Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/601

 V.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 561 classical studies alone. They drew richly, more- over, from the living fountain of love that was before them—zin the ecstasies of Chaitanya's divine love. As in style of composition, so in their descrip- The fasti. tions of social life, the same spirit of freedom aa dominates. In the poetic literature of the Hindus, Soci and adha, the fidelity of woman has always formed the loftiest theme and has naturally supplied the highest poetic inspiration. But Vaisnava literature glories in Radha who breaks the sacred ties of domestic life and walks in the unrestrained path of freedom from all social bondage. How could a society so rigidly fastidious in point of woman's honour ad- mire Radha and allow her such an _ elevated place in their literature ? The answer is a very simple one. Radha, as has been already said, is a religious symbol—a typification of the free wor- ship offered by the human soul to God. In Bengali songs the spiritual significance of this symbol has been made apparent by associations with Chaitanya Deva—Radha having been represented in them as the very spirit of God-realisation manifested by the great devotee. sides, viewed in a spiritual light, sti e Besides, p ght, domestic 2 relationship has been given a_ greatly elevated relation- 5 : Fi বর ship given place in the literature of the Vaisnavas. In the a high parent, in the child, in the friend and in all 955 around us, itis the same benign hand that the Vaishavas mark, offering love and_ unsolicited service to us. Domestic ties are therefore sacred to them. Their literature is a history of this all- sacrificing disinterested love. রি