A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

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Classic BAANBHATT KI ATMAKATHA Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Translated Abram by Glory and victory be to the dust particles at the feet of the Threeeyed 1 That adorn the forehead of Baanasur, Kiss the circle of the crest-jewels of the ten-headed Raavan; sleep upon the heads of gods and demons alike And above all, shred to smithereens mundane manacles. Although I am famous by the name of Baanbhatt, it is not really mine. Far better, if they knew no history of this name. I have sedulously tried to keep the public unaware of this genealogy; but owing to various reasons I am not now able to let it remain veiled. My shame bursts solely from the fact that this my story is a stigma on the fair fame of that illustrious Vatsyayan clan I was born into. Advanced scholars of the Vedas jostled in the homes of my father and grandfather and grand-uncles. Even the parrots and starlings of their household could pronounce the incantations perfectly well; and although people may treat it as hyperbolical, the stark truth is that my ancestors’ students were in regular awe of their birds and parrots. From verse to verse they improved upon their faulty recitations. The houses of my forefathers forever were in smoke coming from yagyas and votive offerings. But all this is the story I heard. I have myself seen my father, Chitrabhanu-Bhatt. If I say that Saraswati 2 herself making a descent used to soak up the strings of sweat produced at the time of his offering libation with her fresh leaf-like palms, then there may be no exaggeration. 28 :: January-March 2012
For, when father having been engaged in consigning oblations to the fire from dawn to a bit more than one hour and a half of the sunrise got up drenched with perspiration, he would straight make for the small mat made of sacrificial grass to sit on. This was his repose. At this very time while he was supervising the students’ study of initiation in the Vedas, the sweat of strain dried up. What whould I call it more than sponging of sweat strings with the hands of Saraswati? I was the son of such a father—learned, virtuous, and doing what was enjoined— myself a congenital gossip, vagabond, woolgathering fellow, and wanderer. When I had run away from home, I induced and enticed a good many striplings of my village to follow me. They did not stick to me till the end, still I had earned a bad name in the village. In the dialect of Magadh an ox shorn of tail is dubbed ‘Bund’. There this saying has gained currency that a ‘Bund’ has not only his own egress, but also an escape with tether and other accessories. Thus, they began nicknaming me ‘Bund’. Subsequently, with some ritualistic cultivation through the Sanskrit word ‘Baan’ (arrow) I retrieved this name. The ‘Bhatt’ was affixed much later. By the way, my real name was ‘Daksh’ (erudite). Lately, there has been a hightide of love and respect among the public towards me. If they so like. they may turn it to Dakshbhatt. Very skilfully have I preserved this name elsewhere. I shall tell its tale now. My father had eleven brothers. I did not see all of them. One of my cousins was called Urupati. In point of age he was much senior, but he dealt with me at par. He was a famous logician of the period. It was he that worsted the Buddhist mendicant, Vasubhuti in a scriptural debate. His erudition and character had no little spell on Maharaja Harshwardhan, who on a sudden leaned towards the Vedic faith. None in my family had for me the affection that they had for Urupati Bhatt. He has saved me from many a misdeed. I shall dwell on him in reference at a proper place. Here this will suffice that when at fourteen I lost my father—mother had predeceased him much earlier—this very Urupatibhatt soaked me with that hearty concern and affection which was my mother’s. But I must not start this story with sobs for my sad luck. I start it with the advent of my well-being. If at all tales of misfortune may intrude at times, the readers of this narrative are called upon not to think more of them. A vagrant was I, indeed. From town to town, from any habitation to any countryside I bootlessly roamed and loitered for years. During this aimless wayfaring what all did I do? I was an acrobat sometimes, sometimes I showed the dance of marionettes; at times I organized a dramatic concert, at times hoodwinked the habitats by playing a folksinger. In brief, I left no occupation January-March 2012 :: 29
Page 1 and 2: A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarra
Page 3 and 4: L A N G U A G E DISCOURSE W R I T I
Page 5 and 6: Editor's Note ‘Hindi’ is primar
Page 7 and 8: Heritage EK TOKRI BHAR MITTI Madhav
Page 9 and 10: Discourse THE IMPORTANCE OF MADHAV
Page 11 and 12: nationalism into literature; societ
Page 13 and 14: 1. History of India, and other coun
Page 15 and 16: anch of knowledge— natural and so
Page 17 and 18: country, growing indignation at the
Page 19 and 20: the consciousness of the colonized
Page 21 and 22: and we rise above religious dogma,
Page 23 and 24: forces of liberty and patriotism tr
Page 25 and 26: his thoughts boldly, without fear.T
Page 27: characteristics of the age in which
Page 31 and 32: and panegyrists going and singing p
Page 33 and 34: I burst forth, ‘‘Aha, Niuniya!
