I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā. (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 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! (2) In His incarnation as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa descended to deliver all the living beings in the three worlds, from Brahmaloka down to Pātālaloka. He caused their deliverance in three ways. (3) The Lord delivered the fallen souls in some places by meeting them directly, in other places by empowering a pure devotee, and in still other places by appearing before someone Himself. (4) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered almost all the fallen souls by directly meeting them. He delivered others by entering the bodies of great devotees, such as Nakula Brahmacārī. And He delivered still others by appearing before them, as in the case of Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī. “I shall deliver the fallen souls.” This statement characterizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (5-6)
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was personally present, anyone in the world who met Him even once was fully satisfied and became spiritually advanced. (7) Every year, devotees from Bengal would go to Jagannātha Purī to meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and after the meeting they would return to Bengal. (8) Similarly, people who went to Jagannātha Purī from various provinces of India were fully satisfied after seeing the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (9) People from all over the universe, including the seven islands, the nine khaṇḍas, the planets of the demigods, Gandharvaloka and Kinnaraloka, would go there in the forms of human beings. (10) Having seen the Lord, they all became Vaiṣṇavas. Thus in ecstatic love of Godhead they chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and danced. (11)
Thus by direct meetings, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered the three worlds. Some people, however, were entangled in material activities and could not go. (12) To deliver people in regions throughout the universe who could not meet Him, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally entered the bodies of pure devotees. (13) Thus He empowered living beings [His pure devotees] by manifesting in them so much of His own devotion that people in all other countries became devotees by seeing them. (14) In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered the entire three worlds, not only by His personal presence but also by empowering others. I shall briefly describe how He empowered a living being in Bengal. (15) In Āmbuyā- muluka there was a person named Nakula Brahmacārī, who was a perfectly pure devotee, greatly advanced in devotional service. (16) Desiring to deliver all the people of Bengal, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu entered the heart of Nakula Brahmacārī. (17)
Nakula Brahmacārī became exactly like a man haunted by a ghost. Thus he sometimes laughed, sometimes cried, sometimes danced and sometimes chanted like a madman. (18) He continuously exhibited bodily transformations of transcendental love. Thus he cried, trembled, became stunned, perspired, danced in love of Godhead and made sounds like those of a cloud. (19) His body shone with the same luster as that of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he showed the same absorption in ecstatic love of Godhead. People came from all provinces of Bengal to see these symptoms. (20) He advised whomever he met to chant the holy names Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thus upon seeing him, people were overwhelmed with love of Godhead. (21) When Śivānanda Sena heard that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had entered the body of Nakula Brahmacārī, he went there with doubts in his mind. (22)
Desiring to test the authenticity of Nakula Brahmacārī, he stayed outside, thinking as follows. (23) “If Nakula Brahmacārī personally calls me and knows my worshipable mantra, then I shall understand that he is inspired by the presence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” Thinking in this way, he stayed some distance apart. (24-25) There was a large crowd of people, some coming and some going. Indeed, some people in that great crowd could not even see Nakula Brahmacārī. (26) In his inspired state, Nakula Brahmacārī said, “Śivānanda Sena is staying some distance away. Two or four of you go call him.” (27) Thus people began running here and there, calling in all directions, “Śivānanda! Whoever is Śivānanda, please come. Nakula Brahmacārī is calling you.” (28) Hearing these calls, Śivānanda Sena quickly went there, offered obeisances to Nakula Brahmacārī, and sat down near him. (29)
Nakula Brahmacārī said, “I know that you are doubtful. Now please hear this evidence with great attention. (30) “You are chanting the Gaura- gopāla mantra, composed of four syllables. Now please give up the doubts that have resided within you.” (31) Śivānanda Sena thereupon developed full confidence in his mind that Nakula Brahmacārī was filled with the presence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śivānanda Sena then offered him respect and devotional service. (32) In this way, one should understand the inconceivable potencies of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Now please hear how His appearance [āvirbhāva] takes place. (33) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu always appeared in four places-in the household temple of mother Śacī, in the places where Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu danced, in the house of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita during congregational chanting, and in the house of Rāghava Paṇḍita. He appeared because of His attraction to the love of His devotees. That is His natural characteristic. (34-35)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared before Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī and ate his offerings. Please hear about this with attention. (36) Śivānanda Sena had a nephew named Śrīkānta Sena, who by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was extremely fortunate. (37) One year, Śrīkānta Sena came alone to Jagannātha Purī in great eagerness to see the Lord. (38) Seeing Śrīkānta Sena, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bestowed causeless mercy upon him. Śrīkānta Sena stayed near Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for about two months at Jagannātha Purī. (39) When he was about to return to Bengal, the Lord told him, “Forbid the devotees of Bengal to come to Jagannātha Purī this year. (40) “This year I shall personally go to Bengal and meet all the devotees there, headed by Advaita Ācārya. (41) “Please inform Śivānanda Sena that in the month of Pauṣa [December-January] I shall certainly go to his home. (42)
“Jagadānanda is there, and he will give Me offerings of food. Inform them all that no one should come to Jagannātha Purī this year.” (43) When Śrīkānta Sena returned to Bengal and delivered this message, the minds of all the devotees were very pleased. (44) Advaita Ācārya was just about to go to Jagannātha Purī with the other devotees, but upon hearing this message, He waited. Śivānanda Sena and Jagadānanda also stayed back, awaiting the arrival of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (45) When the month of Pauṣa arrived, Jagadānanda and Śivānanda collected all kinds of paraphernalia for the Lord’s reception. Every day, they would wait until evening for the Lord to come. (46) As the month passed but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not come, Jagadānanda and Śivānanda became most unhappy. (47)
Suddenly Nṛsiṁhānanda arrived, and Jagadānanda and Śivānanda arranged for him to sit near them. Seeing them both so unhappy, Nṛsiṁhānanda inquired, “Why do I see that you are both despondent?” (48-49) Then Śivānanda Sena told him, “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu promised that He would come. Why, then, has He not arrived?” (50) Hearing this, Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī replied, “Please be satisfied. I assure you that I shall bring Him here three days from now.” (51) Śivānanda and Jagadānanda knew of Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī’s influence and love of Godhead. Therefore they now felt assured that he would certainly bring Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (52) His real name was Pradyumna Brahmacārī. The name Nṛsiṁhānanda had been given to him by Lord Gaurasundara Himself. (53)
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