Chapter 13

           The Ecstatic Dancing of the Lord at Ratha-yatra

 

   A summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya as follows. After bathing early in the morning, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the Deities (Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra) get aboard Their three carts. This function is called Pandu-vijaya. At that time, King Prataparudra took a broom with a golden handle and began to cleanse the road. Lord Jagannatha took permission from the goddess of fortune and then started in the car for the Gundica temple. The road to the temple led along a broad, sandy beach, and on both sides of the road were residential quarters, houses and gardens. Along that road the servants called gaudas began to pull the cars. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu divided His sankirtana party into seven divisions. With two mrdangas in each division, there were altogether fourteen mrdangas While performing kirtana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited various symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, and Jagannatha and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu exchanged Their feelings very blissfully. When the cars reached the place known as Balagandi, the devotees offered the Deities simple food. At this time, in a nearby garden, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees took a brief rest from the dancing.

 

                                TEXT 1

 

                                 TEXT

 

                       sa jiyat krsna-caitanyah

                       sri-rathagre nanarta yah

                        yenasij jagatam citram

                       jagannatho 'pi vismitah

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sah--He; jiyat--may live long; krsna-caitanyah--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; sri-ratha-agre--in the front of the car; nanarta--danced; yah--who; yena--by whom; asit--there was; jagatam--of the whole universe; citram--wonder; jagannathah--Lord Jagannatha; api--also; vismitah--was astonished.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   May the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Caitanya, who danced in front of the car of Sri Jagannatha, be all glorified! By seeing His dancing, not only was the whole universe held in wonder, but Lord Jagannatha Himself became very much astonished.

 

                                TEXT 2

 

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               jaya jaya sri-krsna-caitanya nityananda

              jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jaya jaya--all glories; sri-krsna-caitanya--to Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu; nityananda--to Nityananda Prabhu; jaya--all glories; advaita-candra--to Advaita Acarya; jaya--all glories; gaura-bhakta-vrnda--to the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   All glories to Sri Krsna Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to the devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

 

                                TEXT 3

 

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                jaya srota-gana, suna, kari' eka mana

              ratha-yatraya nrtya prabhura parama mohana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jaya--all glories; srota-gana--to the listeners; suna--please hear; kari'--keeping yourself; eka mana--in one attention; ratha-yatraya--in the car festival; nrtya--dancing; prabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; parama--extremely; mohana--enchanting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   All glories to the listeners of Caitanya-caritamrta. Please hear the description of the dancing of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu at the Ratha-yatra festival. His dancing is very enchanting. Please hear of it with great attention.

 

                                TEXT 4

 

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                  ara dina mahaprabhu hana savadhana

              ratre uthi' gana-sange kaila pratah-snana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ara dina--the next day; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; hana--becoming; savadhana--very careful; ratre uthi'--getting up at night; gana-sange--with His personal devotees; kaila--took; pratah-snana--bathing early in the morning.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His personal associates got up in the dark and attentively took their early morning baths.

 

                                TEXT 5

 

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                 pandu-vijaya dekhibare karila gamana

               jagannatha yatra kaila chadi' simhasana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   pandu-vijaya--the ceremony named Pandu-vijaya; dekhibare--for seeing; karila--did; gamana--go; jagannatha--Lord Jagannatha; yatra--departure; kaila--did; chadi'--leaving; simhasana--the throne.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His personal associates then went to see the ceremony of Pandu-vijaya. During this ceremony, Lord Jagannatha leaves His throne and gets up onto the car.

 

                                TEXT 6

 

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                  apani prataparudra lana patra-gana

               mahaprabhura gane karaya vijaya-darsana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   apani--personally; prataparudra--King Prataparudra; lana--taking with him; patra-gana--his associates; mahaprabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; gane--associates; karaya--causes; vijaya-darsana--seeing the Pandu-vijaya ceremony.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   King Prataparudra in person, as well as his entourage, allowed the Pandu-vijaya ceremony to be seen by all the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

                                TEXT 7

 

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                 advaita, nitai adi sange bhakta-gana

                 sukhe mahaprabhu dekhe isvara-gamana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   advaita--Advaita Acarya; nitai--Lord Nityananda Prabhu; adi--headed by; sange--with; bhakta-gana--devotees; sukhe--in great happiness; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dekhe--sees; isvara-gamana--how the Lord is starting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His prominent devotees--Advaita Acarya, Nityananda Prabhu and others--were very happy to observe how Lord Jagannatha began the Ratha-yatra.

 

                                TEXT 8

 

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                balistha dayita' gana--yena matta hati

               jagannatha vijaya karaya kari' hatahati

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   balistha dayita' gana--very strong dayitas, or carriers of Jagannatha; yena--as if; matta hati--drunken elephants; jagannatha--of Lord Jagannatha; vijaya--departure; karaya--cause; kari'--performing; hatahati--hand to hand.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The very strongly built dayitas [carriers of the Jagannatha Deity] were as powerful as drunken elephants. They manually carried Lord Jagannatha from the throne to the car.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The word dayita refers to one who has received the mercy of the Lord. Lord Jagannatha has a number of stalwart servants known as dayitas. These servants do not come from very high-caste families (brahmanas, ksatriyas or vaisyas), but because they are engaged in the service of the Lord, they have been elevated to a respected position. Thus they are known as dayitas. These servants of Lord Jagannatha take care of the Lord from the day of the Snana-yatra up to the time the Lord is carried from the throne to the Ratha car. In the Ksetra-mahatmya these dayitas are said to come from the sabaras, a caste that keeps and sells pigs. However, among the dayitas there are also many who come from the brahmana caste. Those dayitas coming from the brahmana families are called dayita-patis, or leaders of the dayitas. The dayita-patis offer food such as sweetmeats to Lord Jagannatha during the anavasara, the resting period after Snana-yatra. They also make the early morning offering of sweetmeats daily, It is said that during the anavasara Lord Jagannatha suffers from fever and that the dayita-patis offer Him an infusion of drugs represented by fruit juice. It is said that in the beginning Lord Jagannatha was worshiped by the sabaras and was known as the Deity Nila Madhava. Later, when the Deity was established in the temple, the Lord became known as Jagannatha. Because the Deities were taken from the sabaras, all the sabara devotees were elevated to the position of dayitas.

 

                                TEXT 9

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 kataka dayita kare skandha alambana

                 kataka dayita dhare sri-padma-carana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kataka dayita--some of the dayitas; kare--do; skandha--of the shoulders; alambana--capturing; kataka--some; dayita--servants called dayitas; dhare--catch; sri-padma-carana--the lotus feet of the Lord.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While carrying the Deity of Lord Jagannatha, some of the dayitas took hold of the shoulders of the Lord, and some caught His lotus feet.

 

                               TEXT 10

 

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              kati-tate baddha, drdha sthula patta-dori

               dui dike dayita-gana uthaya taha dhari'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kati-tate--on the waist; baddha--bound; drdha--strong; sthula--thick; patta-dori--rope made of silk; dui dike--from two sides; dayita-gana--the dayitas; uthaya--raise; taha--that rope; dhari'--catching.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord Jagannatha Deity was bound at the waist by a strong, thick rope made of silk. From two sides the dayitas caught hold of this rope and raised the Deity.

 

                               TEXT 11

 

                                 TEXT

 

               ucca drdha tuli saba pati' sthane sthane

                eka tuli haite tvaraya ara tulite ane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ucca--puffed up; drdha--strong; tuli--pads made of cotton; saba--all; pati'--spreading; sthane sthane--from one place to another; eka tuli--one pad; haite--from; tvaraya--very soon; ara--next; tulite--on the pad; ane--bring.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Strong, puffed-up cotton pads called tulis were spread out from the throne to the car, and the heavy Deity of Lord Jagannatha was carried from one pillow-like pad to the next by the dayitas.

 

                               TEXT 12

 

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               prabhu-padaghate tuli haya khanda khanda

               tula saba udi' yaya, sabda haya pracanda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prabhu-pada-aghate--by the kicking of Lord Jagannatha; tuli--the pads; haya--become; khanda khanda--broken to pieces; tula--cotton from inside; saba--all; udi' yaya--rises; sabda--sound; haya--there is; pracanda--very much.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While the dayitas carried the heavy Jagannatha Deity from one pad to the next, some of the pads broke, and the cotton contents floated into the air. When they broke, they made a heavy, cracking sound.

 

                               TEXT 13

 

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               visvambhara jagannathe ke calaite pare?

                   apana icchaya cale karite vihare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   visvambhara--the maintainer of the universe; jagannathe--Lord Jagannatha; ke--who; calaite--cause to be carried; pare--can; apana--personal; icchaya--by His will; cale--moves; karite--to act; vihare--in pastimes.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Lord Jagannatha is the maintainer of the whole universe. Who can carry Him from one place to another? However, the Lord moves by His personal will just to perform His pastimes.

 

                               TEXT 14

 

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               mahaprabhu 'manima' 'manima' kare dhvani

                  nana-vadya-kolahale kichui na suni

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; manima--Manima; manima--Manima; kare--makes; dhvani--the sound; nana--various; vadya--of musical instruments; kolahale--by the tumultuous sound; kichui--anything; na--not; suni--can hear.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While the Lord was transported from the throne to the car, tumultuous sounds were made on various musical instruments. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting "Manima Manima," but He could not be heard.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The word manima is used to address a respectable person in Orissa. Lord Jagannatha was being respectfully addressed by Sri Caitanya in this way.

 

                               TEXT 15

 

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                 tabe prataparudra kare apane sevana

              suvarna-marjani lana kare patha sammarjana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tabe--at this time; prataparudra--King Prataparudra; kare--does; apane--personally; sevana--service; suvarna--golden; marjani--broom; lana--taking; kare--does; patha--road; sammarjana--cleansing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   While the Lord was being carried from the throne to the car, King Prataparudra personally engaged in the Lord's service by cleansing the road with a broom that had a golden handle.

 

                               TEXT 16

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  candana-jalete kare patha nisecane

                tuccha seva kare vasi' raja-simhasane

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   candana-jalete--with sandalwood water; kare--does; patha--road; nisecane--sprinkling; tuccha--insignificant, menial; seva--service; kare--performs; vasi'--although in possession of; raja-simhasane--the royal throne.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The King sprinkled the road with sandalwood-scented water. Although he was the owner of the royal throne, he engaged in menial service for the sake of Lord Jagannatha.

 

                               TEXT 17

 

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                 uttama hana raja kare tuccha sevana

                  ataeva jagannathera krpara bhajana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   uttama hana--although very respectable; raja--the King; kare--accepts; tuccha--menial; sevana--service; ataeva--therefore; jagannathera--of Lord Jagannatha; krpara--in the matter of mercy; bhajana--suitable candidate.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Although the King was the most exalted respectable person, still he accepted menial service for the Lord; he, therefore, became a suitable candidate for receiving the Lord's mercy.

 

                               TEXT 18

 

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                mahaprabhu sukha paila se-seva dekhite

                mahaprabhura krpa haila se-seva ha-ite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; sukha paila--felt very happy; se-seva--that kind of service; dekhite--to see; mahaprabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; krpa--mercy; haila--there was; se-seva ha-ite--because of that service.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Upon seeing the King engaged in such menial service, Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very happy. Simply by rendering this service, the King received the mercy of the Lord.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Unless one receives the mercy of the Lord, he cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead or engage in His devotional service.

 

                   athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-

                     prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi

                   janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno

                   na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan

 

                                                      (Bhag. 10.14.29)

   Only a devotee who has received a small fraction of the mercy of the Lord can understand Him. Others may engage in theoretical speculation to understand the Lord, but they can not know anything about Him. Although Maharaja Prataparudra was very eager to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord refused to see him. However, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the King engaged in menial service for Lord Jagannatha, He became very happy. Thus the King became eligible to receive Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy. If a devotee accepts Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the universal guru and Lord Jagannatha as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, he is benefited by the combined mercy of Krsna and guru. That is stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His instructions to Rupa Gosvami. (Cc. Madhya 19.151)

 

                brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva

               guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

 

   The seed of devotional service fructifies and becomes a transcendental creeper. Finally it reaches the lotus feet of the Lord in the spiritual sky. This seed is obtained by the mercy of the Lord and the guru. By the Lord's mercy one gets the association of a bona fide guru, and by the mercy of the guru, one gets a chance to render devotional service. Devotional service, the science of bhakti-yoga, carries one from this material world to the spiritual world.

 

                               TEXT 19

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 rathera sajani dekhi' loke camatkara

                  nava hemamaya ratha--sumeru-akara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   rathera--of the car; sajani--decoration; dekhi'--by seeing; loke--everyone; camatkara--astonished; nava--new; hema-ma ya--golden; ratha--chariot car; sumeru-akara--as high as the mountain Sumeru.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Everyone was astonished to see the decorations on the Ratha car. The car appeared to be newly made of gold, and it was as high as Mount Sumeru.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In the year 1973 there was a gorgeous Ratha-yatra festival in London, England, and the car was brought to Trafalgar Square. The London daily newspaper the Guardian published a front-page photo caption: "ISKCON Ratha-yatra is rival to the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square." The Nelson Column is a very impressive statue of Lord Nelson and can be seen from a good distance. Just as the residents of Puri compared the Ratha-yatra car to Mount Sumeru, the residents of London considered the car rival to the Nelson Monument.

 

                               TEXT 20

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 sata sata su-camara-darpane ujjvala

                  upare pataka sobhe candoya nirmala

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sata sata--hundreds upon hundreds; su-camara--beautiful white whisks; darpane--with mirrors; ujjvala--very bright; upare--on the top; pataka--flag; sobhe--looks beautiful; candoya--canopy; nirmala--thoroughly cleansed.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The decorations included bright mirrors and hundreds and hundreds of camaras [white whisks made of yak tails]. On top of the car were a neat and clean canopy and very beautiful flag.

 

                               TEXT 21

 

                                 TEXT

 

               ghaghara, kinkini baje, ghantara kvanita

               nana citra-patta-vastre ratha vibhusita

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ghaghara--gongs; kinkini--ankle bells; baje--were sounding; ghantara--of bells; kvanita--tinkling sound; nana--various; citra--pictures; patta-vastre--with silken cloth; ratha--the car; vibhusita--decorated.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The car was also decorated with silken cloth and various pictures. Many brass bells, gongs and ankle bells rang.

 

                               TEXT 22

 

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                  lilaya cadila isvara rathera upara

                ara dui rathe cade subhadra, haladhara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   lilaya--for the matter of pastimes; cadila--got up; isvara--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rathera--a car; upara--aboard; ara dui--another two; rathe--in the cars; cade--got up; subhadra--the sister of Lord Jagannatha; haladhara--Balarama.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   For the pastimes of the Ratha-yatra ceremony, Lord Jagannatha got aboard one car, and His sister, Subhadra, and elder brother, Balarama, got aboard two other cars.

 

                               TEXT 23

 

                                 TEXT

 

               panca-dasa dina isvara maha-laksmi lana

                tanra sange krida kaila nibhrte vasiya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   panca-dasa dina--fifteen days; isvara--the Lord; maha-laksmi--the supreme goddess of fortune; lana--with; tanra sange--in her company; krida--enjoyment; kaila--performed; nibhrte--in a solitary place; vasiya--sitting.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   For fifteen days the Lord had remained in a secluded place with the supreme goddess of fortune and had performed His pastimes with her.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   The fifteen-day period of anavasara is also called nibhrta, in honor of the solitary place where the supreme goddess of fortune lives. After living there a fortnight, Lord Jagannatha took permission from the goddess of fortune to leave.

 

                               TEXT 24

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tanhara sammati lana bhakte sukha dite

                rathe cadi' bahira haila vihara karite

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tanhara sammati--her permission; lana--taking; bhakte--the devotees; sukha dite--to please; rathe cadi'--riding on the car; bahira haila--came out; vihara karite--to perform pastimes.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Having taken permission from the goddess of fortune, the Lord came out to ride on the Ratha car and perform His pastimes for the pleasure of the devotees.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In this connection, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments that as an ideal husband, Lord Jagannatha remained fifteen days in a secluded place with His wife, the supreme goddess of fortune. Nonetheless, the Lord wanted to come out of seclusion to give happiness to His devotees. The Lord enjoys Himself in two ways, known as svakiya and parakiya. The Lord's conjugal love in the svakiya-rasa relates to the regulative principles observed in Dvaraka. There the Lord has many married queens, but in Vrndavana the conjugal love of the Lord is not with His married wives but with His girl friends, the gopis. Conjugal love with the gopis is called parakiya-rasa. Lord Jagannatha leaves the secluded place where He enjoys the company of the supreme goddess of fortune in svakiya-rasa, and He goes to Vrndavana where He enjoys the parakiya-rasa. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura therefore reminds us that the Lord's pleasure in parakiya-rasa is superior to His pleasure in svakiya-rasa.

   In the material world, parakiya-rasa, or loving affairs with unmarried girl friends, is a most degraded relationship, but in the spiritual world this type of loving affair is considered the supreme enjoyment. In the material world everything is but a reflection of the spiritual world, and that reflection is perverted. We cannot understand the affairs of the spiritual world on the basis of our experience in the material world. The Lord's pastimes with the gopis are therefore misunderstood by mundane scholars and word-wranglers. The parakiya-rasa of the spiritual world should not be discussed except by one who is very advanced in pure devotional service. The parakiya-rasa in the spiritual world and that in the material world are not comparable. The former is like gold, and the latter is like iron. Because the difference between the two is so great, they cannot actually be compared. However, one can easily distinguish the value of gold by seeing the value of iron. One who has the proper realization can easily distinguish the transcendental activities of the spiritual world from material activities.

 

                               TEXT 25

 

                                 TEXT

 

                suksma sveta-balu pathe pulinera sama

                 dui dike tota, saba--yena vrndavana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   suksma--fine; sveta-balu--white sand; pathe--on the path; pulinera sama--just like the bank of the Yamuna; dui dike--on two sides; tota--gardens; saba--all; yena--like; vrndavana--the holy place Vrndavana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The fine, white sand spread all over the path resembled the bank of the Yamuna, and the small gardens on both sides looked just like those in Vrndavana.

 

                               TEXT 26

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 rathe cadi' jagannatha karila gamana

                 dui-parsve dekhi' cale anandita-mana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   rathe cadi'--riding on the car; jagannatha--Lord Jagannatha; karila gamana--was passing; dui-parsve--on both sides; dekhi'--seeing; cale--goes; anandita--full of pleasure; mana--mind.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   As Lord Jagannatha rode in His car and saw the beauty on both sides, His mind was filled with pleasure.

 

                               TEXT 27

 

                                 TEXT

 

                'gauda' saba ratha tane kariya ananda

              ksane sighra cale ratha, ksane cale manda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gauda--the pullers of the car; saba--all; ratha--the car; tane--pull; kariya--feeling; ananda--happiness; ksane--sometimes; sighra cale--goes very fast; ratha--the car; ksane--sometimes; cale--goes; manda--very slow.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The pullers of the car were known as gaudas, and they pulled with great pleasure. However, the car sometimes went very fast and sometimes very slow.

 

                               TEXT 28

 

                                 TEXT

 

               ksane sthira hana rahe, tanileha na cale

                isvara-icchaya cale, na cale karo bale

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ksane--sometimes; sthira--still; hana--becoming; rahe--stays; tanileha--in spite of being pulled; na cale--does not go; isvara-icchaya--by the will of the Lord; cale--goes; na cale--does not go; karo--of anyone; bale--by the strength.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sometimes the car would stand still and not move, even though it was pulled very vigorously. The chariot therefore moved by the will of the Lord, not by the strength of any ordinary person.

 

                               TEXT 29

 

                                 TEXT

 

                tabe mahaprabhu saba lana bhakta-gana

                 svahaste paraila sabe malya-candana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tabe--at that time; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; saba--all; lana--taking; bhakta-gana--devotees; sva-haste--by His own hand; paraila--decorated; sabe--everyone; malya-candana--with flower garlands and pulp of sandalwood.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   As the car stood still, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gathered all His devotees and, with His own hand, decorated them with flower garlands and sandalwood pulp.

 

                               TEXT 30

 

                                 TEXT

 

              paramananda puri, ara bharati brahmananda

                 sri-haste candana pana badila ananda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   paramananda puri--Paramananda Puri; ara--and; bharati brahmananda--Brahmananda Bharati; sri-haste--by the hand of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; candana--sandalwood pulp; pana--getting; badila--increased; ananda--transcendental bliss.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Paramananda Puri and Brahmananda Bharati were both personally given garlands and sandalwood pulp from the very hands of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This increased their transcendental pleasure.

 

                               TEXT 31

 

                                 TEXT

 

                advaita-acarya, ara prabhu-nityananda

                sri-hasta-sparse dunhara ha-ila ananda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   advaita-acarya--Advaita Acarya; ara--and; prabhu-nityananda--Lord Nityananda Prabhu; sri-hasta-sparse--by the touch of the transcendental hand of Lord Caitanya; dunhara--of both of Them; ha-ila--there was; ananda--transcendental bliss.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Similarly, when Advaita Acarya and Nityananda Prabhu felt the touch of the transcendental hand of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, They were both very pleased.

 

                               TEXT 32

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  kirtaniya-gane dila malya-candana

               svarupa, srivasa,--yahan mukhya dui-jana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kirtaniya-gane--unto the performers of sankirtana; dila--gave; malya-candana--garlands and sandalwood pulp; svarupa--Svarupa; srivasa--Srivasa; yahan--where; mukhya--principal; dui-jana--two persons.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord also gave garlands and sandalwood pulp to the performers of sankirtana. The chief two performers were Svarupa Damodara and Srivasa Thakura.

 

                               TEXT 33

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 cari sampradaye haila cabbisa gayana

                  dui dui mardangika haila asta jana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   cari sampradaye--in the four parties; haila--there were; cabbisa--twenty-four; gayana--performers of kirtana; dui dui--two in each party; mardangika--players of mrdanga drums; haila--there were; asta jana--eight persons.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There were altogether four parties of kirtana performers, comprising twenty-four chanters. In each party there were also two mrdanga players, making an additional eight persons.

 

                               TEXT 34

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  tabe mahaprabhu mane vicara kariya

                 cari sampradaya dila gayana bantiya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tabe--after this; mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mane--in the mind; vicara kariya--considering; cari sampradaya--four parties; dila--gave; gayana bantiya--dividing the singers.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the four parties were formed, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, after some consideration, divided the chanters.

 

                               TEXT 35

 

                                 TEXT

 

              nityananda, advaita, haridasa, vakresvare

                  cari jane ajna dila nrtya karibare

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   nityananda--Lord Nityananda; advaita--Advaita Acarya; haridasa--Haridasa Thakura; vakresvare--Vakresvara Pandita; cari jane--to these four persons; ajna dila--the Lord gave an order; nrtya karibare--to dance.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acarya, Haridasa Thakura and Vakresvara Pandita to dance in each of the four respective parties.

 

                               TEXT 36

 

                                 TEXT

 

             prathama sampradaye kaila svarupa--pradhana

                  ara panca-jana dila tanra paligana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   prathama sampradaye--in the first party; kaila--fixed; svarupa--Svarupa Damodara; pradhana--as the chief; ara--another; panca-jana--five persons; dila--gave; tanra--his; paligana--responders.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Svarupa Damodara was chosen as the leader of the first party and was given five assistants to respond to his chanting.

 

                               TEXT 37

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  damodara, narayana, datta govinda

                raghava pandita, ara sri-govindananda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   damodara--Damodara Pandita; narayana--Narayana; datta govinda--Govinda Datta; raghava pandita--Raghava Pandita; ara--and; sri-govindananda--Sri Govindananda.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The five who responded to the singing of Svarupa Damodara were Damodara Pandita, Narayana, Govinda Datta, Raghava Pandita and Sri Govindananda.

 

                               TEXT 38

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  advaitere nrtya karibare ajna dila

                srivasa--pradhana ara sampradaya kaila

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   advaitere--unto Advaita Acarya; nrtya--dancing; karibare--for performing; ajna--order; dila--gave; srivasa--Srivasa Thakura; pradhana--chief; ara--another; sampradaya--group; kaila--formed.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Advaita Acarya Prabhu was ordered to dance in the first group. The Lord then formed another group with Srivasa Thakura as the chief man.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In the first group, Damodara Svarupa was appointed chief singer, and the responding singers were Damodara Pandita, Narayana, Govinda Datta, Raghava Pandita and Govindananda. Sri Advaita Acarya was appointed as a dancer. The next group was formed, and the chief singer was Srivasa Thakura.

 

                               TEXT 39

 

                                 TEXT

 

               gangadasa, haridasa, sriman, subhananda

               sri-rama pandita, tahan nace nityananda

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   gangadasa--Gangadasa; haridasa--Haridasa; sriman--Sriman; subhananda--Subhananda; sri-rama pandita--Sri Rama Pandita; tahan--there; nace--dances; nityananda--Lord Nityananda.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The five singers who responded to the singing of Srivasa Thakura were Gangadasa, Haridasa, Sriman, Subhananda and Sri Rama Pandita. Sri Nityananda Prabhu was appointed as a dancer.

 

                               TEXT 40

 

                                 TEXT

 

                vasudeva, gopinatha, murari yahan gaya

                mukunda--pradhana kaila ara sampradaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vasudeva--Vasudeva; gopinatha--Gopinatha; murari--Murari; yahan--where; gaya--sing; mukunda--Mukunda; pradhana--chief; kaila--formed; ara--another; sampradaya--group.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Another group was formed consisting of Vasudeva, Gopinatha, and Murari. All these were responsive singers, and Mukunda was the chief singer.

 

                               TEXT 41

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 srikanta, vallabha-sena ara dui jana

                haridasa-thakura tahan karena nartana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   srikanta, vallabha-sena--Srikanta and Vallabha Sena; ara--another; dui jana--two persons; haridasa-thakura--Haridasa Thakura; tahan--there; karena--performs; nartana--dancing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Another two persons, Srikanta and Vallabha Sena, joined as responsive singers. In this group, Haridasa Thakura [the senior] was the dancer.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In the third group, Mukunda was appointed the chief singer. This party was composed of Vasudeva, Gopinatha, Murari, Srikanta and Vallabha Sena. The senior Haridasa Thakura was the dancer.

 

                               TEXT 42

 

                                 TEXT

 

             govinda-ghosa--pradhana kaila ara sampradaya

               haridasa, visnudasa, raghava, yahan gaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   govinda-ghosa--Govinda Ghosh; pradhana--the chief; kaila--formed; ara--another; sampradaya--group; haridasa--the younger Haridasa; visnudasa--Visnudasa; raghava--Raghava; yahan--where; gaya--sing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   The Lord formed another group, appointing Govinda Ghosh as leader. In this group the younger Haridasa, Visnudasa and Raghava were the responding singers.

 

                               TEXT 43

 

                                 TEXT

 

                madhava, vasudeva-ghosa,--dui sahodara

                nrtya karena tahan pandita-vakresvara

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   madhava--Madhava; vasudeva-ghosa--Vasudeva Ghosh; dui sahodara--two brothers; nrtya karena--dances; tahan--there; pandita-vakresvara--Vakresvara Pandita.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Two brothers named Madhava Ghosh and Vasudeva Ghosh also joined this group as responsive singers. Vakresvara Pandita was the dancer.

 

                               TEXT 44

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 kulina-gramera eka kirtaniya-samaja

               tahan nrtya karena ramananda, satyaraja

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   kulina-gramera--of the village known as Kulina-grama; eka--one; kirtaniya-samaja--sankirtana party; tahan--there; nrtya karena--dances; ramananda--Ramananda; satyaraja--Satyaraja Khan.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There was a sankirtana party from the village known as Kulina-grama, and Ramananda and Satyaraja were appointed the dancers in this group.

 

                               TEXT 45

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 santipurera acaryera eka sampradaya

                acyutananda nace tatha, ara saba gaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   santipurera--of Santipura; acaryera--of Advaita Acarya; eka--one; sampradaya--group; acyutananda--the son of Advaita Acarya; nace--dances; tatha--there; ara--the rest; saba--all; gaya--were singing.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There was another party that came from Santipura and was formed by Advaita Acarya. Acyutananda was the dancer, and the rest of the men were singers.

