Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrta

CC Antya 7 Summary

CC Antya 7.1: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Simply by the causeless mercy of the devotees engaged in licking honey from His lotus feet, even a fallen soul becomes eternally liberated.

CC Antya 7.2: All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to Nityananda Prabhu! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

CC Antya 7.3: The next year, all the devotees of Bengal went to visit Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and as previously, the Lord met each and every one of them.

CC Antya 7.4: Thus Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed His pastimes with His devotees. Then a learned scholar named Vallabha Bhatta went to Jagannatha Puri to meet the Lord.

CC Antya 7.5: When Vallabha Bhatta arrived, he offered his obeisances at the lotus feet of the Lord. Accepting him as a great devotee, the Lord embraced him.

CC Antya 7.6: With great respect, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu seated Vallabha Bhatta near Him. Then Vallabha Bhatta very humbly began to speak.

CC Antya 7.7: "For a long time," he said, "I have desired to see You, my Lord. Now Lord Jagannatha has fulfilled this desire; therefore I am seeing You.

CC Antya 7.8: "One who receives Your audience is fortunate indeed, for You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

CC Antya 7.9: "Since one who remembers You is purified, why should it be astonishing that one becomes purified by seeing You?

CC Antya 7.10: "'One can immediately purify his entire house simply by remembering exalted personalities, to say nothing of directly seeing them, touching their lotus feet, washing their feet or offering them places to sit.'

CC Antya 7.11: "The fundamental religious system in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Krsna. Unless empowered by Krsna, one cannot propagate the sankirtana movement.

CC Antya 7.12: "You have spread the sankirtana movement of Krsna consciousness. Therefore it is evident that You have been empowered by Lord Krsna. There is no question about it.

CC Antya 7.13: "You have manifested the holy name of Krsna throughout the entire world. Anyone who sees You is immediately absorbed in ecstatic love of Krsna.

CC Antya 7.14: "Without being especially empowered by Krsna, one cannot manifest ecstatic love of Krsna, for Krsna is the only one who gives ecstatic love. That is the verdict of all revealed scriptures.

CC Antya 7.15: "'There may be many all-auspicious incarnations of the Personality of Godhead, but who other than Lord Sri Krsna can bestow love of God upon the surrendered souls?'"

CC Antya 7.16: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "My dear Vallabha Bhatta, you are a learned scholar. Kindly listen to Me. I am a sannyasi of the Mayavada school. Therefore I have no chance of knowing what krsna-bhakti is.

CC Antya 7.17: "Nevertheless, My mind has become purified because I have associated with Advaita Acarya, who is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

CC Antya 7.18: "He is unparalleled in His understanding of all the revealed scriptures and the devotional service of Lord Krsna. Therefore He is called Advaita Acarya.

CC Antya 7.19: "He is such a great personality that by His mercy He can convert even the meat-eaters [mlecchas] to the devotional service of Krsna. Who, therefore, can estimate the power of His Vaisnavism?

CC Antya 7.20: "Lord Nityananda Prabhu, the avadhuta, is also directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is always intoxicated with the madness of ecstatic love. Indeed, He is an ocean of love of Krsna.

CC Antya 7.21: "Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya perfectly knows the six philosophical theses. He is therefore the spiritual master of the entire world in teaching the six paths of philosophy. He is the best of devotees.

CC Antya 7.22: "Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya has shown Me the limit of devotional service. Only by his mercy have I understood that devotional service to Krsna is the essence of all mystic yoga.

CC Antya 7.23: "Srila Ramananda Raya is the ultimate knower of the transcendental mellows of Lord Krsna's devotional service. He has instructed Me that Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

CC Antya 7.24: "Through the mercy of Ramananda Raya, I have understood that ecstatic love of Krsna is the highest goal of life and that spontaneous love of Krsna is the highest perfection.

CC Antya 7.25: "The servant, friend, superior and conjugal lover are the shelters of the transcendental mellows called dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and srngara.

