The world has emerged as a phenomenon by bestowing versatile precursors on the earth. Many saints and reformers had brought transitions for its revitalisation. I want to bring to reference Geoffrey Chaucer, father of English language and a great vaishnavite saint of India, Srimanta Sankardeva. The two legends of the ages have profoundly influenced the Globe.
Here I attempt to give an introduction of an epoch maker of the west who was often called “the dawn of English Literature”. I bring the reference of the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer, hailed as the emerging social reformer of England, raised his voice against corruption of churches. He tied all the characters of the Prologue with a string of spiritualism. He established spiritual doctrine saying religion is part of human life.
Various characters in the Prologue show instincts of spiritualism such as the village parson, the summoner, the monk and the pardoner. England in the medieval period encountered severe religious crisis and erosion of humanity. It witnessed hundred years of war with Scotland and France. But Chaucer worked for spiritual uplift and made people aware of the aim of spirituality. He manipulated the characters with a special theme. This was the tale of the pilgrims who decided to go to Canterbury to seek blessings of holy Martyr Saint Thomas Becket.
The spiritual sentiment and religious doctrine of the west can be compared with socio- cultural spiritualism of Vaishnavism to some extent. It is a difficult task to excavate the religious doctrine of Christianity and measure with Vaishnavism of Sankardeva. In this context, we bring the reference of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva’s Parijat Haran.
In the play of Parijat Haran, Sankardeva shaped a domestic quarrel over parijat flower into a unique dramatic form. Lord Krishna presented the parijat flower to Rukmini which was brought by Narada from heaven.
This news made Satyavarma furious towards Lord Krishna because parijat flower was very precious. The character of Satyavarma was depicted as a jealous woman, proud and egoistic.
Rukmini was a woman of chastity, innocent and devotional. On the other hand, the atrocity of Narakasur made Indra, the king of goddesses irritated. Indra and all the goddesses invited lord Krishna and extended prayer to him to save the heaven from Narakasur’s tyranny. This was the golden chance for Satyavarma to get the fragrance and fascinated beauty of the Parijat flower. So, she desired to give Krishna company for travelling to heaven.
Satyavarma made her mind and proposed Indra for taking parijat flower after the assassination of Narakasur. Indra became furious over the proposal of Satyavarma. Finally lord Krishna brought the parijat flower to Dwarka and planted there. This action of Lord Krishna gave contentment to Satyavarma and the goddesses got redemption from demonic power of Narakasur.
From the writings of two different cultures, it can be substantiated that Chaucer manipulated the Christian faith through humour and realism. Through the depiction of every character, he discovered the existence of spirituality and social belief.
In the east, Sankardeva also eulogised Lord Krishna in the various plays and songs. In the Parijat Haran, Sankardeva established the faith of Krishna over inhabitants of the earth and the heaven. Lord Krishna was characterised as the ruler of the universe. The two different seeds of spirituality were sprinkled on the blessed sand of the east and the west.
(Contributed by Parthajit Borah)