Page:The Bansberia Raj.djvu/25

 CHAPTER III.

Glorious progress under Udaya and Jayananda.

On Sahasraksha's death, his son, Udaya, succeeded to his rank and estate. The new Zamindar became more famous than his father. In his hand the family rose both in honor and opulence. In consequence of his having done some important services to the Mogul Government, Udaya gained the favour of the same Great Emperor who had been so kind to his father. Akbar conferred upon him the hereditary title of Raí, after which the family renouncing the humbler designation of Dutt assumed the prouder one of Raí. Udaya not only raised the social status of his family, he also considerably added to its estate. This he managed to do through the favour of Raja Man Sing who was a great favourite of Emperor Akbar. When that valiant Rajput who was the commander-in-chief of the Mogul forces was coming with a large body of followers to Bengal, he on his way stopped for sometime at Beneras with a view to paying his regards to his Guru (spiritual guide) Jiya (Jiva) who was residing at that sacred city. It so happened that Lakshmikanta, the only son of the Guru, had been for some time passing his days incognito, unknown to the father, and as it was very probable that he might be travelling or toiling somewhere in the East, the wise old man, whose heart was still lit with the lambent love of kith and kin, earnestly directed Man Sing to find out, if he could, the whereabouts of his beloved child. The Mogul General who regarded his spiritual preceptor as his God on earth, never forgot his injunction, and, as a matter of fact, was always on the alert how to carry it out. As fortune would have it, while passing by the banks of the Bhagirathi he met the Patuli