Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu traveled all over Vṛndāvana and pleased all living entities, moving and nonmoving, with His glances. The Lord took much personal pleasure in seeing everyone. In this way Lord Gaurāṅga traveled in Vṛndāvana.

All glories to Lord Gauracandra! All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura!

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced in ecstasy, but when He arrived at Āriṭ-grāma, His sense perception was awakened.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the local people, “Where is Rādhā-kuṇḍa?” No one could inform Him, and the brāhmaṇa accompanying Him did not know either.

The Lord then understood that the holy place called Rādhā-kuṇḍa was no longer visible. However, being the omniscient Supreme Personality of Godhead, He discovered Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa in two paddy fields. There was only a little water, but He took His bath there.

When the people of the village saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taking His bath in those two ponds in the middle of the paddy fields, they were very much astonished. The Lord then offered His prayers to Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

“Of all the gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the dearmost. Similarly, the lake known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very dear to the Lord because it is very dear to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

“ ‘Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is most dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, so Her lake, known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa, is also very dear to Him. Of all the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is certainly the most beloved.’

“In that lake, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī used to sport daily in the water and have a rāsa dance on the bank.

“Indeed, Lord Kṛṣṇa gives ecstatic love like that of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to whoever bathes in that lake even once in his life.

“The attraction of Rādhā-kuṇḍa is as sweet as that of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Similarly, the glories of the kuṇḍa [lake] are as great as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s.

“ ‘Because of its wonderful transcendental qualities, Rādhā-kuṇḍa is as dear to Kṛṣṇa as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. It was in that lake that the all-opulent Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa performed His pastimes with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī with great pleasure and transcendental bliss. Whoever bathes just once in Rādhā-kuṇḍa attains Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s loving attraction for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Who within this world can describe the glories and sweetness of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa?’”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thus offered prayers to Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Overwhelmed by ecstatic love, He danced on the bank, remembering the pastimes Lord Kṛṣṇa performed on the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then marked His body with tilaka made from the mud of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and with the help of Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya, He collected some of the mud and took it with Him.

From Rādhā-kuṇḍa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Sumanas Lake. When He saw Govardhana Hill from there, He was overwhelmed with joy.

When the Lord saw Govardhana Hill, He immediately offered obeisances, falling down on the ground like a rod. He embraced one piece of rock from Govardhana Hill and became mad.

Mad with ecstatic love, the Lord came to the village known as Govardhana. There He saw the Deity named Harideva and offered His obeisances unto Him.

Harideva is an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, and His residence is on the western petal of the lotus of Mathurā.

Mad with ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to dance before the Harideva Deity. Hearing of the Lord’s wonderful activities, all the people came to see Him.

The people were astonished when they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love and personal beauty. The priests who served the Harideva Deity offered the Lord a good reception.

At Brahma-kuṇḍa, the Bhaṭṭācārya cooked food, and the Lord, after taking His bath at Brahma-kuṇḍa, accepted His lunch.

That night the Lord stayed at the temple of Harideva, and during the night He began to reflect.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thought, “Since I shall not at any time climb Govardhana Hill, how shall I be able to see Gopāla Rāya?”

Thinking in this way, the Lord remained silent, and Lord Gopāla, knowing His contemplation, played a trick.

Coming down from Govardhana Hill, Lord Gopāla granted an interview to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who was unwilling to climb the hill, thinking Himself a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Gopāla stayed in a village called Annakūṭa-grāma on Govardhana Hill. The villagers who lived in that village were mainly from Rajasthan.

One person who came to the village informed the inhabitants, “The Turkish soldiers are now preparing to attack your village.

“Flee this village tonight, and do not allow one person to remain. Take the Deity with you and leave, for the Muslim soldiers will come tomorrow.”

Hearing this, all the villagers became very anxious. They first took Gopāla and moved Him to a village known as Gāṅṭhuli.

The Gopāla Deity was kept in the house of a brāhmaṇa, and His worship was conducted secretly. Everyone fled, and thus the village of Annakūṭa was deserted.

Due to fear of the Muslims, the Gopāla Deity was moved from one place to another again and again. Thus giving up His temple, Lord Gopāla would sometimes live in a bush and sometimes in one village after another.

In the morning, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His bath in a lake called Mānasa-gaṅgā. He then circumambulated Govardhana Hill.

Just by seeing Govardhana Hill, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became ecstatic with love of Kṛṣṇa. While dancing and dancing, He recited the following verse.

“ ‘Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, as well as Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities — water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respect to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.’”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then took His bath in a lake called Govinda-kuṇḍa, and while He was there, He heard that the Gopāla Deity had already gone to Gāṅṭhuli-grāma.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to the village of Gāṅṭhuli-grāma and saw the Lord Gopāla Deity. Overwhelmed by ecstatic love, He began to chant and dance.

As soon as the Lord saw the beauty of the Gopāla Deity, He was immediately overwhelmed by ecstatic love, and He recited the following verse. He then chanted and danced until the day ended.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “ ‘May the left arm of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose eyes are like the petals of a lotus flower, always protect you. With His left arm He raised Govardhana Hill as if it were a toy.’”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the Gopāla Deity for three days. On the fourth day, the Deity returned to His own temple.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu walked with the Deity of Gopāla, and He chanted and danced. A large and jubilant crowd of people also chanted the transcendental name of Kṛṣṇa, “Hari! Hari!”

The Gopāla Deity then returned to His own temple, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at the bottom of the hill. Thus all the desires of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were satisfied by the Gopāla Deity.

This is the way of Lord Gopāla’s kind behavior to His devotees. Seeing this, the devotees were overwhelmed by ecstatic love.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very eager to see Gopāla, but He did not want to climb Govardhana Hill. Therefore by some trick the Gopāla Deity personally descended.

In this way, giving some excuse, Gopāla sometimes remains in the bushes of the forest, and sometimes He stays in a village. One who is a devotee comes to see the Deity.

The two brothers Rūpa and Sanātana did not climb the hill. To them also Lord Gopāla granted an interview.

In ripe old age, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī could not go there, but he had a desire to see the beauty of Gopāla.

Due to fear of the Muslims, Gopāla went to Mathurā, where He remained in the house of Viṭhṭhaleśvara for one full month.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and his associates stayed in Mathurā for one month and saw the Gopāla Deity.

When Rūpa Gosvāmī stayed at Mathurā, he was accompanied by Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī.

Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī Yādava Ācārya and Govinda Gosvāmī also accompanied Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

He was also accompanied by Śrī Uddhava dāsa, Mādhava, Śrī Gopāla dāsa and Nārāyaṇa dāsa.

The great devotee Govinda, Vāṇī Kṛṣṇadāsa, Puṇḍarīkākṣa, Īśāna and Laghu Haridāsa also accompanied him.

It was with great jubilation that Rūpa Gosvāmī visited Lord Gopāla, accompanied by all these devotees.

After staying at Mathurā for one month, the Gopāla Deity returned to His own place, and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī returned to Vṛndāvana.

In the course of this story, I have given a description of Lord Gopāla’s mercy. After seeing the Gopāla Deity, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Śrī Kāmyavana.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s touring Vṛndāvana has been previously described. In the same ecstatic way, He traveled all over Vṛndāvana.

After visiting the places of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes at Kāmyavana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Nandīśvara. While there, He was overwhelmed with ecstatic love.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bathed in all the celebrated lakes, beginning with Lake Pāvana. Thereafter He climbed a hill and spoke to the people.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, “Are there any deities on top of this hill?”

“There are a father and mother with well-built bodies, and between them is a very beautiful child who is curved in three places.”

Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very happy. After excavating the cave, He saw the three deities.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His respects to Nanda Mahārāja and mother Yaśodā, and with great ecstatic love He touched the body of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Every day the Lord chanted and danced in ecstatic love. Finally He went to Khadiravana.

After seeing the places of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, Śrī Caitanya went to Śeṣaśāyī, where He saw Lakṣmī and recited the following verse.

