This indicates that Visnu Puri had some kind of disciple relationship with Purusottama Tirtha (Brahmanya) also; at least this confirms the time frame to be correct, if not his particular kind of 'guru'-disciple relationship. Substantiating the facts presented here, B.N.K Sharma points out that there is a traditional line stating that "Rajendra Tirtha carried the message of Madhwa north to Bihar and Bengal, and that Rajendra Tirtha's disciple was Jayadhvaja Tirtha, who was the 'Guru' of Visnu Puri, one of the precursors of the Caitanya school."(B.N.K. Sharma. History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta. page 540), so I feel it all ties in nicely.
In these days of yore, sometimes one would accept a particular 'mantra' or philosophical point etc., from someone and in that way he would become one's 'guru'. So sometimes certain initiations held more importance than others. For example, one's acceptance into a particular philosophical line would stand as more important than one's family initiation into a 'mantra' for charming snakes, catching ghosts or applying medicine from the Ayurveda.
Dr B.N.K Sharma further says that Visnu Puri was a contemporary of Jayadharma who followed the great Sridhar Swami, and due to his dedication to the 'bhakti marga' (devotional line) this could have been a great source of influence on Laxmipati Tirtha and Madhavendra Puri Goswami. In other words the reason why Madhavendra Puri took the name Puri to honour the name of this great devotee who had compiled wonderful prayers to offer to Lord Caitanya as mentioned earlier in conection with his guru Jayadharma Tirtha.
Another thing is that there is no record of Visnu Puri's activities
in South India, save and except that he headed to North India to preach.
To conclude, we can say that Laxmipati Tirtha and Madhavendra Puri were
both from North India and were influenced by Visnu Puri to pursue the development
of the spontaneous mood of 'bhakti'. Later some of Visnu Puri's previously
used verses of Sridhar Swami's, found in his Bhakti Ratnavali, turned up
in Rupa Goswami's "Padyavali" with reference to Bhakti Ratnavali.
According to historicle accounts Visnu Puri was a 'sannyasi'
of Tirhit District. One report is that Visnu Puri met Lord Caitanya at
Kasi (Benares) while Lord Caitanya was on His way back to Nadia, West Bengal
from Vrndavana. They were charmed with each other naturally. The following
story is mentioned by B.D. Basu, in his presentation of Visnu Puri's "celebrated
book" Bhakti Ratnavali, which says that at their meeting a wonderful interaction
took place. By the 'bhakti' and learning of Visnu Puri, Lord Caitanya became
inspired, and by the grandeur and personal magnetism of Lord Caitanya,
the Personality of Godhead, Visnu Puri was inspired. Later a disciple of
Visnu Puri left Benares for Jagannatha Puri to bring greetings to Lord
Caitanya from his 'guru'. Lord Caitanya sent him back to Kasi with a message,
"Make Me a garland of jewels". Everyone was astounded when they heard the
greatest renunciate asking for jewels, but they had not the boldness to
ask Him why He asked for this. Actually he was referring to what later
became Visnu Puri's Bhakti Ratnavali - "the necklace of priceless jewels
of the Srimad Bhagavatam".
There is another version of this story recorded, that Lord Jagannatha,
in a dream came to Visnu Puri and told him to compose and send these prayers
to Him in the form of Lord Caitanya. The date recorded on this book, Bhakti
Ratnavali, is 1555 Saka era or 1633 A.D., but it is humbly suggested that
this is the date Bhakti Ratnavali was transcribed from the original, not
the date of the actual original composition. As this was one year before
Lord Caitanya passed from the devotees physical presence.
Sriman Visnu Puri was previously known as Visnu dasa. He was
a learned 'brahmin' who belonged to the Vaisnava school of Madhwa and was
a disciple of Sripad Jayadharma Tirtha. He first led his life as a householder
with wife and children, but when the temper of his wife became too much
for him, he left home and took the dress of a 'sannyasi'. Everyone tried
to pacify him but he would not return. He wandered and settled in Mithila
at the shrine of Lord Siva (which is also known as Siva Puri). The 'Tirtha
pandits' there say that in a dream, Lord Siva appearing with his consort
Parvati Devi told him to resume family life, so he returned and took a
second wife, for he could not stand to be soley with the first. In the
dream Lord Siva also gave him the Visnu Mantra, while he was there at Siva
Puri, so it is suggested that this is when he added Puri to his name, to
remember that holy place, and the darshan of Lord Siva, as there is no
mention of receiving the name from another source.
To have been a disciple of Jayadharma Tirtha who occupied the Pitha
from 1448-1460 A.D., and to have met Lord Caitanya in Kasi, Visnu Puri
must have lived for close on one hundred and fifty years. Of course that
is presuming that the dates that we have are exactly correct. There is
no doubt that his preaching from the 'Bhakti shastra', Srimad Bhagavatam,
inspired many, among them the great Madhavendra Puri, who became the next
in the disciplic succession. It is believed by some that Madhavendra Puri
Goswami, though taking 'diksa' from Laxmipati Tirtha, was given 'siksa'
(instruction and inspiration) from Visnu Puri, thus this is why the title
"Puri" was added to his name to honour and respect Visnu Puri, instead
of simply accepting Tirtha, as with the previous 'parampara acaryas'.
"Most probably, it was this Visnu Puri, who was the real founder
of the Bhakti Movement in the North and the teachers Lakshmipati, Madhavendra
Puri and Ishwara were descended from him and of these Ishwara Puri was
probably contemporaneous with Vyasa Tirtha and presumably well acquainted
with him. This may, in a way, explain, how, in later days when genology
of the Chaitanya Sampradaya had to be put up, he came to be reckoned in
the line of Suddha Vaishnav monks descended from Madhwacarya."(BNK Sharma.
History of the school of Dvaita Vedanta and its literatures. page 526.)
In Dr. B.N.K Sharma's "History of the Dwaita School of Vedanta" he makes
a point to say that up until this time was the 'parampara' which came to
be known as the Srila Vyasaraja Mutt line of the Madhwa Mutts, following
down to the disciples of Sripad Vyasa Tirtha, a strict Madhwa line. From
here on the line changed to a more predominantly Gaudiya mood, and we also
agree to that.