"The nectar-like discourse of thee, O darling! is life to the afflicted, the theme of praise to sages, and the antidote to sin. The hearing of it does good and gives peace. Blessed are they who spread it far and wide on earth, for they are truly givers of much alms." (Bhágabat, X. xxxi. 9).
Crying the 'giver of much alms', the Master embraced the king, not knowing now who he was. The king's lowly service had won for him the Master's pity, who now made him a gift of His grace without any inquiry. Lo! the power of Chaitanya's grace, which bears fruit without questioning. The Master asked, "Who art thou, my benefactor, that hast poured by surprise into my ears the nectar of Krishna's deeds?" The king replied, "I am the slave of thy slaves. My only desire is that you may make me the servant of your servants." Then the Master revealed His godhead to the king, forbidding him to tell it to anybody. Though knowing everything at heart, He outwardly showed as if He did not know that the visitor was a king. The bhaktas extolled the king for his good fortune. Pratap Rudra took leave after prostrating him self, and then with folded palms bowed to all the bhaktas, and went away. At noon the Master with His followers breakfasted on the plentiful prasád sent by the king by the hands of Vaninath, Sárvabhauma and Rámánanda. The prasád from the Balgandi bhog was excellent and of infinite variety, but none of them was cooked food. [Details of the dishes.] . . .
Knowing the fatigue of the kirtan singers, Chaitanya resolved to feast them. He seated them in rows and began to serve the food Himself. Each man was given one leaf and ten cups of Keyá leaves. Swarup informed Him that as none would dine before the Master, He ought to sit down to meal. Then the Master sat down with His circle and fed all to their fill. The excess of prasád that was left over sufficed to feed a thousand men. Govinda, at the Master's bidding, brought in beggars to eat this food. At the sight of the beggars feast the Master taught them to chant Hari's name, and they were carried away on the stream of love as they shouted Hari-bol.
Now came the time for dragging the car of Jagannáth. The Bengal athletes pulled at the rope, but the car did not move. So they gave up the work in despair. The king and his Court hastened thither in alarm. He set the wrestlers to draw the car and applied his own hand to it; but still the car did not move. Then powerful elephants were harnessed to the car, but it did not advance a step in spite of their utmost efforts. Hearing this the Master arrived with His followers and gazed at the furious elephants pulling at the car. The elephants shrieked at the blows of the goad, but the car stirred not, and the people lamented.
Then the Master took away the elephants, gave the ropes to His followers, and Himself pushed the car from behind with His head. The car sped along rattling. The bhaktas merely held the ropes; they had not really to pull, as the car advanced of itself. In delight the people shouted "Glory! Glory to Jagannáth!" No other sound was heard. In a twinkle the car reached the gate of the Gundicha garden, the people marvelling at the power of Chaitanya. They set up a roar of "Glory to Gaurchandra! Glory to Krishna-Chaitanya!" At the sight of the Master's might, Pratap Rudra and his courtiers swelled with enthusiasm. Then the servitors performed the ceremony of dismounting Jagannáth from his car and conveying him to the Gundicha people. The three images were placed on their thrones, and the ceremony of the gods bath and dinner commenced. The Master began a joyous dance and kirtan in the courtyard in delight. His love welled out in blissfulness, and the sight of it swept away the beholders in a torrent of love. In the evening He witnessed the adoration with lamps, and came to the Ai-totá garden for reposing. Adwaita and eight other leading followers invited Him for nine days. Among the rest as many got a chance of entertaining Him as there were days in the "four months," while the rank and file of His followers had a day free for each individually; so two or three of them combined to give Him a joint entertainment on one day.
Thus did the Master play at dining out. After His morning bath He visited Jagannáth, where He danced and sang with His followers, now bidding Adwaita dance, now Nityánanda, Haridas, Achyutánanda, Vakreshwar or some other bhakta. Thrice in the day did He sing kirtan in the Gundicha garden, imagining that Krishna had come to Brindában and that the period of separation was over. Cherishing in His heart the idea that Krishna was then dallying with Radha there, He remained absorbed in that emotion (of gratification), acting in many gardens the feats of Krishna at Brindában, disporting in the tank of Indradyumna, splashing His bhaktas with water, while they splashed Him from all sides, now forming one circle, now many, and clapping their hands while croaking like frogs. Sometimes a pair of them wrestled in the water, the Master looking on to see who would win. Adwaita and Nityánanda tried to overwhelm each other with water; the former was beaten and vented his feelings in abuse. Vidyanidhi struggled with Swarup, Shribas with Gadadhar, Raghav Pandit with Vakreshwar, Sárvabhauma with Rámánanda Ray. The gravity of the last two disappeared and they became boys again! Seeing their excitement the Master smiled and said to Gopinath Acharya, "Both are grave scholars and venerable men, but they are acting like wild boys. Stop them." Gopinath replied, "When the ocean of your grace surges up, a single drop of it can easily drown tall mountains like Meru and Mandár, what to speak of these two small stones? It is thy grace only that has given the nectar of lilá to one whose life was formerly spent in chewing the dry husks of logical disputation." Laughing, the Master brought Adwaita there and made him lie on his back on the water like the Shesha serpent, while He Himself reclined on him (like Vishnu). Thus did He act the lilá of Vishnu reposing on the serpent. Adwaita, putting forth his strength, began to float on the water bearing the Master.
After disporting in the water for some time He returned with His followers to the Ai-totá. At the Acharya's house He dined with His leading followers. The prasád brought by Vaninath served to feed the other followers. In the evening He visited the god and danced before him, and at night returned to the garden to sleep.
In the garden, in company with His bhaktas He sported as at Brindában. The trees and creepers blossomed at His sight, the bee and the black-bird sang, the zephyr blew. Under each tree He danced, Vasudev Datta alone singing. Each (bhakta) sang under a different tree; Chaitanya alone danced in supreme rapture. Then He bade Vakreshwar dance, while He sang. Swarup and other kirtaniás joined the Master in singing, forgetful of all else in the vehemence of their love.
After performing this woodland sport, He went to the Narendra tank for water-sport. Then He returned to the garden and dined out with His bhaktas. For the nine days that Jagannáth remained at Gundichá, such was the Master's life. He lodged in the large flower garden named Jagannáth-vallabh.
When the time came for the ceremony of Horá-Panchami, the king spoke earnestly to Kashi Mishra, "To-morrow is Horá-Panchami, the day of Lakshmi's triumph. Let the celebration be of unprecedented splendour, so that the Master may be filled with wonder. Let extraordinary arrangements be made for the ceremony. Let coloured cloths, bells, fly-whiskers and umbrellas be brought out of my wardrobe as well as Jagannáth's, and let the flagstaff, flag, bell, &c. be decorated. Let (Lakshmi's) litter be set forth with varied music and dance. The expenditure should be double (the ordinary), so that the ceremony may eclipse the Car festival. Act so that the Master may be drawn to come out with His followers to behold it."