Compiled by: Yasoda nandana Dasa
A summary of this Third Chapter of Antya-līlā is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura as follows. A beautiful young brāhmaṇa girl in Jagannātha Purī had a very handsome son who was coming every day to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This was not very much to the liking of Dāmodara Paṇḍita, however, who therefore told Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “If You display so much love for this boy, people will doubt Your character.” Hearing these words from Dāmodara Paṇḍita, the Lord sent him to Navadvīpa to supervise the affairs of His mother, Śacīdevī. He also especially requested Dāmodara Paṇḍita to remind His mother that He was sometimes going to her home to accept the food she offered. Thus, following the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Dāmodara Paṇḍita went to Navadvīpa, taking with him all kinds of prasāda from Lord Jagannātha.
On another occasion, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu once inquired from Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who was known as Brahma Haridāsa, how the yavanas, or persons bereft of Vedic culture, would be delivered in Kali-yuga. Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied that their deliverance would be possible if they very loudly chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, for hearing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanted loudly, even with but little realization, would help them.
After describing this incident, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta also describes how Haridāsa Ṭhākura was tested at Benāpola, a village near Śāntipura. A person named Rāmacandra Khān, who was envious of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, sent a professional prostitute to attempt to defame him, but by the mercy of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, even the prostitute was delivered. Because of offending a pure Vaiṣṇava, Rāmacandra Khān was later cursed by Nityānanda Prabhu and ruined.
From Benāpola, Haridāsa Ṭhākura went to the village known as Cāndapura, where he lived at the house of Balarāma Ācārya. Thereafter, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was received by two brothers known as Hiraṇya and Govardhana Majumadāra, but in the course of a discussion he was offended by a caste brāhmaṇa known as Gopāla Cakravartī. Because of this offense, Gopāla Cakravartī was punished by being afflicted with leprosy.
Haridāsa Ṭhākura later left Cāndapura and went to the house of Advaita Ācārya, where he was tested by Māyādevī, the personification of the external energy. She also received his favor by being blessed with the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
haridāsa kahe,–“prabhu, cintā nā kariha
yavanera saṁsāra dekhi’ duḥkha nā bhāviha
SYNONYMS
haridāsa kahe—Haridāsa replied; prabhu—my dear Lord; cintā nā kariha—do not be in anxiety; yavanera saṁsāra—the material condition of the yavanas; dekhi‘-seeing; duḥkha nā bhāviha—do not be sorry.
TRANSLATION
Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, “My dear Lord, do not be in anxiety. Do not be unhappy to see the condition of the yavanas in material existence.
PURPORT
These words of Haridāsa Ṭhākura are just befitting a devotee who has dedicated his life and soul to the service of the Lord. When the Lord is unhappy because of the condition of the fallen souls, the devotee consoles Him, saying, “My dear Lord, do not be in anxiety.” This is service. Everyone should adopt the cause of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to try to relieve Him from the anxiety He feels. This is actually service to the Lord. One who tries to relieve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s anxiety for the fallen souls is certainly a most dear and confidential devotee of the Lord. To blaspheme such a devotee who is trying his best to spread the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the greatest offense. One who does so is simply awaiting punishment for his envy.
CC Antya Lila 3.52
yavana-sakalera ‘mukti’ habe anāyāse
‘hā rāma, hā rāma’ bali’ kahe nāmābhāse
SYNONYMS
yavana-sakalera—of all the yavanas; mukti—liberation; habe—there will be; anāyāse—very easily; hā rāma hā rāma—O Lord Rāma, O Lord Rāma; bali‘-saying; kahe—they say; nāma-ābhāse—almost chanting the holy name of the Lord without offenses.
TRANSLATION
“Because the yavanas are accustomed to saying, ‘hā rāma, hā rāma’ [O Lord Rāmacandra], they will very easily be delivered by this nāmābhāsa.
CC Antya Lila 3.53
mahā-preme bhakta kahe,–‘hā rāma, hā rāma’
yavanera bhāgya dekha, laya sei nāma
SYNONYMS
mahā-preme—in great ecstatic love; bhakta kahe—a devotee says; hā rāma hā rāma—O Lord Rāmacandra, O Lord Rāmacandra; yavanera—of the yavanas; bhāgya—fortune; dekha—just see; laya sei nāma—they are also chanting the same holy name.
