Śrī Mādhavendra Purī’s Devotional Service

Nityānanda Prabhu
Chaintanya Mahprabhu
His diskha guru – Ishara Puri
Ishavara Diskha Guru – Madhavendra Puri
Vrindavan , Madhura , Goverdhan , Govinda-kuṇḍa
Gopala deity,[3] better known as Shrinathji , Gopinath deity , Jaggarnath Puri , Annakūṭa festival
It is believed that Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s service in feelings of separation viraha begins with a
single verse spoken by Madhavendra Puri

CC Madhya 4.197
ayi dīna-dayārdra nātha he
mathurā-nātha kadā-valokyase
hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ
dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham

“O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathurā! When shall I see You again?
Because I am not able to see you , My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved
one, what shall I do now?”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was trevaling to Jarggarmath Puri with his devotess assocairtes and
finally he reached the border of Orissa. On His way He enjoyed transcendental bliss by chanting
and begging alms in different villages. In this way He reached the celebrated village of Remuṇā,
where there is a Deity of Gopīnātha.
The Deity of Gopīnātha in the temple at Remuṇā was very attractive. Lord Caitanya visited the
temple and offered His obeisances with great devotion.
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His obeisances at the lotus feet of the Gopīnātha Deity,
the helmet of flowers on the head of Gopīnātha fell down and landed on the head of Caitanya
Mahāprabhu.
When the Deity’s helmet fell upon His head, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very pleased,
and thus He chanted and danced in various ways with His devotees.
Because of their love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they served Him in many ways, and that
night the Lord stayed at the temple of Gopīnātha.
The Lord remained there because He was very eager to receive the remnants of sweet rice
offered to the Gopīnātha Deity, having heard a narration from His spiritual master, Īśvara Purī,
of what had once happened there.

That Deity was known widely as Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu told His
devotees the story of how the Deity became so famous.
Gopinathna Deity had stolen a pot of sweet rice for Mādhavendra Purī; therefore He became
very famous as the Lord who stole the sweet rice.
Once, Śrī Mādhavendra Purī traveled to Vṛndāvana, where he came upon the hill known as
Govardhana.
Mādhavendra Purī was almost mad in his ecstasy of love of Godhead . After walk all the way
around the Goverdhan hill, Mādhavendra Purī went to Govinda-kuṇḍa and took his bath. He
then sat under-neath a tree to take his evening rest.
While he was sitting beneath a tree, an unknown cowherd boy came with a pot of milk, placed
it before Mādhavendra Purī and, smiling, addressed him as follows.
“O Mādhavendra Purī, please drink the milk I have brought. Why don’t you beg some food to
eat? What kind of meditation are you undergoing?”
When he saw the beauty of that boy, Mādhavendra Purī became very satisfied. Hearing His
sweet words, he forgot all hunger and thirst.
Mādhavendra Purī said, “Who are You? Where do You reside? And how did You know that I was
fasting?”
The boy replied, “Sir, I am a cowherd boy, and I reside in this village. In My village, no one fasts.
“In this village a person can beg food from others and thus eat. Some people drink only milk,
but if a person does not ask anyone for food, I supply him all his eatables.
“The women who come here to take water saw you, and they supplied Me with this milk and
sent Me to you.”
The boy continued, “I must go very soon to milk the cows, but I shall return and take back this
milk pot from you.”
Saying this, the boy left the place. Indeed, He suddenly could be seen no more, and
Mādhavendra Purī’s heart was filled with wonder.
After drinking the milk, Mādhavendra Purī washed the pot and put it aside. He looked toward
the path, but the boy never returned.
Mādhavendra Purī could not sleep. He sat and chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and at the
end of the night he dozed a little, and his external activities stopped.
In a dream Mādhavendra Purī saw the very same boy. The boy came before him and, holding
his hand, took him to a bush in the jungle.
The boy showed Mādhavendra Purī the bush and said, “I reside in this bush, and because of this
I suffer very much from severe cold, rain showers, winds and scorching heat.
“Please bring the people of the village and get them to take Me out of this bush. Then have
them situate Me nicely on top of the hill.
“Please construct a temple on top of that hill,” the boy continued, “and install Me in that
temple. After this, wash Me with large quantities of cold water so that My body may be
cleansed.
“For many days I have been observing you, and I have been wondering, ‘When will
Mādhavendra Purī come here to serve Me?’
“I have accepted your service due to your ecstatic love for Me. Thus I shall appear, and by My
audience all fallen souls will be delivered.
“My name is Gopāla. I am the lifter of Govardhana Hill. I was installed by Vajra, and here I am
the authority.
“When the Muslims attacked, the priest who was serving Me hid Me in this bush in the jungle.
Then he ran away out of fear of the attack.
“Since the priest went away, I have been staying in this bush. It is very good that you have come
here. Now just remove Me with care.”
After saying this, the boy disappeared. Then Mādhavendra Purī woke up and began to consider
his dream.
Mādhavendra Purī began to lament, “I saw Lord Kṛṣṇa directly, but I could not recognize Him!”
Thus he fell down on the ground in ecstatic love.
Mādhavendra Purī cried for some time, but then he fixed his mind on executing the order of
Gopāla. Thus he became tranquil.
After taking his morning bath, Mādhavendra Purī entered the village and assembled all the
people. Then he spoke as follows.
“The proprietor of this village, Govardhana-dhārī, is lying in the bushes. Let us go there and
rescue Him from that place.
 “The bushes are very dense, and we will not be able to enter the jungle. Therefore take
choppers and spades to clear the way.”After hearing this, all the people accompanied
Mādhavendra Purī with great pleasure. According to his directions, they cut down bushes,
cleared a path and entered the jungle.
When they saw the Deity covered with dirt and grass, they were all struck with wonder and
pleasure.
Since the Deity was very heavy, some of the stronger men assembled to carry Him to the top of
the hill. Mādhavendra Purī also went there.
A big stone was made into a throne, and the Deity was installed upon it. Another big stone was
placed behind the Deity for support.
All the brāhmaṇa priests of the village gathered together with nine waterpots, and water from
Govinda-kuṇḍa lake was brought there and filtered.
When the Deity was being installed, nine hundred pots of water were brought from Govinda-
kuṇḍa. There were musical sounds of bugles and drums and the singing of women.
During the festival at the installation ceremony, some people sang and some danced. All the
milk, yogurt and clarified butter in the village were brought to the festival.
Various foods and sweets, as well as other kinds of presentations,
The villagers brought a large quantity of tulasī leaves, flowers and various kinds of garments.
Then Śrī Mādhavendra Purī personally began the abhiṣeka [bathing ceremony].
After all inauspicious things were driven away by the chanting of the mantra, the Deity’s
bathing ceremony started. First the Deity was massaged with a large quantity of oil, so that His
body became very glossy.

After the first bathing, further bathings were conducted with pañca-gavya ( milk,
yogurt,
ghee , cow urine and cow dung ) and then with pañcāmṛta (yogurt, milk,
ghee, honey and sugar ). Then the mahā-snāna was performed with ghee and water,
which had been brought in one hundred pots.
After the mahā-snāna was finished, the Deity was again massaged with scented oil and His body
made glossy. Then the last bathing ceremony was performed with scented water kept within a
conchshell.
After the body of the Deity was cleansed, He was dressed very nicely with new garments. Then
sandalwood pulp, tulasī garlands and other fragrant flower garlands were placed upon the body
of the Deity.
After the bathing ceremony was finished, incense and lamps were burned and all kinds of food
offered before the Deity. These foods included yogurt, milk and as many sweet as were
received.
The Deity was first offered many varieties of food, then scented drinking water in new pots, and
then water for washing the mouth. Finally pan mixed with a variety of spices was offered.
After the last offering of tāmbūla and pan, bhoga-ārātrika was performed. Finally everyone
offered various prayers and then obeisances, falling flat before the Deity in full surrender.
As soon as the people of the village had understood that the Deity was going to be installed,
they had brought their entire stocks of rice, dhal and wheat flour. They brought such large
quantities that the entire surface of the top of the hill was filled.
When the villagers brought their stock of rice, dhal and flour, the potters of the village brought
all kinds of cooking pots, and in the morning the cooking began.

Ten brāhmaṇas cooked the food grains, and five brāhmaṇas cooked both dry and liquid
vegetables.
