“Mitti ka tan, masti ka man, kshan-bhar jivan — mera parichay”
These lines are quoted by Harivansh Rai Bachchan when asked about his introduction. Harivansh Rai Bachchan is an unforgettable name in the world of Hindi Literature. His writings are like blessings that motivate you in tough time. He was a rebellious poet and also won the hearts with his romantic poetry too. Whenever we talk about him, his work Madhushala strikes us first. Another significant factor about Harivansh Rai Bachchan is that he is father of Superstar Amitabh Bachachan. Let’s have a look on his life.
His Life
Born on 27 November 1907, Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a noted Indian poet of the Nayi Kavita literary movement. Although his real surname was Srivastava Kayastha, he used Bachchan as his title. He is best known for his poetry masterpiece ‘Madhushala’.
He had learnt Urdu and also studied at the Allahabad University and Banaras Hindu University. He had also pursued doctorate on W.B. Yeats from Cambridge. In fact, he was the second Indian to get his doctorate in English literature from Cambridge. Talking about his married life, he first got married at the age of 19 in 1926. His fits wife died after a long spell of TB. Then poet Bachchan again got married in 1941 to Teji Bachchan. The couple had two sons Amitabh Bachchan and Ajitabh Bachchan.
Harivansh Rai was honoured with Sahitya Akademi. For his contributions to Hindi Literature, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1976. Other awards in his list of honours are Saraswati Samman, the Sovietland Nehru Award and the Lotus Award of the Afro-Asian writers’ conference, for his unique contribution to the world of letters.
Mr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan took his last breathe on 18 January 2003 at the age of 95.
Few lines from his vast collection of Poetry
“Kabhi phulo ki tarah mat jina, Jis din khiloge tutkar bikhar jaoge, jeena hai to phattar ki tarah jio, ek din tarashe gaye to bhagwan ban jaoge.”
“Yeh bura hai ya accha, vyarth din is par bitana, ab asambhav chhod ye path, doosre par pag badana.”
“Chalne Chalne mai kitna jeevan bita daala, door abhi hai kehta hai har path batane wala, himmat hai na badhu aage sahas hai na piche firu, dhyan bataye dur khadi hai mahushala – Madhushala”
“Pyaas tujhe to, vishv tapaakar, poorn nikaalonga haala, ek paanv se saaki banker, naachunga lekar pyaala, jeevan ki madhuta to tere, upar kab ka vaar chukka, aaj nyochavar kar doonga mai, tujh par jag ki madhushaala”
“Tu na thakega kabhi, Tu na thamega kabhi, Tu na mudega kabhi, Kar shapath! Kar shapath! Kar shapath! Agneepath! Agneepath! Agneepath!”
“Lahron se darkar nauka paar nahi hoti, koshish karne walon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti
Nanhi chinti jab dana lekar chalti hai, chadhti deewaron par, sau baar fisalti hai,
manka vishwas ragon me sahas bharta hai, chadhkar girna, girkar chadhna na akharta hai
aakhir uski mehnat bekar nahi hoti, koshish karne walo ki kabhi haar nahi hoti”
