Prabhupāda: The outcome is that Sārvabhauma was impersonalist and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Vaisnava. Then by argument, logic, and everything, that is shortly described here, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became a disciple of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he became a great devotee. That is the outcome. And it was a great victory on the part of Caitanya Mahāprabhu because Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was known as the most stubborn scholar of logic of that time and he became a devotee. By Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's becoming a devotee of Lord Caitanya, practically He became victorious in His missionary activities because Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was the learned scholar in the assembly of the King of Orissa. So the King of Orissa also became a devotee. And many other scholars and big men.
Devotees of Lord Caitanya (Conv. & Letters)
Expressions researched:
"devotee of Caitanya"
|"devotee of Lord Caitanya"
|"devotee of Lord Sri Caitanya"
|"devotee of Sri Caitanya"
|"devotees of Caitanya"
|"devotees of Lord Caitanya"
|"devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya"
|"devotees of Sri Caitanya"
|"devotees of Sri Gaura"
|"devotees of Sri Krsna Caitanya"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1967 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was at Benares. He was a Māyāvādī sannyāsī, Śaṅkara sampradāya. So he used to... This scene should be given that at Benares He was also walking all over the streets and roads, "Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa" and thousands and thousands men were following Him. This news arrived to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī who was the chief sannyāsī there and some of the devotees told, "Oh, a very nice sannyāsī has come to Benares. He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī deprecated, "Oh! This is a nonsense! Why a sannyāsī should chant and dance? He should concentrate his mind in studying Vedānta. He is a fool." In this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu was criticized. So one Maharastrian brāhmaṇa, he was devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said that "This incident gave us much pain, sir. If You kindly meet this sannyāsī and talk with him about Vedānta-sūtra, that would be a nice thing." In the meantime one brāhmaṇa came and invited Lord Caitanya that "I have invited all the sannyāsīns of Benares, but I know You do not meet these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, but still I have come to invite You. You kindly accept my invitation." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this opportunity of meeting Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He accepted his invitation, and there was a meeting, and there was discussion of Vedānta-sūtra with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, and He converted him to be a Vaisnava. That is another incident.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Vidya, the goddess of learning, Sarasvatī. In our childhood we used to worship Sarasvatī: "Please, mother, give me pass this examination." That was our prayer. So other students, they laughed very loudly. They thought that "Caitanya has come out very victorious within a second." He said, "No. Stop." Then He stopped all these talkings, and... "So you are so... I have to talk with you. You are very learned." Ordinary formalities. Then he went away. And he was also great worshiper of mother Sarasvatī. Then he began to pray to Sarasvatī, "Mother Sarasvatī, by your grace I have become victorious in so many places. And what is this, that I am defeated by a boy who is a grammar student?" So he began to pray, and mother Sarasvatī informed her (him) that "He is God, my husband. So you speak means I speak. So how can I defeat my husband? That is not..." (knock at door) Come on. Come on. (someone enters) Yes, come. Yes. You can put there. (someone offers obeisances) Put there. All right. Put there. That's all. Very good. So then he further did not attempt to talk with Him. He went away, and the mother Sarasvatī advised him that "You surrender unto Him. That will be your nice role. Yes." So later on, he became a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, Keśava Kāśmīrī.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You will save your expenditure, and you will get your work.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the devotees of Lord Caitanya, they liked to see Him take prasādam. We don't... We're not that interested to save.
Prabhupāda: (break) Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra, janma sārthaka kari (CC Adi 9.41). "First of all, you become perfect." If you are a devil, you cannot do it. The devil and divine. Divine means spiritually advanced, and devil means materially advanced. And because we are manufacturing divine, the devils are afraid of it. The devils do not like this movement. (Someone drives by:) Jaya. So just see, automatically they are offering respect. That means we are infecting them.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: It is the only process to save yourself.
Devotee (3): You..., you told a story once about, there was one, the devotee of Lord Caitanya, where he had never met Lord Caitanya, but he had some water sprinkled on him from a Muslim, Muhammadan, and that, that astrologer told him to pour..., to drink lead, hot lead. And he said, I was (indistinct)...
