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Sadhu bhasha (Bengali: সাধু ভাষা, romanized: Sādhu bhāṣā, lit. 'Chaste language')/Sanskritised Bengali was a historical literary register of the Bengali language most prominently used in the 19th to 20th centuries during the Bengali Renaissance. Sadhu-bhasha was used only in writing, unlike Cholito-bhasa, the colloquial form of the language, which was used in both writing and "speaking." These two literary forms are examples of diglossia. Sadhu-bhasha was used in official documents and legal papers during the colonial period; however, "it is mostly obsolete in the present day."

History※

This Sanskritised form of Bengali is notable for its variations in verb forms and the vocabulary which is mainly composed of Sanskrit or tatsama words. It was mainly a vocabulary making it easier for literary works in Sanskrit to be translated. Notable among them was Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, who standardised the Bengali alphabet and paved the path for literary works. The colloquial usage of Bengali consisted mostly of its Prakrit base as well as indigenous (deshi), Persian and Arabic words embedded into the vocabulary. As a result, the Brahmins, a Hindu pundit caste, chose the path of Sanskritisation to make a "pure" language which would be used as a representative of classical languages into which the works of Sanskrit and Hindu literature can be translated. This shifted Bengali further towards Sanskrit thus archaizing its vocabulary. This in turn increased the commonality in Bengali vocabulary with other Indo-Aryan languages, such as Hindi which has also consciously replaced Persian and Arabic elements with Sanskrit Tatsama, a process which separated it form the Khariboli source and Urdu.

By the time of Rabindranath Tagore, the Sadhu-ness ("purity") of the literary form had largely waned into just a set of Sanskrit verb forms and in a decade, Tagore himself would switch to writing in Cholito Bhasha. Dr. Radha Nag's book Atmaghati Nirad Choudhuri আত্মঘাতী নীরদ চৌধুরী (Suicidal Nirad Choudhuri) appears as the last Bengali book written in Sadhu Bhasha.

Bangladeshi writer, intellectual, academic Dr. Salimullah Khan has been writing in Sadhu Basha since 2005.

Famous newspaper Anandabazar Patrika uses Sadhu Bhasha on their editorial column, partially, even today.

Styles※

The mid-19th century hosted two influential writers of Sadhu-bhasha; Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. Vidyasagar's style was very conservative towards withholding only the use of tatsama (Sanskrit) when writing. His style came to be known as Vidyasagari and Akshay Kumar Datta also wrote in this style. Chatterjee's writing style was somewhat more lenient to the use of tadbhava and deshi vocabulary. It came to be known as Bankimi – a more popular style, it was practised by the likes of Rabindranath Tagore, Hara Prasad Shastri, Dinesh Chandra Sen, Mir Mosharraf Hossain and Ismail Hossain Siraji.

Sample text※

The following is a sample text in Sadhu-Bhasha of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Bengali in the Bengali alphabet

ধারা ১: সমস্ত মানুষ স্বাধীনভাবে সমান মর্যাদা এবং অধিকার লইয়া জন্মগ্রহণ করে। তাঁহাদের বিবেক এবং বুদ্ধি আছে; সুতরাং সকলেরই একে অপরের প্রতি ভ্রাতৃত্বসুলভ মনোভাব লইয়া আচরণ করা উচিৎ।

Bengali in phonetic Romanization

Dhara êk: Sômôstô manush shadhinbhabe sôman môrjada ebông ôdhikar lôiya jônmôgrôhôṇ kôre. Tãhader bibek ebông buddhi achhe; sutôrang sôkôleri êke ôpôrer prôti bhratrittôsulôbh mônobhab lôiya achôrôṇ kôra uchit.

Bengali in the International Phonetic Alphabet

d̪ʱara ɛk | ʃɔmost̪o manuʃ ʃad̪ʱinbʱabe ʃɔman mɔɾdʒad̪a ebɔŋ od̪ʱikaɾ loija dʒɔnmoɡrohon kɔre | t̪ãhad̪er bibek ebɔŋ bud̪d̪ʱi atʃʰe | ʃut̪oraŋ ʃɔkoleri ɛke ɔporer prot̪i bʱrat̪rit̪ːoʃulɔbʱ monobʱab loija atʃorɔn kɔra utʃit̪

Gloss

Clause 1: All human free-manner-in equal dignity and right taken birth-take do. Their reason and intelligence exist; therefore everyone-indeed one another's towards brotherhood-ly mind-spirit taken conduct do should.

Translation

Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They possess conscience and reason. Therefore, everyone should act in a spirit of brotherhood towards each other.

Cholit bhasa※

The following is a sample text in Cholit-Bhasha of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Bengali in the Bengali alphabet

ধারা ১: সব মানুষ স্বাধীনভাবে সমান মর্যাদা আর অধিকার নিয়ে জন্ম নেয়। তাঁদের বিবেক আর বুদ্ধি আছে; তাই সবারই একে অপরের দিকে ভাইয়ের মতো মনের ভাব নিয়ে আচরণ করা উচিত।

Bengali in phonetic Romanization

Dhara êk: Sôb manush shadhinbhabe sôman môrjada ar ôdhikar niye jônmo ney. Tãder bibek ar buddhi achhe; tai sôbari êke ôpôrer dike bhaijer môto môner bhab niye achôrôn kôra uchit.

Bengali in the International Phonetic Alphabet

d̪ʱara ɛk | ʃɔb manuʃ ʃad̪ʱinbʱabe ʃɔman mɔɾdʒad̪a ar ɔd̪ʱikaɾ nie̯e dʒɔnmo næy | t̪ãd̪eɾ bibek ar bud̪ʱːi atʃʰe | t̪ai ʃɔbaɾi ɛke ɔpɔreɾ d̪ike bʱaijer mɔt̪o mɔner bʱab nie̯e atʃɔrɔn kɔra utʃit̪

Gloss

Clause 1: All human free-manner-in equal dignity and right taken bear. Their reason and intelligence exist; so everyone-indeed one another's direction-to brother's like mind's spirit taken conduct do should.

Translation

Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They possess conscience and reason. Therefore, everyone should act in a spirit of brotherhood towards each other.

See also※

• Bengali poetry
• Alaler Gharer Dulal

References※