Jibanananda Das

Early life Das was born in 1899 in Barisal, a district town in the British Raj, into a Bengali Baidya family. His ancestors originated from the Bikrampur region (now Mushiganj) of the Dhaka Division, from the now-extinct village of Gaupara in the kumarvog area of the Louhajang Upazila on the banks of the river Padma. Das' grandfather Sarbānanda Dāśagupta was the first to settle permanently in Barisal. He was an early exponent of the reformist Brahmo Samaj movement in Barisal and was highly regarded in town for his philanthropy. He erased the -gupta suffix from the family name, regarding it as a symbol of Vedic Brahmin excess, thus rendering the surname to Das. Jibanananda's father, Satyānanda Dāś, was a schoolmaster and publisher, and Jibanananda's mother, Kusumakumārī Dāś, was a poet who explored social issues.Jibanananda was the eldest son and had two siblings, Aśōkānanda and Sucharita. Education and Career In 1919, Jibanananda received a BA Degree in English literature from Presidency College, Kolkata. He first poem appeared in the Boishakh issue of Brahmobadi journal. The poem was called Borsho-abahon (Arrival of the New Year). Jibanananda sometimes published his works under the pseudonyms Sri or Das Gupta. Jibanananda earned his MA Degree in English from the University of Calcutta in 1921, taught and tutored students in English, and published his first collection of poems called Jhara Palok (Fallen Feathers) in 1927. By the last year of his life, Jibanananda was acclaimed as one of the best poets of the post-Tagore era. In May 1954, he published a volume titled 'Best Poems' (Sreshttho Kobita), which won the Indian Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955. Personal Life In May 1930, Jibanananda married Labanyaprabha Das (née Gupta) and they had a daughter and son named Manjusree and Samarananda. Labanyaprabha was the daughter of Rohini Kumar Gupta and Sarojubala Gupta. Her paternal uncle was Acharya of the Brahmo Samaj in Dhaka. == Death and Legacy ==

During Jibanananda's evening walk on 14 October 1954, he was struck by a tram while crossing a road near Calcutta's Deshapriya Park. He was taken to Shambhunath Pundit Hospital, where he died eight days later.[citation needed] His body was cremated the following day at Keoratola crematorium. It has been alleged in some biographical accounts that his accident was actually an attempt at suicide. During his lifetime he published only 269 poems in different journals and magazines, of which 162 were collected in seven anthologies, from Jhara Palak to Bela Obela Kalbela. Many of his poems have been published posthumously at the initiative of his brother Asokananda Das, sister Sucharita Das and nephew Amitananda Das, and the efforts of Dr. Bhumendra Guha, who over the decades copied them from scattered manuscripts. By 2008, the total count of Jibananda's known poems stood at almost 800. In addition, numerous novels and short stories were discovered and published about the same time. Jibanananda scholar Clinton B. Seely has termed Jibanananda Das as "Bengal's most cherished poet since Rabindranath Tagore". He was known as a surrealist poet for his spontaneous, frenzied overflow of subconscious mind in poetry and especially in diction. == Major works ==

Poetry • Jhôra Palok (Fallen Feathers), 1927. • Dhusar Pandulipi (Grey Manuscript), 1936. • Banalata Sen, 1942. • Môhaprithibi (Great Universe), 1944. • Shaat-ti Tarar Timir, (Darkness of Seven Stars), 1948. • Shreshtho Kobita, (Best Poems), 1954: Navana, Calcutta. • Ruposhi Bangla (Bengal, the Beautiful), written in 1934, published posthumously in 1957. • Bela Obela Kalbela (Times, Bad Times, End Times), 1961, published posthumously but the manuscript was prepared during lifetime. • Sudorshona(The beautiful), published posthumously in 1973: Sahitya Sadan, Calcutta. • Alo Prithibi (The World of Light), published posthumously in 1981: Granthalaya Private Ltd., Calcutta. • Manobihangam (The Bird that is my Heart), published posthumously in 1979: Bengal Publishers Private Ltd. Calcutta. • Oprkashitô Ekanno (Unpublished Fifty-one), published posthumously in 1999, Mawla Brothers, Dhaka. • Krishna Dasami, Pathak Samabesh, Dhaka. published posthumously in 2015. • Surya Osuryaloke, Suchoyoni, Dhaka. published posthumously in 2021. == Major collected texts ==

• Bandopdhaya, Deviprasad : Kabya Songroho − Jibanananda Das (tr. Collection of Poetry of Jibanananda Das), 1993, Bharbi, 13/1 Bankim Chatterjje Street, Kolkata-73. • Bandopdhaya, Deviprasad : Kabya Songroho − Jibanananda Das (tr. Collection of Poetry of Jibanananda Das), 1999, Gatidhara, 38/2-KA Bangla Bazaar, Dhaka-1100, Bangladesh. • Bandopdhaya, Deviprasad : Jibanananda Das Uttorparba (1954–1965), 2000, Pustak Bipani, Calcutta. • Chowdhury, Faizul Latif (editor) (1990), ''Jibanananda Das'er Prôbôndha Sômôgrô, (tr: Complete non-fictional prose works of Jibanananda Das''), First edition : Desh Prokashon, Dhaka. • Chowdhury, Faizul Latif (editor) (1995), ''Jibanananda Das'er Prôbôndha Sômôgrô, (tr: Complete non-fictional prose works of Jibanananda Das''), Second edition : Mowla Brothers, Dhaka. • Chowdhury, F. L. (ed) : Oprokashito 51 (tr. Unpublished fifty one poems of Jibanananda Das), 1999, Mawla Brothers, Dhaka. • Shahriar, Abu Hasan : Jibanananda Das-er Gronthito-Ogronthito Kabita Samagra, 2004, Agaami Prokashoni, Dhaka. == Books on Jibanananda ==

• (1965) 'Ekti Nakkhatro Ase', Ambuj Basu, Mousumi. • (1970) 'Kobi Jibanananda Das', Sanjay Bhattacharya, Varbi. • (1971) 'Jibanananda (ek khando)', Gopal Chandra Roy, Sahittya Sadan; • 'Manus Jibanananda', Labanya Das, Bengal Publishers; • 'Jibanananda Smriti', Debkumar Basu edited, Karuna Prokasani. • (1972) 'Suddhatamo Kobi', Abdul Mannan Saiyad, Knowledge Home, Dhaka; 'Rupasi Banglar Kobi Jibanananda', Bijan Kanti Sarkar, Bijoy Sahitya Mandir; 'Rupasi Banglar Kobi Jibanananda', Shaymapada Sarkar, Kamini Prokasan. • (1973) 'Jibanananda das', edited by Birendra Bhattacharya, Onnisto. • (1975) 'Kobi Jibanananda', Suddhaswatto Basu, Sankha Prokasan. • (1976) 'Jibanishilpi Jibanananda Das', Asadujjan, Bangladesh Book Corporation, Dhaka. • (1979) 'Rupasi Banglar Kobi Jibanananda', Bijan Kanti Sarkar, Bijoy Sahitya Mandir; 'Rupasi Banglar Kobi Jibanananda', Shyamapada Sarkar, Kamini Prokashan. • (1980) 'Rupasi Banglar Dui Kobi', Purnendu Patri, Ananda Publishers Ltd. • (1983) 'Kacher Manus Jibanananda', Ajit Ghose, Bijoy Krishna Girls' College Cheap Store;'Rabindranath Najrul Jibanananda ebong aekjon Probasi Bangali', Kalyan Kumar Basu, Biswagaen;'Adhunikata, Jibanananda o Porabastob', Tapodhir Bhattacharya and Swapna Bhattacharya, Nobark;'Jibananander Chetona Jagot', Pradumno Mitra, Sahityshri;'Jibanananda Das:Jiboniponji o Granthoponji', Provat Kumar Das, Hardo;'Prosongo:Jibanananda', Shibaji Bandopadhaya, Ayon. • (1984) 'Jibanananda', Amalendu Basu, Banishilpo,;'Uttor Probesh', Susnato Jana;'Jibanananda', edited by Abdul Manna Sayad, Charitra, Dhaka;'Jibanananda Prasongiki', Sandip Datta, Hardo, • (1985) 'Ami sei Purohit', Sucheta Mitra, A.Mukherji and Co;'Probondhokar Jibananada', Subrata Rudro, Nath Publishing;'Jibanananda Jiggasa', edited by Tarun Mukhopadhaya, pustok Biponi. • (2003) 'Jibananda : Kabitar Mukhamukhi', Narayan Haldar. • (2005) 'Amar Jibanananda', Dr. Himabanta Bondopadhyay, Bangiya Sahitya Samsad. • (2008) 'Essays on Jibanananda Das', edited by Chowdhury F. L., Pathak Samabesh, Dhaka. • (2009) 'Etodin Kothay Chilen', Anisul Hoque. • (2014) 'Jibananander Andhokaare', Rajib Sinha, Ubudash, Kolkata-12. • Ekjon Komolalebu (Reincarnation as an Orange: The Story of Jibanananda), Sahaduzzaman == Awards ==

The Kolkata Poetry Confluence, in collaboration with Bhasha Samsad, has instituted the Jibanananda Das Award for poetry translation. Jibanananda Das awards for translation were given away in ten different languages. A literary award named Jibanananda Puroshkar, also known as the Jibanananda Prize, has been instituted in Bangladesh. It confers annual awards to the best works of poetry and prose by Bangladeshi authors. == Footnotes ==