Bhagavata Condensed in the Poetʼs Own Words /5

2
 
OF CULthe principles of ethics or the tenets of
religion. TURE
 
he 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 GOVERNMENod 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. T
 
SL
 
FOREWORD
 
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, divers cults, stories intended to
exalt some particular incarnation
manifestation of the Deity and stories
which do not hesitate to attribute faults
of character to God or which may appear
the reader to have
immoral
 
or
 
to
 
an
 
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
he 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

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 has
In this
 
MA
HOW
 
sh
 
म सरकार
 
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
It i
His manifestation as Krishna.
 
is