Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat

Jagannatha Misra and Sacimata felt great happiness as they worshipped the Salagrama Sila, and Lord Chaitanya smiled within His mind. Hear once again another wonderful pastime of Lord Chaitanya, the son of Sri Jagannatha Misra. A very pious brahmin was visiting different places of pilgrimages to satisfy the Supreme Lord Krishna. He worshipped Lord Krishna by chanting the Gopala-mantra consisting of six syllables, and he did not eat anything other than the remanent of food offered to Lord Gopala. After visiting many pilgrimage sites the fortunate brahmin at last came to the house of Lord Chaitanya. As a person of incomparable purity, he was enveloped in a great spiritual effulgence. He carried Lord Gopala and Salagrama Sila around his neck as his most wonderful decorations. With half-closed eyes the brahmin constantly chanted Krishna, Krishna and deep in his heart he tasted the nectar of love of God. Seeing this shining personality, Jagannatha Misra stood up out of respect and then offered his obeisances. The most respectable Sri Jagannatha Misra did everything to properly look after his esteemed guest. He personally washed the guests feet and offered him a fine elevated seat. Once the brahmin was seated comfortably, Sri Jagannatha Misra enquired, "Where is your place of residence?" The brahmin replied, "I am disinterested in worldly affairs so I travel throughout different countries; it is only because of my restless mind that I roam". Sri Jagannatha Misra said respectfully, "It is the good fortune of the world that you travel everywhere. "I especially feel most fortunate today, so please permit me to cook for you." The brahmin replied, "Dear Misra, do as you please." Happily Sri Misra made extraordinary and wonderful arrangements.

Sri Misra had the kitchen thoroughly cleaned and then arranged for all the ingredients for cooking to be brought. The brahmin himself cooked to his full satisfaction and sat down to offer all the foodstuff to Lord Krishna. Sri Sacinandana Chaitanya is the supersoul within everyone's heart; He decided to show Himself to the brahmin. The brahmin had just begun his meditation when the Supreme Lord, Sri Gaurasundara, appeared in his presence. He stood there naked, His entire form covered with dust. He was the color of the sun with beautiful hands and feet. Smiling, He took a handful of food from the brahmin's offering and ate it while the brahmin looked on. Although favored by good fortune, the brahmin called out, "Alas! alas! This restless boy has stolen the food meant for offering." When Sri Jagannatha Misra came he saw that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Gaurasundara was happily smiling and eating rice. Intending to beat the Lord, an angry Misra chased after Him, but the brahmin stood up fearfully and caught hold of Misra's hand. The brahmin said, "My dear Misra, you are a respectable and knowledgeable person, but what knowledge does this little boy have? What will beating him accomplish? It is one thing to beat a person who can reason right from wrong, but I forbid you to beat this boy."

Feeling miserable, Sri Misra sat down holding his head. He did not speak a word nor did he lift his head. "Do not feel sad, dear Misra," said the brahmin. "The Supreme Lord certainly knows everything that happens at all times. "Please bring whatever fruits or vegetables you have in the house. I shall simply eat that today." Sri Misra said, "If you kindly consider me your servant, then let me arrange for you to cook again. "I shall only be satisfied when you cook once again. I have all the necessary ingredients for cooking in the house." The other friends and relatives in the house also implored him to cook again. "Since you all desire it," agreed the brahmin, "I shall cook every preparation again." Everyone was satisfied that he had agreed and they cleaned the cooking place for him. They quickly gathered the cooking ingredients and the brahmin began to cook. Some people warned the brahmin that the restless child might spoil the offering again. "Take the child to another house and keep Him there until the brahmin has completed his cooking and eating," they told Sacimata. Mother Saci carried her child to a neighbor's house. The young ladies all teased "Hey Nimai! Is this the way you should act, stealing the brahmin's food?" With a smile on his exquisite moon-like face Lord Chaitanya replied, "What is my fault? The brahmin called Me." But they objected. "Oh Nimai, will you do more mischief now that you have lost your caste? Who knows this brahmin, where he comes from, or who his family is ? How can you maintain your caste after having eaten food cooked by him?"

Smiling, Lord Chaitanya replied, "I belong to the cow tenders caste! I accept food prepared by a brahmin all the time. How does a cow tender loose his caste by eating a brahmin's food?" Saying this the Lord looked at everyone with a smile.

