Chaitanya's Life And Teachings

g with Rám

w and rapturously sang and danced long in honour of the god, saying, "Glory to Nrisingha! Glory to Nrisingha! Prahlad's Lord!

d the river and bathed there. Sitting at the water's edge away from the ghát, the Master chanted Krishna's name. Just then arrived Rámánanda Ráy in a litter, attended by Jiyad musicians and many Vaidik Brahmans, to bathe. He bathed and performed the rites duly. The Master at first sight knew him for Rámánanda Ráy, and longed to meet him, but sat checking His eagerness. Rámánanda Ráy came up to Him on seeing a sannyási, and wondered as he gazed on His person beaming like a hundred suns, His robe of the hue of the morning sun, H

ed me to see you. For that purpose have I come here. It is well that I have met you so easily." The Ray replied, "Sárvabhauma knows me for his servant, and is ever on the watch to do me good even indirectly. Through his grace have I met you, and to-day my life has become a success. That you have graciously touched this untouchable Shudra is the proof of your mercy and that of Sárvabhauma. Thou art the God Náráyan himself, and I a royal servant, a

nly for doing [spiritual] good to those householders who c

l of them are shouting Krishna! Hari! All are tremulous, all are weeping in joy. Verily you have e

pute it to another? I am only a sannyasi holding the theory of illusion (máyá-vád), but even I have been steeped in

ays to purge my hard heart of its sins." Rámánanda Ray bowed and went away, though loth to part, while the Master went to the Brahman's house to dine. Eagerly did the two look for their meeting in the evening. As the Master was sitting after his sunset bath, the Ráy arrived with a servant. He bowed to the Master, who embraced him. The two conversed in a retired spot. The Master bade him recite the verses indicating the means of gaming devotion (sádhya).

you do, be it eating, performing the hor

e Ray answered, "The highest means of devotion is abandoning one's caste-duties [

loss of such a course, worships me by renouncing the Vedic rites a

e Gitá, xvvi

up all religions. Grieve not; I

l higher means." The Ray answered, "Faith based on knowledge is the highe

nd feels not sorrow or desire, but is the s

independent of knowledge is the highest instrument of devoti

eject the quest of theological knowledge but stay at home, listening to Thy st

"The highest devotion is love) (prem-bhakti). Witness the following verse

hirst. Similarly, the devotee delights not in worshipping his

et it. Its only price is greed,-a price which we cannot acqui

e love of a servant is the highest devotion. Witnes

vants to gain, as the very listening

Ray replied, "Love as for a comrade is the highest form of devotio

), and to His servants as the Supreme Object of Adoration. That such a God played with

still." The Ray went on, "The highest devotion is love as

anda perform, and what did the blessed Yashoda do

er Saviour-son was never gained by Brahma, or Shiva, or e

still." The Ray replied, "Passion as for a lover is the highest

sped them round the neck with His arms, was not enjoyed even by Lakshmi, who is held to His heart, nor by

nment. By whichever of these means a man is inspired, it appears as the highest to him. It is only

ásya, the dásya in the sákhya, the sákhya in the bátsalya, and all of these four are concentrated in the mádhura, just as the properties of the four elements, viz., sky, air, &c. increase in an advancing order and

e same form in which we offer it. But He cannot reciprocate this prem adoration to the full, and

but even His charm increases when He is in the company o

placed amidst golden-coloured gems, so shines Krishn

nything beyond it!" The Ray said, "I did not know before that the earth contained any man who would inquire beyo

he beloved is not deep enough. If you can show that for Radha's sake Krishna openly forsook the other Gopis, then I shall know that he passionately loved her." The Ray replied, "Hear, then, of this glorious power of love. The three wo

t bound his heart to it. In her absence, the rása dance palled on his taste. So he left the circle of dancers to seek her out. As he roamed hither and thithe

, what mystery is rása, what is the essence of love (prem). Be kind and tell me these mysteries; none but you can expound them." The Ray answered, "I know nothing of these things, but only utter what you inspire me with, as

n to Krishna. But he replied that he knew not Krishna's lore, and referred me to you as a master of it. So I came to you, on hearing of your reputation, and yet you praise me because I am a sannyasi! Be he a Brahm

Master's pressing, and his will was shaken. So he said, "I am a dancer and you are the manager of the theatre; I dance as

is the source of the eternal Heaven, the eternal Incarnation, the eternal Universe. His body is composed of sat, chi

Love, the offering presented is the seed of Love. There He drew all hearts of men and women, of the ani

usband, [Vide the Bhágabat, X. lxxxix. 32]; He drew to H

and He wished to embrace Himself [Vide

are the chief, viz., the chit power, the illusion power (máyá), and the preservation power (jiba). These three I call the interna

st be of three kinds: in the ánanda portion it is hládini, in the sat portion it i

reated to give enjoyment to the faithful. The essence of hladini is named prem (love). The story of prem is filled with the emotions of ánanda and chit.

