OF THE HINDUS. 113 



of NiTYANAND, of the followers of this faith. Nityanand was an inhabitant of 

 Nadtya^ a Rdrhiya Brahman, and a householder : he was appointed especially 

 by Chaitanya, the superior of his followers in Bengal, notwithstanding his 

 secular character, and his being addicted to mundane enjoyments :* his de- 

 scendants are still in existence, and are divided into two branches : those of 

 the male line reside at Kharda, near Barrackpore 5 and those of the female at 

 Bdlagor, near Suk'hsdgar : there are other families, however, of nearly equal 

 influence in various parts of Bengal, descended from the other GosainSf the 

 Kavirdjas and original Mahants. 



Besides the three PrahhiiSy or Chaitanya, Adwaita, and Nityanand, 

 the Vaishnavas 0? i\\\.?, order acknowledge six Gosains as their original and 

 chief teachers, and the founders, in some instances, of the families of the Go- 

 sains now existing, to whom, as well as to the Gokulasfha Gosains, hereditary 

 veneration is due. The six Gauriya, or Bengal Gosains, appear to have all set- 

 tled at Vrindavan and Mathurd, where many of their descendants are still 

 established, and in possession of several temples : this locality, the agree- 

 ment of dates, and the many points of resemblance between the institu- 

 tions of Vallabha and Chaitanya, render it extremely probable that 

 their origin was connected, and that a spirit of rivalry and opposition gave 

 rise to one or other of them. 



* Thus, according to Krishna Das, when Raghunat'h Das visits him, he finds him at a 

 feast with his followers, eating a variety of dainties ; amongst others a dish called Puli?ia, and when 

 he good humouredly notices it, Nityanand replies : — 



C'ftt'^^lf^ ^fsr ^^C'Jtt^fJ^ ^f^ ^iT^tf ^ ^^^ C^IWHi JZ^ II " I am of the 

 Gopa caste, (i. e. fig : a companion of Krishna, the cow-herd,) and am amidst many Gopas, and such 

 as we are, consider Pulina a delicacy." A verse is also ascribed to him, said to have become proverbial; 



?Is>C'n? C^t^T ^f^Rt^C^t^l ^srt^^ CNSl^t'TC^ ^t^^t^ C^t^ll Let all enjoy fish, 

 broth, and woman's charms — be happy, and call upon Hari. 



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