Stava-mālā chapter-03

Dvitiyam Caitanyastakam

kalau yam vidvamsah sphutam abhiyajante dyuti-bharad akrsnam krsndiigam makha-vidhibhir utkirtana-mayaih I upasyam caprdhuryam akhila-caturthasrama-jusam sa devas caitanyakrtir atitardm nah krpayatu 111II

May the form of Caitanya, worshipped by all, whom the wise worship directly as Krsna with a golden complexion, by the devotional yajna of sarildrtana and whom they describe as worthy of worship among all sannyasis, be most merciful to us.

I offer respects to Caitanya. In the second astaka Caitanya is described as going from Puri and coming to Bengal to see his mother.

May that form of Caitanya be merciful to us. Caitanyakrtih means a spiritual form (caitanya). Medinl says that the word akrti in the feminine means an ordinary body by itself. Or caitanyakrtih means the form named Caitanya, the son of Saci. He is worshipped by all (devah) and desires to conquer the pasandis. Who is he?

The wise in Kali-yuga worship him directly (sphutam) by the yajnas of bhakti (makha-vidhibhih) predominated by sanktrtana (utkirtana-mayaih). The wise are those who understand the true meaning of the verse krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam (SB 11.5.32).

He is described. He has a black, sapphire hued body (krsndngam) and because of his effulgence (tvisa) has a golden form. It is said krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam in Bhdgavatam. Though this could refer to any pale complexion, in the Tenth Canto in Garga’s statement, the word pita is clearly used in describing the Lord in Kali-yuga. Thus akrsnam means pita (golden).

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asan varnas trayo hy asya grhnato’nuyugam tanuh I suklo raktas tatha pita idanirn krsnatam gatah 11

Your son Krsna appeared in previous yugas (according to the avatara he worshipped) with three different colors— white, red and yellow—and now he has appeared in a blackish color. (SB 10.8.13)

Wise persons like Bhisma say that he is worthy of worship among all sannydsis. He describes the king of sannydsis with the words:

sannyasa-krc-chamah santo nistha santih parayanam

He takes sannydsa. He reflected on the confidential pastimes of the Lord (samuh). He was detached from everything except Krsna (sdntah). He was fixed in the sacrifice of chanting the Lord’s names (nistha). He pacified the advaitins who were against bhakti by performing kirtana (sdntah). He was the highest refuge for person of various bhavas, up to mahabhava (parayanam).

caritrarh tanvanah priyam aghavad-ahladana-padam jayodghosaih samyag-viracita-saci-soka-haranah | udancan-martanda-dyuti-hara-dukulancita-katih sa devas caitanyakrtir atitardm nah krpayatu ||2||

May the form of Caitanya, who displays an affectionate nature, who gives bliss to the sinful, who is worthy of worship, who removed Saci’s lamentation with shouts of victory, who wore a reddish cloth on his waist that defeated the brilliance of the rising sun, be merciful to us.

He displays (tanvanah) affectionate nature (priyam caritram) - spreading kirtana at the houses of all devotees and on the road in Santipura. His nature is further described. He gave bliss to the sinful who should have suffered. He is the deliverer of the most fallen.

Dvitiyam Caitanyastakam 17

He is most worshippable (devah). That is further described. By loudly shouting “Victory to Krsna, deliverer of the fallen, he removed the lamentation of his mother Saci, who was suffering from his separation. He wore a reddish cloth on his waist that

defeated the brilliance of the rising sun.

There is another meaning. Vamana appeared in order to carry out actions for Indra. He displayed actions of cheating and tying up Bali. He arranged for the bliss of dear Indra (priya-maghavad- ahladana-padam) since Indra was his elder brother and his devotee. When Bali was bound up, he removed the lamentation of Indra’s wife Saci by proclaiming victory for the devatas. The

rest of the verse has the same meaning.

apararh kasydpi pranayi-jana-vrndasya kutukl rasa-stomam hrtva madhuram upabhohtum kam api yah | rucim svam dvavre dyutim iha tadlyam prakatayan sa devas caitanyahrtir atitaram nah krpayatu ||3||

May the form of Caitanya, who, stealing the inconceivable, abundant madhurya-rasa of the gopis to taste that mood, covered his complexion and manifested their complexion, be

merciful to us.

“The yugavatara of the fourth yuga is black as previously stated in

• kite suklo dharma-murtih. Why should Caitanya the yugavatara be golden?” That is explained in this verse.

Stealing the abundant inconceivable (ham) madhura-rasa (also called snigara-rasa) of one (kasya) group of gopis (pranayi- jana-vrndasya), an affectionate group of devotees, in order to taste personally by that mood, he covered (dvavre) his own complexion (svam rucim) and manifested the complexion (dyutim) of that group (tadlyam). A thief will hide his form and steal. That is well known. Sruti also indicates this.

yada pasyah pasyate rukma-varnam kartdram Isam purusam brahma-yonim I tada vidvan punya pape vidhuya niranjanah paramam samyam upaiti ||

When the seer sees the Lord of resplendent complexion, who is the creator of the world, the ruler of the world, and who is the material cause, that learned person is free of all sin and piety, and being pure, attains a form similar to the Lord’s. (Mundaka Upanisad 3.1.2)

Why did he do this? He was eager to taste the gopts’ bhdva (kutuki). Halayudha says that kutuki (kutuhala) means eagerness or curiosity.

Even though smrtis say that the Kali-yuga avatara is black, at the junction of Kali-yuga in the twenty-eighth yuga cycle of Vaivasvata Manvantara, Svayam Bhagavan Krsna appeared, covering his own complexion and mood by the complexion and mood of his beloved Radha. This should be accepted. This is understood from krsnavarnam (SB 11.5.32), asan varnas trayah (SB 10.8.13), etc., and from the statement of Prahlada in the Seventh Canto:

channah kalau yad abhavas triyugo’tha sa tvam

Since you will appear covered in Kali-yuga, you are called Tri-yuga. (SB 7.9.38)

anaradhyah pritya ciram asura-bhdva-pranayinam prapannandm daivim prakrtim adhidaivam trijagati | ajasram yah srimanjayati sahajananda-madhurah sa devas caitanyakrtir atitardm nah krpayatu ||4||

May the form of Caitanya, who is not accepted as the Lord by persons of demonic nature, but who is accepted as such

Dvitiyam Caitanyastakam 19

by those of devotional nature in the three worlds, who, as the husband of Laksnri remains ever victorious, filled with natural blissful sweetness, be merciful to us.

“Though Caitanya was defined as being directly the Lord, why did some of the local brdhmanas jrf various places not accept him, though they were favorable to his taking sannydsa?”

/'/ He was not accepted as/ihe direct Lord (anaradhyah) with affection for a long time by persons of demonic nature (asura- bhdva-pranayinam), who worshipped tamasic devatas. But he was worshipped as the Lord (adhidaivam) by those who were endowed with spiritual nature (daivtm prakrtim). He remains victorious at all times (ajasram). He was accepted as the Lord by many residents of sdttvika nature in the three worlds (trigate), not just in the single bhu-mandala. He was the husband of Laksmi.

dvl bhuta-sargau loke’smin daiva asura eva ca I visnu-bhakti-paro daiva asuras tad-viparyayah 11

There are two types of created beings in this world—the divine and demonic. Those having bhakti to Visnu are the divine and those who are opposite are the demonic. (Visnu-dharma)

There is no harm if some do not accept Caitanya’s real nature.

gatiryah paundranam prdkatita-navadvipa-mahima bhavenalamkurvan bhuvana-mahitam srotriya-kulam | punaty anglkarad bhuvi parama-hamsasrama-padam sa devas caitanyakrtir atitardm nah krpayatu ||5||

May the form of Caitanya, most worshipable, who delivered the people of Pundra, who revealed the glories of Navadvipa, who ornamented a brahmana family, celebrated on earth by his

birth, and who purified the sannyasa asrama by accepting its symbols, be merciful to us.

South of Navadvipa at the edge of Kullna-grama is a place called Pundra. The people living there are called paundras. Most worshippable (devah), he was the deliverer, the means and goal (gatih) of the inhabitants of Pundra. All those residents worshipped him directly as the Lord. He is further described. He manifested the glories of Navadvipa in its true nature, though it was already ornamented with Gariga-devi and groups of scholars. It is worshipped as a special manifestation of Vrndavana by those who know the truth. He ornamented the family of Vedic brahmanas by his birth (bhdvena). He purified the sannyasa asrama by accepting its symbols. He had no goal for himself in accepting sannyasa. He purified it by honoring bhakti.

mukhenagre pitva madhuram iha namamrta-rasam drsor dvara yas tarn vamati ghana-bdspdmbu-misatah I bhuvi premnas tattvam prakatayitum ullasita-tanuh sa devas caitanyakrtir atitaram nah krpayatu ||6||

May the form of Caitanya, most worshippable, of joyful body, who, having drunk with his mouth the sweet rasa of the name, vomited it through his eyes on the pretext of profuse tears in order to reveal the tattva of prema to the world, be merciful to us.

Caitanya’s mood is now described in detail. Having first drunk the sweet rasa of the name by his mouth, he vomited that rasa through his eyes on the pretext of profuse tears. Why? In order to make understand (prakatayitum) the svarupa (tattvam) of prema on earth. Tattvam means musical instrument, svarupa or the Lord according to Visva. He made it understood that kirtana of the holy names of the Lord would transform into prema.

Dvitiyam Caitanyastakam 21

The word vomit should not be taken as vulgar, since one does not accept it as vulgar in its secondary meaning. It is apahnuti alankara. In the act of drinking the sweet rasa of the name, tears are denied and made similar to the drinking of nectar. Apanhuti means using a simile in other than its true application.

tanum dviskurvan nava-purata-bhasam kati-lasat- karankalankaras taruna-gaja-rajancita-gatih | priyebhyo yah siksarn disati nija-nirmalya-rucibhih sa devas caitanyakrtir atitardm nah krpayatu ||7||

May the form of Caitanya, most worshippable, showing his form of molten gold, decorated with a coconut shell water pot shining at his waist, walking like the king of young elephants, and teaching his devotees by respecting the Lord’s garlands, be merciful to us.

Caitanya is described as he went on pilgrimage.

He showed a form whose complexion was that of newly smelted gold (nava-purata). His mercy is indicated since he shows everyone his form when he travelled on the road. He had a water pot made of coconut shell (karahka) shining on his waist. Karahka means coconut according to Haima. He taught his devotees by appreciating (rucibhih) the prasada garlands of the Lord. He taught them to respect the garlands.

smitalokah sokam haratijagatamyasya parito giram tu prarambhah kusala-patallm pallavayati I paddlambah kam vd pranayati nahi prema-nivaham sa devas caitanyakrtir atitardm nah krpayatu ||8||

May the form of Caitanya, most worshippable, whose smiling glance destroys the lamentation of all people of the world, whose words spread all auspiciousness and whose feet, accepted as a shelter, produce abundant prema for all, be merciful to us.

This verse describes that he was the cause of all auspiciousness.

His glance of mercy while smiling removes lamentation of the living beings in this world (jagatam). Just by beginning to speak, he spreads all auspiciousness (kusala-patalim). Taking shelter of his feet will deliver abundant prema to all.

saci-siinoh kirti-stavaka-nava-saurabhya-nividam puman yah pntatma pathati hila padyastakam idam | sa laksrmvdn etam nija-pada-saroje pranayitam dadanah kalyanim anupadam abadham sukhayatu ||9||

May possessor of Laksmi, the son of Saci, who gives affection to his lotus feet, bring happiness at all times to the person who, with affectionate heart, recites this as taka, which is filled with the fresh fragrance of flower clusters glorifying Caitanya.

The result of reciting this astaka is described.

May the son of Saci, possessor of Laksmi, giving affection (pranayitam) to his lotus feet, bring happiness at all times (anupadam) to the person who recites this astaka concerning Caitanya.