According to the Caitanya Bhāgavata, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was among devotees who accompanied Mahāprabhu from Śāntipura to Purī after He took sannyāsa, the others being Nityānanda Prabhu, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Mukunda Datta, Govinda and Brahmānanda. Caitanya Caritāmṛta version has described the Lord as being accompanied by Nityānanda, Jagadānanda, Dāmodara and Mukunda.

On their way to Purī, as they travelled through Atisara, Chatrabhog, Northern Odisha, Suvarnarekha, Jaleshwar, Remuna, Jajpur, Vaitarani, Cuttack, Sakshi Gopal, Bhubaneshwar, Kamalpur and Āṭhāra-nālā, Mahāprabhu gave His companions many lessons in being impartial and desireless, depending absolutely on the Lord and such other matters. In one place named Gaṅgā Ghāṭa, just across the frontier into Odisha, Mahāprabhu told His companions to wait in a temple while He Himself went to the village to beg. He came back with rice and vegetables in His cloth and gave them to Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to cook. When he had finished preparing the meal, Mahāprabhu and His other companions ate his cooking with great relish.

According to the Caitanya Bhāgavata, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita carried Mahāprabhu’s daṇḍa (staff) as they walked. One day, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita gave the daṇḍa to Nityānanda Prabhu to hold as he went to collect foodstuffs. Nityānanda Prabhu is non-different from Balarāma and He took this opportunity to break Mahāprabhu’s staff into three pieces, so teaching His followers to take the tridaṇḍa—a staff of three branches signifying the acceptance of Vaiṣṇava tridaṇḍa sannyāsa and threw it in Bhargi River. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita took the broken staff to Mahāprabhu, who was extremely unhappy to have lost His one and only possession. Mahāprabhu told His companions that He wished to travel alone, giving them the choice of whether they would walk in front or behind Him. The devotees answered that they would follow Him.

Leaving Nityānanda Prabhu in one place, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita went to look for food. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita carried the Lord’s daṇḍa, and he left it with Nityānanda Prabhu when he went. He said, “Take care of the Lord’s daṇḍa. I will be right back after begging foodstuffs.” (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.2.202-4)

While walking in front of the other devotees, when He arrived at Āṭhāra-nālā Mahāprabhu saw a vision of Kṛṣṇa playing His flute on the pinnacle of the Jagannātha Purī temple. He ran toward the temple and entered to behold the form of Jagannātha, whereupon He fell unconscious. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya noticed Him and took Him to his own house where he saw to His care. Nityānanda, Jagadānanda, Mukunda and Dāmodara arrived at the Jagannātha temple not long afterwards. There they heard that the Lord was at Sārvabhauma Paṇḍita’s residence and immediately went there. This was Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s first meeting with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.

When Mahāprabhu wished to go to Vṛndāvana from Purī, He came to Gauḍa-maṇḍala first. He stayed in Vidyanagar for five days; from there He went on to Kuliya, and then through Maldah district to the village of Ramakeli where He met with Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was amongst the associates of Mahāprabhu present on that occasion along with Nityānanda Prabhu, Haridāsa, Śrīvāsa, Gadādhara, Mukunda, Murāri and Vakreśvara. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.1.219)

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was a permanent associate of the Lord at Purī:

Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, Dāmodara Paṇḍita, Śankara Paṇḍita, Haridāsa, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, Bhavānanda, Govinda, Kāśīśvara, Paramānanda Purī and Svarūpa Dāmodara, all came and made their residence in Purī. They, along with Rāmānanda Rāya and other long-time residents of Śrī Kṣetra, were Mahāprabhu’s permanent companions. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.1.252-4)

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s mood was primarily that of madhura-rasa, which was very pleasing to Mahāprabhu and won His heart. In the Caitanya Caritāmṛta, this is described as follows:

Paramānanda Purī had parental affection for Mahāprabhu, Rāmānanda Rāya experienced love for Him in pure friendship, and Govinda Dāsa’s love for Him was as a servant. Gadādhara, Jagadānanda and Svarūpa Dāmodara worshipped in the ecstasy of the chief rasa. Mahāprabhu heart was won by these four different loving attitudes. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.2.78)

