Remnants (CC Madhya-lila)
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
Actually the authorized compiler of the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa, the incarnation of Vyāsadeva. Only upon his orders am I trying to chew the remnants of food that he has left.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I will not be able to eat so much food, and it is not the duty of a sannyāsī to leave remnants."
“Whatever You have, though it be a palmful of rice, please eat it and get up. Don’t show Your madness and strew the remnants of food here and there.”
When the rice thrown by Nityānanda Prabhu touched His body, Advaita Ācārya thought Himself purified by the touch of remnants thrown by Paramahaṁsa Nityānanda. Therefore He began dancing.
The word avadhūta refers to one above all rules and regulations. Sometimes, not observing all the rules and regulations of a sannyāsī, Nityānanda Prabhu exhibited the behavior of a mad avadhūta. He threw the remnants of food on the ground, and some of these remnants touched the body of Advaita Ācārya. Advaita Ācārya accepted this happily because He presented Himself as a member of the community of smārta-brāhmaṇas. By touching the remnants of food thrown by Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Ācārya immediately felt Himself purified of all smārta contamination. The remnants of food left by a pure Vaiṣṇava are called mahā-mahā-prasādam. This is completely spiritual and is identified with Lord Viṣṇu. Such remnants are not ordinary. The spiritual master is to be considered on the stage of paramahaṁsa and beyond the jurisdiction of the varṇāśrama institution. The remnants of food left by the spiritual master and similar paramahaṁsas, or pure Vaiṣṇavas, are purifying. When an ordinary person touches such prasādam, his mind is purified, and his mind is raised to the status of a pure brāhmaṇa. The behavior and statements of Advaita Ācārya are meant for the understanding of ordinary people who are unaware of the strength of spiritual values, not knowing the potency of food left by the bona fide spiritual master and pure Vaiṣṇavas.
"To make Me a madman like Yourself, You have thrown the remnants of Your food at Me. You did not even fear the fact that I am a brāhmaṇa."
The words āpanāra sama indicate that Advaita Ācārya considered Himself to belong to the smārta-brāhmaṇas, and He considered Nityānanda Prabhu to be on the transcendental stage with pure Vaiṣṇavas. Lord Nityānanda gave Advaita Ācārya His remnants to situate Him on the same platform and make Him a pure unalloyed Vaiṣṇava or paramahaṁsa. Advaita Ācārya's statement indicates that a paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava is transcendentally situated. A pure Vaiṣṇava is not subject to the rules and regulations of the smārta-brāhmaṇas. That was the reason for Advaita Ācārya's stating, āpanāra sama more karibāra tare: "to raise Me to Your own standard." A pure Vaiṣṇava, or a person on the paramahaṁsa stage, accepts the remnants of food (mahā-prasādam) as spiritual. He does not consider it to be material or sense gratificatory. He accepts mahā-prasādam not as ordinary dhal and rice but as spiritual substance. To say nothing of the remnants of food left by a pure Vaiṣṇava, prasādam is never polluted even if it is touched by the mouth of a caṇḍāla. Indeed, it retains its spiritual value. Therefore by eating or touching such mahā-prasādam, a brāhmaṇa is not degraded. There is no question of being polluted by touching the remnants of such food. Actually, by eating such mahā-prasādam, one is freed from all the contaminations of the material condition. That is the verdict of the śāstra.
Nityānanda Prabhu replied, "These are the remnants of food left by Lord Kṛṣṇa. If You take them to be ordinary remnants, You have committed an offense."
The Lord remained there because He was very eager to receive the remnants of sweet rice offered to the Gopīnātha Deity, having heard a narration from His spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, of what had once happened there.
According to the varṇāśrama system, the brāhmaṇas are always honored first. Thus at the festival, the brāhmaṇas and their wives were first offered the remnants of food, and then the others (kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras). This has always been the system, and it is still prevalent in India, even though the caste brāhmaṇas are not qualified. The system is still current due to the varṇāśrama institutional rules and regulations.
When all the pots of sweet rice, remnants left by Gopīnātha, were placed before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He became very pleased. In order to feed the devotees, He accepted five of them.
The Bhaṭṭācārya informed all of them, "Please take your midday baths immediately. Today I shall offer you mahā-prasādam, the remnants of food offered to Lord Jagannātha."
Today your mind has become fit to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa because, surpassing the Vedic regulative principles, you have eaten the remnants of food offered to the Lord.
The Bhaṭṭācārya brought large quantities of excellent food remnants blessed by Lord Jagannātha. All this prasādam was given to his own brāhmaṇa servant, along with Jagadānanda and Dāmodara.
Gopīnātha Ācārya then brought prasādam for the two Lords to eat, and after They had eaten, the remnants of the food were distributed to all the devotees.
With great affection and respect, that Kūrma brāhmaṇa made Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu eat all kinds of food. After that, the remnants were shared by all the members of the family.
In this way Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited different verses from the śāstra. The priest of Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva then brought garlands and the remnants of the Lord's food and offered them to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
In ecstatic love Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced and chanted. At that time all the attendants and priests came to offer Him a garland and the remnants of Lord Jagannātha's food.
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya brought various types of food remnants that had been left by Lord Jagannātha. He brought all kinds of cakes and condensed-milk preparations.
All the servants of Lord Jagannātha delivered remnants of the Lord's food to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In return, Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced them all.
In this way Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa was sent to Bengal, and he was given sufficient quantities of Lord Jagannātha's food remnants to distribute there.
Upon reaching mother Śacī, Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa first offered his obeisances and delivered the food remnants (mahā-prasādam). He then informed her of the good news that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had returned from His South Indian tour.
“The second person is Govinda, Lord Caitanya's personal servant. The Lord has sent garlands and remnants of Lord Jagannātha's food with these two persons simply to honor the devotees from Bengal.”
The King said, “The son of Bhavānanda Rāya named Vāṇīnātha, along with five or seven other men, went there to obtain the remnants of Lord Jagannātha's food.
Then the Lord told Kāśī Miśra and the temple superintendent, “As for the remnants of food left by Jagannātha, let them be delivered to Vāṇīnātha Rāya's charge, for he can take care of all the Vaiṣṇavas and distribute mahā-prasādam to them.”
Thus Vāṇīnātha Rāya returned with large quantities of Lord Jagannātha's food remnants, including cakes and other good eatables. Gopīnātha Ācārya also returned after cleansing all the residential quarters.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu promised to come daily to see Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and this indicates that Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura was so advanced in spiritual life that, although considered unfit to enter the temple, he was being personally visited by the Lord every day. Nor was there any need for his going outside his residence to collect food. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu assured Haridāsa Ṭhākura that the remnants of His food would be sent there. As the Lord states in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.22), yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: “I arrange all life's necessities for My devotees.”
Gopīnātha Ācārya has already come, bringing sufficient remnants of food to distribute to all the sannyāsīs, and sannyāsīs like Paramānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī are waiting for You.
It is the practice of Vaiṣṇavas while taking prasādam to chant the holy name of Lord Hari at intervals and also sing various songs, such as śarīra avidyā-jāla. Those who are honoring prasādam, accepting the remnants of food offered to the Deity, must always remember that prasādam is not ordinary food. Prasādam is transcendental. We are therefore reminded:
- mahā-prasāde govinde nāma-brahmaṇi vaiṣṇave
- sv-alpa-puṇya-vatāṁ rājan viśvāso naiva jāyate
Those who are not pious cannot understand the value of mahā-prasādam or the holy name of the Lord. Both prasādam and the Lord's name are on the Brahman platform, or spiritual platform. One should never consider prasādam to be like ordinary hotel cooking. Nor should one touch any kind of food not offered to the Deity. Every Vaiṣṇava strictly follows this principle and does not accept any food that is not prasādam. One should take prasādam with great faith and should chant the holy name of the Lord and worship the Deity in the temple, always remembering that the Deity, mahā-prasādam and the holy name do not belong to the mundane platform. By worshiping the Deity, eating prasādam and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can always remain on the spiritual platform (brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26)).
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then took all the remnants of food offered to Jagannātha, such as cakes and sweet rice, and distributed them to all the other devotees, calling them individually.
Govinda saved some remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and kept them carefully. Later, one portion of these remnants was delivered to Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
The remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were later distributed among devotees who begged for them, and finally Govinda personally took the last remnants.
Although the remnants of food left by Jagannātha were brought into the Bhaṭṭācārya's house, they were kept separate from the preparations he had made at his home. It sometimes happens that prasādam is mixed with a larger quantity of food and then distributed, but in this case we find that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya kept the jagannātha-prasādam separate. He kept it aside particularly for the satisfaction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
“My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, your fortune is very great. How much shall I praise you? I also am very fortunate to be able to take the remnants of this food.
The Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Both the food and the sitting place are the Lord's mercy. If You can eat the remnants of the food, what is the offense in Your sitting in this place?”
"My dear Lord, the garlands, scented substances, garments, ornaments and other such things that have been offered to You may later be used by Your servants. By partaking of these things and eating the remnants of food You have left, we will be able to conquer the illusory energy."”
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.6.46). In the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the dancing in ecstasy and the eating of the remnants of food offered to the Lord are very, very important. One may be illiterate or incapable of understanding the philosophy, but if he partakes of these three items, he will certainly be liberated without delay.
“I shall stay here until you return to take Lord Jagannātha's remnants for your lunch.”
The remnants of food offered to the Lord at Balagaṇḍi then arrived in great quantity, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all His devotees ate it.
The Lord collected whatever remnants of food were left by Lord Jagannātha. He also took remnants of the Lord's kaḍāra ointment, sandalwood and ropes with Him.
The Lord spent the night there and in the morning took His bath. At that time, remnants of Lord Jagannātha's food arrived.
When Raghunātha dāsa was there, Advaita Ācārya favored him by giving him the food remnants left by the Lord. Raghunātha dāsa was thus engaged for five or seven days in rendering service to the Lord's lotus feet.
The remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were taken by the whole family of Tapana Miśra. When news spread that the Lord had come, Candraśekhara came to see Him.
"Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa"s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord's holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord's food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.’
Kṛṣṇadāsa returned to Akrūra-tīrtha with the Lord, and remnants of the Lord's food were given to him.
Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya invited the two brothers to take lunch also. The remnants of food from the plate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were offered to them.
Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya first offered the remnants of the Lord's food to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, and then to Kṛṣṇadāsa.
How one can become this fortunate can be seen in the life of Śrīla Nārada Muni. In his previous life he was born of a maidservant. Although he was not born into a prestigious position, his mother was fortunately engaged in rendering service to some Vaiṣṇavas. When these Vaiṣṇavas were resting during the Cāturmāsya period, the boy Nārada took the opportunity to engage in their service. Taking compassion upon the boy, the Vaiṣṇavas offered him the remnants of their food. By serving these Vaiṣṇavas and obeying their orders, the boy became the object of their sympathy, and by the Vaiṣṇavas' unknown mercy, he gradually became a pure devotee. In the next life he was Nārada Muni, the most exalted of Vaiṣṇavas and the most important guru and ācārya of Vaiṣṇavas.
Tapana Miśra then said, "Sanātana has some duty to perform; therefore he cannot accept lunch now. At the conclusion of the meal, I shall supply Sanātana with some remnants."
After eating, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took rest for a while. Tapana Miśra then gave Sanātana Gosvāmī the remnants of food left by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
One should (17) circumambulate the temple, (18) recite various prayers, (19) chant softly, (20) chant congregationally, (21) smell the incense and flower garlands offered to the Deity, and (22) eat the remnants of food offered to the Deity.
(48) Evening ārati should be offered. (49) The Lord should be fanned with a cāmara fan, and an umbrella should be placed over His head. (50) The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and approved songs should be sung. (51) Musical instruments should be played. (52) One should dance before the Deity. (53) One should circumambulate the Deity. (54) One should again offer obeisances. (55) One should offer different types of prayers and hymns at the Lord's lotus feet. (56) One should touch the lotus feet of the Lord with one's head. This may not be possible for everyone, but at least the pūjārī should do this. (57) The flowers offered on the previous day should touch one's head. (58) One should take the remnants of the Lord's food. (59) One should sit before the Lord and think that he is massaging the Lord's legs. (60) One should decorate the Lord's bed with flowers before the Lord takes His rest. (61) One should offer one's hand to the Lord. (62) One should take the Deity to His bed. (63) One should wash the feet of the Lord and then sit Him on the bed. (64) One should place the Lord on the bed and then massage His feet.
The devotees who have taken shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu take the responsibility for distributing nectarean devotional service all over the world. They are like clouds pouring water on the ground that nourishes the fruit of love of Godhead in this world. The devotees eat that fruit to their hearts' content, and whatever remnants they leave are eaten by the general populace. Thus they live happily.
| Page Title: | Remnants (CC Madhya-lila) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 11 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=52, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 52 |