1|Madhya 8-1975: Talks Between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and
>|Ramananda Raya
2|Chapter 8
3|Talks Between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya
4|The summary of the Eighth Chapter is given by Srila
>|Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya.
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5|After visiting the temple of Jiyada-nrsimha, Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu went to the banks of the river Godavari, to a
>|place known as Vidyanagara. When Srila Ramananda Raya went
>|there to take his bath, they met. After being introduced,
>|Sri Ramananda Raya requested Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to
>|remain in the village for some days. Honoring his request,
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed there in the home of some Vedic
>|brahmanas. In the evening, Srila Ramananda Raya used to
>|come to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Ramananda Raya, who
>|was clothed in ordinary dress, offered the Lord respectful
>|obeisances. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu questioned him on the
>|object and process of worship and also asked him to recite
>|verses from Vedic literature.
6|First of all, Srila Ramananda Raya enunciated the system of
>|the varnasrama institution. He recited various verses about
>|karmarpana, stating that everything should be dedicated to
>|the Lord. He then spoke of detached action, knowledge mixed
>|with devotional service, and finally the spontaneous loving
>|service of the Lord. After hearing Srila Ramananda Raya
>|recite some verses, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the
>|principle of pure devotional service devoid of all kinds of
>|speculation. After this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked
>|Ramananda Raya to explain the higher platform of devotional
>|service. Then Srila Ramananda Raya explained unalloyed
>|devotional service, love of Godhead, and serving the Lord
>|in the moods of pure servitude, fraternity and parental
>|love. Finally he spoke of serving the Lord in conjugal love.
>| He then spoke of how conjugal love can be developed in
>|various ways. This conjugal love attains its highest
>|perfection in Srimati Radharani's love for Krsna. He next
>|described the position of Srimati Radharani and the
>|transcendental mellows of love of God. Srila Ramananda Raya
>|then recited a verse of his own concerning the platform of
>|ecstatic vision, technically called prema-vilasa-vivarta.
>|Srila Ramananda Raya also explained that all stages of
>|conjugal love can be attained through the mercy of the
>|residents of Vrndavana, especially by the mercy of the
>|gopis. All these subject matters were thus vividly
>|described. Gradually Ramananda Raya could understand the
>|position of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and when Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu exhibited His real form, Ramananda Raya fell
>|unconscious. After some days, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked
>|Ramananda Raya to retire from government service and come
>|to Jagannatha Puri. These descriptions of the meetings
>|between Ramananda Raya and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are
>|taken from the notebook of Svarupa Damodara Gosvami.
7|Madhya 8.1
8|TEXT 1
9|TEXT
10|sancarya ramabhidha-bhakta-meghe
11|sva-bhakti-siddhanta-cayamrtani
12|gaurabdhir etair amuna vitirnais
13|taj-jnatva-ratnalayatam prayati
14|SYNONYMS
15|sancarya-by empowering; rama-abhidha-of the name Rama;
>|bhakta-meghe-in the cloudlike devotee; sva-bhakti-of His
>|own devotional service; siddhanta-of conclusions; caya-all
>|collections; amrtani-nectar; gaura-abdhih-the ocean known
>|as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; etaih-by these; amuna-by the
>|cloud known as Ramananda Raya; vitirnaih-distributed; tat-
>|jnatva-of knowledge of devotional service; ratna-alayatam-
>|the quality of being an ocean containing valuable jewels;
>|prayati-achieved.
16|TRANSLATION
17|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is known as Gauranga, is the
>|ocean of all conclusive knowledge in devotional service. He
>|empowered Sri Ramananda Raya, who may be likened to a cloud
>|of devotional service. This cloud was filled with the water
>|of all the conclusive purports of devotional service and
>|was empowered by the ocean to spread this water over the
>|ocean of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Thus the ocean of
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu became filled with the jewels of the
>|knowledge of pure devotional service.
18|Madhya 8.2
19|TEXT 2
20|TEXT
21|jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda
22|jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
23|SYNONYMS
24|jaya jaya-all glories; sri-caitanya-Lord Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu; jaya-all glories; nityananda-to Lord Nityananda;
>| jaya advaita-candra-all glories to Advaita Acarya; jaya
>|gaura-bhakta-vrnda-all glories to the devotees of Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
25|TRANSLATION
26|All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to
>|Lord Nityananda! All glories to Advaita Acarya! And all
>|glories to all the devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
27|Madhya 8.3
28|TEXT 3
29|TEXT
30|purva-rite prabhu age gamana karila
31|'jiyada-nrsimha'-ksetre kata-dine gela
32|SYNONYMS
33|purva-rite-according to His previous program; prabhu-Lord
>|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; age-ahead; gamana-going; karila-
>|did; jiyada-nrsimha-of the name Jiyada-nrsimha; ksetre-at
>|the place of pilgrimage; kata-dine-after some days; gela-
>|arrived.
34|TRANSLATION
35|According to His previous program, Lord Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu went forward on His tour and after some days
>|arrived at the place of pilgrimage known as Jiyada-nrsimha.
36|PURPORT
37|The Jiyada-nrsimha temple is situated on the top of a hill
>|about five miles away from Visakhapatnam. There is a
>|railway station on the South Indian Railway known as
>|Simhacala. The temple known as Simhacala is the best temple
>|in the vicinity of Visakhapatnam. This temple is very
>|affluent and is a typical example of the architecture of
>|the area. In one stone tablet it is mentioned that formerly
>|a queen covered the Deity with gold plate. This is
>|mentioned in the Visakhapatnam Gazetteer. About the temple,
>|there are residential quarters for the priests and devotees.
>| Indeed, at the present moment there are many residential
>|quarters to accommodate visiting devotees. The original
>|Deity is situated within the depths of the temple, but
>|there is another Deity, a duplicate, known as the vijaya-
>|murti. This smaller Deity can be moved from the temple and
>|taken on public processions. Priests who generally belong
>|to the Ramanuja-sampradaya are in charge of the Deity
>|worship.
38|Madhya 8.4
39|TEXT 4
40|TEXT
41|nrsimha dekhiya kaila dandavat-pranati
42|premavese kaila bahu nrtya-gita-stuti
43|SYNONYMS
44|nrsimha dekhiya-by seeing Lord Nrsimha in the temple; kaila-
>|did; dandavat-pranati-offering of obeisances, falling flat
>|before the Deity; premavese-in ecstatic love; kaila-did;
>|bahu-all kinds of; nrtya-dancing; gita-chanting; stuti-and
>|offering of prayers.
45|TRANSLATION
46|After seeing the Deity of Lord Nrsimha in the temple, Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered His respectful obeisances by
>|falling flat. Then, in ecstatic love, He performed various
>|dances, chanted, and offered prayers.
47|Madhya 8.5
48|TEXT 5
49|TEXT
50|"sri-nrsimha, jaya nrsimha, jaya jaya nrsimha
51|prahladesa jaya padma-mukha-padma-bhrnga"
52|SYNONYMS
53|sri-nrsimha-Lord Nrsimha with Laksmi; jaya nrsimha-all
>|glories to Lord Nrsimha; jaya jaya-again and again glories;
>|nrsimha-to Nrsimhadeva; prahlada-isa-to the Lord of
>|Prahlada Maharaja; jaya-all glories; padma-of the goddess
>|of fortune; mukha-padma-of the lotuslike face; bhrnga-the
>|bee.
54|TRANSLATION
55|" 'All glories to Nrsimhadeva! All glories to Nrsimhadeva,
>|who is the Lord of Prahlada Maharaja and, like a honeybee,
>|is always engaged in beholding the lotuslike face of the
>|goddess of fortune.
56|PURPORT
57|The goddess of fortune is always embraced by Lord
>|Nrsimhadeva. This is mentioned in the commentary on Srimad-
>|Bhagavatam written by the great commentator Srila Sridhara
>|Svami. The following verse was composed by Sridhara Svami
>|in his commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam (
>|10.87.1):
58|vag-isa yasya vadane
59|laksmir yasya ca vaksasi
60|yasyaste hrdaye samvit
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61|tam nrsimham aham bhaje
62|"Lord Nrsimhadeva is always assisted by Sarasvati, the
>|goddess of learning, and He is always embracing to His
>|chest the goddess of fortune. The Lord is always complete
>|in knowledge within Himself. Let us offer obeisances unto
>|Nrsimhadeva."
63|Similarly, in his commentary on the First Canto of Srimad-
>|Bhagavatam (1.1.1), Sridhara Svami describes Lord
>|Nrsimhadeva in this way:
64|prahlada-hrdayahladam
65|bhaktavidya- vidaranam
66|sarad-indu-rucim vande
67|parindra-vadanam harim
68|"Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Nrsimhadeva, who is
>|always enlightening Prahlada Maharaja within his heart and
>|who always kills the nescience that attacks the devotees.
>|His mercy is distributed like moonshine, and His face is
>|like that of a lion. Let me offer my obeisances unto Him
>|again and again."
69|Madhya 8.6
70|TEXT 6
71|TEXT
72|ugro 'py anugra evayam
73|sva-bhaktanam nr-kesari
74|kesariva sva-potanam
75|anyesam ugra-vikramah
76|SYNONYMS
77|ugrah-ferocious; api-although; anugrah-not ferocious; eva-
>|certainly; ayam-this; sva-bhaktanam-to His pure devotees;
>|nr-kesari-having the body of a human being and a lion;
>|kesari iva-like a lioness; sva-potanam-to her young cubs;
>|anyesam-to others; ugra-ferocious; vikramah-whose strength.
78|TRANSLATION
79|" 'Although very ferocious, the lioness is very kind to her
>|cubs. Similarly, although very ferocious to nondevotees
>|like Hiranyakasipu, Lord Nrsimhadeva is very, very soft and
>|kind to devotees like Prahlada Maharaja.' "
80|PURPORT
81|This verse was composed by Sridhara Svami in his commentary
>|on Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.1).
82|Madhya 8.7
83|TEXT 7
84|TEXT
85|ei-mata nana sloka padi' stuti kaila
86|nrsimha-sevaka mala-prasada ani' dila
87|SYNONYMS
88|ei-mata-in this way; nana-various; sloka-verses; padi'-
>|reciting; stuti-prayers; kaila-offered; nrsimha-sevaka-the
>|priest of Lord Nrsimhadeva in the temple; mala-garlands;
>|prasada-and remnants of the food of Lord Nrsimhadeva; ani'-
>|bringing; dila-offered.
89|TRANSLATION
90|In this way Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recited different
>|verses from the sastra. The priest of Lord Nrsimhadeva then
>|brought garlands and the remnants of the Lord's food and
>|offered them to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
91|Madhya 8.8
92|TEXT 8
93|TEXT
94|purvavat kona vipre kaila nimantrana
95|sei ratri tahan rahi' karila gamana
96|SYNONYMS
97|purva-vat-as previously; kona-some; vipre-brahmana; kaila-
>|made; nimantrana-invitation; sei ratri-that night; tahan-
>|there; rahi'-staying; karila-did; gamana-touring.
98|TRANSLATION
99|As usual, a brahmana offered Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu an
>|invitation. The Lord passed the night in the temple and
>|then commenced His tour again.
100|Madhya 8.9
101|TEXT 9
102|TEXT
103|prabhate uthiya prabhu calila premavese
104|dig-vidik nahi jnana ratri-divase
105|SYNONYMS
106|prabhate-in the morning; uthiya-rising; prabhu-Lord Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu; calila-went; prema-avese-in great
>|ecstatic love; dik-vidik-the right or wrong direction; nahi-
>|there was not; jnana-knowledge; ratri-divase-day and night.
107|TRANSLATION
108|The next morning, in the great ecstasy of love, Lord Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu started on His tour with no knowledge
>|of the proper direction, and He continued the whole day and
>|night.
109|Madhya 8.10
110|TEXT 10
111|TEXT
112|purvavat 'vaisnava' kari' sarva loka-gane
113|godavari-tire prabhu aila kata-dine
114|SYNONYMS
115|purva-vat-as previously; vaisnava-devotees; kari'-making;
>|sarva-all; loka-gane-the people; godavari-tire-on the bank
>|of the river Godavari; prabhu-the Lord; aila-arrived; kata-
>|dine-after some days.
116|TRANSLATION
117|As previously, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu converted to
>|Vaisnavism many people He met on the road. After some days,
>|the Lord reached the banks of the River Godavari.
118|Madhya 8.11
119|TEXT 11
120|TEXT
121|godavari dekhi' ha-ila 'yamuna'-smarana
122|tire vana dekhi' smrti haila vrndavana
123|SYNONYMS
124|godavari-the River Godavari; dekhi'-seeing; ha-ila-there
>|was; yamuna smarana-remembrance of the River Yamuna; tire-
>|on the banks; vana-the forests; dekhi'-seeing; smrti-
>|remembrance; haila-there was; vrndavana-Sri Vrndavana.
125|TRANSLATION
126|When He saw the River Godavari, the Lord remembered the
>|River Yamuna, and when He saw the forest on the banks of
>|the river, He remembered Sri Vrndavana-dhama.
127|Madhya 8.12
128|TEXT 12
129|TEXT
130|sei vane kata-ksana kari' nrtya-gana
131|godavari para hana tahan kaila snana
132|SYNONYMS
133|sei vane-in that forest; kata-ksana-for some time; kari'-
>|performing; nrtya-gana-dancing and chanting; godavari-the
>|river; para hana-crossing; tahan-there; kaila-took; snana-
>|bath.
134|TRANSLATION
135|After performing His usual chanting and dancing for some
>|time in this forest, the Lord crossed the river and took
>|His bath on the other bank.
136|Madhya 8.13
137|TEXT 13
138|TEXT
139|ghata chadi' kata-dure jala-sannidhane
140|vasi' prabhu kare krsna-nama-sankirtane
141|SYNONYMS
142|ghata chadi'-leaving the bathing place; kata-dure-a short
>|distance away; jala-sannidhane-near the water; vasi'-
>|sitting; prabhu-the Lord; kare-does; krsna-nama-sankirtane-
>|chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna.
143|TRANSLATION
144|After bathing in the river, the Lord walked a little
>|distance from the bathing place and engaged in chanting the
>|holy name of Krsna.
