CC Madhya 14 (1975)

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (1975) - Madhya-līlā, Chapter 14: Performance of the Vṛndāvana Pastimes

Madhya-līlā 13 - Madhya-līlā 15

Below is the 1996 edition text, ready to be substituted with the 1975 one using the compile form.

Madhya 14 Summary

Madhya 14.1: Accompanied by His personal devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the festival known as Lakṣmī-vijayotsava. There He discussed the superexcellent love of the gopīs. Just by hearing about them, He became very pleased and danced in great ecstatic love for the Lord.

Madhya 14.2: All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Gauracandra! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Ācārya, who is so exalted!

Madhya 14.3: All glories to all the devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura! All glories to the readers who have taken Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as their life and soul.

Madhya 14.4: While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was resting in ecstatic love, Mahārāja Pratāparudra entered the garden.

Madhya 14.5: Following Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's instructions, the King had given up his royal dress. He now entered the garden in the dress of a Vaiṣṇava.

Madhya 14.6: Mahārāja Pratāparudra was so humble that with folded hands he first took permission from all the devotees. Then, with great courage, he fell down and touched the lotus feet of the Lord.

Madhya 14.7: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was lying on the ground with His eyes closed in ecstatic love and emotion, and the King very expertly began to massage His legs.

Madhya 14.8: The King began to recite verses about the rāsa-līlā from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. He recited the chapter beginning with the words "jayati te 'dhikam."

Madhya 14.9: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these verses, He was pleased beyond limits, and He said again and again,"Go on reciting, go on reciting."

Madhya 14.10: As soon as the King recited the verse beginning with the words "tava kathāmṛtam," the Lord immediately arose in ecstatic love and embraced him.

Madhya 14.11: Upon hearing the verses recited by the King, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "You have given Me invaluable gems, but I have nothing to give you in return. Therefore I am simply embracing you."

Madhya 14.12: After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to recite the same verse again and again. Both the King and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were trembling, and tears were flowing from their eyes.

Madhya 14.13: "My Lord, the nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those who are always aggrieved in this material world. These narrations are transmitted by exalted personalities, and they eradicate all sinful reactions. Whoever hears these narrations attains all good fortune. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Those who spread the message of Godhead are certainly the most munificent welfare workers."

Madhya 14.14: After hearing the recitation of this verse, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced the reciter, King Pratāparudra, and cried, "You are the most munificent! You are the most munificent!" At this point Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not even know who the King was.

Madhya 14.15: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy was aroused because of the King's previous service. Therefore without even asking who he was, the Lord immediately bestowed His mercy upon him.

Madhya 14.16: How powerful is the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Without even inquiring about the King, the Lord made everything successful.

Madhya 14.17: Finally Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Who are you? You have done so much for Me. All of a sudden you have come here and made Me drink the nectar of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa."

Madhya 14.18: The King replied, "My Lord, I am the most obedient servant of Your servants. It is my ambition that You will accept me as the servant of Your servants."

Madhya 14.19: At that time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu displayed some of His divine opulences to the King, and He forbade him to disclose this to anyone.

Madhya 14.20: Although within His heart Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew everything that was happening, externally He did not disclose it. Nor did He disclose that He knew He was talking with King Pratāparudra.

Madhya 14.21: Seeing the Lord's special mercy upon King Pratāparudra, the devotees praised the King's fortune, and their minds became open and blissful.

Madhya 14.22: Submissively offering prayers to the devotees with folded hands and offering obeisances to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the King went outside.

Madhya 14.23: After this, Vāṇīnātha Rāya brought all kinds of prasāda, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted lunch with the devotees.

Madhya 14.24: The King also sent a large quantity of prasāda through Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Rāmānanda Rāya and Vāṇīnātha Rāya.

Madhya 14.25: The prasāda sent by the King had been offered at the Balagaṇḍi festival and included uncooked milk products and fruits. It was all of the finest quality, and there was no end to the variety.

Madhya 14.26: There was curd, fruit juice, coconut, mango, dried coconut, jackfruit, various kinds of bananas and palm fruit seeds.

Madhya 14.27: There were also oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, almonds, dried fruit, raisins and dates.

Madhya 14.28: There were hundreds of different types of sweetmeats like manoharā-lāḍu, sweets like amṛta-guṭikā and various types of condensed milk.

Madhya 14.29: There were also papayas and saravatī, a type of orange, and also crushed squash. There was also regular cream, fried cream and a type of purī made with cream.

Madhya 14.30: There were also sweets like hari-vallabha and sweets made of seṅoti flowers, karpūra flowers and mālatī flowers. There were pomegranates, sweets made with black pepper, sweets made with fused sugar, and amṛti-jilipi.

Madhya 14.31: There was lotus flower sugar, a kind of bread made from urad dhal, crispy sweetmeats, sugar candy, fried rice sweets, sesame seed sweets and cookies made from sesame seeds.

Madhya 14.32: There were sweetmeats made from sugarcane candy in the form of oranges, lemons and mangoes along with fruits, flowers and leaves.

Madhya 14.33: There was yogurt, milk, butter, buttermilk, fruit juice, a preparation made of fried yogurt and sugar candy, and salty mung dhal sprouts with shredded ginger.

