Chaitanya's Life And Teachings: From his contemporary Begali biography the Chaitanya-charit-amrita — John Shaqi
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
In days gone by Madhav Puri had wandered on to Govardhan, near
Brindában, in his ecstasy heeding not whether it was day or night, and
falling down to the ground without caring what sort of place it was.
After making a circuit of the rock, he came to the Govinda-_kunda_
(pool), bathed, and sat down under a tree in the evening. A Cow-boy came
and held a pail of milk before him, saving with a smile, "Puri! drink
this milk. Why don't you take what you have longed for? What are you
musing on?" The Child's beauty charmed the heart of the Puri, and his
sweet words took away his hunger and thirst. The Puri asked, "Who are
you and where do you live? How did you know that I was fasting?" The Boy
answered, "I am a milk-man of this village. In _my_ village none can
remain fasting. Some beg for rice, some for milk. I convey food to those
who do not beg. The women who had come to draw water saw you, and sent
me with this milk for you. I must be off now to milk my cows, but I
shall come again for my pail." Then the Boy went away and was not seen
again. Madhav Puri wondered, laid the emptied pail down, and began to
pray without sleeping. Towards the end of the night he dozed off into
unconsciousness, and dreamt that the Boy came and led him by the hand to
a bower saying "Here I dwell, suffering much from cold and rain, wind
and sun. Bring the villagers together, remove me from the bower to the
hill-top and there lodge me properly in a monastery. Bathe me profusely
in cold water. Long have I looked forward to the day when Madhav would
come to serve me. Moved by thy love I have accepted thy service, and I
shall appear in the flesh to save the world by my sight. I am Gopal, the
Uplifter of Govardhan Hill. My image was installed by King Bajra,[2] and
is the guardian deity of this place. My attendant, in fear of the
misbelievers, removed me from the hill to this grove for concealment and
then fled. Since then I have been here. It is well that you have come.
Now bring me out carefully." So saying the Boy disappeared. Madhav Puri
awoke, and judging that he had seen Shri Krishna without recognizing
him, he rolled on the ground in a transport of devotion. After some
weeping he calmed his mind and set about to carry out the Lord's
bidding. After his morning bath he went into the village, called the
people together, and said, "The Lord of your village, the Uplifter of
Govardhan, is in a grove. Let us seek him out. The grove is dense and
hard to enter. Take hatchets and spades with yourselves to make a door."
The villagers joyfully accompanied him, and cut an entrance into the
grove, where they found to their joy and wonder the image lying hidden
under earth and grass. Removing the covering they knew (the image). But
it was very heavy, so the strongest men joined together to take it up
the hill. There the idol was placed on a stone seat, with another big
stone at its back as a support. The Brahmans of the village fetched
water from the Govinda-_kunda_ in fresh pots.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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