*

gh your grace I have learnt it of a verity. None can gain the A

of Radha with Krishna is extremely deep, and cannot be learnt from the dásya, bátsalya and other moods. The sakhis (female associates) alone are qualified for it; from them has this play (lilá) spread. This play cannot be kept up without sakhis; they alone relish this lilá in full. Sakhis

personations of the chief power, without whose help Radha and Krishna's pleasure-force and pleas

ance with Radha. Radha is verily the Wishing creeper (Kalpalatá) of the love of Krishna, and the sakhis are the leaves, flowers, and shoots of this creeper! If the necta

exts. Thereby they gain a pleasure ten million times sweeter than that of selfish enjoyment. The unselfish devotion of these towards each other strengthens the delicio

s, on the other hand, seeks Krishna's enjoyment, abandoning all idea of self. They ha

by following the path of passionate love (rág). He who adores Krishna in the spirit of any of the people of Braja [contemporaneous with Krishna], is born at Braja in his ne

ion by the gods of the persons of the Gopis, anghri padma sudhá means the delight of Krishna's society. At B

scholars centred in themselves, cannot gain the Su

serve it, and in the next birth we gain Radha-Krishna's feet by being born as sakhis. You cannot gain Krishna, however much you adore Him, if you only

, and at dawn parted, each to his own work. When taking leave, Rámánanda Ráy clasped the Master's feet and begged him, "You have come here out of pi

knowledge as regards the mystery of the love of Krishna and Radha. What of ten days? So long as I live, I cannot part with you. Let us two dwell together at Puri, passing our days happily in talk

atures?" "That ditty which speaks of the amorous sports of Krishna and Radha." "What is the best of right courses?" "There is no right course except the society of Krishna's devotees." "Whom does creation ceaselessly remember?" "The name, virtues, and exploits of Krishna are the chief things to be remembered." "What is the proper subject of meditation for mankind?" "The lotus-feet of Radha and Krishna are the chief object of meditation." "Where ought a man to live abandoning all else?" "Brindában, the land of Braja, where the rása play was performed." "What is the best thing fo

ng of Krishna, dancing, singing, and weeping.

mysteries of Krishna, Radha, love, rása, and lilá, are diverse. But you have made them all clear to my heart. It has been as if Náráyan taught the Vedas

to resolve it. When I first saw you, you looked like a

this form. Tell me truly the cause of it." The Master replied, "Deep is your love for Krishna. Know this to be the effect of love that when the true devotee gazes on any object, animate or inanimate, Krishna is

in every creature the God of his adoratio

. xxxv. 5, the speech

as it were within themselves the God who was manifesting Himself, and

e. Having taken on thyself the emotion and beauty of Radhiká, thou hast become incarnate in order to taste thy own delight. Thy secret object is the enjoyment of

him and soothed him thus, "Who else than you can behold this form? You know fully my essence and mysterious exploits (lilá); hence have I shown you this form. My body is not of a fair complexion, but this complexion is due to contact with Radha's body. She touches none except the Prince of the Cowherds. I make my own heart imagine her em

ndában, but could not come to the end of the subject. If a man discovers a mine with copper, bronze, silver, gold, gem, and the wishing stone deposi

rns and go to Puri, where I shall soon return after finishing my pilgrimage. T

to it, and set out. All classes of people at Vidya-pur, on meeting with the Master, quitted their own faiths and turned Vaish

ishna is like camphor thrown into this compound, which only the fortunate can taste. He who once drinks it in through his ears, can n

n realize it if you believe, but reasoning will only set it afar off. This precious thing is for them only whose sole riches are the feet of Shri

famous, richest and best sculptured shrine in Vizagapatam. An inscription shows that a queen of Gonka III. covered the