Lord Caitanya's Appearance by Srila Kavi Karnapura

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Most beautiful description of Lord Caitanya's Appearance

 

>From Sri Caitanya-carita by Srila Kavi Karnapura

 

Chapter Two

1 Splendid with many glittering jewels, and more fortunate and

glorious than all the planets of heaven, the earth goddess placed the city

of Navadvipa in her realm and set many great jewels within it.

2 Is this a host of glories that she had accumulated in one place, or

is this the famous city of Navadvipa that the earth goddess, the trees that

are the hairs of her body standing erect in ecstasy, has placed within her

realm?

3 In her heart thinking, "When will the Lord come?" The earth goddess

blossomed with expectation. Overcome by a host of desires, she followed the

path walked by the devotees' lotus feet.

4 The earth is again home to sacred Mathura, which is now disguised as

Navadvipa. Who can describe all the pious deeds the earth goddess must have

performed that now the nectar touch of the Supreme Lord's feet fills her

heart with bliss?

5-6 Flowing from the Supreme Lord's lotus feet, the beautiful, sacred,

and sweeter-than-nectar Ganges river flowed past the demigod Siva's matter

locks, locks decorated with a crescent moon and a chaplet of skulls, and

eagerly entered the realm of Navadvipa.

7 Even though it was famous as the river of the heavenly worlds, the

Ganges flowed upon the earth. Even though is was liquid by nature, it dried

up the entire ocean of repeated birth and death. Even though it flowed from

the dark form of Lord Krsna, it was clear and fair. Even though it flowed

with winding currents, it destroyed the winding illusions of material life.

8 Eager to attain the fragrance of the Supreme Lord's lotus feet, the

beautiful Ganges flowed through the land of Navadvipa.

9 In Navadvipa lived many saintly and devoted brahmanas who regularly

performed the duties prescribed in the Vedas, and who were like the

personified rules of Sruti and Smrti.

10 In Navadvipa lived many saintly and powerful physicians and many

saintly vaisyas devoted to their prescribed duties. Everyone who lived

there was filled with peerless glory and splendour.

11 Impelled by divine love, saintly Advaita Prabhu, the most glorious

of the devotees, decorated the land of Navadvipa. Everyone was able to gaze

upon Him.

12 Very generous, learned in all the Vedas and Agamas, the best of the

devotees, and the moon of the brahmanas, saintly Srivasa stayed always in

Navadvipa.

13 Intelligent, born in an exalted family, learned, and travelled to

the father shore of many different branches of learning, glorious Jagannatha

Misra was like a crown decorating the brahmanas of Navadvipa.

14 Virtuous, pure-hearted, exalted, intelligent, and learned in the

Vedas, Nilambara Cakravati gave his daughter in marriage to Jagannatha

Misra.

15 That daughter, who was named Saci, was very virtuous and exalted.

Even the dear wife of the demigod Indra was not as glorious, pure, and

exalted as she.

16 Standing by saintly Purandara Misra's side, Saci shone like a

crescent moon or like the other Saci by the side of King Indra.

Note: Purandara Misra is another name of Jagannatha Misra.

17 This saintly couple stayed at home and performed the duties of

household life. In time they had eight daughters, who all died, one after

the other.

18 Very unhappy, this saintly couple took shelter of the Supreme Lord's

merciful lotus feet and begged for a child.

19 Then the fortunate couple gave birth to a very handsome son named

Visvarupa. The mother became very happy, and the father also showed great

pleasure in his smiling face. Their seeming poverty mocked the greatest

wealth.

20 Visvarupa was very handsome. He was splendid like the moon. Very

quickly He crossed to the father shore of the ocean of all branches of

learning.

21 He was very intelligent. When He was only a young boy He became

learned in all the Vedas and Agamas. Goddess Sarasvati became His

submissive maidservant. She always danced on the tip of His tongue.

22 After a little time beautiful-eyed Saci become especially beautiful.

She became like the eastern horizon just before the rising of the moon.

23 Saintly, fortunate, glorious Saci held in the beautiful nectar ocean

of her womb a handsome and glorious moon that was about to rise there.

24 After thirteen months passed in this way the very auspicious month

of Phalguna, which is the place of happiness for all the worlds, came at

last.

25 Thinking, "The Lord will now come", Springtime, the king of all

seasons, came early. He was very eager to see the Lord.

26 Wishing to accompany her hero, the goddess of the beauty of spring

placed her foot in the forest, a foot decorated with anklets of wandering

buzzing bees, a foot resting upon the vines and new buds.

27 Thinking, "the Lord will appear," the goddess of spring carefully

arranged her garments and ornaments. When her husband approached, she

sweetly smiled. She yearned to see Him.

28 The beauty of spring gently smiled and that smile maddened the

cuckoos and made them coo very sweetly and playfully. That smile made the

flowers bloom and filled them with sweetness and honey.

