XXVIII Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
came a whimsical and frolicsome Lad. After His fifth year, He was admitted
into a school where He picked up Bengali in a very short time.

Most of His contemporary biographers have mentioned certain anecdotes
regarding Chaitanya which are simply records of His early miracles. It is said
that when He was an infant in His mother’s arms, He wept continually, and
when the neighbouring ladies and His mother cried Haribol! He used to stop.
Thus there was a continuation of the utterance of Haribol in the house, fore-
showing the future mission of the Hero. It has also been stated that when His
mother once gave Him sweetmeats to eat, He ate clay instead of the food.
His mother asking for the reason, He stated that as every sweetmeat was
nothing but clay transformed, He could eat clay as well. His mother, who was
the consort of a pandit, explained that every article in a special state was
adapted to a special use. Earth, while in the state of a jug, could be used as
a water pot, but in the state of a brick such a use was not possible. Clay, there-
fore, in the form of sweetmeats was usable as food and not clay in its other
states. The Lad was convinced and admitted His stupidity in eating clay, and
agreed to avoid the mistake in future.

Another miraculous act has been related. It is said that a Brahmin on
pilgrimage became a guest in His house, and cooked his food and read his
grace with meditation on Krishna. In the meantime, the Lad came and ate
up the cooked rice. The Brahmin, astonished at the Lad’s act, cooked again
at the request of Jagannath Misra. The Lad again ate up the cooked rice while
the Brahmin was offering the rice to Krishna with meditation. The Brahmin
was persuaded to cook for a third time. This time all the inmates of the house
had fallen asleep, and the Lad showed Himself as Krishna to the traveller,
and blessed him. The Brahmin was then lost in ecstasy at the appearance of
the Object of his worship. ;

It has also been stated that two thieves stole away the Lad from-His father’s
door with a view to purloin His jewels and gave Him sweetmeats on the way.
The Lad exercised His illusory energy and deceived the thieves back towards
His own house. The thieves, for fear of detection, left the Boy there and fled.

Another miraculous act has been described of the Lad’s demanding and
getting from Hiranya and Jagadisha all the offerings they had collected for
worshipping Krishna on the day of Ekadashi. When only four years of age
He sat on rejected cooking pots which were considered unholy by His mother.
He explained to His mother that there was no question of holiness and un-
holiness as regards earthen pots thrown away after the cooking was over.
These anecdotes relate to the tender age up to the fifth year.

In His eighth year, He was admitted into the tol of Gangadas Pandit in
