ABSTRACT
As a matter of fact, theism—belief in the reality of a personal creator-god or gods—has been a strong and persistent theme throughout the entire evolution of Indian thought, expressed in both the shruti and the smriti traditions. However, beginning with the blossoming of the European "Age of Enlightenment" in the seventeenth century, an enormous change began to take form in the Western world. The crux of the argument concerns the proper source of knowledge that can be unequivocally accepted as true knowledge. During the time that the principal darshanas were being formulated, a parallel movement was taking form—a surge of devotional enthusiasm. Popular cults developed for all of the gods, but most of all for the worship of Vishnu and Shiva, the right and left hands of what would come to be known as the Trimurti. The worship of Vishnu and/or Shiva spread throughout the land. Temples were going up everywhere. It must have been an exciting time.
