Feb 18, 2020 — CANADA (SUN) — The Rising of the Moon of Lord Shri Chaitanya (in 10 Acts) by Shrila Kavi Karnapura.
ACT TEN – MAHA-MAHOTSAVA
A Very Great Festival, Part Two
73 Mahaprabhu: (laughs and says to Svarupa) Listen, Advaita's strategy is charming. Svarupa, become Shrinatha's dear friend. Sankara, you also become Shrinatha's dear friend. He is the most gentle and soft-hearted of all the devotees.
74 Both: As the Lord orders.
75 Mahaprabhu: Who else?
76 Shrikanta: Vasudeva's son. And then there are the two sons of my maternal uncle.
77 Mahaprabhu: The two sons have seen Me before.
78 Shrikanta: The younger one has not yet seen Your feet.
79 Mahaprabhu: (to Paramananda Puri) Svami, this person is your servant?
80 Shrikanta: Lord, it is the same person.
81 Mahaprabhu: Then? Then?
82 Shrikanta: There is Ramananda Vasu's son, and then again there are also many others.
83 Mahaprabhu: O Paramananda Puri Svami, O Svarupa, this year, for the sake of all these people, they will all see Me.
84 Both: (aside) What do these words mean? The meaning will become clear in due course of time.
85 Mahaprabhu: This year Advaita Acarya will meet with the king.
86 Shrikanta: Lord, I came from far away. I do not understand these things.
87 Paramananda Puri: (aside) Ah! I understand. Last year Advaita Acarya had a conversation with the king. Criticism for this action is awakening in Lord Chaitanya's mind.
88 Mahaprabhu: Paramananda Puri, Vasudeva's character is very pleasing to Me.
89 Paramananda Puri: He is very fortunate. Even when he is not present the Lord praises him.
90 (There is a tumultuous sound from behind the scenes).
Paramananda Puri: (listening) Lord, they have come. I hear the tumultuous sounds of their arrival.
91 Mahaprabhu: Govinda, go and fetch Lord Jagannatha's prasadam garlands.
92 Govinda: As You order. (He exits).
93 Vaninatha: (enters and offers obeisances with folded hands). Lord, here are maha-prasadam foods and other things offered to Lord Jagannatha.
94 Mahaprabhu: Vaninatha, you know what is appropriate. Govinda has left, and as you can see, Advaita and all the other devotees are now arriving. Please make arrangements for their reception.
(Vaninatha does that).
95 Kasi Misra: (enters) Lord, tomorrow will be Lord Jagannatha's bathing festival.
96 Mahaprabhu: Yes, I know. Misra, this year please arrange that all My Bengali followers including even the least among them will be able to see the bathing festival of Lord Jagannatha.
97 Kasi Misra: Lord, the king ordered me that this year no one should see the bathing festival from within the Deity room. However, all Your Bengali followers may easily see the bathing festival from the cakra-vesta.
98 Mahaprabhu: That will be good.
99 (Sounds of Sankirtana behind the scenes).
100 Paramananda Puri: My Lord, they have now reached the place known as Cara-ganesa.
101 Mahaprabhu: Svarupa, you go ahead. I will stay behind.
102 Svarupa: As You order. (He exits).
103 Paramananda Puri: (aside) Lord Chaitanya is very affectionate and respectful to Advaita Acarya. This is the glory of true friendship: although the befriended person has both faults and virtues the friend sees only the virtues. He has no power to see the faults.
104 Mahaprabhu: Paramananda, rise. Let us go now.
105 Paramananda Puri: The Gosvami rises.
(They all leave the building).
106 (Enter Advaita Acarya, dancing in great bliss, and doubly happy because He is wearing the flower-garland prasadam of Lord Jagannatha. The place is filled with devotees, headed by Sivananda, and all performing kirtana. Although having come a great distance, and although in the midst of dancing, Lord Advaita at once falls to the ground to offer respectful obeisances as soon as He see Lord Chaitanya.
107 Sivananda: (describing everything to his son) Look! Look! His complexion splendid as lightning, His graceful motions a regal lion's neck, and His garments glorious as the sunrise, Lord Gauranga is now present before us. Oh, offer obeisances to Him again and again!
108 (Everyone falls to the ground to offer obeisances. When they rise they all fix their gaze on Lord Chaitanya, who has come in the midst of Lord Advaita's followers.)
109 Sivananda: (looking) Now Lord Chaitanya and Lord Advaita are firmly embracing each other. One moment the people think one is Chaitanya and the other Advaita, and the next moment they think the former one is Advaita and the other is Chaitanya.
110 Oh look! Eager to see Lord Advaita, Lord Chaitanya takes Him to His asrama. After pausing for a moment everyone enters the asrama one by one.
111 (One by one, everyone enters. Lord Chaitanya sits down. He pleases Advaita and each of the other devotees with embraces, words of conversation, glances and other exchanges of affection. With His own hand He gives them bhagavat-prasadam. One by one, Advaita and the others eat the prasadam.)
112 Bhagavan: For now let us not eat any more prasadam. At sunset we will go up to the cakra-vesta and from there we will easily see the great bathing festival of Lord Jagannatha.
113 Everyone: As the Lord orders. (They exit).
114 Svarupa: Lord, now You should perform Your regular duties.
115 Bhagavan: As it pleases you. (Accompanied by Paramananda Puri, He exits).
116 Svarupa: Kasi Misra, has the king left the capitol and come to Gundica?
117 A Voice From Behind the Scenes: He has come!
118 Kasi Misra: Gosvami, hearing these words is like seeing him come.
119 Svarupa: Then we will easily see the bathing festival.
120 Kasi Misra: I know. (He exits).
121 Svarupa: Govinda, come. Let us follow the Lord.
(They exit).
122 (Enter the king and his chief priest. They are standing on the palace roof).
King: O priest, this year I will see the bathing festival from this place. Otherwise Lord Gauranga will be reluctant to come and see it.
123 Chief priest: That is proper.
124 King: Who, who is there? Call for Kasi Misra.
125 Kasi Misra: (entered) Here I am. The king may give me his order.
126 King: O Kasi Misra, let all of Lord Chaitanya's Bengali friends, associates, followers and servants enter the special viewing boxes otherwise used by my wives, children, and friends, and from these places let them all see the bathing festival with great happiness.
127 Kasi Misra: King, you have confirmed the order already given by Lord Chaitanya.
128 King: Very good. So be it.
129 Palace Guard: (enters) O king, the queens send this message: "We have come to see the Lord's bathing festival, but now we find that we cannot see it!"
130 King: How is that? Bring them here and they will see very easily. See what is happening now!
131 Kasi Misra: O king, look! Look! Illuminated by the moonlight as they stand on the cakra-vesta above the bathing-room, the devotees are splendid as demigods in the sky.
132 King: The associates of Shri Krishna Chaitanya are in their places. Now is the time for the appearance of Lord Jagannatha. Go and do whatever is needed for the festival. Don't delay.
133 Kasi Misra: As it is ordered. (He exits).
134 (The queens enter).
Queens: Glory, glory to the king!
135 King: (to a queen) Queen, come. Come. Make your life all-successful and perfect. (With great respect he offers her a seat) Queen, look! Look! There are the associates of Shri Chaitanya. These men purify the entire world. Soon you will see them more closely. Bow down to offer respect to them.
(The queen bows down).
136 King: Look! Look! This is wonderful. Lord Chaitanya's followers are like so many demigods standing by the flag atop the temple. As, their eyes wide open with devotional faith, they gaze at Lord Jagannatha, the cooling moon seems to be licking them with a tongue that is the flag moving in the breeze.
137 Queen: Lord, do you speak the truth?
138 King: See for yourself. (He shows her the moving flag).
139 (Tumultuous sounds from behind the scenes)
King: (listening) Queen, look! Look! Lord Jagannatha has come! Now I can see Shri Krishna Chaitanya is coming. (He becomes jubilant). It is He! It is He! It is Shri Krishna Chaitanya! Look! Look! His handsome face is above the crowd of devotees surrounding Him. Look! His face is like a blossoming, many petalled golden lotus growing in a lake and surrounded by the flock of swans that are His devotees.
140 Queen: Noble husband, now we have attained the greatest of all festivals. Although we originally came only to see Lord Jagannatha, now we have attained the splendid glory of seeing Shri Gaurachandra.
141 Who is this golden treasure walking on the pathway of our eyes? He is like a brilliant sun that dries up the waters of material desire in the heart. He is eternal. He is very sweet and charming. He showers the nectar of pure love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead in all directions.
142 With a host of moons I will offer arati to His face. With a host of golden lamps I will offer arati to the lustre of His transcendental form. With the flowers of my breaths I will offer arati to His lotus feet. In many thousands of bodies I will aspire for His mercy.
(She bows down to offer respects).
143 King: Your devotion is perfectly proper. Look! Lord Jagannatha has come to the bathing place.
(The Queen looks and then offers obeisances).
144 (Tumultuous sounds from behind the scenes).
King: Queen, look! Look! Lord Jagannatha is being bathed.
145 Queen: (looking back and forth) Noble husband, this is very unusual.
146 King: What is it?
147 Queen: Facing each other, gazing at each other with unblinking eyes, Their bodies flooded, one with bathing water and the other with a stream of tears, two great oceans of mercy that are two medicines to cure the fears of repeated birth and death, though one is black and the other fair, both shine with the same splendour.
