Madhya17.105

TEXT 105

eka vipra dekhi’ āilā prabhura vyavahāra

prakāśānanda-āge kahe caritra tāṅhāra

SYNONYMS

eka vipra—one brāhmaṇa; dekhi’-seeing; āilā—came; prabhura—of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; vyavahāra—activities; prakāśānanda-āge—before the Māyāvādī sannyāsī Prakāśānanda; kahe—says; caritra tāṅhāra—His characteristics.

TRANSLATION

One brāhmaṇa who saw the wonderful behavior of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and described the Lord’s characteristics.

Madhya17.106

TEXT 106

"eka sannyāsī āilā jagannātha haite

tāṅhāra mahimā-pratāpa nā pāri varṇite

SYNONYMS

eka—one; sannyāsī—person in the renounced order of life; āilā—has come; jagannātha haite—from Jagannātha Purī; tāṅhāra—His; mahimā—glories; pratāpa—influence; nā pāri varṇite—I cannot describe.

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇa told Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, "There is a sannyāsī who has come from Jagannātha Purī, and I cannot describe His wonderful influence and glories.

Madhya17.107

TEXT 107

sakala dekhiye tāṅte adbhuta-kathana

prakāṇḍa-śarīra, śuddha-kāñcana-varaṇa

SYNONYMS

sakala dekhiye—I see everything; tāṅte—in Him; adbhuta-kathana—wonderful description; prakāṇḍa-śarīra—very large body; śuddha—pure; kāñcana—gold; varaṇa—complexion.

TRANSLATION

"Everything is wonderful about that sannyāsī. He has a very well built and luxurious body, and His complexion is like purified gold.

Madhya17.108

TEXT 108

ājānu-lambita bhuja, kamala-nayana

yata kichu īśvarera sarva sal-lakṣaṇa

SYNONYMS

ājānu-lambita—reaching down to the knees; bhuja—arms; kamala-nayana—eyes like the petals of a lotus flower; yata—as many as; kichu—any; īśvarera—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarva—all; sat-lakṣaṇa—transcendental symptoms.

TRANSLATION

"He has arms that extend to His knees, and His eyes are like the petals of a lotus. In His person are all the transcendental symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Madhya17.109

TEXT 109

tāhā dekhi’ jñāna haya--’ei nārāyaṇa

yei tāṅre dekhe, kare kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana

SYNONYMS

tāhā dekhi’—seeing that; jñāna haya—one comes to the conclusion; ei nārāyaṇa—He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa Himself; yei—anyone who; tāṅre—Him; dekhe—sees; kare—performs; kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana—chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.

TRANSLATION

"When one sees all these features, one takes Him to be Nārāyaṇa Himself. Whoever sees Him immediately begins to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.

Madhya17.110

TEXT 110

’mahā-bhāgavata’-lakṣaṇa śuni bhāgavate

se-saba lakṣaṇa prakaṭa dekhiye tāṅhāte

SYNONYMS

mahā-bhāgavata—of a first-class devotee; lakṣaṇa—symptoms; śuni—we hear; bhāgavate—in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; se-saba lakṣaṇa—all those symptoms; prakaṭa—manifest; dekhiye—I see; tāṅhāte—in Him.

TRANSLATION

"We have heard about the symptoms of a first-class devotee in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and all those symptoms are manifest in the body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Madhya17.111

TEXT 111

’nirantara kṛṣṇa-nāma’ jihvā tāṅra gāya

dui-netre aśru vahe gaṅgā-dhārā-prāya

SYNONYMS

nirantara—incessantly; kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy name of the Lord; jihvā—tongue; tāṅra—His; gāya—chants; dui-netre—in the two eyes; aśru—tears; vahe—flow; gaṅgā-dhārā-prāya—like the flow of the Ganges.

TRANSLATION

"His tongue is always chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and from His eyes tears incessantly fall like the flowing Ganges.

Madhya17.112

TEXT 112

kṣaṇe nāce, hāse, gāya, karaye krandana

kṣaṇe huhuṅkāra kare,--siṁhera garjana

SYNONYMS

kṣaṇe—sometimes; nāce—dances; hāse—laughs; gāya—sings; karaye krandana—cries; kṣaṇe—sometimes; huhuṅ-kāra—loud vibrations; kare—makes; siṁhera garjana—the roaring of a lion.

TRANSLATION

"Sometimes He dances, laughs, sings and cries, and sometimes He roars like a lion.

Madhya17.113

TEXT 113

jagat-maṅgala tāṅra ’kṛṣṇa-caitanya’-nāma

nāma, rūpa, guṇa tāṅra, saba--anupama

SYNONYMS

jagat-maṅgala—all-auspicious to the whole world; tāṅra—His; kṛṣṇa-caitanya—Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; nāma—name; nāma—name; rūpa—form; guṇa—the quality; tāṅra—His; saba—all; anupama—unparalleled.

TRANSLATION

"His name, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, is all-auspicious to the world. Everything about Him-His name, form, and qualities-is unparalleled.

Madhya17.114

TEXT 114

dekhile se jāni tāṅra ’īśvarera rīti’

alaukika kathā śuni’ ke kare pratīti?"

SYNONYMS

dekhile—simply by seeing; se—Him; jāni—I understand; tāṅra—His; īśvarera rīti—characteristics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; alaukika—uncommon; kathā—story; śuni’-hearing; ke—who; kare pratīti—will believe.

TRANSLATION

“Simply by seeing Him, one understands that He possesses all the characteristics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such characteristics are certainly uncommon. Who will believe it?”

Madhya17.115

TEXT 115

śuniyā prakāśānanda bahuta hāsilā

vipre upahāsa kari’ kahite lāgilā

SYNONYMS

śuniyā—hearing; prakāśānanda—Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī; bahuta hāsilā—laughed very much; vipre—at the brāhmaṇa; upahāsa kari’-jokingly laughing; kahite lāgilā—began to speak.

TRANSLATION

Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī laughed very much to hear this description. Joking and laughing at the brāhmaṇa, he began to speak as follows.

Madhya17.116

TEXT 116

"śuniyāchi gauḍa-deśera sannyāsī--’bhāvuka’

keśava-bhāratī-śiṣya, loka-pratāraka

SYNONYMS

śuniyāchi—I have heard; gauḍa-deśera sannyāsī—the sannyāsī from Bengal; bhāvuka—sentimental; keśava-bhāratī-śiṣya—disciple of Keśava Bhāratī; loka-pratāraka—a first-class pretender.

TRANSLATION

Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī said, “Yes, I have heard about Him. He is a sannyāsī from Bengal, and He is very sentimental. I have also heard that He belongs to the Bhāratī-sampradāya, for He is a disciple of Keśava Bhāratī. However, He is only a pretender.”

PURPORT

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was considered bhāvuka (sentimental) because He was always seen in the bhāva stage. That is, He always exhibited ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. However, foolish people considered Him sentimental. In the material world, so-called devotees sometimes exhibit emotional symptoms. Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love cannot be compared to the imitative emotional exhibitions of pretenders. Such exhibitions do not continue for very long. They are temporary. We actually see that some emotional imitators exhibit certain symptoms, but immediately after their exhibition, they are attracted to smoking and other things. In the beginning, when Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī heard of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s activities, he considered them to be those of a pretender. Consequently he called Him a loka-pratāraka, a pretender. Māyāvādīs cannot understand the transcendental symptoms exhibited by a devotee; therefore when such symptoms are manifest, the Māyāvādīs equate them with temporary emotional feelings. However, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī’s statement is offensive, and consequently he should be considered an atheist (pāṣaṇḍī). According to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, since Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was not engaged in the Lord’s devotional service, his sannyāsa is to be considered phalgu-vairāgya. This means that since he did not know how to use things for the Lord’s service, his renunciation of the world was artificial.

Madhya17.117

TEXT 117

’caitanya’-nāma tāṅra, bhāvuka-gaṇa lañā

deśe deśe grāme grāme bule nācāñā

SYNONYMS

caitanya—Caitanya; nāma tāṅra—His name; bhāvuka-gaṇa lañā—accompanied by some sentimentalists; deśe deśe—from country to country; grāme grāme—from village to village; bule—travels; nācāñā—causing to dance.

TRANSLATION

Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī continued, "I know that His name is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and that He is accompanied by many sentimentalists. His followers dance with Him, and He tours from country to country and village to village.

Madhya17.118

TEXT 118

yei tāṅre dekhe, sei īśvara kari’ kahe

aiche mohana-vidyā--ye dekhe se mohe

SYNONYMS

yei—anyone who; tāṅre—Him; dekhe—sees; sei—that person; īśvara kari’-as the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kahe—says; aiche—such; mohana-vidyā—hypnotism; ye dekhe—anyone who sees; se mohe—he becomes illusioned.

TRANSLATION

"Whoever sees Him accepts Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since He has some mystic power by which He hypnotizes people, everyone who sees Him is illusioned.

Madhya17.119

TEXT 119

sārvabhauma bhaṭṭācārya--paṇḍita prabala

śuni’ caitanyera saṅge ha-ila pāgala

SYNONYMS

sārvabhauma bhaṭṭācārya—Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya; paṇḍita prabala—a learned scholar; śuni’-I have heard; caitanyera saṅge—in the association of Caitanya; ha-ila pāgala—has become a madman.

TRANSLATION

"Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a very learned scholar, but I have heard that he also has become a madman due to his association with this Caitanya.

Madhya17.120

TEXT 120

’sannyāsī’--nāma-mātra, mahā-indrajālī!

’kāśīpure’ nā vikābe tāṅra bhāvakāli

SYNONYMS

sannyāsī—in the renounced order of life; nāma-mātra—in name only; mahā-indrajālī—first-class magician; kāśīpure—in Kāśī; nā vikābe—will not sell; tāṅra—His; bhāvakāli—sentimental activities.

TRANSLATION

"This Caitanya is a sannyāsī in name only. Actually He is a first-class magician. In any case, His sentimentalism cannot be very much in demand here in Kāśī.

Madhya17.121

TEXT 121

’vedānta’ śravaṇa kara, nā yāiha tāṅra pāśa

ucchṛṅkhala-loka-saṅge dui-loka-nāśa"

SYNONYMS

vedānta—the philosophy of Vedānta; śravaṇa kara—go on hearing; nā—do not; yāiha—go; tāṅra pāśa—near Him; ucchṛṅkhala—upstart; loka—people; saṅge—in the association of; dui-loka-nāśa—destruction in this world and the next.

TRANSLATION

“Do not go to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Just continue hearing Vedānta. If you associate with upstarts, you will be lost in this world and in the next.”

PURPORT

Madhya17.122

TEXT 122

eta śuni’ sei vipra mahā-duḥkha pāilā

’kṛṣṇa’ ’kṛṣṇa’ kahi’ tathā haite uṭhi’ gelā

SYNONYMS

eta śuni’—hearing this; sei vipra—that brāhmaṇa; mahā-duḥkha pāilā—became very much aggrieved; kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kahi’-uttering the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; tathā haite—from there; uṭhi’ gelā—got up and went away.

TRANSLATION

When the brāhmaṇa heard Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī speak like this about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he became very grief-stricken. Chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, he immediately left.

Madhya17.123

TEXT 123

prabhura daraśane śuddha hañāche tāṅra mana

prabhu-āge duḥkhī hañā kahe vivaraṇa

SYNONYMS

prabhura daraśane—by seeing personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śuddha—purified; hañāche—was; tāṅra mana—his mind; prabhu-āge—before the Lord; duḥkhī hañā—being very much unhappy; kahe vivaraṇa—described the incidents.

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇa’s mind was already purified by seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He therefore went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and described what took place before the Māyāvādī sannyāsī Prakāśānanda.

Madhya17.124

TEXT 124

śuni’ mahāprabhu tabe īṣat hāsilā

punarapi sei vipra prabhure puchilā

SYNONYMS

śuni’—hearing; mahāprabhu—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tabe—then; īṣat—mildly; hāsilā—smiled; punarapi—again indeed; sei—that; vipra—brāhmaṇa; prabhure puchilā—inquired from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TRANSLATION

Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu mildly smiled. The brāhmaṇa then spoke again to the Lord.

Madhya17.125

TEXT 125

"tāra āge yabe āmi tomāra nāma la-ila

seha tomāra nāma jāne,--āpane kahila

SYNONYMS

tāra āge—before him; yabe—when; āmi—I; tomāra—Your; nāma—name; laila—uttered; seha—he; tomāra—Your; nāma—name; jāne—knows; āpane kahila—he said himself.

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇa said,"As soon as I uttered Your name before him, he immediately confirmed the fact that he knew Your name.

Madhya17.126

TEXT 126

tomāra ’doṣa’ kahite kare nāmera uccāra

’caitanya’ ’caitanya’ kari’ kahe tina-bāra

SYNONYMS

tomāra doṣa—Your fault; kahite—describing; kare—does; nāmera—of the name; uccāra—utterances; caitanya caitanya—Caitanya, Caitanya; kari’-in that way; kahe tina-bāra—he uttered three times.

TRANSLATION

"While finding fault with You, he uttered Your name three times, saying, ’Caitanya, Caitanya, Caitanya.’

Madhya17.127

TEXT 127

tina-bāre ’kṛṣṇa-nāma’ nā āila tāra mukhe

’avajñā’te nāma laya, śuni’ pāi duḥkhe

SYNONYMS

tina-bāre—three times; kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; nā āila—did not come; tāra mukhe—in his mouth; avajñā’te—in contempt; nāma laya—takes Your name; śuni’-hearing; pāi duḥkhe—I was very much aggrieved.

TRANSLATION

"Although he spoke Your name three times, he did not utter the name of Kṛṣṇa. Because he uttered Your name in contempt, I was very much aggrieved.

PURPORT

Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī vilified and blasphemed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Words like brahma, caitanya, ātmā, paramātmā, jagadīśa, īśvara, virāṭ, vibhu, bhūmā, viśvarūpa and vyāpaka all indirectly indicate Kṛṣṇa. However, the chanter of these names is not actually attracted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental pastimes. One may get a little light from these names, but one cannot understand that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord. One considers the Lord’s names material due to a poor fund of knowledge. Māyāvādī philosophers and the pañcopāsakas cannot in the least understand the existence of the spiritual world and the blissful variegatedness there. They cannot understand the Absolute Truth and its spiritual varieties-name, form, qualities and pastimes. Consequently they conclude that Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental activities are māyā. Due to this, one has to directly cultivate knowledge about the holy name of the Lord. Māyāvādī philosophers do not know this fact, and therefore they commit great offenses. One should not hear anything about Kṛṣṇa or devotional service from the mouths of Māyāvādī impersonalists.

Madhya17.128

TEXT 128

ihāra kāraṇa more kaha kṛpā kari’

tomā dekhi’ mukha mora bale ’kṛṣṇa’ ’hari"

SYNONYMS

ihāra—of this; kāraṇa—cause; more—unto me; kaha—please speak; kṛpā kari’-by Your causeless mercy; tomā dekhi’-seeing You; mukha—mouth; mora—my; bale—says; kṛṣṇa hari—the holy names of Kṛṣṇa and Hari.

TRANSLATION

“Why could Prakāśānanda not utter the names of Kṛṣṇa and Hari? He chanted the name Caitanya thrice. As far as I am concerned, simply by seeing You I am moved to chant the holy names of Kṛṣṇa and Hari.”

Madhya17.129

TEXT 129

prabhu kahe,--"māyāvādī kṛṣṇe aparādhī

’brahma’, ’ātmā’ ’caitanya’ kahe niravadhi

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said; māyāvādī—the impersonalists; kṛṣṇe—unto Kṛṣṇa; aparādhī—great offenders; brahma—brahma; ātmā-ātmā; caitanya—caitanya; kahe—say; niravadhi—without stopping.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "Māyāvādī impersonalists are great offenders unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; therefore they simply utter the words Brahman, ātmā and caitanya.

