Hayagrīva: All right. Now the second scene. Is that the end of the first?
Prabhupāda: Second scene . . .
Hayagrīva: Fourth act.
Prabhupāda: . . . fourth act, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, after finishing His South Indian tour, He came back to Jagannātha Purī, His headquarter, and after some days He started for Vṛndāvana. While He was in Vṛndāvana He was embracing the trees as old friend, and the birds were sitting on His hand, as if receiving an old friend. Because He was Kṛṣṇa.
So after many years they have seen. And that scene, if you can describe how He's traveling in Vṛndāvana forest. Then He took bath in the several vānas and ghāṭas. Ghāṭas means bathing place of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. And everywhere He felt the ecstasy of Rādhārāṇī, separation. In this way He returned from Vṛndāvana, and when He came down to Prayāg, modern Allahabad, at that time He met Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Hayagrīva: Now you say the trees were old friends because He could remember that He was Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa used to play in these forests. He used to play in the forest. Yes. Now He met Rūpa Gosvāmī . . .
Prabhupāda: At Prayāg.
Hayagrīva: . . . at Prayāg. Yes.
Prabhupāda: Allahabad. And . . .
Hayagrīva: What is His age? I just want to keep checking on this, His age now. Is He twenty, in His twenties still?
Prabhupāda: No, no. He took sannyāsa at twenty-four. Say twenty-five, twenty-six years.
Hayagrīva: Couple of years later. All right. Because time is an important factor. You have to keep track of the time in the play.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He toured, after His sannyāsa, He toured all over India for six years only. That means up to thirtieth year He toured all over India. And from thirtieth year to forty-eighth year—eighteen years—He constantly remained at Jagannātha Purī. He used to chant in the temple and meet His visitors.
Especially during car festival ceremony of Jagannātha, from Bengal about four hundred, five hundred devotees would go and meet Him, and they would remain there for four months continually: July, August, September, October. Four months. And then they would come back. In this way, for eighteen years He passed in Jagannātha Purī.
So Rūpa Gosvāmī . . . he met Rūpa Gosvāmī and He taught him about the science of devotion for ten days. That devotional service He instructed that the living entities, they're roaming in the 8,400,000 species of life. Fortunately, if by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and if he gets one good spiritual master, then he learns about devotional service. So He taught him about the science of devotional service. That is the importance of meeting Rūpa Gosvāmī.
So here the scenery must be mentioned. It is on the bank of Ganges. There is a nice ghāṭa, just like . . . you have been to Benares? No. You have been Haridwar? Haridwar?
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: You have seen many ghāṭas, bathing places.
Hayagrīva: Oh, yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: Similarly, there are ghāṭas in Benares, at Prayāg, and all, I mean to say, Vṛndāvana. That is the specific significance of Indian places of pilgrimage.
Hayagrīva: Yes. They bathe there every day, I noticed.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So similarly, there is a ghāṭa which is called Daśāśvamedha Ghāṭa at Prayāg. He instructed about the science of devotional service to Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Hayagrīva: Now how old is Rūpa Goswami? Is he an old man?
Prabhupāda: Oh, he was old enough. He was not less than fifty years at that time.
Hayagrīva: I see. All right. Anything else in the second scene, fourth act?
Prabhupāda: That is it. And when He is . . . and then He came back to Benares. And . . .
Hayagrīva: Who?
Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Hayagrīva: I thought He stayed in Jagannātha . . . he's not now . . . he left . . .
Prabhupāda: No, from Jagannātha Purī He went to Vṛndāvana. From Vṛndāvana, while coming down again, He first of all came to Prayāg. There He taught Rūpa Gosvāmī. Then when He still came down, He came to Benares.
Hayagrīva: Yes. All right.
Prabhupāda: At Benares He remained for two months. More than two months. And for two months continually He instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī about devotional service. That instruction you'll find in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya.