Nimai meets an astrologer

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Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Adi-khanda, Chapter 8.151-178:

 

 

Nimai Pandita used to wander about Navadvipa teasing the various shopkeepers

and demanding their goods for free, and He would similarly visit various

devotees’ homes unnanounced. One example is as follows:

 

“In this way, in as many homes as there were in Navadvipa, the Lord would

wander about them all. Even today, in their good fortune, the townspeople

obtain the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya-Nityananda.

 

Then, simply out of His own desire, Lord Gauracandra Bhagavan went to the home

of an all-knowing astrologer. Seeing the Lord’s powerful effulgence, that

astrologer humbly offered his respectful obeisances. The Lord said, ‘I’ve

heard that you’re quite an astrologer. Would you tell Me who I was in my

other births?’

 

‘Very well,’ the astrologer said, his mind full of piety. Chanting his

Gopala mantra, he immediately saw [the form of Lord Visnu]. [He saw] the

bluish Lord Narayana with His great effulgence, holding conch, disc, club and

lotus in His four hands, the mark of srivatsa and kaustubha on His chest. [He

next saw]the Lord in the prison [of Kamsa], and His mother and father offering

prayers before Him in the middle of the night. At that time, he saw the Lord’s

father [Vasudeva] taking away his son at his bosom, and bringing Him to Gokula

that same night. Then again, he saw the Lord in His charming two-armed form,

dressed only in the directions [i.e., naked], with a belt of tiny bells around

His waist, and butter in His two hands. That all-knowing astrologer saw his

own worshipable Deity, just as he would always meditate upon Him deep within,

along with all His transcendental characteristics. Then he saw the threefold

bending form of Muralivadana, surrounded by a bevy of gopis singing and playing

musical instruments on four sides.

 

Seeing this wonder, the astrologer rubbed his eyes and looked at Gauranga. Then

again he meditated. The astrologer prayed, ‘O Bala-gopala! Listen, please,

show me who this brahmana is.’ Then he saw the Lord holding a bow, with the

complexion of green durva grass, heroically sitting on His royal throne. Next

he saw the Lord in the middle of the ocean of cosmic annihilation--His wondrous

boar form--with the earth balanced on His tusk. Again, he saw Mahaprabhu as

Nrisimha-avatara, His greatly ferocious form who is yet unlimitedly kind to the

devotees. Then he saw the Lord taking the form of Vamana, cheating Bali at his

sacrifice through His maya. Then again, he saw the Lord in His Matsya form,

happilly sporting in the waters of the universal cataclysm. That pious

astrologer next saw the Lord’s intoxicated form as Haladhara [balarama] with

plowshare in hand. Then the all-knowing astrologer saw the form of Jagannatha,

with Balarama on His right and Subhadra seated beautifully in the middle.

 

In this manner, the astrologer saw the truth of the Lord, but because of the

Lord’s maya, he was completely unable to fathom any of it. Mulling over this,

the astrologer was completely perplexed and thought, ‘this brahmana must know

some great mantra [i.e., mahamantra-vit]. ‘Or he might be a some sort of

demigod, come to me in the guise of a brahmana in order to test me. Seeing the

superhuman power in the brahmana’s body, the astrologer wondered, ‘Could he

have even come just to spite me, the so-called “sarva-jna†astrologer?’

 

The Lord smiled and told the anxious astrologer, “Who am I? What did you see?

Why don’t you tell me everything you saw?’ The astrologer answered, ‘For

now, just go. I’ll tell you this afternoon, when I’m in a better frame of

mind after chanting my mantra.

 

‘Very well, very well,’ the Lord said, smiling, and He left..