Chapter 18
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Visit to Sri Vrndavana
The following summary of the Eighteenth Chapter is given by Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. In the village of Arit-grama,
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discovered the transcendental lakes known as
Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. He then saw the Deity Harideva at Govardhana
Village. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had no desire to climb Govardhana Hill because
the hill is worshiped as Krsna. The Gopala Deity could understand the mind of
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; therefore on the plea of being attacked by Muslims,
Gopala transferred Himself to the village of Ganthuli-grama. Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu then went to Ganthuli-grama to see Lord Gopala. Some years later,
Lord Gopala also went to Mathura to the temple of Viththalesvara and stayed
there for one month just to give an audience to Srila Rupa Gosvami.
After visiting Nandisvara, Pavana-sarovara, Sesasayi, Khela-tirtha,
Bhandiravana, Bhadravana, Lohavana and Mahavana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went
to Gokula and then finally returned to Mathura. Seeing a great crowd in
Mathura, He moved His residence near Akrura-ghata, and from there He went every
day to Vrndavana to see Kaliya-hrada, Dvadasaditya-ghata, Kesi-ghata,
Rasa-sthali, Cira-ghata and Amli-tala. At Kaliya Lake, many people mistook a
fisherman for Krsna. When some respectable people came to see Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, they expressed their opinion that when one takes sannyasa, he
becomes Narayana. Their mistake was corrected by the Lord. In this way, their
Krsna consciousness was awakened, and they could understand that a sannyasi is
simply a living entity and not the Supreme personality of Godhead.
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His bath at Akrura-ghata, He submerged
Himself in the water for a long time. Balabhadra Bhattacarya decided to take
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Prayaga after visiting the holy place known as
Soroksetra. While stopping near a village on the way to Prayaga, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu fainted in ecstatic love. Some Pathana soldiers who were passing
through saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and falsely concluded that the Lord's
associates, Balabhadra Bhattacarya and others, had killed the Lord with a
poison named dhutura and were taking His wealth. Thus the soldiers arrested
them. However, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu regained His senses, His associates
were released. He talked with a person who was supposed to be a holy man in the
party. From the Koran, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu established devotional service
to Krsna. Thus the leader of the soldiers, named Vijali Khan, surrendered to
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and he and his party became devotees of Lord Krsna.
The same village today is known as the village of Pathana Vaisnavas. After
bathing in the Ganges at Soro, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived at Prayaga at
the confluence of three rivers-the Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati.
TEXT 1
TEXT
vrndavane sthira-caran
nandayan svavalokanaih
atmanam ca tad-alokad
gaurangah parito 'bhramat
SYNONYMS
vrndavane--in Vrndavana; sthira-caran--to the living entities, both
moving and not moving; nandayan--giving pleasure; sva-avalokanaih--by His
personal glances; atmanam--to Himself; ca--also; tat-alokat--by seeing them;
gaurangah--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; paritah--all around; abhramat--traveled.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu traveled all over Vrndavana and pleased all
living entities, moving and nonmoving, with His glances. The Lord took much
personal pleasure in seeing everyone. In this way Lord Gauranga traveled in Vrndavana.
TEXT 2
TEXT
jaya jaya gauracandra jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
SYNONYMS
jaya jaya--all glories; gauracandra--to Lord Gauracandra (Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu); jaya--all glories; nityananda--to Lord Nityananda Prabhu;
jaya--all glories; advaita-candra--to Sri Advaita Gosani; jaya--all glories;
gaura-bhakta-vrnda--to the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
TRANSLATION
All glories to Lord Gauracandra! All glories to Nityananda Prabhu! All
glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to the devotees of Lord Caitanya
headed by Srivasa Thakura!
TEXT 3
TEXT
ei-mata mahaprabhu nacite nacite
'arit'-grame asi' 'bahya' haila acambite
SYNONYMS
ei-mata--in this way; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; nacite
nacite--dancing and dancing; arit-grame--in the village known as Arit-grama;
asi,--coming; bahya--sense perception; haila--there was; acambite--suddenly.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced in ecstasy, but when He arrived at
Aritgrama, His sense perception was awakened.
PURPORT
Arit-grama is also called Arista-grama. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
understood that in that village, Aristasura was killed by Sri Krsna. While
there, He inquired about Radha-kunda, but no one could tell Him where it was.
The brahmana accompanying Him could also not ascertain its whereabouts. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu could then understand that the holy places known as
Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda were at that time lost to everyone's vision. He
therefore discovered Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda, which were two reservoirs of
water in two paddy fields. Although there was very little water, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu was omniscient and could understand that formerly these two ponds
were called Sri Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. In this way Radha-kunda and
Syama-kunda were discovered.
TEXT 4
TEXT
arite radha-kunda-varta puche loka-sthane
keha nahi kahe, sangera brahmana na jane
SYNONYMS
arite--in the village known as Arit-grama; radha-kunda-varta--news of
Radhakunda; puche--inquires; loka-sthane--from the local people; keha--anyone;
nahi--not; kahe--could say; sangera--the companion; brahmana--brahmana; na
jane--does not know.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked the local people,"Where is
Radha-kunda?" No one could inform Him, and the brahmana accompanying Him
did not know either.
TEXT 5
TEXT
tirtha 'lupta' jani' prabhu sarvajna bhagavan
dui dhanya-ksetre alpa-jale kaila snana
SYNONYMS
tirtha--holy place; lupta--lost; jani'--knowing; prabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; sarva-jna--omniscient; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; dui--two; dhanya-ksetre--in paddy fields; alpa-jale--in not very deep
water; kaila snana--took a bath.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then understood that the holy place called Radha-kunda was no
longer visible. However, being the omniscient Supreme Personality of Godhead,
He discovered Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda in two paddy fields. There was only a
little water, but He took His bath there.
TEXT 6
TEXT
dekhi' saba gramya-lokera vismaya haila mana
preme prabhu kare radha-kundera stavana
SYNONYMS
dekhi'--seeing; saba gramya-lokera--of all the people of the village;
vismaya haila--became astonished; mana--the minds; preme--in ecstatic love;
prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kare--does; radha-kundera--of Radha-kunda;
stavana--prayers.
TRANSLATION
When the people of the village saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taking His
bath in those two ponds in the middle of the paddy fields, they were very
astonished. The Lord then offered His prayers to Sri Radha-kunda.
