Chapter 17

The Pastimes
of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Youth

This Seventeenth Chapter, as summarized by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his
Amrta-pravaha-bhdsya, describes Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’'s pastimes from His
sixteenth year until the time He accepted the renounced order of life. Srila
Vendavana dasa Thakura has already vividly described these pastimes in the
Caitanya-bhdgavata. Therefore Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami describes them only
briefly. Vivid descriptions of some portions of His pastimes are seen in this chapter,
however, because Vrndavana dasa Thakura has not elaborately described them.

In this chapter we shall find descriptions of the mango distribution festival and
Lord Caitanya’s discourses with Chand Kazi. Finally, the chapter shows that the
same son of mother Yasoda, Lord Krsna, tasted four transcendental mellows of
devotional service in His form of Sacinandana, the son of mother Sact. To under-
stand Srimati Radharani's ecstatic love for Him, Lord Sri Krsna assumed the form
of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The attitude of Srimati Radharani is considered the
superexcellent devotional mentality. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna Himself
assumed the position of Srimati Radharani to taste Her ecstatic situation. No one
else could do this.

When Sri Krsna assumed the form of the four-armed Narayania, the gop7s showed
their respect, but they were not very much interested in Him. bn the ecstatic love of
the gopis, all worshipable forms but Krsna are rejected. Among all the gopis,
Srimati Radharani has the highest ecstatic love. When Krsna in His form of Narayana
saw Radharani, He could not keep His position as Narayana, and again He assumed
the form of Krsna.

The King of Vrajabhami is Nanda Maharaja, and the same person in Navadvipa
is Jagannatha Misra, the father of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Similarly, mother Vasoda
is the Queen of Vrajabhimi, and in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya she is Sacimata.
Therefore the son of SacT is the son of Yasoda. Sri Nityananda occupies an ecstatic
position of parental love in servitude and fraternal attraction. Sri Advaita Prabhu
exhibits the ecstasy of both fraternity and servitude. All the Lord's other associates,
situated in their original love, engage in the service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The same Absolute Truth who enjoys as Krsna, Syamasundara, who plays His
flute and dances with the gopis, sometimes takes birth in a braéhmara family and
plays the part of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, accepting the renounced order of life.
it appears contradictory that the same Krsna accepted the ecstasy of the gopis,
and of course this is very difficult for an ordinary person to understand. But if
we accept the inconceivable energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we can
understand that everything is possible. There is no need of mundane arguments in
this connection because mundane arguments are meaningless arguments in
regard to inconceivable potency.

255
