Today we continue our celebration of the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna who descended in the age of Kali in the role of a devotee. He appeared on what we now call Gaura-purnima, in the evening of the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. At the time, there was a lunar eclipse, and as was the tradition, as recommended in scripture, Hindus immersed themselves in the Ganges and chanted the holy names. Eclipses are considered inauspicious, and to counteract the inauspiciousness, strict followers of the Vedic scriptures stand in a sacred body of watera river, a kunda or lake, or the seaand chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. So, from the very beginning Lord Caitanya was surrounded by the chanting of Hare Krsna, and He induced people to chant Hare Krsna more and more.
Advaita Acarya and Haridasa Thakura danced in ecstasy. On the plea of giving charity to brahmanas on the occasion of the eclipse, Advaita Acarya and others distributed various gifts. All the devotees were jubilant, and they danced, performed sankirtana, and gave charity. The whole world was full of auspiciousness, and everyone was filled with transcendental bliss.
nadiya-udayagiri, purnacandra gaurahari,
krpa kari ha-ila udaya
papa-tamah haila nasa, tri-jagatera ullasa,
jagabhari hari-dhvani haya
Thus, by His causeless mercy the full moon, Gaurahari, rose in the district of Nadia, which is compared to Udayagiri, where the sun first becomes visible. His rising in the sky dissipated the darkness of sinful life, and thus the three worlds became joyful and chanted the holy name of the Lord.†(Cc Adi 13.98)
Day after Gaura Purnima is celebrated as Jagannath Mishra Festival. Just as Nandababa celebrated Nandotsava in joy the appearance of Lord Sri Krishna, similarly, the wonderful appearance of the Lord increased the happiness of everyone in Srimati Sacidevi’s house. Both Sri Jagannatha Misra’s and Srimati Sacidevi’s hearts heaved joyous waves while looking at the Lord’s beautiful face.
Sri Caitanya Bhagavat
Adi Lila Chapter Three
Even before He took his birth, the Lord propagated the chanting of His holy name.
Streams of people went for their bath in the Ganga at the time of the eclipse and all the way they
chanted the Lord’s name.
Some, who from their birth never once uttered the Lord’s name, now chanted that name on their way to
the Ganga.
The sound of chanting emanated from every direction and the Supreme Lord, the best of the brahmins,
smiled to Himself as He made His appearance.
Sri Jagannatha Misra and Srimati Sacidevi glanced at their child’s beautiful face and were overcome
with unbounded joy.
Ladies stood around the child not knowing what to do; fussily they ululated in jubilation.
Relatives and friends hurried to see the new born child; Sri Jagannatha Misra’s house was a scene of
great exultation.
Srimati Sacidevi’s father, Sri Nilambara Cakravarti, found esoteric and wonderful signs in every house
of the child’s astrological chart.
Sri Cakravarti was astounded by the baby’s beauty and saw all divine symbols on His person.
A much accepted prophesy in Bengal was that someday a king would be born in Bengal as a brahmin’s
son, so Sri Cakravarti thought that only the future would prove whether this was the child.
In the presence of all, Sri Nilambara Cakravarti, an expert astrologer, began explaining the
ramifications of different astrological signs in the Lord’s chart.
The further he delved into the child’s exalted chart, the more difficulty he found in describing the
Lord’s position.
The child will conquer Brhaspati (the sign for learning and education) and be a scholar; He will be a
natural repository of all divine qualities.
Present in that gathering was a great saint in the guise of a brahman who made predictions on the
Lord’s future.
The brahman said, “This child is the Supreme Lord Narayana Himself. He will establish the essence of
all religion.
“He will initiate a wonderful preaching movement and deliver the whole world.
“He will give everyone that which is forever desirable even by Lord Brahma, Lord Siva or Srila
Sukadeva Gosvami.
“Upon seeing Him people will feel compassion for all living entities and become callous toward
material pains and joys. This will be the great benediction for the whole world.
“Not to mention ordinary men, even hard-core atheists will worship the child’s lotus feet.
