Introduction to chapter 20

This chapter describes Mahāprabhu’s revelation of Nityānanda’s position in Murāri Gupta’s dream, His refutation of the philosophy of impersonalism, Murāri’s offering of foodstuffs in his house to Mahāprabhu, Mahāprabhu’s resultant indigestion and cure by drinking Murāri’s water, Mahāprabhu’s acceptance of a four-armed form in the house of Śrīvāsa, Murāri’s acceptance of the mood of Garuḍa and Mahāprabhu’s climbing on Murāri’s shoulders, Murāri’s resolution to give up his body and the Lord’s prevention, and topics such as the author’s comparison of blasphemous sannyāsīs to plunderers.

One day when Mahāprabhu was at the house of Śrīvāsa, Murāri came and offered obeisances first at the feet of Mahāprabhu and then at the feet of Nityānanda. At that time Mahāprabhu told Murāri that he had transgressed etiquette. When Murāri expressed his ignorance in this regard, Mahāprabhu told him that he would understand everything the next day. Thereafter Murāri returned home, and in a dream that night he saw Nityānanda as Haladhara Himself, and Viśvambhara was standing there fanning Him from behind. After realizing the position of the two in his dream, Murāri went before the Lord the next day and offered obeisances first to Nityānanda and then to Gaurasundara. When Mahāprabhu asked him the reason for this, Murāri replied that Mahāprabhu as the controller of all living entities had Himself conferred this mood in his heart. Mahāprabhu then informed Murāri that since he was dear to Him, He had revealed His own glories to him. Thereafter Mahāprabhu gave Murāri His chewed betel nut remnants, and Murāri ate them with great respect. When Mahāprabhu then asked Murāri to wash his hands, Murāri wiped his hands on his head. After Mahāprabhu told Murāri about the dangers of falling from his caste according to smārta conceptions, the Lord began to criticize Prakāśānanda, the impersonalist from Kāśī. A Māyāvādī attributes a distinction between the body and the self of the Lord, and since he considers himself as nondifferent from the supreme worshipable Lord, his path to self-destruction becomes wide open.

Thereafter Mahāprabhu praised Murāri and ordered him to return home. When Murāri arrived home, he expressed to his wife a desire to eat.

Murāri’s wife then brought foodstuffs to him, and Murāri took handfuls of rice from the plate and threw them to the ground as an offering to Kṛṣṇa. The next morning Gaurasundara came to Murāri and told him that He had indigestion from eating Murāri’s rice. Gaurasundara also informed Murāri that He would be cured from that indigestion if He drank water from Murāri’s waterpot. On hearing this, Murāri fell unconscious and his relatives began to cry in ecstasy.

One day in the house of Śrīvāsa, Mahāprabhu roared loudly and assumed a four-armed form. As the Lord called out “Garuḍa! Garuḍa!” Murāri came before Him in the mood of Garuḍa and introduced himself as Garuḍa. He explained that he had served the Lord as Garuḍa in His Dvāpara-yuga pastimes and requested the Lord to climb on his shoulders. Mahāprabhu then climbed on Murāri’s shoulders, and Murāri carried Him throughout the courtyard. On seeing this, all the devotees chanted, “Jaya! Jaya!” and glorified Murāri’s good fortune.

On another day Murāri Gupta hid in his house a sharp chopper with which he intended to give up his body before the completion of Gaurasundara’s manifest pastimes. As the Supersoul, Mahāprabhu understood this. So He went to Murāri’s house and prohibited him from doing so.

Thereafter the author concludes this chapter by praising the servants of Lord Caitanya and describing the miserable consequence of the blasphemous sannyāsīs’ offense of blaspheming the devotees.