Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.21.14, 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 14 of Madhya-khanda chapter 21—“The Lord’s Chastisement of Devananda”.
Verse 2.21.14
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.21.14:
এ বেটার ভাগবতে কোন্ অধিকার? গ্রন্থ-রূপে ভাগবত কৃষ্ণ-অবতার ॥ ১৪ ॥
ए बेटार भागवते कोन् अधिकार? ग्रन्थ-रूपे भागवत कृष्ण-अवतार ॥ १४ ॥
e beṭāra bhāgavate kon adhikāra? grantha-rūpe bhāgavata kṛṣṇa-avatāra || 14 ||
e betara bhagavate kon adhikara? grantha-rupe bhagavata krsna-avatara (14)
English translation:
(14) “What qualification does this fellow have to speak on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam? Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of a book.
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
The word beṭārefers here to an insignificant, ignorant person. As a child in ignorance displays foolishness before his father, and as a father or an instructor addresses ignorant people as “fools”, the address of beṭāreveals
such a proper mood. Those persons unable to enter into the purport of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam who confine the subject matters indicated by the words of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam to material desires can never enter into topics related to the Supreme Lord. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is full of topics related to Kṛṣṇa. When those topics of Kṛṣṇa enter the ear, Kṛṣṇa directly manifests. Then contaminations in the form of material topics, or the two demons Madhu and Kaitabha, who are like dirt within the ear, are destroyed. This is called karṇa-vedha-saṃskāra, the purificatory process of piercing the ears. If we accept the material covering on our spiritual ears, then words related to material enjoyment agitate our hearts. Then subject matters not related to Kṛṣṇa become our desired goal. But when pure uncontaminated living entities properly hear Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, then the chanting of spiritual names, the hearing of spiritual forms, the hearing of spiritual qualities, the hearing of the glories of spiritual associates, and the hearing of topics regarding spiritual pastimes manifest within their hearts. Then they are able to realize that their hearts are nondifferent from Vṛndāvana. That is where Kṛṣṇacandra resides.