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Prabhupada:
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11] Knowledge means tattva-jnana, to know the Absolute Truth. In the Bhagavad-gita also... (aside:) They are making noise. Krsna says, |
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascid mam vetti tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]
Everything should be understood in truth. So our, this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to understand the Absolute Truth. So in another place Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah: [Bg. 4.9] anyone who understands the Absolute Truth factually as He is, not by mental speculation, but by the parampara system... So therefore, the author of Caitanya-caritamrta is beginning with guru, purve gurv-adi. Beginning is the guru, the spiritual master, because he is the representative of the parampara system, disciplic succession. Therefore, whatever we do, we must first of all try to understand from guru.
Srila Rupa Gosvami also says in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, adau gurvasrayam: the beginning of spiritual life is to accept the bona fide spiritual master. Sad-dharma prcchat. Then inquiry from the spiritual master. The approach should be by full surrender. Tad viddhi pranipatena, tattvam, etad viddhi [Bg. 4.34]. By pranipatena. Prakrsta-rupena nipatam. Just like we have learned how to offer obeisances to the spiritual master, to the gurus, falling down flat, pranipa, no reservation, falling flat -- that is called pranipa -- so one has to approach the spiritual master. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad vijnanartham. Tad means tattva. In order to understand the tattva, the Absolute Truth, vijnana... Vijnana means practical science, not theoretical. Theoretical is jnana. When that is practically applied in life, that is called vijnanam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, therefore, the statement is there: jnanam me paramam guhyam yad vijnana-samanvitam. Jnana and vijnana.
So we are very much proud of seeing things. Somebody says, "Can you show me God?" But just try to understand what is the power of our eyes. Now there is no light, so our seeing power is vanished. In this way, all the powers of our senses are conditional. Under certain condition we can see, under certain condition we can hear. Therefore at the present moment our life is conditional. We act, we see, we walk, we hear, we smell, we touch -- under certain condition. Just like I have got my eyes. Because my sight power is less, so I take the condition of a glass and try to see. Similarly, this material condition is like that. Spiritually, we have got the power of seeing, the power of hearing, the power of speaking, the power of touching, power of smelling, but because we are covered by this material body, all these powers have become conditional, not absolute. So those who are inquisitive to understand the absolute life or spiritual life, he must accept a guru. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says purve, in the beginning. Acaryavan puruso veda. If we actually are serious to understand the Absolute Truth, then one must have the shelter of acarya. Acaryavan. This van word is used when one possesses. Asthate bato prata (?). So when one possesses the shelter of acarya, then his knowledge is perfect.
So the beginning of spiritual life... (aside:) Oh? He doesn't require hearing? The beginning of life is gurvasrayam, adau gurvasrayam. That is the beginning -- every sastra, every Vedic scripture. Just like Krsna, He is the original spiritual master. Tene brahma hrda ya adi kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Ya. Brahma, Brahma is the first living creature within this universe. So he was also enlightened and educated by the Supreme Lord. Not that because he's Brahma he's independent. Nobody is independent. Knowledge must be received from the authority, and the supreme authority is Krsna. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.
So here Caitanya-caritamrta is the teachings of Lord Caitanya and His life, practical life. He's Krsna, and He's personally speaking. Krsna first of all spoke about Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, but foolish persons, mudha... Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritah [Bg. 9.11]. So Krsna was misunderstood. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. People misunderstood. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His five opulences -- Himself, His expansion, His incarnation, His energy, personal energy and marginal energy... There is no association of the external energy, as it is said here, that guru-tattva-kahiyachi, ebe pancera vicara. Guru-tattva is also along with Him. He's also representative of the Supreme Lord. Acaryam mam vijaniyan [SB 11.17.27]. So, that guru-tattva has been explained by the author, Kaviraja Gosvami in five chapters, six chapters, and the seventh chapter he's describing the five tattvas. Isa-prakasa. Nityananda Prabhu is the direct manifestation of the Supreme Lord, Krsna. Vrajendra-nandana yei saci-suta hoila sei balarama hoila nitai. So Nityananda Prabhu is the first expansion of Lord Krsna or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya. When you speak of Sri Krsna Caitanya, we should understand immediately that He's Krsna in Radha's attitude, Radha-bhava. Krsna, Radha and Krsna, They are one; They are not different. Radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktir asmad [Cc. Adi 1.5]. Radharani is expansion of Krsna's pleasure potency. So Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, but the pleasure potency of Krsna is prominent in His activities. Because Krsna, in order to understand Himself, He took the position of Radharani to understand Himself. Personally He could not understand His potencies, but when He appeared as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the attitude of Radharani's love for Krsna, krsna-prema, then He could fully understand Him. These are very intricate subject matter to understand, but this is the fact.
