Chaitanya Charitamrta | Madhya Lila | Chapter 10 | Section 90

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, just consider the character of this man who went with Me to South India. (63) “He left My company to associate with the Bhaṭṭathāris, but I rescued him from their company and brought him here. (64) “Now that I have brought him here, I am asking him to leave. Now he can go wherever he likes, for I am no longer responsible for him.” (65) Hearing the Lord reject him, Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa began to cry. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not caring for him, immediately left to take His noon lunch. (66) After this, the other devotees—headed by Nityānanda Prabhu, Jagadānanda, Mukunda and Dāmodara— began to consider a certain plan. (67) The Lord’s four devotees considered, “We want a person to go to Bengal just to inform Śacīmātā about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival at Jagannātha Purī. (68) “After hearing news of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival, devotees like Advaita and Śrīvāsa will certainly come to see Him. (69) “Let us therefore send Kṛṣṇadāsa to Bengal.” Saying this, they kept Kṛṣṇadāsa engaged in the service of the Lord and gave him assurance. (70) The next day, all the devotees asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Please give permission for a person to go to Bengal. (71)

“Mother Śacī and all the devotees headed by Advaita Prabhu are all very unhappy due to not receiving news about Your return from Your South Indian tour. (72) “One person should go to Bengal and inform them about the auspicious news of Your return to Jagannātha Purī.” Upon hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Do whatever you decide.” (73) In this way Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa was sent to Bengal, and he was given sufficient quantities of Lord Jagannātha’s food remnants to distribute there. (74) Thus Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa went to Bengal, and he first went to Navadvīpa to see mother Śacī. (75) Upon reaching mother Śacī, Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa first offered his obeisances and delivered the food remnants [mahā- prasādam]. He then informed her of the good news that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had returned from His South Indian tour. (76) This good news gave much pleasure to mother Śacī, as well as to all the devotees of Navadvīpa, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. (77) Hearing of Lord Caitanya’s return to Purī, everyone became very glad. Kṛṣṇadāsa next went to the house of Advaita Ācārya. (78)

After paying Him respectful obeisances, Kṛṣṇadāsa offered mahā- prasādam to Advaita Ācārya. He then informed Him of the news of Lord Caitanya in complete detail. (79) When Advaita Ācārya Gosvāmī heard of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s return, He became very pleased. In His great ecstasy of love, He made a rumbling sound and danced and chanted for a long time. (80) Also hearing this auspicious news, Haridāsa Ṭhākura became very pleased. So also did Vāsudev Datta, Murāri Gupta and Śivānanda Sena. (81) Ācāryaratna, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, Ācāryanidhi and Gadādhara Paṇḍita were all very pleased to hear this news. (82) Śrīrāma Paṇḍita, Dāmodara Paṇḍita, Śrīmān Paṇḍita, Vijaya and Śrīdhara were also very pleased to hear it. (83) Rāghava Paṇḍita, the son of Advaita Ācārya and all the devotees became very satisfied. How many can I describe? (84) Everyone was very pleased, and they all gathered together at the house of Advaita Ācārya. (85) All the devotees offered respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of Advaita Ācārya, and in return Advaita Ācārya embraced them all. (86) Advaita Ācārya then held a festival that lasted two or three days. Thereafter, they all made a firm decision to go to Jagannātha Purī. (87)

All the devotees met together at Navadvīpa and, with mother Śacī’s permission, departed for Nīlādri, Jagannātha Purī. (88) The inhabitants of Kulīna- grāma—Satyarāja, Rāmānanda and all the other devotees there—came and joined Advaita Ācārya. (89) Mukunda, Narahari, Raghunandana and all the others came from Khaṇḍa to Advaita Ācārya’s home to accompany Him to Jagannātha Purī. (90) At that time Paramānanda Purī came from South India. Traveling along the banks of the Ganges, he ultimately reached the town of Nadia. (91) At Navadvīpa, Paramānanda Purī took his board and lodging at the house of Śacīmātā. She provided him with everything very respectfully. (92) While residing at the house of Śacīmātā, Paramānanda Purī heard the news of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s return to Jagannātha Purī. He therefore decided to go there as soon as possible. (93) There was a devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s named Dvija Kamalākānta, whom Paramānanda Purī took with him to Jagannātha Purī. (94)

Paramānanda Purī very soon arrived at Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s place. The Lord was very happy to see him. (95) In the great ecstasy of love, the Lord worshiped the lotus feet of Paramānanda Purī, and in turn Paramānanda Purī embraced the Lord in great ecstasy. (96) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Please stay with Me and thus show Me favor, accepting the shelter of Jagannātha Purī.” (97) Paramānanda Purī replied, “I also wish to stay with You. Therefore I have come from Bengal, Gauḍa, to Jagannātha Purī. (98) “At Navadvīpa, mother Śacī and all the other devotees were very glad to hear about Your return from South India. (99) “They are all coming here to see You, but seeing that they were delayed, I came alone very quickly.” (100) There was a solitary room at Kāśī Miśra’s house, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave it to Paramānanda Purī. He also gave him a servant. (101) Svarūpa Dāmodara also arrived the next day. He was a very intimate friend of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s, and he was an ocean of transcendental mellows. (102)

When Svarūpa Dāmodara was residing at Navadvīpa under the shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his name was Puruṣottama Ācārya. (103) After seeing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the renounced order, Puruṣottama Ācārya became like a madman and immediately went to Vārāṇasī to take sannyāsa. (104) At the conclusion of his sannyāsa, his spiritual master, Caitanyānanda Bhāratī, ordered him, “Read the Vedānta- sūtra and teach it to all others.” (105) Svarūpa Dāmodara was a great renunciant as well as a great learned scholar. With heart and soul he took shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (106) He was very enthusiastic to worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa without disturbance, and therefore, almost in madness, he accepted the sannyāsa order. (107) Upon accepting sannyāsa, Puruṣottama Ācārya followed the regulative principles by giving up his tuft of hair and sacred thread, but he did not accept the saffron- colored dress. Also, he did not accept a sannyāsī title but remained as a naiṣṭhika- brahmacārī. (108)

After taking permission from his sannyāsa- guru, Svarūpa Dāmodara went to Nīlācala and accepted the shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then all day and night, in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa, he enjoyed transcendental mellows in the loving service of the Lord. (109) Svarūpa Dāmodara was the limit of all learned scholarship, but he did not exchange words with anyone. He simply remained in a solitary place, and no one could understand where he was. (110) Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara was the personification of ecstatic love, fully cognizant of the transcendental mellows in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. He directly represented Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as His second expansion. (111) If someone wrote a book or composed verses and songs and wanted to recite them before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara would first examine them and then correctly present them. Only then would Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu agree to listen. (112)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was never pleased to hear books or verses opposed to the conclusive statements of devotional service. The Lord did not like hearing rasābhāsa, the overlapping of transcendental mellows. (113) It was the practice of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī to examine all literatures to find out whether their conclusions were correct. Only then would he allow them to be heard by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (114) Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara used to read the poems of Vidyāpati and Caṇḍīdāsa and Jayadeva Gosvāmī’s Śrī Gīta- govinda. He used to make Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very happy by singing these songs. (115) Svarūpa Dāmodara was as expert a musician as the Gandharvas, and in scriptural discussion he was just like Bṛhaspati, the priest of the heavenly gods. Therefore it is to be concluded that there was no great personality quite like Svarūpa Dāmodara. (116) Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara was very dear to Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu, and he was the life and soul of all the devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. (117)

When Svarūpa Dāmodara came to Jagannātha Purī, he fell flat before the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, offering Him obeisances and reciting a verse. (118) “O ocean of mercy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Let there be an awakening of Your auspicious mercy, which easily drives away all kinds of material lamentation by making everything pure and blissful. Indeed, Your mercy awakens transcendental bliss and covers all material pleasures. By Your auspicious mercy, quarrels and disagreements arising among different scriptures are vanquished. Your auspicious mercy pours forth transcendental mellows and thus causes the heart to jubilate. Your mercy, which is full of joy, always stimulates devotional service and glorifies conjugal love of God. May transcendental bliss be awakened within my heart by Your causeless mercy.” (119) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu raised Svarūpa Dāmodara to his feet and embraced him. They both became ecstatic in love and fell unconscious. (120) After they had regained their patience, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to speak. (121)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I saw in a dream that you were coming, and so this is very auspicious. I have been like a blind man, but your coming here restores My vision.” (122) Svarūpa said, “My dear Lord, please excuse my offense. I gave up Your company to go elsewhere, and that was my great mistake. (123) “My dear Lord, I do not possess even a trace of love for Your lotus feet. If I did, how could I have gone to another country? I am therefore a most sinful man. (124) “I gave up Your company, but You did not give me up. By Your rope of mercy You have bound me by the neck and brought me back again to Your lotus feet.” (125) Svarūpa Dāmodara then worshiped the lotus feet of Nityānanda Prabhu, and Nityānanda Prabhu in turn embraced him in the ecstasy of love. (126) After worshiping Nityānanda Prabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara met Jagadānanda, Mukunda, Śaṅkara and Sārvabhauma, as was befitting. (127) Svarūpa Dāmodara also offered his worshipful prayers at the lotus feet of Paramānanda Purī, who, in return, embraced him in ecstatic love. (128)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then gave Svarūpa Dāmodara residence in a solitary place and ordered a servant to serve him with a supply of water and other necessities. (129) The next day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat with all the devotees, headed by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and they discussed the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. (130) At that time Govinda appeared on the scene, offered his respectful obeisances and spoke submissively. (131) “I am the servant of Īśvara Purī. My name is Govinda, and following the orders of my spiritual master, I have come here. (132) “Just before his departure from this mortal world to attain the highest perfection, Īśvara Purī told me that I should go to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and render service unto Him. (133) “Kāśīśvara will also come here after visiting all the holy places. However, following the orders of my spiritual master, I have hastily come to be present at Your lotus feet.” (134) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “My spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, always favors Me with paternal affection. Therefore, out of his causeless mercy, he has sent you here.” (135)

After hearing this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Why did Īśvara Purī keep a servant who comes from a śūdra family?” (136) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and My spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, are completely independent. Therefore neither the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor that of Īśvara Purī is subject to any Vedic rules and regulations. (137) “The mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not restricted to the jurisdiction of caste and creed. Vidura was a śūdra, yet Kṛṣṇa accepted lunch at his home. (138) “Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is dependent only on affection. Being obliged only by affection, Lord Kṛṣṇa acts very independently. (139) “In conclusion, dealings in affection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead bring happiness many millions of times greater than dealings with Him in awe and veneration. Simply by hearing the holy name of the Lord, the devotee is merged in transcendental bliss.” (140) After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Govinda, and Govinda in turn offered his respectful obeisances unto Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet. (141)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then continued speaking to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya: “Consider this point. The servant of the spiritual master is always respectable for Me. (142) “As such, it is not befitting that the guru’s servant should engage in My personal service. Yet My spiritual master has given this order. What shall I do?” (143) Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, “The order of the spiritual master is very strong and cannot be disobeyed. That is the injunction of the śāstras, the revealed scriptures. (144) “‘Being ordered by his father, Paraśurāma killed his mother, Reṇukā, just as if she were an enemy. When Lakṣmaṇa, the younger brother of Lord Rāmacandra, heard of this, He immediately engaged Himself in the service of His elder brother and accepted His orders. The order of the spiritual master must be obeyed without consideration.’ (145)

‘The order of a great personality like a father must be executed without consideration because there is good fortune in such an order for both of us. In particular, there is good fortune for Me.’” (146) After Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Govinda and engaged him in the service of His personal body. (147) Everyone respected Govinda as the dearest servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Govinda served all the Vaiṣṇavas and saw to their needs. (148) Both Haridāsa senior and Haridāsa junior, who were musicians, as well as Rāmāi and Nandāi, used to stay with Govinda. (149) They all remained with Govinda to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; therefore no one could estimate the good fortune of Govinda. (150)