Shri Chaitanya Chandrodaya
BY: SUN STAFF
Feb 06, 2012 — CANADA (SUN) — The last in a presentation of The Rising of the Moon of Lord Shri Chaitanya by Shrila Kavi Karnapura.
ACT TEN – MAHA-MAHOTSAVA
A Very Great Festival, Part Three
176 Kasi Misra: The Lord's anguish in separation is very hard for the devotees to bear. (He looks again) Now the festival of dancing is over. Now the devotees are taking Lord Chaitanya to His home.
177 King: Now all will be well. At some time the Lord will perform His regular activities. O Misra, now you may go to the Lord. I will stay here and sleep for a moment.
178 Kasi Misra: As you order. (He exits).
179 King: Misra has gone. Now may I sleep. (He sleeps and then wakes up). Ah! Now it is sunrise.
180 The sun and moon are now rising together on the eastern horizon. Shining very sweetly and splendidly, they have both appeared before my eyes. (He looks in all directions).
181 A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Ah! It is very wonderful. His bodily hairs standing erect in transcendental bliss, each morning Lord Advaita worships Lord Chaitanya with arghya, scents, tulasi leaves, flowers and other offerings. Smiling, Lord Chaitanya forcibly takes the articles of worship in His own hands and, speaking sweet words, worships Advaita's face. Advaita then takes the articles of worship back in His lotus hands. In this way, day after day, Advaita comes, eager to worship Lord Chaitanya. By the sight, touch, friendly words, and merciful sidelong glance of Lord Chaitanya, who is an ocean of transcendental virtues, all of Shrinatha's desires become fulfilled.
182 King: Is it Tulasi Misra, the temple-superintendent, speaking these words? He walks very quickly. Let me listen to what he says.
183 Tulasi Misra: (enters) O king, Lord Jagannatha's Rathayatra festival is near. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is now very eager to clean the Gundica temple.
184 King: Very good. That makes me very happy. What is the Lord's order?
185 Tulasi: Kasi Misra has already carried out His order.
186 King: What was that?
187 Tulasi: His order is there should be more water-pots than men cleaning.
188 King: That is all?
189 Tulasi Misra: What else would He need?
190 (Tumultuous sounds from Behind the Scenes)
Tulasi Misra: O king, look! Look! With His own hand Lord Chaitanya anoints each devotee with sandal paste and places a Jagannatha-prasadam flower-garland on each pair of shoulders. Holding the cleaning instruments, His hands are like new sprouts on the tree of transcendental bliss. He walks with the gracefulness of a maddened elephant.
191 Blissfully shouting, armoured with bodily hairs erect in ecstasy, carrying water-weapons of their tears, victorious in their war with repeated birth and death, and riding on chariots of desire pulled by horses of transcendental bliss, the soldiers have come.
192 King: Fie on my being a king! When will I become one of these followers of Lord Chaitanya? O Tulasi Misra, how will I hear all about these blissful pastimes?
193 Tulasi Misra: I have a servant who will see all these pastimes and soon return here.
194 King: This will give me great happiness, great happiness.
195 (A man hastily enters and bows down before the king).
Man: O king, I saw everything, and now I have come.
196 King: Speak.
197 Man: O king, listen carefully. After with His own soft hands personally cleaning the Gundica temple with all His devotees, and after sweeping out all the dust and cobwebs, spotted with dirt, Lord Chaitanya seemed like a golden, spotted moon.
198 When a place on the wall was beyond the reach of His hands, He climbed on the shoulder of a devotee, saying, with a voice like thunder, "Don't be afraid." Lifting His eyes, in this way He washed the walls and the altar.
199 Gathering it in the upturned edge of His outer garment, He threw dirt and dust outside. He earnestly cleaned where other hands could not reach. His friends encouraged Him to sweetly sing and He also encouraged them to sing with great joy.
200 King: Then? Then?
201 Man: Then the Lord cleaned the Mula-mandapa, Bhoga-mandapa and Jagan-mohana rooms. Some devotees drew buckets of water from a well. They handed the buckets to others, who handed them to others, who handed them still others. In this way the devotees formed a chain by which full buckets travelled in one direction and empty buckets in the other.