TEXT 7
TEXT
saba gopi haite radha krsnera preyasi
taiche radha-kunda priya 'priyara sarasi'
SYNONYMS
saba--all; gopi--the gopis; haite--from; radha--Radharani; krsnera--of
Lord Krsna; preyasi--most beloved; taiche--similarly; radha-kunda--Radha-kunda;
priya--very dear; priyara sarasi--the lake of the most beloved Radharani.
TRANSLATION
"Of all the gopis, Radharani is the dearmost. Similarly, the lake
known as Radha-kunda is very dear to the Lord because it is very dear to
Srimati Radharani.
TEXT 8
TEXT
yatha radha priya visnos
tasyah kundam priyam tatha
sarva-gopisu saivaika
visnor atyanta-vallabha
SYNONYMS
yatha--as; radha--Srimati Radharani; priya--beloved; visnoh--of Lord
Krsna; tasyah--Her; kundam--lake; priyam--very dear; tatha--similarly;
sarva-gopisu--among all the gopis; sa--She; eva--certainly; eka--alone;
visnoh--of Lord Krsna; atyanta--very much; vallabha--dear.
TRANSLATION
" 'Srimati Radharani is most dear to Lord Krsna, and Her lake known
as Radha-kunda is also very dear to Him. Of all the gopis, Srimati Radharani is
certainly the most beloved.'
PURPORT
This is a verse from the Padma Purana.
TEXT 9
TEXT
yei kunde nitya krsna radhikara sange
jale jala-keli kare, tire rasa-range
SYNONYMS
yei kunde--in which lake; nitya--daily; krsna--Lord Krsna; radhikara
sange--accompanied by Srimati Radharani; jale--in the water;
jala-keli--sporting in the water; kare--performs; tire--on the bank;
rasa-range--His rasa dance.
TRANSLATION
"In that lake, Lord Krsna and Srimati Radharani used to sport daily
in the water and have a rasa dance on the bank.
TEXT 10
TEXT
sei kunde yei eka-bara
kare snana
tanre radha-sama 'prema' krsna kare dana
SYNONYMS
sei kunde--in that lake; yei--anyone who; eka-bara--once; kare
snana--takes a bath; tanre--unto him; radha-sama--like Srimati Radharani;
prema--ecstatic love; krsna--Lord Krsna; kare dana--gives as charity.
TRANSLATION
"Indeed, Lord Krsna gives ecstatic love like that of Srimati
Radharani to whoever bathes in that lake even once in his life.
TEXT 11
TEXT
kundera 'madhuri'----yena radhara 'madhurima'
kundera 'mahima'----yena radhara 'mahima'
SYNONYMS
kundera--of the lake; madhuri--sweetness; yena--as if; radhara--of
Srimati Radharani; madhurima--sweetness; kundera--of the lake; mahima--glories;
yena--as if; radhara--of Srimati Radharani; mahima--glories.
TRANSLATION
"The attraction of Radha-kunda is as sweet as that of Srimati
Radharani. Similarly, the glories of the kunda [lake] are as glorious as
Srimati Radharani.
TEXT 12
TEXT
sri-radheva hares tadiya-sarasi presthadbhutaih svair gunair
yasyam sri-yuta-madhavendur anisam pritya taya kridati
premasmin bata radhikeva labhate yasyam sakrt snana-krt
tasya vai mahima tatha madhurima kenastu varnyah ksitau
SYNONYMS
sri-radha--Srimati Radharani; iva--like; hareh--of Krsna; tadiya--Her;
sarasi--lake; prestha--very dear; adbhutaih--by wonderful; svaih--own;
gunaih--transcendental qualities; yasyam--in which; sri-yuta--all-opulent;
madhava--Sri Krsna; induh--like the moon; anisam--incessantly; pritya--with
great affection; taya--in association with Srimati Radharani; kridati--performs
pastimes; prema--love; asmin--for Lord Krsna; bata--certainly; radhika
iva--exactly like Srimati Radharani; labhate--obtains; yasyam--in which;
sakrt--once; snana-krt--one who takes a bath; tasyah--of the lake;
vai--certainly; mahima--glories; tatha--as well as; madhurima--sweetness;
kena--by whom; astu--can be; varnyah--described; ksitau--on this earth.
TRANSLATION
" 'Because of its wonderful transcendental qualities, Radha-kunda
is as dear to Krsna as Srimati Radharani. It was in that lake that the
all-opulent Lord Sri Krsna performed His pastimes with Srimati Radharani with
great pleasure and transcendental bliss. Whoever bathes just once in
Radha-kunda attains Srimati Radharani's loving attraction for Sri Krsna. Who
within this world can describe the glories and sweetness of Sri Radha-kunda?'
"
PURPORT
This verse is found in the Govinda-lilamrta (7.102).
TEXT 13
TEXT
ei-mata stuti kare premavista hana
tire nrtya kare kunda-lila sanariya
SYNONYMS
ei-mata--in this way; stuti kare--offers prayers;
prema-avista--overwhelmed by ecstatic love; hana--becoming; tire--on the bank;
nrtya kare--dances; kunda-lila--pastimes of Radha-kunda; sanariya--remembering.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thus offered prayers to Radha-kunda. Overwhelmed
by ecstatic love, He danced on the bank, remembering the pastimes Lord Krsna
performed on the bank of Radha-kunda.
TEXT 14
TEXT
kundera mrttika lana tilaka karila
bhattacarya-dvara mrttika sange kari' laila
SYNONYMS
kundera --of the lake; mrttika--earth; lana--taking; tilaka karila--formed
tilaka; bhattacarya-dvara--with the help of Balabhadra Bhattacarya;
mrttika--earth; sange--along; kari'--making; laila--took.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then marked His body with tilaka made from the
mud of Radha-kunda, and with the help of Balabhadra Bhattacarya, He collected
some of the mud and took it with Him.
TEXT 15
TEXT
tabe cali' aila prabhu 'sumanah-sarovara'
tahan 'govardhana' dekhi'
ha-ila vihvala
SYNONYMS
tabe--thereafter; cali'--traveling; aila--came; prabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; sumanah-sarovara--to the lake known as Sumanah; tahan--there;
govardhana--Govardhana Hill; dekhi'--seeing; ha-ila vihvala--became
overwhelmed.
TRANSLATION
From Radha-kunda, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Sumanah Lake. When He
saw Govardhana Hill from there, He was overwhelmed by joy.
TEXT 16
TEXT
govardhana dekhi' prabhu ha-ila dandavat
'eka sila' alingiya ha-ila unmatta
SYNONYMS
govardhana dekhi'--seeing Govardhana Hill; prabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; ha-ila dandavat--offered obeisances like a straight rod; eka
sila--one piece of stone; alingiya--embracing; ha-ila--became;
unmatta--maddened.
TRANSLATION
When the Lord saw Govardhana Hill, He immediately offered obeisances,
falling down on the ground like a rod. He embraced one piece of rock from
Govardhana Hill and became mad.
TEXT 17
TEXT
preme matta cali' aila govardhana-grama
'harideva' dekhi' tahan ha-ila pranama
SYNONYMS
preme--in ecstatic love; matta--maddened; cali'--proceeding; aila--came;
govardhana-grama--to the village known as Govardhana; hari-deva--the Deity
named Harideva installed there; dekhi'--seeing; tahan--there; ha-ila
pranama--offered obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Mad with ecstatic love, the Lord came to the village known as
Govardhana. It was there that He saw the Deity Harideva and offered His
obeisances unto Him.
TEXT 18
TEXT
'mathura'-padmera pascima-dale yanra vasa
'harideva' narayana----adi parakasa
SYNONYMS
mathura-padmera--of the lotus flower of Mathura; pascima-dale--on the
western petal; yanra--whose; vasa--residence; hari-deva--Lord Harideva;
narayana--incarnation of Narayana; adi--original; parakasa--manifestation.
TRANSLATION
Harideva is an incarnation of Narayana, and His residence is on the
western petal of the lotus of Mathura.
TEXT 19
TEXT
harideva-age nace preme matta hana
saba loka dekhite aila ascarya suniya
SYNONYMS
hari-deva-age--in front of Harideva; nace--dances; preme--in ecstatic
love; matta hana--becoming maddened; saba loka--all the people; dekhite--to
see; aila--came; ascarya--wonderful; suniya--hearing.
TRANSLATION
Mad with ecstatic love, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to dance before
the Harideva Deity. Hearing of the Lord's wonderful activities, all the people
came to see Him.
TEXT 20
TEXT
prabhu-prema-saundarya dekhi' loke camatkara
haridevera bhrtya prabhura karila satkara
SYNONYMS
prabhu--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; prema-saundarya--ecstatic love and
beauty; dekhi'--seeing; loke--people; camatkara--astonished; hari-devera--of
Lord Harideva; bhrtya--servants; prabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karila
satkara--offered a good reception.
TRANSLATION
The people were astonished when they saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's
ecstatic love and personal beauty. The priests who served the Harideva Deity
offered the Lord a good reception.
TEXT 21
TEXT
bhattacarya 'brahma-kunde' paka yana kaila
brahma-kunde snana kari' prabhu bhiksa kaila
SYNONYMS
bhattacarya--Balabhadra Bhattacarya; brahma-kunde--at the lake called
Brahma-kunda; paka--cooking; yana--going there; kaila--peformed;
brahma-kunde--at Brahma-kunda; snana kari'--taking a bath; prabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; bhiksa kaila--accepted lunch.
TRANSLATION
At Brahma-kunda, Bhattacarya cooked food, and the Lord, after taking His
bath at Brahma-kunda, accepted His lunch.
TEXT 22
TEXT
se-ratri rahila haridevera mandire
ratre mahaprabhu kare manete vicare
SYNONYMS
se-ratri--that night; rahila--remained; hari-devera--of Harideva;
mandire--in the temple; ratre--at night; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
kare--does; manete--in the mind; vicare--consideration.
TRANSLATION
That night the Lord stayed at the temple of Harideva, and during the
night He began to reflect.
TEXT 23
TEXT
'govardhana-upare ami kabhu na cadiba
gopala-rayera darasana kemane paiba?'
SYNONYMS
govardhana-upare--upon the hill known as Govardhana; ami--I; kabhu--at
any time; na--not; cadiba--shall climb; gopala-rayera--of Lord Gopala;
darasana--visit; kemane--how; paiba--I shall get.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thought, "Since I shall not at any time
climb Govardhana Hill, how shall I be able to see Gopala Raya?"
TEXT 24
TEXT
eta mane kari' prabhu mauna kari' rahila
janiya gopala kichu bhangi uthaila
SYNONYMS
eta--so much; mane kari'--considering within the mind; prabhu--Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mauna--silent; kari'--becoming; rahila--remained;
janiya--knowing; gopala--the Deity Gopala; kichu--some; bhangi--tricks;
uthaila--raised.
TRANSLATION
Thinking in this way, the Lord remained silent, and Lord Gopala, knowing
His contemplation, played a trick.
TEXT 25
TEXT
anaruruksave sailam
svasmai
bhaktabhimanine
avaruhya gireh krsno
gauraya svam adarsayat
SYNONYMS
anaruruksave--who was unwilling to climb up; sailam--the mountain;
svasmai--unto Himself; bhakta-abhimanine--considering Himself a devotee of Lord
Krsna; avaruhya--getting down; gireh--from the hill; krsnah--Lord Krsna;
gauraya--unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; svam--Himself; adarsayat--showed.
TRANSLATION
Coming down from Govardhana Hill, Lord Gopala granted an interview to
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who was unwilling to climb the hill, thinking
Himself a devotee of Lord Krsna.
TEXT 26
TEXT
'annakuta'-name grame gopalera sthiti
raja-puta-lokera sei grame vasati
SYNONYMS
annakuta-name--by the name Annakuta; grame--in the village; gopalera--of
Gopala; sthiti--residence; raja-puta-lokera--of people from Rajasthan; sei
grame--in that village; vasati--habitation.
TRANSLATION
Gopala stayed in a village called Annakuta-grama on Govardhana Hill. The
villagers who lived in that village were mainly from Rajasthan.
