Chaitanya and His Age

SfHH;;;'"7!i.;ili!ii4 : :;:Ji;i':H^;(Ijy"rSi)i?{;;!Hj:?;^i=^ih^: 5 39 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Date Due im-^ - t954H SI S&:3^ 1956 eg * WT R IN*6fet)S wiie i^ i* '""'"'^ BL 1245.V36S39'""""^ Chajtanya and his age / 3 1924 022 952 695 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022952695 CHAITANYA AND HIS AGE Chaitanya and His Age {Ramtanu Lahiri Fellowship Lectures for the year 1919 and 1921) By Rai Bahadur Dinesh Chandra Sen, B.A., D.Litt., Fellow, Reader, and Head Examiner of the Calcutta University, Associate Member of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Author of History of Bengali Language and Literature, the Vaisnaya Literature of MediaLvai IBengal, Chaitanya and his Companions, Typical Selections from Old Bengali Literature, Polk Literature of Bengal, the Bengali Ramayanas, Banga Bhasa-0-Sahitya, etc, etc. Published by the UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA 1922 Lc. BL /^/cp-^ /yajT Printed et Atulchandra Bhattachabtta at the Calcutta University Press, Senate House, Calcutta Dedicated To The Hon'ble SIR ASUTOSH MOOKERJEE, Kt., C.S.I., M.A., D.L., D.Sc., Ph.D., F.R.A.S., F.R.S.E., F.A.S.B. Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University, whose resolute and heroic attempts to rescue our Alma Mater from destruction at the hour of her great peril may well remind us of the famous line of Jayadeva with the sincere gratitude of the Author " Hail thee O Chaitanya— the victor of my heart, Mark the rhythm of his mystic dance in lofty ecstasy—quite alone. Merrily sounds the tahor and the cymbal's note keeps time. The joyous band following him sing and dance merrily—merrily ; He steps a pace or two onwards in his dancing gait, And knows no rest—intoxicated with his own over-flowing joy. Oh my heart's Lord, how can I express the love I have for thee ? Saha Akbar craves a drop from the sea of thy piety and love." Song by Emperor Akbar (Translated from Hindi) PREFACE The first 190 pages of this book embody my lectures as Ramtanu Lahiri Eesearch Fellow for the session 1919, and the remaining portion is meant as my lectures for 1921, The subject chosen for 1920 was " The Bengali Prose Style from 1800 to 1857." As this subject was to be studied by the students of the Indian Verna- culars in our University for their examination, the urgency of its treatment required me to stop the Ghaitanya topics and deliver a course of lectures on the prose-style last year. These lectures were delivered and published early in 1921. And, I next hastened to revert to iny half-finished lectures on Ghaitanya. There are some points in this book which are a repetition of the things said in my other books, but this could not be helped. As I have attempted to give here a complete and consistent story of the great hero of my memoir I had to include all noteworthy points of his life in a short compass. There are of course many things in this book not dealt with elsewhere and I have always tried to present the incidents of Chaitanya's life in a new light. It is hoped that the sketch herein presented will, by its cbmprehensive character, satisfy the curiosity of all students — vi PREFACE who want to have a clear account of Ohaitanya, his religious views and of the sects that follow his religion. Everything said in this book is based on old authority, though I have not given references in all cases, as it would make the book heavy with foot-notes and more or less mar its popular character. The readers will find one and all of such references in the works mentioned in the bibliography given on pages 97-98 of this book. One thing has struck me in regard to the recognition of the Vaisnavas by the Hindu society in general. The Goswamies of Khardah. and Sg.ntipur—the descendants of Nityananda and Adwaita respectively—not only enjoy the highest social rank amongst the Vaisnavas but have quite a respectable standing amongst the lay Brahmin community. My idea was that they created this position outside their own society, even after they had broken stringent caste-rules, through the sheer dint of their noble sacrifices and high spirituality. But quite lately a book named " Sri Nityananda-vamsavali- 0-Sadhana" written by Pandit Kshirodbihari Goswami—a direct descendant of Nityananda has disillusioned me on this point. I now find that the descendants of Mtyananda and Adwaita had very nearly become outcastes in the primitive stages of the promulgation of the Ohaitanya .They redeemed themselves, cult. however in PREFACE vii the eyes to the Brahmin community, outside their own ranks, by contriving to enter into ' frequent matrimonial alliances