20 
Nagendra Nath Gtipta —Vidyapati Thalcur* 
[Extra No, 
* 
Vidyapati Thakur.—By Nagendra Nath Gupta* 
[Bead 7th December, 1904.] 
Twenty-two years ago Dr. G. A. Grierson edited a collection of 
Yidyapati’s poems. These appeared as an extra Number, Part I, for 
1882, of the Journal of this Society. Since then a great many more 
facts relating to this famous Maithil poet have come to light. Dr. 
Grierson’s collection contained in all 82 poems, and he believed these were 
very nearly all that are known in Tirhut. This is not to be wondered 
at, since the collection was mostly made from the mouth of singers. 
Besides these, however, a great number of poems and songs, some 
of great poetic power and beauty, are to be found in Mithila in 
old palm-leaf and other manuscripts, scattered about in different house¬ 
holds and villages. People are unwilling to part with these valuable 
manuscripts, and it requires a great deal of time, patience and labour to 
collect these poems and transcribe them from the old manuscripts. 
There is one palm-leaf manuscript, said to be in the handwriting of 
Yidyapati’s great grandson and believed to be genuine, containing no 
less than 400 poems. Most of these have been copied out and are at 
present in my possession. 1 They have been closely examined by the best 
Pandits and scholars of Mithila and have been pronounced to be genuine. 
The internal evidence as regards poetic merit, form of language and 
verse and the unmistakeable individuality of Yidyapati, is also 
complete. 
Most of Yidyapati’s poems current in Bengal were pronounced 
to be spurious by Dr. Grierson. This is so far true that the language, 
rhythm and even the sense of the Maithil poet have been frightfully 
corrupted in Bengal, but the intrinsic poetic value is undeniable. It now 
transpires that most of these poems may be found in Mithila in 
old manuscripts, and it will not be difficult to restore them to their 
original shape and meaning. Besides writing under his own name 
Yidyapati wrote under several literary titles, and sufficient evidence is 
forthcoming to establish this fact satisfactorily. Up to now the titles 
that have been ascertained to be his are 
In the Bengal collection the title 
1 Since reading this paper I have obtained possession of the original palm-leaf 
manuscript. The number of poems is about 350.— Author , 
