Madhya20.347

TEXT 347

kalim sabhajayanty arya

guna-jnah sara-bhaginah

yatra sankirtanenaiva

sarva-svartho ’bhilabhyate

SYNONYMS

kalim—the Kali-yuga; sabhajayanti—worship; aryah—advanced people; guna-jnah—appreciating this good quality of Kali-yuga; sara-bhaginah—persons who accept the essence of life; yatra—in which age; sankirtanena—simply by performing sankirtana-yajna, the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra; eva—certainly; sarva-sva-arthah—all interests of life; abhilabhyate—are achieved.

TRANSLATION

" ’Those who are advanced and highly qualified and are interested in the essence of life, know the good qualities of Kali-yuga. Such people worship the Age of Kali because in this age, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahamantra, one can advance in spiritual knowledge and attain life’s goal.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.36) spoken by the great sage Karabhajana Rsi, one of the nine Yogendras. The sage was informing Maharaja Nimi about the people’s duty to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to different processes in different yugas.

Madhya20.348

TEXT 348

purvavat likhi yabe gunavatara-gana

asankhya sankhya tanra, na haya ganana

SYNONYMS

purva-vat—as previously; likhi—I write; yabe—when; guna-avatara-gana—incarnations of the material modes of nature; asankhya—innumerable; sankhya—counting; tanra—of them; na haya ganana—not actually countable.

TRANSLATION

"As stated before when I described the incarnations of the material modes [guna-avataras], one should consider that these incarnations also are unlimited and that no one can count them.

Madhya20.349

TEXT 349

cari-yugavatare ei ta’ ganana

suni’ bhangi kari’ tanre puche sanatana

SYNONYMS

cari-yuga-avatare—of the incarnations in the four different yugas; ei ta’ ganana—such enumeration; suni’-hearing; bhangi kari’-giving a hint; tanre—unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; puche—inquired; sanatana—Sanatana Gosvami.

TRANSLATION

“Thus I have given a description of the incarnations of the four different yugas.” After hearing all this, Sanatana Gosvami gave an indirect hint to the Lord.

Madhya20.350

TEXT 350

raja-mantri sanatana--buddhye brhaspati

prabhura krpate puche asankoca-mati

SYNONYMS

raja-mantri sanatana—Sanatana Gosvami was formerly an intelligent minister for Nawab Hussain Shah; buddhye—in intelligence; brhaspati—exactly like Brhaspati, the priest in the heavenly kingdom; prabhura krpate—because of the unlimited mercy of the Lord; puche—inquires; asankoca-mati—without hesitation.

TRANSLATION

Sanatana Gosvami had been a minister under Nawab Hussain Shah, and he was undoubtedly as intelligent as Brhaspati, the chief priest of the heavenly kingdom. Due to the Lord’s unlimited mercy, Sanatana Gosvami questioned Him without hesitation.

Madhya20.351

TEXT 351

’ati ksudra jiva muni nica, nicacara

kemane janiba kalite kon avatara?’

SYNONYMS

ati—very; ksudra—unimportant, insignificant; jiva—living entity; muni—I; nica—low; nica-acara—having very abominable behavior; kemane—how; janiba—shall i know; kalite—in this age; kon avatara—who is the incarnation.

TRANSLATION

Sanatana Gosvami said, “I am a very insignificant living entity. I am low and poorly behaved. How can I understand who is the incarnation for this Age of Kali?”

PURPORT

This verse is very important in reference to the incarnations of God. At present there are especially many rascals prevalent in India who proclaim themselves incarnations of God or goddesses. Thus they are fooling and bluffing foolish people. On behalf of the general populace, Sanatana Gosvami presented himself as a foolish, lowborn, poorly behaved person, although he was a most exalted personality. Inferior people cannot accept the real God, yet they are very eager to accept an imitation God who can simply bluff foolish people. All this is going on in this Age of Kali. To guide these foolish people, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu answers the question as follows.

Madhya20.352

TEXT 352

prabhu kahe,--"anyavatara sastra-dvare jani

kalite avatara taiche sastra-vakye mani

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; anya-avatara—the incarnations in other yugas; sastra-dvare jani—one has to accept by reference to the sastras; kalite—in this Age of Kali; avatara—incarnation; taiche—similarly; sastra-vakye mani—one has to accept according to the description of revealed scriptures.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "As in other ages an incarnation is accepted according to the directions of the sastras, in this Age of Kali an incarnation of God should be accepted in that way.

PURPORT

According to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is the way an incarnation should be accepted. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says, sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya, cittete kariya aikya. One should accept a thing as genuine by studying the words of saintly people, the spiritual master and sastra. The actual center is sastra, the revealed scripture. If a spiritual master does not speak according to revealed scripture, he is not to be accepted. Similarly, if a saintly person does not speak according to the sastra, he is not a saintly person. Sastra is the center for all. Unfortunately, at the present moment, people do not refer to the sastras; therefore they accept rascals as incarnations, and consequently they have made incarnations into a very cheap thing. Intelligent people who follow Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instructions and the instructions of the acarya, the bona fide spiritual master, will not accept a pretender as an incarnation of God. In Kali-yuga, the only incarnation is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Imitation incarnations take advantage of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Lord appeared within the past five hundred years, played as the son of a brahmana from Nadia and introduced the sankirtana movement. Imitating Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and ignoring the sastra, rascals present themselves as incarnations and introduce their rascaldom as a religious process. As we have repeatedly said, religion can be given only by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From the discussions in Caitanya-caritamrta, we can understand that in different ages the Supreme Lord introduces different systems and different religious duties. In this Age of Kali, the only incarnation of Krsna is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and He introduced the religious duty of Kali-yuga, the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Madhya20.353

TEXT 353

sarvajna munira vakya--sastra-’paramana’

ama-saba jivera haya sastra-dvara jnana’

SYNONYMS

sarva-jna munira vakya—the words of the omniscient muni (Vyasadeva); sastra-paramana—evidence of revealed scriptures; ama-saba—all of us; jivera—of the conditioned souls; haya—there is; sastra-dvara—through the medium of revealed scriptures; jnana—knowledge.

