In His eighth year, He was admitted into the tol of Gangadas Pandit in Ganganagar close by the village of Mayapur. In two years He became well read in Sanskrit Grammar and Rhetoric. His readings after that were of the nature of self-study in His own house, where He had found all-important books belonging to His father, who was a pandit himself. It appears that He read the Smriti in His own study and the Nyaya also, in competition with His friends who were then studying under the celebrated Pandit Raghunath Shiromani.
(Teachings of Lord Chaitanya Prologue)
In Navadvīpa there resided the topmost teacher, Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, who was nondifferent from Sāndīpani Muni. He was in full knowledge of the grammatical literatures, so the Lord desired to study under him. Understanding the desire of his son, Jagannātha Miśra took Him to the house of the brāhmaṇa Gaṅgādāsa. When they arrived, Gaṅgādāsa stood up out of respect and embraced Śrī Miśra. They then sat together on an āsana. Jagannātha Miśra said, “I am offering you my son. Please teach Him everything.” Gaṅgādāsa replied, “It is my great fortune. I will teach Him to the best of my ability.” Gaṅgādāsa was most happy to see his new student, and he treated Him like his own son. After hearing only once, the Lord would assimilate whatever Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita explained. He would refute the explanations of His guru and then again establish the explanation that He had just refuted. There were thousands of students, but no one had the ability to defeat His explanations. Gaṅgādāsa was pleased to see Nimāi’s wonderful intelligence, and he accepted Him as his best student. The Lord would regularly challenge and defeat all of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita’s other students. Śrī Murāri Gupta, Śrī Kamalākānta, and Śrī Kṛṣṇānanda were some of the Lord’s prominent classmates. The Lord challenged and defeated them all, even the elder boys, but they would consider the Lord just a child and simply smile at Him.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Adi-khanda 8.26 – 8.39)
While studying, Nimāi gave such nice explanations that His teacher was greatly satisfied with Him. Indeed, the teacher recognized Nimāi as the foremost of all of his students. The teacher said, “Dear child, You must study attentively. Then You will soon be known as a Bhaṭṭācārya.” The Lord replied, “It is not difficult for anyone you bless to become a Bhaṭṭācārya.” Whenever Śrī Gaurasundara asked a question, none of the students were able to answer. He would Himself establish the explanation, and the next moment He would refute it. If someone was unable to establish a point, the Lord would give the proper explanation. While bathing, eating, or traveling, the Lord had no engagement other than studying the scriptures. While the Lord enjoyed His pastimes as a student, He did not disclose Himself due to the fallen condition of the world.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Adi-khanda 8.190 – 8.197)
All glories to Śrī Gauracandra, the Lord of lords. In His childhood He was the reservoir of scholastic pastimes. In this way, as Gaura, the best of the brāhmaṇas, confidentially lived in Navadvīpa, He had no engagement other than studying. His form was as enchanting as millions of Cupids. Each of His limbs was incomparably charming. His arms extended to His knees, and His eyes were like the petals of a lotus. He chewed betel nut and dressed divinely. As the Lord walked with thousands of students, by the strength of His knowledge He entertained everyone with His sharp wit. Viśvambhara, the Lord of the three worlds, traveled all over Navadvīpa holding in His hand His beloved Sarasvatī, in the form of a book. There was no scholar throughout Navadvīpa who could understand Nimāi’s explanations. The Lord discussed His explanations only with the most fortunate Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Adi-khanda 11.1 – 11.8)
Therefore, while teaching topics of spiritual knowledge to both the students under the guidance of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita as well as the students and teachers of the mundane schools of Navadvīpa, Śrī Gaurasundara composed the first verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka. In the second verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka there is an elaboration of the first, and in the third verse the Lord reveals to the world the method of properly serving the first verse. In the fourth verse He describes the process for giving up desires that are not related to Kṛṣṇa. In the fifth verse He describes giving up realization of the Supreme Lord’s opulences while worshiping the supremely blissful Absolute Truth and chanting the holy names as an eternal servant. The reactions of the body, mind, and speech as one progresses in chanting the holy names are described in the sixth verse. According to the consideration in the seventh verse that the holy names and the Lord are nondifferent, a practitioner achieves perfection by attaining the state of āpana-daśā, realization of one’s original constitutional position. He taught the eighth verse so that the same practitioner could become decorated with all symptoms of complete surrender by freeing himself from the bad association of aversion to Hari while giving up the concept of enjoyment in the course of chanting the holy names and thus attain kṛṣṇa-prema. Other than this, He forbade all of His beloved devotees from discussing any topics indirectly related to Kṛṣṇa.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.027 Commentary)
Returning to partial external consciousness, Viśvambhara went to the house of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita. The Lord offered His obeisances at the feet of His teacher, who immediately stood up with respect and embraced Him. His guru said, “Glorious is Your life, my dear. You have delivered both Your father’s and mother’s families. Your students know only You as their teacher; they would not open their books even for Lord Brahmā. Now that You have returned, You should begin teaching from tomorrow. Today, go home.” After offering obeisances to His guru, Viśvambhara departed. Surrounded by His students, He appeared like the moon amidst the stars.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.120 – 1.125)
All the students reported to Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita everything that Nimāi had explained to them.“In every explanation that Nimāi Paṇḍita has given recently, He explains Kṛṣṇa as the meaning of every word. “Since He has returned from Gayā, He does not mention anything other than Kṛṣṇa in His explanations. “He always chants the name of Kṛṣṇa, and the hairs of His body stand on end. Sometimes He laughs or shouts loudly as He manifests different moods. Every day He takes the dhātu, or verbal root, of every word and explains Kṛṣṇa through grammatical rules. O Paṇḍita, we are unable to understand His present characteristics, so please tell us what to do Hearing the students’ words, the brāhmaṇa Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, who is the crest jewel of teachers, burst into laughter Gaṅgādāsa said, “Go home now and return soon. This afternoon I will instruct Him. Then He may teach you properly. You may also come with Him in the afternoon All the students happily returned to their homes, and in the afternoon they came with Viśvambhara to the house of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita The Lord took the dust from the feet of His guru, and His guru blessed Him, saying, “May You attain knowledge.” The Lord’s teacher said, “My dear Viśvambhara, please hear my words. The studying of a brāhmaṇa is not the result of being less fortunate Your maternal grandfather is Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, and Your father is Jagannātha Miśra Purandara. There are no fools in either Your maternal or paternal families, and You Yourself are most qualified to explain the commentaries. If by giving up studies one becomes a devotee, then were Your father and grandfather not devotees? Remembering all this, practice Your lessons properly. Only through proper study can one become a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa. How will an ignorant twice-born know what is proper and what is not? Knowing this, You should chant the name of Kṛṣṇa and concentrate on Your studies. Go now, but promise me that You will teach the scriptures properly without any different meanings.” The Lord said, “By the mercy of your feet, no one in Navadvīpa can stand before Me in debate. Who in Navadvīpa can refute My explanations of the sūtras? I will teach publicly in the middle of city. Let Me see who has the power to challenge Me.” Gaṅgādāsa became pleased on hearing these words of the Lord, who then offered respects at His guru’s feet and departed. I offer my humble obeisances at the feet of Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, whose disciple is Lord of the Vedas and master of the goddess of learning. What else is there to be attained by Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita, whose student is worshiped throughout the fourteen worlds? As Lord Viśvambhara walked along with His students, He appeared like the full moon surrounded by the stars.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.261 – 1.285)
The Lord turned to Gaṅgādāsa and said, “Do you remember how one night you were running away in fear of the king? “You came to the boat ghāṭa with your entire family, but you feared calamity when no boat could be found. When you could not get a boat throughout the entire night, you became distressed and began to cry. Fearing that the Yavanas would mistreat your family, you resolved to enter the Ganges. At that time I crossed the Ganges and came before you as a boatmen in a ferry. You were pleased to see the boat and began to speak to Me with great affection. O brother, please save me this time. My caste, life, wealth, and body all belong to You. Protect me. Take me and my family across the river. I will pay You the one coin and give You two coins as a donation Thereafter I took you and your family across the river and then returned to Vaikuṇṭha. On hearing these words, Gaṅgādāsa floated in an ocean of bliss. Such are the pastimes of Lord Gaurasundara. While crossing the Ganges, you remembered Me. Do you remember now that it was I who took you across?” After hearing this, Gaṅgādāsa fell unconscious to the ground. In this way the Lord honestly narrated the activities of His devotees.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.109 – 9.120)
Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita came. Simply by remembering him, one’s fruitive bondage is destroyed.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.009)