Offering a kaleidoscope of writing from the 15th century to the present, this book is a wonderful window into the concerns, thought, culture and philosophy that details Odia literary writing. The book is divided into many sections: Poetry, which is again sub divided into poems from different languages of the region including Santali, Sanskrit and Odia of course, and Plays, Short Stories, and Essays.
Of course the book features a plethora of writers and the translators who have made their work accessible for us in English. As Editor, Dash has been clever in his selection, picking writings of different flavours, and subjects that engage people at different levels. One imagines a lot of vernacular literature to stem from angst that cannot be articulated except in writing. But here is a platter of delights that range from the sombre to the funny, from the descriptive and poetic to sharply satirical.
The very first offering in the book, which begins with poetry is a deft translation by Dash himself of the 15th century poet, Sarla Dasa’s Bhisma’s counsel to Yudhisthira. ( Though sadly the title reads Bhima instead of Bhishma ). Much of the advice giving in pithy sentences of free verse, could hold good for those who rule countries and industry houses today.
‘Go and rule the kindgom and observe the rule of law
Earth does not bear those who commit injustice for long.’
The advice covers the percentage of taxes to be taken from citizens, and extends to how elephants, and their mahouts should be treated. Mythology gives way to pure description in a poem by Radhanath Ray (1848-1908 ) titled Adornment
Particularly touching are the poems on Uddham Singh by Radhamohan Gadhanayak which compares his anger and need for avenging the Jallianwala Bagh attack with the anger of Draupadi at being insulted in open court, when he swears,
‘I will never wipe clean these hands of mine
Let them lie unwashed like this…’
And there is Konark which pens an elegy for the faceless, nameless builders of temples and monuments and palaces of the rich and powerful. Sachdananda Routray returns after viewing the voluptuous sculptures, ‘with a heavy heart, hurt’ seeing ‘under those stones/ Countless hearts of artisans/ Silenced and buried.’ Powerful work indeed. Poems from the other languages of Odisha are equally expressive, and Dash includes a fragment from the well known Geeta Govindam of Sri Jayadeva, from the acclaimed translation by Mani Rao. Twenty-one love poems from tribal languages translated by Sitakant Mahapatra also deserve acknowledgement and thanks to this book have been preserved for posterity.
The short story section offers up its own delights. Hidden in these gems are arrows that pierce the greed and culpability of man. Bewailing Flesh by Kalindi Charan Panigrahi is about the friendship between a dog and a black buck owned by a zamindar and has a poignant ending. Satire mocks us in Faturchand’s Birth Anniversary of Meher at a Medical College, where a patient squirming in agony is forced to preside over and listen to the laudatory speeches at a college function, before he is carried away for treatment. Space being restricted, enough to say that every story holds a mirror to society and is worth reading.
Two plays and a series of essays complete the book. The essays offer insights into the customs, beliefs, and culture of the people of Odisha. Enough to say this is a valuable book. And hopefully part of a series that will cover the literature of every state, to allow cross pollination of cultures across India’s multi-language speakers.