Sharmila Bagchir's 'Anantapunya Atish Dipankar': The Story of a Bengali Monk's Journey to Mahanirvana/ শর্মিলা বাগচীর ‘অনন্তপুণ্য অতীশ দীপঙ্কর’ : এক বাঙালি ভিক্ষুর মহানির্বাণ যাত্রার গাঁথা

Abstract

In this research article, Sharmila Bagchi's novel 'Anantapunya Atish Dipankar' has been analyzed based on the theory about the characteristics of the historical novel. Sharmila Bagchi had two special reasons for writing this historical novel. In the novel, he has depicted only a part of the prominent Bengali Buddhist monk's divine life. Although it is a historical novel, the novelist effectively displays the long journey of Atish Dipankar, embedding the past-present-future in the narrative. It is not exclusively a journey from one Buddhist Vihara to another rather, it is also a journey of Mahanirvana and the external liberation. The novel gained popularity because of its unique narrative technique that blends various elements, such as internal monologue, descriptive passages, historical storytelling, and philosophical reflections, to create a rich tapestry that reflects the life and spiritual journey of the Buddhist monk Atish Dipankar.