Volume 7 - Prabhupada

CHAPTER 17The Lord Travels to VrndavanaThe following summary of the Seventeenth Chapter is given by BhaktivinodaThakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bha?ya. After attending the Ratha-yatra ceremonyof SrT Jagannatha, SrT Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to start for Vrndavana. SrTRamananda Raya and SvarOpa Damodara GosvamT selected a brahmaQa namedBalabhadra Bhattacarya to personally assist SrT Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Early in themorning before sunrise, the Lord started for the town of Kaaka. North of Kaaka,He penetrated a dense forest and visited many tigers and elephants, whom Heengaged in chanting the Hare Kra maha-mantra. Whenever He had a chance tovisit a village, He would beg alms and acquire some rice and vegetables. If therewere no village, He would cook whatever rice remained and collect some spinachfrom the forest to eat. SrT Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very pleased with thebehavior of Balabhadra Bhattacarya.In this way the Lord passed through the jungle of jharikhac;Ja and finallyreached VaraasT. After taking His bath at the Maikarika-ghaa at VaraasT, Hemet Tapana Misra, who took the Lord to his place and respectfully gave Him acomfortable residence. At VaraasT, Vaidya Candrasekhara, SrT CaitanyaMahaprabhu's old friend, also rendered service unto Him. Seeing the behavior ofSrT Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one MahararTya brahmaQa informed PrakasanandaSarasvatT, the leader of the MayavadT sannyasis. Prakasananda made various accusationsagainst the Lord. The MahararTya brahmal)a was very sorry about this,and he brought the news to SrT Caitanya Mahaprabhu, inquiring from Him whythe MayavadT sannyasis did not utter the holy name of Kra. In reply, SrT CaitanyaMahaprabhu said that they were offenders and that one should not associatewith them. In this way the Lord bestowed His blessings upon the brahmal)a.SrT Caitanya Mahaprabhu next passed through Prayaga and Mathura and thentook His lunch at the home of a Sanoc;Jiya brahmal)a, a disciple of MadhavendraPurT. He bestowed His blessings upon the brahmal)a by accepting lunch at hisplace. Thereafter the Lord visited the twelve forests of Vrndavana and was filledwith great ecstatic love. As He toured the Vrndavana forests, He heard the chirpingof parrots and other birds.TEXT 1-t i"'t ,,7;;1 Jt?;;!IC'it-t t I';2ftlilllt-t tti