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
Not to speak of the people, even Jagannáth himself wondered at the
dancing of the Master, stopped his car, and gazed at the dance with
winkless eyes. Subhadra and Balarám smiled in delight at the sight of
the dance. A strange change came over the Master while dancing with all
His might: all the eight spiritual phases (_sátwik bháb_) manifested
themselves at the same time. His hair stood on end, with their roots in
the skin bulging out, like a _Shimul_ tree girt round with thorns. His
teeth clashed together fearfully, as if they would be dislocated. Blood
and sweat ran over His body. He lisped _ja--ja--ga--ga_ inarticulately.
His eyes poured down tears like syringes, and moistened the men around.
Fair was His complexion, at times turning into rosy, at times resembling
the _Malliká_ flower. At times He stood inert, at times He rolled on
the ground; at times motionless like a dry wood, at other times
prostrate on the ground and breathing faintly, to the alarm of His
_bhaktas_. At times water oozed out of His eyes and nostrils and foam
out of His mouth,--as the moon sheds bubbles of nectar. Shuvánanda, mad
with passion for Krishna, collected and drank up that froth; highly
fortunate was he.
After dancing violently for some time the Master wished to manifest
another mood. Leaving the dance He bade Swarup sing. Swarup, knowing His
taste, began,--
_"I have met the lord of my life, For whose sake I had been withering in
the fire of Cupid."_
Loudly did Swarup sing this burden, while the Master in delight danced
tenderly. Slowly Jagannáth's car moved on, Shachi's son dancing before
it. With eyes fixed on Jagannáth all danced and sang. (At times) the
Master walked behind the car with the party, of _kirtan_ singers,--His
arms making the action of song. When Chaitanya lagged behind, Jagannáth
stopped his car; when the Master walked ahead the god propelled his car
slowly. Thus did the two urge each other on!
In the course of dancing another change of mood came over the Master:
with uplifted arms He loudly recited the following stanza.
(_Kavya-prakash_, I. canto 4 and also _Padávali_ c. 380).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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