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Introduction
: The history of Bengali Literature is about a
millennium
old. The salient features of the Bengalis' philosophy,
thinking and a trend of their serial changes can be traced out through
this. History rolls on the wheels of time,
space and beings. The origin of Bengali language is
Sanskrit. With the passage of time, the Bengali language was
born
peeling off the clusters of Prakrit Apabhrangsa at about
10th century A.D. Since then, the language has been
flowing incessantly through several permutations and combinations
till date. From the historical perspective of linguistic
changes, the Bengali language can be classified into 3 categories.
Firstly, the ancient Bengali language ranging from 10th
century – 12th century A.D. Then came the mediaeval Bengali
language which ranged till the mid-18th century. The next
and ultimate phase of Bengali language took off from the
second half of the nineteenth century.
Charja Geetikosh
(Charja Charja Vinischaya) :
'Charja-Charja Vinischaya' is regarded not as entire Eastern India's first book in the new
language that had evolved. The erudite scholar Sir Haraprasad Shastri discovered this
manuscript in 1907 A.D. from the royal-court of Nepal. This
was written in ancient Bengali language and Nepali alphabets.
The Bengali language used here is of course not the modern
language that is in vogue nowadays. The language, here,
is symbolic and cryptic. Its connotation could be understood
with the aid of a Sanskrit short note which was appended
with it. The person who compiled the short note was Muni
Dutta. In due course of time, Dr. Prabodh Chandra Bagchi
discovered a Tibetan edition of this book which could be
deciphered with the help of the Sanskrit short note. Some
days ago, Dr. Sashi Bhusan Dasgupta discovered more manuscripts
on 'Charja' from the Nepal and Tarai regions. In 1916, 'Bangiya
Sahitya
Parishad' published a collection entitled 'Buddhist songs
and Doha in a millennium old Bengali Language' from the
discovered 'Charja' songs.
They had composed the Padas or verses in a symbolic language and
adopted mysterious devices in order to protect and preserve the cryptic religious
practice of the Sahajiya Buddhists from the clutches of
the fanatics of other communities, especially the Brahmins.
The language used here was 'Sandhya' which was inscrutable
like the dwindling of light
and shade at dusk. The pivotal aim of the Buddhists, was
to find out the ways to lead a pious life, which would safeguard
man from the wanton woes of everyday life and the misery
of rebirth. It is written symbolically in these 'Charja
Padas' about the basic tenets of life and the ways to lead
a virtuous life. These Charja Padas not only reflect the philosophical and
spiritual aspects but also the mysterious and symbolic imagery
of modern Bengali poetry.
Vaishnava Literature :
After the Charja Padas, there is no trace of worthwhile Bengali
literature
for a long time. The Vaishnava literature is conspicuously divided
into two categories viz. pre-Chaitanya Vaishnava literature
and post-Chaitanya Vaishnava literature. The Vaishnava 'Padas'
or articles based on mythologies can be traced out betwixt
10th – 12th century A.D. The branch of Vaishnava
literature
which is centered around Lord Krishna has a far-reaching
effect. Divine love (Sringar Rasa) is expressed
through Radha & Krishna typifying the eternal motif of man
and woman.
The Vaishnava literature is composed on the relationship
of Lord Krishna and Radha - the various shades of their love and languishment.
The typically Indian religious fervour and the romantic
hue can be found in Vaishnava literature. Vaishnava
literature before Sri Chaitanya was pre-eminently erotic.
They were steeped with physical desire and sensuousness.
But the post-Chaitanya literature is more matured with
the sombre mood and philosophical thinking as it was
written after the life and philosophy of Sri Chaitanya.
The first 'Pada' composer in Vaishnava literature was
Joydev. In spite of his 'Geeta Govindama' being composed
in Sanskrit, the later Bengali Vaishnava Literature remains
indebted to it. Besides, the names of Vidyapati, Chandidas,
Jnanadas also deserve mention in this regard.
Translatory Literature
:
Another important aspect of mediaeval Bengali literature
is transliteration. The Bengali translation of ancient
literature started taking place from 15th century onwards. The Bengali
translation of 'The Ramayana' and 'The Mahabharata' for
instance, are worth
mentioning. But the translators have never followed the original
book in toto. They have imbibed personal thinking and blended
their own creativity with the original text. Krittibas Ojha
of Phoolia has the credit of translating The Ramayana
and The Mahabharata into Bengali for the first time. His Ramayana
'Panchali' or doggerels had earned immense popularity
at that time.
