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{{Short description|Bengali | {{Short description|Bengali philosopher and polymath}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}} | {{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}} | ||
{{Infobox writer | {{Infobox writer | ||
| name = Khôna | | name = Khôna | ||
| birth_date = {{circa}} | | image = খনা - প্রচার পুস্তিকা (১৯৩৮).pdf | ||
| caption = Khôna - Propaganda Booklet (1938).pdf | |||
| birth_date = {{circa}} 8th–12th century CE | |||
| birth_place = [[Bengal]] | | birth_place = [[Bengal]] | ||
| period = [[Pala Empire]] | | period = [[Pala Empire]] | ||
| occupation = [[Poet]], [[ | | occupation = [[Philosopher]], [[Mathematician]], [[Poet]], [[Astrologer]] | ||
| notable_works | | notable_works = ''Khanar Bachan'' | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Khana''' | '''Khana''', also known as '''Dak or Lilavati''', was an Indian [[poet]], [[philosopher]] and legendary [[astrologer]], who composed in the [[medieval]] [[Bengali language]] between the ninth and 12th centuries AD. She is associated with the village Deulia ([[Chandraketugarh]], near [[Berachampa]]), in present-day [[Barasat]], [[North 24 Parganas]] district, [[West Bengal]]. | ||
Her poetry, known as ''Khanar Bachan'' (or ''vachan'') (খনার বচন | Her philosophical poetry, known as ''Khanar Bachan'' (or ''vachan'') ({{langx|bn|খনার বচন}}; meaning 'khana's words'), among the earliest compositions in [[Bengali literature]], is known for its agricultural philosophy.<ref>http://www.infobridge.org/asp/documents/4341.doc {{dead link|date=June 2018}}</ref> The short [[couplet]]s or [[quatrain]]s reflect a robust common sense, as in this paean to industry: | ||
:''thakte balad na kare chas'' | :''thakte balad na kare chas'' | ||
:''tar dukhkha baro mas'' | :''tar dukhkha baro mas'' | ||
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[[File:Excavated Brick Structure - Khana-Mihir Mound - Berachampa - North 24 Parganas 2015-04-11 7158.JPG|thumb|Excavated Brick Structure of Khana-Mihir Mound at [[Chandraketugarh]].]] | [[File:Excavated Brick Structure - Khana-Mihir Mound - Berachampa - North 24 Parganas 2015-04-11 7158.JPG|thumb|Excavated Brick Structure of Khana-Mihir Mound at [[Chandraketugarh]].]] | ||
The legend of Khana (also named Lilavati elsewhere) centers around her association with | The legend of Khana (also named Lilavati elsewhere) centers around her association with [[Chandraketugarh]] in southern Bengal where a mound has been discovered amongst ruins with the names of Khana and Mihir associated with it, which likely gave rise to the legend that she was either the wife or the daughter-in-law of the famous astronomer and mathematician, [[Varahamihira]]. There is no historical basis to the legend of her being the wife of Varahamihira who was born several centuries earlier (<abbr>c.</abbr> 505 – <abbr>c.</abbr> 587) and lived in [[Ujjain]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Varāhamihira and His Times |date=1991 |work= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mf0MAQAAMAAJ |access-date= |language=en|last=Shastri|first=A.M.|pages=248|publisher=Kusumanjali Prakashan}}</ref> However, Khana was an astrologer herself. | ||
In all likelihood, Khana lived her life in Bengal, but a number of legends have grown up around her life. According to one legend, she was born in [[Sri Lanka]] and was either married to the mathematician-astronomer [[Varahamihira]] or was her daughter-in-law. However, she exceeded him in the accuracy of her predictions, and at some point her tongue was cut off to silence her prodigious talent. This is a theme that resonates in modern Bengali [[feminism]], as in this poem by [[Mallika Sengupta]], ''khanaa's song'': | |||
In all likelihood, | |||
: Listen o listen : | : Listen o listen : | ||
: Hark this tale of Khanaa | : Hark this tale of Khanaa | ||
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: The first Bengali woman poet | : The first Bengali woman poet | ||
: Her tongue they severed with a knife | : Her tongue they severed with a knife | ||
: - Mallika Sengupta, ''Amra | : - Mallika Sengupta, ''Amra lasya amra larai'', tr. Amitabha Mukerjee<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/~amit/books/sengupta-2001-amra-lasya-amra.html|title=আমরা লাস্য আমরা লড়াই|author=Mallika Sengupta|publisher=iitk.ac.in}}</ref> | ||
Shrii P.R. Sarkar writes about her:"Based on the all-pervasive influence of the celestial bodies, a branch of knowledge arose in day-to-day life. And this branch of knowledge was beautifully nurtured, with all its flowers, leaves and twigs, by Kshana, a beloved daughter of Ráŕh, the offspring of the Ráŕhii Vaidyas caste of Bankura /Senbhum." | Shrii P.R. Sarkar writes about her:"Based on the all-pervasive influence of the celestial bodies, a branch of knowledge arose in day-to-day life. And this branch of knowledge was beautifully nurtured, with all its flowers, leaves and twigs, by Kshana, a beloved daughter of Ráŕh, the offspring of the Ráŕhii Vaidyas caste of Bankura /Senbhum." | ||
Through the centuries, Khana's advice has acquired the character of an [[oracle]] in rural Bengal (modern [[West Bengal]], [[Bangladesh]] and parts of [[Bihar]]). Ancient versions in [[Assamese language|Assamese]] and [[Oriya language|Oriya]] also exist. Advice such as "A little bit of salt, a little bit of bitter, and always stop before you are too full" is considered timeless.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Khana|title=Khana|publisher=[[Banglapedia]]|author=Azhar Islam|accessdate =28 July 2015}}</ref><ref> | Through the centuries, Khana's advice has acquired the character of an [[oracle]] in rural Bengal (modern [[West Bengal]], [[Bangladesh]] and parts of [[Bihar]]). Ancient versions in [[Assamese language|Assamese]] and [[Oriya language|Oriya]] also exist. Advice such as "A little bit of salt, a little bit of bitter, and always stop before you are too full" is considered timeless.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Khana|title=Khana|publisher=[[Banglapedia]]|author=Azhar Islam|accessdate =28 July 2015}}</ref><ref> | ||
{{Cite web |url=http://www.saptarishisastrology.com/filedownload.php?v=7&a=y&b=y&f=48-KhannarVachan-1BW.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=5 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716004845/http://www.saptarishisastrology.com/filedownload.php?v=7&a=y&b=y&f=48-KhannarVachan-1BW.pdf |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} | {{Cite web |url=http://www.saptarishisastrology.com/filedownload.php?v=7&a=y&b=y&f=48-KhannarVachan-1BW.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=5 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716004845/http://www.saptarishisastrology.com/filedownload.php?v=7&a=y&b=y&f=48-KhannarVachan-1BW.pdf |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} | ||
</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.siddhagirimuseum.org/index.php/2009031096/Varahmihir.html |title=siddhagirimuseum.org |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728021927/http://www.siddhagirimuseum.org/index.php/2009031096/Varahmihir.html |archivedate=2011-07-28 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://issuu.com/saptarishisastrologyvol7/docs/48-khannarvachan-1|title=ISSUU - 48-KhannarVachan-1 by Saptarishis Astrology|author=Saptarishis Astrology|work=Issuu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url= | </ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.siddhagirimuseum.org/index.php/2009031096/Varahmihir.html |title=siddhagirimuseum.org |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728021927/http://www.siddhagirimuseum.org/index.php/2009031096/Varahmihir.html |archivedate=2011-07-28 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://issuu.com/saptarishisastrologyvol7/docs/48-khannarvachan-1|title=ISSUU - 48-KhannarVachan-1 by Saptarishis Astrology|author=Saptarishis Astrology|work=Issuu|date=26 November 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://hindunationalismmuslimunity.blogspot.com/2009/08/maharaja-pratapaditya-roy-last-hindu.html |title = Hinduism in Indian Nationalism & role of Islam: Maharaja Pratapaditya Roy - Last Hindu King, Icon & Saviour of Bangabhumi|date = 14 August 2009}}</ref> | ||
==Popular culture== | ==Popular culture== | ||
On 15 June 2009, Indian-Bengali television channel [[Zee Bangla]] started to telecast a TV serial called ''Khona'' based on the life of Khana. The show follows the legend that states she was born and thereby lived in 'Sinhal' ([[Sri Lanka]]). | |||
In 2019, [[Colors Bangla]] channel started a new serial named ''Khanar Bachan'' based on Khana's words and her conflicts with her father-in-law Varaha. | In 2019, [[Colors Bangla]] channel started a new serial named ''Khanar Bachan'' based on Khana's words and her conflicts with her father-in-law Varaha. | ||
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{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
{{ | ==External links== | ||
*{{Commons category-inline|Khana (poet)}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khana (Poet)}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Khana (Poet)}} | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:12th-century Indian poets]] | ||
[[Category:Hindu poets]] | [[Category:Hindu poets]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:12th-century Indian philosophers]] | ||
[[Category:Hindu philosophers and theologians]] | [[Category:Hindu philosophers and theologians]] | ||
[[Category:Bengali women poets]] | |||
[[Category:Bengali | |||
[[Category:Women religious writers]] | [[Category:Women religious writers]] | ||
[[Category:Indian women philosophers]] | [[Category:Indian women philosophers]] | ||
[[Category:People from Barasat]] | [[Category:People from Barasat]] | ||
[[Category:Women writers from West Bengal]] | [[Category:Women writers from West Bengal]] | ||
[[Category:Medieval Indian astrologers]] | |||
[[Category:Scholars from West Bengal]] | |||
[[Category:12th-century Bengali people]] | |||
[[Category:Indian women poets]] | |||
[[Category:Indian astrologers]] | [[Category:Indian astrologers]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:12th-century women writers]] | ||
Latest revision as of 07:01, 27 March 2026
Khôna | |
|---|---|
| Error creating thumbnail: Page number not in range. Khôna - Propaganda Booklet (1938).pdf | |
| Born | c. 8th–12th century CE Bengal |
| Occupation | Philosopher, Mathematician, Poet, Astrologer |
| Period | Pala Empire |
| Notable works | Khanar Bachan |
Khana, also known as Dak or Lilavati, was an Indian poet, philosopher and legendary astrologer, who composed in the medieval Bengali language between the ninth and 12th centuries AD. She is associated with the village Deulia (Chandraketugarh, near Berachampa), in present-day Barasat, North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal.
Her philosophical poetry, known as Khanar Bachan (or vachan) (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; meaning 'khana's words'), among the earliest compositions in Bengali literature, is known for its agricultural philosophy.[1] The short couplets or quatrains reflect a robust common sense, as in this paean to industry:
- thakte balad na kare chas
- tar dukhkha baro mas
- "He who owns oxen, but does not plough, his sorry state lasts twelve months of the year."
Legend[edit | edit source]
The legend of Khana (also named Lilavati elsewhere) centers around her association with Chandraketugarh in southern Bengal where a mound has been discovered amongst ruins with the names of Khana and Mihir associated with it, which likely gave rise to the legend that she was either the wife or the daughter-in-law of the famous astronomer and mathematician, Varahamihira. There is no historical basis to the legend of her being the wife of Varahamihira who was born several centuries earlier (c. 505 – c. 587) and lived in Ujjain.[2] However, Khana was an astrologer herself.
In all likelihood, Khana lived her life in Bengal, but a number of legends have grown up around her life. According to one legend, she was born in Sri Lanka and was either married to the mathematician-astronomer Varahamihira or was her daughter-in-law. However, she exceeded him in the accuracy of her predictions, and at some point her tongue was cut off to silence her prodigious talent. This is a theme that resonates in modern Bengali feminism, as in this poem by Mallika Sengupta, khanaa's song:
- Listen o listen :
- Hark this tale of Khanaa
- In Bengal in the Middle ages
- Lived a woman Khanaa, I sing her life
- The first Bengali woman poet
- Her tongue they severed with a knife
- - Mallika Sengupta, Amra lasya amra larai, tr. Amitabha Mukerjee[3]
Shrii P.R. Sarkar writes about her:"Based on the all-pervasive influence of the celestial bodies, a branch of knowledge arose in day-to-day life. And this branch of knowledge was beautifully nurtured, with all its flowers, leaves and twigs, by Kshana, a beloved daughter of Ráŕh, the offspring of the Ráŕhii Vaidyas caste of Bankura /Senbhum."
Through the centuries, Khana's advice has acquired the character of an oracle in rural Bengal (modern West Bengal, Bangladesh and parts of Bihar). Ancient versions in Assamese and Oriya also exist. Advice such as "A little bit of salt, a little bit of bitter, and always stop before you are too full" is considered timeless.[4][5][6][7][8]
Popular culture[edit | edit source]
On 15 June 2009, Indian-Bengali television channel Zee Bangla started to telecast a TV serial called Khona based on the life of Khana. The show follows the legend that states she was born and thereby lived in 'Sinhal' (Sri Lanka).
In 2019, Colors Bangla channel started a new serial named Khanar Bachan based on Khana's words and her conflicts with her father-in-law Varaha.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ http://www.infobridge.org/asp/documents/4341.doc [dead link]
- ↑ Shastri, A.M. (1991), Varāhamihira and His Times, Kusumanjali Prakashan, p. 248
- ↑ Mallika Sengupta. "আমরা লাস্য আমরা লড়াই". iitk.ac.in.
- ↑ Azhar Islam. "Khana". Banglapedia. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑
"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ "siddhagirimuseum.org". Archived from the original on 28 July 2011.
- ↑ Saptarishis Astrology (26 November 2009). "ISSUU - 48-KhannarVachan-1 by Saptarishis Astrology". Issuu.
- ↑ "Hinduism in Indian Nationalism & role of Islam: Maharaja Pratapaditya Roy - Last Hindu King, Icon & Saviour of Bangabhumi". 14 August 2009.