Men of God

INITIATION AS SANTASI

With great difficulty, he convinced his mother of the necessity of this final step and sought her permission. It was in 1510 A.D. when he was 24 years of age that he secretly came to Katwa and received the formal initiation and the name Krishna Chaitanya from Keshava Bharati. His intention was to retire to Brindavan, but by some trick of his friends, he came to Shantipur where some of his companions and his mother came and pleaded for his return to Nadea. As a result, Chaitanya gave his word to Sachi Devi that he would stay at Puri and that she could be hearing news of him often. He forbade Nityananda to accompany him and allotted him the task of propagating the new faith and organising the sect on a wide basis and catholic principles.

When he went to Puri, at the sight of the tower of Jagannath temple, he was choked up with emotion developing into devotional swoons. Here the great Vedantin, Vasudeva Sarvabhauma who had little regard for Bhakti cult learned that the young Sanyasin came from Nadea, pitied him for his misguided life and took him to his house. He gave discourses of Advaita for many days, while Chaitanya kept silent without a word. “Tell me what you have learnt from my discourse,” asked the Pandit. Chaitanya said: “Sir, your learning is vast, but your views do not appeal to me." The veteran scholar wonderingly asked: "What are your views, child, that do not agree with mine?” Then the discussion began. If Vasudeva interpreted a famous verse in Bhagavat Purana in nine different ways, Chaitanya gave eighteen interpretations. The great scholar who for sometime had admired Chaitanya for his brilliance was now surprised to find in him sparks of Divinity and bowed to him as his spiritual guide. This was a signal success for Chaitanya and the Bhakti cult. For, the news of Vasudev’s conversion spread like wild fire. Raja Pratap Rudra and the people of Puri paid homage to the young monk.