The love of the pilgrims from Bengal
The Bengal _bhaktas_ came to Nilachal [carrying loving presents,--food
and preserves, for the Master]. It was the day of Jagannath's sporting
in the water of the Narendra tank. The Master came there with His
followers to see the water-sport and there the Bengal pilgrims met Him.
The Bengal musical parties were singing the _kirtan_; on meeting the
Master they began to weep in love. The water-sport, instrumental music,
song, dance and _kirtan_ created a tumult on the bank, while the boats
plied merrily on the water. The mingled din of the _kirtan_ and weeping
of the Bengalis filled the universe. Then the Master entered the water
with His disciples and sported gleefully with them all. These
water-sports have been described in detail by Brindaban-das in his
_Chaitanya-mangal_. I shall not repeat them here.
Another day the Master went with His party to behold Jagannath at his
rising from bed. There He began the _bera kirtan_. Seven parties began
to sing, and seven chiefs danced in them, Adwaita Acharya, Nityananda,
Vakreshwar, Atrhyutananda, Shribas Pandit, Satyaraja Khan and
Narahari-das. The Master visited all the seven groups, each thinking
that He was with it only! The roar of the _kirtan_ filled the earth;
all the citizens came out to see it; the king came with his Court and
gazed from a distance, the queens beheld the scene from the roofs of
houses. The earth trembled under the influence of the _kirtan_. Men
shouted _Hari!_ thus adding to the din. After a while, the Master was
inclined to dance Himself. Around Him the seven parties sang and beat
their instruments; in the centre He danced in supreme transport of love.
He recollected the Oriya verse, _Jagamohan parimunda jaun!_ 'Charmer of
the universe! I abase myself before Thee', and bade Swarup sing it. To
this air He danced in ecstasy, while all the men around swam in tears of
love. With uplifted arms He cried, "Chant! chant!" and they in delight
shouted _Hari! Hari!_ At times He fell down in a trance and ceased to
breathe, then suddenly started up with a roar. Frequent tremour burst
over His body, making it look like the _shimul_ tree, now it was
quivering and now it stiffened. The sweat burst through every pore in
His skin. With faltering speech he muttered _ja ja, ga ga, pari
pari_,--every tooth in his mouth shaking as if about to be loosened.
Even in the third quarter of the day His dance did not cease. All the
people in ecstasy forgot [fatigue of] body and [the distinction of] self
and others. Then Nityananda resorted to a device; he silenced the
_kirtan_-singers gradually, and only the leaders of the seven groups
continued singing with Swarup, but in a low tone. At the cessation of
noise, the Master came to Himself somewhat. Then Nityananda told Him how
fatigued all were. The Master at this put an end to the _kirtan_ and
went to bathe in the sea with them all.
Then with all His _bhaktas_ He partook of the _prasad_, dismissed
them, and retired to sleep at the door of the _gambhira_ (room).
Govinda came to rub His feet, as was the usual practice, before going to
feed on His leavings The Master had stretched Himself at full length
across the doorway; Govinda could not enter the room and begged Him to
move aside a little, but He declined saying that He was too weak lo stir
His limbs, and told Govinda to do whatever he liked. Then Govinda threw
his sheet over the Master's body and entered the room leaping over Him.
His shampooing threw the Master into a sweet a sleep and relieved Him of
His fatigue. After two _dandas_ (48 minutes) He woke, and seeing
Govinda there, asked in anger, "Why are you here still, _Adi-basya?_
Why did you not go away for your meal when I fell asleep?" Govinda
replied, "You lay blocking the doorway, and I found no path for going
out of the room." But the Master rejoined, "How, then, could you come
in? Why did you not go out in the same way that you entered?
Govinda returned no answer, but reasoned within him self, "I must do my
appointed work, even if I have to commit any fault or go to hell for so
doing. For the sake of doing my duty I do not hesitate to commit a
million sins, but I fear even the touch of sin for my own personal
needs."
This year the Bengal pilgrims came in large numbers,--two to three
hundred of them, including many women. Shivananda Sen acted as their
guide and caretaker on the way.
They came to Puri and met the Master, the women gazing at Him from a
distance. They were all given lodging-houses and invited by the Master
to eat the _maha-prasad_. The entire family of Shivananda enjoyed His
grace. After the meal He told Govinda to give the leavings on His plate
to Shivananda's wife and sons so long as they stayed there. A
sweetmeat-seller (_modak_) of Nadia, named Parameshwar, had his shop
close to the Master's paternal house. In His boyhood He used to visit
this man's shop and the man used to treat Him to confects made with
milk. He loved the Master from His infancy, and this year came to see
Him. He prostrated himself before the Master saying, "I am Parameshwar."