Prabhupāda: Buddhimanta Khān.
Prabhupāda: He sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya, "Whatever nonsense you have learned-forget." Then what to do? Kāku-śataṁ bravīmi sakalam eva vihāya dūrād gaurāṅga-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam. "You just become devotee of Lord Caitanya. I am flattering you, I am falling down on your feet"—this is preaching. And what is Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128).
Prabhupāda: You can bring so many men and keep everyone in charge of such places, and it will develop. Money, there is no scarcity. But the difficulty is as soon as we establish, the immigration, "You go away." This is... What is this? You say the MLA and this Tarun Kanti." This is our difficulty. Otherwise there is no difficulty. We can take all the charge and develop them very nicely." So if one man is kept in charge, and after few months he's advised, "Go away," then all his training goes to hell and we have to spend another ten thousand rupees. This is the difficulty. What... We are not... Not a single case there is that we have taken any part in politics. So give us some facility. We can take charge of everything. Tell them that actually that is fact, that there is no scarcity of money. We can bring money from America and develop. There is no difficulty at all. The difficulty is the immigration department. You can say that "Prabhupāda has put this philosophy, andha..." What is that? Paṅgu. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Blind and... Depends on this... Blind and... I think you have already know. Blind man, lame man. One man is blind, another man is lame. Both of them are useless. But when they combine, the blind man takes the lame man on his shoulder, and the lame man gives direction to the blind man, "Go this way. Go this way." So he walks. So both of them are benefited. So America has got money but blind. And India has got culture but lame. So let us combine. Then things will be done very nice. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Just like I am the same man. I was finding difficulty to start this mission in India, very, very difficult. With great hardship I published three books. But as soon as I went America, the andha-paṅgu-nyāya became successful. So this is the the position. So instead of becoming envious from political... We have nothing to do with... To the Americans unnecessarily thinking that "CIA, CIA..." Let American money and India's culture combine together, and the whole world will be benefited. America has got enough money; they can spend. Either they give me as the price of my book or anything, money is there like anything. India has got culture. So Indian culture, Vedic culture, Bhagavad-gītā culture, pushed through American money, the whole world will be benefited. Convince them. It is not the question of India, America, here... It is a cultural movement for the benefit of the whole world. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. It is cultural movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is aiming pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi. So Tarun Babu, you are such a devotee of Caitanya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants it. Pṛthivīte āche yata... Why don't you help us? Your family is devotee of Lord Caitanya, and this is spreading Caitanya's mission. You should give up everything and join this movement, if you are actually a devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Prabhupāda says that he knows at your heart you want that Caitanya's movement is spread all over the world, so far he has studied you. So let us join together. Why we should unnecessarily be biased, American and Indian and this way and that way. Let us join together and spread Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement all over the... They'll be happy. Everyone they'll be happy. Will be happy. It is such a nice... India will be glorified. America will be glorified." If we... You came here. You have got so much strength. If you work continually, the whole world will be... So those who are offering, take. Take those places. Let us begin. If anyone wants some property, we should take immediately. You said there is already building costing fifty thousand? So that's a property. So if they are offering, you take it and develop. These are historical places. Haridaspur is also historical, I think. Hm?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Every one of us messiaḥ. Anyone Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's the messiaḥ. Every one. Why one? All of us. Gaurāṅgera bhakta-gaṇe, jane jane śakti dhari, brahmāṇḍa tari saksi(?): "The devotee of Lord Caitanya, every one has so immense power that every one, they can deliver the whole universe." Gaurāṅgera bhakta-jane, jane jane śakti..., brahmāṇḍa tari... That is Gaurāṅga's men.
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
A few days ago I received one letter from you in which you desired to send me one manuscript for Nimai Sannyas drama, written by some Mr. Chatterji. Generally these dramas are sentimentalism. Those who are devotees of Lord Caitanya, they do not discuss much about the Lord's renouncing the householder life, but there are certain persons who floodlight the renouncement of Lord Caitanya in a materialistic sentimental way. I have seen such drama, written by Mr. Diliproy, and that was nearly nonsense. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to accept this renounced order of life in a moment, and the business was finished in a day. But these people, in order to create a scene, they adulterate the Lord's renouncement in so many ways. so I guess in the drama of Mr. Chatterji similar such things may be included. Any drama or book written by unauthorized persons should not be indulged in. (In this connection I may mention that I have seen one copy of "Narada Pancaratra" sent here from San Francisco, and it is not good. Please stop circulation of this book, which is not authorized.) A pure devotee is always free from the four principle restrictions, and he has a tilaka on his forehead. At least these symptoms indicate one's purity in Krishna Consciousness. If one is not following these principles, he is not considered to be a pure devotee.
I am so glad that your parents are realizing the importance of Krishna Consciousness through their worthy son, Jayananda. A similar incident was there when Lord Caitanya was present, that one father became a devotee of Lord Caitanya through the exigency of the son. The son was prior a devotee than the father. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked the father whether he was father, or the son was father, and the father replied that in his spiritual enlightenment, his son was his father. So you are acting like a good father to your parents. So Krishna Consciousness will spread nicely in this way. And Lord Caitanya will be very much pleased on your benevolent activities. I have seen your father and mother, and they are very good souls, especially I remember your mother. And I hope by the Grace of Lord Krishna they will take to this Krishna Consciousness very seriously.
Regarding your question about the picture of Lord Caitanya with six arms: This form was shown to Ramananda Roy, and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. This is called Sadbhuja Murti. This Sadbhuja Murti is worshiped also by the devotees of Lord Caitanya, and especially the Murti is situated in the temple of Jagannatha Puri. Sometimes when you may go to India and visit the temple of Jagannatha, you will find this Murti.
1969 Correspondence
Your idea of using the Moose Hall is also very nice. During the Rathayatra Ceremony, you invite Mrs. Sumitra Sarkar, who last year reported our Rathayatra Ceremony to India. She is the daughter of the editor of Jugantar, an important paper in Calcutta. I think you should invite her in some Los Angeles Festival also. Her present address is: Barnes 3/G, Escondido Village, Standford, California 94305. If you keep good relationship with this lady, she can help us reporting nicely about our activities. If our Los Angeles people see her for reviewing our books in their Indian papers, that will be also nice. Her great-grandfather, Mahatma Sisir Kumar Ghosh was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, and their whole family is in favor of Sankirtana Movement. So if you can establish a little intimacy with this lady, she can help us in many ways.
I thank you so much for your letter, sent along with a check for $160. I am pleased to learn that you have now finished your college studies, and now you are going to engage yourself fully in promoting our Krishna Consciousness books. Your idea of not working for your father is nice, and several times I have stressed that our devotees are becoming twice-born. They are dvija, or twice-born. The first birth is by the natural father and mother, and the second birth is by the Spiritual Father and the Vedic knowledge. The second birth is the real birth; the first is as good as an animal's birth. It is said by a devotee of Lord Caitanya that in every birth we have got a certain type of father and mother, that is not very wonderful, but it is not possible in every birth to get Krishna and a Spiritual Master. Therefore, the form of life in which Krishna and the Spiritual Master is obtained is the most sublime. So I am very glad to know that you have become more affectionate for your Spiritual Father than for your natural father, and this is quite to the standard of spiritual advancement.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 18th August, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. The boy, Sri Arun Kumar, wherever he goes in our centers, he will be welcome. All our centers are accustomed to taking Prasadam, so it will be very nice if he lives with us. Just now we have no center in Pittsburgh, although we have opened a branch in Philadelphia at 4524 Regent Street, Phila., Pa. 19143. Our Tokyo branch is not yet opened, but our men are working there, and as soon as they find a suitable house, we shall regularly establish the center. In the meantime, we have established some new centers in Washington, Detroit, Colorado, and Laguna Beach. Perhaps you have seen in The Times of India and other papers about my London arrival. On the reverse side you will find one of the articles from The Sun, published in London. We have released one Hare Krishna record through the famous record manufacturers, the Apple Company, and by the Grace of Krishna it is being sold on the average 20,000 copies per week in London alone. So the Hare Krishna Movement is gradually becoming very popular in the Western countries. It is great necessity to construct a very big Radha-Krishna temple here, so I am trying to find out some redundant churches to turn into temples. Please pray to Lord Caitanya to help me in this great attempt. You are a great devotee of Lord Caitanya and your prayers will be heard by Him.
