3 অসমীয়া ব্যাকৰণ আৰু ভাষাভ Some of the modern Assamese writers are of opinion that Ananta Kandali and Ram Sarasvati are one and the same person. Without enter- ing into this controversy I may at once say that they are different persons. Both were Brahmins. Bhatta Deva Bhatta Deva stood in the same relation to Sri Damodar Deva, as Madhava Deva to Sri Sankar Deva. He may be truly styled the father of Assamese prose. He was a contemporary of Madhava Deva and was born in Bheragaon in the Barpeta sub-division. The most important of his works are the Katha Bhagavata and Katha Gita. I have freely quoted passages from the Kath Gita in the grammar portion. sarvabhauma Bhattacarya :- He was a court pandit of Nar Narayana and a contemporary of Sankar Deva. He wrote the Padma Purana. Purusottam Gajapati :- Some of the Assamese writers place Purusottam Gajapati in the 11th century. His Dipika Chanda, however, extols the Namdharma of Sankar Deva and condemns the Sankirtan of Sri Caitanya Deva. One manuscript even specifically mentions Sankar Deva's name in the follow- ing stanza :- Sito-save pot yai, rakhanta upai nai : Dekhi krpamaya Har, nararupe avatari : Loka-save aparyanta, nam dane taribanta : Srimanta Sankara nam, উnta-murti anupam : It is known that the native sovereigns of Orissa bore the title of “Sri Utkaleswar Gajpati Maharaja" or "Gajpati Rajahs. Madhava Deva also gives a hint about Purusottam Gajapati's Works, thus :- “Purusottama name nareswara Gajapati, Tan ajra pali dvijagana mahamati. Purana Bharata smrti agamaka cai.. Nana grantha sarmgaha karia eka thain Krsna nama mahima pailanta yataman, Lekhi ani savita karia eka than.” 1A reference is invited to the excellent article of Srijut Bali Narayan Deka, M.A., p.L. in the J. A. k. s, Vol. I. Pp. 72-79, entitled “Growth of Assamese Literature in the airteenth century", The late Rai Bahadur Madhan Candra Bardala, the late lamented Bharat Candra Das and Srijut D. N. Bez Barua among others. 1 see History of Orissa by G. Toynbce, p. 24. History of Orissa by G. Toynbee.
