ShringaraIntermediate

स्मृतिकण

Smritikan

1 min read 3 versesSeparation Memory Night

3 verses · ~1 min

क्या जाग रही होगी तुम भी? निष्ठुर-सी आधी रात प्रिये! अपना यह व्यापक अंधकार, मेरे सूने-से मानस में, बरबस भर देतीं बार-बार; मेरी पीडाएँ एक-एक, हैं बदल रहीं करवटें विकल; किस आशंका की विसुध आह! इन सपनों को कर गई पार

मैं बेचैनी में तडप रहा; क्या जाग रही होगी तुम भी? अपने सुख-दुख से पीडित जग, निश्चिंत पडा है शयित-शांत, मैं अपने सुख-दुख को तुममें, हूँ ढूँढ रहा विक्षिप्त-भ्रांत; यदि एक साँस बन उड सकता, यदि हो सकता वैसा अदृश्य

यदि सुमुखि तुम्हारे सिरहाने, मैं आ सकता आकुल अशांत पर नहीं, बँधा सीमाओं से, मैं सिसक रहा हूँ मौन विवश; मैं पूछ रहा हूँ बस इतना- भर कर नयनों में सजल याद, क्या जाग रही होगी तुम भी?

इति

Rasa: Shringara
Stanzas: 3
Lines: 13
Reading time: ~1 min
Form: Geet (lyric song)
Metre: geet
Rhyme: irregular

The poem evokes a poignant, nocturnal mood of intense shringara (romantic longing) marked by the heavy, melancholic ache of viraha (separation). Visually, a painting of this scene would depict a lone figure tossing restlessly in a dimly lit, shadowy room during the dead of night, surrounded by a vast, consuming darkness that mirrors the emptiness of the heart. The imagery is steeped in psychological yearning, contrasting the oblivious, peaceful sleep of the outside world with the narrator's frantic, wandering mind, perhaps visualizing a restless shadow or a phantom sigh crossing the distance to a distant beloved's bedside. This implies a narrative of helpless distance and emotional bondage, where the speaker is tethered by physical boundaries yet mentally consumed by the memory of the lover. The overall artistic tone is deeply romantic yet tragic and restless, pulsing with the silent, tearful interrogation of whether the beloved shares the same sleepless anguish across the night.

स्मृतिकण (Smritikan), by Bhagwati Charan Verma runs to 13 lines across 3 stanzas, set as Four-line stanzas (quatrains) with a recurring question. Its governing rasa is Shringara, shaded by Karuna. The metre is geet. Rhyme falls as irregular.

It belongs to the 1903 · 1981 span of Bhagwati Charan Verma's working life, and keeps the plain, spoken register that period is known for.

Read it for रात के सन्नाटे में प्रेमिका की व्याकुल याद and दूरी और विवशता का दर्द. 5 words in it carry older or regional senses, so the poem rewards a second pass.

The verse is hung beside Usha Dreaming: Bathed in a warm, ethereal glow, this romantic scene evokes a tranquil yet deeply yearning mood as the sleeping princess Usha is visited in slumber by the translucent apparition of her destined lover, Aniruddha. The…

Words worth pausing on

निष्ठुर: कठोर, दयाहीन
विकल: व्याकुल, परेशान
विसुध: बेसुध, अचेत
भ्रांत: भ्रमित, भटका हुआ
सुमुखि: सुंदर मुख वाली स्त्री

Threads

Separation Memory Night Love

The Poet

भगवतीचरण वर्मा

Bhagwati Charan Verma

1903 · 1981

Bhagwati Charan Verma stands as a giant in modern Hindi literature, possessing a rare ability to blend philosophical inquiry with compelling storytelling. Born in 1903 in Safipur, Uttar Pradesh, he initially practiced law before dedicating his life entirely to letters. His 1934 novel Chitralekha remains a landmark achievement, framing the eternal debate between sin and virtue through a highly sophisticated historical narrative that completely captivated readers and filmmakers alike. However, his poetic contributions were equally vital to the Hindi literary renaissance. Verma wrote verse that was deeply reflective and grounded in the shifting socio-economic realities of his time. He was honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961 for his epic work Bhoole Bisre Chitra and received the Padma Bhushan in 1971. He even served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. Verma died in 1981, leaving a legacy of literature that elegantly mapped the moral ambiguities of the human heart while maintaining absolute narrative clarity.