Mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

 

31 May: There were many gardens near the Gundicha temple. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His Associates used to perform many pastimes there. In the lake of Indradyumna, He sported in the water. He would personally splash water on all the devotees, and the devotees, surrounding Him, also splashed water on Him. While in water they sometimes formed one circle and sometimes many circles, and while in water they used to play cymbals and imitate the croaking of frogs.

 

Sometimes two would form a pair and fight in water. Lord would watch all the enjoyment as one would loose and other wins. Initially Srila Advaita Acharya and Sriman Nityananda Prabhu began this as they threw water upon each other. Advaita Acharya lost, and He later began to rebuke Nityananda Prabhu, calling Him ill names. Sri Svarupa Damodar and Sri Vidyanidhi also threw water upon each other, and Murari Gupta sported with Vasudev Dutt in the same manner. Another game took place between Sri Srivas Thakur and Sri Gadadhar Pandit and yet another between Sri Raghav Pandit and Sri Vakreshwar Pandit.

 

Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and Sri Ramananda Raya were engaged in the water sport and eventually they both lost their gravity and acted like children. When Sri Mahaprabhu saw the exuberance of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and Ramananda Raya, He smiled and spoke to Gopinath Acharya, “Tell Bhattacharya and Ramananda to stop their childish play because they are both learned scholars and very grave and great personalities.” Gopinath Acharya replied, “I believe that one drop of the ocean of Your great mercy has swelled up upon them. A drop from the ocean of Your mercy can drown great mountains like Sumeru and Mandara. Since these two gentlemen are little hills in comparison, it is no wonder that they are being drowned in the ocean of Your mercy. Logic is like a dry oil cake from which all the oil has been extracted. The Bhattacharya passed his life in eating such dry cakes, but now You have made him drink the nectar of transcendental pastimes. It is certainly Your great mercy upon him.”

                                                            (from Chaitanya Charitamrita - Madhya)