Divina Comedea

[madanmohandas]

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

[madanmohandas]

On likewise punishment was meted out
To holy Sachi the mother divine,
Indeed who else is there so fortunate,
As the recipient of grace divine!" 42

Thus having spoke, the Acharya consoled,
And thereby brought comfort and peace to him;
Then fraught with exhilaration and bliss,
Made his way to where the Great Master was. 43

Arriving there to the Master he said,
"I cannot comprehend your sportive ways;
This Kamala has received such high grace,
More so than I myself ever received. 44

"For you had never favoured me like this,
Or made me object of such mercy fair;
Where have I offended, what have I done,
At your dear feet to be of grace deprived?" 45

When all of this the Great Master had heard,
He thereupon began to smile and laugh;
And had Kamalakanta called again,
Propitiated and to grace disposed. 46

But the Acharya objected, 'How now,
You grant to him your audience again!
In this way he hath cheated me it seems,
In one and in the other, in both ways!" 47

The Master having heard all this from him,
Was well pleased and satisfied in his mind;
The confidence obtaining twixt these two,
Was only known to them and understood. 48

[madanmohandas]

Concluding this episode,

The Master then to Vishvasa said, "Why
Like one gone mad do you act in this way?
By exposing the Acharya's affairs;
Why act you to impute his righteousness? 49

"It is not meet at any time for him
To accept and receive wealth of the king;
Food partaken from sense bound worldly men,
Involves the mind in wickedness and vice. 50

"The mind polluted thus by stain and vice,
Of Krishna's recollection is deprived;
Sans recollection of Krishna, is spent
A futile life, without good fruit and vain. 51

"One who incurs the public's hard censure,
Loses his reputation and good fame;
Such action should be avoided with care,
Which knowing be cautious and be aware." 52

All those there when this instruction they heard,
Received it as a teaching general;
And the Acharya Gosai thence attained
Great happiness and joy within his mind, 53

The Lord himself alone could comprehend
The deep intentions of the Acharya;
As even the Acharya understood
The profound purport of the Master's speech. 54

In the statements and subject here adduced
Much matter is for consideration;
But fearing the voluminous increase;
I write no more upon this topic here. 55