Post No. 13,950
Date uploaded in London – 29 November 2024
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
(Please read my post Miracles in the Life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu posted yesterday 28-11-24)
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (R.K.P.) has referred to the great devotion of Sri Chaitanya several times in his teachings. I am just citing a few from the Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004.
1
In the course of his pilgrimage in southern parts of India, Chaitanya Deva came across a certain devotee who was in tears all the while a Pandita was reading from the Gita. Now this devotee knew not even the alphabet. He could not follow a single verse of Gita.
On being asked why he shed tears, he replied, “It is indeed true that I do not know a word of Gita . but all the while it was being read, I could not help seeing with my inner eye the beautiful form of my Lord Sri Krishna seated before Arjuna in a chariot in the field of Kurukshetra and giving out all those sublime thoughts embodied in the Gita. This it was that filed my eyes with tears of joy and love”.
2
Worldly men will not act up to your advice if you ask them to renounce everything and devote themselves to the lotus like feet of the Lord. Hence, after much deliberation as to how to attract such souls Gour and Nitai (Gouranga Chaitanya and his disciple Nithyananda) hit upon a plan of alluring them , and said, “Come and take the name of Hari, and you wil have a nice soup of Magur fish and the caress of a young damsel”. These two items tempted many to join them and take the name of the Lord. When by and by they came to have a taste of the nectar of the holy name, they understood the hidden meaning of Nitai’s teaching. The Magur fish is nothing but the streams of tears they shed in love of God. The earth is the young damsel, and to be caressed by her, means to roll on earth in the rapture of Divine Love.
****
3
Sri Chaitanya has said: Very powerful indeed is the Lord’s name. it may not bring about the immediate results, but it must one day bear fruit, just as we find that a seed left long ago in the corner of a building at last reaches the ground, germinates, grows into a tree, and bears fruit, when perhaps the building cracks and is demolished”.
****
4
Father and mother are of prime importance to man. Unless they are pleased, no devotional practice will be of any avail. Look at Sri Chaitanya. Though mad with love of God, he took much pains to console his mother before he took Sanyasa, he told her, “Mother, do not worry, I will come now and then to see you”.
There are many debts that one has to repay- the debt to the Gods the debt to the Rishis, and also the debt to the parents and to the wife.
No pious work can succeed unless the debt to the parents is paid off. There is a debt even to the wife. Harish is staying here, having renounced his wife. If his wife is not provided for, I would have called him a wicked fellow.
Ramaprasanna is always wandering about for milk and opium for the Hatha Yogi. He says that Manu has enjoined service to Sadhus. Meanwhile his old mother is starving and has to do her own sopping. I feel so angry at this”.
–From Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna
****
5
When I wrote an article in 2017 about Chaitanya’s teachings, our regular reader (Late ) Sri R Nanjappa wrote the following comments:
Live Like a Tree: Chaitanya’s Advice! (Post No.4099) 20-7-217
Written by London Swaminathan
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life is full of many thrilling incidents. It is Sri Ramakrishna who told us many things connected with Sri Chaitanya’s life and times. It was Sri Ramakrishna who located the real Nadia which had been obscured by the change in the course of the river. When Sri Ramakrishna danced in ecstasy with devotees, many felt as if Chaitanya himself had come back! In fact, Sri Ramakrishna is regarded as Chaitanya reborn! Some of his inner circle of devotees were from Chaitanya’s own circle!
It was Chaitanya who located the real Brindavan and the sacred spots associated with it.
Chaitanya does not seem to have adopted any definite philosophical doctrine, though Bhedabheda has been associated with his line of teaching. Though considered Vaishnava, his teachings differ from other Vaishnav sects in that for Chaitanya it is Sri Krishna who is Supreme, and even Vishnu is His manifestation! Srila Parabhupada has put it in the memorable phrase “Supreme personality of Godhead” ! Prominence given to Sri Radha is also unique to his teaching. it is extraordinary when we consider that the Bhagavata does not speak of Radha specifically. These are the ways in which Avatars and genuine Saints add to our religious lore, as we see in the works of Sri Tyagaraja too.
There is a thrilling incident narrated during the pilgrimage of Mahaprabhu in the South. There he observed a discourse on Bhagavad Gita going on in a village. He observed one villager standing in a corner shedding profuse tears. He did not seem educated, and obviously he could not be following the discourse or the Gita in Sanskrit. Prompted by curiosity, Chaitanya asked him whether he was following the discourse. He said no. He heard the name Krishna and Arjuna mentioned; he could see Krishna seated in the chariot and talking to Arjuna and that scene brought him tears! Thus did Chaitanya bring out the nature of true Bhakti, beyond erudition and philosophy.
It is Saints like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who saved Hindus and Hinduism when India faced the Muslim threat- exactly like how Sri Ramakrishna saved Hinduism from Christian onslaught, and especially rescued English educated upper class Bengalis from the alien influence, and also from reforming sects like the Brahmo Samaj.. We have to seek their blessing to be endowed with real devotion.
Thanks for this reminder on Chaitanya.
To be continued…………………………….
Tags- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramakrishna comments, Nanjappa comments
Tamil and Vedas 