The ramayan has fascinated minds in India and worldwide for millennia, for the beauty of its literary composition, for its fascinating story content as well as for faith and reverence.  It is not surprising then that the Ramayan has been translated not only into all major languages, but also into unexpected ones like Polish, Norwegian and Swedish.  What is surprising is that there are more than twice as many poetic translations/trans-compositions of the ramayan in urdu as there are of the qur’aan and that the ramayan was translated into urdu even before the qur’aan was.

A book “urdu meN hindu dharm” (Hindu Religion in Urdu), Ajai Malviya,  written in Urdu, catalogues in detail urdu translations of the vedas (66), ramayan (103), mahabharat (38), bhagwad gita (83), puranas (44), manu smriti (4), biography of vashisht (14) and miscellaneous other religious compositions (472) spanning about 200 years of publications.

Why has this significant piece of literature been relegated to a neglected and ignored heap of disdain?  This needs to be corrected.  The sheer number and the high poetic and linguistic quality of this literature surprised me as I worked to string together representative parts of urdu nazm/poems of ramayan by different poets, like pearls strung in a necklace, into a near complete story.

A close reading of urdu ramayan translations offers some fascinating lessons about mingling of cultures in India, the origins and “ownership” of Urdu language, the power of the pen across languages and cultures and the universality of basic human emotions.  One is struck deeply by the acceptance and seamless adoption of multiple religious traditions as indicated by the observation that many ramayan renderings (even some by hindu poets) start with “bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim” and a “hamd” (an ode and/or expression of gratitude to god).  Since god, like language, has no religion, these odes/hamd/vandana are entirely secular/universal.

It is highly contentious to say that urdu is a muslim language (as if a language has religion) or even to say that urdu is a language of muslims.  There are large numbers of muslims (Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) who do not know/speak urdu.  One of the important reasons that East Pakistan separated and declared baNgladesh was that it did not want urdu to be imposed on it in preference to its own language, beNgali.

Of the 100 or so translations/re-compositions of the ramayan in urdu more than 80 were written/composed by hindu writers/poets.  In most, if not all cases the poets were orthodox, believing, practicing hindus.  Why were they writing the ramayan in urdu?  I speculate that there must have been a large section of literate hindu population who considered Urdu their primary language, not because of political favours but because it was naturally their language.  Some of the poets who re-composed tulsidas’ ramcharitmanas suggest that because it was written in “bhaaka or bhaasha” and not easily available to everyone.  Therefore, they translated/re-composed it in urdu, perhaps implying that this is more comprehensible than “bhaaka/bhaasha”.  Apparently by the 1800s neither avadhi nor braj bhaasha were considered a common language.  To show the role urdu played in devotional traditions of north Indian hindus, I paraphrase from a book by bishweshwar parshad munavvar, himself a poet and son of dwaarka parshad ufaq (another poet of renown, who composed a full urdu ramayan).  He writes that, because of the effort of munshi jagannath Khushtar (1809-1864) and munshi shankar dayal farhat (1843-1904) in translating hindu religious texts into urdu, the teachings of the ramayan saved the hindu religion from further decline.  Before we run away with the image of an alien force coming down to “save” hinduism, it might be useful put this quote in perspective.  We have to make an effort to understand that what he might have meant is that there was a substantial community of hindus to whom religious texts were not comprehensible because they were written either in sanskrit or avadhi while their primary language of learning was urdu.  Thus, these translations made religious texts available to them.

Surely these poets, most of whom were believing and observant hindus must have had an audience/readership of similarly devout believers, who revered the composition itself and must have had the linguistic finesse to enjoy its literary excellence.  It draws a picture of a large section of literate hindu population who considered urdu their primary language, not because of political favours but because it was naturally their language.  We do not have any data taken by ‘pollsters’ to show that this was the case.  But we can make some speculative estimates by numbers of publications and the content of those publications.  I am unable to compile a scholarly accounting of such magazines and the numerous contributions of urdu writers.  Suffice it to present to you names of some daily, weekly or monthly publications, “sanaatan dharm pracharak”, “tej”, “aarya veer”, “veer India”, “arya Gazette”, “bande maataram”, “jain sansaar”, “sher-e hind”, “raajput Gazette” and even “agarwal hiteshi” that were published in urdu, some as late as the 1940s.  All had editors and contributors who were hindu (at least by name).

The compositions and publications of urdu ramayan cover roughly 1825-1980.  These poets also wrote secular/romantic Ghazal, nazm as well as other devotional pieces to krishn, lakshmi and many others.  The question needs to be asked, but remains unanswered because of lack of documentary evidence, whether these poets, steeped in urdu poetic culture, also recited parts of the ramayan in the mushaa’era that they participated in.  What was the composition of the audience?  They also composed bhajans in urdu.  Were these bhajans sung in religious gatherings.  We know that bhajans composed by syed ibrahim ras Khan (1548-1628) in braj bhaasha, proto-urdu, are sung to this day in prayer meetings.  There is every reason to believe that urdu compositions of ramayan were also recited, heard and enjoyed in public gatherings whether they may be called mushaa’era or not.

Well over twenty samples from urdu ramayan composed by different poets over nearly two centuries have been selected in story sequence and strung together like the beads of a tasbiih/jap-mala.  This study of the urdu ramayan shows the versatility, beauty and power of urdu, its ownership by a wide range of communities of India, and the easy and seamless acceptance, adoption and cross pollination of one another’s traditions by all faith systems.  Alas, somewhere along the way, we have lost this unique syncretic tradition.  It is my fervent hope that such studies will contribute a little to its revival.

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. There are nearly hundred ramayan in urdu and more than a dozen in faarsi. Some begin with bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim and/or a hamd/ode to the creator. Others begin with a ‘ganesh vandana’. They are not correlated with the religious affilation of the poet. There is easy and comfortable crossing of cultural boundaries. Included here is a sampling of a few beginnings.
The first selection from imtiazuddin’s, “urdu masnavi – ramayan” is a prayer in the name of Khuda to give him the ability to describe the character of raam to the world.

dua – mohammed imtiazuddin
1
Khuda ke naam ko har saaNs meN vird-e zabaaN kar luN
usi ke ishq se raushan zamin o aasmaaN kar luN
dikhaauN masnavi se raam ke kirdaar ke jauhar
usi ki seerat-e paakeeza zeb-e daastaaN kar luN     I chant the name of Khuda in every breath. With love of him, I light up the earth and the sky. In a masnavi (a long epic poem) I will show the brilliance of the character of raam. I will make his character the embellishment of my story.
2
usi ke kaarnaame vaalmiiki ne sunaaye the
usi ke zikr se maiN zindagi ko jaavedaaN kar luN
vo kirdaar-e misaali jalva-gar ho meri nazmauN meN
usi ke geet gaa kar do jahaaN ko naGhma KhwaaN kar luN
naye andaaz se likkhuN kahaani suurmaaoN ki
Khuda ke naam se zor-e suKhan ka imtehaaN kar luN    His (raam’s) accomplishments were related to us by valmiki. With the narration of his story I will make my life/reputation last forever. May that exemplary character show through in my nazm. May his songs make the whole world sing along with me. May I be able to write the story of the brave in a new style. With the help of god I will put to test the power of my versification.
The second selection from chandraman kaayast bedil, in faarsi, entitled “nargisistan” (1888) has a hamd/vandana that sounds neither islamic nor hindu, but universal and sufiyaana.  It includes an ode to auraNgzeb and describes the reasons for composing the ramayan before actually beginning the epic.

