PrinceGoutham and Bhaktajan, official thread

indulekhadasi · July 31, 2008

Lord Nityananda thinks all of us are foolish for debating who is higher- Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu.

He will smile and leave us to continue our petty debating. We don't care, we will simply continue the debate and leave Lord Nityananda to give His mercy to someone else.

Wake up people.

I am shocked to see people such as Radhey Radhey and Bhaktajan, people who was held in such high positions by me using harsh language and no sastric evidences. Your debate simply seems like the dry debate you can go watch at Shiva kanchi and Vishnu kanchi. Luckily it seems I didn't even need to go all the way to Shiva kanchi/Vishnu kanchi to see the dry debate! I can get it right here on Audarya.

Thank you very much for the dry input. It is very much enlightening me on the path of spiritual bliss. :rolleyes:

suchandra · July 31, 2008

Lord Nityananda thinks all of us are foolish for debating who is higher- Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu.
He will smile and leave us to continue our petty debating. We don't care, we will simply continue the debate and leave Lord Nityananda to give His mercy to someone else.

Wake up people.

I am shocked to see people such as Radhey Radhey and Bhaktajan, people who was held in such high positions by me using harsh language and no sastric evidences. Your debate simply seems like the dry debate you can go watch at Shiva kanchi and Vishnu kanchi. Luckily it seems I didn't even need to go all the way to Shiva kanchi/Vishnu kanchi to see the dry debate! I can get it right here on Audarya.

Thank you very much for the dry input. It is very much enlightening me on the path of spiritual bliss.

Well spoken Indulekhadasi, what comes to mind is sometimes things cannot be solved by arguments. But as soon one hears about the highest nectar within this universe and this message actually enters our minds, suddenly we become balanced, equalized and fully situated above the dualities.

This happens not by argument and logic but simply by hearing for example the nectar of Lord Nityananda Prabhu's dancing.

The dancing of Lord Nityananda Prabhu

posted 1496 by Srila Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Goswami

Nityananda Prabhu rested for the day, and when the day ended He went to the temple of Raghava Paṇḍita and began congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu first influenced all the devotees to dance, and finally He Himself began dancing, thus inundating the entire world in ecstatic love.

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu was observing the dancing of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu could see this, but the others could not.

The dancing of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, like the dancing of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, cannot be compared to anything within these three worlds.

No one can properly describe the sweetness of Lord Nityananda's dancing. Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally comes to see it.

After the dancing and after Lord Nityananda had rested, Raghava Paṇḍita submitted his request that the Lord take supper.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu sat down for supper with His personal associates and made a sitting place on His right side for Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu came there and sat down at His place. Seeing this, Raghava Paṇḍita felt increasing happiness.

Raghava Paṇḍita brought the prasādam before the two brothers and thereafter distributed prasadam to all the other Vaiṣṇavas.

There were varieties of cakes, sweet rice and fine cooked rice that surpassed the taste of nectar. There were also varieties of vegetables.

The food prepared and offered to the Deity by Raghava Paṇḍita was like the essence of nectar. Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu came there again and again to eat such prasādam.

When Raghava Paṇḍita offered the food to the Deity after cooking, he would make a separate offering for Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Every day, Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu would eat at the house of Rāghava Paṇḍita. Sometimes He would give Raghava Paṇḍita the opportunity to see Him.

Raghava Paṇḍita would bring and distribute prasadam to the two brothers, feeding Them with great attention. They ate everything, and therefore there were no remnants left.

He brought so many presentations that no one could know them perfectly. Indeed, it was a fact that the supreme mother, Radharaṇi, personally cooked in the house of Raghava Paṇḍita.

Srimati Radharaṇi received from Durvasa Muni the benediction that whatever She cooked would be sweeter than nectar. That is the special feature of Her cooking.

Aromatic and pleasing to see, the food was the essence of all sweetness. Thus the two brothers, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda Prabhu, ate it with great satisfaction.

All the devotees present requested Raghunatha dasa to sit down and take prasadam, but Raghava Paṇḍita told them, "He will take prasadam later."

All the devotees took prasadam, filling themselves to the brim. Thereafter, chanting the holy name of Hari, they stood up and washed their hands and mouths.

After eating, the two brothers washed Their hands and mouths. Then Raghava Paṇḍita brought flower garlands and sandalwood pulp and decorated Them.

Raghava Paṇḍita offered Them betel nuts and worshiped Their lotus feet. He also distributed betel nuts, flower garlands and sandalwood pulp to the devotees.

Raghava Paṇḍita, being very merciful toward Raghunatha dasa, offered him the dishes with the remnants of food left by the two brothers.

He said, "Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu has eaten this food. If you take His remnants, you will be released from the bondage of your family."

The Supreme Personality of Godhead always resides either in the heart or in the home of a devotee. This fact is sometimes hidden and sometimes manifest, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is fully independent.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-pervasive, and therefore He resides everywhere. Anyone who doubts this will be annihilated.

In the morning, after taking His bath in the Ganges, Nityananda Prabhu sat down with His associates beneath the same tree under which He had previously sat.

Raghunatha dasa went there and worshiped Lord Nityānanda's lotus feet. Through Raghava Paṇḍita, he submitted his desire.

"I am the lowest of men, the most sinful, fallen and condemned. Nevertheless, I desire to attain shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

"Like a dwarf who wants to catch the moon, I have tried my best many times, but I have never been successful.

"Every time I tried to go away and give up my home relationships, my father and mother unfortunately kept me bound.

"No one can attain the shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu without Your mercy, but if You are merciful, even the lowest of men can attain shelter at His lotus feet.

"Although I am unfit and greatly afraid to submit this plea, I nevertheless request You, Sir, to be especially merciful toward me by granting me shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

"Placing Your feet on my head, give me the benediction that I may achieve the shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu without difficulty. I pray for this benediction."

After hearing this appeal by Raghunatha dasa, Lord Nityananda Prabhu smiled and told all the devotees, "Raghunatha dasa's standard of material happiness is equal to that of Indra, the King of heaven.

"Because of the mercy bestowed upon him by Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Raghunatha dasa, although situated in such material happiness, does not like it at all. Therefore let every one of you be merciful toward him and give him the benediction that he may very soon attain shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

"One who experiences the fragrance of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa does not value even the standard of happiness available in Brahmaloka, the topmost planet. And what to speak of heavenly happiness?

"'Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is offered sublime, poetic prayers by those trying to attain His favor. Thus He is known as Uttamasloka. Being very eager to gain the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa, King Bharata, although in the prime of youth, gave up his very attractive wife, affectionate children, most beloved friends and opulent kingdom, exactly as one gives up stool after excreting it.'"

Then Lord Nityananda Prabhu called Raghunatha dāsa near Him, placed His lotus feet upon Raghunatha dasa's head and began to speak.

"My dear Raghunatha dasa," He said, "since you arranged the feast on the bank of the Ganges, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came here just to show you His mercy.

"By His causeless mercy He ate the chipped rice and milk. Then, after seeing the dancing of the devotees at night, He took His supper.

"Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gaurahari, came here personally to deliver you. Now rest assured that all the impediments meant for your bondage are gone.

"Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu will accept you and place you under the charge of His secretary, Svarupa Damodara. You will thus become one of the most confidential internal servants and will attain shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

"Being assured of all this, return to your own home. Very soon, without impediments, you will attain shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu."

Lord Nityananda had Raghunatha dasa blessed by all the devotees, and Raghunatha dasa offered his respects to their lotus feet.

After taking leave of Lord Nityananda Prabhu and then all the other Vaiṣṇavas, Śrī Raghunatha dasa consulted secretly with Raghava Paṇḍita.

CC Antya 6/101-129

bhaktajan · July 31, 2008

SB 4.24.18

Lord Çiva, the most powerful demigod, second only to Lord Viñëu, is self-sufficient. Although he has nothing to aspire for in the material world, for the benefit of those in the material world he is always busily engaged everywhere and is accompanied by his dangerous energies like goddess Kälé and goddess Durgä.

PURPORT

Lord Çiva is known as the greatest devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is known as the best of all types of Vaiñëavas (vaiñëavänäà yathä çambhuù). Consequently, Lord Çiva has a Vaiñëava sampradäya, the disciplic succession known as the Rudra-sampradäya. Just as there is a Brahma-sampradäya coming directly from Lord Brahmä, the Rudra-sampradäya comes directly from Lord Çiva. Lord Çiva is one of the twelve great personalities, as stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (6.3.20):

svayambhür näradaù çambhuù

kumäraù kapilo manuù

prahlädo janako bhéñmo

balir vaiyäsakir vayam

These are twelve great authorities in preaching God consciousness. The name Çambhu means Lord Çiva. His disciplic succession is also known as the Viñëusvämi-sampradäya, and the current Viñëusvämi-sampradäya is also known as the Vallabha-sampradäya.

The current Brahma-sampradäya is known as the Madhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya. Even though Lord Çiva appeared to preach Mäyäväda philosophy, at the end of his pastime in the form of Çaìkaräcärya, he preached the Vaiñëava philosophy: bhaja govindaà bhaja govindaà bhaja govindaà müòha-mate. He stressed worshiping Lord Kåñëa, or Govinda, three times in this verse and especially warned his followers that they could not possibly achieve deliverance, or mukti, simply by word jugglery and grammatical puzzles. If one is actually serious to attain mukti, he must worship Lord Kåñëa. That is Çrépäda Çaìkaräcärya’s last instruction.

Herein it is mentioned that Lord Çiva is always accompanied by his material energy (çaktyä ghorayä). Material energy—goddess Durgä, or goddess Kälé—is always under his control. Goddess Kälé and Durgä serve him by killing all the asuras, or demons. Sometimes Kälé becomes so infuriated that she indiscriminately kills all kinds of asuras.

There is a popular picture of goddess Kälé in which she wears a garland composed of the heads of the asuras and holds in her left hand a captured head and in her right hand a great khaòga, or chopper, for killing asuras. Great wars are symbolic representations of Kälé’s devastation of the asuras and are actually conducted by the goddess Kälé. såñöi-sthiti-pralaya-sädhana-çaktir ekä

(Brahma-saàhitä 5.44).

Asuras try to pacify the goddess Kälé, or Durgä, by worshiping her in material opulence, but when the asuras become too intolerable, goddess Kälé does not discriminate in killing them wholesale. Asuras do not know the secret of the energy of Lord Çiva, and they prefer to worship goddess Kälé or Durgä or Lord Çiva for material benefit. Due to their demoniac character, they are reluctant to surrender to Lord Kåñëa, as indicated by Bhagavad-gétä (7.15):

na mäà duñkåtino müòhäù

prapadyante narädhamäù

mäyayäpahåta-jïänä

äsuraà bhävam äçritäù

Lord Çiva’s duty is very dangerous because he has to employ the energy of goddess Kälé (or Durgä). In another popular picture the goddess Kälé is sometimes seen standing on the prostrate body of Lord Çiva, which indicates that sometimes Lord Çiva has to fall down flat in order to stop goddess Kälé from killing the asuras.

Since Lord Çiva controls the great material energy (goddess Durgä), worshipers of Lord Çiva attain very opulent positions within this material world. Under Lord Çiva’s direction, a worshiper of Lord Çiva gets all kinds of material facilities. In contrast, a Vaiñëava, or worshiper of Lord Viñëu, gradually becomes poorer in material possessions because Lord Viñëu does not trick His devotees into becoming materially entangled by possessions. Lord Viñëu gives His devotees intelligence from within, as stated in Bhagavad-gétä (10.10):

teñäà satata-yuktänäà

bhajatäà préti-pürvakam

dadämi buddhi-yogaà taà

yena mäm upayänti te

“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”

Thus Lord Viñëu gives intelligence to His devotee so that the devotee can make progress on the path back home, back to Godhead. Since a devotee has nothing to do with any kind of material possession, he does not come under the control of goddess Kälé, or the goddess Durgä.

Lord Çiva is also in charge of the tamo-guëa, or the mode of ignorance in this material world. His potency, the goddess Durgä, is described as keeping all living entities in the darkness of ignorance (yä devé sarva-bhüteñu nidra-rüpaà saàsthitä).

Both Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva are incarnations of Lord Viñëu, but Lord Brahmä is in charge of the creation whereas Lord Çiva is in charge of the destruction, which he carries out with the help of his material energy, goddess Kälé, or goddess Durgä. Thus in this verse Lord Çiva is described as being accompanied by dangerous potencies (çaktyä ghorayä), and that is the actual position of Lord Çiva.