Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/576

 538 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. that in the accounts of this love they are perusing the story of Chaitanya’s realisation. In fact there are innumerable songs in this literature which echo the sentiments of Chaitanya Deva, and there is in this respect a difference between the love songs of Radha and Krishna of the pre-Chaitanya period and those that followed him. The allegory be- comes complete and beautiful in the latter as they bear the stamp of this influence, and the com- pilers of the collections of these songs have clearly indicated this by giving as a prologue to each chapter a song describing the emotions of Chai- tanya Deva by Vasu Ghosa, Narahari or other poets who personally witnessed them. Such a The Goura- Prologue is called the Goura Chandrika or prelimi- Chandrika. nary verses in praise of Chaitanya; the songs that follow are true to the spirit of the emotions of Chaitanya though the love of Radha and Krisna is apparently the subject of them. For instance, in the Purvaraga or dawn oftlove, we have several Goura Chandrikas to indicate the subsequent spirit of the songs. One Gour Chandrika runs thus *'‘ To-day I saw the moon of Navadwipa_ (Chaitanya) ; PASTA SAS AWA BIA | পৃনঃ পুনঃ গতাগতি করু ঘরপন্থ। ক্ষণে ক্ষণে FAIA DAS AFT | BA RA ITA SAA Bary | নব নব ভাব করত পরকাশ ॥ পুলক মুকুলবর ভরু সব দেহ। রাধা মোহন কছু না পাওল থেহ ॥'' 1১809. ২০. 68. From Chapter I, Padakalpataru,
 * “ আজু হাম কি পেখলু নবদীপ চন্দ ।