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
