Travels of the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna Chaitanya in South India

The Lord proposed to take no one with Him on His journey. He was, however, persuaded by Nityanandapravu to have with Him a Brahmana of the name of Krishnadas. Sarbabhauma Bhattacharyya supplied the Lord with four sets of lower and upper clothing worn by a sannyasin (kaupin bahirbash). Sarbabhauma also requested the Lord to meet Ramananda Rai who was then stationed on the bank of the Godavari as Governor of that part of the country which was part of the independent Hindu kingdom of Orissa. Lord Chaitanya was accompanied by Nityanandapravu and a number of devotees up to Alalnath.

Lord Chaitanya renounced the world and accepted sannyas in the bright fortnight of the month of Magh in 1510 A.D. at the age of twenty-four. The Supreme Lord arrived at Puri in the month of Falgoon. He witnessed the Dola festival at Puri. He delivered Sarbabhauma Bhattacharyya in the month of Chaitra. In the month of Baisakh He set out on His travels in South India.

The Supreme Lord took leave of Nityanandapravu and the other devotees at Alalnath. From there He was accompanied only by Krishnadas as He moved on His way to the South loudly repeating the Name of Krishna. In every village where He passed the night the Lord, by infusing the Divine Power into those persons who surrendered themselves at His Feet, commanded them to make the people of the whole country Vaishnavas. These persons thereupon taught the religion of bhakti to the people of other villages. In this manner the number of bhaktas increased rapidly.

When the Lord arrived at Kurmasthan by journeying in this manner, He there bestowed His mercy on a Brahmana who also bore the name of Kurma. At this place the Lord delivered the Brahmana Basudeva after curing him of leprosy. The Lord subsequently bore the Name of Basudevamritaprada for delivering Basudeva in this manner.

After visiting Jior-Nirsingha the Supreme Lord met Ramananda at Vidyanagar on the bank of the Godavari. The meeting took place very close to the river as Ramananda came to perform his bath there at the time. At the request of Ramananda the Lord put up at the house of a vaidic Vaishanava Brahmana at that place.

Rai Ramananda in humble attire presented himself before the Lord at His residence in the evening and made prostrated obeisances. Then followed the famous conversation between the two on the subject of Divine amour—Mahapravu put the questions and Ramananda Rai answered them. Several successive evenings were passed in mutual discourses regarding Krishna. As the result of these conversations Rai Ramananda obtained the favour of realising the true nature of the Supreme Lord and his own self. After staying there for a few days longer the Lord resumed His journey to the south having previously commanded Ramananda to give up the service of the king and repair to Puri.

From Vidyanagar the Supreme Lord Chaitanya visited Gautomi-Ganga, Mallikarjun, atirtha Ahobala-Nrisingha, Siddhabata, Skanda-kshestra, Trimatha, Bridhyakasi, Baudhya-sthana, Tripati, Trimalla, Pana-Nrisingha, Siva kanchi, Vishnu-kanchi, Trikalahasti, Briddha kola, Siali Bhairabi, Kaveri tira, Kumbha-karna-kapala.

The Lord on arrival at Sriranga-kshetra made Sri Venkata Bhatta, with his whole family, devotees of Krishna. Proceeding thence to Risava Parbata the Lord there met Puri Goswami. Sri Puri Goswami after this meeting set out for Puri. The Supreme Lord went on towards Setubandha. On Shree Sailaparbata He had a conversation with Siva Durga who lived there as a Brahmana and Brahmani. Passing by Kamakosthipuri the Lord arrived at south Mathura. At this place the Lord had a conversation with a Brahmana who was a devotee of Rama and who was wholly unattached to the world. Then the Lord having bathed in the Kritamala saw Parasuram on mount Mahendra. From there the Lord went to Setubandhu. He bathed in the Dhanus-tirtha and visited Sree Rameswara. He procured here an old leaf of the Kurma Purana which contained the story of Maya Sita, carried it with Him and presented the same to the devotee of Rama, whose name was Ramadas, whom He had met before.

Then the Lord travelled in the Pandya country. He visited the Tamraparni, Naya-tripadi, Cheoratola, Tilakanchi, Gajendra mokshana, Panagari, Chamtapura, Shree Vaikuntha, Malaya parbata, Dhanus-tirtha, Kanyakumari. The Lord met the Bhattatharis in the Mallara country. He delivered the deaf Brahmana Krishnadas, His own attendant who had fallen in their hands. He then picked up the Brahma-sanhita (sixth chapter) on the bank of the Payaswini. From there the Lord proceeded by way of Payaswini, Sringabera-Puri math, Matsya-tirtha, to the village of Udupi where He visited Shree Gopala of Madhvacharyya.

Having defeated in controversy the tattva-vadis at this place the Lord journeyed by way of Falgu-tirtha, Trikupa, Panchasara, Surparaka, Kolahpur and arrived at Pandherapura. Here the Lord received the tidings of the attainment of siddhi by Sri Sankaracharyya from Sirangapuri.

The Lord procured the valuable work Krishnakarnamrita, composed by Sree Billamangal, from the community of Vaishnava Brahmanas resident on the bank of the Krishna-Vena. From there, travelling by Tapti, Mahishmatipur, the bank of the Narbada, Rishyamukha parbata, the Lord arrived at Dandakaranya where He delivered the Sapta-tala. From there He visited Pampa sarovara, Panchabati, Nasik, Brahmagiri, the source of the Godavari, Kushabarta and many other tirthas, returning finally to Vidyanagar. From Vidyanagar the Lord journeyed back to Puri by the same route by which He had come, visiting Alalnath on the way.