CC Antya 7.26: "There are two kinds of emotion [bhava]. Emotion with an understanding of the Lord's full opulences is called aisvarya-jnana-yukta, and pure, uncontaminated emotion is called kevala. One cannot achieve shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna, the son of Maharaja Nanda, simply by knowing His opulences.

CC Antya 7.27: "'The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the son of mother Yasoda, is accessible to those devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.'

CC Antya 7.28: "The word 'atma-bhuta' means 'personal associates.' Through the understanding of the Lord's opulence, the goddess of fortune could not receive the shelter of Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja.

CC Antya 7.29: "'When Lord Sri Krsna was dancing with the gopis in the rasa-lila, the gopis were embraced around the neck by the Lord's arms. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor was such a thing ever imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the beauty and fragrance of lotus flowers. And what to speak of worldly women, who may be very, very beautiful according to material estimation?'

CC Antya 7.30: "In pure Krsna consciousness, a friend mounts the shoulder of Krsna, and mother Yasoda binds the Lord.

CC Antya 7.31: "In pure Krsna consciousness, without knowledge of the Lord's opulences, a devotee considers Krsna his friend or son. Therefore this devotional attitude is praised even by Sukadeva Gosvami and Vyasadeva, the supreme authority.

CC Antya 7.32: "'Neither those who are engaged in self-realization, appreciating the Brahman effulgence of the Lord, nor those engaged in devotional service while accepting the Supreme Personality of Godhead as master, nor those who are under the clutches of Maya, thinking the Lord an ordinary person, can understand that certain exalted personalities, after accumulating volumes of pious activities, are now playing with the Lord in friendship as cowherd boys.'

CC Antya 7.33: "'When mother Yasoda saw all the universes within Krsna's mouth, she was astonished for the time being. The Lord is worshiped like Indra and other demigods by the followers of the three Vedas, who offer Him sacrifices. He is worshiped as impersonal Brahman by saintly persons who understand His greatness through studying the Upanisads, as the purusa by great philosophers who analytically study the universe, as the all-pervading Supersoul by great yogis, and as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by devotees. Nevertheless, mother Yasoda considered the Lord her own son.'

CC Antya 7.34: "'O brahmana, what pious activities did Nanda Maharaja perform to receive the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna as his son? And what pious activities did mother Yasoda perform that made the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna call her "Mother" and suck her breasts?'

CC Antya 7.35: "Even if a pure devotee sees the opulence of Krsna, he does not accept it. Therefore pure consciousness is more exalted than consciousness of the Lord's opulence.

CC Antya 7.36: "Ramananda Raya is extremely aware of transcendental mellows. He is incessantly absorbed in the happiness of ecstatic love of Krsna. It is he who has taught Me all this.

CC Antya 7.37: "It is impossible to describe the influence and knowledge of Ramananda Raya, for only by his mercy have I understood the unalloyed love of the residents of Vrndavana.

CC Antya 7.38: "The transcendental mellows of ecstatic love are personified by Svarupa Damodara. By his association I have understood Vrndavana's transcendental mellow of conjugal love.

CC Antya 7.39: "The unalloyed love of the gopis and Srimati Radharani is without any trace of material lust. The criterion of such transcendental love is that its only purpose is to satisfy Krsna.

CC Antya 7.40: "'O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our lives rest only in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles as You roam about on the forest path.'

CC Antya 7.41: "Obsessed with pure love, without knowledge of opulences, the gopis sometimes chastise Krsna. That is a symptom of pure ecstatic love.

CC Antya 7.42: "'O dear Krsna, we gopis have neglected the order of our husbands, sons, family, brothers and friends and have left their company to come to You. You know everything about our desires. We have come only because we are attracted by the supreme music of Your flute. But You are a great cheater, for who else would give up the company of young girls like us in the dead of night?'

