A significant portion of modern medical resources and funding is directed towards prolonging human life, as reported in an article. As we live in an age of transplant surgeries, reading this novel is sure to provide an exceptional reading experience. I highly recommend it, as it is one of the finest novels I have read to date.
Arogya Niketan (translated to Tamil as ஆரோக்ய நிகேதனம்) – Tarashankar Pandyopadhyaya
Translation – T.N. Kumaraswamy
Publisher – Sahitya Akademi, First Edition 1972, Second Edition 2015
To reserve in NLB – Ārōkkiya – nikētan̲am
To read Writer Jayamohan Introduction
Buy in Bengali, Tamil
Ten days ago, I visited the Ang Mo Kio Library and saw a Tamil translation of this novel on the new arrivals display. I borrowed it. The story set in a village in Bengal that has an Ayurvedic center. The main character, Jeevan Thattar, is the center’s doctor who learned the ways of Ayurvedic medicine from his father and practices it with the belief that death is inevitable and his medicine is meant to fight diseases, not death.
Dr. Pradyod, a young allopathic doctor working at the government hospital in the same village, disagrees with Jeevan’s approach and often criticizes him. Despite their differences, both doctors come together to treat patients, with Jeevan correcting cases that Pradyod missed and vice versa. The novel showcases their growing friction as a result of the generation gap.
Jeevan Thattar is depicted as a wise and experienced doctor, who dropped out of allopathic studies due to his love for Manjari. Despite facing setbacks in his life, his passion for medicine never faded, and he always remains curious about new advancements in the field. Despite being criticized by some patients for predicting their death, Jeevan continues to practice medicine, even if it means treating just one patient at an odd time.
Pradyod, on the other hand, is depicted as a vibrant and ambitious young doctor who is determined to prove Jeevan wrong. However, as he gains more experience, he realizes the importance of Jeevan’s approach and the two doctors come together to treat patients.
Athar Bau, Jeevan’s wife, is portrayed as an unhappy woman who scolds Jeevan for his predictions of death and for selling all their property in vain. Despite her scoldings, she is not cruel, and her anger stems from the fact that Jeevan is seen as a curse by the villagers.
The protagonist, Jeevan, is depicted as a man who is always curious about death and its form. He desires to understand death and is always eager to learn about new advancements in medicine. Despite his age, he remains a curious child who is fascinated by germs shown in microscope and the effectiveness of new drugs.
The novel touches upon various aspects of death, including untimely deaths and how different people cope with it. The heartwarming scene is when Jeevan feasts Abaya, despite realizing that her husband is going to die. This scene highlights Jeevan’s compassion for his patients and his role as a doctor beyond just treating illnesses.
It is difficult to express in words the situation where Jeevan Masai takes his naadi (pulse) and confronts his final day. The writer’s ability to capture this difficulty evokes a strong emotional response from the reader. Masai is torn between his desire to go to the banks of the Ganges and his concern for Athar Bau, who he sees as vulnerable and helpless. This part of the novel left me spellbound, and my eyes filled with tears as Athar Bau spoke at the end.
The novel highlights the human emotion and the longing for recognition of an old-fashioned physician. It presents the dilemma of living life on one’s own terms versus trying to control it according to one’s preferences.
The author, Tarasankar, was a highly acclaimed Indian novelist who wrote 65 novels during his career. He received numerous awards, including the Rabindra Puraskar, Sahitya Akademi Award, Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
The translation into Tamil by Mr. Kumaraswamy is fluent and accurate, but the book contains several typographical errors.
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This post was originally Written on 26 Sep 2015. Translated to English as part of Blogchatter’s WRITE A PAGE A DAY 2023 campaign.