Chaitanya Charitamrta | Antya Lila | Chapter 10 | Section 192

Rāghava Paṇḍita delivered the bags of eatables to Govinda, who kept them in a corner of the dining room. (55)

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Rāghava Paṇḍita delivered the bags of eatables to Govinda, who kept them in a corner of the dining room. (55) Govinda thoroughly emptied the bags from the previous year and kept them in another room to fill them with other goods. (56) The next day, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went with His personal devotees to see Lord Jagannātha when Lord Jagannātha arose early in the morning. (57) After seeing Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began His all- encompassing saṅkīrtana. He formed seven groups, which then began to chant. (58) In each of the seven groups was a principal dancer, such as Advaita Ācārya or Lord Nityānanda. (59) The dancers in the other groups were Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, Acyutānanda, Paṇḍita Śrīvāsa, Satyarāja Khān and Narahari dāsa. (60)

As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu walked from one group to another inspecting them, the men in each group thought, “The Lord is within our group.” (61) The congregational chanting made a tumultuous roar that filled the sky. All the inhabitants of Jagannātha Purī came to see the kīrtana. (62) Accompanied by his personal staff, the King also came there and watched from a distance, and all the queens watched from the elevated parts of the palace. (63) Due to the forceful vibration of kīrtana, the entire world began trembling. When everyone chanted the holy name, they made a tumultuous sound. (64) In this way the Lord had congregational chanting performed for some time, and then He Himself desired to dance. (65) The seven groups began chanting and beating their drums in seven directions, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began dancing in the center in great ecstatic love. (66) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remembered a line in the Orissan language and ordered Svarūpa Dāmodara to sing it. (67) “Let my head fall at the feet of Jagannātha in the kīrtana hall known as Jagamohana.” (68)

Simply because of this line, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dancing in greatly ecstatic love. People all around Him floated in the water of His tears. (69) Raising His two arms, the Lord said, “Chant! Chant!” Floating in transcendental bliss, the people responded by chanting the holy name of Hari. (70) The Lord fell to the ground unconscious, not even breathing. Then suddenly He stood up, making a loud sound. (71) The hairs on His body constantly stood up like the thorns on a śimula tree. Sometimes His body was swollen and sometimes lean and thin. (72) He bled and perspired from every pore of His body. His voice faltered. Unable to say the line properly, He uttered only “jaja gaga pari mumu.” (73) All His teeth shook, as if each was separate from the others. Indeed, they seemed about to fall to the ground. (74) His transcendental bliss increased at every moment. Therefore even by midafternoon the dancing had not ended. (75)

The ocean of transcendental bliss overflowed, and everyone present forgot his body, mind and home. (76) Then Lord Nityānanda found a way to end the kīrtana. He gradually stopped all the chanters. (77) Thus only one group continued chanting with Svarūpa Dāmodara, and they chanted very softly. (78) When there was no longer a tumultuous sound, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to external consciousness. Then Nityānanda Prabhu informed Him of the fatigue of the chanters and dancers. (79) Understanding the fatigue of the devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stopped the congregational chanting. Then He bathed in the sea, accompanied by them all. (80) Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took prasādam with all of them and then asked them to return to their dwellings and take rest. (81) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu lay down at the door of the Gambhīrā, and Govinda came there to massage His legs. (82)

It was a steady, long- standing rule that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would lie down to rest after lunch and Govinda would come to massage His legs. Then Govinda would honor the remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (83-84) This time when the Lord lay down, He occupied the entire doorway. Govinda could not enter the room, and therefore he made the following request. (85) Govinda said, “Kindly turn on one side. Let me pass to enter the room.” However, the Lord replied, “I don’t have the strength to move My body.” (86) Govinda made his request again and again, but the Lord replied, “I cannot move My body.” (87) Govinda repeatedly requested, “I want to massage Your legs.” But the Lord said, “Do it or don’t do it. It depends upon your mind.” (88)

Then Govinda spread the Lord’s wrapper over His body and in this way entered the room by crossing over the Lord. (89) Govinda massaged the Lord’s legs as usual. He pressed the Lord’s waist and back very softly, and thus all the Lord’s fatigue went away. (90) As Govinda stroked His body, the Lord slept very nicely for about forty- five minutes, and then His sleep broke. (91) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Govinda sitting by His side, He was somewhat angry. “Why have you been sitting here for so long today?” the Lord asked. (92) “Why didn’t you go to take your meal after I fell asleep?” the Lord asked. Govinda replied, “You were lying down, blocking the door, and there was no way to go.” (93) The Lord asked, “How did you enter the room? Why didn’t you go out to take your lunch in the same way?” (94) Govinda mentally replied, “My duty is to serve, even if I have to commit offenses or go to hell. (95)

“I would not mind committing hundreds and thousands of offenses for the service of the Lord, but I greatly fear committing even a glimpse of an offense for my own self.” (96) Thinking in this way, Govinda kept silent. He did not reply to the Lord’s inquiry. (97) It was Govinda’s practice to go take lunch when the Lord was asleep. On that day, however, seeing the Lord’s weariness, Govinda continued massaging His body. (98) There was no way to go. How could he leave? When he thought of crossing over the Lord’s body, he considered it a great offense. (99) These are some of the finer points of etiquette in devotional service. Only one who has received the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu can understand these principles. (100)

The Lord is very interested in manifesting the exalted qualities of His devotees, and that is why He engineered this incident. (101) Thus I have briefly described Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s dancing in the hall of the Jagannātha temple. The servants of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sing about this dancing even now. (102) Accompanied by His personal associates, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed and swept the Guṇḍicā temple, cleansing it as usual. (103) The Lord danced and chanted and then enjoyed a picnic in the garden as He had done before. (104) As previously, He danced in front of the Jagannātha car and observed the festival of Herā- pañcamī. (105) All the devotees from Bengal stayed in Jagannātha Purī for the four months of the rainy season and observed many other ceremonies, such as the anniversary of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s birth. (106)

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