CC Antya 7.43: "The conjugal love of the gopis is the most exalted devotional service, surpassing all other methods of bhakti. Therefore Lord Krsna is obliged to say, 'My dear gopis, I cannot repay you. Indeed, I am always indebted to you.'

CC Antya 7.44: "'O gopis, I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahma. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.'

CC Antya 7.45: "Completely distinct from love of Krsna in opulence, pure love of Krsna is on the highest level. On the surface of the world there is no devotee greater than Uddhava.

CC Antya 7.46: "Uddhava desires to take on his head the dust of the gopis' lotus feet. I have learned about all these transcendental loving affairs of Lord Krsna from Svarupa Damodara.

CC Antya 7.47: "'The gopis of Vrndavana have given up the association of their husbands, sons and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and they have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Krsna, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to become one of the bushes, creepers or herbs in Vrndavana, for the gopis trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet.'

CC Antya 7.48: "Haridasa Thakura, the teacher of the holy name, is the most exalted of all pure devotees. Every day he chants 300,000 holy names of the Lord.

CC Antya 7.49: "I have learned about the glories of the Lord's holy name from Haridasa Thakura, and by his mercy I have understood these glories.

CC Antya 7.52: "Acaryaratna, Acaryanidhi, Gadadhara Pandita, Jagadananda, Damodara, Sankara, Vakresvara, Kasisvara, Mukunda, Vasudeva, Murari and many other devotees have descended in Bengal to preach to everyone the glories of the holy name of Krsna and the value of love for Him. I have learned from them the meaning of devotional service to Krsna."

CC Antya 7.53: Knowing that Vallabha Bhatta's heart was full of pride, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spoke these words, hinting at how one can learn about devotional service.

CC Antya 7.54: [Vallabha Bhatta was thinking:] "I am a great Vaisnava. Having learned all the conclusions of Vaisnava philosophy, I can understand the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam and explain it very well."

CC Antya 7.55: Such pride had existed for a long time within the mind of Vallabha Bhatta, but as he heard the preaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, his pride was cut down.

CC Antya 7.56: When Vallabha Bhatta heard from the mouth of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the pure Vaisnavism of all these devotees, he immediately desired to see them.

CC Antya 7.57: Vallabha Bhatta said, "Where do all these Vaisnavas live, and how can I see them?"

CC Antya 7.58: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "Although some of them live in Bengal and some in other states, they have all come here to see the Ratha-yatra festival.

CC Antya 7.59: "At present they are all living here. Their residences are in various quarters. Here you will get the audience of them all."

CC Antya 7.60: Thereafter, with great submission and humility, Vallabha Bhatta invited Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to dine at his home.

CC Antya 7.61: The next day, when all the Vaisnavas came to the abode of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord introduced Vallabha Bhatta to them all.

CC Antya 7.62: He was surprised to see the brilliance of their faces. Indeed, among them Vallabha Bhatta seemed just like a glowworm.

CC Antya 7.63: Then Vallabha Bhatta brought in a great quantity of Lord Jagannatha's maha-prasadam and sumptuously fed Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates.

CC Antya 7.64: All the sannyasi associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, headed by Paramananda Puri, sat on one side and thus partook of the prasadam.

CC Antya 7.65: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sat in the midst of the devotees. Advaita Acarya and Lord Nityananda each sat on one side of the Lord. The other devotees sat in front of the Lord and behind Him.

CC Antya 7.66: The devotees from Bengal, whom I am unable to count, all sat down in lines in the courtyard.

CC Antya 7.67: When Vallabha Bhatta saw all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he was greatly surprised, and in devotion he offered his obeisances at the lotus feet of each and every one of them.

CC Antya 7.68: Svarupa Damodara, Jagadananda, Kasisvara and Sankara, along with Raghava and Damodara Pandita, took charge of distributing the prasadam.

CC Antya 7.69: Vallabha Bhatta had brought a large quantity of maha-prasadam offered to Lord Jagannatha. Thus all the sannyasis sat down to eat with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 7.70: Accepting the prasadam, all the Vaisnavas chanted the holy names "Hari! Hari!" The rising vibration of the holy name of Hari filled the entire universe.

CC Antya 7.71: When all the Vaisnavas had finished eating, Vallabha Bhatta brought a large quantity of garlands, sandalwood pulp, spices and betel. He worshiped the devotees very respectfully and became extremely happy.

CC Antya 7.72: On the day of the car festival, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began the congregational chanting. As He had done previously, He divided all the devotees into seven groups.

CC Antya 7.73-74: Seven devotees -- Advaita, Nityananda, Haridasa Thakura, Vakresvara, Srivasa Thakura, Raghava Pandita and Gadadhara Pandita -- formed seven groups and began dancing. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, chanting "Haribol!" wandered from one group to another.

CC Antya 7.75: Fourteen mrdangas resounded with the loud congregational chanting, and in each group was a dancer whose dance of ecstatic love inundated the entire world.

CC Antya 7.76: Seeing all this, Vallabha Bhatta was completely astonished. He was overwhelmed by transcendental bliss and lost himself.

CC Antya 7.77: Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stopped the dancing of the others, and as He had done previously, He personally began to dance.

CC Antya 7.78: Seeing the beauty of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the awakening of His ecstatic love, Vallabha Bhatta concluded, "Here is Lord Krsna, without a doubt."

CC Antya 7.79: Thus Vallabha Bhatta witnessed the car festival. He was simply astonished by the characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 7.80: One day, after the festival was over, Vallabha Bhatta went to the abode of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and submitted a request at the lotus feet of the Lord.

CC Antya 7.81: "I have written some commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam," he said. "Would Your Lordship kindly hear it?"

CC Antya 7.82: The Lord replied, "I do not understand the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Indeed, I am not a suitable person to hear its meaning.

CC Antya 7.83: "I simply sit and try to chant the holy name of Krsna, and although I chant all day and night, I nevertheless cannot complete the chanting of My prescribed number of rounds."

CC Antya 7.84: Vallabha Bhatta said, "I have tried to describe elaborately the meaning of Krsna's holy name. Kindly hear the explanation."

CC Antya 7.85: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "I do not accept many different meanings for the holy name of Krsna. I know only that Lord Krsna is Syamasundara and Yasodanandana. That's all I know.

CC Antya 7.86: "The only purport of the holy name of Krsna is that He is dark blue like a tamala tree and is the son of mother Yasoda. This is the conclusion of all the revealed scriptures.'

CC Antya 7.87: "I conclusively know these two names, Syamasundara and Yasodanandana. I do not understand any other meanings, nor have I the capacity to understand them."

CC Antya 7.88: Being omniscient, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu could understand that Vallabha Bhatta's explanations of Krsna's name and Srimad-Bhagavatam were useless. Therefore He did not care about them.

CC Antya 7.89: When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu rigidly declined to hear his explanations, Vallabha Bhatta went home feeling morose. His faith in the Lord and devotion to Him changed.

CC Antya 7.90: Thereafter, Vallabha Bhatta went to the home of Gadadhara Pandita. He kept coming and going, showing affection in various ways, and thus maintained a relationship with him.

CC Antya 7.91: Because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not take Vallabha Bhatta very seriously, none of the people in Jagannatha Puri would hear any of his explanations.

CC Antya 7.92: Ashamed, insulted and unhappy, Vallabha Bhatta went to Gadadhara Pandita.

CC Antya 7.93: Approaching him with great humility, Vallabha Bhatta said, "I have taken shelter of you, my dear sir. Kindly be merciful to me and save my life.

CC Antya 7.94: "Please hear my explanation of the meaning of Lord Krsna's name. In that way the mud of the shame that has come upon me will be washed off."

CC Antya 7.95: Thus Pandita Gosani fell into a dilemma. He was in such doubt that he could not decide alone what to do.

CC Antya 7.96: Although Gadadhara Pandita Gosani did not want to hear it, Vallabha Bhatta began to read his explanation with great force.

CC Antya 7.97: Because Vallabha Bhatta was a learned brahmana, Gadadhara Pandita could not forbid him. Thus he began to think of Lord Krsna. "My dear Lord Krsna," he requested, "please protect me in this danger. I have taken shelter of You.

CC Antya 7.98: "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is present in everyone's heart, and He will certainly know my mind. Therefore I do not fear Him. His associates, however, are extremely critical."

CC Antya 7.99: Although Gadadhara Pandita Gosani was not in the least at fault, some of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's devotees showed affectionate anger toward him.

CC Antya 7.100: Every day, Vallabha Bhatta would come to the place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to engage in unnecessary arguments with Advaita Acarya and other great personalities, such as Svarupa Damodara.

CC Antya 7.101: Whatever conclusions Vallabha Bhatta eagerly presented were refuted by personalities like Advaita Acarya.

CC Antya 7.102: Whenever Vallabha Bhatta entered the society of devotees, headed by Advaita Acarya, he was like a duck in a society of white swans.

CC Antya 7.103: One day Vallabha Bhatta said to Advaita Acarya, "Every living entity is female [prakrti] and considers Krsna her husband [pati].

CC Antya 7.104: "It is the duty of a chaste wife, devoted to her husband, not to utter her husband's name, but all of you chant the name of Krsna. How can this be called a religious principle?"

CC Antya 7.105: Advaita Acarya responded, "In front of you is Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the personification of religious principles. You should ask Him, for He will give you the proper answer."

CC Antya 7.106: Hearing this, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "My dear Vallabha Bhatta, you do not know religious principles. Actually, the first duty of a chaste woman is to carry out the order of her husband.

CC Antya 7.107: "The order of Krsna is to chant His name incessantly. Therefore one who is chaste and adherent to the husband Krsna must chant the Lord's name, for she cannot deny the husband's order.

CC Antya 7.108: "Following this religious principle, a pure devotee of Lord Krsna always chants the holy name. As a result of this, he gets the fruit of ecstatic love for Krsna."

CC Antya 7.109: Hearing this, Vallabha Bhatta was speechless. He returned home greatly unhappy and began to consider thus.

CC Antya 7.110-111: "Every day I am defeated in this assembly. If by chance I am one day victorious, that will be a great source of happiness for me, and all my shame will go away. But what means shall I adopt to establish my statements?"

CC Antya 7.112: The next day when he came to the assembly of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he sat down after offering obeisances to the Lord and said something with great pride.

CC Antya 7.113: "In my commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam," he said, "I have refuted the explanations of Sridhara Svami. I cannot accept his explanations.

CC Antya 7.114: "Whatever Sridhara Svami reads he explains according to the circumstances. Therefore he is inconsistent in his explanations and cannot be accepted as an authority."

CC Antya 7.115: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu smilingly replied, "One who does not accept the svami [husband] as an authority I consider a prostitute."

CC Antya 7.116: After saying this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very grave. All the devotees present derived great satisfaction from hearing this statement.

CC Antya 7.117: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu descended as an incarnation for the benefit of the entire world. Thus He knew the mind of Vallabha Bhatta very well.

CC Antya 7.118: By various hints and refutations, Lord Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, corrected Vallabha Bhatta exactly as Krsna had cut down the false pride of Indra.

CC Antya 7.119: An ignorant living being does not recognize his actual profit. Because of ignorance and material pride, he sometimes considers profit a loss, but when his pride is cut down he can actually see his true benefit.

CC Antya 7.120: Returning home that night, Vallabha Bhatta thought, "Previously, at Prayaga, Lord Caitanya was very kind to me.

CC Antya 7.121: "He accepted my invitation with His other devotees, and He was kind to me. Why has He now changed so much here at Jagannatha Puri?

CC Antya 7.122: "Being very proud of my learning, I am thinking, 'Let me become victorious.' Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, is trying to purify me by nullifying this false pride, for a characteristic of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is that He acts for everyone's welfare.

CC Antya 7.123: "I am falsely proud, advertising myself as a learned scholar. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu insults me just to favor me by cutting down this false pride.

CC Antya 7.124: "He is actually acting for my benefit, although I interpret His actions as insults. This is exactly like the incident in which Lord Krsna cut down Indra, the great, puffed-up fool, to correct him."

CC Antya 7.125: Thinking in this way, Vallabha Bhatta approached Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu the next morning, and in great humility, offering many prayers, he sought shelter and surrendered at the lotus feet of the Lord.

CC Antya 7.126: Vallabha Bhatta admitted, "I am a great fool, and indeed I have acted like a fool by trying to demonstrate my learning to You.

CC Antya 7.127: "My dear Lord, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You have showed mercy to me in a way just befitting Your position by insulting me to cut down all my false pride.

CC Antya 7.128: "I am an ignorant fool, for I interpret as an insult what is meant for my benefit. In this way I am just like King Indra, who out of ignorance tried to surpass Krsna, the Supreme Lord.

CC Antya 7.129: "My dear Lord, You have cured the blindness of my false pride by smearing my eyes with the ointment of Your mercy. You have bestowed so much mercy upon me that my ignorance is now gone.

CC Antya 7.130: "My dear Lord, I have committed offenses. Please excuse me. I seek shelter of You. Please be merciful unto me by placing Your lotus feet on my head."

CC Antya 7.131: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "You are both a greatly learned scholar and a great devotee. Wherever there are two such attributes, there cannot be a mountain of false pride.

CC Antya 7.132: "You have dared criticize Sridhara Svami, and you have begun your own commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam, not accepting his authority. That is your false pride.

CC Antya 7.133: "Sridhara Svami is the spiritual master of the entire world because by his mercy we can understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. I therefore accept him as a spiritual master.

CC Antya 7.134: "Whatever you might write due to false pride, trying to surpass Sridhara Svami, would carry a contrary purport. Therefore no one would pay attention to it.

CC Antya 7.135: "One who comments on Srimad-Bhagavatam following in the footsteps of Sridhara Svami will be honored and accepted by everyone.

CC Antya 7.136: "Put forth your explanation of Srimad-Bhagavatam following in the footsteps of Sridhara Svami. Giving up your false pride, worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.

CC Antya 7.137: "Abandoning your offenses, chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, the holy names of the Lord. Then very soon you will achieve shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna."

CC Antya 7.138: Vallabha Bhatta Acarya requested Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "If You are actually pleased with me, please accept my invitation once again."

CC Antya 7.139: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who had descended to deliver the entire universe, accepted the invitation of Vallabha Bhatta just to give him happiness.

CC Antya 7.140: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always eager to see everyone in the material world happy. Therefore sometimes He chastises someone just to purify his heart.

CC Antya 7.141: When Vallabha Bhatta invited Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, the Lord was very pleased with him.

CC Antya 7.142: Jagadananda Pandita's pure ecstatic love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very deep. It can be compared to the love of Satyabhama, who always quarreled with Lord Krsna.

CC Antya 7.143: Jagadananda Pandita was accustomed to provoking loving quarrels with the Lord. There was always some disagreement between them.

CC Antya 7.144: Gadadhara Pandita's pure ecstatic love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was also very deep. It was like that of Rukminidevi, who was always especially submissive to Krsna.

CC Antya 7.145: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sometimes desired to see Gadadhara Pandita's affectionate anger, but because of his knowledge of the Lord's opulences, his anger was never invoked.

CC Antya 7.146: For this purpose Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sometimes showed His apparent anger. Hearing of this anger inspired great fear in the heart of Gadadhara Pandita.

