Mukunda Datta

 

Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi Lila 10.40

Translation and purport by Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad

  

sri-mukunda-datta sakha—prabhura samadhyayi

 yanhara kirtane nache chaitanya-gosai

TRANSLATION

Mukunda Datta, a class friend of Lord Chaitanya's, was another branch of the Chaitanya tree. Lord Chaitanya danced while he sang.

PURPORT

Sri Mukunda Datta was born in the Chattagrama district, in the village of Chanhara, which is under the jurisdiction of the police station named Patiya. This village is situated ten krosas, or about twenty miles, from the home of Pundarik Vidyanidhi. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (140) it is said:

    vraje sthitau gayakau yau

    madhukantha-madhuvratau

    mukunda-vasudevau tau

    dattau gauranga-gayakau

"In Vraja there were two very nice singers named Madhukantha and Madhuvrata. They appeared in Chaitanya-lila as Mukunda and Vasudev Datta, who were singers in the society of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu." When Lord Chaitanya was a student, Mukunda Datta was His class friend, and they frequently engaged in logical arguments. Sometimes Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would fight with Mukunda Datta, using tricks of logic. This is described in the Chaitanya-bhagavata, Adi-lila, chapters eleven and twelve.

Mahaprabhu's blessings to Mukunda Datta

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When Mahaprabhu experienced mahabhava for seven days in Srivas Pandit's house, the different devotees saw Him in different forms. Devotees of Ramachandra saw Mahaprabhu as Ramachandra, devotees of Vishnu saw Him as Vishnu; others saw Him in the form of Nrsimhadev, and yet others saw Him as different incarnations of Vishnu.

In that gathering Mahaprabhu restricted Mukunda Prabhu: "I shall not give you darshan." Mukunda remained outside the house, weeping. Seeing him crying, the devotees reported to Mahaprabhu, "Mukunda is very sad and he wants to end his life by drowning in the River Ganges. He does not want to maintain his body if he cannot see Your Form. He is continually crying outside."

Mukunda sent a message with the devotees asking Mahaprabhu, "When shall I see Your form?" Mahaprabhu answered, "After crores of births he will be able to see Me." Hearing this, Mukunda became very happy and began dancing outside the entrance, "Oh, after only crores of births I will again see Mahaprabhu! Therefore I have no problem. Crores of births I can tolerate to again have His darshan."

Hearing that, Mahaprabhu was happy and said, "Now he has already crossed those crores of births and he can see Me— he can come immediately."

So the devotees called Mukunda: "Oh Mukunda, come, Mahaprabhu is calling you." But Mukunda said, "Mahaprabhu said 'after crores of births,' then how can I go there now? If I go now I will not be able to see the real form of Mahaprabhu. Only after crores of births shall I be able to see, but not now - if I 'see' Him now, that will not be really seeing Him, it will be illusion. So why shall I go there? I do not want to go there now."

Real vision is necessary, and that is the main thing. Otherwise, seeing the Deity, the Dham or anything else is only an exercise of the eye; it is not actual vision and we shall not gain real benefit from that.

But Mahaprabhu said, "Now his crores of births have gone, and he can come and see Me."

Mukunda very much chastised himself that he had done wrong, and so had caused Mahaprabhu to at first refuse him entrance. Mahaprabhu then showed His real form to him.

The main thing is that without devotion and transcendental knowledge we can neither see the real Vrindavan Dham nor the real Nama, Rupa, Guna and Lila (Name, Form, Qualities and Pastimes) of the Lord. All these are transcendental, therefore we cannot see them with our mundane eyes - that is the main thing.