Dutt, Romesh Chunder: The literature of Bengal: being an attempt to trace the progress of the national mind in its various aspects, as reflected in the nation’s literature from the earliest times to the present day ; with copious extracts from the best writers (Calcutta, 1877)

v 68 LITERATURE 0*> BENGAL. \

use, and bade them worship him as he was the great
Master of the gods and goddesses they had come to'wor-
ship. Flyjng from his enraged mother the little boy one
day hid himself in an unclean vessel. This provoked
Sachi who bade him instantly go and bathe^ in the Ganga
(Hugli) to purify himself. The young sage, however, calm-
ly replied that, uncleanliness dwelt ntft in outward things
but in the mind. It may be easily imagined these and
other anecdotes of a similar nature are^invented by the
followers of^Chaitanya to prove the godhead of their
great master: we may therefore reject them altogether.

Chaitanya commenced his studies with Ganga Das
Pandit and shewed great intelligence and aptitude for
learning. It was abouf this time that the parents of
Chaitanya began #o think of a suitable match for his

♦elder brother Viswarupa} who was then in his early
youth. Viswarftpa, however, was otherwise inclined ;
and filled with religious fervour, he left his home and
turned a Sanyasi. The disconsolate mother had a yet
severer trial awaiting her. It was mot long after, that
Jagannath Misra paid the debt of nature, and Nimai
therefore was the sole surviving stay and consolation to
the bereaved widow.

In his earlier days, Chaitanya had made the acquain-
tance of a maiden named Lakshmi, daughter of Balla-
bhacharya, when she had come to the river-side to wor-
ship. The boy had eyed her with an eye of affection,
and the maiden had forgotten her devotions when lookiug
on Chaitanya. The young student now thought of

. Damage, and his widowed mother celebrated hia marri-