Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Adi-lila
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 9
Adi9.44
TEXT 44
mali manusya amara nahi rajya-dhana
phala-phula diya kari’ punya uparjana
SYNONYMS
mali—gardener; manusya—man; amara—My; nahi—there is none; rajya—kingdom; dhana—wealth; phala—fruit; phula—flowers; diya—giving; kari’-do; punya—piety; uparjana—achievement.
TRANSLATION
"I am merely a gardener. I have neither a kingdom nor very great riches. I simply have some fruits and flowers that I wish to utilize to achieve piety in My life.
PURPORT
In performing welfare activities for human society, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu presents Himself as being not very rich, thus indicating that a man need not be rich or opulent to act for the welfare of humanity. Sometimes rich men are very proud that they can perform beneficial activities for human society whereas others cannot. A practical example is that when there is a scarcity of food in India on account of meager rainfall, some members of the richer class very proudly distribute foodstuffs, making huge arrangements with the help of the government, as if merely by such activities people will be benefited. Suppose there were no food grains. How would the rich men distribute food? Production of grains is completely in the hands of God. If there were no rain, there would be no grains, and these so-called rich men would be unable to distribute grains to the people.
The real purpose of life, therefore, is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Rupa Gosvami describes in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu that devotional service is so exalted that it is beneficial and auspicious for every man. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also declared that to propagate the bhakti cult of devotional service in human society, one does not need to be very rich. Anyone can do it and thus render the highest benefit to humanity if he knows the art. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu takes the part of a gardener because although a gardener is naturally not a very rich man, he has some fruits and flowers. Any man can collect some fruits and flowers and satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead in devotional service, as the Lord recommends in the Bhagavad-gita (9.26):-
patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah
One cannot satisfy the Supreme Lord by his riches, wealth or opulent position, but anyone can collect a little fruit or a flower and offer it to the Lord. The Lord says that if one brings such an offering in devotion, He will accept it and eat it. When Krsna eats, the entire world becomes satisfied. There is a story in the Mahabharata illustrating how by Krsna’s eating, the sixty thousands disciples of Durvasa Muni were all satisfied. Therefore it is a fact that if by our life (pranaih), by our wealth (arthaih), by our intelligence (dhiya) or by our words (vaca) we can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, naturally the entire world will become happy. Therefore our main duty is to satisfy the Supreme Godhead by our actions, our money and our words. This is very simple. Even if one does not have money, he can preach the Hare Krsna mantra to everyone. One can go everywhere, to every home, and request everyone to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. Thus the entire world situation will become very happy and peaceful.
Adi9.45
TEXT 45
mali hana vrksa ha-ilan ei ta’ icchate
sarva-pranira upakara haya vrksa haite
SYNONYMS
mali hana—although I am the gardener; vrksa ha-ilan—I am also the tree; ei ta’-this is; icchate—by My will; sarva-pranira—of all living entities; upakara—welfare; haya—there is; vrksa—the tree; haite—from.
TRANSLATION
"Although I am acting as a gardener, I also want to be the tree, for thus I can bestow benefit upon all.
PURPORT
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the most benevolent personality in human society because His only desire is to make people happy. His sankirtana movement is especially meant for the purpose of making people happy. He wanted to become the tree Himself because a tree is supposed to be the most benevolent living entity. In the following verse, which is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.22.33), Krsna Himself highly praised the existence of a tree.
Adi9.46
TEXT 46
aho esam varam janma
sarva-prany-upajivinam
su-janasyeva yesam vai
vimukha yanti narthinah
SYNONYMS
aho—oh, just see; esam—of these trees; varam—superior; janma—birth; sarva—all; prani—living entities; upajivinam—one who provides maintenance; su-janasya iva—like the great personalities; yesam—from whose; vai—certainly; vimukhah—disappointed; yanti—goes away; na—never; arthinah—one who is asking for something.
TRANSLATION
“ ’Just see how these trees are maintaining every living entity! Their birth is successful. Their behavior is just like that of great personalities, for anyone who asks anything from a tree never goes away disappointed.’ ”
PURPORT
According to Vedic civilization, ksatriyas are considered to be great personalities because if anyone goes to a ksatriya king to ask for charity, the king will never refuse. The trees are compared to those noble ksatriyas because everyone derives all kinds of benefits from them-some people take fruit, others take flowers, others take leaves, others take twigs, and others even cut the tree, and yet the tree gives to everyone without hesitation.
Unnecessarily cutting trees without consideration is another example of human debauchery. The paper industry cuts many hundreds and thousands of trees for its mills, and with the paper so much rubbish literature is published for the whimsical satisfaction of human society. Unfortunately, although these industrialists are now happy in this life by dint of their industrial development, they do not know that they will incur the responsibility for killing these living entities who are in the forms of trees.
This verse, quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam, was spoken by Lord Krsna to His friends when He was taking rest underneath a tree after His pastime of stealing the clothes of the gopis (vastra-harana-lila). By quoting this verse, Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us that we should be tolerant like trees and also beneficial like trees, which give everything to the needy persons who come underneath them. A needy person may derive many advantages from trees and also from many animals, but in modern civilization people have become so ungrateful that they exploit the trees and animals and kill them. These are some of the sinful activities of modern civilization.
Adi9.47
TEXT 47
ei ajna kaila yadi caitanya-malakara
parama ananda paila vrksa-parivara
SYNONYMS
ei—this; ajna—order; kaila—gave; yadi—when; caitanya—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mala-kara—as a gardener; parama—the greatest; ananda—pleasure; paila—got; vrksa—of the tree; parivara—descendants.
TRANSLATION
The descendants of the tree [the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu] were very glad to receive this order directly from the Lord.
PURPORT
It is the desire of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that the benevolent activities of the sankirtana movement, which was inaugurated five hundred years ago in Navadvipa, be spread all over the world for the benefit of all human beings. Unfortunately, there are many so-called followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu who are satisfied simply to construct a temple, make a show of the Deities, collect some funds and utilize them for eating and sleeping. There is no question of their preaching the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world. But even though they are unable to do so, if anyone else does it they become envious. This is the condition of the modern followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Age of Kali is so strong that it affects even the so-called followers of Lord Caitanya. At least the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu must come out of India to preach His cult all over the world, for this is the mission of Lord Caitanya. The followers of Lord Caitanya must execute His will with heart and soul, being more tolerant than the trees and humbler than the straw in the street.
Adi9.48
TEXT 48
yei yahan tahan dana kare prema-phala
phalasvade matta loka ha-ila sakala
SYNONYMS
yei—anyone; yahan—wherever; tahan—anywhere; dana—charity; kare—gives in; prema-phala—the fruit of love of Godhead; phala—fruit; asvade—by tasting; matta—intoxicated; loka—people; ha-ila—become; sakala—all.
TRANSLATION
The fruit of love of God is so relishable that wherever a devotee distributes it, those who taste the fruit, anywhere in the world, immediately become intoxicated.
PURPORT
Here the wonderful fruit of love of Godhead distributed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is described. We have practical experience that anyone who accepts this fruit and sincerely tastes it immediately becomes mad after it and gives up all his bad habits, being intoxicated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s gift, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. The statements of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta are so practical that anyone can test them. As far as we are concerned, we are most confident of the success of the distribution of the great fruit of love of Godhead through the medium of chanting the maha-mantra-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Adi9.49
TEXT 49
maha-madaka prema-phala peta bhari’ khaya
matila sakala loka--hase, nace, gaya
SYNONYMS
maha-madaka—great intoxicant; prema-phala—this fruit of love of God; peta—belly; bhari’-filling; khaya—let them eat; matila—became mad; sakala loka—all the people in general; hase—laugh; nace—dance; gaya—chant.
TRANSLATION
The fruit of love of Godhead distributed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu is such a great intoxicant that anyone who eats it, filling his belly, immediately becomes maddened by it, and automatically he chants, dances, laughs and enjoys.
Adi9.50
TEXT 50
keha gadagadi yaya, keha ta’ hunkara
dekhi’ anandita hana hase malakara
SYNONYMS
keha—some of them; gadagadi yaya—roll on the floor; keha—some of them; ta’-certainly; hunkara—hum very loudly; dekhi’-seeing this; anandita—gladdened; hana—becoming so; hase—smiles; mala-kara—the great gardener.
TRANSLATION
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the great gardener, sees that people are chanting, dancing and laughing and that some of them are rolling on the floor and some are making loud humming sounds, He smiles with great pleasure.
PURPORT
This attitude of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is very important for persons engaged in the Hare Krsna movement of Krsna consciousness. In every center of our institution, ISKCON, we have arranged for a love feast every Sunday, and when we actually see people come to our center, chant, dance, take prasada, become jubilant and purchase books, we know that certainly Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always present in such transcendental activities, and He is very pleased and satisfied. Therefore the members of ISKCON must increase this movement more and more, according to the principles that we are presently trying to execute. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, thus being pleased, will smilingly glance upon them, bestowing His favor, and the movement will be successful.
