2025-04-20 08:38:06 by sansri
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the principles of ethics or the tenets of
religion. The Bhagavata shares the
defects of Puranas generally. It is full
of incredible stories and miracles,
and embodies divergent philosophical
doctrines, <error>divers</error><fix>diverse</fiv> cults, stories intended to
exalt some particular incarnation or
manifestation of the Deity and stories
which do not hesitate to attribute faults
of character to God or which may appear
to the reader to have an immoral
tendency. It is not free from the bias of
sectarianism. Its literary merit is not
uniform and is so uneven in substance
and in style that we may reasonably
suspect many interpolations and the work
of more hands than one. The style is
often harsh and rugged, involving highly
artificial combinations of words. It has
got its peculiar terminology. In this
respect it compares unfavourably with
the Ramayana. In spite of these defects,
the Bhagavata has acquired a wonderful
hold upon the minds of Hindus. It has a
fascination even for the minds of those
who, like myself, are keenly alive to its
defects.
What is the secret of the appeal that
the Bhagavata makes even to the mind of
the educated Hindu? The main theme of
the Bhagavata is the importance of Hari-
bhakti or devotion to God, especially in
His manifestation as Krishna. It is
religion. The Bhagavata shares the
defects of Puranas generally. It is full
of incredible stories and miracles,
and embodies divergent philosophical
doctrines, <error>divers</error><fix>diverse</fiv> cults, stories intended to
exalt some particular incarnation or
manifestation of the Deity and stories
which do not hesitate to attribute faults
of character to God or which may appear
to the reader to have an immoral
tendency. It is not free from the bias of
sectarianism. Its literary merit is not
uniform and is so uneven in substance
and in style that we may reasonably
suspect many interpolations and the work
of more hands than one. The style is
often harsh and rugged, involving highly
artificial combinations of words. It has
got its peculiar terminology. In this
respect it compares unfavourably with
the Ramayana. In spite of these defects,
the Bhagavata has acquired a wonderful
hold upon the minds of Hindus. It has a
fascination even for the minds of those
who, like myself, are keenly alive to its
defects.
What is the secret of the appeal that
the Bhagavata makes even to the mind of
the educated Hindu? The main theme of
the Bhagavata is the importance of Hari-
bhakti or devotion to God, especially in
His manifestation as Krishna. It is