5 Must-Read Poetry Books by Indian Poets

By Srinidhi Murthy

Poetry is one of the oldest forms of literature and has a rich oral and written history. Indian poetry, in particular, can be dated back to the Vedic times with Sanskrit poems crafted around more than 3000 years ago. Here is the list of must-read poetry books written by talented poets who marked their unique influences on Indian poetry in modern times.

Covers: Amazon | Design: ACK Design Team
Madhushala – Harivansh Rai Bachchan (1935)

Madhushala (The House of Wine) is a famous Hindi poetry book that has 135 quatrains (i.e. a poem consisting of four lines), written by poet and writer Harivansh Rai Bachchan. The publication of this book in 1935, gave instant fame to the poet. One of the unique features of this poetry collection is that the poet ends every quatrain with the word Madhushala. In this book, Harivansh Rai Bachchan tries to explain the complexities of life with the four instruments i.e. Madhu (wine), Saaki (server), Pyaala (cup) and Madhushala. With some of his metaphorical lines, the poet also explains that the reader is the wine and he (the poet) is the cup. By filling the cup, the reader will become an alcoholic. Hence, the author concludes with this metaphor that Madhushala is incomplete without both the poet and reader. Due to its popularity, the original Hindi version has been translated into English, Malayalam, Bengali, and Marathi. The book is one of the first pieces of Hindi poetry that has been set to music with its CDs and cassettes. The poem also has been choreographed for stage performances.

Kamayani by Jaishankar Prasad (1936)

Kamayani, written in Hindi by Jaishankar Prasad, was published in 1936. Born in January 1889, Jaishankar Prasad was a novelist, poet, and playwright. In Kamayani, the poet sheds light upon the Vedic story of Manu and Shraddha, the first man and woman to survive the Pralaya (deluge) that was meant to end the world. Due to the incredible writing style of the poet, Kamayani emerges as an amalgamation of history and imagination for the reader. The book also explores the interplay of human emotions, actions, and thoughts with the help of mythological metaphors. There are fifteen sargas (cantos) mentioned in Kamayani namely faith, worry, hope, joy, lust, intellect, joy, struggle, philosophy, mystery, logic, shame, jealousy, action, and renunciation. The epic poem is considered one of the greatest Hindi literary works written in modern times. 

Magadh – Shrikant Verma (1984)

Magadh, a poem written in Hindi by Shrikant Verma, was published in 1984. Considered as the crowning achievement of the poet’s life, Magadh has been established as one of the important works of Indian poetry in the late 20th century. The book consists of 56 poems written in 1979 and 1984. The poems in Magadha emerge as a reminder of the past that encounters the present and also provides the reader with a glimpse of the future. The poet Shrikant Verma presented a different style of writing in Magadh which connects the present to the history of the various historical and mythical cities. The tone of the poem is remarkably confessional and changes from nostalgic to ironic to sorrowful. Shrikant Verma was presented with the Sahitya Akademi Award posthumously for Magadh in 1987.

The Collected Poems of A.K Ramanujan – A.K.Ramanujan (1995)

A.K. Ramanujan was one of the finest English-language poets of modern India. The Collected Poems of A.K. Ramanujan was published posthumously in 1995 after the demise of the author. The book consists of the three volumes of poems published during the lifetime of the poet and also includes the fourth volume which was left unpublished at the time of his death. Some of the famous poems of A.K. Ramanujan, such as The Striders, A River, Still life, Extended Family, and Astronomer are added to the poetry collection of this book. The poems published in this book reflect the lifelong interest of the poet in structuralism, anthropology, folklore, and biculturalism.

Mera Kuch Samaan: My Poetry Collection – Gulzar (2014)

Mera Kuch Samaan: My Poetry Collection was published in English on 1 August, 2004. The book contains the selected poems of the Indian lyricist and poet, Gulzar. The book is a collection of four volumes which includes the original Hindi poems with their translated English verses. The three-hundred-page book also includes the collection of poems known as the Green Poems, which celebrates the poet’s innate connection with nature, along with the lesser-known poems hand-picked by him. The book also features hundred memorable lyrics of Gulzar along with the beautiful illustrations by the poet himself.

Krishna Speaks #10

Illustration: ACK Design Team

Today’s quote from the Bhagavad Gita reminds us that change is the only constant. 

Kadambari: Banabhatta’s Sanskrit Classic

By Srinidhi Murthy 

The word ‘novel’ originated in the 18th century from the Italian word “novella” to refer to stories. However, that doesn’t mean novels originated in the eighteenth century. Novels existed even in ancient times, although they were not categorised or labelled as such. In the Indian context, Banabhatta and Bhushanabhatta’s romantic novel in Sanskrit, Kadambari, is an example of that. Kadambari was started by Banabhatta and then was completed by Banabhatta’s son Bhushanabhatta after his father’s death. This ancient story has been dated back to the 7th century C.E. and is considered one of the first novels in world literature. So much so, that today the word  ‘kadambari‘ is used as a generic term for a romance or a novel in Kannada and Marathi. 

Experts theorise that the plot of this novel could have been adapted from King Sumanas’ story in Gunadhya’s Brhadkatha, a collection of stories in the extinct Paisachi language. This story is also present in Somadeva’s Kathasaritsagara. Kathasaritsagara is considered to be the Sanskrit precis of Brhadkatha. Kadambari is a novel that attains beauty through its complexity. With multiple characters, sub-plots and flashbacks, it is an intricate tale that comes neatly together at the end. 

A handsome hermit Pundarika and his friend Kapinjala meet the Gandharva princess Kadambari and her friend, Mahashveta while praying in a temple on the banks of Lake Achchoda. Mahashveta and Pundarika are smitten by each other instantly, but they go their separate ways since Pundarika is a hermit, who has left all worldly pleasures behind.

Though he does not pursue her, Pundarika pines for Mahashveta. Seeing his friend’s misery, Kapinjala informs Mahashveta of his friend’s love for her. She sets out to meet him, with the moon shining brightly to illuminate her path. While sitting under the bright moonlight that night, Pundarika looks up to see the smiling face of the Moon. Assuming that the Moon is mocking him, Pundrika curses the Moon to be born on earth and suffer the misery of unrealised love. The moon retaliates by cursing the Pundarika back, leading to his death. It is at this moment that Mahashveta reaches the spot and sees her beloved lying dead. Filled with grief, she decides to end her life, but the Moon, now regretting his hasty actions, stops her and assures her reunion with Pundarika. 

Script: Kamala Chandrakant, Illustration: Fernandes

She decides to wait for Pundarika at the banks of Achchoda as an ascetic. Her dear friend Kadambari, the Gandharva princess, vows to remain unmarried until her friend is reunited with her lover. 

Script: Kamala Chandrakant, Illustration: Fernandes

Soon, the Moon, stricken by Pundarika’s curse, is born as Chandrapida, the son of king Tarapida. At the same time, Pundarika is born to Tarapida’s chief minister and is named Vaishampayana. The two boys grow up together, becoming fast friends. When Chandrapida is crowned as the king, he is married off to the beautiful Patralekha. She is in fact Rohini, the Moon’s wife, who also takes birth as a human to accompany her husband. Chandrapida is also gifted a horse, who is actually Kapinjala reborn due to a sage’s curse. 

Chandrapida sets out to conquer the surrounding empires, along with Vaishampayana and Patralekha. One day, while exploring, Chandrapida and his horse reach the place where Mahashveta is waiting for Pundarika. She narrates her story to Chandrapida and tells him about Kadambari’s vow. She takes him to Kadambari’s kingdom, Hemakuta, in the hopes of changing her friend’s mind. There, both Kadambari and Chandrapida fall in love with each other. 

