Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.1.187, 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 187 of Madhya-khanda chapter 1—“The Beginning of the Lord’s Manifestation and His Instructions on Krishna-sankirtana”.
Verse 2.1.187-188
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.1.187-188:
বস্ত্র পরিবর্ত’ করি’ ধুইলা চরণ তুলসীরে জল দিযা করিলা সেচন যথা-বিধি করি’ প্রভু গোবিন্দ-পূজন আসিযা বসিলা গৃহে করিতে ভোজন ॥ ১৮৭-১৮৮ ॥
वस्त्र परिवर्त’ करि’ धुइला चरण तुलसीरे जल दिया करिला सेचन यथा-विधि करि’ प्रभु गोविन्द-पूजन आसिया वसिला गृहे करिते भोजन ॥ १८७-१८८ ॥
vastra parivarta’ kari’ dhuilā caraṇa tulasīre jala diyā karilā secana yathā-vidhi kari’ prabhu govinda-pūjana āsiyā vasilā gṛhe karite bhojana || 187-188 ||
vastra parivarta’ kari’ dhuila carana tulasire jala diya karila secana yatha-vidhi kari’ prabhu govinda-pujana asiya vasila grhe karite bhojana (187-188)
English translation:
(187-188) The Lord changed His clothes, washed His feet, and then offered water to tulasī. Then, after properly worshiping Govinda, the Lord came inside and sat down to take His meal.
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
Unless a person properly initiated in the chanting of Viṣṇu mantras includes tulasī-mañjarīs in his offering of foodstuffs, Lord Viṣṇu will not accept the offering, because Tulasī is the eternal maidservant of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore her leaves and flowers, or mañjarīs, are certainly dear to Keśava. It is prescribed that one should offer tulasī-mañjarīs in worship to the Deity form of Śrī Govinda, for Tulasī has incarnated in the form of a tree. The arrangement for offering tulasī-mañjarīs in worship to the Deity form of Lord Viṣṇu is confirmed by all transcendental Vaiṣṇava smṛtis. After worshiping Śrī Tulasī in her manifested worshipable form as tadīya by sprinkling water on her, Śrī Gaurasundara worshiped His family Deity, Śrī Govinda; in other words, He offered pure worship to the Deity form of Viṣṇu. By performing this pastime, the Lord set the ideal example of mandatory daily duties for God-conscious householders.
Every Vaiṣṇava householder should follow this ideal example of the Lord by engaging in the worship of the Deity form of Lord Viṣṇu and accepting with faith and humility the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord.