A STUDY OF SHREE RADHA IN THE CONTEXT OF KANUPRIYA

CHAPTER - VI

A STUDY OF SHREE RADHA IN THE CONTEXT OF KANUPRIYA In the History of the modem Hindi poetry Dharmavir Bharatis Kanupriya is a marvelous contribution. Kanupriya is a poem in the new poetic tradition. That is why the expression of the modem conflicting life which is different from the traditional approach, is found in this poem. The poet has tried to portray a new personality of the mythological characters of shree Radha and shree Krishna, In other words the poet has tried to explain the modem life through the description of myths. There has been an excellent combination of perplexity, attachment (affection) and inteliectualism in Kanupriya. Though Bharati is neither a writer of the mythological stories nor an exponent of history, he has just tried to explain the contemporary issues in the light of certain past incidents with the help of the characters of Radha and Krishna. Radha of Kanupriya is the representative of the modem women. The poet has tried to give an explicit description of the modem women s independent critical views besides her mental agonies, anxieties, worries, compulsions, and suffocation through her character. The poet has tried to explain life thought Radha s love because the modern life does not give importance the expansion of the detached life, rather it gives importance only to those moments where the life has been enjoyed together.

135 Regarding the composition of Kamipriya the poet says, Likhne ke pahle aur likhne ke dauran man par ek bahut kuch-kuch takieeph deh bhar rahta h a i... Andhayug, likh sukena ke bad, pahlee bar yah anubhuti hui ki bhar pure tarah utra nahin hai. Bat puri tarah nahin kahin gai hai, Koi tukda kahin andar chubha huwa chut gaya hai. Wah rah rah kar andar wah kasak pakti goi yah kah pana kathin hai par kisi ek kshan mahabharat ke ghatna sthal kwurukshetra se kueh hi dur vrindavan men akeli chuti hui Radha ka man dhundhli akriti ki tarah ubhrane lagi. Wah akeli thi aur uske pas geeta ki saddavali nahin thi, Vedanta ka darshna nahin tha, Vyasa ki lekhani nahin thi, uske pas kewal charam tanmayala ke bitae hue unkshanon ki anusmritiyan matra thi aur unke sahare wah samjana chahti thi us Krishna ko jo itihas ki shakti ka sanchalan kar rahe the aur un Krishna ki prashnakulla ko wah bhulti keisse * Before and during the composition there remains a big burden, somewhat painful also, on the m ind...after completing the Blind Age, for the first time, I realized that the burden has not completely gone. The thing to be said has not been completely said. Some portion pierced inside has been left out and that causes pain intermittently. It is difficult to say when and how it causes pain in the body inside itself. But the solitary Radha of particular time in Brindawan which is very near to Kurukshetra, the battle ground of Mahabharata, started appearing in my mind as a fainted image. She was alone are she did not have the vocabulary expression of the Geeta. Sue did not have the philosophy of Vedanta, she did not have the writing

136 ability of Vyasa. She had only the experience of those moments which she has lived with extreme sincerity through those experiences and she wanted to know that the Krishna who was controlling the powers of the history. And who could she share with the relevance o f those questions? Actually Kanupriya is a story / narration of the present through past. Radha of the past who has kept all her experiences of those extreme emotional sincerity in herself is standing in the present with many questions waiting for Krishna. The moral conflicts which are taking place continuously between the trends of belief, and dis belive hatred and the realization of gracefulness, war and peace of the modern world which is involved in war and is affected by political exploitation and moral deterioration have been presented through the love of Radha and Krishna in Kanupriya. A. CHARACTERISATION OF SHREE RADHA IN THE CONTEXT OF KANUPRIYA : Form vedic literature to the present time the character of Shree Radha has been depicted differently by different scholars. In the Indian literary tradition, since the middle age, Radha has been appearing as the heroine of the epics on lord Krishna. Though in Bhagawata Purana the word Radha has just been mentioned here also a similar personality of Radha has developed like the other epics of the Middle age, on Krishna. Poets like Jayadev, Vidyapati, Chandidasa, Surdasa, etc. have described Radha

137 in their own ways. Radha of Jayadev, Vidyapati and Chandidas enters into her youth only after passing her childhood and adolescence. In most of their verses Radha are Krishna have been depicted as simple hero and heroine. Whereas Surdasa, the devotee of lord Krishna, has shown the noble character of Radha in his poems. But like other poets Surdasa s Radha is also the source of strength for Krishna. In the Ritikal due to the dominance/ prominence of the elements of embellishment (erratic sentiment), Radha s character progressed towards the worldliness. And that is why Radha was described as a simple heroine in poems and the poets described her in on extreme romantic light context. In the pretext of supernaturalness the poets openly described the aspects of the romantic, fleshy and sensual life. Moreover, even after accepting Radha as the symbol of the almighty Param Brahma, the poets of the modern age have superimposed the human qualities in her character. It was quite natural that by the modern age her character got some more changes / modifications. It is because no poet can remain aloof from the society. Kanupriya is a composition of the post independent era. And, therefore, the poet was influenced by the changed social values and outlook. Radha, the heroine of the present poem, Kanupriya has appeared in this poem as the symbolic carrier of modem sensibilities. Here also Radha is Krishna s beloved and that is why she has been called Kanupriya. But

