Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c6.s2.24

c6.s2.24

admitted that he made no serious study of Rhetoric (नाहि पढ़ि अलंकार करियाछि श्रवण *C-C*, Ādi xvi. 52), but in his alleged disputation with Keśava he is made to rely chiefly on his stray knowledge of this subject! Although Navadvīpa was famous for its teaching of New Logic, there is, however, little evidence to show that Viśvambhara ever deeply studied or taught this subject. On the contrary, people noticing the keenness of his intellect, are said to have on one occasion wished that he had studied Nyāya and become a great Bhaṭṭācārya (केह वले ए ब्राह्मण न्याय यदि पढ़े । भट्टाचार्य हय तवे कतैन ना सवे ॥ *C-bh*, Ādi xi, although in another context the same biography speaks of Caitanya's Nyāya-vicāra with Gadādhara). No reliance, therefore, can be placed on the legend narrated in the *Advaita-prakāśa* (the historicity of which work itself and the genuineness of the printed text are not beyond question) that Caitanya wrote a commentary on Nyāya but threw the work into the Ganges out of compassion towards a Brahman who had written a similar work but who was afraid lest it should be eclipsed by the more learned commentary of Caitanya. The legend is obviously inspired by the pious tendency of glorifying Caitanya by imputing scholastic eminence to him. The *Advaita-prakāśa* also speaks of a commentary on the *Śrīmad-bhāgavata* by Caitanya, but of this there is no mention elsewhere. It is doubtful if Jayānanda's statement that Caitanya read Smṛti and Tarka (स्मृति तर्क साहित पण्डित एके एके, p. 18) is reliable. On this question of Caitanya's education see S. K. De in *IHQ*, 1934, pp. 301-2; B. Majumdar, *op. cit.*, pp. 347-49.