The Glories of Sri Advaita Acarya Gosani
Chaitanya Bhagavata Madhya-khanda – Ch 16
Chapter Sixteen – Suklambara-tandula-bhojana
Text 24
Another day Lord Chaitanya danced and danced, but did not feel ecstasy. He looked in the four directions.
Text 25
Lord Chaitanya said, “Why am I not happy today? Did I commit an offense? To whom?”
Text 26
Advaita Acarya was naturally devoted to Lord Chaitanya. He thought Himself a servant of Lord Chaitanya. He never thought Himself anything else.
Text 27
When Lord Chaitanya sat on the Deity-throne, Advaita placed the Lord’s feet on His head.
Text 28
When Lord Chaitanya displayed His divine powers and opulence, Advaita floated in an ocean of bliss.
Text 29
Then Lord Chaitanya would declare, “Nara, You are My servant. At those times Advaita felt limitless joy.
Text 30
No one has the power to understand the inconceivable nature of Lord Chaitanya. One moment He grasps the Vaishnavas’ feet.
Text 31
Then He places a blade of grass between His teeth. Then He weeps. Then He calls out, “O father Krishna! You are My very life!”
Text 32
When He wept, even the stones broke into pieces. Always thinking Himself a servant of Lord Krishna, Lord Chaitanya enjoyed pastimes.
Text 33
Before everyone, Lord Chaitanya would break apart the idea that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As if He did not already know everything, He asked,
Text 34
“I must have acted badly. Tell me what I did. If I acted badly, I will die in a moment.
Text 35
“Krishna is My life and My treasure. He is My duty. O My brothers, You are My friends birth after birth.
Text 36
“My goal is to serve Lord Krishna. I have no other goal. All of you please teach Me how to serve Him. If you don’t, then My heart will go astray.”
Text 37
Frightened, the devotees drew back. No one breathed. No one spoke.
Text 38
At other times, the Lord would give orders to the devotees. At those times the devotees were able to touch the Lord’s feet.
Text 39
Seeing the Vaishnavas, Lord Chaitanya would think Himself their servant. Standing up, He would respectfully touch the dust of their feet.
Text 40
At this the Vaishnava would feel unhappy at heart. That is why the Lord would then embrace them.
Text 41
Lord Chaitanya always thought Advaita Acarya His spiritual master. At this Advaita would feel very unhappy.
Text 42
Advaita was not able to serve Lord Chaitanya directly. While Lord Chaitanya slept, Advaita would grasp the Lord’s feet.
Text 43
In His heart He meditated on Lord Chaitanya’s feet. Advaita always desired to serve Lord Chaitanya directly. That was His constant desire.
Text 44
Although He did not have the power to serve Him directly, Advaita yearned to serve Lord Chaitanya. Therefore Advaita resorted to stealing the dust from Lord Chaitanya’s feet.
Text 45
When Lord Chaitanya fainted in ecstatic love, Advaita approached the Lord’s feet.
Text 46
Offering dandavat obeisances, Advaita fell before the soles of the Lord’s feet. With the tears from His eyes, Advaita washed Lord Chaitanya’s feet.
Text 47
When Lord Chaitanya fainted in ecstasy, on His own head Advaita wiped the Lord’s feet. Offering dandavat obeisances, He worshiped the Lord.
Text 48
Only because he had attained Lord Chaitanya’s great, great mercy could Advaita act in these ways.
Text 49
Therefore Advaita was the first of the Vaishnavas. All the Vaishnavas affirmed, “Advaita is very fortunate.”
Text 50
Wicked persons do not understand the secret of Lord Advaita’s transcendental glories.
Text 51
One day Lord Chaitanya danced, and Advaita happily followed Him.
Text 52
Then Lord Chaitanya fell unconscious. Seeing this, Advaita anointed His limbs with the dust of the Lord’s feet. Then He hid.
Text 53
Lord Chaitanya was perfectly aware of all these wonderful activities. Then Lord Chaitanya began dancing again. Dancing and dancing, He did not feel happy.
Text 54
Lord Chaitanya said, “Why is it not revealed to My heart? Whom have I offended, that now I do not feel joyful?
Text 55
“What was stolen from Me. Who stole it? Because of this offense, I have no power to dance in ecstasy.
Text 56
“Did someone touch the dust of My feet? Tell the truth. Don’t worry. This I tell to you.”
Text 57
Hearing the words of He who is the Supersoul present in everyone’s heart, the devotees became afraid. Silent, no one spoke.
Text 58
If they spoke, they were afraid of Advaita’s response. If they did not speak they would die. Understanding their dilemma, Advaita folded His hands and said,
Text 59
“If a thief cannot take directly, he will take when no one is looking.
Text 60
“I am the thief. Please forgive My transgression. If it displeases You, I will not do it.”
Text 61
Advaita’s words made Lord Chaitanya angry. On the pretext of angry words Lord Chaitanya described the glories of Advaita.
Text 62
He said, “You destroy everything, and even then You feel no remorse in Your heart.
Text 63
“Then, when everything is destroyed, You won’t be happy unless You destroy Me also.
Text 64
“You kill the ascetics, sannyasis, yogis, and philosophers. Whom do You not kill with Your trident?
Text 65
“When people grasp Your feet to attain the goal of life, You respond by killing them.
Text 66
“A certain sincere Vaishnava who lives in Mathura has come to see the glory of Your feet.
Text 67
“After seeing You, how can anyone attain devotion to Lord Vishnu? Whatever devotion he attains, Your eternal potency will take away.
Text 68
“When You touch the dust of a person’s feet, You destroy him. Without mercy You destroy him.
Text 69
“Lord Krishna has given to You all the devotion that exists in the countless universes.
Text 70
“Still You rob from a small person who has little. There is no mercy in Your heart. You rob from the poor.
Text 71
“You are a hoodlum. You are the greatest of robbers. You have robbed My happiness of love for Lord Krishna.”
Text 72
In this way, on the pretext of criticizing Him, Lord Chaitanya praised Advaita Acarya. Hearing the Lord’s words, all the devotees floated in bliss.
Text 73
Then Lord Chaitanya said, “You have robbed Me. Can I not rob You? Look! Look! I will rob from the robber.”
Text 74
After speaking these words, Lord Chaitanya grasped Advaita’s feet and, laughing and laughing, took the dust that was there.
Text 75
Advaita had no power to defeat the fair lion of Lord Chaitanya. On His own head Lord Chaitanya rubbed Advaita’s feet.
Text 76
Holding to His own chest Advaita’s feet, Lord Chaitanya said, “Look! Look! I have tied up the thief. I have imprisoned Him in My heart.
Text 77
“A hundred times You robbed Me. I am the master of the house. Now, in one time, I reclaim all that was robbed from My house.”
Text 78
Then Advaita said, “What You say is true. You are the master of the house. I did not understand anything.
Text 79
“My life, intelligence, mind, and body are all Your property. Lord, if You kill someone, who can protect him?
Text 80
“You give happiness, and You also give suffering. If You punish someone, who can protect him?
Text 81
“Narada and the sages went to Dvaraka City to see the life’s treasure that is Your feet.
Text 82
“Then You would take the dust from their feet. What could they do then? That I ask You.
Text 83
“When You take the dust of his feet, what can Your servant do?
Text 84
“How can Your servant give the dust of his feet to You? Who can disobey Your command?
Text 85
“It is not right for the Supreme Lord to act in this way. You will destroy me, and You think it is funny.
Text 86
“You may either protect Me or destroy Me. Lord, You will do whatever You wish.”
Text 87
Then Lord Chaitanya said, “You are the keeper of the storehouse of devotional service. That is why I serve Your feet.
Text 88
“Anyone who anoints his body with the dust of Your feet will float in the nectar of pure love for Lord Krishna.
Text 89
“If You do not give it, no one can attain devotional service. Please know perfectly well that, “I am Your property.”
Text 90
“You can sell Me as You like. Lord, I tell You the truth.”
Text 91
In their hearts all the devotees meditated on Lord Chaitanya’s great mercy to Advaita.
Text 92
They said, “The Lord has truly served Him. Therefore, Advaita is a very exalted person. Ten million liberations are not equal to a small fragment of the mercy Advaita has attained.
Text 93
“Even the demigod Siva never attained mercy like the mercy Advaita attained from Lord Chaitanya.”
Text 94
“We are fortunate to associate with such an exalted devotee. The dust of this devotee’s feet we place on all our limbs.”
Text 95
The devotees were very happy to praise Advaita. Because of their past misdeeds, the sinners feel unhappy to hear Advaita’s glories.
Text 96
Everything I have now said is true. They who have no faith in the Vaishnavas’ words will perish.
Text 97
Lord Chaitanya stood up and said, “Haribol!” Then the devotees around Him in the four directions began to sing.
Text 98
Overcome with bliss, forgetting all else, and now become like a wild man, Advaita Acarya danced.
Text 99
Placing His hand on His beard and knitting His eyebrows, Advaita Acarya, the master of Santipura, loudly roared. Then He began to dance.
Text 100
Day and night everyone happily sang, “Jaya Krishna! Gopala! Govinda! Vanamali!”
