Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Adi-lila
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 10
Adi10.28
TEXT 28
se-saba samagri age kariba vistara
yahara sravane bhaktera vahe asrudhara
SYNONYMS
se-saba—all these things; samagri—ingredients of the foods; age—further on; kariba—I shall describe; vistara—vividly; yahara—of which; sravane—by the hearing; bhaktera—of a devotee; vahe—flowing; asru-dhara—tears.
TRANSLATION
I shall describe the contents of the bags of Raghava Pandita later in this book. Hearing this narration, devotees generally cry, and tears glide down from their eyes.
PURPORT
A vivid description of these raghavera jhali is to be found in Chapter Ten of the Antya-lila portion of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.
Adi10.29
TEXT 29
prabhura atyanta priya--pandita gangadasa
yanhara smarane haya sarva-bandha-nasa
SYNONYMS
prabhura—of the Lord; atyanta—very much; priya—dear; pandita gangadasa—of the name Pandita Gangadasa; yanhara—who; smarane—by remembering; haya—it becomes; sarva-bandha-nasa—freedom from all kinds of bondage.
TRANSLATION
Pandita Gangadasa was the eighth dear branch of the tree of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One who remembers his activities attains freedom from all bondage.
Adi10.30
TEXT 30
caitanya-parsada--sri-acarya purandara
pita kari’ yanre bale gauranga-sundara
SYNONYMS
caitanya-parsada—associate of Lord Caitanya; sri-acarya purandara—of the name Sri Acarya Purandara; pita—father; kari’-taking him; yanre—whom; bale—says; gauranga-sundara—Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Sri Acarya Purandara, the ninth branch, was a constant associate of Lord Caitanya. The Lord accepted him as His father.
PURPORT
It is described in the Caitanya-bhagavata that whenever Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the house of Raghava Pandita, He also visited Purandara Acarya immediately upon receiving an invitation. Purandara Acarya is to be considered most fortunate because the Lord used to greet him by addressing him as His father and embracing him in great love.
Adi10.31
TEXT 31
damodara-pandita sakha premete pracanda
prabhura upare yenho kaila vakya-danda
SYNONYMS
damodara-pandita—of the name Damodara Pandita; sakha—another branch (the tenth branch); premete—in affection; pracanda—very much advanced; prabhura—the Lord; upare—upon; yenho—he who; kaila—did; vakya-danda—chastisement by speaking.
TRANSLATION
Damodara Pandita, the tenth branch of the Caitanya tree, was so elevated in love of Lord Caitanya that he once unhesitatingly chastised the Lord with strong words.
Adi10.32
TEXT 32
danda-katha kahiba age vistara kariya
dande tusta prabhu tanre pathaila nadiya
SYNONYMS
danda-katha—the narration of such chastisement; kahiba—I shall speak; age—ahead; vistara—detailed description; kariya—making; dande—in the matter of chastisement; tusta prabhu—the Lord is very much satisfied; tanre—him; pathaila—sent back; nadiya—Nadia (a district in Bengal).
TRANSLATION
Later in the Caitanya-caritamrta I shall describe this incident of chastisement in detail. The Lord, being very much satisfied by this chastisement, sent Damodara Pandita to Navadvipa.
PURPORT
Damodara Pandita, who was formerly known as Saibya in Vraja-dhama, used to carry messages from Lord Caitanya to Sacimata, and during the Ratha-yatra festival he carried messages from Sacimata to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Adi10.33
TEXT 33
tanhara anuja sakha--sankara-pandita
’prabhu-padopadhana’ yanra nama vidita
SYNONYMS
tanhara—his (Damodara Pandita’s); anuja—younger brother; sakha—the eleventh branch; sankara-pandita—of the name Sankara Pandita; prabhu—the Lord’s; pada-upadhana—shoes; yanra—whose; nama—name; vidita—celebrated.
TRANSLATION
The eleventh branch, the younger brother of Damodara Pandita, was known as Sankara Pandita. He was celebrated as the shoes of the Lord.
Adi10.34
TEXT 34
sadasiva-pandita yanra prabhu-pade asa
prathamei nityanandera yanra ghare vasa
SYNONYMS
sadasiva-pandita—of the name Sadasiva Pandita; yanra—whose; prabhu-pade—unto the lotus feet of the Lord; asa—constant desire; prathamei—in the beginning; nityanandera—of Lord Nityananda; yanra—of whom; ghare—in the home; vasa—residence.
