4 verses · ~1 min
जो न परम कोमलता उसकी रही विमलता में ढाली। जो माई के लाल कहाने की न लसी उस पर लाली। कातर जन की कातरता हर होती है जो शान्ति महा। उसकी मंजु व्यंजना द्वारा जो वह व्यंजित नहीं रहा।
लोकप्यार-आलोकों से जो आलोकित वह हुआ नहीं। पूत प्रीति पुलकित धाराएँ जो उस पर पलपल न बहीं। देश-प्रेम की कलित कान्ति से कान्ति मान वह जो न मिला। जाति-हितों के वर विकास से जो वह विकसित हो न खिला।
होकर सिक्त रुचिर रस से जो रसमयता उसकी न बढ़ी। सुन्दरता में से जो उसकी सुरभि परम सुन्दर न कढ़ी। जो वह भाव-भक्ति-आभा से बहु आभामय नहीं बना। जो वह पातक-तिमिर-निवारक प्रभा-पुंज में नहीं सना।
जो उदारता दया दान की दमक न दे उसको दमका। जो न जन्मभू-हित-चिन्ता की चाह चमक से वह चमका। तो मानवता-रत मानव का बना सकेगा मुदित न मन। विधु सा विपुल विनोद-निकेतन बारिज जैसा विकच वदन।
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
Swarna Mohini
This transcendent work by Raja Ravi Varma captures a timeless vision of ethereal grace, depicting a serene maiden delicately draped in shimmering pink silks as she walks amidst a tranquil lotus pond. Varma masterfully bridges classical Indian aesthetic traditions with European academic realism, creating a visual language that immortalized mythological and idealized archetypes. The flowing veil billows softly in an unseen breeze, framing her gentle expression and bestowing a divine, captivating aura upon the scene. As viewers, we are invited into a sacred sanctuary of nature where beauty, peace, and spiritual devotion intertwine harmoniously.
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