By Mahāprabhu’s mercy, Sāravabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya gave up his predilection for the impersonal philosophy of māyāvāda and took up the path of devotion. He then had a vision of Mahāprabhu in a six-armed form. Later he composed a Sanskrit hymn to the Lord in a hundred verses. He wrote the first two verses glorifying Mahāprabhu on a palm leaf and gave it to Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to show the Lord. Mukunda Datta was there when Jagadānanda Paṇḍita came from Sārvabhauma’s house, carrying Jagannātha prasāda and the palm leaf. He took the precaution of copying the two verses down on the wall in front of the Lord’s residence before Jagadānanda Paṇḍita carried it in to show Him. As soon as Mahāprabhu saw the verses, which glorified Him as the Supreme Lord, He tore up the palm leaf. Fortunately, as a result of Mukunda’s foresight, the devotees were able to relish the joy of reading the verses. They are as follows:

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-
śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī
kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

kālān naṣṭaṁ bhakti-yogaṁ nijaṁ yaḥ
prāduṣkartuṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmā
āvirbhūtas tasya padāravinde
gāḍhaṁ gāḍhaṁ līyatāṁ citta-bhṛṅgaḥ

Let me take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ocean of transcendental mercy, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who has descended in the form of Lord Caitanya to teach us detachment, real knowledge and His own devotional service.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who has taken the Name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, has appeared to reinstate the devotional service to Himself which had almost been lost due to the influence of time. I pray that the honeybee of my mind will drink deeply of the honey of His lotus feet. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.6.253-4; Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 6.74)

Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa during the fortnight of the waxing moon of the month of Māgha (January-February). He arrived in Nīlācala in the month of Phālguna (February-March). In the month of Caitra (March-April), He delivered Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya to vaiṣṇava-dharma from the māyāvāda school of thought. In the month of Vaiśākha (April-May), He left for pilgrimage to South India. When Mahāprabhu said that He wanted to go on this pilgrimage alone, Nityānanda Prabhu tried to convince Him that He should take a companion and suggested that He would accompany Him. At this time, Mahāprabhu showed His great affection for His companions (Nityānanda Prabhu, Dāmodara Brahmacārī, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita) by remonstrating them and refusing their company. For Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, He said:

“Jagadānanda wants Me to enjoy sense gratification. I try to do whatever he tells Me because I am afraid of him. Whenever I act contrary to his wishes, he gets angry and stops talking to Me for three days at a time.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.7.21-22)

While Mahāprabhu was travelling in the South, the devotees in Purī waited for Him, feeling great distress on account of His absence. The deeper one’s love, the more one feels the pain of separation. The sign of real love is the intensity of the joy one feels at being united after separation. After travelling for several months, the Lord arrived in Ālālanātha, near Purī, and sent His servant Kala Kṛṣṇadāsa to tell Nityānanda Prabhu and the other devotees that He had returned. The enthusiasm that they all felt for seeing Him again knew no bounds and they all rushed to Ālālanātha. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī describes their reaction to the news of His arrival in his Caitanya Caritāmṛta as follows:

As soon as Nityānanda Prabhu heard of Mahāprabhu’s arrival, He immediately set off to see Him. Indeed, His love for the Lord made Him very impatient. Jagadānanda, Dāmodara and Mukunda, danced as they went to greet the Lord, their bodies unable to hold back their ecstasy. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.9.339-40)

Nityānanda Prabhu, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita and the others advised Mahāprabhu to send Kala Kṛṣṇadāsa to Bengal to tell Mother Śacī that He had returned from the pilgrimage to South India. Mahāprabhu approved of the idea. While in Purī, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita gradually met with all of Mahāprabhu’s devotees, including Svarūpa Dāmodara, Rāya Rāmānanda, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura. One of Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s most pleasurable services to the Lord and His devotees was to satisfy them with foodstuffs that he had himself cooked.