The Supreme Lord, Sri Chaitanya, used this trick to explain to them the truth about Himself, but His illusory potency is so perfect that no one could understand Him. As they carried Him around, the various residents of the neighboring houses enjoyed the child's arguments. The Lord went joyfully from arms to arms, and whoever held him floated in an ocean of bliss. In the meantime, the brahmin cooked once again and sat down to make offering to Lord Balagopala. While offering, the brahmin thought of Lord Balagopala, but Lord GauraChandra, the supersoul, knew everything. Lord Chaitanya charmed everyone and then left their presence completely unnoticed. Smiling all the while, He went to the spot where the brahmin was offering his food. Stealthily Lord Chaitanya put a handful of rice into His mouth and left. The brahmin, caught by surprise, looked on in disbelief. The brahmin raised a loud alarm," Alas! Alas!" The child ate his rice and sprinted off. Sri Misra angrily grabbed a stick and chased after young Nimai. Lord Nimai fled in dread and hid Himself in a room, but Sri Misra came after him, roaring in fury. Sri Misra said, "You shall see today! Act in this mischievous manner will you? Although I am cultured and knowledgeable you think I am a great fool." Sri Misra continued, "In whose house can you find as big a thief as this?" With rising indignation he chased after Nimai. The people in the house caught hold of Sri Misra to dissuade him, but the angry father insisted. "Leave me! Today I shall beat him." They tried to reason with him, "Dear Misra, you are known to be liberal. What superior intelligence will you display by beating Him? His sense of discrimination between good and bad is still undeveloped due to His tender age, and only a very foolish person would beat such a small child. By nature children are restless; it is not true that one can teach them by beating them.

The pilgrim hurriedly rushed to the scene and caught hold of Sri Misra's hand. "Respected Sir, please hear me. The young boy is not at fault; whatever is destined to occur on a certain day must happen. With a little endeavor you can cook a nice offering for Lord Krishna. This will dispel all the miseries of my family today, and I will feel maximum pleasure and happiness. The brahmin said, "I already cooked twice, yet Lord Krishna did not allow me to eat. "So I can understand I am destined not to eat today. This is Lord Krishna's desire, so why should I make such an endeavor? "One may have unlimited food stuff in the house but he can eat only if Lord Krishna allows. "One may endlessly try for something, but if Lord Krishna does not desire it, he will be unsuccessful. "It is now past one-thirty in the night, going on two o'clock. Is it appropriate to start cooking this late? "Therefore please do not make any arrangements for cooking. I will simply eat some fruits and vegetables." Sri Visvarupa replied, "There is nothing wrong with the time. Everyone will be pleased if you cook." Sri Visvarupa then caught hold of the brahmin's feet and everyone in the house entreated him to cook again. The brahmin was charmed by Sri Visvarupa, and he agreed to cook. Everyone uttered Sri Hari's name in joy and cleaned the place for cooking. They cleaned quickly and meanwhile the necessary ingredients for cooking were brought. The respected brahmin then proceeded to cook, and everyone kept the child at a secure distance. Sri Misra posted himself at the doorway of Nimai's room. "Tie the doors to the room from the outside so that He cannot escape," suggested someone. "Good, good," agreed Sri Misra. "That is a good plan. Tie the doors from the outside and we will remain out here." The ladies inside Nimai's room said, "Don't worry, Nimai is fast asleep, there is nothing more He can do." The child was kept away in this manner and in a short while the brahmin finished cooking. That pious brahmin then prepared an offering plate filled with the things he cooked he sat down to offer everything to Lord Krishna through his meditation. Nimai, the son of Mother Saci, knew everything because he is the supersoul with everyone's heart. He desired to appear before the brahmin and reveal Himself. By the Supreme Lord's will, Nimai enchanted everyone and they slept effortlessly. Sri Sacinandana appeared in the place where the brahmin was offering his rice to the Lord. When the brahmin saw the young boy Nimai he raised an alarm, but no one heard him because they were all in deep sleep. Nimai, the Supreme Lord said, "O brahmin, you are known to be a magnanimous soul. You called for Me so I came. Why should I be blamed for it? "You chanted mantras to invoke Me; you beckoned Me. So I came to you. How could I resist? You incessantly meditate on Me, so I decided to appear before you. At that moment the brahmin saw a wonderful sight. The Supreme Lord stood before him in His eight-handed form holding in four of His hands the four symbols - conch shell, disc, mace and lotus. With two other hands He held butter and ate it and with the last two hands he played the flute. He saw the Lord's entire form decorated with gem-studded ornaments; His breast was marked with Laksmi devi's sign of srivatsa, and the priceless Kaustubha jewel hung brilliantly with other precious gems in a necklace. His head was decorated with fresh forest flowers that circled His peacock feather. His rubicund lips, like the rising sun, set off His softly glowing moon-like face. His pink lotus petal pair of eyes smiled sweetly as His knee-length Vaijayanti flower garland and His exquisite shark-shaped earrings swayed delicately. His feet were like blossoming lotus flowers, decorated with gently tinkling gem-studded ankle-bells. The lustre from His delicate pearl-like nails dissipated the darkness. ,, The brahmin saw the place transformed immediately into Vrndavana Dham. The wonderful kadamba trees became clamorous with the chirping of birds. Cowherd boys and girls roamed about on their own and everything was exactly as he had seen it in his meditation.

Overcome with ecstasy at seeing such extraordinary display of opulence, the pious brahmin fell unconscious. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Gaurasundara, Who is an ocean of mercy, placed His transcendental hand on the brahmin's body. He regained consciousness by the Lord's touch, but the brahmin was still speechless and inert with overwhelming joy. Again and again he fell swooning to the ground. Sometimes getting up and sometimes falling, he moved by great upsurges of spiritual emotion. Overcome by shivering, perspiration and horripilation, he was unable to remain still. Tears flowed as freely as Mother Ganga. ,, The brahmin caught hold of the Lord's lotus feet and cried loudly for some time. Acknowledging the brahmin's eagerness, the Supreme Lord Sri Gaurasundara spoke a few words with His enchanting smile. The Supreme Lord said, "O learned brahmin, please listen. In many past lives you were my servitor. "You have always meditated on Me, therefore I came to show Myself to you. "In My previous incarnation I appeared to you in the house of Maharaja Nanda in this self-same form, but you have forgotten. "In My previous incarnation (as Krishna) I appeared in Gokula Dham, and in that lifetime you were making pilgrimages to holy sites with sincere spiritual fervor. By divine arrangement you came as a guest to Nanda Maharaja's house and offered Me your foodstuff. In that encounter we also exchanged affections just as we are now. I ate your offering then as I have done tonight. ,

"You are My servant birth after birth, therefore I have appeared before you. No one other than My servants can see Me as I am. "I am entrusting these confidential topics to you; do not reveal them to anybody. As long as My present incarnation remains on this earth, if you reveal My identity, I shall destroy you.

"I made my appearance where the congregational chanting of Lord Krishna's holy name has already begun, and I will initiate the propagation of that chanting throughout the world. "I will freely distribute to every house the process of loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord which is so fervently desired even by Lord Brahma and other elevated personalities. "Remain with us for sometime to come and you will see many things. But you are strictly forbidden to describe them to anyone. The Supreme Lord Gaurasundara went back to His room after He showered His mercy on the brahmin by giving him all assurance. He lay down like a child in His previous sleeping posture. no one was aware of anything because of the deep slumber caused by the Lord's mystic potency. The pious brahmin was filled with great exhilaration after seeing the extraordinary pastimes of the Lord. He smeared that transcendental rice over his entire body and then ate it while crying incessantly in ecstasy. He danced, sang, laughed and made loud roaring sounds while continuously shouting, "All glories to Lord Balagopala!" The brahmin's loud roaring awakened the residents of the house, so he quickly restrained himself from further outbursts of spiritual emotions and cleaned his body. The brahmin ate without worry and everyone was immensely pleased by this. The brahmin considered telling everyone what he knew. "Let them know that the Supreme Lord is amongst them; that way they can all be liberated," he thought. "The Supreme Personality of Godhead - Who is desired by and offered prayers by Lord Siva and Lord Brahma - has now appeared in the family of a brahmin." But the brahmin remembered the Lord's instruction not to reveal anything to anybody. Afraid to disobey Him, he did not speak to anyone. The brahmin knew the Lord's real identity but others were unaware that the brahmin had this extraordinary knowledge.

Sri Chaitanya
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