40 INTRODUCTION. among the masses. The large sale of these books may be coveted by many authors who have distinguished themselves in our modern literary circles. The whole literature of the past is an indigenous growth. The same idea that is imaged in clay in the temples, that permeates the religious processions and festivities of rural homes, that the priests repeat in their sacred hymns and children hear in the nursery songs—pervades our past literature, which is in perfect and harmonious accord with the ruling sentiments of the race. The study of this literature will be a study of the people, whereas the ideas imported from outside in our modern literature may please the fancy of those foreign scholars who are amused by finding an echo of their own sentiments in our books; but the original—the indigenous elements of the soil will interest those who are far better critics and possess a really historical frame of mind. This literature is, as I have said, permeated by the sentiment of Bhakti, particularly that portion of it which has been contributed to by the Bengali Vaisnavas who have shown this element in their mystic writings in a far more conspicuous way than any other people in the world. 12. The dominant idea of the Jaisnava Literature and Chaitanya as its interpreter. I have written at some length on the Vaisnava literature in my History of Bengali Language and Literature, and I need not, within the short space of this introduction, dwell upon the subject again in detail. But let me here make one or two passing remarks. The Sahajiyācult, as I have stated, required a lover to worship the object of love with all the ardour of the soul. Love beyond the matrimonial pale was the special point of culture with these people. It was somewhat of the nature of A comparative the romantic love prevalent in Europe in the mediaeval study. ages about which Hallam writes, “The violation of marriage vows passes for an incontestable privilege of the brave and fair.” That such love, with all the platonic vows made in its preliminary stages, was a dangerous game to play is evident to all; and in this Europe and Asia had an equal share of evil consequences. Says Hallam, “The gallantry of these ages which was very often adulterous have no right to profane the name of religion”—“The morals of chivalry we cannot deny were not pure.” In Bengal too the Sahajiyās by their profligacies had earned the well-merited contempt of the people. In Europe there no doubt was a religious side in this matter, but with us it had become entirely devotional. I again quote Hallam, “The love of God and the ladies was enjoinod as a
- The student's Middle ages (1907), p. 580.
