Discussions on the doctrines of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Please place practical questions under the Miscellaneous forum and set this aside for the more theoretical side of it.
Mahaprabhu and King Prataparudra - What's the significance of their meeting
Radhapada - Thu, 28 Aug 2003 05:12:46 +0530
After several attempts of getting a darshan with Mahaprabhu, King Prataparudra was finally able to have meeting with Him during the time the Lord rested from the kirtan procession of Ratha Yatra. At that time, the King recited various verses from the Gopi Gita and when the king arrived at the verse describing about the munificients of those distributing Hari Katha, the Lord embraced him. What is the significance in raganuga bhakti to this incident? I have previously heard that it means how the Lord is pleased with those that preach His message? Is it so?
Madhava - Thu, 28 Aug 2003 05:58:47 +0530
I suppose that's one way to look at it, though one can certainly go deeper. The pastimes of Puri are not characterized by preaching. Rasa-asvadan prevails.
At the time of their meeting, as Maharaja Prataparudra massaged Mahaprabhu's feet, Mahaprabhu was absorbed in deep bhava. The event of Ratha-yatra represents the reunion at Kurukshetra after prolonged separation in His bhava-vision. After decades of separation from Her dearmost, how could Radha fail to be deeply touched, tears streaming down Her cheeks, when someone all of a sudden floods Her ears with narrations of the pastimes They used to once enjoy? How She longs to again experience the pastimes of Vraja from Her youth! Certainly the heart's friend, who knows how to relieve the pain of separation through appropriate narrations, is the most munificent of all, and certainly such a person will captivate the heart of Mahaprabhu, which is enrapt in Radha-bhava through and through.