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When
Sri Jiva was only a boy, he avoided playing with his friends or other
activities which had no connection with Krsna.
He
would make images of Krsna and Balarama, worship them with flowers and
sandal paste and dress them with fine clothes and ornaments.
When
he would bow on the ground before them he would weep.
He
offered them various kinds of sweetmeats and then enjoyed eating the
prasad of the deities with his friends.
He
loved the deities of Krsna
and Balarama so much that even when he was alone he would play with them.
At bed time he would clasp the deities tightly to his chest and
sleep. His parents could not
separate their son from his deities although they thought he was merely
playing.
Everyone
was happy to see Jiva's love for Krsna and Balarama.
Caitanya
and Nitai were so bound by his love for them that they appeared to him in
a dream.
Krsna
and Balarama also appeared in a dream, and Sri Jiva was enchanted to see
Krsna in dark blue color and Balarama in white color.
They
looked like Kandarpa and enchanted the universe with their beautiful
postures.
Suddenly
Krsna and Balarama were replaced by Gaura and Nitai and the universe was
perfumed by the scent of their bodies.
Overjoyed
with his vision Sri Jiva wept and fell at he feet of the two masters.
Gaura-Nityananda
Rai, the twin oceans of mercy put their feet on the head
of Sri Jiva and embraced him affectionately.
Whatever they spoke fell like nectar on the ears of Sri Jiva.
In
ecstatic love Sri Gaura sundara offered Jiva to the gracious feet of Sri
Nityananda.
But
Nityananda repeatedly instructed Sri Jiva, "Let my Gaura Prabhu be
your life and soul."
When
Sri Jiva bowed against their feet, they disappeared and Sri Jiva fell into
an abyss of disappointment.
When
he woke from sleep, the dawn was breaking and he prepared to leave for
Vrndavana on hte pretext of studying there.
The
people of Navadvipa knew he was going to Vrndavana.
He
bid farewell to his followers and left Fateya with only one servant.
In
the ecstasy of love, Sri Jiva wandered hypnotically arousing the
curiouslity of the other travellers on the road.
"Who is this young man?" they wandered.
"He must be a prince with a complexion of gold like a champaka
flower. What a beautiful face! Just see his attractive wide eyes,
nose, eyebrows, forehead, ears and curly hair.
See his neck, his chest and his nails and fingers on his lotus like
hands! How beautiful are his thighs, knees and legs."
They
all admired the tulasi garland hanging around his neck and the milk white
sacred thread lying across his chest.
Someone
said, "My dear friend, I cannot take my eyes off him.
I wish I could die carrying away all misfortune which might befall
him.
They
said, "we cannot understand why we are feeling so perplexed to see
him? We wish we can get
ourselves initiation to him.
Although
the people talked, Sri Jiva continued his journey rapt in ecstasy.
When
he entered Navadvipa, everyone acknowledged him as he was the nephew of
Rupa Sanatana.
Being
overwhelmed by Sri Jiva's scholarship and devotional practices, the
brahmans questioned him.
Sri
Jiva was enchanted by the beauty of Navadvipa.
That
holy dhama covered sixteen krsoa of land with many beautiful flower
gardens, tanks, forests, groves, cottages and the banks of the Ganga.
As
he wondered, Sri Jiva saw many Vaisnavas who were happy to meet him and
took him directly to the cottage of Srivasa Pandita where Nityananda
Prabhu and his associates were sitting.
Nityananda
had already foretold Sri Jiva's arrival to Srivasa and Srivasa gladly
informed Prabhu when Sri Jiva was waiting outside the cottage door.
Nityananda
was glad to hear it and requested someone to call him in.
Sr
Jiva's eagerness to meet Nityanada made him cry uncontrollably and he fell
humbly at the feet of Prabhu.
Nityananda
Prabhu affectionately placed his feet on the head of Sri Jiva.
He
raised Sri Jiva from the ground, embraced him warmly and said, "I
have come here from Kardaha simply to meet You."
In
this way he pacified Sri Jiva in various ways and asked Srinivasa and
other Vaisnavas to favor him.
He
kept Sri Jiva in his association for some days and then requested him to
go West.
At
the time of his departure Sri Jiva bowed at the feet of Nityananda in the
sadness of their intimate separation.
By
placing his feet of the head of Sri Jiva he affectionately embraced him
and said, "Go to Vrndavana soon because it is the order of Mahaprabhu
that your family should be settled at that place."
Sri
Jiva offered his respects to the feet of all the Vaisnavas and then left
for Vrndavana.
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