Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/447

 ড.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 4it bers may be counted by lacs. There are hundreds of scholars in it by the grace of Sarasvati (the goddess of learning). There are many professors who are fond of displaying their learn- ing. Even a boy there, will challenge a veteran professor to an intellectual discussion. People from various countries flock to the Tols of Nava- dwipa, and when they have finished their studies there, their education becomes complete.”’ But what was this Navya Nyaya of Bengal? Those who have read the system of Logic founded by Gautama, know that its basis is a_ spiritual philosophy. But this Navya Nyaya of Bengal has nothing to do with religion. It is a secular system of purely intellectual reasoning. In the latter days of Buddhism, faith in God, as I have said, had become nearly extinct amongst some of the scholarly Mahayanists, and the creed become almost identical with scepticism in popular estimation. Human mind in this country after long ages of scepticism and mystic Tantrik rites,—confounded and stupefied by the supernatural feats of ‘siddhas’ wanted to extricate itself from the mazy ways of an old and rotten institution and panted for light and for love of God. The horrors of Tan- সবে মহা অধ্যাপক করি WA BA | বালকে হে। ভট্টাচার্য্য সনে কক্ষা করে ॥ নানা দেশ হইতে লোক নবদ্বীপে যায়। নবদ্বীপে পড়িলে সে বিদ্যারস পায় | Chaitanya Bhagabata, Sceptical tendencies of scholars Tantrikism and world- liness.