The Spiritual Crisis: Chaitanya Meets Ishvara Puri # 15

15

Nimai returned from East Bengal, followed by his students and endowed with authority, prestige, and wealth. His manners, however, became strange, bordering on delirium. When asked for explanations, he eluded examination and complications by declaring himself ill, claiming he had problems with the "airs" in the body, the nadis. These are subtle channels comparable to the meridians in Chinese medicine. According to Vedic medicine, which is even older, when the subtle currents of air circulating in the body are disturbed, fifty-nine kinds of diseases can manifest, one of which is madness; and Nimai sometimes behaved like a madman, at least in appearance.

Furthermore, in his teaching of Sanskrit, he mixed matters relating to Krishna so closely that the students felt as though they were attending a religion class. Various means were tried to dissuade him from changing his method, but nothing worked. No matter what recommendation was presented to him, he proved with implacable logic that his explanations were the most sensible. No one dared to stand up to him anymore. According to their own judgment, some left when they could no longer bear it, while others stayed for the quality of his lessons or to immerse themselves in his holiness.

There is no doubt that a new life was beginning for Nimai. He who had previously shown so little interest in religion was now fully engaged in it, for he did not settle for passive contemplation but preached the cult of Krishna with extraordinary vigor. What happened in Gaya for Nimai to return so transformed?

This city is located about four hundred kilometers as the crow flies west of Nadia. A renowned holy place, as it is the preeminent site for fulfilling duties toward ancestors, Nimai wished to perform the customary rituals there in honor of his father. As we shall see, this journey would lead him to a decisive spiritual experience.

In Gaya, there is a famous temple of Vishnu. In fact, only his Feet are worshiped there (Vishnupada). It is said that a very long time ago, when Vishnu descended to earth, he left his footprints there for the benefit of humanity. Although the building is monumental, the sanctuary itself is small, creating a striking contrast. It is circular in shape, and the holy Feet are imprinted in the ground on a rocky protrusion in the center of the room, protected by a circular guard barely higher than the ankle.

When Nimai arrived at the site, symptoms of ecstasy overwhelmed him. These were astonishing phenomena because, usually, he showed no marked interest in anything related to Vaishnavism. The priests were impressed by his emotions and rejoiced; Caitanya had won them over.

That day, Nimai noticed the presence of Ishvara Puri, a sage who, a few months earlier, had visited the family home and moved him. Ishvara Puri, for his part, had noted with interest the child's precocious and singular erudition.

Immediately, Nimai went to meet him and offered his prostrated obeisances. With eyes misted and unable to contain himself, he said to him: "These rituals we practice here only provide benefits to the persons to whom they are dedicated, but your presence in this place grants it a more divine character, since so many ancestors will benefit from your passage. For when pilgrims visit these holy oases, they leave their sins there, but it is through the purifying power of liberated souls like you that these places are cleansed; you are therefore more important than these pilgrimage sites. It is also said that those who tread their soil and bathe in the sacred streams and lakes, without however meeting the great souls who live there or frequent them, are comparable to cows or asses. Therefore, I beg you to accept me as your disciple and to let me taste the nectar that flows from the lotus-like feet of Krishna."

"Listen, Pandit, I know who you are, for no one in the world can possess the knowledge that is yours."

Ishvara Puri was alluding to the debate they had shared when he himself resided in Nadia during his visit. He had written a book about Krishna that he had just finished, and as he knew Nimai to be the greatest scholar in the region, he had asked him to check if the manuscript contained any errors. "These writings," the young Nimai had replied, "are descriptions of the nature of Krishna by a pure devotee; if anyone discovers a fault in them, it is because he is a sinner of the first order. A pure devotee writes nothing that is not authentic or that would be the product of imagination. An ignorant person may, when offering prayers in a temple, commit faults, while a Brahmana may do so with meritorious diction, but God sees no difference between the two. He is sensitive to what comes from the heart, not to erudition. Seeking faults in such writings is equivalent to pronouncing an anathema, because nothing procures more pleasure for Krishna than one of his devotees glorifying him by means of the pen. What you have written must be recognized as an expression of your love for Krishna. Who would have the audacity to point out errors in it?"

While Nimai was justifying his stance, Ishvara Puri felt ecstasy rising within him, which soon spread to every part of his body. He insisted: "I know you will not criticize the content of this work without reason, but errors may have slipped in by inadvertence, and I would like you to point them out to me."

Thus, during his long visit to Nadia, Ishvara Puri maintained discussions of this kind with the young Nimai, to the delight of all who were present. One day, Nimai finally found an error in a poem and pointed it out to him: "... You should have used a different verb here, and not atma-nepadi."

After a long technical discussion, Ishvara went home and minutely studied Nimai’s recommendations. He did not grasp his point of view, and it annoyed him, though he did not let it discourage him. Since his reputation portrayed him as a pandit of great stature, he set out to resolve the problem immediately. Comparing Nimai's explanations with other Scriptures, he considered the different grammatical effects that might emerge if different interpretations were chosen or if one juggled with words. But after taking all the trouble in the world, he could not detect the slightest fault.

The next day, when Nimai came to meet him, he confessed his dilemma: "I have considered your objection to my use of this verb root, but I have come to the conclusion that it is you who are mistaken; it is certainly not parasmai-padi as you claim, but indeed atma-nepadi."

Nimai had been more than delighted in Nadia to face the intelligence and determination of Ishvara Puri to prove the relevance of his writings. That is why, in Gaya, at the sight of this spiritual master, as tears flowed from his eyes, it was these moments of great joy that resurfaced within him, making his happiness beyond all expectation. Ishvara Puri said to him: "Last night, I had a dream in which I saw Krishna, and now I see you... Is that not a strange coincidence? Especially since the day I first saw you in Nadia, I have not stopped thinking about you; in fact, you reign over my mind."

It was thus in Gaya, the birthplace of Ishvara Puri, that Nimai was initiated. From that day on, he radically changed his attitude and character. At all times, he invoked the Names of Krishna and fell under the influence of a mysterious enchantment that made him lose his mind. He would then roll on the ground and cry out: "Lord Krishna, you have stolen my heart and fled! Which path did you take so that I may find you? Lord, Lord, where are you?"

Overnight, Nimai lost interest in books, grammar, and rhetoric to only speak of and listen to the activities of Krishna. In these acute phases of sublimation, which materialized through delirious trances, his disciples looked after him and showed great tact in reasoning with him: once, he had decided to abandon everything and go live in Vrindavan. They managed, with great difficulty, to bring him back to his family in Nadia. During the return, Caitanya expressed his immense satisfaction at having been initiated by Ishvara Puri into divine love, bhakti. He revealed his desire to absorb himself entirely in this path and to devote his efforts to spreading God-consciousness around him and throughout the world. How could it be otherwise?

The devotees, especially those who have seen Nimai since his return from Gaya, are astonished by his transformations. Previously, he was uninterested in Vaishnavism and spent much time studying and teaching the Vedas in an academic manner. Today, he dances and sings day and night, inciting others to do the same. He is heard repeating: "A devotee engaged in chanting the holy Names should be as tolerant as a tree. If he is insulted or struck, he should not protest, for a tree, even if its branches are cut and it withers, does not complain. Thus should a Vaishnava behave. If a good soul offers him food, he accepts it willingly, but otherwise, he should only feed on fruits and vegetables that are easy to obtain. He must always chant the holy Names and be satisfied with what Providence sends him. Thus, his devotion for Krishna will be established for good. He who thinks himself humbler than a blade of grass in the street, who is more tolerant than a tree, and claims no prerogatives for himself, while being ready to offer perpetual respect to others, such a person can chant the holy Names of the Lord at all times." When the crowd, which is not mistaken about the value of this new mystic, is overwhelmed by his behavior and words, he then declares: "Listen, all of you! Hang these words around your neck and wear them like a string of pearls so that you may remember them at every moment."

Preceding chapter : The Encounter of Nimai and Keshava Kashmiri # 14