आचार्यः: नमस्ते छात्राः! ह्यस्तनीं वार्तां शृतवन्तः किम्?

Teacher: "Hello students! Did you hear yesterday's news?"

छात्राः: नमो नमः आचार्य! ओडिशा-राज्यस्य केन्द्रापडा-जनपदे महानद्यां भयङ्करः जलप्लावः सम्भूतः। जलप्लावेन तत्र महती हानिः सञ्जाता।

Students: "Greetings, Sir! A terrible flood has occurred in the river Mahanadi, in Kendrapara district of Odisha. The flood has caused great damage there."

आचार्यः: आम्, हिमानि! त्वं सत्यं वदसि। जलप्लावेन वासगृहाणि नष्टानि, केचित् अस्वस्थाः चिकित्सालये मृत्युना सह युध्यन्ते। अन्ये च अनाहारेण कष्टं सहन्ते। बहवः गृहपालिताः पशवोऽपि नदीस्रोतसा प्रवाहिताः मृताश्च।

Teacher: "Yes, Himani! You speak the truth. Houses were destroyed by the flood; some sick people are fighting death in the hospital. Others are suffering from hunger. Many pet animals were also swept away by the river current and died."

छात्रः: महोदय! ते सम्प्रति अतिदुःखिताः भवेयुः खलु?

Student: "Sir! They must be extremely sorrowful now, mustn't they?"

आचार्यः: सत्यम्, अशोक! ते सर्वे अतिदुःखेन जीवन्ति। अस्माभिः एतादृशानां दुःखितानां सहायता करणीया। यथा उत्कलमणिः गोपबन्धुः जलप्लावपीडितानाम् अकुण्ठं सेवां कृत्वा अद्यापि जनमानसेषु समादृतोऽस्ति।

Teacher: "True, Ashok! They are living in great sorrow. We must help such suffering people. Just as Utkalmani Gopabandhu, by serving flood victims wholeheartedly, is still respected in people's hearts today."

छात्रः: महोदय! एषः गोपबन्धुः कः?

Student: "Sir! Who is this Gopabandhu?"

आचार्यः: भवन्तः सर्वे एतत् चित्रं पश्यन्तु। एषः अस्ति दीनबन्धुः गोपबन्धुः। सम्प्रति वयं तस्य विषये जानीमः।

Teacher: "All of you look at this picture. This is Deenabandhu (friend of the poor) Gopabandhu. Now let us learn about him."

एकदा आचार्यहरिहरदासः सत्यवादि-वनविद्यालयस्य सर्वान् अध्यापकान् भोजनाय आमन्त्रितवान्। आमन्त्रिताः सर्वे अतिथयः हस्तपादं क्षालयित्वा आसनेषु उपविष्टवन्तः। बहूनि सुस्वादूनि व्यञ्जनानि कदलीपत्रेषु परिवेषितानि।

Once, Acharya Hariharadas invited all the teachers of Satyavadi Forest School for a meal. All the invited guests washed their hands and feet and sat down on their seats. Many delicious dishes were served on banana leaves.

एतच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वे उच्चैः हसितवन्तः। तदानीमेव बहिः कश्चन करुणध्वनिः गोपबन्धोः कर्णयोः अगुञ्जत् — "मातः, मातः! बुभुक्षितोऽस्मि, कृपया किञ्चित् भोजनं देहि। दिनत्रयात् किमपि न भुक्तम्। भोजनं देहि मातः! भोजनं देहि। आँ आँ..." इति क्रन्दनध्वनिं श्रुत्वैव दयाविगलितहृदयः गोपबन्धुः अश्रुपूर्णनयनोऽभवत्।

Hearing this, everyone laughed loudly. At that very moment, a pitiful sound echoed from outside into Gopabandhu's ears — "Mother, mother! I am hungry, please give me some food. I have eaten nothing for three days. Give me food, mother! Give me food. Aaah, aaah..." As soon as he heard this crying voice, Gopabandhu's heart melted with compassion and his eyes filled with tears.

किमपि अविचिन्त्य झटिति स्वस्मै परिवेषितं भोजनं हस्ते गृहीत्वा बहिरागतवान्। भिक्षुकञ्च तद्भोजितवान्।

Without thinking of anything else, he immediately picked up the food served to him and went outside, and fed the beggar with it.

असौ महान् समाजसेवकः आसीत् गोपबन्धुदासः। असौ सत्यवादि-वनविद्यालयस्य अध्यापकः, प्रसिद्धेषु पञ्चमित्रेषु अन्यतमः स्वतन्त्रतासङ्ग्रामी चासीत्। ओडिशाराज्यस्य पुरीजनपदस्य साक्षीगोपालसमीपे सुआण्डो-ग्रामे जन्म लब्धवान्।

He was a great social worker, Gopabandhu Das. He was a teacher at Satyavadi Forest School, and one of the famous "Five Friends" and a freedom fighter. He was born in Suando village, near Sakshigopal, in Puri district, Odisha.

अध्ययनकालादेव स दरिद्राणां रोगिणां च सेवामकरोत्। सत्यवादि-वनविद्यालये स छात्रान् निःशुल्कम् अपाठयत्। निरक्षरतादूरीकरणाय सः सततं यतते स्म। कार्पासवस्त्रनिर्माणाय सः स्वयमेव सूत्रप्रस्तुतिमकरोत्।

Even during his student days, he used to serve the poor and the sick. At Satyavadi Forest School, he taught students free of cost. He constantly worked to remove illiteracy. To make cotton cloth, he would spin thread himself.

जन्मभूमेः दुर्दशामवलोक्य स सर्वदा चिन्ताकुलो भवति स्म। महात्मगान्धेः प्रेरणया भारतीयस्वतन्त्रतान्दोलने गोपबन्धुः भागं गृहीतवान्। सः वर्षद्वयं यावत् कारावासं प्राप्तवान्।

Seeing the sorry state of his motherland, he was always troubled. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Gopabandhu took part in the Indian freedom movement. He was imprisoned for two years.

कारागारे निवसन् सः 'बन्दीर आत्मकथा', 'कारा-कविता', 'धर्मपद', 'गो-माहात्म्य', 'नचिकेता-उपाख्यान' इत्यादीनि बहुप्रेरणादायीनि पुस्तकानि ओडिआभाषया विरचितवान्।

While living in prison, he wrote many inspiring books in the Odia language, such as "Bandir Atmakatha" (Prisoner's Autobiography), "Kara Kavita" (Prison Poems), "Dharmapada," "Go-Mahatmya," and "Nachiketa-Upakhyana."

देशसेवातत्परस्य गोपबन्धुवर्यस्य प्रसिद्धं प्रेरणादायकं वचनमधुनापि जनमानसेषु राष्ट्रभक्तिं जागरयति।

The famous, inspiring words of the great Gopabandhu, devoted to serving the nation, still awaken patriotism in people's minds today.

असौ सत्यवादि-वनविद्यालयस्य, दरिद्रनारायणसेवा-सङ्घस्य, सत्यवादि-मुद्रणालयस्य, समाजः इति दैनिक-वार्तापत्रस्य च प्रतिष्ठाता आसीत्।

He was the founder of Satyavadi Forest School, the Daridra Narayan Seva Sangh (an organisation to serve the poor), the Satyavadi Press, and the daily newspaper "Samaj."

समाजः इति दिनपत्रिका शताधिकवर्षेभ्यः अधुनापि प्रतिदिनं प्रकाश्यते। समाजसेवायै देशसेवायै च तस्य असीमं त्यागमनुभवन् वैज्ञानिकः आचार्यः प्रफुल्लचन्द्ररायः गोपबन्धुम् उत्कलमणिः इति उपाधिना सम्मानितवान्।

The daily newspaper "Samaj" has been published every day for more than a hundred years, even now. Recognising his boundless sacrifice for social and national service, the scientist Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray honoured Gopabandhu with the title "Utkalmani" (Gem of Odisha).