Khana (Bengali: খনা, pron. khawnaa) was an Indian poetess and legendary astrologist, who composed in medieval Bengali between the ninth and 12th centuries AD. She is associated with the village Deuli, in Barasat district, West Bengal.
Her poetry, known as khanAr bachan (or vachan) (খনার বচন)(meaning khana's words), among the earliest compositions in Bengali literature, is known for its agricultural themes[1]. The short couplets or quatrains reflect a robust common sense, as in this paean to industry:
The legend of Khana (also named Lilavati elsewhere) centers around her association with Pragjyotishpur (the Bengal/Assam border), or possibly Chandraketugarh in southern Bengal (where a mound has been discovered amongst ruins with the names of Khana and Mihir associated with it) and that she was the daughter-in-law of the famous astronomewr and mathematician, Varahamihira, a jewel among Chandragupta II Vikramaditya's famed Navaratna sabha. Specifically, here is a version of the legend: Daivajna Varāhamihir (505 – 587), also called Varaha, or Mihira was an Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer born in Ujjain (or Bengal, according to some legends). The Indian Parliament building contains pictures of Varahamihira and Aryabhata, among other astronomers. Though little is known about his life (see elsewhere in Wikipedia for a biography outlining his scientific work), he supposedly hailed from South Bengal, where in the ruins of Chandraketugarh there is a mound called the mound of Khana and Mihir. Khana was the daughter-in-law of Varaha and a famous astrologer herself. In all likelihood, she lived her life in Bengal, but a number of legends have grown up around her life. According to one legend, she was born in Sri Lanka and was married to the mathematician-astronomer Varahamihira (this last assertion is questionable. It is far widely believed that Khana was Varahamihira's daughter-in-law, and an accomplished astrologer, becoming thereby a potential threat to Varahamihira's scientific career. However, she exceeded him in the accuracy of her predictions, and at some point, either her husband (father-in-law?) or a hired hand (or possibly Khana herself under great duress) cut off her tongue to silence her prodigious talent. This theme that resonates in modern Bengali feminism, as in this poem by Mallika Sengupta, khanaa's song:
Through the centuries, Khana's advice has acquired the character of an oracle in rural Bengal (modern West Bengal, Bangladesh and parts of Bihar). Ancient versions in Assamese and Oriya also exist.
Khana's maxims on which way a house should face, where trees should be planted, and where a pond should be dug still retain considerable relevance. Advice such as A little bit of salt, a little bit of bitter, and always stop before you are too full is indeed timeless[3][4]. [5][6][7][8]
Starting June 15, 2009, Zee Bangla Channel has started the telecast of a serial called "Khona" based on the life of this remarkable woman.
5. ^http://www.siddhagirimuseum.org/index.php/2009031096/Varahmihir.html 6. ^http://issuu.com/saptarishisastrologyvol7/docs/48-khannarvachan-1 7. ^http://hindunationalismmuslimunity.blogspot.com/2009/08/maharaja-pratapaditya-roy-last-hindu.html 8. ^http://www.babylon.com/definition/Varahamihira/Latin