The Life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
XXXV
While at Benares, Chaitanya had an interview with the learned sanyasis of that town in the house of a Marhatta Brahmin, who had invited all the sanyasis for an entertainment. At this interview, Chaitanya showed a miracle which attracted all the sanyasis to Him. Then ensued reciprocal conversation. The sanyasis were headed by their most learned leader Prakasananda Saraswati. After a short controversy, they submitted to Mahaprabhu, and admitted that they had been misled by the commentaries of Shankaracharya. It was impossible even for learned scholars to oppose Chaitanya for a long time, as there was some spell in Him which touched their hearts and made them weep for their spiritual improvement. The sanyasis of Benares soon fell at the Feet of Chaitanya and asked for His grace ( kripa ). Chaitanya then preached pure bhakti, and instilled into their hearts spiritual love for Krishna which obliged them to give up sectarian feelings. The whole of Benares, on this wonderful conversion of the sanyasis, turned Vaishnava, and they made a master samkirtan with their new Lord.
After sending Sanatan to Vrindaban, Mahaprabhu went to Puri again by the jungles, with His comrade Balabhadra. Balabhadra reported that Mahaprabhu had shown a good many miracles on His way to Puri, such as making tigers and elephants dance, on hearing the name of Krishna.
From this time, that is, from His 31st year, Mahaprabhu continually lived in Puri in the house of Kasi Misra, until His disappearance in His forty-eighth year at the time of samkirtan in the temple of Tota Gopinath. During these 18 years, His life was one of settled love and piety. He was surrounded by numerous followers, all of whom were of the highest order of the Vaishnavas, and distinguished from the common people by their purest character and learning, firm religious principles and spiritual love of Radha Krishna.
Svarup-Damodar, who had been known by the name of Purushottamacharya while Mahaprabhu was in Nadia, joined Him from Benares and accepted His service as His secretary. No production of any poet or philosopher could be laid before Mahaprabhu unless Svarup had passed it as pure and useful. Rai Ramananda was his second mate. Both he and Svarup sang while Mahaprabhu expressed His sentiment on a certain point of worship. Paramananda Puri was His minister in matters of religion. There are hundreds of anecdotes described by His biographers which we do not think it meet here to reproduce. Mahaprabhu slept short. His sentiments carried him farther and farther in the firmament of spirituality every day and night, and all His admirers and followers watched Him throughout. He worshipped, communicated with his missionaries at Vrindaban, and conversed with those religious men who newly came to visit Him. He sang and danced, took no