“ ‘O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our life rests only in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles as You roam about on the forest path.’”

Afterwards, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Khelā-tīrtha and then went to Bhāṇḍīravana. After crossing the Yamunā River, He went to Bhadravana.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then visited Śrīvana and Lohavana. He then went to Mahāvana and saw Gokula, the place of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s early childhood pastimes.

Upon seeing the place where the twin arjuna trees had been broken by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was moved to great ecstatic love.

After seeing Gokula, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Mathurā, where He saw the birthplace of the Lord. While there, He stayed at the house of the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa.

Seeing a great crowd assemble at Mathurā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left and went to Akrūra-tīrtha. He remained there in a solitary place.

The next day, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Vṛndāvana and took His bath at Kālīya Lake and Praskandana.

After seeing the holy place called Praskandana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Dvādaśāditya. From there He went to Keśī-tīrtha, and when He saw the place where the rāsa dance had taken place, He immediately lost consciousness due to ecstatic love.

When the Lord regained His senses, He began to roll on the ground. He would sometimes laugh, cry, dance and fall down. He would also chant very loudly.

Being thus transcendentally amused, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed that day happily at Keśī-tīrtha. In the evening He returned to Akrūra-tīrtha, where He took His meal.

The next morning Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Vṛndāvana and took His bath at Cīra-ghāṭa. He then went to Teṅtulī-talā, where He took rest.

The tamarind tree named Teṅtulī-talā was very old, having been there since the time of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Beneath the tree was a very shiny platform.

Since the river Yamunā flowed near Teṅtulī-talā, a very cool breeze blew there. While there, the Lord saw the beauty of Vṛndāvana and the water of the river Yamunā.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to sit beneath the old tamarind tree and chant the holy name of the Lord. At noon He would return to Akrūra-tīrtha to take lunch.

All the people who lived near Akrūra-tīrtha came to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and due to the large crowds, the Lord could not peacefully chant the holy name.

Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would go to Vṛndāvana and sit in a solitary place, where He would chant the holy name until noon.

In the afternoon, people were able to speak to Him. The Lord told everyone of the importance of chanting the holy name.

During this time, a Vaiṣṇava named Kṛṣṇadāsa came to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was a householder belonging to the kṣatriya caste, and his house was located on the other side of the Yamunā.

After bathing at Keśī-tīrtha, Kṛṣṇadāsa went toward Kālīya-daha and suddenly saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sitting at Āmli-talā [Teṅtulī-talā].

Upon seeing the Lord’s personal beauty and ecstatic love, Kṛṣṇadāsa was very much astonished. Out of ecstatic love, he offered his respectful obeisances unto the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Kṛṣṇadāsa, “Who are you? Where is your home?”

“I belong to the Rājaputa caste, and my home is just on the other side of the river Yamunā. But I wish to be the servant of a Vaiṣṇava.

“Today I have had a dream, and according to that dream I have come here and found You.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then bestowed upon Kṛṣṇadāsa His causeless mercy by embracing him. Kṛṣṇadāsa became mad with ecstatic love and began to dance and to chant the holy name of Hari.

Kṛṣṇadāsa returned to Akrūra-tīrtha with the Lord, and remnants of the Lord’s food were given to him.

The next morning, Kṛṣṇadāsa went with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Vṛndāvana and carried His waterpot. Kṛṣṇadāsa thus left his wife, home and children in order to remain with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Everywhere the Lord went, all the people said, “Kṛṣṇa has again manifested at Vṛndāvana.”

One morning many people came to Akrūra-tīrtha. As they came from Vṛndāvana, they made a tumultuous sound.

Upon seeing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the people offered respects at His lotus feet. The Lord then asked them, “Where are you all coming from?”

The people replied, “Kṛṣṇa has again manifested Himself on the waters of Kālīya Lake. He dances on the hoods of the serpent Kālīya, and the jewels on those hoods are blazing.

“Everyone has seen Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. There is no doubt about it.” Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to laugh. He then said, “Everything is correct.”

