Category:Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Chapter 05 Purports - The Activities of Saksi-gopala
Pages in category "Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Chapter 05 Purports - The Activities of Saksi-gopala"
The following 139 pages are in this category, out of 139 total.
A
- A devotee who is under the protection of Krsna is automatically situated as a brahmana, and such a brahmana is not illusioned. This is factual
- A king named Kasiraja wanted to fight with Lord Krsna, and consequently he took shelter of Lord Siva to acquire the power to fight the Lord. Being pleased with his worship, Lord Siva helped him fight Krsna
- A new temple was constructed (for Saksi-gopala in the village Satyavadi). Now there is a Saksi-gopala station, and people go to Satyavadi to see the witness Gopala
- A pure devotee who has firm faith in the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is to be considered a most learned scholar, the topmost aristocrat and the richest man in the whole world. All godly qualities automatically exist in such a devotee
- A pure Vaisnava serves a servant of Krsna and identifies himself as a servant of a servant of Krsna. This is pleasing to Lord Krsna. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura confirms this philosophy: chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara peyeche keba
- A sannyasi should not take part in a marriage ceremony between a young boy and a young girl. However, this is not a karma-kanda activity, because our purpose is to spread the Krsna consciousness movement
- According to Prahlada Maharaja, another authority on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such a staunch and faithful devotee of the Lord must be understood to be a most learned scholar: tan manye ’dhitam uttamam - Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.24
- Actually, if we can attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, we do not need anything else. We certainly do not need those things which a mundane person considers to be material assets
- After visiting all these (twelve) forests (of Vrndavana), these pilgrims (two brahamanas from South India) went to a place known as Pancakrosi Vrndavana
- All nitya-siddhas within this material world may appear to toil like ordinary men, but they never forget their position as servants of the Lord
- All the previous acaryas, being induced to engage themselves fully in the service of the Lord, gave up attachment for material life and thus accepted the staff, which signifies full engagement of the mind, speech and body in the service of the Lord
- Although the dealings between the Lord and His devotee are always very simple and open, there is formality. All these things happen because of the connection between the Lord and the devotee
- Although the nitya-siddhas appear in the material world and seem to be common members of the world, they never forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead in any condition. This is the symptom of a nitya-siddha
- Although the young brahmana described himself as having no claims to aristocracy and being an uneducated common man, still he had one good qualification
- Although we are very poor and have no professional source of income, Krsna supplies money whenever we need it. Whenever we need some men, Krsna supplies them. Thus it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita - BG 6.22
- As the Supersoul within the heart of all living entities, Krsna knows everyone’s desire, everyone’s request and everyone’s prayer. Although all these may be contradictory, the Lord has to create a situation in which everyone will be pleased
- At that time (when incident of the Saksi-gopala happened) King Purusottama-deva managed to control Orissa and appoint a government
- At the entrance to Jagannatha Puri is a bridge with eighteen arches called Atharanala - Athara means eighteen
B
- Because of his advanced devotional position, the younger brahmana knew that although the Deity of Gopala appeared to be stone, He was not stone. He was the son of Nanda Maharaja, Vrajendra-nandana Himself
- Because the elements are the Lord's own energy and because there is no difference between the energy and the energetic, the Lord can appear through any element
- Being omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, Krsna can deal with His devotee in any form without difficulty. By the mercy of the Lord, the devotee knows perfectly well about the Lord’s dealings. Indeed, he can talk face to face with the Lord
- Both brahmanas were pure Vaisnavas. The younger man took special care of the older one simply to please Krsna
- By not becoming God conscious, human society is deteriorating to the lowest standard of animal life
- By the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the nitya-siddha remains within this material world like an ordinary man, but the only business of the nitya-siddha is to broadcast the glories of the Lord
D
- Due to pious activities, one can be enriched by four opulences: one may obtain birth in an aristocratic family, become highly educated, become very beautiful or get a sufficient quantity of riches
- During the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the small buildings surrounding the original temple (of Lord Jagannatha) had not been constructed. Nor was the high platform in front of the temple present during the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
F
- Following this custom (vag-datta), which is very old in India, the elderly brahmana promised to give his daughter to the younger brahmana in charity, and he promised this before the Gopala Deity
- From the spiritual point of view, people still go to take a bath in this lake (known as Bindu-sarovara). Actually, by taking a bath there, one becomes very healthy even from the material viewpoint
H
- He (Lord Caitanya) visited the city of Bhuvanesvara, where Lord Siva’s temple is located
- He (son of the elderly brahmana) assured his father that the witness was only a stone Deity and was not capable of speaking. Besides that, he assured his father that the Deity was situated far away and consequently could not come to bear witness
- He (son of the elderly brahmana) did not believe in the spiritual position of the Deity, nor did he have any faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, as a typical idol worshiper, he considered the form of God to be made of stone or wood
- He (son of the elderly brahmana) was saying (to his father) - Following this principle (not lying directly but like a diplomat), simply say that you do not remember anything and are completely unaware of the statements given by the young brahmana
- He (son of the elderly brahmana) was saying (to his father) - If you make the background like that (not lying directly but like a diplomat), I shall know how to fill in the argument and defeat him (the young brahmana) by word jugglery
- He (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) does not need to carry the sannyasa-danda. This is the reason Sri Nityananda Prabhu broke the staff into three pieces and threw it into the water
- He (the young brahmana) believed that the Supreme Personality of Godhead was the topmost authority, he accepted the words of Lord Krsna without hesitation, and he had firm faith in the Lord’s consistency
- He (young brahmana) asked the elderly brahmana why he was proposing something unprecedented (asambhava). It was unheard of for an aristocratic person to offer his daughter to a person who was both uneducated and poor
- He (young brahmana) wanted only to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the older brahmana, who was also a Vaisnava and very much devoted to the Lord
- Here (in CC Madhya 5.113) the Lord informs the two brahmanas that they are His servants birth after birth
- His (young brahmana's) only concern was that the elderly brahmana had promised something, and if Gopala did not bear witness to that transaction, then the older brahmana would incur a spiritual blemish
I
- If people actually become God conscious, all quarrels can be settled outside of court, as happened in the case of the two brahmanas whose disagreement was settled by the witness Gopala
- In essence, he (son of the elderly brahmana) was saying (to his father) - Have no anxiety. You do not have to lie directly, but you should speak like a diplomat, like King Yudhisthira when he spoke to Dronacarya - asvatthama hata iti gajah
- In essence, he (son of the elderly brahmana) was saying (to his father) - I shall save you from having to give your daughter to him (the young brahmana). In this way, our aristocracy will be saved. You have nothing to worry about
- In his book Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya-khanda, Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura has very nicely described the Lord’s journey en route to Kataka (Cuttak). On that journey, the Lord visited a place known as Balihasta, or Balakaticati
- In India it is still current for an aristocratic family never to consider a marriage with a common family. Though the caste may be the same, to maintain the aristocracy such marriages are rejected
- In India it is still the custom for a daughter to be offered to someone simply by word. This is called vag-datta
- In India the custom is to honor any promise made before the Deity. Such a promise cannot be canceled
- In Indian villages, whenever there is a quarrel between two parties, they go to a temple to settle the quarrel. Whatever is spoken in front of the Deity is taken to be true, for no one would dare lie before the Deity
- In order to fix the devotees in concentration on the service of the Lord, marriage is sometimes allowed. We have experienced that such married couples actually render very important service to the mission
- In order to settle this love quarrel (between Jagannatha & Saksi-gapala), the King of Orissa constructed a village about eleven miles from Jagannatha Puri. The village was called Satyavadi, and Gopala was stationed there
- In SB 11.19.21 Krsna says, mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika: "It is better to render service to My devotee." Thus, according to the Gaudiya-Vaisnava philosophy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it is better to be a servant of the servant of God - CC Madhya 13.80
- In the Caitanya-bhagavata (Antya-khanda, Chapter Two) it is said that when Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived at Sri Bhuvanesvara, He visited the temple of Lord Siva known as Gupta-kasi - the concealed Varanasi
- In the paramahamsa stage there is no need to accept a danda (staff), and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was certainly in the paramahamsa stage
- In the preaching work of the Krsna consciousness movement, we, as the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the SP of Godhead, fully believe in the words of Krsna and His servants, the disciplic succession - CC Madhya 13.80
- In the sannyasa order there are four divisions - kuticaka, bahudaka, hamsa and paramahamsa. Only when the sannyasi remains on the kuticaka and bahudaka platforms can he carry a staff
- In this (CC Madhya 5.24) regard, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments that the younger brahmana rendered service to the older one with the purpose of pleasing Krsna. It was not a matter of ordinary worldly dealings
- It (CC Madhya 5.89) was not for that reason that the young brahmana went to Vrndavana to ask the Supreme Personality of Godhead to act as a witness
- It is said in the BG (3.21), yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah: Whatever great people do, others follow. Sri Caitanya wanted to follow the Vedic principles strictly in order to save inexperienced neophytes who try to imitate paramahamsas
- It was not at all the intention of the young brahmana to get the daughter of the elderly brahmana in marriage and thus enjoy material happiness and sense gratification
K
- Kasiraja was helped by Lord Siva, but in the fight with Lord Krsna he was not only defeated but killed. In this way the weapon known as Pasupata-astra was baffled, and Krsna set fire to the city of Kasi
- Kataka is a town in Orissa situated on the Mahanadi River. When Saksi-gopala was brought from Vidyanagara in southern India, He stayed for some time at Kataka
- King Bhismaka of Vidarbha wanted to offer Krsna his daughter, Rukmini, but Rukmi, the eldest of his five sons, objected. Therefore Bhismaka withdrew his decision and decided to offer Rukmini to the King of Cedi, Sisupala, who was a cousin of Krsna's
- Krsna accepted the two brahmanas as His eternal servants. Both brahmanas took much trouble in these negotiations, just like mundane people, yet they were acting as eternal servants of the Lord
- Krsna is pleased when a Vaisnava is rendered service. Because the younger brahmana served the older one, Lord Gopala agreed to become a witness of the marriage negotiation in order to maintain the prestige of both devotees
- Krsna shaved off all of Rukmi's hair with His sword. Sri Balarama did not like this, and so to please Rukmini, Balarama rebuked Krsna
L
- Later Lord Siva became conscious of his mistake in helping Kasiraja, and he begged Lord Krsna's forgiveness. As a benediction from Lord Krsna, he received a place known as Ekamra-kanana
- Later, the kings of the Kesari dynasty established their capital there (in Ekamra-kanana), and for many hundreds of years they reigned over the state of Orissa
- Like these two brahmanas of Vidyanagara, there are many devotees who are eternal servants of the Lord. They are specifically known as nitya-siddha, eternally perfect
- Lord Krsna was talking to the young brahmana just to test his knowledge about the arca-vigraha. In other words, those who have understood the science of Krsna - Krsna’s name, form, qualities and so forth - can also talk with the Deity
- Lord Siva established this (Gupta-kasi) as a place of pilgrimage by bringing water from all holy places and creating the lake known as Bindu-sarovara. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His bath in this lake, feeling a great regard for Lord Siva
- Lord Siva's name is Asutosa, which indicates that he is very easily satisfied when one worships him, regardless of the purpose, and he gives his devotee whatever benediction the devotee wants. Therefore, people are generally very fond of worshiping Siva
N
- Nityananda Prabhu, who was His eternal servitor, believed that there was no need for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to carry the staff, and to declare to the world that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was above all regulations, He broke it into three pieces
- No poor man will dare marry the daughter of a rich man. Because of this, when the elderly brahmana offered the young brahmana his daughter, the young brahmana did not believe that it would be possible to marry her
O
- One should also know that Gauda-mandala-bhumi - those places in Bengal where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed - are equal to Vrajabhumi, or Vrndavana
- One should not misunderstand when a sannyasi takes part in a marriage ceremony. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu took great pleasure in hearing about the marriage ceremony between the young brahmana and the daughter of the elderly brahmana
- One should not try to serve Krsna directly
- One who accepts the associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as nitya-siddhas is certain to be elevated to the spiritual kingdom to become an associate of the Supreme Lord
- One who understands Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu in reality can understand Their identity as well as the breaking of the staff
- Out of the twelve forests, the Vrndavana forest extends from the town of Vrndavana up to Nanda-grama and Varsana, a distance of thirty-two miles, within which the Pancakrosi Vrndavana town is situated
S
- Saksi-gopala was situated for some time in the Jagannatha temple. It seems that in the temple of Jagannatha there was some disagreement between Jagannatha and Saksi-gopala, a disagreement called prema-kalaha, a quarrel of love
