Among the devotees present with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were Paramānanda Purī, Brahmānanda Bhāratī, Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu. (156) Ācāryaratna, Ācāryanidhi, Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Śaṅkara, Nandanācārya, Rāghava Paṇḍita and Vakreśvara were also present. (157) Receiving the permission of the Lord, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya sat down. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all His devotees sat on raised wooden seats. (158) In this way all the devotees sat down to take their lunch in consecutive lines, one beside the other. (159) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was repeatedly calling, “Haridāsa, Haridāsa,” and at that time Haridāsa, standing at a distance, spoke as follows. (160) Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “Let Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu take His lunch with the devotees. Since I am abominable, I cannot sit down among you. (161) “Govinda will give me prasādam later, outside the door.” Understanding his mind, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not call him again. (162) Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Jagadānanda, Dāmodara Paṇḍita, Kāśīśvara, Gopīnātha, Vāṇīnātha and Śaṅkara distributed prasādam, and the devotees chanted the holy names at intervals. (163-164)
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa had previously taken His lunch in the forest, and that very pastime was remembered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (165) Just by remembering the pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was agitated by ecstatic love. But considering the time and circumstance, He remained somewhat patient. (166) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “You can give Me the ordinary vegetable known as lāphrā- vyañjana, and you may deliver to all the devotees better preparations like cakes, sweet rice and amṛta- guṭikā.” (167) Since Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is omniscient, He knew what types of preparations each person liked. He therefore had Svarūpa Dāmodara deliver these preparations to each devotee to his full satisfaction. (168) Jagadānanda went to distribute prasādam, and suddenly he placed all the first- class preparations on the plate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (169)
When such nice prasādam was put on the plate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord was outwardly very angry. Nonetheless, when the preparations were placed on His plate sometimes by tricks and sometimes by force, the Lord was satisfied. (170) When the food was thus delivered, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu looked at it for some time. Being afraid of Jagadānanda, He finally ate something. (171) The Lord knew that if He did not eat the food offered by Jagadānanda, Jagadānanda would certainly fast. Being afraid of this, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate some of the prasādam he offered. (172) Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī then brought some excellent sweetmeats and, standing before the Lord, offered them to Him. (173) Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī then said, “Just take a little of this mahā- prasādam, and see how it is that Lord Jagannātha has accepted it.” (174) Upon saying this, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī placed some food before the Lord, and the Lord, out of affection, ate it. (175) Svarūpa Dāmodara and Jagadānanda again and again offered the Lord some food. Thus they behaved affectionately with the Lord. This was very, very uncommon. (176)
The Lord made Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya sit on His left side, and when Sārvabhauma saw the behavior of Svarūpa Dāmodara and Jagadānanda, he smiled. (177) Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also wanted to offer Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya first- class food; therefore, out of affection, He had the servers put first- class food on his plate again and again. (178) Gopīnātha Ācārya also brought first- class food and offered it to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya while speaking sweet words. (179) After serving the Bhaṭṭācārya with first- class prasādam, Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “Just consider what the Bhaṭṭācārya’s previous mundane behavior was! Just consider how at present he is enjoying transcendental bliss!” (180) Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied to Gopīnātha Ācārya, “I was simply a less intelligent logician. But by your grace I have received this opulence of perfection. (181) “But for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,” Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “who is so merciful? He has converted a crow into a Garuḍa. Who could be so merciful? (182)
“In the association of the jackals known as logicians, I simply continued to bark a resounding ‘bheu bheu.’ Now, from the same mouth I am chanting the holy names ‘Kṛṣṇa’ and ‘Hari.’ (183) “Whereas I once associated with the disciples of logic, all nondevotees, I am now merged in the waves of the nectarean ocean of the association of devotees.” (184) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, “From your previous birth you have been in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus you love Kṛṣṇa so much that simply by your association we are all developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” (185) Thus there is no one within these three worlds—save for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—who is always so willing to increase the glories of the devotees and give them satisfaction. (186) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then took all the remnants of food offered to Jagannātha, such as cakes and sweet rice, and distributed them to all the other devotees, calling them individually. (187)
Śrī Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu sat side by side, and when prasādam was being distributed They engaged in a type of mock fighting. (188) First Advaita Ācārya said, “I am sitting in line with an unknown mendicant, and because I am eating with Him, I do not know what kind of destination is awaiting Me. (189) “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is in the renounced order of life. Consequently He does not recognize discrepancies. As a matter of fact, a sannyāsī is not affected by eating food from anywhere and everywhere. (190) “According to the śāstras, there is no discrepancy in a sannyāsī’s eating at another’s house. But for a householder brāhmaṇa, this kind of eating is faulty. (191) “It is not proper for householders to dine with those whose previous birth, family, character and behavior are unknown.” (192) Nityānanda Prabhu immediately refuted Śrīla Advaita Ācārya, saying, “You are a teacher of impersonal monism, and the monistic conclusion is a great hindrance to progressive, pure devotional service. (193)
“One who participates in Your impersonal monistic philosophy does not accept anything but the one Brahman.” (194) Nityānanda Prabhu continued, “You are such a monist! And now I am eating beside You. I do not know how My mind will be affected in this way.” (195) Thus They both went on talking and praising one another, although Their praise appeared negative, for it appeared as if They exchanged ill names. (196) Thereafter, calling all the Vaiṣṇavas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed mahā- prasādam as if sprinkling nectar. At that time the mock fight between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu became more and more delicious. (197) After taking their lunch, all the Vaiṣṇavas stood up and chanted the holy name of Hari, and the resounding noise filled all the upper and lower planetary systems. (198) After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered flower garlands and sandalwood pulp to all His devoted personal associates. (199)
The seven persons headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara who were engaged in distributing prasādam to others then took their meals within the room. (200) Govinda saved some remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and kept them carefully. Later, one portion of these remnants was delivered to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. (201) The remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were later distributed among devotees who begged for them, and finally Govinda personally took the last remnants. (202) The fully independent Supreme Personality of Godhead performs various types of pastimes. The pastime of washing and cleansing the Guṇḍicā temple is but one of them. (203)
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