Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Carita | Book 2 Chapter 14

Fourteenth Sarga

Gaura Becomes Absorbed in the Mood of Balabhadra

1

One day, as the lord of light arose in the pure dawn, Lord Gaura Candra first remembered the mantra awarded to Him by Śrī Īśvara Purī, and then He recited from the scriptures before many sages, brāhmaṇas and saintly persons. At that time, He became absorbed in the mood of Lord Balarāma, who dresses in blue.

2-3

In a voice reverberating like a thundercloud, He ordered again and again, "At once bring my honey-wine " This made all the people laugh. At that time he saw the beautiful form of Lord Balarāma in this way: Halāyudha (the Plow-Warrior), Nīlāmbara (the Wearer of Blue Garments), Śveta-mahīdhara (the Mountain of Silver), Prabhu (the Master), Saunanda-pāṇi (the Wielder of the club named Sunanda), Vara-padma-locana (Beautiful Lotus-Eyes)." As Mahāprabhu beheld with a joyous heart the wonderful vision of Śrī Baladeva, He also engladdened the peoples' hearts. Then the protector of all people, the original Personali1ty of Godhead, Śrī Hari, clad in the most charming of attire, danced amidst the three groups of sages.

4

Enlivened with joy, Gaura entered the house of the physician Murāri, accompanied by the vipras who chanted the names of Hari. He appeared like the bright sky-lord rising in the east. Then He again said, "Bring Me very strong and ambrosial honey wine!"

5

The ever-victorious Viṣṇu held aloft a brimming pot of pure water and drank from it. Then the Lord danced in an intoxicated fashion, loudly laughing and rolling about on the ground, while the exalted brāhmaṇas offered prayers to the Lord as the Plough-Warrior.

6

They fell on the earth at His two lotus feet, while the Personality of Godhead delighted profoundly and repeatedly in the pleasure-pastimes of Baladeva. He danced and spoke in a gentle tone:

7-8

"I am not like Kṛṣṇa; He may become pleased by mere words. This wrestler should give Me some of that sublime and wondrous beverage." Saying this in the mood of Balarāma, Lord Gaura touched a brāhmaṇa with His mere finger and sent him flying a great distance. That brāhmaṇa finally fell upon the earth greatly disturbed. Thus, as His pleasure-pastime the all-opulent Lord enjoyed Himself from dawn until dusk as He enacted the pastimes of Baladeva.

9

Dressed in stunningly attractive attire, Śrī Gaura Candra, master and protector of all people by His sweet desire, enjoyed bathing and playing water sports in the Gaṅgā and eating surrounded by his dear associates. Then He returned home.

10

On the next day, the Lord's body became very feverish. His hair became scattered and again and again He experienced transcendental delusions recalling the pastimes of Balarāma in the forest-bowers of Vṛaja. The brāhmaṇas sprinkled Him with water.

11

Immediately Prabhu regained consciousness and spoke in a faltering voice to Gadādhara, "Go to all My friends and bring them together, so that I may look upon those saintly vaiṣṇavas."

12

Thus, upon His order those very great souls headed by Ācārya Ratna joyously assembled. But when they saw Gaura Hari completely overwhelmed, and uttering sounds with a voice choked by emotion, they became very anguished and perplexed.

13

They inquired, "Dear Lord, if You wish, please tell us the cause for Your present state." Hearing them, Nṛhari replied with intense absorption, "I have seen the Silver Mountain, the Wielder of the Plough.

14-15

"In His hand He holds the golden club Sunanda. He appears like the thousand- rayed sun as it rises at dawn, and He wears fine gold ornaments." Hearing this, Candra Śekhara Ācārya then said, "O Prabhu, please speak further of the person You saw." Then Gaura Hari suddenly went to the bearer of the plough and looked upon Him. Then on account of being immersed in the mood of Balarāma, the all-pervasive Lord donned Lord Balarāma's attire and danced again in the company of His devotees, whose hearts were filled with gladness.

16

The moon of Hari was thrilled and delighted at heart by the pure vaiṣṇavas. By their expressive use of words, they described the attributes of the Lord in song, and by appropriate hand-gestures they praised Him while dancing. As they danced, they appeared like very pious and mighty mountains, and the movements of their dancing feet surpassed heavenly happiness.

17-18

Thus did the Lord, the enjoyer of all sacrifice, pass His time until the day's end in the sublime sacrifice of saṅkīrtana, for the benefit of all living entities. Then on the following day, as the Lord again raised His face in dancing, the divine fragrance of Vāruṇī filled all directions, and when the people smelled it, they felt pleasure. The eminent brāhmaṇa of the name Śrī Rāma then noticed that there were many great souls assembled in that place.

19

Each of them had a lotus pushed over one of their ears, and a glittering earring upon the other. Their eyes were wide-spread like lotus petals, their heads were wrapped in white turbans, and their presence was very illuminating. After Gaura Hari's bhaktas heard these topics of Kṛṣṇa-kathā from Śrī Rāma, they sang and danced very jubilantly.

20

There was also a certain bhakta of the name Vanamālī, who saw on the ground the golden club of Lord Balarāma named Saunanda, radiant as the sunshine. Thus all his hairs thrilled with ecstasy and his whole body became wet as tears of joy flooded from his eyes.

21

Then the Lord of all worlds danced, intoxicated by absorption in the rasa of the Plough-Warrior. Observing this, the avadhūta held Gaura Candra to His chest in order to savour that rasa.

22

In the skies the residents of heaven as well as Śiva, offered their prostrated obeisances, delighted by Lord Gaura's unparalleled ecstatic mood. Tears filled their eyes, and due to eagerness their bodies became covered by pulakas as they chanted the names, "Śrī Rāma! Nārāyaṇa! Kṛṣṇa!"

23

Thus the divine Lord passed that night. In the early dawn He went into the middle of the waters of the sky Gaṅgā. There He bathed, dived and created sports in the company of His associates.

24

Then in the light of dawn the conqueror of the mind walked to His home, and the bhakta-janas after offering praṇāma to Śrī Hari, went to their own respective āśramas and after they had completing their morning duties, all of them returned, eager to have a sight of the unborn Lord's lotus feet.

25

Thus absorbed in the mood of Halāyudha, Lord Mukuṇḍa enact many varieties of pleasure-pastimes. He is the original Personality of Godhead, Śrī Hari. Now He has appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu, who is overflowing with devotion for his inner self for the benefit of all living entities.

26

One who hears of these activities performed by Mahāprabhu as He wore the astonishing attire of the Plough-Warrior, can obtain perpetual intoxication in bhakti- rasa, and at the time of death, enter the deathless nectarine abode of the Ultimate Person.

Thus ends the Fourteenth Sarga entitled "Gaurāṅga Becomes Absorbed in the Mood of Balabhadra," in the Second Prakrama of the great poem Śrī Caitanya Carita.