Vidyasagar, the Great Indian Educationist and Philanthropist/Chapter 5
CHAPTER V
DARKER DAYS.
"The path of sorrow, and that path alone,
Leads to the land where sorrow is unknown."
—Cowper.
Vidyasagar's troubles now came fast upon him. He felt the full bitterness of domestic sorrow. His iron constitution, which had carried him through so many hardships, also gave way and his strength failed. Despite his living the life of a chronic invalid ever since that accidental fall, his mind never ceased to grow and was always busy with plans for the active service of man. To soothe another's sorrow and further another's joy were the chief end of his purposeful life.
His doors were always wide open to all comers. He gave strict injunctions to the household not to prevent anybody from visiting him. One day while he was resting after breakfast a stranger with an angry face came up to him and inquired after the master of the house. Business had taken him to Calcutta from his home in East Bengal. That morning he had been to some persons of mark and position, who had all indignantly repulsed him. Now he wanted to see if Vidyasagar was also a great man of that stamp. The host asked him if he had taken any food, but the man demanded an immediate interview. The host promised that as soon as he had partaken of the breakfast his prayer would be granted. Giving him a good meal, Vidyasagar revealed his identity and astonished him. He had expected to meet a self-important, purse-proud, matter-of-fact man, a grandeur, a pomp, a sham. He was agreeably surprised and shocked to find a really remarkable man worthy of veneration.
There were people, however, who took undue advantage of his leniency and called on him at all unseasonable hours. The story goes that certain men of Uttarpara once came to secure his recommendation for some vacant posts which they hankered after. He was then by the sick-bed of his youngest daughter, keeping watch over her. The medical attendant downstairs told the visitors of the critical condition of the child. Solicitous to promote their own interests, they would take no warning. The servant, through whom they sent him word, announced on return that his master was unable to receive them that day. Still they were not satisfied and, without further ado, began to ascend the stairs. Hearing the footfalls, Vidyasagar hurriedly left the sick room and rebuked them roundly. "You know only to consult your own convenience," he went on with a sternly condemning accent, "but I cannot indulge this demand for an interview when I am so busy; better come at a propitious moment." At this chilling rebuff the roisterers hung down their head in abashed silence and dropped off pell-mell.
In 1866 a bill was introduced into the Legislative Council for the alienation of Devatra (or Hindu religious endowment) property. The Board of Revenue sought the opinion of Vidyasagar on the head. He argued with great cogency that the general practice of the country as well as the spirit of the Hindu Law were against the proposed legislation. His sound and elaborate defence of the existing system convinced the rulers who suffered the bill to drop.
Towards the middle of the year Raja Pratap Chandra Singha of Paikpara, one of the principal supporters of girl-schools established by Vidyasagar, fell severely ill at Kandi (Murshidabad), his ancestral home. Vidyasagar hurried up to that place with Dr. Mohendra Lal Sarkar. THe patient was removed to Paikpara where he expired on July 19. Vidyasagar was overwhelmed with sorrow, for he loved the Raja very dearly. On his demise the condition of the estate was deplorable. It was going to be put up to auction for arrears of land revenue. Taking the minor sons of the late Raja with him, Vidyasagar called on Sir Cecil Beadon, the Lieutenant-Governor, and earnestly prayed him to save the property. His Honour had the generosity to place it under the Court of Wards.
About this time a fearful famine broke out in Orissa and the southern part of Bengal. It was but partly due to scarcity of rainfall. Myriads died for want of a morsel of rice. Those who left their homes to avoid starvation succumbed to hunger on the way. The Government strove hard to alleviate the sufferings but their measures fell far short of the requirements. Vidyasagar promptly left for the scene of devastation, opened several relief camps and fed about one thousand people a day for months together. His strict injunctions to the workers were to see that the sufferers wanted for nothing. He grudged no expense, however large, to lend a hand to the needy. Such unselfish exertions attracted the notice of Government. They warmly acknowledged the value of his signal services in a letter addressed to him some months later.
Early in 1867 he visited Birsingha and provided separate houses for his brothers, sisters as well as his only son Narayan Chandra and settled monthly allowances in proportion to their wants They had been constantly quarrelling and Vidyasagar having failed to keep them peaceful and united, was at last compelled to arrange for their separate board and lodging.