138 her love is pure, genuine and sincere. Her development takes place in her simplicity. Her character has been nicely depicted in the preface itself when the poet writes, what should she, who has love her life with simplicity and pure mind, who has got the usefulness through drowning into sincerity, and who does not get terrorised and inlluenced by the declared greatness rather pleads that she world continues with the same simplicity, should do? aesa hi agraha hai kanupriya ka 2 This is the declaration mode by kanupriya In the story of Kanupriya ' Radha s character has been depicted in such a way that she becomes the beloved of Krishna. Sue loves Krishna and in the battle of Mahabharata when Krishna goes to provide help to pandavas leaving everything behind then sometimes she drowns herself in the past experiences and sometimes question to herself, which one has the relevance was or the moments of musical, romantic, emotional sincerity? Kanupriya is an unique story of a wonderful love. The whole story has been written like the biography of Radha. After going through this poem which is divided in four sections it looks as if Kanupriya is the only character in this poem whose complete life has been depicted. In Brahmavaivarta Purana sixteen different name s of Radha have been mentioned and Kanupriya is one of them. Kanupriya means Krishna s beloved, that is Radha and the word Krishna is derived form Sat Vachaka, root Krish where na suffix, which shows happiness,

139 is added to the root. Krishna is also known as Kanhaiya in Hindi. For easy pronunciation and also because of the rural environment settings Krishna becomes Kanha It is also possible that because of the long vowel and double consonant clustess in Krishna it was changed into a single consonant cluster word Kanha which later on the emotional expressions became Kannu or Kanno because quite often human beings call their close and affectionate people with love using words which end in oo (irm) sound. For Prakriti which is in the form of Radha, who can be the closest other than the Purusa, Krishna, and that Kanha might have became Kanu for her and her only, for example ~ woh nam likhi jati hai jo maine pyar ke gahantam kshanon men khud rakha tha aur jise ham donon ke alava 4 kai janna hi nahin. Radha s character is well-known and well- discussed in the Indian literature. The prevailing conditions of different ages have influenced her character and she became the symbol of different treads of different ages. In the beginning of 'Kanupriya a sketch of R adha s child Psychology has been presented. In the first two songs, Radha s complete emotionally involved mental state and the state of devotion are important. In the third song, her love-story has been very hintledly presented. And after that Radha s entire personality comes out.

140 In Manjari Parinay Radha has been found in her mediation state. In this section itself in Amrabour song Radha is the lifelong heroine of solitude for Krishna s sports. While waiting she makes her lover, kanu, aware of the fact that love is not the only mental state of a woman rather a woman s life is affected by different sensitivities. And for this reason only even after having a desire she considers it better not to go the Krishna who plays flute in the forest. Finally kanu plucks a branch form the tree, smashes it and throws it on the lonely street which is like Radha s demands. Radha considers Krishna s act as a hint of the fulfillment of her desirse by her lover, Kanu. Who are you to me? is Radha s everlasting question. This question is full of modern sensitivity. It shows Radha and Krishna s age-old relationship. Srishti-Sankalp is a combination of three songs Srijan Sangini (creation friend.) adim Bhaya (old fear) and keli Sakhi (romantic friends) In Srishti Sankalp, Radha s question which she wants to ask from her kanu is full of curiosity and fastness. She paints the picture of emotion through her romantic spot. For her the complete creation is her kanu s desire. Srijan Sangini has been considered as the worldly expression of Radha s enjoyment (amorous playfulness) and romance. In this section Radha continues her curisity till the end but she does not get any solution. In Keli Sakhi Radha s (ancient) fear ends and she finds the signs of rendezvous

141 f r o m a l l t h e d i r e c t i o n s. B u t s h e a l w a y s f e a r s a d e t a c h m e n t f r o m h e r l o v e r w h i c h m a y h a p p e r a t a n y t i m e. I t i h a s A u r S a m a p a n i s t h e n e x t s e c t i o n o f K a n u p r i y a w h e r e R a d h a ' s c h a r a c t e r h a s b e e n l o o k e d a t f r o m d i f f e r e n t a n g l e s. O n t h e o n e h a n d R a d h a s c h a r a c t e r h a s b e e n d e p i c t e d w i t h t h e p a s s i o n a t e e x p e r i e n c e s O f h e r a t t a c h e d s e n s u o u s f a c i a l e x p r e s s i o n s p s y c h o l o g i c a l f e e l i n g s, a p p e a r a n c e s, e f f o r t s, e t c. O n t h e o t h e r, h e r s i n c e r i t y a n d e m o t i o n a l r e l e v a n c e h a v e a l s o b e e n d e s c r i b e d. R a d h a o f t h e p a s t ( h i s t o r y ) s e e m s t o b e s t a n d i n g a w a y f r o m t h e p e r s o n a l i t y a c h i e v e m e n t. D u r i n g t h e p e r i o d o f s e p a r a t i o n R a d h a i s n o t a b l e t o f o r g e t I t e r m o m e n t s o f h a p p i n e s s a n d s h e g e t s l o s t i n h e r p a s t e x p e r i e n c e s. S h e l i v e s a s i m p l e l i f e o p p o s i n g c o m p l a i n t s, c o m m e n t s, e t c. a n d n o t a b l e t o f o r g e t t h e m o m e n t s o f h e r s i n c e r e l o v e. S h e c o n s i d e r s h e r s e l f a t r a d y, r e s t l e s s a n d i n d e l f c r e n t. I n t h e c o n c l u d i n g s e c t i o n r e l e a s i n g h i s r e s p o n s i b l i t y a n d a f e e l i n g o f l o n e l i n e s s a n d g e t t i n g p e r p l e x e d w h e n K r i s h n a c a l l s h i s b e l o v e d R a d h a, s h e p r e s e n t s h e r s e l f t h e r e s a c r i f i c i n g e v e r y t h i n g f o r h e r K a m i. S e e i n g t h i s i t l o o k s a s i f R a d h a i s w a i t i n g f o r t h i s m o m e n t o n l y a n d s h e h a s p r o t e c t e c t e d h e r s e l f f r o m g e t t i n g m e r g e d i n t o K r i s h n a o n l y f o r t h i s m o m e n t. T h u s b y l o o k i n g a t t h e s t o r y o f ' K a n u p r i y a w e g e t a c l e a r p i c t u r e o f d i f f e r e n t a s p e c t s o f R a d h a s C h a r a c t e r. Radha as the Protagonist or Heroine of the poem Kanupriya : K a n u p r i y a, t h a t i s R a d h a, h a s a p p e a r e d a s t h e m a i n c h a r a c t e r o f t h e p o e m. T h e w h o l e t h e m e o f t h e p o e m r e v o l v e s a r o u n d h e r c h a r a c t e r a n d

142 even the result is related to her. Though the poet has depicted only two characters in this poem - Kanu and Kanupriya it is Kanupriya who has been directly presented and we see Kanu through Radha. Radha as the beloved : In Kanupriya also Radha is Krishna s beloved. In the Indian literature Radha s character is described and well-known as the symbol of love, she is Krishna s beloved for ever. Though different circumstances have influenced Radha s character/ personality in different ages yet she has overcome all the barriers of ages and has gradually/continuously progressed as the beloved of Krishna. Bharati has also presented her as the beloved of Krishna but in a different way. Her love is true and sincere. She progresses in her simplicity only. Radha s love is progressive. In the first song of the Purva Raag itself Radha makes it clear that she is entierely devoted to Krishna who is like a Ashoka tree. For example, she says, main kitnibar kewal tumhare Iiye dhul main mill hun dharti main gahare utar kewal jadon ke sahare tumhare kathor tane ke reson main kaliwan ban, kopalban, sourav bon, lali bon chupke-se so gai hum ki kab madhumas aaye aur turn kab mere prsfutan se cha jao5

143 In Purva Raag she herself does not know what has : happened to her and why she greets kanu considering him as an unknown forest god standing on the way. She does not know how music has started coming out from her mouth and when this music had immersed into all the parts of the body. Sach batana mere swamim sangeet Turn kab Se mujhme chipe So rahe Thei6 However she comes to know very soon that she loves kanu. She experiences/ feels his presence only all around her and regrets for not being able to get blended in him for which she has been lying tardy, restless and indifferent in the shadow of the kadamb tree for hours leaving behind her household works. The intensity of love becomes so powerful that everything in nature becomes affectionate to her. At the exterme of love she sees only her lover everywhere. She forgets herself. And therefore, she gets herself nude and takes bath for hours in the very deep water of the yamuna river so that she could get the pleasant experience of that sensibility. She says, yah turn ho jo sare Awaran dur kar mujhe charo aur se kan-kan rom-rom a-pne shyamal pragad aalingan main por por karte huye ha?

144 Like the Radha of the Bhakti kal, Kamipriya's Radha also comes reaches to krishna like a deer. akshar jab tumne Vanshi bajaka mujhe bulaya hai g Aur main mohit mrigi-si bhagti chali Aayee hun She dances with the sounds of the flute played by Krishna or the night of romance like the lover Radha of the Bhakti age. Seeing her love expression, her friends and (elders) start asking Radha who is kanha to you? And then Radha s love reaches to the extreme and she tries to tie Krishna in different relationship and gives herself different forms / status- Sakhi - Sadhika-Bandhabi 9 Maa-badhu-Sahchari Radha forgets everything in her love with Krishna and that is why she does not even understand the blossom of the mango tree. She makes herself a laughing stuff everywhere when she goes shouting Shyam le li, shyam le li from town to town and market to market. tis par main Bawari jo tumhare peeche sadharan bhasha bhi iss hadtak bhul gai hun ki shyam lelo shyam lelo pukarti hui hat bat main nayar dagau main apni hansi Karati ghumti hun'

145 Radha s love is so deep that at the end when she feels that being tired from the battle of Mahabharata kanu calls her she runs to him leaving everything behind. She says, Radha as a Simple lady ; tumne mujhe pukara tha na main aa gai hun, Kanu." Radha of kanupriya is very simple/ humble. She loves Krishna and she had no complexity. She develops / progresses in her simplicity. Her state has been described in the preface itself what should she, who has lived her simple life, who has found relevance by sinking in her sincere life, and who does not get frightened by and influenced from the declared greatness now rather pleads that she will stared by the some principle with which she could not understand the meaning of why Krishna had spread the smashed blossom of the mango tree on the street. And when she realized that her lover had fulfilled her desire, it had been/become too late. She locks at her love with innocence and asks from Krishna. yah meri maang kya mere tumhare beech ki 12 antim parthakya rekha thi Radha has lived her life with innocence and she had found relevance by sinking in her moments of society and that is why she is unable to understand the meanings of justice - injustice, morality - inmorality. She is only what her kanu has made her. And that is why she continues to be

