Obscure e Religious Cults By Sashi Bhusan Dasgupta

Book Description

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

This book represents the author's doctoral thesis submitted in 1940 to the University of Calcutta. Written in 1939 and intended for publication in 1941, the printing was delayed until 1942 due to paper shortages caused by World War II, which explains the lengthy gap between submission and publication.

The work aims to explore the obscure religious cults that influenced Bengali literature during the old and medieval periods. Religion has been a fundamental motivator of literature, particularly in India, where literary history is intertwined with significant religious movements. Understanding these movements is essential for a comprehensive study of vernacular literature. Rather than rehashing well-trodden topics, the author focuses on lesser-known cults that have inspired considerable literature but remain inadequately discussed and understood.

INTRODUCTION

The development of modern Indian literatures, especially the modern Indo-Aryan literatures, is closely linked to the emergence of religious sects from around the tenth century. Before the nineteenth century, Indo-Aryan literatures, particularly Bengali, relied heavily on religious perspectives. Unlike Hindi's Rasau literature, Bengali lacks similar heroic narratives, with figures often depicted in relation to divine glory rather than their own.

Bengali literature features religious undertones, where characters from texts like the Ramayana and Mahabharata are portrayed more as instruments of divine will than as heroic individuals. For instance, figures in the Mangala-Kavyas serve to glorify gods rather than exhibit their own grandeur. The narrative of Cand Sadagar in the Manasa-mangalas illustrates this struggle between declining Saivism and the rising Säktaism, with the religious tone overshadowing human experiences. The only significant body of literature seemingly free from religious influence is the ballad literature, which reflects the everyday life and pastoral love stories of rural Bengal.