Adi9.51
TEXT 51
ei malakara khaya ei prema-phala
niravadhi matta rahe, vivasa-vihvala
SYNONYMS
ei—this; mala-kara—great gardener; khaya—eats; ei—this; prema-phala—fruit of love of Godhead; niravadhi—always; matta—maddened; rahe—remains; vivasa—as if helpless; vihvala—as if bewildered.
TRANSLATION
The great gardener, Lord Caitanya, personally eats this fruit, and as a result He constantly remains mad, as if helpless and bewildered.
PURPORT
It is the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to act Himself and teach the people. He says, apani acari’ bhakti karila pracara (Cc. Adi 4.41). One must first act himself and then teach. This is the function of a real teacher. Unless one is able to understand the philosophy that he speaks, it will not be effective. Therefore one should not only understand the philosophy of the Caitanya cult but also implement it practically in one’s life.
While chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sometimes fainted and remained unconscious for many hours. He prays in His Siksastaka (7):
yugayitam nimesena
caksusa pravrsayitam
sunyayitam jagat sarvam
govinda-virahena me
“O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.” This is the perfectional stage of chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and eating the fruit of love of Godhead, as exhibited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One should not artificially imitate this stage, but if one is serious and sincerely follows the regulative principles and chants the Hare Krsna mantra, the time will come when these symptoms will appear. Tears will fill his eyes, he will be unable to chant distinctly the maha-mantra, and his heart will throb in ecstasy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that one should not imitate this, but a devotee should long for the day to come when such symptoms of trance will automatically appear in his body.
Adi9.52
TEXT 52
sarva-loke matta kaila apana-samana
preme matta loka vina nahi dekhi ana
SYNONYMS
sarva-loke—all people; matta—maddened; kaila—He made; apana—Himself; samana—like; preme—in love of God; matta—maddened; loka—people in general; vina—without; nahi—do not; dekhi—we see; ana—anything else.
TRANSLATION
With His sankirtana movement the Lord made everyone mad like Himself. We do not find anyone who was not intoxicated by His sankirtana movement.
Adi9.53
TEXT 53
ye ye purve ninda kaila, bali’ matoyala
seho phala khaya, nace, bale--bhala bhala
SYNONYMS
ye ye—persons who; purve—before; ninda—blasphemy; kaila—made; bali’-saying; matoyala—drunkard; seho—such persons; phala—fruit; khaya—takes; nace—dance; bale—say; bhala bhala—very good, very good.
TRANSLATION
Persons who had formerly criticized Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, calling Him a drunkard, also ate the fruit and began to dance, saying, “Very good! Very good!”
PURPORT
When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu started the sankirtana movement, even He was unnecessarily criticized by Mayavadis, atheists and fools. Naturally we are also criticized by such men. They will always remain and will always criticize anything that is actually good for human society. But the preachers of the sankirtana movement should not be deterred by such criticism. Our method should be to convert such fools gradually by asking them to come and take prasada and chant and dance with us. This should be our policy. Anyone who comes to join us, of course, must be sincere and serious regarding spiritual advancement in life; then such a person, simply by joining us, chanting with us, dancing with us and taking prasada with us, will gradually also come to say that this movement is very good. But one who joins with an ulterior purpose, to get material benefit or personal gratification, will never be able to grasp the philosophy of this movement.
Adi9.54
TEXT 54
ei ta’ kahilun prema-phala-vitarana
ebe suna, phala-data ye ye sakha-gana
SYNONYMS
ei—this; ta’-however; kahilun—I have explained; prema-phala—the fruit of love of Godhead; vitarana—distribution; ebe—now; suna—hear; phala-data—the giver of the fruit; ye ye—who and who; sakha-gana—branches.
TRANSLATION
After describing the Lord’s distribution of the fruit of love of Godhead, I now wish to describe the different branches of the tree of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Adi9.55
TEXT 55
sri-rupa-raghunatha-pade yara asa
caitanya-caritamrta kahe krsnadasa
SYNONYMS
sri-rupa—Srila Rupa Gosvami; raghunatha—Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami; pade—at the lotus feet; yara—whose; asa—expectation; caitanya-caritamrta—the book named Caitanya-caritamrta; kahe—describes; krsna-dasa—Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami.
TRANSLATION
Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Ninth Chapter, describing the tree of devotional service.