Sudama Charit’ and the Characterization of Sudama-Patni

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THEMES OF FRIENDSHIP IN GUJARATI LITERATURE: A CASE STUDY OF ADI KAVI NARSINH MEHTA’S ‘SUDAMA CHARIT’ AND THE CHARACTERIZATION OF SUDAMA-PATNI

Dr. Darshini Dadawala Assistant Professor Department of Gujarati, Faculty of Arts The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Abstract: Themes and stories relating to friendship abound in various literary texts, both fictional and autobiographical. Such themes are found in both prose and poetry. This paper highlights how the famous medieval-era Gujarati poet Narsinh Mehta deals with the sentiment of friendship between Sudama and Lord Krishna in his narrative poetry titled “Sudama Charit’. The paper also brings out the distinctiveness of this narrative, as it not only focuses on the importance and sublime character of the friendship between Sudama and Lord Krishna but also brings to light the strong character of Sushila, wife of Sudama. During the period when it was not commonplace among poets to glorify the role of women characters, Narsinh Mehta departs from this practice by projecting Sudama-Patni as a character equal in importance to Sudama and Lord Krishna in the unfolding of this ever-lasting narrative.

Index Terms - Sudama Charit, Sudama Charitra, Lord Krishna, Narrative Poems in Gujarati

Friendship is one of the most valuable sentiments and relationships that a human being can aspire to experience. As friendship is a universal value, it is represented prominently in all literature in almost all societies. India’s literary and cultural traditions have also given due importance to the idea of friendship. Exploring friendship as a theme has been a focus of critical literary studies in academia too. 'Sudama Charitra' is a story of the inspiring friendship between Lord Krishna and Sudama, having its roots in the original classic Bhagawat Puran, one of the eighteen Puranas written in the Sanskrit language. This highly popular and revered story has travelled from the source to the various Indian languages and has been interpreted by many authors in their own style over the centuries. One such popular interpretation of Bhagawat Puran is by the 15th-century poet-saint of Gujarat Narsinh Mehta, who is acclaimed as the ‘Adi Kavi’ (first among poets) in Gujarati. Narsinh Mehta wrote a narrative poem titled ‘Sudama Charit’. ‘Sudama Charit’ is one of the first narrative poems in Gujarati. Narsinh is considered as the pioneer of the narrative poetry in Gujarati, from whom the subsequent narrative poets like Premanand picked up the style and content. In this famous work, Narsinh Mehta has given expression to the sentiment of love and affection between Lord Krishna and his childhood friend Sudama. Lord Krishna is the King of Dwarika, while Sudama is a poor Brahmin. Sudama’s wife Sushila persuades him to pay a visit to Krishna as she feels that Krishna is the only person who could help them overcome their poverty. Sudama was initially reluctant to meet Krishna as he was now the King but acceded to his wife’s repeated requests after she persisted with her persuasion. When Sudama finally went to see Krishna, he was surprised to find Krishna overjoyed to see his childhood friend after many years. Krishna welcomed him with a lot of enthusiasm and gave him the most warm- hearted hospitality. The rich-poor difference between them did not divide their friendship. Without hurting

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© 2019 JETIR January 2019, Volume 6, Issue 1 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) the honour of his friend, Krishna helped Sudama, without him even asking for any help and performed his duty of friendship. Sudama experienced a sense of being blessed by Krishna’s kind gestures. One of the most important features of Narsinh Mehta’s ‘Sudama Charit’ is the prominence and centrality that the poet gives to the character of Sushila, wife of Sudama. She is a lesser-known character in other similar narratives on Sudama-Krishna friendship. Sushila was a devoted wife and a caring mother. Though living in extreme poverty, she never dishonoured her husband. For the sake of her children’s good only, she reminded Sudama of his childhood friendship with Lord Krishna and persuades him to pay a visit to him. Below are reproduced some of the original verses from Gujarati by Narsinh Mehta which describe the scenes between Sudama-Patni and Sudama:

'જદુ પતિ નાથ િ ે તિત્ર છે િિ િણા, જાઓ વગે ે કરી કૃષ્ણ પાસે; પ્રીિ પરૂ વ િણી, હિે ધરશે હરર, િન િણા િનોરથ સફળ થાશે. , ; ઘરે બાળક સહુ દુ ુઃખ પાિે બહુ વસ્ત્ર ને અન્નથી રહે છે ઊણાાં , . તનધધન સરજજયાાં પણ્ુ ય કીધા તવના કિધના દોષ િે આવી પણ્ૂ યા જગિપતિ જાદવો, ભક્તિવશ િાધવો, કરશે કરુણા પ્રભ ુ દીન જાણી; ગોિિીસ્નાનથી કોરિ અઘ નાસશે તનરખિા ાં કૃષ્ણને પ્રિે આણી. કૃષ્ણને હળીિળી શીઘ્ર ે આવો વળી, જાણશે ત્રીઠ િે ᚂિરજાિી; વીનિી િન ઘરો, આળસ પરહરો, સહાય થાશે નરસ⊂યાનો સ્વાિી.'

(‘Jadupati naath te mitra che tam tana, jaao vege kari Krushna paase; Preet purav tani, het dharshe hari, man tano manorath safal thashe. Gher balak sahu dukh paame bahu, vastra ne anna thi che oona; Nirdhan sarjiyan punya kidha vina, karm na dosh te aavi punya. Jagatpati jaadavo, bhaktivash madhavo, karshe karuna prabhu din jaani; Gomtisnan thi koti agh naasashe neerakhtaan Krushna ne prem aani. Krushna ne hadimadi sheegrah aavo vadi, jaanshe treeth te antarjami; Vinati mann dharo, aalas parharo, sahaay thaashe Narsayyan no swami.’)

સ્વાિી! સાચ ુાં ક,ુાં બોલવ ુાં હવે ર,ુાં કાંથના ાં વચન િ ે વદે વાણી; , . ભવ િણુાં પણ િે ભક્તિ ભધૂ ર િણી િહે હુાં પ્રીછવુાં સ્નહે આણી નથી હરર વગે ળા, ભક્તિભાવે ભલા, રાય ને રાંક તયા ાં એક ઘાિે; કોરિધ્વજ લખપતિ િનાં ના'ણે રિી, શક્ર સરખા તિહા ાં નરહ રે સાિે. બ્રહ્મણ્ય દેવ દયાળ શ્રીકૃષ્ણજી, તનજ જન જાણીને સધૂ લશે ;ે પ્રીિની રીિ િે જાય નરહ વીસરી, બાળલીલા િણા ાં ચરરિ કહશે ે.'

(‘Swami! Saachu kahyun, bolvu have rahyun, kanth na vachan te vedvaani; Bhav tanu pan te bhakti bhoodhar tani, the hoon preenchvun sneh aani. Nathi Hari vegda, bhaktibhaave bhala, ray ne rank tyan ek ghaate; Kotidhwaj lakhpati mann naa’ne rati, shakra sarkha teehan nahi re saate. Brahmnaya dev dayal Shri Krushnaji, nij jan jaani ne sudh leshe; Preet ni reet te jay nahi visari, baalleela tana charit kheshe.’)

વીનિી વળી કરાંુ, ભિે લાવી ધરાંુ, પોતિયે િાદાં ુ લ-ગાઠાં બાધાં ો;

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જાણશે થોડ ે ઘણ,ુાં ભાવ-ભોજન િણ,ુાં ધન્ય શ્રીકૃષ્ણ-શ ુાં સ્નહે સાધો. ભીલડીના ાં બોર િે ભાવે આરોગગયા,ાં જૂઠડુ ાં અન્ન આહીરન ુાં લીધ;ુાં ભતિ તવદુ રની ભાજી ભાવ ે જ뫍યા, ભપૂ ન ુાં નોિરાંુ પાછ ાં કીધ.ુાં , - ; પરે ે પરે ે પાડાં વનાાં કષ્િ તનવારરયાાં ભતિ કારણ કાંઈ દુ ષ્િ િાયાધ , . ⪂ચને નીચનુાં એને છે પારખુાં પતિિ અધિી કાંઈ કોરિ િાયાધ ભક્તિવશ તવઠ્ઠલો સિાં સાથે ભલો, સિો વિે, નવ ચકૂ ે િાણ;ે સિાં સિરે તિહા ાં આવી ઊભો રહ,ે ભતિના િન િણો ભાવ જાણે. જાઓ વગે ે કરી, જુઓ મક્ુ તિપરુ ી.’ કાતિનીએ કાંથને બાહાં ે ઝા쫍યો.

(Vinati vadi karun, bhet laavi dharun, potiye taandul-gaanth baandho; Jaanshe thode ghanu, bhaav-bhojan tanu, dhanya Shri Krushna-shoon sneh saadho. Bheeldi na bor te bhaave aarogiyan, joothdun ann aahir nu lidhun; Bhakt vidoor ni bhaaji bhaave jamya, bhoop nu notrun paachun kidhun. Pere pere paandav na kasht nivariyaan, bhakt-kaaran kai dusht maarya; Oonch ne neech nu ene che paarkhun, patit adharm kai koti taarya. Bhaktivash vitthalo sant saathe bhalo, samo varte, nav chuke taane; Sant samre tinha aavi ubho rahe, bhakt na mann tano bhaav jaane, Jaao vege kari, juo muktipuri.’ Kaamini ae kanth ne baanhe jhalyaa.)

* Summarised, the above verses state that Sushila, looking to her extreme poverty, is persuading Sudama to pay a visit to Krishna and rejuvenate their friendship. She further states that her children have no clothes to wear and are facing hunger. She feels that this state of poverty is the result of their ‘karma’. If Sudama pays a visit to Krishna, because of his love, their sins shall be pardoned. Moreover, Krishna being an ‘antaryami’, will understand Sudama’s plight and help him overcome the extreme poverty that his family is facing. In the above verses, it is observed that Sudama’s wife is relentless in persuading Sudama to pay a visit to Krishna for the betterment of their children. Though Sudama is complacent about the idea, she feels quite avid and enthusiastic about it. Her state of poverty is saddening but she is not bogged down by the same. Instead, is looking for a solution to her worries. She, though facing questions from Sudama, doesn’t get agitated but provides logical reasons to clear his doubts. From the answers that she gives to Sudama, it can be seen that she has a deep understanding of life and a mature outlook towards relationships. She suggests that there is no need to ask, but having faith in his relationship with Lord Krishna, he will understand and do the needful. She succeeds in clearing Sudama’s inhibitions and motivates him to rejuvenate his friendship with Krishna. Her worry for the well-being of her children states her genuineness towards her responsibility of being a ‘mother’. Sudama-Patni, who is sincerely trying to find solutions to the problems of her family as a wife and as a mother without losing her dignity, is one of the least talked-about characters in the religious and literary writings. In the poem of Narsinh Mehta, she has received a highly dignified visualisation. Here, Narsinh’s wit and intelligence are evident in the descriptions and characterisation of her role in Sudama-Krishna friendship. The character of Sudama-patni - in control of her emotions and behaviour and fully composed and fulfilled - is unique in such category of literature. In the conversations between Sudama and Sushila, the silence of the unsaid words say much more than the spoken phrases. Their dialogues do not highlight the obvious, which is their plight, but the rejuvenation of Krishna-Sudama’s childhood friendship and their affection for each other. Her efforts are selfless, as her requests are not for herself but for bettering the situation of her house, husband and her children.

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So, it could be concluded that though Sudama shows extreme reluctance and complacency, Sudama-Patni’s efforts not only show her patience and composure but also reflects her belief in the idea and her conviction towards finding a solution to a long-prevailing situation of poverty and sadness. It shows her readiness, strong-will and her thoughtfulness towards resolving issues.

REFERENCES:

હ િહિે ાકૃિ સદુ ાિા ચરરત્રﺂ狇સલપરુ ા, તશવલાલ (સાંપાદક). નરતસ (1 2) Shukla-Bhatt, Neelima.(2015). Narsimha Mehta of Gujarat: A Legacy of Bhakti in Songs and Stories. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

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