Madhya 14.34: There were also various types of pickles-lemon pickle, berry pickle and so on. Indeed, I am not able to describe the variety of food offered to Lord Jagannātha.

Madhya 14.35: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw half the garden filled with a variety of prasāda, He was very satisfied.

Madhya 14.36: Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was fully satisfied just to see how Lord Jagannātha accepted all the food.

Madhya 14.37: There then arrived five or seven loads of plates made of the leaves of the ketakī tree. Each man was supplied ten of these plates, and in this way the dishes were served.

Madhya 14.38: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu understood the labor of all the kīrtana chanters; therefore He was very eager to feed them sumptuously.

Madhya 14.39: All the devotees sat down in lines, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally began to distribute the prasāda.

Madhya 14.40: However, the devotees could not accept the prasāda until Caitanya Mahāprabhu took it. It was Svarūpa Gosvāmī who informed the Lord of this.

Madhya 14.41: Svarūpa Dāmodara said, "My Lord, would You please sit down. No one will eat until You do."

Madhya 14.42: At that time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat down with His personal associates and fed everyone of them very sumptuously until they were filled to the necks.

Madhya 14.43: After finishing, the Lord washed His mouth and sat down. There was so much extra prasāda that it was distributed to thousands.

Madhya 14.44: Following the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Govinda, His personal servant, called for all the poor beggars, who were unhappy due to their poverty, and fed them sumptuously.

Madhya 14.45: Observing the beggars eating prasāda, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted, "Hari bol!" and instructed them to chant the holy name.

Madhya 14.46: As soon as the beggars chanted the holy name, "Hari bol," they were immediately absorbed in ecstatic love of Godhead. In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed wonderful pastimes.

Madhya 14.47: Outside the garden, when it was time to pull Jagannātha's car, all the workers called gauḍas tried to pull it, but it would not move forward.

Madhya 14.48: When the gauḍas saw that they could not budge the car, they abandoned the attempt. Then the King arrived in great anxiety, and he was accompanied by his officers and friends.

Madhya 14.49: The King then arranged for big wrestlers to try to pull the car, and even the King himself joined in, but the car could not be moved.

Madhya 14.50: Becoming even more eager to move the car, the King had very strong elephants brought forth and harnessed to it.

Madhya 14.51: The strong elephants pulled with all their strength, but still the car remained at a standstill, not budging an inch.

Madhya 14.52: As soon as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this news, He went there with all His personal associates. They then stood there and watched the elephants try to pull the car.

Madhya 14.53: The elephants, being beaten by the elephant-goad, were crying, but still the car would not move. The assembled people cried out, "Alas!"

Madhya 14.54: At that time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu let all the elephants go free and placed the car's ropes in the hands of His own men.

Madhya 14.55: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to the back of the car and began to push with His head. It was then that the car began to move and ramble along, making a rattling sound.

Madhya 14.56: Indeed, the car began to move automatically, and the devotees simply carried the rope in their hands. Since it was moving effortlessly, they did not need to pull it.

Madhya 14.57: When the car moved forward, everyone began to chant with great pleasure, "All glories! All glories!" and "All glories to Lord Jagannātha!" No one could hear anything else.

Madhya 14.58: In a moment the car reached the door of the Guṇḍicā temple. Upon seeing the uncommon strength of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the people were struck with wonder.

Madhya 14.59: The crowd made a tumultuous vibration, chanting, "Jaya Gauracandra! Jaya Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya!" Then the people began to chant, "Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Madhya 14.60: Seeing the greatness of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Pratāparudra Mahārāja and his ministers and friends were so moved by ecstatic love that their hair stood on end.

Madhya 14.61: All the servants of Lord Jagannātha then took Him down from the car, and the Lord went to sit on His throne.

Madhya 14.62: Subhadrā and Balarāma also sat on their respective thrones. There followed the bathing of Lord Jagannātha and finally the offering of food.

Madhya 14.63: While Lord Jagannātha, Lord Balarāma and Subhadrā sat on their respective thrones, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees began to perform saṅkīrtana with great pleasure, chanting and dancing in the yard of the temple.

Madhya 14.64: While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting and dancing, He was overwhelmed with ecstatic love, and all the people who saw Him were also flooded in the ocean of love of Godhead.

Madhya 14.65: In the evening, after finishing His dancing in the yard of the Guṇḍicā temple, the Lord observed the ārati ceremony. Thereafter He went to a place called Āiṭoṭā and took rest for the night.

Madhya 14.66: For nine days, nine chief devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, got an opportunity to invite the Lord to their homes.

Madhya 14.67: During the four months of the rainy season, the remaining devotees extended invitations to the Lord for one day each. In this way they shared invitations.

Madhya 14.68: For the four-month period, all the daily invitations were shared among the important devotees. The rest of the devotees did not get an opportunity to extend an invitation to the Lord.

Madhya 14.69: Since they could not get one day each, two or three devotees combined to extend an invitation. These are the pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's acceptance of invitations.

Madhya 14.70: After taking His bath early in the morning, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would go see Lord Jagannātha in the temple. Then He would perform saṅkīrtana with His devotees.

Madhya 14.71: By chanting and dancing, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu induced Advaita Ācārya to dance. Sometimes He induced Nityānanda, Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Acyutānanda to dance.

Madhya 14.72: Sometimes Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu engaged Vakreśvara and other devotees in chanting and dancing. Three times daily-morning, noon and evening-He would perform saṅkīrtana in the yard of the Guṇḍicā temple.

Madhya 14.73: At this time Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt that Lord Kṛṣṇa had returned to Vṛndāvana. Thinking this, His feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa subsided.

Madhya 14.74: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always thinking of the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and He remained personally merged in this consciousness.

Madhya 14.75: There were many gardens near the Guṇḍicā temple, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees used to perform the pastimes of Vṛndāvana in each of them. In the lake named Indradyumna, He sported in the water.

Madhya 14.76: The Lord personally splashed all the devotees with water, and the devotees, surrounding Him on all sides, also splashed the Lord.

Madhya 14.77: While in the water they sometimes formed a circle and sometimes many circles, and while in the water they used to play cymbals and imitate the croaking of frogs.

Madhya 14.78: Sometimes two would pair off to fight in the water. One would emerge victorious and the other defeated, and the Lord would watch all this fun.

Madhya 14.79: The first sporting took place between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu, who threw water upon one another. Advaita Ācārya was defeated, and He later began to rebuke Nityānanda Prabhu, calling Him bad names.

Madhya 14.80: Svarūpa Dāmodara and Vidyānidhi also threw water upon one another, and Murāri Gupta and Vāsudeva Datta also sported in that way.

Madhya 14.81: Another duel took place between Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and yet another between Rāghava Paṇḍita and Vakreśvara Paṇḍita. Thus they all engaged in throwing water.

Madhya 14.82: Indeed, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya engaged in water sports with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, and they both lost their gravity and became like children.

Madhya 14.83: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the exuberance of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Rāmānanda Rāya, He smiled and spoke to Gopīnātha Ācārya.

Madhya 14.84: "Tell Bhaṭṭācārya and Rāmānanda Rāya to stop their childish play because they are both learned scholars and very grave and great personalities."

Madhya 14.85: Gopīnātha Ācārya replied, "I believe that one drop of the ocean of Your great mercy has swelled up upon them.

Madhya 14.86: "A drop from the ocean of Your mercy can drown great mountains like Sumeru and Mandara. Since these two gentlemen are little hills by comparison, there is no wonder that they are being drowned in the ocean of Your mercy.

Madhya 14.87: "Logic is like a dry oil cake from which all the oil has been extracted. Bhaṭṭācārya passed his life in eating such dry cakes, but now You have made him drink the nectar of transcendental pastimes. It is certainly Your great mercy upon him."

Madhya 14.88: After Gopīnātha Ācārya finished talking, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and, calling for Advaita Ācārya, made Him act like the Śeṣa Nāga bed.

Madhya 14.89: Lying down on Advaita Prabhu, who was floating on the water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu demonstrated the pastime of Śeṣaśāyī Viṣṇu.

Madhya 14.90: Manifesting His personal potency, Advaita Ācārya floated about on the water, carrying Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Madhya 14.91: After sporting in the water for some time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His place at Āiṭoṭā, accompanied by His devotees.

Madhya 14.92: Paramānanda Purī, Brahmānanda Bhāratī and all the other chief devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took lunch at the invitation of Advaita Ācārya.

Madhya 14.93: Whatever extra prasāda was brought by Vāṇīnātha Rāya was taken by the other associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Madhya 14.94: In the afternoon, the Lord went to the Guṇḍicā temple to visit the Lord and dance. At night He went to the garden to take rest.

Madhya 14.95: The next day, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also went to the temple of Guṇḍicā and saw the Lord. He then chanted and danced in the yard for some time.

Madhya 14.96: Accompanied by His devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went into the garden and enjoyed the pastimes of Vṛndāvana.

Madhya 14.97: There were multifarious trees and creepers in the garden, and they were all jubilant to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Indeed, the birds were chirping, the bees were buzzing, and a cool breeze was blowing.

Madhya 14.98: As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced beneath each and every tree, Vāsudeva Datta sang alone.

Madhya 14.99: As Vāsudeva Datta sang a different song beneath each and every tree, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced there alone in great ecstasy.

Madhya 14.100: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then ordered Vakreśvara Paṇḍita to dance, and as he began to dance, the Lord began to sing.

Madhya 14.101: Then devotees like Svarūpa Dāmodara and other kīrtana performers began to sing along with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Being inundated with ecstatic love, they lost all consideration of time and circumstance.

Madhya 14.102: After thus performing pastimes in the garden for some time, they all went to a lake called Narendra-sarovara and there enjoyed sporting in the water.

Madhya 14.103: After sporting in the water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to the garden and accepted prasāda with the devotees.

Madhya 14.104: For nine continuous days His Lordship Śrī Jagannātha-deva stayed at the Guṇḍicā temple. During this time Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also stayed there and performed the pastimes with His devotees that have already been described.

Madhya 14.105: The garden of His pastimes was very large and was named Jagannātha vallabha. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took his rest there for nine days.

Madhya 14.106: Knowing that the Herā-pañcamī festival was drawing near, King Pratāparudra attentively talked with Kāśī Miśra.

Madhya 14.107: "Tomorrow will be the function of Herā-pañcamī or Lakṣmī-vijaya. Hold this festival in a way that it has never been held before."

Madhya 14.108: King Pratāparudra said, "Hold this festival in such a gorgeous way that upon seeing it, Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be completely pleased and astonished.

Madhya 14.109: "Take as many printed cloths, small bells, umbrellas and cāmaras as there are in my storehouse and in the Deity's storehouse.

Madhya 14.110: "Collect all kinds of small and large flags and ringing bells. Then decorate the carrier and have various musical and dancing parties accompany it. In this way decorate the carrier attractively.

Madhya 14.111: "You should also double the quantity of prasāda. Make so much that it will even surpass the Ratha-yātrā festival.

Madhya 14.112: "Arrange the festival in such a way that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu may freely go with His devotees to visit the Deity without difficulty."

Madhya 14.113: In the morning, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His personal associates with Him to see Lord Jagannātha at Sundarācala.

Madhya 14.114: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His personal devotees returned to Nīlācala with great eagerness to see the Herā-pañcamī festival.

Madhya 14.115: Kāśī Miśra received Caitanya Mahāprabhu with great respect, and taking the Lord and His associates to a very nice place, he had them seated.

Madhya 14.116: After taking His seat, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to hear about a particular mellow of devotional service; therefore, mildly smiling, He began to question Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Madhya 14.117-118: "Although Lord Jagannātha enjoys His pastimes at Dvārakā-dhāma and naturally manifests sublime liberality there, still, once a year, He becomes unlimitedly eager to see Vṛndāvana."

Madhya 14.119: Pointing out the neighboring gardens, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "All these gardens exactly resemble Vṛndāvana; therefore Lord Jagannātha is very eager to see them again.

Madhya 14.120: "Externally He gives the excuse that He wants to participate in the Ratha-yātrā festival, but actually He wants to leave Jagannātha Purī to go to Sundarācala, Guṇḍicā temple, the replica of Vṛndāvana.

Madhya 14.121: "The Lord enjoys His pastimes day and night in various flower gardens there. But why did He not take Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune, with Him?"

Madhya 14.122: Svarūpa Dāmodara replied, "My dear Lord, please hear the reason for this. Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune, cannot be admitted to the pastimes of Vṛndāvana.

Madhya 14.123: "In the pastimes of Vṛndāvana, the only assistants are the gopīs. But for the gopīs, no one can attract the mind of Kṛṣṇa."

Madhya 14.124: The Lord said, "Using the car festival as an excuse, Kṛṣṇa goes there with Subhadrā and Baladeva.

Madhya 14.125: "All the pastimes with the gopīs that take place in those gardens are very confidential ecstasies of Lord Kṛṣṇa. No one knows them.

Madhya 14.126: "Since there is no fault at all in Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, why does the goddess of fortune become angry?"

Madhya 14.127: Svarūpa Dāmodara replied, "It is the nature of a girl afflicted by love to become immediately angry upon finding neglect on the part of her lover."

Madhya 14.128: While Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were talking, the procession of the goddess of fortune came by. She was riding upon a golden palanquin carried by four men and bedecked with a variety of jewels.

Madhya 14.129: The palanquin was also surrounded by people carrying umbrellas, cāmara whisks and flags, and it was preceded by musicians and dancing girls.

Madhya 14.130: The maidservants were carrying water pitchers, cāmara whisks and boxes for betel nuts. There were hundreds of maidservants, all attractively dressed with valuable necklaces.

Madhya 14.131: In an angry mood, the goddess of fortune arrived at the main gate of the temple accompanied by many members of her family, all of whom exhibited uncommon opulence.

Madhya 14.132: When the procession arrived, the maidservants of the goddess of fortune began to arrest all the principal servants of Lord Jagannātha.

Madhya 14.133: The maidservants bound the servants of Jagannātha, handcuffed them, and made them fall down at the lotus feet of the goddess of fortune. Indeed, they were arrested just like thieves who have all their riches taken away.

Madhya 14.134: When the servants fall down before the lotus feet of the goddess of fortune, they almost fall unconscious. They are chastised and made the butt of jokes and loose language.

Madhya 14.135: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's associates saw such impudence exhibited by the maidservants of the goddess of fortune, they covered their faces with their hands and began to smile.

Madhya 14.136: Svarūpa Dāmodara said, "There is no egoistic pride like this within the three worlds. At least I have neither seen nor heard of it.

Madhya 14.137: "When a woman is neglected and disappointed, out of egoistic pride she gives up her ornaments and morosely sits down on the floor, marking lines on it with her nails.

Madhya 14.138: "I have heard of this kind of pride in Satyabhāmā, Kṛṣṇa's proudest Queen, and I have also heard of it in the gopīs of Vṛndāvana, who are the reservoirs of all transcendental mellows.

Madhya 14.139: "But in the case of the goddess of fortune, I see a different kind of pride. She manifests her own opulences and even goes with her soldiers to attack her husband."

