Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 19 Summary

A summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrita-pravaha-bhashya. Meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in a village called Ramakeli, two brothers, Rupa and Sanatana, began to devise means to get out of their government service. They appointed some brahmanas to perform purascarana ceremonies and chant the holy name of Krishna. Srila Rupa Gosvami deposited ten thousand gold coins with a grocer, and the balance he brought in two boats to a place called Bakla Candradvipa. There he divided this money among the brahmanas, Vaishnavas and his relatives, and a portion he kept for emergency measures and personal needs. He was informed that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was going to Vrindavana from Jagannatha Puri through the forest of Madhya Pradesh; therefore he sent two people to Jagannatha Puri to find out when the Lord would leave for Vrindavana. In this way Rupa Gosvami retired, but Sanatana Gosvami told the Nawab that he was sick and could not attend to his work. Giving this excuse, he sat at home and studied Srimad-Bhagavatam with learned brahmana scholars. The Nawab Hussain Shah first sent his personal physician to see what the real facts were; then he personally came to see why Sanatana was not attending to official business. Knowing that he wanted to resign his post, the Nawab had him arrested and imprisoned. The Nawab then went off to attack Orissa.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu started for Vrindavana through the forest of Madhya Pradesh (Jharikhanda), Rupa Gosvami left home and sent news to Sanatana that he was leaving with his younger brother (Anupama Mallika) to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Rupa Gosvami finally reached Prayaga and met with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for ten successive days. During this time, Vallabha Bhatta extended an invitation to the Lord with great respect. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced Srila Rupa Gosvami to Vallabha Bhatta. After this, a brahmana scholar named Raghupati Upadhyaya arrived and discussed Krishna consciousness with the Lord. Kaviraja Gosvami then extensively describes the living condition of Sri Rupa and Sanatana at Vrindavana. During the ten days at Prayaga, Srila Rupa Gosvami was instructed by the Lord, who gave him the basic principles of the Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu. The Lord then sent Srila Rupa Gosvami to Vrindavana. The Lord Himself returned to Varanasi and stayed at the home of Candrasekhara.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness