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Chapter 8: Nitya-dharma & Vaiṣṇava Behavior · Page 1/43

Chapter 8: Nitya-dharma & Vaiṣṇava Behavior

In a forest bordering the south-eastern bank of the sacred pond known as Śrī Gorā-hrada, there were some Vaiṣṇavas living in a secluded grove. One afternoon, the Vaiṣṇavas of that place invited the Vaiṣṇavas of Godruma to join them for after-

noon prasāda. After honoring prasāda, the Vaiṣṇavas sat together

in the grove. At that time, Lāhirī Mahāśaya sang a bhajana that

awakened ecstatic love of Vraja in everyone’s hearts.

(gaura!) kata līlā karile ekhāne

advaitādi bhakta-saṅge nācile evane raṅge kāliya-damana-saṅkīrtane

ehrada haite prabhu, nistārile nakra prabhu kṛṣṇa yena kāliya-damane

Oh, think of the many pastimes Gaura performed here! He danced and sported in this forest grove in the company of Advaita and other Vaiṣṇavas. Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa tamed Kāliya- nāga, so our Prabhu delivered a crocodile from this pond with His saṅkīrtana, which became known as kāliya-damana-saṅkīrtana.

When the bhajana was over, the Vaiṣṇavas began to discuss

the unity of gaura-līlā and kṛṣṇa-līlā. While they were doing so,

a few Vaiṣṇavas from Baragāchī arrived and offered daṇḍavat-praṇāma, first to Gorā-hrada and then to the Vaiṣṇavas. The

Vaiṣṇavas in the grove offered suitable respects to the newcomers

and seated them.