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ରୁଟି ଓ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର
Short Stories by Surendra Mohanty
78 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Surendra Mohanty
28 books11 followersSurendra Mohanty born in Orissa was an award-winning author who wrote in Oriya.[1] He was the recipient of the Orissa Sahitya Academy Award for his novel Nilashaila.
He was the President of Orissa Sahitya Academy from the year 1981 to 1987. He was also the first editor, and later chief editor for the newspaper The Sambad.[2] He is a writer of short stories, novels, travelogues, criticism and biographies. He wrote around 50 books belonging to different genres. His well known books are Mahanagarira Ratri (The Night of the Metropolis), Maralara Mrutyu (The Death of a Swan), Andha Diganta (The Dark Horizon), and Mahanirvana (The Final Departure). Yadubamsa O Anyaanya Galpa (The Yadubamsa and other stories), Rajadhani O Anyaanya Galpa (The Capital and other stories), Krushnachuda (The Gulmohur) and Ruti O Chandra (The Bread and The Moon) are his famous short stories.[3]
Apart from being a litterateur,he was also a politician and a member of parliament in 1957.
courtesy: wikipedia
He was the President of Orissa Sahitya Academy from the year 1981 to 1987. He was also the first editor, and later chief editor for the newspaper The Sambad.[2] He is a writer of short stories, novels, travelogues, criticism and biographies. He wrote around 50 books belonging to different genres. His well known books are Mahanagarira Ratri (The Night of the Metropolis), Maralara Mrutyu (The Death of a Swan), Andha Diganta (The Dark Horizon), and Mahanirvana (The Final Departure). Yadubamsa O Anyaanya Galpa (The Yadubamsa and other stories), Rajadhani O Anyaanya Galpa (The Capital and other stories), Krushnachuda (The Gulmohur) and Ruti O Chandra (The Bread and The Moon) are his famous short stories.[3]
Apart from being a litterateur,he was also a politician and a member of parliament in 1957.
courtesy: wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 12, 2015
Even though I realize that generalization is a crude way of judgement, I am afraid I still succumb to such prejudices sometimes.
I admit that I don't hold high opinion about the neo-gen youth from my native, courtesy my impressions that majority of them put money and sex above rest.
So when I went to attend a marriage ceremony of a close friend last time in my native, my expectation to meet an intellectually bent mind was minimal. But, I met this guy who proved yet again how generalization could be wrong.
He was standing away from the crowd. Dressed humbly. Looking down. My friend introduced me to him saying we have a common hobby - reading.
Having the impression that I have read more books than anyone I had met, I asked pompously, "Who is your favourite author?"
He replied, "Unfortunately, I haven't read many English books as you. My interest lies mostly in Oriya Literature."
Again, I don't hold high opinion on Oriya literature as very few writers in Orissa have got national fame, let alone interanational acclaim. I hesitated, "I don't have much knowledge about Oriya Literature. The only ones I have read are Manoj Das and Faturananda and would reckon both of them probably had the finest pens in Orissa."
"I am afraid I don't agree with you here. No doubt that Manoj Das is one of the finest story-tellers, but there are many more writers whose writings are much more philosophical and thought provoking. They write not because they have to write, but they have to say something to the world. Profound thoughts taking shape of imaginations flow through their writing. Take Surendra Mohanty for example. In his short story, Ruti O Chandra, what idea he proposes - isn't that a work of genius? I have read all books by Kafka, Sartre, Camus and Dostoyevsky and believe you me some of the Oriya books are nothing less than those."
I was listening to him like a mystified child.
This time when I went home, I searched several shops to find the book he was talking about. After much effort I found it. When I completed the first story 'Ruti O Chandra' (Chapatti and Moon), I realized what he was talking about.
In 'Ruti O Chandra', the author explains the feeling of a hesitant communist. The question comes to the protagonist regarding the fundamentals of Marxism - how communism has made man the subservient of money and equality, forgetting to relish the beauty of life. Metaphorically she says that the doctrine has made man chase Ruti (Chapatti) more than the beauty of Chandra(Moon). She says, "Life is not all about production and distribution. Full meal and full salary might be the necessity of life, but never its aim. Else, for whom there is this charm of the moonlight and blissful completeness of nature? Life is, after all, more beautiful than surviving."
(Jeebana kebala utpadana aau bantana nuhain. Pura majuri aau pura peta, jeebana ra prayojanita hei pare, kintu jeebana ra lakshya nuhain. Ta' hele jyotsna ra e bilasa, prakruti ra e aanandamaya purnata kaha pain? Banchiba tharu Jeebana je aahuri sundar.)
From interpretation of love and its after effect, to theories of rise and fall of dictatorship; from socialism to analysis of ideas of philosophers, the thoughts that have been embedded in each of the short stories in this short book, fill my heart with reverence for this great intellectual.
One conclusion I make, fame and intellect have no inter-dependencies. (Surendra Mohanty doesn't even have a page in wikipedia)
Alas, this great work cannot be translated. Even if attempted, I am sure the beauty would be lost in translation.
I admit that I don't hold high opinion about the neo-gen youth from my native, courtesy my impressions that majority of them put money and sex above rest.
So when I went to attend a marriage ceremony of a close friend last time in my native, my expectation to meet an intellectually bent mind was minimal. But, I met this guy who proved yet again how generalization could be wrong.
He was standing away from the crowd. Dressed humbly. Looking down. My friend introduced me to him saying we have a common hobby - reading.
Having the impression that I have read more books than anyone I had met, I asked pompously, "Who is your favourite author?"
He replied, "Unfortunately, I haven't read many English books as you. My interest lies mostly in Oriya Literature."
Again, I don't hold high opinion on Oriya literature as very few writers in Orissa have got national fame, let alone interanational acclaim. I hesitated, "I don't have much knowledge about Oriya Literature. The only ones I have read are Manoj Das and Faturananda and would reckon both of them probably had the finest pens in Orissa."
"I am afraid I don't agree with you here. No doubt that Manoj Das is one of the finest story-tellers, but there are many more writers whose writings are much more philosophical and thought provoking. They write not because they have to write, but they have to say something to the world. Profound thoughts taking shape of imaginations flow through their writing. Take Surendra Mohanty for example. In his short story, Ruti O Chandra, what idea he proposes - isn't that a work of genius? I have read all books by Kafka, Sartre, Camus and Dostoyevsky and believe you me some of the Oriya books are nothing less than those."
I was listening to him like a mystified child.
This time when I went home, I searched several shops to find the book he was talking about. After much effort I found it. When I completed the first story 'Ruti O Chandra' (Chapatti and Moon), I realized what he was talking about.
In 'Ruti O Chandra', the author explains the feeling of a hesitant communist. The question comes to the protagonist regarding the fundamentals of Marxism - how communism has made man the subservient of money and equality, forgetting to relish the beauty of life. Metaphorically she says that the doctrine has made man chase Ruti (Chapatti) more than the beauty of Chandra(Moon). She says, "Life is not all about production and distribution. Full meal and full salary might be the necessity of life, but never its aim. Else, for whom there is this charm of the moonlight and blissful completeness of nature? Life is, after all, more beautiful than surviving."
(Jeebana kebala utpadana aau bantana nuhain. Pura majuri aau pura peta, jeebana ra prayojanita hei pare, kintu jeebana ra lakshya nuhain. Ta' hele jyotsna ra e bilasa, prakruti ra e aanandamaya purnata kaha pain? Banchiba tharu Jeebana je aahuri sundar.)
From interpretation of love and its after effect, to theories of rise and fall of dictatorship; from socialism to analysis of ideas of philosophers, the thoughts that have been embedded in each of the short stories in this short book, fill my heart with reverence for this great intellectual.
One conclusion I make, fame and intellect have no inter-dependencies. (Surendra Mohanty doesn't even have a page in wikipedia)
Alas, this great work cannot be translated. Even if attempted, I am sure the beauty would be lost in translation.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews