Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/498

 Descrip=- tions of Nature, 462 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chag their breasts and give them such tender names as ‘Gour Chandra,’ ‘ Navadvipa Chandra,’ ‘ Nadevasi,’ ‘Nagarvasi’,—all indicating Chaitanya Deva or Navadvipa his birth place, hallowed in their eyes by his associations. In Tippera, close to the Ranir Dighi, there is a locality inhabited by the Malis or sweepers—a very low caste in Hindusociety. I lived close to this neighbourhood for about eight © years and scarcely a night passed that I did not® hear these people sing in chorus for hours together, songs in praise of Chaitanya. ‘Come, if you would see the god-man who does not believe in 7 caste’? was the burden of one of these familiar | songs. Not only in Tippera but everywhere in Bengal, people of the low castes show an unusual enthusiasm in singing songs in praise of the great Brahmin who proclaimed the equality of all men in our society. Govinda Das’ writings are simple and unassum- 7 ing. The deep spirituality of his mind lends a 7 charm to his descriptions of nature. In speaking of the Nilgiri hills he compares them to a great yogi lost in divine contemplation. He describes the sea near Kanyakumari in the following few, lines :— a desire to see the sea. We heard the roar of its 7 waves from a distance. There is no mountain, no 7 প্রভূ কন্যাকুমারী চলিল। দেখিবারে ॥ পর্বত কানন দেশ নাহি সেই ঠাই । কেবল সিন্ধুর শব্দ শুনিবারে পাই ॥
 * “We crossed Tamraparni and Chaitanya felt
 * «' তান্রপণী পার হয়্যা সমুদ্রের ধারে।