EXCERPTS FROM SRI CHAITANYA CHARITAMRITA
ABOUT THE PASTIMES OF

KSIRACHORA GOPINATH AND MADHAVENDRA PURI

ayacita-vrtti puri—virakta, udasa
ayacita paile kha'na, nahe upavasa

Madhavendra Puri avoided begging. He was completely unattached and indifferent to material things. If, without his begging, someone offered him some food, he would eat; otherwise he would fast.

premamrte trpta, ksudha-trsna nahi badhe
ksira-iccha haila, tahe mane aparadhe

A paramahamsa like Madhavendra Puri is always satisfied in the loving service of the Lord. Material hunger and thirst cannot impede his activities. When he desired to taste a little sweet rice offered to the Deity, he considered that he had committed an offense by desiring to eat what was being offered to the Deity.

gramera sunya-hate vasi' karena kirtana
etha pujari karaila thakure sayana

Madhavendra Puri left the temple and sat down in the village marketplace, which was vacant. Sitting there, he began to chant. In the meantime, the temple priest laid the Deity down to rest.

nija krtya kari' pujari karila sayana
svapane thakura asi' balila vacana

Finishing his daily duties, the priest went to take rest. In a dream he saw the Gopinatha Deity come to talk to him, and He spoke as follows.

uthaha, pujari, kara dvara vimocana
ksira eka rakhiyachi sannyasi-karana

"O priest, please get up and open the door of the temple. I have kept one pot of sweet rice for the sannyasi Madhavendra Puri.

dhadara ancale dhaka eka ksira haya
tomara na janila taha amara mayaya

"This pot of sweet rice is just behind My cloth curtain. You did not see it because of My tricks.

madhava-puri sannyasi ache hatete vasina
tahake ta' ei ksira sighra deha lana

"A sannyasi named Madhavendra Puri is sitting in the vacant marketplace. Please take this pot of sweet rice from behind Me and deliver it to him."

svapna dekhi' pujari uthi' karila vicara
snana kari' kapata khuli, mukta kaila dvara

Awaking from the dream, the priest immediately rose from bed and thought it wise to take a bath before entering the Deity's room. He then opened the temple door.

dhadara ancala-tale paila sei ksira
sthana lepi' ksira lana ha-ila bahira

According to the Deity's directions, the priest found the pot of sweet rice behind the cloth curtain. He removed the pot and mopped up the place where it had been kept. He then went out of the temple.

dvara diya grame gela sei ksira lana
hate hate bule madhava-purike cahina

Closing the door of the temple, he went to the village with the pot of sweet rice. He called out in every stall in search of Madhavendra Puri.

ksira laha ei, yara nama 'madhava-puri'
toma lagi' gopinatha ksira kaila curi

Holding the pot of sweet rice, the priest called, "Will he whose name is Madhavendra Puri please come and take this pot! Gopinatha has stolen this pot of sweet rice for you!"

ksira lana sukhe tumi karaha bhaksane
toma-sama bhagyavan nahi tribhuvane

The priest continued, "Would the sannyasi whose name is Madhavendra Puri please come and take this pot of sweet rice and enjoy the prasada with great happiness! You are the most fortunate person within these three worlds!"

eta suni' puri-gosani paricaya dila
ksira diya pujari tanre dandavat haila

Hearing this invitation, Madhavendra Puri came out and identified himself. The priest then delivered the pot of sweet rice and offered his obeisances, falling flat before him.

ksirera vrttanta tanre kahila pujari
suni' premavista haila sri-madhava-puri

When the story about the pot of sweet rice was explained to him in detail, Sri Madhavendra Puri at once became absorbed in ecstatic love of Krsna.

prema dekhi' sevaka kahe ha-iya vismita
krsna ye inhara vasa,—haya yathocita

Upon seeing the ecstatic loving symptoms manifest in Madhavendra Puri, the priest was struck with wonder. He could understand why Krsna had become so much obliged to him, and he saw that Krsna's action was befitting.

eta bali' namaskari' karila gamana
avese karila puri se ksira bhaksana

The priest offered his obeisances to Madhavendra Puri and returned to the temple. Then, in ecstasy, Madhavendra Puri ate the sweet rice offered to him by Krsna.

patra praksalana kari' khanda khanda kaila
bahir-vase bandhi' sei thikari rakhila

After this, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot and broke it into pieces. He then bound all the pieces in his outer cloth and kept them nicely.

prati-dina eka-khani karena bhaksana
khaile premavesa haya,—adbhuta kathana

Each day, Madhavendra Puri would eat one piece of that earthen pot, and after eating it he would immediately be overwhelmed with ecstasy. These are wonderful stories.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita Madhya 4.123-140)