Dr Maithilisharan Gupt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1886-08-03)3 August 1886 |
| Died | 12 December 1964(1964-12-12) (aged 78) |
| Occupation | Poet,politician,dramatist,translator |
| Education | Macdonal High School Jhansi |
| Alma mater | Doctorate from Banaras Hindu University |
| Literary movement | Indian Nationalist Movement |
| Notable works | Bharat Bharti, Saket |
| Notable awards | Padma Bhushan (1954) |
| Spouse | Sarju Devi (Jiya) |
| Children | Urmila Charan Gupt[1] |
| Relatives | Mr Saurabh Gupta (Grandson)[2][3]Dr Vaibhav Gupta (Grandson)[4][5] |
| Member of Parliament,Rajya Sabha (Nominated) | |
| In office 3 April 1952 – 2 April 1964 | |
Dr Maithilisharan Gupt[6] (3 August 1886 – 12 December 1964[7]) was one of the most important modernHindi poets.[8] He is considered one among the pioneers ofKhari Boli (plain dialect) poetry and wrote inKhari Boli dialect,[7] at a time when most Hindi poets favoured the use ofBraj Bhasha dialect.[9] He was a recipient of the third highest (then second highest) Indian civilian honour ofPadma Bhushan.[10] For his book Bharat-Bharati (1912),[11] widely quoted during India's freedom struggle, he was given the title of Rashtra Kavi[7] byMahatma Gandhi.
In 1956, Rashtrakavi Maithili Sharan Gupt Abhinandan Samiti Calcutta published anAbhinandan Granth, a comprehensive 1000 page document in honour of his life and work.[12]
His family now runs the RMSG Group of Institutions[13][14] in Chirgaon, promoting his ideals of empowering education, especially among girls.
He was born inChirgaon,Jhansi inUttar Pradesh[7] in the Kankane clan of theGahoiBania community in a family that was once a wealthy zamindar family, but the wealth was lost by the time he was born.[15] His father's name was Seth Ramcharan Gupta[7] and his mother's name was Kashibai. Both his father and his brother Shearamsharan Gupta were prominent poets.[7] He disliked school as a child, so his father arranged for his education at their home.[7] As a child, Gupt studiedSanskrit, English andBengali.[7]Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi was his mentor. He married in 1895.[16]
Gupt entered the world of Hindi literature by writing poems in various magazines, includingSaraswati. In 1909, his first major work,Rang mein Bhang was published by Indian Press. WithBharat Bharati, his nationalist poems became popular among Indians, who were struggling for independence. Most of his poems revolve around plots fromRamayana,[7]Mahabharata,Buddhist stories and the lives of famous religious leaders. His famous workSaket revolves aroundUrmila, wife ofLakshmana, fromRamayana, while another of his worksYashodhara revolves aroundYashodhara, the wife ofGautama Buddha.[citation needed]
प्राण न पागल हो तुम यों, पृथ्वी पर वह प्रेम कहाँ..
मोहमयी छलना भर है, भटको न अहो अब और यहाँ..
ऊपर को निरखो अब तो बस मिलता है चिरमेल वहाँ..
His works are based along patriotic themes,[7] among others poets such asRamdhari Singh Dinkar andMakhanalal Chaturvedi. His poetry is characterized by non-rhyming couplets in Khadi Boli. Although the couplet structure is non rhyming, the prominent use ofalliterations lends a rhythmic backdrop due to the rhythmic alterations between vowels and consonants. He was a religious man, and this can be seen in his works.[7]
Poetry:
After India got independence in 1947, he was also made an honorary member of theRajya Sabha, where he used poetry to put his opinions before the other members. He remained a member of the Rajya Sabha till his death in 1964. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1954.[17]
