Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/478

 Incarna- tion of God, 442 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. —= না ৫ 7 বান enter his order; he cared not for caste or creed; he reorganised society and formed a new order in which merit and not birth was the mark of supe- riority. In this new order, Ganga Narayan Chaker- varty—a renowned Brahmin scholar, openly took 7 the dust of the feet of Narottam—a Cudra, and | acknowledged him as his spiritual preceptor and 7 many others did similar things—violating openly all ~ caste-prejudices. People took Chaitanya as an incarnation of God, and his image is now worshipped by the Vaisnavas of Bengal and Orissa. He was always unsparing however during his life time, in his condemnation of such attempts to deify him. Ram Ray they Prime Minister of Pratap Rudra of Orissa asked him why he was so cautious in his conduct “We all know you to be god in human flesh, you may act as you like; why observe, so many res traints ?”’—he said. Chaitanya replied in firm tones “I am a man and I have taken the ascetic’s vows) In body, in mind, in speech, and in all my dealings I must be spotless. As in a white cloth a dark spot becomes conspicious, so a trifling fault im an ascetic’s character, is prominent in the eyes of men. He is shunned like the pitcher of milk with) | a drop of wine in it.” Vasu Deva Sarbabhoum; the veteran scholar, with folded palms bowed dow to him on his return from Southern India, and sale “{ know you, O Lord! to be God on earth Chaitanya indignantly answered “Sir! why do you talk nonsense? Speak on other subjects.” So 1 Chandipur when I¢var Bharati prayed to him as t@ a God, he was offended. In the historic garden ¢ Sribas’ house at Navadwip, the party assemblee