Chaitanya and the Vaishnava Poets of Bengal | Page 4

God and Man as two
factors of a problem, Vaish.navism necessarily ignores the distinctions
of caste, and Chaitanya was perfectly consistent in this respect,
admitting men of all castes, including Muhammadans, to his sect. Since
his time, however, that strange love of caste-distinctions, which seems
so ineradicable from the soil of India, has begun again to creep into
Vaish.navism, and will probably end by establishing its power as firmly
in this sect as in any other.
Although the institution of love towards the divine nature, and the
doctrine that this love was reciprocated, were certainly a great
improvement on the morbid gloom of Siva-worship, the colourless
negativeness of Buddhism, and the childish intricacy of ceremonies
which formed the religion of the mass of ordinary Hindus, still we
cannot find much to admire in it. There seems to be something almost
contradictory in representing the highest and purest emotions of the
mind by images drawn from the lowest and most animal passions.
"Ut matrona meretrici dispar erit atque discolor."
So must also Vaish.navism differ from true religion, the flesh from the
spirit, the impure from the pure. The singing of hymns about Radha and
K.rish.na is much older than Chaitanya's age. Not to mention Jayadeva
and his beautiful, though sensual, Gitagovinda. [Footnote: It is many

years now since I read Gitagovinda as a text-book at college, but the
impression I still retain is that it was in many parts far too warm for
European tastes.] Bidyapati, the earliest of Bengali poets, and Cha.n.di
Das both preceded Chaitanya, and he himself is stated to have been
fond of singing their verses. There was therefore a considerable mass of
hymns ready to his hand, and his contemporaries and followers added
largely to the number; the poems of the Padakalpataru in consequence
are of all ages from the fifteenth century downwards; moreover, as
Vaish.navism aspires to be a religion for the masses, the aim of its
supporters has always been to write in the vulgar tongue, a fortunate
circumstance which renders this vast body of literature extremely
valuable to the philologist, since it can be relied on as representing the
spoken language of its day more accurately than those pretentious
works whose authors despised everything but Sanskrit.
The Padakalpataru, to keep up the metaphor of its name
throughout,
is divided into 4 sakhas or 'branches,' and each of these into 8 or 10
pallabas or smaller branches, 'boughs.' It should be explained that the
kirtans are celebrated with considerable ceremony. There is first a
consecration both of the performers and instruments with flowers,
incense, and sweetmeats. This is called the adhibas. The principal
performer then sings one song after another, the others playing the
drum and cymbals in time, and joining in the chorus; as the
performance goes on many of them get excited and wildly frantic, and
roll about on the ground. When the performance is over the drum is
respectfully sprinkled with chandana or
sandalwood paste, and hung
up. Several performances go on for days till a whole Sakha has been
sung through, and I believe it is always customary to go through at least
one Pallab at a sitting, however long it may be. The Bengali Kirtan in
fact resembles very much the Bhajans and Kathas common in the
Mara.tha country, and each poem in length, and often in subject, is
similar to the Abhangas of Tukaram and others in that province.
The first Pallab contains 27 hymns, of these 8 are by Gobind Das, 8 by
Baishnab Das, 3 by Brindaban Das, the rest by minor masters.
Brindaban Das and Parameshwar Das were contemporaries of
Chaitanya, the others-- including Gobind Das, who is perhaps the most

voluminous writer of all --are subsequent to him. Of the hymns
themselves the first five are invocations of Chaitanya and Nityanand,
and one is in praise of the ceremony of Kirtan. There is nothing very
remarkable in any of them. Number 5 may be taken as a specimen, as it
is perhaps the best of the batch.
"Nand's son, lover of the Gopis, lord of Radha, the playful Syam:
Is he, Sachi's son, the Indra of Nadiya, the heart-charming dwelling of
gods and saints; victory to him who is love embodied to his own
beloved, hail! hail to him who is the joy of the existence of his
well-beloved! hail to the delight of the eyes of his comrades in Braj!
hail to the charm of the sight of the women of Nadiya! hail! hail to
Sridam, Sudam, Subal, and Arjun, [Footnote: Names of Chaitanya's
disciples.] bound by love to him whose form is as a new cloud! hail to
Ram and the rest, beautiful and dear companions! hail to the charmer,
the incomparable Gora (Chaitanya)! hail to the mighty younger brother
of Balaram! hail! hail to Nityanand