Rashmirathi
Rashmirathi (Rashmi: Ray of light Rathi:
One who rides a chariot (not the charioteer)
Rashmirathi: Rider of the chariot of light) is
a Hindi epic written in 1952, by the Hindi
poet Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'.[1] The epic
poem narrates the story of Karna, who is
regarded as one of main protagonists of
the Hindu epic- Mahabharata.
About the
poem
Rashmirathi
Author
Ramdhari
Singh
Karna was the firstborn of Kunti. She
abandoned him at
birth, as he was
conceived before
her marriage. Karna
was born due to a
boon by the Surya
Dev (The Sun God).
Karna grew up in a
family of
charioteers and
'Dinkar'
Original title
Country
रश्मिरथी
India
Language Hindi
Publisher Lok Bharti
Prakashan
PRAYAGRA
(1st edition
Publication 1952
date
Media type Print
struggled to rise from a lowly charioteer to
become a world conqueror and a hero of
the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata War,
Karna was obliged to fight on the side of
Duryodhana, who recognized his abilities
and worth. Duryodhana made him a king
and accepted him as a close friend. Karna
fighting on the Kaurava's side was a great
worry for the Pandavas, as he was reputed
to be unconquerable in war.
On the eve of the Mahabharata War, Kunti
went to Karna and requested of him to
defuse the war by leaving Duryodhana and
coming over to the Pandavas' side, as he
was her first born and it was only
appropriate for him to fight on the side of
the Pandavas. A part of Karna's reply in
words of Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' is given
below. Karna says that even as he
foresees a defeat for Kauravas, he must
fight from the side of Duryodhana. He says
that the war is quite pointless yet it is his
destiny that has to be fulfilled.
Adaptations
Hindi film "Gulaal" directed by Anurag
Kashyap in 2009, has got a rendition of
Dinkar's poem "Ye dekh gagan mujh mein
lay hai(Part of "Krishna ki Chetavani")"
from Rashmirathi chapter 3, performed by
Piyush Mishra.
A musical play adaptation of "Rashmirathi"
has been directed by Dr. Shakuntala Shukla
and Vyomesh Shukla. This play gives a
glance from the eyes of Kunti. This play is
produced by the banner of "Roopvani,
Varanasi". It has been performed 47 times
till now. [2]
The present Prime Minister of India,
Narendra Modi wrote a message
appreciating the translation of Rashmirathi
into English by the Mauritian cultural
activist Leela Gujadhur Sarup by writing,
"The story of 'a man blessed by the Gods
but rejected by Destiny', Rashmirathi is the
magnum opus of the Poet laureate of India,
Ramdhari Singh, known to all as Dinkar.
Reproducing its original in moving English
poetry has been a labor of love for Mrs.
Leela Sarup, taking her years to do it justice.
This will enable a wider range of non-Hindi
readers to savor the heart-wrenching lyrical
poetry of Dinkar."[3]
Translations
Ramdhari Singh Dinkar; Ramadayal
Muṇḍā (1981). The Sun Charioteer (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=AJB0A
AAAIAAJ) . Nagari Press.
References
1. Ramdhari Singh Dinkar (1952). Rashmirathi
(https://books.google.com/books?id=QHP
bbe9vr-AC) . Lokbharti Prakashan.
ISBN 978-81-8031-362-2.
2. "अपनों से ही छिपा कर रखी बात | things kept
hidden from near ones" (http://www.patrik
a.com/news/varanasi/a-varanasi-girl-in-therole-of-bhagwan-ram-1402569) . 16
September 2015.
3. Gujadhur Sarup, Leela (2013). Rashmirathi
by Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' (Rider on the
Sun's Rays !) Interpreted in English by Leela
Gujadhur sarup. Kolkata: Aldrich
International. ISBN 978-93-80313-17-7.
External links
Rashmirathi at Kavita Kosh (http://www.
kavitakosh.org/kk/index.php?title=%E
0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E
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0%A5%80_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BF%E
0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9_%22%E0%A4%
A6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%
95%E0%A4%B0%22)
Read excerpts from Rashmirathi in Hindi
at geeta-kavita.com (http://www.geeta-k
avita.com)
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