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
Thus did the Master play at dining out. After His morning bath He
visited Jagannáth, where He danced and sang with His followers, now
bidding Adwaita dance, now Nityánanda, Haridas, Achyutánanda, Vakreshwar
or some other bhakta. Thrice in the day did He sing _kirtan_ in the
Gundicha garden, imagining that Krishna had come to Brindában and that
the period of separation was over. Cherishing in His heart the idea that
Krishna was then dallying with Radha there, He remained absorbed in that
emotion (of gratification), acting in many gardens the feats of Krishna
at Brindában, disporting in the tank of Indradyumna, splashing His
_bhaktas_ with water, while they splashed Him from all sides, now
forming one circle, now many, and clapping their hands while croaking
like frogs. Sometimes a pair of them wrestled in the water, the Master
looking on to see who would win. Adwaita and Nityánanda tried to
overwhelm each other with water; the former was beaten and vented his
feelings in abuse. Vidyanidhi struggled with Swarup, Shribas with
Gadadhar, Raghav Pandit with Vakreshwar, Sárvabhauma with Rámánanda Ray.
The gravity of the last two disappeared and they became boys again!
Seeing their excitement the Master smiled and said to Gopinath Acharya,
"Both are grave scholars and venerable men, but they are acting like
wild boys. Stop them." Gopinath replied, "When the ocean of your grace
surges up, a single drop of it can easily drown tall mountains like Meru
and Mandár, what to speak of these two small stones? It is thy grace
only that has given the nectar of _lilá_ to one whose life was formerly
spent in chewing the dry husks of logical disputation." Laughing, the
Master brought Adwaita there and made him lie on his back on the water
like the _Shesha_ serpent, while He Himself reclined on him (like
Vishnu). Thus did He act the _lilá_ of Vishnu reposing on the serpent.
Adwaita, putting forth his strength, began to float on the water bearing
the Master.
After disporting in the water for some time He returned with His
followers to the _Ai-totá_. At the Acharya's house He dined with His
leading followers. The _prasád_ brought by Vaninath served to feed the
other followers. In the evening He visited the god and danced before
him, and at night returned to the garden to sleep.
In the garden, in company with His _bhaktas_ He sported as at
Brindában. The trees and creepers blossomed at His sight, the bee and
the black-bird sang, the zephyr blew. Under each tree He danced, Vasudev
Datta alone singing. Each (_bhakta_) sang under a different tree;
Chaitanya alone danced in supreme rapture. Then He bade Vakreshwar
dance, while He sang. Swarup and other _kirtaniás_ joined the Master in
singing, forgetful of all else in the vehemence of their love.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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