Madhya 25: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas

The following is a summary of Chapter Twenty-five. A Maharastrian brahmana who was living in Benares was a great devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was always very happy to hear of the glories of the Lord, and it was by his arrangement that all the sannyasis of Varanasi became devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He invited all the sannyasis to his house to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and this incident has been described in the Seventh Chapter of Adi-lila. From that day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became famous in the city of Varanasi, and many important men in that city became His followers. By and by, one of the disciples of the great sannyasi Prakasananda Sarasvati became devoted to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and this devotee explained Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Prakasananda Sarasvati and supported His views with various arguments.

One day Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to take a bath at Panca-nada, and afterwards all His devotees began chanting the Hare Krsna mantra in front of the temple of Bindu Madhava. At this time Prakasananda Sarasvati and all his devotees approached the Lord. Prakasananda Sarasvati immediately fell down at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and very much regretted his past behavior toward the Lord. He asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about devotional service in terms of the Vedanta-sūtra, and the Lord told him about devotional service that is approved by great personalities who know the Vedanta-sūtra. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then pointed out that Srimad-Bhagavatam is the proper commentary on the Vedanta-sūtra. He then explained the catuḥ-sloki (four slokas) of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the essence of that great scripture.

From that day on, all the sannyasis of Varanasi became devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Before returning to His headquarters at Jagannatha Puri, the Lord advised Sanatana Gosvami to go to Vrndavana. The Lord then departed for Jagannatha Puri. Kaviraja Gosvami then describes something about Srila Rūpa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami and Subuddhi Raya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Jagannatha Puri through the great forest of Jharikhanḍa in central India. At the end of this chapter, Kaviraja Gosvami sums up the incidents of Madhya-lila and instructs every living being to read this sublime book of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes.