Synopsis of Kanupriya

This book of Poetry the poet has attempted to describe and define the relationship of Radha andKrishna from the point of view of Radha. The entire composition has been divided into four sections: Poorvraag, Manjari Parinay, Srishti Sankalp, and finally Itihaas.

Poorvraag:

As the name suggests, in this section, the poet describes the first meeting between Radha and Krishna. Of how Krishna pretends to be indifferent to Radha in the beginning and later how he demands nothing short of complete surrender. Radha right from the beginning suspects that Krishna is a part of her being and that they are in fact one. The physical distance between them makes her feel incomplete and she yearns for union with her Lord, but at the same time she is unable to cross the barriers of the Society as well as that of her own innate shyness. She regrets that she left him yearning for her.There is a sense of dissolution of the self, blending into the Eternal. Radha sees Krishna in the Nature around her- in the swirling waters of the Yamuna that caresses her as she bathes.The situation described in this section could be likened to the yearning of the soul to become One with God/ Brahman-The Spiritual Union is perhaps projected, as the extension of the Physical consummation of Radha's and Krishna's Love, the soul yearning for dissolution in the Brahman.

Manjari Parinay:

In this section Radha attempts to define her relationship, to put a name to the relationship she has with Krishna. At times she finds a name, but at other times she is confused-We are given to understand that they have consummated their love. However Radha's mind is filled with doubt, fear, sadness, pain-This fear prevents her from going to Krishna when he calls out to her, but later she cannot stay back, and she pleads with him to understand her plight, her fears- The fact that they are not married obviously bothers her and she asks of Krishna that in scattering the saffron flowers of the "Aamra Baur" did he indicate that he was filling her "sooni maang"-the symbolic filling of the parting in her hair signifying holy wedlock? She asks of him whether he was attempting to remove the ultimate obstacle- that of their non-married status symbolically by filling the bare forest path with the "Aamra Baur"blossoms. Radha pleads with him that she who forgets ordinary language itself in his thoughts, how could he expect her to understand the language of his which was far removed from the ordinary scheme of things? She appeals to her Kanu to forgive her naivette, in not understanding the significance of his actions. Only in moments of separation from her Lord, in the throes of agony of estrangement, does realization dawn upon her, the hidden implication of Krishna's actions. Baffled by the questions of everyone around, Radha attempts to define, to give a name to her relationship with Krishna.She sometimes feels, Kanu is her eternal playmate, at other times he is her protector/ guardian. Sometimes she feels maternal towards him as if he were an infant in need of protection. Yet at other times, She senses that Kanu and herself are one entity- The Omniscient, Omnipotent- The All Pervading Reality. Then there were those instances, when he taunted and harassed her that she felt alienated from him. At certain times, she realized that He was Purusha and She was Prakrithi / Shakthi/ Yogamaya. Radha realizes that she is Kanus Eternal Bride, His Cosmic Consort who has been traveling with Him from the beginning of Time. They were co-travelers on a journey that had no beginning and knew no end-she complains that Kanu took pleasure in tormenting her, he expected her to experience their cosmic bond within the confines of a mortal life, to retrace their eternal steps within the limits of a single birth, which was impossible. Faced by the volley of questions from all around, she ends up confused, flustered and at crossroads- Ultimately, He was her goal, Destination, Salvation.Again and again, Radha attempts to cross the chasm of definitions, to reach out for Her Kanu, but he eludes her. She beseeches Him to reveal to Her, Who He was to her-She realizes the futility in trying to give a name to their relationship because; their bond was of so many dimensions and hues, that defied language. It transcended the boundaries of time, space and name..It was beyond the comprehension of the mortal, tangible world. For the same reason, The Radha Krishna relationship remains an Eternal Mystery from time immemorial.

Srushti Sankalp:

