Satirical works of Kshemendra (study)
by Arpana Devi | 2017 | 60,954 words
This page relates ‘Summary of the Bahire Rong Chong Bhitore Kowabhaturi (1876)’ part of the study on the Satirical works of Kshemendra: an 11th century poet from Kashmir, who composed three satirical works. Kshemendra himself says that in composing the satirical works his only motive is to reform the mindset of the people.—He exposes all the vices and follies prevailing in the society with the intention to reform it.
9.3. Summary of the Bāhire Rong Chong Bhitore Kowābhāturī (1876)
The Bāhire Rong Chong Bhitare Kowābhāturī is another well known satirical work composed by prominent writer Hemchandra Barua (1835-1896). As a satirist, he is a torch bearer for the later writers. Bāhire Rong Chong Bhitore Kowābhāturī is recognized as the first satiric fiction in the history of Assamese literature. Hemchandra Barua was a social satirist who ridicules religious hypocrisy and immoralities prevailing in the contemporary society.
Bāhire Rong Chong Bhitore Kowābhāturī contains five chapters. In the work he has criticized bitterly the Dāṅgoriās (a lord or a respectable person), the Satrādhikāras (the religious head) and the adulterous conduct of the gurus prevailing in the society. The writer satirizes the hypocrisy of the Satrādhikāras through the character of Govardhan. The Satrādhikāra is very punctual and observes all the rituals of his cult, but inwardly he is greedy. He is more interested in finding faults with his followers rather than his daily prayer. If someone is caught violating the rules and regulations of the Satra, the Satrādhikāra becomes very happy because he can fine him of money.
Superstitious belief in his divine power is also satirized in the work. It is believed that the forefathers of the Satrādhikāra’s had great divine powers and being satisfied with one’s divine power, the Kalsila river took the form of human being and took initiation (śaran-bhajan) from him, supplied annually five buri’s of eggs of kaldhap as a tax.[1]
In the work, it is also exposed that the Satrādhikāra shows off his knowledge but in reality he knows nothing. In the work, Barua also satirizes the exploitation of the guru upon his followers. Barua is successful in his satire by comparing such religious gurus with serious maladies. Barua also directs his satire against lustrous character of the guru. Besides all these frailties, vanity of the rich and aristocratic class, people’s belief on spirits, superstitions, corruption of the officers-all are exposed in a satirical way. Barua also satirizes the people who hesitate to speak his own mother tongue.
Hemchandra Barua is merciless in his satire. He has no pity for any kind of frailties prevailing in the society. In the Bāhire Rong Chong Bhitore Kowābhāturī, the writer employs sharp language to expose hypocrisy, immoral conduct and all kinds of vices and follies prevailing in the society and he becomes successful in his objective of exposing those unwanted things.