Passage 7

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In plain words

Here, she gave Me this and went,” and I showed them the belt. It has no Buckle; it sticks fast when you press it together. I Myself chose that Easwaramma should be My mother. Such is the close bond between her and Me.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu, supreme and foremost among devotees

Once Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to a temple and prayed in this way: “Swami! You are the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of my life, all-knowing, all-pervading, almighty. Whatever I ask, You can give. But I have no desires of any kind. I have never asked for wealth, gold, goods or carriages. I do not seek Bhakti or Mukti. Grant me Prema for You. It is enough that I love You. There is nothing else in this world greater than Your Prema.” Precisely because he asked for such Prema, Caitanya was able to spread the principle of Prema for God through the whole world. “Keep God in mind. Think of God without ceasing. In this world there is nothing other than God,” he went on teaching the people.

His mother pressed Caitanya hard to marry. “My son! It is not good for you to wander about the world alone at this age. There is a girl called Lakṣmī. She is a great devotee, rich in humility, and from a good family. So marry her,” she said. But Caitanya said he did not want marriage. “God alone is my companion. I have offered my life to God alone,” he said. His mother: “My son! You may have offered your mind to God. But you do have a body, don't you! A human being needs both, the spiritual and the physical. So you simply must marry,” and she pressed him. She had him married to Lakṣmī. The moment the marriage was over, Caitanya left home to spread the principle of God. Once gone, he did not come back for months on end. His wife Lakṣmī was very pure of heart. Her Prema was spotless, steady and selfless. Keeping Caitanya ever in mind, she gave up her life. Caitanya came back home. His mother took his hands: “My son! You married at my insistence.