The Pastimes of the Lord in His Childhood and Youth

Translation

I worship Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whose nectarean mercy flows like a great river, inundating the entire universe. Just as a river flows downstream, Lord Caitanya especially extends Himself to the fallen.

Word meanings

kṛpā - sudhā — of the nectar of the mercy ; sarit — river ; yasya — whose ; viśvam — the whole universe ; āplāvayantī — inundating ; api — although ; nīca - gā eva — more inclined to the poor and fallen ; sadā — always ; bhāti — is manifest ; tam — Him ; caitanya - prabhum — Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; bhaje — I worship .

Purport

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu dayā kara more. He prays for Lord Caitanya’s mercy because He is the mercy incarnation, having appeared especially to reclaim the fallen souls. The more fallen one is, the greater one’s claim to the favor of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One must only be very sincere and serious. Despite being contaminated by all the bad qualities of this Kali-yuga, if one surrenders unto the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord will surely and certainly deliver him. The best example is Jagāi and Mādhāi. In this Age of Kali practically everyone is like Jagāi and Mādhāi, but the saṅkīrtana movement inaugurated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is still flowing like a great river, inundating the entire world, and thus the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is successfully claiming all fallen souls to free them from contamination.

Translation

All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord!

Word meanings

jaya jaya śrī - caitanya — all glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; jaya — all glories ; nityānanda — to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu ; jaya advaitacandra — all glories to Advaitacandra ; jaya — all glories ; gaura - bhakta - vṛnda — to all the devotees of the Lord .

Translation

Long live Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His kaiśora age! Both the goddess of fortune and the goddess of learning worshiped Him. The goddess of learning, Sarasvatī, worshiped Him in His victory over the scholar who had conquered all the world, and the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmīdevī, worshiped Him at home. Since He is therefore the husband or Lord of both goddesses, I offer my obeisances unto Him.

Word meanings

jīyāt — long live ; kaiśora — situated in the kaiśora age ; caitanyaḥ — Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; mūrti - matyā — having accepted such a body ; gṛha - āśramāt — from a householder’s life ; lakṣmyā — by Lakṣmī ; arcitaḥ — being worshiped ; atha — then ; vāk - devyā — by the goddess of learning ; diśām — of all directions ; jayi — the conqueror ; jaya - chalāt — on the plea of conquering .

Translation

At the age of eleven Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to teach students. This marks the beginning of His kaiśora age.

Word meanings

ei ta’ — thus ; kaiśora — the age of kaiśora (the age between the eleventh and fifteenth years) ; līlāra — of the pastimes ; sūtra - anubandha — chronological synopsis ; śiṣya - gaṇa — students ; paḍāite — to teach ; karilā — did ; ārambha — begin .

Translation

As soon as the Lord became a teacher, many, many students came to Him, every one of them astonished to hear His mode of explanation.

Word meanings

śata śata — very many ; śiṣya — disciples ; saṅge — along with Him ; sadā — always ; adhyāpana — studying ; vyākhyā — explanation ; śuni — hearing ; sarva - lokera — of all people ; camakita — astonished ; mana — minds .

Translation

The Lord defeated all kinds of scholars in discourses about all the scriptures, yet because of His gentle behavior, none of them were unhappy.

Word meanings

sarva - śāstre — in all scriptures ; sarva — all ; paṇḍita — learned scholars ; pāya — obtain ; parājaya — defeat ; vinaya — gentle ; bhaṅgīte — by behavior ; kāro — anyone’s ; duḥkha — unhappiness ; nāhi — does not ; haya — become .

Translation

The Lord, as a teacher, performed various kinds of pranks in His sporting pastimes in the water of the Ganges.

Word meanings

vividha — various ; auddhatya — impudences ; kare — does ; śiṣya - gaṇa — His disciples ; saṅge — with ; jāhnavīte — in the water of the Ganges ; jala - keli — sporting in the water ; kare — does ; nānā — in various ; raṅge — jokes .

Translation

After some days the Lord went to East Bengal, and wherever He went He introduced the saṅkīrtana movement.

Word meanings

kata dine — after a few days ; kaila — did ; prabhu — the Lord ; baṅgete — in East Bengal ; gamana — touring ; yāhāṅ yāya — wherever He goes ; tāhāṅ — there ; laoyāya — induces ; nāma - saṅkīrtana — the saṅkīrtana movement .

Purport

Although Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees in disciplic succession can defeat all kinds of learned scholars, scientists and philosophers in arguments, thus establishing the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead, their main business as preachers is to introduce saṅkīrtana everywhere. Simply to defeat scholars and philosophers is not the occupation of a preacher. Preachers must simultaneously introduce the saṅkīrtana movement, for that is the mission of the Caitanya cult.

Translation

Struck with wonder by the influence of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s intellectual prowess, many hundreds of students came to the Lord and began studying under His direction.

Word meanings

vidyāra — of His learning ; prabhāva — the influence ; dekhi — seeing ; camatkāra — wonder ; cite — within the heart ; śata śata — many hundreds ; paḍuyā — disciples or students ; āsi — coming there ; lāgila — began ; paḍite — to study .

Translation

In East Bengal there was a brāhmaṇa named Tapana Miśra, who could not ascertain the objective of life or how to attain it.

Word meanings

sei deśe — in that region of East Bengal ; vipra — a brāhmaṇa ; nāma — named ; miśra tapana — Tapana Miśra ; niścaya karite — to ascertain ; nāre — not able ; sādhya — objective ; sādhana — process .

Purport

One must first ascertain the object of life and then understand how to attain it. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pointing out to everyone that the object of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa, and to attain that goal of life one must practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following the methods prescribed by the Gosvāmīs with reference to the authoritative śāstras and Vedas.

Translation

If one becomes a bookworm, reading many books and scriptures and hearing many commentaries and the instructions of many men, this will produce doubt within his heart. One cannot in this way ascertain the real goal of life.

Word meanings

bahu - śāstre — by many books or scriptures ; bahu - vākye — by many versions of many persons ; citte — within the heart ; bhrama — doubt ; haya — there is ; sādhya - sādhana — objective and means ; śreṣṭha — about the best ; nā — not ; haya — there is ; niścaya — certainty .

Purport

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.13.8) it is said, granthān naivābhyased bahūn na vyākhyām upayuñjīta: “One should not read many books, nor should one try to make a profession of reciting many books, especially if one is a devotee.” One must give up the ambition to be a learned scholar and in this way earn a worldly reputation and financial facilities. If one diverts his attention to studying many books, he cannot fix his mind in devotional service, nor can he understand many scriptures, for they are full of grave statements and meanings. In this connection Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives his opinion that those who are attracted to studying many kinds of literature concerning various subject matters, especially fruitive activities and philosophical speculation, are deprived of unalloyed devotional service because of their splayed attention.

Man has a general tendency toward fruitive activities, religious ritualistic ceremonies and philosophical speculation. A living entity thus bewildered since time immemorial does not understand the real goal of life, and thus his activities in life are wasted. Innocent persons misled in this way are deprived of unalloyed kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service to the Lord. Tapana Miśra is a vivid example of such a person. He was a learned scholar, but he could not ascertain what the goal of life is. Therefore he was given a chance to hear Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī. Lord Caitanya’s instruction to Tapana Miśra is especially significant for persons who loiter here and there collecting books and reading none of them, thus becoming bewildered regarding the aim of life.

Translation

Tapana Miśra, being thus bewildered, was directed by a brāhmaṇa in a dream to go to Nimāi Paṇḍita [Caitanya Mahāprabhu].

Word meanings

svapne — in a dream ; eka — one ; vipra — brāhmaṇa ; kahe — says ; śunaha — just hear ; tapana — Tapana Miśra ; nimāñi - paṇḍita — Nimāi Paṇḍita ; pāśe — unto Him ; karaha gamana — go .

Translation

“Because He is the Lord [īśvara],” the brāhmaṇa told him, “undoubtedly He can give you proper direction.”

Word meanings

teṅho — He ; tomāra — your ; sādhya — objective of life ; sādhana — process ; karibe — will do ; niścaya — ascertain ; sākṣāt — direct ; īśvara — the Lord ; teṅho — He is ; nāhika — there is no ; saṁśaya — doubt .

Translation

After seeing the dream, Tapana Miśra came to the shelter of Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet, and he described all the details of the dream to the Lord.

Word meanings

svapna dekhi’ — by seeing the dream ; miśra — Tapana Miśra ; āsi’ — coming ; prabhura — of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; caraṇe — at the shelter of the lotus feet ; svapnera — of the dream ; vṛttānta — details ; saba — all ; kaila — did ; nivedane — inform Him .

Translation

The Lord, being satisfied, instructed him about the object of life and the process for attaining it. He instructed him that the basic principle of success is to chant the holy name of the Lord [the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra].

Word meanings

prabhu — the Lord ; tuṣṭa — satisfied ; hañā — becoming ; sādhya - sādhana — the objective and the process ; kahila — described ; nāma - saṅkīrtana — chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra ; kara — practice ; upadeśa kaila — gave him the instruction .

Purport

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based upon this instruction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that one must chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra regularly and according to the prescribed principles. We simply ask our Western students to chant at least sixteen rounds a day, but sometimes we find that they fail to chant even these sixteen rounds, and instead they bring many austere books and a worshiping method that diverts their attention in so many ways. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s cult is based upon the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Lord Caitanya first advised Tapana Miśra to fix his mind on this chanting. We, the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, must strictly follow this advice of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Translation

Tapana Miśra desired to live with the Lord in Navadvīpa, but the Lord asked him to go to Vārāṇasī [Benares].

Word meanings

tāṅra icchā — his desire ; prabhu - saṅge — with the Lord ; navadvīpe — in Navadvīpa ; vasi — I live there ; prabhu ājñā dila — but the Lord advised him ; tumi — you ; yāo — go ; vārāṇasī — to Benares .

Translation

The Lord assured Tapana Miśra that they would meet again in Vārāṇasī. Receiving this order, Tapana Miśra went there.

Word meanings

tāhāṅ — there ; āmā - saṅge — with Me ; tomāra — your ; habe — there will be ; daraśana — meeting ; ājñā pāñā — receiving this order ; miśra — Tapana Miśra ; kaila — did ; kāśīte — to Benares ; gamana — going .

Translation

I cannot understand the inconceivable pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for although Tapana Miśra wanted to live with Him in Navadvīpa, the Lord advised him to go to Vārāṇasī.

Word meanings

prabhura — Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ; atarkya - līlā — inconceivable pastimes ; bujhite — to understand ; nā — not ; pāri — able ; sva - saṅga — personal association ; chāḍāñā — avoiding ; kene — why ; pāṭhāya — sends ; kāśī - purī — to Benares .

Purport

When Tapana Miśra met Him, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was living in household life, and there was no indication that in the future He would accept the sannyāsa order. But by asking Tapana Miśra to go to Vārāṇasī, He indicated that in the future He would accept sannyāsa and that when He would teach Sanātana Gosvāmī, Tapana Miśra would take advantage of the opportunity to learn the object of life and the real process for attaining it.

Translation

In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu contributed the greatest benefit to the people of East Bengal by initiating them into hari-nāma, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and making them learned scholars by educating them.

Word meanings

ei mata — in this way ; baṅgera — of East Bengal ; lokera — of the people ; kailā — contributed ; mahā — great ; hita — benefit ; nāma — the holy name of the Lord ; diyā — giving them ; bhakta — devotees ; kaila — made them ; paḍāñā — by educating them ; paṇḍita — learned scholars .

Purport

Following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is distributing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and inducing people all over the world to chant. We are giving people an immense treasury of transcendental literature, translated into all the important languages of the world, and by the grace of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu this literature is selling profusely and people are chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra with great delight. This is the preaching process of the Caitanya cult. Since the Lord wanted this cult preached all over the world, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is acting in a humble way so that the vision of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu may be fulfilled all over the world, especially in the Western countries.

Translation

Because the Lord was engaged in various ways in preaching work in East Bengal, His wife, Lakṣmīdevī, was very unhappy at home in separation from her husband.

Word meanings

ei mata — in this way ; baṅge — in East Bengal ; prabhu — Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; kare — does ; nānā — various ; līlā — pastimes ; ethā — here ; navadvīpe — in Navadvīpa ; lakṣmī — the wife of Nimāi Paṇḍita ; virahe — in separation ; duḥkhī — unhappy ; hailā — became .

Translation

The snake of separation bit Lakṣmīdevī, and its poison caused her death. Thus she passed to the next world. She went back home, back to Godhead.

Word meanings

prabhura — of the Lord ; viraha - sarpa — the separation snake ; lakṣmīre — Lakṣmīdevī ; daṁśila — bit ; viraha - sarpa — of the separation snake ; viṣe — by the poison ; tāṅra — her ; para - loka — next world ; haila — it so happened .

Purport

As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.6) , yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram: one’s practice in thinking throughout his entire life determines the quality of his thoughts at death, and thus at death one obtains a suitable body. According to this principle, Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune from Vaikuṇṭha, who was absorbed in thought of the Lord in separation from Him, certainly went back home to Vaikuṇṭhaloka after death.

Translation

Lord Caitanya knew about the disappearance of Lakṣmīdevī because He is the Supersoul Himself. Thus He returned home to solace His mother, Śacīdevī, who was greatly unhappy about the death of her daughter-in-law.

Word meanings

antare — within Himself ; jānilā — knew ; prabhu — the Lord ; yāte — because ; antaryāmī — He is the Supersoul ; deśere — to the country ; āilā — returned ; prabhu — the Lord ; śacī — of mother Śacīdevī ; duḥkha — the unhappiness ; jāni’ — knowing .

Translation

When the Lord returned home, bringing with Him great wealth and many followers, He spoke to Śacīdevī about transcendental knowledge to relieve her of the grief she was suffering.

Word meanings

ghare — home ; āilā — returned ; prabhu — the Lord ; bahu — much ; lañā — bringing ; dhana — riches ; jana — followers ; tattva - jñāne — by transcendental knowledge ; kailā — did ; śacīra — of Śacīmātā ; duḥkha — the unhappiness ; vimocana — relieving .

Purport

It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.13) :

dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” Such verses from the Bhagavad-gītā or any other Vedic literature give valuable instructions on the occasion of someone’s passing away. By discussing such instructions from the Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, a sober man can certainly understand that the soul never dies but rather passes from one body to another. This is called transmigration of the soul. A soul comes into this material world and creates bodily relationships with a father, a mother, sisters, brothers, a wife and children, but all these relationships pertain to the body, not the soul. Therefore, as described in the Bhagavad-gītā, dhīras tatra na muhyati: one who is sober is not disturbed by such phenomenal changes within this material world. Such instructions are called tattva-kathā, or real truth.

Translation

After coming back from East Bengal, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again began educating others. By the strength of His education He conquered everyone, and thus He was greatly proud.

Word meanings

śiṣya - gaṇa — disciples ; lañā — taking ; punaḥ — again ; vidyāra — of education ; vilāsa — pastime ; vidyā - bale — by the strength of education ; saba — everyone ; jini’ — conquering ; auddhatya — of pride ; prakāśa — manifestation .

Translation

Then Lord Caitanya married Viṣṇupriyā, the goddess of fortune, and thereafter He conquered a champion of learning named Keśava Kāśmīrī.

Word meanings

tabe — after this ; viṣṇupriyā — Viṣṇupriyā ; ṭhākurāṇīra — of the goddess of fortune ; pariṇaya — marriage ; tabe ta’ — thereafter ; karila — did ; prabhu — the Lord ; dig - vijayī — the champion ; jaya — conquer .

Purport

As in the modern day there are many champions in sports, so in bygone days there were many learned scholars in India who were champions in learning. One such person was Keśava Kāśmīrī, who came from the state of Kashmir. He traveled all over India and at last came to Navadvīpa to challenge the learned scholars there. Unfortunately he could not conquer the learned scholars in Navadvīpa, for he was defeated by the boy scholar Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Later he understood that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he surrendered unto Him and later became a pure Vaiṣṇava in the sampradāya of Nimbārka. He wrote Kaustubha-prabhā, a commentary on the Vedānta commentary of the Nimbārka-sampradāya, which is known as the Pārijāta-bhāṣya.

The Bhakti-ratnākara mentions Keśava Kāśmīrī and lists his predecessors in the disciplic succession of the Nimbārka-sampradāya: (1) Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, (2) Viśva Ācārya, (3) Puruṣottama, (4) Vilāsa (5) Svarūpa, (6) Mādhava, (7) Balabhadra, (8) Padma, (9) Śyāma (10) Gopāla, (11) Kṛpā, (12) Deva Ācārya, (13) Sundara Bhaṭṭa, (14) Padmanābha, (15) Upendra, (16) Rāmacandra, (17) Vāmana, (18) Kṛṣṇa, (19) Padmākara, (20) Śravaṇa, (21) Bhūri, (22) Mādhava, (23) Śyāma, (24) Gopāla, (25) Balabhadra, (26) Gopīnātha, (27) Keśava, (28) Gokula and (29) Keśava Kāśmīrī. It is stated in the Bhakti-ratnākara that Keśava Kāśmīrī was a favorite devotee of mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning. By her grace he was an extremely influential scholar, and he was the greatest champion among all the scholars in the four corners of the country. Therefore he got the title dig-vijayī, which means “one who has conquered everyone in all directions.” He belonged to a very respectable brāhmaṇa family of Kashmir. Later, by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he gave up the profession of winning championships and became a great devotee. He joined the Nimbārka-sampradāya, one of the Vaiṣṇava communities of the Vedic culture.

Translation

Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has previously elaborately described this. That which is clear need not be scrutinized for good qualities and faults.

Word meanings

vṛndāvana - dāsa — Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura ; ihā — this ; kariyāchena — has made ; vistāra — elaborate description ; sphuṭa — what was clear ; nahi — not ; kare — does ; doṣa - guṇera — of both the faults and the virtues ; vicāra — analysis .

Translation

Offering my obeisances to Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, I shall try to describe that portion of the Lord’s analysis which, when he heard it, made the Digvijayī feel himself condemned.

Word meanings

sei — that ; aṁśa — portion ; kahi — I mention ; tāṅre — unto Śrī Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura ; kari’ — making ; namaskāra — obeisances ; yā’ — of which ; śuni — hearing ; dig - vijayī — the conquering paṇḍita ; kaila — did ; āpanā — his own ; dhik - kāra — condemnation .

Translation

Once on a full moon night the Lord was sitting on the bank of the Ganges with His many disciples and discussing literary topics.

Word meanings

jyotsnāvatī — full moon ; rātri — night ; prabhu — Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; śiṣya - gaṇa — disciples ; saṅge — along with ; vasiyāchena — was sitting ; gaṅgā - tīre — on the bank of the Ganges ; vidyāra — educational ; prasaṅge — in discussion .

Translation

Coincidentally, Keśava Kāśmīrī Paṇḍita came there. While offering his prayers to mother Ganges, he met Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Word meanings

hena - kāle — at this time ; dig - vijayī — Keśava Kāśmīrī ; tāhāṅi — there ; āilā — reached ; gaṅgāre — to mother Ganges ; vandana — prayers ; kari’ — offering ; prabhure — the Lord ; mililā — met .

Translation

The Lord received him with adoration, but because Keśava Kāśmīrī was very proud, he talked to the Lord very inconsiderately.

Word meanings

vasāilā — made seated ; tāre — him ; prabhu — the Lord ; ādara — adoration ; kariyā — offering him ; dig - vijayī — Keśava Kāśmīrī ; kahe — says ; mane — within his mind ; avajñā — disregard ; kariyā — doing .

Translation

“I understand that You are a teacher of grammar,” he said, “and that Your name is Nimāi Paṇḍita. People speak very highly of Your teaching of beginners’ grammar.

Word meanings

vyākaraṇa — grammar ; paḍāha — You teach ; nimāñi paṇḍita — Nimāi Paṇḍita ; tomāra — Your ; nāma — name ; bālya - śāstre — in grammar, which is considered a study for boys ; loke — the people in general ; tomāra — of You ; kahe — declare ; guṇa - grāma — very much qualified .

Purport

Formerly Sanskrit schools first taught grammar very thoroughly, and this system continues even now. A student was supposed to study grammar carefully for twelve years in the beginning of his life, because if one is expert in the grammar of the Sanskrit language, all the śāstras are open to him. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was famous for teaching grammar to students, and therefore Keśava Kāśmīrī first referred to His position as a teacher of grammar. Keśava Kāśmīrī was very proud of his literary career; he was far above the first lessons of grammar, and so he thought the position of Nimāi Paṇḍita not at all comparable to his own .

Translation

“I understand that You teach Kalāpa-vyākaraṇa. I have heard that Your students are very expert in the word jugglery of this grammar.”

Word meanings

vyākaraṇa - madhye — among grammars ; jāni — I understand ; paḍāha — You teach ; kalāpa — the Kalāpa-vyākaraṇa ; śuniluṅ — I have heard ; phāṅkite — in deceitful word jugglery ; tomāra — Your ; śiṣyera — of the disciples ; saṁlāpa — the specific knowledge .

Purport

There are many schools of grammar in the Sanskrit language, the most famous of which are the systems of Pāṇini and the Kalāpa and Kaumudī grammars. There were different branches of grammatical knowledge, and a student of grammar was supposed to study them all in twelve years. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who was famous as Nimāi Paṇḍita, taught grammar to His students, who became expert in dealing with the word jugglery of complicated grammar. Almost anyone expert in studying grammar interprets the śāstras in many ways by changing the root meanings of their words. A student of grammar can sometimes completely change the meaning of a sentence by juggling grammatical rules. Keśava Kāśmīrī indirectly taunted Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu by implying that although He was a great teacher of grammar, such grammatical jugglery of root meanings did not require great expertise. This was a challenge to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because it was prearranged that Keśava Kāśmīrī would have to discuss the śāstras with Nimāi Paṇḍita, from the very beginning he wanted to bluff the Lord. Thus the Lord replied as follows.

Translation

The Lord said, “Yes, I am known as a teacher of grammar, but factually I cannot impress My students with grammatical knowledge, nor can they understand Me very well.

Word meanings

prabhu kahe — the Lord replied ; vyākaraṇa paḍāi — yes, I teach grammar ; abhimāna kari — I am supposed to do so ; śiṣyete — amongst My disciples ; nā — do not ; bujhe — understand ; āmi — I also ; bujhāite — to make them understand ; nāri — am not able .

Purport

Since Keśava Kāśmīrī was a little puffed up, the Lord increased his artificial pride by presenting Himself as subordinate to him. Thus He flattered him as follows.

Translation

“My dear sir, whereas you are a very learned scholar in all sorts of scriptures and are very much experienced in composing poetry, I am only a boy — a new student and nothing more.

Word meanings

kāhāṅ — whereas ; tumi — your good self ; sarva - śāstre — in all scriptures ; kavitve — in a literary career ; pravīṇa — very much experienced ; kāhāṅ — whereas ; āmi — I ; sabe — just ; śiśu — a boy ; paḍuyā — student ; navīna — new .

Translation

“Therefore I desire to hear your skill in composing poetry. We could hear this if you would mercifully describe the glory of mother Ganges.”

Word meanings

tomāra — your ; kavitva — poetic integrity ; kichu — something ; śunite — to hear ; haya — becomes ; mana — mind ; kṛpā — mercy ; kari’ — showing Me ; kara — you do ; yadi — if ; gaṅgāra — of mother Ganges ; varṇana — description .

Translation

When the brāhmaṇa, Keśava Kāśmīrī, heard this, he became still more puffed up, and within one hour he composed one hundred verses describing mother Ganges.

Word meanings

śuniyā — hearing this ; brāhmaṇa — the paṇḍita, Keśava Kāśmīrī ; garve — in pride ; varṇite — to describe ; lāgilā — began ; ghaṭī — hour ; eke — one ; śata — hundred ; śloka — verses ; gaṅgāra — of the Ganges ; varṇilā — described .

Translation

The Lord praised him, saying, “Sir, there is no greater poet than you in the entire world.

Word meanings

śuniyā — hearing this ; karila — did ; prabhu — the Lord ; bahuta — very much ; satkāra — high praise ; tomā — you ; sama — like ; pṛthivīte — in the world ; kavi — poet ; nāhi — there is not ; āra — anyone else .

Translation

“Your poetry is so difficult that no one can understand it but you and mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning.

Word meanings

tomāra — your ; kavitā — poetry ; śloka — verses ; bujhite — to understand ; kāra — whose ; śakti — power ; tumi — you ; bhāla — well ; jāna — know ; artha — meaning ; kiṁvā — or ; sarasvatī — the goddess of learning .

