conditions, we find that the character of such candidates is impure and their minds are agitated. Therefore, to rectify this material conditioning the great sage Nārada and others have at different times recommended various kinds of regulations for Deity worship.”
Similarly, the Rāmārcana-candrikā states:
vinaiva dīkṣāṁ viprendra puraścaryāṁ vinaiva hi “O best of the brāhmaṇas, even without initiation, preliminary purification or acceptance of the renounced order, one can attain perfection in devotional service simply by chanting the Lord’s holy name.”
In other words, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is so powerful that it does not depend on official initiation, but if one is initiated and engages in pañcarātra-vidhi (Deity worship), his Kṛṣṇa consciousness will awaken very soon, and his identification with the material world will be vanquished. The more one is freed from material identification, the more one can realize that the spirit soul is qualitatively as good as the Supreme Soul. At such a time, when one is situated on the absolute platform, one can understand that the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical. At that stage of realization, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, cannot be identified with any material sound. If one accepts the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra as a material vibration, he falls down. One should worship and chant the holy name of the Lord by accepting it as the Lord Himself. One should therefore be initiated properly according to revealed scriptures under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. Although chanting the holy name is good for both the conditioned and liberated soul, it is especially beneficial to the conditioned soul because by chanting it one is liberated. When a person who chants the holy name is liberated, he attains the ultimate perfection by returning home, back to Godhead. In the words of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 7.73):
kṛṣṇa-mantra haite habe saṁsāra-mocana “Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.”
The offenseless chanting of the holy name does not depend on the initiation process. Although initiation may depend on puraścaryā or puraścaraṇa, the actual chanting of the holy name does not depend on puraścaryā-vidhi, or the regulative principles. If one chants the holy name even once without committing an offense, he attains all success. During the chanting of the holy name, the tongue must work. Simply by chanting the holy name, one is immediately delivered. The tongue is sevonmukha-jihvā—it is controlled by service. One whose tongue is engaged in tasting material things and also talking about them cannot use the tongue for absolute realization.
ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [BRS. 1.2.234] “With the material senses one cannot understand the transcendental holy name of the Lord or His form, activities and pastimes. But when one actually engages in devotional service, utilizing the tongue, the Lord is revealed.” As it is said in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 17.134):
ataeva kṛṣṇera ‘nāma’, ‘deha’, ‘vilāsa’, “The holy name of Kṛṣṇa, His body and His pastimes cannot be understood by the blunt material senses. They are manifested independently.”
Madhya15.109 TEXT 109 anuṣaṅga-phale kare saṁsārera kṣaya citta ākarṣiyā karāya kṛṣṇe premodaya SYNONYMS anuṣaṅga-phale—as a simultaneous result; kare—does; saṁsārera kṣaya—annihilation of entanglement in the material world; citta—thought; ākarṣiyā—attracting; karāya—causes; kṛṣṇe—unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; prema-udaya—arousal of transcendental love.
