Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja:
So today is the Appearance Day of Lord Rāma who is known as maryādā-puruṣottama, who strictly follows the Vedic etiquette, Vedic reunifications. He never transgresses vedic regulations. So He is known as maryāda-puruṣottama. Lord Hari has innumerable incarnations. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam first canto says that thing,
avatārā hy asaṅkhyeyā
hareḥ sattva-nidher dvijāḥ
yathāvidāsinaḥ kulyāḥ
sarasaḥ syuḥ sahasraśaḥ
ŚB 1.3.26
Lord Hari has innumerable incarnations, as innumerable outlets come out from a big water reservoir or lake Similarly, innumerable incarnations come out from Lord Hari. Lord Rāma is one of such incarnations. So today is His holy appearance day so throughout the world, throughout India, this day is observed. Jayadeva Gosvāmī, we were singing from Jayadeva Gosvāmī's Daśavatāra-stotra, you all know it. I don’t want to say in English. And Lord Rāma came to establish all idealism in human society and how to follow Vedic regulations, Vedic etiquettes, maryādā very strictly, don’t transgress it. That is needed for all human society. What every human being should observe and act, He acted and He demonstrated personally. One should understand. This is transcendental līlā, it is nothing material and it is not an easy thing to understand. It is not easy to understand the transcendental līlās of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Hari. If someone is a devotee, dear devotee of Lord Hari, gets the mercy of Lord Hari, only he will be able to understand the mysterious līlā-tattva of Lord Hari. Otherwise it is not an easy thing to understand. So there are many people who develop many misunderstandings about Lord Rāma's pastimes, Krishna says in Bhagavad-gītā:
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
Bg 9.11
When Krishna comes in His own svarūpa, this human form, Lord Rāma has also a human form, two handed form, as they manifest their līlās, display their līlās, those who are mūḍhās, rascals, they cannot understand it. They deride Him as an ordinary human being. Some also think like that. Lord Rāma came, who accepted one wife because He is maryādā-puruṣottama, He didn't accept many wives. He is very strict because He was teaching practically - every human being should follow it. This is idealism. Lord Rama is ideal in all respects - an ideal son, ideal king, ideal friend, ideal father, ideal brother, ideal husband; in every respect ideal. He is ideal and He had come to establish that idealism, Vedic maryādā. Lord Rāma came to establish idealism in all spheres of life. So, one story is there. When there was fighting between Rāma and Rāvaṇa in Lanka, the fighting began, at that time, Rāvaṇa's younger brother, Vibhīsaṇa came to Lord Rāma to take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Rāma. He came and prayed for shelter. Lord Rāma is ideal friend and also He gives shelter. Whoever prays for shelter, Lord Rāma gladly gives shelter, śaraṇagata-rakṣaka. So without hesitation He wanted to give him shelter. At that time, His ministers, they didn’t allow it. They said, “No. He has come from the enemy’s camp and he has come as a spy, as a spy. Don’t believe him. Don’t put reliance on him. Don’t put faith in him and don’t give him shelter.” His ministers said like that. But Lord Rāma said, “No, I must give him shelter.”
So at that time He told a story. What the story is that, once in a jungle very fierce tiger was there. So one man was passing through that jungle but the tiger wanted to devour him, to catch and devour him. So somehow, fortunately, the man climbed up to a tree. But the tiger didn’t want to spare him, he sat down underneath the tree and the tiger saw that there was a monkey in that tree. So that tiger wanted to establish some friendship with the monkey and he told monkey, “O my brother monkey, this human being is your enemy. Don’t believe him and don’t give him shelter in that tree. You see, the man cuts up the tree; when you eat the fruit of the tree, the man beats you, man drives you away; man sets the dogs behind you. He does such thing so he is your enemy. So don’t allow him to stay with you in this tree. And you are intelligent, you think it of very deeply. I tell you, your future is very dangerous future. You push him down, push that man down so I am hungry, I will eat him. Then you will be free from the danger.” Then the monkey said, “ O brother tiger, what you said, that’s true, correct. But, manuṣya, the man has dharma. He has dharma, he follows some religious principles. But we are animals, we have no dharma, we don’t follow any religious principles. But though we are animals, though we don’t follow the principles of dharma still, one who is in danger and has taken shelter to free himself from the danger, in my consideration it is not good that to push him down again into the danger, though I am an animal, though I have no dharma.” The monkey said like that. Then the tiger thought of some other plan, he thought of another plan. Then the tiger told the man, the human being, “O brother human being, I am very hungry now. I want food. I spare you. You are human being and you have dharma, you follow religious principles and it is your dharma to give food to a hungry animal or hungry living entity. So, is it not your dharma to give food to a hungry living entity? I am hungry. So you push down that monkey below so I will eat it and satisfy my hunger. And you will also be free from danger.” Then the human being thought of, “Yes, it is very good.” So he pushed down, he pushed down the monkey below and the monkey fell down just in front of the mouth of the tiger. But the tiger had developed greed for the human blood, so he didn’t kill the monkey, didn’t devour him, he spared him. Then the monkey again jumped up in the tree and again went up to the tree and sat down on a tall branch. Then again tiger told the monkey, “O my brother monkey, you see, I like you very much. You are not my enemy. This human being is my enemy and human being is also your enemy. You see how he pushed you down? You just fell down in front of my mouth but I spared you because you are my friend. I didn’t harm you. So this human being is your eternal enemy so now you push him down. Push him down so I will devour him, eat him and satisfy my hunger. And also the human being will be taught a very good lesson and your friendship, our friendship will continue forever.” Then the monkey said, “Yes. The human being may be ungrateful but, though I am an animal, am not so ungrateful and I cannot be so ungrateful. When I see such human beings, though human birth is a rarely achieved birth and the best of all species, out of 84 lakhs of species, but what is his dealing, how ungrateful he is? And how he has kept this history of ungratefulness? But such ungratefulness is not in the society of animals.”
