19790910-Evening-Darshan-CC-Adi-7.1-17-Understanding-The-Panca-Tattva-Literal-Version

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The following is class given by His Holiness, Jayapataka Swami Maharaja on September 10th, 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The class begins with a reading from the Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila, Chapter 7, Text 1-17.

Jayapataka Swami:

sri-krsna-caitanya

prabhu-nityananda

sri-advaita gadadhara

srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

hare krsna hare krsna

krsna krsna hare hare/

hare rama hare rama

rama rama hare hare

Text 1:

agaty-eka-gatim natva

hinarthadhika-sadhakam

sri-caitanyam likhyate ’sya

prema-bhakti-vadanyata

Translation:

Let me first offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the ultimate goal of life for one bereft of all possessions in this material world and is the only meaning for one advancing in spiritual life. Thus let me write about His magnanimous contribution of devotional service in love of God.

Purport by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Prabhupada:

A person in the conditioned stage of material existence is in an atmosphere of helplessness, but the conditioned soul, under the illusion of maya, or the external energy, thinks that he is completely protected by his country, society, friendship and love, not knowing that at the time of death none of these can save him. The laws of material nature are so strong that none of our material possessions can save us from the cruel hands of death. In Bhagavad-gita Verse 9, Chapter 13, it is stated, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam: one who is actually advancing must always consider the four principles of miserable life, namely, birth, death, old age and disease. One cannot be saved from all these miseries unless he takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is therefore the only shelter for all conditioned souls. An intelligent person, therefore, does not put his faith in any material possessions, but completely takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a person is called akiñcana, or one who does not possess anything in this material world. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is also known as Akiñcana-gocara, for He can be achieved by a person who does not put his faith in material possessions. Therefore, for the fully surrendered soul who has no material possessions on which to depend, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the only shelter.

Everyone depends upon dharma (religiosity), artha (economic development), kama (sense gratification) and ultimately moksa (salvation), but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, due to His magnanimous character, can give more than salvation. Therefore in this verse the words hinarthadhika-sadhakam indicate that although by material estimation salvation is of a quality superior to the inferior interests of religiosity, economic development and sense gratification, above salvation there is the position of devotional service and transcendental love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the bestower of this great benediction. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, prema pum-artho mahan: “Love of Godhead is the ultimate benediction for all human beings.” Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, therefore first offers his respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu before describing His magna… magnanim… uh… mangana… magnanimity in bestowing love of Godhead.

Text 2:

jaya jaya mahaprabhu sri-krsna-caitanya

tanhara caranasrita, sei bada dhanya

People don’t repeat. Just go on.

Let me offer glorification to the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One who has taken shelter of His lotus feet is the most glorified person.

Purport:

Prabhu means master. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the supreme master of all masters; therefore He is called Mahaprabhu. Any person who takes shelter of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is most glorified because by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu he is able to get promotion to the platform of loving service to the Lord, which is transcendental to salvation.

Text 3:

purve gurv-adi chaya tattve kaila namaskara

guru-tattva kahiyachi, ebe pancera vicara

Translation:

In the beginning I have discussed the truth about the spiritual master. Now I shall try to explain the Pañca-tattva.

Purport:

In the first chapter of the Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, the author, Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, has described the initiator spiritual master and the instructor spiritual master in the verse beginning with the words vande gurun isa-bhaktan isam isavatarakan. In that verse there are six transcendental subject matters, of which the truth regarding the spiritual master has already been described. Now the author will describe the other five tattvas (truths), namely, isa-tattva (the Supreme Lord), His expansion tattva, His incarnation tattva, His energy tattva and His devotee tattva.

Text 4:

pañca-tattva avatirna caitanyera sange

pañca-tattva laña karena sankirtana range

Translation:

These five tattvas incarnate with Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and thus the Lord executes His sankirtana movement with great pleasure.