TRANSLATION “By chanting the holy name of the Lord, one dissolves his entanglement in material activities. After this, one becomes very much attracted to Kṛṣṇa, and thus dormant love for Kṛṣṇa is awakened. Madhya15.110 TEXT 110 ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-cetasāṁ su-manasām uccāṭanaṁ cāṁhasām ācaṇḍālam amūka-loka-sulabho vaśyaś ca mukti-śriyaḥ no dīkṣāṁ na ca sat-kriyāṁ na ca puraścaryāṁ manāg īkṣate mantro ’yaṁ rasanā-spṛg eva phalati śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmātmakaḥ SYNONYMS ākṛṣṭiḥ—attraction; kṛta-cetasām—of saintly persons; su-manasām—of the most liberal-minded; uccāṭanam—annihilator; ca—also; aṁhasām—of sinful reactions; ā-caṇḍālam—even to the caṇḍālas; amūka—except the dumb; loka-su-labhaḥ—very easy to achieve for all persons; vaśyaḥ—full controller; ca—and; mukti-śriyaḥ—of the opulence of liberation; na u—not; dīkṣām—initiation; na—not; ca—also; sat-kriyām—pious activities; na—not; ca—also; puraścaryām—regulative principles before initiation; manāk—slightly; īkṣate—depends upon; mantraḥ—mantra; ayam—this; rasanā—tongue; spṛk—touching; eva—simply; phalati—is fruitful; śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma-ātmakaḥ—consisting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION “‘The holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa is an attractive feature for many saintly, liberal people. It is the annihilator of all sinful reactions and is so powerful that, save for the dumb who cannot chant it, it is readily available to everyone, including the lowest type of man, the caṇḍāla. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is the controller of the opulence of liberation, and it is identical with Kṛṣṇa. When a person simply chants the holy name with his tongue, immediate effects are produced. Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities or the puraścaryā regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for any of these activities. It is self-sufficient.’” PURPORT This verse is found in the Padyāvalī (29), an anthology of verses compiled by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Madhya15.111 TEXT 111 “ataeva yāṅra mukhe eka kṛṣṇa-nāma sei ta’ vaiṣṇava, kariha tāṅhāra sammāna” SYNONYMS ataeva—therefore; yāṅra mukhe—in whose mouth; eka—one; kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; sei ta’ vaiṣṇava—he is a Vaiṣṇava; kariha—offer; tāṅhāra—to him; sammāna—respect.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then finally advised, “One who is chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is understood to be a Vaiṣṇava; therefore you should offer all respects to him.” PURPORT In his Upadeśāmṛta (5), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states: kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taṁ manasādriyeta dīkṣāsti cet praṇatibhiś ca bhajantam īśam. An advanced devotee should respect a person who has been initiated by a bona fide spiritual master and who is situated on the transcendental platform, chanting the holy name with faith and obeisances and following the instructions of the spiritual master. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura comments that serving Vaiṣṇavas is most important for householders. Whether a Vaiṣṇava is properly initiated or not is not a subject for consideration. One may be initiated and yet contaminated by the Māyāvāda philosophy, but a person who chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly will not be so contaminated. A properly initiated Vaiṣṇava may be imperfect, but one who chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly is all-perfect. Although he may apparently be a neophyte, he still has to be considered a pure, unalloyed Vaiṣṇava. It is the duty of the householder to offer respects to such an unalloyed Vaiṣṇava. This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s instruction.
Madhya15.112 TEXT 112 khaṇḍera mukunda-dāsa, śrī-raghunandana śrī-narahari,——ei mukhya tina jana SYNONYMS khaṇḍera—of the place known as Khaṇḍa; mukunda-dāsa—Mukunda dāsa; śrī-raghunandana—Śrī Raghunandana; śrī-narahari—Śrī Narahari; ei—these; mukhya—chief; tina—three; jana—persons.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then turned His attention to three persons—Mukunda dāsa, Raghunandana and Śrī Narahari—inhabitants of the place called Khaṇḍa. Madhya15.113 TEXT 113 mukunda dāsere puche śacīra nandana ‘tumi——pitā, putra tomāra——śrī-raghunandana? SYNONYMS mukunda dāsere—unto Mukunda dāsa; puche—inquired; śacīra nandana—the son of mother Śacī; tumi—you; pitā—father; putra—son; tomāra—your; śrī-raghunandana—Śrī Raghunandana.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of mother Śacī, next asked Mukunda dāsa, “You are the father, and your son is Raghunandana. Is that so? Madhya15.114 TEXT 114 kibā raghunandana——pitā, tumi——tāra tanaya? niścaya kariyā kaha, yāuka saṁśaya’ SYNONYMS kibā—or; raghunandana—Raghunandana; pitā—father; tumi—you; tāra—his; tanaya—son; niścaya kariyā—making certain; kaha—just speak; yāuka saṁśaya—let My doubts be dissipated.
TRANSLATION “Or is Śrīla Raghunandana your father and you are his son? Please let Me know the facts so that My doubts will go away.” Madhya15.115 TEXT 115 mukunda kahe,——raghunandana mora ‘pitā’ haya āmi tāra ‘putra’,——ei āmāra niścaya SYNONYMS mukunda kahe—Mukunda dāsa replied; raghunandana—my son Raghunandana; mora—my; pitā—father; haya—is; āmi—I; tāra—his; putra—son; ei—this; āmāra—my; niścaya—decision.