Purport

Replying to Keśava Kāśmīrī sarcastically, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu indirectly minimized the value of his poetry by saying, “Yes, your compositions are so nice that no one but you and your worshipable mother, the goddess of learning, can understand them.” Keśava Kāśmīrī was a favorite devotee of mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the master of the goddess of learning, has the right to speak sarcastically of her devotees. In other words, although Keśava Kāśmīrī was proud of being favored by the goddess of learning, he did not know that she is controlled by Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Translation

“But if you explain the meaning of one verse, we can all hear it from your own mouth and thus be very happy.”

Word meanings

eka — one ; ślokera — of a verse ; artha — the meaning ; yadi — if ; kara — you do ; nija - mukhe — by your own mouth ; śuni’ — hearing ; saba — all ; loka — persons ; tabe — thereafter ; pāiba — we shall get ; baḍa - sukhe — with great happiness .

Translation

The Digvijayī, Keśava Kāśmīrī, inquired which verse He wanted explained. The Lord then recited one of the one hundred verses Keśava Kāśmīrī had composed.

Word meanings

tabe — thereafter ; dig - vijayī — Keśava Kāśmīrī ; vyākhyāra — for explanation ; śloka — a verse ; puchila — inquired about ; śata — one hundred ; ślokera — of the verses ; eka — one ; śloka — verse ; prabhu — the Lord ; ta’ — then ; paḍila — recited .

Translation

“ ‘The greatness of mother Ganges always brilliantly exists. She is the most fortunate because she emanated from the lotus feet of Śrī Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead. She is a second goddess of fortune, and therefore she is always worshiped both by demigods and by humanity. endowed with all wonderful qualities, she flourishes on the head of Lord Śiva.’ ”

Word meanings

mahattvam — greatness ; gaṅgāyāḥ — of mother Ganges ; satatam — always ; idam — this ; ābhāti — shines ; nitarām — without comparison ; yat — because ; eṣā — she ; śrī - viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu ; caraṇa — feet ; kamala — lotus flower ; utpatti — generation ; subhagā — fortunate ; dvitīya — second ; śrī — beautiful ; lakṣmīḥ — goddess of fortune ; iva — like ; sura - naraiḥ — by demigods and human beings ; arcya — worshipable ; caraṇā — feet ; bhavānī — of goddess Durgā ; bhartuḥ — of the husband ; yā — she ; śirasi — on the head ; vibhavati — flourishes ; adbhuta — wonderful ; guṇā — qualities .

Translation

When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him to explain the meaning of this verse, the champion, very much astonished, inquired from Him as follows.

Word meanings

ei — this ; ślokera — of the verse ; artha — explanation ; kara — kindly do ; prabhu — Lord Caitanya ; yadi — when ; baila — said ; vismita — struck with wonder ; hañā — being ; dig - vijayī — the champion ; prabhure — unto the Lord ; puchila — inquired .

Translation

“I recited all the verses like the blowing wind. How could You completely learn by heart even one among those verses?”

Word meanings

jhañjhā - vāta — the strong wind of a storm ; prāya — like ; āmi — I ; śloka — verses ; paḍila — recited ; tāra — of them ; madhye — in the midst ; śloka — one verse ; tumi — You ; kaiche — how ; kaṇṭhe — within the heart ; kaila — have taken .

Translation

The Lord replied, “By the grace of the Lord someone may become a great poet, and similarly by His grace someone else may become a great śruti-dhara who can memorize anything immediately.”

Word meanings

prabhu — the Lord ; kahe — replied ; devera — of a superior power ; vare — by benediction ; tumi — you ; kavi - vara — the most elevated poet ; aiche — similarly ; devera — of the Lord ; vare — by the benediction ; keho — someone ; haya — becomes ; śruti - dhara — one who can immediately remember .

Purport

In this connection, śruti-dhara is a very important word. Śruti means “hearing,” and dhara means “one who can capture.” Formerly, before the beginning of Kali-yuga, almost everyone, especially among the intelligent men, the brāhmaṇas, was a śruti-dhara. As soon as a student heard any of the Vedic wisdom from his master, he would remember it forever. There was no need to refer to books, and therefore there were no written books in those days. The spiritual master delivered the Vedic hymns and their explanations to the student, who would then remember them forever, without consulting books.

To become a śruti-dhara, one who can remember simply by hearing, is a great achievement for a student. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.41) the Lord says:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam

“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”

As soon as we find anything extraordinary, we should understand that such an extraordinary manifestation is the special grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied to the champion, Keśava Kāśmīrī, that just as he was greatly proud of being a favorite devotee of mother Sarasvatī, so someone else, like Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, being favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, could become a śruti-dhara and thus memorize anything immediately simply by hearing it.

Translation

Satisfied by the statement of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the brāhmaṇa [Keśava Kāśmīrī] explained the quoted verse. Then the Lord said, “Now kindly explain the special qualities and faults in the verse.”

Word meanings

ślokera — of the verse ; artha — explanation ; kaila — made ; vipra — the brāhmaṇa ; pāiyā — obtaining ; santoṣa — satisfaction ; prabhu — the Lord ; kahe — said ; kaha — kindly speak ; ślokera — of the verse ; kibā — what are ; guṇa — qualities ; doṣa — faults .

Purport

Not only did Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu pick out this one among the one hundred verses and remember it although the brāhmaṇa had recited them like the blowing wind, but He also analyzed its qualities and faults. Not only did He hear the verse, but He immediately made a critical study of it.

Translation

The brāhmaṇa replied, “There is not a tinge of fault in that verse. Rather, it has the good qualities of similes and alliteration.”

Word meanings

vipra kahe — the brāhmaṇa replied ; śloke — in that verse ; nāhi — there is not ; doṣera — of fault ; ābhāsa — even a tinge ; upamā - alaṅkāra — simile or metaphor ; guṇa — quality ; kichu — something ; anuprāsa — alliteration .

Purport

In the last line of the verse quoted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the letter bha is repeated many times, as in the words bhavānī, bhartur, vibhavati and adbhuta. Such repetition is called anuprāsa, or alliteration. The words lakṣmīr iva and viṣṇoś caraṇa-kamalotpatti are instances of upamā-alaṅkāra, for they exhibit metaphorical beauty. The Ganges is water, and Lakṣmī is the goddess of fortune. Since water and a person are not actually similar, the comparison is metaphorical.

Translation

The Lord said, “My dear sir, I may say something to you if you will not become angry. Can you explain the faults in this verse?

Word meanings

prabhu kahena — the Lord replied ; kahi — let Me say ; yadi — if ; nā — do not ; karaha — you become ; roṣa — angry ; kaha — please tell Me ; tomāra — your ; ei śloke — in this verse ; kiba — what ; āche — there is ; doṣa — fault .

Translation

“There is no doubt that your poetry is full of ingenuity, and certainly it has satisfied the Supreme Lord. Yet if we scrutinizingly consider it we can find both good qualities and faults.”

Word meanings

pratibhāra — of ingenuity ; kāvya — poetry ; tomāra — your ; devatā — the Lord ; santoṣe — satisfies ; bhāla - mate — scrutinizingly ; vicārile — on analyzing ; jāni — I know ; guṇa - doṣe — there are faults and good qualities also .

Translation

The Lord concluded, “Now, therefore, let us carefully scrutinize this verse.”

Word meanings

tāte — therefore ; bhāla — very carefully ; kari’ — doing it ; śloka — the verse ; karaha — do ; vicāra — judgment ; kavi kahe — the poet said ; ye kahile — what You have said ; sei — that is ; veda - sāra — exactly right .

Purport

The poet replied, “Yes, the verse You have recited is perfectly correct.

Translation

“You are an ordinary student of grammar. What do You know about literary embellishments? You cannot review this poetry because You do not know anything about it.”

Word meanings

vyākaraṇiyā — a student of grammar ; tumi — You are ; nāhi — do not ; paḍa — study ; alaṅkāra — poetic ornaments ; tumi — You ; ki — what ; jānibe — will know ; ei — this ; kavitvera — of poetic quality ; sāra — review .

Purport

Keśava Kāśmīrī first wanted to bluff Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by saying that since He was not an advanced student in literary style, He could not review a verse full of metaphors and literary ornaments. This argument has some basis in fact. Unless one is a medical man he cannot criticize a medical man, and unless one is a lawyer he cannot criticize a lawyer. Therefore Keśava Kāśmīrī first depreciated the Lord’s position. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was to the champion a student of grammar, how could He dare criticize a great poet like him? Lord Caitanya, therefore, criticized the poet in a different way. He said that although He was certainly not advanced in a literary career, He had heard from others how to criticize such poetry, and as a śruti-dhara, possessing a complete memory, He could understand the process for such a review.

Translation

Taking a humble position, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Because I am not on your level, I have asked you to teach Me by explaining the faults and good qualities in your poetry.

Word meanings

prabhu kahena — the Lord said ; ataeva — therefore ; puchiye — I am asking ; tomāre — you ; vicāriyā — completely reviewing ; guṇa — qualities ; doṣa — faults ; bujhāha — teach ; āmāre — Me .

Translation

“Certainly I have not studied the art of literary embellishments. But I have heard about it from higher circles, and thus I can review this verse and find in it many faults and many good qualities.”

Word meanings

nāhi paḍi — I do not study ; alaṅkāra — the art of literary embellishment ; kariyāchi — I have done ; śravaṇa — hearing ; tāte — by that ; ei śloke — in this verse ; dekhi — I see ; bahu — many ; doṣa — faults ; guṇa — good qualities .

Purport

The statement kariyāchi śravaṇa (“I have heard it”) is very important in the sense that hearing is more important than directly studying or perceiving. If one is expert in hearing and hears from the right source, his knowledge is immediately perfect. This process is called śrauta-panthā, or the acquisition of knowledge by hearing from authorities. All Vedic knowledge is based on the principle that one must approach a bona fide spiritual master and hear from him the authoritative statements of the Vedas. It is not necessary for one to be a highly polished literary man to receive knowledge; to receive perfect knowledge from a perfect person, one must be expert in hearing. This is called the descending process of deductive knowledge, or avaroha-panthā.

Translation

The poet said, “All right, let me see what good qualities and faults You have found.”

Word meanings

kavi kahe — the poet said ; kaha dekhi — You say “I see” ; kon — what ; guṇa — good qualities ; doṣa — faults ; prabhu kahena — the Lord replied ; kahi — let Me say ; śuna — please hear ; nā — do not ; kariha — become ; roṣa — angry .

Purport

The Lord replied, “Let Me speak, and please hear Me without becoming angry.

Translation

“My dear sir, in this verse there are five faults and five literary ornaments. I shall state them one after another. Kindly hear Me and then give your judgment.

Word meanings

pañca — five ; doṣa — faults ; ei śloke — in this verse ; pañca — five ; alaṅkāra — literary embellishments ; krame — one after another ; āmi — I ; kahi — say ; śuna — kindly hear ; karaha — give ; vicāra — judgment .

Purport

In the verse beginning with mahattvaṁ gaṅgāyāḥ there are five literary ornaments and five examples of faulty composition. There are two examples of the fault called avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa and one example each of the faults viruddha-mati, punar-ukti and bhagna-krama.

Vimṛṣṭa means “clean,” and vidheyāṁśa means “predicate.” It is a general rule of composition to establish a subject first and then give its predicate. For example, according to Sanskrit grammar if one says, “This man is learned,” his composition is in order. But if one says, “Learned is this man,” the composition is not in order. Such a flaw is called avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa-doṣa, or the fault of unclean composition. The subject matter to be known of the verse is the glorification of the Ganges, and therefore the word idam (“this”), or what is known, should have been placed before instead of after the glorification. The subject matter already known should be placed before the unknown so that its meaning will not be misconstrued.

The second instance of avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa-doṣa occurs in the words dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmīr iva. In this composition the word dvitīya (“second”) is vidheya, or unknown. Placing the unknown first to make the compound word dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmīr is another fault. The words dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmīr iva were intended to compare the Ganges to the goddess of fortune, but because of this fault the meaning of the compound word was bewildering.

The third fault is that of viruddha-mati, or contradictory conception, in the words bhavānī-bhartuḥ. The word bhavānī refers to the wife of Bhava, Lord Śiva. But since Bhavānī is already known as the wife of Lord Śiva, to add the word bhartā, “husband,” thus forming a compound meaning “the husband of the wife of Lord Śiva,” is contradictory, for thus it appears as if the wife of Lord Śiva had another husband.

The fourth fault is punar-ukti, or redundancy, which occurs when the verb vibhavati (“flourishes”), which should have ended the composition, is further qualified by the unnecessary adjective adbhuta-guṇā (“endowed with wonderful qualities”). The fifth fault is bhagna-krama, which means “broken order.” In the first, third and fourth lines there is anuprāsa, or alliteration, created by the sounds ta, ra and bha, but in the second line there is no such anuprāsa, and therefore the order is broken.

Translation

“In this verse the fault of avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa occurs twice, and the faults of viruddha-mati, bhagna-krama and punar-ātta occur once each.

Word meanings

avimṛṣṭa - vidheyāṁśa — unclean composition ; dui ṭhāñi — in two places ; cihna — symptoms ; viruddha - mati — a contradictory conception ; bhagna - krama — broken order ; punar - ātta — redundancy (also called punar-ukti ) ; doṣa — faults ; tina — three .

Translation

“The glorification of the Ganges [mahattvaṁ gaṅgāyāḥ] is the principal unknown subject matter in this verse, and the known subject matter is indicated by the word ‘idam,’ which has been placed after the unknown.

Word meanings

gaṅgāra mahattva — glorification of mother Ganges ; śloke — in the verse ; mūla — chief ; vidheya — unknown ; idam śabde — by the word idam (“this”) ; anuvāda — the known ; pāche — at the end ; avidheya — improper .

Translation

“Because you have placed the known subject at the end and that which is unknown at the beginning, the composition is faulty, and the meaning of the words has become doubtful.

Word meanings

vidheya — what is unknown ; āge — first ; kahi’ — after speaking ; pāche — at the end ; kahile — if one speaks ; anuvāda — known things ; ei lāgi’ — for this reason ; ślokera — of the verse ; artha — meaning ; kariyāche — has been made ; bādha — objectionable .

Translation

“ ‘Without first mentioning what is known, one should not introduce the unknown, for that which has no solid basis can never be established anywhere.’

Word meanings

anuvādam — things already known ; anuktvā — without mentioning ; eva — certainly ; na — not ; vidheyam — unknown subject matters ; udīrayet — one should mention ; na — not ; hi — certainly ; alabdha - āspadam — without having achieved a proper place ; kiñcit — something ; kutracit — anywhere ; pratitiṣṭhati — has a position .

Purport

This is a verse from the Ekādaśī-tattva .

Translation

“In the word ‘dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmī’ [‘a second all-opulent goddess of fortune’], the quality of being a second Lakṣmī is the unknown. In making this compound word, the meaning became secondary and the originally intended meaning was lost.

Word meanings

dvitīya śrī - lakṣmī — the word dvitīya-śrī-lakṣmī (“a second all-opulent goddess of fortune”) ; ihāṅ — this ; dvitīyatva — the quality of being a second ; vidheya — the unknown, which is to be explained ; samāse — in the compound word ; gauṇa — secondary ; haila — became ; śabda - artha — the word’s intended meaning ; gela — became ; kṣaya — lost .

Translation

“Because the word ‘dvitīya’ [‘second’] is the unknown, in its combination in this compound word the intended meaning of equality with Lakṣmī is lost.

Word meanings

dvitīya śabda — the word dvitīya (“second”) ; vidheya — the unknown ; tāhā — that ; paḍila — joined ; samāse — in the compound word ; lakṣmīra — with Lakṣmī ; samatā — equality ; artha — meaning ; karila — became ; vināśe — lost .

Translation

“Not only is there the fault avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa, but there is also another fault, which I shall point out to you. Kindly hear Me with great attention.

Word meanings

avimṛṣṭa - vidheyāṁśa — avimṛṣṭa-vidheyāṁśa ; ei — this ; doṣera — of the fault ; nāma — the name ; āra — another ; eka — one ; doṣa — fault ; āche — there is ; śuna — hear ; sāvadhāna — carefully .

Translation

“Here is another great fault. You have arranged the word ‘bhavānī-bhartṛ’ to your great satisfaction, but this betrays the fault of contradiction.

Word meanings

bhavānī - bhartṛ śabda — the word bhavānī-bhartṛ (“the husband of Bhavānī”) ; dile — you have placed ; pāiyā — getting ; santoṣa — very much satisfaction ; viruddha - mati - kṛt — a statement of opposing elements ; nāma — named ; ei — this ; mahā — great ; doṣa — fault .

Translation

“The word ‘bhavānī’ means ‘the wife of Lord Śiva.’ But when we mention her husband, one might conclude that she has another husband.

