Ādi-līlā

Chapter 17: The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Youth

Verse 117 of 330
Cc Ādi 17.117

জল পান করিযা নাচে হঞা বিহ্বল যমুনাকর্ষণলীলা দেখযে সকল

जल पान करिया नाचे हञा विह्वल यमुनाकर्षणलीला देखये सकल

jala pāna kariyā nāce hañā vihvala yamunākarṣaṇa-līlā dekhaye sakala

Synonyms

jalawater; pāna kariyāafter drinking; nācedances; hañābecoming; vihvalaecstatic; yamunā-ākarṣaṇaattracting the River Yamunā; līlāpastimes; dekhayesees; sakalaeveryone..

Translation

After drinking the water, Lord Caitanya became so ecstatic that He began to dance. Thus everyone saw the pastime of attracting the River Yamunā.

Purport

Yamunākarṣaṇa-līlā is the pastime of attracting Yamunā. One day, Śrī Baladeva wanted the Yamunā River to come before Him, and when the River Yamunā refused, He took His plow, wanting to dig a canal so that Yamunā would be obliged to come there. Since Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the original form of Baladeva, in His ecstasy He asked everyone to bring honey. In this way, all the devotees standing there saw the yamunākarṣaṇa-līlā. In this līlā, Baladeva was accompanied by His girl friends. After drinking a honey beverage called Vāruṇī, He wanted to jump in the Yamunā and swim with the girls. It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.65.25-30, 33) that Lord Baladeva asked Yamunā to come near, and when the river disobeyed the order of the Lord, He became angry and thus wanted to snatch her near to Him with His plow. Yamunā, however, very much afraid of Lord Balarāma's anger, immediately came and surrendered unto Him, praying to the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and admitting her fault. She was then excused. This is the sum and substance of the yamunākarṣaṇa-līlā. The incident is also described in the prayer of Jayadeva Gosvāmī concerning the ten incarnations:

vahasi vapuṣi viśade vasanaṁ jaladābhaṁ
halahati-bhīti-milita-yamunābham
keśava dhṛta-haladhara-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare

Verse 117 of 330
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