Page:A History of Hindi Literature.djvu/52

 38 A HISTORY OF HINDI LITERATURE dedicated to a famous courtesan of those days named Pravin Ray Paturt, who was also the authoress of numerous short poems which have a great reputation. The Ram Chandrika of Ke^av Das was inscribed to Indrajit Singh, son of Madhukar Shah. It was Ke^av Das who, through Raja Birbal's instrumentality, got Akbar to excuse Indrajit from a heavy fine he had imposed upon him, and Kesav Das was greatly honoured by Indrajit. Ke^av also wrote the learned Rasik Priya on poetical composition {sahitya) and the Rayn Alahkrit?na7ij a?'i on prosody. These works on poetry and kindred subjects were not only concerned with giving rules, but also provided original illustrations, so that each work is also a collection of verse of great poetic merit. The poetry of Ke^av Das is not easy reading, but there is no doubt of his being a poet of very great skill, and his name is to be reckoned amongst the foremost. Very many commentaries on his principal works have been written, and he has had many imitators. The translation of a few of his lines, w^hich is all that we have space for here, can give only a very inadequate idea of his poetry: — KeSav says my [grey] hairs have done to me what my enemies cannot do; Maidens with a countenance fair as the moon, and eyes like deer, now call me Baba [father]. Do not employ a Brahman who is greedy of fees; do not make a fool your friend ; Do not serve an ungrateful master ; do not praise poetry that is full of defects. Kesav says, When I see glancing eyes my good resolutions go, and the opinion of the world is no longer heeded ; My ears become deaf to instruction, and my eyes closed to all discernment of right and wrong ; The chariot-like motion of the good intentions of my mind becomes stopped like a river that has ceased to flow. May the Creator forbid that such a woman should fix her eyes on me. Avoid a horse with an unsteady gait, a servant who is a thief, a mind which is fickle, a friend without intelligence, a master who is a miser.