CHAPTER 18
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s
Visit to Sri Vrndavana

The following summary of the Eighteenth Chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhdasya. In the village of Arit-grama, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu discovered the transcendental lakes known as Radha-kunda and
Syama-kunda. He then saw the Deity Harideva at Govardhana Village. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu had no desire to climb Govardhana Hill because the hill is
worshiped as Krsna. The Gopdla Deity could understand the mind of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; therefore on the plea of being attacked by Muslims, Gopala
transferred Himself to the village of GaAthuli-grama. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
then went to Ganthuli-grama to see Lord Gopala. Some years later, Lord Gopala
also went to Mathura to the temple of ViththaleSvara and stayed there for one
month just to give an audience to Srila Rapa Gosvami.

After visiting Nandisvara, Pavana-sarovara, Sesasayi, Khela-tirtha, Bhandiravana,
Bhadravana, Lohavana and Mahavana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Gokula
and then finally returned to Mathura. Seeing a great crowd in Mathura, He moved
His residence near Akrira-ghata, and from there He went every day to Vrndavana
to see Kaliya-hrada, Dvadasaditya-ghata, Kesi-ghata, Rasa-sthali, Cira-ghata and
Amli-tala. At Kaliya Lake, many people mistook a fisherman for Krsna. When some
respectable people came to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they expressed their
opinion that when one takes sannydsa, he becomes Narayana. Their mistake was
corrected by the Lord. In this way, their Krsna consciousness was awakened, and
they could understand that a sannydsi is simply a living entity and not the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His bath at Akrdira-ghata, He submerged
Himself in the water for a long time. Balabhadra Bhattacarya decided to take Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Prayaga after visiting the holy place known as Soro-
ksetra. While stopping near a village on the way to Prayaga, Sri Caitanya
Mahdaprabhu fainted in ecstatic love. Some Pathana soldiers who were passing
through saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and falsely concluded that the Lord's
associates, Balabhadra Bhattacarya and others, had killed the Lord with a poison
named dhuturd and were taking His wealth. Thus the soldiers arrested them.
However, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu regained His senses, His associates
were released. He talked with a person who was supposed to be a holy man in
the party. From the Koran, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu established devotional ser-
vice to Krsna. Thus the leader of the soldiers, named Vijali Khan, surrendered to Sri

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