The Devotee’s Background
During His South Indian travels, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard of a saintly governor named Rāmānanda Rāya, who served the King of Orissa at Vidyanagara on the bank of the Godāvarī River.
Although Rāmānanda Rāya was a high official in worldly life, he was inwardly absorbed day and night in the love of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
Hearing of his deep devotion, Mahāprabhu desired to meet him.
He said, “I have heard that Rāmānanda Rāya knows the essence of rasa—the inner secret of divine love. I must meet him and hear from him directly.”
The First Meeting on the Godāvarī
When Mahāprabhu arrived at the Godāvarī, Rāmānanda Rāya, shining with devotion, came to greet Him.
Seeing the Lord’s golden form and radiant smile, Rāmānanda at once understood that this was no ordinary sannyāsī but the very embodiment of divine love. He fell at His feet, overcome with emotion.
Mahāprabhu lifted him and said affectionately, “I have come here only to see you.”
That evening they sat together by the riverbank, surrounded by the gentle sound of flowing water. The moonlight shimmered on the waves, and the two divine souls began a conversation that would reveal the deepest truths of bhakti.
The Dialogue of Divine Knowledge
Mahāprabhu began, “Tell Me, what is the ultimate goal of life and the means to attain it?”
Rāmānanda replied humbly, “There are many stages, my Lord. First is the performance of one’s prescribed duties in accordance with varṇāśrama-dharma.”
The Lord said, “That is external. Speak of something higher.”
Rāmānanda continued, “Then, the next stage is to renounce the fruits of action and dedicate all work to Kṛṣṇa.”
Mahāprabhu replied again, “That also is external.”
Gradually, Rāmānanda ascended step by step—
- from karma-miśra-bhakti (devotion mixed with work),
- to jñāna-miśra-bhakti (devotion mixed with knowledge),
- and finally to śuddha-bhakti, pure love without motive.
The Lord listened intently as Rāmānanda described how love of God culminates not in awe and reverence but in intimate affection, like that of the gopīs for Kṛṣṇa.
The Revelation of Divine Love
When Rāmānanda began to speak of rāga-bhakti, spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa, Mahāprabhu’s body trembled, and tears streamed from His eyes. He said softly, “Now, speak of something higher still.”
Rāmānanda replied, “The highest perfection is the love of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, whose devotion conquers even Kṛṣṇa Himself. She alone fully knows the sweetness of His love.”
At those words, Mahāprabhu’s ecstasy knew no bounds. He embraced Rāmānanda and cried out, “At last I have found one who truly understands My heart!”
For a moment, Rāmānanda saw before him not the form of a sannyāsī, but the combined radiance of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa united in one body—the golden form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
He fell to the ground, trembling, as Mahāprabhu said, “You and I are one in heart. Only through you can I speak the secret of divine love to the world.”
The Nightly Conversations
From that day, every evening, Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya met on the bank of the Godāvarī to discuss the mysteries of divine love.
Sometimes they wept, sometimes they laughed, sometimes they fell silent in bliss.
Their conversations covered every aspect of rasa—servitude, friendship, parental affection, and the supreme conjugal love of the gopīs. Through Rāmānanda’s words, the Lord revealed His inner purpose for descending—to taste Rādhā’s love for Kṛṣṇa and to distribute that love to the world through saṅkīrtana.
Reflection
The meeting of Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya is among the most sacred dialogues in spiritual history.
It demonstrates that the Lord reveals His deepest mysteries only to the humble and devoted.
Knowledge rises through many stages, but love transcends them all.
In Rāmānanda’s vision of Mahāprabhu as Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa combined, we see the eternal secret of Gaura-līlā: the Infinite Lord yearning to experience His own devotee’s love.
As Mahāprabhu Himself said:
“The essence of all scripture is love for Kṛṣṇa, and the essence of that love is Rādhā’s devotion.”
When the heart becomes a river of love flowing toward God, the Lord Himself appears on its bank.
Source
Source: “Experiences in Bhakti: The Science Celestial,” by O. B. L. Kapoor — Chapter Six: Verification of the Law of Reciprocation (place: Vidyanagara, bank of the Godāvarī River, South India).
