Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c10.s1.5

c10.s1.5

The work consists of twenty chapters or Vilāsas, and the distribution of subject-matter given below will sufficiently indicate its general scope and object. The chapters deal in their order with the following topics: I. The Preceptor, Disciple and Mantra, II. Initiation or Dīkṣā, III-IV. The Daily Devotional Acts, V-VI. Daily Morning Worship, VII. Offering of flowers, leaves, etc., in worship, VIII. Use of incense, ringing of bells and other rituals connected with worship, IX. Midday Rites and Duties, and Partaking of the Food-offering (Mahāprasāda) dedicated to the Deity, X. The characteristics of the Vaiṣṇava devotee and Vaiṣṇava religious practices, XI. The Evening Service, Rules of pious conduct and Efficacy of the sacred Name and of Bhakti, XII. Fortnightly Fasts and Observances, XIII. Rites and Duties connected therewith, XIV - XVI. Monthly Observances throughout the year, including Festivals, XVII. Puraścaraṇa (preparatory ritual) and its initiation, XVIII. Construction of Images, and XX. Construction of Temples. It will be seen from this enumeration that the topics of the work are peculiar to itself, and differ from those of an orthodox Smṛti treatise. It is of the nature of a guide-book to the Vaiṣṇava devotee rather than a work on social and legal customs and usages. While it enumerates the compulsory and occasional duties and ceremonies, as well as the rules for everyday service, it omits, for instance, all treatment of the Smārta purificatory rites, known as the Saṃskāras (even of the Vaiṣṇava form of the Śrāddha or funeral ceremony): but it devotes one chapter to the peculiar Vaiṣṇava rite of Initiation or Dīkṣā. As Festivals from an important part of the religious practice, they are treated fairly fully, although it is remarkable that while the non-Vaiṣṇava Śiva-rātri is included, no reference is made to the important Vaiṣṇava festival of Rāsa-yātrā. It has nothing to say about Caitanya-worship or worship of Caitanya's images which became a remarkable feature of the later development of the faith. Of the worship of Kṛṣṇa as such, or construction of images of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, it has equally little to say.¹