Pastime of twenty one hour ecstasy, or Mahaprakasa-lila.

[krsna]

from Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat,

Madhya Lila, Chapter Nine

by Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur:

 

Lord Sri Gaura Chandra is the Controller of the Universe. He descended and appeared on earth as the beloved son of Sachi and Jagannatha Mishra. As a young man He accepted the garb of a sannyasi and travelled from place to place telling everyone He met to chant the Holy Name and to live a pious life. He has come into this world not for His own sake but for everyone's benefit.

 

All glory to the son of Jagannatha Misra and Mother Sachi, and all glory to His sankirtana movement

 

All glory to Lord Gauranga, the very Life of Lord Nityananda and Gadadhara Pandit. He is the most beloved by Advaita and Srivasa Pandit, Jagadananda Pandit and Haridas Thakur, Vakreswara Pandit and Pundarika Vidyamidhi, Vasudeva and Srigarbha.

 

Be merciful O Lord! Look upon every living entity graciously. May the Lord and all His associates be glorified for by hearing about the pastimes of Lord Gauranga someone immediately attains the supreme goal of Bhakti, or love of God.

 

Please listen intently to the narration in Madhya lila because they depict pastimes of Lord Gauranga. Now hear the descriptions of Lord Gauranga's "Mahaprakasa" lila or great revelation, for this fulfills the desire of all Vaishnavas.

 

The Lord manifested the glorious "Sat Praharia bhava" or the "pastime of the twenty one hour display of devotional emotions". In this pastime He wonderfully showed the devotees His Divine Form and revealed His different incarnations, freely giving away to the gathered devotees His gift of pure love of Godhead. And all the Vaishnavas honored the Lord in a grand bathing ceremony known as "Raja Rajeswar" which can be offered only for the most powerful King of the Universe.

 

One day Lord Gaurasundar came to Srinivas Pandit's house accompanied by Lord Nityananda, who was beside Himself with joy. Gradually all the Vaishnavas assembled there. Lord Gaurasundara was fully immersed in meditation within Himself. He looked about Him - as a kingly Personality surveys His surroundings with intensely powerful glances. The devotees could perceive the Lord's mood and immediately they started loud kirtana.

 

On other days the Lord would dance in the ecstasy of a devotee servant of the Supreme Lord, then, changing that mood for a moment, He would reveal His identity as Avatara of this age of Kali and the Omnipotent Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Then again, that mood would then also would quickly change and he would again revert back to the mood of a devotee. But today, to the good fortune of the assembled devotees, the Lord stood up as if to dance as usual, but instead sat on the throne of Lord Visnu in the temple of Srivas Pandit's house.

 

On previous occasions the Lord would sit on Lord Visnu's throne immersed in devotional ecstasy, as if unaware of His own conduct. No so today. Today He did not hide His real identity with the cloak of His internal energy but instead He sat on the throne continuously for twenty one hours. The devotees stood in front of Him with folded hands and hearts bubbling with joy. It was a wonderful sight the devotees were fully overjoyed. During the proceedings that occurred on that day, the devotees spontaneously expressed that they felt they were in Vaikuntha - the kingdom of God.

 

And so it was, the Lord Sri Gaurachandra sat amidst all the devotees, as the Lord of Vaikuntha appearing on Earth for the benefit of the souls in this world, and everyone present became totally free from the influence of the illusory material potency that covers souls in this world.

 

Lord Gauranga said, "Sing that bathing song". The devotees were very pleased and they began to sing. The Lord gently swayed His head sideways in time with the song and cast His merciful glances towards the devotees. The devotees now could serve the Lord's mood. They realized He had decided to fulfil their inner desire and allow them to perform the `abhisek' or bathing ceremony for the Deity.

 

The devotees brought water from the Ganga. First they strained the Ganges water through a cloth. Then they added musk, sandal pasted, saffron and camphor to the water, preparing everything with ecstatic love of the Lord.

 

They began the ceremony with jubilant shouts and were all chanting appropriate mantras.

 

Lord Nityananda was the first to pour water on the Lord's head. He constantly repeated the word "Jaya, jaya" as He bathed the Deity (Sri Gauranga) with great pleasure. Other devotees like Adviata Acarya and Srivasa Pandita bathed the Lord, chanting the famous "Purusa Sukta" prayers. The devotees of Lord Gauranga, all well versed in the scriptures and of chanting Vedic hymns, poured water onto the body of the Lord to the accompanyment of Vedic mantras.

 

Mukunda and others were sweetly singing the bathing ceremony song, while other devotees wept or danced with overwhelming happiness. The wives of Advaita and Srivas and other chaste ladies present there were uluating with joy. The entire assembly was immersed in an ocean of bliss. The Lord of Vaikuntha Lord Gauranga remained seated, and the devotees one by one poured water on His head, bathing the Lord.

 

Even the demigods came there, not wanting to miss the opportunity to worship the Lord Narayana who was now appearing on Earth in His most merciful incarnation as Kali-yuga-pavana Sri Gaurahari. The gods came there disguised as humans, so as not to be recognized.

 

Generally, whereever even a drop of water is offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, that also even in meditation, it is sufficient to ward off the punishment given out by the God of death. So what can be said about the good fortune of the people who were able to bathe the Lord directly and who were present there in Nabadwip in person for the maha-abhiseka ceremony of Sri Gauranga.

 

All the servants and maid servants in Srivasa Pandit's house were busily bringing water for the Lord. One of the maid servants, a pious woman named "Dukkhi" (whose name means "sad"), was one of the water carriers. The Lord saw her enthusiastically engaged in this service and told her, "Bring more, bring more." The lady became filled with joy and Lord was so impressed with her devotional service attitude that He changed her name at that moment to `Sukhi' or happy. He gave her the indication that He had taken away forever all of her distress.

 

Having bathed the Lord, accompanied with the chanting of the Vedic mantras, the devotees dried the Lord's body. They dressed Him in fresh new clothes and smeared His transcendental and exquisite body with fragrant sandal wood paste. They cleaned Lord Visnu's throne and arranged everything properly, then the Lord sat back down on the throne which was truly His. Sri Nityananda Prabhu held the umbrella over the Lord's head, while one of the more fortunate devotees began to whisk the Lord with the `camara' (cow tail whisk). While this was happening, the other devotees collected paraphernalia for offering puja or worship to the Lord. The the puja ceremony began and the assembled devotees began to fully worship Him.

 

The offering tray was packed with caranamrita, fruits, acamani, incence, fragrant oil, a lamp, new clothing, a brahmana's thread etc. As is customary they worshiped Him with sixteen ingredients. Applying sandal wood paste on Tulasi manjari flowers they offered it at His lotus feet. The Gopala mantra consisting of ten syllables was chanted while they offered worship, following strictly the rules of worship. While the puja ceremony was going on, all the devotees were offering their heart felt prayers to Sri Gauranga.

 

Senior associates of the Lord like Advaita Acarya Prabhu fell before the Lord's feet like sticks and offered full obeisances to Him. All the devotees were experiencing a moment of extreme spiritual love for the Supreme Lord. The tears cascading down their cheeks mingled and flowed like a river. They constantly chanted verses describing the glories of the Lord Gauranga, who is the origin of the Lord Vaikuthapati Narayana Himself, and the Lord heard everything with great satisfaction.

 

They prayed "All glory to the Lord of the Universe. Oh Lord, kindly direct Your merciful glance on this world now ablaze with the three fold suffering (birth, death, disease). All glory to the Original cause of everything, the Maintainer of everyone. You have advented in this Kali-yuga age to inaugurate the congregational chanting to the holy name, the yuga-dharma (religious ceremonial practice for the age). You establish the Sanatan Dharma of the Vedas and You are the Protector of the pious people, and You have reappeared on earth in order to protect the pious people. You are the Original Soul named Vishnu who pervades all the fourteen worlds.

 

All glory to Lord Gauranga for He is the redeemer of the most fallen souls. He is an ocean of transcendental qualities. He is the Supreme Shelter of the meek and poor. All glory to Lord Gauranga who is Vrajendra nandana Krishna Himself, and who expands to Lord Visnu and lies on the ocean of milk as Ksirodakasayi Vishnu. In his form of Ksirodakasayi Vishnu the Lord expands His presence and appears in the heart of every being as the Monitor and conscience of the living beings.

 

All glory to Lord Gauranga who is the Original and Absolute Truth, Who is the inconceivable, unpreceivable Truth (Brahma). He is always transcendentally situated. He is the compassionate Supreme Person. All glory to Sri Gauranga, who was born in a family of Brahmanas and Who is the crown jewel of the brahmana class of people, and Who came into this world with the mission of liberating the entire brahmana section within society. Sri Gauranga is the origin of the Vedic religion, and He is the life and soul of every living entity. All glory to Lord Gauranga who is Krishna Himself, Who saved Arjuna from an inglorious death and gave liberation to the demoness Putana. All glory to Lord Gauranga who never sees the faults of the living entities living in this world of Maya. He is the eternal Lord and husband of Lakshmi the Goddess of fortune." With such chosen words the devotees praised the Lord.

 

The Lord's servitors were floating in an ocean of bliss when they were seeing Lord Gauranga manifest this extraordinary mood. At other times the Lord acted as if He were a devotee of Krishna and the devotees were compelled to respond and reciprocate this mood, treating Him as if He were a devotee. But on this special day the Lord mercifully removed the veil of Yoga-maya (divine illusory spell) from everyone's heart, and instead He allowed the devotees to worship His lotus feet. Some devotees brought sweetly perfumed oil and smeared it on the Lord's lotus feet, other's worshiped Him with an offering of tender tulasi leaves. Again, more devotees came offering precious gems, gold and silver ornaments, and they all paid obeisances at His feet. Many valuable gifts were offered to the Lord. White, blue and bright yellow silken clothes were offered. A gift of precious metal containers were placed in offering at the lotus feet of the Lord. The jewels and gold that were offered and filled the jewel-boxes was amazing to see.

 

All the household servants in Srivas Pandita's house by dint of serving that pure Vaishnava Srivasa could now directly serve Lord Gaura Chandra's lotus feet. Even Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and Laksmidevi aspire for the opportunity to serve the Lord's holy feet.

 

They offered many items of worship to the Lord without fear or hesitation, for the Lord was merciful to them and He had removed the sense of reverence from the hearts of the devotees and supplanted that reverence with a mood of intimacy and affection. The devotees brought unhusked rice, tulasi, durba grass, musk, saffron, camphor and many kinds of fruits and fragrant blossoms, as well as sandalwood paste, and they placed these things at His lotus feet. Each devotee worshiped the Lord according to his or her heart's inclination, following different rules of worship.

 

Then Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Lord of Vaikuntha, exhibited another of His extra ordinary pastimes. He said to the devotees, "Get Me something, for I want to eat" - then He held out His hand. Whatever the devotees offered He ate it.

 

The different Vaishnavas brought different foods for Him to eat. Banana, mung dhal, yogurt, sweet condensed milk, butter, milk. They placed these foods into the Lord's hands and He ate everything. Some of the devotees hurried to the market and rushed back with choice delicacies. They offered the Lord coconuts, milk sweets in huge quantities, blackberries, green melons and sugar cane. Some even brought water from the Ganga. The Lord ate everything. Seeing the Lord happily eating everything they offered, they gave more helpings of other delicious foods again and again. Hundreds of devotees had now gathered, and they brought hundreds of containers of Ganges water to the Lord. The Lord, Who is the Greatest of the Mystics, drank all this water.

 

The Lord ate hundreds of barrels of yogurt, sweet condensed milk, fresh milk, together with hundreds of bunches of bananas. He ate huge amounts of `mung dhal' and heaps of milk sweet preparations, camphor and betel. Like Krishna in His pastime of Giriraj Goverdhan, where Krishna ate mountains of food, Lord Gauranga ate all the food brought by the devotees, eating fruits and nuts and everythings else instantly, to the amazement of the gathered devotees.

 

The Lord contentedly ate everything offered to Him and in turn He revealed to the devotees all the details of their devotees past life. When the devotees heard their individual stories they remembered their earlier days and fell to the ground in ecstasy.

 

The Lord addressed Srivasa Pandit, "Do you remember, you used to hear lectures on the Srimad Bhagavatam at Devananda Pandita's house. Every line of the Bhagavatam is saturated with the nectar of divine love of Godhead, and so your heart melted on hearing those recitations of Bhagavatam. You cried loudly and one day you fell unconscious onto the ground. The ignorant students there, not understanding that you were in a trace, and not knowledgeable in the matters of "Bhakti yoga", could not understand the reason for your extraordinary behavior.

 

You were engrossed within Yourself in the ecstasy of love of Krishna, oblivious of the external world, so you did not know that they had lifted you carried you out of their house. Devananda Pandita, their teacher, witnessed the entire happening without dissuading his students from carrying you outside. Since he himself was inexperienced in the science of Krishna consciousness, it is to be expected that his students will also be like him. On waking and finding yourself outside on the street you picked yourself up and returned home feeling sad.

