Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/584

 546 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [Chap. Kaviraja was a famous scholar and a friend of — Narottama Thakura. It is said that Govinda Das” formerly belonged to the Cakta sect, but having recovered from a serious attack of dysentery at the age of forty through the help of a devout Vais- nava, he adopted that faith and became a disciple | of the famous Crinivasa Acharyya. His songs on Radha and Krisna are held in great appreciation by the people. They are written in that sweet mixed dialect which is called the Brajabuli. | Bengali by eliminating the Prakrita — 127, elements, and adopting the more rigid forms of ' Sanskrit has lost some of its natural mellifluousness but in Brajabuli we find a preponderance of — Praktita words together with a sprinkling of Maithili which contributes greatly to the softness of the mixed tongue. Brajabuli is not the spoken dialect of any province; yet it is not at allan artificial dialect. The choice Prakrita words to be found in old Bengali together with some of the soft-sounding Maithil words are combined in Braja- — buli in an artistic manner. And the curious medley has been made singularly sweet and pleasing to the ear by the Vaisnavas in the fadas. And Govinda- | das particularly, who imitates Vidyapati in his songs, is a perfect master of this mixed language. His songs which are only next to those of Chandi- das and Vidyapati in poetic merit are quite un- matched for their sweetness of language and show a wealth of rhythmical expression which brings him into the first rank of early Bengali poets. His padas. In the last years of his life we find the poet occupied in making a collection of his songs at ৬1101110171.