Poet Gańgādhara Meher's Tapasvinī Kāvya : A Glimpse/ HKMeher

Poet Gańgādhara Meher's Tapasvinī Kāvya : A Glimpse
(From the Pen of Dr. Harekrishna Meher)
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(Poet Gańgādhara Meher)

Gańgādhara Meher, popularly known as ‘Swabhāva-Kavi’ is one of the illustrious makers of Indian literature. In the galaxy of poets of Oriya literature, he is a scintillating star of first magnitude. Coming on 9 August 1862, Śrāvaņa Pūrņimā (Rākshī Bandhan), the day of full illumination, at Barpali in the then Sambalpur district of Orissa, his mortal form disappeared in the murky veil of Chaitra Amāvāsyā on 4 April 1924.

Literary compositions of Gańgādhara Meher comprise several kāvyas, essays, autobiography and numerous lyrics : devotional, patriotic, satirical and reformative. His main works are Tapasvinī, Pranaya-Vallarī, Kichaka-Vadha, Indumatī, Utkala-Lakshmī, Ayodhyā-Druśya, Kavitā-Kalloļa, Arghya-Thāļī, Ahalyā-Stava, Mahimā, Bhāratī-Bhāvanā, Kavitāmāļā, Padminī and Krushaka-Sańgīta. “Gańgādhara Granthāvalī”, the compilation of all his writings, has earned high appreciations through several publications.Like Kālidāsa in Sanskrit and William Wordsworth in English, Gańgādhara Meher is regarded as ‘Prakriti-Kavi’, Poet of Nature, in Oriya literature. He sees and shows the entire universe ever-beautiful, nectareous and imbued with ambrosia.

'Tapasvinī’, an eleven-canto Oriya epic poem, is the magnum opus and a great classic of this illustrious poet. With the prevailing sentiment of Pathos, this kāvya depicts the post-banishment episode of Sītā in the hermitage of Sage Vālmīki. In this Rāmāyaņa-based literary composition, the poetic presentation is well- embellished with originality and significant innovations.

Sītā, the daughter of Earth and the devoted wife of King Rāma, in her later life appears as a ‘Tapasvinī’, A Woman practising penance or An Ascetic- maid, in the pen of Gańgādhara Meher. This epic poem reveals the ambition of the poet to portray the brilliant character of a devoted wife steeped in Indian culture in the domain of literature. With vivid and prominent delineation of Sītā’s life-deeds, Tapasvinī kāvya may be construed as a ‘Sītāyana’ in the field of Indian Literature.
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For wide popularization and comparative correspondence, I have completely translated ‘Tapasvinī’ into English, Hindi and Sanskrit.*From among these tri-lingual translations, Hindi Rendering Book "TAPASVINI" has been published by Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Orissa, in 2000.
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My English Book entitled "TAPASVINI OF GANGADHARA MEHER" (Complete English Translation, ISBN : 81-87661-63-1. First Edition : 2009, Pages- 220) has been published by : R.N. Bhattacharya (Book Publishers & Exporters), A-217, H.B. Town, Road No.4, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India.
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Tapasvini : Ref: (International Circulation) :
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2010/06/ref-to-english-book-tapasvini-of.html http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2009/08/english-version-book-of-oriya-tapasvini.html
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References of ‘Tapasvini’ can be seen on these sites :

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Original Oriya :
(Tapasvini, Canto-IV, ‘Mańgaļe Ailā Ushā’) मङ्गळे अ‍इला उषा : http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2007/08/oriya-kavya-tapasvini-of-swabhava-kavi.html
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English Translation :
(‘Auspiciously came Ushā’ ) :
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2007/07/tapasvini-canto-iv.html
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Hindi Translation :
(‘Samańgal Āī Sundarī Praphulla-Nīraj-Nayanā Ushā’ )
समंगल आई सुन्दरी प्रफुल्ल-नीरज-नयना उषा :
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2007/07/hindi-version-of-tapasvini-kavya.html
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Sanskrit Translation :
(‘Mańgalam Samāgatā Saumyāńganā Ushā Vyākoshāravinda-Locanā’ )
मङ्गलं समागता सौम्याङ्गना उषा व्याकोषारविन्द-लोचना :
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2007/07/sanskrit-version-of-tapasvini-kavya.html
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Sanskrit Article (संस्कृत-तपस्विनी-काव्यम् : एकमालोकनम्) : http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2011/07/gangadhara-mehers-tapasvini-sanskrit.html
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Research Article (‘Tapasvinī of Gańgādhara Meher : A Critical Observation') :
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2007/08/tapasvini-of-gangadhara-meher-critical.html
http://tapasvini-kavya.blogspot.com/2011/10/english-tapasvini-kavya-tapasvini.html
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Blog Reaction : ‘Musepaper’ : ‘Poet Gańgādhara is influenced by Bhavabhūti’ :
http://themusepaper.blogspot.com/2008/07/poet-gangdhara-is-influenced-by.html
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PoemHunter :
(Auspicious Dawn): http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/auspicious-dawn/
(Duty of a King) : http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/duty-of-a-king/
Conjugal Love of Sītā and Rāma :
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/conjugal-love-of-sita-and-rama/
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2008/05/tapasvini-kavya-conjugal-love-of-sita.html
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River Tamasā (Poet’s Philosophy of Life) :
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2008/07/river-tamasa-tapasvini-poets-philosophy.html
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Rāma’s Coronation in the Vision of Sītā :
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/rama-s-coronation-in-the-vision-of-sita/ *
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2009/07/ramas-coronation-in-vision-of-sita.html
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'Muse India' (Literary e-journal in English) Issue 21 / Sept.- Oct. 2008
(Extracts from English Translations of Tapasvini) :
http://museindia.com/viewarticle.asp?myr=2008&issid=21&id=1258
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On My English Book "Tapasvini of Gangadhara Meher", Literary Appreciation
by Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra ('Muse India' Issue- 37, May-June 2011.
Ref : http://www.museindia.com/focuscontent.asp?issid=34&id=2292
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'Srijangatha' (e-magazine in Hindi) /Gangadhar Meher Ki Do Kavitaayen :
सृजनगाथा / गंगाधर मेहेर की दो कवितायें :
http://www.srijangatha.com/?pagename=Bhashantar2_May2K9
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Srijanagaathaa / स्वभावकवि गङ्गाधर मेहेर : एक अमर प्रतिभा : http://www.srijangatha.com/?pagename=Hastakshar_Jun2k9
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Tapasvinī : Ek Parichaya ( Article Taken from My Hindi ‘ Tapasvinī ’ Book ) : http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2008/07/tapasvini-ek-parichaya-harekrishna_27.html
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The Ambrosial ['Amrutamaya' : Mu Ta Amruta-Sāgara-Bindu.] http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2008/08/ambrosial-amrutamaya-of-gangadhara.html
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Kaavyaalaya : http://www.manaskriti.com/kaavyaalaya/amritmay.stm
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Complete English ‘TAPASVINI’ Kavya :
http://tapasvini-kavya.blogspot.com/2011/10/complete-english-tapasvini.html
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2011/10/tapasvini-kavya-complete-english.html
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Complete Hindi Tapasvinī Kāvya :
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2011/08/complete-hindi-tapasvini-kavya.html
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Articles on My Hindi-English-Sanskrit Translations of Tapasvinī Kāvya :
http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-hindi-english-sanskrit-articles-on.html
http://tapasvini-kavya.blogspot.com/2011/08/blog-post.html
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