Satirical works of Kshemendra (study)
by Arpana Devi | 2017 | 60,954 words
This page relates ‘Summary of the Kripabor Baruar Kakator Topola (1905)’ 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.
9.6. Summary of the Kṛpābor Baruar Kākator Topolā (1905)
Kṛpābor Baruar Kākator Topolā (1905),
Kṛpābor Baruar Obhatani (1909),
Kṛpābor Baruar Bhāvar Burburaṇi (1951),
Kṛpābor Baruar Bulani (1964):
After Hemchandra Barua, it was Lakshminath Bezbaroa (1864-1938) who used satire to expose the frailties of the contemporary Assamese society. Bezbaroa is acknowledged to be the greatest literary personality in the history of Assamese literature. He is a versatile and genius writer, who composed drama, poetry, essay and fiction. But, he is more popular for his humorous works. Therefore, he is known as ‘Rasarāja’. He composed Kṛpābor Baruar Kākator Topolā, Kṛpābor Baruar Obhatani, Kṛpābor Baruar Bhāvar Burburaṇi, Kṛpābor Baruar Bulani under the pen name ‘Kṛpābor Barbarua’. These humorous essays are now compiled in a single volume. These works of Bezbaroa is full of wit, humuor and satire. His satire is mild and not much bitter like the satirical works of Hemchandra Barua.
These works of L.N. Bezbaroa holds reflection of the contemporary Assamese society. Bezbaroa ridicules the follies and frailties of the then Assamese society. He depicts incongruities of the contemporary people. Barua depicts a middle class society. A huge portion of the society was influenced by the Western culture. Bezbaroa ridicules such members of the society for their vanity of learning and their admiration for English language. Class distinction, immoralities of religious heads made him annoyed. In the society, everywhere prejudice, evil habits like opium consumption were prevalent. However, in these works, vanity of the individuals or groups of individuals, jealousy, envy, crookedness, prejudice, superstition etc. are depicted as the weakness of Assamese people and are narrated with the help of satire. These criticisms reflect Bezbaroa’s love and responsibility towards Assamese people.
In these compositions, Bezbaroa aims at exposing all the frailties of the contemporary Assamese society and to restrain the people from doing such evils.