Madhya 19: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

A summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. Meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in a village called Ramakeli, two brothers, Rūpa and Sanatana, began to devise means to get out of their government service. Both brothers appointed some brahmanas to perform purascarana ceremonies and chant the holy name of Krsna. Srila Rūpa Gosvami deposited ten thousand gold coins with a grocer, and the balance he brought in two boats to a place called Bakla Candradvipa. There he divided this money among the brahmanas, Vaisnavas and his relatives, and a portion he kept for emergency measures and personal needs. He was informed that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was going to Vrndavana from Jagannatha Puri through the forest of Madhya Pradesh; therefore he sent two people to Jagannatha Puri to find out when the Lord would leave for Vrndavana. In this way Rūpa Gosvami retired, but Sanatana Gosvami told the Nawab that he was sick and could not attend to his work. Giving this excuse, he sat home and studied Srimad-Bhagavatam with learned brahmana scholars. The Nawab Hussain Shah first sent his personal physician to see what the real facts were; then he personally came to see why Sanatana was not attending to official business. Knowing that he wanted to resign his post, the Nawab had him arrested and imprisoned. The Nawab then went off to attack Orissa.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu started for Vrndavana through the forest of Madhya Pradesh (Jharikhanḍa), Rūpa Gosvami left home and sent news to Sanatana that he was leaving home with his younger brother (Anupama Mallika) to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Rūpa Gosvami finally reached Prayaga and met with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for ten successive days. During this time, Vallabha Bhatta extended an invitation to the Lord with great respect. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced Srila Rūpa Gosvami to Vallabha Bhatta. After this, a brahmana scholar named Raghupati Upadhyaya arrived and discussed Krsna consciousness with the Lord. Kaviraja Gosvami then extensively describes the living condition of Sri Rūpa and Sanatana at Vrndavana. During the ten days at Prayaga, Srila Rūpa Gosvami was instructed by the Lord, who gave him the basic principles of the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. The Lord then sent Srila Rūpa Gosvami to Vrndavana. The Lord Himself returned to Varanasi and stayed at the home of Candrasekhara.