History of Bengali Language and Literature c7.s7: 5. Dharma Maṅgal-poems recast by the Brahmins

History of Bengali Language and Literature c7.s7

Language: English

5. Dharma Maṅgal-poems recast by the Brahmins

As I said before, these poems were originally written to glorify Dharma Ṭhākur who represented Buddha in the days of the degeneracy of Buddhism in Bengal. A wave of Hindu thought came surging upon the story, however, in later days, and the poems were transformed in such a manner that Buddhistic ideas fell into the lower stratum and the Paurāṇik spirit became prominent in them. The original conception is Buddhistic notwithstanding, and scholars are still able to trace it.

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Mayur Bhatta and other poets.

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The earliest poet who sang of Dharma Ṭhākur was Mayur Bhatta. To him encomiums and tributes of respect were paid by all subsequent writers on the subject. Next comes Rūpa Rām who is often called Ādi-Rūprām. Khellārām wrote his poem in 1527 A.D. and Sītārām Dās was probably his contemporary. Sītārām refers to the poem of Mayur Bhatta as having been partially lost or become obsolete during his time, which makes us suppose that Mayur Bhatta wrote in the 13th century or earlier. A manuscript of Dharmamaṅgal by Prabhu Rām secured by Babu Nagendra Nāth

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একে একে ভ্রমণ করিলাম দেশ দেশ।
দেখিনু দেবীর পূজা অশেষ বিশেষ
সপ্তগ্রাম দেখিলাম নাহি তার তুল।
চালে চালে ঠেকে লোক ভাগিরথী কুল।

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Vasu is 300 years old, so this poet also probably lived at the time when Khelārām and Sītārām were writing their poems.

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Mānik Gānguli’s poem has lately been pulished by the Vaṅgiya Sāhitya Pariṣat of Calcutta. He seems to have been the first amongst respectable Brāhmins who undertook to write a poem in honour of Dharma-Ṭhākur. As the subject was Buddhistic, he was naturally averse to taking it up, and in the preliminary account of himself, he speaks of the undertaking with evident diffidence and misgivings. Mānik Gānguli finished his work in 1547. His poem is a long one, being twice the size of ‘Paradise Lost.’

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We come next to the Dharma Maṅgal by Dwija Rāmachandra and Çyāma Dās. But by far the most popular writer of Dharmamaṅgal was Chakra-vartī Ghaṇarām who wrote in 1713 A.D. by order of Kṛiṣṇa Chandra, Rājā of Kṛiṣṇapur. The poet’s father’s name was Gauri Kānthe and his mother’s Sītā. The poem was published by Vaṅga-vāshī Press of Calcutta, some years ago.

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The poems known as Dharmamaṅgal are as a rule full of historical accounts which though distorted, throw light on some of the darker pages of our history before Muhammedan rule began. They have this interest, though we fail to see in most of them any great literary merit. Ghaṇarām was not, however, altogether without talents; occasionally only we come across vivid description of warfare, of the Darbār of Hindu kings, and of the wily stratagems of Mahudiyā which while suggesting incidents of the past history are, at the same time, full of genuine poetic animation. But the poem generally lacks in that interest which good poetry inspires in the mind of the readers. Those who do not specially seek for historical material will often find it dull and uninteresting. Here is a passage in which a wounded soldier—a sprightly young man Çākā—when on the point of death in the battle-field speaks to his brother Çiṅgādār.*

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" O brother Çiṅgādār, see what is the lot that was at last reserved for me! Woe is to me! I die in nocturnal fight, and at this last moment of life I cannot have a glimpse of my parents and friends. Here is the locket which I have always worn on my

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* শিঙ্গাদার ওরে ভাই এই ছিল আমার কপালে
নিশায় নিধন রণে, পিতা মাতা বন্ধুগণে
দেখিতে না পেনু শেষকালে।
গলার কবচ মোর, শিঙ্গাদার ধর ধর
দিহ মোর যেখানে জননী।
নিশান অঙ্গুরী লয়ে, ময়ূরার হাতে দিয়ে।
ক'য়ো তারে হ'লে অনাথিনী॥
তারে মোর মায়ের হাতে হাতে।
সঁপে সমাচার বলো, অকালে অভাগা ম'লো
অভাগিনী রাপে সাথে সাথে।
শুকার সুবর্ণ ছড়া, বাপেরও ঢাল খাড়া
সমর্পিয়ে সমাচার বলো।
রণে অকাতরে হয়ে, শত্রু শির সংহারিয়ে
সম্মুখ সমরে শাকা মলো।
কাণের কুণ্ডল ধর, শিঙ্গাদার তুমি পর
ছুরি তীরে তুষ বীরগণে।

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neck; take it and give it to my poor mother;—this ring is my last token, give it, please, to my wife Mayurā, and say to her ‘you have become a widow’; commend her to my mother's care and tell my mother that I die an untimely death, leaving my poor wife in her charge. Here are my father's sword and shield. My golden chain I leave to Sukā, tell him that dauntlessly fighting I killed a host of enemies, and die at last in the open field. Here are my ear-rings, O Ċiṅgādār—accept them, my brother, as my last gift and here my quiver full of arrows, which, please, distribute amongst my comrades.’ At these words both brothers wept, and the dying man spoke, again ‘tell my parents to bless me and forgive my faults, and offer my dying respect at their feet. How sorrowful am I that I could not see them again in life. Prematurely has their unfortunate son to bid them his last adue. My heart is pierced

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শুনি শোকে শিংগাদার, চক্ষে বহে জলধার,
বহে লোহ শাকার নয়নে।
কেঁদে কহে পুনর্ব্বার, অপরাধ অভাগার
খণ্ডাইতে মা বাপের পায়ে।
প্রণতি অসংখ্য বার, দেখা নাহি হলো আর
অল্পকালে অভাগা বিদায়।
মরমে রহিল শেল, হেন জন্ম বৃথা গেল
মুখে না বলিনু রাম নাম।
ব্রাহ্মণ বৈষ্ণব দেবা, জনক জননী সেবা,
না করিনু বিধি হইল বাম।”

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From Dharma Mangal, by Ghanarām, Canto, XXII.

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with remorse that my life has been spent in vain. I did not recite the name of Rām, nor did I offer prayers to the gods or worship Brāhmins and Vaiṣṇavas. I did not minister to the wants of my old parents. Surely Providence was against me."

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The worshipping of Brāhmins referred to in this speech of Ḍākā as if it were a highly meritorious act, for omitting which he became repentant at the hour of death, evidences how far the poems were Hinduised; in fact Dharma Ṭhākur is thrown into the back ground in these poems and in his place the goddess Chandī has become conspicuous. The poems in fact look like those belonging to the Ḍākta-Cult.

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But by far the best poem on Dharma Ṭhākur, though not so popular as Ghanarām's Dharma Maṅgal, is the one written by Sahadeva Chakravarti in 1740. This writer does not, like his predecessors, treat the subject of Lau Sen's heroic achievements. His poem has retained more Buddistic elements than any other work of the kind that we have come across. I give below a descriptive list of its cantos:—

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1. Hymns in praise of Dharma Ṭhākur, Bhagavatī, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, Chaitanya, Tārakeçvara, etc.

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2. Salutations offered to Jīva and other contemporary poets and to the author's parents.

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3. An account of creation, how Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Çiva came into existence. The marriage of Çiva. His agricultural operations in the field called Kāmadā. Chandī appears as a Vāgdinī woman in disguise. Çiva and Chandī catch fish. Çiva returns to Kailāsha with products of the harvest.

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4. Chandi asks Çiva questions on metaphysical points. They both reach the banks of the river Vallukā. Minanāth who was in the womb of a fish is endowed with wisdom on hearing the truths that fall from the lips of Çiva. Minanāth obtains Mahājñāna or supreme knowledge.

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5. Minanāth abuses Chandī. The curse of Chandī on Minanāth. Owing to the curse Minanāth falls into evil company at Kadali Pattan. The saint is transformed into a goat. He becomes himself again through the efforts of his disciple Gorakṣanāth.

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6. A meeting of the saints Kālipā, Haḍipa, Minanāth, Gorakṣanath and Chaurangi. Hymns in honour of Çiva and Chandī.

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7. Minanāth gets possession of a kingdom in Mahānada; the account of the origin of the dynasty of Sāgara; Çiva in the guise of a Doma worships Dharma in the town of Amarā. Bhumichandra the king of Amarā oppresses the Domas.

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8. The king is afflicted with white leprosy as a result of his wickedness. He is cured by worshipping Dharma Ṭhākur.

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9. Çridhara, son of Ramāi Pandit abuses Dharma. He is killed in Varaḍā Pattan for this act. Ramāi restores him to life.

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10. The Brahmins of Jājpur oppose Dharma-worship. Dharma appears in the field with his companions in the guise of Muhammadens in order to preserve his followers. Rājā Bhumichandra cuts off his own son's head as a sacrifice to Dharma. The Rājā then goes to heaven by the grace of Dharma.

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II. Rājā Hariç Chandra abuses Dharma. He goes to the forest with his queen and dies. The queen worships Dharma and the Rājā is restored to life. A son is born to them; they name him Lui Chandra. Dharma comes in the guise of a Brāhmin to try the Rājā. The Rājā kills his son Lui in order to feed the Brāhmin with his flesh. Dharma restores Lui to life.

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The subjects treated of in this poem strike us by their novelty. The saints Minanāth, Gorakṣnāth, Hāḍipā, and Kālipā had figured as great religious teachers of the masses immediately before the decadence of Buddhism in this country. The places Kadalipāttan, Sāradāpāttan, Amarā and Jājpur were, we suppose, associated in some way or other with important incidents relating to Dharma-worship. We have no historical information whatsoever as to the form in which Buddhism existed in this country and influenced the masses during the time of the Pāl Kings. The Rājās mentioned in the poem probably belonged to that dynasty. However crude and distorted the state in which we find these stories, there was, no doubt, some ground-work of fact on which they were based. When by the researches of scholars, we are put in possession of authentic accounts of later Buddhism, these stories, we venture to hope, may aid materially in unravelling the social history of Bengal at the period in question.

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Sahadeva writes for the people; his compositions are full of provincialisms; they are always to the point, and are very little affected by the influence of Sanskrit. As in style, so in subject, he shows an affinity to the Buddhistic school. While there are passages in his work which are full of poetry, he always uses plain homely similes taken from common objects.

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All the poems called Dharma Mangala which are treated of in this chapter, bear the stamp of the Paurāṇik Renaissance inspite of their Buddhistic ground-work. The writers wrote them in Sanskritic style and introduced into them thoughts and ideas which characterise the period of the revival of Hinduism and even the poem of Sahadeva Chakravarti which more than any other work of this class belongs to the people, is not without a touch of the predominant ideas of the time. The poems shew how Hindu ideals gradually rose to prominence; Buddhistic ways of thought being thrown in them, into the remote back-ground. It is for this reason that we have included these works in our review of literature belonging to the Paurāṇik Revival in Bengal.

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These poems belong to Paurāṇik revival.

Cites (1)

Dharma-maṅgal (Māṇik Rām Gāṅgulī) — Māṇik Rām Gāṅgulī 1615, Bengali