The Devotee’s Background
Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī was born into an immensely wealthy family in Bengal. His father and uncle were powerful landowners who served under the Muslim governor of the region, yet Raghunātha’s heart was never attached to riches or position.
From childhood, he was drawn to the divine teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Whenever he heard about the Lord’s pastimes, he would lose all awareness of the world. He longed only to leave home and join Mahāprabhu in Jagannātha Purī, but his parents, fearing his renunciation, kept him under strict guard.
Though surrounded by luxury, Raghunātha felt imprisoned. He would often say, “My heart belongs to the Lord. This wealth is like a chain of gold binding me to illusion.”
The Meeting with Nityānanda Prabhu
One day, by divine arrangement, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, the powerful expansion of Lord Balarāma, came to the village of Pānīhāṭi on the banks of the Ganges. Hearing of His arrival, Raghunātha escaped secretly from his home and ran to the riverbank to see Him.
As soon as he saw Nityānanda Prabhu, he fell flat like a rod, offering his obeisances from a distance, unable to approach due to humility. Seeing him, Nityānanda laughed affectionately and said, “Ah! The thief has finally been caught! Come here, Raghunātha. Today I shall punish you.”
The Lord’s “punishment,” however, was a blessing. He placed His lotus foot on Raghunātha’s head and said, “You must feed all My associates chipped rice and yogurt here by the riverbank. This will be your atonement for avoiding My company so long!”
Raghunātha’s heart overflowed with joy. He immediately arranged for a grand festival.
The Festival of Mercy
He sent his servants to the nearby village to buy large quantities of flat rice (chida), yogurt, milk, sugar, bananas, and sweets. Soon, dozens of earthen pots were filled with delicious preparations—some mixed with condensed milk, others with yogurt and fruits.
When everything was ready, Nityānanda Prabhu and His associates—great devotees like Gadādhara, Govinda, Rāmadāsa, and others—sat beneath the shade of a banyan tree on the riverbank. With a playful smile, Nityānanda took a handful of chipped rice and placed it in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mouth, though the Lord was not physically present. In that moment, Mahāprabhu appeared invisibly before them, smiling with golden radiance.
Those present could feel His divine presence so strongly that many fell to the ground in ecstasy, crying and laughing simultaneously.
The Divine Revelation
As the festival continued, the crowd grew—men, women, children, and even animals gathered to watch. It is said that each person received transcendental bliss simply by tasting a morsel of that prasāda.
Nityānanda Prabhu, intoxicated with love, called out, “Bring more! Bring more! Let everyone eat!” His laughter echoed across the Ganges, and devotees danced in ecstasy.
Raghunātha Dāsa, seeing this divine scene, wept uncontrollably. He thought, “The Lord of the universe has accepted my service. My life is now fulfilled.”
When the festival ended, Nityānanda Prabhu placed His hand on Raghunātha’s head and said:
“You have served the Vaiṣṇavas with great devotion. Very soon, you will meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and attain His mercy. Do not worry any longer.”
Those words became reality. Shortly afterward, Raghunātha escaped from home and reached Jagannātha Purī, where Mahāprabhu received him with great affection and guided him on the path of renunciation.
The Eternal Lesson
The spot at Pānīhāṭi became known as Dadhi-Chida Mahotsava, the Festival of Chipped Rice and Yogurt. Even today, devotees gather there annually to celebrate the mercy of Nityānanda and the humility of Raghunātha Dāsa.
The banyan tree beneath which the festival took place still stands, and its shade is said to carry the fragrance of divine love.
Reflection
This story beautifully reveals the secret of receiving divine grace through service.
Raghunātha Dāsa did not win the Lord’s mercy through austerity or knowledge but through simple service and humility.
By feeding the devotees, he fed the Lord Himself.
By serving with love, he attracted both Nityānanda and Caitanya.
Nityānanda’s playful command, “Feed everyone,” is not merely a historical event—it is a call to all devotees: to share love, prasāda, and compassion freely. In serving others, we nourish our own soul.
Source
Source: “Experiences in Bhakti: The Science Celestial,” by O. B. L. Kapoor — Chapter Six: Verification of the Law of Reciprocation (place: Pānīhāṭi, Bengal).
