who is Guhaka ?

[Paramananda das]

who is Guhaka Candala ?
My student Miniketana Rama wrote me :this is after reading Caitanya Bhagavata Adi lila chapter 9
PS: Dear Gurudeva thank You very much for reminding this wonderful Chapter, afrer reading this kind of Shastra i am always write out a texts to a text document, and eventually every line is so important that thers no need to write anything out as whole chapter is supreme. For this reading i want to mention some of the parts that most inspired me, and also one question please let me share and ask.
«The baby boy was millions of times more beautiful than cupid» — So how beautiful is Lord Nityananda is smply impossible to imagine.
«His friends never left his company, nor would they return to their homes, but day and night they would play in the company of Nityananda Prabhu.
All the children, giving up their parents and their homes, would constantly play in the company of Nityananda Prabhu.» — This description is very important for me, because i am always afraid of having parents especially in spiritual realm, because i never want to go to school or go to home, all i want is always stay and play games with my frineds in company of Lord balarama and His Sakhas, of course i am not of that level, but that idea of having parens in spiritual Realm is very scary for me, so in this texts it is clear, that eternal associate Sakhas of Lord Nityanada never go home and they gave up parents! this is treasure information for me personally!
«Whoever hears this account of Nityananda Prabhu and Madhavendra Puri with faith and devotion, obtains the treasure of love for Krsna.
Whoever listens to this account of the pilgrimages of Nityananda Prabhu attains the treasure of divine love.» — This two texts is extremly important, it is great promise, i wish i would never forget this words ever, Dandavat Pranams.
And last is question about Guhaka-candala, Dear Gurudeva did You know who is Guhaka-candala? - «Remembering the devotion of Guhaka-candala, Nityananda Prabhu was unconscious for three days.» — So this is very interesting and important who is this Guhaka Prabhu, because His devotion is so high that Lord Nityananda was unconscious for three whole days! Showing that devotion is the only requirement for Lord Nityananda regardless of caste, so Lord Nityananda rarely lost condciousnes this long as He lost for this Guhaka-candal Prabhu. Thank You very much, Dandavat Pranams!
dear Miniketana Rama Prabhu thanks for reading this chapter 9 of Chaitanya Bhagavata Adi lila it is very important we read Caitanya Bhagavata and Caitanya Caritamrta, as to your question who is Gukaha ,he was a boat man in Lord Ramachandras lilas and very dear to Lord Ramachandra, all of Ayodhya wanted to go with Lord Ramachandra into exile ,but Guhaka slipped Lord Ramachadran and Laxmana and Sita over to the other site of the river, Lord Nityananda also being Laxmana Himself remembered these pastimes and was absorbed in love for his own devotee , Candala means Guhaka was considered a Candala outside of Vedic civilized culture but not at all so he was a great Vaisnava, Srimad Bhagavatam states that even those who are considered the lowest of the low are purified by chanting the holy names of Lord Visnu, and Lord Krsna
this is from a book call Bhaktamala it is very famous and bonafide
the story of Guhaka, the boatman.
When Ramachandra went to the forest to fulfill a pledge to his father, it startled Guhaka.
“Guhaka began to shed tears and his voice cracked. Almost motionless, he gazed at Rama like a puppet.
“Slowly approaching Rama, he said, ‘Please come into my house.’ Rama called him a friend and embraced him. Guhaka then surrendered himself to Rama, saying:
“ ‘It is good that you are my friend. I surrender my body and soul at your feet. You are my soul, my wealth, my kingdom, my love, my liberation and all meritorious deeds. I am dying of love for you. I dedicate myself at your feet.’
“Ramachandra is to spend fourteen years in the forest with matted hair and wearing the bark of trees for clothes. Hearing this, Guhaka matted his own hair and put on a cloth of bark; he ate nothing but fruits and root vegetables. After fourteen years, when Rama did not return from exile, Guhaka was preparing his own funeral pyre when Hanuman came and told him that Rama was coming. At Hanuman’s words, Guhaka was overjoyed. Soon Ramachandra and Sita arrived by the Pushpaka chariot.
“Ramachandra, the compassionate, the source of supreme joy, the gracious loving Lord of the devotees and the mine of all virtues,embraced his great and dear devotee, Guhaka, who was thrilled with joy. The Lord and the servant remained in deep embrace while tears drenched their bodies. Blessed you are, Guhaka! There was the chant of ‘jai, jai’ (victory, victory) from the heavenly abode.”
