Sri Caitanya-candrodaya

BY: SUN STAFF

Footprints of Nimai
Mural, Jagannath Puri

Jan 27, CANADA (SUN) —

Sri Caitanya-candrodaya

Act One

By Srila Kavi-karnapura

Introduction (Nandi-sloka)

nidhishu kumuda-padma-sankha-mukhyeshv
aruci-karo nava-bhakti-candrakantaih
viracita-kali-koka-soka-sankur
vishaya-tamamsi hinastu gauracandrah

Its nine new candrakanta jewels of devotional service eclipsing Kuvera's lily, lotus, conch, and other treasures, and its arrows of light wounding the cakravaka bird of Kali-yuga, may the moon of Lord Gaura destroy the darkness of the world.

Text 1

(nandy-ante)

sutradharah: alam ati-prasangena. bho bhoh, samakarnyatam. adyaham ratnakara-vela-kandalita-dalita-kajjalojjvalan-maha-nilamani-kandalasya nila-giri-dari-daridrisyamana-ghana-dala-mala-tamala-taru-kadambasya gabhiratara-kotara-mahavata-vata-nikata-prakata-pramada-matangasya bhagavatah sri-purusottama-devasya gundica-yatrayam sakala-dig-vidig-vihari-hari-nara-nikara- mukhara-mukha-ramamana-jaya-jaya-dhvani-dhvanita-jagadanda-bhanda-kuhare pramoda-modamana-manasa-rasavibhakta-bhakta-jana-janita-bhagavat-sankirtana- kutuhala-hala-hala-svana-svandita-dig-vadhu-nikare sa-vimarda-mardala-sahacarya-lampata- pataha-mahapana-panava-svana-svanalpa-dhakka-dhakkara-gabhiratara-bheri-bhankriti- dundubhi-dunkara-karananya-sabdagraha-grahila-niravadhi-vadhirayamana-jana-nikare kvacana samaye sevadhikaritayarataya samupasidata sidata ca bhagavac-chri-krishna-caitanya-tanyamana-tirobhava-bhava-bhavita-manasarusa parusapad-dasavasad asata-sata- vaimukhyena vai mukhyena hetuna tatha-vidhe 'pi paramanande manam deyam api na kurvatavatavani-bhrita nibhritabhilasena gaja-patina prataparudrenadishto 'smi.

Sutradhara: Enough with these pompous words! Listen. Today, as, like kajjala-splendid sapphires scattered by sea waves on the shore, like a great forest of many-leaved tamala trees seen from a cave of Nilacala mountain, and like an intoxicated elephant playing deep in a banyan forest, Lord Jagannatha went on procession to Gundica, and as the entire universe became filled with jubilant calls of "jaya! jaya!" from mouths of men in every direction, and as blissful-hearted devotees filled the directions with a tumult of bhagavat-kirtana, and as women filled the directions with shouts of joy, and as there was a deafening tumult of sweet mridangas, vigorous patahas, mahapanas, panavas, many dakkas and dakkaras, and deep bheris, bhankritis, and dundubhis, I was suddenly approached by Lord Jagannatha's servant, King Prataparudra, whose heart was wounded by the disappearance of Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya, and who said to me:

Text 2

yatha hamho caranacarya

so 'yam nilagirisvarah sa vibhavo yatra ca sa gundica
te te dig-vidig-agatah sukritinas tas ta didrikshartayah
aramas ca ta eva nandana-vana-srinam tiraskarinah
sarvany eva mahaprabhum bata vina sunyani manyamahe

"O playright, here is the same all-powerful Lord Jagannatha. Here is the same Rathayatra festival. Here is the same Gundica temple. Here are the same pilgrims come from all directions to see the Lord. Here is the same garden that eclipses the beauties of Nandanandana. Still, without Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu I think everything here is a desert.

