Madhya18.68

TEXT 68

yamalarjuna-bhangadi dekhila sei sthala

premavese prabhura mana haila talamala

SYNONYMS

yamala-arjuna-bhanga—the place where the twin arjuna trees were broken; adi—beginning with; dekhila—saw; sei sthala—that place; prema-avese—in great ecstasy; prabhura—of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mana—mind; haila—became; talamala—agitated.

TRANSLATION

Upon seeing the place where the twin arjuna trees were broken by Sri Krsna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was moved to great ecstatic love.

Madhya18.69

TEXT 69

’gokula’ dekhiya aila ’mathura’-nagare

janma-sthana’ dekhi’ rahe sei vipra-ghare

SYNONYMS

gokula dekhiya—seeing Gokula; aila—came; mathura-nagare—in the city of Mathura; janma-sthana—the birthplace of Lord Krsna; dekhi’-seeing; rahe—stays; sei vipra-ghare—in the house of the Sanodiya brahmana.

TRANSLATION

After seeing Gokula, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Mathura, where He saw the birthplace of the Lord. While there, He stayed at the house of the Sanodiya brahmana.

Madhya18.70

TEXT 70

lokera sanghatta dekhi mathura chadiya

ekante ’akrura-tirthe’ rahila asiya

SYNONYMS

lokera—of people; sanghatta—crowd; dekhi—seeing; mathura—the city of Mathura; chadiya—leaving; ekante—in a solitary place; akrura-tirthe—at Akrura-tirtha; rahila—stayed; asiya—coming.

TRANSLATION

Seeing a great crowd assemble at Mathura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left and went to Akrura-tirtha. He remained there in a solitary place.

PURPORT

Akrura-tirtha is also mentioned in the Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave):

dekha, srinivasa, ei akrura gramete
sri-krsna-caitanya-prabhu chilena nibhrte

“Srinivasa, look at this village of Akrura. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed there in a solitary place.”

Madhya18.71

TEXT 71

ara dina aila prabhu dekhite ’vrndavana’

’kaliya-hrade’ snana kaila ara praskandana

SYNONYMS

ara dina—the next day; aila—came; prabhu—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dekhite—to see; vrndavana—Vrndavana; kaliya-hrade—in the Kaliya Lake; snana kaila—took a bath; ara—and; praskandana—at Praskandana.

TRANSLATION

The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Vrndavana and took His bath at the Kaliya Lake and Praskandana.

PURPORT

Kaliya-hrada is mentioned in Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave):

e kaliya-tirtha papa vinasaya
kaliya-tirtha-sthane bahu-karya-siddhi haya

“When one takes a bath in Kaliya-hrada, he is freed from all sinful activities. One can also be successful in business by bathing in Kaliya-hrada.”

Madhya18.72

TEXT 72

’dvadasa-aditya’ haite ’kesi-tirthe’ aila

rasa-sthali dekhi’ preme murcchita ha-ila

SYNONYMS

dvadasa-aditya haite—from Dvadasaditya; kesi-tirthe aila—came to Kesi-tirtha; rasa-sthali dekhi’-visiting the place of the rasa dance; preme—in ecstatic love; murcchita ha-ila—became unconscious.

TRANSLATION

After seeing the holy place called Praskandana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Dvadasaditya. From there He went to Kesi-tirtha, and when He saw the place where the rasa dance had taken place, He immediately lost consciousness due to ecstatic love.

Madhya18.73

TEXT 73

cetana pana punah gadagadi yaya

hase, kande, nace, pade, uccaih-svare gaya

SYNONYMS

cetana pana—getting His senses back; punah—again; gadagadi yaya—rolls on the ground; hase—laughs; kande—cries; nace—dances; pade—falls down; uccaih-svare gaya—sings very loudly.

TRANSLATION

When the Lord regained His senses, He began to roll on the ground. He would sometimes laugh, cry, dance and fall down. He would also chant very loudly.

Madhya18.74

TEXT 74

ei-range sei-dina tatha gonaila

sandhya-kale akrure asi’ bhiksa nirvahila

SYNONYMS

ei-range—in this amusement; sei-dina—that day; tatha gonaila—passed the day there; sandhya-kale—in the evening; akrure asi’-returning to Akrura-tirtha; bhiksa nirvahila—took His meal.

