Song 38

(Bhaṭiyāri rāga-Diśā)

Refrain: O! O! O! Please sing the glories of Lord Gaura! O! O! O! Please turn away from all material desires! As long as you stay in this world, please never turn away from Lord Mahāprabhu’s feet!

1. The auspicious night passed in that way. Then the dawn came. After performing His morning duties, Lord Gaura sat on His āsana.

2. A sannyāsa daṇḍa in His hand, He seemed like the monarch of all kingdoms. On His limbs saffron garments glistened.

3. His followers sat around Him. Smiling and smiling, the Lord said to them:

4. "O devotees headed by Śrīvāsa, please return to your own āśramas.

5. "If the smiling-faced Lord is merciful to Me, I will go to Nīlācala to see Lord Jagannātha.

6. "Please follow My command. Stay in Navadvīpa. Day and night perform saṅkīrtana of chanting the holy names.

7. "Chant the holy names of Lord Hari. Serve the devotees. Establish the saṅkīrtana movement. This command I give to you all.

8. "Keep no envy in your hearts. With all your hearts worship and serve each other."

9. After speaking these words, Lord Gaura at once stood. He embraced everyone in His arms.

10. Tears of love flowed from His two eyes. His voice was choked with emotion.

11. At that moment Haridāsa, a blade of grass between his teeth, fell down before the Lord’s lotus feet.

12. He wept piteously. Every heart broke to hear him.

13. Lord Gaura became filled with emotion. His eyes were filled with tears. His heart overcome, He said:

14. "After how many days will I become fortunate like you? When will I fall before Lord Jagannātha’s feet and weep as you do?

15. "When, approaching Lord Jagannātha’s feet, will I speak words filled with sincere emotion? When, gazing at Lord Jagannātha’s graceful glorious face, will My eyes bear their fruit?"

16. After speaking these words, Lord Gaura fell to the ground. The devotees around Him on four sides wept.

17. Gazing at her son, Śacī yearned to embrace His neck. But she did not weep, for in a moment she fell unconscious.

18. One devotee, his hair in disarray, grasped Lord Gaura’s feet and wept. The devotees struggled to control their emotions.

19. Śrīvāsa, Haridāsa, Murāri, and Mukunda said to the Lord:

20. "You are supremely independent. We are under Your dominion. We are poor, ill-behaved sinners. We have no true devotion.

21. "What power have we to say anything? You have accepted sannyāsa. Now You will leave Your servants and go away.

22. "You are the only master of us all. How will You walk on the pathways? When You become hungry or thisty, from whom will You get food?

23. "You are Śacī’s dear son. Viṣṇupriyā serves Your two feet.

24. "Your glance is nectar splashed on the devotees eyes. With Your own hands You planted the tree of spiritual love and made it grow.

25. "Now that tree yearns to bear many fruits of ecstatic spiritual love. By accepting sannyāsa You made that tree’s hopes barren.

26. "The life breath will not leaṭe our sinful bodies. We will bid You farewell and we will return to our homes.

27. "We, the most fallen, will return to our homes. All this is not Your true nature. You are the purifier of the fallen (patita-pāvana).

28. "Destiny anointed Your form with mercy. Destiny gave You many treasures of playful, glorious, graceful pastimes.

29. "You are the protector of the individual spirit souls. You are full of ecstatic spiritual love. Your form is the greatest wonder in the three worlds.

30. "Nothing in the three worlds compares to You. But when You speak cruel words, the whole world becomes filled with sorrow.

31. "Please do not try to cheat us in this way. Why will You cut the roots of the tree You Yourself planted?

32. "Please take the devotees with You when You go. If You do not, we will fall into flames and die.

33. "Look. Look at Your helpless widowed mother Śacī. We cannot bear to hear her lament.

34. "Viṣṇupriyā’s weeping makes the ground crack. The busy marketplaces of Navadvīpa have become a barren desert.

35. "The Vaiṣṇavas homes have become barren deserts. It seems that the Vaiṣṇavas homes are now eight miles from each other.

36. "If we sit down and talk about You, we will die. We cannot do otherwise.

37. "Never again will we hear of Your confidential pastimes. Never again will we see you dance in ecstasy or give everyone ecstatic spiritual love.

38. "Never again will we see You dancing or embracing everyone. Never again will we see Your reddish eyes filled with tears of ecstatic spiritual love.

39. "Never again will we hear the nectar of Your loud calls. Who now blocks our eyes and ears?

40. "If we cannot see the moon of Your face, how will we remain alive? We still have eyes. Who, then, now makes us blind?

41. "O Lord, please do not bid us farewell. We will go with You. Your cruel words make our bodies burst into flames.

42. "When the hunter rings his bell, the doe approaches. Then the hunter grabs the doe and kills her.

43. "In the same way from You we learned of ecstatic spiritual love. You made us yearn to attain that love. Why do You now kill us?

44. "Separated from You, the devotees will all die. How can You be called Bhakta-vatsala (the Lord who loves His devotees)?

45. "How can You bid farewell to Śacī? Who will give her this news?

46. "Simply by hearing this news Visnupriya will at once die. Please consider these words."

47. When the devotees had spoken these words, kind-hearted Lord Gaura smiled and said:

48. "O devotees, please hear My words. Never will I be cruel to you.

49. "I will reside in Nīlācala. You may always come and see Me there.

50. "The shoreless ocean of ecstatic spiritual love will increase. The whole world will float in the ecstasy of harī-nāma-saṅkīrtana (chanting Lord Hari’s holy names).

51. "No heart will feel suffering or sorrow. Everyone will be plunged in the ocean of saṅkīrtana.

52. "I will always stay in the embrace of Viṣṇupriyā, of My mother Śacī, and of anyone who worships Lord Kṛṣṇa."

53. Hearing these words, everyone fell at Lord Gaura’s feet. "Lord, please promise that these words will always be true."

54. "They will always be true, always be true, always be true.", Lord Gaura said again and again. "I will reside in Nīlācala. These words of Mine will always be true."

55. Śacī-devī fell down like a stick. She was not peaceful. Two devotees picked her up.

56. She said: "You are merciless. Where will You go? Unable to see You, my dear son, I will die.

57. "How many times will everyone else see Your face? Only unfortunate I will never see Your face again.

58. "Everyone else You have comforted. Dear son, how will You comfort me?

59. "In this world no one is unfortuane like me. Now an iron spear of grief is pushed into Viṣṇupriyā’s heart."

60. Smiling, merciful-hearted Lord Gaura said: "Forgetting the spiritual truth you already know, you make yourself die with false grief.

61. "Please return home. Keep no grief in your heart. Without envy stay amongst the devotees."

62. Falling down like a stick, Lord Gaura offered obeisances to His mother. With many words He comforted her.

63. After comforting His mother, the Lord said: "Haribol!" Then He quickly departed. A tumult of weeping at once arose.

64. Lord Advaita Acārya ran after Lord Gaura. After an hour He caught up with Him.

65. Lord Mahāprabhu fell down like a stick to offer obeisances to Advaita Acārya. Lord Advaita picked HIm up and embraced Him.

66. Lord Advaita’s face was withered with grief. Drops and drops of perspirated rested on His chest. His heart was filled with sorrow. To Lord Gaura He said:

67. "You will go to another country. That brings Me great sorrow. Flames of sorrow burn in My heart.

68. "I have spoken My heart. Lord, please consider My words and give Your reply.

69. "In separation from Your lotus feet Your sorrowing devotees only weep.

70. "Why does My sinful heart not melt with grief? My hard heart is made of wood. That is why tears do not come to My eyes.

71. "My actions are all evil. That is why, in Your absence, ecstatic spiritual love does not arise in My heart."

72. Hearing these words, Lord Gaura smiled, embraced Lord Advaita, and said: "I will tell You the truth. Please listen to My words.

73. "Because You love Me so dearly I will never leave You. I am tightly bound by the ropes of Your love."

74. Speaking these words, Lord Gaura tied a knot in His garment. Advaita Acārya was overcome with feelings of love. In His heart He again and again thought of Lord Gaura.

75. Five or seven flooding rivers of etears flowed from the oceans of His eyes. He had no power to express the love He felt.

76. Then Lord Gaura restrained His turbulent emotions. Wise Advaita Acārya also restrained His emotions.

77. Lord Advaita said: "Love for You has never risen within Me. I have no power to attain love for You."

78. Lord Gaura said: "O Acārya, please hear. I am controlled by the love You bear for Me. Please always remember Our pastimes together."

79. After speaking these words, Lord Gaura quickly departed. All the Vaiṣṇavas then returned to their homes.

80. Thus Locana dāsa describes how Lord Gaura, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accepted sannyāsa, and how that act pushed an iron lance of sorrow into the devotees hearts.