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)

112 LITERATURE OE BENGAL. ,

live in immortal verse. The poet then went down the !
Gorai and crossed the Dacakeswar and reached Matulpuri
or Pandupur, where Gangadas did him some service. ' At
last Makv.nda Ram reached Gothora or Kuchutya in J
much distress, the children crying for food. Oppresse'd
with hunger, fear and labor, the poet fell*, asleep near a
tank, and saw in a vision the goddess Chandi who bade
him sing her glory in a song. Soon after, the poet found
shelter in the village of Anra in the district of Beer-
bhoom, where he accosted the zemindar Bankura Deb in
verse for which he was rewarded with 10 aris of dhan.
The zemindar or " king," as the poet styles him, receivad
the talented stranger with open arms, and engaged him *
as a tutor to, his son, Raghuuath. In those days zemin-
dars delighted in gathering round them the elite of their
estates, and as there was no such thing as a reading pub-
Rc, this was about the only sort of encouragement that |
learning received. ; We have already seen that Jayadeva
was favored by, and adorned the court of, a " king," in
the same way that Makunda Ram adorned the court of
Raghuuath, and we shall hereafter see Bharat Chandra
was the "ratna" of the court of Rajah Krishua.Cfeudra
of Nadiya.

Makunda Ram, who obtained the title of Kabi Kankan,
had two sons, Sivaram and Mahesh, and two daughters
Chitrarekha and Jashoda. The descendanto of the poet
still live,—not in Damunya, but in the neighbouring
village of Bainan, and possess, it is said, a copy of the
poet's work, " Chandi," which was written by the poet
himself in red ink, and is duly worshipped.