145|Madhya 8.14
146|TEXT 14
147|TEXT
148|hena-kale dolaya cadi' ramananda raya
149|snana karibare aila, bajana bajaya
150|SYNONYMS
151|hena-kale-at this time; dolaya cadi'-riding on a palanquin;
>|ramananda raya-Srila Ramananda Raya; snana-bath; karibare-
>|to take; aila-came there; bajana bajaya-accompanied by a
>|musical band.
152|TRANSLATION
153|At that time, accompanied by the sounds of music, Ramananda
>|Raya came there on a palanquin to take his bath.
154|Madhya 8.15
155|TEXT 15
156|TEXT
157|tanra sange bahu aila vaidika brahmana
158|vidhi-mate kaila tenho snanadi-tarpana
159|SYNONYMS
160|tanra sange-with him; bahu-many; aila-came; vaidika-
>|following the Vedic principles; brahmana-brahmanas; vidhi-
>|mate-according to ritualistic ceremonies; kaila-did; tenho-
>|he, Srila Ramananda Raya; snana-adi-tarpana-bathing and
>|offering oblations, etc.
161|TRANSLATION
162|Many brahmanas, following the Vedic principles ,
>|accompanied Ramananda Raya. According to the Vedic rituals,
>|Ramananda Raya took his bath and offered oblations to his
>|forefathers.
163|Madhya 8.16
164|TEXT 16
165|TEXT
166|prabhu tanre dekhi' janila-ei rama-raya
167|tanhare milite prabhura mana uthi' dhaya
168|SYNONYMS
169|prabhu-Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre-him; dekhi'-seeing;
>|janila-could understand; ei-this; rama-raya-Srila Ramananda
>|Raya; tanhare-him; milite-to meet; prabhura-of Lord
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mana-mind; uthi'-rising; dhaya-runs
>|after.
170|TRANSLATION
171|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu could understand that the person
>|who had come to bathe in the river was Ramananda Raya. The
>|Lord wanted so much to meet him that His mind immediately
>|began running after him.
172|Madhya 8.17
173|TEXT 17
174|TEXT
175|tathapi dhairya dhari' prabhu rahila vasiya
176|ramananda aila apurva sannyasi dekhiya
177|SYNONYMS
178|tathapi-still; dhariya dhari'-keeping patient; prabhu-Lord
>|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; rahila-remained; vasiya-sitting;
>|ramananda-Srila Ramananda Raya; aila-arrived; apurva-
>|wonderful; sannyasi-renunciant; dekhiya-seeing.
179|TRANSLATION
180|Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was running after him
>|mentally, He patiently remained sitting. Ramananda Raya,
>|seeing the wonderful sannyasi, then came to see Him.
181|Madhya 8.18
182|TEXT 18
183|TEXT
184|surya-sata-sama kanti, aruna vasana
185|subalita prakanda deha, kamala-locana
186|SYNONYMS
187|surya-sata-hundreds of suns; sama-like; kanti-luster; aruna-
>|saffron; vasana-garments; subalita-very strongly built;
>|prakanda-big; deha-body; kamala-locana-eyes like lotus
>|petals.
188|TRANSLATION
189|Srila Ramananda Raya then saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be
>|as brilliant as a hundred suns. The Lord was covered by a
>|saffron garment. He was large in body and very strongly
>|built, and His eyes were like lotus petals.
190|Madhya 8.19
191|TEXT 19
192|TEXT
193|dekhiya tanhara mane haila camatkara
194|asiya karila dandavat namaskara
195|SYNONYMS
196|dekhiya-seeing; tanhara-his; mane-in the mind; haila-there
>|was; camatkara-wonder; asiya-coming there; karila-did;
>|danda-vat-like a rod; namaskara-obeisances.
197|TRANSLATION
198|When Ramananda Raya saw the wonderful sannyasi, he was
>|struck with wonder. He went to Him and immediately offered
>|his respectful obeisances, falling down flat like a rod.
199|Madhya 8.20
200|TEXT 20
201|TEXT
202|uthi' prabhu kahe,-utha, kaha 'krsna' 'krsna'
203|tare alingite prabhura hrdaya satrsna
204|SYNONYMS
205|uthi'-rising; prabhu-the Lord; kahe-said; utha-get up; kaha-
>|chant; krsna krsna-the holy name of Lord Krsna; tare-him;
>|alingite-to embrace; prabhura-of Lord Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu; hrdaya-the heart; sa-trsna-very eager.
206|TRANSLATION
207|The Lord stood up and asked Ramananda Raya to arise and
>|chant the holy name of Krsna. Indeed, Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu was very eager to embrace him.
208|Madhya 8.21
209|TEXT 21
210|TEXT
211|tathapi puchila,-tumi raya ramananda?
212|tenho kahe,-sei hana dasa sudra manda
213|SYNONYMS
214|tathapi-still; puchila-He inquired; tumi-you; raya
>|ramananda-Ramananda Raya; tenho kahe-he replied; sei hana-I
>|am that; dasa-servant; sudra-belonging to the sudra
>|community; manda-very low.
215|TRANSLATION
216|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then inquired whether he was
>|Ramananda Raya, and he replied, "Yes, I am Your very low
>|servant, and I belong to the sudra community."
217|Madhya 8.22
218|TEXT 22
219|TEXT
220|tabe tare kaila prabhu drdha alingana
221|premavese prabhu-bhrtya donhe acetana
222|SYNONYMS
223|tabe-thereafter; tare-him; kaila-did; prabhu-Lord Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu; drdha-firm; alingana-embracing; prema-
>|avese-in ecstatic love; prabhu-bhrtya-the servant and the
>|master; donhe-both; acetana-unconscious.
224|TRANSLATION
225|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then embraced Sri Ramananda Raya
>|very firmly. Indeed, both the master and the servant almost
>|lost consciousness due to ecstatic love.
226|Madhya 8.23
227|TEXT 23
228|TEXT
229|svabhavika prema donhara udaya karila
230|dunha alingiya dunhe bhumite padila
231|SYNONYMS
232|svabhavika-natural; prema-love; donhara-of both of them;
>|udaya-awakening; karila-there was; dunha-both; alingiya-
>|embracing; dunhe-both of them; bhumite-on the ground;
>|padila-fell down.
233|TRANSLATION
234|Their natural love for each other was awakened in them both,
>| and they embraced and fell down on the ground.
235|PURPORT
236|Srila Ramananda Raya was an incarnation of the gopi Visakha.
>| Since Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was Lord Krsna Himself,
>|there was naturally an awakening of love between Visakha
>|and Krsna. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the combination
>|of Srimati Radharani and Krsna. the gopi Visakha is a
>|principal gopi assisting Srimati Radharani.
>|Ramananda Raya and Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu embraced , since their natural love also was
>|awakened.
237|Madhya 8.24
238|TEXT 24
239|TEXT
240|stambha, sveda, asru, kampa, pulaka, vaivarnya
241|dunhara mukhete suni' gadgada 'krsna' varna
242|SYNONYMS
243|stambha-paralysis; sveda-perspiration; asru-tears; kampa-
>|shivering; pulaka-horripilation; vaivarnya-paleness;
>|dunhara-of both of them; mukhete-in the mouth; suni'-
>|hearing; gadgada-faltering; krsna varna-Krsna's name.
244|TRANSLATION
245|When they embraced each other, ecstatic symptoms-paralysis,
>|perspiration, tears, shivering, paleness and standing up of
>|the bodily hairs-appeared. The word "Krsna" came from their
>|mouths falteringly.
246|Madhya 8.25
247|TEXT 25
248|TEXT
249|dekhiya brahmana-ganera haila camatkara
250|vaidika brahmana saba karena vicara
251|SYNONYMS
252|dekhiya-seeing this; brahmana-ganera-of the ritualistic
>|brahmanas; haila-there was; camatkara-wonder; vaidika-
>|followers of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; brahmana-the
>|brahmanas; saba-all; karena-did; vicara-consideration.
253|TRANSLATION
254|When the stereotyped, ritualistic brahmanas who were
>|following the Vedic principles saw this ecstatic
>|manifestation of love, they were struck with wonder. All
>|these brahmanas began to reflect as follows.
255|Madhya 8.26
256|TEXT 26
257|TEXT
258|ei ta' sannyasira teja dekhi brahma-sama
259|sudre alingiya kene karena krandana
260|SYNONYMS
261|ei ta'-this indeed; sannyasira-of the sannyasi, Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu; teja-bodily effulgence; dekhi-we see;
>|brahma-sama-exactly like Brahman; sudre-a sudra, or worker;
>|alingiya-embracing; kene-why; karena-does; krandana-crying.
262|TRANSLATION
263|These brahmanas began to think, "We can see that this
>|sannyasi has a luster like the effulgence of Brahman, but
>|how is it He is crying upon embracing a sudra, a member of
>|the fourth caste in the social order?"
264|Madhya 8.27
265|TEXT 27
266|TEXT
267|ei maharaja-maha-pandita, gambhira
268|sannyasira sparse matta ha-ila asthira
269|SYNONYMS
270|ei maharaja-this Ramananda Raya, who is the Governor; maha-
>|pandita-a very learned person; gambhira-grave; sannyasira
>|sparse-by touching a sannyasi; matta-mad; ha-ila-became;
>|asthira-restless.
271|TRANSLATION
272|They thought, "This Ramananda Raya is the Governor of
>|Madras, a highly learned and grave person, a maha-pandita,
>|but upon touching this sannyasi he has become restless like
>|a madman."
273|Madhya 8.28
274|TEXT 28
275|TEXT
276|ei-mata vipra-gana bhave mane mana
277|vijatiya loka dekhi, prabhu kaila samvarana
278|SYNONYMS
279|ei-mata-in this way; vipra-gana-all the brahmanas; bhave-
>|think; mane mana-within their minds; vijatiya loka-outside
>|people; dekhi-seeing; prabhu-Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
>|kaila-did; samvarana-restraining.
280|TRANSLATION
281|While the brahmanas were thinking in this way about the
>|activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya,
>|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw those outsiders and restrained
>|His transcendental emotions.
282|PURPORT
283|Ramananda Raya was intimately related to Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu; therefore he can be accepted as a sajatiya, a
>|person within the intimate circle of the Lord. The
>|brahmanas, however, were followers of the Vedic rituals and
>|were not able to have an intimate connection with Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Consequently they are called vijatiya-
>|loka. In other words, they were not pure devotees. One may
>|be a highly learned brahmana, but if he is not a pure
>|devotee he is a vijatiya, an outcaste, one outside
>|devotional service-in other words, a nondevotee. Although
>|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya were embracing
>|in ecstasy, the Lord restrained His transcendental emotions
>|upon seeing the outsider brahmanas.
284|Madhya 8.29
285|TEXT 29
286|TEXT
287|sustha hana dunhe sei sthanete vasila
288|tabe hasi' mahaprabhu kahite lagila
289|SYNONYMS
290|su-stha hana-becoming steady; dunhe-both of them; sei-that;
>|sthanete-in the place; vasila-sat down; tabe-then; hasi'-
>|smiling; mahaprabhu-Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kahite-to speak;
>|lagila-began.
291|TRANSLATION
292|When they regained their sanity, they both sat down, and
>|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu smiled and began to speak as
>|follows.
293|Madhya 8.30
294|TEXT 30
295|TEXT
296|'sarvabhauma bhattacarya kahila tomara gune
297|tomare milite more karila yatane
298|SYNONYMS
299|sarvabhauma bhattacarya-of the name Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya;
>| kahila-has spoken; tomara-your; gune-good qualities;
>|tomare-you; milite-to meet; more-Me; karila-made; yatane-
>|endeavor.
300|TRANSLATION
301|"Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya spoke of your good qualities, and
>|he made a great endeavor to convince Me to meet you.
302|Madhya 8.31
303|TEXT 31
304|TEXT
305|toma milibare mora etha agamana
306|bhala haila, anayase pailun darasana'
307|SYNONYMS
308|toma-you; milibare-to meet; mora-My; etha-here; agamana-
>|coming; bhala haila-it was very good; anayase-without
>|difficulty; pailun-I have gotten; darasana-interview.
309|TRANSLATION
310|"Indeed, I have come here just to meet you. It is very good
>|that even without making an effort I have gotten your
>|interview here."
311|Madhya 8.32
312|TEXT 32
313|TEXT
314|raya kahe,-sarvabhauma kare bhrtya-jnana
315|parokseha mora hite haya savadhana
316|SYNONYMS
317|raya kahe-Ramananda Raya replied; sarvabhauma-Sarvabhauma
>|Bhattacarya; kare-does; bhrtya-jnana-thinks of me as his
>|servant; parokseha-in my absence; mora-of me; hite-for the
>|benefit; haya-is; savadhana-always careful.
318|TRANSLATION
319|Ramananda Raya replied, "Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya thinks of
>|me as his servant. Even in my absence he is very careful to
>|do me good.
320|Madhya 8.33
321|TEXT 33
322|TEXT
323|tanra krpaya painu tomara darasana
324|aji saphala haila mora manusya-janama
325|SYNONYMS
326|tanra krpaya-by his mercy; painu-I have gotten; tomara-Your;
>| darasana-interview; aji-today; sa-phala-successful; haila-
>|has become; mora-my; manusya-janama-birth as a human being.
327|TRANSLATION
328|"By his mercy I have received Your interview here.
>|Consequently I consider that today I have become a
>|successful human being.
329|Madhya 8.34
330|TEXT 34
331|TEXT
332|sarvabhaume tomara krpa,-tara ei cihna
333|asprsya sparsile hana tanra premadhina
334|SYNONYMS
335|sarvabhaume-unto Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya; tomara-Your; krpa-
>|mercy; tara-of such mercy; ei-this; cihna-the symptom;
>|asprsya-untouchable; sparsile-You have touched; hana-
>|becoming; tanra-his; prema-adhina-influenced by love.
336|TRANSLATION
337|"I can see that You have bestowed special mercy upon
>|Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. Therefore You have touched me,
>|although I am untouchable. This is due only to his love for
>|You.
338|Madhya 8.35
339|TEXT 35
340|TEXT
341|kahan tumi-saksat isvara narayana
342|kahan muni-raja-sevi visayi sudradhama
343|SYNONYMS
344|kahan-whereas; tumi-You; saksat-directly; isvara narayana-
>|the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kahan-whereas; muni-I;
>|raja-sevi-government servant; visayi-materialist; sudra-
>|adhama-worse than a sudra, or fourth-class man.