Madhya 14.140: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Please tell me of the varieties of egoistic pride manifest in Vṛndāvana." Svarūpa Dāmodara replied, "The pride of the gopīs is like a river flowing with hundreds of tributaries.

Madhya 14.141: "The characteristics and modes of love are different in different women. Their jealous anger also takes on different varieties and qualities.

Madhya 14.142: "It is not possible to give a complete statement about the different types of jealous anger manifest by the gopīs, but a few principles may serve as an indication.

Madhya 14.143: "There are three types of women experiencing jealous anger: sober women, restless women and women both restless and sober.

Madhya 14.144: "When a sober heroine sees her hero approaching from a distance, she immediately stands up to receive him. When he comes near, she immediately offers him a place to sit.

Madhya 14.145: "The sober heroine conceals her anger within her heart and externally speaks sweet words. When her lover embraces her, she also returns his embrace.

Madhya 14.146: "The sober heroine is very simple in her behavior. She keeps her jealous anger within her heart, but with mild words and smiles she refutes the advances of her lover.

Madhya 14.147: "The restless heroine, however, sometimes chastises her lover with cruel words, sometimes pulls his ear and sometimes binds him with a flower garland.

Madhya 14.148: "The heroine who is a combination of sobriety and restlessness always jokes with equivocal words. She sometimes praises her lover, sometimes blasphemes him and sometimes remains indifferent.

Madhya 14.149: "Heroines may also be classified as captivated, intermediate and impudent. The captivated heroine does not know very much about the cunning intricacies of jealous anger.

Madhya 14.150: "The captivated heroine simply covers her face and goes on crying. When she hears sweet words from her lover, she is very satisfied.

Madhya 14.151: "Both the intermediate and impudent heroines can be classified as sober, restless and both sober and restless. All their characteristics can be further classified in three divisions.

Madhya 14.152: "Some of them are very talkative, some are mild, and some are equipoised. Each heroine, according to her own character, increases Śrī Kṛṣṇa's loving ecstasy.

Madhya 14.153: "Although some of the gopīs are talkative, some mild and some equipoised, all of them are transcendental and faultless. They please Kṛṣṇa by their unique characteristics."

Madhya 14.154: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt unlimited happiness upon hearing these descriptions, and He again and again requested Svarūpa Dāmodara to continue speaking.

Madhya 14.155: Dāmodara Gosvāmī said, "Kṛṣṇa is the master of all transcendental mellows. He is the taster of transcendental mellows, and His body is composed of transcendental bliss.

Madhya 14.156: "Kṛṣṇa is full of ecstatic love and always subordinate to the love of his devotees. The gopīs are very experienced in pure love and in the dealings of transcendental mellows.

Madhya 14.157: "There is no flaw or adulteration in the love of the gopīs; therefore they give Kṛṣṇa the highest pleasure.

Madhya 14.158: " 'Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the Absolute Truth, enjoyed His rāsa dance every night during the autumn season. He performed this dance in the moonlight and with full transcendental mellows. He used poetic words and surrounded Himself with women who were very much attracted to Him.'

Madhya 14.159: "The gopīs can be divided into a left wing and a right wing. Both wings induce Kṛṣṇa to taste transcendental mellows by various manifestations of ecstatic love.

Madhya 14.160: "Of all the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the chief. She is a jewel mine of ecstatic love and the source of all purified transcendental conjugal mellows.

Madhya 14.161: "Rādhārāṇī is grown up, and Her character is equipoised. She is always deeply absorbed in ecstatic love and always feeling in the mood of a left-wing gopī.

Madhya 14.162: "Because She is a left-wing gopī, Her womanly anger is always awakening, but Kṛṣṇa derives transcendental bliss from Her activities.

Madhya 14.163: " 'The progress of loving affairs between young couples is by nature crooked, like the movement of a snake. Because of this, two types of anger arise between young couples-anger with a cause and anger without a cause.' "

Madhya 14.164: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these talks, His ocean of transcendental bliss increased. He therefore told Svarūpa Dāmodara, "Go on speaking, go on speaking." And thus Svarūpa Dāmodara continued.

Madhya 14.165: "Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's love is a highly advanced ecstasy. All Her dealings are completely pure and devoid of material tinge. Indeed, Her dealings are ten times purer than gold.

Madhya 14.166: "As soon as Rādhārāṇī gets a chance to see Kṛṣṇa, Her body is suddenly decorated with various ecstatic ornaments.

Madhya 14.167: "The transcendental ornaments of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's body include the eight sāttvikas, or transcendental symptoms, the thirty-three vyabhicārībhāvas, beginning with harṣa, or jubilation in natural love, and the twenty bhāvas, or ecstatic emotional ornaments.

Madhya 14.168: "Some of the symptoms critically explained in the following verses are kilakiñcita, kuṭṭamita, vilāsa, lalita, vivvoka, moṭṭāyita, maugdhya and cakita.

Madhya 14.169: "When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's body manifests the ornaments of many ecstatic symptoms, the ocean of Kṛṣṇa's happiness immediately displays transcendental waves.

Madhya 14.170: "Now hear a description of different ecstasies, beginning with kila-kiñcita. With these ecstatic ornaments, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī enchants the mind of Kṛṣṇa.

