Bengali words for "heart"²⁸

Bengali can be quite complicated. In prose, the word paran is used for “vital,” but in poetry, quite often it is used for “heart.” Chitta can mean “heart” and hriday is “heart.” Hiya is also “heart.” In poetry, paran can be used as “heart.” In prose it has to mean “vital.” The actual word is pran, but in poetry the form paran is used. It is complicated. Each language has some complexity. Otherwise, how can it be unique? At some point, we are challenged by all languages because of complexity.

Hiya will never be used colloquially; hiya is used only in poetry. Hriday can be used in poetry and prose. Antar also can be used in prose and poetry. Hiya will never be used in prose or colloquial speech. While we are talking, we cannot use the word hiya. We can use antar, hriday or chitta. Again, chitta we use in poetry for “heart.” But in Sanskrit, chitta means “mind.” In Sanskrit, chitta is written as chit.

From where to where language goes!

From:Sri Chinmoy,Only gratitude-tears, Agni Press, 2012
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ogt