sábado, 19 de junio de 2010

Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata - Content

Dedication

This English edition of

Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata is

dedicated

His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder-Acarya of

the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

evam janam nipatitam prabhavahi-kupe

kamabhikamam anu yah prapatan prasangat

krtvatmasat surarshina bhagavan grihitah

so 'ham katham nu vishrije tava bhritya-sevam

(SB 7.9.28)

Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata

By Vyasa Avatara Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura

Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura

The vyasa-avatara of Chaitanya-lila

With English Translation of the Gaudiya-bhashya

Commentary and Chapter Summaries of

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya

Shri Shrimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada

Translated by Bhumipati Dasa

Edited and Published by Pundarika Vidyanidhi dasa, Vrajraj Press

Buy the Volumes of Shri Chaitanya Bhagavata at:

http://www.thekrishnastore.com/Detail.bok?no=1571&bar=_shp_books

Contents

Dedication
Glories of Chaitanya Bhagavata
Adi-khanda

Text or attachments not found, sub-items list below:

Contents
(I)
(II)
(III)
(IV)
(V)
(VI)
(VII)
(VIII)
(IX)
(X)
(XI)
(XII)
(XIII)
(XIV)
(XV)
(XVI)
(XVII)
(XVIII)
(XIX)

THE SUPREME GLORIES OF

SHRI CHAITANYA BHAGAVATA

THE GREAT MISSION OF TRANSLATING, PUBLISHING & DISTRIBUTING

SHRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA IN ALL LANGUAGES AROUND THE WORLD

Compiled by Swami Gaurangapada
Layout by Pankaja dasa

(I) HIGHLIGHTS

(II) THE GLORIES OF SRILA VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA, THE AUTHOR OF SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA

(III) SRI Chaitanya-bhagavata destroys all illusion

(IV) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA CLEANSES THE DUST OF MATERIAL ENJOYMENT & PLAYS THE VICTORY DRUM OF SRI KRSNA KIRTANA

(V) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA REVEALS THE AUDARYA FEATURE OF THE LORD WHICH

IS THE ONLY WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE MADHURYA & AISVARYA FEATURES

(VI) EXPERIENCE THE LITERAL VARIEGATEDNESS OF VAIKUNTHA AND BECOME A REAL GAUDIYA, AN ASSOCIATE OF THE LORD BY READING SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA

(VII) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA IS AN UNLIMITED OCEAN OF PASTIMES

OF LORD CAITANYA

(VIII) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA GLORIFIES THE PURE VAISNAVAS

(IX) Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata is the best evidence

(X) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA ERADICATES SAHAJIYISM

(XI) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA COVERS THE WHOLE PHILOSOPHY

(XII) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA IS NON-DIFFERENT FROM SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM & SRILA VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA IS THE INCARNATION OF VYASADEVA

(XIII) WHY & HOW TO READ AND HEAR SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA

(XIV) SRI CAITANYA BHAGAVATA & SRI CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA

(XV) IMPORTANCE OF PUBLISHING & READING SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA &

SRI CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA WITH THEIR ORIGINAL BENGALI VERSES

(XVI) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA IS MEANT FOR THE COMMON MAN & CAN BE READ FIRST, EVEN BEFORE SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM

(XVII) Book publishing and distribution is more important

than temple construction & Deity worship

(XVIII) THE GLORIES OF SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA

(XIX) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

(I) HIGHLIGHTS

Cc Adi 8.36 purport:

Under these circumstances* it is a great aid for the common man to read Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s Chaitanya-bhagavata, for thus he can actually understand devotional service, Krishna, Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda. […]Due to misunderstanding Shrimad-Bhagavatam, people are misled regarding the science of Krishna. However, by reading Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s book one can very easily understand this science. (SP in Cc Adi 8.36 purport)

(*difficulty for the common man in understanding Shrimad-Bhagavatam)

Cc Adi 8.38:

‘chaitanya-mangala’ shune yadi pashandi, yavana

seha maha-vaishnava haya tatakshana

If even a great atheist hears Shri Chaitanya-mangala, he immediately becomes a great devotee.

Cc Adi 8.40:

vrindavana-dasa-pade koti namaskara

aiche grantha kari’ tenho tarila samsara

I offer millions of obeisances unto the lotus feet of Vrindavana dasa Thakura. No one else could write such a wonderful book for the deliverance of all fallen souls.

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

This work of Shrila Thakura Vrndavana is so simple that even less-intelligent persons can make their lives glorious by understanding the highest conclusions of devotional service and seeing the wonderful beauty of the liberated pure Vaishnavas of this visible world who renounce all forms of liberation, including salokya and sarsti, living on the same planet as the Lord and having the same opulence as the Lord.

