The Advent Of Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
By Shrila Gour Govinda Swami
Lecture given on the Auspicious Appearance Day of
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ( Gaura Purnima ), in Bhubaneswar, India, March 17, 1992,
original transcript with English translations added
Desiring to understand the glory of Radharani's love, the wonderful
qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness
She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord
Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appears from the womb of Srimati
Sacidevi as the moon appears from the ocean.
When we speak of the advent of Gauranga Mahaprabhu we should understand what
is the cause of the appearance of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. There are two types
of causes, external cause and internal cause. The external cause is to
spread nama-prema, love of God through the chanting of the holy name,
harinama-sankirtan, pracare-yuga dharma-pracara.
kali-yuga dharma haya hari-sankirtana
etad arthe avatirna Sri Sacinandana
(Caitanya-bhagavat, Adi, 2.22)
"The religious principle for the age of Kali is the congregational chanting
of the holy names of the Lord. Sri Sacinandana incarnates to establish this
principle." (Caitanya-bhagavat, Adi, 2.22)
To fulfill this purpose, Sacinandana appears:
ei kaye bhagavate sarva-tattva-sara
kirtana-nimitta gauracandra-avatara
"It is stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam that the Supreme Absolute Truth, Lord
Gauracandra, incarnates to propagate the chanting of the holy names."
(Caitanya-bhagavat, Adi, 2.23)
He is the father of hari-sankirtan,sankirtana-ike janakau . He is Gauranga
Mahaprabhu:
kali-yuga sarva-dharma hari-sankirtana
sarva prakacilena caitanya-narayana
"Lord Caitanya inaugurated the congregational chanting of the holy names as
the essence of all religious principles for the age of Kali."
(Caitanya-bhagavat, Adi, 2.26)
This is a quotation from Caitanya Bhagavata:
kali-yuge sankirtana-dharma palibare
avatirna hoila prabhu sarva-parikare
"In Kali-yuga the Lord incarnates with His associates in order to maintain
the religious principle of sankirtana." (Caitanya-bhagavat, Adi, 2.27)
With all His associates, paraphernalia, His dharma, Gauranga Mahaprabhu
appears in Kali-yuga, especially this Kali-yuga, to fulfill this purpose ?
yuga-dharma, nama-prema-pracara, (Cc Adi 3.40) and prema-dharma, the chief
result of this harinama-sankirtan is to achieve Krsna-prema and to get
Krsna. He is offering and distributing this Krsna-prema freely,
indiscriminately, apamaram yo vitatara. "The most munificent Supreme
Personality of Godhead, known as Gaurakrsna, distributed to everyone"even
the lowest of men." (Cc Madhya, 23.1)
brahmar durlabha prema saba kare sache
dina hina patita pamara nahi bache
(Srila Locan Dasa Thakura)
It is very difficult even on the part of Brahma to get such prem but
Mahaprabhu gives it freely, indiscriminately. Even patita-pamaras, Jagai and
Madhais, most degraded, most sinful persons also get it. Therefore He is
known as Prema Purusottama Sacinandana Gauranga.
Five thousand years ago Krsna came in His own svarupa and in His
Kuruksetra-lila He gave His message in the form of Bhagavad-gita through
Arjuna to all mankind. There He gave confidential, more confidential and
most confidential instruction. His most confidential instruction is man-mana
bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yaji mam namaskuru : "Engage your mind always in
thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me.
Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me." (Bg. 9.34)
That is His most confidential instruction. The concluding instruction is,
sarva dharman parityajya, mam-ekam saranam vraja, giving up all varieties of
dharma, just surrender unto Me. (Bg 18.66) He only said this theoretically,
He never taught how to surrender practically.
