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by Damaghosa dasa

Srila Prabhupadas books are creating an historical renaissance-so why are the devotees not seriously reading these books ??

May 31, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Jan 22 1977 Conversations
Rāmeśvara: It’s clear that for the first time these scholars are understanding the difference between the Bhagavad-gītā and the Māyāvādī conception. It’s clear that now you have saved them. Previous to this, all they knew about is this impersonal concept.
Prabhupāda: That is the business of ācārya, sampradāya-rakṣana, to save the sampradāya from falling down. Sampradāya. Sampradāya rakṣana.
Rāmeśvara: After centuries of rascaldom you are giving them the first clear choice.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That was the desire of my Guru Mahārāja. I am just trying.
Satsvarūpa: Another professor that was met is going to with ten students… I have his name, a Professor Kalewart from the University of Loeben in Belgium. He’s supposed to go to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir on February lst with ten people.
Prabhupāda: He has gone?
Satsvarūpa: No, on February 1st.
Gargamuni: He should stay in our guesthouse.
Prabhupāda: So inform them, “You come.”
Satsvarūpa: Yes. He’s going to study at that place, that research place at Loi Bazaar, the Vṛndāvana Research Institute.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Satsvarūpa: He’s some scholar of Rūpa Gosvāmī. But he has to stay at Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.
Prabhupāda: So take some breakfast.
Rāmeśvara: Without your activities this man could not have written that… He could not have had that understanding. If you had not started this movement, there would be no difference, no contrast. There would just be Māyāvādī in the Western world.
Prabhupāda: Yes. People heard that Indian philosophy is Māyāvāda. Māyāvādam asac chāstraṁ pracchanaṁ bauddhaṁ ucyate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu repeatedly said, māyāvāda bhāṣya śunile haya sarva nāśa: “He is doomed.” Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhi. These are the direct charges against the Māyāvāda. My Guru Mahārāja also, a staunch enemy of the Māyāvāda philosophy. And you are also singing, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī. The śūnyavādī are the Buddhist, and nirviśeṣavādī are the Māyāvādīs. Paścatya-deśa, they are embarassed with this śūnyavādī and nirviśeṣavādī. Now we are trying to give them solid personification of the Absolute Truth. Here also, India, they are spoiled by these Māyāvādī. Now it is in your hand, able hands. You are resourceful, intelligent. Spread this Vaiṣṇava philosophy and challenge this Māyāvāda and śūnyavāda. Thank you. Jaya. (devotees offer obeisances) Here is a would-be Vaiṣṇava. (laughs) Very nice. He is a very nice child.
Rāmeśvara: This is also… This review is a great praise that your writing is so clear that they cannot miss the point. He has understood the dif… You are forcing them to see a difference…
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: …between the Māyāvādī and the actual philosophy of Lord Caitanya. And that review is a credit that your writing is so clear that they cannot fail to understand the point.
Prabhupāda: He has written that “Bhaktivedanta Swami has very convincingly presented.” He said that.
Satsvarūpa: Yes. That was the first one.
Hari-śauri: He was writing how you were following strictly in the paramparā.
Rāmeśvara: Some of these scholars write “The message radiates and shines brightly from every page.” They’re writing like that.
Satsvarūpa: And after describing the whole tradition, he said that the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is the Western branch. So that’s a good testimony for our movement, not just the…
Hari-śauri: Not something concocted.
Rāmeśvara: Yes. That’s very good.
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Rāmeśvara: That’s very important. He has given us historical…
Prabhupāda: Place.
Rāmeśvara: …perspective.
Prabhupāda: That is wanted.
Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda said this past week that in the future, historians will study this period of world history, how this movement has changed the world. He said in the future they will just note this period, how the world is being changed.
Prabhupāda: Yes, a new Renaissance. What is called? Renaissance?
Rāmeśvara: Renaissance.
Prabhupāda: Historical Renaissance.
————————————————————–
Srila Prabhupada explains that his disciples should not only sell his books , but more importantly-read these books.
 April 22 1973…So to become sannyāsī is not very great credit, according to our Vaiṣṇava philosophy. To become perfect house-holder, that is credit. Perfect householder, like Kṛṣṇa. Read Kṛṣṇa book regularly. Why these books are written? Only for selling? Taking statistics, “How many books you have sold?” You learn, read. Always read, twenty-four hours. As soon as you get time, read. I do that. I do that.Reading, writing, or chanting. But when there is no other way, you sleep little. Not to enjoy sleep, but because it is not possible to continue, all right, sleep one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, five hours. Not more than that. Not that I am sleeping, enjoying life, up to eight o’clock, twelve o’clock.
 

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by Damaghosa dasa

How Srila Prabhupada wanted Hari nama Sankirtan to be done

May 30, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Kirtan leaders should chant in the manner of the acarya… all should be pure devotees


“Regarding Kirtana Party: My idea is that at least one dozen persons should form a Kirtana Party. Two persons play mrdangas, eight persons play karatalas, one person playing tamboura, and one person playing melodious harmonium. The person who will play on tamboura will be leader singer. You have just calculated what I want, when you suggest that the leader should sing as I do, and the others will respond. That will be very nice. But all the members of the party will be pure devotees. None of them should be outsiders. We do not want any outsiders as far as possible. Mrdanga playing as you are doing at present will make you more and more expert as you go on playing. Here also I see Gaurasundara simply by playing is improving. If all the members keep their faith in Krishna and tries to please Him, certainly everyone will be pleased by hearing our Kirtana. It is sure and certain. When such Kirtana will be demonstrated, only the harmonium player may sit, and all the others may stand up and join the Kirtana and dancing properly dressed.” (Prabhupada letter to Hansadutta, February 4, 1968)

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by Damaghosa dasa

Mantras become more powerful when chanted by great devotees-SP

May 28, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

SB 4.24.32 purport-Lord Śiva voluntarily came to bless the sons of the King as well as do something beneficial for them. He personally chanted the mantra so that the mantra would be more powerful, and he advised that the mantra be chanted by the King’s sons (rāja-putras). When a mantra is chanted by a great devotee, the mantra becomes more powerful. Although the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is powerful in itself, a disciple upon initiation receives the mantra from his spiritual master, for when the mantra is chanted by the spiritual master, it becomes more powerful. Lord Śiva advised the sons of the King to hear him attentively, for inattentive hearing is offensive.
SB 2.9.8 purport… The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā or any revealed scripture in the world is never to be accepted as an ordinary mundane sound without transcendental potency.
One has to receive the transcendental sound from the right source, accept it as a reality and prosecute the direction without hesitation. The secret of success is to receive the sound from the right source of a bona fide spiritual master. Mundane manufactured sound has no potency, and as such, seemingly transcendental sound received from an unauthorized person also has no potency.One should be qualified enough to discern such transcendental potency, and either by discriminating or by fortunate chance if one is able to receive the transcendental sound from the bona fide spiritual master, his path of liberation is guaranteed.
SB 4.24.33 purport...The Supreme Lord is all-perfect, and the Lord instructs that one who worships Him also becomes perfect. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. The Lord is situated as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, but He is so kind to His devotees that He gives them instructions by which they may continue to progress. When they receive instructions from the all-perfect, there is no chance of their being misled. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (10.10): dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te. The Lord is always ready to give instructions to the pure devotee so that the devotee can advance further and further in devotional service.
We have to select a guru by whose order we wont make mistakes
 
March 2 1966 NY-–Now, to take such guidance means the spiritual master should also be a very perfect man. Otherwise, how can he guide? …Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whose order, carrying, you’ll not commit a mistake. You see? Now, suppose if you accept a wrong person as spiritual master, and if you, if he guides you wrongly, then your whole life is spoiled. So one has to accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make his life perfect. That is the relation between spiritual master and disciple. It is not a formality. It is a great responsibility both for the disciple and for the spiritual master.
SB 4.24.39 purport…
As stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.22.35): etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ
dehinām iha dehiṣu prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā
Even though one may desire to engage in the service of the Lord, without sanction one cannot do so. Lord Śiva is offering his prayers in so many different ways in order to show living entities how to engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
Adi 9.11 purport... Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī states in his Gurv-aṣṭaka prayer, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ‘pi: “By the mercy of the spiritual master one is blessed by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace of the spiritual master one cannot make any advancement.” It is by the mercy of the spiritual master that one becomes perfect, as vividly exemplified here.
 
 

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by Damaghosa dasa

We should come together for kirtan and not stay apart–SP

May 28, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

Srimad−Bhagavatam 4.4.6
Why we should come together for kirtan
Sankirtana−yajna is the proper yajna for the Kali−yuga: When learned sages and brahmanas assemble to chant Vedic mantras, some of them also engage in arguing about the conclusion of the scriptures. Thus some of the sages and brahmanas were arguing, and some of them were chanting the Vedic mantras, so the entire atmosphere was surcharged with transcendental sound vibration. This transcendental sound vibration has been simplified in the transcendental vibration Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In this age, no one is expected to be highly educated in the Vedic ways of understanding because people are very slow, lazy and unfortunate. Therefore Lord Caitanya has recommended the sound vibration Hare Krsna, and in the Srimad−Bhagavatam (11.5.32) it is also recommended: yajnaih sankirtana−prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah.
At the present moment it is impossible to gather sacrificial necessities because of the poverty of the population and their lack of knowledge in Vedic mantras. Therefore for this age it is recommended that people gather together and chant the Hare Krsna mantra to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is naccompanied by His associates. Indirectly this indicates Lord Caitanya, who is accompanied by His associates Nityananda, Advaita and others. That is the process of performing yajna in this age.
So why do we stay apart- when we should come together?

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by Damaghosa dasa

Obedience to bona fide guru is key to spiritual life–SP

May 26, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

SB 4.20.33 purport-The sum and substance of religious life is to execute the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one who does so is perfectly religious. In Bhagavad-gītā (18.65) the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: “Just think of Me always and become My devotee.” Furthermore, the Lord says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: “Give up all kinds of material engagement and simply surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 18.66) This is the primary principle of religion. Anyone who directly executes such an order from the personality of Godhead is actually a religious person. Others are described as pretenders, for there are many activities going on throughout the world in the name of religion which are not actually religious. For one who executes the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, there is only good fortune throughout the world.
 
SB 4.24.15 purport-It is clear that to perform austerities or penances, or, for that matter, any form of devotional service, one has to be guided by a spiritual master. Here it is clearly stated that the ten sons of Mahārāja Prācīnabarhi were favored by the appearance of Lord Śiva, who, out of great kindness, gave them instructions regarding the execution of austerities. Lord Śiva actually became the spiritual master of the ten sons, and in turn his disciples took his words so seriously that simply by meditating upon his instructions (dhyāyantaḥ) they became perfect. This is the secret of success. After being initiated and receiving the orders of the spiritual master, the disciple should unhesitatingly think about the instructions or orders of the spiritual master and should not allow himself to be disturbed by anything else. This is also the verdict of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, who, while explaining a verse of Bhagavad-gītā (vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana, Bg. 2.41), points out that the order of the spiritual master is the life substance of the disciple. The disciple should not consider whether he is going back home, back to Godhead; his first business should be to execute the order of his spiritual master. Thus a disciple should always meditate on the order of the spiritual master, and that is perfectional meditation. Not only should he meditate upon that order, but he should find out the means by which he can perfectly worship and execute it.
 
SB 6.11.24 purport–This verse gives the sum and substance of devotional life. One must first become a servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord (dāsānudāsa). Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised, and He also showed by His own example, that a living entity should always desire to be a servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs (gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ). This means that one must accept a spiritual master who comes in the disciplic succession and is a servant of the servant of the Lord. Under his direction, one must then engage one’s three properties, namely his body, mind and words. The body should be engaged in physical activity under the order of the master, the mind should think of Kṛṣṇa incessantly, and one’s words should be engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord. If one is thus engaged in the loving service of the Lord, one’s life is successful.
 
