Enchanted by the sublime beauty playing upon the waves the poet addresses the sea and sings:--
What hast thou made me to-day? My mind is like a harp of hundred strings! With the touch of thy finger it trembles and quivers It bursts out in music in pride and in glory!
The closing song of Sagar Sangit is indeed very charming, full of pathos and wrapt in high sentiment it leaves behind a serene harmony--
Full of dumb weeping with no tears to ease To-day my heart is mad for thee, O soul; I have sought thee within thy million waves And wherever the sound of thy song resounds In the wonderous light and shades which to thee belong, I have sought thee every night and every day! O my friend Eternal; unknown to me my friend! O pilot of my soul! Take me away to-day, O take me thither Where thou art shoreless indeed!
In order to spread the Vaishnava culture and to give a healthy tone to modern Bengali literature, Chitta Ranjan started a new Bengali monthly the Narayana which secured for its contributors some of the highest litterateurs of Bengal. In recognition of his literary services the Literary Conference of Bengal which had its annual session at Bankipore in 1915 elected him to be the President of the Literary section where he read a paper on the lyrics of Bengal. Next year he was elected the chairman of the Reception committee of the Literary Conference in its annual session at Dacca. In the Narayana he wrote many articles on the nature of Bengali poetry which show his intimate acquaintance with the Vaishnava literature. It is necessary to mention here that Chitta Ranjan's whole life is influenced by the ennobling ideal of the Vaishnava poets; even his patriotism and love of country are to a great extent modelled on that ideal. To understand Chitta Ranjan one must know his poetry and to understand his poetry one must be acquainted with the Vaishnava Culture of Bengal.
The unfolding of a man's character depends to a great extent on the atmosphere created by his family. Brought up by an ideal mother Chitta Ranjan came to regard his country as the other self of his mother. The sweet remembrance of his dear mother brings tears to his eyes and gives him strength to suffer for his country. His mother was a noble lady whose sense of duty was exceptional, whose piety exemplary and fortitude unique. During the evil days of her husband when she could not even meet her house-hold expenses and had no servants to wait on her, she did every house-hold work with her own hands and prepared the meals of her husband and children and other members of the house, while she herself had to fast now and then for want of food; but all this time a sweet smile played on her lips. Of her generosity and liberality we shall here cite an instance. In her house at that time there lived a poor relation of her husband. This man was a habituated drunkard. Almost every day whenever he lost his sobriety he used abusive language to Chitta Ranjan's mother. Bhuban Babu was much annoyed and wanted to turn him out of the house, but his wife prevented him by saying that the poor man would then die of starvation and as for herself she did never mind the man's conduct. She was an incarnation as it were of sincerity and generosity, to her could justly be applied the maxim of "weeping with them that weep." In fact the knowledge of other men's distress drew a flood of tears to her eyes. She was a fountain of affection which was not reserved only for her children. One of her husband's friends lost his wife on child-birth. Chitta Ranjan's mother took charge of the newly-born baby but unfortunately it did not live long. A few months before her death at Purulia a poor maid servant of her house fell seriously ill and was dying for want of diet, she arranged everything for the proper treatment of the servant and saved the life of the poor woman. She was always at the bed-side of the poor, was ready to give a helping hand to the needy and tried her utmost to allay the distress of the afflicted. No beggar went away disappointed from her door. She never desired for luxury. She gladly parted with all her ornaments to repay her husband's debts.