"I Have To Go Again"
So after winding up His lila after Dvapara-yuga, He went to His own abode,
Goloka Vrndavan and because He's the only well-wishing friend of all living
entities, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam, therefore He is thinking, "I have given
confidential, more confidential and most confidential instruction to Arjuna
for all mankind, but after Dvarpara-yuga there is Kali-yuga, the most sinful
age. Due to an increase of sinful activities the consciousness of the people
is most polluted consciousness. All are engaged in sinful activities. They
cannot understand what I said, they cannot understand this saranagati-tattva
and I have only said theoretically, I have not demonstrated it practically
how to surrender. Therefore I have to go again." So He came again as
Gauranga Mahaprabhu. This is the purpose, this is the reason why He comes.
yuga dharma pravartaimu nama-sankirtana
cari bhava-bhakti diya nacamu bhuvana
"I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age" nama-sankirtana, the
congregational chanting of the holy name. I shall make the world dance in
ecstasy, realizing the four mellows of loving devotional service." (Cc. Adi
3.19)
I'll go and preach this yuga-dharma, nama-sankirtan and I'll give the four
forms of bhakti: dasya (sevitorship), sakhya (friendship), vatsalya
(parenthood), madhurya, (conjugal love) (santa, neutrality, is discarded in
Sriman Mahaprabhu's line), and make the whole world dance with that
bhava-bhakti.
apani karimu bhakta-bhava angikare
apani acari bhakti sikhaimu sabare
I'll accept bhakta-bhava, the mood of a bhakta and I'll teach bhakti .
Unless I practice it Myself I cannot teach.
apane na kaila dharma sikhana na yaya
ei ta' siddhanta gita-bhagavate gaya
(Cc Adi, 3.20-21)
If I don't practice bhakti,sarangati (surrender) in My own life, I cannot
teach it. So His mood is bhakti-bhava, the mood of a bhakta . This is the
purpose and this is the external cause (bahiranga karanam). Then there is
the internal cause (antaranga karanam). The external cause is for others, it
is for the people of Kali-yuga, kali-yuga jiva. Therefore it is bahiranga,
or external. Antaranga is mean for Himself. These two causes are there and
then that calling of Advaita Acarya which I'll speak about tomorrow morning,
is there. That is also one of the causes, but the most internal cause is to
fulfill the three desires.
radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso vanayaiva
svadyo yenadbhuta-madhurima kidrso va madiyah
saukhyam casya mad-anubhavatah kidrsam veti lobhat
tad bhavadhyah samajami saci-garbha-sindhau harinduh
"Desiring to understand the glory of Radharani's love, the wonderful
qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness
She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord
Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appears from the womb of Srimati
Sacidevi as the moon appears from the ocean." (Cc. Adi. 1.6)
Svarup Damodara Gosvami has said this and this quotation is mentioned by
Rupa Gosvami in Lalita-Madhava . Three types of desires remain unfulfilled
in Krsna-lila. What is radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso vanayarva, what is
Radharani's love? Svadyo yenadbhuta madhurima kidrso va madiyah, what is my
rupa-madhuri, excellent beauty, My beauty that Radharani relishes? What is
My extra-excellent beauty and how can I relish it? In other words this veti
lobhat, three desires, three types of greed developed in the Supreme Lord
Krsna. Therefore, saci garbha-sindhau harinduh, to fulfill these three
desires, these three types of greed, He appeared from the womb of Sacimata,
that is Gaura-avatara.
Greed
Here this word lobha ? greed, is very, very significant. The Lord has greed.
It is quite natural that we have greed. We are greed persons, materially
greedy. This greed of the material world is condemned, it is considered as
one of the enemies. In the 16 th chapter, 21 st verse of Bhagavad-gita
you'll find Lord Krsna has said:
tri-vidham narakasyedam
dvaram nasanam atmanah
kamah krodhas tatha lobhas
tasmad etat trayam tyajey
(Bg. 16.21)
Lord Krsna says, give up these three, kama, krodha, lobha - lust, anger and
greed. If you become influenced or affected by these three then you will
open your door towards hell, so give up these things. This lobha (greed) is
very bad. Those persons who are materially greedy, definitely they suffer.
For example, one very small story is there.
