CHAPTER 17
The Lord Travels to Vrndavana

The following summary of the Seventeenth Chapter is given by Bhaktivinoda
Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. After attending the Ratha-yatra ceremony
of Sri Jagannatha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to start for Vrndavana. Sri
Ramananda Raya and SvarGpa Damodara Gosvami selected a brahmana named
Balabhadra Bhattacarya to personally assist Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Early in the
morning before sunrise, the Lord started for the town of Kataka. North of Kataka,
He penetrated a dense forest and visited many tigers and elephants, whom He
engaged in chanting the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra. Whenever He had a chance to
visit a village, He would beg alms and acquire some rice and vegetables. If there
were no village, He would cook whatever rice remained and collect some spinach
from the forest to eat. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very pleased with the
behavior of Balabhadra Bhattacarya.

In this way the Lord passed through the jungle of Jharikhanda and finally
reached Varanasi. After taking His bath at the Manikarnika-ghata at Varanasi, He
met Tapana Misra, who took the Lord to his place and respectfully gave Him a
comfortable residence. At Varanasi, Vaidya Candrasekhara, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s old friend, also rendered service unto Him. Seeing the behavior of
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one Mahardastriya brahmana informed Prakagananda
Sarasvati, the leader of the Mayavadi sannydsis. PrakaSananda made various ac-
cusations against the Lord. The Maharastriya brahmana was very sorry about this,
and he brought the news to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, inquiring from Him why
the Mayavadi sannydsis did not utter the holy name of Krsna. In reply, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu said that they were offenders and that one should not associate
with them. In this way the Lord bestowed His blessings upon the brahmana.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu next passed through Prayaga and Mathura and then
took His lunch at the home of a Sanodiya brahmana, a disciple of Madhavendra
Puri. He bestowed His blessings upon the brahmana by accepting lunch at his
place. Thereafter the Lord visited the twelve forests of Vrndavana and was filled
with great ecstatic love. As He toured the Vrndavana forests, He heard the chirp-
ing of parrots and other birds.

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