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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Debjaan

I have always held that Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay would have won the Nobel Prize for literature if he had had the good fortune to be born English or French or Spanish or even Russian: it was his misfortune that he was born a Bengali. Outside a very tiny circle of readers, his fame rests overwhelmingly on only one book, the Apu Trilogy beginning with Pather Panchali, immortalized in cinema by Satyajit Ray. He deserved much better. Aranyak, The Tale of the Forest, is certainly – to my knowledge, at least – one of a kind as a novel, and I hold it as one of the hundred greatest books I have ever read. His adventure saga for children of all ages, Chander Pahaar, The Mountain of the Moon, is likewise a gem of the finest cut: it still takes my breath away to think that any author could write so knowledgeably and evocatively about faraway places he had only read (and dreamt-) about. In Bengali, only Premendra Mitra’s Surjyo Kaandle Shona in the same genre can be placed on the same pedestal, and no Bengali writer, even with the internet at his disposal, has come close to equaling the feat in the last 20 years. So also Adorsho Hindu Hotel, which I encouraged my daughter to write about on her blog some time ago, and Ichhamati, and Ashani Sanket.

Now I have just finished reading and digesting Debjaan, another little novel of his, and I am filled with a sublime wonder. I had read it when I was a boy, but then, somehow, it didn’t make a very great impression: evidently I had to grow up a great deal before I could appreciate its true worth!

It is an adventure story spanning many worlds and many lifetimes. In one sense, it is cast in the mould of Lord of the Rings and Asimov’s Foundation series; at least, those who have read and loved those books would relish it most. What makes it unique is that it is unabashedly spiritual in tone and message, not merely carrying religious overtones like Lewis’ Narnia saga. Drawing from many Indian theological traditions, including the bhakti of the vaishnav and the advaita of the gnyana yogi (and blending them magnificently with many of the findings and speculations of 20th century science, such as distant galaxies beyond human vision and  supernovae and baby stars being born out of interstellar gas, and the possibility of intelligent life – though perhaps of a sort very different from the terrestrial – flourishing on many other planets, and that ‘reality’ could exist in many dimensions beyond those perceived by the human senses), it describes the soul’s journey through many worlds, many heavens, seeing the human drama unfolding with supra-human eyes, being reborn again and again, wading through all kinds of sin and depravity and yet struggling forever towards the light, pulled ever upwards by the all-conquering power of love, meeting incomprehensibly higher beings (gods/angels if you like), some of whom were human once – and all along trying, with ever greater understanding and still falling hopelessly short, to realize the Ultimate, the Absolute, both the alpha and the omega, from whom all things physical and mental arise and into whom they go back again, whom some call God, knowing whom is the only way to gain true freedom and joy and glory.

The Upanishad has been quoted here: adityavaranam purushang mahantam/ vedahametang tamaso parastat/ twameva viditwati mrityumeti/ nanya pantha vidyathe ayanayah (it is only by directly knowing the effulgent Being who stands beyond the darkness and the void that you can overcome Death: there is no other way). But I was also reminded of the medieval brajabuli poet Vidyapati writing in praise of the Supreme Lord of All: kata chaturanana mari mari jawata, na tuwa adi avasana/ tohe janami punah tohe samawata, saagar lahari samana (so many Creator Brahmas have been born from You who is without beginning and end, and died again, like waves on an infinite ocean…), and I remembered Emily Dickinson writing This world is not conclusion, a Species stands beyond/ Invisible as music, but positive, as sound/ ...To guess it puzzles scholars, to gain it men have borne/ Contempt of generations, and crucifixion, shown/ Faith slips, and laughs, and rallies/ Blushes, if any see/ Plucks at a twig of evidence, and asks a vane the way…

The book, I felt, and my daughter independently concurred, fills one with an ineffable sense of peace and confidence and cheerfulness. Once I allow the full possibility of the vastness of reality to pervade my mind, much ennui fades, much that I take seriously becomes trivial, and much terror begins to look silly. I wonder whether Professor Dumbledore had read the Gita, but he got it absolutely right at least twice: ‘Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?’ and ‘To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.’ Ekam satya, the truth is one, though maybe vipra bahudha vidanti, the wise sometimes call it by different names.

23 comments:

Rajdeep said...

A pity that no one except a few handful of Bengalis will read this book. I read it when I was a boy and was too immature to understand much at that time. Now unfotunately I do not have access to Bengali books.
I do carry a well thumbed Aranyak that my mother had bought for me many years ago.

