CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Pastimes of the Lord in His Childhood and Youth
This chapter fully describes Lord Caitanya’s kaiśora-līlā, or the activities He performed just before attaining youth. During this time He studied deeply and was victorious over greatly learned scholars. During His kaiśora-līlā the Lord also sported in the water. He went to East Bengal to secure financial assistance, cultivate knowledge and introduce the saṅkīrtana movement, and there He met Tapana Miśra, whom He instructed about spiritual advancement and ordered to go to Vārāṇasī. While Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was touring East Bengal, His wife, Lakṣmīdevī, was bitten by a serpent or by the serpent of separation, and thus she left this world. When the Lord returned home, He saw that His mother was overwhelmed with grief because of Lakṣmīdevī’s death. Therefore at her request He later married His second wife, Viṣṇupriyā-devī. This chapter also describes the Lord’s argument with Keśava Kāśmīrī, the celebrated scholar, and the Lord’s criticism of his prayer glorifying mother Ganges. In this prayer the Lord found five kinds of literary ornaments and five kinds of literary faults, thus defeating the paṇḍita. Later the Kāśmīrī Paṇḍita, who was known to have been victorious all over the country, submitted himself to the goddess of learning, and by her order he met Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu on the morning of the next day and surrendered unto Him.
Bengali
নীচগৈব সদা ভাতি তং চৈতন্যপ্রভুং ভজে ॥ ১ ॥
Text
viśvam āplāvayanty api
nīca-gaiva sadā bhāti
taṁ caitanya-prabhuṁ bhaje
Synonyms
kṛpā-sudhā — of the nectar of the mercy; sarit — river; yasya — whose; viśvam — the whole universe; āplāvayantī — inundating; api — although; nīca-gā eva — more inclined to the poor and fallen; sadā — always; bhāti — is manifest; tam — Him; caitanya-prabhum — Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bhaje — I worship.
Translation
I worship Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whose nectarean mercy flows like a great river, inundating the entire universe. Just as a river flows downstream, Lord Caitanya especially extends Himself to the fallen.
Purport
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu dayā kara more. He prays for Lord Caitanya’s mercy because He is the mercy incarnation, having appeared especially to reclaim the fallen souls. The more fallen one is, the greater one’s claim to the favor of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One must only be very sincere and serious. Despite being contaminated by all the bad qualities of this Kali-yuga, if one surrenders unto the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord will surely and certainly deliver him. The best example is Jagāi and Mādhāi. In this Age of Kali practically everyone is like Jagāi and Mādhāi, but the saṅkīrtana movement inaugurated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is still flowing like a great river, inundating the entire world, and thus the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is successfully claiming all fallen souls to free them from contamination.
Bengali
জয়াদ্বৈতচন্দ্র জয় গৌরভক্তবৃন্দ ॥ ২ ॥
Text
jayādvaitacandra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Synonyms
Translation
All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord!
Bengali
লক্ষ্ম্যার্চিতোঽথ বাগ্দেব্যা দিশাংজয়ি–জয়চ্ছলাৎ ॥ ৩॥
Text
mūrti-matyā gṛhāśramāt
lakṣmyārcito ’tha vāg-devyā
diśāṁ jayi-jaya-cchalāt
Synonyms
jīyāt — long live; kaiśora — situated in the kaiśora age; caitanyaḥ — Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; mūrti-matyā — having accepted such a body; gṛha-āśramāt — from a householder’s life; lakṣmyā — by Lakṣmī; arcitaḥ — being worshiped; atha — then; vāk-devyā — by the goddess of learning; diśām — of all directions; jayi — the conqueror; jaya-chalāt — on the plea of conquering.
Translation
Long live Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His kaiśora age! Both the goddess of fortune and the goddess of learning worshiped Him. The goddess of learning, Sarasvatī, worshiped Him in His victory over the scholar who had conquered all the world, and the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmīdevī, worshiped Him at home. Since He is therefore the husband or Lord of both goddesses, I offer my obeisances unto Him.
Bengali
শিষ্যগণ পড়াইতে করিলা আরম্ভ ॥ ৪ ॥
Text
śiṣya-gaṇa paḍāite karilā ārambha
Synonyms
Translation
At the age of eleven Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to teach students. This marks the beginning of His kaiśora age.
Bengali
ব্যাখ্যা শুনি সর্বলোকের চমকিত মন ॥ ৫ ॥
Text
vyākhyā śuni sarva-lokera camakita mana
Synonyms
Translation
As soon as the Lord became a teacher, many, many students came to Him, every one of them astonished to hear His mode of explanation.
Bengali
বিনয়ভঙ্গীতে কারো দুঃখ নাহি হয় ॥ ৬ ॥
Text
vinaya-bhaṅgīte kāro duḥkha nāhi haya
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord defeated all kinds of scholars in discourses about all the scriptures, yet because of His gentle behavior, none of them were unhappy.
Bengali
জাহ্নবীতে জলকেলি করে নানা রঙ্গে ॥৭ ॥
Text
jahnavite jala-keli kare nānā range
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord, as a teacher, performed various kinds of pranks in His sporting pastimes in the water of the Ganges.
Bengali
যাঁহা যায়, তাঁহা লওয়ায় নাম–সংকীর্তন ॥ ৮ ॥
Text
yāhāṅ yāya, tāhāṅ laoyāya nāma-saṅkīrtana
Synonyms
Translation
After some days the Lord went to East Bengal, and wherever He went He introduced the saṅkīrtana movement.
Purport
Although Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees in disciplic succession can defeat all kinds of learned scholars, scientists and philosophers in arguments, thus establishing the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead, their main business as preachers is to introduce saṅkīrtana everywhere. Simply to defeat scholars and philosophers is not the occupation of a preacher. Preachers must simultaneously introduce the saṅkīrtana movement, for that is the mission of the Caitanya cult.
Bengali
শত শত পড়ুয়া আসি লাগিলা পড়িতে ॥ ৯ ৷৷
Text
śata śata paḍuyā āsi lāgilā paḍite
Synonyms
Translation
Struck with wonder by the influence of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s intellectual prowess, many hundreds of students came to the Lord and began studying under His direction.
Bengali
নিশ্চয় করিতে নারে সাধ্য–সাধন ॥ ১০ ॥
Text
niścaya karite nāre sādhya-sādhana
Synonyms
Translation
In East Bengal there was a brāhmaṇa named Tapana Miśra, who could not ascertain the objective of life or how to attain it.
Purport
One must first ascertain the object of life and then understand how to attain it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pointing out to everyone that the object of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa, and to attain that goal of life one must practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following the methods prescribed by the Gosvāmīs with reference to the authoritative śāstras and Vedas.
Bengali
সাধ্য–সাধন শ্রেষ্ঠ না হয় নিশ্চয় ॥ ১১ ॥
Text
sādhya-sādhana śreṣṭha nā haya niścaya
Synonyms
Translation
If one becomes a bookworm, reading many books and scriptures and hearing many commentaries and the instructions of many men, this will produce doubt within his heart. One cannot in this way ascertain the real goal of life.
Purport
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.13.8) it is said, granthān naivābhyased bahūn na vyākhyām upayuñjīta: “One should not read many books, nor should one try to make a profession of reciting many books, especially if one is a devotee.” One must give up the ambition to be a learned scholar and in this way earn a worldly reputation and financial facilities. If one diverts his attention to studying many books, he cannot fix his mind in devotional service, nor can he understand many scriptures, for they are full of grave statements and meanings. In this connection Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives his opinion that those who are attracted to studying many kinds of literature concerning various subject matters, especially fruitive activities and philosophical speculation, are deprived of unalloyed devotional service because of their splayed attention.
