Page:Bengal Vaishnavism - Bipin Chandra Pal.djvu/70

 THE BENGAL BHAKTI CULT 65 the full contents of ovir consciousness. These constitute the eternal elements of all conscious- ness. They are, or must be, present as constituent elements of the Divine Consciousness also. The Lord not only knows all, but also must desire all and must, therefore, operate upon all to shape and mould them to His desire. This is the only rational interpretation of Evolution from the theistic stand-point. This desire to evolve perfection from an imperfect world, that is constantly moving towards perfection, is the Passion of the Lord. This is the only way in which we can understand and interpret His Passion. This Passion of the Lord has its necessary counter-part in the human desire for love and perfection. This is the root of all JBhakti or love of the Lord. All passion means yearning for union, and the j’-eaming of the soul for union with the Oversoul or the Lord is the very essence of JBhakti. This union has been realised in the cult of Bhakti in Bengal in a three-fold way. First, union of consciousness called jnana-yoga ; second, union of love or the emotions, called bhakti-yoga ; and third, the union of the will, called karma-yoga. All these three are combined in the Bengal cult of Bhakti. j The hhakta or devotee, who