KAVITAVALI ( कवितावली )
-N K Tripathi
Tulsidas is a gleaming epitome in the world literature. His epic Ramcharitmanas ( popularly called Ramayan) is kept in the most exalted veneration as a religious scripture by the devotees. It is even more a marvel in poetry, unsurpassed in Hindi literature. Its language, style, content and prosody is par excellence.
Kavitavali is another excellent creation of Tulsidas. Unlike Awadhi ( my mother, dialect) of Ramcharitmanas, Kavitavali is written in the sweeter Brij Bhasha. Like Ramcharitmanas, Kavitavali also has seven cantos. But every stanza is independent in itself and not following a theme. Its main features are vivid narrations combined with exclusive devotion to Ram. It also gives a realistic depiction of the contemporary social and economic hardships and poverty. In its Uttarakand there is complete submission to the Divine.
I still remember one stanza ( छन्द ) of Kavitavali from my high school textbook. It was regarding a very poignant moment when Sita, Ram and Laxman came out of Ayodhya on way to go to long distances in forests for 14 years:-
पुर तें निकसी रघुबीर-वधू, धरि धीर दिए मग में डग द्वैं।
झलकीं भरि भाल कनी जल की, पट सूखि गए मधुराधर वै।
फिर बुझति हैं, चलनो अब केतिक, पर्नकुटी करिहौं कित ह्वै?
तिय की लखि आतुरता पिय की अँखियाँ अति चारु चलीं जल च्वै।।
It means the bride of Raghuvir, Sita stepped out of Ayodhya and had hardly put two steps with patience on the way, then drops of water (sweat) shimmered upon her fair forehead. Her sweet lips had grown dry. Then she gently asked, “How much farther must we go now? Where shall we build our hut of leaves?” Beholding the beloved’s anxious weariness at the very beginning, Ram’s beautiful eyes filled and overflowed with tears.
The translation can’t match the original beauty of the text. However, it will give a glimpse
of the poetic brilliance of Tulsidas to capture and depict a touching scene.
