Madhya-līlā | Chapter 9: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Travels to the Holy Places |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 9 Summary
A summary of the Ninth Chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. After leaving Vidyānagara, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited such places of pilgrimage as Gautamī-gańgā, Mallikārjuna, Ahovala-nṛsiḿha, Siddhavaṭa, Skanda-kṣetra, Trimaṭha, Vṛddhakāśī, Bauddha-sthāna, Tirupati, Tirumala, Pānā-nṛsiḿha, Śiva-kāñcī, Viṣṇu-kāñcī, Trikāla-hasti, Vṛddhakola, Śiyālī-bhairavī, the Kāverī River and Kumbhakarṇa-kapāla.
Finally the Lord went to Śrī Rańga-kṣetra, where He converted a brāhmaṇa named Veńkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, who, along with his family, took up devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. After leaving Śrī Rańga, Caitanya Mahāprabhu reached Ṛṣabha-parvata, where He met Paramānanda Purī, who later arrived at Jagannātha Purī. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then proceeded farther, arriving at Setubandha Rāmeśvara. At Śrī Śaila-parvata, the Lord met Lord Śiva and his wife Durgā in the dress of a brāhmaṇa and brāhmaṇī. From there He went to Kāmakoṣṭhī-purī and later arrived at southern Mathurā. A brāhmaṇa devotee of Lord Rāmacandra talked with Him. Then the Lord took His bath in the river Kṛtamālā. On the hill known as Mahendra-śaila, the Lord saw Paraśurāma. Then the Lord went to Setubandha and took His bath at Dhanus-tīrtha. He also visited Rāmeśvara, where He collected some papers connected with Sītādevī, whose illusory form had been kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. The Lord next visited the places known as Pāṇḍya-deśa, the Tāmraparṇī River, Naya-tripati, Ciyaḍatalā, Tila-kāñcī, Gajendra-mokṣaṇa, Pānāgaḍi, Cāmtāpura, Śrī Vaikuṇṭha, Malaya-parvata and Kanyā-kumārī. The Lord then confronted the Bhaṭṭathāris at Mallāra-deśa and saved Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa from their clutches. The Lord also collected the Brahma-saḿhitā, Fifth Chapter, on the banks of the Payasvinī River. He then visited Payasvinī, Śṛńgavera-purī-maṭha and Matsya-tīrtha. At the village of Uḍupī He saw the Gopāla Deity installed by Śrī Madhvācārya. He then defeated the Tattvavādīs in śāstric conversation. The Lord next visited Phalgu-tīrtha, Tritakūpa, Pañcāpsarā, Sūrpāraka and Kolāpura. At Pāṇḍarapura the Lord received news from Śrī Rańga Purī that Śańkarāraṇya (Viśvarūpa) had disappeared there. He then went to the banks of the Kṛṣṇa-veṇvā River, where He collected from among the Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas a book written by Bilvamańgala Ṭhākura, Śrī Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. The Lord then visited Tāpī, Māhiṣmatī-pura, the Narmadā River and Ṛṣyamūka-parvata. He entered Daṇḍakāraṇya and liberated seven palm trees. From there He visited a place known as Pampā-sarovara and visited Pañcavaṭī, Nāsika, Brahmagiri and also the source of the Godāvarī River, Kuśāvarta. Thus the Lord visited almost all the holy places in South India. He finally returned to Jagannātha Purī by taking the same route, after visiting Vidyānagara again.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness