351 
1898.] M. M. Chakravarti —Language and literature of Orissa. 
Rama-worship, another variant of Vaisnavism was somewhat more 
successful in Oriya poetry. The Ramayana has always been the most 
favourite of Sanskrit poems; and the Ramats who came on pilgrimage 
or resided at Pari in the various maths generally exercised considerable 
influence. Hence the career of Rama was often selected for the subject- 
matter, such as Upendra Bhanja’s Baidelnsabilasa, Bisvanatha 
Khunti-a’s Bicitra Ramayana, Sadasiba Dasa’s Ramalija. But on the 
whole, it failed to be popular in Orissa because the Ramats were few 
in number and chiefly confined to Puri, and because it had to contend 
with the powerful influence of Caitanya and his disciples. 
The most prevalent form of Vaisnavism was and still is in Orissa 
the Krsna-worship. I shall not burden this article with the origin and 
history of this great religion, interesting as the subject is, because long 
before the beginning of serious poetry, Krsna-worship had become the 
favourite religion in Orissa. But since then Krsna-worship underwent 
an important modification. Gradually a feminine element was added to 
the male type of divinity, and the worship of Krsna alone was super- 
ceded by the joint worship of Radha and Krsna. A similar and 
parallel transformation from the single to the dual type is traceable 
in the gradual development of fivaism into faktism, and also in the 
Buddhistic hierarchy. 
The name of Radha is comparatively modern. It is not to be 
found either in the Vedic works or in the older Sanskrit classics and 
Puranas. The Harivari^a, the Bhagavata and the Visnu Purana, the 
triple Bible of the Vaisnavites, are silent about her. 1 The earliest 
authentic mention of Radha is to be found in the Brahmavaivarta 
Purana and in Jayadeva’s Gitagovinda. 2 Brahmavaivarta’s date is 
1 The following passage of grimadbhagavata is twisted to mean a reference to 
Radha, but obviously it does not. 
ffT Vf^T*r I 
*7sfT ftaT II ^ II 
Bh. 10th Sk. 30th Adh. 23rd gi5ka. 
“ Evidently God Hari was devoutly prayed by this (lady), for Govinda has taken 
her (alone) to privacy leaving us behind.” 
Another passage (same Adhyaya 34th gi5ka) is quoted by the author of 
Caitanyacaritamrta as referring to Radha, but the text does not even mention her 
(Adilila 6th paricheda). 
2 In Laghubhagavatamrta, Rapa Gosvami quotes one passage as being from 
Padma Purana. 
TBIT ftreTfasjfraSJP IP# fsm rTSTT I 
1. c. Cai. Car. Mr. Adilila 4th pari. 
