Men of God

OPPOSITION AND TRIUMPH

As Nimai Pandit could not hereafter continue his duties properly, he closed the Tol and joined the devotees who welcomed him with hope and joy. Soon he became the soul of the group. His magnetic presence, personal charm, real Divine love, his own invention of a new method and improvement of the tune (Manoharshai) for singing the glorious names of Hari in the Sankirtan party, his humility and service to others—all these wrought a great transformation in the coterie of devotees. Daily they met and conducted the Kirtan in the courtyard of Srivas, which is shown to the pilgrims even to this day, though the exact spot was long ago washed away by the Ganges. Day by day new devotees were joining the group and the number was swelling. These Vaishnavas gradually became a power which drew the wrath of the scholars who made many attempts to suppress the movement. The hostility of the scholars went so far as to approach the Kazi to stop the nuisance caused by the noise of the Kirtan party throughout nights. In answer to this, Nimai arranged for nagarkirtan, a procession of kirtan party through the streets, in spite of the prohibitory order of the Moslem Magistrate. It was on that memorable night that the whole city, despite the opposition of the scholars, openly admired and was moved to tears of joy and love of their beloved Nimai; and as the procession passed by the gate of the Kazi, the sight of Nimai filled his mind with admiring love as it happened in hundreds of cases. ’Happy am I to see you today, so devoted to Allah,’ said the Kazi.

Nimai often did menial service to others; he washed the clothes of bathers in the Ganges, carried a part of the load to help others. When he was prevented from doing such menial services, he said: “Forbear, my friends, these little services make my vision of Krishna clearer.” It was at this time that Nityananda, the Madhva devotee, after travelling all over India came to Nadea and found his Sri Krishna in Nimai. Haridas, originally a Muhammadan, also belonged to this sect of Vaishnavas! Once, while singing and preaching in the streets Nityananda was set upon by two young aristocrats, Jagai and Madhai who were ruffians and profligates. Nityananda received a wound in his face, blood was flowing down upon his clothes; but he still urged the drunken men to sing the name of Hari, Haribole, when Nimai came and gently reproving them asked why they had not attacked him instead of his beloved friend. The youthful ruffians were deeply touched with the absence of anger and the loving spirit of the two Vaishnava leaders; overcome by remorse, they became devout followers of the new faith. But as the opposition of the scholars did not abate, Nimai decided to assume Sannyasa, for he said “then, considering me a Sanyasi, they (the fellow-pandits whose conversion to the devotional faith he had at heart) will bow down to me, and in bowing, their guilt will be removed and I shall rouse faith in their purified hearts. Then will these godless men be saved.” But obviously, there must have been a deeper, more spiritual reason.