66 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 9

PURPORT

Kolapura is a town in the Maharastra province formerly known as Bombay Pra-
desh. Formerly it was a native state, and it is bordered on the north by the district
of Santara, on the east and south by the district of Belagama, and on the west by
the district of Ratnagiri. In this place there is a river named Urna. From the Bombay
Gazette it is understood that there were about 250 temples there, out of which
six are very famous. These are (1) Ambabai, or Mahalaksmi Mandira, (2) Vithoba
Mandira, (3) Temblai Mandira, (4) Mahakali Mandira, (5) Phiranga-i, or Pratyarigira
Mandira, and (6) Yyallamma Mandira.

TEXT 282

Sel] CATS AHAAca Sent cailaoee |
fagsa-disa cafy Ser SAH Ne I

tathd haite pandarapure daila gauracandra
viththala-thakura dekhi’ paila ananda

SYNONYMS
tatha haite—from there; pandara-pure—to Pandarapura; aila—came; gaura-
candra—Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; viththala-thakura—the Deity known as
Viththala; dekhi’—seeing; paila—got; ananda—great happiness.

TRANSLATION

From there Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Pandarapura, where He hap-
pily saw the temple of Viththala Thakura.

PURPORT

This city of Pandarapura is situated on the River Bhim. It is said that Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu initiated Tukarama when He visited Pandarapura. This
Tukarama Acarya became very famous in the Maharastra province, and he spread
the sankirtana movement all over the province. The sarikirtana party belonging to
Tukarama is still very popular in Bombay in the province of Maharastra. Tukarama
was a disciple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and his book is known as Abhariga. His
sankirtana party exactly resembles the Gaudiya-Vaisnava sarikirtana parties, for
they chant the holy name of the Lord with mrdariga and karatalas.

The Lord Viththaladeva mentioned in this verse is a form of Lord Visnu with
four hands. He is Narayana.
