The Lord did not always manifest His ecstasy. Being afraid of a great assembly of people, the Lord kept His ecstasy concealed. (50) Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not manifest His natural ecstatic love, everyone became a pure devotee simply by seeing and hearing Him. (51) In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally toured Bengal, East Bengal, Orissa and the southern countries, and He delivered all kinds of people by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (52) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to Jhārikhaṇḍa on His way to Mathurā, He found that the people there were almost uncivilized and were devoid of God consciousness. (53)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave even the Bheels an opportunity to chant the holy name and come to the platform of ecstatic love. Thus He delivered all of them. Who has the power to understand the transcendental pastimes of the Lord? (54) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through the Jhārikhaṇḍa forest, He took it for granted that it was Vṛndāvana. When He passed over the hills, He took it for granted that they were Govardhana. (55) Similarly, whenever Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw a river, He immediately accepted it as the river Yamunā. Thus while in the forest He was filled with great ecstatic love, and He danced and fell down crying. (56) Along the way, Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya collected all kinds of spinach, roots and fruit whenever possible. (57)
Whenever Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited a village, a few brāhmaṇas—five or seven—would come and extend invitations to the Lord. (58) Some people would bring grain and deliver it to Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya. Others would bring milk and yogurt, and still others would bring ghee and sugar. (59) In some villages there were no brāhmaṇas; nonetheless, devotees born in non- brāhmaṇa families came and extended invitations to Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya. (60) Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya used to cook all kinds of vegetables gathered from the forest, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very pleased to accept these preparations. (61) Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya used to keep a stock of food grain that would last from two to four days. Where there were no people, he would cook the grain and prepare vegetables, spinach, roots and fruits collected from the forest. (62-63)
The Lord was always very happy to eat these forest vegetables, and He was even happier when He had an opportunity to stay in a solitary place. (64) Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya was so affectionate to the Lord that he was rendering service just like a menial servant. His assistant brāhmaṇa carried the waterpot and garments. (65) The Lord used to bathe three times a day in the warm water of the waterfalls. He also used to heat Himself morning and evening with a fire made with the limitless wood. (66) While traveling in this secluded forest and feeling very happy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made the following statement. (67) “My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, I have traveled very far through the forest, and I have not even slightly received any trouble. (68) “Kṛṣṇa is very merciful, especially to Me. He has shown His mercy by bringing Me on this path through the forest. Thus He has given Me great pleasure. (69)
“Before this, I decided to go to Vṛndāvana and on the way see My mother, the river Ganges and other devotees once again. (70) “I thought that once again I would see and meet all the devotees and take them with Me to Vṛndāvana. (71) “Thus I went to Bengal, and I was very happy to see My mother, the river Ganges and the devotees. (72) “However, when I started for Vṛndāvana, many thousands and millions of people gathered and began to go with Me. (73) Thus I was going to Vṛndāvana with a big crowd, but through the mouth of Sanātana, Kṛṣṇa taught Me a lesson. Thus by making some impediment, He has brought Me on a path through the forest to Vṛndāvana. (74) “Kṛṣṇa is an ocean of mercy. He is especially merciful to the poor and fallen. Without His mercy, there is no possibility of happiness.” (75) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya and told him, “It is only by your kindness that I am now so happy.” (76)
Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “My dear Lord, You are Kṛṣṇa Himself, and therefore You are merciful. I am a fallen living entity, but You have bestowed a great favor upon me. (77) “Sir, I am most fallen, yet You have brought me with You. Showing great mercy, You have accepted food prepared by me. (78) “You have made me Your carrier Garuḍa, although I am no better than a condemned crow. Thus You are the independent Personality of Godhead, the original Lord. (79) “‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead has the form of sac- cid- ānanda- vigraha— transcendental bliss, knowledge and eternity. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him, who turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross mountains. Such is the mercy of the Lord.’” (80) In this way Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya offered his prayers to the Lord. By rendering service unto Him in ecstatic love, He pacified the Lord’s mind. (81)
Finally the Lord arrived with great happiness at the holy place called Kāśī. There He took His bath in the bathing ghat known as Maṇikarṇikā. (82) At that time, Tapana Miśra was taking his bath in the Ganges, and he was astonished to see the Lord there. (83) Tapana Miśra then began to think, “I have heard that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has accepted the renounced order.” Thinking this, Tapana Miśra became very jubilant within his heart. (84) He then clasped the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and began to cry. The Lord raised him up and embraced him. (85) Tapana Miśra then took Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to visit the temple of Viśveśvara. Coming from there, they saw the lotus feet of Lord Bindu Mādhava. (86) With great pleasure Tapana Miśra brought Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his home and rendered service unto Him. Indeed, he began to dance, waving his cloth. (87)
He washed the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and afterwards he and his whole family drank the wash water. He also worshiped Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya and showed him respect. (88) Tapana Miśra invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take lunch at his home, and he had Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya cook. (89) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His rest after lunch, the son of Tapana Miśra, named Raghu, used to massage His legs. (90) The remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were taken by the whole family of Tapana Miśra. When news spread that the Lord had come, Candraśekhara came to see Him. (91) Candraśekhara happened to be a friend of Tapana Miśra’s, and he was long known to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as His servant. He was a physician by caste, and by profession he was a clerk. At the time he was living in Vārāṇasī. (92) When Candreśekhara came there, he fell down before the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and began to cry. The Lord, standing up, embraced him out of His causeless mercy. (93)
Candraśekhara said, “My dear Lord, You have bestowed Your causeless mercy upon me because I am Your old servant. Indeed, You have come here personally to give me Your audience. (94) “Due to my past deeds, I am residing at Vārāṇasī, but here I do not hear anything but the words ‘māyā’ and ‘Brahman.’” (95) Candraśekhara continued, “There is no talk at Vārāṇasī other than discussions on the six philosophical theses. Nonetheless, Tapana Miśra has been very kind to me, for he speaks about topics relating to Lord Kṛṣṇa. (96) My dear Lord, we two think of Your lotus feet incessantly. Although You are the omniscient Supreme Personality of Godhead, You have granted us Your audience. (97) “My Lord, I have heard that You are going to Vṛndāvana. Please stay here at Vārāṇasī for some days and deliver us, for we are Your two servants.” (98)
Tapana Miśra then said, “My dear Lord, as long as You stay at Vārāṇasī, please do not accept any invitation other than mine.” (99) Even though He had not made such a plan, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained for ten days at Vārāṇasī, being obligated by the requests of His two servants. (100) At Vārāṇasī there was a Maharashtriyan brāhmaṇa who used to come daily to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This brāhmaṇa was simply astonished to see the Lord’s personal beauty and ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. (101) When the brāhmaṇas of Vārāṇasī would invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to lunch, the Lord would not accept their invitations. He would reply, “I have already been invited somewhere else.” (102) Every day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu refused their invitations because He feared associating with Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. (103)
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