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CHAPTER SEVEN

The Lord Begins His Tour of South India

In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura summarizes the seventh chapter as follows. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the renounced order of life in the month of Māgha (January-February) and went to Jagannātha Purī in the month of Phālguna (February-March). He saw the Dola-yātrā festival during the month of Phālguna, and in the month of Caitra He liberated Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. During the month of Vaiśākha, He began to tour South India. When He proposed to travel to South India alone, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu gave Him a brāhmaṇa assistant named Kṛṣṇadāsa. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was beginning His tour, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya gave Him four sets of clothes and requested Him to see Rāmānanda Rāya, who was residing at that time on the bank of the river Godāvarī. Along with other devotees, Nityānanda Prabhu accompanied the Lord to Ālālanātha, but there Lord Caitanya left them all behind and went ahead with the brāhmaṇa Kṛṣṇadāsa. The Lord began chanting the mantra kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa he.” In whatever village He spent the night, whenever a person came to see Him in His shelter, the Lord implored him to preach the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. After teaching the people of one village, the Lord proceeded to other villages to increase devotees. In this way He finally reached Kūrma-sthāna. While there, He bestowed His causeless mercy upon a brāhmaṇa called Kūrma and cured another brāhmaṇa, named Vāsudeva, who was suffering from leprosy. After curing this brāhmaṇa leper, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu received the title Vāsudevāmṛta-prada, meaning “one who delivered nectar to the leper Vāsudeva.”

Text 1:
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, being very compassionate toward a brāhmaṇa named Vāsudeva, cured him of leprosy. He transformed him into a beautiful man satisfied with devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the glorious Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Text 2:
All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Ācārya! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!
Text 3:
After delivering Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, the Lord desired to go to South India to preach.
Text 4:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the renounced order during the waxing fortnight of the month of Māgha. During the following month, Phālguna, He went to Jagannātha Purī and resided there.
Text 5:
At the end of the month of Phālguna, He witnessed the Dola-yātrā ceremony, and in His usual ecstatic love of God, He chanted and danced in various ways on the occasion.
Text 6:
During the month of Caitra, while living at Jagannātha Purī, the Lord delivered Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and at the beginning of the next month (Vaiśākha), He decided to go to South India.
Texts 7-8:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu called all His devotees together and, holding them by the hand, humbly informed them, “You are all more dear to Me than My life. I can give up My life, but to give you up is difficult for Me.
Text 9:
“You are all My friends, and you have properly executed the duties of friends by bringing Me here to Jagannātha Purī and giving Me the chance to see Lord Jagannātha in the temple.
Text 10:
“I now beg all of you for one bit of charity. Please give Me permission to leave for a tour of South India.
Text 11:
“I shall go to search out Viśvarūpa. Please forgive Me, but I want to go alone; I do not wish to take anyone with Me.
Text 12:
“Until I return from Setubandha, all of you dear friends should remain at Jagannātha Purī.”
Text 13:
Knowing everything, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was aware that Viśvarūpa had already passed away. A pretense of ignorance was necessary, however, so that He could go to South India and liberate the people there.
Text 14:
Upon hearing this message from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the devotees became very unhappy and remained silent with sullen faces.
Text 15:
Nityānanda Prabhu then said, “How is it possible for You to go alone? Who can tolerate this?
Text 16:
“Let one or two of us go with You; otherwise You may fall into the clutches of thieves and rogues along the way. They may be whomever You like, but two persons should go with You.
Text 17:
“Indeed, I know all the paths to the different places of pilgrimage in South India. Just order Me, and I shall go with You.”
Text 18:
The Lord replied, “I am simply a dancer, and You are the wire-puller. However You pull the wires to make Me dance, I shall dance in that way.
Text 19:
“After accepting the sannyāsa order, I decided to go to Vṛndāvana, but You took Me instead to the house of Advaita Prabhu.
Text 20:
“While on the way to Jagannātha Purī, You broke My sannyāsa staff. I know that all of you have great affection for Me, but such things disturb My activities.
Text 21:
“Jagadānanda wants Me to enjoy bodily sense gratification, and out of fear I do whatever he tells Me.
Text 22:
“If I sometimes do something against his desire, out of anger he will not talk to Me for three days.
Text 23:
“Being a sannyāsī, I have a duty to lie down on the ground and to take a bath three times a day, even during the winter. But Mukunda becomes very unhappy when he sees My severe austerities.
Text 24:
“Of course, Mukunda does not say anything, but I know that he is very unhappy within, and upon seeing him unhappy, I become twice as unhappy.
Text 25:
“Although I am in the renounced order of life and Dāmodara is a brahmacārī, he still keeps a stick in his hand just to educate Me.
Text 26:
“According to Dāmodara, I am still a neophyte as far as social etiquette is concerned; therefore he does not like My independent nature.
Text 27:
“Dāmodara Paṇḍita and others are more advanced in receiving the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa; therefore they are independent of public opinion. As such, they want Me to enjoy sense gratification, even though it be unethical. But since I am a poor sannyāsī, I cannot abandon the duties of the renounced order, and therefore I follow them strictly.
Text 28:
“You should all therefore remain here in Nīlācala for some days while I tour the sacred places of pilgrimage alone.”
Text 29:
Actually the Lord was controlled by the good qualities of all His devotees. On the pretense of attributing faults, He tasted all these qualities.
Text 30:
No one can properly describe Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s affection for His devotees. He always tolerated all kinds of personal unhappiness resulting from His acceptance of the renounced order of life.
Text 31:
The regulative principles observed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu were sometimes intolerable, and all the devotees became greatly affected by them. Although strictly observing the regulative principles, Caitanya Mahāprabhu could not tolerate the unhappiness felt by His devotees.
Text 32:
Therefore, to prevent them from accompanying Him and becoming unhappy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu declared their good qualities to be faults.
Text 33:
Four devotees then humbly insisted that they go with the Lord, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, being the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, did not accept their request.
Text 34:
Thereupon Lord Nityānanda said, “Whatever You order is My duty, regardless of whether it results in happiness or unhappiness.
Text 35:
“Yet I still submit one petition to You. Please consider it, and if You think it proper, please accept it.
Text 36:
“You must take with You a loincloth, external clothes and a waterpot. You should take nothing more than this.
Text 37:
“Since Your two hands will always be engaged in chanting and counting the holy names, how will You be able to carry the waterpot and external garments?
Text 38:
“When, along the way, You fall unconscious in ecstatic love of Godhead, who will protect Your belongings — the waterpot, garments and so forth?”
Text 39:
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu continued, “Here is a simple brāhmaṇa named Kṛṣṇadāsa. Please accept him and take him with You. That is My request.
Text 40:
“He will carry Your waterpot and garments. You may do whatever You like; he will not say a word.”
Text 41:
Accepting the request of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, Lord Caitanya took all His devotees and went to the house of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.
Text 42:
As soon as they entered his house, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya offered the Lord obeisances and a place to sit. After seating all the others, the Bhaṭṭācārya took his seat.
Text 43:
After they had discussed various topics about Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, “I have come to your place just to receive your order.
Text 44:
“My elder brother, Viśvarūpa, has taken sannyāsa and gone to South India. Now I must go search for Him.
Text 45:
“Please permit Me to go, for I must tour South India. With your permission, I shall soon return very happily.”
Text 46:
Upon hearing this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became very much agitated. Catching hold of the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he gave this sorrowful reply.
Text 47:
“After many births, due to some pious activity I got Your association. Now providence is breaking this invaluable association.
Text 48:
“If a thunderbolt falls on my head or if my son dies, I can tolerate it. But I cannot endure the unhappiness of separation from You.
Text 49:
“My dear Lord, You are the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. Certainly You will depart. I know that. Still, I ask You to stay here a few days more so that I can see Your lotus feet.”
Text 50:
Upon hearing Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s request, Caitanya Mahāprabhu relented. He stayed a few days longer and did not depart.
Text 51:
The Bhaṭṭācārya eagerly invited Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his home and fed Him very nicely.
Text 52:
The Bhaṭṭācārya’s wife, whose name was Ṣāṭhīmātā (the mother of Ṣāṭhī), did the cooking. The narrations of these pastimes are very wonderful.
Text 53:
Later I shall tell about this in elaborate detail, but at present I wish to describe Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s South Indian tour.
Text 54:
After staying five days at the home of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally asked his permission to depart for South India.
Text 55:
After receiving the Bhaṭṭācārya’s permission, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to see Lord Jagannātha in the temple. He took the Bhaṭṭācārya with Him.
Text 56:
Seeing Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also begged His permission. The priest then immediately delivered prasādam and a garland to Lord Caitanya.
Text 57:
Thus receiving Lord Jagannātha’s permission in the form of a garland, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered obeisances, and then in great jubilation He prepared to depart for South India.
Text 58:
Accompanied by His personal associates and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu circumambulated the altar of Jagannātha. The Lord then departed on His South Indian tour.
Text 59:
While the Lord was going along the path to Ālālanātha, which was located on the seashore, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya gave the following orders to Gopīnātha Ācārya.
Text 60:
“Bring the four sets of loincloths and outer garments I keep at home, and also some prasādam of Lord Jagannātha. You may carry these things with the help of some brāhmaṇa.”
Text 61:
While Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was departing, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya submitted the following at His lotus feet: “My Lord, I have one final request that I hope You will kindly fulfill.
Text 62:
“In the town of Vidyānagara, on the bank of the Godāvarī, there is a responsible government officer named Rāmānanda Rāya.
Text 63:
“Please do not neglect him, thinking he belongs to a śūdra family engaged in material activities. It is my request that You meet him without fail.”
Text 64:
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “Rāmānanda Rāya is a fit person to associate with You; no other devotee can compare with him in knowledge of the transcendental mellows.
Text 65:
“He is a most learned scholar as well as an expert in devotional mellows. Actually he is most exalted, and if You talk with him, You will see how glorious he is.
Text 66:
“I could not realize when I first spoke with Rāmānanda Rāya that his topics and endeavors were all transcendentally uncommon. I made fun of him simply because he was a Vaiṣṇava.”
Text 67:
The Bhaṭṭācārya said, “By Your mercy I can now understand the truth about Rāmānanda Rāya. In talking with him, You also will acknowledge his greatness.”
Text 68:
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s request that He meet Rāmānanda Rāya. Bidding Sārvabhauma farewell, the Lord embraced him.
Text 69:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the Bhaṭṭācārya to bless Him while he engaged in the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa at home, so that by Sārvabhauma’s mercy the Lord could return to Jagannātha Purī.
Text 70:
Saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu departed on His tour, and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya immediately fainted and fell to the ground.
Text 71:
Although Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya fainted, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not take notice of him. Rather, He left quickly. Who can understand the mind and intention of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu?
Text 72:
This is the nature of the mind of an uncommon personality. Sometimes it is soft like a flower, but sometimes it is as hard as a thunderbolt.
Text 73:
“The hearts of those above common behavior are sometimes harder than a thunderbolt and sometimes softer than a flower. How can one accommodate such contradictions in great personalities?”
Text 74:
Lord Nityānanda Prabhu raised Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and with the help of His men saw him to his home.
Text 75:
Immediately all the devotees came and partook of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s company. Afterwards, Gopīnātha Ācārya came with the garments and prasādam.
Text 76:
All the devotees followed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to a place known as Ālālanātha. There they all offered respects and various prayers.
Text 77:
In great ecstasy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced and chanted for some time. Indeed, all the neighbors came to see Him.
Text 78:
All around Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is also known as Gaurahari, people began to shout the holy name of Hari. Lord Caitanya, immersed in His usual ecstasy of love, danced in the midst of them.
Text 79:
The body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was naturally very beautiful. It was like molten gold dressed in saffron cloth. Indeed, He was most beautiful for being ornamented with the ecstatic symptoms, which caused His bodily hair to stand on end, tears to well up in His eyes, and His body to tremble and perspire all over.
Text 80:
Everyone present was astonished to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s dancing and His bodily transformations. Whoever came did not want to return home.
Text 81:
Everyone — including children, old men and women — began to dance and to chant the holy names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Gopāla. In this way they all floated in the ocean of love of Godhead.
Text 82:
Upon seeing the chanting and dancing of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Nityānanda predicted that later there would be dancing and chanting in every village.
Text 83:
Seeing that it was already getting late, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, the spiritual master, invented a means to disperse the crowd.
Text 84:
When Lord Nityānanda Prabhu took Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for lunch at noon, everyone came running around Them.
Text 85:
After finishing Their baths, They returned at noon to the temple. Admitting His own men, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu closed the outside door.
Text 86:
Gopīnātha Ācārya then brought prasādam for the two Lords to eat, and after They had eaten, the remnants of the food were distributed to all the devotees.
Text 87:
Hearing about this, everyone there came to the outside door and began chanting the holy name, “Hari! Hari!” Thus there was a tumultuous sound.
Text 88:
After lunch, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them open the door. In this way everyone received His audience with great pleasure.
Text 89:
The people came and went until evening, and all of them became Vaiṣṇava devotees and began to chant and dance.
Text 90:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then passed the night there and discussed the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa with His devotees with great pleasure.
Text 91:
The next morning, after taking His bath, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started on His South Indian tour. He bade farewell to the devotees by embracing them.
Text 92:
Although they all fell to the ground unconscious, the Lord did not turn to see them but proceeded onward.
Text 93:
In separation, the Lord became very much perturbed and walked on unhappily. His servant, Kṛṣṇadāsa, who was carrying His waterpot, followed behind.
Text 94:
All the devotees remained there and fasted, and the next day they all unhappily returned to Jagannātha Purī.
Text 95:
Almost like a mad lion, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went on His tour filled with ecstatic love and performing saṅkīrtana, chanting Kṛṣṇa’s names as follows.
Text 96:
The Lord chanted:
Text 97:
Chanting this verse, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Gaurahari, went on His way. As soon as He saw someone, He would request him to chant “Hari! Hari!”
Text 98:
Whoever heard Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu chant “Hari! Hari!” also chanted the holy name of Lord Hari and Kṛṣṇa. In this way they all followed the Lord, very eager to see Him.
Text 99:
After some time the Lord would embrace these people and bid them return home, having invested each of them with spiritual potency.
Text 100:
Each of these empowered persons would return to his own village, always chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and sometimes laughing, crying and dancing.
Text 101:
Such an empowered person would request everyone and anyone — whomever he saw — to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. In this way all the villagers would also become devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Text 102:
People from different villages who came to see such an empowered individual would become like him simply by seeing him and receiving the mercy of his glance.
Text 103:
When each of these newly empowered individuals returned to his own village, he also converted the villagers into devotees. And when others came from different villages to see him, they were also converted.
Text 104:
In this way, as empowered men went from one village to another, all the people of South India became devotees.
Text 105:
Thus many hundreds of people became Vaiṣṇavas when they passed the Lord on the way and were embraced by Him.
Text 106:
In whatever village Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed to accept alms, many people came to see Him.
Text 107:
By the mercy of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, everyone became a first-class devotee. Later they became teachers or spiritual masters and liberated the entire world.
Text 108:
In this way the Lord went to the extreme southern part of India, and He converted all the provinces to Vaiṣṇavism.
Text 109:
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not manifest His spiritual potencies at Navadvīpa, but He did manifest them in South India and liberated all the people there.
Text 110:
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s empowering of others can be understood by one who is actually a devotee of the Lord and who has received His mercy.
Text 111:
If one does not believe in the uncommon transcendental pastimes of the Lord, he is vanquished both in this world and in the next.
Text 112:
Whatever I have stated about the beginning of the Lord’s tour should also be understood to hold for as long as the Lord toured South India.
Text 113:
When Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to the holy place known as Kūrma-kṣetra, He saw the Deity and offered prayers and obeisances.
Text 114:
While at this place, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in His usual ecstasy of love of Godhead and was laughing, crying, dancing and chanting. Everyone who saw Him was astonished.
Text 115:
After hearing of these wonderful occurrences, everyone came to see Him there. When they saw the beauty of the Lord and His ecstatic condition, they were all struck with wonder.
Text 116:
Just by seeing Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, everyone became a devotee. They began to chant “Kṛṣṇa” and “Hari” and all the holy names. They all were merged in a great ecstasy of love, and they began to dance, raising their arms.
Text 117:
Always hearing them chant the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the residents of all the other villages also became Vaiṣṇavas.
Text 118:
By hearing the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, the entire country became Vaiṣṇava. It was as if the nectar of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa overflooded the entire country.
Text 119:
After some time, when Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu manifested His external consciousness, a priest of the Lord Kūrma Deity gave Him various offerings.
Text 120:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mode of preaching has already been explained, and I shall not repeat the explanation. In whichever village the Lord entered, His behavior was the same.
Text 121:
In one village there was a Vedic brāhmaṇa named Kūrma. He invited Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his home with great respect and devotion.
Text 122:
This brāhmaṇa brought Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to his home, washed His lotus feet and, with his family members, drank that water.
Text 123:
With great affection and respect, that Kūrma brāhmaṇa made Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu eat all kinds of food. After that, the remnants were shared by all the members of the family.
Text 124:
The brāhmaṇa then began to pray, “O my Lord, Your lotus feet are meditated upon by Lord Brahmā, and these very lotus feet have come into my home.
Text 125:
“My dear Lord, there is no limit to my great fortune. It cannot be described. Today my family, birth and riches have all been glorified.”
Text 126:
The brāhmaṇa begged Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “My dear Lord, kindly show me favor and let me go with You. I can no longer tolerate the waves of misery caused by materialistic life.”
Text 127:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Don’t speak like that again. Better to remain at home and chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa always.
Text 128:
“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”
Text 129:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu further advised the brāhmaṇa Kūrma, “If you follow this instruction, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company.”
Text 130:
At whosever house Śrī Caitanya accepted His alms by taking prasādam, He would convert the dwellers to His saṅkīrtana movement and advise them just as He advised the brāhmaṇa named Kūrma.
Texts 131-132:
While on His tour, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would spend the night at a temple by the road. Whenever He accepted food from a person, He would give him the same advice He gave the brāhmaṇa named Kūrma. He adopted this process until He returned to Jagannātha Purī from His South Indian tour.
Text 133:
Thus I have described the Lord’s behavior elaborately in the case of Kūrma. In this way, you will know Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s dealings throughout South India.
Text 134:
Thus Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would remain at night in one place, and the next morning, after bathing, He would start again.
Text 135:
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left, the brāhmaṇa Kūrma followed Him a great distance, but eventually Lord Caitanya took care to send him back home.
Text 136:
There was also a brāhmaṇa named Vāsudeva, who was a great person but was suffering from leprosy. Indeed, his body was filled with living worms.
Text 137:
Although suffering from leprosy, the brāhmaṇa Vāsudeva was enlightened. As soon as one worm fell from his body, he would pick it up and place it back again in the same location.
Text 138:
Then one night Vāsudeva heard of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival, and in the morning he came to see the Lord at the house of Kūrma.
Text 139:
When the leper Vāsudeva came to Kūrma’s house to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he was informed that the Lord had already left. The leper then fell to the ground unconscious.
Text 140:
When Vāsudeva, the leper brāhmaṇa, was lamenting due to not being able to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord immediately returned to that spot and embraced him.
Text 141:
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu touched him, both the leprosy and his distress went to a distant place. Indeed, Vāsudeva’s body became very beautiful, to his great happiness.
Text 142:
The brāhmaṇa Vāsudeva was astonished to behold the wonderful mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he began to recite a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, touching the Lord’s lotus feet.
Text 143:
He said, “ ‘Who am I? A sinful, poor friend of a brāhmaṇa. And who is Kṛṣṇa? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in six opulences. Nonetheless, He has embraced me with His two arms.’ ”
Texts 144-145:
The brāhmaṇa Vāsudeva continued, “O my merciful Lord, such mercy is not possible for ordinary living entities. Such mercy can be found only in You. Upon seeing me, even a sinful person goes away due to my bad bodily odor. Yet You have touched me. Such is the independent behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Text 146:
Being meek and humble, the brāhmaṇa Vāsudeva worried that he would become proud after being cured by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Text 147:
To protect the brāhmaṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised him to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra incessantly. By doing so, he would never become unnecessarily proud.
Text 148:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also advised Vāsudeva to preach about Kṛṣṇa and thus liberate living entities. As a result, Kṛṣṇa would very soon accept him as His devotee.
Text 149:
After instructing the brāhmaṇa Vāsudeva in that way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu disappeared from that place. Then the two brāhmaṇas, Kūrma and Vāsudeva, embraced each other and began to cry, remembering the transcendental qualities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Text 150:
Thus I have described how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu reclaimed the leper Vāsudeva and so received the name Vāsudevāmṛta-prada.
Text 151:
Thus I end my description of the beginning of the tour of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His visiting the temple of Kūrma and His liberating the leper brāhmaṇa Vāsudeva.
Text 152:
One who hears these pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with great faith will surely very soon attain the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Text 153:
I admit that I do not know the beginning or the end of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes. However, whatever I have written I have heard from the mouths of great personalities.
Text 154:
O devotees, please do not consider my offenses in this regard. Your lotus feet are my only shelter.
Text 155:
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.