So Lord Rāma told this story, this story. Then He said, “ I have come here to establish all idealism in all spheres of life. So that is my vrata, I have taken up that vow to establish this idealism in the human society. So this is my principle, if someone comes to me and prays for the shelter, I, without hesitation, give him shelter. I forget all his past history. I don’t consider his past history, I give him shelter. And this Vibhīsaṇa is our friend. From this day, he is the commander in chief of all our soldiers. He will act in that way and he is our friend, follower. He will act in that way so I tell you, nobody should put anything, what you say, any doubt on him. All should put faith in him, all should pay attention to it.” This is the story. So this is maryādā-puruṣottama. That means Lord Rāma, He came to establish idealism. And He is ideal friend, ideal father, ideal son, ideal brother, ideal husband, in all spheres ideal. And in Rāmāyaṇa you will see this thing. In many places it has been taught. Lord Rāma and Lakṣmṇa were going to Mithilā, the kingdom of Rāja Janaka. There was the marriage ceremony of Janaka’s daughter Sītādevī. Both of them were going with Viśvāmitra Muni so on the way they had to cross the river Ganges. So Lord Rāma asked for the boatman, to bring the boat. The boatman was a devotee. Only a devotee knows the Lord. He has such vision, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. He has developed love for Godhead, he has smeared the ointment of love of Godhead on his eyes, he has the devotional eyes, only he can see. If a person is not a devotee, he cannot see the Lord and he cannot understand Him also. So that boatman was a dear devotee of the Lord, he knows that He is not an ordinary human being, He is the Supreme Lord. So what is the need of a boat on the part of Supreme Lord? When He came in Vamāna avatāra, dwarf incarnation, small stature, tiny feet, He showed tiny feet to Bali Mahārāja and begged for three paces of land, tiny feet. But He became so great! With His two feet He occupied all the land, everything what was in possession of Bali Mahārāja in the three planetary systems! Such tiny feet became so great! So He is not an ordinary human being, what is the need of a boat for Him? He can stretch out his feet and come to the other side of the river! No need. So He paid a deaf ear to it. Though Lord Rāma asked him repeatedly, “Don’t you hear? I am telling you to bring a boat. Why are you not bringing? Are you deaf?” Then he said, “No, I am not deaf. I could hear everything what you say. But then he said another thing, “I heard, while you were coming on the way, you touched a block of stone so some dust fell on that block of stone and that block of stone assumed the form of a beautiful woman! I heard this thing. So, this is such wonderful potency is there in the dust of your lotus feet. So I have this apprehension that if that dust will fall on my boat, the boat will assume the form of a woman? Finished! How can I maintain my livelihood? I have one woman, it’s very difficult for me to maintain her and another woman? O, my life will be finished! So I am in apprehension. I won’t allow you to step into my boat.” These were his thoughts. Because he is a dear devotee, he knows these things and he had that intention, ‘Now this opportunity has been available to me I will wash the lotus feet of the Lord very nicely and take some dust from His lotus feet then my life will be successful. That opportunity I won’t miss.’ So Lord Rāma said , “Alright, alright, alright.” Lord Rāma didn’t act such wonderfully ; He didn’t stretch His leg. He said, “No, to cross over this river means one should need a boat, the help of a boat. If I do like that, stretch My leg, that, Lord can do, then what will the people do? They will imitate Me.”
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
Bg 4.11
In Bhagavad-gītā Krishna has said it, “What I do people will follow, imitate. Then if an ordinary person will come and say, ‘O yes, I saw, one person came and he just stretched his feet and went to the other side of the Ganges. So let me do that.’ What will happen to him? He will be drown in the mid river so I will be responsible for his death. I cannot do so. What people do, I have to do it.” This is maryādā, He didn’t transgress. So many examples are there.
Another example people cannot understand. So much misunderstanding is there because it is the transcendental līlā of the Lord. It is nothing material. It is transcendental līlā , divya-līlā. How can you understand with your material thoughts, material consideration, material intelligence or material knowledge? Impossible, you cannot. One who is a devotee , constantly attached to the lotus feet of the Lord and always engaged in bhajan, Krishna, the Supreme Lord gives him pure intelligence, he understands things and Supreme Lord reveals himself before such a devotee. Otherwise,
nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti
Bg 7.25
He has said that thing in Bhagavad-gītā, “I never manifest Myself before everybody and everywhere. I am covered up with My yogamāyā potency.” In other words, the Supreme Lord always tries to hide Himself. But a devotee sees Him because a devotee is endowed with such vision. He cannot hide Himself before the vision of a devotee. As for example, Prahlād Mahārāja, the dear devotee of the Lord who could see the Lord in a stone pillar whereas his demoniac father, very powerful conqueror of three worlds, Hiraṇyakaśipu, couldn't see. That is the difference. Do you understand? So, many people, though they read Rāmāyaṇa, hear Rāma-kathā, still they cannot understand. They say, “Lord Rāma came, who is Bhagavān, He cried for His wife Sītādevī. He cried, cried, yes.” They say, "He became, how I say, captured by Māyā. Yes, He became captured by Māyā. He was so addicted, so attached to His wife, he cried. And a deer came, a golden deer”, and Sītādevī, I said: an ideal husband should fulfil the demands of his wife, Sītādevī said, "Please catch me, give me this golden deer." "What will you do with it?" "Oh, I will keep it, take care of it and I will take it to Ayodhyā and give it as a presentation to Bharata and Bharata will be very happy." So as an ideal husband Lord Rāma ran behind that deer. Didn't Lord Rāma know that it was an illusory deer, a demon? Didn’t he know it? The Lord knows. But why did He do so? He might have said, " He should have said at that time, "O, Sīte, it is not a real deer, it is an illusory deer. It is an illusory deer." And at that spot He would have killed it, He would have killed that deer on that spot! Why didn’t He do it? Because He taught you - If you once accept a wife, become an ideal husband, then you have to fulfil the demands of your wife. A wife has many demands. "Give me this sari, this sari, this ornament, golden ornament, give me a cage of gold, let me stay in a golden cage, golden cage, yes." And it is very difficult to satisfy a woman; still not satisfied, give me this, give me this." So many demands, so many demands! Then the husband says, "Alas, what shall I do?" Your life will be such a miserable life. Yes, that's a fact.
And you have to cry, you have to dash your head and cry! That is what He taught you. It is not a fact that He became captured by Māyā and He cried. Why He cried? Then He ran behind He ran behind the golden deer then the golden deer said, “trāhi Lakṣmaṇa! trāhi Lakṣmaṇa! Oh Lakṣmaṇa please come, protect me.” Is there any danger for the Supreme Lord? He will be put into danger and call for Lakṣmaṇa? Lakṣmaṇa was there. He said, "Laksmana you stay here and take care of Sītādevī. Don’t leave this place. But that deer shouted in the voice of Lord Rāma. Sītādevī said, "O, don't you go? Didn't you hear? My husband is in danger! You are not going?" "Are baba!"I know Lord Rama will never be put into danger." But Sītādevī said, "O you want to enjoy me? My husband will-be..." such things, such things. Then Lakṣmaṇa left. Then Rāvaṇa came, a hypocrite, assuming the form of a sannyāsī, but such a demon. Then Sītā was kidnapped. When the Lord came back, no Sītā, then He cried, “Sīte! Sīte! Sīte! Sīte!” The people cannot understand, "What is this? Yes, Lord Rāma cried, Lord Rama was captured by Māyā. What to speak of us, we are tiny jīvas?!" are baba, why the Lord Rāma, why the Lord will cry? He was teaching you – if you accept a wife you will be put into such situation that you have to cry. And the duty of the ideal husband is to give protection protection to his wife and if the wife is in danger, he'll rescue her from the danger. So Lord Rāma had to go to Lanka, fight against Rāvaṇa, kill him to rescue her. He had to do like that. Otherwise it is not an easy thing to accept a, wife! If you have such strength, if you are prepared, accept a wife, or don’t accept. It is not a farce, fashion of a child's play. That Lord Rāma teaches you. This is maryādā-puruṣottama. It is not that He is put into Māyā, and He cried. People cannot understand it. So many examples are there. So now I will speak something in Oriya then English.