TRANSLATION

"The Vedic literatures composed by the omniscient Mahamuni Vyasadeva are evidence of all spiritual existence. Only through these revealed scriptures can all conditioned souls attain knowledge.

PURPORT

Foolish people try to concoct knowledge by manufacturing something in their brains. That is not the real way of knowledge. Knowledge is sabda-pramana, evidence from Vedic literature. Srila Vyasadeva is called Mahamuni. He is also known as Vedavyasa because he has compiled so many sastras. He has divided the Vedas into four divisions-Sama, Rg, Yajur and Atharva. He has expanded the Vedas into eighteen Puranas and has summarized Vedic knowledge in the Vedanta-sutra. He also compiled the Mahabharata, which is accepted as the fifth Veda. Bhagavad-gita is contained within the Mahabharata. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is also Vedic literature (smrti). Some of the Vedic literatures are called srutis, and some are called smrtis. Srila Rupa Gosvami recommends in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.101):

sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate

Unless one refers to sastra (sruti, smrti and puranadi), one’s spiritual activity simply disturbs society. There is no king or government to check people, and therefore society has fallen into a chaotic condition as far as spiritual understanding is concerned. Taking advantage of this chaotic condition, many rascals have appeared and proclaimed themselves incarnations of God. As a result, the entire population is indulging in sinful activities such as illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. Out of many sinful people, many incarnations of God are emerging. This is a very regrettable situation, especially in India.

Madhya20.354

TEXT 354

avatara nahi kahe--’ami avatara’

muni saba jani’ kare laksana-vicara

SYNONYMS

avatara—the actual incarnation of Godhead; nahi—never; kahe—says; ami avatara—I am an incarnation; muni—the great sage Mahamuni Vyasadeva; saba jani’-knowing all (past, present and future); kare laksana-vicara—describes the symptoms of the avataras.

TRANSLATION

"An actual incarnation of God never says, ’I am God,’ or ’I am an incarnation of God.’ The great sage Vyasadeva, knowing all, has already recorded the characteristics of the avataras in the sastras.

PURPORT

In this verse it is clearly stated that a real incarnation of God never claims to be a real incarnation. According to the symptoms described in the sastra, one can understand who is an avatara and who is not.

Madhya20.355

TEXT 355

yasyavatara jnayante

saririsv asaririnah

tais tair atulyatisayair

viryair dehisv asangataih

SYNONYMS

yasya—whose; avatarah—incarnations; jnayante—can be known; saririsu—among the living entities; asaririnah—of the Lord, who has no material body; taih taih—all those; atulya—incomparable; atisayaih—extraordinary; viryaih—by prowess; dehisu—among the living entities; asangataih—impossible.

TRANSLATION

" ’The Lord does not have a material body, yet He descends among human beings in His transcendental body as an incarnation. Therefore it is very difficult for us to understand who is an incarnation. Only by His extraordinary prowess and uncommon activities, which are impossible for embodied living entities, can one partially understand the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.10.34).

Madhya20.356

TEXT 356

’svarupa’-laksana, ara ’tatastha-laksana’

ei dui laksane ’vastu’ jane muni-gana

SYNONYMS

svarupa-laksana—the personal characteristics; ara—and; tatastha-laksana—the marginal characteristics; ei dui laksane—by these two symptoms; vastu—an object; jane—know; muni-gana—the great sages.

TRANSLATION

"By two symptoms-personal characteristics and marginal characteristics-the great sages can understand an object.

Madhya20.357

TEXT 357

akrti, prakrti, svarupa,--svarupa-laksana

karya-dvara jnana,--ei tatastha-laksana

SYNONYMS

akrti—bodily features; prakrti—nature; svarupa—form; svarupa-laksana—personal symptoms; karya-dvara—by activities; jnana—knowledge; ei—this; tatastha-laksana—the marginal symptom.

TRANSLATION

"Bodily features, nature and form are the personal characteristics. Knowledge of His activities provides the marginal characteristic.

Madhya20.358

TEXT 358

bhagavatarambhe vyasa mangalacarane

’paramesvara’ nirupila ei dui laksane

SYNONYMS

bhagavata-arambhe—in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam; vyasa—the great author Vyasadeva; mangala-acarane—in the auspicious invocation; parama-isvara—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nirupila—has described; ei dui laksane—by these two characteristics, namely svarupa (personal) and tatastha (marginal) symptoms.

TRANSLATION

"In the auspicious invocation in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Vyasadeva has described the Supreme Personality of Godhead by these symptoms.

Madhya20.359

TEXT 359

janmady asya yato ’nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat

tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah

tejo-vari-mrdam yatha vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mrsa

dhamna svena sada nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhimahi

SYNONYMS

janma-adi—creation, maintenance and dissolution; asya—of this (the universe); yatah—from whom; anvayat—directly from the spiritual connection; itaratah—indirectly from the lack of material contact; ca—also; arthesu—in all affairs; abhijnah—perfectly cognizant; sva-rat—independent; tene—imparted; brahma—the Absolute Truth; hrda—through the heart; yah—who; adi-kavaye—unto Lord Brahma; muhyanti—are bewildered; yat—in whom; surayah—great personalities like Lord Brahma and other demigods or great brahmanas; tejah-vari-mrdam—of fire, water and earth; yatha—as; vinimayah—the exchange; yatra—in whom; tri-sargah—the material creation of three modes; amrsa—factual; dhamna—with the abode; svena—His own personal; sada—always; nirasta-kuhakam—devoid of all illusion; satyam—the truth; param—absolute; dhimahi—let us meditate upon.

TRANSLATION

" ’I offer my obeisances unto Lord Sri Krsna, son of Vasudeva, who is the supreme all-pervading Personality of Godhead. I meditate upon Him, the transcendent reality, who is the primeval cause of all causes, from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they dwell and by whom they are destroyed. I meditate upon that eternally effulgent Lord who is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations and yet is beyond them. It is He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahma, the first created being. Through Him this world, like a mirage, appears real even to great sages and demigods. Because of Him, the material universes, created by the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I meditate, therefore, upon Him, the Absolute Truth, who is eternally existent in His transcendental abode and who is forever free of illusion.’

PURPORT

Madhya20.360

TEXT 360

ei sloke ’param’-sabde ’krsna’-nirupana

’satyam’ sabde kahe tanra svarupa-laksana

SYNONYMS

ei sloke—in this verse; param-sabde—by the word param, or supreme; krsna—of Lord Krsna; nirupana—there is an indication; satyam sabde—by the word satyam, or Absolute Truth; kahe—indicates; tanra—His; svarupa-laksana—personal characteristics.

TRANSLATION

"In this invocation from Srimad-Bhagavatam, the word param indicates Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the word satyam indicates His personal characteristics.

Madhya20.361

TEXT 361

visva-srsty-adi kaila, veda brahmake padaila

arthabhijnata, svarupa-saktye maya dura kaila

SYNONYMS

visva-srsti-adi—creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation; kaila—performed; veda—the Vedic knowledge; brahmake—unto Lord Brahma; padaila—instructed; artha-abhijnata—having full knowledge of past, present and future; svarupa-saktye—by His personal energy; maya—the illusory energy; dura kaila—separated.

TRANSLATION

"In that same verse it is stated that the Lord is the creator, maintainer and annihilator of the cosmic manifestation, and that He enabled Lord Brahma to create the universe by infusing him with the knowledge of the Vedas. It is also stated that the Lord has full knowledge directly and indirectly, that He knows past, present and future and that His personal energy is separate from maya, the illusory energy.

Madhya20.362

TEXT 362

ei saba karya--tanra tatastha-laksana

anya avatara aiche jane muni-gana

SYNONYMS

ei saba karya—all these activities; tanra—His; tatastha-laksana—marginal characteristics; anya avatara—another incarnation; aiche—in that same way; jane—know; muni-gana—the great saintly persons like Vyasadeva.

TRANSLATION

"All these activities are His marginal characteristics. Great saintly persons understand the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the indications of the two characteristics known as svarupa and tatastha. All the incarnations of Krsna should be understood in this way.

Madhya20.363

TEXT 363

avatara-kale haya jagate gocara

ei dui laksane keha janaye isvara"

SYNONYMS

avatara-kale—at the time of incarnation; haya—there is; jagate—in the world; gocara—information; ei dui laksane—by these two characteristics, namely svarupa and tatastha; keha—some persons; janaye—know; isvara—the incarnation of the Supreme Lord.

TRANSLATION

“At the time of Their appearance, the incarnations of the Lord are known in the world because people can consult the sastras to understand the incarnation’s chief characteristics, known as svarupa and tatastha. In this way the incarnations become known to great saintly persons.”

Madhya20.364

TEXT 364

sanatana kahe,--"yate isvara-laksana

pita-varna, karya--prema-dana-sankirtana

SYNONYMS

sanatana kahe—Sanatana said; yate—in whom; isvara-laksana—the characteristics of the Lord are found; pita-varna—yellowish color; karya—activities; prema-dana—distributing love of Godhead; sankirtana—and chanting congregationally the holy name of the Lord.

TRANSLATION

Sanatana Gosvami, "The color of the personality in whom the characteristics of the Lord are found is yellowish. His activities include the distribution of love of Godhead and the chanting of the holy names of the Lord.

Madhya20.365

TEXT 365

kali-kale sei ’krsnavatara’ niscaya

sudrdha kariya kaha, yauka samsaya"

SYNONYMS

kali-kale—in the Age of Kali; sei—that personality; krsna-avatara—the incarnation of Krsna; niscaya—certainly; su-drdha kariya—firmly; kaha—kindly inform me; yauka samsaya—so that all doubts may go away.

TRANSLATION

“The incarnation of Krsna for this age is indicated by these symptoms. Please confirm this definitely so that all my doubts will go away.”

PURPORT

Sanatana Gosvami wanted to confirm the fact that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the incarnation of Krsna for this age. According to sastra, in Kali-yuga the Lord would assume a golden or yellow color and would distribute love of Krsna and the sankirtana movement. In accordance with sastra and saintly persons, these characteristics were vividly displayed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and it was therefore clear that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was an incarnation of Krsna. He was confirmed by the sastras, and His characteristics were accepted by saintly people. Since Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu could not escape Sanatana Gosvami’s argument, He remained silent on this point and thereby indirectly accepted Sanatana’s statement. By this we can clearly understand that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the direct incarnation of Lord Krsna.

Madhya20.366

TEXT 366

prabhu kahe,--caturali chada, sanatana

saktyavesavatarera suna vivarana

SYNONYMS

prabhu kahe—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied; caturali—very intelligent argument; chada—give up; sanatana—O Sanatana; sakti-avesa-avatarera—of the especially empowered incarnations; suna—hear; vivarana—the description.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "O Sanatana, you must give up your intelligent tricks. Just try to understand the meaning of the saktyavesa-avatara.

Madhya20.367

TEXT 367

saktyavesavatara krsnera asankhya ganana

dig-darasana kari mukhya mukhya jana

SYNONYMS

sakti-avesa-avatara—incarnations especially empowered by the Lord; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; asankhya ganana—unlimited and innumerable; dik-darasana kari—let Me describe some of them; mukhya mukhya jana—who are counted as the chief.

TRANSLATION

"There are unlimited saktyavesa-avataras of Lord Krsna. Let Me describe the chief among them.

Madhya20.368

TEXT 368

saktyavesa dui-rupa--’mukhya’, ’gauna’ dekhi

saksat-saktye ’avatara’, abhase ’vibhuti’ likhi

SYNONYMS

sakti-avesa—empowered incarnations; dui-rupa—two categories; mukhya—primary; gauna—secondary; dekhi—I see; saksat-saktye—when there is direct power; avatara—they are called incarnations; abhase—when there is indication; vibhuti likhi—they are called vibhuti, or possessing special favor.

TRANSLATION

"Empowered incarnations are of two types-primary and secondary. The primary one is directly empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is called an incarnation. The secondary one is indirectly empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is called vibhuti.

Madhya20.369

TEXT 369

’sanakadi’, ’narada’, ’prthu’ ’parasurama’

jiva-rupa ’brahmara’ avesavatara-nama

SYNONYMS

sanaka-adi—the four Kumaras; narada—Narada; prthu—Maharaja Prthu; parasurama—Parasurama; jiva-rupa—as the living entity; brahmara—of Lord Brahma; avesa-avatara-nama—all of them are called empowered incarnations.

TRANSLATION

"Some saktyavesa-avataras are the four Kumaras, Narada, Maharaja Prthu and Parasurama. When a living being is empowered to act as Lord Brahma, he is also considered a saktyavesa-avatara.

Madhya20.370

TEXT 370

vaikunthe ’sesa’--dhara dharaye ’ananta’

ei mukhyavesavatara--vistare nahi anta

SYNONYMS

vaikunthe—in the spiritual world; sesa—Lord Sesa; dhara dharaye—carries innumerable planets; ananta—Ananta; ei—these; mukhya-avesa-avatara—primary directly empowered incarnations; vistare—in expanding them; nahi—there is not; anta—limit.

TRANSLATION

"Lord Sesa in the spiritual world of Vaikuntha and, in the material world, Lord Ananta, who carries innumerable planets on His hood, are two primary empowered incarnations. There is no need to count the others, for they are unlimited.

Madhya20.371

TEXT 371

sanakadye ’jnana’-sakti, narade sakti ’bhakti’

brahmaya ’srsti’-sakti, anante ’bhu-dharana’-sakti

SYNONYMS

sanaka-adye—in the four Kumaras; jnana-sakti—the power of knowledge; narade—in Narada Muni; sakti—the power; bhakti—of devotional service; brahmaya—in Lord Brahma; srsti-sakti—the power of creation; anante—in Lord Ananta; bhu-dharana-sakti—the power to carry the planets.

TRANSLATION

"The power of knowledge was invested in the four Kumaras, and the power of devotional service was invested in Narada. The power of creation was invested in Lord Brahma, and the power to carry innumerable planets was invested in Lord Ananta.

Madhya20.372

TEXT 372

sese ’sva-sevana’-sakti, prthute ’palana’

parasurame ’dusta-nasaka-virya-sancarana’

SYNONYMS

sese—in Lord Sesa; sva-sevana sakti—the power to serve the Lord personally; prthute—in King Prthu; palana—the power to rule; parasurame—in Parasurama; dusta-nasaka-virya—the extraordinary power to kill rogues and miscreants; sancarana—empowering.

TRANSLATION

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead invested the power of personal service to Lord Sesa, and He invested the power to rule the earth in King Prthu. Lord Parasurama received the power to kill rogues and miscreants.

PURPORT

Madhya20.373

TEXT 373

jnana-sakty-adi-kala ya

yatravisto janardanah

ta avesa nigadyante

jiva eva mahattamah

SYNONYMS

jnana-sakti-adi-kalaya—by portions of the potencies of knowledge, devotional service, creation, personal service, ruling over the material world, carrying the different planets, and killing the rogues and miscreants; yatra—wherever; avistah—is entered; janardanah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu; te—they; avesah—empowered; nigadyante—are called; jivah—living entities; eva—although; mahat-tamah—most exalted devotees.

TRANSLATION

" ’Whenever the Lord is present in someone by portions of His various potencies, the living entity representing the Lord is called saktyavesa-avatara-that is, an incarnation invested with special power.’

PURPORT

This verse is found in the Laghu-bhagavatamrta (1.18).

Madhya20.374

TEXT 374

’vibhuti’ kahiye yaiche gita-ekadase

jagat vyapila krsna-sakty-abhasavese

SYNONYMS

vibhuti—specific power; kahiye—we say; yaiche—just like; gita—of Bhagavad-gita; ekadase—in the Eleventh Chapter; jagat—throughout the whole universe; vyapila—He expanded; krsna-sakti-abhasa-avese—by the reflection of His power.

TRANSLATION

"As explained in the Eleventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna has spread Himself all over the universe in many personalities through specific powers, known as vibhuti.

PURPORT

Madhya20.375

TEXT 375

yad yad vibhutimat sattvam

srimad urjitam eva va

tat tad evavagaccha tvam

mama tejo ’msa-sambhavam

SYNONYMS

yat yat—whatever and wherever; vibhutimat—extraordinarily opulent; sat-tvam—living entity; srimat—full of wealth; urjitam—full of power; eva—certainly; va—or; tat tat—there; eva—certainly; avagaccha—should know; tvam—you; mama—of Me; tejah—of power; amsa—of a part; sambhavam—exhibition.

TRANSLATION

" ’Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring but from a spark of My splendor.

PURPORT

Madhya20.376

TEXT 376

athava bahunaitena

kim jnatena tavarjuna

vistabhyaham idam krtsnam

ekamsena sthito jagat

SYNONYMS

athava—or; bahuna—much; etena—with this; kim—what use; jnatena—being known; tava—by you; arjuna—O Arjuna; vistabhya—pervading; aham—I; idam—this; krtsnam—entire; eka-amsena—with one portion; sthitah—situated; jagat—universe.

TRANSLATION

" ’But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.’

PURPORT

Madhya20.377

TEXT 377

eita kahilun sakty-avesa-avatara

balya-pauganda-dharmera sunaha vicara

SYNONYMS

eita—thus; kahilun—I have explained; sakti-avesa-avatara—the incarnations specifically empowered; balya—in childhood; pauganda—in boyhood; dharmera—of the characteristics; sunaha—now hear; vicara—the consideration.

TRANSLATION

"Thus I have explained specifically empowered incarnations. Now please hear about the characteristics of Lord Krsna’s childhood, boyhood and youth.

Madhya20.378

TEXT 378

kisora-sekhara-dharmi vrajendra-nandana

prakata-lila karibare yabe kare mana

SYNONYMS

kisora-sekhara—topmost of youth; dharmi—whose natural position; vrajendra-nandana—the son of Maharaja Nanda; prakata-lila—manifested pastimes; karibare—to perform; yabe—when; kare—makes; mana—mind.

TRANSLATION

"As the son of Maharaja Nanda, Lord Krsna is by nature the paragon of kisora [youth]. He chooses to exhibit His pastimes at that age.

Madhya20.379

TEXT 379

adau prakata karaya mata-pita--bhakta-gane

pache prakata haya janmadika-lila-krame

SYNONYMS

adau—first; prakata—manifest; karaya—He makes; mata-pita—His mother and father; bhakta-gane—similar devotees; pache—after that; prakata haya—becomes manifest; janma-adika-lila-krame—such pastimes as birth, in order.

TRANSLATION

"Before His personal appearance, the Lord causes some of His devotees to appear as His mother, father and intimate associates. He then appears later as if He were taking birth and growing from a baby to a child and gradually into a youth.

Madhya20.380

TEXT 380

vayaso vividhatve ’pi

sarva-bhakti-rasasrayah

dharmi kisora evatra

nitya-lila-vilasa van

SYNONYMS

vayasah—of age; vividhatve—in varieties; api—although; sarva—of all kinds; bhakti-rasa-asrayah-the shelter of devotional service; dharmi—whose constitutional nature; kisorah—in the age before youth; eva—certainly; atra—in this; nitya-lila—of eternal pastimes; vilasavan—the supreme enjoyer.

TRANSLATION

" ’The Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally enjoying Himself, and He is the shelter of all kinds of devotional service. Although His ages are various, His age known as kisora [pre-youth] is best of all.’

PURPORT

This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.1.63).

Madhya20.381

TEXT 381

putana-vadhadi yata lila ksane ksane

saba lila nitya prakata kare anukrame

SYNONYMS

putana-vadha-adi—killing of the demons like Putana; yata—all; lila—pastimes; ksane ksane—one moment after another; saba lila—all these pastimes; nitya—eternally; prakata—manifesting; kare—does; anukrame—one after another.

TRANSLATION

"When Lord Krsna appears, from moment to moment He exhibits His different pastimes, beginning with the killing of Putana. All these pastimes are eternally being demonstrated one after another.

Madhya20.382

TEXT 382

ananta brahmanda, tara nahika ganana

kona lila kona brahmande haya prakatana

SYNONYMS

ananta brahmanda—innumerable universes; tara—of which; nahika ganana—there is no counting; kona lila—some pastimes; kona brahmande—in some universe; haya—there is; prakatana—manifestation.

TRANSLATION

"The consecutive pastimes of Krsna are manifest in one of the innumerable universes moment after moment. There is no possibility of counting the universes, but in any case some pastime of the Lord is being manifest at every moment in one universe or another.

Madhya20.383

TEXT 383

ei-mata saba lila--yena ganga-dhara

se-se lila prakata kare vrajendra-kumara

SYNONYMS

ei-mata—in this way; saba lila—all pastimes; yena—like; ganga-dhara—the flowing of the water of the Ganges; se-se—those; lila—pastimes; prakata kare—demonstrates; vrajendra-kumara—the son of Maharaja Nanda.

TRANSLATION

"Thus the Lord’s pastimes are like flowing Ganges water. In this way all the pastimes are manifested by the son of Nanda Maharaja.

Madhya20.384

TEXT 384

krame balya-pauganda-kaisorata-prapti

rasa-adi lila kare, kaisore nitya-sthiti

SYNONYMS

krame—gradually; balya—childhood; pauganda—boyhood; kaisorata—youth; prapti—development; rasa—dancing with the gopis; adi—and others; lila—pastimes; kare—performs; kaisore—in His age of pre-youth; nitya-sthiti—eternally existing.

TRANSLATION

"Lord Krsna exhibits His pastimes of childhood, boyhood and pre-youth. When He reaches pre-youth, He continues to exist eternally to perform His rasa dance and other pastimes.

PURPORT

Madhya20.385

TEXT 385

’nitya-lila’ krsnera sarva-sastre kaya

bujhite na pare lila kemane ’nitya’ haya

SYNONYMS

nitya-lila—eternal pastimes; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; sarva-sastre kaya—described in every sastra; bujhite na pare—not able to understand; lila—pastimes; kemane—how; nitya haya—are eternal.

TRANSLATION

"Descriptions of Krsna’s eternal pastimes are in all revealed scriptures. But one cannot understand how they are continuing eternally.

Madhya20.386

TEXT 386

drstanta diya kahi tabe loka yadi jane

krsna-lila--nitya, jyotiscakra-pramane

SYNONYMS

drstanta diya—giving an example; kahi—let Me say; tabe—then; loka—people; yadi—if; jane—can understand; krsna-lila—pastimes of Lord Krsna; nitya—eternal; jyotih-cakra—of the zodiac; pramane—by evidence.

TRANSLATION

"Let me give an example by which people may understand Lord Krsna’s eternal pastimes. An example can be found in the zodiac.

Madhya20.387

TEXT 387

jyotiscakre surya yena phire ratri-dine

sapta-dvipambudhi langhi’ phire krame krame

SYNONYMS

jyotih-cakre—in the zodiac; surya—of the sun; yena—as; phire—moves; ratri-dine—the day and night; sapta-dvipa-ambudhi—the oceans of the islands; langhi’-crossing; phire—rotates; krame krame—one after another.

TRANSLATION

"The sun moves across the zodiac day and night and crosses the oceans between the seven islands one after the other.

Madhya20.388

TEXT 388

ratri-dine haya sasti-danda-parimana

tina-sahasra chaya-sata ’pala’ tara mana

SYNONYMS

ratri-dine—during the whole day and night; haya—there is; sasti-danda—of sixty dandas (a measure of time); parimana—duration; tina-sahasra—three thousand; chaya-sata—six hundred; pala—palas; tara—of that; mana—measurement.

TRANSLATION

"According to Vedic astronomical calculations, the rotation of the sun consists of sixty dandas, and it is divided into thirty-six hundred palas.

Madhya20.389

TEXT 389

suryodaya haite sasti-pala-kramodaya

sei eka danda, asta dande ’prahara’ haya

SYNONYMS

surya-udaya haite—beginning from the sunrise; sasti-pala—sixty palas; krama-udaya—gradually rising higher and higher; sei—that; eka danda—one danda; asta dande—in eight dandas; prahara haya—there is a prahara.

TRANSLATION

"The sun rises in steps consisting of sixty palas. Sixty palas equal one danda, and eight dandas comprise one prahara.

Madhya20.390

TEXT 390

eka-dui-tina-cari prahare asta haya

cari-prahara ratri gele punah suryodaya

SYNONYMS

eka-dui-tina-cari—one, two, three, four; prahare—in praharas; asta haya—the sun sets in the evening; cari-prahara—generally after four praharas; ratri—the night; gele—when it passes; punah—again; suryodaya—the sun rises.

TRANSLATION

"Day and night are divided into eight praharas-four belonging to the day and four belonging to the night. After eight praharas, the sun rises again.

Madhya20.391

TEXT 391

aiche krsnera lila-mandala caudda-manvantare

brahmanda-mandala vyapi’ krame krame phire

SYNONYMS

aiche—in the same way; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; lila-mandala—groups of different pastimes; caudda-manvantare—in the duration of fourteen Manus; brahmanda-mandala—all of the universes; vyapi’-spreading through; krame krame—gradually; phire—return.

TRANSLATION

"Just like the sun, there is an orbit to Krsna’s pastimes, which are manifest one after the other. During the lifetime of fourteen Manus, this orbit expands through all the universes, and gradually it returns. Thus Krsna moves with His pastimes through all the universes, one after another.

Madhya20.392

TEXT 392

saoyasata vatsara krsnera prakata-prakasa

taha yaiche vraja-pure karila vilasa

SYNONYMS

saoyasata—125; vatsara—years; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; prakata-prakasa—manifestation of the appearance; taha—that; yaiche—like; vraja-pure—in Vrndavana and Dvaraka; karila vilasa—enjoys the pastimes.

TRANSLATION

"Krsna remains within a universe for 125 years, and He enjoys His pastimes both in Vrndavana and Dvaraka.

Madhya20.393

TEXT 393

alata-cakra-praya sei lila-cakra phire

saba lila saba brahmande krame udaya kare

SYNONYMS

alata-cakra-praya—exactly like a wheel of fire; sei—that; lila-cakra—the cycle of Krsna’s pastimes; phire—turns; saba lila—all these pastimes; saba brahmande—in all the universes; krame—one after another; udaya kare—become manifest.

TRANSLATION

"The cycle of His pastimes turns like a wheel of fire. Thus Krsna exhibits His pastimes one after the other in every universe.

Madhya20.394

TEXT 394

janma, balya, pauganda, kaisora prakasa

putana-vadhadi kari’ mausalanta vilasa

SYNONYMS

janma—birth; balya—childhood; pauganda—boyhood; kaisora—pre-youth; prakasa—manifestation; putana-vadha-adi—killing the demons, beginning from Putana; kari’-manifesting; mausalanta—until the end of the mausala pastimes; vilasa—pastimes.

TRANSLATION

"Krsna’s pastimes-appearance, childhood, boyhood and youth-are all manifest, beginning with the killing of Putana and extending to the end of mausala-lila, the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty. All of these pastimes are rotating in every universe.

Madhya20.395

TEXT 395

kona brahmande kona lilara haya avasthana

tate lila ’nitya’ kahe agama-purana

SYNONYMS

kona brahmande—in some universe; kona lilara—some pastimes; haya—there is; avasthana—the presence; tate—therefore; lila—pastimes; nitya—eternal; kahe—explains; agama-purana—the Vedas and Puranas.

TRANSLATION

"Since all Krsna’s pastimes are taking place continuously, at every moment some pastime is existing in one universe or another. Consequently these pastimes are called eternal by the Vedas and Puranas.

Madhya20.396

TEXT 396

goloka, gokula-dhama--’vibhu’ krsna-sama

krsnecchaya brahmanda-gane tahara sankrama

SYNONYMS

goloka—the planet known as Goloka; gokula-dhama—the spiritual land, the pasturing fields for the surabhi cows; vibhu—opulent and powerful; krsna-sama—as much as Krsna; krsna-icchaya—by the supreme will of Krsna; brahmanda-gane—in each of the universes; tahara—of the Goloka and Gokula dhamas; sankrama—appearance.

TRANSLATION

"The spiritual abode known as Goloka, which is a pasturing land for surabhi cows, is as powerful and opulent as Krsna. By the will of Krsna, the original Goloka and Gokula dhamas are manifest with Him in all the universes.

Madhya20.397

TEXT 397

ataeva goloka-sthane nitya vihara

brahmanda-gane krame prakatya tahara

SYNONYMS

ataeva—therefore; goloka-sthane—in the original Goloka Vrndavana planet; nitya vihara—eternal pastimes; brahmanda-gane—within the material universes; krame—gradually; prakatya—manifestation; tahara—of them.

TRANSLATION

"The eternal pastimes of Krsna are continuously taking place in the original Goloka Vrndavana planet. These same pastimes are gradually manifest within the material world, in each and every brahmanda.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura elucidates this complicated explanation of Krsna’s pastimes. Krsna’s pastimes are always present in the material world in one of the many universes. These pastimes appear in the universes one after the other, just as the sun moves across the sky and measures the time. Krsna’s appearance may be manifest in this universe at one moment, and immediately after His birth, this pastime is manifest in the next universe. After His killing of Putana is manifest in this universe, it is next manifest in another universe. Thus all the pastimes of Krsna are eternally existing both in the original Goloka Vrndavana planet and in the material universes. The 125 years calculated in our solar system to be Krsna’s lifetime equal one moment for Krsna. One moment these pastimes are manifest in one universe, and the next moment they are manifest in the next universe. There are unlimited universes, and Krsna’s pastimes are manifest one moment after the other in all of them. This rotation is explained through the example of the sun’s moving across the sky. Krsna appears and disappears in innumerable universes, just as the sun appears and disappears during the day. Although the sun appears to rise and set, it is continuously shining somewhere on the earth. Although Krsna’s pastimes seem to appear and disappear, they are continuously existing in one brahmanda (universe) or another. Thus all of Krsna’s lilas are present simultaneously throughout the innumerable universes. By our limited senses we cannot appreciate this; therefore Krsna’s eternal pastimes are very difficult for us to understand. One should try to understand how they are taking place by understanding the allegory of the sun. Although the Lord is appearing constantly in the material universes, His pastimes are eternally present in the original Goloka Vrndavana. Therefore these pastimes are called nitya-lila (eternally present pastimes). Because we cannot see what is going on in other universes, it is a little difficult for us to understand how Krsna is eternally manifesting His pastimes. There are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahma, and this time calculation is also taking place in other universes. Krsna’s pastimes are manifest before fourteen Manus expire. Although it is a little difficult to understand the eternal pastimes of Krsna in this way, we must accept the verdict of Vedic literatures.

There are two types of devotees-the sadhaka, who is preparing for perfection, and the siddha, who is already perfect. As far as those who are already perfect are concerned, Bhagavad-gita says, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so ’rjuna: “After giving up this material body, such a devotee comes to Me.” After leaving the material body, the perfect devotee takes birth in the womb of a gopi on a planet where Krsna’s pastimes are going on. This may be in this universe or another universe. This statement is found in the Ujjvala-nilamani, which is commented upon by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. When a devotee becomes perfect, he is transferred to the universe where Krsna’s pastimes are taking place. Krsna’s eternal associates go wherever Krsna manifests His pastimes. As stated before, first the father and mother of Krsna appear, then the other associates. Quitting his material body, the perfect devotee also goes to associate with Krsna and His other associates.

Madhya20.398

TEXT 398

vraje krsna--sarvaisvarya-prakase ’purnatama’

puri-dvaye, paravyome--’purnatara’, ’purna’

SYNONYMS

vraje—in Vrndavana; krsna—Lord Krsna; sarva-aisvarya-prakase—manifestation of His full opulence; purna-tama—most complete; puri-dvaye—in Dvaraka and Mathura; para-vyome—and in the spiritual world; purna-tara—more complete; purna—complete.

TRANSLATION

"Krsna is complete in the spiritual sky [Vaikuntha]. He is more complete in Mathura and Dvaraka, and He is most complete in Vrndavana, Vraja, due to His manifesting all His opulences.

PURPORT

This is confirmed in the following three verses from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.1.221-223).

Madhya20.399

TEXT 399

harih purnatamah purna-

tarah purna iti tridha

srestha-madhyadibhih sabdair

natye yah paripathyate

SYNONYMS

harih—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; purna-tamah—most complete; purna-tarah—more complete; purnah—complete; iti—thus; tri-dha—three stages; srestha—best; madhya-adibhih—middle, etc.; sabdaih—by the words; natye—in books on dramatics; yah—who; paripathyate—is proclaimed.

TRANSLATION

“ ’This is stated in the dramatic literatures as ”perfect,“ ”more perfect,“ and ”most perfect." Thus Lord Krsna manifests Himself in three ways-perfect, more perfect and most perfect.

Madhya20.400

TEXT 400

prakasitakhila-gunah

smrtah purnatamo budhaih

asarva-vyanjakah purna-

tarah purno ’lpa-darsakah

SYNONYMS

prakasita-akhila-gunah—having all transcendental qualities manifested; smrtah—is understood; purna-tamah—most perfect; budhaih—by learned scholars; asarva-vyanjakah—having qualities not fully manifested; purna-tarah—more perfect; purnah—perfect; alpa-darsakah—still less fully manifested.

TRANSLATION

" ’When the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not manifest all His transcendental qualities, He is called complete. When all the qualities are manifest, but not fully, He is called more complete. When He manifests all His qualities in fullness, He is called most complete. This is the version of all learned scholars in the devotional science.

Madhya20.401

TEXT 401

krsnasya purnatamata

vyaktabhud gokulantare

purnata purnatarata

dvaraka-mathuradisu

SYNONYMS

krsnasya—of Lord Krsna; purna-tamata—being most perfect; vyakta—manifested; abhut—became; gokula-antare—in the domain of Gokula Vrndavana; purnata—completeness; purna-tarata—more completeness; dvaraka—in Dvaraka; mathura-adisu—and Mathura, and so on.

TRANSLATION

" ’The most complete qualities of Krsna are manifest within Vrndavana, and His complete and more complete qualities are manifest in Dvaraka and Mathura.’

Madhya20.402

TEXT 402

ei krsna--vraje ’purnatama’ bhagavan

ara saba svarupa--’purnatara’ ’purna’ nama

SYNONYMS

ei krsna—the same Krsna; vraje—Vrndavana; purna-tama bhagavan—the most complete manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ara—other; saba—all; sva-rupa—forms; purna-tara—more complete; purna—complete; nama—named.

TRANSLATION

"Lord Krsna is the most complete Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vrndavana. Elsewhere all His expansions are either complete or more complete.

Madhya20.403

TEXT 403

sanksepe kahilun krsnera svarupa-vicara

’ananta’ kahite nare ihara vistara

SYNONYMS

sanksepe—in brief; kahilun—I have described; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; svarupa-vicara—consideration of His different forms and features; ananta—Lord Ananta; kahite nare—not able to describe; ihara—of this; vistara—the expanse.

TRANSLATION

"Thus I have briefly described Krsna’s manifestation of transcendental forms. This subject matter is so large that even Lord Ananta cannot describe it fully.

Madhya20.404

TEXT 404

ananta svarupa krsnera nahika ganana

sakha-candra-nyaye kari dig-darasana

SYNONYMS

ananta—unlimited; svarupa—forms; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; nahika ganana—there is no counting; sakha-candra-nyaye—by the logic of showing the moon through the branches of a tree; kari—I do; dik-darasana—only partial showing.

TRANSLATION

“In this way Krsna’s transcendental forms are expanded unlimitedly. No one can count them. Whatever I have explained is simply a little glimpse. It is like showing the moon through the branches of a tree.”

Madhya20.405

TEXT 405

iha yei sune, pade, sei bhagyavan

krsnera svarupa-tattvera haya kichu jnana

SYNONYMS

iha—this narration; yei sune—anyone who hears; pade—or reads; sei—such a person; bhagyavan—is most fortunate; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; svarupa-tattvera-of personal bodily features; haya—there is; kichu—something; jnana—knowledge.

TRANSLATION

Whoever hears or recites these descriptions of the expansions of Krsna’s body is certainly a very fortunate man. Although this is very difficult to understand, one can nonetheless acquire some knowledge about the different features of Krsna’s body.

Madhya20.406

TEXT 406

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; krsnadasa—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, Madhya-lila, Twentieth Chapter, describing how Sanatana Gosvami met the Lord at Varanasi and received knowledge of the Absolute Truth.