Chaitanya Charitamrta | Antya Lila | Chapter 13 | Section 199

Let me take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Gauracandra. His mind became exhausted and His body very thin from the pain of separation from Kṛṣṇa, but when He felt ecstatic love for the Lord, He again became fully developed. (1)

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Let me take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Gauracandra. His mind became exhausted and His body very thin from the pain of separation from Kṛṣṇa, but when He felt ecstatic love for the Lord, He again became fully developed. (1) All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Ācārya! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord! (2) In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would taste various transcendental relationships of pure love in the company of Jagadānanda Paṇḍita. (3)

The unhappiness of separation from Kṛṣṇa exhausted the Lord’s mind and reduced the structure of His body, but when He felt emotions of ecstatic love, He again became developed and healthy. (4) Because He was very thin, when He lay down to rest on the dry bark of plantain trees, it caused Him pain in His bones. (5) All the devotees felt very unhappy to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in pain. Indeed, they could not tolerate it. Then Jagadānanda Paṇḍita devised a remedy. (6) He acquired some fine cloth and colored it with red oxide. Then he filled it with cotton from a śimula tree. (7)

In this way he made a quilt and a pillow, which he then gave to Govinda, saying, “Ask the Lord to lie on this.” (8) Jagadānanda said to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, “Today please personally persuade Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to lie down on the bed.” (9) When it was time for the Lord to go to bed, Svarūpa Dāmodara stayed nearby, but when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the quilt and pillow, He was immediately very angry. (10) The Lord inquired from Govinda, “Who has made this?” When Govinda named Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was somewhat fearful. (11) After asking Govinda to put aside the quilt and pillow, the Lord lay down on the dry plantain bark. (12) Svarūpa Dāmodara said to the Lord, “I cannot contradict Your supreme will, my Lord, but if You do not accept the bedding, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita will feel great unhappiness.” (13)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “You might as well bring a bedstead here for Me to lie on. Jagadānanda wants Me to enjoy material happiness. (14) “I am in the renounced order, and therefore I must lie on the floor. For Me to use a bedstead, quilt or pillow would be very shameful.” (15) When Svarūpa Dāmodara returned and related all these incidents, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita felt very unhappy. (16) Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī devised another method. First he secured a large quantity of dry banana leaves. (17) He then tore the leaves into very fine fibers with his nails and filled two of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s outer garments with the fibers. (18) In this way, Svarūpa Dāmodara made some bedding and a pillow, and after much endeavor by the devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them. (19)

Everyone was happy to see the Lord lie down on that bed, but Jagadānanda was inwardly angry, and externally he appeared very unhappy. (20) Formerly, when Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had desired to go to Vṛndāvana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had not given His permission, and therefore he could not go. (21) Now, concealing his anger and unhappiness, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita again asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for permission to go to Mathurā. (22) With great affection, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “If you are angry with Me when you go to Mathurā, you will merely become a beggar and criticize Me.” (23) Grasping the Lord’s feet, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita then said, “For a long time I have desired to go to Vṛndāvana. (24) “I could not go without Your Lordship’s permission. Now You must give me permission, and I shall certainly go there.” (25) Because of affection for Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would not permit him to depart, but Jagadānanda Paṇḍita repeatedly insisted that the Lord give him permission to go. (26)

Jagadānanda then submitted a plea to Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. “For a very long time,” he said, “I have wanted to go to Vṛndāvana. (27) “I cannot go there, however, without the Lord’s permission, which at present He denies me. He says, ‘You are going because you are angry at Me.’ (28) “Naturally I have a desire to go to Vṛndāvana; therefore please humbly request Him to grant His permission.” (29) Thereafter, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī submitted this appeal at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: “Jagadānanda Paṇḍita intensely desires to go to Vṛndāvana. (30) “He begs for Your permission again and again. Therefore, please permit him to go to Mathurā and then return. (31) “You permitted him to go see mother Śacī in Bengal, and You may similarly permit him to go see Vṛndāvana and then return here.” (32) At the request of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu granted Jagadānanda Paṇḍita permission to go. The Lord sent for him and instructed him as follows. (33)

“You may go as far as Vārāṇasī without encountering disturbances, but beyond Vārāṇasī you should be very careful to travel on the path in the company of the kṣatriyas. (34) “As soon as the plunderers on the road see a Bengali traveling alone, they take everything from him, arrest him and do not let him go. (35) “When you reach Mathurā, you should remain with Sanātana Gosvāmī and offer respectful obeisances to the feet of all the leading men there. (36) “Do not mix freely with the residents of Mathurā; show them respect from a distance. Because you are on a different platform of devotional service, you cannot adopt their behavior and practices. (37) “Visit all twelve forests of Vṛndāvana in the company of Sanātana Gosvāmī. Do not leave his association for even a moment. (38)

“You should remain in Vṛndāvana for only a short time and then return here as soon as possible. Also, do not climb Govardhana Hill to see the Gopāla Deity. (39) “Inform Sanātana Gosvāmī that I am coming to Vṛndāvana for a second time and that he should therefore arrange a place for Me to stay.” (40) After saying this, the Lord embraced Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, who then worshiped the Lord’s lotus feet and started for Vṛndāvana. (41) He took permission from all the devotees and then departed. Traveling on the forest path, he soon reached Vārāṇasī. (42) When he met Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara in Vārāṇasī, they heard from him about topics concerning Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (43) Finally Jagadānanda Paṇḍita reached Mathurā, where he met Sanātana Gosvāmī. They were very pleased to see each other. (44)

After Sanātana Gosvāmī had taken Jagadānanda to see all twelve forests of Vṛndāvana, concluding with Mahāvana, the two of them remained in Gokula. (45) They stayed in Sanātana Gosvāmī’s cave, but Jagadānanda Paṇḍita would go to a nearby temple and cook for himself. (46) Sanātana Gosvāmī would beg alms from door to door in the vicinity of Mahāvana. Sometimes he would go to a temple and sometimes to a brāhmaṇa’s house. (47) Sanātana Gosvāmī attended to all of Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s needs. He begged in the area of Mahāvana and brought Jagadānanda all kinds of things to eat and drink. (48) One day Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, having invited Sanātana to the nearby temple for lunch, finished his routine duties and began to cook. (49)

Previously, a great sannyāsī named Mukunda Sarasvatī had given Sanātana Gosvāmī an outer garment. (50) Sanātana Gosvāmī was wearing this cloth bound about his head when he came to Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s door and sat down. (51) Assuming the reddish cloth to be a gift from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was overwhelmed with ecstatic love. Thus he questioned Sanātana Gosvāmī. (52) “Where did you get that reddish cloth on your head?” Jagadānanda asked. Sanātana Gosvāmī replied, “Mukunda Sarasvatī gave it to me.” (53) Hearing this, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita immediately became very angry and took a cooking pot in his hand, intending to beat Sanātana Gosvāmī. (54) Sanātana Gosvāmī, however, knew Jagadānanda Paṇḍita very well and was consequently somewhat ashamed. Jagadānanda therefore left the cooking pot on the stove and spoke as follows. (55)

“You are one of the chief associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Indeed, no one is dearer to Him than you. (56) “Still, you have bound your head with a cloth given to you by another sannyāsī. Who can tolerate such behavior?” (57) Sanātana Gosvāmī said, “My dear Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, you are a greatly learned saint. No one is dearer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu than you. (58) “This faith in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu quite befits you. Unless you demonstrate it, how could I learn such faith? (59) “My purpose in binding my head with the cloth has now been fulfilled because I have personally seen your uncommon love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (60)

“This saffron cloth is unfit for a Vaiṣṇava to wear; therefore I have no use for it. I shall give it to a stranger.” (61) When Jagadānanda Paṇḍita finished cooking, he offered the food to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then he and Sanātana Gosvāmī sat down and ate the prasādam. (62) After eating the prasādam, they embraced each other and cried due to separation from Lord Caitanya. (63) They passed two months in Vṛndāvana in this way. Finally they could no longer tolerate the unhappiness of separation from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (64) Jagadānanda Paṇḍita therefore gave Sanātana Gosvāmī the message from the Lord: “I am also coming to Vṛndāvana; please arrange a place for Me to stay.” (65)

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