Logician Swayed

Upon His arrival at Puri, Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw Lord Jagannatha in the temple and then resided with Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya at the latter's request. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was a gigantic scholar of the day. He was the best logician of the time and was known as the most erudite scholar in the Vedanta philosophy of the school of Sankaracarya. His brother-in-law Gopinatha Misra, who had known Mahaprabhu from Nadia, held Him in great reverence and declared that the renunciate was not a common human being. On this point Gopinatha and Sarvabhauma had a hot discussion. Sarvabhauma then requested Mahaprabhu to hear his recitation of the Vedanta-sūtra, and the latter tacitly submitted. Caitanya heard with silence what the great Sarvabhauma uttered with gravity for seven days, at the end of which the latter said, "Krsna Caitanya! I think you do not understand the Vedanta, for you have not said anything after hearing my recitation and explanations." Caitanya replied that while He understood the verses very well, He could not make out what Sahkaracarya meant by his commentaries. Astonished at this, Sarvabhauma said, "How is it that You understand the meanings of the verses but do not understand the commentaries which explain the verses? Ahh, well! If You understand the verses, please let me have Your interpretations." Mahaprabhu thereupon explained all the verses in His own way, without touching the pantheistic commentary of Sankara. The keen understanding of Sarvabhauma saw the truth, beauty, and harmony of Caitanya's explanations. Sarvabhauma was then obliged to utter that it was the first time he had found someone who could explain the Vedanta in such a simple manner. He then submitted himself as a follower of Lord Caitanya.

In a few days Sarvabhauma turned out to be one of the best devotees of the time. When reports of this were circulated, the whole of Orissa sang the praise of Krsna Caitanya, and hundreds and hundreds came to Him and became His followers. In the meantime Caitanya Mahaprabhu thought of visiting Southern India, and He started with one Krsnadasa on the journey.