ओ चटकन

At five he was taken to Kashi by his father, where his early schooling followed an unusual path, with English and arithmetic taught more than anything else. Later, at the Harishchandra Collegiate School, a mathematics master drew a double circle on the blackboard and asked who knew what it was. About half the class raised a hand. Standing at the back, he did not, and was made to stand up and answer. He stayed silent, afraid that if he said ‘a circle’ he would be asked what a circle is.पाँच वर्षक अवस्थामे बाबूजी हुनका काशी लऽ गेलथिन, जतय प्रारम्भिक शिक्षा कने भिन्न ढंगसँ भेल, अंग्रेजी आ हिसाबपर बेसी जोर देल गेल। पछाति हरिश्चन्द्र कालेजिएट स्कूलमे गणितक एक मास्टर साहेब ब्लैकबोर्डपर डबल गोलाकार डाँइर घीचि पुछलथिन जे के जनैत अछि। आधा विद्यार्थीक हाथ उठल। पछिला बेंचपर बैसल ओ हाथ नहि उठौलनि, तँ हुनका ठाढ़ कऽ उत्तर पुछल गेल। ओ गुम्मे रहला, ई सोचि जे ‘वृत्त’ कहबापर फेर पुछता जे वृत्त की होइछ।

Soon after, his father died, and Kashi was left behind. As it happened, Bihar had by then made mathematics optional in the matriculation examination; otherwise, he says, passing matric would have remained a dream. He ends with a smile for today’s students: he was beaten for studies just once, and he hopes they score full marks in mathematics and eat sweets in every class.किछुए दिन बाद बाबूजीक देहान्त भऽ गेलनि आ काशी छुटि गेल। संयोगसँ बिहारमे मैट्रिकमे गणितकेँ अनिवार्य विषयसँ हटा कऽ ऐच्छिक राखि देल गेल छल; जँ से नहि होइत, तँ मैट्रिक पास करब सपने रहि जाइत। अन्तमे नव पीढ़ीक विद्यार्थी लेल मुस्कीक संग कामना: पढ़बामे मारि ओ एक्के बेर खयने छथि, आ अहाँ लोकनि गणितमे सयमे सय अंक आनि कक्षामे मधुर खाइत रही।