Song 4

(Mārahāṭī raga-Diśā)

Refrain: Lord Hari, who was the two Rāmas, and who is now the moon among the brāhmaṇas, is my very life.

62. First I will tell a wonderful story, the story of how Advaita Gosāī offered obeisances to Lord Gaura when the Lord was still an unborn child in his mother’s womb.

63. Accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the three worlds, was born on the earth.

64. The Lord’s mother and father happily performed His anna-prāśana (first grain) and nāma-kāraṇa (name-giving) ceremonies for their son.

65. Now I will describe the boy-Lord’s pastimes. Even when He wore now anklets, the people still heard the sound of tinkling anklets on His feet.

66. He would touch unclean things. Then He would speak bewildering words of philosophy.

67. To test His powers, the village ladies asked Him to bring a coconut. Very quickly He brought it.

68. The Lord played with a puppy. Seeing this, everyone was pleased.

69. Murārī Gupta saw that boy playing on the street with His friends.

70. With His friends the boy sang the names of Lord Harī and danced. Seeing this, everyone became blissful at heart.

71. The father placed a piece of writing chalk in the boy’s hand. Anyone who hears this pastime finds that sufferings and inauspiciousness flee far away.

72. Please carefully listen as I tell how the boy Viśvambhara played with His brother Viśvarūpa.

73. Those two brothers were like Indra and Vāmana. I will tell these stories and you will hear them.

74. I will tell how Visvarupa accepted sannyasa and how Visvambhara consoled His mother and father.

75. I will describe Viśvambhara’s pastimes, how He played with the other boys and how He did mischief.

76. The boys would meet and play on the Gaṅgā’s sandy banks. Once the Lord’s father followed the footprints he saw in the sand.

77. Seeing his son there, the Lord’s father bacame unhappy at heart. Taking Him home, the father loudly rebuked his son.

78. Later, the Lord gave His mercy in a dream. I will tell all these stories. Please hear them with a single heart.

79. With a joyful heart I will tell of the Lord’s karṇavedha (ear-piercing), cūḍā-karaṇa (hair-cutting), and upavīta (sacred thread) ceremonies.

80. When His childhood ended, the Lord’s teenage years entered. Day by day, the Lord’s spiritual Love became more completely manifest.

81. Then He studied at His teacher’s house. He would make fun of the way people spoke in East Bengal.

82. He commanded His mother to observe ekādaśī. At the proper times I will describe many things.

83. At that time Jagannātha Miśra went to the other world. Stricken with grief, the Lord wept for His father.

84. I will tell many other wonderful stories. I will tell of the shoreless ocean of bliss at the Lord’s wedding.

85. Please hear how The Lord and His bride secretly exchanged glances at the Gaṅgā’s bank. I must tell that story.

86. I will tell how the Lord traveled to East Bengal and how Lakṣmīpriyā ascended to the spiritual world.

87. Returning to West Bengal, the Lord married again, taught His students, and traveled to Gayā.

88. One by one I will tell all these stories. Everyone please hear them. You will taste many blisses. Please do not turn away.

89. I will tell how the Lord returned to West Bengal, manifested ecstatic spiritual love, and was always plunged in the nectar of the spiritual rasas.

90. O my brothers, the stories in this book’s Madhyakha ṇḍa are filled with many blisses. They are filled with nectar. When you hear them, the hairs on your bodies will stand erect.

91. By telling these stories to the devotees, I will feel ecstatic love. Even before I tell them I feel joy arise in my heart.

92. O my brothers, the stories of Madhya-khaṇḍa describe the Lord’s pastimes in Nadīyā. These pastimes, where the Lord preached the religion of ecstatic love, are like flooding streams of nectar.

93. The Lord manifested very wonderful pastimes. In the four yugas no devotee had heard of such wonders.

94. In the Madhya-khaṇḍa I will tell these wonderful stories of the Lord’s pastimes in Nadīyā, of the Lord’s preaching the religion of devotional service.

95. I will tell how every day the devotees would gather together. I know how to describe those pastimes.

96. First I will tell how Śacī attained the gift of ecstatic love. I will tell how, walking on the street, the Lord heard flute music.

97. Then the Lord was overcome with ecstatic love, and then a divine voice suddenly spoke from the sky.

98. Being kind to Murārī Gupta, the Lord assumed the role of Varāha. Brahmā and the demigods saw the Lord assume that role.

99. Then Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī attained ecstatic love. I will tell all these stories. Please hear them with all attention.

100. By the Lord’s mercy Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita was overcome with ecstatic love. Day and night he wept.

101. One by one the Lord gave ecstatic love to everyone. I will tell all these stories.

102. Being kind to the devotees, the Lord planted a mango seed. Any doubts that may stay in the heart of a person who hears that story will perish.

103. Concealing His original spiritual identity, the Lord manifested ecstatic spiritual love. By following impersonalist jñāna no one can understand Him. He reveals Himself to His own associates.

104-108. Then I will tell the wonderful stories of the first sight of Lord Nityānanda, the first meeting with Haridāsa, the first meeting of Advaita Acārya and Lord Nityānanda, how Jagāī and Mādhāī were delivered, how the Lord was merciful to a brāhmaṇa and his son, how the lord was a merciful to a person singing Lord Śiva’s glories, how the Lord became unhappy to hear a brāhmāna’s misdeeds, and how the Lord then jumped into the Gaṅgā. Anyone in the three worlds who hears these stories will feel his heart tremble.

109. You will also hear the wonderful story of how the Lord cleaned a temple.

110. You will hear many very wonderful stories. The Lord cured a leper. That was very wonderful.

111. I will tell the stroy of Lord Gaura assuming the mood of Lord Balarāma. All who hear that story feel endless bliss.

112. At Candraśekhara’s house the Lord manifested ecstatic love that cast a shadow over the land and sky.

113. I will tell many secrets, the secrets of the Lord’s wonderful renunciation.

114. Seeing Keśava Bhāratī in Nadīyā-nagara, the Lord felt joy in His heart. Then He decided to accept sannyāsa.

115. At this all the devotees grieved. Śacī and Viṣṇupriyā lept into an ocean of grief.

116. To accept sannyāsa, the Lord left Navadvīpa. With Keśava Bhāratī’s help, He accepted sannyāsa.

117. I will tell these stories in detail. Then Lord Gaura went to Lord Advaita Acārya’s house.

118. Then comes the story of the Lord meeting the devotees. Comforting everyone, the Lord began His travels.

119. Then the Lord went to see Jagannatha Purī. Then Then I will tell the confidential story of the Lord’s pastimes at Remuṇā-grāma.

120. One by one I will tell of the Lord’s pastimes as He traveled on the path. Anyone who hears these stories will become filled with bliss and love.

121. I must tell the stories of the Lord’s secret pastimes at Ekāmra-nagara on His way to Yājapura.

122. With a single heart you will hear the story of Lord Gaura seeing Lord Jagannātha and the story of Lord Gaura revealing His true identity to Sārvabhauma.

123. O my brothers, this Madhya-khaṇḍa is sweeter than nectar. Then I will speak the Śeṣa-khaṇḍa. Please hear it also.

124. At Madhya-khaṇḍa’s end, Lord Gaura manifests ecstatic spiritual love. With a blissful heart Locana dāsa speaks these words.