Even a person with no knowledge can immediately acquire all knowledge simply by the benediction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore I am praying to the Lord for His causeless mercy upon me. (1) I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all. (2) Glory to the all- merciful Rādhā and Madana- mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me. (3)
In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā- Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them. (4) May Gopīnāthajī, who attracts all the gopīs with the song of His flute and who has begun the most melodious rāsa dace on the bank of the Yamunā in Vaṁśīvaṭa, be merciful upon us. (5) All glories unto Śrī Gaurahari, who is an ocean of mercy! All glories unto You, the son of Śacīdevī, for You are the only friend of all fallen souls! (6) All glories unto Lord Nityānanda and Advaita Prabhu, and all glories unto all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura! (7) I have previously described in synopsis the ādi-līlā [initial pastimes], which have already been fully described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. (8)
I have therefore given only a synopsis of those incidents, and whatever specifics were to be related have already been given in that synopsis. (9) To describe the unlimited pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not possible, but I now wish to relate the chief incidents and give a synopsis of those pastimes occurring at the end. (10) I shall describe only in synopsis that portion which Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has described very elaborately in his book Caitanya- maṅgala. Whatever incidents are outstanding, however, I shall later elaborate. (11-12) Actually the authorized compiler of the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa, the incarnation of Vyāsadeva. Only upon his orders am I trying to chew the remnants of food that he has left. (13) Placing his lotus feet upon my head in great devotion, I shall now describe in summary the Lord’s final pastimes. (14) For twenty- four years, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at home, and whatever pastimes He performed during that time are called the ādi-līlā. (15)
At the end of His twenty- fourth year, in the month of Māgha, during the fortnight of the waxing moon, the Lord accepted the renounced order of life, sannyāsa. (16) After accepting sannyāsa, Lord Caitanya remained within this material world for another twenty- four years. Within this period, whatever pastimes He enacted are called the śeṣa- līlā, or pastimes occurring at the end. (17) The final pastimes of the Lord, occurring in His last twenty- four refer years, are called Madhya-līlā [middle] and Antya-līlā [final]. All the devotees of the Lord refer to His pastimes according to these divisions. (18) For six years of the last twenty- four, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu traveled all over India, from Jagannātha Purī to Bengal and from Cape Comorin to Vṛndāvana. (19) All the pastimes performed by the Lord in those places are known as the Madhya līlā- līlā, and whatever pastimes were performed after that are called the Antya līlā- līlā. (20)
The pastimes of the Lord are therefore divided into three periods— the ādi-līlā, Madhya-līlā and Antya-līlā. Now I shall very elaborately describe the Madhya-līlā. (21) For eighteen continuous years, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at Jagannātha Purī and, through His personal behavior, instructed all living entities in the mode of devotional service. (22) Of these eighteen years at Jagannātha Purī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spent six years with His many devotees. By chanting and dancing, He introduced the loving service of the Lord.(23) Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent Nityānanda Prabhu from Jagannātha Purī to Bengal, which is known as Gauḍa- deśa, and Lord Nityānanda Prabhu overflooded that country with the transcendental loving service of the Lord. (24)
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is by nature very much inspired in rendering transcendental loving service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Now, being ordered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He distributed this loving service anywhere and everywhere. (25) I offer innumerable obeisances unto the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, who is so kind that He spread the service of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu all over the world. (26) Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to address Nityānanda Prabhu as His elder brother, whereas Nityānanda Prabhu addressed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as His Lord. (27) Although Nityānanda Prabhu is none other than Balarāma Himself, He nonetheless always thinks of Himself as the eternal servant of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (28) Nityānanda Prabhu requested everyone to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chant His glories and utter His name. Nityānanda Prabhu claimed that person to be His life and soul who rendered devotional service unto Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.(29) In this way, Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu introduced the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to everyone without discrimination. Even though the people were fallen souls and blasphemers, they were delivered by this process. (30)
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then sent the two brothers Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī to Vraja. By His order, they went to Śrī Vṛndāvana- dhāma.(31) After going to Vṛndāvana, the brothers preached devotional service and discovered many places of pilgrimage. They specifically initiated the service of Madana- mohana and Govindajī. (32) Both Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī brought various scriptures to Vṛndāvana and collected the essence of these by compiling many scriptures on devotional service. In this way they delivered all rascals and fallen souls. (33) The Gosvāmīs carried out the preaching work of devotional service on the basis of an analytical study of all confidential Vedic literatures. This was in compliance with the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus one can understand the most confidential devotional service of Vṛndāvana. (34) Some of the books compiled by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī were the Hari- bhakti- vilāsa, Bṛhad- bhāgavatāmṛta, Daśama- ṭippanī and Daśama- carita. (35)
We have already given the names of four books compiled by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Similarly, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has also compiled many books, which no one can even count. (36) I shall therefore enumerate the chief books compiled by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. He has described the pastimes of Vṛndāvana in 100,000 verses. (37) The books compiled by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī include the Bhakti- rasāmṛta- sindhu, Vidagdha- mādhava, Ujjvala- nīlamaṇi and Lalita- mādhava. (38) Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also compiled the Dāna- keli- kaumudī, Stavāvalī, Līlā- cchanda, Padyāvalī, Govinda- virudāvalī, Mathurā- māhātmya and Nāṭaka- varṇana. (39-40)
Who can count the rest of the books (headed by the Laghu- bhāgavatāmṛta) written by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī? He has described the pastimes of Vṛndāvana in all of them. (41) Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s nephew, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, has compiled so many books on devotional service that there is no counting them. (42) In Śrī Bhāgavata- sandarbha, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has written conclusively about the ultimate end of devotional service. (43) The most famous and formidable transcendental literature is the book named Gopāla- campū. In this book the eternal pastimes of the Lord are established, and the transcendental mellows enjoyed in Vṛndāvana are completely described. (44) Thus Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and their nephew Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, as well as practically all of their family members, lived in Vṛndāvana and published important books on devotional service. (45)
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