Original Poem
पिता झाड़-झंखाड़, घाटियों और पत्थरों से भरे चटियल मैदान थे। पिता सागौन, शीशम, बबूल, तेंदुओं और हिरनों से भरे बीहड़ थे। बचपन में अक्सर किसी ऊँचे टीले पर चढ़ कर मैं आस-पास के गाँवों में ललकार दिया करता था नाके के पार शहर तक में पिता का रोब था। एक-एक इमारत पर उनकी कन्नियाँ सरकी थीं। एक-एक दीवार पर उनकी उँगलियों के निशान थे। हर दरवाज़े की काठ पर उनका रंदा चला था। नाके के इस पार जहाँ से गाँव की वीरानगी शुरू होती है हर खेत की कठोर छाती पर पिता अपनी कुदाल धँसा गए थे। हल की हर मूठ पर उनकी घट्ठेदार हथेलियों की छाप थी। हर गरियार बैल के पुट्ठों पर उनके डंडे के दाग थे... बचपन में पिता के कंधे पर बैठ कर मैं बाज़ार घूमने जाता था। पिता पहाड़ की तरह चलते भीड़ की तरह उनके कंधे पर मैं जंगली तोते की तरह बैठा रहता। बाद में पिता ग़ायब हो गए कहते हैं खेल, कुदाल, बैल, इमारतें, ईंटे, दरवाज़े, बाज़ार उन्हें पचा गए। मुझे लगता है उस चटियल मैदान के भीतर (जो पिता थे) ज़मीन की दूसरी-तीसरी परतों में। सरकता हुआ कोई नम सोता भी था जो मेहनत करते पिता की देह के अलावा कभी-कभी मेरी आँखों से भी रिसने लगता था।
Translation (English)
Father was like a barren field filled with bushes, valleys, and stones.
Father was like a wild forest filled with teak, sheesham, acacia, leopards, and deer.
As a child, I often climbed a high mound
and would shout out to the nearby villages.
Beyond the checkpoint,
Even in the city,
Father's presence was felt.
On every building,
His tools had been used.
On every wall,
His fingerprints were visible.
On the wood of every door,
His plane had been used.
Beyond the checkpoint,
Where the village's emptiness begins,
On every field's hard surface,
Father had dug with his hoe.
On every plow handle,
His rough hands left their mark.
On the backs of every plowing bull,
His stick's marks were visible...
As a child,
Sitting on father's shoulders,
I would go to the market.
Father was like a mountain,
Walking like a crowd,
On his shoulders, I
sat like a wild parrot.
Later, father
vanished.
They say games, hoes,
Bulls, buildings, bricks, doors, markets
consumed him.
I feel
inside that barren field
(which was father)
in the deeper layers of the earth.
Something moist was seeping,
which, besides father's hardworking body,
sometimes even from my eyes
would start to leak.
About the Poet
धीरेंद्र अस्थाना (Modern Hindi Literature)
Dhirendra Asthana is a contemporary Hindi writer known for his evocative poetry and stories that often explore themes of family, memory, and identity. His works are part of modern Hindi literature.
Historical Context
- Literary Form
- Free Verse
- When Written
- Modern era
- Background
- The poem reflects on the profound impact of a father figure, using vivid imagery of nature and labor to convey the father's presence and influence. It explores themes of memory, loss, and the enduring legacy of parental figures.
Sources: https://www.hindwi.org/story/pita-dhirendra-asthana-story, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindi_literature
Detailed Explanation
This poem by Dhirendra Asthana is a poignant reflection on the presence and influence of a father. The poet uses vivid imagery to describe the father as a part of the natural and built environment, symbolizing his strength, labor, and legacy. The father is depicted as a robust figure whose presence is felt in the fields, buildings, and even in the smallest details of the landscape. The imagery of tools and labor signifies the father's hard work and dedication. As the poem progresses, the father becomes a part of the earth itself, suggesting his enduring impact and the deep connection between the father and the land. The poem also touches on themes of memory and loss, as the father eventually 'disappears,' leaving behind only traces of his existence. The poet's childhood memories of sitting on his father's shoulders and feeling secure and elevated are contrasted with the later absence, creating a sense of longing and nostalgia. This poem beautifully captures the essence of a father's role and the indelible mark they leave on their children and surroundings.
Themes
Literary Devices
Word Dictionary
| Word | Meaning | Translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| पिता | बाप | father | pitaa |
| झाड़-झंखाड़ | झाड़ियाँ | shrubs | jhaad-jhankhaar |
| घाटियों | दर्रों | valleys | ghaatiyon |
| पत्थरों | चट्टानों | stones | pattharon |
| चटियल | सूखा | barren | chatiyal |
| मैदान | खेत | field | maidaan |
| सागौन | एक प्रकार की लकड़ी | teak | saagoun |
| शीशम | एक प्रकार की लकड़ी | a type of wood | sheesham |
| बबूल | काँटेदार पेड़ | acacia | babool |
| तेंदुओं | जंगली जानवर | leopards | tenduo |
| हिरनों | हरिण | deer | hirnon |
| बीहड़ | जंगल | wilderness | beehad |
| बचपन | बचपन का समय | childhood | bachpan |
| अक्सर | प्रायः | often | aksar |
| ऊँचे | ऊपर | high | oonche |
| टीले | छोटे पहाड़ | mounds | teele |
| चढ़ | चढ़ाई | climb | chadh |
| आस-पास | नज़दीक | surrounding | aas-paas |
| गाँवों | गाँव | villages | gaonon |
| ललकार | चुनौती | challenge | lalkaar |
| नाके | चौकी | checkpoint | naake |
| शहर | नगर | city | shahar |
| रोब | प्रभाव | influence | rob |
| इमारत | भवन | building | imaarat |
| कन्नियाँ | औज़ार | tools | kanniyan |
| सरकी | हिली | moved | sarki |
| दीवार | भित्ति | wall | deewaar |
| उँगलियों | अंगुलियाँ | fingers | ungliyon |
| निशान | चिन्ह | marks | nishaan |
| दरवाज़े | द्वार | doors | darwaaze |
| काठ | लकड़ी | wood | kaath |
| रंदा | लकड़ी का औज़ार | plane | randa |
| वीरानगी | सूना | desolation | veeraangi |
| खेत | खेत | farmland | khet |
| कठोर | सख्त | hard | kathor |
| छाती | सीना | chest | chaati |
| कुदाल | खुदाई का औज़ार | hoe | kudaal |
| धँसा | डुबोया | sunk | dhansa |
| हल | कृषि का औज़ार | plow | hal |
| मूठ | हैंडल | handle | mooth |
| घट्ठेदार | मज़बूत | calloused | ghaththedaar |
| हथेलियों | हाथ की हथेलियाँ | palms | hatheliyon |
| छाप | निशान | imprint | chaap |
| गरियार | मोटा | plowing | gariyar |
| बैल | बैल | bull | bail |
| पुट्ठों | पीठ | backs | putthon |
| डंडे | छड़ी | stick | dande |
| दाग | निशान | marks | daag |
| कंधे | कंधा | shoulders | kandhe |
| बाज़ार | मंडी | market | baazaar |
| पहाड़ | पर्वत | mountain | pahaad |
| भीड़ | जनसमूह | crowd | bheed |
| जंगली | वन्य | wild | jangli |
| तोते | पक्षी | parrot | tote |
| ग़ायब | लुप्त | disappeared | ghaayab |
| खेल | खेल | games | khel |
| इमारतें | भवन | buildings | imaaraten |
| ईंटे | ईंट | bricks | eente |
| पचा | समाहित | swallowed | pacha |
| भीतर | अंदर | inside | bheetar |
| ज़मीन | धरती | earth | zameen |
| दूसरी | अन्य | second | doosri |
| तीसरी | तीसरा | third | teesri |
| परतों | स्तर | layers | paraton |
| सरकता | फिसलता | slipping | sarakta |
| नम | गीला | moist | nam |
| सोता | झरना | spring | sota |
| मेहनत | परिश्रम | hard work | mehnat |
| देह | शरीर | body | deh |
| अलावा | सिवाय | besides | alaawa |
| कभी-कभी | समय-समय पर | sometimes | kabhi-kabhi |
| आँखों | नेत्र | eyes | aankhon |
| रिसने | टपकने | seep | risne |
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