Page 43 - Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (English)

Chapter Two

The Adolescent Scholar

After the departure of Jagannätha Miçra,
Nimäi’s naughty behavior subsided. He became
assiduous in following the duties prescribed for the
brahminical order, such as regularly performing
sandhyä-vandanä, and avoided the association
of irreligious persons.* He opened a school for
teaching Sanskrit and insisted that His students
adhere to high standards. If any pupil came to
school without tilaka, He would send him home,
to return only after having applied it. Nimäi was
diligent in study and never wasted time in idle
gossip; nor would He ever look lustfully at or dally
with women.
Nimäi took pleasure in debating with the many
scholars of Navadvépa, and was so incisive that
others were afraid to meet Him. He would make a
statement and ask the paëòitas to refute it. After
they did, Nimäi would defeat their argument with
another one and then challenge them to counter
His new position. But nobody could overcome

* Sandhyä-vandanä—prayers offered three times daily by
brähmaëas.

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