Odia Books

Debadurlabha Das was a devout Vaishnava poet of great erudition. Nothing is known about his parentage and residence.The only poetical work ascribed to him is Rahasyamanjari (literally, the bunch of mystery flowers, published by Prachi, 1925), a Kavya in twentyfour cantos, based on a religious theme pertaining to the mystery of the cult of devotional love between Sri Krishna as Lord and the Gopis (cowherd women), headed by Radha, as devotees.

The story dramatically begins with the malicious curiosity of the queens of Dvaraka, Krishna’s consorts, at his estimation of Gopi’s love as greater than them, and then weaves around their visit in the Lord’s company to Brindabana, where they were greatly impressed with the unfathomable love of the Gopis manifested with the celebrated Rasakrida. At last the damsels acknowledged, with all humility, the greatness of Gopibhaba whereupon they were admitted to the presence of Radha.

She greeted them with profound honour, as they were her counterparts in Dvaraka where the Lord had preferred to live in their company. The story, as rightly claimed by the author, is not found in any of the famous Vaishnavite works, and is only cognate to that of Gopichandana by Chanda Dasa. The religious importance of Rahasyamanjari consists in glorifying Gopibhaba and clearly depicting Radha as the chief Gopi, an approach initiated by Chanda Dasa.

But of greater significance i its literary merit. Das’s style shows a happy blending of the Puranic
directness and the simple lucidity of the pattern of early Akhyayika Kavya, punctuated with the rhythmic requirement of the metre employed, leading ultimately to a neat finish with regard to the sound and meaning sequence. The descriptions of nature and of human forms and movements are graphic as well as suggestive and brief. Das’s poetry thus breathes an air of realistic naturalness.

Further, here is an example of effective characterization in the portrayal of the malicious Jambabati, the love-ridden Radha and Gopis, the devoted and innocent Garuda etc., a fact which accounts for the rich human appeal sustained throughout. Finally, the poet maintains adequate restraint in the matter of depicting the lovers’ conjugal dalliances, a fact which lends the Kavya an appreciable gravity. Rarely is there a Kavya with such marked degree of success as Rahasyamanjari that combines the poet’s originality, erudition, impressive exactitute as to religious doctrine and artistic excellence all blended in one.

Dvaraka
Akhyayika Kavya
Jambabati
Rahasyamanjari