Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/71

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II.]
BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE.
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cobweb;"—implying that it is not in an ordinary man's power to control the surging passions of love and remain immaculate in his vow. The poet says, that by exercising restraint over feelings and desires and at the same time by running though great sacrifices for its cause, salvation through love may be obtained.

According to Chaṅdīdās, the initiated people must exercise great discretion in selecting their objects of love. The lovers should be both pure in heart, spiritually bent and immaculate in morals.

"If a young maiden (of a spiritual temperament) falls in love with a man of inferior quality, she shares the fate of a flower pierced by thorns and dies of a broken heart. If a youth happens to fall in love with a maiden of lower type, he becomes like one, who is under the influence of evil-spirits,—moves about in great unrest, and eventually succumbs to despair; says Chaṅdīdās. "Such a union between a good-natured person and one who bears an opposite character may be compared to love between the tooth and the tongue; they live together but the former does not let an opportunity slip to bite the latter."[1]

  1. যে জাতি যূবতি, সাধিতে সে রতি কুজাতি পুরুষে ধরে।
    কণ্টকে যেমতি পুষ্প হয় ক্ষত হৃদয় ফাটিয়া মরে॥
    পুরুষ তেমতি নারী হীন জাতি রতির আশ্রয় লয়।
    ভূতে ধরে তারে মরে ঘুরে ফিরে দ্বিজ চণ্ডীদাস কয়॥
    সুজনের সনে আনের পীরিতি কহিতে পরাণ ফাটে।
    জিহ্বার সহিত, দন্তের পীরিতি সময় পাইলে কাটে॥"

    (It should be noted here that the word রতি as used in the above extract, meant pure-love in Chaṅdīdās's time. Its meaning has since degraded and it now means a low carnal gratification).