Post by Jagannāth Miśra Dās on Mar 4, 2022 10:25:32 GMT -6
A short excerpt from the ādī-līlā of the Śrī Gaurāñga Bhāgavat, written in Oriya, by Bhagavan Dās.
The śiṣya of Sri Nityananda Prabhu(10), predicted in the caitanya mangala(11) that Vedavyāsa(12) would elaborate upon the final pastimes. This is repeatedly foretold by Vrindavana Das in his caitanya mangala. (17-20)
(10) Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura is a śiṣya of Nityānanda Mahāprabhu.
(11) caitanya mangala is Vrindāvana Dās Thakura’s caitanya bhagavata.
(12) Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura predicts in several verses that Vedavyāsa himself would expand upon Caitanya līlā (caitanya bhagavata, ādi līlā, chapter 1, verse 153 and again in verse 180 are just two of the several prophecies) although he does not particularly emphasise just the augmentation of the śeṣa līlā, but includes the ādi and mādhya as well in his future forecast. Bhagavan Dās suggests here (verse 22) that Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja is verily the Vedavyāsa who elaborates on Gaurāñga līlā. Yet neither does Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja neglect, as he does in several places, to praise Vrindāvana Dās as the veritable Vyāsa of Caitanya līlā in his caitanyacaritāmrita. It should be remembered that Vyāsa is a post (not the name of an exalted sage) which is presently held by the Rsi called Kṛṣṇadwaipayan. There are 14 Manus in a day of Brahma, and the Rsi serving as Vyāsa holds this office until the allotted term of his reigning Manu expires. Perhaps the title of Vyāsa may be loosely and variably applied to Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura, Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja, and Locan Dās Ṭhākura; and perhaps indeed to any and all of the contemporary and post associates of Gaurāñga who wrote verses and bhajanas depicting Caiatnya līlā. Equating a prolific author to Vyāsa is a common place and often indulged comparison used by Indian poets; and need not excite any unseasonable convictions that any of them were indeed incarnations of the Rsi occupying the transitory post of Vyāsa; but rather it appears they are simply addressing another poet in a high strain of congratulation employing a lofty metaphor of Oriental prophecy and hyperbole.
Vrindāvana Dās wrote this prediction and thus the King of poets(13), in the hope of rendering service, began to enlarge upon the sesa lila, having noted the adi lila was now complete. (21-22)
(13) śrī kavi bhupa (verse 21) is Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja. bhupa literally means king.
With a cheerful heart Śrī Vrindāvana Dās began to compose under the sway of his own realisation(14). He judiciously recorded, and elaborated upon, the Lord’s pastimes from the very beginning unto the end. Simply by listening to his book one may envision caitanya līlā, which he portrayed in an easily comprehensible style delightful to all who hear it. (23-26)
(14) anubhave (verse 23) I have translated as realization.
Acknowledging the prolific nature of his growing narrative he consciously neglected to enlarge upon the antima lila; only adding a slight magnification (15).
(15) In the opening chapter of his caitanya bhagavat (ādi līlā, chapter 1,verses 154 180) Vrindāvan Dās Ṭhākura lists the sutras for each and every līlā which he intends to write about in his antya līlā; and yet many of these līlās he purposes to reveal actually find no mention at all in his antya līlā? For example; verse 168 says he will illustrate the Lord’s joyful dancing with the Vaisnavas at rathayātrā; verse 169 offers to reveal the Lord’s pilgrimage in the South and sojourn to Mathura via the Jharakanda forest; verse 170 promises to speak of the liaison with Rāmānanda Rāya including Gaurāṇga’s pastimes in Mathura; verses 171-72 propose to discuss the deliverance of Rupa and Sanatan; and verse 173 dwells upon the deliverance of the nindika sannyasis of Varanasi. Yet because none of the above līlās are even mentioned in his antya-līlā, the Vrindāvan Vaisnavas were justifiably curious and impatient to hear that which Vrindāvan Dās said he was going to discuss, but actually never does in his antya-līlā. Some are of the opinion that as the antya-līlā of Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura’s Caitanya Bhāgavat abruptly finishes without the poet’s customary style of concluding a narrative section (as he does toward the end of the closing chapters of his ādi and mādhya-līlā it seems apparent that much of his antya-lila was either lost, or Vrindāvana Dās never, for some reason, finished his carita. Perhaps Vrindāvan Dās did, as Bhāgavan Dās seems to think here, intentionally neglect to portray these līlās. But whatever the case, Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja delineates in the anyta-līlā of his caitanyacaritāmrita those pastimes which Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura had resolved to disclose but somehow never did.
Vrindavana Das revealed and augmented Sri Nityananda’s glories and while doing so touched upon the last limits of his virtues(16) (29)
(16) Regardless of the glaring omissions in Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura’s depictions of Gaurāñga’s antya-līlā, here in verse 29, Bhāgavan Dās states (perhaps by way of conciliation) that Vrindāvana Dās has more than excelled with lively accounts which embellish and expand Nityānanda’s glories; and in the composition of which, he approached the last limits of Nityānanda’s spotless glory. vistara kala gunasima.
