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Chanting Cc Ādi-līlā 13th Chapter Verses 1–124 , Los Angeles , 1974-07-13

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

sa prasīdatu caitanya-
devo yasya prasādataḥ
tal-līlā-varṇane yogyaḥ
sadyaḥ syād adhamo ‘py ayam

I wish the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by whose mercy even one who is fallen can describe the pastimes of the Lord.

jaya jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya gauracandra
jayādvaitacandra jaya jaya nityānanda

All glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Advaitacandra! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu!

jaya jaya gadādhara jaya śrīnivāsa
jaya mukunda vāsudeva jaya haridāsa

All glories to Gadādhara Prabhu! All glories to Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura! All glories to Mukunda Prabhu and Vāsudeva Prabhu! All glories to Haridāsa Ṭhākura!

jaya dāmodara-svarūpa jaya murāri gupta
ei saba candrodaye tamaḥ kaila lupta

All glories to Svarūpa Dāmodara and Murāri Gupta! All these brilliant moons have together dissipated the darkness of this material world.

jaya śrī-caitanyacandrera bhakta candra-gaṇa
sabāra prema jyotsnāya ujjvala tri-bhuvana

All glories to the moons who are devotees of the principal moon, Lord Caitanyacandra! Their bright moonshine illuminates the entire universe.

ei ta’ kahila granthārambhe mukha-bandha
ebe kahi caitanya-līlā-krama-anubandha

Thus I have spoken the preface of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Now I shall describe Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes in chronological order.

prathame ta’ sūtra-rūpe kariye gaṇana
pācṅe tāhā vistāri kariba vivaraṇa

First let me give a synopsis of the Lord’s pastimes. Then I shall describe them in detail.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya navadvīpe avatari
āṭa-calliśa vatsara prakaṭa vihari

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, adventing Himself in Navadvīpa, was visible for forty-eight years, enjoying His pastimes.

caudda-śata sāta śake janmera pramāṇa
caudda-śata pañcānne ha-ila antardhāna

In the year 1407 of the Śaka Era (A.D. 1486), Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared, and in the year 1455 (A.D. 1534) He disappeared from this world.

cabbiśa vatsara prabhu kaila gṛha-vāsa
nirantara kaila kṛṣṇa-kīrtana-vilāsa

For twenty-four years Lord Caitanya lived in the gṛhastha-āśrama [household life], always engaging in the pastimes of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.

cabbiśa vatsara-śeṣe kariyā sannyāsa
āra cabbiśa vatsara kaila nīlācale vāsa

After twenty-four years He accepted the renounced order of life, sannyāsa, and He resided for twenty-four years more at Jagannātha Purī.

tāra madhye chaya vatsara---gamanāgamana
kabhu dakṣiṇa, kabhu gauḍa, kabhu vṛndāvana

Of these last twenty-four years, He spent the first six continually touring India, sometimes in South India, sometimes in Bengal and sometimes in Vṛndāvana.

aṣṭādaśa vatsara rahilā nīlācale
kṛṣṇa-prema-nāmāmṛte bhāsā’la sakale

For the remaining eighteen years He continuously stayed in Jagannātha Purī. Chanting the nectarean Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, He inundated everyone there in a flood of love of Kṛṣṇa.

gārhasthye prabhura līlā---‘ādi’-līlākhyāna
‘madhya’- ‘antya’-līlā---śeṣa-līlāra dui nāma

The pastimes of His household life are known as the ādi-līlā, or the original pastimes. His later pastimes are known as the madhya-līlā and antya-līlā, or the middle and final pastimes.