Script: Kamala Chandrakant, Illustration: Fernandes

However, Kadambari decides to stay true to her vow and soon Chandrapida leaves. Both of them pine for each other, and soon Mahashveta sends for Chandrapida, unable to bear her friend’s pain. Chandrapida takes Patralekha with him and visits Hemkuta again. Upon receiving word from his father, Chandrapida returns to his kingdom, leaving Patralekha behind with Kadambari. 

Meanwhile, Vaishampayana meets Mahashveta near Achchoda and proclaims his love for her. As a hermit, she is angered by his declaration and curses him to be reborn as a parrot, not realising he is the reincarnated Pundarika. Upon learning of his friend’s death, a grief-stricken Chandrapida too, falls dead at the banks of Lake Achchoda. 

Kadambari and Patralekha reach the spot and are heartbroken. Kadambari prepares to die for her lover, but a heavenly voice intervenes and proclaims that Chandrapida’s body shall be preserved and Kadambari would soon be united with her lover. Patralekha, saddened by her husband’s loss, jumps into the lake on Chandrapida’s horse. When the horse enters the water, the curse is broken and Kapinjala gets his original form back. Kapinjala then informs Mahashveta that the man she cursed was actually Pundarika, who vows to wait for his return.

Script: Kamala Chandrakant, Illustration: Fernandes

Kadambari continues to look after Chandrapida’s body at the lake and soon he opens his eyes, brought back to life by her love. Meanwhile, Vaishampayana completes his life as a parrot and regains his original form, that of Pundarika. Mahashveta is overjoyed and soon both the couples are married off with great pomp. Chandrapida hands over the kingdom to Pundarika and spends his time with his beloved Kadambari, sometimes on earth and sometimes in his celestial abode. 

Script: Kamala Chandrakant, Illustration: Fernandes

Read the classic tales from Indian literature in our title Great Indian Classics. Now available on the ACK Comics App, Kindle, Amazon, and with other major e-tailers.

5 Prominent Bengali Authors from the Pre-Tagore Era

By Srinidhi Murthy

The Modern Bengali Literature Era (i.e. post-1800), gave birth to numerous classic novels, biographies, religious texts and various poetic genres. Here is the list of some authors from Bengal, who will always be remembered for pioneering this golden period of Bengali literature.

Rassundari Devi (1809-1899)
Illustration: Narendra Pardhi

Rassundari Devi was the first Bengali author to write an autobiography. Her book, titled Aamar Jiban (My Life), was published in two parts, the first part in 1876 and the second, in 1906. Born in 1809, Rassundari Devi was raised by her widowed mother. As a child, she learnt the Bengali alphabets by repeating what was taught in the boys’ school that was held in her house. At the young age of 12, Rassundari Devi became a child bride. She learnt to read by herself post-marriage, due to her desire to read Chaitanya Bhagavatha. Rassundari Devi was the first woman in Bengali literature to write about topics such as her hardships as a child bride, the difficulties she endured to gain literacy and the experiences of her pregnancy and childbirth. She wrote about her experiences in a time when speaking about these issues was considered taboo for women. Her life is an inspirational tale of a woman who fought against all odds to fulfil her desire for literacy.

Peary Chand Mitra (1814-1883)
Illustration: Narendra Pardhi

Born in Calcutta in 1814, Peary Chand Mitra is known for his contribution to the development of Bangla literature and Journalism in Bengal. His most noted novel, Alaler Gharer Dulal (The Spoilt Child) was published in 1857, under the pseudonym Tek Chand Thakur. This was one of the earliest Bengali novels and Mitra wrote it in colloquial language i.e. cholitobhasa, instead of using a formal literary style. His simple prose style was later also used by notable writers like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. This colloquial form and style later came to be known as the Alali language. At a young age, Mitra learnt Persian and he started to learn English only when he joined Hindu College in 1827. He was a regular contributor to Bengali weekly newspapers such as Hindu Patriot, Calcutta Review, Bengal Spectator and Bengal Harkara. Notable Bangla literary works of Mitra include Alaler Gharer Dulal (1857), Mad Khaoya Bada Day Jat Thakar ki Upay (1859), Krispath (1861) and Abhedi (1871). Peary Chand Mitra breathed his last on 23 November, 1883, in Calcutta.

Girish Chandra Ghosh (1844-1912)
Illustration: Narendra Pardhi

Girish Chandra Ghosh was a Bengali writer, director and actor. He was credited with being responsible for the beginning of the golden era of Bengali Theatre. Girish Chandra was born in Bagbazar, Calcutta, on 28 February, 1844, as the eighth child to his parents. He left school in 1862, after he lost both of his parents and got an apprenticeship in book-keeping with a British Company. During this time, he was introduced to the works of Ishwar Chandra Gupta and started writing songs, poems and plays. Ghosh wrote around 80 plays on religious, social and historical themes. Some of his famous works include Sitaharan (1882), Chaitanyalila (1884), Validan (1904), Chatrapati Shivaji (1907) and Sankaracharya (1910). In 1893, he also translated Shakespeare’s Macbeth in Bangla. Girish Chandra Ghosh was the author of a  large number of Bangla plays and his lifelong association with the theatre contributed immensely to the development of Bengali theatre. 

Nabinchandra Sen (1847-1909)
Illustration: Narendra Pardhi

Considered one of the greatest poets and writers of Bengal, Nabinchandra Sen is known for popularising the epic narrative of the Mahabharata in Bengali language, with his three-volume series – Raivataka (1887), Kurukshetra (1893) and Prabhas (1896). Born in Noapara, Chittagong, on 10 February, 1847, Nabinchandra earned his BA degree from General Assembly’s Institution – presently the Scottish Church College. In 1871, his first volume of poetry, named Abakash Ranjani, was published, followed by the second volume in 1877. Nabinchandra wrote the biographies of Buddha, Cleopatra and Jesus Christ in Bengali and translated verses of the Markandeya Purana and Bhagavad Gita. His five-volume autobiography, Amar Jiban (My Life), documented not only the politics and administration of his time, but also the social aspirations of the educated class in contemporary Bengal society. Nabinchandra Sen died on 23 January, 1909.

Swarnakumari Devi (1855-1932)
Illustration: Narendra Pardhi

Born in Calcutta on 28 August, 1855, Swarnakumari Devi was the first female Bengali novelist to gain prominence. She was the elder sister of Rabindranath Tagore and was fourth among the daughters of Debandranath Tagore. Swarnakumari Devi was primarily educated at home and she married the well-educated Janakinath Ghoshal in 1868. Eight years after her marriage, Swarnakumari Devi published her first novel, Deep Nirban (The Snuffing out of Light), which evoked the nationalist spirit. She composed the first Bengali opera, Basanta Utsav, in 1879. In 1896, Swarnakumari Devi started an organisation named Sakhi Samiti, which not only provided shelter but also education to women, especially widows and orphans. She worked as the first female editor of Bharati, a magazine started by Jyotirindranath Tagore. Author of many novels, poems, novels, essays and plays, the life of Swarnakumari Devi will always be remembered not only for her contribution to Bengali literature but also for her role as an activist who fought for women’s liberation.

The Wit of the Woodpecker

By Srinidhi Murthy

One day in the forest, a tiger, enjoying his meal, got a bone stuck in his jaw. He couldn’t get it out no matter how hard he tried. The tiger was distressed. He thought,

“I will not be able to eat anything unless I get this bone out.”

Days passed. The tiger became weaker and weaker due to starvation. A  woodpecker living on a nearby tree approached him and asked why he was lying with his mouth open. In response, the tiger pointed out the bone in his mouth. Understanding the tiger’s problem, the woodpecker decided to make a deal with him. The woodpecker told the tiger that he would remove the bone if the latter promised to give the former a share in the flesh of animals he kills. The tiger agreed immediately and the woodpecker removed the bone from his mouth.

 Relieved from the discomfort, the hungry tiger happily went hunting. A few hours later, he returned with his prey and started devouring it. The woodpecker saw this and asked for his share, as per the deal. 

