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 pa.s.sion. 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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. x.x.xii. 2.

"He ravished the hearts of Incarnations like Lakshmi's husband, [_Vide_ the _Bhagabat_, X. lx.x.xix. 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 a.s.sociates) 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 l.u.s.t; for the sake of a.n.a.logy we call it l.u.s.t (_kam_).

"Earthly l.u.s.t seeks sensual gratification for one's own self. The pa.s.sion 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 pa.s.sion, adores Krishna abandoning Vedic worship. That man wins in Brindaban the Darling of Braja's lord, who adores Him by following the path of pa.s.sionate 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 pa.s.sion he imitated, and thus gains Krishna. This is proved by the _Upanishads_ and the _Shrutis_. Witness the _Bhagabat_, X. lx.x.xvii. 19.

"In that verse the term _samadrisha_ indicates adoration in that spirit, the term _samah_ speaks of the acquisition by the G.o.ds 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 att.i.tude 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 pa.s.s 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, pa.s.sing 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 emanc.i.p.ated 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 G.o.d of his adoration, and all creation in the spirit of G.o.d.'_

"Also, the _Bhagabat_, X. x.x.xv. 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 pa.s.sing 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 cla.s.ses 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.)

CHAPTER VII

The Pilgrimage to the South

The Master travelled very extensively in the South, visiting thousands of holy places. At His touch they became the holiest of holy places.

Under the pretext of a pilgrimage He delivered the people of that country. I shall only give a list of the places without arranging them in the order in which they were visited.