Chapter 10: The Trunk, Branches and Sub-branches of the Caitanya Tree

Pradyumna Brahmacārī is described in the Antya-līlā, Second Chapter, of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, who changed his name to Nṛsiṁhānanda. While coming from the house of Rāghava Paṇḍita at Pānihāṭī to the house of Śivānanda, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in the heart of Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī. To acknowledge this, Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī used to accept as eatables the foodstuffs of three Deities, namely, Jagannātha, Nṛsiṁhadeva and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Second Chapter, verses 48 through 78. Upon receiving information that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was proceeding toward Vṛndāvana from Kuliā, Nṛsiṁhānanda absorbed himself in meditation and by his mental activities constructed a very nice road from Kuliā to Vṛndāvana. All of a sudden, however, he broke his meditation and told the other devotees that this time Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu would not go to Vṛndāvana but only as far as the place known as Kānāi's Nāṭaśālā. This is described in the Madhya-līlā, Chapter One, verses 55 through 62. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, verse 74, says, āveśaś ca tathājñeyo miśre pradyumna-saṁjñake: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu changed the name of Pradyumna Miśra, or Pradyumna Brahmacārī, to Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī, for in his heart Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was manifest. It is said that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva used to talk with him directly.