On January 6, the Hon'ble Justice Sambhu Nath Pundit, the first Indian judge of the Calcutta High Court, passed away. Vidyasagar was deeply affected as he was one of his best comrades and a staunch advocate of widow marriage and female education. Again, on April 19 Raja Radhakanto Deva Baradur died at Brindabun. Though he was for all practical purposes against the marriage of Hindu widows, he was a firm supporter of female education. He did his utmost to revive Sanskrit learning and the Sanskrit Dictionary Sabdakalpadrum is his supreme claim to enduring fame. His death moved Vidyasagar sincerely.
In July he married his eldest daughter Hemalata Deby to Gopal Chandra Somajpati of Nadia. About this time appeals were put forth in the Hindu Patriot as well as other papers, inviting public contribution to indemnify Vidyasagar for his heavy debts on account of widow marriages. He was then at Birsingha and knew nothing of the appeal. When he returned to the city and heard of the fact, he at once notified that he himself would be able to settle his debts in course of a few years.
Babu Ram Gopal Ghose, the renowned orator of Bengal and an indefatigable social and political reformer, departed the world on the 21st January, 1868. Vidyasagar felt the loss keenly. Two months later Babu Sarada Prasad Roy, Zamindar of Chakdighi (Burdwan), breathed his last. This gentleman, who was issueless, had once a mind to take an adopted son. Following the advice of Vidyasagar, whom he venerated, he laid aside the desire and established an infirmary and a charity-school, thus earning the heartfelt gratitude of the villagers His loss was deeply mourned.
About the middle of the year the residents of Ghatal (Midnapur) wishing to set up a High School there applied to Vidyasagar for donation. He paid the whole amount of Rs. 500 for which they had appealed to the public. His purse was always open to applicants in any good cause.
There was now a family quarrel when Dinabandhu laid claim to a lion's share of the Sanskrit Press and the Depository. Vidyasagar was in favour of getting the matter settled amicably, but his brother wanted to take it to the law court. After strenuous efforts they came to an agreement to submit their dispute to arbitration. Here the unexpected happened. Dinabandhu filed a deed relinquishing all claims—claims of the flimsiest kind—to the property. He did not dismiss the matter from his mind so soon. He would not any more accept the monthly allowances from his elder brother; but the latter continued to help the family in secret. In this connection it is worth noting that it was for this brother that Vidyasagar had once most unwillingly approached the Lieutenant-Governor. Dinabandhu wanting a deputy-magistracy requested him to do the needful. Overcoming his reluctance he went to the Governor for the purpose. Several times he came back without speaking a word. At length pressed hard by Dinabandhu he one day said to the Governor, "I have something to say; on many occasions I tried to speak out but failed owing to bashfulness." Despite his efforts His Honour did not succeed to draw him out. When next he called, His Honour said, "You must open your mind to me or I shall confine you." Vidyasagar spoke slowly with downcast eyes and in a week Dinabandhu received the berth he wanted. Next year Babu Hara Chandra Ghosh, a judge of the Small Causes Court, passed away. As he was one of the staunch supporters of female education, he was keenly missed.
About this time Vidyasagar induced his personal friend Dr. Mohendra Lal Sarkar to try the efficacy of homeopathic drugs. Dr. Berigny, the celebrated homeopathist, had arrived two years before and had Dr. Rajendra Nath Dutta, a pupil of Dr. Tonnerre, for his coadjutor. The two drove for some time a roaring practice. Dr. Dutta healed Vidyasagar of his painful brain disease. Raj Krishna Banerji was also successfully treated by him. These two cases in particular, which allopathy had pronounced incurable, convinced Vidyasagar of the superiority of the new science and he began to persuade Dr. Sarkar, who had a few years before openly denounced homeopathy as a system of quackery, to adopt this treatment. A few other cases cured by Rajendra Babu, as also a careful perusal of Morgan's Philosophy of Homeopathy, at last made him convert to the new system. He was soon to become the best Indian homeopath of the day. Vidyasagar himself acquired a tolerable knowledge of the science and used to treat simple cases. He purchased several volumes of works and studied them. Many poor people received medical aid at his hands. He wanted to popularise these drugs since they were cheap, yet potent.
