(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2011)
Lecture – Caitanya-caritamrta Part 5
“Hail Thee, O Caitanya – the victor of my heart. Mark the rhythm of this mystic dance, in lofty ecstasy quite alone. Merrily sounds the tabor, and the cymbals’ notes keep time.
The joyous band following him sing and dance merrily, merrily.
He steps a pace or two onwards, in His dancing gait, and knows no rest. For he is intoxicated with his own over-flowing joy.
O my heart’s Lord, how can I express the love I have for thee?
Shah Akbar craves a drop from the sea of Thy love and piety.”
Sung by emperor Akbar. It’s pretty interesting. Akbar is quite a personality. You see that Akbar was young when his father died…. he was eleven years old. There was a regent but when he was seventeen or eighteen years old he took to the throne and he conquered. The custom was that they would conquer these Hindu kings and then the kings would be allowed to collect taxes on behalf of the emperor. So they were getting more money than before because the people were afraid of the emperor, but monetarily they did a lot better. They became generals in Akbar’s army and Akbar would marry one princess from the Royal Hindu family. So with all these Hindu wives, clearly he was very devotionally inclined.
This is also displayed in the museum in Agra, and I have heard that there is a painting where Akbar is doing the full dandavats to Sanatana Goswami. So Akbar is known for being very spiritually inclined. When the Jesuits came, he was giving them so much time that they all thought that he was going to become a Christian! He was always into spiritual discussions and he even declared himself as the head over all the local mullahs in religious decisions!
