Gujarati, Marathi and Telugu Shri Chaitanya Charitaamrita

Dear Jagadish dasa prabhu,
Hare Krishna! AGTSP! Pranaams.

I hope you and your family is fine and your BBT service is going nicely.

BBT India has been performing the most wonderful service to Shrila Prabhupada. If the publication of Shri Chaitanya Charitaamrita in different languages can be added, then imho it will make it perfect and complete. I wanted to know the status on the Gujarati Chaitanya Charitamrita. It was in July 2006 that you had said that is being edited and will be published in some time. Roughly, how much time more will it take to publish it? I do understand that there is a lot of proof-reading and editing work required since it has 11,555 verses. As we all know there are so many souls waiting to read the Gaura Lilaa nectar in Gujarati and there are no authorized books available. How will Lord Gauranga be known to the Gujarati and Marathi speaking people? I think BBT India has a big responsibility towards the Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu etc. speaking people to make Lord Gaura's Pastimes known to them. Shrila Prabhupada's classic book Teachings of Lord Chaitanya is basically philosophical teachings and people will take His teachings much more seriously if they have at least some idea of His pastimes. Shrila Prabhupada wrote a very concise summary of Lord Gaura's Pastimes in his Shrimad Bhagavatam Introduction but very few people have the first volume of the Shrimad Bhagavatam in Gujarati. I have been circulating one old set of Gujarati Chaitanya Charitamrita amongst our devotees and all of them desire to personally own one since they are not able to complete the reading of the whole set quickly. We all know how much Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita was dear to Shrila Prabhupada. He stopped the Bhagavatam translation at the 5th Canto in order to complete the Chaitanya Charitamrita first because he knew that Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita in the topmost practical demonstration of the teachings of Bhagavatam. Lord Gaura is the Parama Purusha whom the Bhagavatam describes in every verse. Without Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita is difficult to understand the Bhagavatam in truth. Nowadays without examples, stories and pastimes, people are not so easily inspired to take up Bhakti. The Associates of Lord Gaura in Shri Chaitanya Charitaamrita and Their Pastimes are even higher and more relevant than the great Associates and Their Pastimes described in the Bhagavatam in the first nine cantos since they are all Gopies and Gopas from Vraja lilaa and have advented in our Kali Yuga times in circumstances somewhat closer in similarity to our present times than the previous ages.

Thus, I humbly plead with Yashomatinandana dasa prabhu and Bhima dasa prabhu to facilitate the publishing of Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita in Gujarati and Marathi as soon as practically possible in the near future.When I was in BBT many years before, we had all pledged to publish Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita in Marathi and Gujarati as soon as practically and work towards that goal. Due to Lord Gaura's causeless mercy, He used me as an insignificant instrument to publish the English Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita in India at a very affordable price for the Indian people. I consider that my greatest contribution and service to Shrila Prabhupada, since it was Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita which saved me from this material existence. It gave the topmost supreme nectar to the most fallen person. So I personally have no other desire than to see Gaura Lilaa published in as many languages as possible in India and in this world. I think this will also be a greatly pleasing service to His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja who is gradually recovering to again be amongst us since he is so attached to spreading Gaura Lilaa from Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita and Shri Chaitanya Bhagavata in all his lectures and katha.

Shrila Prabhupada told us that all his books are like sugar-candy and there are no rigid hard and fast rules to read them since the sugar-candy is sweet anywhere you taste it. Even though he said that Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita is PhD, Shrila Prabhupada himself read and spoke from Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita in his earliest lectures after his arrival in USA as he knew that describing the pastimes of the Ragatmika Acharyas like the Six Goswamis etc. from Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita will inspire the most fallen souls on the path of Bhakti. According to Shrila Prabhupada, Shri Chaitanya-Charitamrita was the favourite book of his Guru Maharaj Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada. Also it was Shrila Prabhupada’s favourite book. This book was his intimate companion on the ship Jaladuta during his voyage ot America. Shrila Prabhupada also later instructed his disciple Shruta kirti dasa prabhu, “You should become expert in Chaitanya Charitamrita and give classes on it.” Shrila Prabhupada states in Adi-lila 8.39 purport: “Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami wrote Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita in his old age, in an invalid condition, but it is such a sublime literature that Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja used to say, ‘The time will come when the people of the world will learn Bengali to read Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita.’ We are trying to present Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita in English and do not know how successful it will be, but if one reads the original Chaitanya-charitamrita in Bengali he will relish increasing ecstasy in devotional service.” Thus it is very clear that this great book will become most popular and widely-read in world within the next few centuries of this golden age.

