At this time King Pratap Rudra of the Gajapati dynasty arrived at Puri. With him came Rámánanda Ray, who first of all interviewed the Master in great delight. The Ray prostrated himself, the Master embraced him, and the two shed tears of joy. At this loving intercourse, all the bhaktas wondered. The Ray said, "I reported your behest to my king, who relieved me of my office, as you wished. I told him that if he would let me I should remain at Chaitanya's feet, as I no longer wished to manage affairs (of state). At the mention of thy name the king in delight rose from his throne and embraced me. On hearing thy name he was enraptured; he held my hand and very graciously told me, 'Enjoy your salary as before, and adore Chaitanya's feet in freedom from all cares. I, worthless wretch, am unfit to behold Him. Blessed are they in life that adore Him. Right gracious is He, the son of Braja's lord. In some other birth He will certainly grant me the sight of Him.' I myself have not a tithe of the passion of devotion which I saw in the Raja."
The Master replied, "You are the foremost of the adorers of Krishna. He is fortunate who loves you. Krishna will accept the Raja because of the great favour he has shown to you. Vide Bhágabat, XI. xix. 21, III. vii. 20, and two verses from the Adi Puran and the Padma Puran."
The Ray bowed at the feet of the four apostles, viz., the Puri, the Bhárati, Swarup and Nityánanda, and properly met Jagadananda, Mukunda, and the other faithful ones. The Master asked, "Ray! have you visited Jagannáth?" The Ray replied, "I am going to see the god now." At this the Master cried out, "What hast thou done, Ray? Why did you come to me before visiting the god?" The Ray answered, "My feet are my carriage, my heart is the driver; wherever they take me I, as rider, must go. What can I do? My heart brought me hither, and did not suggest the idea of visiting Jagannáth first." The Master replied, "Hasten to see the god; go to your kindred and home afterwards." At the Master's command the Ray went to see the god. Who can fathom the mystery of the Ray's devotion?
On reaching Puri, the king summoned Sárvabhauma, and after bowing to him asked, "Did you submit my prayer to the Master?" Sárvabhauma replied, "I have entreated Him hard, but He still refuses to grant interview to kings. If we press Him further He will go away from this place." At this the king lamented, "His advent is for redeeming the sinful and the lowly. He has saved Jagái and Madhái. Has He incarnated Himself with the determination to deliver the whole world excepting Pratap Rudra, alone? Well, He has vowed not to see me, and I now vow to give up this life if I cannot see Him. If I am not rich in the great Master's grace, what boots my kingdom, my body? Everything is useless to me."
Hearing this Sárvabhauma grew alarmed, and he marvelled at the ardour of the king's devotion. So he said, "My liege! grieve not. The Master will surely take pity on you. He can be compelled by love, and your love is most profound; He cannot help doing you grace. Still, I suggest a device by which you can see Him. At the Car Festival, the Master with all His followers will dance in rapture in front of Jagannáth's car, and enter the garden in an ecstatic mood. Just then, clad in a plain robe and reciting the Krishna-rása-panchádhyáyi all alone, you will run and clasp the Master's feet. He will then be oblivious of the outer world, and on hearing Krishna's name will embrace you as a Vaishnav. To-day Rámánanda Ray has lauded your devotion to the Master, whose mind has been turned by it."
At these words the king rejoiced and accepted this plan of meeting with the Master. He learnt from the Bhatta that the Bathing Festival would occur three days afterwards. Thus consoling the king, the Bhatta returned home.
At the Bathing Festival, the Master greatly rejoiced to see the ceremony; but when Jagannáth withdrew to retirement, He deeply mourned for it, and in anguish of separation, like the milkmaids during Krishna's absence, He retired to Alalnath, leaving His followers behind. They afterwards joined Him, and reported that many of the faithful had arrived from Bengal. Sárvabhauma brought the Master back to His quarters in Puri, and informed the king of the fact. Just then Gopinath Acharya arrived at the Court, blessed the king, and said, "Hark thee, Bhattáchárya, two hundred Vaishnavs are coming from Bengal,—all of them followers of the Master and very spiritual personages. They have appeared in the city. Arrange for their being given lodgings and consecrated food." The king replied, "I shall order the Parichhá, to assign them lodgings &c., as they require. Show me, Bhattáchárya, the Master's followers arrived from Bengal, one by one." The Bhatta said, "Climb to the roof of the palace. Gopinath will point them out as he knows them all, I know none, though I long to do so. Gopinath will introduce each." So saying the three ascended to the roof, while the Vaishnavs came near them. Damodar Swarup and Govinda, sent on by the Master, welcomed the Vaishnavs on the way with the god's garlands and prasád. To the Rajah's query Bhattáchárya said, "This one is Swarup Damodar, the alter ego of the Master. That is His servant Govinda. By their hands has He sent the garlands as a mark of honour." Swarup and Govinda successively garlanded Adwaita and bowed to him. But the Acharya knew not Govinda and asked who he was. Damodar Swarup answered "He is Govinda, a highly meritorious servant of Ishwar Puri, who had ordered him to tend our Master, and by Him is Govinda now retained."
The king asked, "Who is the high spiritual chief to whom both have given garlands?" The Acharya replied, "He is Adwaita Acharya, respected by our Master and highly honoured by all. That one is Shribas Pandit, and those are Vakreshwar Pandit, Vidyánidhi Acharya, Gadadhar Pandit, Acharya Ratna, Purandar Acharya, Gangarlas Pandit, Shankar Pandit, Murari Gupta, Nara-yan Pandit, Haridas Thakur (the purifier of the world), Hari Bhatta, Nrisinghánanda, Vásudev Datta, Shivánanda, Govinda, Mádhav, Vásu Ghosh (three brothers, whose chanting delights the Master), Rághav Pandit, Acharya Nandan, Shriman Pandit, Shrikanta Náráyan, Shridhar (the white robed), Vijay, Vallabh Sen, Sanjay, Satyaraj Khan (a resident of Kulin village), Rámánanda, Mukunda-das, Narahari, Raghunandan, Chiranjib (of Khanda), Sulochan, and many more. How can I name them all? They all follow Chaitanya and hold Him as their life."
The king answered, "The sight fills me with wonder. I have never before beheld such radiance among Vaishnavs. They are all resplendent of hue like a million Suns. Never before have I heard such entrancing street singing. Nowhere else have I seen such devotion, such dancing, such shouting of Hari's name, and nowhere else have I seen or heard the like of it."
Bhattáchárya said, "True are thy words. Chaitanya has created this devotional procession-singing (sankirtan). His incarnation is for preaching religion; in the Kali age the sankirtan of Krishna's name is the (only) religion. Wise are those who worship Krishna by means of sankirtan; all other men are overpowered by the spirit of Kali. Vide Bhagabat, XI. v. 29".