Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/536

500 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. ' Another princely ascetic of this age was Raghu — nath. Accounts of his life are to be found more or — রানি? less in all the biographical works of the Vaisnavas. 1498 A-D. Raghunath Das was the only son of Gobardhan Das of Satgaon and was born in 1498 A.D. His father’s income from landed property amounted to 20 lakhs of Rupees a year, out of which he had to pay 12 lakhs as revenue to the Mohammedan Government. The heir-apparent to a _ property yielding 8 lakhs of rupees a year in those days was no ordinary man, and Raghunath was _ naturally brought up in the midst of pomp and luxury, and in a style befitting his high rank. While he was yet a boy, Haridas, the veteran Vaisnava devotee and follower of Chaitanya, paid a visit to Satgaon and as young Raghunath saw the great saint, the vision of a higher life passed before him. The impres- sion made on his mind was so great that he conceived an abhorrence for wealth and earthly glory even at that early age. While in this state of mind a further change came over his spirit on meeting Chaitanya at Cantipur—his eyes overflow- ing with tears of joy anda divine ecstasy moving his beautiful frame as he spoke of the love of God before thousands of men and women assembled there to hear him. Raghunath felt as if the portals of Heaven had been flung open to him and it was then that the world finally lost its charms for him. His parents were alarmed to find in the boy a growing tendency towards Sannyas and found a very beautiful bride for him. Besides, they, imposed great restrictions on his habits and movements; but nothing availed. Raghunath’s mind was fixed on the feet of Chaitanya, and night and day he