Word meanings

bhavānī śabde — by the word bhavānī ; kahe — is mentioned ; mahādevera — of Lord Śiva ; gṛhiṇī — the wife ; tāṅra — her ; bhartā — husband ; kahile — if we say ; dvitīya — second ; bhartā — husband ; jāni — we understand .

Translation

“It is contradictory to hear that Lord Śiva’s wife has another husband. The use of such words in literature creates the fault called viruddha-mati-kṛt.

Word meanings

śiva - patnīra — of the wife of Lord Śiva ; bhartā — husband ; iha — this ; śunite — to hear ; viruddha — contradiction ; viruddha - mati - kṛt — that which creates a contradiction ; śabda — such a word ; śāstre — in the scriptures ; nahe — is not ; śuddha — pure .

Translation

“If someone says, ‘Place this charity in the hand of the husband of the wife of the brāhmaṇa,’ when we hear these contradictory words we immediately understand that the brāhmaṇa’s wife has another husband.

Word meanings

brāhmaṇa - patnīra — of the wife of a brāhmaṇa ; bhartāra — of the husband ; haste — in the hand ; deha — give ; dāna — charity ; śabda — these words ; śunitei — hearing ; haya — there is ; dvitīya - bhartā — another husband ; jñāna — knowledge .

Translation

“The statement by the word ‘vibhavati’ [‘flourishes’] is complete. Qualifying it with the adjective ‘adbhuta-guṇā’ [‘wonderful qualities’] creates the fault of redundancy.

Word meanings

vibhavati kriyāya — by the verb vibhavati (“flourishes”) ; vākya — statement ; sāṅga — complete ; punaḥ — again ; viśeṣaṇa adbhuta - guṇa — the adjective adbhuta-guṇa (“wonderful qualities”) ; ei — this ; punar - ātta — repetition of the same word ; dūṣaṇa — fault .

Translation

“There is extraordinary alliteration in three lines of the verse, but in one line there is no such alliteration. This is the fault of deviation.

Word meanings

tina pāde — in three lines ; anuprāsa — alliteration ; dekhi — I see ; anupama — extraordinary ; eka pāde — in one line ; nāhi — there is not (alliteration) ; ei doṣa — this fault ; bhagna - krama — deviation .

Translation

“Although there are five literary ornaments decorating this verse, the entire verse has been spoiled by these five most faulty presentations.

Word meanings

yadyapi — although ; ei śloke — in this verse ; āche — there are ; pañca — five ; alaṅkāra — literary embellishments ; ei pañca - doṣe — by the above-mentioned five faults ; śloka — the verse ; kaila — has been made ; chārakhāra — spoiled .

Translation

“If there are ten literary ornaments in a verse but even one faulty expression, the entire verse is nullified.

Word meanings

daśa alaṅkāre — with ten instances of literary ornamentation ; yadi — if ; eka — one ; śloka — verse ; haya — there is ; eka doṣe — by one fault ; saba — all ; alaṅkāra — ornaments ; haya kṣaya — become null and void .

Translation

“One’s beautiful body may be decorated with jewels, but one spot of white leprosy makes the entire body abominable.

Word meanings

sundara — beautiful ; śarīra — body ; yaiche — as ; bhūṣaṇe — with ornaments ; bhūṣita — decorated ; eka — one ; śveta - kuṣṭhe — with a white spot of leprosy ; yaiche — as ; karaye — is made ; vigīta — abominable .

Purport

The great sage Bharata Muni, an authority on poetic metaphor, has given his opinion in this connection as follows.

Translation

“ ‘As one’s body, although well-decorated with ornaments, is made unfortunate by even one spot of white leprosy, so an entire poem is made useless by a fault, despite alliteration, similes and metaphors.’

Word meanings

rasa — with humors ; alaṅkāra - vat — with ornaments (metaphors, similes, etc.) ; kāvyam — poetry ; doṣa - yuk — faulty ; cet — if ; vibhūṣitam — very nicely decorated ; syāt — it becomes so ; vapuḥ — the body ; sundaram — beautiful ; api — even though ; śvitreṇa — by a white spot of leprosy ; ekena — one ; durbhagam — unfortunate .

Translation

“Now hear the description of the five literary embellishments. There are two ornaments of sound and three ornaments of meaning.

Word meanings

pañca — five ; alaṅkārera — of the literary embellishments ; ebe — now ; śunaha — just hear ; vicāra — description ; dui — two ; śabda - alaṅkāra — ornaments of sound or ornaments of words ; tina — three ; artha - alaṅkāra — ornaments of meaning .

Translation

“There is a sound ornament of alliteration in three lines. And in the combination of the words ‘śrī’ and ‘lakṣmī’ there is the ornament of a tinge of redundancy.

Word meanings

śabda - alaṅkāra — ornamentation of sound ; tina - pāde — in three lines ; āche — there is ; anuprāsa — alliteration ; śrī - lakṣmī - śabde — in the words śrī-lakṣmī ; punar - ukta - vat — of repetition of the same word ; ābhāsa — there is a tinge .

Translation

“In the arrangement of the first line the letter ‘ta’ occurs five times, and the arrangement of the third line repeats the letter ‘ra’ five times.

Word meanings

prathama - caraṇe — in the first line ; pañca — five ; ta - karera — of the letter ta ; pāṅti — very nice composition ; tṛtīya - caraṇe — in the third line ; haya — there is ; pañca — five ; repha — of the letter ra ; sthiti — composition .

Translation

“In the fourth line the letter ‘bha’ occurs four times. This arrangement of alliteration is a pleasing ornamental use of sounds.

Word meanings

caturtha - caraṇe — in the fourth line ; cāri — four ; bha - kāra — of the letter bha ; prakāśa — manifestations ; ataeva — therefore ; śabda - alaṅkāra — ornamental use of different sounds ; anuprāsa — alliteration .

Translation

“Although the words ‘śrī’ and ‘lakṣmī’ convey the same meaning and are therefore almost redundant, they are nevertheless not redundant.

Word meanings

śrī - śabde — by the word śrī ; lakṣmī - śabde — by the word lakṣmī ; eka vastu — one thing ; ukta — is indicated ; punar - ukta - prāya — almost repetition ; bhāse — appears ; nahe — but actually it is not ; punar - ukta — repetition .

Translation

“Describing Lakṣmī as possessed of śrī [opulence] offers a difference in meaning with a tinge of repetition. This is the second ornamental use of words.

Word meanings

śrī - yukta lakṣmī — Lakṣmī, possessed of opulence ; arthe — in the sense ; arthera — of the meaning ; vibheda — difference ; punar - uktavad - ābhāsa — tinge of punar-ukta-vat ; śabda - alaṅkāra — ornamental use of words ; bheda — different .

Translation

“The use of the words ‘lakṣmīr iva’ [‘like Lakṣmī’] manifests the ornament of meaning called upamā [analogy]. There is also the further ornament of meaning called virodhābhāsa, or a contradictory indication.

Word meanings

lakṣmīr iva — the words lakṣmīr iva (“like Lakṣmī”) ; artha - alaṅkāra — ornamental use of the meaning ; upamā — analogy ; prakāśa — manifestation ; āra — also ; artha - alaṅkāra — ornamental use of meaning ; āche — there is ; nāma — which is named ; virodha - ābhāsa — possibility of contradiction .

Translation

“Everyone knows that lotus flowers grow in the water of the Ganges. But to say that the Ganges takes birth from a lotus flower seems extremely contradictory.

Word meanings

gaṅgāte — in the river Ganges ; kamala — lotus flower ; janme — grows ; sabāra — of everyone ; subodha — understanding ; kamale — in the lotus flower ; gaṅgāra — of the Ganges ; janma — birth ; atyanta — very much ; virodha — contradiction .

Translation

“The existence of mother Ganges begins from the lotus feet of the Lord. Although this statement that water comes from a lotus flower is a contradiction, in connection with Lord Viṣṇu it is a great wonder.

Word meanings

ihāṅ — in this connection ; viṣṇu - pāda - padme — in the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu ; gaṅgāra — of mother Ganges ; utpatti — beginning ; virodha — contradiction ; alaṅkāra — literary decoration ; iha — it ; mahā — very great ; camatkṛti — wonder .

Translation

“In this birth of the Ganges by the inconceivable potency of the Lord, there is no contradiction although it appears contradictory.

Word meanings

īśvara - acintya - śaktye — by the inconceivable potency of the Supreme Lord ; gaṅgāra — of the Ganges ; prakāśa — emanation ; ihāte — in this ; virodha nāhi — there is no contradiction ; virodha - ābhāsa — appears to be a contradiction .

Purport

The central point of all Vaiṣṇava philosophy is to accept the inconceivable potency of Lord Viṣṇu. What sometimes appears contradictory from a material viewpoint is understandable in connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He can perform contradictory activities by dint of His inconceivable potencies. Modern scientists are puzzled. They cannot even explain how such a large quantity of chemicals has formed the atmosphere. Scientists explain that water is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, but when asked where such a large quantity of hydrogen and oxygen came from and how they combined to manufacture the great oceans and seas, they cannot answer because they are atheists who will not accept that everything comes from life. Their thesis is that life comes from matter.

Where do all these chemicals come from? The answer is that they are produced by the inconceivable energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Living entities are part of the Supreme Godhead, and from their bodies come many chemicals. For example, the lemon tree is a living entity that produces many lemons, and within each lemon is a great deal of citric acid. Therefore, if even an insignificant living entity who is but a part of the Supreme Lord can produce so much of a chemical, how much potency there must be in the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Scientists cannot perfectly explain where the chemicals of the world are manufactured, but one can explain this perfectly by accepting the inconceivable energy of the Supreme Lord. There is no reason for denying this argument. Since there are potencies in the living entities who are samples of the Personality of Godhead, how much potency there must be in the Supreme Godhead Himself. As described in the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: “He is the chief eternal of all eternals and the chief living entity among all living entities.” ( Kaṭha Upaniṣad, 2.2.13)

Unfortunately, atheistic science will not accept that matter comes from life. Scientists insist upon their most illogical and foolish theory that life comes from matter, although this is quite impossible. They cannot prove in their laboratories that matter can produce life, yet there are thousands and thousands of examples illustrating that matter comes from life. Therefore in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī says that as soon as one accepts the inconceivable potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no great philosopher or scientist can put forward any thesis to contradict the Lord’s power. This is expressed in the following Sanskrit verse.

Translation

“ ‘Everyone knows that lotus flowers grow in the water but water never grows from a lotus. All such contradictions, however, are wonderfully possible in Kṛṣṇa: the great river Ganges has grown from His lotus feet.’

Word meanings

ambujam — lotus flower ; ambuni — in the water ; jātam — is grown ; kvacit — at any time ; api — certainly ; na — not ; jātam — grown ; ambujāt — from a lotus flower ; ambu — water ; mura - bhidi — in Kṛṣṇa, the killer of Murāsura ; tat - viparītam — just the opposite of that ; pāda - ambhojāt — from the lotus flower of His feet ; mahā - nadī — the great river ; jātā — has grown .

Translation

“The real glory of mother Ganges is that she has grown from the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. Such a hypothesis is another ornament, called anumāna.

Word meanings

gaṅgāra — of the Ganges ; mahattva — opulences ; sādhya — subject matter ; sādhana — means ; tāhāra — of that ; viṣṇu - pāda - utpatti — her origin from the lotus feet of the Lord ; anumāna — called anumāna (hypothesis) ; alaṅkāra — an ornament .

Translation

“I have simply discussed the five gross faults and five literary embellishments of this verse, but if we consider it in fine detail we will find unlimited faults.

Word meanings

sthūla — gross ; ei — these ; pañca — five ; doṣa — faults ; pañca — five ; alaṅkāra — literary ornaments ; sūkṣma — in detail ; vicāriye — we consider ; yadi — if ; āchaye — there are ; apāra — unlimited .

Translation

“You have achieved poetic imagination and ingenuity by the grace of your worshipable demigod. But poetry not well reviewed is certainly subject to criticism.

Word meanings

pratibhā — ingenuity ; kavitva — poetic imagination ; tomāra — your ; devatā — of a demigod ; prasāde — by the grace ; avicāra — without good judgment ; kāvye — in the poetry ; avaśya — certainly ; paḍe — there is ; doṣa — fault ; bādhe — obstruction .

Translation

“Poetic skill used with due consideration is very pure, and with metaphors and analogies it is dazzling.”

Word meanings

vicāri’ — with proper consideration ; kavitva — poetic explanation ; kaile — if done ; haya — it becomes ; sunirmala — very pure ; sa - alaṅkāra — with metaphorical use of words ; haile — if it is ; artha — meaning ; kare — does ; jhalamala — dazzle .

Translation

After hearing the explanation of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the champion poet was struck with wonder. His cleverness stunned, he could not say anything.

Word meanings

śuniyā — hearing ; prabhura — of the Lord ; vyākhyā — explanation ; dig - vijayī — the champion ; vismita — struck with wonder ; mukhe — in the mouth ; nā — did not ; niḥsare — come out ; vākya — words ; pratibhā — ingenuity ; stambhita — choked up .

Translation

He wanted to say something, but no reply would come from his mouth. He then began to consider this puzzle within his mind.

Word meanings

kahite — to speak ; cāhaye — wants ; kichu — something ; nā — not ; āise — comes ; uttara — any reply ; tabe — thereafter ; vicāraye — considers ; mane — within the mind ; ha - iyā — becoming ; phāṅphara — puzzled .

Translation

“This mere boy has blocked my intelligence. I can therefore understand that mother Sarasvatī has become angry with me.

Word meanings

paḍuyā — student ; bālaka — a boy ; kaila — made ; mora — my ; buddhi — intelligence ; lopa — lost ; jāni — I can understand ; sarasvatī — mother Sarasvatī ; more — with me ; kariyāchena — must have been ; kopa — angry .

Purport

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that all intelligence comes from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in everyone’s heart as the Paramātmā. The Paramātmā gave the paṇḍita the intelligence to understand that because he was proud of his learning and wanted to defeat even the Supreme Lord, by the will of the Lord and through the agency of mother Sarasvatī he had been defeated. One should not, therefore, be too proud of one’s position. Even if one is a greatly learned scholar, if he commits an offense to the lotus feet of the Lord he will not be able to speak properly, in spite of his learning. In every respect, we are controlled. Our only duty, therefore, is to surrender always to the lotus feet of the Lord and not be falsely proud. Mother Sarasvatī created this situation to favor the champion paṇḍita so that he might surrender unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Translation

“The wonderful explanation the boy has given could not have been possible for a human being. Therefore mother Sarasvatī must have spoken personally through His mouth.”

Word meanings

ye vyākhyā — which explanation ; karila — He has made ; se — that ; manuṣyera — of any human being ; nahe — there is not ; śakti — power ; nimāñi - mukhe — in the mouth of this boy Nimāi ; rahi’ — remaining ; bale — speaks ; āpane — personally ; sarasvatī — mother Sarasvatī .

Translation

Thinking thus, the paṇḍita said, “My dear Nimāi Paṇḍita, please hear me. Hearing Your explanation, I am simply struck with wonder.

Word meanings

eta bhāvi — thinking like this ; kahe — the paṇḍita says ; śuna — hear ; nimāñi paṇḍita — O Nimāi Paṇḍita ; tava — Your ; vyākhyā — explanations ; śuni’ — hearing ; āmi — I ; ha - ilāṅ — have become ; vismita — struck with wonder .

Translation

“I am surprised. You are not a literary student and do not have long experience in studying the śāstras. How have You been able to explain all these critical points?”

Word meanings

alaṅkāra — the literary use of words ; nāhi pada — You never read ; nāhi — nor is there ; śāstra - abhyāsa — long practice in the discussion of the śāstras ; kemane — by which method ; e saba — all these ; artha — explanations ; karile — You have made ; prakāśa — manifestation .

Translation

Hearing this and understanding the paṇḍita’s heart, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied in a humorous way.

Word meanings

ihā śuni’ — hearing this ; mahāprabhu — Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; ati — very ; baḍa — much ; raṅgī — funny ; tāṅhāra — his ; hṛdaya — heart ; jāni’ — understanding ; kahe — says ; kari’ — doing ; bhaṅgī — indication .

Translation

“My dear sir, I do not know what is good composition and what is bad. But whatever I have spoken must be understood to have been spoken by mother Sarasvatī.”

Word meanings

śāstrera vicāra — discussion of śāstra ; bhāla - manda — good or bad ; nāhi jāni — do not know ; sarasvatī — mother Sarasvatī ; ye balāya — whatever she speaks ; sei — those ; bali — I say ; vāṇī — words .

Translation

When he heard this judgment from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the paṇḍita sorrowfully wondered why mother Sarasvatī wanted to defeat him through a small boy.

