EXCERPTS FROM SRI CHAITANYA CHARITAMRITA
ABOUT THE PASTIMES OF

SAKSI GOPAL

purve vidyanagarera dui ta' brahmana
tirtha karibare dunhe karila gamana

Formerly at Vidyanagara in South India there were two brahmanas who made a long tour to see different places of pilgrimage.
(Madhya 5.10)

dui-vipra-madhye eka vipra—vrddha-praya
ara vipra—yuva, tanra karena sahaya

One of the two brahmanas was an old man, and the other was young. The young man was assisting the old one.

chota-vipra kare sada tanhara sevana
tanhara sevaya viprera tusta haila mana

Indeed, the young brahmana always rendered service to the older one, and the old man, being very satisfied with his service, was pleased with him.

vipra bale—tumi mora bahu seva kaila
sahaya hana more tirtha karaila

The older man told the younger, "You have rendered various types of service to me. You have assisted me in traveling to all these places of pilgrimage.

putreo pitara aiche na kare sevana
tomara prasade ami na pailama srama

"Even my own son does not render such service. By your mercy, I did not become fatigued while on this tour.

krta-ghnata haya tomaya na kaile sammana
ataeva tomaya ami diba kanya-dana

"If I do not show you any respect, I will be ungrateful. Therefore, I promise to give you my daughter in charity."
(Madhya 5.16-20)

chota-vipra kahe,—"yadi kanya dite mana
gopalera age kaha e satya-vacana"

The younger brahmana replied, "If you have decided to give your young daughter to me, then say so before the Gopala Deity."

gopalera age vipra kahite lagila
'tumi jana, nija-kanya ihare ami dila'

Coming before Gopala, the elderly brahmana said, "My dear Lord, please witness that I have given my daughter to this boy."

chota-vipra bale,—"thakura, tumi mora saksi
toma saksi bolaimu, yadi anyatha dekhi"

Then the younger brahmana addressed the Deity, saying, "My dear Lord, You are my witness. I shall call for You to testify if it is necessary later on."

eta bali' dui-jane calila desere
guru-buddhye chota-vipra bahu seva kare

After these talks, the two brahmanas started for home. As usual, the young brahmana accompanied the elderly brahmana as if the older brahmana were a guru [spiritual master] and rendered him service in various ways.
(Madhya 5.31-34)

asina parama-bhaktye namaskara kari'
vinaya karina kahe kara dui yudi'

The young brahmana came to him and offered respectful obeisances. Then, very humbly folding his hands, he spoke as follows.

'tumi more kanya dite karyacha angikara
ebe kichu nahi kaha, ki tomara vicara'

"You have promised to give your daughter in charity to me. Now you do not say anything. What is your conclusion?"
(Madhya 5.49-50)

'are adhama! mora bhagni caha vivahite
vamana hana canda yena caha ta' dharite'

The son said, "Oh, you are most degraded! You want to marry my sister, just like a dwarf who wants to catch the moon!"

thena dekhi' sei vipra palana gela
ara dina gramera loka ekatra karila

Seeing a stick in the hand of the son, the younger brahmana fled. The next day, however, he gathered together all the people of the village.
(Madhya 5.52-53)

tabe sei viprere puchila sarva-jana
'kanya kene na deha, yadi diyacha vacana'

All the people gathered there asked the elderly brahmana, "If you have already promised to give him your daughter in charity, why are you not fulfilling your promise? You have given your word of honor."

vipra kahe,—'suna, loka, mora nivedana
kabe ki baliyachi, mora nahika smarana'

The elderly brahmana said, "My dear friends, please hear what I have to submit. I do not exactly remember making a promise like that."
(Madhya 5.56-57)

ei vipra mora sevaya tusta yabe haila
'tore ami kanya diba' apane kahila

"Being very satisfied with my service, this brahmana said to me of his own accord, 'I promise to hand over my daughter to you.'

tabe muni nisedhinu,—suna, dvija-vara
tomara kanyara yogya nahi muni vara

"At that time I forbade him to do this, telling him, 'O best of the brahmanas, I am not a fit husband for your daughter.
(Madhya 5.65-66)

ei vakye saksi mora ache mahajana
yanra vakya satya kari mane tribhuvana"