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu has shown His ṣaḍ-bhuja form to Sārvabhauma, Bhaṭṭācārya. In two hands He holds a bow and arrow, He is Rāma; in two hands He holds flute, so He is Krishna. And at the same time in two hands He holds daṇḍa and water pot, kamaṇḍalu, as a sannyāsī. So Lord Chaitanya is Rāma, He is Krishna. When Mahāprabhu, after taking up sannyāsa, came to Puruṣottama Kṣetra and stayed there in His sannyāsa-līlā, sannyāsa life, 24 years, out of 24 years He travelled 6 years in Northern India and South india and preached. So while He was travelling in South India, He met many rāma-bhaktas, devotees of Lord Rāma and by His mercy, many rāma-bhaktas, they started chanting kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa-bhajan.
sei saba vaiṣṇava mahāprabhura darśane
kṛṣṇa-upāsaka haila, laya kṛṣṇa-nāme
CC madhya 9.12
That is the causeless mercy of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu that He converted many rāma-bhaktas unto kṛṣṇa-bhaktas, and then they started chanting the name of Krishna. When Mahāprabhu was travelling, going on the road, He was chanting this thing,
rāma! rāghava! rāma! rāghava!
rāma! rāghava! pāhi mām
kṛṣṇa! keśava! kṛṣṇa! keśava!
kṛṣṇa! keśava! rakṣa mām
CC madhya 9.13
At that time, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu visited many tīrthas Gautamī-gaṅga, Mallikārjuna-tīrtha, there He saw Rāmadāsa Śambhu, means Śivajī, then Ahovala-nṛsiṁha, then at Siddhavaṭa, He saw the Rāma-Sītā vigraha and in Siddhavaṭa also, He met a rāma-bhakta, a devotee of Lord Rāma. He was a Vaiṣṇava, a brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava invited Mahāprabhu to take food, prasāda, in his house. And he was a very staunch devotee of Lord Rāma, and that brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava, rāma-bhakta always chanting Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Rāma. Then, Mahāprabhu went, accepted his invitation, went to his house and Mahāprabhu showered His mercy on that vipra, that brāhmaṇa. Then Mahāprabhu went to Skanda-kṣetra and saw Skanda. Skanda means Kārtikeya. Then Mahāprabhu went to Trimaṭha. There He saw Vāmana vigraha. Then Mahāprabhu went to Siddhavaṭa, again came back to Siddhavaṭa and He met again that Rāma Dās vipra, that brāhmaṇa, devotee of Lord Rāma, and came to his house. Now Mahāprabhu saw that that brāhmaṇa is chanting kṛṣṇa-nāma. Then Mahāprabhu out of fun, asked him:
pūrve tumi nirantara laite rāma-nāma
ebe kene nirantara lao kṛṣṇa-nāma’’
CC madhya 9.24
"Previously I saw you were chanting 'Rāma, Rāma, 'Rāma'. How is it that now you are chanting Krishna, Krishna, Krishna?" Then that brāhmaṇa said, "It is Your effect of Your darshan. And this is the mercy that my chanting turned, my rāma-nāma chanting turned into chanting of kṛṣṇa-nāma. It is Your mercy and it is the wonderful effect of Your darshan." That vipra said, tomā dekhi’ kṛṣṇa-nāma āila "When I saw You then the name of Krishna is uttered in my mouth."
sei haite kṛṣṇa-nāma jihvāte vasilā
kṛṣṇa-nāma sphure, rāma-nāma dūre gelā
CC madhya 9.27
"From that day, my tongue is uttering kṛṣṇa-nāma, rāma-nāma has gone. From my very boyhood i have studied many śāstras and know it, what is Rāma and what is Krishna." He quoted Padma Purāṇa. There it is stated,
ramante yogino ’nante
satyānande cid-ātmani
iti rāma-padenāsau
paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate
CC madhya 9.29
That means, this paraṁ brahma, Supreme Brahmā is cid-ātma, is transcendental, and the tattva, is transcendental tattva, the yogis, chanting that Rāma who is paraṁ brahma, get pleasure. So, therefore this param brahma vastu is known as Rāma. Rāma means ‘who gives pleasure’. Again he quoted, Mahābhārata, Udyoga-parva where it is said,
kṛṣir bhū-vācakaḥ śabdo
ṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ
tayor aikyaṁ paraṁ brahma
kṛṣṇa ity abhidhīyate
CC madhya 9.30
“kṛṣ” dhātu, meaning is akarṣaṇ attraction, and "ṇa" is blissfulness, paramānanda vācaka, blissfulness. Combined together “kṛṣ” + “ṇa” become “kṛṣṇa” That is paraṁ brahma. Rãma is paraṁ brahma, Krishna is also paraṁ brahma. So that vipra said:
paraṁ brahma dui-nāma samāna ha-ila
punaḥ āra śāstre kichu viśeṣa pāila
CC madhya 9.31
"These two names, Rama and Krishna, are paraṁ brahma so they are equal. Again I found something else, more." What is that? Then he quoted this thing, Padma Purāṇa. He quoted Padma Purāṇa where it is said,
rāma rāmeti rāmeti
rame rāme manorame
sahasra-nāmabhis tulyaṁ
rāma-nāma varānane
CC madhya 9.32
Lord Shiva says to Pārvatī. Lord Shiva says: "O my dear Parvati, this 'rāma rāma rāma' is a very a beautiful name, Rāma means, and I find pleasure in chanting this holy name, ramaṇa means I find pleasure. But, O my dear Pārvatī, but one rāma-nāma is equal to one thousand names of Viṣṇu." Do you understand? Again in Brahmāṇda Purāṇa it is said,
sahasra-nāmnāṁ puṇyānāṁ
trir-āvṛttyā tu yat phalam
ekāvṛttyā tu kṛṣṇasya
nāmaikaṁ tat prayacchati
CC madhya 9.33
That means, “if someone utters this one thousand of Lord Viṣṇu three times, what result he will get, the same result he will get if he utters kṛṣṇa-nāma once; one kṛṣṇa-nāma. That means, purport is that, if someone utters rāma-nāma three times, then what result he will get, he will get the same result as if he utters one kṛṣṇa-nāma.” Do you understand me? He said. So kṛṣṇa-nāma is the topmost.
ei vākye kṛṣṇa-nāmera mahimā apāra
tathāpi la-ite nāri, śuna hetu tāra
CC madhya 9.34
That vipra, that brāhmaṇa quoted all these śāstras and said,
iṣṭa-deva rāma, tāṅra nāme sukha pāi
sukha pāñā rāma-nāma rātri-dina gāi
CC madhya 9.35
"My iṣṭa, the Lord of my heart, is Rāma. So by chanting His name I get pleasure. So, rātri-dina, day and night I chant the name of Rāma and get pleasure. But,
tomāra darśane yabe kṛṣṇa-nāma āila
tāhāra mahimā tabe hṛdaye lāgila
CC madhya 9.36
But when I saw You, O Lord Chaitanya, then from that day, it is changed, that my tongue is uttering the name of Krishna."
sei kṛṣṇa tumi sākṣāt — ihā nirdhārila
eta kahi’ vipra prabhura caraṇe paḍila
CC madhya 9.37
"And You are that Krishna. I could understand." So saying this thing he fell flat at the lotus feet of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. In this way Mahāprabhu showered mercy on that vipra and from that day, that vipra brāhmaṇa, started chanting Krishna, Krishna’ instead of ‘Rāma, Rāma’. Then I will speak something in Oriya, then English. Alright, I will speak something in English.
So, Mahāprabhu went traveling in South India and visited many tīrthas. So He came to Kāñcīpura. From there He went to southward, came to Madurā, it is known as dakṣīna mathurā, South Mathurā. Recent name is Madurā or Madhurāi. There He met a rāma-bhakta, vipra. A brāhmaṇa, rāma-bhakta Mahāprabhu met, and that brahmana invited Mahāprabhu to take food, prasāda in his house. So Mahāprabhu, at noon, took bath then came to the house of that vipra to accept prasāda. But Mahāprabhu came He saw that that vipra, that brāhmaṇa had not cooked: "Hey! You have not cooked food?" It was afternoon. Mahāprabhu asked, "Why have you not cooked food yet? It is afternoon now, 2 pm now?" Then that vipra said,
prabhu, mora araṇye vasati
pākera sāmagrī vane nā mile samprati
CC madhya 9.182
He is such an ardent devotee of Lord Rāma, he said, “My Lord, means Rāma, is staying in the forest now. So what is available as food, vegetable, rice, it's not available in the forest. Lakṣmaṇa has gone to collect some forest roots, vegetables, flowers, leaves. He has not returned yet. When Lakṣmaṇa will return then Sītādevī will cook food. So there is delay.” That rāma-bhakta vipra said like this. Mahāprabhu became very happy, pleased to hear it. After that then that brāhmaṇa cooked. At 4 pm, Mahāprabhu took prasāda. It was four pm already. But that vipra didn't take prasāda, he fasted. He didn't take prasāda, he fasted. Then Mahāprabhu asked, “Why didn’t you take food, prasāda? Why did you fast? Why are you so much aggrieved? What is the reason?” Then that vipra said, brāhmaṇa said, “O, Rāvaṇa kidnapped Sītā, the wife of my dearest Lord. I heard this thing so I cannot tolerate it. It is better on my part to commit suicide. I will commit suicide.” He said.
vipra kahe, — jīvane mora nāhi prayojana
agni-jale praveśiyā chāḍiba jīvana
CC madhya 9.187
“I may enter into fire or enter into water and commit suicide. I don't want to keep myself alive.”
jagan-mātā mahā-lakṣmī sītā-ṭhākurāṇī
rākṣase sparśila tāṅre, — ihā kāne śuni
CC madhya 9.188
“Sītā Ṭhakuraṇi, the mother of the whole world, mahā-lakṣmī, a demon touched Her, and i heard it! I cannot tolerate it. This is such, I got such pain in my heart but my life is not getting out. What shall I do?” He said, “This is my distress.” Then Mahāprabhu told him siddhānta. This misunderstanding, many have this misunderstanding and Mahāprabhu told him siddhānta and consoled him.