 

Your sadness persisted and so you preferred to be alone. You desired to read the Bhagavatam again. Seeing your sorrowful state I descended from Vaikuntha into your heart and made you weep with the ecstatic emotions of your love for Me. You experienced happiness again reading the Bhagavatam and were showering the place where you were sitting with your tears".

 

When Srivasa Pandita heard this he was overcome with emotion and he fell to the ground crying and breathing fast and heavily. In this way the Lord spoke to Advaita Acarya Prabhu and different devotees and brought to them recollections of their earlier days. He submerged the devotees in an ocean of bliss while He sat on His throne chewing betel. The devotees danced and performed kirtan singing, "Jaya Sachinananda", or "all glory to the son of Mother Sachi".

 

Seeing that some of his devotees in Nabadwip district were absent from that gathering, the Lord called for them to be brought before Him. He put His hand out and would say to every devotee, "Give Me something to eat", and then He ate it all. The Lord said to one devotee, "Do you remember that night I came to you, while a doctor sat next to you on your bed. It was I who had cured your fever". On hearing this from the Lord the devotee fell down overwhelmed by uncontrolled spiritual emotions.

 

Seeing Gangadas the Lord said, "Can your remember that night you were escaping from the Muslim king fearing that he would capture you? Your whole family was with you and when you arrived at the ferry wharf there were no boats. You were in a great dilemma. The night was ending and dawn was coming, and still no boats were in sight. You began weeping in anxiety. You shuddered at the thought that the Muslims might molest the ladies in your family in your presence, and were considering that it might be better for all of you to drown yourselved in the Ganges. Your spirits lifted, seeing an approaching boat. Then you spoke to Me, the boatman with affection saying, "My dear brother, please take me across, I surrender my body, wealth, life, everything to you. I solely depend upon you. Here is a couple of rupees for your endeavor, take me and my family to safety.

 

Then I ferried you and your family across, and afterwards returned to My eternal Vaikuntha abode in the spiritual sky.

 

Gangadas was lifted up on waves of bliss and ecstasy when he heard this from the Lord. Such are the wonderful pastimes of Lord Gaurasundara. The Lord continued, "Do you recall that incident Gangadas. You were so worried. So worried. And I came to your rescue and brought you across". Gangadas, unable to contain himself further, fell to the ground rolling in ecstasy.

 

Lord Gauranga, the golden Lord of Vaikuntha, was sitting on His throne. His body was covered with sandalwood paste and was beautifully decorated with fragrant flower garlands. One of His dear servants was fanning Him. Another is arranging His hair. Some other devotee is preparing betel and offering it to Him, and many of them were dancing in ecstasy all around Him.

 

How the entire day passed and how the darkness of night time came along no-one noticed. Realizing that it was night, the devotees became busy lighting lamps which they offered in worship at the Lord's lotus feet. They began to perform kirtana playing kartal, gongo, conch shell, the mrdanga drum and different string instruments. The Lord remained sitting. He was in a benevolent mood but He remained silent in spite of the devotees excitement and activities.

 

Devotees offered different kinds of flowers at His lotus feet and they prostrated themselves before Him saying, `O Lord protect me'. Some devotees prayed to the Lord with great humility while others were singing loudly in praise of the Lord. The sound of jubilant shouts and cries was the only thing anyone could hear.

 

Everyone present experienced such an indescribable and wonderfully elated feeling that everyone joining in that assembly felt as if they had entered into the Vaikunthas. In this way the Lord exhibited a mood of Supreme opulence while all the devotees stood circling the Lord with folded hands in reverence.

 

Lord Gaurasundara behaved in a casual manner with His disciples were taking placing His lotus feet and placing His feet on their heads. In this manner He performed His transcendental pastimes at Nabadwip Dham, in the assembly of the many gods who had been born on earth as brahmanas and Vaishnavas. Lord Gaurasundara was in His most generous mood. He was ready to give boons and blessings to His devotees, and to spread the glories of Hari-Nama sankirtan throughout the world. The devotees remained surrounding Him with folded hands. The Lord showered His causeless mercy on everyone as He performed this pastime of twenty one hour ecstasy, or Mahaprakasa-lila.