Journal of Bengali Studies, Vol.3 No.1

5/26/2018 Journal of Bengali Studies, Vol.3 No.1

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ISSN 2277-9426

Journal of Bengali StudiesVol. 3, No. 1

Literature and o!e"ents#

Bengali $rossroads

Buddhapurnima, 30 Boishakh 1421 Summer Issue, 14 May 2014


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ISSN# 2277-9426

Journal of Bengali Studies

Vol. 3, No. 1

14 a% 2&14

Budd'a(urni"a, 3& Bois'a)' 1421

Su""er Issue

iterature and Movements:Bengali Crossroads

*ditor# +a"al asgu(ta


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+'e o""entaries, artiles, re!ie/s and /or)s'o(s o(%rig'ts0indi!idual ontriutors, /'ile

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ournal in future in an% for"at, as (er our ter"s and onditions and su"ission guidelines.

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$ontents

*ditorial 7

5rtiles

The Radha Idea at the Crossroads of History, Culture and Politics: Gitagovinda and the BoishnobMovement in BengalTamal Dasgupta 14

Shato !iterature and the "#urga$%ali& Paradigm: Prabhat %umar Muho'adhyay&s (The )oddess*as Satya+it Ray&s DeviKaustav Kundu 43

Bratya Basu&s Plays: Challenging Hegemony from beteen the -yebros of TimeSourav Gupta 71

.rom Suffering to Revolt and Re+ection: / Study of the Bengali #alit 0arratives by 1atin Bala and2tthan'ada Bi+aliAsit Panda 90

0itai in Boishnob Movement and !iteratureSayantan Thaur 10!

The Movement 3ithin: / Secret )uide to -soteric Kaayaasaadhanaain "aryaapadaDe#aprasad $andyopadhyay 113

Partition of India and the Chronicle of the -astern .rontier: Ma''ing the Short .ictions in Bengali on

Migration, #is'lacement and Refugee StruggleKallol Gangopadhyay 1%&

Michael Madhusudan&s Collaboration and Collusion ith #ominant Colonial Culture in'eghanad#adh KavyaDe# Dulal (alder 13!

!iterature 4 Movement in the 'ahishasurmardini$ Selected 5erses of the #evi Mahatmya6 #urgaSa'tashati and the Bengali CrossroadsSan)ay Kumar 14&


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4=.ournal o/ $engali Studies ol2 3 o2 1

>or)s'o(

Seeing, Beyond Seeing: Poetry of Movement and Movement of PoetryDe#an)an Das 1&1

$o""entaries

Boats in ChuyachandanS-arup $hatta+harya 1&

Hungry Movement after 89 earsa+hieta $andyopadhyay 1&9


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*ditorial

Some o/ our most +omple5 philosophi+al ideas o/ten turn into simplest /orms o/ myth -ithin a pro+ess

o/ trans/eren+e -here the esoteri+ and the 6uotidian +an inter+hange2 / -e term this pro+ess o/

trans/eren+e as the event o/ literature -e may not perhaps #e very -rong2 8iterature lie many other

human art /orms: devises a +ertain language -hi+h is +apa#le o/ #eing a shared phenomenon -here

people +an +ome together and a +ommunity springs into e5isten+e2 This is one ma)or thing a#out

literature that should interest any nationalist method o/ en6uiry2 ;hen along -ith 'ousumi and other

+omrades /ounded1ournal of Bengali Studies .$S: in %01% -ith a purpose to develop a nationalist

methodology it -as a rash venture2 Today a/ter more than t-o years it seems lie the ris'ight +ulture su++eed in

#e+oming the sa+red dis+ourse o/ a post


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=.ournal o/ $engali Studies ol2 3 o2 1

+ult o/ #ourgeois realism the s6ualor o/ industrial revolution and the de/eat o/ revolutionary hopes2 As

reality seemed oppressive the ,omanti+s +ele#rated /antasy and imagination and +reative -riting -as

separated /rom all other /orms o/ -ritten -ors -hi+h -as the original etymologi+al meaning o/literature= anything that -as -ritten do-n -ith letters -as literature and even today this meaning is

sparsely retained as in te+hni+al literature or availa#le literature in a superspe+iality /ield: and -as

#esto-ed -ith an aura2 nitially it -as a radi+al /orm o/ politi+al protest #ut -hat eventually /ollo-ed

-as rei/i+ation and /etishisation o/ literature as an ivory to-er lo/tily raised a#ove all petty sordid

human #usiness2 This vie- o/ literature is no- #rutally dis+arded in its pla+es o/ origin in the ;est #ut

the usual $engali predi+ament o/ a +omprador regime is that our intelligentsia over-helmingly le/t,adha


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atta+h any importan+e to ,adha2 A++ording to one o/ the +hie/ proponents o/ this Pan+hashaha

5aiA++ording to Eriya resear+her $ishnupada Panda the Shoho)iya devotion -as against the religious

tradition o/ Erissa2 R (is #eing sent to the Godavari region -as in a sense an e5ile senten+e /or the

bhatimovement +entred around love@ 70:2 This Shoho)iya $oishno#ism had its origin not in Erissa

#ut in $engal2 Seemingly the line o/ ,amananda +ontinued to sho- the same atta+hment to the $engali

$oishno# tradition2 Prasanta Dasgupta tells us=

'anohara Dasa said to #e the great


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shared #y Purnendu Prasad $hatta+harya=

n 1174 AD 8aBmaJa Sena ere+ts a Samaya.ayastam#ha i+tory Pillar: in the holy pilgrimage

pla+e o/ Puri a/ter de/eating the Ganga King o/ Puri Ananga $hima Deva and arranged /or)itagovinda to #e regularly sung in the ne-ly re/ur#ished .agannath temple upon the third

vastu level:2 R .ayadeva -ent on to live on the #ans o/ a river near "utta+ /or some time and

#y 8aBmaJa Senas order the river -as re+hristened A)aya and that village on the river -as

re+hristened Kenduli2 7:

That 8aBmaJa Sena invaded Kalinga and o++upied large tra+ts o/ it is an esta#lished /a+t o/ history2

The authoritative/n /dvanced History of India #y ,2"2 'aHumdar et al -hile re+ording .ayadevas

+onne+tion -ith the +ourt o/ 8aBmaJa Sena tells us that 8aBmaJa Sena >served his apprenti+eship in

the -or o/ government as vi+eroy or military governor in +harge o/ some distri+t in Kalinga2 En

+oming to the throne he distinguished himsel/ as a +on6ueror and a patron o/ learning2 (e +laims to

have pushed his +on6uests as /ar as Kalinga@ 1&0:2 Dinesh Sen o#serves that the 'adhainagar +opper

ins+ription re+ords the +on6uest o/ Kalinga #y 8aBmaJa Sena 490:2 The same +opper plate proudly

pro+laims 8aBmaJa Senas amorous liaisons -ith the -omen o/ Kalinga and this eroti+ allusion later

+omes to /orm the nu+leus o/ DhoyisPavanadDtam -hi+h is modelled on KalidasasMeghadDtamSen

0!:2PavanadDtamspeas o/ a Gandharvadamsel named Kuvalayavati su//ering /rom her pangs o/

love /or a youth/ul 8aBmaJa Sena a/ter he has le/t Kalinga iharran)an ,oy !%4:2 ,2"2 'aHumdar in

his/ncient India notes that 8aBmaJa Sena -ho +on6uered a num#er o/ provin+es and -hose vi+tory

mar+h e5tended to Kamrupa in east $enaras and Allahaha#ad in the -est and Kalinga in the south

indeed planted a vi+tory pillar in Puri 3%0


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3C=.ournal o/ $engali Studies ol2 3 o2 1

Prasanta Kumar Dasgupta -hile e5tensively dis+ussing a#out the +ontroversy +reated around

.ayadeva in his 19&% study +alled it the >#irth


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Dasgupta almost thro-s his hands in air in e5asperation a/ter a lengthy re/utation o/ all the .$E

arguments pre+isely #e+ause all that the .$E s+holars have +laimed is that .ayadeva did not #elong to

$engal -hile not giving a single argument in /avour o/ .ayadevas Eriya identity as i/ the poet -ouldautomati+ally #elong to Erissa -ithout any histori+al eviden+e )ust #y slandering the -ell


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Kum#ha o/ 'e-ar titledRasia'riya speas o/ .ayadeva in +onne+tion -ith ing 8aBmaJa Sena as

Prasanta Dasgupta in/orms us in the same study %0


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-hereas iharran)an ,oys authoritative -or +learly esta#lishes the /a+t that Imapatidhar -as alive

even a/ter $ahtiyar Khil)is raid o/ a#ad-ip !%4

a#out the shloas o/ .ayadeva /rom Sadutiarta eulogising the Sena ing= here this is the+ontention #eing a saint poet -ho -as +ompletely devoted to Krishna note= not


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day and /irmly pla+es .ayadeva -ithin the literary


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4&=.ournal o/ $engali Studies ol2 3 o2 1

*ndnotes

5 Note on +ransliteration#

;e have tried to +on/orm to the standard internationally re+ognised:spelling o/ )itagovinda and .ayadeva throughout this arti+le2 (o-ever -hile speaing o/ .ayadeva

-ithin an essentially $engali +onte5t #e it in the title o/ $engali studies on the poet or the /air o/

Kenduli $ir#hum -e have pre/erred the spellings .oyde# and )itgobindo pre/erring the Kolata

standard o/ $engali language2 $engalis pronoun+e the Sena ings as the Shen ings #ut the spelling

Sen is so /amiliar -e had to use it instead o/ Shen -hile speaing o/ the Sen +ourt and 8ohon Sen in

a $engali +onte5t2 Further the present -riter has tried to provide +orre+t dia+riti+al mars to all

Sansrit terms #ut -ould lie to apologise /or -hatever la+unae that e5ist even a/ter his #est attempts2

12 This may interest us that the .$E lo##y voi+ing its +laim over .ayadeva over-helmingly +onsists o/

Eriya $rahmins and have #een a++used o/ $rahmini+al pre)udi+e #y /ello- Eriyas -ho have also

alleged that the village touted to #e the #irth


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8aBmaJa Sena or ho- a distortion o/ Sena history -ill #e help/ul in studying the poetry li/e and

times o/ .ayadeva2

32 ;ith the same signature authorship this time the pioneer o/ .$E +amp maes an attempt to poa+h on

Gautama $uddha no dou#t em#oldened #y the +ae-al -hi+h they have en)oyed in their +ampaign to

o++upy .ayadeva2 Xhttp=orissa2gov2ine


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S'a)to Literature and t'e Durga-EaliF aradig"# ra'at Eu"ar

u)'o(ad'%a%Fs G+'e Hoddess as Sat%ait


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Goddess@ -ould +ause a politi+al storm during that time2 The /ilm as it e5ists is set in the vi+inity o/

"al+utta literally the +ity o/ Kali during the latter part o/ the 19 th+entury2 Eddly the short story on

-hi+h ,ay #ased his /ilm did not provoe a similar out+ry upon pu#li+ation2 This -as largely #e+ause

P2K2 'uhopadhyay the >$alHa+ o/ $engal@ -as a $rahmin the highest +aste in the (indu hierar+hy

and thus some-hat prote+ted /rom harsh +riti6ues2 n+identally 'uhopadhyay did not +ome up -ith

the idea /or the short story all #y himsel/2 t -as apparently #ased on a+tual events a++ording to

,a#indranath Tagore -ho a#andoned the idea o/ -riting the story himsel/ #e+ause o/ his mem#ership

in the $rahmo Sama) an elite group o/ modernist ndians -ho pu#li+ly opposed idol -orship2 Tagore

ne- his politi+s and opinions -ould taint the re+eption o/ the story he -anted to -rite so he o//ered

the idea /or the story to his /riend and author P2K2 'uhopadhyay2

,a#indranath Tagore had a massive in/luen+e on the young ,ay2%As a t-o year old ,ay heard the

songs that Tagore sang at the #edside o/ his si+ /ather as a youth he attended Santinietan and over

the years he tried to in+orporate into his -or TagoreZs vision o/ a li#eral so+iety -here -omen -ould

en)oy a higher status2 8ie the Tagores as David Koph signi/i+antly notes in The Brahmo Sama+ and

the Sha'ing of the Modern Indian Mind ,ayZs /amily enthusiasti+ally supported the $engal

,enaissan+e a movement o/ -estern edu+ated intelle+tuals -ho -ished to +reate a synthesis o/

enlightened (induism and *uropean li#eralism2 They -anted to e5tend e6uality to -omen through

edu+ation and marriage rights and they denoun+ed +ustoms su+h as -ido- #urning and +hild marriage2

n /a+t ,ayZs o-n grandmother -as the /irst -oman do+tor in ndia2 an $uruma in an intriguing

pro/ile on ,ay pu#lished in The 0e or Revie of Boos19 ovem#er 19&7: -ent on to depi+t the

maestro as >The 8ast $engali ,enaissan+e 'an@2 nterestingly the ideals o/ the $engal ,enaissan+e

/orm the #a+drop o/ ,ayZs#evi23


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A Photograph of Ray y !emai "hosh (#Delhi Art "allery)

As a master /ilmmaer ,ay su#stantially reThis is a story /rom a little over a +entury ago@ re-inding the time

/rame one hundred years to the 1790s -hen $ritish rule and edu+ation -ere not /ormally entren+hed in

$engal and religion -as a more po-er/ul /or+e than in the 1&90s2 ,ay on the other hand /astThe $runt o/ /amily dis+ipline +ame do-n s6uarely on them and #e+ause they had no means

o/ es+ape even in the +ourt o/ la- R ;omen resorted to sui+ide in 129\ +ases #y hanging 4%29\ #y

poisoning and %2!\ ea+h #y dro-ning and sel/


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Iltimate ,eality in the +osmos2 The s+ripture praises the goddessZs mythologi+al importan+e -hile all

the male gods are su#ordinated to her2 t +ele#rates her philosophi+al import and honours her ritualisti+

signi/i+an+e2 (o-ever the very same +omposer -ho venerates the goddess insults the living -omen

intolera#lyM A +lear antithesis #et-een the superhuman goddess and the su#human -oman is

esta#lished2 n The Sri Mad #evi Bhagavatam /eminine nature is stigmatiHed as #ase= >Falsehood vain

#oldness +ra/tiness stupidity impatien+e overtheir minds and -ealth and everything #y their

+rooed love +onversationsR@ i)nananda 3:2n the /inal +hapter it outrightly /or#ids -omen along

-ith shudras: /rom reading or re+iting the#evi$Bhagavat Puranaitsel/= >ever any -oman nor any

shudra is to read this hersel/ or himsel/ even out o/ ignoran+e rather they should hear this /rom the

mouth o/ a $rahmana@ i)nananda 119%:2 Thus the te5t that lauds the goddess de#ases -omen2 Su+h

se5ism and hatred o/ -omen +ontinues in (indu literature2 An important instan+e -ould +ertainly #e

the -ritings o/ ,amarishna -ho not only adored Kali as the Supreme 'over the 'other o/ the

"osmos #ut also dressed up and a+ted lie a -oman and immersed himsel/ in the /eminine mood2

(o-ever as "arl Elson notes in The Mysterious Play of %ali: /n Inter'retive Study of Ramarishna1%

he looed upon real -omen as >/ero+ious vora+ious /elines +oming to devour him@ Elson Study of

Ramarishna 39:2

*ven in our /ilm -hereas the goddess dominates the entire li/e o/ the aristo+rat Kaliinar he tells

his son that the /ather must #e honoured as a god2 ;hen the son argues against the validity o/ his

/atherZs dream Kaliinar re+ites the edi+ hymn in Sansrit revering the /ather2 (o-ever this

harmonious relationship #et-een the divine god and the human /ather is a#sent in the +ase o/ the

mother and her divine parallel2 The divine mother dominates KaliinarZs /antasy #ut she #ears no real


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+onne+tion -ith any #iologi+al mother2 t is the paternal and not the maternal spirit that is applauded as

en+ompassing #oth the heaven and the earth2 Thus -e realiHe the +ru5 o/ the pro#lem= the (indu

goddess is too mu+h o/ a metaphor2 ;hen the maternal metaphor is applied to the goddess as in the

+ase o/ Durga


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-ithin a mortal /emale >stri avatara your -i/e is the goddess in+arnate@ Kaliinar e5+itedly

e5+laims to his son Ima: the latter must #e elevated on to a pedestal so high that she is

+ompletely divor+ed /rom the everyday -orld2 DoyamoyiZs metamorphosis in /a+t #ears a tragi+

resem#lan+e to the phenomenon o/ Sati -hi+h also su#stantiates the +hasm #et-een the human and the

divine realms2 For +enturies the -omen o/ $engal have heard so+iety +alling upon them= >$e lie

Sati2@ ndeed as a -ido- young or old -as #eing prepared /or the /uneral pyre -ith her hus#and she

-as a++laimed as an in+arnation o/ the goddess2 $y per/orming this a+t o/ sel/goddesses@ are #ut -ea vi+tims and tragi+ su#)e+ts in their o-n +ulture2 The goddess is shati

maya lila prariti ali R there is no end to her theologi+al meanings and /un+tions and +apa+ities2

$ut they are all so high up there so /ar /rom the -oman in /lesh and #lood living ne5t to us in our

home to-n or +ountry2 ;hether the trans+endent #eyond is imaged intimately in her i+on -hi+h is

hung up high or +arried up in pro+essions or -hether it is in+arnate -ithin a human -oman the

goddess remains distant and di//erent2


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,ayZs /ilm thus provides a sharp antithesis to our aspirations /or the goddess paradigm and -as seen

as an atta+ on (induism as a -hole espe+ially on the (indu pra+ti+e o/ idolatry2 The ndian

Parliament /ell into an uproar2 Some mem#ers demanded #evi#e denied e5port +learan+e arguing that

should /oreigners #e e5posed to the movie they -ould get a /alse impression o/ the 'other Goddess

and ndiaZs an+ient #elie/ in in+arnation2 n+identally it -as denied an e5port li+ense until the then

Prime 'inister .a-aharlal ehru himsel/ intervened2 (e sa- ,ayZs /ilm and silen+ed its +riti+s #y

re6uesting that #e/ore they atta+ it they see it2 'ost parliamentarians didnZt #other to see the /ilm #ut

ehruZs intervention saved#evi/rom #eing +ensored and liely /orgotten /orever2 'oreover as ,osie

Thomas notes in >San+tity and S+andal= 'ythologiHation o/ 'other ndia@ ,ay -as even +riti+iHed #y

argis the a+tress -ho -as ele+ted to the ndian Parliament: /or not sho-ing modern ndia to the

-orld21$ut ,ay himsel/ re/used to pander to >the love o/ the /alseArt

ision and "ulture= Satya)it ,ayZs Apu Trilogy ,evisited@ ;imal Dissanayae is 6uite right in

applying the +hara+teristi+ o/ drishya avya visual poetry: /rom Sansrit drama to ,ayZs /ilms217 t is


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indeed through poeti+ undertones and lyri+al s+enes that ,ay e5plores DoyamoyiZs tragedy at par -ith

the +lassi+al Gree tragi+ models shaped #y the lies o/ *uripedes and Sopho+les there#y #ringing

home the point that there is no +orrelation #et-een image and reality2 To paraphrase ,ay in spite o/

ndiaZs modern advan+ements it is a land -here +o-s are still sa+red phallus is God and -oman is a

Goddess2

Notes

12 See Andre- ,o#inson Satya+it Ray: The Inner -ye2 e- Delhi= E5/ord Iniversity Press %0042

1%12

%2 See "hidananda Dasgupta The Cinema of Satya+it Ray2 e- Delhi= ational $oo Trust ndia

%0012 %&


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42 See .ohn ;oodro//eHymns to the )oddess2 'adras= Ganesh ] "ompany 19&2 %932

2 These +ategories are /ound in 'edi+al te5t attri#uted to "araa2 For a /ine dis+ussion see

;endy EZFlaherty #reams, Illusions, and other Realities2 "hi+ago= Iniversity o/ "hi+ago

Press 19&42 %4(indu +on+eptions o/ the /emale

pla+e (indu -oman in a position opposite to that o/ the Ameri+an -oman -ho is generally

#elieved to #e passive #y nature2 (indu -omen need only tae advantage o/ their de/ining

+hara+teristi+ -hereas Ameri+an -omen must over+ome theirs@ ;adley 13%:2

102 For a /ine study and translation o/ this /i/th +entury te5t see Thomas $2 "o#urnZs -ncountering

the )oddess2 Al#any= SIQ Press 19912

112 See David Kinsley >The mage o/ the Divine and the Status o/ ;omen in the #evi$Bhagavat

Purana@ in/nima91 19&%:= 0


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tentatively2@ $ro-n %00:2 In/ortunately su+h streams o/ po-er have never su++eeded in

a//e+ting the so+ial realm their in/luen+e has #een no more than a tentative suggestion -hi+h

has never #een +arried out2

1%2 See "arl Elson The Mysterious Play of %ali: /n Inter'retive Study of Ramarishna2 Atlanta

Georgia= S+holars Press 19902 392 (is study #egins -ith the apt 6uestion >/ you en+ountered

someone -ho assumed the dress and demeanour o/ a -oman yet held a misogynist attitude

