Buno Ramnath
{{short description|18th century Indian logician and scholar}}
{{Infobox writer
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| name = Buno Ramnath
| image = Busts of Buno Ramnath (Ramnath Tarkasiddhanta) 1.jpg
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| caption = Bust of Ramnath Tarkasiddhanta
| native_name = Rāmanātha Tarkasid'dhānta (রামনাথ তর্কসিদ্ধান্ত)
| native_name_lang = bn
| birth_date = middle of eighteen century
| birth_place = Bengal, British India
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| occupation = {{Flat list|
- Tol teacher
- Scholar
- Logician
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| language = Bengali, Sanskrit
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Ramnath Tarkasiddhanta, popularly known as Buno Ramnath, was a prominent logician, scholar and ideal teacher of Nabadwip in the eighteenth century.{{Cite book|last=Sen|first=Simonti|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1jkaZEUm3nEC&q=buno+ramnath&pg=PA117|title=Travels to Europe: Self and Other in Bengali Travel Narratives, 1870-1910|date=2005|publisher=Orient Blackswan|page=117|isbn=978-81-250-2738-6|language=en}} He was called Buno as he had set up his Chatuspathi in a forest area.{{Cite book|last=Rari|first=Kantichandra Ed|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.512971|title=Nabadwip-mahima Ed. 2 Vol. 1 And 2|page=317|date=1937}}
Early life
Ramnath was born in the middle of the eighteenth century but historians has a doubt about his birthplace. According to Dr. Alok Kumar Chakraborty, he was the son of Abhayaram Tarkabhushan of the Bhattacharya family of Dhatrigram.{{Cite web|last=বসু|first=প্রধান সম্পাদক, সুবোধচন্দ্র সেনগুপ্ত; সম্পাদক, অঞ্জলি|title=সংসদ বাঙালি চরিতাভিধান : প্রায় চার সহস্রাধিক জীবনী-সংবলিত আকর গ্রন্থ|url=https://www-lib.tufs.ac.jp/opac/recordID/catalog.bib/BB11124844|access-date=2020-10-03|page=476| website=東京外国語大学附属図書館ＯＰＡＣ}} Beside that, Joggeshwar Chowdhury said that Samudragarh is the birthplace of Ramnath.{{Cite book|last=Chowdhuri|first=Jagyeswar|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.265321|title=Bardhaman Itihas O Sanskriti Vol. 3|page=322|date=1994}}
Career
After acquiring an outstanding reputation for his erudition, Ramnath set up Chatuspathi in Nabadwip and taught there.{{Cite book|last=Tiwari|first=Ed Shubha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PFlEdW9MLCwC&q=buno|title=Education In India Vol# 4|date=2007|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist|isbn=978-81-269-0850-9|location=|pages=125|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=নির্ঘণ্ট:বাংলায় ভ্রমণ -দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড.pdf - উইকিসংকলন একটি মুক্ত পাঠাগার|url=https://bn.m.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%98%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F:%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A3_-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A1.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615082336/https://bn.m.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%98%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F:%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A3_-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC_%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A1.pdf |archive-date=2020-06-15 |access-date=2020-10-03|website=bn.m.wikisource.org|page=102}} He was always engrossed in the pursuit of knowledge. As the fame of his erudition spread around, countless students came to his tol or chatuspathi to learn from him. Many people including Prasanna Chandra Tarkaratna used to practice Shatra in his Chatuspathi. Among his students, Krishnananda Vidya-Bachaspati Saraswati Maharaj of Dharmadaha Bahirgachhi became famous for composing a book called Antarbyākaraṇa Nāṭya-Pariśiṣṭa from the divan of Maharaja Srishchandra. Even though Ramnath was very poor, he never took any royal grace. When Nadia Raj came to Nabadwip and saw his poverty, he asked him if he had any worldly issues. In his reply he said{{Cite book|last=Rajnarayan Basu|url=http://archive.org/details/bub_man_418e42c8c34e9cd4059f600f65afd3b6|title=Sekal Aar Ekal|date=1874|publisher=Balmiki Jantra|isbn=|location=|pages=9|language=English}}-
{{blockquote|No, I have no problem. I have a few bighas of land, which produces enough grain, and in front of me you can see this Tamarind tree; My wife cooks a beautiful soup with this leaf, I eat it with great satisfaction.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=নির্ঘণ্ট:Intermediate Bengali Selections.pdf - উইকিসংকলন একটি মুক্ত পাঠাগার|url=https://bn.m.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%98%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F:Intermediate_Bengali_Selections.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615082343/https://bn.m.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%98%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F:Intermediate_Bengali_Selections.pdf |archive-date=2020-06-15 |access-date=2020-10-03|website=bn.m.wikisource.org|page=77}}{{Cite web|last=hvadmin|date=2020-05-06|title=বুনো রামনাথ- এক শিক্ষকের গল্প|url=https://hinduvoice.in/2020/05/06/বুনো-রামনাথ-এক-শিক্ষকের-গ/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003190240/https://hinduvoice.in/2020/05/06/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8B-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A5-%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B7%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%97/|archive-date=2020-10-03|access-date=2020-10-03|website=Hindu Voice|language=bn}}}}
Legend
In the eighteen century, a debate meeting was organised at the divan of Maharaja Nabakrishna in Kolkata (then Calcutta) for the purpose of a logical victory. Legalist Shibnath Vidyabachaspati of Nabadwip and Jagannath Tarka Panchanan of Tribeni were present at the meeting. When no one could argue with the stranger logician in the debate held there, Buno Ramnath appeared there and defeated him through argument and maintained the standard of justice of Nabadwip.{{Cite web|title=Bongodorshon|url=https://www.bongodorshon.com/home/story_detail/bengali-has-forgotten-buno-ramnath|access-date=2021-05-11|website=Bongodorshon {{!}} বাংলার যা কিছু উৎকৃষ্ট আর ভালো তাকেই সামনে আনছে}} Being happy when King Nabakrishna wanted to give him a lot of wealth, Ramnath did not touch them and said the crow-shit. Ramnath believed that money is the root of evil.
