Dr. Krupa Sindhu Nayak has been one of the most prolific poets of Odisha who emerged on the literary scene in the early 1970s. A surgeon by profession, he has authored seven collections of poetry, including Baya Chadheira Dukha, 2007 (Woes of the Weaver Bird), his magnum opus, besides eleven plays, and several short stories which he has turned into stage and radio plays.

His poetry, as I understand, explores deeper and more profound topics such as life, death, time, and more importantly his place and identity in this chaotic and disconnected universe. The experience of modern man as something shocking and of distressful consequences finds adequate representation in his poetry of the 90s and after. He used dark imagery to vindicate his position in situations which are otherwise cruel and hostile to man’s survival on this earth. This is where he compared life on the earth to a “hanging nest,” a kind of “prison cell,” where man is kept as “a prisoner” in the horrifying “darkness” of “unending woe.”

But in his later poetry Dr. Nayak abandoned much of complexity, disillusionment and difficulty in expression of his early years in favour of love, happiness, love of nature, and reminiscences of the past and memory. His poetry began to embrace romantic strain and nostalgia, and a new technique to express ordinary events of life.

Going Beyond, as the title suggests, talks about the poet’s attempt to transcend his existence or experience beyond the physical level. The transcendence he longs for in the midst of the din and bustle of modern life is not easy to achieve as he is not able to “renew my bonds” with the ultimate reality. It is like “failing” to recall the “lines that aspire/to go beyond the words.”

Dr Nayak is admired for the way he plays with words, particularly when he fishes out the recollections of the past; it might be his days when the monsoon rain had ravaged his village with a deluge, or the village which in some other time had turned “bald and barren”, with the “groves and orchards,” losing their “greenery.” He also celebrates his memory of Katpadi on his way to CMC Hospital, Vellore, where he was doing residency in surgery in the early 70s. It is heartening to note how the interior architecture of his memories and recollections forms the still centre of his art of this period. His dexterous use of imagery aims at startling the reader by expressing the mood of his poetic persona or temper of the age.

Going Beyond reaffirms Dr Nayak’s position as a progressive humanist, and this volume can be taken as an open sesame to the beautiful world of the poet’s experience which the readers must share as their own and feel the thrill of pleasure that good poetry always offers.

I am sure Going Beyond will become a great success.

Prof. Bhagaban Jayasingh

କବି ଗୌତମ ଜେନା ଚଳିତ ସମୟ ଖଣ୍ଡର ଜଣେ ପ୍ରଥିତଯଶା କବି। ଦୀର୍ଘ ପଚାଶବର୍ଷର ସାରସ୍ୱତ ସାଧନା ଭିତରେ ତାଙ୍କର ପ୍ରକାଶ ପାଇଛି ଚଉଦ ଖଣ୍ଡ କବିତା ପୁସ୍ତକ। ୧୯୭୬ ମସିହାଠାରୁ ତାଙ୍କର କବିତା ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ସମସ୍ତ ସଂଭ୍ରାନ୍ତ ପତ୍ର/ପତ୍ରିକାମାନଙ୍କରେ ପ୍ରକାଶିତ ହୋଇ ଆସୁଛି ଓ ସେ ପାଠକୀୟ ମହଲରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ବହୁ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧା ଓ ସମ୍ମାନର ଅଧିକାରୀ ହୋଇପାରିଛନ୍ତି।

ଉତ୍ତରଅଶୀ ଓଡ଼ିଆ କବିତାକୁ ସେ ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି ନୂଆ ରୂପ ଓ ଭାବରେ ଆଣିପାରିଛନ୍ତି ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ। ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ପରବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ କବିତାରେ ଯେଉଁ ‘ଔପନିବେଶବାଦୀ ଚେତନା’ ପରିଲକ୍ଷିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା, ତହିଁରୁ ସେ ମୁକ୍ତ। ସାମାଜିକ ଜୀବନର ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ନାଁରେ ଅବକ୍ଷୟ, ବିଚ୍ଛିନ୍ନତାବୋଧ, ଏକାକୀତ୍ୱ, ଠିକଣାହୀନ ମଣିଷ, ନିରାଶା, ଦେହବାଦୀ ଚେତନା ଓ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ନିଃସଂଗତାରୁ ଦୂରରେ ରହି ସେ ତାଙ୍କ କବିତାରେ ଆଂକି ପାରିଛନ୍ତି ଏ ମାଟି, ପାଣି, ପବନ ଓ ଜୀବନର ଛବି। ସବୁଠି ସେ ଖୋଜିଛନ୍ତି ଆଶା, ବିଶ୍ୱାସ ତଥା ପ୍ରେମ।

ତାଙ୍କ ଜୀବନ ଯଂତ୍ରଣାରେ ନାହିଁ କାରୁଣ୍ୟ, ଅଛି ଜୀବନର ମାଦକତା, ଖୋଜିବା ପାଇଁ ପ୍ରେରଣା। ତାଙ୍କ କବିତାର ଆତ୍ମିକ ସ୍ୱରରେ ଅଛି ଅନ୍ୱେଷଣ, ନାହିଁ ଯଂତ୍ରଣାଜର୍ଜର ଆତ୍ମାର ସ୍ୱଗତୋକ୍ତି। ସେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁର ବର୍ଣ୍ଣବୋଧରେ, ବ୍ୟାକରଣରେ କାତର ନୁହଁନ୍ତି, ବରଂ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ତାଙ୍କ ଲେଖନୀରେ ପାଇଛି କଳାତ୍ମକ ରୂପ, ଯେଉଁଠି ଅନ୍ତରାତ୍ମାରେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁର ବ୍ୟାପକତା ଭିତରେ ଜୀବନର ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ରୂପ ପ୍ରକାଶିତ ହୋଇଥାଏ।

‘ହାତ ବଢ଼େଇଲେ ଆକାଶ’ ସଂଯୁକ୍ତାଙ୍କର ପ୍ରଥମ କବିତା ସଂକଳନ। ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିତ୍ୱର ବିଭଙ୍ଗ ଚିତ୍ର, ମଣିଷର ନିରାପତ୍ତାଶୂନ୍ୟତା, ଆଧୁନିକ ଜୀବନଚର୍ଯ୍ୟାର ଅନ୍ତଃସାରଶୂନ୍ୟତା ସହ ଉଜୁଡ଼ି ଯାଉଥିବା ସଂପର୍କ ତାଙ୍କ କବିତାର ଉଲ୍ଲେଖନୀୟ ଉପାଦାନ। ଅକପଟ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନାଶୈଳୀ, ସ୍ୱଚ୍ଛ ପ୍ରକାଶଭଙ୍ଗୀ ଏବଂ ଆବେଗପଖଳା ଶବ୍ଦବିନ୍ୟାସ ଯୋଗୁଁ ଏହି ସଂକଳନଟି କାବ୍ୟାମୋଦୀ ପାଠକମାନଙ୍କର ଦୃଷ୍ଟି ଆକର୍ଷଣ କରିବ।

About the book:

When one reads poems written by a young person, one ordinarily expects them to express the joys and sorrows of growing up, and hopes and aspirations animating a young mind dreaming of and dreading the future. One also expects to share the anxieties oppressing the heart of someone who has not had the benefit of age and experience. However, a pleasant surprise awaited me when I started going through poems written by Sumedha put together in this collection. They reveal a whole new world of possibilities and a sensibility shaped by sober reflections on life and its many ironies. They are infused with a quiet intensity and convey a melancholy awareness of a world facing an unanticipated calamity. No wonder, the young poet feels the ‘weight of the world ‘ on her shoulders. The reader quickly moves away from the external world encompassing the poet towards an interior landscape presented evocatively but without sentimentality or self-indulgence. During this journey, questions arising in her mind lead her to explore impenetrable mysteries of life to which easy answers can never be found. Who can, for instance, answer the question, ‘Does the light stop where the dark begins?’ or ‘Does the light cast its own shadow?’. But the questions and a restless search for answers to them lend the poem depth, complexity and a resonant beauty.

I am confident that, as she grows older and finds new ways of experiencing and interpreting the world, Sumedha will find a distinctive voice which will render her poems more memorable and more richly meaningful.

Jatindra Kumar Nayak

Former Professor of English, Utkal University, Odisha

Professor Emeritus, KISS Deemed to be University, Odisha