ādi-līlā-madhye prabhura yateka carita
sūtra-rūpe murāri gupta karilā grathita

All the pastimes enacted by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His ādi-līlā were recorded in summary form by Murāri Gupta.

prabhura ye śeṣa-līlā svarūpa-dāmodara
sūtra kari’ granthilena granthera bhitara

His later pastimes [the madhya-līlā and antya-līlā] were recorded in the form of notes by His secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, and thus kept within a book.

ei dui janera sūtra dekhiyā śuniyā
varṇanā karena vaiṣṇava krama ye kariyā

By seeing and hearing the notes recorded by these two great personalities, a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, can know these pastimes one after another.

bālya, paugaṇḍa, kaiśora, yauvana,---cāri bheda
ataeva ādi-khaṇḍe līlā cāri bheda

In His original pastimes there are four divisions = bālya, paugaṇḍa, kaiśora and yauvana [childhood, early boyhood, later boyhood and youth].

sarva-sad-guṇa-pūrṇāṁ tāṁ
vande phālguna-pūrṇimām
yasyāṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanyo
’vatīrṇaḥ kṛṣṇa-nāmabhiḥ

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the full-moon evening in the month of Phālguna, an auspicious time full of auspicious symptoms, when Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advented Himself with the chanting of the holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa.

phālguna-pūrṇimā-sandhyāya prabhura janmodaya
sei-kāle daiva-yoge candra-grahaṇa haya

On the full-moon evening of the month of Phālguna when the Lord took birth, coincidentally there was also a lunar eclipse.

‘hari’ ‘hari’ bale loka haraṣita hañā
janmilā caitanya-prabhu ‘nāma’ janmāiyā

In jubilation everyone was chanting the holy name of the Lord---"Hari! Hari!"---and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then appeared, after first causing the appearance of the holy name.

janma-bālya-paugaṇḍa-kaiśora-yuvā-kāle
hari-nāma laoyāilā prabhu nānā chale

At His birth, in His childhood and in His early and later boyhood, as well as in His youth, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, under different pleas, induced people to chant the holy name of Hari [the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra].

bālya-bhāva chale prabhu karena krandana
‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘hari’ nāma śuni’ rahaye rodana

In His childhood, when the Lord was crying He would stop immediately upon hearing the holy names Kṛṣṇa and Hari.

ataeva ‘hari’ ‘hari’ bale nārīgaṇa
dekhite āise yebā sarva bandhu jana

All the friendly ladies who came to see the child would chant the holy names, "Hari, Hari!" as soon as the child would cry.

‘gaurahari’ bali’ tāre hāse sarva nārī
ataeva haila tāṅra nāma ‘gaurahari’

When all the ladies saw this fun, they enjoyed laughing and called the Lord "Gaurahari." From then on, Gaurahari became another of His names.

bālya vayasa---yāvat hāte khaḍi dila
paugaṇḍa vayasa---yāvat vivāha nā kaila

His childhood lasted until the date of hāte khaḍi, the beginning of His education, and His age from the end of His childhood until He married is called paugaṇḍa.

vivāha karile haila navīna yauvana
sarvatra laoyāila prabhu nāma-saṅkīrtana

After His marriage His youth began, and in His youth He induced everyone to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra anywhere and everywhere.

paugaṇḍa-vayase paḍena, paḍāna śiṣyagaṇe
sarvatra karena kṛṣṇa-nāmera vyākhyāne

During His paugaṇḍa age He became a serious student and also taught disciples. In this way He used to explain the holy name of Kṛṣṇa everywhere.

sūtra-vṛtti-pāṅji-ṭīkā kṛṣṇete tātparya
śiṣyera pratīta haya,---prabhāva āścarya

When teaching a course in grammar [vyākaraṇa] and explaining it with notes, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught His disciples about the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa. All explanations culminated in Kṛṣṇa, and His disciples would understand them very easily. Thus His influence was wonderful.

yāre dekhe, tāre kahe,---kaha kṛṣṇa-nāma
kṛṣṇa-nāme bhāsāila navadvīpa-grāma

When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a student, He asked whomever He met to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. In this way He inundated the whole town of Navadvīpa with the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa.

kiśora vayase ārambhilā saṅkīrtana
rātra-dine preme nṛtya, saṅge bhakta-gaṇa

Just prior to His youthful life, He began the saṅkīrtana movement. Day and night He used to dance in ecstasy with His devotees.

nagare nagare bhrame kīrtana kariyā
bhāsāila tri-bhuvana prema-bhakti diyā

The saṅkīrtana movement went on from one part of the town to another, as the Lord wandered everywhere performing kīrtana. In this way He inundated the whole world by distributing love of Godhead.

cabbiśa vatsara aiche navadvīpa-grāme
laoyāilā sarva-loke kṛṣṇa-prema-nāme

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu lived in the Navadvīpa area for twenty-four years, and He induced every person to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and thus merge in love of Kṛṣṇa.

cabbiśa vatsara chilā kariyā sannyāsa
bhakta-gaṇa lañā kailā nīlācale vāsa

For His remaining twenty-four years, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, after accepting the renounced order of life, stayed at Jagannātha Purī with His devotees.

tāra madhye nīlācale chaya vatsara
nṛtya, gīta, premabhakti-dāna nirantara

For six of these twenty-four years in Nīlācala [Jagannātha Purī], He distributed love of Godhead by always chanting and dancing.

setubandha, āra gauḍa-vyāpi vṛndāvana
prema-nāma pracāriyā karilā bhramaṇa

Beginning from Cape Comorin and extending through Bengal to Vṛndāvana, during these six years He toured all of India, chanting, dancing and distributing love of Kṛṣṇa.

ei ‘madhya-līlā’ nāma---līlā-mukhyadhāma
śeṣa aṣṭādaśa varṣa---‘antya-līlā’ nāma

The activities of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His travels after He accepted sannyāsa are His principal pastimes. His activities during His remaining eighteen years are called the antya-līlā, or the final portion of His pastimes.

tāra madhye chaya vatsara bhaktagaṇa-saṅge
prema-bhakti laoyāila nṛtya-gīta-raṅge

For six of the eighteen years He continuously stayed in Jagannātha Purī, He regularly performed kīrtana, inducing all the devotees to love Kṛṣṇa simply by chanting and dancing.

dvādaśa vatsara śeṣa rahilā nīlācale
premāvasthā śikhāilā āsvādana-cchale

For the remaining twelve years He stayed in Jagannātha Purī, He taught everyone how to taste the transcendental mellow ecstasy of love of Kṛṣṇa by tasting it Himself.

rātri-divase kṛṣṇa-viraha-sphuraṇa
unmādera ceṣṭā kare pralāpa-vacana

Day and night Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt separation from Kṛṣṇa. Manifesting symptoms of this separation, He cried and talked very inconsistently, like a madman.

śrī-rādhāra pralāpa yaiche uddhava-darśane
seimata unmāda-pralāpa kare rātri-dine

As Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī talked inconsistently when She met Uddhava, so also Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu relished, both day and night, such ecstatic talk in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

vidyāpati, jayadeva, caṇḍīdāsera gīta
āsvādena rāmānanda-svarūpa-sahita

The Lord used to read the books of Vidyāpati, Jayadeva and Caṇḍīdāsa, relishing their songs with His confidential associates like Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.

kṛṣṇera viyoge yata prema-ceṣṭita
āsvādiyā pūrṇa kaila āpana vāñchita

In separation from Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu relished all these ecstatic activities, and thus He fulfilled His own desires.

ananta caitanya-līlā kṣudra jīva hañā
ke varṇite pāre, tāhā vistāra kariyā

The pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu are unlimited. How much can a small living entity elaborate about those transcendental pastimes?

sūtra kari’ gaṇe yadi āpane ananta
sahasra-vadane teṅho nāhi pāya anta

If Śeṣa Nāga Ananta personally were to make the pastimes of Lord Caitanya into sūtras, even with His thousands of mouths there is no possibility that He could find their limit.

dāmodara-svarūpa, āra gupta murāri
mukhya-mukhya-līlā sūtre likhiyāche vicāri’

Devotees like Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara and Murāri Gupta have recorded all the principal pastimes of Lord Caitanya in the form of notes, after deliberate consideration.

sei, anusāre likhi līlā-sūtragaṇa
vistāri’ varṇiāchena tāhā dāsa-vṛndāvana

The notes kept by Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara and Murāri Gupta are the basis of this book. Following those notes, I write of all the pastimes of the Lord. The notes have been described elaborately by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.

caitanya-līlāra vyāsa,---dāsa vṛndāvana
madhura kariyā līlā karilā racana

Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, the authorized writer of the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is as good as Śrīla Vyāsadeva. He has described the pastimes in such a way as to make them sweeter and sweeter.

grantha-vistāra-bhaye chāḍilā ye ye sthāna
sei sei sthāne kichu kariba vyākhyāna

Being afraid of his book’s becoming too voluminous, he left some places without vivid descriptions. I shall try to fill those places as far as possible.

prabhura līlāmṛta teṅho kaila āsvādana
tāṅra bhukta-śeṣa kichu kariye carvaṇa

The transcendental pastimes of Lord Caitanya have actually been relished by Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. I am simply trying to chew the remnants of food left by him.

ādi-līlā-sūtra likhi, śuna, bhakta-gaṇa
saṅkṣepe likhiye samyak nā yāya likhana

My dear devotees of Lord Caitanya, let me now write a synopsis of the ādi-līlā; I write of these pastimes in brief because it is not possible to describe them in full.

kona vāñchā pūraṇa lāgi’ vrajendra-kumāra
avatīrṇa haite mane karilā vicāra

To fulfill a particular desire within His mind, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Vrajendra-kumāra, decided to descend to this planet after mature contemplation.

āge avatārilā ye ye guru-parivāra
saṅkṣepe kahiye, kahā nā yāya vistāra

Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore first allowed His family of superiors to descend to the earth. I shall try to describe them in brief because it is not possible to describe them fully.

śrī-śacī-jagannātha, śrī-mādhava-purī
keśava bhāratī, āra śrī-īśvara purī
advaita ācārya, āra paṇḍita śrīvāsa
ācāryaratna, vidyānidhi, ṭhākura haridāsa

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, before appearing as Lord Caitanya, requested these devotees to precede Him = Śrī Śacīdevī, Jagannātha Miśra, Mādhavendra Purī, Keśava Bhāratī, Īśvara Purī, Advaita Ācārya, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Ācāryaratna, Vidyānidhi and Ṭhākura Haridāsa.

śrīhaṭṭa-nivāsī śrī-upendra-miśra-nāma
vaiṣṇava, paṇḍita, dhanī, sad-guṇa-pradhāna

There was also Śrī Upendra Miśra, a resident of the district of Śrīhaṭṭa. He was a great devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, a learned scholar, a rich man and a reservoir of all good qualities.

sapta miśra tāṅra putra---sapta ṛṣīśvara
kaṁsāri, paramānanda, padmanābha, sarveśvara
jagannātha, janārdana, trailokyanātha
nadīyāte gaṅgā-vāsa kaila jagannātha

Upendra Miśra had seven sons, who were all saintly and most influential = (1) Kaṁsāri, (2) Paramānanda, (3) Padmanābha, (4) Sarveśvara, (5) Jagannātha, (6) Janārdana and (7) Trailokyanātha. Jagannātha Miśra, the fifth son, decided to reside on the bank of the Ganges at Nadia.

jagannātha miśravara---padavī ‘purandara’
nanda-vasudeva-rūpa sadguṇa-sāgara

Jagannātha Miśra was designated as Purandara. Exactly like Nanda Mahārāja and Vasudeva, he was an ocean of all good qualities.

tāṅra patnī ‘śacī’-nāma, pativratā satī
yāṅra pitā ‘nīlāmbara’ nāma cakravartī

His wife, Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, was a chaste woman highly devoted to her husband. Śacīdevī’s father’s name was Nīlāmbara, and his surname was Cakravartī.

rāḍhadeśe janmilā ṭhākura nityānanda
gaṅgādāsa paṇḍita, gupta murāri, mukunda

In Rāḍhadeśa, the part of Bengal where the Ganges is not visible, Nityānanda Prabhu, Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, Murāri Gupta and Mukunda took birth.

asaṅkhya bhaktera karāilā avatāra
śeṣe avatīrṇa hailā vrajendra-kumāra

Lord Kṛṣṇa, Vrajendra-kumāra, first caused countless devotees to appear, and at last He appeared Himself.

prabhura āvirbhāva-pūrve yata vaiṣṇava-gaṇa
advaita-ācāryera sthāne karena gamana

Before the appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the devotees of Navadvīpa used to gather in the house of Advaita Ācārya.

gītā-bhhāgavata kahe ācārya-gosāñi
jñāna-karma nindi’ kare bhaktira baḍāi

In these meetings of the Vaiṣṇavas, Advaita Ācārya used to recite the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, decrying the paths of philosophical speculation and fruitive activity and establishing the superexcellence of devotional service.

sarva-śāstre kahe kṛṣṇa-bhaktira vyākhyāna
jñāna, yoga, tapo-dharma nāhi māne āna

In all the revealed scriptures of Vedic culture, devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa is explained throughout. Therefore devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa do not recognize the processes of philosophical speculation, mystic yoga, unnecessary austerity and so-called religious rituals. They do not accept any process but devotional service.

tāṅra saṅge ānanda kare vaiṣṇavera gaṇa
kṛṣṇa-kathā, kṛṣṇa-pūjā, nāma-saṅkīrtana

In the house of Advaita Ācārya, all the Vaiṣṇavas took pleasure in always talking of Kṛṣṇa, always worshiping Kṛṣṇa and always chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

kintu sarva-loka dekhi’ kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha
viṣaye nimagna loka dekhi’ pāya duḥkha

But Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu felt pained to see all the people without Kṛṣṇa consciousness simply merging in material sense enjoyment.

lokera nistāra-hetu karena cintana
kemate e saba lokera ha-ibe tāraṇa

Seeing the condition of the world, He began to think seriously of how all these people could be delivered from the clutches of māyā.

kṛṣṇa avatari’ karena bhaktira vistāra
tabe ta’ sakala lokera ha-ibe nistāra

Śrīla Advaita Ācārya Prabhu thought, "If Kṛṣṇa Himself appears in order to distribute the cult of devotional service, then only will liberation be possible for all people."

kṛṣṇa avatārite ācārya pratijñā kariyā
kṛṣṇa-pūjā kare tulasī-gaṅgājala diyā

With this consideration, Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, promising to cause Lord Kṛṣṇa to descend, began to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, with tulasī leaves and water of the Ganges.

kṛṣṇera āhvāna kare saghana huṅkāra
huṅkāre ākṛṣṭa hailā vrajendra-kumāra

By loud cries He invited Kṛṣṇa to appear, and this repeated invitation attracted Lord Kṛṣṇa to descend.

jagannāthamiśra-patnī śacīra udare
aṣṭa kanyā krame haila, janmi’ janmi’ mare

Before the birth of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, eight daughters took birth one after another from the womb of Śacīmātā, the wife of Jagannātha Miśra. But just after their birth, they all died.

apatya-virahe miśrera duḥkhī haila mana
putra lāgi’ ārādhila viṣṇura caraṇa

Jagannātha Miśra was very unhappy at the death of his children one after another. Therefore, desiring a son, he worshiped the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu.

tabe putra janamilā ‘viśvarūpa’ nāma
mahā-guṇavān teṅha---‘baladeva’-dhāma

After this, Jagannātha Miśra got a son of the name Viśvarūpa, who was most powerful and highly qualified because He was an incarnation of Baladeva.

baladeva-prakāśa---parama-vyome ‘saṅkarṣaṇa’
teṅha---viśvera upādāna-nimitta-kāraṇa

The expansion of Baladeva known as Saṅkarṣaṇa in the spiritual world is the ingredient and immediate cause of this material cosmic manifestation.

tāṅhā ba-i viśve kichu nāhi dekhi āra
ataeva ‘viśvarūpa’ nāma ye tāṅhāra

The gigantic universal form is called the Viśvarūpa incarnation of Mahā-saṅkarṣaṇa. Thus we do not find anything within this cosmic manifestation except the Lord Himself.

naitac citraṁ bhagavati
hy anante jagad-īśvare
otaṁ protam idaṁ yasmin
tantuṣv aṅga yathā paṭaḥ

"As the threads in a cloth spread both lengthwise and breadthwise, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead exists directly and indirectly within everything we see in this cosmic manifestation. This is not very wonderful for Him."

