Jagannātha Miśra took little Nimāi to Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita when the child expressed His desire to study with him. Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita lived in the neighborhood known as Gaṅgānagara. It is said that when Bhagīratha brought down the Ganges, the goddess waited on this spot for the arrival of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu and hence the name. During the parikramā of Navadvīpa-dhāma, the devotees sit down at a spot near the Yogapīṭha temple to hear the glories of Ganganagar, even though it is in fact situated in Simantadvīpa.

In his commentary to Caitanya Bhāgavata (1.8.25), Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura writes: "Śrī Gaura-Nārāyaṇa is the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is therefore the only reservoir of all scriptural knowledge, opulence and wisdom. Even so, during His earthly pastimes He desired to learn grammar and other arts and sciences just as Kṛṣṇa did when He studied with Sāndīpani Muni. He did this to show that those who make a living as teachers should have genuine learning and not make a pretense of possessing knowledge."

When Jagannātha Miśra brought Nimāi to Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita, the scholar was overjoyed to accept Him as his student. He began to teach Him with as much care as if He were his own son. He was astounded by Nimāi’s powerful memory and intelligence. Though he had taught thousands of students, he had never had a pupil of such caliber. A student of quality brings glory to his teacher. Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita considered Nimāi to be the best among his students.

Nimāi would ask tricky questions to his fellow students Murāri Gupta, Kṛṣṇānanda, Kamalā-kānta and others. He would explain a sūtra in one way, then refuting it Himself and then again re-establish the previous explanation in a completely different way, baffling His classmates while impressing them with His scholarship. Thus, the Lord’s education pastimes took place in the home of Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita.

This is the house of Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita, where the son of Śacī studied grammar. He took delight in study daily, even making His own explanatory comments on the sūtras. In great jubilation, He would ask tricky questions to Murāri Gupta, Kṛṣṇānanda, and Kamalā-kānta. Gaurasundara thus immersed Himself completely in the joys of learning—such pastimes are beyond the understanding of the great demigods headed by Brahmā. (Bhakti-ratnākara 12.2185-8)

The Lord studied grammar from Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita. He would only have to hear a lesson once in order to learn both the sūtra and its explanation. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 1.15.5)

After Mahāprabhu’s return from Gaya, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Śrīmān Paṇḍita, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Sadāśiva, Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī, and other devotees were amazed to see the transcendental symptoms out of the feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa in Him. They also felt great joy to see how He had abandoned His attachment to studies to turn to Kṛṣṇa bhakti.

On His return, Mahāprabhu continued to set the proper example of how to serve one’s teacher, going to Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita’s house and paying obeisances to his feet. Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita also displayed the suitable behavior of a guru toward his dear disciple by embracing Him with respect and affection. If one’s education does not lead to devotion to Kṛṣṇa, then his human birth becomes meaningless. Through devotion to Kṛṣṇa, one’s ancestors are delivered. Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita was also happy to see Nimāi’s transformation, and ordered Him to continue teaching.

Nimāi’s guru said, "Your life is blessed, my child. Your mother and father’s forefathers have all been delivered. Your students do not want to study under any teacher other than You, even if Brahmā himself orders them to do so. You have come now and everyone has seen You, so go home for today. Come back tomorrow, however, and continue teaching." (Caitanya Bhāgavata 2.1.122-4)

I pay obeisances to Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita’s feet, for he has the Lord of the Vedas and the husband of the Goddess of Learning as his disciple. What goals are left for Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita to achieve, for his disciple is worshipable to the fourteen worlds? (Caitanya Bhāgavata 2.1.283-4)

Nityānanda Prabhu, the savior of the most fallen, also visited Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita one day after having been worshiped by Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita. At the time He was wandering through Navadvīpa in the mood of a child, playing with the boys of the town.

On the day that Mahāprabhu sat on Viṣṇu’s throne in the house of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, displaying His effulgent form for twenty-one hours, He called all His devotees one by one to give them His blessings. On this occasion He called Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita as well, reminding him of the following event from the past.

One day, Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita had left his home with his wife and children due to fear of the Muslim rulers. He was standing by the banks of the Ganges with his family, waiting for a ferry to come to take them across the river, but none came. This was causing him no small amount of anxiety, but even after waiting almost the whole night, no ferry docked at the quay. He began to cry in the fear that the Muslims would touch his family members and contaminate them. He thought that he would drown himself in the Ganges and give up his body.

At that very moment, Mahāprabhu Himself took the form of a ferry man and arrived at the riverbank. Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita was so glad to see Him that he said:

“O brother! Please save me this time. My caste, my life, my wealth and my body are all dependent on You. Help me by taking my family and me across the river. I will give You a silver coin and a pair of new garments.” (Caitanya Bhāgavata 2.9.116)

The Lord then invited them onboard and took them across the river, after which He returned to His abode in Vaikuṇṭha. When Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita heard the Lord recount this event, he fainted in ecstasy.

After the Lord took sannyāsa at Katwa, Nityānanda Prabhu tricked Him into going to Advaita Ācārya’s house in Śāntipura. Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita came to see Him along with the rest of the Navadvīpa devotees. He was also one of the first Bengali devotees to go to Purī to see the Lord there. The first time that the devotees went to Purī, the Lord was in Alalanath due to His feelings of separation from Lord Jagannātha, Who cannot be seen for two weeks following the Snāna-yātrā. On hearing that the Bengali devotees had come, the Lord immediately returned to Purī to meet them. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya pointed out these devotees to King Pratāparudra, naming them one by one, including Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.11.85)

The Lord met Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita and several other devotees on that occasion. He praised each one of them and repeatedly embraced them in honour. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.11.159-60)

Gaṅgā Dāsa Paṇḍita also participated in the kīrtana before Lord Jagannātha’s cart as a member of the chorus in the second kīrtana group, in which Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita was the lead singer and Nityānanda Prabhu was the chief dancer. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīmān Paṇḍita, Śubhānanda, Śrīrāma Paṇḍita were some of the others in the same group. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.13.38-9)