 

                               TEXT 46

 

                                 TEXT

 

               khandera sampradaya kare anyatra kirtana

                 narahari nace tahan sri-raghunandana

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   khandera--of the place named Khanda; sampradaya--party; kare--performs; anyatra--in a different place; kirtana--chanting; narahari--Narahari; nace--dances; tahan--there; sri-raghunandana--Raghunandana.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Another party was formed by the people of Khanda. These people were singing in a different place. In that group, Narahari Prabhu and Raghunandana were dancing.

 

                               TEXT 47

 

                                 TEXT

 

                jagannathera age cari sampradaya gaya

                  dui pase dui, pache eka sampradaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   jagannathera age--in front of the Deity Lord Jagannatha; cari sampradaya gaya--four groups were chanting; dui pase--on two sides; dui--another two groups; pache--at the rear; eka sampradaya--another group.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Four parties chanted and danced in front of Lord Jagannatha, and on both sides were two other parties. Another was at the rear.

 

                               TEXT 48

 

                                 TEXT

 

                  sata sampradaye baje caudda madala

               yara dhvani suni' vaisnava haila pagala

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sata sampradaye--in seven groups; baje--were beating; caudda--fourteen; madala--drums; yara--of which; dhvani--the sound; suni'--hearing; vaisnava--all the devotees; haila--became; pagala--mad.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   There were altogether seven parties of sankirtana, and in each party two men were beating drums. Thus fourteen drums were being played at once. The sound was tumultuous, and all the devotees became mad.

 

                               TEXT 49

 

                                 TEXT

 

                vaisnavera megha-ghataya ha-ila badala

                  kirtananande saba varse netra-jala

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   vaisnavera--of the devotees; megha-ghataya--by the assembly of clouds; ha-ila--there was; badala--rainfall; kirtana-anande--in the blissful situation of chanting; saba--all of them; varse--rain; netra-jala--tears from the eyes.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   All the Vaisnavas came together like an assembly of clouds. As the devotees chanted the holy names, tears fell in great ecstasy like rainfall from their eyes.

 

                               TEXT 50

 

                                 TEXT

 

               tri-bhuvana bhari' uthe kirtanera dhvani

                 anya vadyadira dhvani kichui na suni

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   tri-bhuvana bhari'--filling the three worlds; uthe--arose; kirtanera dhvani--vibration of sankirtana; anya--other; vadya-adira--of musical instruments; dhvani--the sound; kichui--anything; na--not; suni--hears.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   When the sankirtana resounded, it filled the three worlds. Indeed, no one could hear mundane sounds or musical instruments other than the sankirtana.

 

                               TEXT 51

 

                                 TEXT

 

              sata thani bule prabhu 'hari' 'hari' bali'

              'jaya jagannatha', balena hasta-yuga tuli'

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sata thani--in the seven places; bule--wanders; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; hari hari bali'--chanting the holy names Hari, Hari; jaya jagannatha--all glories to Lord Jagannatha; balena--says; hasta-yuga--His two arms; tuli'--raising.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wandered through all seven groups chanting the holy name,"Hari, Hari!" Raising His arms, He shouted, "All glories to Lord Jagannatha!"

 

                               TEXT 52

 

                                 TEXT

 

                 ara eka sakti prabhu karila prakasa

                  eka-kale sata thani karila vilasa

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   ara--another; eka--one; sakti--mystic power; prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karila--made; prakasa--manifest; eka-kale--simultaneously; sata thani--in seven places; karila--performed; vilasa--pastimes.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu then exhibited another mystic power by performing pastimes simultaneously in all seven groups.

 

                               TEXT 53

 

                                 TEXT

 

              sabe kahe,--prabhu achena mora sampradaya

                  anya thani nahi ya'na amare dayaya

 

                               SYNONYMS

 

   sabe kahe--everyone said; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; achena--is present; mora sampradaya--in my group; anya thani--in other places; nahi--does not; ya'na--go; amare--unto me; dayaya--bestows His mercy.

 

                             TRANSLATION

 

   Everyone said, "Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is present in my group. Indeed, He does not go anywhere else. He is bestowing His mercy upon us."

 

                               TEXT 54