"Thus I have called upon a great personality in this transaction. I have asked the Supreme Godhead to be my witness. The entire world accepts the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

tabe bada-vipra kahe, "ei satya katha
gopala yadi saksi dena, apane asi' etha
tabe kanya diba ami, janiha niscaya"
tanra putra kahe,—'ei bhala bata haya'

Taking this opportunity, the elderly brahmana immediately confirmed that this was really true. He said, "If Gopala personally comes here to serve as a witness, I shall surely give my daughter to the young brahmana." The elderly brahmana's son immediately confirmed this, saying, "Yes, this is a very nice settlement."
(Madhya 5.76-78)

tabe sei chota-vipra gela vrndavana
dandavat kari' kahe saba vivarana

After the meeting, the young brahmana started for Vrndavana. Upon arriving there, he first offered his respectful obeisances to the Deity and then narrated everything in full detail.
(Madhya 5.87)

hasina gopala kahe,—"sunaha, brahmana
tomara pache pache ami kariba gamana

Sri Gopalaji then smiled and said, "My dear brahmana, just listen to Me. I shall walk behind you, and in this way I shall go with you."

ulatiya ama tumi na kariha darasane
amake dekhile, ami rahiba sei sthane

The Lord continued, "Do not try to see Me by turning around. As soon as you see Me, I shall remain stationary in that very place.

nupurera dhvani-matra amara suniba
sei sabde amara gamana pratiti kariba

"You will know that I am walking behind you by the sound of My ankle bells.

eka-sera anna randhi' kariha samarpana
taha khana tomara sange kariba gamana

"Cook one kilogram of rice daily and offer it. I shall eat that rice and follow behind you."
(Madhya 5.97-100)

ei-mate cali' vipra nija-dese aila
gramera nikata asi' manete cintila

The young brahmana walked and walked in this way until he eventually arrived in his own country. When he neared his own village, he began to think as follows.

'ebe muni grame ainu, yaimu bhavana
lokere kahiba giya saksira agamana

"I have now come to my village, and I shall go to my home and tell all the people that the witness has arrived."

saksate na dekhile mane pratiti na haya
ihan yadi rahena, tabu nahi kichu bhaya'

The brahmana then began to think that if the people didn't directly see the Gopala Deity, they would not believe that He had arrived. "But even if Gopala stays here," he thought, "there is still nothing to fear."

eta bhavi' sei vipra phiriya cahila
hasina gopala-deva tathaya rahila

Thinking this, the brahmana turned to look back, and He saw that Gopala, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was standing there smiling.

brahmanere kahe,—"tumi yaha nija-ghara
ethaya rahiba ami, na yaba atahpara"

The Lord told the brahmana, "Now you can go home. I shall stay here and shall not leave."
(Madhya 5.103-107)

gopala-saundarya dekhi' loke anandita
pratima calina aila,—sunina vismita

When the people arrived, they were very pleased to see the beauty of Gopala, and when they heard that He had actually walked there, they were all surprised.

tabe sei bada-vipra anandita hana
gopalera age pade dandavat hana

Then the elderly brahmana, being very pleased, came forward and immediately fell like a stick in front of Gopala.

sakala lokera age gopala saksi dila
bada-vipra chota-vipre kanya-dana kaila

Thus in the presence of all the townspeople, Lord Gopala bore witness that the elderly brahmana had offered his daughter in charity to the young brahmana.

tabe sei dui vipre kahila isvara
"tumi-dui—janme-janme amara kinkara

After the marriage ceremony was performed, the Lord informed both brahmanas, "You two brahmanas are My eternal servants, birth after birth."

dunhara satye tusta ha-ilan, dunhe maga' vara"
dui-vipra vara mage ananda-antara

The Lord continued, "I have become very pleased by the truthfulness of you both. Now you can ask for a benediction." Thus with great pleasure the two brahmanas begged for a benediction.

"yadi vara dibe, tabe raha ei sthane
kinkarere daya tava sarva-loke jane"

The brahmanas said, "Please remain here so that people all over the world will know how merciful You are to Your servants."

gopala rahila, dunhe karena sevana
dekhite aila saba desera loka-jana

Lord Gopala stayed, and the two brahmanas engaged in His service. After hearing of the incident, many people from different countries began to come to see Gopala.
(Madhya 5.110-116)