TRANSLATION

Being thus transcendentally amused, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed that day happily at Kesi-tirtha. In the evening He returned to Akrura-tirtha, where He took His meal.

Madhya18.75

TEXT 75

prate vrndavane kaila ’cira-ghate’ snana

tentuli-talate asi’ karila visrama

SYNONYMS

prate—in the morning; vrndavane—in Vrndavana; kaila—performed; cira-ghate snana—bathing at Cira-ghata; tentuli-talate—underneath the Tentuli tree; asi’-coming; karila visrama—took rest.

TRANSLATION

The next morning Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Vrndavana and took His bath at Cira-ghata. He then went to Tentuli-tala, where He took rest.

Madhya18.76

TEXT 76

krsna-lila-kalera sei vrksa puratana

tara tale pindi-bandha parama-cikkana

SYNONYMS

krsna-lila-kalera—of the time of Lord Krsna’s presence; sei vrksa—that tamarind tree; puratana—very old; tara tale—underneath that tree; pindi-bandha—a platform; parama-cikkana—very shiny.

TRANSLATION

The tamarind tree named Tentuli-tala was very old, having been there since the time of Lord Krsna’s pastimes. Beneath the tree was a very shiny platform.

Madhya18.77

TEXT 77

nikate yamuna vahe sitala samira

vrndavana-sobha dekhe yamunara nira

SYNONYMS

nikate—near the Tentuli-tala, or Amli-tala; yamuna—the Yamuna; vahe—flows; sitala samira—very cool breeze; vrndavana-sobha—the beauty of Vrndavana; dekhe—sees; yamunara—of the River Yamuna; nira—water.

TRANSLATION

Since the River Yamuna flowed near Tentuli-tala, a very cool breeze blew there. While there, the Lord saw the beauty of Vrndavana and the water of the River Yamuna.

Madhya18.78

TEXT 78

tentula-tale vasi’ kare nama-sankirtana

madhyahna kari’ asi’ kare ’akrure’ bhojana

SYNONYMS

tentula-tale—underneath the tamarind tree; vasi’-sitting down; kare—does; nama-sankirtana—chanting the holy name of the Lord; madhyahna kari’-at noon; asi’-coming back; kare—performs; akrure—at Akrura-tirtha; bhojana—taking lunch.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to sit beneath the old tamarind tree and chant the holy name of the Lord. At noon He would return to Akrura-tirtha to take lunch.

Madhya18.79

TEXT 79

akrurera loka aise prabhure dekhite

loka-bhide svacchande nare ’kirtana’ karite

SYNONYMS

akrurera loka—the people at Akrura-tirtha; aise—came; prabhure—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dekhite—to see; loka-bhide—because of such a crowd of people; svacchande—without disturbance; nare—was not able; kirtana karite—to perform kirtana.

TRANSLATION

All the people who lived near Akrura-tirtha came to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and due to the large crowds, the Lord could not peacefully chant the holy name.

Madhya18.80

TEXT 80

vrndavane asi’ prabhu vasiya ekanta

nama-sankirtana kare madhyahna-paryanta

SYNONYMS

vrndavane asi’-coming to Vrndavana; prabhu—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; vasiya—sitting; ekanta—in a solitary place; nama-sankirtana kare—performs chanting of the holy name; madhyahna-paryanta—until noon.

TRANSLATION

Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would go to Vrndavana and sit in a solitary place. It was there that He chanted the holy name until noon.

Madhya18.81

TEXT 81

trtiya-prahare loka paya darasana

sabare upadesa kare ’nama-sankirtana’

SYNONYMS

trtiya-prahare—in the afternoon; loka—people; paya darasana—get an interview; sabare—unto everyone; upadesa kare—instructs; nama-sankirtana—chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

TRANSLATION

In the afternoon, people were able to speak to Him. The Lord told everyone of the importance of chanting the holy name.

Madhya18.82

TEXT 82

hena-kale aila vaisnava ’krsnadasa’ nama

rajaputa-jati,--grhastha, yamuna-pare grama

SYNONYMS

hena-kale—at this time; aila—came; vaisnava—a devotee; krsnadasa nama—of the name Krsnadasa; rajaputa-jati—belonging to the ksatriya class; grhastha—householder; yamuna-pare grama—his residence on the other side of the Yamuna.

TRANSLATION

During this time, a Vaisnava named Krsnadasa came to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was a householder belonging to the ksatriya caste, and his house was located on the other side of the Yamuna.

Madhya18.83

TEXT 83

’kesi’ snana kari’ sei ’kaliya-daha’ yaite

amli-talaya gosanire dekhe acambite

SYNONYMS

kesi snana kari’-after taking his bath at the place known as Kesi-tirtha; sei—that person; kaliya-daha yaite—going to the Kaliya-daha; amli-talaya—at the place known as Amli-tala; gosanire—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dekhe—sees; acambite—suddenly.

TRANSLATION

After bathing at Kesi-tirtha, Krsnadasa went toward Kaliya-daha and suddenly saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sitting at Amli-tala [Tentuli-tala].

Madhya18.84

TEXT 84

prabhura rupa-prema dekhi’ ha-ila camatkara

premavese prabhure karena namaskara

SYNONYMS

prabhura—of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; rupa-prema—personal beauty and ecstatic love; dekhi’-seeing; ha-ila camatkara—became astonished; prema-avese—in ecstatic love; prabhure—to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karena namaskara—offers obeisances.

TRANSLATION

Upon seeing the Lord’s personal beauty and ecstatic love, Krsnadasa was very astonished. Out of ecstatic love, he offered his respectful obeisances unto the Lord.

Madhya18.85

TEXT 85

prabhu kahe,--ke tumi, kahan tomara ghara?

krsnadasa kahe,--mui grhastha pamara

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—the Lord inquired; ke tumi—who are you; kahan—where; tomara—your; ghara—residence; krsnadasa kahe—Krsnadasa replied; mui—I; grhastha—householder; pamara—most fallen.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Krsnadasa, “Who are you? Where is your home?” Krsnadasa replied, "I am a most fallen householder.

Madhya18.86

TEXT 86

rajaputa-jati muni, o-pare mora ghara

mora iccha haya--’hana vaisnava-kinkara’

SYNONYMS

rajaputa-jati—belong to the Rajaputa caste; muni—I; o-pare—on the other side of the Yamuna; mora ghara—my residence; mora iccha haya—I wish; hana—to become; vaisnava-kinkara—the servant of a Vaisnava.

TRANSLATION

"I belong to the Rajaputa caste, and my home is just on the other side of the River Yamuna. However, I wish to be the servant of a Vaisnava.

Madhya18.87

TEXT 87

kintu aji eka muni ’svapna’ dekhinu

sei svapna parateka toma asi’ painu

SYNONYMS

kintu—but; aji—today; eka—one; muni—I; svapna—dream; dekhinu—saw; sei svapna—that dream; parateka—according to; toma—You; asi’-coming; painu—I have gotten.

TRANSLATION

“Today I have had a dream, and according to that dream I have come here and found You.”

Madhya18.88

TEXT 88

prabhu tanre krpa kaila alingana kari

preme matta haila sei nace, bale ’hari’

SYNONYMS

prabhu—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre—unto him; krpa kaila—bestowed His mercy; alingana kari—embracing; preme—in ecstatic love; matta haila—became mad; sei—that Krsnadasa; nace—dances; bale—chants; hari—the holy name of the Lord.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then bestowed upon Krsnadasa His causeless mercy by embracing him. Krsnadasa became mad with ecstatic love and began to dance and chant the holy name of Hari.

Madhya18.89

TEXT 89

prabhu-sange madhyahne akrura tirthe aila

prabhura avasista-patra-prasada paila

SYNONYMS

prabhu-sange—with the Lord; madhyahne—in the afternoon; akrura tirthe—to Akrura-tirtha; aila—came; prabhura—of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; avasista-patra-prasada—remnants of food; paila—got.

TRANSLATION

Krsnadasa returned to Akrura-tirtha with the Lord, and remnants of the Lord’s food were given to him.

Madhya18.90

TEXT 90

prate prabhu-sange aila jala-patra lana

prabhu-sange rahe grha-stri-putra chadiya

SYNONYMS

prate—in the morning; prabhu-sange—with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; aila—came; jala-patra lana—carrying a waterpot; prabhu-sange rahe—remains with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; grha—home; stri—wife; putra—children; chadiya—leaving aside.

TRANSLATION

The next morning, Krsnadasa went with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Vrndavana and carried His waterpot. Krsnadasa thus left his wife, home and children in order to remain with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Madhya18.91

TEXT 91

vrndavane punah ’krsna’ prakata ha-ila

yahan tahan loka saba kahite lagila

SYNONYMS

vrndavane—at Vrndavana; punah—again; krsna—Lord Sri Krsna; prakata ha-ila—became manifested; yahan tahan—everywhere; loka—people; saba—all; kahite lagila—began to speak.

TRANSLATION

Everywhere the Lord went, all the people said, “Krsna has again manifest at Vrndavana.”

Madhya18.92

TEXT 92

eka-dina akrurete loka pratah-kale

vrndavana haite aise kari’ kolahale

SYNONYMS

eka-dina—one day; akrurete—at Akrura-tirtha; loka—people; pratah-kale—in the morning; vrndavana haite—from Vrndavana; aise—came; kari’-making; kolahale—tumult.

TRANSLATION

One morning many people came to Akrura-tirtha. As they came from Vrndavana, they made a tumultuous sound.

Madhya18.93

TEXT 93

prabhu dekhi’ karila loka carana vandana

prabhu kahe,--kahan haite karila agamana?

SYNONYMS

prabhu dekhi’—seeing Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karila—offered; loka—people; carana vandana—respect unto His lotus feet; prabhu kahe—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; kahan haite—from where; karila agamana—have you come.

TRANSLATION

Upon seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all the people offered respects at His lotus feet. The Lord then asked them,“Where are you all coming from?”

Madhya18.94

TEXT 94

loke kahe,--krsna prakata kaliya-dahera jale!

kaliya-sire nrtya kare, phana-ratna jvale

SYNONYMS

loke kahe—all the people replied; krsna prakata—Krsna is again manifest; kaliya-dahera jale—in the water of Lake Kaliya; kaliya-sire—on the head of the serpent Kaliya; nrtya kare—dances; phana-ratna jvale—the jewels on the hoods blaze.

TRANSLATION

The people replied,"Krsna has again manifest Himself on the waters of the Kaliya Lake. He dances on the hoods of the serpent Kaliya, and the jewels on those hoods are blazing.

Madhya18.95

TEXT 95

saksat dekhila loka--nahika samsaya

suni’ hasi’ kahe prabhu,--saba ’satya’ haya

SYNONYMS

saksat—directly; dekhila loka—all the people saw; nahika samsaya—there is no doubt; suni’-hearing; hasi’-laughing; kahe prabhu—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; saba satya haya—all that you have said is correct.

TRANSLATION

“Everyone has seen Lord Krsna Himself. There is no doubt about it.” Hearing this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to laugh. He then said, “Everything is correct.”

Madhya18.96

TEXT 96

ei-mata tina-ratri lokera gamana

sabe asi’ kahe,--krsna pailun darasana

SYNONYMS

ei-mata—in this way; tina-ratri—three nights; lokera gamana—people went; sabe—all; asi’-coming; kahe—say; krsna pailun darasana—we have seen Lord Krsna directly.

TRANSLATION

For three successive nights people went to Kaliya-daha to see Krsna, and everyone returned saying, “Now we have seen Krsna Himself.”

Madhya18.97

TEXT 97

prabhu-age kahe loka,--sri-krsna dekhila

’sarasvati’ ei vakye ’satya’ kahaila

SYNONYMS

prabhu-age—in front of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kahe loka—all the people began to say; sri-krsna dekhila—that they have seen Lord Krsna; sarasvati—the goddess of learning; ei vakye—this statement; satya—true; kahaila—caused the people to speak.

TRANSLATION

Everyone came before Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and said, “Now we have directly seen Lord Krsna.” Thus by the mercy of the goddess of learning they were made to speak the truth.

Madhya18.98

TEXT 98

mahaprabhu dekhi’ ’satya’ krsna-darasana

nijajnane satya chadi’ ’asatye satya-bhrama’

SYNONYMS

mahaprabhu dekhi’-by seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; satya—truly; krsna-darasana—seeing Krsna; nija-ajnane—by their personal lack of knowledge; satya chadi’-giving up the real truth; asatye—untruth; satya-bhrama—mistaking for the truth.

TRANSLATION

When the people saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they actually saw Krsna, but because they were following their own imperfect knowledge, they accepted the wrong thing as Krsna.

Madhya18.99

TEXT 99

bhattacarya tabe kahe prabhura carane

’ajna deha’, yai’ kari krsna darasane!’

SYNONYMS

bhattacarya—Balabhadra Bhattacarya; tabe—at that time; kahe—says; prabhura carane—at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; ajna deha’-please give permission; yai’-going; kari krsna darasane—I shall see Lord Krsna directly.

TRANSLATION

At that time Balabhadra Bhattacarya placed a request at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He said, “Please give me permission to go see Lord Krsna directly.”

PURPORT

The puzzled people who visited Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were actually seeing Lord Krsna, but they were mistaken in thinking that Lord Krsna had come to Kaliya Lake. They all said that they had seen Krsna directly performing His pastimes on the hood of the serpent Kaliya and that the jewels on Kaliya’s hoods were blazing brilliantly. Because they were speculating with their imperfect knowledge, they saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an ordinary human being and a boatman’s light in the lake as Krsna. One must see things as they are through the mercy of a spiritual master; otherwise if one tries to see Krsna directly, he may mistake an ordinary man for Krsna or Krsna for an ordinary man. Everyone has to see Krsna according to the verdict of Vedic literatures presented by the self-realized spiritual master. A sincere person is able to see Krsna through the transparent via medium of Sri Gurudeva, the spiritual master. Unless one is enlightened by the knowledge given by the spiritual master, he cannot see things as they are, even though he remains constantly with the spiritual master. This incident at Kaliya-daha is very instructive for those eager to advance in Krsna consciousness.

Madhya18.100

TEXT 100

tabe tanre kahe prabhu capada mariya

"murkhera vakye ’murkha’ haila pandita hana

SYNONYMS

tabe—thereafter; tanre—unto Balabhadra Bhattacarya; kahe—says; prabhu—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; capada mariya—slapping; murkhera vakye—by the words of some rascals and fools; murkha haila—you became a fool; pandita hana—being a learned scholar.

TRANSLATION

When Balabhadra Bhattacarya asked to see Krsna at Kaliya-daha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu mercifully slapped him, saying, "You are a learned scholar, but you have become a fool influenced by the statements of other fools.

PURPORT

Maya is so strong that even a person like Balabhadra Bhattacarya, who was constantly staying with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, was influenced by the words of fools. He wanted to see Krsna directly by going to Kaliya-daha, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, being the original spiritual master, would not allow His servant to fall into such foolishness. He therefore chastised him, slapping him just to bring him to a real sense of Krsna consciousness.

Madhya18.101

TEXT 101

krsna kene darasana dibe kali-kale?

nija-bhrame murkha-loka kare kolahale

SYNONYMS

krsna—Lord Krsna; kene—why; darasana—interview; dibe—would give; kali-kale—in this Age of Kali; nija-bhrame—by their own mistake; murkha-loka—foolish persons; kare kolahale—make a chaotic tumult.

TRANSLATION

"Why will Krsna appear in the Age of Kali? Foolish people who are mistaken are simply causing agitation and making a tumult.

PURPORT

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s first statement (krsna kene darasana dibe kali-kale) refers to the scriptures. According to scripture, Krsna appears in Dvapara-yuga, but He never appears as Himself in Kali-yuga. Rather, He appears in Kali-yuga in a covered form. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32): krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam. Krsna appears in the Age of Kali in the garb of a devotee, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who always associates with His internal soldiers-Sri Advaita Prabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Srivasa Prabhu and Gadadhara Prabhu. Although Balabhadra Bhattacarya was personally serving Lord Krsna in His role as a devotee (Caitanya Mahaprabhu), he mistook Lord Krsna for an ordinary man and an ordinary man for Lord Krsna because he did not follow the rules set down by sastra and guru.

