The Lord addressed Śrīvāsa and his brothers with great love and affection, saying, “I am so obliged that I am purchased by you four brothers.” (144) Śrīvāsa then replied to the Lord, “Why are You speaking in a contradictory way? Rather, we four brothers have been purchased by Your mercy.” (145) After seeing Śaṅkara, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Dāmodara, “My affection for you is on the platform of awe and reverence. (146) “Therefore keep your younger brother Śaṅkara with you because he is connected to Me by pure unalloyed love.” (147) Dāmodara Paṇḍita replied, “Śaṅkara is my younger brother, but from today he becomes my elder brother because of Your special mercy upon him.” (148) Then turning toward Śivānanda Sena, the Lord said, “I know that from the very beginning your affection for Me has been very great.” (149) Immediately upon hearing this, Śivānanda Sena became absorbed in ecstatic love and fell down on the ground, offering obeisances to the Lord. He then began to recite the following verse. (150)
“‘O my Lord! O unlimited one! Although I was merged in the ocean of nescience, I have now, after a long time, attained You, just as one may attain the seashore. My dear Lord, by getting me, You have obtained the right person upon whom to bestow Your causeless mercy.’” (151) Murāri Gupta at first did not meet the Lord but rather remained outside the door, falling down like a stick to offer obeisances. (152) When Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu could not see Murāri amongst the devotees, He inquired about him. Thereupon many people immediately went to Murāri, running to take him to the Lord. (153) Thus Murāri Gupta, catching two bunches of straw in his teeth, went before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with humility and meekness. (154) Upon seeing Murāri come to meet Him, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went up to him, but Murāri began to run away and speak as follows. (155)
“My Lord, please do not touch me. I am most abominable and am not fit for You to touch because my body is sinful.” (156) The Lord said, “My dear Murāri, please restrain your unnecessary humility. My mind is disturbed to see your meekness.” (157) Saying this, the Lord embraced Murāri and had him sit down by His side. The Lord then began to cleanse his body with His own hands. (158) Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then again and again embraced all the devotees, including Ācāryaratna, Vidyānidhi, Paṇḍita Gadādhara, Gaṅgādāsa, Hari Bhaṭṭa and Ācārya Purandara. The Lord described their good qualities and glorified them again and again. (159-160) After thus offering respect to each and every devotee, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very jubilant. However, not seeing Haridāsa Ṭhākura, He inquired, “Where is Haridāsa?” (161) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then saw in the distance that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was lying down flat on the road offering obeisances. (162)
Haridāsa Ṭhākura did not come to the Lord’s meeting place but remained fallen flat on the common road at a distance. (163) All the devotees then went to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, saying, “The Lord wants to meet you. Please come immediately.” (164) Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, “I cannot go near the temple because I am a low- caste, abominable person. I have no authority to go there.” (165) Haridāsa Ṭhākura then expressed his desire: “If I could just get a solitary place near the temple, I could stay there alone and pass my time. (166) “I do not wish the servants of Lord Jagannātha to touch me. I would remain there in the garden alone. That is my desire.” (167) When this message was relayed to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by the people, the Lord became very happy to hear it. (168) At this time, Kāśī Miśra, along with the superintendent of the temple, came and offered his respects unto the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (169)
Upon seeing all the Vaiṣṇavas together, Kāśī Miśra and the superintendent became very happy. With great happiness they met with the devotees in a befitting manner. (170) Both submitted to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Please give us orders so that we may make proper arrangements to accommodate all the Vaiṣṇavas. (171) “Accommodations have been arranged for all the Vaiṣṇavas. Now let us distribute mahā- prasādam to all of them.” (172) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately told Gopīnātha Ācārya, “Please go with the Vaiṣṇavas and accommodate them in whatever residences Kāśī Miśra and the temple superintendent offer.” (173) Then the Lord told Kāśī Miśra and the temple superintendent, “As for the remnants of food left by Jagannātha, let them be delivered to Vāṇīnātha Rāya’s charge, for he can take care of all the Vaiṣṇavas and distribute mahā- prasādam to them.” (174) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “Nearby My place, in this garden of flowers, is a single room that is very solitary. (175)
“Please give that room to Me, for I have a need for it. Indeed, I shall remember the lotus feet of the Lord sitting in that solitary place.” (176) Kāśī Miśra then told Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: “Everything belongs to You. What is the use of Your begging? By Your own will You can take whatever You like. (177) “My Lord, we are Your two servants and are here just to carry out Your orders. By Your mercy, please tell us to do whatever You want.” (178) Saying this, Kāśī Miśra and the temple inspector took their leave, and Gopīnātha and Vāṇīnātha went with them. (179) Gopīnātha was then shown all the residential places, and Vāṇīnātha was given large quantities of food [mahā- prasādam] left by Lord Jagannātha. (180) Thus Vāṇīnātha Rāya returned with large quantities of Lord Jagannātha’s food remnants, including cakes and other good eatables. Gopīnātha Ācārya also returned after cleansing all the residential quarters. (181)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then addressed all the Vaiṣṇavas and requested that they listen to Him. He said, “Now you can go to your respective residential quarters. (182) “Go to the sea and bathe and look at the top of the temple. After so doing, please come back here and take your lunch.” (183) After offering obeisances to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the devotees departed for their residences, and Gopīnātha Ācārya showed them their respective quarters. (184) After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to meet Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and He saw him engaged in chanting the mahā- mantra with ecstatic love. Haridāsa chanted, “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.” (185) As soon as Haridāsa Ṭhākura saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he immediately fell down like a stick to offer Him obeisances, and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu raised him up and embraced him. (186)
Then both the Lord and His servant began to cry in ecstatic love. Indeed, the Lord was transformed by the qualities of His servant, and the servant was transformed by the qualities of his master. (187) Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “My dear Lord, please do not touch me, for I am most fallen and untouchable and am the lowest among men.” (188) The Lord said, “I wish to touch you just to be purified, for your purified activities do not exist in Me.” (189) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exalted Haridāsa Ṭhākura, stating, “At every moment you take your bath in all the holy places of pilgrimage, and at every moment you perform great sacrifices, austerity and charity. (190) “You are constantly studying the four Vedas, and you are far better than any brāhmaṇa or sannyāsī.” (191)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then recited the following verse: “‘My dear Lord, one who always keeps Your holy name on his tongue becomes greater than an initiated brāhmaṇa. Although he may be born in a family of dog- eaters and therefore by material calculation may be the lowest among men, he is still glorious. This is the wonderful effect of chanting the holy name of the Lord. It is therefore concluded that one who chants the holy name of the Lord should be understood to have performed all kinds of austerities and great sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas. He has already taken his bath in all the holy places of pilgrimage. He has studied all the Vedas, and he is actually an Āryan.’” (192) Saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took Haridāsa Ṭhākura within the flower garden, and there, in a very secluded place, He showed him his residence. (193) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested Haridāsa Ṭhākura, “Remain here and chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā- mantra. I shall personally come here to meet you daily. (194) “Remain here peacefully and look at the cakra on the top of the temple and offer obeisances. As far as your prasādam is concerned, I shall arrange to have that sent here.” (195)
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