The Mood of Sri Chaitanya

For the final twelve years of Sri Chaitanya’s manifest pastimes, He remained secluded in the Gambhira, the garden house of Kasi Misra. The Lord merged into a deep spiritual communion, obsessed day and night in thought of Krishna. This esoteric phenomenon is described by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami: “When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu felt separation from Krishna, His condition exactly corresponded to that of the gopis in Vrindavana after Krishna’s departure for Mathura. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s emotions exactly corresponded to those of Srimati Radharani when She met Uddhava in Vrindavana.”

Sri Chaitanya’s ecstasy resulted in bodily transformations and delirious behaviour which resembled that of a madman. He would sometimes catch hold of the necks of His associates and plead “My dear friends, please listen to Me. What shall I do? Where shall I go? Where can I go to get Krishna? Please, both of you, tell Me how I can find Him.” In this way, Sri Chaitanya exhibited the intense longing of a pure devotee; the art of how to cry for Krishna.