Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat

Lord Chaitanya could not stay without 'kirtan' as He passed time in Nabadwip. The kirtan started having such an effect on Him that as soon as He heard the Holy name He fell down in ecstacy in whatever place He was. Tears flowed profusely from His eyes. He became saturated with love of Godhead. If anyone for any reason said aloud the Lord's name Lord Chaitanya swooned to the ground and the symptoms of ecstacy started to manifest on His person as He rolled on the ground. Such displays of spiritual ecstacy was indeed very rare, even Lord Brahma would consider himself blessed if he could see this; yet the residents of Nabadwip saw all these transcendental activities enacted often right on the streets. And when sometimes the Lord experienced intense ecstacy He would become unconcious. His body numbed into stillness; on these occassions the devotees would carry Him away, themselves feeling sublime joy. Then bringing Him in an unconcious state behind closed doors they again started up the kirtan which submerged the entire universe in waves of spiritual bliss. The different devotional ecstacies that manifested on the Lord's person are all inexplicable and often unrecognizable by anyone of its esoteric significance. Sometimes the Lord spoke out saying, "I am Madan Gopal" and then with a sudden change of mood He will say, "I am an eternal servant of Lord Krishna." On certain days He would nicessantly repeat, "gopi, gopi, gopi" thinking of the damsels of Vrndavana and if He as much as heard Krishna's name, He burned inside with increasing anger and said, "where is this Krishna of yours coming from, this big rogue; He is a cheat, cunning and a hypocrite, who can think of worshipping Him. He wins the heart of the ladies and then once they trust Him He drops off their ears and nose. He is so greedy He almost snatches their lives from them. I do not care to hear about this thief." In this manner He would speak out angrily to anyone who repeated Krishna's name in His presence.

Again on other days He would call out "Vrndavana" or "Gokula" or "Mathura" in great joy, and then on other occasions He would draw on the earth with His nails. Sometimes drawing a standing form of a person bent in three places and looking at it He would weep so bitterly as if the entire world would drown in His tears. He would at times say, "I see a huge dense forest full of lions, tigers and bears." Like this the Lord was totally absorbed in the mood of sublime devotion where night became day and day became night for Him. The devotees who watched these were overcome with great spiritual emotions and they embraced each other. What these devotees saw so easily of the Lord's ecstatic manifestation even Lord Brahma would constantly pray for such a favor.

The Lord was now spending almost all His time outside HIs own house, in the residences of the differnet devotees. He gave up all His familial and external responsibilities; only sometimes He would do something to please His mother. The devotees were now always feeling intense joy having the Lord always with them, their bliss in kirtan increased. Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara never left the Lord's association, always participating in His never-ending transcendental activities.

One day Advaita Acarya overcome by the mood of the gopis began to dance, while all the devotees sang with intense feelings. He danced in joy and at the same moment in great humility and distress he fell to the ground holding a straw in his teeth and began to roll as if intoxicated by the divine nectar of love of Godhead. Advaita continued to dance for several hours, but the other devotees were exhausted unable to keep up with Him. Then finally the devotees quietened him, making him sit down, and they sat around him. Finding Advaita somewhat tranquil Srivas Pandit, Ramai and a few others went for their baths. But soon again Advaita was overcome with feeling distress and as it gradually increased in intensity he began to roll in Srivas' courtyard. Lord Chaitanya after some work was resting in His house. Advaita's feelings of humility and distress became known to the Lord.

The Lord always soothes away His devotees distress and worries. So Lord Chaitanya came to see Advaita. Seeing Advaita supine in Srivas' courtyard He took him by the hand leading him into the temple and shut the doors. Giving Advaita a consoling smile the Lord said, "listen Acarya! Tell Me what is your desire right now, what is to be done?" Advaita said, "O Lord, You are essence of all the Vedas. I want only You. What else is there to want?" The Lord laughed slightly and replied, "here I am in person, what more do you want?" Advaita insisted, "what you say is true, here you are before me the Absolute truth, yet I would like to see some of Your mystic opulences." The Lord softly asked, "tell Me what You desire?" Advaita said, "my Lord, I intensely desire to see what Arjuna had seen long ago."

As soon as Advaita had spoken these words Advaita saw a chariot in the midst of a raging battlefield, millions of soldiers were engaged in combat all around the chariot. Sitting inside this chariot was the beautiful blackish four handed form of Lord Krishna holding conch, mace, lotus and disc in each of His hands. Advaita was bright then beholding the Universal form of Lord Krishna. All the planets and stars like sun, moon,and mountains, rivers, oceans, forests well visible within this wonderous manifestation of Krishna. He saw Arjuna standing before this Universal form with folded hands offering words of prayer and praise.

He saw millions of pairs of eyes, and millions of open mouths with huge licking flames exuding out ofthem. All the atheists and sinful demons were being sucked into this mighty conflageration to be consumed. The fault finders, and the heartless ones who perpetrate violence on others all burned in the flames from the mouth of Lord Chaitanya. Advaita was blessed with the Lord's special mercy and therefore he could see this marveloius Universal form of Lord Chaitanya. As Advaita saw this Universal form he began to cry in great ecstacy due to his intense love for the Lord and falling to his knees in great humility he begged the Lord for His eternal association as his Lord and master.

While Advaita was seeing Lord Chaitanya manifest His universal form Lord Nityananda was roaming the streets of Nabadwip absorbed in divine bliss, as was His usual vocation, Lord Nityananda, because of His supra mundane position could immediately know that Lord Chaitanya was showing His special Universal Form to Advaita. He quickly went to Srivas' house and headed straight to the temple room. Lord Chaitanya also knew that Nityananda was coming. Shutting the doors behind Him. Lord NItyananda saw this Unlimited Form of the Lord before Him and falling down like a stick He offered His obesiances and closed His eyes.

The Lord spoke, "arise O Nityananda! You are as dear to Me as My own life. You know everything about Me. Anyone who is attached to You in loving devotion I make him My own. No one is more dear to Me than You. And anyone who tries to see differences in You and Advaita will never gain the proper knowledge to understand the Supreme God or Me in this incarnation." Nityananda and Advaita began to dance jubilantly. Lord Chaitanya responded with a thunderous voice saying, "just look at Yourself!" Nityananda and Advaita overwhelmed with joy started glorifying the Lord with beautiful prayers. Lord Visvambhar smiled upon them with great appreciation. Although all these transcendental incidences were being enacted in Srivas' residence none of the others could see.

These narrations are from the lotus mouth of Advaita Acarya, those who do not have faith in them are the most abominable of sinners And those who do not glorify Lord Chaitanya as the Supreme Absolute Lord are evil hearted men who are avoided by saintly personalities. My greatest hope and assurance is that Lord Chaitanya is the master of my dear master, Nityananda. The Lord chose Nabadwip to reveal His pastimes openly before the public eye yet only the devotees could comprehend its esoteric content. The most valuable wealth anyone can posess is the wealth of devotional service to the Supreme and the zenith of devotion is when one weeps in ecstatic bliss remembering the Holy Name of Krishna. One cannot develop love of Godhead by material means, only be sincerely calling out to Krishna can one at the end chant Krishna's name purely. One can also easily attain this state of perfect joy if one hears with implicit faith the narrations of Lord Chaitanya exhibiting His Universal Form to Advaita Acarya and Nityananda Prabhu.

Finally Lord Chaitanya left for His residence with all the other devotees. Lord Nityananda and Advaita did not inform another soul about seeing the Lord manifest His Universal Form; they were still mad with joy and they rolled about on the ground sometimes singing, dancing and clapping hands. As they were thus engrossed in merriment soon they began to argue and abuse each other. Advaita said, "You simpleton, drunkard, who asked You to come to this place? Why did You force Your way in here? And whosoever calls You a sannyasi. No one knows Your family background, or caste, and as for known You eat in anyone's house from any caste. How does a mad intoxicated person like Yourself find Himself in the company of Vaishnavas? If you do not leave right away then You will find Yourself in real trouble."

Lord NItyananda replied, "you baldy fellow! You would be wise to sit quietly! I will first show you My power and strength with a few blows. You fogey old brahmana, you have no fear? I am an 'avadhuta' renunciate, and the Lord's brother. You are a householder totally engrossed in family life, whereas I am a fully renounced and realized soul. If I strike you cannot say or do anything, yet without reason you are trying to show off in front of Me." These words incensed Advaita with burning rage, he flung his clothes in all directions and began to severely chastise Nityananda. He said, "You fish eater, You meat eater, how do You call Yourself a sannyasi. I have undressed myself before You in sheer disgust. Who knows you, what about Your parents, Your house, nothing is known to anyone, let anyone come forward and identify You and recognise You. You are just a thief wanting to eat everything, gobble up anything and destroy all! You claim to be a sannyas, a sannyasi does not demand anything, but You fill Your belly three times a day. This Srivas Pandit cannot discriminate between the people of different castes, that is why he has allowed this 'avadhuta' to join this company of Vaishnavas. He does not understand that this so called avadhuta will ruin everyones caste and reputation, what a menace this drunkard is." It is difficult for ordinary folks to understand this exchange of spiritual love between the two which sounds like a pernicious verbal fight. No one whould commit the spiritual blunder of supporting one against the other. The deep spiritual significance of such abusive exchanges between devotees are unfathomable to most. And due to ignorance of this fact if someone glorifies Advaita and denounces say Gadadhara Pandit then he will be doomed and certainly he will not be considered a devotee of Advaita either. The activities of the Supreme Lord and the Vaishnavas are all transcendental, incomprehensible to the materialist. An atheist can never understand that both the Lord and His pure devotees are on the same transcendental plane.

One who worships Krishna's lotus feet seeing all Vaishnavas to be dear to the Lord will indeed cross over this ocean of material nescience. Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda are my life and soul. I Vrndavan Das humbly offer this song at Their lotus feet.

Sri Chaitanya
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