146 innocent/ simple humble. She tries to convince kanu by giving her proof that she is the same gise who used to consider the image of her eyes in the water of her pot as the small fishes and used to throw that water. She says, Kanunriya receipt as a Swakia ; ki main ohe bawali ladki hun na to bhare huye ghade main apini chancal aahkho ki chaya dekhkar unhe kulel karti chatul machliyah samajhkar 13 bar bar sara pani dhalka dati hai Kanupriya s Radha is has described her loyalty as the loyally of a. newly wed bride. The poet has presented the spiritual marriage of Radha and Krishna here when he describes how Krishna fills the parting of Radha s hair with the mango flowers and asks her to cover her head with the cloth and protect her charade and prestige. For example. aur jab tumne Kaliki -mathe par palla dallo to kya turn chita rahe the ki Apne ces nijattwa ko apne aantarik arth ko main sada maryadit Rakho

147 rasamay aur pabitra Rakhon J4 nava baddu ki bhanti Kanupriva s Radha as a woman in the pangs of Separation from her lover Husband : Separation is a test for love. The actual feelings love never comes out writhout separation. The depth, the originality and the truthfulness of love is reflected in separation. The separated condition of Radha in Kanupriya has made her personality much more splendid. Her mental state of separated life has beenportrayed in the light of the history of separation Krishna has left for the battle of mahabharata leaving Radha atone. She feels loneliness. Lost in the memory of Krishna, she evaluates her position and says that now her condition is like the ash. In absence of Krishna her condition has become strange. Now it is only her soul her body and life have turned into apprehensions. This apprehension is also like the fire which is hidden in the ash and it will flash when kanu returns for example, bujhi hui raakh main chipi chngari sa rite huye patra ki aakhri bund-sa parar kho dene ki vyatha bhari gunj-sa's An introduction to female psychology through the character of Radha: Kanupriya's Radha is a perpetual lady. Sue explains the duty of a perpetual lady in the answer of the question - what relation does she have with Krishna? By saying,

148 sakhi - sadhika - bandhabi ma- vadhu - sahchari etc.'6 When Krishna goes to create the history leaving Radha alone, she becomes the victim of suspicion compulsion and suffocation. She starts suspecting her love and also her existence and gets compelled to think ki mere ye sare tanmayata ke gahare kshah sirph bhawavesh the sukomal kalpanaye thi range huye arthatin 17 aakasshak shabda the. Now-a-days sensuality has been accepted as one of the important aspects of love. Kanupriya s Radha is also in agreement with this she is completely devoted to Krishna. She comes to Krishna on his invitation and later she regrets why she left himyah pachtawa aab mujhe har kshan salta rahata hai ki g main os sar raas kirat tumhare paas se lout kyon aai The poet has tried to describ the psychology of the moments of attachment through her character. Radha is excited for the romance and that is why she tells Krishna. Aur meri bahein bahein nahin hain pagdandiyar hain x x x x

149 Kanunriya as a Abhisarika : ab jism nahin hain 19 sirph ek pukar hain Radha of Kanupriya is an abhisarika. She cannot restrain herself from going to Krishna whenever she hears the music of the Krishna s flute. Woman is the Prakriti but at the time of rendezvous she wants to have only her existence. She wants to leave all her experiences even. This is the condition of Radha also. And that is why she saysdishaoh ka samay ka anant prabah main hun par aaj main apne ko bhul jana chati hun2 Radha as the Eternal companion of Krishna : Radha is Krishna s eternal companion. This is her eternal image. From ancient poetry to the modern poetry Radha s image lias been of the companion of Krishna but the circumstances of different ages have influenced her character to develop gradually. Bharati has also depicted her as the companion of Krishna. And that is why she tells Krishnatumhare janma Janmantar ki 2 rahashyamayee leela ki ekant sangini hun main Kanupriya s Radha is not the companion of the moments of love only, she is the companion of creation also. Because she is the Prakriti and kanu is the Purusa. That is why she promises to give lifelong company

150 to her Krishna and says to him that their marriage is eternal. For example, samay our disao ki seemahin pagdandion par ananta kal se ananta disao main tumhare sath chalte chali aa rohi hun chalti chali jaunge. ees yatra ka aadi an ta tumhe smaran hai ga mujhe 22 aur anta to ees yatra ka hai hi nahin mer sahayatri. Radha as a complete Devotee of Krishna : The Radha of Kanupriya is completely devoted to Krishna. Her devotion is so sincere that even in the midnight she starts giving towards the same mango tree. Her devotion is complete because she does not want to get herself absorbed only at the time of her meting rather she wants to dissolve herself into him gradually so that she dose not feel it. When a women devotes herself to someone she finds everything beautiful/ lovable in him. Radha s condition has also become like that. And that is why she takes bath made for hours in the water of the yamuna river because even the water of the river looks to her as if it is full of with Krishna s presence. For example. mano yoh ymuna ki sawli gahrai nahin hai yah turn ho jo sare avaran dur kar mujhe csaro aur se kan-kan, rom-rom apne syamal pragrah athah aaligeon main 23 por -por kase hue ho!

151 Kanupriya s Radha as a Modest woman : Modesty is the root and natural expression of a woman's beauty. It is the central point of her attraction. The extreme of a woman s beauty lies in her modesty. Indian scholars have called modesty the special quality 2A of the inner sell. Bharati has tried to present the same modesty in Kadha's personality before she surrenders herself completely to Krishna, lot example. mujhe turn main kilni laj aati thi, main aksar apni hathelion main apna laj se arackt Muh shipa liya hai. Kanupriya s Radha feels shy not only physically / externally but internally/ mentally also and this overwhelms her at the time of her intense meeting. Turn yoh kuo nahin samajh pote ki laj Sirph jisma ki nahin hali Man ki bhi hati hai KatllnTs consciousness of her Identity : Kanupriya is completely a modern poem. Though Radha's character is ancient but the poet has described her as a modern woman Radha loves Krishna. They love each other as much that they cannot live without each other. But the same Krishna went to the battle of Mahabbaiata leaving her alone. And that is why, being fully conscious of her own identity, Radha asks from Krishna.

