Sri Caitanya Bhagavata

In the previous chapter, Vrindavan Das Thakur narrates the liberation of the two greatest sinners of Navadvipa, Jagai and Madhai. Liberation means that by Sri Caitanya's grace they became pure devotees, chanting the holy names of the Lord a hundred thousand times every day and attaining krsna-prema, pure love for Krishna. In this chapter he relates the effect this act of Sri Caitanya had on the demigods who came down to earth to serve the Lord and enjoy His pleasure pastimes.

Madhya-khanda, Chapter 14

O Lord Gauranga, Your exquisite form is bubbling over with the nectar of love of Godhead as You dance within Yourself.

Lord Siva and Lord Brahma and the other demigods came regularly to serve Sri Caitanya but without the Lord's permission no one could see them.

Everyday they witnessed the different pastimes of the Lord and when the Lord went to sleep for the night they would also disappear only to return the next day ready to render any service to the Lord. They had witnessed how Jagai and Madhai were delivered and now they were returning in a jubilant mood.

They were discussing with each other, „The Lord has such unlimited compassion for the fallen souls that He liberated even those two most abominable characters. This has imbibed in me great hopes that one day I shall certainly cross over this ocean of nescience.“

Yamaraja, the God of death was also a daily visitor and he witnessed Sri Caitanya's pastimes. He inquired from his assistant Chitragupta, who tabulates and calculates virtuous and sinful activities of human beings. „What is the extent of sin that these two persons have committed, and what it means to exonerate them?“ Chaitragupta replied, „O Yamaraja why pursue this matter, it is futile?“

If my assistant writers sit down to write down the sins of these two they will never finish even after a month and if you want to sit and hear their sins then even after hearing many millions of them it is your prerogative. All the messengers constantly describe their sins so much that the writers always feel harassed unable to cope up with the voluminous scores of sins.“

The messenger said, „The amount of sins they commit forces me to the brink of complete exhaustion and break down from writing them. The bottomless pits where these records are kept will bear witness to my plight, these two have made us writers weep. But now most facilely Sri Caitanya has absorbed all their mountable pile of sins, now permit me that I can cast them into the ocean bed.“

Yamaraja had never before witnessed such a display of compassionate nature of one for another. Yamaraja was an elevated Vaisnava, he was the embodiment of religious principles, well conversant with the injunctions of the Srimad Bhagavatam. When he heard Chitragupta he went into a trance in love of Krsna. He fell down unconscious inside his chariot. Chitragupta and his assistants became concerned and tried to pick him up unable to control the flow of tears.

The demigods who were returning were jubilantly performing kirtana. Yamajara's chariot had come to a halt and Yamaraja was lying unconscious inside. Sri Siva, Sri Brahma, Ananta Sesa, Narada Muni and the other demigods were experiencing a new type of happiness glorifying Sri Caitanya and how His boundless magnanimity could deliver these two who were considered the worst sinners.

When the others noticed that Yamaraja's chariot had halted they came to him and saw Yamaraja lying unconscious inside. They were astonished to see him in this condition not knowing the cause of his loss of consciousness. Chitragupta explained to them the reason for his present condition and Sri Siva and Sri Brahma could immediately perceive the symptoms of ecstasy in love of Krsna in Yamaraja. They began loud kirtana, singing into his ears.

The kirtana revived Yamaraja's consciousness and when he found himself back he got up and began dancing like a madman. The kirtana revealed a crescendo and Yamaraja, son of the Sun God, matched it with his wild dancing. The demigods got infected with Yamaraja's dancing and they joined in with him. Sri Siva, Narada Muni and everyone else were drawn in by the mood of love of Godhead. These are very confidential matters and one day the Vedas will reveal these activities of the demigods.

Dharmaraja now freed from his feelings of shame and intoxicated by love of Krsna lost himself in the movements of dance. Bringing back to memory the pastimes of Sri Caitanya he cried out, „Hallowed be the Lord, the most munificent Lord, friend of the fallen souls.“

The body movements were accompanied with ecstatic symptoms of uproarious calls, horripilation all over the body, a continuous flow of ecstatic emotions as he wept thinking of the Lord. His assistants and companions were over- flowing with joy seeing Dharmaraja. Chitragupta was a devotee who was very attached to the lotus feet of Krsna, he joined in with unrestrained loud and charming appreciation and all were rolling on the ground.