TRANSLATION Mukunda replied, “Raghunandana is my father, and I am his son. This is my decision. Madhya15.116 TEXT 116 āmā sabāra kṛṣṇa-bhakti raghunandana haite ataeva pitā——raghunandana āmāra niścite SYNONYMS āmā sabāra—of all of us; kṛṣṇa-bhakti—devotion to Kṛṣṇa; raghunandana haite—because of Raghunandana; ataeva—therefore; pitā—father; raghunandana—Raghunandana; āmāra niścite—my decision.
TRANSLATION “All of us have attained devotion to Kṛṣṇa due to Raghunandana. Therefore in my mind he is my father.” Madhya15.117 TEXT 117 śuni’ harṣe kahe prabhu——“kahile niścaya yāṅhā haite kṛṣṇa-bhakti sei guru haya” SYNONYMS śuni’—hearing; harṣe—in great jubilation; kahe prabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; kahile niścaya—you have spoken correctly; yāṅhā haite—from whom; kṛṣṇa-bhakti—devotion to Kṛṣṇa; sei—that person; guru haya—is the spiritual master.
TRANSLATION Hearing Mukunda dāsa give this proper decision, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirmed it, saying, “Yes, it is correct. One who awakens devotion to Kṛṣṇa is certainly the spiritual master.” Madhya15.118 TEXT 118 bhaktera mahimā prabhu kahite pāya sukha bhaktera mahimā kahite haya pañca-mukha SYNONYMS bhaktera mahimā—the glories of a devotee; prabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; kahite—to speak; pāya sukha—gets happiness; bhaktera mahimā—the glories of a devotee; kahite—to speak; haya—becomes; pañca-mukha—five-faced.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very happy just to speak of the glories of His devotees. Indeed, when He spoke of their glories, it was as if He had five faces. Madhya15.119 TEXT 119 bhakta-gaṇe kahe,——śuna mukundera prema nigūḍha nirmala prema, yena dagdha hema SYNONYMS bhakta-gaṇe kahe—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed His devotees; śuna—please hear; mukundera prema—Mukunda’s love of Godhead; nigūḍha—very deep; nirmala—pure; prema—ecstatic love; yena—as if; dagdha—clarified; hema—gold.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then informed all His devotees, “Please hear about Mukunda’s love of Godhead. It is a very deep and pure love and can only be compared to purified gold. THIS WEB PAGE URL: http://causelessmercy.com/Madhya15.2.htm
nandanandana kṛṣṇa——mora prāṇa-nātha
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ
‘uttama’, ‘madhyama’, ‘kaniṣṭha’——śraddhā-anusārī
krame krame teṅho bhakta ha-ibe ‘uttama’
rati-prema-tāratamye bhakta-taratama
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye ’dhītam uttamam
tasmāt dīkṣeti sā proktā deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ
yathādhikāro nāstīha syāc copanayanād anu
tathātrādīkṣitānāṁ tu mantra-devārcanādiṣu
nādhikāro ’sty ataḥ kuryād ātmānaṁ śiva-saṁstutam
paśu-yonim avāpnoti dīkṣā-virahito janaḥ
gṛhṇīyād vaiṣṇavaṁ mantraṁ dīkṣā-pūrvaṁ vidhānataḥ
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām
homo brāhmaṇa-bhuktiś ca puraścaraṇam ucyate
guror labdhasya mantrasya prasādena yathā-vidhi
pañcāṅgopāsanā-siddhyai puraś caitad vidhīyate
kṛtena yena labhate sādhako vāñchitaṁ phalam
ataḥ puraṣkriyāṁ kuryāt mantra-vit siddhi-kaṅkṣayā
vīrya-hīno yathā dehī sarva-karmasu na kṣamaḥ
vinaiva nyāsa-vidhinā japa-mātreṇa siddhi-dā
kṛṣṇa-nāma haite pābe kṛṣṇera caraṇa
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
prākṛtendriya-grāhya nahe, haya sva-prakāśa