Caitanya As a Gardener - The Distributor of Divine Fruits
The description of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a gardener is one of the most charming and significant allegories in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the Lord takes on the role of a mālī (gardener) who cultivates the tree of divine love. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this is not a material garden; the Lord planted the bhakti-kalpataru, or the desire tree of devotional service, in Navadvīpa and distributed its fruits without asking for any price.
The Inconceivable Identity
Usually, a gardener is different from the garden he cultivates. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that in the absolute nature of the Lord's pastimes, He is simultaneously the gardener, the tree, the trunk, and the branches. By His inconceivable potency, He acts as the planter to teach humanity the value of bhakti, while also being the very source of that devotion. He watered the root of this tree with His own will, nourishing all the limbs of the movement.
- By His inconceivable powers, the Lord became the gardener, the trunk and the branches simultaneously.
- Thus the Lord brought the desire tree of devotional service to this earth and became its gardener. He sowed the seed and sprinkled upon it the water of His will.
- Although I am acting as a gardener, I also want to be the tree, for thus I can bestow benefit upon all.
The Dilemma of Distribution
The motivating force behind the Lord's activities as a gardener is compassion. The tree of bhakti produced so many fruits that it was impossible for one person to distribute them all. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently cites the Lord's lamentation: "I am the only gardener. How many places can I go?" This statement serves as the foundational mandate for the saṅkīrtana movement. The Lord calls upon everyone to help Him pick and distribute these fruits to the suffering humanity.
- I am the only gardener. How many places can I go? How many fruits can I pick and distribute?
- I am the only gardener. If I do not distribute these fruits, what shall I do with them? How many fruits can I alone eat?
Nourishing the Branches
As the gardener, Lord Caitanya poured the water of His mercy on the root of the tree. This nourishment allowed the main trunks and branches—such as Śrī Advaita Ācārya and Lord Nityānanda—to flourish. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how the gardener's mercy caused the branches of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī to expand amazingly, eventually covering the western countries. However, there is a risk: those who accept the branches (the devotees) but deny the gardener (the Lord) are disconnected from the water of mercy and eventually dry up.
- Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as a gardener, poured water on the root of the bhakti tree and thus nourished all its trunks and branches.
- By the will of the supreme gardener, the branches of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami grew many times over, expanding throughout the western countries and covering the entire region.
- Under the spell of maya, the most unfortunate condition of a living entity, some of the branches, not accepting the gardener (Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) who poured water on them, considered the trunk the only cause of the great bhakti-kalpataru. In other words, the branches or descendants of Advaita Acarya who considered Advaita Acarya the original cause of the devotional creeper, and who thus neglected or disobeyed the instructions of Srī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, deprived themselves of the effect of being watered and thus dried up and died. It is further to be understood that not only the misguided descendants of Advaita Acarya but anyone who has no connection with Caitanya Mahaprabhu—even if he is independently a great sannyasi, learned scholar or ascetic—is like a dead branch of a tree.”
The Gardener's Satisfaction
What is the goal of this gardening? It is not for personal profit, as the Lord states He has neither kingdom nor riches. The gardener's sole satisfaction comes from seeing the general public eat the fruit of love of God. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the beautiful scene where the Gardener smiles with great pleasure upon seeing people chanting, dancing, and rolling on the floor in ecstasy after partaking of these divine fruits.
- The transcendental gardener, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, distributed handful after handful of fruit in all directions, and when the poor, hungry people ate the fruit, the gardener smiled with great pleasure.
- When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the great gardener, sees that people are chanting, dancing and laughing and that some of them are rolling on the floor and some are making loud humming sounds, He smiles with great pleasure.
Conclusion
The pastime of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a gardener is a call to action for all His followers. We are invited to become sub-branches of this great tree and assist the Gardener in His mission. As Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches, by helping distribute these fruits, we not only please the Gardener but also help nourish the entire world with the nectar of bhakti.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Caitanya As a Gardener. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.