Sukumar Sen
Encyclopedia
Prof. Sukumar Sen was a Bengali
linguist. He had also vast knowledge in Pāli
, Prakrit
and Sanskrit
. He wrote the book History of Bengali literature
.
, the snake Goddess, became a popular literary theme in Bengal from the 16th century with local and regional variations. The present edition of Vishnu Pala's Manasa Mangala was prepared by Prof. Sukumar Sen for the Bibliotheca Indica on the basis of the Asiatic Society
manuscript no. 4993 (government collection). The interesting point is that the manuscript prepared from that were used by the singers who came from the common people; it was written sometimes between 1775 and 1825. Despite the late character of it, its linguistic importance cannot be gainsaid. Apart from that, it is a sample of folk treatment of Mangal poetry. Hence it is also of some interest to folklorists.
He showed gradual emergence of the Bengali language from Prakrit
and Apabhramsa. At the beginning, devotional and lyric songs and mystical poetry
, followed by narrative poetry, can be found. Gradually literary prose
develops, and drama
, as well as fiction
. Sen gives many details about past writers and a broad sweep of the progress of the Bengali language, especially in its development during more or less recent times when it was reacting to Western influences.
. He got his education from Burdwan Municipal High School
and got divisional scholarship in Matriculation examination in 1917. He passed F.A. from Burdwan Raj College then affiliated with the University of Calcutta
, and earned his first class honours mark in Sanskrit. Then he studied comparative philology in Kolkata
in which he got highest record marks. Linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterji
and Taraporewala were his teachers there. Thereafter he received the prestigious Premchand Roychand Scholarship and PhD degree. The London
Asiatic Society honoured him with a gold medal. He published numerous important and valuable articles and research papers during his long academic career. 'Diner pore din je Gelo'(The Days pass by)published by Ananda Publishers,Calcutta is the title of his famous autobiography. Recently a college named after him has been founded in his native village Gotan to perpetuate his memory
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
linguist. He had also vast knowledge in Pāli
Páli
- External links :* *...
, Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. He wrote the book History of Bengali literature
History of Bengali literature
-Charyapada:Charyapada is the oldest known Bengali written form. It is actually collection of poems. It was written on 9th century and Harprashad Sastri discovered in the Nepal Royal Court Library in 1907. It is a palm leaf manuscript. Charyapada's language is referred to as Alo-Andhari , meaning...
.
Work
Vishnu Pala's Manasa Mangala edited by Sukumar Sen is another of his work. The legend of ManasaManasa
Manasa is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes, worshipped mainly in Bengal and other parts of northeastern India, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite and also for fertility and prosperity. Manasa is the sister of Vasuki, king of Nāgas and wife of sage Jagatkāru...
, the snake Goddess, became a popular literary theme in Bengal from the 16th century with local and regional variations. The present edition of Vishnu Pala's Manasa Mangala was prepared by Prof. Sukumar Sen for the Bibliotheca Indica on the basis of the Asiatic Society
Asiatic Society
The Asiatic Society was founded by Sir William Jones on January 15, 1784 in a meeting presided over by Sir Robert Chambers, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at the Fort William in Calcutta, then capital of the British Raj, to enhance and further the cause of Oriental research. At the time of...
manuscript no. 4993 (government collection). The interesting point is that the manuscript prepared from that were used by the singers who came from the common people; it was written sometimes between 1775 and 1825. Despite the late character of it, its linguistic importance cannot be gainsaid. Apart from that, it is a sample of folk treatment of Mangal poetry. Hence it is also of some interest to folklorists.
He showed gradual emergence of the Bengali language from Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
and Apabhramsa. At the beginning, devotional and lyric songs and mystical poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, followed by narrative poetry, can be found. Gradually literary prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
develops, and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, as well as fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
. Sen gives many details about past writers and a broad sweep of the progress of the Bengali language, especially in its development during more or less recent times when it was reacting to Western influences.
Life
Sen was born in 1900. Their original home was at Gotan,under Raina P.S.near Shyamsundar in the district of BardhamanBardhaman
'Bardhaman or Burdwan , is a city of West Bengal state in eastern India. It is the headquarters of Bardhaman District....
. He got his education from Burdwan Municipal High School
Burdwan Municipal High School
Burdwan Municipal High School , located at the heart of Burdwan, a town 95 km north-west of Kolkata, is one of the oldest boys schools in India. The school was established in 1883 by the Bardhaman Municipal Authority....
and got divisional scholarship in Matriculation examination in 1917. He passed F.A. from Burdwan Raj College then affiliated with the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
, and earned his first class honours mark in Sanskrit. Then he studied comparative philology in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in which he got highest record marks. Linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterji
Suniti Kumar Chatterji
Suniti Kumar Chatterji was an Indian linguist, educationist and litterateur. He was born on 26 November 1890 at Shibpur in Howrah...
and Taraporewala were his teachers there. Thereafter he received the prestigious Premchand Roychand Scholarship and PhD degree. The London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Asiatic Society honoured him with a gold medal. He published numerous important and valuable articles and research papers during his long academic career. 'Diner pore din je Gelo'(The Days pass by)published by Ananda Publishers,Calcutta is the title of his famous autobiography. Recently a college named after him has been founded in his native village Gotan to perpetuate his memory