Thirteenth Sarga
The Brāhmaṇa's Blessing-Curse
1
On the following day, accompanied by learned brāhmaṇas the Divine Lord went with broom in hand to the temple of the Lord, in order to teach the process of bhakti to his disciples.
2
He carried a dust-pan over His shoulder, and around His beautiful hips He wore an old cloth. A piece of new cloth was wrapped around His head as a turban, and His luster resembled the newly risen sun.
3
Headed by the Ācārya, all of the great souls also held dust-pans and brooms in hand. Having become Kṛṣṇa's haḍḍipas (the lowliest of outcaste sweepers), they assembled together at the gate of the temple.
4
In company with Gaura Kṛṣṇa, those saints whose hearts were decorated by exalted qualities cleansed the walls. Nṛhari gave hundreds and thousands of commands to His crew as they worked (instructing them how and where they should do the cleaning).
5
Although Gaura Candra is the abode of all opulence, the original cause for the cosmos and , and completely self-sufficient, He still instructed them out of compassion.
6-7
Some time later a certain leper saw walking on the path, that very same Janārdana Caitanya whose qualities thrill the hearts of all. With head lowered the leper humbly said to Him, "He! Bhagavān, everyone proclaims You to be the primeval personality of Godhead, the master of even Lord Viṣṇu. Kindly deliver me, a sinner.
8
"He Nātha! Kindly free me from this disease of leprosy, for it is very severe and difficult to tolerate." Hearing this, the blessed Lord become so angry that His eyes resembled red lotuses.
9
He said, "O miscreant, you have provoked hatred towards a vaiṣṇava! After behaving viciously to Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, how now can you expect to be happy?
10
"You have spoken unspeakable words about that great vaiṣṇava and learned scholar. Thus for one hundred births your body shall be consumed by leprosy.
11
"I shall never deliver one who fosters hatred for the vaiṣṇava. This body of Mine constitutes My external life, whereas My internal life is the vaiṣṇava.
12-13
"Those who bow to the vaiṣṇavas, but for some reason are inimical to Me, I shall deliver in all circumstances from great accumulations of sins. But those who out of great delusion are inimical to the vaiṣṇava, descend into an unclean hell." So saying, the Lord departed for the sanctified dwelling of Śrīvāsa Thākura.
14
There the Lord sat and happily delighted in the His bhaktas' company. Then the spiritual master of all worlds, His heart melting out of mercy, spoke to Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita as follows:
15
"On the path I met a wicked man. Due to an offense he made to you, He is suffering from leprosy. He will suffer the tortures of all the hells, yet still he will not attain deliverance."
16
Śrīvāsa said, "O Lord, for eternality kindly grant me this boon. Deliver any person who commits an offense to me.
17
"O Lord, please award complete deliverance to those souls utterly pervaded by sin known as Jagannātha and Mādhava (Jagāi and Mādhāi), as well as all others." Then the all-opulent Lord, who can remove the very root of all sin from the sinner's heart, replied, "Om," consenting to Śrīvāsa's request.
18-19
Once a certain brāhmaṇa came to see the dancing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was forbidden entry by the doorman. Thus being unable to see the Lord, the man became angered. On the following day seeing the guru of the three worlds upon the bank of the Gaṅgā, his face became consumed with fury and he cursed the Lord, seeking to injure Him.
20-21
Breaking the sacred thread draped over his chest, the brāhmaṇa wrathfully delivered this curse: "Because I was forbidden entry by the door-keeper when I came at the time You were dancing, therefore You must now leave all the happiness of Your family life." When the Supreme Lord heard these words uttered by the brāhmaṇa, He felt very happy and thought:
22
"This angry Brāhmaṇa’s curse is actually his blessing on me. By this means I shall deliver all living people. Accepting the āśrama of sannyāsa I shall depart from my home!"
23
A person who hears with transcendental faith of this curse upon Śrī Gaura Hari faith becomes released from all curses made by brāhmaṇas, and he feels a new and ever-expanding bliss within his life.
Thus ends the Thirteenth Sarga entitled "The Brāhmaṇa's Blessing-Curse," in the Second Prakrama of the great poem Śrī Caitanya Carita.