The eighteenth-century Bengali poet and religious adept Ramprasad
was an important figure in the revival of the worship of the
Goddess in Bengal at a time when the previously dominant Vaisnavism
was beginning to sustain a decline in popularity. In this book,
Malcolm McLean examines the evidence for the life of Ramprasad, and
finding little in the historical record, deconstructs the important
early biographics, which contain material that is largely legendary
in nature. A founder figure emerges whose "life", modeled on that
of the earlier saint, Caitanya, became a rallying point for his
followers.
An analysis of the approximately 350 songs of this "Ramprasad"
are analyzed and show how he skillfully combined three important
elements of the Hindu tradition into a consistent whole: the
classical Puranic Goddess tradition, especially as it is found in
the Devi Mahatmya; the indigenous tradition of Bengali fold
Goddesses, still enormously popular; and the previously underground
esoteric Tantric tradition. This was a powerful and popular mix
which allowed a very Tantric Goddess tradition to flourish for the
next two hundred years. The book makes a strong case for seeing
Ramprasad as basically a Tantrika, and argues that the kind of
devotion advocated in the songs is a Tantric devotion of a kind
quite different form the current Vaisnavite devotion.
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