Meghnad Badh Kavya Explained

Meghnad Badh Kavya (bn|মেঘনাদবধ কাব্য; English: The Slaying of Meghnada) is a Bengali epic poem by Michael Madhusudan Dutta. Regarded as a central work in Bengali literature and Dutta's greatest literary work as well as the finest epic in Bengali literature and also as one of the greatest works of world literature.^[1] Meghnad Badh Kavya is based on the demise of Meghnad (a.k.a. Indrajit), son of Ravana, the king of Lanka in the classic Sanskrit epic Ramayana.^{[2] [3]} Michael Madhusudan Dutt was an ardent admirer of both European literature and Indian literature and the epic owes much to Milton, Tasso, Homer, Virgil, Valmiki, Vyasa and Kalidasa.

The poem is divided into 9 cantos.^[4] Each part exhibits different incidents. Starting from the death of Beerbahu, son of Ravana, it is continued till the sati-daha (the ancient Indian custom of burning the widows alive with the dead husband) of Prameela, Meghnad's beloved wife.

The poem starts with the lines:

Critical review

Meghnad or Indrajit was the son of Ravana, who used Brahmastra to kill 670 Million Vanaras in Ramayana. He was slain by Lakshmana, while he was worshiping Goddess Nikumvilā, in the royal temple of Lanka, because of betrayal by Vibhishana, who was an uncle of Meghnad. Meghnad asked Lakshmana not to fight with an unarmed person, rebuking him as a coward; but Lakshmana did not oblige. This is the central theme of this epic.

Here are some comments of a few pioneers of Bengali literature:

1. "...to Homer and Milton, as well as to Valmiki, he is largely indebted, and his poem is on the whole the most valuable work in modern Bengali literature." -Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay^[5]
2. "The Epic Meghnad-Badh is really a rare treasure in Bengali literature. Through his writings, the richness of Bengali literature has been proclaimed to the wide world." -Rabindranath Tagore
3. "MeghnadBadh is a supreme poem." -Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Quotations from the poet

Dutta had mentioned this ballad many times in his letters, of which a few are listed:

1. "Perhaps the episode of Sita's abduction (Fourth Book) should not have been admitted since it is scarcely connected with the progress of the Fable. But would you willingly part with it? Many here look upon that Book as the best among the five ..." (1860)
2. " ... I got a severe attack of fever and was laid up for six or seven days. It was a struggle whether Meghanad will finish me or I finish him. Thank Heaven. I have triumphed. He is dead, that is to say, I have finished the VI Books in about 750 lines. It cost me many a tear to kill him." (1860)

Notes and References

1. Book: Azad, Humayun. History of Bangladesh 1704-1971. The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. 2007. 984 512 337 6. Islam. Sirajul. 3: Social and Cultural History. Dhaka. 239. Bangla Literature in the Nineteenth Century. Humayun Azad.
2. Web site: The Slaying of Meghanada. home.uchicago.edu. 2018-06-04.
3. Web site: মেঘনাদবধ থেকে বীরাঙ্গনা . 15 July 2024.
4. http://www.iopb.res.in/~somen/Madhu/index.shtml Read the whole ballad in Bangla
5. http://www.poetseers.org/the_great_poets/in/dutt/ Read more about the poet