Sekhashubhodaya

Sekhashubhodaya a sanskrit text written by Halayudha Mishra. Halayudha was the court poet of King of Gauda laksmanasena. Sekhasubhodaya was probably written towards the end of the 12th or the beginning of the 13th century. Some scholars think that the book was written not before the 16th century. Some scholars also think that a Muslim writer composed Sekhasubhodaya using Halayudha Misra as his pseudonym.

Maldah's deputy commissioner, Umeshchandra Batyabal, retrieved the book from Baish Hazari mosque, with the help of a local homeopath named Haridas Palit.

Sekhasubhodaya was held in high esteem, because it narrated the spirituality and virtues of the central character Sheikh Shah Jalal. The poet proclaimed the victory of islam and celebrated the greatness of pirs. The book stresses the miraculous power and greatness of dervishes and criticises the rites and rituals of hinduism.

The book has 25 chapters, each narrating one or more stories. The stories are narrated from the perspective of the Sheikh at one point, and of Laksmanasena or the minister at some other. Central to the narratives are Sheikh and Sen. The writer shows his skill in modelling his stories on Harunur Rashid in the Arabian Nights and Vikramaditya in the Batrish Singhasan (thirty-two thrones). Most stories narrate the divine grace and spiritual power of Sheikh Shah Jalal, on the one hand, and preaches Islam through conversion, establishment of mosques, khanqah (seats of saints) etc, on the other. The stories contain some didactic verses.

Sekhasubhodaya has one proverb, two songs and five rhymed couplets in the bangla language. The verse called 'Bhatiyaliragena giyate' speaks of the humanity of Sheikh while the commendatory verse upholds his religious contribution. [Wakil Ahmed]