Bankimchandra Omnibus: Volume - 1: v. 1 by Chattopadhyay Bankimchandra

Author:Chattopadhyay, Bankimchandra
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
ISBN: 9780144000555
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2005-11-28T16:00:00+00:00

5

‘We Will Make Our Anklets Sound as We Go’

I HAD NEVER SEEN THE GANGA. NOW, SEEING THE GANGA, MY SPIRIT WAS filled with joy. For the moment, all my sorrows were forgotten. The peaceful heart of the Ganga! On it were small waves: the sunlight sparkled on them. As far as the eye could see, the water ran, gleaming; on the banks, like arbours, were endless lines of well laid out trees; on the water were so many boats of so many kinds; there were the sounds of oars on the water, the sounds of the oarsmen and the boatmen, noise and bustle on the water, noise and bustle on the landings on the banks; so many kinds of people were bathing in so many ways. Again, in places there were endless stretches of sandy beach, like white clouds: on these, so many kinds of birds were making so much noise. The Ganga was truly full of virtue. For some days I watched her with insatiate eyes.

The day before we reached Calcutta, there was high tide a little before evening. The boat had stopped. It had been moored near the stone-built landing of an upper-class village. I saw so many beautiful things; I saw the fishermen with nets, like spiders, in dinghies, catching fish. I saw pandits, sitting on the terraces beside the landing’s steps, discussing the shastras. So many beautiful women, with ornaments in their hair, came to fetch water. Some threw water, some filled pitchers, some emptied them out again, filled them again, laughed and told stories, again threw out the water, again filled their pitchers. As I watched, an old song of mine came to mind,

I take the pitcher on one hip. I fill it with water,

Within the water is the dark prince!

Making waves with the pitcher, I no longer see anyone,

Krishna is hidden again in the water.6

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