The tantric Sannyasa
From Nadajal Syamananda Prabhu went to Tamluk with his disciples and they stayed in a nearby Durga Mandapa[1].
In those days the King of Tamluk was under the influence of a tantric sannyasi[2]. On the suggestion of that tantric, the King declared that the place where the Vaisnavas sat had become impure and he ordered that the clay covering the floor be thrown out and replaced by new clay. The King’s attendants then started to remove the clay, but to their astonishment, despite their best efforts, the amount of clay would not diminish. Hearing about this fantastic incident, the King became frightened and came out to take refuge at the lotus feet of Syamananda Prabhu, who flatly refused to see even the face of someone hostile to the Vaisnavas.
That night in a dream Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Syamananda that previously He used to be worshipped in Padumvasan, but because of the wickedness of that mayavadi tantric His Deity was on a mat, hidden in the house of a brahmana of Mirzapur. Mahaprabhu directed him to bring His Deity from that place and restart His worship and service.
Under the orders of Syamananda Prabhu, the next morning Rasikananda went to Mirzapur incognito and after having darsana of the faultlessly beautiful Deity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the house of the brahmana, he went back and informed Syamananda, who then personally went to Mirzapur with Rasikananda, many disciples and a sankirtana party. The King of Tamluk also followed them with his large army.
After satisfying the brahmana of Mirzapur, Syamananda brought back the Deity of Mahaprabhu to Tamluk. The King constructed a new temple for the Deity and donated many lands and riches for His service. Following the orders of Syamananda Prabhu, Radhavallabha Dasa, a disciple of Rasikananda Prabhu, gave initiation to the King, after which the mayavadi tantric ran away from Tamluk.
[1] A mandapa is something similar to a pavilion.
[2] In the Tantra tradition there are magic and “black” practices giving material powers not always with the aim to do good.
This is a section of the book “Syamananda, the Joy of Radharani (English)”.
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