Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/723

 VI.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 683 the Vedic texts as authority. The passages in Harilila composed by Anandamayi bear evidence of her erudition; in metre and wealth of words they closely follow classical Sanskrit, and when recited they sound more like Sanskrit than Bengali. Anandamayi was married in 1761 to Ayodhya Rama Sen of Payagrama in the district of Khulna. We have had already occasion to quote some passages from Jayanarayana’s poems on pages 360- 361. His Harilila was composed in honour of the god Satyanarayana. As usual, in the case of poems of this class, the work which is of a considerable dimen- sion, relates a story, the sequel of which illustrates the grace of the god towards his followers in the shape of gifts of earthly fortune. I quote another passage from Harilila below :— horizon was painted with the purple colours of the dawn. The stars gradually disappeared from the sky. The birds left their nests and flew in all directions. The raven was crowing from the tree and did not as yet alight on the ground. Chandra- bhana the hero) held the hands of Sunetra (the heroine). ‘Permit me to go’ he said again and again to her. At the dawn of the day which was auspicious for the journey he left her, and her tearful eyes followed the course he took. She + ঘোরতর রজনী অতীত এই মতে । পূর্বদিক রূক্ত দিনকষ-কিরণেতে ॥ আকাশে নক্ষব্রগণ তাঙ্গি যায় মেল1। পাখিগণ ইতি উতি নিজ বাস ছাড়ে। বিরলে ডাকিছে কাক ভূমে নাহি পড়ে॥ From 77121118712, The parting.
 * The night passed in this way. The eastern