152 kya main sirph ck setu thi tumhare liye lilabhumi aur udhabhumi ke 27 alangha antaral main. Thus, Kanupriyas Radha is always conscious of her /idatity. She does not dissolve disappear like a drop of water just to protect her identity. To protect her identity only she remains free even when she ties herself with Krishna. She wants to maintain her self so that she could extend her creative support to her lover in creating history. She is so conscious ol her self that she has even considered Krishna s existence / for her ow n only, f o r example, ao mere srista tumhare sampurna astitwa ka artha hai matra tumhre sristi tumhari sampurna sristi ka arth hai matra tumhari eacha our tumhari sampurna echsa ka ourth Inin kewal main! kewal main! 2K kewal main! From the above discussion it becomes clear that in Kanupriya the poet has used the mythical character of Radha to describe the character ol a modem woman. In Kanupriya Radha, the poet has described all the qualities of a woman according to the time. Radha falls in love with Krishna

and her love is true and deep. Though the socially conscious Radha can not come to Krishna just after listening the call of the music ot his time, she keeps on repeating when Krishna has already left. Radha wants to live her life with on innocnt mind and she always remains conscious of her own self. She is so conscious of her own self that even at the time of her intensemceting she is not able to surrender herself completely to her love. Kanupriya's Radha is a woman of embellishment. She does not w ant to limit her relationship with Krishna just by giving a name to it she loves Krishna and will continue to do that for ever. Hven in her separated life she does not want to waste her time by weeping and she does not even think of the relevance -irrelevance of the battle with her reasoning capability. Thus the poet has tried to portray Radha as a modern woman with the qualities of innocence, love social-consciousness, modesty, and conscious of one s own self. References : 1. Kanupriya - A Natya Akalap (cover page) 2. Bharati, Dr. Dharmavir - Preface of Kanupriya, 3. Gupta, Nilam- Kanupriya - Nava Mulyankan p. 60 4. Bharati, Dr. Dharmavir - Kanupriya p. 62 5. ibid - Kanupriya, (Purva Rage) p. 11 6. ibid - Kanupriya, (Purva Rage) p. 13 7. ibid - Kanupriya, (Purva Rage) p. 16

154 8. ibid - Kanupriya, (Turn mere kaun ho) p. 34 9. Bharati, Dr. Dharmavir - Kamupriya (Turn mere kaun ho) p. 38 10. ibid : (samapan) p. 78 11. ibid : (Samapan) p. 7 12. ibid: (AamrabourkaArtha) p. 28 13. ibid: (Amrabour ka Artha) p. 28 14. ibid: (Amrabour ka Artha) p. 64 15. ibid: (Bipralabdha) p. 30 16. ibid : (Bipralabdha) p. 26 17. ibid : (Turn mere kaun ho) p. 67 18. ibid : (fifth song) p. 17 19. ibid : (Keli Sakhi) 20. ibid: (Keli Sakhi)p. 52 21. ibid: (Amrabour ka Artha)) p. 21/6 22. ibid : (Turn mere kaun ho) p. 37 23. ibid: (Abura baur Artha) p. 6 24. Singh, Dr. Tribhuwan - Adhunik Sahityik Nibandha. p. 769 25. Bharati, Dr. Dharmavir - Kamupriya (Dusra geet) p. 16 26. ibid : (Amra boun ka geet) p. 21 27. ibid : (Selu-Main) p. 60 28. ibid : (Srijan Sangini) p. 44

155 B. EVALUATION OF KANUPRIYA S SHREE RADHA IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN HINDI LITERATURE : Modem Hindi poetry is known for its own speciality and also its form and charm. Modem Hindi poetry has brought an important change in the history of poetry, but the word Modem does not represent any new type of poetry. It is not an indicator of a particular time or subjects either. Rather the use of the word Modem indicates those certain changes which have taken place in the field of languages, style and form in this age which had not happened earlier. The foundation stone of the modem Hindi poetry was laid more or less at the same time when the Britishers established their rule over this country. Because the influence of the British people was not restricted only to the political change rather they influenced even the social, cultural and economic aspects of the country. The people of this country come into contact with the western literature and the life style. The national feeling developed with them. They realized the Britishers exploitation policy as well as their own weakness. And as a result they become conscious of their own idealities, existence. A new consciousness or renaissance emerged in the overall life the country people. This has an impact on literature also because a poet cannot remain aloof from the society. The renaissance and the new consciousness had their influences on all aspects of the society. So the changes come into thinking, the wideness and variety come in the selection of subject and the thinking of the literatures/writers become realistic. The affection with the mother tongue, the mother land and the national goods increased. The

