Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/639

 V.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 599 been expert in the art of caligraphy. I name below some of the writers of this class who wrote parti- cularly elegant hands. 1. Harivamsa copied by Bhagyavanta Dhubi (washerman) in 1783 A. D. 2. Naisada copied by Cri Majhee Kait (a low sudra) in 1749 A. D. 3. Devajani Upakhyana by Ganga Das Sen copied by Rama Narayan Gope (a milkman) in paz A.D), 4. Kriya Yoga Sara copied by Kali Charan Gope (a milkman) in 1740 A. D. 5. Dandi Parva by Raja Narayan Datta copied by. Crirama Prasada Dei (a low sudra) in 22571. 10 In the houses of Vaishnava scholars, however, we find such Bengali works as the Chaitanya Charitamrita, Chaitanya Bhagavata, and Padakalpa- taru carefully preserved side by side with classical Sanskrit works. In their eyes Bengali works dealing with Vaisnavism were not, as I have said, a whit less important than the most sacred theological books in Sanskrit. Bengali in the Vaishnava period was subject to the ? influence of Hindiand this I have already mentioned on page 387. Many of the great masters of the Vaisnava faith lived in Vrind§vana and there was a constant exchange of ideas between the people of that place and those of Bengal. This circum- stance explains why we find such a large number of Hindi words imported into the Bengali writings of the Vaisnavas. The Padakartas held Vidyapati’s songs in great admiration and asa result many The influence of Hindi.