Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/405

 IV.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. — 369 Poems in honour of Sarasvati, the goddess of learning. The goddess of learning, Sarasvati, was not without her votaries among the early Bengali poets. Of the numerous poems, which glorify her, one by Dayaram DAs displays some poetic skill. The book Dayaram is divided into seventeen cantos and tells an ani- Das. mated story describing how by the grace of the goddess one might achieve scholarship without much study. Dayaram was an inhabitant of the village of Kicarchawk in Perganna Kagigaon in the district of Midnapur. Sasthimangala or poems in honour of Sasthi Devi. - This goddess is the presiding deity of babies. She rides on a cat. It is her function to pre- serve little children from falling a prey to sick- ness and premature death. As is natural, she is held in’ great respect by the women-folk of Bengal. We find mention of Sasthi Devi in the Vrahmhavaivarta purana and in Devi-bhaga- vata. Krisnaram wrote a poem in honour of Krisnaram. Sasthi Devi in 1687 A.D. The poem as usual tells a story of more or less interest with occasional passages of poetic beauty, and ends in establishing the glory of Sasthi Devi by bringing to a happy termination all adverse incidents by her grace. Satgaon (Saptagram,) was in a highly flourishing condition, when Krisnargm wrote his poem; he Satgaon. refers to that historic city in the following lines :— saw Gaya, Prayag, and Kampal and _ travelled গায়! পইবাগ দেখিলাম নিবাদ কাপাল। রে
 * “T saw Radha, Vanga, Kalinga, and Nepal; |
 * বাট বঙ্গ দেখিলাম afar canta |