For three successive nights people went to Kālīya-daha to see Kṛṣṇa, and everyone returned saying, “Now we have seen Kṛṣṇa Himself.”

Everyone came before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and said, “Now we have directly seen Lord Kṛṣṇa.” Thus by the mercy of the goddess of learning they were made to speak the truth.

When the people saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they actually saw Kṛṣṇa, but because they were following their own imperfect knowledge, they accepted the wrong thing as Kṛṣṇa.

At that time Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya placed a request at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said, “Please give me permission to go see Lord Kṛṣṇa directly.”

When Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya asked to see Kṛṣṇa at Kālīya-daha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu mercifully slapped him, saying, “You are a learned scholar, but you have become a fool, being influenced by the statements of other fools.

“Why would Kṛṣṇa appear in the Age of Kali? Foolish people who are mistaken are simply causing agitation and making a tumult.

“Do not become mad. Simply sit down here, and tomorrow night you will go see Kṛṣṇa.”

The next morning some respectable gentlemen came to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord asked them, “Have you seen Kṛṣṇa?”

These respectable gentlemen replied, “At night in Kālīya Lake a fisherman lights a torch in his boat and catches many fish.

“From a distance, people mistakenly think that they are seeing Kṛṣṇa dancing on the body of the Kālīya serpent.

“These fools think that the boat is the Kālīya serpent and the torchlight the jewels on his hoods. People also mistake the fisherman for Kṛṣṇa.

“Actually Lord Kṛṣṇa has returned to Vṛndāvana. That is the truth, and it is also true that people have seen Him.

“But where they are seeing Kṛṣṇa is their mistake. It is like considering a dry tree to be a person.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then asked them, “Where have you seen Kṛṣṇa directly?”

The people then said, “You have appeared in Vṛndāvana as an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Just by seeing You, everyone is now liberated.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately exclaimed, “Viṣṇu! Viṣṇu! Do not call Me the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A jīva cannot become Kṛṣṇa at any time. Do not even say such a thing!

“A sannyāsī in the renounced order is certainly part and parcel of the complete whole, just as a shining molecular particle of sunshine is part and parcel of the sun itself. Kṛṣṇa is like the sun, full of six opulences, but the living entity is only a fragment of the complete whole.

“A living entity and the Absolute Personality of Godhead are never to be considered equal, just as a fragmental spark can never be considered the original flame.

“ ‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, is always full of transcendental bliss and is accompanied by the potencies known as hlādinī and saṁvit. The conditioned soul, however, is always covered by ignorance and embarrassed by the threefold miseries of life. Thus he is a treasure-house of all kinds of tribulations.’

“A foolish person who says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the same as the living entity is an atheist, and he becomes subject to punishment by the superintendent of death, Yamarāja.

“ ‘A person who considers demigods like Brahmā and Śiva to be on an equal level with Nārāyaṇa is to be considered an offender, or pāṣaṇḍī.’”

After Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the difference between an ordinary living being and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the people said, “No one considers You an ordinary human being. You are like Kṛṣṇa in every respect, in both bodily features and characteristics.

“By Your bodily features we can see that You are none other than the son of Nanda Mahārāja, although the golden luster of Your body has covered Your original complexion.

“As the aroma of deer musk cannot be concealed by wrapping it in a cloth, Your characteristics as the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be concealed by any means.

“Indeed, Your characteristics are uncommon and beyond the imagination of an ordinary living being. Simply by seeing You, the entire universe becomes mad with ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.

“If they see You just once, even women, children, old men, meat-eaters and members of the lowest caste immediately chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, dance like madmen and become spiritual masters capable of delivering the whole world.

“Apart from seeing You, whoever listens to Your holy name is made mad with ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa and is able to deliver the three worlds.

“Simply by hearing Your holy name, dog-eaters become holy saints. Your uncommon potencies cannot be described in words.

“ ‘To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters becomes immediately eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him.’

“These glories of Yours are only marginal. Originally You are the son of Mahārāja Nanda.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then bestowed His causeless mercy upon all the people there, and everyone became ecstatic with love of God. Finally they all returned to their homes.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained for some days in Akrūra-tīrtha. He delivered everyone there simply by distributing the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and ecstatic love for the Lord.

The brāhmaṇa disciple of Mādhavendra Purī went from house to house in Mathurā and inspired other brāhmaṇas to invite Caitanya Mahāprabhu to their homes.

Thus all the respectable people of Mathurā, headed by the brāhmaṇas, came to Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya and extended invitations to the Lord.

In one day, ten to twenty invitations were received, but Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya would accept only one of them.

Since not everyone got an opportunity to offer invitations to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally, those who did not requested the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa to ask the Lord to accept their invitations.

The brāhmaṇas from different places, such as Kānyakubja and South India, who were all strict followers of the Vedic religion, offered invitations to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with great humility.

In the morning they would come to Akrūra-tīrtha and cook food. After offering it to the śālagrāma-śilā, they offered it to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

One day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat at the bathing ghat of Akrūra-tīrtha and thought the following thoughts.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thought, “At this bathing place, Akrūra saw Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world, and all the inhabitants of Vraja saw Goloka Vṛndāvana.”

While considering how Akrūra remained within the water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately jumped in and stayed under water for some time.

When Kṛṣṇadāsa saw that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was drowning, he cried and shouted very loudly. Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya immediately came and pulled the Lord out.

After this, Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya took the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa to a secluded place and consulted with him.

Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Since I was present today, it was possible for me to pull the Lord up. But if He starts to drown at Vṛndāvana, who will help Him?

“Now there is a crowd of people here, and these invitations are causing much disturbance. In addition, the Lord is always ecstatic and emotional. I do not find the situation here very good.

“It would be good if we could get Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu out of Vṛndāvana. That is my final conclusion.”

The Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa said, “Let us take Him to Prayāga and go along the banks of the Ganges. It will be very pleasurable to go that way.

“After going to the holy place named Soro-kṣetra and bathing in the Ganges, let us take Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that way and go.

“It is now the beginning of the month of Māgha. If we go to Prayāga at this time, we shall have an opportunity to bathe for a few days during Makara-saṅkrānti.”

The Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa continued, “Kindly submit to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu the unhappiness you are feeling within yourself. Then propose that we all go to Prayāga on the full-moon day of the month of Māgha.

“Tell the Lord of the happiness you will feel in traveling via the banks of the Ganges.” Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya therefore submitted this prayer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya told the Lord, “I can no longer tolerate the disturbance of the crowd. People are coming one after another to offer invitations.

“Early in the morning people come here, and not seeing You present, they simply tax my brain.

“I will be very happy if we all leave and take the path by the banks of the Ganges. Then we can have the opportunity of bathing in the Ganges at Prayāga during Makara-saṅkrānti.

“My mind has become very much agitated, and I cannot bear this anxiety. Now everything rests on the permission of Your Lordship. I will accept whatever You want to do.”

Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had no desire to leave Vṛndāvana, He began to speak sweet words just to fulfill the desire of His devotee.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “You have brought Me here to show Me Vṛndāvana. I am very much indebted to you, and I shall not be able to repay this debt.

“Whatever you desire, I must do. Wherever you take Me, I shall go.”

The next morning, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got up early. After taking His bath, He became ecstatic with love, knowing that He now had to leave Vṛndāvana.

Although the Lord did not exhibit any external symptoms, His mind was filled with ecstatic love. At that time, Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya said, “Let us go to Mahāvana [Gokula].”

Saying this, Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya made Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sit aboard a boat. After they crossed the river, he took the Lord with him.

Both Rājaputa Kṛṣṇadāsa and the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa knew the path along the Ganges bank very well.

While walking, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, understanding that the others were fatigued, took them all beneath a tree and sat down.

There were many cows grazing near that tree, and the Lord was very pleased to see them.

Suddenly a cowherd boy blew on his flute, and immediately the Lord was struck with ecstatic love.

Filled with ecstatic love, the Lord fell to the ground unconscious. He foamed about the mouth, and His breathing stopped.