In delight at seeing him the Master asked, "Parameshwar! are you well?
It is a happy thing that you have come." The man added "Mukunda's mother
has come", [meaning his own wife]. The Master was shocked to hear the
name of a woman, but out of love for Parameshwar said nothing. The
loving simple-minded grocer did not know the ways of the learned; these
qualities inly delighted the Master.
Four months passed away in the usual way, and then He permitted the
pilgrims to return to Bengal. They invited Him to dinner and He lovingly
spoke to them all, "Every year you come here to see me, undergoing many
hardships on the two journeys. For this reason I feel inclined to forbid
your coming, but the pleasure of your society tempts my heart. I had
commanded Nityananda to live in Bengal. He has come here in defiance of
my order; what can I say to him? The [old] Adwaita Acharya, leaving his
wife, children and home behind, performs a long and difficult journey to
meet me. How can I repay the debt of his love? I merely sit here at
Nilachal without having to do any exertion for your sake. I am a
_sannyasi_, without wealth. With what shall I repay my debt to you? My
only property is my body, and this I give up to you. Sell it, if you
list."
The Master's speech melted their hearts; tears ran down their cheeks
without ceasing. He, too, wept clasping their necks, and weeping
embraced them. So, they could not set out on their journey home that
day, but passed five or seven days more at Puri in the same way.
At last the Master consoled them and gave them leave to depart with
composure of mind. The _bhaktas_ left the city weeping. The Master
remained there in sadness of heart.
Last year Jagadananda, the Master's companion, had by His leave gone to
Nadia to see mother Shachi. She in delight listened day and night to his
discourse on the Master and His doings. All the _bhaktas_ of Nadia met
him and entertained him in their houses, listening in rapture to his
talk about the Master's inmost things. At the house of Shivananda he
prepared a pot of medicated oil, scented with sandal-wood, and taking it
to Nilachal asked Govinda to rub it on the Master's head, to cure Him of
bile, wind and other sickly humours. Govinda reported it, but the Master
replied, "A _sannyasi_ is forbidden to rub oil, especially scented oil.
Present it to the temple of Jagannath, where it will be used in lighting
lamps, and his labour will be supremely rewarded."
Some ten days afterwards, Govinda repeated Jagadananda's request that He
should accept the oil. The Master burst forth in anger, "Very well,
engage a servant to rub me with the oil! Is it for such pleasures that I
have turned _sannyasi_? What is ruin to me is a sport to you! Every one
who will smell the fragrant oil on my person in the streets, will call
me a carnal _sannyasi_!" Govinda remained silent on hearing this.
Next morning, when Jagadananda came to the Master, He said, "Pandit! you
have brought for me oil from Bengal. But I am a _sannyasi_ and cannot
accept it. Present it to Jagannath to light the lamps of the temple.
That will be the reward of your labour." The Pandit replied, "Who has
told you this piece of falsehood? I never brought any oil from Bengal."
So saying, he brought out of the room the pot of oil and broke it on the
floor of the yard in the Master's sight. Then he ran back to his own
house, bolted the door of his bed-room from within, and shut himself up
there [without taking any food]. On the third day the Master went to his
door and cried out, "Rise, Pandit! you must feed me to-day on your own
cooking. I shall come back at noon. I am now off to see Jagannath." So
saying, He left the house. The Pandit rose from his bed, bathed, cooked,
and at noon, when the Master returned, placed the dishes before Him on
the leaves and bark of the plantain-tree. The Master said, "You must
dine with me. Serve your meal, on another leaf." But the Pandit
entreated Him to eat first and let him sit down to his meal after his
guest. The vegetable soup was delicious and the Master cried out, "When
one cooks in anger, it tastes so sweet! This is a proof of Krishna's
grace on you."
The Pandit served and the Master ate, willing but unable to rise from
the feast, and eating ten times His usual food, in fear lest the Pandit
should fly into a rage again and fast himself! After the dinner, the
Master went back to His lodgings, leaving Govinda there to see that the
Pandit broke his fast. Jagadananda sent Govinda back to rub the Master's
feet, and put Him to sleep. But He again bade Govinda go and see that
the Pandit was really eating! When Govinda reported the fact, then the
Master lay down in bed in peace of mind.