SRI JAGAI AND MADHAI

In the afternoon Nityananda Prabhu and Hari das Thakur would report to Sriman
Mahaprabhu the result of their morning's preaching activities around
Navadvipa.

One day Nityananda Prabhu told Lord Caitanya, "Today I say quite a remarkable
sight."

Mahaprabhu: "What was that?"

Nitynanda Prabhu: "Two atrocious drunkards. I have heard that they are the
brahmanas by birth."

Mahaprabhu: "Then?

Nityananda : "I requested them to chant Hare, Krsna, and Rama."

Prabhu: "Then?"

Nityananda: "Then they chased after us to beat us, but somehow or other we
escaped by Your mercy."

Mahaprabhu: "Who are those two rascals?"

Ganga dasa: "Prabhu, they are the two sons of a virtuous brahmana and his wife.
They were previously police constables of Nadiya and were upright citizens.
However there is no sinful activity which they are not prepared to engage in.
Their chief occupation now is drinking liquor and stealing. Their names are
Jagai and Madhai" (shortened forms of Jagadananda and Madhavananda).

Mahaprabhu: "Now I know who they are. If they vome (?) here I will tear them to
pieces."

Nityananda: "Whether you tear them to pieces or not, as long as they are in
Navadvipa I will not go elsewhere. I will see them chant Govinda's name somehow
or other. Then only will I be able to understand Your glories. It is not such a
great matter to get virtuous people to chant Krsna's name. But if You can
induce such fallen souls as these to say Krsna's name, that will be something
to talk about."

Mahaprabhu: "Then they have already been saved."

Nityananda: "How is that?"

Mahaprabhu: "When they received Your darsan, then weren't they delivered? When
you began to consider their welfare, their salvation was assured."

Hearing Mahaprabhu's statement, all the devotees began to roar with ecstasy.
Everyone could understand that Jagai and Madhai would be delivered from their
sinful activities. Haridasa, in the meantime, had gone to see Advaita Acarya.
"O Acaryaji! Prabhu has sent me out to preach with a wild man. Where is he and
where am I? Sometimes he travels from one place to another by jumping in the
Ganges and swimming. Then I get left behind. I can't swim very well. Besides
that, during the rainy season there are crocodiles in the Ganges. If he sees a
buffalo he jumps on his back saying: 'I am Mahesa'! Then if he sees a cow he
milks it and drinks the milk. If I tell him not to, then he says, 'What can
your Thakura Sri Caitanya do to me?' Today I just barely escaped with my
life."

Acarya: "Why, what happened?"

Haridasa: "There were two drunkards lying on the side of the road. We told
them, 'Chant Haribol!' But they came running after us to beat us. I am an old
man. I can't run so fast. Fortunately for me, being drunk they fell down after
running a few steps. By your mercy today I was saved."

Acarya: "Haridas! You are right. That Jagai and Madhai are drunkards and the
avadhuta is another drunkard. If those three drunkards could have joined
together, then that would have been best. Listen, the avadhuta will bring those
two drunkards here within a few days and dance with them. Let us get out of
here before our position in society is completely ruined."

When the devotees heard Haridasa and Advaita Acarya praising the glories of
Nityananda under the pretext of finding fault with Him, they were completely
rapt with joy.

That night Jagai and Madhai collapsed in the road near Mahaprabhu's house.
Sometimes they would dance in step with the kirtana going on inside. The next
morning, as they saw Mahaprabhu, they told Him, "Last night the kirtan was very
good. We want to see the singers. We'll give them some nice things."

One evening, Nityananda, in the madness of love, went to where the two
drunkards were and caught hold of them. Jagai and Madhai called out, "Who is
that?"

"I am the Avadhuta", came the answer.

Hearing that word 'avadhuta', Madhai flew into rage and picked up a broken
piece of a clay pot and threw it at Nityananda. [C.B.Mad 13.178]

The broken piece of pot hit Nityananda in the head and blood began to flow from
the wound. Nitynanda in the madness of ecstasy was simply repeating, "Haribol!
Haribol!" Madhai again prepared to strike Nityananda, but Jagai grabbed his
hand and said, "What is to be gained by beating this wandering sannyasi?"

Meanwhile the devotees had rushed to bring this news to Mahaprabhu, who
immediately rushed to the scene, followed by His associates. Arriving there, he
saw Nityananda Prabhu, devoid of external consciousness, blood dripping from
his forehead. Unable to tolerate this vicious outrage against Nityanda, Lord
Caitanya, trembling with anger, called out, "Sudarsana! Sudarsana!"
Instantaneously, the weapon of Lord Visnu became manifest there. When Jagai and
Madhai saw the cakra, they were petrified with the fear and curled up their
bodies while shielding their eyes from its blinding effulgence. The Sudarsana
discus of Lord Visnu burns tens of millions of universe into ashes. Even the
devotees became gripped with fear.

Nityananda Prabhu, however, didn't want to see Jagai and Madhai end in that
way. With His hands folded in supplication, He addressed Lord Caitanya,
"Prabhu! Restrain your anger. In this incarnation the miscreants aren't to be
annihilated with weapons. I am praying for these two sinners."

Seeing the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu toward these two rascals, Mahaprabhu was
stunned. The devotees were likewise greatly astonished. No one had ever before
seen such compassion. Though they had injured him severely, he felt not even a
tinge of animosity towards them.

Meanwhile Jagai and Madhai, being tormented by the heat of Lord Visnu's cakra,
had fallen at the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu. As Jagai had prevented Madhai from
striking Nityananda Prabhu a second time, Mahaprabhu declared to him, "Jagai!
Krsna has shown you His mercy tonight. May you in turn develop love for Him."
Hearing these words, Jagai fainted in ecstatic love.

Then Mahaprabhu told him, "Jagai, get up! Just see My divine form. I am
bestowing on you love of God. Now just believe it."

Getting up, Jagai saw Mahaprabhu's four-armed form, holding the conch shell,
club, lotus and cakra.

Jagai again fell at His lotus feet, the shelter which Mahaprabhu had now
bestowed upon him, and he took those two feet upon his chest.

Seeing how his brother had received the favor of Mahaprabhu, Madhai also fell
at His feet, begging forgiveness. But Mahaprabhu said, "I have no mercy for
you!"

Madhai entreated, "But Prabhu! We two brothers have together committed the same
sin. You have bestowed your mercy on one and not the other. How is that?"

Angrily, Lord Caitanya replied, "You struck Nityananda Prabhu and caused His
blood to spill. There is no one as dear to Me as Nityananda; in fact, He is
more to Me than My own body. If He is merciful to you, only then can you
receive My mercy." Then Madhai fell at the feet of Nityananda Prabhu and said,
"Prabhu, I have injured you. If you are not merciful to me then I have no
hope."

Nityananda caught his hands and adressed him, "Madhai! All of your sins have
gone far away. Just see the divine form of your Master. I have taken full
responsibility for you. Don't sin anymore."

Then Jagai and Madhai both fell at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Gaura-Nityananda
and began to cry. The two Prabhus picked them up and embraced them while
saying, "All of your sins have gone away. From today you are purified and have
become our devotees. Whoever will give you anything to eat, they will be
feeding Myself and Nityananda. I will eat through the two of you and I will
occasionally manifest Myself in your own bodies." [C.B. Mad 13.228]

Having witnessed this unprecedented and endearing exhibition of love and
compassion, the devotees melted in ecstacy and sent auspicious shouts of "Hari
bol! Hari bol!" into the air.

From that day those two brothers were counted amongst the devotees of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. They would sit at one ghat on the
Ganges and, while incessantly chanting the Holy Name, they begged forgiveness
at the feet of all Vaisnavas who happened to come there. Madhai became so
strict in his observance of various devotional principles that the devotees
added the appelation 'brahmacari' to his name.

Now everyone could understand that these two Brothers, Sri Sri Gaur-Nitai, were
the incarnations of divine compassion in this age of Kali-yuga. Jagai and
Madhai were previously the doorkeepers of Vaikuntha Jaya and Vijaya.

The samadhi mandira of Madhai is located at Madhai-tola, Akaihat, which is a
rickshaw ride away from Gauranga Bari in Katwa. This temple is looked after by
the followers of Rama dasa Babaji.