A greedy boy was in his house when his mother put some nice berries into an
earthen pot, like a water pot that has a very narrow opening. The boy
developed greed to get some of those berries so he put his hand into the pot
and grasped a handful of those berries. When he tried to get his hand out of
the pot, it got caught because the opening was so narrow and caused some
pain as he pulled but it wouldn't come out so he was crying. This is
suffering out of greed. Though he's suffering, he's not allowing any berries
to get out. A simple story showing the consequence of greed is suffering.
Therefore Bhagavan Krsna in Gita says to give up this greed.
But this greed can be utilised in Krsna's service. This word lobha is a very
ancient word, it is not a modern word. The seed of this greed is also there
in Bhagavan and in bhakta also. So in respect of Bhagavat-bhakta, the
devotee of the Lord will say, lobha sadhu-sange hari-katha . How can you
utilise this greed? Develop this greed to have more and more sadhu-sanga,
association of sadhus and hear more and more Krsna-katha . Develop this
greed, this is very nice greed, this is spiritual greed, transcendental
greed. One should not give up this greed. One should develop this greed more
and more. The more you develop this greed the more you get spiritual
relishment and spiritual advancement. One who is not greedy he cannot make
advancement in the spiritual path in this respect. But material greed should
be given up, whereas spiritual greed should be developed.
Again it is said:
Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih
kriyatam jadi kuto pi labhyate,
tatra laulyam api mulyam-ekalam
janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate
"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." (Padyavali 14)
Laulya means lobha (greed). That means from this verse you can understand
how the seed of greed is there. The purport is that if you have such
spiritual greed you can achieve krsna-bhakti-rasa, mellow of Krsna-bhakti,
otherwise if you are devoid of this greed you cannot have it, cannot achieve
it. Sadhu sange hari katha . One should develop this greed of having more
and more sadhu-sanga and hearing more and more hari-kirtan, hari-katha, than
you will make advancement in bhajan-sadhana . Materialistic people don't
know the use of this greed, they abuse it, utilising it for material
enjoyment, material possessions, they suffer. So when you speak about the
advent of Sacinandana Gaura Hari, the Appearance of Gauranga Mahaprabhu,
this greed is there.
This is Very Wonderful
In the beginning I explained that Krsna developed three types of greed that
could not be fulfilled Krsna-lila, therefore Gaura-avatara. In Gaura-lila
those three types of greed are fulfilled. This is very wonderful using this
word greed. Has anybody used such word previously? No one has used such word
previously. Svarupa Damodara Goswami has used it. Therefore,
Vrajaraja-nandana Krsna became Sacinandana Gaura Hari because of the
development of this greed. One who is purna-brahma, one who has no
deficiency, no wanting anything, still He develops greed. Wonderful!
Wonderful! He has no deficiency, He is purna-brahma, He is self-satisfied,
He doesn't want anything, there is no lacking there. Why such greed?
Wonderful, so wonderful! One should understand its mystery, what is the
tattva behind it? He who is aptakama (self-satisfied), atmarama, who is
rasa-svarupa-purna-brahma, who is paramananda-maya, supremely blissful
sacidananda-maya, He develops greed. What type of greed and to get what?
Very wonderful! Very wonderful! Now you can understand how the seed of this
greed gradually develops and the culmination is there in Gauranga svarupa.
I'll give you an example.
The Greed of Lord Visnu
Vaikuntha-dhipati Visnu, He develops some greed. He develops the desire for
fighting. He cherishes that, I'll fight. When He is Bhagavan the six types
of opulences are there completely in Him and one of the opulences is
strength or bala . Incomparable strength is there, therefore it is quite
natural to develop such desire that, I'll fight and fulfill this desire,
this greed. Whenever Bhagavan wants to fulfill some desire, His internal
energy, potency, Yogamaya creates such an atmosphere. So when this desire
developed in Vaikuntha-dhipati Narayan to fight, Yogamaya, the internal
potency created the circumstances to fulfill that desire.
Another point is that the opponent should be equally strong otherwise one
cannot get pleasure in fighting. So who is there? With whom will the Lord
fight? Then the question of Jaya and Vijaya, the two doorkeepers, who were
very strong came. By the desire or will of the Supreme Lord those two
doorkeepers were cursed by the four Kumaras to become demons for three
lives. Yogamaya did it. The first is Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, the the
second is Ravana and Kumbhakana and the third is Sisupala and Dantavakra.
Three incarnations are there and Lord Visnu, Narayana fought with them and
got pleasure in fighting. This is the greed of Narayana, Visnu, this is in
Srimad Bhagavatam . So this is lobha .
The Greed of Lord Nrsimhadeva
Then came the greed of Nrsimhadev. Nrsimhadev has two types of forms, ugra
(fearsome) and anugra (peaceful). One is a very fearful form and another is
a very peaceful form. After killing Hirasnyakasipu, Nrsimhadev is very, very
fearful, an extremely fearful form and He was dancing, like the
tandava-nrtya of Siva at the time of annihilation. The whole world was
trembling seeing such dancing and anger of the fearful form of Nrsimhadev.
All the demigods are offering prayers to pacify Him, but it was all null and
void. Then they requested Bhakta Prahlad, "You please go and calm down the
anger of Lord Nrsimhadev." Prahlad Maharaja is a very dear devotee of the
Lord, so Prahlad went there to offer prayers and Lord Nrsimhadev became calm
and then His form is a very peaceful form. Then Nrsimhadev put His dear
devotee Prahlad, like a son, on His lap. At that time vatsalya-prem,
parental love and affection developed in Nrsimhadev.
Both father and son relish this rasa, mellow. Father relishes, son also
relishes by sitting in the lap of the father, so it is reciprocal but the
relishing if this mellow of the son is greater than that of the father. One
should understand this. So Nrsimhadev developed that greed, "How can I sit
in the lap of My father and relish that rasa? In this incarnation My father
is a stone pillar, I cannot have it." So He developed that greed. Then all
the incarnations after Nrsimhadeva came accepting father and mother, to
fulfill that greed.
The Greed of Lord Rama
Lord Ram also developed greed, very nice topic you see. Vibhisana and
Sugriva are friends of Lord Ram. That means sakhya-rasa is there in Ram
avatara. But there are two types of sakhya-rasa,visrambha and sambhrama
sakhya. Sambhrama means with awe and reverence and visrambha and sambhrama
is without awe and reverence - equal. So the sakhya-rasa in Ram avatara is
the sambhrama sakhya, with awe and reverence. There is no question of
visrambha sakhya or equality. In Ram-avatara His friends Sugriva and
Vibhisana cannot climb onto the shoulders of Lord Ram. They cannot snatch
away the food from the mouth of Lord Ram, what to speak of climbing onto the
shoulders of Lord Ram. They are afraid if even their leg will touch Lord
Ram's body. They are afraid and it will be offensive. This is sambhrama
sakhya . That means sakhya-rasa with awe and reverence.
But affection that the friends think themselves equal with the Lord. There
is no question of awe and reverence. If your own leg will touch your own
body, is there nay agitation? There is no agitation at all because it's your
own leg touching your own body, not the leg of a different person. A
different person is very cautious. If he comes near, he very cautiously
moves. In Krsna-lila you will find this visrambha sakhya . The cowherd boys
climb up to the shoulders of Krsna and they snatch away the food from the
mouth of Krsna and Krsna snatches away the food from the mouth of the
cowherd boys as if equal. The legs of the cowherd boys touch Krsna's body
and there is no agitation in Krsna because it's as if it is His own leg,
because priya-syasakha, is very dear. Therefore, there is equality and
abhinnam (non-difference). But in Ram-avatara this sakhya-rasa is not
relished. Therefore Lord Ram develops greed for it, how can I relish it?
Then it was fulfilled in Krsna avatara.