Lord Caitanya’s pastimes are of a boundless nature, and, just as there is no end to he who is the unborn Lord, similarly, his biographical accounts are also innumerable and defy comprehensive description. Who is there who can truly speak of his līlā? Still, not only did Dās Vrindāvana successfully augment, he further enriched and tempered his depictions with a sweetness and opulence which no mortal could accomplish without the Lord’s grace. (30-34)
śrīnityānanada prabhu śiṣya
je kathā lekhile bhaviṣya (17)
caitanya mangala vyakata
se kathā hoichi uvaca (18)
vistari kari vedavyāsa
e lila kariba prakāśa (19)
ehi vacana ṭhābe ṭhābe
caitanya mangala prasthābe (20)
(10) Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura is a śiṣya of Nityānanda Mahāprabhu.
(11) caitanya mangala is Vrindāvana Dās Thakura’s caitanya bhagavata.
(12) Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura predicts in several verses that Vedavyāsa himself would expand upon Caitanya līlā (caitanya bhagavata, ādi līlā, chapter 1, verse 153 and again in verse 180 are just two of the several prophecies) although he does not particularly emphasise just the augmentation of the śeṣa līlā, but includes the ādi and mādhya as well in his future forecast. Bhagavan Dās suggests here (verse 22) that Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja is verily the Vedavyāsa who elaborates on Gaurāñga līlā. Yet neither does Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja neglect, as he does in several places, to praise Vrindāvana Dās as the veritable Vyāsa of Caitanya līlā in his caitanyacaritāmrita. It should be remembered that Vyāsa is a post (not the name of an exalted sage) which is presently held by the Rsi called Kṛṣṇadwaipayan. There are 14 Manus in a day of Brahma, and the Rsi serving as Vyāsa holds this office until the allotted term of his reigning Manu expires. Perhaps the title of Vyāsa may be loosely and variably applied to Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura, Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja, and Locan Dās Ṭhākura; and perhaps indeed to any and all of the contemporary and post associates of Gaurāñga who wrote verses and bhajanas depicting Caiatnya līlā. Equating a prolific author to Vyāsa is a common place and often indulged comparison used by Indian poets; and need not excite any unseasonable convictions that any of them were indeed incarnations of the Rsi occupying the transitory post of Vyāsa; but rather it appears they are simply addressing another poet in a high strain of congratulation employing a lofty metaphor of Oriental prophecy and hyperbole.
lekhile vrundāvanadāse
śrīkavibhupa sevi āśe (21)
śeṣalīlāku vistārile
adiku sthalare sārile (22)
(13) śrī kavi bhupa (verse 21) is Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja. bhupa literally means king.
śrīvrundāvanadāse jebe
grantha lekhile anubhave (23)
mānasānande ādilīlā
adyanta vistāra hoilā (24)
je pothi sravana mātrike
caitanya lila se viloke (25)
gocara hele anāyāse
samaste sunati ullāse (26)
(14) anubhave (verse 23) I have translated as realization.
granta bahulya hebā dekhi
antima vistāra upeksita (27)
alpamate sāri gale
viśeṣa prakaṭa na kale (28)
(15) In the opening chapter of his caitanya bhagavat (ādi līlā, chapter 1,verses 154 180) Vrindāvan Dās Ṭhākura lists the sutras for each and every līlā which he intends to write about in his antya līlā; and yet many of these līlās he purposes to reveal actually find no mention at all in his antya līlā? For example; verse 168 says he will illustrate the Lord’s joyful dancing with the Vaisnavas at rathayātrā; verse 169 offers to reveal the Lord’s pilgrimage in the South and sojourn to Mathura via the Jharakanda forest; verse 170 promises to speak of the liaison with Rāmānanda Rāya including Gaurāṇga’s pastimes in Mathura; verses 171-72 propose to discuss the deliverance of Rupa and Sanatan; and verse 173 dwells upon the deliverance of the nindika sannyasis of Varanasi. Yet because none of the above līlās are even mentioned in his antya-līlā, the Vrindāvan Vaisnavas were justifiably curious and impatient to hear that which Vrindāvan Dās said he was going to discuss, but actually never does in his antya-līlā. Some are of the opinion that as the antya-līlā of Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura’s Caitanya Bhāgavat abruptly finishes without the poet’s customary style of concluding a narrative section (as he does toward the end of the closing chapters of his ādi and mādhya-līlā it seems apparent that much of his antya-lila was either lost, or Vrindāvana Dās never, for some reason, finished his carita. Perhaps Vrindāvan Dās did, as Bhāgavan Dās seems to think here, intentionally neglect to portray these līlās. But whatever the case, Kṛṣṇa Dās Kavirāja delineates in the anyta-līlā of his caitanyacaritāmrita those pastimes which Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura had resolved to disclose but somehow never did.
ṣrīnityānandanku mahimā
vistara kale guṇasīmā (29)
Vrindavana Das revealed and augmented Sri Nityananda’s glories and while doing so touched upon the last limits of his virtues(16) (29)
(16) Regardless of the glaring omissions in Vrindāvana Dās Ṭhākura’s depictions of Gaurāñga’s antya-līlā, here in verse 29, Bhāgavan Dās states (perhaps by way of conciliation) that Vrindāvana Dās has more than excelled with lively accounts which embellish and expand Nityānanda’s glories; and in the composition of which, he approached the last limits of Nityānanda’s spotless glory. vistara kala gunasima.
caitanyalila ta sahaje
aṣeṣa ṣeṣa nohe aje (30)
asankhya akathya carita
ke tāhā kariba ukata (31)
tathāpi dās vrundāvana
kari achanti je varṇana (32)
se ati vistāra apāra
mādhurya aiśwarya sāra (33)
manuṣya mātre nohe kahi
nohile prabhukrupā sahi (34)