Man has a general tendency toward fruitive activities, religious ritualistic ceremonies and philosophical speculation. A living entity thus bewildered since time immemorial does not understand the real goal of life, and thus his activities in life are wasted. Innocent persons misled in this way are deprived of unalloyed kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service to the Lord. Tapana Miśra is a vivid example of such a person. He was a learned scholar, but he could not ascertain what the goal of life is. Therefore he was given a chance to hear Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī. Lord Caitanya’s instruction to Tapana Miśra is especially significant for persons who loiter here and there collecting books and reading none of them, thus becoming bewildered regarding the aim of life.
Bengali
নিমাঞিপণ্ডিত পাশে করহ গমন ॥ ১২ ॥
Text
nimāñi-paṇḍita pāśe karaha gamana
Synonyms
Translation
Tapana Miśra, being thus bewildered, was directed by a brāhmaṇa in a dream to go to Nimāi Paṇḍita [Caitanya Mahāprabhu].
Bengali
সাক্ষাৎ ঈশ্বর তেঁহো,—নাহিক সংশয় ॥ ১৩ ৷৷
Text
sākṣāt īśvara teṅho, — nāhika saṁśaya
Synonyms
Translation
“Because He is the Lord [īśvara],” the brāhmaṇa told him, “undoubtedly He can give you proper direction.”
Bengali
স্বপ্নের বৃত্তান্ত সব কৈল নিবেদনে ॥ ১৪ ॥
Text
svapnera vṛttānta saba kaila nivedane
Synonyms
Translation
After seeing the dream, Tapana Miśra came to the shelter of Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet, and he described all the details of the dream to the Lord.
Bengali
নাম–সংকীর্তন কর,—উপদেশ কৈল ॥ ১৫ ॥
Text
nāma-saṅkīrtana kara, — upadeśa kaila
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord, being satisfied, instructed him about the object of life and the process for attaining it. He instructed him that the basic principle of success is to chant the holy name of the Lord [the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra].
Purport
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based upon this instruction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that one must chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra regularly and according to the prescribed principles. We simply ask our Western students to chant at least sixteen rounds a day, but sometimes we find that they fail to chant even these sixteen rounds, and instead they bring many austere books and a worshiping method that diverts their attention in so many ways. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s cult is based upon the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Lord Caitanya first advised Tapana Miśra to fix his mind on this chanting. We, the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, must strictly follow this advice of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Bengali
প্রভু আজ্ঞা দিল,—তুমি যাও বারাণসী ॥ ১৬ ॥
Text
prabhu ājñā dila, — tumi yāo vārāṇasī
Synonyms
Translation
Tapana Miśra desired to live with the Lord in Navadvīpa, but the Lord asked him to go to Vārāṇasī [Benares].
Bengali
আজ্ঞা পাঞা মিশ্র কৈল কাশীতে গমন ॥ ১৭ ॥
Text
ājñā pāñā miśra kaila kāśīte gamana
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord assured Tapana Miśra that they would meet again in Vārāṇasī. Receiving this order, Tapana Miśra went there.
Bengali
স্বসঙ্গ ছাড়াঞা কেনে পাঠায় কাশীপুরী ॥ ১৮ ॥
Text
sva-saṅga chāḍāñā kene pāṭhāya kāśīpurī
Synonyms
Translation
I cannot understand the inconceivable pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for although Tapana Miśra wanted to live with Him in Navadvīpa, the Lord advised him to go to Vārāṇasī.
Purport
When Tapana Miśra met Him, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was living in household life, and there was no indication that in the future He would accept the sannyāsa order. But by asking Tapana Miśra to go to Vārāṇasī, He indicated that in the future He would accept sannyāsa and that when He would teach Sanātana Gosvāmī, Tapana Miśra would take advantage of the opportunity to learn the object of life and the real process for attaining it.
Bengali
‘নাম’ দিয়া ভক্ত কৈল, পড়াঞা পণ্ডিত ॥ ১৯ ॥
Text
‘nāma’ diyā bhakta kaila, paḍāñā paṇḍita
Synonyms
Translation
In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu contributed the greatest benefit to the people of East Bengal by initiating them into hari-nāma, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and making them learned scholars by educating them.
Purport
Following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is distributing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and inducing people all over the world to chant. We are giving people an immense treasury of transcendental literature, translated into all the important languages of the world, and by the grace of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu this literature is selling profusely and people are chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra with great delight. This is the preaching process of the Caitanya cult. Since the Lord wanted this cult preached all over the world, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is acting in a humble way so that the vision of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu may be fulfilled all over the world, especially in the Western countries.
Bengali
এথা নবদ্বীপে লক্ষ্মী বিরহে দুঃখী হৈলা ॥ ২০ ॥
Text
ethā navadvīpe lakṣmī virahe duḥkhī hailā
Synonyms
Translation
Because the Lord was engaged in various ways in preaching work in East Bengal, His wife, Lakṣmīdevī, was very unhappy at home in separation from her husband.
Bengali
বিরহ–সৰ্প–বিষে তাঁর পরলোক হৈল ॥ ২১ ॥
Text
viraha-sarpa-viṣe tāṅra paraloka haila
Synonyms
Translation
The snake of separation bit Lakṣmīdevī, and its poison caused her death. Thus she passed to the next world. She went back home, back to Godhead.
Purport
As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.6), yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram: one’s practice in thinking throughout his entire life determines the quality of his thoughts at death, and thus at death one obtains a suitable body. According to this principle, Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune from Vaikuṇṭha, who was absorbed in thought of the Lord in separation from Him, certainly went back home to Vaikuṇṭhaloka after death.
Bengali
দেশেরে আইলা প্রভু শচী–দুঃখ জানি’ ॥ ২২ ॥
Text
deśere āilā prabhu śacī-duḥkha jāni’
Synonyms
Translation
Lord Caitanya knew about the disappearance of Lakṣmīdevī because He is the Supersoul Himself. Thus He returned home to solace His mother, Śacīdevī, who was greatly unhappy about the death of her daughter-in-law.
Bengali
তত্ত্ব–জ্ঞানে কৈলা শচীর দুঃখ বিমোচন ॥ ২৩ ॥
Text
tattva-jñāne kailā śacīra duḥkha vimocana
Synonyms
Translation
When the Lord returned home, bringing with Him great wealth and many followers, He spoke to Śacīdevī about transcendental knowledge to relieve her of the grief she was suffering.
Purport
It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.13):
tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati
“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” Such verses from the Bhagavad-gītā or any other Vedic literature give valuable instructions on the occasion of someone’s passing away. By discussing such instructions from the Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, a sober man can certainly understand that the soul never dies but rather passes from one body to another. This is called transmigration of the soul. A soul comes into this material world and creates bodily relationships with a father, a mother, sisters, brothers, a wife and children, but all these relationships pertain to the body, not the soul. Therefore, as described in the Bhagavad-gītā, dhīras tatra na muhyati: one who is sober is not disturbed by such phenomenal changes within this material world. Such instructions are called tattva-kathā, or real truth.
Bengali
বিদ্যা–বলে সবা জিনি’ ঔদ্ধত্য প্রকাশ ॥ ২৪ ॥
Text
vidyā-bale sabā jini’ auddhatya prakāśa
Synonyms
Translation
After coming back from East Bengal, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again began educating others. By the strength of His education He conquered everyone, and thus He was greatly proud.
Bengali
তবে ত’ করিল প্রভু দিগ্বিজয়ী জয় ॥ ২৫ ॥
Text
tabe ta’ karila prabhu digvijayī jaya
Synonyms
Translation
Then Lord Caitanya married Viṣṇupriyā, the goddess of fortune, and thereafter He conquered a champion of learning named Keśava Kāśmīrī.
Purport
As in the modern day there are many champions in sports, so in bygone days there were many learned scholars in India who were champions in learning. One such person was Keśava Kāśmīrī, who came from the state of Kashmir. He traveled all over India and at last came to Navadvīpa to challenge the learned scholars there. Unfortunately he could not conquer the learned scholars in Navadvīpa, for he was defeated by the boy scholar Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Later he understood that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he surrendered unto Him and later became a pure Vaiṣṇava in the sampradāya of Nimbārka. He wrote Kaustubha-prabhā, a commentary on the Vedānta commentary of the Nimbārka-sampradāya, which is known as the Pārijāta-bhāṣya.
The Bhakti-ratnākara mentions Keśava Kāśmīrī and lists his predecessors in the disciplic succession of the Nimbārka-sampradāya: (1) Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, (2) Viśva Ācārya, (3) Puruṣottama, (4) Vilāsa (5) Svarūpa, (6) Mādhava, (7) Balabhadra, (8) Padma, (9) Śyāma (10) Gopāla, (11) Kṛpā, (12) Deva Ācārya, (13) Sundara Bhaṭṭa, (14) Padmanābha, (15) Upendra, (16) Rāmacandra, (17) Vāmana, (18) Kṛṣṇa, (19) Padmākara, (20) Śravaṇa, (21) Bhūri, (22) Mādhava, (23) Śyāma, (24) Gopāla, (25) Balabhadra, (26) Gopīnātha, (27) Keśava, (28) Gokula and (29) Keśava Kāśmīrī. It is stated in the Bhakti-ratnākara that Keśava Kāśmīrī was a favorite devotee of mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning. By her grace he was an extremely influential scholar, and he was the greatest champion among all the scholars in the four corners of the country. Therefore he got the title dig-vijayī, which means “one who has conquered everyone in all directions.” He belonged to a very respectable brāhmaṇa family of Kashmir. Later, by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he gave up the profession of winning championships and became a great devotee. He joined the Nimbārka-sampradāya, one of the Vaiṣṇava communities of the Vedic culture.
Bengali
স্ফুট নাহি করে দোষ–গুণের বিচার ॥ ২৬ ॥
Text
sphuṭa nāhi kare doṣa-guṇera vicāra
Synonyms
Translation
Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has previously elaborately described this. That which is clear need not be scrutinized for good qualities and faults.
Bengali
যা শুনি’ দিগ্বিজয়ী কৈল আপনা ধিক্কার ॥ ২৭ ॥
Text
yā’ śuni’ digvijayī kaila āpanā dhik-kāra
Synonyms
Translation
Offering my obeisances to Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, I shall try to describe that portion of the Lord’s analysis which, when he heard it, made the Digvijayī feel himself condemned.
Bengali
বসিয়াছেন গঙ্গাতীরে বিদ্যার প্রসঙ্গে ॥ ২৮ ॥
Text
vasiyāchena gaṅgātīre vidyāra prasaṅge
Synonyms
Translation
Once on a full moon night the Lord was sitting on the bank of the Ganges with His many disciples and discussing literary topics.
Bengali
গঙ্গারে বন্দন করি’ প্রভুরে মিলিলা ॥ ২৯ ॥
Text
gaṅgāre vandana kari’ prabhure mililā
Synonyms
Translation
Coincidentally, Keśava Kāśmīrī Paṇḍita came there. While offering his prayers to mother Ganges, he met Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Bengali
দিগ্বিজয়ী কহে মনে অবজ্ঞা করিয়া ॥ ৩০ ॥
Text
digvijayī kahe mane avajñā kariyā
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord received him with adoration, but because Keśava Kāśmīrī was very proud, he talked to the Lord very inconsiderately.
Bengali
বাল্যশাস্ত্রে লোকে তোমার কহে গুণগ্রাম ॥ ৩১ ॥
Text
bālya-śāstre loke tomāra kahe guṇa-grāma
Synonyms
Translation
“I understand that You are a teacher of grammar,” he said, “and that Your name is Nimāi Paṇḍita. People speak very highly of Your teaching of beginners’ grammar.
Purport
Formerly Sanskrit schools first taught grammar very thoroughly, and this system continues even now. A student was supposed to study grammar carefully for twelve years in the beginning of his life, because if one is expert in the grammar of the Sanskrit language, all the śāstras are open to him. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was famous for teaching grammar to students, and therefore Keśava Kāśmīrī first referred to His position as a teacher of grammar. Keśava Kāśmīrī was very proud of his literary career; he was far above the first lessons of grammar, and so he thought the position of Nimāi Paṇḍita not at all comparable to his own.
Bengali
শুনিলুঁ ফাঁকিতে তোমার শিষ্যের সংলাপ ॥ ৩২ ॥
Text
śuniluṅ phāṅkite tomāra śiṣyera saṁlāpa
Synonyms
Translation
“I understand that You teach Kalāpa-vyākaraṇa. I have heard that Your students are very expert in the word jugglery of this grammar.”
Purport
There are many schools of grammar in the Sanskrit language, the most famous of which are the systems of Pāṇini and the Kalāpa and Kaumudī grammars. There were different branches of grammatical knowledge, and a student of grammar was supposed to study them all in twelve years. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who was famous as Nimāi Paṇḍita, taught grammar to His students, who became expert in dealing with the word jugglery of complicated grammar. Almost anyone expert in studying grammar interprets the śāstras in many ways by changing the root meanings of their words. A student of grammar can sometimes completely change the meaning of a sentence by juggling grammatical rules. Keśava Kāśmīrī indirectly taunted Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu by implying that although He was a great teacher of grammar, such grammatical jugglery of root meanings did not require great expertise. This was a challenge to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because it was prearranged that Keśava Kāśmīrī would have to discuss the śāstras with Nimāi Paṇḍita, from the very beginning he wanted to bluff the Lord. Thus the Lord replied as follows.
Bengali
শিষ্যেতে না বুঝে, আমি বুঝাইতে নারি ॥ ৩৩ ॥
Text
śiṣyete nā bujhe, āmi bujhāite nāri
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord said, “Yes, I am known as a teacher of grammar, but factually I cannot impress My students with grammatical knowledge, nor can they understand Me very well.
Purport
Since Keśava Kāśmīrī was a little puffed up, the Lord increased his artificial pride by presenting Himself as subordinate to him. Thus He flattered him as follows.
Bengali
কাঁহা আমি সবে শিশু—পড়ুয়া নবীন ॥ ৩৪ ॥
Text
kāhāṅ āmi sabe śiśu — paḍuyā navīna
Synonyms
Translation
“My dear sir, whereas you are a very learned scholar in all sorts of scriptures and are very much experienced in composing poetry, I am only a boy — a new student and nothing more.
Bengali
কৃপা করি’ কর যদি গঙ্গার বর্ণন ॥ ৩৫ ॥
Text
kṛpā kari’ kara yadi gaṅgāra varṇana
Synonyms
Translation
“Therefore I desire to hear your skill in composing poetry. We could hear this if you would mercifully describe the glory of mother Ganges.”
Bengali
ঘটী একে শত শ্লোক গঙ্গার বর্ণিল ॥ ৩৬ ॥
Text
ghaṭī eke śata śloka gaṅgāra varṇilā
Synonyms
Translation
When the brāhmaṇa, Keśava Kāśmīrī, heard this, he became still more puffed up, and within one hour he composed one hundred verses describing mother Ganges.
Bengali
তোমা সম পৃথিবীতে কবি নাহি আর ॥ ৩৭ ॥
Text
tomā sama pṛthivīte kavi nāhi āra
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord praised him, saying, “Sir, there is no greater poet than you in the entire world.
Bengali
তুমি ভাল জান অর্থ, কিংবা সরস্বতী ॥ ৩৮ ॥
Text
tumi bhāla jāna artha kiṁvā sarasvatī
Synonyms
Translation
“Your poetry is so difficult that no one can understand it but you and mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning.
Purport
Replying to Keśava Kāśmīrī sarcastically, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu indirectly minimized the value of his poetry by saying, “Yes, your compositions are so nice that no one but you and your worshipable mother, the goddess of learning, can understand them.” Keśava Kāśmīrī was a favorite devotee of mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the master of the goddess of learning, has the right to speak sarcastically of her devotees. In other words, although Keśava Kāśmīrī was proud of being favored by the goddess of learning, he did not know that she is controlled by Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Bengali
শুনি’ সব শ্লোক তবে পাইব বড়সুখে ॥ ৩৯ ॥
Text
śuni’ saba loka tabe pāiba baḍa-sukhe
Synonyms
Translation
“But if you explain the meaning of one verse, we can all hear it from your own mouth and thus be very happy.”
Bengali
শত শ্লোকের এক শ্লোক প্রভু ত’ পড়িল ॥ ৪০ ॥
Text
śata ślokera eka śloka prabhu ta’ paḍila
Synonyms
Translation
The Digvijayī, Keśava Kāśmīrī, inquired which verse He wanted explained. The Lord then recited one of the one hundred verses Keśava Kāśmīrī had composed.
Bengali
যদেষা শ্রীবিষ্ণোশ্চরণকমলোৎপত্তিসুভগা ।
দ্বিতীয়–শ্রীলক্ষ্মীরিব সুরনরৈরর্চ্যচরণা
ভবানীভর্তুর্যা শিরসি বিভবত্যদ্ভুতগুণা ॥ ৪১ ॥
Text
yad eṣā śrī-viṣṇoś caraṇa-kamalotpatti-subhagā
dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmīr iva sura-narair arcya-caraṇā
bhavānī-bhartur yā śirasi vibhavaty adbhuta-guṇā
Synonyms
mahattvam — greatness; gaṅgāyāḥ — of mother Ganges; satatam — always; idam — this; ābhāti — shines; nitarām — without comparison; yat — because; eṣā — she; śrī-viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; caraṇa — feet; kamala — lotus flower; utpatti — generation; subhagā — fortunate; dvitīya — second; śrī — beautiful; lakṣmīḥ — goddess of fortune; iva — like; sura-naraiḥ — by demigods and human beings; arcya — worshipable; caraṇā — feet; bhavānī — of goddess Durgā; bhartuḥ — of the husband; yā — she; śirasi — on the head; vibhavati — flourishes; adbhuta — wonderful; guṇā — qualities.
Translation
“ ‘The greatness of mother Ganges always brilliantly exists. She is the most fortunate because she emanated from the lotus feet of Śrī Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead. She is a second goddess of fortune, and therefore she is always worshiped both by demigods and by humanity. endowed with all wonderful qualities, she flourishes on the head of Lord Śiva.’ ”
Bengali
বিস্মিত হএ দিগ্বিজয়ী প্রভুরে পুছিল ॥ ৪২ ॥
Text
vismita hañā digvijayī prabhure puchila
Synonyms
Translation
When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him to explain the meaning of this verse, the champion, very much astonished, inquired from Him as follows.
Bengali
তার মধ্যে শ্লোক তুমি কৈছে কণ্ঠে কৈল ॥ ৪৩ ॥
Text
tāra madhye śloka tumi kaiche kaṇṭhe kaila
Synonyms
Translation
“I recited all the verses like the blowing wind. How could You completely learn by heart even one among those verses?”
Bengali
ঐছে দেবের বরে কেহো হয় ‘শ্ৰতিধর’ ॥ ৪৪ ৷৷
Text
aiche devera vare keho haya ‘śrutidhara’
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord replied, “By the grace of the Lord someone may become a great poet, and similarly by His grace someone else may become a great śruti-dhara who can memorize anything immediately.”
Purport
In this connection, śruti-dhara is a very important word. Śruti means “hearing,” and dhara means “one who can capture.” Formerly, before the beginning of Kali-yuga, almost everyone, especially among the intelligent men, the brāhmaṇas, was a śruti-dhara. As soon as a student heard any of the Vedic wisdom from his master, he would remember it forever. There was no need to refer to books, and therefore there were no written books in those days. The spiritual master delivered the Vedic hymns and their explanations to the student, who would then remember them forever, without consulting books.
To become a śruti-dhara, one who can remember simply by hearing, is a great achievement for a student. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.41) the Lord says:
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam
“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”
As soon as we find anything extraordinary, we should understand that such an extraordinary manifestation is the special grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied to the champion, Keśava Kāśmīrī, that just as he was greatly proud of being a favorite devotee of mother Sarasvatī, so someone else, like Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, being favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, could become a śruti-dhara and thus memorize anything immediately simply by hearing it.
Bengali
প্রভু কহে—কহ শ্লোকের কিবা গুণ–দোষ ॥ ৪৫ ॥
Text
prabhu kahe — kaha ślokera kibā guṇa-doṣa
Synonyms
Translation
Satisfied by the statement of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the brāhmaṇa [Keśava Kāśmīrī] explained the quoted verse. Then the Lord said, “Now kindly explain the special qualities and faults in the verse.”
Purport
Not only did Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu pick out this one among the one hundred verses and remember it although the brāhmaṇa had recited them like the blowing wind, but He also analyzed its qualities and faults. Not only did He hear the verse, but He immediately made a critical study of it.
Bengali
উপমালঙ্কার গুণ, কিছু অনুপ্রাস ॥ ৪৬ ॥
Text
upamālaṅkāra guṇa, kichu anuprāsa
Synonyms
Translation
The brāhmaṇa replied, “There is not a tinge of fault in that verse. Rather, it has the good qualities of similes and alliteration.”
Purport
In the last line of the verse quoted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the letter bha is repeated many times, as in the words bhavānī, bhartur, vibhavati and adbhuta. Such repetition is called anuprāsa, or alliteration. The words lakṣmīr iva and viṣṇoś caraṇa-kamalotpatti are instances of upamā-alaṅkāra, for they exhibit metaphorical beauty. The Ganges is water, and Lakṣmī is the goddess of fortune. Since water and a person are not actually similar, the comparison is metaphorical.
Bengali
কহ তোমার এই শ্লোকে কিবা আছে দোষ ॥ ৪৭ ॥
Text
kaha tomāra ei śloke kibā āche doṣa
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord said, “My dear sir, I may say something to you if you will not become angry. Can you explain the faults in this verse?
Bengali
ভালমতে বিচারিলে জানি গুণদোষে ॥ ৪৮ ॥
Text
bhāla-mate vicārile jāni guṇa-doṣe
Synonyms
Translation
“There is no doubt that your poetry is full of ingenuity, and certainly it has satisfied the Supreme Lord. Yet if we scrutinizingly consider it we can find both good qualities and faults.”
Bengali
কবি কহে,—যে কহিলে সেই বেদসার ॥ ৪৯ ॥
Text
kavi kahe, — ye kahile sei veda-sāra
Synonyms
Translation
The Lord concluded, “Now, therefore, let us carefully scrutinize this verse.”
Purport
The poet replied, “Yes, the verse You have recited is perfectly correct.
Bengali
তুমি কি জানিবে এই কবিত্বের সার ॥ ৫০ ॥
Text
tumi ki jānibe ei kavitvera sāra
Synonyms
Translation
“You are an ordinary student of grammar. What do You know about literary embellishments? You cannot review this poetry because You do not know anything about it.”
Purport
Keśava Kāśmīrī first wanted to bluff Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by saying that since He was not an advanced student in literary style, He could not review a verse full of metaphors and literary ornaments. This argument has some basis in fact. Unless one is a medical man he cannot criticize a medical man, and unless one is a lawyer he cannot criticize a lawyer. Therefore Keśava Kāśmīrī first depreciated the Lord’s position. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was to the champion a student of grammar, how could He dare criticize a great poet like him? Lord Caitanya, therefore, criticized the poet in a different way. He said that although He was certainly not advanced in a literary career, He had heard from others how to criticize such poetry, and as a śruti-dhara, possessing a complete memory, He could understand the process for such a review.
Bengali
বিচারিয়া গুণ–দোষ বুঝাহ আমারে ॥ ৫১ ॥
Text
vicāriyā guṇa-doṣa bujhāha āmāre
Synonyms
Translation
Taking a humble position, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Because I am not on your level, I have asked you to teach Me by explaining the faults and good qualities in your poetry.
Bengali
তাতে এই শ্লোকে দেখি বহু দোষ–গুণ ॥ ৫২ ॥
Text
tāte ei śloke dekhi bahu doṣa-guṇa
Synonyms
Translation
“Certainly I have not studied the art of literary embellishments. But I have heard about it from higher circles, and thus I can review this verse and find in it many faults and many good qualities.”
Purport
The statement kariyāchi śravaṇa (“I have heard it”) is very important in the sense that hearing is more important than directly studying or perceiving. If one is expert in hearing and hears from the right source, his knowledge is immediately perfect. This process is called śrauta-panthā, or the acquisition of knowledge by hearing from authorities. All Vedic knowledge is based on the principle that one must approach a bona fide spiritual master and hear from him the authoritative statements of the Vedas. It is not necessary for one to be a highly polished literary man to receive knowledge; to receive perfect knowledge from a perfect person, one must be expert in hearing. This is called the descending process of deductive knowledge, or avaroha-panthā.
Bengali
প্রভু কহেন,—কহি, শুন, না করিহ রোষ ॥ ৫৩ ॥
Text
prabhu kahena, — kahi, śuna, nā kariha roṣa
Synonyms
Translation
The poet said, “All right, let me see what good qualities and faults You have found.”
Purport
The Lord replied, “Let Me speak, and please hear Me without becoming angry.
Bengali
ক্রমে আমি কহি, শুন, করহ বিচার ॥ ৫৪ ॥
Text
krame āmi kahi, śuna, karaha vicāra
Synonyms
Translation
“My dear sir, in this verse there are five faults and five literary ornaments. I shall state them one after another. Kindly hear Me and then give your judgment.
Purport
In the verse beginning with mahattvaṁ gaṅgāyāḥ there are five literary ornaments and five examples of faulty composition. There are two examples of the fault called avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa and one example each of the faults viruddha-mati, punar-ukti and bhagna-krama.
Vimṛṣṭa means “clean,” and vidheyāṁśa means “predicate.” It is a general rule of composition to establish a subject first and then give its predicate. For example, according to Sanskrit grammar if one says, “This man is learned,” his composition is in order. But if one says, “Learned is this man,” the composition is not in order. Such a flaw is called avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa-doṣa, or the fault of unclean composition. The subject matter to be known of the verse is the glorification of the Ganges, and therefore the word idam (“this”), or what is known, should have been placed before instead of after the glorification. The subject matter already known should be placed before the unknown so that its meaning will not be misconstrued.
The second instance of avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa-doṣa occurs in the words dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmīr iva. In this composition the word dvitīya (“second”) is vidheya, or unknown. Placing the unknown first to make the compound word dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmīr is another fault. The words dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmīr iva were intended to compare the Ganges to the goddess of fortune, but because of this fault the meaning of the compound word was bewildering.
The third fault is that of viruddha-mati, or contradictory conception, in the words bhavānī-bhartuḥ. The word bhavānī refers to the wife of Bhava, Lord Śiva. But since Bhavānī is already known as the wife of Lord Śiva, to add the word bhartā, “husband,” thus forming a compound meaning “the husband of the wife of Lord Śiva,” is contradictory, for thus it appears as if the wife of Lord Śiva had another husband.
The fourth fault is punar-ukti, or redundancy, which occurs when the verb vibhavati (“flourishes”), which should have ended the composition, is further qualified by the unnecessary adjective adbhuta-guṇā (“endowed with wonderful qualities”). The fifth fault is bhagna-krama, which means “broken order.” In the first, third and fourth lines there is anuprāsa, or alliteration, created by the sounds ta, ra and bha, but in the second line there is no such anuprāsa, and therefore the order is broken.
Bengali
‘বিরুদ্ধমতি’, ‘ভগ্নক্রম’, ‘পুনরাত্ত',—দোষ তিন ॥ ৫৫ ॥
Text
‘viruddha-mati’, ‘bhagna-krama’, ‘punar-ātta’, — doṣa tina
Synonyms
Translation
“In this verse the fault of avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa occurs twice, and the faults of viruddha-mati, bhagna-krama and punar-ātta occur once each.
Bengali
ইদং শব্দে ‘অনুবাদ’—পাছে অবিধেয় ॥ ৫৬ ॥
Text
idaṁ śabde ‘anuvāda’ — pāche avidheya
Synonyms
Translation
“The glorification of the Ganges [mahattvaṁ gaṅgāyāḥ] is the principal unknown subject matter in this verse, and the known subject matter is indicated by the word ‘idam,’ which has been placed after the unknown.
Bengali
এই লাগি’ শ্লোকের অর্থ করিয়াছে বাধ ॥ ৫৭ ॥
Text
ei lāgi’ ślokera artha kariyāche bādha
Synonyms
Translation
“Because you have placed the known subject at the end and that which is unknown at the beginning, the composition is faulty, and the meaning of the words has become doubtful.
Bengali
ন হ্যলব্ধাস্পদং কিঞ্চিৎ কুত্রচিৎ প্রতিতিষ্ঠতি ॥ ৫৮ ॥
Text
na vidheyam udīrayet
na hy alabdhāspadaṁ kiñcit
kutracit pratitiṣṭhati
Synonyms
anuvādam — things already known; anuktvā — without mentioning; eva — certainly; na — not; vidheyam — unknown subject matters; udīrayet — one should mention; na — not; hi — certainly; alabdha-āspadam — without having achieved a proper place; kiñcit — something; kutracit — anywhere; pratitiṣṭhati — has a position.
Translation
“ ‘Without first mentioning what is known, one should not introduce the unknown, for that which has no solid basis can never be established anywhere.’
Purport
This is a verse from the Ekādaśī-tattva.
Bengali
সমাসে গৌণ হৈল, শব্দার্থ গেল ক্ষয় ॥ ৫৯ ॥
Text
samāse gauṇa haila, śabdārtha gela kṣaya
Synonyms
dvitīya śrī-lakṣmī — the word dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmī (“a second all-opulent goddess of fortune”); ihāṅ — this; dvitīyatva — the quality of being a second; vidheya — the unknown, which is to be explained; samāse — in the compound word; gauṇa — secondary; haila — became; śabda-artha — the word’s intended meaning; gela — became; kṣaya — lost.
Translation
“In the word ‘dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmī’ [‘a second all-opulent goddess of fortune’], the quality of being a second Lakṣmī is the unknown. In making this compound word, the meaning became secondary and the originally intended meaning was lost.
Bengali
‘লক্ষ্মীর সমতা’ অর্থ করিল বিনাশে ॥ ৬০ ॥
Text
‘lakṣmīra samatā’ artha karila vināśe
Synonyms
Translation
“Because the word ‘dvitīya’ [‘second’] is the unknown, in its combination in this compound word the intended meaning of equality with Lakṣmī is lost.
Bengali
আর এক দোষ আছে, শুন সাবধান ॥ ৬১ ॥
Text
āra eka doṣa āche, śuna sāvadhāna
Synonyms
Translation
“Not only is there the fault avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa, but there is also another fault, which I shall point out to you. Kindly hear Me with great attention.
Bengali
‘বিরুদ্ধমতিকৃৎ’ নাম এই মহা দোষ ॥ ৬২ ॥
Text
‘viruddha-mati-kṛt’ nāma ei mahā doṣa
Synonyms
Translation
“Here is another great fault. You have arranged the word ‘bhavānī-bhartṛ’ to your great satisfaction, but this betrays the fault of contradiction.
Bengali
তার ভর্তা কহিলে দ্বিতীয় ভর্তা জানি ॥ ৬৩ ॥
Text
tāṅra bhartā kahile dvitīya bhartā jāni
Synonyms
Translation
“The word ‘bhavānī’ means ‘the wife of Lord Śiva.’ But when we mention her husband, one might conclude that she has another husband.
Bengali
‘বিরুদ্ধমতিকৃৎ’ শব্দ শাস্ত্রে নহে শুদ্ধ ॥ ৬৪ ॥
Text
‘viruddha-mati-kṛt’ śabda śāstre nahe śuddha
Synonyms
Translation
“It is contradictory to hear that Lord Śiva’s wife has another husband. The use of such words in literature creates the fault called viruddha-mati-kṛt.
Bengali
শব্দ শুনিতেই হয় দ্বিতীয়ভর্তা জ্ঞান ॥ ৬৫ ॥
Text
śabda śunitei haya dvitīya-bhartā jñāna
Synonyms
Translation
“If someone says, ‘Place this charity in the hand of the husband of the wife of the brāhmaṇa,’ when we hear these contradictory words we immediately understand that the brāhmaṇa’s wife has another husband.
Bengali
‘অদ্ভূতগুণা’—এই পুনরাত্ত দূষণ ॥ ৬৬ ॥
Text
‘adbhuta-guṇā’ — ei punar-ātta dūṣaṇa
Synonyms
Translation
“The statement by the word ‘vibhavati’ [‘flourishes’] is complete. Qualifying it with the adjective ‘adbhuta-guṇā’ [‘wonderful qualities’] creates the fault of redundancy.
Bengali
এক পাদে নাহি, এই দোষ ‘ভগ্নক্রম’ ॥ ৬৭ ॥
Text
eka pāde nāhi, ei doṣa ‘bhagna-krama’
Synonyms
Translation
“There is extraordinary alliteration in three lines of the verse, but in one line there is no such alliteration. This is the fault of deviation.
Bengali
এই পঞ্চদোষে শ্লোক কৈল ছারখার ॥ ৬৮ ॥
Text
ei pañca-doṣe śloka kaila chārakhāra
Synonyms
Translation
“Although there are five literary ornaments decorating this verse, the entire verse has been spoiled by these five most faulty presentations.
Bengali
এক দোষে সব অলঙ্কার হয় ক্ষয় ॥ ৬৯ ॥
Text
eka doṣe saba alaṅkāra haya kṣaya
Synonyms
Translation
“If there are ten literary ornaments in a verse but even one faulty expression, the entire verse is nullified.
Bengali
এক শ্বেতকুষ্ঠে যৈছে করয়ে বিগীত ॥৭০ ॥
Text
eka śveta-kuṣṭhe yaiche karaye vigīta
Synonyms
Translation
“One’s beautiful body may be decorated with jewels, but one spot of white leprosy makes the entire body abominable.
Purport
The great sage Bharata Muni, an authority on poetic metaphor, has given his opinion in this connection as follows.
Bengali
স্যাদ্বপুঃ সুন্দরমপি শ্বিত্রেণৈকেন দুর্ভগম্ ॥ ৭১ ॥
Text
doṣa-yuk ced vibhūṣitam
syād vapuḥ sundaram api
śvitreṇaikena durbhagam
Synonyms
rasa — with humors; alaṅkāra-vat — with ornaments (metaphors, similes, etc.); kāvyam — poetry; doṣa-yuk — faulty; cet — if; vibhūṣitam — very nicely decorated; syāt — it becomes so; vapuḥ — the body; sundaram — beautiful; api — even though; śvitreṇa — by a white spot of leprosy; ekena — one; durbhagam — unfortunate.
Translation
“ ‘As one’s body, although well-decorated with ornaments, is made unfortunate by even one spot of white leprosy, so an entire poem is made useless by a fault, despite alliteration, similes and metaphors.’
Bengali
দুই শব্দালঙ্কার, তিন অর্থ–অলঙ্কার ॥৭২ ॥
Text
dui śabdālaṅkāra, tina artha-alaṅkāra
Synonyms
Translation
“Now hear the description of the five literary embellishments. There are two ornaments of sound and three ornaments of meaning.
Bengali
‘শ্রীলক্ষ্মী’ শব্দে ‘পুনরুক্তবদাভাস’ ॥ ৭৩ ॥
Text
‘śrī-lakṣmī’ śabde ‘punar-uktavad-ābhāsa’
Synonyms
Translation
“There is a sound ornament of alliteration in three lines. And in the combination of the words ‘śrī’ and ‘lakṣmī’ there is the ornament of a tinge of redundancy.
Bengali
তৃতীয়া–চরণে হয় পঞ্চ ‘রেফ’–স্থিতি ॥৭৪ ॥
Text
tṛtīya-caraṇe haya pañca ‘repha’-sthiti
Synonyms
Translation
“In the arrangement of the first line the letter ‘ta’ occurs five times, and the arrangement of the third line repeats the letter ‘ra’ five times.
Bengali
অতএব শব্দালঙ্কার অনুপ্রাস ॥ ৭৫ ॥
Text
ataeva śabdālaṅkāra anuprāsa
Synonyms
Translation
“In the fourth line the letter ‘bha’ occurs four times. This arrangement of alliteration is a pleasing ornamental use of sounds.
Bengali
পুনরুক্তপ্রায় ভাসে, নহে পুনরুক্ত ॥ ৭৬ ॥
Text
punar-ukta-prāya bhāse, nahe punar-ukta
Synonyms
Translation
“Although the words ‘śrī’ and ‘lakṣmī’ convey the same meaning and are therefore almost redundant, they are nevertheless not redundant.
Bengali
পুনরুক্তবদাভাস, শব্দালঙ্কার ভেদ ॥ ৭৭ ॥
Text
punar-uktavad-ābhāsa, śabdālaṅkāra-bheda
Synonyms
Translation
“Describing Lakṣmī as possessed of śrī [opulence] offers a difference in meaning with a tinge of repetition. This is the second ornamental use of words.
Bengali
আর অর্থালঙ্কার আছে, নাম—‘বিরোধাভাস’ ॥ ৭৮ ॥
Text
āra arthālaṅkāra āche, nāma — ‘virodhābhāsa’
Synonyms
Translation
“The use of the words ‘lakṣmīr iva’ [‘like Lakṣmī’] manifests the ornament of meaning called upamā [analogy]. There is also the further ornament of meaning called virodhābhāsa, or a contradictory indication.
Bengali
‘কমলে গঙ্গার জন্ম’—অত্যন্ত বিরোধ ॥ ৭৯ ॥
Text
‘kamale gaṅgāra janma’ — atyanta virodha
Synonyms
Translation
“Everyone knows that lotus flowers grow in the water of the Ganges. But to say that the Ganges takes birth from a lotus flower seems extremely contradictory.
Bengali
বিরোধালঙ্কার ইহা মহা–চমৎকৃতি ॥ ৮০ ॥
Text
virodhālaṅkāra ihā mahā-camatkṛti
Synonyms
Translation
“The existence of mother Ganges begins from the lotus feet of the Lord. Although this statement that water comes from a lotus flower is a contradiction, in connection with Lord Viṣṇu it is a great wonder.
Bengali
ইহাতে বিরোধ নাহি, বিরোধ–আভাস ॥ ৮১ ॥
Text
ihāte virodha nāhi, virodha-ābhāsa
Synonyms
Translation
“In this birth of the Ganges by the inconceivable potency of the Lord, there is no contradiction although it appears contradictory.
Purport
The central point of all Vaiṣṇava philosophy is to accept the inconceivable potency of Lord Viṣṇu. What sometimes appears contradictory from a material viewpoint is understandable in connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He can perform contradictory activities by dint of His inconceivable potencies. Modern scientists are puzzled. They cannot even explain how such a large quantity of chemicals has formed the atmosphere. Scientists explain that water is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, but when asked where such a large quantity of hydrogen and oxygen came from and how they combined to manufacture the great oceans and seas, they cannot answer because they are atheists who will not accept that everything comes from life. Their thesis is that life comes from matter.
Where do all these chemicals come from? The answer is that they are produced by the inconceivable energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Living entities are part of the Supreme Godhead, and from their bodies come many chemicals. For example, the lemon tree is a living entity that produces many lemons, and within each lemon is a great deal of citric acid. Therefore, if even an insignificant living entity who is but a part of the Supreme Lord can produce so much of a chemical, how much potency there must be in the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Scientists cannot perfectly explain where the chemicals of the world are manufactured, but one can explain this perfectly by accepting the inconceivable energy of the Supreme Lord. There is no reason for denying this argument. Since there are potencies in the living entities who are samples of the Personality of Godhead, how much potency there must be in the Supreme Godhead Himself. As described in the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: “He is the chief eternal of all eternals and the chief living entity among all living entities.” (Kaṭha Upaniṣad, 2.2.13)
Unfortunately, atheistic science will not accept that matter comes from life. Scientists insist upon their most illogical and foolish theory that life comes from matter, although this is quite impossible. They cannot prove in their laboratories that matter can produce life, yet there are thousands and thousands of examples illustrating that matter comes from life. Therefore in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī says that as soon as one accepts the inconceivable potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no great philosopher or scientist can put forward any thesis to contradict the Lord’s power. This is expressed in the following Sanskrit verse.
Bengali
মুরভিদি তদ্বিপরীতং পাদম্ভোজান্মহানদী জাতা ॥ ৮২ ॥
Text
mura-bhidi tad-viparītaṁ pādāmbhojān mahā-nadī jātā
Synonyms
ambujam — lotus flower; ambuni — in the water; jātam — is grown; kvacit — at any time; api — certainly; na — not; jātam — grown; ambujāt — from a lotus flower; ambu — water; mura-bhidi — in Kṛṣṇa, the killer of Murāsura; tat-viparītam — just the opposite of that; pāda-ambhojāt — from the lotus flower of His feet; mahā-nadī — the great river; jātā — has grown.
Translation
“ ‘Everyone knows that lotus flowers grow in the water but water never grows from a lotus. All such contradictions, however, are wonderfully possible in Kṛṣṇa: the great river Ganges has grown from His lotus feet.’
Bengali
বিষ্ণুপাদোৎপত্তি—‘অনুমান’ অলঙ্কার ॥ ৮৩ ॥
Text
viṣṇu-pādotpatti — ‘anumāna’ alaṅkāra
Synonyms
Translation
“The real glory of mother Ganges is that she has grown from the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. Such a hypothesis is another ornament, called anumāna.
Bengali
সূক্ষ্ম বিচারিয়ে যদি আছয়ে অপার ॥ ৮৪ ॥
Text
sūkṣma vicāriye yadi āchaye apāra
Synonyms
Translation
“I have simply discussed the five gross faults and five literary embellishments of this verse, but if we consider it in fine detail we will find unlimited faults.
Bengali
অবিচার কাব্যে অবশ্য পড়ে দোষ–বাধে ॥ ৮৫ ॥
Text
avicāra kāvye avaśya paḍe doṣa-bādhe
Synonyms
Translation
“You have achieved poetic imagination and ingenuity by the grace of your worshipable demigod. But poetry not well reviewed is certainly subject to criticism.
Bengali
সালঙ্কার হৈলে অর্থ করে ঝলমল ॥ ৮৬ ॥
Text
sālaṅkāra haile artha kare jhalamala
Synonyms
Translation
“Poetic skill used with due consideration is very pure, and with metaphors and analogies it is dazzling.”
Bengali
মুখে না নিঃসরে বাক্য, প্রতিভা স্তম্ভিত ॥ ৮৭ ॥
Text
mukhe nā niḥsare vākya, pratibhā stambhita
Synonyms
Translation
After hearing the explanation of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the champion poet was struck with wonder. His cleverness stunned, he could not say anything.
Bengali
তবে বিচারয়ে মনে হইয়া ফাঁফর ॥ ৮৮ ॥
Text
tabe vicāraye mane ha-iyā phāṅphara
Synonyms
Translation
He wanted to say something, but no reply would come from his mouth. He then began to consider this puzzle within his mind.
Bengali
জানি—সরস্বতী মোরে করিয়াছেন কোপ ॥ ৮৯ ॥
Text
jāni — sarasvatī more kariyāchena kopa
Synonyms
Translation
“This mere boy has blocked my intelligence. I can therefore understand that mother Sarasvatī has become angry with me.
Purport
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that all intelligence comes from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in everyone’s heart as the Paramātmā. The Paramātmā gave the paṇḍita the intelligence to understand that because he was proud of his learning and wanted to defeat even the Supreme Lord, by the will of the Lord and through the agency of mother Sarasvatī he had been defeated. One should not, therefore, be too proud of one’s position. Even if one is a greatly learned scholar, if he commits an offense to the lotus feet of the Lord he will not be able to speak properly, in spite of his learning. In every respect, we are controlled. Our only duty, therefore, is to surrender always to the lotus feet of the Lord and not be falsely proud. Mother Sarasvatī created this situation to favor the champion paṇḍita so that he might surrender unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Bengali
নিমাঞি–মুখে রহি’ বলে আপনে সরস্বতী ॥ ৯০ ॥
Text
nimāñi-mukhe rahi’ bale āpane sarasvatī
Synonyms
Translation
“The wonderful explanation the boy has given could not have been possible for a human being. Therefore mother Sarasvatī must have spoken personally through His mouth.”
Bengali
তব ব্যাখ্যা শুনি’ আমি হইলাঙ বিস্মিত ॥ ৯১ ॥
Text
tava vyākhyā śuni’ āmi ha-ilāṅ vismita
Synonyms
Translation
Thinking thus, the paṇḍita said, “My dear Nimāi Paṇḍita, please hear me. Hearing Your explanation, I am simply struck with wonder.
Bengali
কেমনে এ সব অর্থ করিলে প্রকাশ ॥ ৯২ ॥
Text
kemane e saba artha karile prakāśa
Synonyms
Translation
“I am surprised. You are not a literary student and do not have long experience in studying the śāstras. How have You been able to explain all these critical points?”
Bengali
তাঁহার হৃদয় জানি’ কহে করি’ ভঙ্গী ॥ ৯৩ ॥
Text
tāṅhāra hṛdaya jāni’ kahe kari’ bhaṅgī
Synonyms
Translation
Hearing this and understanding the paṇḍita’s heart, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied in a humorous way.
Bengali
সরস্বতী যে বলায়, সেই বলি বাণী ॥ ৯৪ ॥
Text
sarasvatī ye balāya, sei bali vāṇī
Synonyms
Translation
“My dear sir, I do not know what is good composition and what is bad. But whatever I have spoken must be understood to have been spoken by mother Sarasvatī.”
Bengali
শিশুদ্বারে দেবী মোরে কৈল পরাজয় ॥ ৯৫ ॥
Text
śiśu-dvāre devī more kaila parājaya
Synonyms
Translation
When he heard this judgment from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the paṇḍita sorrowfully wondered why mother Sarasvatī wanted to defeat him through a small boy.
Bengali
শিশুদ্বারে কৈল মোরে এত অপমান ॥ ৯৬
Text
śiśu-dvāre kaila more eta apamāna
Synonyms
Translation
“I shall offer prayers and meditation to the goddess of learning,” the champion concluded, “and ask her why she has insulted me so greatly through this boy.”
Bengali
বিচার–সময় তাঁর বুদ্ধি আচ্ছাদিল ॥ ৯৭ ॥
Text
vicāra-samaya tāṅra buddhi ācchādila
Synonyms
Translation
Sarasvatī had in fact induced the champion to compose his verse in an impure way. Furthermore, when it was discussed she covered his intelligence, and thus the Lord’s intelligence was triumphant.
Bengali
তা’–সবা নিষেধি’ প্রভু কবিরে কহিল ॥ ৯৮ ॥
Text
tā’-sabā niṣedhi’ prabhu kavire kahila
Synonyms
Translation
When the poetic champion was thus defeated, all the Lord’s disciples sitting there began to laugh loudly. But Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked them not to do so, and He addressed the poet as follows.
Bengali
যাঁর মুখে বাহিরায় ঐছে কাব্যবাণী ॥ ৯৯ ॥
Text
yāṅra mukhe bāhirāya aiche kavya-vāṇī
Synonyms
Translation
“You are the most learned scholar and the topmost of all great poets, for otherwise how could such fine poetry come from your mouth?
Bengali
তোমা–সম কবি কোথা নাহি দেখি আর ॥ ১০০ ॥
Text
tomā-sama kavi kothā nāhi dekhi āra
Synonyms
Translation
“Your poetic skill is like the constant flow of the waters of the Ganges. I find no one in the world who can compete with you.
Bengali
তাঁ–সবার কবিত্বে আছে দোষের প্রকাশ ॥ ১০১ ॥
Text
tāṅ-sabāra kavitve āche doṣera prakāśa
Synonyms
Translation
“Even in the poetic compositions of such great poets as Bhavabhūti, Jayadeva and Kālidāsa there are many examples of faults.
Bengali
কবিত্ব–করণে শক্তি, তাঁহা সে বাখানি ॥ ১০২ ॥
Text
kavitva-karaṇe śakti, tāṅhā se vākhāni
Synonyms
Translation
“Such mistakes should be considered negligible. One should see only how such poets have displayed their poetic power.
Purport
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.11) it is said:
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
“In explaining the glories of the Lord, inexperienced men may compose poetry with many faults, but because it contains glorification of the Lord, great personalities read it, hear it and chant it.” Despite its minute literary discrepancies, one must study poetry on the merit of its subject matter. According to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, any literature that glorifies the Lord, whether properly written or not, is first class. There need be no other considerations. The poetic compositions of Bhavabhūti, or Śrīkaṇṭha, include Mālatī-mādhava, Uttara-carita, Vīra-carita and many similar Sanskrit dramas. This great poet was born during the time of Bhojarāja as the son of Nīlakaṇṭha, a brāhmaṇa. Kālidāsa flourished during the time of Mahārāja Vikramāditya, and he became the state poet. He composed some thirty or forty Sanskrit dramas, including Kumāra-sambhava, Abhijñāna-śakuntalā and Megha-dūta. His drama Raghu-vaṁśa is especially famous. We have already described Jayadeva in chapter thirteen of the Ādi-līlā.
Bengali
শিষ্যের সমান মুঞি না হও তোমার ॥ ১০৩ ॥
Text
śiṣyera samāna muñi nā haṅ tomāra
Synonyms
Translation
“I am not even fit to be your disciple. Therefore kindly do not take seriously whatever childish impudence I have shown.
Bengali
শুনিব তোমার মুখে শাস্ত্রের বিচার ॥ ১০৪ ॥
Text
śuniba tomāra mukhe śāstrera vicāra
Synonyms
Translation
“Please go back home, and tomorrow we may meet again so that I may hear discourses on the śāstras from your mouth.”
Bengali
কবি রাত্রে কৈল সরস্বতী–আরাধন ॥ ১০৫ ॥
Text
kavi rātre kaila sarasvatī-ārādhana
Synonyms
Translation
In this way both the poet and Caitanya Mahāprabhu went back to their homes, and at night the poet worshiped mother Sarasvatī.
Bengali
সাক্ষাৎ ঈশ্বর করি’ প্রভুকে জানিল ॥ ১০৬ ॥
Text
sākṣāt īśvara kari’ prabhuke jānila
Synonyms
Translation
In a dream the goddess informed him of the Lord’s position, and the poetic champion could understand that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
Bengali
প্রভু কৃপা কৈল, তাঁর খণ্ডিল বন্ধন ॥ ১০৭ ॥
Text
prabhu kṛpā kaila, tāṅra khaṇḍila bandhana
Synonyms
Translation
The next morning the poet came to Lord Caitanya and surrendered unto His lotus feet. The Lord bestowed His mercy upon him and cut off all his bondage to material attachment.
Purport
The same process advocated by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in His teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is — “Surrender unto Me in all instances” — was advocated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The champion surrendered unto the Lord, and the Lord favored him. One who is favored by the Lord is freed from material bondage, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9): tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna.
Bengali
বিদ্যা–বলে পাইল মহাপ্রভুর চরণ ॥ ১০৮ ॥
Text
vidyā-bale pāila mahāprabhura caraṇa
Synonyms
Translation
The poetic champion was certainly most fortunate. His life was successful by dint of his vast learning and erudite scholarship, and thus he attained the shelter of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Purport
Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung that the best qualification for taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya is to be the most fallen because the Lord came specifically to deliver the fallen souls. In this age there are very few scholars. Almost everyone is a fallen meat-eater, drunkard, woman-hunter or gambler. Such persons are never considered learned scholars, even if they pose as such. Because these so-called scholars superficially see that Caitanya Mahāprabhu associates with the fallen souls, they think that He is meant for a lower class of men but that they do not need Him. Thus such scholars do not take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. To be puffed up with false learning, therefore, is a disqualification for accepting the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But here is a special example, for although the poetic champion was a greatly learned scholar, the Lord also favored him because of his humble submission.
Bengali
যে কিছু বিশেষ ইঁহা করিল প্রকাশ ॥ ১০৯ ॥
Text
ye kichu viśeṣa ihāṅ karila prakāśa
Synonyms
Translation
Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has described all these incidents elaborately. I have only presented the specific incidents he has not described.
Bengali
সর্বেন্দ্রিয় তৃপ্ত হয় শ্রবণে যাহার ॥ ১১০ ॥
Text
sarvendriya tṛpta haya śravaṇe yāhāra
Synonyms
Translation
The nectarean drops of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes can satisfy the senses of everyone who hears them.
Bengali
চৈতন্যচরিতামৃত কহে কৃষ্ণদাস ॥ ১১১ ॥
Text
caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa
Synonyms
śrī-rūpa — Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; raghunātha — Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī; pade — at the lotus feet; yāra — whose; āśa — expectation; caitanya-caritāmṛta — the book named Caitanya-caritāmṛta; kahe — describes; kṛṣṇadāsa — Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī.
Translation
Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.
Purport
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, sixteenth chapter, describing the pastimes of the Lord in His childhood and youth.