CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Text 1: While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was taking prasādam at the house of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Amogha criticized Him. Still, the Lord accepted Amogha, thereby showing how much He was obliged to His devotees.

Text 2: All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!

Text 3: All glories to the listeners of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta who have accepted it as their life and soul!

Text 4: While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed at Jagannātha Purī, He constantly enjoyed chanting and dancing with His devotees.

Text 5: In the beginning of the day, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the Deity of Lord Jagannātha in the temple. He offered Him obeisances and prayers and danced and sang before Him.

Text 6: After visiting the temple, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would remain outside during the upala-bhoga offering. He would then go meet Haridāsa Ṭhākura and return to His residence.

Text 7: Sitting in His room, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would chant on His beads, and Advaita Prabhu would come there to worship the Lord.

Text 8: While worshiping Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Advaita Ācārya would offer Him scented water to wash His mouth and feet. Then Advaita Ācārya would smear very fragrant sandalwood pulp all over His body.

Text 9: Śrī Advaita Prabhu would also place a flower garland around the Lord’s neck and tulasī flowers [mañjarīs] on His head. Then, with folded hands, Advaita Ācārya would offer obeisances and prayers unto the Lord.

Text 10: After being worshiped by Advaita Ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would take the dish containing flowers and tulasī and, with whatever paraphernalia remained, worship Advaita Ācārya.

Text 11: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would worship Advaita Ācārya by chanting the mantra “Whatever You are, You are — but I offer My respects unto You.” In addition, the Lord would make some sounds within His mouth that would make Advaita Ācārya laugh.

Text 12: In this way Advaita Ācārya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would offer Their respectful obeisances unto each other. Then Advaita Ācārya would extend an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again and again.

Text 13: Indeed, Śrī Advaita Ācārya’s invitation is another wonderful story. It has been very vividly described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.

Text 14: Since Advaita Ācārya’s invitation has been described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, I shall not repeat the story. But I shall say that other devotees also extended invitations to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Text 15: Day after day, one devotee after another would invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the other devotees to lunch and would also hold a festival.

Text 16: All the devotees remained at Jagannātha Purī for four continuous months, and they observed all Lord Jagannātha’s festivals with great pleasure.

Text 17: The devotees celebrated the festival of Janmāṣṭamī, Kṛṣṇa’s birthday, which is also called Nanda-mahotsava, the festival of Nanda Mahārāja. At that time Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees dressed themselves as cowherd boys.

Text 18: Having dressed up like cowherd boys, all the devotees carried pots of milk and yogurt balanced on rods over their shoulders. Thus they all arrived at the festival grounds chanting the holy name of Hari.

Text 19: Kānāñi Khuṭiyā dressed himself like Nanda Mahārāja, and Jagannātha Māhiti dressed himself as mother Yaśodā.

Text 20: At that time, King Pratāparudra was also personally present with Kāśī Miśra, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Tulasī Paḍichāpātra.

Text 21: As usual, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced jubilantly. Everyone was covered with milk, yogurt and yellow turmeric water.

Text 22: At this time Śrīla Advaita Ācārya said, “Please do not be angry. I speak the truth. I shall know that You are a cowherd boy only if You can wheel this rod about.”

Text 23: Accepting Advaita Ācārya’s challenge, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took a big rod and began to wheel it around and around. Again and again He threw the rod into the sky and caught it when it fell.

Text 24: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wheeled and threw the rod, sometimes over His head, sometimes behind His back, sometimes in front of Him, sometimes to His side and sometimes between His legs. All the people laughed to see this.

Text 25: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu whirled the rod in a circle like a firebrand, the heart of everyone who saw it was astonished.

Text 26: Nityānanda Prabhu also played at whirling the rod. Who can understand how They were ecstatically immersed in the deep emotions of the cowherd boys?

Text 27: Following the orders of Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the temple superintendent, named Tulasī, brought one of Lord Jagannātha’s used cloths.

Text 28: This valuable cloth was wrapped around the head of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The other devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, also had cloths wrapped about their heads.

Text 29: In ecstasy, Kānāñi Khuṭiyā, who was dressed as Nanda Mahārāja, and Jagannātha Māhiti, who was dressed as mother Yaśodā, distributed all the riches they had stocked at home.

Text 30: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was greatly satisfied to see this. Accepting them as His father and mother, He offered them obeisances.

Text 31: In great ecstasy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His residence. In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Gaurāṅga-sundara, performed various pastimes.

Text 32: On the day celebrating the conquest of Laṅkā — a day known as Vijayā-daśamī — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu dressed up all His devotees as monkey soldiers.

Text 33: Displaying the emotions of Hanumān, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took up a large tree branch and, mounting the walls of the Laṅkā fort, began to dismantle it.

Text 34: In the ecstasy of Hanumān, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu angrily said, “Where is that rascal Rāvaṇa? He has kidnapped the universal mother, Sītā. Now I shall kill him and all his family.”

Text 35: Everyone became very much astonished to see the emotional ecstasy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and everyone began to chant, “All glories! All glories!” again and again.

Text 36: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees participated in all the festivals, including Rāsa-yātrā, Dīpāvalī and Utthāna-dvādaśī.

Text 37: One day the two brothers, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, consulted with each other while sitting together in a solitary place.

Text 38: No one could understand what the brothers discussed between Themselves, but later all the devotees could guess what the subject matter was.

Text 39: Thereafter, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu called for all the devotees and asked them to return to Bengal. In this way, He bade farewell to them.

Text 40: Bidding farewell to all the devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested them to return to Jagannātha Purī every year to see Him and then see the cleansing of the Guṇḍicā temple.

Text 41: With great respect, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested Advaita Ācārya, “Give Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotion to Kṛṣṇa, even to the lowest of men [caṇḍālas].”

Text 42: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Nityānanda Prabhu, “Go to Bengal and, without restriction, manifest devotional service to the Lord, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

Text 43: Nityānanda Prabhu was given assistants like Rāmadāsa, Gadādhara dāsa and several others. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I give them to You to assist You.

Text 44: “I shall also go to see You at intervals. Keeping Myself invisible, I shall watch You dance.”

Text 45: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita and, with His arm about his neck, began to speak to him in sweet words.

Text 46: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, “Perform congregational chanting daily, and be assured that I shall also dance in your presence. You will be able to see this dancing, but not others.

Text 47: “Take this prasādam of Lord Jagannātha’s and this cloth and deliver them to My mother, Śacīdevī. After offering her obeisances, please request her to excuse My offenses.

Text 48: “I have given up the service of My mother and have accepted the sannyāsa order. Actually I should not have done this, for by so doing I have destroyed My religious principles.

Text 49: “I am subordinate to the love of My mother, and it is My duty to serve her in return. Instead of doing so, I have accepted the renounced order. Certainly this is the act of a madman.

Text 50: “A mother is not offended by her mad son, and knowing this, My mother is not offended by Me.

Text 51: “I had no business in accepting the renounced order and sacrificing My love for My mother, which is My real property. Actually I was in a crazy state of mind when I accepted sannyāsa.

Text 52: “I am staying here at Jagannātha Purī, Nīlācala, to comply with her orders. But at intervals I go see her lotus feet.

Text 53: “Indeed, I go there daily to see her lotus feet. She is able to feel My presence, although she does not believe it to be true.

Texts 54-55: “One day My mother, Śacī, offered food to Śālagrāma Viṣṇu. She offered rice cooked from śāli paddies, various kinds of vegetables, spinach, curry made of banana flowers, fried paṭola with nimba leaves, pieces of ginger with lemon, and also yogurt, milk, sugar candy and many other foods.

Text 56: “Taking the food upon her lap, Mother was crying to think that all that food was very dear to her Nimāi.

Text 57: “My mother was thinking, ‘Nimāi is not here. Who will accept all this food?’ As she meditated upon Me in this way, her eyes filled with tears.

Text 58: “While she was thus thinking and crying, I immediately went there with great haste and ate everything. Seeing the dish empty, she wiped her tears away.

Text 59: “She then began to wonder who had eaten all that food. ‘Why is the plate empty?’ she wondered, doubting that Bāla-gopāla had eaten it all.

Text 60: “She began to wonder whether there had actually been anything on the plate in the first place. Then again she thought that some animal might have come and eaten everything.

Text 61: “She thought, ‘Perhaps by mistake I did not put any food on the plate.’ So thinking, she went into the kitchen and saw the pots.

Text 62: “When she saw that all the pots were still filled with rice and vegetables, there was some doubt in her mind, and she was astonished.

Text 63: “Thus wondering, she called Īśāna, the servant, and had the place cleaned again. She then offered another plate to Gopāla.

Text 64: “Now whenever she prepares some good cooked food and wants to feed it to Me, she cries in great anxiety.

Text 65: “Being obliged by her love, I am brought there to eat. Mother knows all these things internally and feels happiness, but externally she does not accept them.

Text 66: “Such an incident took place on the last Vijayā-daśamī day. You can ask her about this incident and thus make her believe that I actually go there.”

Text 67: While describing all this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became a little overwhelmed, but just to finish bidding farewell to the devotees, He remained patient.

Text 68: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu next spoke some relishable words to Rāghava Paṇḍita. He said, “I am obliged to you due to your pure love for Me.”

Text 69: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then informed everyone, “Just hear about the pure devotional service rendered to Kṛṣṇa by Rāghava Paṇḍita. Indeed, Rāghava Paṇḍita’s service is supremely pure and highly accomplished.

Text 70: “Apart from other commodities, just hear about his offering of coconuts. A coconut is sold at the rate of five gaṇḍās each.

Text 71: “Although he already has hundreds of trees and millions of fruits, he is still very eager to hear about the place where sweet coconuts are available.

Text 72: “He collects coconuts with great endeavor from a place twenty miles away, and he pays four paṇas each for them.

Text 73: “Every day five to seven coconuts are clipped and put into water to keep cool.

Text 74: “At the time of offering bhoga, the coconuts are again clipped and cleansed. After holes are made in them at the top, they are offered to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Text 75: “Lord Kṛṣṇa drinks the juice from these coconuts, and sometimes the coconuts are left drained of juice. At other times the coconuts remain filled with juice.

Text 76: “When Rāghava Paṇḍita sees that the juice has been drunk from the coconuts, he is very pleased. He then breaks the coconuts, takes out the pulp and puts it on another plate.

Text 77: “After offering the pulp, he meditates outside the temple door. In the meantime, Lord Kṛṣṇa, having eaten the pulp, leaves the plate empty.

