Gauranga reaching Katwa, and the barber had no power to do the shaving

Gauranga reaching Katwa, and the barber had no power to do the shaving


Reaching Katwa, the Lord met Kesava Bharati and fell at his feet to offer respects. Kesava Bharati remembered the name of Narayana. Visvambhara considered Himself most fortunate to meet the eminent preceptor. They greeted each other with joyful words. Visvambhara asked Kesava Bharati to give Him sannyasa.
    While they were talking, Lord Nityananda and His party from Navadvipa arrived. Gauranga smiled and greeted them, "It's good that you have come here." Thinking that His taking sannyasa would help everyone, the Lord again requested Kesava Bharati.
    The respected Kesava Bharati said, "Listen Visvambhara, my heart trembles over the idea of awarding You sannyasa. You are a young man with a beautiful body who has never known any suffering from Your birth. Besides, You're wife is young and You don't have a son, or daughter for that matter. I don't want to give You sannyasa. When one passes fifty years of age he becomes naturally detached from material enjoyment. Then he's eligible to take sannyasa."
    Lord Gauranga said, "O great sage and venerable sannyasi, what can I say before you? But don't bewilder Me. Other than you, who knows the truths of self-realization? A human birth is rare in this world. To practice devotional service is even more rare. But the rarest, most valuable thing of all, is to get the association of a pure devotee of Lord Sri Krishna.
    "In a second this rare human body can perish. If you hesitate, this body may disappear. Then how will I obtain the association of a pure devotee? Please don't bewilder Me. Give Me sannyasa, and by your mercy I'll be able to serve Krishna." Gauranga looked sad with His reddish eyes full of tears.
He showed all the symptoms of ecstatic love of Krishna in His body.

With a voice rumbling like the clouds, Visvambhara said, "Had ! Had !" Sometimes Gauranga stood in a three-fold bending form calling out "Vamsi! Vamsi !" The next moment, being thrilled with joy, His body shivered and He cried out with a laugh, "Rasa-mandala! Govardhana!"
    Amazed and feeling apprehensive, Kesava Bharati contemplated the situation. He realized he had made a mistake by not giving sannyasa to Gauranga. He thought, "This person must be the guru of the world. If I initiate Him, He will fold His hands and 'call me 'guru' ."
    Kesava Bharati said .to Mahaprabhu, "First go home, meet your mother and get her permission to take sannyasa. Approach Your goodnatured wife and Your other associates, and clearly tell them Your plan to take sannyasa. Taking their leave, return to me." Kesava Bharati intended to leave Katwa right after sendinlg Gauranga away.
    The omniscient Lord V^svambham read Kesava Bharati's mind. Then smiling sweetly, He said, "I will obey your order." Gauranga started for Nadia. Meanwhile, Kesava Bharati thought to himself, "I can't escape that Lord whose bodily pores are the resting place of unlimited universes. I am a fool for not seeing all these things. Gauranga is the life and Supersoul of all living entities." Thinking like this, Kesava Bharati called Gauranga back.
    "Listen Gauranga," said Kesava Bharati, "I'm afraid to give You sannyasa. You are the spiritual master of the world; so who can act as Your guru? Why do You bewilder me for nothing?"


On Lord Caitanya's order, Candrasekhara gathered everything needed for the ceremony.He gathered many things from many different villages. Words cannot describe all that he gathered. From everyone he gathered yogurt, milk, ghee, dal, betel nuts, sandalwood, flowers, a sacred thread, and cloth. He gathered many different kinds of food. From where did he get all this? I do not know. Everyone very joyfully chanted the holy names of Lord Hari. Only Hari", and no other sound, was heard from anyone's mouth.

Then Lord Caitanya, the life-breath of all the worlds, sat down to shave off His sikha.Then the barber sat down facing Him. At that moment a great sound of weeping arose. The barber then placed the razor to the Lord's curly hair. Unable to place his hand on the Lord's head, the barber wept.