Page 35 and 36: aid. The flower was punished forthw
Page 37 and 38: years in this guileful world I roam
Page 39 and 40: form. Now, once again there was a s
Page 41 and 42: Discourse LIFE AND IDEALS OF PREMCH
Page 43 and 44: and the train also arrived, but cou
Page 45 and 46: Discourse THE CONCEPT OF INDIANNESS
Page 47 and 48: of first novel goes to the Genji Mo
Page 49 and 50: untouchable boy. The boy is from
Page 51 and 52: eligious leaders. Premchand in his
Page 53 and 54: · Partition of India and growth of
Page 55 and 56: 2) Ghar ki Raah, Indra Basawada, Sa
Page 57 and 58: Sahai, Nagendra, Bhagwat Sharan Upa
Page 59 and 60: two women (Rekha and Gaura) simulta
Page 61 and 62: significant. Since real aspects lik
Page 63 and 64: Another very major challenge that e
Page 65 and 66: students of Dacca University had ta
Page 67 and 68: Culture THE BHARATNATYAM HERITAGE I
Page 69 and 70: and her husband also migrated to Ho
Page 71 and 72: for her has been the one at Chidamb
Page 73 and 74: long years? Pallav—Did it reflect
Page 75 and 76: publicising myself and my writing b
Page 77 and 78: Short Story BUDHIA Ramvriksha Benip
Page 79 and 80:
find her carrying loads of grass on
Page 81 and 82:
pat the other’s back, and with he
Page 83 and 84:
tea break, it would also be a break
Page 85 and 86:
There was a mouth organ in Raka Mas
Page 87 and 88:
He was watching me in a strange man
Page 89 and 90:
and bowed before the engine. I saw
Page 91 and 92:
Climbing down the slope, that girl
Page 93 and 94:
filled their buckets without saying
Page 95 and 96:
clamp of the sounds is gripping him
Page 97 and 98:
The speaker fell silent all at once
Page 99 and 100:
That day, he came down from the off
Page 101 and 102:
sizes of boats of their respective
Page 103 and 104:
in the night?’ ’Yes, you take i
Page 105 and 106:
sound coming from all the flats. He
Page 107 and 108:
got up and came in the balcony. A d
Page 109 and 110:
“Who’s playing on the piano, Nu
Page 111 and 112:
“No, none-none that I know of. Sa
Page 113 and 114:
you are three years older than me.
Page 115 and 116:
He thinks we are fools and will nev
Page 117 and 118:
“Good evening. You may take this
Page 119 and 120:
I want to make sure that everything
Page 121 and 122:
When I went to meet the sisters thr
Page 123 and 124:
do not want to starve to death befo
Page 125 and 126:
admired and appreciated. In the 70s
Page 127 and 128:
there, Nishant invited all of us to
Page 129 and 130:
Short Story MANTO IN MY DREAM Musha
Page 131 and 132:
such scenes on TV screen happening
Page 133 and 134:
Discourse WOMEN’S LIBERATION : UT
Page 135 and 136:
woman is repeatedly beaten up, be c
Page 137 and 138:
to an extent, altered it, and allow
Page 139 and 140:
liberation from this ‘gender’.
Page 141 and 142:
at several levels. Instances of vis
Page 143 and 144:
of women’s emancipation will real
Page 145 and 146:
Pursuing rigidly, A fixed desire. I
Page 147 and 148:
Poetry FIVE POEMS Chandrakant Deota
Page 149 and 150:
Why spurn their appeal hidden in, M
Page 151 and 152:
IN A CONFLICTING WORLD Far…far be
Page 153 and 154:
And make it a part of our very bein
Page 155 and 156:
The warning bell does not ring once
Page 157 and 158:
The cremation ground too became sad
Page 159 and 160:
them. The author belongs to an army
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A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

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