Sri Ramananda Sambad

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata-Worldwide, 24 May 2020, part 5

Question: Last Sunday you mentioned you would speak about Srila Ramananda Ray, 'Ramananda Sambad'...

Yes, I have forgotten about that today. 'Raya Ramananda Sambad' is very nice. Mahaprabhu asked, "Duhkha-madhye kona duhkha haya gurutara? Among all kinds of sadness, what is the heaviest sadness?" You will think your father died, your mother died, and it is sad, but Raya Ramananda replied, "Krsna-bhakta-viraha vina duhkha nahi dekhi para. We do not see any other sadness except the separation from devotees of Krishna." Separation from the Lord gives too much sadness. There were so many other questions and answers between Mahaprabhu and Raya Ramananda. It is recorded in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, in 'Raya Ramananda Sambad.'

Raya Ramananda is actually an incarnation of Visakha. Mahaprabhu met Ramananda Raya for the first time on the bank of the Godavari in South India. Mahaprabhu was sitting and waiting for him, and when Raya Ramananda, a big minister, came there accompanied by so many people, Mahaprabhu understood that it was Raya Ramananda. Then, Mahaprabhu showed his opulence (aisvarya), and Raya Ramananda immediately came up to Him, paid his obeisance to Mahaprabhu, and Mahaprabhu hugged him. Many brahmans were present there at that time, and they began talking, "Oh, He is a sannyasi, why is He embracing Raya Ramananda who belongs to a lower caste?" But Mahaprabhu knew who Raya Ramananda was. During their meeting Mahaprabhu showed him His Rasaraj Mahabhav form (the combined form of Srimati Radharani and Krishna). Seeing that form, Raya Ramananda fainted. In the end, Mahaprabhu told Ram Rai, "After South India, I will go to Puri, you must come and meet Me there." Raya Ramananda worked for king Prataparudra, he was Prataparudra's main man. So, Raya Ramananda came to the king and asked him, "Prabhu, can I go to Mahaprabhu? Can I serve there?" King Prataparudra replied, "Yes, go to Mahaprabhu and stay with Him full time! I will give you your full salary!" In this way, Raya Ramananda stayed, together with Svarup Damodar, with Mahaprabhu during His last pastimes—Raya Ramamanda would speak Krishna-katha and Mahaprabhu would listen to it. Actually, Mahaprabhu himself told all those things through Raya Ramananda's mouth.

There is also another pastime. Once, a brahman named Pradyumna Misra wanted to hear some Hari-katha, Krishna-katha, so he came to Mahaprabhu and asked Him to speak some Krishna-katha. Mahaprabhu said, "I do not know any Krishna-katha. Raya Ramananda knows it better than Me." So, Pradyumna Misra went to meet with Raya Ramananda, but Raya Ramananda was busy at that time with some service. Raya Ramamanda was a trainer of young dancers of Lord Jagannath—he would teach twelve-nineteen-year-old young girls how to wear a sari, how to dance, how to make garlands, etc. So, that day, he was busy with all that in the garden. Pradyumna Misra waited, waited, waited, then somebody told him that Ramananda Ray was busy and explained what he was doing. Hearing it, Pradyumna Misra was not very happy, he thought, "I have come to hear some Krishna-katha from Raya Ramananda because Mahaprabhu told me Raya Ramananda's name, but he is teaching young girls to wear saris, he touches their intimate places!" Pradyumna Misra came back to Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu asked him, "So, have you heard Krishna-katha?" Pradyumna Misra replied, "No." Mahaprabhu understood what had happened and said, "You cannot understand who Raya Ramananda is. When Raya Ramananda teaches those girls, when he mixes with those ladies, he does not think that he is a man—he becomes a gopi! Go to him again." So, Pradyumna Misra went again to Raya Ramananda to hear some Krishna-katha from him. This time, Raya Ramananda met with him. He said, "Please forgive my offence. I was busy yesterday and could not meet with you. What did you want to ask?" Then, they discussed so many questions and answers, the whole night passed and the sun rose, both of them even forgot to take prasadam—the whole night passed in Hari-katha, in discussing Krishna-katha. Then, Pradyumna Misra again came to Mahaprabhu and said, "Yes, Prabhu. You sent me to a perfect place, You sent me to a person who truly knows Krishna-katha."

Also, we find 'Raya Ramananda Sambad' is Sri Chaitanaya-charitamrita, there are also many questions and answers discussed in it. Mahaprabhu said, "Pada sloka sadhyera nirnaya. Please recite verses concerning the ultimate goal of life." Raya Ramananda said, "Varnasrama dharma haite krsna-bhakti haya. One can attain devotion to Krishna by following the religion of varnasharam (by adhering to the orders of brahmacharya, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa). First, he spoke about karma-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with fruitive activities). Mahaprabhu said, "Eha bahya age kaha ara. It is external; leave it and go further." Then, he told about jnana-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with pursuits of knowledge). Mahaprabhu said, "No, leave it, go further." When he told about jnana-sunya bhakti (devotion without any pursuits of knowledge), then Mahaprabhu said, "Yes, this can be accepted." In this way, they discussed higher and higher, higher and higher things. Sugar cane, cane juice, sugar, crystals, candy—the more you condense the juice, the sweeter it tastes. In the same way, the more Raya Ramananda spoke and explained, the more taste came out, and Mahaprabhu relished that taste. Raya Ramananda also spoke to Mahaprabhu about santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, and, lastly, madhura-rasa.

I am describing it all very shortly now. It is a very long chapter, I am telling you the main substance.

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