Text 78: “Sometimes, after eating the pulp, Kṛṣṇa fills the plate again with new pulp. In this way, the faith of Rāghava Paṇḍita increases, and he floats in an ocean of love.

Text 79: “One day it so happened that about ten coconuts were properly clipped and brought by a servant to offer to the Deity.

Text 80: “When the coconuts were brought, there was little time to offer them because it was already late. The servant, holding the container of coconuts, remained standing at the door.

Text 81: “Rāghava Paṇḍita then saw that the servant touched the ceiling above the door and then touched the coconuts with the same hand.

Text 82: “Rāghava Paṇḍita then said, ‘People are always coming and going through that door. The dust from their feet blows up and touches the ceiling.

Text 83: “ ‘After touching the ceiling above the door, you have touched the coconuts. Now they are no longer fit to be offered to Kṛṣṇa because they are contaminated.’

Text 84: “Such is the service of Rāghava Paṇḍita. He did not accept the coconuts but threw them over the wall. His service is purely based on unalloyed love, and it conquers the whole world.

Text 85: “Thereafter, Rāghava Paṇḍita had other coconuts gathered, cleansed and clipped, and with great attention he offered them to the Deity to eat.

Text 86: “In this way, from distant villages he collects excellent bananas, mangoes, oranges, jackfruits and whatever other first-class fruits he has heard about.

Text 87: “All these fruits are collected from distant places and bought at a high price. After trimming them with great care and purity, Rāghava Paṇḍita offers them to the Deity.

Text 88: “Thus with great care and attention Rāghava Paṇḍita prepares spinach, other vegetables, radishes, fruits, chipped rice, powdered rice and sweetmeats.

Text 89: “He prepares cakes, sweet rice, condensed milk and everything else with great attention, and the cooking conditions are purified so that the food is first class and delicious.

Text 90: “Rāghava Paṇḍita also offers all kinds of pickles, such as kāśamdi. He offers various scents, garments, ornaments and the best of everything.

Text 91: “Thus Rāghava Paṇḍita serves the Lord in an incomparable way. Everyone is very much satisfied just to see him.”

Text 92: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then mercifully embraced Rāghava Paṇḍita. The Lord also offered all the other devotees a farewell with similar respect.

Text 93: The Lord also respectfully told Śivānanda Sena, “Take care of Vāsudeva Datta very nicely.

Text 94: “Vāsudeva Datta is very liberal. Every day, whatever income he receives, he spends. He does not keep any balance.

Text 95: “Being a householder, Vāsudeva Datta needs to save some money. Because he is not doing so, it is very difficult for him to maintain his family.

Text 96: “Please take care of Vāsudeva Datta’s family affairs. Become his manager and make the proper adjustments.

Text 97: “Come every year and bring all My devotees with you to the Guṇḍicā festival. I also request you to maintain all of them.”

Text 98: The Lord then with great respect extended an invitation to all the inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma, asking them to come every year and bring silken rope to carry Lord Jagannātha during the Ratha-yātrā festival.

Text 99: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “Guṇarāja Khān of Kulīna-grāma compiled a book named Śrī Kṛṣṇa-vijaya, in which there is a sentence revealing the author’s ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa.”

Text 100: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “ ‘Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is my life and soul.’ By this statement I am sold into the hands of the descendants of Guṇarāja Khān.

Text 101: “To say nothing of you, even a dog living in your village is very dear to Me. What, then, to speak of others?”

Text 102: After this, Rāmānanda Vasu and Satyarāja Khān both submitted questions at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Text 103: Satyarāja Khān said, “My dear Lord, being a householder and a materialistic man, I do not know the process of advancing in spiritual life. I therefore submit myself unto Your lotus feet and request You to give me orders.”

Text 104: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Without cessation continue chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Whenever possible, serve Him and His devotees, the Vaiṣṇavas.”

Text 105: Upon hearing this, Satyarāja said, “How can I recognize a Vaiṣṇava? Please let me know what a Vaiṣṇava is. What are his common symptoms?”

Text 106: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Whoever chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa just once is worshipable and is the topmost human being.

Text 107: “Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa once, a person is relieved from all the reactions of a sinful life. One can complete the nine processes of devotional service simply by chanting the holy name.

Text 108: “One does not have to undergo initiation or execute the activities required before initiation. One simply has to vibrate the holy name with his lips. Thus even a man in the lowest class [caṇḍāla] can be delivered.

Text 109: “By chanting the holy name of the Lord, one dissolves his entanglement in material activities. After this, one becomes very much attracted to Kṛṣṇa, and thus dormant love for Kṛṣṇa is awakened.

Text 110: “ ‘The holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa is an attractive feature for many saintly, liberal people. It is the annihilator of all sinful reactions and is so powerful that, save for the dumb who cannot chant it, it is readily available to everyone, including the lowest type of man, the caṇḍāla. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is the controller of the opulence of liberation, and it is identical with Kṛṣṇa. When a person simply chants the holy name with his tongue, immediate effects are produced. Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities or the puraścaryā regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for any of these activities. It is self-sufficient.’ ”

Text 111: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then finally advised, “One who is chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is understood to be a Vaiṣṇava; therefore you should offer all respects to him.”

Text 112: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then turned His attention to three persons — Mukunda dāsa, Raghunandana and Śrī Narahari — inhabitants of the place called Khaṇḍa.

Text 113: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of mother Śacī, next asked Mukunda dāsa, “You are the father, and your son is Raghunandana. Is that so?

Text 114: “Or is Śrīla Raghunandana your father and you are his son? Please let Me know the facts so that My doubts will go away.”

Text 115: Mukunda replied, “Raghunandana is my father, and I am his son. This is my decision.

Text 116: “All of us have attained devotion to Kṛṣṇa due to Raghunandana. Therefore in my mind he is my father.”

Text 117: Hearing Mukunda dāsa give this proper decision, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirmed it, saying, “Yes, it is correct. One who awakens devotion to Kṛṣṇa is certainly the spiritual master.”

Text 118: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very happy just to speak of the glories of His devotees. Indeed, when He spoke of their glories, it was as if He had five faces.

Text 119: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then informed all His devotees, “Please hear about Mukunda’s love of Godhead. It is a very deep and pure love and can only be compared to purified gold.

Text 120: “Mukunda dāsa externally appears to be a royal physician engaged in governmental service, but internally he has a deep love for Kṛṣṇa. Who can understand his love?

Text 121: “One day Mukunda dāsa, the royal physician, was seated with the Muslim King on a high platform and was telling the King about medical treatment.

Text 122: “While the King and Mukunda dāsa were conversing, a servant brought a fan made of peacock feathers to shade the King’s head from the sun. Consequently he held the fan above the King’s head.

Text 123: “Just by seeing the peacock-feathered fan, Mukunda dāsa became absorbed in ecstatic love of Godhead and fell from the high platform onto the ground.

Text 124: “The King, fearing that the royal physician had been killed, personally descended and brought him to consciousness.

Text 125: “When the King asked Mukunda, ‘Where is it paining you?’ Mukunda replied, ‘I am not very much pained.’

Text 126: “The King then inquired, ‘Mukunda, why did you fall down?’

Text 127: “Being extraordinarily intelligent, the King could understand the whole affair. In his estimation, Mukunda was a most uncommon, exalted, liberated personality.

Texts 128-129: “Raghunandana is constantly engaged in serving Lord Kṛṣṇa in the temple. Beside the entrance of the temple is a lake, and on its banks is a kadamba tree, which daily delivers two flowers to be used for Kṛṣṇa’s service.”

Text 130: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again spoke to Mukunda with sweet words: “Your duty is to earn both material and spiritual wealth.

Text 131: “Furthermore, it is the duty of Raghunandana to always engage in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s service. He has no other intention but the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa.”

Text 132: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then ordered Narahari: “I wish you to remain here with My devotees. In this way the three of you should always execute these three duties for the service of the Lord.”

Text 133: Out of His causeless mercy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave the following directions to the brothers Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Vidyā-vācaspati.

Text 134: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “In this Age of Kali, Kṛṣṇa is manifest in two forms — wood and water. Thus, by enabling the conditioned souls to see the wood and bathe in the water, He helps them become liberated.

Text 135: “Lord Jagannātha is the Supreme Lord Himself in the form of wood, and the river Ganges is the Supreme Lord Himself in the form of water.

Text 136: “Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, you should engage in the worship of Lord Jagannātha Puruṣottama, and Vācaspati should worship mother Ganges.”

Text 137: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Murāri Gupta and began to speak about his firm faith in devotional service. This was heard by all the devotees.

Text 138: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Previously I induced Murāri Gupta again and again to be allured by Lord Kṛṣṇa. I said to him, ‘My dear Gupta, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Vrajendra-kumāra, is the supreme sweetness.

Text 139: “ ‘Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin of all incarnations and the source of everything. He is pure transcendental love itself, and He is the reservoir of all pleasure.

Text 140: “ ‘Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all transcendental qualities. He is like a mine of gems. He is expert at everything, very intelligent and sober, and He is the summit of all transcendental humors.

Text 141: “ ‘His character is very sweet, and His pastimes are melodious. He is expert in intelligence, and thus He enjoys all His pastimes and mellows.’

Text 142: “I then requested Murāri Gupta, ‘Worship Kṛṣṇa and take shelter of Him. But for His service, nothing appeals to the mind.’

Text 143: “In this way, he heard from Me again and again. By My influence, his mind was a little converted.

Text 144: “Murāri Gupta then replied, ‘I am Your servant and Your order-carrier. I have no independent existence.’

Text 145: “After this, Murāri Gupta went home and spent the whole night thinking how he would have to give up the association of Raghunātha, Lord Rāmacandra. Thus he was overwhelmed.

Text 146: “Murāri Gupta then began to pray at the lotus feet of Lord Rāmacandra. He prayed that death would come that night because it was not possible for him to give up the service of the lotus feet of Raghunātha.

Text 147: “Thus Murāri Gupta cried the entire night. There was no rest for his mind; therefore he could not sleep but stayed awake the entire night.

Text 148: “In the morning Murāri Gupta came to see Me. Catching hold of My feet and crying, he submitted an appeal.

Text 149: “Murāri Gupta said, ‘I have sold my head unto the lotus feet of Raghunātha. I cannot withdraw my head, for that would give me too much pain.

Text 150: “ ‘It is not possible for me to give up the service of Raghunātha’s lotus feet. At the same time, if I do not do so I shall break Your order. What can I do?’

Text 151: “In this way Murāri Gupta appealed to Me, saying, ‘You are all-merciful, so kindly grant me this mercy: Let me die before You so that all my doubts will be finished.’

Text 152: “Hearing this, I became very happy. I then raised Murāri Gupta and embraced him.

Text 153: “I said to him, ‘All glories to you, Murāri Gupta! Your method of worship is very firmly fixed — so much so that even upon My request your mind did not turn.

Text 154: “ ‘The servitor must have love and affection for the lotus feet of the Lord exactly like this. Even if the Lord wants separation, a devotee cannot abandon the shelter of His lotus feet.

Text 155: “ ‘Just to test your firm faith in your Lord, I requested you again and again to change your worship from Lord Rāmacandra to Kṛṣṇa.’

Text 156: “In this way, I congratulated Murāri Gupta, saying, ‘Indeed, you are the incarnation of Hanumān. Consequently you are the eternal servant of Lord Rāmacandra. Why should you give up the worship of Lord Rāmacandra and His lotus feet?’ ”

Text 157: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “I accept this Murāri Gupta as My life and soul. When I hear of his humility, it perturbs My very life.”

Text 158: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Vāsudeva Datta and began to speak of his glories as if He had a thousand mouths.

Text 159: When Caitanya Mahāprabhu glorified him, Vāsudeva Datta immediately became very much embarrassed and shy. He then submitted himself, touching the Lord’s lotus feet.

Text 160: Vāsudeva Datta told Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “My dear Lord, You incarnate just to deliver all conditioned souls. I now have one petition, which I wish You would accept.

Text 161: “My Lord, You are certainly able to do whatever You like, and You are indeed merciful. If You so desire, You can very easily do whatever You want.

Text 162: “My Lord, my heart breaks to see the sufferings of all the conditioned souls; therefore I request You to transfer the karma of their sinful lives upon my head.

Text 163: “My dear Lord, let me suffer perpetually in a hellish condition, accepting all the sinful reactions of all living entities. Please finish their diseased material life.”

Text 164: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard Vāsudeva Datta’s statement, His heart became very soft. Tears flowed from His eyes, and He began to tremble. In a faltering voice He spoke as follows.

Text 165: Accepting Vāsudeva Datta as a great devotee, the Lord said, “Such a statement is not at all astonishing because you are the incarnation of Prahlāda Mahārāja. It appears that Lord Kṛṣṇa has bestowed complete mercy upon you. There is no doubt about it.

Text 166: “Whatever a pure devotee wants from his master, Lord Kṛṣṇa doubtlessly grants because He has no duty other than to fulfill the desire of His devotee.

Text 167: “If you desire the deliverance of all living entities within the universe, then all of them can be delivered even without your undergoing the tribulations of sinful activity.

Text 168: “Kṛṣṇa is not incapable, for He has all potencies. Why would He induce you to suffer the sinful reactions of other living entities?

Text 169: “Whosever welfare you desire immediately becomes a Vaiṣṇava, and Kṛṣṇa delivers all Vaiṣṇavas from the reactions of their past sinful activities.

Text 170: “ ‘Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the original Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who regulates the sufferings and enjoyments due to fruitive activity. He does this for everyone — from the heavenly King Indra down to the smallest insect [indra-gopa]. That very Personality of Godhead destroys the karmic reactions of one engaged in devotional service.’

Text 171: “Because of your honest desire, all living entities within the universe will be delivered, for Kṛṣṇa does not have to do anything to deliver all the living entities of the universe.

Text 172: “Just as there are millions of fruits on the uḍumbara tree, millions of universes float on the waters of the river Virajā.

Text 173: “The uḍumbara tree is filled with millions of fruits, and if one falls down and is destroyed, the tree does not even consider the loss.

Text 174: “In the same way, if one universe is vacated due to the living entities’ having been liberated, that is a very little thing for Kṛṣṇa. He does not take it very seriously.

Text 175: “The entire spiritual world constitutes the unlimited opulence of Kṛṣṇa, and there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets there. The Causal Ocean is considered the surrounding waters of Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

Text 176: “Māyā and her unlimited material universes are situated in that Causal Ocean. Indeed, māyā appears to be floating like a pot filled with mustard seeds.

Text 177: “Of the millions of mustard seeds floating in that pot, if one seed is lost, the loss is not at all significant. Similarly, if one universe is lost, it is not significant to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Text 178: “To say nothing of one universal mustard seed, even if all the universes and the material energy [māyā] are destroyed, Kṛṣṇa does not even consider the loss.

Text 179: “If a person possessing millions of wish-fulfilling cows loses one she-goat, he does not consider the loss. Kṛṣṇa owns all six opulences in full. If the entire material energy is destroyed, what does He lose?”

Text 180: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “ ‘O my Lord, O unconquerable one, O master of all potencies, please exhibit Your internal potency to conquer the nescience of all moving and inert living entities. Due to nescience, they accept all kinds of faulty things, thus provoking a fearful situation. O Lord, please show Your glories! You can do this very easily, for Your internal potency is beyond the external potency, and You are the reservoir of all opulence. You are also the demonstrator of the material potency. You are also always engaged in Your pastimes in the spiritual world, where You exhibit Your reserved, internal potency, and sometimes You exhibit the external potency by glancing over it. Thus You manifest Your pastimes. The Vedas confirm Your two potencies and accept both types of pastimes due to them.’ ”

Text 181: In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu described the good qualities of His devotees one after the other. He then embraced them and bade them farewell.

Text 182: Due to the impending separation from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the devotees began to cry. The Lord was also morose due to separation from the devotees.

Text 183: Gadādhara Paṇḍita remained with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he was given a place to live at Yameśvara.

Texts 184-185: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at Jagannātha Purī, Nīlācala, with Paramānanda Purī, Jagadānanda, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Dāmodara Paṇḍita, Govinda and Kāśīśvara. It was Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s daily practice to see Lord Jagannātha in the morning.

Text 186: One day Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya came before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with folded hands and submitted a request.

Text 187: Since all the Vaiṣṇavas had returned to Bengal, there was a good chance that the Lord would accept an invitation.

Text 188: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Please accept my invitation for lunch for one month.”

Text 189: Sārvabhauma then said, “Please accept the invitation for twenty days.”

Text 190: When Sārvabhauma requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu to accept lunch for fifteen days, the Lord said, “I shall accept lunch at your place for one day only.”

Text 191: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then caught hold of the Lord’s lotus feet and submissively begged, “Please accept lunch for at least ten days.”

Text 192: In this way, by and by, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu reduced the duration to five days. Thus for five days He regularly accepted the Bhaṭṭācārya’s invitation to lunch.

Text 193: After this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “My Lord, there are ten sannyāsīs with You.”

Text 194: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then submitted that Paramānanda Purī Gosvāmī would accept a five-day invitation at his place. This had already been settled before the Lord.

Text 195: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Dāmodara Svarūpa is my intimate friend. He will come sometimes with You and sometimes alone.

Text 196: “The other eight sannyāsīs will accept invitations for two days each. In this way there will be engagements for each and every day during the entire month.

Text 197: “If all the sannyāsīs came together, it would not be possible for me to pay them proper respects. Therefore I would be an offender.

Text 198: “Sometimes You will come alone to my place, and sometimes You will be accompanied by Svarūpa Dāmodara.”

Text 199: Having this arrangement confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Bhaṭṭācārya became very glad and immediately invited the Lord to his house on that very day.

Text 200: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s wife was known as Ṣāṭhīra Mātā, the mother of Ṣāṭhī. She was a great devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and she was affectionate like a mother.

Text 201: After returning to his home, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya gave orders to his wife, and his wife, Ṣāṭhīra Mātā, began cooking with great pleasure.

Text 202: At Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s house, there was always a full stock of food. Whatever spinach, vegetables, fruit and so on were required, he collected and brought back home.

Text 203: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya personally began to help Ṣāṭhīra Mātā cook. She was very experienced, and she knew how to cook nicely.

Text 204: On the southern side of the kitchen were two rooms for offering food, and in one of them the food was offered to Śālagrāma Nārāyaṇa.

Text 205: The other room was for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lunch. The Lord’s lunchroom was very secluded, and it was newly constructed by the Bhaṭṭācārya.

Text 206: The room was so constructed that there was only one door opening on the outside, which served as an entrance for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There was another door attached to the kitchen, and it was through this door that the food was brought.

Text 207: First, three mānas of cooked rice — almost six pounds — was poured onto a big banana leaf.

Text 208: Then the whole stack of rice was mixed with so much yellowish and fragrant clarified butter that it began to overflow the leaf.

Text 209: There were a number of pots made of the bark of banana trees and the leaves of the keyā plant. These pots were filled with various cooked vegetables and placed on all sides of the leaf.

Text 210: There were about ten kinds of spinach, a soup called sukhta, which was made with bitter nimba leaves, a pungent preparation made with black pepper, a mild cake made of fried curd, and buttermilk mixed with small fried pieces of dhal.

Text 211: There were preparations of dugdha-tumbī, dugdha-kuṣmāṇḍa, vesara, lāphrā, mocā-ghaṇṭa, mocā-bhājā and other vegetables.

Text 212: There were unlimited quantities of vṛddha-kuṣmāṇḍa-baḍī, phula-baḍī, fruits and various roots.

Text 213: Other preparations included eggplant mixed with newly grown nimba leaves fried together, light baḍī, fried paṭola and fried rounds of squash and pumpkin.

Text 214: There was a soup made with fried urad dhal and mung dhal, defeating nectar. There were also sweet chutney and five or six kinds of sour preparations, beginning with baḍāmla.

Text 215: There were baḍās made of mung dhal, of urad dhal and of sweet bananas, and there were sweet-rice cakes, coconut cakes and various other cakes.

Text 216: There were kāṅji-baḍā, dugdha-ciḍā, dugdha-laklakī and various cakes that I am unable to describe.

Text 217: Sweet rice mixed with ghee was poured into an earthen pot and mixed with cāṅpā-kalā, condensed milk and mango.

Text 218: Other preparations included a very delicious churned curd and a variety of sandeśa sweetmeats. Indeed, all the various eatables available in Bengal and Orissa were prepared.

Text 219: Thus the Bhaṭṭācārya prepared a great variety of food and spread a fine cloth over a white wooden platform.

Text 220: On two sides of the stack of food were pitchers filled with scented cold water. The flowers of the tulasī tree were placed atop the mound of rice.

Text 221: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya also included several types of food that had been offered to Lord Jagannātha. These included sweetballs known as amṛta-guṭikā, sweet rice and cakes. All these were kept separate.

Text 222: When everything was ready, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came there alone after finishing His midday duties. He knew the heart of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

Text 223: After Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya washed the Lord’s feet, the Lord entered the room to take His lunch.

Text 224: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a little astonished to see the gorgeous arrangement, and gesturing, He spoke to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

Text 225: “This is most uncommon! How was this arrangement of rice and vegetables finished within six hours?

Text 226: “Even a hundred men cooking on a hundred stoves could not possibly finish all these preparations within so short a time.

Text 227: “I hope the food has already been offered to Kṛṣṇa, since I see there are tulasī flowers on it.

Text 228: “You are most fortunate, and your endeavor is successful, for you have offered such wonderful food to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

Text 229: “The color of the rice is so attractive and its aroma so good that it appears Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa have directly taken it.

Text 230: “My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, your fortune is very great. How much shall I praise you? I also am very fortunate to be able to take the remnants of this food.

Text 231: “Take away Kṛṣṇa’s sitting place and put it aside. Then give Me prasādam on a different plate.”

Text 232: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “It is not so wonderful, my Lord. Everything has been made possible by the energy and mercy of Him who will eat the food.

Text 233: “My wife and I did not especially exert ourselves in the cooking. He by whose power the food has been prepared knows everything.

Text 234: “Now please sit in this place and take Your lunch.”

Text 235: The Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Both the food and the sitting place are the Lord’s mercy. If You can eat the remnants of the food, what is the offense in Your sitting in this place?”

Text 236: Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “Yes, you have spoken correctly. The śāstras enjoin that the devotee can partake of everything left by Kṛṣṇa.

Text 237: “ ‘My dear Lord, the garlands, scented substances, garments, ornaments and other such things that have been offered to You may later be used by Your servants. By partaking of these things and eating the remnants of food You have left, we will be able to conquer the illusory energy.’ ”

Text 238: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “There is so much food here that it is impossible to eat it all.”

Text 239: “After all, at Jagannātha Purī You eat fifty-two times a day, and each time You eat hundreds of buckets filled with prasādam.

Text 240: “At Dvārakā, You keep sixteen thousand queens in sixteen thousand palaces. Also, there are eighteen mothers and numerous friends and relatives of the Yadu dynasty.

Text 241: “In Vṛndāvana You also have Your father’s elder brothers, Your father’s younger brothers, maternal uncles, husbands of Your father’s sisters and many cowherd men. There are also cowherd boyfriends, and You eat twice a day, morning and evening, in the house of each and every one.

Text 242: “Indeed,” Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “at the Govardhana-pūjā ceremony You ate stacks of rice. In comparison to that, this small quantity is not even a morsel for You.

Text 243: “You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas I am a most insignificant living being. Therefore please accept a little quantity of food from my house.”

Text 244: Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and sat down to eat. The Bhaṭṭācārya, with great pleasure, first offered Him the prasādam from the Jagannātha temple.

Text 245: At this time the Bhaṭṭācārya had a son-in-law named Amogha, who was the husband of his daughter Ṣāṭhī. Although born in an aristocratic brāhmaṇa family, Amogha was a great faultfinder and blasphemer.

Text 246: Amogha wanted to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu eat, but he was not allowed to enter. Indeed, the Bhaṭṭācārya guarded the threshold of his house with a stick in his hand.

Text 247: However, as soon as the Bhaṭṭācārya began distributing prasādam and was a little inattentive, Amogha came in. Seeing the quantity of food, he began to blaspheme.

Text 248: “This much food is sufficient to satisfy ten or twelve men, but this sannyāsī alone is eating so much!”

Text 249: As soon as Amogha said this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya turned his eyes upon him. Seeing the Bhaṭṭācārya’s attitude, Amogha immediately left.

Text 250: The Bhaṭṭācārya ran after him to strike him with a stick, but Amogha fled so fast that the Bhaṭṭācārya could not catch him.

Text 251: The Bhaṭṭācārya then began to curse his son-in-law and call him ill names. When the Bhaṭṭācārya returned, he saw that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was laughing to hear him criticize Amogha.

Text 252: When Ṣāṭhī’s mother, the Bhaṭṭācārya’s wife, heard of this incident, she immediately began to strike her head and chest, saying again and again, “Let Ṣāṭhī become a widow!”

Text 253: Seeing the lamentation of both husband and wife, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu tried to pacify them. According to their desire, He ate the prasādam and was very satisfied.

Text 254: After Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu finished eating, the Bhaṭṭācārya poured water for the Lord to wash His mouth, hands and legs and offered Him flavored spices, tulasī-mañjarīs, cloves and cardamom.

Text 255: The Bhaṭṭācārya then placed a flower garland over Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and smeared His body with sandalwood pulp. After offering obeisances, the Bhaṭṭācārya submitted the following humble statement.

Text 256: “I brought You to my home just to have You blasphemed. This is a great offense. Please excuse me. I beg Your pardon.”

Text 257: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “What Amogha has said is correct; therefore it is not blasphemy. What is your offense?”

Text 258: After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left and returned to His residence. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya followed Him.

Text 259: Falling down at the Lord’s feet, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said many things in self-reproach. The Lord then pacified him and sent him back to his home.

Text 260: After returning to his home, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya consulted with his wife, the mother of Ṣāṭhī. After personally condemning himself, he began to speak as follows.

Text 261: “If the man who blasphemed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is killed, his sinful action may be atoned.”

Text 262: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “Or, if I give up my own life, this sinful action may be atoned. However, neither of these ideas is befitting because both bodies belong to brāhmaṇas.

Text 263: “Instead, I shall never see the face of that blasphemer. I reject him and give up my relationship with him. I shall never even speak his name.

Text 264: “Inform my daughter Ṣāṭhī to abandon her relationship with her husband because he has fallen down. When the husband falls down, it is the wife’s duty to relinquish the relationship.

Text 265: “ ‘When a husband is fallen, one’s relationship with him must be given up.’ ”

Text 266: That night Amogha, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s son-in-law, fled, and in the morning he immediately fell sick with cholera.

Text 267: When the Bhaṭṭācārya heard that Amogha was dying of cholera, he thought, “It is the favor of Providence that He is doing what I want to do.

Text 268: “When one offends the Supreme Personality of Godhead, karma immediately takes effect.” After saying this, he recited two verses from the revealed scripture.

Text 269: “ ‘What we have had to arrange with great endeavor by collecting elephants, horses, chariots and infantry soldiers has already been accomplished by the Gandharvas.’

Text 270: “ ‘When a person mistreats great souls, his life span, opulence, reputation, religion, possessions and good fortune are all destroyed.’

Text 271: At this time, Gopīnātha Ācārya went to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord asked him about the events taking place in Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s house.

Text 272: Gopīnātha Ācārya informed the Lord that both the husband and the wife were fasting and that their son-in-law, Amogha, was dying of cholera.

Text 273: As soon as Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard that Amogha was going to die, He immediately ran to him in great haste. Placing His hand on Amogha’s chest, He spoke as follows.

Text 274: “The heart of a brāhmaṇa is by nature very clean; therefore it is a proper place for Kṛṣṇa to sit.

Text 275: “Why have you allowed the caṇḍāla of jealousy to sit here also? In this way you have contaminated a most purified place, your heart.

Text 276: “However, due to the association of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, all your contamination is now vanquished. When a person’s heart is cleansed of all contamination, he is able to chant the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Text 277: “Therefore, Amogha, get up and chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra! If you do so, Kṛṣṇa will unfailingly bestow mercy upon you.”

Text 278: After hearing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and being touched by Him, Amogha, who was on his deathbed, immediately stood up and began to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Thus he became mad with ecstatic love and began to dance emotionally.

Text 279: While Amogha danced in ecstatic love, he manifested all the ecstatic symptoms — trembling, tears, jubilation, trance, perspiration and a faltering voice. Seeing these waves of ecstatic emotion, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to laugh.

Text 280: Amogha then fell before the Lord’s lotus feet and submissively said, “O merciful Lord, please excuse my offense.”

Text 281: Not only did Amogha beg the Lord’s pardon, but he also began slapping his own cheeks, saying, “By this mouth I have blasphemed You.”

Text 282: Indeed, Amogha continued slapping his face over and over until his cheeks were swollen. Finally Gopīnātha Ācārya stopped him by catching hold of his hands.

Text 283: After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu pacified Amogha by touching his body and saying, “You are the object of My affection because you are the son-in-law of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

Text 284: “Everyone in Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s house is very dear to Me, including his maids and servants and even his dog. And what to speak of his relatives?

Text 285: “Amogha, always chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and do not commit any further offenses.” After giving Amogha this instruction, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Sārvabhauma’s house.

Text 286: Upon seeing the Lord, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya immediately caught hold of His lotus feet. The Lord embraced him and then sat down.

Text 287: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu pacified Sārvabhauma, saying, “After all, Amogha, your son-in-law, is a child. So what is his fault? Why are you fasting, and why are you angry?

Text 288: “Just get up and take your bath and go see the face of Lord Jagannātha. Then return here to eat your lunch. In this way I shall be happy.

Text 289: “I shall stay here until you return to take Lord Jagannātha’s remnants for your lunch.”

Text 290: Catching hold of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet, the Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Why did You bring Amogha back to life? It would have been better had he died.”

Text 291: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Amogha is a child and your son. The father does not take the faults of his son seriously, especially when he is maintaining him.

Text 292: “Now that he has become a Vaiṣṇava, he is offenseless. You can bestow your mercy upon him without hesitation.”

Text 293: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Please go, my Lord, to see Lord Jagannātha. After taking my bath, I shall go there and then return.”

Text 294: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then told Gopīnātha, “Stay here and inform Me when Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya has taken his prasādam.”

Text 295: After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to see Lord Jagannātha. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya completed his bath, went to see Lord Jagannātha and then returned to his house to accept food.

Text 296: Thereafter, Amogha became an unalloyed devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He danced in ecstasy and peacefully chanted the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Text 297: In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed His various pastimes. Whoever sees them or hears them recounted becomes truly astonished.

Text 298: Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu enjoyed eating in Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s house. Within that one pastime, many wonderful pastimes were manifested.

Text 299: These are the peculiar characteristics of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes. Thus the Lord ate in Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s house, and in this way Sārvabhauma’s love for the Lord has become very well known.

Text 300: Thus I have related the ecstatic love of Sārvabhauma’s wife, who is known as the mother of Ṣāṭhī. I have also related Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s great mercy, which He manifested by excusing Amogha’s offense. He did so due to Amogha’s relationship with a devotee.

Text 301: Whoever hears these pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with faith and love will attain the shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet very soon.

Text 302: Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.