17.8

tabeta karila prabhu gayate gamana

isvara-purira sange tathai milana

SYNONYMS

tabeta—thereafter; karila—did; prabhu—Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; gayate—to Gaya; gamana—travel; isvara-purira sange—with Isvara Puri; tathai—there; milana—meeting.

Thereafter the Lord went to Gaya.

There He met Srila Isvara Puri.

PURPORT

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Gaya to offer respectful oblations to His forefathers.

This process is called pinda-dana.

In Vedic society, after the death of a relative, especially one’s father or mother, one must go to Gaya and there offer oblations to the lotus feet of Lord Visnu.

Therefore hundreds and thousands of men gather in Gaya daily to offer such oblations, or sraddha.

Following this principle, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also went there to offer pinda to His dead father.

Fortunately He met Isvara Puri there.