Twelfth Sarga
Gaurāṅga Reveals His Great Glories and Receives the Sacred Bath
1
Then all the bhaktas together with the Lords Gaura, Nityānanda and Advaita hastily assembled in the home of Murāri Gupta. After sitting down there and resting a short time, they departed for the āśrama of Vijaya.
2
After resting there the night, the Supreme Lord got up at dawn and went to the northern bank of the Jāhnavī and wandered about freely.
3
The saintly and peaceful twice-born brāhmaṇas humbly addressed Him, saying, "Be merciful, O Lord. Kindly return to Your home."
4
When He heard their mood of humility, the resplendent Viśvambhara Prabhu, who brings delight to the hearts of His devotees, and whose heart melts with compassion for all beings, returned home.
5
Then with joyous hearts the bhaktas abandoned lamentation and returned happily with Gaura Hari to the abode of Śrīvāsa.
6
In the presence of them all, the Blessed Lord said, "O bestowers of Kṛṣṇa-rasa, hear My words.
7
"If I abandon My mother and depart for another country, everyone will say that I have done wrong."
8
Hearing the Lord speak thus, Murāri Gupta declared, "He Nātha! No living being could speak in that way of their eternal Lord."
9
When the illustrious Lord heard those words, He embraced this lowly Murāri with His two beautiful arms and entered the house.
10
Because of his great gladness, that physician's body then bore rows of pulakas and he then recited one ancient verse in the Lord's presence, which you may kindly hear.
11
"Whereas I am but a poverty-stricken sinner, a brāhmaṇa in name only, and whereas Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the shelter of goddess Lakṣmī, still the Lord has embraced me with His two arms."
12
Hearing that wonderful śloka, our divine Prabhu displayed sublime bhāva, and suddenly radiated effulgence like the thousand-rayed sun.
13
Seating Himself on an āsana, the Lord spoke sweetly, "You should understand that this body of Mine, which is transcendental to transcendence, is composed of condensed eternity and cognizance."
14-15
Hearing that, all the devotees became immensely blissful and all of their bodies became covered with pulakas. At that time, Śrīvāsa bathed Prabhu with the crystalline waters of the sky-flowing Gaṅgā and worshipped Him according to the vaiṣṇava precept for guru-pūjā. Mighty Nityānanda held an umbrella above Gaura's head.
16
Gadādhara dropped betel into Gaura's lovely mouth while all the other bhaktas served the divine Lord with various articles such as peacock fans and cāmara whisks.
17
Immersed in saṅkīrtana-rasa, they broadcast the names of Hari in all directions as they danced and sang, filled with wonder and eagerness.
Thus ends the Twelfth Sarga entitled "Gaurāṅga Reveals His Great Glories and Receives the Sacred Bath," in the Second Prakrama of the great poem Śrī Caitanya Carita.