The first two lines are written by Vrndavan das Thakur himself, which he offers his humble obeisances unto his spiritual master who has opened his eyes from the material darkness. Then he offers his respects to the Vaisnavas who are oceans of mercy and saviors of the fallen. Then he offers his obeisances to Lord Caitanya, Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Sri Gadadhar, Srivas, and all devotees of Lord Caitanya. Then his obeisances to the six Goswamis, Rupa, Sanatana, Bhatta Ragunath, Sri Jiva, Gopala Bhatta das, Ragunath. He offers his humble obeisances to their lotus feet, who can destroy all sorts of nescient activities which have been gathered for many long years.
The next two verses are written by Murari Gupta, who is the incarnation of Hanuman in Lord Caitanya's Leela. He says that Vyasadeva in Krsna Leela is Vrndavan das Thakur in Lord Caitanya's leela. I bow down to his lotus feet because I am his servant. Murari Gupta further says that I offer my humble obeisances thousands and millions of times at the lotus feet of the inconceivable manifestation of Lord Nityananda. Lord Caitanya's fundamental principles, His tattwa, His pastimes, His qualities are the secret knowldge of Lord Nityananda. And for our knowing them we must obtain the grace of Lord Nityananda. Then he uses the humorous example that if a dwarf can hold the moon in the sky, then it would not be impossible that such a thing, by your grace, could happen.
Then he prays to Lord Nityananda, "Please bestow your mercy upon this fallen one because you are full of mercy. Please let Lord Caitanya's pastimes and qualities be manifested in my heart." He prays to Lord Nityananda addressing Him as the Supreme Iswara, that He can, by His inconceivable mercy, make a lame person claim mountains and a dumb person give beautiful discourses. He then quotes the verse of Rupa Goswami that Lord Caitanya is the most venerable, charitably disposed personality because He is distributing Krsna Prema. He is Krsna Himself, Who is known as Sri Krsna Caitanya. I am offering my humble obeisances unto Him.
Then there is one verse which describes Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, that His arms are extending down to His knees, His ears are very very long and large, and His eyes are like lotus petals, extending almost up to the ears. His single message is to spread Nam-Sankirtan—congregational chanting of the Holy Name. He is the Maintainer of this universe, and They, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, are the most beloved personalities of this universe. They are the incarnations of mercy, and are the Supreme among the twice-born, the Brahmins. I offer my humble obeisances unto them.
Another famous verses written in Sanskrit. In this verse he praises Lord Caitanya as being the All-Pervading Truth in three time sequences, past present and future. He is the son of Sri Jagganath Misra, and He is offering his humble obeisances unto Him. He is able to save the whole universe.—everyone in this universe.
Then there is a verse of Murari Gupta which says, "Oh Lord Caitanya Sri Krsna Caitanya, You are constantly filled with activities and adventures and pastimes. You are eternal and holy. All glories unto You. All glories unto You. All glories to Your eternal and holy sankirtan. All glories to Your universal devotion. All glories to your devotees who are chanting and dancing sankirtan all over the world. All glories to You all glories to You.
Vrndavan das Thakur then begins. "First I offer my humble obeisances to the beloved's of Lord Caitanya and in unending ways I offer my humble obeisances, because it is said that worship of the devotee is more important and more pleasing than worship of the Supreme Lord Himself. Therefore I am offering my humble obeisances unto Your devotees, because that is a symptom of perfection. Then I offer my humble obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Nityananda, Who has broadcast the message and kirtan of Lord Caitanya. As the thousand-mouth sesa, Anantadeva, is praising Lord Balaram, we are praising Lord Nityananda in the same manner. He is a wonderful jewel and the greatest beloved, and His jewel-like glories are chanted by Anantadeva. Before everything, we are offering respect to Balaram, to Lord Nityananda.
Then Vrndavan das Thakur pays respectful obeisances to his worshipable deity, Lord Nityananda, Who has spread Lord Caitanya's sankirtan message through his mercy. The thousand-headed serpent, Anantadeva, is [the same Lord Balaram.]
His thousands of mouths are spreading the glories of Lord Krsna all over the world. His thousand mouths are the store house full of Krsna's glories. Therefore we are offering respects to Anantadeva because he is the greatest expounder of Lord Caitanya's kirtan movement in the form of Lord Nityananda. The same Lord Balaram possessing a huge form is diving deep into the ocean of Lord Caitanya's rasa, His ananda. His body is completely beyond material bondage, and He is the most beloved devotee of Lord Caitanya. His character is heard by great devotees from the Puranas. Lord Siva and His wife Parvati are also great devotees of Lord Balaram, and when her mouth is decorated with the glories of Lord Balaram, Saraswati deve is called shuddha saraswati, pure saraswati. Once Parvati and Lord Siva with millions of unmarried ladies performed a worship of Lord Balaram because he is such a great personality. He is considered the guru of Lord Siva, so Siva's name is Shankara. This is all described in the Fifth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, and all vaisnava's are paying respect to Balaram by offering Him prayers. Also in Srimad Bhagavatam Lord Balaram performed his ras-leela. In Vrndavan surrounded by the gopis during the two months known as by basant, Lord Balaram performed His ras-leela, as described in the Mahabhagavat Purana. Lord Balaram's Ras-leela is described in Srimad Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, 65 Chapter in the 17th-22nd verses. Illicit connection with women is condemned by great sages but Lord Balaram's ras-leela is praised by the same great sages. His ras-leela was decorated with a rainfall of flowers from the demigods, so it must be understood according to Vaisnava principles. This is a great secret in all the four Vedas, and Vrndavan das Thakur says, "What else can I say in this manner that the Mahabhagavat Purana has not said?" People who have never read the scriptures cannot understand this ras-leela of Lord Balaram. Because they have no scriptural knowledge, they think that there is no proof. It is also stated in Srimad Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto. 34.20-23 how Lord Krsna and Lord Balaram together danced with the gopis in Vrndavan. Those who do not accept this or who look down on this are rejected by Visnu and Vaishavas because Srimad Bhagavatam has given this proof that Balaram is our master birth after birth. Some of these atheist people claim that it was not Lord Balaram who danced with the gopis, but a unic. This has no proof in any sastra, because when a sinful person touches the sastra he makes one meaning into another meaning and destroys its original message. Lord Caitanya's most beloved devotee is Lord Balaram and before him if there is any offence committed, it is destruction for the person who has committed the offense. Lord Balaram serves Lord Krsna, Lord Caitanya, in ten different ways: as his friend, as his brother, as his bed, as his bed coverings, as the room that he stays in, as his umbrella, his clothing, and all of His ornaments. In all these different ways Lord Balaram serves Lord Krsna. (10th--by serving as his shoes) Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Goswami, Narada Muni are all devotees of Lord Balaram. Therefore Anantadeva is constantly praising His glories as well. Sri Narada is singing the glories of Lord Balaram to Brahma in Satyaloka. That is Srimad Bhagavatam, 5.25.9-13 Narada Muni's praising Lord Balaram.
Then Vrndavan das Thakur says that Anantadeva has thousands of hoods but not even one of those hoods could describe a drop in the ocean of Lord Balaram's qualities. There are unending qualities and glories of Lord Krsna, and Lord Ananta is singing, even up to today, the glories of [Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu,]
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krsna, Lord Balaram, and Lord Nityananda. This same Anantadeve, from the lowest planetary system, is holding all the planetary systems on his heads while he is reciting the glories of Lord Nityananda. These glories of Anantadeve are described by Narada Muni in his tamboura to Brahma. One who can understand the qualities of Lord Nityananda can dive into the ocean of devotional service which is far above this mundane world. At the lotus feet of vaisnavas, I offer my humble obeisances that birth after birth, Lord Balaram will be my master. Just as the term dwij (twice-born) and vipra or brahmin, all meaning a person in the intellectual class, these three names are non-different. Similarly Nityananda, Ananta and Baladeva are non-different. Lord Nityananda is the indwelling monitor, indwelling guide, Paramatma of all souls, and He has ordered me, without divulging the reason to me, He has ordered me to write the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya's devotees that anyone can read these... Hardly anyone knows the character and qualities of Lord Caitanya are the secrets of Vedic knowledge. No one can see the end of the beginning of Lord Caitanya's leela. Only by His grace can one hear them, and only by His grace can one write them down. I am just like a wooden doll and He is the operator. I will dance according to His wish. And I offer my respects to all Vaisnavas that I shall not commit any offence.* Then Vrndavan das Thakur describes the three sections that he is going to divide Lord Caitanya's leela into—beginning, middle and end. In a very detailed way he is describing his own table of contents, what he will describe.
The first section called adi-kunda, the beginning, begins with Lord Caitanyas' devotee appearance and continues through His childhood lila. The beginning part ends with Lord Caitanya's going to Gaya and taking initiation from Iswara Puri. The middle lila begins with His kirtan in association with Srivas and Advaita in Srivas's house, and there are many lilas and pastimes to be explained in this middle section. It ends with Lord Caitanya's acceptance of the sannyas renounced order. The last section begins just after his sannyas, and the devotees' separation after Lord Caitanya leaves, and the last section ends describing Lord Caitanya's last 18 years in Jagganath Puri.
(End Chapter One)