Srila Madhavendra Puri Tirobhava Mahotsava

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Sri Nityananda Prabhu's first meeting with Sri Madhavendra Puri

 

Srila Vrindavan das Thakur narrates this meeting in his 'Caitanya Bhagavat', 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 Adwaita 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 horripilation 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 breast, 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.

 

Iswara 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.