Madhavendra Puri

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Then Ramacandra Puri was so foolish that he fearlessly dared to instruct his

spiritual master.

Antya 8.21

"If you are in full transcendental bliss," he said, "you should now remember

only Brahman. Why are you crying?"

PURPORT

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, brahma-bhutah prasannatma: [bg. 18.54] a

Brahman realized person is always happy. Na socati na kanksati: he neither

laments nor aspires for anything. Not knowing why Madhavendra Puri was

crying, Ramacandra Puri tried to become his advisor. Thus he committed a

great offense, for a disciple should never try to instruct his spiritual

master.

Antya 8.22

TRANSLATION

Hearing this instruction, Madhavendra Puri, greatly angry, rebuked him by

saying, "Get out, you sinful rascal!

PURPORT

Ramacandra Puri could not understand that his spiritual master, Madhavendra

Puri, was feeling transcendental separation. His lamentation was not

material. Rather, it proceeded from the highest stage of ecstatic love of

Krsna. When he was crying in separation, "I could not achieve Krsna! I could

not reach Mathura!" this was not ordinary material lamentation. Ramacandra

Puri was not sufficiently expert to understand the feelings of Madhavendra

Puri, but nevertheless he thought himself very advanced. Therefore,

regarding Madhavendra Puri's expressions as ordinary material lamentation,

he advised him to remember Brahman because he was latently an impersonalist.

Madhavendra Puri understood Ramacandra Puri's position as a great fool and

therefore immediately rebuked him. Such a reprimand from the spiritual

master is certainly for the betterment of the disciple.

Antya 8.23

TRANSLATION

"O my Lord Krsna, I could not reach You, nor could I reach Your abode,

Mathura. I am dying in my unhappiness, and now this rascal has come to give

me more pain.

Antya 8.24

"Don't show your face to me! Go anywhere else you like. If I die seeing your

face, I shall not achieve the destination of my life.

Antya 8.25

"I am dying without achieving the shelter of Krsna, and therefore I am

greatly unhappy. Now this condemned foolish rascal has come to instruct me

about Brahman."

\ Ramacandra Puri was thus denounced by Madhavendra Puri. Due to his

offense, gradually material desire appeared within him.

PURPORT

The word vasana ("material desires") refers to dry speculative knowledge.

Such speculative knowledge is only material. As confirmed in

Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.4), a person without devotional service who simply

wants to know things (kevala-bodha-labdhaye) gains only dry speculative

knowledge but no spiritual profit. This is confirmed in the Bhakti-sandarbha

(111), wherein it is said:

jivan-mukta api punar yanti samsara-vasanam

yady acintya-maha-saktau bhagavaty aparadhinah

"Even though one is liberated in this life, if one offends the Supreme

Personality of Godhead he falls down in the midst of material desires, of

which dry speculation about spiritual realization is one."

In his Laghu-tosani commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32), Jiva Gosvami

says:

jivan-mukta api punar bandhanam yanti karmabhih

yady acintya-maha-saktau bhagavaty aparadhinah

"Even if one is liberated in this life, he becomes addicted to material

desires because of offenses to the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

A similar quotation from one of the Puranas also appears in the

Visnu-bhakti-candrodaya:

jivan-muktah prapadyante kvacit samsara-vasanam

yogino na vilipyante karmabhir bhagavat-parah

"Even liberated souls sometimes fall down to material desires, but those who

fully engage in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead are

not affected by such desires."

These are references from authoritative revealed scriptures. If one becomes

an offender to his spiritual master or the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

he falls down to the material platform to merely speculate.

Antya 8.27

One who is attached to dry speculative knowledge has no relationship with

Krsna. His occupation is criticizing Vaisnavas. Thus he is situated in

criticism.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has explained in his Anubhasya that

the word nirbandha indicates that Ramacandra Puri had a steady desire to

criticize others. Impersonalist Mayavadis, who have no relationship with

Krsna, who cannot take to devotional service, and who simply engage in

material arguments to understand Brahman, regard devotional service to Krsna

as karma-kanda, or fruitive activities. According to them, devotional

service to Krsna is but another means for attaining dharma, artha, kama and

moksa. Therefore they criticize the devotees for engaging in material

activities. They think that devotional service is maya and that Krsna or

Visnu is also maya. Therefore they are called Mayavadis. Such a mentality

awakens in a person who is an offender to Krsna and His devotees.

Antya 8.28

Isvara Puri, the spiritual master of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, performed

service to Madhavendra Puri, cleaning up his stool and urine with his own

hand.

Antya 8.29

Isvara Puri was always chanting the holy name and pastimes of Lord Krsna for

Madhavendra Puri to hear. In this way he helped Madhavendra Puri remember

the holy name and pastimes of Lord Krsna at the time of death.

Antya 8.30

Pleased with Isvara Puri, Madhavendra Puri embraced him and gave him the

benediction that he would be a great devotee and lover of Krsna.

Antya 8.31

Thus Isvara Puri became like an ocean of ecstatic love for Krsna, whereas

Ramacandra Puri became a dry speculator and a critic of everyone else.

Antya 8.32

Isvara Puri received the blessing of Madhavendra Puri, whereas Ramacandra

Puri received a rebuke from him. Therefore these two persons, Isvara Puri

and Ramacandra Puri, are examples of the objects of a great personality's

benediction and punishment. Madhavendra Puri instructed the entire world by

presenting these two examples.

Antya 8.33

His Divine Grace Madhavendra Puri, the spiritual master of the entire world,

thus distributed ecstatic love for Krsna. While passing away from the

material world, he chanted the following verse.

Antya 8.34

ayi dina-dayardra natha he

mathura-natha kadavalokyase

hrdayam tvad-aloka-kataram

dayita bhramyati kim karomy aham

"O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathura! When shall I see

You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become

unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?"

Antya 8.35

ei sloke krsna-prema kare upadesa

krsnera virahe bhaktera bhava-visesa

In this verse Madhavendra Puri teaches how to achieve ecstatic love for

Krsna. By feeling separation from Krsna, one becomes spiritually situated.

Antya 8.36

Madhavendra Puri sowed the seed of ecstatic love for Krsna within this

material world and then departed. That seed later became a great tree in the

form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Antya 8.37

TEXT 37

prastave kahilun puri-gosanira niryana

yei iha sune, sei bada bhagyavan

 

I have incidentally described the passing away of Madhavendra Puri. Anyone

who hears this must be considered very fortunate.

 

============ REF. Antya 8.20