Antya-lilaChapter 5: How Pradyumna Misra Received Instructions from Ramananda Raya

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrta

CC Antya 5 Summary

CC Antya 5.1: I am infected by the germs of material activity and am suffering from the boils of envy. Therefore, falling in an ocean of humility, I take shelter of the great physician Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 5.2: All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the son of mother Saci! All glories to Sri Nityananda Prabhu! Indeed, He is the most glorious and merciful.

CC Antya 5.3: I offer my respectful obeisances unto Advaita Prabhu, the ocean of mercy, and to all the devotees, such as Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, Gadadhara Pandita, Sri Rupa Gosvami and Sri Sanatana Gosvami.

CC Antya 5.4: One day Pradyumna Misra came to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, offering his respects and inquiring from Him with great submission.

CC Antya 5.5: "My Lord," he said, "kindly hear me. I am a cripple-minded householder, the most fallen of men, but somehow, by my good fortune, I have received the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are rarely to be seen.

CC Antya 5.6: "I wish to hear topics concerning Lord Krsna constantly. Be merciful unto me and kindly tell me something about Krsna."

CC Antya 5.7: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "I do not know about topics concerning Lord Krsna. I think that only Ramananda Raya knows, for I hear these topics from him.

CC Antya 5.8: "It is your good fortune that you are inclined to hear topics regarding Krsna. The best course for you would be to go to Ramananda Raya and hear these topics from him.

CC Antya 5.9: "I see that you have acquired a taste for hearing talks regarding Krsna. Therefore you are extremely fortunate. Not only you but anyone who has awakened such a taste is considered most fortunate.

CC Antya 5.10: "'A person who properly performs his regulative duties according to varna and asrama but does not develop his dormant attachment for Krsna or awaken his taste for hearing and chanting about Krsna is certainly laboring fruitlessly.'"

CC Antya 5.11: Pradyumna Misra, being thus advised by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, went to the home of Ramananda Raya. There the servant of Ramananda Raya gave him a proper place to sit down.

CC Antya 5.12: Unable to see Ramananda Raya immediately, Pradyumna Misra inquired from the servant, who then described what Sri Ramananda Raya was doing.

CC Antya 5.13: "There are two dancing girls who are extremely beautiful. They are very youthful, and they are expert in dancing and singing.

CC Antya 5.14: "Srila Ramananda Raya has taken these two girls to a solitary place in his garden, where he is teaching and directing them to dance according to the songs he has composed for his drama.

CC Antya 5.15: "Please sit here and wait for a few moments. As soon as he comes, he will execute whatever order you give him."

CC Antya 5.16: While Pradyumna Misra remained seated there, Ramananda Raya took the two girls to a solitary place.

CC Antya 5.17: With his own hand, Sri Ramananda Raya massaged their bodies with oil and bathed them with water. Indeed, Ramananda Raya cleansed their entire bodies with his own hand.

CC Antya 5.18: Although he dressed the two young girls and decorated their bodies with his own hand, he remained unchanged. Such is the mind of Srila Ramananda Raya.

CC Antya 5.19: While touching the young girls, he was like a person touching wood or stone, for his body and mind were unaffected.

CC Antya 5.20: Srila Ramananda Raya used to act in that way because he thought of himself in his original position as a maidservant of the gopis. Thus although externally he appeared to be a man, internally, in his original spiritual position, he considered himself a maidservant and considered the two girls gopis.

CC Antya 5.21: The greatness of the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is exceedingly difficult to understand. Sri Ramananda Raya is unique among them all, for he showed how one can extend his ecstatic love to the extreme limit.

CC Antya 5.22: Ramananda Raya directed the two girls how to dance and express the deep meaning of his songs through dramatic performances.

CC Antya 5.23: He taught them how to express the symptoms of continuous, natural and transitional ecstasies with the movements of their faces, their eyes and the other parts of their bodies.

CC Antya 5.24: Through the feminine poses and dances they were taught by Ramananda Raya, the two girls precisely exhibited all these expressions of ecstasy before Lord Jagannatha.

CC Antya 5.25: Then Ramananda Raya fed the two girls sumptuous prasadam and sent them to their homes unexposed.

CC Antya 5.26: Every day he trained the two deva-dasis how to dance. Who among the small living entities, their minds always absorbed in material sense gratification, could understand the mentality of Sri Ramananda Raya?

CC Antya 5.27: When the servant informed Ramananda Raya of Pradyumna Misra's arrival, Ramananda Raya immediately went to the assembly room.

CC Antya 5.28: He offered his obeisances to Pradyumna Misra with all respect and then, with great humility, spoke as follows.

CC Antya 5.29: "Sir, you came here long ago, but no one informed me. Therefore I have certainly become an offender at your lotus feet.

CC Antya 5.30: "My entire home has been purified by your arrival. Kindly order me. What can I do for you? I am your servant."

CC Antya 5.31: Pradyumna Misra replied, "I came simply to see you. Now I have purified myself by seeing Your Honor."

CC Antya 5.32: Because Pradyumna Misra saw that it was late, he did not say anything else to Ramananda Raya. Instead, he took leave of him and returned to his own home.

CC Antya 5.33: The next day, when Pradyumna Misra arrived in the presence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord inquired, "Have you heard talks about Krsna from Sri Ramananda Raya?"

CC Antya 5.34: Pradyumna Misra thereupon described the activities of Sri Ramananda Raya. After hearing about these activities, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to speak.

CC Antya 5.35-36: "I am a sannyasi," He said, "and I certainly consider Myself renounced. But what to speak of seeing a woman, if I even hear the name of a woman, I feel changes in My mind and body. Therefore who could remain unmoved by the sight of a woman? It is very difficult.

CC Antya 5.37: "Everyone please hear these topics about Ramananda Raya, although they are so wonderful and uncommon that they should not be spoken.

CC Antya 5.38: "The two professional dancing girls are beautiful and youthful, yet Sri Ramananda Raya personally massages their entire bodies with oil.

CC Antya 5.39: "He personally bathes and dresses them and decorates them with ornaments. In this way, he naturally sees and touches the private parts of their bodies.

CC Antya 5.40: "Nevertheless, the mind of Sri Ramananda Raya never changes, although he teaches the girls how to physically express all the transformations of ecstasy.

CC Antya 5.41: "His mind is as steady as wood or stone. Indeed, it is wonderful that even when he touches such young girls, his mind never changes.

CC Antya 5.42: "The authority for such acts is the prerogative of Ramananda Raya alone, for I can understand that his body is not material but has been completely transformed into a spiritual entity.

CC Antya 5.43: "He alone, and no one else, can understand the position of his mind.

CC Antya 5.44: "But I can make a guess in terms of directions from the sastra. The Vedic scripture Srimad-Bhagavatam gives the direct evidence in this matter.

CC Antya 5.45-46: "When one hears or describes with great faith the pastimes of Lord Krsna, such as His rasa dance with the gopis, the disease of lusty desires in his heart and the agitation caused by the three modes of material nature are immediately nullified, and he becomes sober and silent.

CC Antya 5.47: "Tasting transcendental, effulgent, sweetly ecstatic love of Krsna, such a person can enjoy life twenty-four hours a day in the transcendental bliss of the sweetness of Krsna's pastimes.

CC Antya 5.48: "'A transcendentally sober person who, with faith and love, continually hears from a realized soul about the activities of Lord Krsna in His rasa dance with the gopis, or one who describes such activities, can attain full transcendental devotional service at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus lusty material desires, which are the heart disease of all materialistic persons, are for him quickly and completely vanquished.'

CC Antya 5.49-50: "If a transcendentally situated person, following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami, hears and speaks about the rasa-lila dance of Krsna and is always absorbed in thoughts of Krsna while serving the Lord day and night within his mind, what shall I say about the result? It is so spiritually exalted that it cannot be expressed in words. Such a person is an eternally liberated associate of the Lord, and his body is completely spiritualized. Although he is visible to material eyes, he is spiritually situated, and all his activities are spiritual. By the will of Krsna, such a devotee is understood to possess a spiritual body.

CC Antya 5.51: "Srila Ramananda Raya is situated on the path of spontaneous love of Godhead. Therefore he is in his spiritual body, and his mind is not materially affected.

CC Antya 5.52: "I also hear topics about Krsna from Ramananda Raya. If you want to hear such topics, go to him again.

CC Antya 5.53: "You can mention My name before him, saying, 'He has sent me to hear about Lord Krsna from you.'

CC Antya 5.54: "Go hastily, while he is in the assembly room." Hearing this, Pradyumna Misra immediately departed.

CC Antya 5.55: Pradyumna Misra went to Ramananda Raya, who offered him respectful obeisances and said, "Please order me. For what purpose have you come?"

CC Antya 5.56: Pradyumna Misra answered, "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has sent me to hear topics about Lord Krsna from you."

CC Antya 5.57: Hearing this, Ramananda Raya became absorbed in ecstatic love and began to speak with great transcendental pleasure.

CC Antya 5.58: "Following the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you have come to hear about Krsna. This is my great fortune. How else would I get such an opportunity?"

CC Antya 5.59: Saying this, Sri Ramananda Raya took Pradyumna Misra to a secluded place and inquired from him, "What kind of krsna-katha do you want to hear from me?"

CC Antya 5.60: Pradyumna Misra replied, "Kindly tell me about the same topics you spoke about at Vidyanagara.

CC Antya 5.61: "You are an instructor even for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, what to speak of others. I am but a beggar brahmana, and you are my maintainer.

CC Antya 5.62: "I do not know how to inquire, for I do not know what is good and what is bad. Seeing me to be poor in knowledge, kindly speak whatever is good for me by your own good will."

CC Antya 5.63: Thereupon Ramananda Raya gradually began speaking on topics of Krsna. Thus the ocean of the transcendental mellows of those topics became agitated.

CC Antya 5.64: He began personally posing questions and then answering them with conclusive statements. When afternoon came, the topics still did not end.

CC Antya 5.65: The speaker and listener spoke and heard in ecstatic love. Thus they forgot their bodily consciousness. How, then, could they perceive the end of the day?

CC Antya 5.66: The servant informed them, "The day has already ended." Then Ramananda Raya ended his discourses about Krsna.

CC Antya 5.67: Ramananda Raya paid great respect to Pradyumna Misra and bade him farewell. Pradyumna Misra said, "I have become very satisfied." He then began to dance.

CC Antya 5.68: After returning home, Pradyumna Misra bathed and ate his meal. In the evening he came to see the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 5.69: In great happiness he worshiped the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Lord inquired, "Have you heard topics about Krsna?"

CC Antya 5.70: Pradyumna Misra said, "My dear Lord, You have made me extremely obliged to You because You have drowned me in a nectarean ocean of talks about Krsna.

CC Antya 5.71: "I cannot properly describe the discourses of Ramananda Raya, for he is not an ordinary human being. He is fully absorbed in the devotional service of the Lord.

CC Antya 5.72: "There is one other thing Ramananda Raya said to me: 'Do not consider me the speaker in these talks about Krsna.

CC Antya 5.73: "'Whatever I speak is personally spoken by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Like a stringed instrument, I vibrate whatever He causes me to speak.

CC Antya 5.74: "'In this way the Lord speaks through my mouth to preach the cult of Krsna consciousness. Within the world, who will understand this pastime of the Lord's?'

CC Antya 5.75: "What I have heard from Ramananda Raya is like a nectarean ocean of discourses about Krsna. Even the demigods, beginning with Lord Brahma, cannot understand all these topics.

CC Antya 5.76: "My dear Lord, You have made me drink this transcendental nectar of krsna-katha. Therefore I am sold to Your lotus feet, life after life."

CC Antya 5.77: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Ramananda Raya is a mine of great humility. Therefore he has attributed his own words to another's intelligence.

CC Antya 5.78: "This is a natural characteristic of those advanced in devotional service. They do not personally speak of their own good qualities."

CC Antya 5.79: I have described but a fraction of the transcendental attributes of Ramananda Raya, as revealed when he instructed Pradyumna Misra.

CC Antya 5.80: Although Ramananda Raya was a householder, he was not under the control of the six kinds of bodily changes. Although apparently a pounds-and-shillings man, he advised even persons in the renounced order.

CC Antya 5.81: To demonstrate the transcendental attributes of Ramananda Raya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sent Pradyumna Misra to hear discourses about Krsna from him.

CC Antya 5.82: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, knows very well how to demonstrate the qualities of His devotees. Therefore, acting like an artistic painter, He does so in various ways and considers this His personal profit.

CC Antya 5.83: There is yet another characteristic of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. O devotees, listen carefully to how He manifests His opulence and characteristics, although they are exceptionally deep.

CC Antya 5.84: To vanquish the false pride of so-called renunciants and learned scholars, He spreads real religious principles, even through a sudra, or lowborn, fourth-class man.

CC Antya 5.85: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached about devotional service, ecstatic love and the Absolute Truth by making Ramananda Raya, a grhastha born in a low family, the speaker. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, the exalted brahmana-sannyasi, and Pradyumna Misra, the purified brahmana, both became the hearers of Ramananda Raya.

