1876,] F. S. Growse— Sri Swdmi Hari Das of Brmddban. 313 



Akbar or Jahangir. Its very first couplet is a compendium of the theory 

 upon which the whole Vaishnava reform was based : 



Bhakt-bhakti-Bhagavant-guru, chaturanam, vapuek : 

 which declares that there is a divinity in every true believer, whether 

 learned or unlearned, and irrespective of all caste distinctions. Thus the reli- 

 gious teachers that it celebrates are represented not as rival disputants — which 

 their descendants have become— but as all animated by one faith, which varied 

 only in expression ; and as all fellow workers in a common cause, viz. the 

 moral and spiritual elevation of their countrymen. Nor can it be denied that 

 the writings of the actual leaders of the movement are instinct with a uni- 

 form spirit of asceticism and detachment from the world and a sincere piety, 

 which are very different from the ordinary outcome of Hinduism. But in 

 no case did this catholic simplicity last for more than a single generation. 

 The great teacher had no sooner passed away than his very first successor 

 hedged round his little band of followers with new caste restrictions, 

 formulated a series of narrow dogmas out of what had been intended as 

 comprehensive exhortations to holiness and good works ; and substituted for 

 an interior devotion and mystical love — which were at least pure in intent, 

 though perhaps scarcely attainable in practice by ordinary humanity — an 

 extravagant system of outward worship with all the sensual accompaniments 

 of gross and material passion. 



The Bhakt-mala, though an infallible oracle, is an exceedingly obscure 

 one, and requires a practised hierophant for its interpretation. It gives no 

 legend at length, but consists throughout of a series of the briefest allusions 

 to legends, which are supposed to be already well-known. Without some 

 such previous knowledge the poem is absolutely unintelligible. Its concise 

 notices have therefore been expanded into more complete lives by different 

 modern writers, both in Hindi and Sanskrit. One of these paraphrases is 

 entitled the Bhakt Sindhu, and the author, by name Lakshman, is said to 

 have taken great pains to verify his facts. But though his success may 

 satisfy the Hindu mind, which is constitutionally tolerant of chronological 

 inaccuracy, he falls very far below the requirements of European criticism. 

 The work is however useful, since it gives a number of floating tradi- 

 tions, which could otherwise be gathered only from oral communications 

 with the Gosains of the different sects, who as a rule are very averse to 

 speak on such matters with outsiders. It will be seen in the sequel that no 

 dependence can be placed upon the details of the narrative, and that the 

 dates are all hopelessly wrong. In the original Bhakt-mala of Nabha J£, 

 the stanza referring to Hari Das stands as follows : 



