topics: |  fiction | oriya | translation

Excerpts

[Ramachandra Mangaraj is the zamindar.]
He was a very pious man indeed...

Every ekadasi [the pious landlord, Mangaraj] fasted, taking nothing but water
and a few leaves of the sacred basil plant for the entire day.  

Just the other afternoon, though, Mangaraj’s barber, Jaga, let it slip that
on the evenings of ekadasis a large pot of milk, some bananas, and a small
quantity of khai and nabata are placed in the master’s bedroom. Very early
the next morning, Jaga removes the empty pot and washes it.

Hearing this, some people exchanged knowing looks and chuckled. One blurted
out, “Not even the father of Lord Mahadeva can catch a clever fellow
stealing a drink when he dips under the water.” We’re not absolutely sure
what was meant by this, but our guess is that these men were slandering
Mangaraj.  Ignoring their intentions for the moment, we would like to plead
his case as follows: Let the eyewitness who has seen Mangaraj emptying the
pot come forward, for like judges in a court of law we are absolutely
unwilling to accept hearsay and conjecture as evidence. All the more so
since science textbooks state unequivocally: “Liquids evaporate.”  Is milk
not a liquid? Why should milk in a zamindar’s household defy the laws of
science? Besides, there were moles, rats, and bugs in his bedroom. And in
whose house can mosquitoes and flies not be found?

Like all base creatures of appetite, these are always on the lookout for
food; such creatures are not spiritually minded like Mangaraj, who had the
benefit of listening to the holy scriptures. It would be a great sin, then,
to doubt Mangaraj’s piety or unwavering devotion.

Of late, alongwith many other foreign goods, something called "ruchi" --
taste -- has been imported into our land.  58

On the name "fakir" + "mohan senapati"

from ronakmsoni:

Fakir Mohan Senapati(1843-1918) has a really interesting name, because
Mohan Senapati is a Hindu name whereas Fakir is a Muslim name. 

[It is explained in] the introduction to this edition by translator Satya p
Mohanty. He was born Braja Mohan Senapati. In his childhood he fell gravely
ill. After his grandmother had prayed to all the Hindu Gods she turned to
two Muslim saints. In exchange for curing him, she promised to give him up
to their religious order as a Fakir. When he recovered, she reneged, but
agreed to give him up symbolically by changing his name to Fakir.