Life-Giving Nectar

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj explains the importance of Srila Kaviraj Goswami’s gift.

Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami gave us everything, Mahaprabhu’s full conception, through his Chaitanya-charitamrita. You know Chaitanya-charitamrita no doubt, but the conception Kaviraj Goswami gave us there is exceptional. We have not heard explanation of the scriptures like what he gave in Chaitanya-charitamrita anywhere.

We read verses in the scriptures and we know their meanings, but when we read Kaviraj Goswami’s interpretation we get completely new light from the verses. I can give you an example. Rupa Goswami composed a verse (Lalita-madhava: 3.25) in which Mahaprabhu calls in separation, “Kva Nanda-kula-chandramah: where is the moon of Nanda’s family?” Kaviraj Goswami’s interpretation is very bright and glorious; it is super devotional.

[“Nanda Maharaj’s family is like an ocean of milk. Krishna arose as the full moon from that ocean and illuminated the world. The chakora birds of the Vraja-vasis eyes who drink the nectar of His lustre live by drinking this nectar constantly (without it they die).”]

I have not heard this type of explanation and interpretation of verses anywhere. Kaviraj Goswami wrote in Bengali, but when we read his writing we do not see Bengali, or Sanskrit, or any other language; we see only devotional light. Everyone is enlightened by his devotion.

He put Sanskrit verses from Srimad Bhagavatam and other scriptures in Chaitanya-charitamrita. Why? He explained that, “I am not writing Sanskrit or Bengali. I am writing by the grace of Madan Mohan. He is writing Chaitanya-lila through me, through my hand, and gradually it is being revealed. I am very old. Alone I cannot write.”

[“I am old and decrepit. My hand shakes as I write. My mind does not remember anything. My eyes do not see and my ears do not hear. Still I write. I am amazed by this.”]

In this way he explained it was only possible for him to write by the grace of Madan Mohan.

Madan Mohan was the Deity of Srila Sanatan Goswami. Before writing Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita Kaviraj Goswami went to take permission from Madan Mohan. The Vaishnavas had requested Kaviraj Goswami, “You can properly compose Chaitanya-lila. Please do so.” Kaviraj Goswami said, “I am very old. How shall I do that?” The Vaishnavas said, “You can do it, and only you can do it. You know everything.” Then, by the will of the Vaishnavas of Vrindavan, Kaviraj Goswami went to take permission from Madan Mohan. When he went to Madan Mohan’s Temple, a garland fell from Madan Mohan’s neck. The devotees gave it to Kaviraj Goswami. Later Kaviraj Goswami wrote,

[“I offer my obeisance to the devotees of Vraja, led by Hari Das, from whom I received the fortune of the order to write this book. In this way Krishna Das describes a particle of a drop of a wave in the ocean of Sri Chaitanya’s Pastimes.”]

Kaviraj Goswami gave the full explanation of Chaitanya-lila. He also presented the character of other Vaishnavas. He did everything in a grand way and presented it to the devotees.

I heard from Srila Guru Maharaj, “One who knows Chaitanya-charitamrita knows everything. If we have Chaitanya-charitamrita, but all other books disappear from this world, then there is no loss. This one book, and only this book, Chaitanya-charitamrita, can give us everything.”