Suvro Chatterjee said...

Thanks for commenting so promptly, Rajdeep. I don't despair, because I know some people are always looking for hidden gems. I could find no entry on Debjaan on doing a google search two days ago; now anyone who wants to look it up can at least find my blogpost! Soon, there might be a few more...

Nishant Kamath said...

Dear Sir,

I have heard of Aranyak and your review of Debjaan definitely makes me want to read it. But my fluency in English (at least when it comes to reading) is better than both Hindi and Bengali (I can just about manage in Bengali), as unfortunate as it might sound. But if there ever is a good translation of this book in English, I'll be sure to read it.

And thanks for suggesting the Foundation series. I read two or three of them and found them really interesting at different levels. I would surely like to read more science-fiction (not least because I am pursuing a course in one of the sciences).

Sincerely
Nishant.

sayantika said...

Dear Sir,
After reading your post, I am looking forward to grab a copy of Debjaan. I have loved the works of Bibhutibhushan ever since I read Chander Pahaar. I was so engrossed with the book that I couldn't sleep before finishing the book. Pather Panchali, I feel has much more in it than the film showed on screen. The descriptions contain touches of brilliance, like when he compares the flowing Ichhamati with Time, "Ichhamatir cholormi-chanchal swachho jolodhara ananta kalprabaher sathe palla diya choliteche," or when he ends the book with the pather debata coming and asking to go on because the road hasn't ended yet are masterstrokes. Aranyak is full of such descriptions, especially when the author paints the picture of Saraswati Kundi, and I even started maintaining a notebook and wrote down all those descriptions that struck me with awe. After that I read Dristipradip, Ashani Sanket, Adarsha Hindu Hotel, Bipiner Sansar and every time, I have wondered how he finds the beauty of the sublime in even trivial matters, like when he describes Apu and Durga looking for some wild fruits, he says that it is for these children that the goddess of the forests fills sweetness even in the fruits that grow on the roadside.
Yet, it is a pity that Bibhutibhushan remains confined only to a limited number of readers. I have often thought that there may be great authors who write different languages used only in small pockets of the world, and hence, they would remain unknown to us forever. I am fortunate that I am a Bengali, so I have, at least, not missed Bibhutibhushan's works.

Thanks and with regards,
Sayantika

Debarshi Saha said...

Respected Sir,

Warm regards.You have again re-introduced all of us to a great writer,looking out from a different set of eyes..eyes that really see,and not just look.To my mind,the greatest question in our lives is one that offers no easy/trivial answer..How can one be what one already is?Because,after all my reading..I have understood.."The idea that there is a goal is wrong.We are the goal,we are peace,we are Buddha."

How does one find the Buddha?..How does one embark on this journey and see it through to completion..a journey that promises to twist the very fabric of nature?..How does the ego become 'ego-less'?..And finally,how should one redeem one's Karma?..How does one let go of all duality?..

All these questions lead me forward in life..because,not finding an answer to them is the biggest loss of all time.If,as souls,we all have to go back to our source as the final destination..why not start now?

I trust a person like Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay..might speak to me through his novels..All souls who love God instinctively know one another and speak to others.

Yours obediently,
DEBARSHI.

Ankit said...

Sir,

How are you?

Sometimes I feel the same for the abol-tabol poems composed by Sukumar Ray.. I was reading the poems like "Kimbhut", "Hatgonona" to my daughter and realized it is so relevant for many of us.. I am not sure if you or the others feel likewise, but I have a feeling that if he was born English, then he might have got far greater recognition..

Regards
Ankit

Abhirup said...

Dear Sir,

While I have read the other works of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay that you have mentioned, as well as many of his short stories, I am afraid I have not read 'Debjan'. But now that you have recommended it so strongly, I will definitely borrow it from you the next time I go to Durgapur.

However, allow me to point out that there are at least a couple of other adventure novels in Bengali literature that deserve to be put at par with 'Chander Pahar' and 'Surjo Kaandle Shona'. They are 'Jokher Dhon' by Hemendrakumar Roy, and 'Surjonagarir Guptodhan' by the same author. They are less epic in scope than Premendra Mitra's novel, I agree, but are just as gripping and entertaining in my opinion. In particular, that entire episode in 'Surjonagarir Guptodhan', where the heroes, Bimal and Kumar, are thrown into a pool in a deep pit with a huge crocodile in it, still sends a shiver down my spine. And like Bibhutibhushan, Hemendrakumar never visited the countries (his stories are set in various nations of Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia) he wrote about, but still provided amazingly accurate details about the history, geography, flora, fauna and native people of those countries. I also love the message he repeatedly conveys through his works: that while his heroes often set out in search of treasures or valuables, they aren't motivated by the desire for wealth but by the desire to see new lands, the desire to face dangers and have their mettle tested, the desire to prove that if the 'sahibs' can brave perils, so can Indians, and by the desire to avoid, at all costs, the sedentary, lethargic life devoid of challenges. Coming from a Bengali (who, frankly, are not known for their love for thrills) living under colonial domination, that was impressive indeed.

The spiritual message of this particular book that you have written about is profound indeed. I won't pretend that I know much about religious or spiritual matters, but it still stirred my feelings.

As for Professor Dumbledore, I am sure there's a Gita somewhere in his vast collection of books. There are many other remarks of his that reflect his deeply spiritual outlook. In one of the final chapters of 'The Order of the Phoenix', Harry, while raging against Dumbledore, begins to break his belongings. "By all means, continue destroying my possessions. I daresay I have too many," was Dumbledore's reaction. Or that moment in 'The Half-Blood Prince' when Harry and Dumbledore realize that blood is required to open the entrance to the cave where one of Voldemort's horcruxes lies hidden, and Dumbledore volunteers to shed that blood, telling Harry, "I am much older, much cleverer, and much less valuable than you are." Then, of course, is his repeated assertion that "there are things much worse than death." And finally, him allowing Dobby to call him "a barmy old codger." What immense self-possession one must possess to think that way, and to express those thoughts memorably.

Yours sincerely,
Abhirup Mascharak.

Suvro Chatterjee said...

Yes, Abhirup, I should not have forgotten Hemen Roy, I suppose. Tintin has found such a wide readership in its Bengali translation: I wonder why no artist/editor/publisher has considered the enormous potential of our indigenous adventure literature as comic-book material!... this is in response to Ankit's comment, too. Thanks, Ankit, for writing after ages!

This post, however, was about Debjaan. Odd that no one who has actually read the book has written a comment yet.

Urbi Chatterjee said...

Dear Baba,

It is surprising how one can find gems in the most unexpected places. I would never have imagined that our school library, which is stacked with Goosebumps and Nancy Drews at its worst and Agatha Christie adventures at its best, would have stored a book like Debjaan. No wonder the poet said jekhane dekhibe chhai uraiya dekho tai, paileo paite paro omullo roton!

Coming back to the book itself, I finished reading it last night, and exaggerated as it may sound, I feel like a different person altogether after reading it. As you have said, the book gives you a sense of divine peace. When I look back at certain nasty/depressing incidents now, that at the time of their occurrence had looked like big problems, seem very petty and unimportant. I will surely read this book again, when I am much older, and then maybe I will be able to comprehend the book even better, but even from this reading, it has made me a happier person, to say the least.

The concept of heaven that Bibhuti Bhushan Bandhopadhyay has presented here is blissful. To be able to create your own ambience with your own imagination, and to even be able to create other souls, if your own soul is advanced enough (as in the case of Balmiki and Sita), that is surely the zenith of happiness. Then, the ability to travel at the speed of light, and go wherever you want to, what more can someone ask for?

This book will be a huge consolation to all those who know that they are dying, or who have lost loved ones. For those at death's door, they will have something wonderful to look forward to, and those left behind would know that their dear ones have not really gone away; they have just taken another form of existence. Come to think of it that way, this book is a relief for all mankind. To know that the real you will not be annihilated by death, that your soul will just move on, gives a lot of assurance. It gives man the sense of being one with the Divine, the Eternal.

I wish that we were given books like this for Moral Science textbooks. I have learnt more from this one book than I have from all the Moral Science text books that I have been reading these eleven years...
Pupu

Shilpi said...

Pupu, I was smiling very widely when I saw your comment for the thought of you commenting on your dad’s blog drifted through my head last weekend, but I saved your comment to read carefully today. Suvro da, this review of yours - read the first time - makes one’s soul (?) silent while it sort of smiles and makes one’s head somewhat garrulous, quarrelsome, quiet and question-ridden. Your review is both out-of-this-world and very close to something within, and made one feel plain relieved and bright eyed when read the first time. The book is unique, and I agree with both Pupu and you to a great extent in the sort of peace that it brings about. Some points:

1. The most bizarre thing for me was that it didn’t feel like fiction at all. Maybe I could explain this better by saying it all felt terribly familiar, very real, very personal. All of it felt true somewhere inside. There are only rare stories which make me feel something similar.

2. It was as though the jumble of higgledy-piggledy half-formed images in the head of an insane person had been transformed into something beautiful and sensible. It also makes one say, this doesn't then just happen in a book....

3. It is an unbelievable ride because it's so terribly believable. One gets to see the terrible and the glorious; one gets to feel and experience that state worse than death yet again…of walking through or standing in the middle of a broken, grey landscape with no hope, no desire, no ability to wish for even physical death, and the insanity of dreams and nightmares knocking into one another until one cries out to the God or one being not seen, not visible but ‘as positive as sound’. And as one reads the descriptions of the terror of some worlds, of the incomparable and continuous events of both destruction and creation, of the nightmares and fantasies and gentle dreams, one knows that one has felt and known and even seen within that those worlds exist, that incommensurable beauty is not without the seeming brutality, and one senses keenly the shimmering illusion, delusion, game, and starkness, and also the non-negotiable bit of real hard reality that floods in which makes personal sense even though one may indeed still feel and be an ignorant human fool, still loving and still praying...How in heaven’s name did Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay write it all?…One is both shaken and stirred deep within, and there’s more –

Shilpi said...

4….for he makes one laugh. He makes one laugh some breathless laughs where one has to keep down the stapled sheets, and just laugh many a good and bright-eyed laugh. Starting with an irreverent and priceless ‘Potol tulechho’ to the wry comment of a divine being gazing at a train to Valmiki’s matter-of-fact comment of why Ram isn’t there in his little world but Sita is, and why indeed he himself is rather useless on planet Earth to the good-natured but very involved arguments over the ‘truth’ of prem-bhakti or pure gyana to the little Krishna saying something utterly cheeky to the matter-of-fact not-knowing but the knowing of what matters to the priceless comments of different natures uttered by the two other characters, and more. Oh, this was what made the book a blessed grace to read for otherwise it got so breathlessly intense and made one cross-minded…for the beauty is not without the accompanying terror and yet all of it is washed over by a laughing grace and surpassed by that ultimately infinite and eternal dream. One has to be quiet because that becomes fuzzy, and I had to wonder still though – where did The Buddha go exactly? That’s whom I started wondering about again and worrying over (as if I don’t wonder enough and I have reasons to worry). I can’t help wondering whether he wanted to merge with that Ultimate consciousness…or did he just break through the cycle of birth and rebirth?...And I’ve got other questions too but that’s all I’ll write for now over here.

Pupu, that bit about creating worlds with one’s imagination: I was thinking that you have a pure mind which is why you would and could see it as being blissful. Once upon a time I was sure I could do that...now, it’s a little like that time-machine thing (if you remember). Now, I seem to think I know what I’d do with a time-machine…as for creating worlds with my imagination, I’m still not so sure, and what if nobody else wanted to live there with me! I completely agree that this would be a fine book to read as a Moral Science text-book although if I'd read this book in school, at your age, I most likely would have left it mid-way and said, 'e ki shob ajgubi pagol dhoroner jinish potro!'

I’ll say that the darkness too did sweep over my brow, and more than once and while I stopped breathing every now and again, I also breathed through the book. I can’t though see all death as being any less painful. Maybe death indeed might be the next great adventure for the one who’s traipsing off with a well-ordered mind but I don’t fancy living in a world where the light has gone out even though the Irish blessing pops into my mind along with blobs of laughter, and all else. Suvro da, I can’t thank you enough for writing this review. I’d imagined that you wouldn’t be able to better your review of Agun Pakhi. I’m very pleased to have been wrong, in this instance. This post reminded me of the one you wrote on Music, in 2009.

Shilpi

Suvro Chatterjee said...

Most gratifying to see I could persuade at least one person to actually find and read the book, Shilpi, thank you. I guess it had to be you...

Shilpi said...

Ah, Suvro da, but I need to say, 'thank you for the music'. Hmm.

Oh, and I forgot to mention this: I'm not exactly sure what Professor Dumbledore meant with that first liner but he was right about that other thing, about fighting evil, living, & loving mattering.

Saikat Chakraborty said...

Dear Sir,

Since I read 'Chander Pahaar' as a child, I am a great admirer of Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay. It is such a great and gripping adventure told in such a wonderful way. His vivid description of places he had never travelled strucks us with awe. Another renowned author Buddhadev Guha (whose character Riju Da is particularly my favourite) has repeatedly admitted in his novels that even after visiting Africa hundreds of times, he won't be able to write anything comparable to the class of Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay. We are fortunate enough that such a great author was born in Bengal. If he was born French or Italian, many of us would have missed such a gem.

Sir, I have read many of the books that you have mentioned in this post but I haven't read 'Debjaan' yet. However, after reading your review, I am looking forward to grab a copy and read it right away.

With warm regards,
Saikat

sayantika said...

Dear Sir,

I finished reading Debjaan last night. Thanks a lot for recommending it.
What amazed me most was the vastness of the author's imagination. To think of the various layers of heaven where time stands still, death and afterlife and the soul transcending the layers and combining this world of the souls with the world of supernovas and distant galaxies and extra-terrestrial life, both higher and lower than human beings, the entire concept makes me think how trivial and miniscule we and our worries are. Isn't it wonderful to think that a person who was perhaps an estate manager then, walked into the woods or observed the constellations in the sky and imagined the universe in all its glory, and then combined it with philosophies of Advaita Vedanta and Vaishnavism? After Carl Sagan's Cosmos, this is another book that made me aware of the universe, though I think this one, with its planes of existence after death, is more fascinating. I completely agree that this book gave me a deep feeling of inner peace. As Pupu said, it is a great relief and a feeling of assurance for mankind and ones who are dying and has lost their loved ones. I am trying to guess which phase both my grandfathers are living in and how they have imagined and created their heaven.
I had often wondered that compared to the universe we are so tiny and so are our work and worries. Yet, from our point of view, we have so many aspirations, dreams and thoughts. Now, I feel there's nothing to fear about being so small, because the soul lives on. The example of Vidyapati that you have given here, that millions of waves in the infinite ocean, is the nearest summary or rather the core essence of the book. The soul is perhaps a drop in this ocean. It may be small and it can change its form, but it is indestructible. This book with its spiritual tone goes far to show that the even simpletons can achieve greatness by the sheer power of love. The ending was awe-inspiring when the protagonist realises that God is the only truth and the rest is His dream. And yet, he is playful, coming to devotees in the form of idols, making himself tiny so as to fit into our imagination. This book, more than any other, gives me a clear and a very satisfactory idea of God. After reading the book, I feel Professor Dumbledore must have read Debjaan when he said that death would be the next adventure. The book could have gone on and on and I wish the author had portrayed some great and also infamous souls in history and where they would have gone. I think this is not just an adventure story, it is much deeper, it makes us look into our inner selves and urges us to become better human beings.
I am going to read this book again later, and also when I grow very old, this book can be a solace for all those who are very old. This is a book that can enlighten us, change our outlook and make us less materialistic, especially when we have become so selfish and so attached to material possessions. I wish there was a proper translation of this book. It is too vast a thought to remain confined only among a handful of Bengali booklovers.

Thanks and with regards,
Sayantika

Suvro Chatterjee said...

Thanks for telling me, Sayantika. It makes me terribly sad that I have hardly been able to keep the connection with my ex-students alive through the medium of discussing good books. Remember your batch with me: of that huge group, you alone keep in touch with both books and me. What does that say about the lot of a teacher of the humanities in today's world?

Saikat Chakraborty said...

Dear Sir,

I completed reading Debjaan and it filled me with a sense of elation. What started off as the brooding of a man over his misfortune and ill-fate ended with the realization of the Infinity or God, whatever we say, in this vast scheme of things. And in the process, the author took us on a journey through many worlds, some places where life evolves at a slower pace than our Earth and meant for even lesser mortals compared to us; and yet some other places which are the abode of higher souls that have attained salvation. We travelled through hyperspace, at a speed greater than light,witnessed the death of stars and the birth of new ones- the concept of tachyons and tardons, supernovas and nebulae so delicately explained in this intricately woven novel that we are filled with a sense of awe. The author also reflects on the mundane affairs, which are tiny in comparison to the grandeur of the universe, yet which concerns us so deeply and maybe necessary for all of us to go through this daily grinding so that realization ultimately dawns on us and we can elevate ourselves above this pettiness, for it is the test of fire that makes fine steel. 'Moksha' or salvation, the union with the Eternal from which we all evolved, can only be attained by treading on the path of love and faith (which can impart greatness even to meek people) or the path of wisdom and knowledge (which is for the strong-willed and determined) or it can be both as all avenues leads to the 'Ultimate' through the realization of our inner-self, of what is intrinsic to every one of us.

This masterpiece of Bibhuti Bhushan is eclectic, yet unique in its own way; it is beyond my comprehension how one can sketch death so beautifully, write about the heavens and the gods and the cycle of birth and rebirth in such a sublime manner. I think the Nobel Prize deserved him.

Sir, I am grateful to you for recommending this book. I feel so humbled after reading this and I would like to come back to it later, after many years, when I know this novel would have much more to offer. As for the present, I can say that whatever little I have imbibed from this book, has greatly allayed my concern about many petty matters and made me a happier person. I would like to echo to what others commented before me- that this book would really provide solace to the distressed, the dying and the loved ones of the deceased.

With warm regards,
Saikat

Debarshi_Saha said...

Respected Sir,

Warm regards.I provide my 'little' review of Debjaan below:

"Rarely does one meet a novel equal in lyrical beauty, or evocative power- Debjaan raises the reader to that highest, sublime and rarer region of thought from which one cannot but emerge overwhelmed. Stories abound in the Biblical texts concerning Apollo and his lyre- Debjaan is the very tune that the Lord must have strummed, for its tranquillity and sense of inner peace connects the reader to the soul of the world, the undercurrent that carries our physical vessels across the sea of Life. It is the work of a writer extraordinaire; of a man whose pain bound him to pragmatism and also of a possessed poet who took a roller-coaster ride surfing on his vivid imagination across multiverses and many lifetimes. Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay had spun a magically realistic tale spanning alternative realities- Love and Hope here were bound by the infallible law of Karma, all possible worlds were governed by the principle of modal realism, and in accordance with the ‘revealed text’ ( Bhagavad Gita) in Hindu Puranic Literature, countless universes compelled by the wheel of Time wandered within the Ultimate. Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay sought salvation and perfect knowledge within him, and sketched out his own journey in words. Debjaan is a tour de force in literature, and the finest example of the spectrum encompassed by human thought. Here, we might ask ourselves an interesting psychological question- Why did Mr. Bandyopadhyay write the novel?"

.....(continued)

Debarshi_Saha said...

.....(continued)

"The real world had provided a three-act tragedy and enacted it on the scene of his personal life- He needed to know that his beloved was happy, in bliss even though Death had separated the duo. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan dedicated the Taj Mahal to the memory of his departed wife with whom he shared a bond that defied description; Bibhuti Bhushan, the wordsmith brimming with pain, celebrated their love ( between him and Gouri Devi) in the grandest manner he knew possible- Debjaan was the paean to human love of the highest sort. Bilbo Baggins, the very wise hobbit, sang:

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say..."

.....(continued)

Debarshi_Saha said...

......(continued)

"Mr. Bandyopadhyay needed to know that this Road led to that magical vista at the end of the rainbow- where dreams come true, and one finally lives in the essence of pure, austere joy. He leaves subtle clues while naming his storyline characters- Jatin (One of the many names of Lord Shiva, the omniscient yogi belonging to the pantheon of the Hindu Trinity) becomes the protagonist who wishes to attain real joy, yet he is bound to the pain in his heart on account of his separation from his wife Ashalata (The creeper of Hope). To Jatin, Ashalata offers a tantalizing glimpse of a promise of a happy marital life, under the shadow of mortality. She represents all the bonds that bind him to this pain, wishing it away and yet clinging to it for solace! In memory, she was all that held the vision of a life he could not lead- Gouri Devi had left behind Bibhuti Bhushan with her memories to confront the world, which at every turn tortured him with signs and spectres. He nursed his broken heart the only way he knew- Debjaan had him wishing his own self away (Jatin) while he wished to see Gouri Devi (Pushpa) and re-unite with her in heaven. He explored his pain through Ashalata (stressing the fact that Hope was simultaneously the greatest liberator, as well as the reason one unwittingly held onto the very pain one wished to be rid of.) and finally chose to work through his pain clinging to Hope, to set him free. The movie, The Shawshank Redemption, explored this very theme- Fear held Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins prisoners, the warmth of their companionship and hope of a life beyond the pain set them free. Only those individuals are qualified to write about pain those who have experienced some measure of it in their lives; Bibhuti Bhushan had to undergo trial by fire."