The vegetable preparations were made from various kinds of spinach, roots and fruits collected
from the forest, and someone made baḍā and baḍi by mashing dhal. In this way the brāhmaṇas
prepared all kinds of food.
Five to seven men prepared a huge quantity of chapatis, which were completely covered with
ghee [clarified butter], as were all the vegetables, rice and dhal.
All the cooked rice was stacked on palāśa leaves, which were on new cloths spread over the
ground.
Around the stack of cooked rice were stacks of chapatis, and all the vegetables and liquid
vegetable preparations were placed in different pots and put around them.
Pots of yogurt, milk, buttermilk and śikhariṇī, sweet rice, cream and solid cream were placed
alongside the vegetables.
In this way the Annakūṭa ceremony was performed, and Mādhavendra Purī Gosvāmī personally
offered everything to Gopāla.
Many waterpots were filled with scented water for drinking, and Lord Śrī Gopāla, who had been
hungry for many days, ate everything offered to Him.
The wonderful festival and installation of Śrī Gopālajī was arranged in one day. Certainly all this
was accomplished by the potency of Gopāla. No one but a devotee can understand this.
Mādhavendra Purī offered water to Gopāla for washing His mouth, and he gave Him betel nuts
to chew. Then, while ārati was performed, all the people chanted, “Jaya, Jaya!” [“All glories to
Gopāla!”].
Arranging for the Lord’s rest, Śrī Mādhavendra Purī brought a new cot, and over this he spread
a new bedspread and thus made the bed ready.
A temporary temple was constructed by covering the bed all around with a straw mattress.
Thus there was a bed and a straw mattress to cover it.
After the Lord was laid down to rest on the bed, Mādhavendra Purī gathered all the brāhmaṇas
who had prepared the prasādam and said to them, “Now feed everyone , from the children on
up to the aged!”
All the people gathered there sat down to honor the prasādam, and by and by they took food.
All the brāhmaṇas and their wives were fed first.
Those who took prasādam included not only the people of Govardhana village but also those
who came from other villages. They also saw the Deity of Gopāla and were offered prasādam to
eat.

In this way the Deity worship in the temple was very gorgeously performed for two years. Then
one day Mādhavendra Purī had a dream.
In his dream, Mādhavendra Purī saw Gopāla, who said, “My bodily temperature still has not
decreased. Please bring sandalwood from the Malaya province and smear the pulp over My
body to cool Me.
“Bring sandalwood pulp from Jagannātha Purī. Kindly go quickly. Since no one else can do it,
you must.”
After having this dream, Mādhavendra Purī Gosvāmī became very glad due to ecstasy of love of
Godhead, and in order to execute the command of the Lord, he started east toward Bengal.
Before leaving, Mādhavendra Purī made all arrangements for regular Deity worship, and he
engaged different people in various duties. Then, taking up the order of Gopāla, he started for
Bengal.
When Mādhavendra Purī arrived at the house of Advaita Ācārya in Śāntipura, the Ācārya
became very pleased upon seeing the ecstatic love of Godhead manifest in Mādhavendra Purī.
Advaita Ācārya begged to be initiated by Mādhavendra Purī. After initiating Him, Mādhavendra
Purī started for South India.
Going into South India, Śrī Mādhavendra Purī visited Remuṇā, where Gopīnātha is situated.
Upon seeing the beauty of the Deity, Mādhavendra Purī was overwhelmed.
In the corridor of the temple, from which people generally viewed the Deity, Mādhavendra Purī
chanted and danced. Then he sat down there and asked a brāhmaṇa what kinds of foods they
offered to the Deity.
From the excellence of the arrangements, Mādhavendra Purī understood by deduction that
only the best food was offered.
Mādhavendra Purī thought, “I shall inquire from the priest what foods are offered to Gopīnātha
so that by making arrangements in our kitchen, we can offer similar foods to Śrī Gopāla.”
When the brāhmaṇa priest was questioned about this matter, he explained in detail what kinds
of foods were offered to the Deity of Gopīnātha.
The brāhmaṇa priest said, “In the evening the Deity is offered sweet rice in twelve earthen pots.
Because the taste is as good as nectar [amṛta], it is named amṛta-keli.

