Page:A History of Hindi Literature.djvu/55

 THE MUGHAL COURT & HINDI LITERATURE 41 Kanth were excelled as poets by the other two brothers, Bhushan and Mati Ram. Bhushan Tripathi visited the courts of several kings, but his special patrons were Siv Raj (or Sivaji) of Sitara and Chhatrasal of Panna. On one occasion the latter monarch helped with his own shoulder to carry the poet's palanquin, and Siv Raj bestowed lavish rewards upon him, giving on one occasion five elephants and twenty-five thousand rupees for a single poem» The principal work of Bhushan is the ^iv Raj Bhushan which is an excellent account of rhetoric as used in poetry, and each figure of rhetoric is illustrated by a verse in honour of Siv Raj. It was composed between 1666 and 1673. Some of the works of Bhushan have been lost. But besides the Siv Raj Bhushan there are extant other verses in praise of Siv Raj and of Chhatrasal. Bhushan is considered to have excelled in the tragic, heroic, and terrible styles, and holds a very high rank amongst Hindi poets. He is especially famous for his keen interest in the progress and glory of the Hindus, and this is one of the features of his poetry which is very much admired. It was this interest which attached him so much to Sivaji, the Maratha hero, who did so much to weaken the Muhammadan power. Here is a translation of one of his verses : — "As Indra subdued Jambha, as the taraz- fire overcomes the sea, as Ramachandraovercame the hypocrite Ravan, as the wind overpowers the waters, as Sambhu overcame Cupid, as Rama, the Lord of Brahmans, overcame Sahasra Bal, as fire overcomes the branches of a tree, as a leopard overcomes a herd of deer, as a lion overcomes elephants, as light overcomes darkness, as Krishna overcame Kanha, so, Bhushan says, the lion Siv Raj overcomes the Muhammadans." Mati Ram Tripathi lived first at the court of Maha- raja Rav Bhau Singh of Bundi and afterwards at that of Raja Sambhu Nath Sulanki. In honour of his first patron he composed a work on rhetoric called Lalit Lalam. Among the illustrative verses are many in praise of his patron as well as love verses and others. His work is considered to give a very clear and easily understood account of the subject of rhetoric. It was