......(continued)

Debarshi_Saha said...

......(continued)

"What can one man, of unrivalled imagination, do when the ‘real’ world continues to fall short of his expectations? What can a materialistic world, trapped within the confines of human power structures and men worshipping at the altar of wealth, offer such a spirit? Mr. Bandyopadhyay eliminated this need altogether- He flew off in his dreams into a world, where the advancement of one’s soul was the only true measure of ‘progress’, where true love would not allow one to grasp or possess one’s beloved, where pure human emotions ran their entire gamut, and where one could finally find peace. Debjaan fills us with an ineffable sense of peace and belonging- It speaks to us of universal connectivity, of the fact that karmic ripples emerging from our actions span many lifetimes and cosmic galaxies, that the human condition simultaneously represents the greatest bondage and the gateway to heaven or hell, and finally that Love built us and it is the only emotion capable of creation. Albus Dumbledore, with his wizened ever-twinkling eyes and white beard, knew of this truth- and imbued Harry with this even in the bleakest of times. Love could cause the Avada Kedavra curse to rebound upon the person who originated it- and for us Muggles, it proves to be the only victor capable of defying Father Time."

.......(continued)

Debarshi_Saha said...

......(continued)

"Is Debjaan only an unabashedly spiritual overtones bearing adventure novel, or is it the seminal work of a man who sought a closure to his existential distress by working through his own pain? Mr. Bandyopadhyay is no escapist- as he demonstrates so aptly towards the end, Jatin chooses to confront his own pain, light his own lamp with diligence, and seek his own salvation. Lord Buddha had suggested as much- for ultimately, we are all lone men, bound together as travellers by Destiny, and the key to our freedom lies deep within ourselves. There is no cavalry in shining armour to rescue our selves; all we ultimately have is our own selves. Pain shapes our lives, cleanses us of impurity of thought and action, and ultimately makes us reach for that which is eternal, timeless, and changeless. In this world of flux, therein is only true rest possible. The famous avatar and mystic of 19th century India, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa put it so beautifully and eloquently when he spoke:
“Little children play with dolls in the outer room just as they like, without any care of fear or restraint; but as soon as their mother comes in, they throw aside their dolls and run to her crying, "Mamma, mamma." You too, are now playing in this material world, infatuated with the dolls of wealth, honour, fame, etc., If however, you once see your Divine Mother, you will not afterwards find pleasure in all these. Throwing them all aside, you will run to her.”
Debjaan is the lamp alight, not in need to dispel darkness- but rejoicing at the advent of day. It is, after all, a tale of love, loss, hope and redemption- a celebration of the very best of us mortals."

That completes the review!

With very best wishes,
Debarshi.

Shilpi said...

The part about Jatin I didn't know about - the significance of this name in the novel, and it feels like another layer to the tale - so thanks a lot for mentioning that Debarshi. I won't write a huge comment for your 'little' review, but I'll make a few other points:

As for the bit about being 'alone'- I will gently disagree although yes, one cannot expect (would one want one?!) an entire cavalry to come to one's rescue. The Buddha did indeed point out that one needed to work out one's salvation...so one does have to do that. But to imagine or to think or to believe that 'we are all lone' men and all we have is our 'own selves' and that we must find the freedom only within ourselves, would be, according to me, a little too much of a blanket statement to be of much comfort...and wouldn't, fit everybody.

Also, I don't see how I'd agree that Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman were prisoners held in by fear, Debarshi. As far as I remember the movie, and clearly - neither was fearful.... Tim Robbins was calm, patient and almost dispassionate about everything apart from ensuring that he did manage to get out of that hellhole of a prison and alive while doing all he could to stay alive and while making life breathe in that prison (who can forget the library or what he does by playing that piece of opera music? - would a fearful man do the same?), and Morgan Freeman was simply quietly sceptical and terribly observant and more and he had stopped dreaming of a life outside the prison... - but neither man was marked by fear...they were marked by a rare form of indomitable courage, in very different ways and yes, ultimately the movie celebrates that rare bond of friendship.

The last bit on what you say about Ramkrishna is indeed something rather terribly interesting....but then I remember Suvro da sharing a little snippet about Ramkrishna: Ramkrishna would tell his disciples,fau tau chharbi na. I thought this was priceless...to think that the same divine and cranky teacher had said something which had me beyond disgruntled and flustered when I was around 8 or 9 or something and had come across his, taka maati, maati taka for the first time.

Shilpidi