“This sweet rice is celebrated throughout the world as gopīnātha-kṣīra. It is not offered
anywhere else in the world.”
While Mādhavendra Purī was talking with the brāhmaṇa priest, the sweet rice was placed
before the Deity as an offering. Hearing this, Mādhavendra Purī thought as follows.
“If, without my asking, a little sweet rice is given to me, I can then taste it and make a similar
preparation to offer my Lord Gopāla.”
Mādhavendra Purī became greatly ashamed when he desired to taste the sweet rice, and he
immediately began to think of Lord Viṣṇu. While he was thus thinking of Lord Viṣṇu, the
offering was completed, and the ārati ceremony began.
After the ārati was finished, Mādhavendra Purī offered his obeisances to the Deity and then left
the temple. He did not say anything more to anyone.
Mādhavendra Purī avoided begging. He was completely unattached and indifferent to material
things. If, without his begging, someone offered him some food, he would eat; otherwise he
would fast.
A paramahaṁsa like Mādhavendra Purī is always satisfied in the loving service of the Lord.
Material hunger and thirst cannot impede his activities. When he desired to taste a little sweet
rice offered to the Deity, he considered that he had committed an offense by desiring to eat
what was being offered to the Deity.
Mādhavendra Purī left the temple and sat down in the village marketplace, which was vacant.
Sitting there, he began to chant. In the meantime, the temple priest laid the Deity down to rest.
Finishing his daily duties, the priest went to take rest. In a dream he saw the Gopīnātha Deity
come to talk to him, and He spoke as follows.
 “O priest, please get up and open the door of the temple. I have kept one pot of sweet rice for
the sannyāsī Mādhavendra Purī.
“This pot of sweet rice is just behind My cloth curtain. You did not see it because of My tricks.
“A sannyāsī named Mādhavendra Purī is sitting in the vacant marketplace. Please take this pot
of sweet rice from behind Me and deliver it to him.”
Awaking from the dream, the priest immediately rose from bed and thought it wise to take a
bath before entering the Deity’s room. He then opened the temple door.
According to the Deity’s directions, the priest found the pot of sweet rice behind the cloth
curtain. He removed the pot and mopped up the place where it had been kept. He then went
out of the temple.
Closing the door of the temple, he went to the village with the pot of sweet rice. He called out
in every stall in search of Mādhavendra Purī.
Holding the pot of sweet rice, the priest called, “Will he whose name is Mādhavendra Purī
please come and take this pot! Gopīnātha has stolen this pot of sweet rice for you!”
Hearing this invitation, Mādhavendra Purī came out and identified himself. The priest then
delivered the pot of sweet rice and offered his obeisances, falling flat before him.
When the story about the pot of sweet rice was explained to him in detail, Śrī Mādhavendra
Purī at once became absorbed in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa.
The priest offered his obeisances to Mādhavendra Purī and returned to the temple. Then, in
ecstasy, Mādhavendra Purī ate the sweet rice offered to him by Kṛṣṇa.
“The Lord has given me a pot of sweet rice, and when the people hear of this tomorrow
morning, there will be great crowds.”
Thinking this, Śrī Mādhavendra Purī offered his obeisances to Gopīnātha on the spot and left
Remuṇā before morning.
Walking and walking, Mādhavendra Purī finally reached Jagannātha Purī, which is also known as
Nīlācala. There he saw Lord Jagannātha and was overwhelmed with loving ecstasy.
When Mādhavendra Purī was overwhelmed in the ecstasy of love of Godhead, he sometimes
stood up and sometimes fell to the ground. Sometimes he laughed, danced and sang. In this
way he enjoyed transcendental bliss by seeing the Jagannātha Deity.
When Mādhavendra Purī came to Jagannātha Purī, people were aware of his transcendental
reputation. Therefore crowds of people came and offered him all sorts of respect in devotion.
Mādhavendra Purī wanted to leave Jagannātha Purī because the people were honoring him as a
great devotee; however, this threatened to hinder his collecting sandalwood for the Gopāla
Deity.
Śrī Mādhavendra Purī told all the servants of Lord Jagannātha and all the great devotees there
the story of the appearance of Śrī Gopāla.
When all the devotees at Jagannātha Purī heard that the Gopāla Deity wanted sandalwood, in
great pleasure they all endeavored to collect it.
Those who were acquainted with government officers met with them and begged for camphor
and sandalwood, which they collected.
One brāhmaṇa and one servant were given to Mādhavendra Purī just to carry the sandalwood.
He was also given the necessary traveling expenses.
To get past the toll collectors along the way, Mādhavendra Purī was supplied with the
necessary release papers from government officers. The papers were placed in his hand.
In this way Mādhavendra Purī started for Vṛndāvana with the burden of sandalwood, and after
some days he again reached the village of Remuṇā and the Gopīnātha temple there.
When Mādhavendra Purī reached the temple of Gopīnātha, he offered his respectful
obeisances many times at the lotus feet of the Lord. In the ecstasy of love, he began to dance
and sing
When the priest of Gopīnātha saw Mādhavendra Purī again, he offered all respects to him and,
giving him the sweet rice prasādam, made him eat.
Mādhavendra Purī took rest that night in the temple, but toward the end of the night he had
another dream.
Mādhavendra Purī dreamed that Gopāla came before him and said, “O Mādhavendra Purī, I
have already received all the sandalwood and camphor.
“Now just grind all the sandalwood together with the camphor and then smear the pulp on the
body of Gopīnātha daily until it is finished.
“There is no difference between My body and Gopīnātha’s body. They are one and the same.
Therefore if you smear the sandalwood pulp on the body of Gopīnātha, you will naturally also
smear it on My body. Thus the temperature of My body will be reduced.
“You should not hesitate to act according to My order. Believing in Me, just do what is
needed.”
After giving these instructions, Gopāla disappeared, and Mādhavendra Purī awoke. He
immediately called for all the servants of Gopīnātha, and they came before him.
Mādhavendra Purī said, “Smear the body of Gopīnātha with this camphor and sandalwood I
have brought for Gopāla in Vṛndāvana. Do this regularly every day.
“If the sandalwood pulp is smeared over the body of Gopīnātha, then Gopāla will be cooled.
After all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is completely independent; His order is all-
powerful.”
The servants of Gopīnātha became very pleased to hear that in the summer all the sandalwood
pulp would be used to anoint the body of Gopīnātha.
In this way Gopīnāthajī was supplied ground sandalwood pulp daily. The servants of Gopīnātha
were very pleased with this.
In this way the sandalwood pulp was smeared over the body of Gopīnātha until the whole stock
was finished. Mādhavendra Purī stayed there until that time.
At the end of summer Mādhavendra Purī returned to Jagannātha Purī, where he remained with
great pleasure during the whole period of Cāturmāsya.
Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally praised the nectarean characteristics of
Mādhavendra Purī, and while He related all this to the devotees, He personally relished it.
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Nityānanda Prabhu to judge whether there was anyone
within the world as fortunate as Mādhavendra Purī.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Mādhavendra Purī was so fortunate that Kṛṣṇa personally
appeared before him on the plea of delivering milk. Three times the Lord gave orders to
Mādhavendra Purī in dreams.
“Being obliged because of the loving affairs of Mādhavendra Purī, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared
as the Gopāla Deity, and, accepting his service, He liberated the whole world.
“On account of Mādhavendra Purī, Lord Gopīnātha stole the pot of sweet rice. Thus He became
famous as Kṣīra-corā [the thief who stole the sweet rice].
“Mādhavendra Purī smeared the sandalwood pulp over the body of Gopīnātha, and in this way
he was overpowered with love of Godhead..
“The Lord is very merciful and attached to His devotees, so when Gopīnātha was covered with
sandalwood pulp, Mādhavendra Purī’s labor became successful.”
Caitanya Mahāprabhu placed the standard of Mādhavendra Purī’s intense love before
Nityānanda Prabhu for judgment. “All his loving activities are uncommon,” Caitanya
Mahāprabhu said. “Indeed, one is struck with wonder to hear of his activities.”
Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “Śrī Mādhavendra Purī used to remain alone. He was
completely renounced and always very silent. He was uninterested in everything material, and
for fear of talking about mundane things, he always lived without a companion.
“After receiving the transcendental orders of Gopāla, this great personality traveled thousands
of miles just to collect sandalwood by begging.
