Madhavendra Puri (1)

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March 15th, 2003, Saturday (Dvadasi)

 

Disappearance day of Sri Madhavendra Puri

 

 

Sri Nityananda Prabhu's first meeting with Sri Madhavendra Puri

Srila Vrindavan das Thakur narrates this meeting in his Caitanya Bhagavata,

Adi lila, chapter nine, as follows:

 

During the period of his journey when Lord Nityananda traveled in

the western provinces, He met Sri Madhavendra Puri by divine arrangement.

Sri Madhavendra Puri is the embodiment of ecstatic transcendental love for

Lord Krsna and all his swan-like disciples are full of that spiritual love.

His only means of subsistence is the nectar that flows out of Krsna's loving

exchanges. Lord Krsna personally resides in the form of such unalloyed

devotees as Sri Madhavendra Puri.

 

Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu is foremost amongst Sri Madhavendra

Puri's disciples, so how can I begin to describe his intense love for Krsna

provided as I am with inadequate words? On meeting Sri Madhavendra Puri,

Lord Nityananda became paralyzed and lost consciousness, overpowered by

ecstatic transcendental love, and Madhavendra Puri also went into an

ecstatic trance, loosing all external senses upon seeing Lord Nityananda.

 

Lord Caitanya often remarked that Sri Madhavendra Puri was the main

trunk of the tree of nectarine devotional mellows. Iswara Puri and other

disciples of Madhavendra Puri witnessed the unique meeting. Tears flowed

freely from their eyes as they saw the two forms lying in devotional trance.

When consciousness returned and they became aware of each other's presence,

Madhavendra Puri and Nityananda embraced while crying with tears of joy.

 

They rolled in the sand and roared loudly, unabashed in expressing

their sublime emotions, totally absorbed in the ecstasy of love of Godhead.

Their profuse, unrestrained fears purified the earth. Mother Earth felt she

was receiving her greatest benediction.Within their bodies different

ecstatic symptoms of shivering, weeping and weakness appeared in endless

waves; such devotional emotions confirmed that Sri Caitanya resided within

each of them.

 

Lord Nityananda spoke first saying, "Today, in one instance, I have

received the utmost benefit of My pilgrimages. My eyes have rested on the

lotus feet on Sri Madhavendra Puri and seeing his transcendental love, My

life has become blessed and meaningful."

 

Sri Madhavendra Puri sat speechless holding Lord Nityananda to his

chest, his voice choked with tears of ecstatic emotions. Such was his

feeling of love for Nityananda that he never desired to release Him from his

embrace. Isvara Puri, Brahmananda Puri and all other disciples could

perceive what had just spiritual transpired, so their natural attraction and

attachment for the Lord increased.

 

In the past, both Madhavendra Puri and Nityananda had seen pilgrims,

and many amongst them in saintly garb, but now they realized that none of

those pilgrims had possessed the transcendental gift of love of God.

Remembering their brief association and conversations with such

non-devotional persons they were overcome with remorse. They had wandered

everywhere looking intently for Krsna and His pure loving devotees.

 

They found each other, pure transcendentalists and they felt the

burden of their despondency lift in each other's association. In each other

they witnessed the manifestation of love of God. Blissful days passed,

filled with confidential Krsna conscious discussion, which created in both

the Lord and Madhavendra Puri and insatiable thirst for continued

association.