CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
Intoxication with the Wine of Divine Love.
Then turning to some of the company present who were singing, he said, "Will you sing songs which have for their burden the enjoyment by the human soul of God realised? Rakhal—(this he said to one of his young disciples present) do you remember the song sung the other day at Nobin Neogi's house, 'Be Intoxicated with the Joy of the Lord?"
1 Abhyâsa.
2 Baddha.
3 Mukta.
One of the company then said, "Sir, may we be favoured with one of your songs?" The master said, "What shall I sing?—Well, I sing pretty much like yourselves. Very well, when the time comes I shall sing."
So saying he remains silent for a while.
* * * * *
The first five songs that he sings are about Sri Chaitanya Deva and Sri Krishna, that is, from the point of view of the Vaishnavas. Of the last three songs the burden is the Goddess1 of the Universe. They were as follow:—
SONG I.
The Devotee and her Ecstatic Love2 for Chaitanya Deva, the God Incarnate.
1. The waves of the love of Gour come dashing against my body. The swell of His Sea of Love causeth the fall of the unrighteous; nay, the Universe itself goeth down.
2. I thought of stopping on the shore. But there is the alligator—the ecstatic love of Gour Chand which swalloweth me. Is there anybody that feeleth for me and will take me by the hand and drag me out of the water?
1 Kâli.
2 Prema.
SONG II.
The Devotee and her Ecstatic Love for Chaitanya Deva.
1. Come, O my friend, look on the fair Form of Gour! Behold, it is the Lightning that hath become one with the Dark Cloud!*
2 Here is a Man of gold (so fair he is). The sea of his heart is moved incessantly into waves of tender feelings. The tenderness of his loving heart has softened and thus bent1 his fair body in three places. So my mind has been captured by the sight of Gour especially by his bewitching glances.
3. The body of my Gour is rubbed over with a mixture of curds and the red alta water.† At the sight of this Fair Form my tender emotions (of love)2 are stirred up. The maker of this Fair Form is Bhângad (Siva) and the architect is Râdhâ
SONG III.
THE GOD OF LOVE; OR 'DIVE DEEP.'
1. Dive deep, dive deep, dive deep, O my mind into the Sea of Beauty.
Make a search in the regions lower and lower down under the sea; thou shalt come by the jewel, the wealth of Prema (intense love of God).
2. Within thy heart is Brindâban, the abode of God who is Love. Search and look; search and look; search and look. Thou shalt find it.
Then shall burn, without ceasing, the Lamp of Divine Wisdom.
3. Who is that Being that doth steer a boat on land—on land, on solid ground?
1 Tribhanga.
2 Bhakti, etc.
* Krishna is the Dark Cloud; Râdhâ is the Lightning. The two have been made into one, viz. Gour Chaitanya.
† Alta—round-shaped cotton leaves impregnated with lac.
Sayeth Kabir, 'Listen, listen, listen! Meditate on the Hallowed Feet of the Divine Preceptor.'1
SONG IV.
THE MOTHER OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE DIFFICULTY OF REALISATION.
1. Is it given to everybody to be blessed with such Wealth as my Mother?
It is beyond the power of religious austerities ever practised by Shiva to cause the mind to be immersed in the contemplation of Her Hallowed Crimson Feet.
2. The wealth of Princes, Potentates and Powers like the God of Heaven, is beneath the contempt of him who meditateth upon my Mother.
He is set afloat upon Joy Everlasting, once my Mother of the Dark Blue colour doth turn back and look at him.
3. The King of Yogis2, the King of Ascetics3 and the God4 of Heaven meditate in vain upon Her Hallowed Feet—so difficult is it to realise the blessedness that is there.
Kamalakanta is devoid of all virtues. But he still doth long for the vision of those Blessed Feet!
SONG V.
THE MOTHER OF THE UNIVERSE; LIBERATION5 AND LOVE6 OF GOD.
1. What a nice machine hath Mother of the Dark Blue colour made, what a nice machine hath Mother made—the Consort of the God of Eternity!
What splendid tricks is She playing in the machine7 which is but three and a half cubits in length!
1 Guru.
2 Siva.
3 Mounis*.
4 Indra.
5 Mukti.
6 Bhakti.
7 The body.
* Ascetics who observe a vow of silence.
2. Herself within the 'machine, 'She it is who holdeth in Her hand the string which doth set it in motion; but the 'machine' sayeth, 'It is I that am moving of my own accord. It knoweth not who causeth it to move.
3. The 'machine' that hath realised Her will not be required to be a machine any more. Mother Herself is bound to certain particular 'machines' by the string of Bhakti (love).
The Master is singing of the Mother of the Universe.
At the end of the song, he is in Samadhi.
The eyes are fixed and half closed. The functions of the 'corporeal frame' are suspended. Sense-consciousness has left him, giving place to pure God-consciousness.