Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.5.125, English translation, including a commentary (Gaudiya-bhasya). This text is similair to the Caitanya-caritamrita and narrates the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, proclaimed to be the direct incarnation of Krishna (as Bhagavan) This is verse 125 of Madhya-khanda chapter 5—“Lord Nityananda’s Vyasa-puja Ceremony and His Darshana of the Lord’s Six-armed Form”.
Verse 2.5.125
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.5.125:
ঈশ্বরের স্বভাব—কেবল ভক্ত-বশ বিশেষে প্রভুর মুখে শুনিতে এ যশ ॥ ১২৫ ॥
ईश्वरेर स्वभाव—केवल भक्त-वश विशेषे प्रभुर मुखे शुनिते ए यश ॥ १२५ ॥
īśvarera svabhāva—kevala bhakta-vaśa viśeṣe prabhura mukhe śunite e yaśa || 125 ||
isvarera svabhava—kevala bhakta-vasa visese prabhura mukhe sunite e yasa (125)
English translation:
(125) It is the natural characteristic of the Supreme Lord to remain controlled by His devotees. The Lord takes special pleasure in
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
glorifying His devotees.
The Lord is controlled by His devotees—this is His nature. In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (9.4.63, 66) it is stated:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca ahaṃ bhakta-parādhīno hy asvatantra iva dvija sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo
mayi nirbaddha-hṛdayāḥ sādhavaḥ sama-darśanāḥvaśe kurvanti māṃ bhaktyā
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the brāhmaṇa: I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me. As chaste women bring their gentle husbands under control by service, the pure devotees, who are equal to everyone and completely attached to Me in the core of the heart, bring Me under their full control.” In the Māṭhara-śruti it is stated:
bhaktir evainaṃ nayati bhaktir evainaṃ darśayati bhakti-vaśaḥ puruṣo bhaktir eva bhūyasī
“Bhakti leads the jīva to the Supreme Lord, and enables the soul to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is controlled by bhakti. Therefore bhakti is most glorious.”
TCB Madhya-khaṇḍa 5.126
EXT 126
svabhāva kahite viṣṇu-vaiṣṇavera prīta ataeva vede kahe svabhāva-carita
Both Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas take pleasure in glorifying each other, therefore the Vedas describe their spontaneous pastimes.
There is a special significance in hearing the glories of the devotees from the mouth of the Supreme Lord. Both Lord Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas take pleasure in describing each other’s characteristics. That is why the Vedic literature glorify the spontaneous pastimes of Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas.