19850713 Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya Lila.14.36 Calcutta India

The Following is a lecture given by his His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, on July 13th 1985 in Calcutta, India. The class begins with the reading from the Chaitanya Caritamrita Madhyalila chapter 14 text 36

Ei-mata jagannātha karena bhojana

ei sukhe mahāprabhura juḍāya nayana

Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was fully satisfied just to see how Lord Jagannātha accepted all the food.

Purport: Following is the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; a Vaiṣṇava should be fully satisfied simply to see a variety of food offered to the Deity of Jagannātha or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛtvaiva tṛptiṁ bhajataḥ sadaiva

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam

“The spiritual master is always offering Kṛṣṇa four kinds of delicious food [analyzed as that which is licked, chewed, drunk and sucked]. When the spiritual master sees that the devotees are satisfied by eating bhagavat-prasādam, he is satisfied. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.” The spiritual master’s duty is to engage his disciples in preparing varieties of nice foods to offer the Deity. After being offered, this food is distributed as prasādam to the devotees. These activities satisfy the spiritual master, although he himself does not eat or require such a variety of prasādam. By seeing to the offering and distribution of prasādam, he himself is encouraged in devotional service. Actually we can see how the Gurbastakam. Each verse has got is so many instructive -, for guiding us to spiritual life. Taking the different kinds of prasadam for our purification. one thing is also in this verse I don’t know how all them realized in that things song sadvaanno triptan Hari vakto sanghan,…Hari vakto sanghan,to take the prasadam in the association of the devotees of the lord. I remember in Mayapur, Srila Prabhupada ,many places Srila Prabhupada says this was fact between like.This was a regulative principle that the de devotees should take prasadam , the devotees should take prasadam in the association of Vaisnavas , Hari vaktos.This is very important .This much more purifying when we take Krishnaprasadam in the atmosphere of taking with other devotees. All these things are very important. In gurvastakam Srila Prabhupada was always stressing in taking Krishnaprasadam together. Sometimes we go out ot eat Krishna Prasad. Here it is said that it is better and re commended that apart from taking by oneself one should take in the association of Harivaktosanga. ; in the association of the other devotees of the lord.

keyā-patra-droṇī āila bojhā pāṅca-sāta (2)

eka eka jane daśa donā dila, — eta pāta

Translation: There then arrived five or seven loads of plates made of the leaves of the ketakī tree. What is that kentaki tree?( Not audible) Green leaves. Each man was supplied ten of these plates, and in this way the dishes were served. (05.00-05.14)

kīrtanīyāra pariśrama jāni’ gaurarāya

tāṅ-sabāre khāoyāite prabhura mana dhāya

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu understood the labor of all the kīrtana chanters; therefore He was very eager to feed them sumptuously.

pāṅti pāṅti kari’ bhakta-gaṇe vasāilā

pariveśana karibāre āpane lāgilā

All the devotees sat down in lines, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally began to distribute the prasādam.

See, how exalted the service it is. Even the lord himself wanted to serve the other, serve the vaisnavas.

prabhu nā khāile, keha nā kare bhojana

svarūpa-gosāñi tabe kaila nivedana

āpane vaisa, prabhu, bhojana karite

tumi nā khāile, keha nā pāre khāite

However the devotees would not accept the prasādam until Caitanya Mahāprabhu took it. It was Svarūpa Gosvāmī who informed the Lord of this. Svarūpa Dāmodara said, “My Lord, would you please sit down. No one will eat until You do.”

tabe mahāprabhu vaise nija-gaṇa lañā

bhojana karāila sabāke ākaṇṭha pūriyā

At that time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat down with His personal associates and had every one of them fed very sumptuously until they were filled to the necks.

Akantha puriya, puriya , kantha means the kanthimala. This is the Kanthi. So akantha means up to here. It’s coming up to here.(devotees laughing) No more rooms. So one when take Mahaprasad on the special days, festival days, then we have to take Akantha vojon., up to the neck. One time there was a devotee went down to book (08.02)………….., He is taking prasadam in a feast day and when he get up to leave , Prabhupada said that, you taken Prasad, He said yes. Are you feeling seek? He said NO. Sit down, take more.( devotees laughing) The boy then sit and take more ..I cant take..Then he is so filled that he had to take rest and he never left. (Devotees laughing) So even by Prasad sometimes someone may be saved from looping, (08.30) from leaving devotional service. Know how, Svarūpa Dāmodara all the senior devotees; they were the one who are serving even Mahaprabhu himself. Sometime we see in temples that all tha Brahmina sit down, all the devotees and then they asked a Vakto to serve. This is not the Principle (08.55-09.00) but in any other traditional Vaisnava institution it is the Brahmana to serve. Those who are second initiated. , the senior devotees, someone who is a vakto never allowed to serve a second initiated devotee. Apart from this it is a very important service not that catch someone (09.23) but that’s a very important service that should be done in a proper mood, very efficiently. No person can do it unless he is very expert. You see..Things can become very confused. You starts serving preparations, sweet rice first, sukto after the sweet rice, and so and so. becomes all confused. This are specific way specially the east Indian Prasad, the oria-goudia Prasad is served it comes in such a way and also this should be served in such a way everyone get as much as they can take but No one should get so much that they are wasted. So to do that effectively one has to take many visit (10.14) experts in this understanding how much They Should get. If a person need more keep up giving them more? Sometimes people is serving, they are not expert. They stand with a spoon and say one more, one more (10.15-10.33)………Yes. Then he serves. This is not the system. The system is that he slowly give, and then if they don’t want, then Go.(devotees laughing). (10.49) Interference. No more. If they start chewing,their throat automatically by wetting their hands No. and if they are undecided give them more. If they are hesitating. If they are not objecting, then all right. So everyone should concentrate on Prasad. Otherwise they looking this way and that way in the meantime server may come before his knowing their plate will be packed. So all these things required a little bit maturity to be able to do these things. And also a person serving them themselves should not be so newfide that there something left for me (11.35). So that required a little bit senior devotee all the time he might be thinking..Lasting over the food Prasad nervous, the person himself serving, you know he become (11.52) see the pot getting empty or something. So you find that of course not (12.02) automatically the senior devotees even Mahaprabhu himself trying to serve the Vaisnavas. But also the practical reason we see that we don’t follow the system at least expert of somewhere the senior devotees serve. Sometime the confusion comes out. So it’s not service generally for guest or for vaktos some Indians might be very expert in serving. And this is a tradition it happens to serve, out to guests so that’s a seen in very agriculturist families (12.58) see how the hosts took a personal interest that all of the guests are served and we see that the tradition had been headed down, here in East India. Srila Prabhupada hopes that in Mayapur that is very important. He was very concerned that in iskcon you know how to serve, specially the distinguished Indian gentlemen, prasadanm in the correct manner. And as he was telling about this; other temples, they are very expert in and we also learn various technique, He became so enthuse this that one time one commissioner or minister come, so the temple so then he said personally taken (13.32-13.39)

BREAK

13.42

prabhura ājñāya govinda dīna-hīna jane

duḥkhī kāṅgāla āni’ karāya bhojane

Following the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Govinda, His personal servant, called for all the poor beggars, who were unhappy due to their poverty, and fed them sumptuously.

kāṅgālera bhojana-raṅga dekhe gaurahari

‘hari-bola’ bali’ tāre upadeśa kari

Translation Observing the beggars eating prasādam, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted, “Haribol!” and instructed them to chant the holy name.

Purport: In a song, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura chants:

miche māyāra vaśe, yāccha bhese’,

khāccha hābuḍubu, bhāi

jīva kṛṣṇa-dāsa, e viśvāsa,

ka’rle ta’ āra duḥkha nāi

Everyone is captivated by the waves of the ocean of nescience? If you would immediately accept Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as your eternal master, there would be no chance of being carried away by the waves of illusion. Then all your sufferings would stop.” Kṛṣṇa conducts the material world under the three modes of material nature, and consequently there are three platforms of life — higher, middle and lower. On whatever platform one may be situated, one is tossed by the waves of material nature. Someone may be rich, someone may be middle class, and someone may be a poor beggar — it doesn’t matter. As long as one is under the spell of the three modes of material nature, he must continue to experience these divisions. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advised the beggars to chant “Haribol!” while taking prasādam. Chanting means accepting one’s self as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is the only solution, regardless of social position. Everyone is suffering under the spell of māyā; therefore the best course is to learn how to get out of the clutches of māyā. How to do so is stated by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (14.26):

māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

Translation “One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” One can overcome the spell of māyā and attain the transcendental platform by agreeing to engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Devotional service begins with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam; therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised the beggars to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra for elevation to the transcendental position. On the transcendental position, there is no distinction between the rich, the middle class and the poor.

