Chaitanya Bhagavata

by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words

The Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.8.208, 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 208 of Madhya-khanda chapter 8—“The Manifestation of Opulences”.

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.8.208:

হেন দাস্য-যোগ ছাডি’ আর যেবা চায অমৃত ছাডিযা যেন বিষ লাগি’ ধায ॥ ২০৮ ॥

हेन दास्य-योग छाडि’ आर येबा चाय अमृत छाडिया येन विष लागि’ धाय ॥ २०८ ॥

hena dāsya-yoga chāḍi’ āra yebā cāya amṛta chāḍiyā yena viṣa lāgi’ dhāya || 208 ||

hena dasya-yoga chadi’ ara yeba caya amrta chadiya yena visa lagi’ dhaya (208)

English translation:

(208) One who gives up such service and desires something else is like one who gives up nectar and desires poison.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

One who in spite of seeing the recent example of Gaurasundara gives up the path of devotional service and proudly becomes inclined to attain one of the four types of liberation beginning with sālokya, or residing on the same planet as the Lord, is like one who gives up nectar to drink poison. In the Skanda Purāṇa it is stated:

vāsudevaṃ parityajya yo ‘anya-devam upāsate tyaktvāmṛtaṃ sa mūḍhātmā bhuṅkte halāhalaṃ viṣam

“A foolish person who gives up the worship of Vāsudeva and engages in the worship of the demigods is giving up nectar to drink poison.” It is stated in the Mahābhārata:

yas tu viṣṇuṃ parityajya mohad anyam upāsate sa hema-rājim utsṛjya pāṃśu-rāśiṃ jighṛkṣati

“A person who out of illusion gives up the worship of the all-pervading

Lord Viṣṇu and worships other demigods gives up heaps of gold to accept heaps of ashes.” It is further described in the Nārada-pañcarātra (2.7.7):

śrī-harer-bhakti-dāsyaṃ ca sarvam ukteḥ paraṃ mune vaiṣṇavānām abhimataṃ sārāt sāraṃ parāt param

“The devotional service of Lord Hari is most enchanting and the best of all forms of liberation. O great sage, it is the essence of all conclusions. This is the opinion of the Vaiṣṇavas.” In the Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latikā it is said:

nāsti dāsyāt paraṃśreyo nāsti dāsyāt paraṃ padam nāsti dāsyāt paro labho nāsti dāsyāt paraṃ sukham

“There is nothing more auspicious than Lord Hari’s service. There is no situation better than Lord Hari’s service. There is nothing better to be gained than Lord Hari’s service. There is no happiness higher than Lord Hari’s service.”

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