Orissa Review July - 2008

Dinakrushna Das - The Poet of Eternal Love

Jayanti Rath

Dinakrushna Das emerged as a luminous star in him from his poetic persuits. In the midst of the post-Bhanja era of Oriya literature. He was difficulties he could conceive of eternal pleasure contemporary of king Divyasimha Dev-I (1688- - "Nitya Rasa". It is really amazing and incredible. 1715). The Oriya literature has been enriched by Where from did he find such lucid imaginations ? his vast literary contributions. His magnum opus An ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu he had viz. Rasa Kallola and Rasa Vinoda speak concentrated on elucidating His leelas. To earn eloquently about his poetic sensibility. Rasa his livelihood he had to move different places of Kallola is clubbed with two other brilliant 'Kavyas' Orissa and depend in the favour of Zamindars of Orissa i.e. "Koti Brahmanda Sundari" and affluent persons. of and "Bidagdha Chintamani" of Abhimanyu Samanta He was so popular that his Simhar. contemporary poets became jealous of him and hatched out plots against Born and brought up in him. Tradition says that king Bhima Nagar, in the outskirt of Divyasimha Deva insisted him to Khurdha, Dinakrushna spent his write some 'Kavyas' in his name. early life in utter poverty and Offering the authorship to the king deprivation. His father's name was was quite in vogue at that time. Madhusudan Das. His literary Dinakrushna did not accept this activities began with the support proposal. Obviously he became the of Samantasimhara of victim of king's wrath. He was Bhima Nagara. As mentioned in imprisoned and tortured. Having no "Rasavinoda", he descended from Rajput origin other way, Dinakrushna silently prayed Lord and his ancestors were inhabitants of Jalesvara, inside the prison. Lord Jagannath on the river bank of Suvarnarekha. appeared in the dream of the king and warned The anguish of his poverty-striken life has him for doing injustice to His devotee. The Lord been expressed very often in his verses. The poet's ordered the king to release the poet immediately. regrets for appeasing stupid persons have also In the next morning, the king went to the prison been reflected in his writings. to see the poet. He was stunned to see that the chain that was put in the hands and feet of the True that life had been hard and difficult poet had been opened by itself. This miraculous for him. He had more foes than friends. He was event made the king to believe that Dinakrushna surrounded by problems. But nothing could deter was not an ordinary person. He was divinely gifted

32 Orissa Review July - 2008 and divine grace was with him to protect from all Kaliyuga ", Prastara Sindhu ", Jagamohana obstacles. The king begged apology from the poet. Chhanda ", Jambavati Bibha ", Sri Brundavana Pleased with his devotion and talent, the king Rahasa, " Kamsa Bibha ", " Sayana Sagara ", offered him a lot of wealth. Perhaps Dinakrushna "Dharma Sagara", "Pancha Patavamsi Bibha ", " did not want to remain indebted to the king. Daridra Damodara Dvija ", " Namaratna sita ", " Though materially poor, he was very rich in his Sayana Chudamani ". " Bhakti Sagara ", " Mahima toughts. He was broad hearted and used to give Sagara " are some among them. While naming the needy persons from his limited means. He the texts the poet has frequently used the suffix wrote the "Jagamohana Chhanda" in the name of "Sagara" or Sindhu. Besides these texts the poet the king. By doing this, he stepped down from has composed innumerable , his principle no doubt, but this should not be Chaupadis and Bhajanas. All these works give considered as his weakness. Rather it shows the ample evidence of his dexterity and deep feelings. broadness of his heart. Everywhere we find the touch of decency and delicacy. Historians say that there were more than one poets in the same name 'Dinakrushna' and We find vivid description of Purusottama the author of 'Rasa Vinoda' and 'Rasa Kallola' is Kshetra (Puri), glory of Lord Jagannath in the not one and same person. Owing to the writings of Dinakrushna. In the image of Lord tremendous popularity of Dinakrushna, some Jagannath he found his beloved Lord Sri Hari or other poets of his period adopted the same name. Vishnu. They used the name to make their works widely According to some scholars, towards the circulated and earn for them more readability. But last part of his life he was affected with leprosy it can be said certainly that poet Dinakrushna Das and driven away from Puri. He was given shelter was author of both texts 'Rasa Vinoda' and 'Rasa by a rich man of nearby area of Khurda. However Kallola.' The presentation style of these two texts the truth of this fact is not sure. " Darhyata Bhakti is more than enough to prove this fact. The distinct Rasamruta ", the great literary text of the period feature of "Rasa Kallola" is that here every line of does not support this view. the verse begins with the letter 'Ka'. From the beginning to the end the poet has meticulously The trials and tribulations lingered through maintained this rule. out his life. But nothing could snatch away his talent, and inner pleasure from him. The worldly The eternal play of Radha, other Gopis and sorrows, instead had made his feelings more Krushna is the theme of 'Rasa Kallola' while intense, and his imaginations more subtle. depicting the grace and beauty of women, the poet has observed much restrain. He has never allowed He suffered a lot, he struggled a lot and he played a lot with the letters. By his abundant his stylus to narrate the nudity of female figure. contributions he remains immortal in the cultural The entire kavya 'Rasa Vinoda' is written history of Orissa. Through brilliant arrangement in "Navakshari" Chhanda. of works and systematic presentation of themes, Apart from " Rasa Kallola" and " Rasa he still lives as a superb artist. Vinoda " , Dinakrushna is credited to have authored a number of texts. " Guna Sagara ", " Rasa Samudra ", " Bhuta Keli ", " Samsara Jayanti Rath is working as Curator in-charge in the Orissa Bodhana ", Amruta Sagara ", " Mukti Sagara ", " State Museum, Bhubaneswar-14.

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