Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'

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Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' (रामधारी सिंह दिनकर) (September 23, 1908 - April 24, 1974) was an Indian Hindi poet, essayist and academician ^[1]^[2], who is considered as one of the most important modern Hindi poets. Dinkar emerged as a rebellious poet with his nationalist poetry in pre-Independence days. His poetry exuded veer rasa, and he has been hailed as a "Rashtrakavi" ("National poet").

In his early days, Dinkar supported the revolutionary movement during the Indian Independence struggle. But later, he became a Gandhian. However, he used to call himself a 'Bad Gandhian' because he supported the feelings of indignation and revenge among the youth. In Kurukshetra, he accepts that the war is destructive, but says that it is necessary for the protection of freedom.

Dinkar was three times elected to Rajya Sabha, and he was the member of this house from April 3, 1952 CE to January 26, 1964 CE, and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1959.

1 Biography
2 Work
3 Awards and achievements
4 Major poetical works
5 Major prose works
6 Translations into English and Other languages
7 Biographies and works on Dinkar
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Biography

Dinkar was born in a poor Bhumihar ^[3] family in Simariya village of Begusarai district in Bihar. As a student, Dinkar's favorite subjects were history, politics and philosophy. He studied Hindi, Sanskrit, Maithili, Bengali, Urdu and English literature. Dinkar was greatly influenced by Iqbal, Rabindranath Tagore, Keats and Milton.

[edit] Work

His works are mostly of 'Veer Rasa', or the 'brave mode'. Urvashi, of course, is an exception. Some of his greatest works are "Rashmirathi" and "Parashuram ki Prateeksha". He is disputably the greatest Hindi poet of 'Veer Rasa' since Bhushan.

The theme of Urvashi revolves round love, passion, and relationship of man and woman on a spiritual plane, distinct from their earthly relationship. The name Urvashi is derived from the name of an Apsaras of the same name (Urvashi), a celestial damsel of the court of Hindu mythological god, Indra.

Once Bhushan said, "bakhanu Shiva ko ki bakhanu Chhatrasal ko".[meaning that shall I praise Shive or Chhatrasal.(for both are equally great)]. O king of poets, allow me to twist your words a bit- "Bakhanu Dinkar ko ki bakhanu main Bhushan ko".

Some excerpts-- "Badhkar vipatti par chha ja, mere kishor mere taza,

Jeevan ka ras chhan jane de, tan ko pathhar ban jane de,

Tu swayam tej bhayakari hai, kya kar sakti chingari hai?"

(Rashmirathi, sarg 3)

"Re rok yudhhishthir ko na yahan jane de unko swarg dhir,

Par phira hamen gandeev gada lauta de arjun bheem veer"

(Himalaya)

"Kshama shobhti us bhujang ko jiske pas garal ho.

Uska kya jo danthin, vishrahit vineet saral ho"

(Kurukshetra)

"Jisne shramjal diya use peechhe mat reh jane do,

Vijit prakriti se sabse pehle usko sukh pane do"

(Kurukshetra)

[edit] Awards and achievements

He got awards from Kashi Nagri Pracharini Sabha, Uttar Pradesh Government and Government of India for his epic-poem Kurukshetra. He got the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1959 for his work Sanskriti ke Char Adhyay ^[4]. He was also a recipient of Padma Bhushan in 1959 by the Government of India given by the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. He got the felicitation of Doctor of literature from Dr.Zakir Hussain, Chancellor of Bhagalpur University (who later became the President of India, then he was the Governor of Bihar). He got annointed as Vidyavachaspati by Gurukul Mahavidyalaya. He was felicitated as Sahitya-Chudamaniby Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur on 8 November, 1968. Dinkar was awarded the Jnanpith Award in 1972 for Urvashi, a work of poetry, published in 1961. He also became a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, in 1952 ^[2].

[edit] Major poetical works

Dinkar's first published poetical work was Vijay Sandesh (1928). His other works are

Pranbhang (1929)
Renuka (1935)
Hunkar (1938)
Rasavanti (1939)
Dvandvageet (1940)
Kurukshetra (1946)
Dhoop Chhah (1946)
Saamdheni (1947)
Baapu (1947)
Itihas ke Aansoo (1951)
Dhup aur Dhuan (1951)
Mirch ka Mazaa (1951)
Rashmirathi (1952)
Dilli (1954)
Neem ke Patte (1954)
Suraj ka Byaah (1955)
Neel Kusum (1954)
Chakravaal (1956)
Kavishri (1957)
Seepee aur Shankh (1957)
Naye Subhaashit (1957)
Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'
Urvashi (1961)
Parashuram ki Pratiksha (1963)
Koylaa aur Kavitva (1964)
Mritti Tilak (1964)
Atmaa ki Ankhe (1964)
Haare ko Harinaam (1970)

His anthologies of poems are

Lokpriya Kavi Dinkar (1960)
Dinkar ki Suktiyan (1964)
Dinkar ke Geet (1973)
Sanchayita (1973)
Rashmilok (1974)
Urvashi tatha anya shringarik kavitayen (1974)

[edit] Major prose works

Dinkar’s major analytical and other prose works are:

Mitti ki Or (1946)
Chittaur ka Saakaa (1948)
Ardhanaarishwar (1952)
Reti ki Phool (1954)
Hamaari Saanskritik Ekta (1954)
Bhaarat ki Saanskritik Kahaani (1955)
Raashtrabhaasha aur Raashtriya Ekta (1955)
Ujli Aag (1956)
Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyaay (1956)
Kaavya ki Bhumikaa (1958)
Pant, Prasad aur Maithilisharan (1958)
Venu Van (1958)
Dharma, Naitikataa aur Vigyan (1959)
Vat-Peepal (1961)
Lokdev Nehru (1965)
Shuddh Kavitaa ki Khoj (1966)
Saahityamukhi (1968)
He Ram! (1968)
Samsmaran aur Shraddhaanjaliyan (1970)
Meri Yatrayen (1971)
Bhaaratiya Ekta (1971)
Dinkar ki Daayri (1973)
Chetana ki Shilaa (1973)
Vivah ki Musibaten (1973) and
Aadhunik Bodh (1973).

[edit] Translations into English and Other languages

Dinkar's Urvashi: a saga of human love and Vedanta. Trans. by Krishna Kuamr Vidyarthi. (New Delhi: Siddharth Publications, 1994. 165 p.)
Reflections on men and things (essays). (Ajmer: Krishna Brothers, 1968. 80 p.)
Kurukshetra. Trans. by R.K. Kapur. London: n.p., 1967.
[Rasmirathi] Sun charioteer. Trans. by R.D. Dunda, D. Nelson and P. Staneslow. (Minnesota: Nagari Press, 1981.)
Voices of the Himalaya: poems. Trans. by the author, Kamala Ratnam, V.K. Gokak and others. (Bombay: Asia Publishing House, 1966. vi, 70 p.)
Himalayas Xotros Poems (Spanish), Collection of thirty poems, Publisher - University of Conceyeion, Chile.
Sinig Potos [Blue Lotus] (Russian), Collection of sixty poems, Progress Publishers, Moscow, Russia.

[edit] Biographies and works on Dinkar

Vijendra Narayan Singh, Bharatiya Sahitya ke Nirmata: Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' (Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 2005, reprint 2007).
Shiv Balak Rai, Dinkar, Universal Press, Shiv Charan Lal Road, Allahabad.
Shivchandra Sharma, Dinkar aur unki kavya kritiyan, Janwasi Press, Kolkata.
Murlidhar Srivastava, Dinkar ki Kavyasadhana, Shri Ajanta Press, Patna.
Kameshwar Sharma, Digbhramit Rashtrakavi, Rashtriya Prakashan Mandal, Patna.
S.Kapil, Dinkar Aur Unki Kavya Kritiyan, Ibha Prakashan, Munger.
Kantimohan Sharma, Kurukshetra - Mimansa, Sahitya Prakashan Mandal, Karol Bagh, New Delhi.
Nemichandra Jain Bhavuk, Dinkar ki Kavyasadhana, Antah Prantiya Kumar Parishad, Jodhpur.
Dr. Satyakam Verma, Jankavi Dinkar, Bharatiya Prakashan, Model Town, Delhi.
Dr. Savitri Sinha, Yugcharan Dinkar, National Publishing House, Delhi.
Vijendra Narayan Singh, Dinkar: Ek Punarmulyankan, Parimal Prakashan, Allapur, Allahabad.
Vijendra Narayan Singh, Urvashi: Uplabdhi Aur Sima, Parimal Prakashan, Allapur, Allahabad.
Gopalkrishna Kaul and Hariprasad Shastri, Dinkar: Srishti aur Drishti, Vatayan Prakashan, Gaziabad.
Dr. Savitri Sinha, Kavi Dinkar, Radhakrishna Prakashan, Delhi.
Murlidhar Srivastava, Yugkavi Dinkar, Bihar Granth Kutir, Patna.
Ramashankar Tiwari, Dinkar ki Urvashi, Chaukhambha Vidya Bhavan, Varanasi.
Vachandev Kumar, Urvashi: Vichar Aur Vishleshan, Bihar Granth Kutir, Patna.