156 poets paid their attention towards the poor condition of the country. The language changed, the poetic style changed and the different modes of prose developed. This process of renaissance is known as the modernity in literature. Bhartendu is known as the father of this modernity in the Hindi literature. Before Bhartendu, romantic and devotional compositions were done in the language of Braj (Brajbhasha) and Lakshan grantha were also written. Since the times of Bhartendu a wideness and vividness in the selection of subjects started in the Hindi literature. The poets of this time paid their/attention to the social problems and their solutions. The poets opposed the social evils in their writings/compositions, supported for education and through their writings they tried to encourage a new progressive awakening in the fields of society and politics. Hence literature took a new turn in this age. In Bhartendu s time many changes took place in the field of poetry also. Due to the present of new social and political conditions new trends in poetry came and the changes took place in presentation, subject matter, style, rhetoric and prosody. But this age had its own limitations also because along with modernity it had connection with the old traditions also. Apart from that it is true that the newness and modernity in the subject matter of poetry had certainly come but Bhrajabuli the language of Bhaja remained the language of poetry. With the arrival of Mahavir Prasad Dwivedeji changes in both language as well as the subject matter

157 were noticed. And that is why this age has been called as Dwivede yug in the history books. Dwivedeeji inspired people to write poems taking the noble characters of ancient historical and Mythical personalities instead of writing on naika-bheda, demonstration of wonders and supply of solutions. Hence, in the tradition of expression, the composition of poems on new subjects started. In this age candid/pure Hindi (Khadi boli) took over from Bhajbuli the language of poetry. Under the leadership of Mahavir Prasad Dwivedeji some important poets like Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay, Harioudh, Shyam Sundar Das, Ram Naresh Tripathi, Maithili Sharan Gupta, Siyaram Sharan Gupta, Shreedhar pathak etc. adopted a wider point of view in selecting the subject for their poetry. Even on subject like human beings, nature, god etc. new approach was adopted. Poetry started being idealistic. Nationalism, Humanism, Morality and Idealism become some of the important subjects for poetry of this time, The feelings of cultural revivalism and social reforms are reflected in the poems of this age. Not only these, even on the eradication of those factors, which were obstructions in the development of nations, emphasis was laid. This age is the age of woman emancipation. After getting free from the age old slavery woman along with men become conscious about the social welfare. And that is why woman have been given important space in the poems of this age. Around 1918-19 a new trend emerged in Hindi poetry. The scholars have given a name to this new trend which is known as chhayabaad. The

158 Chhayabaadi poets remained busy in creating a new aesthetics, one such feeling of beauty which is subtle like its nature and whose base is also humanistic and worldly. The poets of this age have discovered many emotional directions and forms oupoetry. The literary image of the development of social consciousness (awareness) itself is the literature of this age. In politics this was the time of Gandhi, Subhash, Tilak, Patel, etc. Everywhere in the country the freedom movement was going on. The poets got influenced by the Gandhian thought, the M arxist thought and the invention of the technological science. As a result the poets become conscious of the dreadful destruction conditions of their surrounding and they got attracted towards the necessity of their great reforms. Under the influence of Raja Ram Mohon Ray, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Swami Ramkrishna Paramhans, Swami Vivekananda, Gopal Krishna Gokhle, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, etc. the poets of this age discovered the valuable/ important elements our past and tried to give them a new shape in accordance with the new life. The new education system, the influence of English and t he English influenced Bangala literature raised the feeling of individualism from which men s own self got fired. As a result, the disturbance caused by failure and frustration, revolution and somelimescomplele individualistic voice got expressed. The nationalistic feelings along with love, beauty, etc. got expression in the poems of Chayabaad poets like M ahanlal C haturtvedi, Balkrishna Sharma N aveen,

Subliadra Kumari Chouhan, Jaya Shankar Prasad, Surya Kaal 11ipatlii Nirala, Sumitra Nandan Panl, Mahadcvi Vcrma etc. At the time of the end of Chayabaad in around 1936 a progressive trend in poetry started keeping social awareness in the background. I lie post Chayabaad age is an important age not just because the history of literature, it is important also because of the social, political, cultural and intellectual aspects, from this time/age only a new consciousness and awareness emerged in poetry, and its effect was found on literature also because literature is the image of a society. Frustrated, disturbed by the emerging peoples unrest in Indian soviet} Indian intellectuals, on the one other hand, were looking at the social, economic, religious and political incongruities and problems. At the same time, they wereattracted with the society of Russia which had passed through these incongruities and problems and has established such a svsiem where common people were getting their due importance. In the second world war and the famine of Hangal people were getting affected nmie and more. Due to the violent awakening of the common people socialism established in Russia and the world wide effect of the spread of communism in the other startes of Furope, communist movement had stalled emerging in India also in around 1935. The literature also got influence In this new movement and as a result a progressive literary movement stalled In ll)35. the first convention of the international organization called 'Progressive writer s Association war held in Paris under the chaiimanship of l:.m

160 Foster. In 1936, a branch of this organisation was established in India with the help of Sajjad Jaheer and Dr.Mulk Raj Anand and under the chairmanship o f Premchand the first convention was held in lucknow. The progressive literature (Pragatibaadi Saliilya) came out with a completely new view point/idea, It gives the social reality an expression in literature and b elieves that literature is created with a special purpose/ goal. The ideology of the progressive literature is communistic. Motivated by this ideology only, the progressive literature decides about the form/ state of class-conflict. In this literature the pitiable condition of the suppressed class has been beautifully described by opposing the class of exploiters. The progressive poetry moves along with the reality of the social life. And that is why the language of the progressive poets becomes clear, simple and progressive. They collected the images, symbols, words, proverbs, and similies from the common people. Among the progressive poets some of the important names are, kedan Nath Agarwala, Ram Bilash Sharma, Nagarjun, Rangeya Raghab, Shiv Mayal Singh Suman, Trilochan etc. Around 1943 same young poets tried to start/establish a new ism in Hindi literature. Among these new poets Agyeyaji is very prominent. He has called these new ism as Prayogbaad. Under the editorship of Agyeyaji a collection of poems entitled Tarsaptak was published in two volumes. The poets of these two volumes came out with new feelings and realizations. The Prayogbaadi poems are

161 the portrayal of the pictures of deteriorating middle class society. The declaration of the discovery of a new medium to express the new truth of like by the Prayogbaadi poets was nothing but the people of this middle class society. Prayogbaadi poets are this realistic in their thinking. They accept strong intellectualism in place of emotion and try to describe the reality of stiffness, frustration, look of devotion, defeat and mental conflict which have introduced all kinds of stiffness, frustration, lack of devotion and mental conflict in their poems. Among the Prayogbaadi poets, Agyeya, Girija Kumar Mathur, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh, Prabhakar Machabe, etc. are some of the prominent figures. Nayee Kabita is the next step ofprayogbaadi poetry. This is parallel to progressive and experimental poetry. The ground for the development of experimentalism is the ground for Nayee Kabita also. 1 Actually the development of any poetic tradition is not accidental. The process of its creation/establishment is always related to other traditions. Since poets are the most sensitive people of a society, the feelings of the contemporary society keep on agitation them. They make poetry a medium to express the collective life and thinking.2 Nayee K abita are those poems which were written after independence and where new values and poetic style (verse structure) were used to express the new emotions and feelings ahead of the traditional poetry.

162 In the Nayee Kabita a voice of faith in life is heard. It has taken life as life because today s Kshanbaadi and Laghu Manavatabaadi out look are not negative rather they are positive appoaches to human values. The poets of the Nayee Kabita are not detached from the tradition. There are two important elements of new poems - the truth of experience and the intellectual realistic approach. It can be the experience of a moment or the whole period, a common man or a very important person, hope or frustration. The new poems have come out from the experience of life of the contemporary surroundings. The frustration and despair of the middle class people, the culture of industrial towns full of disparity, free life style (nature), the image of village life, reflections of folk traditions, and feelings of beauty are some of the items, which are available in new poems. Among the poets of this new trend some prominent figures are Agyeya,Dharmavir Bharati, Girija Kumar Mathur, Gajaman Madhav Muktibodh, Bhobani Prasad Misra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, etc. Before one evaluates a poets composition one has to know about the age/time in which the poet belonged to. Because poets are the most sensitive people of a society. The feelings of the contemporary society agitate their minds. That and is why the world of their feelings and consciousness keeps on changing as and when the existence, surroundings, culture, traditions and rituals change. Dharmavir Bharati s age of poetry beings after the second world war. This age war as age of conflicting mentalities. After the second world

163 war the freedom movement got momentum under the leadership of mahatma Gandhi. The imagination of building a new society and a new country started encourging people. After independence Indians got two divided lands. The sadness of the this division was felt both by the common citizens as well as the poets. And so the subject of the poems moved towards the famous centers of Indian culture and life styles. For example, Agyeya included mythical/ancient aspects of many ages in his Asadhya Veena. Naresh Mehata gave expression to many aspects of Ramayana age in his Sonshay ki ek raat and Dhamavir Bharati also presented many aspects of Mahabharata age in different manifestation. Rambilash Sarma says in his NayeeKabita aur Astitwabaad that - Nayee Kabita sukshma ke prati ati sukshma ka virodh hai. 3 The Nayee Kavita are revolt against the destouction of the two world wars which had shaken the roots of religion, philosophy, policy, behaviour, culture, and everything. The bitterness of war, lack of devotion, disintegration, unrest and valuelessness influence the new poets and they gave importance to the new values and new feelings in their poems urging for establishment of new life values and ideals. Apart from all these the most important thing about this age is that a new revolution for woman emancipation had started in India as well as in other parts of the world at this time. In the age of Chayabaad woman were depicted as the godess of love and beauty, as object of worship, men s tender wish/ imagination and target and a gift of nature. But after

1 64 the second world war in the western countries, woman came out from their houses and started working in offices, industries and their works of life along with the men. But no relaxation was noticed so far as the status of women was concerned. They did not get social status. As a result women become conscious of their identity/position everywhere. The impact of this consciousness was also felt in India. Kanupriya which was composed in the last year of the sixth decade is an important and powerful achievement of Dharmavir Bharati. In this poem, in comporison to static life values new life value have been established along with certain features of the new poems. The main characters of Kanupriya are Radha and Krishna. Through these characters the poet has described many myths of the Dwaper age and has explained the modern life. Though there are two characters in Kanupriya, the poet has presented only Radha s character directly and has seen Krishna s character from Radha s point of view only. The characters of Radha and Krishna are progressive. There have been changes in their people, community and age for example Although word R adha was ju st m entioned in Shreemadhagwat in Purana and we get instances of her mention gradually in other Puranas, she starts getting prominence by the Middle age and she gets such a forme that she becomes the lover of Krishna. And the same Krishna s beloved, Radha, of the Middle age becomes Radha of the modern age who symbolizes the modern sensitivities in poetry. This

