Bhanusimha Thakurer Padabali (
Bengali: ভানুসিংহ ঠাকুরের পদাবলী, IPA:[bʰanuʃiŋhoʈʰakurerpɔd̪aboli]; lit. The Songs of Bhanushingho Thakur) is a collection of
Vaishnava lyrics composed in
Brajabuli by
Rabindranath Tagore. It was published in 1884. These lyrics, which were earlier brought out in several issues of Bharati magazine, were first anthologized in 1884. Later, Tagore described composing these songs in his reminiscences Jiban Smriti. Rabindranath Tagore wrote his first substantial poems titled Bhanusimha Thakurer Padabali in
Brajabuli under the pseudonym Bhānusiṃha at age sixteen.
The anthology has 22 songs out of which only nine exists in Swarabitan (Vol. XXI), collection of notations of Tagore's music.
Background
Young Tagore was attracted to the Maithili poems collected in Prachin Kavya Samgraha, edited by
Akshay Chandra Sarkar and Sarada Charan Mitra. From Sarkar he learned of
Thomas Chatterton, “a young boy who used to imitate the ancient poets”. Inspired by this example, Tagore prepared himself to be a “second Chatterton”.[1] The first song "Gahana Kusumakunja-majhe" was probably composed in 1877. No manuscript survives, except of the song "Gabhir Needame Abasha Shyama Mama", which was probably written in
Ahmedabad in 1878.[2] It is difficult to put these songs in chronological order.[3] Some songs, like "Marana Re, Tunhu Mama Shyamasamana", "Ko Tunhu Bolabi Moye" and "Aaju Sakhi Muhu Muhu" were composed much later.[3]
Bhanusimha Thakurer Padavali was published on 1 July 1884. It was dedicated to
Kadambari Devi, Tagore's sister-in-law who was eager to see the poems published, but committed suicide in 1883.[4]
Theme
The Bhanusimha poems chronicle the romance between
Radha and
Krishna which is a traditional theme of Indian poetry. The poet sought connection with divinity through appeal to nature and the emotional interplay of human drama. He repeatedly revised the poems over the following seventy years.[5][6] Song VIII of Bhanusimha Thakurer Padavali:
"Bar bar shokhi, baron koronu" ("বার বার সখি, বারণ করনু")
"Hom jobo na robo shojoni" ("হম যব না রব সজনী")
"Morono re" ("মরণ রে")
"Ko tuhu boulabi mouye" ("কো তুঁহু বোলবি মোয়")
"Shokhi re, pirit bujhobe ke" ("সখিরে, পীরিত বুঝবে কে")
"Hom shokhi darido nari" ("হম সখি দারিদ নারী")
The last song (that's in Swarabitan (no. 21) "Sundori Radhe Aowe Boni" (সুন্দরি রাধে আওয়ে বনি") was written by poet Govindadas. Rabindranath composed the tune and later Indira Devi added the notations.
References
^Tagore, Rabindranath. "Bhanusimher Kabita". Jibansmriti (in Bengali). Kolkata: Visva-Bharati. pp. 85–86.
^Paul, Prashanta Kumar. Rabijibani (in Bengali). Vol. II. Kolkata: Ananda Publishers Private Limited. p. 10.
^
abPaul, Prashanta Kumar. Rabijibani (in Bengali). Vol. I. Kolkata: Ananda Publishers Private Limited. p. 310.
^Paul, Prashanta Kumar. Rabijibani (in Bengali). Vol. II. Kolkata: Ananda Publishers Private Limited. p. 210.