ଲବଙ୍ଗର ମୂଳ ହିନ୍ଦି ଲେଖକ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗତ କୁଶବାହା କାନ୍ତ ଏହାକୁ ବିଂଶ ଶତାବ୍ଦୀର ଚତୁର୍ଥ ଦଶକରେ ଲେଖିଥିଲେ । ସେଥିରେ ସେ ସେତେବେଳର ଅର୍ଥାତ୍] ଦେଶ ସ୍ୱାଧୀନ ହେବାର ଠିକ୍] ପୂର୍ବର ଏବଂ ପରବର୍ତ୍ତୀ କାଳର ସାମାଜିକ ତଥା ଅର୍ଥନୈତିକ ଅବସ୍ଥାର ସୁନ୍ଦର ଭାବରେ ଚିତ୍ରଣ କରିଥିଲେ । ମୋତେ ବହୁତ ଭଲ ଲାଗିଥିଲା, ତେଣୁ ତାକୁ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଭାଷାରେ ଅନୁବାଦ କରିବାକୁ ମନସ୍ଥ କରିଥିଲି ।

ଏହି ମୂଳ ପୁସ୍ତକଟି ଲେଖା ହେଲାବେଳେ ସେତେବେଳର ଟଙ୍କା ପଇସା ଆମର ଏବେକାର ଚଳୁଥିବା ଟଙ୍କା ପଇସା ଠାରୁ ଅଲଗା ଥିଲା । ସେତେବେଳେ ଏକ ଟଙ୍କା ଷୋଳ ଅଣା ଏବଂ ଏକ ଅଣା ଚାରି ପଇସା ଥିଲା । ପୁଣି ଏକ ପଇସାର ଅଧାକୁ ଅଧୁଲି କୁହାଯାଉଥିଲା ଏବଂ ପଇସାର ଏକ ତୃତୀୟାଂଶକୁ ପାହୁଲି କୁହାଯାଉଥିଲା । ସେତେବେଳର ବଜାର ଦରଦାମକୁ ନେଇ ଏତିକି କୁହାଯାଇପାରେ ଯେ, ସେତେବେଳେ ସୁନା ଏକଭରି (୧୧.୬୬ ଗ୍ରାମ)ର ମୂଲ୍ୟ ୯୯ ଟଙ୍କା ଥିଲା । ସେହି ପରିପ୍ରେକ୍ଷୀରେ ପାଠକମାନେ ଏହି ବହିଟିକୁ ପଢ଼ିବାକୁ ଅନୁରୋଧ ।

— ଚିତ୍ତରଞ୍ଜନ ପଟ୍ଟନାୟକ

Nachiketa, the caption of the novel, follows the ideal, protagonist of Kathopnishad. Nachiketa was a truth seeker youth who exposed the deceit of his father, Vajasrava, a famous sage of the Vedic age. The father being publicly insulted reacted and cursed the boy to die instantly. The boy died instantly. But when his soul met Yama, the Lord of death, he refused to admit him in his realm. He asked him to return to life. But the boy refused to come back before acquiring the true knowledge about Life and death. He was blessed with the knowledge he sought and returned back to life as a learned person.

The present novel Nachiketa follows the same ideal of the Kathopanishad. Here, Nachiketa is used as a symbol to represent three aspirant scholars of an Indian University, named Ravenshaw College, situated in the city of Cuttack, Odisha, India.

It is in the aftermath of the Indian Independence when the British bequeathed the powers to the Democratically elected Government of India, on 15 August 1947. The Government of India formed its Govt in Delhi and the provincial Govts started functioning in their own provincial Headquarters, as per constitutional provision.

In the province of Odisha, the provincial Government took oath of the office and started functioning with their Legislative Assembly housed in the premises of the State’s premiere education institution, Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. Now, all of a sudden, the character of that historic educational institution of learning turned into shambles and instead of the wise heads, the Academicians and Deans, the college campus buzzed with Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly and politicians of all varieties, Congress, Communists, and Socialists etc.

During that period, three bright scholars, Bibhuprasad, Natabar, and Manmohan were doing their pre doctoral research in the department of Chemistry of that college. Until then they looked at their alma mater, Ravenshaw College at par with Cambridge and Oxford Universities of London and dreamed of Nobel Prizes in their chosen

areas of research and studies. But alas! One fine morning they discovered their beloved university turning into the citadel of active politics!

Politicization of education is the poison that killed the whole spirit of knowledge and wisdom for which India was once famous as a country of sages, since the Vedic times, over thousands of years. But the politicians, that inherited the powers from the British for the Governance of India, allowed the rot to spread and India was pushed to the third world category of nations for that single mistake of the politicians who inherited powers from the British in 1947.

The novel is a saga of the desperation of the youths of India, particularly, after the country became independent.

