26S -CHAITzlSYA'AXB HIS COMPANIONS.-

locality. From Vramara Chaltanya came " 'to

thfe" ' town of Ba.sapala where there was a temple

of Kurma — the Great Tortoise.

. Dflanpiln.

the Rasala Kuncla. Chaitanya stayed here thisee
days. A Marwari Brahmana living in the town
was hostile to the Vaisnavas, A youthful son
of this Brahmin came to Chaitanya and com-
plained to him that his father was a sworn
foe to all religion. He begged Chaitanya to
reform him if it was at all possible. Hardly
had he finished saying so, when the infuriated
father came with a stick in his hand and
threatened to beat Chaitanya with it for having
turned the head of his only son. Chaitanya said
"Here am I completely in your hands, beat me
as much as you like, but sing the praises of the
Lord ; that is the price you will have to pay for
beating me, my friend/' And as Chaitanya
said this, the vision of Krsna came to him and
he was unconscious of the external world. He
lay like a painted picture fixing his gaze
heavenward, tears falling from his eyes. The
Brahmana was awe-struck and soon after became
a Vaisnava convert. From Dasapala, Chaitanya
with his three companions came to the bank of
the river Risikulya. He stayed here for three
days and when he came near Alalanatha, all his
companions of Bengal and Orissa, who were
wretched during his absence, formed themselves,