Inseparable Bond Between Spirituality and Literature: an Inevitable Feature of the Middle Age Indian Poetry Jagdish V

The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-4-3

Inseparable Bond between Spirituality and Literature: An Inevitable feature of the Middle Age Indian Poetry Jagdish V. Anerao Smt. AP Patel Arts & Com. College, Naroda, Ahmedabad [email protected], Mo. 9825604664 Though the ancient Indian poetry is in Sanskrit, the Indian poetry today is written in over 18 languages and over one hundred dialects. Right from the earliest Sanskrit poetry till the end of the seventeenth century, the Indian poetry is essentially marked by spirituality. The poet in the Indian context is a seer who visualizes the presence of the Almighty in all entities, be it animate or be it inanimate. This aspect is vividly reflected not only in the Indian poetry but also in the poetry of the subsequent ages. I have attempted to trace out spirituality in the Indian poetry of the Middle Ages. I have picked up samples from the Indian poetry in Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati besides making passing References : to the Indian poetry in Tamil and Bengali. Needless to say that the age is marked by the devotional poetry, hence we find an undercurrent of the spirituality in the poetry of this period. Key words: Indian poetry, Abhang, Hymns, Spirituality, Devotional poetry, Shlok

काव्यं यशसे अथक्रथ ु ते व्यवहारववदे, शशवेतररऺतये । 1 स饍य् ऩरतनर्व्ुत्तथ ये कान्तासंशमततयाउऩदेशयुजे ॥ So said the great Sanskrit critic Acharya Mammat in the very opening chapter of his magnum opus Kavyaprakash, some two thousand years ago. Delineating the aims and objectives of the poery, in this oft-quoted verse, Acharya Mammat said that the poetry primarily teaches and moves; protects from the evils; earns name, fame and livelihood. Interestingly, most western theologists also in a way, reciprocated Acharya Mammat‘s view of the functions of poetry, what Acharya Mammat meant was something typically Indian in nature. If we are to analyze Acharya Mammat‘s views on poetry, they might be better summed up in one word, and that word is Spirituality. In fact, we find the undercurrent of spirituality flowing in the ancient Indian poetry and indeed, it is at the core of all poetry in the Indian languages till at least the Middle Ages. The Indian poetry produced from the thirteenth century till the seventeenth century is marked by an undercurrent of spirituality, irrespective of its lingual and cultural diversities. Thus, Meerabai‘s devotional verses in Hindi and Gujarati, Narasinh Mehta‘s in Gujarati, Surdas‘s in Hindi, Tulsidas‘s in Sanskrit and Hindi bear the mark of spirituality; so do the devotional verses of Purandar Swami and Tiruvalluvar in Tamil, those of Dnaneshwar, Samarh Ramdas Swami and Tukaram in Marathi and many other poets in their respective regional languages. The poetry of all these Saint-Poets belonging to lingual diversity prevailed across India during the middle age. What is common core in the poetry of all these stalwarts of the Indian poetry is but spirituality. Spirituality, especially in the Indian context, assumes a special significance and meaning which is by and large missing the narrative of the West precisely because of the difference of the cultural grooming. I am well aware of the fact that spirituality in itself is a wider term that involves greater interpretations and meanings; I would therefore not venture into those deep seas. Instead, I would present the term spirituality, in the Indian context, as the visualization

Volume:1| 2019 www.baou.edu.in Page 294

The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-4-3 of the manifestation of the Almighty in all the entities; animate as well as inanimate. Spirituality ensures identification of the Divine and all the entities, it visualizes the pan- presence of the Divine. This visualization envisages the presence of the Divine in all the entities and therefore ensures the well-being and salvation of all, irrespective of the class, creed or the faith. Visualizing the presence of the Almighty in all the entities is what the Spirituality in India is all about. The Indian poets right from the time immemorial have been singing in the praise of this Ultimate Truth or the ब्रह्मन ्in their poetry. Thus, what the Indian poet or the seer sees is presence of the divinity in literally everything. For him, there remains no dividing line between the worshipper and the Worshipped. It is this visualization that makes the spirituality an integral part of the Indian poetry. Besides, it was the poetic expression of this very visualization that had earned the first Nobel Prize to an Indian way back in 1913. We know how the whole of the Western world was taken aback while reading Geetanjali as Tagore‘s visualization of the man‘s proximity with the God was something which the West could not digest so easily. I have attempted to justify my conviction that spirituality is an integral part of the Indian poetry on the basis of a sample study of the representative Indian poetry in Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi and Sanskrit written during the middle age, that is from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century. Saint Dnyaneshwar (or Dnyandev or simply Mauli-1275–1296) is a most revered name in the Marathi poetry. The 13th-century Marathi saint-poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath tradition is revered because of his two works-Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav which are considered to be milestones in Marathi literature. ऩसायदान or the epilogue to his magnum opus Dnyaneshwari is the poet‘s selfless expression for the wellbeing of all. He prays;

जो जे वांछीऱ तो ते ऱाहो । प्राणीजात ॥….

ककं बहुना सवथ सुखी । ऩूण थ होऊनी ततही ऱोकी । 1 भजी जो आदद ऩ셂खीं । अखंडडत ॥ Let each desire of every entity e fulfilled… Let every entity worship the Ultimate and be happy in all the Three Lokas. It may be observed that Dnyaneshwar ensures salvation to one and all but nowhere in his abhangs – hymns and in the Dnyaneshwari did he lay down any dictate to be followed in order to attain it. His ऩसायदान tells it all. Another seventeenth century Marathi saint-poet revered by every Marathi home is Samarth Sant Ramadas Swami whose verses are always available as a ready reference on the Marathi tongues. The abundance of his inspirational poetry is marked by the strong longing for the total submission to the Supreme Power. The gist of all his devotional poetry may be best summed up in the following verse from his Manaa che Shlok.

मना स煍जना भक्तत ऩंथे ची जावᴂ, तरर श्री हरर ऩाववजᴂ तो स्वभावे ।

1 जनी तनन्饍य ते सवथ सवथ सोडुनी 饍यावᴂ, जनी वन्饍य ते सवथ भावᴂ करावᴂ ॥

Volume:1| 2019 www.baou.edu.in Page 295

The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-4-3

Here, the Marathi saint poet advises us to follow the path of devotion in order to attain the salvation and to be benevolent to all. In Daas Bodh, his magnum opus, he reiterates the importance of the spirituality for the well-being and welfare of the whole mankind. Thus his verses are nothing but an expression of the spirituality. Next poet is Narsinh Mehta (1414–1481). The saint-poet of Gujarat is especially revered in Gujarati literature as its Adi Kavi. He is notable as an exponent of Vaishnavait poetry who wrote apart from several narrative poems, over 400 Bhajans. His bhajan Vaishnav Jan To Tene Re Kahiye Je Peed Paraai Jaane Re was Mahatma Gandhi‘s favourite. This hymn vividly identifies the worshipper and the Worshipped. Look through the following stanza no. 3 and 4

મોહ માયા 훍યા઩ે નહહ 狇ને, દૃઢ ળૈરા廍ય 狇ના મનમા廒 રે રામનામ શ 廒 તાલી રે ઱ાગી, સકલ તીરથ તેના તનમા廒 રે ॥૩॥

ળણ઱ોભી ને ક઩ટ રહહત છે, કામ ક્રોધ નનળાયા廒 રે ભણે નરસ⊂યો તેન 廒 દ઴શન કરતા廒, ક લ એકોતેર તાયા廒 રે ॥૪॥ In this hymn, the devotional poet Narsinh Mehta likens the benevolent person with the Almighty and adds that his body in itself is the embodiment of all pilgrim places. This is the ultimate reality of the spirituality.

In another hymns, ભત લ ભ囍તત ઩દારથ મોટ 廒 and અખિ઱ બ્ર્હ્ા廒ડમા廒 એક ત 廒 શ્રી હહર, this Gujarati poet shows the supremacy of the devotion in this worldly life and highlights the omnipresence of the Almighty. Indeed, his devotional poetry is marked by his own identification with Lord Shri Krishna, thus ciphering the difference between the worshipper and the Worshipped. I would next touch upon the devotional poetry of the Sixteenth century bilingual poetess Meerabai (or Mirabai). For the sake of her devotion for Lord Shri Krishna, she left her Royal family and palace and migrated to Dwarika which was founded by Lord Shri Krishna. Her earlier hymns are in Hindi while the later ones are in Gujarati. A staunch devotee of Lord Shri Krishna, she initially wrote poetry in the praise of Shri Ram but towards the later part of her life, she wrote devotional poetry in the praise of Lord Shri Krishna. The life and work of Meerabai show that there is easy for the human being to identify with the Almighty and attain the salvation. A casual look on the following verse written during her young age tells it all;