202 By the order of the Lord some intelligent devotees poured water on the altar. Some poured water on the wall with their hands, some poured water on the Lord's lotus feet, with cupped hands some drank that water, and some poured that water over their heads.
203 King: Then? Then?
204 Man: When everything had been washed perfectly clean, the devotees dried everything inside the temple with their own clothing. When the inside of the temple was clean the devotees began to clean the courtyard.
205 Accompanied by the devotees, the Lord began accumulating pebbles and grains of dirt, placing it all on His cloth. When the Lord said, "Let us see who can collect the most dirt", everyone began to work with great enthusiasm. As they worked in this way, everyone's heart became filled with devotional love, and they began a great kirtana chanting Lord Krishna's holy name.
206 Glory to the blissful sounds of the chanting of the holy name, which agitated all the beautiful doe-eyed girls on earth, stopped the sun in its course, made the demigoddesses of the four direction tremble, stopped the wind, made King Indra shed tears from his thousands of eyes, made the seven sages perspire, filled Dhruva Maharaja with joy, and interrupted the meditations of Lord Brahma.
207 Then Lord Gaura Hari began gracefully to dance and He induced Lord Advaita's good son Gopala dasa to dance also. As He danced, Gopala became overcome with ecstatic happiness, and He suddenly fell to the ground dead. Lord Advaita began to lament bitterly, but when Lord Chaitanya placed His hand on Gopala dasa and brought him back to life, the kirtana suddenly exploded with a great tumult of the chanting of the holy name.
208 King: Alas! I am very unfortunate. I did not see any of these pastimes.
209 Man: Then the Lord cleansed the Nrsimha temple, then He enjoyed water sports with the devotees in the Indradyumna Lake, and then they all rested in a nearby flower-garden. After that Vaninatha Pattanayaka brought Bhagavat-prasadam and they all honoured it.
210 A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Tomorrow, Lord Jagannatha will create a great festival for everyone's eyes by again revealing His handsome face. This thought has created a great festival of happiness in everyone's heart.
211 King: O maha-patra, this must be Kasi Misra speaking to Lord Chaitanya. Please go now and see that this great festival for the eyes is nicely performed.
212 Tulasi Misra: As you order. (He exits).
213 (Kasi Misra enters).
Kasi Misra: Ah! It will be very sweet. With Kasisvara clearing a way through the crowd in front, with Govinda happily following behind, and with Paramananda Puri and Svarupa at His sides, Lord Chaitanya will go to what will be a great festival for His eyes.
214 King: Ah, Misra is now talking to his own mind. That is why he does not even see me here.
215 Kasi Misra: (looking to the left) Ah, here are the three decorated chariots. Here is Lord Jagannatha's chariot. Beautifully decorated with thousands of mirrors and camara wisks, Lord Jagannatha's great splendid chariot delights the eyes.
216 (Looking ahead) Ah! How has the king come here? (He approaches) Glory, glory to the king! O king, here you will see Lord Jagannatha ascend His chariot. Then, when the bathing of Lord Jagannatha is ended, you will directly serve Him.
217 King: I do not desire to serve Lord Jagannatha on His chariot as much as I yearn to see the dancing of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
218 Kasi Misra: an hour and a half after Lord Jagannatha has ascended the chariot, Lord Chaitanya will begin to dance.
219 King: (reflecting) If I am able to see the bliss of Lord Chaitanya's dancing my heart will never tire of seeing it. It will not be very easy for me to see it. He is surrounded by His devotees, and I have no power to enter among them. How will I see Lord Chaitanya's dancing? If I take shelter of His mercy, I will be able to see His pastimes of dancing.
220 Kasi Misra: O king, the palace guard says the queens ask to see the dancing of Lord Chaitanya.
221 King: They may easily see it. It will make their eyes and life successful.
222 Kasi Misra: Hurry. The tumultuous sounds mean Lord Jagannatha has ascended His chariot.
223 King: So be it.
224 Kasi Misra: Now I must go to the Lord. (They both exit).
225 (Accompanied by the palace guard, the queens enter the palace roof).
