Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/449

 ছা ্ি f.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 415 times in vain worldly pursuits. Their religious observances consist of singing songs in praise of Chandi sometimes for whole nights together. There are some who take pride in worshipping Manasa Devi. Immense money they spend for making images of gods. They also spend money foolishly for the marriages of their sons and daughters. hus do they spend their lives. Even scholarly professors do not interpret the sacred books in the light of faith.’’ This was the state of things in which the The defects Pauranik Renaissance took its birth, and en- of the Re- gaged in its struggle to give to the people better 2 ideals and a purer faith; but while the Brahmins did a truly noble work on these lines, their power gra- dually became oppressive. The rules of caste became more and more stringent as Kulinism was stereotyped. While better ideals in religion were upheld by the Brahmins, the gap between man and man was widened by caste-restrictions. The lower strata of society groaned under the auto- cracy of the higher, who shut the portals of learn- ing against the inferior classes. They were also debarred from having any access to a higher life, দন্ত করি বিষহরি পুজে কোন জন । পুত্তলি করয়ে কেহ দিয়া বহু ধন ॥ qq AS SCA AG কন্যার বিভায় । এই মত জগতের ব্যর্থ কাল বায় ॥ যেব। ভট্টাচার্য্য চক্রবন্তী মিশ্র সব । তাহারাও না জানয়ে গ্রন্থ অনুভব |" From Chaitanya Bhagabata: