Chapter 1: The Life of Śrī Caitanya, in Brief

Before beginning the chapter, the author, Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, offers guru-praṇāma and Vaiṣṇava-praṇāma, and pays homage to Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, and the other Gosvāmīs:

Om. I offer obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes — blinded by the darkness of ignorance — with the torchlight of knowledge. I offer repeated obeisances unto the Vaiṣṇavas, who are wish-fulfilling trees, oceans of mercy, and purifiers of the fallen.

All glory to Gaura-Nityānanda, glory to Advaita-candra, to Gadādhara, to Śrīvāsa and the other devotees of Gaura! Glory to Rūpa and Sanātana, to Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, to Śrī Jīva, to Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, and to Dāsa Raghunātha! I offer obeisances at the feet of these six Gosvāmīs, by whom obstacles are destroyed and cherished goals fulfilled. Vṛndāvana Dāsa, the Vyāsa of Caitanya's pastimes — I bow at his feet, I am his servant.

O Nityānanda Rāma, of inconceivable glory — ten million obeisances at Your lotus feet! The truth, the pastimes, and the qualities of Gaura are within Your knowledge alone; if You do not reveal them, who else could know them? Though I am but a dwarf reaching to grasp the moon, it is not impossible if I receive Your mercy. Have mercy on this wretched one, O compassionate one, so that the pastimes and qualities of Gaura may awaken in my heart.

You who make the mute eloquent and enable the lame to cross mountains — I bow to that same mercy of Śrī Nityānanda Īśvara. Obeisance to You, most magnanimous bestower of kṛṣṇa-prema, to Kṛṣṇa in the form of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who envelops [the world in] the color of gold [gaura].

Subject. The venerable author, Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, narrates in this first chapter of the Ādi-khaṇḍa the sūtra — the condensed thread — of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes. So that the writing and completion of the book may proceed smoothly and without obstacle, and so that his cherished purpose may be fulfilled, he first offers, in four verses, an invocatory homage (maṅgalācaraṇa) to the Lord who is the subject of the book. Of these four verses, the first two are his own composition; the other two are quoted from elsewhere. Each is now discussed in turn.

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আজানুলম্বিতভুজৌ কনকাবদাতৌ বিশ্বম্ভরৌ দ্বিজবরৌ যুগধর্মপালৌ সঙ্কীর্তনৈকপিতরৌ কমলায়তাক্ষৌ বন্দে জগৎপ্রিয়করৌ করুণাবতারৌ ॥ ১ ॥

Translation. I worship those two whose arms extend down to their knees; whose complexion is bright and radiant like molten gold; whose eyes are wide as lotus petals; who alone are the father of saṅkīrtana (its originators and founders); who sustain the universe; who protect the dharma of the age; who are dear to the whole world; the best of brahmins; the very incarnation of mercy.

Explanation. In this verse the author pays homage to Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda, whose glory this entire book celebrates — and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is, in particular, the author's own initiating guru (mantra-guru).

Dvijavarau — "best of the twice-born": here dvija means brāhmaṇa. Both Gaura and Nityānanda appeared in brahmin families and displayed the ideal conduct of the finest brahmins; hence they are called dvijavara.

Karuṇāvatārau — "incarnations of mercy": they appeared in this world, as it were, as mercy given form. Mercy does not weigh worthiness or unworthiness — that discrimination belongs to justice, not to mercy; indeed the more unworthy one is, the more mercy inclines toward him. The furthest reach of a soul's fulfillment, according to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka-śruti, is to attain the service that is inherently bound up with one's own eternal constitutional nature and whose sole purport is Kṛṣṇa's happiness; and that service is unattainable without the yearning for it that is called prema — love for Kṛṣṇa ("the desire for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure alone is called prema" — Caitanya-caritāmṛta 1.4.1). It is in the bestowal of this prema that the soul's fulfillment culminates, and it is in the bestowal of this prema that mercy itself reaches its fullest flowering. Because Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda descended into this universe and distributed exactly this prema without discrimination to all, high and low alike, they are called the incarnation of mercy — mercy's own form made manifest.

Viśvambharau — they are also called "sustainers of the universe." Viśvambhara is formed from viśva + the root bhṛ (to sustain/nourish), per the Śabda-kalpadruma lexicon. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said of Mahāprabhu, in this connection, that in His first pastimes He bore the name Viśvambhara: "In His first pastime His name was Viśvambhara; He filled and held the multitude of beings with the mellow of devotion" (Cc. 1.3.25–26). One who nourishes and sustains the beings of the world through bhakti-rasa or prema — that is, who nurtures their transcendental life and, having nurtured it, holds them forever in that nourished state — is called Viśvambhara. By bestowing the love for Kṛṣṇa that is indispensable for the service intrinsically bound to the soul's own nature and whose sole purport is Kṛṣṇa's happiness, and by nourishing thereby the transcendental life of the world's inhabitants and holding them fast in that nourished state, Śrī Gaurāṅga together with Śrī Nityānanda is called Viśvambhara.

They are also called priyakarau, "those who act dearly" (from priya, "dear/affectionate," per the Medinī lexicon). The Bṛhadāraṇyaka-śruti teaches that the soul's one true dear one (priya) is the Supreme Brahman, the Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and that the service whose sole purport is Kṛṣṇa's happiness — being intrinsically bound to the soul's own constitutional nature — is therefore also the soul's truest, most intimate duty. By bestowing prema and thereby establishing the soul in that dear and intimate duty, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda are called priyakara.

Gaura-Nityānanda are further yugadharma-pālau, "protectors of the dharma of the age." The dharma of Kali-yuga is nāma-saṅkīrtana. Ordinarily it is the yugāvatāra (the incarnation appointed for each age) who proclaims that age's dharma; but since the fully complete Lord Śrī Gaurāṅga Himself has appeared in this Kali age, no separate yugāvatāra descends — he remains present within Gaurāṅga Himself. As it is said: "When the complete Lord descends, all the other incarnations come and merge into Him — Nārāyaṇa, the four-armed forms, the Matsya and other avatāras, all the incarnations of the yugas and manvantaras — all come and become manifest within Kṛṣṇa's body; thus does the complete Lord Kṛṣṇa descend" (Cc. 1.4.9–11). Since Gaurāṅga is, in truth, the complete Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, no separate yugāvatāra appears at His descent, and He Himself, incidentally, also performs the yugāvatāra's task of proclaiming the age's dharma of nāma-saṅkīrtana. Because Śrī Gaurāṅga, together with Śrī Nityānanda, proclaimed and protected the dharma of the age, they are called yugadharma-pālaka. Nāma-saṅkīrtana bestows prema.

They are also saṅkīrtanaika-pitarau, "the sole father of saṅkīrtana" — its progenitor, its founder. When many people join together to sing Kṛṣṇa's names in a manner pleasing to Him, that is called saṅkīrtana: "Saṅkīrtana is the joyful singing, by many gathered together, of Kṛṣṇa's names — beginning kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam..." (Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha commentary on Bhāgavata 11.5.32). Since Kṛṣṇa's pleasure alone is the aim of such saṅkīrtana, it is called prema-saṅkīrtana, and the founder — the creator — of this prema-saṅkīrtana is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: "This prema-saṅkīrtana is Caitanya's own creation" (Cc. 3.20.8, cf. 2.1.86). Kīrtana existed in many places even before Mahāprabhu's advent, but it was not this prema-saṅkīrtana whose sole purport is love for Kṛṣṇa — earlier kīrtana was performed for the sake of one's own desired ends, such as enjoyment or liberation. Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana as a limb of pure devotion, aimed purely at Kṛṣṇa's pleasure, did not exist before; Mahāprabhu Himself introduced it, together with Śrī Nityānanda. Hence Gaura-Nityānanda are called the sole father — the creator — of saṅkīrtana; saṅkīrtana is, as it were, their son.

Having thus spoken of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda's transcendental gift, the verse also describes their captivating form. They were ājānu-lambita-bhujau, their two arms extending down to the knee. Kanakāvadātau — kanaka means gold; avadāta means complexion or lustre. The complexion of Gaura-Nityānanda was bright as gold, radiant, supremely charming: Śrī Nityānanda's, a faintly reddish gold; Śrī Gaura's, the hue of fresh gold bathed in moonlight. Kamalāyatākṣau — kamala means lotus, akṣi means eye; their eyes were wide as lotus petals, broad in both length and breadth, and this comparison also conveys the faintly reddish hue of their eyes, like lotus petals. The eyes of Nitāi-Gaura reached almost to their ears, were broad, and reddish-tinged — as though the very waves of Kṛṣṇa-prema and of compassion for the fallen souls rippled within them.

নমস্ত্রিকালসত্যায় জগন্নাথসুতায় চ। সভৃত্যায় সপুত্রায় সকলত্রায় তে নমঃ ॥ ২ ॥

Translation. Obeisance unto You, who are true in all three times — past, present, and future — and who are the son of Śrī Jagannātha Miśra. Obeisance unto You together with Your servants and with Your son, unto You, the deliverer of all.

Explanation. In this verse the author offers praṇāma at Mahāprabhu's feet — Mahāprabhu Śrī Caitanya being the principal subject of this entire book.

Trikāla-satyāya — unto Him who is true in the three times. Satya here means that which remains eternally one and unchanging in every respect. One who, from beginningless time, through all the past, the present, and the endless future, remains eternally so established in every way — in His own essential form as well as in His name, form, qualities, and pastimes — without the slightest change, is trikāla-satya. Only the Supreme, of the nature of sac-cid-ānanda, can be trikāla-satya; this is utterly impossible for a conditioned soul. The author here calls Śrī Caitanyadeva Himself trikāla-satya — thereby declaring that Śrī Caitanyadeva is indeed that very sac-cid-ānanda form of Godhead.

What sort of trikāla-satya sac-cid-ānanda form is He? The word jagannātha-sutāya answers this: He is the son of Śrī Jagannātha Miśra. But a question arises: in the ordinary world, one who is born as anyone's son has a birth, has a death, and undergoes all manner of bodily change between birth and death — such a person can in no way be called trikāla-satya. How, then, can He who has taken birth as the son of Jagannātha Miśra be trikāla-satya?

The answer is this. The Supreme Brahman, the Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, possesses a human-like form, enacts human-like pastimes, and carries a human-like self-conception (nara-līlā, nara-abhimāna) — yet in truth He is unborn (aja) and beginningless (anādi). The śruti also calls Him rasa-svarūpa, of the nature of rasa, and as rasa-svarūpa He is also the taster of rasa; He experiences supreme bliss precisely in tasting the essence of His devotees' loving mellows. Being Himself, in essence, Parabrahman, He is Parabrahman too as the taster and connoisseur (rasika) of rasa — indeed the very crest-jewel among connoisseurs, since His rasika-hood consists in tasting every rasa and every nuance of every rasa. The primary rasas are five — śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and madhura. But since He is unborn and beginningless, He cannot have parents — for if He had parents, He could not be called unborn or beginningless, since His parents would then be His origin. Hence the tasting of vātsalya-rasa (parental affection), whose very substratum is the relation of parent and child, ought to be impossible for the unborn, beginningless Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Yet if He could not taste vātsalya-rasa, His nature as rasa-svarūpa would remain incomplete — and incompleteness is inconceivable in the Supreme Truth, Parabrahman Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is complete in the fullest sense. So how, then, is He to taste vātsalya-rasa?

Nanda and Yaśodā are indeed His father and mother — but their sense of being Kṛṣṇa's parents is born of abhimāna (a firmly held sense of identity/relationship), not of physical birth. Nanda-Yaśodā are Kṛṣṇa's own eternal, beginninglessly-established associates (parikara) — they are not conditioned souls but manifest forms of His own sandhinī-predominant essential potency. By the power of His pastime-potency (līlā-śakti), the fullest vātsalya has been eternally present between them from beginningless time. Under the sway of this vātsalya, they consider — "Kṛṣṇa is our son"; this is their firm conviction, their abhimāna. And under the influence of this same vātsalya — since He is "won over by devotion" (bhaktivaśaḥ puruṣaḥ) — a corresponding sentiment awakens in Kṛṣṇa's own heart: He too considers Himself the son of Nanda and Yaśodā; this too is His own firm conviction, His own abhimāna. One who considers himself another's son cannot at the same time consider himself God — for God has no parents. Hence Kṛṣṇa's nara-abhimāna, His considering Himself a human being — His pastimes, too, are accordingly human-like (nara-līlā). When the Human-Pastime Lord (nara-līlā Bhagavān) descends into a universe, He also brings His eternal associates down with Him; when Kṛṣṇa descends into a universe, He causes Nanda and Yaśodā, like His other associates, to descend as well — their descent occurs before Kṛṣṇa's own descent — and it is through their agency that He then manifests as their son. But Kṛṣṇa does not take birth from Nanda-Yaśodā the way an ordinary soul is born of its parents; His birth is not of the worldly kind — it is transcendental (alaukika). In the Bhagavad-gītā, too, He has said: "My birth and My activity [pastime] are divine" (janma karma ca me divyam, Gītā 4.9) — "divine" meaning, as Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya and others gloss it, "transcendental, not of this world."

What is meant by "transcendental" is now explained. In the ordinary case, the soul, joined with semen, enters the father's belly, then, mixed with the father's semen, travels to the mother's womb; in the mother's womb, from the combined seed and blood of the parents, an enjoyable material body arises, and in due time that body is born from the womb — this is worldly birth. Ordinary people know nothing of this whole process; they know only that birth occurs from the mother's womb through the father's agency. The body born in the mother's womb is made of the illusory five elements, and hence subject to change and decay. Kṛṣṇa's birth is of a wholly different kind. Joined with semen, He does not enter the father's belly and, mixed with the father's seed, proceed to the mother's womb. Rather, He enters the father's heart, and from the father's heart enters the mother's heart, and remains there — never entering the mother's womb at all — and in due time manifests directly from the mother's heart. Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī has said exactly this regarding Kṛṣṇa's birth-pastime in the prison of Kaṃsa, and, on the basis of the account of the two-armed Kṛṣṇa's birth-pastime in Gokula as told in the Hari-vaṃśa, Śrīpāda Jīva Gosvāmī says the same in his Gopāla-campū. The body in which Kṛṣṇa appears is not any newly-formed body like a conditioned soul's, nor is it made of the five material elements — it is His own beginninglessly-perfected, sac-cid-ānanda body. His eternal form is that of the eternal youth (nitya-kiśora); in the unmanifest abode He has no childhood or boyhood, and hence no pastimes of childhood or boyhood either. But in order to relish the mellows of those pastimes of childhood and boyhood, in His manifest pastimes He assumes childhood and boyhood as attributes of His eternal youthfulness. Hence He takes birth in the form of an infant; after infancy and childhood comes boyhood, and after that, adolescence — and even within His manifest pastimes, it is in adolescence that He eternally remains; maturity or old age never comes to Him (see the Bhūmikā, paragraph 55). This, then, is the transcendental birth of the human-pastime Kṛṣṇa. Ordinary people know nothing of all this — indeed, under the influence of His pastime-potency, even His own parents do not know it; hence everyone believes His birth to be simply from the mother's womb. Thus it is understood that Nanda-Yaśodā and Devakī-Vasudeva are not Kṛṣṇa's parents in the worldly sense; through their agency He merely manifests His own beginninglessly-perfected form.

Śrī Caitanyadeva, too, is that very sac-cid-ānanda form known from śruti and smṛti, the Lord Himself (see Bhūmikā, chapters 2–3), and He too is, in essential form, Kṛṣṇa — the combined form of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa (see Bhūmikā, paragraphs 21–24, 31–36). His birth or appearance through Śacī and Jagannātha follows the same pattern described above. Śacī-Jagannātha, too, are not conditioned souls; they are His own eternally-perfected associates, manifest forms of His sandhinī-predominant essential potency, exactly like Nanda-Yaśodā or Devakī-Vasudeva. He, too, entered Śacī-Jagannātha's hearts and manifested in due time (see payar 1.2.14 and the Kaḍacā, śloka 1.52–53). Since the Lord of sac-cid-ānanda nature is Himself of the nature of bliss and effulgence, when He enters the hearts of parents, their minds too feel boundless joy, and their bodies too become wondrously effulgent (see Bhāgavata 10.2.17). When Śrī Caitanyadeva took residence in the bodies of Śacī and Jagannātha, "the two of them became forms of great splendor" (payar 1.2.14, and Kaḍacā 5.4–5). Thus it is understood that when Śrī Caitanyadeva is called jagannātha-suta, "son of Jagannātha," the purport is this: having first caused His eternally-perfected associate Jagannātha Miśra to descend, the Lord manifested His own beginninglessly-perfected form as his son, and in that manifestation He accepted childhood as an attribute of His own eternal adolescence — being, in truth, just like Kṛṣṇa, eternally youthful (see Bhūmikā, paragraph 55). Because He manifests only His own beginninglessly-perfected form, and does not take on any newly-formed body in His descent, His trikāla-satya nature is in no way compromised.

Sabhṛtyāya — obeisance unto that trikāla-satya son of Jagannātha together with His servants; obeisance to Him, and obeisance also to His servants. Here bhṛtya means devotee — His own associate-devotees as well as all other devotees. Bhṛtya literally means servant/maidservant; the Lord's bhṛtya means the Lord's servants — His devotees. As it is said of Kṛṣṇa: "There is no other task but the fulfillment of the desires of His servants" (Cc. 2.15.166) — here too bhṛtya means devotee, for delighting the hearts of His devotees is the Lord's one and only task: "For the pleasure of My devotees, I perform various activities" (Padma Purāṇa, on bhagavad-bhakti).

Saputrāya — obeisance unto the son of Jagannātha together with His son; obeisance to Him, and obeisance also to His son. But Śrī Gaura, the son of Jagannātha, had no son of His own — so what is meant here by "son"? In the very first verse of the maṅgalācaraṇa, Gaura-Nityānanda were called saṅkīrtanaika-pitarau, "the sole father of saṅkīrtana" — saṅkīrtana is their son. "This prema-saṅkīrtana is Caitanya's own creation" (Cc. 2.1.86) — from this statement it is known that Śrī Caitanya Himself is the creator, the father, of prema-saṅkīrtana, and saṅkīrtana occupies the position of His son. It is this saṅkīrtana, it seems, that the author intends by "son" in the word saputrāya. Obeisance to Śrī Caitanyadeva, and obeisance also to the saṅkīrtana He instituted. Some say that here "son" means one dear as a son, an object of parental affection — but every devotee is already an object of the devotee-loving Lord's parental affection, and this has already been said once, in the word sabhṛtyāya; a second statement of the same thing would seem to serve no purpose.

Sakalatrāya — the fourth-case (dative) form of sakalatra. Sakala + tra = sakalatra; tra means "one who delivers/protects." One who is the deliverer of all is sakalatra — obeisance to Him. Śrī Śrī Gaurasundara appeared for the deliverance of every living being, high and low alike, and for as long as He remained manifest, He delivered everyone without discrimination. [The word sakalatra, being a play on kalatra, "wife," also] — a secondary meaning of kalatra is "wife, spouse." Mahāprabhu's wives were Lakṣmīdevī and Viṣṇupriyādevī, who are also His own beginninglessly-perfected associates, already included within the earlier word sabhṛtyāya [as devotees]; a separate mention of them here does not seem to be the author's intent.

অবতীর্ণৌ স্বকারুণ্যৌ পরিচ্ছিন্নৌ সদীশ্বরৌ। শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্যনিত্যানন্দৌ দ্বৌ ভ্রাতরৌ ভজে ॥ ৩ ॥

Translation. I worship those two brothers, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Nityānanda — who are descended [into this world]; whose own essential nature is compassion; who, though in truth unlimited, appear as though limited; who are of the nature of eternal being (sat) and are the Supreme Controller (Īśvara).

Explanation. In this verse too the author offers homage to Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda, describing further what manner of beings they are.

Svakāruṇyau — "whose own compassion [is their very nature]": sva (one's own essential nature) + kāruṇya (compassion), of the two of them; hence, in the dual, svakāruṇyau. The Lord's compassion is a function (vṛtti) of His own cit-śakti or essential potency; that potency is non-different from His own essential nature, just as the power to burn is non-different from fire; and its function, compassion, is likewise non-different from that potency, and hence non-different from Him. Therefore wherever the Lord is, there His compassion is also — just as wherever there is fire, there is the power to burn. Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda are eternally endowed with exactly this compassion — they are compassion's own embodied form. [A variant reading, sakāruṇyau, is also found, meaning simply "possessed of compassion, merciful."]

They are sadīśvarau — of the nature of eternal being (sat) and of the nature of the Supreme Controller (Īśvara) — that is, they belong to the category of Godhead (īśvara-tattva), not to the category of conditioned souls (jīva-tattva). Sat means eternally existent, unchanging, true in all three times. Īśvara means one who is capable of acting, and of causing others to act otherwise than they would — the Supreme Controller of all: controller of the infinite material universes and of the infinite spiritual abodes of the Lord alike. The Supreme Brahman, the Lord Himself, has from beginningless time manifested and remains eternally present as infinite forms of Godhead (as well as in His aspect as undifferentiated Brahman); and since He, the Supreme Person, is Himself the Supreme Controller, all these manifestations of Godhead, being His own display and essentially non-different from Him, are also of the nature of Godhead, and — like Him — all-pervading and unlimited: omnipresent, infinite, all-encompassing (vibhu). Since Śrī Gaura is the Lord Himself and Śrī Nityānanda is His own manifestation, non-different in essence from Him, they too are of the nature of Godhead, and, in their essential form, all-pervading and unlimited.

And yet — the verse says they are paricchinnau, "limited," "not all-pervading." The reason is this. Śruti calls the Supreme Brahman, the Lord Himself, rasa-svarūpa — "He is verily rasa" (raso vai saḥ). One meaning of rasa is "the taster of rasa," the connoisseur (rasika). Since He is the taster of rasa, and since He is essentially non-different from that, His infinite manifestations too are, in varying degree, tasters of rasa. It is in the tasting of the rasa of pastime (līlā-rasa) that His own greatest bliss — and that of His manifestations — consists; and this bliss is precisely the bliss of tasting the essence of His devotee-associates' loving mellows, which wells up under the guise of pastime. Līlā means play. He plays with His associates; and play requires movement from one place to another, requires the movement of hands, feet, eyes, and so on. But this is not possible for that which is all-pervading and unlimited — for such a being, there is, and can be, no "outside"; it is only because there is space outside our own bodies that we are able to move our limbs, but an all-pervading being cannot do this. Yet without the movement of limbs there is no līlā (play); without līlā there is no welling-up and tasting of līlā-rasa; and so His very nature as rasa-svarūpa could not be established. For this reason, by the power of His inconceivable pastime-potency — capable of making the impossible possible — He appears as though limited, while remaining, in His own essential nature, unlimited. Even within that body which appears limited, He remains, in essential nature, unlimited and all-pervading. This all-pervasiveness or unlimitedness is the very nature of Brahman; being an essential attribute, it remains His in every state, for an essential attribute never departs from its possessor. Even in that seemingly limited body, the quality of unlimitedness remains ever present. Even while Mahāprabhu was at Nīlācala, immersed with His devotees in the tasting of kṛṣṇa-rasa, He was — at that very same moment — also eating a meal in Mother Śacī's house, and also watching Nityānanda dance in Gauḍa-deśa: "The Lord is all-pervading, ever present everywhere; whoever doubts this is destroyed" (Cc. 3.6.124). Being of the nature of Godhead, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda are likewise "limited" in this sense — that is, apparently limited, while in essential nature unlimited. This is not possible for a conditioned soul. The all-pervading Brahman-substance can, by the power of His inconceivable potency, become even smaller than the atom; śruti says as much: "smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest." However this may be, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-Nityānanda have thus descended, having appeared, into this world. Being unlimited Godhead and yet appearing as though limited, they are able, for the deliverance of souls, to move about at will to any place whatsoever; and being svakāruṇya — compassion itself in essence — they have descended into this world for the sole purpose of delivering, through the distribution of their own innate compassion, every soul without exception.

Prabhupāda Śrīla Atulakṛṣṇa Gosvāmī writes: "After this third verse, one further verse is found only in the printed editions — it is the first verse of Murāri Gupta's Kaḍacā, or Caitanya-carita, namely: 'He is all glorious, of utterly pure valor, golden-complexioned, lotus-eyed, His six arms reaching to His knees, dancing again and again in the many mellows of devotion.'"

জয়তি জয়তি দেবঃ কৃষ্ণচৈতন্যচন্দ্রো জয়তি জয়তি তস্য ভৃত্যাস্তস্য বিশ্বেশমূর্তেঃ। জয়তি জয়তি কীর্তিস্তস্য নিত্যা পবিত্রা জয়তি জয়তি নৃত্যং তস্য সর্বপ্রিয়াণাম্‌ ॥ ৪ ॥

Translation. All glory, all glory to the effulgent Lord, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-candra! All glory, all glory to His eternal and pure fame! All glory, all glory to the servants of that Lord of universal form! All glory, all glory to the dancing of all His dear devotees!

Explanation. This verse too proclaims the glory of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, of His fame, and of His devotees.

Devaḥ — "the effulgent one, the player of pastimes": the word deva derives from the root div, one meaning of which is "sport, play" (līlā). Kṛṣṇacaitanyacandraḥ is thus deva, eternally engaged in boundless pastime. At the time of His sannyāsa, His sannyāsa-guru, Śrīpāda Keśava Bhāratī, gave Him the name Kṛṣṇa Caitanya — since He brought about caitanya (consciousness) with regard to Kṛṣṇa in souls otherwise unconscious of Kṛṣṇa, Bhāratī Gosvāmī named Him Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. The aptness of the word candra (moon) lies in this: just as the risen moon dispels the world's darkness and, with its cool rays, brings delight to all and causes the night-lotus to bloom, so too Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, appearing in the world, dispelled the beginningless ignorance of God-averse conditioned souls, turned them toward Kṛṣṇa, and delighted everyone with the pure bliss of devotion. His kīrti — fame, glory — is nityā and pavitrā, eternal and pure: since He Himself is eternal, trikāla-satya, His fame and glory too are eternal, trikāla-satya, and since that fame is no illusory (māyika) thing but is itself of the nature of sac-cid-ānanda...

Tasya viśveśa-mūrteḥ — "of that Lord of universal form": He is the very embodiment of the Lord of the whole universe. Tasya bhṛtyaḥ — His servants, His devotees (all glory to them!). Tasya sarva-priyāṇāṁ nṛtyam — the dancing of all His dear devotees (all glory to it!). The Lord feels boundless joy in the triumph of His devotees and in their dancing; hence, together with His own glory and that of His fame, the glory of His devotees and their dancing is also proclaimed here, with the eager repetition "jayati jayati."

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Verse 1 (of the payar sequence; verse numbering restarts for the main narrative). Ādye — "first of all"; goṣṭhī — the assembly [of devotees]; daṇḍa-paraṇāme — with prostrate obeisance. In this verse the author first offers prostrate obeisance at the feet of Śrī Caitanyadeva's dear devotees.

V.2. Tabe — "then," after bowing to the devotees, homage is offered to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who appeared at Navadvīpa; His other name is Viśvambhara. The next verse explains why the devotees are honored before Viśvambhara Himself.

V.3–4. That same Lord Viśvambhara has Himself firmly declared, in the Veda and the Bhāgavata, that worship of His devotee is worth even more than worship of Himself — hence the devotees are honored before Him. Āmāra bhaktera... — the Lord has said that He derives even greater pleasure from the worship of His devotee than from worship of Himself directly. Vede bhāgavate — in the fifth Veda, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Purāṇa (śruti calls the Itihāsas and Purāṇas the "fifth Veda": "Itihāsa and Purāṇa are the fifth of the Vedas," Chāndogya 7.1.2 — the purport of the Vedas is known through the impersonally-authored Purāṇas). Daḍha — firm, certain; the following verse from the Bhāgavata itself is cited as proof of this statement.

V.4 (continued). Etake — "for this reason," since worship of the devotee outweighs even worship of the Lord Himself. By honoring the devotees first and Śrī Gaura afterward, the author reasons that Śrī Gaura will be especially pleased, and will bestow special mercy on the author himself — thereby ensuring the successful completion of the book.

Śloka 5. Mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhikā — "worship of My devotee is superior [to worship of Me]." Translation. (Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said to Uddhava:) "Worship of My devotee is even more excellent than worship of Me." (Bhāgavata 11.19.21, as cited.) Explanation. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī glosses in the Krama-sandarbha: "It is 'superior' because I take particular satisfaction in it — greater than in worship of Myself directly."

V.5. In this verse the author offers homage to his own initiating spiritual master (dīkṣā-guru), Śrī Nityānanda. It is by his mercy alone that caitanya-kīrtana — the glorification of Gaura's qualities and glories — can arise at all.

V.6. Balarāma of Vraja is, in Gaura's pastimes, none other than Śrī Nityānanda; hence Balarāma's glory is Nityānanda's own glory, and is included within it. For this reason, in the course of glorifying Śrī Nityānanda, the author devotes several couplets to describing the glory of Śrī Balarāma. He calls Balarāma "thousand-mouthed" (sahasra-vadana), though the Vraja-vihārī Balarāma has, of course, only a single mouth. The reason is this: from Caitanya-caritāmṛta 1.5 it is known that Vraja's Balarāma bears the name Śrī Saṅkarṣaṇa — Yogamāyā, by Kṛṣṇa's order, drew him out of Devakī's womb and placed him in Rohiṇī's womb, whence the name (Bhāgavata 10.2.13). Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha — these four form the Dvārakā catur-vyūha ("fourfold array"); the Saṅkarṣaṇa of this fourfold array is Himself an expansion (aṁśa) of Vraja's original Saṅkarṣaṇa, Śrī Balarāma. There are infinite catur-vyūhas in the infinite spiritual abodes, but the Dvārakā catur-vyūha is the root of them all. The Saṅkarṣaṇa of the catur-vyūha in the spiritual sky (Paravyoma) is Himself an expansion of the Dvārakā catur-vyūha's Saṅkarṣaṇa — hence an expansion of an expansion of Balarāma; His glories are infinite, and the six transcendental opulences of the Vaikuṇṭha abodes, made of pure goodness, are all His own manifest glory. An expansion of this Saṅkarṣaṇa is the Puruṣa who lies in the Causal Ocean (Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī, or Mahā-Viṣṇu), from whose breathing forth infinite universes arise at the end of dissolution: "When breath goes out through that Puruṣa's nostrils, with each exhalation the universes emerge; when the breath again returns within, the universes re-enter His body along with it — as specks of dust pass through a chink in a window, so the universes pass through the pores of the Puruṣa's skin" (Cc. 1.5.60–62). The Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Puruṣa, having created the infinite universes, enters each one separately, and, filling half of each universe with His own perspiration, lies down upon the endless serpent-bed within it. This form, lying within the waters inside the universe, is called Garbhodakaśāyī — an expansion of the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī, hence an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of Balarāma. From His navel-lotus-stalk arises the earth: "Within that navel-lotus-stalk lies the earth, and within the earth the seven seas are reckoned; amid the Ocean of Milk is the isle called Śvetadvīpa — that is the own abode of Viṣṇu the Protector" (Cc. 1.5.93–94). This "Viṣṇu the Protector" is the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, an expansion of Garbhodakaśāyī, the maintainer of the universe, who in yet another form dwells within the heart of every soul as the indwelling Paramātmā: "That Viṣṇu the Protector, in Śvetadvīpa amid the Ocean of Milk, is His own abode; He is the indwelling witness of every soul, the Lord and protector of the universe" (Cc. 1.5.94–95). He is also the guṇa-avatāra: "For the sake of protection [of creation], His own expansion appears as Viṣṇu, presiding over the mode of goodness" (Cc. 2.20.266). "The second [of the three guṇa-avatāras] is Viṣṇu; he is reckoned among the two [preserving] incarnations — as the universal Self (virāṭ) He is the indwelling witness of all beings collectively, and as Kṣīrodakaśāyī He is their individual Lord and maintainer" (Cc. 2.20.252–53). "He it is who assumes various incarnations in the successive ages and manvantaras, establishing dharma and destroying adharma" (Cc. 1.5.96). His own expansion is Ananta-Śeṣa, the thousand-hooded serpent — hence sahasra-vadana, "thousand-mouthed" — who bears the earth upon his hooded heads and, with his thousand mouths, ceaselessly sings the glories of Kṛṣṇa: "That Viṣṇu bears the earth in the form of Śeṣa; none can say quite where upon his head the earth rests. His hoods spread out a thousandfold, brilliant with sparkling gems; the earth's extent of fifty billion yojanas rests, upon a single one of his hoods, no larger than a mustard-seed. That is Ananta Śeṣa, an incarnation of pure devotion, who knows nothing but service to the Lord; with a thousand mouths he sings Kṛṣṇa's glories ceaselessly, without end. Sanaka and the other sages hear the Bhāgavata from his very mouth; he sings the Lord's glories, awash in the bliss of prema. As royal umbrella, sandals, bed, pillow, garment, pleasure-garden, dwelling, sacrificial post, and throne — assuming so many different forms — he renders service to Kṛṣṇa; having attained this state of 'remainder' (śeṣatā) in Kṛṣṇa's service, he bears the very name Śeṣa" (Cc. 1.5.100–107). [Śeṣatā — the capacity to manifest oneself, at will, in the form of whatever article of service is needed. Many may wish to manifest themselves in countless forms, but lack the capacity to do so; Anantadeva alone possesses this capacity, and so manifests himself as umbrella, sandals, and the rest, rendering service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa through those very articles. It is because of this capacity, this śeṣatā, that he bears the name Śeṣa.] Such is the wondrous glory of the thousand-mouthed Anantadeva, as described above — and yet this Anantadeva is himself but an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of Balarāma; if such is the glory of that expansion, who could describe the glory of Balarāma Himself, the source of it all? Here the author, by describing the glory of thousand-mouthed Anantadeva, conveys precisely the inexpressibility of Śrī Balarāma's own glory. Thus the author says: "I offer homage to Balarāma, who, manifesting Himself as the thousand-mouthed Anantadeva, renders manifold service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa (and to Śrī Gaura as well), and who ceaselessly sings, with a thousand mouths, the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (and of Gaura)." The thousand-mouthed Anantadeva is, in truth, one form of expansion of Śrī Balarāma, and Balarāma is the source (aṁśī) of that expansion; since the expansion and its source are in truth non-different, Balarāma Himself is here called "thousand-mouthed." Kṛṣṇa-yaśo-dhāma — the abode/repository of Kṛṣṇa's (both Śyāma-Kṛṣṇa's and Gaura-Kṛṣṇa's) fame and glory. Since Anantadeva, with his thousand mouths, ceaselessly sings Śrī Kṛṣṇa's glory, he is called the repository of Kṛṣṇa's fame. (See the commentary on payars 34–35 below.)

Śloka 6. Bhagavān Rāmaḥ — the Lord Balarāma; kṣapāsu — during the nights; gopīnāṁ ratim āvahan — increasing the joy of His own gopīs; madhu (Caitra) mādhavaṁ (Vaiśākha) eva ca dvau māsau avātsīt — resided [in Vṛndāvana] for these two months. Translation. The Lord Śrī Balarāma, increasing by night the joy of His own beloved gopīs, resided [in Vṛndāvana] for the two months of Caitra and Vaiśākha. Explanation. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa went to Mathurā with Akrūra, Śrī Balarāma accompanied Him; afterward they went from Mathurā to Dvārakā. During this long interval there was no meeting with their friends in Vraja; yet Balarāma too longed greatly to see them, and so once came from Dvārakā back to Vraja to see them, remaining there two months. That during these two months He sported with His own beloved gopīs is what this verse states. Bhagavān Rāmaḥ — the Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī explains: "Rāma" here means one skilled in amorous sport (rati-kuśala), because the Lord is expert in all the methods described in the science of erotics (kāma-śāstra) and the like. Gopīnām — of the gopīs; Svāmī-pāda notes that this refers to those gopīs other than [Kṛṣṇa's own beloved gopīs] — those who, at the time of Kṛṣṇa's own pastimes, were still too young for love to have arisen, or were as yet unborn. In the Bṛhat-krama-sandarbha, Śrī Jīva-pāda writes that sva-parigṛhītānām means "those whom Balarāma Himself has accepted [as His own]," and in the Krama-sandarbha he further explains, citing Bhāgavata 10.15.8 ("gopyo 'ntareṇa bhujayoḥ..."), that these were gopīs particularly devoted to Baladeva, associated with Kṛṣṇa's own beloved gopīs in pastimes such as the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa and the original springtime frolics (holi-vihāra). In that verse (Bhāgavata 10.15.8) it is said that when a certain vine-like gopī clung to Baladeva's chest, Kṛṣṇa said to Balarāma, teasingly, "These gopīs [vine-like women] are blessed indeed, for they have attained the space between Your two arms [Your chest] — a place for which even Lakṣmī herself yearns." The Krama-sandarbha comments on this verse: "Spoken by one of Rāma's own beloveds — this hints at Rāma's own future amorous pastimes [with her]." Thus it is understood that Balarāma too had His own beloveds; in the holi-sport they too joined with Kṛṣṇa's beloveds in play. The gopīs with whom Balarāma sported for two months in Vṛndāvana were precisely these, His own particular beloveds — whom Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, in the Krama-sandarbha, calls tat-preyasī-carī ("companions/former-associates of His beloveds," or, by the grammatical analysis that follows, "His own former beloveds"). [Per Pāṇini's grammar, the suffix caraṭ denotes "formerly, previously" — attached to preyasī, it yields preyasī-cara, feminine preyasī-carī: those gopīs with whom Baladeva sported were His own previous — that is, eternal — beloveds; like Balarāma Himself, they too had descended into this universe.] Balarāma, increasing the joy (ratim āvahan — "fully bestowing the mellow of romantic love," per the Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī) of these His own beloved gopīs, sported with them — for when the affection of lovers, aided by favorable circumstance, ripens into rasa, that is called śṛṅgāra-rasa or madhura-rasa (see the commentary on payar 29 below). Thus it is understood that the gopīs with whom Balarāma sported were not Kṛṣṇa's own beloved gopīs, but Balarāma's own beloved gopīs.

V.7. Ye prabhu — that same Lord Balarāma, as Saṅkarṣaṇa (since thousand-mouthed Anantadeva is an expansion of Saṅkarṣaṇa, and expansion and source are considered non-different, Anantadeva is here called Saṅkarṣaṇa) — that thousand-mouthed Anantadeva, with his thousand mouths, has been singing Caitanya's glory since beginningless time.

Śloka 7. Pūrṇacandra-kalā-dyuṣṭe — bright with the rays of the full moon; kaumudī-gandha-vāyunā sevite — attended by breezes bearing the fragrance of night-lotuses; yamunopavane — in a grove on the bank of the Yamunā; strī-gaṇaiḥ vṛtaḥ — surrounded by women; reme — He sported. Translation. In a grove on the bank of the Yamunā, bright with the rays of the full moon and attended by breezes carrying the fragrance of night-lotuses, Balarāma, surrounded by women (His own beloved gopīs), sported. (No further explanation needed.)

V.8. Just as a priceless jewel is entrusted only to one who is most dear, so the treasury of the jewel of Kṛṣṇa's fame is kept in the very mouth of Śrī Anantadeva — indicating how supremely dear Anantadeva is to Kṛṣṇa.

Ślokas 8–9. Kareṇu-yūtheśaḥ māhendraḥ vāraṇaḥ iva — like Indra's elephant Airāvata, lord of a herd of she-elephants; [Rāmaḥ] gandharvaiḥ upagīyamānaḥ — being sung about by the Gandharvas; vanitā-śobhi-maṇḍale reme — sported amid a circle graced by [His beloved] women. Tadā vyomni dundubhayaḥ neduḥ — then kettledrums resounded in the sky; gandharvāḥ mudā kusumaiḥ varṣuḥ — the Gandharvas joyously rained down flowers; munayaḥ tad-vīryaiḥ rāmaṁ īḍire — the sages praised Balarāma, recounting His valorous deeds. Translation. Like Airāvata, Indra's elephant, lord of a herd of she-elephants, Balarāma sported amid a circle graced by His beloved women; the Gandharvas sang His glories. Then kettledrums resounded in the sky, the Gandharvas joyfully showered flowers, and the sages, recounting His valor, sang Balarāma's praises. (No further explanation needed.)

V.9. Ataeva — "therefore" — since the treasury of the jewel of both Śyāma-Kṛṣṇa's and Gaura-Kṛṣṇa's (Śrī Caitanya's) fame resides in the mouth of Balarāma-as-Anantadeva, it is only by his mercy that the kīrtana of Śrī Caitanya's glories can arise in the heart; hence, in hope of that mercy, the author offers his first homage to Śrī Balarāma.

V.10. Sahasreka-phaṇādhara — see the commentary on payar 6 above. Uddāma — unbound, unconstrained; Śrī Kṛṣṇa acts entirely as He pleases, and no one has the power to obstruct any of His activities.

Ślokas 10–13 (Bhāgavata, on the joint rāsa of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma with the Vraja women during the Holi festivities). Atha kadācit — then, once (at the Holi full moon, after the Śivarātri vow); Govinda, of unfathomable prowess, and Rāma sported by night in the forest amid the Vraja women. Surrounded by women bound to one another in mutual affection, singing enchantingly of Them in Holi songs, Their bodies beautifully adorned with ornaments and smeared with sandal-paste, garlanded with flowers, wearing spotless garments, Rāma and Kṛṣṇa sported thus — honoring the onset of night, when moon and stars had risen, bees maddened with the fragrance of blooming jasmine hummed about, and breezes carried the scent of night-lotuses — and, weaving melodic ascents and descents of the seven notes all at once, They sang in a manner that brought delight to the minds and ears of every living being.

Translation (of ślokas 10–13, with narrative framing). [On the occasion of the Śivarātri vow, Mahārāja Nanda, with his family, had gone to Ambikāvana; that night, as he lay sleeping, a huge serpent began to swallow him, and Kṛṣṇa, by the touch of His foot, freed the serpent's own cursed form — restoring it to that of a Vidyādhara — and thereby released Nanda Mahārāja. The pastime that follows is described in these verses.] Afterward — that is, after the Śivarātri vow — at a certain time (the Holi full moon), Govinda, the prince of Gokula, of unearthly majesty, and Śrī Balarāma sported by night in a forest near Vraja, surrounded by the women of Vraja. [How They sported is now described.] Women bound to one another in mutual affection sang of Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, in songs fitting for Holi, in a manner made especially enchanting through their skillful singing and playful banter; the limbs of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, too, were adorned with beautiful ornaments and anointed with sandal-paste; They wore garlands of flowers and spotless garments. It was the first watch of the night; the moon and stars had risen in the sky; bees, maddened by the fragrance of blooming jasmine, swarmed about; a breeze blew, carrying the scent of night-lotuses. Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma sported thus, gracing the onset of night with Their play. Weaving the rise and fall of the musical notes together all at once, Rāma and Kṛṣṇa sang in a manner that brought delight to the mind and ears of every living creature.

Explanation. Atha — "after the vow of Śivarātri" (Viśvanātha Cakravartī) — following the Śivarātri observance. Kadācit — at a certain time; per the Krama-sandarbha, "on the Holi full moon" — the full moon following Śivarātri is called the Holikā or Holī full moon. Rāmaś ca — "and Balarāma also"; the Krama-sandarbha notes that the word "ca" here also implicitly includes Their friends [the cowherd boys] — for it is the custom, seen also in the Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa and in the practice of the Madhya-deśa region, that friends too take part in Holi sport. Nirbaddha-sauhṛdaiḥ strī-janaiḥ — by women bound to one another in mutual affection; it has already been shown that Balarāma's beloveds are distinct from Kṛṣṇa's beloveds — Balarāma's own consorts are bound to Him in affection, and Kṛṣṇa's own consorts to Him; ordinarily each group sports separately with its own Lord, but here, in the context of Holi play, Baladeva's consorts have joined together with Kṛṣṇa's consorts, just as the cowherd-boy friends of both also join together. [Svara-maṇḍala-mūrcchanā — the Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī defines mūrcchanā thus: "The successive ascent and descent of the seven musical notes is called mūrcchanā; across the three registers (udāra, mudāra, tārā) these total twenty-one" (Saṅgīta-sāra).]

V.11. Haladhara — Balarāma; since the plough (hala) is Balarāma's weapon, He is called Haladhara. "Mad in the mellow of Caitanya" — though in essential nature supremely grave and composed (mahādhīra), He becomes utterly intoxicated in tasting the prema-rasa of Śrī Caitanya. Such is the wondrous glory of prema for Śrī Caitanya.

V.12. Niravadhi — Śrī Caitanya perpetually sports within that very body of Śrī Balarāma — that is, the Lord remains ever present within Balarāma's body and, even in that body, accomplishes many of His own pastime-activities. (Atulakṛṣṇa Prabhupāda.) Here it seems the reference is to Balarāma in His form as Śrī Nityānanda.

V.13–14. Whoever hears and glorifies the account of Balarāma's character becomes an object of the great affection of Maheśa (Śiva) and Pārvatī, and pure Sarasvatī — by whose grace alone the glorification of the Lord's qualities and glories becomes possible — arises upon his tongue. Why Maheśa and Pārvatī are so pleased is explained in the next verse.

V.15. Saṅkarṣaṇa is worshipped by Śiva himself, as a devotee, together with Pārvatī and nine hundred million other women.

V.16. That Śrī Śiva worships Saṅkarṣaṇa is attested in the fifth canto of the Bhāgavata: it is said (Bhāgavata 5.17.16) that in Ilāvṛta-varṣa, Śrī Śiva, surrounded by Bhavānī and nine hundred million other women, worships Saṅkarṣaṇa — the fourth of the Lord's personal forms, His tamasic aspect as the material nature (prakṛti) — by installing Him within himself through meditative absorption. Several subsequent verses of the Bhāgavata record Śiva's own hymns of praise to Saṅkarṣaṇa. All such hymns are "worthy of homage from every Vaiṣṇava" — bala-rāma-gāthā, the glorification of Saṅkarṣaṇa-Balarāma.

V.17. Beginning with this verse, and continuing through several further couplets with a number of quoted ślokas, the author narrates the story of Śrī Balarāma's rāsa-līlā. Parama udāra — the account of Balarāma's rāsa-play is exceedingly magnificent. Vṛndāvane gopī-sane — Balarāma sported with the gopīs in Vṛndāvana; here "gopī" refers specifically to Balarāma's own beloved gopīs, not any others (see the explanation of Śloka 6 below, and the commentary on payar 29 of this same chapter for further discussion of Balarāma's rāsa).

V.18. Madhu-mādhava-māse — the month Caitra is called Madhu-māsa, and Vaiśākha is called Mādhava-māsa (per Svāmī-pāda's commentary on Bhāgavata 10.65.17); these two months fall within spring. Halāyudha — Balarāma, since the plough (hala) is His weapon (āyudha). Purāṇe — in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Purāṇa (chapters 10.65 and 10.34) and in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (chapter 5.25).

V.19. Sei sakala śloka — those very verses of the Bhāgavata in which Balarāma's rāsa-play is described (quoted below).

V.20–21. Seeing the Gandharvas shower flowers and the sages offer praise at the sight of Balarāma's play with His beloved gopīs, the author now makes his own observation in these two couplets. Sages ordinarily condemn a conditioned soul's association with women — for a soul bound by māyā seeks the company of women purely for sense gratification, becomes attached to them, and as a result his aversion to God only deepens; his mind never turns to the transcendent, and he becomes ever more entangled in the bonds of illusion, sinking into degradation. Yet these very sages, seeing Balarāma sporting with women, offered praise, not condemnation. The reason: Balarāma and His beloveds are not conditioned souls bound by māyā, as an ordinary soul is — they are transcendental, spiritual substance; māyā cannot even touch them, and so the illusory mode of passion cannot arouse in them kāma — the desire for one's own pleasure. The Gītā teaches: "It is this kāma, this krodha, born of the mode of passion..." (Gītā 3.37) — it is kāma born of rajo-guṇa that drives the conditioned soul to seek the company of women and thereby fall into degradation; but since Balarāma and His beloveds are not conditioned souls, no such kāma can exist in them. Their play is impelled not by kāma or by the desire for one's own sensory pleasure, but by prema — by the desire to please one another; not the slightest trace of self-pleasure-seeking is present in them. Hence their play is not blameworthy but praiseworthy — for the glorification of the Lord's pastimes accomplishes the highest transcendental good. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are one and the same Godhead; hence Balarāma's pastimes, too, are the Lord's own pastimes. Tānhāo — those very sages; eka tattva kṛṣṇa-haladhare — Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Balarāma are one and the same truth, the truth of Godhead; in essence they are non-different. [A variant reading for "eka tattva" is "bheda nāhi," "there is no difference."] Mahāprabhu told Śrīpāda Sanātana Gosvāmī: "Balarāma is Kṛṣṇa's own manifestation of majesty (vaibhava-prakāśa)" (Cc. 2.20.145); and further: "When the same form and the same features appear as though separate, that difference — arising from a difference of ecstatic mood (bhāva-āveśa) — is called a 'vaibhava-prakāśa'" (Cc. 2.20.146). Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself has, from beginningless time, manifested as Śrī Balarāma; hence, in the analysis of ultimate truth, they are non-different — yet their moods and the ecstasies that possess them are not identical, but distinct; and pastimes follow mood and ecstasy. Wherever mood and ecstasy differ, there the pastime, too, differs somewhat.

V.22. Balarāma's character is hidden even within the four Vedas — what then can I possibly say of it? It is celebrated throughout all the Purāṇas.

V.22 (note). In the place of "purāṇe," a variant reading has "jagate" ("known throughout the world").

V.23. Only through the fault of their own foolishness do some fail to see this in the Purāṇas, and consequently regard Balarāma's rāsa-līlā as unauthentic.

V.23. Mūrkha doṣe — "through the fault of foolishness," out of ignorance; nā dekhi purāṇa — without studying the Purāṇic scriptures; apramāṇa — unauthoritative, without scriptural basis.

V.24. The two brothers, in the assembly of gopīs, performed Their rāsa-dance in the midst of Vṛndāvana.

Bhāgavata 10.34.20–23 (quoted, on Balarāma's rāsa with the Vraja women): "Once, Govinda and Rāma, of unfathomable prowess, playing in the forest at night in the midst of the Vraja women — being praised, as they sported, by their beloved friends, comparing them to lotuses opening at moonrise, adorned and garlanded, their garments loosened by their sport, [wandering] through a wood buzzing with bees drunk on jasmine-fragrance and cooled by breezes bearing the scent of night-lotuses — brought delight to the minds and ears of all living beings, the two of Them singing aloud together in raised, melodious voice."

V.24. In the six ślokas already cited (the Bhāgavata verses above), Balarāma's rāsa is spoken of; now, in the further four ślokas that follow (10–13 below), it is shown again. Verses 1–9 [the earlier citations] speak of Balarāma's rāsa alone; now ślokas 10–13 speak of a rāsa performed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Balarāma together. Dui bhāi — the two brothers, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Balarāma.

V.25. Rāme — toward Balarāma; viṣṇu-vaiṣṇavera pathe... — "one who has not followed the path by which the grace of Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas is attained, the path pure Vaiṣṇavas walk" (Atulakṛṣṇa Prabhupāda).

V.26. Bhāgavata — the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, one of the eighteen impersonally-authored Mahāpurāṇas. Of the Bhāgavata it is said: "The essence of all the Vedas and of the Itihāsas [the Mahābhārata] has been distilled here" (Bhāgavata 1.3.42). The Garuḍa Purāṇa says: "This [Bhāgavata] is the meaning of the Brahma-sūtras, in which the purport of the Mahābhārata is specifically determined; it is the elaboration of the Gāyatrī, and its body is expanded with the meaning of all the Vedas" (cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 10.183). Hence to reject the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is the same as rejecting the Vedas themselves.

V.27. Napuṃsaka-veśe nāce — "dances in the guise of a eunuch": one who is neither male nor female — lacking the qualities of either — is called a napuṃsaka (eunuch, hijṛā). [Just as such persons, though incapable of amorous rasa themselves, having merely heard of it from others, display and act it out before everyone with much posturing and dancing about, so too do these critics, without grasping the true sense of scripture or ever properly studying it, dance about proclaiming "this is not in the scriptures, that is not in the scriptures." Such people are neither man nor woman — lacking a man's courage and a woman's modesty alike, they are, in this sense, "eunuchs." (Atulakṛṣṇa Prabhupāda.)]

V.28. Bhāgavata ye nā māne, se yavana-sama — whoever does not accept the authority of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is comparable to a yavana — an unbeliever, one standing outside the fold of scripture altogether. Eka artha, anya artha kariyā bākhāne — such a person twists its meaning, expounding one sense of the text as though it were another, bending the scripture to suit his own preconceived notions rather than submitting to what it actually says. This continues directly from the preceding verse: rejecting the Bhāgavata's authority and distorting its plain sense are, in effect, the same offense.

V.29. Tāṅra sthāne aparādhe — through offense committed against Balarāma. The author states: to regard Balarāma's rāsa as something outside scriptural sanction is effectively to deny Balarāma's pastime itself — and this constitutes an offense.

The author, Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, having spoken of Śrī Balarāma's rāsa, a few further remarks are offered here on the subject. The word rāsa is formed from rasa by the taddhita suffix -a (rāsaḥ = rasa + aṇ); per Pāṇini's rule "tasya samūhaḥ" ("a collection of that"), rāsa thus means "a collection or totality of rasas" — that is, the sum of all the varieties of rasa there are. In their commentaries on Bhāgavata 10.33.2 ("tatrārabhata govindaḥ..."), both Śrīpāda Viśvanātha Cakravartī and Śrīpāda Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa likewise write: "rasānāṁ samūho rāsaḥ" — rāsa is the totality of rasas. Śrīpāda Sanātana Gosvāmī and Śrīpāda Jīva Gosvāmī say the same, as will be shown below.

What, then, does "rasa" mean here? When rati or affection combines with the four ingredients — vibhāva (the hero and heroine who occasion it), anubhāva (dance, song, weeping, and the like), sāttvika-bhāva (tears, trembling, horripilation, and the like), and vyabhicāri-bhāva (transient emotions such as joy, sorrow, humility) — it ripens into an extraordinary, wondrously relishable bliss; this is called rasa. The rati or affection that ripens into rasa may be of two kinds — worldly (laukikī) or divine (bhāgavatī, pertaining to the Lord). Worldly rati is, for instance, the affection of an ordinary heroine for an ordinary hero in the mundane world; divine rati is the devotee's affection for the Lord, otherwise called bhakti. Following Śrīman Mahāprabhu's own teaching, the earliest Vaiṣṇava ācāryas beginning with Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Jīva did not accept that worldly rati can attain the status of rasa; only bhāgavatī rati, bhakti itself, was accepted by them as capable of becoming rasa (see Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava-darśana, revised edition, Part 5, paragraphs 171–73, pp. 305–96). Wherever the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata and similar scriptures speak of "rasa," bhakti-rasa alone is meant. Hence rāsa means the totality of every kind of bhakti-rasa; the pastime in which every kind of bhakti-rasa wells forth is called rāsa-līlā. Bhāgavatī rati or bhakti is a function of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own transcendental essential potency, and hence itself transcendental, beyond the mundane. Since the Supreme Person, Parabrahman Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the highest of all truths, bhakti directed toward Him must likewise be the highest of things, and the rasa into which it ripens, given the four favorable ingredients, must likewise be the highest rasa. In his Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī commentary on the same Bhāgavata verse (10.33.2), Śrīpāda Sanātana Gosvāmī writes: "rāsaḥ parama-rasa-kadamba-mayaḥ" — and Śrīpāda Jīva Gosvāmī likewise writes in the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī: "rāsaḥ parama-rasa-kadamba-mayaḥ, iti yaugikārthaḥ" ("this is the etymological/primary meaning of the word rāsa"). Kadamba means "a collection, a cluster"; so "parama-rasa-kadamba-maya" means "consisting of a collection of the supreme rasas" — rāsa is the totality of the supreme rasas, "rasānāṁ samūhaḥ." Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī calls this the yaugika — the etymologically primary — meaning of the word rāsa. In such a rāsa there is nothing but the supreme rasas — "paramarasa-kadamba-mayaḥ." The supreme rasas, then, constitute the material or essential substance out of which rāsa is made.

But what are these supreme rasas? Paramarasa or bhakti-rasa numbers twelve: the five primary bhakti-rasas — śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and madhura — and the seven secondary bhakti-rasas — hāsya (comic), adbhuta (wondrous), vīra (heroic), karuṇa (compassionate), raudra (wrathful), bhayānaka (fearful), and bībhatsa (repugnant). Rāsa is the totality of these twelve bhakti-rasas; this constitutes rāsa's essential definition in terms of its material substance. But essential definitions are of two kinds — "form and substance are the two kinds of essential definition" (Cc. 2.20.296, spoken by Mahāprabhu). Having discussed rāsa's substantive definition, its formal definition is now considered. In the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī commentary on the same Bhāgavata 10.33.2, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī gives the formal characteristics of the rāsa-dance: "When each dancer, male and female, holds the neck of another and joins hands with one another, and so dances in a circle, that is called rāsa." Thus rāsa-līlā is understood to be a particular kind of dance: many dancers, male and female, each male holding the neck of a female partner, hand joined to hand, dancing together in a circle — this circular dance is called rāsa-krīḍā. And in this rāsa-krīḍā, all twelve supreme rasas well forth simultaneously. But only the mahābhāva called mādana — the essence of the hlādinī potency, that which brings every mood to its fullest bloom, and which is eternally present in Śrī Rādhā alone, in no other gopī whatsoever — can bring about the simultaneous welling-forth of all twelve supreme, devotional rasas. "This mādana, bringing every mood to its fullest bloom, higher than the highest, the very essence of the hlādinī potency, shines eternally in Rādhā alone" (Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi, Sthāyi-bhāva-prakaraṇa, 155). Hence, wherever Śrī Rādhā is absent, mādana cannot be present either, and so the simultaneous welling-forth of all bhakti-rasas — that is, true rāsa-līlā — cannot occur there. This is why Śrī Rādhā alone is called rāseśvarī, "the queen of rāsa"; and this is also why Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī writes, in the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī on Bhāgavata 10.33.3: "svargādāv api tādṛśotsavāsadbhāvaḥ sūcitaḥ" — "even in Svarga (and other realms, per the word ādi) the absence of such a festival [as this rāsa] is implied" — since Śrī Rādhā is present nowhere but Vraja, in no other abode of the Lord whatsoever.

We turn now to Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura's account of Śrī Balarāma's rāsa-līlā. In the pastime with His beloveds described in ślokas 6–9 above, the formal characteristic of rāsa-krīḍā is absent: there were indeed many gopīs, but Balarāma alone was present as hero — no other male partner. (In Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own rāsa, by contrast, Kṛṣṇa alone manifested Himself in many forms, becoming many dancers.) Moreover, this pastime of Balarāma's also lacks rāsa's substantive definition, since Śrī Rādhā was not present in it. And in the pastime described in ślokas 10–13, both the formal and the substantive characteristics of rāsa are likewise absent: here Śrī Rādhā was indeed present, but the particular conduct between hero and heroine by which all the bhakti-rasas well forth was absent from this pastime, since the cowherd-boy friends of both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were also present, and such conduct is not possible in the presence of friends. In truth, the pastime described in ślokas 10–13 is Holi sport (horī-krīḍā), not rāsa-krīḍā at all. Thus it is understood that what the author calls "Balarāma's rāsa" is not the rāsa in its primary sense — the rāsa that is a totality of the supreme rasas; Śrī Śukadeva himself does not call it rāsa either. Still, in a secondary sense of the word, Balarāma's pastime may be called rāsa-līlā. When the primary meaning of a word does not fit, and some quality associated with the primary meaning is used to derive an applicable meaning instead, that is called a secondary or figurative meaning (gauṇārtha). For instance, in ordinary usage a person of great vigor and prowess is sometimes called puruṣa-siṁha, "a lion among men" — here the primary meaning of "lion" (a four-footed, maned, tremendously powerful beast) does not literally apply, since such a person is a two-legged human, not a four-footed beast; yet he is called a "lion" because his vigor and prowess, compared with an ordinary man's, bear some resemblance to a lion's prowess compared with other beasts — this is a secondary use of "lion." Similarly, Balarāma's pastime bears some resemblance, in quality, to rāsa-līlā. Since rāsa is comprised of every rasa, and since some rasa or other wells forth in any pastime whatsoever of any form of Godhead, any pastime of any divine form may, in this secondary sense, be called rāsa-līlā. It seems it is in exactly this secondary sense that Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura calls Balarāma's pastime rāsa-līlā. (For a fuller discussion of rāsa-līlā, see Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava-darśana, Part 5.)

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Śloka 14 (Bhāgavata, from the Stotra-ratna of Śrī Yāmunācārya, cited): "O Lord, having attained the status of remainder unto You [śeṣatā] — in the forms of Your dwelling, bed, seat, sandals, garment, pillow, parasol, and the like — he serves You through these various forms of his body; that people call him by the name 'Śeṣa' is entirely fitting."

Explanation. Śeṣatā — the state of being of service, of being useful to another. Per the Śabda-kalpadruma (citing the Adhikaraṇamālā of Mādhavācārya): "Śeṣatva, or usefulness, in relation to a substance and the like, is defined by Bādari as being for another's purpose (pārārthya), i.e., existing for another's sake; and Jaimini says this applies to everything." From this it is understood that śeṣatva or śeṣatā is precisely that quality of usefulness — as umbrella, whisk, sandals, and the like — that exists purely for another's benefit or convenience, with no admixture of self-interest whatsoever. The implication is that the very capacity to manifest oneself, solely for Kṛṣṇa's happiness, as an article of service to Kṛṣṇa such as umbrella or whisk, is itself śeṣatā. The Rāmānuja school's Yatīndra-mata-dīpikā, in its Prakāśa commentary on the phrase "svataḥ śeṣatve sati" at the start of its eighth chapter, states the same: "śeṣatva means fitness for being employed however one is willed" — the capacity to place oneself, according to another's wish, in whatever role required, is śeṣatva. An ordinary person, however much he might wish to fashion himself into some article of Kṛṣṇa's service, cannot do so; but Śrī Baladeva possesses exactly this capacity, and so can manifest, at will, as umbrella, whisk, or any other article whatsoever. It is precisely because He possesses this capacity, this śeṣatā, that one of His names is "Śeṣa" — "having attained śeṣatā in Kṛṣṇa's service, he bears the name Śeṣa" (Cc. 1.5.107). That Śrī Saṅkarṣaṇa Balarāma bears the name "Śeṣa" is also known from Bhāgavata 10.2.8: before His appearance, Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Yogamāyā, "Draw out from Devakī's womb that portion of Mine known as Śeṣa, and place it in Rohiṇī's womb" (Bhāgavata 10.2.8) — here Baladeva's designation as "Śeṣa" parallels the statement addressed to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, "You alone remain, known as Śeṣa" (Bhāgavata 10.3.24) — see Śrī Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, paragraph 86.

V.30. The essential truth (svarūpa-tattva) of Śrī Balarāma is now described. Mūrti-bhede āpane haẏena prabhu dāsa — the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in one of His own forms, becomes Himself a servant (devotee). "The original devotee-incarnation is Śrī Saṅkarṣaṇa" (Cc. 1.6.98) — Śrī Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma) is the root devotee-incarnation. Among the infinite forms of Godhead in which the Supreme Brahman, the Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, has manifested and remains eternally present from beginningless time, Śrī Balarāma too is one such form. Since all these forms are Kṛṣṇa's own expansions, they too, in relation to Kṛṣṇa, possess the mood of a devotee: "the incarnations, too, have the standing of devotees [toward the source]" (Cc. 1.6.97). Thus every divine expansion is, in this sense, a devotee-incarnation — but since this devotee-mood is present to the highest degree in Śrī Balarāma, He is called the root devotee-incarnation. If one asks what evidence there is of this devotee-mood in Balarāma, the answer follows: se saba lakṣaṇa avatāre-i prakāśa — the marks of Balarāma's devotee-mood became manifest precisely at the time of His descent (avatāra) into the universe; then He rendered manifold service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and such service is itself the very mark of devotee-mood — one without devotion does not serve. How He served Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described in the couplets that follow.

V.31–32. Sakhā — Balarāma served Kṛṣṇa in the form of a friend; from childhood in Vraja they played together as companions. Bhāi — Balarāma is the son of Vasudeva, and Kṛṣṇa too appeared as Vasudeva's son in Kaṃsa's prison at Mathurā; hence Balarāma is Kṛṣṇa's elder brother, and, in that role, held parental affection (vātsalya) for Kṛṣṇa, through which He served and pleased Him. As Balarāma He was Kṛṣṇa's friend and brother; but in other forms too — as fan, bed, and the like — He rendered service to Kṛṣṇa. Byajana — a fan, whisk (cāmara); śayana — bed, bedding; āvāhana — literally "invocation/summons," though that sense does not fit here; He also carries Kṛṣṇa, in the form of Garuḍa and the like (see payar 33 below). Taking it as "ā-vāhana" — "well-conveying, a proper vehicle" — the meaning becomes clear. Kavirāja Gosvāmī says of Balarāma: "As royal umbrella, sandals, bed, pillow, garment, pleasure-garden, dwelling, sacrificial post, and throne — assuming so many different forms — he renders service to Kṛṣṇa; having attained this state of 'remainder' [śeṣatā] in Kṛṣṇa's service, he bears the very name Śeṣa" (Cc. 1.5.106–107). Yāre anugraha kare — whomever Balarāma favors attains Kṛṣṇa's service, or these very articles of service to Kṛṣṇa. As proof that Balarāma manifests Himself as royal umbrella, whisk, and the like in service to Kṛṣṇa, a verse is now cited.

V.33. That Anantadeva is Śrī Kṛṣṇa's carrier — bearing Kṛṣṇa in one of His forms, rendering the service of carrying Him — is stated in this couplet. Anantera aṁśe — the mighty Śrī Garuḍa is an expansion of Ananta-Balarāma; in one such expansion He manifests as Garuḍa and carries Śrī Kṛṣṇa with the greatest bliss. (See the explanation of the word "āvāhana" in the commentary on payar 31 above.)

V.34–35. Sanakādi — the four Kumāras: Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana, and Sanatkumāra; the mind-born sons of Brahmā, eternally boy-formed. Kumāra — Sanatkumāra; "sanakādi kumāra" — the four Sanas, from Sanaka to Kumāra (Sanatkumāra); or, alternatively, "Kumāra Sanakādi" — the four eternally-unmarried Kumāras. Śrī Ananta Mahāśaẏa — Śrīpāda Jīva Gosvāmī, in paragraph 86 of his Śrī Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, commenting on the verse "vāsudeva-kalānantaḥ sahasra-vadanaḥ svarāṭ / agrato bhavitā devo, hareḥ priya-cikīrṣayā" (Bhāgavata 10.1.24), explains that He who became the seventh womb of Devakī possesses His status as Saṅkarṣaṇa independently, unconditioned by anything else — since He is svarāṭ, self-luminous, established by His own glory alone; and therefore He is ananta — unbounded by any limitation of time or place, unlimited. "The first expansion, the kalā, of Vāsudeva, son of Vasudeva, is Śrī Saṅkarṣaṇa; His status as Saṅkarṣaṇa is entirely His own, not that of an incarnation of some other Saṅkarṣaṇa — hence the word 'svarāṭ,' 'shining by Himself.' Therefore He is Ananta, unbounded by limitations of time and place" (Śrī Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, para. 86). He who became Devakī's seventh womb was drawn out by Yogamāyā and placed in Rohiṇī's womb — hence He is the original Saṅkarṣaṇa, Rohiṇī's son, Balarāma. From Śrī Jīva-pāda's statement it is understood that He, too — that is, Balarāma too — bears the name Ananta; but here the significance of "Ananta" is "unbounded by time, place, and the like." Sahasra-vadana prabhu — in his commentary on the verse quoted above (Bhāgavata 10.1.24), Śrī Jīva-pāda further writes: "He who is called Śeṣa is also thousand-mouthed, for the Lord sports in manifold forms; this is confirmed by Śrī Yamunā-devī's words: 'O Rāma, Rāma, mighty-armed one! O Lord of the universe! I do not know the full measure of Your prowess, by one portion of which alone the entire world is upheld' (Bhāgavata 10.65.28)" — Śrīdhara Svāmī glosses "one portion" here as "the portion known as Śeṣa" (Śrī Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, para. 86). Thus it is understood: He who is thousand-mouthed bears the name Śeṣa; He bears the earth, and He is an expansion of Śrī Saṅkarṣaṇa Balarāma.

