3 verses · ~1 min
बिना विचारे जो करै, सो पाछे पछिताय। काम बिगारै आपनो, जग में होत हंसाय॥
जग में होत हंसाय, चित्त चित्त में चैन न पावै। खान पान सन्मान, राग रंग मनहिं न भावै॥
कह 'गिरिधर कविराय, दु:ख कछु टरत न टारे। खटकत है जिय मांहि, कियो जो बिना बिचारे॥
इति
The Poet
गिरिधर
Giridhar Kavirai
1713 · 1740s
In the vast tradition of Indian poetry, most writers sought the patronage of kings or wrote exclusively in devotion to the divine. Giridhar Kavirai chose a different path entirely. He directed his verse toward the ordinary householder trying to navigate the practical complexities of daily life. Active in the eighteenth century, Giridhar perfected the Kundaliya, a demanding six-line poetic form that circles back on its opening word. He used this structure not for romantic subjects, but to deliver sharp and pragmatic wisdom. His verses served as a survival guide for the common man. He addressed everything from the unpredictable nature of wealth to the difficulty of identifying true friends. He wrote in an accessible, straightforward dialect of Braj and Awadhi. These practical maxims resonated so deeply with rural populations that people memorized them across generations without ever needing printed books. Giridhar Kavirai remains a poet of lived experience, offering grounded moral clarity for an unpredictable world.
Paired Painting
Sakuntala and Durvasa
This poignant scene captures a tragic pivot in the life of Sakuntala, the heroine of Kalidasa's timeless masterpiece, Abhijnanashakuntalam. Lost in her devotion and memories of her beloved King Dushyanta, Sakuntala fails to notice the arrival of the formidable sage Durvasa at the hermitage. The artist masterfully portrays the profound contrast between the serene, distracted grace of Sakuntala and the fiery, righteous indignation of the sage, whose wrathful curse threatens to unravel her destiny. It is a moment of heavy silence and impending sorrow, rendered with a deep sensitivity toward the emotional landscape of Indian classical literature.
Open the viewer →