Sri Hanuman in Chaitanya Lila
In the incarnation as Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krishna taught the world how to serve Krishna, the original form of the Personality of Godhead. Yet Lord Krishna also has many other Vishnu forms, each with His own eternal devotees. And in the Chaitanya-Caritamrita (Madhya-Lila 15.142–157) Lord Chaitanya tests Murari Gupta and glorifies him for his exclusive devotion to Lord Ramacandra:
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“I then requested Murari Gupta, ‘Worship Krishna and take shelter of Him. But for His service, nothing appeals to the mind.’
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“In this way, he heard from Me again and again. By My influence, his mind was a little converted.
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“Murari Gupta then replied, ‘I am Your servant and Your order-carrier. I have no independent existence.’
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“After this, Murari Gupta went home and spent the whole night thinking how he would have to give up the association of Raghunatha, Lord Ramacandra. Thus he was overwhelmed.
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“Murari Gupta then began to pray at the lotus feet of Lord Ramacandra. He prayed that death would come that night because it was not possible for him to give up the service of the lotus feet of Raghunatha.
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“Thus Murari Gupta cried the entire night. There was no rest for his mind; therefore he could not sleep but stayed awake the entire night.
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“In the morning Murari Gupta came to see Me. Catching hold of My feet and crying, he submitted an appeal.
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“Murari Gupta said, ‘I have sold my head unto the lotus feet of Raghunatha. I cannot withdraw my head, for that would give me too much pain.
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“‘It is not possible for me to give up the service of Raghunatha’s lotus feet. At the same time, if I do not do so I shall break Your order. What can I do?’
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“In this way Murari Gupta appealed to Me, saying, ‘You are all-merciful, so kindly grant me this mercy: Let me die before You so that all my doubts will be finished.’
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“Hearing this, I became very happy. I then raised Murari Gupta and embraced him.
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“I said to him, ‘All glories to you, Murari Gupta! Your method of worship is very firmly fixed—so much so that even upon My request your mind did not turn.
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“The servitor must have love and affection for the lotus feet of the Lord exactly like this. Even if the Lord wants separation, a devotee cannot abandon the shelter of His lotus feet.
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“Just to test your firm faith in your Lord, I requested you again and again to change your worship from Lord Ramacandra to Krishna.’
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“In this way, I congratulated Murari Gupta, saying, ‘Indeed, you are the incarnation of Hanuman. Consequently, you are the eternal servant of Lord Ramacandra. Why should you give up the worship of Lord Ramacandra and His lotus feet?’”
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Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continued, “I accept this Murari Gupta as My life and soul. When I hear of his humility, it perturbs My very life.”
murari-gupto hanuman
murari-gupto hanuman
angadah shri-purandarah
yah shri-sugriva-namasid
govindananda eva sah
Murari Gupta was Hanuman in Ramachandra’s lila; Purandara was Angada and Govindananda Sugriva. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 91)
The word Gupta means “hidden”, so the name Murari Gupta indicates that Murari (Shri Chaitanya Deva) had secretly taken up permanent residence in his heart. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.10.31)
Murari Gupta took birth in a family of Ayurvedic physicians in the district of Sylhet.
Murari Gupta is a physician for the material disease. He was amongst the many associates of Mahaprabhu who appeared in Sylhet. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.35)
The names of his parents are unknown. He was somewhat older than Mahaprabhu. When his family moved from Sylhet to take up residence in Navadwip, they lived in the same neighborhood as Shri Chaitanya, so Murari was Nimai’s companion in many of his childhood pastimes. It is also written in the Chaitanya Charitamrita that Murari observed Mahaprabhu’s childhood pastimes. His name is included in Chaitanya Bhagavat’s list of associates who appeared prior to Mahaprabhu’s incarnation.
