Advaita Tests Mahaprabhu 

Advaita tests Mahaprabhu 

When Gauranga returned from Gaya in a changed mood, Advaita, Srivasa and the other devotees were overjoyed. In due course, Nityananda Prabhu arrived in Nabadwip after having toured the sacred pilgrimage sites and there he met Nimai. One day at Srivasa’s house, Mahaprabhu indicated that he wanted to perform the Vyasa Puja to Nityananda. On the eve of this puja, Mahaprabhu showed everyone that Nityananda was Baladeva and then, repeating the words, “Naria, Naria”, revealed that Advaita had caused him to descend to the earth by calling him.

“It is due to Advaita that I have become incarnate, for Naria’s roars rang in my ears. I was lying in the Milk Ocean, but Naria’s roar woke me up and brought me down here.”  

  

After the Vyasa Puja had come to an end, Mahaprabhu took on the mood of the supreme lord and sent Ramai Pandita, Srivasa Pandita’s brother, to fetch Advaita from his house in Shantipur by telling him of the Lord’s divine manifestation: 

“Advaita Prabhu has brought Hari, the Lord of Goloka, to this earth by his cries and by worshiping him with Ganges water and tulasi. Nityananda Prabhu has also made his auspicious appearance in Nabadwip. So Advaita Acarya and his wife should come immediately to Srivasa Angana, bringing all the paraphernalia for worship with him.” 

Ramai immediately carried out Mahaprabhu’s order and took his message to Advaita Prabhu. 

 

As soon as Advaita heard that Mahaprabhu had publicly revealed his divine identity, he and Sita Devi immediately set off, bringing their son Acyutananda and some other associates. But rather than going directly to Srivasa’s house, Advaita decided to test Mahaprabhu by hiding in Nandana Acarya’s house. He told Ramai not to tell Mahaprabhu, but the lord, who knows the heart of all, was able to see through Advaita’s plan. As Mahaprabhu sat on the altar and revealed his own deity to everyone, Nityananda held the royal parasol while Gadadhara and the other devotees engaged in a variety of services. This time, when Mahaprabhu sent Ramai to Nandan Acarya’s house to fetch Advaita, Advaita realized that Mahaprabhu was omniscient and hesitated no longer. 

  

In the company of his wife, he joyfully prostrated himself before the lord, speechless before the manifestation of the lord’s divine power. He washed the lord’s lotus feet and then worshiped him with the five ingredients (pancopacara), using the following mantra to do so: 

  namo brahmanyadevaya 

go-brahmana-hitaya ca  

jagad-dhitaya krishnaya 

govindaya namo namah 

I pay my obeisances to Krishna Govinda, the lord of the brahminical society, to him who is the source of the cows’ and the Brahmins’ welfare, and who is the source of the entire universe’s well-being. 

  

Mahaprabhu then commanded Advaita Prabhu to get up and dance. Advaita started to dance madly until he was completely intoxicated in a way that astonished all the watching devotees. 

Krishnadas Kaviraj has written: 

There is one Mahaprabhu or supreme lord, and two other prabhus, or lords. The two other prabhus serve the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu. These three personalities belong to the category of the all-worshipable; the fourth category is the devotee who is the worshiper. Srivasa and the millions of other devotees belong to the category of the pure devotees. Gadadhara Pandita and others are considered to be incarnations of the Lord’s energies or shaktis. They are counted as his intimate devotees.

  

These are the Panca Tattva, who include Gauranga Mahaprabhu, the form of a devotee; Nityananda Prabhu, who is the bhakta-Svarupa; and Advaita Acarya, the incarnation of the devotee. These three are considered to be prabhu-tattva or Vishnu-tattva, the category of the lord. Advaita is an incarnation of Mahavishnu, he belongs to the category of Vishnu-tattva, but because he took on the mood of a devotee, he is called bhaktavatara, the incarnation of a devotee.” 

Because Gauranga, Nityananda and Advaita all belong to the category of Vishnu-tattva, tulasi leaves are offered to their feet. Without Advaita’s mercy, one can never attain the service of Caitanya and Nityananda. 

 

  daya koro sitapati advaita gosai  

tava kripabale pai caitanya-nitai 

Be merciful, Advaita Prabhu, husband of Sita! On the strength of your mercy, I will attain Caitanya and Nitai.

  

Advaita Acarya’s glories and his activities have been described extensively in Krishnadas Kaviraj’s Caitanya Caritamrita, Vrindavana Das’s Caitanya Bhagavata, Narahari Chakravarti’s Bhakti-ratnakara, as well as in works such as Advaita-vilasa, etc. Those who wish to have a deeper knowledge of his life should consult these books. We can only give an abbreviated biography in this book and such an extensive account cannot be given here. We have only set out to remember the main pastimes of Advaita Acarya.  

 

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