Back to the library

A Primer of Hinduism - J. N. Farquhar, 1912 - Complete Book

English

(See section Si.) 92. In the fourteenth century a new Vishnuite movement appeared at Udipi, in the Canarese country. The founder of the church is known as Madhvacharya, his followers as Srimadhvas. Madhva was a sannyasi, and, like the other acharyas, he made his reputation by a commentary on the Veddnta-sutras, His system is a dualism, and is frankly called dvaita, dualistic. If Ramanuja is farther from Sankara than Nilakantha, Madhva is still more distant. The sect of the Srimadhvas has attained considerable proportions and influence, especially in Western India. Later leaders pro duced hymns in Canarese ; so that there is an opportunity for popularizing the doctrine. But Madhva was much more exclusive than either the Saivas or the followers of Rama nuja. He laid great stress on caste, on cleanliness of person and clothes, and on temple ritual. Krishna was his favourite divinity. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the Saivas of the south developed their teaching into a philosophical system which is called the Saiva Siddhanta, and which is BHAKTI 139 expressed in a series of Tamil books, partly in verse, partly in prose. The teachers who produced this vernacular literature receive the title acharya. 93. Muhammadan influence touched Hindus effectively in another direction. Partly in self-defence, partly in imita tion of their masters, the upper classes of Hindu society began to seclude their women : the zenana system dates from Muhammadan times. Like other high-class customs, it is copied by the lower classes so far as their means will allow. NOTE. — The text below is by Nanak, and is from the daily liturgy of the Sikhs in the Adi Granth. The language is Hindi, but the script is Gurmukhi : — ' In the beginning was the Real, in the beginning of the ages was the Real. The Real, O Nanak, is, and the Real also will be.' nrrfe 140 OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY ILLUSTRATIVE READINGS 24. Baby Rama in His Mother's Arms With fingers locked in prayer she cries, — ' How may I dare, O lord god immortal, thy boundless praise to tell? — Far above the world's confusion and reason's vain intrusion, whom all the scriptures witness incompre hensible; Whom saints and holy sages have hymned through all the ages, the fountain of compassion, the source of every grace ; Who aye with Lakshmi reignest, thou, even thou, now deignest to be my son and succour thy sore-tried chosen race. Though we know by revelation, heaven and earth and all creation, in each hair upon thy body may be found, In my arms thou sweetly dreamest, O mystery supremest, far beyond the comprehension of a sage the most profound.' Smiled the lord at her devotion, and would fain have set in motion the magic that dazzles the crowd, Telling all he had done and the triumphs he had won, that his mother of her son might be proud. But hurriedly she cried, — ' My soul is terrified by these marvels, disperse them from my sight ; Let me see thee as a child, disporting free and wild, for in this is my greatest delight.' She spoke and he obeyed, and, at once in fashion made, as an infant began to cry. Tulsl Das, Ramacharit Manas, Book I, Chhand, 24-7 ; Growse's Translation, pp. 96-7. BHAKTI 141 25. The Praise of Krishna in Marathi (a) Krishna's Saving Power What or whom shall we ask for but thee, O thou who fillest the globe and the universe ? Who else knows how to fulfil our heart's desires ? What of other princes and kings ? There is none other in the three worlds that grants libera tion, none that saves us but thou. When we think upon thy name and form, sin and fever run away in fear, desire is destroyed. Hari, this name of thine is truly called such in the Puranas, for it drives away death and re-incarnation from those they have seized. Why should I waste my speech? It is fruitless for me to praise any other than thee. O thou that destroyest the world, the great serpent is wearied with describing thee. Let my spirit repose in confidence at thy feet ; it is vain to ask for aught else. Thy title, ' Lord of the humble ', is justified in the eyes of men ; thou hast saved many a humble, many a guilty, many a sinful man. Tuka dwells at thy feet ; preserve him, O God ! I ask that I may serve thee. (b) Tukdram's Religious Experience Step by step he supports me : my life is led on to perfec tion. I have found an assured place in him, and the world I have left void. My spirit goes forward on the path. I am filled in the flesh with growing joy. Tuka says, In this mortal world I have joined the pervading spirit. The Poems of Tukaram, Fraser and Maratlie, pp. 89 and 245. 