বৈষ্ণব পদসংকলনের তুলনামূলক আলোচনা/ A Comparative Analysis of Vaishnava Verse Anthologies

Abstract

Vaishnava literature constitutes a unique and unparalleled chapter in the history of medieval Bengali literature. A prominent branch of this Vaishnava tradition is the Vaishnava Padavali (Vaishnava lyrics). The genesis of Padavali literature can be traced back to approximately the 14th century. During the 16th century, Vaishnava Padavali reached the pinnacle of literary excellence; this era is renowned in the history of Bengali literature as its ‘Golden Age’. However, towards the end of the 17th century, due to specific socio-political, economic, and religious factors, this golden literary tradition—namely, the Vaishnava Padavali—began to decline. Although the continuity of Padavali persisted into the 18th century, its momentum gradually waned. Driven by the imperative to preserve the rich, five-century-long history of Vaishnava Padavali literature—spanning from the 14th to the 18th century—as well as to safeguard the ancient heritage of Bengali emotion, devotion, literature, and culture, the compilation of Vaishnava lyrics commenced during the 18th century.