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
After a time the Master came back to His senses. The priest of the
Tortoise did Him great reverence. This happened everywhere that He went.
In that village a Vaidik Brahman named Kurma, very reverently invited
the Master, brought Him home, washed His feet, and with his whole family
drank the washing of His feet; then he lovingly fed the Master with many
kinds of dishes, and they all partook of the leavings. He praised the
Master thus: "Thy lotus-like feet, which Brahma himself adores, have
come to my house. O my boundless good fortune! To-day my birth, race,
and faith have been glorified. Lord, have mercy on me and take me with
Thee! I cannot bear the sorrows of this worldly life." But the Master
replied, "Say not so! Stay at home and recite Krishna's name
ceaselessly. Teach Krishna's lore to whomsoever you meet with. At my
bidding be thou an apostle and save this land! The world will never
entangle you, but you will see me here again."
Every one at whose house He dined, made this request, and received this
charge from the Master. Everywhere in His pilgrimage, till the return to
Puri, it was exactly what He did at the Tortoise temple.
The night spent there, next morning, the Master bathed and resumed His
journey; the Brahman Kurma followed Him long, but at last the Master
persuaded him to return home. A high-minded Brahman named Vasudev, was
covered with leprosy, but as the maggots dropped from his rotting limbs
he used to pick them up and restore them to their places. [3] At night
he heard of Chaitanya's arrival, and next morning went to Kurma's house
to see Him; on hearing that the Master was gone, he fell down in a
faint, and lamented in many ways. Just then the Master returned,
embraced him, and lo! his leprosy as well as grief was gone at the touch
and his body became sound and beautiful! He marvelled at the Master's
grace and clasped His feet and praised Him by repeating the verse in the
_Bhágabat_ X. lxxxi. 14, (Rukmini's message sent to Krishna by the
mouth of a Brahman).
Long did he thank the Master, saying, "Listen, Gracious One! No man has
your virtue. Even wretches fled from me at the stench of my body. But
thou, Supreme Lord, hast touched me! Better for me my former state of
misery, because henceforth my heart will swell with pride." The Master
soothed him saying, "No, you will not be puffed up. Ever take Krishna's
name and save men by teaching them about Krishna. Soon will Krishna
accept you".
So saying the Master vanished. The two Brahmans wept with joy at His
grace, clasping each other by the neck. [Text, canto 7.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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