Ekti Jiban / Portrait d'une vie
by Raja Mitra
Gurudas was a Sanskrit teacher in a village school of undivided Bengal. While teaching he felt the absence of an up-to-date lexicon in Bengali language which has gained a new shape delinking itself from original Sanskrit. He, in no time, devoted himself to the task of reconstructing a Dictionary and spent the major part of his life in pursuit of culling vocabularies from the mouth of common people.
In the wake of partition of Bengal in 1947, he came over to West Bengal and found shelter in a refugee camp. Meanwhile he lost his daugther, son and wife one after another, was thrown into abject poverty still undaunted in spirit gurudas went ahead with his mission. The only woman beside him was his widow daughter-in-law who kept vigil like unfliching flame of love and affection. As soon as his work saw the light of day the erudites came crowding to show honour. The govt. conferred a befitting award but he refused. He was averse to all these empty show of honour.
In the wake of partition of Bengal in 1947, he came over to West Bengal and found shelter in a refugee camp. Meanwhile he lost his daugther, son and wife one after another, was thrown into abject poverty still undaunted in spirit gurudas went ahead with his mission. The only woman beside him was his widow daughter-in-law who kept vigil like unfliching flame of love and affection. As soon as his work saw the light of day the erudites came crowding to show honour. The govt. conferred a befitting award but he refused. He was averse to all these empty show of honour.
