Ananda Sambada

Sri Caitanya Cataka

By Govinda das Babaji

vaiśākha-māsara-sukla-pancamīra-dine

gaurā-bhāve-basa-hoila-sampradā-pradhāne (72)

lavanya-se-devadāsī-nitya-seva-kare

divāvasane-darasane-gāye-gīta-śure (73)

Once, on the fifth day of the bright moon in the month of Vaisakha, a prominent devidāsī named Lavanya, who was immersed in gaurā-bhāva (love for Gaurā,) arrived at the end of the day as usual to take darasan and sing for Lord Jagannāth in her finest tunes. (68-73)

garudā-stambha-pachare-mahārasa-bhare

vaisnavī-bhakti-pradhāna-sarve-manya-kare (74)

aksaya-tritīyā-bahu-jana-samāveśa

stambhara-samīpe-bhīḍa-na-jāya-niśwāsa (75)

bhāvera-avese-gaura-bhuite-lutiyā

ārati-uthilā-sarve-uṭhile-jāgiyā (76)

hari-hari-jayagana-kampila-bhavana

byagrabhare-mililena-lāvanya-taksana (77)

jana-ghose-isthamukha-darasana-na-pāi

utkanṭhitā-dāsī-caḍe-prabhū-prusthe-jāi (78)

nāhi-jnāna-mana-tāra-jagannāthe-rata

ārambhila-śure-gita-candane-carita (79)

āratira-avasāne-lāvanya-herila

prabhū-pāde-padi-sehi-ākule-kandila (80)

She would station herself behind the Garuda Stambha, where she remained absorbed in profound devotional sentiments. She was widely acknowledged as a principal of vaisnavi bhakti. It so befell on the aksaya-trithiya that there was a big crowd in the temple, and it was especially crowded behind the Garuda Stambha, so much so, that one could barely take a breath. Upon the ground in bhāva-āvesa Gaurā did roll, and as the ārati began, all did rise to their feet. The entire building resounded with call of hari-hari, and at this moment Lavanya lost all her patience as, due to the crowds, she could no longer view Lord Jagannath. The eager dāsī then climbed upon the back of Gaurā. So in love with Lord Jagannāth as she was, she had no awareness of what she did, and she then began to sing aloud the Gita Govinda stanza; “candana-carcita.” At the conclusion of the ārati, she then noticed the lord, and did fall at his feet and began to wail aloud in a sorrowful strain. (74-80)

nyāsī-pāye-padī-dāsī-ākula-vacane

mahāparadhī-ksmantu-ākulita-mane (81)

trāna-kara-ksama-dosa-patite-uddhara

ajnāna-dāsīra-aparādha-trāhi-kara (82)

prabhū-bale-bhāvāvese-dhanya-he-ramani

bāhyajnana-harā-dāsīkula-siromani (83)

sannyasīra-narī-anga-paraśe-aparādha

ahaṁ-kichu-chila-āja-miṭāila-sādha (84)

sehi-dinu-sehi-dāsī-dure-ṭhāi-dekhe

prabhūra-pratyagamane-jāya-mahā-śukhe (85)

Down fell the dāsī at the feet of the sannyāsi, and while confessing herself to be a great transgressor, she pleaded for pardon with a startled and distraught heart saying, “Deliver me! O Redeemer of the destitute, harbour no grudge against me. Save me, a foolish dāsī.” The Lord said, “O fair Lady, crest jewel of your dāsi lineage! as you are in bhāva-āvesa, having lost all awareness of the world, you are now most fortunate indeed. The misdemeanour of a female touching a sannyāsi has today fulfilled my longing to have all my self esteem obliterated.” From that day onwards the dāsī was always to be seen somewhere in the distance following behind the Lord as he moved here and there, and she derived much pleasure from doing so. (81-85)

prabhūra-darasana-sthala-pādaraja-toli

sire-boli-bole-jaya-jaya-gaurā-hari (86)

dīkśa-nahi-kanṭhe-nela-tulasīra-mālā

tilaka-hari-mandira-kapāle-sobhlā (87)

sampradā-niyoga-ehi-niyama-rakhilā

devadesīgane-prabhu-angata-hailā (88)

rāmānanda-rāya-śuni-ihara-carita-madhura

lāvanye-niyoga-pati-karile-sattvara (89)

She raised the dust of the ground from wherever she had seen the Lord on his wanderings and placing it upon her head would call aloud “jaya-jaya-gaurā-hari.” Although her dīkśa-lineage did not honour such customs, she nevertheless wore a tulasi-mālā around her neck and her forehead was beautified with hari-mandira-tilak, a custom which has been maintained by her niyoga-smapradaya, who since that time, have been followers of the Lord. Ramananda Raya, hearing of her sweet and pleasing nature, instantly bestowed upon her the title of niyoga-pati. (86-89)

ehi-mate-gaurā-bhāva-ksetre-khyāta-helā

pratidina-sankirtan-lila-bistārilā (90)

bhaktagana-nei-prabhu-beḍā-sankirtan

nācaya-gaiyā-cale-plābita-nayana (91)

In this manner the renown of gaurā-bhāva thrived in the ksetra. Everyday the sankirtan spread as the Lord himself, taking the bhaktas with him, would roam and move around performing sankirtan as he danced and sang with his eyes full of tears. (90-91)