mahā-mādaka prema-phala peṭa bhari’ khāya
mātila sakala loka — hāse, nāce, gāya
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 9.49)
“The fruit of love of Godhead distributed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu is such a great intoxicant that anyone who eats it, filling his belly, immediately becomes maddened by it, and automatically he chants, dances, laughs and enjoys.” Such an intoxicant. Why will you take Marijuana, LSD?
keha gaḍāgaḍi yāya, keha ta’ huṅkāra
dekhi’ ānandita hañā hāse mālākāra
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 9.50)
“When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the great gardener, sees that people are chanting, dancing and laughing and that some of them are rolling on the floor and some are making loud humming sounds, He smiles with great pleasure.”
Hippies rolling naked, taking LSD, marijuana. Similar rolling, you see. Very nice such intoxicant. Why don’t you take such intoxicant? Be mad! If you want to become mad, be mad after this real madness. So ecstatic, so transcendental madness; madness for Kṛṣṇa.
In this material world, people are mad after lust. You become mad after love! This is what, love, prema-phala. The fruit of love of Godhead is real madness.
Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda
This attitude of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very important for persons engaged in the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. In every center of our institution, ISKCON, we have arranged for a love feast every Sunday, and when we actually see people come to our centre, chant, dance, take prasādam, become jubilant and purchase books. We know that certainly Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is always present in such transcendental activities, and He is very pleased and satisfied. Therefore the members of ISKCON must increase this movement more and more, according to the principles that we are presently trying to execute. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, thus being pleased, will smilingly glance upon them, bestowing His favor, and the movement will be successful.
ei mālākāra khāya ei prema-phala
niravadhi matta rahe, vivaśa-vihvala
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 9.51)
The great gardener, Lord Caitanya, personally eats this fruit, and as a result He constantly remains mad, as if helpless and bewildered.
Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda
It is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to act Himself and teach the people. He says, āpani ācari’ bhakti karila pracāra (Cc. Ādi 4.41). One must first act himself and then teach. This is the function of a real teacher. Unless one is able to understand the philosophy that he speaks, it will not be effective. Therefore one should not only understand the philosophy of the Caitanya cult but also implement it practically in one’s life.
While chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes fainted and remained unconscious for many hours. He prays in His Śikṣāṣṭaka (7):
yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me
“O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.” This is the perfectional stage of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and eating the fruit of love of Godhead, as exhibited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One should not artificially imitate this stage, but if one is serious and sincerely follows the regulative principles and chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the time will come when these symptoms will appear. Tears will fill his eyes, he will be unable to chant the mahā-mantra distinctly, and his heart will throb in ecstasy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that one should not imitate this, but a devotee should long for the day to come when such symptoms of trance will automatically appear in his body.
That nice song is there. Kabe ha’be bolo sei dina āmār. One should long for that day to come: ‘When that auspicious day will come to me.’
kabe ha'be bolo sei -dina āmār
(āmār) aparādha ghuci', śuddha nāme ruci,
kṛpā-bale ha'be hṛdaye sañcār
O tell me, when will that day be mine when my offenses will cease and a taste for the pure holy name will pervade my heart by the power of your mercy?
kabe ha'be bolo sei-dina āmār
O tell me, when will that day be mine.
kabe gaura-vane, suradhunī-taṭe,
`hā rādhe hā kṛṣṇa' bole'
kāńdiyā beḍā'bo, deho-sukha chāḍi',
nānā latā-taru-tale
Oh, when, giving up all bodily pleasures, will I wander under various trees and vines on the banks of the Suradhunī (Gaṅgā) in Gaura-vana, crying and calling out, “Hā Rādhe! Hā Kṛṣṇa!”?
śva-paca-gṛhete, māgiyā khāibo,
pibo saraswatī-jala
puline puline, gaḍā-gaḍi dibo,
kari' kṛṣṇa-kolāhala
Then I will eat by begging some food from the homes of the untouchables and drink water of the Sarasvatī River. I shall roll on the ground on the rivers’ bank, Loudly calling out, ‘Kṛṣṇa!’
dhāma-vāsī jane, pranati kariyā,
māgibo kṛpāra leśa
vaiṣṇava-caraṇa- reṇu gay mākhi',
dhari' avadhūta-veśa
Bowing down before the inhabitants of the abode of Śrī Gaurasundara and beg for a drop of their mercy, I will wear the cloth of an avadhūta and smear the dust of the feet of the vaiṣṇavas.
gauḍa-vraja-jane, bheda nā dekhibo,
hoibo varaja-vāsī
dhāmera svarūpa, sphuribe nayane,
hoibo rādhāra dāsī
I will see no distinction between the residents of Gauḍa and those of Vraja, and will thus become a true vrajavāsī myself. The transcendental form of the dhāma will appear to my vision, and I shall become a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā.
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
tṛṇādhika hīna, kabe nije māni',
sahiṣṇutā-guṇa hṛdoyete āni'
sakale mānada, āpani amānī,
haye āsvādibo nāma-rasa-sāra
kabe halberd bolo se-dina āmār
When will I consider myself lower than a blade of grass and the quality of forbearance enter my heart? Giving respect to all and not desiring any respect for myself, I will taste the essence of the nectar of the holy names.
dhana jana āra, kavitā-sundarī,
bolibo nā cāhi deha-sukha-karī
janme-janme dāo, ohe gaurahari!
ahaitukī bhakti caraṇe tomār
At that time, I will say that I do not want the bodily pleasures associated with wealth, followers, praise, and beautiful women. O Gaurahari! Birth after birth, give me selfless devotion to Your lotus feet.
kabe ha'be bolo se-dina āmār
When will that day be mine?
āmār aparādha ghuci', śuddha nāme ruci,
kṛpā-bale ha'be hṛdaye sañcār
kabe ha'be bolo sei-dina āmār
O tell me, when will that day be mine when my offenses will cease and a taste for the pure Holy Name will pervade my heart by the power of Your mercy?
kabe karite śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma uccāraṇa,
pulakita deha gadgada vacana
baibarṇya-bepathu ha'be sańghaṭana,
nirantara netre ba'be aśru-dhār
kabe ha'be bolo sei-dina āmār
While uttering the holy names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, when will my body horripilate in ecstasy, my words become choked with emotion, my complexion become pale, my body tremble, and streams of tears flow endlessly from my eyes?
kabe nityānanda, more kari 'dayā,
chārāibe mora viṣayera māyā
diyā more nija-caraṇera chāyā,
nāmera hāṭete dibe adhikār
kabe ha'be bolo sei-dina āmār
When will Nityananda Prabhu be merciful and free me from the illusion of material sense enjoyment? Bestowing upon me the shade of His lotus feet, He will give me qualification to enter the marketplace of the Holy Name.
That is what - kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār - a devotee should long for the day to come when such symptoms of trance will automatically appear in his body. He should not imitate.
This is madness; real madness. Become mad for Kṛṣṇa. Love of Kṛṣṇa is such real intoxicant. Why are you taking LSD, Marijuana? You rascal, foolish person. Real intoxicant is such nice, ecstatic, sweet, nectarean.
“With His saṅkīrtana movement the Lord made everyone mad like Himself. We do not find anyone who was not intoxicated by His saṅkīrtana movement.
“The fruit of love of Godhead distributed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu is such a great intoxicant that anyone who eats it, filling his belly, immediately becomes maddened by it, and automatically he chants, dances, laughs and enjoys.” Such intoxicant...
“When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the great gardener, sees that people are chanting, dancing and laughing and that some of them are rolling on the floor and some are making loud humming sounds, He smiles with great pleasure.”
The great gardener, Lord Caitanya, personally eats this fruit, and as a result He constantly remains mad, as if helpless and bewildered.
Here it says, “Śrīman Caitanya Mahāprabhu, thus being pleased, will smilingly glance upon them, bestowing His favor.” Mahāprabhu does like that.
This is, here it says,
bāhu tuli' hari bali' prema-dṛṣṭye cāya
kariyā kalmaṣa nāśa premete bhāsāya
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 3.62)
Mahāprabhu was mad.
Bāhu tuli', raising His two hands, bāhu tuli' hari bali'.
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
Chanting this hari-nāma, prema-dṛṣṭye cāya, He casts His glance filled with love to those who do like this.
Kariyā kalmaṣa nāśa premete bhāsāya - by such glance He destroys all the sinful reactions. Those who get such glance, merciful glance of Mahāprabhu, their sinful reactions are completely finished, destroyed, and he becomes ecstatic.
That person may be very degraded, very sinful, may have committed many, many sins for many, many lives but if he gets such chance of getting the merciful glance of Mahāprabhu, immediately all his sinful reactions are destroyed and he becomes ecstatic with prema, love.
Mahāprabhu, taking up sannyāsa and stayed in Puri. He manifested His antya-līlā here. Antya-līlā, final pastimes. He manifested final pastimes. The final pastime He manifested is all prema-bhāva with Rāya Rāmānanda and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. They were very intimate to Him. He was very intimate with them, He was always busy, absorbed in the discussion of prema, topics of kṛṣṇa-prema. Sometimes Mahāprabhu becomes so much mad… He was sleeping in that small room, Gambhīrā in Puri, Kāśī Miśra’s house. It is now Rādhā-Kānta Maṭha.
At night He disappears from that house. Nobody can understand how He goes, where He goes. Nobody can understand. Once He disappeared from that house. So Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and all other devotees, they searched, “Where is Mahāprabhu? Where is Mahāprabhu?” They couldn’t get Him. They couldn't find Him.
So it became morning now, night was ended. It was morning, still they couldn’t find Mahāprabhu. So Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī was going towards the Konarka temple. In that direction he was going, and he saw a fisherman, who catches fish from the sea. He is coming dancing like mad and chanting ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’ and dancing. It is mentioned there in antya-līlā. Because Mahāprabhu went out and saw the sea and thought it as the Yamunā River. So He jumped into it and became fainted. For hours and hours He was fainted. So He floated on the water of the sea and high waves were raised there so the waves were sometimes raising Him high, sometimes drowning Him, like a dry piece of log of wood. So Mahāprabhu floated towards this Konarka and there one fisherman was throwing his net and catching fish so Mahāprabhu’s body was caught up in his net. Then the fisherman was pulling the net, it was so heavy. The fisherman was so happy, a big fish was caught, “a very big fish was caught so my net is so heavy.” That fisherman, “Hari! Hari! Hari!”, chanting saying “Hari! Hari!", dancing like a madman and he was coming. And Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī saw that a fisherman was coming chanting like a madman, dancing.
Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī could understand the mystery behind it. He thought he must have seen Mahāprabhu otherwise how he had become so mad and dancing chanting in ecstasy?
Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī asked him, "Why you are chanting, dancing like a madman?"
Then that fisherman said, “I was catching fish but I caught the body of a dead man. That was a ghost, that ghost entered into me!” So now I have become mad. That ghost is making me dance, laugh, like this, mad, ecstatic. That ghost is making me like that. And that ghost is producing some sound like “urrrrr, urrrrrr, arrrrrrh, orrrrr!” That sound he was producing, that ghost lying there.
If I will die how my family members will live? I am maintaining my family, my wife, my children. The ghost has now entered into me, I will die, so I am going to ojhā." Ojhā means a person who knows some mantra. “They will chant some mantra and drive out the ghost from me. I am going to that person and also I know this thing: when some ghost enters, if someone will chant ‘Nṛsiṁha!’, the Name of Lord Nṛsiṁha, the ghost will get away. I chanted the Name of Nṛsiṁha but more I chant the Name of Nṛsiṁha, that ghost is attacking me more and more! It never goes out. He never goes, such a ghost! Then, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī could understand that it is the Iīlā of Mahāprabhu. Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī said, “I am that ojhā, I am a big ojhā. I know mantra. Why are you going to other ojhā? Please come with me and show me where is that ghost.”
“Hey! You don’t go! That ghost will enter into you!" But Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī said, “No, no, no! He is not a ghost. He is Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
"No! I have seen Chaitanya Mahāprabhu! He is not Chaitanya Mahaprabhu!", that fisherman said, “He is not Chaitanya Mahāprabhu! He has become so long that it extends, sometimes he becomes long, sometimes his limbs are shrunken, shrunked into the body, like a tortoise.”
This is ecstasy. Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī said, “No, no, that is Mahāprabhu! You don’t be worried.” Then he took Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, there. Svarūpa Dāmodara understood it was Mahāprabhu, completely unconscious, only one kaupina was there. Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī made Him put on a dry piece of cloth. Many devotees came, they chanted loudly:
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
All the devotees chanted very loudly, danced. Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, in the ear of Mahāprabhu started saying:
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
After some time, then Mahāprabhu became conscious, regained His consciousness. First half-conscious, then complete consciousness. Still He was ecstatic. He said to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī: “I have been to Vṛndāvana. I saw the Yamunā River. I went to Vṛndāvana and saw that son of Nanda Mahārāja, Vrajendra-nandana. He was doing water pastimes, playing in the water with the damsels of Vrajabhūmi. Very wonderful Iīlā. I was just taking bath with Them. Why did you bring Me here?”
This is Mahāprabhu’s madness. He completely forgot His existence. This is, Mahāprabhu has taught us. And by chanting ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’…
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
…one can become such mad, develop such ecstasy, pure name, mukhya pathe jīva pāya kṛṣṇa prema-dhana.
If you chant pure Name then you will get kṛṣṇa-prema, the love that is spoken about; the love, the fruit of love of Godhead, that is such a great intoxicant. Such a great intoxicant that anyone who eats it, filling his belly, immediately becomes maddened by it, automatically chants, dances, laughs and enjoys. Yes.
One who does so, he gets the mercy of Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu casts His merciful glance over him then immediately all his sinful reactions are destroyed, he gets prema, pure prema.
hena prema śrī-caitanya dilā yathā tathā
jagāi mādhāi paryanta - anyera kā kathā
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 8.20)
Śrīman Caitanya Mahāprabhu is distributing that prema indiscriminately. Even Jagāi and Mādhāi got, what to speak of others?
svatantra īśvara prema-nigūḍha-bhāṇḍāra
bilāila yāre tāre, nā kaila vicāra
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 8.21)
Without discrimination He distributed such prema to one and all. So when this question of prema comes, there is no discrimination of varna, āśrama. It is above varna and āśrama.
This nāma-saṅkīrtana is, we say, both sādhya-sādhana, The means as well as end. End is kṛṣṇa-prema.
bhajanera madhye śreṣṭha nava-vidhā bhakti
‘kṛṣṇa-prema’, ‘kṛṣṇa’ dite dhare mahā-śakti
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā 4.70)
Nava-vidhā bhakti is there:
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.23)
Of this nava-vidhā bhakti, this nāma-saṅkīrtana is topmost.
tāra madhye sarva-śreṣṭha nāma-saṅkīrtana
niraparādhe nāma laile pāya prema-dhana
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā 4.71)
Out of this nava-vidhā bhakti, nāma-saṅkīrtana is best, topmost. Through this nāma-saṅkīrtana, pure chanting of ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’, one can immediately get kṛṣṇa-prema.
kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa-guṇa, kṛṣṇa-līlā-vṛnda
kṛṣṇera svarūpa-sama--saba cid-ānanda
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 17.135)
The name of Kṛṣṇa, the qualities of Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, are all transcendental like the form and body of Kṛṣṇa.
saṅkīrtana haite pāpa-saṁsāra-nāśana
citta-śuddhi, sarva-bhakti-sādhana-udgama
kṛṣṇa-premodgama, premāmṛta-āsvādana
kṛṣṇa-prāpti, sevāmṛta-samudre majjana
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā 20.13-14)
Through this saṅkīrtana, one can do all sorts of sādhana. No other sadhana is required. Only this nāma-saṅkīrtana sādhana. It is the only sādhana. No other sādhanas are required. Kṛṣṇa-premodgama – because, thereby one can achieve kṛṣṇa-prema and also relish the mellow, premāmṛta, the nectar of that prema.
Kṛṣṇa-prāpti, sevāmṛta-samudre majjana - at last he will get Kṛṣṇa, he will drown himself in that ocean of nectar.
sādhya-sādhana-tattva ye kichu sakala
hari-nāma-saṅkīrtane milibe sakala
(Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Ādi-khaṇḍa 14.143)
What is the sādhya-sādhana-tattva? All tattvas will be revealed to you if you only do this hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana.
Again, another thing it is said here that: while chanting the ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’ mahā-mantra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes fainted and remained unconscious for many hours.” I gave that one example.
He prays in His Śikṣāṣtaka (7):
yugāyitaḿ nimeṣeṇa
cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaḿ jagat sarvaḿ
govinda-viraheṇa me
“O Govinda! Feeling Your separations, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.”
This is the perfectional stage of chanting the ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’ mantra and eating the fruit of love of Godhead, as exhibited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
This is Mahāprabhu’s teaching - vipralambha-bhāva, feeling pangs of separation. Mahāprabhu is always in that mood, feelings pangs of separation, vipralambha-bhāva. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself but He is crying for Kṛṣṇa.
hā hā kṛṣṇa prāṇa-dhana, hā hā padma-locana,
hā hā divya sad-guṇa-sāgara!
hā hā śyāma-sundara, hā hā pītāmbara-dhara,
hā hā rāsa-vilāsa nāgara
kāhāṅ gele tomā pāi, tumi kaha, — tāhāṅ yāi”,
eta kahi’ calilā dhāñā
svarūpa uṭhi’ kole kari’, prabhure ānila dhari’,
nija-sthāne vasāilā laiñā
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā 17.60-61)
He is crying like that. Hā hā kṛṣṇa prāṇa-dhana, hā hā padma-locana / hā hā divya sad-guṇa-sāgara - O Kṛṣṇa, who is my heart and soul! O lotus-eyed, padma-locana Kṛṣṇa, who is completely full with all transcendental qualities.
Hā hā śyāma-sundara - O Śyāmasundara! Hā hā pītāmbara-dhara - whose garment is yellow, pītāmbara-dhara.
Hā hā rāsa-vilāsa nāgara - O Kṛṣṇa, who dances in rāsa! Kāhāṅ gele tomā pāi, tumi kaha - where shall I find You? You please tell me, where shall I go and find You?” He is saying like that and crying, crying.
kva nanda-kula-candramāḥ kva śikhi-candrakālaṅkṛtiḥ
kva mandra-muralī-ravaḥ kva nu surendra-nīla-dyutiḥ
kva rāsa-rasa-tāṇḍavī kva sakhi jīva-rakṣauṣadhir
nidhir mama suhṛt-tamaḥ kva bata hanta hā dhig vidhiḥ
(Lalita-mādhava 3.25, as quoted in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā 19.35)
As Rādhārāṇī was crying. As Rādhārāṇī cries feeling separation from Kṛṣṇa, Mahāprabhu cries same, similarly. That is Mahāprabhu’s feeling of separation, yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa. This is antya-līlā and rādhā-bhāva is predominating. So when He sees Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāya Rāmānanda; they are intimate sakhīs - Viśākhā-sakhī and Lalitā-sakhī. When Rādhārāṇī sees Viśākhā-sakhī, Lalitā-sakhī, utters this and cries. And Mahāprabhu is doing the same thing.
When Mahāprabhu sees Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Lalita-sakhī, I mean Rāya Rāmānanda, He says - kva nanda-kula-candramāḥ kva śikhi-candrakālaṅkṛtiḥ. “O sakhī!’ He is addressing them as sakhī because He is feeling Himself as Rādhā. And they are sakhīs, Lalitā and Viśākhā. “O sakhī! Kva nanda-kula-candramāḥ - where is that son of Nanda Mahārāja, who shines like a moon in the family of Nanda? Kva śikhi-candraka-alaṅkṛtiḥ - where is that Kṛṣṇa on whose crest peacock feather is there?”
So, is Kṛṣṇa or anybody else with a peacock feather? Why He says śikhi-alaṅkṛti, Mahāprabhu says? Only Kṛṣṇa. Nobody else. Only Kṛṣṇa puts on śikhi-alaṅkṛti.
Kva mandra-muralī-ravaḥ - where is that Kṛṣṇa who plays so sweetly with His flute? Where is He? Muralī-vādaka. Kva nu surendra-nīla-dyutiḥ - where is that Kṛṣṇa whose bodily complexion is like nīlamaṇi, ujjvala nīlamaṇi? Nīla means blue, maṇi means jewel. Where is He? He says, indra-nīlamaṇi-dyutiḥ, surendra-nīla-dyutiḥ.
Kva rāsa-rasa-tāṇḍavī - where is that Kṛṣṇa who dances in the rāsa? Kva sakhī jīva-rakṣauṣadhir nidhir mama - O sakhī, that Śyāma is medicine for Me to keep up My life. My life is now getting out, not having Him, feeling such separation. Where is that Śyāma who is medicine, of My life, jīva-auṣadhi, jīva-rakṣauṣadhi, that will keep up my life?
Suhṛttamaḥ kva bata hanta hā dhik vidhiḥ. ‘Haa haa!’ He blasphemes that Vidhātā, Creator, that he has created such thing. Mahāprabhu cries, cries, cries, feeling such pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa. This is Mahāprabhu’s bhajana, Mahāprabhu’s bhajana-dhārā, process of bhajana. Always feeling the pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa, one should chant:
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
That is quoted here. “O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.”
All dear devotees of Gaurāṅga, all mahānta-gurus, those who come in this line, they do bhajana in this mood, separation, feeling the mood of separation.
yoga-śruty-upapatti-nirjana-vana-dhyānādhva-sambhāvita-
svārājyaṃ pratipadya nirbhayam amī muktā bhavantu dvijāḥ
asmākaṃ tu kadamba-kuñja-kuhara-pronmīlad-indīvara-
śreṇī-śyāmala-dhāma-nāma juṣatāṃ janmāstu lakṣāvadhi
(Śrī Padyāvalī: Nāma-mahātmya Text 18)
This is Īśvara Purī’s statement. That means, those who are dvijas, brāhmaṇa’s, let them aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Let them read Veda. Let them stay in solitary place, secluded place. Let them be engaged in meditation, let them be engaged in visiting all tīrthas. By doing that, let them get liberation. But for us, we don’t want all these things. What we want? We want that Śyāmasundara, whose bodily complexion is like a blue lotus. That Śyāmasundara in kuñja I want. That is our destination or goal of life.
And His name is non-different from Śyāmasundara - abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. There is no difference between the Name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself. And we are the servant of that Holy Name, nāmera-sevāka.
We are the servant of that Holy Name because the chief result of chanting this Holy Name is kṛṣṇa-prema. Mahāprabhu gives that prema through chanting which is like an intoxicant. That is mentioned here. “The fruit of love of Godhead distributed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu is such a great intoxicant that anyone who eats it, filling his belly, immediately becomes maddened by it, and automatically he chants, dances, laughs and enjoys.” And Īśvara Purī Prabhu says that thing.
We are the servants of that Holy Name. We should always be engaged in chanting that Holy Name and be maddened. If lakhs and lakhs of lives will go one after another, no loss. Janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Śikṣāṣtaka Text 4) We don’t want liberation. We want lakhs, lakhs and lakhs of lives. Let such lakhs and lakhs and lakhs of lives come and let us be maddened with chanting the holy Name. We want only this thing, nothing else.
That is our sādhya-sādhana. The chanting of the Holy Name is the means as well as end, and is kṛṣṇa-prema. If we cannot get that Kṛṣṇa, only feel the pangs of separation from Him, be maddened for Kṛṣṇa, that is the success of our life. If someone becomes mad after this, automatically he gives up all other desires.
na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Śikṣāṣtaka Text 4)
So there will be no desire for material wealth, no desire for material followers, no desire for enjoying a beautiful woman, no desire for liberation. Rather, we desire lakhs and lakhs and lakhs of lives only to be engaged in chanting His Holy Name and feeling pangs of separation from Him. This is kṛṣṇa-virahī.
And when they feel such pangs of separation which is like a fire, tāpa, heat, tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.31.9). That means, “O Lord Kṛṣṇa, Your nectarean kathā is soothing balm to our hearts that feel pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa and is burning out of that heat produced from the pangs of separation. And this, Your kathāmṛta, the nectarean kathā is soothing balm for this heart, afflicted heart. Kṛṣṇa-kathā, kṛṣṇa-nāma, this is the only medicine for us, nothing else. We don’t want anything else.”
But in this material world, he wants lakhs and lakhs of lives, let lakhs and lakhs of lives go on like this. Only we want this thing, nothing else. Because these persons, these devotees are intoxicated with kṛṣṇa-prema.
But these materially intoxicated persons, spending day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year becoming mad after material enjoyment and lust, not love for Kṛṣṇa. And Sūryadeva, the Sun is taking away their lifespan day after day. They are going closer and closer, near and nearer to death. They cannot understand it that they are going nearer and nearer, they are approaching nearer, nearer to death. They cannot understand it. They cannot understand how their days, without Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, are going away.
But on the other hand, those who are intoxicated with kṛṣṇa-prema, chanting the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa, feeling pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa, the dear devotees of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, moment after moment their time is going away with crying for Kṛṣṇa only. Only crying for Kṛṣṇa, nothing else. They say:
gato yāmo gatau yāmau gatā yāmā gataṁ dinam
ha hanta kim kariṣyāmi na paśyāmi harer mukham
(Śrī Padyāvalī: Śrī Rādhāyā vilāpaḥ Text 324)
“Alas, one prahara passed away." Prahara means three hours. So twenty-four hours means eight praharas. Twelve hours means four praharas. One day time, twelve hours, four praharas. They say, “One prahara now passed away. Alas! A second prahara, passed away; two praharas passed away. Alas! three praharas passed away. Alas! Four praharas, my whole day passed away. What shall I do?
Na paśyāmi harer mukham - still I cannot see the all-beautiful lotus-like face of Lord Hari! What shall I do? Saying this and crying only. This is vipralambha-bhāva. Doing such bhajana. Then, the guru of Īśvara Purī, Mādhavendra Purī, he feels the same mood of separation. He says:
ayi dīna-dayārdra nātha he
mathurā-nātha kadāvalokyase
hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ
dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 4.197)
Mādhavendra Purī first said like this, chanted. In the line of this disciplic succession, Brahma-mādhva-sampradāya comes Mādhavendra Purī. Mādhavendra Purī’s guru is Lakṣmīpati. Up to Lakṣmīpati this mood had not come. This mood had not come - feeling pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa. It came to Mādhavendra Purī. This disciplic succession, it begins from Mādhavendra Purī. So Mādhavendra Purī is considered as the root of this tree. The description of the tree is here. And the fruit of that tree is prema-phala. First he gave the description of the tree, then fruit. So Mādhavendra Purī is the root of this tree.
ayi dīna-dayārdra nātha he
mathurā-nātha kadāvalokyase
hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ
dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham
“O dīna-dayārdra nātha!” Dīna means those who are dīna, very, very low, very humble, lowest of the low. “You are their Lord. You are Lord of the dina.” Therefore, dina-dayardra natha. “Your heart bleeds for them, for those dīnas.” So, dīna-dayārdra nātha. “He mathurā-nātha, O Lord of Mathura!" It indicates Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa leaves Vrajapuri and goes to Mathurā then becomes mathurā-nātha. Mādhavendra Purī therefore says ‘mathurā-nātha’.
“Now You have become mathurā-nātha. You have left us, we are feeling separation from You; now You have become mathurā-nātha.”
Mathurā kadāvalokyase - when shall I have a darśana of You? I am not having Your darśana now. When shall I have a darśana of You? Without having Your darśana, hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka kātaraṁ dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham - my heart is very much agitated. It is not calm now." Agitation is there like the agitation in the sea, big waves are raised. Similarly, in my heart such big waves are raising. My heart is very much agitated.
“Hey dayita!" Then he says “Hey dayita, bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham." Dayita means, ‘O my husband.’ Dear husband is dayita, “what shall I do now, not having Your darśana?” This is feeling of separation.
All mahānta-gurus, they have felt such thing and they have done bhajana in this mood. This is Mahāprabhu’s bhajana-dhārā. Then Ragunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī. Ragunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī is always engaged in kuñja serving Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Still, he feels pangs of separation. He says:
āśaika-tantum avalambya vilambamānā
rakṣāmi jīvam avadhir niyato yadi syāt
no ced vidhiḥ sakala-loka-hitaika-kārī
yat lactam asṛjat tad ida kiṁ artham
(Śrī Padyāvalī: Śrī Rādhāyā vilāpaḥ Text 335)
That means, Ragunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī feels such pangs of separation. He says, “Still a very, very feeble hope is there, kṣīnāsa. Therefore I have survived. My life is there in one very feeble hope. What is that? l am thinking that the time will come, I must see my beloved, my dearest of my heart. That is Kṛṣṇa.”
