Missing verses from the Chaitanya Bhagavat.

[Jagannāth Miśra Dās]

Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu’s Disappearance Līlā In Vṛindāvana Dās Ṭhākura’s Chaitanya Bhāgavat.

Ever wondered why the antya-līlā of Vrindāvana Dās Thākura’s Chaitanya Bhāgavat suddenly and abruptly terminates after describing the amusing pastime between Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi and Lord Jagannāth without the accustomed phala-sruti (auspicious benedictions promised to those who read or hear the book) or even any concluding words from the poet himself as found in the final passages of the adi and madhya khandas of his Chaitnaya Bhāgavat? It always seemed to some of us that the final or closing chapters of Vṛindāvana Dās’s Chaitanya Bhāgavat had been lost, or that Vṛindāvana Dās somehow never perhaps finished his book. Then, just the other day, we discovered a rendition of the Chaitanya Bhāgavat published by India’s prestigious Gita Press Publications that has an extra 349 verses (which contain, beside several other unheard of pastimes, a novel depiction of Gaurāṅga’s disappearance.) Although I have several different renditions of Vṛindāvana Dās Ṭhākura’s Chaitanya Bhāgavat, none of them even mention the disappearance līlā of Gaurāṅga. The 349 additional (or long-lost) verses appear as three extra chapters. In the last chapter (which has 197 verses) the disappearance līlā begins when Gaurāṅga and Gadādhara Pandita return to Purī after a pilgrimage they made to Vṛindāvana. Here are verses 117-149 which tell of the Lord’s disappearance.

tabe prabhu kahilena rupa sanātane

adhikārī hao tumi ei vrindavane (117)

āmi ta vidaya haiya nīlācale jāi

samprati sevaita hai raha dui bhāi (118.)

eta bali mahaprabhu gadadhara laiyā

uttarilā nīlācale katho dine giyā (119)

Having thus spoken to Rupa and Sanātana the Lord bestowed upon them the adhikāra (eligibility) to remain in Vrindāvana. Then he said to them: “I will now take your leave and go to Nīlācala. You two brothers abide here in seva.” Saying this Mahāprabhu took Gadādhara with him and arrived in Nīlācala after some days. (117-19)

āsite jateka deśe prabhura vihāra

sei deśe harināma haila pracāra (120)

harināma haridhvani śuni loka mukhe

sonāra gaurāngacanda hāse premasukhe (121)

panditere mahāprabhu kahilā āpāne

āmara mānasa pūrṇa haila eta dine (122)

grihastha sannyāsī dasyu himsaka jata jana

kulera bauhārī sukhī dukhī akincana (123)

sarvajana harināma bale śune gāya

harināme pariṇāme tariba helāya (124)

ihā jadi bujhileka sarva jīvagana

tabe āra mora ethā nāhi prayojana (125)

The Lord widely broadcast hari-nāma in each and every country (that he happened to visit on his travels) and upon hearing hari-nama and hari-dhvani (the sound of Hari’s name) coming from everyone’s mouth (in Purī) the golden moon-like Gaurānga smiled in the happiness of prema and spoke to Gadādhara as follows: “After many a day my wishes have at last come true! For now every grihastha (house-holder) sannyāsī (detached recluse) dasyu (robber) and himsaka (spiteful-hater) kulera-bauhārī (those who steal newly-wedded women) sukhī-dukhī (the happy and the sorrow-stricken) and the akincana (those bereft of all possessions) are all now uttering, hearing and singing hari-nāma, and thus all of them shall be delivered! If all the jīvas can understand this, then what more need have I to remain here (in this world.)” (120-25)

ehirupe mahāsukhe śrīgaurāṅga hari

jagannāth mahāsukhe daraśana kari (126)

se prema se hunkara se āchāḍa jethāya

dekhiya sakala loka kare hāya hāya (127)

With much happiness Śrī Gaurāṅga Hari spoke thus to Gadādhara as he continued to take daraśana of Lord Jagannāth in great delight. Yet, upon witnessing the Lord’s prema, his roaring, and his collapsing on the floor, everyone else (in the temple) exclaimed hāya-hāya (Alas! Alas!) (126-27)

tabe bāhya pāi prabhu gaurāngasundara

gadādhare bole prabhu śuna gadadhara (128.)

