Jaiva-Dharma by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Translated by Narayana Maharaja
One night, just after ten o'clock, Sannyasi Thakura sat chanting hari-nama on a raised mound in a secluded part of his grove within Sri Godruma. Gazing northward, he saw the full moon had already risen, diffusing an uncommon luster throughout Sri Navadvipa-mandala. Suddenly, a divine manifestation of nearby Sri Mayapura became visible before his eyes.
Sannyasi Thakura exclaimed, "Oh! What an extraordinary vision! I am seeing a most astonishing ad blissful holy place! Towering jeweled palaces, temples and ornamented archways are illuminating the bank of the Jahnavi River by their glittering splendor. The tumultuous sound of hari-nama-sankirtana is rising from many places as if to pierce the sky. Hundreds of Vaishnavas, like Narada playing upon his vina, are chanting sri-nama and dancing.
"On one side is fair-complexioned Mahadeva, with his damaru drum in his hand. He cries out, 'O Vishvambhara, please bestow Your mercy upon me!'Saying this, he dances tandava-nrtya wildly, then falls to the ground, unconscious. O another side, the four-headed Brahma sits in an assembly of rsis who are well-versed in Vedic lore. He recites the following Vedic mantra and lucidly explains its meaning:
mahan prabhur vai purusah sattvasyaisah pravartakah
sunirmalam imam praptim isano jyotir avyayah
" 'That Personality is undoubtedly mahan, supreme, and He is prabhu, master. He bestows the tendency for intelligence, and by His mercy, a person can attain supremely pure and transcendental peace. That person known as Mahaprabhu Shri Chaitanya is purusa, the Supreme Person. He is isana, the Supreme Ruler. He is jyoti-svarupa, self-manifest and possessing a lustrous effulgence due to the golden splendor of His limbs. He is avyaya, the imperishable Lord.'
"Elsewhere, Indra and other devas are leaping in ecstasy, crying, 'Jaya Prabhu Gaurachandra! Jaya Nityananda!" The birds sitting on the branches of the trees are calling out, 'Gaura! Nitai!' Large black bees are humming everywhere in the flower gardens, intoxicated by drinking gaura-rasa and diffusing her magnificent radiance everywhere. This is wonderful! I have seen Shri Mayapura in broad daylight many times, but I have never beheld anything like this before. What am I seeing?"
Remembering his Gurudeva, Sannyasi Thakura said, "O Prabhu, now I can understand that you have bestowed your mercy upon me today by granting me a vision of the transcendental (aprakrta) aspect of Mayapura. From today onwards, I shall call myself a follower of Shri Gaurachandra. I see that everyone in this divine land of Navadvipa wears a necklace of tulasi beads, tilaka on his forehead, and the letter of sri-nama stamped on his body. I shall also do the same."
Saying this, Sannyasi Thakura fell into a state of unconsciousness. He regained external consciousness after a short while, and began to cry, "Indeed, I am extremely fortunate, for, by the mercy of my guru, I have obtained a momentary vision of the sacred land of Shri Navadvipa."
The next morning, he threw his ekadanda staff into the river. Then decorating his neck with a three-stranded necklace of tulasi beads and his forehead with the urddhva-pundra-tilaka mark, he chanted "Hari! Hari," and began to dance.
When the Vaishnavas of Godruma saw Sannyasi Thakura's extraordinary mood and new appearance, they offered him prostrated obeisance, saying, "You are blessed! You are blessed." He became somewhat embarrassed at this, and said, "Oh, I have accepted this Vaishnava dress to become an object of the Vaishnavas' mercy, but now I have met with another obstacle. I have heard the following statement many times from Gurudeva's mouth:
trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih
Sri Siksastaka 3
Considering oneself to be more insignificant than a blade of grass, being more tolerant than a tree, and free from all desire for personal prestige, and offering, all respects to others, one should constantly by absorbed in hari-kirtana.
"The very same Vaishnavas whom I consider to be my gurus are now offering obeisances to me. What will become of me?" Pondering thus, he approached Paramahamsa Babaji, offered him prostrated obeisance, and stood up with his head bowed.
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