CC Antya 5.86: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited the glories of the holy name of the Lord through Haridasa Thakura, who was born in a Muslim family. Similarly, He exhibited the essence of devotional service through Sanatana Gosvami, who had almost been converted into a Muslim.

CC Antya 5.87: Also, the Lord fully exhibited the ecstatic love and transcendental pastimes of Vrndavana through Srila Rupa Gosvami. Considering all this, who can understand the deep plans of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

CC Antya 5.88: The activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are just like an ocean of nectar. Even a drop of this ocean can inundate all the three worlds.

CC Antya 5.89: O devotees, relish daily the nectar of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for by doing so one can merge in transcendental bliss and attain full knowledge of devotional service.

CC Antya 5.90: Thus Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, accompanied by His associates, His pure devotees, enjoyed transcendental bliss in Jagannatha Puri [Nilacala] by preaching the bhakti cult in many ways.

CC Antya 5.91: A brahmana from Bengal wrote a drama about the characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and came with his manuscript to induce the Lord to hear it.

CC Antya 5.92: The brahmana was acquainted with Bhagavan Acarya, one of the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore after meeting him at Jagannatha Puri, the brahmana made his residence at Bhagavan Acarya's home.

CC Antya 5.93: First the brahmana induced Bhagavan Acarya to hear the drama, and then many other devotees joined Bhagavan Acarya in listening to it.

CC Antya 5.94: All the Vaisnavas praised the drama, saying, "Very good, very good." They also desired that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu hear the drama.

CC Antya 5.95: Customarily, anyone who composed a song, verse, literary composition or poem about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu first had to bring it to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami to be heard.

CC Antya 5.96: If passed by Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, it could be presented for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to hear.

CC Antya 5.97: If there were a hint that transcendental mellows overlapped in a manner contrary to the principles of the bhakti cult, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would not tolerate it and would become very angry.

CC Antya 5.98: Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would not hear anything before Svarupa Damodara heard it first. The Lord made this etiquette a regulative principle.

CC Antya 5.99: Bhagavan Acarya submitted to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, "A good brahmana has prepared a drama about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that appears exceptionally well composed.

CC Antya 5.100: "First you hear it, and if it is acceptable to your mind, I shall request Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to hear it."

CC Antya 5.101: Svarupa Damodara Gosvami replied, "Dear Bhagavan Acarya, you are a very liberal cowherd boy. Sometimes the desire awakens within you to hear any kind of poetry.

CC Antya 5.102: "In the writings of so-called poets there is generally a possibility of overlapping transcendental mellows. When the mellows thus go against the conclusive understanding, no one likes to hear such poetry.

CC Antya 5.103: "A so-called poet who has no knowledge of transcendental mellows and the overlapping of transcendental mellows cannot cross the ocean of the conclusions of devotional service.

CC Antya 5.104-105: "A poet who does not know the grammatical regulative principles, who is unfamiliar with metaphorical ornaments, especially those employed in drama, and who does not know how to present the pastimes of Lord Krsna is condemned. Moreover, the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are especially difficult to understand.

CC Antya 5.106: "One who has accepted the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as his life and soul can describe the pastimes of Lord Krsna or the pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 5.107: "Hearing the poetry of a person who has no transcendental knowledge and who writes about the relationships between man and woman simply causes unhappiness, whereas hearing the words of a devotee fully absorbed in ecstatic love causes great happiness.

CC Antya 5.108: "The standard for writing dramas has been set by Rupa Gosvami. If a devotee hears the introductory portions of his two dramas, they enhance his transcendental pleasure."

CC Antya 5.109: Despite the explanation of Svarupa Damodara, Bhagavan Acarya requested, "Please hear the drama once. If you hear it, you can consider whether it is good or bad."

CC Antya 5.110: For two or three days Bhagavan Acarya continually asked Svarupa Damodara Gosvami to hear the poetry. Because of his repeated requests, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami wanted to hear the poetry written by the brahmana from Bengal.

CC Antya 5.111: Svarupa Damodara Gosvami sat down with other devotees to hear the poetry, and then the poet began to read the introductory verse.

CC Antya 5.112: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead has assumed a golden complexion and has become the soul of the body named Lord Jagannatha, whose blooming lotus eyes are widely expanded. Thus He has appeared in Jagannatha Puri and brought dull matter to life. May that Lord, Sri Krsna Caitanyadeva, bestow all good fortune upon you."

CC Antya 5.113: When everyone present heard the verse, they all commended the poet, but Svarupa Damodara Gosvami requested him, "Kindly explain this verse."

CC Antya 5.114: The poet said, "Lord Jagannatha is a most beautiful body, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is exceptionally grave, is the owner of that body.

CC Antya 5.115: "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has appeared here in Nilacala [Jagannatha Puri] to spiritualize the entire dull material world."

CC Antya 5.116: Hearing this, everyone present was greatly happy. But Svarupa Damodara, who alone was very unhappy, began to speak in great anger.

CC Antya 5.117: "You are a fool," he said. "You have brought ill fortune upon yourself, for you have no knowledge of the existence of the two Lords, Jagannathadeva and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, nor have you faith in Them.

CC Antya 5.118: "Lord Jagannatha is completely spiritual and full of transcendental bliss, but you have compared Him to a dull, destructible body composed of the inert, external energy of the Lord.

CC Antya 5.119: "You have calculated Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in six opulences, to be on the level of an ordinary living being. Instead of knowing Him as the supreme fire, you have accepted Him as a spark."

CC Antya 5.120: Svarupa Damodara continued, "Because you have committed an offense to Lord Jagannatha and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you will attain a hellish destination. You do not know how to describe the Absolute Truth, but nevertheless you have tried to do so. Therefore you must be condemned.

CC Antya 5.121: "You are in complete illusion, for you have distinguished between the body and the soul of His Lordship [Lord Jagannatha or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu]. That is a great offense.

CC Antya 5.122: "At no time is there a distinction between the body and the soul of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His personal identity and His body are made of blissful spiritual energy. There is no distinction between them.

CC Antya 5.123: "'There is no distinction between the body and the soul of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at any time.'

CC Antya 5.124-125: "'O my Lord, I do not see a form superior to Your present form of eternal bliss and knowledge. In Your impersonal Brahman effulgence in the spiritual sky, there is no occasional change and no deterioration of internal potency. I surrender unto You because, whereas I am proud of my material body and senses, Your Lordship is the cause of the cosmic manifestation. Yet You are untouched by matter."'This present form, or any transcendental form expanded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, is equally auspicious for all the universes. Since You have manifested this eternal personal form, upon whom Your devotees meditate, I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You. Those who are destined to be dispatched to the path of hell neglect Your personal form because of speculating on material topics.'

CC Antya 5.126: "Whereas Krsna, the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is full of transcendental bliss, possesses all six spiritual opulences in full, and is the master of the material energy, the small conditioned soul, who is always unhappy, is the servant of the material energy.

CC Antya 5.127: "'The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, is always full of transcendental bliss and is accompanied by the potencies known as hladini and samvit. The conditioned soul, however, is always covered by ignorance and embarrassed by the threefold miseries of life. Thus he is a treasure house of all kinds of tribulations.'"

CC Antya 5.128: Hearing this explanation, all the members of the assembly were struck with wonder. "Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has spoken the real truth," they admitted. "The brahmana from Bengal has committed an offense by wrongly describing Lord Jagannatha and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu."

CC Antya 5.129: When the Bengali poet heard this chastisement from Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, he was ashamed, fearful and astonished. Indeed, being like a duck in a society of white swans, he could not say anything.

CC Antya 5.130: Seeing the poet's unhappiness, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, who was naturally very kindhearted, advised him so that he could derive some benefit.

CC Antya 5.131: "If you want to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam," he said, "you must approach a self-realized Vaisnava and hear from him. You can do this when you have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu."

CC Antya 5.132: Svarupa Damodara continued, "Associate regularly with the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for then only will you understand the waves of the ocean of devotional service.

CC Antya 5.133: "Only if you follow the principles of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees will your learning be successful. Then you will be able to write about the transcendental pastimes of Krsna without material contamination.

CC Antya 5.134: "You have composed this introductory verse to your great satisfaction, but the meaning you have expressed is contaminated by offenses to both Lord Jagannatha and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 5.135: "You have written something irregular, not knowing the regulative principles, but the goddess of learning, Sarasvati, has used your words to offer her prayers to the Supreme Lord.

CC Antya 5.136: "Sometimes demons, and even Lord Indra, the King of heaven, chastised Krsna, but mother Sarasvati, taking advantage of their words, offered prayers to the Lord.

CC Antya 5.137: [Lord Indra said:] "This Krsna, who is an ordinary human being, is talkative, childish, impudent and ignorant, although He thinks Himself very learned. The cowherd men in Vrndavana have offended me by accepting Him. This has not been greatly appreciated by me."

CC Antya 5.138: "Indra, the King of heaven, being too proud of his heavenly opulences, became like a madman. Thus bereft of his intelligence, he could not restrain himself from speaking nonsensically about Krsna.

CC Antya 5.139: "Thus Indra thought, 'I have properly chastised Krsna and defamed Him.' But Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, took this opportunity to offer prayers to Krsna.

CC Antya 5.140: "The word 'vacala' is used to refer to a person who can speak according to Vedic authority, and the word 'balisa' means 'innocent.' Krsna spoke the Vedic knowledge, yet He always presents Himself as a prideless, innocent boy.

CC Antya 5.141: "When there is no one else to receive obeisances, one may be called 'anamra,' or one who offers obeisances to no one. This is the meaning of the word 'stabdha.' And because no one is found to be more learned than Krsna, He may be called 'ajna,' indicating that nothing is unknown to Him.

CC Antya 5.142: "The word 'pandita-mani' can be used to indicate that Krsna is honored even by learned scholars. Nevertheless, because of affection for His devotees, Krsna appears like an ordinary human being and may therefore be called 'martya.'

CC Antya 5.143: "The demon Jarasandha chastised Krsna, saying, 'You are the lowest of human beings. I shall not fight with You, for You killed Your own relatives.'

CC Antya 5.144: "Mother Sarasvati takes 'purusadhama' to mean 'purusottama,' 'He to whom all men are subordinate.'

CC Antya 5.145: "Nescience, or maya, may be called 'bandhu' because she entangles everyone in the material world. Therefore by using the word 'bandhu-han,' mother Sarasvati says that Lord Krsna is the vanquisher of maya.

CC Antya 5.146: "Sisupala also blasphemed Krsna in this way, but the goddess of learning, Sarasvati, offered her prayers to Krsna even by his words.

CC Antya 5.147: "In that way, although your verse is blasphemous according to your meaning, mother Sarasvati has taken advantage of it to offer prayers to the Lord.

CC Antya 5.148: "There is no difference between Lord Jagannatha and Krsna, but here Lord Jagannatha is fixed as the Absolute Person appearing in wood. Therefore He does not move.

CC Antya 5.149: "Thus Lord Jagannatha and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, although appearing as two, are one because They are both Krsna, who is one alone.

CC Antya 5.150: "The supreme desire to deliver the entire world meets in the two of Them, and for that reason also They are one and the same.

CC Antya 5.151: "To deliver all the materially contaminated people of the world, that same Krsna has descended in the moving form of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 5.152: "By visiting Lord Jagannatha one is freed from material existence, but not all men of all countries can come or be admitted here in Jagannatha Puri.

CC Antya 5.153: "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, moves from one country to another, personally or by His representative. Thus He, as the moving Brahman, delivers all the people of the world.

CC Antya 5.154: "Thus I have explained the meaning intended by mother Sarasvati, the goddess of learning. It is your great fortune that you have described Lord Jagannatha and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in that way.

CC Antya 5.155: "Sometimes it so happens that one who wants to chastise Krsna utters the holy name, and thus the holy name becomes the cause of his liberation."

CC Antya 5.156: Upon hearing this proper explanation by Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, the Bengali poet fell down at the feet of all the devotees and took shelter of them with a straw in his mouth.

CC Antya 5.157: Thereupon all the devotees accepted his association. Explaining his humble behavior, they introduced him to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 5.158: By the mercy of the devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that poet from Bengal gave up all other activities and stayed with them at Jagannatha Puri. Who can explain the mercy of the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

CC Antya 5.159: I have thus described the narration concerning Pradyumna Misra and how, following the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he listened to discourses about Krsna spoken by Ramananda Raya.

CC Antya 5.160: Within the narration I have explained the glorious characteristics of Sri Ramananda Raya, through whom Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally described the limits of ecstatic love for Krsna.

CC Antya 5.161: In the course of the narration, I have also told about the drama by the poet from Bengal. Although he was ignorant, because of his faith and humility he nevertheless obtained shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 5.162: The pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu are the essence of nectar. From the stream of one of His pastimes flow hundreds and thousands of branches.

CC Antya 5.163: Anyone who reads and hears these pastimes with faith and love can understand the truth about devotional service, devotees and the transcendental mellows of the pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 5.164: 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.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness