Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Govinda and Kāśīśvara, “You may both take alms elsewhere to fill your bellies.” (61) In this way, some days passed in great unhappiness. Hearing of all this, Rāmacandra Purī went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (62) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His obeisances to Rāmacandra Purī, worshiping his feet. Then Rāmacandra Purī smiled and spoke to the Lord. (63) Rāmacandra Purī advised, “It is not the business of a sannyāsī to gratify his senses. He should fill his belly some way or other. (64) “I have heard that You have cut Your eating in half. Indeed, I see that You are skinny. Such dry renunciation is also not the religion of a sannyāsī. (65) “A sannyāsī eats as much as necessary to maintain his body, but he does not enjoy satisfying his senses materially. Thus a sannyāsī becomes perfect in his spiritual advancement in knowledge. (66)
“[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] ‘My dear Arjuna, one cannot perform mystic yoga if he eats more than necessary or needlessly fasts, sleeps and dreams too much or does not sleep enough. One should eat and enjoy his senses as much as necessary, one should properly endeavor to execute his duties, and one should regulate his sleep and wakefulness. Thus one can become freed from material pains by executing mystic yoga.'” (67-68) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then humbly submitted, “I am just like an ignorant boy and am like your disciple. It is My great fortune that you are instructing Me.” (69) Hearing this, Rāmacandra Purī got up and left. He also heard from various sources that all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were eating half as much as usual. (70) The next day, Paramānanda Purī and other devotees approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with great humility and submission. (71) Paramānanda Purī said, “My Godbrother Rāmacandra Purī is by nature a bad critic. If You give up eating because of his words, what will be the profit? (72)
“It is the nature of Rāmacandra Purī that first he lets one eat as much as desired, and if one does not eat more than necessary, with great attention he makes him eat more. (73) “In this way he induces one to eat more than necessary, and then he directly criticizes him, saying, ‘You eat so much. How much money do you have in your treasury? (74) “‘Also, by inducing sannyāsīs to eat so much, you spoil their religious principles. Therefore I can understand that you have no advancement.’ (75) “It is Rāmacandra Purī’s business to inquire always about how others are eating and conducting their daily affairs. (76) “The two kinds of activities rejected in the revealed scriptures constitute his daily affairs. (77) “‘One should see that because of the meeting of material nature and the living entity, the universe is acting uniformly. Thus one should neither praise nor criticize the characteristics or activities of others.’ (78)
“Of the two rules, Rāmacandra Purī obeys the first by abandoning praise, but although he knows that the second is more prominent, he neglects it by criticizing others. (79) “‘Between the former rule and the latter rule, the latter is more important.’ (80) “Even where there are hundreds of good qualities, a critic does not consider them. Rather, he attempts by some trick to point out a fault in those attributes. (81) “One should not, therefore, follow the principles of Rāmacandra Purī. Nevertheless, I have to say something against him because he is making our hearts unhappy. (82) “Why have You given up proper eating due to the criticism of Rāmacandra Purī? Please accept invitations as before. This is the request of us all.” (83) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Why are all of you angry at Rāmacandra Purī? He is expounding the natural principles of sannyāsa life. Why are you accusing him? (84)
“For a sannyāsī to indulge in satisfying the tongue is a great offense. The duty of a sannyāsī is to eat only as much as needed to keep body and soul together.” (85) When they all requested very fervently that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu take a full meal, He still would not do so. Instead, He responded to their request by accepting half as much as usual. (86) The cost for the food needed to invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was fixed at two paṇas of kauḍis [160 conchshells], and that food would be taken by two men and sometimes three. (87) When a brāhmaṇa at whose home an invitation could not be accepted invited the Lord, he would pay two paṇas of conchshells to purchase the prasādam. (88) When a brāhmaṇa at whose home an invitation could be accepted invited Him, the brāhmaṇa would purchase part of the prasādam and cook the rest at home. (89)
Even on a day when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was invited to dine by others, if Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Bhagavān Ācārya or Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya invited Him, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had no independence. He would accept their invitations as they desired. (90-91) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu actually descended to give happiness to the devotees. Thus He behaved in whatever way fit the time and circumstances. (92) Because of His full independence, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes behaved like a common man and sometimes manifested His godly opulence. (93) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes accepted Rāmacandra Purī as His master and considered Himself a servant, and sometimes the Lord, not caring for him, would see him as being just like a straw. (94)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu behaved exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, beyond the restriction of anyone’s intelligence. He did whatever He liked, but all His activities were very beautiful. (95) Thus Rāmacandra Purī stayed for some days at Nīlācala [Jagannātha Purī]. Then he left to visit various holy places of pilgrimage. (96) The devotees considered Rāmacandra Purī to be like a great burden on their heads. When he left Jagannātha Purī, everyone felt extremely happy, as if a great stone burden had suddenly fallen from their heads to the ground. (97) After his departure, everything was happy once again. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted invitations as usual and led congregational chanting and dancing. Everyone else also accepted prasādam without hindrances. (98)
If one’s spiritual master rejects him, one becomes so fallen that he, like Rāmacandra Purī, commits offenses even to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (99) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not consider the offenses of Rāmacandra Purī, for the Lord considered him His spiritual master. However, his character instructed everyone about the result of offending the spiritual master. (100) The character of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is full of nectar. Hearing about it is pleasing to the ear and mind. (101) I write about the character of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. O readers, please hear with attention, for thus you will easily receive ecstatic love for the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (102) 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. (103)
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