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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
amongst the followers of Chaitanya, who at about the same time refashioned the religion of Bhakti in a popular manner, [p. 39] and in a spirit of opposition to Brahmanism, insisting on an ardent and ecstatical devotion to Krishna, can be scarcely distinguished in point of their morality from the followers of Vallabhâchârya, From this, however, no conclusion a posteriori could be drawn regarding the age when Krishna-ism became speculative like the Rama-ism. And as regards the system of Ramanuja, there are Râma-ite elements pervading it, in as much as, for instance, Râma like Krishna is looked upon as a Vibhava-a manifestation of Isvara; and finally, every (point of) difference involved in the two conceptions of Krishna and Râma is generally reduced to the lowest extreme-just as indeed Vishu and Siva are also merged together in the one personality of Hari-Hara; however, the system of Râmânuja is in its basis thoroughly Kishua-ite as it is a continuation of the Pâñcharâtra religion, the Krishna-ite character of which need not be proved, but is already guaranteed by the name of its God-Vasudeva.
Among the modern works in which the doctrine of Bhakti is developed in agreement with those of the Bhag., the first place is taken by the Sandilyasutras an imitation of the (older) philosophical Sutras.
I have here followed in a brief exposition the development of the Bhagavata religion from the time of the Bhag. (and) beyond (as well) for the sake of completeness, as for the fact that Krishna-ism, from the time of the compilation of the Bhag. has obtained a preponderating significance in the religious life of the Indians, a significance none the least due to the powerful influence of this poem.
PART III
The Doctrines of the Bhagavadgitâ.
The situation of the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna is well known; still a short sketch of the same might perhaps be welcome to some that might consult this work. The Kauravas and the Paulavas, after many years' quarrel, march against each other, prepared for open battle, to the Kuru-field-the province of modern Delhi-[p. 40] with their respective armies and allies. Although the two families, being closely related with each other have an equal claim on the name Kurus or Kauravas, this epithet is usually confined to the members, of one party, i.e., to the blind old king Dhritarashtra, his uncle Bhishma, and to the former's sons, the oldest of whom is Duryodhana; only Arjuna, in spite of his belonging to the other party, is six times called in the Bhag. "a scion of the Kuru" or by some such name.37 The course of the battle is narrated to the blind king Dhritarŕshtra by his charioteer Samjaya, on whom Vyâsa, the reputed author of the Mahabharata, had conferred the supernatural power of knowing all the events of the war. The dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna occupies one of the first places in this narration of Samjaya, and this dialogue is called-to quote its full name-Bhagavadgitopanishad "a secret lore expounded by the revered one," though usually shortened into Bhag. or even simply called Gila. At the sight of his close relatives pitched in the hostile camp, Arjuna is reluctant to begin the battle, and is lectured to by Krishna, who in his human form stands by Arjuna's side as his harioteer, upon the behests of duty. Krishna's admonitions and instructions strengthen themselves in the sequel, and in the eleventh Adhyaya Krishna discloses himself to Arjuna as the sole God and the Ruler of the Universe, who has assumed the form of a Yâdava hero.
37 See the Index of Proper Names in the edition of Schlegel-Lassen, s. v. Kuru.
