Song 42

Refrain: Please chant the sweet names Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Gauracandra! O my brothers, the names of Lord Gaura are very rare in this world. To attain deliverance please do not chant anything else. With your ears please drink the nectar of these songs about Lord Gaura for as long as you live in this world. Please never abandon hearing them.

112. Again please hear Lord Gauracandra’s pastimes. Love for Lord Gaura is like a flood of ever-new nectar.

113. Walking on the path with His associates, Lord Gaura continued His journey. He happily saw the Śiva Deity named Kapoteśvara.

114. Bowing down before the Deity, Lord Gaura continued His jounrey on the path. In this way He saw many holy places and many Śiva-liṅgas.

115. Accompanied by His assoxciates, He bathed in the glorious river named Bhārgavī.

116. After bathing He continued His journey. Suddenly He could see the temple of Lord Jagannātha in the distance.

117. The glory and effulgence of the temple defeated moonlight. Upon it was a red flag fluttering in the breeze.

118. On top of Nīlagirī Mountain was the temple of Lord Jagannātha. The temple was wonderfully white. Its glory defeated Mount Kailāsa.

119. Then Lord Gaura saw a bow black like añjana sitting on top of the temple.

120. Motioning with His hand, the body seemed to invite Lord Gaura to come. Seeing this, Lord Gaura was overwhelmed. He fell down to offer respectful obeisances.

121. Lord Gaura fell to the ground. No longer was He conscious. He made no sound. It was as if He had abandoned His life.

122. Seeing this, everyone became anxious at heart. "Lord! Lord!", they cried. The Lord gave no reply.

123. "What should we do! What should we do?", they asked. Everyone was distraught. Lord Gaura made no sound. It was as if His life and ended and now He was dead.

124. At that moment Lord Gaura suddenly awakened. The hairs of His body stood erect. He was overcome with ecstatic spiritual love.

125. Seeing this, everyone felt revived. It was as if life was again placed in their bodies.

126-127. Lord Mahāprabhu asked everyone: "With your eyes did you see atop the temple a graceful boy splendsid like sapphires, a boy who charms the three worlds?"

128. Though no one had seen Him, they all affirmed: "Yes. We saw Him." Everyone was bewildered and worried.

129. Again Lord Gaura said to everyone: "Look. The boy is standing by the temple’s flag.

130. "His face is smiling. His graceful form is filled with nectar. With wonderful grace He moves His fingers.

131. "With His graceful lotus hand He beckons Me. In His left hand He holds a flute. He is the most glorious person in the three world."

132. Speaking these words, Lord Gaura very quickly walked. The Vaiṣṇavas joyfully followed Him.

133. The splendor of Lord Gaura’s limbs defeated the splendor of ten million moons. His sandal-paste tilaka was effulgent.

134. His saffron garments defeated the splendor of the rising sun.

135. Lord Gaura Rāya gazed at Lord Jagannātha’s temple. Again and again Lord Gaura offered respectful obeisances as He walked.

136. Flooding streams of tears flowed from His eyes without stop. The hairs of His trembling body stood erect.

137. His heart overcome with ecstatic spiritual love, Lord Gaura came to the very holy lake named Mārkaṇḍeya-sarovara.

138. There Lord Gaura bathed, performed auspicious rituals, offered obeisances, and hurriedly continued on His journey.

139. With a happy heart Lord Gaura offered obeisances to Yajñeśvara and then, His heart filled with longings, hurried on His journey.

140. Again Lord Gaura saw Lord Jagannātha’s temple in the distance. Again He fell to the ground to offer respectful obeisances.

141. Tears flowed from His eyes. Overcome with very deep love, He wept.

142. Seeing Lord Gauracandra’s great love, Lord Jagannātha again beckoned with His hand.

143. "Come! Come!", Lord Jagannātha called. Gazing at Lord Jagannātha, Lord Gaura was overcome. He rolled on the ground.

144. Smiling with bliss, Lord Gaura said: "O Lord Jagannātha, please be merciful to Me, so I may see Your feet."

145. Again Lord Gaura gazed at Lord Jagannātha and again He wept. Again gazing at Lord Jagannātha, Lord Gaura felt His heart become filled with bliss.