nargisistan – chandramaan kaayast bedil

bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim
hamd-e paak (holy ode)
3
ilaahi bahr-o-sifat bekaraan ast
Khirad ra kishti andarve giraan ast
ze auj-e vasf-e tu murGh-e zabaanha
fatad be-baal o par az aashiyaanha
ke mansoor andar-een duniya-e faani
chasheeda lazzat-e raaz-e nihaani
bayak arani moosa sar-ba-sar tuur
namoodi surma az yak sho’la-e nuur    O, god, describing your attributes is like sailing in a limitless ocean. The boat of wisdom/(material) knowledge is too heavy (sinking). Describing the heights of your attributes, the tongue fails, like a bird without wings and feathers falls from the nest. But mansoor, in this mortal life got a taste of the pleasure of the hidden secret (an-al-haq, aham brahmasmi). With just one word, tuur was reduced to ashes by a flash of lightning and moosa fainted (if this happened to moosa, what can happen to my pen, if it tries to describe you).
dar madah baadshah aalamgir Ghaazi (in praise of emperor aalamgir, the victor)
4
ze faiz-e oo jahaan andar bahaar ast
nigaar-e dahr oo raa dar kinaar ast
jahaan raa shaah ta auraNgzeb ast
ba-hindostan na nairaNg o na zeb ast    Spring blooms in the world because of him. Because of him, the beauty of the world knows no bounds. In this world, as long as auraNgzeb is emperor, for hindostan there is no (more) need for enchantment or for embellishment.
sabab-e taaleef-e kitaab nargisistaan urf ramayan (the reason for writing ramayan)
5
ba-ishq-e raam gooyam in fasaana
ke baashad dilruba az har taraana
dar een mahfil tura saaqi ke raam ast
ba-noosh az shauq dar dast-e tu jaam ast
ke ta daur-e qayaamat een fasaana
ba-maanad yaadgaar andar zamaana
chu justam az Khirad gufta ke bar Khwaan
taraavat baKhsh dil-ha baaGh-e eemaan     Because of love of raam, I relate this story, that every song in it, be pleasing. In this gathering raam is your saaqi. Drink with pleasure, in your hand you hold the cup (his book is a cup of wine). I write so that until doomsday this may remain memorable in the world. If you search with wisdom, you will find in this recitation, freshness of the garden of faith bestowed on your heart.
ramayan yak-qaafiya – dwarka parshad ufaq
There are over 6000 ash’aar in the same qaafiya.
6
lab siya, raghubar dahan, dandaaN bharat, lachhman zabaaN
shatrughanji nutq, luv aavaaz, kush husn-e bayaaN
naGhma-zan har vaqt rahte haiN unhiN ke vasf meN
jam, baran, saNka o naarad, sees, suraj, chandrmaaN
haft dozaKh, haft aKhtar, haft josh o haft koh
karte haiN zaahir inhiN saatoN ki qudrat ka nishaaN
qudrat-e kaamil dikhaate haiN inhiN ke haft raNg
haft kishwar, haft qulzum, haft Khat, haft aasmaaN
haiN jo ramayan ke mashhoor-e zamaana saat kaanD
saat parde haiN vo chashm-e ins o jin ke begumaaN    My lips, mouth, teeth, tongue, power of speech, sound and beauty of versification are all constantly dedicated to singing the praise of sita, raam, bharat, lakshman, shatrughan, luv and kush (twin sons of raam and sita). All the gods, the sun and moon, seven hells, seven stars, seven oceans and seven mountains, all display the power of these seven. The seven colours of the rainbow show their perfect nature. Seven contintents, seven oceans, seven regions and seven heavens and the famous seven chapters of the ramayan are all but seven screens for the eyes of all creation, without a doubt.
7
bus bus ab Khaamosh aye lab-e kilk-e ufaq
madah karna in ki bhala ye tujh meN goyaaii kahaaN
raushni pahuNchaayega kis tarah saaya dhoop ko
kya ziya Khursheed ko baKhshega mahr-e aasmaaN
hai munaasib pesh kar kuchh nazr-e mauzooni-e tab’a
armuGhaan-e Khush-bayaani tohfa-e husn-e bayaaN    Enough, enough, be silent O mouth of the pen of ufaq (the poet), how can you hope to have words to praise them (the seven characters of ramayan). Can a shadow give brilliance to sunlight? Can a faint moon give light to the sun? It is better if you present an offering suitable to your nature – an offering of good versification and a gift of beauty of verse.