The Bengal devotees came annually during the cāturmāsya period to be with the Lord in Nīlācala. They did this three years in a row before Mahāprabhu announced His decision to go to Vṛndāvana. On this occasion, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was amongst His companions as He travelled through Odisha and Gauḍa-deśa. They went to Panihati, Kumarahatta, Kuliyā village, and Ramakeli, before finally turning back from the village of Kanair Natshala to return to Purī, abandoning the pilgrimage to Vṛndāvana because of the large crowd of devotees that had gathered around Him. The Lord vowed that the next time He would travel to Vṛndāvana alone. Indeed, the next time He went, He took the path through the Jharikhand jungles accompanied only by a servant named Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya. When Mahāprabhu returned by the same path, He was once again reunited with His loving devotees including Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, who had been suffering greatly in His absence. This reunion was so joyful that it is beyond description.

On one occasion, Sanātana Gosvāmī took the Jharikhand route to Nīlācala from Vraja. On the way, he developed blistering sores all over his body due to drinking bad water and fasting. Sanātana Gosvāmī became extremely troubled by the disease because his physical impurity would make him an obstacle to the servants of Lord Jagannātha. In view of this potential offence, he decided that he would throw himself under the wheels of Lord Jagannātha’s chariot during the Ratha-yātrā festival. Mahāprabhu, the indweller of all beings, knew that he had made this decision and said to him, “You cannot attain Kṛṣṇa simply by giving up the body. You can only attain Him through bhajana. You have no right to destroy the body that has been given to you so that you can render service.”

Through these instructions, the Lord changed the mind of Sanātana Gosvāmī. The Lord does not concern Himself with the purity or impurity of a devotee’s external body; He is attracted by the inner purity of one’s desire for service. Therefore Mahāprabhu did not hesitate to embrace Sanātana Gosvāmī, again and again. When He did so, the pus leaking from Sanātana Gosvāmī’s sores touched the Lord’s body; this embarrassed and shamed him. Sanātana Gosvāmī turned to Jagadānanda Paṇḍita for advice, who told him that he should leave for Vṛndāvana immediately after the Ratha-yātrā. Sanātana Gosvāmī thought that this was the best solution and went to Mahāprabhu to ask Him permission to depart. When Mahāprabhu heard this, He became angry and chastised Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, saying:

“Jagadānanda is just a newcomer, a boy. Yet, he has become so proud that he thinks that he can give even you advice. You are his guru in every respect, both in material and spiritual terms. Yet he gives you counsel? Doesn’t he know his own worth? You are My teacher; you are an authority to even Me. And yet, like an impudent child, he is giving instruction to one as qualified as you.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.4.158-60)

The devotee and the Lord occasionally chastise their intimates. Only due to great good fortune, one gets chastised by the Lord and His devotees. Sanātana Gosvāmī reacted to Mahāprabhu’s criticism of Jagadānanda Paṇḍita as a sign of Paṇḍita’s great fortune and his own misfortune. He said, “You accept Jagadānanda into Your inner circle, while You treat me with veneration. It is as though You were giving him ambrosia to drink and me the bitter juice of neem and niśindā leaves.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.4.163)

Even though Mahāprabhu had long been won over by Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s devotion to Him, He made a point of teaching all His followers Vaiṣṇava etiquette and the importance of offering the proper respect to senior Vaiṣṇavas such as Sanātana Gosvāmī through him. He said,

“Jagadānanda is not dearer to Me than you are, but I cannot tolerate transgressions of etiquette.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.4.166)

Later, when Mahāprabhu was telling Vallabha Bhaṭṭa about the greatness of devotees, He said that one could attain devotion to Kṛṣṇa through the association of preachers of the Holy Name like Jagadānanda Paṇḍita.

“Ācāryaratna, Ācāryanidhi, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Jagadānanda, Dāmodara, Śankara, Vakreśvara, Kāśīśvara, Mukunda, Vāsudeva, Murāri and so many other great devotees have appeared in Bengal. They have preached the glories of the Holy Name throughout the world. Whatever little devotion I have to Kṛṣṇa is through their association.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.7.48-50)

Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī contrasts the sincere loving attitude of Jagadānanda Paṇḍita with the hypocrisy of Rāmacandra Purī in the beginning of Chapter 8 of Caitanya Caritāmṛta’s Antya-līlā. Even though Rāmacandra Purī was officially a disciple of Mādhavendra Purī, he had no proclivity for service. Because of his lack of sincerity and his hypocrisy, he was ultimately deprived of his guru’s mercy.

