In Vaishnava Hinduism there are five stages of faith. The first and lowest is simply contemplative, like that of the rishis Sanaka and Yogendro ; the second is servile, like that of men generally- ; the third is friendly, like the feeling with which Sreedama and the Gopin regarded Krishna ; the fourth is maternal, paternal, or filial, like that of Jusboda, Devaki, et,c ; the fifth and highest is amorous or loving, like that of Radha.
From some ca.u.se or other, the worship of Vishnu declined in Bengal, but it -was modified and revived in the 15th century by a celebrated religious teacher named Chaitanya. This eminent personage succeeded in reforming many religious and social abuses, and founded a sect of all classes without any distinction of caste ; and in so doing continued the great work of Jayadeva, which was commenced about a century previously. The Banya race of Bengal chiefly belong to the sect of Chaitanya, and acknowledge him an incarnation of Krishna, without, however, adopting any of those ascetic habits which distinguish many of the Vaishnava. The lay follovrers Chaitanya are merely initiated in the mantra or invocation to the deity by their religious preceptors, who are called gosains. These gossins are followers of Nityanandit, the coadjutor of Chaitanyn ; and it , was to this Nityananda that Chaitanya entrusted the task of spreading his religion after his retire inent from his spiritual labours. Up to tho beginning of tho 19th century, the gosain were held in great veneration, but since then, in Bengal, they receive little respect excepting from Hindu females, being regarded amongst the tnore enlightened Hindu community 11-9 the main pre servers of superstitious ideas and usages. The
gosain are otherwise called guru. and as such are hereditary preceptors in a family. The utmost respect that is paid to the Bengali gosain by their followers consists in taking and kissing the dust of their feet ; but the younger females are not permitted to appear before them, and no scandals have arisen in the community like those which, about the year 1867, obtained such un happy notoriety in the Bombay Presidency.
Throughout Bengal, Nuddea is celebrated as the great seat of Hindu learning and orthodoxy, the most sacred place of Ilindu retreat. The Chait anya Bhagavat states : 'No place on earth is equal to Nuddea, because Chaitanya was there incar nated. No one can tell the wealth of Nuddea. If people read in Nuddea, they find the eta of learning, and the number of students is innumerable.' The brightest epoch in the history of Nuddea, however, dates from the era of Chaitanya. Regarded by his adversaries as a heresiarch, worshipped by his followers as an incarnation, be is now truly appreciated by the discerning generation of the 19th century as a reformer whose efforts produced a little good. The consort of Vishnu is Lakshmi, Padma, or Sri.—Wilson's Hindu Sects; 1Vilson's Glossary ; Travels of a Hindu ; Coleman ; Moor.