"Hari's name, Hari's name, Hari's name alone; in the Kali era there is no other means of salvation, no other, indeed no other!" [Vrihad Narad Puran.]
In full detail did the Master hold forth on the meaning of the above verse. Bhattáchárya was filled with wonder. Gopinath Acharya said, "Bhattáchárya! I told you before that you would come to this!" Bhattáchárya bowed to him thankfully and replied, "The Master has blessed me by reason of my being related to you. You are a great devotee, and I a blind logician. For your sake has the Master favoured me." Pleased with his meekness, Chaitanya embraced him and then said, "Now go and see the god". Bhattáchárya, after visiting Jagannáth, came home with Jagadánanda and Damodar [two disciples of Chaitanya], and sent to Chaitanya many kinds of choice prasád with his own cook in their company, and also put two verses of his own written on a palm leaf into the hands of Jagadánanda for Chaitanya. When they arrived at the Master's house, Mukunda Datta took the letter from his hand, and wrote the two verses on the outer wall. Then Jagadánanda took the letter inside to Chaitanya, who read and tore it up, but the followers learnt the verses by rote from the wall. The verses are given in Chaitanya-chandrodaya, Act VI. Sc. 32:
I seek refuge with that unequalled supreme Man, who has become incarnate as Shri Krishna Chaitanya, in order to teach passionlessness (bairágya) and devotion through faith (bhakti-yog). May my mind, like a bee, settle firmly on the lotus-feet of the Lord Shri Krishna Chaitanya, who has appeared in order to revive his own bhakti-yog, which had perished through the wickedness of ages.
Sárvabhauma became a disciple of the Master, attending to nothing but His service. Ever did he meditate, pray, and recite the name 'Shri Krishna-Chaitanya, the son of Shachi, the abode of virtues!' One day he came to the Master, bowed, and recited Brahma's hymn to God from the Bhágabat, changing two letters near its end. The Bhágabat, X. xiv. 8:
'Lord! That man alone enters into the inheritance of Thy salvation like a true heir, who in eager longing for the day of Thy grace passes his life worshipping Thee with all his mind body and speech and enjoying the fruits of his actions without being attached to them.'
The Master interrupted him saying, "The text has Thy salvation (muktipada). Why do you read it as Thy faith (bhaktipada)?" Bhattáchárya answered, "Salvation is not the fruit at which the faithful fix their gaze; as for those who lack faith in the Lord, salvation becomes a sort of punishment to them [as they are annihilated in the Lord without being able to serve and love Him]. He who does not admit the incarnate Krishna, and he who blames and fights against that incarnation, both of them are punished by being merged in the Lord (Brahma sáyujya mukti). The devotee does not long for emancipation. There are five kinds of salvation, viz., sálokya (living in the same plane with God), sámipya (nearness to God), sárupya (assuming the same form as God), sárshti (equalling the glory of God) and sáyujya (absorption in the Deity). Though the first four afford means of serving the Lord, yet true devotees seldom elect them, but they dread and despise the sáyujya emancipation, preferring hell to it. 'Absorption in the abstract God (Brahma)' and 'Absorption in the God clad in attributes (saguna ishwar)' are two forms of the same thing, indeed the latter is worse still. Vide the Bhágabat III. xxix. II, Kapila's speech to Devahuti."
The Master objected, "The term muktipada has other senses too; it means God Himself, i.e., He whose feet are the means of salvation. It may also mean The abode of salvation, which is the 9th object [mentioned in the Bhágabat, II. x. 1]. Both etymologies yield the sense of Krishna. Why need you change the text to Bhaktipada?" Bhattáchárya replied, "No, I cannot adopt the reading. Though you interpret the term muktipada in the same sense of bhaktipada, yet the former is objectionable as ambiguous. Though mukti has five connotations, yet its principal meaning is absorption in God. So, the word mukti fills me with fear and contempt, while bhakti kindles delight in the heart". At this the delighted Master smiled and clasped Bhattáchárya firmly to His bosom. It was a pure act of grace on Chaitanya's part that Bhattáchárya, who had been a student and teacher of the doctrine of illusion, spoke thus. We recognize the philosopher's stone only when it touches a piece of iron. So all men knew the Master for the veritable Darling of Braja (Krishna) when they saw the deep the Vaishnav spirit of [His disciple] Bhattáchárya. Then did Kashi Mishra and others of the Blue Mountain come and seek asylum at the Master's feet. I shall first describe how Sárvabhauma served the Master, and how carefully he fed Him. [Text, canto 6.]
CHAPTER V
Healing the leper Vasudev
The Master renounced the world in the bright fortnight of Mágh, and came to reside at Puri in Fálgun. At the end of the latter month He witnessed the swinging ceremony of Jagannáth and danced and sang long in ecstasy. In Chaitra He liberated Sárvabhauma. Early in Baishakh He wished to travel to the South. He assembled His followers, embraced them, held them by the hand, and spoke humbly, "I know you to be dearer than life. Life I can part with, but not with you. You my friends have done me a good turn by bringing me here to see Jagannáth. Now I beg one favour from you all, give me leave to go to the South. I must set out to seek Vishwarup [my elder brother], and I will travel alone, taking none with me. Do you all stay at Puri till I return from Setubandha."