2023-02-16 06:27:16 by ambuda-bot
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LALITA-SAHASKANAMA
beginning probably with a crude tribal deity in the
dim pre historic past There are some critics who, in
judging religions and cults other than their own,
invariably point the finger of scorn at their humble,
inelegant origins and ignore their later developments
We should judge a tree by its fruits, not by its roots
The fruit may be sweet and fragrant while the root>
may be buried in stinking soil and manure It is quite
probable that in the present case, as critics point out,
not one but many tribal deities worshipped in different
places and at different times have been fused together in
the course of ages and made into a single Deity and
then subjected to all the refining influences of poetry,
religion and philosophy and, not the least of all, to the
wonderful charm and grace of Indian womanhood
Speaking of the women of India, Mrs Besant once said
in her own characteristic way, "Fairer flowers never
grew on this earth" It is the idealization of these
flowers of the earth that gives us this heavenly flower
of Devi Lalit of transcendent beauty and fragrance
The Lalitas, the Sitas and the Savitris of poetry could
not have come into being, had not their creators been
inspired by the Lalitäs the Sitas, and the Savitiis in
real life There is no doubt that the poet of the
Lahtusahasranama has drawn as much from the fe
around him as from tradition and legend, and religion
and philosophy We should remember that he lived in
a country which, even amidst the many crudities of its
social life, developed the doctrine that every woman is
an incarnation of the goddess and may be actually
worshipped in her place-a doctrine that should ge
8
beginning probably with a crude tribal deity in the
dim pre historic past There are some critics who, in
judging religions and cults other than their own,
invariably point the finger of scorn at their humble,
inelegant origins and ignore their later developments
We should judge a tree by its fruits, not by its roots
The fruit may be sweet and fragrant while the root>
may be buried in stinking soil and manure It is quite
probable that in the present case, as critics point out,
not one but many tribal deities worshipped in different
places and at different times have been fused together in
the course of ages and made into a single Deity and
then subjected to all the refining influences of poetry,
religion and philosophy and, not the least of all, to the
wonderful charm and grace of Indian womanhood
Speaking of the women of India, Mrs Besant once said
in her own characteristic way, "Fairer flowers never
grew on this earth" It is the idealization of these
flowers of the earth that gives us this heavenly flower
of Devi Lalit of transcendent beauty and fragrance
The Lalitas, the Sitas and the Savitris of poetry could
not have come into being, had not their creators been
inspired by the Lalitäs the Sitas, and the Savitiis in
real life There is no doubt that the poet of the
Lahtusahasranama has drawn as much from the fe
around him as from tradition and legend, and religion
and philosophy We should remember that he lived in
a country which, even amidst the many crudities of its
social life, developed the doctrine that every woman is
an incarnation of the goddess and may be actually
worshipped in her place-a doctrine that should ge
8