The Meeting with Ramananda Ray
Thus did the Master wend His way. On reaching the temple of the
Nrisingha (Man-lion) Incarnation at Jiyad,[1] He made His bow and
rapturously sang and danced long in honour of the god, saying, "Glory to
Nrisingha! Glory to Nrisingha! Prahlad's Lord! Glory to you, O
Lotus-lipped, O Bee on the Lotus!" [The _Bhagabat_, VII. ix. I. verse
quoted in Shridhar Goswami's commentary].
Many such verses did the Master recite as He prayed to the god. The
serving priest presented Him with the god's garland. As before, a
Brahman invited and fed the Master, who passed the night there. Next
morning He took up His journey again, His emotion of faith making Him
heedless of outer things day and night. As before, He made the people
turn Vaishnav, and after a long time reached the bank of the Godavari,
which reminded Him of the Jamuna, while the wood on the bank suggested
Brindaban. After dancing in the wood, He crossed the river and bathed
there. Sitting at the water's edge away from the _ghat_, the Master
chanted Krishna's name. Just then arrived Ramananda Ray in a litter,
attended by Jiyad musicians and many Vaidik Brahmans, to bathe. He
bathed and performed the rites duly. The Master at first sight knew him
for Ramananda Ray, and longed to meet him, but sat checking His
eagerness. Ramananda Ray came up to Him on seeing a _sannyasi_, and
wondered as he gazed on His person beaming like a hundred suns, His robe
of the hue of the morning sun, His large vigorous frame, His eyes like
the lotus. As he prostrated himself before the Master, the latter stood
up and said, "Rise, and chant Krishna's name", and though thirsting with
desire to embrace him, He asked, "Art thou Ramananda Ray?" The man
answered, "Yes, I am that slave, a vile Shudra." Passionately did the
Master embrace him, and both tumbled down on the ground in excess of
devo tion, senseless with love, inert or perspiring, weeping, trembling,
with hair standing on end, pale of hue, and lisping 'Krishna! Krishna!'
The Vaidik Brahmans marvelled as they beheld it, and inly thought, "This
_sannyasi_, we see, is powerful like Brahma. Why does he weep after
embracing a Shudra? This noble is a grave and learned man; why then has
he been maddened by the touch of the _sannyasi_?" The Master checked
Himself on seeing strangers. The two composed themselves and sat down
there. Smilingly the Master began, "Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya has spoken
to me of your merits, and pressed me to see you. For that purpose have I
come here. It is well that I have met you so easily." The Ray replied,
"Sarvabhauma knows me for his servant, and is ever on the watch to do me
good even indirectly. Through his grace have I met you, and to-day my
life has become a success. That you have graciously touched this
untouchable Shudra is the proof of your mercy and that of Sarvabhauma.
Thou art the God Narayan himself, and I a royal servant, a worldling, a
wretch! In touching me thou didst not feel repulsion or fear of the
Vedas! The Vedas forbid you even to look at me. Thy mercy leads thee to
perform a forbidden act. Thou art God indeed; who can know thy ways? For
delivering me hast thou come here, O Fountain of Mercy! O Saviour of the
Fallen! Such is the habit of the great, to sate a wretch he goes out of
his way to pay him a visit! _Vide_ the _Bhagabat_, X. viii. 2, Nanda's
words to Garga:
_'Master, that saints travel from their own hermitages is only for doing
[spiritual] good to those householders who cannot leave their houses;
there is no other purpose in it.'_
"The thousand men, Brahmans and others, in my train, have had their
hearts melted by Thy sight. All of them are shouting _Krishna! Hari!_
All are tremulous, all are weeping in joy. Verily you have every
characteristic, internal and external, of God. No mortal can possess
such supernatural power!"
The Master replied, "You are the greatest of devotees. It is your sight
that has softened the hearts of all. Why impute it to another? I am only
a _sannyasi_ holding the theory of illusion (_maya-vad_), but even I
have been steeped in the love of Krishna by your touch. Knowing that my
heart is hard to reform, Sarvabhauma had asked me to meet you."