Purport:

In Srimad-Bhagavatam there is the following statement regarding Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam

sangopangastra-parsadam

yajñaih sankirtana-prayair

yajanti hi su-medhasah

“In the Age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of sankirtana-yajña.” (Bhagavatam 11.5.32)Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by His plenary expansion Sri Nityananda Prabhu, His incarnation Sri Advaita Prabhu, His internal potency Sri Gadadhara Prabhu and His marginal potency Srivasa Prabhu. He is in the midst of them as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should know that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by these other tattvas. Therefore our obeisances to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are complete when we say sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. As preachers of the Krsna consciousness movement, we first offer our obeisances to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by chanting this Pañca-tattva mantra; then we say Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. There are ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but these are not considered in the chanting of the Pañca-tattva mantra, namely, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known as maha-vadanyavatara, the most magnanimous incarnation, for He does not consider the offenses of the fallen souls. Thus to derive the full benefit of the chanting of the maha-mantra (Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare), we must first take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, learn the Pañca-tattva maha-mantra, and then chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. That will be very effective.

Taking advantage of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, many unscrupulous devotees manufacture a mahä-mantra of their own. Sometimes they sing, bhaja nitai gaura radhe syama hare krsna hare rama (devotees laugh) or sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda hare krsna hare rama sri-radhe govinda. (devotees laugh)Actually, however, one should chant the names of the full Panca-tattva (, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda) and then the sixteen words (devotees chant in unison) Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, but these unscrupulous, less intelligent men confuse the entire process. Of course, since they are also devotees they can express their feelings in that way, but the method prescribed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pure devotees is to chant first the full Panca-tattva mantra and then chant the maha-mantra- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Text 5:

pañca-tattva — eka-vastu, nahi kichu bheda

rasa asvadite tabu vividha vibheda

Translation:

Spiritually there are no differences between these five tattvas, for on the transcendental platform everything is absolute. Yet there are also varieties in the spiritual world, and in order to taste these spiritual varieties one should distinguish between them.

Purport:

In his Anubhasya commentary Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura describes the Pañca-tattva as follows: The supreme energetic, the Personality of Godhead, manifesting in five kinds of pastimes, appears as the members of the Pañca-tattva. Actually there is no difference between them because they are situated on the absolute platform, but they manifest different spiritual varieties as a challenge to the impersonalists to taste different kinds of spiritual humors or rasas. In the Vedas it is said, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate: “The varieties of energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are differently known.” From this statement of the Vedas one can understand that there are eternal varieties of humors, or tastes, in the spiritual world. Sri Gauranga, Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Sri Gadadhara and Srivasa are all on the same platform, but in spiritually distinguishing between them one should understand that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the form of a devotee, Nityananda Prabhu appears in the form of a devotee’s spiritual master, Advaita Prabhu is the form of a bhakta (devotee) incarnation, Gadadhara Prabhu is the energy of a bhakta or devotee, and Srivasa Thakura is a pure devotee. Thus there are spiritual distinctions between them. The bhakta-rupa (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu), the bhakta-svarupa (Sri Nityananda Prabhu) and the bhakta-avatara (Sri Advaita Prabhu) are described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, His immediate manifestation and His plenary expansion, and They all belong to the Visnu category. Although the spiritual and marginal energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead Visnu, they are predominated subjects, whereas Lord Visnu is the predominator. As such, although they are on the same platform, they have appeared differently in order to facilitate tasting of transcendental mellows. Actually, however, there is no possibility of one being different from the other, but… for the… for the worshiper and the worshipable cannot be separated at any stage. On the absolute platform, one cannot be understood without the other.

Text 10… uh, excuse me 6,

pañca-tattvatmakam krsnam

bhakta-rupa-svarupakam

bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam

namami bhakta-saktikam

Translation:

Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Sri Krsna, who has manifested Himself in five as a devotee, expansion of a devotee, incarnation of a devotee, pure devotee and devotional energy.

Purport:

Sri Nityananda Prabhu is the immediate expansion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as His brother. He is the personified spiritual bliss of sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. His body is transcendental and full of ecstasy in devotional service. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is therefore called bhakta-rupa (the form of a devotee), and Sri Nityananda Prabhu is called bhakta-svarupa (the expansion of a devotee). Sri Advaita Prabhu, the incarnation of a devotee, is visnu-tattva and belongs to the same category. There are also different types of bhaktas, or devotees, on the platforms of neutrality, servitude, friendship, paternity and conjugal love. Devotees like Sri Damodara, Sri Gadadhara and Sri Ramananda are different energies. This confirms the Vedic sutra parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. All these bhakta subjects, all these devotee subjects taken together constitute Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krsna Himself.

Text 7 svayam bhagavan krsna ekale isvara

advitiya, nandatmaja, rasika-sekhara

Translation:

Krsna, the reservoir of all pleasure, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, the supreme controller. No one is greater than or equal to Sri Krsna, yet He appears as the son of Maharaja Nanda.

Purport:

In this verse Kaviraja Gosvami gives an accurate description of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by stating that although no one is equal to or greater than Him and He is the reservoir of all spiritual pleasure, He nevertheless appears as the son of Maharaja Nanda and Yasodamayi.

Text 8:

rasadi-vilasi, vrajalalana-nagara

ara yata saba dekha, — tanra parikara

Translation: Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the supreme enjoyer in the rasa dance. He is the leader of the damsels of Vraja, and all others are simply His associates.

Purport:

The word rasadi-vilasi (“the enjoyer of the rasa dance”) is very important. The rasa dance can be enjoyed only by Sri Krsna because He is the supreme leader and chief of the damsels of Vrndavana. All others are His devotees and associates. Although no one can compare with Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are many unscrupulous rascals who imitate the rasa dance of Sri Krsna. They are Mayavadis, and people should be wary of them. The rasa dance can be performed only by Sri Krsna and no one else.

Text 9:

sei krsna avatirna sri-krsna-caitanya

sei parikara-gana sange saba dhanya

Translation:

The selfsame Lord Krsna advented Himself as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with all His eternal associates, who are also equally glorious.

Text 10:

ekale isvara-tattva caitanya-isvara

bhakta-bhavamaya tanra suddha kalevara

Translation:

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the supreme controller, the one Personality of Godhead, has ecstatically become a devotee, yet His body is transcendental and not materially tinged.

Purport:

There are different tattvas, or truths, including isa-tattva, jiva-tattva and sakti-tattva. Isa-tattva refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Visnu, who is the supreme living force. In the Katha Upanisad it is said, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme eternal and the supreme living force. The living entities are also eternal and are also living forces, but they are very minute in qual… in quantity, whereas the Supreme Lord is the supreme living force and the supreme eternal. The supreme eternal never accepts a body of a temporary material nature, whereas the living entities, who are part and parcel of the supreme eternal, are prone to do so. Thus according to the Vedic mantras the Supreme Lord is the supreme master of innumerable living entities.

The Mayavadi philosophers, however, try to equate the minute living entities with the supreme living entity. Because they recognize no distinctions between them, their philosophy is called Advaita-vada, or monism. Factually, however, there is a distinction. This verse is especially meant to impart to the Mayavadi philosopher the understanding that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme controller. The supreme controller, the su… the Personality of Godhead, is Krsna Himself, but as a transcendental pastime He has accepted the form of a devotee, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna comes to this planet exactly like a human being, some rascals consider Him to be one of the ordinary humans. One who thinks in that mistaken way is described as mudha, or foolish. Therefore one should not foolishly consider Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be an ordinary human being. He has accepted the ecstasy of a devotee, but He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since Caitanya Mahaprabhu, there have been many imitation incarnations of Krsna who cannot understand that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was Krsna Himself and not an ordinary human being. Less intelligent men create their own “Gods” by advertising a human being as God. This is their mistake. Therefore here the words tanra suddha kalevara warn that Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s body is not material but purely spiritual. One should not, therefore, accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an ordinary devotee, although He has assumed the form of a devotee. Yet one must certainly know that although Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because He accepted the ecstasy of a devotee one should not misunderstand His pastimes and place Him in exactly the same position as Krsna. It is for this reason only that when Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was addressed as Krsna or Visnu He blocked His ears, not wanting to hear Himself addressed as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is a class of devotees called Gauranga-nagari, who stage plays of Krsna’s pastimes using a vigraha, or form, of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is a mistaken… this is a mistake that is technically called rasabhasa. While Caitanya Mahaprabhu is trying to enjoy as a devotee, one should not disturb Him by addressing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Text 11:

krsna-madhuryera eka adbhuta svabhava

apana asvadite krsna kare bhakta-bhava

Translation:

The transcendental mellow of conjugal love of Krsna is so wonderful that Krsna Himself accepts the form of a devotee to relish and taste it fully.

Purport:

Although Krsna is the reservoir of all pleasure, He has a special intention to taste Himself by accepting the form of a devotee. It is to be concluded that although Lord Caitanya is present in the form of a devotee, He is Krsna Himself. Therefore Vaisnavas sing, sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya: “Radha and Krsna combined together are Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” Caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam: Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has said, Radha and Krsna assumed oneness in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Text 12:

ithe bhakta-bhava dhare caitanya gosañi

‘bhakta-svarupa’ tanra nityananda-bhai

Translation:

For this reason Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the supreme teacher, accepts the form of a devotee and accepts Lord Nityananda as His elder brother.

Text 13:

‘bhakta-avatara’ tanra acarya-gosañi

ei tina tattva sabe prabhu kari’ gai

Translation:

Sri Advaita Acarya is Lord Caitanya’s incarnation as a devotee. Therefore these three tattvas [Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Gosañi] are the predominators, or masters.

Purport:

Gosañi means gosvami. A person who has full control over the senses and mind is called a gosvami or gosañi. One who does not have such control is called a godasa, or a servant of the senses, and cannot become a spiritual master. A spiritual master who actually has control over the mind and senses is called Gosvami. Although the Gosvami title has become a hereditary designation for unscrupulous men, actually the title Gosañi, or Gosvami, began from Sri Rupa Gosvami, who presented himself as an ordinary grhastha and minister in government service but became gosvami when he was actually elevated by the instruction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore Gosvami is not a hereditary title but refers to one’s qualifications. When one is highly elevated in spiritual advancement, regardless of wherefrom he comes, he may be called Gosvami. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Advaita Gosañi Prabhu are natural gosvamis because They belong to the visnu-tattva category. As such, all of Them are prabhus (“predominators” or “masters”), and They are sometimes called Caitanya Gosañi, Nityananda Gosañi and Advaita Gosañi. Unfortunately, Their so-called descendants who do not have the qualifications of gosvamis have accepted this title as a hereditary designation or a professional degree. That is not in accord with the sastric injunctions.

Text 14:

eka mahaprabhu, ara prabhu duijana

dui prabhu seve mahaprabhura carana

Translation:

One of Them is Mahaprabhu, and the other two are prabhus. These two prabhus serve the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu.

Purport:

Although Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Lord Sri Advaita Prabhu all belong to the same Visnu category, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is nevertheless accepted as the Supreme, and the other two prabhus engage in His transcendental loving service to teach ordinary living entities that every one of us is subordinate to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In another place in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 5.142) it is said, ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya: the only supreme master is Krsna, and all others, both visnu-tattva and jiva-tattva, engage in the service of the Lord. Both one must distinguish between the visnu-tattva servitors and jiva-tattva servitors. The jiva-tattva servitor, individual soul, the spiritual master, is actually the servitor God. As explained in previous verses, in the absolute world there are no such differences, yet one must observe these differences in order to distinguish the Supreme from His subordinates.

ei tina tattva, — ‘sarvaradhya’ kari mani

caturtha ye bhakta-tattva, — ‘aradhaka’ jani

Translation:

The three predominators [Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu] are worshipable by all living entities, and the fourth principle [Sri Gadadhara Prabhu] is to be understood as Their worshiper.

Purport:

In his Anubhasya, Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, describing the truth about Pañca-tattva, explains that we can understand that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the supreme predominator and that Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu are His subordinates but are also predominators. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Lord, and Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu are manifestations of the Supreme Lord. All of Them are visnu-tattva, the Supreme, and are therefore worshipable by the living entities. Although the other two tattvas, or truths within the category of Pañca-tattva — namely, sakti-tattva and jiva-tattva, represented by Gadadhara and Srivasa — are worshipers of the Supreme Lord, they are in the same category because they eternally engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.

Text 16:

srivasadi yata koti koti bhakta-gana

‘suddha-bhakta’-tattva-madhye tan-sabara ganana

Translation:

There are innumerable pure devotees of the Lord, headed by Srivasa Thakura, who are known as unalloyed devotees.

Text 17:

gadadhara-panditadi prabhura ‘sakti’-avatara

‘antaranga-bhakta’ kari’ ganana yanhara

Translation:

The devotees headed by Gadadhara Pandita are to be considered incarnations of the internal potency of the Lord. They are internal potential devotees engaged in the service of the Lord.

Purport:

In connection with verses 16 and 17, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains in his Anubhasya commentary: “There are specific symptoms by which the internal devotees and the unalloyed or pure devotees are to be known. All unalloyed devotees are sakti-tattvas, or potencies of the Lord. Some of them are situated in conjugal love and others in filial affection, fraternity and servitude. Certainly all of them are devotees, but by making a comparative study it is found that the devotees or potencies who are engaged in conjugal love are better situated than the others. Thus devotees who are in a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in conjugal love are considered to be the most confidential devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Those who engage in the service of Lord Nityananda Prabhu and Lord Advaita Prabhu generally have relationships of parental love, fraternity, servitude and neutrality. When such devotees develop great attachment for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they too become situated within the intimate circle of devotees in conjugal love.” This gradual development of devotional service is described by Sri Narottama dasa Thakura as follows:

gauranga balite habe pulaka sarira hari hari balite nayane ba’be nira

ara kabe nitaicanda karuna karibe samsara-vasana mora kabe tuccha habe

visaya chadiya kabe suddha habe mana kabe hama heraba sri-vrndavana

rupa-raghunatha-pade ha-ibe akuti kabe hama bujhaba sri-yugala-piriti

“When will there be eruptions on my body as soon as I chant the name of Lord Caitanya, and when will there be incessant torrents of tears as soon as I chant the holy names Hare Krsna? When will Lord Nityananda be merciful toward me and free me from all desires for material enjoyment? When will my mind be completely freed from all contamination of desires for material pleasure? Only at that time will it be possible for me to understand Vrndavana. Only if I become attached to the instructions given by the six Gosvamis, headed by Rupa Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, will it be possible for me to understand the conjugal love of Radha and Krsna.” By attachment to the devotional service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one immediately comes to the ecstatic position. When he develops his love for Nityananda Prabhu he is freed from all attachment to the material world, and at that time he becomes eligible to understand the Lord’s pastimes in Vrndavana. In that condition, one… when one develops his love for the six Gosvamis, he can understand the conjugal love between Radha and Krsna. These are the different stages of a pure devotee’s promotion to conjugal love in the service of Radha and Krsna in an intimate relationship with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Ramesvara Swami: Jaya. So, Acaryapada, do you want to speak, or do you just want to take questions?

Jayapataka Swami: I would like to hear some of the nectar from your lotus lips Srila Rameshvar Swami.

Devotees: Jaya!

Ramesvara Swami: Actually the reason we chose this chapter to begin tonight is because you are the Acarya of Sri Mayapur dham and this chapter describes the Lord of Sri Mayapur dham. We thought we would hear from you therefore, (devotees laughing) on this subject.

Personally, I can only comment a little and then we can hope to hear from you. I can explain only that this is a very difficult subject matter to understand. People have a hard time even distinguishing between the spirit within their body and their material body. Most people cannot distinguish at all and instead simply take themselves to be this material body. So people cannot even understand such a simple thing – the difference between the soul and the body. then it of course is very difficult to expect them to understand God because God, the Supreme Lord, everything about Him is infinite and unlimited. Therefore, uh… how He exists, the different forms that He manifests Himself in, the different transcendental feelings or emotions that He experiences, His different transcendental desires, all of these things, they are unlimited and infinite in variety.

The subject matter or the science of God is not a simple affair. It is not something that can be limited to… as some sectarian people think, to one book. This science of God is not something that can be understood with our material mind and it is not something that can be understood through our material senses. Uh, It is uh, beyond the mind and beyond the senses. But it is not beyond the soul to understand. Therefore, one must distinguish between the soul and the mind and senses of this body.

Once that distinction is made, then one can begin to actually understand the science of God. That is the platform on which one can begin to understand this transcendental science. Until we come to that platform, then of course we can’t approach God. Now when we come to that platform of completely distinguishing between the soul and the mind and senses of this material body, and we stop identifying with the mind and senses of this body, and absorb ourselves in the uh, eternal identity that we are eternally spirit soul, uh, we have nothing to do with this material body, we should not act under the dictation of this body, we should not act under the dictation of this mind and senses but we should act only as spirit souls.

Once we are situated in that way, then the subject matter of God which is infinite and unlimited. Everything about Krishna is full of infinite variety, His form, His characteristics, His qualities, His activities, His abilities, His energies, His desires, His pleasures, these are all infinite in their variety and they are all unlimited. These things can be understood uh, through the spiritual senses and spiritual mind, not through the material senses and material mind. They can be understood. But the subject matter is very difficult for ordinary people. There is no doubt of that. Therefore this incarnation of Krishna as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has appeared because the subject matter is so difficult, the qualification is so great, you have to make such advancement to be able to distinguish between the soul and the body and you have to stop acting as if the body has any meaning and the mind has any meaning, and it is so rare and it is so difficult.

Therefore this incarnation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has appeared because it is so difficult to understand, because it is so difficult to even be qualified to begin to understand. Therefore, Krishna came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to bestow the transcendental realization. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as we will later read tomorrow night, the next section, gives this enlightenment and He bestows the qualification for understanding God without any charge, without any uh, preliminary uh… assets or qualities. Caitanya Mahaprabhu simply awards; that is His principle characteristic. This incarnation of God is unique among all the different, infinite manifestations of God. He gives what no other manifestation of God ever gives. He gives perfect knowledge of this transcendental science freely to those who are unqualified to have such priceless knowledge of enlightenment, to… of… for those who are unqualified to take this highest pleasure which far beyond the pleasures known to the beings of this material world.

The pleasures of the transcendental world of Krishna are infinite and the pleasures of this mundane world are limited. No matter how much we enjoy something in this material world, it is limited in terms of time, in terms of space and in terms of quantity. No matter what it is and how much you enjoy it, it is limited. But the pleasure of the transcendental world is infinite. It is unlimited. That is the difference between spirit and matter. Spirit has no limit. Spirit has nothing to restrict it.

So the people of this world are not qualified to know this very well and they are not qualified to experience this enlightenment and they are not qualified to taste this transcendental pleasure of the spiritual world. Yet despite this, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is enabling them to have this enlightenment and to experience the very same bliss that the pure souls who reside eternally in the abode of God experience at every moment. Caitanya Mahaprabhu enables people who have no qualification to have that bliss and to have that enlightenment.

So I cannot understand very well these descriptions myself. But I just know this much that uh, because Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so uh, merciful beyond uh, any mercy that God has ever previously shown to any living being, the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu surpasses anything that God has ever done before. So I know that much and therefore I have faith that if I can somehow or other do something which pleases Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then there is a chance because He is so merciful that uh, He can give me this uh, gift of Krishna consciousness, without any other qualification, just I do something that pleases Him, I try to do some service for Him. That’s all I know. I can’t explain anything uh, very complicated in this matter, in this science of God. But I have firm faith that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna in His most merciful aspect and to do something that pleases Him is the greatest uh, thing in life. It will surpass any achievement; it will surpass any type of position in the material world. It will surpass any type of experience that this material world can offer.

So somehow or other I have this faith by the mercy of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupad. And with this faith I am just trying to push myself into a position where Caitanya’s mercy will fall on me. So this is the easy way to become enlightened in the science of God. To take some other path of yoga is very difficult and it is doubtful whether one will be successful in this Kali-yuga. People are more interested in satisfying their senses and enjoying the flickering pleasure of this ephemeral world in the form of cinema and music and sex and so on.

People are more interested in this than tasting the bliss of the spiritual world. That is their unfortunate foolishness that they think that this pleasure of the material world is a very good thing and you don’t need anything else except this pleasure. Of course they forget the obvious point that this material world’s pleasure will fade away very quickly and then they are left with nothing. In old age it is… it is, their sex power is gone and their eyesight fades and their belly shrivels and their bones are full of pain. People who depend on the body for pleasure will be very much disappointed in old age because they have failed to get the mercy of Caitanya, then another body awaits them. That is unfortunate. Anyway, that is the condition of most people; they are not even interested in experiencing the bliss of the spiritual world. They are content to take this cheap pleasure when they can have eternal, unlimited pleasure, they settle for temporary pleasure. That is foolishness. If you had the choice you choose the left hand and there is a million dollars and you choose the right hand and there is one dollar and they are choosing the right hand, they are choosing the one dollar instead of the million dollars.

Such a crude analogy does not adequately explain what they are missing out on by not trying to become God conscious. Anyway the different paths for becoming God conscious are very difficult and I myself have no qualification to practice them, neither do most souls who live in this Kali yuga. So the easy way, the cheap way, the simple way to become God conscious and experience this bliss and now… enlightenment is simply let the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu fall on our heads. That is the easy way. So that… that is our faith.

He is pouring the mercy. We must just put ourselves in the right place so that it falls on us. It is as simple as that. And then that bliss will be there, that knowledge will be there, despite the fact that we may have no good qualities and all bad qualities, we may be full of material desires, we may have so many defects and deficiencies but if we just put ourselves in the right position and let Caitanya’s mercy fall on us then despite all the disqualifications we become God conscious, enlightened souls. So, that much I know. And the rest we have to hear from Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja, Acaryapada about Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sridham Mayapur. Hare Krishna.

Jayapataka Swami: What would you like to hear? (devotees laugh) It is not possible to tell all of it! There is no limit.

Ramesvara Swami: Because I am a fool. I don’t even know what questions should be put at this point. But because you have lived in the holy dhama for so many years, perhaps you could just tell us a few things about Sri Caitanya and His dhama that will make us more attached to putting ourselves in that position that His mercy will fall on us.

Jayapataka Swami: Tonight we are beginning the study on God’s descent as His own devotee, to show by example how to serve Himself. Just like a school teacher will sometimes take the chalk… take the pencil and show the student, “You write in this way.” So the Supreme Person could see that the people are so fallen that no amount of good instruction alone will have any effect. It is essential to also show them by example what is the way of developing pure love of God, pure krsna-prema.

So here, for the first time in this reading we are seeing the Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda Prabhu together.

[break]

Actually Lord Caitanya was born in Mayapur where I live… or have for some times, and Lord Nityananda was born at Ekachakra in Radhadesh a part of the state of Gaudadesh where the Ganges doesn’t flow. So there, I think even today it’s a good five hour drive, what happened is that in Their childhood, They were not together. Their brotherhood is of a deeper nature. They are brothers for a long time. So Lord Nityananda when He appeared… when Lord Caitanya appeared of course, we know that the whole world rejoiced and was chanting Hare Krishna and Hari bol at that time was the full moon eclipse. In India it is customary on a full moon eclipses, the devotees all go to the sacred river Ganges and they bathe and they yell, "Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol!" And in this way the Lord’s advent was uh, rejoiced.

[end of recording]

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Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari-devi dasi September 10th, 2014