çré-räjoväca
ko näma sa pumän brahman
kasya kià-vérya eva ca
kasmäd guhäà gataù çiñye
kià-tejo yavanärdanaù
(SB 10.51.13)
Synonyms
çré-räjä uväca—the King (Parékñit) said; kaù—who; näma—in particular; saù—that; pumän—person; brahman—O brähmaëa (Çukadeva); kasya—of which (family); kim—having what; véryaù—powers; eva ca—as also; kasmät—why; guhäm—in the cave; gataù—having gone; çiñye—lay down to sleep; kim—whose; tejaù—semen (offspring); yavana—of the Yavana; ardanaù—the destroyer.
Translation
King Parékñit said: Who was that person, O brähmaëa? To which family did he belong, and what were his powers? Why did that destroyer of the barbarian lie down to sleep in the cave, and whose son was he?
çré-çuka uväca
sa ikñväku-kule jäto
mändhätå-tanayo mahän
mucukunda iti khyäto
brahmaëyaù satya-saìgaraù
(SB 10.51.14)
Translation
Çukadeva Gosvämé said: Mucukunda was the name of this great personality, who was born in the Ikñväku dynasty as the son of Mändhätä. He was devoted to brahminical culture and always true to his vow in battle.
sa yäcitaù sura-gaëair
indrädyair ätma-rakñaëe
asurebhyaù paritrastais
tad-rakñäà so ‘karoc ciram
(SB 10.51.15)
Translation
Begged by Indra and the other demigods to help protect them when they were terrorized by the demons, Mucukunda defended them for a long time.
labdhvä guhaà te svaù-pälaà
mucukundam athäbruvan
räjan viramatäà kåcchräd
bhavän naù paripälanät
(SB 10.51.16)
Translation
When the demigods obtained Kärttikeya as their general, they told Mucukunda, “O King, you may now give up your troublesome duty of guarding us.
nara-lokaà parityajya
räjyaà nihata-kaëöakam
asmän pälayato véra
kämäs te sarva ujjhitäù
(SB 10.51.17)
Translation
Abandoning an unopposed kingdom in the world of men, O valiant one, you neglected all your personal desires while engaged in protecting us.
sutä mahiñyo bhavato
jïätayo ‘mätya-mantrinaù
prajäç ca tulya-kälénä
nädhunä santi kälitäù
(SB 10.51.18)
Translation
The children, queens, relatives, ministers, advisers and subjects who were your contemporaries are no longer alive. They have all been swept away by time.
kälo baléyän balinäà
bhagavän éçvaro ‘vyayaù
prajäù kälayate kréòan
paçu-pälo yathä paçün
(SB 10.51.19)
Translation
Inexhaustible time, stronger than the strong, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Like a herdsman moving his animals along, He moves mortal creatures as His pastime.
Purport
The universe is created to gradually rectify the contaminated souls trying to exploit material nature. The Lord moves the conditioned souls along, according to their karma, through the various stages of spiritual rectification. Thus the Lord is like a herdsman (the word paçu-päla literally means “protector of animals”), who moves the creatures under his protection to various pastures and watering spots in order to protect them and sustain them. A further analogy is that of a doctor, who moves the patient under his care to various areas of a hospital for diverse kinds of examination and treatment. Similarly, the Lord brings us through the network of material existence in a gradual cleansing process so that we can enjoy our eternal life of bliss and knowledge as His enlightened associates. Thus all of Mucukunda’s relatives, friends and co-workers had long ago been swept away by the force of time, which of course is Kåñëa Himself.
Kalayavana Burns into Ashes
Srila Sukdeva Goswami has just explained the most fascinating way in which the terrible Yavana enemy of Krsna Kalayavana was slain when searching for Krsna in a dark cave he saw a form laying on the ground in deep sleep. Taking this personality to be Krsna and very angered and insulted that he was so casually sleep before Kalayavan who has just challenge Him to battle. Kalayavan with great force kicked this personality who then awoke looked this direction and that direction and upon seeing Kalayavana by his mare glance he burn the Yavan to ashes. Maharaj Parikshit is asking who is this person who is sleeping in the cave? Who is his father? Why was he there? Can you explain? And Sukdeva Goswami is herein describing that this was a great Kshatriya born of the Ikshvaku dynasty his name was Mucukunda his father was the great king Mändhätä. And he was a very powerful and noble king himself. In fact he had such a beautiful and wonderful kingdom that it was unrivaled. It was completely peaceful. He had queen, he had children, he had so much to live a life in glory and peace. But the demigods who are the servant of Lord Hari, they were at that time begin severally harassed by the demons. So they called upon Mucukunda. Can you help us? Can you protect us? Mucukunda in order to serves the Lord’s devotees and assist them in their service to the Lord because we should know that the demigod although sometimes they may be karma-miçra bhaktas or jnana-miçra bhaktas. Often times they are devotees with mixed desires nevertheless overall they are performing their particular duties in the service of Lord Sri Krsna. Krsna has created the entire universe through His various expansions and then after creating the universe from Garbhodaksayi Vishnu is born Atmabhu Brahma from Brahma the Lord creates the various Devatas any millions of Devatas and each one assigned a particular department within universal affairs to protect and conduct in the service of the Lord and what type of person becomes a Demigod? It is some one who has tremendously pious karma, tremendously endowed in the mode of Goodness and was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu but at the same time has some propensity to enjoy material pleasures and Lord it over material nature. Generally such persons are appointed in their next birth the assignment of taking care of massive affairs within the universe.
Service Attitude of Mucukunda
So these demigods when they saw that they were being terrorized by Rakshasas, Asuras they approached the supreme king of his kingdom Mucukunda and asked can you help us? So noble and great of a devotee was this man that in order to serve the Lord’s devotees he left his kingdom. He left his wife, his children, his palace, he left all the comforts, you no there is no more comfortable situation than being in a king in a unrivalled kingdom and he fought risking his very life, working so treacherously hard just help the Lord’s devotees. Not just for a short time but as long as it was required he continued on and because he was in the heavenly world’s protecting the demigods the time reference of the heavenly worlds is completely different dimension than on this earthly planets. So while he was fighting and fighting and fighting against these terrible demons on the earth plane time was passing by the waves of time in this material ocean everyone is being washed away and his wife and his children’s and all of his relatives and everything gradually they all died and Mucukunda just continued on with his service. And after sometimes Karttikeya who was born of Lord Shiva. He was given the post of commander and chief of all the demigods the beautiful story how he was born.
Mucukunda’s Dedication
So the demigods they said to Mucukunda now you are so great. You have done all this for us. You really had nothing lefts. Everything you once had is gone. But we will give you any benediction you like. Mucukunda hadn’t slept in thousands of years, you know last night the program went a little late and some of you faithful Vaishnavas got up for Mangal Aarti and now you are falling sleep in class. You having so much difficulty because little less sleep and many of you are thinking we hope that this Radhanath doesn’t speak as long as he usually does because we were longing to go to sleep and have some rest. So you can sympathies of Mucukunda who was for thousands of years without any sleep fighting, fighting, fighting and finally when he was given a benediction he said please let me go to sleep, let me take rest for a long time. Some of you devotees you know when finally you get rest you close the light and you locked the door and you unplugged the phone in your room so that no one will disturbed you. So Mucukunda wanted to be undisturbed. Whoever tries to wake me give me the power to burn them to ashes by glance. Hari Bol… So he was given this benediction. Surely it wasn’t for his own sense gratification but because he wanted to be properly rested for whatever seva was coming next because it was for his own sense gratification Krsna would not have personally woke him up by His own causeless mercy and Krsna Himself as we will read in the future pages of Bhagvatam gives Mucukunda such wonderful benedictions and what is the supreme most benediction that Mucukunda thus allow to have the personal darshan of Lord Sri Krsna and he was given the opportunity to completely surrender to His lotus feet. So we find here in this beautiful narration of Mucukunda how such a great Grihastha kind was so dedicated duty wound to serve the Lord and His devotees to such an extend because he knew that if I am serving the devotees of the Lord then everyone would gets the best benefits as we were explaining last night whatever devotional service we perform the credits of that Bhakti is shared by all those who are near and dear to us automatically without even asking.
Lord Deliver Us And Our Near and Dears If We Simply Surrender to Him
In the story of Dhruva Maharaj. So we find how he was so in deeded to his beloved mother who very innocently in a condition of complete lamentation she said to Dhruva you want to see the supreme Lord I have been told if you go to the forest there are many great saints and sages their and i.e. where they find the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So he went to the forest their Dhruva Maharaj met his gurudev Narada and he was initiated in the chanting the Mahamantra of the age of Satya Yuga. Oà namo bhagavate väsudeväya. And he attains the perfection of life. But many many years later he became king and he rules the citizens for long long time and when it was for him to leave his body when it was time for him to go Back Home to Back to Godhead the servants of Vishnu came on a beautiful flower airplane a celestial spaceship. You can’t go Back Home to Back to Godhead by flying through your daily airlines not even Swish Air or Loof Tanza or Singapore airline. These are mundane terrible machines that could crash and kill you at any moment they are running on fuel and polluting the earth with their exhaust viunes and they can take you at the most from one part of this material existence this planet this little tiny planets to another but these are celestial planes which the hymns of his mantras. As the devotees of Vishnu are singing matras the plane can fly and the plane is very comfortable and very fast, no safety belts required, no vomit bag in the seat of front of you, no flotation cushions in case you fall in the ocean, no exit doors but just wonderful fragrant flowers all around and just can go faster than the speed of mind to any planet through all the panets, Bhu, Bhuvar, Sva you go through all from Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Swargaloka, Tapaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Satyaloka then you pierce through the material covering Viraja and you enter into the Brahmajyoti, you pierce through the Brahmajyoti into the Paramvyoma and their there are the Vaikuntha planets and according to the particular deity of Krsna that you worship you are brought right to that particular Vaikuntha planet where there the Vaman Deva, Narasingha Deva, Ramachandra, Narayan and if you are devotee of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna or Gauranga Mahaprabhu you go to Goloka Vrindavan and you land very nicely. You simply enter into eternal lila with Sri Radha and Krsna. So anyways Dhruva Maharaj was being brought and they said please it is boarding time and Dhruva Maharaj replied but my mother how can I leave without my mother and they pointed to the sky and they said, look their. He saw way of above before him even his mother was on another spaceship going to Vaikuntha.
So to this story we can understand without our even asking the Lord will deliver, He will liberate, He will purify all those who are near and dear to us if we simply surrender to him. So Mucukunda had this faith. In this way we can understand that the greatest gift that we can offer to anyone we love is by giving them Krishna Consciousness and becoming pure devotees in ourselves in our own life and there was wonderful example the life of Jiva Goswami.
Pastimes of Rupa, Sanatan and Vallabha
Today is the disappearance day of Jiva Goswami. His father was a very very great and pure devotee of Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu as was his two uncles. His eldest, there were three brothers, the eldest was Sanatan Goswami, the middle brother was Rupa Goswami and the youngest brother was Vallabha. Jiva Goswami was the son of Vallabha. They were also very very powerful, wealthy ministers who had the most important the marginable responsibilities in the kingdoms. In fact they ran the whole kingdom of Bengal which was ruled by the Moghal conqueror Nawab Hussain Shah. But he would not make a single decision without consulting Rupa, Sanatan and Vallabha. He had complete trust in them because they were so learned and they were so pure in heart. And because of this and they were such loving devotees of the Lord everyone completely trusted them. And the Nawab Hussain Shah knew that as long as he had Rupa and Sanatan and Vallabha as his ministers all the kingdom of all Hindus would follow him greatfully because they couldn’t refuge from following these great souls. So actually he forced them to accept the position of servants but they were always longing to be free from serving his demonic king and becoming completely dedicated devotees of Lord Krsna. Of course they were completely dedicated but they wanted to directly engage in devotional service.
So they were writing regularly to Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Actually they were incarnations of the top most maid servants of Sri Radharani from Goloka Vrindavan. So they could understand that Krsna and Sri Radharani had appeared in the divine incarnation of Guaraga Mahaprabhu. So they would writes so many letters to Him please Gauranga Mahaprabhu tell us what should we do? We want to become full time devotees but we have so many terrible responsibilities for this king. And they were getting no reply to their letter. They wrote again and again and again and finally they received reply from Lord Gauranga would essentially said very short note that if a wife is attached to another man other than husband she would serve her husband very carefully so he doesn’t suspect. So you should continue your duties but always be thinking of Krsna, always be thinking of your real lover and in His time He will rescue you. So they went on with their service longing for that moment.
And then Lord Gauranga He especially made a trip to Ramakeli which was the kingdom of Nawab Hussain Shah. He was on His way to Vrindvan but if you see a map of Bengal it’s actually quit out of the way from Vrindavan. He especially went their just to deliver Rupa, Sanatan and Vallabha. So because they didn’t want to create suspicion in the minds of the king who was a Muslim who was not at all respectful to the Hindu culture in the middle of the night they secretly went to the place were Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu was rescinding and while they were their Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu initiated them. He gave them the name Rupa and Sanatan and Vallabha. And also he told them that they should leave their kingdoms and come to Vrindavan. He showed His special mercy and Rupa and Sanatan and Vallabha how they pray to the Lord, how they humble themselves at the lotus feet of the Lord Caitanya.
Jiva Goswami Becomes Completely Detached From Material Enjoyment
But meanwhile it is explain that there was a little boy tiny little boy the Son of Anupama, Vallabha who followed behind his father and uncles and was secretly watching and listening to the whole exchange between Lord Caitanya and them. And simply upon seeing the beauty Lord Gauranga and hearing His munificent words, his entire life became dedicated to serving His lotus feet. Just the few moment of seen the Lord his whole life was transformed into pure devotional service. You see, children will always watch what their parents do. If they see their parents humbling themselves before the supreme Lord and the great Vaishnavas it has the profound of fact in the heart of little children. Of course in the Jiva Goswamis example this is the very super excellent manifestation of this principle. So he became completely detached from any material enjoyment while other children would like to play he didn’t care a play.
Jiva Goswami Worships the Deities of Balaram and Krsna
His play was this. He would construct with his own hand beautiful little deities of Krsna and Balaram. Why Krsna and Balaram? because you see when he was in Ramakeli and he saw Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda was with him. He had the beautiful darshan of Gaur Nitai and as we were singing last night Brajendranandana hei çacé-suta hoilo sei balaräma hoilo nitäi. After he had their beautiful darshan in Ramakeli he had beautiful dream were he saw Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda appeared before him. So he naturally became very attracted to the worship of Balaram and Krsna. So these little deities he was spend his whole days just caring for the deities. He would bow down before them tears flowing from his eyes in ecstatic love. He would collect various flowers and fruits and offer it with pure love to Krsna and Balaram and then he would gather his friends together and he was served them Prasad. And he would love to clap his hands and just dance before the deities and to chant the Holy Names before the deities and to dress them and to bathe them and to decorate them with sandal wood and whatever the other ornaments he had, his life was completely immersed in the service of Krsna and Balaram. He would never apart from them for a moment. Even when he would go to sleep at night he would embrace them and sleep with his two Lords upon his chest and his arms.
Krsna and Balaram Deities Transformed into Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu in the Dream
One night he had a wonderful dream. In this dream his worshipable deities Krsna and Balaram appeared before him and he began to worship them and offer them his love and right before his eyes Lord Sri Krsna transformed into the beautiful form of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Gauranga! Gauranga! Gauranga! And Lord Balaram so graciously transformed into the beautiful form of Nityananda. Nityananda! Nitai! Hari Bol…
And little Jiva he began to weep in ecstatic love and he fell at Their lotus feet and Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu placed their lotus feet upon little Jivas head and then They disappeared. And when they disappeared he was cast into the ocean of separation and from that time he was practically day and night in lamentation weeping and weeping and weeping. And when he heard the news that his father Vallabha also known as Anupama when he you see his father left his Goverment services and went to Vrindavan with Rupa Goswami but as Rupa Goswami and Vallabha were coming to Jagganath Puri to meet Lord Gauranga Vallabha left to return to the spiritual world. And hearing that his father was died Jiva Goswami was utterly disinterested in anything of this world. He only had one desire let me go to Vrindavan and worship Radha and Krsna with my uncles Rupa and Sanatan. So he was longing and he was praying in this way and when people would see his ecstatic love they were literally struck with wonder. How this child he had all the symptoms of Mahapurusha? Beautiful elongated lotus eyes, wonderful complexion, arms went beyond his knees, high forehead and broad chest and he was just embodiment of love. And yet he was always literally crying in lamentation, separation from Gaur Nitai.
Jiva Goswami Performs Navadvip Parikrama
So little Jiva it is explained that soon his mother she also left this world, so Jiva Goswami decided to go to Navadvip Dham because he had heard the news that although Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu had already left this world. Lord Nityananda Prabhu was living in the house of Srivas Thakur at Navadvip. So when he entered into Navadvip constantly remembering the beautiful glories of Lord Gauranga and Lord Nityananda he saw the wonderful river Ganges. He saw the beautiful spiritual atmosphere of Mayapur. And he inquired where is Nityananda Prabhu meanwhile Nityananda Prabhu told Srivas that very soon Jiva will come he is the most blessed nephew of Rupa and Sanatan and few moments later Jiva appeared at the house of Srivas Pandit. And he was brought into see Lord Nityananda Prabhu. And he felt at the lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu. And Lord Nityananda placed His lotus feet upon the head of little Jiva who was that time was less than 20 years old. And Nityananda Prabhu decided for the pleasure of Jiva Goswami to join him and show him the Parikrama of Navadvip dham. So after introducing him to Srivas and all the other associates who are still remaining they went to the Yogapith, the house of Jagganath Misra and their Saci devi and Vishnupriya they were weeping and crying in ecstatic separation from Lord Gauranga but upon seeing little Jiva they became so ecstatic in love so joyful. And Vansivadan you remember that Murti of Lord Gauranga that we saw in Koladvip that Vishnupriya worshiped after Mahaprabhu took Sanyas. Do you remember? We inquire from authoritative sources in the near by Koladvip area of how that deity came about and what happen that this? Before Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu took Sanyas one close associate of His name Vansivadan He asked him that you please kindly take care of My mother and My consort Vishnupriya so Vansivadan became their are servant and with his own hand he personally carved this murti of Lord Gauranga. And it was Vansivadan that presented this murti to Vishnupriya and she worshiped through out her life according to reliable sources at the bottom of the foot one of the lotus feet of that murti is still carved the name Vansivadan. So Nityananda Prabhu and Jiva Goswami they met with Vansivadan, Saci devi and Vishnupriya who gave him wonderful prasad and so many wonderful events took place as he was roaming through all the nine Ireland of Navadvip. In fact the Navadvip Parikrama that we performed was the same Parikrama essentially as Nityananda Prabhu performed with Jiva Goswami. Of course we also went some palaces outside of Navadvip Gaur Mandalbhumi like Katva, Ambhika Kalana, Jaji Gram, Shantipur but the area within Navadvip it was Nityananda that performed the first Parikrama and Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur through his spiritual vision explained the beautiful discussions between Jiva Goswami and beautiful beautiful revelations that they achieve while going through the Navadvip Parikram. In many places they were so irrupted in a ecstatic love that Lord Caitanya and Advaitacarya and Gadadhar and all these great personalities who have already left this world they appeared again and tumultuous wonderful Sankirtan for the pleasure of Jiva Goswami. Nityananda Prabhu revealed all of this to him.
Jiva Goswami Becomes Great Devotee And Great Scholar of The Vedas
And then Nityananda Prabhu told him that now you should go to Vrindavan because Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu had specially made Vrindavan the place for your family members. But he told him on the way to Vrindavan you should stop in Varanasi the Benares and there you should study Sanskrit from Madhusudan Vachaspati who is the very great and learned disciple of Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. So Jiva Goswami with great love and affection he surrendered to the lotus feet of the Nityananda Prabhu and surrendered to His instructions he departed to Navadvip Dham to Varanasi and their in Varanasi for some years he very very carefully studied in the academy of Madhusudan Vachaspati and he became the most learned student of all of Benares. He began to write books and he became very very famous well known through out all of India is being great devotee and great scholar of the Vedas and then he proceeded to Vrindavan.
Jiva Goswami Performs Menial Service to Rupa Goswami
And it is described that when he came to Vrindavan all the great Vaishnava Acharyas came to greet him, Rupa Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, Gopal Batta Goswami, Raghunath Bhatta, Raghunath Das Goswami he was the last of the six Goswamis who arrived in Vrindavan also Lokanath Goswami, Bhugarbha Goswami, Kashishwar Pandit they were all there to greet him. Firstly approached Sri Sanatan Goswami his eldest uncle and begged him kindly give me initiation Diksha. Sanatan Goswami told him that you should take Diksha from Rupa Goswami. So he approached Rupa Goswami and Rupa Goswami said that you know this Vaishnava Diksha is Gaudia Sampradaya is not such a cheap thing you have to prove yourself through humble menial service. So Rupa Goswami engaged Jiva Goswami in very very menial services although he was such a great scholar and he had already become so famous although he was only hardly twenty years old. He would wash the vessels. He would pick the flowers. He would clean the room. He would clean the room. He would prepare palm leaves so that Rupa Goswami could do his writings. He would arrange the articles for the puja of Rupa Goswami. He would massage Rupa Goswami’s feet and his legs. Just humble such humble simple menial services and by doing this he showed Rupa Goswami that really he was serious about being a Vaishnava devotee of the Lord. And after sometimes Rupa Goswami was pleased with him and he gave him initiation.
Mood of The True Vaishnavas
And they lived together the Goswamis for many years in Vrindavan how did they live it is explained that they would sleep under different trees every night. Then they would only ware the discarded cloth which was put in the rubbish bins by the Brajavasis. They would beg. Jiva Goswami was a prince. He was living in the royal opulence but he left it all. They were just begged. And they would get some dry roti sometimes some fried chippies and they would subsist on that only, sometimes little milk. But they were always completely engrossed, immersed in the loving ecstasies of the Gopis feeling for Krsna. And they would wonder through out Vrindavan. he rädhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-süno kutaù. Always crying out- Where is Radharani? Where is Krsna? Are you on the banks of Jamuna? Are you under the Vansi-vat tree? This was their mood. They would never so proud to say in know Krsna.
Here in India you preach to people and the first thing they would say yes I know Krsna. Yes, I see Krsna every night in my dreams. Yes, yes Krsna talks to me. But the greatest saints the most highly purified Vaishnavas in the most renounced order of life they are never saying- I know Krsna. I see Krsna. They are always crying where are You Radharani? where are You Krsna? Where are you Lalita, Visakha? Will You kindly engage me in Your loving service? This is the mood of the true Vaishnavas.
Jiva Goswami Becomes Greatest Philosopher
Krishna Consciousness is not so cheap. But of course in Kaliyuga even the most priceless things are taken very cheaply. But they gave real dignity to the priceless value of Krishna Consciousness. And they extracted from all the great Vedic literature the essence which is pure, unalloyed, unmotivated loving service to Radha and Krsna in Vrindavan. And of all the Goswami’s Jiva Goswami was the most celebrated writer. He wrote so many books. Srila Prabhupada explained that the Vaishnava philosophers are the greatest philosophers in the world. And of all philosophers Jiva Goswami is by far the greatest philosophers that ever lived through logic, through argument and through complete scriptural backing he has established the most high and sublime points which leave one to pure devotion to the Lord through the Ñaò Sandarbhas the greatest philosophical works where everything is so scrutinizing explain with such authority. Srila Rupa Goswami was personally worshiping beautiful small deities of Radha Damodar some people says that he carved those deities out of stones with his own hands. Anyways out of love for his dear disciple Rupa Goswami gave the murti’s of Radha Damodar to Jiva Goswami.
Jaya rädhä-dämodara rädhä-dämodara rädhe
jév goswämér präëa-dhana he
They became his life and soul. There are so many beautiful stories of Jiva Goswami.
Jiva Goswami Defeats Rupa Narayan
One time a scholar of the name Rupa Narayan he came to Brajabhumi and he was such a proud rascal that he was declaring himself to be the greatest philosopher and greatest scholar in all the world. And he was going to places challenging other scholars to debate and he would defeat them and have their sign a certificate that I have been defeated by Rupa Narayan. So he came to Vrindavan and he heard that Rupa and Sanatan Goswami were the greatest scholars their so he said I challenge you to debate. And Rupa and Santan they care nothing for the prestige of this mundane world. They said to him we are just very simple. People say we are great at all and exaggeration it will be a waste of your time to easily defeat simple fools like us so we accept defeat before you even start. You yes then you sign this paper phissss..phisss…phissss…phisss….phisssss..phissssss Rupa Goswami, Sanatan Goswami now you go away. Thank you very much. But then he heard that their nephew Jiva Goswami was a great upcoming scholar so I better annulated him before he gets over. So he went to Jiva Goswami, I challenge you to debate I have already defeated your two uncles. What nonsense? You can’t defeat my uncles. Look I have their names, signature- I have been defeated by Rupa Narayan. Jiva Goswami understood that his uncle they are so humble but he is going to discredit the name of my uncles yes I will accept your defeat. I am their disciples. So for seven days they sat on the bank of the Jamuna and on the last day Rupa Narayan his ego was smashed to pieces as he met defeat at the hands of Jiva Goswami. Hari Bol… And Jiva Goswami was very happy that he rescued the good name of Rupa and Sanatan from irrepute by this rascal man.
Humility means to Fight Like Fire to Protect Vaishnavas
Understand that Jiva Goswami he no way did this for himself but just to protect the dignity of his Gurus. Caitanya Mahaprabhu who was the author of the verse-
tåëäd api sunécena
taror api sahiñëunä
amäninä mänadena
kértanéyaù sadä hariù
[Cc. Ädi 17.31]
When Ramachandra Puri or anyone would criticize Him directly He would take a humble position and said yes you are correct. But when anyone insulted one of His devotees as in the incidence of Nityananda Prabhu when he was struck on the head by Jagai and Madhai he became like fire ready to destroy them. “Srila Prabhupada explains that for one self one should be humble like a blade of grass but it is not humility to stand by for your guru or other Vaishnavas are being disgraced. In that incident humility means to fight like fire to protect them.” The Jiva Goswami was actually exhibiting the highest principles of humility so he went to Rupa Goswami. And he said that I am happy to tell you that Rupa Narayan was defeated by me. And Rupa Goswami in order to test Jiva and more than that to show the world the glorious qualities of Jiva he became very angry. He said- You Jiva you are nonsense. You are nonsense. You are a Vaishnava. You are supposed to be the devotee of the Lord. Why you wasted your precious time which is meant for serving Radha and Krsna to debate with this mundane scholar. Then why you are so attached to being victorious over him. This means you have some pride. And none with even a grain of pride can live in Vrindavan dham properly. Vrindavan dham is the place where you can only live if you are humble like a grass. Therefore you can’t longer live here you get out.
Highest Principles of Jiva Goswami’s Humility And Devotion
Jiva Goswami although in one sense you may say he was wrongly accuse in another sense when such great soul when Rupa Goswami speaks it is absolute truth above and beyond any relative truths. So Jiva Goswami humbly from the core of his heart accepted that yes I am proud, my Gurudev says- I am proud. My Gurudev says I have committed a great offense. I have committed a great offense. I have done a very bad thing. And now I am not worthy of being at his lotus nor my worthy of being in Vrindavan. So he left Vrindavan. He went Mathura. And there to atone for his offenses he began to severely fast. He lived in a cave. And he was constantly day and night weeping in atonement for the offenses he had committed crying out the Holy Names-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
Such humility, even though by all practical purposes he was taking the humble position and he was completely right and justify for what he did from the core of his heart he admitted that he was wrong. This is a Vaishnava. He didn’t try to protect himself but he took the humblest possible position. This was his faith in his Gurus words.
Anyways as he was transcendental suffering in Mathura Sanatan Goswami was feeling great compassion for him. So one day he approached Rupa Goswami and he said I think that there is a particular point in Lord Caitanya’s philosophy that you are not properly following. Now you know what is these days when some body comes a little exalted if you try to tell them that you are not practicing Krishna Conscious properly usually they would say what nonsense are you speaking? Tell me I will defeat you. But know Rupa Goswami was so humble. He said- oh! There some mistake I making please explain to me Sanatan which principle am I not properly following. Though Sanatan Goswami began to narrate the various principles, cardinal rules of Mahaprabhus teachings and then he came to the principle of Jiva Doya. Jiva Doya means compassion to all living entities. But it also means compassion to Jiva. So when he said this Rupa Goswami could understand that Santan is telling me I should forgive Jiva and he said you bring him here. And Jiva Goswami came to Rupa Goswami and Rupa Goswami embraced him and blessed him and again welcomes him into in his association. This is the completely transcendental loving pastimes. Actually Rupa Goswami did this only to glorify the highest principles of Jiva Goswami’s humility and devotion.
Another time Vallabhacharya the great Acharya and also intimate associate of Lord Gauranga, he came he was very senior to Rupa and Sanatan in age. And Rupa Goswami was writing Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu. Ha… What are you writing Rapa can I see? And he said there is one that I see here that is not exactly correct. So Rupa Goswami said oh! Then you kindly take my whole manuscript and edit it and correct it in any way you like. So he took it. And then he went to the Jamuna. And Jiva Goswami was sitting on the banks of Jamuna. And he told Jiva he was bowed down to Vallabhacharya. He said I am correcting your uncles, your gurudev’s books. So what could corrections whatever my gurudev said it’s perfect. And Vallabhacharya said No, you see this. This point here that I have already explained to Rupa that it’s not correct. It’s not that it’s not correct but there is better way of explaining yet. And he has admitted yes time is correct then Jiva Goswami he said he explained what Rupa Goswami really meant and Vallabhachaya said yes I am sorry. This is the highest understanding even I couldn’t comprehend. Certainly Rupa Goswami is perfect. So he went back to Rupa Goswami and said here is your Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu after meeting Jiva Goswami such a brilliant scholar and such a brilliant devotee he is! What to speak of you his guru! How can I possibly try to correct anything you have written? Rupa Goswami called Jiva. What nonsense. Vallabhacharya like a father to us he has doing seva. Why you corrected him like this? Jiva Goswami said I couldn’t tolerate that he was misunderstanding of the perfection of your writing he said again you have become proud. You get out of Vrindavan. Vrindavan is only for humble devotees. But then he went to Nanda Ghat. And he lived in a wicked hole that crocodiles would live in under ground living in a hole, crocodile whole and he was just weeping trying to atone of his offense of pride loudly calling out the Holy Names-
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
And for food people would just bring some wheat flower and put it in front of the hole. And he would mix that with Jamuna and every few days he would just take little of that. And he became terribly terribly sick never seen the light of the day, no proper nutrition but he would always be chanting the Holy Names. All rights go on.
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
Hari Bol… One day Sanatan Goswamiji he was making his rounds travelling through out Brajabhumi. Sanatan Goswami was very special. Everyone loved him. All the Brajavasis, he was so kind and affectionate too. Knew them all intimately and personally he would go their home. He would ask- How was your wife? How was your children? How was your crops growing this year? He would discuss all these things because he knew anything you discussed with Brajavasis is transcendental. So in this way everyone loved him so dearly. He was considered the father of all the Brajavasis, Sanatan Goswami. So came to village near Nanda Ghat. And some of the villagers said Sanatan Goswami we thought that you are a great austere person but the Babaji that living in our village I got is he ever austere. He is living in a crocodile hole. He never comes out. We just hear from out, we just hear him constantly weeping and crying –
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
He was thinking this must be Jiva Goswami. So me where this Sadhu is? So he took him and he said Jiva come out. And he said I can’t, I can’t move, I can’t walk. So Sanatan Goswami personally crawls in to the crocodile hole and carried him out and brought him back to Vrindavan. And then Sanatan approached Rupa Goswami you know the rules of Lord Caitanya? Yes, yes. You know this rule Jiva Doya? Yes, yes. Should be Jiva Doya? Compassionate to Jiva? Yes bring him in. again he embraced him and Rupa Goswami personally nursed him back to health just to glorify the transcendental qualities of this great devotees. So after Rupa and Sanatan left this world. It is explained that the great emperor Akbar he had heard the glories of Jiva Goswami and there are the stories that he even had the audience of Jiva Goswami and he became so completely moves by the devotion of this personality that Akbar arrange many of his secretaries and many of his generals to help Jiva Goswami to excavate Vrindavan dham. In fact Radha Govind temple and other beautiful temples it was Maharaj Akbar and his associates that help construct so many beautiful temples and putting the Radha Damodar temple.
Jiva Goswami Becomes The Commander and Chief Of Vaishnavaism
Anyways after Rupa and Sanatan left this world Jiva Goswami was accepted by all the Gaudia Vaishnavas as the leading Acharya as the commander and chief of all the Vaishnavaism. But Jiva Goswami himself always humble himself before Jahnava Devi the eternal consort of Lord Nityananda and in this way in the mood of complete humility Jiva Goswami he trained such great souls of Narottam Das Thakur, Srinivas Acharya, Shayamananda and he sent them with the Gaudia Vaishnavas literatures to Bengal on the order of Jahnava Devi and they became great great preachers enlightening millions upon millions of peoples life, writing beautiful books, beautiful songs.
So Jiva Goswami he also compiled the first library of Gaudia Vaishnava literature. The Chaitanya-charitamrit by Krishna das Kaviraj Goswami, all the books of Rupa Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, Raghunath das Goswami, Gopal Batta Goswami, Prabhodananda Saraswati, The uncle of Gopal Batta Goswami he took all of these books and put them in proper library and in this way he established and he extracted the essence of all those books and wrote so many of his own books and in this way it was actually Jiva Goswami that really established the dignity of literary authority of Gaudia Vaishnavaism. And all the teachings that we are hearing today and through out our lives are by the mercy of these great souls Jiva Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Sanatan Goswami and those who are following in their footsteps. So on this holy day of disappearance of Jiva Goswami we should with a very grateful and humble heart bowed at his lotus feet and bowed at the lotus feet of the servant of the servant of such great souls we should pray for his mercy. And we should reconfirm our own vows to dedicate our lives in the great mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu which he has so mercifully established for all of us to follow through out our lives. Hare Krsna. Thank you very much.