- Seeing that the regulative principles could be slackened by action, Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to carry the staff personally. However, Nityananda broke it. For this reason Caitanya Mahaprabhu displayed a little anger
- Sometimes we take part in a marriage ceremony for our disciples, but this does not mean that we are interested in karma-kanda activities. Sometimes, not knowing the Vaisnava philosophy, an outsider criticizes such activity
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the regulative principles of the renounced order of life. That is completely clear
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu expressed anger because He wanted to teach all other sannyasis that they should not give up the staff before attaining the platform of paramahamsa
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is therefore said, sri-krsna-caitanya, radha-krsna nahe anya - Two personalities - Srimati Radharani and Sri Krsna - are combined in the incarnation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would certainly not have liked to hear about marital dealings unless such dealings were exchanged between two Vaisnavas
- Sri Nityananda Prabhu considered Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s acceptance of sannyasa to be useless. He therefore relieved the Lord of the trouble of carrying the staff
- Srila Narottama dasa Thakura confirms - gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kari’ mane, se yaya vrajendra-suta pasa, sri-gauda-mandala-bhumi, yeba jane cintamani, tara haya vraja-bhume vasa
- Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says: karma-kanda jnana-kanda kevala visera bhanda. For a Vaisnava, the karma-kanda and jnana-kanda sections of the Vedas are unnecessary. Indeed, a real Vaisnava takes these sections as a poison pot - visera bhanda
T
- Taking a bath and drinking the water of this lake (Bindu-sarovara) can cure any disease of the stomach. Regular bathing certainly cures indigestion
- The conversation between Lord Sri Krsna and the brahmana is proof that the Lord in His arca-murti, or form made of material elements, is not material, for those elements, although separated from the Lord, are also a part of the Lord’s energy
- The dealings between a devotee and the Lord are very simple. The young brahmana said to the Lord - You know everything, but if You do not bear witness, You will be involved in sinful activities
- The Deity could act exactly as the Lord does in His original form as Krsna
- The elderly brahmana belonged to an aristocratic family and was learned and wealthy. The young brahmana belonged to an ordinary family and was uneducated. But these mundane qualifications do not concern a nitya-siddha engaged in the service of the Lord
- The elderly brahmana considered how to get out of this situation (described in CC Madhya 5.16-78) and still offer his daughter to the young brahmana. His son, an atheist and a very cunning fellow, was thinking of how to stop the marriage
- The father and son were thinking in a contradictory way, yet Krsna created a situation wherein they agreed. They both agreed that if the Gopala Deity would come and serve as a witness, the daughter would be given to the young brahmana
- The five forests situated on the eastern side of the river Yamuna are Bhadra, Bilva, Loha, Bhandira and Mahavana. The seven forests situated on the western side of the Yamuna are Madhu, Tala, Kumuda, Bahula, Kamya, Khadira and Vrndavana
- The Mayavadi sannyasis generally carry one staff, or danda. Taking advantage of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s absence, Srila Nityananda Prabhu broke the staff into three parts and threw it into the river later known as the Danda-bhanga-nadi
- The mystery of the sannyasa-danda (staff) of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has been explained by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the order of sannyasa from a Mayavadi sannyasi
- The nitya-siddha never forgets his relationship with the Supreme Personality, whereas the nitya-baddha is always conditioned, even before the creation. He always forgets his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The Orissa kingdom was very powerful, and Kotadesa was the capital of Orissa. It was then known as Vidyanagara. Formerly this city was situated on the southern side of the river Godavari
- The pastime known as danda-bhanga-lila is thus (CC Madhya 5.158, purport) explained by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
- The phrase birth after birth refers to the material world because in the spiritual world there is no birth, death, old age or disease
- The present city of Vidyanagara is on the southeast side of the river, only 20 to twenty-five miles from Rajamahendri. During the time of Maharaja Prataparudra, Sri Ramananda Raya was the governor there. Vijaya-nagara is not identical with Vidyanagara
- The river Bhargi, or Bharginadi, came to be known as the Danda-bhanga-nadi after Lord Caitanya bathed in its waters. It is situated six miles north of Jagannatha Puri. The reason for the change in names is given as follows - CC Madhya 5.142-143
- The Saksi-gopala temple is situated between the Khurda Road railway station and the Jagannatha Puri station. The Deity is not presently situated in Kataka, but when Nityananda Prabhu traveled there, the Deity was present
- The sastras warn, arcye visnau sila-dhih . . . naraki sah: one should never think of the arca-murti, the Deity within the temple, as stone, wood or any other material element
- The son of the elderly brahmana was an atheist and a follower of the Raghunatha-smrti. He was very expert in dealing with pounds-shillings-pence, but he was fool number one
- The temple of Bhuvanesvara is situated about five to six miles from Balakaticati. The temple of Lord Siva is mentioned in the Skanda Purana, in the narration about the Lord’s garden and the one mango tree
- The word deula refers to the temple where the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated. The present temple of Jagannatha Puri was constructed by King Ananga-bhima. Historians say this temple must have been constructed at least two thousand years ago
- The young brahmana wanted protection and help from the Deity. The young brahmana was thus a pure Vaisnava, and he had no desire for sense gratification
- There are four points of instruction one should consider in the story of Saksi-gopala. First, the Deity (arca-vigraha) of Sri Gopala is eternally sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (BS 5.1), the transcendental form of the Lord
- There are four points of instruction one should consider in the story of Saksi-gopala. Lastly, brahmanya-deva indicates Lord Sri Krsna Himself, who is worshiped thus: namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca - jagad-dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah
- There are four points of instruction one should consider in the story of Saksi-gopala. Second, the Deity surpasses material regulative principles and extends the reality of transcendental principles
- There are four points of instruction one should consider in the story of Saksi-gopala. Third, one can be situated in a transcendental position after becoming a brahmana, but as a brahmana, one has to follow the regulative principles very strictly
- There are many instances in which the parents of a female child have given someone a verbal promise that their daughter will be married to his son. Both parties agree to wait until the boy and girl are grown up, and then the marriage takes place
- There are two kinds of living entities - nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha
- There ensued a great fight between Krsna and the opposing party, headed by Rukmini’s brother Rukmi. Rukmi was defeated and, because of his harsh words against Krsna, was about to be killed, but he was saved at the request of Rukmini
- There is no difference between the inhabitants of Vrndavana and those of Gauda-mandala-bhumi, or Sridhama Mayapur
- There is no possibility, however, of the Lord’s being involved in sinful activities. A pure devotee, even though he knows everything of the Supreme Lord, can speak with the Lord exactly as if He were a common man
- These (obtain birth in an aristocratic family, become highly educated, become very beautiful or get a sufficient quantity of riches) are symptoms of pious activities performed in one’s past life
- This (vag-datta) means that the father, brother or guardian of a girl has given his word that she will be married to a certain man. Consequently, that daughter cannot be married to anyone else. She is reserved by virtue of the honest words of the father
- This city of Vidyanagara is situated in Trailanga-desa, South India, on the bank of the river Godavari. The place where the Godavari flows into the Bay of Bengal is called Kotadesa
- This incident (of Saksi-gopala) appears to be an ordinary story about a marriage transaction involving two ordinary people
- This is an instance of a marriage negotiation between an elderly brahmana & a youthful one. The elderly brahmana was certainly willing to give his daughter in charity to the young brahmana, but his son & relatives became impediments to this transaction
- This Krsna consciousness movement is very essential to reviving God consciousness among the general populace
- This same principle was followed in the Battle of Kuruksetra (promising before God). Therefore in the very beginning of the Bhagavad-gita it is stated: dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre - BG 1.1
- To an ordinary person the Deity will appear to be made of stone, wood or some other material. In the higher sense, since all material elements ultimately emanate from the supreme spiritual entity, nothing is really material
- To indicate that everyone should take sannyasa at the end of life in order to engage fully in the service of the Lord, even paramahamsas like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His confidential devotees follow the regulative principles unfailingly
W
- We are giving all facility to the general populace to take to Krsna consciousness, and in order to fix the devotees in concentration on the service of the Lord, marriage is sometimes allowed
- We are presenting the words of Krsna throughout the world
- We have to accept the fact that the nitya-siddhas are completely distinct from the nitya-baddhas, who are ordinary human beings
- When one is elevated to the status of hamsa or paramahamsa, after touring and preaching the bhakti cult, he must give up the sannyasa staff
- When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in ecstasy, He considered one moment to last as long as twelve years. After seeing the Jagannatha temple from a distant place, the Lord became so ecstatic that He considered the six-mile path many thousands of miles long