V.36. Ādideva — that thousand-mouthed Ananta or Śeṣa is the ādideva, the primal god. "Singing the Lord's qualities with his thousand mouths, the primal god Śeṣa remains occupied even now, and has not yet found their limit" (Bhāgavata 2.7.41) — "He is that very Bhagavān Ananta, the ocean of infinite qualities, the primal god" (Bhāgavata 5.25.8). Mahāyogī — the lord of yogīs, of boundless, more-than-worldly power. Īśvara — belonging to the category of Godhead, not of conditioned souls. Śeṣa is of two kinds: the Godhead-category and the soul-category. "Śeṣa is twofold — the earth-bearer, and He who forms the [divine] couch; of these, the earth-bearer is held to be [a soul] possessed by an āveśa of Saṅkarṣaṇa, while the couch-form possesses the mood of friendship and service [toward Kṛṣṇa directly, as Godhead]" (Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.80). From this it is understood that Śeṣa is of two kinds: one, the earth-bearing Śeṣa, who is an āveśāvatāra (an empowered soul possessed by Saṅkarṣaṇa) — belonging to the soul category; and the other, the couch-forming Śeṣa, belonging to the Godhead category, not the soul category. [Definition of āveśāvatāra: "Those exalted souls into whom Janārdana enters with a portion of His knowledge-potency and the like are called āveśāvatāras" — Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.18.] Śrīpāda Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa writes in his commentary on the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta: "The couch-form, the substratum of that potency, is Śeṣa of the Godhead category; the earth-bearer is the soul possessed by Him." Vaiṣṇava — one who serves Viṣṇu is called a Vaiṣṇava. Mahimāra anta... — no one knows the limit of Anantadeva's glory. [A variant reading: "none can find the limit of his glory."] See śloka 15 below.

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Śloka 15 (Bhāgavata 2.7.9–13 sequence begins; verse 1 of the group). Asya utpatti-sthiti-laya-hetavaḥ — the causes of this [universe's] creation, maintenance, and dissolution; sattvādyāḥ prakṛti-guṇāḥ — the three guṇas of material nature, sattva, rajas, and tamas; yad-īkṣayā kalpāḥ āsan — became capable of their respective functions by the influence of whose glance; yad-rūpaṁ dhruvam, akṛtam — whose form is eternal, uncreated; yat ekam ātman nānā adhāt — who, though one, has borne manifold [creation] within Himself; tasya vartma katham iha veda — how can anyone here know the nature of that [Brahman-form]? — that is, no one can. Translation. [At the base of Pātāla dwells the thousand-headed Bhagavān Anantadeva. Śrī Śukadeva narrated to Mahārāja Parīkṣit how Nārada, together with Tumburu, praised him in Brahmā's assembly, as follows:] By whose glance the three guṇas of material nature — sattva, rajas, and tamas, the causes of this universe's creation, maintenance, and dissolution — become capable of their respective functions; whose form, or essential nature, is eternal (dhruva) and uncreated (akṛta); who, though one, bears manifold activity within Himself — how can anyone here know the nature of such a being? No one can.

Explanation. Utpatti-sthiti-laya-hetavaḥ — the three guṇas of material nature or inert māyā, sattva, rajas, and tamas. At the great dissolution these three guṇas remain in a state of equilibrium; since prakṛti is inert, unconscious matter, these three guṇas too are inert and unconscious, and hence, of themselves, incapable of any activity. At the dawn of creation, when Anantadeva casts His glance (īkṣaṇa) upon prakṛti resting in equilibrium, that equilibrium of the three guṇas is disturbed, and the guṇas, or prakṛti, become active as though conscious — and from this the creation of the universe follows; the universe itself is, in truth, composed of these three guṇas. It is by the power of the conscious potency that Anantadeva infuses into prakṛti, along with His glance, that the guṇas' equilibrium is disturbed, creation becomes possible, and the universe's maintenance likewise follows from this. When He withdraws that potency back into Himself, the three guṇas return to equilibrium — this is called laya or dissolution. Thus it is seen that the three guṇas of prakṛti, beginning with sattva, are the cause of this universe's creation, maintenance, and dissolution. Yad-īkṣayā — by whose (Anantadeva's) glance — that is, by the conscious potency infused along with His glance — the three guṇas, sattva and the rest, become capable (kalpāḥ) of activity (āsan). (See the commentary on payar 49 below.) Yad-rūpam — whose form or essential nature is dhruvam, unending in time and space, unbounded, and hence all-pervading and eternal. That same form is further akṛtam — not made or created, and hence beginningless, eternal. That He, or His form, is unbounded is proven by this: though one (ekam), He bears (adhāt) manifold activity — the infinite universes — within Himself (ātman). "That He, though one, has borne and nurtured manifold activity within the pores of His own bodily hairs" (Śrīpāda Viśvanātha Cakravartī's commentary) — He has borne and nourished the whole created cosmos within the pores of His body. Who can know the glory of such an Anantadeva?

Śloka 16. Yatra sad asad idaṁ vibhāti — [that Bhagavān Anantadeva] in whom this universe, of the nature of gross and subtle, of effect and cause, shines forth; naḥ puru-kṛpayā saṁśuddhaṁ sattvaṁ babhāra — has, out of great mercy toward us, His servants, manifested His form, wholly pure, of the nature of unmixed goodness; udāra-vīryaḥ mṛgapatiḥ [iva] — of vast might, like a lion; sva-jana-manāṁsi ādātum anavadyāṁ yal līlāṁ ādade — He has undertaken His own irreproachable pastime in order to draw and capture the hearts of His own people [devotees]. [To whom else, then, should one seeking liberation turn for refuge, but to Him?] Translation. He in whom this universe, of the nature of gross and subtle — that is, of effect and cause — shines forth, has, out of great mercy toward His servants like us, manifested His form of wholly pure goodness. He is of vast might, like a lion among beasts. In order to draw and capture the hearts of His own devotees, He has undertaken His irreproachable, utterly pure pastime. [To whom else should one seeking liberation turn for refuge?]

Explanation. Sad asad idam — this universe, of the nature of gross and subtle, of effect and cause; sat — that whose existence is perceptible, hence the gross, visible universe; asat — that whose existence is not perceptible — the subtle state prior to the universe's becoming visible/gross. Since that subtle form of the universe ripens into the gross form, the subtle form is the cause and the gross form the effect. This universe, of the nature of effect and cause, rests upon that Anantadeva; hence His glory is boundless (see the commentary on payar 49 below). Saṁśuddhaṁ sattvam — of the nature of wholly pure goodness. Sattva here means His divine form — He is not formless; He has a form, a divine body. But that body is not, like a conditioned soul's, composed of the five material elements; rather it is of the nature of pure goodness (viśuddha-sattva). Saṁśuddha means "wholly pure" — all three guṇas of inert material nature are impure; even sattva-guṇa, the best of the three, being material, is impure. Hence even material sattva, free of rajas and tamas, cannot be called "saṁśuddha," wholly pure. Here "saṁśuddha" refers to viśuddha-sattva, pure transcendental goodness — the very play of the cit-śakti, the spiritual potency. Anantadeva's divine form is beyond māyā, of the nature of pure transcendental goodness, of sat-cid-ānanda; out of boundless mercy toward His devotees, He manifests this form of pure goodness — for the convenience of His devotees' meditation. This indicates His extraordinary mercy. He is udāra-vīrya, of vast power and glory — like what? Mṛgapatiḥ iva, like a lion, the king of beasts. In his Krama-sandarbha commentary Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī writes: "Mṛgapati [here] refers to Śrī Varāha-deva — for the word 'mṛga' [beast] is used of Him too, as in 'jahāsa cāho ranagocaro mṛgaḥ' (Bhāgavata 3.18.2); [the point is that] just as He undertook the great pastime of bearing up the earth, so this indicates the same supreme glory in Anantadeva." Śrīdhara Svāmī-pāda gives another gloss: "'mṛga' means those things that are sought after — the objects that fulfill desire; the chief or lord of such desire-fulfilling things is 'mṛgapati.'" Anantadeva is thus the foremost, the chief, among the bestowers of one's cherished desires — this too, like His mercy, is one of His endearing qualities that invite devotion. Sva-jana-manāṁsi... — that same Anantadeva has undertaken His own pure pastimes in order to draw the hearts of His own people, His devotees, and bring them under His sway; this indicates His endearing quality of parental affection for His devotees (bhakta-vātsalya). To whom, then, should those desiring liberation turn for refuge, but to Śrī Anantadeva, this very treasury of such endearing qualities?

Śloka 17. Yan-nāma śrutaṁ [by the good and the guru-line], or heard akasmāt vā [by chance], or [uttered] ārtaḥ vā [in distress], or pralambhanāt vā [even in jest], if patitaḥ api [even a great sinner] anukīrtayet [utters or chants], [then, by whose name] nṛṇām aśeṣaṁ aṁhaḥ hanti [all sin of men is destroyed] — bhagavataḥ śeṣāt anyaṁ kaṁ mumukṣuḥ āśrayet [to whom else, other than that Bhagavān Śeṣa, should one seeking liberation turn for refuge?] Translation. Whether heard from the good and the guru-line, or from anyone else, whether by mere chance, or from some distress or affliction, or even spoken in jest — if even a great sinner utters that name, all his sin is instantly and utterly destroyed. To whom else, then, should one seeking liberation turn for refuge, but to that very Bhagavān Śeṣa-deva?

Explanation. Having spoken, in the previous verse, of Bhagavān Śeṣa-deva's compassion and His affection for His devotees, this verse now speaks of the extraordinary glory of His name. However His name is uttered, in whatever manner, all the sins of even a great sinner are instantly and completely destroyed. (One should bear in mind here that mere utterance in any manner does not remove offenses against the name.)

Śloka 18. Ānantyāt avimita-vikramasya bhūyaḥ — of the all-pervading one, whose might is unbounded owing to His very infinitude; sahasra-mūrdhnaḥ mūrdhani — on a single head of the thousand-headed one; sa-giri-sarit-samudra-sattvaṁ bhū-golam aṇuvat arpitam — the whole terrestrial globe, with its mountains, rivers, seas, and every living being, rests as though it were but a single atom; sahasra-jihvaḥ kaḥ vīryāṇi gaṇayet — who, even with a thousand tongues, could enumerate His mighty deeds? Translation. Owing to His own infinitude, that all-pervading Bhagavān Anantadeva's might too is beyond measure; on a single head of His thousand-headed form rests, as though a mere atom, this entire terrestrial globe with its mountains, rivers, seas, and living beings — He Himself cannot even perceive at what point on His head this globe rests. Who, even with a thousand tongues, could number His glorious deeds? That is, no one can — even with a thousand tongues, His qualities and glories could never be exhausted in praise. (No further explanation needed.)

Śloka 19. Evaṁ-prabhāvaḥ durasta-vīrya-uru-guṇa-anubhāvaḥ — of such glory, whose might is boundless, whose qualities and majesty are immeasurable; ātma-tantraḥ — self-sustaining, wholly independent (Himself the very support of Himself, hence utterly self-governed); yaḥ bhagavān anantaḥ rasāyāḥ mūle sthitaḥ — that Bhagavān Ananta, who dwells at the base of Rasātala; sthitaye līlayā kṣmāṁ bibharti — bears the earth effortlessly, for its maintenance. Translation. That Bhagavān Anantadeva, of such glory as described above, unbounded in might and immeasurable in qualities and majesty, Himself His own support, dwelling at the base of Rasātala, bears the earth effortlessly for the sake of its maintenance and protection.

Explanation. Śrīdhara Svāmī-pāda glosses ātma-tantra as "self-supporting, Himself His own foundation." Mūle rasāyāḥ — at the base of Rasātala (where Anantadeva resides). Beneath the lotus-stalk of Garbhodakaśāyī Nārāyaṇa's navel lie the fourteen worlds or planetary systems. Of these, the upper seven are Bhūrloka (the earth), Bhuvarloka, Svarloka or heaven, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka (Brahmā's abode) — Satyaloka being uppermost, Bhūrloka lowest. Below Bhūrloka lie the seven Pātālas: Pātāla, Rasātala, Mahātala, Talātala, Sutala, Vitala, and Atala — Pātāla being lowest, with Rasātala just above it (see Bhāgavata 2.1.26–28).

From the description of Anantadeva given in these five Bhāgavata verses, it is clearly understood that the earth-bearing Anantadeva belongs to the category of Godhead. Kavirāja Gosvāmī, too, having spoken of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, goes on to say: "That Viṣṇu [Kṣīrodakaśāyī] bears the earth in the form of Śeṣa... that is Ananta Śeṣa, an incarnation of pure devotion" (Cc. 1.5.100–103). From this too it is understood that the thousand-hooded, earth-bearing Śeṣa is an expansion of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Nārāyaṇa, and since Kṣīrodakaśāyī belongs to the Godhead category, His expansion Anantadeva belongs to the Godhead category as well. Yet the commentary on payar 36 above, following the authority of the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta, stated that the earth-bearing Śeṣa is an āveśāvatāra of Saṅkarṣaṇa — of the soul category. This can perhaps be reconciled as follows: in whichever cosmic cycle (kalpa) a soul is found worthy of bearing the earth-sustaining potency, the Lord infuses that potency into him, making him "Anantadeva" for that cycle, and through him bears the earth — such an Ananta belongs to the soul category. But in a cycle where no such exalted soul is to be found, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu Himself bears the earth directly in the form of Ananta — and this Anantadeva belongs to the Godhead category. Whether this reconciliation withstands scrutiny is left to the judgment of the learned. If it does, then, just as with Brahmā, Anantadeva too would be of two kinds — soul-category and Godhead-category.

Śloka 20 (Bhāgavata 2.7.41, Brahmā's words to Nārada, quoted). Pūruṣasya māyā-balasya antaṁ ahaṁ na vidāmi — I do not know the limit of even this Puruṣa's [Kṛṣṇa's] māyā-potency; te agrajāḥ amī munayaḥ [api na vidanti] — nor do these sages, your own elder brothers [Sanaka and the rest]; daśa-śatānanaḥ ādidevaḥ śeṣaḥ — the thousand-mouthed primal god Śeṣa, [singing] asya guṇān gāyan adhunāpi pāraṁ na samavasyati — even now, has not found the end of this [Puruṣa's] qualities, though he sings them ceaselessly; ye avare, kutaḥ [te vidyuḥ] — how, then, could lesser beings ever know it? Translation. Brahmā said to Nārada: "O Nārada! I do not know even the limit of the power of this Supreme Person Kṛṣṇa's māyā-potency — let alone His spiritual potency. Nor do these sages, Sanaka and the rest, your own elder brothers, know it. The thousand-mouthed primal god Śeṣa, Anantadeva, though he has sung His glories since beginningless time, has still not reached their limit even now. In that case, how could lesser beings ever come to know it?"

Explanation. On the word "māyā-balasya" in this verse, Śrīpāda Viśvanātha Cakravartī writes: "The purport is: I do not know even the extent of this Puruṣa's māyā-potency [His external, material potency] — what then can I say of His spiritual potency?" In his Krama-sandarbha commentary on this verse, Śrīpāda Jīva Gosvāmī writes: "Here, since both kinds of might are spoken of — the māyika (arising from material potency) and the amāyika (arising from potency untouched by māyā, spiritual potency) — the phrase 'nāntaṁ vidāmi' declares that both are equally boundless." This verse is offered as proof of the preceding couplet.

V.37. Having spoken of Anantadeva's service, His opulence is now described. Ṭhākurāla — lordliness, mastery, opulence. Ātma-tantre — governed by Himself alone, at will, independently; or, "self-sustaining" — though Himself the very support of all, He dwells in Pātāla of His own free will (see the explanation of śloka 19 below).

V.38. Tumburu — Nārada's vīṇā, or (per Bhāgavata 10.25.32) the name of a particular Gandharva. Brahmā-sthāne — in Brahmā's assembly. Ślokabandhe — in verse form. Nārada, with his vīṇā, together with Tumburu and the other Gandharvas, sings the glory of Anantadeva in Brahmā's court. Five verses of the Bhāgavata are now cited in support of these statements.

