Nama Om..
Mukha…

So we are continuing with the compilation of the Caitanya Book. Digvijay Keshav Kashmiri is offering his prayers to Mahaprabhu.

Your nature is to help others. This is your natural mood. You are displaying this quality for all of us. You know that there is no source of mercy or compassion other than You. So Keshav Kashmiri has realized how Nimai Pandit is actually Krishna and how by nature He is helping others. So in this way He also helped Keshav Kashmiri.

Oh Lord Mahaprabhu, please give me some instruction personally to myself so that mundane desires will not enter into my mind.

So in this way the Digvijay he spoke very humbling words. He glorified the Lord although he was a Digvijay, he was extremely humble in his offering prayers to the Lord.

Sri Gaurasundar heard the humble words of the brahmana. Smiling, He said the following words in response.

Listen oh best of the brahmanas, you are an extremely fortunate person. Saraswati devi is on your lips, on your tongue.

I will debate and conquer all the directions but this is not the achievement of transcendental knowledge, worship of the Supreme Lord, that is real transcendental knowledge and this is the truth. I declare. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explaining how being a great renowned scholar is not the real purpose of life. Rather the purpose of knowledge is to worship the Supreme Lord with one’s knowledge, thi is the perfection of one’s life.

Try to understand through your mind and intelligence. When we give up this body wealth or fame is something that we cannot take with us. So therefore it is not a real use of knowledge. Proper use is to worship the Supreme Lord. Conquering the world is not the proper use of knowledge.

So through the false ego one is desirous of defeating others with superior knowledge. But the Lord is advising that this knowledge of the material world physical strength, wealth, you cannot take with you. When the body is dead they are all useless. So you should not be wasting energy in these temporary pursuits.

That is why the advanced devotees give up all their materialistic pursuits and endeavors. Instead they serve the Lord fixing their consciousness firmly. So the devotees have firm determination to serve the Lord in all situations.

Therefore, dear brahmana, give up all kinds of materialistic activities and association and worship the lotus feet of Lord Shri Krishna.

As long as you are alive, up to that time serve Lord Krishna with confidence. So Mahaprabhu Caitanya is giving instructions to Keshav Kashmiri that he should up to his last breath, serve Lord Krishna.

You know that the real fruit of knowledge is certainly to have your mind fixed on the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

So I have given you a supreme instruction. Vishnu bhakti and everything connected to Vishnu are eternal, in this unlimited material world. There is no other truth in this material world. Sometimes we have some sports events where people give their hearts, mind, emotions to their sports teams. If they score points they feel happy, if they lose they feel sad. But this is an example how the material nature takes our consciousness. If we had a commitment to the Supreme Lord, if we are eternally dedicated our soul to His service, then our life will be perfect. Instead we are doing so many things in the material world which will not last. So here Nimai Pandit, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving His supreme instruction how we should fix our mind in serving Krishna. This is the real truth everywhere. Other things will not last but whatever we do to serve Krishna will stay.

After saying this Caitanya Mahaprabhu being satisfied embraced the brahmana and the brahmana was feeling so inspired to be embraced by Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Lord of the spiritual world gave the brahmana his embrace. In turn that freed the brahmana from all the anarthas and all material bondages.

CC Adi Lila 107“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.”

This is translated by Prabhupad.

108 “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 Mahaprabhu.”

So Lord Caitanya’s specific reason for descending is to deliver the most fallen. So since the Digvijay humbled himself before Lord Caitanya, he was eligible to get Lord Caitanya’s shelter.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, oh, brahmana give up all false pride. Go and worship Lord Krishna. Show your mercy to all the conditioned souls.

Whatever Saraswati devi told you in confidence, those things you should not say to anyone else.

The subjects which are more confidential than the Vedas were told to you. If you tell others your duration of life will be diminished and you will know for certain that your duration of life is not only diminished but your advancement in the next life will be checked. So Saraswati devi revealed Lord Caitanya is Krishna Himself. But she also said that this should not be told to anyone. So as long as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was on earth He did not want to be exposed as the Supreme Lord. So saying that your duration of life will be diminished means untimely death. If we betray the confidence of the Supreme Lord, then your advancement in your next life will also be hampered.