PURPORT
The village named Annakuta-grama is referred to in Bhakti-ratnakara
(Fifth Wave):
gopa-gopi bhunjayena kautuka apara
ei hetu 'aniyora' nama se ihara
annakuta-sthana
ei dekha srinivasa
e-sthana darsane haya purna abhilasa
"It is here that all the gopis and the gopas enjoyed wonderful
pastimes with Sri Krsna. Therefore this place is also called Aniyora. The
Annakuta ceremony was celebrated here. O Srinivasa, whoever sees this place has
all his desires fulfilled." It is also stated:
kundera nikata dekha nivida-kanana
ethai 'gopala' chila hana sangopana
"Look at the dense forest near the kunda. It was there that Gopala
was concealed." Also, the Stavavali (8.75) by Raghunatha dasa Gosvami
states:
vrajendra-varyarpita-bhogam uccair
dhrtva brhat-kayam agharir utkah
varena radham chalayan vibhunkte
yatranna-kutam tad aham prapadye
TEXT 27
TEXT
eka-jana asi' ratre gramike balila
'tomara grama marite turuka-dhari sajila
SYNONYMS
eka-jana--one person; asi'--coming; ratre--at night; gramike--to the
inhabitants of the village; balila--said; tomara--your; grama--village;
marite--to attack; turuka-dhari--Turkish Mohammedan soldiers; sajila--are
prepared.
TRANSLATION
One person who came to the village informed the inhabitants, "The
Turkish soldiers are now preparing to attack your village.
TEXT 28
TEXT
aji ratrye palaha, na rahiha eka-jana
thakura lana bhaga', asibe kali yavana'
SYNONYMS
aji ratrye--this night; palaha--go away; na rahiha--do not remain;
eka-jana--one person; thakura--the Deity; lana--taking; bhaga'--go away;
asibe--will come; kali--tomorrow; yavana--the Mohammedan soldiers.
TRANSLATION
"Flee this village tonight, and do not allow one person to remain.
Take the Deity with you and leave, for the Mohammedan soldiers will come
tomorrow."
TEXT 29
TEXT
suniya gramera loka cintita ha-ila
prathame gopala lana ganthuli-grame khuila
SYNONYMS
suniya--hearing; gramera loka--all the people in the village; cintita
ha-ila--became very anxious; prathame--first; gopala lana--taking Gopala;
ganthuli-grame--in the village known as Ganthuli; khuila--kept Him hidden.
TRANSLATION
Hearing this, all the villagers became very anxious. They first took
Gopala and moved Him to a village known as Ganthuli.
TEXT 30
TEXT
vipra-grhe gopalera
nibhrte sevana
grama ujada haila, palaila sarva-jana
SYNONYMS
vipra-grhe--in the house of a brahmana; gopalera--of Lord Gopala;
nibhrte--very secretly; sevana--worship; grama--the village; ujada
haila--became deserted; palaila--fled; sarva-jana--all the people.
TRANSLATION
The Gopala Deity was kept in the house of a brahmana, and His worship
was conducted secretly. Everyone fled, and thus the village of Annakuta was
deserted.
TEXT 31
TEXT
aiche mleccha-bhaye gopala bhage bare-bare
mandira chadi' kunje rahe, kiba gramantare
SYNONYMS
aiche--in that way; mleccha-bhaye--because of fear of the Mohammedans;
gopala--the Deity of Gopala Raya; bhage--runs away; bare-bare--again and again;
mandira chadi'--giving up the temple; kunje--in the bush; rahe--remains;
kiba--or; grama-antare--in a different village.
TRANSLATION
Due to fear of the Mohammedans, the Gopala Deity was moved from one
place to another again and again. Thus giving up His temple, Lord Gopala would
sometimes live in a bush and sometimes in one village after another.
TEXT 32
TEXT
pratah-kale prabhu 'manasa-ganga'ya kari' snana
govardhana-parikramaya karila prayana
SYNONYMS
pratah-kale--in the morning; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
manasa-gangaya--in the lake named Manasa-ganga; kari'--performing;
snana--bathing; govardhana--Govardhana Hill; parikramaya--in circumambulating;
karila--did; prayana--starting.
TRANSLATION
In the morning, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His bath in a lake called
Manasa-ganga. He then circumambulated Govardhana Hill.
TEXT 33
TEXT
govardhana dekhi' prabhu premavista hana
nacite nacite calila sloka padiya
SYNONYMS
govardhana dekhi'--seeing Govardhana Hill; prabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; prema-avista hana--becoming ecstatic in love; nacite
nacite--dancing and dancing; calila--departed; sloka padiya--reciting the
following verse.
TRANSLATION
Just by seeing Govardhana Hill, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became ecstatic
with love of Krsna. While dancing and dancing, He recited the following verse.
TEXT 34
TEXT
hantayam adrir abala haridasa-varyo
yad rama-krsna-carana-sparasa-pramodah
manam tanoti
saha-go-ganayos tayor yat
paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kanda-mulaih
SYNONYMS
hanta--oh; ayam--this; adrih--hill; abalah--O friends;
haridasa-varyah--the best among the servants of the Lord; yat--because;
rama-krsna-carana--of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna and Balarama; sparasa--by
the touch; pramodah--jubilant; manam--respects; tanoti--offers; saha--with;
go-ganayoh--cows, calves and cowherd boys; tayoh--to Them (Sri Krsna and
Balarama); yat--because; paniya--drinking water; suyavasa--very soft grass;
kandara--caves; kanda-mulaih--and by roots.
TRANSLATION
"Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O My
friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarama, as well as Their calves, cows
and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities-water for drinking, very
soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers
respect to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama,
Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant. "
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.21.18). It was spoken by
the gopis when Lord Krsna and Balarama entered the forest in the autumn. The
gopis spoke among themselves and glorified Krsna and Balarama for Their
pastimes.
TEXT 35
TEXT
'govinda-kundadi' tirthe prabhu kaila snana
tahan sunila----gopala gela ganthuli grama
SYNONYMS
govinda-kunda-adi--Govinda-kunda and others; tirthe--in the holy places;
prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kaila snana--performed bathing; tahan--there;
sunila--heard; gopala--the Gopala Deity; gela--has gone; ganthuli--Ganthuli;
grama--to the village.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then took His bath in a lake called
Govinda-kunda, and while He was there, He heard that the Deity Gopala had
already gone to Ganthuli-grama.
TEXT 36
TEXT
sei grame giya kaila gopala-darasana
premavese prabhu kare kirtana-nartana
SYNONYMS
sei grame--to that village; giya--going; kaila--performed;
gopala-darasana--seeing Lord Gopala; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; prabhu--Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kare--performs; kirtana-nartana--chanting and dancing.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to the village of Ganthuli-grama and
saw the Lord Gopala Deity. Overwhelmed by ecstatic love, He began to chant and
dance.
