12. Gauranga's Devastating Dance of Love

12. Gauranga's Devastating Dance of Love:

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami enthusiastically describes the blissful dancing of Sri Caitanyadeva during Jagannatha Swami's Ratha-yatra thus: 

When Lord Jagannatha mounted His cart, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inspired all His devotees to dance in front of it. As Lord Gauranga danced before the cart, He always sang the following two lines: "I have gotten the Lord of My life, for whom I was burning in the fire of lusty desires."

"That very personality who stole away my heart during My youth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of malati flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship. I am also the same lover, but I am not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the banks of the Reva under the Vetasi tree. That is my desire." (Cc. 2.1.55, 58)

Gauranga wandered through all 7 groups of kirtana performers chanting the holy names, "Hari, Hari." Raising His long, beautiful, golden arms, Mahaprabhu shouted, "All glories to Lord Jagannatha!" Gauranga then exhibited another mystic power by performing pastimes simultaneously in all 7 kirtana groups. Everyone said, "Mahaprabhu is present in my group. Indeed, He does not go anywhere else. Gauranga is bestowing His mercy only upon us."

When Sri Caitanyadeva personally wanted to dance, all the 7 kirtana parties combined in an awesome assembly. Lord Jagannatha was supremely pleased by the hari-nama-sankirtana, so He stopped His chariot just to watch the performance. Gauranga appeared like a circling firebrand, and His dancing steps and jumping caused the earth to tilt.

Ecstatic love for Krsna brought blissful changes in Gaurahari's body. Lord Caitanya's hair stood on end; He perspired, cried and His divine body changed color from golden to pinkish. Sometimes Gauranga fell to the ground to appear like a golden mountain rolling on the earth. Nitai ran behind Gaura, extending His beautiful arms in an attempt to catch the Lord of love. Advaita Acarya followed along, bellowing. "Hari bol! Hari bol!"

Lord Gauranga became more and more ecstatic as Jagannatha Swami rolled down the Temple Road towards Gundica Mandira. The devotees formed 3 circles around Mahaprabhu to protect Him from the excited crowds. As Gauranga experienced deeper ecstatic love, He displayed further transformations, including thrill bumps, chattering teeth, perspiration and blood oozing from all the pores of His transcendental body. While attempting to say, "Jagannatha, Jagannatha," Gaurhari made inarticulate sounds like. "Jaja, Gaga, Jaja, Gaga." Mahaprabhu's tears of love, shooting like a syringe, sprinkled the onlookers with mercy. Gaurasundara's brilliant complexion faded to pink, and His hands and legs became hard as dry wood.

After performing His devastating dance, Sri Caitanya's mind entered a mood of ecstatic love for Krsna. An ocean of transcendental bliss expanded in Mahaprabhu's heart, which caused an increase in all the natural emotional symptoms. Lord Gauranga attracted everyone, including pilgrims, Jagannatha's pujaris, government officers, and all the residents of Sri Ksetra Dhama to His lotus feet by sprinkling their minds with the nectar of love of God. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's ecstatic dancing filled the hearts of one and all with bliss.

Occasionally, Jagannatha Swami stopped His cart to watch the rapturous dancing of Gaura-nataraja. While all the devotees danced before His cart, Jagannatha moved slowly forward. To examine the heart of His beloved, Mahaprabhu sometimes dropped behind Jagannatha's cart. At such times, Jagannatha Swami stopped moving, waited for Gauranga's return, and then started rolling again. There was a competition between Lord Jagannatha and Sri Caitanya over who would lead, but Gaurahari was stronger because He always forced Lord Jagannatha to wait in His car.

Sometimes Lord Jagannatha's cart came to a dead stop. And despite the best endeavors of drunken elephants, the strongest wrestlers in Puri, and King Prataparudra himself, Jagannatha's cart would not budge an inch. Compassionate Gauranga, returned to the front of the cart, released the crying elephants, handed the ropes to His men and then personally pushed Jagannatha's cart with His beautiful head.

Miraculously and automatically, Jagannatha's cart suddenly started moving without any effort. Gaura's devotees just held the ropes limply in their relaxed hands, since there was no necessity of pulling. In a moment, the chariot of Lord Jagannatha reached the Gundica Temple. Observing Lord Gauranga's exceptional strength, everyone chanted, "Jaya Sri Krsna Caitanya, Jaya Gauracandra, Wonderful, Wonderful!" (C.c. 2.13.26-209)