The Appearance of Srinivasa Acharya

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One night Sanatana saw in a dream that Sri Gaura Candra was talking to him

while holding his shoulder, "Srinivasa, a brahmin boy, will manifest my love in

Gauda. He will come here after the end of my sports. Look after him in

Vrndavana. There will be no problem in seeing me whether I shall be on this

earth or not. If you have enough grace of Caitanya, you can see me in

everyone."

Bhatta said, "Prabhu will send an illustrious devotee, shall I be able to see

him with my own eyes?" Rupa said, "I am giving labor being empowered by Prabhu

and my labor will be fully successful if that gifted devotee comes in my life

time. I want to hand over these books to him with my own hands. I shall make

him a great scholar by myself."

 

They all became very happy to think that in future all types of people will be

delivered from damnation. Since then it became the daily custom of Gopala

Bhatta to wear the dora on his neck at the time of his meditation. One day he

declared before all that he had seen in his dream Srinivasa in his mother's

womb in the house of Acarya Caitanya dasa. He will propagate the Radha Krsna

nama as soon as he will take his birth and deliver all classes of mankind.

Sanatana and others also saw the same dream. Now they became anxious as to the

actual meaning of the dream and began to think about Mahaprabhu. They began to

wait for Srinivasa eagerly. Svarupa Damodara in Nilacala used to spend his days

in a perturbed mind as he had been visualising so many bad omens in his dreams.

 

One day Svarupa Damodar requested Lord Caitanya privately to tell him something

about the qualities of Srinivasa. After hearing everything about Srinivasa

Svarupa became very satisfied and wrote a letter to Sanatana. Acarya Caitanya

dasa in his own house is performing seven rituals on the bank of the Ganges. In

his dream he knows that his son would be of a bright (Gaura) golden complexion

and and his name would be Srinivasa who would manifest his divine love for

Prabhu. Prabhu put his hand on the head of Lakshmipriya (the wife of Caitanya

dasa) in her dream and told her to be happy as she was going to have a

wonderful son. The touch of Prabhu had made her sink in ecstasy and when she

came to her senses she began to cry and her body became full of divine

symptoms. Lakshmipriya told her husband Caitanya dasa, "Be careful, a superman

has come inside me. Due to his coming, there will be no poverty in our family.

Do not go elsewhere and leave me to do harinama sankirtana all the time."

Acarya said, "How can I sleep for I have no money to manage my family?"

Lakshmipriya said, "We have enormous wealth now, all our poverty is over.

Formerly we suffered alot due to the tyranny of the Muslim king. Now he has

gone. Our zamindar had evacuated this village during that time. Now he has come

back to our village. Formerly people used to utter the manes of Durga and Siva,

now they utter Radha Krsna." There was a wicked brahmin who said something

wrong to the zamindar which made the zamindar announce that people should utter

Siva and Durga otherwise all their properties would be taken away. A drummer

man was arranged by Durga dasa to announce on his dhola the name of Durga Siva,

but the drum spontaneously started to say Radha Krsna and continued to say the

same thing over and over again which made all the young boys and girls to dance

uttering Radha Krsna. All the people became mad in Radha Krsna nama. The

drummer also became ecstatic in love for Radha Krsna. All the dancers went to

the house of Caitanya dasa who became very nervous on seeing the zamindar. He

quickly welcomed him and offered him a seat. He could not think as to what to

do for the zamindar. He politely requested Durga dasa to take his bath and

after that Caitanya dasa offered him various items of food. Durga dasa became

astonished to see such varieties of food arranged by a poor man like Caitanya

dasa. After completing his eating Durga dasa went to sleep in the house of

Caitanya dasa. All night he could hear the sound of khola and kartalas. He woke

from his sleep but could not hear it anymore as he fell unconscious to the

ground. Lakshmipriya told her husband, "See carefully, two bright complexioned

boys are dancing in the sankirtana. Both of them put their feet on my head and

ordered me to remain carefully for ten months. After that they will again dance

in my courtyard." Durga dasa sitting on his bed heard and saw everything. Being

ecstatic in love, he began to cry loudly and fell to the ground. Caitanya dasa

tried to pacify him by taking him in his lap. After being pacified, Durga dasa

told Caitanya dasa, "I do not know what I have heard. When I got back my senses

I could see nothing." Caitanya dasa said, "The two have shown their characters

in dreams." Durga dasa said, "Why are you trying to fool me? Please explain to

me for my pleasure." Caitanya dasa said, "Raya, you are a good soul, why are

you becoming so restless?" Durga dasa said, "It is not a dream. I have seen

them with my own eyes. O Providence has deprieved me from seeing them. O

Acarya, I know that my own God has entered into my body. I know it is the

saying of the scriptures that he who discards his own God, will go to hell."

 

Caitanya Acarya said, "Raya, you are a genius." Durga dasa said, "I have heard

from hearsay that God has incarnated Himself as Gaura in Navadvipa and that is

the God which has entered into my heart. That God has taken the place of my own

worshipped deity and is the God who has danced in your courtyard. I have seen

two bright complexioned deities in my dream. Now please tell me what am I to

do?" Caitanya Acarya said, "You are my king and I am your subject." Durga dasa

said,"I have told you everything. Now I am very much eager to take Radha Krsna

name." After that he went to his house and decided to search for the right

guru. When he could understand who would be his guru, he told Caitanya Acarya,

"It is unbelievable that he has so much power even living in his mother's womb.

I bow to that powerful superman, Srinivasa, who even living in his mother's

womb has flooded the universe in Radha Krsna nama. Even Mahaprabhu could not be

so successful in making people inclined towards Krsna nama in Navadvipa which

Srinivasa from his mother's womb has done in Cakandi. Even the heretics have

taken Krsna nama. Prabhu is so favorable to Srinivasa. I have not seen such an

incarnation in any period. Now, O people, worship the two brothers, Caitanya

and Nitai, only because there is none so merciful like them."

 

Here Lakshmipriya and Caitanya dasa Acarya had been spending their days in

extreme happiness. All the villagers used to give the necessary things to run

the family of Acarya and in this way all his poverty was gone. Gradually the

auspicious moment of giving birth to a child came near and on the day of the

full moon of the month of Vaisakha (April/May) Lakshmipriya gave birth to a

male child. Acarya entered the room and saw the moonlike face of his son with a

delighted heart. The brahmin began to recite from the Vedas. The deities

blessed him from the sky and the women made auspicious sounds with their

tongues. Children and aged began to dance together in joy. The cows with their

calves began to make jovial sounds. The villagers brought gifts for the child.

Durga dasa Raya with many musical instruments came in a procession to the house

of Caitanya dasa. All of them began to dance merrily in the courtyard of the

house. Acarya distributed gifts to the brahmins. No sound except Radha Krsna

nama could be heard there. At the end of the day Raya returned to his house

happily. For the well being of his son Caitanya dasa donated gifts to all.

 

Glory to Sri Caitanya Acarya.

Glory to Lakshmipriya, the soft heart.

Glory to the devoted listeners.

 

On hearing the birth of a son to Caitanya dasa, people forgetting their

miseries, agonies and anxieties took to their heels to see the boy. Even the

lame and blind ran to the house of Caitanya Acarya singing the glory of Radha

Krsna. Caitanya Acarya kept on observing the moonlike face of his son with

tears in his eyes. How fortunate a mother Lakshmipriya was to have borne such a

child in her womb. Even the singers and dancers in Heaven sank into the depth

of happiness. The chroniclers began to sing sweetly the episodes of Radha Krsna

lila with musical instruments such as the Mrdanga, Khola, kartala etc. The

blind and the deaf began to lament for nor being able to see or hear the joyful

sounds of Harinama. Millions of people came in a crowd to the house of Caitanya

dasa whose happiness knew no bounds. This is the history of the birth of

Srinivasa which can give love to those who will listen to it with a devoted

heart.

 

>From Prem Vilasa by Nityananda dasa

 

Srila Srinivasa Acharya Thakura Avirbhava Mahotsava Ki Jai !

 

(This is only a small drop of the limitless ocean of the supremely

transcendental pastimes of Srila Srinivas Acharya Thakura. Let us pray for his

causeless mercy on this very auspicious day.)