TRANSLATION
Sadasiva Pandita, the twelfth branch, was always anxious to serve the lotus feet of the Lord. It was his good fortune that when Lord Nityananda came to Navadvipa He resided at his house.
PURPORT
It is mentioned in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya-lila, Chapter Nine, that Sadasiva Pandita was a pure devotee and that Nityananda Prabhu resided at his house.
Adi10.35
TEXT 35
sri-nrsimha-upasaka--pradyumna brahmacari
prabhu tanra nama kaila ’nrsimhananda’ kari’
SYNONYMS
sri-nrsimha-upasaka—the worshiper of Lord Nrsimhadeva; pradyumna brahmacari—of the name Pradyumna Brahmacari; prabhu—the Lord; tanra—his; nama—name; kaila—turned into; nrsimhananda—of the name Nrsimhananda; kari’-by such a name.
TRANSLATION
The thirteenth branch was Pradyumna Brahmacari. Since he was a worshiper of Lord Nrsimhadeva, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu changed his name to Nrsimhananda Brahmacari.
PURPORT
Pradyumna Brahmacari is described in the Antya-lila, Second Chapter, of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. He was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya’s who changed his name to Nrsimhananda. While coming from the house of Raghava Pandita at Panihati to the house of Sivananda, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the heart of Nrsimhananda Brahmacari. To acknowledge this, Nrsimhananda Brahmacari used to accept as eatables the food of three Deities, namely, Jagannatha, Nrsimhadeva and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Second Chapter, verses 48 through 78. Upon receiving information that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was proceeding toward Vrndavana from Kuliya, Nrsimhananda absorbed himself in meditation and by his mental activities began constructing a very nice road from Kuliya to Vrndavana. All of a sudden, however, he broke his meditation and told the other devotees that this time Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu would not go to Vrndavana but only as far as the place known as Kanai Natasala. This is described in the Madhya-lila, Chapter One, verses 155 through 162. The Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 74, says, avesas ca tathajneyo misre pradyumna-samjnake: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu changed the name of Pradyumna Misra, or Pradyumna Brahmacari, to Nrsimhananda Brahmacari, for in his heart Lord Nrsimhadeva was manifest. It is said that Lord Nrsimhadeva used to talk with him directly.
Adi10.36
TEXT 36
narayana-pandita eka bada-i udara
caitanya-carana vinu nahi jane ara
SYNONYMS
narayana-pandita—of the name Narayana Pandita; eka—one; badai—very; udara—liberal; caitanya-carana—the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya; vinu—except; nahi—not; jane—know; ara—anything else.
TRANSLATION
Narayana Pandita, the fourteenth branch, a great and liberal devotee, did not know any shelter but Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet.
PURPORT
Narayana Pandita was one of the associates of Srivasa Thakura. It is mentioned in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Ninth Chapter, verse 93, that he went to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Jagannatha Puri with Thakura’s brother Sri Rama Pandita.
Adi10.37
TEXT 37
sriman-pandita sakha--prabhura nija bhrtya
deuti dharena, yabe prabhu karena nrtya
SYNONYMS
sriman-pandita—of the name Sriman Pandita; sakha—branch; prabhura—of the Lord; nija—own; bhrtya—servant; deuti—torch light; dharena—carries; yabe—while; prabhu—Lord Caitanya; karena—does; nrtya—dance.
TRANSLATION
The fifteenth branch was Sriman Pandita, who was a constant servitor of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He used to carry a torch while the Lord danced.
PURPORT
Sriman Pandita was among the companions of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu when the Lord performed sankirtana. When Lord Caitanya dressed Himself in the form of the goddess Laksmi and danced in the streets of Navadvipa, Sriman Pandita carried a torch to light the way.
Adi10.38
TEXT 38
suklambara-brahmacari bada bhagyavan
yanra anna magi’ kadi’ khaila bhagavan
SYNONYMS
suklambara-brahmacari—of the name Suklambara Brahmacari; bada—very; bhagyavan—fortunate; yanra—whose; anna—food; magi’-begging; kadi’-snatching; khaila—ate; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
The sixteenth branch, Suklambara Brahmacari, was very fortunate because Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu jokingly or seriously begged food from him or sometimes snatched it from him forcibly and ate it.
