Ramdhari Singh Dinkar

Ramdhari Singh (23 September 1908 – 24 April 1974), known by his pen name Dinkar, was an Indian Hindi language poet, essayist, freedom fighter, patriot and academic.

His poetry exuded Veer Rasa (heroic sentiment), and he has been hailed as a Rashtrakavi ('national poet') and Yuga-Chāraṇa (Charan of the Era) on account of his inspiring patriotic compositions.

[4] One of the notable modern Hindi poets, Dinkar was born in Simaria village of Bengal Presidency, British India, now part of Begusarai district in Bihar state.

[7] Dinkar was born on 23 September 1908, in Simaria village, Bengal Presidency, British India, (now in Begusarai district in Bihar)[8] in a Bhumihar family[9][10] to Babu Ravi Singh and Manroop Devi.

[11] The poetic persona of the poet Dinkar was shaped by the pressures and counter-pressures of life during the Indian freedom movement.

[6][8] A tall man, 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) in height, with a shining white complexion, long high nose, large ears and broad forehead, he tended to have a noticeable appearance.

[8] During the protest against Simon Commission, the police of the British government mercilessly lathi charged the Lion of Punjab, Lala Lajpat Rai, who succumbed to the injuries.

[8] He wrote ten poems based on this Satyagraha which was published in a book form under the title Vijay-Sandesh ('Message of Victory').

[8] Banarsi Das Chaturvedi, the editor of Vishal Bharat, wrote that Hindi-speaking people should celebrate the publication of Renuka.

Now when I have savoured the love and encouragement of the Sun, Moon, Varun, Kuber, Indra, Brihaspati, Shachi and Brahmani, it is clear that none of them was like Jaiswalji.

[15] Harivansh Rai Bachchan wrote that for his proper respect, Dinkar should get four Bharatiya Jnanpith Awards – for poetry, prose, languages and for his service to Hindi.

[15] Hindi writer Rajendra Yadav, whose novel Sara Akash also carried a few lines of Dinkar's poetry, has said of him, "He was always very inspiring to read.

[17] A progressive and humanist poet, he chose to approach history and reality directly and his verse combined oratorical vigour with a declamatory diction.

[20] Krishna ki Chetavani is the most celebrated and cited poem from one of his famous books 'Rashmirathi' following is the poem with English translation Varsho tak van mein ghoom ghoom Badha vighno ko chum chum Sah dhoop, ghav, paani, patthar Pandav aaye kuch aur nikhar (For years, wandering in the forest, Facing obstacles with resilience, Enduring sun, wounds, water, stones, The Pandavas returned, more refined.)

Saubhagya na sab din sota hai Dekhe aage kya hota hai (Good luck doesn't always last Let us see what happens next) Maitri ki rah dikhane ko Sabko su-marg par laane ko Duryodhan ko samjhane ko Bhishan vidhwans bachane ko Bhagwan Hastinapur aaye Pandav ka sandesa laaye (To show the path of friendship to bring everyone on the path of righteousness in order to convince Duryodhan and to prevent massive destruction The Lord came to Hastinapur with a message from the Pandavas) Ho nyay agar toh aadha do Par ismein bhi yedhi badha ho Toh de do kewal paanch graam Rakho apni dharti tamaam (If you are just, then give them half of the Kingdom but if you have a problem with even that then give them five villages at least and keep the rest to yourselves) Hum wahi khushi se khayenge Parijan par asi na uthayenge (We will be happy even with that much and we will never take up arms against our relatives) Duryodhan Waha bhi de na saka Aashish samaj ki na le saka Ulte Hari ko bandhne chala Jo tha asadhya saadhne chala (Duryodhan couldn't even give them that and hence he couldn't even receive the blessings of society Instead, he tried to chain Krishna and in doing so tried to attempt the impossible) Jab naash manuj par Chaata hai Pehle vivek marr jata hai (When the end draws near the first thing a man loses is his wisdom) Hari ne bhishan hunkar kiya Apna swaroop vistaar kiya Dag-mag dag-mag diggaj dole Bhagwan kupit hokar bole (Hari roared and expanded his form the mighty trembled as the Lord, angered, spoke) Zanjeer badha ab saadh muze Ha ha Duryodhan bandh muze (Bring out your chains and yes Duryodhan, try to imprison me) Ye dekh gagan mujhmein lay hai Ye dekha pawan mujhmein lay hai Mujhmein vileen jhankar sakal Mujhmein lay hai sansaar sakal (Look, the skies are within me look, the wind is within me Look closely, the entire universe is within me) Amaratwa phoolta hai mujhmein Sanhaar jhoolta hai mujhmein (Immortality & destruction both are within me) Udayachal mere dipt bhaal Bhumandal vaksha sthal vishaal Bhuj paridhi bandh ko ghere hai Mainak meru pag mere hai (The dawn is my forehead the solar system my chest my arms have surrounded the Earth the Mainak & Meru are at my feet) Deepte jo grah nakshatra nikhar Sab hai mere mukh ke andar (And my mouth holds all the luminous planets & constellations) Drugg ho toh drushya akhand dekh Mujhmein saara brahmand dekh Charachar jeev jag kshar - akshar Nashwar manshya srujaati amar (If you are capable then see the whole universe in me the living, the non living, the eternal) Shat-koti surya, shat-koti chandra Shat-koti saritsar, shati-koti sindhu mandra (Millions of suns, millions of moons millions of rivers & oceans) Shat-koti Bramha, Vishnu, Mahesh Shat-koti Jalpati, Jishnu, Dhanesh Shant-koti Rudra, Shat-koti Kaal Shat-koti danddhar lokpal (Millions of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh millions of seas & Jishnu & Dhanesh Millions of Rudra & millions of Kaal Millions of Kings) Bhutal atal paatal dekh Gat aur anagat kaal dekh Ye dekh jagat ka aadi srujan Ye dekh Mahabharata ka rann (See the Earth & see the hell see the times past & future see the beginning of creation see the war of Mahabharata) Mrutako se pati huyi bhu hai Pehchaan kaha ismein tu hai (The land is covered with the dead, now find where are you among them) Ambar ka kuntal jaal dekh Pad ke neeche paatal dekh Mutthi mein teeno kaal dekh Mera swaroop vikraal dekh (See the heavens and see the Paatal beneath my feet, see in my fists the past, present & future see my terrifying appearance) Sab janma mujhise paate hai Fir laut mujhimein aate hai (Everyone is born of me And everyone eventually returns to me) Jivha se kaadhti jwala saghan Saaso se pata janma pawan Par jaati meri drishti jidhar Hasne lagti hai srishti udhar (Look at my tongue emitting fire my breath gives birth to the winds where my eyes see nature blooms there) Main jab bhi mundta hoon lochan Cha jaata charo or maran (but when I close my eyes death reigns) Bandhne mujhe tu aaya hai Zanjeer badi kya laya hai?

Yadi mujhe bandhna chahe mann Pehle tu bandh anant gagan (You have come to arrest me Have you got a chain big enough?

Hit vachan nahi tune maana Maitri ka mulya na pehchana Toh le ab main  bhi jata hoon Antim sankalp sunata hoon (You did not heed good advice and did not value our friendship so I will leave now making this vow) Yachana nahi ab rann hoga Jeevan jay ya ki maran hoga (There will be no more requests, there will a be war now, victory will be the fate of life or death) Takrayenge nakshatra nikhar Barsegi bhu par vanhi prakhar Fan sheshnaag ka dolega Vikraal kaal muh kholega (Constellations will clash Fire will rain down on the earth the Sheshnaag will bare its hood and death will open its jaws) Duryodhan rann aisa hoga Fir kabhi nahi jaisa hoga (Duryodhan a war like never before will take place) Bhai par bhai tootenge Vish-ban boond se chutenge Saubhagya manuj ke phutenge Vaayas shrugaal sukh lutenge (Brothers will fight brothers as arrows rain down the good men will suffer while the jackals & hyenas will feast) Aakhir tu bhushaayi hoga Hinsa ka pardaayi hoga (In the end you will be destroyed and will be the cause of all violence) Thi sabha sunn, sab log dare Chup the ya the behosh pade Keval do nar na aghate the Dhritarashtra Vidur sukh paate the (A deadly silence had descended on the court, everyone there was scared some had fallen silent while some had fainted Except for two who remained unaffected Dhritarashtra & Vidur were the fortunate ones) Kar jod khade pramudit nirbhay Dono pukarte the jay, jay (With hands joined, fearless & with love in their hearts the kept chanting 'jai jai') In his Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyaya, he said that despite various cultures, languages and topography, India stands united, because "however different we may be, our thoughts are one and the same".

[21] Dinkar made the understanding of historical perspectives much more direct by looking at the history of India's culture in terms of four major encounters: the autochthons (indigenous people) ; between Vedic beliefs and the philosophy propounded by the Buddha, as well as by Mahavira; between Hinduism and Islam; and finally between European civilisation and the Indian way of life and learning.

[22] The most striking feature of India's civilizational history has been its marked tolerance and human approach with its potential to impart a message to the world.

[8] The poet Dinkar wrote Sanskriti ke char adhyaya in the context of values emerging from the freedom movement.

[8] In the fourth chapter, a comprehensive account of the colonialisation of education and the clash of Christianity with Hinduism, etc., since the arrival of Europeans in India has also been given.

[8][22] Dinkar : Examples of inter-mixture and cultural harmony among peoples belonging to different races, languages and faiths are available in some other countries too (such as Mexico and Ancient Greece), but not to the same extent as in India.

In the world there are but four colours of people – white, wheatish, black and yellow – and all four are profusely inter-mixed in the Indian populace.

The Indians of Tiruvankur had become Christian long before the people of England, and Islam had perhaps already arrived among the Moplas while Prophet Mohammad was still alive.

[23] The vast panoramic overview of Dinkar's historiography of India's composite culture verges on a kind of Darwinist evolutionism.

[31] At the same time a statue of him was unveiled in Patna at the Dinkar Chowk,[32] and a two-day national seminar was organised in Calicut University.

[34] On 22 May 2015 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated golden jubilee celebrations of Dinkar's notable works Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyaye and Parshuram ki Pratiksha at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi lighting the lamp at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the works of Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, in New Delhi on 22 May 2015