CC Madhya 4.197

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta - Madhya-līlā - Chapter 4: Śrī Mādhavendra Puri's Devotional Service

Madhya-līlā 4.196 - Madhya-līlā 4.198

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His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 197

ayi dīna-dayārdra nātha he

mathurā-nātha kadāvalokyase

hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ

dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham

SYNONYMS

ayi — O My Lord; dīna — on the poor; dayā-ārdra — compassionate; nātha — O master; he — O; mathurā-nātha — the master of Mathurā; kadā — when; avalokyase — I shall see You; hṛdayam — My heart; tvat — of You; aloka — without seeing; kātaram — very much aggrieved; dayita — O most beloved; bhrāmyati — becomes overwhelmed; kim — what; karomi — shall do; aham — I.

TRANSLATION

“O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathurā! 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?”

PURPORT

The uncontaminated devotees who strictly depend on the Vedānta philosophy are divided into four sampradāyas, or transcendental parties. Out of the four sampradāyas, the Śrī Madhvācārya-sampradāya was accepted by Mādhavendra Purī. Thus he took sannyāsa according to paramparā, the disciplic succession. Beginning from Madhvācārya down to the spiritual master of Mādhavendra Purī, the ācārya named Lakṣmīpati, there was no realization of devotional service in conjugal love. Śrī Mādhavendra Purī introduced the conception of conjugal love for the first time in the Madhvācārya-sampradāya, and this conclusion of the Madhvācārya-sampradāya was revealed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He toured southern India and met the Tattvavādīs, who supposedly belonged to the Madhvācārya-sampradāya.

When Śrī Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana and accepted the kingdom of Mathurā, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, out of ecstatic feelings of separation, expressed how Kṛṣṇa can be loved in separation. Thus devotional service in separation is central to this verse. Worship in separation is considered by the Gauḍīya-Mādhva-sampradāya to be the topmost level of devotional service. According to this conception, the devotee thinks of himself as very poor and neglected by the Lord. Thus he addresses the Lord as dīna-dayārdra nātha, as did Mādhavendra Purī. Such an ecstatic feeling is the highest form of devotional service. Because Kṛṣṇa had gone to Mathurā, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was very much affected, and She expressed Herself thus: “My dear Lord, because of Your separation My mind has become overly agitated. Now tell Me, what can I do? I am very poor and You are very merciful, so kindly have compassion upon Me and let Me know when I shall see You.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always expressing the ecstatic emotions of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī that She exhibited when She saw Uddhava at Vṛndāvana. Similar feelings, experienced by Mādhavendra Purī, are expressed in this verse. Therefore, Vaiṣṇavas in the Gauḍīya-Mādhva-sampradāya say that the ecstatic feelings experienced by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu during His appearance came from Śrī Mādhavendra Purī through Īśvara Purī. All the devotees in the line of the Gauḍīya-Mādhva-sampradāya accept these principles of devotional service.

Madhya-līlā 4.196 - Madhya-līlā 4.198