रश्मिरथी

by Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'

Rashmirathi (रश्मिरथी), meaning 'the Sun's charioteer', is one of the most popular epic poems of the great Hindi poet, Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'. It is one of the most appreciated works of Dinkar other than "Kurukshetra".

Karna was first born son of Kunti whom she had abandoned at birth as he was an illegitimate son. Karna grew up in a lowly family, yet became one of the best warriors of his time. In the Great Mahabharata war, Karna was obliged to fight from the side of Duryodhana as Duryodhana recognizing his merits had made him a king and adopted him as a close friend. Karna fighting from Kaurava's side was a great worry of Pandavas as he was reputed to be unconquerable in war. The way Dinkar has presented the story of Karna with all hues of human emotions trapped in moral dilemmas, is simply marvelous. The rhythm and meter is lilting. Choice of words and purity of language is exhilarating. The work has a timeless relevance and is a must read.

Genres: Poetry, Mythology, India, Classics, Fiction, Indian Literature, Literature

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' (September 23, 1908 – April 24, 1974) was an Indian Hindi poet, essayist, patriot and academic,[1][2] who is considered as one of the most important modern Hindi poets. He remerged as a poet of rebellion as a consequence of his nationalist poetry written in the days before Indian independence. His poetry exuded veer rasa, and he has been hailed as a Rashtrakavi ("National poet") on account of his inspiring patriotic compositions.[3]

As a mark of respect for him, his portrait was unveiled in the Central Hall of Parliament of India by the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh on his centenary year, 2008.[4][5] On 23 November 2012, the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee gave away Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' Sahitya Ratna Samman to 21 prominent writers and social workers at a function organized in Rashtrapati Bhavan.[6] On the occasion, the President recalled the contribution of Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' in the freedom struggle and his service to Hindi literature.[6] Poet and former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke of Dinkarji in high esteem.[7] Others who have praised his literary genius include Shivraj Patil, Lal Krishna Advani, Somnath Chatterjee, Gulab Khandelwal, Bhawani Prasad Mishra, and Seth Govind Das.[8]

Dinkar initially supported the revolutionary movement during the Indian independence struggle, but later became a Gandhian. However, he used to call himself a 'Bad Gandhian' because he supported the feelings of indignation and revenge among the youth.[9] In Kurukshetra, he accepted that war is destructive but argued that it is necessary for the protection of freedom. He was close to prominent nationalists of the time such as Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sri Krishna Sinha, Rambriksh Benipuri and Braj Kishore Prasad.

Dinkar was elected three times to the Rajya Sabha, and he was the member of this house from April 3, 1952 CE to January 26, 1964 CE,[9] and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1959.[9] He was also the Vice Chancellor of Bhagalpur University (Bhagalpur, Bihar) in the early 1960s.

During The Emergency, Jayaprakash Narayan had attracted a gathering of one lakh people at the Ramlila grounds and recited Dinkar's famous poem: Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aaati Hai (Devanagari: सिंहासन खाली करो कि जनता आती है; "Vacate the throne, for the people come").[10]

Reviews

[Asra Ghouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can one say of Dinkar? Such unequaled is his style!

Rashmirathi is, like how Arundhati Roy puts it in The God of Small Things:

"The secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably. They don’t deceive you with thrills and trick endings. They don’t surprise you with the unforeseen. They are as familiar as the house you live in. Or the smell of your lover’s skin. You know how they end, yet you listen as though you don’t. In the way that although you know that one day you will die, you live as though you won’t. In the Great Stories you know who lives, who dies, who finds love, who doesn’t. And yet you want to know again. THAT is their mystery and magic."

There can be no other way for me to put Rashmirathi's tale. Worth mentioning here is the view Dinkar take on Karna. Ah! Pleasure to the reader (especially to me. Karna is my favourite character!)

इस ओर कर्ण मार्तण्ड-सद्रश,
उस ओर पार्थ अन्तक-समान
रण के मिस, मानो, स्वयं प्रलय,
हो उठा समर में मूर्तिमान|

The way Dinkar strings up his words, it forms the most precious necklace of verses in the tale. It is like seeing it with your own eyes. For instance,

निशा बीती, गगन का रूप दमका,
किनारे पर किसी का चीर चमका|
क्षितिज के पास लाली छा रही है,
अतल से कौन ऊपर आ रही है?

Overwhelmed I am, whenever I read Dinkar!

[Himanshu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing short of extraordinary. It is saddening that hindi literature of such stature will only find itself under the dust of historical achievements of mankind, for the generations to come. And to see it crumbling in front of our eyes is truly heartbreaking.

[Avinash · Rating 5 out of 5]

"दिनकर" जी की यह रचना मेरी आशा के अनुरूप या सच कहूँ तो कई मायनों में उस से कहीं ज्यादा अच्छी है। यह कृति कर्ण की जीवन-कथा का काव्यात्मक वर्णन है। इस तरह की रचनाओं को महाकाव्य/खंडकाव्य कहते हैं, जो हिंदी साहित्य का एक आकर्षक भाग हैं। इस से पहले मैंने "पंडित श्याम नारायण पांडेय" जी के "हल्दीघाटी महाकाव्य" के कुछ अंश और "तुमुल खंडकाव्य" को पढ़ा था और तब से ही मुझे "रश्मिरथी" पढ़ने की काफी इच्छा थी। कर्ण हमेशा से ही हिंदी रचनाकारों और पाठकों के लिए एक रोचक चरित्र रहा है। उसका जन्म और उसके बाद की घटनाएं अपने आप में ही अनोखी हैं। भगवान सूर्य का पुत्र, जिसे उसकी अविवाहित माँ ने समाज के भय से त्याग दिया और उसे अपना सम्पूर्ण जीवन एक सुद्र्पुत्र की तरह बिताना पड़ा। परन्तु उसने अपनी वीरता, धर्म-परायणता और दानवीरता से अपनी कीर्ति पूरे विश्व में स्थापित की।

अगर इस कृति की बात करें तो इसमें सात सर्ग (भाग) हैं, हर एक भाग में एक नयी घटना का वर्णन है। इन सभी घटनाओं का केवल वर्णन ही नहीं अपितु चुनाव भी प्रसंशनीय है। जिनका सार इस प्रकार है -

प्रथम सर्ग- पुस्तक के इस प्रारम्भिक भाग में कृपाचार्य कर्ण के कुल का अपमान करते हैं और उसके कुलीनजनों की सभा में सम्मिलित होने पर प्रश्न उठाते हैं। इसके उत्तर में दुर्योधन कर्ण को अंगदेश का राज्य दे देता है। मेरे अनुसार यह इस कृति के सबसे कम रोचक सर्ग में से एक है। शायद इसका कारन थोड़ी कठिन हिंदी और महत्वपूर्ण परन्तु कम नाटकीय घटनाक्रम का वर्णन हो सकता है, फिर भी यह पुस्तक को एक प्रभावी आरम्भ देता है।

अंगदेश का मुकुट कर्ण के मस्तक पर धरता हूँ,
एक राज्य इस महावीर के हित अर्पित करता हूँ।

द्वितीय सर्ग- इसमें कर्ण की परशुराम के गुरुकुल में शिक्षा और उसकी जाति का पता चलने पर निष्कासन की कहानी है। इसकी शैली और प्रभाव भी काफी कुछ प्रथम सर्ग जैसा है।

इस प्रकार कह परशुराम ने फिरा लिया आनन अपना
जहाँ मिला था, वहीँ कर्ण का बिखर गया प्यारा सपना।

तृतीय सर्ग- मेरे व्यक्तिगत मत के अनुसार इस सर्ग से यह काव्य अपने पूर्ण गौरव में आता है जो आखिरी सर्ग तक चलता है। इस सर्ग में तीन अलग खंड हैं। पहले खंड में पांडवों के लाक्षागृह से बचने की कथा और दुसरे खंड में उनके वनवास से वापस आने के बाद श्री कृष्ण के कौरवों के सम्मुख शांति प्रस्ताव की कथा है। इन दोनों खंड में कर्ण की भूमिका कम है परन्तु आखिरी खंड में कृष्ण दुर्योधन के शांति प्रस्ताव के उपहास के बाद कर्ण को उसके जन्म की वास्तविकता बताकर उसे युद्ध में पांडवों का साथ देने को कहते हैं। इसे कर्ण धर्म और मित्रता के आधार पर अस्वीकार कर देता है। यह तीसरा खंड वाकई लोमहर्षक है। एक उदाहरण -

कुन्ती ने केवल जन्म दिया, राधा ने माँ का कर्म किया
पर, कहते जिसे असल जीवन, देने आया वह दुर्योधन।
वह भिन्न नहीं माता से है, बढ़कर सोदर भ्राता से है
सुरपुर से भी मुख मोडूँगा, केशव! मैं उसे न छोड़ूँगा।

चतुर्थ सर्ग- देवराज इंद्र का अपने पुत्र अर्जुन की रक्षा हेतु भिक्षुक बनकर कर्ण से उसके पिता सूर्य देव द्वारा मिले कवच और कुण्डल दान में मांगना, जिनके रहते वो अपराजित था। यह सर्ग इस रचना और कर्ण को परिभाषित करता है।

तू दानी, मैं कुटिल प्रवंचक, तू पवित्र, मैं पापी,
तू देकर भी सुखी और मैं लेकर भी परितापी।

पंचम सर्ग- इस सर्ग में कुंती कर्ण को उसके जन्म की वास्तविकता बता कर उसे पांडव पक्ष में आने को कहती है जिसे कर्ण अस्वीकार कर देता है। फिर से यह सर्ग अद्भुत है, यह कुंती की कर्ण के जन्म के समय की और वर्तमान स्थिति की व्यथा को बखूबी बताता है। पर उस से भी सुन्दर मुझे कर्ण के रोष और दुःख का चित्रण लगा। मेरे अनुसार चतुर्थ और पंचम सर्ग इस कृति के सबसे श्रेष्ठ सर्ग हैं।

पर, हाय, हुआ ऐसा क्यों वाम विधाता?
मुझ वीर पुत्र को मिली भीरु क्यों माता?
जो जमकर पत्थर हुई जाति के भय से,
सम्बन्ध तोड़ भागी दुधमुँहे तनय से।

षष्ठ सर्ग- पुनः दो खण्डों में बटा सर्ग, जहाँ पहला सर्ग भीष्म की मृत्यु का वर्णन करता है वही दुसरे में अभिमन्यु की वीरगति और कर्ण के हाथों घटोत्कक्ष की मृत्यु की कथा है। दिनकर जी ने जिस तरह न केवल कर्ण अपितु दुसरे किरदारों का भी सुन्दर वर्णन किया है वह अद्भुत है।

अर्जुन-कुमार की कथा, किन्तु, अब तक भी ह्रदय हिलाती है,
सभ्यता नाम लेकर उसका अब भी रोती, पछताती है।

सप्तम सर्ग- कर्ण द्वारा कौरवों के सेनापति पद की बागडोर और उसके बाद युद्ध में दर्शाया शौर्य। अंत में कर्ण-अर्जुन का निर्णायक युद्ध। मुझे ऐसा लगा की आखिरी युद्ध कुछ और रोचकता से दर्शाया जा सकता था परन्तु फिर भी यह सर्ग भी काफी अच्छा है।

प्रभा-मण्डल! भरो हुंकार, बोलो! जगत की ज्योतियों! निज द्वार खोलो!
तपस्या रोचिभूषित ला रहा हूँ, चढ़ा मैं "रश्मि-रथ" पर आ रहा हूँ !