I am so glad to receive your letter dated December 17, 1969 with enclosure of $15, for which I thank you very much. You have signed your name as Krishna das naradhama, but actually, one who is Krishna das is Narottama. But a Krishna das can deliver all naradhamas. I am always very much pleased with your humble attitude, and a Vaisnava devotee of Lord Caitanya always thinks himself as naradhama, the lowest of mankind; although he is narottama, the best of the mankind.
1970 Correspondence
Your combination with your good wife, Jotilla, is very good, and now with greater enthusiasm execute Krishna activities as I have advised Gurudasa also. We must be fully equipped, and the preaching work by pairs of husband and wife will be an unique example to the world. Formerly the Acaryas were generally all Sannyasis, but Lord Caitanya, in His instruction to Roy Ramananda, who was a confidential devotee of Lord Caitanya, but a householder and responsible government official, Governor of Madras, has given open instruction that it does not matter what is the social or ecclesiastical order, if one is fully in Krishna Consciousness, he can act as Acarya. So all you boys and girls who are now married, follow this instruction of Lord Caitanya, and show vivid example to the world how man and woman can be united, not for sense gratification but for the service of the Lord.
Your marriage with Madri Dasi is a good news, and now with greater enthusiasm execute Krishna activities as I have advised Gurudasa also. We must be fully equipped, and the preaching work by pairs of husband and wife will be an unique example to the world. Formerly the Acaryas were generally all Sannyasis, but Lord Caitanya, in His instruction to Roy Ramananda, who was a confidential devotee of Lord Caitanya, but a householder and responsible government official, Governor of Madras, has given open instruction that it does not matter what is the social or ecclesiastical order, if one is fully Krishna Conscious, he can act as Acarya. So all of you boys and girls who are now married, follow this instruction of Lord Caitanya and show vivid example to the world how man and woman can be united, not for sense gratification, but for the service of the Lord.
I take it for granted that you are one of the selected devotees of Lord Caitanya, and therefore from within your heart He has inspired you to go to such a distant place, leaving your parents and home, just to satisfy Krsna. This is a great transcendental adventure. Try your best, and I am sure you will be successful. Formerly your forefathers, many European and American gentlemen, were courageous to go outside their country for colonization, and Australia is vivid example of such adventures. Now, by the grace of Krsna, yourself and Upendra, the descendants of your adventurous forefathers, have gone there with a great mission, and try to execute it to your best capacity.
I am so pleased to note your Vaisnava attitude in your letter under reply. In this connection the incidence which occurred during Lord Caitanya's time may be remembered. One very intimate devotee of Lord Caitanya, most probably Vasudeva Dutta, requested Lord Caitanya to deliver all the conditioned souls in his presence. He said, "Let me suffer for their sinful actions, but my dear Lord You take them with You back to home, back to Godhead." So this attitude of offering facilities to others for going back to home, back to Godhead, and personally accepting their suffering thereof is perfect Vaisnava Attitude. Perhaps you know I have already formed a Governing Body Commission, so in my absence they will manage the affairs of the Society. I shall begin my 75th year from the Vyasa Puja Day and if you all combined together manage the affairs of the Society nicely, that will give me a great pleasure.
1971 Correspondence
I beg to thank you very much for your kind letter dated 5th July, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Yes, I am so glad to accept you as my duly initiated disciple, as you were recommended highly by Sriman Bhagavan dasa Prabhu. I have given you the spiritual name Kaliya Krishna Das Brahmacari. Kaliya Krishna was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. Similarly you become a great devotee of Lord Caitanya and help Him to push on this movement to every nook and corner of the globe. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu will be very much pleased upon you and your life will know success.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5th July, 1971 and have gladly accepted you as my duly initiated disciple. Please find your beads enclosed herewith and chanted on by me. I have given you the spiritual name Batua Gopala Das Brahmacari. Batua Gopala was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya.
1972 Correspondence
Regarding Mayapur festival, if we cannot do anything there, then because there is very good prospect in Africa I may remain there and not return to India. I especially wanted to stay in India for this Mayapur celebration, but if there is no scope, or if our men are not able to do anything, then I can return via Africa. But why not it is held? Nobody will check us if we simply go there as ordinary pilgrims. But you try for permission for all our men. One form has been sent to all our men outside of Calcutta to apply for the permission. I understand that all Calcutta men they are already applying directly from there. These forms will be sent to you immediately by our men, and you can push seriously with every possible effort to get permission for all. Such festival should be held very grandly. Gurudasa has gone to Delhi, so he can take further permission from there. There is good chance the ban may be lifted by the 15th, so as soon as five men can go, they should go there immediately to make preparations for a grand festival. I do not think there will be difficulty if we just go there like the ordinary pilgrims and set up our camp there for kirtana continuously. Anyone will see we are only serious devotees of Lord Caitanya and not Pakistani spies. So I think you should plan that we shall definitely be coming to Mayapur and hold a grand festival there for Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day celebrating. You may collect advertisements for Mayapur on this basis that somehow or other we shall go there.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 14, 1972 and I have noted the contents. Actually, Krishna does not care for how much we give to Him, but He sees how much we are keeping back for ourselves. There is the story of Kholaveca Sridhara, a devotee of Lord Caitanya, who although he was a very poor man, gave half of his meager income for worshiping Mother Ganges, and by so doing, he greatly pleased the Lord.
So far the "Akash Ganga" people, I think they shall remain quiet. Regarding your questions, generally we do not discuss these incidents because a devotee of Lord Caitanya does not feel very happy to discuss them. But so far we have heard from authorized sources, He simultaneously entered Jagannatha Temple and Gopinatha Temple in Puri and He did not come out. That much is sufficient.
1976 Correspondence
Your theme is O.K. There were many devotees of Lord Caitanya like Advaita Acarya, and even Lord Nityananda who were grhasthas. Lord Caitanya left His grhastha life. It is a matter of understanding Krishna—that is the real qualification. Whether one is grhastha or sannyasi, how well he knows Krishna. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung: "grhe va vanete thake, he gauranga bole dake". Lord Caitanya says
kiba vipra, kibra nyasi, sudra kene nyaya,
yei krishna tattva vetta, sei guru haya
- So please come and we shall discuss your articles.
I'm very much obliged to you that you write to say, "It is clear to me that you are great powerful Acarya in the Vaisnava world at present." Sometimes Sridhara Maharaja also says like that. So, actually if you are feeling like that let us work conjointly. There is great prospect for preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message all over the world and in India also. At least in India we can preach very vigorously if we combine together. It is already tested in many cases. Whenever we held some festival in big, big cities like Calcutta, Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras, Delhi, etc. thousands of men gather and they request regularly to continue the program. Recently we held a similar program in Candigargh and the devotees of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math also participated. They invited me in the local center of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math and many thousands of people came to hear me. So there is great prospect if we work conjointly at least in India. So you can consult Sridhara Maharaja also. He's also of that opinion s you have opined and if in this old age we can do something combinedly it will be a great triumph. I thank you very much once more.
| Page Title: | Devotees of Lord Caitanya (Conv. & Letters) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, Acaryavan, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 04 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=8, Let=18 |
| No. of Quotes: | 26 |