One time Gauri Das Pandit wanted to celebrate Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance day[1], so he went outside to invite devotees. He would go from house to house to invite everybody. But there were only three days left before the festival, and there were so many things to do and it was getting late.
Gauri Das Pandit had a disciple called Caitanya Das. He was waiting at the temple and his guru wouldn’t return. He thought,
“Why is Gurudeva not coming? The festival is in just three days! It’s getting late.”
So he left to invite some devotees himself.
When Gauri Das Pandit came back and heard that Caitanya Das had a mandapa[2] built to invite people to a feast, he became angry,
“I am the Guru, I am the manager, why does he invite anyone without my permission?”
He said to Caitanya Das,
“Go away! Why did you do that without my permission? Get out of my temple!”
So Caitanya Das left and went to live on the bank of the Ganges.
Gauri Dasa Pandita was left alone. Many people started to come and nothing was ready. Everybody arrived with something, like rice, dal, etc. but Gauri Das Pandit did not accept them nor their offerings. He said:
“Who invited you?! I did not invite you! Go to the one who invited you!”
The devotees were surprised,
“What? The festival is here… What is happening? Where is Caitanya Das? He invited us.”
Gauri Das Pandit replied,
“If Caitanya Das invited you, then go to him.”
The devotees found the sad Caitanya Das on the bank of the Ganges. Somebody came there in a big boat and brought so much dahl[3], rice, subji[4], etc. and he arranged a big festival there on the bank of the Ganges in an open field.
In the meantime, Gauri Das Pandit was wondering what to do. He did a little cooking and went to the temple to offer the bhoga[5]. But the temple was locked and he could not enter. When he succeeded in entering, he saw that the Deities were not there! He became anxious and upset.
“What has happened? Where have my Deities, my Gaura Nityananda gone?! They are mine! They are my Masters! Why have They left?”
Then he went to the bank of the Ganges to see where Gaura Nitai had gone and on the bank of the Ganges, where Caitanya Das was, he saw Them. He saw that there was a festival with many people. His Gaura Nitai Deities were in in the middle, surrounded by many devotees, and everybody was chanting and dancing.
When Gauri Dasa saw this from far away, he took a stick.
“They are my masters, I’ll not allow Them to go away from me!”
When the two brothers, Gaura and Nityananda, saw that Gauridas was coming fast in an angry mood, They became afraid he could beat Them and hid in the heart of Caitanya Dasa.
Since that day Caitanya Dasa came to be known as Hridaya Caitanya[6]. This is the great soul Duhkhi with whom he wanted to take initiation.
[1] It is now known as Gaura Purnima.
[2] A pavilion
[3] Dahl (or dal, or dhal) is a dish of preparation of lentils or other pulses.
[4] Vegetables.
[5] The food before offered. Afterwards it is called prasadam.
[6] Hridaya means heart.
This is a section of the book “Syamananda, the Joy of Radharani (English)”.
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