146. The hairs of His body stood erect. Tossed by nectar waves of ecstatic spiritual love, Lord Gaura roared.

147. Lord Gaura quickly walked. Finally He came to the house of Vāsudeva Sārvabhuama.

148. Seeing Lord Gaura, Sārvabhauma felt great bliss. He offered the Lord a place to sit.

149. Glancing at Sārvabhauma, Lord Gaura said: "My heart longs to see Lord Jagannātha.

150. "How will I see the master of the great demigods? My heart longs to see Him."

151. Hearing these words, saintly Sārvabhauma glanced at Lord Gaura’s form. Sārvabhauma’s heart was filled with wonder.

152. Lord Gaura’s form was glorious like molten gold or like Mount Sumeru. His face was effulgent. His eyes were like moonlight.

153. His neck was like a conchshell, or like a lion’s neck. His eyes were long. His arms reached to His knees. His form was marked with all auspicious signs.

154. Gazing at Lord Gaura, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was overcome with bliss. He thought: "What I see is very wonderful.

155. "In all the worlds there is no man like Him. I do not know who among the demigods He is.

156. "It is Lord Nārāyaṇa, the master of Vaikuṇṭha who has come before me. I can guess that this person is the Supreme Lord Hismelf."

157. Thinking in this way, saintly Sārvabhauma glanced at his son and said:

158. "Quickly go with Lord Caitanya. Whatever this great soul says, hear with great care.

159. "Take Him to Lord Jagannātha. Stay with Him."

160. Hearing these words, Lord Gaura Rāya became delighted. Accompanied by Sārvabhauma’s son, He departed.

161. As Lord Gaura approached the Siṃha-dvāra gate, His body began to tremble. He had no power to control it. He was overcome with ecstatic love.

162. He could not remain peaceful. He became like a wild man. His associates carefully stayed by His side.

163. After many efforts He controlled Hismelf enough to enter the Siṃha-dvāra gate. Then He quickly came to the Nāṭa-mandira.

164. Staying behind the Garuḍa-stambha, With steady eyes He gazed at the graceful moonlike face of Lord Jagannātha, the king of the three worlds.

165. His heart was filled with bliss. Like kadamba filaments, the hairs of His body stood erect.

166. Five or seven flooding rivers of tears flowed from his eyes. He forget Himself. He was caught in the power of ecstatic love.

167. His garceful body overcome, Lord Gaura fell to the ground. His body was like the peak of golden Mount Sumeru fallen in a great wind.

168. Lord Gaura, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was overcome with ecstatic spiritual love. With His two tightly closed hands He rubbed His closed eyes.

169. Calling out, "Hari!", Śacī’s son began to dance. In this way Lord Gaura and His associates entered the temple.

170. Gadādhara, Narahari, Nityānanda, Śrīvāsa, Dāmodara, Murāri, and Mukunda all danced.

171. Every devotee there joyfully danced. There was a great kīrtana of songs glorifying Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

172. Then, accompanied by His associates, Lord Gaura returned to Sārvabhauma’s āśrama.

173. Returning to Sārvabhauma’s home, again Lord Gaura began a kīrtana and again He danced.

174. Seeing this, Vāsudeva Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya felt great bliss in his heart. He was filled with wonder.

175. When Lord Mahāprabhu’s dancing came to an end, Sārvabhauma asked that food be brought.

176. He sent some brāhmanās to bring prasādam. Then he sat down with Lord Gaura.

177. To learn about Him he asked some questions of Lord Gaura.

178. "Where is Your birthplace. Please tell me." Lord Gaura replied: "What you say is true."

179. Bhaṭṭācārya asked: "Why do You speak in thīs way? I ask a question, and You reply by speaking of something else. Why do You do that?"

180. To this Lord Gaura became silent. He was deep like an ocean. Again the learned brāhmaṇa Sārvabhauma asked questions of Lord Gaura.

181. "Who are Your mother and father? Please tell me." Lord Gaura replied: "What you say is true."

182. Again Sārvabhuama asked a question. He asked: "Where did You accept sannyāsa?"

183. Lord Gaura replied: "You will know the truth. That is certain." Hearing this, Sārvabhauma became very surprised at heart.

184. He had no power to understand the intentions of Lord Gaura, who is victorious over all the Brahmās.

185. "Is this person the Supreme Personality of Godhead? or is He only a wild man?" His intelligence stunned, Sārvabhauma became angry.

186. At that moment a large quantity of prasādam was brought to Sārvabhauma. Seeing the prasādam, Lord Gaura became wild with ecstatic spiritual love.

187. Attaining Lord Jagannātha’s mahā-prasādam food remnants, Lord Gaura, smiling and smiling, bowed down to offer respectful obeisances.

188. He made a great deep sound, a sound like a lion’s roar that filled the universe.

189. At that moment a host of demigods, gandharvas, humans, jackals, dogs, and snakes came before Lord Gaura.

190. Into the mouths of all of them Lord Gaura Joyfully placed that prasādam. Lord Nityānanda, Gadādhara, and the other personal associates of the Lord had the power to see all this.

191. Though they knew of these secret pastimes, they did not tell anyone.

192. Then Lord Gaura and His associates ate that prasādam At that time Śrīvāsa said:

193. "Lord, there is a question ī would ask, but I fear to speak. Lord, if You give Your permission, I will not be afraid to ask.

194. "As You were eating the prasādam I was surprised to see You so joyfully smile and laugh. Please tell me the reason You smiled and laughed so."

195. Hearing these words, Lord Gaura became joyful. Revealing His heart, He said:

196. "Please hear, O brāhmaṇa. Because of Goddess Kātyāyanī’s vow the dogs and jackals eat the great treasure that is the Lord’s prasādam.

197. "Indra, Candra, and all the demigods and gandharvas could not attain this prasādam. Even with a heroic struggle they could not attain it.

198. "Even Nārada, Prahlāda, Śukadeva and the other great devotees could not attain it. Now I have revealed My heart.

199. "That was in the past. Now every living entity eats this mahā-prasādam. With these words I have revealed to you My heart.

200-201. "Anyone who, somehow attaining mahā-prasādam, thinks it only ordinary food, and thus does not eat it loses all the piety he has earned in his past births. He takes birth in the womb of a pig.

202. "Even if it has fallen from a dog’s mouth, one should eat prasādam. Prasādam never has any defect."

203. Then Lord Gaura respectfully ate prasādam. At dusk He went to see Lord Jagannātha.

204. Entering the temple, He gazed at Lord Jagannātha’s graceful face. The whole universe could not hold the bliss He felt within His heart.

205-206. Gazing at the effulgence of Lord Jagannātha’s body, an effulgence that defeats the new monsoon clouds, and also gazing at Lord Jagannātha’s wonderful lotus eyes, Lord Gaura became plunged in an ocean of bliss. Overcome with ecstatic spiritual love, He rolled on the ground.

207. Lord Gaura was wild with bliss. His tall form glorious like Mount Sumeru rolled on the ground.

208. The effulgence of lord Gaura’s body made dark Lord Jagannātha become fair. Lord Gaura’s body was filled with ecstatic love. He was completely overcome.

209. Lord Balarāma also became fair. The pūjarīs did also. Every person there felt his body become filled with ecstatic spiritual love.

210. The pūjarīs picked up Lord Gaura and placed Him next to Lord Jagannātha. Then the pūjarīs offered āratī to Them both: the moving and the unmoving forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

211. Lord Jagannātha manifested the form of a sannyāsī. No one had seen such a wonder.

212. After some moments Lord Gaura returned to external consciousneses. Accompanied by His associates, He returned to Sārvabhauma’s āśrama.

213. In this way Lord Gaura saw Lord Jagannātha three times. Plunged in an ocean of bliss, Lord Gaura did not know if it was day or night.

214. In this way Lord Gaura, who is very wise in the ways of ecstatic spiritual love, passed some days enjoying wonderful pastimes with His associates.

215. Please carefully hear of a pastime from that time. It was the first time Lord Gaura manifested such a pastime at Jagannātha Purī.

216. To teach the people of the world, the Supreme Lord accepted the role of a penniless sannyāsī. Unaware of the Lord’s true nature, the fools thought Him a mere human being.

217. Staying in a cottage by the seashore, and accompanied by His associates, Lord Gaura sang His own holy names.

218. Śrī Sārvabhauma was bewildered by pride in his great learning. When Lord Gaura was not present Sārvabhauma once spoke some foolish words.

219. In an assembly of saintly brāhmaṇas Sārvabhauma said: "In my heart I know He is a good brāhmaṇa.

220. "He is born in an exalted family. He is a learned paṇḍita, and now He is a sannyāsī. Still, a man so young should not accept sannyāsa.

221. "It is not right to accept sannyāsa at that time of life. Unaware of this truth, He has accepted very serious responsibilities.

222. "Again He should perform the saṃskāra. He should study Vedānta and perform the duties of his āśrama.

223. "To sing and dance is not a sannyāsī’s duty. Instead He should hear my explanation of Vedānta."

224. Smiling Lord Gaura suddenly arrived in that assembly. He was like an unending monsoon of sweetness.

225. Aware of all that had happened, Lord Gaura approached. Remaining seated, Sārvabhauma read from Vedānta.

226. Lord Gaura approached Sārvabhauma. Seeing the Lord, Sārvabhauma respectfully stood. His heart was filled with wonder.

227. Speaking respectful words, He offered an āsana for the Lord to sit. Lord Gaura requested: "How can I know what is proper?

228. "O Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, you know everything. Therefore I ask you: Please teach Me what is right.

229. "Unaware of the sannyāsa-āśrama’s duties, I have somehow accepted sannyāsa. Therefore you please teach me how to follow the rules of sannyāsa.

230. "You know all truths. Please explain Vedānta. Howe should I act? Please teach that to Me.

231. "A young man should not accept sannyāsa. Should I, then, again accept the sacred thread and the status of a householder brāhmaṇa?"

232. Hearing these words, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya hesitated in his heart. He was very surprised.

233. He thought: "How did this sannyāsī know what I had said to my disciples?"

234. Thinking in this way, he felt crushed by embarrassment. He did not say anything. His heart was filled with wonder.

235. On another day Lord Gaura, accompanied by His associates, again came to Sārvabhauma’s home to see.

236. Sārvabhauma was sitting at home and studying Vedānta. Smiling and smiling, Lord Gaura asked him about the conclusion of Vedānta.

237. Lord Gaura asked him to explain the hidden secrets of Vedānta, the secrets that are nectar descriptions of surrendering to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s feet.

238. Hearing these words, Sārvabhuama felt his heart become filled with wonder. He thought: "Śacī’s son is not a mere human being.

239. Now I am pressed by embarrassment. In my heart I am afraid. Although I heard the Lord’s words, I did not understand their true meaning.

240. "Fill of pride, I listened, studied, and taught my disciples.

241. "Now that I have heard His explanation of Vedānta, I know Lord Gaura must be Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, The Lord whom Goddess Sarasvatī dearly loves."

242. Thinking in this way, Sārvabhauma, the king of the brāhmaṇas folded his palsm, gazed at Lord Gaura, and spoke many prayers.

243. At that moment Lord Gaura manifested a six-armed form. Gazing at this form, Sārvabhauma became wild with bliss.

244. In His upper two arms, the Lord held a bow and arrow. In His middle two arms He placed a flute to His lips.

245. In His lower two arms He held a daṇḍa and kamaṇḍalu. Gazing at this form, Sārvahauma was overcome with bliss.

246. Falling at Lord Gaura feet, humbled Sārvabhauma wept and spoke many prayers in a voice choked with emotion.

247. In a voice choked with emotion he spoke the thousand prayers the people of this world know as the "Caitanya-sahasra".

248. Overcome, he fell before Lord Gaura’s feet. In this way Lord Gaura revealed His true identity to Sārvabhauma. Thus says Locana dāsa.

249. In this way Lord Gaura enjoyed many blissful pastimes. The people of Nīlācala blissfully gazed on the Lord.

250. Thr glories of Lord Jagannātha delighted every heart. Present everywhere, they touched the sky.

251. Who has the power to know and describe all of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes? I do not know them all. I know and speak only of some few of them.

252. The physician Śrī Murārī Gupta is very fortunate and glorious in the three worlds. Śrī Dāmodara Paṇḍita asked questions of him.

253. Murarī Gupta wrote a book of ślokas describing those questions and answers. By the mercy of those two persons the people of this world can hear something of Lord Gaura’s pastimes.

254. Hearing that book, my heart has become wild to taste the sweetness of Lord Gaura’s glories. Not looking at my own faults, my heart is now overcome.

255. Therefore, as far as my intelligence allows, I, a fool worthless like a pile of ashes, write this book in the meter pāñcālī.

256. I have spoken the Sūtra-khaṇḍa, Adī-khaṇḍa, and Madhya-khaṇḍa. Now I will speak the Śeṣakha ṇḍa.

257. The Madhya-khaṇḍa, where Lord Caitanya’s pastimes and divine revelations are described, is now concluded. Thus says Locana dāsa.

Thus ends the Madhya-khaṇḍa