372
1533*[1] of the Christian Era.
Such was the holy life, and such the glorious work, of one of the noblest souls that this or any other country has ever produced. Springing from a tribe by no means remarkable for physical prowess, Chaitanya achieved those notable victories of peace before which the proudest trophies of war sink into utter insignificance. In that illustrious career, a thoughtful observer may perceive what singleness of purpose, nobility of aim and purity of life, unaided by rank or wealth, can achieve in a score of years. Wherever he went, he took the people's hearts by storm. Whatever he said was caught by the hearers with an eager breath. The pageantries of kings fade into shadowy dreams, when
- ↑ * This, we believe, is the correct date of the sage's death or final disappearance. But both Babu Surendranath Banerjea (Speeches, Vol.1) and Sir Monier Williars (Religious Thought and Life in India) think that the melancholy event took place in 1527-28 A. D. The point to be decided is, whether it was only twelve years or, as we say, eighteen years that Chaitanya eventually spent in Orissa.
