Loudly did Swarup sing this burden, while the Master in delight danced tenderly. Slowly Jagannáth's car moved on, Shachi's son dancing before it. With eyes fixed on Jagannáth all danced and sang. (At times) the Master walked behind the car with the party, of kirtan singers,—His arms making the action of song. When Chaitanya lagged behind, Jagannáth stopped his car; when the Master walked ahead the god propelled his car slowly. Thus did the two urge each other on!
In the course of dancing another change of mood came over the Master: with uplifted arms He loudly recited the following stanza. (Kavya-prakash, I. canto 4 and also Padávali c. 380).
Again and again did He read the stanza, of which the meaning was known to Swarup only. It meant in effect that as the milkmaids at Kurukshetra were delighted to see Krishna, so was the Master gratified at the sight of Jagannáth. Under that emotion He had the burden sung (by Swarup). At last Radhá prays to Krishna, "You are the same [beloved] and I am the same [lover, as during your incarnation as Krishna], and yet Brindában steals my heart. Appear at Brindában again! Here there are crowds and the din and bustle of elephants, horses and chariots;—there only flowery woodlands, the bee's murmur, the cuckoo's cooing! Here you are dressed as a King girt round by warriors, there you were a cow-boy, in the company of flute players! Here I have not a drop of the ocean of bliss I used to taste in thy society at Brindában. Take me with thee to dally at Brindában again. Thus only can my heart be gratified." In the ardour of His devotion the Master recited the stanzas of the Bhágabat, voicing Radhiká's longing. But other people could not understand the verses; Swarup alone knew their meaning but spoke not. (Afterwards) Rup Goswámi proclaimed the sense. (Vide Bhágabat X. lxxxii. 35 and 31).
In Swarup's company had the Master day and night enjoyed the sense of these verses in His house. During His dance the same emotion overcame Him; so He recited the stanzas and danced gazing at Jagannáth. Swarup,—fortunate beyond expression in being absorbed body and soul in the Master,—sang, while the Master drank in his music in abstraction. Under passion's sway the Master sat down and with bowed head traced letters on the ground with His finger. Lest His finger should be hurt, Swarup prevented Him. Swarup's song was in exact accord with the Master's emotion; he gave a vocal shape to every mood of the Master's heart.
As He gazed at Jagannáth's lotus-like face, flashing in the sunlight, his beautiful eyes, his perfumes, robes, garlands and ornaments, the ocean of joy surged up in the Master's heart, a wild storm swept through Him; rapture and wildness raised a tumult, the different emotions fought in Him like hostile armies. A passion rose, a passion subsided, it came to terms with another, and at last His normal mood of spirituality (sátwik) asserted itself. The Master's body was a pure hill of gold; His emotion a tree with every flower in bloom. The sight drew the hearts of all; with the nectar of love He moistened their minds. All the servitors of Jagannáth, all the courtiers of the king, the pilgrims, and the residents of Puri,—all marvelled at the Master's dance and rapture, and all felt devotion to Krishna. In enthusiasm they danced, sang, and set up a din. The pilgrims by joining the dance increased the happiness fourfold. Jagannáth hiniself moved on slowly to witness the Master's dance.
Thus dancing, the Master advanced to where Pratap Rudra stood, and was about to fall down when the king held Him up. On seeing him the Master recovered composure and cried shame on Himself for having touched a King, a worldling, adding, "In his rapture Nityánanda has ceased to be heedful [of me]. Kashishwar, Govinda and others, too, are at a distance." True, the Master had been pleased to see Pratap Rudra numbly serving Jagannáth as a sweeper, and had meant to meet the king, yet He professed anger in order to warn His followers against consorting with worldly-minded men. The king grieved at the Master's speech, but Sárvabhauma told him not to lose heart, "The Master is pleased with you; He is only instructing His followers by means of you. I shall seize a proper time for entreating Him. You will then go and meet Him."
Then the Master walked round the car, and standing behind it pushed it with His head. At His push the car ran on with a clatter; the people around shouted Hari! Hari! Next the Master led His followers away to dance before the cars of Subhadrá and Balarám, and when that was done He returned to dance before Jagannáth's car. So the cars reached Balgandi, where they stopped, and Jagannáth looked on both sides: on the left were the abodes of Brahmans in cocoanut groves, on the right a flower garden resembling Brindában. It is the rule that Jagannáth breakfasts here on ten million dishes. Every devotee of Jagannáth, whatever his position, offers his best food to the god. The king, his wives, ministers and courtiers, all citizens of Puri, great and small, the pilgrims from various lands, the people of the province, all offered him their respective bhog. No order was observed, each deposited his offering of food in front, behind, on the two sides of the god, or in the garden, wherever he could find a spot. The crowd grew immense at the time of the bhog, and so the Master stopped dancing and entered the garden, where He lay prostrate on the veranda of the garden house, overcome with love; the exertion of dancing made Him perspire copiously and He enjoyed the fragrant cool wind. All the bhaktas who had been singing kirtan came and rested under the trees. [Text, canto 13.]
CHAPTER XII
The Hora-Panchami Procession of Lakshmi
As the Master lay thus in the trance of love, Pratap Rudra entered the garden alone, casting off his royal robes and dressed as a [common] Vaishnav, according to the advice of Sárvabhauma. With folded hands he took permission of every bhakta and then mustered enough courage to fall down clasping the Master's feet. The Master lay on the ground, His eyes closed in love; the king eagerly nursed His feet. Pratap Rudra recited the stanzas of the Rasa dance, (Bhágabat, X. xxxi. i). Infinite was the Master's delight as He heard the verses, and He repeatedly cried "Go on." When the king proceeded to the stanza beginning with "The nectar-like discourse of thee", the Master in devotion rose up and embraced the king, saying "You have given me many priceless gems. I have nothing to give in return, save this embrace." So saying He read the verses over and over again, both quivering and showering tears.