দয়ারামের ‘বিনন্দরাখালের পালা’ : সামাজিক ও সাংস্কৃতিক ইতিহাস অনুসন্ধান/ ‘Binandarakhaler Pala’ by Dayaram : A Study of Social and Cultural History

Abstract

The genre of Mangalkabya in Bengali literature constitutes an integral part of Bengal’s cultural history and represents a significant branch of the historical consciousness of the Bengali people. Discussions of ancient and medieval Bengali literature are, in essence, examinations of social and cultural life. Central to these discussions are rituals of worship, codes of conduct, belief systems, and institutional practices. Within the Mangalkabyas lies considerable scope for historical inquiry. The spiritual beliefs of the Bengalis, their everyday practices, hopes and aspirations, as well as their joys and sorrows, find expression in these texts. Owing to their grounding in social reality, the Mangalkabyas serve as one of the principal sources for reconstructing the social history of Bengal.

            Through an analysis of Dayaram’s Laxmicharitra or Binandarakhaler Pala, it is possible to discuss both the glory of the goddess Laxmi and her influence on folk life, particularly in relation to the means by which human suffering is overcome. Since Dayaram was active until the closing decades of the eighteenth century, his work reflects not only the early phase of colonial rule but also depicts the catastrophic Bengal famine of 1769, commonly known as the Great Famine of 1176 (Bengali era). His Laxmicharitra was composed against the backdrop of this famine. Alongside the glorification of Goddess Laxmi, the poem narrates episodes such as Binanda’s cultivation of paddy, the seizure of his crops by King Birat, the goddess’s residence in Binanda’s household, the construction of a city by Visvakarma for Binanda, Laxmi’s punishment of King Birat, the king’s eventual restoration to the throne, and Binanda’s marriage to the king’s daughter. Simultaneously, the poem vividly portrays the cries of famine-stricken people.

          Although these folk narratives do not contain an elaborate storyline like conventional Mangalkabyas, the rural social psyche is clearly reflected in these deity-centered narratives situated within a folk and mythological framework. Through the story of the landless Binanda receiving divine grace, the text reveals the pain and suffering of eighteenth-century people, as well as their faith in divine deliverance from crisis. In this poem, too, the impoverished shepherd Binanda is shown to be freed from deprivation through the benevolence of Goddess Laxmi.

          From the narrative structure of the poem, we observe the transformation of fallow land into cultivated fields. Binanda is abducted by King Birat for failing to pay land revenue. As Binanda is the blessed son of Goddess Laxmi, the king’s persecution of him leads to the king’s downfall and loss of divine favor. Eventually, by marrying his daughter to Binanda, the king atones for his sins. Embedded within this narrative are depictions of rural life, various folk customs, religious festivals, and ritual practices. This poem is fundamentally a literary representation of folk life. The special significance of these palas in Bengali literature becomes evident through such analysis, which also brings into focus the cultural milieu of the Medinipur region.