Thus did the two praise each other, each delighted to see the other.
Then a Vaishnav Vaidik Brahman bowed and invited the Master, who
accepted the invitation knowing him to be a Vaishnav. Smiling, the
Master said to Ramananda, "I wish to hear the discourse of Krishna from
your lips. I hope I shall see you again." The Ray replied, "You have
come here to save this sinner. But my wicked heart has not been cleansed
by the mere sight of you. Stay for 5 or 7 days to purge my hard heart of
its sins." Ramananda Ray bowed and went away, though loth to part, while
the Master went to the Brahman's house to dine. Eagerly did the two look
for their meeting in the evening. As the Master was sitting after his
sunset bath, the Ray arrived with a servant. He bowed to the Master, who
embraced him. The two conversed in a retired spot. The Master bade him
recite the verses indicating the means of gaming devotion (_sadhya_).
The Ray replied, "We acquire faith in Vishnu by doing the duties of our
rank. As the _Vishnu Puran_, III. viii. 8, says, '_Worship the Supreme
Being Vishnu by doing the prescribed duties of your caste. There is no
other means of pleasing Him._'" The Master objected, "This is only an
external means. Mention one more advanced." The Ray replied, "The
highest means of acquiring devotion is to resign to Krishna the fruits
of our acts, as the _Gita_, IX. 27, puts it:
_'O Son of Kunti, consign to me whatever you do, be it eating,
performing the horn ceremony, alms-giving, or austerity._'"
The Master again objected, "This too is external. Go deeper into the
subject." The Ray answered, "The highest means of devotion is abandoning
one's caste-duties [out of love for Krishna], as the Lord says to Uddhav
in the _Bhagabat_, XI. xi. 32:
_'He too is the highest of holy men, who knowing well the gain and loss
of such a course, worships me by renouncing the Vedic rites and
ceremonies of his caste, though these too were ordained by me.'_
"Also, as the _Gita_, xvvi. 66, has it:
_'Take refuge in ME alone, giving up all religions. Grieve not; I will
deliver thee from all sins.'_
But to this the Master objected, "This too is external. Tell me of a
still higher means." The Ray answered, "Faith based on knowledge is the
highest means of devotion. As Shri Krishna says to Arjun in the _Gita_,
xviii. 54:
_'The peaceful soul that dwells on Brahma, and feels not sorrow or
desire, but is the same in all states, gains my supreme bhakti.'"_
Again the Master objected as before. The Ray answered, "Faith
independent of knowledge is the highest instrument of devotion. Witness
Brahma's words to God in the _Bhagabat_, X. xiv. 3:
_'Lord, hard as Thou art to be won in the Universe, yet they realize
Thee who reject the quest of theological knowledge but stay at home,
listening to Thy story as told by holy men and accepting it with all
their mind, body and soul.'"_
The Master remarked, "It is so; but mention a higher still." The Ray
said, "The highest devotion is _love)_ (_prem-bhakti_). Witness the
following verses of Ramananda Ray quoted in the _Padyavali_, cantos xi
and xii respectively:
_'We relish food and drink only so long as we have hunger and thirst.
Similarly, the devotee delights not in worshipping his heart's darling
with elaborate Preparations, but in love alone.'_
_'Get a heart inspired with love of Krishna, if ever you can get it. Its
only price is greed,--a price which we cannot acquire even by the
accumulated merits of ten millions of births.'"_
The Master remarked as before. The Ray replied, "The love of a servant
is the highest devotion. Witness the speech of Durvasha in the
_Bhagabat_, IX. v. 11:--
_'What is too hard for the Lord's servants to gain, as the very
listening to His name purifies all creatures?'"_
The Master remarked, "It is so, but give a still deeper cause." The Ray
replied, "Love as for a comrade is the highest form of devotion. Witness
Shukdev's words to Parikshit, in the _Bhagabat_, X. xii. 10:
_'God is known to the good as the consciousness of divine pleasure
(brahma-sukhanubhuti), and to His servants as the Supreme Object of
Adoration. That such a God played with the deluded cow-boys in the garb
of a human child, was due to their excessive merit.'"_
The Master said, "This too is good. Mention a higher one still." The Ray
went on, "The highest devotion is love as for a _child_. Witness the
following verses of the _Bhagabat_:
_'Shukdev! what high-class meritorious deeds did Nanda perform, and what
did the blessed Yashoda do that she suckled the Divine Being?"_ (X.
viii. 36).
_'The bliss that the cowherd's wife Yashoda derived from her Saviour-son
was never gained by Brahma, or Shiva, or even by Lakshmi though clasped
to His person.'_ (X. ix. 15.)
The Master said, "This is good, no doubt. But mention a higher still."
The Ray replied, "Passion as for a lover is the highest form of
devotion. Witness the following verses of the _Bhagabat_:
_'Verily the favour shown by the Supreme Being to the fair ones of
Brindaban, when in the rasa sport He clasped them round the neck with
His arms, was not enjoyed even by Lakshmi, who is held to His heart, nor
by the heavenly nymphs though blooming and odorous like the lotus; not
to speak of other women.'_ (X. xlvii. 53)
The Ray continued, "Many are the means of attaining to Krishna, and
there are degrees of such attainment. By whichever of these means a man
is inspired, it appears as the highest to him. It is only when we judge
from a position of detachment that we can discriminate them as good,
better, and best.
"The preceding five passions are arranged in the order of their upward
development. With the increase of quality there is an increase of
deliciousness at each step. The _shanta_ passion attains its maturity
in the _dasya_, the _dasya_ in the _sakhya_, the _sakhya_ in the
_batsalya_, and all of these four are concentrated in the _madhura_,
just as the properties of the four elements, _viz._, sky, air, &c.
increase in an advancing order and are all united in the fifth element,
the Earth. The full attainment of Krishna results from this last passion
of conjugal love (_prema_). The _Bhagabat_ asserts that Krishna is a
slave to devotion in the form of _prema_.
"Krishna's purpose remains constant in all ages: He makes a return to
our adoration in exactly the same form in which we offer it. But He
cannot reciprocate this _prem_ adoration to the full, and so remains
our debtor, as the _Bhagabat_ affirms. (X. xxxii. 21, Krishna's words
to the milk-maids).
"True, Krishna is the highest type of beauty and grace, but even His
charm increases when He is in the company of the Lady of Braja. Witness
the _Bhagabat_, X. xxxiii. 6:
_'As the beauty of the emerald is set off when it is placed amidst
golden-coloured gems, so shines Krishna when girt round by the beaming
girls of Brindaban.'"_
The Master remarked, "This is indeed the extreme point among the means
of devotion. Kindly tell me if there is anything beyond it!" The Ray
said, "I did not know before that the earth contained any man who would
inquire beyond this point! Of all kinds of conjugal passion Radha's love
is celebrated in all our Scriptures as the highest".
The Master said, "Speak on! I delight to hear. A wondrous stream of
nectar is flowing out of your lips. Show how Krishna abducted Radha for
fear of interruption by the other cow-herd girls; because a love that
extends to others than the beloved is not deep enough. If you can show
that for Radha's sake Krishna openly forsook the other Gopis, then I
shall know that he passionately loved her." The Ray replied, "Hear,
then, of this glorious power of love. The three worlds cannot match
Radha's love. Krishna broke away from the circle of the _rasa_ dance of
the Gopis and wandered through the woods mourning for Radha. Witness the
_Git-Govinda_, canto III. verses 2 and i, and the _Ujjwala-Nilmani_,
verse 43.
Radha left the dance in anger and wounded pride. Krishna grew restless
as he lost her. His whole heart was set on the _rasa_ dance, and Radha
was the chain that bound his heart to it. In her absence, the _rasa_
dance palled on his taste. So he left the circle of dancers to seek her
out. As he roamed hither and thither, without finding her, he grieved,
stricken with Cupid's dart. A thousand million Gopis could not satiate
his passion. From this you may infer Radha's merit!"
The Master said, "I have now learnt those spiritual mysteries for which
I came to you. Now have I learnt how to ascertain the various methods of
adoration. But I long to hear more: tell me of Krishna's form, of
Radha's form, what mystery is _rasa_, what is the essence of love
(_prem_). Be kind and tell me these mysteries; none but you can expound
them." The Ray answered, "I know nothing of these things, but only utter
what you inspire me with, as the parrot repeats what it has learnt by
rote. You are God incarnate; who can comprehend your artifice? You send
your message to my heart, and make my tongue deliver it, without my
knowing whether I am speaking well or ill!"
The Master answered, "I am merely a _sannyasi_, a slave to the theory
of illusion and ignorant of the mysteries of faith (_bhakti_). The
society of Sarvabhauma has purified my mind, and I asked him to speak on
devotion to Krishna. But he replied that he knew not Krishna's lore, and
referred me to you as a master of it. So I came to you, on hearing of
your reputation, and yet you praise me because I am a _sannyasi_! Be he
a Brahman, be he a hermit, be he even a Shudra, if he knows Krishna's
mysteries, he is a guru. Cheat me not of such knowledge for my being a
sannyasi. Fill my mind by holding forth on the mysteries of Radha and
Krishna."
The Ray was a great devotee and adorer of Vishnu, and his mind was proof
against Krishna's illusion. But he yielded to the Master's pressing, and
his will was shaken. So he said, "I am a dancer and you are the manager
of the theatre; I dance as you make me. My tongue is merely a harp, and
you the musician who plays on it. I utter whatever you think of in your
mind.
"Krishna is the Highest God, the Perfect Being Himself, the source of
all Incarnations, the chief of all causes. He is the source of the
eternal Heaven, the eternal Incarnation, the eternal Universe. His body
is composed of _sat_, _chit_ and _ananda_; He is the Son of Mathura's
lord, full of all wealth, all power, all _ras_. _Vide_ the _Brahma
Samhita_ V. i.
At Brindaban He appeared as the supernatural youthful Cupid, at whose
adoration the formula recited is Love, the offering presented is the
seed of Love. There He drew all hearts of men and women, of the animate
and the inanimate. He was Cupid's self, the conqueror of hearts. Witness
the _Bhagabat_, X. xxxii. 2.
"He ravished the hearts of Incarnations like Lakshmi's husband, [_Vide_
the _Bhagabat_, X. lxxxix. 32]; He drew to Himself women like Lakshmi
[_Vide_ the _Bhagabat_, X. xvi. 32.]
"His own beauty charmed His own heart, and He wished to embrace Himself
[_Vide_ the _Lalita-Madhav_, Act viii. verse 28.]
"Such in brief is Krishna's form. Now let me tell you a little of
Radha's self. Krishna's powers are infinite, but three of them are the
chief, _viz._, the _chit_ power, the illusion power (_maya_), and the
preservation power (_jiba_). These three I call the internal, the
external, and the marginal (or adjacent). The highest is the internal
_swarup_ power. Witness the _Vishnu Puran_, VI. vii. 60.
"Krishna's self is composed of _sat_, _chit_ and _ananda_. Therefore
His _swarup_ power must be of three kinds: in the _ananda_ portion it
is _hladini_, in the _sat_ portion it is _sandhini_, in the _chit_
portion it is _sambita_. Witness the _Vishnu Puran_, I. xii. 48:
"What delights Krishna is named the _Ahladini_ power, by which He
enjoys delight. Krishna is Himself delight, and yet He tastes delight.
_Hladini_ has been created to give enjoyment to the faithful. The
essence of _hladini_ is named _prem_ (love). The story of _prem_ is
filled with the emotions of _ananda_ and _chit_. The supreme emotion
(_mahabhaba_), is the quintessence of _prem_. The lady Radha is the
personation of that supreme emotion. [Vide the _Brahma Samhita_, V.
33]"
* * * * *
The Master spoke, "This is the limit of the thing adored. Through your
grace I have learnt it of a verity. None can gain the Adorable without
adoration. Tell me kindly the way to gain Him."
The Ray answered, "I speak as you make me, without my knowing what I
say. Where in all the three worlds can we find the constant man who
cannot be shaken by your illusive play? You are speaking through my
mouth; yet you are my listener! Hear, then, the deep mystery of
adoration. The play of Radha with Krishna is extremely deep, and cannot
be learnt from the _dasya_, _batsalya_ and other moods. The _sakhis_
(female associates) alone are qualified for it; from them has this play
(_lila_) spread. This play cannot be kept up without _sakhis_; they
alone relish this _lila_ in full. _Sakhis_ alone have a right to this
_lila_, i.e., those who adore Krishna in the spirit of His _sakhis_.
Such votaries can practise devotion in the form of attending on Krishna
and Radha in their secret bower. There is no other means of mastering
this form of devotion. Witness the _Git-Govinda_, x. 17:
_'What man versed in the deepest mystery (ras) will not take refuge at
the feet of the sakhis, the personations of the chief power, without
whose help Radha and Krishna's pleasure-force and
pleasure-manifestation, though self-expressive, cannot for a moment
attain to fulness of development?'"_
"The character of the _sakhis_ baffles description. A _sakhi_ does not
long to play with Krishna all by herself; but she feels a keener delight
in contriving Krishna's dalliance with Radha. Radha is verily the
Wishing creeper (_Kalpalata_) of the love of Krishna, and the _sakhis_
are the leaves, flowers, and shoots of this creeper! If the nectar of
dalliance with Krishna waters the creeper, the leaves, &c. delight in it
ten million times more than if they themselves had been watered! _Vide_
the _Git-Govinda_, x. 16.
"The _sakhis_ do not wish for Krishna's embrace, but they exert
themselves to make Krishna embrace Radha. For this purpose they send
Krishna to her under a thousand pretexts. Thereby they gain a pleasure
ten million times sweeter than that of selfish enjoyment. The unselfish
devotion of these towards each other strengthens the deliciousness
(_ras_), and the sight of such unselfish love delights Krishna. The
love felt by the Gopis is not truly earthly lust; for the sake of
analogy we call it lust (_kam_).
"Earthly lust seeks sensual gratification for one's own self. The
passion of the Gopis, on the other hand, seeks Krishna's enjoyment,
abandoning all idea of self. They hanker not for their own pleasure, but
if they embrace Krishna it is only to please _Him_.
"He whose heart is lured by the nectar of the Gopi's passion, adores
Krishna abandoning Vedic worship. That man wins in Brindaban the Darling
of Braja's lord, who adores Him by following the path of passionate love
(_rag_). He who adores Krishna in the spirit of any of the people of
Braja [contemporaneous with Krishna], is born at Braja in his next birth
in the form of that person whose passion he imitated, and thus gains
Krishna. This is proved by the _Upanishads_ and the _Shrutis_. Witness
the _Bhagabat_, X. lxxxvii. 19.
"In that verse the term _samadrisha_ indicates adoration in that
spirit, the term _samah_ speaks of the acquisition by the gods of the
persons of the Gopis, _anghri padma sudha_ means the delight of
Krishna's society. At Braja you will not gain Krishna by following the
path of prescribed ceremonies. _Vide_ the _Bhagabat_, X. ix. 16:
_'Ascetics proud of their conquest of the flesh, and scholars centred in
themselves, cannot gain the Supreme Lord so easily as His devotees
(_bhaktas_) can.'_
"Therefore, having taken on ourselves the attitude of the Gopis, we
daily meditate on Krishna's dalliance with Radha. In the _siddhi_ body
we meditate and serve it, and in the next birth we gain Radha-Krishna's
feet by being born as _sakhis_. You cannot gain Krishna, however much
you adore Him, if you only meditate on Him as a divinity and not serve
Him as a Gopi. See, how Lakshmi adored Him, but could not gain Him in
Braja. _Vide_ the _Bhagabat_, X. xlvii. 3."