So, as Krsna expands Himself by His omnipotencies... Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Krsna has got multi-potencies. We cannot imagine. Inconceivable potencies. So the whole universe is manifestation of His potencies. Sakti parinambha (?). Ekasthane sthitasyagner jyotsna. Parasya brahmanah saktir tathedam akhilam jagat. This is said in the Visnu Purana. Just like the fire. We have got this lamp, it is situated in one place, but the light and heat are expanding. Similarly, Krsna is situated in His own abode, which is known as Goloka Vrndavana. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. This is the statement of Brahma-samhita. He is situated in His own place, own abode, known as Goloka Vrndavana, but He is expanding Himself, akhilatma-bhutah. Everywhere He is present. Andantara-stha-paramanu-
So Nityananda Prabhu is the immediate expansion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared here at Mayapur, this very place where you are now sitting, with all these five features: Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Prabhu, and Gadadhara Prabhu, Srinivasa Prabhu. So He Himself, Krsna, and Nityananda Prabhu is immediate expansion of His personal self; Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Krsna or Visnu, Mahavisnu, three; and Gadadhara Prabhu is the expansion of spiritual energy; and Srinivasa Prabhu is the expansion of His marginal potency, marginal energy, jiva-tattya. Jiva-tattva, sakti-tattva, prakasa-tattva, and avatara-tattva, and He Himself. This Panca-tattva. This Panca-tattva will be explained in this chapter. That is the proposal of the author. Guru-tattva kahiyachi ebe pancera vicara. Consideration of the five. So although the Absolute Truth is one, He expands in His various features. That has been divided in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's practical exposition of tattva-vicara, in six: five personal, and the guru is also representative. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair **. Guru is also expansion of Hari for the benefit of the conditioned soul. For the benefit of the conditioned soul, He is within everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. So He's trying to teach us from within and He sends His representative for preaching without.
So Krsna is so kind that He's preaching about Himself, because without knowing, without understanding the tattva, vetti mam tattvatah, without understanding the Absolute Truth as He is, there is no question of getting out of the clutches of maya. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. "One who surrenders unto Me," Krsna says, "he can get out of the clutches of maya." Maya means this material life. We have forgotten ourself, that we are intimately related with Krsna, we have got a special function on His behalf. Just like part and parcel of my body: the finger has got a special function the leg has got a special function, the head has got a special function; similarly, we all part and parcel of Krsna, we have got a special function in relationship with the Lord. When we are forgetful of this special relationship with Krsna, that is called conditional life or material life. Material life means we do not serve Krsna but we serve our senses -- kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya, like that. That is material life. We are serving, there is no doubt about it, but every one of us we are serving our senses. Kamadinam katidha na katidha palita durnidesa.
Therefore, in order to stop this stupidity of serving our senses, which will never come to an end, simply increase our bondage, we have to come to the spiritual master. Adau gurvasrayam. He'll teach how to convert or to divert the activities of the senses to please Krsna. Krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare nama prema. Dhare prema nama. The senses will act. The Mayavadi philosophers, they try to stop the activities of the senses. Yogis also. Yoga indriya samyamah. The yogis artificially try to stop the sense activities. They are simply... Because common men, they know activities means sense activities, sense satisfaction... So yogis, they artificially try to stop the sense activities. That is called pranayama. Dhyana, dharana, asana, pranayama, like that. But that artificial stoppage of sense activities will not be ultimately beneficial. Or thinking that my sense activities may be stopped, I become silent, become one with the supreme -- that will also not help us. The real philosophy is, the sense activities must be there, but purified. That is real life. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Purified. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate. We cannot stop sense activities. That is not possible. Artificially if we stop, even as a big successful yogi or jnani, it will not act. There are many instances. Just like Visvamitra Muni. He was a great yogi. So artificially he was trying to stop the sense activities. But it also failed, the attempt. Later on he met one beautiful woman and he failed in controlling the senses. That is the history. He was the biggest yogi, Visvamitra Muni. Similarly, there are many so-called jnanis also, trying to become one with the Supreme. That is also not possible. Ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas [SB 10.2.32]. Vimukta-maninas, they are thinking that they have become liberated, but that is not the fact. Why it is not fact? Tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah. Because they did not take to the devotional service. Tvayy asta-bhavad. They have no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore despite their severe austerities and penances and rising to the platform of Brahman realization -- aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty [SB 10.2.32] -- they fall down.
Therefore, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is practically teaching us with His five associates: Advaita, Nityananda, Gadadhara and Srivasadi gaura-bhakta-vrnda. Therefore if we want to approach the Absolute Truth, it is our duty to offer our respect to these five features of the Lord.
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
[I offer my obeisances to Sri Krsna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa and all others in the line of devotion.]
Therefore, in our Krsna consciousness movement, we first of all worship the Panca-tattva: sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara -- then we chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Then it will be successful. Without going through the Panca-tattva, with the mercy, nobody can understand Krsna. It will remain a myth. Therefore Krsna says,
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascid vetti mam tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]
You cannot understand Krsna without the mercy of these Panca-tattva. Therefore Krsna, although He came personally, He taught the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and asked people, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But because we are mudhas, we misunderstood Krsna. We could not take the last instruction of Krsna. Therefore Krsna again came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to teach us how to approach Krsna. If we read the life of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His acceptance of sannyasa order, His preaching all over India, His chanting and dancing, His living at Jagannath Puri, His activities, His meeting with the devotees, His Gundica-marjana, His Ratha-yatra kirtana -- if we study all these activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, immediately you understand Krsna.
Therefore, we are inviting you at this place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His birthsite, to take the inspiration given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That will help us understanding Krsna. Tato mam tattvato jnatva visate tad anantaram. If you simply understand Krsna, tattvatah, in truth, by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's activities means His distributing krsna-prema, love of Krsna. He has no other business. He has no other business. At the full youthful age He gave up His family life, beautiful wife, most obedient perfect wife, beautiful wife, mother, affectionate mother, very good prestige, social prestige. Nimai Pandita, learned scholar, everything He sacrificed. Tyaktva su-dustyaja rajya laksmim. Gave up everything -- that is the teachings of Lord Caitanya -- and became a servant of Krsna personally. He's Krsna Himself, but teaching us how to become servant of Krsna. This is the significance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or Krsna Himself along with His personal associates -- sangopangastra parsadam... Krsna comes to kill the demons: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. This is the business of Krsna, two-sided business: one side killing the demons, another side giving the protection to the devotees. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared on this part 488 years ago to, I mean to say, hand the same two principles, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam. He... Vinasaya duskrtam. He killed Jagai-Madhai not by the body, but by their atrocious activities, stopped that. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is to kill the demon -- not by life but by their heinous activities. Anyone who comes to be killed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, his heinous, nefarious activities becomes killed and he becomes a Vaisnava, just like Jagai-Madhai.
So at the present moment, the whole world is full of Jagai-Madhai, their four principles. Jagai-Madhai means illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. This is Jagai-Madhai. So this movement, Krsna consciousness movement, is killing these Jagai-Madhai principles: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. So one side killing the Jagai-Madhai principle, and other side protection, chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.3 -- Mayapur, March 3, 1974
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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