विभूतिमूर्ति

 

A PAEAN TO BIHARI LITERATURE

In the cultural cotext, the word ‘Bihari’ has come to have a ‘pejorative’ or demeaning association, although largely in a political sense. In truth, however, it harks back to a period of glory connected with the citadels of spirituality in the Buddhist ‘Vihars’, most notably in the famous monastery at Nalanda, a centre of international repute not only in Buddhist studies, but also in Vedic and secular subjects. ‘Bihar’, therefore, is an emblem of that ancient Indian glory that once was the epitome of Indian culture.

Interestingly, it is from the same Nalanda that a modern scholar-diplomat, Abhay K., hails (presently serving at Madagaskar) who has just brought about a gem of an anthology in English – ‘The Book of Bihari Literature’ – a miscellany of translated Bihari writings in the eleven regional languages of the province covering a period of nearly two millenia – right from the Buddhist era (6^th century BCE) to the modern age. The miscellany has a uniqueness of representing the cultural and literary heritage of one of the most magnificent domains and periods of Indian history in ‘a delicious pot pourri of Bihari literarture’ as the editor himself calls it.

The book features contributions from around 60 Bihari writers – including, from the moderns, Shivpujan Sahay, Dinkar, Benipuri, Nagarjun, Renu, Usha Kiran Khan, Anamika, Alok Dhanwa, Arun Kamal, Amitabh Kumar and Tabish Khair. Among the 20 translators are, besides myself and the anthologist himself – such well-known names as Rakshanda Jalil, Asif Jalal, Chaitali Pandya, Nasim Fekrat and Ram Bhagawan Singh. As Namita Gokhale, writer and publisher, observes in her acclaim – “The voices and narratives resonate across a slew of languages, across prose and poetry, from classic to contemporary, through centuries and millenia”.

Two of the short stories ‘The Key’ by Acharya Shivpujan Sahay and ‘Budhia’ by Rambriksh Benipuri are translated by me and can also be read on my blog -bsmmurty.blogspot.com (3 Feb, 2008 & 7 Dec, 2011). In fact, Abhay K. contacted me for permission after reading my translations on my blog. And I feel honoured to be a contributor to such an illustrious anthology.

Any such laudable endeavour that effaces pejorative regionalistic prejudices must be welcomed. Although no anthology can be perfectly inclusive and some of the inclusions could be seen as better replaceable by contributions by at least three eminent Biharis – Dr Sachidanand Sinha, Dr Rajendra Prasad and Nalin Vilochan Sharma. But as the editor rightly says : “I think many more such books celebrating Bihari literature deserve to be published in the years to come”.

The book is published this month by Harper & Collins, paperbound in royal size, price Rs 699, pp. 380.