Post by madanmohandas on Jan 5, 2023 7:53:26 GMT -6
Here is the first part of an humorous passage from Chaitanya Charitamrta, Adi.12.28-41, in Iambic pentameter lines.
A certain Kamalakanta Vishvas,
A faithful servant was of the Teacher,
The Acharya's doings and his affairs,
In all particulars were known to him. 28
While at Nilachala he made his stay,
Indited a letter of petition,
And to the king Prataparudra there,
The epistle he had conveyed to him. 29
The subject and contents of that letter
To the great Acharya were quite unknown;
Yet somehow or other the letter came
And was delivered to the Master's hand. 30
The tenour of the letter high acclaimed,
And placed in the superlative degree
Establishing the doctrine that declares
The Supreme Godhead of the great Teacher. 31
But yet went on as ill chance would have it,
That the Acharya had incurred a debt;
Of some three hundred coins and so besought
The liquidation of the said amount. 32
The Master when the letter he perused,
Experienced unhappiness in mind,
Yet outwardly his moon-like face was bright
With smiling, and answered in words like these. 33
"He hath established well and spoken right,
The Supreme Godhead of the Acharya,
There is no fault in this; it is correct,
For the Acharya is indeed Supreme. 34
"But then he goes on to say and suggest,
To make of him a beggar destitute;
And for this reason I shall punish him,
So he may by correction understand". 35
To Govinda he issued his command
That, "from this very day and from this place
Let not that madman Vishvasa approach;
Do not here give him entrance, he is barred." 36
When of this punishment Vishvasa heard,
He fell into extreme unhappiness,
But the Acharya when he heard was pleased,
That the Master had roundly punished him. 37
He answered Vishvasa, and to him said,
"Thou art indeed most highly fortunate!
For you have such stern punishment received
Directly from the Illustrious Lord." 38
"Whilom the Great Master showed much respect
With deference to my superior age,
Yet this was insufferable to me;
Unhappy thus, a measure I contrived. 39
"I exalted doctrines of salvation,
According to Vashishta's holy text;
He lost his temper and berated me,
And thus he offered me some disrespect. 40
Receiving such stern punishment from him,
I was possessed of joy and supreme bliss;
As even Sri Mukunda, on a time,
Was fortunate also to be chastised. 41
A certain Kamalakanta Vishvas,
A faithful servant was of the Teacher,
The Acharya's doings and his affairs,
In all particulars were known to him. 28
While at Nilachala he made his stay,
Indited a letter of petition,
And to the king Prataparudra there,
The epistle he had conveyed to him. 29
The subject and contents of that letter
To the great Acharya were quite unknown;
Yet somehow or other the letter came
And was delivered to the Master's hand. 30
The tenour of the letter high acclaimed,
And placed in the superlative degree
Establishing the doctrine that declares
The Supreme Godhead of the great Teacher. 31
But yet went on as ill chance would have it,
That the Acharya had incurred a debt;
Of some three hundred coins and so besought
The liquidation of the said amount. 32
The Master when the letter he perused,
Experienced unhappiness in mind,
Yet outwardly his moon-like face was bright
With smiling, and answered in words like these. 33
"He hath established well and spoken right,
The Supreme Godhead of the Acharya,
There is no fault in this; it is correct,
For the Acharya is indeed Supreme. 34
"But then he goes on to say and suggest,
To make of him a beggar destitute;
And for this reason I shall punish him,
So he may by correction understand". 35
To Govinda he issued his command
That, "from this very day and from this place
Let not that madman Vishvasa approach;
Do not here give him entrance, he is barred." 36
When of this punishment Vishvasa heard,
He fell into extreme unhappiness,
But the Acharya when he heard was pleased,
That the Master had roundly punished him. 37
He answered Vishvasa, and to him said,
"Thou art indeed most highly fortunate!
For you have such stern punishment received
Directly from the Illustrious Lord." 38
"Whilom the Great Master showed much respect
With deference to my superior age,
Yet this was insufferable to me;
Unhappy thus, a measure I contrived. 39
"I exalted doctrines of salvation,
According to Vashishta's holy text;
He lost his temper and berated me,
And thus he offered me some disrespect. 40
Receiving such stern punishment from him,
I was possessed of joy and supreme bliss;
As even Sri Mukunda, on a time,
Was fortunate also to be chastised. 41