Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/468

 432 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap, | Nityananda who was hurt on the fore-head which — bled profusely. But Nityananda sang the name y of God and only said to his assailant “Strike me again if you like, but sing the name of Krisna.” — His face became so full of tenderness that the rogues g repented, and became reformed from that hour. — So great was the attraction of the personality of : Nimai that sometimes for a whole night the Sankir- j tana party sang round him without minding the | passing of the night and when it came to an end, — they would wonderingly look at the sun thinking — that he had appeared too soon. Nimai But Nimai felt that there was a strong party in resolves to রি ‘ : turn a Navadwipa who were not slow to calumnite him ভিজ everywhere. He thought that as a householder, his teachings might not commend themselves to all classes and therefore determined to renounce the world, turn a Sanyasin and preach the Love of God | all over India. This news came asa disaster to his followers, amongst whom were the veteran scholar Murari Gupta, the young and gifted Gadhadar Das, the poet Narahari Das of Crikhanda, the singer | and poet Vasu Ghose with Nityananda and the- venerable Adaitacaryya of Cantipur at their head. ‘iit hex But the word had passed his lips, and all who | comes one “knew his character felt that he was inexorable. He left Navadwip in the month of March in 1509 A.D. | and passed through the usual ceremonies required for | the Sanyasi’ns vow. The Guru or the religious preceptor elected by him for the occasion was | Bharati of Katwa. Nimai thus cut off all the | ties of world, threw away his sacred thread and | shaved his head. He was given the name of _