29 The beauty of spring tied in braids the sweetness of the tamala

forest that was her hair, and made the black bees and blossoming vines that

were here eyebrows dance with joy.

30 Her beautiful eyes wide open, she made a crown of new flowers.

Garlanded with lavanga flowers, she built a cottage of lotus stems.

31 She happily decorated her kesara-bud breasts with asoka flowers,

kunkuma, sweet flower-pollen and sandal paste.

32 Then the ten directions became clear and pure, the sky became clear

and pure, very pure breezes blew, everyone's heart became clear and pure,

and the rivers' waters also became clear and pure.

33 Then, pleasing everyone in the world, happily embracing the

full-moon day, and again and again kissing the face of the eastern horizon,

the full moon shone with great splendour.

34 It was springtime, the best of seasons. It was the bright

fortnight. It was the full-moon day, the best of days. Everything was

virtuous and auspicious.

35 Wildly happy with the appearance of spring, the cuckoos sand the

word "Glory!" The bees gracefully danced. A breeze blew from the south.

36 Bearing the scents of many bunches of flowers and many drops of warm

water mixed with lotus pollen, and embracing each vine one by one, a gentle

breeze blew from the Malaya Hills.

37 When the time came for the appearance of supremely auspicious Lord

Caitanya, the world became peaceful and pure. With His transcendental power

the Lord defeated the darkness of this world.

38 When Lord Caitanya appeared all directions were filled with

splendour. It was as if many moons and many lightning flashes had suddenly

fallen on the earth.

39 When Lord Caitanya appeared there was an eclipse of the moon and

everyone loudly chanted "Haribol!" Had it not been for the eclipse there

would not have been this chanting of the Lord's holy names.

40 Thinking, "Why do we need you? There already is another moon

shining on the earth." Rahu happily swallowed the nectar moon in the sky.

41 Filled with the desire to enjoy pastimes of eternal love, the

Supreme Lord wished to appear in that chanting of His holy names. Look! He

has flooded the universe with the nectar of His holy names.

42 Gazing at the playful sprout of their newborn son's glory, the

mother and father became plunged in an ocean of joy.

43 Enabled by many past pious deeds, Jagannatha Misra gazed at his son

and became filled with bliss. Then he gave honestly attained wealth in

charity to many exalted brahmanas.

44 Simply by the Lord's appearance all the planets became exalted and

favourable. The astrological sign was Leo and the principal star was

Purva-phalguni.

45 Then the entire universe became very beautiful. It became like a

great treasury filled with jewels. In this world nothing can be beautiful

without the touch of the Supreme Lord.

46 The full moon and the springtime became doubly beautiful. The

became the servants of the moonlike face of the Supreme Lord, the Lord who

fulfils the most rare and unattainable of desires.

47 The beauty of unsleeping red lotus flowers again and again served

the Lord's eyes. The restless black bees worshipped His eyebrows. The

splendour of newly blossoming flowers worshipped His ears.

48 With great beauty a new sesame flower served the Lord's nose. A

round mirror served the charming circle of the Lord's cheeks.

49 The new bandhuka flowers, the hosts of new buds, and the red coral

all worship the Lord's soft lips, which charm all the worlds.

50 The bright and beautiful autumn moonlight serves the Lord's

world-enchanting smile. Eager to become glorious like the Lord's teeth, the

pearls' splendour also worships the Lord's smile.

51 The splendour of the peerless golden conchshell takes shelter of the

Lord's neck, which is graceful with three folds of skin. The splendour of

new and glistening molten gold serves the Lord's graceful arms.

52 The beauty of many blossoming red lotus flowers with splendid and

soft petals shines in the Lord's soft and graceful hands. The buds of the

campaka flowers have taken shelter of the Lord's graceful fingers.

53 The splendour of a host of great jewels worshipped His nails. The

glory of golden Mount Meru worshipped His broad chest.

54 The graceful and heroic slenderness of the lion's waist worshipped

His waist. The graceful flower bud worshipped His navel.

55 The splendour of the golden banana trees worshipped His gently

tapering thighs. The beauty of the red lotus flowers worshipped the soft

soles of His feet.

56 Saci and Jagannatha Misra were very pleased to see these auspicious

qualities of the Lord, and Nilambara Cakravati was also very pleased in his

heart.

57 All the pure-hearted people became very happy. "This child will

deliver many in both His father's and mother's family. He will bring them

great joy," they said.

58 Then joyful, noble-hearted Jagannatha Misra performed the birth

ceremony for his child. Again and again he worshipped the brahmanas with

gifts of flowers, betel nuts, fragrances and sandal paste.

59 In time Jagannatha Misra, who was honoured by the entire world,

happily performed his son's standing-up ceremony.