LORD CAITANYA IN THE JHARIKHANDA FOREST

As the Lord passed through the solitary forest chanting the holy name of Krsna in great ecstasy, the tigers and elephants, seeing Him, gave way. Packs of tigers, elephants, rhinoceros and boars came, and the Lord passed right through them.

One day a tiger was lying on the path, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, walking along the path în ecstatic love, touched the tiger with His feet. The Lord said, "Chant the holy name of Krsna!" The tiger immediately got up and began to dance and to chant "Krsna! Krsna!”

Another day, while Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was bathing in a river, a herd of maddened elephants came there to drink water. While the Lord was bathing and murmuring the Gayatri mantra, the elephants came before Him. The Lord immediately splashed some water on the elephants and asked them to chant the name of Krsna. The elephants whose bodies were touched by the water splashed by the Lord began to chant "Krsna! Krsna!" and dance and sing in ecstasy.

One day, as Lord Caitanya was passing through the jungle, five or seven tigers came. Joining the deer, the tigers began to follow the Lord. Seeing the tigers and deer following Him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately remembered the land of Vrndavana. He then began to recite a verse describing the transcendental quality of Vindavana. "Vrndavana is the transcendental abode of the Lord. There is no hunger, anger or thirst there. Though naturally inimical, human beings and fierce animals live together there in transcendental friendship." When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said "Chant 'Krsna! Krsna!"" the tigers and deer began to chant "Krsna!" and dance.

Thus all living entities in the forest of Jharikhanda-some moving and some standing still- became maddened by hearing the holy name of Lord Krsna vibrated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.