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was also present at Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s funeral celebration, serving prasāda to the chief associates of the Lord. By his behaviour, he showed that giving prasāda to the devotees was an important element of devotional service.

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita is the incarnation of Satyabhāmā, thus because of his refractory nature, he would often quarrel with Mahāprabhu.

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had a deep and pure love for the Lord, like that of Satyabhāmā for Kṛṣṇa. He was moody. He would repeatedly provoke loving arguments with the Lord and there always seemed to be some disagreement between them. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.7.142-3)

During the cāturmāsya all the devotees would come to meet the Lord in Nīlācala and would return home at the end of the four-month period. In the same year that Mahāprabhu told Nityānanda Prabhu not to come to Purī, He also sent Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to Navadvīpa with a message for His mother. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita related all that Mahāprabhu had told him about the exact times when He personally visited Śacī Mātā’s house and accepted her food offerings. When she heard this from Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, she understood that these secret visits had not been dreams or hallucinations, but in fact real. When the other devotees in Mahāprabhu’s hometown met His intimate associate, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, they all were immersed in an ocean of happiness.

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita went to Śivānanda Sena’s house where he collected a fragrant sandalwood oil for rubbing on Mahāprabhu’s head. He filled an earthen jug with the oil and brought it back to Purī where he gave it to Govinda, the Lord’s servant. Govinda told Mahāprabhu, “Jagadānanda Paṇḍita has brought aromatic sandalwood oil back from Gauḍa-deśa. If you rub it on Your head, it will relieve the symptoms of disturbed bile and wind.”

In order to set a proper example for all, Mahāprabhu answered, “Sannyāsīs are forbidden the use of body oils. It is even more reprehensible to use aromatic oils. Since Jagadānanda has gone to the trouble of bringing the oil all the way here, you can give it to the Jagannātha temple. They can use the oil to light lamps for the Deity. That will make all his troubles worthwhile.”

Govinda told Jagadānanda Paṇḍita of Mahāprabhu’s decision. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita began to sulk and stopped talking. After ten days, Govinda told Mahāprabhu that Jagadānanda Paṇḍita still wished Him to use the oil. Mahāprabhu became angry and in order to teach the world, said,

“Why don’t we hire a masseur to give Me massage? Are these the pleasures for which I have taken the renounced order? It will no doubt amuse you all to see My downfall. As I walk along the road, people will get a whiff of My perfumes and say, ‘There goes a womanizing monk.’” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.12.112-4)

Govinda was speechless at Mahāprabhu’s tirade. When Jagadānanda Paṇḍita came to visit Mahāprabhu the next morning, the Lord said, “A sannyāsī should not use fragrant oils. The best thing to do is to offer it to Lord Jagannātha for His service.” Jagadānanda Paṇḍita became angry and sulkily retorted, “Who told You I brought this oil all the way from Gauḍa-deśa? It’s a lie.” With that, he threw down the earthen jug in the courtyard and broke it. Then he went to his own room, locked the door and lay down.

Mahāprabhu, conquered by Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s love, went to assuage him, knocking on his door and saying gently, “Jagadānanda! Open the door. I am going now to bathe and then to the temple for darśana of Lord Jagannātha. When I come back I will take whatever food you have prepared for Me. So start cooking.”

Out of his love for the Lord, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita immediately got up, bathed and started preparing the Lord’s lunch. After performing His noonday rituals, the Lord returned, let Jagadānanda Paṇḍita wash His feet and then sat down to eat. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita set a banana leaf before Him and then covered it with fine rice soaked in clarified butter, numerous vegetable preparations and then cakes and sweet rice. Mahāprabhu told Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to set another banana leaf and fill it with food as he had done so that he could eat beside Him. He lifted His hands in the air and refused to eat a bite until Jagadānanda Paṇḍit sat down and ate with Him. Finally, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s pride melted and he agreed to take the Lord’s prasāda once He had finished. As He ate, Mahāprabhu repeatedly praised the food that Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had cooked in his loving anger.

“This is the kind of nectar that you offer to Kṛṣṇa. Who can estimate the extent of your good fortune? (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.12.133)

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita kept serving more and more vegetables to the Lord, Who out of fear refused nothing, eating everything that He was given. He was afraid that if He refused even a single preparation Jagadānanda Paṇḍita would again start fasting, so on that day, He ate ten times as much as He did normally. After the meal, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita gave Him some aromatic spices, sandalwood and a garland. Mahāprabhu then insisted that he sit down and take his meal in front of Him. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita pleaded with Mahāprabhu to go and rest, as he was well aware of the demands of etiquette. Rāmāi and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa had also helped with the cooking, so he wanted them to eat also before sitting down himself, but he assured the Lord that he would. Mahāprabhu was still not convinced and so he told Govinda to remain there and report to Him whether or not Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had eaten. But Jagadānanda Paṇḍita immediately told Govinda to go and massage the Lord’s feet. After he had served Rāmāi, Nandāi, Govinda and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa prasāda, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita himself took the remnants of Mahāprabhu’s plate. When Mahāprabhu heard that Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had finally eaten, He was able to rest peacefully.

“Jagadānanda’s love for the Lord was just like the descriptions of Satyabhāmā’s love for Kṛṣṇa in the Bhāgavata. Who can describe the extent of Jagadānanda’s good fortune? There is no comparison to his good fortune. Anyone who hears about the loving exchanges (prema-vivarta) between Jagadānanda Paṇḍita and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will know the characteristics of prema and will attain the wealth of prema.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.12.152-4)

Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura writes that the phrase prema-vivarta in this verse can mean: (1) the apparent anger in Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s great loving dealings with the Lord, (2) the book by that name which he authored.

Due to His intense feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa, Mahāprabhu took up severe austerities and started to sleep on a bed of dried plantain bark, which caused Him pain due to its rubbing against His bones. The devotees were greatly distressed to see this. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita decided to take steps to alleviate the Lord’s pain by getting some cloth and dying it saffron, and then filling it with cotton from the silk cotton tree. In this way, he made both a mattress and a pillow for the Lord’s comfort. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita then asked Govinda to give the mattress and pillow to the Lord and asked Svarūpa Dāmodara to convince Him to use them. When it was time for the Lord to go to bed, He saw the cotton pillow and became angry. When He heard that Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had given it, however, He hesitated. He made a pretence of anger, “A mattress and pillow? Why don’t you just go and get me a bed? A sannyāsī is supposed to sleep on the ground. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita wants Me to become a sense enjoyer. This is shameful.”

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was saddened when he heard from Svarūpa Dāmodara that Mahāprabhu had refused the bedding. However, Svarūpa Dāmodara cleverly made some bedding out of dried banana leaves, which the Lord accepted. This satisfied all the devotees with the exception of Jagadānanda Paṇḍita.

Though he said nothing about it, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was angry and asked Mahāprabhu for permission to go to Vṛndāvana. The Lord was able to understand the real reason for his dissatisfaction and said to him in a consoling voice, “You are angry and blame Me for it. And so you want to go to Mathura and become a beggar?” The petulant Jagadānanda Paṇḍita hid his true feelings and simply said, “I have wanted to go to Vṛndāvana for a long time. Previously You wouldn’t give me permission, so I could not.”

Mahāprabhu out of His affection for Jagadānanda Paṇḍita would not allow him to leave, even though he asked Him repeatedly. Finally, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita asked Svarūpa Dāmodara to intercede on his behalf and get the Lord’s permission to go. Svarūpa Dāmodara went to Mahāprabhu and said, “Jagadānanda’s desire to see Vṛndāvana is very strong. I think it would be a good idea if You sent him to Vṛndāvana just as You previously sent him to Navadvīpa with a message for Śacī Mātā.” Mahāprabhu finally allowed Himself to be persuaded and accorded permission to Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to go to Vraja. Out of His affection for him, however, He gave him elaborate instructions for his voyage: “The road up to Benares is free from any problems. After Benares, however, the road is full of robbers, so be careful. You should take some soldiers with you for protection. If the highwaymen see a single Bengali on the road, they will be sure to attack and loot him. When you reach Mathura, first go and see Sanātana. Offer your respects to the Caube brāhmaṇas of Mathura, but don’t associate with them. You will not be able to understand their behaviour, so respect them at a distance. Perform parikramā of Vraja-maṇḍala with Sanātana, do not leave his side for even a moment. Don’t climb Govardhana to see Gopāla. Don’t stay in Vraja for a long time. Hurry back.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.13.39)

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita paid his obeisances to the Lord and left on foot for Benares where he met with Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara. From there he went on to Mathura where he met Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī took him around the twelve forests of Vraja and then they stayed together for some time in Gokula Mahāvana. Sanātana Gosvāmī used to live by mādhukarī (begging for pieces of bread from the local people), but since Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was not habituated to a wheat-based diet, he went to a local temple and cooked rice. One day, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita invited Sanātana Gosvāmī to eat. A certain sannyāsī named Mukunda Sarasvatī had given Sanātana Gosvāmī a red cloth, which he wore wrapped around his head. When Jagadānanda Paṇḍita saw this, he thought that the cloth must have been given to Sanātana Gosvāmī by Mahāprabhu and was overwhelmed with love. When he learned, however, that it had been given by someone else, he became so angry that he was ready to hit Sanātana Gosvāmī with the rice pot. He criticized Sanātana Gosvāmī:

“You are Mahāprabhu’s most important associate. No one is dearer to Him than you. How could anyone tolerate you wearing another sannyāsī’s cloth around your head?” Sanātana Gosvāmī answered, “Well said! It is clear, O greatly learned one, that you are unequalled in your love for the Lord. I could not have learned this lesson from anyone but you, for you alone have such solid faith in the Lord. My purpose in binding the cloth around my head has been fulfilled, for as soon as you saw it, I was able to witness the manifestations of your love for the Lord. A Vaiṣṇava should not wear a red cloth. I will give it to someone else, for I have no further need for it.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.13.56-61)

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita offered the food he had cooked to Mahāprabhu and then took prasāda with Sanātana Gosvāmī. After staying with him for two months, he started to feel separation from Mahāprabhu too intensely and asked Sanātana Gosvāmī for permission to return to Purī. Sanātana Gosvāmī bid him goodbye, giving him sand from the place where Kṛṣṇa held the rāsa dance, a stone from Govardhana, a garland of guñja berries and some dried ripe pīlu fruits for Mahāprabhu. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was delighted to return to Purī and see Mahāprabhu and the other devotees again. Mahāprabhu embraced him tightly and was extremely pleased with the gifts sent by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Most of the devotees did not know how to eat pīlu fruits, but because they were from Vṛndāvana, they relished them anyway.

Enchanted by Śacī Mātā’s pure parental affection for Him, Mahāprabhu would send Jagadānanda Paṇḍita every year to Navadvīpa with a piece of Lord Jagannātha’s cloth and sweetmeats. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita would come and talk to her about the Lord and alleviate somewhat the suffering she felt in separation from her son. The last time that he met with her, he went to Advaita Ācārya’s house to ask permission to return to Purī. Advaita gave a cryptic message to deliver to Mahāprabhu. The riddle went as follows:

“Convey My millions of obeisances unto His feet and that I humbly submit to Him the following: Tell the madman that everyone has gone mad. Tell the madman that in the marketplace rice is no longer in demand. Tell the madman that the crazies are no longer interested in the material world. Tell the madman this is what the madman said.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.19.19-21)

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains this riddle in this way: “Tell Mahāprabhu that everyone has become intoxicated with love for Kṛṣṇa and so in the marketplace of love, no one is buying the rice of kṛṣṇa-prema any longer. Tell Mahāprabhu that the saintly madmen (āul) are so intoxicated with love that they are no longer involved in their material duties. Tell Mahāprabhu that Advaita said this in a state of complete intoxication of prema. In short, the message was that the purpose for which Advaita had called Mahāprabhu to Earth had been achieved. The Lord may now do as He pleases.”

The date and place of Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s departure from this world are unknown.