Word meanings

ihā śuni’ — hearing this ; dig - vijayī — the champion ; karila — admitted ; niścaya — decision ; śiśu - dvāre — through this boy ; devī — mother Sarasvatī ; more — unto me ; kaila — has done ; parājaya — defeat .

Translation

“I shall offer prayers and meditation to the goddess of learning,” the champion concluded, “and ask her why she has insulted me so greatly through this boy.”

Word meanings

āji — today ; tāṅre — unto her ; nivediba — I shall offer my prayers ; kari’ — performing ; japa — chanting ; dhyāna — meditation ; śiśu - dvāre — through a boy ; kaila — has done ; more — unto me ; eta — so much ; apamāna — insult .

Translation

Sarasvatī had in fact induced the champion to compose his verse in an impure way. Furthermore, when it was discussed she covered his intelligence, and thus the Lord’s intelligence was triumphant.

Word meanings

vastutaḥ — in fact ; sarasvatī — mother Sarasvatī ; aśuddha — impure ; śloka — verse ; karāila — caused him to compose ; vicāra - samaya — at the time of reviewing ; tāṅra — his ; buddhi — intelligence ; ācchādila — covered .

Translation

When the poetic champion was thus defeated, all the Lord’s disciples sitting there began to laugh loudly. But Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked them not to do so, and He addressed the poet as follows.

Word meanings

tabe — at that time ; śiṣya - gaṇa — the disciples ; saba — all ; hāsite — to laugh ; lāgila — began ; tā’ - sabā — all of them ; niṣedhi’ — forbidding ; prabhu — the Lord ; kavire — unto the poet ; kahila — addressed .

Translation

“You are the most learned scholar and the topmost of all great poets, for otherwise how could such fine poetry come from your mouth?

Word meanings

tumi — you ; baḍa paṇḍita — greatly learned scholar ; mahā - kavi — of all great poets ; śiromaṇi — the topmost ; yāṅra — of whom ; mukhe — in the mouth ; bāhirāya — emanates ; aiche — such ; kāvya - vāṇī — poetic language .

Translation

“Your poetic skill is like the constant flow of the waters of the Ganges. I find no one in the world who can compete with you.

Word meanings

tomāra — your ; kavitva — poetic ingenuity ; yena — like ; gaṅgā - jala - dhāra — the flowing of the waters of the Ganges ; tomā - sama — like you ; kavi — poet ; kothā — anywhere ; nāhi — not ; dekhi — I see ; āra — anyone else .

Translation

“Even in the poetic compositions of such great poets as Bhavabhūti, Jayadeva and Kālidāsa there are many examples of faults.

Word meanings

bhavabhūti — Bhavabhūti ; jayadeva — Jayadeva ; āra — and ; kālidāsa — Kālidāsa ; tāṅ - sabāra — of all of them ; kavitve — in the poetic power ; āche — there is ; doṣera — of faults ; prakāśa — manifestation .

Translation

“Such mistakes should be considered negligible. One should see only how such poets have displayed their poetic power.

Word meanings

doṣa - guṇa - vicāra — therefore to criticize one’s poetry as good or bad ; ei — this ; alpa — negligible ; kari’ — making ; māni — I consider ; kavitva — poetic ingenuity ; karaṇe — in performing ; śakti — power ; tāṅhā — that ; se — we ; vākhāni — describe .

Purport

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.11) it is said:

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

“In explaining the glories of the Lord, inexperienced men may compose poetry with many faults, but because it contains glorification of the Lord, great personalities read it, hear it and chant it.” Despite its minute literary discrepancies, one must study poetry on the merit of its subject matter. According to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, any literature that glorifies the Lord, whether properly written or not, is first class. There need be no other considerations. The poetic compositions of Bhavabhūti, or Śrīkaṇṭha, include Mālatī-mādhava, Uttara-carita, Vīra-carita and many similar Sanskrit dramas. This great poet was born during the time of Bhojarāja as the son of Nīlakaṇṭha, a brāhmaṇa. Kālidāsa flourished during the time of Mahārāja Vikramāditya, and he became the state poet. He composed some thirty or forty Sanskrit dramas, including Kumāra-sambhava, Abhijñāna-śakuntalā and Megha-dūta. His drama Raghu-vaṁśa is especially famous. We have already described Jayadeva in chapter thirteen of the Ādi-līlā.

Translation

“I am not even fit to be your disciple. Therefore kindly do not take seriously whatever childish impudence I have shown.

Word meanings

śaiśava — childish ; cāpalya — impudence ; kichu — anything ; nā — do not ; labe — please take ; āmāra — My ; śiṣyera — of disciples ; samāna — the equal ; muñi — I ; na — not ; haṅ — am ; tomāra — your .

Translation

“Please go back home, and tomorrow we may meet again so that I may hear discourses on the śāstras from your mouth.”

Word meanings

āji — today ; vāsā’ — resting place ; yāha — go back ; kāli — tomorrow ; miliba — we will meet ; ābāra — again ; śuniba — I shall hear ; tomāra mukhe — from your mouth ; śāstrera — on the śāstras ; vicāra — discussion .

Translation

In this way both the poet and Caitanya Mahāprabhu went back to their homes, and at night the poet worshiped mother Sarasvatī.

Word meanings

ei - mate — in this way ; nija ghare — to their respective homes ; gelā — went back ; dui jana — both of them ; kavi — poet ; rātre — at night ; kaila — performed ; sarasvatī — of mother Sarasvatī ; ārādhana — worship .

Translation

In a dream the goddess informed him of the Lord’s position, and the poetic champion could understand that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

Word meanings

sarasvatī — mother Sarasvatī ; svapne — in a dream ; tāṅre — unto him ; upadeśa — advice ; kaila — gave ; sākṣāt — directly ; īśvara — the Supreme Person ; kari’ — accepting ; prabhuke — the Lord ; jānila — he understood .

Translation

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.

Word meanings

prāte — in the morning ; āsi’ — coming back ; prabhu - pade — at the lotus feet of the Lord ; la - ila — took ; śaraṇa — shelter ; prabhu — the Lord ; kṛpā — mercy ; kaila — showed ; tāṅra — his ; khaṇḍila — cut off ; bandhana — all bondage .

Purport

The same process advocated by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in His teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is — “Surrender unto Me in all instances” — was advocated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The champion surrendered unto the Lord, and the Lord favored him. One who is favored by the Lord is freed from material bondage, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) : tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna.

Translation

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 Mahāprabhu.

Word meanings

bhāgyavanta — very fortunate ; dig - vijayī — the poetic champion ; sa - phala — successful ; jīvana — life ; vidyā - bale — by the strength of learning ; pāila — got ; mahā - prabhura — of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; caraṇa — lotus feet .

Purport

Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung that the best qualification for taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya is to be the most fallen because the Lord came specifically to deliver the fallen souls. In this age there are very few scholars. Almost everyone is a fallen meat-eater, drunkard, woman-hunter or gambler. Such persons are never considered learned scholars, even if they pose as such. Because these so-called scholars superficially see that Caitanya Mahāprabhu associates with the fallen souls, they think that He is meant for a lower class of men but that they do not need Him. Thus such scholars do not take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. To be puffed up with false learning, therefore, is a disqualification for accepting the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But here is a special example, for although the poetic champion was a greatly learned scholar, the Lord also favored him because of his humble submission.

Translation

Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has described all these incidents elaborately. I have only presented the specific incidents he has not described.

Word meanings

e - saba — all these ; līlā — pastimes ; varṇiyāchena — has described ; vṛndāvana - dāsa — Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura ; ye kichu — whatever ; viśeṣa — specifics ; ihāṅ — in this connection ; karila — I have made ; prakāśa — presentation .

Translation

The nectarean drops of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes can satisfy the senses of everyone who hears them.

Word meanings

caitanya - gosāñira līlā — the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu ; amṛtera dhāra — drops of nectar ; sarva - indriya — all senses ; tṛpta — satisfied ; haya — become ; śravaṇe — by hearing ; yāhāra — of them all .

Translation

Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.

Word meanings

śrī - rūpa — Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī ; raghunātha — Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī ; pade — at the lotus feet ; yāra — whose ; āśa — expectation ; caitanya - caritāmṛta — the book named Caitanya-caritāmṛta ; kahe — describes ; kṛṣṇadāsa — Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī .

Purport

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, sixteenth chapter, describing the pastimes of the Lord in His childhood and youth.