Bhattáchárya gathered all green leaves, roots and fruits wherever he found them on the way. When they halted at a village, six or seven Brahmans would invite Him; one supplied Bhattáchárya with rice, another with milk, curds, ghee, or sugar. Where there was no Brahman inhabitant, all the Shudra merchants invited Bhattáchárya. He cooked the wild vegetables, which delighted the Master. He kept a store of rice to last for three or four days. In the lonely parts of the jungle, where there was no human habitation, Bhattáchárya cooked that rice with soup of wild vegetables. The picnic delighted the Master exceedingly and the solitude gratified Him. Bhattáchárya served Him as tenderly as a slave, his Brahman carrying the water-pot and clothing. Thrice daily He bathed in the hot springs, twice He warmed Himself by the fire, as fuel was abundant; ever did He move in solitude rapt in love. Feeling the bliss (of such a life) He said, "Much have I travelled, but nowhere have I found any trace of the (alleged) hardships of journeying in forests. Passing gracious has Krishna been to me: He has directed me to this forest path to give me varied delight. Previously when I had resolved to visit Brindában after seeing my mother, the Ganges and my bhaktas, and taking a party of my followers faith me, and with that aim went to Bengal, and after delighting myself with the sight of those dear ones, I set out joyfully with my followers, a million people joined me. Then Krishna instructed me through the mouth of Sanátan; He hindered that journey and brought me to this forest path. O Ocean of Mercy! gracious unto this humble wretch! There can be no pleasure without thy grace!" Then embracing Bhattáchárya He said, "All this pleasure have I through thy help." But Bhattáchárya replied, "You are Krishna, you are the gracious one! I am a despicable being; you have taken pity on me; you have (deigned to) take me with you, and to eat food cooked by me. I am a wretch. But you have ennobled this crow to the rank of Garuda. You are God Himself, a free being!"
Thus did Balabhadra hymn the Master and please His mind by his loving service. Thus enjoying much bliss He reached Benares and bathed at noon at the Mani-Karnika ghát. Tapan Mishra was then bathing there, and felt some surprise on seeing the Master, as he had previously (only) heard of Chaitanya having turned hermit. When the recognition became certain, he was filled with rapture, and wept clasping the Master's feet, but He raised and embraced him. The Mishra guided the Master to the temple of Vishweshwar and Bindu Madhav, and at last brought Him to his own house, where he served Him, danced (in ecstasy) with his garment fluttering, drank with his whole family the washings of the Master's feet, fed Him, honoured Balabhadra Bhattáchárya, and arranged for his cooking.
After taking His meal the Master lay down, the Mishra's son, Raghu, shampooing His feet. The Mishra family ate the leavings of the Master's plate. Chandra-Shekhar, a scribe of the Vaidya caste, resident in Benares, a friend of the Mishra and a devotee of the Master, came there on hearing of His arrival. As he wept at His feet, Chaitanya lifted up and graciously embraced him. Chandra-Shekhar said, "Great is thy grace, Master that thou hast appeared to thy servant! At my first coming to Benares I used to hear nothing but the words 'illusion' (máyá) and Brahma. Here nothing was preached except expositions of the six systems of philosophy. Then the Mishra kindly told me of Krishna, and we two meditated ceaselessly on thy feet. Omniscient God! thou hast appeared to us. Let us both serve thee for some days before thou goest to Brindában, as we hear." The Mishra added, "Master, during your stay at Kashi do not consent to dine anywhere except in my house." Thus the Master, compelled by His two devotees, stayed there for some ten days against His will. A Maratha Brahman came to see Him, marvelled at His beauty and devotion, and invited Him, but He declined saying that He was already engaged for the day. With the same plea He put him off day after day in fear of some sannyasis joining His company.
Prakashánanda used to deliver public lectures on Vedánta to his many pupils. The Maratha Brahman, after having viewed the Master, described Him to Prakashánanda thus, "A sannyasi has come here from Jagannáth, whose glory and power I cannot adequately describe. Big of limbs, fair as the purest gold, long-armed, lotus-eyed, clad in all the marks of God-head, as one can see. O, marvel! The sight of Him convinces one that He is Náráyan. Whosoever beholds Him chants Krishna's sankirtan. All the marks of a great bhágabat as described in the Bhágabat are evident in Him. Ever does His tongue sing Krishna's name, His eyes run tears like the Ganges stream. Now He dances, now laughs, now sings and now weeps, or at times roars like the lion. The world's benefactor is He, named Krishna-Chaitanya. His name, appearance, and virtues, all are matchless. To see Him is to know Him as fashioned in God's mould. Hearing will not make one credit this marvellous tale."
The philosopher laughed much and scoffed at the Brahman, saying, "I have heard that there is a sannyasi in Bengal, an emotionalist, a disciple of Keshav Bhárati and a fraud on the public. He is named Chaitanya, and with his emotional band he roams over the country dancing. Everyone who sees him calls him God. Such is his spell, all beholders are bewitched. I hear that the great scholar Sárvabhauma Bhattáchárya has turned mad in this Chaitanya's company. He is a sannyasi in name only, but really a great wizard. But his stock in trade of sentimentality will not sell at Kashi! Attend to Vedánta; do not resort to him! The companionship of the wild man will ruin you in life and death." Grieved at these words, the Maratha Brahman left the place appealing to Krishna. His mind having been purged by the Master's sight, he came to Him and unfolded the tale of his sorrow. The Master smiled. The Brahman continued, "When I first mentioned you to him, he said that he knew you. When he uttered your name in the course of his abuse of you, he thrice used the form Chaitanya without adding Krishna! It grieved me to hear him speak your name in such a contemptuous manner. Tell me the reason of his conduct, for my lips uttered Krishna's name as soon as I saw you." The Master replied, "The philosophers who hold the doctrine of illusion sin against Krishna. They constantly prate about Brahma, Atma and Chaitanya, and cannot utter the name of Krishna, because that is equivalent to Krishna's self. The name, the image, and the self of a god are all one; there is no distinction between them; the three are of the form of soul's bliss (chidánanda). Between Krishna's body and personality, between his name and Krishna himself there is no difference. In the case of creatures, no doubt, name, body, and personality are different from one another. Vide Hari-bhakti-vilas xi. 269.
"Therefore Krishna's name, body, and action (vilás) cannot be comprehended by the natural senses; they manifest themselves. His name, qualities, and antics are the soul's bliss (chidánanda) like Krishna's own form. From delight in God comes the fuller pleasure of appreciating Krishna's actions (lilá), which attract and conquer the spiritual man. Vide Bhágabat, XII. xii. 52.
"From delight in God comes the fuller pleasure (of relishing) Krishna's merits, which attract the inmost spirit of the soul. Vide Bhágabat, I. vi. 10. Not to speak of Krishna's feet, even the odour of the Tulsi plant captivates the inmost sense of the soul. Vide Bhágabat, III., xv. 43.
"Therefore does Krishna's name fail to rise to his lips; the Illusionists are mere Phenomenalists. He has said that I have come to Kashi with a parcel of sentiments for which there is no customer here, and I must take it all back! Well, how shall I carry away this heavy load? I will sell it here even for a trifle!" So saying and making that Brahman His own, next morning He set out for Mathura. The three followed Him, but He sent them home from a distance. In His absence they used to meet together and sing His praise, mad with love. At Allahabad He bathed in the Triveni, and danced and sang in devotion before the image of Madhav. In rapture at the sight of the Jamuna, He jumped into it, but was hurriedly dragged out by Bhattáchárya. Three days He spent thus at Allahabad saving men by imparting to them the love and name of Krishna. On the way to Mathura wherever He halted, He made the people dance to Krishna's loved name. He now made the people of the West Vaishnavs, as He had formerly done those of the South. Wherever He came to the Jamuna on the way, He leapt into it, senseless with love.
On approaching Mathura, He prostrated Himself in an ecstasy of devotion at the sight of the city. Here He bathed in the Vishram ghát, and bowed to Kesav's image at the place of his nativity. He danced, sang, and shouted in rapture,—men marvelling at his fervour. One Brahman clasped His feet and then began to dance with Him over come with love. Both danced in rapture, embraced each other, and cried Hari! Krishna! with uplifted arms. The spectators shouted Hari! Hari!—there was a tumult; the attendant of the image garlanded the Master. Marvelling at the sight of the Master, the people said, "Such beauty and such devotion can never be human. Verily, He is the incarnation of Krishna, come to Mathura to save mankind, because at the sight of Him men are intoxicated with love and laugh weep dance and sing Krishna's name!"
Then the Master took the Brahman apart and asked him secretly, "You are a Brahman, noble-minded, simple and old. Whence did you acquire such wealth of love?" The man replied, "When Madhavendra Puri came here on his travels, he was pleased to be my guest; he made me his disciple and ate of my cooking. That great soul revealed the (concealed) Gopal, who is worshipped at Govardhan to this day." At this the Master touched his feet, but the Brahman in alarm fell down at the Master's feet. The Master explained, "You are my guru, and I am almost a disciple to you. The guru should not bow to the disciple." The Brahman in fear and surprise asked, "Why do you, a sannyasi, use such language? But stay! Your fervour makes me infer that you are connected with Madhavendra Puri [by the tie of initiation]. He was filled with love of Krishna: nowhere do we find even the savour of such love except jmong those connected with him." Then Bhattáchárya explained the Master's relation to the Puri, at which the Brahman began to dance in rapture. He conducted the Master to his own house, and of his own will served Him in many ways. He made Bhattáchárya cook the Master's meal, but He smilingly said, "The Puri has dined with you. Do thou feed me. This is an instruction for me. Vide Gitá, iii. 21."