If this is going to take time, then I kindly suggest that one of the two (or both) pastime books summarized by Purnapragya dasa prabhu, either Shri Chaitanya Bhagavata and Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita or both, be translated and published in Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu and in other Indian languages, in the same way you published Ramayana in Gujarati. We need to make Lord Gaura as famous in Gujarat, Maharashtra, South India, North India, India and the whole world as Lord Krishna and Lord Raama already are, because in the words of Shrila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji, Lord Gaura is the dispenser of causless mercy while Lord Krishna is the dispenser of justice. Lord Gaura proclaims in Navadvipa Dhaama Mahaatmya that to the areas where His Pastimes and Glories are spread in this world, Kali Yuga's influence will diminish in those places. Thus, without Gaura Lilaa, the undeserving and unqualified people have no hope in Kali Yuga...kali jive yogya vastu gaura-lila dhana..."Gaura Lilaa is the most suitable, beneficial and topmost treasure for the living entities born in Kali Yuga" (Shrila Bhaktivnoda Thakura in Navadvipa Dhaama Mahaatmya).

Shrila Prabhupada explains the simple qualification required to read Shri Chaitanya-Charitamrita in the following words: “So study this Chaitanya-charitamrita. Now we have got this English edition, very elaborately described, following the footsteps of our Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada. So there is no such edition of Chaitanya-charitamrita, very elaborately described. But it can be understood by the advanced student. It can be... And so... Advanced, you can, anyone, you can become advanced. Advanced means at least one should understand that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you simply understand these two words, that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you are advanced. It is not very difficult.(Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita Lecture, Adi-lila 1.1, Mayapur, March 25, 1975)

Shrila Krishnadasa Kaviraja himself states:

yeba nahi bujhe keha, sunite sunite seha, ki adbhuta chaitanya-carita
krsne upajibe priti, janibe rasera riti, sunilei bada haya hita
(Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya-lila 2.87)

“If one does not understand Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita in the beginning but continues to hear again and again, the wonderful effects of reading Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes will quickly bring love for Krishna. Gradually one will come to understand the loving affairs between Krishna and the gopis and other associates of Vrndavana. Thus everyone is advised to continue to hear over and over again in order to greatly benefit from Shri Chaitanya-Charitamrita.”

The fact that Shrila Krishnadasa Kaviraja has composed this literature for everyone including the common man (not only for the advanced student) can be understood from the following verse:

bhagavata-sloka-maya, tika tara samskrta haya, tabu kaiche bujhe tri-bhuvana;
ihan sloka dui cari, tara vyakhya bhasa kari, kene na bujhibe sarva-jana.
(Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya-lila 2.88)

 “In reply to those critics who say that Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita is full of Sanskrit verses, it can be said that Shrimad-Bhagavatam is also full of Sanskrit verses, as are the commentaries on Shrimad-Bhagavatam. Nonetheless, Shrimad-Bhagavatam can be understood by everyone, as well as by advanced devotees who study the Sanskrit commentaries. Why, then, will the common people not understand the Chaitanya-charitamrita? There are only a few Sanskrit verses, and these have been explained in the Bengali vernacular. What is the difficulty in understanding for all the people?"

Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Samalochana, Sajjana Tosani 4/3:

shri chaitanya-lila sakala bhasaya likhita haoya prayojaniya.

“It it very urgently required to translate and publish the books about the pastimes of Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu into all the languages of the world.

ati alpa dinera madhei mahaprabhu sarva desa vyapi haiya eka matra upasya-tattva haitechen.

“This is so urgently necessary because in a very short time, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will become the sole object of worship or the Supreme Worshippable Lord in all the villages, towns, and cities of the world. If this books about His pastimes are available in various languages, people can read and hear them regularly and thus constantlyincrease and nourish their faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu."

In the 15th Chapter of Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya,  Shripad Ramanucharya came to know about Lord Gauranga’s incarnation from Lord Jagannatha Himself in Puri Dhama. He then decided become a staunch Gauranga-Bhakta and to reveal all the references hidden in the revealed scriptures about Lord Gauranga and thus flood the three planetary systems of the universe with Gauranga's Pastimes and  Bhakti, making everyone to Gauranga-bhaktas and tot ake up the chanting of His Holy Name.. At that time Lord Jagannatha said:

gaura-lila ati gudha rakhibe gopane; se lilara aprakate pabe sarva jane.

“Please keep this Gauranga-Lila very secret until Lord Gauranga completes His pastimes in this world. After this, the whole world will get the great treasure of Gauranga's Name and Pastimes.”

The Urdhvamnaya Tantra also predicts that Nityananda Gauranga Name and Pastimes will be broadcasted all over the world very soon:

dhanye kalau sampravishte, gaura-lila manorama; prakata bhavita hy etat, vyaktam tada bhavishyati.

“The advent of the age of Kali is most auspicious because in the near future the  most wonderful and enchanting Holy Names and Pastimes of Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu will be most openly and widely established and broadcasted.”

Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu Himself predicted that His holy names will spread all over the world in the Chaitanya-bhagavata (Antya 4.126):

prithivite ache yata nagaradi-grama; sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama.

“My Name and Glories will be broadcasted and glorified in all various towns, villages, cities, countries and continents of the world.”

Also the 1st Chapter of Shri Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya states that:

ara eka gudha katha suna sarva jana; kali jive yogya vastu gaura-lila dhana.

“Please hear a most confidential secret. The most suitable thing for the conditioned souls in Kali-yuga is the supreme the treasure of Lord Gauranga's Lila (pastimes).”

kali-jivera aparadha asankhya durvara; gaura nama vina tara nahika uddhara.

“The offnses of the living entities in Kali-yuga are unlimited, insurmountable and formidable. The only hope for their deliverance is the chanting of the Holy Name of Lord Gauranga.”

ataeva gaura vina kalite upaya; na dekhi kothaya ara sastra phukaraya.

“Therefore I see no other means except Lord Gauranga for everyone’s deliverance in Kali-yuga and this is the repeated declaration of all Vedic scriptures.”

Daaso'smi,
Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami.

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Re: Nityananda Gauranga Naam and important aspects of Naam Tattva

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!

Dear Guruji, Bhakta Matus Prabhu and devotees please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.

Suddha-nama means that we chant the holy Names of Lordships Nityananda and Gauranga and Sri Sri Radha Krishna with a favorable attitude. In Jaiva Dharma chapter 23 it is stated: �Suddha-nama arises from accepting the holy Name with only favorable inclinations, and rejecting all unfavorable emotions from the heart. With careful deliberation one can realize that suddha-nama is certainly that Name which is free from nama-aparadha and namabhasa." Although offences are not considered with the mantrarajas our intention needs to be on the favorable side towards the Lord in order to be invited into the process of Bhakti. There are unlimited stages of Bhakti.

Srila Prabhupada writes in his letter to Abhirama: �Because you have given your life to Krishna, you are already perfect. But it is just like the ocean, if you are swimming in it you may swim forever and not reach the shore. Similarly, there is no limit to the perfection of Krishna consciousness.�

In Srila Bhaktivinoda�s commentary on Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami�s �Sri Manah Siksa� he writes: �Variegated in nature, prema, or steady attraction (rati) are analyzed according to their many transformations: sneha, mana, pranaya, raga, anuraga, bhava, and mahabhava. The development of devotional sentiment from rati to prema is compared to sugarcane juice. As it is cooked, it gradually thickens into molasses, then syrup, then sugar, and ultimately into crystallized sugar candy. Similarly, in pure spiritual love there are progressive transformations, each of which learned saints term a different stage of prema. Lord Sri Krishna reciprocates with each of these loving sentiments in sublime pleasure and love.�

In �Mahaprabhu Siksa, The Teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu� Bhaktivinode Thakura states: �Any person who develops faith has the qualification for Bhakti.�

Besides demons who think all the time unfavorably of the Lord�s Name, progressive gradation of chanting starts on the side of having favorable feelings towards the Lord. From there unlimited crystallization of intensity of love for the Lord and His Names manifest within our hearts. But before we are even on the positive gradation scale of chanting it is safe to chant the mantrarajas �Nityananda� and �Gauranga� since no offences are considered by Their mercy. With the maha mantra we need to be purified at least to the stage that we are favorably thinking towards the Lord. That is exactly what the mantrarajas prepare us for. We are so incredibly fallen that we are lower than the lowest and our safest route is via the servant of the servant of the servant of Lord Nityananda gradually developing permission at Lord Gauranga�s feet Who eventually opens our heart to the eternal intimate pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Govinda.

I hope my answer is of any use to you dear Bhakta Matus Prabhu.

Your servant,

Hadai Nityananda dasa

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!

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Re: Is it always compassionate to make critique?

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna!

Dear Swami Gaurangapada and assembled devotees,

please accept my full obiesances.

Here is some of my daily reading in relation to my thoughts expressed in this blog thread. What interests me deeply about the spirituality and path in line with Sri Gauranga is this: Srila BR Sridhara Maharaja has expressed the essence in a title of one of his books ' Positive and Progressive Immortality'. The so-called Monistic and Buddhist paths negate and reject, leading to void or emptiness. But our path is very different. 

The world is like a field full of delicious fruits, owned by the Supreme Enjoyer. If we plan to enjoy the fruits of this field directly the outcome is not good. Both the Buddhist and the Monist have realized the suffering involved with sensous enjoyment. So both these philosophers are sitting in a field trying to reject what they see, and thus speculating that the original substance is nothing like the field that allures and causes so much pain. Therefore the field becomes a temptation and torment for one craving emancipation.

The Vaisnava philospher is very different. He/She has realized service mood and utilization. Realizing that the fruits of the field are actually for the Supreme Enjoyer - the Supremely Sensous. So the servant gathers 'all good things' worthy of offering and places them at the Masters feet. The Masters kindness is so great, and His love for the surrendered servant so profound, that He shares his bounty in love.

This is the great skill of the Vaisnava philosophy, and what I have tried to express in my realization, in regards to seeing others. In regards to developing spiritual vision. Sri Krsna is Beauty and Charm - the essence of all things. The ghastly perversion seen by the materialist, is only due to gross sense gratification, neglecting the Original Purpose.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja explains the philosophy so beautifully below.

aspiring service...Nava.

 

Now, here is something very interesting, if by some good fortune we can begin to perceive the spiritual strata, the essence or attitude - then the lower strata's of anothers mind or one's own mind, no longer exist as defect or afflictive in nature. But instead they manifest to the pure heart as expressions of beauty. As outer fields of the essence, the essence which is saturated by beauty and charm. We can begin to relish the other and see them in very deep and clear way. The culmination and beatitude of this is transcendental Krsna consciousness. Quote by Nava.

 

 

 

Relative Worlds by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada - click here

Chapter 2 - The Answers Revealed

 

 

The enjoyer of the objects, as well as the enjoyed objects, are both situated in a tentative position of time. As the provisional existence and activities are captivated in a part of time, these discrepancies should be redressed to have a proper solution of these puzzling questions. We deal with shaky non-absolute things. So we should have an inner desire to know the direction of the Absolute. We have had an irrepressible function of handling the phenomena by our senses, and also the objects of manipulation of the senses are found to be transformable. Because we are compelled to select our position at a place where there is no trouble, we therefore seek for deserting ourselves from all limited platforms.

 

 

Association with the phenomenal objects has given vent to disruption, so dissociation is picked up as a remedy. How to handle this function should be the next question. By dissociation we mean to get rid of the relativity of knowledge - to sacrifice our cognitive principle, as is inculcated by a certain school. Maximisation of knowledge might swallow up the two different positions of observed and observer, and will proselytise to singular observation. In that case the uninterrupted knowledge cannot fly rationally without the two wings of Eternity and Bliss, although this seems to be secured by laboured dissociation of manifestation.

 

 

When we ascertain that non-cooperation will give us what we have sought, do we mean to make ourselves abstain from all necessities of life, in order to gain perfect dissociation from the imperfected objects? The answer will be 'no'. We need not put a stop to receiving the necessities of life, but we accept those functional activities necessary for our definite purpose. We will welcome the manifestive aspect and finite inadequate things to serve as ingredients facilitating the Eternal Blissful Knowledge, without any reference to our dislocated enjoying mood. If they form to be of any use to the Absolute, the temporal and faulty phases are indirectly removed from the conception of such things. So we need not have any apprehension as to their unsuitability and will discern the immaculated aspect of those things, which otherwise prove snares to us if they are monopolised for our impure purpose.

 

 

The insipid situation of an impersonal conception need not predominate over us as a settled fact. At the removal of our enjoying aspiration in Connection with our temporal entities, we would naturally associate such things as elements incorporated with the Absolute.

 

 

Then comes the question, "What are the salient features of the Absolute and what should be the nomenclature of the Absolute?" The Absolute is evidently to welcome all sorts of manifestive nature, instead of lurking Himself as the unknown in a region beyond our sensuous scope. Our sensuos activities are hitherto confined in non-absolute, and when we care most for the immutable situation of the Absolute, no mutability should dissuade us from our targetted object. If we can clear our position from serving transformable objects, and when we have only singular motive of serving the immutable Absolute, we must trace the connection of all manifestive things with Him. This will give us the much coveted situation of continuing our living adivities in His service in this world too, without an undesirable attitude of enjoying the same.

 

 

The burden of enjoyment is now shifted to the Absolute, and we, being His irregular subservients, help Him in serving by these ingredients, which are His imperishables, though they were acknowledged by us to have been meant for our use. So the greatest facility is accorded by our serving temper, in place of our wrong enjoying mood which proves fruitless in the long run.

 

 

Dissociation from undesirable things, when we have a view of the Eternal Blissfull Knowledge, will be exactly dovetailed if we can trace out their connection with the Absolute, having no bearing of co-sharing with them, but simply to welcome them with a consideration that they have only Eternal association.

 

 

We meet men who cherish the view of dissociating themselves from all manifestive features of phenomena in their would-be emancipation, and who want to deprive them of their utility in order to gain the full scope of impersonation. They are found to non-cooperate with the earthly phenomena under the apprehension of having been entangled with such association. As they have no knowledge of their self, or have misguided conception of self - like a cow mistaking under an old apprehension the red clouds as flames of burning fire - they want to flee from the very nature of the transitory perspective aspects of the phenomena.

 

 

A failure of true detection compels them to exhibit their diffidence of accepting the wholesale manifestive nature of even the Transcendence. They want to carry their defective impression to the Transcendence, considering the Transcendental Region to be identical with the prison of mundane phenomena. So it should be a matter of grave consideration whether to show our back to all aspects, by turning ourselves to follow the undifferenced monistic phase of the Absolute.

 

 

The view of the Transcendental subjectivity in our present activity is more or less misunderstood. So to get relief from such erroneous impression we must not neglect to utilise everything, as far as possible, for the service of the Absolute; and must not participate in the views of miscarried decision of the impersonalists. If we do not do so, we will class ourselves among the imprudent.

 

 

Four years after His meeting with Raya Ramananda, in the early part of 1516, the Supreme Lord as an ascetic met Sanatana Goswami for the second time. The latter asked his Master to enlighten him regarding his own self and the threefold troubles he has to meet during his journey of life. The Lord taught him that human souls are eternal karsnas: they have originated from the borderland energy of Absolute, Shri Krishna, with the neighbouring dominions of phenomena and transcendence on two sides.

 

 

The subservient souls, being simultaneously associated with and dissociated from the Absolute, are themselves no positive substratum, but merely distinguished from the Absolute by their quantitative designation of energy. Forgetful of their true situation, they are susceptible to isolate themselves by enwrapping with foreign quality from the Absolute, whereas they have the same quality as the Absolute, with a magnitudinal variegated position.

 

 

This very Transcendental Absolute Truth has disclosed the two-fold aspects of relativity, reigning in the temporal mundane sphere, as well as in the Transcendental Eternal Plane. So the question of relativity is to be treated in these two aspects independently, without subscribing to opinions of impersonalists who have no other treasure to explain away the phenomena in derogatory situation.

 

 

On the western banks of the Ganges, close to the Panchanada Bathing Ghat, the retired administrative authority welcomed the Transcendental description of Full Knowledge, Who was never confined to the empirical activities of the learned renunciators, including Prakashananda Saraswati, who was inculcating avoidance of mundane relativity of knowledge. His high-sounding pedantic feats were properly cowed down by the Master, Who posed to be a member of the impersonalistic school. The band of impersonalists, who were known to have gained the civic guardianship of India from time immemorial, got the true impression of the Ever-Immutable Undeviated Relative Knowledge.

 

 

Sanatana showed himself as if busy with philosophic discourses by his external activities, and was posing in securing knowledge by participating in the views of empiricists. Not only did he exhibit the opportunity of audiencing the Transcendental Narratives of the different manifestations of the Transcendence Himself, but the positive view can also be secured by all honest followers of that great sage who will show a sincere aptitude to be associated by following Absolute delineations.

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