Twenty-first Sarga
The Lord Shows Mercy to Rāmadāsa
1
For three days, while Kṛṣṇa Caitanya manifested the external form of bhakta-rāja, king of the devotees, He internally enjoyed the rāsa-dance in that jewel temple.
2
The Lord of Nīlācala remained for nine days with His elder brother Balarāma in Guṇḍicā, the abode of love, receiving the devoted service of Gajapati Pratāpa Rudra Mahārāja. Then He embarked on His return journey while Gaura Candra followed the chariots along with the host of His bhaktas.
3
After first observing the festival of Herā-Pañcamī-Yātrā, when the goddess of fortune seeks out Lord Jagannātha, and also Śrī-Lakṣmī-Vijayotsava, the victory festival of Lakṣmī Devī, then Śrī Līlā-Puruṣottama, the supreme enjoyer of transcendental pastimes, returned to His home that resembles a blue mountain.
4
Thereafter, Śrī Śacī-nandana Hari, accompanied by Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, the son of Padmāvatī, together with the assembled vaiṣṇavas, gazed upon the younger brother of Rāma, who was pleasantly seated in the midst of a resplendent, bejewelled lion-throne.
5
Within the temple resembling a blue mountain, in the land of Puruṣottama Kṣetra, which is shaped like a gigantic conchshell, the Lord resides. Amidst a hundred- petalled lotus, He is seated upon a bejewelled lion-throne. His body is the hue of a new lightning-illuminated thundercloud, and He is adorned with variegated ornaments. He is seated along with His elder brother, Baladeva, while His sister, Subhadrā, sits to His left. He is attended by His disc, Sudarśana, and is offered prayers by all the gods headed by Brahmā and Rudra. The sole and essential message of all the Vedas is to achieve knowledge of His Person, which is endowed with all sublime qualities. Thus do I recall the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead, Lord Jagannātha.
6-7
After meditating in this way, Gaura Kṛṣṇa went to a small house of flowers constructed by Kāśī Miśra. After seating Himself comfortably on an āsana there, He sent home the bhaktas of Gauḍa to bring happiness to His mother, who is the embodiment of both bhakti and prema for Śrī Hari.
8
Warmly embracing Nityānanda and clasping His hands, the Lord addressed Him with a faltering voice, "Go now to Gauḍa-deśa.
9
"You are the Supreme Lord. I can therefore understand Your body to be the sustaining pillar of My faith. Knowing this, You may act in whichever way You desire, My dear Prabhu.
10
"You must make the fools, the lowly, the dullards, the blind, and all other sinful men qualified in every respect to receive love for Kṛṣṇa."
11
Laughing loudly, Nityānanda replied, "Prabhu, I am merely Your puppet; I must fulfill Your order, for You are the puppeteer."
12-13
As those two were speaking in the company of Svarūpa Dāmodara and his men, and also Śrī Paramānanda Purī, Rāmānanda Rāya and the others, a certain poor brāhmaṇa of pure intelligence named Rāmadāsa had arrived in Purī from south Bhārata. He desired to see Jagannātha-deva in order to acquire wealth.
14
After submitting his objective before Jagannātha Swāmī and waiting for seven days, he then considered his petition rejected.
15
Grief-stricken because of his unfulfilled desire, he went by the shore of the ocean. At that moment, by the will of Providence, King Bibhīṣaṇa of the island of Laṅkā came there and showed himself to that brāhmaṇa.
16
The brāhmaṇa inquired, "Oh tell me - who are you, good sir? And where are you going? I have just spent seven days seeing Śrī Jagannātha."
17
"Bibhīṣaṇa is my name," the pious Rākṣasa replied. Then he departed, and the greatly fortunate vipra went along with him.
18
Śrī Bibhīṣaṇa went to the place where Lord Gaura Candra was staying. Upon seeing the Lord's shining feet, he fell like a stick to the ground.
19
Beholding that amazing scene, the brāhmaṇa also bowed down, and he wept until his body became drenched by tears of love. Then, praising his own miserable poverty [which had caused him to eventually meet the Lord], his heart became filled with jubilation and he danced.
20-21
The all-opulent Lord, who is like a wish-fulfilling tree, said to Bibhīṣaṇa, "If your grace gives wealth to this exalted brāhmaṇa, his desire will then be fulfilled, thus freeing him from the affliction of misery." With folded hands, Bibhīṣaṇa accepted Mahāprabhu's instruction on his head.
22
Hearing this, the elevated brāhmaṇa said, "O guru of the cosmos! Kindly do not abandon me. Fulfil the boon promised by You.
23
"O Lord of the universe! Master of the senses! O deliverer of conditioned souls from the ocean of repeated birth and death! You are the bestower of Kṛṣṇa-prema to the fallen souls. Indeed, You are Kṛṣṇa, the all-attractive person! Kindly deliver me."
24
The ocean of compassion answered him, "Return to your home. Enjoy your pleasures after first renouncing them at Śrī Kṛṣṇa's feet.
25
"Through such worship you shall receive bhakti, and by the practice of bhakti the wealth of Kṛṣṇa-prema can arise in your heart." On hearing this, the brāhmaṇa offered Mahāprabhu respectful obeisances and then departed for his home.
26
After offering prayers of praise to Gaura Hari and bowing down before Him repeatedly, Bibhīṣaṇa also departed for his charming home while meditating on the Lord's lotus feet.
Thus ends the Twenty-first Sarga entitled "The Lord Shows Mercy to Rāmadāsa," in the Fourth Prakrama of the great poem Śrī Caitanya Carita.