Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 17.08.2018, Ludasto)

Madhavendra Puri accepted the sweet rice that was preserved for him by Gopinath. He ate the sweet rice, broke the pot and tied the pieces of the pot into his dhoti. Every day he took one piece and again he perceived this blessed ecstasy.

“Having broken the pot and bound the pieces in his cloth, Madhavendra Puri began to think, “The Lord has given me a pot of sweet rice, and when the people hear of this tomorrow morning, there will be great crowds.” Thinking this, Shri Madhavendra Puri offered his obeisances to Gopinatha on the spot and left Remuna before morning.[1] So, he was hiding, escaping from name, fame and glory.

“Walking and walking, Madhavendra Puri finally reached Jagannatha Puri, which is also known as Nilacala. There he saw Lord Jagannatha and was overwhelmed with loving ecstasy. When Madhavendra Puri was overwhelmed in the ecstasy of love of Godhead, he sometimes stood up and sometimes fell to the ground. Sometimes he laughed, danced and sang. In this way he enjoyed transcendental bliss by seeing the Jagannatha Deity.”[2]

Sometimes he dropped his cellular phone… You see, if Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami would write the Chaitanya Charitamrita today, he might give different examples. But the feeling is the same, right.

“When Madhavendra Puri came to Jagannatha Puri, people were aware of his transcendental reputation. Therefore crowds of people came and offered him all sorts of respect in devotion. Even though one may not like it, reputation, as ordained by providence, comes to him. Indeed, one’s transcendental reputation is known throughout the entire world. Being afraid of his reputation [pratishtha], Madhavendra Puri fled from Remuna. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.”[3]

I had personally seen an example of this. Once Gurudev took us to a very distant place on the other side of the globe where he had his brothers and sisters in a very nice local congregation. And first you might think that this is a different planet and nobody knows you, nobody knows your conditions. But then I was talking to some devotees and they started to give a list of the names of the Nanda Falva devotees. “Yes, we have heard that there is a devotee like this, and there is another devotee like that. And this is her service, and that is his service.” And at that time there was only one channel of communication – it was Gurudev. So, he gave a full list of his disciples in Nanda Falva to his brothers and sisters. And they were glorifying them like stalwarts of devotion. Then I understood that this was his daily practice to glorify his own devotees. And I understood something about his spiritual love and attachment to his followers.

(to be continued) 

[1] Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 4.141-142

[2] Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 4.143-144

[3] Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 4.145-147