Page:Bengal Vaishnavism - Bipin Chandra Pal.djvu/54

THE PHILOSOPHY OP THE ABSOLUTE 39 and character. But this incarnation did not or could not continue on this plane eternally. When, therefore, a Christ or a Buddha passed away, the need of humanity for an ever- present Human Deity still remained. This necessity was sought to be met by the dogma of Popery in Christendom, and by the dogma of the guru in Buddhism and Hinduism. The guru is an individual man, endowed with divine powers. Chandidasa, however, went further than the apotheosis of the guru^ which had" already been familiar to both Hinduism and Buddhism. He delivered his message to all men — “Hear O Brother Man !” In this he proclaimed also the doctrine of what is called the Brotherhood of Man, which is a necessary corollary to the doctrine of the Divinity of Man. Bengal Yaishnavism developed this declaration of Chandidasa in its philosophy and art. In the theology of Bengal Yaishnavism the Ultimate Reality or Para/matattvci> is Bhagavan. This Bhagavanis Shree Krishna, Shree Krishna is Bhagavan Himself. The significance of the word or himself in this text is that this Shree Krishna, who is realised by Bengal Yaishnavism as Bhagavan or the Ultimate Reality is not an incarnation.