DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16242#0040
4 LITERATURE 0F( BENGAL.
to the natural predilections of the people, and inspired the
earliest poets of Bengal with the truest poetic fervour.
The contest between the religion of Krishna and
the religion of Sakti continued for many centuries,
and indeed to a certain extent continues to the present
day. And yet it is a curious fact that, up**to the end
of the 15th century, we do not find the name'tff a single
Sakta poet of note; and from the middle of'-the '
sixteenth century up to the present date not a single
, Vaish^ava poet of merit has flourished. At the first
sight these facts would lead one to suppose that tup
to the middle of the sixteenth century Vaishnavism
was the only prevailing religion in Bengal, and that
the worship of Sakti bqgan subsequently. As we pro-
ceed, however, we shall in future chapters adduce evi-
dence to shew tha<L such was not the case, that the wor-
ship of Krishna afid the worship of Sakti were coeval, (*
« though we cannot account? for the fact why the latter
sect is not represented in the literature of the early
times.*
There was a great awakening of the national mind iu
the sixteenth century of the Christian era, and a 'hew
era dawned in the country. The worship of Sakti, which,
*Let it not be imagin ed from what we have said that the reli-
gion of Sakti and the religion of Krishna were the only two religions
in Bengal. On the contrary, the community has been«divided into
a variety of sects from very ancient times, and up to the present
time Siva and other deities have their respective followers. But
these are comparatively few in number and small in importance;
( jr^e Tantrika and the Vaishnava being the only prevailing religions
of the country ; and these two consequently are the only religions
which have left their traces in the literature of Bengal, And all
^rr-shese religions are included in Hinduism.
C r
to the natural predilections of the people, and inspired the
earliest poets of Bengal with the truest poetic fervour.
The contest between the religion of Krishna and
the religion of Sakti continued for many centuries,
and indeed to a certain extent continues to the present
day. And yet it is a curious fact that, up**to the end
of the 15th century, we do not find the name'tff a single
Sakta poet of note; and from the middle of'-the '
sixteenth century up to the present date not a single
, Vaish^ava poet of merit has flourished. At the first
sight these facts would lead one to suppose that tup
to the middle of the sixteenth century Vaishnavism
was the only prevailing religion in Bengal, and that
the worship of Sakti bqgan subsequently. As we pro-
ceed, however, we shall in future chapters adduce evi-
dence to shew tha<L such was not the case, that the wor-
ship of Krishna afid the worship of Sakti were coeval, (*
« though we cannot account? for the fact why the latter
sect is not represented in the literature of the early
times.*
There was a great awakening of the national mind iu
the sixteenth century of the Christian era, and a 'hew
era dawned in the country. The worship of Sakti, which,
*Let it not be imagin ed from what we have said that the reli-
gion of Sakti and the religion of Krishna were the only two religions
in Bengal. On the contrary, the community has been«divided into
a variety of sects from very ancient times, and up to the present
time Siva and other deities have their respective followers. But
these are comparatively few in number and small in importance;
( jr^e Tantrika and the Vaishnava being the only prevailing religions
of the country ; and these two consequently are the only religions
which have left their traces in the literature of Bengal, And all
^rr-shese religions are included in Hinduism.
C r