56
Šrū Caitanva =caritāmrta
[[Madhva-liiā Ch 7]
SYNONYMS
ei-mata —in this way;  yāite yāite —while passing;  gelā —He went;  kūrma-sthāne —to the place of pilgrimage known as Kūrma-kṣetra;  kūrma dekhi' —seeing Lord Kūrma;  kaila —offered;  tāṅre —unto Him;  stavana —prayers;  praṇāme —and obeisances.
TRANSLATION
When Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to the holy place known as Kūrma-kṣetra, He saw the Deity and offered prayers and obeisances.
PURPORT
This Kūrma-sthāna is a well-known place of pilgrimage. There is a temple there of Kūrmadeva. In the  Prapannāmṛta  it is said that Lord Jagannātha took Śrī Rāmānujācārya from Jagannātha Purī and one night threw him to Kūrma-kṣetra. This Kūrma-kṣetra is situated on the line of the southern railway in India. One has to go to the railway station known as Cikā Kola Road. From this station one goes eight miles to the east to reach the holy place known as Kūrmācala. Those who speak the Telugu language consider this holy place very important. This statement is reported in the government gazette known as  Gañjāma Manual . There is the Deity of Kūrma there, and Śrīla Rāmānujācārya was thrown from Jagannātha Purī to this place. At that time he thought that the Deity of Kūrma was Lord Śiva's deity; therefore he was fasting there. Later, when he understood that the  kūrma-mūrti  was another form of Lord Viṣṇu, he instituted very gorgeous worship of Lord Kūrma. This statement is found in the  Prapannāmṛta  (Chapter Thirty-six). This holy place of Kūrma-kṣetra, or Kūrma-sthāna, was actually reestablished by Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya under the influence of Lord Jagannātha-deva at Jagannātha Purī. Later the temple came under the jurisdiction of the king of Vijaya-nagara. The Deity was worshiped by the Vaiṣṇavas of the Madhvācārya-sampradāya. In the temple there are some inscriptions said to be written by Śrī Narahari Tīrtha, who was in the disciplic succession of Madhvācārya. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura explains those inscriptions as follows: (1) Śrī Puruṣottama Yati appeared as the instructor of many learned men. He was a very favorite devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. (2) His preaching was accepted throughout the world with great respect, and by his power he would liberate many nondevotees with strong reason and logic. (3) He initiated Ānanda Tīrtha and converted many foolish men to accept  sannyāsa  and punished them with his rod. (4) All his writings and words are very potent. He gave people devotional service to Lord Viṣṇu, and liberation for elevation to the spiritual world. (5) His instructions in devotional service were able to elevate any man to the lotus feet of the Lord. (6) Narahari Tīrtha was also initiated by him, and he became the ruler of the Kaliṅga Province. (7) Narahari Tīrtha fought with the Śavaras, who were  caṇḍālas , or hunters, and thus saved the temple of Kūrma. (8) Narahari Tīrtha was a very religious and powerful king. (9) He