Indian Antiquary Vol 41

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 304

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[DECEMBER, 1912.
author ola-sifies it mainly according to its reli- and that of Raja Rajballabh of Bikrampar near gious aspect. Thus he paseea next to the Dacca; but at both poetry fell under the control Vaishgavus, who exercised a widespread and of courtiers and schoolmen who imitated San. deep influence among the people, for MHhAyAniem skrit and Persian models, and it became highly encouraged religious devotion and facilitated | artificial with ornate diction and elaborate conthe conversion of many to the worship of Vishnu, ceits. Bharat Chandra obtained great fame with and Vaisbnavism infused new vigour into the his Annada-mangal, in which the old-time story doctrine of bhakti or loving faith. Chaitanya of prince Sundara was retold in depraved taste. was the great exponent of this in the early part JaynArAyan and his accomplisbed niece Anandaof the 16th century, and it involved a revoltmayi were distinguished at Bikrampar; and the against the strict system and oppressive ritual Muhammadan poet AIAS, who worked mainly in which Brahman ascendancy bad imposed the field of translation, gsined the applause of Puranic ideals lost ground and bhakti became Muhammadans as well as Hindus in bis poem, the great vivifying influence. He inspired suchPadmibati, notwithstanding its strong Hindu veneration in his followers, that many accounts proclivities. of his life were written in prose, which were the Rural poetry is discussed in its four divisions, first biographies in Bengali; and among them the kirtan songs, the songs of the kaviwilis, the greatest was the Chaitanya-charitimrita by which grew out of simple episodes in the yitriis, Krishna-dås. His teachings with Krishna as the religious sougs about Krishna and others, their subject were popularised in the parlas or and the songs of the yarás or popular drama. wongs of the Vuislınavns, which purtray bumun
The ani hor this reaches the period of English uctions, feelings and even questionable passions
rulu and discusses the influences, which affected and yet often suggest a spiritual import. The
Bengal, directly from the Government and greatest composer of padas was Gobindu-das in
missi inaries, and indirectly by its contact with the 16. h century, and he wrote in the Brujabu.i
the West, and the cte that have been produced dialect, which holds a middle position be.ween
thereby in the elaboration of the language, the Hindi and Bengali, and in which vernacular
altered outlook of the leading writers and the words were preferred to strict Sanskrit forms The later writers of the Puraaic Renaissance
many-sideil character and tendencies of tbe books marred the freedom of their poetry with classical
written. He has endeavoured to weigh all these Sanskrit phrases, but the new poets gave utter
matters without prejudice and impartially. ance to natural feelings in simple Bengali, with | This book is the outcome of great research and which they were more familiar thun some of the study, for which the author deserves the warmest older writers, and capivated the ear of the peo- prise. He has explained the literature and the ple with their new Manoharaabi tune. This subjects treated in it with such fullness and in leads the author to discuss the origin and history such detail as to make the whole plain to any of the kirtan songs, and the gre.t importance of
reader; and the book would probably gain in the kuth ka or professional reciters who have existed in India from the earliest times. Their
usefulness by some compression. The folk-literecitations could give a poem wide publicity and
ruture, the structure and style of the language, permanent fawe, and created also a demand for
metre and rhyme, and many moiscellaneous points written copies even among rustic folk,
are discussed in valuable notes; and specimens Vaishnava freedom was adverse to Brahmanic
of old decorated book-covers and handwriting
of old decorated bo formularism and permeated the people with and some portraits are displayed in coloured subversive ideas; yet its influence is found in all plates The tone is calm and the judgmenta the literutare after Chaitanya's time and even in appear to be generally fair, though it is well-nigh the later conceptions of Sivisin and Såklism. impossible to estimate aright the period of EngVaisbpavism, however, declined in purity the lish influence, since the changes bave been vasmore it overspread the country, because the pas- ter aud profounder than in any earlier age and sionate expressions used in the songs could arouse
are still in progress. One noticeable blemish human nature without imparting # spiritual
appears in the trunsliteration of Sanskrit and mening; and in the reaction against im moral
Bengali words and numes; no uniform system is tendencies Brahmauism re-asserted itself when the Muhammadan power decayed in the 18tb
observed and the same word even is not alwayı oentury. Learning tuen found patronaga nt two
transcribed in the same way. Courta, that of Raja Krishnachandra of Nadiya
F. LP.