From Bhakti Vikasa Swami’s notes on Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati:

Sarasvati Thakura himself would generally explain philosophy very deeply, but he said that Chaitanya Bhagavata is more important than Chaitanya-charitamrita for the common man because it is a lila-grantha. Without describing so much about philosophy, it describes the lila of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and is therefore easy for the common man to follow and understand the philosophy. Even though Sarasvati Thakura himself mostly explained philosophy, he said that philosophy is only for the greatly learned people, and for the common men Chaitanya Bhagavata is more important. So he said, "Read Chaitanya Bhagavata from time to time." If anyone came to him he would ask them if they had read Chaitanya Bhagavata. He often asked people this, including non-devotees. He recommended that for ordinary people, the first Vaishnava literature they read be Chaitanya Bhagavata. He wanted that everyone read Chaitanya-bhagavata 100 times.

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s letter to one of his disciples from Shri Chaitanya Math, Mayapur, December 22, 1927 (from the book Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura by Mandala Publishing Group):

"Even though in this world we don’t get to meet many devotees from the spiritual world, the conversations and pastimes of the devotees of Mahaprabhu’s time eternally exsist in the form of books and sound, and that is why we do not feel so much pain from material troubles. If we live here in the association of the words of the spiritual world, then the memory of this association will keep us at a distance from material misery."

(II) THE GLORIES OF SRILA VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA, THE AUTHOR OF SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA

Cc Adi 8.55

bhagavate krishna-lila varnila vedavyasa

chaitanya-lilate vyasa--vrindavana dasa

Shrila Vyasadeva described the pastimes of Krishna in Shrimad-Bhagavatam. The Vyasa of the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was Vrindavana dasa.

PURPORT

Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura was an incarnation of Vedavyasa and also a friendly cowherd boy named Kusumapida in krishna-lila. In other words, the author of Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura, the son of Shrivasa Thakura’s niece Narayani, was a combined incarnation of Vedavyasa and the cowherd boy Kusumapida. There is a descriptive statement by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in his commentary on Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata giving the biographical details of the life of Vrindavana dasa Thakura.

Cc Adi 8.34

krishna-lila bhagavate kahe veda-vyasa

chaitanya-lilara vyasa--vrindavana-dasa

As Vyasadeva has compiled all the pastimes of Lord Krishna in Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Thakura Vrindavana dasa has depicted the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya.

TEXT 41

narayani--caitanyera ucchishta-bhajana

tanra garbhe janmila shri-dasa-vrindavana

Narayani eternally eats the remnants of the food of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura was born of her womb.

Cc Antya 20.82

nityananda-kripa-patra--vrindavana-dasa

chaitanya-lilaya tenho hayena ‘adi-vyasa’

Vrindavana dasa Thakura is Lord Nityananda’s favorite devotee, and therefore he is the original Vyasadeva in describing the pastimes of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

PURPORT

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that all writers after Vrindavana dasa Thakura who are pure devotees of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and who have tried to describe the Lord’s activities are to be considered like Vyasa. Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura is the original Vyasadeva in describing chaitanya-lila, and all others who follow in his footsteps by describing Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes are also to be called Vyasadeva. The bona fide spiritual master is called Vyasa because he is a representative of Vyasa. Worshiping the birthday of such a spiritual master is called Vyasa-puja.

Not ordinary. He’s Vrindavana dasa Thakura. Vrindavana dasa Thakura is one of the acaryas. He has written Chaitanya-Bhagavata. As there is Shrimad-Bhagavata, he has written Chaitanya-Bhagavata.

(SP Initiation Lecture, Boston, December 26, 1969)

By this time, contemporary and near-contemporary scholars and devotees had already written several biographical works on the life of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. These included Shri Chaitanya-carita, by Murari Gupta, Chaitanya-mangala, by Locana dasa Thakura, and Chaitanya-bhagavata. This latter work, by Vrindavana dasa Thakura, who was then considered the principal authority on Shri Chaitanya's life, was highly revered. While composing his important work, Vrindavana dasa, fearing that it would become too voluminous, avoided elaborately describing many of the events of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's life, particularly the later ones. (SP in Cc Adi Foreword)

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Vrndavana dasa Thakura, the son of Narayani, had great knowledge of devotional scriptures and was always engaged in preaching the glories of Vaishnava acaryas with his mind, body, and speech.

Those who have studied Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata, composed by this great soul, certainly know that Shrila Vrndavana dasa Thakura was the topmost preacher of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy of pure devotional service.

Wonderful social reconciliations of the conclusions of devotional service are written in golden words by Vrndavana dasa Thakura in various places throughout Chaitanya-bhagavata. His service attitude towards his spiritual master, Shri Nityananda Prabhu, is incomparable. No scholar of that time-in Navadvipa, Gauda-desa, Bharata-varsa, or the world-could stand before him.

At the time of writing Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata, the author knew very well that even many years after the Lord's disappearance the sankirtana movement inaugurated by Shri Chaitanya would continue. Without discrimination, both men and women joined in that movement. (SBSST purport to Cb Adi 14.81)

(III) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA DESTROYS ALL ILLUSION

Cc Adi 8.35

vrindavana-dasa kaila ‘chaitanya-mangala’

yanhara shravane nashe sarva amangala

Thakura Vrindavana dasa has composed Shri Chaitanya-mangala. Hearing this book annihilates all misfortune.

They were not able to stop the foremost devotee of Gaura, for whom Nityananda was his life and soul, the brilliant sunlike personality of Gaudiya literature, Shri Vrndavana dasa Thakura, from writing the truth in Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata. Those who have studied Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata with full attention cannot be misguided from Shrila Vrndavana dasa Thakura's presentation of the truth, which destroys all illusion. (From Gaudiya Bhasya)

(IIII) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA CLEANSES THE DUST OF MATERIAL ENJOYMENT & PLAYS THE VICTORY DRUM OF SRI KRSNA KIRTANA

Cc Adi 8.42

tanra ki adbhuta chaitanya-carita-varnana

yahara shravane shuddha kaila tri-bhuvana

What a wonderful description he has given of the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya! Anyone in the three worlds who hears it is purified.

TEXT 43

ataeva bhaja, loka, chaitanya-nityananda

khandibe samsara-duhkha, pabe premananda

I fervently appeal to everyone to adopt the method of devotional service given by Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda and thus be freed from the miseries of material existence and ultimately achieve the loving service of the Lord.

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Seeing the hearts of such people covered with the dust of material enjoyment and liberation, Shrila Thakura Vrndavana took shelter of the holy names of Lord Krishna and gave the topics of Shri Chaitanyadeva, the personification of love, to the people of this world. In this way, by playing the glorious victory drum of shri-krishna-kirtana, he destroyed the deafness of ears that are attached to hearing material topic.

All glories to Thakura Shri Vrndavana, who has thrown the misconceptions of the sense enjoyers, fruitive workers, and mental speculators across the Pacific Ocean by presenting sweet songs about Sn Chaitanya's nectarean pastimes.

chaitanya-nitai-katha, shunile hridaya-vyatha,

ciratare yaya sunishcita

krishne anuraga haya, vishaye asakti-kshaya,

shrota labhe nija-nitya-hita

If one hears the topics of Shri Chaitanya and Nityananda, the pangs of one's heart are certainly destroyed forever. By this process of hearing one attains the eternal benefit of attachment to Krishna and detachment from material enjoyment.

(V) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA REVEALS THE AUDARYA FEATURE OF THE LORD WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE MADHURYA & AISVARYA FEATURES

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

When the Absolute Truth mercifully exhibits a portion of His supreme opulence, in the form of omnipotency, then most people, being unable to understand this feature, fall into mundane conceptions. The platform of madhurya is situated higher than that of aisvarya-those who cannot understand this are to be considered followers of the path of maryada. But when the Absolute Truth, who is the basis of aisvarya and madburya, exhibits His audarya, or magnanimous, pastimes, then nonduplicitous persons who are freed from material conceptions and devoid of considerations of enjoyment and renunciation not only understand the differences between madhurya, aisvarya, and audarya pastimes and become self-realized, but in their constitutional position and through their pure vision they also see the eternal variegated pastimes of the Lord.

There is a lack of audarya in the considerations of bondage and freedom that ordinary literatures and those who teach them present to those who are desirous of self-realization. Therefore we realize the necessity of studying the maha-kavya, or great poetic work, named Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata, written in ancient Bengali language. If one relishes a fraction of the magnanimity displayed by the Supreme Lord while preaching the aisvarya and madhurya pastimes of the Lord in order to benefit those who are wandering throughout the universe, he will undoubtedly become glorious.

Those who will be faithful to the subject matter of this book written by Shri Thakura Vrndavana can, by giving up mundane knowledge and weak arguments, enter into the kingdom of devotional service and eternally engage in serving the audarya pastimes of Shri Vrajendra-nandana, who is the reservoir of all transcendental mellows. In this way they will achieve the highest benediction and eternally remain absorbed in the pastimes of Sn Krishna Chaitanya.

Shrila Thakura Vrindavana dasa has been accepted as Shri Vyasa and one of the front line acaryas of gaura-bhakti by his follower, Shri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvamu Therefore if the residents of this world desire to go to the spiritual abode, they should first take shelter of the Supreme Lord in His audarya feature. The statements of Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata written by the soothing hands of Shri Vrindavana dasa will certainly favor such people with fulfillment of their desired goal.

(VI) EXPERIENCE THE LITERAL VARIEGATEDNESS OF VAIKUNTHA AND BECOME A REAL GAUDIYA, AN ASSOCIATE OF THE LORD BY READING SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

The language of Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata is very simple and touching to the heart. Those who are fond of the beauty of Gaudiya literature can experience extraordinary pleasure on seeing the proficiency that Thakura Mahasaya has displayed while describing the characteristics of Haridasa Thakura, while describing the social condition of Navadipa during Gauranga's time, while describing the literacy status of the bhogipalas, yogipalas and mahipalas, the leaders of the sense enjoyers, yogis, and the earth, while describing the brahmanas' occasional chanting of Pundarikaksa, and while depicting Shri Gaurasundara's glories and opulences. Those who wish to enter the temple of this book will also receive the opportunity to experience the literal variegatedness of Vaikuntha apart from the description of the enjoying spirit of Navadvipa's residents. The Gaudiyas are not only residents of Gauda but by the help of Gaudiya language they become expert in the language of the eternally liberated inhabitants of Goloka and thus understand themselves as associates of the Lord.

Since Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata is the most ancient Bengali literature, the author has for some time been addressed as adi-kavi, or the original poet. Before him, Shri Locana dasa Thakura has written a Bengali pancali poem named Shri Chaitanya-mangala. Even before that, Shri Gunaraja Khan, or Maladhara Vasu, composed another book in Bengali named Shri Krishna-vijaya, which describes the pastimes of Lord Krishna. Therefore this book is the third book, yet first kavya, written in Bengali language. This book is neither a mundane kavya nor the fulfiller of the litterateurs' desires. Unless the community of short-sighted litterateurs, who are full of indiscretion, become completely qualified to understand the purport of the descriptions in this book, they will not be able to respect this book.

(VII) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA IS AN UNLIMITED OCEAN OF PASTIMES OF LORD CAITANYA

Cc Adi 8. 33

ore mudha loka, shuna chaitanya-mangala

chaitanya-mahima yate janibe sakala

O fools, just read Shri Chaitanya-mangala (Chaitanya-bhagavata)! By reading this book you can understand all the glories of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Cc Adi 8.44

vrindavana-dasa kaila ‘chaitanya-mangala’

tahate chaitanya-lila varnila sakala

Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura has written Shri Chaitanya-mangala and therein described in all respects the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya.

The readers of this small description of the life and precepts of Lord Chaitanya will profit much to go through the books of Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura (Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata) and Shrila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami (Shri Chaitanya-caritamrita). The early life of the Lord is most fascinatingly expressed by the author of Chaitanya-bhagavata, and as far as the teachings are concerned, they are more vividly explained in the Chaitanya-caritamrita. Now they are available to the English-speaking public in our Teachings of Lord Chaitanya. (SP in SB Intro)

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

chaitanya-lilamrita-sindhu---dughabdhi-samana

trishnanurupa jhari bhari’ tenho kaila pana

The ocean of nectarean pastimes of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is like the ocean of milk. According to the thirst, Vrindavana dasa Thakura filled his pitcher and drank from that ocean.

tanra jhari-sheshamrita kichu more dila

tateke bharila peta, trishna mora gela

Whatever remanants of milk Vrindavana dasa Thakura has given me are sufficient to fill my belly. Now my thirst is completely satiated.

(VIII) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA GLORIFIES THE PURE VAISNAVAS

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Therefore unless one takes shelter of the lotus feet of the liberated devotees of Gaura, one cannot enter into the depths of Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata. As a result, the living entities are unable to hear about the names, forms, qualities, pastimes, and associates of Gaura.

Gaurangera bhakta-gane, jane jane shakti dhari, brahmanda tari saksi(?): “The devotee of Lord Chaitanya, every one has so immense power that every one, they can deliver the whole universe.” Gaurangera bhakta-jane, jane jane shakti..., brahmanda tari... That is Gauranga’s men.

(SP Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P.

“Nationalism and Cheating”, April 15, 1977, Bombay)

The author has accepted the pastimes of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that he heard from the mouths of His devotees as the ingredients for the composition of this Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata. By this example the author shows that one must follow the footsteps of the Vaishnavas and accept the process of hearing in disciplic succession. (SBSST purport to Cb Adi 1.83)

(IX) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA IS THE BEST EVIDENCE

Cc Antya 20.85

chaitanya-mangale tenho likhiyache sthane-sthane

sei vacana shuna, sei parama-pramane

In his book named Chaitanya-mangala [Chaitanya-bhagavata], he has described these pastimes in many places. I request my readers to hear that book, for that is the best evidence.

(X) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA ERADICATES SAHAJIYISM

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

radha-bhave nija-bhranti, suvalita radha-kanti,

audarye madhurya aprakasha

audarye madhurya-bhrama, na karibe tahe shrama,

bale prabhu-vrindavana-dasa

Being absorbed in the mood of Radha, Krishna forgets Himself and exhibits Her dazzling complexion. The conjugal pastimes of the Lord are not manifest in His magnanimous pastimes. Vrindavana dasa Thakura teaches us that one should not labor hard to find the conjugal pastimes of the Lord in His magnanimous pastimes.

In Cuttack, Sarasvati Thakura was searching for Chaitanya Bhagavata in 1920. He searched through many mathas but couldn't find it. Nowadays, the Chaitanya Bhagavata is available everywhere in bookshops, but at that time it wasn't. The sahajiyas didn't like the Chaitanya Bhagavata, and called it a dry book. They like Chaitanya Charitamrita, Shrimad Bhagavatam, etc., because they deal with Radha Krishna lila, but Sarasvati Thakura published Chaitanya Bhagavata - Chaitanya lila. At that time Chaitanya Bhagavata was very rare in India. Even available editions were full of errors. So, before Sarasvati Thakura's edition there was no proper one. (From Bhakti Vikasa Swami’s notes on Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura)

(XI) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA COVERS THE WHOLE PHILOSOPHY

Cc Adi 8.36

chaitanya-nitaira yate janiye mahima

yate jani krishna-bhakti-siddhantera sima

By reading Shri Chaitanya-mangala one can understand all the glories and truths of Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda and come to the ultimate conclusion of devotional service to Lord Krishna.

PURPORT

[…]Under these circumstances, it is a great aid for the common man to read Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s Chaitanya-bhagavata, for thus he can actually understand devotional service, Krishna, Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda. […]Due to misunderstanding Shrimad-Bhagavatam, people are misled regarding the science of Krishna. However, by reading Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s book one can very easily understand this science.

TEXT 37

bhagavate yata bhakti-siddhantera sara

likhiyachena inha jani’ kariya uddhara

In Shri Chaitanya-mangala [later known as Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata] Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura has given the conclusion and essence of devotional service by quoting the authoritative statements of Shrimad-Bhagavatam.

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

From this work of Shri Thakura Vrindavana we can understand that He who is the cause of all causes, who is the beginningless, primeval Lord Govinda, who possesses an eternal fomm of bliss and knowledge can- appear in the land of birth and death even though He is unborn. He appears as Shri Chaitanya and supplies love of God to the hearts of the living entities and yet remains impartial. How great a teacher is Shri Thakura Vrindavana, who has described how Shri Gaurasundara has taught in His childhood pastimes that the untouchable, impure, clay cooking pots are equal to the dearest items of those who are engaged in sense gratification and maintaining dualities like good and bad. He also described the topics of Shri Chaitanyadeva, the ideal teacher of renunciation, concerning His mother's glorious understanding of spiritual variegatedness, which every reader should consider. (SBSST in his Gaudiya Bhasya)

For this reason the spiritual master is addressed as Om Vishnupada or Prabhupada. The acarya, the spiritual master, is generally respected by others as Shripada, and the initiated Vaishnavas are addressed as Prabhu. Prabhu, Prabhupada and Vishnupada are described in revealed scriptures like Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-caritamrita and Chaitanya-bhagavata. In this regard, these scriptures present evidence accepted by unalloyed devotees. (Cc Madhya 10.23 purp)

(XII) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA IS NON-DIFFERENT FROM SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM & SRILA VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA IS THE INCARNATION OF VYASADEVA

Prabhupada: Yes. Any devotee in literary career, he is to be understood... Just like our Vrindavana dasa Thakura. He is described as incarnation of Vyasadeva because Vyasadeva wrote Bhagavatam and he wrote Chaitanya-bhagavata.

(Room Conversation, February 16, 1977, Mayapura)

bhagavate krishna-katha, vyasera lekhani yatha,

tara marma vrindavana jani'

shri-chaitanya-bhagavate, varne anurupa-mate,

gaura-krishne eka kari' mani'

Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura understood the topics of Krishna described by Shrila Vyasadeva in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, and in the same way He wrote Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata, describing the pastimes of Gaura, who he accepted as nondifferent from Krishna.

Cc Adi 8.55

bhagavate krishna-lila varnila vedavyasa

chaitanya-lilate vyasa--vrindavana dasa

Shrila Vyasadeva described the pastimes of Krishna in Shrimad-Bhagavatam. The Vyasa of the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was Vrindavana dasa.

PURPORT

Cc Adi 8.34

krishna-lila bhagavate kahe veda-vyasa

chaitanya-lilara vyasa--vrindavana-dasa

As Vyasadeva has compiled all the pastimes of Lord Krishna in Shrimad-Bhagavatam, Thakura Vrindavana dasa has depicted the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya.

Cc Antya 20.82

nityananda-kripa-patra--vrindavana-dasa

chaitanya-lilaya tenho hayena ‘adi-vyasa’

Vrindavana dasa Thakura is Lord Nityananda’s favorite devotee, and therefore he is the original Vyasadeva in describing the pastimes of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

PURPORT

Not ordinary. He’s Vrindavana dasa Thakura. Vrindavana dasa Thakura is one of the acaryas. He has written Chaitanya-Bhagavata. As there is Shrimad-Bhagavata, he has written Chaitanya-Bhagavata.

(SP Initiation Lecture, Boston, December 26, 1969)

Therefore the wonderful activities of Shri Gaurasundara will later be described by Vaishnava acaryas in their commentaries on the Puranas. The Vedic literatures emanate from the breathing of Lord Vishnu. Shri Vyasadeva, who divided the Vedas, has appeared in this age of Kali as Shri Vrindavana dasa Thakura, the author of Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata, which is nondifferent from Shrimad Bhagavatam. Therefore Shri Kaviraja Gosvami Prabhu has written about Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata as follows: "The subject matter of this book is so sublime that it appears that Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has personally spoken through the writings of Shri Vrindavana dasa Thakura." (SBSST purport to Cb Adi 8.6)

(XIII) WHY & HOW TO READ AND HEAR SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA

From the Gaudiya Bhasya by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

shri-chaitanya-bhagavata, lila-mani-marakata,

chaitanya-nitai-katha-sara

shune sarva-kshana karne, sahasra-mukhete varne,

grantha-raja-mahima apara

Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata is a collection of the jewel-like pastimes of Shri Chaitanya and Nityananda. One should always hear and chant with thousands of mouths the unsurpassable glorification of the Lord contained in this great book.

Simply by hearing the pastimes of Shriman Mahaprabhu, one's constitutional position is revived. The activity of one in that constitutional position is the devotional service of Lord Krishna. Knowledge of Shri Chaitanya, His manifestations, and His glories is nourishment for the living entity's ears. When the living entity awakens to his constitutional activities, he fully engages in the service of Shri Gaura-Krishna. In other words, he performs pure devotional service with knowledge of his relationship with the Lord. (SBSST purport to Cb Adi 2.3)

shuddha-bhakta murtiman, shunaye yanhara kana,

shri-chaitanya-bhagavata-gana

shri-gaura-kishora vara, e dasera guruvara,

sada kripa kara more dana

The pure devotees of the Lord hear and chant this Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata. Shri Gaurakishora dasa Babaji is the spiritual master of this servant, so I always beg for his mercy.

Shrila Prabhupada’s purport to the song ‘gaurangera duti pada’ by Narottama Dasa Thakura:

Therefore, His pastimes are very pleasing: chant, dance, and take prasada. If one is captivated by the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya, simply by chanting and dancing and eating prasada the dirty things in his heart will all become cleansed. […] Then he says, gauranga-gunete jhure, nitya-lila tare sphure: if one appreciates the merciful pastimes of Lord Chaitanya and feels ecstasy and sometimes cries, this process will immediately help him to understand the pastimes of Radha-Krishna, which are called nitya-lila.

If you want to preach the gospel of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, then the personalities who established, by writing these books, Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Vidagdha-madhava, so many books they have written. So we must go through them, must try to understand. Then we can understand what is the Chaitanya-caritamrita, Chaitanya-bhagavata, Chaitanya-mangala, there are so many. Chaitanya-candramrta by Prabodhananda Sarasvati. So many devotees, they have given us so many high literatures, we should consult. Therefore the prayer is, shri-chaitanya-mano-’bhishtam sthapitam yena bhu-tale. Persons who established the desire of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Padantikam, when they will give shelter on their lotus feet. That means Gosvamis.

(SPL, The Nectar of Devotion

Bombay, January 8, 1973)

From Bhakti Vikasa Swami’s notes on Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Even though Sarasvati Thakura himself mostly explained philosophy, he said that philosophy is only for the greatly learned people, and for the common men Chaitanya Bhagavata is more important. So he said, "Read Chaitanya Bhagavata from time to time." If anyone came to him he would ask them if they had read Chaitanya Bhagavata. He often asked people this, including non-devotees. He recommended that for ordinary people, the first Vaishnava literature they read be Chaitanya Bhagavata.

Once, when Jotisekhara was new in the Math, Sarasvati Thakura asked him if he was reading Chaitanya-bhagavata when he said "No", he told him he should read it early in the morning, before mangalarati, at 5.00am. Jotisekhara said it would be difficult for him to read so early, because he had a bad cough. Sarasvati Thakura said, "Starting from tomorrow, you read from 4.00am - 5.00am. Read it clearly and loudly and it will clear any cough in your throat." Sarasvati Thakura said the Chaitanya-bhagavata and Chaitanya-charitamrita, even though in Bengali verse, are full of all sastric conclusions, and he recommended them, along with Shrimad-Bhagavatam. (especially the sections on Dhruva Maharaja, Prahlada-charita, the story of Prahlada, and Kapiladeva's instructions). He recommended all of these to be read 100 times.

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s letter to one of his disciples from Shridhama Mayapur, March 15, 1915:

I have received your affectionate letter dated March 9, 1915, and gotten all the news. You please stay where you are and keep chanting Shri Harinama regularly. Also read Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata and Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita.

Even though in this world we don’t get to meet many devotees from the spiritual world, the conversations and pastimes of the devotees of Mahaprabhu’s time eternally exsist in the form of books and sound, and that is why we do not feel so much pain from material troubles. If we live here in the association of the words of the spiritual world, then the memory of this association will keep us at a distance from material misery.

This world is the place where the Lord tests us. To pass the test we have to hear the kirtana from the devotees of the Lord. You are hearing that kirtana through the books. Therefore you should not think that you are lacking in anything.

(XIV) SRI CAITANYA BHAGAVATA & SRI CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA

From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Previous to the composition of Shri Chaitanya-caritamrita, Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura wrote a book called Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata. Only those subjects which were not discussed by Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura in his Chaitanya-bhagavata have been taken up by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami to be depicted in Shri Chaitanya-caritamrita. In his very old age, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami went to Vrindavana, and by the order of Shri Madana-mohanaji he wrote Shri Chaitanya-caritamrita. Thus we are now able to relish its transcendental bliss.