“He will be glorified throughout the entire creation and people from all orders of life will come to
worship Him.
“He is the personification of pure Bhagavat religion (eternal religion), the benefactor of brahmanas,
cows and devotees and the affectionate, devoted son of His parents.
“This child has come to accomplish great works, just as the Supreme Lord Narayana incarnated to
re-establish religious principles
“Who can explain the imports of this child’s exalted astrological and esoteric symptoms?
“How fortunate you are, Sri Jagannatha Misra, a leader amongst men. I offer my obeisances to you, the
illustrious father of this child.
“I feel greatly fortunate that I could calculate his astrological chart. His name accordingly will be Sri
Visvambhara.
“He will be known to all as Navadvipa-candra (the moon of Navadvipa). He is spiritual bliss
personified.”
The brahmin did not speak further about Lord Caitanya’s pastime of accepting the renounced order of
sannyasa since that would disturb the loving emotion of His parents.
Sri Jagannatha Misra was enthralled with ecstasy over the descriptions of his son. He immediately
wanted to offer gifts to the brahmin.
He was a poor man with few possessions, yet feeling great jubilation Sri Misra fell at the brahmin’s feet
and cried.
The brahman also caught Sri Misra’s feet, and everyone present shouted “Hari, Hari” in great joy.
The relatives and friends were all praise for the child, and they blessed Him as they heard the
super-natural predictions about His future.
Soon the musicians arrived playing their respective instruments – clay drums, flutes and shanhai (a reed
instrument) – and filled the air with wonderful music.
Ladies from the higher planets mingled freely yet unnoticed with the ladies from earth in this
wonderful gathering.
The mother of the demigods (Aditi) smiled and placed her right hand holding auspicious grass and
paddy on the child’s head to bless him saying, “Long life”.
“Please remain eternally in this material world and manifest Your pastimes”. This explained the
expression “Long life”.
Srimati Sacidevi and the others noticed the extraordinary beauty of these ladies but they hesitated to
inquire about their identity.
The demigods respectfully took the dust from Sacidevi’s feet, and she lost her speech in extreme
exultation.
Neither the Vedas nor Lord Ananta Sesa could describe the waves of jubilation that drowned Sri
Jagannatha Misra’s house. Entire Nadia seemed to be present at Sacidevi’s house to experience that
undescribable joy.
Wherever the people were – in their houses, or on the banks of the Ganga, or on the streets, – they all
loudly chanted the Lord’s name.
Everyone jubilantly celebrated the Lord’s birth, unknowingly thinking the festivity was actually for the
lunar eclipse.
Lord Caitanya appeared on the full moon night of the month of Phalguna; this day is the most
worshipable by Lord Brahma and other great personalities.
This day of the Lord’s appearance is the holiest of holy occasions; this day is devotion personified.
Lord Caitanya appeared on the full moon night of Phalguna and Lord Nityananda appeared on the 13th
night of the waxing moon. Both these days are all auspicious and transcendental occasions.
If one properly follows these two holy occasions he develops love of Godhead and cuts asunder the
knots of material illusion.
The appearance days of pure Vaisnava devotees like the appearance day of the Supreme Lord, are also
all-auspicious and transcendental.
Whosoever hears the narrations of Lord Caitanya’s birth is freed from all miseries in life and in death.
Anyone who hears Lord Caitanya’s pastimes immediately gets love of God and becomes his eternal
servitor; he comes with the Lord each time He advents in this material world.
The Adi Khanda text is wonderful to hear because it contains descriptions of Lord Caitanya’s
appearance.
The Vedic literature describes these pastimes of the Lord as eternal, although He sometimes appears
and sometimes disappears.
Lord Caitanya’s pastimes have no beginning and no end; I write them down by the mercy of the Lord.
I offer my humble obeisances at the Lord’s feet and at the feet of all His devotees. I pray that I may be
excused from all offenses.
I, Vrndavana dasa, offer this song to the lotus feet of my life and soul, Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya and
Lord Sri Nityananda Prabhu.
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