Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c3.3

c3.3

Although the term Bengal Vaiṣṇvism is not co-extensive with the religious system associated with the name of Caitanya and his adherents, the present work limits itself to a study of Caitanyaism, which is Vaiṣṇavism *par excellence* in Bengal. It is further limited to the *early* history of Caitanyaism, which comprises the earlier and perhaps more interesting phases covered by the activities and teachings of Caitanya and his immediate followers, and excludes its later developments and departures in the 17th and 18th centuries. But the concern in this work is more with the faith than with the movement, more with ideas and ideals than with incidents and practices. Most modern works on the subject enlarge not so much upon the *matériel* as upon the *personnel*, not so much upon the tenet and teaching as upon the life and legend of the protagonists of the faith. They derive their material chiefly from the Bengali source, which consists of Bengali biographical and devotional works and represents what may be conveniently called the Navadvīpa tradition; but in course of time it seems to have eclipsed the more doctrinal and less inviting Sanskrit source, which embodies what may be distinguished as the Vṛndāvana tradition. While fully recognising the importance of the more attractive and accessible Bengali source and of the vivid tradition and background it supplies, one should admit that this source alone is not sufficient for a comprehensive account of the dogmas and doctrines of Caitanyaism, even if it presents a lively picture of the atmosphere and appeal of the faith. The almost contemporaneous Sanskrit source, represented by the elaborate works of the Vṛndāvana Gosvāmins, the Church Fathers of the faith, is perhaps more remote and recondite, and lacks the intimate personal element; but it cannot be denied that it is an equally, if not more, important source which has not yet been properly utilised. It is true that Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja's standard Bengali biography of Caitanya gives a good account of the religious ideology of Caitanyaism; but written in Bengali as it is, it should be affiliated to the Sanskrit source, inasmuch as it derives its material, as well as inspiration (at least in doctrinal, if not in biographical matters), quite freely from the learned Sanskrit works of the Vṛndāvana Gosvāmins, whose disciple the Kavirāja was and whose views he wanted to popularise. It is clear, therefore, that both the Bengali and Sanskrit sources, representing, as they do, two distinct traditions, should find their proper place in any adequate account of Caitanyaism. The present work makes a modest attempt to give, for the first time, a direct account of the content of the much neglected Sanskrit source, although the divergence between the mutually independent Navadvīpa and Vṛndāvana traditions is not thereby overlooked. As the presentation of religious ideas involves the necessity of interpretation, strict objectivity is almost unattainable; but the author attempts an exposition of Caitanyaism by giving a direct summary and survey of all its earlier important works in the spheres of Rasa-śāstra, theology and philosophy, ritualism, and literature. It is more important to know what the promulgators of the faith themselves have recorded than draw upon one's own devotional fancy, or read alien, as well as anachronistic, ideas into their standard works.