āmi āge jāi tumi āsiha paścāte

eta boli śrīdeule praveśa kaila nāthe (129)

parichā bole kothā jaha balaha sannyāsī

prabhu kahe jagannāth paraśiyā āsi (130)

raha raha bole sabhe betra laya kare

nisedhe nā śune prabhu calilā bhitare (131)

Returning once again to external awareness Lord Gaurāṅga-Sundara said to Gadādhara: “Listen Gadādhara, I shall go first, you come later.” Having said this the Lord entered into the temple. The temple-guards asked him: “O sannyāsī!Tell us where you are going? The Lord replied: “I have come here to touch Jagannāth.” Now holding sticks in their hands they said: “Stop! Stop!” But the Lord did not listen to them and continued to go further inside (the temple.) (128.-131)

jagannāth parisiya hailā antardhāna

dekhite nā pāya prabhu gela nija sthāna (132)

sarvaloke bale bhāi, nyāsī nahe ei

anumane jānilā chaitanya gosai (133)

keho bole sannyāsī haila antardhana

niścaya jānila sabhe prabhu bhagavān (134)

Lord Chaitanya disappeared upon touching Jagannāth, and was now nowhere to been seen. He had returned to his own abode. Everyone spoke of (his disappearance) by saying: “O brother! the nyāsī is no longer here!” From this it was rightly guessed that they were referring to Chaitanya-Gosai. Others simply said: “The sannyāsī has vanished!” (Yet whatever was said) it was certain that everyone understood that he was Bhagavān. (132-34)

eirupe gauracandra haila antardhāna

pandita laiya kichu śunaha ākhyāna (135)

gadadhara jānilena prabhura gamana

prabhura virahe tāna nā rahe jīvanaa (136)

ācambite gadadhara haila antardhāna

nā pāya dekhite keho bole rāma rāma (137)

ei mate mahāprabhu gadādhara laiyā

nija sthāne gela prabhu antardhāna haiyā (138.)

In this manner the Lord disappeared. Now hear a few words regarding Gadādhara Pandita. The pain of separation felt upon knowing the Lord had left was (so intense) that his life could not remain, and he suddenly disappeared too. Not seeing Gadādhara any more, some people simply uttered “rāma-rāma.” (135-37)

aja bhava ramā baṇī nārada mahaśaya

nirmancana karila prabhura atisaya (139)

brahmādi devera vancita premadhana

akincana janere tāhā karile yācana (140)

tomārā mahimā kichu nā pāri bujhite

caraṇe bhakti rahe ei vānca cite (141)

(Having abandoned the Earth) the Lord was then attentively worshipped by Brahma, Shiva, Lakshmi, Saraswati and the great Narada. They spoke to him as follows: “The treasure of prema which we gods beginning from Brahma aspire to attain, you freely gave away to those who have nothing they can call their own! We only hope that some bhakti for your feet may reside in our hearts, as we can be no means even begin to comprehended your greatness.” (139-141)

tabe mandākinī jala āni devagaṇe

abhiseka kari sabhe karilā gamane (142)

divya simhāsane prabhu helilena gā

caturdike pade sveta cāmarera bā (143)

padayuga seve laksmī ciradina āśe

bānī dhanī subadanī gāya prabhu pāśe (144)

prabhu bole gao mora gupta avatāra

jemate haila sarva pātakai nistāra (145)

prabhura ājnāya vāṇī vīṇā laiyā kare

prabhura nirmala yaśah gāya uccasvare (146)

Bringing water from the Mandākinī river all the gods performed the abhisekha ceremony of the Lord who reclined at ease upon a celestial lion-throne whilst being fanned on all sides by white cāmaras. Laksmī herself served his feet, which is what she always longs to do, and close by his side the fortunate and pretty-faced Saraswati began to sing. The Lord then turned (to Saraswatī) and said: “Sing of my gupta-avatāra (my secret incarnation, when I appeared as Gaurāṅga) and how I delivered all the sinners.” At the Lord’s bidding, she sang aloud of the Lord’s spotless fame whilst playing upon her vīnā. (142-46)

ethā se jakhana prabhu haila antardhāna

nyāsī rupe gela madangopalera sthāna (147)

adhikārī sakala dekhila tāne jaite

punah kothā gelā prabhu nā pare lakhite (148.)

sei dina vaisakha pūrṇimā triyodasī

pāṭhāilā manusya patra likhi sabhe vasi (149)

(Vṛindāvana Dās Ṭhākura says) when the Lord disappeared, he did so in the form of nyāsī and into (the body of) madan-gopala. Everyone was eligible to see him (when he was manifest) and then that very Lord made himself invisible once again. This happened on vaisakha pūrṇimā triyodasī (on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon in the month of vaisakha.) Letters were written and sent around (to convey) this news. (147-49)



(note: Vṛindavana Dās Ṭhākura writing that Gaurāṅga vanished into madan-gopala (verse 147) seems to show the Vaisnava understanding that Lord Jagannāth is generally considered to be non-different from Madan Gopala.)

THE END.