Madhya18.102

TEXT 102

’vatula’ na ha-io, ghare rahata vasiya

’krsna’ darasana kariha kali ratrye yana"

SYNONYMS

vatula—mad; na ha-io—do not become; ghare—at home; rahata—keep; vasiya—sitting; krsna—Lord Krsna; darasana—seeing; kariha—you may do; kali—tomorrow; ratrye—at night; yana—going.

TRANSLATION

“Do not become mad. Simply sit down here, and tomorrow night you will go see Krsna.”

Madhya18.103

TEXT 103

pratah-kale bhavya-loka prabhu-sthane aila

’krsna dekhi’ aila?’--prabhu tanhare puchila

SYNONYMS

pratah-kale—the next morning; bhavya-loka—respectable gentlemen; prabhu-sthane—at the place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; aila—came; krsna dekhi’-seeing Lord Krsna; aila—have you come; prabhu—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanhare puchila—inquired from them.

TRANSLATION

The next morning some respectable gentlemen came to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Lord asked them, “Have you seen Krsna?”

Madhya18.104

TEXT 104

loka kahe,--ratrye kaivartya naukate cadiya

kaliya-dahe matsya mare, deuti jvaliya

SYNONYMS

loka kahe—the sensible respectable persons said; ratrye—at night; kaivartya—a fisherman; naukate—on a boat; cadiya—getting up; kaliya-dahe—in the lake of Kaliya; matsya mare—catches fish; deuti jvaliya—lighting a torch.

TRANSLATION

These respectable gentlemen replied, "At night in the Kaliya Lake a fisherman lighting a torch in his boat catches many fish.

Madhya18.105

TEXT 105

dura haite taha dekhi’ lokera haya ’bhrama’

’kaliyera sarire krsna kariche nartana’!

SYNONYMS

dura haite—from a distant place; taha dekhi’-seeing that; lokera—of people in general; haya—there is; bhrama—mistake; kaliyera—of the snake Kaliya; sarire—on the body; krsna—Lord Krsna; kariche nartana—is dancing.

TRANSLATION

"From a distance, people mistakenly think that they are seeing Krsna dancing on the body of the Kaliya serpent.

Madhya18.106

TEXT 106

naukate kaliya-jnana, dipe ratna-jnane!

jaliyare mudha-loka ’krsna’ kari’ mane!

SYNONYMS

naukate—on the boat; kaliya-jnana—knowledge as the Kaliya snake; dipe—on the torch; ratna-jnane—consideration as jewels; jaliyare—the fisherman; mudha-loka—foolish men; krsna kari’ mane—accept as Krsna.

TRANSLATION

"These fools think that the boat is the Kaliya serpent and the torchlight the jewels on his hoods. People also mistake the fisherman to be Krsna.

Madhya18.107

TEXT 107

vrndavane ’krsna’ aila,--sei ’satya’ haya

krsnere dekhila loka,--iha ’mithya’ naya

SYNONYMS

vrndavane—to Vrndavana; krsna—Lord Krsna; aila—has come back; sei—that; satya haya—is true; krsnere—Krsna; dekhila—saw; loka—the people; iha mithya naya—this is not false.

TRANSLATION

"Actually Lord Krsna has again returned to Vrndavana. That also is a truth, and people have seen Him.

Madhya18.108

TEXT 108

kintu kahon ’krsna’ dekhe, kahon ’bhrama’ mane

sthanu-puruse yaiche viparita-jnane

SYNONYMS

kintu—but; kahon—where; krsna—Krsna; dekhe—one sees; kahon—where; bhrama mane—mistakes; sthanu-puruse—the dry tree and a person; yaiche—as; viparita-jnane—by understanding one to be the other.

TRANSLATION

“But where they are seeing Krsna is their mistake. It is like considering a dry tree to be a person.”

PURPORT

The word sthanu means “a dry tree without leaves.” From a distance one may mistake such a tree for a person. This is called sthanu-purusa. Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was living in Vrndavana, the inhabitants considered Him an ordinary human being, and they mistook the fisherman to be Krsna. Every human being is prone to make such mistakes. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was mistaken for an ordinary sannyasi, the fisherman was mistaken for Krsna, and the torchlight was mistaken for bright jewels on Kaliya’s hoods.