TRANSLATION
“A devotee in advanced ecstatic love exclaims, ‘O my Lord Rāmacandra! O my Lord Rāmacandra!’ But the yavanas also chant, ‘hā rāma, hā rāma!’ Just see their good fortune!”
PURPORT
If a child touches fire, the fire will burn him, and if an elderly man touches fire, it will burn him also. Haridāsa Ṭhākura says that a great devotee of the Lord exclaims, “hā rāma, hā rāma,” but although yavanas do not know the transcendental meaning of “hā rāma, hā rāma,” they say those words in the course of their ordinary life. For the yavanas the words “hā rāma” mean “abominable,” whereas the devotee exclaims the words “hā rāma” in ecstatic love. Nevertheless, because the words “hā rāma” are the spiritual summum bonum, the fact is the same, whether they are uttered by yavanas or by great devotees, just as fire is the same both for a child and for an elderly man. In other words, the holy name of the Lord, “hā rāma,” always acts, even when the holy names are chanted without reference to the Supreme Lord. Yavanas utter the holy name in a different attitude than devotees, but the holy name “hā rāma” is so powerful spiritually that it acts anywhere, whether one knows it or not. This is explained as follows.CC Antya Lila 3.54
yadyapi anya saṅkete anya haya nāmābhāsa
tathāpi nāmera teja nā haya vināśa
SYNONYMS
yadyapi—although; anya—another; saṅkete—by intimation; anya—that other; haya—is; nāma-ābhāsa—almost equal to the holy name; tathāpi—still; nāmera teja—the transcendental power of the holy name; nā haya vināśa—is not destroyed.
TRANSLATION
Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the authority on the chanting of the holy name, said, “The chanting of the Lord’s holy name to indicate something other than the Lord is an instance of nāmābhāsa. Even when the holy name is chanted in this way, its transcendental power is not destroyed.CC Antya Lila 3.55
daṁṣṭri-daṁṣṭrāhato mleccho
hā rāmeti punaḥ punaḥ
uktvāpi muktim āpnoti
kiṁ punaḥ śraddhayā gṛṇan
SYNONYMS
daṁṣṭri—of a boar; daṁṣṭra—by the teeth; āhataḥ—killed; mlecchaḥ—a meat-eater; hā—O; rāma-my Lord Rāma; iti—thus; punaḥ punaḥ—again and again; uktvā—saying; api—even; muktim—liberation; āpnoti—gets; kim—what; punaḥ—again; śraddhayā—with faith and veneration; gṛṇan—chanting.
TRANSLATION
“Even a mleccha who is being killed by the tusk of a boar and who cries in distress again and again, “hā rāma, hā rāma” attains liberation. What then to speak of those who chant the holy name with veneration and faith?”
PURPORT
This refers to an instance in which a meat-eater being killed by a boar uttered the words “hā rāma, hā rāma“again and again at the time of his death. Since this is a quotation from the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa, this indicates that in the purāṇic age there must also have been mlecchas and yavanas (meateaters), and the words “hā rāma,, meaning “condemned,” were also uttered in those days. Thus Haridāsa Ṭhākura gives evidence that even a meat-eater who condemns something by uttering the words “hā rāma” gets the benefit of chanting the holy name that the devotee chants to mean “O my Lord Rāma.CC Antya lila 3.56
ajāmila putre bolāya bali ‘nārāyaṇa’
viṣṇu-dūta āsi’ chāḍāya tāhāra bandhana
SYNONYMS
ajāmila—Ajāmila; putre—unto his son; bolāya—calls; bali—saying; nārāyaṇa—the holy name of Nārāyaṇa; viṣṇu–dūta—the attendants of Lord Viṣṇu; āsi—coming; chāḍāya—remove; tāhāra—of him; bandhana—the bonds.
TRANSLATION
“Ajāmila was a great sinner during his life, but at the time of death he accidentally called for his youngest son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa, and the attendants of Lord Viṣṇu came to relieve him from the bonds of Yamarāja, the superintendent of death.
CC Antya lila 3.57