165 happens because of the changes which take place in her character due to the changes in time. Kanupriya is a poem of modem values. Its main spirit is modern. The main character of Kanupriya, Radha, represents the modem woman. She expresses the free thoughts of the modem woman based on their reasoning along with there sufferings, apprechensions, pain, worries, compulsions and suffocation. Through her character the poet has described the conflict between life in war and life full of love and that is why melody has entered into her character. A marvelous mixture of perplexity, affection/ attachment and intellectualism has been done in a very unique way. The modern view point dose not give any importance to the detached expended life rather it gives importance to the life which has been lived together with complete enjoyment. Bharati himself says - Lakin aise thi kaham hole, jab hame lagta hai, yah sab jo bahar ka uddeg hai - mahatwa uska nahin - mahatwa uska hai jo hamareandar sakshatkar hota hai 4. (But there are moments when we feel that all these restlessness which are external, have no relevance. The relevant things are those which meet in own inner self, the moments of extreme enjoyment which have proved more important that the processes of external history at particular point and which have opened us like a yoster-shell. All those external experience of past, present and future have mixed and shrinked in a particular moment where we have lost our existence.) Though in the eye of the reader the theme of Kanupriya is mythical the poet has given a modem form to it by giving originality to this poem.

166 In this poem the poet has described all the manifestations of Radha s character as a favoured deity, beloved and lady a romantic heroine. In other words, her manifestation of the age of Devotion and the Ritikalin age have been described in this poem. But at the same time a new manifestation of Radha has also been painted which is different from other manifestation and which has its own special identity. The poet has depicted Kanupriya s Radhas the vast, unlimited universal family which is like the Yognmaya, like the Radha of the Bhakti Kal she is also a daughter of Braja who falls in love with the Krishna of Nandgaop. But Kanupriya's Radha is a loyal heroin and she feels proud that - mujhe kitna guman hai ki maine tumhc jo kuch diya hai wah sab achuta tha, taja tha sarba pratham prasphutan tha5 Thus the poet has provided a completely new form to Radha in this poem even by taking her old character/personality. In this poem, the whle theme is Radha only. The whole poem is dinged to the emotional enjoyment/concentration/sincerity of Kanupriya and she plays the role of the main character of this poem around whom the whole story moves. Kanupriya's Radha is the representation of the extreme situation of concentration. The poet has also accepted in his earlier statement that all the reactions of Kanupriya are the different stages of the same concentration. In the Purvaraaj and the Manjari Parinay Radha s different

167 stages of consideration have been portrayed where she starts her identity. For example. meri srata tumhare sampuma astitwa ka arth hai matra tumhari sristi tumhari sampuma sristi ka artha hai matra tuhari icha aur tumhari sampuma icha ka arth hun kewal mein! kewal main! kewal main!!!6 Thus Kanupriya's Radha s emotional concentration and melodious surender is full of her feelings of guileless return. Here the poet has tried to show through the Radha s character that at a particular stage the moment of intense concentration is more valuable than that of all the processes of external history. Kanupriya s Radha represents the consciousness of the modern woman. Kanupriya s main voice is Radha and her main question is - Who are you to me? There are several manifestations of a woman. At a time she is friend, wife and mother of a man. This is the ancient/traditional form of a woman. The poet has given a new direction to the woman s traditional fonn. He has brought her to a new ground/ space. Kanupriya s Radha is also the lover of Krishna like the ancient Radha. But Kanupriya s Radha is a modem woman. She is conscious of her won self/identity. That is why questions like who is Krishna to her? and what relation does she have with Krishna always come to her mind. Sometimes friends, teachers and villagers also ask her - what

168 relation do you have with Krishna? She docs not find herself in a position to answer this question because she herself does not know her relationship with Krishna. Can someone give company to the relation?- Radha is unable to understand this. At this point only the poet compares Radha and Krishna with the ancient women and men and tries to present the relationship between woman and in a complete modem way. To Radha Krishna sometimes seems to be the only friend ; sometimes protector (guardian) brother, blood relative ; sometimes adorable ; sometimes child ; and sometimes supernatural. She is so attached to Krishna that she does not know what name she should give to her relationship with him. This form of a woman is eternal and timeless. In this form, no one knows, for how many generations she has been continuing her travel and from how many directions and for how long this travel has been going on continuously. The poet has called Radha the strength of Krishna in this poem which means woman is the man s strength, for example : tumhari shkti to mein hi hun tumhare sambal, tumhari yogmaya ish nikhil paravar me hi paribyapt virat seemahin admaya, durdant. 7 Kanupriya's Radha is a modem woman she does not want to limit her relationship with Krishna by giving it a name. That is why when

169 Krishna tried to fill the parting of her hair by mango flowers and wanted to give a name to their relationship, Radha become non-plussed. She felt as if she had got abashed. Because this is the sensitivity of a modern woman. She does not want to get limited or restricted by any boundary. But Rad ha s mind is considerate/thoughtful. After thinking of right and wrong she realized that no one could limit her by any limitation. There is no limitation for her, and she is actually a digbadhu and a Kalbadhu\ She considers herself a companion of Krishna. Here the poet tries to describe the sensitivity of a modem woman through Radha s character that a modern woman considers herself a companion of a man who continues his travel till eternity. Today the complex question before a modern human being is that when he has a particular relationship with somebody and when he does not have that relationship. That is why Radha also gets a perplexed to know what relationship does she have with Krishna and what not? But she is also aware of the social order. So when the society starts asking her numerable questions she got worried and tried to limit her relationship with Krishna by giving names. For example: sakha bandhu aaradhya sisu divya sahachar and she tries to give herself a new explanation, sakhi sadhika bandhabi ma vadhu sahchari. 8