The Master converts the people of Benares and returns to Jagannáth
Thus did the Master in two months instruct Sanátan in the entire lore of the philosophy of faith. Chandra Shekhar's comrade, Paramánanda Kirtaniá, an expert artist, performed kirtan before the Master.
As the Master had slighted the sannyasis they everywhere spoke ill of Him. At this the Maratha [Brahman] sadly reflected, Whosoever has a close view of the Master's character feels Him to be God indeed, and admits Him as such. If I can bring them and Him together, they will perceive this [quality] and become His followers. I have always to dwell in Káshi, and if I do not effect this, it will be a matter of everlasting regret to me."
So, he invited all the sannyasis, and himself went on a visit to the Master. Chandra Shekhar and Tapan Mishra, grieved to hear Him defamed, were humbly entreating Him, and His mind, too, was thinking of the conversion of the sannyasis, in order to remove the grief of His bhaktas. Just then the Maratha Brahman arrived and clasping the Master's feet by much entreaty induced Him to accept his invitation. At noon He went to His host's house, and bestowed salvation on the sannyasis in the manner described in Part I. of this book.
From the day on which He blessed the sannyasis, a sensation was created in the village; crowds flocked to behold the Master; scholars of various schools came to discuss theology with Him, but He refuted all their philosophies and established faith as the final truth. By His reasoned speech he turned the minds of them all, and they followed His instruction and began to chant Krishna's name. All men laughed, sang, and danced. The sannyasis submitted to Him; quitting their studies they formed assemblies of their own [to discourse on faith].
A disciple of Prakáshananda, equal to him in attainments, spoke reverently of the Master in open meeting thus, "Chaitanya is Náráyan himself. He explains the aphorisms of Vyás most charmingly. His exposition of the root meaning of the Upanishads gratifies the hearing and mind of scholars even. Our teacher [Prakáshánanda] gives a fanciful explanation of the aphorisms of the Upanishads leaving their essential meaning out. On hearing his fanciful explanations scholars pretend to approve, but are not inwardly convinced, whereas Chaitanya's words feel to be truth indeed. In the Kali Yug, one cannot vanquish the World by asceticism; the highest conclusion and true source of bliss is contained in the exposition which He gave of the verses 'Hari's name alone &c'. The Bhágabat asserts that there cannot be salvation without faith, and that rapture in the name [of Hari] can give an easy deliverance in the Kali Yug. (Bhágabat, X. xiv. 4 and ii. 26).
"The term Brahma connotes God full of the six divine attributes. To describe Him as abstract is to impair His fulness. The Shruti Purans deal with the manifestations of Krishna's chit power. Philosophers laugh at it irreverently. They look upon Krishna's chidánanda images as a mere piece of illusion. In this they sin grievously. Chaitanya's view is the true one. (Bhágabat, III. ix. 3 and 4; Gitá, ix. n and xvi. 19). The aphorisms [of Vedánta] teach the theory of parinám (result), but our teacher disregards it, calls Vyás ignorant, and asserts the theory of bivarta. This fanciful interpretation does not satisfy the mind. Fancies at variance with scripture prove a man a wretch. Engaged in vain disputation, I have hitherto forgotten to know the Supreme Essence. Oh! how shall I merit Krishna's grace? Our teacher has obscured the meaning of Vyás's aphorisms, whereas Chaitanya has revealed it. True are His words; all other theories are false and futile."
So saying he began to sing Krishna's sankirtan. At this Parkashananda remarked, "The Acharya was eager to establish Monism, and he had therefore to twist the sense of the aphorisms. If you admit God's bhagawánship, you cannot establish Monism. So the Acharya had to refute all the Shástras. No author who wishes to set up his own theory can give the plain meaning of the scriptures. A philosopher of the Mimánsa school speaks of God as a part and parcel of [His] work; the Sánkhya speaks of Him as the cause of Nature all over the universe. The Nyáya asserts that the world was composed out of atoms; the Illusionist speaks of the abstract Brahma as the Cause. Patanjal (alone) tells us of the true nature of Krishna; so He is the true God, according to the Vedas. None recognizes God as the Supreme Cause, each school of philosophy only sets up its own theory by refuting the views of its rivals. Thus from the six schools of philosophy we cannot know the [spiritual] truth. Only the words of great men are reliable. Chaitanya's words are a stream of nectar. What He says is the essence of spiritual truth. Hearing all this, the Maratha Brahman in delight went to report it to the Master, whom he met going to visit Bindu Madhav after His bath in the five streams. At the Brahman's narration He was pleased. Beholding the beauty of Bindu Madhav Hewas enraptured and danced in the courtyard [of the temple] in love, while Chandra Shekhar, Paramananda, Tapan and Sanátan joined in a sankirtan chanting,—
"Hail to Hari and Hara! to Krishna the Yadav, to Gopál, Govinda, Ram and Madhusudan."
Lakhs of men surrounded them shouting Hari! Hari! The blessed cry filled earth and heaven. Hearing it near him, Prakashananda came there with his pupils, moved by curiosity. Beholding the Master's charm of person and dancing, he with his disciples joined the cry of Hari! Hari! The Master trembled, spoke in a choking voice, perspired, changed colour, or at times stood rigidly inert, bathing the bystanders with His tears, His body thrilled with ecstasy like the Kadamba tree. He displayed every passion, exultation, abjectness, lightness &c., to the marvel of the people of Benares.