remembering People's Poet

Syedstauheed June 29, 2010

Nagarjun: People's Poet

Baidyanath Mishra was born on 30th June,1911 at Mithila in Satlakha, his mother’s village. His native village, Tarauni, is not far away from Satlakha. He was brought up in his native village.

His first poem was published in Maithili in 1930 under the pen-name ‘Yatri’. His association with Rahul Sankrtyayana led him to travels to Sri Lanka and conversion to Buddhism. He became a communist at the same time and started writing in Hindi under the name ‘Nagarjun’. In fact, he was called Baba Nagarjun. From 1934 to 1941, Nagarjuna toured various parts of India and even went abroad. He was very active in journalism too during this period. Meanwhile, his first poem in Hindi was published in 1935 and he started writing under the name Nagarjun.

Though always a well-known and popular poet, initially he was ignored by the conservative literary and critical establishment — till the great cultural upsurge in the Hindi-speaking areas in late 1960’s and early 1970’s turned writers like Nagarjun, Muktibodh, Shamsher Bahadur Singh and others into cult figures. His works include Baba Batesarnath, Balchanma, Ratinath ki Chachi, Patrahin Nagna Gachh, Khichri Viplav Dekha Hamne, translations of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, works of Kalidasa and many other classical works of Sanskrit literature.

JI HAAN!

Ji haan , likh raha hun…bahut kuch! bahot bahot !!

Dher dher sa likh raha hun ! magar , aap usey padh nahi paoge…dekh nahi sakoge , usey aap !

Darasal baat ye hai ki ein dino likhawat

Aap bhi main kahan padh pata hun niyon – rod pe ubahrti panktiyon kii

tarah vo agle hii chann gum ho jati hain

chetna ki keyboard par vo bas do-chaar seconds tak hi tikti hain…

Kabhi –kabahr apni is likhawat ko kagaz pe note kar pata hun

Spandandansheel samvedan kii chann-bhangur ladiyaan

Sahejkar unhe aur tak pahunchana !

Baap re, kitna mushkil hai !

Aap to four figure maasik vetan wale adhikarii tahre,

Man-hi-man hasoge hi ki bhla yeh koi kaam hua ki anaap snap khayalon kii

Mahiin laffazi hi karta hi chale koi, yeh bhi koi kaam hua !!

YEH TUM THI

Kar gayii chaak timir ka sinaa

Jot ki faank

Yeh tum thi

Sikud gayi rag-rag

Jhulas gaya ang-ang

Banakar chod gaya chod gaya patjhar

Ulun asgun-sa khada raha kachnaar

Achanak umgi daalon ki sandhi mei

Chahrhari tahnii,por por me gase they tusey

Yeh tum thii

Jhuka raha daalen failakar

Kagar par khada khodi gullar

Upar utth aayi bhadon ki tallaiya

Juda gaya baune kii chhal ka reshha-resha

Yeh tum thii

Gorki makhim !

Shramshiil jaagruk jag ke pakshdhar asiim

Dhul chuki hai tumhari aashish

Asia-ii mahol mein

Dahak utha hai tabhi to is trah viyetnaam .

Agraj , tumhari saunvi varshgaath par

Karta hai bhartiya Jankavi tumko pranaam .

Gorki makhim !

Dar-a-sal sarvhara galp ka

Tumhi se hua tha ‘shriganesh’

Nikla tha vo aadi-kavya

Tumhari hi lekhni ki nonk se

Jhujharu shramikon ke abhiyaan ka..

Dekh us budhiya ne pahle- paha

Apne aas-paas , nayi pidhi ke andar

Vishv-kranti , vishv shaanti , vishv kalyan

‘maa’ ki pratima me tumhi ne to bhare they praan.

Gorki makhim !

Vipakshon ke lekhe kulish –kathor , bhiim

Shramshil jagruk jag ke pakhdhar ashiim !

Gorki mahim !

GULABI CHURIYAAN

Private bus ka driver hai to kya hua ,

Saat saal ki bachchi ka pita to hai !

Saamne gear se upar

Huk se latka rakhi hain

kaanch ki chaar churiyan gulabi

bas ki raftar ke mutabik

hilti rahti hain…

jhuk-kar main ne puchh liya

khaa gaya mano jhatka

adhedh umar ka muchchad robila chehra

aahiste se bola : haan saab

laakh kaehta hun nahi maanti muniya

taange hue hai kai dino se apni amanat

yahan abba ki nazro ke saamne

main bhi sochta hun

kya bigaadti hain churiyaan

kis jurm pe hata dun inko yahan se ?

aur driver ne ek nazar mujhe dekha

aur main-ne ek nazar use dekha

jahalak raha tha dudhiya vatsalya badi-badi ankhon me

taralta havi thi sidhe-sade prashn pe

aur ab vo nighahen phir se ho gayin sadak ki ore

aur main-ne jhuk kar kaha- haan bhai ,main bhi pita hun

vo to bas yun hi pooch liya aapse , varna

kise nahi bhayengi ?

nanhi kalayion ki gulabi churiyaan

KAL AUR AAJ

Abhi kal tak

Galiyaan dete they tumhe

Hatash khetihar ,

Abhi kal tak nahate they gauriyon ke jhund

Abhi kal tak pathrayi hui thi

Dhanhar kheton ki mati

Abhi kal tak dubke pade they mendhak,

Udaas badtang tha aasman !

Aur aaj upar hi upar tan gaye hai

Tumhare tambu

Aur aaj

Chahmka rahi hai pawas rani

Bunda – bundiyon ki apni payal,

Aur aaj chalu ho gayi hai,

Jhinguron ki sahnai a-viraam

Aur aaj zor se,

Nachte thirakte mor

Aur aaj vapas aa gayi jaan

Doob ki jhulsi shiraon ke andar

Aur aaj

Vida hua chupchap grism ,

Sametkar apna lav-laskar

KAI DINON TAK CHULHA NAHI JALA

Kai dino tak chulha roya chakki rahi udaas

Kai dino tak kani kutiya soyee uske paa

Kai dino tak lagi bhitpar chipkiliyon ki gast ,

Kai dino tak chulho ki bhi halat rahi shikast

Daane aaye ghar ke andar bahut dino ke baad ,

Dhuan utha aangan se upar bahut dino ke baad ,

Dhamk uthi ghar ki ankhen bahut dino ke baad ,

Kauvey ne khujlai paankhe bahut dino ke baad

SATYA

Satya ko lakva maar gya hai

Vo lambe kaath ki trah

Pada rahta hai sara din , sari raat

Voh fati-fati ankhon se

Tukur-tukur takta rahta hai sara din, sari raat

Koi bhi saamne se aaye-jaaye

Satya ki sooni nigahon me zara bhi fark nahi padta

Pathrayi nazaro se vo yun hi dekhta rahega

Sara-sara din , sari-sari raat

Satya ko lakva maar gaya hai !

Nagarjuna, ‘peoples poet’ popularly Known as ‘Baba’ among the Hindi lovers, died of asthma.Baba breathed his last in the Khwaja Sarai locality of Darbhanga town in Bihar in the small house of his eldest son, Shobha Kant. About a month before his death, his daughter-in-law made a sentimental appeal to all Hindi lovers to come forward and provide financial help to the seriously ill poet. Her appeal fell on deaf years.