Hidden in Navadwip, there were many who had previously taken birth at the Lord’s command. They included Shri Chandrashekhara, Jagadisha, Gopinath, Shriman, Murari, Shri Garuda and Ganga Das. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.98-99)
Murari’s Student Life in Navadwip
Along with Mahaprabhu, he was also a student at Ganga Das Pandit’s Tol. When the Lord was engaged in His pastimes of learning and study, He would often engage Murari in joking and mock debate. Murari Gupta was amazed at Mahaprabhu’s wonderful intelligence and just the touch of His hand would so immerse him in ecstasy that he was early convinced that He was no ordinary human being.
One day, the Lord was pleased with the explanation which Murari Gupta gave Him, one which he was able to give through the Lord’s grace. He touched Murari with His hand and his entire body was filled with ecstasy. Murari Gupta thought that this person can in no way be an ordinary human being. Can an ordinary human attain such scholarship so quickly? And His touch brings such ecstatic pleasure! (Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.10.49)
The Vaishnava’s ornament is humility. Mahaprabhu would melt when he saw the humility of Murari Gupta.
Murari Gupta, the twenty-first branch of the Chaitanya tree, was a storehouse of love. The Lord’s heart would melt when He saw Murari’s meekness and humility. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.49)
Mahaprabhu’s Special Mercy to Murari
When Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya, He saw Murari at the house of Shuklambar Brahmachari. Murari had heard of Mahaprabhu’s transformations from Shriman Pandit. Mahaprabhu was pleased with Murari and one day He gave him a vision of His form as the Varaha avatar; the Lord lifted Murari’s water jug on His nose as He gave a loud roar. Murari considered his life to have been fulfilled by this vision and he composed a hymn in glorification of the Lord. This event has been beautifully described by Vrindavan Das Thakur in the Chaitanya Bhagavat, Madhya-khanda, chapter 3.
The Lord took on the mood of Varaha in the house of Murari. The Lord climbed on His shoulders and danced in the courtyard. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.19)
Lord Gaurahari had the same kind of affection for Murari Gupta that Lord Ramachandra had for His servant, Hanuman. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.3.11) On the occasion of the 21-hour great manifestation (maha-prakasha) at Shrivasa Angana, the Lord gave Murari a vision of Himself as Ramachandra. When he saw his worshippable Deity before him, Murari fainted. Then he glorified the Lord in a way which so pleased Him that He gave a benediction to Murari which fulfilled all his desires.
He ordered Murari, “Look at my form”, and lo! Murari saw the form of Raghunatha directly before him. He saw the Lord of the Universe in the swarthy color of durba grass, sitting in the virasana, in the posture of a great bowman. He saw Sita and Lakshman standing on either side of Him, and His army of monkeys surrounding Him singing hymns of praise. It seemed to him that he was himself one of the monkeys, and as soon as he saw this, he fell down in a faint. The best of the physicians, Murari, lay unconscious on the ground, completely under Mahaprabhu’s spell. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.10.7-11)
On one occasion, when Mahaprabhu heard Murari Gupta recite the glories of Ramachandra, He wrote “the servant of Rama” on his forehead. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.61) On another occasion, Mahaprabhu displayed a four-armed Narayan form in the house of Shrivasa, and began calling the name of Garuda. Murari Gupta heard the call, and giving a loud roar took the form of the king of birds. Mahaprabhu then climbed on his shoulders. This lila is described in the 20th chapter of the Madhya-khanda of Chaitanya Bhagavat, and in the 12th wave of Bhakti-ratnakara.
Murari Gupta was Hanuman in Ramachandra’s lila; Purandara was Angada and Govindananda Sugriva. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 91)
The word Gupta means “hidden”, so the name Murari Gupta indicates that Murari (Shri Chaitanya Deva) had secretly taken up permanent residence in his heart. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.10.31)
Murari Gupta took birth in a family of Ayurvedic physicians in the district of Sylhet.
