This installment is taken from the Antya - Lila Chapter 3 of Vrndavan Das's Caitanya Bhagavat

Srila Madhavendra Puri was such an elevated devotee and lover of Lord Krsna that just by seeing a blackish clouds he would become unconscious due to uncontrollable spiritual agitation. Hearing Lord Krsna's name brings him immediate ecstasy, and roaring loudly he would manifest various symptoms of divine love. Sri Advaita could see all these Vaisnava qualities in Srila Madhavendra Puri. He was extremely pleased to meet him and so he wanted to hear spiritual instructions from him.

This was how the two spiritual stalwarts met. Sri Advaita Acarya since their meting always celebrated Srila Madhavendra Puri's appearance day with great festivity leaving all other work. So now he applied himself fully to commemorate this special occasion. Lord Caitanya and His associates were also very happy to join in the festivity, especially seeing how vigorously Sri Advaita went about decorating and making endless preparations for the celebration. Necessary requirements began pouring in from different people, just a clear indication to show how so many persons were attracted to the saintly qualities of Srila Madhavendra Puri.

The devotees distributed different duties amongst themselves according to their capabili- ties to help in the preparations. Mother Saci accepted the responsibility for all the cooking. The housewives gathered around her and began to get things ready. Lord Nityananda, who was always self-satisfied, wanted to serve and worship the Vaisnava. One devotee expressed his desire, "I want to make all the sandalwood paste." Another said, "I will make the flower garlands." "I will fetch water." said another. "Then give me the duty to wash and clean the floors," said yet another. Another devotee said, "All right then let me wash the feet of all the Vaisnavas." Everywhere devotes were very busy. Some were spreading the multicolored cloth awning overhead and tying the corners to the nails. Others hurried to bring vegetables, oils and so on to the kitchen. Many devotes began kirtan and dancing, and some joined in playing the gong and blowing conchshells. Devotees were jubilant, loudly chanting "Hari! Hari!" while they enthusiastically performed their various services. The festive mood had everyone in a grip. Happy tumult echoed everywhere.

The loud chanting of the holy name, the blowing of conches, and the sounds of cymbal, gong and drums transformed Sri Advaita's house into Vaikuntha.The Lord was very satisfied with all the elaborate arrangements. He went around the house looking at everything. A couple of rooms were packed with bags of rice. The firewood was stacked like high mountains. Several rooms were being used for cooking with innumerable pots strewn everywhere. A few rooms were filled with lentil dahl; about seven rooms were packed with clothes. Room after room had just flat rice, puffed rice and leaf plated. It was impossible to count the number of bananas, coconuts, and big lumps of gur, molasses lying around. Then came the many, many rooms filled with an array of all sorts of vegetables like patal, aubergine, banana tree stem, potatoes, spinaches and so on. Another spectacle that met His eyes was the rows and rows of large containers filled with milk, yogurt and cream. Piled high were the sugar canes, and next to them were large vessels of oil, ghee and salt. This miraculous display which appeared as if from nowhere is indescribable in its variety and volume. The Lord was filled with wonder for He knew that all this was not humanly possible to accomplish at such short notice for one person. The Lord said, "Such manifestation of opulence cannot be the work of an ordinary mortal. Sri Advaita must be Mahesa, Siva, this is what I strongly feel. This miracle is possible only for Mahadeva, Lord Siva. Advaita Acarya must be the incarnation of Lord Siva." The Lord smiled and kept repeating these words. And in this manner, through insinuations the Lord revealed the actual spiritual identity of Advaita Acarya. One who is pious will accept these statements of Lord Caitanya with great spiritual joy. And those nonbelievers, who have no faith in the Lord's words, will be confronted by Advaita Acarya Himself as a horrendous consuming conflagration. Although Sri Advaita is inherently very compassion- ate, His shelter is as cooling as the embalming rays of millions of moons, he transforms Himself into the terrible form of all-devouring death to those who have no faith in Lord Caitanya. The Srimad-Bhagavatam clearly declares that if anyone utters Lord Siva's name even without the proper understanding of the esoteric truth about him, still he is absolved of all sins immediately. And if there is such a wretched person who denounces Lord Siva's name, and who feels depressed upon hearing his name, he is certainly thrown into an ocean of dark despondency.(SB 4.4.14): If anyone utters the name, Siva, consisting of two syllables, just once even without any faith then all his sins are purified. Lord Siva's orders cannot be disobeyed. He is famous as being completely pure-hearted and you are trying to be inimical to such an exalted personality. Fie on you! You embody misfortune." Lord Krsna Himself says that how can any person worship Him and not worship Siva? How can one develop love for Lord Krsna if he disregards Lord Siva who is so dear to Lord Krsna.In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it says, "How can anyone render devotional service to Me (Lord Krsna) without worshiping My dear devotee Siva in the proper devotional mood. A person who does not respect Siva is envious of the Vaisnavas and is a sinful reprobate." Again, in the Skanda Purana it says, "First one should worship Lord Krsna, the cause of all causes, and then worship the best of the demigods, Lord Siva. Then all the other demigods should be worshiped with great faith and devotion." Sri Advaita Acarya is accepted by the saintly personalities as Siva himself. This is so because Lord Caitanya gave sufficient indications to establish this truth. Naturally, less intelligent persons raise clamorous objections against such truths. This is because they cannot gauge Sri Advaita Acarya's transcendental potencies. Thus the Lord went around taking note of all the profuse arrangements, although it is impossible for me as the author to note it down in detail, such was the elaborate array. The Lord was very pleased and He began to glorify Sri Advaita to everyone. The Lord again came back to the place of kirtana. His presence immediately accelerated the enthusiasm of the kirtana, and drowned the devotees in a deluge of divine nectar. Devotees danced in every direction, singing and clapping, their uncontained joy increasing with every passing moment. Far above all sound was the clearly discernible singing of the holy names of God. The devotees were now shining with greater effulgence, their bodies decorated with sandalwood paste and flower garlands. The Lord's associates were all very near and dear to Him, and their joyous singing of the holy name spread everywhere purifying the entire universe. Lord Nityananda, with His tall impressive stature like that of a wrestler, danced and pranced about like a little boy chuckling with pure innocent glee. Sri Advaita Acarya was totally absorbed in dancing unaware of the passage of time. Haridasa Thakura and all the other devotees danced and sang jubilantly. And at last Lord Caitanya joined the dancing after inspiring everyone else to dance first. He danced together with all the devotees. The devotees circled Him and danced keeping Him in the center. The whole day passed in the ecstasy of dancing and kirtan, and finally the Lord sat down with all the devotees. Sri Advaita begged permission from the Lord to prepare for eating, and busied Himself making the necessary arrangements for all the Vaisanvas' pradasa.

The Lord sat down to eat with His entire group of devotees. As usual the devotees sat around Him everyone wanting Him to be in the center. Like the many shining luminaries in the dark purple sky were the devotees, and the Lord arose on the horizon looking more iridescent than a million moons.

Mother Saci had prepared a delicious feast in honor of Sri Madhavendra Puri with an incredible variety of rice preparations, vegetables and sweets. The Lord relished the transcendental delicacies and spoke about the glories of Sila Madhavendra Puri between mouthfuls. It was difficult to say which mouthful He relished more.

The Lord said, "If one is fortunate enough to taste this wonderful prasada in honor of Srila Madhavendra Puri's appearance day,then one is immediately showered with loving devotion to Lord Krsna."

The Lord then got up from prasada and after washing Himself He sat down. Sri Advaita brought many flower garlands and sandalwood paste and placed them before the Lord. First the Lord garlanded and smeared sandalwood paste on Lord Nityananda and Swarupa Damodara Prabhu with great affection. Then one by one the Lord garlanded and smeared sandalwood paste on all the Vaisnaavs with His own hands. The devotees were extremely happy to have received these directly from the Lord. They all cried out loudly the Lord's holy name making a joyous clamor that is impossible to describe. There was no way to gauge the pinnacles of ecstasy Sri Advaita climbed, because above everything He had the Lord of Vaikuntha Himself as His guest.How is it humanly possible to fully describe all these transcendental pastimes of the Lord? The different activities the Lord performs within the span of a day cannot be recorded by anyone even if allowed a period of a million years to complete it in. Like a bird flying in the vast vault of the sky is unable to find its limits. Similarly, the pastimes of the Lord are unlimited, and one is able to know as much as He empowers one to see and understand. The wooden doll is completely controlled by the puppeteer, so also I can say as much as the Lord prompts me to say. I do not know the chronological order of these pastimes. Somehow I am writing the glories of the Lord.I beg humbly at the feet of all the Vaisnavas to forgive me for my offensesin this effort of writing. One who listens to these transcendental topicswill certainly attain loving devotion to Lord Krsna.Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda are my life and soul. I, Vrndavana dasa, humbly offer this song at Their lotus feet.

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gouranga
All glories to Srila Madhavendra puri