Introduction to chapter 9

This chapter describes Mahāprabhu’s acceptance of lunch alone at Advaita’s house in Nīlācala, Mahāprabhu’s inquiry from Dāmodara Paṇḍita about Mother Śacīs devotional service to Viṣṇu, Mahāprabhu’s resolve not to eat at the house of anyone who did not daily chant one hundred thousand names of Hari, the Lord’s inquiry to Śrī Keśava Bhārati whether jñāna or bhakti was superior and His jubilation on hearing bhakti was superior, the devotees’ glorification of Lord Caitanya under the order of Śrī Advaita, the Lord’s meeting with Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana, Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s awarding the name Sanātana to Sākara Mallika, Mahāprabhu’s confirmation to Śrīvāsa of Advaita Ācārya’s position as the Supersoul and material cause of all ingredients, the establishment of Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by quoting the incident of the great sage Bhṛgu from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and the inconceivable nature of the exalted Vaiṣṇavas’ behavior.

The Vaiṣṇavas came to Nīlācala with all the ingredients and eatables that Mahāprabhu loved to eat in His childhood, and the Lord, who is affectionate to His devotees, accepted lunch at the houses of different devotees when their devotee wives, who were expert cooks, cooked various preparations from the ingredients that they brought. One day Advaita Prabhu invited Mahāprabhu for lunch and personally cooked for the Lord. Advaita’s wife assisted Him by making all the arrangements for cooking. Śrī Advaita Ācārya had the desire to feed Mahāprabhu alone to His heart’s satisfaction and suddenly, by the arrangement of providence, the sannyāsīs who usually ate with the Lord were separated from Him. Thus Mahāprabhu went alone to the house of Advaita and fulfilled His desire. Since Indra assisted Advaita Ācārya in His discharge of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa by sending a storm and rain, Advaita Ācārya began to offer Indra prayers, considering him a servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Understanding Advaita Ācārya’s heart, Mahāprabhu glorified Advaita by saying that it was not at all astonishing that Indra would follow the order of one whose resolution even Lord Kṛṣṇa was bound to fulfill. The so- called followers of Advaita who rather than accept Śrī Advaita Ācārya’s subordination to Śrī Caitanya think otherwise are not fit to be seen by Advaita Ācārya.

When Dāmodara Paṇḍita returned from Bengal and Mahāprabhu asked him about Mother Śacīs devotional service to Viṣṇu, the impartial Dāmodara glorified mother Śacī as mūrtimatī viṣṇu-bhakti, the embodiment of devotional service to Lord Viṣṇu, and described the glories of the word āi. Mahāprabhu, who was performing the pastimes of teaching ordinary people, asked Dāmodara such a question just to teach ordinary people. Inquiries about one’s devotional service to Kṛṣṇa are proper inquiries about someone’s well-being. Devotees of Viṣṇu are certainly wealthy. Mahāprabhu let everyone know that He would not eat at anyone’s house unless that person chants one hundred thousand names of Hari. Therefore, for the sake of feeding Mahāprabhu, many devotees began to chant one hundred thousand names of Hari.

One day when Mahāprabhu asked Śrī Keśava Bhārati whether jñāna or devotional service was superior, Bhāratipāda replied that devotional service was certainly superior; because exalted personalities like Brahmā, Śiva, Nārada, Prahlāda, Śukadeva, Vyāsa, the four Kumāras, the Pāṇḍavas headed by Yudhiṣṭhira, Prīyavrata, Pṛthu, Dhruva, Akrūra, and Uddhava have all prayed for devotional service at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Some of them even begged for devotional service after giving up their previous attachment for jñāna. Therefore the path of devotional service approved by the mahājanas is the ultimate goal for all living entities and for all time. After hearing the words of Bhārati, Mahāprabhu expressed His pleasure and began to dance in ecstasy.

One day when under the order of Śrī Advaita Ācārya all the devotees began to glorify the names, qualities, and pastimes of the incarnation of Lord Caitanya, the Ācārya began to dance and roar loudly. The Ācārya began to dance with the devotees while chanting a song He personally composed about Lord Caitanya. When Mahāprabhu heard the sound of kīrtana and came there, the devotees under the leadership of Advaita Ācārya began to glorify Lord Caitanya’s names, forms, qualities, and pastimes even more enthusiastically. To protect the mission of His covered incarnation, Mahāprabhu, who is the teacher of all living entities and who accepted the mood of a devotee, left that place and returned to His residence to enact the pastime of going to bed in an angry mood. The devotees headed by Śrīvāsa went to the Lord’s residence, and Mahāprabhu indicated that His identity in His covered incarnation was to remain concealed. In response, Śrīvāsa made a gesture of trying to cover the sun with his two hands to show that by covering a self-manifested object it could never remain hidden. In fact, even if it were possible to cover the sun with one’s hands, it was not possible for Lord Caitanya to remain hidden, for His glories were spread throughout the entire world.

At that time, innumerable devotees from various provinces suddenly arrived there glorifying the names, forms, qualities, and pastimes of the incarnation of Śrī Caitanya and thereby substantiated the words of Śrīvāsa. As a result, Mahāprabhu enhanced the glories of His devotee by accepting defeat.

The science of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya’s position as the origin of all incarnations is accepted through disciplic succession. When He is accepted by personalities like Śrī Advaita and Śrī Nityānanda as the source of all incarnations, and when He exhibits the special characteristics found only in Lord Kṛṣṇa, then to not accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead but to consider Him as something else is nothing but atheism.

When Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana came before Mahāprabhu and expressed their humility, Mahāprabhu glorified their renunciation and instructed them to take shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Advaita Ācārya to obtain loving devotional service. When Mahāprabhu said that Advaita Ācārya was the storekeeper of devotional service, the Ācārya replied that Mahāprabhu was actually the proprietor of that storehouse, and the storekeeper is allowed to give out goods only under the order of the proprietor. In other words, He revealed His subordination to Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu ordered Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana to go to Mathurā-maṇḍala and deliver the people of the western countries from the clutches of sinful activities and improper behavior by preaching pure devotional service.

Then Mahāprabhu awarded Sākara Mallika the spiritual name Sanātana. When Mahāprabhu inquired from Śrīvāsa about the Vaiṣṇava status of Advaita, Śrīvāsa said that Śrī Advaita Ācārya was a Vaiṣṇava in the category of Śukadeva and Prahlāda. This caused Mahāprabhu to manifest His pastime of anger. In that angry mood the Lord picked up a fishing rod and was about to beat Śrīvāsa. The Lord then revealed that Śrī Advaita was the primeval Lord, the source of all ingredients, the Supersoul of everyone, and the incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu; therefore, compared to Him, personalities like Śukadeva and Prahlāda were nothing but children. The exalted author then proves the inconceivable and unique behavior of the perfected Vaiṣṇavas by relating the incident of Bhṛgu described in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. He concludes this chapter by saying that only by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa can one realize the difficult to comprehend characteristics of the Vaiṣṇavas.