Sannyāsī – A Poem

translated by Swami Bhaktivijñāna Giri

Written in 1863, when Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was only twenty-four years old, Sannyāsī is one of two narrative poems from his youthful literary output, the other being Vijana-grāma (The Deserted Village).

Set against the backdrop of British India and the age of steamship travel, it tells the story of a young renunciant who is abducted from Bengal, carried across the seas, and after many trials is finally returned to his homeland. Along the way, the poem traverses a remarkable range of settings and themes – from ocean voyages and foreign lands to the turmoil of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the solitude of the Himalayan mountains. Blending adventure, devotion, patriotism, and reflections on modern science and technology, the poem showcases Bhaktivinoda’s unique ability to weave spiritual themes into a contemporary historical setting.