History of Bengali Language and Literature c11.s2.3

c11.s2.3

Bengali literature, previous to the advent of the Europeans on the field, was mainly in the hands of the Vaiṣṇavas and Ṣāktas. The songs of Kṛṣṇa Kamala who belonged to the former and of Rāma Prasāda who belonged to the latter sect, are the last great utterances of the two cults, the echoes of which will ring in the ear of future generations of Bengalis for ages to come. The *yatrawalas*, *kaviwalas*, and *panchalikars* drew profusely from the vast resources of our past lore, and having put the old sentiments in modern garb appealed to our masses. But with these people the last echoes of our past literature have nearly died out. There are still *kirtanas*, *kathakatas* and *yatras*, but they no longer contribute to the rich literature of the past. They only recite what the old masters have sung or said, and are mere relics of institutions which were once a living force in the country.