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Mahadevi Varma (26 March 1907 – 11 September 1987) was an Indian
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-language poet, essayist, sketch story writer and an eminent personality of Hindi literature. She is considered one of the four major pillars of the '' Chhayawadi'' era in
Hindi literature Hindi literature ( hi, हिन्दी साहित्य, translit=hindī sāhitya) includes literature in the various Hindi language which have writing systems. Earliest forms of Hindi literature are attested in poetry of Apabhraṃ ...
. She has been also addressed as the Modern
Meera Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...
. Poet
Nirala Nirala, real name Syed Muzaffar Husain Zaidi ( ur, ) (8 August 1937 – 9 December 1990) was a Pakistani comedian and film actor. He only appeared in Urdu films made in Pakistan. His first film was ''Aur bhi gham hain'' (1960). His last ...
had once called her "Saraswati in the vast temple of Hindi Literature". Varma had witnessed
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
both before and after independence. She was one of those poets who worked for the wider society of India. Not only her poetry but also her social upliftment work and welfare development among women were also depicted deeply in her writings. These largely influenced not only the readers but also the critics especially through her novel ''Deepshikha''. She developed a soft vocabulary in the Hindi poetry of Khadi Boli, which before her was considered possible only in
Braj bhasha The Braj language, ''Braj Bhasha'', also known as Vraj Bhasha or Vrij Bhasha or Braj Bhāṣā or Braji or Brij Bhasha or Braj Boli, is a Western Hindi language. Along with Awadhi (a variety of Eastern Hindi), it was one of the two predominant ...
. For this, she chose the soft words of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and Bangla and adapted to Hindi. She was well-versed in music. The beauty of her songs lies in the tone that captures the euphemistic style of sharp expressions. She started her career with teaching. She was the Principal of Prayag Mahila Vidyapeeth. She was married, but she chose to live an
ascetic Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
life. She was also a skilled painter and creative translator. She had the distinction of receiving all the important awards in
Hindi literature Hindi literature ( hi, हिन्दी साहित्य, translit=hindī sāhitya) includes literature in the various Hindi language which have writing systems. Earliest forms of Hindi literature are attested in poetry of Apabhraṃ ...
. As the most popular female litterateur of the last century, she remained revered throughout her life. The year 2007 was celebrated as her birth cenhenotenary. Later, Google also celebrated the day through its
Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
. Varma has written that she was very fortunate to be born into a liberal family at a time when a girl child was considered a burden upon the family. Her grandfather reportedly had the ambition of making her a scholar; although he insisted that she comply with tradition and marry at the age of nine. Her mother was fluent both in
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
, and was a very religious pious lady. Mahadevi credits her mother for inspiring her to write poems, and to take an interest in literature. Following her graduation in 1929, Mahadevi absolutely refused to go and live with her husband Swarup Narain Varma because they were incompatible. She found his hunting and meat-eating offensive.Since she had been married as a child, she was to go and live with her husband only after completing her education, as was the custom, but when she finished her BA, she absolutely refused to live with him. Her remorseful father offered to convert along with her if she wanted to divorce and remarry (as Hindus could not legally divorce at the time) but she refused, saying she wanted to remain single. She even unsuccessfully tried to convince her husband to remarry. Later, she was reported to have considered becoming a
Buddhist nun Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
but eventually chose not to, although she studied Buddhist
Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
and
Prakrit The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
texts as part of her master's degree.


Professional career


Literary

''Nihar'' (IPA : Nīhār) was her debut collection of poems. In 1930, ''Nihar'', in 1932, ''Rashmi'', in 1933, ''Neerja'' were composed by her. In 1935, her collection of poems called ''Sandhyageet'' was published. In 1939, four poetic collections were published with their artworks under the title ''Yama''. Apart from these, she had written 18 novels and short stories in which ''Mera Parivar'' (My Family), ''Smriti ki Rekhaye'' (Lines of Memory), ''Patha ke Sathi'' (Path's Companions), ''Srinkhala ke Kariye'' (Series of Links) and ''Atit ke Chalachrit'' (Past Movies) are prominent. She is also considered the pioneer of
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
in India.


Women's advocacy

Varma's career had always been revolved around writing, editing and teaching. She contributed significantly to the development of Prayag Mahila Vidyapeeth in Allahabad . This kind of responsibility was a considered a revolutionary step in the field of women's education during that time. She also had been its Principal. In 1923, she took over the women's leading magazine '' Chand'' . In the year 1955, Varma established the Literary Parliament in Allahabad and with the help of Ilachandra Joshi, and took up the editorship of its publication. She laid the foundation of women's poets' conferences in India. Mahadevi was greatly influenced by
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
. Under the influence of
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
, she took up a public service and worked in Jhansi alongside Indian freedom struggle. In 1937, Mahadevi Varma built a house in a village called ''Umagarh'',
Ramgarh, Uttarakhand : ''For other places with the same name, see Ramgarh'' Ramgarh is a small hill station and tourist destination on the way to Mukteshwar in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. This place is rich in orchards. An unobstructed view of the snow- ...
, 25 km from
Nainital Nainital ( Kumaoni: ''Naintāl''; ) is a city and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters o ...
. She named it Meera Temple. She started working for the village people and for their education till she stayed there. She did a lot of work especially for women's education and their economic self-sufficiency. Today, this bungalow is known as Mahadevi Sahitya Museum. In the series of attempts, she was able to raise the courage and determination for the liberation and development of women. The way she has condemned social stereotypes made her to be known as a woman liberationist. She had also been called a social reformer due to the development work and public service towards women and their education. Throughout her creations, there are no visions of pain or anguish anywhere, but the indomitable creative fury reflected in the society's indomitable desire for change and an innate attachment towards development. In ''Hindu Stree Ka Patnitva'' (The Wifehood of Hindu Women) marriage is compared to slavery. Not being affiliated to any political or financial authority, she writes, women are assigned to lives of being wives and mothers. Her feminism is often overshadowed by her poetic persona. Through poems like ''Cha'', she explored themes and ideas of female sexuality, while her short stories such as ''Bibia'', discusses the subject of experiences of women physical and mental abuse. She spent most of her life in
Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...
(Prayagraj) of
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
. She died in Allahabad on 11 September 1987.


Works

Varma was a poet as well as a distinguished prose writer. Her creations are as follows.


Poetry

* ''Nihar'' (1930) * ''Rashmi'' (1932) * ''Neerja'' (1933) * ''Sandhyageet'' (1935) * ''Pratham Ayam'' (1949) * ''Saptaparna'' (1959) * ''Deepshikha'' (1942) * ''Agni Rekha'' (1988) Several other poetic collections of Mahadevi Varma are also published, in which selected songs from the above compositions have been compiled.


Prose

List of selected prose works includes * '' Ateet Ke Chalchitr'' (1961) * ''Smriti ki Rekhaye'' (1943) * ''Patha ke Sathi'' (1956) * ''Mera Parivar'' (1972) * ''Sansmaran'' (1943) * ''Sambhasan'' (1949) * ''Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan'' (1942) * ''Vivechamanak Gadya'' (1972) * ''Skandha'' (1956) * ''Himalaya'' (1973)


Others

Two compilations of children poems of Mahadevi Varma are * ''Thakurji Bhole Hai'' * ''Aaj Kharidenge hum Jwala''


Critical analysis

A section of critics are those who believe that the poetry of Mahadevi is very personal. Her agony, anguish, compassion, is artificial. Moral critics like
Ramchandra Shukla Ram Chandra Shukla (4 October 1884 – 2 February 1941), better known as Acharya Shukla, was an Indian historian of Hindi literature. He is regarded as the first codifier of the history of Hindi literature in a scientific system by using wide, e ...
have put a question mark on the truth of her anguish and feelings. He quotes On the other hand
Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Hazari Prasad Dwivedi (19 August 190719 May 1979) was a Hindi novelist, literary historian, essayist, critic and scholar. He penned numerous novels, collections of essays, historical research on medieval religious movements of India especially K ...
consider her poetry to be a collective criterion. Poetic works like ''Deep'' from (Nihar), ''Madhur Madhur Mere Deepak Jal'' from (Neerja) and ''Mome Sa Tan Gal Hai'', concludes that these poems not only explain Mahadevi's self-centerness but also to be considered a representative form of general posture and texture of her poems. Satyaprakash Mishra says about her philosophy of metaphysics related to cinematography - American novelist David Rubin had said the following about her works Prabhakar Shrotriya believe that those who consider her a poetess of anguish and despair do not know how much fire there is in that suffering which exposes the truth of life. He says It is true that Varma's poetic world comes under the shadow of Chhayavaad (shadowism), but to see her poetry completely unconnected to her era, one would be doing injustice to her. Mahadevi was also a conscious writer. During the Bengal famine in 1973, she had published a poetry collection and also wrote a poem called "''Banga Bhu Shanth Vandana''" related to Bengal. Similarly, in response to the invasion of China, she had edited a collection of poems called ''Himalaya''.


Honours and awards

* 1956:
Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
*1979:
Sahitya Akademi Fellowship The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is a literary honour in India bestowed by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.Quote: "In his acceptance speech when India's National Academy of Letters (Sahitya Akademi) in 1997 conferred its h ...
*1982:
Jnanpith Award The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
for her poetry collection Yama. *1988:
Padma Vibhushan The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service" ...
Beside these, in 1979, the famous Indian filmmaker
Mrinal Sen Mrinal Sen (''Beng.'' মৃণাল সেন; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Bengali, and few Hindi and Telugu language films. Regarded as one of the finest Ind ...
produced a Bengali film on her memoir ''Woh Chini Bhai'' titled
Neel Akasher Neechey ''Neel Akasher Neechey'' (Bengali: নীল আকাশের নীচে ''Nil akasher niche'', "Under the Blue Sky") is a 1958 Bengali language drama film directed by Mrinal Sen and produced by Hemanta Mukherjee, starring Kali Bannerjee, Man ...
. On 14 September 1991, the Postal Department of the Government of India, issued a doubles stamp of 2 along with
Jaishankar Prasad Jaishankar Prasad (30 January 1889 15 November 1937) was a prominent figure in modern Hindi literature as well as Hindi theatre. Prasad was his pen name. He was also known as Chhayavadi poet. Poetic Prasad started writing poetry with the pe ...
, in her honor.


Literary contributions

The emergence of Mahadevi Varma in literature happened at a time when the shape of Khadi Boli was being refined. She introduced
Braj bhasha The Braj language, ''Braj Bhasha'', also known as Vraj Bhasha or Vrij Bhasha or Braj Bhāṣā or Braji or Brij Bhasha or Braj Boli, is a Western Hindi language. Along with Awadhi (a variety of Eastern Hindi), it was one of the two predominant ...
softness to Hindi poetry. She gave us a repository of songs with a heartfelt acceptance to Indian philosophy. In this way, she did an important work in the three fields of language, literature and philosophy which later influenced an entire generation. She created a unique rhythm and simplicity in the composition and language of her songs, as well as natural use of symbols and images that draw a picture in the mind of the reader. Her contribution to the prosperity of Chhayavadi poetry is very important. While
Jaishankar Prasad Jaishankar Prasad (30 January 1889 15 November 1937) was a prominent figure in modern Hindi literature as well as Hindi theatre. Prasad was his pen name. He was also known as Chhayavadi poet. Poetic Prasad started writing poetry with the pe ...
gave naturalization to the Chhayavadi poetry, Suryakant Tripathi ''Nirala'' embodied the liberation in it and
Sumitranandan Pant Sumitranandan Pant (20 May 1900 – 28 December 1977) was an Indian poet. He was one of the most celebrated 20th century poets of the Hindi language and was known for romanticism in his poems which were inspired by nature, people and beauty wit ...
brought the art of delicateness, but Varma embodied life to the Chhayavadi poetry. The most prominent feature of her poetry is emotionalism and intensity of feeling. Such lively and tangible manifestation of the subtlest subtle expressions of the heart makes 'Varma' among the best Chhayavadi poets. She is remembered with respect for her speeches in Hindi. Her speeches were full of compassion for the common man and firm of truth. At 3rd
World Hindi Conference The World Hindi Conference, in Hindi: Vishva Hindi Sammelan ( hi, विश्व हिंदी सम्मेलन), is a world conference on Hindi language. It consists of several Hindi scholars, writers and laureates from different parts ...
, 1983, Delhi, she was the chief guest of the closing ceremony. Apart from the original creations, she was also a creative translator with works like in her translation ' ''Saptaparna'' ' (1980). With the help of her cultural consciousness, she has presented 39 selected important pieces of Hindi poetry in her work by establishing the identity of
Vedas upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
,
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
,
Theragatha The ''Theragatha'' (''Verses of the Elder Monks'') is a Buddhist text, a collection of short poems in Pali attributed to members of the early Buddhist sangha. It is classified as part of the Khuddaka Nikaya, the collection of minor books in the ...
and the works of Ashwaghosh,
Kalidas Kālidāsa (''fl.'' 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and ...
,
Bhavabhuti Bhavabhūti (Devanagari: भवभूति) was an 8th-century scholar of India noted for his plays and poetry, written in Sanskrit. His plays are considered the equal of the works of Kalidasa. Bhavabhuti was born in Padmapura, Vidarbha, in Gond ...
and
Jayadeva Jayadeva (; born ), also spelt Jaideva, was a Sanskrit poet during the 12th century. He is most known for his epic poem ''Gita Govinda'' which concentrates on Krishna's love with the '' gopi'', Radha, in a rite of spring. This poem, which presen ...
. At the beginning, in the 61-page ' ''Apna Baat'' ', she has given a thorough research in relation to this invaluable heritage of Indian wisdom and literature, which enriches the overall thinking and fine writing of Hindi, not just limited female writing.


See also

*
Chhayavaad Chhayavad ( hi, छायावाद) (approximated in English as "Romanticism", literally "Shaded") refers to the era of Neo-romanticism in Hindi literature, particularly Hindi poetry, 1922–1938, and was marked by an increase of romantic and ...
*
Jaishankar Prasad Jaishankar Prasad (30 January 1889 15 November 1937) was a prominent figure in modern Hindi literature as well as Hindi theatre. Prasad was his pen name. He was also known as Chhayavadi poet. Poetic Prasad started writing poetry with the pe ...
*
Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' Suryakant Tripathi "Nirala" (21 February 1897 – 15 October 1961) was an Indian poet, novelist, essayist and story-writer who wrote in Hindi. He was also an artist, who drew many contemporary sketches. Biography Tripathi was born on 2 ...
*
Sumitranandan Pant Sumitranandan Pant (20 May 1900 – 28 December 1977) was an Indian poet. He was one of the most celebrated 20th century poets of the Hindi language and was known for romanticism in his poems which were inspired by nature, people and beauty wit ...


References


Citations


Sources

* * * * *


Notes


Further reading

* * * * *


External links

* *
Mahadevi Verma at Kavita Kosh
(Hindi)
Mahadevi Verma , Kavishala Sootradhar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varma, Mahadevi 1907 births 1987 deaths Hindi-language poets Hindi-language writers Indian women poets Indian women educational theorists People from Farrukhabad Writers from Allahabad University of Allahabad alumni Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in literature & education Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship Recipients of the Jnanpith Award Poets from Uttar Pradesh Women writers from Uttar Pradesh 20th-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Indian educational theorists Novelists from Uttar Pradesh Indian women novelists 20th-century Indian novelists Indian women short story writers 20th-century Indian short story writers Women educators from Uttar Pradesh Educators from Uttar Pradesh Women school principals and headteachers 20th-century women educators