Nadia- The City of Learned Men

By the time of Lord Caitanya’s appearance [1486 A.D.], Bengal had nearly lost its independence. The ruler was a Mohammedan, and although the Hindus occasionally occupied the throne, they were obliged to embrace Mohammedanism in order retain their sovereignty. In 1478, General Hussain Shah dethroned the Hindu King Śubuddhi Rai. The Muslim kings ran the country through Kazis or Governors. These Kazis would administer justice, collect taxes from subordinate Hindu kings, remit a portion to the state treasury, and keep the remainder for themselves.

Nadia [second name for Navadvīpa] was famous as a city of learned men. Accepting this as the only aim of human life, everyone was completely absorbed in acquiring knowledge. Strange as it may sound to the people of today who are so much absorbed in gross sinful activities, the residents of fifteenth century Nadia had absolutely no attraction for politics, accumulating wealth, or enjoying sense pleasures. In fact, holding a political post, even that of prime minister, was considered disgraceful. One who did so was compared to a dog.

Parents prayed to God that their sons would become great scholars and paṇḍitas. Although most of the people of Nadia devoted their time to education, they didn’t suffer economically because the society maintained them. At least once a month pious Hindus would observe some religious festival and give charity to the learned men [brāhmaṇas]. The prime duty of the wealthy class was to protect and maintain those engaged in intellectual and spiritual culture. All the energies of the city of Nadia were used for one goal— the creation of learned men.

Navadvīpa’s intense devotion to learning, distinguished it from any other city in the world. Students thronged everywhere. Caitanya-bhāgavata says hundreds and sometimes thousands of students attended the many tols [colleges] lining every street in Nadia.

Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, who was an eye-witness, said, “Everyday thousands of students come to Navadvīpa from all over India. Some came to begin their education, and others came to finish studies started elsewhere. And every day thousands left after obtaining their diplomas.

“Every student carried a book. It was his friend, his strength, his ornament, and his means of receiving respect from others. Literary tournaments were regularly held at the city’s many bathing ghāṭas. Fights often followed the fierce competition. The defeated party would have to swim across the river to save himself.” (CB)

Though there were many schools, Nadia had no college for teaching Nyāya [philosophy of logic]. Nyāya first developed in Mithilā [Bihar state in North India], the land of Gautama Buddha. Nyāya could only be learned there because the professors of Mithilā had the only textbooks, and they wouldn’t let anyone copy them.

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a scholar of Nadia, went to Mithilā, memorized the entire textbook and returned to establish Nadia’s first Nyāya college [school of logic]. Later at the behest of King Pratāparudra, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya moved to Jagannātha Purī and established a second school of logic.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared just at the time when the learned city of Nadia was at the zenith of its intellectual development. Lord Caitanya came during this period of supreme literary activity to show that the attainment of Kṛṣṇa-prema, pure love of God, is the ultimate vedānta [end of all knowledge]. Although Nadia was a famous learning center, people’s interest in knowledge was purely academic; a source of egotistic pleasure. As a whole, people were more interested in “intellectual animalism” than spiritual wisdom. Their seemingly devout religious observances were primarily targeted toward sense gratification. Despite the abundance of schools and paṇḍitas, Nadia was rapidly devolving under the insidious effects of Kali-yuga.

Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura describes the position of Nadia at the time of Śrī Caitanya’s advent:

“Staying awake all night singing songs to Goddess Durgā was the only religion of the people. They spent huge sums of money for the weddings of their sons and daughters. No one celebrated festivals to glorify Kṛṣṇa, but they held grand ceremonies for their children and relatives. No one would speak if they could not mock the faults of others. No one wanted to praise another.

“No one would perform Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, the yuga-dharma for this age. When Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita and his brothers would perform saṅkīrtana, people would say, ‘Why chant and dance for Kṛṣṇa? What use is this saṅkīrtana anyway?’ Speaking like this, people in general could not understand anything. Coming together, they would mock the handful of Vaiṣṇavas living in Nadia.

“Money and family were their only interests. The whole world was devoid of Hari-bhakti. Everyone associated with materialists and followed the wrong path.” (CB)

(An excerpt from the book Appreciating Navadvīpa Dhāma by Mahanidhi Swami)