13.100
dekhi’ uparaga hasi’, sighra ganga-ghate asi’
anande karila ganga-snana
pana uparaga-chale, apanara mano-bale, brahmanere dila nana dana
SYNONYMS
dekhi’-seeing; uparaga—the eclipse; hasi’-laughing; sighra—very soon; ganga-ghate—on the bank of the Ganges; asi’-coming; anande—in jubilation; karila—took; ganga-snana—bath in the Ganges; pana—taking advantage of; uparaga-chale—on the event of the lunar eclipse; apanara—His own; manah-bale—by the strength of mind; brahmanere—unto the brahmanas; dila—gave; nana—various; dana—charities.
Seeing the lunar eclipse and laughing, both Advaita Acarya and Haridasa Thakura immediately went to the bank of the Ganges and bathed in the Ganges in great jubilation.
Taking advantage of the occasion of the lunar eclipse, Advaita Acarya, by His own mental strength, distributed various types of charity to the brahmanas.
PURPORT
It is the custom of Hindus to give in charity to the poor as much as possible during the time of a lunar or solar eclipse.
Advaita Acarya, therefore, taking advantage of this eclipse, distributed many varieties of charity to the brahmanas.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a statement in the Tenth Canto, Third Chapter, verse 11, that when Krsna took His birth, immediately Vasudeva, taking advantage of this moment, distributed ten thousand cows to the brahmanas.
It is customary among Hindus that at the time a child is born, especially a male child, the parents distribute great charity in jubilation.
Advaita Acarya was actually interested in distributing charity because of Lord Caitanya’s birth at the time of the lunar eclipse.
People could not understand, however, why Advaita Acarya was giving such a great variety of things in charity.
He did so not because of the lunar eclipse but because of the Lord’s taking birth at that moment.
He distributed charity exactly as Vasudeva did at the time of Lord Krsna’s appearance.