īśvara-preyasī sītā — cid-ānanda-mūrti
prākṛta-indriyera tāṅre dekhite nāhi śakti
CC madhya 9.191
“Sītā is the wife of the Supreme Lord who is cid-ānanda, who is completely transcendental. How is it that one can see her with material vision? One cannot see her, Sītādevī. Even one cannot touch her. What to speak of seeing her? What to speak of touching her?” Then Mahāprabhu said,
sparśibāra kārya āchuka, nā pāya darśana
sītāra ākṛti-māyā harila rāvaṇa
CC madhya 9.192
“Such demons cannot see Sītā, cannot touch her. Rāvaṇa took māyā-sītā. Why are you so aggrieved? Sītādevī is transcendental form but Rāvaṇa took māyā-sītā.”
rāvaṇa āsitei sītā antardhāna kaila
rāvaṇera āge māyā-sītā pāṭhāila
aprākṛta vastu nahe prākṛta-gocara
veda-purāṇete ei kahe nirantara
CC madhya 9.193-194
Mahāprabhu gave this siddhānta. “When Rāvaṇa came Sītā disappeared and Sītā, real original Sītā disappeared and sent māyā-sītā before Rāvaṇa. So Rāvaṇa took māyā-sītā.
Why are you so aggrieved?” You understand? “With material vision nobody can see such transcendental form, so what is the question of touching it?” Mahāprabhu said, “Please put faith in my words. Give up your distress.” Hearing from Mahāprabhu, he put some faith in the words of Mahāprabhu, then Mahāprabhu said, “Please take food.”, and he took food and gave up this desire of committing suicide. Then Mahāprabhu went southward. He saw Bhṛgu Rāma in Mahendra Parvata, then Mahāprabhu went to Dhanus-koti-tīrtha. Then He went to Rāmeśvara, saw Rāmeśvara, there took rest. At that time, while he was staying in Rāmeśvara, Kūrma Purāṇa was read and discussed in the assembly of some brāmhaṇas. Mahāprabhu heard Kūrma Purāṇa. It is written there.
pativratā-śiromaṇi janaka-nandinī
jagatera mātā sītā — rāmera gṛhiṇī
rāvaṇa dekhiyā sītā laila agnira śaraṇa
rāvaṇa haite agni kaila sītāke āvaraṇa
CC madhya 9.201-202
Sītādevī is a devoted wife, chase wife, daughter of Janaka Mahārāja, she’s wife of Lord Rāma. She’s the mother of the whole world, Sītādevī. When Rāvaṇa came, Sītādevī took shelter of Agnidev, Agnidev. So Agnidev covered up real Sītā.
‘māyā-sītā’ rāvaṇa nila, śunilā ākhyāne
śuni’ mahāprabhu haila ānandita mane
CC madhya 9.203
And Agnidev gave māyā-sītā, illusory Sītā to Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa took the illusory Sītā. Mahāprabhu heard and became pleased.
sītā lañā rākhilena pārvatīra sthāne
‘māyā-sītā’ diyā agni vañcilā rāvaṇe
CC madhya 9.204
So Agnidev took real Sītā and put Her with Pārvatī-Devī, under care of Pārvatī-Devī. And he gave māyā-sītā to Rāvaṇa and cheated Rāvaṇa. Agnidev cheated Rāvaṇa. He gave māyā-sītā, illusory Sītā to Rāvaṇa.
raghunātha āsi’ yabe rāvaṇe mārila
agni-parīkṣā dite yabe sītāre ānila
tabe māyā-sītā agni kari antardhāna
satya-sītā āni’ dila rāma-vidyamāna
CC madhya 9.205-6
And Rāma went to Lanka and killed Rāvaṇa, rescued Sītādevī. Then Rāma said, “Enter into the fire and prove your chastity.” When māyā-sītā entered into the fire, Agnidev took the māyā-sītā and delivered the real Sītā to Raghunāth. Do you understand? This is mentioned in Kūrma Purāṇa. Mahāprabhu became very pleased then Mahāprabhu wrote down that verse from Kūrma Purāṇa. That .. Then at that time Mahāprabhu remembered that Rāmadās vipra. Then Mahāprabhu again came back to that Rāmadās vipra. He came back. Then He showed him the verse, “In Kūrma Purāṇa it is written”,
sītayārādhito vahniś
chāyā-sītām ajījanat
tāṁ jahāra daśa-grīvaḥ
sītā vahni-puraṁ gatā
parīkṣā-samaye vahniṁ
chāyā-sītā viveśa sā
vahniḥ sītāṁ samānīya
tat-purastād anīnayat
CC madhya 9.211-212
That means, when Rāvaṇa came, Sītādevī took shelter of Agnidev. Then Agnidev gave chāyā-sītā, illusory Sītā to ten-headed Rāvaṇa and that Rāvaṇa kidnapped illusory Sītā. The original Sītā stayed in Agni-pūra with Agnidev. When Mahāprabhu, Rāmachandra Mahāprabhu went to Lanka, killed Rāvaṇa, rescued Sītā and asked Sītā to enter into fire thereby She will prove herself that She is chaste. So māyā-sītā entered into the fire and Agnidev took the māyā-sītā and delivered the real Sītā to Rāmchandra. This is written in Kūrma Purāṇa. When that vipra, brāmhaṇa saw this, this is authentic, so he became very much pleased. Then he fell flat at the lotus feet of Lord Rāma and cried, cried and said , “You are that Lord Rāma.”
vipra kahe, — tumi sākṣāt śrī-raghunandana
sannyāsīra veṣe more dilā daraśana
CC madhya 9.214
“You are that Raghunandan, you are that Lord Rāma. I see you directly as Lord Rāma and you gave me darshan out of mercy in the form of a sannnyāsī and cleared my doubts.” So this time, that rāma-bhakta, that vipra, again invited Mahāprabhu, prepared nice food, fed Him sumptuously. Mahāprabhu was very much pleased and Mahāprabhu showered His mercy on that Rāmadās vipra. Then Mahāprabhu went to Tāmraparṇī. So many people have this misunderstanding. They cannot understand. And how can one understand the transcendental līlās of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? It is not an easy thing unless you have accepted a Guru, Vaiṣṇava Guru, and heard this tattva from him, by the mercy of Guru, tattva is revealed to you, you cannot understand it. Therefore many people have this misunderstanding. They say, Though they read Rāmāyaṇa, see Rāmāyaṇa, still they cannot understand what is this. Yes. This is there. It’s tattva, very deep, confidential tattva. This supreme bhāgavata-tattva very deep and confidential tattva. Not easy thing to be understood. And maryādā-puruṣottama Lord Rāma, He’s maryādā-puruṣottama, I said first, He strictly follows the vedic regulations. He never transgresses. And he has accepted one wife, ekapatni dhara. He never accepted more than one wife. And in Rāma, two things are there: one is rāmatva, the other is patitva. What do you say in English? Husband-hood, patitva, and Rām-hood, rāma’ means who gives pleasure, ramaṇa. That is rāmatva. So whom does Sītā love? Does Sītā love Rāma or does Sītā love pati, husband? That is our question. This is tattva. Do you understand? I’d say Goddess Sītā loves pati, husband, then Her love is haitukī. Do you understand my point? haitukī, with reason, with cause. It is not causeless, not ahaitukī. It is haitukī. Because she has this relationship, husband and wife relationship, it is saṁbandhata. Do you understand my language? Saṁbandhata, it is relationship, husband and wife relationship. But it is haitukī love, not ahaitukī, not causeless. If Goddess Sītā loves Rāma, then that is ahaitukī, causeless, nirupādhika - without designation. Do you understand me? This is tattva. Because in nirupādhika-prema, this question of love, nirupādhika, love without designation then it is relished, the mellow. And in rāma-līlā, the Lord cannot relish this thing. But Rāma developed that greed to relish it, the nirupādhika-prema. And that greed is not fulfilled during rāma-līlā. So next avatāra, in kṛṣṇa-līlā, that greed was fulfilled. Do you understand? When paraṁ bramha came as Krishna, He accepted many wives, not one wife, many wives. He became
vṛnda vipina-vihari, kānā..
rasa-lampaṭa, nagarengra.
Do you understand? He manifested His līlā in the jungle of Vrindavan, danced in rasa dance with the damsels of Vrajabhūmi, many wives, this rasa-lampaṭa, nagarengra. He is purna bramha Krishna, that His greed is fulfilled. That was not fulfilled during rāma-līlā. And His complete fulfillment is in gaura-līlā. This is the sevā-paddhatī of hlādhinī-śakti. Do you understand? Pleasure potency. This is the principles of service of the pleasure potency, sevā-paddhatī of hlādhinī-śakti.
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
Bg 4.11
What do you say in English? As all surrender unto Me …
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
Bg 4.11
What do you say in English? “As they surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.”
Yes. One is rewarded according to the degree of his surrender, isn’t it? That is what you understand. This is general law. Do you understand? General law. And that is also promise of the Lord, pratijña. So hlādhinī-śakti has a law. Do you understand? Has a law. What is that? If purna bramha Bhagavān wants something, hlādhinī-śakti fullfils that desire. If purna bramha wants to manifest His līlā in this, what you say, parakīyā-bhāva-līlā, you understand, not in svakīya, you understand, then hlādhinī-śakti acts in that way. If paraṁ bramha Bhagavān becomes patitva-pradhāna, wants to relish svakīya-rasa, do you understand me? My language? saukīya, svakīya-rasa, then hlādhinī-śakti becomes patitva-pradhāna, satīrva-pradhāna. Do you understand me? Then hlādhinī-śakti becomes devoted wife, svakīya. Do you understand? She gives the opportunity to relish that mellow: svakīya-rasa; that is haitukī. But if the Supreme Lord develops this greed how to relish parakīyā-bhāva, do you understand, not saukīya, he kicks svakīya-bhāva, that means he kicks off patitva, husband-hood, and wants to manifest rāmatva, then hlādhinī-śakti becomes what this parakīyā-bhāva. Do you understand? She assumes parakīyā-bhāva and allows the Supreme Bramha, paraṁ bramha, to relish that mellow, parakīyā-rasa. This is nirupādhi-prema. There is no designation. And in nirupādhi-prema, the essence, the essence of the mellow is relished, highest relishment; not in upādhika, haitukī upādhika-prema, or saukīya-prema. When svayaṁ bhagavān, purna bramha becomes patitva-pradhān, hlādhinī-śakti becomes satītva-pradhān. So in rāmā-līlā it is patitva-pradhān. He is maryādā-puruṣottama, hlādhinī-śakti Sītā is sati, chaste wife, devoted wife. It is svakīya-rasa-svadhana. And Rāma, so Lord Rāma has this complete, He very strictly follows this principle of accepting one wife. Then hlādhinī-śakti assumes the form of Sitadevī pati-vrata-sati devoted and chaste wife. And sati, chaste wife, pati-vrata, that is her glory, always to keep up chastity. Yes. But in kṛṣṇa-līlā, purna bramha, svayam bhagavān, gave up patitva, husband-hood and manifesed His rāmatva, ramaṇa, pleasure. So rāmatva means always doing ramaṇa, getting pleasure. Ramaṇa is niratiśa-rasa vilāsa. That means that is to relish the essence of that conjugal mellow, the essence of conjugal mellow. So at that time, svarūpa-bhūta hlādhinī-śakti becomes ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitā. She becomes like that and allows the Supreme Lord to relish nirupādhi-prema-rasa. Do you understand? niryāsa, essence of nirupādhi-prema and gives such pleasure. At that time there is no question of svakīya and satitva. There is no question of chastity or svakīya and satitva devoted. This is tattva. Do you understand? So in vraja-līlā, kṛṣṇa-līlā, hlādhinī-śakti became gopī-śreṣṭhā-rādhā, she’s Rādhā. And other gopīs, they are sakhīs, Srī Rādhā’s companions, sakhīs, mañjarīs, they are like expansions or unlimited expansions.
bahu kāntā vinā nahe rasera ullāsa
CC ādi 4.80
This rasa, this mellow, the essence of this conjugal mellow, cannot be relished if there are not many wives. Do you understand? That means parakīyā-rasa, niryāsa. So svakīya-rasa pradhāna-līlā, rāma-līlā is svakīya-rasa pradhāna-līlā. Therefore in that līlā, there is Sītā-Rāma, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Lord is Sītā-Rāma, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. This is svakīya-rasa pradhāna-līlā. But in parakīyā-rasa pradhāna-līlā, He is Radhe-Śyam, He is Gopīnāth. Do you understand? He is ayodhyādi-pati, vaikuṇṭhādi-pati, dvarakadi-pati, you understand me? ayodhyādi-pati, vaikuṇṭhādi-pati, dvarakadi-pati, their līlā is svakīya-rasa pradhāna-līlā. But vṛndāvana-bihari, nāgarendra, this Krishna, that is parakīyā-rasa pradhāna-līlā. In that līlā, this aīśvarya is covered up with mādhurya. But in this līlā, rāma-līlā, ayodhyā-līlā, vaikuntha-līlā in Dvārakā, ayodhyā-pati, vaikuṇṭhādi-pati, svakīya-rasa pradhāna-līlā, it is aīśvarya-mayi-līlā. Here mādhurya is covered up in aīśvarya. This is tattva. Anything?
Thank you very much.