Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/319

 IV.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE.” 283 71. The ghats of Neta, of a knave, of Dhana and Mana, of a man with elephantiasis, and of Hari Sadhu. 72. Behula disguised as a sweeper-girl. 73. The trial of Behula. 74. The meeting. 75. Manasa Devi worshipped. 76. The ascent into heaven (of Behula and Laksmindara. ) These chapter-headings roughly indicate the contents of other poems on the same subject also. The literature in honour of Manasqa Devi is vast and varied and is interesting from many different points of view. We have, however, no space to consider all these points with that thoroughness which they deserve. Contemporary with Vijay Gupta was Narayana সি Deva, another poet who lived in Boragram in the sub- Deva. division of Kishoreganj in the district of Mymen- singh. The Manasa Mangal of Narayana Deva is almost as popular as that of Vijay Gupta in Eastern Bengal though a greater sanctity is attached to the latter’s poem, owing to the preservation of his wor- ship-pot in the village temple of Phullagri. Narayana Deva belonged to the Kayastha caste. His father was Narasimha Deva. The ancestors of the poet were originally inhabitants of Magadha. Latterly they came down to Rada Dega and settled there. From Rada they made another move and settled in Mymensingh. Some descendants of Narayana Deva still dwell in Boragram, being 17th in descent from the poet,