On hearing all this the Master embraced him, and the two wept holding
each other by the neck. Thus did they pass the night in transports of
devotion, and at dawn parted, each to his own work. When taking leave,
Ramananda Ray clasped the Master's feet and begged him, "You have come
here out of pity for me. Stay here therefore for some ten days to reform
my sinful heart. None but you can deliver mankind; none else can impart
love for Krishna."
The Master answered, "I came here on hearing of your merits, to purify
my own mind by listening to your discourses on Krishna. You are indeed
worthy of your reputation. You are the limit of human knowledge as
regards the mystery of the love of Krishna and Radha. What of ten days?
So long as I live, I cannot part with you. Let us two dwell together at
Puri, passing our days happily in talk about Krishna." So they parted.
In the evening the Ray came again. The two sat together in seclusion and
held a delightful dialogue, the Master asking and Ramananda answering
throughout the night.
The Master asked, "Which science is the chief of sciences?" The Ray
answered, "There is no [true] science except devotion to Krishna." "What
is the greatest glory in a creature?" "The fame of being a devotee of
Krishna's love." "What wealth is estimable among human possessions?" "He
is wealthy indeed who loves Radha and Krishna." "What is the heaviest of
sorrows?" "There is no sorrow other than lack of devotion to Krishna."
"Whom should we consider as truly liberated?" "He is the foremost of the
emancipated who loves Krishna." "What song among all songs is peculiarly
own to creatures?" "That ditty which speaks of the amorous sports of
Krishna and Radha." "What is the best of right courses?" "There is no
right course except the society of Krishna's devotees." "Whom does
creation ceaselessly remember?" "The name, virtues, and exploits of
Krishna are the chief things to be remembered." "What is the proper
subject of meditation for mankind?" "The lotus-feet of Radha and Krishna
are the chief object of meditation." "Where ought a man to live
abandoning all else?" "Brindaban, the land of Braja, where the _rasa_
play was performed." "What is the best thing for a creature to hear?"
"The love-dalliance of Radha and Krishna is a potent medicine to the
ear." "What is the chief object of worship?" "The highest objects of
adoration are the coupled names Radha-Krishna." "What are the respective
destinations of those who desire liberation and devotion?" "One gets an
immovable body, the other a celestial person. The foolish crow pecks at
the ash-fruit (_nimba_), while the connoisseur cuckoo feeds on the
mango-blossom of love. The luckless scholar tastes arid theological
knowledge, while the lucky [devotee] drinks the nectar of Krishna's
love."
Thus did the two while away the night in talking of Krishna, dancing,
singing, and weeping. At dawn they returned, each to his own duties.
Next evening the Ray came again, and after discoursing on Krishna in a
loving communion for some time, he clasped the Master's feet and
implored Him, "The mysteries of Krishna, Radha, love, _rasa_, and
_lila_, are diverse. But you have made them all clear to my heart. It
has been as if Narayan taught the Vedas to Brahma. Such are the ways of
the Searcher of Hearts; He does not outwardly tell us of a thing, but
reveals it to our hearts. _Vide_ the _Bhagabat_, I. i. I.
"There is one doubt still in my heart. Be good enough to resolve it.
When I first saw you, you looked like a _sannyasi_; but now I behold in
you Krishna, the cowherd!
"Lo, there stands before you a golden idol, the golden hue of which
envelopes all your body. That reveals the flute held to your lips and
your lotus-eyes glancing with many emotions! I marvel as I behold you in
this form. Tell me truly the cause of it." The Master replied, "Deep is
your love for Krishna. Know this to be the effect of love that when the
true devotee gazes on any object, animate or inanimate, Krishna is
manifested to him in that object. The object gazed at may be inanimate
or animate, but he sees not its natural form; his adored deity appears
in everything. _Vide_ the _Bhagabat_, XI. ii. 43, Hari's words to
Janak:--
_'He is the highest of devotees who beholds in every creature the God of
his adoration, and all creation in the spirit of God.'_
"Also, the _Bhagabat_, X. xxxv. 5, the speech of the Gopis to Krishna:
_'Then the fruit and flower laden branches of plants and creepers felt
as it were within themselves the God who was manifesting Himself, and
with their limbs thrilling with delight began to shed drops of honey.'_
"Deep is your love for Radha and Krishna; hence you behold Them in
everything." The Ray objected, "Master, leave thou thy tricks. Conceal
not thy true form from me. Having taken on thyself the emotion and
beauty of Radhika, thou hast become incarnate in order to taste thy own
delight. Thy secret object is the enjoyment of love; incidentally thou
hast filled the universe with love. Thou hast come of thy own accord to
deliver me. And now thou deludest me! What sort of conduct is this?"
Then the Master smiled and manifested His true form in which were
blended Krishna, the Prince of delight (_ras_) and God, the Supreme
Emotion. In rapture Ramananda fainted and rolled on the ground. The
Master touched his arm and brought him back to his senses. Then the Ray
beheld the Master looking like a _sannyasi_; but the latter embraced
him and soothed him thus, "Who else than you can behold this form? You
know fully my essence and mysterious exploits (_lila_); hence have I
shown you this form. My body is not of a fair complexion, but this
complexion is due to contact with Radha's body. She touches none except
the Prince of the Cowherds. I make my own heart imagine her emotions,
and thus I taste the delicious sweetness of Krishna. My acts are not
hidden from you. Even if I were to conceal any, you would know it by the
compelling force of your love. Keep this matter a secret from the
public, lest people should laugh at my endeavours as those of a mad man.
I am a mad man, and so are you; we two are a match!"
Thus did the Master spend ten days happily in sweet discourse about
Krishna with Ramananda Ray. Much did He discuss the secret
pleasure-sport of Brindaban, but could not come to the end of the
subject. If a man discovers a mine with copper, bronze, silver, gold,
gem, and the wishing stone deposited in successive layers, he comes upon
richer and richer things as he goes on digging. Similarly did the Master
question Rama Ray and get his answer.
Next day He took leave of the Ray and ordered him, "Give up your earthly
concerns and go to Puri, where I shall soon return after finishing my
pilgrimage. There we shall live together passing our days happily in
talking about Krishna."
So saying He sent Ramananda home with an embrace, and then lay down to
sleep. At dawn the Master saw a Hanuman (monkey), bowed to it, and set
out. All classes of people at Vidya-pur, on meeting with the Master,
quitted their own faiths and turned Vaishnav. Ramananda was distracted
by the absence of the Master and ever meditated on Him, utterly
disregarding all his own affairs.
Chaitanya's character is by nature like thickened milk, Ramananda's
character is sugar added to it, and the dalliance of Radha and Krishna
is like camphor thrown into this compound, which only the fortunate can
taste. He who once drinks it in through his ears, can never leave it for
its deliciousness. All spiritual truths are learnt if you hear it; it
creates faith and love in Radha-Krishna's feet.
Know the hidden truth of Chaitanya from this episode. Attend to it with
faith; do not reason. This supernatural deed is deeply mysterious. You
can realize it if you believe, but reasoning will only set it afar off.
This precious thing is for them only whose sole riches are the feet of
Shri Chaitanya, Nityananda, and Adwaita! I have celebrated the Meeting
with Ramananda on the basis of Damodar Swarup's Diary (_Karcha_).
[Text, canto 8.]
[1] Evidently Simhachalam, a hill five miles north of Vizagapatam,
containing a temple to Narasimha. This is the most famous, richest and
best sculptured shrine in Vizagapatam. An inscription shows that a queen
of Gonka III. covered the image with gold. Architecturally the temple
apparently deserves high praise. (_Vizagapatam Gazetteer_, 323-325,
28-29.)