SRI PURI DHAM MAHATMYA-MUKTA-MALA

(23) About Sri Gopal Guru

The place in Gambhira where Mahaprabhu stayed is now called Sri Radha-Kanta Math, and in Mahaprabhu’s time, there was a pujari servitor called Gopal who worshipped the Deities there. Kashi Misra’s house is situated near Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s house.

One time, Gopal saw Mahaprabhu going to the bathroom biting His tongue.

‘Prabhu, is anything wrong? What has happened?’ he asked.

Mahaprabhu did not say anything. When He came out of the bathroom later, Gopal asked Him again, ‘Prabhu, what is wrong? Why did You go to the bathroom biting Your tongue?’

Then, Mahaprabhu explained to him, ‘The problem is that My tongue has become too naughty – it always wants to chant the Holy Name! I am going to the bathroom, it is a dirty place, but My tongue wants to chant the Holy Name even when I am passing stool! That is why I bit My tongue to try to stop it.’

What do we sing in one of the kirtans?

sarira avidya-jala, jadendriya tahe kala,
jive phele visaya-sagare
tara madhye jihva ati, lobhamaya sudurmati,
ta’ke jeta kathina samsare

‘This body is a net of illusion, and the material senses are the cause of its ruination: they throw the soul into the ocean of mundanity. Among all senses, the tongue is extremely greedy and wicked; it is very difficult to conquer it in the material world.’

(Sri Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

‘The tongue is very greedy and extremely wicked’ – you can see how much the tongue is chastised here! ‘Durmati’ (wicked) means bad, but ‘su-durmati’ (extremely wicked) means extremely bad, even worse than bad! The tongue always wants everything: when we go down the street, we want to eat this snack (a samosa), that snack (a chop). Is that not so?

jihvara lalase yei iti-uti dhaya
sisnodara-parayana se krsna nahi paya

‘Those who, subservient to their tongues, run here and there and are devoted to satisfying their genitals and bellies cannot attain Krishna.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.6.227)

Mahaprabhu said, ‘My tongue has become so naughty that nothing except the Holy Name ever comes out of it.’ But we are just the opposite: we can chant the Holy Name for half an hour or an hour, and the rest of the time we spend talking all kinds of other, nonsense things. We cannot chant the Holy Name.

When Gopal heard Mahaprabhu’s words, his face became grave and he said, ‘But why, Prabhu? You Yourself said:

ki sayane, ki bhojane, kiba jagarane
aharnisa chinta krsna, balaha vadane

‘Whether you are sleeping, eating or waking up, incessantly think about Krishna and chant the Name of Krishna with your mouth.’

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, 2.28.28)

‘These are Your words, Prabhu. “Aharnisa” means twenty-four hours – we must chant kirtan twenty-four hours a day. During these twenty-four hours we have to go to the bathroom, so what is the problem if one sits in the bathroom and chants the Holy Name? We cannot bring our beads inside the bathroom, but if we chant with our mouths only, what is the problem?’

Hearing this, Mahaprabhu became excited and exclaimed, ‘Yes, correct! Gopal, what you are saying is right! From today, your name will be not Gopal – from today, your name will be Gopal Guru!’

— ☸ ☸ ☸ —

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