(SP in Cc Adi 8 Intro)

Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata is the first half of Shri Chaitanya's pastimes; Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita is the second half. We request all readers to attentively and impartially study Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata and after completing it they will certainly be eager to hear and chant the topics of Shri Chaitanya glorified by Shrila Kaviraja Gosvaml. By this process a living entity will certainly achieve spiritual perfection- this is the request of this fallen soul.

Shri Chaitanya-caritamrita deals more with Shri Chaitanya's pastimes as a sannyasi in Nilacala and therefore may be accepted as a supplement to Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura's book. This great book is dvided into three parts-Adi, Madhya, and Antya. Adi-khanda extends up to the Lord's acceptance of initiation, Madhya-khanda extends up to the Lord's acceptance of sannyasa, and Antya-khanda describes some of the Lord's pastimes over a period of a few years in Nilacala. (SBSST Introduction to Cb Adi 1)

Sarasvati Thakura read both Chaitanya-bhagavata & Chaitanya-charitamrita 108 times and told others to do likewise, expecting everyone to do that. Of course, it's doubtful if anyone did, but the idea was meant to read again and again and absorb the mind in Gauranga just as Mahaprabhu liked to hear the stories of Dhruva and Prahlada Maharaja. Sarasvati Thakura said to read Chaitanya-bhagavata first then Chaitanya-charitamrita, and then Shrimad-Bhagavatam. The reason being that Chaitanya-bhagavata is very easy reading for all kinds of people because it has no difficult philosophy and is mostly lila. Chaitanya-charitamrita is also very attractive with some very difficult sections also. In the Shrimad Bhagavatam the language is difficult Sanskrit.

Gaudiya Vaishnava scholars generally consider Chaitanya-charitamrita to be the most important biography of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, even more so than Chaitanya Bhagavata, in as much as it deals with: (a) the philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in great detail and (b) the highest ecstasies of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which are referred to only somewhat in Chaitanya Bhagavata.

Sarasvati Thakura himself would generally explain philosophy very deeply, but he said that Chaitanya Bhagavata is more important than Chaitanya-charitamrita for the common man because it is a lila-grantha. Without describing so much about philosophy, it describes the lila of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and is therefore easy for the common man to follow and understand the philosophy. Even though Sarasvati Thakura himself mostly explained philosophy, he said that philosophy is only for the greatly learned people, and for the common men Chaitanya Bhagavata is more important. So he said, "Read Chaitanya Bhagavata from time to time." If anyone came to him he would ask them if they had read Chaitanya Bhagavata. He often asked people this, including non-devotees. He recommended that for ordinary people, the first Vaishnava literature they read be Chaitanya Bhagavata. He recommended to everyone to first read Chaitanya Bhagavata, then Prema Bhakti Chandrika, then Shrimad Bhagavatam.

(From Bhakti Vikasa Swami’s notes on Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura)

(XV) IMPORTANCE OF PUBLISIHING & READING SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA & SRI CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA WITH THEIR ORIGINAL BENGALI VERSES

Cc Adi 8.39 purport

Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami wrote Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita in his old age, in an invalid condition, but it is such a sublime literature that Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja used to say, "The time will come when the people of the world will learn Bengali to read Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita." We are trying to present Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita in English and do not know how successful it will be, but if one reads the original Chaitanya-charitamrita in Bengali he will relish increasing ecstasy in devotional service.

Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila 7.1, Mayapur, March 1, 1974

My Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada, whenever he got some time he used to read Chaitanya-charitamrita. And he predicted that the whole world like to read Chaitanya-charitamrita, and for this reason they'll learn Bengali. Therefore, following his footsteps, I have kept the Bengali character and tried to give the literary meaning of each word of the Bengali poem. This is, of course, Sanskrit. This book is full of Sanskrit verses. Some of them are composed by the author himself, Kaviraja Gosvami, and some of them are quoted from various literature, Vedic literature.

Cc Antya Concluding words

In the meantime, I was induced to translate Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita and publish it in an elaborate version. In his leisure time in later life, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would simply read Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita. It was his favorite book. He used to say that there would be a time when foreigners would learn the Bengali language to read the Chaitanya-charitamrita.

Letter to: Kirtiraja, Vrindaban, 15 September, 1975

He has written that people will want to learn Bengali just to read Chaitanya Charitamrita. That was the prediction of my Guru Maharaja. This is very enlivening.

Professor and the head of the Department of Bengali and the dean of the faculty of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Calcutta.

I have particularly read some portions of this English translation of Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita, and I think this book is capable of saving mankind from the clutches of maya. I have no doubt that the ISKCON will lead the world to the path of divine grace."

