Verse 1.3.52-53

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.3.52-53:

এ সব লীলার কভু নাহি পরিচ্ছেদ ‘আবির্ভাব’ ‘তিরোভাব’ মাত্র কহে বেদ চৈতন্য-কথার আদি, অন্ত নাহি দেখি তাঙ্হান কৃপায যে বোলান, তাহা লিখি ॥ ৫২-৫৩ ॥

ए सब लीलार कभु नाहि परिच्छेद ‘आविर्भाव’ ‘तिरोभाव’ मात्र कहे वेद चैतन्य-कथार आदि, अन्त नाहि देखि ताङ्हान कृपाय ये बोलान, ताहा लिखि ॥ ५२-५३ ॥

e saba līlāra kabhu nāhi pariccheda ‘āvirbhāva’ ‘tirobhāva’ mātra kahe veda caitanya-kathāra ādi, anta nāhi dekhi tāṅhāna kṛpāya ye bolāna, tāhā likhi || 52-53 ||

e saba lilara kabhu nahi pariccheda ‘avirbhava’ ‘tirobhava’ matra kahe veda caitanya-kathara adi, anta nahi dekhi tanhana krpaya ye bolana, taha likhi (52-53)

English translation:

(52-53) Although the Vedas describe the Lord’s “appearance” and “disappearance,” there is actually no end to His pastimes. I don’t see any beginning or end of the topics of Śrī Caitanya. I simply write down whatever He mercifully induces me to speak.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 20.382-391, 393, 395) it is stated: “The consecutive pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are manifest in one of the innumerable universes moment after moment. There is no possibility of counting the universes, but in any case some pastime of the Lord is being manifest at every moment in one universe or another. Thus the Lord’s pastimes are like flowing Ganges water. In this way all the pastimes are manifested by the son of Nanda Mahārāja. Lord Kṛṣṇa exhibits His pastimes of childhood, boyhood and pre-youth. When He reaches pre- youth, He continues to exist eternally to perform His rāsa dance and other pastimes. Descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s eternal pastimes are in all revealed scriptures. But one cannot understand how they are continuing

eternally. Let me give an example by which people may understand Lord Kṛṣṇa’s eternal pastimes. An example can be found in the zodiac. The sun moves across the zodiac day and night and crosses the oceans between the seven islands one after the other. According to Vedic astronomical calculations, the rotation of the sun consists of sixty daṇḍas, and it is divided into thirty-six hundred palas. The sun rises in steps consisting of sixty palas. Sixty palas equal one daṇḍa, and eight daṇḍas comprise one prahara. Day and night are divided into eight praharas—four belonging to the day and four belonging to the night. After eight praharas, the sun rises again. Just like the sun, there is an orbit to Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, which are manifest one after the other. During the lifetime of fourteen Manus, this orbit expands through all the universes, and gradually it returns. Thus Kṛṣṇa moves with His pastimes through all the universes, one after another. The cycle of His pastimes turns like a wheel of fire. Thus Kṛṣṇa exhibits His pastimes one after the other in every universe. Since all Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are taking place continuously, at every moment some pastime is existing in one universe or another. Consequently these pastimes are called eternal by the Vedas and Purāṇas.”

In the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (Pūrva 363, 385, 392, and 421) it is stated: “Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the primeval Lord, or unborn, His pastimes of appearance and disappearance are beginningless. By His own supreme will, Lord Mukunda repeatedly manifests His pastimes of appearance and disappearance in this world. He is aja, or unborn, yet He takes birth. One may ask how a person who is unborn can take birth; it appears completely contradictory. In order to reconcile this contradiction, one may reply that the Supreme Lord is inconceivable, full of opulences, and completely spiritual. Since there is no tinge of transformation in the Supreme Lord and His devotees, they are both unborn; and though their birth is not due to sexual intercourse, they appear in a pure heart as the sun appears in the east and are therefore also born. As the fire present in the form of heat within jewels and wood manifests due to a particular cause, Lord Kṛṣṇa manifests His wonderful pastimes of appearance and disappearance at a

particular time due to a particular cause. The principle cause of His manifesting pastimes of appearance and disappearance is His desire to bless His devotees and spread the glories of His famous pastimes.

