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
His devotional cry pierced the heart of the Muslim, who in fear released
the five, so that the Master saw not the captivity of His followers.
Bhattáchárya held and seated the Master, who became aware of the things
around Him when He saw the Muslims. The Pathans bowed at His feat and
charged the five with having poisoned Him with _dhuturá_. But He
replied, "They are not _thugs_, but my companions. I am a begging
hermit, with no wealth to be robbed. Occasionally I fall into epileptic
fits, when these five kindly nurse me." One of the Muslims, a grave man
clad in black and called a Pin, was melted at heart on seeing the
Master. He propounded monotheism and one common God, on the basis of his
holy book (_viz._, the _Quran_). But the Master refuted all his
propositions by arguments based on the Muslim scripture, till the man
was silenced. The Master continued, "Your scripture establishes one
common God [in the beginning] and refuting that theory sets up in the
end a particular God, who is full of all powers, dark of hue, the
embodiment of _sat_, _chit_ and _ananda_, the perfect Spirit, the soul
of all, all-pervading, eternal, the self of every thing, the source of
creation life and destruction, the refuge of all universes whether gross
or fine, the most excellent, adorable by all, the first cause of
everything. Men are saved by faith in Him,, and freed from the bondage
of the world only by serving Him. Delight in Him is the supreme human
attainment, while salvation can give only a particle of that bliss. The
highest beatitude comes only from serving His feet. After first
insisting on work, knowledge and mental abstraction, these are then set
aside and the service of God is laid down as the final duty. Your
theologians have no knowledge of their own scriptures; they forget that
where there are two injunctions, the latter is sronger. Decide after
studying your own holy books, and see what is laid down as the final
conclusion."
The Muslim replied, "True are your words. Men cannot realize God as
described in the scriptures. They discourse on the abstract God
(_Gosáin_); nobody thinks of adoring the incarnate God. You are such,
God's own self. Have mercy on me, unworthy sinner! Much have I read, but
cannot ascertain the _sádhya_ and _sádhan_ from the Muslim scriptures.
At the sight of you my tongue utters Krishna's name, and I have been
cured of my proud confidence in my own knowledge. Tell me graciously
what are _sádhya_ and _sádhan_." So saying he fell at the Master's
feet, who said, "Rise! In repeating Krishna's name you have been washed
pure from the sins of million births. Say _Krishna! Krishna!_" They
chanted the name and were filled with rapture. The Master renamed him
Rámdás.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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