ojaantrik -- An Explanation

ojaantrik · Jan 27, 2009

What does 'ojaantrik' mean? Here is an unsolicited explanation.

Bengalis, given their atrocious habit of mispronouncing Sanskrit sounds, changed the Sanskrit alphabet 'ya' into 'ja'. So, if I were to pronounce it correctly, I should have written 'oyaantrik'. But the matter doesn't end there. What's the 'o' doing there? It's doing nothing really, because, strictly speaking, it should have been an 'a'. So, the right way to transliterate the Sanskrit word be to write 'ayaantrik'.

For anyone who's interested, it should be amply clear now what 'ojaantrik' or 'ayaantrik' stands for. Since 'yantra' is a machine, 'yaantrik', when referring to a human being, should mean someone devoted to machines, or, by extension, it could mean a person who is mechanically inclined. And this does not leave out the possibility that the person's thought process is mechanical too, that is, he lacks imagination.

Hence, 'ojaantrk' or 'ayaantrik' should probably refer to a person who is unmechanical. He could be crazy, he could be romantic. But he is not mechanical.

So much for meaning. Now for the source of the word. It is the title of a famous Bengali short story by a renowned short story writer called Subodh Ghosh. (I am slightly hazy here as I explain below.)

Here is the gist of the story, which deals with a small town cab driver. He has this very old car with which he fell in love, the same way he would have, had it been human. It was a very old and battered 1920 Chevrolet jalopy, called Jagaddal. (I don't have a ready source to verify if the title of the story was Jagaddal or Ayaantrik.) Jagaddal, which means something that is very heavy, such as an outsized stone, which cannot be easily moved around. The sense of companionship between Bimal (the owner) and his taxi is evident from the dialogue Bimal establishes with Jagaddal and his loving actions towards the car. Jagaddal is also invested with "human" gestures and locomotion. Bimal refused to accept the fact that a machine needed to be replaced once its life was over. For him though, it was not a machine. He spoke to it, he caressed it, he couldn't live a single day or night without it.

The story goes through his adventures with the car and the passengers he deals with. Each passenger has a story of his own, involving love, hate, madness ...

One day, however, the car finally does break down. It wouldn't move an inch and the owner had to accept the fact that the car was just a car after all. It gets sold off as scrap metal in front of his eyes.

It was made into a fascinating movie by Rittwik Ghatak. In the last scene of the movie, as the scrap is being carried away, Bimal suddenly hears the honking of his taxi. From the middle of his gloomy silence, he looks up in expectation and realizes that the scrap metal dealer had forgotten to carry away the old blow horn and that a local child was playing with it.

Tears well up in his eyes, but he smiles too. It's a smile of hope. He realizes finally that the old must give place to the new.

Devika Menon · Jan 27, 2009

Dear OJ oops AY,

Good to read the meaning and origin of your name.

Now I wonder what Devika means??

Your story about Bimal and Jagadal is interesting. When I was a kid , my Dad had this car that I was very attached to like any one would be. Then like you say, old made way for new. The car number was 1244. Whenever I see any car with that number , I still feel so thrilled.
But I guess we never outgrow feelings and attachment for most of the things no matter how much we grow. We can never forget our old friends, old home, school. The sight or mention of it brings a myraid of emotions fluttering through doesnt it??

Great blog.

Regards,
Devika

Kamalji · Jan 27, 2009

Dear Oj,

What a lovely story, so touching about the Car and the owner.

I have the same relationship with my Cars.I terat them as human, and i talk to thjem when i start them, they never trouble me at all.

In fact my 3 year old Baleno,just got its first puntcure last week, and that too when my daughter was bringing it in our lane.

And if the petrol conks off, it is right in front f a pertrol station.So i beleive they are human too these cars, and they understand,

Loved this one, and the horn thing, so touchuing really, as though the poor car is calling out to the owner.

Regards

kamal

Cheeniya · Jan 27, 2009

Dear oj
Thanks for the explanation but I would prefer to continue calling you oj as I believe in the good old axiom 'While in Bengal, do as Bengalis do!'
Further ojaantrik sounds strangely ethereal that goes very well with your fascinating posts.
Now coming to the story of Bimal and his Jagadal. It brought memories of an old movie called 'Yellow Rolls Royce" starring Rex Harrison, Alain Delon, Ingrid Bergmen and Shirley Maclaine. The movie centers around the Car and there are three stories of people who get to own this car.
But Bimal comes alive through your extremely fascinating narrative skills. You have such mastery over the language that makes me feel reluctant to write a FB. I read the story of Buddhu too and relished every sentence of the masterpiece. You have indeed acquired a towering status as a writer par excellence in IL!
Sri

Kamla · Jan 27, 2009

Dear Oj-da,

I can never better Cheeniyasir's words! It is always a delight to read when you write.

I remember your explaining your name to me when I questioned you about it. The story behind it is very charming. Yes, I remember the movie Yellow Rolls Royce, they show this classic at times on TV.

You are surely not yaantrik...not when you possess so many tri(c)ks with words!

L, Kamla

sundarusha · Jan 27, 2009

Dear Oj da

it was very interesting to learn the meaning of Ojaantrik and the story about Bimal's car.It is easy to get attached to cars, sewing machine and sometimes clothes too!

Dear Cheeniya sir,

if you say you are reluctant to write Fb's due to Oj da's mastery, I don't know what to say of myself:hide:.

Mindian · Jan 27, 2009

dear oj da,
that was a very interesting explanation of your name...but i do agree with cheeniya sir..the name suits you ... your writings are always so different and a real treat to read..
regards
Mindi

Chitvish · Jan 27, 2009

Dear oj-da,
Your name did sound mystic to me!! I was waiting for you to write about it in the thread "How did you come up with your username?"

Dear Usha,
Why bother whether we can write on par with the literary giants here? We are, simply, what we are & we write, simply, what we feel!!
Love,
Chithra.

ojaantrik · Jan 27, 2009

Devika Menon said: ↑

Dear OJ oops AY,
Now I wonder what Devika means??
Devika
Click to expand...

Dear Devika:

I checked to see what Devika means. It has two meanings. First, it refers to River Sarayu (of Ramayana). Second, it means 'dhutura', a plant. It has white flowers and its fruit, when powdered and added to 'bhang' has an intoxicating effect. I think Lord Shiva was (is?) supposed to be fond of it and they normally use both the flower and the fruit as offerings during Shiva worship.

Now, you have to choose which meaning you prefer. :rotfl

Yes, I know what you mean about these old possessions. Some of them you love so deeply. You know what? Amongst my possessions, the one I am truly fond of is a set of nail cutters!! :crazy And I have lost some of them. Drowning Can't tell you how sorry I feel for them.

Best.

oj

ojaantrik · Jan 27, 2009

Dear Kamalji:

Yes, as I said in my response to Devika, I do understand one's fondness for old things, including cars. So you speak to your cars, do you? Excellent. I love you for this. I love crazy guys and gals like you. And I don't like people so much unless they are a little crazy.

All the best.

oj