PURPORT
It is stated that Suklambara Brahmacari, an inhabitant of Navadvipa, was Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s first companion in the sankirtana movement. When Lord Caitanya returned from Gaya after initiation, He stayed with Suklambara Brahmacari because He wanted to hear from this devotee about the pastimes of Lord Krsna. Suklambara Brahmacari collected alms of rice from the inhabitants of Navadvipa, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took pleasure in eating the rice that he cooked. It is said that Suklambara Brahmacari was one of the wives of the yajnic brahmanas during the time of Lord Krsna’s pastimes in Vrndavana. Lord Krsna begged food from the wives of the yajnic brahmanas, and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed a similar pastime by begging rice from Suklambara Brahmacari.
Adi10.39
TEXT 39
nandana-acarya-sakha jagate vidita
lukaiya dui prabhura yanra ghare sthita
SYNONYMS
nandana-acarya—of the name Nandana Acarya; sakha—the seventeenth branch; jagate—in the world; vidita—celebrated; lukaiya—hiding; dui—two; prabhura—of the Lords; yanra—of whom; ghare—in the house; sthita—situated.
TRANSLATION
Nandana Acarya, the seventeenth branch of the Caitanya tree, is celebrated within the world because the two Prabhus [Lord Caitanya and Nityananda] sometimes hid in his house.
PURPORT
Nandana Acarya was another companion of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu during His kirtana pastimes in Navadvipa. Srila Nityananda Prabhu, as Avadhuta, traveled on many pilgrimages, and when He first came to Sri Navadvipa-dhama He remained hidden in the house of Nandana Acarya. It is there that He first met all the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His maha-prakasa, He asked Ramai Pandita to call Advaita Prabhu, who was hiding in the home of Nandana Acarya, for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu could understand that He was hiding. Similarly, Lord Caitanya also sometimes hid in the home of Nandana Acarya. In this connection one may refer to Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila Chapters Six and Seventeen.
Adi10.40
TEXT 40
sri-mukunda-datta sakha--prabhura samadhyayi
yanhara kirtane nace caitanya-gosani
SYNONYMS
sri-mukunda-datta—of the name Sri Mukunda Datta; sakha—another branch; prabhura—of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; samadhyayi—class friend; yanhara—whose; kirtane—in sankirtana; nace—dances; caitanya-gosani—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Mukunda Datta, a class friend of Lord Caitanya’s, was another branch of the Caitanya tree. Lord Caitanya danced while he sang.
PURPORT
Sri Mukunda Datta was born in the Cattagrama district, in the village of Chanhara, which is under the jurisdiction of the police station named Patiya. This village is situated ten krosas, or about twenty miles, from the home of Pundarika Vidyanidhi. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (140) it is said:
vraje sthitau gayakau yau
madhukantha-madhuvratau
mukunda-vasudevau tau
dattau gauranga-gayakau
“In Vraja there were two very nice singers named Madhukantha and Madhuvrata. They appeared in caitanya-lila as Mukunda and Vasudeva Datta, who were singers in the society of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” When Lord Caitanya was a student, Mukunda Datta was His class friend, and they frequently engaged in logical arguments. Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu would fight with Mukunda Datta, using tricks of logic. This is described in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Adi-lila, Chapters Eleven and Twelve. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya, Mukunda Datta gave Him pleasure by reciting verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam about krsna-lila. It was by his endeavor that Gadadhara Pandita Gosvami became a disciple of Pundarika Vidyanidhi, as stated in Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, Chapter Seven. When Mukunda Datta sang in the courtyard of Srivasa Prabhu, Mahaprabhu danced with His singing, and when Lord Caitanya for twenty-one hours exhibited an ecstatic manifestation known as sata-prahariya, Mukunda Datta inaugurated the function by singing.
Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu chastised Mukunda Datta by calling him khadajathiya beta because he attended many functions held by different classes of nondevotees. This is stated in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, Chapter Ten. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu dressed Himself as the goddess of fortune to dance in the house of Candrasekhara, Mukunda Datta began the first song.
Before disclosing His desire to take the renounced order of life, Lord Caitanya first went to the house of Mukunda Datta, but at that time Mukunda Datta requested Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to continue His sankirtana movement for a few days more before taking sannyasa. This is stated in Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila Chapter Twenty-six. The information of Lord Caitanya’s accepting the renounced order was made known to Gadadhara Pandita, Candrasekhara Acarya and Mukunda Datta by Nityananda Prabhu, and therefore all of them went to Katwa and arranged for kirtana and all the paraphernalia for Lord Caitanya’s acceptance of sannyasa. After the Lord took sannyasa, they all followed Him, especially Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Gadadhara Prabhu and Govinda, who followed Him all the way to Purusottama-ksetra. In this connection one may refer to Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya-lila, Chapter Two. In the place known as Jalesvara, Nityananda Prabhu broke the sannyasa rod of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Mukunda Datta was also present at that time. He went every year from Bengal to see Lord Caitanya at Jagannatha Puri.
Adi10.41
TEXT 41
vasudeva datta--prabhura bhrtya mahasaya
sahasra-mukhe yanra guna kahile na haya
SYNONYMS
vasudeva datta—of the name Vasudeva Datta; prabhura—of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bhrtya—servant; mahasaya—great personality; sahasra-mukhe—with thousands of mouths; yanra—whose; guna—qualities; kahile—describing; na—never; haya—becomes fulfilled.
TRANSLATION
Vasudeva Datta, the nineteenth branch of the Sri Caitanya tree, was a great personality and a most confidential devotee of the Lord. One could not describe his qualities even with thousands of mouths.
PURPORT
Vasudeva Datta, the brother of Mukunda Datta, was also a resident of Cattagrama. In the Caitanya-bhagavata it is said, yanra sthane krsna haya apane vikraya: Vasudeva Datta was such a powerful devotee that Krsna was purchased by him. Vasudeva Datta stayed at Srivasa Pandita’s house, and in the Caitanya-bhagavata it is described that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so pleased with Vasudeva Datta and so affectionate toward him that He used to say, “I am only Vasudeva Datta’s man. My body is only meant to please Vasudeva Datta, and he can sell Me anywhere.” Thrice He vowed that this was a fact and that no one should disbelieve these statements. “All My dear devotees,” He said, “I tell you the truth. My body is especially meant for Vasudeva Datta.” Vasudeva Datta initiated Sri Yadunandana Acarya, the spiritual master of Raghunatha dasa, who later became Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. This will be found in the Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Sixth Chapter, verse 161. Vasudeva Datta spent money very liberally; therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Sivananda Sena to become his sarakhela, or secretary, in order to control his extravagant expenses. Vasudeva Datta was so kind to the living entities that he wanted to take all their sinful reactions so that they might be delivered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is described in the Fifteenth Chapter of the Caitanya-caritamrta’s Madhya-lila, verses 159 through 180.
There is a railway station named Purvasthali near the Navadvipa railway station, and about one mile away, in a village known as Mamagachi, which is the birthplace of Vrndavana dasa Thakura, there is presently a temple of Madana-gopala that was established by Vasudeva Datta. The Gaudiya Matha devotees have now taken charge of this temple, and the seva-puja is going on very nicely. Every year all the pilgrims on the navadvipa-parikrama visit Mamagachi. Since Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura inaugurated the navadvipa-parikrama function, the temple has been very well managed.
Adi10.42
TEXT 42
jagate yateka jiva, tara papa lana
naraka bhunjite cahe jiva chadaiya
SYNONYMS
jagate—in the world; yateka—all; jiva—living entities; tara—their; papa—sinful activities; lana—taking; naraka—hell; bhunjite—to suffer; cahe—wanted; jiva—the living entities; chadaiya—liberating them.
TRANSLATION
Srila Vasudeva Datta Thakura wanted to suffer for the sinful activities of all the people of the world so that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu might deliver them.
Adi10.43
TEXT 43
haridasa-thakura sakhara adbhuta carita
tina laksa nama tenho layena apatita
SYNONYMS
haridasa-thakura—of the name Haridasa Thakura; sakhara—of the branch; adbhuta—wonderful; carita—characteristics; tina—three; laksa—hundred thousand; nama—names; tenho—he; layena—chanted; apatita—without fail.
TRANSLATION
The twentieth branch of the Caitanya tree was Haridasa Thakura. His character was wonderful. He used to chant the holy name of Krsna 300,000 times a day without fail.
PURPORT
Certainly the chanting of 300,000 holy names of the Lord is wonderful. No ordinary person can chant so many names, nor should one artificially imitate Haridasa Thakura’s behavior. It is essential, however, that everyone fulfill a specific vow to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. Therefore we have prescribed in our Society that all our students must chant at least sixteen rounds daily. Such chanting must be offenseless in order to be of high quality. Mechanical chanting is not as powerful as chanting of the holy name without offenses. It is stated in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Adi-lila, Chapter Two, that Haridasa Thakura was born in a village known as Budhana but after some time came to live on the bank of the Ganges at Phuliya near Santipura. From the description of his chastisement by a Muslim magistrate, which is found in the Sixteenth Chapter of the Adi-lila of Caitanya-bhagavata, we can understand how humble and meek Haridasa Thakura was and how he achieved the causeless mercy of the Lord. In the dramas performed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Haridasa Thakura played the part of a police chief. While chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra in Benapola, he was personally tested by Mayadevi herself. Haridasa Thakura’s passing away is described in the Antya-lila of Caitanya-caritamrta, Eleventh Chapter. It is not definitely certain whether Sri Haridasa Thakura appeared in the village named Budhana that is in the district of Khulna. Formerly this village was within a district of twenty-four parganas within the Sataksira division.
Adi10.44
TEXT 44
tanhara ananta guna--kahi dinmatra
acarya gosani yanre bhunjaya sraddha-patra
SYNONYMS
tanhara—Haridasa Thakura’s; ananta—unlimited; guna—qualities; kahi—I speak; din-matra—only a small part; acarya gosani—Sri Advaita Acarya Prabhu; yanre—to whom; bhunjaya—offered to eat; sraddha-patra—prasada offered to Lord Visnu.
TRANSLATION
There was no end to the transcendental qualities of Haridasa Thakura. Here I mention but a fraction of his qualities. He was so exalted that Advaita Gosvami, when performing the sraddha ceremony of his father, offered him the first plate.
Adi10.45
TEXT 45
prahlada-samana tanra gunera taranga
yavana-tadaneo yanra nahika bhru-bhanga
SYNONYMS
prahlada-samana—exactly like Prahlada Maharaja; tanra—his; gunera—qualities; taranga—waves; yavana—of the Muslims; tadaneo—even by the persecution; yanra—whose; nahika—there was none; bhru-bhanga—even the slightest agitation of an eyebrow.
TRANSLATION
The waves of his good qualities were like those of Prahlada Maharaja. He did not even slightly raise an eyebrow when persecuted by the Muslim ruler.
Adi10.46
TEXT 46
tenho siddhi paile tanra deha lana kole
nacila caitanya-prabhu maha-kutuhale
SYNONYMS
tenho—he; siddhi—perfection; paile—after achieving; tanra—his; deha—body; lana—taking; kole—on the lap; nacila—danced; caitanya-prabhu—Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; maha-kutuhale—in great ecstasy.
TRANSLATION
After the passing away of Haridasa Thakura, the Lord Himself took his body on His lap, and He danced with it in great ecstasy.
Adi10.47
TEXT 47
tanra lila varniyachena vrndavana-dasa
yeba avasista, age kariba prakasa
SYNONYMS
tanra—his; lila—pastimes; varniyachena—described; vrndavana-dasa—Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura; yeba—whatever; avasista—remained undescribed; age—later in the book; kariba—I shall make; prakasa—manifest.
TRANSLATION
Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura vividly described the pastimes of Haridasa Thakura in his Caitanya-bhagavata. Whatever has remained undescribed I shall try to explain later in this book.
Adi10.48
TEXT 48
tanra upasakha--yata kulina-grami jana
satyaraja-adi--tanra krpara bhajana
SYNONYMS
tanra upasakha—his subbranch; yata—all; kulina-grami jana—the inhabitants of Kulina-grama; satyaraja—of the name Satyaraja; adi—heading the list; tanra—his; krpara—of mercy; bhajana—recipient.
TRANSLATION
One subbranch of Haridasa Thakura consisted of the residents of Kulina-grama. The most important among them was Satyaraja Khan, or Satyaraja Vasu, who was a recipient of all the mercy of Haridasa Thakura.
PURPORT
Satyaraja Khan was the son of Gunaraja Khan and father of Ramananda Vasu. Haridasa Thakura lived for some time during the Caturmasya period in the village named Kulina-grama, where he chanted the holy name, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and distributed his mercy to the descendants of the Vasu family. Satyaraja Khan was allotted the service of supplying silk ropes for the Jagannatha Deity during the Rathayatra festival. The answers to his inquiries from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the duty of householder devotees are vividly described in the Madhya-lila, Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen. The village of Kulina-grama is situated two miles from the railway station named Jaugrama on the Newcord line from Howrah to Burdwan. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu very highly praised the people of Kulina-grama, and He stated that even a dog of Kulina-grama was very dear to Him.