345|TRANSLATION
346|"You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana
>|Himself, and I am only a government servant interested in
>|materialistic activities. Indeed, I am the lowest amongst
>|men of the fourth caste.
347|Madhya 8.36
348|TEXT 36
349|TEXT
350|mora sparse na karile ghrna, veda-bhaya
351|mora darsana toma vede nisedhaya
352|SYNONYMS
353|mora-of me; sparse-by the touch; na-not; karile-You did;
>|ghrna-hatred; veda-bhaya-afraid of the injunctions of the
>|Vedas; mora-of me; darsana-seeing; toma-You; vede-the Vedic
>|injunctions; nisedhaya-forbid.
354|TRANSLATION
355|"You do not fear the Vedic injunctions stating that You
>|should not associate with a sudra. You were not
>|contemptuous of my touch, although in the Vedas You are
>|forbidden to associate with sudras.
356|PURPORT
357|In the Bhagavad-gita (9.32) the Lord says:
358|mam hi partha vyapasritya
359|ye 'pi syuh papa -
>|yonayah
360|striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
361|te 'pi yanti param gatim
362|"O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though they
>|be of lower birth-women, vaisyas [merchants], as well as
>|sudras [workers]-can attain the supreme destination."
363|The word papa-yonayah means "born of lower -caste
>|women." The vaisyas are merchants , and the sudras or
>|workers are servants . According to Vedic
>|classifications, they belong to a lower social
>|order. A low life means a life without Krsna consciousness.
>|High and low positions in society were calculated by
>|considering a person's Krsna consciousness. A brahmana is
>|considered to be on the highest platform because he knows
>|Brahman, the Absolute Truth. The second caste, the ksatriya
>|caste, also know Brahman, but not as well as the brahmanas.
>|The vaisyas and sudras do not clearly understand God
>|consciousness, but if they take to Krsna consciousness by
>|the mercy of Krsna and the spiritual master, they do not
>|remain in the lower castes (papa-yonayah). It is clearly
>|stated: te 'pi yanti param gatim.
364|Unless one has attained the highest standard of life, one
>|cannot return home, back to Godhead. One may be a sudra,
>|vaisya or woman, but if one is situated in the service of
>|the Lord in Krsna consciousness, one should not be
>|considered stri, sudra, vaisya or lower than sudra. Though
>|a person may be from a lowborn family, if he is engaged in
>|the Lord's service he should never be considered to belong
>|to a lowborn family. The Padma Purana forbids : viksate
>|jati-samanyat sa yati narakam-dhruvam. A person goes to
>|hell quickly when he considers a devotee of the Lord in
>|terms of birth. Although Sri Ramananda Raya supposedly took
>|birth in a sudra family, he is not to be considered a sudra,
>| for he was a great advanced devotee. Indeed, he was on the
>|transcendental platform. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore
>|embraced him. Out of spiritual humility, Sri Ramananda Raya
>|presented himself as a sudra (raja-sevi visayi sudradhama).
>|Even though one may engage in government service or in any
>|other pound-shilling-pence business-in short, in
>|materialistic life-he need only take to Krsna consciousness.
>| Krsna consciousness is a very simple process. One need
>|only chant the holy names of the Lord and strictly follow
>|the principles forbidding sinful activity. In this way one
>|can no longer be considered an untouchable, a visayi or a
>|sudra. One who is advanced in spiritual life should not
>|associate with nondevotees-namely men in government service
>|and men engaged in materialistic activity for sense
>|gratification or in the service of others. Such men are
>|considered visayi, materialistic. It is said:
365|niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
366|param param jigamisor bhava-sagarasya
367|sandarsanam visayinam atha yositam ca
368|ha hanta hanta visa-bhaksanato 'py asadhu
369|"A person who is very seriously engaged in cultivating
>|devotional service with a view to crossing the ocean of
>|nescience and who has completely abandoned all material
>|activities should never see a sudra, a vaisya or a woman." (
>|Sri Caitanya-candrodaya-nataka 8.23)
370|Madhya 8.37
371|TEXT 37
372|TEXT
373|tomara krpaya tomaya karaya nindya-karma
374|saksat isvara tumi, ke jane tomara marma
375|SYNONYMS
376|tomara krpaya-Your mercy; tomaya-unto You; karaya-induces;
>|nindya-karma-forbidden actions; saksat isvara-directly the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead; tumi-You; ke jane-who can
>|know; tomara-Your; marma-purpose.
377|TRANSLATION
378|"You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself;
>|therefore no one can understand Your purpose. By Your mercy
>|You are touching me, although this is not sanctioned by the
>|Vedas.
379|PURPORT
380|A sannyasi is strictly forbidden to see the visayis, the
>|materialistic people. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, out of
>|His boundless and causeless mercy, could show favor to
>|anyone, regardless of birth and position.
381|Madhya 8.38
382|TEXT 38
383|TEXT
384|ama nistarite tomara ihan agamana
385|parama-dayalu tumi patita-pavana
386|SYNONYMS
387|ama nistarite-to deliver me; tomara-Your; ihan-here;
>|agamana-appearance; parama-dayalu-greatly merciful; tumi-
>|You; patita-pavana-the deliverer of all fallen souls.
388|TRANSLATION
389|"You have come here specifically to deliver me. You are so
>|merciful that You alone can deliver all fallen souls.
390|PURPORT
391|Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings in his Prarthana (39):
392|sri-krsna-caitanya-prabhu daya kara more,
393|toma vina ke dayalu jagat-samsare
394|patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara,
395|mo sama patita prabhu na paibe ara
396|"My dear Lord, please be merciful to me. Who can be more
>|merciful than Your Lordship within these three worlds? You
>|appear as an incarnation just to reclaim the conditioned,
>|fallen souls, but I assure You that You will not find a
>|soul more fallen than me."
397|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's specific mission is to deliver
>|fallen souls. Of course, in this Age of Kali there is
>|hardly anyone who is not fallen according to the
>|calculations of Vedic behavior. In His instructions to Rupa
>|Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu described the so-called
>|followers of Vedic religion in this way (Madhya 19.146):
398|veda-nistha-madhye ardheka veda 'mukhe' mane
399|veda-nisiddha papa kare, dharma nahi gane
400|So-called followers of Vedic principles simply accept the
>|Vedas formally, but they act against Vedic principles. This
>|is symptomatic of this Age of Kali. People claim to follow
>|a certain type of religion, saying formally, "I am Hindu," "
>|I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am this or that," but
>|actually no one follows the principles enunciated in
>|religious scriptures. This is the disease of this age.
>|But the merciful Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has simply
>|advised us to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra: harer nama
>|harer nama harer namaiva kevalam . The Lord
>|can deliver anyone and everyone, even though one may have
>|fallen from the injunctions of revealed scriptures. This is
>|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's special mercy. Consequently He is
>|known as patita-pavana, the deliverer of all fallen souls.
401|Madhya 8.39
402|TEXT 39
403|TEXT
404|mahanta-svabhava ei tarite pamara
405|nija karya nahi tabu yana tara ghara
406|SYNONYMS
407|mahanta-svabhava-the nature of saintly persons; ei-this;
>|tarite-to deliver; pamara-fallen souls; nija-own; karya-
>|business; nahi-there is not; tabu-still; yana-goes; tara-
>|his; ghara-house.
408|TRANSLATION
409|"It is the general practice of all saintly people to
>|deliver the fallen. Therefore they go to people's houses,
>|although they have no personal business there.
410|PURPORT
411|A sannyasi is supposed to beg from door to door. He does
>|not beg simply because he is hungry. His real purpose is to
>|enlighten the occupant of every house by preaching Krsna
>|consciousness. A sannyasi does not abandon his superior
>|position and become a beggar just for the sake of begging.
>|Similarly, a person in householder life may be very
>|important, but he may also voluntarily take to the
>|mendicant way of life. Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami
>|were ministers, but they voluntarily accepted the mendicant'
>|s life in order to humbly preach Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's
>|message. It is said about them: tyaktva turnam asesa-
>|mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat bhutva dina-ganesakau
>|karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau. Although the Gosvamis were
>|very aristocratic,
>|they became mendicants just to deliver the fallen souls
>|according to the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One
>|should also consider that those who engage in the
>|missionary activities of Krsna consciousness
>|are under the guidance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They are
>|not actually beggars; their real business is to deliver
>|fallen souls. Therefore they may go from door to door just
>|to introduce a book about Krsna consciousness so that
>|people can become enlightened by reading. Formerly
>|brahmacaris and sannyasis used to beg from door to door. At
>|the present moment, especially in the Western countries, a
>|person may be handed over to the police if he begs from
>|door to door. In Western countries, begging is considered
>|criminal. Members of the Krsna consciousness movement have
>|no business begging. Instead, they work very hard to
>|introduce some books about Krsna consciousness so
>|that people can read them and be benefited. But if one
>|gives some contribution to a Krsna conscious man, he never
>|refuses it.
412|Madhya 8.40
413|TEXT 40
414|TEXT
415|mahad-vicalanam nrnam
416|grhinam dina-cetasam
417|nihsreyasaya bhagavan
418|nanyatha kalpate kvacit
419|SYNONYMS
420|mahat-vicalanam-the wandering of saintly persons; nrnam-of
>|human beings; grhinam-who are householders; dina-cetasam-
>|low-minded; nihsreyasaya-for the ultimate benefit; bhagavan-
>|O my Lord; na anyatha-not any other purpose; kalpate-one
>|imagines; kvacit-at any time.
421|TRANSLATION
422|" 'My dear Lord, sometimes great saintly persons go to the
>|homes of householders, although these householders are
>|generally low-minded. When a saintly person visits their
>|homes, one can understand that it is for no other purpose
>|than to benefit the householders.'
423|PURPORT
424|This verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.8.4).
425|Madhya 8.41
426|TEXT 41
427|TEXT
428|amara sange brahmanadi sahasreka jana
429|tomara darsane sabara dravi-bhuta mana
430|SYNONYMS
431|amara sange-with me; brahmana-adi-brahmanas and others;
>|sahasreka-more than one thousand; jana-persons; tomara-of
>|You; darsane-in seeing; sabara-of all of them; dravi-bhuta-
>|became melted; mana-the hearts.
432|TRANSLATION
433|"Along with me there are about a thousand men-including the
>|brahmanas-and all of them appear to have had their hearts
>|melted simply by seeing You.
434|Madhya 8.42
435|TEXT 42
436|TEXT
437|'krsna' 'krsna' nama suni sabara vadane
438|sabara anga-pulakita, asru-nayane
439|SYNONYMS
440|krsna krsna-"Krsna," "Krsna"; nama-the holy name; suni-I
>|hear; sabara-of everyone; vadane-in the mouths; sabara-of
>|all; anga-the bodies; pulakita-gladdened; asru-tears;
>|nayane-in the eyes.
441|TRANSLATION
442|"I hear everyone chanting the holy name of Krsna. Everyone'
>|s body is thrilled with ecstasy, and there are tears in
>|everyone's eyes.
443|Madhya 8.43
444|TEXT 43
445|TEXT
446|akrtye-prakrtye tomara isvara-laksana
447|jive na sambhave ei aprakrta guna
448|SYNONYMS
449|akrtye-in bodily features; prakrtye-in behavior; tomara-of
>|You; isvara-of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; laksana-
>|the symptoms; jive-in an ordinary living being; na-not;
>|sambhave-possible; ei-these; aprakrta-transcendental; guna-
>|qualities.
450|TRANSLATION
451|"My dear Sir, according to Your behavior and bodily
>|features, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is
>|impossible for ordinary living beings to possess such
>|transcendental qualities."
452|PURPORT
453|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's bodily features were uncommon.
>|Indeed, His body was extraordinary in its measurements. The
>|measurement of His chest and the measurement of His
>|forearms were the same length. This is called nyagrodha-
>|parimandala. As far as His nature is concerned, He was kind
>|to everyone. No one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead
>|can be kind to everyone. Therefore the Lord's name is Krsna,
>| "all-attractive." As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (14.4),
>|Krsna is kind to everyone. In every species of
>|life (sarva-yonisu), He is the original father, the seed-
>|giver (bija-pradah pita). How, then, can He be unkind to
>|any living entity? One may be a man, an animal or even a
>|tree, but the Lord is kind to everyone. That is God's
>|qualification. He also says in the Bhagavad-gita (9.29),
>|samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu: the Lord is equally kind to
>|everyone. And He advises, sarva-dharman parityajya mam
>|ekam saranam vraja
>|. This
>|instruction is meant not only for Arjuna but for all living
>|entities. Whoever takes advantage of this offer is
>|immediately immune to all sinful activity and returns home,
>|back to Godhead. While present on this planet, Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu made the same offer.
454|Madhya 8.44
455|TEXT 44
456|TEXT
457|prabhu kahe,-tumi maha-bhagavatottama
458|tomara darsane sabara drava haila mana
459|SYNONYMS
460|prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; tumi-you; maha-bhagavata-
>|uttama-the best of the topmost devotees; tomara darsane-by
>|seeing you; sabara-of everyone; drava-melted; haila-became;
>|mana-the heart.
461|TRANSLATION
462|The Lord replied to Ramananda Raya, "Sir, you are the best
>|of the topmost devotees; therefore simply the sight of you
>|has melted everyone's heart.
463|PURPORT
464|Unless one is a first-class devotee, he cannot be a
>|preacher. A preacher is generally a topmost devotee, but in
>|order to meet the general populace, he has to come to
>|distinguish between devotees and nondevotees. Otherwise, an
>|advanced devotee makes no such distinctions. Indeed, he
>|always sees that everyone is engaged in the service of the
>|Lord. When one engages in preaching work, he must
>|distinguish between people and understand that some people
>|are not engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. The
>|preacher then has to take compassion upon such innocent
>|people who do not know how to worship the Lord. In Srimad-
>|Bhagavatam (11.2.45), the symptoms of a topmost devotee are
>|described as follows:
465|sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed
466|bhagavad -bhavam atmanah
467|bhutani bhagavaty atmany
468|esa bhagavatottamah
469|"The advanced devotee sees that all living entities are
>|part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
>|Everyone is in Krsna, and Krsna is also within everyone.
>|Such a vision is possible only for a person who is very
>|advanced in devotional service."