Nityananda and the other devotees fell to the ground and wept.What could the devotees do? They could only grieve and weep. Someone said, What are the rituals fro sannyasa?" When this was asked, the women all deeply sighed. Unseen by anyone, the demigods also wept. The numberless universes were filled with weeping. With these pastimes of karunya-rasa (the mellows of grief), Lord Caitanya made the stones, dry sticks, and other inanimate objects melt. Lord Caitanya manifested these pastimes to deliver everyone. Seeing these pastimes, everyone wept. Tasting the nectar of ecstatic love, Lord Caitanya became restless. Always trembling and weeping, He could not remain still. Demanding, Sing! Sing!" Lord Caitanya stood up. Mukunda sang, and Lord Caitanya danced without stop.  Lord Caitanya had no power to sit down and remain still. Tasting the nectar of ecstatic love, He trembled. He shed streams of tears.  Sing! Sing!", Lord Caitanya roared.

The barber had no power to do the shaving. Somehow or other, after all these days, the act of shaving was completed with great love. Then Lord Caitanya, the master of all the worlds, bathed in the Ganga, returned, and sat down as a sannyasi. The Vedas say, Lord Caitanya is the siksha-guru (instructing spiritual master) of everyone."

The Lord's acceptance Kesava Bharati as His spiritual master was only a trick. Lord Caitanya said, In a dream an exalted person whispered the sannyasa-mantra in My ear. You will see whether it is the right mantra or not". Speaking these words, Lord Caitanya whispered the mantra in Kesava Bharati's ear. By this trick Lord Caitanya mercifully accepted Kesava Bharati as His disciple. At that moment great wonder took birth in Kesava Bharati's heart.  Kesava Bharati said, This is the best of great mantras. You have certainly attained Lord Krishna's mercy."  By Lord Caitanya's order, noble-hearted Kesava Bharati repeated that mantra to the Lord. Then the four directions became filled with auspicious sounds of Lord Hari's holy names. In this way Lord Caitanya, the crest jewel of Vaikuntha accepted sannyasa.

Accepting a charming saffron cloth, Lord Caitanya was more handsome than millions of Kamadevas. His head and all His limbs were anointed with sandal paste. Covered with a flower garland, His body was glorious. A splendid danda and kamandalu rested in His graceful hands. He was always agitated with ecstatic love for a person who was actually Himself.  His graceful face was more glorious and handsome than millions and millions of moons. His two lotus eyes were filled with streams of tears. Some day Vedavyasa will perfectly describe Lord Caitanya appearance as a sannyasi. In the Sahasra-nama (Thousand names of Lord Vishnu) Vedavyasa has already described Lord Caitanya as a sannyasi.  In this prayer is a verse that in truth describes Lord Caitanya, the king of brahmanas. All the Vaishnava know
the heart of this verse, which declares (Mahabharata, Dana-dharma-parva, Chapter 149, Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotra, verse

sannyasa-kric chamah santo
nishtha-santi-parayanah

The Lord will take the fourth order of spiritual life (sannyasa) and will be very self-controlled. He will be distinguished from the Mayavadi sannyasis in that He will be fixed in devotional service and will spread the sankirtana movement."* Then noble-hearted Kesava Bharati considered what name to give the Lord. He said, the Vaishnavas in the fourteen worlds do not see what my eyes see. Nowhere is there a name that satisfies me.  The name `Bharati' would mean `the disciple of Kesava Bharati'. Therefore that name is not appropriate for You." As the fortunate sannyasi Kesava Bharati was thinking in this way, saintly Goddess Sarasvati entered his tongue.  In this way he decided on the right name. Placing his hand on the Lord's chest, pure-hearted Kesava Bharati said, You make the whole world chant the name `Krishna'. In this way You make the whole world alive (caitanya) with kirtana.Therefore Your name will be `Sri Krishna Caitanya'. Because of You everyone in the world will become fortunate."

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