The Festival of Sriman Mahaprabhu's Appearance
- Nitya-Navadvipa - The full-moon day of the month of Phalgun -
Submitted by Siddha Sri Krishna Das Babaji, resident of Govardhan
(As documented in the Gaura-govinda-lilamrita-gutika)
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In the evening of the fourteenth day of the light half of the month of Phalguna, Sri Sacimata sent invitations to Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Prabhu and the other devotees through Isanadasa.On the next day, the full moon day, early in the morning Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Prabhu and the devotees arrived at Sriman Mahaprabhu's house. Mahaprabhu engaged in his perpetual morning duties, such as bathing with the devotees and hearing Srimad Bhagavata. Thereafter, once the bhoga-arati of Sri Narayana was completed, the devotees offered prayers to Mahaprabhu, who sat on a golden canope on the bathing pavilion. The servants bathed him with water mixed with various substances and healing herbs, along with panca-gavya (the five products of a cow), panca-amrita (the five nectarine substances), and water from a hundred pitchers in a thousand streams, praising him conjointly. The bathing ceremony was conducted according to the directions of Srivasa Pandita. Sri Gadadhara Pandita recited the mantras, as Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Advaita Prabhu respectfully watched along with the devotees. At the end of the bathing ceremony, Mahaprabhu went to a pavillion for ornamentation, sitting down on a divine seat. The servants dressed and decorated him with sixteen kinds of ornaments. Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Prabhu, Sri Gadadhara Pandita and Srivasa, accompanied by the other devotees, all on their turn offered their uniquely chosen clothes, ornaments, various jewel-necklaces and flower garlands to Mahaprabhu. Svarupa Gosvami and the devotees assembled various items for worship and offered them in arati.
Then Sri Saci-mata, with a blissful heart and abundant love, went to prepare seats in the dining room. Mahaprabhu was in the middle, on the right side was Sri Nityananda Prabhu, on the left side were Sri Advaita Prabhu, Gadadhara Pandita, Jagadananda, Murari and the other devotees, opposite to them were the twelve Gopalas headed by Abhirama, and in the yard sat Haridasa Thakura and others. Sri Sacimata, together with Malinidevi, served the maha-prasada of Sri Narayana consisting of colourful and fragrant rice in four varieties, shukta (a bitter-melon stew), shaka (a preparation with green vegetable leaves), and so forth; various flavours of vegetables, rice, sweets and so forth were being served. While eating, Sri Mahaprabhu and his associates became absorbed in the moods of Vraja. The Gosvamis and the Guru-varga watched this from the courtyard. After everyone was replete with the meal, on the courtyard they drank water scented with camphor, taking betel-nuts and sipping water for washing the mouth. On the hint of Sri-gurudeva, Sadhakadasa served the Prabhus by sprinkling sandalwood paste to their hands lustrous of ghi and other foodstuffs, washing it away with water and also cleansing their mouths of grains and other remnants. The Prabhus then set aside their tambula-remnants, reclining to take rest while the servants fanned them with camaras, massaged their feet and rendered other services.
The sadhaka-servant then gathered all the left-overs in one place, collected the vessels and other ingredients for service in Yogapitha, and partook of fruits and roots or fasted altogether. Thereafter Sri Mahaprabhu, accompanied by his devotees, roamed about in the forests and enjoyed the springtime-forest. Aside that, pastimes took place as always.
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