Radha is the victim of The Primordial Fear that haunts every woman, that of being abandoned by her Beloved. She is filled with a sense of foreboding, of a bleak future without Her Lord by her side-a premonition of the coming events.
Radha is filled with fear and a deep sense of insecurity. She understands that she is a part of Creation, of Nature-she identifies with the high mountains, the deep oceans, the piercing darkness, the shimmering moon, the lush greenery, the Milky way, The cosmos of the galaxies- and yet a fear pervades her being, she writhes in agony like a fish out of water-she is terrified of losing her Lord.
Finally, all barriers - that of acute shyness, a nameless fear, yearning, an undefined sorrow, have been crossed, the time has come for Consummation of their Divine Love, The Ultimate Union, The Dissolution of the Universe when Purusha and Prakruthi merge-even Nature seems to have been waiting for The moment-Radha emerges as The Eternal Lover who overpowers her Lover by her unbridled passion and Unsatiated Love. She commands her beloved to draw the blinds, to close the windows and doors so that for once, Nature stands awaiting- The Mute Witness while they enact their Divine Love Play. She wishes to stay separate from Nature, and merely exist as a Beckoning- a call for Her Kanu. She bade the Ocean to wait at the door; she bade Time and Space to stand still. She claims that Time is now held prisoner in the braids of her tresses.
In this section, Spiritual Love is projected as Physical Expression, where the lovers remain unsatiated and there is yearning for consummation again and again- and the whole of creation dissolves-

Itihaas:

Kanu has left-to create History leaving a forlorn, lost Radha behind. Radha is inconsolable; Life has become an agony, an ache, a void. She spends her days reliving the memories of her moments with Kanu.

Radha wonders if she was but a bridge to cross over for Krishna on the way to create History, just a game to play to while away childhood- her dreams and desires trampled underfoot. She is no longer sure if what has passed was true or if it were just a dream, wishful thinking. She wonders if all those words that she spoke and he heard, that he spoke and she heard were true or figments of her imagination. She asks of Kanu if those words meant nothing and were mere sounds- hollow and meaningless. She claims that History owed a lot to her, because she was the one who paid a price and the world was to gain at her cost.

Radha mourns because, the Aam tree that stood witness to their meetings, their love, was to be cut down, for it was in the way of the charging armies of Krishna! She realizes that the Kanu she had known was somebody very different from the Krishna leading his eighteen Akshahauni army-she cannot find solace in the fact that the Krishna who now led a mighty army was once her very own Kanu-Radha beseeches Krishna to explain to her, as He did to Arjuna, the meanings of words like Duty, Faith, Justice, Punishment, which to her ears were mere sounds, hollow and meaningless. She doesn't know what the war is all about, and on whose side she was. But she warns him that she might not be able to comprehend the meanings of these terms because as they fall upon her ears, they sound like :Radhan, Radhan, Radhan: Still, she envies Arjuna, because he was able to sit by him and gaze at his moving lips, his dusky body, slender neck, sandal arms, uplifted eyes-She yearns to just sit by him, watch him talk, gaze at him without batting an eyelid to let his words- whatever be their meaning and essence, seep through her senses, permeate her soul and saturate her being.

The war is over, but at what cost? Who has won, who has lost? Radha tells Kanu that she saw the Ocean in her dream..she saw Kanu exhausted, sad, desolate and lonely-History staggers onward on crutches-.and Kanu has finally remembered her-he is seeking her for solace, for comfort; finally he has abandoned History like old clothing, and depressed he yearns to go to Radha for comfort- And Kanupriya /Radha has been waiting to join her Kanu!

Preface to Kanupriya

There are those moments when one feels that, when confronted by the ceaseless forces that relentlessly prod the flow of History; one is helpless- one has no choice but to be carried along with the current of Destiny. One finds oneself in a position of conflict- sometimes as a rebel against the current, at other times holding the reins in ones hands in full control, flowing along placidly, and then there are those times when one has to simply let go and meekly succumb to Fate in a gesture of mute surrender. But then there are those other moments when one feels that all these external forces have no significance whatsoever. What is important is, that which is nurtured within us at the time of Dissolution of the Self- a stage where the entire external cosmic phenomenon- creation as a whole-becomes trivial- that moment when one feels as if the self has been prised open like an oyster-the past, the present and the future is reduced to void and the I is dissolved, i.e. : becomes nonexistent.

Attempt has been made to strike a balance- where the two levels or stages are brought to a meaningful coexistence, but this quest is generally rendered futile. Such a situation is almost utopian fallacy and one is left with no choice but to resort to easier solutions; that is to draw an endless line of demarcation between the two stages and then standing at one point, claim that the other point is illusion and vice versa. The other alternative being that one can first live and experience one stage in all its totality and essence, believing it to be the Ultimate True experience, then later face the next stage, seek its solution forgetting the previous experience completely and let this transfer of experiences of the different stages in the course of Time be a continuous affair. Gradually, one gets accustomed to the incongruence of the difference in realities in the two stages. Then perhaps can one claim that it is this very diversity of the contradictory situations, the coexistence of paradoxical experiences that characterizes the personality of Human existence. And that the human personality is unique, because he succeeds in living through the diverse situations without settling for a compromise.

But Alas! What about those who have lived a life of utter simplicity taking instances, experiences as they come, living the present moment to the fullest, savouring its flavour and essence, seeking and perhaps finding in them a meaning to their lives and who are left unmoved by the magnificence of the Cosmic Reality. They who are not overwhelmed by the surreality of the meaning of life in totality. Such people are contented with things as they are; they are satisfied to know that Reality is simple, natural with all the strings attached perhaps. But to the seeker of the Beyond, the mundane poses innumerable questions to which he relentlessly seeks answers, he is dissatisfied with the business of existence, which to him seems trivial in the face of the general scheme of cosmic reality. To whom does he turn to for answers?

This is what perhaps Kanupriya attempts to probe-The individual relates personal experiences to his miniscule self as it applies to his day to day existence, but gradually he is compelled to evolve in his understanding of the Universe in its entirety. He is confronted with the colossal Reality, of which he is but an atom. This collection of poems, then perhaps is an attempt to trudge those very paths that the seeker treads, in his quest of Self-discovery.

Poorvaraag and Manjari Parinay is the first stage,
Srushti Sankalp- the second, Itihaas- describing Krishna's stint as a ruler/diplomat followed bySamaapan which is the final stage of self unfoldment, each described from the viewpoint of Kanupriya/ Radha.It is interesting to note that Radha does not make this path of discovery consciously, her quest for self unfoldment was purely unconscious, a spontaneous chain of incidents and reactions of an emotionally sensitive individual who is carried away by the various events and experiences and she attains the final stage of Understanding as a result of gradual spiritual evolution.

The poet has through the legend of Radha and Krishna, brought out the spiritual evolution of the individual by harmoniously combining the mythological situation with the contemporary times in the modern context.

Kanupriya: Abt the poet Dr. Dharamveer Bharthi

I was introduced to Dr. Dharamveer Bharti's -Kanupriya- when I was doing my graduation way back in 1986. This collection of poems, its lyrical quality, the underlying philosophy and the sheer beauty of the language fascinated me. I attempted to work out a translation of this beautiful work simply in an enthusiasm to share my fascination. Need less to say, this feeble attempt is eons away from the magnificent original.

About Dharamveer Bharthi:

Dr. Dharamveer Bharti was born on 25th December 1926 in Prayaag. He completed his M.A. from the Prayaag University with a first class and later did his doctoral thesis under the guidance of Dr. Dheerendra Varma.He was the assistant editor of Sangam in 1948. He continued in this capacity for two years, after which he taught at the Hindusthani Academy till 1960.

While teaching at the Prayaag University, he helped in compiling the Hindi Sahithya Kosh. He also edited the Alochana and later brought out the magazine-Nikash: He came down to Bombay as the Chief Editor of :Dharma Yug:A young storywriter Uday Prakash directed a documentary film on Dr. Dharamveer Bharti for the Sahitya Academy Delhi in 1999.He passed away on 4 Th September 1997.He was awarded the Padmashri in 1972. In 1984, he received the Haldi Ghati Shreshth Patrakaarita Puraskaar by the Maharana Mewad Foundation. In 1988, he was awarded the Sarvashreshth Naatakkaar (Best playwright) Puraskaar from the Sangeet Naatak Academy- Delhi. He received the Bhaarath Bhaarthi Award from the Uttarpradesh Hindi Sansthaan in 1989. The Maharashtra Government gave him the title of Maharashtra Gaurav in 1990 and in 1994; the Birla Foundation honoured him with the Vyaas Samman .

Works:

Stories: Murdon Ka Gaav, Swarg aur Prithvi, Chaand Aur Toote Hue log, Band gali ki aakhri makaan, Saas ki kalam se.

Poems: Thanda loha, Andha yug, Saat geet varsh, Kanupriya, Sapna abhi bhi, Aadyaaanth.

Novels: Gunaahon ka Devta, sooraj ka satwaan ghoda, Gyaarah sapnon ka desh.

Essays: Thele par Himaalay, Pashyanthi.(Acknowledgements: www.anubhuthi-hindi.org)

A young storywriter Uday Prakash directed a documentary film on Dr. Dharamveer Bharti for the Sahitya Academy Delhi in 1999.
He passed away on 4 th September 1997.

I have attempted to share my fascination with these poems here.Please excuse the imperfections in the translations.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Professor who taught us Kanupriya- Ms. Hemaji -Providence Womens' College-Kozhikkode.