Adi10.49
TEXT 49
sri-murari gupta sakha--premera bhandara
prabhura hrdaya drave suni’ dainya yanra
SYNONYMS
sri-murari gupta—of the name Sri Murari Gupta; sakha—branch; premera—of love of Godhead; bhandara—store; prabhura—of the Lord; hrdaya—the heart; drave—melts; suni’-hearing; dainya—humility; yanra—of whom.
TRANSLATION
Murari Gupta, the twenty-first branch of the tree of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, was a storehouse of love of Godhead. His great humility and meekness melted the heart of Lord Caitanya.
PURPORT
Sri Murari Gupta wrote a book called Sri Caitanya-carita. He belonged to a vaidya physician family of Srihatta, the paternal home of Lord Caitanya, and later became a resident of Navadvipa. He was among the elders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya exhibited His Varaha form in the house of Murari Gupta, as described in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, Third Chapter. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His maha-prakasa form, He appeared before Murari Gupta as Lord Ramacandra. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu were sitting together in the house of Srivasa Thakura, Murari Gupta first offered his respects to Lord Caitanya and then to Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu, however, was older than Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and therefore Lord Caitanya remarked that Murari Gupta had violated social etiquette, for he should have first shown respect to Nityananda Prabhu and then to Him. In this way, by the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Murari Gupta was informed about the position of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and the next day he offered obeisances first to Lord Nityananda and then to Lord Caitanya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave chewed pan, or betel nut, to Murari Gupta. Once Sivananda Sena offered food to Lord Caitanya that had been cooked with excessive ghee, and the next day the Lord became sick and went to Murari Gupta for treatment. Lord Caitanya accepted some water from the waterpot of Murari Gupta, and thus He was cured. The natural remedy for indigestion is to drink a little water, and since Murari Gupta was a physician, he gave the Lord some drinking water and cured Him.
When Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the house of Srivasa Thakura in His Caturbhuja murti, Murari Gupta became His carrier in the form of Garuda, and in these pastimes of ecstasy the Lord then got up on his back. It was the desire of Murari Gupta to leave his body before the disappearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but the Lord forbade him to do so. This is described in Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, Chapter Twenty. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu one day appeared in ecstasy as the Varaha murti, Murari Gupta offered Him prayers. He was a great devotee of Lord Ramacandra, and his staunch devotion is vividly described in the Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Fifteenth Chapter, verses 137 through 157.
Adi10.50
TEXT 50
pratigraha nahi kare, na laya kara dhana
atma-vrtti kari’ kare kutumba bharana
SYNONYMS
pratigraha nahi kare—he did not accept charity from anyone; na—not; laya—take; kara—anyone’s; dhana—wealth; atma-vrtti—own profession; kari’-executing; kare—maintained; kutumba—family; bharana—provision.
TRANSLATION
Srila Murari Gupta never accepted charity from friends, nor did he accept money from anyone. He practiced as a physician and maintained his family with his earnings.
PURPORT
It should be noted that a grhastha (householder) must not make his livelihood by begging from anyone. Every householder of the higher castes should engage himself in his own occupational duty as a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya, but he should not engage in the service of others, for this is the duty of a sudra. One should simply accept whatever he earns by his own profession. The engagements of a brahmana are yajana, yajana, pathana, pathana, dana and pratigraha. A brahmana should be a worshiper of Visnu, and he should also instruct others how to worship Him. A ksatriya can become a landholder and earn his livelihood by levying taxes or collecting rent from tenants. A vaisya can accept agriculture or general trade as an occupational duty. Since Murari Gupta was born in a physician’s family (vaidya-vamsa), he practiced as a physician, and with whatever income he earned he maintained his family. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, everyone should try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the execution of his occupational duty. That is the perfection of life. This system is called daivi-varnasrama. Murari Gupta was an ideal grhastha, for he was a great devotee of Lord Ramacandra and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. By practicing as a physician he maintained his family and at the same time satisfied Lord Caitanya to the best of his ability. This is the ideal of householder life.