Murari Gupta is a physician for the material disease. He was amongst the many associates of Mahaprabhu who appeared in Sylhet. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.35)
The names of his parents are unknown. He was somewhat older than Mahaprabhu. When his family moved from Sylhet to take up residence in Navadwip, they lived in the same neighborhood as Shri Chaitanya, so Murari was Nimai’s companion in many of his childhood pastimes. It is also written in the Chaitanya Charitamrita that Murari observed Mahaprabhu’s childhood pastimes. His name is included in Chaitanya Bhagavat’s list of associates who appeared prior to Mahaprabhu’s incarnation.
Hidden in Navadwip, there were many who had previously taken birth at the Lord’s command. They included Shri Chandrashekhara, Jagadisha, Gopinath, Shriman, Murari, Shri Garuda and Ganga Das. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.98-99)
Murari’s Student Life in Navadwip
Along with Mahaprabhu, he was also a student at Ganga Das Pandit’s Tol. When the Lord was engaged in His pastimes of learning and study, He would often engage Murari in joking and mock debate. Murari Gupta was amazed at Mahaprabhu’s wonderful intelligence and just the touch of His hand would so immerse him in ecstasy that he was early convinced that He was no ordinary human being.
One day, the Lord was pleased with the explanation which Murari Gupta gave Him, one which he was able to give through the Lord’s grace. He touched Murari with His hand and his entire body was filled with ecstasy. Murari Gupta thought that this person can in no way be an ordinary human being. Can an ordinary human attain such scholarship so quickly? And His touch brings such ecstatic pleasure! (Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.10.49)
The Vaishnava’s ornament is humility. Mahaprabhu would melt when he saw the humility of Murari Gupta.
Murari Gupta, the twenty-first branch of the Chaitanya tree, was a storehouse of love. The Lord’s heart would melt when He saw Murari’s meekness and humility. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.49)
Mahaprabhu’s Special Mercy to Murari
When Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya, He saw Murari at the house of Shuklambar Brahmachari. Murari had heard of Mahaprabhu’s transformations from Shriman Pandit. Mahaprabhu was pleased with Murari and one day He gave him a vision of His form as the Varaha avatar; the Lord lifted Murari’s water jug on His nose as He gave a loud roar. Murari considered his life to have been fulfilled by this vision and he composed a hymn in glorification of the Lord. This event has been beautifully described by Vrindavan Das Thakur in the Chaitanya Bhagavat, Madhya-khanda, chapter 3.
The Lord took on the mood of Varaha in the house of Murari. The Lord climbed on His shoulders and danced in the courtyard. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.19)
Lord Gaurahari had the same kind of affection for Murari Gupta that Lord Ramachandra had for His servant, Hanuman. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.3.11) On the occasion of the 21-hour great manifestation (maha-prakasha) at Shrivasa Angana, the Lord gave Murari a vision of Himself as Ramachandra. When he saw his worshippable Deity before him, Murari fainted. Then he glorified the Lord in a way which so pleased Him that He gave a benediction to Murari which fulfilled all his desires.
He ordered Murari, “Look at my form”, and lo! Murari saw the form of Raghunatha directly before him. He saw the Lord of the Universe in the swarthy color of durba grass, sitting in the virasana, in the posture of a great bowman. He saw Sita and Lakshman standing on either side of Him, and His army of monkeys surrounding Him singing hymns of praise. It seemed to him that he was himself one of the monkeys, and as soon as he saw this, he fell down in a faint. The best of the physicians, Murari, lay unconscious on the ground, completely under Mahaprabhu’s spell. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.10.7-11)
On one occasion, when Mahaprabhu heard Murari Gupta recite the glories of Ramachandra, He wrote “the servant of Rama” on his forehead. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.61) On another occasion, Mahaprabhu displayed a four-armed Narayan form in the house of Shrivasa, and began calling the name of Garuda. Murari Gupta heard the call, and giving a loud roar took the form of the king of birds. Mahaprabhu then climbed on his shoulders. This lila is described in the 20th chapter of the Madhya-khanda of Chaitanya Bhagavat, and in the 12th wave of Bhakti-ratnakara.
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