Before discussing the character of Rāmacandra Purī, we must remember that the lessons of his life are taught as counter-examples. Anyone who seeks the perfection of his own life should bear in mind that the following lessons are to be learnt from Rāmacandra’s actions:

(1) Faultfinding, especially finding fault in Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas is extremely detrimental to one’s spiritual advancement. A devotional practitioner should look at his own faults rather than at others’. By correcting his own faults, he will be able to make advancement. Anyone who sincerely seeks to achieve pure devotional service should always remember the following teaching of Mahāprabhu to Rūpa Gosvāmī:

If the maddened elephant of vaiṣṇava-aparādha enters the devotional garden, the creeper of bhakti will be uprooted and all its leaves will dry up. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.19.156)

(2) All the disciples who take initiation from the same guru are not to be considered equal. Though superficially all may have taken shelter of the spiritual master and received the mantra from him, they cannot all be considered true or sincere disciples. The spiritual master rewards the disciple who dedicates himself to affectionate service of the master; such a disciple is furthermore able to recognize the mercy of his spiritual master. A disciple seeking his own perfection will bear in mind that of the sixty-four limbs of devotional service, one of the most important is viśrambhena guroḥ sevā, “the service to the spiritual master with intimacy.” The sincere disciple recognizes that the spiritual master’s instructions are beneficial both for himself and for others.

(3) To show disrespect to one’s spiritual master and to other Vaiṣṇavas has a pernicious effect on one’s spiritual life. One should remember that “the Lord cannot tolerate the transgression of the rules of etiquette.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.4.166) Unfortunately, some conditioned souls come under the influence of the illusory energy and are so bewildered by a pride in their own knowledge or self-worth that they arrogantly try to correct or to instruct the Vaiṣṇava or the guru.

(4) Those who want to progress in devotion should associate with and serve other devotees who are affectionate and who have similar spiritual goals. The tendency to serve Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas is increased by associating with those who possess this tendency in greater quantities.

(5) Because of his relation to the guru, the guru’s godbrother is as worshipable as the guru himself. One must always show him the proper respect. Even if one thinks that his instructions are not correct, one should not be impolite in his behaviour and should not use direct critical speech with him. Mahāprabhu taught this kind of behaviour by His own actions.

gorāra āmi, gorāra āmi mukhe balile nāhi cale
gorāra ācāra gorāra vicāra laile phala phale

Just to repeat “I belong to Gaura, I belong to Gaura” is not in itself sufficient. One has to follow the practice and the teachings given by Gaura if one wishes to achieve the promised results. (Prema-vivarta)

Rāmacandra Purī’s family background and birthplace are unknown. It is well known that he took initiation from Mādhavendra Purī. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has related his life in the Antya-līlā of Caitanya Caritāmṛta. Because he was Mādhavendra Purī’s initiated disciple, both Mahāprabhu and Paramānanda Purī showed him respect. Nevertheless, despite his relationship to the distinguished master, Rāmacandra Purī associated closely with others who followed the path of dry knowledge and was attracted to doctrines opposed to those of pure devotional service.

One day, in Puruṣottama-dhāma, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita saw the Lord, Paramānanda Purī and Rāmacandra Purī paying obeisances to each other, embracing each other and engaging in conversation. He decided to invite the three of them to eat a meal together. He arranged for copious amounts of Lord Jagannātha prasāda to be brought for them and fed them very well. When they had finished, Rāmacandra Purī told Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to sit down and take prasāda. He took special care of him, personally serving him prasāda. After Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had finished eating, however, he criticized Mahāprabhu’s followers saying:

“I had heard that Caitanya’s followers were big eaters. Now I have seen with my own eyes that this is true. To feed a sannyāsī excessively leads to the destruction of religious principles. A renunciate who eats this much will find that his vows will dissipate.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.8.15-16)

This propensity to find fault with others, to criticize and to give instructions in dry philosophy was the result of offences Rāmacandra Purī had committed at the feet of his spiritual master. Towards the fag end of Mādhavendra Purī’s earthly pastimes in Remuna, he was in the depth of separation from Kṛṣṇa and was crying in the mood of Rādhā after Kṛṣṇa’s departure for Mathura. He kept repeating the verse,

ayi dīnadayārdra nātha he, mathurānātha kadāvalokyase
hṛdayaṁ tvad-aloka-kātaraṁ dayita bhrāmyati kiṁ karomy aham

“O Lord, Whose heart softens at seeing the condition of the unfortunate! O Lord of Mathura, when will I see You? My heart is filled with pain from not seeing You, O my love, and is confused. What can I do?”

Both Īśvara Purī and Rāmacandra Purī were present at this time. Rāmacandra Purī had no understanding of his spiritual master’s mood and treating him like an ordinary human being, arrogantly began to give him instruction. He said, “Remember that you are completely full of the bliss of Brahman. Why are you crying like this despite being knowledgeable of your own Brahman-nature?”

When Mādhavendra Purī heard these words so full of ignorance and effrontery, he became angry and began to rebuke Rāmacandra, saying,

“Get away from me, you most sinful rascal! I am dying from the distress of not having received Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, of not having attained Mathura, and you come to add to my misery! Don’t show your face again. Go wherever you like! If I see you while I am dying I will take a lower birth. I am dying from the distress of not having attained Kṛṣṇa and this lowly fool is teaching me about Brahman.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.8.22-5)

As a result of his offences, Mādhavendra Purī withdrew his blessings from Rāmacandra Purī, who thenceforth started to develop material desires. He became a dry philosopher without any interest in Kṛṣṇa. Not only that but he became critical of everyone, exclusively devoting himself to faultfinding.

In this connection, Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura has written, “Even though Rāmacandra Purī saw his own guru suffering of separation from Kṛṣṇa, he was incapable of recognizing the transcendental nature of this transport of emotions. He judged his guru to be an ordinary man and took his mood to be material, the result of some material insufficiency. As a result, he tried to explain to him the value of experiencing the oneness of Brahman. Mādhavendra Purī reacted to his disciple’s stupidity and disregard for his instructions and thus stopped wishing for his well-being. He abandoned him and drove him away.”

On the other hand, Īśvara Purī not only adhered to his guru’s teaching but served him physically and thus received his mercy, so becoming immersed in the love of Kṛṣṇa.

Īśvara Purī received his spiritual master’s mercy, while Rāmacandra Purī received his extermination. For the edification of the world, these two served as examples of the guru’s blessings and his punishment. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.8.32)

Deprived of his spiritual master’s blessings, Rāmacandra Purī became a faultfinder and engaged himself constantly to find out where the sannyāsīs stayed, what their activities were, how much they ate, etc. He criticized those in the renounced order for eating sweet-meats, saying that it made it difficult to control the senses. Unable to appreciate the Lord’s glories and thinking of Him as an ordinary man, Rāmacandra Purī concerned himself with gathering all sorts of information about His lodgings, His habits, how much He ate and slept and His comings and goings. Though his only goal was to find fault with the Lord, Rāmacandra Purī nevertheless came regularly to see Him. When they met, the Lord would offer him respectful obeisances, in virtue of his position as His spiritual master’s godbrother.

One day Rāmacandra Purī came to Mahāprabhu’s residence in the morning. On seeing many ants in the Lord’s room, he began to criticize Him, saying, “Last night there was surely molasses in here. This is why there are so many ants. Alas, how sad to see such an attachment to sense gratification amongst those in the renounced order of life!”

Though ants quite naturally roam about everywhere, Mahāprabhu became apprehensive as a result of Rāmacandra Purī’s accusations. He called Govinda and instructed him to reduce His daily consumption of prasāda to a particular proportion. He warned him that if Govinda brought Him more than this amount, He would leave Purī.

When the devotees heard about Mahāprabhu’s reduction in prasāda consumption, they were thunderstruck. They condemned Rāmacandra Purī and themselves stopped eating. When Rāmacandra Purī heard that Mahāprabhu and His devotees had all reduced the amount of food they were taking, he went to see Him and impudently said:

“A sannyāsī is not supposed to gratify his senses. He should fill his belly with the bare minimum. I see that You have become thin. Indeed, I have heard that You have cut your eating in half. But this kind of dry renunciation is not the religion of a sannyāsī, either. A sannyāsī eats as much as is necessary to maintain his body, but without engaging in sense gratification. By so doing, he becomes perfect in the discipline of knowledge.”

nātyaśnato 'pi yogo 'sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ
na cātisvapnaśīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna
yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu
yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā

O Arjuna, yoga practice is impossible for anyone who overeats, eats too little, sleeps too much, or sleeps less. For a person who eats, relaxes and exerts himself in all duties in a regulated way, the practice of yoga brings about the end of all worldly suffering. (Bhagavad-gītā 6.16-7)

Mahāprabhu continued to show Rāmacandra Purī the same respect as before, however, and humbly submitted, “I am just like an ignorant boy and it is My great fortune that you treat Me like your disciple and instruct Me. I will do My best to follow your instructions.”