The identity of Ramnath's poverty can be understood from the common hearsay about his wife. Once the queen of Nadia Raj came to the Nabadwip ghat. When Ramnath's wife was returning from the ghat, the water of her sari sprinkled on the queen. But Ramnath's wife left the place without giving any apology. Being angry Maharani said,
: Bhāri tō du'gāchā lāla suto. Tāra ābāra ēto dēmāka. O'i suto chiṛatē katakşana? (Means, you only have a red tread on your hand as a sign of married, still how did you get that courage to behave like that. This thread can be tron any time.)
In reply she said-
: Ēi lāla sutō yē dina chirē yābē, sē dina Nabadwip andhakāra hayē yābē. (The day this red thread will be torn, Nabadwip will be dark from its standard of logician.{{Cite web|last=বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়|first=দেবাশিস|date=2016-06-06|title=রানিকেও রেয়াত করেননি বুনো রামনাথের স্ত্রী|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/district/nadia-murshidabad/buno-ramnath-s-wife-even-did-not-leave-queen-1.403953|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615080247/https://www.anandabazar.com/district/nadia-murshidabad/buno-ramnath-s-wife-even-did-not-leave-queen-1.403953|archive-date=2020-06-15|access-date=2020-10-03|website=anandabazar.com|language=bn}}{{efn|Kantichandra Rari, the author of Nabadwip Mahima'', mentions that the legend took place between the wife of Maharaja Ramakrishna and the wife of the then Nabadwip Pandit Krishnaram Bhattacharya.{{Cite book|last=Rari|first=Kanti Chandra|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.512971|title=Nabadwip-mahima Ed. 2 Vol. 1 And 2|date=1937|publisher=|isbn=|location=|pages=285–286}}}})
''Tol'' of Buno Ramnath
In 1886, the main Sanskrit learning center of India as well as the undivided Bengal was established at the Tol house of Buno Ramnath. The Banga Bibudha Janani Sabha was set up under the chairmanship of Raja Indrachandra Singh of Paikpara and under the editorship of retired Deputy Magistrate Mahendranath Bhattacharya to revive the Sanskrit practice all over the India.{{Cite web|last=aajkaal|date=2017-11-28|title=নবদ্বীপ: মৃতপ্রায় টোল ব্যবস্থা|url=https://www.aajkaal.in/news/state/toll-system-w4rd|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705131522/https://www.aajkaal.in/news/state/toll-system-w4rd|archive-date=2020-07-05|access-date=2020-10-03|website=www.aajkaal.in|language=bn}}{{Cite web|last=বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়|first=বিমান হাজরা ও দেবাশিস|date=2018-02-19|title=সংস্কৃতে জমে উঠছে আড্ডা|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/district/nadia-murshidabad/cultural-program-in-sanskrit-language-at-nabadwip-1.758661|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709044027/https://www.anandabazar.com/district/nadia-murshidabad/cultural-program-in-sanskrit-language-at-nabadwip-1.758661|archive-date=2019-07-09|access-date=2020-10-03|website=anandabazar.com|language=bn}} The secretary of Banga Bibudha Janani Sabha, Arun Kumar Chakraborty said-
{{cquote|This is our main objective to revive the practice of Sanskrit in Nabadwip. An Oriental Study Center will be set up at the Tol house of Buno Ramnath. Apart from Sanskrit practice, sociology, regional history practice, Ayurveda practice, Shastra practice can also be included in Oriental studies. We have appealed to the state and central government for this. This education parliament, which has come to a complete stop for the time being, has been reactivated through various activities.{{Cite web|last=বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়|first=দেবাশিস|date=2016-06-07|title=রামনাথের ঐতিহ্যেই প্রাণ পাচ্ছে নবদ্বীপের বঙ্গ বিবুধ জননী সভা|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/state/new-target-for-re-introducing-sanskrit-in-nabadwip-1.404762|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615122635/https://www.anandabazar.com/state/new-target-for-re-introducing-sanskrit-in-nabadwip-1.404762|archive-date=2020-06-15|access-date=2020-10-03|website=anandabazar.com|language=bn}}}}
In 2019, Heritage Commission of West Bengal Government declared Buno Ramnath's Vite or Tol house of Buno Ramnath as the heritage place of Nabadwip.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2019-07-05|title=WEST BENGAL HERITAGE COMMISSION, Report July 2019|url=https://www.egiyebangla.gov.in/upload/MCLNEWS-190718115408484.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002055457/https://www.egiyebangla.gov.in/upload/MCLNEWS-190718115408484.pdf|archive-date=2020-10-02|access-date=2020-10-04|website=egiyebangla.gov.in|publisher=West Bengal Heritage Commission, Government of West Bengal}}
In Literature
Dinabandhu Mitra wrote about the Tyagi Purus (means Sacrificial men) in his book Dinabandhu Rachanasangraha based on the legend of Ramnath Tarkasiddhanta.{{Cite book|last=Mandol|first=Mrityunjoy|title=Nabadwiper Itibritto|publisher=Nabadwip Sahityo Somaj|year=2013|isbn=|edition=2|volume=I & II (Combined)|location=Nabadwip|pages=413|language=bn}}
Notes
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