470|Madhya 8.45
471|TEXT 45
472|TEXT
473|anyera ki katha, ami-'mayavadi sannyasi'
474|amiha tomara sparse krsna-preme bhasi
475|SYNONYMS
476|anyera-of others; ki katha-what to speak; ami-I; mayavadi
>|sannyasi-a sannyasi of the Mayavadi sect; amiha-I; tomara-
>|of you; sparse-by the touch; krsna-of Krsna; preme-in love;
>|bhasi-float.
477|TRANSLATION
478|"Although I am a Mayavadi sannyasi, a nondevotee, I am also
>|floating in the ocean of love of Krsna simply by touching
>|you. And what to speak of others?
479|Madhya 8.46
480|TEXT 46
481|TEXT
482|ei jani' kathina mora hrdaya sodhite
483|sarvabhauma kahilena tomare milite
484|SYNONYMS
485|ei jani'-knowing this; kathina-very hard; mora-My; hrdaya-
>|heart; sodhite-to rectify; sarvabhauma-Sarvabhauma
>|Bhattacarya; kahilena-asked; tomare-you; milite-to meet.
486|TRANSLATION
487|"Knowing this , in
>|order to rectify My heart, which is very hard, Sarvabhauma
>|Bhattacarya asked Me to meet you."
488|Madhya 8.47
489|TEXT 47
490|TEXT
491|ei-mata dunhe stuti kare dunhara guna
492|dunhe dunhara darasane anandita mana
493|SYNONYMS
494|ei-mata-in this way; dunhe-both of them; stuti-praise; kare-
>|offer; dunhara-of both of them; guna-qualities; dunhe-both
>|of them; dunhara-of both of them; darasane-by the seeing;
>|anandita-pleased; mana-the minds.
495|TRANSLATION
496|In this way each of them praised the qualities of the other,
>| and both of them were pleased to see each other.
497|Madhya 8.48
498|TEXT 48
499|TEXT
500|hena-kale vaidika eka vaisnava brahmana
501|dandavat kari' kaila prabhure nimantrana
502|SYNONYMS
503|hena-kale-at this time; vaidika-a follower of the Vedic
>|ritualistic ceremonies; eka-one; vaisnava brahmana-a
>|brahmana following Vaisnava principles; dandavat-obeisances
>|offered by falling flat; kari'-offering; kaila-made;
>|prabhure-unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; nimantrana-
>|invitation.
504|TRANSLATION
505|At this time a brahmana Vaisnava following the Vedic
>|principles came and offered obeisances. He fell flat before
>|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and invited Him for lunch.
506|Madhya 8.49
507|TEXT 49
508|TEXT
509|nimantrana manila tanre vaisnava janiya
510|ramanande kahe prabhu isat hasiya
511|SYNONYMS
512|nimantrana-the invitation; manila-accepted; tanre-him (the
>|brahmana); vaisnava-a devotee; janiya-understanding;
>|ramanande-unto Ramananda; kahe-said; prabhu-Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu; isat-a little; hasiya-smiling.
513|TRANSLATION
514|Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the brahmana's
>|invitation, knowing him to be a devotee, and ,
>|slightly smiling, spoke as follows to Ramananda Raya.
515|PURPORT
516|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the invitation of the
>|Vaisnava brahmana. Even though one is a brahmana strictly
>|following all the rules and regulations of brahminical
>|culture, if he is not a devotee, a follower of Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu, one should not accept his invitation. At the
>|present moment people have become so degraded that they do
>|not even follow the Vedic principles, to say nothing of
>|Vaisnava principles. They eat anything and everything-
>|whatever they like-and therefore the members of this Krsna
>|consciousness movement should be very cautious about
>|accepting invitations.
517|Madhya 8.50
518|TEXT 50
519|TEXT
520|tomara mukhe krsna-katha sunite haya mana
521|punarapi pai yena tomara darasana
522|SYNONYMS
523|tomara mukhe-in your mouth; krsna-katha-talks on Krsna;
>|sunite-to hear; haya-there is; mana-My mind; punarapi-again;
>| pai-I may get; yena-if possible; tomara-your; darasana-
>|interview.
524|TRANSLATION
525|"I wish to hear from you about Lord Krsna. Indeed, My mind
>|is inclined to desire this; therefore I wish to see you
>|again."
526|Madhya 8.51-52
527|TEXTS 51-52
528|TEXT
529|raya kahe, aila yadi pamara sodhite
530|darsana-matre suddha nahe mora dusta citte
531|dina panca-sata rahi' karaha marjana
532|tabe suddha haya mora ei dusta mana
533|SYNONYMS
534|raya kahe-Ramananda Raya replied; aila-You have come; yadi-
>|although; pamara-a fallen soul; sodhite-to rectify; darsana-
>|matre-simply seeing You; suddha nahe-not purified; mora-my;
>|dusta-polluted; citte-consciousness; dina-days; panca-sata-
>|five or seven; rahi'-staying; karaha-kindly do; marjana-
>|cleansing; tabe-then; suddha-pure; haya-it is; mora-my; ei-
>|this; dusta-polluted; mana-mind.
535|TRANSLATION
536|Ramananda Raya replied, "My Lord, although You have come to
>|correct me, a fallen soul, my mind is not yet purified
>|simply by seeing You. Please stay for five or seven days
>|and kindly cleanse my polluted mind. After that much time,
>|my mind will certainly be pure."
537|Madhya 8.53
538|TEXT 53
539|TEXT
540|yadyapi viccheda donhara sahana na yaya
541|tathapi dandavat kari' calila rama-raya
542|SYNONYMS
543|yadyapi-although; viccheda-separation; donhara-of both of
>|them; sahana-toleration; na-not; yaya-possible; tathapi-
>|still; dandavat-obeisances; kari'-offering; calila-departed;
>| rama-raya-Ramananda Raya.
544|TRANSLATION
545|Although neither could tolerate the other '
>|s separation, Ramananda Raya nonetheless offered his
>|obeisances to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and departed.
546|Madhya 8.54
547|TEXT 54
548|TEXT
549|prabhu yai' sei vipra-ghare bhiksa kaila
550|dui janara utkanthaya asi' sandhya haila
551|SYNONYMS
552|prabhu-Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; yai'-going; sei-that;
>|vipra-ghare-to the house of the brahmana; bhiksa-lunch;
>|kaila-accepted; dui-two; janara-of the persons; utkanthaya-
>|in the impatience; asi'-coming; sandhya-evening; haila-
>|appeared.
553|TRANSLATION
554|Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to the house of the
>|brahmana who had invited Him and took His lunch there. When
>|the evening of that day arrived, both Ramananda Raya and
>|the Lord were eager to meet each other again.
555|Madhya 8.55
556|TEXT 55
557|TEXT
558|prabhu snana-krtya kari' achena vasiya
559|eka-bhrtya-sange raya milila asiya
560|SYNONYMS
561|prabhu-the Lord; snana-krtya-the daily duty of bathing;
>|kari'-finishing; achena-was; vasiya-sitting; eka-one;
>|bhrtya-servant; sange-with; raya-Raya Ramananda; milila-met;
>| asiya-coming.
562|TRANSLATION
563|After finishing His evening bath, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
>|sat down and waited for Ramananda Raya to come. Then
>|Ramananda Raya, accompanied by one servant, came to meet
>|Him.
564|PURPORT
565|A Vaisnava who is supposed to be advanced in spiritual
>|understanding-be he a householder or a sannyasi-must bathe
>|three times a day: morning, noon and evening. When one is
>|engaged in the service of the Deity, he must especially
>|follow the principles of the Padma Purana and take regular
>|baths. He should also, after bathing, decorate his body
>|with the twelve tilakas.
566|Madhya 8.56
567|TEXT 56
568|TEXT
569|namaskara kaila raya, prabhu kaila alingane
570|dui jane krsna-katha kaya rahah-sthane
571|SYNONYMS
572|namaskara-obeisances; kaila-offered; raya-Ramananda Raya;
>|prabhu-Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kaila-did; alingane-
>|embracing; dui-two; jane-the persons; krsna-katha-talks
>|about Krsna; kaya-discussed; rahah-sthane-in a secluded
>|place.
573|TRANSLATION
574|Ramananda Raya approached Lord Sri Caitanya and offered his
>|respectful obeisances, and the Lord embraced him. Then they
>|began to discuss Krsna in a secluded place.
575|PURPORT
576|The word rahah-sthane, "in a secluded place," is very
>|significant. Talks about Krsna and His pastimes-especially
>|His pastimes in Vrndavana and His dealings with the gopis-
>|are all very confidential. They are not subject matter for
>|public discussion because those who have no understanding
>|of the transcendental nature of Krsna's pastimes always
>|commit great offenses, thinking Krsna to be an ordinary
>|human being and the gopis ordinary girls. Following the
>|principle of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who never
>|discussed the dealings between Krsna and the gopis publicly,
>| devotees in the Krsna consciousness movement are enjoined
>|not to discuss the pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana in
>|public. For the general public, sankirtana is the most
>|effective method to awaken Krsna consciousness. If possible,
>| one should discuss the principles enunciated in the
>|Bhagavad-gita. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu followed this
>|principle very strictly and discussed the philosophy of the
>|Bhagavad-gita with learned scholars like Sarvabhauma
>|Bhattacarya and Prakasananda Sarasvati. However, He taught
>|the principles of the bhakti cult to students like Sanatana
>|Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, and He discussed with Sri
>|Ramananda Raya the topmost devotional dealings between
>|Krsna and the gopis. For the general populace, He performed
>|sankirtana very vigorously. We must also follow these
>|principles in preaching Krsna consciousness all over the
>|world.
577|Madhya 8.57
578|TEXT 57
579|TEXT
580|prabhu kahe,-"pada sloka sadhyera nirnaya"
581|raya kahe,-"sva-dharmacarane visnu-bhakti haya"
582|SYNONYMS
583|prabhu kahe-Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; pada-just
>|recite; sloka-a verse from the revealed scriptures;
>|sadhyera-of the aim of life; nirnaya-an ascertainment; raya
>|kahe-Ramananda Raya replied; sva-dharma-acarane-by
>|executing one's occupational duty; visnu-bhakti-devotional
>|service to Lord Visnu; haya-there is.
584|TRANSLATION
585|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Ramananda Raya to recite
>|a verse from the revealed scriptures concerning the
>|ultimate goal of life. Ramananda replied that if one
>|executes the prescribed duties of his social position, he
>|awakens his original Krsna consciousness.
586|PURPORT
587|In this connection, Sri Ramanujacarya stated in the
>|Vedartha-sangraha that devotional service is naturally very
>|dear to the living entity. Indeed, it is life's goal. This
>|devotional service is supreme knowledge, or Krsna
>|consciousness, and it brings detachment from all material
>|activity. In the transcendental position, a living being
>|can perfectly acknowledge the superiority of serving the
>|Supreme Lord. The devotees attain the Supreme Lord only by
>|devotional service. Having such knowledge, one engages in
>|his occupational duty, and that is called bhakti-yoga. By
>|performing bhakti-yoga, one can rise to the platform of
>|pure devotional service.
588|A great saint, the father of Srila Vyasadeva, Parasara Muni,
>| has specifically mentioned that devotional service to the
>|Lord can ultimately be awakened in human society by the
>|discharge of duties in accordance with the varnasrama
>|system. The Supreme Personality of Godhead instituted
>|varnasrama-dharma to give human beings a chance to return
>|home, back to Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead,
>|Lord Sri Krsna, who is known in the Bhagavad-gita as
>|Purusottama-the greatest of all personalities-personally
>|came and declared that the institution of varnasrama-dharma
>|was founded by Him. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.13):
589|catur-varnyam maya srstam
590|guna - karma- vibhagasah
591|tasya kartaram api mam
>|
592|viddhy akartaram avyayam
>|
593|Elsewhere in the Bhagavad- gita (18.45- 46)
>| the Lord says :
594|sve sve karmany abhiratah
595|samsiddhim labhate narah
>|
596|sva-karma-niratah siddhim
597|yatha vindati tac chrnu
598|yatah pravrttir bhutanam
599|yena sarvam idam tatam
600|sva-karmana tam abhyarcya
601|siddhim vindati manavah
602|Human society should be divided into four divisions-
>|brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra-and everyone should
>|always engage in his occupational duty. The Lord says that
>|those engaged in their occupational duty can attain
>|perfection simply by rendering loving devotional service to
>|the Lord while executing their particular duty. Actually
>|the modern ideal of a classless society can be introduced
>|only by Krsna consciousness. Let men perform their
>|occupational duty, and let them give their profits to the
>|service of the Lord. In other words, one can attain the
>|perfection of life by discharging one's occupational duty
>|and employing the results in the service of the Lord. This
>|method is confirmed by great personalities like Bodhayana,
>|Tanka, Dramida, Guhadeva, Kapardi and Bharuci. It is also
>|confirmed by the Vedanta-sutra.
603|Madhya 8.58
604|TEXT 58
605|TEXT
606|varnasramacara-vata
607|purusena parah puman
608|visnur aradhyate pantha
609|nanyat tat-tosa-karanam
610|SYNONYMS
611|varna-asrama-acara-vata-who behaves according to the system
>|of four divisions of social order and four divisions of
>|spiritual life; purusena-by a man; parah-the supreme; puman-
>|person; visnuh-Lord Visnu; aradhyate-is worshiped; pantha-
>|way; na-not; anyat-another; tat-tosa-karanam-cause of
>|satisfying the Lord.
612|TRANSLATION
613|"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, is
>|worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in
>|the system of varna and asrama. There is no other way to
>|satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be
>|situated in the institution of the four varnas and asramas.
>|"
614|PURPORT
615|This is a quotation from the Visnu Purana (3.8.9). As
>|stated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-
>|bhasya: "The purport is that one can realize life's
>|perfection simply by satisfying the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead." This is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.
>|13):
616|atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
617|varnasrama- vibhagasah
618|svanusthitasya dharmasya
>|
>|
>|
>|
619|samsiddhir hari
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|-tosanam
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
620|"O best among the twice-born, it is
>|therefore concluded that
>| the highest perfection
>| one can achieve ,
>|
>|
>| by discharging his
>|prescribed duties [dharma] according
>|
>| to caste divisions
>| and order
>| of life
>|
>|
>|,
>|is to please Lord
>| Hari."
621|Every man should perform his occupational duty in the light
>|of his particular tendency. According to his abilities, one
>|should accept a position in the varnasrama institution. The
>|divisions of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra are
>|natural divisions within society. Indeed, everyone has a
>|prescribed duty according to the varnasrama-dharma. Those
>|who properly execute their prescribed duties live
>|peacefully and are not disturbed by material conditions.
>|The spiritual orders-brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and
>|sannyasa-are called asramas. If one executes his prescribed
>|duty in both the social and spiritual order, the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead is satisfied. If one neglects his
>|duties, however, he becomes a transgressor and a candidate
>|for a hellish condition. Actually we see that different
>|people are engaged in different ways; therefore there must
>|be divisions according to work. To attain perfection, one
>|must make devotional service the center of life. In this
>|way one can awaken his natural instincts by work,
>|association and education. One should accept the varnasrama
>|divisions by qualification, not by birth. Unless this
>|system is introduced, human activities cannot be
>|systematically executed.
622|The brahmanas are the intellectuals who can understand the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are always engaged in
>|the cultivation of knowledge. It does not matter whether
>|one is born in India or outside India. Those who are
>|naturally very heroic and who tend to rule over others are
>|called ksatriyas. Those who tend to produce food by
>|agricultural methods, protect cows and other animals and
>|engage in trade are called vaisyas, or merchants. Those who
>|are not sufficiently intelligent to be brahmanas, ksatriyas
>|or vaisyas are required to serve a master and are called
>|sudras. Thus everyone can engage in the service of the Lord
>|and thus awaken his natural Krsna consciousness. If a
>|society does not function according to such natural
>|divisions, the social orders become degraded. The
>|conclusion is that the scientific method of varnasrama-
>|dharma should be adopted by society.
623|Madhya 8.59
624|TEXT 59
625|TEXT
626|prabhu kahe, "eho bahya, age kaha ara"
627|raya kahe, "krsne karmarpana-sarva-sadhya-sara"
628|SYNONYMS
629|prabhu kahe-the Lord said; eho-this; bahya-external; age-
>|ahead; kaha-say; ara-more; raya kahe-Sri Ramananda Raya
>|said; krsne-unto Krsna; karma-arpana-offering the results
>|of activities; sarva-sadhya-sara-the essence of all means
>|of perfection.
630|TRANSLATION
631|The Lord replied, "This is external. You had better tell Me
>|of some other means." Ramananda replied, "To offer the
>|results of one's activities to Krsna is the essence of all
>|perfection."
632|Madhya 8.60
633|TEXT 60
634|TEXT
635|yat karosi yad asnasi
636|yaj juhosi dadasi yat
637|yat tapasyasi kaunteya
638|tat kurusva mad-arpanam
639|SYNONYMS
640|yat-whatever; karosi-you do; yat-whatever; asnasi-you eat;
>|yat-whatever; juhosi-you offer in sacrifice; dadasi-you
>|give in charity; yat-whatever; yat-whatever; tapasyasi-you
>|perform as austerity; kaunteya-O son of Kunti; tat-that;
>|kurusva-just do; mat-unto Me; arpanam-offering.
641|TRANSLATION
642|Ramananda Raya continued, " 'My dear son of Kunti, whatever
>|you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice,
>|whatever you give in charity, and whatever austerities you
>|perform, all the results of such activities should be
>|offered to Me, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.'
>|"
643|PURPORT
644|The Lord has said that the varnasrama-dharma is not
>|properly executed in this Age of Kali; therefore He ordered
>|Ramananda Raya to go further into the matter. Ramananda
>|replied with this verse from the Bhagavad-gita (9.27),
>|which instructs that while remaining in the system of
>|varnasrama-dharma one may offer the results of his
>|activities to Lord Sri Krsna in loving service. Naturally
>|Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asking Ramananda Raya
>|about the execution of devotional service. Ramananda Raya
>|first enunciated the principle of varnasrama-dharma in
>|consideration of materialistic people. However, this
>|conception is not transcendental. As long as one is in the
>|material world, he must follow the principles of varnasrama-
>|dharma, but devotional service is transcendental. The
>|system of varnasrama-dharma refers to the three modes of
>|material nature, but transcendental devotional service is
>|on the absolute platform. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu belonged
>|to the spiritual world, and His methods for propagating the
>|sankirtana movement were also imported from the spiritual
>|world. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung: golokera
>|prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana, rati na janmila kene
>|taya. This states that the sankirtana movement has nothing
>|to do with this material world. It is imported from the
>|spiritual world, Goloka Vrndavana. Narottama dasa Thakura
>|laments that mundane people do not take this sankirtana
>|movement seriously. Considering the position of devotional
>|service and the sankirtana movement, Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu deemed the system of varnasrama-dharma to be
>|material, although it aims at elevation to the spiritual
>|platform. However, the sankirtana movement can raise one
>|immediately to the spiritual platform. Consequently it is
>|said that varnasrama-dharma is external, and Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu requested Ramananda Raya to proceed deeper into
>|the matter and uncover the spiritual platform.
645|Sometimes materialists consider Lord Visnu a material
>|conception. Impersonalists think that above Lord Visnu is
>|the impersonal Brahman. The impersonalists misunderstand
>|the worship of Lord Visnu. They worship Lord Visnu to merge
>|into His body. In order that visnu-aradhana not be
>|misunderstood, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested that Sri
>|Ramananda Raya proceed further and clear up the issue.
>|Ramananda Raya quoted the verse from the Bhagavad-gita
>|stating that the results of one's occupational duty may be
>|offered to Lord Visnu or Krsna. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.8)
>| it is also said:
646|dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
>|
647|visvaksena -kathasu yah
648|notpadayed yadi ratim
649|srama eva hi kevalam
650|"If one executes the occupational duties of varnasrama-
>|dharma but does not cultivate his dormant Krsna
>|consciousness, his activities are futile. His occupation
>|simply becomes unnecessary labor."
651|Madhya 8.61
652|TEXT 61
653|TEXT
654|prabhu kahe,-"eho bahya, age kaha ara"
655|raya kahe,-"svadharma-tyaga, ei sadhya-sara"
656|SYNONYMS
657|prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; eho-this; bahya-external; age-
>|ahead; kaha-speak; ara-more; raya kahe-Ramananda Raya
>|replied; sva-dharma-tyaga-relinquishing one's occupational
>|duties; ei-this; sadhya-sara-the essence of all perfection.
658|TRANSLATION
659|"This is also external," Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. "
>|Please proceed and speak further on this matter." Ramananda
>|Raya replied, "To give up one's occupational duties in the
>|varnasrama is the essence of perfection."
660|PURPORT
661|A brahmana may renounce his family and accept sannyasa.
>|Others also-ksatriyas and vaisyas-may also give up their
>|families and take to Krsna consciousness. Such renunciation
>|is called karma-tyaga. By such renunciation, the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead is satisfied . But this renouncing
>|of one's activities to Krsna is not uncontaminated and is
>|therefore on the material platform. Such activities are
>|considered within the material universe because, according
>|to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they refer to the material
>|universe and are therefore external. To correct this,
>|Ramananda Raya recommended that one take to the renounced
>|order of life in order to transcend material activities.
>|This is supported by the following verse from Srimad-
>|Bhagavatam (11.11.32).
662|Madhya 8.62
663|TEXT 62
664|TEXT
665|ajnayaivam gunan dosan
666|mayadistan api svakan
667|dharman samtyajya yah sarvan
668|mam bhajet sa ca sattamah
669|SYNONYMS
670|ajnaya-knowing perfectly; evam-thus; gunan-qualities; dosan-
>|faults; maya-by Me; adistan-instructed; api-although;
>|svakan-own; dharman-occupational duties; samtyajya-giving
>|up; yah-anyone who; sarvan-all; mam-unto Me; bhajet-may
>|render service; sah-he; ca-and; sattamah -a first-
>|class person.
671|TRANSLATION
672|Ramananda Raya continued, " 'Occupational duties are
>|described in the religious scriptures. If one analyzes them,
>| he can fully understand their qualities and faults and
>|then give them up completely to render service unto the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a person is considered
>|a first-class man.'
673|Madhya 8.63
674|TEXT 63
675|TEXT
676|sarva-dharman parityajya
677|mam ekam saranam vraja
678|aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
679|moksayisyami ma sucah
680|SYNONYMS
681|sarva-dharman-all kinds of occupational duties; parityajya-
>|giving up; mam ekam-unto Me only; saranam-as shelter; vraja-
>|go; aham-I; tvam-unto you; sarva-papebhyah-from all the
>|reactions of sinful life; moksayisyami-will give liberation;
>| ma-don't; sucah-worry.
682|TRANSLATION
683|"As stated in scripture [Bg. 18.66], 'After giving up all
>|kinds of religious and occupational duties, if you come to
>|Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and take shelter, I
>|will give you protection from all of life's sinful
>|reactions. Do not worry.' "
684|PURPORT
685|In this connection, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami instructs
>|in his book Manah-siksa (2):
686|na dharmam nadharmam sruti-gana-niruktam kila kuru
687|vraje radha-krsna-pracura-paricaryam iha tanu
688|He has thus enjoined that we should not perform religious
>|or irreligious activities as prescribed in the Vedas. The
>|best course is to engage always in the service of Lord
>|Krsna and Radharani. That is the perfection of everything
>|in this life. Similarly, in Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.29.46) it
>|is said by Narada Muni:
689|yada yasyanugrhnati
690|bhagavan atma- bhavitah
691|sa jahati matim loke
>|
>|
>|
>|
692|vede ca parinisthitam
693|"When one actually takes to the loving service of the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead, he gives up all duties in
>|the material world, as well as all duties prescribed by the
>|Vedic literature. In this way one is fixed in the service
>|of the Lord."
694|Madhya 8.64
695|TEXT 64
696|TEXT
697|prabhu kahe,-"eho bahya, age kaha ara"
698|raya kahe,-"jnana-misra bhakti-sadhya-sara"
699|SYNONYMS
700|prabhu kahe-the Lord said; eho-this; bahya-external; age-
>|ahead; kaha-say; ara-more; raya kahe-Raya replied; jnana-
>|misra bhakti-devotional service mixed with empiric
>|knowledge; sadhya-sara-is the essence of perfection.
701|TRANSLATION
702|After hearing Ramananda Raya speak in this way, Lord Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu again rejected his statement and said, "
>|Go ahead and say something more." Ramananda Raya then
>|replied, "Devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge
>|is the essence of perfection."
703|PURPORT
704|Devotional service mixed with non-Vedic speculative
>|knowledge is certainly not pure devotional service.
>|Therefore Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in his Anubhasya
>|preached that self-realization following the execution of
>|ritualistic ceremonies is in the neutral stage between
>|liberation and conditioned life. It is the place beyond
>|this material world in the river Viraja, where the three
>|modes of material nature are subdued or neutralized in the
>|unmanifest stage. However, the spiritual world is a
>|manifestation of spiritual energy and is known as
>|Vaikunthaloka, "the place where there is no anxiety." The
>|material world, known as brahmanda is the creation of the
>|external energy. Between the two creations-the material
>|creation and the spiritual creation-is a river known as
>|Viraja as well as a place known as Brahmaloka. Viraja-
>|nadi and Brahmaloka are shelters for living entities
>|disgusted with material life and inclined to impersonal
>|existence by way of denying material variegatedness. Since
>|these places are not situated in the Vaikunthalokas, or the
>|spiritual world, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu proclaims them to
>|be external. In the Brahmaloka and Viraja-nadi, one cannot
>|conceive of the Vaikunthalokas. Brahmaloka and Viraja-nadi
>|are also attained after difficult austerities, but in these
>|realms there is no understanding of the Supreme Personality
>|of Godhead and His transcendental loving service. Without
>|such spiritual knowledge, simple detachment from material
>|conditions is but another side of material existence. From
>|the spiritual point of view, it is all external. When Sri
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected this proposal, Ramananda Raya
>|suggested that devotional service based on philosophy and
>|logic is a more advanced position. He therefore quoted the
>|following verse from the Bhagavad-gita (18.54).
705|Madhya 8.65
706|TEXT 65
707|TEXT
708|brahma-bhutah prasannatma
709|na socati na kanksati
710|samah sarvesu bhutesu
711|mad-bhaktim labhate param
712|SYNONYMS
713|brahma-bhutah-freed from material conceptions of life but
>|attached to an impersonal situation; prasanna-atma-fully
>|joyful; na socati-he does not lament; na kanksati-he does
>|not hanker; samah-equally disposed; sarvesu-all; bhutesu-to
>|the living entities; mat-bhaktim-My devotional service;
>|labhate-achieves; param-transcendental.
714|TRANSLATION
715|Ramananda Raya continued, "According to the Bhagavad-gita, '
>|One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes
>|the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never
>|laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed
>|toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure
>|devotional service unto Me.' "
716|PURPORT
717|In the Bhagavad-gita (18.54) it is said
>|that a person who accepts the theory of monism-being always
>|engaged in empiric philosophical discussions about
>|spiritual life-becomes joyful and is relieved from all
>|material lamentation and hankering. At that stage, one is
>|equipoised. He sees all living entities as spiritual beings.
>| After attaining this elevated stage, one can attain pure
>|devotional service. The conclusion is that devotional
>|service mixed with ritualistic fruitive activity is
>|inferior to spiritual service based on empiric philosophic
>|discussion.
718|Madhya 8.66
719|TEXT 66
720|TEXT
721|prabhu kahe,-"eho bahya, age kaha ara"
722|raya kahe,-"jnana-sunya bhakti-sadhya-sara"
723|SYNONYMS
724|prabhu kahe-the Lord said; eho-this; bahya-external; age-
>|ahead; kaha-speak; ara-further; raya kahe-Ramananda Raya
>|replied; jnana-sunya bhakti-devotional service independent
>|of logic and empiric philosophy; sadhya-sara-the essence of
>|the perfection of life.
725|TRANSLATION
726|After hearing this, the Lord, as usual, rejected it,
>|considering it to be external devotional service. He again
>|asked Ramananda Raya to speak further, and Ramananda Raya
>|replied, "Pure devotional service without any touch of
>|speculative knowledge is the essence of perfection."