TEXT 37
TEXT
gopalera saundarya dekhi' prabhura avesa
ei sloka padi' nace, haila dina-sesa
SYNONYMS
gopalera--of Gopala; saundarya--beauty; dekhi'--seeing; prabhura--of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu; avesa--ecstasy; ei sloka padi'--reciting the following
verse; nace--dances; haila--there was; dina-sesa--the end of the day.
TRANSLATION
As soon as the Lord saw the beauty of the Gopala Deity, He was
immediately overwhelmed by ecstatic love, and He recited the following verse.
He then chanted and danced until the day ended.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gives the following information
about Govinda-kunda. There is a village named Aniyora on Govardhana Hill, a
little distance from the village of Paitha. Govinda-kunda is situated near
here, and there are two temples to Govinda and Baladeva there. According to
some, Queen Padmavati excavated this lake. In the Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth
Wave), the following statement is found:
ei sri-govinda-kunda-mahima aneka
etha indra kaila govindera abhiseka
"Govinda-kunda is exalted for its many spiritual activities. It was
here that Indra was defeated by Lord Krsna, and Indra offered his prayers and
bathed Lord Govinda." In the book Stavavali (Vraja-vilasa-stava 74) the
following verse is found:
nicaih praudha-bhayat svayam surapatih padau vidhrtyeha yaih
svar-ganga-salilais cakara surabhi-dvarabhisekotsavam
govindasya navam gavam adhipata rajye sphutam kautukat
tair yat pradurabhut sada sphuratu tad govinda-kundam drsoh
In the Mathura-khanda it is also stated:
yatrabhisikto bhagavan
maghona yadu-vairina
govinda-kundam
taj-jatam
snana-matrena moksadam
"Simply by bathing in Govinda-kunda, one is awarded liberation.
This lake was produced when Bhagavan Sri Krsna was bathed by Lord Indra."
Ganthuli-grama is situated near the two villages Bilachu and
Gopala-pura. According to hearsay, Radha and Krsna first met here. In the
Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave), it is stated: sakhi dunha vastre ganthi dila
sangopane. It is also stated: phaguya laiya keha ganthi khuli' dila. For this
reason the village is known as Ganthuli.
TEXT 38
TEXT
vamas tamarasaksasya
bhuja-dandah sa patu vah
krida-kandukatam yena
nito govardhano girih
SYNONYMS
vamah--the left; tamarasa-aksasya--of Krsna, who has eyes like lotus
petals; bhuja-dandah--arm; sah--that; patu--let it protect; vah--all of you;
krida-kandukatam--being like a toy; yena--by which; nitah--attained;
govardhanah--named Govardhana; girih--the hill.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, " 'May the left arm of Sri Krsna,
whose eyes are like the petals of a lotus flower, always protect you. With His
left arm He raised Govardhana Hill as if it were a toy.' "
PURPORT
This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.1.62).
TEXT 39
TEXT
ei-mata tina-dina gopale dekhila
caturtha-divase gopala svamandire gela
SYNONYMS
ei-mata--in this way; tina-dina--for three days; gopale--Gopala; dekhila--saw;
caturtha-divase--on the fourth day; gopala--the Deity Gopala; sva-mandire--in
His own temple; gela--returned.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the Gopala Deity for three days. On the
fourth day, the Deity returned to His own temple.
TEXT 40
TEXT
gopala sange cali' aila nrtya-gita kari
ananda-kolahale loka bale 'hari' 'hari'
SYNONYMS
gopala sange--with Gopala; cali'--walking; aila--came; nrtya-gita
kari--chanting and dancing; ananda-kolahale--in great jubilation; loka--people;
bale--say; hari hari--Hari, Hari.
TRANSLATION
Caitanya Mahaprabhu walked with the Deity of Gopala, and He chanted and
danced. A large and jubilant crowd of people also chanted the transcendental
name of Krsna, "Hari! Hari!"
TEXT 41
TEXT
gopala mandire gela, prabhu rahila tale
prabhura vancha purna saba karila gopale
SYNONYMS
gopala--the Deity Gopala; mandire gela--returned to His temple;
prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; rahila tale--remain at the bottom;
prabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; vancha--desires; purna--satisfied;
saba--all; karila--made; gopale--the Deity Gopala.
TRANSLATION
The Deity Gopala then returned to His own temple, and Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu remained at the bottom of the hill. Thus all the desires of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu were satisfied by the Deity Gopala.
TEXT 42
TEXT
ei-mata gopalera karuna svabhava
yei bhakta janera
dekhite haya 'bhava'
SYNONYMS
ei-mata--in this way; gopalera--of the Deity Gopala; karuna
sva-bhava--kind behavior; yei--which; bhakta janera--of persons who are
devotees; dekhite--to see; haya--there is; bhava--ecstatic love.
TRANSLATION
This is the way of Lord Gopala's kind behavior to His devotees. Seeing
this, the devotees were overwhelmed by ecstatic love.
TEXT 43
TEXT
dekhite utkantha haya, na cade govardhane
kona chale gopala asi' utare apane
SYNONYMS
dekhite--to see; utkantha haya--there was great anxiety; na cade--does
not go up; govardhane--on the hill known as Govardhana; kona chale--by some
trick; gopala--the Deity Gopala; asi'--coming; utare--descends;
apane--personally.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very anxious to see Gopala, but He did not
want to climb Govardhana Hill. Therefore by some trick the Deity Gopala
personally descended.
TEXT 44
TEXT
kabhu kunje rahe, kabhu rahe gramantare
sei bhakta, tahan
asi' dekhaye tanhare
SYNONYMS
kabhu--sometimes; kunje--in the bushes; rahe--remains; kabhu--sometimes;
rahe--He stays; grama-antare--in a different village; sei bhakta--that devotee;
tahan asi'--coming there; dekhaye tanhare--sees Him.
TRANSLATION
In this way, giving some excuse, Gopala sometimes remains in the bushes
of the forest, and sometimes He stays in a village. One who is a devotee comes
to see the Deity.
TEXT 45
TEXT
parvate na cade dui----rupa-sanatana
ei-rupe tan-sabare diyachena darasana
SYNONYMS
parvate--on the hill; na cade--do not ascend; dui--two;
rupa-sanatana--Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami; ei-rupe--in this way;
tan-sabare--unto them; diyachena--has given; darasana--interview.
TRANSLATION
The two brothers Rupa and Sanatana did not climb the hill. To them also
Lord Gopala granted an interview.
