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) All glories to Gauracandra! All glories to Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! (2) All glories to the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura! I beg their power so that I can properly describe Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (3) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned from His South Indian tour, Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the King of Orissa, became very anxious to meet Him. (4)
The King sent a letter from his capital, Kaṭaka, to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, entreating him to obtain the Lord’s permission so that he could go and see Him. (5) Replying to the King’s letter, the Bhaṭṭācārya wrote that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had not given His permission. After this, the King wrote him another letter. (6) In this letter the King requested Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, “Please appeal to all the devotees associated with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and submit this petition to them on my behalf. (7) “If all the devotees associated with the Lord are favorably disposed toward me, they can submit my petition at the lotus feet of the Lord. (8) “By the mercy of all the devotees, one can attain the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Without His mercy, my kingdom does not appeal to me. (9) “If Gaurahari, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, will not show mercy to me, I shall give up my kingdom, become a mendicant and beg from door to door.” (10)
When the Bhaṭṭācārya received this letter, he became very anxious. He then took the letter and went to the devotees of the Lord. (11) Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya met with all the devotees and described the King’s wishes. Then he presented the letter to all of them for inspection. (12) Upon reading the letter, everyone was astonished to see that King Pratāparudra had so much devotion for the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (13) The devotees gave their opinion and said, “The Lord will never meet the King, and if we requested Him to do so, the Lord would surely feel very unhappy.” (14) Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then said, “We shall go once again to the Lord, but we shall not request Him to meet the King. Rather, we shall simply describe the good behavior of the King.” (15) Having thus reached a decision, they all went to the place of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There, although ready to speak, they could not even utter a word. (16)
After they arrived at Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s place, the Lord, seeing them, said, “What have you all come here to say? I see that you want to say something, but you do not speak. What is the reason?” (17) Nityānanda Prabhu then said, “We want to tell You something. Although we cannot stay without speaking, we are still very much afraid to speak. (18) “We want to submit before You something that may or may not be befitting. The matter is this: unless he sees You, the King of Orissa will become a mendicant.” (19) Nityānanda Prabhu continued, “The King has decided to become a mendicant and accept the sign of a mendicant by wearing an ivory earring. He does not want to enjoy his kingdom without seeing the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” (20)
Nityānanda Prabhu continued, “The King also expressed his desire to see the moonlike face of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his eyes’ full satisfaction. He would like to raise the lotus feet of the Lord to his heart.” (21) Hearing all these statements, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mind was certainly softened, but externally He wished to speak some harsh words. (22) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I can understand that you all desire to take Me to Kaṭaka to see the King.” (23) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “What to speak of spiritual advancement— all the people will blaspheme Me. And what to speak of all the people—Dāmodara would chastise Me. (24) “I shall not meet the King at the request of all the devotees, but I shall do so if Dāmodara will give his permission.” (25) Dāmodara immediately replied, “My Lord, You are the fully independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since everything is known to You, You know what is permissible and what is not permissible. (26) “I am merely an insignificant jīva, so what power do I have to give directions to You? By Your own personal choice You will meet with the King. I shall see it. (27) “The King is very much attached to You, and You are feeling affection and love toward him. Thus I can understand that by virtue of the King’s affection for You, You will touch him. (28)
“Although You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are completely independent, still You are dependent on the love and affection of Your devotees. That is Your nature.” (29) Nityānanda Prabhu then said, “Who is there in the three worlds who can ask You to see the King? (30) “Still, isn’t it the nature of an attached man to give up his life if he does not attain his desired object? (31) “For instance, some of the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifices gave up their lives in the presence of their husbands for the sake of Kṛṣṇa.” (32) Nityānanda Prabhu then submitted one suggestion for the Lord’s consideration. “There is a way,” He suggested, “by which You need not meet the King but which would enable the King to continue living. (33) “If You, out of Your mercy, send one of Your outer garments to the King, the King would live hoping to see You some time in the future.” (34)
The Lord said, “Since you are all very learned personalities, whatever you decide I shall accept.” (35) Lord Nityānanda Prabhu then obtained an external garment used by the Lord by requesting it from Govinda. (36) Thus Nityānanda Prabhu delivered the old cloth into the care of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya sent it to the King. (37) When the King received the old cloth, he began to worship it exactly as he would worship the Lord personally. (38) After returning from his service in South India, Rāmānanda Rāya requested the King to allow him to remain with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (39) When Rāmānanda Rāya requested the King to allow him to stay with the Lord, the King immediately gave him permission with great satisfaction. As for the King himself, he began to solicit Rāmānanda Rāya to make a meeting arrangement. Rāmānanda (40)
The Rāya, “Śrī King told Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very, very merciful to you. Therefore please solicit my meeting with Him without fail.” (41) The King and Rāmānanda Rāya returned together to Jagannātha- kṣetra [Purī], and Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (42) At that time, Rāmānanda Rāya informed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu about the ecstatic love of the King. Indeed, as soon as there was some opportunity, he repeatedly informed the Lord about the King. (43) Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was indeed a diplomatic minister for the King. His general behavior was very expert, and simply by describing the King’s love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he gradually softened the Lord’s mind. (44) Mahārāja Pratāparudra, in great anxiety, could not endure not seeing the Lord; therefore Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, by his diplomacy, arranged a meeting with the Lord for the King. (45) Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya frankly requested Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Please show Your lotus feet to the King at least once.” (46) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “My dear Rāmānanda, you should make this request after duly considering whether it is befitting for a sannyāsī to meet a king. (47)
“If a mendicant meets a king, this world and the next world are both destroyed for the mendicant. Indeed, what is there to say of the next world? In this world, people will joke if a sannyāsī meets a king.” (48) Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “My Lord, You are the supreme independent personality. You have nothing to fear from anyone because You are not dependent on anyone.” (49) When Rāmānanda Rāya addressed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu objected, saying, “I am not the Supreme Personality of Godhead but an ordinary human being. Therefore I must fear public opinion in three ways—with My body, mind and words. (50) “As soon as the general public finds a little fault in the behavior of a sannyāsī, they advertise it like wildfire. A black spot of ink cannot be hidden on a white cloth. It is always very prominent.” (51)
Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “My dear Lord, You have delivered so many sinful people. This King Pratāparudra, the King of Orissa, is actually a servitor of the Lord and Your devotee.” (52) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “There may be much milk in a big pot, but if it is contaminated by a drop of liquor, it is untouchable. (53) “The King certainly possesses all good qualities, but simply by taking up the name ‘king,’ he has infected everything. (54) “But if you are still very eager for the King to meet with Me, please first bring his son to meet Me. (55) “It is indicated in the revealed scriptures that the son represents the father; therefore the son’s meeting with Me would be just as good as the King’s meeting with Me.” (56) Rāmānanda Rāya then went to inform the King about his talks with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and, following the Lord’s orders, brought the King’s son to see Him. (57)
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