Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c9.s1.1

c9.s1.1

It is difficult to give a proper exposition¹ of the philosophy of Bengal Vaiṣṇavism without a detailed reference to the sacred texts which are cited throughout as revealed and indisputable, and on which indeed the faith elaborately bases its philosophical ideas. The whole system is built up on a direct explication of its own peculiar sectarian texts; and absolute faith in their interpretation by its acknowledged theologians is essential for an acceptance of their truth. Such entire reliance upon verbal authority and verbal interpretation makes it difficult in any exposition to steer clear of the texts which are quoted at every step, but it also impairs the value of its theology and philosophy as an independent system of thought. The usual procedure is to make a dogmatic statement, and then support it not so much by argumentation, which is held at discount, as by a compilation of authoritative texts, chiefly derived from the *Śrīmad-bhāgavata Purāṇa*, and by interpretation of those texts in the light of the peculiar dogmas and doctrines of the school. The basic theory of the threefold Śakti of the Supreme Being, for instance, is founded upon a text of the *Viṣṇu-purāṇa*, amplified by other texts, while its other fundamental doctrine of the threefold aspect of the deity as the Brahman, Paramātman and Bhagavat is entirely based upon a system of interpretation of a single text of the *Śrīmad-bhāgavata*. The same remarks apply to its central postulate of the highest and exclusive divinity of Kṛṣṇa, while its doctrine of Bhakti is deduced from a peculiar theory of emotional realisation which is based entirely upon a series of devotional texts and dogmatic statements.