“Although Mādhavendra Purī was hungry, he would not beg food to eat. This renounced
person carried a load of sandalwood for the sake of Śrī Gopāla.
“Without considering his personal comforts, Mādhavendra Purī carried 82 pounds of
sandalwood and eight ounces of camphor to smear over the body of Gopāla. This
transcendental pleasure was sufficient for him.
“This is the natural result of intense love of Godhead. The devotee does not consider personal
inconveniences or impediments. In all circumstances he wants to serve the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
“Śrī Gopāla wanted to show how intensely Mādhavendra Purī loved Kṛṣṇa; therefore He asked
him to go to Nīlācala to fetch sandalwood and camphor.
“With great trouble and after much labor, Mādhavendra Purī brought the load of sandalwood
to Remuṇā. However, he was still very pleased; he discounted all the difficulties.
“To test the intense love of Mādhavendra Purī, Gopāla, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
ordered him to bring sandalwood from Nīlācala, and when Mādhavendra Purī passed this
examination, the Lord became very merciful to him.
“Such behavior exhibited in loving service between the devotee and the devotee’s lovable
object, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is transcendental. It is not possible for a common man to understand.
Common men do not even have the capacity.”
After saying this, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu read the famous verse of Mādhavendra Purī. That
verse is just like the moon. It has spread illumination all over the world.
Continuous rubbing increases the aroma of Malaya sandalwood. Similarly, consideration of this
verse increases one’s understanding of its importance.
As the Kaustubha-maṇi is considered the most precious of valuable stones, this verse is similarly
considered the best of poems dealing with the mellows of devotional service.
Actually this verse was spoken by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Herself, and by Her mercy only was it
manifest in the words of Mādhavendra Purī.
Only Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has tasted the poetry of this verse. No fourth man is capable of
understanding it.
Mādhavendra Purī recited this verse again and again at the end of his material existence. Thus
uttering this verse, he attained the ultimate goal of life.
yi dīna-dayārdra nātha he
mathurā-nātha kadāvalokyase
hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ
dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham

“O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathurā! When shall I see You again? Because I am not
able to see you , My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?”

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited this verse, He immediately fell to the ground
unconscious. He was overwhelmed and had no control over Himself.
When Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell to the ground in ecstatic love, Lord Nityānanda quickly
took Him on His lap. Crying, Caitanya Mahāprabhu then got up again.
Exhibiting ecstatic emotions, the Lord began to run here and there, making resounding noises.
Sometimes He laughed, and sometimes He cried, and sometimes He danced and sang.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu could not recite the whole verse. He simply said, “Ayi dīna! Ayi dīna!”
repeatedly. Thus He could not speak, and profuse tears were in His eyes.
Trembling, perspiration, jubilant tears, shock, fading of the bodily luster, disappointment, loss
of memory, pride, joy and humility were all visible in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s body.
This verse uncovered the door of ecstatic love, and when it was exhibited, all the servants of
Gopīnātha saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu dance in ecstasy.
When many people crowded around Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He regained His external
senses. In the meantime, the offering to the Deity had been finished, and there was a
resounding ārati performance.
When the Deities were laid down to rest, the priest came out of the temple and offered all
twelve pots of sweet rice to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
When all the pots of sweet rice, remnants left by Gopīnātha, were placed before Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, He became very pleased. In order to feed the devotees, He accepted five of them.
The seven remaining pots were pushed forward and delivered to the priest. Then the five pots
of sweet rice the Lord had accepted were distributed among the five devotees, and they ate the
prasādam.
Being identical with the Gopīnātha Deity, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had already tasted and
eaten the pots of sweet rice. Yet just to manifest devotional service, He again ate the pots of
sweet rice as a devotee.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed that night at the temple engaged in congregational chanting.
In the morning, after seeing the maṅgala-ārati performance, He departed.
In this way, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally tasted with His own mouth the
transcendental qualities of Gopālajī, Gopīnātha and Śrī Mādhavendra Purī.
Thus I have described both the transcendental glories of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s affection
for His devotees and the highest limit of ecstatic love of God.
One who hears this narration with faith and devotion attains the treasure of love of Godhead at
the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
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.