Madhya 14.171: "When Śrī Kṛṣṇa sees Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and wants to touch Her body, He prohibits Her from going to the spot where one can cross the River Yamunā.

Madhya 14.172: "Approaching Her, Kṛṣṇa prohibits Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī from picking flowers. He may also touch Her in front of Her friends.

Madhya 14.173: "At such times, the ecstatic symptoms of kila-kiñcita are awakened. First there is jubilation in ecstatic love, which is the root cause of these symptoms.

Madhya 14.174: " 'Pride, ambition, weeping, smiling, envy, fear and anger are the seven ecstatic loving symptoms manifest by a jubilant shrinking away, and these symptoms are called kila-kiñcita-bhāva.'

Madhya 14.175: "There are seven other transcendental ecstatic symptoms, and when they combine on the platform of jubilation, the combination is called mahābhāva.

Madhya 14.176: "The seven combined ingredients of mahābhāva are pride, ambition, fear, dry artificial crying, anger, envy and mild smiling.

Madhya 14.177: "There are eight symptoms of ecstatic love on the platform of transcendental jubilation, and when they are combined and tasted by Kṛṣṇa, the Lord's mind is completely satisfied.

Madhya 14.178: "Indeed, they are compared to a combination of yogurt, candy, ghee, honey, black pepper, camphor and cardamom, which, when mixed together, are very tasty and sweet.

Madhya 14.179: "Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is thousands upon thousands of times more satisfied when He sees Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's face light up from this combination of ecstatic love than He is by direct union with Her. This is further explained in the following verse from the Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi (Anubhāva-prakaraṇa 46) of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Madhya 14.180: " 'May the sight of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's kila-kiñcita ecstasy, which is like a bouquet, bring good fortune to all. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa blocked Rādhārāṇī's way to the dāna-ghāṭi, there was laughter within Her heart. Her eyes grew bright, and fresh tears flowed from Her eyes, reddening them. Due to Her sweet relationship with Kṛṣṇa, Her eyes were enthusiastic, and when Her crying subsided, She appeared even more beautiful.'

Madhya 14.181: " 'Agitated by tears, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's eyes were tinged with red, just like the eastern horizon at sunrise. Her lips began to move with jubilation and lusty desire. Her eyebrows curved, and Her lotus-like face smiled mildly. Seeing Rādhārāṇī's face exhibit such emotion, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa felt a million times happier than when He embraced Her. Indeed, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's happiness is not at all mundane.' "

Madhya 14.182: Upon hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very happy, and, being absorbed in this happiness, He embraced Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.

Madhya 14.183: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then asked Svarūpa Dāmodara, "Please speak of the ecstatic ornaments decorating the body of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, by which She enchants the mind of Śrī Govinda."

Madhya 14.184: Being thus requested, Svarūpa Dāmodara began to speak. All the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were very happy to hear him.

Madhya 14.185: "Sometimes when Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is sitting or when She is going to Vṛndāvana, She sometimes sees Kṛṣṇa.

Madhya 14.186: "The symptoms of various ecstasies that become manifest at that time are called vilāsa.

Madhya 14.187: " 'The various symptoms manifested in a woman's face, eyes, and the other parts of her body and the way she moves, stands or sits when she meets her beloved are called vilāsa.' "

Madhya 14.188: Svarūpa Dāmodara said, "Timidity, jubilation, ambition, respect, fear and the characteristics of the left-wing gopīs were all ecstatic symptoms combined to agitate Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Madhya 14.189: " 'When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī saw Lord Kṛṣṇa just before Her, Her progress stopped, and She assumed an attitude of opposition. Although Her face was slightly covered by a blue garment, Her two starry eyes were agitated, being wide and curved. Thus She was decorated with the ornaments of vilāsa, and Her beauty increased to give pleasure to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.'

Madhya 14.190: "When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī stands before Kṛṣṇa, She stands bent in three places-Her neck, waist and legs-and Her eyebrows dance.

Madhya 14.191: "When there is an awakening of various ecstatic features on Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's face and in Her eyes, the lalita ornaments are manifest.

Madhya 14.192: " 'When the bodily features are delicate and expertly curved, and when the eyebrows are very beautifully agitated, the ornament of charm, called lalita alaṅkāra, is manifest.'

Madhya 14.193: "When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa happens to see Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī decorated with these lalita ornaments, They both anxiously want to meet one another.

Madhya 14.194: " 'When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was decorated with the ornament of lalita-alaṅkāra, just to increase Śrī Kṛṣṇa's love, an attractive curve was manifest by Her neck, knees and waist. This was brought about by Her timidity and apparent desire to avoid Kṛṣṇa. The flickering movements of Her eyebrows could conquer the powerful bow of Cupid. To increase the joy of Her beloved's love, Her body was decorated with the ornaments of lalita-alaṅkāra.'

Madhya 14.195: "When Kṛṣṇa comes forward and greedily snatches at the border of Rādhārāṇī's sari, She is actually very pleased within, but overtly She tries to stop Him.

Madhya 14.196: "This ecstatic dress of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's is called kuṭṭamita. When it is manifest, She externally tries to avoid Kṛṣṇa, and She apparently becomes angry, although She is very happy within.

Madhya 14.197: " 'When the border of Her sari and the cloth veiling Her face are caught, She externally appears offended and angry, but within Her heart She is very happy. Learned scholars call this attitude kuṭṭamita.'

Madhya 14.198: "Although Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was checking Her sari with Her hand, internally She was thinking, 'Let Kṛṣṇa satisfy His desires.' In this way She was very pleased within, although She externally displayed opposition and anger.

Madhya 14.199: "Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī externally displays a kind of dry crying, as if She is offended. Then She mildly smiles and admonishes Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Madhya 14.200: " 'Actually She has no desire to stop Kṛṣṇa's endeavor to touch Her body with His hands, yet Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, whose thighs are like the trunk of a baby elephant, protests His advances and, sweetly smiling, admonishes Him. At such times She cries without tears on Her charming face.'

Madhya 14.201: "In this way, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is ornamented and decorated with various ecstatic symptoms, which attract the mind of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Madhya 14.202: "It is not at all possible to describe the unlimited pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, even though He Himself describes them in His incarnation of Sahasra-vadana, the thousand-mouthed Śeṣa Nāga."

Madhya 14.203: This time, Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura smiled and told Dāmodara Paṇḍita, "My dear sir, please hear! Just see how opulent my goddess of fortune is!

Madhya 14.204: "As far as Vṛndāvana's opulence is concerned, it consists of a few flowers and twigs, some minerals from the hills, a few peacock feathers and the plant known as guñjā.

Madhya 14.205: "When Jagannātha decided to see Vṛndāvana, He went there, and upon hearing this, the goddess of fortune experienced restlessness and jealousy.

Madhya 14.206: "She wondered, 'Why did Lord Jagannātha give up so much opulence and go to Vṛndāvana?' To make Him a laughingstock, the goddess of fortune made arrangements for much decoration.

Madhya 14.207: "Then the maidservants of the goddess of fortune said to the servants of Lord Jagannātha, 'Why did your Lord Jagannātha abandon the great opulence of the goddess of fortune and, for the sake of a few leaves, fruits and flowers, go see the flower garden of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī?

Madhya 14.208: " 'Your master is so expert at everything, but why does He do such things? Please bring your master before the goddess of fortune.'

Madhya 14.209: "In this way all the maidservants of the goddess of fortune arrested the servants of Jagannātha, bound them around the waist and brought them before the goddess of fortune.

Madhya 14.210: "When all the maidservants brought Lord Jagannātha's servants before the lotus feet of the goddess of fortune, the Lord's servants were fined and forced to submit.

Madhya 14.211: "All the maidservants began to beat the Ratha car with sticks, and they treated the servants of Lord Jagannātha almost like thieves.

Madhya 14.212: "Finally all of Lord Jagannātha's servants submitted to the goddess of fortune with folded hands, assuring her that they would bring Lord Jagannātha before her the very next day.

Madhya 14.213: "Being thus pacified, the goddess of fortune returned to her apartment. Just see! My goddess of fortune is opulent beyond all description."

Madhya 14.214: Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura continued to address Svarūpa Dāmodara: "Your gopīs are engaged in boiling milk and churning it to turn it into yogurt, but my mistress, the goddess of fortune, sits on a throne made of jewels and gems."

Madhya 14.215: Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, who was enjoying the mood of Nārada Muni, thus made jokes. Hearing him, all the personal servants of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to smile.

Madhya 14.216: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then told Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, "My dear Śrīvāsa, your nature is exactly like that of Nārada Muni. The Supreme Personality of Godhead's opulence is having a direct influence upon you.

Madhya 14.217: "Svarūpa Dāmodara is a pure devotee of Vṛndāvana. He does not even know what opulence is, for he is simply absorbed in pure devotional service."

Madhya 14.218: Svarūpa Dāmodara then retorted, "My dear Śrīvāsa, please hear me with attention. You have forgotten the transcendental opulence of Vṛndāvana.

Madhya 14.219: "The natural opulence of Vṛndāvana is just like an ocean. The opulence of Dvārakā and Vaikuṇṭha is not even to be compared to a drop.

Madhya 14.220: "Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead full of all opulences, and His complete opulences are exhibited only in Vṛndāvana-dhāma.

Madhya 14.221: "Vṛndāvana-dhāma is made of transcendental touchstone. Its entire surface is the source of all valuable jewels, and the cintāmaṇi stone is used to decorate the lotus feet of the maidservants of Vṛndāvana.

Madhya 14.222: "Vṛndāvana is a natural forest of desire trees and creepers, and the inhabitants do not want anything but the fruits and flowers of those desire trees.

Madhya 14.223: "In Vṛndāvana there are cows that fulfill all desires [kāma-dhenus], and their number is unlimited. They graze from forest to forest and deliver only milk. The people want nothing else.

Madhya 14.224: "In Vṛndāvana, the natural speech of the people sounds like music, and their natural motion resembles a dance.

Madhya 14.225: "The water in Vṛndāvana is nectar, and the brahmajyoti effulgence, which is full of transcendental bliss, is directly perceived there in its form.

Madhya 14.226: "The gopīs there are also goddesses of fortune, and they surpass the goddess of fortune who abides in Vaikuṇṭha. In Vṛndāvana, Lord Kṛṣṇa is always playing His transcendental flute, which is His dear companion.

Madhya 14.227: " 'The damsels of Vṛndāvana, the gopīs, are super goddesses of fortune. The enjoyer in Vṛndāvana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. The trees there are all wish-fulfilling trees, and the land is made of transcendental touchstone. The water is all nectar, the talking is singing, the walking is dancing, and the constant companion of Kṛṣṇa is His flute. The effulgence of transcendental bliss is experienced everywhere. Therefore Vṛndāvana-dhāma is the only relishable abode.'

Madhya 14.228: " 'The anklets on the damsels of Vraja-bhūmi are made of cintāmaṇi stone. The trees are wish-fulfilling trees, and they produce flowers with which the gopīs decorate themselves. There are also wish-fulfilling cows [kāma dhenus], which deliver unlimited quantities of milk. These cows constitute the wealth of Vṛndāvana. Thus Vṛndāvana's opulence is blissfully exhibited.' "

Madhya 14.229: Śrīvāsa then began to dance in ecstatic love. He vibrated sounds by slapping his armpits with the palms of his hands, and he laughed very loudly.

Madhya 14.230: Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these discussions about the pure transcendental mellow of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Absorbed in transcendental ecstasy, the Lord began to dance.

Madhya 14.231: While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dancing in ecstatic love and Svarūpa Dāmodara was singing, the Lord said, "Go on singing! Go on singing!" The Lord then extended His own ears.

Madhya 14.232: Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's ecstatic love was awakened by hearing the songs of Vṛndāvana. In this way He inundated Puruṣottama, Jagannātha Purī, with love of Godhead.

Madhya 14.233: Finally the goddess of fortune returned to her apartment. In due course of time, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dancing, afternoon arrived.

Madhya 14.234: After much singing, all four saṅkīrtana parties grew fatigued, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's ecstatic love increased twofold.

Madhya 14.235: While dancing absorbed in Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in Her very form. Seeing this from a distant place, Nityānanda Prabhu offered prayers.

Madhya 14.236: Seeing the ecstatic love of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu did not approach but remained a little distance away.

Madhya 14.237: Only Nityānanda Prabhu could catch Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but the ecstatic mood of the Lord would not stop. At the same time, kīrtana could not be continued.

Madhya 14.238: Svarūpa Dāmodara then informed the Lord that all the devotees were fatigued. Seeing this situation, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to His external senses.

Madhya 14.239: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then entered the flower garden with all His devotees. After resting there for some time, He finished His afternoon bath.

Madhya 14.240: Then there arrived in large quantities a variety of food that had been offered to Śrī Jagannātha and a variety that had been offered to the goddess of fortune.

Madhya 14.241: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu finished His afternoon lunch, and after His evening bath, He went to see Lord Jagannātha.

Madhya 14.242: As soon as He saw Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to chant and dance. Afterward, accompanied by His devotees, the Lord enjoyed sporting in the lake called Narendra-sarovara.

Madhya 14.243: Then, entering the flower garden, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His meal. In this way He continuously performed all kinds of pastimes for eight days.

Madhya 14.244: The next day Lord Jagannātha came out from the temple and, riding on the car, returned to His own abode.

Madhya 14.245: As previously, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees again chanted and danced with great pleasure.

Madhya 14.246: During the Pāṇḍu-vijaya, Lord Jagannātha was carried, and while He was being carried, a bunch of silken ropes broke.

Madhya 14.247: When the Jagannātha Deity is carried, at intervals He is placed on cotton pads. When the ropes broke, the cotton pads also broke due to the weight of Lord Jagannātha, and the cotton floated in the air.

Madhya 14.248: Rāmānanda and Satyarāja Khān were present from Kulīna-grāma, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, with great respect, gave them the following orders.

Madhya 14.249: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Rāmānanda and Satyarāja Khān to become the worshipers of these ropes and every year bring silken ropes from their village.

Madhya 14.250: After telling them this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed them the broken silken ropes, saying, "Just look at this sample. You must make ropes that are much stronger."

Madhya 14.251: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then informed Rāmānanda and Satyarāja Khān that this rope was the abode of Lord Śeṣa, who expands Himself into ten forms and serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Madhya 14.252: After receiving orders from the Lord for the rendering of service, the fortunate Satyarāja and Rāmānanda Vasu were highly pleased.

Madhya 14.253: Every year thereafter, when the Guṇḍicā temple was being cleansed, Satyarāja and Rāmānanda Vasu would come with other devotees and with great pleasure bring silken rope.

Madhya 14.254: Thus Lord Jagannātha returned to His temple and sat on His throne while Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His residence with His devotees.

Madhya 14.255: Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed the Ratha-yātrā ceremony to His devotees and performed the Vṛndāvana pastimes with them.

Madhya 14.256: The pastimes of Lord Caitanya are unlimited and endless. Even Sahasravadana, Lord Śeṣa, cannot reach the limits of His pastimes.

Madhya 14.257: Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.

Madhya-līlā 13 - Madhya-līlā 15