Lord Siva was also dancing in intense rapture unaware that his clothes were strewn everywhere, naked he pranced about in love of Krsna, he a very exalted Vaisnava devotee was blessing the world chanting Sri Krsna's holy name. His matted locks had cascaded down and flared up with each upward movement of his body. Seeing their master in such raptures, Ganesh and Kartika also joined Sri Sankara as they were all remembering the unlimited mercy just exhibited by Sri Caitanya.

Four handed Lord Brahma, whose life and soul is in devotional service to the Supreme Lord, also began to dance in the company of his family members. Kasyapa Muni, Kardama Muni, Daksa Prajapati, Muniara Mana, Bhrigu Muni all joined in with Sri Brahma, for they were stalwarts in the realm of devotional service and were expert in relishing the spiritual mellows with Sri Krsna. They wept and dancing circled around Sri Brahma releasing sighs of devotional feelings.

Devarsi Narada was also dancing next to Sri Brahma, tears of love flowed down in streams. He forgot his vina as he was relishing the glories of the Lord and His holy name. Sukadeva Goswain was a beloved devotee of Sri Caitanya, one who knew perfectly the science of devotion, he also joined the dancing and repeating the names of Jagai and Madhai he rolled in the dust, offering his obeisances to the Lord.

Indra, the king of the demigods almost invincible due to his weapon, `thunder' is feeling repentant. Tears flowed constantly from his thousand eyes like rivers. Now his thousand eyes, which he received due to Gautama Muni's curse were able to see for the first time the glorious pastimes of Sri Caitanya and he felt that the curse was a blessing in disguise. Indra was experiencing such great happiness that he was rolling on the ground, with no concern for his kingly position; his weapons felt impotent and his priceless and opulently studded kirti necklace lay limp and neglected. These are fully the symptoms indicating the influence of love of Krsna.

Candra, Surya, Kuvera, Varuna and all the demigods, servants of Sri Krsna were dancing intoxicated by the nectar of love of Krsna which they had just drunk with their eyes in the form of Sri Caitanya's pastimes. They were jostling freely with each other oblivious of high or low positions, they were drunk and happy.

Sri Ananta Sesa was dancing accompanied by Garuda. Sri Sesa is holding the entire creation on one of his hoods, but now he was fully absorbed in love of Krsna. Sri Siva, Sri Brahma and others surrounded Him as He danced and sang with His thousand hoods the unparalleled pastimes of Sri Gauracandra of how He delivered the worst kind of sinners.

They were all in the grips of spiritual ecstasy, some wept, others laughed and some lay unconscious on the floor. Someone said, „How wonderful to see Sri Caitanya's pastimes, O how blessed are Jagai and Madhai.“ The unlimited azure vault reverberated with their joyous pandemonium, purifying the entire cosmic creation with the eulogy of Krsna. They dispelled the gloom of inauspiciousness.

The all auspicious sound of Gaura lila, permeated the vast coverings of the material world from the highest realm Satyaloka down to the lowest material planet Patalaloka. Everywhere they echoed Sri Gauranga's pastimes of delivering the two sinners, Jagai and Madhai. Having now once relished the nectar of Gauranga's pastimes, they continued to glorify Sri Caitanya as they went back to their abodes.

All glory to Sri Gauracandra who has appeared in this material world to benedict the conditioned souls for He is the Lord of all the living entities, the Lord of the Universe. Just as You have so munificently delivered these two most fallen sinners so kindly shower Your mercy on everyone one of us also. O Lord!, You are most gracious because You have come to save the fallen souls.

Sri Sri Krsna Caitanya and Sri Nityananda Prabhu are my life and soul.

I, Vrndavana Dasa, string a garland of songs in their praise and offer it at their lotus feet.