Script: C.R. Sharma and Kamala Chandrakant, Illustration: Ashok Dongre
Script: C.R. Sharma and Kamala Chandrakant, Illustration: Ashok Dongre

The tiger laughed at him and said,

“You know I am a wild animal. I could have easily eaten you when you entered my mouth. I didn’t and so you should be grateful for that.”

The woodpecker was furious when he realized the fact that he had been used by the tiger for his own benefit. 

He waited patiently till the tiger began to doze off, after the heavy meal. The woodpecker swiftly pecked one of the eyes of the tiger, blinding him in one eye. The tiger growled in pain and asked why the woodpecker was so cruel to him. To this, the witty woodpecker replied,

“You know I have a sharp beak. I could have easily blinded both of your eyes. But I didn’t and you should be grateful for that.”

Read more animal stories in our Panchatantra and Jataka collections, now available on the ACK Comics app, Flipkart, Amazon, and other major e-tailers. 

How the Jackal ate the Elephant

By Kayva Gokhale 

One day, while strolling in the jungle, Mahachaturaka- a jackal, stumbled upon a dead elephant lying in his path. He was overjoyed. The elephant was huge and could sustain the jackal for a long, long time. However, there was a problem. The elephant’s hide was very tough and the jackal did not have sharp claws or teeth needed to cut away the hide and get to the flesh. 

Illustrator: Ram Waeerkar | Script: Kamala Chandrakant

While Mahachaturaka was deep in thought, he saw a lion coming his way. Wanting to win his favour, the jackal approached the lion and said,

“My Lord, I am your loyal servant and have been guarding this dead elephant so that you may feast upon it.”

The lion was proud. He said,

“I only eat what I have hunted myself! However, since you are such a loyal servant, you can have this elephant for yourself.”

And so the lion walked away, leaving Mahachaturaka with the elephant. 

A few minutes passed, and the jackal once again heard footsteps coming in his direction. He spotted a tiger. He knew that the tiger was not as proud as the lion and was afraid that he would eat up the elephant. Quickly thinking of a ploy, the jackal spoke to the tiger,

“Dear Uncle Tiger, do not venture near here. This is an elephant that has been killed by a lion. He has gone for his bath and asked me to guard it for him.”

Sowing fear in the tiger’s mind, he continued,

“A tiger once ate a meal hunted by this lion and he was livid! He got so furious that he swore that he would kill any tiger that crossed his path. You should leave before the lion comes back, otherwise, your life would be in grave danger!”

The tiger was alarmed by this story and ran away in the opposite direction, leaving the dead elephant alone. 

The jackal had so far preserved his meal from other enemies, but he still could not figure out how to cut away the elephant’s hide. Just as he was fretting over his problem, he saw a leopard coming toward him. A brilliant idea flashed in his mind. At once he called out to the leopard,

“Dear Uncle Leopard, you look so thin and weak – it seems like you have not had a good meal in a long time! Here, I am guarding this dead elephant for a lion, but seeing your condition, I request you to please eat some of it.”

The leopard was hesitant.

“What if the lion comes back and sees me eating his meal? No, I’d better not take the risk,” he said.

Illustrator: Ram Waeerkar | Script: Kamala Chandrakant

But the jackal was cunning.

“Don’t be afraid, please start eating. I shall signal you to run away as soon as the lion returns,” he reassured the leopard.

Satisfied, the leopard started eating the dead elephant. However, as soon as he had cut the elephant’s hide with his sharp claws, the jackal shouted, “Run! I see the lion coming back! Run!” Hearing his friend’s cries, the leopard ran away as fast as possible. 

Now that he had gotten rid of his rivals and managed to tear away the elephant’s tough hide, the jackal happily feasted on his delicious meal.

Read more such fascinating animal tales in our Jataka, Panchatantra and Hitopadesha Collection. It is now available on the ACK Comics app, Kindle, Flipkart, Amazon, and other major e-tailers. 

Quote from Isaiah

The prophet Isaiah foretold the circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ and the role he would play in shaping humankind, several centuries before Christ’s coming. This quote, taken from the Book of Isaiah, prophesied the birth of Jesus as the Son of God and speaks of him as the symbol of peace, love and kindness, leading humanity on the path of righteousness.


Krishna Speaks #9

Today’s quote is about what the Bhagavad Gita tells us about the importance of belief.

Profile: Kiran Desai

By Kayva Gokhale 

Illustration: Ritoparna Hazra  |  Covers: Amazon

Kiran Desai is an acclaimed Indian author, who has achieved international fame with her award-winning books. She was born in India in 1971 to author Anita Desai and Ashvin Desai, a writer and the director of a software company. Desai lived in India for fourteen years before moving to England. 

Her first novel, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, was well received by critics and won the Betty Trask Award in 1998. Set in a small town in India, the book follows Sampath Chawla, an eccentric young man who seeks to break away from the mundanity of life and find freedom in nature. This novel delves into themes of modernity, tradition, mundanity, freedom and the power of imagination.

It was, however, Desai’s second novel, The Inheritance of Loss, which cemented her name as one of the leading Indian writers of current times and brought on comparisons to other acclaimed literary figures like Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie. This novel, which came out in 2006, won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction as well as the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award that year. Inspired by Desai’s own experience of immigration and globalisation, The Inheritance of Loss depicts the far-reaching consequences of colonialism, through interconnecting stories of a retired Judge, his love-struck granddaughter, an old cook, an illegal immigrant in New York and a fundamentalist tutor– all in the small town of Kalimpong. 

Today, Desai is one of the best selling Indian-origin authors globally and has collected many more awards and accolades over the years. She was awarded the prestigious Berlin Prize Fellowship at the American Academy in Berlin in 2013 and was listed as one of the 20 most influential global Indian women by the Economic Times in 2015. 

The Kuruba Tribe

The Kuruba community is one of the oldest existing communities in India. They are the original forest dwellers of Karnataka. The people of the Kuruba tribe have practised many professions over the ages, but their main occupations still remain shepherding and farming. The people of the Kuruba tribe believe that the stone is the almighty source of everything. They believe that it is from stone that soil, which nourishes all plants and life, is formed.

Illustration: Sundara Moorthy

The Kuruba community is one of the oldest existing communities in India. They are the original forest dwellers of Karnataka. The people of the Kuruba tribe have practised many professions over the ages, but their main occupations still remain shepherding and farming. The people of the Kuruba tribe believe that the stone is the almighty source of everything. They believe that it is from stone that soil, which nourishes all plants and life, is formed.

There are many sub-divisions of the Kuruba tribe. Some of them are Kadu Kuruba, Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Gonda Kuruba and Sanchari Kuruba.

The term ‘Kadu’ in the Kannada language means forest. The Kadu Kuruba live in forests. In the Kannada language, ‘Jenu’ means honey and ‘Kuruba’ means caste. The people of the Jenu Kuruba tribe have made honey-gathering their profession. The people of Betta Kuruba are ethnically similar to the people of the Jenu Kuruba tribe. Their name, ‘Betta’, means hills and they live in the Western Ghats of southern India. The Sanchari Kuruba are an ancient nomadic community of North Karnataka.

Some of the major works from Kuruba Literature are Halumatha Kuruba Purana- Story of Kuruba Gowdas and the Epic of Katamaraju.

Hakkaraya and Bukkaraya, the founders of the Vijayanagar Empire are believed to be from the Kuruba tribe. Some great literary figures like
Kalidasa and Kanakadasa are also said to have been from the Kuruba tribe. The Kuruba tribe has survived many centuries and today, its population in Karnataka alone is around eighty lakh.

Read more Indian classic stories in our comic Great Indian Classics, available on the ACK Comics app, Kindle, Flipkart, Amazon, and other major e-tailers.