Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Introduction to the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, up until the age of thirty-one there is description, but then there is very little description from the age of thirty-one to Lord Caitanya's disappearance. Maybe you can tell me as much as you can of what happened . . .
Prabhupāda: He left His home at the age of twenty-four years. Then He made His headquarter at Jagannātha Purī. For six years He traveled all over India. That means up to thirty years.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And from there on.
Prabhupāda: And after that He remained in Jagannātha Purī for eighteen years. He was chanting in the evening in the Jagannātha temple, and taking bath. And during this cart festival all devotees, especially from Bengal, would go there and live there for four months. And after seeing the Ratha-yātrā ceremony, they will remain there for four months. Then they will come back. This was going on year after year.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Are there any nice stories you can tell me so that I can . . . see, I need some stories from that part of His life to show in the play how He . . . some incidents, memorable, you know, that . . .
Prabhupāda: There were not many. The Ratha-yātrā is very nice. He was chanting with the group of devotees, and while the cart festival is going on. And sometimes cart used to stop. It still stops. That is the fashion of Jagannātha. And nobody could . . . even a elephant could not draw it. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will say: "All right, come on." So He will push it with His head, and it will go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What did the people say when they saw that?
Prabhupāda: Then . . . that was . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu was already adored. He was . . . Jagannātha Purī. Ratha-yātrā cart festival, and Guṇḍicā-mārjana. Guṇḍicā-mārjana. Before the Ratha-yātrā festival, the system is Jagannātha goes from the temple to another place, about two miles away. There is a big temple there also, which is called Jagannātha Aunt's house, Mahiṣī badi.
So He stays there for eight days, just like we make program in San Francisco to reside on seaside. So that temple was to be washed. That, Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to do it by personal supervision. So all the devotees . . . and He will check how much dust you have recovered, and then you shall be rewarded. Otherwise, it should be understood that you have not labored nicely. (chuckles)
So He'll sweep over the whole temple nicely and wash the ceilings and walls and everything so clearly. And He'll see in this way if there is any sand. If there is, "Oh, it is not washed." That means He would engage everyone. Then after washing, then call for prasādam and distribute Himself. This is called Guṇḍicā-mārjana. Actually, whatever He was doing, they were washing—"Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," chanting. That's all.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He used to eat a lot of food?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not always. But people used to present some foodstuff. Especially when the devotees would come from Bengal side, somebody is bringing something, somebody is . . . whatever Caitanya Mahāprabhu likes. And they will prepare the whole year of nice foodstuff. That is, what is called, preserved food. You can keep it for days together. So His personal assistant was Govinda, and everyone will, I mean to say, offer Govinda, "Please offer this food to Prabhu." And Govinda will keep. And everyone is anxious whether his goods are taken. So he was inquiring Govinda, "Has Mahāprabhu has taken my food?" What can he say? "Yes, yes, yes, yes, He has taken." But it is stacked in the store.
So one day Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said that . . . He was Godbrother also, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He could talk with Him freely. He was not disciple. So, "Guru Mahārāja sent me to serve You, and now the result is that for You I have to speak only lies." "What is that? You are speaking lies for Me?" "Yes. Why not? What can I do?" "Now, what is the matter?" "Now, Your devotees give me so many things for eating, and just lying stacked. And they inquire, and I say, 'Yes, yes. He has taken.' So this is my business, telling lie."
So then Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: "All right. Bring something. I shall eat." So he brought one bag and He ate everything. "Bring next." In this way the whole stack, about hundred men's foodstuff, He ate. Then He asked him, "Bring more." "Now the bags are lying only. If You want to eat, (chuckling) You can eat." "All right. Stop." So in half an hour, one hour, He ate all the hundred men's stock. You see? This is also another miracle. He finished the whole stock to save him from speaking lies.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These are the kind of things that will be very nice to present. Those are the things that I would like to do, because people will . . .