3 verses · ~1 min
मैं घमण्डों में भरा ऐंठा हुआ । एक दिन जब था मुण्डेरे पर खड़ा । आ अचानक दूर से उड़ता हुआ । एक तिनका आँख में मेरी पड़ा ।1।
मैं झिझक उठा, हुआ बेचैन-सा । लाल होकर आँख भी दुखने लगी । मूँठ देने लोग कपड़े की लगे । ऐंठ बेचारी दबे पाँवों भगी ।2।
जब किसी ढब से निकल तिनका गया । तब 'समझ' ने यों मुझे ताने दिए । ऐंठता तू किसलिए इतना रहा । एक तिनका है बहुत तेरे लिए ।3।
इति
The Poet
अयोध्या सिंह उपाध्याय ‘हरिऔध’
Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay 'Hariaudh'
1865 · 1947
Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay, widely known by his pen name Hariaudh, fundamentally altered the course of modern Hindi poetry. Born in 1865 in Nizamabad, Uttar Pradesh, he initially wrote in Braj Bhasha before making a decisive shift to Khari Boli. This transition proved historic. In 1914, he published Priyapravas, universally recognized as the very first epic poem written in modern Hindi. Hariaudh did not just write a monumental text. He proved that the everyday language of the people possessed the aesthetic gravity necessary for grand mythological narratives. His poetry seamlessly blended profound devotion with contemporary social reform, reimagining the divine figures of Radha and Krishna as dedicated servants of humanity. He served for decades as a professor at Banaras Hindu University, mentoring an entire generation of modern writers. Passing away in 1947, Hariaudh left a legacy that permanently established the structural foundations of contemporary Hindi literature.
Paired Painting
Sujata Offering Milk Rice to Siddhartha
This poignant scene captures a foundational moment in spiritual history, depicting the transition of Siddhartha Gautama from a period of extreme asceticism to the discovery of the Middle Way. Having fasted until his body was frail, Siddhartha realized that enlightenment could not be reached through the total neglect of the physical form. At this critical juncture, a village woman named Sujata appeared, moved by a divine impulse to offer him a golden bowl of milk rice. In this painting, her gaze is filled with a gentle, maternal reverence, while Siddhartha sits in a state of quiet grace, his head encircled by a soft, luminous halo. This act of compassion provided him the strength required to reach the final threshold of his awakening under the Bodhi tree. The artist masterfully blends the sacred and the mundane, suggesting that the path to the divine is often paved by the simplest acts of human kindness.
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