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Chapter Summary -
Chaitanya-bhagavata - Adi-khanda Ch.
1
Brief Summary: In this introductory chapter, Srila Vrndavana das Thakura pays his heart-felt respects to his Spiritual Master, Sri Nityananda. He describes the supreme position of Lord Nityananda and his connection to Lord Chaitanya. He also states several key facts about them, both specific and general (both danced in Srivasa house; are the guardians of religious principles for this age, the most compassionate incarnations, controllers of all, supremely powerful, fully independent). Foremost, after offering respects to the Lord's devotees ("Worship of My devotees is superior to worship of Me." Lord Krishna said to Uddhava, "O Uddhava, serving My devotees is many times better than worshiping Me.") the author glorifies Anatadeva with this beautiful description: Just as priceless gems are kept in secure custody, so also the invaluable jewel of knowledge about Krsna's pastimes is kept safely in the mouth of Anantadeva. Considerable time is taken to glorify Lord Nityananda and warns the reader of committing any offense to the Lord. His different identities are described in length. It is explained how the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are revealed by Nityananda's mercy only, because His personal expansion, Ananta Sesa, is the storehouse of information about Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna's pastimes. The author also give a quick glance at the picture of Lord Chaitanya's life, from birth to adult. He also mentions some of the Lord's pastimes with Advaita Acharya, Mother Saci, Srivasa Pandita, & Lord Siva. Multiple blessings are bestowed on the reader. There is also interesting information given on the identity, power, and glory of Sri Ananta Sesa, including this nice statement: Lord Anantadeva, incessantly sings in glorification of Lord Krsna's divine attributes. Lord Krsna is eternal and His attributes are unending, therefore He can never be fully described or glorified. But Ananta is also eternal and His ability to glorify the Lord is unending. In Their divine relationship, neither is ever victorious. How wonderfully Lord Krsna and Lord Balarama compete with each other! Quiz: 1. Srivasa was an intimate friend of Lord
Chaitanya. When the Lord would visit Srivasa's home, what would the
Lord do? 2. Who is the origin of all demigods? 3. What is kept in the mouth of Anantadeva? Action: ...initiated the congregational chanting; Lord Caitanya and Nityananda - those two Supreme Personalities danced in ecstasy in the house of Srivasa; Physical descriptions:
whose long arms extend down to their knees; complexions are the radiant
yellow of molten gold; elongated eyes are like red lotuses; with lotus
petal eyes; an aura of Who they are: the guardians of religious principles for this age; the munificent benefactors of all living entities; the most compassionate incarnations of Godhead; the eternal truth - past, present, and future; eternal supreme controllers of all; the supremely powerful Lord of pure transcendence; fully independent SupremePerson; Lord Chaitanya aka: Visvambhara; The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Narayana; Scriptures Quoted: "Worship of My devotees is superior to worship of Me." Lord Krishna said to Uddhava, "O Uddhava, serving My devotees is many times better than worshiping Me." (SB 11:19:21) - {Therefore, I offer my worshipful prayers unto the devotees of the Lord before I begin to write this book. By this act may my present endeavor be successful}; Flowery Language: Just as priceless gems are kept in secure custody, so also the invaluable jewel of knowledge about Krsna's pastimes is kept safely in the mouth of Anantadeva; Lord Nrsimhadeva represents but a wave in the ocean of the Lord's unlimited pastimes which satisfy the hearts of His devotees; Lord Nityananda: aka Ananta Sesa; aka Lord Haladhara; as Ananta Sesa, the source of all inspiration; aka Sankarsana; Siva's and Parvati's object of their love; aka Balarama; Balarama is worshiped by the entire Vaisnava world; The Holy Sages know that there is no difference between Lord Krsna and Lord Balarama, Haladhara; The transcendental qualities of Balarama are obscure in the four Vedas, but the Puranas describe them boldly; Lord Balarama is the abode of Lord Caitanya's deep affection; Offense at Balarama's lotus feet destroys all possibilities for salvation; His glorious qualities are unlimited and are not fully understood by anyone; He is the original personality, the greatest mystic, the Supreme Lord, and the greatest devotee of the Vaisnavas; Just by His glance, He sets in motion the three modes of material nature which are the cause of this world's creation, maintenance, and annihilation; Anantadeva's mighty potency is beyond measure. That Supreme Lord carries on just one of His thousand heads the entire universe with all its living entities, mountains, and rivers, and that universe appears to be only a minute, atomic speck. Even if a person acquires a thousand tongues, how can he describe the power of the omnipotent Supreme Lord?; This material world's creation, maintenance, and annihilation, as well as the three modes of material nature, are activated by His glance; His Holy Name is the only means for the living entities' redemption; The pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are revealed by Nityananda's mercy only, because His personal expansion, Ananta Sesa, is the storehouse of information about Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna's pastimes; Lord Nityananda had a vision of the transcendental six-handed form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya: He had allocated to Nityananda the mission of preaching in Bengal; the appearance of Lord Caitanya on an auspicious full moon evening in the month of Phalguna when the moon went into eclipse. The tumultuous chanting of Lord Hari's holy name filled all directions, inspiring everyone to sing together; Caitanya was the master of all different scriptures. There was no one in the three worlds to challenge His erudition; He empowered all the devotees who surrendered to Him; He showered causeless mercy on Isvara Puri by accepting him as His spiritual master; The Lord instructed His mother and simultaneously warned the whole world about the grievous consequences of offending the Vaisnava devotees; the Lord explains the entire philosophical truth about human life using Srivasa's expired son as the speaker; Caitanya playfully taunted Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya when they first meet, but later He exhibited His six-handed form to him. Advaita Acharya: Lord exhibited His universal form to Advaita Acarya Prabhu; Caitanya reveals His absolute identity as Lord Narayana by sitting on the altar of Vishnu in the house of Sri Advaita; Srivasa Pandita: Lord Caitanya reveals His absolute identity as Lord Narayana by sitting on the altar of Vishnu in the house of Srivasa Pandita; Mother Saci: She has a vision of Sri Caitanya in a blackish complexion and Sri Nityananda in a whitish complexion. Blessings: Whoever sings or hears about Nityananda's supra-mundane {above-this world or earth} character is offered the supreme shelter of Lord Caitanya; One becomes purified by hearing or calling out the name of Lord Anantadeva, either respectfully or accidentally. Even a degraded person is purified when he tauntingly utters the name of Sri Ananta; Anantadeva's unlimited names, when heard or chanted by anyone in any manner, immediately sever the noose of innumerable births and deaths; Hearing Lord Caitanya's qualities and pastimes can clean away all material contaminations; Lord Siva and Parvati: Lord Sankarsana is the object of their love; In the midst of a million fresh young maidens, the pure devotee, Sri Siva, and his consort pour out nectarean devotional hymns to Lord Sankarsana; Misc. Facts: In the words of Srimad Bhagavatam, a non-believer is a yavana (a barbarian). He is destined to suffer in hell, birth after birth; Balarama's direct, partial expansion, Ananta Sesa, is the source of all the various ingredients for Your service in the transcendental realm of Vaikuntha {Your residence, bed, throne, shoes, clothes, jewelry, etc.}; Ananta Sesa's partial expansion is the mighty Sri Garuda whose satisfaction is derived from acting as the Lord's carrier in every pastime; The entire universe is a speck on one of Ananta Sesa's thousand hoods, and because of His unlimited strength, He does not feel the burden; {Lord Anantadeva, incessantly sings in glorification of Lord Krsna's divine attributes. Lord Krsna is eternal and His attributes are unending, therefore He can never be fully described or glorified. But Ananta is also eternal and His ability to glorify the Lord is unending. In Their divine relationship, neither is ever victorious. How wonderfully Lord Krsna and Lord Balarama compete with each other!}; Anantadeva is the origin of all demigods; I (VDT) throw myself at the feet of all pure Vaisnava devotees so they may cleanse me of all offenses; Answers: 1-C; 2-C; 3-D |