When the devotees heard that Mahāprabhu had returned from South India, they rushed to see Him. Bhagavān Ācārya renounced everything and came to live there near the Lord.

Rāmabhadra Ācārya and Bhagavān Ācārya came to live near the Lord, giving up all other duties. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.10.184)

Bhagavān Ācārya was a great devotee, a scholar and and a man of refined habits. He came to Puruṣottama to be with the Lord. He was an incarnation of a cowherd who served Kṛṣṇa in the mood of friendship. His dealings with Svarūpa Dāmodara were also those of a close friend. He was completely surrendered to the Lord’s lotus feet, and he occasionally invited Him to eat at his residence. He made various vegetable preparations, which he personally served to the Lord. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.2.84-7)

Bhagavān Ācārya would not brook any materialistic conversation, only listening to Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, qualities and pastimes.

The great personality Bhagavān Ācārya arrived. Mundane topics never entered his ears. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.3.188)

He was one of the many devotees who came to meet Mahāprabhu in Purī after the Lord delivered Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. Bhagavān Ācārya was also present when Mahāprabhu went to greet Advaita Ācārya, along with Kāśīśvara Paṇḍita, Pradyumna Miśra and others. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.8.57)

He was also present when Mahāprabhu went into an ecstatic trance and fell into the ocean, after taking the dunes on the beach to be Govardhana.

Paramānanda Purī, Brahmānanda Bhāratī and others ran to the beach while Bhagavān Ācārya, being lame, followed them as quickly as he could. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.14.90)

One day Bhagavān Ācārya wanted to feed Mahāprabhu nicely and sent the singer Choṭa Haridāsa to beg for fine rice from Mādhavī Devī, the sister of Śikhi Māhiti. While eating, Mahāprabhu learnt of this and became angry and ostracized Choṭa Haridāsa. He said that for a renunciate to talk to a woman is worse than drinking poison.

The Lord said, “I cannot look upon the face of someone who after taking the vows of renunciation continues to converse with women.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.2.117)

Bhagavān Ācārya was a generous and unpretentious Vaiṣṇava. Because of these qualities he was particularly dear to Mahāprabhu. The following account of his simplicity is given in the Caitanya Caritāmṛta:

Bhagavān Ācārya’s younger brother, Gopāla Bhaṭṭācārya, had been to Kāśī where he had studied Vedānta. After finishing his studies, he came to Purī to see his elder brother who was quite pleased to hear that he had become learned in the field. With great enthusiasm, Bhagavān Ācārya brought him to Mahāprabhu. The Lord, being the indweller of all beings, knew that Gopāla was a māyāvādī, so He was not delighted to meet him. Even so, He formally showed a polite affection. The simple, straightforward Bhagavān Ācārya went to Svarūpa Dāmodara and requested him: “Gopāla, my younger brother, has come here after finishing his study of Vedānta philosophy. Please come and hear the Vedānta commentary from him.”

Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, however, somewhat angry due to his love for Bhagavān Ācārya chastised him as follows:

“You have lost your intelligence in Gopāla’s association, and now you are eager to hear the māyāvāda philosophy. When a Vaiṣṇava listens to the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, the māyāvāda commentary upon Vedānta-sūtra, he gives up the attitude that the Lord is the master and the living entity is His servant. Instead, he considers himself to be the Supreme Lord. The māyāvāda philosophy is so dangerous that even a highly elevated devotee who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as his life and soul changes his attitude if he studies it.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.2.94-6)

Bhagavān Ācārya continued, even though he had been chastised by Svarūpa Dāmodara, “The devotees are all fixed at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in heart and soul. Listening to the Śārīraka-bhāṣya could not possibly have a negative effect on them.”

Svarūpa Dāmodara firmly answered making him understand the needlessness of listening to the heartrending māyāvāda commentary. He said, “When we hear the māyāvāda philosophy, not only do we hear that Brahman is the only spiritual reality and that the universe of Māyā is false, but we gain no spiritual understanding. When a devotee hears a māyāvādī say that the living entity is only imaginary and that the Supreme Lord is a manifestation of ignorance, it breaks his heart and soul.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.2.98-99)

Svarūpa Dāmodara’s remarks made Bhagavān Ācārya ashamed and a little afraid, so he sent his brother Gopāla back to Bengal.

One day a poet came to Purī from eastern Bengal who wrote poetry according to his own whim. He had also written a play about Mahāprabhu. Since he knew Bhagavān Ācārya personally, he read the play to him and afterwards to the other devotees, who all praised his work. So they felt that Mahāprabhu should also hear his play. However, only if Svarūpa Dāmodara approved could any poetic composition be presented to Mahāprabhu, as he would examine it for improper presentation of devotional sentiment and doctrine. Since his friend Bhagavān Ācārya had praised the literary qualities of the play, Svarūpa Dāmodara finally agreed to hear it after repeated requests. As soon as the poet read the invocation verse and explained it, however, and even though all the devotees were pleased, Svarūpa Dāmodara pointed out two faults that, in his view, had an offensive character.

The poet’s explanation was as follows:

“Lord Jagannātha is a most beautiful body, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Who is exceptionally grave, is the owner of that body. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has appeared here in Purī to spiritualize the entire dull material world.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.5.114-5)

Svarūpa Dāmodara began to speak in great anger.

“You are a fool and have brought ill fortune upon yourself, for you have no faith in either of the two Lords, Jagannātha Deva or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Jagannātha is completely spiritual and full of transcendental bliss, but you have said that He is nothing but a dull, destructible body composed of the inert, external energy. At the same time, you have said that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in six opulences, is an ordinary living being, a spark of spiritual energy rather than the supreme fire. You have committed offenses to both Lords. This is what happens when someone who knows no theology tries to glorify the Lord.

“Furthermore, you have made another great error. You have made a distinction between the Lord and His body. Such a distinction does not exist, for the Lord’s body and His identity are made of blissful spiritual energy. This is a great offense. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.5.117-122)

“When one sees the distinction between the body and the identity of the Lord then he or she commits the mistake of thinking the Lord to be a conditioned living being.” When he saw the poet’s distress at being criticized, Svarūpa Dāmodara became compassionate and told him to take shelter of a pure devotee, “Go and study the Bhāgavata from a Vaiṣṇava. Take exclusive shelter of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet. Associate constantly with the devotees of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Only then will you be able to understand all the waves of the ocean of Vaiṣṇava philosophy.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.5.131-2)

The brāhmaṇa poet was amazed, ashamed and afraid, all at once. Svarūpa Dāmodara was kind to him and showed him how his own verse could be re-interpreted to glorify Kṛṣṇa. When he gave an elaborate explanation to the poet, the poet had a change of heart and surrendered to the Lord’s devotees.