Page:A History of Hindi Literature.djvu/80

66 A HISTORY OF HINDI LITERATURE "He subdued the imperfections of the flesh, and overcame all evil inclinations ; he crushed every improper desire, wherefore the light of Rama will shine upon him."^ The sect which Dadu founded has a very large literature in Hindi. Dadu's two sons were poets, and all his fifty-two disciples are reported to have com- posed verses, as well as many later followers. The most important poet amongst his disciples was Sundar Das the younger (fl. 1620-1650), who is also called Busar. By the Dadupanthis he is regarded as one of the best Hindi poets, w^orthy to rank amongst the highest names in Hindi literature. He was a volumi- nous writer. Amongst his most admired works are his Savaiyas (sometimes called the Siuidar Bilas) and the Gya7i Samudra. Ni'schal Das, a later Dadupanthi poet, introduced Vedantic ideas into the teaching of the sect. The Lai Dasis.— Z.fl/ Das, who died in 1648, was the founder of a sect known as the Lai Dasls. He belonged to Alwar, and came from a predatory tribe called the Meos. Like other teachers v^^hose doctrines can be traced to Kabir's influence he emphasized the value of the repetition of the name of Rama. His teaching and hymns are contained in a work called the Bam, The members of the sect often sing the hymns to music. The Sadhs.— The sect of the Sadhs was founded in 1658 by Bir Bhan, and is found chiefly in the upper part of the Doab. Bir Bhan claimed to have received his doctrines from a superhuman instructor in the form of verses {sabdas) and couplets {sdklns). These were collected into a volume called the Adi Upadesa ("Original Instruction"). These verses, together with those of other teachers like Kabir, Nanak and Dadu, are recited at the meetings of the sect. Dharni Das.— Z)/z«/'?zz Das was born in 1656 and lived at the village of Manjhi in the district of Chhapra. He was a Kayasth by caste, and became a devotee. He founded a sect which still survives. He is the ^ Translation by G. R. Siddons, in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. VL (1837).