The Conversations With Prakasananda 167
accept invitations, still, it is my request—please come and take Prasadam at
my place with the other Sannyasis. If You accept this invitation it will be con-
sidered a special favor to me.”

The Lord took this opportunity and accepted the invitation of the Brahmin,
in order to meet the Mayavadi Sannyasis. It was, practically, an arrangement
made by the Lord Himself. The Brahmin who invited Him knew that Lord
Chaitanya did not accept any invitations, but still he was very eager to invite
Him.

The next day Lord Chaitanya went to the house of the Brahmin. He
saw that all the Mayavadi Sannyasis were sitting there. He offered His respects
to all the Sannyasis, as was usual, and then He went to wash His Feet. After
washing His Feet, He sat down at that spot, not amongst the Mayavadi San-
nyasis, but in a place where water was kept for washing the feet. While He
was sitting there, the other Sannyasis saw a glaring effulgence emanating from
His body. All the Mayavadi Sannyasis were attracted by this glaring effulgence,
and they stood up and showed Him respects. Amongst them there was one
Sannyasi whose name was Prakasananda Saraswati. He was the chief amongst
all the impersonalist Sannyasis, and he addressed Lord Chaitanya with great
humility, and asked Him to come and sit amongst them.

He said, “My dear sir, why are You sitting in that filthy place? Please
come and sit with us.”

Lord Chaitanya replied: “Oh, I belong to an inferior sect of Sannyasis.
Therefore I think I should not sit with you. Let Me sit down here.”

Prakasananda Saraswati was surprised to hear such a thing from such a
learned man, and he actually took His hand and requested Him to please come
and sit down with him. Lord Chaitanya was seated, and Prakasananda
Saraswati enquired, “I think Your name is Sri Krishna Chaitanya, and I under-
stand that You belong to our Mayavadi sect because You have taken Your
Sannyasa from Keshav Bharati, who belongs to the Sankara Sampradaya.”

According to the Sankara sect, there are ten different names for Sannyasi.
Out of them, the three names, Tirtha, Asram and Saraswati, are considered
to be the most enlightened and cultured among the Sannyasis. Lord Chaitanya
was a Vaishnava, and therefore naturally He was humble and meck, and
He wanted to give the better place to Prakasananda, who belonged to the
Saraswati Sampradaya. According to Sankara principles, a disciple of the
Bharatic school is called Chaitanya. But Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
although He took Sannyasa, kept His Brahmachary name, without the title
Bharati.
