_Sárvabhauma_--i.e., "universal doctor," a man of encyclopaedic knowledge. In the book this title is applied to a great scholar and Vedántic philosopher of Navadwip, who had settled at Puri and was held in high honour by the local king. His father was the scholar Visharád, a fellow-student of Chaitanya's maternal grandfather. His sister's husband was Gopinath Acharya, who, too, lived at Puri. Also called the Bhattáchárya, and Bhatta; not to be confounded with the Bhattáchárya (i.e., Balabhadra) of ch. xv-xxiii. _Shálgrám_--a round dark pebble, worshipped as an emblem of Vishnu, (found in the Gandak river). _Shántipur_--a town on the Ganges, some miles below Navadwip. _Shástra_--Scripture. _Shikdár_--the revenue collector of a district, local governor. _Shloka_--a complete verse, couplet or quatrain. _Shripád_--a title of respect, here applied to Nityánanda. _Shri-Vaishnav_--one of the four main sects of the Vaishnavs; they adore Náráyan and Lakshmi (=_Shri_), instead of Krishna and Rádhá. _Shudra_--the lowest caste among the Hindus. _Subhadrá_--the sister of Krishna. _Thug_--a class of professional robbers who used to strangle or poison their victims, after mixing with them on the way, disguised as travellers. _Tirtha_--sacred place, usually containing a bathing place. _Tulsi_--(1) the Indian Basil plant, sacred to Vishnu, and venerated by the Vaishnavs as almost divine. "She is the Indian Daphne" (_Birdwood_). (2) the name of a minister of the king of Orissa. _Vaikuntha_--the heaven of Vishnu. _Vaishnav_--worshipper of Vishnu, the preserver, one incarnation of whom is Krishna. The Shaivas are the worshippers of Shiva the destroyer, while the Shaktas are the worshippers of Shakti or energy, the wife of Shiva. _Varáha_--the "Boar," the 3rd incarnation of Vishnu. _Vidyá-nagar_--Rajmahendri, in the Madras presidency. _Vrihaspati_--the teacher of the gods; hence, a man versed in all the branches of learning. _Vishwarup_--Chaitanya's elder brother, who turned a sannyási under the title of Shankaráyana and died in the monastery of Pandharpur in Southern India. _Yug_--era or cycle of time. [Illustration: KING PRATAP RUDRA BOWING TO CHAITANYA] (From an old painting in the possession of the Zamindar of Kunjagháta) CHAITANYA-CHARIT-AMRITA CHAPTER I At the House of Adwaita Glory to Shri Chaitanya! Glory to Nityánanda, to Adwaita, and to all followers of Gaur! In the month of Mágh when the Master completed His twenty-fourth year, in the bright fortnight, He turned hermit. Then led by devotion He set off for Brindában, and wandered for three days in the Rárh country, hallowing it with His footsteps and chanting the following verse in rapture: _"I too shall cross the terrible and dark ocean of the world by means of devotion to the Supreme Being, as the sages did of yore, by service at the lotus-like feet of Mukunda."[1]_