Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/152

 Holy asthe Gayatri Chandi- das’s death. 122 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. Chandidas forgot all the promises he had given to the Brahmins and in the worshipful manner of a priest, who approaches his house-hold goddess, appeared before her craving a thousand pardons. It is said that a wonderful vision was at this mo- ment vouchsafed to only a few of the assembled Brahmins. They saw the four arms of the Divine mother of the universe shining forth, behind the supposed washerwoman ! But the rest oft he Brahmins were very angry, and Chandidas remained an outcast as_ before. His boldness became far greater now. He openly addressed Rami as বেদমাতা attafa—Gayatri the mother of the Vedas! Imagine the folly of this comparison! Gayatri the great hymn of the Brah- mins is to them the holiest thing on earth or in heaven. Fora Brahmin to say, therefore, that a washerwoman was as holy in his eyes as the Gayatri, was an affront to the whole orthodox community, the degree of which can scarcely be conceived by one outside the pale of Hindu society. But Chandi- das had meant no more offence than a bird in its warblings ; in the fulness of his heart the mouth had spoken. In his dreams of love, thoughts of caste, of Brahminhood or of any other earthly considera- tion had no place.* Chandidas met with a tragic death. While he was amusing his audience by a recitation of his love-songs in the house of a friend at the village of Kirnahar near Nannura, the roof of the house is said to have collapsed; and the great poet who had 43—44,
 * For some of Chandi Das’s Songs on Rami, see. pp,