Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/119

80 their dejected, mournful faces drew tears from my eyes.' Such was the depth of Isvar Chandra's fraternal love. It was not at all strange that the universal philanthropist, whose heart melted at the very tale of other people's distress, should love his own brothers so affectionately and sincerely.

After finishing the Vedanta (Theology) course, Isvar Chandra entered the Nyaya (Philosophy) class. The great pundit Nimchand Siromani was, at that time, the teacher of this class. But shortly after this, he died, and Pandit Jay Narayan Tarkaratna was, at the instance of Isvar Chandra, appointed to the post. Was it not a glory to a pupil, that he could nominate his professor? At the second year's examination of this class, he stood first and won the first prize of one hundred rupees. His paper on poetical composition was also the best, and he won a further sum of one hundred rupees as prize for that composition. These two hundred rupees went a great way to help his father in the clearance of his debts. What wonderful talents did Isvar Chandra possess! During the period of his studies in this class, he used now and then to visit his native village, Birsingha, and there enter into debates on this difficult subject with the learned Pandits of the neighbourhood. It is said that, on one occasion, he had an earnest debate on old Nyaya with Ram Mohan Tarkasiddhanta, one of the greatest philosophers of the time. Tarkasiddhanta was defeated. When