Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Madhya-līlā | Chapter 20: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī in the Science of the Absolute Truth |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Madhya 20.217
vishnu-kāńcīte vishnu, hari rahe, māyāpure
aiche āra nānā mūrti brahmānda-bhitare
SYNONYMS
vishnu-kāńcīte — at Vishnu-kāńcī; vishnu — Lord Vishnu; hari — Lord Hari; rahe — remains; māyāpure — at Māyāpur; aiche — similarly; āra — also; nānā — various; mūrti — forms; brahmānda-bhitare — throughout the universe.
TRANSLATION
"At Vishnu-kāńcī there is Lord Vishnu, at Māyāpur Lord Hari, and throughout the universe a variety of other forms.
PURPORT
All of these forms are mūrti forms, and They are worshiped in the temples. Their names are Keśava at Mathurā, Purushottama or Jagannātha at Nīlācala, Śrī Bindu Mādhava at Prayāga, Madhusūdana at Mandāra, and Vāsudeva, Padmanābha and Janārdana at Ānandāranya, which is situated in Kerala, South India. At Vishnu-kāńcī is Lord Varadarāja, and Hari is situated at Māyāpur, Lord Caitanya's birth site. Thus in different places throughout the universe there are various Deities in temples bestowing Their causeless mercy upon the devotees. All these Deity forms are nondifferent from the mūrtis in the spiritual world of the Vaikunthas. Although the arcā-mūrti, the worshipable Deity form of the Lord, appears to be made of material elements, it is as good as the spiritual forms found in the spiritual Vaikunthalokas. The Deity in the temple, however, is visible to the material eyes of the devotee. It is not possible for one in material, conditioned life to see the spiritual form of the Lord. To bestow causeless mercy upon us, the Lord appears as the arcā-mūrti so that we can see Him. It is forbidden to consider the arcā-mūrti to be made of stone or wood. In the Padma Purāna it is said:
arcye vishnau śilā-dhīr gurushu nara-matir vaishnave jāti-buddhir
vishnor vā vaishnsnavānām kali-mala-mathane pāda-tīrthe 'mbu-buddhih
śrī-vishnor nāmni mantre sakala-kalusha-he śabda-sāmānya-buddhir
vishnau sarveśvareśe tad-itara-sama-dhīr yasya vā nārakī sah
No one should consider the Deity in the temple to be made of stone or wood, nor should one consider the spiritual master an ordinary human being. No one should consider a Vaishnava to belong to a particular caste or creed, and no one should consider caranāmrita or Ganges water to be like ordinary water. Nor should anyone consider the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra to be a material vibration. All these expansions of Krishna in the material world are simply demonstrations of the Lord's mercy and willingness to give facility to His devotees who are engaged in His devotional service within the material world.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness