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. munshi jagannaath laal srivastav Khushtar (1809-1864) completed writing ramayan-e Khushkar in 1852, while working in the administration of wajid ali shah, the nawab of lukhnow. It was so popular that it went through 17 reprints over a 70 year period. This is a glimpse of the introductory part of the ramayan and claims that the shaa’er was ordained by sarawati to compose it in urdu.
1
Khudaaya Khaame¹ ko naam-aavari² de
qalam³ meN jalva⁴-e baal⁵-e pari de
riyaaz⁶-e hamd⁷ meN ta⁸ hasb⁹-e andaaz¹⁰
anaadil¹¹ ki tarah ho naGhma-pardaaz¹²
mazaamiin¹³-e sana¹⁴ meN tar¹⁵ zabaaN ho
ba-raNg¹⁶-e abr-e-niisaaN¹⁷ dur-fashaaN¹⁸ ho
dahn¹⁹ Ghuncha²⁰, zabaaN gul-barg²¹ tar¹⁵ ho
ye aab²²-e shukr²³ ka tere samar²⁴ ho
gohar-afshaaN²⁵ jo yuN mera qalam³ hai
sahaab²⁶-e lutf²⁷ ka tere karam²⁸ hai    1.pen 2.fame 3.pen 4.manifestation 5.feathers 6.practice 7.praise 8.so that 9.proportional 10.style, capability 11.nightingales, bulbul 12.song displaying 13.themes 14.praise 15.dipped into 16.in the style of 17.rain cloud 18.pearl showering 19.mouth 20.flower bud 21.petal 22.brilliance 23.thanks, gifts 24.fruit 25.pearl scattering 26.cloud 27.pleasure 28.benevolence
O, god, grant my pen a good reputation. May it display the powers of flight like an angel, so that in the practice of (your) praise, it may sing like the bulbul. So that my tongue may be drowned in the themes of (your) praise. That it may shower pearls in the manner of a rain cloud. That my mouth and tongue be like a bud blooming into flower petals. That this be the fruit of the brilliance of your gifts. If my pen were able to scatter pearls like this, it will be a demonstration of the pleasure of your benevolence.
2
ke imshab¹ tera baKht-e-Khufta² Khushtar
hua bedaar³ shakl⁴-e maah⁵ o aKhtar⁶
maiN huN nutq⁷-e zabaan-e jinn⁸ o aadam⁹
meri qudrat¹⁰ se goya¹¹ sub hai aalam¹²
ba-hindi susurti¹³ hai naam mera
maiN aaii huN banaane kaam tera    1.tonight 2.sleeping fate 3.wake 4.in the manner of 5.moon 6.stars 7.sound, voice 8.animals 9.humans 10.powers, capabilities 11.as if 12.universe 13.saraswati
O, Khushtar, tonight your luck is going to change and shine like the moon and stars. I grant sound/voice to the tongue of animals and humans. It is as if the whole universe exists because of my powers. In hindi, my name is saraswati. I have come here to give you a boon.
3
ba-chashm²-e Ghaur³ dekh aye tiir-e-baatin⁴
bahaar⁵-e aalam-e-imkaaN⁶ hai do din
saraapa⁷ hai badan insaan ka Khaak
kataaN⁸ ki tarah hoga ek din chaak⁹
makaan o qasr¹⁰ o baaGh o shahr o bazaar
pas¹¹ az¹² sad-saal¹³ ho jaate haiN mismaar¹⁴
kahaaN un meN itni paayedaari¹⁵
rahe baad-az fanaa¹⁶ jo yaadgaari
vo karna chaahiye is dahr¹⁷ meN baat
ke jis ka roz-e mahshar¹⁸ tak ho asbaat¹⁹      1.instruction 2.eyes 3.careful, attentive 4.hiding darkness 5.spring, bloom 6.material world 7.head to toe 8.thin/fine cloth 9.torn 10.palace 11.only 12.for 13.hundred years 14.destroyed 15.staying power 16.death, destruction 17.world 18.doomsday 19.stability
Thus did saraswati instruct him. Look carefully throught this darkness. This world has life (bloom) of only two days. The body of humans is the embodiment of dust. One day, it will get shredded like fine cloth. House, palace, garden, cities and bazaars, do they have any permanence. No. In a hundred years or so, they all disintegrate. Once, destroyed, the are forgotten. You should do that in the world, which will remain until after doomsday.
4
kare urdu meN gar tu us ko tazmiiN¹
nehaayet² dil-nashiN³ ho aur Khush-aaiiN⁴
mazaamiin⁵ o m’uaani⁶ us ke hoN sahl⁷
dil o jaaN se kare maqbool⁸ har dil
murattib⁹ ho jo vo ba nazm-e raNgiiN
rahe naama¹⁰ tera ta¹¹ maah¹² o parviiN¹³    1.compose 2.extremely 3.heart pleasing 4.good culture, cultured 5.themes 6.meaning 7.smooth, easy 8.accept 9.construct, made of 10.story, writing, book 11.as long as 12.moon 13.Venus
If you compose it in urdu, it will be extremely pleasing and cultured. Make its themes and meanings easy to understand so that everyone accepts it in their heart. If it is composed in colourful poem, then your book will survive as long as the moon and stars.
5
kahaaN ramayan aur raam ka naam
kahaaN maiN banda²-e naacheez³ o naakaam⁴
kahaaN baazu⁵ kahaaN is tarah ke par
uRe jo murGh⁶-e laaGhar⁷ lamakaaN⁸ par
farishtoN⁹ ki yahaaN hai aql kotaah¹⁰
kahaaN us bazm¹¹ meN insaaN ko hai raah¹²
karuuN kis tarah se maiN sar-sabz¹³ ye kisht¹⁴
nahiN vahm-o-gumaaN¹⁵ ka mere yaara¹⁶
kare jo tarjuma¹⁷ us ka gavaara¹⁸     1.protest 2.slave, devotee 3.of no value 4.failed 5.arms 6.bird 7.weak 8.emptiness 9.angels 10.not enough, short 11.gathering 12.pathway 13.green 14.harvest, cultivation 15.doubts 16.familiarity 17.translation 18.tolerate
Khushtar protests – how can I relate the ramayan and take raam’s name. I am but a lowly slave and failure. I do not have strength in my arms/wings to make this weak bird fly into these vast spaces. Even angels’ minds/intelligence fall short. How can a human find his way in that gathering. How can I cultivate this harvest. I do not have confidence my translation will be tolerated.
6
ba-qadr²-e fikr³ kar is raah meN Ghaur⁴
karam⁵ se us ke hoga nazm har taur⁶
nahiN mazmuun-o-m’uaani⁷ ka yahaaN kaam
faqat⁸ kar dil se mauzuuN⁹ raam-kalaam¹⁰
bane barkat¹¹ se jis ke kaam tera
saraapa¹¹ nek¹² ho anjaam¹³ tera     1.answer 2.as much as 3.thought, mind 4.think, concentrate 5.benevolence 6.condition 7.theme and meaning 8.only 9.proportionate, suitable 10.words of raam 11.blessing 11.head to toe, complete 12.good 13.result, reward
saraswati replied to Khushtar’s protest – concentrate on this as much as your mind allows. By his benevolence it will get composed under all conditions/difficulties. There is no need to worry about lofty themes or meanings. Only render the story of raam from the depth of your heart. And your reward will be good.
7
paRhe jo koii ye nazm-e dur-afshaaN¹
na ho hargiz² asiir³-e ranj⁴-e dauraaN⁵
paRhe jo koii bhi dil se Ghair-taqsiir⁶
kare nazzaara⁷ us ka jald⁸ taasiir⁹
agar mun’im¹⁰ ho paave baaGh-e-jannat¹¹
vagar muflis¹² ho paave gaNj-o-daulat¹³
agar ho qaid¹⁴ meN paave rehaaii¹⁵
shifa¹⁶ biimaar ko ho be-davaaii     1.pearl showering 2.under no circumstances 3.prisoner 4.sorrow 5.times 6.without mistakes/distortion 7.view 8.soon 9.effect 10.deserving of reward 11.garden of heaven 12.pauper 13.treasure and wealth 14.imprisoned 15.freedom 16.cure
Whoever reads this pearl-showering nazm, they will not be caught in the sorrows of these times. Whoever studies this without distortion, will soon see its results. They will be rewarded with heaven. If they are pauper, they will get wealth and treasure. If they are imprisoned, they will be get freedom. If they are sick, the will be cured without medication.