ataeva prabhu tāṅre bale, ‘baḍa bhāi’
kṛṣṇa, balarāma dui---caitanya, nitāi

Because Mahā-saṅkarṣaṇa is the ingredient and efficient cause of the cosmic manifestation, He is present in every detail of it. Lord Caitanya therefore called Him His elder brother. The two brothers are known as Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma in the spiritual world, but at the present moment they are Caitanya and Nitāi. Therefore the conclusion is that Nityānanda Prabhu is the original Saṅkarṣaṇa, Baladeva.

putra pāñā dampati hailā ānandita mana
viśeṣe sevana kare govinda-caraṇa

The husband and wife [Jagannātha Miśra and Śacīmātā], having gotten Viśvarūpa as their son, were very pleased within their minds. Because of their pleasure, they specifically began to serve the lotus feet of Govinda.

audda-śata chaya śake śeṣa māgha māse
jagannātha-śacīra dehe kṛṣṇera praveśe

In the month of January in the year 1406 of the Śaka Era (A.D. 1485), Lord Kṛṣṇa entered the bodies of both Jagannātha Miśra and Śacī.

miśra kahe śacī-sthāne,---dekhi āna rīta
jyotirmaya deha, geha lakṣmī-adhiṣṭhita

Jagannātha Miśra said to Śacīmātā, "I see wonderful things! Your body is effulgent, and it appears as if the goddess of fortune were now staying personally in my home.

yāhāṅ tāhāṅ sarva-loka karaye sammāna
ghare pāṭhāiyā deya dhana, vastra, dhāna

"Anywhere and everywhere I go, all people offer me respect. Even without my asking, they voluntarily give me riches, clothing and paddy."

śacī kahe,---muñi dekhoṅ ākāśa-upare
divya-mūrti loka saba yena stuti kare

Śacīmātā told her husband, "I see wonderfully brilliant human beings appearing in outer space, as if offering prayers."

jagannātha miśra kahe,---svapna ye dekhila
jyotirmaya-dhāma mora hṛdaye paśila

Jagannātha Miśra then replied, "In a dream I saw the effulgent abode of the Lord enter my heart.

āmāra hṛdaya haite gelā tomāra hṛdaye
hena bujhi, janmibena kona mahāśaye

"From my heart it entered your heart. I therefore understand that a great personality will soon take birth."

eta bali’ duṅhe rahe haraṣita hañā
śālagrāma sevā kare viśeṣa kariyā

After this conversation, both husband and wife were very jubilant, and together they rendered service to the household śālagrāma-śilā.

haite haite haila garbha trayodaśa māsa
tathāpi bhūmiṣṭha nahe,---miśrera haila trāsa

In this way the pregnancy approached its thirteenth month, but still there was no sign of the delivery of the child. Thus Jagannātha Miśra became greatly apprehensive.

nīlāmbara cakravartī kahila gaṇiyā
ei māse putra habe śubha-kṣaṇa pāñā

Nīlāmbara Cakravartī [the grandfather of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu] then did an astrological calculation and said that in that very month, taking advantage of an auspicious moment, the child would take birth.

caudda-śata sāta-śake māsa ye phālguna
paurṇamāsīra sandhyā-kāle haile śubha-kṣaṇa

Thus in the year 1407 of the Śaka Era [A.D. 1486], in the month of Phālguna [February-March], in the evening of the full-moon day, the desired auspicious moment arrived.

siṁha-rāśi, siṁha-lagna, ucca graha-gaṇa
ṣaḍ-varga, aṣṭa-varga, sarva sulakṣaṇa

[According to the Jyotir-veda, or Vedic astrology, the auspicious birth moment is described as follows:] The moon was in Leo [the figure of the lion in the zodiac], Leo was the ascendant, several planets were strongly positioned, and the ṣaḍ-varga and aṣṭa-varga showed all-auspicious influences.

a-kalaṅka gauracandra dilā daraśana
sa-kalaṅka candre āra kon prayojana

When the spotless moon of Caitanya Mahāprabhu became visible, what would be the need for a moon full of black marks on its body?

eta jāni’ rāhu kaila candrera grahaṇa
‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘hari’ nāme bhāse tri-bhuvana

Considering this, Rāhu, the black planet, covered the full moon, and immediately vibrations of "Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa! Hari!" inundated the three worlds.

jaya jaya dhvani haila sakala bhuvana
camatkāra haiyā loka bhāve mane mana

All people thus chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra during the lunar eclipse, and their minds were struck with wonder.

jagat bhariyā loka bale---‘hari’ ‘hari’
sei-kṣaṇe gaurakṛṣṇa bhūme avatari

When the whole world was thus chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa in the form of Gaurahari advented Himself on the earth.

prasanna ha-ila saba jagatera mana
‘hari’ bali’ hinduke hāsya karaye yavana

The whole world was pleased. While the Hindus chanted the holy name of the Lord, the non-Hindus, especially the Muslims, jokingly imitated the words.

‘hari’ bali’ nārīgaṇa dei hulāhuli
svarge vādya-nṛtya kare deva kutūhalī

While all the ladies vibrated the holy name of Hari on earth, in the heavenly planets dancing and music were going on, for the demigods were very curious.

prasanna haila daśa dik, prasanna nadījala
sthāvara-jaṅgama haila ānande vihvala

In this atmosphere, all the ten directions became jubilant, as did the waves of the rivers. Moreover, all beings, moving and nonmoving, were overwhelmed with transcendental bliss.

nadīyā-udayagiri, pūrṇacandra gaurahari,
kṛpā kari’ ha-ila udaya
pāpa-tamaḥ haila nāśa, tri-jagatera ullāsa,
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.

sei-kāle nijālaya, uṭhiyā advaita rāya,
nṛtya kare ānandita-mane
haridāse lañā saṅge, huṅkāra-kīrtana-raṅge
kene nāce, keha nāhi jāne

At that time Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, in His own house at Śāntipura, was dancing in a pleasing mood. Taking Haridāsa Ṭhākura with Him, He danced and loudly chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa. But why they were dancing, no one could understand.

dekhi’ uparāga hāsi’, śīghra gaṅgā-ghāṭe āsi’
ānande karila gaṅgā-snāna
pāñā uparāga-chale, āpanāra mano-bale,
brāhmaṇere dila nānā dāna

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.

jagat ānandamaya, dekhi’ mane sa-vismaya,
ṭhāreṭhore kahe haridāsa
tomāra aichana raṅga, mora mana parasanna,
dekhi---kichu kārye āche bhāsa

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."

ācāryaratna, śrīvāsa, haila mane sukhollāsa
yāi’ snāna kaila gaṅgā-jale
ānande vihvala mana, kare hari-saṅkīrtana
nānā dāna kaila mano-bale

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.

ei mata bhakta-tati, yāṅra yei deśe sthiti,
tāhāṅ tāhāṅ pāñā mano-bale
nāce, kare saṅkīrtana, ānande vihvala mana,
dāna kare grahaṇera chale

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.

brāhmaṇa-sajjana-nārī, nānā-dravye thālī bhari’
āilā sabe yautuka la-iyā
yena kāṅcā-soṇā-dyuti, dekhi’ bālakera mūrti,
āśīrvāda kare sukha pāñā

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.

sāvitrī, gaurī, sarasvatī, śacī, rambhā, arundhatī
āra yata deva-nārīgaṇa
nānā-dravye pātra bhari’, brāhmaṇīra veśa dhari’,
āsi’ sabe kare daraśana

Dressing themselves as the wives of brāhmaṇas, all the celestial ladies, including the wives of Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, King Indra and Vasiṣṭha Ṛṣi, along with Rambhā, a dancing girl of heaven, came there with varieties of gifts.

antarīkṣe deva-gaṇa, gandharva, siddha, cāraṇa,
stuti-nṛtya kare vādya-gīta
nartaka, vādaka, bhāṭa, navadvīpe yāra nāṭa,
sabe āsi’ nāce pāñā prīta

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.

kebā āse kebā yāya, kebā nāce kebā gāya,
sambhālite nāre kāra bola
khaṇḍileka duḥkha-śoka, pramoda-pūrita loka,
miśra hailā ānande vihvala

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.

ācāryaratna, śrīvāsa, jagannātha-miśra-pāśa,
āsi’ tāṅre kare sāvadhāna
karāila jātakarma, ye āchila vidhi-dharma,
tabe miśra kare nānā dāna

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.

yautuka pāila yata, ghare vā āchila kata,
saba dhana vipre dila dāna
yata nartaka, gāyana, bhāṭa, akiñcana jana,
dhana diyā kaila sabāra māna

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.

śrīvāsera brāhmaṇī, nāma tāṅra ‘mālinī’,
ācāryaratnera patnī-saṅge
sindūra, haridrā, taila, kha-i, kalā, nārikela,
diyā pūje nārīgaṇa raṅge

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.

advaita-ācārya-bhāryā, jagat-pūjitā āryā,
nāma tāṅra ‘sītā ṭhākurāṇī’
ācāryera ājñā pāñā, gela upahāra lañā,
dekhite bālaka-śiromaṇi

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.

suvarṇera kaḍi-ba-uli, rajatamudrā-pāśuli,
suvarṇera aṅgada, kaṅkaṇa
du-bāhute divya śaṅkha, rajatera malabaṅka,
svarṇa-mudrāra nānā hāragaṇa

She brought different kinds of golden ornaments, including armlets, necklaces, anklets and bangles for the hands.

vyāghra-nakha hema-jaḍi, kaṭi-paṭṭasūtra-ḍorī
hasta-padera yata ābharaṇa
citra-varṇa paṭṭa-sāḍī, buni photo paṭṭapāḍī,
svarṇa-raupya-mudrā bahu-dhana

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.

durvā, dhānya, gorocana, haridrā, kuṅkuma, candana,
maṅgala-dravya pātra bhariyā
vastra-gupta dolā caḍi’ saṅge lañā dāsī ceḍī,
vastrālaṅkāra peṭāri bhariyā

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.

bhakṣya, bhojya, upahāra, saṅge la-ila bahu bhāra,
śacī-gṛhe haila upanīta
dekhiyā bālaka-ṭhāma, sākṣāt gokula-kāna,
varṇa-mātra dekhi viparīta

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.

sarva aṅga---sunirmāṇa, suvarṇa-pratimā-bhāna,
sarva aṅga---sulakṣaṇamaya
bālakera divya jyoti, dekhi’ pāila bahu prīti,
vātsalyete dravila hṛdaya

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.

durvā, dhānya, dila śīrṣe, kaila bahu āśīṣe,
cirajīvī hao dui bhāi
ḍākinī-śāṅkhinī haite, śaṅkā upajila cite,
ḍare nāma thuila ‘nimāi’

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.

putramātā-snānadine, dila vastra vibhūṣaṇe,
putra-saha miśrere sammāni’
śacī-miśrera pūjā lañā, manete hariṣa hañā,
ghare āilā sītā ṭhākurāṇī

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.

aiche śacī-jagannātha, putra pāñā lakṣmīnātha,
pūrṇa ha-ila sakala vāñchita
dhana-dhānye bhare ghara, lokamānya kalevara,
dine dine haya ānandita

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.

miśra---vaiṣṇava, śānta, alampaṭa, śuddha, dānta,
dhana-bhoge nāhi abhimāna
putrera prabhāve yata, dhana āsi’ mile, tata,
viṣṇu-prīte dvije dena dāna

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.

lagna gaṇi’ harṣamati, nīlāmbara cakravartī,
gupte kichu kahila miśrere
mahāpuruṣera cihna, lagne aṅge bhinna bhinna,
dekhi,---ei tāribe saṁsāre

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.

aiche prabhu śacī-ghare, kṛpāya kaila avatāre,
yei ihā karaye śravaṇa
gaura-prabhu dayāmaya, tāṅre hayena sadaya,
sei pāya tāṅhāra caraṇa

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.

pāiyā mānuṣa janma, ye nā śune gaura-guṇa,
hena janma tāra vyartha haila
pāiyā amṛtadhunī, piye viṣa-garta-pāni,
janmiyā se kene nāhi maila

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.

śrī-caitanya-nityānanda, ācārya advaitacandra,
svarūpa-rūpa-raghunāthadāsa
iṅhā-sabāra śrī-caraṇa, śire vandi nija-dhana,
janma-līlā gāila kṛṣṇadāsa

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.