There must be some limit to this time. We say unlimited time ananta-kāla, there is no limit to it. But he says, “In my consideration, there must be some limit, avadhi, so that feeble hope is there. If that limit is there then it is good for me. I must wait for that limit. But generally it is said unlimited time. If there is no limit, if that time will never come then what shall I do? I cannot keep up my life. So what shall I do? I shall take the help of that poison that mercifully the creator has created, kālakūṭa viṣa, very dreadful poison, the merciful Creator has created. So I will take help of that poison and end my life. I cannot survive... if there is no limit to that time.” He is feeling so much separation. Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura also says.
keno vā āchaye prāṇa ki sukha lāgiyā
narottam dās keno nā gelo mariyā
gaurā pahuṅ nā bhajiyā mainu
prema-ratana-dhana helāya hārāinu
(Prārthanā, Gaurā pahuṅ Text 5 & 1)
We are chanting Narottam Dāsa Ṭhākura’s very nice song. My Guru Mahārāja always chants this song because Prabhupāda feels such pangs of separation. He is very fond of this song. Gaurā pahuṅ - very nice, sweet voice, he sings. Yes, so nice song. Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura’s song. All these great mahānta-gurus, they have this feeling, this mood - pang of separation. In that mood they do bhajana. That is Mahāprabhu’s teaching.
Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura says, “Why shall I survive, for what happiness? For what happiness this life will be there? It is better to die. Narottam dās keno nā gelo mariyā - it is better to die.” Ragunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī also think like that; similar thought Narottam Dāsa Ṭhākura has. Those who are very dear, they think so. And this desire for death is the topmost, highest, topmost level of kṛṣṇa-prema. The topmost level, this desire for death.
Daśamī daśā, ten conditions are there, last is mṛtyu, desire for death. Because such lovers, lover-beloved relationship, they are so anxious to render loving service unto their most beloved Kṛṣṇa. They are so anxious that they are always crying for it. Even, if they cannot get it, they are prepared to end their life, mṛtyu. And this death is not yama-daṇḍa, It is not yama-daṇḍa, it is not the punishment of Yama. Yama comes to whom? Yama comes to these material persons. Yama cannot, in svapne, in the dream also cannot approach these persons, such dear devotees, svapne api niṣkṛti. But, what is this, the desire for death? This is not yama-daṇḍa, this is not the punishment of Yama. Rather it is a great festival in Gokula - gokula-mahā-mahotsava, great festival in Gokula, such desire for death. This is the feeling pangs of separation.
And here Prabhupāda has said also and we chant that, “If one is serious and sincerely follows the regulative principles and chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the time will come when these symptoms will appear. Tears will fill his eyes, he will be unable to chant distinctly the maha-mantra.” As Mahāprabhu says, cannot utter ‘Jagannātha’. “Ja-ja-ja-ja-ja-ja-gagagagagaga jajajajagagagaagaga’ - His voice is chocked up. That is feeling. He says, “distinctly chant the mahā-mantra, cannot, unable to chant distinctly the mahā-mantra and his heart will throb in ecstasy.”
Lobha dhakdhaki - ‘dhak-dhak-dhak-dhak-dhak...’ This is throbbing. ‘Dhak-dhak-dhak-dhak-dhak.’ Have you ever prepared sweet rice? Rice, milk, sugar adding, cook, cook, cook, cook, it becomes gradually thicker, Thicker, thicker. Then you will find how it ‘dhak-dhak-dhak-dhak’. It becomes much thicker, still you have put it on the fire, what you find? ‘dhak-dhak-dhak-dhak.’ It’s throbbing, the heart is throbbing like that, ‘dhak-dhak-dhak-dhak.’ This is throbbing. That he says. This is ecstasy. “The heart will throb in ecstasy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that one should not imitate this, but a devotee should long for the day, kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār.
We were chanting that song of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. "...for that day to come when such symptoms of trance will automatically appear in his body.” Why are you imitating! Rascal. Long for that day... Chant pure Name, automatically this day will come. No question of imitation.
Thank you.
Hari Hari Hari Hari bol!