5 verses · ~1 min
क्या कहें कुछ कहा नहीं जाता। बिन कहे भी रहा नहीं जाता।1।
बे तरह दुख रहा कलेजा है। दर्द अब तो सहा नहीं जाता।2।
इन झड़ी बाँधा कर बरस जाते। आँसुओं में बहा नहीं जाता।3।
चोट खा खा मसक मसक करके। भीत जैसा ढहा नहीं जाता।4।
थक गया, हाथ कुछ नहीं आया। मुझ से पानी महा नहीं जाता।5।
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
Journey's End
In Journey's End, Abanindranath Tagore captures a moment of profound and heartbreaking stillness. An exhausted camel, overburdened by a massive, heavy pack, collapses onto the earth under a smoldering, desolate sky. The animal's large, soulful eye conveys a quiet resignation, speaking volumes about endurance, suffering, and the quiet dignity found in the final moments of labor. Painted in 1913, during a period when India was awakening to a renewed sense of national identity, many art historians interpret the fallen beast as a subtle allegory for the relentless exploitation of the subcontinent under colonial rule. Through delicate washes of tempera, Tagore evokes an atmosphere of deep melancholy and spiritual gravity, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the hidden burdens carried by the vulnerable.
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