Palace Guard: O queens, look! Taking the eyes and minds of everyone with Him, Lord Jagannatha has now ascended His chariot as Lord Gaura Hari stands on the path before Him. Everyone's eyes and minds have at once turned from Lord Jagannatha to Lord Chaitanya. This proves the statement of sastra "baliyan parah". (The second one is stronger).
226 Glory to golden-complexioned Lord Chaitanya who, surrounded by three rings of devotees, is like the whorl of a blossoming thousand-petalled lotus flower.
227 (The queens gaze at Him and then bow down to offer respect).
228 Palace Guard: O queens, look! Look! Kasisvara is the leader of the devotees outside the three circles, Govinda is the leader of the devotees who comprise the circles, in the centre of the circles Svarupa shines like a glistening jewel, and Paramananda Puri stands right before Lord Chaitanya.
229 (looks again) Ah! It is very wonderful. The devotees have woven the circles so tightly around Lord Chaitanya that the king cannot see Him. The king yearns to see Lord Chaitanya with his own eyes. With his arms the king now pushes Haricandana's shoulder.
230 Queens: The king hopes in this way to see the Lord.
231 Palace Guard: (looks for a moment) Oh! This is madness! Shrivasa was blocking the path before the king's eyes. Haricandana gently pushed Shrivasa with his hand, and then Shrivasa became angry and slapped Haricandana. Now the king is speaking sweet words to pacify them both.
232 Queens: Who is Haricandana in comparison to these great devotees?
233 Palace Guard: Look! Look! Lord Chaitanya dances enthusiastically. Now He has fallen to the ground. Now the anxious devotees surround Him. They extend their arms to pick Him up.
234 Queens: Now we see it.
235 Palace Guard: Look! One moment Lord Chaitanya leaps as a lion, and the next moment, tossed by the waves of transcendental bliss, He dances as a circling firebrand.
236 Now Svarupa, the leader of the close devotees who know the Lord's heart, sings a song about the intense love in the Lord's heart. Now golden Lord Chaitanya has become like the personification of Svarupa's song. Shedding tears, his voice choked, his body trembling, perspiring, and fainting, and His bodily hairs standing up, the Lord dances without stopping.
237 Queens: These symptoms of ecstatic love are a great wonder.
238 Palace Guard: Look! Lord Chaitanya is tossed by the high waves of the bliss of ecstatic love. Now He falls unconscious. Tears and mucous stream from Him. He seems to have stopped breathing. Only the sight of His splendid golden form keeps the hopes of His friends alive.
239 Queens: The Lord has not died. He is alive. Otherwise how could the devotees peacefully gaze upon Him?
240 Palace Guard: (looking for a moment) Ah! He is alive! He is alive! The hairs on His body stand erect, tears stream from His eyes, saliva flows from His mouth, and the breath again runs to His lips. In all directions everyone shouts with joy. The Lord has given up His unconsciousness. He has again awakened His heart.
241 Queens: Wonderful! Now we are brought back to life! Now we are alive again!
242 Palace Guard: (looking again) Ah! It is wonderful! The same song that made the Lord unconscious has now awakened Him. What is this mantra-song that makes Him conscious and unconscious?
243 The Lord was violently tossed by the great waves of the bliss of ecstatic love produced by His wild dancing. It is these waves, and not the song, that caused Lord Chaitanya to faint, and then awaken.
244 Ah! How sweet is the pure love of Svarupa! Seeing that Lord Chaitanya has become unconscious, overcome by waves of ecstasy, anxious Svarupa sits beside Him, places his hand in the Lord's hand, and lifts Him up.
245 (looking again) Ah! Ah! Lord Jagannatha rides in His chariot so He can display His love for Lord Gaurachandra. Tears streaming from His eyes, Lord Chaitanya dances in ecstasy before Lord Jagannatha. Alas! I am very unfortunate, for at that moment these two Lords did not directly enter the pathway of my eyes. The king is coming now. Let us go. (The Palace Guard exits with the queens).
246 (The king and Kasi Misra enter).
King: Now the Rathayatra festival is completed. One Lord is seated in the Gundica Temple and the other Lord is sitting in a nearby garden. In a single moment these two Lords have both entered the hearts of the devotees.
247 O Kasi Misra, on the day of Hera-pancami, goddess Laksmi-devi will celebrate a very wonderful prayana-yatra. Now that Rathayatra is over, please take the camaras and parasols from the Deity's storehouse and take whatever is needed from my treasury, and make this hera-pancami festival a great sweet nectar to fill the devotees' eyes with wonder.
248 Kasi Misra: As you order.
249 King: Please begin at once. I am going to the palace. (He exits).
250 Kasi Misra: (aside) I wonder what pastimes Advaita Acarya and all the great devotees of the Lord have been enjoying in the garden? Let me see. (He happily looks into the garden named Jagannatha-vallabha). Ah! Here is Shri Krishna Chaitanya Himself.
251 Tomorrow, the day after, the day after that, the day after that, and the day after that. Advaita and the other devotees will happily accept alms at my home. Still, now I must go and make arrangements for the hera-pancami festival. (He exits).
252 (Enter Shri Krishna Chaitanya, accompanied by Advaita Acarya and the other devotees).
Shri Krishna Chaitanya: Svarupa, although Lord Jagannatha enjoys pastimes in Dvaraka, on the pretext of going to Gundica to enjoy pastimes in these gardens, which are all replicas of Shri Vrndavana, every year He leaves Nilacala and goes to Sundaracala. Why does He leave goddess Laksmi behind?
253 Svarupa: Lord, the answer to Your question is: In Vrndavana He does not enjoy pastimes with goddess Laksmi. In Vrndavana He enjoys pastimes with the gopis.
254 Shri Krishna Chaitanya: Still, Laksmi-devi becomes very angry.
255 Svarupa: That is the nature of a woman in love. I don't see anything wrong there.
256 (From Behind the scenes comes the sound of a large band playing).
Everyone: (listening) Ah! These four days have passed like a single moment. This is the Hera-pancami festival.
257 Shri Krishna Chaitanya: This is the festival of goddess Laksmi's jealous anger. Let us see it.
258 Everyone: So be it.
(Everyone goes to a place where they can easily see the festival).
259 (Sounds of "jaya jaya" come from behind the scenes).
260 Svarupa: (looking) Lord, is this the deity of jealous anger personified? No. This is goddess Laksmi, who, surrounded by transcendental companions always chanting her many glories, now goes to see Lord Jagannatha. Her heart is filled with ferocious anger. She is very expert at pastimes of jealous anger.
261 Paramananda Puri: Svarupa, it's true. Look! It's wonderful! Goddess Laksmi is surrounded by a host of flags like two thousand regal serpents' tongues licking the ten directions. The sky is filled with a host of camaras like a flock of swans and white parasols like a forest of white lotuses.
262 Now that there are clouds of incense smoke like monsoon clouds everywhere, deep thunder of many drums, and white arches standing as pairs of graceful cranes, the peacocks are madly dancing.
263 Advaita: Many heavenly damsels more qualified and beautiful than Rambha dance before her, and many maid servants bearing fans, boxes of betel nuts, and golden jewel pitchers, surround her.
264 She rides on a jewelled golden palanquin. Her natural beauty is now twisted with jealousy. She is blind with anger and her heart is broken. She is proud and arrogant as her father, the ocean of milk.
265 Svarupa: (joking) Ah! She is expert in the art of jealous anger.
266 Shri Chaitanya: What is her skill in jealous anger?
267 Svarupa: Whatever skill in jealous anger exists, she possesses it.
268 Shri Chaitanya: That may be, still we will hear about it.
269 Svarupa: Once, when Lord Krishna, the prince of Vraja, had offended His beloved, she replied: "Why do You fall at my feet? I am not angry. You have not offended me. There is no reason for me to be angry with You, for You have not offended me. O prince of Gokula, I am not really qualified to be Your beloved. You should find a more qualified girl. You are now free to find her." This is skill in jealous anger.
270 In the following words Lord Krishna Himself describes His beloved's jealous anger: "I had come from far away. With her own hand She gave Me a seat. I smiled and conversed with her and she spoke very sweetly in reply. I partially rose from My seat. I embraced her. She embraced Me in return. Even though she was angry with Me, because she is so gentle she concealed the anger in her heart."