Having received this great instruction from the Lord that fortunate brahmana offered his prostrate obeisances to the Lord. It is interesting to note that Keshav Kashmiri became one of the acharyas in one of the Vaishnava line of Nimbarka Goswami. There he is mentioned as one of the acharyas. So not only did he accept Lord Caitanya’s instruction but he acted on it.

Again and again, the brahmana offered his obeisances at the lotus of the Lord and offered his prayers. He was extremely happy and he departed with great satisfaction.

Getting Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction, the fortunate brahmana he achieved devotion, renunciation, transcendental knowledge and devotional service, they manifested in his body. So this very important. Up to now Lord Caitanya He was not preaching in Navadvip dham. Bu here, He converted Keshav Kashmiri into a devotee of the Lord. So this is a turning point. Therefore, this is something which noteworthy for the devotees. Lord Caitanya, He gave His mercy to Keshav Kashmiri and so became fixed in devotional service. And his descendants according to Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur respect Lord Caitanya even today.

Where did the brahmana’s pride as a Digvijay go? He took grass between his teeth and became humble. How Lord Caitanya in His third verse of Shikshashtakam said we should be more humble than a blade of grass. So after getting the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the brahmana Keshav Bhatta or known as Keshav Kashmiri became more humble than a blade of grass. So we will stop here today. Tomorrow is Ratha Yatra. Maybe Sunday.

Today is also the disappearance day of Bhakti Vinod Thakur. He was the one who first sent books to Canada and the USA. He was trying to spread Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s message all over the West. He was a householder and one of his children was Om Vishnupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. So today is his disappearance day. He lived across the Jalangi river near the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. He saw the birthplace of Lord Caitanya – brilliant light at night. He took Jagannathdas Babaji who was 113 years old. He had put him in a basket on his head. So the place where he saw the light, he asked the Muslim villager what is this place? He said this place is cursed. Whatever you plant only sacred Tulasi comes out! And although Jagannathdas Babaji was not able to walk, at one point he started jumping. Haribol! Gauuuuuuuuuuuranga! Gauuuuuuuuuuranga! So he found out the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. So Bhakti Vinod Thakur said that people could be householders and they should help each other, husband and wife, to spread the message and their sadhana bhakti should increase. Can say many things but it is late.

It is also the disappearance day of Gadaadhar prabhu. He is the energy of the Lord. We are infinitesimal and shakti or potencies of the Lord are very big. Some come from directly from Krishna and some come from Radharani. So Gadaadhar prabhu is the incarnation of Radha and He moved to Jagannath Puri when Lord Caitanya moved there. Radharani prayed that she wanted to be a man so she could associate with Lord Caitanya freely. So in Caitanya pastimes She came as Gadaadhar so she went back to Godhead today.

There is also Gundicha Marjana. Jagannath goes for nine days to Gundicha temple. And today Lord Caitanya cleaned the temple. That is called Gundicha Marjana. In comparison to us in devotional service one can cleanse the heart. So Gundicha Marjana starts out with brooms and goes finer and finer, then it has water and devotees they scrape between the stones. Scrap and scrape are two different things. Scrape is that you clean out the dust between two stones. So in the end Gundicha was cleaned like Lord Caitanya’s mind. So tomorrow is Ratha Yatra in Jagannath Puri. Also here. And in eastern India in many places. In Bangladesh many places. So thank you very much. Are there any questions?

When Lord Caitanya talked to Keshav Kashmiri with utmost respect although Keshav Bhatta was criticizing Him and in the end of course, Keshava Bhatta was changed. So we are respectful to everyone. But the money, the big titles they cannot take with them. We can see in this part of Caitanya Bhagavat or Caitanya Caritamrita how the Lord treated the great scholar with respect. So it says that in the third verse of Shikshashtam – amanina maana dena, give all respect and don’t expect any respect in return. Then the people will be willing to hear what you have to say. Although people may have big things, I met someone who was very wealthy in the Middle East. After the program he asked if he and his wife could speak to me. I said why not? So they came into my room and said people think we are very rich and very happy but we are not happy and we always fight with each other. So he asked for advice. Finally, they turned out to be one of our most dedicated devotees of Bhakti Vriksha.

Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
13 July 2018