At this the Brahman was overjoyed and clasped the Master's feet weeping and saying, "Thou art Ram incarnate, visiting me in the disguise of a sannyasi, and raising me from deep sorrow. Do consent to dine at my house to-day, because on that day I was too melancholy to entertain thee worthily. It is my good fortune that thou hast come again!"
So saying the Brahman cooked deliciously and feasted the Master nicely. After passing the night under his roof, the Master went to the Támraparni in the Pandya land, where He bathed in the river and wandered on the bank gazing at the Nine Tirupadis in wonder.
Thence He visited Chiyartálá (the shrine of Ram Lakshman), Til Kánchi (the shrine of Shiva), Gajendra-Mokshan (where there was an image of Vishnu), Páná-garhi (shrine of Ram), Chámtápur (Ram Lakshman), Shri Vaikuntha (Vishnu), the Malay Mountain (Agastya), Kanyá Kumári [Cape Comorin], Amlitalá (Ram), the Mallar land (where the Bhattamáris dwelt), and then after seeing Tamal Kártik, He reached Betápáni (Raghunath's shrine), where He passed the night.
The Master's companion, the Brahman Krishna-das, met a Bhattamari, who tempted the simple Brahman by offering him a woman and money. In the morning Krishna-das went away to the Bhattamari. Soon the Master came in quest of him and addressed the Bhattamari tribe thus, "Why have you detained my Brahman (follower)? I am, as you see, a sannyasi; and so are you too. It is unfair of you to put me in trouble."
At this the Bhattamaris took up arms and flocked round the Master to thrash Him. But the weapons dropped from their hands and struck their own limbs, so that they fled away on all sides. Lamentation rose in their houses. The Master dragged Krishna-das away by the hair, and that day reached the Payaswini river, in which He bathed and visited the temple of Adi Keshav, where He bowed, prayed, danced and sang for a long while in rapture, to the amazement of the beholders. All the people treated Him very respectfully and He joined the assembly of the very devout there. Here He got a manuscript of the book Brahma-samhitádhyáya to His boundless delight, tremour, weeping, thrill, perspiration, stupor, and frenzy (of joy), because the Brahma Samhita is unrivalled among works of exegetics (siddhanta shastra) and it is the chief instrument for teaching the glory of Govinda, as it expresses vast dogmas in a few words. It is the very cream of Vaishnav sacred writings.
Very carefully did He get the book copied. Thence He went to Ananta Padmanáv, where He spent two days, to Shri Janárdan, where also He hymned and danced for some two days, to Payoshni, where Shankar Náráyan is worshipped, to the monastery of Shringeri, the seat of Sankaracharya, to Matsya-tirtha (Fish shrine), to the river Tungabhadrá, and to [Upidi], the seat of Madhwáchárya, the spokesman of spiritual truth. Here He gazed devotedly on the Udupa-Krishna. The image of Krishna in the form of the dancing young cowherd (Gopal) was very charming. Madhwáchárya was moved by a dream to rescue this image from a cargo of consecrated earth [Gopichandan] in a sunken ship, and to install it [at Udipi], where it is worshipped to this day.
The Master was overjoyed to see the image of Krishna, and in fervour of devotion danced and sang (before it) for many a day. The tattwavádis, taking the Master for a máyávadi, at first slighted Him, but afterwards they marvelled at His religious ecstasy, and venerated Him greatly as a (true) Vaishnav. Aware of their pride in Vaishnavism, the Master began a discourse with them. The high priest of the tattwavádis was an expert in all the holy books. The Master, assuming the tone of a humble inquirer, put questions to him: "I do not clearly comprehend sádhya (end) and sádhan (means). Do please enlighten me on the subject." The high priest replied, "To the worshipper of Krishna the highest sádhan is to resign to Krishna the religious system centring round caste and ashram. Translation to Vishnu's heaven, after attaining to the fivefold salvation, is the supreme sádhya. Thus speak the Shastras." The Master objected, "The Shastras assert that the supreme sádhan of the love and service of Krishna is listening to and singing His praise. Vide Bhágabat, VII. v. 18.
"From listening to and singing hymns, one comes to love Krishna. That is the fifth human end, the limit of human attainment. Vide Bhágabat, XI. ii. 38. All kinds of scripture condemn (devotion to) work and teach us to abstain from the fruit of our works. Therefore from work cannot spring love and devotion to Krishna. Vide Bhágabat, XI. xi. 32; also Gitá, xviii. 66; Bhágabat, XI. xx. 9. Truly devoted men renounce the fivefold salvation; in their eyes salvation is worthless, no better than hell! Vide Bhágabat, III. xxix. 11; V. xiv. 43; VI. xvii. 23.
"The devout abjure salvation and work alike. And you establish these two things as the end and means! Ah! you are only befooling me as I am a [mere] sannyasi. You have not told me of the true characteristics of end and means."
At this the high priest of the tattwa School was inly ashamed, while he marvelled at the Vaishnav spirit of the Master. So he replied, "Your exposition is the true one. All Shastras declare this to be the Vaishnav dogma. Yet our order holds the views laid down by Madhwacharya." The Master rejoined, "The votary of work and the votary of knowledge are alike lacking in faith. In your order I see signs of these two. I see only one merit in your order: you have fixed, upon the true God."