History of Bengali Language and Literature c9.s2.90

c9.s2.90

But when in one of his trances he would lose all consciousness of the outer-world and picture-like or like a figure sculptured in fine clay, would lean on the shoulders of a comrade, his eyes over flowing with unconscious tears—wide-open yet not cognizant of this phenomenal world—a celestial joy beaming out of his countenance that spoke of the soul enjoying divine communion within, he was sometimes heard to murmur "I am He." The mystic words were cought by his followers who based their faith on them. But when reminded of this on return of his consciousness, he denied all knowledge of such unholy utterance, cried for forgiveness in remorse and said that he was a great sinner. The fact of this utterance coming from his lips during occasional fits of unconsciousness is related in Chaitanya Bhāgbata and other works which were written many years after Chaitanya Deva had pased away, and we all know how fertile is the Indian soil for the growth of wild stories about saintly characters whom, it is to the advantage of their followers to deify. In the contemporary records left by Govinda Dās, whom we consider to be one of the most authentic biographers of Chaitanya, no reference is made to any such utterances, though he describes Chaitanya Deva's ecstacies more often that any other biographer. It is for such omissions and for the rational view of the matters which he took, that orthodox Vaiṣṇavas do not give credence to Govinda Karmakār's accounts, whereas for these very reasons his work has an historical value and deserves the highest esteem.