कुल मिलाकर यह एक अद्वितीय रहना है और निश्चित रूप से मैं इसे फिर कभी दोबारा पढ़ना चाहूंगा। हिंदी काव्य में रूचि रखने वालों के लिए निसंदेह एक अनिवार्य पठन।

[Tanuj Solanki · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.

वीर रस आज के समाज और परिस्थितिओं को देखते हुए अटपटा लगता है. अगर शान्ति ही रहे तो अच्छा है - ऐसा लगता है. पौरुष का बोलबाला हज़ारों सालों तक हो लिया, अब योद्धायों और शूरवीरों का आह्वान बेवकूफी लगता है.

2.

The most famous passage is that of the first theophany - Krsna revealing himself to Duryodhana in the Kourava court. Interesting to note is the fact that this revelation takes place before the revelation to Arjuna.

[E.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dinkar's Hindi is a bit difficult even for me despite having Hindi as my mother-tongue. I really wish they would provide meanings of typical words in simple Hindi. Might help many more to read and appreciate this wonderful book.

[Priyanshu · Rating 5 out of 5]

“जब फ़ूल पिरोए जाते हैं,
हम उनको गले लगाते हैं”

This poem is that garland. Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Sahab's lyrical, much deserved, eulogy to Karna.

[eShaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5: 2 Stars for the beautiful poetry and -3 stars for the wrong, biased, blind depiction
Utterly disappointed with Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Ji!

First what I liked:
Beautiful poetry.

The part that I loved the most (even being factually incorrect) was when Krishna goes to Duryodhana's court as Shanti-doot.
डगमग-डगमग दिग्गज डोले, भगवान् कुपित होकर बोले-
‘जंजीर बढ़ा कर साध मुझे, हाँ, हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध मुझे।

यह देख, गगन मुझमें लय है, यह देख, पवन मुझमें लय है,
मुझमें विलीन झंकार सकल, मुझमें लय है संसार सकल।

‘दृग हों तो दृश्य अकाण्ड देख, मुझमें सारा ब्रह्माण्ड देख,
चर-अचर जीव, जग, क्षर-अक्षर, नश्वर मनुष्य सुरजाति अमर।
शत कोटि सूर्य, शत कोटि चन्द्र, शत कोटि सरित, सर, सिन्धु मन्द्र।

जञ्जीर बढ़ाकर साध इन्हें,
हाँ-हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध इन्हें।

यह देख जगत का आदि-सृजन,
यह देख, महाभारत का रण,
मृतकों से पटी हुई भू है,
पहचान, इसमें कहाँ तू है।

What went wrong:

TL;DR
Factually incorrect and biased writing. It was torture for me to read it till the end. Right from chapter 1, one can see that Dinkar ji has no knowledge of 'actual' Mahabharata and is writing a fiction out of it. As you progress in the chapters, it gets more disappointing. He glorifies Karna at the cost of others, and cunningly hides the portions where Karna is bad, has done wrong, or when he loses against Arjuna (Virat Parva - War). After all this, he goes on to say that Krishna and Pandavas should not have fought even being right and have gone to a permanent self-exile to avoid the war. If he does not understand the bare basics of Dharma and Nyaya (justice), what else can be expected out of him?

If someone writes in neglect or with a bias, we must call them out, no matter who it is.

Long Version

Chapter 1
When Arjuna is done showcasing his skills in the arena meant exclusively for princes of the kingdom, Karna comes and challenges Arjuna, when everyone puts him down asking his Kula. Only Duryodhana welcomes him with open heart.
=> Dinkar ji has made Karna so daring in this scene, but add the age gap of Karna and Arjuna (approx 12 years) and you will see who is jealous of whom. Why is Karna jealous with a kid prince?

Chapter 2
Parshuram sleeping with his head in Karna's lap. A bug is biting him and he still sits. Parshuram finds and accuses him of hiding the truth about his background.
Dinkar ji has equated being a Suta-Putra as being a Shudra, which is wrong. They were Kshatriyas only. Then he goes on to call Arjuna as Madaandh (arrogrant). Really?

Chapter 3
Directly the story jumps to Pandavas being back from exile. Krishna coming to Duryodhana's court as Shanti-doot. Here Krishna gets angered when he gets to know that Duryodhana is planning to capture him. Interestingly, Karna is not in the court and meets Krishna when he is on his way out. Here Krishna tells Karna of Kunti and his story of birth and tries to break him out of Duryodhana's team.
=> Factually incorrect. Karna was the one who was instigating Duryodhana.

Chapter 3a: Missing chapter where Karna calls Draupadi a 'whore' when she is forced into the court after Yudhishthira lost everything and everyone in the game of dice. Where was his 'dharma' or even modesty? goodwill? nothing?

Chapter 3b: Missing chapter where Karna loses against Arjuna in Virat war and runs away leaving everyone. Here Arjuna single handedly defeats all the great Yoddhas, including Bhishma and Dronacharya.

Chapter 4
This:
'मैं उनका आदर्श, कहीं जो व्यथा न खोल सकेंगे,
पूछेगा जग; किंतु, पिता का नाम न बोल सकेंगे।
जिनका निखिल विश्व में कोई कहीं न अपना होगा,
मन में लिए उमंग जिन्हें चिर-काल कलपना होगा।
Karna has a family and a Kula, despite being abandoned by Kunti. Why such drama to gain sympathy for Karna?

Chapter 5: Beautiful poetry. Karna-Kunti samvaad.

Chapter 6
Even with all the biases, this is the most worrisome chapter. Here Dinkar ji glorifies the concept of "peace through injustice". According to him, all the Pandavas could have gone back to exile to save so many deaths from happening. But instead they, in their pride, chose to go to war with the support of Krishna. I was reminded of the whole case of making hospital in place of Ram Mandir. When injustice is done to one side, and peace is established, it is not a long, peaceful peace. This topic is extensively discussed in Udyoga Parva where Yudhishthira discusses the same. A very good Parva to read to know the whys and whats.

As a celebrity author, it is the responsibility of Dinkar ji to guide the society towards what is right. Sadly, he has failed.

Abhimanyu's murder is unjust and Arjuna's pratijna. When Bhishma is on the arrow-bed, Karna goes, bows and talks to him. This is factually incorrect. Karna was so arrogant that he did not enter the war till Bhishma was the commander.

Chapter 7a: Missing chapter where Abhimanyu is murdered by many great warriors through deceit, and Karna is one of them.

Chapter 7: Beautifully written again.
He mentions the unjust murder of Abhimanyu in 1-2 lines and goes on to tell how others in Duryodhana's side were killed unjustly.
The final battle between Karna and Arjuna. Dinkar ji has developed the pace slowly till the face-to-face happen. And then Arjuna is unable to face Karna. His arrows have no effect while Karna's arrows are continuously piercing him. Later, Karna is killed unjustly and then Krishna whispers that he also thought Karna a better warrior. I want to remind here that Arjuna satisfied Lord Shiva himself by his supreme performance.

Conclusion:
Dinkar ji's Karna is a great person, supreme warrior and Daani, with no jealousy whatsoever for anyone. He is a poor victim of injustice and misfortune, right from birth to his death.

The actual Karna was a jealous person. He was jealous of Arjuna right from the very beginning and it went on even when he got everything, a kingdom to rule (for no other reason than Duryodhana becoming happy with him), acceptance from the biggest king of that time. Being Daanveer is the only quality I see in him. Yes, he was unfortunate that his mother abandoned him at birth, but even then he was fortunate enough to get a set of Kshatriya parents from a royal family.

Now look at Arjuna . What did he get? Born in a forest, even when he was a prince. No father. When the Pandavas went to Kuru-kingdom, Kaurava-cousins were constantly jealous of them and plotted against them. Arjuna got exiled twice. All his life was exile. When they got a kingdom, it was taken through deceit and his wife-Draupadi was insulted and mistreated in a full court. He went on to become the greatest warrior, even satisfied Shiva in battle, but history remembers a jealous man. Arjuna treated Bhishma like a father and in the end, he had to kill him. Abhimanyu was murdered by deceit. Other children of Pandavas were killed by deceit. And even the last seed, Parikshit, remained alive only by the grace of Krishna. Can anyone envy this life of hardships, exiles, and trauma?

[Shishir Chaudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever you are doing right now, stop, buy this book and read it as early as possible - A one line summary of what this महाकाव्य is and deserves. Many of us have read a small section from this as a part of recommended school reading, the most memorable line being -

जब नाश मनुज पर छाता है
पहले विवेक मर जाता है।
(When the end of a man is nigh,
His common sense is the first to die.)

Composed by one of the greatest Hindi language poets of all times, it is about the most controversial and powerful character of Mahabharata - Karna. Composed in वीर रस (Heroic Subgenre), it starts with Duryodhana befriending Karna and ends with Krishna praising Karna after he dies on the battlefield.

While this poem turned my perception of Karna upside down, making him the most heroic, honest and mightiest character of the story, it also moved me deeply in some of the sections, bringing me on the brink of shedding tears, especially in two scenes - When Kunti meets Karna a day before the war and when he faces Arjuna's arrows, knowing he was to die unfairly. You have to read it to know what I mean. Apart from the story, Dinkar, throughout, comments on some of the burning issues of today's world - class difference, casteism, war and the idea of victory among many more. For example, following is a stanza in which the poet comments on the impulses of humanity to indulge in wars and compares the current state to the ones of cavemen and species before -

झर गयी पूँछ, रोमांत झरे
पशुता का झरना बाक़ी है;
बाहर-बाहर तन सँवर चुका,
मन अभी संवरना बाक़ी है।

Strongly recommended!

[Gorab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best thing I've read in a long time. Was in a trance throughout reading this.
Highly recommended!

[Aumkaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: A long, rambling review ahead.
=================================

Glorious work! This was my first time reading a complete narrative poetry. Dinkar, born just 70 km away from my native place, was always a household name. So, it's almost an achievement to have read one of his works in entirety now. 

Dinkar's rich vocabulary ensured a fantastic rhythm and flow. It finally made me understand the point of studying all those paryayvachi words. Take the word "water". In Hindi, it can be paani (2+2), jal (1+1), ambu (1.5+1), vaari (2+1), each with a different maatra count. So now use whichever suits the meter of your verse. (Reading the book brought me in touch with the essential knowledge of structure in Hindi poetry.)

However, such great expanse of vocabulary also meant that I had to Google lens almost every page to get the meaning of the words. In fact, the only results for many words were the same lines of Dinkar. We badly need a much bigger online Hindi dictionary.

So, most of the time reading the book was spent searching and writing the meaning of the words. It was a rewarding exercise nonetheless, imparting great clarity to the imagery.

The book retells Karna's story through seven chapters, each dealing with an important episode in Karna's life. Both direct dialogues and the poet's commentary propel the plot and discuss the evergreen topics of Mahabharata - war and peace, justice and injustice, family and friendship, etc.

Being the titular "Rashmirathi", Karna gets the most lines. Through him, the poet delivers some hard-hitting verses about how Man can trump both destiny and the will of gods (a recurrent theme in Dinkar's other works as well). However, because Karna speaks this so often, he might sound like a raging narcissist instead of the magnanimous figure he's meant to be. Dinkar also has a tendency to romanticise masculinity to a fault. These were the limited flaws of the work.

Besides his signature "ojaswi" style, Dinkar has shown his prowess as a Romantic poet as well. Two sections come to mind:

"धूम-धूम चर्चित लगते हैं तरु के श्याम छदन कैसे?
झपक रहे हों शिशु के अलसित कजरारे लोचन जैसे।" 

Many such lines at the start of the second chapter form vivid stanzas about a cottage in a forest, before introducing its owner - Parshuram.

"निशा बीती, गगन का रूप दमका,
किनारे पर किसी का चीर चमका।
क्षितिज के पास लाली छा रही है,
अतल से कौन ऊपर आ रही है ?

संभाले शीश पर आलोक-मंडल
दिशाओं में उड़ाती ज्योतिरंचल,
किरण में स्निग्ध आतप फेंकती-सी,
शिशिर कम्पित द्रुमों को सेंकती-सी..."

This is start of the last chapter where he writes about the spirit of the dawn and her ability to heal the Nature. But she fails to heal the men at war who have become detached from Nature are no longer intrigued by its wonders. 

Then there's a powerful section that portrays the sounds of war - war drums, elephants, horses, chariots, twanging bows, whooshing arrows, and roars of the soldiers - the entire cacophony comes alive.

Finally, my favorite part of it, right before the Kurukshetra war kicks off, the poet discusses the futility of war in general (very topical as well but then when is war not topical):

"यह ज़हर ने छोड़ेगा उभार?
अंगार न क्या बुझ पायेंगे?
हम इसी तरह क्या हाय, सदा
पशु के पशु ही रह जायेंगे?

किसका सिंगार? किसकी सेवा?
नर का ही जब कल्याण नहीं?
किसके विकास की कथा? जनों के
ही रक्षित जब प्राण नहीं?" 

This section runs for eight-nine pages and draws a parallel between how we think about wars today and how similarly the people of Dwapar would have thought about it then, lamenting the absence of any development of the humankind. 

Overall, it's a rich, gripping, and thought-provoking work. As Rashmirathi was compulsory reading for many elders in my family during their schooldays, it felt like a legacy I had inherited but never explored. I am glad it was not too dense. Just the right balance of easy and obscure lines for a casual Hindi speaker like me to not give up on it during all those Google searches haha. Looking forward to reading Dinkar's Urvashi next.

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’ published Rashmirathi in 1952, an epic poem that is divided into seven sections. The rashmirathi (literally, ‘charioteer of the sunrays’) of the title is the tormented hero of the Mahabharat, Karna. The son of the then-unwed Kunti, abandoned by his mother out of fear of disgrace, is brought up by Radha, the wife of a charioteer.

Each section of Rashmirathi is devoted to one defining episode in Karna’s life. For instance, in the first section, Dinkar recounts how Karna, entering the arena against Arjun, is scorned by the Paandavs because he is not a kshatriya, and therefore not worthy of fighting Arjun—which leads Duryodhan to come forward and befriend Karna: an episode which results in Karna’s lifelong loyalty towards Duryodhan.

Another episode deals with Karna’s learning martial arts from the Sage Parashuram, and how his deceit (Karna passes himself off as a brahmin) is found out. Yet another section is about Indra coming to Karna to demand of him the protective kavach-kundal (armour and earrings) that make Karna invincible. Another poignant and bitter section has a dialogue between Karna and Kunti, who comes to him begging him to spare the lives of the Paandavs.

A friend, on learning that I was reading Rashmirathi, remarked on Dinkar’s brilliant use of the veer ras, evoking bravery. But while veer ras is very much a part of this poem, since it is about a warrior and about a war, it is also much more. It is Dinkar’s commentary on the injustices Karna has to face. It is about double standards, and about all that is passed off, condoned, promoted by the gods themselves, under the name of dharm. It is, too, a repeated questioning of war: Dinkar may describe the battlefield very vividly, but the way he talks about the futility of war, the utter uselessness of it (even when fought for ‘moral’ reasons): Rashmirathi is a memorable poem about the importance of peace and the need to question what we think of as pride, honour, valour, love, friendship, morality, generosity, etc.

Besides the message, there is, of course, the language itself. I will admit that some of the more difficult Hindi flummoxed me and made me look up some words, but still, I was able to enjoy this. Dinkar’s rhythm is superb, the words often hard-hitting, and even in the rare moment when he’s describing nature, he can really create word pictures that bring the scene to life:

खगों का स्पर्श से कर पंख-मोचन
कुसुम के पोंछती हिम-सिक्त लोचन
दिवस की स्वामिनी आई गगन में
उड़ा कुमकुम, जगा जीवन भुवन में

[Gautam Bhatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child, I heard bits and pieces of the Rashmirathi, read out to me by my parents. After many years, I came back to it as an adult, and read it beginning to end (barring Section 2 - Karna and Parashurama). The sustained brilliance of this long poem is stunning: the way Dinkar weaves together rhyme and metre, slows or quickens the pace based upon what's happening - there is an absolute mastery over form. It feels like the poem is a living thing, that your heart is actually beating to the rhythm of the battle/debate/dialogue, whatever's happening.

Stand-out parts include Karn's humiliation by the Kripacharya and his exaltation by Duryodhana (Section I), Krishn's failed attempt to get Karna to switch sides (Section III), Karna's response to Indra who comes trying to trick him out of his armer (Section IV), Kunti's response to Karna after he spurns her (Section V), Bhishma's unsuccessful attempt to get Karna to make peace (Section VI), and literally all of the climactic Karna/Arjuna duel (Section VII).

Parts of this poem made me cry when I was a kid, and parts still do. It's a travesty that this isn't part of our national consciousness (at least, in the Hindi-speaking belt).

[Pinaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterpiece in every sense.

"बहुत धुधुआ चुकी, अब आग फूटे,
किरण सारी सिमट कर आज छूटे ।
छिपे हों देवता! अंगार जो भी,
दबे हों प्राण में हूंकार जो भी,

"उन्हें पुंजित करो, आकार दो है !
मुझे मेरा ज्वलित शृंगार दो है !
पवन का वेग दो, दुर्जय अनल दो,
विकर्तन ! आज अपना तेज-बल दो !

***********************
कवच-कुंडल गया; पर, प्राण तो हैं,
भुजा में शक्ति, धनु पर बाण तो हैं ।
गयी एकाग्नि तो सब कुछ गया क्या?
बचा मुझमें नहीं कुछ भी नया क्या?

समर की शूरता साकार हूँ मैं,
महा मार्त्येन्द का अवतार हूँ मैं ।
विभूषण वेद - भूषित कर्म मेरा,
कवच है आज तक का धर्म मेरा।
**********************

"जगी, बलिदान की पावन शिखाओ,
समर में आज कुछ करतब दिखाओ ।
नहीं शर ही, सखा सत्कर्म भी हो,
धनुष पर आज मेरा धर्म भी हो।

[Pallavi Kamat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dinkar's Rashmirathi is a book from which many verses are oft quoted in different circumstances.

This book entirely in prose talks about the Mahabharata from the point of view of Karna. It's quite a nice read except for a few words which may need reading up on, especially if one isn't used to reading a lot of Hindi.

My suggestion: read it, then reread it after a while and absorb the wondeful poetry of Dinkar.

[Aishwarya Dhaigude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just amazing!!! I got to know about it through facebook since I had liked a few pages on it. I was just enthralled by the lines that were posted from this book. Fortunately I could immediately get it and read it in one stroke. Rashmirathi is the first hindi book I have ever read and probably the best too. I have always been a huge fan of Karna and Mrityunjay and Rashmirathi have deepened my respect and admiration for him. One can read this book over and over and still find it extremely fascinating and even more appealing. The best part according to me was the kavach kundal daan.

'मैं ही था अपवाद, आज वह भी विभेद हरता हूँ,
कवच छोड़ अपना शरीर सबके समान करता हूँ.
अच्छा किया कि आप मुझे समतल पर लाने आये,
हर तनुत्र दैवीय; मनुज सामान्य बनाने आये.

'भुज को छोड़ न मुझे सहारा किसी और सम्बल का,
बड़ा भरोसा था, लेकिन, इस कवच और कुण्डल का,
पर, उनसे भी आज दूर सम्बन्ध किये लेता हूँ,
देवराज! लीजिए खुशी से महादान देता हूँ.

If you can read Hindi just do yourself a favour and read Rashmirathi. The book is a masterpiece in Indian literature. A must read for all the Indian mythology fans.

[Amit Tiwary · Rating 5 out of 5]

अद्भुत, प्रमाणिक, और सुन्दर महाकाव्य| यह आज भी उतना ही सार्थक है, पूछे गए प्रश्न आज भी अनुत्तरित हैं |

राष्ट्रकवि को प्रणाम|

------------------------------------------
थे जहाँ सहस्त्रों वर्ष पूर्व,
लगता है वहीं खड़े हैं हम।
है वृथा वर्ग, उन गुफावासियों से
कुछ बहुत बड़े हैं हम।

अनगढ़ पत्थर से लड़ो, लड़ो
किटकिटा नखों से, दाँतों से,
या लड़ो ऋक्ष के रोमगुच्छ-पूरित
वज्रीकृत हाथों से;
या चढ़ विमान पर नर्म मुट्ठियों से
गोलों की वृष्टि करो,
आ जाय लक्ष्य में जो कोई,
निष्ठुर हो सबके प्राण हरो।

ये तो साधन के भेद, किन्तु
भावों में तत्व नया क्या है ?
क्या खुली प्रेम आँख अधिक ?
भतीर कुछ बढ़ी दया क्या है ?

झर गयी पूँछ, रोमान्त झरे,
पशुता का झरना बाकी है;
बाहर-बाहर तन सँवर चुका,
मन अभी सँवरना बाकी है।

[Bharat Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book after watching this video, in which Manoj Bajpai beautifully recites verses from one of the chapters of Rashmirathi. The book eulogizes Karna, who is well-known not just for his skills and prowess as a warrior but also for his generosity and unrelenting pursuit of Dharma.
Recite it. Each verse is filled with rhythmic music and will leave you delighted.

[Ravi Prakash · Rating 5 out of 5]

निःशब्द हूँ, आह्लादित मन है।
साहित्य का यह अनमोल रतन है।
पढ़ सको जो हिन्दी भाषा को,
तो करो पूर्ण अभिलाषा को
पढ़ो, जानो चरित्र कर्ण का
ऋणी है जिसकी समूची मानवता।
- रवि

[Garima · Rating 5 out of 5]

The impact and beauty of this poem can never be described in words, I always go back to this whenever I can.

[Deepak Jaisinghani · Rating 4 out of 5]

My reading has considerably slashed of late. Due to personal and financial problems, I could not give my time to books as I once did.

Rashmirathi is a collection of poems by the legend Dinkar sahab. I read this book one or two poems at a time over a couple of months. 'Krishna Chetavni' deserves a special mention.

Hindi literature has been lost in the 21st century. Any notion of rekindling that golden era in modern day is pointless. But what we can still do is read the old classics and admire the masters.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rashmirathi (रश्मिरथी) is an epic poem, that restates the tale of Mahābhārata, the greatest Indian mythological story, from the perspective of Karna, a demigod and arguably the mightiest warrior (barring Lord Krishna of course) and simultaneously the most unfortunate of all characters of the Kurukshetra war. It is perhaps the greatest poem ever written in the Hindi language. An inspiring and tragic story of Karna's talent, valiance, unwavering character, extremely charitable nature, and his constant battles throughout his life against insanely large odds and misfortunes. To be able to appreciate the ferocity, the rage and the might of poetic and dramatized conversations between the characters, gaining an appreciation and understanding of Mahābhārata is a pre-requisite.

The poem is broken down largely into seven parts (सर्ग's) as follows (gave an English name as a title to each part to cover the most important event), covering the most crucial moments for Karna. Also pasting along the favorite verses from each part:

(1) The King of Anga
ऊँच-नीच का भेद न माने, वही श्रेष्ठ ज्ञानी है,
दया-धर्म जिसमें हो, सबसे वही पूज्य प्राणी है।
क्षत्रिय वही, भरी हो जिसमें निर्भयता की आग,
सबसे श्रेष्ठ वही ब्राह्मण है, हो जिसमें तप-त्याग।

(2) Guru's Terrible Curse
Sage Parshuram to Karna:
परशुराम ने कहा-'कर्ण! तू बेध नहीं मुझको ऐसे,
तुझे पता क्या सता रहा है मुझको असमञ्जस कैसे?
पर, तूने छल किया, दण्ड उसका, अवश्य ही पायेगा,
परशुराम का क्रोध भयानक निष्फल कभी न जायेगा।

'मान लिया था पुत्र, इसी से, प्राण-दान तो देता हूँ,
पर, अपनी विद्या का अन्तिम चरम तेज हर लेता हूँ।
सिखलाया ब्रह्मास्त्र तुझे जो, काम नहीं वह आयेगा,
है यह मेरा शाप, समय पर उसे भूल तू जायेगा।

(3) The Wrath of the Ruler of the Universe
Lord Krishna to Duryodhana:
'भूलोक, अतल, पाताल देख,
गत और अनागत काल देख,
यह देख जगत का आदि-सृजन,
यह देख, महाभारत का रण,
मृतकों से पटी हुई भू है,
पहचान, कहाँ इसमें तू है।

'अम्बर में कुन्तल-जाल देख,
पद के नीचे पाताल देख,
मुट्ठी में तीनों काल देख,
मेरा स्वरूप विकराल देख।
सब जन्म मुझी से पाते हैं,
फिर लौट मुझी में आते हैं।

(4) A Game of Heavenly Bane and Boon
Karna to Indra:
'केवल गन्ध जिन्हे प्रिय, उनको स्थूल मनुज क्या देगा?
और व्योमवासी मिट्टी से दान भला क्या लेगा?
फिर भी, देवराज भिक्षुक बनकर यदि हाथ पसारे,
जो भी हो, पर इस सुयोग को, हम क्यों अशुभ विचरें?

(5) A Helpless Mother's Plea
Karna to Kunti:
तुम दान-दान रट रहीं, किन्तु, क्यों माता,
पुत्र ही रहेगा सदा जगत् में दाता ?
दुनिया तो उससे सदा सभी कुछ लेगी,
पर, क्या माता भी उसे नहीं कुछ देगी ?

"मैं एक कर्ण अतएव, माँग लेता हूँ,
बदले में तुमको चार कर्ण देता हूँ।
छोडूँगा मैं तो कभी नहीं अर्जुन को,
तोड़ूँगा कैसे स्वयं पुरातन प्रण को ?

"पर, अन्य पाण्डवों पर मैं कृपा करूँगा,
पाकर भी उनका जीवन नहीं हरूँगा।
अब जाओ हर्षित-हृदय सोच यह मन में,
पालूँगा जो कुछ कहा, उसे मैं रण में।

(6) Karna Enters the Kurkukshetra War on Day 11
Bhishma to Karna:
ओ मेरे प्रतिद्वन्दी मानी !
निश्छल, पवित्र, गुणमय, ज्ञानी !
मेरे मुख से सुन परूष वचन,
तुम वृथा मलिन करते थे मन।
मैं नहीं निरा अवशंसी था,
मन-ही-मन बड़ा प्रशंसी था।

"सो भी इसलिए कि दुर्योधन,
पा सदा तुम्हीं से आश्वासन,
मुझको न मानकर चलता था,
पग-पग पर रूठ मचलता था।
अन्यथा पुत्र ! तुमसे बढ़कर
मैं किसे मानता वीर प्रवर ?

"पार्थोपम रथी, धनुर्धारी,
केशव-समान रणभट भारी,
धर्मज्ञ, धीर, पावन-चरित्र,
दीनों-दलितों के विहित मित्र,
अर्जुन को मिले कृष्ण जैसे,
तुम मिले कौरवों को वैसे।

(7) Fate's Last Trick
Karna to Arjuna:
नरोचित धर्म से कुछ काम तो लो !
बहुत खेले, जरा विश्राम तो लो ।
फंसे रथचक्र को जब तक निकालूं,
धनुष धारण करूं, प्रहरण संभालूं,'

'रुको तब तक, चलाना बाण फिर तुम;
हरण करना, सको तो, प्राण फिर तुम ।
नहीं अर्जुन ! शरण मैं मागंता हूं,
समर्थित धर्म से रण मागंता हूं ।'

'कलकिंत नाम मत अपना करो तुम,
हृदय में ध्यान इसका भी धरो तुम ।
विजय तन की घडी भर की दमक है,
इसी संसार तक उसकी चमक है ।

[Rishabh Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would not take the credit off from Piyush mishra for popularizing the parts of this epos. if you have not seen gulal as well, it is the chapter where Krishna goes to duryodhan and asks rajya for the pandavas and on the refusal of duryodhan gets angry and challanges him for the battle. This chapter beautifully captures the aggravated emotions of the otherwise tactical Krishna and the fear he inculcates in the Sabha.

well thats with the popularised chapter but the rest of it is equally historical and grande. the chapters on Karn, his trainig wirh parshuram, Krishna's negotiations with Karn etc .. everything about this epos is Hitorical. So if you can read in Hindi, this is a must. Please do read this in Hindi and not any english translations and explanations. To say the least its like reading Kafka in German :) (which i cannot).

Cheers!!

[Mohit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Rashmirathi so many times in past few years, after discovering it few years back, that it feels like home.

It is a masterclass in writing and demonstrates what great writing must feel like. This time (2022) read it with several other folks and so happy to have this shared experience of (re) discovering Rashtrakavi Dinkarji.

In this own words;

ऊँच-नीच का भेद न माने, वही श्रेष्ठ ज्ञानी है,
दया-धर्म जिसमें हो, सबसे वही पूज्य प्राणी है।
क्षत्रिय वही, भरी हो जिसमें निर्भयता की आग,
सबसे श्रेष्ठ वही ब्राह्मण है, हो जिसमें तप-त्याग।

तेजस्वी सम्मान खोजते नहीं गोत्र बतला के,
पाते हैं जग में प्रशस्ति अपना करतब दिखला के।
हीन मूल की ओर देख जग गलत कहे या ठीक,
वीर खींच कर ही रहते हैं इतिहासों में लीक।

May everyone has a साक्षात्कार with this work of genius some day.

[Ayushi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest masterpieces of Hindi literature, Rashmirathi centers around the life, struggle and death of one of the most popular Mahabharata characters, Karna. I had read a small part of this epic poem as part of the required reading in high school. The rhythm and choice of words are unparalleled and create a beautiful visual in front of the reader’s eyes. I would recommend reading this in the original Hindi version.

[Hirdesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional hindi poetry book on epic platforms.
One can imagined the exact theme with wonderful and comprehensive poetic scenes and style.
Loved it !!!!
जब नाश मनुज पर छाता है,

पहले विवेक मर जाता है।


हरि ने भीषण हुंकार किया,

अपना स्वरूप-विस्तार किया,
डगमग-डगमग दिग्गज डोले,

भगवान् कुपित होकर बोले-
'जंजीर बढ़ा कर साध मुझे,

हाँ, हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध मुझे

[Nitin Nigam]

काफी समय से ये किताब पढ़ने की इच्छा थी। इतनी लयबद्ध कविता है कि पढ़ के आनंद आ जाता है। कर्ण महाभारत के सबसे अच्छे चरित्रों में से है। उसके साथ बचपन से ही अन्याय हुए, लेकिन उसने धर्म का मार्ग नही छोड़ा। जब मृत्यु निश्चित थी फिर भी नही। कर्ण के चरित्र को बहुत अच्छे से कविता के माध्यम से प्रस्तुत किया है दिनकर जी ने। इस पुस्तक की जितनी तारीफ करी जाए वो कम है।

[Garima Yadav · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in it's original language-Hindi and also listened to its recitation. It is one of the best books I have read. I wish more people read it.

[Smit Hinsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to Manoj Muntashir's passionate recitation on YouTube and it is difficult to describe this using words and it is something to be experienced. It left such a deep impression that even after just the first part, I was thinking of it in my dream. Beautiful Beautiful stuff!

This poem is based on Mahabharata character Karna's intricate but virtuous life. You already know the context, you already know the story and you already know the ending but because of the way it is written, it is no less than an intense thriller. The way it describes the strong emotions and situation of not just Karna but others is moving and remarkable. Despite facing excruciating pain and setbacks throughout life, it is so heartwarming to see Karna always returning more than what he got from others in spite of having disagreements with them. Life experiences made him bitter but he never let that bitterness affect his actions. (With the exception of returning the favor of abuse in kind to Draupdi at an inappropriate time for her, not covered in this poem.)

This shows a small slice of Mahabharata story and diverse characters in full complexity and reminded me why I love Mahabharata so much since I watched it when I was 5!

[Vikalp Trivedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rashmirathi" by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar is a phenomenal poem based on the life and moreover struggle of the most underrated character of the Mahabharat - Karn . The poem is composed in Veer-Ras and is composed so brilliantly that it literally gives goosebumps to the reader .

I've read some books based on the Mahabharata in which Karn is one of the chief character . But those books mostly portrayed the tragidies surrounding Karn's life and on the other hand this books portrays the stand of Karn against all the odds he faced throughout his life . Entire poem was great but the parts I liked most were the training days of Karn with Parshuram (especially Parshuram's affection for Karn) , conversation of Karn with Krishna , Indra and Kunti and Krishna's warning in the Kuru Court . It happens with every book related to the Mahabharat that it gives many answers to many questions , but also asks some new ones . This book is no exception and it poses some questions on the Pandav side which should be thought of and also there are the ones which directly questions their agenda itself of fighting the war .

There is one more thing which I liked about the poem that the author has used many incedences of the Mahabharata to target the condition of the nation at the time "Rashmirathi" was published (mainly caste discrimination and evils of war) ironically many of the conditions are still the same .

Overall a wonderful and intriguing book.
Perfect 5 Stars.

P.S. - The book marks my 50th read book on Goodreads . Glad it was my 50th book .

[Akash · Rating 5 out of 5]

the way he has written the poem is unparalleled.
A marvelous piece of writing of our times.