142 OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY TABLES 23. The Bhakti Period, 1200 to 1757 External Events History Religion Literature 1200 The Qutb Minar and Namdev Mosque built Mey-kanda-devar 1300 1336 Vijayanagar founded Umapati Madhva 1398 Taimiir in India Sayana and Madhava 1400 Vidyapati Ramananda Mlra BaT Kabir 1500 Martin Luther 1526 the Mughal-, Nanak 1588 The Armada 1556 Akbar 156^ Battle of Talikot. Fall of Vijayanagar Toleration Sur Das Tulsl Das Dadu Chaitanya BJiakta Alala 1600 Cromwell 1658 Aurungzeb Intolerance renev ed 1601 Adi Grant h Tukaram 1696 Granth BHAKTI 143 24. The Tamil Literature of the Saiva Siddhanta A. The twelve canonical books, called Tirumurai or Drdvida Sruti: — Cent. Authors Books VII Appar Nana Sambandhar VIII Sundarar The Devaram X ' Manikka Vachakar Tiruvdchakam and Tirukovaiydr Nine authors : liruvisaipd Tirumular : Tirumantram Nambi-ancLar-nambi : Sekkilar : Periya Purdnam B. The fourteen Siddhanta Sastras. Of these the most important are : — XIII Mey-kanda-devar Siva-ftdna-bodham, a sys tematic statement of the principles of the faith, translated from the Raxrava Agama Mana-vachakam Kadandar Unmai Vilakkam Arunandi-devar Siva-tidna-siddhi, a fur ther exposition XIV Unicipati Sivacharyar &iva Prakdsam, a poem in a hundred quatrains, being a commentary on the two preceding works Tirii-arut-payan, a poem in a hundred couplets on divine grace 144 OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY 25. The Literature of the Saivas and the Vaishnavas NOTE. — This table is meant to give some idea of the strikingly parallel development which these sects have had in South India. Both acknowledge the Vedas, though there are certain sections of them which they hold in less honour than their own literature. Both sects acknowledge to the full the inspiration and authority of the Veddnta- siitras. The following are the chief divisions of their respective literatures : — Saivas Vaishnavas i. Basal works in San skrit verse, taking the place of the Srauta-sutras and the Karma-mimamsa The Agamas or Saivagamas The Samhitas or Pancharatra Samhitas 2. Tamil Hymns by early saints The Devaram of the three Adiyais and Manikka Yachakar's works The Nalayira Frabandham of the Alvars 3. Commentary in San skrit prose on the Vedan fa -sfitras The Saiva £ ha shy a of Nilakantha The Sri Bliashya of Eamanuja 4. Philosophic works in Tamil The fourteen Siddhanta Sastras The ArtJia Panchaka of Pijlai Lokacharya and other books BHAKTI 26. The Followers of Ramananda XV Cent. Ramananda '45 Kablr 1532-1623 Tulsi Das Dadu died 1518 Nanak 1469-1538 1544-1603 KabTr- Dadu- Sikhs panthis panthls 27. Adoration Mantras (a) Bhagavata : — Om namo Bhagavate Vdstidevdya, 'Om ! reverence to the adorable Vasudeva.' (V) Early Buddhist :— Om namo Bhagavate, ' Om ! reverence to the Adorable.' (c) Later Buddhist :— Namo 'mitabhaya, ' Reverence to Amitcibha.' (tf) The five syllables of the Saiva Siddhanta, Sivaya namah, ' Reverence to Siva.' (e) The followers of Ramanuja : — Om namo Nardyanaya, 'Om! reverence to Narayana.' (/) The followers of Ramananda : — Om Ramaya namah, ' Om ! reverence to Rama.' (g) The Vallabhacharis : — Sri Krishna h saranam mania, 'Holy Krishna is my refuge.' PP 839 K 146 OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY 28. THE KABIRPANTH Its Leaders, Sects and Books KABIR, died 1518 < The Bap, i. e. Fa ther, section at the Kabir Cha- ura, Benares, and at Maghar, Gorakhpur Dis trict, where Ka- bir died. Founder : SURAT GOPAL. The I\lai, i. e. Mother, section at Chatisgarh, C.P. Founder : DHARM DAS The Bljak, lit. ' the account - book ', a cjllection of hymns, of Sdk- his, i.e.