Hindi Literature

Author(s): Nagendra
Source: Indian Literature , October 1957, Vol. 1, No. 1 (October 1957), pp. 82-87
Published by: Sahitya Akademi

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.com/stable/23328616

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82 INDIAN LITERATURE : OCT. 1957

Innocent joy and easy optimism pervade the whole. Natwarlal

Pandya's Nepathye is a collection of narrative and dialogue
poems in which the poet attempts to re-interpret some of the
classical characters. Its style is somehow not equal to its theme
and Ushanas' lyrical talent when yoked to such tasks produces
only .crude imitations of the narrative poems of Kant (a major
poet of the 19th century) and the dialogue-poems of Umashankar
Joshi. It is against this background that one has to view the
work of Priyakant Maniar and Hasmukh Pathak. Both have
emerged as poets only in the 'fifties and are still growing. They
possess a modern sensibility shaped by their sympathetic under
standing of the modern man and an intense awareness of his
tragic predicament. With their use of colloquialism, dramatiza
tion and symbolism they have created a new beauty and a new
reality. Gujarati poetry is likely to reassert itself through them.
This brief survey suggests that even though the old forces
have failed or are failing, new ones are already at work. One
could legitimately look forward to interesting innovations in the
fields of poetry, short story and one-act plays in the immediate
future.

Niranjan Bhagat

Hindi Literature

It is neither safe nor easy to assess the literary activity in a

language within the limited span of a year. Very often, one single
work takes more than a year to complete—in some cases even
the production of a volume takes over a year. Moreover, a
large number of works published in a particular year are written
earlier. The present attempt must therefore necessarily be only
a rough estimate.
Hindi has passed through a period of great activity since
1947, but this activity was more constructive than creative. The
decade of Independence has been a period of all-round planning
and in Hindi and other Indian languages too literary activity

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A REVIEW OF CURRENT INDIAN WRITING 83

has consciously and unconsciously centred round planned

production, e.g., lexicons, works on technical and scientific sub
jects, translations from Indian and foreign literatures and the like.
This is what I mean by construction as distinguished from crea
tion. Whereas construction is a planned and deliberate activity,
creation is an unpremeditated, almost irresistible, projection of
the self into any material medium.
As in the earlier years, last year, too, propagation of Hindi
and development of Hindi claimed greater attention than literary
creation. All India Radio, besides its multifarious programmes
in Hindi, organised a Poetic Symposium, a Drama Festival and
a Short Story Symposium on an all-India basis. Each one of
them was a success in its own way. One could pick a number
of holes in the details but the total achievement in each case was
laudable. Hindi poets acquitted themselves remarkably well,
as original writers and as translators.
Another section of the Information & Broadcasting
Ministry, the Publication Division, has brought out a few impor
tant works such as Bauddha Dharma Ke 2500 Varsha, etc. The
achievement of Hindi Samiti of Uttar Pradesh Government
is even greater. They have published a number of volumes,
the most remarkable of them being Aristoo Ki Rajniti (Aristotle's
Politics, translated by Pt. Bhola Nath Sharma of Bareilly)
and Dr. Devaraj's Sanskriti Ka Darshanik Vivechart. The
Sahitya Akademi might also, be mentioned in the same context.
They have undertaken a more ambitious scheme on an all-India
basis. During the last twelve months they have brought out
in Hindi several useful volumes. The Bharatiya Kavita which
is an anthology of modern Indian Poetry of 1953 is a useful
book, despite faulty translations here and there. It will help the
student of modern Hindi poetry to studythe subject in a wider
perspective and he can probe deep into the soul of Indian Poetry
with greater confidence. The Hindi versions of several master
pieces of other Indian languages also have a similar importance.
Of the public institutions, the Nagari Pracharini Sabha at Vara
nasi has been the centre of the most fruitful activity. They
have undertaken several monumental schemes, such as a i

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84 INDIAN LITERATURE : OCT. 1957

comprehensive History of Hindi Literature in seventeen volumes,

Hindi Encyclopaedia, thjs revised edition of the Shabda Sagar,
authentic editions of ancient and medieval Hindi classics and
the Research-Reports. The first volume of the History edited by
Dr. Rajbali Pandey is in the press and the rest are under
active preparation. Hindi might well be proud of some indivi
dual efforts as well, such as Bauddha Dharma Darshan* by the
late Acharya Narendra Deva, Madhya-Asia Ka Itihas by Maha
pandit Rahul Sankrityayan, Grantha Vithi by Dr. Bishwa
Nath Prasad Misra and of Adi-Turk-Kalin Bharat as also
Hikayati Hindi by Dr. A. A. Rizvi.
In the domain of creative literature, though the pace has
: not been slow, one cannot be very sure of the achievement. In
this age of construction, it is no wonder that creation has been
on the ebb. Quite naturally, therefore, criticism has held the
field. Within the last twelve months, a number of critical works
have been published, both research-theses and independent works.
Among the research theses (which are gradually capturing the
field more by quantity than by quality) one might mention
Hindi Maha-Kavya Ka Swarup- Vikas by Dr. Shambu Nath Singh,
Radha Vallabh Sampradaya : Siddhant aur Sahitya by Dr. V.
Snatak, Hindi Sufi Kavi aur Kavya by Dr. Sarala Shukla and
Adhunik Hindi Katha Sahitya aur Manovijnan by Dr. Devaraj
Upadhyay. Whereas the first three are characterised by Sound
and critical acumen and factual research, the last is in the main a
searching critical sudy. Other theses also, such as Dr. Kocher's
Apabhransh Sahitya, Dr. Om Prakash's Hindi Alankar
Sahitya, Prof. Shashibhushan Das Gupta's Shri Radha Ka Kram
Vikas (a translation from Bengali) and the two works on Khari
boli-Brajbhasha controversy are also useful contributions to
Hindi literature. In the same series, I would also add two use
ful non-degree dissertations: Prithiviraj Rasau Ki Bhasha by
Namwar Singh and Kirtilata aur Avahatt by Shivaprasad Singh.
Among independent works, one could mention Sahitya-Dhara
of Shri Prakash Chandra Gupta, Sahitya-Pravah by Shri Krishna
Deva Prasad Gaur, Sufi Mat: Sadhana aur Sahitya by Pt.
•Awarded Sahitya Akademi Prize for 1957.

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A REVIEW OF CURRENT INDIAN WRITING 85

Rampujan Tiwari of Santiniketan, Hindi Ko Marathi Santón

Ki Den by Acharya Vinay Mohan Sharma and Ram Bhakti
men Madhur Sadhana by Pt. Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Misra.
Sahitya Dhara has some brilliant critical sketches. Sahitya Pravah,
Hindi Ko Marathi Santón Ki Den and Ram Bhakti men Madhur
Sadhana contain good material of historical value whereas
Pt. Tiwari's work is marked by a neat presentation of the subject.
Ilachandra Joshi's Dekha-Parakha and Prof. Gulab Rai's
Adhyayan aur Asvad are also collections of stray critical essays,
but they are different in approach. Sri Joshi is essentially unaca
demic in his attitude whereas Prof. Gulab Rai is an academician
through and through. Of late, our theoretical criticism has been
greatly enriched by several translations of Indian and Western
classics on Poetics. Within the period under review, some mora
volumes have been added to the series, e.g., Hindi Kuvalayanand,
Bharatiya Kavya-Shastra Ki Parampara and Arastoo Ka Kavya
shastra. In these works an effort has been made to present and
re-interpret jn Hindi old classical theories in terms of modern
criticism. Pt. Baldeva Upadhyay's Sanskrit Alochana and
Dr. Bhola Shanker Vyas's Dhwani Sampradaya also deserve
mention in this context. Dr. S. P. Khatri's treatise Hasya Ki
Rup-Rekha deals with its subject the other way round, that is,
he travels from the West to the East.
In Poetry, although almost all major poets—besides many
others who are gradually finding their way—are active, the real
output is rather meagre. Pt. Navin's epic poem Urmila belongs
to this year only by accident; it is a much older coiüposition.
But Sri Maithili Sharan Gupta's two longer poems Raja-Praja
and Vishnupriya are products of this year. Raja-Praja is a
sequence of poetic reflections on democracy and its achievements.
The poet had obviously to pass through a psychological crisis
in accepting the rule of the mapy in place of the rule of one.
Vishnupriya is a different stuff. It is another offering of tearful
tribute paid by this poet to the women of India who have sacrific
ed even their right to complain for the glory of their lords. This
is the third portrait he contributes to the gallery of the Kavyer
Upekshitas—the neglected ones in poetry—after Urmila of Saket

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86 INDIAN LITERATURE : OCT. 1957

and Gopa of Yashodhara. Of the more youthful poets, Dinkar,

of course, has been quite active. Besides the Chakrawal—the
famous collection of his choicest poems—he has been contribut
ing to the various magazines almost regularly. Suman's Par
Ankhen Nahin Bharin contains many a fresh lyric marked by his
characteristic exuberance and also marred at several places by
outspoken expressions. Bachchan and Rangeya Raghava are
busy translating Shakespeare. Shakespeare has been declared
as the most untranslatable of all poets. As such, one would only
wish the best of luck to these friends who are, without doubt,
two of our most enterprising littérateures. Even a partial success
will be a great achievement. Siyaram Sharan was on the other
hand, treading on safer grounds in translating Dhammapada
which has been recently published in Hindi under the title Buddha
Vachan.

Among the 'rebels' (I am using the word in its good sense)

who are now divided into two almost hostile camps—the Pro
gressivists and the Experimentalists—the latter are showing
greater activity in the domain of poetry. In spite of their theories,
some of them have written genuine poetry. With their fine intel
lect, rich imagery and youthful fervour, they are capable of rising
to greater heights, if they can steer clear of unwholesome influ
ences. I am thinking of poets like Girija Kumar Mathur, Dharm
vir Bharati and Bhawani Prasad Misra. Misra's book Git
Farosh is a publication of 1956, although it contains many
earlier poems. Apart from his popular poem, Git Farosh, which
except for its sharpness of irony has failed to impress me as
something extraordinary, the volume contains many poems
that make a straight appeal by the freshness of their emotional
content as also by the directness of their expression.
In Hindi fiction, the Progressivists are in the van and have
added a few good works. Bund aur Samudra by Amritlal
Nagar, Kab Tak Pukarun by Rangeya Raghava and Dukha
mochan by Nagarjun are lively creations. Parti : Parikatha
by Renu and Varun ke Bete by Nagarjun are novels of local
colour with a remarkable freshness. Among the seniors, mention
may be made of Cbatursen Shastri's Vayam Rakshamah, Jainendra

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A REVIEW OF CURRENT INDIAN WRITING 87

Kumar's Jayawardhan, Yashpal's Amita, Pratapnarayan's

Bekasi Ka Mazar, Bhagwati Prasad Bajpayee's Sunt Rah and
Raja Radhika Raman Prasad Singh's Chumban aur Chanta.
Pt. Uday Shankar Bhatt and Shri Bhagwati Charan Varma
have also recently brought out two new novels. In the field of
short story, Chandra Gupta Vidyalankar, Markandeya, Ashka
and Kamala Chaudhuri have kept up their pace. In Hindi
drama Seth Govind Das has added two more to his century:
Ashoka and Bhikshu Se Grihastha aur Grihastha Se Bhikshu,
Ashka has made a new experiment in dramatic technique in his
Andhi Gali and Dr. Ram Kumar has published another collection
of his cultural one-act plays, Indradhanush. Ever since Ram
chandra Shukla took it up the Hindi Essay has suffered from
over-seriousness of purpose. As such, the fine 'sallies of mind'
in the lighter pieces of essayists like Vidya Niwas Misra have
come as a pleasant relief to the Hindi reader.
And, that is in brief a survey of the literary activity in Hindi
in 1956-57.
Nagendra

KANNADA LITERATURE

The long-awaited integration of all the Kannada-speaking

areas into a single State in November last was an epoch-making
step in the advancement of Kannada language and literature.
At a function held in the Kannada Sahitya Parishat to celebrate
the occasion, the new Chief Minister paid homage to the writers
who, one and all, had always held before the eyes of the Kannadi
gas the vision of a unified Karnataka. Sri R. R. Diwakar whose
The Story of the Unification of Karnataka was published about
this time was the speaker at another function, presided over by
Sri Jayachamarajendra Odeyar, in which the past Presidents of
the Parishat were all honoured.
The formation of the new State has helped to bring nearer
the day of the use of Kannada as the medium of education in

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