Song 22

(Bhāṭiyāri rāga-Diśā)

Refrain: O my heart, please gaze at the wonderful Deity of Navadvīpa, a Deity I worship with every breath.

93. In this way Lord Gaura went to Vallabhācārya’s home. Ths sky was filled with sounds of "Jaya! Jaya!"

94. Hundreds and hundreds of lamps glistened. The whole earth was effulgent. Lord Gaura’s limbs glistened with great splendor.

95. Vallabhācārya greeted Him with pādya and arghya, escorted Him into the house, and offered auspicious blessings to Him.

96. Then Lord Mahāprabhu stood on a platform under a canopy. He was effulgent and joyful.

97. His face defeated the full moon. His sweet smile was filled with nectar.

98. His limbs glistened like molten gold. His tall body was like Mount Sumeru.

99. On His arms and hands were jewel arnlets, bracelets, and rings. The palms of His hands were glorious like red lotus flowers.

100. A celestial garland of jsamine flowers swung on His fair limbs. It was like waves of the Gaṅgā cascading down Mount Sumeru.

101. A splendid crown touched His forehead. Gazing at Him, ten million Kāmadevas are overcome with embarrasment.

102. Earrings swung on His ears. To what can I compare them? They cast far away any other desire that may remain in the hearts of proud women.

103. As Lord Mahāprabhu stood under the canopy, the married ladies performed the ritual of welcoming the bridegroom.

104. They wore wonderful ornaments and glorious garments. Glistening lamps were in their hands and glorious joy in their hearts.

105. The married ladies were in the fore. Behind them was the bride’s mother. In this way the glorious ladies performed the ritual of welcoming the bridegroom.

106. Bearing seven lamps in their hands, they circumambulated Him seven times. With happy hearts they washed His feet with yogurt.

107. In this way they performed the ceremony of welcoming the bridegroom. Then the auspicious moment of dusk arrived.

108. Then the glorious brāhmaṇa Vallabhācārya commanded that his daughter be brought at once.

109. The beautiful girl sat on a glorious throne. The splendor of her limbs filled all the earth with light.

110. On her four sides jewel lamps glistened. Her face defeated the splendid full moon.

111. Her every limb was glorious with ornaments of jewels and gold. Her effulgence cast the darkness far away.

112. Seven times she circumambulated her master. Folding her hands and bowing her head, she offered obeisances to Him.

113. Then a curtain was drawn around Them. The two of Them gazed at each other. As They gazed at each other, Their eyes danced.

114. They were like Candra and Rohiṇī meeting. With Their glances They shot arrows of flowers at each other.

115. They were like Śiva and Pārvatī meeting. In this ritual first meeting behind a curtain They both trembled, overcome with bliss.

116. In the four directions were great sounds of

"Jaya! Jaya!" and "Hari! Hari!" Wild with bliss, everyone danced.

117. Then Lord Viśvambhara, who is in truth Lord Nārāyaṇa, the goddess of fortune’s husband, sat down. His bride was on His left.

118. Her face bowed with shyness, she sat down beside Him. Then Vallabhācārya worshiped his sonin-law. All this was rightly done.

119-127. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose lotus feet the demigod Brahmā worshiped with arghya, by whose mercy Brahmā attained the power to create the material universe, from whose feet the Gaṅgā flows to the earth and gives liberation to all, whose three steps traversed the universe, to whom Mahārāja Balī completely surrendered, the dust of whose lotus feet Mahārāja Balī placed on his head, by chanting the glories of whose feet a certain great yogī became the demigod Śiva, whose feet the goddess of fortune joyfully serves, whose plenary expansion (aṃśa-avatāra) is Lord Viṣṇu, whose plenary expansion Adī-Varāha rescued the earth, whose avatāras Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Nṛsiṃha, Vāmana, Paraśurāma, Rāmacandra, Buddha, Vyāsa, and others are described in the eighteen Purāṇas, whose ten avatāras are glorified with many songs, who yuga after yuga descends to the material world to deliver the conditioned souls, and whose glories cannot be completely described by anyone in the three material worlds, became Vallabhācārya’s son-in-law.

128. Songs that glorify Lord Gaurāṅga are floods of nectar. Anyone who hears descriptions of Lord Gaurāṅga destroys the offenses in his heart.

129. To Lord Gaurāṅga’s lotus feet, the worship of which destroys the darkness that fills this world of birth and death, Vallabhācārya offered arghya.

130. To Lord Gaurāṅga, who gave a royal throne to King Indra, Vallabhācārya offered a brāhmaṇa’s seat.

131. To the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is arrayed in celestial yellow garments, Vallabhācārya offered a simple cloth. To hear of it I tremble with fear.

132. Beginning with the yajña, the rituals were performed one after the other. At the end everything was complete.

133. No one is fortunate like Vallabhācārya. He gave his daughter to the master of Vaikuṇṭha.

134. How can I describe Vallabhācārya’s great good fortune? In his home the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoyed a feast of the five kinds of delicious foods.

135. Alone together in a private room, the bride and groom enjoyed a feast. In that room eventually hundreds and hundreds of saintly ladies gathered.

136. Group after group of young girls stayed at the Lord’s side. They were in front and also behind. They completely surrounded Lord Viśvambhara.

137. Seeing the smiling moon of the Lord’s face rise before them, the girls felt the darkness of their shyness flee far away.

138. In that wedding meeting one girl spoke playful puns. Overcome by Lord Gaura’s glories, everyone joked and laughed.

139. One girl said: "Listen, O Viśvambhara. Give these betelnuts to Lakṣmīpriyā just as she is about to fall asleep.

140. "Personally place them in her mouth. Now all her friends may look at her with happy hearts."

141. Another girl said: "Who is fortunate like Lakṣmīpriyā? She has Viśvambhara for her husband.

142-143. "What austerities did she perform? What vows did she follow? What charity did she give? How did she worship the devas? How did she struggle to attain spiritual knowledge? How was she saintly and chaste that now on this earth she may gaze on Viśvambhara’s handsome form?

144. "Viśvambhara’s handsome face defeats Kāmadeva. He is the thief that has stolen the jewel heart of the proudest and most glorious girl.

145. "His storng arms defeat Kāmadeva’s staff. Filled with longings, His beautiful bride rests on His chest.

146. "Lakṣmīpriyā will enjoy glorious pastimes on His every limb. But when will I be able even to touch Him?

147. "My desire is that some day I will become the maidservant of Gaurāṅga and Lakṣmīpriyā. Then I will serve my Lord Gaurāṅgacandra."