386 



Jissay on Telugu Literature. 



Oct,] 



4 on yourself. Him who is endowed with the highest innate bliss you 

 4 looked upon as a mere mortal. Can delusion or illusion contend with 

 1 him ? Is he subject to any of the (cuya guna) ties of the flesh ? 

 * But the queen listened to the reiterated arguments of her spouse, and 



* now wearied she replied thus alas what avails my much speaking? 

 4 after defacing me you present me a mirror! what am I tbat, I should 

 4 lav the blame on you : thou art the very fountain of goodness: then 



* pardon me. 



4 The god gazed on bis fair spouse, and kindly said, be patient if pos- 

 4 sible this once : I will myself heal all thy grief. She arose and rever. 

 4 ently saluted him, and with deep devotion she folded her bands and 

 thus replied : In what way wilt thou do away this affliction ? 



4 Then to the goddess replied that cbief of gods. 



4 Send down to earth that pure spirit of (satwica) benignity which 

 4 is in thee : let her be filled with faith and self denial, being entirely 

 4 released from the law of works. For wherever dwells faith (bhacti) 

 4 there shall the lord (Prahhu) abide. Therefore shall be voluntarily 

 4 draw near to where thy Benign spirit (satwica cala) dwells, be shall 

 4 shew forth his own form, and full of grace shall he bestow exceeding 

 4 gladness on the damsel. 



1 The goddess listened and replied great is thy goodness. Forth- 



* with she sent the spirit of love (satwica cala) on earth, and now was 



* restored to heartfelt comfort.' 



What has now been cited from the poems written in couplets may 

 suffice to shew the general turn of that class of literature : a few spe- 

 cimens of those poems which are framed in stanzas may perhaps be pro- 

 duced in a future paper. Indeed the caviams are like the odes of Ho- 

 race written in an elevated style which cannot be competently repre- 

 sented in a prose translation, unless we were to use such a dialect as 

 is found in Darwin's poems. 



The higher branches of poetry in Teiugu as in other cultivated lan- 

 guages, can seldom be enjoyed by foreigners. Indeed among natives 

 few alone have by long study become familiar with all the refined 

 phrases, the historical and mythological allusions that occur. And we 

 may reasonably entertain a doubt whether so complete a knowledge is 

 worth the toil of acquisition. But those popular authors who have 

 furnished the extracts now made, are, after moderate* application easily 

 comprehended, and will furnish an ample stock of useful and agreeable 

 reading. 



