But not even the thinnest muslin curtain separated them when it was a matter of friendship. She accompanied him everywhere like his own shadow and there proximity was more than ordinary, or shall I any bizarre. While out on military conquests, Chandrapida would make her first sit on an elephant and then take his place behind her. While in the military camp, the prince would converse with his friend Vaishampayana deep into the night. FRIEND (sakhi) Patralekha would spread her blanket on the earth and sleep near the Prince.
This relationship is indeed very touchingly sweet but it rejects the full recognition of the right of womanhood. Bana has brought them as close as possible and yet he does not for a moment show any alarm, he does not appear even to be worried that the narrow strip of the sandy beach may be washed away and friendship turn into love. According to Tagore, here, Bana has shown his extreme indifference towards the woman in Patralekha. Had he but shown the least bit of concern with their intimacy- an intimacy which is utterly free from all bashfulness such as is enjoyed between two women only, it would have been some compliment paid to Patralekha, a recognition of her womanhood, however small.
Finally, to crown it all, Chandrapida falls in love and marries Kadambari, but Patralekha occupies such a very insignificant place in Chandrapidas life that the poet does not bother to throw her out. Indeed Kadambari does not feel the least bit jealous of Patralekha either. Indeed the latter serves as a messenger between Kadambari and Chandrapida when the former is away and she stays with her for some time.
But, asks Tagore, was she not disturbed at all by the scenes of amour which were acted between the prince and her wife? Did not the heat of the princes impetuous youth ever make the blood in her vein run faster? With supreme nonchalance Bana, according to Tagore, does not pay the least attention to this divine aspect of Chitralekhas life and does not touch even the fringe of the question.
But who knows? Perhaps Bana wanted to paint a new conceit unknown to Sanskrit Kavya and he was afraid to bring them closer lest the reader should expect the eternal triangle, the stock-in-trade of many a Sanskrit dramatist. Perhaps the character and even more the situation of Chitralekha is tragic but it is certainly unique.
Tolstoy firmly believed in the friendship between man and woman. In his criticism of the famous short story of Chekhov Darling he goes to the length of considering Mary Magdalene as a source of inspiration of Lord Jesus, and the relations of friendship and sympathy between St. Clara and Francis were very close and there can be no doubt that she was one of the truest heirs of Francis inmost spirit. (E. B.) In Bengal we remember Sister Nivedita not only as a disciple of Swami Vivekananda (whose birthday is being celebrated as I write this) but as one of his closest friends, associate in all his activities and the most important inspirer in his life, It is by far the best example of friendship I know of, for unlike Magdalene and St. Clara Nivedita had to go beyond her creed, country and kinsfolk.
Wether we believe it or not :
Love is only chatter
Friends are all that matter.
There is no doubt whatsever when the Persian says,
Dushman chih kunad
agar mehrban bashad dost.
What can enemies do, if a friend is mehrban.
রায় পিথৌরার কলমে
০১.
একদা হিন্দুকুশের উত্তরপ্রান্ত ও পারস্যের পূর্ব সীমান্তের বহিক ও কপিশা, গান্ধার (বর্তমান বখ, কাবুল, জালালাবাদ) এইসব অঞ্চল ভারতের অংশরূপে গণ্য করা হইত এবং এইসব প্রদেশ হইতে বহু বিদ্যার্থী ভারতে আগমনপূর্বক বিদ্যাভ্যাস করিত। পরবর্তী যুগে নালন্দা-তক্ষশিলায় দূরতর দেশ হইতে আগত বহু ছাত্র বৌদ্ধধর্ম ও দর্শনের চর্চা করিত, এ তথ্যও আমাদের অবিদিত নহে।
বৌদ্ধধর্মের পতনের পর মুসলমানরা এই দেশের বড় বড় নগরে বিস্তর মক্তব-মাদ্রাসা স্থাপনা করেন। প্রাচীন পন্থানুযায়ী তুর্কিস্থান, বখ, কাবুল, জালালাবাদ হইতে পূর্বেরই ন্যায় বহু মুসলমান ছাত্র এই দেশে জ্ঞান সঞ্চয়ের জন্য আগমন করিত। অদ্যাবধি বহু উজবেগ (বাংলায় তুচ্ছার্থে ব্যবহৃত উজবুক), হাজারা, আফগান তুর্কমান ভারতের দেওবন্দ, রামপুর, রাদের মাদ্রাসায় আগমন করিয়া ন্যূনাধিক চতুর্দশ বৎসর যাপন করত শেষ উপাধি গ্রহণ করিয়া স্বদেশ প্রত্যাবর্তন করিত। ভারতবিভাগের পরও এ স্রোতধারা অক্ষুণ্ণ রহিয়াছে; কারণ পাকিস্তানে দেওবন্দ, রামপুরের মতো উচ্চ শ্রেণির বিদ্যায়তন নাই।