So remembering Guhaka (Chandala I hate to call him because he is not but the most exalted Vaisnava ) Lord Nityananda Prabhu was unconscious for 3 full days due to his love and devotion in Treta Yuga for Lord Ramachadra, Sita devi and Laxmana ,he was so dear to Lord Ramachandra that Lord Nityananda Prabhu remembered him, and since Lord Nityananda Prabhu gives devotion in fraternal love, friendship with Krsna ,Sakhya Rasa, Guhaka is so much loved by Lord Nityananda Prabhu and we must also offer our full obaisences to Guhaka, pilgrims to Ayodhya also try to go to where Guhaka met Lord Ramachandra though I have been to Ayodhya I never got to go to this place ,but in my mind I offer my humble obaisences to the lotusfeet of Guhaka, may he bless us with such intense devotion for Lord Ramachandra also
SB 2.4.18
किरातहूणान्ध्रपुलिन्दपुल्कशा आभीरशुम्भा यवनाः खसादयः ।
येऽन्ये च पापा यदपाश्रयाश्रयाः शुध्यन्ति तस्मै प्रभविष्णवे नमः ॥१८॥
kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā
ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ
ye ‘nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ
śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ
kirāta—a province of old Bhārata; hūṇa—part of Germany and Russia; āndhra—a province of southern India; pulinda—the Greeks; pulkaśāḥ—another province; ābhīra—part of old Sind; śumbhāḥ—another province; yavanāḥ—the Turks; khasa-ādayaḥ—the Mongolian province; ye—even those; anye—others; ca—also; pāpāḥ—addicted to sinful acts; yat—whose; apāśraya-āśrayāḥ—having taken shelter of the devotees of the Lord; śudhyanti—at once purified; tasmai—unto Him; prabhaviṣṇave—unto the powerful Viṣṇu; namaḥ—my respectful obeisances.
Translation
Kirāta, Hūṇa, Āndhra, Pulinda, Pulkaśa, Ābhīra, Śumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.
Purport
Kirāta: A province of old Bhārata-varṣa mentioned in the Bhīṣma-parva of Mahābhārata. Generally the Kirātas are known as the aboriginal tribes of India, and in modern days the Santal Parganas in Bihar and Chota Nagpur might comprise the old province named Kirāta.
Hūṇa: The area of East Germany and part of Russia is known as the province of the Hūṇas. Accordingly, sometimes a kind of hill tribe is known as the Hūṇas.
Āndhra: A province in southern India mentioned in the Bhīṣma-parva of Mahābhārata. It is still extant under the same name.
Pulinda: It is mentioned in the Mahābhārata (Ādi-parva 174.38), viz., the inhabitants of the province of the name Pulinda. This country was conquered by Bhīmasena and Sahadeva. The Greeks are known as Pulindas, and it is mentioned in the Vana-parva of Mahābhārata that the non-Vedic race of this part of the world would rule over the world. This Pulinda province was also one of the provinces of Bhārata, and the inhabitants were classified amongst the kṣatriya kings. But later on, due to their giving up the brahminical culture, they were mentioned as mlecchas (just as those who are not followers of the Islamic culture are called kafirs and those who are not followers of the Christian culture are called heathens).
Ābhīra: This name also appears in the Mahābhārata, both in the Sabhā-parva and Bhīṣma-parva. It is mentioned that this province was situated on the River Sarasvatī in Sind. The modern Sind province formerly extended on the other side of the Arabian Sea, and all the inhabitants of that province were known as the Ābhīras. They were under the domination of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and according to the statements of Mārkaṇḍeya the mlecchas of this part of the world would also rule over Bhārata. Later on this proved to be true, as in the case of the Pulindas. On behalf of the Pulindas, Alexander the Great conquered India, and on behalf of the Ābhīras, Muhammad Ghori conquered India. These Ābhīras were also formerly kṣatriyas within the brahminical culture, but they gave up the connection. The kṣatriyas who were afraid of Paraśurāma and had hidden themselves in the Caucasian hilly regions later on became known as the Ābhīras, and the place they inhabited was known as Ābhīradeśa.
Śumbhas or Kaṅkas: The inhabitants of the Kaṅka province of old Bhārata, mentioned in the Mahābhārata.
Yavanas: Yavana was the name of one of the sons of Mahārāja Yayāti who was given the part of the world known as Turkey to rule. Therefore the Turks are Yavanas due to being descendants of Mahārāja Yavana. The Yavanas were therefore kṣatriyas, and later on, by giving up the brahminical culture, they became mleccha-yavanas. Descriptions of the Yavanas are in the Mahābhārata (Ādi-parva 85.34). Another prince called Turvasu was also known as Yavana, and his country was conquered by Sahadeva, one of the Pāṇḍavas. The western Yavana joined with Duryodhana in the Battle of Kurukṣetra under the pressure of Karṇa. It is also foretold that these Yavanas also would conquer India, and it proved to be true.
Khasa: The inhabitants of the Khasadeśa are mentioned in the Mahābhārata (Droṇa-parva). Those who have a stunted growth of hair on the upper lip are generally called Khasas. As such, the Khasa are the Mongolians, the Chinese and others who are so designated.
