The next day marked the performance of the festival of Netrotsava. This great festival was the life and soul of the devotees. (204) Everyone was unhappy for a fortnight because they could not see the Deity of Lord Jagannātha. Upon seeing the Lord at the festival, the devotees were very happy. (205) On this occasion, greatly happy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took all the devotees with Him and visited the Lord in the temple. (206) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to visit the temple, Kāśīśvara walked in front, checking the crowds of people, and Govinda walked in the rear, bringing the sannyāsī’s pitcher filled with water. (207) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went toward the temple, Paramānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī walked in front of Him, and at His two sides walked Svarūpa Dāmodara and Advaita Ācārya. (208) With great eagerness all the other devotees followed them into the temple of Lord Jagannātha. (209)
Out of great eagerness to see the Lord, they all neglected the regulative principles and, just to see the Lord’s face, went to the place where the food was offered. (210) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very thirsty to see the Lord, and His eyes became like two bumblebees drinking the honey from the lotuslike eyes of Lord Jagannātha, who is Kṛṣṇa Himself. (211) The eyes of Lord Jagannātha conquered the beauty of blossoming lotus flowers, and His neck was as lustrous as a mirror made of sapphires. (212) The chin of the Lord, tinged with buff color, conquered the beauty of the bāndhulī flower. This increased the beauty of His mild smiling, which was like lustrous waves of nectar. (213)
The luster of His beautiful face increased at every moment, and the eyes of hundreds and thousands of devotees drank its honey like bumblebees. (214) As their eyes began to drink the nectarean honey of His lotus face, their thirst increased. Thus their eyes did not leave Him. (215) Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees enjoyed transcendental bliss upon seeing the face of Jagannātha. This continued to midday. (216) As usual, there were transcendental blissful symptoms in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s body. He perspired and trembled, and a constant flow of tears fell from His eyes. But the Lord checked these tears so they would not disturb His seeing the face of the Lord. (217) Their looking at the face of Lord Jagannātha was interrupted only when He was offered food. Afterwards they would again look upon His face. When the food was being offered to the Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed His kīrtana. (218)
Feeling such great pleasure upon seeing the face of Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu forgot everything. The devotees, however, took Him to His lunch at noontime. (219) Knowing that the car festival would take place in the morning, all the servants of Lord Jagannātha were doubling their offerings of food. (220) I have briefly described the pastimes of the Lord in washing and cleansing the Guṇḍicā temple. By seeing or hearing these pastimes, even sinful men can awaken their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (221) 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. (222)
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