Dutt, Romesh Chunder: The literature of Bengal: being an attempt to trace the progress of the national mind in its various aspects, as reflected in the nation’s literature from the earliest times to the present day ; with copious extracts from the best writers (Calcutta, 1877)

48 LITERATURE OP BENGAL.

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v We next come to Chandidas the contemporary of Bi-
dyapati. Chandidas was a native of the village of Nan-
nur, in the District of Birbhum, about 24 miles to the east
of Suri, and was a Brahman by caste. That he was con-
temporaneous with Bidyapati and met him, is sufficiently
proved by several poems which have,com^ down to us, of
which the following is the most noted :— «

Chandidas heard of Bidyapati's qualification^ «id became
anxious to see him. Bidyapati heard of Chandidas's qualifications
and became anxious to see him. Both becanie curious. Bidyapati
jH oft vAch Rup Narain alone for his companion. Chandidas too
could not stay, but went off to see Bidyapati. In ethe way both
sung each other's praise, and their hearts remained anxious for each
other. Suddenly they met each other, but neither recognized the
other, though they knew each other when they heard each other's
name.*

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The traditions current about the life of Chandidas
give us some clu(; to the nature of the contest that was
* even then going on between the Vaishnava and Sakta or
Tantrika religions. Chandidas, as his name implies, was I
by birth a Sakta, i. e., a worshipper of Chandi, Durga or
Sakti, as the goddess is variously called. In his early
youth he seems to have contracted 4he prevailing vices of

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Pada Kalpataru.