GOPINATH MOHANTYS DISCOVERY OF SAROLA DASA: A HISTORICAL

CONTROVERSY IN ODIA LITERATURE

Dr. Basanta Kumar Panda
panda.bk@rediffmail.com
Abstract: Gopinath Mohanty was a versatile genius. Though he was generally know as
an eminent novelist and story writer, he was an extraordinary scholar, cultural
anthropologist and interpreter of ancient texts. He had a keen power of observation and
innovation. During sixth decade of the last century he discovered some new information
about the name, birth place and the time of Sarala Dasa, the composer of great Odia
Mahabharata. Gopinath opined that the name of the poet was Sarola Dasa instead of Sarala
Dasa, he was living during9th and 10 th century instead of 15th century and his birth place
was Kania near Kakatpur in Puri District instead of Jhankada in Cuttack District. These
findings were based on the palm leaf manuscripts of Mahabharata collected and read by
Gopinath Mohanty. But subsequently this view was refuted by historians like Dr. H. K.
Mahatab and Dr. K. C. Panigrahi in their writings. All other great scholars of Sarala
Mahabharata like Gopinath Nandasarma, Mrutunjaya Rath, Nilakantha Das, B. C. Majumdar,
Dr. Mayadhara Mansingh and Dr. K. C. Panigrahi have placed Sarala Dasa in the middle part
of the 15th century during the reign of king Kapilendra Deva. They have also given the
evidences that his name was Sarala Dasa and he was born in Jhankada where Goddess
Sharala has been worshiped. Sarala Dasa composed his Mahabharata by the grace of
Goddess Sharala as it is depicted in his writings. This issue had created controversy in the
history of Odia Literature in the past. Even to-day, it has relevance and importance to be
relooked and reviewed. Present paper aims to examine this discourse with proper study and
references.

Introduction
Historiography is the method for writing history of literature, based on the critical
examination of sources, the selection of particular details from authentic materials in those
sources and synthesis of those details into a narrative that stands the test of critical examination.
When the modern historians and scholars of our age aim to reconstruct the historical records of
our literature, obviously remember Gopinath Mohanty and his discovery of Sarala Dasa from the
sources of hundred years old palm leaf manuscripts. Once it had created controversy in history of
Odia literature during sixth decade of the last century. It is still relevant today for discussion in
the light of the theory of deconstruction.
Views of Gopinath Mohanty
Most of the historians and researchers of Sarala Literature since last part of the nineteenth
century have placed Sarala Dasa in the 15thcentury during the reign of king Kapilendra Dev and
located Jhankada under the then Cuttack District as his birthplace. So these facts have been
established in the subconscious of Odia people. But Gopinath Mohonty going against this
accepted view on Sarala Dasa claimed that 1) SaralaDass time period was in between last part of
9th and first part of 10th century. 2) The birth place of Sarala Dasa was village Kania near the

temple of chitreswari on the bank of river Prachi under Kakatpur area of Puri District. 3) The
real name of the poet was Sarola Dasa instead of SarolaDasa. 4) Sarala had composed Bichitra
Ramayana but not Bilanka Ramayana. With his keen power of observation and innovation
Gopinath surveyed more than hundred old palm leaf manuscripts, as reported by him, and
published two major articles entitled Shudramuni Sarola Dasanka Abirbhaba Samaya and
Sarala Dasanka Ghara Keunthi in Jhankar 8th year Vol-II and Vol-IV (May and July 1957)
respectively. The extracts of the text quoted by Gopinath Mohanty from different manuscripts
were interpreted to draw this important conclusion taking into consideration of three things i.e a)
Location of the place on which side from the Mahodadhi(sea) b) Location of Utpaleswar temple
and c) Location of river Chandrabhaga and Chitratpola. All these points have been interpreted
differently by GopinathMohanty in relation to the birth place of Sarala Das.
Discourse

P.T.O

Immediately after publication of the first article Dr. Harekrishna Mahatab in his editorial
in JhankarVol-III July, 1957 discussed the matter and refused to accept the views given by
Gopinath Mohanty. Then after the publication of the second article historian Dr. K. C. Panigrahi
published an article with same title in Jhankar Vol-V Aug, 1957 and discussed the issue vividly
with all possible arguments and refuted the views of Gopinath Mohanty on the birthplace of
SaralaDasa. On the basis of the text taken from palm leaf manuscripts by mohanty himself, Dr.
Panigrahi tried to prove that the birthplace of Sarala Dasa was not other than Jhankada near the
river Chitrotpala. He also discussed that the text was not properly understood by Gopinath
Mohanty for which the confusion was created by mixing up Chitrotpala with Chandrabhaga,
Kanakabati with Kania and goddess Sarala with Mangala. In his opinion there was no valid
reason to doubt the Munigoseinmatha as his (Saralas) ancient abode, his grave yard (Samadhi)
and parijas as his descendants.
On the other issue regarding the time period of Sarala Dasa Dr. K. C. Panigrahi was very
sure that the poet was living and composed Mahabharata during the reign of Gajapati Kapilendra
Deva between the year 1435 to 1467 AD. Panigrahi has published a series of articles on the
history in Sarala Mahabharata in Jhankar in the year 1957, subsequently which have been
complied and published as a book entitled Sarala Sahityare Eithasika Chitra(1976).
Dr. Panigrahi also reported that great compiler of Sarala Mahabharata Prof. Artasallava
Mahanty in Sarala Smaranika had written that Sarala Mahabharata was composed during the
reign of king Kapila Narasingha. But Kapila Narasingh is a fictitious name, there was no such
king in the history of Odisha. Prof, Artaballava Mohanty changed his view in later period and
accepted that Sarala was of 15th century. Dr. Panigrahi suggested that four type of knowledge are
required for editing and deciding the originality of Sarala literature a) Knowledge about the
certain time period of this literature. b) Knowledge about the structure of language of that period
c) Knowledge about the ancient history and legends of Odisha and India. d) Knowledge about
the ancient Geography of India and Odisha. These are the tools to edit and select the facts from

the texts available in palm leaf manuscripts. He had accused that more damage have been made
by scholars without proper knowledge than by half literate manuscript writers. As it is not
possible to get the original script written by Sarala Dasa, we should be very careful to accept and
reject the subjects without emotion and devotion. Emotion leads to illusion and illusion towards
darkness, but knowledge leads to light.
Dr. Bansidhar Mohanty in his article published in the same issue of Jhankar (May 1957)
discussed the issues and refuted the views of Gopinath Mohanty. Afterwards Gopinath published
two more articles in Jhankar and Dagar in response to the views of Dr. K. C. Panigrahi.
Now it is necessary to survey the views of other eminent scholars and historians of Odia
literature those who have discussed before and after Gopinath Mohanty on this issue. Pandit
Gopinath Nanda Sarma in his pioneering work Sri Bharata Darpana (1928) states that on the
basis of madalapanji and in the views of historian Pyarimohan Acharya and W.W. Hunter king
Kapilendra Dev was ruling during 1452 to 1479 AD. On the twenty seventh year of King
P.T.O the
Kapilendra poet Sarala Dasa began the composition of Mahabharata. He had also given
details of the birth place of Sarala Dasa and decided that the village Jhankada near the temple of
Goddess Sarala was the real birth place of Sarala Dasa. Pandit Mrutyunjaya Rath in his Sarala
Charita supported the view of Pandit Nandasarma and said that Sarala Dasa composed
Mahabharata in his later age during the reign of Kapilendra Dev.
In the appendix of The History of Orissa by W. W. Hunter (1872) a list of poets was given
and mentioned that Sarala was living before 300 years.
Manmohan Chakravarty in his long article Notes on Oriya language and literature
published in J.A. S.B (1893) placed Sarala Dasa after Balarama and Jagannath Dasa. Dr. B.C.
Mazumdar in his Typical selections from Oriya literature Vol-I (1922) compiled Saralas writings
after Balarama and Jagannath under the influence of Manmohan Chakravarty. But in his learned
introduction said In the reign of the very first solar king Kapilendra alias Kapileswara, Sarala
Dasa composed his Mahabharata. Pandit Suryanarayan Das in his History of Oriya literature
placed Sarala in 15th century.
Pandit Nilakantha Das in his speech delivered at Jhankada and subsequently published in
Nababharata (Feb, 1947)associated Sudra Sarala Das or Sidheswara with king Kapilendra Dev
and narrated both of them as revolutionary to establish a Golden era in the history of Orissa.
Sarala, a real rebel could establish Odia culture and language against Sanskrit hegemony.
Surendra Mohanty in his Odia Sahityara Adiparva(1963) and Odia Sahityara
Kramabikash (1978) accepted the view that Sarala was contemporary of king Kapilendra Dev in
15th century and composed Mahabharata by the grace of Goddess Sarala. The poet was born in
Jankherpur Patana (Jhankada) in the north side of the river chitrotpala and he was a worshiper
of Goddess Sarala as it is depicted in his Mahabharata.

Dr. Mayadhar Mansinha in History of Oriya literature (1962) claimed that Sarala Dasa,
poet of the Oriya Mahabharata flourished in the reign of the founder and greatest ruler of the
solar dynasty, Sri Kapilendra Deva, who is a legendary figure of Orissa. About the birth place of
the poet Dr. Mansingha elaborates legend corroborated by the poets own assertions in his
works has established that Sarala Dasa was born in the village of Jhankada in the District of
Cuttack. His descendants are still there scattered in the villages round about. He was aP.T.O
devoted
worshiper of the Goddess Sarala whose temple still stands in the village of Kanakpur, about a
mile from his native village. Not far from this village the poets Samadhi still stands under a
spreading banyan tree, an object of devotion and respect to people all around.
Dr. K. C. Sahoo in his book Literature and social life in Mediaval Orissa (1971)
discussed that As both the Kings Kapilendra and Purusottam were mentioned in the beginning
of the Mahabharat, it seems certain that Sarala Dasa began the Mohabharata sometime between
1467 and 1470 A.D. Dr. Sahoo had given some arguments regarding Saralas time which are
quite appropriate to mention:
a)

b)

c)
d)

The names of saints like Maschendranath, Gorekhnath, Jnaneswar, Ramachandra

were mentioned in Sarala Mahabhrarata. Both Gorekhnath and Jmameswar were
saints of 13th Century.
In Sarala Mahabharata, it is described that during his expedition Bhima met
Ramachandra, the King of Karnataka. One yadava king was ruling there by such
name from 1271 to 1309 AD. He was contemporary to Saint Jnaneswara.
Sarala narrated about Vijaya Nagar kingdom several times in his Mahabharata, which
was established in 1335 AD.
Sarala mentioned the name of King Kapileswara several times in his Mahabharata.
King Kapileswara or Kapilendra was ruling in Orissa from 1435 1465 AD.

All these points prove that Sarala Dasa must have composed Mahabharata in 15 th
century. On the other issue regarding Bilanka Ramayana and Bichitra Ramayana scholars
have divided opinion. Dr. H. K. Mahatab and Dr. Mayadhar Mansingh have admitted that
Bilanka Ramayana was written by Sarala Dasa, which was not accepted by Gopinath Mohanty.
Dr. K. C. Sahoo supported Mohantys view and reported that the composer of Bilanka
Ramayana was Siddheswar Dasa, neither siddheswar Parida nor Sarala Dasa and language of
Bilanka Ramayana is quite different from Sarala Mahabharata which proves that it is not
written by Sarala. Bichitra Ramayana was accepted by scholars like Sachidananda Mishra as a
creation of Sarala Dasa.
Conclusion
In view of the above discourse, it is observed that Gopinath Mohanty alone had placed
Sarala Dasa in 9th and 10th century and located his birth place in Kania near Kakatpur. No other
scholar either earlier or later to him supported his views throughout the history. Then question
arises how it could be possible on the part of a great author and scholar like Gopinath Mohanty

to speculate such things. Some of the scholars and critics said, if the view of Gopinath will be
proved, it would be a great achievement for Odia literature. Particularly, now, when Odia
language got the classical status and it is claimed that Odia is an ancient language having
antiquity of two thousand years, it would be a wonderful achievement if poet Sarala Dasa could
be placed in 9th and 10th century AD. Till now, we could not trace the link between Charya
Literature of 10th century and Sarala literature of 15th century, which could be easily resolved by
this finding. This must be a great concern for linguists and historians of Odisha.
If we will forget the historical background of Sarala Dasa and try to reconstruct
P.T.O the
history by locating his time and place only on the basis of the available text, deconstruction is the
only method, which may lead us to the real meaning. Deconstruction is a recent study of
literature which says that piece of writing does not have just one meaning and that the meaning
depends on the reader. Deconstruction operating at a similar level, questions all that we take for
granted about language, experience and natural system of human communication. Roland
Barthes gives a concept of the death of the author as an escape from the tyranny of subjectivity
and recovery of objective meaning. Deconstruction has marked out a new domain of argument
for the age old quarrel between literature and history. It is a constant reminder of the
etymological link between crisis and criticism. Literary text posses meaning and that literary
criticism sought a knowledge of that meaning- a knowledge with its own proper claims to
validity. But deconstruction challenges the fundamental distinction between text and criticism, as
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak puts it in Derridas words, Text becomes open at both ends. The
text has no stable identity, stable origin each act of reading the text is a preface to the next.
[Derrida 1977 a p-XII] Sarala Mahabharata text can be explored in the light of deconstruction to
resolve the issue raised by Gopinath Mohanty.

ReferencesGopinath Mohanty: Articles in Jhankar 8th year vol II and IV May and July 1957.
Dr. K. C. Panigrahi Prabandha Manas(1972), Kitab Mahal, Cuttack-3
Pandit Gopinath Nandasharma, Sri Bharat Darpana(1928), Utkal Sahitya Press, Cuttack.
Pandit Nilakantha Das, Odia Bhasa O Sahitya (1958)
Dr. Mayadhar Mansinha, History of Oriya literature (2005), Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi
Surendra Mohanty, Odia Sahityara Kramabikash (1978), Agraduta Prakashani, Cuttack.
Pathani Pattanayak, Odia Sahityara Itihasa (1988), Nalanda, Cuttack
B.C. Mazundar, Introduction to Typical Selection from Oriya Literature (1922),
University of Calcutta.
9. Ed. Kamalakanta Mohapatra, Mallika (Gopinath Mohanty Birth centenary issue 2014.
10. Christopher Norris, Deconstruction: Theory and Practice (1986), Methuen, New York.
11. Tr. Gayathi Chakravorty Spivak, of Grammatology by Jacques Derrida (1977)
Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
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