THE MUGHAL COURT & HINDI LITERATURE 45 Das, the Bhasha Bhushan is the great text-book. Jaswant Singh was the author of several other poems which are connected with the Vedanta philosophy. Dcv K&wu—Dev Datt, more commonly known as Dev Kavi (circ. 1673-1745) was a Sanadhya Brahman who was born at Etawah. At the age of sixteen he recited his first effort before Prince Azam Shah. In search of a patron he visited many places in India but seems to have been dissatisfied with each in turn. His most famous patron was Raja Bhogi Lai. His various wanderings enabled him to give accurate descriptions of the inhabitants of different parts of India. He was a prolific writer and is credited by some with having composed as many as seventy-two different works. Only about thirty of these are extant. They include a play called Dev Maya Py-apahch and works on the art of poetry. Amongst his most famous works are the Jatibilas, the Rasbilds, and the Premchayidj-ika. Most of his verse is of an erotic character, but from the point of view of form and language he is to be reckoned amongst the greatest Hindi poets. He wrote in Braj Bhasha, and his verse is adorned with all the recognised ornaments of style. In his handling of rhymes, his use of attributes, his drawing of comparisons, his know- ledge of the sayings current amongst men, and his description of heroines who represent women typical of various parts of India, he is considered to have shown the greatest skill. Here are some translations of his verses : — " Call me a wicked person, noble or ignoble, call me poor, or one who is to be blamed, call me a woman of ill-fame — whether in this world, the world of men, or in the best of worlds I dwell, nevertheless I am separate from all these worlds ; whether my body is destroyed, or the gods and gurus are destroyed, or my life is destroyed, I will not give up my obstinacy. He who dwells in Brindaban, wearing a crown and yellow garments, with him I am madly in love.
•' The work of a man of noble race, the gentility of a nobleman, the wealth of a generous man, a woman of good character, the honour of giving, generosity like that of Sur Das, the lustre of virtue, a woman who walks like an elephant, water in the hot weather, the sunshine of October, the smiling lightning accompanied by clouds during the
