Chaitanya's Life And Teachings: From his contemporary Begali biography the Chaitanya-charit-amritaKṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmi
Religion
Chaitanya's Life And Teachings: From his contemporary Begali biography the Chaitanya-charit-amrita
Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmi
Chaitanya, 1486-1534; Hinduism
The Master said, "Long have you made me dance, now leave it off. Dine
with Mukunda and Haridas." Then the Acharya broke his fast with those
two, to his heart's content. The people of Shantipur, hearing of the
Master's arrival, flocked to gaze on His feet. In joy they cried "Hari!
Hari!" and wondered at His beauty. His fair complexion, which eclipsed
the Sun in splendour, was set off by his red robe. Endless streams of
people came and went throughout the day. At dusk the Acharya began a
_sankirtan_; he danced, while the Master gazed on. Goswámi Nityánanda
danced hand in hand with the Acharya, and Haridas behind them. This song
accompanied their dance:
_"How shall I speak of my bliss to-day?
The Beloved (Krishna) has entered my temple for ever!"_
With perspiration, thrill, tears of joy, shout, and roar, they turned
and turned, touching the Master's feet now and then. The Acharya
embraced Him and said "Long did you wander after escaping from me. Now
that I have got you in my house, I shall hold you fast!" So the Achaiya
continued dancing and singing for three hours after nightfall. The
Master was in an attitude of longing as He had not yet gained union with
Krishna, and this separation made His love burn the more fiercely.
Impatiently He fell down on the ground, at which the Acharya stopped his
dance. Mukunda, who knew the Master's heart well, began to sing verses
apt for His passion. The Acharya raised Him to make Him dance. At the
verses, the Master could no longer be held back. He was all tears,
tremour, thrill, sweat, and broken accents,--now rising up, now falling
down, now weeping.
The song: [Radha speaks]
_Woe is me, dear sister, for my present state!_
_The love of Krishna has caught my body and soul like a poison._
_My heart burns day and night; I know no peace._
_O that I could fly where Kanu (Krishna) is to be found!_
Sweetly did Mukunda sing the above ditty, which made the Master's heart
burst, as the emotions of penitence, melancholy, rapture,
frolicsomeness, pride, and humility struggled with it. He was stricken
down by the force of His passion, and lay down breathless on the ground.
The faithful grew alarmed, when lo! He sprang up with a shout, overcome
with ecstasy and saying "Chant, chant, [the name of Hari]." None could
under stand the strong tides of His emotion.
Nityánanda moved on holding Him, while the Acharya and Haridas danced
behind them. Three hours did He pass thus, now joy now sadness surging
in His heart. The dinner had come after five days of fasting; so the
wild dance greatly fatigued Him, but He felt it not to His ecstasy.
Nityánanda held Him back by main force; the Acharya ended the _kirtan_,
and laid the Master in His bed with every care.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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