Nitai's Journey to Bengal

(from caitanya bhagavat)

One day Sri Gaurasundar was sitting in a secluded place talking with Nityananda. "My dear Nitai, if you remain here in Nilacal lost in prema, how will the fallen souls of kali be saved? You go to Bengal and shower them with the nectar rain of prema! Go, Nitai - and fulfill my name, Visvambhar!"

Thus Nitai started for Bengal, leaving his prana Gaur behind. But Nitai did not go alone. Ramadas, Gadadhar Das, Raghunath Vaidya, Krishnadas Pandit, Parameshvari Das, and Purandara Pandita started with him on foot for Gauda-desh.

The devotees were astounded to see Nityananda exhibiting sattvika bhavas, smiling and dancing like a maddened bull elephant. Soon his mood infected them as well. Ramadas was imbued with the mood of Krishna Himself. He suddenly froze in the middle of the road, standing like Sri Tribhanga-Sundar. He stood like that for almost an hour, oblivious to the outside world.

Gadadhar Das was overwhelmed with the mood of Sri Radha. Laughing, he called out "Who will buy yoghurt?"

Raghunath Vaidya was draped in the personality of Revati-Ma. Paramesvari Das and Krishnadas were steeped in the mood of gopalas. They made sounds like "hihi" as if herding cows.

Purandara Pandit climbed a tree and shouted from its branches, "I am Angada!" before leaping to the ground. Nitai infused these ecstasies into everyone's hearts.

They walked like this for miles, wandering left and right. After many hours they asked some local people, "Please tell us how to get back to the Ganga." The locals replied, "Oh goodness! You have come so far from Ganga! You must go back a full two hours!" Laughing, Nitai and his companions started off in the proper direction. But soon they were wandering aimlessly again, lost in their ecstatic mood. They had to stop again to ask for directions.

"You have to travel twenty miles to the left." Realizing their confusion and looking at one another, they laughed and again started on their journey. They had forgotten their own bodily needs, what to speak of the proper direction. They were always immersed in supreme joy. Who can fully describe the play of Nityananda and his companions?