CC Antya 7.147: Previously, in krsna-lila, when Lord Krsna joked with Rukminidevi, she took His words seriously, and fear awoke within her mind.

CC Antya 7.148: Vallabha Bhatta was accustomed to worshiping the Lord as child Krsna. Therefore he had been initiated into the Bala-gopala mantra and was thus worshiping the Lord.

CC Antya 7.149: In the association of Gadadhara Pandita, his mind was converted, and he dedicated his mind to worshiping Kisora-gopala, Krsna as a young boy.

CC Antya 7.150: Vallabha Bhatta wanted to be initiated by Gadadhara Pandita, but Gadadhara Pandita refused, saying, "The work of acting as a spiritual master is not possible for me.

CC Antya 7.151: "I am completely dependent. My Lord is Gauracandra, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I cannot do anything independently, without His order.

CC Antya 7.152: "My dear Vallabha Bhatta, your coming to me is not appreciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore He sometimes speaks to chastise me."

CC Antya 7.153-154: Some days passed, and when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, finally pleased with Vallabha Bhatta, accepted his invitation, the Lord sent Svarupa Damodara, Jagadananda Pandita and Govinda to call for Gadadhara Pandita.

CC Antya 7.155: On the way, Svarupa Damodara said to Gadadhara Pandita, "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to test you. Therefore He neglected you.

CC Antya 7.156: "Why did you not retaliate by reproaching Him? Why did you fearfully tolerate His criticism?"

CC Antya 7.157: Gadadhara Pandita said, "Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is completely independent. He is the topmost omniscient personality. It would not look well for me to talk to Him as if I were His equal.

CC Antya 7.158: "I can tolerate whatever He says, bearing it upon my head. He will automatically be merciful to me after considering my faults and attributes."

CC Antya 7.159: After saying this, Gadadhara Pandita went to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and fell down crying at the lotus feet of the Lord.

CC Antya 7.160: Smiling slightly, the Lord embraced him and spoke sweet words so that others would also hear.

CC Antya 7.161: "I wanted to agitate you," the Lord said, "but you did not become agitated. Indeed, you could not say anything in anger. Instead, you tolerated everything.

CC Antya 7.162: "Your mind was not disturbed by My tricks. Rather, you stayed fixed in your simplicity. In this way you have purchased Me."

CC Antya 7.163: No one can describe the characteristics and ecstatic love of Gadadhara Pandita. Therefore another name for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Gadadhara-prananatha, "the life and soul of Gadadhara Pandita."

CC Antya 7.164: No one can say how merciful the Lord is to Gadadhara Pandita, but people know the Lord as Gadaira Gauranga, "the Lord Gauranga of Gadadhara Pandita."

CC Antya 7.165: No one can understand the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They are like the Ganges, for hundreds and thousands of branches flow from even one of His activities.

CC Antya 7.166: Gadadhara Pandita is celebrated all over the world for his gentle behavior, his brahminical attributes and his steady love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 7.167: The Lord purified Vallabha Bhatta by cleansing him of the mud of false pride. By such activities the Lord also instructed others.

CC Antya 7.168: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was actually always merciful within His heart, but He was sometimes externally negligent of His devotees. We should not be preoccupied with His external feature, however, for if we do so we shall be vanquished.

CC Antya 7.169: The pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are very deep. Who can understand them? Only one who has firm, deep devotion to His lotus feet can understand these pastimes.

CC Antya 7.170: Another day, Gadadhara Pandita invited Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to dinner. The Lord took prasadam at his home with His personal associates.

CC Antya 7.171: There Vallabha Bhatta took permission from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and his desire to be initiated by Gadadhara Pandita was thus fulfilled.

CC Antya 7.172: I have thus explained the Lord's meeting with Vallabha Bhatta. By hearing of this incident, one can achieve the treasure of love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

CC Antya 7.173: Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps.

Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness