The ocean of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa is very difficult to understand, even for such demigods as Lord Brahmā. By enacting His pastimes, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu submerged Himself in that ocean, and His heart was absorbed in that love. Thus He exhibited in various ways the exalted position of transcendental love for Kṛṣṇa. (1) All glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead! All glories to Lord Nityānanda, whose body is always filled with transcendental bliss! (2) All glories to Śrī Advaita Ācārya, who is very dear to Lord Caitanya! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura! (3) Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu forgot Himself throughout the entire day and night, being merged in an ocean of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. (4)
The Lord would maintain Himself in three states of consciousness: sometimes He merged totally in ecstatic emotion, sometimes He was in partial external consciousness, and sometimes He was in full external consciousness. (5) Actually, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always merged in ecstatic emotion, but just as a potter’s wheel turns without the potter’s touching it, the Lord’s bodily activities, like bathing, going to the temple to see Lord Jagannātha, and taking lunch, went on automatically. (6) One day, while Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was looking at Lord Jagannātha in the temple, Lord Jagannātha appeared to be personally Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja. (7) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu realized Lord Jagannātha to be Kṛṣṇa Himself, Lord Caitanya’s five senses immediately became absorbed in attraction for the five attributes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. (8)
Just as in a tug- of- war, the single mind of Lord Caitanya was attracted in five directions by the five transcendental attributes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus the Lord became unconscious. (9) Just then, the upala- bhoga ceremony of Lord Jagannātha concluded, and the devotees who had accompanied Lord Caitanya to the temple took Him back home. (10) That night, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was attended by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya. Keeping His hands around their necks, the Lord began to lament. (11) When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was very much agitated due to feeling great separation from Kṛṣṇa, She spoke a verse to Viśākhā explaining the cause of Her great anxiety and restlessness. (12) Reciting that verse, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu expressed His burning emotions. Then, with great lamentation, He explained the verse to Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāmānanda Rāya. (13)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “‘Though the hearts of the gopīs are like high- standing hills, they are inundated by the waves of the nectarean ocean of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty. His sweet voice enters their ears and gives them transcendental bliss, the touch of His body is cooler than millions and millions of moons together, and the nectar of His bodily fragrance overfloods the entire world. O My dear friend, that Kṛṣṇa, who is the son of Nanda Mahārāja and whose lips are exactly like nectar, is attracting My five senses by force.’ (14) “Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, the sound of His words and the vibration of His flute, His touch, His fragrance and the taste of His lips are full of an indescribable sweetness. When all these features attract My five senses at once, My senses all ride together on the single horse of My mind but want to go in five different directions. (15)
“O My dear friend, please hear the cause of My misery. My five senses are actually extravagant rogues. They know very well that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they still want to plunder Kṛṣṇa’s property. (16) “My mind is just like a single horse being ridden by the five senses of perception, headed by sight. Each of My senses wants to ride that horse, and thus they pull My mind in five directions simultaneously. In what direction will it go? If they all pull at one time, certainly the horse will lose its life. How can I tolerate this atrocity? (17) “My dear friend, if you say, ‘Just try to control Your senses,’ what shall I say? I cannot become angry at My senses. Is it their fault? Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, sound, touch, fragrance and taste are by nature extremely attractive. These five features are attracting My senses, and each wants to drag My mind in a different direction. In this way the life of My mind is in great danger, just like a horse ridden in five directions at once. Thus I am also in danger of dying. (18)
“The consciousness of each woman within the three worlds is certainly like a high hill, but the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s beauty is like an ocean. Even a drop of water from that ocean can flood the entire world and submerge all the high hills of consciousness. (19) “The sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s joking words plays indescribable havoc with the hearts of all women. His words bind a woman’s ear to the qualities of their sweetness. Thus there is a tug- of- war, and the life of the ear departs. (20) “Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body is so cool that it cannot be compared even to sandalwood pulp or to millions upon millions of moons. It expertly attracts the breasts of all women, which resemble high hills. Indeed, the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa attracts the minds of all women within the three worlds. (21) “The fragrance of Kṛṣṇa’s body is more maddening than the aroma of musk, and it surpasses the fragrance of the bluish lotus flower. It enters the nostrils of all the women of the world and, making a nest there, thus attracts them. (22)
“Kṛṣṇa’s lips are so sweet when combined with the camphor of His gentle smile that they attract the minds of all women, forcing them to give up all other attractions. If the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s smile is unobtainable, great mental difficulties and lamentation result. That sweetness is the only wealth of the gopīs of Vṛndāvana.” (23) After speaking in this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu caught hold of the necks of Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara. Then the Lord said, “My dear friends, please listen to Me. What shall I do? Where shall I go? Where can I go to get Kṛṣṇa? Please, both of you, tell Me how I can find Him.” (24) Thus absorbed in transcendental pain, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu lamented day after day in the company of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya. (25) To enhance the ecstatic mood of the Lord, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī would sing appropriate songs and Rāmānanda Rāya would recite suitable verses. In this way they were able to pacify Him. (26)
The Lord especially liked to hear Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura’s Kṛṣṇa- karṇāmṛta, the poetry of Vidyāpati, and Śrī Gīta- govinda, by Jayadeva Gosvāmī. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt great pleasure in His heart when His associates chanted verses and sang songs from these books. (27) One day, while going to the beach by the sea, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu suddenly saw a flower garden. (28) Lord Caitanya mistook that garden for Vṛndāvana and very quickly entered it. Absorbed in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa, He wandered throughout the garden, searching for Him. (29) After Kṛṣṇa disappeared with Rādhārāṇī during the rāsa dance, the gopīs wandered in the forest looking for Him. In the same way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wandered in that garden by the sea. (30) Absorbed in the ecstatic mood of the gopīs, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wandered here and there. He began to inquire after Kṛṣṇa by quoting verses to all the trees and creepers. (31)
“[The gopīs said:] ‘O cūta tree, priyāla tree, panasa, āsana and kovidāra! O jambu tree, O arka tree, O bel, bakula and mango! O kadamba tree, O nīpa tree and all other trees living on the bank of the Yamunā for the welfare of others, please let us know where Kṛṣṇa has gone. We have lost our minds and are almost dead. (32) “‘O all- auspicious tulasī plant, you are very dear to Govinda’s lotus feet, and He is very dear to you. Have you seen Kṛṣṇa walking here wearing a garland of your leaves, surrounded by a swarm of bumblebees? (33) “‘O plants of mālatī flowers, mallikā flowers, jātī and yūthikā flowers, have you seen Kṛṣṇa passing this way, touching you with His hand to give you pleasure?'” (34) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “‘O mango tree, O jackfruit tree, O piyāla, jambu and kovidāra trees, you are all inhabitants of a holy place. Therefore kindly act for the welfare of others. (35)
“‘Have you seen Kṛṣṇa coming this way? Kindly tell us which way He has gone and save our lives.'” (36) When the trees did not reply, the gopīs guessed, “‘Since all of these trees belong to the male class, all of them must be friends of Kṛṣṇa. (37) “‘Why should the trees tell us where Kṛṣṇa has gone? Let us rather inquire from the creepers; they are female and are therefore like friends to us. (38) “‘They will certainly tell us where Kṛṣṇa has gone, since they have seen Him personally.'” Guessing in this way, the gopīs inquired from the plants and creepers, headed by tulasī. (39) “‘O tulasī! O mālatī! O yūthī, mādhavī and mallikā! Kṛṣṇa is very dear to you; therefore He must have come near you. (40) “‘You are all just like dear friends to us. Kindly tell us which way Kṛṣṇa has gone and save our lives.'” (41) When they still received no reply, the gopīs thought, “‘These plants are all Kṛṣṇa’s maidservants, and out of fear they will not speak to us.'” (42)
The gopīs then came upon a group of she- deer. Smelling the aroma of Kṛṣṇa’s body and seeing the faces of the deer, the gopīs inquired from them to ascertain if Kṛṣṇa was nearby. (43) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “‘O wife of the deer, Lord Kṛṣṇa has been embracing His beloved, and thus the kuṅkuma powder on Her raised breasts has covered His garland of kunda flowers. The fragrance of this garland is flowing here. O my dear friend, have you seen Kṛṣṇa passing this way with His dearmost companion, increasing the pleasure of the eyes of all of you?’ (44) “‘O dear doe, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is always very pleased to give you pleasure. Kindly inform us whether He passed this way in the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. We think They must certainly have come this way. (45) “‘We are not outsiders. Being very dear friends of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, we can perceive the bodily fragrance of Kṛṣṇa from a distance. (46)
“‘Kṛṣṇa has been embracing Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and the kuṅkuma powder on Her breasts has mixed with the garland of kunda flowers decorating His body. The fragrance of the garland has scented the entire atmosphere. (47) “‘Lord Kṛṣṇa has left this place, and therefore the deer are feeling separation. They do not hear our words; therefore how can they reply?'” (48) The gopīs then came upon many trees so laden with fruits and flowers that their branches were bent down to the ground. (49) The gopīs thought that because all the trees must have seen Kṛṣṇa pass by they were offering respectful obeisances to Him. To be certain, the gopīs inquired from the trees. (50) Lord Caitanya continued, “‘O trees, kindly tell us whether Balarāma’s younger brother, Kṛṣṇa, welcomed your obeisances with loving glances as He passed this way, resting one hand on the shoulder of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, holding a lotus flower in the other, and being followed by a swarm of bumblebees maddened by the fragrance of tulasī flowers. (51)
“‘To stop the bumblebees from landing on the face of His beloved, He whisked them away with the lotus flower in His hand, and thus His mind was slightly diverted. (52) “‘Did He or did He not pay attention while you offered Him obeisances? Kindly give evidence supporting your words. (53) “‘Separation from Kṛṣṇa has made these servants very unhappy. Having lost consciousness, how can they answer us?'” (54) Saying this, the gopīs stepped onto the beach by the Yamunā River. There they saw Lord Kṛṣṇa beneath a kadamba tree. (55) Standing there with His flute to His lips, Kṛṣṇa, who enchants millions upon millions of Cupids, attracted the eyes and minds of all the world with His unlimited beauty. (56)
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