Song 11

(Pāhiḍā rāga-Tripadī chanda)

492. "Above Vaikuṇṭha is the world of Goloka, where Śrī Gaurasundara is king. In that place are Rukmiṇī and a host of women. There Lord Harī is the only male. Everyone there is full of bliss.

493. "There Rādha. and Rukmiṇī are the two queens. The other women are Their expansions. Following hundreds and hundereds of branches of devotion, these personified potencies engage in devotional service.

494. "Satyabhāmā is also a queen there. Her beauty and virtues have no peer. She has the greatest intelligence and sweetness. Her playfulness, beauty, artistic talent, and good fortune are glorious. She is the most beautiful abnd charming girl in the three worlds.

495. "In that realm are singing and music and the rhythms of drums. In that realm are the spiritual vibrations of the Vedas including the fifth Veda. In that realm sublime intelligence is everywhere present.

496. "In that realm are many expansions of the supreme Lord and many hosts of exalted Vaiṣṇavas. That nectar city bears the name Raṅga-purī. Why has the power to describe the glory of that realm? Having only a single mouth, I have no power to describe it.

497. "In that realm, in Vṛndāvana forest, Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoys the rāsa dance with Śrī Rādha. and a host of gopīs. In that realm, in Dvārakā City, many women, the followers and servants of Queen Rukmiṇī, taste the nectar of ecstatic spiritual love.

498. "No one there lacks devotion. Everyone there always sings the glories of the Lord. Although they are all free and independent, everyone there voluntarily submits to the Lord’s will. Everyone there is liberated. Still, they humbly engage in devotional service as if they were conditioned souls in the world of matter.

499. "The four kinds of liberation, which begin with salokya-mukli, are all potencies of Vaikuṇṭha’s master. The master of Vaikuṇṭha is never conquered by persons who have no devotion. He posseses all opuelnces. He is no fallen and lowly. He is conquered only by pure devotion.

500. "Sugar has no power to tasste its own sweetness. Only others can taste it. Liberation is an obstacle on the path of devotional service. Loving devotional service is the highest attainment.

501. "This city is beyond the jurisdiction of the demigod Brahmā. It is My home. Out of compassion Śrī Caitanya, the master of all, will come here. His form will be tall and fair. When you see Him the troubles in your heart will perish.

502. "I Myself will be the Śrī Caitanya you will see. I will preach the chanting of My own glories. I will destroy everyopne’s sufferings. I will preach the bliss of ecstatic spiritual love. I will deliver the people of Kali-yuga."

503. Hearing these wonderful words, Nārada Munī departed. He thought, "Now I will see the world of Goloka, a world higher than Vaikuṇṭha, a world beyond what the Vedas can see, a world whose praises are sung in all the worlds.

504. "The secret truths I heard from the devotees about liberation, what is beyond liberation, and what is neither known nor manifest to the Vedas and the material world, today I will see directly."

505. Filled with love, Nārada flew to the spiritual world. Hearing the sound of his vīṇā, the residents of Vaikuṇṭha became joyful. Filled with bliss, and singing auspicious songs glorifying the Supreme Lord, Nārada arrived at the agte of Vaikuṇṭha.

506. Surrounded by His associates, Lord Nārāyaṇa, the master of Vaikuṇṭha saw Nārada and offered him a seat on a jewel throne. Falling at the Lord’s feet, Nārada offered respectful obeisances. The Lord picked hiom up and embraced him.

507. Smiling and smiling, Lord Nārāyaṇa asaid: "What is in your heart? O great sage, please tell. I will grant whatever wish is in your heart. What you do not know I will reveal."

508. Folding his palms, Nārada Munī said: "You are the Supersoul present in every heart. What need I explain to You? What in Your spiritual form of wood You described to me I will soon see with my own eyes."

509. Then Lord Nārāyaṇa, who is decorated with the jewels of all virtues, said: "The form I secretly deascribed to you is My original form. Māyā is that form’s shadow. Hundreds and hundreds of avatārasa come from that form. Worship of that form is the noblest endeavor.

510. "I am a plenary expansion of that form. I am present everywhere. I am Lord Viṣṇu from whom everything has come. I am everything of everything. Goddess Laksmī is My follower. The four kinds of liberation also follow Me. What I tell you is the truth.

511. "I, Lord Viṣṇu, am His plenary expansion. Goddess Lakṣmī is His potency of opulence. This Vaikuṇṭha realm is the plenary expansion of His original Vaikuṇṭha realm. The liberation here is only a shadow of the liberation in His realm. There pure devotional service is present everywhere. Lord Nārāyaṇa serves Him, the master of that Vaikuṇṭha.

512. "In His realm Śrī Rādha. is the only potency. Her form is filled with ecstatic spiritual love. She brings the Supreme Personality of Godhead under Her crontrol. His realm is one of the Vaikuṇṭha worlds. It is called Mahā-Vaikuṇṭha. It is threequarters of all existence.

513. "What I say is the truth. Lord Gaura-Harī is beyond the touch of māyā. He is a kalp-avrksa tree of compassion. O sage, go to Him. Go. Go to Mahāprabhu’s place. He is the śikṣā-guru (teacher)

of all the worlds."

514. Sounding his vīṇā and singing soungs glorifying Lord Hari, Nārada, the king of the kings of the sages, departed. His limbs trembled in ecstasy. From head to foot the hairs of his body stood erect. Tears of spiritual love streamed from his eyes.

515. He became wild with ecstatic love. One moment he was filled with wonder. Another moment he called out: "Gaurāṅga!" Another moment he stumbled. Another moment he fell backwards. Another moment he wept. Another moment he eagerly ran.

516. Suddenly a breeze blew upon him, a breeze that brought coolness to his whole body. Then came an effulgence glorious like ten million moons. Then he smelled the fragrance of the Supreme Lord’s graceful lotus feet. Then Nārada’s whole body was overwhelmed with ecstasy. Then he gazed on a person more glorious than Kāmadeva.

517. Many Kāmadevas served that person. No one there saw Him without feeling great love. They did not know whether it was day or night. They did not see Nārada as different from them. Everyone there was filled with bliss and free of grief.

518. Their walking was playful dancing. Their words were graceful songs. Their eyes were drawn to the Lord. No limb of their bodies was not filled with bliss. No one of them eas lacking in ecstatic spiritual love. Their bodies were made of nectar.

519. Every body was made of knowledge and bliss. The ground was made of cintāmaṇī jewels. Every tree was a a kalpa-vṛkṣa tree. Every cow was a kāmadhenu cow. This was the realm where Uddhava and other great devotees yearn to become a bush or a vine.

520. Every tree there was a kalpa-vṛkṣa tree. In that realm was a peerless jewel platform. On a golden throne there Lord Gaurāṅga Rāya, with a smile sweeter than nectar, sat.

521. The Lord’s left big toe touched an auspicious waterpot near the throne. A jewel lamp shone like the sun. If filled that whole realm with light.

522. Rādhika. was on the Lord’s right. Her followers were at Her side. In their hands were jewel waterpots. Rukminī was on the Lord’s left. Her friends were at her side. In their hands were gold waterpots with jewel water.

523. Nagnajitā placed a waterpot in Mitravindā’s hand. Mitravindā placed it in Sulakṣaṇā’s hand. Sulakṣaṇā placed it in Rukmiṇī’s hand. From that pot Queen Rukmiṇī poured celestial Gaṅgā water on Lord Gaurāṅga’s head. In this way the Lord’s abhiṣeka (ritual bathing) was performed.

524. Tilottamā placed a waterpot in Madhupriyā’s hand. Madhupriyā placed it in Candramukhī’s hand. Candramukhī placed in Rādhikā’s hand. From that pot Queen Rādhika. poured celestial Gaṅgā water on the Lord Gaurāṅga’s head. In this way the Lord’s abhiṣeka (ritual bathing) was again performed.

525. In her hands Satyabhāmā brought splendid scents, garlands, garments, and ornaments and placed them in the hands of her maidservants Lakṣaṇā, Subhadrā, and Bhadrā.

526. In the four directions hundreds and hundreds of goddesses brought splendid divine gifts. With their own hands again and again they offered clusters of precious jewels to the Lord. Loudly they sang auspicious songs of "Jaya! Jaya!"

527. In this way they pewrformed the abhiṣeka of Lord Gaurāṅga, the master of Goloka. It was He and no other. The scriptures meditate on HIm with rapt attention. His form is fair like gold. He is worshiped with a four-syllable mantra. When He is the king of Vaikuṇṭha His form is dark.

528. When he manifests His dark form of Vaikuntha’s king He has four hands that hold four weapons. When He has a form splendid like gold, His every limb is like gold. Then He has two arms and He speaks gently. Please hear the truth of this.

529. Gazing then at Lord Gaura decorated with the jewels of transcendental virtues, Nārada Muni, overcome with ecstatic spiritual love, fell at the Lord’s feet. With unblinking eyes he gazed at the Lord. With his tears he bathed the Lord’s feet.

530. Bathed in this way, the Lord gently smiled, picked up Nārada, and placed him in His lap. Now Nārada’s doubts and fears all perished. The anguish in his heart was crushed into dust. Then Nārada, who is very dear to the Lord, gently, gently spoke.

531. Nārada Munī said: "O Lord Mahāprabhu, never have I seen or heard of a form wonderful like Yours. Now my birth has borne its fruit. Now I see a flood of nectar. Now I know that I am fortunate, fortunate.

532. "Brahmā and the demigods do not understand You. Therefore ī say You and Your avatāras are beyond the knowledge of individual souls. Some say You are a spiritual effulgence. Others say no words coming from any mouth can ever describe You No one can speak any metaphor or simile that will give a true idea of You.

533. "Som,e say You are greater than the greatest, the Supreme Person. No one has the power to describe You completely. Gazing only on Your allpervading energies one does not attain liberation. Your actions are beyond our understanding.

534. "Speaking with a thousand tongues in a thousand mouths, Lord Ananta Śeṣa still cannot come to the end of Your glories. O Lord Gaura, it is only by Your mercy that I have seen You.

535. "They who have single-pointed intelligence offer āratī to You and serve Your feet Their intelligence is not diverted into many paths. Some say You are an all-pervading something subtly worshiped by the sāṅkhya-yogīs and grossly worshiped by the devotees.

536. "Some follow varnasrama-dharma in the Vedas and perform their prescribed duties. Some follow Vedānta. They do not come to any firm conclusion. Not understanding You in truth, they become the followers of many different philosophies.

537. "Why do they ferociously debate amongst themselves? Logic gives them no power to understand You. Some of them say all is one. I do not understand Your heart. Your words are completely beyond my understanding.

538. "Now that I have attained the mercy of Your feet, my life-breath weeps without stop. Please allow me to give up this material body and take birth again in the family of Your devotees. Then I will be able to worship you with loving devotion (premabhakti)."

539. Hearing Nārada’s words, Lord Narayana, who is decorated with the jewels of all transcendental virtues, said: "Go. Go. Go, O king of sages. I will deliver the people of Kalī-yuga. I will preach pure devotion offered to Me. I will take birth amongst the devotees in Nadīyā.

540. "Go to the earth. I stay always at Svetadvipa. Balarāma is My brother. Ananta Śeṣa is His plenary expansion. Śiva and the eleven Rudras worship and serve Him.

541. "He enjoys pastimes with beautiful Reavtī. He stays on an island in the midst of the milk ocean. From Him the avatāras come. He helps Me. He goes first and does My work.

542. "Go to Him. Go, O king of sages. Serve Him and tell Him these words: By Your plenary expansion take birth on the earth and accept the name Nityānanda."

543. Hearing the Supreme Lord’s words, with a happy heart Nārada Munī said: "Haribol!" Locana dāsa describes this, the conversation of those two. Whoever hears these words will be tossed by waves of bliss.