Verse 1.1.7

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.1.7:

তবে বন্দোঙ্ শ্রী কৃষ্ণ চৈতন্য মহেশ্বর নবদ্বীপে অবতার, নাম—বিশ্বম্ভর ॥ ৭ ॥

तबे वन्दोङ् श्री कृष्ण चैतन्य महेश्वर नवद्वीपे अवतार, नाम—विश्वम्भर ॥ ७ ॥

tabe vandoṅ śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya maheśvara navadvīpe avatāra, nāma—viśvambhara || 7 ||

tabe vandon sri krsna caitanya mahesvara navadvipe avatara, nama—visvambhara (7)

English translation:

(7) I then offer my obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. He incarnated in Navadvīpa, and He is known as Viśvambhara.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

After first offering obeisances unto his spiritual master, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, the author then offers his obeisances unto Śrī Caitanyadeva. This is the proper etiquette. That is why the word tabe, or “then,” is used in this verse.

Long before the advent of Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, the tridaṇḍi sannyāsa order existed in the Vaiṣṇava line of Śrī Viṣṇusvāmī. In the Viṣṇusvāmī Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, there are ten different kinds of sannyāsa names and 108 different names for sannyāsīs who accept the tridaṇḍa, the triple staff of sannyāsa. But at the time of Śaṅkarācārya, who was a Vedāntist inclined to impersonalism and who preached the philosophy of monism, the sect of pañcopāsakas (those who worship five gods) had again become prominent in India. That is why Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Vedic sannyāsa from the Śaṅkara-sampradāya, which uses ten names for their sannyāsīs. In Āryāvarta, many Āryan pseudo-followers of the Vedas became followers of Śaṅkarācārya known as pañcopāsakas under the guidance of that sampradāya. The ten names of the Śaṅkara sannyāsīs are Tīrtha, Āśrama, Vana, Araṇya, Giri, Parvata, Sāgara, Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, and Purī. The title and abode of each sannyāsī and brahmacārī is as follows: Sannyāsīs with the titles Tīrtha and Āśrama generally stay at Dvārakā, and their brahmacārī name is Svarūpa. Those known by the names Vana and Araṇya stay at Puruṣottama, or Jagannātha

Purī, and their brahmacārī name is Prakāśa. Those with the names Giri, Parvata, and Sāgara generally stay at Badarikāśrama, and their brahmacārī name is Ānanda. Those with the titles Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, and Purī usually live at Śrṅgerī in South India, and their brahmacārī name is Caitanya.

Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya established four monasteries in India, in the four directions north, south, east, and west, and he entrusted them to four sannyāsī disciples. Now there are hundreds of branch monasteries under these four principal monasteries, and although there is an official symmetry among them, there are many differences in their dealings. The four different sects of these monasteries are known as Ānandavāra, Bhogavāra, Kīṭavāra, and Bhūmivāra, and in course of time they have developed different ideas and different slogans.

According to the regulation of Śaṅkara’s sect, one who wishes to enter the renounced order in the disciplic succession must first be trained as a brahmacārī under a bona fide sannyāsī. The brahmacārī’s name is ascertained according to the group to which the sannyāsī belongs. This custom is current in this sampradāya up to the present day.

Lord Caitanya superficially accepted sannyāsa from Keśava Bhāratī and became known as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. The Lord kept His brahmacārī name even after accepting sannyāsa. Those who recorded the Lord’s pastimes did not mention that the Lord ever identified Himself as Bhāratī. Although a sannyāsī in the Śaṅkara-sampradāya thinks that he has become the Supreme, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu considered Himself the eternal servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa even after He took ekadaṇḍa-sannyāsa. As the friend of the living entities and spiritual master of the universe, He benefited the conditioned souls by preaching pure devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa among them and never exhibited the pride of an ekadaṇḍi- sannyāsī. The brahmacārīs’ only pride is their service to their spiritual master, which is not unfavorable to devotional service. The authentic biographies also mention that when Lord Caitanya took sannyāsa He accepted the daṇḍa (rod) and begging pot, which are symbolic of the

sannyāsa order.

The word maheśvara is found in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (4.10 and 6.7) as follows: māyāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ vidyān māyinaṃ tu maheśvaram—“Although māyā [illusion] is false or temporary, the background of māyā is the supreme magician, the Personality of Godhead, who is Maheśvara, the supreme controller,” and tam īśvarāṇāṃ paramaṃ maheśvaraṃ—“You are the supreme controller of all controllers.” In his commentary on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.27.23), Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has quoted the following verses from the Padma Purāṇa:

yo vedādau svaraḥ prokto vedānte ca pratiṣṭhitaḥ tasya prakṛti-līnasya yaḥ paraḥ sa maheśvaraḥ

“He who is described in the Vedas and established in the Vedānta, who exists after the merging of prakṛti, is called Maheśvara.”

yo ‘sāv akāro vai viṣṇur viṣṇur nārāyaṇo hariḥ sa eva puruṣo nityaḥ paramātmā maheśvaraḥ

“The original person, who remains after annihilation, is none other than Lord Viṣṇu, who is certainly nondifferent from Nārāyaṇa, or Hari. He is the eternal Supersoul known as Maheśvara.” Also in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa (Prakṛti-khaṇḍa, Chapter 53) it is said:

viśva-sthānaṃ ca sarveṣāṃ mahatāmīśvaraḥ svayam maheśvaraṃ ca tenemaṃ pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ

“The wise say that maheśvara refers to the Lord of all places in the universe, which is called mahat.”

The city of Navadvīpa is situated on the eastern bank of the Ganges. For a long time it was the capitol of the Sena kings. At present the place formerly known as Navadvīpa consists of a number of villages with various names. The place now known as Śrī Māyāpur is the site wherein the residences of Jagannātha Miśra, Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, Śrī Advaita Ācārya, and Murāri Gupta were formerly situated. Due to the change in the course

of the Ganges, most of the Navadvīpa area of Lord Caitanya’s time has been submerged. Therefore most of the inhabitants were forced to shift to nearby places. The modern city of Navadvīpa is situated at the place known during the time of Lord Caitanya as Kuliyā, or Pāhāḍapura, but in the eighteenth century Navadvīpa was situated on the island of Kuliyā- daha or Kālīya-daha. In the seventeenth century, however, Navadvīpa was situated at the places now known as Nidayā, Śaṅkarapura, and Rudrapāḍā. Previous to that and up to the sixteenth century the Navadvīpa of Lord Caitanya’s time extended throughout the places now known as Śrī Māyāpur, Ballāl-dīghi, Vāmana-pukura, Śrī Nāthapura, Bhārui-ḍāṅgā, Simuliyā, Rudrapāḍā, Tāraṇavāsa, Kariyāṭī, and Rāma-jīvanapura. The present day village of Vāmana-pukura was then known as Belpukura, but when this ancient village of Belpukura was shifted to Meghāra-caḍā at the end of the seventeenth century it became known as Vāmana-pukura.

Rāmacandrapura, Kākaḍera Māṭha, Śrī Rāmapura, Bāblā Āḍi, and other places were on the western side of the Ganges. Some of these places were part of Koladvīpa, and some were part of Modadrumadvīpa. Although some places like Cināḍāṅgā and Pāhāḍapura are now lost, places like Tegharira Kola, Kola Āmāda, and Kuliyā-gañja of present day Navadvīpa still display evidence of ancient Koladvīpa. Vidyānagara, Jannagara, Māmgāchi, Kovlā, etc., on the western side of the Ganges, are supposed to be suburbs of ancient Navadvīpa. Various unreasonable arguments regarding the location of ancient Navadvīpa began even before the time of Lord Caitanya and have presently taken a terrible shape due to various reasons. These baseless arguments have not and will not ever be successful. Under the order of perfect devotees like Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī it has again been indisputably established that a short distance from the samādhi of Chand Kazi is the site of Jagannātha Miśra and Śacīdevī’s house (the Lord’s birthplace) at Śrī Māyāpur Yogapīṭha. All impartial historical and spiritual evidence enriched with reason and argument indisputably conclude that the area surrounding present day Māyāpur is the site of ancient Navadvīpa.

In the twelfth wave of Bhakti-ratnākara it is written: “It is specifically stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that all of the Lord’s abodes are situated within Nadia. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa (2.3.6-7) states: ‘Please hear about the nine islands of Bhārata-varṣa known as Indradvīpa, Kaśeru, Tāmraparṇa, Gabhastimān, Nāgadvīpa, Saumya, Gāndharva, Vāruṇa, and the ninth, Navadvīpa, which is situated near the ocean in the midst of the other eight islands. Navadvīpa extends 1,000 yojanas from north to south.’

“In his commentary on these two verses, Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī writes: ‘In these verses the word sāgara-saṃvṛta means “near the ocean.” Since the name of the ninth island is not separately mentioned, it is obvious that the ninth island is Navadvīpa.’

“In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (18) it is said: ‘All glories to the most wonderful abode of Navadvīpa, which those in full knowledge of rasa call Vṛndāvana, which people of knowledge call Goloka, which others call Śvetadvīpa, and still others call Paravyoma, the spiritual sky.’ “Navadvīpa is famous throughout the universe as the place where the nine types of devotional service, beginning with hearing, shine brilliantly. The nine varieties of devotional service are enumerated by Prahlāda Mahārāja in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (7.5.23-24) as follows: ‘Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.’

“Although Śrī Navadvīpa consists of nine separate islands, they remain one. Throughout Satya, Tretā, and Dvāpara yugas, up through the beginning of Kali-yuga, the name of Navadvīpa was never lost; but as

Kali-yuga progresses, the name of Navadvīpa will be nearly forgotten. Some persons, however, will realize the abode of Navadvīpa. By Kṛṣṇa’s will, Vajranābha established many villages in Vraja and named them according to the pastimes that were performed there, yet as time passed many of those places were forgotten or renamed. In the same way, the villages of Navadvīpa were manifested and named according to the pastimes performed there by the Lord and His devotees, yet some of them were forgotten and some were renamed. The name of Navadvīpa, however, remained. Simply by hearing the word dvīpa, one’s miseries are diminished. There are nine dvīpas on the eastern and western sides of the Ganges. Antardvīpa, Sīmantadvīpa, Godrumadvīpa, and Śrī Madhyadvīpa are situated east of the Ganges, while Koladvīpa, Ṛtudvīpa, Jahnudvīpa, Modadrumadvīpa, and Rudradvīpa are situated west of the Ganges.

Beloved devotees of the Lord headed by Śiva and Pārvatī eternally reside in the abode of Navadvīpa.”

Tridaṇḍi Gosvāmī Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has written in his Navadvīpa-śataka (1-2): “Through the nine processes of devotional service, beginning with hearing, remembering, and worshiping, we adore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is absorbed in the mood of Rādhārāṇī, who is resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, who in Navadvīpa is always engaged in kīrtana with associates playing mṛdaṅgas and karatālas, who is eternally worshipable by all living entities, who is the destroyer of the contamination of the age of Kali, and who is the bestower of happiness to His devotees. We adore Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma, which is manifested by the Lord’s internal potency, which bestows supreme happiness, which the Chāndogya Upaniṣad glorifies as Para-Brahmapura, which is glorified by the smṛtis as Vaikuṇṭha, the abode of Viṣṇu, which is called Śvetadvīpa by some great souls, and which is known as Vṛndāvana by the rare devotees conversant with transcendental mellows.”

The word avatāra is explained by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī in his Kṛṣṇa- sandarbha as follows: “An avatāra is He who descends into the material

realm.” Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has commented on the description of the Lord’s incarnations in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta as follows: “When the Absolute Truth incarnates from the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭha, into this material creation, He is called an avatāra.”

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 2.88-90) it is stated: “Only the Personality of Godhead, the source of all other Divinities, is eligible to be designated svayaṃ bhagavān, or the primeval Lord. When from one candle many others are lit, I consider that one the original. Kṛṣṇa, in the same way, is the cause of all causes and all incarnations.” The Caitanya- caritāmṛta (Ādi 3.28-30) says: “Therefore in the company of My devotees I shall appear on earth and perform various colorful pastimes. Thinking thus, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, descended at Nadia early in the age of Kali. Thus the lionlike Lord Caitanya has appeared in Navadvīpa. He has the shoulders of a lion, the powers of a lion, and the loud voice of a lion.” The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 3.110) says: “Therefore the principal reason for Śrī Caitanya’s descent is this appeal by Advaita Ācārya. The Lord, the protector of religion, appears by the desire of His devotee.” The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 5.14-15, 19) says: “Beyond the material nature lies the realm known as paravyoma, the spiritual sky. Like Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, it possesses all transcendental attributes, such as the six opulences. That Vaikuṇṭha region is all- pervading, infinite and supreme. It is the residence of Lord Kṛṣṇa and His incarnations. That abode is manifested within the material world by the will of Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is identical to that original Gokula; they are not two different bodies.” The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 5.78, 80-82) says: “Although Kṣīrodaśāyī Viṣṇu is called a kalā of Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is the source of Matsya, Kūrma and the other incarnations. That puruṣa [Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu] is the performer of creation, maintenance, and destruction. He manifests Himself in many incarnations, for He is the maintainer of the world. That fragment of the Mahā-puruṣa who appears for the purpose of creation, maintenance, and annihilation is called an incarnation. That Mahā-puruṣa is identical with the Personality of

Godhead. He is the original incarnation, the seed of all others, and the shelter of everything.” The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 5.131-132, 127-128, 133) says: “When the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa appears, He is the shelter of all plenary parts. Thus at that time all His plenary portions join in Him. In whatever form one knows the Lord, one speaks of Him in that way. In this there is no falsity, since everything is possible in Kṛṣṇa. But I accept it as the truth because it has been said by devotees.

Since He is the source of all incarnations, everything is possible in Him. They know that there is no difference between the incarnation and the source of all incarnations. Previously different people regarded Lord Kṛṣṇa in the light of different principles. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has exhibited to everyone all the pastimes of all the various incarnations.”

It is also stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 20.263-264): “The form of the Lord that descends into the material world to create is called an avatāra, or incarnation. All the expansions of Lord Kṛṣṇa are actually residents of the spiritual world. However, when they descend into the material world, they are called incarnations [avatāras].”

For the meaning of the word viśvambhara, please see the purport of the first verse.