Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/48

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BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE.
Chap.

curds and milk; if they bring on disease, get it cured by medicine. For, says Dāk, when one dies, there is an end of his connection with the world."[1] This is quite an un-Hindu idea. The pleasures of the present moment are condemned by the Hindu Çāstras and the views quoted above remind us of Chārvāka and other free-thinkers, and we have said that the Buddhists of the latter-day school had turned into free-thinkers like Chārvāka. The Buddhistic Dharma Çāstra lays special stress on charitable works. In the short epigrammatic sayings of Dāk, there are many passages calling on a house-holder to perform works of charity and public good.

"One who is anxious to do a virtuous act, should dig tanks and plant trees (for the benefit of the people). One who founds institutions for the distribution of rice and water, never goes to Hell."[2]

  1. "ভাল দ্রব্য যখন পাব৷
    কালিকারে তুলিয়া না থোব॥
    দধি দুগ্ধ করিয়া ভোগ৷
    ঔষধ দিয়া খণ্ডাব রোগ॥
    বলে ডাক এই সংসার৷
    আপনে মইলে কিসের আর॥

  2. "ধর্ম্ম করিতে যবে জানি৷
    পাখরি দিয়া রাখিব পানি৷
    গাছ রুইলে বড় ধর্ম্ম৷***যে দেই ভাতশালা পানিশালী৷
    সে না যায় যমের পুরী॥"