Song 15

(Varāḍi rāga-Diśā)

Refrain: Lord Gauracandra is my very life!

517. A very blissful day came. The villages of Nadīyā floated in an ocean of bliss.

518. Who has the power to describe even a single sesame seed’s worth of that bliss? No one in the whole material world was fortunate like Śacī and Jagannātha Miśra.

519. One day, accompanied by his friends, Jagannātha Miśra suddenly noticed that his son had become very qualified.

520. In his heart he thought: "My son is nine years old. He is very qualified. At an auspicious moment I will give Him a sacred thread."

521. Returning home, he explained all this to Śacī. Bringing an astrologer to his house, he selected an auspicious day.

522. To his kinsmen he sent invitations that said: "I will give Viśvambhara a sacred thread."

523. To his house Jagannātha Miśra brought Lord Advaita Acārya, who was a famous paṇḍita learned in the Vedas and in the performance of yajña.

524. To the brāhmaṇas Jagannātha Miśra gave betelnuts, sandal, and garlands. Hundreds and hundreds of saintly ladies were anointed with red sindūra.

525. To every guest saintly Śacī gave khadi, bananas, oil, and turmeric.

526. There was a tumultuous sound of "Jaya! Jaya!" and of conchshells sounding. There was a sweet fragrance. At sunset the adhivāsa ceremony was performed.

527. The brāhmaṇas chanted auspicious verses. The poets recited poems. They gave blessings. In this way the ritual was performed.

528. When the night turned into sunrise Jagannātha Miśra gracefully performed the nāndīmukha śrāddha ceremony.

529. He worshiped the brāhmaṇas and offered them pādya and ācamana. Then the time came to begin the yajña.

530. When Śacī-devī brohght her son, wonderful bliss entered the ceremonies.

531. She anointed Lord Viśvambhara’s limbs with oil and turemric and His head with fragrant amalakī oil.

532. Then she bathed Him with Gaṅgā water. Tossed by waves of bliss, she forgot herself.

533. Conchshells, dunsubhis, bherīs, kāhālas, mṛdaṅgas, paḍāhas, kāṃsyas, and karatālas were sounded.

534. Eight miles away travelers on the path could hear the rumbling sounds of "duḍadubhi" from the ḍhāka drums. Hearing the sounds of the sānāis, everyone felt their hearts become soothed and cooled.

535. A band of vīṇās, veṇus, kupilas, vaṃśīs, rabābs, upāṅgas, and pākowājas played in unison.

536. Dancers danced. Singers sang. At an auspicious moment Lord Gaura’s head was shaved.

537. His limbs were decorated with ornaments, fragrant garlands, and sandal paste.

538. As the brāhmaṇas chanted Vedic hymns, Śacī’s son entered the yajña arena.

539. He was dressed in saffron garments. A sacred thread was placed on His body. Gazing at His handsome form, everyone was overcome. He was like Kāmadeva himself.

540. In Lord Viśvambhara’s ear Jagannātha Miśra repeated the Gayatrī mantra. In Lord Viśvambhara’s hand he placed a staff. Seeing Lord Viśvambhara, sin personfiied was filled with fear.

541. Begging alms, Lord Viśvambhara acted as if He were in the sannyāsa-āśrama, the best of āśramas.

542. When His head was shaved He thought, "To preach the yuga-dharma I will accept sannyāsa."

543. Rapt in thought, He decided, "I will destroy the sufferings of everyone in Kali-yuga."

544. On every limb, from head to foot, the hairs of His body stood erect. The standing hairs defeated the glory of the filaments of kadamba flowers.

545. His long eyes were red and kind. His effulgent limbs were like the rising sun.

546. He gave a great roaring shout of ecstatic spiritual love. Gazing at Him, every brāhmaṇa was filled with wonder.

547. The prominet paṇḍitas headed by Sudarśana gathered together and discussed what had happened.

548. Gathering together, all the paṇḍitas agreed: "Śacī’s son is not a mortal."

549. Among them was born the conclusion that Lord Gaura has a demigod’s effulgence. But the truth is that only Lord Kṛṣṇa, and no one else, has an effulgence like His.

550. What can I know of the Lord’s character and activities? I know only as much as my intelligence allows.

551. One person there said: "Please hear my words. I do not understand the Supreme Lord’s actions.

552. "Still, I will say something that is in my heart. Please hear it. To deliver the people, the Supreme Lord takes birth yuga after yuga.

553. "Thus He manifests different avatāras according to different missions He wishes to fulfill. Thus He manifests four avatāras, one for each yuga.

554. "He is manifest in this world to establish religion, destroy irreligion, and protect His devotees.

555. "His mission also includes killing demons and performing other activities. An avatāra that fulfills these missions (kārya) is called kārya-avatāra.

556. "Considering the nature of Lord Rāmacandra and other avatāras, it is seen that they were kāryaavat āras, for they all came to fulfill a certain mission.

557. "In Tretā-yuga the avatāra has a red color. His dharma is yajña. Then the Lord also appears in a form dark like durvā grass. In that avatāra His mission is to kill the demons.

558. "Lord Rāmacandra, who enjoys pastimes of befriending the monkeys and killing Rāvaṇa, does not appear in every Tretā-yuga.

559. "Only in the fourteenth catur-yuga does Lord Rāmacandra come and kill Rāvaṇa. He comes only in some Tretā-yugas. That is written in the scriptures.

560. "Some scriptures indeed say that Lord Rāmacandra does not appear in every Tretā-yuga. Only sometimes does He come to fulfill His mission.

561. "In Satya-yuga the avatāra īs white, His dharma is austerity, and His name is Haṃsa. Lord Nṛsiṃha and other avatāras are also counted among the kārya-avatāras.

562. "According to the different yugas some avatāras manifest a specific appropriate color and engage in specific appropriate activities to establish religion. These avatāras are called yuga-avatāras.

563. "With one heart please hear the description of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who appears in ther Dvāpara-yuga. He sī the only original Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no other.

564. "He is both a kārya-avatāra and a yuga-avatāra. He is the perfect and complete original Supreme Personality of Godhead. All other avatāras are His plenary portions. He is the son of Mahārāja Nanda.

565. "He is the perfect and complete Supreme Personality of Godhead. This everyone says. Please know He is the gopīs paramour in Vṛndāvana.

566. "The Kṛṣṇa-avatāra is the crest jewel of all avatāras. The Dvāpara-yuga where He appears in the best of all Dvāpara-yugas.

567. "In other Dvāpara-yugas there are two avatāras. One is a kārya-avatāra and the other a yuga-avatāra.

568. "The Dvāpara-yuga where the avatāra is lord Kṛṣṇa is followed by a Kalī-yuga where the avatāra is Lord Gauracandra.

569. "Lord Gauracandra is like Lord Kṛṣṇa. The two yugas when They appear are different from all other yugas.

570. "Lord Kṛṣṇa does not manifest His pastimes in every Dvāpara-yuga. Neither does Lord Gaura descend to every Kali-yuga.

571. "In the Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kalī-yugas, the avatāra is generally a plenary portion (aṃśa) of the Supreme Lord.

572. "The Dvāpara and Kalī-yugas where Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya appear are very fortunate.

573. "They descend to this world only once in Brahmā’s day. In only one Dvāpara and Kalī-yuga do They manifest Their pastimes.

574. "Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Gaura descend to this world during the Vaivasvata-manvantara. In that Dvāpara-yuga the yuga-dharma is pūjā (Deity worship), and in that Kalī-yuga the yuga-dharma is saṅkīrtana (chanting the Lord’s holy names).

575. "Fortunate, fortunate is that Kalī-yuga. It stands above all other yugas. In that yuga the people are able to perform the saṅkīrtana-yajña.

576. "O merciful Lord Gauracandra, by performing saṅkīrtana even the lame, dull, and blind can cross to the farther shore of the ocean of repeated birth and death.

577. "You don’t believe my words? I ask you: Say what you think.

578. "In each yuga the Lord manifests an avatāra with a sepcific color, dharma, and mission.

579. "In Dvāpara-yuga the yuga-avatāra is Lord Kṛṣṇa. He teaches the yuga-dharma of Dvāparayuga

580. "The scriptures say that Deity worship is the yuga-dharma in Dvāpara-yuga. How did Lord Kṛṣṇa establish the dharma of Deity worship?

581. "Don’t be disrespectful. Only one person should speak at a time. What I speak is very reasonable. Don’t disrespect my words.

582. "Our Lord Kṛṣṇa is the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. How did He fulfill His mission of establishing the yuga-dharma? Everything is maintained by Him.

583. "His mission was indeed to establish the yugadharma. He fulfilled it in every way. Please know His activities are wonderful.

584. "Śrī Śrī Rādha.-Kṛṣṇa descended to this world and manifested Their pastimes. Śrī Rādha. is independent. She is Lord Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental potency in person.

585. "As the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His transcendental potency, Śrī Rādha. and Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifest two forms. Originally they have one form, but to enjoy Their pastimes They manifest two different forms. This I know

586. "Chanting Śrī Rādhā’s name and worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs engage in devotional service.

587. "Loving devotional service (prema-bhakti) has hundreds and hundreds of branches, Still, every branch originally comes from a single source. That source is Śrī Rādhā, the original form of the Lord’s transcendental potency.

588. "To Lord Kṛṣṇa Śrī Rādha. offers Her very self. The deep and passionate love She feels for Him is eternally new and fresh.

589. "No one understands the devotional service She performs. This all the devotees say.

590. "In other Dvāpara-yugas the Supreme Lord manifested His plenary portion (aṃśa) and taught the truth of religion. Still, the people did not understand the heart of what He taught.

591. "He taught them the religion of charity, vows, and austerities. That dharma He gave to everyone.

592. "To teach the people the Supreme Lord personally manifested in this world. Even so, the people still did not understand the seed from which sprouts the difference between religion and irreligion.

593. "In Kalī-yuga the Supreme Lord personally manifests as Lord Gaura. He is the yuga-avatāra. His mission is to teach ecstatic spiritual love (prema).

594. "His fair limbs are the color of Śrī Rādhā. In His heart is the nectar of ecstatic love Śrī Rādha. feels.

595. "He is the crown of all who taste spiritual nectar. Feeling the ecstasy of the love Śrī Rādha. feels, He weeps. Appearing like the filaments of kadamba flowers, the hairs of His body stand erect in His ecstasy.

596. "Overwhelmed with ecstatic love, He becomes like a wild man. He shouts and roars. He weeps and weeps.

597. "Hearing His shouts, the unconscious people of Kali-yuga awaken. They all become filled with bliss.

598. "Chanting, ‘Rādha.-Kṛṣṇa!’, He dances, weeps, and laughs. His presence makes the blinding darkness of ignorance flee far away.

599. "In Dvāpara-yuga Lord Kṛṣṇa takes birth. In Kalī-yuga He takes birth in a fair form. He awakens the unconscious people of Kalī-yuga.

600. "Assuming the role of a humble devotee, the Lord reveals the truth of ecstatic spiritual love (prema). He personally gives Himself to the people.

601. "He does not consider who is worthy or who is not worthy to recieve His gift. He freely gives it to everone. In this way He displays His supreme power and independence.

602. "Some people say Lord Gaura is a yuga-avatāra. In truth He is the origin of all avatāras.

603. "In other Kalī-yugas the avatāra is Lord Nārāyaṇa. That avatāra has a name of two syllables. That name is Kṛṣṇa.

604. "The scriptures say that avatāra has a complexion like a parrot’s wing. The commentator on that verse explains that His color is dark like a sapphire.

605. "Lord Gauracandra is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. The other avatāras are all expansions of Him. That is the heart of the scriptures teaching.

606. "Lord Caitanya is the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is an ocean of mercy. No one is like Him.

607. "Only in certain Kalī-yugas does Lord Gaura, the original Supreme Lord, manifest. Then He becomes both kārya-avatāra anmd yuga-avatāra.

608. "In Kalī-yuga the Supreme Lord appears in a yellow color and preaches the yuga-dharma of saṅkīrtana. Śacī’s son Viśvambhara is that form of the Supreme Lord. He, and no one else, is that Lord."

609. Discussing all these points, every paṇḍita there became firmly convinced in hsī heart that Śacī’s son Viśvambhara is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

610. Within a single sesame seed’s worth of time the word spread that Viśvambhara Gaura-Harī is in truth the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

611. From one ear to the next the wonderful news spread to every person. About this news there were five or seven opinions.

612. Some people were filled with wonder. Others still had doubts in their hearts. Who amongst them could see Lord Viśvambhara’s true nature?

613. They who heard this news about Lord Viśvambhara directly saw the creator of all the worlds.

614. Filled with bliss, the whole town chanted, "Jaya! Jaya!" Fortunate Locana dāsa sings this song glorifying Lord Gaura.