Lessons in Eagerness
Antya 14 and 16
Nestled in these ecstatic narrations are instructive stories on the beauty of eagerness and enthusiasm. This hunger is the natural characteristic of an advanced Vaisnava, and the cultivation of such eagerness is the fuel which drives forward our spiritual journey.
Woman from Orissa – when she entered the Jagannatha Temple, her intense desire to see the Deity prompted her to climb onto the Garuda Stambha by placing her foot on Sri Caitanya’s shoulder! Both acts were a serious breach of etiquette, and Govinda immediately rushed to correct her. Sri Caitanya, however, interjected, and instead appreciated her great urgency to see Lord Jagannatha, praying that He develops a similar enthusiasm. She finally came to her senses, realised her mistake, and quickly stepped down, begging forgiveness for her unconventional behaviour.
Kalidasa – was the uncle of Raghunath das Goswami who visited Jagannatha Puri along with the Bengali Vaisnavas. In addition to his incessant chanting, he was renowned for his great enthusiasm to honour the prasadam remnants of Vaishnavas. He would hide while the Vaishnavas ate, and then secretly relish the leftovers from their rejected plates. Once, he ate the remnants of the saintly Jhadu Thakur, and later received great mercy from Sri Caitanya for his enthusiastic disposition. He even managed to drink the water that had washed Sri Caitanya's feet, thus accruing valuable spiritual blessings.
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