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| Lord Chaitanya and followers such as Swami Prakashanand Saraswati |
While at Benares, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had an interview with the learned. Sannyasis of that town, in the house of a Maharatta Brahmin, who had invited all the sanyasis. At this interview Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed a miracle which attracted all the sanyasis to Him. Then ensued reciprocal conversation. The Sannyasis were headed by their most learned leader Swami Prakashanand Saraswati.
After a short controversy, the followers of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati submitted to Mahaprabhu and admitted that they had been misled by the commentaries of Shankaracharya. It was impossible even for learned scholars to oppose Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for a long time, as there was some spell in Him which touched their hearts, and made them weep for their spiritual improvement.
Sanyasis of Benares, including Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, soon fell at the lotus feet of Shri Chaitanya and asked for His grace (kripa). Shri Chaitanya then preached pure Bhakti and instilled into the hearts of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati and his sanyasi followers, spiritual love for Krishna which obliged them to give up sectarian feelings. The whole of Benares, on this wonderful conversion of the Sannyasis, turned out Vaishnavas, and they made a master Sankirtan with their new Lord. After sending Sanatan to Vrindavan, Chaitanya Mahapraphu went to Puri again by the jungles with His comrade Balabhadra. Balabhadra reported that Mahaprabhu had shown a good many miracles on His way to Puri, such as, making tigers and elephants dance on hearing the Name of Krishna.