‘hari-bola’ bali’ kāṅgāla preme bhāsi’ yāya

aichana adbhuta līlā kare gaurarāy

As soon as the beggars chanted the holy name, “Haribol,” they were immediately absorbed in ecstatic love of Godhead. In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed wonderful pastimes. Purport: To feel the emotion of ecstatic love of Godhead is to be on the transcendental platform. If one can keep himself in that transcendental position, he will surely return home, back to Godhead. In the spiritual world there is no higher, middle or lower classes. This is confirmed in the Īśopaniṣad (7):

yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ

tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvam anupaśyataḥ

“One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?” So Lord Chaitanya saw that everyone got Krishnaprasad, according to their social position and so on Prasad once they are taking Prasad, come to their transcendental position. Lord Chaitanya chanting Haribol, Hare krisna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Here we can see that we get out of prasadam, we should make all the people chant Haribol, chant Hare Krishna, in this way all the people feel transcendental happiness.(19.02) They will be purifying upright uptrancedental position. So real samyabad or equality is only possible through this transcendental process otherwise it was simply be artificial. This is the real process of equal lives people by elevating people in their trancedental platform. All become under same spiritual level. Because under spiritual platform there are no differentiation between high, middle and lower classes. Some instruction Prabhupada has said? Some of these things (20.08—21.14) not audible. Audience speaking: in every ten kilometers, in every direction, so be calculated that means ten thousand; sorry ten kilometers in India for Prasad distribution. Ten thousand centers will distribute Prasad, twice a day, (Gurumaharaj speaking; namahattas. We have already two thousand seven hundred centers. Now you have to do organized Prasad distributions or ten thousand) 22.13 – not audible Gurumaharaj: (Devotees laughing) No according ten by ten, even ten mile radius, ten kilometers. Twenty by twenty, four hundred squre kilometers. Proportionately you have a greater concentration that means four hundred square kilometers, ten thousand, twenty five people have to be fed for each square kilometers. 23.03- (not audible) so ten kilometers paths. Radius ten means diameters 12 miles. Simultaneously ten miles. 23.24-24.05 (not audible) That’s the higher standard. Stage .so then that way. One in the ten kilometers daily. Namahatta program daily. Kilometers, four hundred. One in every village. So in any way in any case this indicates that Prabhupada how much wanted that Iskcon (24.20) people by serving prasadam. Giving them Holy name while taking Prasad we also be chanting. That’s way all are the essentials of life material and spiritual are being met.

24.43 সংক্ষিপ্তঃ এখানে মহাপ্রভু বললেন, তিনি খুব সন্তুষ্ট ছিলেন এত এত খানি প্রসাদ জগন্নাথের কাছে নিবেদন হইল এবং তখন নিজের হাতে উনিপ্রসাদ বিতরন করে, কিন্তু কেউ প্রসাদ পাইবেনা তিনি যতক্ষণ না পান। সেই হিসেবে স্বরুপ দামোদর নিজে পরিবেশনের ভার নিয়ে মহাপ্রভু কে বসিয়ে দিলেন, তখন মহাপ্রভু প্রসাদ পেতে বসলেন। তার সমস্ত ভক্তগণ আকণ্ঠ ভোজন করিলেন। তারপর মহাপ্রভু নিজে প্রক্ষালন দিয়ে দেখেছেন যে সহস্র সহস্র লোকের কাছে প্রসাদ বিতরন হয়নি। তারপরে এই সমস্ত ভদ্রলোকদের প্রসাদ দেবার পর তখন কাঙ্গালের ভোজন দেয়া হল। যখন সেসব গরিব ভিখারি তারাও প্রসাদে এসে প্রসাদ পেল এবং তখন মহাপ্রভু সবাইকে হরিনাম কীর্ত্তন করতে বললেন। তখন ভক্তগন, ভদ্রলোক, কাঙ্গাল, সবাইকে হরিনাম করে সবাই একই স্তরে চলে আসলেন। ভক্তগন এসেছে পারমার্থিক স্তরে এবং সবাই প্রসাদ পেয়ে জীবন ধন্য হলো এবং আমাদের কর্তব্য হচ্ছে প্রভুপাদ যেমনটা বললেন যে ভারতবর্ষ তে এরকম প্রসাদ বিতরণের ব্যবস্থা করা। এবং এর থেকে বড় প্রচার হতে পারেনা। হরে কৃষ্ণ মহা মন্ত্র,কৃষ্ণপ্রসাদ, তারপর যারা বুঝতে পারে গীতা ভাগবত ,চৈতন্য চরিতামৃতের                                                হরে কৃষ্ণ হরে কৃষ্ণ কৃষ্ণ কৃষ্ণ হরে হরে

                                                হরে রাম হরে রাম রাম রাম হরে হরে  

Shantipriya Janaki Devi Dasi Bangladesh.

কথা।


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