V.39–41. The author now, in payars 39–48, unpacks the meaning of the Bhāgavata verses just cited. Payar 39 conveys the sense of the first half of śloka 15 — creation, maintenance, dissolution. Advitīya rūpa — there are two kinds of substance: inert matter, opposed to spirit, and spirit, opposed to inert matter. The Lord's own form is sat-cid-ānanda, spiritual substance; the "second" or different substance from spirit is inert matter, māyā. Since Anantadeva's form is sat-cid-ānanda, spiritual substance, He is advitīya, "without a second" — that second substance, māyā, is not in Him. He is beyond māyā, transcendental, spiritual. Satya — eternal. The first half of payar 40 conveys the meaning of "yad-rūpaṁ dhruvam akṛtam" from śloka 15. Tathāpi ananta haye — He has form, and yet He is ananta — unbounded by limitations of time, place, and the like, all-pervading; in truth He appears as though limited, while in essential nature unlimited. Tattva — the "vartma" (nature) spoken of in śloka 15. Śuddha-sattva mūrti — the "saṁśuddhaṁ sattvam" of śloka 16. Sabhāra prakāśa — the manifestation of the universe, of the nature of effect and cause — the "sad-asad-idam" of śloka 16. Sulīlāẏe — effortlessly, with ease.

V.42. The meaning of the second half of śloka 16 ("yal līlāṁ...") is conveyed in this couplet. The author renders the word "mṛgapati" in that verse as "lion." Yāhāra taraṅga — a mere ripple — an infinitesimal fraction — of Anantadeva's ocean of pastime. Śikhi — having learned; kutūhalī — eager. "[As] a mighty, powerful lion, eager and curious, learns [Anantadeva's] wave-like play, and thereby delights his own kinsfolk" (Atulakṛṣṇa Prabhupāda).

V.43–45. These three couplets convey the meaning of śloka 17. Bandha — worldly bondage. Chiṇḍe — is torn away, destroyed. Śeṣa bai — other than Bhagavān Śeṣa.

V.46–47. These two couplets convey the meaning of śloka 18. Bindu — an infinitesimally small and weightless thing. Bindu yena — corresponding to "aṇuvat" in the śloka.

V.48. Sahasra-vadane kṛṣṇa-yaśa nirbhara — Śeṣa-nāmed Anantadeva ceaselessly sings, with his thousand mouths, the glory of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's fame. "With a thousand mouths he sings Kṛṣṇa's glories, ceaselessly, without end; Sanaka and the other sages hear the Bhāgavata from his very mouth; he sings the Lord's glories, awash in the bliss of prema" (Cc. 1.5.104–105).

V.49. Rāma-gopāle — between Rāma [Balarāma] and Gopāla [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Bāda lāgiyāche — a contest is underway. Sura — the gods; siddha — a class of celestial being; munīśvara — the foremost sages. Ki āre — "Oh, behold this wonder!" In an outpouring of supreme delight, the author calls out to the assembled devotees: "O devotees, behold this wondrous scene! Śrī Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa are locked in friendly contest, while Brahmā, Rudra, and the rest look on in supreme delight." In what does this contest between Rāma and Gopāla consist? In the glorification of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's fame. How so? Śrī Balarāma, as the earth-bearing Ananta, sings Kṛṣṇa's fame with his thousand mouths; but Kṛṣṇa's fame is itself boundless, like a shoreless ocean — and as Balarāma swims through that ocean of fame, racing toward its far shore, Kṛṣṇa Himself keeps expanding that very ocean of fame yet further. Balarāma's effort never flags, and Kṛṣṇa's effort in expanding His own ocean of fame never flags either; the two seem to vie with one another. The point is this: Kṛṣṇa's fame is infinite, boundless; even Anantadeva, singing it with a thousand mouths since beginningless time, has never been able to bring it to completion.

It has already been shown, in the commentary on payar 6 above, quoting a couplet from the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that the earth-bearing, thousand-mouthed Anantadeva or Śeṣa-deva is an expansion of an expansion of Śrī Balarāma; hence the thousand-mouthed Anantadeva's singing of Kṛṣṇa's fame is itself Balarāma's own singing of Kṛṣṇa's fame — it is Balarāma Himself, in the form of Anantadeva, who sings Kṛṣṇa's glory. And it is likewise known from the commentary on payar 6 that the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Mahā-Viṣṇu, too, is an expansion of Balarāma, and that it is by His very glance that prakṛti's equilibrium is disturbed and the three guṇas become capable of activity, and that from the breathing of the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Puruṣa the universes emerge and re-enter (Cc. 1.5.60–61) — this is likewise known from the Brahma-saṃhitā verse "yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya..." (5.48) and from Bhāgavata 10.14.11 ("kāhaṁ tamo mahad ahaṁ..."). Hence it is this expansion of Balarāma, the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Puruṣa, who is the one who casts His glance upon prakṛti, and it is from Him that the universes emerge. That Anantadeva, in śloka 15, is called the one who glances upon prakṛti, and, in śloka 16, that from Him the universes are manifest — all this is said with the understanding that the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī and Anantadeva, as source and expansion, are non-different. Śrīpāda Viśvanātha Cakravartī, too, writes in his commentary on the same śloka 15 (i.e., Bhāgavata 5.25.9): "'Kalpāḥ...āsan' — became capable of their respective functions by His very glance — meaning, so long as the Puruṣa's glance did not fall upon prakṛti, the guṇas of prakṛti, beginning with sattva, were not capable of producing the mahat-tattva and the rest." That is, until the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Puruṣa casts His glance upon prakṛti, the guṇas — from sattva onward, up through the mahat-tattva and beyond — remain incapable of creation. Thus it is understood that it is by the glance of the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Puruṣa alone that the illusory guṇas, sattva and the rest, gain the power of creation.

V.50. Śrī-yaśera — of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's fame. Jaẏa-bhaṅga — defeat in the contest, the breaking of victory. Dohe balavanta — both parties named in payar 49, Rāma and Gopāla — Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa — are equally mighty. Balarāma never flags, never tires, never wearies in singing Kṛṣṇa's fame — such is his wondrous power. And Kṛṣṇa, too, never flags, never tires, never wearies in expanding His own ocean of fame — such is His wondrous power. Since neither ever flags, neither is ever defeated.

V.51. Adyāpiha — even now, from beginningless time to the present. Gāyena caitanya-yaśa — Śrī Caitanyadeva, too, is in truth none other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself; hence Caitanya's fame, too, is Kṛṣṇa's own fame. Anantadeva, with his thousand mouths, sings Caitanya's fame as well. (See payar 7 above.)

V.52. Lāga — reach, proximity [to the shore]. Bege — swiftly. Sindhu — the ocean of Śrī Caitanya's fame. Caitanya's fame is boundless, like a shoreless sea. Anantadeva swims within it — that is, sings its praise with his thousand mouths. It seems to him, again and again, that he is on the very verge of reaching the shore, that he has come within its reach — and, filled with joy and eagerness at this thought, he swims yet more swiftly, hoping to arrive at the shore at last, to reach the utmost limit of that fame. But the ocean of fame only swells ever wider — "adhika adhika bāḍhe" — and so Anantadeva can never reach its shore; the ocean of fame has swollen so vast that Anantadeva cannot even glimpse its shore — "anta nāhi dekhe." [A variant reading for "lāga bali yāẏa" is "nāga balī dhāẏa" — "the mighty serpent (nāga — that is, Anantadeva, lord of serpents) races toward the shore of that ocean of fame."] As proof that even Anantadeva cannot find the limit of Kṛṣṇa's fame, a verse of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is now quoted.

V.53. Prabhu — Anantadeva. Pālana-nimitte — for the protection of the world. Rasātale — at the base of Rasātala. Nija kutūhale — of his own free will, out of his own delight. This couplet conveys the meaning of śloka 18 above.

V.54. Brahmāra sabhāẏa giẏā nārada āpane — having himself gone to Brahmā's assembly; ei guṇa gāẏena Tumburu-vīṇā-sane — he sings this very glory accompanied by Tumburu on the vīṇā. This restates, in the author's own words, what has already been shown at payar 38 above — that it is precisely there, in Brahmā's own court, that Nārada sings Anantadeva's fame together with Tumburu, and it is this same scene that śloka 20, just quoted, itself describes.

V.55. Ihā gāi [ityādi] — because he sings the Lord's glories everywhere, at all times, Nārada is worshipped in every realm.

V.56. Ananta-prabhāva — the glory of Anantadeva. Hena prabhu nityānande... — the preceding Bhāgavata verses and couplets have spoken of Anantadeva's glory, His mercy, His parental affection for devotees, His worthiness as a refuge — and have declared (in śloka 15) that no one can fully know His nature. Yet this very Anantadeva is but a single expansion of Śrī Balarāma. If such is the glory even of Anantadeva, one expansion of Balarāma, how wondrous and inconceivable must be the glory of Balarāma Himself — this may easily be inferred. And this same Balarāma is none other than Nityānanda in Gaura's pastimes. Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has said: "He who was Vrajendra-nandana [Kṛṣṇa] became the son of Śacī [Gaura]; Balarāma became Nitāi." Mahāprabhu Himself told Śrīpāda Vallabha Bhaṭṭa: "Nityānanda, the avadhūta, is directly the Supreme Lord Himself" (Cc. 3.7.17) — Nityānanda is no ordinary soul, nor even an āveśāvatāra (an empowered soul) — He is directly Īśvara, of the Godhead category. That Nityānanda is Vraja's Balarāma, Mahāprabhu Himself declared to His devotees (see Madhya-khaṇḍa, Chapter 3). That Balarāma is Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own vaibhava-prakāśa — hence directly Godhead — Mahāprabhu likewise told Śrīpāda Sanātana Gosvāmī: "Balarāma is Kṛṣṇa's own manifestation of majesty; the difference is one of complexion alone — in every other respect he is equal to Kṛṣṇa" (Cc. 2.20.145). Since that very Balarāma, in Gaura's pastimes, is Śrī Nityānanda, Nityānanda too is Śrī Gaura's own vaibhava-prakāśa — hence "directly the Supreme Lord." And if even the refuge of Anantadeva — a mere single expansion of Balarāma — is indispensable for those seeking liberation (see śloka 17 above), how much more indispensable, then, is refuge at the feet of Śrī Balarāma Himself, and of Nityānanda, who is that very Balarāma — what more need be said? For this very reason the author declares: hena prabhu nityānande kara anurāga — "cultivate love for such a Lord as Śrī Nityānanda, take refuge in Him; only then can you attain true fulfillment." [A variant reading for "hena prabhu nityānande" is "ihā jāni śrī-anante," "knowing this in regard to Śrī Ananta."]

V.57. What is the fruit of cultivating love for Śrī Nityānanda — this couplet tells: having crossed over the ocean of material existence, whoever wishes to dive into the ocean of devotion (bhakti) — for him, worship of Nitāi-cāṅda (the moon Nityānanda) is the one thing needful. The force of the word "cāṅda," moon: just as the world's darkness is dispelled by moonlight, and the world grows radiant and joyful in the moon's cool rays, so by Śrī Nityānanda's mercy the soul's darkness of ignorance — lack of knowledge of the Lord, aversion to Him, and attachment to worldly existence — is dispelled, and the soul, attaining prema-bhakti and immersing itself in that very ocean of devotional mellow, attains supreme bliss. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya (Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura) has sung: "Nitāi's lotus feet, cool as ten million moons — in whose shade the world finds relief... Without this, brother, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa cannot be had; hold fast to Nitāi's feet... Nitāi's mercy will come, and in Vraja you will attain Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa — worship Nitāi's two feet." Once bhakti is attained by Śrī Nityānanda's mercy, the bondage of material existence is broken as a matter of course.

V.58. Vaiṣṇavera pāẏe — at the feet of the Vaiṣṇavas; mora — the author's own; manaskāma — heart's desire — namely, that birth after birth his Lord may be Balarāma (Nityānanda-formed Balarāma), that is, that he may be His eternal servant. Only through the Vaiṣṇavas' mercy does Śrī Nityānanda's own mercy become easy to attain, and only by the Vaiṣṇavas' blessing can the good fortune of conceiving Nityānanda as one's Lord arise. Hence, out of the humility born of devotion, the author offers this prayer at the feet of the Vaiṣṇavas: that by their blessing he may, birth after birth, become the servant of Śrī Nityānanda.

V.59. Just as one and the same person is sometimes called dvija, sometimes vipra, sometimes brāhmaṇa — a mere difference of name — so this very same essential being is sometimes called Nityānanda, sometimes Ananta, and sometimes Baladeva (Balarāma).

V.60. Antaryāmī Nityānanda balilā kautuke — the indwelling knower (antaryāmī) Śrī Nityānanda playfully commanded [him] to write something of Caitanya's character in a book. In this couplet it is told that it was by Śrī Nityānanda's own order that the author, Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, wrote the book Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata. Antaryāmī Nityānanda — Śrī Nityānanda is the indwelling witness; He can know the thought within everyone's heart. From this it is understood that Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura himself had long cherished the desire to set down Śrī Caitanya's character in the form of a book, but had not found the courage; at last Nityānanda, knowing the state of his heart, commanded him to compose the account of Śrī Caitanya's character as a book.

V.61. Śeṣera kṛpāya — he who, with a thousand mouths, ceaselessly sings the character and glory of Caitanya-Kṛṣṇa — by the mercy of that very Śeṣa-deva — that is, by the mercy of Nityānanda or Nityānanda-formed Balarāma, whose own portion (aṁśa) that "Śeṣa" is — the kīrtana of Caitanya's character can spring up in the heart. [In place of "kīrtana" a variant reading is "carita"; in place of "śeṣera," "yāhāra."]

V.62. Yaśomaya vigraha ananta — Anantadeva (Śrī Nityānanda in the form of Anantadeva) ceaselessly sings, with his thousand mouths, the fame of Śrī Caitanya-Kṛṣṇa; for this he is called yaśomaya vigraha, the very embodiment of Śrī Caitanya-Kṛṣṇa's fame — and it is of the glory of His pair of lotus feet (pāda-padma-dvandva) that he sings. [A variant for the first half of this couplet is "ataeva śrī-anantadeva nityānanda."]

V.63. The sacred, blessed-to-hear account of Caitanyacandra's character springs up [in the heart] only by the mercy of devotees — know this for certain. Hearing the account of Śrī Caitanyadeva's character removes every impurity of the mind, purifies the heart, and grants it the fitness for devotion to arise.

V.64. That very account I write — whatever I have heard from the devotees; of Caitanya's story I see no beginning and no end. This tells how the author came to have his material for the book: whatever he had heard of Caitanya's character from the devotees, that alone he has set down in his Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata (see Bhūmikā, paragraphs 11–12).

V.65. Caitanya's character, hidden in the Veda — who can know it? Whatever He, by His own mercy, causes me to speak, that alone I write. Veda-guhya caitanya-carita — Śrī Caitanya's character (His pastimes) is guhya, hidden, concealed, in the Veda. It is not that the Veda says nothing whatever of Śrī Caitanyadeva — it is there; only His pastimes are not elaborated there at length, but spoken of in a covert, concealed manner. As an object kept hidden away cannot be seen by ordinary people, and so they cannot even believe it exists, so the matter of Śrī Caitanyadeva is spoken of in the Veda so covertly that ordinary people do not notice it, and hence cannot believe that the Veda contains it at all. What is said of Śrī Caitanyadeva in the Veda is now shown: "yadā paśyaḥ paśyate rukma-varṇaṁ kartāram īśaṁ puruṣaṁ brahma-yonim, tadā vidvān puṇya-pāpe vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramaṁ sāmyam upaiti" (Muṇḍaka-śruti 3.1.3), and "yadā paśyan paśyati rukma-varṇaṁ kartāram īśaṁ puruṣaṁ brahma-yonim, tadā vidvān puṇya-pāpe vihāya pare 'vyaye sarvam ekīkaroty evaṁ ha" (Maitrāyaṇī-śruti). These two śruti-statements speak of the golden-complexioned (rukma-varṇa) Svayaṁ Bhagavān Himself, His own essential nature and attributes, His pastimes, and His descent into the universe (see Bhūmikā, paragraph 28 onward). And in the Veda-following smṛti-texts — the Mahābhārata, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, which śruti itself calls the fifth Veda — the golden-complexioned (suvarṇa-varṇa, or gaura-varṇa) Svayaṁ Bhagavān is likewise mentioned. So the Mahābhārata: "suvarṇa-varṇo hemāṅgo varāṅgaś candanāṅgadī, sannyāsa-kṛc chamaḥ śānto niṣṭhā-śānti-parāyaṇaḥ" (Anuśāsana-parva, Dāna-dharma-kathana, Sahasra-nāma-stotra); and the Bhāgavata: "kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ" (Bhāgavata 11.5.32). The śruti-spoken "rukma-varṇa puruṣa," the Mahābhārata-spoken "hemāṅga," and the Bhāgavata-spoken "kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam puruṣa" are one and the same — none other than Śrī Caitanya, for every mark of the śruti- and smṛti-spoken golden-complexioned puruṣa is found in Him. (See Bhūmikā, paragraphs 9 and 35, for fuller discussion.)