(XVI) SRI CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA IS MEANT FOR THE COMMON MAN & CAN BE READ FIRST, EVEN BEFORE SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM

Cc Adi 8.36 purport

Shrimad-Bhagavatam is the authoritative reference book from which to understand devotional service, but because it is very elaborate, few men can understand its purport. Shrimad-Bhagavatam is the original commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, which is called nyaya-prasthana. It was written to enable one to understand the Absolute Truth through infallible logic and argument, and therefore its natural commentary, Shrimad-Bhagavatam, is extremely elaborate. Professional reciters have created the impression that Shrimad-Bhagavatam deals only with Krishna’s rasa-lila, although Krishna’s rasa-lila is described only in chapters 29 through 33 of the Tenth Canto. They have in this way presented Krishna to the Western world as a great woman-hunter, and therefore we sometimes have to deal with such misconceptions in preaching. Another difficulty in understanding Shrimad-Bhagavatam is that the professional reciters have introduced bhagavata-saptaha, or seven-day readings of the Bhagavatam. They want to finish Shrimad-Bhagavatam in a week, although it is so sublime that even one verse of Shrimad-Bhagavatam, if properly explained, cannot be completed in three months. Under these circumstances, it is a great aid for the common man to read Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s Chaitanya-bhagavata, for thus he can actually understand devotional service, Krishna, Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda. Shrila Rupa Gosvami has said:

shruti-smriti-puranadi-pancaratra-vidhim vina

aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate

[BRS 1.2.101]

“Devotional service to the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures-the Upanishads, Puranas, Narada-pancaratra, etc.-is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.” Due to misunderstanding Shrimad-Bhagavatam, people are misled regarding the science of Krishna. However, by reading Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s book one can very easily understand this science.

From Bhakti Vikasa Swami’s notes on Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

He did not recommend reading the Gita and Shrimad-Bhagavatam, but Chaitanya-bhagavata, except learned scholars, whom he would recommend to read the Gita and Shrimad-Bhagavatam. For the ordinary Bengali he recommended Chaitanya-bhagavata and Krishna Prema Tarangini, a Bengali verse edition of Shrimad-Bhagavatam by Bhagavatacarya, a disciple of Lord Chaitanya.

Sarasvati Thakura himself would generally explain philosophy very deeply, but he said that Chaitanya Bhagavata is more important than Chaitanya-charitamrita for the common man because it is a lila-grantha. Without describing so much about philosophy, it describes the lila of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and is therefore easy for the common man to follow and understand the philosophy. Even though Sarasvati Thakura himself mostly explained philosophy, he said that philosophy is only for the greatly learned people, and for the common men Chaitanya Bhagavata is more important. So he said, "Read Chaitanya Bhagavata from time to time." If anyone came to him he would ask them if they had read Chaitanya Bhagavata. He often asked people this, including non-devotees. He recommended that for ordinary people, the first Vaishnava literature they read be Chaitanya Bhagavata. He recommended to everyone to first read Chaitanya Bhagavata, then Prema Bhakti Chandrika, then Shrimad Bhagavatam.

O.B.L. Kapoor, being a learned scholar from Allahabad, the Hindi speaking part of India, was instructed by Sarasvati Thakura to learn Bengali, so as he could study the original Bengali texts of the Chaitanya Bhagavata and the Chaitanya-charitamrita, etc. Sarasvati Thakura liked other Gaudiya Math members who were also learned and non-Bengalis, to learn Bengali for this reason.

Once, in Dhaka, he told Sundarananda Vidyavinoda to give a series of lectures on the Gita in colleges. Although generally he would have people go to the Bhagavatam or Vaishnava literatures immediately (of course the Gita is also a Vaishnava literature but it is considered to be for beginners) - the books which deal exclusively with bhakti and which are not used by other schools, as the Chaitanya Bhagavata, Prema Bhakti Chandrika, Shrimad Bhagavatam. These books Sarasvati Thakura recommended to people to go to directly. His understanding was that the Gita was for the people in varnasrama; karmis, jnanis, yogis; then they may come to bhakti. But in the case of the people amongst whom he was preaching, he wanted them to take directly to bhakti (don't get hung-up)

From the introduction of Shri Chaitanya-carita Mahakavya by Shrila Murari Gupta, translated by Bhaktivedanta Bhagavata Swami:

In order to create another flood of gaura-kathã to inundate the dull minds of Kali-yuga’s materialists and water the seeds of bhakti lying dormant in their hearts, all of Lord Chaitanya’s biographies must be translated and profusely distributed in all mediums. Although some of these various texts describe the same Personality of Gaurahari, and may appear to narrate the same incidents of the Lord’s life, still due to the undiminishing and ever-increasing blissful nature of transcendental subject matters, navã-navãyamãna, there is no point of satiation for the attentive reader of gaura-kathã. Even if one hears repeatedly the same histories of the golden avatãra, one’s enthusiasm will not wane. Rather, an ardent longing to exclusively hear, chant and remember gaura-kathã will develop, while simultaneously an aversion to the transitory topics of the bahir-mukhi (materialists) will arise, and thereby one will surely achieve the perfectional stage of human life-love of Krishna. As the Gaudiya Vaishnavas sing:

bhaja gaurãnga, kaha gaurãnga, laha gaurãngera nãma re

ye jana gaurãhga bhaje, se haya ãmãra prãøa re

Worship Gaurãnga! Speak about Gaurãnga! Take Gaurãnga’s names! Whoever worships Gaurãnga, he is the breath of my life.

Caitanya Bhagavata with Commentaries > Glories of Chaitanya Bhagavata >Content

Sri Caitanya Bhagavata de Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur