1852.] Analysis of the Raghn Vans' a. 447 



the name of Kdliddsa strikes no responsive chord : we refer to those 

 called "Young Bengal," and to the alumni of English Colleges: we 

 quote the sentiments of a native writer in an able paper on the Dra- 

 matic Literature of the Hindus, published in the Calcutta Literary 

 Chronicle. " While the Hindu youth should enrich his fancy with 

 Shakspeare's images, and strengthen his intellect by Bacon's aphor- 

 isms, it runs to his scandal, that he should neglect the language and 

 literature of his own country. The most advanced students in English 

 literature have evinced a profound ignorance of Hindu poetry and 

 science, and some have added to the faults of negligence and inatten- 

 tion, the crimes of misrepresentation and caricature." 



We now proceed to our analysis of the Raghu Vansa ; we shall adhere 

 as closely as possible to the mould of expression of the original : — 



The subject of this poem treats of the race of Raghu who duly kept 

 the sacred fire,* collected wealth for the sake of distributing it, and 

 sought marriage solely to obtain offspring : let the good who are arbiters 

 of vice and virtue, as fire is of gold, deign to hear the account. From 

 Vaivasvata the seventh of Manu's line, the first of kings, as Om is first 

 of words, sprang Dilip, the moon to kings as is the moon to the milky 

 sea, with breast like a bull and arms like the sala's boughs ; yet his 

 intelligence equalled his physical strength ; he was the subject both of 

 awe and admiration to his subjects. Dreaded yet loved, like ocean's 

 depths at once with pearls and monsters filled. 'Twas for his peo- 

 ple's good alone his royal revenues were collected as the sun drinks 

 earth's moisture up to pour it back a thousand-fold. 



He preserved his power by two means. With a mind much versed in 

 the holy books, and his good old age occupied in learning and devotion, 

 old age came on him without decay. He was the father of the 

 people : their natural fathers only gave them birth : robbery existed 

 only as a tale that is told : a distinguished man, though a foe, was 

 prized by him as medicine is by a sick man, while he rejected a bad 

 man, though a relative, as a finger bit by a serpent. Earth girdled 

 by its ocean fine he governed as a town. 



* The Agnikoma or oblation of fire is not observed now ia any part of Bengal : 

 Raja Krishna Ray of Nuddea was the last we have heard of who engaged in it. It 

 was one of those links which probably connected primitive Hinduism with the 

 Sabasan system of Persia- 



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