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Pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu during Jagannatha Rath Yatra.

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After bathing early in the morning, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the Deities (Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā) get aboard Their three carts. This function is called Pāṇḍu-vijaya. At that time, King Pratāparudra took a broom with a golden handle and began to cleanse the road. Lord Jagannātha took permission from the goddess of fortune and then started in the car for the Guṇḍicā temple. The road to the temple led along a broad, sandy beach, and on both sides of the road were residential quarters, houses and gardens. Along that road the servants called gauḍas began to pull the cars. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu divided His saṅkīrtana party into seven divisions. With two mṛdaṅgas in each division, there were altogether fourteen mṛdaṅgas While performing kīrtana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited various symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, and Jagannātha and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exchanged Their feelings very blissfully.

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dramatically enacting the song, He would sometimes fall behind in the procession. At such times, Lord Jagannātha would come to a standstill. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu again went forward, Lord Jagannātha’s car would slowly start again. Thus there was a sort of competition between Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Jagannātha in seeing who would lead, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so strong that He made Lord Jagannātha wait in His car. While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dancing, His ecstasy changed. Raising His two arms, He began to recite in a loud voice.

After seeing Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu awoke with the ecstasy of the gopīs. Being absorbed in this ecstasy, He asked Svarūpa Dāmodara to sing the refrain. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke thus to Lord Jagannātha: “You are the same Kṛṣṇa, and I am the same Rādhārāṇī. We are meeting again in the same way that We met in the beginning of Our lives. Although We are both the same, My mind is still attracted to Vṛndāvana-dhāma. I wish that You will please again appear with Your lotus feet in Vṛndāvana.”

After seeing the dancing and ecstatic love of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, everyone became astonished. In their hearts they became infatuated with love of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone danced and chanted in ecstatic love, and a great noise resounded. Everyone was overwhelmed with transcendental bliss just to see the dancing of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Apart from the others, even Lord Jagannātha and Lord Balarāma, with great happiness, began to move very slowly upon seeing the dancing of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lord Jagannātha and Lord Balarāma sometimes stopped the car and happily observed Lord Caitanya’s dancing. Anyone who was able to see Them stop and watch the dancing bore witness to Their pastimes. After circumambulating Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went behind the car and began pushing it with His head. As soon as He pushed, the car immediately started to move, making a rattling noise. The people all around began to chant the holy name of the Lord, “Hari! Hari!”

Ref >> Srila Prabhupada Vani.

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