271 Shri Krishna Chaitanya: This second example is sweeter than the first.
272 Shrivasa: (joking) How can the gopis ever possess opulence like this? Her opulence makes her proud. Ah! Look at the glory of her pride! Laksmi's maid servants have now arrogantly arrested the principal servants of Lord Jagannatha, bound them at the waist, dragged them along, and thrown them at the feet of their queen as if they were common thieves. I have heard of a master being punished for the crime of his servant, but this, the opposite, is very wonderful and surprising.
273 Svarupa: (to Shrivasa) O pandita, look! Look at the skill of your queen! Why do Laksmi's servants beat the inanimate chariot? Lord Jagannatha said, "I will return before long". Why is Laksmi so angry?
274 Shrivasa: Svami, that is a queen's nature.
275 Shri Chaitanya: Shrivasa, you are like Narada, and therefore you like the Lord's pastimes at Dvaraka, and the opulences there please you. You, Svarupa, are fond of Vrndavana, and the blissful pastimes there please you.
276 Advaita: Lord, it is only by the mercy of Your lotus feet that persons like Myself are fortunate that these great festivals enter the pathway of our eyes.
277 Shri Chaitanya: What more may I do to please You?
278 Advaita: What more may You do to please Me? Lord, You have revealed the most confidential pastimes of Lord Krishna. You have crushed the age of Kali, and You have described the secret meaning of devotional service in pure love of Krishna. You have brought all auspiciousness to the devotees expert at relishing the mellows of transcendental pastimes. You have openly revealed the ecstatic pure devotional love felt by Shri Radha, the crest jewel of all the gopis.
279 I have one request, I think material piety, economic development and sense-gratification worthless and insignificant. I don't want impersonal liberation. I only want that in the next life I may have the association of Your devotees.
280 Shri Chaitanya: So be it. I will go to Vrndavana and there I will accept you as My associates and with My sweet pastimes I will fill your hearts with bliss. To you who have faith in Vrndavana I will give splendid spiritual forms like My own. That is what I will do for you.
281 Those of you whose hearts are bound to Me in this form of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, even if your rasas are friendship or servitude to Shri Shri Radha-Madhava or Lord Dvarakadhisa, or if your rasas are friendship or servitude to any of My other incarnations, I will make into My eternally liberated associates in Goloka Vrndavana.
282 Advaita: So be it. By Your desire may You give us all different eternal forms and different eternal residences. We will eternally remember Your wonderful transcendental pastimes.
283 I pray that until the end of the kalpa poets may write books about Your transcendental pastimes, and actors may act in plays narrating Your pastimes. May the saintly devotees see and hear these plays. When the wicked see and hear these plays may they become free of envy and filled with happiness, and when the kings of this world see and hear them may they become filled with devotion for Your lotus feet and inspired to always protect their subjects.
284 The Lord: So be it.
(Exit all)
Epilogue
1 By the mercy of Lord Chaitanya, this poem is now completed. Blessed by goddess Sarasvati, I have now completed my glorification of the descent of Lord Chaitanya.
May the saintly devotees take pleasure in listening to this play. I offer my respectful obeisances to them all. May they who are not devotees not be able to understand my description of these transcendental pastimes
2 By the mercy of the Lord I have written of Lord Chaitanya's pastimes as far as I have seen or heard of them and as far as my intelligence permits. Now that, alas, alas, the circle of Lord Chaitanya's dear intimate associates has become only a memory for us, who hears of His pastimes? Who understands them? I pray that Lord Krishna may become pleased with these words glorifying His pastimes.
3 People like us, who have personally seen the great devotees of the Lord, received their mercy, understood the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and are filled with love for Him, will never die. If we die we will not take birth again in this material world. If we do not take birth here again, then what can death do to us? O most auspicious destiny that awaits us, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you.
4 Lord Chaitanya, who brought auspiciousness to the entire universe, appeared in this world in the year 1407 Saka (A.D. 1485), and this book, which describes His transcendental pastimes, came from the mouth of a certain devotee in the year 1490 Saka (A.D. 1568).
