130 REV. G. U. FOPE, D.D.^ ON 



NOTE VII. 



On the Idea of Bhakti (u^^). 



Compare Pope's Kurral, Int., p. vi. 



The songs of the Caiva saints express a devotion, humility, and love of 

 unspeakable fervour. "We are reminded of the Psalmist's language 

 (Ps. cxviii, 1), ' I will love Thee, O Lord my strength.' 



This spirit of personal devotion is not found (as Professor H. H. 

 Wilson has taiight us) in the Vedas. In fact, it seems to be something- 

 pertaining to the Semitic religion especially, and it possibly came into 

 India from the extreme South, where Christian teaching existed from 

 the earliest centuries of the Christian era. Chaitanya (a.d. 1434) is 

 generally regarded as the great introducer of this idea of Bhakti ; but as 

 he lived in the fifteenth century, and Manikka Va(;agar cannot have 

 lived at a later period than the ninth, it is rather to him that we are to 

 attribute its introduction. 



Bhakti, or piety, is the main idea of the Caiva sysiem, and the fervent 

 love and worship of Civa is represented as including all religion, and as 

 transcending all religious observances ; and, since all are capable of this, 

 men of all castes can be received as devotees and saints in the C^^^aiva 

 system. 



NOTE VIII. 



Makikka VAgAGAR's Disputation with the Buddhists 

 IN ^ithambaram. 



It seems desirable to give a somewhat fuller translation of the sixth 

 canto of the Vatha-urar-Puranam, entitled ' The Victory over the 

 Buddhists in Disputation.' The story tells how Manikka Vayagar was 

 summoned from his retreat to confront the Buddhist teachers who had 

 come over to (^ithambaram with the king of Ceylon. The day of dis- 

 putation arrived. The conference was held in the hall where the 

 Buddhists were lodged. We are told that the saint with the 3,000 

 resident devotees repaired to the terajile, performed their devout worship, 

 implored the grace of ^iva, and then gathered in the hall of conference. 

 A veil was put over the saint's face that he might not even behold the 

 ill-omened countenances of the heretics ! He was then seated on a royal 

 throne, while around and behind him were the faithful Brahnians and 

 devotees of every class, who had tlironged in from all the country round. 