During this time, The Mahabharata was also translated simultaneously
with The Ramayana. Kashiram Das was the chief translator
of The Mahabharata. Several persons had translated The
Mahabharata before Kashiram. But none of them attained
as much of popularity as Kashiram Das. However, 2 more translators
had also done commendable translation of this epic. They are Kavindra
Parameshwar and Srikar Nandi.
In the mediaeval age, the Sanskrit mythologies were also
translated along with The Ramayana and The Mahabharata.
Maladhar Basu had translated The Bhagavad Purana and his
translatory book is entitled 'Sri Krishna Vishaya'.
Mangal Kavya :
A salient feature of the mediaeval Bengali literature is 'Mangal
Kavya'. From the 15th century to 18th century A.D. and even much later, the
Mangal Kavyas were regularly composed.
The impact of Mangal Kavyas has been conspicuously felt
in Bengal. Even today, the songs of Mangal Kavyas can be
heard in many rural areas of Bengal during the religious
festivals. Mangal Kavyas are odes dedicated to Gods
and Goddesses to sing their grace. Some think that Mangal
Kavyas have been so named because they start on Tuesday
and conclude the next Tuesday. Many of these deities are
not of Aryan clan. These are rural deities. Man turns to
God when he is in distress. The origin
of the deities in Mangal Kavya was due to the inherent
fear of the common man ament to danger and distress.
These deities were worshipped by men in order to protect
themselves from fierce animals and snakes. Apart from these,
many Mangal Kavyas were composed with the prayer for divine
intervention to save them from the Pathan onslaughts and tyranny.
With the exception of a few deities, most of them were
inexorable
and were hellbent to receive the 'Puja' or 'worship' from
the common man by hook or crook. Towards the concluding phase
of Mangal Kavyas, as in 'Annada Mangal' by Bharat Chandra,
the Goddess is found to be more motherly and forbearing.
Notable among the Mangal Kavyas were 'Manasha Mangal', 'Dharma Mangal',
'Chandi Mangal', 'Annada Mangal', 'Kalika
Mangal', 'Durga Mangal', etc. The eminent authors of 'Mangal
Kavyas were Bijoy Gupta, Bipra Das, Piplai, Bharat Chandra,
Balaram Chakraborty etc.
Shivayana :
The verses which were composed on Lord Shiva simultaneously
with the 'Mangal Kavyas' have come to be known as 'Shivayana'.
This Shiva was not the meditating, austere monarch of Mt.
Kailash. He was rather human and the linchpin of
the farmer community. His attitude is also like a farmer.
He was mainly worshipped by the farmer community.
Nath Literature :
The mediaeval Bengali literature is marked by
several spiritual and religious dogmas. The major notable
religious sects were the Shaktas, the Shaivas, the Buddhists
and the Vaishnavas. Behind this was the influence of the stupendous
Dravidian culture. The Shaiva-Nath community still exist
in Bengal. They are popularly known as Dugis. On the basis
of their religion, activities and rituals, many
folk-songs, doggerels and odes have been
composed. They are invaluable in the history of literature.
The songs of Gopi Chandra, Goraksha Bijay etc. are notable
examples in this regard. Once upon a time,
a particular community could control their respiratory process
by dint of yoga and pranayam. They could convert their
material bodies of flesh and blood into spiritual divine medium.
Their motto was to attain 'moksha' through severe penances.
Their idol was Lord Shiva. His disciple was Mana Nath
who in turn initiated Gorakh Nath as his disciple. Gorakh
Nath and his activities constitute the central theme of 'Nath-Literature'.
Gorakh Nath was popular all over India for his extra-ordinary
character. He was even more worshipped and adored than Lord
Shiva. So, the followers of 'Nath community' are also known
to be followers of Gorakh Nath. In the Nath religion, we find
nine gurus. The Buddhist Tantriks used to worship these
nine gurus alongwith their eighty four Siddhacharyas. Many
stories are centered around Gorakh Nath. Many people believe
that Gorakh Nath existed in reality. He might have appeared
at any time between 8th century to 14th century A.D. The
notable authors of Nath literature were Shaikh Faizullah,
Bheem Sen etc.
The mediaeval Muslim Poets :
The best known Muslim poets in the 17th century were Daulat
Kazi and Sayeed Ala-Ul. These two Muslim poets introduced
romanticism in their works at a time when mediaeval poetic literature
was fundamentally religious and based on deities, demons
and spiritual aspects. At that
time, the poetry of human love and languishment was not
happening in Bengali literature. It was incomprehensible that
the amorous affairs of ordinary human beings could be topics
for literature. The romantic poems of Daulat
Kazi viz. 'Hore Chandrani' or 'Sati Moina' are worth
mentioning. A Hindu poet
named Miyan Sadhan had written a book of poems named 'Miyan
ki Sath' in rustic Hindi language. Following this book,
Daulat Kazi wrote 'Sati Moina'. But he expired after composing
two-third of the poem. After his demise, Sayeed Ala-Ul completed
the poem. He was more popular than Daulat Kazi especially
among the Muslims. This is because he had translated many
Islamic religious texts from original Arabic and Persian
languages. The transliteration was as follows :
1. Saiful Mulk – Badi-Ujjamal (1658 – 70 A.D.)
2. Sapta Parkar (1660 A.D.)
3. Tohfa (1663 – 69 A.D.)
4. Secunder Nama (1672 A.D.)
These poems did not get much publicity in the Hindu society.
But its famous transliteration was 'Padmavati' (approx. 1646
A.D.). This poem has been edited and printed several times
even in modern times. Sayeed Ala-Ul will be remembered in
the history of Bengali literature for his classic poem 'Padmavati'.
Shakta Padavali :
'Shakta-Padavali' was a renowned stream of poetry distinctive
in its own appeal. Shakti means Kali. The songs which have
been composed with Goddess Kali as the linchpin, have come
to be known as the Shakta songs. However, in the days of
yore, they were known as 'Malsi'. It is probable that they
had derived such name from the 'Mala-vashri Raaga' in which
they were sung. From the remote antiquity, the 'Tantra'
form of religion has been practised in this country. The composers of
'Shakta-Padavali'
have begged for the boons of money, affluence and security
from the Mother Goddess. Its main ingredients have been
compiled from 'Kalika Purana' as well as the 'Markendeya
Purana'. Some of the songs of the 'Shakta Padavali' have
been composed on the frolics of the child Kumara and on the
accounts of Hara-Parvati (Lord Shiva and his consort). Some songs were even composed
on the festival of 'Durga Puja'. The central theme of 'Vaishnava-Padavali'
i.e. eroticism and sensuousness have gradually transformed
into a religious theme and fervour. Ram Prasad
Sen was its main composer. He wrote two books named 'Kali
Kirtana' and 'Krishna Kirtana'. He was also known to be
the author of 'Kalika Mangal'. He had printed about 300
Padavalis. A poet of his caliber is rarely found in the
Bengali 'Sakta Literature'. Another eminent poet of this
stream of literature was Kamala Kanta. He had earned great
fame and reputation.
Baul Literature :
Another important stream of literature during the 18th – 19th
century A.D. was Baul literature. The Baul community did not
compose songs merely for the sake of literature. These songs
were part and parcel of their religious practice. They believe
that every human heart is the dwelling place of his/her
sweetheart. The Bauls try to feel the presence of that
sweetheart physically and mentally through their religious
norms and practices. The Bauls have revealed the profound truths
and deep philosophies of life through various examples and
imageries in their songs. Lalan Fakir is one
of the greatest exponents of the Baul cult. He is primarily
regarded for his reverence, poetic panache and secular outlook.
Even Rabindranath Tagore was influenced by his songs.
Recently, the Calcutta University has published a voluminous book
on him. The Dacca Bengali Academy has also brought out an
entire collection of Lalan's songs which have been found
out till date. Lalan's sepulchre lies in the village of Cheuria.
The followers of his cult and his disciples still remain
there. They live, dream and breathe Lalan's songs and forget
the worries of life.
Another famous Baul was Panchu Shah. His compositions are
rich in poetic fervour. Despite being an ardent Muslim, his compositions
never reveal the faintest ray of communalism or fanaticism.
Geetika :
'Geetika' is another aspect of Bengali folk literature.
The pre-eminent compositions in this stream are 'Maimansingha
Geetika' and 'Purba Banga Geetika'. Sir Dinesh Chandra Sen
of the Calcutta University had edited it and wrote a preamble
to it. En masse, 'Maiman Singha Purba Banga Geetika' had
been published in four volumes. From the perspective of
traditional folk literature, it has an immense value. Among
all the Geetikas, those based on amorous affairs of man and
woman deserve special mention. Of these, the play 'Mahua'
is of utmost importance. The poets or composers of 'Mahua'
were neither erudite scholars nor high brows. Most of them
came from the farmer community. So their writings manifest the simple, pure and unsophisticated
life-style of the ruralites instead of the gorgeous and plushy
life-style of the educated elites.
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