V.66. Just as a puppet-master (kuhaka) makes a wooden puppet dance, so does Gauracandra make me speak. Kāṣṭera putalī — a puppet made of wood; being made of wood it is inert, incapable of dancing by itself. Kuhake — the puppeteer, one who displays a puppet's dance to others. Just as the puppet cannot dance of its own power and has no such capacity, but dances exactly as the puppeteer makes it dance, so — out of humility — the author, Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, says: "I have no capacity to describe Gaura's character; whatever Gauracandra makes us say, that alone I shall write." Kavirāja Gosvāmī too has written: "vṛndāvana-dāsa-mukhe vaktā śrī-caitanya" — "through Vṛndāvana Dāsa's mouth, the speaker is Śrī Caitanya Himself" (Cc. 1.8.35).

V.67. Obeisance at the feet of all the Vaiṣṇavas — may there be no offense of mine in this. Ithe — in this [undertaking of writing]. The author's intent here deserves consideration. The Lord's pastimes are ananta, unlimited; hence no one can describe the whole of them without remainder. Even Anantadeva himself, ceaselessly narrating the Lord's pastimes with a thousand mouths, has still not found their end; Sanaka and the other great souls hear the account of the pastimes from his very mouth, yet Anantadeva never brings that account to an "end" — he goes on narrating without cease — and from this they understand that the Lord's pastimes are unlimited, not finite or bounded. If a listener, upon hearing anyone's narration, should conclude that "the Lord's pastimes are limited," then there is a risk that the narrator has committed an offense — the offense of diminishing the greatness of the pastimes, and hence of the Lord Himself. In Anantadeva's narration there is no such risk. But (the author reflects) I do run that risk, since I have no qualification whatever for narrating the pastimes; my very attempt to narrate them is mere impudence. Still, whatever Śrī Gauracandra, out of mercy, causes me to say, that alone I too shall say, like an instrument in His hand. But my own span of life is exceedingly meager; even devoting the whole of it, I shall not be able to set down the entire book. Should any reader, upon reading my account, conclude that "only so much as is written here, by Gaura's mercy, is the whole extent of Śrī Caitanya's character" — that would be an offense on my part. I therefore offer prostrate obeisance at the feet of all the Vaiṣṇavas, praying for this mercy from them: that no such offense may be mine. May no reader think, from my account, that Śrī Caitanyadeva has no pastimes beyond what I have described — that the Lord's pastimes are finite. If, through some fault of my telling, the notion of the finitude of Gaura's pastimes should arise in any reader's mind, that would be my offense; by the Vaiṣṇavas' mercy, may it not befall me. This is the devotion-born humility of Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura. That Gaura's pastimes have no "beginning or end" he has already said once (V.65 above), and will say again in many places hereafter. The intelligent reader will readily understand from this that Gaura's pastimes are unlimited, and that the author has described only a handful of them, by way of indication. There is no doubt that Gaura's pastime is unlimited: Śrī Gaura is the trikāla-satya truth, and manifest or unmanifest He performs pastimes everywhere from beginningless time and will go on doing so for endless time; hence His pastimes are without limit. Any author describes only a handful of pastimes drawn from a single manifest pastime-period; compared to the unlimited whole, the portion he describes is, beyond doubt, a mere drop compared to a shoreless ocean. There is no fault in describing the Lord's pastimes even in the smallest measure — whether told by mouth or set down in a book, both alike are a form of pastime-glorification (līlā-kīrtana); and in the course of such narration, by the Lord's grace, the very memory of the pastime may awaken in the narrator's own heart — and such remembrance, too, purifies the heart in truth, and is a cause of transcendental good. For this reason scripture enjoins upon the sādhaka the practice of glorifying the Lord's pastimes and greatness. But it should be understood from Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura's words here that one must narrate in such a way that no notion of the Lord's pastimes being finite arises in the mind of the hearer or reader.

V.68. Listen with attention, O brothers, to the account of Caitanya — the pastimes He performed, each in its proper place and manner, together with His devotees. Bhakta-saṅge ye ye līlā — whatever pastimes Śrī Caitanyadeva performed together with His devotees; yathā-yathā — in whatever manner, or in whatever place.

V.69. Caitanya's pastimes, an abode of bliss, are of three kinds, bearing the names Ādi-khaṇḍa, Madhya-khaṇḍa, and Śeṣa-khaṇḍa. Śrī Gaura, having descended in this present Kali age, manifested such and such pastimes; for the convenience of describing them, the author now tells, in this couplet, into how many parts, and in what arrangement, those pastimes are set out in Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata. Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura has divided Gaura's entire pastime-account into three parts, naming them Ādi-khaṇḍa, Madhya-khaṇḍa, and Antya-khaṇḍa. From the book itself it is known: the pastimes from the Lord's birth up to His visit to Gayā are narrated in the Ādi-khaṇḍa; the pastimes from His return from Gayā up to His taking sannyāsa, in the Madhya-khaṇḍa; and all the pastimes following His sannyāsa, in the Antya-khaṇḍa (Śeṣa-khaṇḍa).

V.70–71. In the Ādi-khaṇḍa, chiefly the sport of learning (study and teaching); in the Madhya-khaṇḍa, the manifestation of Caitanya's kīrtana; in the Śeṣa-khaṇḍa, His residence at Nīlācala in the guise of a sannyāsī, having entrusted the land of Gauḍa to Nityānanda. These two couplets indicate, by way of a signpost, which pastimes are told in which khaṇḍa. Pradhānata vidyāra vilāsa — among the pastimes told in the Ādi-khaṇḍa, the foremost is the sport of scholarship; other pastimes are found there too, of course. Nityānanda-sthāne, etc. — Mahāprabhu sent Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu from Nīlācala into the land of Gauḍa, so that nāma-prema might be preached there without discrimination among high and low alike. [A variant for "pradhānata" is "pradhānatve."]

V.72–74. In Navadvīpa lives the excellent Jagannātha Miśra, comparable to Vasudeva, devoted to his own religious duties; his wife, named Śacī, a woman of the greatest chastity, is like a second Devakī — she is the mother of the world. In her womb descended Nārāyaṇa, bearing the name Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, the ornament of the created world. These couplets introduce Mahāprabhu's parents. Pitā — Śrī Jagannātha Miśra Purandara, a resident of Navadvīpa, born in Śrīhaṭṭa; he does not belong to the jīva-tattva category but is an eternally-perfected associate, the Vasudeva of the Dvāpara pastime — indeed, both Nanda Mahārāja and Vasudeva are present within him. Vasudeva-prāya — comparable to Vasudeva: just as Vasudeva is a form of pure goodness, the embodiment of the sandhinī-predominant essential potency, so too is Jagannātha Miśra. The Lord's mother is Śrī Śacīdevī, daughter of Śrī Nīlāmbara Cakravartī; she too does not belong to the jīva-tattva category, but is like a second Devakī — just as Devakī is the embodied form of the sandhinī-predominant potency, so is Mother Śacī; indeed one of Mother Yaśodā's own names is also Devakī, and in truth both Devakī (Vasudeva's wife) and Yaśodā (Nanda's wife) are present within Mother Śacī. Nārāyaṇa — here the author calls Śrī Caitanyadeva "Nārāyaṇa." It does not seem that he means the Vaikuṇṭha-lord, four-armed Nārāyaṇa, since there is no scriptural warrant for that Nārāyaṇa's descending into the universe through such parents as these; rather, He who has descended through a father comparable to Vasudeva and a mother comparable to Devakī can only be Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. Hence it is understood that by "Nārāyaṇa" here the author means Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Nārāyaṇa is indeed one of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own names (see Bhāgavata 10.46.30); Brahmā too has called Śrī Kṛṣṇa "Mūla-Nārāyaṇa," the original Nārāyaṇa (see Śrīdhara Svāmī-pāda's commentary on the relevant Bhāgavata verse; see also the commentary on payar 109 below, and Bhūmikā, paragraph 41). Śrī-kṛṣṇacaitanya-nāma — at His sannyāsa, His sannyāsa-guru Keśava Bhāratī gave Him this name; during His residence at Navadvīpa His names were Nimāi, Gaurahari, and Viśvambhara.

V.75. In the Ādi-khaṇḍa: on the auspicious full-moon day of Phālguna, the Lord descended at night, during a [lunar] eclipse. In verses 75–98 it is stated, by way of a signpost, which of Mahāprabhu's pastimes will be described in the Ādi-khaṇḍa; since these are given in full in the chapters that follow, this commentary will not elaborate on them here. On the full-moon tithi of Phālguna in the year 1407 Śaka, at night, the Lord descended; that day there was a lunar eclipse.

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V.76. Auspicious hari-nāma arose on every side; the Lord (Ṭhākura) took birth only after saṅkīrtana had first been proclaimed. Even before the Lord's advent, and at the very moment of it, on the occasion of the eclipse, auspicious hari-nāma resounded on all sides. [A variant for "Ṭhākura" is "Īśvara."]

V.77. In the form of an infant He manifested many pastimes; He showed His father and mother His own hidden abode. Gupta-vāsa — a dwelling hidden, unseen by ordinary eyes.

V.78. Flag, thunderbolt, elephant-goad, banner — within the house His father and mother beheld these wondrous marks. The infant Lord showed His parents, within the house, the marks upon His own feet; upon those footprints were imprinted the flag, thunderbolt, banner, and the rest.

V.79. A thief stole the Lord away; deluding the thief, the Lord Himself returned home. [Variants for "bhulāiyā," "deluding," are "bhāṇḍāiyā," cheating, and "bhramāiyā," causing to wander, or causing confusion.]

V.80. In the house of Jagadīśa and Hiraṇya, the Lord ate the offered food on the holy day of Hari (Ekādaśī).

V.81. By the pretext of an infant's crying, He made everyone's mouth utter Śrī Hari-kīrtana.

V.82. Seated upon the seat of an upturned vessel, shunned by ordinary people, He spoke the truth to His mother in the form of a narrative. [A variant for "ākhyāne," "as a narrative," is "āpane," "of Himself."]

V.83. With the company of the neighborhood children, sport as though it were Kṛṣṇa's play in Gokula.

V.84. He began His schooling; in a short time He became a master of every branch of learning.

V.85. The passing of Jagannātha Miśra, and Viśvarūpa's renunciation — Śacī's two griefs: grief for her husband, and grief for Viśvarūpa.

V.86. The great outset of the sport of scholarship; the impious see Him as though Yama (Death) himself embodied. [A variant for "Yama" here is "Datta."]

V.87. All the students together, joyously splashing in the waves of the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) at play.

V.88. Gaurāṅga's victory in every scripture and school of debate; in the three worlds none exists who could stand before Him.

V.89. The Lord's journey to Bengal; the eastern land (Prācya-bhūmi, East Bengal) became a place of pilgrimage, having received His holy feet. Prācya-bhūmi — East Bengal, the land lying to the east.

V.90. The passing (vijaya, disappearance) of His first wife; afterward, His marriage to the daughter of the royal paṇḍita. Tāṅhāra — Lakṣmīpriyā Devī's. Śeṣe — afterward; the Lord married (pariṇaya) Viṣṇupriyā Devī, daughter of the royal paṇḍita Sanātana [Miśra].

V.91. Feigning an ailment of the wind-humor in His body, He manifested every transformation of prema-bhakti. Vāyu-deha-māndya — a bodily malady caused by disorder of the wind (vāyu); kari chala — under the pretext of, feigning such an ailment.

V.92. Having given peace to all the devotees, He Himself wandered about as a great scholar [in disguise]. [A variant for "śānti," "peace," is "śakti," "power."]

V.93. Clad in divine garments, in divine bliss, Śacī floats in joy beholding her son's moonlike face.

V.94. Gaurāṅga's victory in every direction (dig-vijaya); at its end He broke [the pride/bondage of] that [opposing paṇḍita].

V.95. Having bewildered all the devotees, He wandered about, deceiving everyone in that guise. Sakala bhaktere moha diyā — bewildered by the Lord's own māyā, the devotees did not, at that time, recognize His true nature. [A variant for "prabhu bhrame" is "bule prabhu," "the Lord wanders about."]

V.96. Viśvambhara Rāya went to Gayā; there He bestowed His mercy upon Īśvara Purī. Viśvambhara — according to His birth-horoscope, His maternal grandfather Nīlāmbara Cakravartī gave Him this name; rāya is a word denoting eminence.

V.97. In the Ādi-khaṇḍa there are countless further pastimes; some of them a future expounder (mahāmuni vyāsa) will describe. Even in the Ādi-khaṇḍa, the author says, the Lord's pastimes are unlimited; he cannot describe them all. Vyāsa here means "one who expounds and elaborates the Lord's account" — since narrating the whole of the pastimes is not possible for anyone. [Variants: "mahāmuni" for "mahāprabhu," and "mahāprabhura."]

V.98. Beginning with the childhood pastimes, all these manifestations — up to [the visit to] Gayā extends the sport of the Ādi-khaṇḍa.

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V.99. In the Madhya-khaṇḍa, Gaura the lion became known; all those who were the bees at His feet came to recognize Him. Vidita — known to the devotees. Gaura-siṁha — Gaura in the form of a lion. As Kavirāja Gosvāmī writes: "Caitanya the lion, incarnate at Navadvīpa — a lion's neck, a lion's might, a lion's roar... that lion dwells in the cave of every soul's heart; at whose roar the elephant of sin is destroyed" (Cc. 1.3). Just as an elephant, hearing a lion's roar, flees far away in terror, so does a soul's kalmaṣa (the impurity of māyā in the heart) flee at Śrī Caitanya's roar. The distinction is this: an elephant, once having fled the lion's roar in fear, may perhaps return to that place at some later time; but once impurity has fled at Śrī Caitanya's roar, it never returns — it is destroyed for all time. This is the force carried by the word "siṁha," lion, within "Gaura-siṁha."

V.100. In the house of Advaita and the others, in Śrīvāsa's house, He manifested Himself, seated upon the throne of Viṣṇu. Advaitādi-śrīvāsera ghare — at Advaita Ācārya's house in Navadvīpa, at Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita's house, at Candraśekhara Ācārya's house, and so on; this particular pastime is at Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita's house.

V.101. The meeting with Nityānanda; the two brothers performed kīrtana together in one place. Dui bhāi — Gaura and Nityānanda.

V.102. Nityānanda beheld His six-armed form; Advaita beheld His universal (viśva) form. On the day of Vyāsa-pūjā, Mahāprabhu showed Nityānanda His six-armed form, and showed Advaita Ācārya His universal form. [Variants: "madhyakhaṇḍe" for "mahāmūrtye" (in the vast form of the viśva-rūpa), and "viśva-aṅga" for "viśva-raṅga" (the wondrous variegation of the universe).]

V.103. Nityānanda's own Vyāsa-pūjā is told — performed by that very Lord whom sinful atheists revile. Not knowing Nityānanda's true nature, sinners and atheists revile Lord Nityānanda — yet it is this very Nityānanda who performed the Vyāsa-pūjā. Nityānanda was a sannyāsī, and on the full-moon tithi of Āṣāḍha there is an injunction for sannyāsīs to perform Vyāsa-pūjā, since Vyāsadeva is the guru of all sannyāsīs. Śrī Nityānanda is Himself of the Godhead category, Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own vaibhava-prakāśa, and hence the guru of the universe — yet, being the original devotee-principle (mūla-bhakta-tattva), He performed the Vyāsa-pūjā so as to demonstrate the devotee's own proper conduct.

V.104. Gauracandra became Haladhara (Balarāma); Nityānanda placed the plough and club in His hand. Haladhara — Balarāma; the plough (hala) is His weapon.

V.105. The deliverance of two supremely great sinners — Jagāi and Mādhāi, names renowned throughout the world.

V.106. Kṛṣṇa-Rāma [became manifest as] Caitanya-Nimāi; Mother Śacī beheld Them in dark and fair (śyāma-śukla) forms. Śacī-āi — Mother Śacī. [A variant for "āi" is "māi," mother.]

V.107. Caitanya's great manifestation — an ecstatic mood lasting seven praharas, a display of majestic opulence.

V.108. That same day, without any pretense, He spoke of the birthplace of each and every one of His servants, wherever it was. Amāyāya — without deceit, straightforwardly.

V.109. Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, Himself performed kīrtana from town to town.