Madhya17.130

TEXT 130

ataeva tāra mukhe nā āise kṛṣṇa-nāma

’kṛṣṇa-nāma’, ’kṛṣṇa-svarūpa’--duita ’samāna’

SYNONYMS

ataeva—therefore; tāra mukhe—in their mouths; nā—not; āise—manifests; kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-svarūpa—the personality of the Lord; duita samāna—both identical.

TRANSLATION

"The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is not manifest in their mouths because they are offenders unto Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is identical with His holy name.

Madhya17.131

TEXT 131

’nāma’, ’vigraha’, ’svarūpa’--tina eka-rūpa

tine ’bheda’ nāhi,--tina ’cid-ānanda-rūpa’

SYNONYMS

nāma—the name; vigraha—form; sva-rūpa—personality; tina—all three; eka-rūpa—one and the same; tine—between the three; bheda nāhi—there is no difference; tina—all three; cit-ānanda-rūpa—transcendentally blissful.

TRANSLATION

"The Lord’s holy name, His form and His personality are all one and the same. There is no difference between them. Since all of them are absolute, they are transcendentally blissful.

Madhya17.132

TEXT 132

deha-dehīra, nāma-nāmīra kṛṣṇe nāhi ’bheda’

jīvera dharma--nāma-deha-svarūpe ’vibheda’

SYNONYMS

deha-dehīra—of the body and the owner of the body; nāma-nāmīra—of the name and the owner of the name; kṛṣṇe—in Kṛṣṇa; nāhi bheda—there is no difference; jīvera dharma—the situation of the conditioned soul; nāma—name; deha—body; sva-rūpe—original form; vibheda—different.

TRANSLATION

"There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa’s body and Himself or between His name and Himself. As far as the conditioned soul is concerned, everything is different. One’s name is different from the body, from one’s original form and so on.

PURPORT

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is herein pointing out to the brāhmaṇa that Māyāvādī philosophers cannot understand that the living entity is equal in quality with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because they do not accept this, they think that the living entity has been falsely divided from the original Brahman due to being conditioned by māyā. Māyāvādīs believe that the Absolute Truth is ultimately impersonal. When an incarnation of God or God Himself comes, they think He is covered by māyā. In other words, Māyāvādī impersonalists think that the Lord’s form is also a product of this material world. Due to a poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand that Kṛṣṇa has no body separate from Himself. His body and Himself are both the same Absolute Truth. Not having perfect knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, such impersonalists certainly commit offenses at His lotus feet. Therefore they do not utter the original name of the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa. In their impersonal way, they utter the name of impersonal Brahman, spirit soul. In other words, they indulge in indirect indications of the Absolute Truth. Even if they happen to utter the name of Govinda, Kṛṣṇa or Mādhava, they still cannot understand that these names are as good as Govinda, Kṛṣṇa or Mādhava the person. Because they are ultimately impersonalists, their uttering of the personal name has no potency. Actually they do not believe in Kṛṣṇa but consider all these names to be material vibrations. Not being able to appreciate the holy name of the Lord, they simply utter indirect names like Brahman, ātmā and caitanya.

It is a fact, however, that the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa the person are both spiritual. Everything about Kṛṣṇa is transcendental, blissful and objective. For a conditioned soul, the body is different from the soul, and the name given by the father is also different from the soul. The conditioned living entity’s identification with material objects keeps him from attaining his actual position. Although he is an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he acts differently. The svarūpa, or actual identification of the living entity, is described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as jīvera ’svarūpa’ haya-kṛṣṇera ’nitya-dāsa’. The conditioned soul has forgotten the real activities of his original position. However, this is not the case with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa’s name and His person are identical. There is no such thing as māyā Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is not a product of the material creation. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa’s body and His soul. Kṛṣṇa is simultaneously both soul and body. The distinction between body and soul applies to conditioned souls. The body of the conditioned soul is different from the soul, and the conditioned soul’s name is different from his body. One may be named Mr. John, but if we call for Mr. John, Mr. John may never actually appear. However, if we utter the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is immediately present on our tongue. In the Padma Purāṇa, Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktā yatra gāyanti tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada: “O Nārada, I am present wherever My devotees are chanting.” When the devotees chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare-Lord Kṛṣṇa is immediately present.

Madhya17.133

TEXT 133

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto

’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

SYNONYMS

nāmaḥ—the holy name; cintāmaṇiḥ—transcendentally blissful giver of all spiritual benedictions; kṛṣṇaḥ—not different from Kṛṣṇa; caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ—the form of all transcendental mellows; pūrṇaḥ—complete; śuddhaḥ—pure, without material contamination; nitya—eternal; muktaḥ—liberated; abhinna-tvāt—due to not being different; nāma—of the holy name; nāminoḥ—and of the person who has the name.

TRANSLATION

" ’The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Padma Purāṇa.

Madhya17.134

TEXT 134

ataeva kṛṣṇera ’nāma’, ’deha’, ’vilāsa’

prākṛtendriya-grāhya nahe, haya sva-prakāśa

SYNONYMS

ataeva—therefore; kṛṣṇera—of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāma—the holy name; deha—the spiritual body; vilāsa—the pastimes; prākṛta-indriya—by the dull senses made of matter; grāhya—perceptible; nahe—not; haya—are; sva-prakāśa—self-manifested.

TRANSLATION

"The holy name of Kṛṣṇa, His body and His pastimes cannot be understood by blunt material senses. They are manifest independently.

PURPORT

The transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, His name, form, qualities, pastimes and entourage all constitute the Absolute Truth and are as good as Kṛṣṇa (sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha). As long as the living entity is conditioned by the three modes of material nature-(goodness, passion and ignorance)-the objects of his material senses-material form, taste, smell, sound and touch-will not help him understand spiritual knowledge and bliss. Rather, these are revealed to the pure devotee. One’s material name, form and qualities are certainly different from one another. In the material world, there is no conception of absolute; however, when we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness we find that there is no material difference between Kṛṣṇa’s body and His names, activities and entourage.

Madhya17.135

TEXT 135

kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa-guṇa, kṛṣṇa-līlā-vṛnda

kṛṣṇera svarūpa-sama--saba cid-ānanda

SYNONYMS

kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-guṇa—the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-līlā-vṛnda—the transcendental pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇera sva-rūpa—Kṛṣṇa’s personality; sama—equal; saba—all; cit-ānanda—spiritual and full of bliss.

TRANSLATION

"The holy name of Kṛṣṇa, His transcendental qualities and pastimes as well as Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself are all equal. They are all spiritual and full of bliss.

Madhya17.136

TEXT 136

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

SYNONYMS

ataḥ—therefore (because Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, quality are all on the absolute platform); śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma-ādi—Lord Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, quality, pastimes and so on; na—not; bhavet—can be; grāhyam—perceived; indriyaiḥ—by the blunt material senses; sevā-unmukhe—to one engaged in His service; hi—certainly; jihvā-ādau—beginning with the tongue; svayam—personally; eva—certainly; sphurati—become manifest; adaḥ—those (Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, quality, and so on).

TRANSLATION

" ’Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.’

PURPORT

This verse is recorded in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.234).

Madhya17.137

TEXT 137

brahmānanda haite pūrṇānanda līlā-rasa

brahma-jñānī ākarṣiyā kare ātma-vaśa

SYNONYMS

brahma-ānanda—the pleasure of self-realization; haite—from; pūrṇa-ānanda—complete pleasure; līlā-rasa—the mellows of the pastimes of the Lord; brahma-jñānī—those who are on the platform of Brahman understanding; ākarṣiyā—attracting; kare—make; ātma-vaśa—subordinate to Kṛṣṇa.

TRANSLATION

"The mellows of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, which are full of bliss, attract the jñānī from the pleasure of Brahman realization and conquer him.

PURPORT

When one understands that he belongs not to the material world but to the spiritual world, one is called liberated. Being situated in the spiritual world is certainly pleasurable, but those who realize the transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoy transcendental bliss many times more than one who has simply realized the self. When one is situated on the platform of self-realization, he can certainly be easily attracted by Kṛṣṇa and become a servant of the Lord. This is explained in Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

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