TEXT 46
TEXT
vrddha-kale rupa-gosani na pare yaite
vancha haila gopalera saundarya dekhite
SYNONYMS
vrddha-kale--in ripe old age; rupa-gosani--Rupa Gosvami; na pare--is not
able; yaite--to go; vancha haila--there was a desire; gopalera--of Gopala;
saundarya dekhite--to see the beauty.
TRANSLATION
In ripe old age, Srila Rupa Gosvami could not go there, but he had a
desire to see the beauty of Gopala.
TEXT 47
TEXT
mleccha-bhaye aila gopala mathura-nagare
eka-masa rahila viththalesvara-ghare
SYNONYMS
mleccha-bhaye--because of fear of the Muslims; aila--came; gopala--the
Deity Gopala; mathura-nagare--to the city of Mathura; eka-masa--one month; rahila--stayed;
viththalesvara-ghare--in the temple of Viththalesvara.
TRANSLATION
Due to fear of the Mohammedans, Gopala went to Mathura, where He
remained in the temple of Viththalesvara for one full month.
PURPORT
When the two brothers Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami went to
Vrndavana, they decided to live there. Following Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's
example, they did not climb the hill because they considered it nondifferent
from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On some pretext, the Gopala
Deity granted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu an audience beneath the hill, and Gopala
similarly favored Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. During his ripe old
age, when Rupa Gosvami could not go to Govardhana Hill because of invalidity,
Gopala kindly went to Mathura and remained at the temple of Viththalesvara for
one month. It was then that Srila Rupa Gosvami could see Gopala's beauty to his
heart's content.
TEXT 48
TEXT
tabe rupa gosani saba nija-gana lana
eka-masa darasana kaila mathuraya rahiya
SYNONYMS
tabe--thereupon; rupa gosani--Srila Rupa Gosvami; saba--all; nija-gana
lana--taking his associates with him; eka-masa--for one month; darasana
kaila--saw the Deity; mathuraya rahiya--staying at the city of Mathura.
TRANSLATION
Srila Rupa Gosvami and his associates stayed in Mathura for one month
and saw the Deity Gopala.
PURPORT
The following description of the temple of Viththalesvara is given in
Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave):
viththalera seva krsna-caitanya-vigraha
tahara darsane
haila parama agraha
sri-viththalanatha----bhatta-vallabha-tanaya
karila yateka priti kahile na haya
gatholi-grame gopala aila 'chala' kari'
tanre dekhi' nrtya-gite magna gaurahari
sri-dasa-gosvami adi paramarsa kari'
sri-viththalesvare kaila seva-adhikari
pita sri-vallabha-bhatta tanra adarsane
kata-dina mathuraya chilena nirjane
Sri Vallabha Bhatta had two sons. The elder, Gopinatha, was born in 1432
Sakabda Era, and the younger, Viththalanatha, was born in 1437 and died in
1507. Viththala had seven sons: Giridhara, Govinda, Balakrsna, Gokulesa,
Raghunatha, Yadunatha and Ghanasyama. Viththala completed many of his father's
unfinished books, including his commentary on Vedanta-sutra, the Subodhini
commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vidvan-mandana, Srngara-rasa-mandana and
Nyasadesa-vivarana. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Vrndavana before the birth
of Viththala. Srila Rupa Gosvami was very old at the time Gopala stayed at the
house of Viththalanatha.
TEXT 49
TEXT
sange gopala-bhatta, dasa-raghunatha
raghunatha-bhatta-gosani, ara lokanatha
SYNONYMS
sange--with Rupa Gosvami; gopala-bhatta--Gopala Bhatta;
dasa-raghunatha--Raghunatha dasa Gosvami; raghunatha-bhatta-gosani--Raghunatha
Bhatta Gosvami; ara--and; lokanatha--Lokanatha dasa Gosvami.
TRANSLATION
When Rupa Gosvami stayed at Mathura, he was accompanied by Gopala Bhatta
Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami and Lokanatha dasa
Gosvami.
PURPORT
Sri Lokanatha Gosvami was a personal associate of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village
named Talakhadi in the district of Yasohara in Bengal. Previously he lived in
Kacnapada. His father's name was Padmanabha, and his only younger brother was
Pragalbha. Following the orders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Lokanatha went
to Vrndavana to live. He established a temple named Gokulananda. Srila
Narottama dasa Thakura selected Lokanatha dasa Gosvami to be his spiritual
master, and he was his only disciple. Because Lokanatha dasa Gosvami did not
want his name mentioned in Caitanya-caritamrta, we do not often see it in this
celebrated book. On the E.B.R. Railroad, the Yasohara station is located in
Bangladesh. From the railway station one has to go by bus to the village of
Sonakhali and from there to Khejura. From there one has to walk, or, during the
rainy season, go by boat to the village of Talakhadi. In this village there are
still descendants of Lokanatha Gosvami's younger brother.
TEXT 50
TEXT
bhugarbha-gosani, ara sri-jiva-gosani
sri-yadava-acarya, ara govinda gosani
SYNONYMS
bhugarbha-gosani--Bhugarbha Gosani; ara--and; sri-jiva-gosani--Sri Jiva
Gosvami; sri-yadava-acarya--Sri Yadava Acarya; ara--and; govinda
gosani--Govinda Gosvami.
TRANSLATION
Bhugarbha Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, Sri Yadava Acarya and Govinda
Gosvami also accompanied Srila Rupa Gosvami.
TEXT 51
TEXT
sri-uddhava-dasa, ara madhava----dui-jana
sri-gopala-dasa, ara dasa-narayana
SYNONYMS
sri-uddhava-dasa--Sri Uddhava dasa; ara--and; madhava--Madhava;
dui-jana--two persons; sri-gopala-dasa--Sri Gopala dasa; ara--and;
dasa-narayana--Narayana dasa.
TRANSLATION
He was also accompanied by Sri Uddhava dasa, Madhava, Sri Gopala dasa
and Narayana dasa.
TEXT 52
TEXT
'govinda' bhakta, ara vani-krsnadasa
pundarikaksa, isana, ara laghu-haridasa
SYNONYMS
govinda--Govinda; bhakta--a great devotee; ara--and;
vani-krsnadasa--Vani Krsnadasa; pundarikaksa--Pundarikaksa; isana--Isana;
ara--and; laghu-haridasa--Laghu Haridasa.
TRANSLATION
The great devotee Govinda, Vani Krsnadasa, Pundarikaksa, Isana and Laghu
Haridasa also accompanied him.
PURPORT
Laghu Haridasa should not be confused with Junior Haridasa, who
committed suicide at Prayaga. Generally a devotee is called Haridasa, and
consequently there are many Haridasas. The chief was Thakura Haridasa. There
was also a Madhyama Haridasa.
In Bhakti-ratnakara (Sixth Wave), there is a list of many of the chief
devotees who accompanied Srila Rupa Gosvami.
gosvami gopala-bhatta ati dayamaya
bhugarbha, sri-lokanatha----gunera alaya
sri-madhava, sri-paramananda-bhattacarya
sri-madhu-pandita----yanra caritra ascarya
premi krsnadasa krsnadasa brahmacari
yadava acarya, narayana krpavan
sri-pundarikaksa-gosani, govinda, isana
sri-govinda vani-krsnadasa aty-udara
sri-uddhava----madhye-madhye gaude gati yanra
dvija-haridasa krsnadasa kaviraja
sri-gopala-dasa yanra alaukika kaya
sri-gopala, madhavadi yateka vaisnava
"The following Vaisnavas were present with Srila Rupa Gosvami: the
merciful Gopala Bhatta Gosvami; Bhugarbha Gosvami; Sri Lokanatha dasa Gosvami,
a reservoir of good qualities; Sri Madhava; Sri Paramananda Bhattacarya; Sri
Madhu Pandita, whose characteristics are all wonderful; Premi Krsnadasa;
Krsnadasa Brahmacari; Yadava Acarya; the merciful Narayana; Sri Pundarikaksa
Gosvami; Govinda; Isana; Sri Govinda; the magnanimous Vani Krsnadasa; Sri
Uddhava, who occasionally visited Bengal; Dvija Haridasa; Krsnadasa Kaviraja;
Sri Gopala dasa, whose body is completely spiritual; Sri Gopala; Madhava; and
many others."
TEXT 53
TEXT
ei saba mukhya-bhakta lana nija-sange
sri-gopala darasana kaila bahu-range
SYNONYMS
ei saba--all these; mukhya-bhakta--chief devotees; lana
nija-sange--taking with him personally; sri-gopala darasana--visiting Lord
Gopala; kaila bahu-range--performed in great jubilation.
TRANSLATION
It was with great jubilation that Rupa Gosvami visited Lord Gopala
accompanied by all these devotees.
TEXT 54
TEXT
eka-masa rahi' gopala gela nija-sthane
sri-rupa-gosani aila sri-vrndavane
SYNONYMS
eka-masa rahi'--staying for one month; gopala--the Deity Gopala;
gela--went; nija-sthane--to His own place; sri-rupa-gosani--Sri Rupa Gosvami;
aila--came back; sri-vrndavane--to Vrndavana.
TRANSLATION
After staying at Mathura for one month, the Deity Gopala returned to His
own place, and Sri Rupa Gosvami returned to Vrndavana.
TEXT 55
TEXT
prastave kahilun gopala-krpara
akhyana
tabe mahaprabhu gela 'sri-kamyavana'
SYNONYMS
prastave--in the course of the story; kahilun--I have stated;
gopala-krpara--of the mercy of Gopala; akhyana--description; tabe--after this;
mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; gela--went; sri-kamya-vana--to Sri
Kamyavana.
TRANSLATION
In the course of this story, I have given a description of Lord Gopala's
mercy. After seeing the Gopala Deity, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Sri
Kamyavana.
PURPORT
Kamyavana is mentioned in the Adi-varaha Purana:
caturtham kamyaka-vanam
vananam vanam uttamam
tatra gatva naro devi
mama loke mahiyate
In the Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave) it is also said:
ei kamyavane krsna-lila manohara
karibe darsana sthana kunda bahutara
kamyavane yata tirtha lekha nahi tara
TEXT 56
TEXT
prabhura gamana-riti purve ye likhila
sei-mata vrndavane tavat dekhila
SYNONYMS
prabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; gamana-riti--method of touring;
purve--formerly; ye--which; likhila--I have written; sei-mata--similarly;
vrndavane--at Vrndavana; tavat dekhila--saw all the places.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's touring Vrndavana has been previously
described. In the same ecstatic way, He traveled all over Vrndavana.
TEXT 57
TEXT
tahan lila-sthali dekhi' gela 'nandisvara'
'nandisvara' dekhi' preme ha-ila vihvala
SYNONYMS
tahan--at Kamyavana; lila-sthali--all the places of pastimes;
dekhi'--visiting; gela nandisvara--went to Nandisvara; nandisvara dekhi'--while
seeing Nandisvara; preme ha-ila vihvala--became overwhelmed by ecstatic love.
TRANSLATION
After visiting the places of Krsna's pastimes at Kamyavana, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu went to Nandisvara. While there, He was overwhelmed with ecstatic
love.
PURPORT
Nandisvara is the house of Maharaja Nanda.
TEXT 58
TEXT
'pavanadi' saba kunde snana kariya
lokere puchila, parvata-upare yana
SYNONYMS
pavana-adi--Pavana and others; saba kunde--in every lake; snana
kariya--taking a bath; lokere puchila--inquired from persons there;
parvata-upare yana--going up a hill.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed in all the celebrated lakes, beginning
with Lake Pavana. Thereafter He climbed a hill and spoke to the people.
PURPORT
The Pavana-sarovara is described in the Mathura-mahatmya:
pavane sarasi snatva
krsnam nandisvare girau
drstva nandam yasodam ca
sarvabhistam avapnuyat
TEXT 59
TEXT
kichu deva-murti haya parvata-upare?
loka kahe,----murti haya gophara bhitare
SYNONYMS
kichu--any; deva-murti--deities; haya--are there; parvata-upare--on the
top of the hill; loka kahe--people said; murti haya--there are deities; gophara
bhitare--within a cave.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, "Are there any deities on top of this
hill?" The local people replied, "There are deities on this hill, but
they are located within a cave.
TEXT 60
TEXT
dui-dike mata-pita pusta kalevara
madhye eka 'sisu' haya tribhanga-sundara
SYNONYMS
dui-dike--on two sides; mata-pita--father and mother; pusta
kalevara--very well-built body; madhye--between them; eka--one; sisu--child;
haya--there is; tri-bhanga--curved in three places; sundara--very beautiful.
TRANSLATION
"There is a father and mother with well-built bodies, and between
them is a very beautiful child who is curved in three places."
TEXT 61
TEXT
suni' mahaprabhu mane ananda pana
'tina' murti dekhila sei gopha ughadiya
SYNONYMS
suni'--hearing; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mane--within the
mind; ananda pana--getting great pleasure; tina murti--the three deities;
dekhila--saw; sei gopha ughadiya--by excavating the cave.
TRANSLATION
Hearing this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very happy. After excavating
the cave, He saw the three deities.
TEXT 62
TEXT
vrajendra-vrajesvarira kaila carana vandana
premavese krsnera kaila sarvanga-sparsana
SYNONYMS
vraja-indra--of the King of Vraja, Nanda Maharaja; vraja-isvarira--and
of the Queen of Vraja, mother Yasoda; kaila--did; carana vandana--worshiping
the lotus feet; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; krsnera--of Lord Krsna;
kaila--did; sarva-anga-sparsana--touching the whole body.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered His respects to Nanda Maharaja and
mother Yasoda, and with great ecstatic love He touched the body of Lord Krsna.
TEXT 63
TEXT
saba dina premavese nrtya-gita kaila
tahan haite mahaprabhu 'khadira-vana, aila
SYNONYMS
saba dina--all the days; prema-avese--in ecstatic love; nrtya-gita
kaila--danced and chanted; tahan haite--from there; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; khadira-vana aila--came to the place known as Khadiravana.
TRANSLATION
Every day the Lord chanted and danced in ecstatic love. Finally He went
to Khadiravana.
PURPORT
Khadiravana is described in the Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave):
dekhaha khadira-vana vidita jagate
visnu-loka-prapti etha gamana-matrete
"Behold the forest named Khadiravana, renowned throughout the
universe. If one comes to Khadiravana, he can immediately be elevated to
Visnuloka."
TEXT 64
TEXT
lila-sthala dekhi' tahan gela 'sesasayi'
'laksmi' dekhi' ei sloka padena gosani
SYNONYMS
lila-sthala dekhi'--seeing the places of pastimes; tahan--there;
gela--departed; sesa-sayi--for seeing Sesasayi; laksmi--the goddess of fortune;
dekhi'--seeing; ei--this; sloka--verse; padena--recites; gosani--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.
TRANSLATION
After seeing the places of Lord Krsna's pastimes, Sri Caitanya went to
Sesasayi, where He saw Laksmi and recited the following verse.
TEXT 65
TEXT
yat te sujata-caranamburuham stanesu
bhitah sanaih priya dadhimahi karkasesu
tenatavim atasi tad vyathate na kim svit
kurpadibhir bhramati dhir bhavad-ayusam nah
SYNONYMS
yat--which; te--Your; sujata--very fine; carana-ambu-ruham--lotus feet;
stanesu--on the breasts; bhitah--being afraid; sanaih--gently; priya--O dear
one; dadhimahi--we place; karkasesu--rough; tena--with them; atavim--the path;
atasi--You roam; tat--they; vyathate--are distressed; na--not; kim svit--we
wonder; kurpa-adibhih--by small stones and so on; bhramati--flutters; dhih--the
mind; bhavat-ayusam--of those of whom Your Lordship is the very life; nah--of
us.
TRANSLATION
"O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them
gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our life rests only
in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with anxiety that Your tender feet
might be wounded by pebbles as You roam about on the forest path."
PURPORT
This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.31.19) spoken by the gopis
when Krsna left them in the midst of the rasa-lila.
TEXT 66
TEXT
tabe 'khela-tirtha' dekhi' 'bhandiravana, aila
yamuna para hana 'bhadra-vana' gela
SYNONYMS
tabe--thereafter; khela-tirtha--Khela-tirtha; dekhi'--seeing;
bhandiravana--Bhandiravana; aila--came to; yamuna para hana--crossing the River
Yamuna; bhadra-vana--to Bhadravana; gela--went.
TRANSLATION
Afterwards, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw Khela-tirtha and then went to
Bhandiravana. Crossing the Yamuna River, He went to Bhadravana.
PURPORT
In the Bhakti-ratnakara it is said that Sri Krsna and Balarama used to
play at Khela-tirtha with the cowherd boys during the entire day. Mother Yasoda
had to call Them to take Their baths and eat Their lunch.
TEXT 67
TEXT
'srivana' dekhi' punah
gela 'loha-vana'
'mahavana' giya kaila janma-sthana-darasana
SYNONYMS
sri-vana--Srivana; dekhi'--seeing; punah--again; gela--went;
loha-vana--to Lohavana; maha-vana--to Mahavana; giya--going; kaila--performed;
janma-sthana--birth site; darasana--seeing.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then visited Srivana and Lohavana. He then went
to Mahavana and saw Gokula, the place of Lord Krsna's early childhood pastimes.
PURPORT
Of Srivana (also called Bilvavana), the Bhakti-ratnakara states,
devata-pujita bilvavana sobhamaya: "The beautiful forest of Bilvavana is
worshiped by all the demigods."
About Lohavana, Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave) states:
lohavane krsnera adbhuta go-carana
etha loha-janghasure vadhe bhagavan
"At Lohavana, Lord Krsna used to tend cows. The demon named
Lohajangha was killed at this place."
Mahavana is described as follows in Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave):
dekha nanda-yasoda-alaya mahavane
ei dekha sri-krsna-candrera janma sthala
sri-gokula, mahavana----dui 'eka' haya
"Behold the house of Nanda and Yasoda in Mahavana. See the
birthplace of Lord Krsna. Mahavana and the birthplace of Lord Krsna, Gokula,
are one and the same."
TEXT 68
TEXT
yamalarjuna-bhangadi dekhila sei sthala
premavese prabhura mana haila talamala
SYNONYMS
yamala-arjuna-bhanga--the place where the twin arjuna trees were broken;
adi--beginning with; dekhila--saw; sei sthala--that place; prema-avese--in great
ecstasy; prabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mana--mind; haila--became;
talamala--agitated.
TRANSLATION
Upon seeing the place where the twin arjuna trees were broken by Sri
Krsna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was moved to great ecstatic love.
TEXT 69
TEXT
'gokula' dekhiya aila 'mathura'-nagare
janma-sthana' dekhi' rahe sei vipra-ghare
SYNONYMS
gokula dekhiya--seeing Gokula; aila--came; mathura-nagare--in the city
of Mathura; janma-sthana--the birthplace of Lord Krsna; dekhi'--seeing;
rahe--stays; sei vipra-ghare--in the house of the Sanodiya brahmana.
TRANSLATION