Another principle cause for His appearance is to exhibit mercy on His dear devotees like Vasudeva, who are constantly being tortured by formidable demons. Brahmā and other demigods’ prayers to the Lord for diminishing the burden of the earth, even today, are secondary causes for the Lord’s appearance. If His dear devotees are eager to see Him, then Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is an ocean of mercy, immediately exhibits His pastimes to them. Even today some most fortunate devotees who are overwhelmed with love and devotion happily see the sporting pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. Therefore the fully independent Supreme Lord manifests before one’s eyes by His own sweet will; but since He is not the object of material vision, He is not seen by material eyes.” Elsewhere in Laghu- bhāgavatāmṛta (Pūrva 427) it is stated: “It is clearly stated in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and other Purāṇas that the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are eternal.”

In his commentary on the above quoted verse from Laghu- bhāgavatāmṛta, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has stated: “Since the pastimes of the Lord are activities, there must be a beginning and an end, otherwise the pastimes cannot be complete. But if the pastimes have a beginning and an end, how can they be considered eternal? In answer to this it is replied in the Gopāla-tāpanī: eko ‘pi san bahudhā yo ‘vabhāti—’Although Lord Viṣṇu is one, He manifests in many forms,’ and in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa: ekāneka-svarūpāya—’Lord Viṣṇu is one as well as many.’ These two statements prove the unlimitedness of the Supreme Lord. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad describes the devotees of the Lord as follows: sa ekadhā bhavati tridhā—’He is one kind and three kinds.’ From this statement of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad it is understood that each of Lord Viṣṇu’s associates are also unlimited. Also in the Ṛg Veda (1.54.6) it is said: paramaṃ padam avabhāti bhūri—’The supreme abode of Kṛṣṇa is unlimitedly manifested.’ From this statement of the Ṛg Veda the unlimitedness of the pastime places of the Supreme Lord is also

confirmed. From these statements that establish the unlimitedness of the Supreme Lord, His devotees, and His abode, it is understood that the pastimes of the Supreme Lord are not temporary. Despite the beginning and end of the various pastimes of the Lord’s various incarnations, all such pastimes are factually eternally enacted; they simply appear to begin in one place while ending in another. In this way, because there is no gap in the pastimes, they are called eternal. If one accepts that the pastimes of the Lord are eternal, the doubt may still arise that since His pastimes have a beginning, they must certainly end. In reply, it is understood that although the pastimes of a particular form of the Lord take place at a particular time, they are, nevertheless, eternal. Śaṅkarācārya has stated in his commentary on the Brahma-sūtras (1.3.28): ‘If someone says, “He has cooked, he has cooked,” that does not mean he has cooked twice.’ In the Govinda-bhāṣya on the Brahma-sūtras (3.3.11) it is stated: ‘If someone utters “Cow, cow,” that does not mean two cows.’ Therefore even though the Supreme Lord has multiple forms, They are all one.

There is no doubt about it. In the Vedas it is stated: eko devo nitya- līlānurakto bhakta-vyāpī bhakta-hṛdy antar-ātmā—’The one Supreme Lord Viṣṇu is eternally engaged in diverse pastimes and situated in the hearts of His devotees as the Supersoul.’”

One may consult the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (3.2.15, 10.9.13, 10.14.22, 1.10.26) as well as the Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī, wherein it is stated:

nityāvatāro bhagavān nitya-mūrtir jagat-patiḥ nitya-rūpo nitya-gandho nityaiśvarya sukhānubhūḥ

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly appears as an avatāra. The Lord of the universe has an eternal form, eternal fragrance, eternal opulences, and is full of eternal bliss.” The Padma Purāṇa (Pātāla- khaṇḍa) gives the following evidence: paśya tvāṃ darśayiṣyāmi svarūpaṃ veda-gopitam—“I will show you My personal form, which is unknown to the Vedas.”

idam eva vadanty ete vedāḥ kāraṇa-kāraṇam

satyaṃ vyāpi parānandaṃ cid-ghanaṃ śāśvataṃ śivam

“The Vedas confirm that this form of Mine is the cause of all causes, the all-pervasive, supremely blissful, full of knowledge, eternal, all- auspicious Absolute Truth.”

anāma-rūpa evāyaṃ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ akarteti ca yo vedaiḥ smṛtibhiś cābhidhīyate

“It is the Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari, whom the Vedas and smṛtis

describe as having no name or form and having nothing to do.”

sac-cid-ānanda-rūpatvāt syāt kṛṣṇo ‘dhokṣajo ‘py asau nija-śakteḥ prabhāveṇa svaṃ bhaktān darśayet prabhuḥ

“Adhokṣaja is called Kṛṣṇa because He has an eternal form full of knowledge and bliss. He shows Himself to His devotees by the influence of His own energy.” In the Mahābhārata (Śānti 339.44-45) it is stated:

etat tvayā na vijñeyaṃ rūpavān iti dṛśyate icchan muhūrtāt naśyeyam īśo ‘haṃ jagatāṃ guruḥ māyā hy eṣā mayā sṛṣṭā yan māṃ paśyasi nārada sarva-bhūta-guṇair yuktaṃ naiva tvaṃ jñātum arhasi

“Do not consider that I am visible because I have a material form. If I wish I can disappear within a second. I am the controller and spiritual master of the universe. O Nārada, the form of Mine that you are now seeing is the creator of the illusory energy, therefore you should know that I am completely unaffected by the three modes of material nature.” The Vāsudeva Upaniṣad (6.5) states:

sad-rūpam advayaṃ brahma madhyādy-anta-vivarjitam sva-prabhaṃ sac-cid-ānandaṃ bhaktyā jānati cāvyayam

“[The Lord’s] transcendental form is the Absolute Truth, devoid of duality or of beginning, middle, or end. It is self-effulgent, eternal, and full of knowledge and bliss. Only through devotional service can one

understand that form to be infallible.” It is further stated in the

Vāsudevādhyātma:

aprasiddhes tad-guṇānām anāmo ‘sau prakīrtitaḥ aprākṛtatvād rūpasyāpy arūpo ‘sāv udīryate sambandhena pradhānasya harer nāsty eva kartatā akartāram ataḥ prāhuḥ purāṇaṃ taṃ purā vidaḥ

“Because His qualities are generally unknown, He is said to have no name. Because His form is not material, He is said to be formless. And because Lord Hari does nothing in relationship with the material nature, He is said to be inactive.” In the Nārāyaṇādhyātma it is also stated:

nityāvyakto ‘pi bhagavān īkṣyate nija-śaktitaḥ tāmṛte paramātmānaṃ kaḥ paśyatāmitaṃ prabhum

“The Lord, though He is eternally unmanifested, is visible by His own energy. Without the assistance of His energy, who can see the immeasurable Lord, the Supersoul?”

Regarding the appearance and disappearance of the Lord, the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa says:

anādeyam aheyaṃ ca rūpaṃ bhagavato hareḥ āvirbhāva-tirobhāvāv asyokte graha-mocane

“The form of Lord Hari is neither abominable nor meant for rejection. His manifestation in this world is called ‘appearance,’ and the ending of His manifest pastimes is called ‘disappearance.’” In his commentary on the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (4.23.11) Śrī Madhvācārya writes as follows:

āvirbhāva-tirobhāvau jñānasya jñānino ‘pi tu apekṣyājñas tathā jñānaṃ utpannam iti cocyate

“The Lord appears and disappears for the sake of the wise, but He also appears to enlighten the ignorant.”

Evidence for the words kahe veda—“the Vedas describe” in verse 52 may be seen in the following statements from the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad

(1.21): Eko vaśī sarva-gaḥ kṛṣṇa īḍyaḥ—“That one Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is worshipable,” and eko ‘pi san bahudhā yo ‘vabhāti—“Kṛṣṇa is one, but He is manifested in unlimited forms and expanded incarnations;” the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.13): nityo nityānāṃ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṃ yo vidadhāti kāmān—“There are innumerable eternal living entities who are eternally and totally dependent upon the supreme singular living entity, the Supreme Lord;” the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.26.1): sa ekadhā bhavati tridhā—“He is one kind and three kinds;” and also the Bhagavad-gītā (4.6): ajo ‘pi sann avyayātmā—“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates.”

The pastimes of the Supreme Lord are uninterrupted just like a wheel of fire; they are not products of fruitive workers’ temporary imagination that fade away in due course of time. By stating that the eternal Absolute Truth appears in and then disappears from this world in His complete spiritual form, the Vedic literatures confirm that the eternal pastimes of the Lord are displayed in this temporary material world. Śrī Caitanyadeva is unlimited and complete. Since the topics related with Śrī Caitanyadeva are nondifferent from Him, such topics are also without beginning or end. He is fully independent and the controller of the living entities, therefore following the process of disciplic succession I write whatever He inspires me.