Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar': Whose Pen Literally Burnt the Page

If you are feeling down for some reasons and you have a no idea how to fight it out. You want to prove something to the world and at the same time you are afraid of backlash, if failed.You want to stand up for the justice, but you are overpowered by the negativity around you. You are afraid of mighty. You are afraid of corrupt authorities.  You are afraid of unsocial elements, bad systems,... and only God knows, what not! Can you look around and see, isn't there someone who can morally boost you,  ignite your mind and fill the much needed fire inside you to fight all these? Fortunately, there is! 

The national poet Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' is the name that strikes to my mind - the hardest. His coherent revolutionary writings are filled with real fires. The fire, that can burn your real enemies (fear) right-away.  

Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'

Born in a poor Bhumihar Brahmin familiy in a small village Simariya, then only known for being situated on the bank of the holy river Ganga, in district Begusarai of Bihar; his journey from there to becoming the proverbial 'Sun' of Hindi literary world and recognition as a national poet including innumerable awards and honors is an extraordinary feat, which is possible only by the rare of rarest genius.

During India's freedom struggle, and being a freedom fighter himself, his heroic poetry captivated the imagination of entire nation, which inspired the other freedom fighters and gave them the much needed strength and voice to fight till the end. Having such an impact of his powerful patriotic poetry and for evoking the nationalistic spirit he was hailed as a Rashtrakavi ('national poet').

The iconic leader Jaiprakash Narain during the Emergency thundered the packed Ramlila Ground  with 100,000 people, by reciting Dinkar's patriotic and provocative immortal lines, which he  originally wrote against the Britsih rule in India.

Do raah samay ke rath ka ghar ghar naad suno,

Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aaati Hai!

 दो राह समय के रथ का घर घर नाद सुनो,
सिंघासन खाली करो की जनता आती है !

(Give a way,  listen the growing loud rebellious echo everywhere which are coming towards you. Vacate the throne, the people are coming!)

~~~

His persuasive poetry Shakti aur Kshama (Strength and Mercy)  has an unforgettable  impact on mind; it fills its reader's heart and mind with immense energy, and at the same time gives the world a great lesson where he says - your virtue of simplicity, kindness and, forgiveness won't count much to your enemy; until you have the potential to defeat them. Here is the excerpt:- 

Kshama shobhti us bhujang ko

Jiske paas garal hao,

Uska kya jo dantheen,

Vishheen, vineet saral hao!

क्षमा शोभती उस भुजंग को

जिसके पास गरल हो, 

उसका क्या जो दंतहीन,

विषहीन,  विनीत सरल हो!

~~~

Where in his Rashmirathi he raises his fierce voice against the sheer injustice met to the Pandavas, and declares war when Duryodhana tries to imprison the messenger Lord Krishna. And then, Krishna challenges him by saying: 

Zanjeer badha ab saadh mujhe,

Haan-haan Duryodhan! bandh mujhe! 

ज़ंजीर बढ़ा अब साध मुझे,
हाँ-हाँ दुर्यौधन! बाँध मुझे!

(Come forward Duryodhana! Capture and tie me in chain- if you can!)

~~~

Jab naash manuj pe chata hain,

Pahle vivek mar jata hai!

जब नाश मनुज पे छाता है,
पहले विवेक मर जाता है!

(When the destruction is inevitable, the conscience of man dies first!)

~~~

Yachna nahi ab rann hoga, 

Jeevan jai ya ki maran hoga!

 याचना नहीं अब रण होगा,
जीवन जय या की मरण होगा!

(Now, I will not crave for anything - but only war! Life will now be either for victorious glory or death!)

~~~

Duryodhan! Rann aisa hoga,

Phir kabhi nahi waisa hoga!

दुर्योधन रण ऐसा होगा,
फिर कभी नहीं वैसा होगा!

(Duryodhan! This war will be such a devastating and terrible, it will never be repeated again!)
~~~

You can feel the energy it exudes from every single word he penned. Most of his works are in veer rasa (brave mode). And, they are all treat to read. 

The tile 'Dinkar' (sun) with his name was aptly added later. He was truly a proverbial 'Sun' in Hindi literary world. His uncanny skill of declarative diction is unparalleled. He literally burnt the page with his pen.

He studied various languages like Hindi, Sanskrit, Maithili, Bengali, Urdu and English. Besides having a number of poetic and prose works, he also wrote few biographies  and even translated other great works from other languages to Hindi, including Ravindra Nath Tagor's work in Bengala. 

So many other great writers like Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Rambriksh Benipuri, Manmath Nath Gupt, Namvar Singh, Rajendra Yadav, ... and so many other greats have written about him and his contribution.

Dinkar's own literary works like 'Urvashi', 'Rashmirathi', 'Kurekshetra' and many others have been translated into English and various other languages by various other writers.

He got number of awards and recognitions for his illustrious works including Sahitya Akademi, Padma Bhushan and Bharatiya Jnanpith besides being a nominated member of parliament in Rajya Sabha for three times. On his birth centenary in 2008,  as a mark of respect, his portrait was unveiled in the Central Hall of Parliament of India by the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

He was born on September 23, 1908 in village Simariya of Begusarai District in  Bihar and passed away on April 24, 1974 at the age of 65.

A loss that this nation couldn't fill!!