Aghornath Gupta
Aghornath Gupta was a scholar of Buddhism and a preacher of the Brahmo Samaj. After his untimely death at the age of 40, he was honored with the title of "Sadhu" in recognition of his virtuous life. Sivanath Shastri remarked about him, "His genuine courtesy, profound spirituality, and heartfelt devotion set an unprecedented example for the members of society."
Early life
[edit]Aghornath, son of Yadavchandra Ray, was born in Shantipur, Nadia. He lost his father at the age of twelve and completed his primary education at a local tol and pathasala. Later, he moved to Kolkata to study at Sanskrit College, where he came into contact with Debendranath Tagore and Keshab Chandra Sen. Inspired by them, he joined the Brahmo movement.[1] Along with Bijoy Krishna Goswami, a fellow villager by birth, Aghornath became one of the earliest adherents of the Brahmo Samaj. Despite facing intense opposition and social resistance from the conservative community, they remained steadfast in their beliefs.[2]
In his personal life, Aghornath strictly adhered to a vegetarian diet and devoted long hours to prayer. In 1863, setting an example against caste-based conservatism, he, a Vaidya by caste, married a widow from the Kayastha community.[1]
Religious propagation
[edit]In 1857, Brajasundar Mitra purchased a house in Dacca's Armanitola and began hosting Brahmo Samaj meetings there. In 1863, this house was converted into a Brahmo school, where Aghornath taught for ten months. Among those inspired by Aghornath to join the Brahmo Samaj were notable figures like Bongochandra Ray and Bhuban Mohan Sen. During this time, two brothers, Kalimohan Das and Durgamohan Das, arrived in Dacca and started promoting Brahmoism through impactful speeches. Keshab Chandra Sen came in 1865, and the growing influence of the Brahmos led to increased opposition against them.[2]
Initially, Aghornath was a preacher of the Adi Samaj. On November 11, 1866, when Keshab Chandra Sen proposed the formation of the Indian Brahmo Samaj at the college premises on Chitpur Road in Kolkata, Aghornath supported the proposal. In 1867, he went to Barisal with renewed enthusiasm to assist Durgamohan Das in reform and outreach work and later moved to Chittagong. Subsequently, he traveled to Monghyr in Bihar, where he collaborated with Keshab Chandra Sen to initiate the New Devotion movement.[2][3]
In 1870, Aghornath went to Assam for propagation efforts and became the region's first Brahmo preacher. His efforts extended to Odisha and Punjab as well. After the establishment of the Navavidhan in 1869 and the second split in the Brahmo Samaj in 1878, Aghornath was entrusted with promoting the Navavidhan in Punjab. However, he passed away from diabetes that same year while under his brother’s care in Lucknow.[4]
Erudition
[edit]In 1869, Keshab Chandra Sen appointed four individuals from among his missionaries as "Professors" of four major world religions: Gour Gobind Roy for Hinduism, Pratap Chandra Majumdar for Christianity, Girish Chandra Sen for Islam, and Aghornath Gupta for Buddhism. Later, Trailokyanath Sanyal was appointed as the "Professor of Music." To delve deeply into Buddhism, Aghornath studied Pali, Sanskrit, and various European languages. He was well-versed in Buddhist scriptures in their original languages.[2]
His principal work was a book titled Shakyamunicharita o Nirbantattva (The Life of Shakyamuni and the Doctrine of Nirvana), which was the result of thoughtful research and exploration in Pali, European languages, and Sanskrit. It was the first book on Buddhism written in Bengali. Additionally, he assisted Keshab Chandra Sen in editing Shlokasangraha. He also contributed articles to the journals Dharmatattva and Sulabh Samachar.[1]
Writings
[edit]- Shakyamuni o Nirbanatattva (শাক্যমুনি ও নির্বাণতত্ত্ব, Shakyamuni and the Doctrine of Nirvana)[5][6]
- Dhruva o Prahlad (ধ্রুব ও প্রহ্লাদ, Dhruva and Prahlada)
- Debarshi Narader Nabajiban Labh (দেবর্ষি নারদের নবজীবন লাভ, The New Life of Devarshi Narada)
- Dharmasopan (ধর্মসোপান, The Ladder of Religion)
- Upodeshaboli (উপদেশাবলী, Teachings and Precepts)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Sen Gupta, Subodhchandra; Basu, Anjali. Samsad Bangali Charitabhidhan সংসদ বাঙালী চরিতাভিধান [Samsad Bengali Biographical Dictionary] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Sahitya Samsad. p. 3. ISBN 81-85626-65-0.
- ^ a b c d Sastri, Sivanath (1911). Brahmasamajer Itihas ব্রাহ্মসমাজের ইতিহাস [History of the Brahmo Samaj] (in Bengali). Samanya Brahmo Samaj.
- ^ "The Brahmo Samaj". www.thebrahmosamaj.net. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ Ghosh, Nirvarpriya (1930). The Evolution of Navavidhan. Navavidhan Press. p. 141.
- ^ Gupta, Aghornath (1952). Shakyamunicharit O Nirbbantattwa.
- ^ "শাক্যমুনিচরিত ও নির্ব্বাণতত্ত্ব- Shakyamunicarita and Nirbanattva (Bengali) | Exotic India Art". www.exoticindiaart.com. Retrieved 2024-12-14.