727|PURPORT
728|Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in his Anubhasya
>|commentary says
>|that this stage-devotional service mixed with speculative
>|knowledge-is also external and not within the jurisdiction
>|of pure devotional service as practiced in Vaikunthaloka.
>|As soon as there is some conception of materialistic
>|thought-be it positive or negative-the service is not
>|spiritual. It may be free from material contamination, but
>|because there is mental speculation the devotional service
>|is not pure and freed from the contamination of material
>|life. A living entity who wants to be completely pure must
>|be above this material conception. The negation of material
>|existence does not necessarily mean spiritual existence.
>|After material existence is negated, spiritual existence-
>|namely sac-cid-ananda-still may not be manifest. Until
>|one comes to the stage of actually understanding one's
>|eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, he cannot enter
>|into spiritual life. Spiritual life means becoming detached
>|from material life and engaging in the loving service of
>|the Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore asked Ramananda
>|Raya to explain something transcendental to devotional
>|service mixed with speculative knowledge. A pure devotee is
>|completely surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord, and
>|only by his love does he conquer Krsna, who cannot be
>|conquered by anyone. Krsna always stands victorious over
>|everything. No one can conquer Him. One can attain the
>|stage of pure devotion simply by fully surrendering. This
>|is next corroborated by Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.3),
>|wherein Lord Brahma, defeated by the potency of Sri Krsna,
>|fully surrendered unto the Lord.
729|Madhya 8.67
730|TEXT 67
731|TEXT
732|jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
733|jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
734|sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
735|ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam
736|SYNONYMS
737|jnane-in gaining knowledge; prayasam-unnecessary endeavor;
>|udapasya-setting far aside; namantah-completely
>|surrendering; eva-certainly; jivanti-live; sat-mukharitam-
>|declared by great realized devotees; bhavadiya-vartam-
>|discussions about You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
>|sthane sthitah-situated in their own positions; sruti-gatam-
>|received aurally; tanu-vak-manobhih-by the body, words and
>|mind; ye-those who; prayasah-almost always; ajita-O my
>|unconquerable Lord (beyond perception and unlimitedly
>|independent); jitah-conquered; api-indeed; asi-You are;
>|taih-by such pure devotees; tri-lokyam-within the three
>|worlds.
738|TRANSLATION
739|Ramananda Raya continued, "Lord Brahma said, 'My dear Lord,
>|those devotees who have thrown away the impersonal
>|conception of the Absolute Truth and have therefore
>|abandoned discussing empiric philosophical truths should
>|hear from self-realized devotees about Your holy name, form,
>| pastimes and qualities. They should completely follow the
>|principles of devotional service and remain free from
>|illicit sex, gambling, intoxication and animal slaughter.
>|Surrendering themselves fully with body, words and mind,
>|they can live in any asrama or social status. Indeed, You
>|are conquered by such persons, although You are always
>|unconquerable.' "
740|Madhya 8.68
741|TEXT 68
742|TEXT
743|prabhu kahe,-"eho haya, age kaha ara"
744|raya kahe, "prema-bhakti-sarva-sadhya-sara"
745|SYNONYMS
746|prabhu kahe-the Lord said; eho haya-this is all right; age
>|kaha ara-speak something more; raya kahe-Raya replied;
>|prema-bhakti-ecstatic love in devotional service to the
>|Lord; sarva-sadhya-sara-the essence of all perfection.
747|TRANSLATION
748|At this point, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "This is
>|all right, but still you can speak more on the subject."
>|Ramananda Raya then replied, "Ecstatic love for the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead is the essence of all perfection."
749|PURPORT
750|In this connection , Srila Bhaktivinoda
>|Thakura in his Amrta -pravaha-bhasya says
>|that after hearing Ramananda Raya, Lord
>|Caitanya Mahaprabhu said , eho haya, age
>|kaha ara . This means that This is the process accepted
>|in devotional service, but there is something more than
>|this. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested him
>|to explain what was beyond. Simply executing the duties
>|of all varnas and asramas is not as good as offering all
>|the results of one's activities to the Lord. When one gives
>|up all fruitive activity and fully surrenders to the Lord,
>|he attains sva-dharma-tyaga, wherein he abandons the social
>|order and takes to the renounced order. That is certainly
>|better. However, better than the renounced order is
>|cultivation of knowledge mixed with devotional service. Yet
>|all these activities are external to the activities of the
>|spiritual world. There is no touch of pure devotional
>|service in them. Pure devotional service cannot be attained
>|by empiric philosophy, nor can perfection be attained
>|simply by good association. Devotional service by self-
>|realization is a different subject matter. It is untouched
>|by fruitive activity, for one surrenders the results of
>|activities to the Lord, abandons prescribed duties and
>|accepts the renounced order of life. Such devotional
>|service is situated on a higher platform than that of
>|empiric philosophical speculation with a mixture of bhakti.
>|This is verified by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti-
>|rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11):
751|anyabhilasita-sunyam
752|jnana-karmady - anavrtam
753|anukulyena krsnanu -
754|silanam bhaktir uttama
755|"One should render transcendental loving service to the
>|Supreme Lord Krsna favorably and without desire for
>|material profit or gain through fruitive activities or
>|philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional
>|service."
756|Devotional activities, however, sometimes appear to be
>|impure in the neophyte stage, but in the mature stage they
>|are completely pure, or free from material activity.
>|Therefore Ramananda Raya replied after hearing the last
>|statement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: prema-bhakti-sarva-
>|sadhya-sara. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu actually accepted this
>|verse (jnane prayasam) as the basic principle of perfection.
>| One has to practice this principle in order to make
>|further progress. When further progress is actually made,
>|one comes to the platform of ecstatic loving service to the
>|Lord. This first stage is technically called sadhana-bhakti,
>| or devotional service in practice. The result of sadhana-
>|bhakti must be ecstatic love, attachment for the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead, which is also called prema-bhakti.
>|In the neophyte stage, sadhana-bhakti includes faith,
>|association with devotees, and practicing devotional
>|service. Thus one is freed from all unwanted things. One
>|then becomes fixed in devotional service and increases his
>|desire to act in devotional service. Thus one becomes
>|attached to the Lord and His devotional service.
757|Madhya 8.69
758|TEXT 69
759|TEXT
760|nanopacara-krta-pujanam arta-bandhoh
761|premnaiva bhakta-hrdayam sukha-vidrutam syat
762|yavat ksud asti jathare jaratha pipasa
763|tavat sukhaya bhavato nanu bhaksya-peye
764|SYNONYMS
765|nana-upacara-by varieties of offerings; krta-performed;
>|pujanam-worshiping; arta-bandhoh-of the Supreme Personality
>|of Godhead, who is the friend of all distressed persons;
>|premna-by ecstatic love; eva-indeed; bhakta-hrdayam-the
>|heart of a devotee; sukha-vidrutam-melted in transcendental
>|bliss; syat-becomes; yavat-as long as; ksut-appetite; asti-
>|there is; jathare-in the stomach; jaratha-strong; pipasa-
>|thirst; tavat-so long; sukhaya-for happiness; bhavatah-are;
>|nanu-indeed; bhaksya-eatables; peye-and drinkables.
766|TRANSLATION
767|Ramananda Raya continued, " 'As long as there is hunger and
>|thirst within the stomach, varieties of food and drink make
>|one feel very happy. Similarly, when the Lord is worshiped
>|with pure love, the various activities performed in the
>|course of that worship awaken transcendental bliss in the
>|heart of the devotee.'
768|Madhya 8.70
769|TEXT 70
770|TEXT
771|krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih
772|kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate
773|tatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam
774|janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate
775|SYNONYMS
776|krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita-absorbed in the mellows of
>|executing devotional service to Krsna; matih-intelligence;
>|kriyatam-let it be purchased; yadi-if; kutah api-somewhere;
>|labhyate-is available; tatra-there; laulyam-greed; api-
>|indeed; mulyam-price; ekalam-only; janma-koti-of millions
>|of births; sukrtaih-by pious activities; na-not; labhyate-
>|is obtained.
777|TRANSLATION
778|" 'Pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness cannot be
>|had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of
>|lives. It can be attained only by paying one price-that is,
>|intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere,
>|one must purchase it without delay.' "
779|PURPORT
780|The previous two verses are included in the Padyavali (13,
>|14), an anthology compiled by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Verse 69
>|refers to devotional service in faith, and verse 70 refers
>|to devotional service rendered out of intense greed. The
>|first is devotional service rendered in accordance with the
>|regulative principles, and the second refers to spontaneous
>|loving service of the Lord without extraneous endeavor.
>|Henceforward the basic principle underlying the talks
>|between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya will be
>|spontaneous loving service to the Lord. The regulative
>|principles according to the injunctions of the sastras are
>|necessary insofar as one's original dormant Krsna
>|consciousness is not spontaneously awakened. An example of
>|spontaneous action is the flowing of rivers into the ocean.
>|Nothing can stop this flow of water. Similarly, when one's
>|dormant Krsna consciousness is awakened, it spontaneously
>|flows to the lotus feet of Krsna without impediment.
>|Whatever will be spoken henceforth by Ramananda Raya based
>|on spontaneous love will be agreeable to Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu, and the Lord will ask him more and more about
>|this subject.
781|Madhya 8.71
782|TEXT 71
783|TEXT
784|prabhu kahe, "eho haya, age kaha ara"
785|raya kahe, "dasya-prema-sarva-sadhya-sara"
786|SYNONYMS
787|prabhu kahe-the Lord said; eho haya-this is all right; age
>|kaha ara-please speak more; raya kahe-Ramananda Raya
>|replied; dasya-prema-spontaneous love in the humor of
>|servitude; sarva-sadhya-sara-the essence of perfection.
788|TRANSLATION
789|Hearing up to the point of spontaneous love, the Lord said,
>|"This is all right, but if you know more, please tell Me."
>|In reply, Ramananda Raya said, "Spontaneous loving service
>|in servitude-as exchanged by master and servant-is the
>|highest perfection.
790|PURPORT
791|Spontaneous loving service to the Lord is called devotional
>|service with an intimate attachment between the servitor
>|and the served. This intimacy is called mamata. Between the
>|servitor and the served there is a feeling of oneness. This
>|mamata begins with dasya-prema, service rendered to the
>|master by the servant. Unless there is such a relationship,
>|the loving affairs between the Lord and His devotee are not
>|actually fixed. When the devotee feels "The Lord is my
>|master" and renders service unto Him, Krsna consciousness
>|is awakened. This fixed consciousness is on a higher
>|platform than simple cognizance of love of Godhead.
792|Madhya 8.72
793|TEXT 72
794|TEXT
795|yan-nama-sruti-matrena
796|puman bhavati nirmalah
797|tasya tirtha-padah kim va
798|dasanam avasisyate
799|SYNONYMS
800|yat-of whom; nama-of the name; sruti-matrena-simply by
>|hearing; puman-a person; bhavati-becomes; nirmalah-pure;
>|tasya-of Him; tirtha-padah-of the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead, at whose lotus feet are all places of pilgrimage;
>|kim-what; va-more; dasanam-of the servants; avasisyate-is
>|remaining.
801|TRANSLATION
802|" 'A man becomes purified simply by hearing the holy name
>|of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose lotus feet
>|create the holy places of pilgrimage. Therefore what
>|remains to be attained by those who have become His
>|servants?'
803|PURPORT
804|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.5.16) and is
>|an admission by the great sage Durvasa Muni. Durvasa Muni,
>|a caste brahmana and great yogi, used to hate Maharaja
>|Ambarisa. When he decided to chastise Maharaja Ambarisa
>|through his yogic powers, he was chased by the Sudarsana
>|cakra of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When things
>|were settled, he said, "When the holy name of the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead is heard by any person, that person
>|is immediately sanctified. The Supreme Lord is master of
>|the devotees, and the devotees, under His shelter,
>|naturally come to own His opulences."
805|Madhya 8.73
806|TEXT 73
807|TEXT
808|bhavantam evanucaran nirantarah
809|prasanta-nihsesa-mano-rathantarah
810|kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkarah
811|praharsayisyami sa-natha-jivitam
812|SYNONYMS
813|bhavantam-You; eva-certainly; anucaran-serving; nirantarah-
>|always; prasanta-pacified; nihsesa-all; manah-ratha-desires;
>| antarah-other; kada-when; aham-I; aikantika-exclusive;
>|nitya-eternal; kinkarah-servant; praharsayisyami-I shall
>|become joyful; sa-natha-with a fitting master; jivitam-
>|living.
814|TRANSLATION
815|" 'By serving You constantly, one is freed from all
>|material desires and is completely pacified. When shall I
>|engage as Your permanent eternal servant and always feel
>|joyful to have such a perfect master?' "
816|PURPORT
817|This is a statement made by the great saintly devotee
>|Yamunacarya in his Stotra-ratna (43).
818|Madhya 8.74
819|TEXT 74
820|TEXT
821|prabhu kahe, "eho haya, kichu age ara"
822|raya kahe, "sakhya-prema-sarva-sadhya-sara"
823|SYNONYMS
824|prabhu kahe-the Lord said; eho haya-this is also right;
>|kichu-something; age-ahead; ara-more; raya kahe-Ramananda
>|Raya replied; sakhya-prema-transcendental loving service in
>|fraternity; sarva-sadhya-sara-the highest perfectional
>|stage.
825|TRANSLATION
826|Hearing this from Ramananda Raya, the Lord again requested
>|him to go a step further. In reply, Ramananda Raya said, "
>|Loving service to Krsna rendered in fraternity is the
>|highest perfection.
827|PURPORT
828|As long as loving service is rendered to the Lord in the
>|master-servant relationship, there is some fear, for the
>|servant is always afraid of the master, despite the
>|intimacy of self-interest. In this stage the servant is
>|always afraid of the master and respectful of Him. When the
>|devotee is further advanced, he has nothing to fear. He
>|considers the Lord and himself on an equal level. At such a
>|time, the devotee is fully convinced that Lord Krsna is a
>|friend and cannot at all be dissatisfied if the devotee
>|lives with Him on an equal level. This understanding is
>|called visrambha, that is, devoid of a respectful attitude.
>|When this attitude is chosen, it becomes sakhya-prema, or
>|love of Godhead in friendship. On this stage there is
>|developed consciousness of equality between the Lord and
>|the devotee.
829|Madhya 8.75
830|TEXT 75
831|TEXT
832|ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
833|dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
834|mayasritanam nara-darakena
835|sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah
836|SYNONYMS
837|ittham-in this way; satam-of persons who prefer the
>|impersonal feature of the Lord; brahma-of the impersonal
>|effulgence; sukha-by the happiness; anubhutya-who is
>|realized; dasyam-the mode of servitude; gatanam-of those
>|who have accepted; para-daivatena-who is the supreme
>|worshipable Deity; maya-asritanam-for ordinary persons
>|under the clutches the of external energy; nara-
>|darakena-with Him, who is like a boy of this material world;
>| sakam-in friendship; vijahruh-played; krta-punya-punjah-
>|those who have accumulated volumes of pious activities.
838|TRANSLATION
839|" 'Neither those who are engaged in self-realization ,
>| appreciating the Brahman effulgence of the Lord, nor
>|those engaged in devotional service while accepting the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead as master, nor those who are
>|under the clutches of Maya, thinking the Lord an ordinary
>|person, can understand that certain exalted personalities -
>|after accumulating volumes of pious activities - are now
>|playing with the Lord in friendship as cowherd boys.' "
840|PURPORT
841|This is a statement made by Sukadeva Gosvami (Bhag . 10.12.
>|11), who appreciated the good fortune of the cowherd boys
>|who played with Krsna and ate with Him on the banks of the
>|Yamuna.
842|Madhya 8.76
843|TEXT 76
844|TEXT
845|prabhu kahe,-"eho uttama, age kaha ara"
846|raya kahe, "vatsalya-prema-sarva-sadhya-sara"
847|SYNONYMS
848|prabhu kahe-the Lord said; eho uttama-it is very good; age-
>|still further; kaha-speak; ara-more; raya kahe-Raya replied;
>| vatsalya-prema-loving service to the Lord in the stage of
>|paternal love; sarva-sadhya-sara-the highest perfectional
>|stage.
849|TRANSLATION
850|The Lord said, "This statement is very good, but please
>|proceed even further." Ramananda Raya then replied, "Loving
>|service to the Lord in the parental relationship is the
>|highest perfectional stage."
851|PURPORT
852|The stage of loving service to the Lord in paternal
>|affection is an advanced stage of love in fraternity. In
>|the fraternal relationship there is a sense of equality,
>|but when that sense of equality is advanced in affection,
>|one attains the platform of parental love. In this
>|connection, the following verse is cited from Srimad-
>|Bhagavatam (10.8.46), wherein Sukadeva Gosvami voices his
>|appreciation of Nanda Maharaja's and mother Yasoda's
>|intense love for Krsna.
853|Madhya 8.77
854|TEXT 77
855|TEXT
856|nandah kim akarod brahman
857|sreya evam mahodayam
858|yasoda va maha-bhaga
859|papau yasyah stanam harih
860|SYNONYMS
861|nandah-Nanda Maharaja; kim-what; akarot-has performed;
>|brahman-O brahmana; sreyah-auspicious activities; evam-thus;
>| maha-udayam-rising to such an exalted position as the
>|father of Krsna; yasoda-mother Yasoda; va-or; maha-bhaga-
>|most fortunate; papau-drank; yasyah-of whom; stanam-by the
>|breasts; harih-the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
862|TRANSLATION
863|Ramananda Raya continued, " 'O brahmana, what pious
>|activities did Nanda Maharaja perform by which he received
>|the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna as his son , and
>|what pious activities did mother Yasoda perform that made
>|the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna call her "
>|mother" and suck her breasts?'
864|Madhya 8.78
865|TEXT 78
866|TEXT
867|nemam virinco na bhavo
868|na srir apy anga-samsraya
869|prasadam lebhire gopi
870|yat tat prapa vimukti-dat
871|SYNONYMS
872|na-not; imam-this (love of Godhead); virincah-Lord Brahma;
>|na-not; bhavah-Lord Siva; na-nor; srih-the goddess of
>|fortune; api-even; anga-on the chest of Visnu; samsraya-who
>|is sheltered; prasadam-favor; lebhire-have obtained; gopi-
>|mother Yasoda; yat-which; tat-that; prapa-obtained; vimukti-
>|dat-from the person who gives liberation.
873|TRANSLATION
874|" 'The favor mother Yasoda obtained from Sri Krsna, the
>|bestower of liberation, was never obtained even by Lord
>|Brahma or Lord Siva, nor even by the goddess of fortune,
>|who always remains on the chest of the Supreme Personality
>|of Godhead Visnu.' "
875|PURPORT
876|This is a statement from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.9.20). Krsna
>|agreed to be bound by mother Yasoda after she had given up
>|trying to bind Krsna with ropes. This is another
>|appreciation made by Sukadeva Gosvami in his narration of
>|the pastimes of Krsna before Maharaja Pariksit.
877|Madhya 8.79
878|TEXT 79
879|TEXT
880|prabhu kahe, "eho uttama, age kaha ara"
881|raya kahe, "kanta-prema sarva-sadhya-sara"
882|SYNONYMS
883|prabhu kahe-the Lord replied; eho uttama-this is very good;
>|age-ahead; kaha-speak; ara-more; raya kahe-Ramananda Raya
>|replied; kanta-prema-loving service between husband and
>|wife; sarva-sadhya-sara-the highest perfectional stage.
884|TRANSLATION
885|The Lord said, "Your statements are certainly getting
>|better and better one after the other, but surpassing all
>|of them is another transcendental mellow, and you can speak
>|of that as the most sublime." Ramananda Raya then replied, "
>|Conjugal attachment for Krsna is the topmost position in
>|love of Godhead.
886|PURPORT
887|In general, love of Godhead is devoid of the intimacy of
>|ownership. In the case of love in servitude, there is a
>|want of confidence. There is a want of increased affection
>|in the fraternal relationship, but when this
>|affection increases in the paternal relationship, there is
>|nonetheless a want of complete freedom. However, when one
>|becomes a conjugal lover of Krsna, everything lacking in
>|the other relationships is completely manifest. Love of
>|Godhead lacks nothing in the conjugal stage. The summary of
>|this verse is that paternal love of Godhead is certainly
>|higher than fraternal love and that conjugal love is higher
>|yet. It was when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested
>|Ramananda Raya to go further that he came to the point of
>|the conjugal relationship, which is the highest
>|perfectional stage of transcendental love.
888|Madhya 8.80
889|TEXT 80
890|TEXT
891|nayam sriyo 'nga u nitanta-rateh prasadah
892|svar-yositam nalina-gandha-rucam kuto 'nyah
893|rasotsave 'sya bhuja-danda-grhita-kantha-
894|labdhasisam ya udagad vraja-sundarinam
895|SYNONYMS
896|na-not; ayam-this; sriyah-of the goddess of fortune; ange-
>|on the chest; u-alas; nitanta-rateh-who is very intimately
>|related; prasadah-the favor; svah-of the heavenly planets;
>|yositam-of women; nalina-of the lotus flower; gandha-having
>|the aroma; rucam-and bodily luster; kutah-much less; anyah-
>|others; rasa-utsave-in the festival of the rasa dance; asya-
>|of Lord Sri Krsna; bhuja-danda-by the arms; grhita-embraced;
>| kantha-their necks; labdha-asisam-who achieved such a
>|blessing; yah-which; udagat-became manifest; vraja-
>|sundarinam-of the beautiful gopis, the transcendental girls
>|of Vrajabhumi.
897|TRANSLATION
898|" 'When Lord Sri Krsna was dancing with the gopis in the
>|rasa-lila, He put His arms around their necks and
>|embraced them . This transcendental favor was never
>|bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts
>|in the spiritual world. Nor was such a thing even imagined
>|by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls
>|whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the
>|lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly
>|women who may be very, very beautiful according to
>|material estimation?'
899|PURPORT
900|This verse (Bhag . 10.47.60) was spoken by Uddhava when he
>|visited Sri Vrndavana to deliver a message from Krsna to
>|the gopis. Uddhava remained in Vrndavana to observe the
>|movements of the gopis there. When he saw the ecstatic
>|love for Krsna in separation manifested by the gopis, he
>|appreciated their supreme love and therefore expressed his
>|feelings in this verse. He admitted that the fortune of the
>|gopis could not be compared even to the fortune of the
>|goddess of fortune, to say nothing of the beautiful girls
>|in the heavenly planets.
901|Madhya 8.81
902|TEXT 81
903|TEXT
904|tasam avirabhuc chaurih
905|smayamana-mukhambujah
906|pitambara-dharah sragvi
907|saksan manmatha-manmathah
908|SYNONYMS
909|tasam-among them; avirabhut-appeared; saurih-Lord Krsna;
>|smayamana-smiling; mukha-ambujah-with a face like a lotus
>|flower; pita-ambara-dharah-wearing yellow garments; sragvi-
>|garlanded with flowers; saksat-directly; manmatha-of Cupid;
>|manmathah-the bewilderer.
910|TRANSLATION
911|" 'Suddenly, due to the their feelings of separation, Lord
>|Krsna appeared among the gopis dressed in yellow garments
>|and wearing a flower garland. His lotus face was smiling,
>|and He was directly attracting the mind of Cupid.'
912|PURPORT
913|This verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.32.2). When the
>|rasa dance was going on, Krsna suddenly disappeared, and
>|the gopis became so overwhelmed, due to His separation and
>|their intense love for Him, that Krsna was obliged to
>|appear again.
914|Madhya 8.82
915|TEXT 82
916|TEXT
917|krsna-praptira upaya bahu-vidha haya
918|krsna-prapti-taratamya bahuta achaya
919|SYNONYMS
920|krsna-praptira-of achieving the lotus feet of Krsna; upaya-
>|means; bahu-vidha-various; haya-there are; krsna-prapti-of
>|achieving the favor of Lord Krsna; taratamya-comparisons;
>|bahuta-various; achaya-there are.
921|TRANSLATION
922|"There are various means and processes by which one may
>|attain the favor of Lord Krsna. All those transcendental
>|processes will be studied from the viewpoint of comparative
>|importance.
923|Madhya 8.83
924|TEXT 83
925|TEXT
926|kintu yanra yei rasa, sei sarvottama
927|tata-stha hana vicarile, ache tara-tama
928|SYNONYMS
929|kintu-nevertheless; yanra-of some devotees; yei rasa-
>|whatever the mellow of exchanges of love; sei-that; sarva-
>|uttama-the best; tata-stha-neutral; hana-being; vicarile-if
>|considering; ache-there is; tara-tama-lower and higher
>|levels.
930|TRANSLATION
931|"It is true that whatever relationship a particular devotee
>|has with the Lord is the best for him; still, when we study
>|all the different methods from a neutral position, we can
>|understand that there are higher and lower degrees of love.
932|PURPORT
933|In this regard, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
>|explains that this verse does not advocate the whimsical
>|invention of some methods of love of Godhead. Such
>|inventions cannot be accepted as topmost. Indeed, such
>|concoctions are not recommended in these verses. Srila Rupa
>|Gosvami has said in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.101):
934|sruti-smrti-puranadi-
935|pancaratra -vidhim vina
936|aikantiki harer bhaktir
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
937|utpatayaiva kalpate
938|He clearly mentions in this verse that one must refer to
>|the Vedic literature and other, supplementary literatures
>|and follow the conclusion of the Vedas. An invented
>|devotional attitude simply creates disturbances in the
>|transcendental realm. If a person overly addicted to family
>|life takes to Srimad-Bhagavatam or Krsna consciousness to
>|earn a livelihood, his activity is certainly offensive. One
>|should not become a caste guru and sell mantras for the
>|benefit of mundane customers, nor should one make disciples
>|for a livelihood. All these activities are offensive. One
>|should not make a livelihood by forming a professional band
>|to carry out congregational chanting, nor should one
>|perform devotional service when one is attached to mundane
>|society, friendship and love. Nor should one be dependent
>|on so-called social etiquette. All of this is mental
>|speculation. None of these things can be compared to
>|unalloyed devotional service. No one can compare unalloyed
>|devotional service, Krsna consciousness, to mundane
>|activities. There are many unauthorized parties pretending
>|to belong to the Sri Caitanya cult, and some are known as
>|aula, baula, kartabhaja, neda, daravesa, sani, sakhibheki,
>|smarta, jata-gosani, ativadi, cudadhari and gauranga-nagari.
939|Moreover, there are those who take the caste gosvamis'
>|opinions of such parties as bona fide, comparing these
>|opinions to those of the six Gosvamis, headed by Sri Rupa
>|and Sri Sanatana. This is simply another cheating process.
>|There are also nondevotees who compose unauthorized songs,
>|who establish different temples for money, who worship the
>|Deity as priests for salaries, who accept caste brahmanism
>|as all in all, and who do not know the value of a pure
>|Vaisnava. Actually the caste brahmanas of the smarta
>|community are opposed to the principles of the Satvata-
>|pancaratra. Furthermore, there are many Mayavadis and those
>|overly addicted to material sense enjoyment. None of these
>|can be compared to a person who is purely engaged in
>|preaching Krsna consciousness. Every Krsna conscious person
>|is constantly endeavoring to utilize different
>|transcendental devices in the service of the Lord. Such a
>|devotee renounces all material enjoyment and completely
>|dedicates himself to the service of his spiritual master
>|and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He may be a perfect
>|celibate, a restrained householder, a regulated vanaprastha
>|or a tridandi-sannyasi in the renounced order. It doesn't
>|matter. The pseudo transcendentalists and the pure devotees
>|cannot be compared, nor can one argue that a person can
>|invent his own way of worship.
940|The purport in presenting this verse necessitates
>|explaining the comparative positions of the transcendental
>|mellows known as santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and
>|madhurya. All these rasas, or mellows, are situated on the
>|transcendental platform. Pure devotees take shelter of one
>|of them and thus progress in spiritual life. Actually one
>|can take shelter of such spiritual mellows only when one is
>|completely uncontaminated by material attachment. When one
>|is completely free from material attachment, the feelings
>|of the transcendental mellows are awakened in the heart of
>|the devotee. That is svarupa-siddhi, the perfection of
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
941|one' s eternal relationship with the
>|Supreme Lord. Svarupa -
>|siddhi , the eternal relationship with the
>|Supreme Lord, may be situated in
>|one of the transcendental mellows. Each
>|and every one
>| of them is as perfect as
>| the others. But by comparative
>|study an unbiased person can realize that
>|The mellow of servitorship is better than
>|the mellow of neutrality . The mellow of
>|fraternity is better than
>|
>|the mellow of servitorship
>|. Similarly , the parental
>|mellow is better than that
>| of fraternity
>|. Above all these mellows
>| is the mellow of conjugal love
>|. However, these are all
>|spiritually situated on the same platform because
>|all these relationships of
>|perfection in love are based on a central point
>|- Krsna .
