ঈশ্বর পাটনী : তুলনামূলক অধ্যয়নের আলোকে/ Ishwar Patni : Tulonamulok Adhyayaner Aloke

Abstract

Ishwari Patni is a name eternally familiar to all Bengalis. In the poetry 'Annadamangal' (1752) by the renowned 18th-century poet Bharatchandra Raygunakor (1712-1760), this character represented the morality, nature, and glory of Bengalis throughout the entire medieval period. This Bengali character gradually transcended the boundaries of time, place, and circumstance to become a national character. The first mention of the character of Ishwari Patni is found in the last chapter of the first part of the poetry, known as 'Annapurna mangal' – specifically in the section titled 'Annadar Bhavananda Yatra.'  With this, the character of Ishwari Patni became open to writers and readers alike in the vast expanse of literature. The portrayal of Ishwari Patni that we find in Bharatchandra's Annada mangal is confined to a small section of the poetry, yet its depth of meaning is boundless. How many truly understand the extent of sorrow, suffering, and the story of life's gains and losses behind Ishwari Patni's character? To uncover the vast scope hidden within Bharatchandra's Ishwari Patni character, centered around the boatman's life, one must turn to the discussion of Chitta Sinha's new creation, the novel 'Ishwar Patni'. Just as there was lamentation and suffering for food during the Turkish invasion, so too was there lamentation and suffering for food even after independence. Chitta Sinha, in his novel 'Ishwar Patni', has created a new narrative based on the character of Ishwari Patni from 'Annadamangal'. This is an example of how one history can exist within another. Creating such a profound narrative based on a seemingly insignificant character in a small part of the entire 'Annadamangal' poetry can be considered writing history within history. There might be ambiguity regarding whether the boatman character described in the literature is male or female. However, the modern fiction writer Chitta Sinha has clarified this ambiguity in his novel 'Ishwar Patni'. Here, he portrays the Ishwari Patni character from the 'Annada mangal' epic as a male character, but uses the name 'Ishwar Patni' instead of 'Ishwari Patni'. Just as an artist establishes an art form with their magical touch on the structure of a figure, so too did the literary mind of Chitta Singh give a holistic form to Ishwari Patni from Bharatchandra's poetry 'Annada mangal'. In Bharatchandra's narrative, 'Ishwari Patni', the representative of the divinely afflicted poor Bengali people, yearns for a little milk and rice for her children. In contrast, Chitta Singh's 'Ishwar Patni' embodies the complete story of the struggle in the overall life of the impoverished working class.  It depicts a life where one must constantly struggle to survive. The character of 'Ishwar Patni' is the protagonist of this life struggle. Chitta Sinha's 'Ishwar Patni' character is a new interpretation of Bharatchandra's 'Ishwari Patni'. Chitta Sinha has extended the essence of this character through the creative power of his own writing. Both Bharatchandra's Ishwari Patni and Chitta Sinha's Ishwar Patni characters shared the profession of ferrying people across the river, that is, they were boatmen. Their main source of income and livelihood depended on this river-based profession. Chitta Sinha has expanded the story of his novel based solely on the conversation between 'Ishwari Patni' and the goddess in the 'Annadamangal' poetry. The story of 'Ishwari Patni' from 'Annada mangal' is sequentially arranged in Chitta Sinha's novel. The novelist has given a new form to an apparently insignificant character created by Bharatchandra, infusing it with his own creative imagination. Chitta Sinha's 'Ishwar Patni' novel is a newly constructed narrative. Through the comprehensive description of the life of the Ishwar Patni character in his novel, Chitta Sinha reveals to the reader the hidden story of suffering and hardship. To portray this complete life, he has divided the narrative into six chapters in the first part and five chapters in the second part. In the context of creating the novel Ishwar Patni, author Chitta Sinha has acknowledged his debt to Bharatchandra. Nevertheless, after reading the entire article, readers will have no difficulty understanding that through additions, omissions, and modifications to the original story of the 'Annadamangal' poetry, he has created a newly constructed narrative and reimagined the characters in a way that transcends the boundaries of time and remains highly relevant to readers. However, whether it is 'Ishwari Patni' or 'Ishwar Patni,' the skillful manner in which both authors portrayed the character as a representative of the poor, hardworking, and laboring people of Bengal, thereby shaping a national character, is undoubtedly commendable. Therefore, This article is driven by the urge to find a profound connection between the narrative of 'Ishwar Patni' by the modern fiction writer Chitta Sinha and the narrative of 'Ishwari Patni' from Bharatchandra's 'Annadamangal' poetry of the medieval period.