Followers

Sunday, March 20, 2022

rasalila

 


Don't disturb





































One woman, out of her eagerness to see Jagannatha, there was big crowd, she jumped up over the shoulder of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the devotees said, (in an urgent whisper:) "Come on, come on down. What you are doing?"

Caitanya: "No, she is so eager to see Jagannatha. Don't disturb. Don't disturb. Let her stand on My shoulder." 

An Old Lady Steps on Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Shoulder to See Lord Jagannatha ~ While Lord Caitanya was at the temple to see the deity of Jagannatha, thousands of people were in front of Him also seeing the deity. Suddenly, a woman who was unable to see Jagannatha through the crowd, climbed the column of Garuda that was just in front of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, placing her foot on His shoulder to get up.

Govinda, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's personal secretary, hastily got her down. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, chastised Govinda for this. When the woman came to her senses, she begged for forgiveness at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Lord Jagannatha has not bestowed so much eagerness upon Me. She has fully absorbed her body, mind and life in Lord Jagannatha. Therefore, she was unaware that she was putting her foot on My shoulder. Alas! How fortunate this woman is! I pray at her feet that she favor Me with her great eagerness to see Lord Jagannatha."
-Excerpt from Caitanya-Caritamrta, Antya-lila 14.28-30

deers

 


Prakashananda Saraswati

 


When Caitanya Mahaprabhu reached the temple of Bindu Madhava, He was so overwhelmed by the beauty of Lord Bindu Madhava, that He began dancing ecstatically in the courtyard of the temple. The four devotees accompanying Him began to chant along with Him, and soon hundreds and thousands of people were chanting, creating a tumultuous, auspicious sound.

When Prakashananda Saraswati [a Mayavadi sannyasi] and his disciples heard the sound, they came to see the Lord, and they also joined the chanting.

All the people of Benares were astonished seeing Lord Caitanya's ecstatic symptoms. When the Lord regained external consciousness, He saw that there were many Mayavadi sannyasis and other people gathered around, and He stopped the kirtan. He offered humble prayers unto Prakashananda Sarasvati [a Mayavadi sannyasi].

Prakashananda Sarasvati caught hold of the Lord's feet, but Lord Caitanya glorified him as most worshipable. Prakashananda Sarasvati replied, "Formerly I have committed many offenses against You by blaspheming You, but now the effects of my offenses are counteracted by my touching Your lotus feet." Prakashananda repented his offenses and recognized Lord Caitanya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

From that moment when the Mayavadi sannyasis heard the explanation of Vedanta-sutra [essence of knowledge of the Vedas] from the Lord, their minds changed, and on the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they too chanted, "Krishna! Krishna!" always.
- Caitanya-Caritamrta, Madhya-lila 25.69-81 


Balabhadra Bhattacharya

 


Lord Caitanya sometimes walked through the jungle, chanting loudly. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Chant Krishna! Krishna!" the tigers and deer began to dance and chant, "Krishna!" When all the tigers and does danced and jumped, Balabhadra Bhattacharya saw them and was struck with wonder!

- Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Madhya-lila 17.40-41

Animal

 



meet

 

Rupa and Sanatana meet Lord Caiatnya at Ramkeli while Lord was on the way to Vrindavana ~ Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Srila Rupa Gosvami were very qualified and illustrious scholars. They were ministers directly in charge of the government of king Nawab Hussain Shah. They were such incredible ministers that Nawab made Sanatana the Prime Minister of Bengal, and Rupa the Home Minister. They lived in Ramakeli viz. 15 kms from Malda town in West Bengal.

They had so much treasures, but they always felt ashamed for serving the sinful king. They were always in deep separation from Lord Krishna and Sri Vrindavana Dhama. They constructed a replica of Vrindavana - Shyama kunda, Radha kunda, Kadamba Kanana. They astonished everyone because although they were in the highest positions, they would beg everyone with folded hands for blessings to attain pure devotional service to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. They never caused harm to anyone, and never in their lives did they ever insult anyone.

They desperately sought the shelter of Lord Caitanya’s mercy. They wrote several letters to Lord Caitanya that they wanted to surrender their lives to Lord and His mission. They were also householders [grihastha], but later they became gosvamis [those who control their sense gratification and serve Lord Caitanya].

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, while on His journey to Vrindavana, specifically travelled way off the proper route just to meet Rupa and Sanatana in Ramakeli. As Lord Caitanya was travelling towards Ramakeli, hundreds and thousands of people followed Him. Whoever saw the beauty of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s dance and whoever accepted His mercy in the form of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra found his heart swelling with uncontrollable ecstatic love for Lord Krishna! Ramakeli was the capital city of Nawab Hussein Shah, who was a very cruel and wicked king. King had made very strict punishable laws against anyone who publicly practiced any other religion but his own.

However, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was fearlessly dancing and chanting, with hundreds and thousands and at times millions and millions of people, throughout Ramakeli. A police officer told him, “Someone has come to our kingdom. He is very beautiful, He has a complexion like resplendent gold. He is constantly crying and with arms raised loudly chants Hare Krishna. This great prophet as completely intoxicated everyone - the Hindus, the Muslims. I have seen so many saintly persons of different religions, but no one has the power, the beauty, and the influence of this persons love.”

Nawab’s heart became so transcendentally affected, he said, “Whom the Vedas call Krishna, and the Koran calls Allah, that same Supreme Truth, the ultimate worshipable object of everyone, has come to our kingdom to give love of God. On this day I proclaim a law that this great prophet, be allowed to dance, chant, and preach wherever He wants. He should not be disturbed in any way. I will personally torture and take the life of anyone who disturbs Him.”

At the dead of night Sanatana, Rupa and Anupam met Lord Caitanya who was sitting under the tamal and kadamba tree. In great humility they took bunches of straw between their teeth and binding a cloth around their neck, fell down like rods before the Lord. Upon seeing Lord Caitanya they were overwhelmed with joy, and out of humility, they began to cry.

They humbly offered their prayers with folded hands. “All glories to Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the most merciful saviour of the fallen souls. All glories to the Supreme Personality. Sir, we belong to the lowest class of men and our associates and employment are of the lowest type. Therefore, we cannot introduce ourselves to You. We feel very much ashamed standing here before You. Dear Lord, let us inform You that no one is more sinful than us, nor are there any offenders like us. Even if we wish to mention our sinful activities, we would immediately become ashamed, what to speak of giving them up.”

Hearing their prayers, Lord Caitanya said, “You are My very old servants. Please abandon your humility for your humility is breaking My heart. You have written Me several letters showing your humility and I can understand your transcendental behaviour from those letters. Therefore, just in order to teach you a lesson, I sent you that verse. I really had no business coming here to Ramakeli. I came just to see you two brothers. Everyone is asking Me, why did You go to Ramakeli? No one knows My real intentions. It is very good that you brothers have come to see Me. Now you can go home, you have nothing to fear. Birth after birth you are My eternal servants. Today I give you the names Rupa, Sanatana, and Anupam. I am sure that Krishna will deliver you very soon.”

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to instruct the whole world about the importance of the principle of humility through His dear-most and favourite associates Sri Rupa and Sanatana. Lord Caitanya taught that everything we are looking at for happiness in this material world is going to be the very cause of our suffering, fear and anxiety. Real happiness is achieved by following in the footsteps of the humble six Gosvamis of Vrindavana.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ramkeli

Kala Krishna Das

 Kala Krsnadasa is described in the Madhya-lila, chapters 7 & 9. He went with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to carry His waterpot. In the Malabar state, members of the Bhattathari cult tried to captivate Krsnadasa by supplying a woman to seduce him, but although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saved him from being harmed, when they returned to Jagannatha Puri He ordered that Krsnadasa remain separate from Him, for the Lord was never favorably disposed toward an associate who was attracted by a woman. Thus, Krsnadasa lost the personal association of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Kala Krsnadasa was influenced and allured by nomads or gypsies, who enticed him with women.


Maya is so strong that Kala Krsnadasa left Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s company to join gypsy women. Even though a person may associate with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he can be allured by maya and leave the Lord’s company due to his slight independence. Only one who is overwhelmed by maya can be so unfortunate as to leave Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s company, yet unless one is very conscientious, the influence of maya can drag one away, even though he be the personal assistant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And what to speak of others? The Bhattatharis used to increase their numbers by using women to allure outsiders.

This is factual evidence showing that it is possible at any time to fall down from the Lord’s association. One need only misuse his little independence. Once fallen and separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s association, one becomes a candidate for suffering in the material world. Although rejected by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Kala Krsnadasa was given another chance, as the following verses relate.

Hearing the Lord reject him, Kala Krsnadasa began to cry. However, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, not caring for him, immediately left to take His noon lunch. After this, the other devotees — headed by Nityananda Prabhu, Jagadananda, Mukunda and Damodara — began to consider a certain plan.

Even though a person is rejected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotees of the Lord do not reject him; therefore the Lord’s devotees are more merciful than the Lord Himself. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura thus sings, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara peyeche keba: one cannot be relieved from the material clutches without engaging in the service of pure devotees.

The Lord Himself may sometimes be very hard, but the devotees are always kind. Thus Kala Krsnadasa received the mercy of the four devotees mentioned above.

The Lord’s four devotees considered, “We want a person to go to Bengal just to inform Sacimata about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s arrival at Jagannatha Puri. After hearing news of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s arrival, devotees like Advaita and Srivasa will certainly come to see Him. “Let us therefore send Krsnadasa to Bengal.” Saying this, they kept Krsnadasa engaged in the service of the Lord and gave him assurance.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Kala+Krishna+Das



Narendra Sarovar

Lord enjoys Sankirtana in Narendra Sarovara Lake in Puri ~ All the devotees from Bengal went to Jagannatha Puri, and they happened to arrive on the day when Lord Jagannatha performs pastimes in the water. Meanwhile, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, along with His personal associates, arrived at the Narendra lake, where Lord Govinda was on a boat, performing His water pastimes with all the devotees. (This Govinda deity is in the temple of Jagannatha. Because Jagannatha is very heavy, when there is a need to take Him outside of the temple, the Govinda deity is taken instead).

Soon the devotees from Bengal arrived at the lake and immediately fell at the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Lord lifted and embraced every one of them. Then the devotees began congregational chanting, and having met with the Lord they began to cry loudly in great ecstatic love.

Because of the pastimes in the water, there was great jubilation on the shore. There was music, singing, chanting, and dancing, and mixed with the crying of the devotees, this created a tumultuous sound vibration that filled the entire universe. Then Lord Caitanya entered the water with the devotees and engaged in water pastimes in great jubilation.
- Caitanya-Caritamrta, Antya-lila 10.41-49

Sarvabhauma

 https://www.google.com/search?q=Sarvabhauma


Ksira Chora Gopinath

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ksira+Chora+Gopinath


Nrsimhananda

 https://www.google.com/search?q=Nrsimhananda


hair

 https://www.google.com/search?q=chaitanya+mahaprabhu+hair


Jagai Madhai

 https://www.google.com/search?q=Jagai+Madhai

Universal Form

srivasa son revived from dead

 https://www.google.com/search?q=chaitanya+mahaprabhu+srivasa+son

ishvarpuri

 https://www.google.com/search?q=ishvarpuri


pot

 https://www.google.com/search?q=chaitanya+mahaprabhu+pot



jewel

 

In His childhood the Lord was profusely decorated with gold ornaments. Once while He was playing outside His house, and two thieves passing on the street saw the opportunity to rob the Lord and therefore took Him on their shoulders, pleasing Him by offering Him some sweets.

The thieves thought they would carry the child to the forest and then kill Him and take away the ornaments. The Lord, however, expanded His illusory energy upon the thieves, so much so that instead of carrying Him to the forest they came right back in front of the house of the Lord.

When they came before His house, they became afraid because everyone from the house of Jagannatha Misra and all the inhabitants of that quarter were busy searching for the child. Therefore, the thieves, thinking it dangerous to remain, went away and left Him. The child was brought within the house of mother Sachi, who was in great anxiety, and she became satisfied.
- Caitanya-Caritamrta, Adi-lila 14.38

cry

 https://www.google.com/search?q=chaitanya+mahaprabhu+cry


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