This couplet calls for a fuller discussion, since the same identification of Nārāyaṇa with Śrī Kṛṣṇa was raised already at V.74 above. There the argument was: since no scripture records the four-armed Vaikuṇṭha-Nārāyaṇa ever descending through parents such as Jagannātha Miśra and Śacī, and since Nārāyaṇa is also a name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself (Bhāgavata 10.46.30) — indeed Brahmā himself has addressed Kṛṣṇa as "Mūla-Nārāyaṇa," the original Nārāyaṇa, of whom the four-armed Vaikuṇṭha-Nārāyaṇa is Himself but an expansion or "limb" (as Śrīdhara Svāmī glosses the word "nārāyaṇo 'ṅgaṁ" in his commentary on the Brahma-mohana episode, Bhāgavata 10.14.14) — the "Nārāyaṇa" who descended as Śrī Caitanya can only be this Mūla-Nārāyaṇa, Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kavirāja Gosvāmī records the same conclusion at length: when Brahmā said to Kṛṣṇa, "You are my father and mother; I am your child" (Cc. 1.2.238), Kṛṣṇa replied, "Brahmā, your father is Nārāyaṇa; I am a cowherd — how can you call me your child?" (Cc. 1.2.25); Brahmā then asked, "Are you not indeed Nārāyaṇa? You are Nārāyaṇa — hear the reason why" (Cc. 1.2.26), and, having explained how Kṛṣṇa can indeed be called Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā concluded: "Therefore You are the original Nārāyaṇa" (Cc. 1.2.30); "Since through You the path (ayana) of every soul (nara) is beheld, therefore You are the original Nārāyaṇa" (Cc. 1.2.33, 37). Kṛṣṇa then replied: "Brahmā, you do not understand my words; that Nārāyaṇa who dwells in the water of every soul's heart — that too is Myself"; to which Brahmā answered, "That Nārāyaṇa who dwells in the water within every soul is but Your own portion — this is the truth" (Cc. 1.2.38–39). From all this it is known that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the very source (aṁśī) — the "original" — even of the four-armed Nārāyaṇa who presides in the spiritual sky; He is Mūla-Nārāyaṇa. Since, moreover, the author has already elsewhere in this very chapter (V.106, V.125) called Śrī Caitanya "Śrī Kṛṣṇa" outright, it cannot be his intention that Śrī Caitanya is the Vaikuṇṭha-lord, the four-armed Nārāyaṇa; rather, he intends that Mūla-Nārāyaṇa, Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, is the "Nārāyaṇa" spoken of here.

The word "Vaikuṇṭhera nātha," "Lord of Vaikuṇṭha," in this same couplet, must now be considered. The author here calls Śrī Caitanya the master or Lord of Vaikuṇṭha; hence Vaikuṇṭha would seem to be Śrī Caitanya's own abode. In its conventional sense, "Vaikuṇṭha" denotes the abode of the four-armed Nārāyaṇa — but this Vaikuṇṭha is not the abode of Mūla-Nārāyaṇa Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Since the author has just called Śrī Caitanya Mūla-Nārāyaṇa, the complete Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, He cannot then be "the Lord of" this conventional Vaikuṇṭha; the word "Vaikuṇṭha" here must therefore point to some other abode. But which?

Let us first examine the meaning of the word "Vaikuṇṭha" itself. It is formed from "vi-kuṇṭha" with the suffix "aṇ": just as "vinidra" means "free of sleep," so "vikuṇṭha" means "free of kuṇṭhā." Kuṇṭhā means māyā; the Śabda-kalpadruma lexicon glosses it, "that by which one is made kuṇṭha (checked, obstructed) is kuṇṭhā — māyā." Hence "vikuṇṭha" means "free of kuṇṭhā," free of māyā, and "vaikuṇṭha" means "that which is free of māyā, untouched by māyā, beyond māyā" — whether that be a form of Godhead or an abode of Godhead, for the Lord's own form, being sac-cid-ānanda, is untouched by māyā, and the Lord's abode too, being spiritual — the very sport of the cit-śakti — is untouched by māyā. Spirit (cit) is opposed to matter (jaḍa), and matter is opposed to spirit; matter can never touch spirit. Māyā, which is material, can never touch either the sac-cid-ānanda form of Godhead or His spiritual abode. Śruti says the same: "māyayā vā etat sarvaṁ veṣṭitaṁ bhavati, nātmānaṁ māyā spṛśati, tasmān māyayā bahir-veṣṭitaṁ bhavati" (Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī-śruti) — "All this [the visible external universe] is enveloped by māyā; māyā does not touch the Self [the Supreme Brahman, the form of Godhead]; therefore what is enveloped by māyā is only what lies outside [the Lord's own abodes]." Here "all this" means the visible external universe, the material creation, and "enveloped from outside" means the material creation lying outside the spiritual abodes of Godhead. Since māyā does not touch the Supreme Self, the Lord, it cannot touch His abode either; hence it is the material creation lying outside the Lord's abode that is enveloped by māyā, while in the Lord's own abode there is no māyā, no material quality, and no ravage of time whatsoever — as Brahmā himself told Nārada: "pravartate yatra rajas-tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ, na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ" (Bhāgavata 2.9.10). The collective name for the abodes of Nārāyaṇa, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, and the unlimited other forms of Godhead is Paravyoma; outside Paravyoma lies the spiritual ocean of water called the Causal Ocean or Virajā, and outside Virajā lie the material universes. "Māyā-śakti stays outside the Causal Ocean; the Causal Ocean māyā cannot touch" (Cc. 1.5.29); "Beyond the Causal Ocean is māyā's eternal seat; beyond Virajā, in Paravyoma, she has no access" (Cc. 2.20.231).

From all this it is understood that the word "Vaikuṇṭha" denotes whatever is beyond māyā — this may mean Godhead Himself, or it may mean the abode of Godhead. "The mere utterance of the name 'Vaikuṇṭha' is known to remove every sin without remainder" (Bhāgavata 6.2.14) — here "Vaikuṇṭha" denotes the form of Godhead itself. That "Vaikuṇṭha" can also mean the abode of Godhead, the Śabda-kalpadruma likewise confirms. Śrī Mahāprabhu Himself told Śrīpāda Sanātana: "The abode of every form of Godhead is Paravyoma; each has its own separate Vaikuṇṭha, uncountable in number; each single Vaikuṇṭha's extent is described in hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions of yojanas; every Vaikuṇṭha, pervaded with bliss, is spiritual; the associates there are all endowed with the six-fold opulence; who could ever describe the full extent of that abode of Paravyoma, where in each single region there are unlimited Vaikuṇṭhas?" (Cc. 2.21.2–5). From these statements it is known that "Vaikuṇṭha" is the common name given to the abodes of the various forms of Godhead. Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own abode, Goloka-Vṛndāvana, being likewise beyond māyā, is itself a Vaikuṇṭha — as the Kṛṣṇopaniṣad declares: "gokulaṁ vana-vaikuṇṭham" — "Śrī Kṛṣṇa's abode Gokula is the forest-Vaikuṇṭha."

From this discussion it is now clear beyond doubt that the "Nārāyaṇa" whom the author, Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, calls Śrī Caitanya in this couplet is Mūla-Nārāyaṇa, Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa — this same Śrī Kṛṣṇa, descended as Śrī Caitanya, "Himself performed kīrtana from town to town"; and the "Vaikuṇṭha" of which He is called Lord is Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own abode, the "forest-Vaikuṇṭha" — Gokula, Goloka-Vṛndāvana. A study of the whole book confirms, beyond any doubt, that this is indeed the author's intention.

In particular, the author himself, in his own words placed in the mouths of Śrī Haridāsa (payar 1.18.45–46) and of Śrīvāsa quoting Nārada (payar 2.18.56–60), has Vaikuṇṭha declared to be Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own abode. In the Vaikuṇṭha of Paravyoma, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is present as the four-armed Śrī Nārāyaṇa, not in His two-armed form as Śrī Kṛṣṇa; the eternal abode of the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Goloka — hence it is plain that, in the mouths of Śrī Haridāsa and Śrīvāsa, the author intends Goloka itself by the word "Vaikuṇṭha." Wherever the author uses the word "Vaikuṇṭha" in reference to Śrī Kṛṣṇa's own abode, it must be understood in this same sense; and since Śrī Gaura is Himself a particular manifestation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the author, in calling Śrī Gaura too "Vaikuṇṭha's Lord" or "Vaikuṇṭha's master" in many places, likewise intends by "Vaikuṇṭha" that same manifestation of Goloka. (See Bhūmikā, paragraph 41.)

From Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura's own quotations and pastime-narrations elsewhere in this book, it is also understood to be his settled view that Śrī Caitanyadeva is the combined form of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa (see Bhūmikā, paragraphs 31–36).

V.110–111. Breaking the Kazi's door, manifesting His own power, boundless kīrtana; the Kazi fled in terror of Lord Gaurāṅga, and thereafter He performed kīrtana freely from town to town.

V.112. Chiding Murāri, He revealed to him His own true identity (nija-tattva).

V.113. Mounting upon Murāri's shoulders, becoming four-armed, He wandered about the courtyard.

V.114. [Honored with] an offering of rice at a devotee's house; in various guises He became Nārāyaṇa [manifesting His four-armed form again and again]. Nānā kāca — various guises. [A variant, "chānda" for "kāca," would mean "dancing in various rhythms" — the pastime, on this reading, being His dancing in many moods at Candraśekhara Ācārya's house.]

V.115. Gauracandra, in the guise of Rukmiṇī, danced, and all His servants drank [the nectar of] His breast. This too is a pastime at Candraśekhara Ācārya's house. [Variants for "yata saba dāse," "all His servants": "sakala sevake," and "sevaka avaśeṣe" — "at the end, the devotees."]

V.116. Mukunda's punishment for the fault of keeping bad association; afterward, mercy bestowed upon him with the greatest satisfaction.

V.117. Mahāprabhu's nightly kīrtana; for a full year He performed it continuously at Navadvīpa.

V.118. A playful exchange between Nityānanda and Advaita of such newfound greatness that others took it for a quarrel.

V.119. The Lord, with His own mother as the occasion, made everyone mindful against the offense of disrespecting a Vaiṣṇava. Lakṣye — on the occasion or pretext of.

V.120. Every single Vaiṣṇava, one by one, having offered prayer, received a boon.

V.121. Haridāsa received the Lord's grace; and the display of mercy in accepting Śrīdhara's water [as though it were the choicest offering]. [A variant for "kāruṇya-prakāśa" is "kāruṇya-vilāsa."]

V.122. Together with all the Vaiṣṇavas, every night, sportive water-play in the Jāhnavī. [A variant for "pratiniśā," "every night," is "prati dina," "every day."]

V.123. Gauracandra, together with Nityānanda, went in a certain joyous mood to Advaita's house.

V.124. Having severely chastised Advaita, He afterward bestowed upon him the greatest mercy. [Variants: "kari bahu daṇḍa" for "karila baḍa daṇḍa" and "karila uddaṇḍa" (a terrible punishment); "kailā" for "hailā."]

V.125. That Caitanya-Nitāi are none other than Kṛṣṇa-Rāma — the greatly fortunate Murāri Gupta came to know this.

V.126. The two brothers, Caitanya and Nitāi, danced together in one place, in Śrīvāsa's courtyard.

V.127. Through the mouth of Śrīvāsa's dead son, He caused the truth of the soul (jīva-tattva) to be declared, and thereby dispelled his grief.

V.128. By Caitanya's mercy, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita forgot his grief for his son — a fact known throughout the world. [A variant for "jagate," "throughout the world," is "sabhāre," "to everyone."]

V.129. In anger, [Advaita] threw himself into the Gaṅgā; Nityānanda and Haridāsa lifted him out and brought him back.

V.130. She who became the vessel of Caitanya's remnants [of food] — Nārāyaṇī, a mercy rare even for Brahmā to attain, received this alone. Nārāyaṇī — the niece of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, and mother of the author, Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura.

V.131. For the deliverance of every soul, the Lord set out to take sannyāsa.

V.132. Beginning with the manifesting of kīrtana, up to His taking sannyāsa — from this point I have told the sport of the Madhya-khaṇḍa.

V.133. In the Madhya-khaṇḍa there remain yet how many millions of pastimes; a future expounder will describe all those plays.

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V.134. Viśvambhara took sannyāsa; then the name Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya was manifest.

V.135. We hear of the shaving of the Lord's pair of tufts of hair [at sannyāsa]; Advaita Prabhu wept without measure.

V.136. Śacī's grief — indescribable to tell; by Caitanya's own power everyone's life was preserved. [A variant for "prabhāve," "by [His] power," is "prasāde," "by [His] grace."]

V.137. Having taken sannyāsa, Gauracandra set out for Nīlācala together with the assembly of devotees.

V.138. Nityānanda broke Caitanya's [sannyāsa] staff — like a maddened lion, most fierce. [A variant for "matta-siṁha" is "balarāma."]

V.139–140. Having gone to Nīlācala, Gauracandra remained hidden of His own will, in playful mood; first making jest with Sārvabhauma, and then revealing to him His six-armed form. This refers to the pastime concerning Sārvabhauma told in the third chapter of the Antya-khaṇḍa, regarding the Lord's own playful conduct. [Variants: "giyā nīlācale" for "nīlācale giyā"; for the second half, "rahilena sindhu-tīre āpane lukāiyā," "He remained hidden of His own accord upon the seashore"; "upahāsa" for "parihāsa."]

V.141. The deliverance of Pratāparudra; He took up residence in the house of Kāśī Miśra.

V.142. Dāmodara Svarūpa and Paramānanda Purī — these two attained the qualification for His most intimate company. Saṅge adhikārī — those who, remaining ever in the Lord's company, possess the fitness for His most intimate service.

V.143. The Lord came again to the land of Gauḍa, [saying] "I shall see Mathurā," with especial joy. [Variants: "āila" for "āilā"; "kari" for "bali."]

V.144. Arriving, He stayed in the house of Viṣṇu Vācaspati; then the Lord came to Kuliyā-nagara.

V.145. Countless millions of people went to see Him; all souls attained deliverance.

V.146. He set out to see Madhu-purī (Mathurā); having gone some distance, the Lord turned back. Madhu-purī — Mathurā, the Mathurā-maṇḍala.

V.147. He came again to Nīlācala, ceaselessly immersed, with the devotees, in the tumult of kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. [A variant for "kolāhale" is "kutūhale," in joy.]

V.148. Having sent Nityānanda-svarūpa into the land of Gauḍa, He remained at Nīlācala, keeping some devotees with Him.

V.149. Before the Ratha-cart, together with the devotees, He Himself danced in His own ecstatic mood.

V.150. Gaurarāya went to Setubandha [Rāmeśvaram]; then, passing through Jhārikhaṇḍa, He went again to Mathurā.

V.151. The deliverance of Rāmānanda Rāya; and manifold pastimes at Mathurā.

V.152. The great Śrī Gaurasundara revealed His own identity to Dabīra Khāsa. Dabīra-khāsa — Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, who had been the private secretary (dabīra-khāsa) of Ḥusain Śāh, the ruler of Gauḍa.

V.153. Recognizing them, He freed the two brothers from bondage; afterward He gave them the names Rūpa and Sanātana. Dui bhāi — Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana; Śrī Sanātana had been known as Sākara Mallika, chief minister [of the ruler of Gauḍa].

V.154. Gauracandra went to Vārāṇasī; not one of the reviling sannyāsīs there managed to see Him.

V.155. His return again to Nīlācala; day and night He performed hari-saṅkīrtana.

V.156. For some days Nityānanda, in the mellow of wandering, traveled the earth.

V.157. No one can fathom His unlimited character; with anklets upon His feet, He sported throughout all of Mathurā.

V.158. Nityānanda, in the village of Pānihāṭi, by Caitanya's order, distributed bhakti as a gift.

V.159. Nityānanda delivered the great wrestler-chief, and merchants and others, by His supreme mercy.

V.160. Gauracandra, the great Lord of lords, remained at Nīlācala for eighteen years. Aṣṭādaśa saṁvatsara — the eighteen years following His return from Vṛndāvana.

V.161. Caitanya's unlimited sport at Nīlācala — a future expounder remains to describe it at length.

V.162. In whatever manner one may attempt to sing Caitanya's glory, great is Nityānanda's own delight in it — to that there is no limit. Ye-te-mate — in whatever manner.

V.163. At the feet of Nityānanda, the very Lord (indra) of Dharaṇīdhara [Śeṣa, the earth-bearer], [I pray:] "Grant me, O Lord Gauracandra, Your shelter." Dharaṇīdharendra Nityānanda — Śrī Nityānanda is the Indra — the master, the very source (aṁśī) — of Dharaṇīdhara Śeṣadeva, who bears the earth upon his head; this is said because it is Balarāma Himself who has descended as Nityānanda, and Śeṣadeva is but a portion of Balarāma.

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V.164. This summary thread (sūtra) I have told in brief; singing only this much, I shall now begin [in full] the three khaṇḍas. Sūtra — a concise statement, an index or summary.

V.165. The account of the Ādi-khaṇḍa, O brothers, hear now with a single-pointed mind — the manner in which Śrī Caitanya descended into this world.

V.166. Meditating upon the lotus feet of Caitanya-cānda, Vṛndāvana Dāsa sings this Caitanya-maṅgala. In place of this closing couplet, a variant is found at the end of every chapter: "Know Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Nityānanda-cānda; Vṛndāvana Dāsa sings at Their pair of feet." (See the purport at the closing couplet of the second chapter.)

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Thus ends, in the Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, the first chapter of the Ādi-khaṇḍa, entitled "The Narration of the Summary Thread of the Pastimes" (līlā-sūtra-varṇanam).

Thus ends the Nitāi-karuṇā-kallolinī commentary on the first chapter of the Ādi-khaṇḍa.

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This completes the English translation of Chapter 1 of the Ādi-khaṇḍa — verses 1 through 166, together with the full maṅgalācaraṇa, the philosophical discussion of Śrī Balarāma's rāsa-līlā, the extended treatment of Anantadeva and Nityānanda's identity with Balarāma, the verse-by-verse summary of the pastimes to be narrated in the Ādi-khaṇḍa, Madhya-khaṇḍa, and Śeṣa-khaṇḍa, and this edition's endnotes throughout. With this, all twelve chapters of the Ādi-khaṇḍa of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata are complete in English translation.