Jan 6 1969 purport to song….Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, “Such devotee, it doesn’t matter whether he’s in the renounced order of life or whether he is a householder.” Gṛha. Gṛha means householder. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement does not say that one has to become a renounced order, sannyāsī. Just like Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, impersonalists, Śaṅkarācārya, they first, they put the first condition that “You take up the renounced order of life first, and then talk of spiritual advancement.” So in Śaṅkara sampradāya nobody is accepted as bona fide impersonalist unless he has accepted the renounced order of life. But here, in Caitanya’s movement, there is no such restriction. Advaita Prabhu, He was a householder. Nityānanda, He was householder. Gadādhara, He was also householder. And Śrīvāsa, he was also householder. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also married twice. So it doesn’t matter. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that to become in renounced order of life, or to remain in householder life, that does not matter. If he is actually taking part in the movements of Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana activities and actually understanding what it is, he is taking sport in the waves of such devotional ocean, then such person is always liberated. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is aspiring his association ever increasingly. That is the sum and substance of this song. (end)
 

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by Damaghosa dasa

Prabhupada–I am the most fallen-SP replied You are not the most anything !!

May 26, 2019 in Articles by Damaghosa dasa

 
 Rupa-vilasa: Prabhupada was in his room in Vrindavan discussing various preaching plans with Akshayananda maharaja when Prabhupada said, “So, what should we do?” Akshayananda maharaja replied, “Prabhupada, we will just have to become Krishna conscious.” Prabhupada said, “Another impractical solution.” That was one of the most hilarious exchanges I heard. 

Another story is when a devotee said, “I am the most fallen, Prabhupada” and Prabhupada said, “You are not the most anything.” This devote was trying to show how humble he was. He wanted credit for being the most something, and Prabhupada said, “You are not the most anything.” Prabhupada was so quick and so funny, so sharp and so sarcastic, but you never felt offended by him. Even if the joke was at your expense, you had to admit it was really funny, and it always had an instructive edge to it and it was merciful because he was trying to help you. Prabhupada was cutting through that to put us more in touch with reality.

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by Laksman dasa

Sri Ramananda Raya Tirobhava tithi [disappearance day] Thursday, May 23, 2019 mayapura time

May 25, 2019 in Articles by Laksman dasa

 
 
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From: Joseph Langevin <yasoda1008@yahoo.com>

Subject: Sri Ramananda raya tirobhava tithi [disappearance day]

compiled by Damaghosa dasa, Narasimha dasa and Yasoda nandana dasa

 

Srila Prabhupada explains the unique position of Sri Ramanada Raya

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.84 : PURPORT :

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught His principles through four chief followers. Among them, Rāmānanda Rāya is exceptional, for through him the Lord taught how a devotee can completely vanquish the power of Cupid. By Cupid’s power, as soon as one sees a beautiful woman he is conquered by her beauty. Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, however, vanquished Cupid’s pride. Indeed, while rehearsing the Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭaka he personally directed extremely beautiful young girls in dancing, but he was never affected by their youthful beauty. Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya personally bathed these girls, touching them and washing them with his own hands, yet he remained calm and passionless, as a great devotee should be. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu certified that this was possible only for Rāmānanda Rāya. Similarly, Dāmodara Paṇḍita was notable for his objectivity as a critic. He did not even spare Caitanya Mahāprabhu from his criticism. This also cannot be imitated by anyone else. Haridāsa Ṭhākura is exceptional for his forbearance because although he was beaten with canes in twenty-two marketplaces, nevertheless he was tolerant. Similarly, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, although he belonged to a most respectable brāhmaṇa family, was exceptional for his humility and meekness.

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.131 : PURPORT :

In Jagannātha Purī Lord Caitanya lived at the house of Kāśī Miśra, who was the priest of the king. Later this house was inherited by Vakreśvara Paṇḍita and then by his disciple Gopālaguru Gosvāmī, who established there a Deity of Rādhākānta. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (193) states that Kāśī Miśra was formerly Kubjā in Mathurā.. Pradyumna Miśra, an inhabitant of Orissa, was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Pradyumna Miśra was born of a brāhmaṇa family and Rāmānanda Rāya of a non-brāhmaṇa family, yet Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised Pradyumna Miśra to take instruction from Rāmānanda Rāya. This incident is described in the Antya-līlā, Chapter Five.

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.131 : PURPORT :

Bhavānanda Rāya was the father of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya. His residence was in Ālālanātha (Brahmagiri), which is about twelve miles west of Jagannātha Purī. By caste he belonged to the karaṇa community of Orissa, whose members were sometimes known as kāyasthas and sometimes as śūdras, but he was the governor of Madras under the control of King Pratāparudra of Jagannātha Purī.

rāmānanda rāya, paṭṭanāyaka gopīnātha

kalānidhi, sudhānidhi, nāyaka vāṇīnātha

 

SYNONYMS


rāmānanda rāya—of the name Rāmānanda Rāya; paṭṭanāyaka gopīnātha—of the name Paṭṭanāyaka Gopīnātha; kalānidhi—of the name Kalānidhi; sudhānidhi—of the name Sudhānidhi; nāyaka vāṇīnātha—of the name Nāyaka Vāṇīnātha.

 

TRANSLATION


The five sons of Bhavānanda Rāya were Rāmānanda Rāya, Paṭṭanāyaka Gopīnātha, Kalānidhi, Sudhānidhi and Nāyaka Vāṇīnātha. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.133

 

ei pañca putra tomāra mora priyapātra

rāmānanda saha mora deha-bheda mātra

 

SYNONYMS


ei—these; pañca—five; putra—sons; tomāra—your; mora—Mine; priya–pātra—very dear; rāmānanda saha—with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya; mora—Mine; deha–bheda—bodily difference; mātra—only.

 

TRANSLATION


Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Bhavānanda Rāya, “Your five sons are all My dear devotees. Rāmānanda Rāya and I are one, although our bodies are different.”

 

PURPORT

The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (120-24) states that Rāmānanda Rāya was formerly Arjuna. He is also considered to have been an incarnation of the gopī Lalitā, although in the opinion of others he was an incarnation of Viśākhādevī. He was a most confidential devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Although I am a sannyāsī, My mind is sometimes perturbed when I see a woman. But Rāmānanda Rāya is greater than Me, for he is always undisturbed, even when he touches a woman.” Only Rāmānanda Rāya was endowed with the prerogrative to touch a woman in this way; no one should imitate him. Unfortunately, there are rascals who imitate the activities of Rāmānanda Rāya. We need not discuss them further.

In Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s final pastimes, both Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara always engaged in reciting suitable verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to pacify the Lord’s ecstatic feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa. It is said that when Lord Caitanya went to southern India, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya advised Him to meet Rāmānanda Rāya, declaring that there was no devotee as advanced in understanding the conjugal love of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. While touring South India, Lord Caitanya met Rāmānanda Rāya by the bank of the Godāvarī, and in their long discourses the Lord took the position of a student, and Rāmānanda Rāya instructed Him. Caitanya Mahāprabhu concluded these discourses by saying, “My dear Rāmānanda Rāya, both you and I are madmen, and therefore we met intimately on an equal level.” Lord Caitanya advised Rāmānanda Rāya to resign from his government post and come back to Jagannātha Purī to live with Him. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu refused to see Mahārāja Pratāparudra because he was a king, Rāmānanda Rāya, by a Vaiṣṇava scheme, arranged a meeting between the Lord and the King. This is described in the Madhya–līlā, Chapter Twelve, verses 41-57. Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was present during the water sports of the Lord after the Ratha–yātrā festival.

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu considered Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī to be equal in their renunciation, for although Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was a gṛhastha engaged in government service and Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī was in the renounced order of complete detachment from material activities, they were both servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who kept Kṛṣṇa in the center of all their activities. Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was one of the three and a half personalities with whom Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu discussed the most confidential topics of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised Pradyumna Miśra to learn the science of Kṛṣṇa from Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya. As Subala always assisted Kṛṣṇa in His dealings with Rādhārāṇī in kṛṣṇa–līlā, so Rāmānanda Rāya assisted Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was the author of Jagannātha–vallabha–nāṭaka. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.134

 

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.135-136

Pratāparudra Mahārāja, who belonged to the dynasty of the Gaṅgā kings and whose capital was in Cuttak, was the Emperor of Orissa and a great devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It was by the arrangement of Rāmānanda Rāya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya that he was able to serve Lord Caitanya. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (118) it is said that King Indradyumna, who established the temple of Jagannātha thousands of years ago, later took birth again in his own family as Mahārāja Pratāparudra during the time of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mahārāja Pratāparudra was as powerful as King Indra. The drama named Caitanya-candrodaya was written under his directio.

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.137 : PURPORT :

In the Antya-līlā of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Chapter Two, verses 104-106, there is a description of Mādhavīdevī. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu considered her one of the maidservants of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Within this world, Caitanya Mahāprabhu had three and a half very confidential devotees. The three were Svarūpa Gosāñi, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Śikhi Māhiti, and Śikhi Māhiti’s sister, Mādhavīdevī, being a woman, was considered the half. Thus it is known that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had three and a half confidential devotees.

vidyāpati, jayadeva, caṇḍīdāsera gīta

āsvādena rāmānanda-svarūpa-sahita

SYNONYMS


vidyāpati—the author of the name Vidyāpati; jayadeva—of the name Jayadeva; caṇḍīdāsera—of the name Caṇḍīdāsa; gīta—their songs; āsvādena—tastes; rāmānanda—of the name Rāmānanda; svarūpa—of the name Svarūpa; sahita—along with.

 

TRANSLATION


The Lord used to read the books of Vidyāpati, Jayadeva and Caṇḍīdāsa, relishing their songs with His confidential associates like Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.

 

PURPORT

Vidyāpati was a famous composer of songs about the pastimes of Rādhā–Kṛṣṇa. He was an inhabitant of Mithilā, born in a brāhmaṇa family. It is calculated that he composed his songs during the reign of King Śivasiṁha and Queen Lachimādevī in the beginning of the fourteenth century of the Śaka Era, almost one hundred years before the appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The twelfth generation of Vidyāpati’s descendants is still living. Vidyāpati’s songs about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa express intense feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu relished all those songs in His ecstasy of separation from Kṛṣṇa.

Jayadeva was born during the reign of Mahārāja Lakṣmaṇa Sena of Bengal in the eleventh or twelfth century of the Śaka Era. His father was Bhojadeva, and his mother was Vāmādevī. For many years he lived in Navadvīpa, then the capital of Bengal. His birthplace was in the Birbhum district in the village Kendubilva. In the opinion of some authorities, however, he was born in Orissa, and still others say that he was born in southern India. He passed the last days of his life in Jagannātha Purī. One of his famous books is Gīta–govinda, which is full of transcendental mellow feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa. The gopīs felt separation from Kṛṣṇa before the rāsa dance, as mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the Gīta–govinda expresses such feelings. There are many commentaries on the Gīta–govinda by many Vaiṣṇavas.

Caṇḍīdāsa was born in the village of Nānnura, which is also in the Birbhum district of Bengal. He was born of a brāhmaṇa family, and it is said that he also took birth in the beginning of the fourteenth century, Śakābda Era. It has been suggested that Caṇḍīdāsa and Vidyāpati were great friends because the writings of both express the transcendental feelings of separation profusely. The feelings of ecstasy described by Caṇḍīdāsa and Vidyāpati were actually exhibited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He relished all those feelings in the role of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and His appropriate associates for this purpose were Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. These intimate associates of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu helped the Lord very much in the pastimes in which He felt like Rādhārāṇī.

Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments in this connection that such feelings of separation as Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu enjoyed from the books of Vidyāpati, Caṇḍīdāsa and Jayadeva are especially reserved for persons like Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara, who were paramahaṁsas, men of the topmost perfection, because of their advanced spiritual consciousness. Such topics are not to be discussed by ordinary persons imitating the activities of Lord Caitanya