148 King: This is the truth.
149 Queen: Noble husband, the Lord's bathing festival is now over. Lord Gaurachandra no longer gazes to the right. Now He looks in another direction.
150 King: It is true. Now no one stands in front of the Lord. Everyone has assembled behind Him. Linking arms, the devotees have made a circle around Him.
151 A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Now Lord Chaitanya, the king of sannyasis is overcome with grief because of His separation from Lord Jagannatha. He is filled with the anguish of love. He is rapt in thought of Lord Jagannatha.
152 King: (listening) Ah! These words must have been spoken by Kasi Misra. Let me listen to what he says next. (He listens with great attention).
153 A Voice From Behind the Scenes: He no longer bathes Himself, waters tulasi, gazes at the temple's cakra, chants the holy name, bows down to offer obeisances, or even eats. Anguished by separation from Lord Jagannatha, He is stunned. Day and night He sheds tears.
154 King: Ah! What will become of Him if during the entire anavasara period He is a madman like this?
155 Again a Voice From Behind the Scenes: Svarupa said: "Although He is naturally very attached to kirtana, now His kirtana has become joyless. Now He cannot taste the nectar of transcendental happiness." Svarupa has now begun to sing a different kind of kirtana.
156 King: Well done! Oh well done! (to his queen) Beloved, please go now. Now I will call for Kasi Misra.
157 Queen: As it is ordered. (She exits).
158 (Kasi Misra enters).
Kasi Misra: Glory, glory to the king!
159 King: Misra, did you tell him?
160 Kasi Misra: I did what you asked.
161 King: Tell me: What did Svarupa Gosvami advise?
162 Kasi Misra: He said Lord Chaitanya is now overcome with grief because of separation from Lord Jagannatha. He said all Lord Chaitanya's friends should help to drive away His grief. If at sunset the vijaya Deity of Lord Gopinatha is brought out, and the devotees sing kirtana very sweetly, then Lord Chaitanya will enter the nectar mellows of devotional happiness, and His feelings will become slackened.
Hearing this advice, some of the devotees have gone to Rohini-kunda and begun a very melodious kirtana.
163 King: Misra, is it possible to see this kirtana?
164 Kasi Misra: If you climb this wall.
165 King: It will be done.
(They both climb the wall).
166 (Sounds of a very sweet kirtana from behind the scenes).
Kasi Misra: (looking) O king, look! Look! During the day He is the personification of anguish in separation from His beloved, but now this sweet kirtana has changed Him entirely.
167 King: As soon as the blissful mellows of devotional love touch His heart, they are at once shown for all to see. He is like a clear crystal that at once shows whatever colour is placed before it.
168 (The sound of a song is heard from behind the scenes).
King: (listening) What is this song?
169 Kasi Misra: It is a song in Bengali describing the sweetness of Lord Krishna's flute music. His majesty cannot hear this song?
170 King: Oh! It is wonderful. Fair complexioned Lord Chaitanya is now reflected as dark complexioned Lord Krishna in the hearts of the saintly devotees. As He dances in Nilacala He manifests the nectar mellows of Vrndavana forest. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is now eager to taste the transcendental mellows of love the passionate young gopis feel for Lord Krishna. These pastimes of Lord Chaitanya are wonderful. Ah! He has spent a very long time singing this one song.
171 Kasi Misra: Once Lord Chaitanya's mind enters a certain pastimes it is very difficult for it to depart.
172 King: It is so. (He looks again and becomes joyful) Ah! How sweet it is! Look! Look! With the shaking of His knees, the trembling of His arms, the movements of His feet, and the restless glances of His eyes, He fills the hearts of His friends with bliss and makes the whole world stunned with wonder.
His handsome smiling mouth is covered with foam produced from His ecstatic bliss. In this way His mouth is like a golden lotus flower covered with drops of dew, or like the moon shrouded in a heavy mist.
173 (He looks again and become struck with wonder).
Who is this person happily and fearlessly drinking the foam fallen from Lord Chaitanya's mouth? This person is like a cakora bird drinking the sweet nectar moonlight.
174 Kasi Misra: He is a devotee named Subhananda.
175 King: For six hours now the singers have been singing a single line from the refrain of a single song, and all this time Lord Chaitanya has been absorbed in very wonderful feelings of ecstatic bliss. By giving the Lord this nectar of transcendental bliss, these singers have chased far away the grief of the Lord's feelings of separation. Whether He is grief stricken out of feelings of separation, or whether He is filled with transcendental bliss by the remedies presented by these devotees, the Lord still ignores all His ordinary daily activities.