The above-mentioned historical names are different nations of the world. Even those who are constantly engaged in sinful acts are all corrigible to the standard of perfect human beings if they take shelter of the devotees of the Lord. Jesus Christ and Muhammad, two powerful devotees of the Lord, have done tremendous service on behalf of the Lord on the surface of the globe. And from the version of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī it appears that instead of running a godless civilization in the present context of the world situation, if the leadership of world affairs is entrusted to the devotees of the Lord, for which a worldwide organization under the name and style of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has already been started, then by the grace of the Almighty Lord there can be a thorough change of heart in human beings all over the world because the devotees of the Lord are able authorities to effect such a change by purifying the dust-worn minds of the people in general. The politicians of the world may remain in their respective positions because the pure devotees of the Lord are not interested in political leadership or diplomatic implications. The devotees are interested only in seeing that the people in general are not misguided by political propaganda and in seeing that the valuable life of a human being is not spoiled in following a type of civilization which is ultimately doomed. If the politicians, therefore, would be guided by the good counsel of the devotees, then certainly there would be a great change in the world situation by the purifying propaganda of the devotees, as shown by Lord Caitanya. As Śukadeva Gosvāmī began his prayer by discussing the word yat-kīrtanam, so also Lord Caitanya recommended that simply by glorifying the Lord’s holy name, a tremendous change of heart can take place by which the complete misunderstanding between the human nations created by politicians can at once be extinguished. And after the extinction of the fire of misunderstanding, other profits will follow. The destination is to go back home, back to Godhead, as we have several times discussed in these pages.
According to the cult of devotion, generally known as the Vaiṣṇava cult, there is no bar against anyone’s advancing in the matter of God realization. A Vaiṣṇava is powerful enough to turn into a Vaiṣṇava even the Kirāta, etc., as above mentioned. In the Bhagavad-gītā (Bg. 9.32) it is said by the Lord that there is no bar to becoming a devotee of the Lord (even for those who are lowborn, or women, śūdras or vaiśyas), and by becoming a devotee everyone is eligible to return home, back to Godhead. The only qualification is that one take shelter of a pure devotee of the Lord who has thorough knowledge in the transcendental science of Kṛṣṇa (Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam). Anyone from any part of the world who becomes well conversant in the science of Kṛṣṇa becomes a pure devotee and a spiritual master for the general mass of people and may reclaim them by purification of heart. Though a person be even the most sinful man, he can at once be purified by systematic contact with a pure Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava, therefore, can accept a bona fide disciple from any part of the world without any consideration of caste and creed and promote him by regulative principles to the status of a pure Vaiṣṇava who is transcendental to brahminical culture. The system of caste, or varṇāśrama-dharma, is no longer regular even amongst the so-called followers of the system. Nor is it now possible to reestablish the institutional function in the present context of social, political and economic revolution. Without any reference to the particular custom of a country, one can be accepted to the Vaiṣṇava cult spiritually, and there is no hindrance in the transcendental process. So by the order of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the cult of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the Bhagavad-gītā can be preached all over the world, reclaiming all persons willing to accept the transcendental cult. Such cultural propaganda by the devotees will certainly be accepted by all persons who are reasonable and inquisitive, without any particular bias for the custom of the country. The Vaiṣṇava never accepts another Vaiṣṇava on the basis of birthright, just as he never thinks of the Deity of the Lord in a temple as an idol. And to remove all doubts in this connection, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī has invoked the blessings of the Lord, who is all-powerful (prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ). As the all-powerful Lord accepts the humble service of His devotee in devotional activities of the arcana, His form as the worshipable Deity in the temple, similarly the body of a pure Vaiṣṇava changes transcendentally at once when he gives himself up to the service of the Lord and is trained by a qualified Vaiṣṇava. The injunction of Vaiṣṇava regulation in this connection runs as follows: arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ śrī-viṣṇor nāmni śabda-sāmānya-buddhiḥ, etc. “One should not consider the Deity of the Lord as worshiped in the temple to be an idol, nor should one consider the authorized spiritual master an ordinary man. Nor should one consider a pure Vaiṣṇava to belong to a particular caste, etc.” (Padma Purāṇa)
The conclusion is that the Lord, being all-powerful, can, under any and every circumstance, accept anyone from any part of the world, either personally or through His bona fide manifestation as the spiritual master. Lord Caitanya accepted many devotees from communities other than the varṇāśramites, and He Himself declared, to teach us, that He does not belong to any caste or social order of life, but that He is the eternal servant of the servant of the Lord who maintains the damsels of Vṛndāvana (Lord Kṛṣṇa) [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. That is the way of self-realization.