In later years he used to repair to Burdwan to recuperate his health, it being then one of the best sanatoriums in Bengal. Several times he was an honoured guest of Babu Pyari Chand Mitra; afterwards he lodged in a rented house. His cook, to whom he was warmly attached, generally accompanied him. Once he took a beggar woman to task for coming so often to ask charity. Vidyasagar, being within earshot, accidentally overheard this and forthwith pensioned off the old servitor. He never suffered anybody to turn a beggar out of doors. In 1869 when the malarial fever first made its appearance in Burdwan and decimated it, he opened a charitable dispensary in his house and those who could not come were supplied with medicines at their own doors. He was sorely hurt when he saw that though the disease was causing great havoc among the people, the civil surgeon turned his back to the appeals for help and ignored the prevailing distress. A violent hater of apathy and laissez-faire, he at once came down to Calcutta and interviewed the Lieutenant-Governor who was pleased to remove the callous surgeon and post a sympathetic medical officer in his place, directing him to take action for coping with the epidemic. Returning to his work, Vidyasagar did all he could to prevent further ravages of the fever. He took medicines with him from door to door, and supplied the patients with diet. Clothes to the value of Rs. 2,000 were freely distributed by him. Vigorous exertion, both on the part of the rulers as well as the ruled, at last brought the disease under control.
In one of these periodical journeys to the town he paid a rupee to a famished but intelligent-looking beggar lad who wanted just a pice to buy food. With the greater portion of the rupee he began to deal in mangoes. By degrees he had some capital and opened a small general store. Two years after when Vidyasagar alighting from the railway train was proceeding towards his quarters, he was hailed by a lusty boy who invited him to his shop. Seeing him hesitating, the child blind with grateful tears, narrated how his timely generosity had placed him in the way of gaining an honest and independent livelihood and changed the whole current of his life.
While he had been engaged in saving the lives of the poor from the clutches of malarial fever, he had composed Bhranti-Bilas, a beautiful rendering of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. The gay, lively humour of the original has lost nothing of its force in the translation. Shortly he sent Ramer Rajyabhisheka (coronation of Rama) to the press. While a portion was printed he heard that another book on the subject by Babu Shashi Bhusan Chatterji had already been put forth. He directly stopped the publication of his own work. During the same year he brought out a correct edition of Kalidas's Megha-Duta with the annotation of Mallinath.
In March 1869 his house at Birsingha with everything in it was destroyed by fire. Fortunately no lives were lost. He hastened home to provide for the rebuilding of the place. Shortly after he was again there, intending to celebrate the marriage of a widow. The bridegroom had implored his aid which he had gladly promised. But when some respectable men of the locality pointed out to him the impropriety of that particular union, he assured them that the arrangement would not be carried out. At dead of night two of his younger brothers along with a few other people performed the ceremony without giving him any notice of their intention. As he could not keep his word through no fault of his, he left the village with an aching heart vowing never to return again. Some twenty years after he received by post a pamphlet describing the pitiable condition of the old, familiar place. So moved was he that he purposed to visit it and even gave orders for the repair of his house. But his dangerous illness prevented him from breaking his resolution. Sickness is sometimes sent to us to stand us in good stead.
In August 1869 he gave away the Sanskrit Press Depository to Babu Braja Nath Mukherji under circumstances worth noting. Dissatisfied with its working, he gave out that he would make a free gift of it to anybody who came forward to accept it. Braja Nath, one of the audience, expressed his willingness and the next moment the property was his. The news spread quickly and the following day somebody offered him Rs. 10,000. Vidyasagar who had once plighted his word would not lightly break it even for a crore of rupees.
In February next year Dr. Durga Charan Banerji, with whom he had many ties of comradeship and old association, left the world. As the doctor was a great help to him in relieving the sufferings of the distressed, so he, on his part, got him out of many difficulties. A few months before his death, for instance, he sought the assistance of Vidyasagar when his son Surendra Nath Banerji was declared unfit to enter the Indian Civil Service on the alleged ground of having exceeded the age limit. Acting on his counsel he sent Surendra Nath's horoscope to England, which solved the point. After his death when the family quarrelled with bitter acrimony over the heritage and went to the law court, Vidyasagar stood up as an umpire and made up the dispute to the entire satisfaction of all parties. Again, when Surendra Nath lost government service, he provided him with a professorship in his own college. On August 11, he availed himself of the first opportunity of celebrating a marriage in the family under Act XV of 1856. His only son Narayan Chandra aged 21 years was wedded to Bhava Sundari Devy, 16 years old. After the death of her first husband, her mother had taken her to Birsingha for remarriage. Vidyasagar having fixed upon a bridegroom wrote to his brother to send the bride to Calcutta. Shortly he received a letter from his son expressing an eager desire to marry her himself. Though some members of the family opposed the proposal, Vidyasagar stood by his settled convictions. The alliance was early solemnised.
Towards the end of the year Bhagavati Devy made a halt at Benares on the way back from a pilgrimage. Thakurdas, who had been residing there since 1865, asked her to keep him company. "I must now return home," she replied, "to look after my poor acquaintances. Wherever I live I shall turn up in time and die here before you." Her words were prophetic. Serious illness of Thakurdas hastened her to the sacred city before five months were over. He soon struggled back to life, but of a sudden she was attacked with cholera and died at his feet in a few hours. Vidyasagar, who was at Calcutta and could not attend the death-bed, experienced the most poignant grief and led a secluded life for months together. The mourning was observed for full one year.
About this time Maharaja Satish Chandra Roy Bahadur of Nadia passed away. Like his father Maharaja Shrish Chandra, he too revered Vidyasagar and joined in all the social movements of the time. On his part the Pundit also gave sound and sincere advice whenever any knotty problem had to be unravelled and the Nadia Raj called for assistance.
Next year (1871) he published new editions of Uttara-Charita and Abhijnana-Shakuntala with his masterly prefaces and annotations. Besides these he issued correct editions, without annotation, of Shishupala-Badha, Kadambari, Kiratarjjuniya, Raghu-Vansa and Harsa-Charita. Three selections from standard English authors were also put out by him.
It was about this time that the holy saint Ramakrisna Paramahansa with some of his devotees came to visit Vidyasagar. Two of the greatest souls of the age met and rejoiced in each other's company. They entered into an entrancing conversation and the audience thoroughly enjoyed "the feast of reason and the flow of soul," which they had naturally anticipated from such a meeting. After partaking of some light refreshments which opportunely arrived at that instant from Burdwan, the sage took his departure.
Contemporaneously with the widow-marriage movement Vidyasagar had organised another agitation to alter the custom of taking a plurality of wives as a means of subsistence. This practice of unrestricted polygamy among the Kulin Brahmins of Bengal gave rise to many evils. Vidyasagar's attention was first drawn to the subject by the sorrowful tales of a female relative of his, who had been ruthlessly deserted and neglected by her nominal husband wedded to several other wives. He assured her that he would do his best to root up that custom. On the 27th December 1855, about a month after the introduction of the Remarriage of Hindu Widows Bill into the Imperial Legislative Council, he submitted to the Government of Bengal a petition signed by 25,000 persons who were headed by Maharaja Mahatab Chand Bahadur of Burdwan and other leaders of the community. In the course of the next year several other petitions were presented, subscribed by the highly respectable Pundits of Nadia, Calcutta and other places as well as by Maharaja Shrish Chandra Roy Bahadur of Nadia, the Raja of Dinajpur, and several other influential persons. But no legislative measures were adopted by Government as they were busied with the suppression of the Sepoy Mutiny. The subject was revived early in 1866 when things had resumed their normal course. Twenty-one thousand persons under the leadership of Maharaja Satish Chandra Roy Bahadur of Nadia, Raja Satya Saran Ghosal of Bhukailas, Raja Pratap Chandra Singha of Kandi and other nobles, memorialised the Government of Bengal. Two months later a deputation of the reforming party waited on Sir C. Beadon, the Lieutenant-Governor, who promised his best support. The Imperial Government, however, suggested that some further expression of public opinion was desirable before having recourse to legislation and that a more exhaustive inquiry should be prosecuted. Sir C. Beadon appointed a committee to mature a scheme which would stamp out the evil without, on the one hand, affecting the general liberty possessed by all Hindus of taking more than one wife, or on the other, giving express sanction to that liberty by an enactment. The committee found it impossible to suggest a workable scheme. Further, a despatch from the Secretary of State urged caution and carefulness, as a large majority of people had not yet committed themselves to any opinion.
Baffled twice, Vidyasagar now entered on a new course of action. He strained every nerve to check the evil by force of education and social opinion. With this view he published a pamphlet in July 1871. Pundit Taranath Tarkavachaspati, of whom we have already caught a glimpse in a preceding chapter, and other inflexible opponents of reform, soon issued a booklet to refute Vidyasagar's arguments. In answer to this the latter published another paper against polygamy. This was followed by some satirical pieces from both the angry parties. Tarkavachaspati and Vidyasagar parted company, nevermore to meet during the rest of their days. Thus ended a friendship that had once bid fair to be lasting. The inevitable controversy that raged for some time had important and far-reaching results. It drilled the mind of the community for the gradual abolition of the practice. Like other great men, Vidyasagar was partly the child of his age and partly its creator. While he fell in with the temper of the time, he did what in him lay to give a new direction to the thoughts of men and prepare a field for the work of reconstruction.