Text 3

tad idanim prema-saubhagavato bhagavato yatindrasya tasyaiva guna-parimalodgara-sarena rasarena kenapi prayogena subhavata bhavataham anandaniyah. yatah

"To please me, write a sweet, beautiful play fragrant with the virtues of affectionate Lord Caitanya, the best of sannyasis.

Text 4

priyasya sakshad aviloka-janyam
badham visodhum na hi ko py upayah
suhridbhir uktad atha vabhinitad
rite tadiyad guna-samprayogat

iti tad avasyam atra prayataniyam

"Except for our friends' words or a play filled with His qualities we have no way to bear the pain of not seeing our dear Lord." I must do it.

Text 5

citram caitat

nirdhumo 'py anumiyate prati-disam yasya pratapanalah
sadhunam sukhado vipaksha-salabha-vyuhasya dahoddhurah
prag eva sphutane visankita-dhiya yasyoshmanam prakramaih
srisenavaranair akari bahubhir brahmanda-lepo bahih

This is wonderful. Visible everywhere, the smokeless fire of cosmic destruction delights the saintly devotees and burns the locust demons. Fearing the fire's heart would burn it, at the time of creation the Lord put many coverings around the universe.

Text 6

so 'yam murtiman iva nivahi-bhutah parakramah krama-samupaciyamana-bhagavad-bhava-svabhava- svayam-avirbhuta-santi-rasavagaha-nirdhuta-rajas-tamastayastaya vidyaya sama iva sariri paresham api manasi na sidhyantim vishaya-vasanam karoti.

The king was once like that fire. Although at first the form of great chivalrous power, gradually increasing love for the Lord plunged the king into an ocean of peace and washed away all passion and ignorance. Knowledge made him the personification of peace. Now in his heart he no longer desires material things.

Text 7

tad adhuna dhunanah sandeham deham ca kritarthayann ayam aham sri-nathenanugrihitena tasyaiva bhagavato 'vato nija-karunam srikrishna-caitanyasya priya-parshadasya sivananda-senasya tanujena nirmitam paramananda-dasa-kavina vinasita-hrit-kasaya-timiram sri-caitanya-candrodayam nama natakam abhiniya samihita-hitam asya nripateh karishyami.

Shaking all doubts and thus making this life a success, for the king's good I will now present this play named Sri Caitanya-candrodaya (The Moonrise of Sri Caitanya), which destroys the darkness of ignorance in the heart, and which was written by the poet Paramananda Kavi-karnapura, to whom the Lord was kind and who is the son of Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya's dear associate Sivananda Sena.

Text 8

(agrato 'valokya) bho bhoh, ita itah
pariparsvikah: (pravisya) bhava, ascaryam ascaryam

(Looking ahead) Oh! Oh! Here! Here!
Pariparsvika: (enters) O great one! Wonderful! Wonderful!

Text 9

sutradharah: marisa, kim tat
pariparsvikah: etavaty api bhagavatah sri-nilacala-calad-ananda-kandasya syandana-yatra-paramanande katipaye sukhoparame parama-vimanaskas tamaskanda-bhandam iva brahmandam manyamana vilapantah santi. tatha hi

Sutradhara: O gentle one, what is it?
Pariparsvika: In the bliss of blissful Lord Jagannatha's Rathayatra some unhappy men are crying as of they think the world is a cauldron of darkness. They said:

Text 10

aho so 'yam nilacala-tilaka-yatra-vidhir ayam
navodyana-srenir atha vijaya-vartmapi tad idam
dahaty uccaih pitta-jvara iva drisau krintati manah
khalanam vaniva vyathati tanum hrid-vrana iva

tat kathaya, kim atra rahasyam

"This is the same Rathayatra of Lord Jagannatha, the tilaka mark of Nilacala. These are the same newly-blossoming gardens. This is the same glorious path. Still, my eyes burn as if consumed by a fever's flames. My mind breaks as if attacked by demons' words. My body suffers as if my heart were wounded."
Tell me: What is the secret meaning of these words?

Text 11

sutradharah: marisa, dhanyo 'si, yasya te te kilanayor nayanor nayana-saphalya-karinah parama-bhagavata batadya gocari-bhuta bhu-tarana-kritah.

Sutradhara: Gentle one, you are fortunate. By seeing the great devotees, who deliver the entire world, your eyes have become perfect.

Text 12

pariparsvikah: bhava, ke 'mi
sutradharah: sri-krishna-caitanya-priya-parshadah

Pariparsvika: Master, who are they?
Sutradhara: The dear associates of Sri Krishna Caitanya.

Text 13

pariparsvikah: ko 'sau caitanya-gosvami
sutradharah: marisa, adyapi janani-jathara-pithara-pihita evasi, yad idam sri-mahaprabhos tasya nama nama ca na srutam. sruyatam

Pariparsvika: Who is Caitanya Gosvami?
Sutradhara: Gentle one, to not have heard the name Caitanya Mahaprabhu you must even now be staying in your mother's womb. Listen.

Text 14-15

ascaryam yasya kando yati-mukuta-manir madhavakhyo munindrah
sriladvaita-prarohas tri-bhuvana-viditah skandha evavadhutah
srimad-vakresvaradya rasa-maya-vapushah skandha-sakha-svarupa
vistaro bhakti-yogah kusumam atha phalam prema nishkaitavam yat api ca brahmanandam ca bhittva vilasati sikharam yasya yatratta-nidam
radha-krishna-lila-maya-khaga-mithunam bhinna-bhavena hinam
yasya cchaya bhavadhva-srama-samana-kari bhakta-sankalpa-siddher
hetus caitanya-kalpadruma iha bhuvane kascana pradurasit

Its wonderful root the great sage Madhavendra Puri, the crest jewel of sannyasis, its new sprout Srila Advaita, who is famous in the three worlds, its first branch Avadhuta Nityananda, its other branches Sriman Vakresvara Pandita and other sweet devotees, its flower blossoming devotional service, its fruit sincere love, its highest branches breaking through the boundaries of the material worlds and providing a place for the nest of the two playful birds Radha and Krishna to stay without ever being separated, and its shade a resting-place for they who travel on the path of repeated birth and death, the Caitanya kalpa-druma tree grows on this earth to fulfill the devotees' desires.

Text 16

pariparsvikah: bhava, kim prayojano janoha-duro 'yam avatarah.

Pariparsvika: Master, why has this incarnation, whose purpose is far from what ordinary people can guess, come?

Text 17

sutradharah: marisa, avadhedhi vadhe hi manaso nirviseshe 'seshe pare brahmani laya eva parah purusharthas tat-sadhanam dhanam hi kevalam advaita-bhavaneti sarva-sastra-pratipadyatvenadyatvenapi manvananam vidusham sva-matagraha-graha-grihitanam anakalitam tatra tatraiva sastreshu gudhatayodhatayottamatvena sthitam api sac-cid-ananda-ghana-vigraho nitya-lilo 'khila-saubhagavan bhagavan sri-krishna eva sa-visesham brahmeti tattvam tasyopasanam sanandanady-upagitam avigitam avikalah purusharthas tasya sadhanam dhanam nama nama-sankirtana-pradhanam vividha-bhakti-bhaktiyogam avirbhavayitum bhagavan sri-caitanya-rupi bhavann avirasit.

Sutradhara: Gentle one, listen. To teach the many activities of devotional service, which begin with nama-sankirtana, which are the highest goal of life, which are described by Sanandana Kumaara and other sages, which are the worship of the Supreme Truth, who has transcendental qualities, who is the supremely opulent Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, who eternally enjoys transcendental pastimes and whose form is eternal and full of transcendental knowledge and bliss, which are the confidential truth hidden in the Vedic scriptures, and which are not understood by the impersonalist philosophers, who are haunted by the ghosts of their own foolish theories of the meaning of all the scriptures, and who claim that the supreme goal of life is the merge into the quality-less Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has appeared in the form of Sri Caitanya.

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