Introduction to chapter 10

This chapter describes Śrī Viśvambhara’s scholastic pastimes in the assembly of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, His exchange of joking words with Murāri Gupta, His marriage with Lakṣmīdevī, the daughter of Vallabhācārya, and Śacīdevī’s experience of various opulences in her house after the arrival of her daughter-in-law.

After finishing His morning duties, Nimāi Paṇḍita and other students came and sat in Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita’s classes and debated with each other. Those who did not want to study under Nimāi were not supported by Him; rather, He showed them the bad results of studying independent of His guidance. Observing that Murāri Gupta was not studying under His guidance, Nimāi once jokingly told him that it was better for him to treat patients than to study grammar. In this way He tried to arouse his anger.

Rather than becoming angry, Murāri, who is a plenary portion of Rudra, challenged Nimāi to test his knowledge. The debate between the Lord and His servant began. The Lord was greatly pleased to hear the explanations of Murāri, who by the Lord’s mercy was most learned, and placed His lotus hand on the body of Murāri. At that time Murāri’s body was filled with ecstasy and he thought, “Such extraordinary knowledge is not possible for an ordinary human being. There is no one in all of Navadvīpa as intelligent as He.” He then said, “O Ṭhākura, now I will study only under You.” After sporting in this way, Nimāi went to take bath in the Ganges with His companions and then returned home. Nimāi Paṇḍita and His students established a school in the Caṇḍī-maṇḍapa in the courtyard of the fortunate Mukunda Sañjaya, the resident of Navadvīpa. There Nimāi displayed various pastimes such as establishing His own explanations and refuting other’s explanations. While teaching in this way, Nimāi would proudly boast about His mastery of learning in the following way: “I see that in Kali-yuga those who are devoid of any knowledge of sandhi, or joining words, pass as Bhaṭṭācāryas. At present there is no scholar within Navadvīpa who can answer My challenge.” Meanwhile, considering that Nimāi had attained marriageable age, mother Śacī constantly thought about getting Him married. One day, by providence, Lakṣmīdevī, the personification of the goddess of fortune and daughter of Vallabhācārya, who hailed from a pure cultured brāhmaṇa family, met her Lord, Gaura-Nārāyaṇa, while taking bath in the Ganges and offered obeisances to His lotus feet within her mind. By the will of the Lord, that very day Śrī Vanamālī, a brāhmaṇa matchmaker resident of Navadvīpa, proposed to mother Śacī the marriage of Nimāi with Lakṣmīdevī, the daughter of Vallabha. Not getting any special attention or hope of marriage from mother Śacī, the brāhmaṇa was returning home disappointed when he met Nimāi on the way. After understanding everything from the brāhmaṇa, Nimāi indicated to His mother His consent for the marriage. The next day mother Śacī called that brāhmaṇa and told him to arrange the marriage as soon as possible. The brāhmaṇa happily and immediately went to the house of the bride and informed her family about the consent of the groom’s family, upon which Śrī Vallabhācārya also jubilantly consented, but he declared that due to poverty he was not able to give anything more than five haritakīs as dowry. With the agreement of both the bride and groom’s sides, an auspicious day was selected. One day before the marriage, Vallabhācārya came to Nimāi’s house and at an auspicious moment executed the rituals meant to be performed with one’s son-in-law before marriage. Thereafter, other auspicious Vedic and common rituals were duly performed. On the day of the marriage, at the auspicious time of go-dhūli, or dusk, Nimāi Paṇḍita with His companions arrived at the house of Vallabha and duly accepted the hand of Lakṣmīdevī. The next evening Nimāi returned home with Lakṣmīdevī. Mother Śacī, the mother-in-law of Lakṣmī, along with other brāhmaṇas’ wives, welcomed her daughter-in-law home. From that day on, mother Śacī observed various opulences and wealth such as extraordinary effulgences and fragrances and became overjoyed on understanding that her daughter-in-law was none other than Kamalā, or Lakṣmī. Due to the presence of Śrī Gaura-Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, and His internal potency, Śrī Ramā, who is nondifferent from Śrī Lakṣmī, the house of mother Śacī manifest as Vaikuṇṭha, the abode of pure goodness. Yet at that time, by the supreme will of the Lord, no one could understand the covered pastimes of the Lord.