The Life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
XXIX
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.
Now, after the tenth year of His age, Chaitanya became a passable scholar in Grammar, Rhetoric, the  Smriti  and the  Nyaya . It was after this that His elder brother Vishwarup left his house and accepted the asram (status) of a sanyasi (ascetic). Chaitanya, though a very young Boy, consoled His parents, saying that He would serve them with a view to please God. Just after that, His father left this world. His mother was exceedingly sorry, and Mahaprabhu, with His usually contented appearance, consoled his widowed mother.
It was at the age of 14 or 15 that Mahaprabhu was married to Lakshmi Devi, the daughter of Ballabha Acharya, also of Nadia. He was at this age considered one of the best scholars of Nadia, the renowned seat of  Nyaya  philosophy and Sanskrit learning. Not to speak of the  smarta  pandits, the  naiyaiks  were all afraid of confronting Him in literary discussions. Being a married man, He went to Eastern Bengal on the banks of the Padma for acquirement of wealth. There He displayed His learning and obtained a good sum of money.
It was at this time that He preached Vaishnavism at intervals. After teaching him the principles of Vaishnavism, He ordered Tapan Misra to go and live in Benares. During His residence in East Bengal, His wife Lakshmi Devi left this world from the effects of snake-bite. On returning home, He found His mother in a mourning state. He consoled her with a lecture on the uncertainty of human affairs. It was at His mother's request that He married Vishnupriya, the daughter of Raj pandit Sanatan Misra. His comrades joined Him on His return from  pravas , or sojourn.
He was now so renowned that He was considered to be the best pandit in Nadia. Keshab Misra of Kashmere, who had called himself the Great Digvijayi, came to Nadia with a view to discuss with the pandits of that place. Afraid of the so-called conquering pandit, the  tol  professors of Nadia left their town on pretence of invitation, and Keshab met Mahaprabhu at the Barokonaghat in Mayapur and, after a very short discussion with Him, he got defeated by the Boy and mortification obliged him to decamp. Nimai Pandit was now the most important pandit of His times.
It was at the age of 16 or 17 that He travelled to Gaya with a host of His