Fourteenth Sarga
The Marriage of Viṣṇu with Viṣṇu-priyā
1
The boundlessly merciful Lord Kṛṣṇa, feeling sympathy for sorrow of the brāhmaṇa couple, and engaged another brāhmaṇa to be His messenger.
2
Resolving to marry their daughter, Śrī Hari conciliated them with sweet words just like an ordinary man, through the mouth of that brāhmaṇa.
3
Then on the new day selected for the Lord's adhivāsa, when in the sky arose an auspicious conjunction of the stars and moon, when saintly brāhmaṇas assembled...
4
...when mridangas and karatalas were sounded, when Vedic hymns were vibrated, when all directions were decorated with flags and banners, when lamps and fragrant incense were lit...
5
...when the controlling deities of the universe and the Lord's forefathers were offered oblations accompanied by auspicious utterances of svasti!, then the Lord performed the ceremonial rituals of to purify the household, as conducted by brāhmaṇa priests.
6
Śrī Hari of wide-spread fame then presented profuse pulp of sandal, scented chewing spices with pāna, and garlands to those saintly twice-born men.
7
Then the noble scholar Sanātana faithfully arrived accompanied by his daughter who appeared like the goddess of fortune. He was attired opulently and his heart immersed in jubilation.
8
He summoned together the brāhmaṇas and their saintly wives and then performed the adhivāsa of his great son-in-law according to Vedic vidhi.
9
Having performed the adhivāsa ceremony of his daughter according to Vedic precept, he ceased to experience the tribulations of material misery, and merged in a great ocean of bliss.
10-12
Early on the following day, after taking His daily bath in the waters of the Jāhnavī, Bhagavān Śrī Gaura went forth, and assisted by saintly persons He attentively worshipped His ancestors to release them from any suffering. Just then, powerful young sons of brāhmaṇas suddenly arrived and completely decorated beautiful Viśvambharadeva, whose effulgence was like millions of Cupids, with silken garments, ornaments, garlands, scented oils and so forth.
13-14
At that moment, Śrī Sanātana Paṇḍita, knowing that the auspicious time for the wedding had arrived, also had his daughter decorated with garments, ornaments, flower garlands, scented oils and so forth, and he sent elevated brāhmaṇas to respectfully bring his son-in-law.
15
Approaching Him, those excellent brāhmaṇas submissively informed Śrī Hari, "The auspicious moment for Your marriage has now arrived.
16
"Conquer fortune and fix Your mind to enter the paṇḍita's home. Who can describe Your good fortune?!"
17-18
Hearing these words of the brāhmaṇas with a respectful face, the Lord happily went to His mother. He offered her His prostrated obeisances. and then at once sat down with her in a palanquin. The procession began accompanied by cries of "Jaya!" and utterances of Vedic hymns, along with the beating of mṛdaṅga and paṭaha drums, as well as the vibrations of the vinā, cymbals, gongs and various other instruments.
19
While the autumn moon shone with brilliant rays in the sky above, Lord Hari, together with the other palanquins with their rows of lamps, also shone like a moon amidst the stars.
20
Appearing like another Mount Meru amidst the golden milk ocean, the original Supreme Lord Śrī Hari revealed the beauty which infatuates all living beings.
21-23
When Śrī Sanātana Paṇḍita saw that his son-in-law had arrived, his hairs stood erect with jubilation. He took the Lord by the hand and, lifting Him from the palanquin, ushered Him into his home. Then having respectfully bathed His feet and offered Him a seat as enjoined by śāstra, he dressed Him with new garments and fresh flower-garlands, and anointed His brow with pulp of sandal. Gaurāṅga's body glittered like molten gold, and the garland of mālatī flowers hanging upon His chest appeared like the Gaṅgā forming two waterfalls as it falls from the peak of Mount Meru. His face shone like the rising full moon, and His eyes blossomed like lotuses.
24-25
As Sanātana's wife, whose face was sweetly smiling, saw her son-in-law, she felt much pleasure. Although ignorant of the heart of the son-in-law, the simple-hearted brāhmaṇa ladies with great joy and eagerness offered an ārati ceremony to Him with lamps of clarified butter. They made presentations of sweets such as lāu and halava, while bards played auspicious songs.
26
Śrī Sanātana Paṇḍita led out his divine daughter, and with much attention presented her to the feet of his son-in-law.
27
Then there was a great festival as the assembly cried, "Jaya! Jaya!" Learned brāhmaṇas intoned mantras from the Vedas while many musical instruments were sounded.
28
Viṣṇu and Viṣṇu-priyā rained flowers upon one another, and then it appeared as if mahānanda, the Lord's supreme bliss potency had personally descended on that spot.
29
Then mighty-armed Śrī Hari and His beautiful bride sat together upon a splendid spotless quilted throne.
30
Combined together, their lustre increased like Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā with lovely Rukmiṇī, or like the star Rohiṇī with the moon.
31
After begetting a daughter according to the principles of scripture and finally releasing her to the lotus hands of the Lord, Śrī Sanātana Paṇḍita then considered his life fulfilled.
32
Then when the wedding was finished and the great festival complete, the guru of the cosmic manifestation entered His dwelling accompanied by His wife.
33
Seeing Gaura praised by the learned men of the earth as He abruptly again arrived together with His wife, on the threshold of household life, the joyous sweet-faced mother of Murāri together with other saintly ladies instructed the couple on the principles for practicing household life.
Thus ends the Fourteenth Sarga entitled "The Marriage of Viṣṇu with Viṣṇu- priyā," in the First Prakrama of the great poem Śrī Caitanya Carita.