Chaitanya's Life And Teachings

image to

became the holiest of holy places. Under the pretext of a pilgrimage He delivered the people of that coun

scholars, some ritualists, some extreme sceptics, Lo! the marvellous effect of the sight of the Master! all such men gave up their own creeds and turned Vaishnav. Even among the Vaishnavs [of the South] some were worshippers of Vishnu in

rneyed on, rec

O Ram Raghav

ive

! Krishna Keshav

ve

r. After passing the day in his house as his guest, the Master proceeded on. At Skanda-kshetra He visited Kártik, and at Tri-matha the god Tri-vikrama, whence He returned to that Brahman's house at Siddha-bat, but found him chanting Krishna's name! After dinner the Master asked him, "Why, Brahman! has this change come over you? Formerly you used to cry 'Ram, Ram' and now you chant Krishna's name!" The Brahman replied, "This is the e

se self is composed of sat, chit, and anand

'Krishna', meaning the Supreme God, has been derived from the ver

qual, but I next found texts making a discrim

t! reciting the word Ram thrice earns as much

mánda Pur

is as efficacious as reciting God's thousan

he god of my vows (ishtadev), and took the latter incessantly. When at your visit the word Krishna rose [to my lips], my heart recognized its glory. A

came to Him, boastfully bringing their pupils with them. A very learned Buddhist professor held forth on the nine doctrines of his church before the Master. Though the Buddhists are unfit to be talked to or even to be looked at, yet the Master argued with him to lower his pride. The very Buddhist philosophy of nine tenets, though rich in logical reasoning, was torn to pieces by the Master's argumentation. The Buddhist professor raised all his nine questions, but only to be refuted by the Master's vigorous logic. The great philosophers were all vanquished; the audience tittered; the Buddhist felt shame and alarm. Knowing that the Master was a Vaishnav, the Buddhists retired and hatched a wicked plan: They placed before the Master a plate of unclean rice, describing it as Vishnu's

g, danced and sang in fervour. His stay of two days bowed the hearts of men to Krishna. Thence by way of Tirunal He went to Tri-kál-hasti, and bowed to the image of Mahadev there. And so on to the Paksha-tirtha, the Shiva, the Vriddhakál-tirtha (the shrine of the White Boar), Pitambar [probably Chidambaram] (the shrine of Shiva), the Shiyáli Bhairabi Devi, the bank of the Kaveri, Gosamáj (Shaiva holy place) and Bedáwan, (where He adored the Amrita-linga Shiva). Everywhere the wor

na." At his house the Master stayed for four months, passing the time happily in talking about Krishna with the Bhatta. Daily He bathed in the Kaveri, visited Shri Ranga, and danced in ecstasy. All men flocked to gaze on His beauty and rapture of devotion, and at the sight they forgot sorrow and misery. From all quarters flocked hun

d's eye] the dark beauty of Krishna as he sits as driver in Arjun's chariot giving moral lessons. I can never bring myself to give up reading the Gitá, because I ever behold HIM so long as I read the book." To him the Master spoke thus, "Thou alone art truly worthy to read the Gitá, as thou knowest the essence of its meaning." So saying He embraced the Brahman, who, however, clasped His feet and prayed, "The sight of you gives me double the joy. Verily I think you are that Krishna." He could recognize the true nature of the Master, as the love of Krishna had purged his mind [of its grossness]. But the Master cautioned him not to tell it to any one else. The

of Thy feet, Lakshmi, though a [weak] woman, abstaine

e?" "My mind fails to explain the reason, as I am a petty creature with a weak understanding, while God's acts are infinite like the deep ocean. You are Krishna's self and know your own; exploits. Their inner meaning is known only to those on whom you have bestowed such knowledge." The Master said, "Such is the natural characteristic of Krishna that by His sweetness He wins all hearts. The men of Brindában knew Him not as God, because He came to them as one of themselves. One tied Him to the wooden pestle [udukhal], fancying Him to be her son. Some mounted on His back, taking Him to be a play-fellow. The people of Brindában knew Him as the son of Braja's chief, and not as the Godhead. He who adores Kris

at I. iii 28). Krishna surpassed Náráyan in power. Hence did Lakshmi ever long for Krishna. The verse you have read proves that Krishna is God incarnate. (Vide Bhakti-rasámrita-sindhu, pt. I. ii. 32). Krishna stole the heart of Lakshmi but Náráyan could not (conversely) win the love of the Gopis. What to speak of Náráyan? Even Krishna him self, when He assumed the form of the four-armed Náráyan to amuse the Gopis, failed to win their love in that shape! (Vide Lalita-Madhav, vi. 13)." Thus did the Master humble his pride, but t

been blessed by Lakshmi-Náráyan, as His grace has enabled me to see thy feet. Thou hast graciously spoken to me of the glory of Krishna, whose beauty, qualities and powers are beyond human calcul

the South. The Bhatta wanted to leave his home and follow Him, but with great effort the Master tur

e Master left him and went to the city of Kámakoshti, and thence to the Southern Mathura [Madura], where He was invited by a Brahman, noble-minded, detached from the world, and a worshipper of Ram. After bathing in the Kritamala, the Master went to his house; but as the Brahman never cooked, he could place no food before the guest. The Master asked, "Hark you, Sir, it is noon and yet you are not cooking? Why is it?" The Brahman replied, "Master, I live in the forest, where at present nothing can be had for cooking. But Lakshman will bring some wild herbs, fruits, and roots, and then will Sita cook them." The Master was pleased with the Brahman's devotion. The host now hurriedly began cooking and the Master was fed in the third quarter of the day. But the Brahman himself fasted, at which the Master asked, "Why do you fast? What grieves you? Why mourn you?" The Brahman replied, "I ha

isode of chaste women was reached. The narrative declared that Ravan stole only a false phantom of Sita. At the sight of Ravan the true Sita sought refuge with Fire, who lodged her with Parvati, while he deluded Ravan by giving up to him a false image of Sita. After Ram had slain Ravan, and Sita submitted to the ordeal of fire, the false Sita vani

ing me in the disguise of a sannyasi, and raising me from deep sorrow. Do consent to dine at my house to-day, beca

the night under his roof, the Master went to the Támraparni in the Pandya land, where

á-garhi (shrine of Ram), Chámtápur (Ram Lakshman), Shri Vaikuntha (Vishnu), the Malay Mountain (Agastya), Kanyá Kumári [Cape Comorin], Amlitalá (Ram),

the morning Krishna-das went away to the Bhattamari. Soon the Master came in quest of him and addressed the Bhattamari tribe thus, "Wh

bathed and visited the temple of Adi Keshav, where He bowed, prayed, danced and sang for a long while in rapture, to the amazement of the beholders. All the people treated Him very respectfully and He joined the assembly of the very devout there. Here He got a manuscript of the book Brahma-samhitádhyáya to His boundless

ingeri, the seat of Sankaracharya, to Matsya-tirtha (Fish shrine), to the river Tungabhadrá, and to [Upidi], the seat of Madhwáchárya, the spokesman of spiritual truth. Here He gazed devotedly on the Udupa-Krishna. The image of Krishna in the fo

a discourse with them. The high priest of the tattwavádis was an expert in all the holy books. The Master, assuming the tone of a humble inquirer, put questions to him: "I do not clearly comprehend sádhya (end) and sádhan (means). Do please enlighten me on the subject." The high priest replied, "To the worshipper of Krishna the highest sádhan is to resign

devotion to) work and teach us to abstain from the fruit of our works. Therefore from work cannot spring love and devotion to Krishna. Vide Bhágabat, XI. xi. 32; also Gitá, xviii. 66;

ings as the end and means! Ah! you are only befooling me as I am a [mere] s

e one. All Shastras declare this to be the Vaishnav dogma. Yet our order holds the views laid down by Madhwacharya." The Master rejoined, "The votary of work and

á), Panchápsára, Gokarna (where Shiva is worshipped), Dwaipáyani, Supárak, Kolhápur (where He beheld Lakshmi and Kshir

wept, trembled and was thrilled and covered all over with sweat. Shri Ranga Puri wondered at the sight and cried out, "Rise, blessed one. Surely you are connected with my guru, or you could not have displayed such fervour of devotion". So, he raised and embraced the Master,

ns, how one of her sons had turned monk in youth with the title of Shankaráranya and had attained to death in that very place (viz., Pandupur). The Master broke in, "In his earthly life Shankar was my brother. Jagannáth Mishra was my father." So they had a friendly assembly, and then Shri Ranga Puri set out to visit Dwáráka. The Master was detained for some four days by His Brahman host. He bathed in the Bhimarathi and visited the shrine of Vithal. Then He walked by the bank of the Krish

bathed in the Nirbindhya, and then passed on to the Rishyamukha mountain and the Dandaka forest, where He beheld a saptatál tree, very old stout and high. As the Master embraced the saptatál, the tre

and Trimbak He passed on to Brahma-giri, to Kushávarta (the source of the Godavari), the se

re unstrung by rapture. After recovering composure they talked of many things together. The Master gave a narrative of His pilgrimage, and showed him the Karnamrita and the Brahma Samhi

horses and soldiers surrounds me. Let me first dispose of them, and then after ten days I shall follow you." The Master consented and returned to the Niláchal by the route He had previously followed, the people every where chanting Hari's name as they saw Him. He rejoiced at it. From Alalnath he sent Krishna-das in advance to call Nityánanda and others of His own folk. At the news, Nityánanda went to meet the Master, his devotion knowing no bounds. Jagadananda, Damodar, Gopinatli Acharya and Mukunda Pandit went along dancing, unable to contain their delight. They all met the Master on the way, and He lovingly embraced them, all weeping in delight. Sárvabhauma