The Essence of Conjugal Mellow
Also another rasa is there, ie. conjugal mellow, madhurya-rasa. In Ram
avatara, Lord Ram is maryada-purusottama, who very strictly follows Vedic
rules and regulations. Never transgresses them at all, eka-patni-dhara . He
accepts only one wife, not more than one wife. Very strictly follows. In
Ram-lila, mahurya-rasa, the conjugal mellow is not relished there because
when there is a question of union milan and separation, biraha between lover
and beloved, the essence of that conjugal rasa is relished in the highest
degree. We will find also in Ram-lila is union and separation of Rama and
Sita. Ravana kidnapped Sita, took her away so there is separation and also
to give pleasure and happiness to His citizens He, (Lord Ram) banished Sita,
separation is there also, but there is no variegatedness in this type of
separation, it is not natural, it is forced, so there is no question of
relishing the essence of that conjugal mellow.
Rupa Gosvami has mentioned all these things (i.e. different types of virahas
(separation) in Ujjvala Nilamani . There are many types of virahas:
purava-raga viraha, mana viraha, prema -vaicitya viraha, and these virahas
or separations are not there in Ram-lila, no. One type of viraha is there,
pravasa viraha . You cannot understand but just hear this. This is in
Ujjvala Nilamani. It is a big topic and very, very confidential and subtle
point. I am not going to explain it but when some occasion will arise I'll
tell you. All these virahas are there Krsna-lila, this prema vaicitya
viraha, purva-raga viraha, mana viraha . Therefore Lord Ram develops this
greed, how to relish these types of viraha . In Krsna-avatara this greed is
filled. The viraha, the separation between lover and beloved is highest
platform of prema . On that platform both the nayaka nd nayika, lover and
beloved, relish that mellow in their heart. Therefore in Krsna-lila, Krsna
is Radha-kanta (the husband of Radha) Radha is His own wife, Gopi-kanta,
(the husband of gopis), He's the husband of gopis, He made them the wives of
others to relish parakiya-rasa .
In Ram-lila only svakiya-rasa is relished. Svakiya means ones own wife, not
the relishment of parakiya-rasa . Therefore Ram developed that greed. So
Krsna made His own wives of others to relish parakiya -rasa. Therefore that
greed is fulfilled in Krsna-lila but remained unfulfilled in Ram-lila;
therefore Krsna-avatara. In this way, this is how the development of greed
gradually turned into incarnation after incarnation of the Lord.
The Abode of Love
Now in Krsna-lila these three types of greed are there:
sri radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso vanayaiva
svadyo yenadbhuta-madhurima kidrso va madiyah
saukhyam casya mad-anubhavatah kidrsam veti lobhat
tad bhavadhyah samajami saci-garbha-sindhau harinduh
"Desiring to understand the glory of Radharani's love, the wonderful
qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness
She feels when She realises the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord
Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appears from the womb of Srimati
Sacidevi as the moon appears from the ocean." (Cc Adi, 1.6)
Krsna developed these three types of greed, as I previously mentioned. The
first desire (or greed): What is the love of Radharani and how can I relish
it? Second desire (or greed): What is My excellent all-attractive beauty? I
cannot relish Myself. So how can I have it? And the third desire (or greed):
What pleasure and happiness does Radharani get by relishing My
all-attractive excellent beauty? How can I have it? These three greeds,
these three desires remain unfulfilled in Krsna-lila, therefore
Gaura-avatara. The fulfillment of three types of desires and greed is
antaranga karanam, internal cause. Svarupa Damodara Goswami has used this
word lobhat meaning, from greed. This word is so significant.
Comment on this Post
Thank you. I forgot to mention that the main specific characteristic of Lord Gaura's hearing Shrimad Bhagavatam from Shrila Gadadhara in Shri Tota Gopinatha Temple is that the deep meditation of Lord Gauraanga on the verses of the Shrimad Bhagavatam is imbued and tinged with His consciousness of the three internal reasons for His advent i.e. Radha Bhava. Shrila Gadadhara Pandita is Shrimati Radha Herself and Shrimad Bhagavatam's original reciter Shrila Shukadeva is the divine parrot of Shrimati Radha so one cannot even imagine how sublime this recitation of Shrimad Bhagavatam by Shrila Gadadhara Pandita is with Lord Gaura (combined form of Shri Shri Radha Krishna) hearing it. It is perhaps even more sublime that the original recitation of Shrimad Bhagavatam itself.
