Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 1.2.79, 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 79 of Adi-khanda chapter 2—“The Lord’s Appearance”.
Verse 1.2.79
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.2.79:
জ্ঞান-ভক্তি-বৈরাগ্যের গুরু মুখ্যতর কৃষ্ণ-ভক্তি বাখানিতে যেহেন শঙ্কর ॥ ৭৯ ॥
ज्ञान-भक्ति-वैराग्येर गुरु मुख्यतर कृष्ण-भक्ति वाखानिते येहेन शङ्कर ॥ ७९ ॥
jñāna-bhakti-vairāgyera guru mukhyatara kṛṣṇa-bhakti vākhānite yehena śaṅkara || 79 ||
jnana-bhakti-vairagyera guru mukhyatara krsna-bhakti vakhanite yehena sankara (79)
English translation:
(79) Śrī Advaita Ācārya was the most respected teacher. He was as expert as Lord Śiva in explaining the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa with knowledge and renunciation.
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
As the greatest teacher of the science of Kṛṣṇa, devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, and renunciation of everything unrelated to Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Advaita Ācārya preached the glories of pure devotional service to the Lord. He manifested pastimes like those of Śrī Rudra, who is the principle ācārya for broadcasting devotional service and the inaugurator of the Viṣṇusvāmī-sampradāya. Just as Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, the incarnation of Śaṅkara, scattered and covered the devotional service of the Lord through his philosophy, arguments, and scholarship in order to bewilder the demoniac people, Śrī Advaita Prabhu exhibited the true identity of pure knowledge, devotional service, and renunciation in the course of explaining the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa by His uncommon endeavors and activities. The ācāryas of the Śrī Rudra-sampradāya are known as Viṣṇusvāmī, because they preach pure devotional service. A few disciples of the Rudra-sampradāya gave up subordination to their spiritual master, or the process of accepting knowledge through aural reception, and practiced adulterated devotional service. They then created a new sampradāya known as the Śivasvāmi-sampradāya. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya appeared in this Śivasvāmi-sampradāya and vigorously preached adulterated devotional service in this world. Since less intelligent people considered both pure and adulterated devotional service as the same, they were cheated from achieving eternal benefit.