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really came but partially within the pale of tion; and the Brabmans inculcated also the Aryan influence, and that was no doubt the res- importance of caste. This great change the son why it was treated us foreign in Manu's Code, autbur calls the Puranic Renaissance, because it and its language regarded as # Paisach Prakrit expressed itself in the revival of Epic and unfit for literary use. The author shows that it Puranio stories recast in new pooms composed in was largely through the interest evinced by the verorcular tongue to suit populur taste. Muhammadan rulers that the great Sanskrit epics Such preins were recited throngh the country by were translated and appeared in Bengali verse professional singers, the Mangal.gyaks, who in the 17th century. It was not to Brahmans a nplified them at times with their uwn verses. nor to Hindus versed in Sanskrit classics tbat From this period, it seems, may be really dated Bengali was inilebted for ourly favours, but the the rise of Bengali literature. earliest Bengali compositions are attributed to The Il.im iyana with its story of Rama and the zeal of Tantrie Buddhists to popularise tbeir Sita, and the Mahabharata with those of the ereed in the 10th and 11th centuries, and they
Pandavas and Krishni, were of course the trea. enunciate homely proverbial philosophy in Bud
sure houses; and those stries were thrown dhistic form.
afresh into Bengali verse in many poems from Among early compositions are the Dharma
the 14th century onwards. The poets, while hand. mangal poems, songs recounting the exploits of
ling their themes correctly, yet narrated them Lau Sen and extolling the god Dharma, who with new vitality and embellished them with derepresented originally the popular idea of scriptions and comparisons borrowed from their Buddba; but when those songs achieved a wide
own land and associations. Among auch versions popularity, Brahminism, after it overcamo Pud. of the Rimciyana the most famous were Kritti. dhism, recast them so thoroughly that they v&sa's and Raghunandan's poems, while Sanjaya's appear now to be devoted to the Salta colt. The
and Kasi Ram's compositions best reproduced high moral discipline of Buddbism gradually
the Mah lbharata. Two other Sanskrit books degenerated into general ball-sceptical sell-indul.
freely drawn upon were the Bhagavata Purana geuce, and indulgence when stimulateil by
which described the exploits and majesty of Vaishnava views of religious love turned to
Krisbna as an incarnation of Vishnu, and the extravagant courses of licentiousness. This
Chandi-m.htmya in the Mirkanduya-Purána phase in its idealistic and spiritual aspect is
which excited the admiration of those who illustrated in the poems of Chandi Des (end of
revered Chandi. Sira did not attain the same 14th centary) which express homely fervour in
prominence as Vishnu, because, as the author pastoral guiso, and in those of Vidy&pati in
explains, the popular conception of this steru Behår in the 15th century. On the other hand,
deity did not credit him with any keen interest Mabaganism oonduced to the worship of local
in his worshippers personally, and in the poems deities, and popular feeling turned towards the
that extolled him be appeared rather with peaminor deities and especially goddesses, that were
sant traits amid rural home life. en teemed locally, from about the 9th century, so that tbeir worship soon grew i popularity and
The author narrates all these stories and gives
extracts from the chief poems with English found expression in songs that sprang from the people themselves. Muny poems were composed translations, which being in prose naturally lose
the spirit of the ola Bengali, for the old poetry in their honour in and after the 12th century Chief among those deities were Manara, the composed in short rbyming lines often carried enake-goddess, who is extolled in the touching terseness to an extreme. He also adds valuable story of Bebull in tbe Manasd-mangal composed
notes, explaining how the Puragic Renaissance by Haridatta; and Chandi Devi, to whose power
enriched the old Bengali by introducing and two well-known stories bore testimony, which vernacularising many Sanskrit words, and were narrated in many forms and especially in poinning out grammatical peculiarities and word: the 16th century poem, the Chandi-mangal, by that have since become obsolete. Much of that Mukunda RAW, whose poetry vividly portrays old literature fell into neglect and often MSS. the domestic life of rural Bengal.
were lost or perished; still many poems bave Brabmanism sided that revulsion from Bad- boen rescued from oblivion and published by the abist degeneracy by adopting those local deities, Battala Press. and stimulai d it by reviving the old stories of It is remarkable how closely the old literature the ancient rishis and kings with their glamour is bound up with religion, for it followed and of semi-divine ideals. The two Puranic gode, expressed popular religious sentiments as they Vishnu and Siva, tbus regained popular adora- varied through the centuries, and indeed the