मेरे तो गगररधर गोऩाऱ, दसु रⴂ न कोई ।

जा के शीर मोर मुकु ट, मेरो ऩतत सो ही ॥ Another of her very popular bhajan likens the it chanting of the name of Shri Ram with a treasure trove that neither anyone can steal nor can be diminished but grows incessantly day by day;

ऩायोजी मैने राम रतन धन ऩायो……

खरचे ना खटु े, चोर ना ऱूटे,

Volume:1| 2019 www.baou.edu.in Page 296

The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-4-3

ददन ददन बढत सवायो,

ऩायोजी मैने राम रतन धन ऩायो… It is imperative to note how wonderfully the novice Meerabai has in this bhajan linked the materialism with spiritualism. The following verse written during the same phase tells of her inexpressible anxiety over her devotion for the Lord;

ऐ री मℂ तो प्रेम ददवानी, मेरा दरद न जाने कोई | The following bhajan of Meerabai written in the praise of Shri Ram, in Gujarati signifies that the human being should abide by the God‘s will;

રામ રાિે તેમ રહીયે, ઓધળ狀, રામ રાિે તેમ રહીયે,

આ઩ણે તો ખિઠ્ઠીના િાકર છૈયે, ઓધળ狀, રામ રાિે તેમ રહીયે.. Meerabai is credited with over one thousand devotional poems. Though the number is a matter of debate, certain is the fact that the undercurrent of spirituality and devotion flows incessantly through all her creations. I would like to conclude my presentation with some glimpses from the Sanskrit poetry produced during the Middle Age. There is abundance of poetry in Sanskrit till eighteenth century. One of the greatest exponent of the Sanskrit poetry in the Middle Age was the spiritual poet-saint Shrimad Vallabhacharya who had composed a bulk of the devotional poetry in Sanskrit; of which the Shodashah Granthah or the collection of sixteen holy books is the all time popular, among all generations of the Vaishnavas. His Sanskrit poetry is marked by the assurance of attainment of the salvation through the path of spirituality. Similarly, the all time greatest Hindi poet Saint Tulsidas also has profusely written in Sanskrit. The sixteenth century Hindi poet‘s Sanskrit competence is visible in the Ramcharitmanas, his magnum opus. The very opening verse of the canto is indicative of his unshakable faith in the Almighty for the well-being of all;

1 मंगऱानां च कताथरौ, वन्दे वाणीववनायकौ…॥ The very second verse also reciprocates the same conviction;

1 याभयां ववनां न ऩश्यक्न्त शसधधा् स्वान्थस्थशमश्वरं । Then Saint Tulsidas proceeds to candidly pronounce his aim of writing the poetic narrative of the story of Shri Rama that became the magnum opus of the Hindi literature;

1 स्वान्त् सुखाय तुऱसी रघुनाथगाथा… Here, he proclaims that he wrote this epic for his well-being.What is significant about The Ramacharitamanas is that though Saint Tulsidas admits to have written the रघुनाथ गाथा for his own wellbeing, this historic epic in Hindi ends with the following verse;

ऩु赍यं ऩाऩहरं सदा शशवकरं ववऻानभक्ततप्रदं, मायामोहमऱाऩहं सुववमऱं प्रेमाम्बुऩूरं शुभं । 1 … …… …. ….. ……. …… …… ….. …. दह्यक्न्त न मानवा् ॥

Volume:1| 2019 www.baou.edu.in Page 297

The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-4-3

Thus, he ensures the well-being of the human beings through the path of the spirituality, cutting across the class, creed or cult lines. Taking cue from the samples quoted from the representative Indian poetry in Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi and Sanskrit languages; it would be easy to conclude that spirituality has been an inseparable and integral part of the Middle Age Indian literature in general and the poetry in particular, and that this fact is true of the poetry of all Indian languages of the period.

Volume:1| 2019 www.baou.edu.in Page 298