Meghnadbadh Kabya

Overview

Regarded as a central work in Bengali literature, this masterpiece is Dutt's greatest literary achievement and the finest epic in Bengali literature, often considered one of the greatest works of world literature. Meghnad Badh Kavya is based on the demise of Meghnad (a.k.a. Indrajit), son of Ravana, the king of Lanka, as narrated in the classic Sanskrit epic Ramayana. Michael Madhusudan Dutt, an ardent admirer of both European and Indian literature, drew inspiration from Milton, Tasso, Homer, Virgil, Valmiki, Vyasa, and Kalidasa for this epic. The poem is divided into nine cantos, each depicting different events. It begins with the death of Beerbahu, Ravana's son, and concludes with the sati-daha (the ancient Indian custom of burning widows alive with their deceased husbands) of Prameela, Meghnad's beloved wife.