Sixteenth Sarga
The Lord Shows Mercy to Pratāpa Rudra Mahārāja
1
Then the king of Utkala, lord of many elephants, desired to have darśana of Mahāprabhu. He summoned Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya together with Rāmānanda Rāya.
2
In a loving mood, with respect and humility, he asked them by what means he could obtain darśana of Gaura Candra and His elder brother.
3
Sārvabhauma said to him, "Mahārāja, for a king like yourself, it is difficult to have the Lord's darśana. You should adopt some other means to see Him.
4
"When those two Supreme Lords become intoxicated by the joy of saṅkīrtana, then, O great king, you may attempt to see Them."
5
The king eagerly replied with a brightly smiling face, "O brāhmaṇa, kindly bless this endeavor so it may soon take place."
6
Later, when the king was informed that the Supreme Lords were tasting the delights of congregational kīrtana, he came and gazed upon those two oceans of mercy.
7
The Lords' bodies were decorated by tears, eruptions and trembling, and from Their noses and mouths flowed nectarine saliva. Gazing upon those two Lords thus ornamented, the king also wept and his hairs thrilled in rapture.
8
Very satisfied, he returned to his home and went to sleep. Then in a dream he saw the two Lords. Their forms exhibited the bliss of kīrtana, and They were seated upon jewelled lion-thrones.
9
With great happiness, he beheld those enemies of Pralamba and Mura, perpetually and totally absorbed in Their glorious pastimes. "Oh! What is this? What is this?" Pratāpa Rudra cried as he fainted, falling to the earth with great force. When he arose, he again saw the two Prabhus.
10
Thrice he saw this dream. Losing all sobriety because of prema, he wept. Then arising swiftly he went nearby Gaurāṅga's lotus feet.
11
Again and again he arose and fell to the earth before them offering obeisances. Then weeping profusely and holding the lotus feet of Prabhu to his heart, he offered praises to the Lord of all beings, the first among all persons:
12
"Glories! Glories, O Lord of the universe! You are the revealer of the complete spectrum of love of God! O You who reside in the hearts of all beings! You who lie on the bed of Ananta Śeṣa Nāga, the king of snakes! Friend of the distressed! Kindly protect me, Your own man. I am afflicted by separation from Your lotus feet, like an intoxicated bee hankering to kiss them."
13
While the king offered praise, Mahāprabhu, the protector of all sentient beings, displayed a radiant form of six-arms. That form was embellished by copious ornaments, and it revealed His own greatness. It was wonderful, magnificent and filled with immense opulence.
14
Glory to the golden moon of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who displays unbounded love, complete joy and ultimate charm. His eyes forever rove to and fro like bees in search of honey. Glory to the forever-blissful Nityānanda, who is Balarāma Himself. His personality is filled with divine sweetness, and intoxicated by Gaura-prema His form is sublimely personal and peaceful.
15
With His upper pair of hands, Gaura Candra brandished a bow and arrow, with the middle pair He held an excellent flute to His broad chest, and the lower pair of hands were held in a very graceful dancing posture. Thus the monarch saw the complete form of Gaura Candra, which was filled with love of Kṛṣṇa.
16
Having seen that six-armed form of the Lord, Pratāpa Rudra Mahārāja was reminded of the intense sweetness of Śrī Hari and Rāma's rāsa-līlā pastimes, and his body became covered by ecstatic eruptions and tears of love. Thus, while dancing he recited a few auspicious verses describing Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma amidst the assembled gopīs, which form the supreme relishable essence of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. He recited them in an ecstatic intoxicated mood arising from his own spiritual bliss.
17
It is stated in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, Thirty-fourth Chapter, verses 20 - 23: "Once Govinda and Rāma, the performers of superhuman feats, enjoyed at night in the forest-bowers in company with the milkmaids of Vraja.
18
"Their glories were charmingly sung by those womenfolk who were entangled in affection with Them. The Lords were artfully decorated with ornaments, and Their limbs were smeared with the pulp of sandal. They wore flower garlands and spotless garments.
19
"The two Lords sang, honouring the approach of dusk and the rising of the moon and stars. Their songs delighted the ears and hearts of all living beings."
20
When all the great souls headed by Sārvabhauma saw their great Master, the illustrious son of Śacī, displaying His six-armed form, and Nityānanda Rāma appearing as Balarāma, the son of Rohiṇī, they also became completely decorated by tears and thrill-bumps. Thus they became overwhelmed and immersed in singing immortal nectarean songs describing the qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Thus ends the Sixteenth Sarga entitled "The Lord Shows Mercy to Pratāpa Rudra Mahārāja," in the Fourth Prakrama of the great poem Śrī Caitanya Carita.