The Hindi Tamasha - (and insight into the Hindi literature)

Synopsis:  Hindi literature has a rich glorious past in terms of its stories and poetry. It is broadly divided into four prominent forms or styles:

•  Bhakti (devotional - Kabir, Raskhan); 
• Shringar (beauty - Keshav, Bihari); 
• Veer-Gatha(extolling brave warriors); and 
• Adhunik (modern).

Hindi literature contains literature components of all Hindi languages, including its dialects like: Brij Bhasha, Bundeli, Awadhi, Kannauji, Marwari, Maithili, Magahi,Bhojpuri Bihari and Khariboli (Modern Standard Hindi) in Devnagari scripts.

Like English poetry, Hindi poetry too was divided in to Ages:

• Adi Kaal or Veer Gaatha Kaal (1050-1375)

The term 'veer gatha"  means "tales of heroes" so clearly this period marked the era of poetry dedicated solely to the praise of the ruling kings. works such as "Prithviraj Raso" by Chand Bardoi in praise of the ruling king Prtihviraj Chauhan.

• Bhakti Kaal (1375-1700)

This period marked creation of verses in praise of God. Kabir Das, Tulsi Das were the main proponents of this period. The Bhakti period also marked great theoretical development in poetry forms chiefly from a mixture of older forms of poetry in Sanskrit School and the Persian School. These included Verse Patterns like Doha (two-liners), Sortha, Chaupaya (four-liners) etc. This was also the age when Poetry was characterized under the various Rasas. Unlike the Adi Kaal which was characterized by an overdose of Poetry in the Vir Rasa (Heroic Poetry), the Bhakti Yug marked a much more diverse and vibrant form of poetry which spanned the whole gamut of rasas from Shringara rasa (love) to Vir Rasa (Heroism).

• Adhunik Kaal ( 1900 onwards)

This era dealt with modern form  of poetry unlike the previous forms which dealt with fairy or magical tales, entertaining stories and religious themes.

The poem selected for this blog post is noted poet HARIVANSH RAI BACHCHAN'S "MADHUSHALA" wherein he tries to explain the complexity of life with his four instruments, which appear in almost every verse: madhu, madira or haala (wine), saaki (server), pyaala (cup or glass) and of course madhusala, madiralaya (pub/bar).

"लालायित अधरों से जिसने, हाय, नहीं चूमी हाला,
हर्ष-विकंपित कर से जिसने, हा, न छुआ मधु का प्याला,
हाथ पकड़ लज्जित साकी को पास नहीं जिसने खींचा,
व्यर्थ सुखा डाली जीवन की उसने मधुमय मधुशाला।।१८।

बने पुजारी प्रेमी साकी, गंगाजल पावन हाला,
रहे फेरता अविरत गति से मधु के प्यालों की माला'
'और लिये जा, और पीये जा', इसी मंत्र का जाप करे'
मैं शिव की प्रतिमा बन बैठूं, मंदिर हो यह मधुशाला।।१९। 

मुसलमान औ' हिन्दू है दो, एक, मगर, उनका प्याला, एक, मगर, उनका मदिरालय, एक, मगर, उनकी हाला, दोनों रहते एक न जब तक मस्जिद मन्दिर में जाते, बैर बढ़ाते मस्जिद मन्दिर मेल कराती मधुशाला!।५०।

Translation

The Muslim and the Hindu are different, but they drink out of the same cup/ 
They drink at the same tavern, their wine is also the same/ 
They remain together so long as they stay away from the temple or mosque/ 
The temple and the mosque divide but the tavern only unites.