-ould you not -ondera#out su+h a person?@ Elson Study of Ramarishna1:2

132 See Stephen (alli-ell/ristotle7s Poetics2 8ondon= Penguin 199!2 30The Goddess= Fa+t Falla+y and ,evitaliHation 'ovement2@ )oddess

In Religions and Modern #ebate2 *d2 8arry ;2 (urtado2 Atlanta= S+holars Press 19902 179Art ision and "ulture= Satya)it ,ayZs Apu Trilogy ,evisited2@

Cinema and Cultural Identity2 *d2 ;2 Dissanayae2 8anham 'D= Iniversity Press o/ Ameri+a

19&&2 1032


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>or)s $ited ? $onsulted

$ro-n "2 'a+KenHie2 The Trium'h of the )oddess: The Canonical Models and Theological 5isions

of the #evi$Bhagavata Purana2 Al#any e- Qor= SIQ 19902 Print2

$eane ;endell "harles2Myth, Cult and Symbols in Shato Hinduism: / Study of the Indian Mother

)oddess28eiden= *2.2 $rill 19772 Print2

$uruma an2 >The 8ast $engali ,enaissan+e 'an2@ The 0e or Revie of Boos2 19 ovem#er

19&7:= 1%


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Gaden *linor ;2 The ?nce and .uture )oddess: The Symbol for ?ur Times2 e- Qor= (arper

and ,o- 19&92 Print2

(alli-ell Stephen2/ristotle7s Poetics 8ondon= Penguin 199!2 Print2

Koph David2 The Brahmo Sama+ and the Sha'ing of the Modern Indian Mind2 Prin+eton 2.2=

Prin+eton Iniversity Press 19792 Print2

Kael Pauline2I !ost It at the Movies2 e- Qor= 8ittle $ro-n ] "ompany 19!2 Print2

Kinsley David2 The Sord and the .lute: %ali and %rishna2 $ereley "2A2= Iniversity o/

"ali/ornia Press 1972 Print2


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,ushdie Salman2Imaginary Homelands2 8ondon= Granta $oos 19902 Print2

Seton 'arie2Portrait of a #irector: Satya+it Ray2 e- Delhi= Penguin $oos %0032 Print2

Singha .adunath2Ram'rosad&s #evotional Songs: The Cult of Shati2 "al+utta= Sinha Pu#lishing

(ouse 19!!2 Print2

Thomas ,osie2 >San+tity and S+andal= 'ythologiHation o/ 'other ndia2@ Kuarterly Revie of .ilm

and 5ideo19&9 ol2 % no2 3:= %72 Print2

To-nsend .oan $2 >The Goddess= Fa+t Falla+y and ,evitaliHation 'ovement2@ )oddess In

Religions and Modern #ebate2 *d2 8arry ;2 (urtado2 Atlanta= S+holars Press 19902 179 ! !> +=&

????????????@ A '3 $- /

% /&& 1&O

These rhythmi+al lines highlight his universal pioneering vision /or $oishno#ism2 The ne5t important

poet -ho praised ityananda and sa- him as a man o/ supreme po-er spreading Krisna >tat-a@ is

Krishnadas Ka#ira)2 Krishnadas Ka#ira) in his Chaitanya Charitamrito-rites that during his visit to


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$rinda#an Ka#ira) /elt the po-er o/ ityanadaZs #lessings that provided him the a#ility to -rite on

su+h an e5alted su#)e+t2

'3 '3

!> >3 0&& 11O

(is admiration /or itai on+e again /inds an e5pression in the shloas o/ the /irst +hapter o/ the

[AdililaZ2 n the /i/th +hapter Ka#ira) -rites 3

# D "' '3&& 12O

Another +ontemporary 'urari Gupta in his%archa though very #rie/ly hinted that Sri "haitanya

trusted ityananda -ith the tas o/ spearheading the $oishno# movement in $engal2 t -as in itai

that Gour /ound the presen+e o/ >EDED(3 permanen+e no-ledge happiness: -hi+h together

+hara+terise an a#le leadership /or $engal2

E#servant historians o/ the $oishno# movement have a+no-ledged ityananda to #e a true

demo+rat2 ndeed to +hallenge the dominan+e o/ the 'uslim Healots and e5treme so+ial #arriers itai

dared to tae an initiative in +onsolidating the $engali people2 Though many -ould tell us that it -as

nothing more than a devotional movement #ut /rom the -ritings o/ di//erent +ontemporary poets it +an

#e said that it -as a movement o/ so+ial re/ormation in $engal delivering a lethal #lo- to

untou+ha#ility2 Today the ndi+ $engali so+iety is again at a +riti+al )un+ture and -e need to #e

reminded o/ the supreme organising e//orts o/ ityananda again2

Notes

V1W'a)umderDas,amesh "handra2Chaitanya and His /ge2 pp 3

V%W"haitanya $hag#at Atul Gos-amiZs edition pp 3&


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V&W Sahityaratna(arerishnaed2Boishnob Podaboli; "al+utta= Sahitya Sansad 19!1 2pp 474

V9WSahityaratna(arerishnaed2Boishnob Podaboli; "al+utta= Sahitya Sansad 19!12pp474

V10W Chaitanya BhagbatSuumar SenZs *dition 13th+hapter2 pp1%&

V11WV1%WKa#ira) Krishnadas2Chaitanya Choritammrito2

>or)s $ited

12 "hara#oty,amaanta2Boishnobism in Bengal2 "al+utta=Ananda Pu#lishers19&&

%2 Das (aridas2 )ouriyo Boishnob /bhidan2olume 1] %:

32 Dasgupta Surendranath2/ History of Indian Philoso'hy2

"am#ridge "am#ridge Iniversity Press19!1:2 pp 1!V1&400


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+'e o!e"ent >it'in# 5 Seret Huide to *soteri&aayaasaadhanaain

'aryaapada

ea(rasad Band%o(ad'%a%

&. +8* *N+


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line as >R V#Wut the learned never +ast thee o// the ne+2@M


116/206



117/206


asarasuhaadvaya:= #E and lE t-o mnemoni+ devi+es /or remem#ering #ody


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%2 Madhyamaa= speaing in the /alser dreamsorro-@: value o/

language might #e in+reased due to the introdu+tion o/Paraavaa #ut thetheoretical significanceo/

su+h +ategoreme -as opa6ue2


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asarabrahman +anZt #e +on/used -ith the monotheisti+ notion o/ god brahman+anZt #e -orshiped

#ut that #ig


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medi+al gaHe d: Apart /rom malethatness@ >su+hness@: is to #e /used or mingled -ith arunaa the #enevolent

a+tivity /or eradi+ating sorro-s loasamgrahathe goal o/ (bahu+anasuhaya,

bahu+anahitaaya*(the pleasure and -el/are o/ many@M: the ultimate -isVhWdom o/ void bodhicitta:

might #e a+hieved through thesaamarasyae6uili#rium o/ rasas >essen+e -hat is tested or /elt@: o/

avadhuutii6madhyamaa; +/2 madhyamaaUmaadhyamia: +: Though have the e5perien+e o/

pra+ti+ing -ith +orpse donZt have the no-ledge o/ modern medi+al ta5onomiHation o/ +orporeal2

+anZt ans-er your 6uestion2 d: Do you no- the #hanDe #rommanDoThe -ay this universe s-ings through high and lo- tide /eel the very same pulling in

the /lo- o/ #lood in my naadi2@


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12


122/206


are supposedly non


123/206



124/206



125/206


totally ina+tive2

(o-ever'ratibimban >re/le+tion@ does not -or due to the usual anthropo+entri+ limit o/ per+eption2

Thus spoe 'unidatta*yathaa Eas ifA sva'ne Ein dreamA sva'ratibhaasam Eself as illusory a''earanceAyathaadarse E+ust that is to be seenA 'ratibimbam EimageA tadrisamantaraa E+ust lie that 'erce'tion in

the interiorA bhaababi+naanam Euniversal consciousnessA 'asya E'erceiveA2@ +/2'ada4!:

SPN$


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The folloing 'a'ers Eboth in Bangla and in -nglish as ell as Italian translationA of the 'resent

author are utiliLed for riting this 'a'er: Readers may ctrlright clic on the hy'erlin to have thefull$teGt 'a'er:

%0132 >8anguage= From < Dentity to 'y


127/206


%00!a2 >Cj ' @2 Pro#lems o/ Possession:2Baromas ol E+to#er Z0!2 pp2

%17< %%: ,eprinted inInteraction2 ov2 Z092 pp2


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2 19742/n Introduction to Tantric Buddhism2 Kolata= Iniversity o/ "al+utta2

Guha ,2 %0092 abir naam o sarbanaam2 Kolata= Talapaataa2

(alliday '2 A2 K2 197&; !anguage as a Social Semiotic2 8ondon *d-ard

Arnold2

yaer K2A2S2 19!92Bhartrihari2 Poona= De++an "ollege2

Kavira) G2 1992 taantri Sadhona o Siddhanto2 ol2 ] :2 $ardhaman= $ardhaman Iniversity2

Kramris+h S2 194!7!2 The Hindu Tem'le2 ol2 ] : Delhi= 'otilal $anarasidas Pvt2 8td2

'onier


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artition of India and t'e $'ronile of t'e *astern rontier#

a((ing t'e S'ort itions in Bengali on igration, is(lae"ent and


130/206


5fter"at' of Bengal (artition

The Partition o/ $engal #rought a#out a huge migration o/ the (indu middle


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Qou s+old the little lass

;hen she drops the glass

$ut -hat a#out you adult #rats

;hen you shatter ndia

into little parts2

trans2 Sisir Kumar Das:4

The pro#lems o/ partition -ere large and penetrating2 'any -riters addressed the politi+al and

emotional issues asso+iated -ith them2 A not so -ell no-n -riter 'anoran)an (aHra -rote a short

novelMahanagare Dabana( ;ildi/re in the "ity: in 194! des+ri#ing the in+idents o/ the riot that

/ollo-ed in response to 'uslim 8eagueZs +all /or Dire+t A+tion on 1! August 194!2 n 1947 a#endu

Ghosh -rote a novelhiars (enFier+e 8ane: -hi+h had graphi+ and minute re+ords o/ the madness

that gripped the +ity o/ "al+utta2 (o-ever the /irst -ell no-n novel -as pu#lished only in 19 on

the su#)e+t2 t -as arayan SanyalZsBa(mikit -as part o/ a trilogy: and therea/ter a spate o/ novels

/ollo-ed in 19!0s and 70s2 Fe- mentiona#le ones are .yotirmoyee DeviZs !par Ganga par Ganga

19!7: Pra/ulla ,ayZs &eya atar ouko 1970: Sunil GangopadhyayZs .r$un 1971: Atin

$andopadhyayZsi(kontho akhir &ho$e1971: and Gour Kishore GhoshZs trilogy < 5a( are ata

are 197&:rem ei19&1: androtibeshi199:2

5 "%riad refletion of t'e eigent ti"es - Bengali s'ort fitional (rose

8iterature arti+ulated the sentiments o/ the times and emerged as an alternative ar+hive2 The little

narratives stood against the grand stories the o//i+ial -as pitted against the uno//i+ial -hi+h re+orded

the daily +hroni+les and sho-ed the a+tual e//e+t o/ o//i+ial de+isions in everyday li/e o/ the people2

People -ere +entral to the literary representations moulding the per+eption o/ the age its

+ontradi+tions travails and an5ieties2 Against the novels on partition the short story too held a positiono/ pre


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En 1 Septem#er 1947 ehru in an aerial survey o#serves that t-o re/ugee +olumns -aling to-ards

either dire+tion o/ the #order #oth 40 miles long2 Though the re/ugee +olumns in the east -ere not as

+on+entrated as on the -estern #order as they -ere not perpetuated #y immediate mo# /ury themisera#le train o/ people uprooted #y /ear apprehension and despair /rom a+ross the eastern #order

-aling in #oth dire+tions to the land o/ sa/ety -as a +ommon sight at the time o/ Partition2 n the

storyather &anta,amesh "handra Sen -rites o/ one su+h group trudging /rom east to -est +arrying

meagre #elongings +on/ronts another group lie itsel/ +onsisting o/ mainly -omen +hildren the

elderly and a /e- men )ust as hapless as itsel/2 There is a moment o/ silent empathy #et-een them as

they siHe ea+h other up and re+ogniHe their similar plight #e/ore going their opposite -ays2

The ,ad+li//e a-ard allo+ated the t-o #orders that +reated Paistan and partitioned ndia2 A/ter the

,ad+li//e $oundary -as announ+ed on 1! August 1947 there -as no t-o -ay migration on the eastern

#order unlie the near +omplete s-ap o/ populations on the -estern #order and this has #een the

general pattern o/ migration in the east e5+ept /or a #rie/ period in 190never stopped till today as ,ana#ir SamaddarZs essays title says [Still They "ome O 'igrants in the

Post


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river and lie mu+h o/ the lands given to east $engal re/ugees is -ater logged mos6uito in/ested and

a verita#le )ungle o/ s-ampy undergro-th2 n the end #y the t-ist o/ /ate a++ording to the ,ad+li//e

,eport the narratorZs village is allo+ated to ;est $engal sho-ing ho- the #order de/eated manye5pe+tations o/ -here it -ould [pla+eZ them2

The a#surdity o/ dra-ing #oundaries on -ater and the darly amusing story o/ asserting rights and

privileges as +on/usion prevails -hen people are le/t on the [-rongZ side -hile their means o/

livelihood have #een trans/erred to the other maing one


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politi+al #arrier that they have neither +reated nor -anted2

;ritten lie a diary 5anmabhumi #y Samaresh Dasgupta has all the nostalgia o/ a re/ugee

remem#ering his motherland2 The narrator is an artist -ho paints the lands+ape o/ -hat he has le/t#ehind -ith its romanti+ +onnotations and the reality o/ Sealdah Station&-hi+h #e+ame prover#ial as

the +ro-ded arrival point and inde/inite re/uge /or the destitute /rom east $engal and later *ast

Paistan2 The re/ugee narrator +ontinues to miss the land o/ his #irth and en+ounters the sar+asm o/

those -ho have not #een uprooted /rom a /airly prosperous agri+ultural #ase and +annot +omprehend

the -hole truth o/ -hat the dispossessed have lost2 The ne- #order has separated /amilies as the

narratorZs parents un+les and aunts stayed #a+ and died there -hile his generation -as sent to ndia2

n his story Shamikshan9-riter Su)an#ilash $is-as narrates the harro-ing tale o/ s6uatters inside

Sealdah Station -here -ithout -or /ood or shelter people are le/t to either die lie the protagonist

Sudhanya or +ommit sui+ide lie his -i/e Sulata to es+ape a li/e o/ shame or are orphaned as their son

is -ithout the sustenan+e and se+urity that east $engali re/ugees re6uired at the time o/ Partition2

n the story!k 5anmer 6irn#y Dipanar Das #oth the narratorZs and his un+leZs /amilies have #een

/or+ed to /lee their homeland at the time o/ the Partition and though the narratorZs /ather someho-

manages to mae a living /or his /amily the #rother is never a#le to re+over the [so+ial dignityZ he

ne- in -hat -as east $engal2 Deep in de#t and desperation he disappears a+ross the #order perhaps

looing /or his homeland a/ter losing his mental #alan+e2

The themes o/ /amilies #eing separated o/ tentative returns to oneZs roots the +all o/ the an+estral

land and oneZs home are re+urrent themes in post


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[re/ugeeZ -hi+h #e+ame a part o/ the $engali vo+a#ulary a+6uired ne- signi/i+ations2 [These t-o

-ords O [udbastuZ and [re/ugeeZ +ontain the -hole history o/ $engali su//ering and humiliation agonies

o/ inse+urity and horrors o/ leaving the an+estral home O in an en+apsulated /orm2Z 10

De#esh ,oyZs story 7dbastu6uestions the very identity o/ a /amily o/ a hus#and his -i/e and

daughter2 Protagonists Satya#rata 8ahiri and Anima uprooted /rom east $engal /ollo-ing Partition are

dou#ted #y the proposition that they have /aed their true identities2 The story sho-s the #iHarre legal

investigations +arried out in the ndian Inion -hen it is /a+ed -ith the 6uestion o/ approving property

#ought #y re/ugees demanding +erti/i+ates /rom people -ho have /led -ithout their #elongings

dou#ting the [purityZ o/ -omen -ho /inally made it a+ross the #order )eopardiHing the very identity o/

their o//spring2

Bana 6angshir Deshe#y Amar 'itra is set on the (ili #order o/ ;est Dina)pur in 199!2 ndia has

de+ided to demar+ate the #order -ith $angladesh -ith #ar#ed -ire /en+e2 The #ar#ed -ire -ould

pro+laim all trespassers as [in/iltratorsZ i2e2 illegal immigrants -ho had no right to +ross over rather

than re/ugees or migrants negating the assuran+e on+e given to people /a+ing displa+ement -hen

Partition -as a++epted #y ndia and Paistan -ho -ere told that they -ould /ind re/uge in the +ountry

o/ their +hoi+e or the one they -ere /or+ed to inha#it2 The #order has segmented homesteads lands

lives and identity2 The #ar#ed -ire -ill trap them as never #e/ore2 Protagonist Aloa -ants to see the

#order and +omes a++ompanied #y her hus#and Su#ir2 "on/rontation -ith the #order demysti/ies

Aloa as she /inds that [everything is )ust the same yet everything is di//erentZ2

$onlusion

As dis+ussed /rom the a++ount o/ short stories -e see so+ial de#a+les to personal en+ounters o/ the

darest moment o/ ndian history re/le+ted in $engali literature2 The stories mentioned a#ove and many

more +over a -ide time span /rom pre


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137/206

i'ael ad'usudanFs $ollaoration and $ollusion

/it' o"inant $olonial $ulture inMeghanadbadh &avya

e ulal 8alder

/ashar Chholone Bhuli !ured by Ho'e, as translated #y Gopa 'aHumdar: is the most re+ent title o/

'i+hael 'adhusudan DuttZs #iography -ritten #y Ghulam 'urshid2 >Ene o/ the greatest poets o/

$engal espe+ially distinguished as an epi+ poet and as the /irst $engali -riter o/ #lan verse@

'urshid 3!%: b as -ritten #y his /riends in the ins+ription o/ his tom# /or his great a+hievement in

moderniHing the $engali literature is depi+ted to #e a person de+eived #y hope O a single hope o/

#e+oming an *nglish poet2 'adhusudan #orn in a -ell to do upper +lass ayastha /amily had an

inordinate /as+ination /or *nglish language and +ulture2 (e in his youth sighed /or >Al#ionZs distantshore@ and -anted to esta#lish himsel/ as an *nglish poet there2 (is -hole li/e -as spent in pursuing

that dream o/ going to *ngland as it -as >earthly paradise@ to him2 (is #e+oming a "hristian -as only

a logi+al step to-ards his goal o/ a+hieving a ne- identity as an *nglish poet2 Ghulam 'urshidZs

#iography o/ 'adhusudan sho-s ho- he -as preo++upied -ith the only dream o/ #e+oming an *nglish

poet throughout his li/e till he eventually realiHed his mistae during his years in *ngland and *urope

-hen he under-ent a series o/ e5perien+es -hi+h +ured him o/ his almost /atal Anglo$engali@Sahitya "har+ha@ de#uns the idea that in 'adhusudan -e do /ind an

assimilation o/ the east and the -est and says that it is a+tually in ,a#indra ath Tagore that the real

assimilation o/ the eastern and the -estern +ultures taes pla+e in $engali literature 31: and it is

thought that 'adhusudan is -estern to the +ore o/ his heart and soul #ut at the same time his )ourney

o/ #e+oming -estern and the /ailure to #e so should not #e seen as a /ailure altogether #e+ause the

)ourney had a greater signi/i+an+e2 There are some /ailures that mae people learn more than -hat they

+an learn /rom the su++ess2 'adhusudanZs /ailure in his desire to get re+ognition as a great *nglish

poet should not #e vie-ed as a +ollapse altogether as his /ailure to a+hieve so made him realiHe the

vanities o/ his -ishes2 ,ealiHing the vanities he moderated his desire and /ought #a+ against the

parameters that he on+e dreamt o/2 This )ourney to prove himsel/ as an *nglish poet -as long and

painstaingly distress/ul #ut the pain that 'adhusudan has to go through to realiHe the vanities o/ that

dream must have #een even more pain/ul2 S+holars and +riti+s o/ 'adhusudan point out his )ourney totransgress /rom the [native elite +lassZ to the [/oreign elite +lassZ as a pain/ul so)ourn -hi+h the

+ir+umstan+es o/ the nineteenth +entury $engal imposed upon him #ut the return )ourney to [native

elite +lassZ /rom the [/oreign elite +lassZ is [sel/


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partiallyW is -hat maes him rea+t against the +olonial po-er in a parti+ular -ay -hi+h resulted in the

inversion o/ the protagonists o/ The Ramayana2

n the inversion o/ the +hara+ters o/ The Ramayana -e do see in 'adhusudan Dutt a /as+ination /or

the +olonialist mas+ulinity O #ut that /as+ination is there more to /ight against the so


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Slay the rashasaM $y your gra+e

Qe t-o enter unseen as the s-ord in sheath

Zll shroud you -ith the +harmed veilM@ Trans2 #y Shyamal $andopadhyay 10 +harmed veil@ suggests the +unning nature o/ ,ama and 8asmana -ho no- that in an e6ual

#attle it -ould #e impossi#le /or them to de/eat ndra)it V'eghanadW there/ore they use their

shre-dness to murder 'eghanad2 This +unning e//eminate and sly nature o/ >,ama and his ra##les@ is

portrayed against the #rave mas+uline ,avana and 'eghanad to spot out the nature o/ the entry o/ the

+olonial po-er into ndia2 $andopadhyay -rites O >The re#el in 'i+hael had his sympathy turned -ith

any#ody -ho /ought his right against intruders he V,avanaW -as #ound to #e his /avourite2@

Introduction 5:

The $ritish have also entered ndia #y using their shre-d sly mind -hi+h not only has ruined the

ndian so+ietal and e+onomi+ /a#ri+ #ut also has harmed its #a+#one #y +orrupting its +ulture2

Shyamal $andopadhyay -rites O >The -ar -as one o/ heroi+ de/ense #y the ,ashasas o/ their

motherland@ Introduction 55ii:2 ,ama and his +ompany -ere intruders to the +ity o/ 8ana and it is

6uite o#vious that 'adhusudan -hile rea+ting against the +olonial -est -ould tae up the most

popular tale o/ ndia2 (e too up the Ramayana#e+ause he sympathiHed -ith the /ortune o/ ,avana

and 'eghanad as he -rites O > despise ,ama and his ra##le2 The idea o/ ,avana elevates me@

^uoted in Shyamal $andopadhyay 5vii:2 ,avanaZs idea elevates his mind as he +ould identi/y himsel/

-ith the /ortune o/ ,avana -ho is trying to save his motherland /rom the intruders2 A++ording to

'adhusudan Dutt it is not that the preaggressive mas+ulinity@ he is taing up the

parameter o/ the +olonial homology o/ the se5ual and politi+al dominan+e #ut at the same time he


144/206


di//ers /rom the +olonialist mission -hen it +omes to the 6uestion o/ inno+en+e to #e seen as a la+ o/

superiority and e5+ellen+e2

'i+hael 'adhusudan Dutt thus tries to /ight #a+ the +olonialist -est in his li/elong desire to e6ual

the +olonial masters2 *arlier he tried to e6ual them #y imitating their +ulture #ut -as not in+luded into

their +ommunity realiHing the /utility o/ his attempt he /ought #a+2 $ut -hat he +ould not a+hieve

militarily he tried to a+hieve that through his poetry O thus his style too is mas+uline2 (is o#session

-ith the >mas+ulinity@ -as su+h that not only he praised the mas+ulinity o/ ,avana and 'eghanad

-hi+h -as earlier thought to #e demoni+ #ut his style o/ -riting itsel/ #e+ame very mas+uline2 (is

mas+ulinity in style +onsists o/ #eing #rave to innovate the >amitrashar +hhanda@ in $engali language

and literature and in innovating a language in $engali -hi+h has its elegan+e o/ its o-n2 Shyamal

$andopadhyay points out several distinguishing /eatures o/ 'adhusudanZs >amitrashar +hhanda@ O

>First the theme and the -ords -ere /reed /or the /irst time /rom the +ompulsion o/ pun+tuation2

Se+ond the phrases rise up to the theme to the musi+ o/ the poetry the passion the s-eeps o/

imagination the melan+holy sadness that -eaves the verse /orm2@ Introduction 555viii:2

As $engali language is not #ound #y +ompound -ords and phrases there/ore it -as e5tremely

di//i+ult /or any poet to -rite in #lan verse #ut 'i+hael 'adhusudan Dutt su++eeded in in/using into

the $engali language the >amitrashar +hhanda@ #y varying rhythms phrases stops and +reating ne-

-ords o/ musi+ and po-er that trans+ended the routine /rame o/ $engali language2 S+holars on

'adhusudan are o/ the opinion that there are +ertain distin+t +hara+teristi+s o/ 'adhusudanZs poetry O

>R a preponderan+e o/ un+ommon di//i+ult -ords R la+ o/ simpli+ity and straight/or-ardness in the

+onstru+tion o/ senten+es < a +om#ination o/ mas+uline -ords arti/i+ially #ound together < /ar/et+hed

metaphors and imageries O and o/ +ourse #oundless passion imagination and /lights o/ /an+y get out o/

+ontrol un+onventional +onstru+tion o/ ver#s -hi+h are #asi+ally nouns and ad)e+tives O and a /re6uentmi5ture o/ +haste and +ollo6uial -ords and phrases@ Shyamal $andopadhyayIntroduction 555viii:2

These +hara+teristi+s o/ his verse have made his poetry over-helming2 To a+hieve this over-helming

su++ess in innovating the [mas+ulinityZ o/ the $engali language he did not have to #e too +autious as he

-rites to ,a) arain O > had no idea my dear /ello- that our mother tongue -ould pla+e at my


145/206


disposal su+h e5haustless materials and you no- am not a good s+holar2 The thoughts and images

#ring out -ords themselves O -ords that never thought ne-2 (ere is a mystery /or you2@ ^uoted in

Shyamal $andopadhyay %&: These lines /rom 'adhusudanZs letter points out that the mas+ulinity thathe #rought to $engali language is #e+ause the theme o/ the grand de/eat o/ 'adhusudan -anted that

ind o/ mas+uline language2 The >mystery@ that 'adhusudan tals a#out is not mystery #ut

[spontaneous over/lo- o/ po-er/ul emotionsZ O the emotions that -ere there in his heart o/ not #eing

in+luded into the [/oreign elite +lass2Z There/ore he +hooses not >veera rasa@ V+ourageW as the theme o/

his epi+ as 'adhusudan -rites to ,a) arain O >R am going to +ele#rate the death o/ my /avourite

ndra)it2 Do not #e /rightened my dear /ello-2 donZt trou#le my readers -ith vira ras@ Madhusudan

Rachanavali 4!:2 n another letter he -rote to his /riend O >Qou must not my dear /ello- )udge o/

the -or as a regular [(eroi+ PoemZ never meant it as su+h2 t is a story a tale rather heroi+ally told@

^uoted in Shyamal $andopadhyay 55i:

The theme o/ the epi+ poetry usually deals -ith the >vira rasa@ Vthe heroi+W #ut as 'i+hael

'adhusudan Dutt pointed out 'eghanad#adh Kavya does not deal -ith the heroi+ tale o/ 'eghanad

#ut deals -ith the >aruna rasa@ VpathosW o/ ,avana2 $harata muni in his /amous te5t 0atya Shastra

says O >The Karuna ,asa taes its origin through di//erent $havas either at the sight o/ the death Vor

murderW o/ the dear one or -hen unpleasant -ords have an adverse impa+t2@ 79


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n the /atal Pan+ha#ati -ood?

;hat evil moment Vsharing your lamentW

Did /or+e .anai as the tongue o/ /lame2nto this golden 8ana

le/t /or the densest -ood O alone

Seeing sola+e in this #urning agonyM Trans2 #y Shyamal $andopadhyay:

$oth ,avana and 'adhusudan have in/li+ted pain upon themselves and there/ore its 6uite natural that

'adhusudan Dutt -ould tae side -ith ,avana and -ould +ele#rate his mas+ulinity #e+ause in the

+ele#ration o/ ,avanaZs +ause 'adhusudan Dutt +an see himsel/ /ighting2 Thus though the tale o/

Meghanadbadh %avyais that o/ a grieved /atherZs su//ering #ut itZs also a tale o/ /ighting #a+ that

pain heroi+ally2 'adhusudan Dutt thus attains the grandeur that he -anted to a+hieve all his li/e O #y

telling his o-n tale o/ /ight against the intruders through ,avana2 t +an #e that 'adhusudan Dutt is

/as+inated #y the +olonialist mas+ulinity #ut the latter 'adhusudan is trying to +ele#rate the indigenous

mas+ulinity o/ ,avana and 'eghanad to #attle against the +olonial -est and his o-n -esterniHed early

sel/2

Notes#

12 From his letters -e +an /ind out the veneration 'adhusudan had /or 'ilton2 'adhusudan -rote to his /riend ,a)

arain < >R 'ilton is a grand #eing lie his o-n Satan he is /ull o/ the lo/tiest thoughts #ut has little or nothing

that may #e +alled amia#le2 (e elevates the mind o/ the readers to a most astonishing height2 $ut he never tou+hes

the heart and that is the +onse6uen+e? (e has a glorious name #ut /e- readers2 (e is Satan himsel/2 ;e

a+no-ledge him to #elong to a /ar superior order o/ #eing #ut -e never /eel /or him2 ;e hear the sound o/ his

ethereal voi+e -ith a-e and trem#ling2 (is is the deep roar o/ a lion in the silent solitude o/ the /orest2@

Madhusudan Rachnavali !1: n another letter to ,a) arain 'adhusudan -rote O >/ your /riends no-

*nglish let the read theParadise !ost and they -ill /ind out ho- the verse in -hi+h the $engali poetaster -ritesis +onstru+ted2 The /a+t is my dear /ello- that the prevalen+e o/ $la+ verse in this +ountry is simply a 6uestion o/

time2 8et your /riend guide their voi+es #y the pause as in *nglish #lan verse: and they -ill soon s-ear that this

is the no#lest measure in the language2@ Madhusudan Rachnavali,4& O 49: or in another letter to the same /riend

he -rites > donZt thin it impossi#le to e6ual irgil Kalidasa and Tasso2 Though glorious still they are mortal

poets 'ilton is divine@ Madhusudan Rachnavali 7:2

%2 $anim "handra "hatter)iZs [SannyasisZ in /nandamath mimi+s priesthood in some versions o/ -estern

"hristianity and his essay on%rsnaandy %3


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32 Ashis andy points out in The Intimate -nemy: !oss and Recovery of Self under Colonialism that there are t-o

-ays o/ /ighting against the +olonial homology #et-een se5ual and politi+al dominan+e2 The /irst is to /ight #a+

the +oloniHers #y de/eating them in their o-n game2 As the early nineteenth +entury s+holars -ho tried to imitate

the +olonial +ulture to prove that do it they are #etter in that too2 $ut GandhiZs -ay to rea+t -as altogether

di//erent he dis+arded the +olonial homology o/ se5ual and politi+al dominan+e #y saying that [livatvaZ or

androgyny is superior to mas+ulinity and /emininity2

Biliogra('%#

72 $andopadhyay Asit Kumar 19&3: $anglaSahitya /dhuniata"al+utta2

&2 $asu .ogendranath 1993: 'i+haelMadhusudan #utt7s 1ibancharit Deys Pu#lishing "al+utta2

92 $haratamuni0atya Shastra translated #y A $oard o/ S+holars Sri Satguru Pu#li+ations Delhi2

102 $ose Amalendu 19&1: Michael Madhusudan #utt 'aers o/ ndian 8iterature Series Sahitya

Aademi e- Delhi2

112 $ose $uddhadeva 193: SahityaCharcha,Signet Press "al+utta2

1%2 "handra $ipan >"olonialism Stages o/ "olonialism and "olonial State@ .ournal o/ "ontemporary

Asia ol2 10 19&02

132 "ohn $ernard "2 >,epresenting Authority in i+torian ndia@ in/n /nthro'ologist /mong Historians

and ?ther -ssays E5/ord Iniversity Press Delhi pp2 !3%


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%42 ,oy "houdhari Tapan 199&:-uro'e Reconsidered: Perce'tions of the 3est in the 0ineteenth Century

BengalEIP Delhi2

%2 Sarar Suso#han 1979: ?n the Bengal Renaissance Papyrus "al+utta2%!2 Sen Amit 197:0otes on Bengal Renaissance ational $oo Agen+y Pvt2 8td2 "al+utta2

#eb #ulal Halder is an /ssistant Professor in %irori Mal College, 2niversity of #elhi; Besides

0ineteenth Century Bengal, his areas of interest include !iterature of Romantic and 5ictorian -ra,

Indian !iterature in -nglish6 translation among others; He has co$authored boos on Technical 3riting

and Communication and .oundational Conce'ts of Translation, and edited Po'ular .iction: Critical

-ssays;


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Literature ? o!e"ent in t'eMahishasurmardini- Seleted Verses of t'e

DeviMahatmyaDurga Saptashatiand t'e Bengali $rossroads

Sana% Eu"ar

The 'a'er sees to eG'lore linages beteen literature and its "movement& beyond its basic time, format and s'ace; The

literature under observation, in this 'a'er, is the teGt Mahishasurmardini, i;e;, some of the selected verses of the ancient

Sansrit teGt #evi Mahatmya6 #urga Sa'tashati, hich narrates the story of )oddess #urga, slaying a demon called

Mahishasur; The theme has moved beyond literature, over a time, and assumed many eGtra$literary formats such as

de'iction of goddess #urga along ith and as slaying the demon Mahishasur in the Indian scul'tural, 'ainting and audio$

visual musical and filmic traditions;

?ne such "movement& is the "Chandi'ath& Einvocation of #evi #urga, through musical form of recitationA by Birendra

%rishna Bhadra, first broadcast in the form of a live orchestriLation by the /ll India Radio, Calcutta, in JV, and since

then, has been continuously an annual feature on the /ll India Radio, %olata, on the aus'icious occasion of Mahalaya,albeit in recorded version since JY9s; The recitation of chosen Sansrit verses has been beautifully 'laced in the midst of a

variety of Bengali classical and fol songs\ collectively these songs have "moved& beyond their time of com'osition, i;e;, the

third and fifth centuries Ethe Sansrit onesA to the tentieth and tenty first centuries /;#; These have also moved to the

're$recorded audio and video format from, essentially, the literary format\ and these have "moved& to all to'ogra'hical

locales covered by the /ll India Radio and6or inhabited by the Bengali community, ithin and outside India; /nd thus, a

humble and mortal em'loyee of /ll India Radio, Birendra %rishna Bhadra becomes a celebrated legend and immortal

name in each and every Bengali household;

ndia is a multilingual and multi+ultural +ountry2 These attri#utes in turn have #een no sudden or

overnight developments instead thousands o/ years o/ +ontinuous +ultural evolution and progression

have +ontri#uted to the attainment o/ this admira#le /eat2 These indeed mae ndia one o/ the /inest

spe+imens o/ li#eral pluralisti+ so+ieties o/ the +ontemporary -orld +iviliHations2 ndiaZs multilingual

and +ultural +hara+ters have #een /irmly rooted in a uni6ue synthesis among religions literature and an

un#roen Heal o/ su++essive generations o/ its people to put this synthesis to a variety o/ +ultural

e5positions2

(induism one o/ the most important +omponents o/ ndias multi+ultural identity has #een having nohomogeneous attri#ute2 De/ined #y the Supreme "ourt o/ ndia as a -ay o/ li/e it en+ompasses

multipli+ity o/ gods and goddesses ea+h -ith -ell


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servi+es to-ards the #etterment o/ humanity2 The su++essive generations o/ the ndian people

pro/essing to (induism have #een #ringing out these to their imagined humaniHed /orms /rom out o/

their literary narratives and have +reated multiple +ultural /estivities around the gods and goddesses#oth as /ree


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1C&=.ournal o/ $engali Studies ol2 3 o2 1

@IA

TheMahishasurmardini the slayer o/ #u//alo demon: is one su+h highly +ele#rated literary theme2 t

is a part o/ a prominent Sansrit te5t +alled the#evi MahatmyaThe Su'reme )oddess: also no-n asthe#urga Sa'tashatiand the Chandi'ath%2 This te5t has a total o/ 700 verses2 This te5t in turn is part

o/ a larger Sansrit te5t +alled the Marandeya Purana2 TheMahishasurmardini te5t as+ri#ed to a

$rahmin sage no-n as aysa is #elieved to have #een +ompleted #et-een 3rd and th +enturies32

t is a story -hi+h +ele#rates the +ommon theme o/ stories +ontained in various (indu s+riptures

-hi+h +ommonly sho- the vi+tory o/ the good over the evil2 'ahishasur in this story represents a

dreaded evil /or+e the ing o/ demons -ho -as so po-er/ul so as to have su++ess/ully de/eated gods

and had +apturedsargaheaven the a#ode o/ gods and goddesses:2 The gods to es+ape 'ahishasurs

+ruelty and to re+laim their lost a#ode invoed the trinity o/ (indu gods< the $rahma ishnu and

'ahesh-ar Shiva:2 All these Gods assem#led together and +reated goddess Durga out o/ their

+om#ined po-er24Further the gods delegated their +om#ined po-er to her and there#y made her the

supreme po-er in /eminine /orm -ith the purpose to eliminate 'ahishasur and to li#erate the gods and

goddesses and their heavenly a#ode2*6uipped -ith +om#ined strength the goddess then /ought

against 'ahishasur and his large army o/ demons2 First she destroyed 'ahishasurZs army2 ! Finally

a/ter a /ier+e #attle 'ahishasur -as grounded and the Devi trampled him under her /eet and illed him

-ith her trident27All the gods and goddesses )u#ilant over the DeviZs /eat then /ormed a +ir+le and

o//ered prayers to (er2&

The theme o/ Durga


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1C1=.ournal o/ $engali Studies ol2 3 o2 1

Mahishasurmardini statue213TheMahishasurmardini /mbiatemple at .agat in ,a)asthan has a tenth

+entury idol and "hidam#aram temple in Tamil adu has an eleventh +entury Durga statue in the

Mahishasurmardini posture21482 Susan (untington and .ohn "2 (untington also e5hi#it some o/ theearly representations o/Mahishasurmardiniin stone in their #oo21 Ene o/ these representations is

that o/ a Durga statue dating #a+ to the seventh +entury in the Durga temple at Aihole in

Karnataa21! Similarly another representation is that o/ a seventh +entury stone statue /rom the

(ima+hal Pradesh state museum2 Ether e5amples o/ su+h statues may in+lude Mahishasuramardiniat

'amallapuram in Tamil adu ndia #elonging to the seventh +entury 217idya Dehe)ia also re/ers to

aMahishasurmardinistatue -hi+h is at the Qogini temple lo+ated in $heraghat in 'adhya Pradesh21&

The theme has #een employed in paintings as -ell2 n /a+t the ational Ar+hives in Kathmandu has apainted version o/ the te5t #evi Mahatmya2 These paintings sho- traditional epali artists

e5perimenting -ith a ne- medium in 1&!32 The al#um +ontains a series o/ images in se6uen+e

illustrating the events o/ the#evi Mahatmya2 Almost every painting +orresponds to a spe+i/i+ verse o/

the poem2 t has #een studied #y 'asahide 'ori and Qoshio 'ori in one o/ their #oos2 19Some o/ the

paintings o/ these are illustrations o/ the theme o/Mahishasurmardini2%0Thousands o/ mud


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golden era -herein it played the role o/ a national edu+ator as -ell as entertainer -ith the help o/ its

#ou6uet o/ various audio programmes o/ tremendous so+ial and +ultural values%12 n the a#sen+e o/

other means o/ mass media the nation depended solely on ,adio #road+asts /or its daily doses o/entertainment2

,adio #road+asting made a hum#le #eginning in ndia in 19%4 -hen a private radio +lu# the Madras

radio club started a limited #road+ast in the 'adras Presiden+y2 The $om#ay station o/ the ndian

$road+asting +ompany -as opened in 19%72 The ndian $road+asting "ompany started its "al+utta

station in the same year2%%(o-ever the ndian $road+asting "ompany did not su++eed in e5panding

and managing radio #road+ast and #y 1930 it #e+ame #anrupt2 At this )un+ture the $ritish

Government o/ ndia stepped in pur+hased the assets o/ the ndian $road+asting "ompany and #egan

its operation al#eit no- as a Government enterprise -ithin the department o/ ndustry and 8a#or a/ter

having renamed it as the ndian State $road+asting Servi+e2%3The ndian State $road+asting Servi+e

-as renamed as the /ll India RadioA,: in .une 193!2 Finally it -as renamed as/ashvani in

19!2%4n order to +ompete -ith ,adio "eylon -hi+h -as eating into large +ommer+ial opportunities

o/ the/ll India Radio the Government o/ ndia started 5ividh Bhartias the "ommer+ial $road+asting

servi+e o//ll India Radioin 1972 ts main ingredient -as /ilm musi+2 t started a++epting +ommer+ials

/rom ovem#er 19!7 on-ards #ut #y that time it had a dedi+ated audien+e and su++ess/ully +ompeted

-ith the /oreign radio net-or in terms o/ popularity2%The /ll India Radioadded another /eather in its

-ing in 19&& -hen the0ational Channel-as started essentially as a night servi+e to entertain /a+tory

-orers /armers drivers soldiers and students2 Further in %001 the /ll India Radiolaun+hed.M II

later renamed as the.M )olddue to its popularity -ith the younger generation2 Today the/ll India

Radio#road+asts in %4 languages and 14! diale+ts in+luding /rom the north


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years2%&ts importan+e is not only in the /a+t that it is the longest running radio programme in ndia #ut

also in the pu#li+ applause and appre+iation -ith -hi+h this programme has #een greeted #y people in

general and $engalis in parti+ular over the de+ades2 nitially /or years this programme -as per/ormedlive on the parti+ular day o/ Mahalaya2 8ater sometimes in 1970s it +ame to #e re+orded and

therea/ter the re+orded version #egan to #e #road+ast annually2

The assem#lage o/ luminaries -as huge in terms o/ artists o/ +ali#re -ho +ontri#uted to the maing

o/ this programme2 n its /inal /orm the s+ript is prepared #y $aidyanath $hatta+harya popularly

no-n as $ani Kumar -hereas various narratives in Sansrit and $engali verses o/ the s+ript have

#een re+ited #y the legendary $irendra Krishna $hadra himsel/ and the musi+ +omposition is done #y

one o/ the most prominent musi+ dire+tors o/ early $engali and (indi /ilms Pana) Kumar 'ulli+2

$esides the s+ript in+ludes a num#er o/ Sansrit and $engali songs2 The latter +ategory in+ludes #oth

+lassi+al as -ell as /ol musi+2 The singers o/ these songs in+lude $engali singing marvels o/ the

yesteryears lie Supriti Ghosh Di)en 'uher)ee Shipra $ose 'ana#endra 'uher)ee Krishna

Dasgupta Shyamal 'itra Ashima $aner)ee Arati 'uher)ee Sumitra Sen Sandhya 'uher)ee Tarun

$aner)ee Pratima $aner)ee Pana) 'ulli+ and Itpala Sen2

The duration o/ this programme is a#out 90 minutes2 t is a s+ript narrating the illing o/ the $u//alo

headed ing o/ the demons 'ahishasur #y the Goddess Durga2 The highly dramatiHed narratives in

$irendra Krishna $hadraZs #aritone voi+e are interspersed -ith 1& songs o/ -hi+h 4 songs are in

Sansrit and rest 14 in $engali2 The s+ript may appear in the /ollo-ing ta#ular manner=

1&2 Qa "handi 'adhuaita #hareRR2 hridaya )anani ya 'ahishamardiniR "horus=00=00=34:

Sansrit song

192 Singhastasha Shashisehara "horus= 0020%23: Sansrit song

%02 $aa)lo Tomar Aalor $enuR2Female=00=04=3!: $engali song

%12 .ago Tumi .ago22 .ago Durga 'ale=00=09=1!: $engali Song

%%2 Ego Amar aagomoni aaloRFemale=00=1%=0: $engali Song%32 Ta#o A+hinto ,upa "harita 'ahima22 'ale=00=17=3&: $engali Song

%42 Sansrit songR"horus=00=%4=0!:

%2 Ahil $imane Ta#o .ayganRFemale=00=%9=1: $engali Song

%!2 Shu#hro Sanho ,o#eRDuet=3430: $engali Song

%72 Dasnaam Das#hu)anamR22'ahishasurmardini22 "horus=00 =39=00: Sansrit Song2


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%&2 amo "handi amo "handi .ago ,ata#ee)oniintini .ago 'ahishasur#imardini 'ale=

00=44=1%: $engali Song2

%92 'ago To#o $ine Sangeeto Premo 8alito= ihilo Prane Diner Tare Tare ,onito Female=49=00:/ollo-ed #y0arayani 0amastuteSansrit re+itation #y $hadra:

302 $imane $imaneRR Female= 00=9230:

312 .aya )aya (ey 'ahishasurmardiniRR.aya .aya .aap KareRR "horus=1=03=1: Sansrit

song2 Follo-ed #y the Chandi'athR a devi sarbabhuteshuW; 0amas tatsyayR 1=0=0t -as an instant hit -ith numerous letters phone +alls /rom the

pu#li+ some personally +ame do-n to the A, o//i+e to +ongratulate the teamZZ says Pradip Kumar

'itra station dire+tor Kolata2 The team o/ 0 artists and 'usi+ians "onstituted several stal-arts lie

Di)en 'uhopadhyay Arati 'uhopadhyay Supriti Ghosh and Sandhya 'uhopadhyay239

. photograph shos the Mahishasuramardini )re rehearsing the programmehoto 'ourtesy


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the Gods and Goddesses a host o/ +ultural a+tivities < singing dan+ing painting dramati+s et+2 tae

pla+e simultaneously24%The -hole o/ ;est $engal neigh#ouring .harhand $ihar Erissa and all su+h

pla+es -ithin and outside the +ountry -hi+h have siHea#le $engali population get +ompletelysu#merged in this /estive /ervor2 The Durga Pu)a is +ertainly a high -atermar o/ $engali +ultural

nationalism -hi+h #rings the #iggest sense o/ unity to its +ultural identity2

TheMahishasurmardiniradio programme o++upies a pla+e o/ +entral importan+e in the s+heme o/ the

Durga Pu)a +ele#rations2 t is #road+ast on the pious day o/Mahalaya,-hi+h mars the end o/ impure

Pitri'ashaand +ommen+ement o/ the pious#evi'asha2 ts #road+ast timing is /i5ed at 4 A' on that

parti+ular day2 The pe+uliarity o/ this timing adds an air o/ mysti+ism around it -hi+h is deeply

entren+hed in the memories o/ those -ho have gro-n up listening to this #road+ast2 43 ;ith the

multipli+ation o/ +ommuni+ation mediums o/ the present times although the +ountryZs dependen+e on

,adio is on the -ane yet -hen it +omes to the Mahishasurmardini,adio programme it distin+tly

appears as a ma)or e5+eption2 ;ashington #ased $angla ,adio -e#site advertises its s+hedule /or

Mahishasurmardini #road+ast -hi+h +overs San Fran+is+o ;ashington D" $erlin Sydney and

"al+utta2 $a+ home governed #y the popular demands various F' radio +hannels have also started

#road+asting this +omposite +ultural phenomenon= the voi+e o/ $irendra Krishna $hadra the in/alli#le

s+ript o/ $ani Kumar and the timeless +ompositions o/ Pana) mulli+2 t has #e+ome an integral part o/

$engali +ultural nationalism #oth -ithin and outside o/ this +ountry on the strength o/ the

uninterrupted &0 years o/ annual #road+ast as the o//i+ial +ommen+ement o/ the Durga Pu)a

+ele#rations2


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.)tress Soumi(i Bisas donning the ro(e o" Durga to ena)t Mahisasurmardini%

She as $oined by &ohinoor Sen Barat ho a(so )horeographed this dan)e drama%

hoto< 'ourtesy, #he #e(egraph, &o(kata, dated 2=thSept 2011

Notes ?


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4: From the po-er o/ 8ord Shiva the /a+e o/ Goddess -as /ormed /rom that o/ Qama her hair -as

/ormed and /rom that o/ ishnu her hands -ere /ormed2 From the po-er o/ moon her t-o #usts

-ere made /rom the po-er o/ ndra her middle part /rom the po-er o/ aruna her +al/Zs andthighs and /rom the po-er o/ earth her #ehind2 (er /eet -ere made #y the po-er /rom $rahma

her toes /rom the po-er o/ Sun /rom the Ashta asus her /ingers and /rom the po-er o/ Ku#era

her nose -ere made2 (er teeth -ere made -ith the po-er o/ Pra)apathis lie Dasha and her

three eyes /rom the po-er o/ God o/ /ire2 From the po-er o/ da-n and dus -ere made her eye

#ro-s /rom the po-er o/ God o/ -ind her ears and then po-er /rom all other devas #e+ame

one and she -as /ormed2 #urga Sa'tashati 'adhyama "haritam "hapter %>The Killing o/

'ahishasuraZs army@ erse nos213


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!: #urga Sa'tashati 'adhayama "haritam First "hapter >The Killing E/ 'ahishasurZs Army@

verse nos21

7: #id2 The Se+ond "hapter >The Killing o/ 'ahishasurZZ ersenos 1ndia o//ers spe+ial opportunities /or the development o/ #road+asting2 ts distan+es and -ide

spa+es alone mae it a promising /ield2 n ndiaZs remote villages there are many -ho a/ter the


169/206


days -or is done /ind time hang heavily enough upon their hands and there must #e many

o//i+ials and others -hose duties +arry them into out o/ the -ay pla+es -here they +rave /or the

+ompany o/ their /riends and the sola+e o/ human +ompanionship2 There are o/ +ourse too inmany households -hom so+ial +ustoms de#ars /rom taing parts in re+reation outside their

homes2 To all these and many more #road+asting -ill #e a #lessing and a #oon o/ real value2

$oth /or entertainment and edu+ation its possi#ilities are great and as yet -e perhaps s+ar+ely

realiHe ho- great they are2 $road+asting in ndia is today in its in/an+y #ut have little dou#t

that #e/ore many years are past the num#er o/ its audien+e -ill have in+reased ten/old and that

this ne- appli+ation o/ s+ien+e -ill have its devotees in every part o/ ndia2ZZ 8ord r-inZs the

then vi+eroy o/ ndia spee+h at the inauguration o/ the $om#ay station o/ the ndian

$road+asting +ompany on %3rd.uly 19%72

^uoted /rom the >report on the progress o/ $road+asting in ndia up to the 31 mar+h 1939@

Pu#lished #y the manager o/ pu#li+ations Delhi 19402 See also Alasdair Pinerton [,adio and

the ,a)= $road+asting in $ritish ndia 10%0,adio and the ,a)= $road+asting in $ritish ndia 10%0Pushing /[email protected] olume %3


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%&: n 197! the /ll India Radio Kolata de+ided to #road+ast another version o/ the

Mahishasurmardiniand the Chandi'ath,-hi+h had a prominent $engali a+tor Ittam Kumar as

the singer and another prominent $engali musi+ian (emant Kumar 'uhopadyay as the musi+dire+tor2 A/ter the #road+ast the response -as /ar /rom /avora#le a++ording to ,atna Sen the

,adio presenter -ith/ll India Radio2 >The/ashvani $havan -as /looded -ith angry phone

+alls demanding the return o/ the original2@ ^uoted /rom Prem Kumar is-as >Timeless

Tunes@ the Indian -G'ress %9thSept %00&2

%9: These are the illustrations o/ opening o/ those songs -hi+h are interspersed -ith the re+itation

o/ narratives2 (ere have tried to measure the distan+e at -hi+h ea+h o/ these songs appears in

the trans+ript2 For instan+e the last song appears at a distan+e o/ one hour t-enty si5 minutesand /orty eight se+onds /rom the #eginning o/ the trans+ript2 Further the solo +horus and male

/emale singing have also #een attempted to #e identi/ied -ith ea+h song2 In/ortunately at this

stage am in no position to identi/y individual singers o/ ea+h o/ these songs given the time

+onstrain -ithin -hi+h am re6uired to present this paper and almost a near a#sen+e o/ relia#le

supporting literature on the trans+ript2 Qet in /uture this handi+ap -ill +ertainly #e removed2

30: This is merely a /un+tional translation o/ the original Sansrit te5t2 t may vary in -ord -ise

a++ura+y #ut the meaning more or less remains the same231: #urga Sa'tashati Geeta Press Gorahpur 19912 P21&!2

3%: #id Pp230


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3!: Pran eville Tri#uteZZ Golden *raZs 'elody 'anZZ Spe+trum the Sunday Tribune &th 'ay

%002

37: ^uoted /rom the Telegra'h Kolata dated 9th.anuary %011

3&: For /ive years sin+e its in+eption the musi+al -as +alled Basantesari; n this version the

Chandi'ath-as done #y $ani Kumar himsel/ -hile $hadra narrated the prose and ,ai "hand

$oral s+ored the musi+2 n the revisedMahishasurmardini edition the verses and the narrative

-ere done #y $irndra Krishna $hadra and the musi+ -as s+ored #y Pana) 'ulli+2 .hilmil

'uher)ee Pandey >Spirit o/ 'ahalaya /or &0 Qears@ Times "it The Times of India,Kolata

1thE+t %01%2

39: De#aleena Sengupta >the voi+e +arries on@Business Standard Kolata % Sept %0112

40: #id2

41: #id2

4%: As the +ultural se+retary Sri Sri Sar#a)anin Durga Pu)a "ommittee Delhi Administration Flats

Timarpur Delhi +arry the responsi#ility o/ onstage an+horing and present a #ou6uet o/

"ultural programmes on the days o/Mahashasti, Mahasa'tami, Mahaashtmi andMahanavmi

#et-een &pm and 10230pm2 t in+ludes songs dan+es one a+t plays et+2 From 10230 on-ards-e o//er the stage to pro/essional artists -ho +ome to per/orm o/ +ourse against /ees mostly

/rom Kolata and also /rom 'um#ai2 These programmes in+lude or+hestra magi+ sho-

puppet sho- >dha +ompetitionZZ dan+e drama et+2 The "ommittee also +ondu+ts inhaathe haadi #hanga@ n a #lind/olded state one re6uires to #rea

an earthen pot using a sti+: et+2

43: Although am a non


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my -ay o/ paying tri#ute to my #rother Dr Anil Kumar Singh -ho is no longer -ith us2

44: Supratim Sanyal---2-ashington#anglaradio2+om2Post dated 10thApril %0102

San+ay %umar is /ssistant Professor of History at Shyam !al College, 2niversity of #elhi;
http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/


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Lieral Indi!idualis" in t'e *arl% $areer of Mt(al utt and Nationalis" in

t'e +/ilig't of 5"ritalal Basus Life# 5


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its Ara#i+ origin -hi+h is gassa# -hi+h means to +ut or slit: #ut su+h +on/usion pro#a#ly no-

+hara+terises a large tra+t o/ our historiography these days2

First o/ all let us /or-ard t-o o#servations a#out -ncore= this story +olle+tion spe+i/i+ally tells us alot a#out the li#eral individualism -hi+h -as /or-arded as a re#u// to nationalism #y a segment o/

$engali intelligentsia most nota#ly led #y Tagore in early days and in the post


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That these stories -ere pu#lished in A$P /lagship#eshis signi/i+ant let us repeat2 There -ere and

still are: t-o main #ul-ars -oring against a politi+al +onsolidation o/ the $engali people throughout

our history o/ last hundred years= one -as a li#eral universal humanist individualist thought +urrentthe other -as a ;est


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/or Amritalal #ut is a part o/ the so+io


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These memoirs o/ Amritalal do not aim to #e historiography #ut they nonetheless o//er interesting

glimpses /rom the maing o/ the nationalist +ons+iousness in nineteenth +entury $engal2 (e suggests

that the root o/ $anims $onde 'atorom ande 'ataram: -as taen /rom the /irst line o/ a $engaliprimer long e5tin+t: titled Shishubodho 39:2 As Amritalal humorously re+ords in one in+ident a

$ritish -hile dying in Kolata +ommits his /inal prayer as /ollo-s >(eaven tae my soul and "al+utta

eep my #ones@ 49: -hi+h is an interesting illustration o/ the -hite mans asso+iation -ith the +olony2

Amritalal +alls the pu#li+ stage o/ his times the >demo+rati+ stage@ a/ter Shishir Ghosh -ho -as highly

pleased -hen he heard that Amritalals theatre +ompany +alled itsel/ ational Theatre Amritalal in

his o#ituary o/ Shishir Ghosh said= >(e -as a +omplete $engali@ 99:2 The same adage applies a#out

Amritalal2 (e too -as a +omplete $engali2

This is interesting to note that #oth nationalism and le/t


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'orai $'arita anas# 5 ou"entation of Hand'ian %t' and Indian

reedo" o!e"ent

Sa(tars'i ait%

Inparalleled $engali novelist Satinath $haduriZs one o/ the greatest +reations is [Dhorai

"harita 'anasZ2 The novel +aptures the li/e struggle o/ a +ommon person named [DhoraiZ

-ho #elonged to Tatma Tri#e 2 The novelist used t-o popular myths named [Gandhian 'yth[

and ,amayanaZs 'yth in an intri+ate -ay2 *ven Dhorai had a golden opportunity to meet

-ith 'ahatma Gandhi 2 The novelist depi+ts the real vision o/ on "o


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[,ampiyariZ i2e2 ,amia #ut she #etrayed him2 Dhorai departed his #irth pla+e Tatmatuli and

+ame to Koeritola 2 (ere a -ido- -oman named Sagia supported Dhorai in his struggle2

,o)a ,o)gar and ,amayana are the three main li/e


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"hairman o/ Distri+t $oard diso#eying the order o/ "ongress (igh "ommand2 'ahatma Gandhi

himsel/ promised that he -ould usher in the so +alled [,ama ,a)yaZ2 $ut the ideal o/ ,ama

,a)ya soon revealed itsel/ to #e nothing #ut a utopian +on+ept2 ,ural ndia -as in/luen+ed verymu+h #y GandhiZs -ords2 The +ommon people parti+ularly the Tatma tri#al people o/ $ihar

thought that Gandhi)i -as the [AvatarZ o/ ,ama+handra o/ Ramayana and he himsel/ +ould

+reate a ne- era o/ truth and )usti+e in Kali Quga2 They de/ined the meaning and signi/i+an+e

o/ Satyagraha in their o-n -ay2

;hen a gang o/ [volunteersZ o/ "ongress used to +ome in Koeritola to +ampaign /or the

Sayagraha movement the lo+al tri#al and rural people thought that it -as /ar more interesting

a thing than the usual stu// o/ their o-n /estivals /or e5ample the /amous [,am helia Dan+eZ o/

their o-n +ulture2 *ven Dhorai did not understand the meaning o/ [SatiagiraZ i2e2 the

Satyagraha2 $ut all the people in+luding Dhorai -ere mesmeriHed #y the magi+al attra+tion o/

Gandhi2 Dhorai -anted to devote himsel/ as a soldier o/ the [,aghupati o/ KaiyugaZ i2e2

Gandhi2

Gandhi -rote in [Qoung ndiaZ that i/ he had the opportunity o/ re#irth he -ould pre/er to

#e #orn in the su#altern +lass and he -ould try his #est to serve these so+ially and

e+onomi+ally distressed people2 This -as his dream2#horai Charita Manas +hroni+les a mi+ro8iterature

is a vital re+ord o/ -hat men have seen in li/e -hat they have e5perien+ed o/ it -hat they

have thought and /elt a#out those aspe+ts o/ it -hi+h have the most immediate and enduring

interest /or all o/ us2 t is thus /undamentally an e5pression o/ li/e through the medium o/

language2@

This +omment is appli+a#le /or Satinath $haduriZs novel2 The authorZs attitude to-ards li/e is

a#solutely lie that o/ a painter to-ards a human lands+ape2 (e painted the +hara+ter o/ Dhorai as

a representative o/ su#altern so+iety2 Satinath $haduri himsel/ -as a mem#er o/ "ongress Party2(e devoted himsel/ to so+ial -ors organiHed sava


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+entri+ system:2 (e #elieved in the po-er o/ +ommon people and true grass


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Seeing, Be%ond Seeing# oetr% of o!e"ent and o!e"ent of oetr%

eanan as

Poetry has an intri+ate relationship -ith movement2 (ere -e tae movement in the sense o/ s-ing

vi#ration dis+ussion2228et us turn #a+ to the /eeling that +omes a/ter reading poetry2 Do -enot /ind

that s-ing or vi#ration? ;hat +an #e the out+ome o/ reading a poem other than s-ing and vi#ration?

And i/ -e +lari/y our thining < poetry so+iety movement < i/ these three have to #e #rought to

dis+ourse then ho- do -e pro+eed to evaluate their interrelationships?

First let us +ome to poetry2 Any medium o/ art is lia#le to /a+e attempts o/ de/inition2 This attempt is

perhaps normal in any logi+al dis+ussion2 $ut -henever any su#)et is de/ined it is delimited2 And thenpoetry till date is devoid o/ any rational or universal de/inition2 / -e loo at the poeti+ pra5is in -orld

history -e may /rame an outline perhaps may even say -hat poetry is not #ut -e +annot /ind a /i5ed

de/inition2 Still -henever a poet has turned auto+rat disregarding traditions he has /a+ed oppositions2

These le/t poets largely una//e+ted2 And -henever someone -rote -hat he thought -ere poems he

thought o/ himsel/ as a poet2 (e -as a#le to ignore those -ho opposed him2 Did the poet en)oy this

li+ense #e+ause as a medium poetry is /ar more personal?

/ -e have to ans-er in a -ord < yes as artisti+ e5pression poetry is /ar more personal2 En the otherhand sin+e poetry has an inde/inite de/inition it has a proportionate mystery2 have already said that

poetry has no /i5ed de/inition2 $ut there is an understanding #et-een the poet and reader a#out poetry2

The understanding on the #asis o/ -hi+h the reader reads the te5t and arrives at the realiHation -hether

it has #een poetry or not2 o- even this understanding is not -ell /i5ed2 ;hat the poet -anted to -rite

is not liely to rea+h the reader #e+ause the author is dead2 So -hat is the ground #eneath that

understanding? / -e +annot dire+t our en6ui

Journal of Bengali Studies, Vol.3 No.1

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Transcript of Journal of Bengali Studies, Vol.3 No.1