THE RENAISSANCE IN INDIA
lable by the Indian spirit. But, principal-ly, a real Indian philosophy can only be evolved out of spiritual experience and as the fruit of the spiritual seeking which all the religious movements of the past cen- tury have helped to generalise. It cannot spring, as in Europe, out of the critical intellect solely or as the fruit of scientific thought and knowledge. Nor has there been very much preparing force of original critical thought in nineteenth century India. The more original intellects have either turned towards pure literature or else been busy assimilating and at most indianising modern ideas. And though a stronger thought tendency is now be- ginning, all is yet uncertain flux or brilli-antly vague foreshadowing.
In poetry, literature, art, science there have, on the contrary, been definite begin-nings. Bengal in these, as in many other directions, has been recently the chief tot-ing crucible or the first workshop of the Shakti of India ; it is there she has chosen
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