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ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL i THOUGHT OF ANCIENT INDIA AS REVEALED IN THE VEDAS, PURANAS AND TANTRAS. INTRODUCTION (1) In the present work, we have tried to give a brief and outline picture of the discussion regarding God, occurring in the Pauranic and Tantric hymns beginning from the vedic ones. In all these hymns, we find the discussion of the desired god as being the cause of creation, protection and destruction. Somewhere the desired god has been conceived of as the giver of ultimate salvation (moksa). Although, mention has been made of the infinite heavenly grandeur and unlimited power of 'Isvara' in different places of the hymns, God has commonly been stated as the cause of creation, protection and destruction. For, God (Isvara) is not directly perceived. He is chiefly inferred as the lord of the universe. But it is not the main object of the inference of God. For, in different systems of onilosophy like the Nyaya-vaisesika, the lord of the universe is called the instrumental cause (nimitta karana) of all objects. As the potter is the maker of a ghata (earthen pot), God is likewise the maker of the universe. A person may be the maker of anything who knows fully the technique

(ii) of making an object by different causes and indirect knowledge regarding it that he wants to make. The philosophers of the philosophical systems of Nyaya and Vaisesika, chiefly basing on this reasoning, have tried to prove the existence of God as the creator of the universe. Though the Nyaya system of philosophy intends to prove God as the giver of due consequences according to the acts, done by men, the chief reason of the inference of 'Isvara' is His being the maker of the universe. So, according to the views of the philosophers of the Nyaya and valsesika system of philosophy, Cod is only the instrumental cause of the universe. All objects are originated by different atoms and the object of action is formed object (avayavi vastu). This form or partner (avayavi) is utterly different from its parts. It has no existence before its creation. It is created due to the attempt of the lord or maker. So, according to the views of the philosophers of the Nyaya and Vaisesika systems of philosophy God can not be the material (samavayi) or non-material cause. The parts or materials (avayava) of an object or action are the substantial causes of that action. The reciprocal combination of the 'avayavas' is

(iii) called the non-material or non-substantial cause (a samava vayi). All other causes except this are called instrumental cause. Therefore, according to the Nyaya Vaisesika system of philosophy, God is the instrumental cause only. But according to the Vedanta system of philosophy, God is not only the instrumental cause, but also the proximate cause (upadana) of the universe. For according to the Vedantic modus, Brahma, having titles (sopadhika) is called God (Isvara). The origination of the universe has been traced to the titled i (sopadnika) and omniscient 'Isvara'. This sruti has evidently stated the omniscient God as the proximate cause of the universe. According to the views of Advaita-vedanta system of philosophy, the proximate cause and the instrumental cause are indeed not different. From this standpoint, God is said to be the instrumental cause. So, the view of the Vedanta system of philosopny and the Nyaya system utterly differ from each other. According to the vaisnava vedanta view the non ma qualified God is not proved, the qualified God is Brahma. He is the proximate and instrumental cause of the universe. This view regarding 'Isvara' has been discussed

(iv) in different Sanskrit hymns. We have tried to snow it by citing particular texts from different hymns. But discussions, concerning 'Isvara', are so varied and extensive that it may take a separate book to deal with it. So, no detailed discussion has been made here in a philosophized manner by mentioning such reasonings proving God and denying Him. That all have accepted their own desired God to be the Supreme God is what we have tried to discuss or establish here only. Such qualities as the creatorship or lordship of the universe and unbounded grandeur etc. are found to have characterised the Supreme Power i.e. 'Isvara', stated or discussed in the Sanskrit hymns. Therefore, there is no doubt about the fact that 'Isvara' is also an object of discussion in the Sanskrit hymns. In the conclusion, we must add further that though the discussions, that nave been made here from the beginning of this essay, denote different ideas or senses, different aspects have been discussed on the basis of the extensive Sanskrit literature of hymn. That which characterizes chiefly the literature of hymn is a charming manifestation or expression of mental rapture, full of hymn traces to its origin in the form of unturbid manifestation of mentality to the question, roused in the minds of the seers

o (v) for the search of a supremely charming idea, found amidst the external appearences of natural objects and phenomena Hence, we find, among the vedic stotras (hymns), chiefly simple and unornamented outburst of poetic ideas. On the course of fleeting time chain of thoughts engaged itself in the search of different abstruse doctrines and thus it resulted in the appearence or emergence of philosophical theories in the manifestation of enriched ideas. As a result, philosophical theories enriched the sanskrit literature of hymn. Although there is divergence of opinions concerning the fact whether the abundance or infiltration of abstruse philosophical theories stands as a bar for having an easy taste of sentiment (rasa), it can easily be said that having the taste of poetic sentiment is not restricted to the sentences, embeded with simple and unornamented ideas only. On the contrary, mental scholasticity or cultivation is a step for having a taste of poetic sentiment. Those who give dominance to sentiments, they may be aimed at enjoying the hidden or underlying beauty by avoiding abstruse or complex theories; but though such beauty makes its place in their minds temporarily even in the absence of depth of enriched thought or effective scholasticity for denoting the hidden significance of it, it can not have a permanent place altogether. Musical outburst,

(vi) " combined with sweet metre and elegant language in the poetry of Jayadeva, the poet devotee, enchants the minds of everybody. But its influence is transcient only, it is matter of deep thought how far it is capable of establishing permanance in the depth of mind. Although unique poetic compositions of Vya sa the great poet, and Kalidasa, acclaimed universally, do not express such clear and elegant idea like that of Jayadeva, capable of impressing permanently in the depth of our hearts due to poetic scholasticity. So, So, the environment of complexity may not be a bar for having the taste of sentiment everywhere. That which is gained in less effort, is easily perished and it does not create so much sorrow. But that which is gained through hard toil is not easily destroyed and if it is perished for any reason it blows heavily. It is true that we have temporary satisfaction by drinking the beauty of a full-bloomed flower, but such satisfaction is momentary. On the contrary, it is admitted by all that if we gain a valuable gem through a long-lasting and hard endeavour it yields almost a permanent satisfaction. So, whether the emergence of philosophical theories in the literature of hymn stands as a bar for having the taste of poetic sentiment is to be decided by the scholars. We find the occurrence of philosophical theories manywhere

(vii) in the Sanskrit literature of hymn. We have discussed it briefly. But here what is to be specially kept in mind is that the easy-flowing idea which is found in the natural mental tendency for describing the nature of the god of worship, is transformed to hymn through language. Philosophical ideas may appear there for disclosing the abstruse mystery of supreme theory of the god of worship. But philosophical theories do not predominate there. The statement of the nature of the god of worship predominates here. If it is such, it is natural that it stands not as a bar for having the taste of philosophical theories. But if any philosopher composes hymn for stating chiefly the deep truth of his desired view, the natural flow of hymns is obstructed. Only philosophical abstruseness dominantly reveals itself. If it is such, it becomes nothing but a philosophical treatise, it is not proper to call it literature of hymn. But if the object of description predominates there and if philosophical theories secondarily makes its infiltration there, it will not obstruct the attainment of poetic sentiment. In most of the places of Sanskrit literature of hymn philosophical doctrines have been infiltrated, but it has not been revealed only in the form of fanatic philosophisation. Rather the literature of hymn has been enriched in the introduction of philosophical

(vili) theories. We have discussed such philosophical theories, i.e., we have not taken into account such nymns as have been taken for revealing philosophical theories only. So, the relevance of the literature of hymn has not been transgressed by discussing philosophical theories in the Sanskrit literature of hymns. After the discussion of philosophical theories, the discussion regarding goa naturally evokes our mind. Most of the philosophical doctrines have chiefly been introduced or discussed centering God. so there is a close relationship between philosophical thought and godly thought, Particularly the worshipper admits his God of worship as the greatest from all aspects. The thought on God has been gradually formed by searching for the creation, protection and destruction of the universe. So, God is admitted as the greatest. Hence, most naturally that God nas been stated as the lord of creation, protection and destruction in the hymns eulogizing the greatness of his desired God. Although the thoughts concerning God nave been diversified in the light of philosophical speculation, the word "Isvara" has been used in a particular sense everywhere in the hymns. In this connection, we have made a general discussion of God in different hymns. i

$ (ix) In fine, we intend to say that is is rather impossible for inexperienced and ignorant person like us to make a detailed and full-fledged discussion of such huge and abstruse philosophical theories, pervading the literature of hymn. Yet attempts have been made to put into language the wise sermons that have been taken from our venerable preceptors. It is true that somewhere we could not understand the full purport of such knowledge and hence there is every possibility for mistakes. But such mistakes have occurred due to our shallow knowledge itself. Neither the sermon of the Scriptures nor the advice of our Guru, Prof. Asoke Chatterjee is responsible for it. If there is any excellent idea or acceptable view in this work, it is entirely due to the sermon of the scriptures or advice of our guide, and that which is worst in it, is solely due to our own fault. We must confess that we had got the rare privilege to read the entire Vedic literature, some abstruse texts on Indian philosophy including Mimamsa and Vedanta with our distinguished supervisor Prof. Asoke Chatterjee Sastri, M.A.(double), Ph.D. (Calcutta), Dr.Phil. (Marburg), D.Phil. (Burdwan), D.Lit (Varanasi), Sastri, Mahopadhyaya, Kavyatirtha, Vedatirtha, Navyasmrtitirtha, Puranatirtha, Pracinasmrtitirtha, Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Calcutta University. He has gone through our work in its entirely and corrected the whole of it. We offer our deepest pranama to him. Kaberi Sarkar ( KABERI SARKAR ) - 3