When Raghunātha dāsa learned that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had arrived at Śāntipura, he submitted a request to his father. (231) Raghunātha dāsa asked his father, “Please give me permission to go see the lotus feet of the Lord. If you do not, my life will not remain within this body.” (232) Hearing this request, Raghunātha dāsa’s father agreed. Giving him many servants and materials, the father sent him to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, requesting him to return soon. (233) For seven days Raghunātha dāsa associated with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Śāntipura. During those days and nights, he had the following thoughts. (234) Raghunātha dāsa thought, “How shall I be able to get free from the hands of the watchmen? How shall I be able to go with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Nīlācala?” (235)
Since Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was omniscient, He could understand Raghunātha dāsa’s mind. The Lord therefore instructed him with the following reassuring words. (236) “Be patient and return home. Don’t be a crazy fellow. By and by you will be able to cross the ocean of material existence. (237) “You should not make yourself a showbottle devotee and become a false renunciant. For the time being, enjoy the material world in a befitting way and do not become attached to it.” (238) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “Within your heart you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary man. Thus Kṛṣṇa will soon be very pleased and deliver you from the clutches of māyā. (239) “You may see me at Nīlācala, Jagannātha Purī, when I return after visiting Vṛndāvana. By that time you can think of some trick to escape. (240)
“What kind of means you will have to use at that time will be revealed by Kṛṣṇa. If one has Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, no one can check him.” (241) In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bade farewell to Raghunātha dāsa, who returned home and did exactly what the Lord told him. (242) After returning home, Raghunātha dāsa gave up all craziness and external pseudo renunciation and engaged in his household duties without attachment.(243) When Raghunātha dāsa’s father and mother saw that their son was acting like a householder, they became very happy. Because of this, they slackened their guard. (244) Meanwhile, at Śāntipura, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu assembled all His devotees— headed by Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu—embraced them all and asked their permission to return to Jagannātha Purī. (245-246) Because He had met them all at Śāntipura, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested all the devotees not to go to Jagannātha Purī that year. (247)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “I shall certainly go to Vṛndāvana from Jagannātha Purī. If all of you give Me permission, I shall return here again without difficulty.” (248) Clasping the feet of His mother, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very humbly requested her permission. Thus she gave Him leave to go to Vṛndāvana. (249) Śrīmatī Śacīdevī was sent back to Navadvīpa, and the Lord and His devotees started for Jagannātha Purī, Nīlādri. (250) The devotees who accompanied Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu rendered all kinds of service on the way to Nīlācala, Jagannātha Purī. Thus in great happiness the Lord returned. (251) When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived in Jagannātha Purī, He visited the temple of the Lord. News then spread all over the city that He had returned. (252) All the devotees then came and met the Lord with great happiness. The Lord embraced each of them in great ecstatic love. (253)
Kāśī Miśra, Rāmānanda Rāya, Pradyumna, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Vāṇīnātha Rāya, Śikhi Māhiti and all the other devotees met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (254) Gadādhara Paṇḍita also came and met the Lord. Then, before all the devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to speak as follows. (255) “It was My decision to go to Vṛndāvana through Bengal in order to see My mother and the river Ganges. (256) “Thus I went to Bengal, but thousands of devotees began to follow Me. (257) “Many hundreds of thousands of people came to see Me out of curiosity, and due to such a large crowd I could not travel very freely on the road. (258) “Indeed, the crowd was so large that the house and the boundary walls of the house where I stayed were destroyed, and wherever I looked I could see only large crowds. (259) “With great difficulty I went to the town of Rāmakeli, where I met two brothers named Rūpa and Sanātana. (260)
“These two brothers are great devotees and suitable recipients of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, but in their ordinary dealings they are government officials, ministers to the King. (261) “Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana are very much experienced in education, devotional service, intelligence and strength, yet they think themselves inferior to straw in the street. (262) “Indeed, the humility of these two brothers could even melt stone. Because I was very pleased with their behavior, I told them, ‘Although you are both very much exalted, you consider yourselves inferior, and because of this, Kṛṣṇa will very soon deliver you.’ (263 264) “After speaking to them in this way, I bade them farewell. As I was leaving, Sanātana told Me, ‘It is not appropriate for one to be followed by a crowd of thousands when going to Vṛndāvana.’ (265-266) “Although I heard this, I did not pay it any attention, and in the morning I went to the place named Kānāi Nāṭaśālā. (267)
“At night, however, I considered what Sanātana had told Me. (268) “I decided that Sanātana had spoken very well. I was certainly being followed by a large crowd, and when people would see so many men, they would surely rebuke Me, saying, ‘Here is another imposter.’ (269) “I then began to consider that Vṛndāvana is a very solitary place. It is invincible and very difficult to attain. I therefore decided to go there alone or, at the utmost, with only one person. (270) “Mādhavendra Purī went to Vṛndāvana alone, and Kṛṣṇa, on the pretext of giving him milk, granted him an audience. (271) “I then understood that I was going to Vṛndāvana like a magician with his show, and this is certainly not good. No one should go to Vṛndāvana with so many men. (272) “I have therefore resolved to go alone or, at the utmost, with one servant. In this way, My journey to Vṛndāvana will be beautiful. (273)
“I thought, ‘Instead of going to Vṛndāvana alone, I am going with soldiers and the beating of drums.’ (274) “I therefore said, ‘Fie upon Me!’ and being very much agitated, I returned to the banks of the Ganges. (275) “I then left all the devotees there and brought only five or six persons with Me. (276) “Now I wish that you all will be pleased with Me and give Me good consultation. Tell Me how I shall be able to go to Vṛndāvana without impediments. (277) “I left Gadādhara Paṇḍita here, and he became very unhappy. For this reason I could not go to Vṛndāvana.” (278) Being encouraged by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s words, Gadādhara Paṇḍita became absorbed in ecstatic love. Immediately clasping the lotus feet of the Lord, he began to speak with great humility. (279) Gadādhara Paṇḍita said, “Wherever You stay is Vṛndāvana, as well as the river Yamunā, the river Ganges and all other places of pilgrimage. (280)
“Although wherever You stay is Vṛndāvana, You will still go to Vṛndāvana just to instruct people. Otherwise, You will do whatever You think best.” (281) Taking this opportunity, Gadādhara Paṇḍita said, “Just now the four months of the rainy season have begun. You should therefore spend the next four months in Jagannātha Purī. (282) “After remaining here for four months, You will be free to do as You like. Actually, no one can stop You from going or remaining.” (283) Upon hearing this statement, the devotees present at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stated that Gadādhara Paṇḍita had properly presented their desire. (284) Being requested by all the devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu agreed to remain at Jagannātha Purī for four months. Hearing this, King Pratāparudra became very happy. (285)
That day Gadādhara Paṇḍita extended an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord took His lunch at his place with the other devotees. (286) No ordinary human being can possibly describe Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s affectionate presentation of food or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s tasting this food. (287) In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performs His pastimes, which are unlimited and unfathomable. Somehow or other, these have briefly been described. It is not possible to describe them elaborately. (288) Although Lord Anantadeva is always describing the pastimes of the Lord with His thousands of mouths, He cannot reach the end of even one of the Lord’s pastimes. (289) 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. (290)
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