He would spend hours – practically the whole day- hearing and chanting Krishna’s holy names with them. And all the devotees loved Vishwarupa dearly. He recited the scriptures with so much devotion that devotees were mesmerized by his presentation. He always extolled the glories of pure devotional service. He knew no other subject than pure devotion to Krishna. And when he spoke from scriptures advaita acharya and other vaishnavas would roar in ecstasy. He wouldn’t give up the association of srivas thakur, advaita acharya and other vaishnavas for anything. He became the life and soul of all devotees.
During noon time mother Sachi would ask her youngest son vishwambar to go and call Vishwarupa for lunch. Nimai would appear during the middle of their class and pull his brother by the dhoti and call him home. All the vaishnavas present would be enraptured by the beauty and charm of vishwambar. They couldn’t speak any word or chant anything. Seeing Nimai, they felt the same spiritual happiness as if they were with lord Krishna in vrindavan. As Nimai held his brother’s hands and both ran out, the devotees saw the beauty of Nimai with unblinking eyes, and tears of affection spontaneously flowed down from their eyes. Advaita acharya and others began to wonder, “Who is this child? Why do we feel so much affection for him? Why is our heart flooded with so much ecstatic love?” This remained a great mystery for all of them, until years later when Nimai revealed he was none other than their supreme worshipable lord Krishna of vrindavan.
As soon as Vishwarupa took lunch, he’d go to the altar, offer prayers to lord Vishnu and rush back to advaita acharya’s house to hear glories of lord Krishna. In the evening he would return home, again go the altar and offer prayers to lord Vishnu and go to sleep. This is how he spent his entire day, every day.
Sachi mata and Jagannath Mishra were concerned about their son’s wellbeing. They decided the best way to ensure Vishwarupa stays home is by getting him married. As they planned his marriage, Vishwarupa learnt about it and quietly, in the in the middle of the night, without saying a word to anyone, he left home. He accepted the renounced order of life and took the sannyasa vows and the name of shankararanya.
To be continued…
