Nityananda Caritamrta

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Lord Nityänanda’s Grand Bathing Ceremony at the House of Räghava Paëòita
tees walked very fast, sometimes forgetting themselves so that
they walked in the wrong direction. They often asked the local
people: “Brothers, please tell us how to reach the shore of the
Ganges.”
“Alas! Alas! You are on the wrong path,” the people would
reply. “You just wasted six hours of your journey.”
Getting proper directions, they would return to the correct
path. Later on, when they again asked for the right path, the
people told them to take a twenty-mile detour to reach the correct
path. All of them smilingly walked along the road. They
hardly knew their own selves, and so what to speak of the roads.
None of them felt the urges of the body, such as hunger, thirst,
fear, or distress. They were completely merged in transcendental
ecstasy. No one can describe the unlimited pastimes Nityänanda
Prabhu performed on the way to Bengal.
Nityänanda, the origin of Çré Ananta, finally reached the
village of Pänihäöi by the shore of the Ganges. Nityänanda
Prabhu and His associates then arrived at the house of Räghava
Paëòita 21 at Pänihäöi. Räghava Paëòita was overjoyed to see Nityänanda
Prabhu. Çré Makaradhvaja Kara 22 , who was a disciple of
Räghava Paëòita, also became very pleased.
21 Çré Räghava Paëòita was Dhaniñöhä-sakhé in his previous incarnation.
Every year, Räghava Paëòita would go to Jagannätha Puré.
His sister, Damayanté-devé, would prepare varieties of sweets for Lord
Caitanya. Räghava Paëòita would take them in a basket to Jagannätha
Puré for the Lord. This basket was well-known as räghavera
jhäli, or the basket of Räghava. Çréman Mahäprabhu would eat these
preparations throughout the year.
22 Çré Makaradhvaja Kara was the famous dancer called Candramukha
in vraja-lélä. He appeared in the village of Pänihäöi. He
was a disciple of Räghava Paëòita who served him with his body and
mind. He carried the basket of Räghava to Néläcala. His ancestral
house stands on the eastern side of Cätu Bäbä’s garden within the
Bhavänépura wood of Pänihäöi, by the side of the road that leads to
the village Sukhacara.
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