While the Lord was unconscious, ten cavalry soldiers belonging to the Muslim Pāṭhāna military order rode up and dismounted.

Seeing the Lord unconscious, the soldiers thought, “This sannyāsī must have possessed a large quantity of gold.

“These four rogues here must have taken away that sannyāsī’s riches after killing Him by making Him take the poison dhuturā.”

Thinking this, the Pāṭhāna soldiers arrested the four persons and decided to kill them. Because of this, the two Bengalis began to tremble.

The devotee Kṛṣṇadāsa, who belonged to the Rājaputa race, was very fearless. The Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa was also fearless, and he spoke very bravely.

The brāhmaṇa said, “You Pāṭhāna soldiers are all under the protection of your king. Let us go to your commander and get his decision.

“This sannyāsī is my spiritual master, and I am from Mathurā. I am a brāhmaṇa, and I know many people who are in the service of the Muslim king.

“This sannyāsī sometimes falls unconscious due to the influence of a disease. Please sit down here, and you will see that He will very soon regain consciousness and His normal condition.

“Sit down here for a while and keep us all under arrest. When the sannyāsī regains his senses, you can question Him. Then, if you like, you can kill us all.”

The Pāṭhāna soldiers said, “You are all rogues. One of you belongs to the western lands, one to the district of Mathurā, and the other two, who are trembling, belong to Bengal.”

Rājaputa Kṛṣṇadāsa said, “I have my home here, and I also have about two hundred Turkish soldiers and about one hundred cannons.

“If I call loudly, they will come immediately to kill you and plunder your horses and saddles.

“The Bengali pilgrims are not rogues. You are rogues, for you want to kill the pilgrims and plunder them.”

Upon hearing this challenge, the Pāṭhāna soldiers became hesitant. Then suddenly Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu regained consciousness.

Coming to His senses, the Lord very loudly began chanting the holy name, “Hari! Hari!” The Lord raised His arms upward and began to dance in ecstatic love.

When the Lord shouted very loudly in ecstatic love, it appeared to the Muslim soldiers that their hearts were struck by thunderbolts.

Seized by fear, all the Pāṭhāna soldiers immediately released the four persons. Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not see His personal associates arrested.

At that time, Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and made Him sit down. Seeing the Muslim soldiers, the Lord regained His normal senses.

All the Muslim soldiers then came before the Lord, worshiped His lotus feet and said, “Here are four rogues.

“These rogues have made You take dhuturā. Having made You mad, they have taken all Your possessions.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “These are not rogues. They are My associates. Being a sannyāsī beggar, I do not possess anything.

“Due to epilepsy, I sometimes fall unconscious. Out of their mercy, these four men maintain Me.”

Among the Muslims was a grave person who was wearing a black dress. People called him a saintly person.

The heart of that saintly person softened upon seeing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wanted to talk to Him and establish impersonal Brahman on the basis of his own scripture, the Koran.

When that person tried to establish the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth on the basis of the Koran, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu refuted his argument.

Whatever arguments he put forward, the Lord refuted them all. Finally the person became stunned and could not speak.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “The Koran certainly establishes impersonalism, but at the end it refutes that impersonalism and establishes the personal God.

“The Koran accepts the fact that ultimately there is only one God. He is full of opulence, and His bodily complexion is blackish.

“According to the Koran, the Lord has a supreme, blissful, transcendental body. He is the Absolute Truth, the all-pervading, omniscient and eternal being. He is the origin of everything.

“Creation, maintenance and dissolution come from Him. He is the original shelter of all gross and subtle cosmic manifestations.

“The Lord is the Supreme Truth, worshipable by everyone. He is the cause of all causes. By engaging in His devotional service, the living entity is relieved from material existence.

“No conditioned soul can get out of material bondage without serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Love at His lotus feet is the ultimate goal of life.

“The happiness of liberation, whereby one merges into the Lord’s existence, cannot even be compared to a fragment of the transcendental bliss obtained by service unto the Lord’s lotus feet.

