# The Greatest Scholar

<mark style="color:red;">**After completing His primary education and formally entering household life, Nimai performed further pastimes known as the**</mark><mark style="color:red;">**&#x20;**</mark>*<mark style="color:red;">**kaisora-lila**</mark>*<mark style="color:red;">**&#x20;**</mark><mark style="color:red;">**(age 11- 15).**</mark>

#### <mark style="color:red;">\[</mark>[<mark style="color:red;">16.1-16.6</mark>](https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/16/)<mark style="color:red;">]</mark>

Nimai had become so accomplished in His studies, that by the age of eleven He had founded His own school! He attracted many students, defeated the most astute philosophers, and became widely renowned as a scholastic prodigy.

#### <mark style="color:red;">\[</mark>[<mark style="color:red;">16.7</mark>](https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/16/7)[<mark style="color:red;">-16.25</mark>](https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/16/25/)<mark style="color:red;">]</mark>

Nimai decided to exercise His intellectual prowess and expand his influence by travelling to East Bengal. His fame spread far and wide as people flocked to hear Him speak. Despite the attention He drew, Nimai didn’t forget His other purpose in visiting East Bengal – to guide and advise Tapan Misra. Misra was a scholar who had read various scriptures, but remained confused in the goal of life. Nimai enlightened him about the devotional conclusions of the Vedas, and thus highlighted the limitations of academic scholarship. Although Nimai revealed the potency of *nama-sankirtan* to Misra, He refrained from widely propagating it. The time, He considered, was not yet ripe.

Meanwhile in Navadvip, Laksmipriya’s feelings of separation from Nimai became so unbearable that she passed away. On His return, Nimai comforted His grieving mother, offering spiritual support and promising to care for her. He reassured her by marrying again, this time the chaste and gentle Visnupriya.

#### <mark style="color:red;">\[</mark>[<mark style="color:red;">16.26</mark>](https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/16/26/)[<mark style="color:red;">-16.111</mark>](https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/16/111/)<mark style="color:red;">]</mark>

In this period, Nimai enhanced His scholastic status by defeating Keshava Kashmiri, the champion debater widely acclaimed as the *dhig-vijaya pandita* (one who had defeated scholars from everywhere). Hearing of Nimai’s reputation as an academic genius, he sensed an opportunity to enhance his reputation further, and arrogantly demanded a debate. Nimai responded humbly and flattered the Pandita, requesting him to instead recite verses in glorification of Mother Ganges. Within an hour, Kashmiri composed one hundred eloquent stanzas and unflinchingly reeled them off like the mighty wind with perfect pronunciation. Nimai was unfazed. He responded by recalling one of the quoted verses and outlining the numerous literary faults that spoilt the composition. The *pandita* was dumbfounded! How could Nimai memorise the verses so quickly? More importantly, how could He instantaneously conduct such a critical analysis? Stunned and speechless, Kashmiri quietly excused himself to regroup. That night, Saraswati, the Goddess of learning, came to him in a dream and revealed Nimai’s identity as the Supreme Person. Appreciating that Nimai was compassionately curbing his pride, Kashmiri returned the following morning and happily surrendered to the young boy.

<mark style="color:red;">**Nimai’s scholastic pastimes are particularly significant. Later in life, His immersion in ecstatic chanting and dancing would be viewed by many with a sceptical eye. They would accuse Him of being a sentimental and emotional devotee, labelling**</mark><mark style="color:red;">**&#x20;**</mark>*<mark style="color:red;">**bhakti-yoga**</mark>*<mark style="color:red;">**&#x20;**</mark><mark style="color:red;">**as a path for the less intelligent. Such comments invariably surfaced, yet Nimai’s early reputation as a scholar of unprecedented calibre confirms that the joyful chanting of Hare Krishna is the mature conclusion of all Vedic study. God cannot be understood through analytical and intellectual gymnastics but by purification of the consciousness and heartfelt devotion.**</mark>