| You are to me
as holy as Gayatri from which the Vedas originated. I know you to be the goddess Saraswati
who inspires songs. I know you to be the goddess Parvati, the goddess of the mountains.You
are the garland of my neck, myheaven and earth, my nether worlds, nay, my whole universe!
You are the star of my eyes. With out you all is dark to me. My eyes are soothed when I see you. The day I do not see your moon-like face, I
remain like a dead man. I cannot, for a moment, forget your grace and beauty. O, tell me
how I may deserve your favor! You are my sacred hymns and the essence of my prayers. My
love for your maidenly beauty has not any element of physical desire in it. Says
Chandidas, the love of the washerwoman is pure gold tested by touch-stone."8
It was, indeed, extremely difficult for the common man to follow Chandidas when he says:
"Reduce your body to dry log (i.e., make it such as to be quite unmoved by passions).
He that pervades the universe, unseen by all, is approachable only by him who knows the
secret of pure love"9 This is why Chandidas is often misunderstood. This form
of idealism-- apparently lawless and unhallowed, rapidly attained a highly spiritual form
in Bengal while at the same time brought havoc by moral ruination to many.
8 History of Bengali Language and Literature by Dr.
Dinesh Chandra Sen, 1954, Calcutta, page 47. |