“In the Koran there are descriptions of fruitive activity, speculative knowledge, mystic power and union with the Supreme, but ultimately all this is refuted and the Lord’s personal feature established, along with His devotional service.

“The scholars of the Koran are not very advanced in knowledge. Although there are many methods prescribed, they do not know that the ultimate conclusion should be considered the most powerful.

“Seeing your own Koran and deliberating over what is written there, what is your conclusion?”

The saintly Muslim replied, “All that You have said is true. This has certainly been written in the Koran, but our scholars can neither understand nor accept it.

“Usually they describe the Lord’s impersonal aspect, but they hardly know that the Lord’s personal feature is worshipable. They are undoubtedly lacking this knowledge.

“Since You are that very same Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, please be merciful upon me. I am fallen and unfit.

“I have studied the Muslim scripture very extensively, but from it I cannot conclusively decide what the ultimate goal of life is or how I can approach it.

“Now that I have seen You, my tongue is chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. The false prestige I felt from being a learned scholar is now gone.”

Saying this, the saintly Muslim fell at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and requested Him to speak of life’s ultimate goal and the process by which it could be obtained.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Please get up. You have chanted the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; therefore the sinful reactions you have accrued for many millions of lives are now gone. You are now pure.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then told all the Muslims there, “Chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa! Chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa!” As they all began to chant, they were overwhelmed by ecstatic love.

In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly initiated the saintly Muslim by advising him to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. The Muslim’s name was changed to Rāmadāsa. Another Pāṭhāna Muslim present there was named Vijulī Khān.

Vijulī Khān was very young, and he was the son of the king. All the other Muslims, or Pāṭhānas, headed by Rāmadāsa, were his servants.

Vijulī Khān also fell down at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord placed His foot on his head.

After bestowing His mercy upon them in this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left. All those Pāṭhāna Muslims then became mendicants.

Later these very Pāṭhānas became celebrated as the Pāṭhāna Vaiṣṇavas. They toured all over the country and chanted the glorious activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Vijulī Khān became a greatly advanced devotee, and his importance was celebrated at every holy place of pilgrimage.

In this way Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed His pastimes. Coming to the western part of India, He bestowed good fortune upon the yavanas and mlecchas.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu next went to a holy place of pilgrimage called Soro-kṣetra. He took His bath in the Ganges there and started for Prayāga on the path along the banks of the Ganges.

At Soro-kṣetra, the Lord requested the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa and Rājaputa Kṛṣṇadāsa to return home, but with folded hands they began to speak as follows.

They prayed, “Let us go to Prayāga with You. If we do not go, when shall we again get the association of Your lotus feet?

“This country is mainly occupied by Muslims. At any place someone can create a disturbance, and although Your companion Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya is a learned scholar, he does not know how to speak the local language.”

Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted their proposal by smiling mildly. Thus those two persons continued to accompany Him.

Whoever got to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would feel himself overwhelmed with ecstatic love and would begin to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Whoever met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became a Vaiṣṇava, and whoever met that Vaiṣṇava also became a Vaiṣṇava. In this way, all the towns and villages became Vaiṣṇava, one after the other.

Just as the Lord inundated South India on His tour there, He also inundated the western part of the country with love of Godhead.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu finally arrived at Prayāga and for ten successive days bathed in the confluence of the rivers Yamunā and Ganges during the festival of Makara-saṅkrānti [Māgha-melā].

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s visit to Vṛndāvana and His activities there are unlimited. Even Lord Śeṣa, who has thousands of hoods, cannot reach the end of His activities.

What ordinary living being can describe the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? I have only indicated the general direction in the form of a summary.

The pastimes and methods of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are uncommon. Unfortunate is he who cannot believe even after hearing all these things.

From beginning to end the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are uncommon. Just hear them with faith and accept them as true and correct.

Whoever argues about this is a great fool. He intentionally and personally brings a thunderbolt down upon his head.

The pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are an ocean of nectar. Even a drop of this ocean can inundate the whole world with transcendental bliss.

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.