Echoes Across Languages: A Comparative Study of Odia Literature in Dialogue with Sanskrit, English, Hindi, Bengali, and Assamese Traditions

Abstract

Comparative Literature is an interdisciplinary field that examines literary texts across linguistic, cultural, and national boundaries, revealing the interconnectedness of human thought, artistic creativity, and cultural expression. It enables scholars to explore how diverse literary traditions, despite their distinct historical and socio-cultural contexts, engage with universal themes such as identity, morality, nature, social justice, spirituality, nationalism, and human experience. In a multilingual and multicultural country like India, comparative literary studies are particularly significant because they illuminate the dynamic dialogue among classical, regional, and global literary traditions.

This study presents a comparative analysis of Odia literature in relation to Sanskrit, Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, and English literary traditions, examining their thematic concerns, aesthetic principles, narrative techniques, philosophical foundations, and cultural values. It discusses the contributions of representative writers such as Kalidasa, Jagannath Das, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Gangadhar Meher, Gopinath Mohanty, Srimanta Sankardeva, Premchand, Jaishankar Prasad, Rabindranath Tagore, William Wordsworth, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and T. S. Eliot, whose works have profoundly influenced literary thought and cultural consciousness. The study highlights both the shared humanistic ideals and the distinctive artistic identities of these traditions, demonstrating how each reflects its own socio-cultural environment while simultaneously addressing universal human concerns.
Furthermore, the article emphasizes the importance of translation, intercultural dialogue, and literary exchange in fostering mutual understanding among diverse linguistic communities. By bringing Odia literature into meaningful dialogue with Sanskrit, Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, and English traditions, the paper illustrates that literature transcends linguistic and geographical boundaries and functions as a bridge connecting cultures, civilizations, and intellectual histories.

The study concludes that Comparative Literature is not merely a method of textual comparison but a powerful approach to understanding cultural plurality, preserving literary heritage, strengthening national integration, and promoting global literary scholarship. It contributes to a deeper appreciation of India's multilingual literary legacy while reaffirming the relevance of cross-cultural literary studies in the twenty-first century.

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