This powerful work, of about a hundred and twenty pages, is a compact lyrical narrative, with a tight structure that blends worlds of fairytales with social reality of the Earth. The language of the novel is sheer poetry, and like poetry is sensitive to multiple interpretations and impressions. The idiom in its lyricism and quaint colloquiality is extremely difficult, challenging easy translation. Only, I have tried to get closer to the original. Harina… is the second book by the novelist. It connects thematically to both its predecessor Shun Sange Samayika Sandhi (a temporary truce with zero) and successor Sunaputra Loke (The People of Sunaput). While the first book discusses absurdity of existence and meaninglessness of life through the life’s story of an unemployed youth, handled with humour, Sunaput… takes up repeated government sponsoreddisplacements of a forest and hill community of southern Odisha on a larger scale and the subsequent uprising of a violent movement. The author has often expressed that he was unsure about his career as a writer, and his readership. Sunaput… brought him the prestigious Bhubaneswar Book Fair Award (1992), dispelling irreversibly any such cynicism. —Lipipuspa Nayak

ବଙ୍ଗୀୟ ଔପନ୍ୟାସିକ ଶରତଚନ୍ଦ୍ରଙ୍କ ‘ପରିଣୀତା’ ଉପନ୍ୟାସ ଏକ ବହୁଚର୍ଚ୍ଚିତ, ବହୁ ଭାଷାରେ ଅନୂଦିତ ସାର୍ଥକ ଉପନ୍ୟାସ, ଯେଉଁଠି ଭାରତୀୟ ସମାଜର ପ୍ରେମ, ପ୍ରଣୟ ଓ ମଧୁର ସମ୍ପର୍କର ଚିତ୍ର ବେଶ ପ୍ରତିଫଳିତ। ଏହାର କଥାବସ୍ତୁ କେତୋଟି ଯୁବ ସୁଲଭ ପ୍ରାଣର ପ୍ରବାହକୁ ନେଇ ଚଳ ଚଞ୍ଚଳ। ଭଲ ପାଇବା-ତହିଁରୁ ସମ୍ପର୍କର ମାନସିକ ସଂଘର୍ଷ ସୃଷ୍ଟି, ସନ୍ଦେହର ଘନ କୁହେଳି, ଧାର୍ମିକ ବାତାବରଣକୁ ନେଇ ସାମାଜିକ ସମ୍ପୃକ୍ତି, ପ୍ରେମର ପବିତ୍ରତା, ଚରତ୍ରଗୁଡିକର ସରଳତା ଓ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦୋଷତା, ସର୍ବୋପରି ପ୍ରେମର ଜୈତ୍ର ପତାକାର ବିଜୟୋତ୍ସବକୁ ସ୍ରଷ୍ଟା ନିଖୁଣ ରୂପେ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା କରିଛନ୍ତି।

ଔପନ୍ୟାସିକଙ୍କ ରଚନା ଶୈଳୀ ଓ ଭାଷା ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ସରଳ, ତରଳ, ଭାବଗମ୍ଭୀର ତଥା ବହୁ ଅର୍ଥପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ। ଯେଉଁଠି ଯେତିକି ଆବଶ୍ୟକ ସ୍ରଷ୍ଟା ତାକୁ ହିଁ ଉପଯୋଗ କରିଛନ୍ତି। ପରିଣୀତା ଏକ ପ୍ରେମ କାହାଣୀ ନୁହେଁ ବରଂ ବଙ୍ଗୀୟ ସାମାଜିକ, ସାଂସ୍କୃତିକ ବୈଭବକୁ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ବିଶ୍ଳେଷଣ କରିଛି ଯାହାକୁ ଅନୁବାଦକ ଡକ୍ଟର କୈଳାସ ବାଣ୍ଠ ସୁନ୍ଦର ଓ ମାର୍ଜ୍ଜିତ ଭାଷାରେ ଅନୁସୃଜନ କରିଛନ୍ତି। କୋରାପୁଟରେ ଥିବା ସମୟରେ ସେ ଏହାର ମୂଳଭିତ୍ତି ପକାଇଥିଲେ। ମୁଁ ଜାଣିବାରେ ସେ ଜଣେ ପ୍ରଗଳଭ ଶ୍ରେଣୀକକ୍ଷର ଅଧ୍ୟାପକ ଓ ସାରସ୍ୱତ ସଭାମଞ୍ଚର ବାଗ୍ମୀ ବକ୍ତା। ଶବ୍ଦ ଓ ଭାଷାର ଯାଦୁକାରୀ ସ୍ପର୍ଶରେ ସେ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ଆକୃଷ୍ଟ କରିପାରନ୍ତି। ତେଣୁ ଅନୁବାଦକଙ୍କର ଭାଷା ଖୁବ ହୃଦୟସ୍ପର୍ଶୀ ବୋଲି ମୁଁ ନିଜେ ଅନୁଭବ କରିଛି। ଆଶା, ଏହା ବହୁ ପାଠକୀୟ ଆଦୃତି ବୃଦ୍ଧି କରିବାରେ ତାଙ୍କୁ ସହାୟକ ହେବ।

ଅନୁସୃଜନଟି ଓଡ଼ିଆ ସାହିତ୍ୟକୁ ତା’ର ଯଥେଷ୍ଟ ଅବଦାନ ରଖିବ କାରଣ ଅନୁବାଦକ ଅନୁବାଦର ସମସ୍ତ ବିଧି ଓ ବିଧାନକୁ ସାଦରେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିଛନ୍ତି। ତାଙ୍କର ଶ୍ରମ ସାର୍ଥକ ହେଉ, ଏହାହିଁ ଆଶା କରୁଛି।

–ସଞ୍ଜିତ କୁମାର ଦାସ, ଅଧ୍ୟାପକ, ଇଂରେଜୀ ଭାଷା ଓ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ବିଭାଗ, କେନ୍ଦ୍ରୀୟ ବିଶ୍ୱବିଦ୍ୟାଳୟ, ଓଡ଼ିଶା, କୋରାପୁଟ