In the meantime, Mahāprabhu heard that the devotees were eating only half as much as usual. Paramānanda Purī and some other devotees approached the Lord with great humility and submission and said, “Rāmacandra Purī is by nature a slanderer. It is not wise to give up eating on his say-so. It is his wont to make someone eat far more than he wants. Then he reproaches that person for overeating.

parasvabhāva karmāṇi na praśaṁsen na garhayet
viśvam ekātmakaṁ paśyan prakṛtyā puruṣeṇa ca

One should neither praise nor criticize the nature and activities of others because everything in the universe is a combination of the material nature and the living souls, and is thus controlled by one sole entity. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.28.1)

Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura comments on this verse by saying, “The abovementioned verse from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam gives two injunctions. The first, called pūrva-vidhi, is that one should not praise, and the second, para-vidhi, is that one should not criticize. It is generally said that the rule given later takes precedence over previously given injunctions. From this, we can understand that to praise someone is not so dangerous, while one should avoid calumny. Here, however, Rāmacandra Purī observed the injunction to avoid praising others but did not observe the prohibition against criticism. Thus he neglected the para-vidhi but strictly observed the pūrva-vidhi. Paramānanda Purī might have quoted this verse as a pun to Rāmacandra Purī’s character”

Paramānanda Purī continued: “Rāmacandra Purī does not praise even a person who has hundreds of good qualities; he rather finds some way of calling these qualities a fault. You should not give up eating properly because of his criticism; You should rather accept invitations as before.”

Mahāprabhu replied, “There is no reason to get angry at Rāmacandra Purī. A sannyāsī should not be lusty after the pleasures of the tongue, but only eat in order to maintain the body.”

When the devotees continued to press the Lord, He finally responded to their request by accepting half of the original amount of prasāda (rather than a quarter as He was then doing).

When a brāhmaṇa at whose home an invitation could not be accepted invited the Lord, he would pay two paṇas of conch-shells to purchase the Jagannātha prasāda. When a brāhmaṇa at whose home an invitation could be accepted invited him, the brāhmaṇa would purchase part of the prasāda and cook the rest at home. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.8.89-90)

At the invitation of Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Bhagavān Ācārya or Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya on their scheduled date, Mahāprabhu would eat as much as they served Him, without any hesitation.

Mahāprabhu sometimes treated Rāmacandra Purī according to worldly etiquette, and sometimes He would ignore him as though he were of no more significance than straw. All the Lord’s activities are auspicious and beautiful, in all times and circumstances.

Sometimes the Lord acted almost like a servant to Rāmacandra Purī. At other times, He treated him like straw. The Lord’s activities are beyond human comprehension. Whatever He does, to whomever, is always enchanting. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.8.94-5)

Rāmacandra Purī stayed in Jagannātha Purī for sometime before departing on pilgrimage. When he left, the devotees felt extremely happy, as if a great load of stones had suddenly been taken from their heads and fallen to the ground. Mahāprabhu once again began to accept invitations as before and the devotees were able to serve Him without hindrance.

This is the result of being rejected by one’s spiritual master. Eventually, the offence reaches as far as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though the Lord did not consider the offences of Rāmacandra Purī, considering him to be a senior, through his behaviour He instructed everyone about the result of offending the spiritual master. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.8.99-100)

Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura has mentioned that Mahāprabhu hid in Rāmacandra Purī’s house in Benares.

Mahāprabhu remained hidden for two months in Rāmacandra Purī’s maṭha. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 2.19.105)

Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura writes in his Gauḍīya-bhāṣya, “Gaurasundara stayed in the house of Candraśekhara while in Benares. Candraśekhara was a śudra of the vaidya caste. Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura says that He stayed with Rāmacandra Purī, who was a pretentious disciple of Mādhavendra Purī and had a strong inclination toward the māyāvāda philosophy. In fact, Mahāprabhu told people in Benares that He was staying with Rāmacandra Purī while actually, He stayed elsewhere with devotees. Rāmacandra Purī was a sannyāsī in one of the ten Śaṅkarite orders, therefore Mahāprabhu stayed with him to avoid criticism from the non-devotees.”