It was through the Indian Express headlines today that I learnt about the passing away of Dr. Bibek Debroy: "Four days before he passed away, Bibek Debroy wrote his obituary: ‘There is a world outside that exists. What if I am not there? What indeed?’
I was totally unaware of his illness and as he explains in his column one did not miss him as the regular limericks and newspaper columns kept on appreaing. As I read his piece in the Indian Express, these lines - "Perhaps the Purana Project, left incomplete. Manmatha Nath Dutt was reborn, to finish the Purana work. I will be reborn. But I hope not for this."- screamed out at me.
I can't say that I knew Dr Debroy well. I had read about his work on railway reforms and was aware of him being part of PM's Economic AdvisoryCouncil, but had never met or interacted with him. It was in 2018 when as Consul General in New York that I first interacted with him. He wrote to me about, 'Wealth of India', the monthly magazine that Manmatha Nath Dutt (1855 - 1912) used to publish between 1892 and 1908 that was solely devoted to English translation of best Sanskrit works. While working on the Purana project, Dr. Debroy discovered that large number of our ancient scriptures had already been translated into English by Dutt and published by him in the 'Wealth of India'.
As Dr. Debroy himself states in an article in the Open Magazine - " One of India’s greatest translators was Manmatha Nath Dutt (Shastri), 1855-1912, who translated from Sanskrit to English and did much more. Chronologically,he translated Valmika Ramayana (sequentially from 1892 to 1894), Markandeya Purana (1896), Bhagavata Purana (1896), Vishnu Purana (1896), Hari Vamsha (1897), Mahanirvana Tantra (1900), Agni Purana (1903-04), Mahabharata (1895-1905), Kamandakiya Nitisara (1896), several samhitas and dharmashastra texts (1906, 1908-09), Garuda Purana (1908) and Rig Veda Samhita (1906-1912)."
While researching Dutt, he sadly couldn't find any copies of the magazine in India. He was sure that the New York Public Library (NYPL) would have them. Could I help him in getting copies of the magazine, he asked. I was rather pleased that such an eminent person had asked me for help. Promptly I found myself in the cavernous NYPL, asking the librarian for the 'Wealth of India'. NYPL did not have physical copies, but had microfiche of several issues of the magazine. Could I get copies of the microfiche? Yes for a small fee. I remember paying about US$ 100 or so and shipped them to Dr. Debroy in the diplomatic bag. Soon I received a mail of gratitude.
In June 2020, I was back in India. Within a few weeks of my arrival I got a message from Dr. Debroy asking for my mailing address. He had written a book on Manmatha Dutt, and since I had helped him getting material about him, he wanted to send me a copy. I was touched that he mentioned me in the acknowledgedments. I read the book with particular fascination, as I had never heard about Dutt before and I was moved by his committment to his cause. Dutt was convinced about the greatness and glory of ancient India and held the view that our scriptures should be brought to the notice of the contemporary world. To me, Dutt is an unsung hero who has not got the attention or credit for his monumental works. He was a pioneer by all accounts and deserves to be part of our history as a great Indian.
We exchanged messages from time-to-time. I got around to addressing him as Dada. Sometimes I shared articles from the blog that I had started to write. On 9 March 2022, I sent him my piece on Reciprocity that had appeared in Speaking Tree of Times of India. He replied in Bangla: "কোন একদিন আসবেন। মন্মথনাথ দত্তের আসল গল্প বলবো। যা বইতে লিখি নি। " (Do come some day. I will tell you the real story of Manmatha Nath Dutt. What I have not written in the book). Piqued, I responded that I will bring along a friend. He replied, "Of course, But on Manmatha Nath Dutt, will tell you private sutff. So, for that, please come alone".
I was curious and went alone to the Niti Aayog office to see him. As I entered, he asked me if had sufficient time in hand as he wanted to share some thing with me, which hadn't shared with many. I was now truly intrigued. I remember spending more than an hour listening with rapt attention to his tale. He also asked me not tell anyone what he was telling me as people would think that he had lost his mind.
Today, when he is no more, and he has left behind a tantalising reference in his self written obituary, I dare to tell what he told, as a tribute to him .
Dada said, "Sandeep, I am convinced that I am Manmatha Nath Dutt reborn". I was startled and I bent forward to listen intently as Dada continued. Since he started the Purana project, any book that he picked up for translation, he discoved that it had already been translated by Manmatha Dutt. And there are many. Not only that. When he had been travelling to cities that he never been before, he discovered to his own surprise that he felt as if he knew the place already. He had never ever before been to Kurukshetra and Varanasi in this life, yet when he went there he seemed to know both the places well and in fact in Varanasi he knew each and every gali of the famous Bangali Tola. Research by him on Dutt revealed that his previous avatar had been to those places. Not only this, he added with exasperation that nights went by without sleep. Whenever he slept at night the entire past life of Manmatha Dutt flashed through his mind, recounting every detail of the latter's life. While, I wasn't taking notes, I remember him telling me several more coincidences of his life with that of Manmatha Dutt. I was spellbound. I felt as if I was watching Shonar Kella, the 1974 film by Satyajit Ray on the theme of after life.
A few months later in September 2022, I met Dada once again with wife Suparna at the Vasant Vihar residence of Mr. R.K Pachnanda, former West Bengal cadre IPS officer from Haryana. I took him aside and asked whether he still dreamt of Manmatha Dutt. He said, "no, no more. Those episodes had now passed but I am convinced that I am Manmatha Nath Dutt reincarnate". He was happy about it and this realisation had now become part of his existence. Then he said something else, even more startling, which I will not reveal here.
As I write this piece, I look up Dada' book on Manmatha Nath Dutt on Amazon India. The teaser rather uncannily reads: "Who is Manmatha Nath Dutt? This Question starts haunting Bibek Debroy when he finds that name imprinted on the translations of almost all ancient texts that he too wants to translate from Sanskrit into English. While multiple translations are not uncommon, what were the chances of two translators invariably choosing the same set of texts? It was almost like Manmatha Nath Dutt had left a trail for Bibek Debroy to follow...
We will now await another Bibek Debroy to follow the trail ....
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