942|These mellows cannot be compared to the feelings one
>|derives from demigod worship. Krsna is one, but the
>|demigods are different. They are material. Love for Krsna
>|cannot be compared to material love for different demigods.
>|Because Mayavadis are on the material platform, they
>|recommend the worship of Siva or Durga and say that worship
>|of Kali and Krsna are the same. However, on the spiritual
>|platform there is no demigod worship. The only worshipable
>|object is Krsna. Therefore although there is no difference
>|between a devotee in santa-rasa or dasya-rasa, vatsalya-
>|rasa or madhurya-rasa, one can still make a comparative
>|study of the intensity of love in these different
>|transcendental positions. For example, it may be said that
>|dasya-rasa is better than santa-rasa, yet transcendental
>|love of God is there in both of them. Similarly, we can
>|judge that love of Godhead in fraternity is better than
>|love of Godhead in neutrality and servitorship. Similarly,
>|love of Godhead in paternal affection is better than love
>|in fraternity. And, as stated before, love of God in the
>|conjugal rasa is superior to that in the paternal rasa.
943|The analysis of different types of love of Godhead has been
>|made by expert acaryas who know all about devotional
>|service on the transcendental platform. Unfortunately,
>|inexperienced and unauthorized persons in the mundane world,
>| not understanding the transcendental position of pure love,
>| try to find some material fault in the transcendental
>|process. This is simply impudence on the part of
>|spiritually inexperienced people. Such faultfinding is
>|symptomatic of unfortunate mundane wranglers.
944|Madhya 8.84
945|TEXT 84
946|TEXT
947|yathottaram asau svada-
948|visesollasa-mayy api
949|ratir vasanaya svadvi
950|bhasate kapi kasyacit
951|SYNONYMS
952|yatha uttaram-one after another; asau-that; svada-visesa-of
>|particular tastes; ullasa-pleasing; mayi-empowered with;
>|api-although; ratih-love; vasanaya-by desire; svadvi-sweet;
>|bhasate-appears; ka api-someone; kasyacit-one of them.
953|TRANSLATION
954|" 'Increasing love is experienced in various tastes, one
>|above another. But that love which has the highest taste in
>|the gradual succession of desires manifests itself in the
>|form of conjugal love.'
955|PURPORT
956|This verse is from Srila Rupa Gosvami's Bhakti-rasamrta-
>|sindhu (2.5.38), and it also appears in the Adi-lila,
>|Chapter Four, verse 45.
957|Madhya 8.85
958|TEXT 85
959|TEXT
960|purva-purva-rasera guna-pare pare haya
961|dui-tina ganane panca paryanta badaya
962|SYNONYMS
963|purva-purva-of each previous; rasera-of the mellow; guna-
>|the qualities; pare pare-in each subsequent; haya-there are;
>| dui-tina-two and then three; ganane-in counting; panca-
>|five; paryanta-up to; badaya-increases.
964|TRANSLATION
965|"There is a gradual order of improvement in transcendental
>|mellows from the initial ones to the later ones. In each
>|subsequent mellow the qualities of the previous mellows are
>|manifest, counting from two, then three, and up to the
>|point of five complete qualities.
966|Madhya 8.86
967|TEXT 86
968|TEXT
969|gunadhikye svadadhikya bade prati-rase
970|santa-dasya-sakhya-vatsalyera guna madhurete vaise
971|SYNONYMS
972|guna-adhikye-by the increase of transcendental qualities;
>|svada-adhikya-increase of taste; bade-increases; prati-rase-
>|in each mellow; santa-of neutrality; dasya-of servitude;
>|sakhya-of fraternity; vatsalyera-and of paternal affection;
>|guna-the qualities; madhurete-in the conjugal mellow; vaise-
>|appear.
973|TRANSLATION
974|"As the qualities increase, so the taste also increases in
>|each and every mellow. Therefore the qualities found in
>|santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa and vatsalya-rasa are
>|all manifest in conjugal love [madhurya-rasa].
975|Madhya 8.87
976|TEXT 87
977|TEXT
978|akasadira guna yena para-para bhute
979|dui-tina krame bade panca prthivite
980|SYNONYMS
981|akasa-adira-of the sky, air and so on; guna-the qualities;
>|yena-just as; para-para-one after another; bhute-in the
>|material elements; dui-tina-two and then three; krame-by
>|gradations; bade-increase; panca-all five; prthivite-in
>|earth.
982|TRANSLATION
983|"The qualities in the material elements-sky, air, fire,
>|water and earth-increase one after another by a gradual
>|process of one, two and three, and at the last stage, in
>|the element earth, all five qualities are completely
>|visible.
984|Madhya 8.88
985|TEXT 88
986|TEXT
987|paripurna-krsna-prapti ei 'prema' haite
988|ei premara vasa krsna-kahe bhagavate
989|SYNONYMS
990|paripurna-completely full; krsna-prapti-achievement of the
>|lotus feet of Lord Krsna; ei-this; prema-love of Godhead;
>|haite-from; ei premara-of this type of love of Godhead;
>|vasa-under the control; krsna-Lord Krsna; kahe-it is said;
>|bhagavate-in Srimad-Bhagavatam.
991|TRANSLATION
992|"Complete attainment of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna is
>|made possible by love of Godhead, specifically madhurya-
>|rasa, or conjugal love. Lord Krsna is indeed captivated by
>|this standard of love. This is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam.
993|PURPORT
994|To explain the topmost quality of conjugal love, Srila
>|Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami gives the example of the
>|material elements-sky, air, fire, water and earth. In the
>|sky (space) there is the quality of sound. Similarly, in
>|air there are the qualities of sound and touch. In fire,
>|there are three qualities-sound, touch and form. In water
>|there are four qualities-sound, touch, form and taste.
>|Finally, in earth there are all five qualities-sound, touch,
>| form, taste and also smell. Now, one can see that the
>|quality of the sky is in all-namely in air, fire, water and
>|earth. In earth we can find all the qualities of material
>|nature. The same can be applied to the rasa known as
>|madhurya-rasa, or conjugal love. In conjugal love there are
>|the qualities of neutrality, servitorship, fraternity and
>|paternal affection, as well as conjugal love
>|itself. The conclusion is that through conjugal love the
>|Lord is completely satisfied.
995|Conjugal love (madhurya-rasa) is also known as srngara-rasa.
>| It is the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam that in the
>|complete combination of loving service to the Lord-namely
>|in conjugal love-the Supreme Lord fully agrees to be under
>|the control of the devotee. The highest form of conjugal
>|love is represented by Srimati Radharani; therefore in the
>|pastimes of Radha and Krsna we can see that Krsna is always
>|subjugated by Srimati Radharani's influence.
996|Madhya 8.89
997|TEXT 89
998|TEXT
999|mayi bhaktir hi bhutanam
1000|amrtatvaya kalpate
1001|distya yad asin mat-sneho
1002|bhavatinam mad-apanah
1003|SYNONYMS
1004|mayi-unto Me; bhaktih-devotional service; hi-certainly;
>|bhutanam-of all living entities; amrtatvaya-for becoming
>|eternal; kalpate-is meant; distya-fortunately; yat-what;
>|asit-there is; mat-snehah-affection for Me; bhavatinam-of
>|all of you; mat-apanah-the means of getting My favor.
1005|TRANSLATION
1006|"Lord Krsna told the gopis, 'The means of attaining My
>|favor is loving service unto Me, and fortunately you are
>|all thus engaged. Those living beings who render service
>|unto Me are eligible to be transferred to the spiritual
>|world and attain eternal life with knowledge and bliss.'
1007|PURPORT
1008|The fulfillment of human life is summarized in this verse
>|from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.82.44). There are two important
>|words in this verse: bhakti (devotional service) and
>|amrtatva (eternal life). The aim of human life is to attain
>|the natural position of eternal life. This eternal life can
>|be achieved only by devotional service.
1009|Madhya 8.90
1010|TEXT 90
1011|TEXT
1012|krsnera pratijna drdha sarva-kale ache
1013|ye yaiche bhaje, krsna tare bhaje taiche
1014|SYNONYMS
1015|krsnera-of Lord Krsna; pratijna-the promise; drdha-firm;
>|sarva-kale-in all times; ache-there is; ye-anyone; yaiche-
>|just as; bhaje-renders service; krsna-Lord Krsna; tare-him;
>|bhaje-reciprocates with; taiche-so for all time.
1016|TRANSLATION
1017|"Lord Krsna has made a firm promise for all time. If one
>|renders service unto Him, Krsna correspondingly gives him
>|an equal amount of success in devotional service to the
>|Lord.
1018|PURPORT
1019|It is a completely mistaken idea that one can worship Krsna
>|in any form or in any way and still attain the ultimate
>|result of receiving the favor of the Lord. This is a
>|decision made by gross materialists. Generally such men say
>|that you can manufacture your own way of worshiping the
>|Supreme Lord and that any type of worship is sufficient to
>|approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Certainly
>|there are different means for attaining different results
>|in fruitive activity, speculative knowledge, mystic yoga
>|and austerity. Crude men therefore say that if one
>|adopts any of these methods one achieves the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead's favor. They claim that it doesn't
>|matter what kind of method one adopts. A general example is
>|given: If one wishes to arrive at a certain place, there
>|are many roads leading there, and one can go to that place
>|by any one of these roads. Similarly, these gross
>|materialists say, there are different ways to attain the
>|favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They claim
>|that one can conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
>|as Goddess Durga, Goddess Kali, Lord Siva, Demigod Ganesa,
>|Lord Ramacandra, Krsna, the impersonal Brahman or whatever,
>|and one can chant the Lord's name in any way and in any
>|form. Such materialists claim that since ultimately all
>|these names and forms are one, the result is the same. They
>|also give the example that a man who has different names
>|will answer if called by any one of them. Therefore, they
>|claim, there is no need to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. If
>|one chants the name of Kali, Durga, Siva, Ganesa or anyone
>|else, the result will be the same.
1020|Such claims made by mental speculators are no doubt very
>|pleasing to mental speculators, but those who are actually
>|in knowledge do not admit such conclusions, which are
>|against the authority of the sastras. A bona fide acarya
>|will certainly not accept such a conclusion. As Krsna
>|clearly states in the Bhagavad-gita (9.25):
1021|yanti deva-vrata devan
1022|pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
1023|bhutani yanti bhutejya
>|
>|
>|
>|
1024|yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
1025|"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the
>|demigods, those who worship the ancestors go to the
>|ancestors, those who worship ghosts and spirits will take
>|birth among such beings, and those who worship Me will live
>|with Me." (Bg. 9.25)
1026|Only the devotees of the Lord can be admitted to His
>|kingdom-not the demigod worshipers, karmis, yogis or anyone
>|else. A person who desires elevation to the heavenly
>|planets worships various demigods, and material nature may
>|be pleased to offer such devotees their desired positions.
>|The material nature gives a person his own nature, by which
>|he increases affection for different types of demigods.
>|However, the Bhagavad-gita (7.20) says that demigod worship
>|is meant for men who have lost all their intelligence:
1027|kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah
1028|prapadyante 'nya -devatah
>|
1029|tam tam niyamam asthaya
1030|prakrtya niyatah svaya
1031|"Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material
>|desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular
>|rules and regulations of worship according to their own
>|natures."
1032|Although one may be elevated to the heavenly planets, the
>|results of such a benediction are limited:
1033|anta-vat tu phalam tesam
1034|tad bhavaty alpa- medhasam
1035|devan deva-yajo yanti
1036|mad-bhakta yanti mam api
1037|"Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their
>|fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the
>|demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees
>|ultimately reach My supreme planet." (Bg. 7.23)
1038|Being elevated to the heavenly planets or other material
>|planets does not mean attaining an eternal life of
>|knowledge and bliss. At the end of the material world, all
>|attainments of material elevation will also end. Again,
>|according to Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita (18.55), only those
>|who engage in His loving devotional service will be
>|admitted to the spiritual world and return to Godhead, not
>|others:
1039|bhaktya mam abhijanati
1040|yavan yas casmi tattvatah
1041|tato mam tattvato jnatva
1042|visate tad-anantaram
1043|"One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality
>|of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in
>|full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter
>|into the kingdom of God."
1044|Impersonalists cannot understand the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead; therefore it is not possible for them to enter
>|into the spiritual kingdom of God and return home, back to
>|Godhead. Actually one attains different results by
>|different means. It is not that all achievements are one
>|and the same. Those interested in the four principles of
>|dharma, artha, kama and moksa cannot be compared to those
>|interested in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord.
>|Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.2) therefore says:
1045|dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam
1046|vedyam vastavam atra vastu siva-dam tapa-trayonmulanam
1047|srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte kim va parair isvarah
1048|sadyo hrdy avarudhyate 'tra krtibhih susrusubhis tat-ksanat
1049|"Completely rejecting all religious activities which are
>|materially motivated, this Bhagavata Purana propounds the
>|highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees
>|who are pure in heart. The highest truth is reality
>|distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such
>|truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful
>|Bhagavatam, compiled by the great sage Sri Vyasadeva, is
>|sufficient in itself for God realization. As soon as one
>|attentively and submissively hears the message of
>|Bhagavatam, he becomes attached to the Supreme Lord."
1050|Those who aspire after liberation attempt to merge into the
>|impersonal Brahman. To this end they execute ritualistic
>|religious ceremonies, but Srimad-Bhagavatam considers this
>|a cheating process. Indeed, such people can never dream of
>|returning home, back to Godhead. There is a gulf of
>|difference between the goal of dharma, artha, kama and
>|moksa and the goal of devotional service.
1051|The goddess Durga is the superintending deity of this
>|material world, which is made of material elements. The
>|demigods are simply different directors engaged in