Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/260

 226 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. ‘tions of this work are also to be found in old Bengali literature. This is the Chandi by Markandeya. It des- cribes how the goddess Chandi first manifested herself in heaven. Raja Suratha was driven from hiskingdom by his enemies, who had already subdued the Kols. The Raja rode a horse and wandered near the hermi- tage of Markandeya where he met a Vaig¢ya named Samadhi. This man had immense wealth but his Raja wife and children had taken possession of it and a driven him away. In the hermitage the King and Vaigya. the Vaicya with hearts heavy-laden with grief met and related to each other, the sad story of their misfortunes. They both brooded over their condi- tions, the king upon his lost kingdom, and the Vaicya on his wife and children who had so cruelly treated him. The king asked Markandeya, the sage, as to why he could not find peace of mind. What was it that caused him so much pain! He knew that it was unavailing now to grieve over what could not be recovered. He referred also to the condition of his friend the Vaigya,—bis mind still yearning for the sight of his wife and children, though they had ill- treated him. Markandeya said that it was that power Theory of of God, which producing phenomena that bear রা a semblance of truth without being true, blind- folded all living beings. By this power which pro- duces illusion, men are confounded and become unable to distinguish what is true from what is not true. The phenomenal and unreal world seems as real to them; and they ignore God, the only Great Reality. This, the sage said, is the cause of all human woes. This Power of the Supreme Deity is Mahamaya (lit, Great illusion) or Chandi—per- sonated as a goddess whose mercy alone, it was