Bhattacharya Is Converted 239

of Godhead. In other words, there are restrictions in accepting foodstuff
from different kinds of people, but there are no such restrictions in accepting
Prasadam from different kinds of people—neither a restriction as to time,
place, or atmosphere. Prasadam is always transcendental, and it can be taken
under any condition.

Lord Chaitanya was very much pleased to see that Bhattacharya, who
always obeyed rules and regulations, could accept Prasadam without follow-
ing any such rules.and regulations. Being so pleased Himself, Lord Chaitanya.
embraced Bhattacharya. Both of Them began to dance in transcendental
ecstasy. In that ecstasy, Lord Chaitanya explained: “My mission in Jagannath
Puri is now fulfilled because I have converted a person like Sarbabhouma
Bhattacharya.”

The Lord continued: “I shall be able now to attain Vaikuntha without
fail.” The missionary activity of a devotee is to convert one person to become
a pure devotee. Then admission to the Spiritual Kingdom is guaranteed.
The Lord was so much pleased with Bhattacharya’s philosophy that He began
to bless him repeatedly: “Dear Bhattacharya, now you are a completely.
pure devotee of Lord Krishna, and Krishna is now very much pleased with
you. From today you are free from the contamination of this material body,
and from today you are free from any entanglement under the spell of material
energy. You are now fit to go back to Godhead, back to Home.” He then
cited one nice verse from the Srimad Bhagwatam, Second Canto, Seventh
Chapter: “Anyone who takes complete shelter of the Lotus Feet of the Supreme
Lord is favored by the Supreme Lord, Who is known as Unlimited. And
such a person gets permission to cross over the ocean of nescience. Anyone
who is under the misconception that this material body is himself, cannot have
appreciation or causeless mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

After this incident, Lord Chaitanya returned to His place, and Bhat-
tacharya became a pure devotee without any faults. Since he was formerly
an academic scholar, this conversion of Bhattacharya was possible only by
the causeless mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. From that day forward he
never explained any Vedic literature without an explanation of devotional
service. Gopinath Acharya, his brother-in-law, was very much pleased to
see the condition of Bhattacharya, and he began to dance in ecstasy, vibrat-
ing the transcendental sound, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna,
Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The next day, after visting Jagannath temple early in the morning, Bhat-
tacharya came to the place of Lord Chaitanya and offered his respects by
