Odia Books

Bhima Dhibara A is famous in odia literature for his kavya Kapatapasha. From the surname Dhibara it
can be surmised that the poet was a ‘Dhibara’ or fisherman by caste. The poem was written most probably in the 17th century. It is divided into 10 cantos, each in different metres, such as, Nalini Gouda, Bangalashri,etc. The poet possibly because of his low-caste origin does not make any pretension of great learning. His use of simple idiomatic language to express deep emotions in popular melodious metres, has made the poem popular all over the state among all sections of people.

Although the poem is named Kapatapasha, i.e. the foul dice-game, it does not give an account of the
game. The poem begins dramatically from the scene in the court of the Kurus when Yudhishthira,
completely defeated In the game of dice, had lost everything including his brothers and his and their wife. The poet then proceeds to describe the humiliation of Draupadi, at the hands of Dushasana, which however brought immediate retribution.

It so happened that when on Duryodhana’s orders, Dushasana was trying to undress Draupadi, whose appeals for help evoked no response from the Kuru-elders, the clothes of Bhanumati, Duryodhana’s wife, caught fire, forcing her to come into the Kuru-court completely naked. Duryodhana and his friends were thus shamed into realisation that grievous wrong was being done to Draupadi. Duryodhana thereupon asked Duhsasana to stop.

The poet in order to teach the Kurus a lesson has quoted a line from the Bhagavata: ‘He who makes evil plans against others, himself suffers from the same, inviting God’s wrath.’ The story is taken from the odia epic Mahabharata of Sarala Das.The poet within the small compass of only 10 cantos has depicted the characters of Duryodhana,Duhsasana, Dhritarashtra, Drona, the five Pandava brothers and Draupadi in a beautiful manner. The dialogues and the activities of the different characters, although given very briefly, are effective in bringing their characters and attitudes into sharp focus.

The poet has stressed the glory of Shri Krishna who had helped Draupadi in her distress. Though he was a contemporary of the poets of the Riti school, Bhima Dhibara has not used any traditional rhetorical devices.