him go and dine; and He passed the night also in Sárvabhauma's house to please him, narrating the story of His pilgrimage all night to His followers and host, and saying, "In all the holy places I have vis

gend of the abduction of Helen given by Stesic

ES VISITED BY CHA

dmits (at the beginning of canto ix) that he has not been able to name the holy places, of the South in the order in which they were visited by the Master. We should also note that this pilgrimage was performed between April 1510 and January 1512 and that the great and widespread revival of temple buildi

it forms a group known as the Nava (nine) Narasimha, represent ing nine different forms of Vishnu. The original temple is supported by 64 pillars, each of which is beautifully carved into

e famous Padmanava t

the Tobala taluq, n. of Nagarcoil, wi

. The reference is to the Brahma mountain, in the ridge joining which to the Trimbak mountain the Kikvi, a large

nur in Travancore

near Nagarcoil, [acc

falls of the Chittar (a river which joins the Tamraparni 15 m. n. J e. of Tinnevelly) at thi

us of the S. I. Railway, 12 m. so

the sea-coast seven miles

m, 2 m. s. of Nagarcoil. Here Indra was cleansed of his

pposite Rajmahendri, was the hermitage of the

ous for its temple of Mahabaleshwar and a very popular place of

own, namely, the temples of Ambábái or Mahálakshmi, Vithoba, Temblai, Mahá

east of Tanjore town. It contains 12 principal Shaiva and 4 Vais

called Kritimá-nadi (the Krita-mala of our text). Its

this name in the Travancore Stat

ra district contains a famous temple to Subrahmanya on the top of a hill (Shivagiri) created by Agastya. But there is no temple to Agastya here. (Madura Gaz. 304-306). (iii) R.M. Ghose is inclined to identify it with Pothi

land.-M

the temple of Mallikarjun Shiva, the chief deity worshipped here, and considered as one of the jyotir-lingas. (Kurno

orth north-west of Pacleru (in the Padwa taluq of the Vizaga-patam district). A barrier of rocks runs right across the river there, and the stream plunges into a great hole and vanishes ben

. Around it are 9 temples to Vishnu (Tirupati), the idols

feet above sea-level, on which stands a Shiva temple. The name of the hill is Vedagiri or Vedachalam, and the idol is called Veda-girishwar. Every day two birds of the kite species c

us capital Vijaynagar) was originally known as Pampa-tirtha. This name (also Pampá-saras) is now b

to the north. [R. M. G.] When visitors offer a draught to Narasimha-swami, the im

on the road to Trivandrum. [R. M. G.] But the tem

residency. Nasik and Trimbak (at the source of th

miles due west of Sholapur; famous for its

this name 29 miles west of Palamkota, (in the Tinnevelly district). Here near a pagoda the

tar in the Travanco

agoda, covering 39 acres in the centre of the town, and sourrounded on all four side

malai, 12 miles north

zam's side of the narrowest of the gorges in t

i-tirtham or the lingam in the shore t

st of Madras. The Shiva temple is dedicated to Ekambara-swami. South-east of it stands V

ore. The great Brihatishwar temple of this town se

va temple with a large tank, a shrine dedicated to the Tamil saint Tiru-jnan Sambandhar, and some other separate shrines, and evident

rkala railway station, 26

7 miles s. of Hariharpur. Its full name is Rishya-shringa-giri. It is the head-quarters of the Jagat-gu

the Kolerun and the Kaveri, north of Trichinopoly. (Trich

described above under Mallikarjun. But that place cannot be meant in this context,

f Alwar Tirunagari. [R. M. G.], on the left bank

name is derived from Siddha-vatam or the hermit's banyan tree. Eight miles south of it is Ontimetta ('the solitary hill

of Bombay. It was the capital of the Konkan from very

innevelly, 2 m. e. of Aramvali pass

n the left bank of wh

Tenkashi, 30 m. n.

the chief of them being dedicated to Govinda-raja-swami (the brother of Venkateshwar) and Ramswami. Upper Tirupati, usually called Tirumala (from Tirumal

ight bank of the Suvarnamukhi river, 22 miles n. e. of Tirupati. Fam

rishna is said to have been founded by Madhavacharya himself, who set up in it an image of Krishna originally made by Arjun. There

tturaippundi taluq of the Tanjore district and five miles north of Point Calimere. Ort

Penance" and 3/4 m. s. of Valipitham, at Mahavalipuram or Seven Pagodas

S. Arcot district. Sometimes called Vriddha-kashi. (S. Arcot Manual, 438-440). It c