Seeing the lunar eclipse and laughing, Advaita Ācārya and Haridāsa Ṭhākura immediately went to the bank of the Ganges and bathed in the river in great jubilation. Taking advantage of the occasion of the lunar eclipse, Advaita Ācārya, by His mental strength, distributed various types of charity to the brāhmaṇas. (100) When he saw that the whole world was jubilant, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, his mind astonished, directly and indirectly expressed himself to Advaita Ācārya: “Your dancing and distributing charity are very pleasing to me. I can understand that there is some special purpose in these actions.” (101)
Ācāryaratna [Candraśekhara] and Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura were overwhelmed with joy, and immediately they went to the bank of the Ganges to bathe in her waters. Their minds full of happiness, they chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and gave charity by mental strength. (102) In this way all the devotees, wherever they were situated, in every city and every country, danced, performed saṅkīrtana and gave charity by mental strength on the plea of the lunar eclipse, their minds overwhelmed with joy. (103) All sorts of respectable brāhmaṇa gentlemen and ladies, carrying plates filled with various gifts, came with their presentations. Seeing the newborn child, whose form resembled natural glaring gold, all of them happily offered their blessings. (104)
Dressing themselves as the wives of brāhmaṇas, all the celestial ladies, including the wives of Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, King Indra and Vasiṣṭha Ṛṣi, along with Rambhā, a dancing girl of heaven, came there with varieties of gifts. (105) In outer space all the demigods, including the inhabitants of Gandharvaloka, Siddhaloka and Cāraṇaloka, offered their prayers and danced to the accompaniment of music, songs and the beating of drums. Similarly, in Navadvīpa city all the professional dancers, musicians and blessers gathered together, dancing in great jubilation. (106) No one could understand who was coming and who was going, who was dancing and who was singing. Nor could they understand one another’s language. Yet all unhappiness and lamentation were immediately dissipated, and people became all- jubilant. Thus Jagannātha Miśra was also overwhelmed with joy. (107)
Candraśekhara Ācārya and Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura both came to Jagannātha Miśra and drew his attention in various ways. They performed the ritualistic ceremonies prescribed at the time of birth according to religious principles. Jagannātha Miśra also gave varieties of charity. (108) Whatever riches Jagannātha Miśra collected in the form of gifts and presentations, and whatever he had in his house, he distributed among the brāhmaṇas, professional singers, dancers, bhāṭas and the poor. He honored them all by giving them riches in charity. (109) The wife of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, whose name was Mālinī, accompanied by the wife of Candraśekhara [Ācāryaratna] and other ladies, came there in great happiness to worship the baby with paraphernalia such as vermilion, turmeric, oil, fused rice, bananas and coconuts. (110)
One day shortly after Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born, Advaita Ācārya’s wife, Sītādevī, who is worshipable by the whole world, took her husband’s permission and went to see that topmost child with all kinds of gifts and presentations. (111) She brought different kinds of golden ornaments, including armlets, necklaces, anklets and bangles for the hands. (112) There were also tiger nails set in gold, waist decorations of silk and lace, ornaments for the hands and legs, nicely printed silken saris, and a child’s garment, also made of silk. Many other riches, including gold and silver coins, were also presented to the child. (113)
Riding in a palanquin covered with cloth and accompanied by maidservants, Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī came to the house of Jagannātha Miśra, bringing with her many auspicious articles such as fresh grass, paddy, gorocana, turmeric, kuṅkuma and sandalwood. All these presentations filled a large basket. (114) When Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī came to the house of Śacīdevī, bringing with her many kinds of eatables, dresses and other gifts, she was astonished to see the newborn child, for she appreciated that except for a difference in color, the child was directly Kṛṣṇa of Gokula Himself. (115) Seeing the transcendental bodily effulgence of the child, each of His nicely constructed limbs full of auspicious signs and resembling a form of gold, Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī was very pleased, and because of her maternal affection, she felt as if her heart were melting. (116)
She blessed the newborn child by placing fresh grass and paddy on His head and saying, “May You be blessed with a long duration of life.” But being afraid of ghosts and witches, she gave the child the name Nimāi. (117) On the day the mother and son bathed and left the maternity home, Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī gave them all kinds of ornaments and garments and then also honored Jagannātha Miśra. Then Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī, being honored by mother Śacīdevī and Jagannātha Miśra, was greatly happy within her mind, and thus she returned home. (118) In this way mother Śacīdevī and Jagannātha Miśra, having obtained a son who was the husband of the goddess of fortune, had all their desires fulfilled. Their house was always filled with riches and grains. As they saw the beloved body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, day after day their pleasure increased. (119)
Jagannātha Miśra was an ideal Vaiṣṇava. He was peaceful, restrained in sense gratification, pure and controlled. Therefore he had no desire to enjoy material opulence. Whatever money came because of the influence of his transcendental son, he gave it in charity to the brāhmaṇas for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu. (120) After calculating the birth moment of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nīlāmbara Cakravartī privately said to Jagannātha Miśra that he saw all the different symptoms of a great personality in both the body and birth moment of the child. Thus he understood that in the future this child would deliver all the three worlds. (121) In this way Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, out of His causeless mercy, made His advent in the house of Śacīdevī. Lord Caitanya is very merciful to anyone who hears this narration of His birth, and thus such a person attains the lotus feet of the Lord. (122)
Anyone who attains a human body but does not take to the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is baffled in his opportunity. Amṛtadhunī is a flowing river of the nectar of devotional service. If after getting a human body one drinks the water in a poison pit of material happiness instead of the water of such a river, it would be better for him not to have lived, but to have died long ago. (123) Taking on my head as my own property the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Ācārya Advaitacandra, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, have thus described the advent of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.(124)