with the ' kulin Brahmins of the mother society, often by satis- fying large pecuniary demands of the latter. This alliance with a large number of ' kulins ' has gradually made their position secure in the Hindu society. This shews that the caste-rules amongst the Hindus is a factor of so great an importance that though the efforts of a prophet may for a time succeed in unloosing its hold upon our people, it reasserts itself with all its rigidity, a short while after. And, however mighty the enemy, it is only by manoeuvres, tactics and bribes that he can expect to gain his lost position in society—not by open war. The Sahajiyas disregard the caste- rules at night, fearing exposure in daylight. It is for this reason that some of them have compared themselves with bats (p. 380). I take this opportunity of expressing my hearty thanks to Dr. Sylvain Levi, the distin- guished Orientalist, who has kindly written a fore-word for this book in the form of a letter. The high compliments that a scholar of his world-wide fame has given me, have been very gratifying to me, as indeed they would have been to any Indian. There can be no question as to the sincerity of his appreciation, though I feel that there may have been a friendly bias. I regret, however, that my presentation of Chaitanya does not appear to be sufficiently indicative of the viii PEEFACE Levi Tvill greatness of his character, and Dr. the world's not give him a place in the ranks of religion greatest men. He refers to Ghaitanya's area being restricted to a narrow geographical universal contrasting it to that of Buddha. The recognition of the Buddha and a few other greatest leaders of the world in the spiritual the domain is chiefly due to political causes, advantage of which Bengal of the 16th century could not evidently possess. Vaisnavism of iBengal is, besides, the youngest of the world's reputed creeds, so it is perhaps premature to pass a judgment now on Ghaitanya's work. Regarding the view that the theology of Ghaitanya lacks originality, the codes of all religions of the world may be traced to earlier sources ; and a complicated code of Ethics is not, in my humble opinion, always the true criterion of the greatness of a faith. The infusion of life into the universal truths and their presentation in the most attractive form are, I submit, a far truer test. I cannot follow the reason that love for God is a peculiar or local feature of Indian religions, which cannot be appreciated outside India. The difference, I think, lies in the fact that Europe has not yet transcended the ethical limits, beyond which lies the domain of mystic felicities. Ghaitanya did not ignore mankind ; he tried to lead men to the dizzy heights of paradise, which my learned friend, following the limitations of Ghristian theology, PREFACE ir speaks of as "forbidden." I agree with him so far that Ohaitanya cannot have a universal recognition in this materialistic age. But I verily believe that when this age will be followed by one of spiritual awakening all over the world, he will be differently judged. He brought to the doors of ordinary men the highest spiritual bliss of divine love, which like the stream of the holy Ganges, lay entangled in the meshes of Indian religious philosophy, more knotty than the matted locks of Siva. I hope, my esteemed friend will not take me amiss, Asa Bengali, it is natural for me to be prejudiced in favour of my Bengali apostle. But love always sanctifies the soul. If I have been blind to the defects of Chaitanya's religious system, I do not regret it. I would in that case only crave my friend's forgiveness. Speaking for myself, my heart, more than to any logic, responds to the couplet first sung by Nityananda : " One who admires Chaitanya and sings praises of him, is dear to me as my life," I hold myself fully responsible for the numer- ous misprints and errors which will be found in this book, and do not accuse anybody. I am not a good proof-reader and that is all that I can plead as my excuse. 7) YiswAKOSH Lane, \ ' Calcutta. [ DINESH CHANDRA SEN. The 15th April 1922. ) POREWORD BY Dr. Sylvain Levi, mon cher ami, Vous m'avez demand^ une preface pour rotre " livre : Chaitanya et son ^poque." Je n'ai gufere de competence sur ce domaine ; ce que j'en ooanais, je le dois essentiellment a vos ouvrages : depuis le jour ou j'ai lu avec une emotion inoubliable voire " Histoire de la Langue et de la Litt6rature Beagalie " j'ai suivi avec un int^ret qui ne s'est jamais ralenti votre activity si f^conde, et 'cest ainsi que, gr&ce a vous, le Bengale du temps de Chaitanya m'est devenu familier.

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