Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/265

 IV.) BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 231 The next writer who translated ‘Chandi’ was Rapanarayan Ghosa—a Kayastha. Rapanarayan was born about the year 1597 A.D. He wasa native of Amdalq in the sub-division of Manikganj in the district of Dacca. He was well-versed in the Sanskrit classics but did not closely follow the text. He showed his erudition and poetical powers by importing poetical ideas from vaiious Sanskrit poems into his translation to which he also added passages from his own fancy. We next came across Chandi by Vrajalal. Judg- ing by the language, it appears that this poem was written about the same time as Rapnarayan’s. But the next work on Chandi by Yadu Nath displays a far greater power than most of the preceding works of this class. Yadu Nath was born in Garkhabari on the river Ghagat in Perg. Andhu (Police Station, Mithapur) in the district of Rangpur. His work was written in the latter part of the 17th century. We quote a passage from the poem in which he describes the union of Civa and Uma who are so blended as to form one figure. This figure is known in Hindu mythology as Ardhanari¢vara. Bengali poets and painters alike have applied their talent to the representation of this figure which seems to have a peculiar charm for them. There are tiree figures in our pantheon which illustrate such a blending: (1) Giva and Uma, (2) Civa and Visau, (3) Krisna and Radha. We quote from Yadun@ti to illustrate the first, and from Kacidas to shew the second. “My life has to-day been made blessed by seeing Civaand Uma united ina single form. On one sideare beautiful black locks and on the other a thick array Rupa- narayan Ghosa Born 1597 A.D. Vrajalal. Jadunath. Ardha- nari¢war.