Caitanya Mahaprabhu denies to meet King Prataparudra

1 January 17

The New Year has started. It is its time to wake up. Actually it is the day to wake up because last year is gone.

jiv jago, jiv jago gauracanda bole

Lord Gauranga is calling, “Wake up, sleeping souls! Wake up, sleeping souls!

If there is canda then there should be surya also.

vande sri-krsna-caitanya- nityanandau sahoditau
gaudodaye puspavantau citrau sandau tamo-nudau (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 1.2)

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauda [West Bengal] to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.”

kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole

How long will you sleep in the lap of the witch called Maya?

So who has to wake up? The jiva, the soul, has to wake up. The body automatically wakes up when it is hungry and what does it do after that?

ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says jiv jago, wake up! Go for mangal arati, chant the holy name, distribute books, Nityam bhagavata-sevaya then mahaprasade govinde is also there. But if I don’t do this, then that means the soul has not woken up. Body is doing its activity, but the soul is sleeping.

The soul should get up and follow its dharma, jivera’svarupa’ haya-k???era ‘nitya-dasa’.

Many people around the world have still not woken up. So this has to be meditated upon. We should know whether we have woken up or not. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is calling us jiv jago.

bhajibo boliya ese samsara-bhitare bhuliya rohile tumi avidyara bhare

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, O Jiva! you have forgotten the way of devotional service and are lost in the world of birth and death.

You had said, “I will do bhajan” and then you came to world, Bhaktivinoda Thakura is reminding us. Lord Kapila tells his mother Devahuti. When the jiva in womb is suffering so much, he prays “Oh Lord! Just one time remove me from these sufferings and I will worship you.”

janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi- duhkha-dosanudarsanam These are the 4 sufferings of the material world. However we do not understand what suffering there is in birth. If you listen to Lord Kapila, your hairs will stand on end. Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes . You said, “I will worship you, but you have forgotten. You took birth and went to vidyalaya, but you just collected avidya from there. You came out of the womb and got attached to your mother.”

tomare loite ami hoinu avatara
ami bina bandhu ara ke ache tomara

Lord says, I have descended just to save you; other than Myself you have no friend in this world. You had promised, so I have come for you, for every jiva. For each one of us the Lord has appeared.

golokam ca parityajya lokanam trana-karanat

Leaving Golok the Lord appears for us. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says – “ Other than me, is there any other bandhu? Who is called a bandhu? One who helps us in need, is a bandhu. A friend in need is a friend indeed. They are your real friends. We call our friends our ‘so called friends’, because they don’t know our real need. If they don’t know our real need, how can they help us?

So our friends do not know our real needs. When we go to the doctor he does a diagnosis, prescribes the medicine and tells us some do’s and don’ts. Our friends can’t diagnose our diseases An incorrect diagnosis means an incorrect treatment. The result is that there is no cure. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has diagnosed our problem and He also gives us appropriate treatment.

enechi ausadhi maya nasibaro lagi
hari-nama maha-mantra lao tumi magi

“I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this maha-mantra- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”

Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “ Ask for the Holy name. It is all yours. It is your right.”

bhakativinoda prabhu-carane pariya
sei hari-nama-mantra loilo magiya

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says “O Lord! Please give me the holy name. I am running after the acaryas. Please give me Krsna. “

One who has accepted an acarya is called as acaryavan.

Acaryavan purusho veda

He knows the Vedas and has become knowledgeable. We should go to such persons and ask for Krsna. So the acarya gives us Krsna. Which Krsna is this? Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare,

We ask the representatives of the Lord to please give us the holy name. Now we try to sing and while singing we meditate. We sing with complete concentration and try to take it to our heart. Hridayangam – not just accumulation, but assimilation.

This is a new year, New year for us starts on Gaur Purnima but we live in this world so we have to follow. As New Year is celebrated here, I wish you all a happy new year. So New Year’s message is ‘jiva jago wake up soul’.

Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami wrote Caitanya Caritamrita on the banks of Radhakunda. He writes in detail in the Madhya Lila how Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa. He moved toward Jagannath Puri. He stayed there for 2 months and gave sadbhuja darsana to S?rvabhauma Bhattacarya. Then He went on His South India yatra. He comes back and His accommodation is arranged at Kasi Misra’s house. When He returned to Jagganatha Puri the first thing He did was to take darsana of Lord Jagannatha. Then only did He go to Kasi misra’s house. And Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya introduced Him to all the devotees.

The reciprocations between Ramananda Ray and Caitanya Mahaprabhu surprised everyone there. Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked him, if he had taken darsana of Kamalnayan?
Ramananda said, “My body is ratha and my heart is my sarthi and my ratha brought me here.” Caitanya Mahaprabhu was angry and said,”No, you should go for darsana.” Ramananda Ray went.

ksetre ssi’ raja sarvabhaume bolaila
sarvabhaume namaskari’ tanhare puchila(CC Madhya 11.41)

The King stayed at Cuttack and went to Jagannatha Puri for darsana. The palace of the king is still there in Cuttack. I was also called by the King to his palace. When King Prataparudra returned to Jagannatha Puri, he sent for Sarvabhauma Bha?ttacarya. When the Bhattacarya went to see the King, he offered him respects and made the following inquiries.

mora lagi’ prabhu-pade kaile nivedana?
savabhauma kahe, — kainu aneka yatana (CC Madhya 11.42)

The King asked, “Have you submitted my petition to the Lord?” Sarvabhauma replied, “Yes, with much endeavor I have tried my best.”

tathapi na kare tenha raja-darasana
ksetra chadi’ yabena punah yadi kari nivedana (CC Madhya 11.43)

“Yet despite my great endeavor, the Lord would not agree to see a king. Indeed, He warned me that if He were asked again, He would quit Jagannatha Pur? and go elsewhere.”

suniya rajara mane duhkha upajila
visada kariya kichu kahite lagila (CC Madhya 11.44)

Hearing this, the King became very unhappy and, greatly lamenting, began to speak as follows.

papi nica uddharite tanra avatara
jagai madhai tenha caria uddhara (CC Madhya 11.45)

The King said, “Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has descended just to deliver all kinds of sinful, lowborn persons. Consequently He has delivered sinners like Jagai and Madhai.

prataparudra chadi’ karibe jagat nistara
ei pratijna kari’ kariyachena avatara? (CC Madhya 11.46)

“Alas, has Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu incarnated to deliver all kinds of sinners with the exception of a king named Maharaja Prataparudra?”

“Has Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu made His advent deciding that He will deliver all others with the exception of me? He bestows His merciful glance upon many lower-class men who are usually not even to be seen.’?” Maharaja Prataparudra continued, “If Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is determined not to see me, then I am determined to give up my life if I do not see Him.

If we don’t get the krpa (mercy) of the Lord then life is useless.

sunyaitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me “O Govinda! Without You, the world is empty.

There are many people who do not worship the Lord. They say, there is no time to worship, but they find time to sleep.

eta suni’ sarvabhauma ha-ila cintita
rajara anuraga dekhi’ ha-ila vismita

Hearing King Prataparudra’s determination, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya became thoughtful. Indeed, he was very much astonished to see the King’s determination.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was astonished because such determination is not possible for a worldly man attached to material enjoyment. The King certainly had ample opportunity for material enjoyment, but he was thinking that his kingdom and everything else was useless if he could not see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is certainly sufficient cause for astonishment.

He had so much asakti for Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was very attached to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So from this we understand his thoughts, his personality and his caritra.

Give a mike to a man when he speaks. You will soon understand what his level and real his real identity is – whether he is wise or a fool. Prabhupada would say – you shut up! Let the Lord speak . So one who talks about Krsna is intelligent.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya still has hope.

bhattacarya kahe — deva na kara visada
tomare prabhura avasya ha-ibe prasada (CC Madhya 11.51)

Finally Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, “My dear King, do not worry. Because of your firm determination, I am sure that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy will definitely be bestowed upon you.” Due to King Prataparudra’s firm determination, the Bhattacarya predicted that the King would receive Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy without fail. Maharaja Prataparudra had firm faith in the Bhattacarya, who declared Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

As soon as the Bhattacarya saw the King’s firm determination, he declared, “The Supreme Lord is approached only by pure love. Your love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is very, very deep; therefore without a doubt He will be merciful upon you.

If one decides this, he can make further progress by thinking of Krsna, chanting Krsna’s names and glorifying Him. There is then no doubt that such a fully surrendered devotee will receive the blessings of Lord Krsna. The Lord is controlled by love of a devotee,

aham bhakta-paradhino

This is the specialty of the Lord, the greatness of the Lord. Lord says, “I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent.”

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya then suggested, “There is one means by which you can directly see Him. “On the day of the chariot festival, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will dance before the Deity in great ecstatic love.

“On that Ratha-yara festival day, after dancing before the Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will enter the Gundica garden. At that time you should go there alone, without your royal dress.
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu enters the Gundica garden, you should also go there and read the five chapters of Srimad-Bhagavatam about Lord Krsna’s dancing with the gopis. In this way you can catch hold of the Lord’s lotus feet.

suni’ gajapatira mane sukha upajila
prabhure milite ei mantrana drdha kaila (CC Madhya 11.59)

Maharaja Prataparudra took the Bhattacarya’s advice and firmly decided to follow his instructions. Thus he felt transcendental happiness.