The following summary of the Twentieth Chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed His nights tasting the meaning of the Śikṣāṣṭaka prayers in the company of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya. Sometimes He recited verses from Jayadeva Gosvāmī’s Gīta-govinda, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya's Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭaka or from Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura's Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. In this way, He became absorbed in ecstatic emotions. For the twelve years Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu lived at Jagannātha Purī, He relished the taste of reciting such transcendental verses. Altogether the Lord was present in this mortal world for forty-eight years. After hinting about the Lord's disappearance, the author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta gives a short description of the entire Antya-līlā and then ends his book.
Description (CC Antya-lila)
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Antya-lila
I have briefly described the antya-līlā within the description of the madhya-līlā.
Everyone admitted that although they had heard many statements glorifying the holy name of the Lord, they had never heard such sweet descriptions as those of Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Rāmānanda Rāya said, "Now please recite the description of the glories of your worshipable Deity." Rūpa Gosvāmī, however, hesitated due to embarrassment because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was present.
O learned devotees, I am by nature ignorant and low, yet even though it is from me that the Vidagdha-mādhava has come, it is filled with descriptions of the transcendental attributes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, will not such a literature bring about the attainment of the highest goal of life? Although its wood may be ignited by a low-class man, fire can nevertheless purify gold. Similarly, although I am very low by nature, this book may help cleanse the dirt from within the hearts of the golden devotees.
Your exalted poetic descriptions of the mellows of Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are like an ocean of nectar. But why have you put in a false prayer about Me? It is like a drop of detestable alkali.”
Kṛṣṇa states in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.45), trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna. Thus He advised Arjuna to rise above the modes of material nature, for the entire Vedic system is filled with descriptions involving sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. People are generally covered by the quality of rajo-guṇa and are therefore unable to understand the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs of Vraja. Moreover, the quality of tamo-guṇa further disturbs their understanding. In Vṛndāvana, however, although Kṛṣṇa is covered by the hazy darkness of the dust, the gopīs can nevertheless understand that within the dust storm is Kṛṣṇa. Because they are His topmost devotees, they can perceive His hand in everything. Thus even in the dark or in a hazy storm of dust, devotees can understand what Kṛṣṇa is doing. The purport of this verse is that under no circumstances is Kṛṣṇa ever lost to the vision of exalted devotees like the gopīs.
The wonderful descriptions of Rūpa Gosvāmī are superb arrangements to express loving affairs. Hearing them will plunge the heart and ears of everyone into a whirlpool of transcendental bliss.
Unless one is a fully unalloyed devotee of the Lord, one should not try to describe the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in poetry, for it will be only mundane. There are many descriptions of Kṛṣṇa's Bhagavad-gītā written by persons whose consciousness is mundane and who are not qualified by pure devotion. Although they attempted to write transcendental literature, they could not fully engage even a single devotee in Kṛṣṇa's service. Such literature is mundane, and therefore, as warned by Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, one should not touch it.
At Jagannātha Purī, in the association of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, lived Bhagavān Ācārya, who was certainly a gentleman, a learned scholar and a great devotee.
For a description of Bhagavān Ācārya, one may refer to Ādi-līlā, Tenth Chapter, verse 136.
Because there was no question of personal sense gratification when Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was serving the girls, his mind was steady and his body untransformed. This is not to be imitated, nor is such a mentality possible for anyone but Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will explain. The example of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya is certainly unique. The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta has given this description because in perfect devotional service one can attain such a position. Nevertheless, one must understand this subject very seriously and never attempt to imitate such activities.
Hearing the description of Raghunātha dāsa's behavior in the renounced order, his father and mother were very unhappy. Therefore they decided to send Raghunātha some men with goods for his comfort.
Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed His pastimes with His devotees. Then a learned scholar named Vallabha Bhaṭṭa went to Jagannātha Purī to meet the Lord.
For a description of Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, one may refer to Madhya-līlā, Chapter Nineteen, text 61.
In his Caitanya-maṅgala (now known as Caitanya-bhāgavata), Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has given a detailed description of the activities the Lord performed in the water.
In the midst of that narration are descriptions of Rāghava Paṇḍita's bags of food and the dancing in the temple of Jagannātha.
I am writing this narration of the pastimes and attributes of the Lord by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates. I do not know how to write properly, but I am purifying myself by writing this description.
For future reference, we should remember that Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī recorded the pastimes briefly, whereas Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī recorded them elaborately. These two great personalities simply recorded the facts; they did not create any descriptive literary embellishments.
Svarūpa Dāmodara wrote short notes, whereas Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī wrote elaborate descriptions. I shall now describe Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's activities more elaborately, as if fluffing out compressed cotton.
Please hear faithfully this description of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's ecstatic emotions. Thus you will come to know of His ecstatic love, and ultimately you will achieve love of Godhead.
Hearing the description of His condition while He had lain near the Siṁha-dvāra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much astonished. He said, “I do not remember any of these things.
This flute is utterly unfit because it is merely a dead bamboo stick. Moreover, it belongs to the male sex. Yet this flute is always drinking the nectar of Kṛṣṇa's lips, which surpasses nectarean sweetness of every description. Only by hoping for that nectar do the gopīs continue to live.
This description, however, will satisfy the mind and ears of anyone who hears it, and he will be able to understand these uncommon activities of deep ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.
It is impossible to describe all the pastimes elaborately. I shall therefore end this description and offer them my respectful obeisances.
After offering my respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of all my Vaiṣṇava readers, I shall therefore end this description of the characteristics of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The Second Chapter tells how the Lord instructively punished Junior Haridāsa. Also in that chapter is a description of the wonderful vision of Śivānanda Sena.
In the Third Chapter is a description of the forceful glories of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That chapter also mentions how Dāmodara Paṇḍita spoke words of criticism to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
In the Ninth Chapter is a description of how Gopīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka was delivered and how the people of the three worlds were able to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Also in that chapter is a description of how the Lord examined Govinda and how He danced in the temple.
In the Twelfth Chapter are descriptions of how Jagadānanda Paṇḍita broke a pot of oil and how Lord Nityānanda chastised Śivānanda Sena.
Also in that chapter is a description of how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell down in front of the Siṁha-dvāra gate of the Jagannātha temple, His bones separated at the joints, and how various transcendental symptoms awakened in Him.
Also in that chapter is a description of how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ran toward Caṭaka-parvata and spoke like a madman.
In the Fifteenth Chapter is a description of how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu entered a garden on the seashore and mistook it for Vṛndāvana.
Also in that chapter is a description of the attraction of Lord Caitanya's five senses to Kṛṣṇa and how He searched for Kṛṣṇa in the rāsa dance.
In the Nineteenth Chapter is a description of how Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu rubbed His face against the walls and spoke like a madman because of separation from Kṛṣṇa.
I have thus repeated the principal pastimes and their meaning, for by such repetition one can remember the descriptions in the book.
| Page Title: | Description (CC Antya-lila) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 27 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=35, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 35 |