"JADUMANI: A Virtuoso of Humour and Poetry"

Gayatri Mishra

Jadumani was a famous poet and narrator of the Odia Riti Yuga literature. Ingenious humour and Satire were the specialty of his writing. He was born in the year 1781 at Athagara village in Ganjam District.  However, he left his birth place during his adolescence and resided permanently at Itamati Village of Nayagarh District. His descendants are still staying in Itamati village. Jadumani was a Carpenter by caste. Although he was very efficient in his primary occupation of carpentry, yet he was popularly known as an extraordinarily talented poet, intellectual and orator instead of being known as a carpenter. Spontaneous poetic talent and sharp wit was filled within him. He was able acquire in-depth knowledge in Odia and Sanskrit language with self determination and hard endeavour.

During his time literature was patronised by the kings. The poets and intellectuals were appointed in the Court. They used to compose poems in the praise of the king and in return used to get some financial gifts from him. Thus is how they were developing their poetic excellence and sustaining themselves. Without king’s favour no scripture could come to the eyes of the general public. Majority of the poets were obedient to the king. However, Jadumani was a distinguished persona. He was a fearless critic.

Through jokes, humours and satire, ridicule, he used to face the truth and unmasked dishonesty, illegitimacy and untruthfulness. King, the Common Mass and the courtiers- everybody was carried away by his Jokes and humours. Nobody ever dared to argue with him. Very cleverly he could avoid others and avow the actual truth. His daring independent thinking process was able to unmask the feudal rulers of the then society. Many of his humourous poetic exclamations are used as idioms in day to day activities even current day society. 

He has established himself in Oriya literature by writing creations with ornamental meaningful mental luxuries of Bhanja style and extravagant words. “Raghava Bilasa”     and “Prabandha Purnachandra” are the two beautiful creations that have sprang from his pen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Although he had presented his witty humours being dependent upon various courts of the kings throughout his life, yet he had become very miserable in the last part of his life.  When Orissa was fighting with the furious Nannka Draught he breathed his last and left this earthly world in search of eternal solace.

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"A Gift of Pleasure"

Gayatri Mishra

Jadumani was the gifted child of Goddess Saraswati. It is natural that he would not be blessed with goddess Lakshmi. A poet as such is worshipped far and wide in his own country as well as in other countries, but in his house dies out of hunger. Most of his days are spent in scarcity and sorrow. Whatever he received from the court by praising the King was not sufficient for sustaining his whole family. 

Once there was no grain or paddy in the house. Jadumani finished up his daily activities and went to the court taking some Tiffin.  He was supposed to bring some rice and vegetables while returning from the court. His wife was waiting for him. 

Jadumani returned from the court at the usual time.  Being absent minded he couldn’t know when he reached home. The poets are like this. They go on singing even in acute hunger. He remembered everything when he reached home. He had not brought anything.  He felt helpless and sad thinking what his wife will say. His wife however was very clever. Totally husband oriented. She consoled him. Said, “There is no point in being so thoughtful. I know all the poets are like this. I have already cooked what ever grain was there in the house.  Wash your hands and face and eat.” 

Jadumani changed his clothes and sat for dinner. His wife sat besides him. Very hesitantly she spoke, “will you keep a request of mine?”

“Say what”

“I am saying this for our well being. Think for a while and see. Then you do what you realise to be the better. We have nothing as our property. We don’t have a proper house to stay in. we are just lying in this broken hut. Somehow we are managing with the meagre amount that you get by writing poems in praise of the King.  Had we had some land then we could have sustained ourselves by cultivating it. I think if you ask for a cultivable land from the King he will not deny you. He will certainly give. But ask for it in the right time.”

Jadumani accepted his wife’s request and promised to ask for a land to the king next day. The couple then went to sleep that night. The next day while being to the court jadumani’s wife reminded him about the land. 

Jadumani reached the court early and sat silently making a remorseful face. The king entered the court. Still then he didn’t get up to greet him. The king immediately asked, “Jadumani what happened? Are you not well or sad for any reason?”

Jadumani pressed his stomach hard and said my health and mind is ok but my stomach is paining out of hunger. All sorts of drama on this earth are only for this small stomach. If one’s stomach is full then only he can do something. If His Highness grants a land for me then….”

The king realized that the poet is saying the right thing. If he gets a land then he can sustain his family by cultivating the same. There will be no poverty in his family. 

He immediately called for the land dispersing officer and ordered him to handover a good land to Jadumani as soon as possible as a gift. Jadumani met the officer after the meeting of the court was over. 

The dispersing noble thought this man is carpenter by profession. Writing one or two mere lines of poem this poet has misguided the king and now is going to get a land as gift. I will not make this happen. So he said to Jadumani, “O’ the intellectual, give me some time. I will find a very good land so that you will remember me all through your life. There are chances of being cheated in haste.” Jadumani agreed with him. 

Time passed gradually and one year passed. Jadumani didn’t get a land. One day he met the noble and queried if he is not interested to give a land.  The noble thought if Jadumani will get angry then he will immediately tell everything to the King. So he instantly handed over Jadumani the papers of a land. Jadumani returned home happily. The next day when he saw the land his heart became cold. That was such a land where no crop can be cultivated. It was a rocky barren land. Cultivating crops are far cry; even a single grass has not sprouted on that land inspite of heavy rains. 

He went to the court. There was no happiness in his mind.  He was sitting with a heavy heart. As soon as the king arrived he asked about his well being. Instead of saying anything he wrote a poem and gave it to the king. The King read - 

What ever his highness gave out of pleasure
To get it took one full year.
Selected carefully a land that is so barren
Coconut will break simply in  rainy season
Such a land 
Even   ‘Chakunda’ seeds will not show a strand.

The King understood everything. He immediately summoned for the land dispersing noble and rebutted him like anything. He also suspended the noble from his job for some days. He then gifted Jadumani a very fertile land. 

Jadumani cultivated the land through tenants and lived happily.  

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A/82, Nilakantha Nagar, Nayapally , Bhubaneswar. Odisha.