Literature in Haryana: A Timeline of Words
Presenting a deep dive into the literary history of Haryana, penned by council member Neeti Parti. Explore the splendid works of writers & poets who weaved magic with their words through the ages.
Article Series: Repositories of Knowledge
Haryana
Land of the Bhagwad Geeta
The name Haryana may have been derived from the words Hari (God) and Ayana (Home), meaning ‘the Abode of God’; however, scholars such as Muni Lal, Murli Chand Sharma, H.A. Phadke and Sukhdev Singh Chib believe that the name comes from the words Hari (harit, or green) and Aranya (forest).
Haryana’s Rich Heritage of Literature
The Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta
The Mahabharata and the three Battles of Panipat were fought on the lands of Haryana shaping its political, administrative and religious aspects. The battle of Mahabharata was fought at Kurukshetra, where Lord Krishna preached the message of Geeta.
The Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta – the song by God, is a precious gift from Haryana. It is a dialogue between Prince Arjun and his guide and charioteer Krishna at the start of Dharma yuddha (righteous war). In the discourse that constitutes the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna counsels Arjuna to fulfil his Kshatriya (warrior) duty to uphold the Dharma (duty) through Karma or selfless action.
The discourse covers a broad range of spiritual topics, touching upon ethical dilemmas and philosophical issues. The Geeta is the longest epic of the world and one of the greatest holy scriptures for Hinduism. It contains sixteen ‘Adhyayas’ (chapters) written by Veda Vyasa in the form of Sanskrit Shlokas (hymns).
It is thus stated in the Bhagwad Geeta :
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty - Bhagavad Gita, Chapter II
Notable Literary Figures of Yore
Chand Bardai
It is believed that Chand Bardai was from Haryana. He became immortal by writing Prithvi Raj Raso.
Char Bans Chaubi Gaj, ungal asat parman; Ta upar sultan hai, mat chuke Chauhan.
Based on a folklore, the above couplet was narrated by the poet Chand Bardai to Prithviraj Chauhan, telling him the exact position where Muhammad Ghori was seated. Prithviraj set his arrow at an angle suggested by Chand Bardai and shot Ghori in his throat. Before anyone could capture them, the poet and the Rajput king stabbed each other.
Surdas
Surdas wrote Sur Sagar. Here he says…
Murali Kaun Tap Tein Kiyau.
Rahat Giradhar Mukhahi Laagi Ko Ras Piyau.
Nand Nandan Paani Paras Kai Tohi Tan-Man Diyau. Sur Shri Gopal Vas Kiye Jagat Mein Jash Liyau.
O flute, what great penance have you performed that you stay fixed to Shri Krishna’s lips, drinking the nectar of His lips?
The charming son of Nand is always ready to sacrifice his body and soul upon You. Surdas says that the flute has captured Shri Gopal (Lord Krishna) and become famous throughout the world. Indeed, this all-enticing flute captures the heart of all.
Sant Haridas, Kavi Maldev, Veerbhan, Sant Udhodas, Pushpadant, Sant Nityanand, Banarasi Dass, Jain Poet Sunderdas also adorned the rich ancient literature of Haryana.
Altaaf Hussain Haali
During the British rule, residents of the unified State of the Punjab struggled to liberate the nation from the clutches of the British. So, literacy activities took a back seat for some time. However, one poet of Urdu made his mark during this period of turmoil. His name was Altaaf Hussain Haali. Khwaja Altaf Hussain Haali, the famous poet, prolific scholar and Urdu critic, was born in 1837 in Panipat. In 1856, he got a job in the office of Deputy Commissioner, Hissar.
In 1869, he met the legendary Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. Ghalib was not in the habit of encouraging each and every budding poet he met, but when he heard Haali’s shers (Urdu couplets), he liked them and encouraged Haali to continue writing poetry.
The Government of India recognised Altaaf Hussain Haali’s contribution and he was honoured with the highest title, Shamshulmaan. His most important work was Muqadma-e-Sher-o-Shairi, written as a preface to his collection of poetry. Ahmed Sarwar called it ‘the first manifesto of Urdu poetry’. There are about 116 ghazals composed by him, which consist of about 1,300 shers.
Says Haali:
मुझे कल के वादे पे करते हैं रुख़्सत
कोई पूरा हुआ हुआ चाहता है
सदा एक ही रुख़ नहीं नाव चलती
चलो तुम उधर को हवा हो जिधर की
Famous State Poets Of Haryana
Uday Bhanu Hans
The first-ever state poet of Haryana was Uday Bhanu Hans. He was bestowed with this title when Haryana became a state in 1966. Uday Bhanu Hans Awards are given every year in his honour.
Says Uday Bhanu Hans:
मत जियो सिर्फ़ अपनी खुशी के लिए
कोई सपना बुनो ज़िंदगी के लिए
पोंछ लो दीन दुखियों के आँसू अगर
कुछ नहीं चाहिए बंदगी के लिए
सोने चाँदी की थाली ज़रूरी नहीं
दिल का दीपक बहुत आरती के लिए…
Anupchand Aftab
Anupchand Aftab was honoured as the state poet in Urdu along with Uday Bhanu Hans. Aftab's poetry pulsates with patriotic spirit. In his words:
Ghazal ghazal woh kahan haei, woh nazm nazm kahan, Tarap na jaye jisei sun kei hazrat-i-insan.
The ghazal is not a ghazal even as a nazm is not a nazm after listening to which one is not shaken to the very bone.
ऐ जवान-ऐ-वतन ! फिर हिम्मतों से काम लो,
मद्र-ऐ-भारत की इज़्ज़त ख़ाक में मिलने ना दो।
जिस तरह तुम ने ग़ुलामी का किया है ख़ात्मा,
रिश्वतों की डोर हिंदुस्तान से लानत करो।
O the youth of the country! Show courage again. Don’t allow the honour of Mother India turn to dust. The way you have put an end to the slavery of the country, the same way root out the curse of bribery from Hindustan.
Khushiram Sharma is the next state poet of note. He has written Rana Nimantrana, Guru Gobind Singh and Yuddha Charita.
Bhai Parmanand, the renowned poet from Hissar, took an active part in Bhoodan Movement. He used his sonorous songs to deliver the message of Vinoba Bhave to the masses. Ishwar Chandra Panday and Leeladhar Dukhi were also famous poets of the state.
Many more have followed…
Contemporary Literature and Art
Many sons of Haryana contributed to theatre. Jaswant Singh Tohanvi, Bastiram, Lakshmi Chand Sangi, Dhanpat Singh and Rajaram Shastri are the prominent names. These writers used drama and sang to mesmerise their readers. They contributed to Hindi literature through their unique literary creations and mass-based activities.
Dr Ranjit Singh is a famous Hindi prose writer of Haryana. Jaimini Haryanvi has also contributed to Haryanvi literature. He wrote couplets and poems, which fall under the gamut of humorous literature.
Poets like Om Prakash Aditya, Baldevraj Shant, Deepchand Nirmohi and Vishnudatt Kaviratna are some among the glittering stars who have made valuable contributions to the vast literary ocean of the wonderful state of Haryana.
Neeti Parti, Education Director, Shriram eClasses
©Neeti Parti